Much like scurvy, viral marketing has the ability to spread like a virus amongst both pirates and internet users alike. According to Kaplan and Haenlein, Viral marketing is a strategy using existing social networks to promote a product. Its name refers to how consumers spread information about a product with other people in their social networks. Much like a virus makes it way from person to person.
The basis of viral marketing is around creating a “buzz” and spreading information through “word-of-mouth”, however modern technology, namely social media has allowed for viral content to be spread at a much faster rate. Viral marketing aims to supply the audience with something of value for free. Whether it’s an amusing song, picture, film or hashtag it must encourage others to share the contents message.
Unless you were living under a rock at the beginning of 2016, there is no doubt you heard someone say the phrase “Damn Daniel”. There’s no solid way of predicting what might go viral on the internet and when but in the case of Daniel Lara and his white vans, well they undoubtedly ended up taking over the internet.
The original video posted on February 15th by his friend Joshua Holz, is 30 seconds of a teenage boy during his school day, with a friend providing the voiceover of “Damn, Daniel” over and over again, plus the line,”Back at it again with the white Vans!” The video captures Daniel walking around school, looking rather cool, smiling and sporting his white vans. Josh, unable to control his excitement and love for Daniels white vans continues to compliment him on them every time he passes by.
Both terms have sparked an internet frenzy and have people all over the world using the phrase “Damn Daniel” (especially if your friends name is Daniel) and “back at it again with the white vans”. Even my friends are repeatedly using these phrases in everyday conversations as a compliment or just to be downright annoying! You know it’s a true viral hit when people start quoting it in everyday life.
Josh and Daniel have since made a website, appeared on Ellen, received a “lifetime supply of vans”, attended signings and done all the other things internet sensations do soon after they achieve global success. The original video has had over 350,000 thousand retweets and over 45 million views on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. Who would’ve predicted that this would be a viral success? While I can’t seem to put my thumb on it, that distinctive voice and repetitive one liner has been stuck in my head for months.
After watching the TED Talk by Kevin Allocca, YouTube’s “Trend Manager” I feel that “Damn Daniel” encapsulates all that comes with a successful viral trend in that it has “tastemakers”, having people wanting to broadcast it to a relevant audience and continue to generate its exposure. “Damn Daniel” predominantly made its way across social media, the boys appearance on Ellen, news broadcasters, blogs, websites and via print publications…the list goes on. Secondly, “communities of participation” refers to how easily shareable the sensation is amongst friends and family and whether people can participate and adopt in the phenomenon by incorporating it into their lives. As seen below, people have tried recreating that unique sound, selling white vans for an exorbitant amount or creating a “Damn Daniel” look. And lastly, “unexpectedness”, the hit needs to be unique, different and revolutionary in a sense. No one would of understood how a friend commenting on his friends shoes and style would be a viral hit? Would they?
Take that, Yeezy! Although they may not be the most desirable shoe in the world, the meme has had a profound affect on turning simple white vans into somewhat of a fashion icon. Did vans ever go out of fashion? Well Daniel has certainly made them the new “it-shoe” and I reckon cemented himself a role as the new ambassador of vans.
The impact on Vans? “Damn Daniel” has turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to the Vans brand, and completely unprovoked by them.
Twice in the clip, Daniel’s friend Josh says: “Damn, Daniel, back at it again with the white Vans”. As a result, white Vans are everywhere. On Twitter, Facebook, eBay, even on The Ellen Show. The volume of content about white Vans generated by the clip can be classified as word of mouth marketing (WOM), despite the fact that the clip was not created by Vans. The organic buzz about white Vans means that people are talking about the brand—online and offline.
On the surface, viral clips and pictures seem to be meaningless content that is just being shared around the Internet. Upon further inspection, the subject of this content matters. The brands, products and companies mentioned benefit enormously from the exposure and from being talked about extensively both online and offline. The power of this exposure must not be underestimated by brands and they should make every effort to capitalize on serendipitous and unintended buzz.
Of course, how could we not mention Daniel, as in ‘Damn Daniel’, which, as you can imagine, did have a strong impact on the sales of White Vans, which saw 100% sell-through in both retail direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels.
The national media attention the brand received is a wild demonstration of how creative expression, youth culture and loyalty can conspire to cause a phenomenon. Well done, Daniel, well done.
Check out how the internet has made “Damn Daniel” its own:
As a generation who heavily rely on browsing and having access to a treasure chest of knowledge whenever and wherever search engines have proved to be a revolutionary tool in solving this dilemma. Google alone processes over 40,000 search queries every second – that is more than 3.5 billion requests every day. We use search engines for shopping, research or simply navigating us to our desired website amongst the vast expanse of the world wide web. For marketers, this proves how important it is to be visible in the search results and be present when customers need you the most.
It’s vital to be in the eye of the consumer and appear right at the top of that first page of results to ensure you generate traffic to your website. When I Google a term, I tend to either click on one of the first two links and would never see myself getting past the first page (I’d probably search for something else). With the amount of search engine results provided to users somewhere amongst the millions it’s imperative to make sure that your site is right where you want it to be, at the top of consumers mind, right in front of the consumer’s eyes – if it’s not, you may not even exist to them! So what’s all of this got to do with?
Well, this is all thanks to search engine optimisation (SEO) which put simply is the strategic alteration of site codes (including page title, tags, alt tags, names of images on your website) to make your website appears higher up on search engine results. If successfully implemented SEO can prove to be a significant driver of traffic to your website. It can also ensure you are reaching highly targeted visitors who are actively searching for a term and have high intent to purchase. This strategy can be of little to no cost for an organisation (no media or click-through costs, only optimisation costs). And as long as websites are willing to update and provide new content, harnessing this strategy can prove to be dynamic.
After reading a paper by Ravi Sen (2005) in the International Journal of Electronic Commerce called Optimal Search Engine Marketing Strategy, I took a look at the UK fashion online retailer ASOS, who have reached tremendous success through utilising SEO!
The digital revolution has transformed and reshaped entire markets, shopping and fashion is one that has undergone a complete transformation. With an increase in online shopping and e-commerce fashion retailers it comes as no surprise that ASOS are significantly leading the way in terms of SEO visibility in comparison to high end retailers. ASOS are appearing in the top position of the organic search listings for a vast majority of clothing, shoes and accessory items.
How has ASOS been so successful in online fashion retail?
For any retailer, location is paramount. A well-place store in a busy street or in a shopping centre with lots of foot traffic is always going to have far greater success than a store hidden away where no one can find it. The same concept applies online. ASOS have a high SEO ranking which has allowed consumers to access their website on the web. It’s definitely not hidden! ASOS understood that popular terms such as ‘shirts’ or ‘dresses’ are expensive and very competitive online, however, with more specific terms such as ‘beige coloured chino pants’ weren’t and therefore ASOS were able to tag onto consumers niche searching habits and optimise their site to attract more consumers. Choosing specific terms that consumers were looking for and linking these to “white hat” principles such product titles, categories, product descriptions and images allowed ASOS to associate themselves with a range of niche terms. Analysing Google Adwords and trends also allowed ASOS to appear at the top of the results.
ASOS invested a lot in optimising their site as a digital platform. Again, high end retailers are always spending a significant amount of money and time on the layout and design of their stores. ASOS took on the same approach and reflected its branding and culture through its visually appealing online store, it also provides customers with a positive shopping experience, one which is easy to navigate.
ASOS tailor their site from their initial landing page which directs you to either a “male” or “female” version of the site. From there ASOS allow the customer to personalise their shopping experience and filter their shopping objectives based on brands, products, discounts, marketplace, price or popular items…the list goes on! ASOS are updating and delivering new trend setting clothing, shoes and accessories weekly in order to keep up with the latest fashion trends.
This also has an impact on their SEO results. The fashion industry introduces new designs into the market on a weekly basis, creating a new fast fashion concept. With ASOS constantly updating their site with new products they are reinvigorating their offering, reach and becoming an online megastore.
With ecommerce growing every day, the state of a website is an aspect of SEO success and therefore fundamental to online sales.
ASOS are constantly keeping up with trends online. Not only with products that are in fashion; but also optimising their site so that it is aligned with these trends. When a product is in style, people will be searching for it online more than ever, an opportunity that ASOS has made the most of.
Ensuring that all “key words” are optimised for this type of trending searches means that consumers will be led directly to your website, resulting in more traffic and ultimately more sales. Keeping up with the fast-fashion culture, means being flexible with your SEO strategy, which may need to change or adapt quickly.
Predicting what key words will be searched for will make all the difference when it comes to SEO. For example, there has been a 3,463 per cent increase in searches for “high-waisted bikini” over the past 24 months. Therefore make sure that your site doesn’t fall behind, otherwise it could end up in last season’s bin.
ASOS has dramatically improved its SEO visibility through embracing technology. As an e-commerce platform ASOS has ensured that they have great content and provide consumers with an optimal user experience. ASOS understand that this will inevitability increase online visibility and appearance in Google searches. Google’s algorithms are progressively becoming more about “how” people search, putting more emphasis on how people talk and not just standalone characters. ASOS are engaging with customer’s and creating original content, rather than text written solely for search engines.
ASOS are also heavily present on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pintrest where they are able to engage and provide consumers with content on their product offering. There are also countless YouTube videos from popular personalities and consumers which ensure that ASOS is always circulating within the fashion circles. In tern, consumers are providing ASOS with a raft of user generated content. ASOS have integrated SEO and social media into their online strategy. The ‘following’ that they have across all social media and the engagement with consumers helps ASOS maintain there position at the top. ASOS have also optimised their website for mobile. With consumers increasingly using mobiles for shopping and searching ‘on-the-go’ having an effective user interface that is visually appealing and easy to navigate on mobile ensures that ASOS rank highly and is dynamic in there online approach.
ASOS’s willingness to be early adopters of technology such as online fitting rooms and Prime Air has also seen them gain an edge over competition. Digital innovations are shaping the future of retail and disrupting traditional processes to help retailers get the most out of an online store. SEO is the latest online process to benefit from new technology that is helping retailers to automate the delivery of SEO, enabling them to optimise for hundreds of thousands of keywords and quickly grow the taxonomy of their site.
Mega online fashion retailers such as ASOS and The Iconic continue to saturate the online marketplace and push out smaller online fashion stores. With an endless catalogue of products and success under their belt at optimising their sites for SEO.
It is progressively getting tougher for smaller online fashion retailers trying to match it with these mega online stores with their impressive sites, countless users and search engine dominance. It gets even harder when ASOS use “Paid Per Click (PPC)” as well. PPC is “A relevant text ad with a link to a company page is displayed on the SERPs when the user of a search engine types in a particular phrase. A fee is charged for every click of each link, with the amount bid per click determining its position.”
PPC is a popular strategy for smaller retailers who wouldn’t tend to appear high in the results on a Google search. Companies or websites will approach Google who will auction off placements to not only the highest bidder; but those who would be able to attract a relevant audience. Being placed on the first page of Google, brands with low awareness, minimal traffic or new onto the market will have some chance of exposure in an indescribably large market.
ASOS have used PPC to guarantee exposure of their website in the hope of attracting more traffic. It is important to understand that a consumer clicking on the website will be at a cost, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will purchase anything. ASOS need to ensure that they are offering value to the customer and attracting them to make a purchase on the site and not just visit.
ASOS have used highly targeted placed adds on pretty much any predictable product within the fashion industry; whether you’re searching for singlets or ties, ASOS will no doubt search up as a sponsored advertisement. This investment of money, time and creativity into PPC has ensured that ASOS is present for any customer purchasing opportunity. Countless branded advertisements with the product name, price and an image attract consumers to the ASOS site – it’s not just an ordinary text based advertisement, it’s one that can visually attract consumers to their website. In fashion, ensuring that anything looks good is paramount and these advertisements sure do.
SEO and PPC matters; currently online-only retailers are becoming increasingly popular and are leaving traditional ‘bricks-and-mortar’ stores behind. The fastest growing retailers are those who have embraced the changing world of e-commerce. Within the fashion industry, Google has begun fishing out the “black hats” and ensuring that “white hats” are appearing at the top of the results for all customers. Although it’s expensive and time consuming, ASOS have the resources in place to execute both. As a e-commerce retailer, ASOS’s business model is based around the internet and online search engines. Ensuring your website has genuine quality content that consumers want to see will just be better for everyone. ASOS has created a lot of trusted value with its consumers and as long as consumers are using search engines to satisfy their every need, then I don’t think SEO or PPC will be dying anytime soon.
Do you have any great examples of websites saturating their market through optimising SEO and PPC ?
When you’re a successful pirate such as Jack Sparrow in the entertainment business, there is no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to starring in that next oscar nominated film. You can have a legendary director, a hollywood star and a popular concept and still, it’s just a roll of the dice.
However, in the case of Netflix and its successful series ‘House of Cards’ this was one sure bet.
House of Cards, directed by David Fincher, starring Kevin Spacey and based on a popular 80’s British series is the most streamed piece of content in the United States and 40 other countries around the world. For any television series this would be applauded as an enormous achievement, and heading into its fifth season it comes as no real surprise to those at Netflix who knew all along that this show would be a major hit before the first episode even aired. How’s that you ask?
The term big data refers to the collection and analysis of information at an abnormally large scale. Bigger than any research or analytics firms could even fathom. For businesses, this means that they receive information that they can utilise to develop greater understanding of what consumers want and consequently tailoring their products and services to better reflect their customers’ needs and wants.
From the reading ‘Big Data: A Management Revolution’ by Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson I understood that Big Data can be classified based on three characteristics, its extensive variety, large volume and the velocity at which the data is processed. Once big data is recorded it’s typically used and stored in the cloud (a wireless network). It’s impossible to store it physically due the volume of characteristics it holds. Marketers can then access this data whenever they please to help quantify their marketing decisions whilst also comparing it to small data.
Rapid advancements in technology are shifting our assumptions from market research figures to analysing behaviours and consumers consumption patterns that ultimately lead us to make better marketing decisions using Big Data. Big-data sources are often linked to social media data exclusively, but can also include RFID data, logistics, production, and retailer scanner data – even weather or traffic patterns. Big data is about integrating data and analysing patterns. Big data is not concerned with collecting the data – that’s because in today’s internet of things, data is abundant. Marketers are able to generate real time information about actual behaviour apposed to fictitious information about peoples intentions. With a smaller margin for error, marketers are able to make more rationale based decisions on accurate and useful information.
The access to big data will no doubt surpass big research. Big research is limiting due to its small sample size, relevance, complexities, outdated methods and change. Whereas, Big data allows researchers to much larger pools of data faster than ever before in which marketers can find little hidden gems.
Consumers benefit from the collection of data usage because marketers can offer them more relevant products and services based on their actual behaviour and improve their user experience. Consumers are more likely to get products and services that are personalised rather than companies making products or providing services they have no use for. Where it gets tricky is when consumers start to feel as if their privacy is being violated by implicitly being exposed to unwanted marketing material by companies who have access to this goldmine of information.
Netflix, which boasts 27 million subscribers in the USA alone and 33 million worldwide, had an enormous pool of data and decided to run the numbers. They found that a monumental share of users had streamed the work of David Fincher, the director of “The Social Network,” from beginning to end. Films featuring Kevin Spacey were always popular, as had the British version of “House of Cards.” With those three circles of interest, Netflix was able to find a Venn diagram intersection that suggested that buying the series would be a very good bet on original programming.
This successful bet paid off all because Netflix decided to utilise its access Big Data, and no one has more information on their audience than Netflix. A third of the downloads on the Internet during peak periods on any given day are devoted to streamed movies from the service, according to Sandvine, a networking provider. And last year, by some estimates, more people watched movies streamed online than on physical DVDs.
Since the inception of Film and television producers have always used data, holding previews for focus groups and noting the results, but as a technology company that distributes and now produces content, Netflix has mind-boggling access to consumer behaviour in real time.
How much data does Netflix really have access to? According to GigaOm, Netflix looks at 30 million “plays” a day, including when you pause, rewind and fast forward, four million ratings by Netflix subscribers, three million searches as well as the time of day when shows are watched and on what devices.
Through Netflix establishing a direct relationship with consumers, it is able to understand what people like to watch and that helps them in understanding how big the interest is going to be for a given show. It gives them some confidence to know that they could find an audience for a show like ‘House of Cards.’ ”
Netflix annotate its entire library of content with hundreds of tags — metadata descriptors — tagged by users to describe the talent, the action, the tone and the genre, among many, many other things. Netflix use those tags to recommend other shows that users may be interested in, essentially building profiles based on the preferences of individual subscribers. But now Netflix is releasing its own original content because it knows what people want before they do. You could say that in a away there are 33 million different versions of Netflix.
Netflix has always used data to decide which shows to license. Netflix targeted its “House of Cards” trailers at a diverse following. Users who watched content with Kevin Spacey were exposed to promotional material with him, women watching “Thelma and Louise” saw trailers featuring the show’s lead female character and those who regularly streamed movies saw content directed by David Fincher.
Based on that information, Netflix bought “House of Cards.” The success that they have experienced from the channeling Big Data also assisted in producing other Netflix hits such as “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Orange is the New Black”. Both of which have received numerous awards and have been renewed for multiple seasons. It’s definitely not one time luck!
It’s sceptical to say that “House of Cards” has been a hit for Netflix due to it not participating in traditional television ratings. Its real effect has been spread far and wide throughout social media – in terms of its following, social media talk and the buzz it creates around new series. The show has also featured on the front page of The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times, and was on the cover of Emmy magazine. With Netflix providing content like this for as little as $7.99 a month for streaming — there will be no shortage of customers demanding the service.
It’s clear that Netflixs’ series “House of Cards” was a product of logic and algorithms as opposed to tradition and instinct. The use of Big Data in television and film will help producers grasp a better understanding of user data and the potentially big impact it may have on how things happen in television. Data can only tell you what people have liked before, not what they don’t know they are going to like in the future,”. If the industry is suddenly going to rely on analysing Big Data to find the next big series then they are looking in the wrong place. Big Data has the potential to reduce the creative craftsmanship that comes with creating a unique program. Not one that has been a product of picking and choosing different characteristics. It’s important to understand consumers behaviour and full the missing spaces within their psyche that aren’t currently being filled by an existing television show.
Netflix’s access to this pool of data should be used to improve its products and services and make the experience of using Netflix more enjoyable, which I believe it is doing by creating a demand for new series, providing access to old shows and movies for consumers whilst tailoring personalised content. It could potentially cross the line when Netflix begins to use our personal data to market products and services to us, or worse sell it onto advertising agencies or big technology companies who could potentially use this to target us daily. This is where users begins to question a violation of their privacy and constant surveillance.
Netflix’s command over data isn’t entirely accurate. From my own personal experience, It suggests I like content such as “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” which I don’t, and it believes that I would even consider watching kids animated movies, which I am not (maybe I’m not being entirely truthful about what I’m watching). However, when it came to guessing if “House of Cards” might appeal to me — politics, media and David Fincher all appeal to me.
After being exposed to all of the social media buzz and the recommendations by my friends, I found myself in my bedroom, perched up on my laptop, surrounded by empty food wrappers and university assignments, wondering when I the next season came out. I was hooked.
Netflix’s knack for recommending shows or movies also serve as concerns that the same thing that makes Netflix so unique — it knows everything about us — could create problems if it is not careful with our data and our privacy. On one hand it’s tailoring content and making our experience with the service much more enjoyable but on the other is the constant surveillance of our privacy being violated as well as creative and unique television as we know it being manipulated by data and catering to what producers think we want to see?
You’ve joined us on a very special day. We’re taking the crew photo and you’re more than welcome to join in with us. The crew are just are just looking up on YouTube how to properly fix up their eye patches and putting in their wooden legs in order for our own very special ‘micro-moment’.
Over the last couple of years we have seen rapid innovations and advancements in advertising and and communicating by brands and consumers through mobile devices in terms of discovering, learning and sharing. As big of an impact that the Internet has been, it’s becoming clearer that mobile will have an even greater impact on how we function daily and this is very crucial for marketers and brands to understand. Consumers instantaneous mobile nature through an on-the-go or in-the-now demand has given way to the development of Googles’ ‘Micro-Moments’.
Instead of consumers dedicating time to performing a specific task on their computer, consumers are now able to move in and out of content consumption quickly from a variety of devices whenever they please. If you can imagine a person waiting in line at the checkout in a supermarket. With their smartphone, they are able to easily continue researching the time of a particular movie at the local cinema that they are planning to go to at the conclusion of their shop.
‘Micro-Moments’ refer to customers placing an increasing emphasis on using their mobile devices to inform and make decisions about their lives in the moment.
Micro-moments are unique in the way that smartphones allow the consumer to act on impulse in any way, shape or form. Also, when we act on our needs in-the-moment, our expectations are high and our patience is low. This makes the quality, relevance, and usefulness of marketing more important than ever. Ultimately, our preferences and purchases are shaped in these micro-moments. The brands that do the best job of addressing our needs in each moment will win.
Customers will use their mobile device at any point in time and use it to “go, do, buy, learn, and watch” turning to the small screen based on what’s transpiring in real time in their lives. Understanding their intentions, context and their expectations for immediacy and relevance, will help marketers more effectively reach their connected customers.
Marketing has and will continue to shift from larger longer term campaigns to second by second marketing to consumers. According to a recent survey, 91% of smartphone users consult their smartphone at least once to complete a task or use it to make progress to a long-term or multi step process goal whilst 82% of smartphone users use their phones to influence a purchase decision in a store . Now, let’s take a closer look into each of these four moments and explain each in a little more detail;
An application that I frequently use on my mobile phone is Shazam (music discovery application). For example, whenever I hear a song on the radio that I don’t know the name of and like the sound of I will open the Shazam application on my mobile device, click the discovery button and it will take a short preview of the song I’m listening to and give me the name of that song, the artist and the album in a matter of seconds.
They have then attached links to popular music retailers such as iTunes or Spotify where I can go and purchase that song instantly. I believe that this is a perfect example of being ‘THERE’, in terms of having that presence on my mobile when I need them the most. They are being ‘USEFUL’, in terms of giving me the desired information that I want to to achieve from using there application and lastly being ‘QUICK’, providing me with my answer in a matter of seconds ends up being an extremely quick and satisfying process.
As a foodie who likes to explore new bars, cafes and restaurants I find myself being a frequent user of the mobile application Zomato. It is everything you could ask for and more in a mobile application. Zomato provides ratings, reviews, pictures and suggested places based on the geographic area that you’re in.
More often than not have I found myself walking through an unfamiliar suburb and wanting to grab a quick coffee and not known where to go. Zomato provides me with a list of establishments in the area and within a matter of seconds I’m able to make a decision about where I want to go. Zomato is with me whenever I need it, it’s useful in terms of providing with me with suggested places to eat based on filters such as price, cuisine, ratings etc. Lastly it’s quick and easy to use, in a split second I can make a decision on where I want to go and then worry about enjoying the experience. There simply isn’t anything else like it out there.
I WANT TO DO
As an avid tennis player I’m always wanting to improve my game. There’s only so much that an amateur tennis coach is able to teach you and after that it’s simply down to putting in the practice and playing matches. Wherever I can I like to get little tips and tricks from the professionals – the best of the best. If I’m at the courts sometimes I will find myself opening the YouTube application and watching a really quick video like the tennis lesson above from Novak Djockovic (World #1). After those few minutes I have a greater knowledge of what to do when I’m out on the court.
This video will always be there and of help to me as long as I have my mobile and the YouTube application installed. It’s useful as I’m taking in tips that I can then implement into my game and finally it’s quick – a short YouTube video can foster improvements in my tennis game for years to come.
This little gem of an application has made my life so much easier at times. The Commbank application for Commonwealth Bank customers allows you to have complete control over all of your accounts. Its hottest features include allowing you to transfer funds, view your accounts, pay someone and the greatest of them all – Tap & Pay. It has made the need to carry my wallet around with me all day non-existent anymore.
I finally made my first purchase with my phone the other day using ‘Apple Pay‘, Apple’s mobile payment system. I was purchasing petrol from the local 7/11 store. ‘Apple Pay’ uses near field communication (NFC) technology. I was able to pay by holding my phone to a contactless reader. It can further be secured using the Touch ID fingerprint sensors in iOS devices to approve transactions.
It eliminated the need for me to have my wallet or any cash on me at the time. This feature is imbedded within my phone and linked to my bank account. It was such a quick and easy transaction that it made my day a whole lot easier.
DEMOGRAPHICS VS INTENT
Marketers tend to place great emphasis on demographics and by no means is this a bad thing. In a micro-moment world however, intentions and interests allow marketers to understand and reach customers in a revolutinary ways. For example, Google found that marketers who try to reach their audience based solely on demographics risk missing more than 70% of potential mobile shoppers.
What’s the difference between demographics and intent?
Demographics use statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it. This includes statistics such as sex, age, gender, nationality, income etc. Intent on the other hand focuses on the context, intentions and device in specific moments based on the customer’s desired outcome.
Let’s take a look at how demographics can get it completely wrong using Prince Charles and Ozzy Osborune.
Based solely on their demographics they should be the exact same person with the same needs, wants and reactions to advertising material. Although on face value we can see that they are polar opposites in every sense of the word.
Whilst it’s a trivial comparison, it highlights just how inaccurate demographics can be in some cases.
When you’re searching with intent on the other hand, let’s say you’re watching Masterchef and a celebrity chef pulls out a MixMaster as part of a delicious cake recipe. You don’t have a mixmaster but are interested in buying one, so you pull out your phone. With the amount of mixmaster out there it can be a tough choice! When you search, you wouldn’t type, “what is the best mixmaster for a 40-60 year-old person with a college degree and above $200,000 annual income.” Of course you wouldn’t search that way. Your intent would be much more specific. For example, you might search “Best mixmaster for making cake.”
In reality decisions are increasingly being made in real time micro-moments based on intentions, not demographics, framed in context and played out through our smartphones. Solely focusing on demographics hinders marketers from connecting with mobile customers in the moments that matter.
While it’s still important to investigate, group and understand the demographics of your target audience. At the same time, mobile and search data expand and refine your ability to reach a critical group of would-be customers. They help you to capture those people who are raising their hands for information or products you can help with–regardless of whether they are 20 or 70, male or female, from Australia or Austria.
This revolutionises the game. Through understanding consumer intent and context not only can you identify groups of relevant people (time, place, screen, intention, state/stage, expectations, etc.) you will also be inspired to personalise and change up the landscape for advertising and marketing, where and how you connect with customers, the content and messages you use to convey and more so, how you contribute to decision-making in each micro-moment.
What does this mean for marketers?
Marketers need to take advantage of these moments through creating associations and avenues where consumers are able to interact with the brand through mobile. If consumers are able to have direct contact with the brand at a time that suits them then this will lead to a creation of a much more a service-based relationship with your consumers which will payoff with an increase in mind share, loyalty and lifetime value with customers for your brand.
For example, you’re looking to go out and want some advice on how to apply your makeup. You may check out one of YouTuber’s, Lauren Curtis’ many ‘makeup tutorial’ videos such as the one above. If you are a brand that sells cosmetics then you want to be present in that moment with the consumer when they are needing assistance the most. Through partnering with a YouTuber such as Lauren Curtis or even creating your own branded YouTube Channel that uses popular YouTubers to give advice to consumers on whilst heavily display the brands product will lead to loyalty and engagement, and together will lead to sales for the brand.
No longer do advertisers need to use Billboards or TV advertisements that are very limited in there reach and exposure. Instead they can target their consumers when they need them the most. Wether that is down the street looking for a cafe or purchasing a new pair of runners at the Nike store being present when consumers have instant demand will be rewarding for your brand.
Check out Mabel’s story about seeking some new hairstyle inspiration through a routine moment or when Giana’s in store moment edged her into buying a higher priced medicine.
Alternatively with brands, see how AirBnB are personalising tourists local experience through there mobile application or how Coca-Cola are meeting its customer in the moment.
For brands looking to implement ‘Micro-Moments’ into their marketing strategy it would be beneficial to consult this 5 step plan;
1. Make a moments map
Identify the consumer journey and establish those moments that you believe you can win and those that you can’t afford to lose.
2. Understand customer needs in-the-moment
For each moment you want to win, put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. Ask “What would make this easier or faster? What content or features would be most helpful for this moment?”.
3. Use context to deliver the right experience
Leverage contextual signals like location and time of day to deliver experiences and messages that feel tailor-made for the moment.
4. Optimise across the journey
People move seamlessly across screens and channels. Ensure your brand delivers seamlessly in return and don’t let competing objectives or department silos stand in the way.
5. Measure every moment that matters
While the return on investment for certain moments may not yet be directly measurable, use credible estimates to ensure nothing’s falling through the cracks.
If you’re going to take away one piece of information that will be of the most value then just remember as a marketer to; BE THERE, BE USEFUL AND BE QUICK
From all of you explorers, I’d love to hear some examples of when you’ve used your mobile for ‘I WANT TO’ moments? Furthermore, do you believe that marketers and brands will priortise targeting consumers in these ‘Micro-Moments’, if so how will they ensure this is a success?
Welcome back explorers! We’ve made a quick departure from port after the word got out that there’s a new crew who are revolutionising the online retailing domain through tracking the analytics of their customers and are better off for it. They are out there taking on the big ships…JB-HI-FI and Harvey Norman in hope of securing their share of the digital ocean and providing a personalised experience for their customers.
Analytics, data and numbers aren’t something I particularly enjoy discovering on the digital ocean but in the scheme of digital marketing they are an invaluable insight into customers for both marketers and businesses alike. With the information that they are able to find out about us through something as simple as our Google searches or messages with our friends on Facebook, it can be quite scary!
Every ‘big ship’ could learn a thing or two from digital captain (entrepreneur), Ruslan Kogan. Kogan.com went into battle with major retailers directly, growing his online consumer electronics company from a home business in 2006, to one turning over $300 million in 2013. His success is largely due to a savvy understanding of digital analytics and social media. After watching the weekly video on the importance of digital analytics and reading about about the benefits of internet marketing from Chaffey et al. (2006), Kogan.com (a homegrown Aussie company!!) immediately came to my mind and the lessons that I’ve learnt from finding out a bit about Kogan.com solidifies why understanding digital analytics and using this to work in your favour can ensure you too, have online success.
Target your market through understanding their needs and using analytics to improve the customer’s “shopping experience”
Kogan as a disruptor in retail often describes his online empire as a “statistics business masquerading a retailer”. The appeal of Kogan.com is that it provides products that have high consumer demand at low prices to consumers. Kogan ties his success back to understanding and analysing what his customers want through tracking online customers statistics and analysing trends.
Kogan.com thrive on using Google Adwords to monitor what their customers are searching for online and which keywords will help them engage and sell their products to consumers. They analyse this data which provides insights on customers in order to improve the effectiveness of their site and efficiency in the buying experience. It also helps Kogan.com determine which products it will sell on its website as they are able to analyse the trends of in demand products. Kogan.com also uses “clicks” on their site which allows them to record where people are coming from, what they look at and for how long, what pages are likely to make a customer leave the site, what products they eventually buy and which pages have the highest conversion rate. These analytics provide real and valuable insights on their customer base and help Kogan.com optimise there site, shopping experience and product offering to suit their customers needs.
Kogan.com monitors over 100,000 keywords on a daily basis to ensure that they have a comprehensive understanding of their target audience. On a daily basis they are adjusting the data on all words based on how many people search that term, what the click through rate is of each term, and the conversion rate. This idea of targeting your audience always brings about the best conversion rates for Kogan.com because they are only paying to advertise to people who have specifically shown interest in the products they are selling.
“We knew that we wanted to sell notebooks about a year ago because we saw a huge spike in Google search traffic to notebooks,” says Kogan. “So we set up a blog on our website and asked our customers exactly what type of notebook they wanted. In a week we had over 1000 people post in the blog saying exactly what they wanted.” Through tracking consumer demands and communicating with their customers, Kogan already have the upper hand on most other consumer electronics retailers.
With all of this data, Kogan.com are able to understand the demand of consumer electronics for its customers, source these products and then sell them at a lower price to consumers knowing that demand is high and consequently, consumers will purchase these products. This idea of using analytics in an online marketplace has been one of the many successes of Kogan’s enterprise.
Creating a personalised online experience for customers
With all of this valuable information on its customers, Kogan.com is able to tailor its online shop, making changes to streamline the user experience and improve conversion rates leading to online success. Kogan are able to dramatically change their online store to suit the needs of individual customers, unlike that of a ‘bricks and mortar’ store with a fixed layout. Through the insights they are able to gather, this can lead to a much more personalised and rewarding shopping experience for customers.
Kogan.com also choose to run constant ‘A/B testing‘ so that they can keep optimising the site based on what our customers actually want to see – not on what Kogan.com think they want. Through ‘A/B testing’, Kogan.com can test any number of alternatives of a certain page on their website and make changes based on how their customers react to it. For example, runninga simple test like changing the product title, and then half of your customers see one title and the rest see the other. You can then test it on metrics like conversion rate and bounce rate, and make an educated decision on which version works best for your customers. This helps Kogan base website changes and decisions on objective facts rather than emotions.
Kogan.com personalise the shopping experience to every single user based on their purchase and browsing behaviour. Through the use of algorithms that tell them what the customer likes and what they are likely looking for. Kogan.com can then improve their browsing experience by being able to save them time by showing them the right products at the right time. This has a significant increase in conversion rates and improves customer satisfaction.
The thinking behind why social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are so popular is because it’s personalised to each and every user based on their friends or who they’re following.
Good online retailers all personalise their site to the individual.
Even something as simple as customising product listings to the individual to ensure it presents the information they are most interested in. Kogan use the idea that “if we know that a tech-savvy person has come to the site we may advertise a TV to them as “55” Full HD 1080p LED TV with 100Hz refresh rate”. But if my mum came to our site, the same TV would be advertised as a “Big screen TV perfect for action movies and sport”. Kogan are able to personalise different product listings to attract different types of customers and serve on their knowledge of what they are looking for and what they already know. This is a great idea when marketing a product to an elderly person in comparison to a young man where the knowledge or language around the product would differ immensely.
The better your personalisation, the higher your conversion rates will be.
Using analytics to leverage the ‘big dogs’ (distributors)
Kogan.com have developed a market leading position amongst competitors (perhaps this contributed to Dick Smith’s demise although Kogan did just acquire Dick Smith and is bringing back to life with an online business model) through sourcing its products cheaply from Chinese distributors and cutting out the middle men. These include the Kogan brand as well as prestigious third party brands.
Most retailers sign exclusive distribution agreements with their suppliers. This ensures suppliers have a sense of ownership and control over its retailers. Kogan.com, however opted against this and instead have suppliers fighting for their business.
The leverage that Kogan have over the bargaining power of its suppliers is incredible. The reason behind the attractiveness of Kogan.com being able to drive lower prices for customers is simply down to the fact that leading distributors from around the world bid on a daily basis to win Kogan’s orders. On a daily basis, the sales of 3rd party brands (Samsung, Canon, Tissot etc.) approach Kogan.com and distributors login and see the sales volumes of each product SKU and bid to win the orders on a SKU by SKU basis. As a result of this, distributors will only win Kogan’s orders if they are the cheapest for that product on that day.
Initially distributors didn’t want to participate in this process because they are used to the whole “exclusive” arrangement they have with bricks and mortar retailers. After they saw the volume of sales that Kogan was making, most of them were begging to be part of the process pretty quickly.
As a result of this competition, Kogan have the best prices on some of the most popular consumer electronics products in the world. The efficiency created with this system would not be possible without being an internet based analytics driven business.
Rather than advertising to the masses, Kogan prefers to build a community of loyal customers around its online store and brand with the aim that they will continue to purchase from Kogan.com. Ruslan Kogan believes that “it costs 12 times more to find a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. Keeping an existing customer is just as (if not more) important than finding a new one”.
When Apple sell an iPad to a customer, they are limited in their direct contact twith customers after the purchase. That’s why they have to continue to advertise to the customer through expensive TV and newspaper ads to get them into the store again. Kogan prefers to keep his existing customers through creating a community of loyal customers on Kogan.
Kogan do this through easily sharing all the latest deals and offers to customers, and engaging in meaningful conversation with them. Kogan took to social media in a very big way, involving himself personally in commenting, blog posting and interviews, and spending a great deal of time interacting with customers via Twitter and other online platforms. The company not only listened to customer wishes and complaints, but engaged in genuine conversation with them to better the business and bring people what they wanted. Kogan also display all orders through a live feed on the website so that all customers can see what products are in demand. This helps Kogan better understand their customers and is also another avenue for valuable insights on their behaviour.
Through making the effort to understand and use analytics, Kogan has developed a successful online kingdom that is agile, adaptable to change and ready to reshape themselves to meet customer demands. The online retail giant has branched into ‘pop-up shops’ that stock a select range of their products, however has remained loyal to mastering the online retail domain. Whether it’s tracking site visitors, using analytics tools to discover the latest trends, or engaging on social media, Kogan.com makes the most of its agility and flexibility in this market. The online retail space is Kogan’s oyster and the opportunity to truly revolutionise retail is an exciting prospect for the future.
With Kogan’s ability to use analytics and create a more personalised experience for their shoppers, what impact do you believe this will have on traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers? What new metrics do you believe we may be able to measure about customers in the future?
Watch Ruslan Kogan talk about the importance he places on understanding analytics for Kogan.com in the video below:
Welcome back explorers! I’m glad that you’ve decided to join us as we continue on our adventure across the digital ocean.
We’re currently docked at a port and the crew are looking for a tavern where they can enjoy a nice refreshing pint. The only problem is the the crew don’t have any music to drink to and little money either. We’ve had some crew sing, play the piano and dance but it just isn’t entertaining them. If only there were an application that would let us stream our music on our PiratePads?
The best thing to come out of Sweden since flat-pack furniture and meatballs. After launching in 2008, Spotify has completely revolutionised the way we as consumers listen to music. Spotify is a digital streaming service that you can download on your phone, laptop and yes, even your PiratePad. It provides consumers with instant access to a library of over 30 million tracks. Spotify is available in 58 countries around the world and currently boasts more than 60 million users, 15 million of those are paid subscribers.
After watching Chris Anderson talk about “the price of free” in e-Business modelsand reading”How About Free? The Price Point That Is Turning Industries on Their Heads“ by Wharton, I found that the success behind this digital musical revolution is an innovative new business model termed “freemium”. The word is a combination of the two words “free” and “premium”. It describes a business model for internet based companies that offers a free core product to a large group of consumers and sells a premium product to a fraction of its user base at the expense of an extra subscription fee to the consumer.
Spotify found a gap in the market and have thrived using this business model, outperforming other streaming services such as Pandora and Apple Music. Spotify provide easily enticed consumers with access to their full catalogue of music with their free offering, however they are exposed to a stream of constant advertising in between tracks from brands and also have no access to Spotify offline. The premium offering where consumers pay a small monthly subscription cost of $11.99 for a better all round experience, will remove advertisements, enhance the quality of the audio and allow you to access content offline and on demand. Both user groups have access to the same user interface and accessibility on every platform.
The “Freemium” model helps Spotify understand their customers
Through offering a free product, Spotify are benefitting through really being able to tap into their customers usage and activity behaviour. They are able to identify the different types of users and truly gauge who their market is and what they want from the product. As Spotify explore this they identify different customer usage patterns (long term, short term, casual, heavy) and can identify those important features for consumers. This helps Spotify choose where to invest in for the premium version – they make premium features through looking at usage behaviour and understanding customers wants. They understand that time is more valuable than money – consumers have invested more in the product and don’t take into consideration the price. The loyalty of the consumers is self evident in their usage and Spotify reward them with new features and time.
Spotify are able to track consumers music preferences, social activity with friends and location to determine their usage patterns. Their Browse function allows consumers to create playlists, share music with friends, stay up to date on concerts, new releases and artist information and have access pre generated playlists based on their music preference, activity or day of the week. Spotify help consumers discover new music through ‘Discover Weekly’, a feature that tailors a music experience based on your music preferences, notable events or the hot hits on the radio. For example, on a Sunday morning consumers may be looking for a “lazy Sunday morning” kind of playlist or on a Friday night they be looking for something a bit more upbeat and “party like”. Only a recent innovation it has proved extremely popular with consumers being provided a personalised music listening experience. This idea of understanding their consumer helps Spotify tailor a product to their demands and converting those free user to premium users.
Much like Uber and Airbnb, Spotify is disrupting the music industry with this business model. Spotify have a huge millennial following that have grown up never having to purchase music legally and therefore have always lived in a world where piracy is the norm and consumers aren’t prepared to pay for products that they can seek out for free. When consumers are presented with a legal alternative, they are less likely to pirate music illegally.
The idea behind Spotify using the “freemium” model is more about access instead of ownership and through providing a social model (sharing music with friends) consumers are attracted to this prospect. Spotify strives to restore lost value in the music industry by converting music fans from these illegal formats (e.g. illegal download services) to the paid streaming format, which produces far more value per customer. Hear what pop superstar Ed Sheeran has to say on being “the most pirated act” in England here.
Giving back to the music industry
Spotify pay 70% of the revenue they receive from advertising or subscription fees to royalties and supporting artists and companies who hold the right to content. To date, they have paid more than $3 billion back into the music industry. That’s a lot of gold treasure!
Spotify payout based on a “per stream” count to rights holders of between $0.006 and $0.0084. This model has come under much debate with major global artists such as Taylor Swiftand AC/DC withdrawing some, or all of their music from the platform due to the misconceptions around the value that Spotify returns.
However, for many others it provides a way to reach new audiences through recommendations and playlists and gain royalties from listeners who they would previously have not received any revenue from.The platform also generates awareness for artists which can lead to purchases of concert tickets, merchandise or CD’s away from the online platform. Take a look at how little known DJ Major Lazer’s track “Lean On” became the #1 most streamed track on Spotify and heralded him into artist royalty.
Monetising the “freemium” model
Spotify has developed a range of innovative advertising formats to build its revenue, mainly from its free subscribers. Spotify have guaranteed revenue through its paid subscribers and also entice free subscribers with special introductory offers (3 months for $0.99) or enticing advertisements at the right time. The majority, those being the free subscribers are exposed to a number of advertising models from both Spotify and brands alike in these formats:
Audio Ad – A cross-platform, unavoidable format comprised of an audio spot, cover art, and clickable campaign name.
Display – Leaderboard ads in the Spotify player are served when the user is interacting with Spotify.
Homepage Takeover – Block out a full day for your brand on our Homepage.
Branded Playlist – Custom user-generated playlists with brand logo, custom text, and optional link to your campaign.
Sponsored Session – Users choose to watch a video to receive a 30-minute, ad-free session.
Video Takeover – Sponsor the ad break experience with video and display.
Advertiser Page – A microsite seamlessly integrated into the Spotify player. The Advertiser Page can contain practically any content you’d find on a webpage, including videos, clickable images, blogs, news, links, and comments.
Spotify has never launched a TVC, print or radio advertisement and have relied solely on PR, WOM, events, social media engagement and collaboration with brands. Spotify has developed other features to add to the value of their central music service which has also given opportunities to spread awareness of the site through co-marketing and events such as #SpotifyHouse. Brands and artists want to work with Spotify due to their incredibly large consumer base and the influential nature that their product has over the millennial market with the average user spending 148 minutes on Spotify across each platform daily. Online retailer ‘The Iconic’ did simply that:
One example of a campaign run on Spotify was for the ‘The Iconic’ and more specifically wanting to create buzz and reach their target demographic through the platform. Spotify decided to display The Iconic’s “Spring Racing Fashion” ad campaign ran across desktop, web and mobile utilising audio and companion banner ad units to reach female Spotify users under the age of 39. The impact:
58% of users said they were likely or very likely to visit The Iconic website after seeing the campaign—26% above the Spotify benchmark.
48% said the campaign increased their interest in The Iconic, which is 118% above the industry average.
44% said the campaign positively influenced their perception of the brand, which is 46% above the industry average. *The overall number of survey respondents who believe The Iconic and Spotify go very well together increased by nearly 20% after the campaign.
The Future of Spotify and the “freemium” battleship
While embracing the “freemium” business model for Spotify has been a huge success thus far, it is evident that it is vital to adapt your digital business models with advancements in technology and innovation. In the future it will be exciting to see how Spotify use this model to continue to revolutionise the music industry…perhaps streaming music videos and concerts could be next??
There is no doubt that new competitors will enter the market on the back of Spotify’s success and existing competitors will get stronger so I feel like the biggest challenge for Spotify in the future is continuing to innovate its product and provide enticing features that will convert free subscribers into premium users. I also believe that artists will begin to realise the enormity of Spotify and its influence on the industry and begin to demand more royalties and in tern will provide exclusive content (e.g. Spotify Sessions, exclusivity to play that artist one one platform) to all streaming services as a new source of revenue for both the artists and Spotify.
As physical CD sales continue to decline and a digitalised world of streaming and downloading grow where consumers are granted free access to content that they otherwise would of paid for, will undoubtably call for restrictions on streaming in the future. Content offered to free users may be stripped back and royalties paid to artists will most probably be regulated.
Do you think that restrictions on streaming in the future could potentially disrupt the success of the Spotify platform?
Below is an interesting Q&A with Spotify Managing Director (Australia) Kate Vale on Spotify and how it’s making waves in the digital ocean.
Until we set off for our next adventure across the digital ocean,
Welcome Explorers! Let’s take our first dive into the digital ocean for MKF3881 (Digital Marketing) this semester!
Down at the bottom of the deep sea of pixels, we have discovered buried treasure amongst a bunch of seaweed (traditional social media). We’ve found that blogging has the opportunity to be one of the most effective marketing tools for pirates…..uhmm marketers. Our first adventure today will take a look at the elements of what makes a blog capture the attention of an audience and tips for those of us who want to write something memorable.
In 2016 you could possibly find a blog post about everything under the sun, from the latest rumours on the release of a new iPhone to a crazy old woman uploading photos and talking about her cats. Blogging has evolved from simply sharing your personal thoughts to a multi million-dollar business for individuals. A refreshed format and take on blogging has shaped the way that we connect not only with each other but as a global community.
Businesses are catching on to the fact that blogging is an important marketing tool in this day and age. I cannot think of one person who does not have access to a smartphone or laptop (Yes, that even includes our grandparents). These devices are providing an optimal avenue for businesses to target us with daily information and capture our attention. After reading Capel’s (2012) article on ‘Navigating the Blogosphere’, I have taken away a number of bits and pieces that as an avid blog reader myself I believe should be considered by marketers when aligning a blog with a business’s marketing strategy. I myself will strive to implement these elements into my blog throughout the semester.
Content is King of the Sea
In such a saturated online space, bloggers need to ensure that their content is appealing, unique and relevant to their target audience. With the amount of online blogs scattered across social media and the web, your content must resonate with the audience, (otherwise they will seek out an alternative very quickly). Blogs need to ensure they are providing a mixture of information and entertainment. After all, audiences need to feel like they have learnt something from reading your blog, but they are likely to remember it better if it is presented in an entertaining manner. Bloggers need diversity in their posts, not only in their content (you don’t want to be writing about shoes for 10 years – branch out into clothes, fashion, styling etc. and diversify your topics) but through the way they present their blog. The audience don’t want to feel as if they’re reading ‘Lord of the Rings’. Providing visual cues such as photos, video links, infographics will tell much more than a slab of writing. To bring it all together, ensure the post has a punchy controversial headline that captures the audience’s attention, generates traffic and is shareable amongst the audience throughout social media so that it hopefully generates discussion and goes viral!TMZ is a great example and do this very well with their clickbait type posts.
Know your audience and form relationships
Before you even consider blogging, it’s important to have an idea of the audience that you want reading your blog. Bloggers have to develop a deep and engaging relationship with their audience from the beginning. This is done through providing regular content, being active in the comments section (two way communication with audience) and providing them with a sense that they are benefitting by staying loyal to your blog. Through listening and interacting with your audience in a conversational and fun way they will be far more engaged and provide you with an insight into what they expect to see and if something’s wrong, they’ll be sure to tell you about it (so change it). The girls at ‘Howtolive‘ are a prime example of this formation of relationships with an audience. It has helped them grow from amateur bloggers to celebrities! Let’s face it, your audience got you to where you are so why not reward them.
Create a fancy page
Audience expectations change over time – so change your style and adapt to your audience’s wants and needs. The audience will know whether they’re looking at a website from the mid-nineties or a work of art in a matter of seconds. Ensure your blog has clear headings, contrasting colours and easy to read text. Once your blog starts to generate more traffic and get bigger and better, mix up the way content is delivered. Try ‘Vlogging’ or perhaps writing a song. Just make sure the blog is user friendly and aesthetically pleasing to look at. Ensure that your page has everything that anyone would need to know about you and your blog – links to social media, contact information, a bit about yourself and most importantly your amazing content. I would highly recommend checking out Gary Vaynerchuk’s blog – he certainly has a unique style.
Don’t bore your audience
You’re not writing a 3000 word essay! If your content isn’t interesting and engaging the audience will lose attention very quickly. Writing in short, sharp paragraphs and getting straight to the point will ensure you have the greatest effectiveness in getting your desired message across. It’s also important to consider the language you use when writing. For example, using fishing terminology for a post about fishing. This is important as it adds credibility to you as author of the blog, showing your knowledge and interest in what you’re writing about. For the majority of us, we just want to be entertained by an intriguing personality and therefore it is important to be fun, humorous and easy to understand. Check out Lauren Curtis who knows about all things makeup.
Choose the right platform
When it comes to choosing the right blogging platform it is vital to choose one that allows you to communicate and engage with the right type of audience and broadcast the type of media that is best suited to your business. Don’t try and be amazing on every platform but choose the one that will get your message across. Gelato Messina use Instagram to show their audience mouth watering pictures of their delicious ice cream (with a catchy name) whereas The Agewould use a platform such as Twitter to shoot out short, punchy 140 character headlines with links to an article. These platforms prove to be the best and most accessible platforms to reach their intended audience. It also has an impact on the frequency of posting. The Age would use Twitter to regularly update the audience with breaking news throughout the other day, however Gelato Messina would be far more careful in not shoving images down the audiences throat, as this could work as a deterrent to their business. Finally, bring it all together through developing a consistent synergy with your blog’s overall image and your other social media platforms.
“Thankyou, not being the polite gesture but the social enterprise making a big wave in the digital ocean to end global poverty”
‘Thankyou group’ is a social enterprise that produce over 35 products, including water, food and body care, with 100% of profits funding life-changing projects for those in need in developing countries (aiming to eventually end extreme poverty). To date, Thankyou has given over $3.7 million to projects spanning 17 countries. This has translated into getting safe water for 192,367 people, hygiene and sanitation services for 302,814 people and help feed 89,751 people. Consumers are able to track the contribution they make and observe the impact that they are having on tackling extreme poverty. I believe that through their blog they cover all of the above characteristics.
They use the blog to promote new products, show the personality of the employees and their brand but most importantly share the positive stories of the impact that the consumer’s money is having on other less fortunate people’s lives (while also providing regular updates on current projects that the team visit and take part in overseas). The primary use of their blog is regularly communicating positivity around the impact of their product to their audience and this has led to their positive brand awareness and success as a business which has consequently led to brand loyalty from consumers who are buying these products over bigger named brands.
They are using an aesthetically pleasing blog layout with lots of visual cues to update and engage with the audience on an important issue that both parties are passionate about. Tying it all together with a consistent brand message that they are communicating through all of their digital platforms. ‘Thankyou’ is using the power of digital media to generate awareness about such an important issue and even got Coles and Woolworths to stock their products through a social media campaign. Throughout the journey they are also using their audience to help them achieve their vision of ending global poverty by investing in the future and making it seem as if their audience is helping impact on change. ‘Thankyou groups’ next venture is #ChapterOne, a crowdfunding project being livestreamed that aims to help fund more projects (new office in NZ and launch of a new baby range) and improve the lives of others through asking consumers to put a dollar value on a book about the journey of ‘Thankyou’ and how together with their audience they are making a difference in the world with with all the sales going to the greater good. I’ve bought my copy! Watch this space to see what’s in store for ‘Thankyou’ in the future.
Check out all of the fantastic things the ‘Thankyou Group’ are doing here.
Learn a little more about the ‘Thankyou Group’ by watching the videos below:
I look forward to incorporating these characteristics into all of my blog posts throughout the semester and discussing your feedback and ideas to continually improve my newly obtained craft of blogging. I’ll leave you all with something to think about.
What do you guys believe is the one single element that can make or break a blog post?
I’ll catch you on our next adventure within the digital ocean,
A Digital Ocean 
