Using the Zeitgeist on Social Media

The 2018 World Cup. Love Island. Wimbledon. Queer Eye.

If you haven’t heard of any of these events or programs over the last month then where the hell have you been?!

Only joking…slightly!

There’s nothing wrong with having zero personal interest in some, or all, of the above but there is something to be said in following the current cultural zeitgeist if you manage social media channels for your business, or someone else’s.

Mainstream Audiences

I completely understand if you have zero interest in all of the above from a personal perspective but if you’re marketing to a mainstream B2C audience between the ages of 18 – 50 you can guarantee a lot of them do.

A quick walk down any street, head-pop into any workplace or brief glance at social media would reveal as much.

The UK and Ireland was awash with Love Island drama, last minute World Cup goals, the will-he-won’t-he play Andy Murray saga, and the joy of a rebooted series on Netflix.

Obviously much more was happening but that’s beside the point. From a social media marketing point of view this was all great content fodder brimming with potential. There were countless angles on which to grab attention and create humour, debate, emotion, news etc.

Multiple brands and businesses, local and national, jumped on board with plenty of success and the last 4-6 weeks is a mini case study in the power of the zeitgeist, especially when it comes to social media.

Industry Specific

All of that might seem fun but completely distant, almost untouchable, for B2B or niche industry marketers out there, however the lesson is still applicable.

In every industry there are news stories, waves, trends and points of discussion that represent the mini zeitgeist of that market.

Just this week the ridiculously successful children’s SLIME market (seriously, slime?!) was rocked with news of potentially dangerous chemicals.

Maybe this represents the perfect opportunity for someone producing hand-crafted, 100% organic, locally sourced slime…

If that isn’t yet a thing then get in touch (if you can make slime) and we’ll make a fortune together!

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Moving swiftly on…

This isn’t a catchall silver bullet, simply another tactic or mindset that can be incorporated into an overarching social media strategy to great effect.

The power of the zeitgeist isn’t new in marketing or social media but this summer has been another reminder that “trending” is important for a reason.  

The Death of Facebook…Again?

If you’ve followed the rise of Facebook over the last decade you’ll probably have heard about “the death of Facebook” on more than one occasion.

As the world’s biggest social media platform Facebook is an easy target for everyone from advertisers to governments to regular users in the general public. As a result, we’ve seen this type of headline time and time again.

Is this really the end for Facebook? What does the future hold for the channel synonymous with social media?

Pivot, Pivot…PIVOT!*

You don’t need an MBA or years of experience in the business world to recognise that Mark Zuckerberg has been a pretty impressive founder and CEO up to this point.

With this in mind, and a history of acquisitions including Instagram and aggressively attacking competitors like Snapchat, it’s fair to assume that Facebook will pivot and react, as and when younger audience attention shifts.

However, even with this in mind it’s unlikely Facebook will ever again become the “go-to” place for younger audiences. This is primarily because it now has such a large adult and senior audience that the numbers will almost certainly always skew upwards.

Also, when you combine the fact that Zuckerberg is unlikely to turn his back on the highly lucrative mature audiences anytime soon with the age-old understanding that kids, teens and younger groups always want their “own” space, on and offline, it’s safe to say Facebook will most likely never return to its younger, cooler image of approximately 2008-2012.

*Who got the Friends reference?

Segmented Digital Messaging

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Marketers and advertisers are no strangers to segmented audiences and messaging and this may develop further in the coming years, more so than even at present.

To a certain extent businesses, marketers and advertisers already understand that different social media channels mean different audiences (think Snapchat for under 25s etc.).

As a result, and if younger users continually drop-off, or never join, Facebook the social media channel could simply become a platform to reach audiences in the over thirties market.

This would essentially represent a 180 degrees flip, as for years the channel was seen as a platform to reach teenagers, university students and those in their early twenties, but wouldn’t kill the channel by a long shot.

In the near future you could see marketers use Snapchat and Instagram to reach anyone under thirty, Facebook for over thirties and one or two other experimental channels for teenagers or seniors.

Part of the Mainstream

With all of the above in mind one of the most likely developments (it’s happening already) is that Facebook simply becomes part of the mainstream media machine we’ve all known, in some shape or form, throughout our lives.

For many the Brexit and US Presidential political results of 2016 represented a watershed moment as Facebook had reached the mainstream as a key media channel. It could even be this increased awareness, of the channel and its powers over society, that is leading to younger audiences moving away.

Whatever the reasons, becoming part of the mainstream media offering in no way means Facebook is nearing grim death. It might simply no-longer be where the cool kids hang out…although some would say that happened years ago!

What to Do?

As always it’s best to let these things play out and simply maintain an awareness of any major changes.

If you’re in the business of marketing or selling to anyone over the age of 25 then this is probably a non-issue. If you target teenage or young adult markets it’s time to get experimental…if you haven’t already.

Any other questions on social media for business, or digital marketing in general, contact me here.

Branding is More Important than ever in the Internet of Things

Recently I had a conversation with a friend who was eulogising about the benefits of having an Amazon Dash Button connected to their fridge at home.

For the uninitiated, the Amazon Dash Button is the latest brainchild of Jeff Bezos’ team and falls under the category of an “Internet of Things” product. Essentially this button lets any user simply reorder a product with one simple click – nothing more, nothing less.

A general rule of thumb in the web 2.0 world is that a customer should be no-more than “three clicks” away from exactly what they want on your website at any one time. The Amazon Dash Button crushes that level of efficiency and thus pushes the consumer journey on yet another step.

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So far so good. Right?

From a practical point of view this sounds perfect for the consumer. They get exactly what they want with minimal fuss.

The dark side, however, is that we enter product or brand echo chambers from which we never escape without proactive action.

Think of the echo chamber issue that’s currently impacting social media, news and politics and then multiply it into every other facet of your life and beyond.

Products of the Near Future

As briefly mentioned above, the Amazon Dash Button is already here. You can buy multiple variations for different parts of your home (fridge, washing machine, bathroom etc.), set it up via your smart device and Amazon account, and never again go without your favourite brands.

Current options include the ability to re-order Heineken beers, Dettol bleach, Duracell batteries, Listerine mouthwash and so much more.

Next up is British Gas’ Hive product. Hive is a smart home heating system that, once installed, allows you to control your home temperature, turn heating on and off and control hot water all from the screen of your smart device, no matter where you are.

Another interesting smart, Internet of Things, product is the FitBark.

It might be pretty obvious but, if you haven't already guessed it, the FitBark is essentially the FitBit for dogs and it’s yet another example of smart products entering every facet of our lives, and this is just the beginning! 

Why Branding is Critical

With all of that in mind, branding is becoming even more crucial than ever before.

Imagine a world where a household only drinks and reorders (through one simple button click) one type of beer. No more competition for shelf space at the supermarket or local off-license, no-more price promotions to entice new customers…

Just one beer bought over and over again through the power of that one initial message, campaign or advertisement that cut through the noise and converted.

That’s what we’re potentially talking about in a product echo chamber world and the same scenario can be replicated over and over again. One gas supplier, one toothpaste, one mouthwash, one dog product brand, on and on and on…

Product and brand monopolies aren’t new ideas but this level of convenience paired with the monopolisation of our data, on personal, public and societal scales, means top-level branding and consumer awareness is becoming even more important than ever before.

Moving Forward

Feeling gloomy? Don’t be!

This is just the latest business challenge and the best always overcome and succeed.

This new and developing Internet of Things reality simply means a re-focusing and doubling down on branding is an essential part of any consumer brand strategy.

From a practical point of view it means focusing on developing brand, creating awareness and capturing attention via social media (where modern attention primarily exists) and other key channels. It means tapping into consumer wants and needs more than ever before, delivering a brand story that aligns with customer values and resonates over time, and it means providing the highest quality possible because these product echo chambers will most likely reward quality alongside, or potentially above, price.

The Internet of Things is here, the first and second waves of products is also here but in the fantastic words of Ray Dalio (billionaire investor) just remember - “If you worry, don’t worry and if you don’t worry, worry!”

Content Marketing: Learning from HP’s The Wolf

Content marketing, in all its various forms, has been around for decades but it’s probably fair to say that the digital age has lead to an explosion in both quantity and importance over the last few years.

Unfortunately quality isn’t always at the forefront of the content marketing world but in HP’s 2017 mini series The Wolf we have a standout winner and something to draw serious lessons from.

The Wolf by HP

If you’re not yet acquainted with it, The Wolf is an online mini series, created by HP to highlight IT security and cyber crime risks in printers, staring Christian Slater.

See below to watch The Wolf and the sequel The Wolf: The Hunt Continues.

Eagle-eyed readers, or TV bingers, might recognise Slater from his most recent hit, Amazon’s Mr Robot. That series revolves around the dark underbelly of the digital world so it’s clear why The Wolf producers cast the Hollywood star in their new content marketing extravaganza.

Why You Should Care About The Wolf

If you’ve got this far then you might be wondering why you or any other business or marketing person should care about The Wolf or whatever the hell HP are doing.

Well, think about it. Did it captivate you? Did it grab your attention and convey important messages?

HP are banking on getting affirmative “Yes!” answers to all of the above questions and the majority of viewers and readers probably answered exactly that.

By creating something captivating HP were able to deliver key business messages, aligning closely with their own products and services, whilst retaining consumer attention.

If you were like me you didn’t switch off once throughout the entire 14 minutes over the two videos – a miracle in the social media age of short form content!

The SME Option

So what does this mean for the average SME out there?

I know, I know… We don’t all have six figure budgets to blow on incredible directors, producers, Hollywood stars and A-list screenwriters!

However, that isn’t the excuse and permission to do nothing. It’s a limitation and nothing more.

Huge brands like HP don’t waste money on projects like The Wolf for goodwill or entertainment, they do it because they understand that consumer attention is the most valuable commodity in the business world and they won’t capture it with bland, boring, predictable messaging and content.

So for SMEs it means we have to try to create content that captivates, entertains, educates, informs and more!

This can be at whichever level you operate, locally, regionally, nationally or beyond, and however you like, but as the Internet gets noisier it becomes ever more important.

Creativity is a huge currency in a world that is now saturated with marketing and advertising messages so with that in mind, get brainstorming and if you don’t have the creativity, draft in someone who does.

Without creativity your business will never stand out from the crowd, on or offline. This is true in both B2C and B2B because in both markets you’re trying to connect with, and capture the attention of, another human and we’re all the same in that we’ll only respond to something that triggers something inside us.

Take a leaf out of the HP book and go for it.

Getting Awareness Through Engagement on Social Media

“Engagement” and “Awareness” might sound like digital marketing buzzwords (they are…but hear me out…) but they are absolutely crucial in today’s social media marketing world.

In many cases the two elements go hand in hand in a social media context as more engagement generally leads to more awareness via the “word of mouth” friendly algorithms of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter etc.

The result of this means that we need to constantly keep both elements at the forefront of our minds throughout the content creation process.

Why Awareness is Crucial

Awareness, attention, exposure… Each word carries its own slight variation in meaning but at the core, they all mean the same thing in a marketing and business context…

You need EYES and EARS on your business before you can ever generate qualified leads or sales.

You might have the best product, service or message in the world but if nobody is listening then nobody will care. You have to grab that attention first, way before a potential sale can ever be considered, by you or the customer.

How do we grab attention and get eyes on our business in a social media world?

Engagement.

Why Engagement is Key

Obviously there are more ways to grab attention than just engagement but it can be a seriously powerful element within your social media marketing plans as it creates that “word of mouth” reach that otherwise could only be achieved via paid for advertising.

Of course, you could always combine the two for double the fun…

 What is engagement on social media? For me it’s all about comments.

I know that you can include likes and shares in the engagement bubble (and they’re worthwhile in their own way) but comments generate a different level of traction, which in turn gains the customer eyes and ears we all seek out.

If you look at Facebook in a 2017 world, the content that achieves the widest organic reach generally encourages comments. These comments could be loosely split into three categories – answers, debate and the tagging of other Facebook friends. 

Asking for It!

So, how do we get this engagement and the resulting awareness?

One of the easiest and most effective ways of creating more engagement is by simply asking for it!

Think about it (or even better, check your newsfeed and see), how many times have you seen a piece of content that says “tag a friend”, asks a question or some other variation of the two?

The businesses, brands and personalities behind these pieces of content know that engagement is crucial to spreading reach and awareness far beyond their budget capabilities and they know that asking for it works!

Creating

If you’re still with me (and believe in everything that has been said above…) then it’s time to start the creation process.

Think about the things (topics, issues, debates, jokes etc.) that really get your customers talking and go from there!

If you have any questions, contact me here!

Learning from Deliveroo’s Belfast Content Marketing

It doesn’t happen as often as it should but, every now and then, I’ll scroll through my Facebook newsfeed and stumble across some social media marketing that actually makes me stop, read, listen or watch…

Happily, that happened recently when I was targeted with a Deliveroo Facebook ad.

The fast-food delivery tech giant (bit of a weird phrase that…) aren’t strangers to moving with marketing trends and recently launched a #BestofBelfast campaign that thankfully let content marketing do the talking and selling.

What is Content Marketing?

Before we look at the Deliveroo ad let's just confirm what content marketing actually is.

According to Google, content marketing is “a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services” so that’s that then.

For me, I see content marketing as one of the more interesting sides to marketing in general.

Instead of a simple “here we are, this is what we do and this is how much it costs” message you focus on providing value as a hook to draw the customer in.

This value could be to inform, educate, humour, provide a cause for thought or countless other variations and it is paired with creative text, images or video to cut through the noise of everything else out there in the ether.

Deliveroo and John Long’s Fish & Chips

In the case of Deliveroo, they caught my eye by telling me a short story (in a video under 1 minute) about John Long’s Fish & Chips, a staple of the Belfast food scene for decades that I’d never even heard of!

Now I’m interested.

Not once did the video say “buy now” or talk about an “evening special”. Instead, the video told me that John Long keeps things traditional, that he hasn’t changed his batter recipe in over 100 years and that his patrons love it. That’s what hooked me in.

Obviously it helped that the video looked and sounded great as well and you can easily see a difference between the John Long's content ad above and the more regular "order from us" ad seen below.

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Lessons to Learn

So, with all that in mind what can we learn and how can we apply it to our own businesses?

The formula is simple…

Decide what type of value you want to bring to the table. Think about what is going to truly interest your target customer and then combine that with eye-catching creative that makes them stop and listen to you and you alone.

See? Simple.

It’s the application and creation that’s the hard part.

For more on content marketing contact me here.