SheMarketing ENews 42

Thursday, 12 January 2012 00:00

Social TV

If you’ve watched any reality TV lately (which is hard to avoid because it’s dominating prime time), then you would have noticed Tweets or #hashtags within the programing.  Some programs are integrating community participation in content. Others are using social media to tell supporting stories between seasons or airing special webisodes to keep interest between on air programs. Reality TV has become the event. It’s become the epicenter of engagement and most importantly shareable.

The future of TV won’t be driven by a social media strategy, instead the future of TV will be driven by innovation and a vision for meaningful entertainment and engagement. The best examples of social media in entertainment are simply finding new ways to connect with those who are already connected. Engagement between and during events creates a new communal experience both on and offline.

Marketers should be using social media to drive tune in and also find new ways to measure social media’s effects. Programming is just the beginning. Advertising has a new opportunity to engage in a more meaningful way. Rather than simply buying seconds or using spots to promote social media campaigns, visits to Facebook pages or rallies to Tweet a branded hashtag, consider the way to tell a story that can live beyond the spot or beyond the campaign.

Product placement is also open for reinvention, by making products of brands part of the story. This innovation will inspire new programming and revenue opportunities. Networks, advertisers and producers must all think beyond technology and rethink experiences. This is only the beginning of Social TV, so we need to be creative to engage, enchant and activate viewers.

Blogging is booming!

Brands in Australia are starting to realise the value of bloggers.  Their authentic, truthful voices are speaking directly to highly engaged, and often large audiences, so it would be foolish to ignore their power.  A lot of brands are happy to throw everything into digital and social media campaigns failing to see the value of bloggers, or simply putting it in the ‘too hard’ basket.

Around 75% of bloggers writing in Australia today are female. A great number of them are being referred to as ‘mummy bloggers’ because they see a natural fit between women, motherhood and blogging, but obviously the term is too narrow. Bloggers are becoming an increasingly important way to reach our customers, respond to valuable feedback about our products and services and capture new audiences who are utilising this medium.

There are a few simple tricks for brands to keep in mind when making their way into the blogosphere; manners and a level of respect are the key in the online space, being synonymous with the blogging community and caring about them, the blogger needs to win in that they get a great experience or access something that is unique. Then the brand gets a win because they get exposure on the blog and the readers of the blog win because they receive something as well.

Understanding the traits of a budding blogger needs to become a success, either in terms of engagement or cash, is vital for the marketer looking to forge a relationship.  The good bloggers are skilled writers, great community builders and dedicated to their craft. While there are many bloggers working with brands, most in Australia today are not making a living via their blogs.

Most consumer clients will consider blogs and bloggers in their PR outreach strategies.  There is always an opportunity to create unique experiences for bloggers such as hosting them at events, offering ‘behind-the-scenes’ content, one-on-one sessions with brand experts, product trialling and reviews. Brands that have something to hide should avoid blogs and stick with traditional advertising. If a brand or product is no good, bloggers will have no hesitation to say so.

It's all about the relationship

Females have become the majority in the online shopping world.  They flock online to do research and to save time.  Making an informed purchase decision is the online woman’s shopping goal. Women are no “speciality” market, so reaching them should be a budget priority.

To succeed, you must directly engage female consumers, who differ from men in their demand for; more and better information, genuine word of mouth referrals, reasonable, upfront pricing and exceptional customer service. Women typically resist identification by gender, so appeal to their sense of self, according to their interests, lifestyle and occupation.

Female consumers tend to be less impulsive and more strategic. They also tend to be more choosy.  And while they don’t always have the time to research before purchase, they like to have the option. Win them over with variety, different colours, size, styles so they can make their own selection.

Women don’t just make purchases, they discuss them. When you impress a female customer – and likewise, when you disappoint one, she tell all her friends. Smart businesses will embrace women’s word of mouth and find ways to encourage and amplify it. They also make purchases based on their relationship with the seller. Grow and sustain them with responsive, flexible and personalised customer service and they will repay you with their loyalty.

SheMarketing ENews 41

Thursday, 10 May 2012 00:00

Stay Mobile

Did you know that there are more mobile phones that people in Australia? Over 50% of Aussies have access to an internet enabled mobile. Mobile internet will surpass desktop access by 2014.

But only about 20% of sites are currently mobile friendly, so won’t that impact on your business? Think about it. A mobile device is the first thing we look at in the morning on the bus or train on the way to work and the last thing we check at night. It serves every communication need and it’s social. There is no website than can be accessed via a desktop that can offer this flexibility.

Mobile can affect your whole business model and improve key operations. If you sell products, mobile offers the potential for additional revenue streams. Domino's is a great example  of understanding the opportunity in mobile growth. 40% of all Domino’s orders come online, 30% are from a mobile device. This means that 12% of all Domino’s orders come in from a mobile device. The figure which is growing rapidly and has not only increased profit but announced that it has thousands of jobs now available.

Understanding the opportunity in this mobile growth, Domino’s has restructured its business with greater investment in mobile development and new order fulfillment programs. Their app has made order very simple, even simpler than call their toll-free number. Domino’s is a great example of how large brands are changing their business model to mobile. So before you design a smaller version of your existing website, firstly analyse your business to determine a much larger mobile opportunity. Can mobile be used to speed up purchase or provide instant feedback or perhaps open a new revenue stream?  Brands that view mobile as a new opportunity rather than a smaller version of existing assets e.g. a mini website, will reap the rewards.

B2B Marketers aren't measuring campaign success

New data reveals that many B2B marketers are failing to report return on marketing investments. In fact, only 1 in 3 B2B marketers worldwide report financial contribution metrics to senior management. 58% are reporting on marketing performance metrics like leads, 48% are reporting opportunities generated. However, they don’t report on metrics that reflect bottom-of-funnel activity, like leads to closed sales and 33% of marketers do not measure ROI at all!

In today’s business environment, it’s crucial that marketers understand what’s working for them and what’s not, so programs and campaigns can be improved and forecasts refined. As marketing campaign reporting tools become more sophisticated, the types of metrics that have perceived value seem to be changing.  Senior management care about revenue, ROI, margins and profits.  As happy customers are profitable customers, customer service and satisfaction metrics are also very important.  B2B marketers must be able to measure which tactics are most affective in aiding conversations.

If you don’t have the right measurement tools, then take the time to find the right one you can afford. It’s not enough to simply report on a mouth-to-mouth basis. Reporting must be part of a genuine commitment to change what you do. Robust ROI measurement and reporting is one of the core components of inbound marketing success!

Why do we need Thought Leadership?

If you write a blog, personal or your company’s blog, you already know the value that blogging can provide as a tool for Thought Leadership.  So what is a Thought Leader? It’s someone who establishes a relationship with customers and stakeholders and delivers them something of value. I'st about having the answers to the biggest questions on the minds of your buyers. It should also align with your brand/company value. Thought Leadership can differentiate your brand and position you as experts or leaders in your field. Your audience set your agenda and determine what is important, so you must be listening.

Content is now king and the goal of content is to be part of the conversation and drive engagement with large numbers of potential customers. By communicating thought leadership you become part of the conversation, early in the buying journey. Potential customers begin to get to know you, trust develops which leads to brand affinity.

How do you break through this clutter and get noticed and, more importantly, how do you ensure your key messages are not only heard and understood? You must have impact and resonate with the key constituents you are trying to reach?

Conduct and share research,  become a source of information and online content. Entertain by injecting personality and humour into your content, people will be more inclined to remember you. Invite customers to participate and create content. And most importantly remove the curtain between thought leaders and customers. This will help you create Thought Leadership that drives real results.

Women embrace digital to save time

Men and women differ in their attitudes towards technology. What men see as gadgets women see as tools to access content, accomplish their tasks and embrace their ability to pursue interests. Marketers need to understand female consumer’s needs and dissatisfactions in order to offer up intuitive solutions that strengthen their brand/consumer relationship.

68% of women spend less than an hour on themselves every weekday, so solutions that help them accomplish more is less time is what they are looking for. Women are task tacklers and are looking to digital to help them accomplish their ‘to do’ list. So make it simple for them to find what they want and they will be grateful and loyal forever.

The Facts - Pinterest  Stats:

3rd most popular social network
10.4 million users
80% of users are women
30% of females users are 25-34 years of age
80% of pins are repins

SheMarketing ENews 40

Wednesday, 11 April 2012 00:00

Get social with angry customers

No matter what industry you’re in, if you have a social media presence you’re going to experience negative word of mouth. Problems arise, like poor customer service, or people simply having a bad day and they feel compelled to share their opinion with their network and whoever else is willing to listen.

So what do you do when you receive a complaint? Are you ignoring or dealing with upset customers? A huge part of customer service is having the right mindset. Negative word of mouth can be an opportunity to convert upset customers into loyal fans. Unhappy customers can simply walk away and never deal with you again. But if this person is telling you that they’re upset, they’re giving you a chance to fix the problem. Look at this as an opportunity to make positive changes to your business.

So how do we go about doing this? Well firstly, we can't respond to conversations we don’t see, so start listening. Set up Google alerts for your brand and industry keywords. Keep a close eye on all your social networks. Read reviews, blogs, forums where your customers congregate and regularly check in on them.  Whether you’re listening or not, the conversations are happening. So it’s easier to catch negative buzz and deal with the issues before they build momentum. Determine whether the negative comment is worth a response and act quickly. Be human, show empathy, communicate in a friendly tone and use your real name. Make your angry customer feel heard. Then take responsibility, apologise and try to make it right. Apologising is part of turning around negative word of mouth, but actually fixing the problem is how you win over critics.

So get out there and embrace the negativity and start responding.  Keep the discussion in the open so people see that you actually care about your customers. Use fans and third-party sources to help you tell your story and involve them fixing the issue. Frustrated fans can have some great ideas. Earn new fans and generate a heap of respect.

Shopping is all about the experience

When it comes to making purchases, both large and small, a growing theme is on price. Ecommerce sites cannot be ignored. Australians are spending in excess of $20 billion shopping online. The total is expected to grow higher as more shoppers turn to mobiles and social networks to find shopping deals.

With so much choice we really need to keep the customer’s engaged or they will try to find a better deal and better experience elsewhere. So it’s important for you to meet the needs of the shopper as far as price, good customer experience and a seamless transaction as well as pleasure. A new report from Crested Unlimited in the UK found that pleasure, not price, is the leading purchase motivator. Some interesting findings from the survey include; 23% of brand choices are driven by pleasure, pleasure drives 26% of men’s brand buying choices, 19% of women base brand decisions on pleasure and confidence drives 22% of women’s brand buying choices.

Other factors for purchasing decisions include; confidence (17%), status  and responsibility (both 14%),effectiveness (11%), individuality (9%), saving (7%) and belonging (5%).  For men, pleasure is the most important dimension, status ranking second. For women, the key brand dimension for success is confidence, such as physical safety or social conformity and acceptability.

Savings remains one of the lowest drivers  for brand buying decisions, this is also true for lower income earners. The less they earn the more emotional value they expect from buying brands.

Marketing to Women with Pinterest

Do you love Pinterest as much as we do? It’s so popular, especially among women, driving more visits that many hot social media sites.  Worldwide, 70% of women, mostly under the age of 45 are enjoying it. In Australia, there are 160,000 unique visitors per month, 8.9 million page views, 970,000 total visits. The average time spent on site is 14 minutes and 20 seconds and the audience in Australia is 57% female, 43% male.

So how do marketers use it to their advantage? Ad a ‘Pin It’ or ‘Follow Me’ button to your website and set up boards on your own Pinterest page. Print magazines are starting to use it because of the female-skewing demographic and it has found referrals from Pinterest are beating those from Facebook in some cases.

Pinterest can be used to promote a special offering or showcase interesting ideas and uses of your product. You can use Facebook to connect to foster more social interaction, but if it’s a business page you’ll need to connect via Twitter. So more eyes from other channels get access to your pictures.

If you want to be known for a specific topic, you need to build your board with intent, great images or topics.  Make sure you follow your SEO strategy, so your business is not just a visual one. Make sure you curate blogs around topics of interest , stats, data, great quotes that are pertinent to your business. Use Pinterest for research, and follow brands that you admire and can learn from.  Don’t forget to link all of your relevant pins back to your website, blog, landing page or video. Happy pinning!

Social for brand recognition

According to data from Nielsen ad recall is higher for ads released in the social space than for non-social ads. On average, social ads generate a 55% greater lift in ad recall. The reason for this is most people trust recommendations from their peers.

Blogging continues to be a leading social networking activity, opening new ways for brands and advertisers to engage with consumers. Social media is an ideal tool for moving people up the ‘fan’ ladder, from being a casual ‘fan’ of a brand to a loyalist, because the communication channels allow people to build stronger emotional connections with brands.

The Facts - Most popular Social Media activities carried out by Aussies

SheMarketing ENews 39

Thursday, 08 March 2012 00:00

Get more engaged with mobile

While the goal of marketing is to improve customer’s overall interactions with a brand, few organisations engage directly with their customer communities, therefore miss out on leveraging what is one of its most valuable assets.

A lot of companies are having a hard time keeping up with technology, optimising websites for mobile users is a good example of slow adoption. Nielsen research shows, most don’t have much information or capabilities to support users who access sites via a smartphone. The current success rate of completing a task for mobile web use is 64%, the same rate as Nielsen research measured for the desktop web use in 1999. The current desktop success rate is 84%.
 
Increasingly, customer engagement starts with the mobile device. Most people begin their online journey to learn about a company through Facebook, a company website or Google search. Companies need to rethink how to develop and manage their digital experiences. Even the most successful communities will need to be better designed for mobile and smartphones.
 
To create a better customer experience, not only do you have to talk directly to a customer in person, but you need to understand the tasks they want to accomplish with your products and services. It is the responsibility of every employee, from senior management to the front-line worker, to interact directly with customers. Customer engagement needs to be part of every company’s DNA and culture! Senior management need to ensure that the proper mechanisms and processes are in place to successfully interact with users and can be modified to integrate lessons back into the organisation.
 
Customer engagement does not have to take place on your company’s own branded website or via your own infrastructure. Customer engagement can happen on different platforms and different social networks. It should be looked at as a journey that is always measured and improved upon. Measurement should be based on involvement, interaction, intimacy and influence an individual has with a brand over time. Listening to what your customer is saying is still more valuable than any single score or rating.

Female bloggers and brands

According to a research study conducted by BlogFrog, an independent social media research company, 93% of female bloggers are eager to partner with brand although 60% have never been approached by brand a or agency to work on a campaign.
 
The survey was fielded across 50,000 women bloggers and offered valuable insights for brands that helped them understand the most effective ways to partner with female bloggers to generate brand affinity, loyalty and drive purchase behaviour.  95% surveyed have favourable views on brand-sponsored social media and blog campaigns as long as they are authentic, high quality, help revenue for the blogger and are fun.
 
Women bloggers are hired primarily to write product reviews, join an affiliate program or place direct advertising on their blog. The most common categories are health, beauty, food and beverage. However, women indicated that the most desirable brand category is technology and electronics. Pharmaceutical and automotive categories were the least desirable to work with.
 
According to bloggers, 90% are interested in working with brands as long as there is some form of compensation. 70% trust a brand more when that brand is promoted or recommended by someone they know form a blog or social media.  Almost 60% of female bloggers indicate that they want long-term, deeper relationships with a few special brands. As consumers, bloggers are influenced by other blogs with 93% having purchased a brand based on brand information found in an online community.
 
So how do you create conversational marketing campaigns that resonate with women?  Form deeper relationships by reading blog posts, commenting and engaging in the conversation. Make your brand and it’s representatives fully accessible  online through the use of social media, branded communities, conversational marketing and corporate blogs.

Multi-channel Marketing

New channels are emerging weekly, so marketers are coming under pressure to connect with their customers across multiple channels and in meaningful ways. As consumers become exposed to an increasing number of touchpoints, it is crucial for companies to integrate and measure multi-channel marketing activities and implement flexible campaigns that respond to consumer reactions. So how do we do this?
 
Firstly, we need to develop a multi-channel marketing strategy and that doesn’t mean setting up HootSuite and pushing the same message out across all mediums. It means ensuring the right messages are delivered to the right customer via the correct medium.  Measure and analyse data from all these channels and interactions with these customers. If you don’t have the resources to do this then look at outsourcing this process. Embrace technology, don’t be scared of it. Try and test,and then try and test some more until you can use these new technologies quickly and effectively.
 
We’ve heard this one before, do more with the same budget. So that means using few pieces of more targeted pieces of communication. Move away from the traditional pushing of messages and hoping it gets through to the practice of starting a dialogue. This will pave the way for consumers to start exchanging views and opinions, providing greater ROI in the long term.

The Facts - Understanding Mobile

50% of Aussies personally use an internet-enabled phone
13% of Aussies have a tablet device right now
17% intend to buy one this year
41.5%  access the net daily or most days on their smartphone or tablet
15% of Aussies use their mobile for shopping