Make it Remarkable

Seth Godin, my favourite marketing guru and agent of change states that in order for advertising to work and be successful in today’s market, it must be remarkable. And by that he means, that it must be both amazing and initiate “remarks”, thus creating dialogue.

This is the one thing that I constantly struggle with. So often, clients are afraid to take a risk, afraid to try something different out of fear of failure. They may be worried about stocks and share holders, they may be worried about taking on something new and experimental before it’s been tested to death (by which time it will probably be dead) and they just don’t want to try.

Well… isn’t doing something “average” failure in itself? Isn’t doing something the same way you’ve always done it, in a sense a failure? A failure to innovate, a failure to change, and a failure to create really great content that is mandatory for survival on the social web.

Doing something “good” is not okay. Doing something the same way you did it last year, because it seemed to go well, is not okay. Where’s the innovation in that? The market is different than it was last year.

Social Media has changed the way we view and perceive advertising. The whole approach has changed, and yes, even in a year! There are companies out there who are not afraid to change, who are not afraid to innovate and who are taking risks in Social Media that other companies are simply too slow or too fearful of taking. These are the companies that will succeed.

The one thing you can count on is change, so why resist it?!

The Problem (?) with Social Bookmarking

Having major success with social bookmarking & sharing sites is definitely not easy. And unfortunately (for marketers), there is no trick, strategy, or tactic that will see their content rise to the top page bringing in traffic in the millions.

The ONLY way to ensure your content gets spread, shared, dugg, stumbled, and bookmarked… is to CREATE GREAT CONTENT!! That’s right folks… Great content. Not a boring press release, a new product page, or the equivelent of you standing on your soap box shouting through a megaphone.

Forget the Ps of marketing, it’s all about the Es now. Experience, Engage, Everyplace, Exchange and Evangalism. Burn these into your mind, because nothing else matters. Nothing will get shared on Social bookmarking platforms unless its WORTHY of sharing. What does worthy of sharing mean? Unfortunately for marketers it means un-biased, useful, non-branded, content that people are happy and proud to discover and share. The only time this changes, is if you are a large consumer brand. Then, there is a bit more luck with product launches, company news, and other content being shared among social bookmarking users.

Another thing marketers need to be weary of. You must be engaged in a community in order to post content there and have anyone see it. If any random spammer could just come along and blast crap into the filters of these platforms, they wouldn’t be as popular as they are. The content at the top is there for a reason.

So what all this means at the end of the day, is that us marketers have to think more like humans and less like sales people, we must think about human connection and values because in the end it is these traits that will triumph.

Conversation is Key

I came across a relevant question asked over at Social Media Club. The question was “What is the biggest ethical we face in Social Media today”?

This question sort of continues my thoughts with my last post about the responsibility marketers have to be ethical with their Social Media campaigns. I love the fact that individuals are increasingly more aware about the brands they advocate and the products they buy. It’s tough out there for a company to win over customers. It’s no longer about the art of persuasion, companies have to have something compelling to offer in order to gain trust and confidence from their customers.

Creating a dialogue is a powerful tool that companies can employ in several ways, however, they must be aware that not all opinions and experiences are going to be positive… But that’s okay.

How can we, as marketers truly learn what works and what doesn’t without those falls, without those mishaps, or customer complaints. This sort of feedback is integral to the success of a brand. Opening your doors and making that dialogue easy to conduct is key.