Make Your Weapons Slay: The Juice on the Most Important Marketing Channels
To say that the past 15 years changed the landscape of marketing and advertising completely would be a gross understatement. Information technology, internet, data science and every platform that was borne out of these things- coupled with some of the brightest minds of the century- REVOLUTIONIZED the world as baby boomers knew it.
In the ascent of discovering the convenience and efficiency of some pioneer online platforms and apps (that are FREE, hello!) we were convinced that the internet is here to make everything easier, almost instantly. It was supposed to. Until everyone started having brilliant ideas (not complaining). We, as a cybernation, were flooded with too many options and doing marketing, sales and business started to feel like kindergarten playground at recess, without supervision.
So how do we use the data-driven and speeding wheel of genius ideas and effective execution to our advantage? How do we, as entrepreneurs and world movers, create visibility to effect more impact?
CREATE THEIR WORLD
Target market. We cannot be clearer than that. For every business endeavor, we have a set of imaginary customers whom we deduce based on our informed conclusion about who will strongly and potentially buy our products and services. We all start with age, gender, location, socio-economic status- the basics. But what can spell the difference is turning this imagined person a little more vivid. Hobbies, jobs, daily habits, favorite shows, relationships, Friday nights… These are things that make your clients human. Real. The type of people you want to engage with, the type of customers that you want on your team. These are people now that you look for in every marketing channel so you can identify which ones really are THE important channels
RESEARCH IS SEXY
Getting to know your target market as deep as you can is non-negotiable. When it comes to omnichannel marketing, this could not be truer. Find your target market among your own friends, family, and acquaintances. Know which of the available platforms they think are cool. There is always an app or a site out there that just either came out or is becoming a cult classic among your target market and you may not even know of it. Note their online habits and their favorite “break-the-internet moments”. Understanding what fascinates, entertains and arrests the attention of your market, both online and off, is a potent weapon in today’s marketing.
BE THE CUSTOMER
Once you have figured out which places they are most likely to go online and in real-life, try these platforms and apps for yourself, have a feel, and be attentive to the language being used in their interactions. Look for campaigns that have impressive engagement among your target market, and jot down the marketing and cultural elements that make them tick. Doing these things will enable you to have a more nuanced grasp on how to approach your dream customer. This should not encourage you to imitate, but to identify and refine your brand locus, improve your marketing plan and use elements worth highlighting in your execution- all of which are unique to your brand and business.
STAY IN THERE
A good marketer is always in full view of where and what the market is. Continue monitoring and participating in your target customers’ milieu through your identified modes and platforms, online and offline, so you are up to speed on the evolving trends in consumer behavior, culture, and communication. In surfing parlance, get on the party wave instead of watching the rest of them from the shore.
ANALYSE AND BE CRITICAL
Learn how to understand the data analytics of your brand in each platform where you are present and identify the elements that directly affect your graph. Some of these may be concretely interpretable, like the time of the day, or day of the week. Some of these may be less obvious but just as impactful, like the use of images, articles, and different tones of copywriting.
BE DYNAMIC
Do not be afraid of coming up with changes, especially when they are badly needed or when it’s high time to make your brand fresher and hotter. Incorporate your product in storytelling that fits your audience in each unique platform. Your followers on Twitter will respond differently to a certain type of publicity material or post when compared to your audience on Facebook. Think of these platforms and ad spots as different kinds of social menu. Some are house parties, some are jazz bars, some are hotel ballrooms. And how you expertly position your brand and how you personalize the market’s engagement will best yield the results you desire.
REPEAT
It is a well-known fact that expertise comes after thousands of hours of mastery of a skill. Omni-channel marketing is no different. Knowing different app and platform updates, understanding the spikes of response and engagement to specific types of publicity and promotions. Being nifty with the lesser-known but important tools of some channels. Overall adaptability to the evolution of both technology and consumer. These are all results of good marketing habits built through repetition, consistent use, and attentive study. So get your hands dirty and go in chest-deep. Marketing is now a web of knowledge and your brand is all its own complex.
