Surround Sound - a Complete Digital Marketing Experience

You've heard of surround sound, and more than likely you've enjoyed its bone-rattling effects while taking in a movie at the local theater. It can be a little overwhelming, but makes the experience more enjoyable. This is a similar concept with regard to digital marketing these days, and should be taken into consideration for any business. Is your marketing creating an enjoyable experience for your target market or is it rattling them out of their seats and causing them to turn down their volume?

So, between the speaker systems known as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, how can you tell your brand's story in an enjoyable way for your customers to consume?

1. Know What You're About.

Every brand has a soul, something that defines them. What's yours? Apple = Innovation. Google = Answers. Disney = Magic. This isn't features and benefits, it's figure out what's on the other side of your equal sign. Your marketing and social media interactions should all have this concept intertwined in them.

2. Small Drops Can Make Big Ripples.

If you've ever heard of the butterfly effect, then you know that small actions can create vast ripples of reactions. Never has this been more true than in the digital age where our inter-connectivity allows almost anything to catch on and ride a viral wave, if the content speaks to the audience. Marketing that speaks AT the customer will never go away, but it's the marketing that speaks WITH the customer that usually ends up winning. Are you using your online presence to listen to and engage with your customers? What kind of impression are you creating for them?

To that end, Social Media is all about building relationships. And often times, that doesn't happen overnight. So while you may want to sprint, plan on running the marathon. You'll obviously want to discuss matters that you're an expert on to some degree, but be wary of taking that approach exclusively, as it can backfire. Arguably the most effective way to engage with customers, is in fact, to be human.

3. Be Human.

This is one that always seems the most difficult, yet should be the most simple. Companies spend so much time crafting posts for Twitter and Facebook, or blogs with no sense of humor, instead of letting them flow naturally. For some reason they feel the need to present themselves as so professional that they neglect to realize a very simple truth, people want to do business with other people, they want to feel that your business is more than a logo. So go ahead, be imperfect, be a little quirky. Just like in everyday personal interactions, you will come across as more fluid and organic...kind of like a real person.

Digital consumption is on a meteoric rise. It is estimated that people today are spending more time on the internet than they are watching TV (opens in new window). Your audience is not captive to your marketing message delivery as they were in the Mad Men era. They are on the go, more tech savvy, have access to more information and choices than ever before and so, accordingly, they expect more from your marketing to earn their attention and business. Develop a surround sound digital marketing plan that is fast, flexible, and diverse and you'll be in a much better position than most of your competitors.