Robotic Marketer Blog Posts from April 2020
5 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Building Your Influencer Strategy
While it is evident that Influencer Marketing can reap various benefits for a business, it is imperative to consider the potential mistakes brands make when utilizing this tool.
Influencer marketing is not as simple as choosing a popular Instagram account and throwing money at them. If used incorrectly, this approach can cost you thousands of dollars, however, if you avoid these common mistakes, Influencer Marketing can skyrocket your brand.
A recent study by Tomoson reported that businesses are making $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.
Avoid these 5 common mistakes to be among the businesses reaping these enormous benefits:
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Choosing the wrong influencer:
Brands will often select influencers based on their follower count. While in some cases, more followers means more engagement, this is not always true. The influencer should be chosen based on their values, personality and fittingness for the brand. Researching different influencers in the same niche will give you a better idea of who you should choose for your brand.
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Focusing on one social media platform:
Focusing solely on a single social media platform will hold your brand back from reaching a new audience. While it is natural to place greater emphasis on the platform where you have built the greatest presence, you are restricting your brand from reaching an entirely new demographic. Using influencers to direct attention towards platforms where your presence is lacking can be a good strategy to connect with new people.
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Making short-term collaborations:
It takes time to build trust with your consumers; don’t expect too much too soon. While you may experience some short-term gains, steady progress will often yield the best results. If the influencer campaign has achieved favourable returns in the short-term, focus on building a long-term relationship to achieve sustainable growth.
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Lacking authentic communication:
Cliché statements and captions will appear unauthentic. Using personalised messages and giving influencers an opportunity to voice their personal thoughts on the product will be perceived as more authentic and trustworthy by the audience. Finding an influencer that truly believes in the product will make this process significantly easier.
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Not having a proper strategy in place:
Implementing an influencer campaign because it is the ‘in-thing’ is the wrong approach to be taking. Before reaching out to an influencer, it is vital that you have a well-developed plan in place. To keep your brand on track, outline the end-goal of the campaign, whether it be more impressions or followers, then formulate a strategy to reach these goals. This will help determine which areas were effective and which areas need work for the next campaign.
While influencer marketing campaigns can reap various benefits for your business, it is vital that you avoid these basic errors to achieve the results you are seeking.
What does marketing mean in 2020?
The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, meaning marketers must continually adapt to stay competitive.
The past few years have shown just how quickly consumer behavior trends and advancements in technology can shift the way in which marketing teams must approach their campaigns. However, this year has already brought about many challenges impacting the way in which marketers must adjust their strategies to meet changing needs.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic beginning in December 2019 has forced brands to think, operate and strategize in new ways to adjust to the changing needs of their consumers.
In just a few months, we have seen many countries shift into a temporary ‘survival mode’, with social-distancing measures keeping most at home. As a result, the behavioral trends and attitudes of consumers has drastically shifted, giving marketers a new challenge to deal with.
How has COVID-19 affected marketing?
With social-distancing measures forcing people to stay home, many new behavioral trends have formed.
We have seen people choose television, radio and newspaper for their main source of reliable information over social media.
We are witnessing exponential growth in online video chats; with work, lectures and social engagements being done exclusively over the internet. Social media usage, gaming applications and video streaming have also experienced a significant rise in usage, as they have become the primary source of entertainment for most.
E-commerce channels have been in high demand in proportion with the elevated need for physical goods. Inconsistent supplies at grocery stores and the fear of community transmission has driven many towards online channels to purchase their essentials.
While many of these trends may reverse once normality returns, brands must stay aware and adapt to the changing conditions.
How are marketers reacting to these changes?
Marketers must continue tracking trends to gain a clearer understanding of how consumer behaviors are evolving.
By closely observing trends, opportunities and potential threats through conversation across social media platforms, marketers will better adapt to the evolving landscape.
As people move beyond social-distancing requirements, it is unlikely that their newly adopted behaviors will merely revert back to original.
The mix of media platforms being consumed by consumers is constantly changing; however, these changes have been tracked and observed by marketers during this crisis. For example, with digital entertainment mediums spiking, marketers may consider adjusting their strategy to appeal to this change. i.e., display more advertisements on social media or game consoles.
How should marketers plan for normality?
Marketers must also understand which steps to take once business returns to usual. As well as continual focus on the experience of the customers, great emphasis should also be placed on the internal marketing functions of the brand.
By understanding customer experience from the perspective of the consumer, marketers will be able to better connect with them and mitigate the effects caused by the crisis.
Beyond the changes resulting from the outbreak, we are also anticipating the following 5 trends to take over the marketing industry in 2020:
- Customer Experience and Personalization: Advancements in technology, as well as increased access to information has allowed businesses to better personalize their customer experiences. Personalized marketing will forge a real connection between you and your consumers.
- Strategic Marketing Transformation: Knowing when, why and how your strategic plan should be transformed will ultimately benefit customer experience. Altering your brand’s functions and procedures depending on the external environment and consumer trends will increase revenue and profits.
- AI/Automation: While the human aspect of marketing is still important, new technologies are capable of enhancing your marketing efforts. AI can replace boring and repetitive tasks to give brands more time to focus on a better customer experience.
- Focus on customer loyalty: Recurring customers are more valuable than new ones. Building a loyal customer base will reduce the impacts of crisis events such as the COVID-19 outbreak, since it can cost up to five times as much to attract new customers.
- Live Video: Live video is becoming increasingly popular on sites such as Facebook and Instagram and it is a great way of making your audience feel involved. People spend 3x longer watching live video than they do watching pre-recorded video.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic beginning in December 2019 has forced brands to think, operate and strategize in new ways to adjust to the changing needs of their consumers. Beyond this, we are anticipating various other changes in the marketing landscape.
How To Build An Awesome Lead Generating Website
Source: Marketing Eye
While many companies are now scrambling to fix their websites in light of the fact that Google is determining whether or not many companies get sales or not, it’s not all dooms-day. A good website from idea stage to website strategy, design and development, can all be finished in one week – if you have the right partner.
We have developed 100’s of branded, lead generation focused websites for our clients around the world and the one’s that have made sure that their website is up-to-date, relevant, customer experience focused and integrated into various technologies and platforms, are not struggling in an era where no-one knows what’s next.
Having a ‘place-setter’ is not an option and even when the business environment does spring back, the way buyers see your online presence will have changed.
Here are some ways in which you can get your online presence where it should be, and start generating real leads:
Have a website and digital marketing strategy in place
There is no point in putting up a website for the sake of having a website. What is the purpose? Who is the target audience? What experience do they expect to have when they visit your website? What are your key messages? What are the key phrases that Google and other search engines pick up? What are the keywords that need to be communicated throughout your website? What is the goal for your website? What is the call to action? All of these questions must be answered prior to a company developing or refreshing their website.
Your website architecture needs to show the customer journey
After the fact you can use Hotjar to understand your customers movements, but when you are developing a website or refreshing an existing one, you will need to sit in your customers shoes and go through the experience of navigating your website. If you have an existing website, check out your Google Analytics data and work out from there what your customer journey was, and where the bounce rate effected the customer experience.
Make sure your website is branded consistently with other marketing assets you have
This is very important because if your online brand is completely different to your offline one, then you are in trouble! Consistency is essential. Keep your brand light and use colours that resonate with the audience. Design is one of the biggest reasons people choose a brand over another. If your website is designed well and resonates with your buyer, then you are 80% closer to doing a deal.
Content is king
It’s true, people mostly read the headlines or the first paragraph. But website content is so much more than that, and it needs to be updated weekly at the bare minimum.
Be authentic
Whether it is in telling your brand story or writing a blog, be authentic to your brand and your customers will love you for it. Authentic websites rate much higher than one’s that are based on what people think you want to hear and see rather than reality.
Use metrics and data to fine tune
Set up Google Analytics and use a lead capture technology to understand your customers and their journey on your website. If they are not contacting you, then why? Data never lies. Adapt, adjust, play and use data to drive more leads to your sales teams.
If you are wondering what a WordPress Website should cost you right now, Marketing Eye Melbourne is doing websites:
- Website strategy and plan
- 2-hour consultation on website
- Design of 8-10 page websites
- Development of 8-10 page website
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Mobile friendly
- Go-live
Financial contribution is $4,950.
Right now many companies are re-thinking their websites and with good reason. If you would like to have a chat about your website, please feel free to contact our office. It would be our pleasure to walk you through it. Our offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are all diverted to mobile phones right now due to remote working throughout Coronavirus, so please call. We would love to chat.
Source: Marketing Eye
5 Dangerous Webinar Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Source: Jeff Bullas
You’ve worked hard at putting together your webinar slides.
You’ve fine-tuned your presentation to your liking. After a few run-throughs, you’re ready to launch.
Ready, set… hold up.
Before you invite your attendees, there’s one more step to check off your list: foolproofing.
I know what you’re thinking, “What? Why bother? What could go wrong enough to need foolproofing?”
But hear me out, or rather, hear Eleanor Roosevelt out:
It’s vital to “learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”
Source: Jeff Bullas
The Entrepreneur Who Is Disrupting Digital Marketing with Artificial Intelligence
Podcast published on Jeff Bullas
At the age of 25, Mellissah Smith made her first million dollars.
But by the age of 30, she quickly came to realize that when she wasn’t working in the business the revenue stopped. And she learned that one of the secrets to a successful business is being able to scale, delegate and work on the business, rather than in it.
That’s when she started her business “Marketing Eye” that is acknowledged as being in the top 10 marketing consulting firms in the USA. Marketing Eye is an international marketing consulting firm designed so that clients buy the brand and not the person.
It was built to be an outsourced marketing department. If you can remember 20 years ago, an outsourced marketing department wasn’t a big thing. It wasn’t what everyone was doing. Companies had an ad agency, and a PR agency. But they didn’t have this concept of an outsourced marketing department.
So she designed and set up a formula and process around that concept. She also started a magazine alongside that so that her clients could have a voice in the media. She didn’t know it at the time but she was also a content marketer before the term was coined.
Three years ago she decided that she wanted to disrupt the way in which companies develop marketing strategies by automating the process through AI and machine learning. That was the start of Robotic Marketer in which she is also the founder and managing director.
What you will learn
- How to scale your business
- The top three skills and qualities you need to succeed as an entrepreneur
- Why you need soft skills in business and not just hard skills
- Three books that have inspired Mellissah to start and grow multiple businesses
- The importance of a mentor and business coach
- The two key elements to growing a business fast
- The number one reason why you should be starting a podcast.
How Big Data Can Lead To A Better Marketing Strategy
Big data refers to extremely large and intricate data sets that require complex systems to extract information from them. Millions, if not trillions of data records are stored in these sets, potentially amounting upwards of 1024 terabytes.
These records can be accumulated from a diverse range of sources; from social networks to medical records.
Developing conclusions and observations based on these data sets can help address business problems that previously would not have been possible to deal with.
Why is big data important?
Analysis of big data can help businesses better understand the behaviors of their consumers, competitors and the external environment. Through this, they are able to make informed decisions that can improve operations, enhance customer service, develop more targeted advertising campaigns and consequently boost profitability.
If big data is effectively utilized, businesses will develop a competitive advantage over those who do not use it, since they are able to make quicker and more productive business decisions.
The value of big data is not determined by how much a business is in possession of, but rather, how they manage it. Effective use of big data should reveal answers that enable businesses to reduce costs and time, optimize offerings and make smarter decisions.
How can big data benefit your business?
- Better understand your customers:
The more information you have about your target customers, the better you can serve them. Using big data to track customer behaviors such as average spending on a typical purchase, how long they were active on your website, or what time they visited, can all contribute to your business’s success. Information regarding all these variables can help your business provide a more personalized and targeted experience for its customers.
- Make more informed business decisions
Big data allows businesses to make decisions based on facts and accurate predictions rather than gut-instinct. While organizations may use data to generate valuable customer insights, it is also critical that the data is used to improve productivity and performance internally.
Analytics can assist with workplace planning by tracking employee behaviors. Relocating staff into positions they are better suited to, or restructuring team arrangements will consequently improve staff morale and retention.
Conversely, big data can help discover opportunities or threats in supply chain operations. Not only will companies be able to reverse inefficiencies, they can also seek improvement opportunities. Also, big data can provide businesses with a foundation for risk management. By creating an accurate reference for measuring risk, businesses can consider this in their marketing strategy.
- Optimize business operations:
Automation is becoming more prevalent in today’s businesses. It allows businesses to become more efficient and productive, with big data providing the basis for it to work. The combination of big data and automation allows dull and repetitive tasks to be replaced by machines. By automating these tasks, time is freed up for skilled workers who can better contribute to the business through creative and productive input.
- Develop targeted offerings:
Once you know more about what your customers want, you can develop offerings that directly appeal to their needs. For example, simply aligning customer behaviors with marketing messaging can be all that is necessary. Utilizing big data to analyse which products consumers are buying and pairing with other items, allows for menus and suggestions such as “Customers also bought…” and “You may also be interested in…”
In a volatile and unpredictable environment, businesses are seeking certainty. Big data allows companies to measure risk and reward in their strategic decisions, while providing outcomes that will best suit their target consumers.
How To Generate Leads Digitally During The Coronavirus Outbreak
As a brand in the B2B space, the COVID-19 or Coronavirus pandemic has changed how business is done.
For most B2B companies, attending events is a major way through which quality leads are generated and eventually converted – allocating a significant portion (21%) of their marketing budget to event marketing alone.
It is said that 68% of B2Bs use in-person events for lead generation initiatives, which is important to note since the quality of leads generated can determine whether or not revenue objectives are achieved in the year.
With that in mind, loss of this acquisition channel due to the pandemic weighs a heavy burden on how B2B businesses can bring minimum disruption to their inbound cashflow. Now more than ever, there is a requirement for companies to change from what they’ve always done and implement fresh marketing strategies relevant to the present climate.
This article provides some ways in which brands can shift their focus to digital marketing channels to make smart investments with their marketing dollars in a time of crisis.
- Invest in your Website
Social isolation has meant that people have now shifted the way they live and work to the digital sphere. Therefore, it is no longer acceptable to have a subpar website but making a good digital impression is crucial to discoverability.
In many cases, the website is the first touchpoint that a potential client has with a business. Therefore, careful consideration into the design, content and general user experience is one of the first things that needs to be analyzed.
A website is a reflection of the value a business provides in comparison to competition. It is also a visual determinant to the health of a company. Therefore, investing in upgrading or redeveloping your company’s website in line with today’s best practices (mobile friendly, keyword rich, responsive, relevant content) could significantly improve your digital ranking and impact lead generation.
- Focus on SEO
SEO is a tactic that needs to be considered when adapting your marketing strategy and is closely related to keeping your website up to date.
As peanut butter is to jelly, a website is incomplete without search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the tactic through which your brand is digitally visible in the long run.
Growing organic search traffic is paramount when using your website as tool for lead generation, and something that improves SEO is content. HubSpot found that blogging is particularly important for SEO, since it results in 55% more website visitors, 97% more inbound links, and 434% more indexed pages.
Content marketing is a proven way to establish your brand as a marketing expert while also effectively communicating the value you provide through your products and services.
When it comes to generating leads, using strategic content coupled with specific, relevant offers will increase your conversion rate and provide the best user experience. Run an email marketing campaign that links back to a blog on your website. Develop video content that directs visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or to book a demonstration. There’s a lot than can be done.
- Leverage Social Media
In addition to the above, social media can also be primarily employed to overcome the dangers of social isolation that many B2B companies currently face. It equips businesses to maintain engagement and manage relationships without skipping a beat.
Earlier, social media may have been an afterthought that businesses may have engaged in every once in a while, but that cannot be the case anymore. Now, social media needs to be the driving force of a business’ marketing strategy to accommodate to the current times.
Social media channels need to stay current and relate to the current environment. A cadence needs to be set for timely updates that are not only useful to followers and redirect them to your website but also relate to their current mindset.
In a time where in-person networking and meeting is impossible, social platforms like LinkedIn help to connect with leads and keep conversations going. The benefit here is that it can be done anywhere and from the convenience of your home.
Furthermore, managing online reputation through reviews is a painstaking yet crucial step in building online presence. Appreciate feedback and appropriately handle unsatisfactory ones to build positive referral campaigns online.
While social distancing is a scary reality for most businesses, the digital age has provided us with so much to keep customers engaged. Online marketing might not provide the same in-person experience like events, however technological advancements has meant that digital channels are not too far behind.
The rise of certain marketing tactics like conversational marketing has enabled companies to connect and personalize visitor experiences to their website unlike anything before. Brands that would have otherwise spent their budget on in-person events can now invest more into developing their online presence through better content and user experience instead.
The Importance of Marketing for the Healthcare industry in the time of COVID-19
In a crisis situation such as the COVID-19 outbreak, effective communication strategies are crucial.
Given the rapid spread of the virus, timely and consistent information must be distributed internally for staff and externally for patients and the general public.
For staff, regular communication is necessary as it will help foster a positive working relationship, which will consequently improve efficiency and morale. Conversely, external stakeholders are relying on your communication for guidance on how to protect their health and wellbeing.
Communicating with employees:
The COVID-19 outbreak is placing extreme strain on most industries, especially the healthcare sector. Employees are your most important asset and act as ambassadors to the general public, so if your message isn’t clearly conveyed to your own employees, communication to the community will be even more challenging. Further, it is the company’s responsibility to put employee’s minds at ease during this stressful period, by providing frequent, clear and hopeful messages.
For effective communication with employees, business in the health sector should:
- Communicate information in a location that is accessible and visible by all employees. In a healthcare environment, this may include noticeboards, reception desks, or even virtual locations such as online social-media groups.
- Explain why certain decisions were made, to demystify the situation and provide clarity for employees.
- Ensure regular and consistent communication to put your employees’ minds at ease and reduce anxiety.
- Since information and guidelines are constantly being released by government agencies, communicate them to your staff in a timely manner rather than waiting for the next release.
Communicating with patients and the general public:
External stakeholders such as patients and the general public rely on communication from the healthcare sector for guidelines and advice on how to cope during the outbreak. In contrast to employees, companies do not have the same access of communication with this group. It is crucial that the community are aware of what healthcare services and facilities are available to them and therefore effective communication must be ensured. The following tips can help ensure your messages are conveyed to the public successfully:
- Develop a plan: Having a response plan in place will allow for prompt messaging to the general public. For example, developing messages based on new government guidelines should be a part of your plan. Automating these messages may be appropriate, as you will be able to get your messages out as early as possible to keep your customers up-to-date.
- Reveal as much information as possible: It is important to observe the crisis from the perspective of the customer. With the great uncertainty brought about by the current COVID-19 outbreak, it is easy for individuals to experience great anxiety and frustration. As a result, it is important for your company to communicate as much information as possible, rather than leaving the community in limbo.
- Cease non-essential communication: Press releases, irrelevant e-mails or community news should be paused until things calm down. Your important messages would otherwise be lost within all the other announcements. Save this content for when the outbreak is controlled, so consumers have more time to engage with it.
The implementation of an effective communication strategy during the current COVID-19 outbreak is necessary for your business; not only for your employees, but the public as a whole. It is the company’s responsibility to put employee’s minds at ease during this stressful period, by providing frequent, clear and hopeful messages. Similarly, it is crucial that the community are aware of what healthcare services and facilities are available to them and therefore constructive communication must be ensured.
How to Nail an Award-Winning Marketing Strategy
A successful business idea begins with a well-developed marketing strategy. While frequent adjustments and adaptations to your strategy may be necessary, it is imperative that your goals and plans are well defined from the get-go. Without a clear strategy in place, your business will lack the road map needed to achieve the end goal in mind.
So, what is a marketing strategy? A marketing strategy is a set of tools and techniques that allow businesses to allocate their resources in a manner that will increase sales and competitive advantage over competitors. It is made up of the business’s goals and the activities that must be completed to achieve them.
Still confused? Don’t worry, that’s why we have come up with this extremely comprehensive guide on how to create a marketing strategy that will take your business to the next level!
Step 1: Conduct A Situational Analysis
A situational analysis will help you understand the internal and external pressures of your business. It will identify the current capabilities of your business and the potential opportunities that your business may achieve. The situational analysis should include:
- Internal analysis: e.g. SWOT analysis
- External analysis: e.g. PESTEL environmental analysis
- Consumer analysis: e.g. demographics, buying behaviours, etc.
- Market analysis: e.g. distribution channels, market trend, competitors
Step 2: Define Your Target Market:
Construct a paragraph defining your primary target market (and secondary). This is different to the consumer analysis, since you are determining which market YOU are selling to. Research their demographic, psychographic, behavioural and geographic factors to gain a better understanding of how you are going to reach them.
Step 3: Identify Your Goals:
Want 100,000 impressions on Facebook within the 3 months of your business? Write it down. 10 leads by February? Perfect. Make sure your goals are SMART. That is; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound. Ensure your marketing goals are in line with your business goals and keep track of your progress.
Step 4: Decide How You Will Achieve The Goals:
This is the fun part. Which marketing tactics are you going to implement to achieve your goals? Will you be using print-media, social-media or e-mail to communicate your marketing message? Or all three? Determine which strategies are best suited to achieving your goal and decide how they will be used. Through your marketing campaign, the primary intention is to communicate your message to your target market. Your message may be to express the unique advantage of your offerings. It could also be to promote the launch of your new product. However, it is crucial that your strategies do not divert from the main focus of achieving your initial goals. Yes, it is very possible that you will achieve the goals earlier than the set timeframe. In that case, you should re-evaluate and construct new objectives.
Step 5: Set A Budget:
Marketing does not come free. Devote certain percentages of your budget to specific channels. Generally, higher allocations of funds will lead to more effective marketing. However, if you are not experiencing the results you are seeking, it may be necessary to adjust and re-evaluate your budget.
Step 6: Evaluate Performance:
The work does not end there. Once the strategy is in place, it is crucial that you continually audit its performance. If it is not achieving the results you are seeking by the timeframe you have established, it may be necessary to adjust certain variables within the plan. Were you reaching too high with your goals? Are your marketing tactics not achieving the progress you were expecting? Was your budget set too high? These are the questions you should be asking when evaluating the performance of your strategy.
A well-developed marketing strategy will provide your business with the direction necessary to achieve its long-term goals.