Tag Archive for: digital pr

What IS Digital Marketing Strategy?

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Why do you need a digital strategy and what is it?

Since digital and social media are so accessible, it’s easy to think the results are just as accessible.
But the truth is, simply BEING on social media isn’t a strategy any more (if it ever was enough).
The digital world has brought us many, many advances, but it’s also brought a much more distracted and diluted market place.

The average person is exposed to over 5,000 messages a day.

Perhaps even more, especially if they are heavy social media users.
We used to tell brands that every person needed exposure to a message 7 times before it sunk in.
With today’s clutter and fast-paced media world, I put that number at closer to 12 today.

But having a digital marketing strategy saves you time and money and can even possibly reduce the number of exposures required.

A lot of people are reluctant to spend the time on a digital strategy thinking that the digital world is so fast moving that the minute you settle on a strategy, things will change.
Actually, it’s the opposite, the more thought out your marketing strategy, the more you’ll be able to roll with the punches.
Strategy allows you to be more fluid, not less.
And even if you DO change your strategy, at least you’ll do so with intent.

So what IS a digital strategy?
A good digital marketing strategy answers ALL you’re “Why’s”
If you can’t defend a piece of content, a post or an answer of how that benefits your company and it’s customers, then you don’t have a strategy.

A good digital strategy has three components:

Outstanding audience identification.

Start with the customer. Always.
Your digital audience may be a sub-segment of your larger audience or it may be your entire audience. It doesn’t matter, really.
What’s most important is that your extremely clear on your audience’s pain points, interests and emotional triggers.
If you’re clear on who you’re speaking to, everything in your digital strategy will improve.
This will require some research, because no matter what you THINK you know about you’re customers, if you do some research on them, you’ll learn something about what resonates, what’s memorable and what matters to them.
The customer research will help you stay on message and consistent regardless of platform choices. You’ll know you’re on the right track because you have the research to back it up.

Product and Service Voice Clarity

How will you communicate with your community in the digital space?
Sometimes, the tone of voice in digital is different from the tone of voice in other mediums.
In fact, most of the time it is.
Once you know your audience, you can start to blend in their preferences with how they like to be communicated WITH along side the brand consistency you’re trying to accomplish. Voice consistency takes time and intention to develop and implement, but once you do it, you’ll be well on your way to executing a great digital strategy.

Digital Distinguishers

Chances are, you have some competition in the digital world.
Take a careful look at your competitors. What’s missing?
What can you do better than anyone else?
This takes brutal honesty because you’ve got to be incredibly clear on who you are, who you want to be and how that meshes with how your community sees you and what you’re willing to do or not do.
The digital user is quick to point out the inauthentic, so be honest with yourself here, so you can be honest with your customers.
Your digital distinguishers should include your product and service differentiation while integrating with what makes your customers unique.
This is the place where it all comes together.

Once you’ve put all these pieces in place, a real digital marketing strategy can emerge.
Now you can start to identify content types, frequency, messaging, and platforms that support your strategy.

With the inundation of messages today, the ONLY way to be in the digital space is to do so with a strategy, otherwise, you’re actually doing damage to your brand and you’re seriously missing out on opportunity, relationships, and dollars.

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Creating a Customer Focused Communication Strategy

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The Communication Strategy Everyone Will Thank You For.

We’re inundated with messages every day. As communicators, it’s up to us to have  some empathy for our audience, whether that audience is the press, an employee, a customer, or an investor.

Yet, this single communications strategy I’m about to share with you is so simple, so basic, you’ll wonder why you’re not doing it already.

Before we go any further, let me ask you, which would you rather be:

A product or a movement
A cause or a movement?
An idea or a movement?

If you don’t care, I’ll save you-you can stop reading right now.
If you want to be a movement, it’s time to re-frame your thinking.
If you’re going to have a movement that matters, you’re going to need people to get on your side.
PEOPLE.
Not Twitter accounts, not Instagram followers, not Facebook likes.
These are vanity metrics that provide little insight into the passion and interest people have in your brand, product, or personality.

Are You Really Ready?

If you’re ready, you’ll re-frame your thinking.
If you re-frame your thinking, it will change everything.

So get ready…
The world is crowded now with communicators, marketers, messengers, and “me, me, me.”
Some days it’s soul-sucking.
It’s why everyone who uses social networking says brands ruin everything.
And yet…people WANT to receive messages, they just want messages tailored to them.
One of the reasons digital marketing is so powerful is that it creates a give and take in the relationship.
It provides an opportunity for the customer, the reader to think about their favorite subject for a moment: them.
But here’s the rub:
It takes strategy, focus and creativity to create content that your consumer wants to see.

So, please.
As you review your communication goals and communication strategy, stop for one moment and think about the reader, whether they’re a customer, a client, an investor, or an internal employee.
Make it about them.
That single phrase is the one thing so many brand communicators ignore.
Why? Because it takes serious work to “Make it about them.”
It means getting serious about audience identification.
It means getting serious about your brand, it’s voice and how it relates to the audience.
It means diving in on messaging and strategic choices in advertising.
It means actually creating a relationship and even (GASP) an in-person relationship with your customer or client.
It means, communication and branding for the long haul,  not some flash-in-the-pan-make-it-go-viral-I-need-some-vanity-numbers-now kind of campaign.

And while we’re thinking about it, let’s consider language and what it says about our strategy.
If you’re saying you’ll “use influencers,” do you think you’re thinking about it from the “All About Them” standpoint?
If you’re talking about how you’ll “promote”  your message, event, or idea, does that sound like you’re getting ready to make it interesting to others?
If you’re talking to a PR agency, a strategist or a social media consultant who is using words like “promote” and “use” you really must ask yourself if you’ll have an opportunity for a customer relationship.

I still see and hear this language every day on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, everywhere.
It’s gotten to where my eyes glaze over.
Guess what?  So does everyone else’s.

Let’s step it up, together.
We can do this.
We can make what you have to say interesting and relevant to the right people at the right time.

Now What?

Here’s my communication strategy challenge to you.
Go check your last 10 social posts.
See how many times you used the words “we, us, or I.”

How much of your content was about the consumer?
How much of your content was strategically shared to reinforce or create relationships?
Is there anything there that would make someone curious?
Is there anything at ALL that makes people feel ANYTHING?

How do YOU make people feel?
If you make them feel ANYTHING you’re miles ahead.
If you make them feel stronger, smarter, special, you’re really hitting on something.
If you made them terrified, scared, outraged, you’re really hitting on something.

People rarely forget how you made them feel.
But YOU’RE utterly forgettable when you make them feel nothing.
Digital branding and marketing is a long game, with peaks at appropriate times.
But always it surrounds emotion.

Regardless of the movement you’re trying to start, start with the idea that “you” are not necessarily interesting.
What’s interesting to people is what they do with “you.”
How you make them laugh or think.
How you make their lives easier, better, or richer.

Here’s another reason to re-frame your thinking: it takes discipline and thought to create content that makes people pause.
That’s why so few marketers do it.
So while everyone else is “zigging” go ahead and “zag.” and watch how it changes the way people respond to your brand or product.

That is all.

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Case Study and Lessons Learned: Increasing Foot Traffic for Retail Using Social Media and Event Marketing

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Case Study #4: Neighborhood Shopping Center

Background:

This client came to me with a desire to raise awareness of their shopping center and the variety of stores and shops within the shopping center.  The shopping center itself is in a very urban area, but provides services and shopping to a family-oriented clientele.

Listen:

They had previously done an influencer campaign which produced a short burst, but didn’t create anything sustainable and they couldn’t figure out why.

Think:


After hearing about their previous experience, Akamai determined the influencer campaign fell flat because the influencers weren’t neighborhood influencers. These influencers had their own set of chops as foodies and heavy social media users, but these influencers weren’t influencers to the target market either in terms of demographics, motivations or geography. We recognized that the likely shopper to this center had a distinct ethnic and demographic profile.

We actually recommended that the shopping center reduce the number of social media profiles in order to focus on the platform that was most likely to reach their audience.

We also wanted to start building an email list for the shopping center so it could continue to reward and connect with their customers outside of social media. We used promotions on Facebook to build this list.

Do:

We kicked off the campaign with a community, family-focused event which included prizes and give-aways for social media participants.

Akamai Marketing developed a promotional Facebook campaign and contest that created curiosity and conversation among it’s target market while highlighting the variety of stores and shops in the shopping center.  All content was custom developed to resonate with the target audience from a motivational and interest perspective.

The nature of the campaign enabled it to stay fresh for the entire 6 months without duplication.

We then advertised these posts to our highly targeted audience using a small but effective Facebook advertising budget.

Results:

Increased Shopping Center Traffic: 178%
Increased Awareness: 3,800%
Increased Unadvertised Impressions: 87%
Increased Overall Impressions: 644%
Email Registrations: >200 in 6 weeks

Lessons Learned: 

We learned to be highly targeted and clear on audience demographics for each post. We also learned that the stores would not provide content, so we shared what we could and supported the stores by offering to create content for them.

For our target audience, the overly slick content didn’t do as well, so we stayed with a more homey, less “advertising” feel to our content and messaging.

With a newly engaged social media community, we tested the audience with a selfie contest over a heavy shopping weekend. This contest was not successful and we attribute that to the audience, it’s comfort with sharing and the interface hurdles inherent in the sharing of the selfies.

Every shopping center is designed around an ideal customer.  It’s important to embrace that ideal customer’s natural tendencies, motivations and inclinations. Taking risks in social media should be balanced with campaigns that the user will naturally be attracted to.

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Social Media Branding: Stand By Your Brand

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When To Stand Up for Your Brand in Social Media

This week, with the Dave and Busters “Juan” tweet yet another social media gaffe made its what into the collective conversation.
It sparked furious cries of racism.
It sparked snickers.
It sparked the “holier than thou” media to earn mega points for traffic.

Imagine for a moment, the alternative tweet: “I hate tacos” said no one ever. #tacotuesday.

Imagine what THAT would have caused: crickets.

Which of those  two messages was more brand consistent, more interesting, more compelling and took more courage?

Branding is like getting a tattoo: it takes guts and commitment.

Tweet: Branding is like getting a tattoo: it takes guts and commitment.

This is why brands and businesses must be crystal clear on who they are, what they stand for, and who their target customer is. I’m not suggesting that every brand and business rush to the edge of every cultural controversy and insensitivity in order to create some reaction to their message. But in order to make it interesting, they HAVE to know where the line is on risk-taking. Brands and businesses have to accept that people who AREN’T their customers aren’t going to “get” it and they have to stand with their customers who DO.  If you insist on a completely bland copy, messaging, and creative, you will get some bland results.

Tweet: If you insist on a completely bland copy, messaging and creativity, you will get some bland results.

Tweet: Brands and businesses have to stand with their customers who DO “get it”.

I’m actually disappointed Dave and Busters didn’t fire back to the haters with another pun. Dave and Busters is a GAMING VENUE for grown-ups. It isn’t a financial company; it isn’t a children’s nonprofit; it isn’t a government agency; it isn’t a church. It’s supposed to be FUN. Taco Tuesdays are supposed to be FUN. I don’t know about you – but I could use a little fun in my tweet stream.

So here’s where we’re at with a collective lack of spine in the social, marketing, and advertising world: be creative, be dynamic, create conversation and excitement, but DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE RISKS. Does the marketing and advertising world really want to be known as the analysis paralysis industry, whose signature color is beige?

Tweet: Does the marketing and advertising world really want to be known as the analysis paralysis industry whose signature color is beige?

Yes, let’s think through things. Yes, let’s consider the context. But let’s stop freaking out the minute someone with 2,000 followers takes issue with an edgy statement. Let’s understand our brands, their purpose, their customers, and values, and let’s stand by those values even when everyone else doesn’t get it. It’s OK. If your brand is truly defined, not everyone will.

Yes, the pain of nasty-gram tweets and email is piercing. They don’t last forever. In fact, in most cases, those same people are off on an entirely different tangent tomorrow. Being a wishy-washy brand isn’t good for anyone, except dish soap – and those consequences are far longer reaching.

Tweet: Being a wishy washy brand isn’t good for anyone, except dish soap – and those consequences are far longer reaching.
Stand tall. Take smart risks. Stand by your customers. Have some brand confidence. Stand by your brand.

 

This post originally appeared on Akamai Marketing

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The Dave and Busters Tweet Lesson: Stand By Your Brand

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This week, with the Dave and Busters “Juan” tweet yet another social media gaffe made it’s what into the collective conversation. It sparked furious cries of racism. It sparked snickers. It sparked the “holier than thou” media to earn mega points for traffic.

Imagine for a moment, the alternative tweet: “I hate tacos” said no one ever. #tacotuesday.

Imagine what THAT would have caused: crickets.

Which of those  two messages was more brand consistent, more interesting, more compelling and took more courage?

Branding is like getting a tattoo: it takes guts and commitment.

Tweet: Branding is like getting a tattoo: it takes guts and commitment.

This is why brands and businesses must be crystal clear on who they are, what they stand for and who their target customer is. I’m not suggesting that every brand and business rush to the edge of every cultural controversy and insensitivity in order to create some reaction to their message. But in order to make it interesting they HAVE to know where the line is on risk taking. Brands and businesses have to accept that people who AREN’T their customers aren’t going to “get” it and they have to stand with their customers who DO.  If you insist on completely bland copy, messaging and creative, you will get some bland results.

Tweet: If you insist on completely bland copy, messaging and creative, you will get some bland results.

Tweet: Brands and businesses have to stand with their customers who DO “get it”.

I’m actually disappointed Dave and Busters didn’t fire back to the haters with another pun. Dave and Busters is a GAMING VENUE for grown ups. It isn’t a financial company, it isn’t a children’s nonprofit, it isn’t a government agency, it isn’t a church. It’s supposed to be FUN. Taco Tuesdays are supposed to be FUN. I don’t know about you – but I could use a little fun in my tweet stream.

So here’s where we’re at with a collective lack of spine in the social, marketing and advertising world: be creative, be dynamic, create conversation and excitement, but DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE RISKS. Does the marketing and advertising world really want to be known as the analysis paralysis industry whose signature color is beige?

Tweet: Does the marketing and advertising world really want to be known as the analysis paralysis industry whose signature color is beige?

Yes, let’s think through things. Yes, let’s consider context. But let’s stop freaking out the minute someone with 2,000 followers takes issue with an edgy statement. Let’s understand our brands, their purpose, their customers and values and let’s stand by those values even when everyone else doesn’t get it. It’s OK. If you’re brand is truly defined, not everyone will.

Yes, the pain of nasty-gram tweets and email is piercing, they don’t last forever, in fact, in most cases, those very same people are off on an entirely different tangent tomorrow.  Being a wishy washy brand isn’t good for anyone, except dish soap – and those consequences are far longer reaching.

Tweet: Being a wishy washy brand isn’t good for anyone, except dish soap – and those consequences are far longer reaching.
Stand tall. Take smart risks. Stand by your customers. Have some brand confidence. Stand by your brand.

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LinkedIn-You’re Doing It Wrong

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[Warning: This is a vent. A rant. I just HAVE to get it off my chest.]

Oh. LinkedIn. That treasure trove of business connections, potential sales and potential jobs. It’s almost just too awesome. Expect there seems to be a misunderstanding about Linkedin best practices.

Because you’re ruining it.

Stop randomly sending LinkedIn requests without context to everyone LinkedIn thinks you should meet.
LinkedIn is WRONG.

Newsflash: if you should meet them, then you probably will.
If you should meet them, start the relationship nicely with a personal note.
Didn’t your mother teach you anything?

I’m showing you this ACTUAL conversation because this person was actually honest enough to TELL THE TRUTH about why I received some random connection request. Kudos to this person.

But seriously, how many of these people do you have floating around in your LinkedIn connections?

I have Twitter and Google+ as networks that are wide open; I enjoy reading information from people I don’t know in both those networks.
I’ve made some great connections on both networks that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
Unless there is a compelling reason NOT to, I’m happy to connect with most people in both those places.
Facebook is less wide open, limited mostly to people I actually know in real life, you know, my Mom and my high school classmates. Good times over there. Good times.
But LinkedIn is really reserved for professional connections.
It isn’t a contract.
It doesn’t mean we WILL work together.
It doesn’t mean we have worked together.
It does mean that we’re both viewing the connection as a professional one.
Another newsflash: if your Instagram is connected to your LinkedIn, you aren’t treating it professionally.
If I want to follow you on Instagram I will.
I don’t share my dinner on LinkedIn and I don’t ask for personal references on Instagram.
Got it?

This is the reason I send a personal note to every single person who I don’t know when I receive a LinkedIn request.
It isn’t because I’m a snob.
It isn’t because I have to “protect my rolodex.”
It isn’t because I don’t “get” social media and the power of connecting.
It’s because I’m trying to derive some value from LinkedIn and connecting with 7,000 people who I have no context about, who don’t really want to get to know me, or who I really don’t want to get to know will not do it for me.
I tried the whole LION thing. It didn’t work for me. I squashed it. Fast.
When someone asks me to connect them to someone I don’t know or feel like I have a relationship with, it feels embarrassing.
I feel this sheepish need to explain how I use LinkedIn and why I have a connection with someone I don’t know.
I hate that feeling.

So if you want to connect on LinkedIn, that’s cool.
Just let me know why.
That’s all I ask.
That way I have some context about who you are, what you’re doing on LInkedIn and how maybe, possibly, I can help.
Feel free to tell me how you use LinkedIn too.
I love helping others, I really do.
But I can’t help if I don’t know what you want or why you think we should connect.

Maybe Linkedin could be more amazing is we were just a little more human – then we wouldn’t need anything like “LinkedIn best practices at all.”

That’s all.

Oh, wait. No, it’s not.
PS: Could you also stop endorsing me for things I didn’t put there?
You don’t need to make up skills for me.
I’m cool with the ones I have.

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