Marketing is all about crafting the right message for your audience. And since the dawn of the Mad Men age, there's been no limit to how we do that - until now.
With radio, TV and print saturating our daily lives, and billboards that wrap around entire buildings, we’ve been challenged to up the ante in our communications. Catchier slogans, stronger call-to-actions and even better-looking models are how we keep one step ahead.
But, as it has with every aspect of our lives, social media has arrived and disrupted the way we play the marketing game. It’s become essential, and it’s become the most significant test of our communications savvy.
I could go on about the huge benefits of social media, and why it’s an absolute must in marketing. If I did, I’d probably mention that it’s extremely cost-effective, highly engaging, boasts real-time monitoring and audience insights. But we know about all this already, which is why we’re on social (and if you’re not, you’re doing a serious disservice to your clients).
What’s far more important is the way we communicate on social and how we are changing the way we speak to audiences in 2018.
Sure, Facebook, Instagram and to some extent Twitter, offer traditional advertising opportunities. Those sponsored posts go a long way to targeting our customers and getting the right eyes on our messages.
But what about those messages?
Audiences on social aren’t game for the tag lines that work in magazines. They’re not wowed by the catchy slogan and call-to-action that works in traditional media. They’ve seen it, and they’ve seen it way more than once.
But our audience doesn’t feel the same way. They’re craving something real, something they can relate to – a marketer that speaks their language.
Be brave enough to give audiences what they want. Drop the sales and PR language, and speak to your followers like friends.
Give them a story with a beginning, middle, climax and message. Wow them by putting some heart behind the social post, and watch your audience – the kind of audience that cares about your client’s brand – grow.
When we write for social, we must remember that every word counts. It’s fleeting, but its impression lasts forever. Use the space to tell your audience something they’ll care about, share with them something they want to see, be their trusted voice and not a punter selling a product.
Talk to your audience the way you want to be talked to, and your results will start to speak for themselves.
This article was written for BizCommunity's #BizTrends2018 and can be found online here.