Published on VoyageATL
Robotic Marketer Blog Posts from February 2020
Meet Mellissah Smith of Marketing Eye in Buckhead
4 Reasons Why Having a Blog Helps You With Your SEO
Blogs are considered to be an invaluable tool for organizations to utilize. However, their effectiveness is more than often overlooked by companies who either completely ignore blogs or do not utilize them to their full potential.
Possessing a blog is a fantastic way of improving your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This is due to the ability of blogs to position your website as a relevant solution to customer search queries. The more relevant your website is, the greater the chance of being ranked higher in search engine results and increasing the amount of visitors to your site.
Despite this being a general, overall advantage of possessing a blog, four key reasons why having a blog helps you with your SEO are that:
Blogging helps you target long-term key words
When conducting SEO, a lot of organisations strive to make their website extremely relevant in order to present itself to potential consumers who are looking for their products or services. In order to be relevant, it is best for specific keywords relating to the business being used to increase overall exposure. However, lesser known companies may struggle to compete with well-established companies that currently exist in the market.
In order to compete with this, blogging provides companies with the opportunity to embed longer, more specific keywords within their content which are congruent to the phrases or search terms that their potential customers are entering into search engines. By doing this, it increases their overall relevance and is likely to rank them higher on the search engine results page, thus increasing the likelihood of customers visiting their page.
Blogs offer a stream of fresh and relevant content for your website
Obsolete websites that haven’t been updated in years aren’t necessarily the most reliable sources of information. Nor are they at the top of search engine’s priorities to display to searchers as they don’t want to deliver them with outdated information. Instead, websites that are regularly updated show search engines that the website is active and providing fresh content. In addition to this, it gives the search engine algorithms more of a reason to index your website. Therefore, blog offer a great way of regularly updating your website and providing a stream of fresh and relevant content.
Blogs keeps people on your website for longer periods of time
The primary purpose of any search engine is to provide its users with the information that they are looking for. When someone clicks on the first link displayed and leaves the website immediately, it signals to the search engine that the first result wasn’t helpful or relevant. Conversely, when a link is clicked on and someone stays on that website for a period of time, it signals that the website offers relevant and helpful content.
Therefore, when someone visits your website from a blog post displayed in the search results, it increases the likelihood of that individual staying on your website for a prolonged period of time, meaning that search engines will deem your website to be more relevant compared to a page with less information or text.
Blogs help you connect with your target audience
When your audience reads a blog that they find extremely informative and enjoyable, they’re likely to share it on social media. By sharing it with their friends and followers, it has the potential to drive traffic to the website and increase the amount of visitors. If these viewers enjoy the content provided, they are more likely to return to your website to view more of your content. A website that receives a lot of traffic and repeat visitors indicates to Google that people enjoy your website and, as a result, raise your level of authority in their algorithm.
Recognition on search engine platforms is more vital than ever in this highly technological era. By ensuring that your website possesses a blog section that provides engaging and contemporary information, this greatly assists in enhancing the probability of your website being displayed higher up on search engine results pages and being viewed by potential customers.
How Has Influencer Marketing Changed In 2020?
The rise of influencer marketing has grown substantially over the past few years, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon. Considered to be one of the most valuable forms of marketing present on social media, many companies are turning to influencers who operate in the relevant niche to promote their products and brand name to their followers. This provides companies with increased exposure amongst their target market and enables the generation of sales and revenue.
However, influencer marketing has changed and developed in order to keep up with the changing times. Here are some ways in which influencer marketing has changed in 2020:
Surpassing The Superficial
In the past, the influencer marketing industry relied heavily upon social media metrics such as follower counts, likes and engagement to gauge success. However, today these vanity metrics are believed to offer nothing of value and is not an accurate indication for which influencer would be best for the brand.
In fact, Facebook’s recent decision to remove the amount of likes on their platforms, such as Instagram, encourages people to shift their focus away from these vanity metrics. Instead, it prompts them to direct their attention more towards valuable metrics, such as audience demographics, reach, impressions and video views delivered to gauge the suitability of an influencer to promote a particular brand.
More Content
Traditionally, platforms like Facebook and Instagram primarily delivered picture and text-based content. However, drastic improvements in interned speed have resulted in more and more influencers creating and delivering audio and video content to their follows. In 2020, people are to expect influencers to increasingly utilise video content.
This is expected to greatly benefit brands as video content is considered to deliver higher audience engagement more and also generate higher ad clicks.
Building Long-Term Influencer Relationships
In the past, brands commonly used influencers on a campaign by campaign basis, meaning that they would utilise an array of different influencers for each campaign or promotion at the time. However, brands are now discovering the benefits associated with forming lasting, long-term relationships with their influencers. By consistently using one or a small group of influencers, it enables brands to save time, money and effort by not having to continuously search for new influencers for each campaign run.
2020 is a year of great change and that rings true for the influencer marketing industry. Despite the developments and alterations experienced by the industry as of present, these changes are essential to ensuring that the industry remains current and adequately promotes a brand and its products to the specified target audience.
How Will Technology Replace Marketing Functions In 2020?
Marketing has evolved significantly in the recent decades – from door to door sales, cold calling, electronic direct mail (EDM) to the generation of artificial intelligence (AI).
It is quite surprising that we still receive telemarketing calls today. With a very low conversion rate (less than 10%), this marketing tactic definitely needs to be improved upon if not abandoned. It is not surprising that Hubspot informs us that telemarketer is on the top of the list of occupations that will be replaced by AI.
Here are some of our predictions on technology that will be used in replacing traditional marketing functions in 2020.
Automation: Chatbots
Do you still remember the first automation message you received?
I do. I thought it was from a customer service staff member, until I talked too much in the chat box and it started having trouble understanding me. Although it could not interact like a human, it did deliver all the information I needed. And that’s the main point, isn’t it?
Many have predicted the rise of automated software in businesses due to cost and efficiency.
Forbes predicted in 2020, over one million “knowledge-work” jobs will be replaced by automated software. Forrester also foresaw that 3.9% cubicle jobs will be replaced by automation.
Automation has a myriad of benefits including low cost, consistent quality, efficiency, and time saving. Among many of the automation software, chatbots are believed to be the most popular to benefit of labour cost saving.
In 2016, Business Insider claimed that 80% of businesses planned to use chatbots by 2020. It is also estimated that a sum of $23 billion has been saved from replacing customer management and sales position with automation.
24hr chatbots can be thought of as customer service agents on a 24hr shift. If that was the case in real life, it would be the most inefficient job, especially for businesses that do not always receive constant calls. However, the emergence of chatbots has made it possible for customers to enquire at any time and get answers immediately. It prevents all the time wasted in waiting for people to respond.
Also, since AI is a robot that is set to answer all questions based on data settings and configurations, there would never be misinformation releasing.
We’ve already seen many businesses using chatbots. In 2020, we predict there will an expansion of automation into other marketing functions as well.
AI: Robotic Marketer
For those who hold a business degree, you probably remember writing a SWOT analysis which takes hours of research for a simple case study. In real-world circumstances, it would take days or even weeks to create an excellent marketing strategy.
What if I told you that it could be done in seconds? Yes, machines can do it too and one of them is called Robotic Marketer.
The emergence of ‘robots’ like Robotic Marketer is revolutionary. Using big data, AI, and machine learning combined, software robotics like Robotic Marketer to create comprehensive marketing strategies complete with SWOT, competitive analyses and insightful recommendations based on data science, is an impressive step towards the future of marketing.
But, are human marketers being replaced completely?
Possible Change In Marketers’ Role
The downside of the promising result of AI and automation is that redundancy is almost inevitable. Although it sounds surreal, this has already happened several times – machines taking over human jobs.
Customer service staff are decreasing, telemarketers are not as popular, and even most flyers have been replaced by electronic direct mail (EDM). There are growing fears that strategic marketers could soon also be replaced by ‘robotic’ marketers, and the role of marketers might be very different from what we see today.
But it is good to remember that trusting AI alone can be risky. AI is a double-edged sword where one side is as sharp as the other. From a business perspective, while it immensely reduces labour cost and time, it can also create potential perils such as overestimating businesses’ risk-mitigation capabilities.
Marketing will require the human touch to truly be successful. Humans not only have the ability be flexible and solve problems with an innovative approach, our creativity, intuition, and relationship (i.e. trust) could also never be replaced or replicated by robots.
While parts of marketing could be replaced by AI inevitably, marketers can shift their focus and strategies like we’ve always done.
AI-driven Martech for Midsize Businesses: A Q&A with Mellissah Smith
Published on Arm Treasure Data by Tom Treanor
5 Reasons Why You Need A Marketing Strategy
Regardless of the industry a business operates in or the products and services it offers, it needs a plan of action. Marketing is probably most important on the list of things it would need to do and having an effective plan ready to go has the potential to set it up for success. As a core business function, having a plan for marketing can be considered to be a vital ingredient to ensure the sustained success of any business.
A well-thought-out plan for marketing could benefit many small to medium-sized businesses in so many ways, namely tactically executed ones have the potential to build brand awareness, generate leads and raise consumer engagement.
So, here are some other reasons why you need a marketing strategy for your business:
- Provides a blueprint or roadmap for achieving the objectives of the business.
An effective marketing plan enables businesses to scheme possible actions which they are able to execute in an attempt to attain and exceed company goals and objectives. This is heavily dependent on the selection of appropriate marketing channels (online and offline) which are predominantly utilised by the business’ intended market. Selection of relevant channels ensures that you have an extensive reach amongst your target market and would consequently aid in achieving the intended outcomes formulated by the business.
- Requires detailed market research, improving company’s understanding of the environment in which it operates.
When formulating a marketing plan, it requires extensive amounts of accurate and reliable market research. This information greatly aids in the formulation of a marketing plan which ensures a brand’s marketing success. However, this research subsequently enables marketers to delve into the environment the organisation operates in. An insight into the external environment can provide invaluable insight to enable for the sustained competitiveness of the company and provide them with the competitive edge to reign supreme in the current business environment.
- Enables a more efficient use of the company’s resources by identifying areas in need of improvement, such as client acquisition or retention.
A predetermined analysis allows for specific areas of concern to be identified and addressed. These factors can be specifically outlined in the digital marketing plan and allow for a significant proportion of attention being diverted towards addressing and correcting these concerns. This subsequently allows for the efficient allocation and utilisation of the organisation’s resources to rectify any potential problems or deficiencies, such as client acquisition or retention.
- Provides valuable insight into the company’s target market and segments, better enabling decision makers in catering to their customers’ needs.
A Strategic Digital Marketing Plan allows for the development of an enhanced insight into the organisation’s target market and market segments. Due to these insights that are gained, it enables marketers to customise their efforts and provide a more relevant and suitable experience that caters to the unique needs and demands of their intended customer segments.
- Gives cohesive direction for all stakeholders of the company, improving inter-departmental co-ordination and reducing duplication of efforts.
The extensive quantity of information provided during the formulation of a Strategic Digital Marketing Plan possesses the capacity to act as a guide which provides an overall unified direction for all individuals and departments within the organisation. It contains all off the information that everyone is required to know, such as organisational goals and objectives, therefore assisting in reducing duplication efforts and improving inter-departmental co-ordination. Hence, a marketing plan provides a cohesive sense of direction for all stakeholder of the organisation.
Future Of Marketing Is AI: Are You Embracing It?
A job interview for marketing was conducted in the 90s where a hopeful candidate was asked to sell their future employer a pen. Decades later, fresh graduates still face similar situations.
Let’s imagine that the young candidate walks nervously into the company of their dream. The interview begins. He is asked to introduce himself. Here the candidate pulls out his virtual reality (VR) device to show his CV instead of a printed version. Completely unheard of now.
Although this is a hypothetical scenario, the principle remains the same – the world is changing fast and if we as marketers are not adapting, we might end up like the likes of Blackberry and Blockbuster; in other words, non-existent.
We live in a digitised world. No longer are there flyers on the streets or personal selling at doors. Instead, there are now electronic newsletters sent to your email and mass selling through Instagram stories. Soon perhaps, our smartphones or VR devices will be the main way for us to see advertisements on our streets – like PokemonGo.
An Accepted Change
The Forbes Agency Council has predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) will take over most of our business activities. A lot of businesses are already accepting of this change. According to PwC, 72% of business leaders view AI as an advantage to the future of their business.
Reports have also shown us that AR has a track record to hold attention for more than 85 seconds which in turn improves consumer interaction by 20% and purchase rates by 33%.
This sounds very promising.
But what can AI bring to marketing?
Answering Current and Future Needs
AI in marketing delivers and exceeds what customers want. It is a more visual and interactive engagement. Coming from a paperless generation that relies more on their smartphones, customers today may not be engaged by traditional marketing. Studies have shown that 82% of consumers expect companies to focus on developing augmented reality (AR) experiences for smartphones and 62% of B2B professionals consider video as an “effective content marketing tactic”.
Smarter Advertisements
Before AI, email direct marketing (EDM) used to track consumers’ activities and data to customise campaigns for targeted audiences. However, a click-through to open an EDM does not necessarily mean a complete read-through of the information communicated.
AI guarantees that data tracked is comprehensive enough to benefit marketing efforts. If EDMs, which are run by humans, can track consumer preferences to such extent, imagine what marketers can achieve with the help of AI’s big data and machine learning combined.
Faster Decision Making
It can be dreadful to read around spreadsheets and campaign reports to try developing the most effective marketing campaign. The endless tedious tasks are perhaps why many marketers produce ineffective campaigns.
By integrating AI with analytics and reports, marketers can now produce unbiased recommendations more efficiently and effectively. Marketers can learn a real-time condition and insightful analysis, rather than evaluating weekly and monthly reports that are not always relevant and up to date.
Marketing can become more efficient with the help of AI for developing personalised and real-time advertisements. There is a reason why consumers are often not enticed to buy a product based on just a picture – they could not engage with the products. With AR, people can see the products in reality and on the spot.
AI also reduces inefficient labour. The time for analysing reports can be eliminated and used for more productive work purposes.
Cost-effective
AI may be expensive. But, isn’t marketing always expensive? Not taking into account the internal cost, just the commercial placements on television, radio, billboard and internet by themselves are already very costly.
Surprisingly, launching an AI-based campaign can be more affordable than traditional advertising. The McKinsey’s study report predicted that AI will impact the global economy and its contribution will grow three times or more in 2030 than in the next five years.
Constant improvement
Back in the 90s, no one would think that AI was real. Movies with AI are still classified as “science fiction”. Here we are today; we can design our house with preferred furniture in real size and space using our smartphones.
AI is still developing. In years and decades to come, we will most likely be surprised by what robots can deliver to us.
Ready for AI?
In 2014, Pepsi Max placed an AR advertisement on London’s bus shelter. The result was staggering, with 8.6 million views and 38k likes on YouTube alone.
This is just a glimpse of what AI brings to the marketing world. Like it or not, AI is closer than you think.
The One Reason The World’s Largest Companies Choose Robotic Marketer
Every business wants to grow no matter how big or small they are. With large corporations that inherently have complex business structures, the responsibility for growth becomes more evident. Many of these companies are listed on the stock exchange and need to show growth and innovation.Read more
The Top 5 Super Bowl Ads of 2020
Another Super Bowl has come and gone. Marketers have battled it out for the audiences’ attention- using all sorts of gimmicks and tactics to stand out in an ocean of competition. But it is only the very best that prevail to take home the trophy. Here no creative concept is too ambitious even the most controversial ones – just ask Pepsi!
This year brands took a much safer route in terms of controversy. Instead of trying to explore or attempt to solve social issues through Super Bowl ads, this year brands decided to use ads as an escapism from the world’s countless problems.
Here are our top 5 picks of Super Bowl commercials of 2020:
- Inside Post’s Brain
Bud Light Seltzer’s commercial stars Post Malone who goes into a convenience store for a Bud Light but instead spots the new Bud Light Seltzer for the first time and is immediately drawn to it. The ad takes audiences inside the head of Post Malone, which is run by people in suits who have similar tattoos as him and are tasked with the very difficult choice of which Bud Light product to pick. By using Post Malone, a loved and endearing icon, the ad is a nod to the animated Inside Out movie which audiences have found to be hilarious and enjoyable.
- Winona in Winona
Squarespace’s commercial features the award-winning actress Winona Ryder who heads to a city called Winona to document life there. Ryder uses Squarespace to create a website, welcometowinona.com for the photos she takes around the town. While most viewers felt like this ad did not make sense, Squarespace successfully managed to capture audiences’ attention by using the talented actress as the main character.
- The Cool Ranch
Doritos promoted their new Cool Ranch flavour by featuring a dance battle between Lil Nas X and Sam Elliott in the Old West. The dance battle on the famous ‘Old Town Road’ song involves Lil Nas X’s hip-hop moves and Elliot’s line dancing. The ad ends with Lil Nas X’s horse joining in while Elliot’s horse refusing to participate. The ad was widely loved particularly because of how relevant the song is in pop culture currently. This provided the audience with a new jingle to associate the flavour with moving forward – ensuring that the flavour is at the top of the consumer’s mind for a very long time.
- Going Away Party
Genesis’ ad features an all new GV80 SUV – marketing ‘old luxury’. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen attend an old luxury going-away party. While introducing a ‘young luxury’ car, John Legend is instead seen driving the SUV to the door. By leveraging his latest title as the ‘sexist man alive’ and his wife, Chrissy Teigen as his sidekick, Genesis tries to communicate the message that young isn’t an age; it’s a mindset. While it is still questionable whether audiences connected with the message, it is certain that the celebrity supercouple made the ad one of the most-watched Super Bowl commercials of 2020. A success in terms of raising brand awareness quickly if you ask us!
- Home Sweet Home
In Rocket Mortgage’s commercial, Jason Momoa, the Game of Thrones star, lets his guard down after he gets home – ripping off layers of ‘muscles’ and hair. In doing so, the muscular actor transforms into a balding guitar player who cannot even lift a bar without weights – responding with a tagline, “home is where I can be myself”. As actor is known for not taking himself too seriously, his participation in the commercial boosted the ad to become a #5 trending video on YouTube, which can be considered a buzz marketing success story.