Marketing Insights For 2020

Following the series of Instagram and Facebook posts on Social Tailor pages, I reveal in “long-form” the full set of images and copy (extrapolated) to assist, question and highlight some of the tactics and approaches that could be looked at and adopted.*i

If you worked all those years on the GDPR rules and regs, you would be royally pissed off that your work has been reduced to a pop-up that nobody has time to read and is typically seen as a nuisance. In the short term there is no easy answer, however this “nuisance” is often the first interaction new visitors to your site experience.  Are you making it quick and painless? How does your “pop-up” work on the mobile version of your site? Is it a royal pain to close on a small screen, thereby already annoying the visitor before they’ve got to the information they’ve been sent to, or are you taking the time to smile and apologise? Is that the right thing to do, and your approach, how will it translate to an international audience?

Over analysing data can ensure marketing success is nothing more than incremental, learning from others is good, copying can be a form of flattery… consider that leaps of success come from testing, taking risks and initiating stunts. Where is your boundary? Where is your next leap coming from?

In this series I am happy in the ironic use of a well known film to give topics to the subject of marketing approach, this example could be seen as a stunt (if very weak) however, in your work, stop looking at your competition, you’ll end up doing what they do and disappear in a cloud of “averageness”. In order to stand out, connect or excite your audience take evaluated risks. When I first saw the Cadbury’s Gorilla (Phil Collins) I immediately thought of Silk Cut (before the final brand reveal). This still sticks with me, because: A. I’m a drummer, B. The music was of my generation, C. I’ve been a smoker – and still love chocolate (if not the brand).*ii

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube and Pinterest are now drastically reducing organic content to such an extent that paid (advertising) is quickly becoming the only way to get your message through to your targeted audience. More so with the advent of VPNs providing so much anonymity. How will you now cost effectively promote your brand? Time for true creatives to step up; or do you take the Team Gary Vee approach and hammer the networks with 1000’s of pieces of content weekly?

Most of you that follow these posts are not in the position to be creating 100’s of pieces of content daily, therefore it’s time to approach real creatives and ask for help, or release your inner creative (we all have it, for some it’s just buried deeper than others). Have some fun and test it.*iii

B2C (business to consumer) brands, how good is your SEO? Did you get an ALEXA or Amazon ECHO for Christmas this year? Amazon say they’ve already sold 100 million units. For your brand to be found by VOICE COMMAND no longer will your potential customer see you on a page of results, they will be offered just one result. As a marketing channel it needs to be your new hope that your SEO Team are on point! Either that or quickly learn the importance of things like back-links, Google Ads, Bing and Ecosia; through sites like Moz or the Search Engine Journal. *iv

Social media is brilliant at allowing you to find supporting businesses to yours. Let’s say you are a boutique camper-van company or a holiday home, consider who, either nationally or locally would be a great group of businesses to partner with? In terms of the holiday home, do you have bike hire, local restaurant, corner shop or activity centre nearby? Get out and speak to them, build your own network that supports each other, that passes business, that chats on social media, sharing each others stories and activities. You will find common ground and likely pains and solutions too. Be the NETWORK and strike back; be the business that all the others could only dream of. A simple step, yet very powerful.

With the advent of Social Media bombardment I advocate the use of SMS to select customer groups. Beyond WhatsApp there is COMMUNITY.COM and others that allow you (having promoted your own no.) to group and target. With a 97% engagement rate it’s hard not to succeed. Consider that the recipient wants value / useful messages rather be sold to. If it’s a new audience build trust before you ask / sell anything!

It really is a fantastic tool. I often tell startups that if you need help send a “text all” on their phone, you will get a response and sure as hell your Uncle’s mate Jenny will know Suzie who know’s exactly who to speak to. It’s a tactic that works, particularly when asking for help.*v

One of the main things to learn is to stop using your product to sell, use the feeling it gives the customer, use the vision you had when creating the product or business. Find space to awaken your inner creative and test it. Failing that speak to your customers, (which you should be doing anyway) use their experience and their perceptions of what they expected and the feelings they got when they used it. Creativity is what will make the difference to your brand.

A question often asked, is it worth it?

Influencer Agencies exist for a reason, they get results. However, do your research, cross examine the ones that approach you, as you would a potential new employee. Look at every platform they’re on. If there is any behaviour that you deem inappropriate, even slightly, just don’t engage. Consider the brands they’ve already worked with, do they align with yours, are you happy to be associated with those brands? Think beyond the individual, and look for the coverage they get in (online) publications. I might consider an accredited journalist before an Instagram star if your brand is targeting a more mature profile. For it to work, you really need to know your best customer and whether they would come across them. In these fickle times, you’re only as good as your last influencer. *vi

Warning, this post will date, very quickly.