The digital marketing landscape is dynamic and ever-shifting, where staying ahead of the curve is not merely advantageous but crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. As consumer behaviors evolve, new platforms emerge, and algorithms change, marketers must be agile and adaptable to meet the demands of the digital era.
And now, with it taking 27 touchpoints to close a sale, compared to just 17 pre-pandemic, brands must take advantage of multi-digital marketing channels to meet their audience where they are. Relevance and consistency play pivotal roles in this process. Marketers must intimately understand their target audience, pain points, desires, and preferences to be relevant. Creating personalized and tailored B2B content that speaks directly to the needs of individual prospects can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates.
Modern B2B buyers are not passive recipients of messages; they are discerning decision-makers seeking valuable information and solutions to their challenges. In this information-rich era, capturing their attention requires more than just promotional content. Instead, buyers are actively looking for compelling content that helps them make informed decisions.
How your audience interacts with your content is the ultimate test. Here’s some tips about the most popular ways brands are killing digital marketing campaigns:
Participate in social listening.
Previously, social media was primarily used as a space for both content consumption and communication, where users would engage with posts through likes, comments, shares, and other interactions. However, the landscape has evolved, and now the spaces for content consumption and communication have become more separate.
What this means is that users now tend to consume content on social media without necessarily engaging with it publicly. For instance, someone might watch videos, read articles, or explore various posts without leaving comments or likes. The social interaction aspect has shifted to other platforms or channels, such as private messaging apps, team collaboration tools like Slack, or even in-person conversations.
This change in behavior has significant implications for digital marketing campaigns, especially in the context of B2B marketing strategies. Many B2B companies might find that their social media engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares) are relatively low, leading them to believe that their social strategy is failing. However, this perspective might not accurately reflect the impact and success of their campaigns.
In reality, the lack of visible engagement on social media does not mean no engagement happening at all. Users might be actively consuming and finding value in the content but choose to discuss it privately with colleagues, peers, or clients through other means, such as messaging apps, email, or face-to-face interactions.
And just because you may not see the engagement doesn’t mean your audience isn’t listening—and you should be too.
Oreo’s iconic 2013 Super Bowl social media marketing campaign exemplifies the power of social listening as a crucial strategy in modern-day digital marketing. Social listening involves monitoring social media platforms to gain valuable insights into conversations, trends, and consumer sentiment surrounding a brand, industry, or specific event. By paying close attention to what people are saying and reacting quickly, brands can leverage real-time opportunities to create impactful and memorable marketing moments, just like Oreo did during the Super Bowl blackout.
During Super Bowl XLVII, when a sudden blackout occurred, Oreo’s social media marketing team recognized the potential to seize the moment and connect with its audience fun and engaging way. Their social listening efforts allowed them to swiftly identify the trending topic and people’s reactions to it. This immediate understanding empowered them to craft a timely, witty, and relevant response.
The resulting tweet, featuring an image of an Oreo cookie partially submerged in darkness, along with the caption “You can still dunk in the dark,” was a masterstroke of real-time marketing brilliance. This simple yet clever post resonated with the audience, and the tweet quickly went viral, receiving over 13,000 retweets and thousands of comments. By capitalizing on the unexpected situation, Oreo’s social media team turned a crisis into an opportunity, creating a memorable marketing moment that still lingers in people’s minds years later.
Invest in influencer marketing and UGC.
People are naturally inclined to trust recommendations and reviews from other individuals rather than solely relying on branded content. This phenomenon has become even more pronounced in the digital age, where social media and online platforms have facilitated easy access to user-generated content and influencer endorsements.
Here are some key reasons why incorporating influencer- and user-generated content is essential for successful digital marketing campaigns:
- Authenticity and Trustworthiness: User-generated content, such as customer reviews, testimonials, and social media posts, provides authentic and unbiased perspectives on a product or service. Potential customers are more likely to trust the opinions of real people as they perceive them as genuine and trustworthy.
- Influencer Credibility and Reach: Influencers, who are individuals with a significant following and authority in a specific niche, can add credibility and expand the reach of a brand’s message. Partnering with influencers allows businesses to tap into their engaged audience and gain exposure to a broader demographic.
- Engagement and Social Proof: User-generated content often generates higher engagement rates as it encourages conversations and interactions among users. Positive reviews and testimonials also serve as social proof, reassuring potential customers that others have had a positive experience with the product or service.
- Cost-Effective Marketing: Leveraging influencer- and user-generated content can be cost-effective compared to producing high-budget branded content. It allows businesses to leverage the existing content and advocacy of their satisfied customers and influencers, saving on production costs.
- Diverse Content Formats: Influencers and users create content in various formats, such as images, videos, blog posts, and social media stories. This diversity allows brands to present their offerings through different lenses, appealing to a wider range of audiences.
- Storytelling and Emotional Connection: User-generated content often involves personal stories and experiences, creating emotional connections with the audience. Emotional resonance can be a powerful motivator for driving conversions and fostering brand loyalty.
Paid ads still make a difference.
When it comes to digital marketing strategies, pay-per-click (PPC) ads hold tremendous potential for businesses looking to expedite their sales cycle and enhance their overall bottom line. When executed correctly, paid ads can deliver significant benefits, making them a desirable tool for brands seeking quick results and increased revenue.
And if you’re executing paid ads well, you should definitely be leveraging a retargeting strategy too.
Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a highly effective and cost-efficient digital marketing strategy aimed at re-engaging potential customers who have previously interacted with a brand’s website or online content but did not complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a lead form. By utilizing retargeting, businesses can nurture these warm leads and encourage them to return, thus increasing the likelihood of conversion and boosting the consumer lifetime value (CLV).
However, for retargeting to be successful, it requires the right strategies and approaches to be implemented. Simply bombarding users with ads without a thoughtful plan can lead to ad fatigue and ineffectiveness. Instead, the key to successful retargeting lies in a consistent and well-crafted approach.
Collaboration always wins.
Collaborations between brands have become an increasingly popular and effective strategy in the context of digital marketing campaigns. By teaming up, brands can create unique and memorable experiences for their audiences, driving engagement and boosting brand visibility. Take the example of Wrangler and Fender collaborating to develop a guitar case made out of denim jeans.
One of the key advantages of collaborations is their ability to capitalize on nostalgia. Combining two iconic symbols of American culture—denim jeans and a guitar case—resonates with music enthusiasts and fashion-conscious individuals alike. The fusion of these elements creates a compelling narrative that sparks emotions and interest among consumers. The story behind the collaboration becomes integral to the marketing campaign, captivating audiences and encouraging them to engage with the content.
Authenticity is vital in successful collaborations. Brands that genuinely complement each other’s missions and values form more organic partnerships that resonate with consumers. Consumers are more likely to engage with and support collaborations when they perceive the alliance as genuine and not merely a marketing ploy.
Beyond the immediate campaign benefits, collaborations can lead to long-term brand affiliation and loyalty from consumers. The positive association with one brand may extend to the other, creating a lasting impact and encouraging continued engagement.
Are you ready to create a lasting impact in your digital marketing? Reach out today.
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