As this semester comes to an end for me, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to those of you that have continued to read my blog. I will continue writing about the new and interesting things I am learning, but the frequency will likely slow down. With the end in sight I also wanted to take this time to reflect on emerging media and some common themes we have discussed throughout the last nine weeks.
As a marketing professional, the new world of emerging media is exciting. There is always something new to learn and there are constantly new ways to reach consumers and learn more about them. Continue reading →
One thing I love about the connected world we live in today is the availability of product and service reviews. Before many purchases in product segments I do not often shop or before booking a vacation, I research…and then I research some more. I check the reviews on the website where the product is being sold and then I use search engines to find other consumer reviews. If most reviews are positive and I feel the product will be of value and quality I make the purchase. If reviews are overwhelmingly bad, I move on.
This is one of the major advantages I have come to find with the internet and the quick accessibility of a plethora of information. This kind of word of mouth can be a powerful tool for a brand. It can also be a crippling tool when an angry consumer sounds off about their experience. Continue reading →
How many times have you heard or read “My social accounts don’t seem to do much unless I have ridiculous offers.” Or how about “I have been on social media for years and it isn’t working.”
The idea of social media seems easy enough. Create an account and connect with customers and potential customers. Try to get as many likes as you possibly can and hopefully those loyal customers you have will share your page and offers with their friends and family, right? Wrong!Continue reading →
Many of us have heard of it, but we have yet to grasp exactly what the Internet of Things (IoT) is. Forbes describes the IoT as the concept of connecting any device with an on/off switch to the internet. These devices can also be connected to each other. Imagine a scale in your bathroom that can connect to your refrigerator. If the scale finds that you are over weight, your refrigerator will know and will suggest healthy recipes to help you lose weight. Your watch may one day be able to warn you of serious health problems and concerns approaching.
What is your digital footprint? In short, it is you. With as much time as we spend online today via all of our interconnected screens, our digital footprint is becoming more of a digital identity. Our digital footprints are all over the web and, unlike our friends and family that may forgive and forget, our digital footprint will always be there. Waiting to be found. Waiting to be used. Waiting for future employers, marketers and whoever else may stumble upon the data we so willingly share with the world…and this is not just the data you chose to share on social media. Continue reading →
Thus far in my blog I have focused largely on marketing through a marketers point of view. I figured it was time to turn the tables and talk about the most influential marketing team today–The Consumer, i.e. You.
Businesses today have a much larger marketing playing field than they did just ten years ago. Many companies work extremely hard to get to know their customers on a more personal level and market to them accordingly through their preferred mediums in ways that interest them. Continue reading →
I finally found time this week to sit down and read the latest issue of Adage, which was centered around two of my favorite things: Digital and Data. An article titled The $24 Billion Data Business That Telcos Don’t Want to Talk About caught my attention and left me pondering for the remainder of the week–Is this ethical? Is it an invasion of privacy? Is Big Data at risk of taking it too far?
While many may say marketers are already invading our privacy by using tools such as our digital footprint to market to us, our digital footprint contains a great deal of information that we choose to share with the world or that we know is being captured and shared. We expect that data gathered from our cell phone during web surfing and purchasing is shared, but just how much are our cell phone providers sharing with data and marketing companies? The answer is likely more than we know and more the we knew we agreed to. Continue reading →
With the arrival of Big Data and emerging media, a new concept began to arise: Personalization or Personalized Marketing. What is it? It is exactly what it sounds like; one-to-one marketing. In a broader sense, it can be thought of as reaching a group based off interests, demographics, lifestyles and behaviors.
More than ever, companies are reaching out to consumers on a one-to-one level to better build relationships with consumers that consist of trust and loyalty. We no longer live in a time when marketers only needed to worry about one message for millions…We now have to focus on one message for one individual or a group of individuals. Continue reading →
The world of marketing has seen a drastic change in the last decade. Marketing and advertising was once restricted to television, radio, print and grassroots campaigns. It was one company reaching out to millions with the same message. Conversations were non-existent and so were deep-rooted relationships built off of loyalty and a sense of a community built around a brand.
Today, consumers have a plethora of different brands and vendors to choose from. Loyalty is no longer built around the fact that you are the closest store that meets the needs of the consumer; the consumer can now shop elsewhere with the click of a single button. Your prices can be compared, your company can be reviewed and you may find a once loyal customer has become a long-lost customer. What can you do? Learn to be social!
Today’s social media platform allows for companies across the world to interact and connect with consumers on a whole new level and build a one-to-one relationship through
communities centered around a brand, product or service. Why is this important to your brand? Because while you are not active on social media, there is another company like yours that is, that is focusing on your customers. They are creating conversations, interest, user generated content and building relationships.
There is an art to properly marketing on social media. It is not a place to throw offers at your consumers multiple times a day. There is nothing worse than clicking your Facebook or Twitter icon and being bombarded by offers. So what is the art? Focus on building relationships. Build a social media campaign the same way you would build upon a relationship in your personal life. You will be rewarded with immediate response, a variety of new relationships, feedback and customer loyalty.
Still don’t believe me? Check out the 2015 Socionomics video to discover the good and the bad “world of mouth” you are missing…
Over the next 9 weeks, I will be discussing emerging media in the marketplace and how marketers are using new technology and data to build relationships with consumers. Please continue to follow me to learn more.
Bridget Jones's Diary 