Websites are a major access point to a company, so it is important to put your best foot forward. Just as your wardrobe should evolve with the demands and expectations of your position in life, so should your digital image. Welt has evolved our online brand, and we are proud to present our updated website.
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Marketers wanting to tap into the power of word of mouth marketing to increase brand awareness, preference, and purchase eventually learn a fundamental truth. This truth is simply, “Marketers do not decide what gets talked about. People decide.”
Studies clearly indicate word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing. According to research from McKinsey & Company, word of mouth is responsible for up to 50% of all purchase decisions.
Studies also indicate there are seemingly endless ways to spark word of mouth conversations. The Keller Fay Group has been tracking conversations people have about brands since 2006. Their findings tell us 22% of all conversations people have about brands, products, and services are sparked by advertising. However, the vast majority of word of mouth conversations, 78% of them, are sparked by something else.
Which means… the playground for marketers wanting to trigger word of mouth from customers about brands is HUGE.
Anything and everything a customer can “touch” is an opportunity to spark a conversation. Every customer touchpoint is a possible talking point.
And since people, not marketers, make the decision about what gets talked about, it’s up to marketers to give people something to talk about at every customer touchpoint.
It's time to think about all the associations your service brings to your customer's mind.
For example, any restaurant that uses a “Please Wait To Be Seated” sign from a restaurant supply catalog has given up on being talk-able. This sign is one of the first customer touchpoints someone will experience inside a restaurant. It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase a brand’s unique personality by creating a custom sign that expresses the uniqueness of the restaurant.
Chevrolet was one of the most talked about brands at the 2011 SXSW Interactive Conference. They accomplished being talk-able by giving conference attendees something to talk about at various touchpoints. There were Chevy Volt-branded recharge stations throughout the Austin Convention Center for attendees to recharge all their electronic gadgets. Attendees needing a ride to someplace in downtown Austin could hop into Chevy Cruze and be shuttled free of charge. You could get a 360-degree picture taken of you and your friends at the Chevy Sonic photo booth. Prior to the start of SXSW, Chevy sponsored 10 teams on a scavenger hunt road trip from their hometowns to the conference in Austin. Of course, Chevy was all over social media during the conference with the much-used hashtag of #ChevySXSW. By far, Chevy was the most talk-able brand at the 2011 SXSW Interactive Conference because they gave people reasons to talk at various touchpoints.
The strategies behind branding efforts and building a real-life relationship are comparable.
Think about it: When you’re starting a relationship you try to prove to the other person that you’re trustworthy and good for them. You don’t do this in one particular way, but you express yourself across multiple platforms – calling, texting, dating, and yes, shockingly enough, you also make things “Facebook official” by becoming one of their social media friends. If you want the relationship to last and you’ve done something wrong, you inevitably have to fix the problem, but more importantly, gain back their trust.
Similarly in branding, marketers not only want to gain awareness, but also want to establish credibility and trust. In order to achieve these things a brand does not just market to their consumer over one platform — it engages in a variety of mediums.
A digital audit can determine metrics to measure against a larger marketing goal.
Keeping this in mind, it would seemingly make sense that, especially when things are not working out, marketing managers would conduct a comprehensive analysis of their efforts, right? Not always, and unfortunately this analysis is especially deficient across the digital platform!
As more and more companies discover the digital marketing universe, it seems less actually utilize the full scope that digital has to offer. This inability to optimize is partially due to the fact that most companies don’t actually know what they’re supposed to be doing or why they’re suppose to be doing it. It seems that many companies either believe that the more users they touch, the more the success, or that having a mere digital presence is enough.
Should you be doing it? Are you doing it already? How do I know if it is working?
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing, in the simplest of terms, is the act (and the art) of communicating and engaging with your clients, customers, and target market without “selling.” Instead of interrupting them, you are part of the action, and something that they may look forward to. You are the conversation that they are looking for, instead of a sales pitch. The customer will feel that the information you deliver is making them smarter or their lives better.
At the heart of this type of marketing is the ability and willingness of a business to deliver consistently valuable information that entertains and educates your buyer. So you probably think, “Hey I have a blog, and I’m on Facebook,” and that is a great start. But what it comes down to (and which is ultimately the difference between content marketing that works, and content marketing that fails), is the content.
So How Do I Make it Work?
Look at your Facebook page or YouTube channel. Does it have messages that interest you, or is it focused on the interests of the consumer? Does every post end with a sales pitch, a “coupon,” or an offer? How about your blog? If your blog is dedicated to your sales efforts, you can rest assured that it is unlikely to be read by anyone except your sales team.
Welt Talk is our new occasional feature where we interview people about their experiences marketing with social media and e-commerce tools.
In May 2011 alone, Etsy.com had 996 million page views and some $40 million in goods sold there. Drew Steinbrecher, a graphic designer, joined in 2008 and went self-employed with his thriving vintage stores, Kitsch Café and Kitschwear, within a year. Though busy, he sat down to discuss his experiences marketing on Etsy.
Why choose Etsy instead of striking out on your own?
My aesthetic and inventory tend to attract stylish, educated women ages 22-34. I went where my customers already were.
What about Etsy appealed to you as a Graphic Designer?
Etsy has a clean look and it’s not “clunky.” Etsy is like Target and Ebay is like Walmart. The brand is hipper and the audience is more sophisticated. They cashed in on the resurgence of crafting and were at the right place at the right time. Think of it as a talented hipster’s online craft fair with some vintage knick-knacks and craft supplies thrown in.
How do you approach marketing Kitch Café? Continue reading »
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