The world of marketing is not on its head, it just feels that way. In reality, things just need to be simpler, and more direct. So, if this helps, focus the next stage of your communication plan or rebranding, on the simple things in life. And, to help, here is our guide to the new marketing landscape, from public relations, to advertising, to social media — and from New Hampshire to beyond.
Out: One size fits all.
In: Facebook
As with Life Magazine, NBC and Time - the days of the broad-based media source that had something for everyone are over. It is very hard to craft a campaign that has a big general message that appeal to all of your market segments. Rather the micro targeting that began a decade ago has gotten more and more focused. CPM is still big, but so is bang for the buck – and why pay for a lot of people you don’t want or need? The closest you can get to one-size fits all place is Facebook, with more than a billion people using it each day. Look at Facebook as the new Life magazine, only with cheap advertising, easy targeting, and Russian bots. Think of it, if ABC gets 4 million viewers they’re excited, and Facebook has a billion….
Out: Newsletters
In: Blogging
Let’s be honest, everyone asks every questions they have to Google. If you aren’t answering those questions, you are missing out. And, just HOW MANY newsletters do you get each week? How many do you read? How many end up in spam? We say focus the efforts on a blog, and tie that blog to your simple newsletter reach. The smaller and the fewer graphics, the more likely to fly by the spam filter, and bring the reader back to your website. That is the new winning formula.
Out: HTML, Wordpress
In: Squarespace
Time passes. The 1975 Mustang II looked pretty good in 1975. Heck, Charlie’s Angels drove one. But, it did not age well. HTML rotes are expensive to build and expensive to update. And, it often makes you beholden to a web company. Google loves blogs, and that is where blog-sites shine. Squarespace is simple to learn, fast to build, immune to malware, and really shines with SEO (search engine optimization). In fact, it makes sharing easy to do, saving time and money. And Squarespace has lots of great tutorials, to make it easy! In fact, it’s easy to use, safe, highly targeted at SEO. Take a look, ask around.
Out: Being neutral
In: Political divides
As noted above, it is hard to hide from politics that now seep into everything. Nonprofits that took on names and brands years ago find themselves in apologizing mode for a name that seemed fine at the time. Our advice is seeking balance. Get a balanced and diverse board. Make sure your messaging works for both sides of the fence. Looks to build bridges and don’t create divides.
Out: Display ads
In: Advertorial
Ads still work. But sponsored content works better. It is essential for an article youwrite, and you control — the look is a lot like normal news content. So, websites, blogs, newspapers, magazines and other outlets will sell you space, with them having the ultimate editorial content oversight. It may seem like a coming down of walls, but sponsored content is a tip of the hat to how things work today. Websites offer their own content, as well as others – so the idea is a great use of funds.