With more Australian states extending lockdowns, it’s safe to say that at this point, the ability to pivot your marketing to a digital and social focus is less of a trend and more of a necessity. Without bricks and mortar and that face to face time with your customers, an innovative digital marketing strategy is going to be key to staying connected with your brands people. Would you believe me if I told you screen time estimates are now up around 13 hours a day for the average digital consumer
As someone with a screen time number I’m too embarrassed to share, I believe it. There are certainly drawbacks to spending too much time on our devices, but for brands it should be seen as an excellent opportunity to invest in creative, meaningful online marketing ideas, and creating a social community that translates to feet in stores (or clicks on pages, ‘rona dependent).
If this were an Instagram story, here’s where I’d say ‘swipe up for some ideas on how you can pivot-proof your brands social and online marketing’.
Leverage People Power
Influencer is not a dirty word. It’s a phrase that’s been tossed around a lot these days, but these social media masters are popular for a reason. Social media success is all about connection. Genuine relatability, and even aspirational admiration, are cornerstones of an influencers success. Merging that genuine connection with your product is a fantastic approach to building your online presence. Take Bailey Nelson for example – they are using influencers of all shapes and personalities across their campaigns to demonstrate how all kinds of folks can connect with their product. If you’re a bit lost on where to start, a good agency can help pair you with the perfect representative for your brand.
Don’t Be Afraid of Lo-Fi
A recent study showed that 70% of the time, people could tell if a social media image was posted by a brand instead of a consumer. Customers are not only craving authenticity – they’re savvy enough to know what it looks like. While there is a question of how lo-fi is too lo-fi, big brands have seen success from being bold enough to let content creators and influencers DYI content around their own homes. ASOS worked around lockdown by creating the ASOS Insiders program, getting customers and influencers to photograph themselves wearing product at home, and used it across the fashion popular site.
Know Your Platforms
Not all social media platforms are created equally. Each comes with it’s own audience and style, and a one-size-fits-all approach is not welcome here. While a 15-second bite of creativity works perfectly on an Instagram story, it probably won’t build you a community on LinkedIn. Do your research and think carefully about how your brands voice will best be represented across platforms. Once you know where you stand, don’t be afraid to be creative! Why not host a webinar? Create a private Facebook group for your digital community members? Know what works, and why.
The Gift of Gifting
Have you ever been scrolling through your mates Instagram feed or flicking past an influencers TikTok’s and spied an item you just had to have? From home wares to skin care – even to food! – the lives of others are often inadvertent influences on our own choices. Contra gifting is the acting of sending influencers or clients free goods in exchange for inclusion on their social feeds. For example, maybe you send a food blogger a box from your new, boutique meal kit business so they can show their audience what a genuine food lover thinks. Generally these clients and influencers are more than happy to receive quality goods from brands that they connect with. There’s that magic C word again – connection.
As Always, Be True to You
All these tips are for naught if your digital-social content does not align with your real-life brand. Pivoting your marketing to online and social platforms does not mean you need to abandon your brands identity or market. Create content that fits with your brand and key audience, offerings that your customers will truly connect with. Content that is not genuine defeats its purpose and will be overlooked by clever consumers. Know who you’re trying to reach, and why, and ensure your social and digital strategy is built with them at the centre.
Most importantly, know who your brand is and where they’re going. If your brand’s voice is goofy, go goofy! But if you’re a pillar of sleek sophistication, stay true to that voice, because the truest voices speak the loudest.
