January 20, 2020
Would you create a White Paper giving it only cursory effort? Would you slap any old image and message on a Billboard? Would you grab any piece of copy and image and throw up on your website? If shooting a TV Ad, would you corral the troops into an impromptu meeting and say “we need some ideas for the TV ad we’re shooting tomorrow?
The answer to all of these questions (I hope) is no. Yet the same cannot be said for Social Media. And it’s bonkers! Over the years I’ve observed an endless number of impromptu ‘planning’ sessions where a shot-gun approach to social media has been discussed to ‘just get something out there’. No consideration as to who you wish to talk to and influence. A lack of scrutiny around the ‘first thought’ you wish your audience to have when viewing your content. A total disregard for the supposed customer journey and where, and how, you wish to traffic potential customers.
It beggar’s belief the volume of marketers who still don’t understand the impact and reach of social media. For years now it’s rivalled the reach of TV, but with one key facet in its favour, you experience far less wastage due to potent targeting.
Simply put, Social Media is your front of house. The part of your business receiving the highest volume of guest footfall. It should be an environment that’s welcoming, informative without being formal, a place that people wish to visit and dwell in.
First impressions last, I was always taught. In the digital age, there is little excuse for continuing with a lackadaisical approach to social media. The data evidencing its impact is irrefutable, yet, some businesses continue to prioritise other less impactful verticals for no other reason than ‘this is how we’ve always done it in industry.’ And that’s the key point. How you’ve done it in industry. Not your nearest and dearest who are going from strength-to-strength.
Tony Robbins once said, “If you always do what you‘ve always done, you‘ll always get what you‘ve always got”. Now, if what you’ve got is incremental revenues year-on-year, then please do feel free to leave this blog post now. However, if you’re with the majority of industry battling against a tough political and financial backdrop and you’re keen to see the best return on your marketing investment, delivering tangible results to your business’s bottom line, then read on. Change is probably afoot.
Those who still debate the potency and financial impact of social media are doing so because they don’t understand the strategic intricacies or financial tangibility of building pipelines. For years, immediate future has been delivering across-the-board for B2C and B2B businesses. As an organisation, we’re known for the signature work we’ve done across X Factor and some of the biggest consumers brands on the planet. What may surprise you is that impact we’ve been making in the B2B and technology space for well over a decade. Indeed, our flagship client is a major global technology service provider.
Some of the most impactful, exciting and notable work we deliver is for Fujitsu. A company who has embraced our philosophy on social media and empowered us to implement a new direction within their marketing of being Social Media first. For contractual reasons I can’t go into detail around the impact we’re making. What I can say is that after working with them for 5-years, our contract has been extended and we’re probably doing our most innovative and impactful work throughout that entire timeframe.
Not so long ago, this was a company who fell into the many pitfalls detailed in this blog. Five years ago they decided to refurbish their ‘marketing front of house’ and position social media at the forefront of what it does. Year-on-year we’ve delivered a tangible pipeline back to the business, by practicing what we preach. Each year, as with 2020, we welcome the influx of organisations wishing to do the same. It’s been a brilliant start to 2020 – long may it continue.
So ask yourself this: does your front of house need some strategic and creative impetus?