Web3: What Is It and Why Should You Care?
You may or may not have heard the terms Web1, Web2 or Web3. Don’t worry if you haven’t. With so much technological change underway, it’s hard to keep up. In this article, we will cover the basic history of the World Wide Web and how Web3 will affect how marketers do business.
What is Web3?
Web3, or Web 3.0, is the third generation of the World Wide Web that is built, operated and owned by its users. New technologies are used to make a decentralized infrastructure of the internet, all while protecting personal privacy. Our GoViral Managing Director also talked a little about Web3 in the Takeaways from a Blockchain Convention blog. But before we dive deeper into Web3, here’s a little background information about how we got here.
Web1: 2001 to 2004
Web1 was the first iteration of the internet where you could view “read-only” content on static pages. Most of the users were consumers who didn’t produce any of the content. In this era the internet was decentralized, and there weren’t many protocols to govern what was posted.
Web2: 2004 to Today
In the Web2 era, the internet became a platform where you could create content, publish to forums, post on social media, create blogs, or buy and sell in marketplaces. This is the “read-write” second iteration of the net, where we currently stand today. Websites and social channels are centralized and governed by a few large tech companies.
Large companies use the internet to market to target audiences by collecting data from individuals. In a few short years, our personal data has become a valuable commodity and a debatable topic in terms of privacy concerns.
Web3: Progressing Toward the Future
In 2014, co-founder of the cryptocurrency Ethereum Gavin Wood was the first to term Web3 as a “decentralized online ecosystem based on blockchain.” Web3 uses blockchain and decentralized technologies to create a more democratic and fair online environment. The idea is that users would own the material they post and create, and even get compensated for it. The use of personal data would be transparent, both in how it is used and by whom.
Web3 would be the “read-write-own” internet where large tech companies don’t own pools of data in centralized points. Instead, data would be stored across multiple servers and not owned by one entity or group.
Gavin Wood also founded the Web3 Foundation, which is building the blockchain infrastructure of this next era. The Web3 Foundation believes in an internet where:
- Users own their own data, not corporations
- Global digital transactions are secure
- Online exchanges of information and value are decentralized
There are many other companies that are also working on similar projects to make Web3 a reality.
Why should you care about Web3?
We all get unwanted ads online. With Web3 and increased personal privacy regulations, marketers will have more difficulty accessing third-party data that is collected to run targeted campaigns. Marketers will have to find new ways to get customers to grant access to their personal data.
Web3 is still developing, but it’s good to stay informed and ahead to understand how these changes can affect your business. Here are some marketing tips that will help you grow your brand and customer loyalty in the next era of the internet:
- Community and Relationship Building – this might seem obvious, but brands will have to genuinely build trust with their customers in order to access them and their data and to stay connected.
- Better Products and Service Quality – over baseless ads and promises. Brands and businesses will have to live up to their promises to gain customer trust.
- Non-Fungible Token (NFT) Limited-Items – brands have already been starting to play around with using NFTs to reach their customers, like Nike selling 600 NFT sneakers. You can read more in our Intro to NFTs for Marketing article to find out how you can apply this to your business.
- New Loyalty Reward Systems – we all love loyalty reward systems and customers will want to be rewarded for sharing their personal information with other businesses. Digital tokens or other forms of reward systems will appeal to customers in the new Web3 era.
The Future of Web3: Is it Certain?
As we said before, Web3 is still in progress and there isn’t a complete Web3 infrastructure created as of yet. Some even are speculating that it’s a fad that won’t be developed, and questions of sustainability and scalability are at play.
What is certain is that as Web3 continues to develop, it’s best to stay informed and to prepare yourself for the possible changes in your marketing strategy. Need some help growing your blockchain business? Make sure to contact us below and we will be sure to reply!
Facebook & Instagram Subscriptions Feature: How to Make the Most of It
In 2020, Facebook released the Subscriptions feature, which helps individuals and brands better connect and engage with their followers. Instagram followed a year later based on the same model, but so far, it’s being tested only in the United States. It’s only a matter of time until Instagram releases the feature in other countries, so learn about it now and be ready when you gain access.
In this blog post, you’ll learn more about the Subscriptions feature, and how it can help you earn a recurring monthly income from loyal followers.
Make sure to read our blog Into the Metaverse: Understanding Facebook and Instagram in the Age of Meta, to learn more about these important social platforms.
What Is the Subscriptions Feature?
By subscribing to a profile on Facebook or Instagram and paying a monthly fee, followers can access exclusive content. The content for subscribers includes stories, lives, reels, posts, group chats. Additionally, a subscriber-only purple crown badge appears when subscribed followers comment on a creator’s post or send them a direct message.
Instagram Subscriptions Features
- Subscriber Lives: Exclusive Lives allow for greater engagement with followers.
- Subscriber Stories: Subscribers can access exclusive stories, and can use interactive story stickers with their most engaged followers.
- Subscriber Badges: A special badge is present next to subscribers, so they’re easily identifiable for further engagement.
- Subscriber Chats: Subscribers can access exclusive chats to interact with a creator (up to 30 subscribers per chat).
Additional Facebook Subscriptions Features
- Subscriber Email Access: Subscriptions creators can download emails of new subscribers (who have agreed to share their email addresses) so they can maintain a relationship off of Facebook.
- Creators can now use a personalized link to promote their Subscriptions to reach a wider audience and direct them to the platform.
What are the major benefits of using the Subscriptions feature as a creator?
You can build a stronger connection with your followers by earning a monthly subscription fee. Who doesn’t want that? By engaging with loyal subscribers, you can also build even stronger relationships that support your business and goals.
What’s even better is that you as a creator earn 100% of the profit from the Subscription fee, excluding taxes. But this might change. Meta noted that no fees will be collected for Facebook (and Instagram) Subscriptions until 2023 at the earliest.
Not sure how to make your content meaningful? Make sure to read our blogs Content Strategies for Different Stages of the Buyer Journey or What You Need to Know to Personalize Your Marketing Content for a number of different tips and tricks.
Sign up for our monthly GoViral newsletter below for more info on how to grow your business and create rich content for your target audience.
Intro to NFTs for Marketing
What’s the deal with NFTs? You may have heard “non-fungible tokens” defined as digital artwork, but the applications of NFTs are so much greater. Here we explain what NFTs are, and how you can include them in your marketing strategy.
What is an NFT?
NFT stands for non-fungible token. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with fungi. Non-fungible means the token is unique and can’t be replaced or duplicated.
And what’s a token? A token is a cryptographic asset that lives on the blockchain and acts as a certificate of ownership.
In short, an NFT is a unique certificate of ownership.
NFTs are not synonymous with digital art. An NFT can represent art, either digital or physical, but it can also represent music, images, or clothing. Almost anything can be tokenized.
Why should I care about NFTs?
The movement from Web2 to Web3 promises to empower individuals by giving them ownership over their content and data. This includes decentralizing control—from a few large companies to individuals—through technology such as blockchain.
NFTs, which use blockchain for ownership verification, have become a symbol of the greater transition to Web3. An enthusiastic market for NFTs exists, waiting for brands to embrace decentralization and the shift in ownership from the few to the many.
Reasons to Use NFTs for Marketing Purposes
First things first, NFTs are relatively new, and the NFT market can be volatile. Think carefully before you use NFTs for marketing, and keep in mind there isn’t a long history to draw on to define best practices. That said, let’s take a look at how you can use NFTs for marketing to build your brand awareness, increase customer loyalty, and create new sources of income.
1. Increase Brand Awareness
You can use NFTs to build awareness around your brand. Awareness can be difficult to measure, but it’s essential to your success. If you create and sell NFTs in conjunction with a new product or service, you can gain attention while also communicating your brand’s values.
More and more, customers care about your values, and investing time and energy in NFTs can show that you’re committed to decentralization and individual ownership of content and data. In short, that you believe in the democratization of the internet.
Norwegian Cruise Line recently minted six NFTs to mark the launch of a new class of cruise ships. The initiative created buzz and attention for the brand, and communicated Norwegian’s commitment to freedom, flexibility, and cutting-edge technology.
2. Convert Customers Into Evangelists for Your Brand
When you’ve engaged a lead enough to become your customer, it’s time to delight them. One way to do this: create NFTs out of the building blocks of your brand. For example, you can mint a series of unique versions of your logo, or the original hand-drawn concept for your brand’s visual identity.
Think of this as pulling back the curtain for your loyal customers to more deeply connect with your brand. Giving them the opportunity to own a piece of your creation story will demonstrate your openness and transparency.
3. Raise Money by Monetizing Exclusive Content and Experiences
Once you have a group of loyal customers who evangelize your brand, consider using NFTs to monetize exclusive content. Evangelists may be willing to pay for videos, how-to articles, or other content they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
Exclusive content can make your evangelists feel appreciated. You could set up an NFT that unlocks this content, much like a one-time charge for premium membership. You can also hold in-person events in which ownership of an NFT acts as a ticket for admission.
Take Anheuser-Busch’s recent event, NFT Beerfest, which gave Budweiser NFT owners a chance to tour their flagship brewery, participate in giveaways, and enjoy live performances.
Interested in using NFTs for marketing but not sure how to get started? Share your ideas with our GoViral Blockchain team, and we’ll be in touch!
5 Tips for Marketing to Gen Z
Gen Z is entering adulthood, and their buying power will soon become the largest of any generation. But Gen Z’s habits, and especially their relationship to technology, diverge widely from Millenials, Gen X, and Boomers. What do you need to know to market to this group successfully?
Generation Z was born in the late 1990s to the early 2010s (exact years vary depending on who you ask), and is rapidly coming of age. By 2023, Gen Z will number 74 million people in the United States alone.
Ready to learn how to market to Gen Z and convert them into customers?
Follow Fundamental Best Practices First
First things first, there’s no magic formula. Not all members of Gen Z think and act the same, and pretending they do won’t help much. With inbound marketing, there’s no substitute for defining buyer personas based on your business’s target market.
When strategizing about marketing to Gen Z, create at least one buyer persona in this age group. Remember, your Gen Z persona does not represent an entire generation. They represent the interests, problems, and desires of one type of person who could become your customer.
Also, always consider your perspective and goals as a business. If your product or service appeals primarily to retirees, for example, you may not need a Gen Z buyer persona. On the other hand, if your brand aims to solve problems for people entering adulthood, you may need several.
Now that you’ve considered buyer personas, let’s talk strategy. We know Gen Z is diverse and has varied interests, but what collectively sets them apart from previous generations? Our top 5 tips will help get you started.
1. Strive to Entertain
Members of Gen Z are the first “digital natives,” people born and raised with technology at their fingertips. In part because of this, they tend not to distinguish as much between different types of content. Consider that years ago, video advertising used to come only during scheduled commercial breaks. Gen Z’s reality is much different.
They have been bombarded with content their entire lives, with marketing messages taking many different forms. It’s necessary to stand out to get their attention. One surefire way to do this? Entertain them.
Content that grabs the viewer’s attention within the first few seconds is best. Consider video tutorials for social media, behind-the-scenes content giving an honest look into your brand, and helpful resources framed with a sense of humor.
2. Use Short-Form Video
Gen Z consumes more videos than their older counterparts, particularly short-form. Given their high usage rates of YouTube and TikTok, they often expect short videos with features such as music, visual effects, and text overlays.
Include video marketing in your strategy from the start, and keep your videos to 15 seconds or less for best results. Instagram Reels and TikTok work well for your polished videos, while Instagram stories can help create a more personal connection with your audience.
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3. Highlight Your Brand’s Values and Beliefs
On average Gen Z cares more than older generations about what businesses stand for, and how they contribute to the greater good. Before marketing to Gen Z, consider your brand’s values and vision, and think about how to communicate them to your audience.
If you haven’t already, make the mission of your business publicly available. Better yet, incorporate your beliefs into your content strategy so viewers start to associate your brand with those values.
As a side benefit, the more you care about the content you create, the more authentic it becomes. Gen Z views brands skeptically, looking for proof of their values in what they do, not only what they say. So stick to your mission and spread the word about how you’re trying to make positive change.
4. Create Community
Brands often fall into the trap of marketing on auto-pilot. But especially with social media marketing, don’t forget communication goes both ways. Gen Z expects to interact more than previous generations.
Consider interactive options such as polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions. Solicit feedback and monitor comment sections for opportunities to start conversations.
Other ways to jumpstart community include influencer marketing, which can help your audience see themselves in your brand, and user-generated content, which gives your audience a stake and a feeling of belonging.
In the near future, Gen Z might help accelerate a more fundamental change in social media. Research shows they are more comfortable with community-based platforms such as Discord and Twitch over more traditional social media.
5. Consider TikTok
When it comes to which social media platforms to focus on, the old rules no longer apply. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can still give you results, but don’t stop there.
One of the top social networks for Gen Z? TikTok. Fully 60% of TikTok’s users are in Gen Z. Known for less formal and more spontaneous content, TikTok can help your business connect with customers on a human level.
Joining a new social platform can also help refresh your brand image. Given TikTok’s emphasis on short-form video and humorous content, it’s a great place to experiment with tips 1-4 on this list.
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Busting 5 Common Social Media Marketing Myths
Well, myths are common. And social media has been around long enough for marketers to have believed and shared some myths about it.
There is no question that social media plays a key role in boosting the success of your business. While some myths are harmless, others have a great potential to negatively affect your success. That’s why marketers need to keep themselves updated to avoid falling for the traps.
Let’s put our Mythbusters glasses on and dispel some widely believed myths about social media in this article.
Myth #1 “Our business should have an online presence on every single social media platform.”
We know you want to stay ahead of the competition, but it doesn’t mean your business needs have a presence on all networks. This notion is pretty harmful to businesses. It takes time, effort and money to maintain accounts on multiple platforms.
Instead what you need is a meaningful presence on networks that lets you connect with your target audience and engage them. We suggest researching pros and cons of all social media platforms. Maybe even try exploring them. Surely, some of them might not be worth your time. This will help you know where to invest your time and resources to get the best results.
Common practices for many local businesses is to have an online presence on Facebook and B2B companies usually expand to LinkedIn as well. For companies with products or services, Instagram and Pinterest are highly recommended.
Like we said before – research and try till you find your sweet spot!
Myth #2 “Why do we need a budget for social media marketing? Isn’t it free?”
While it is free to join and post on any social media, the chances of you getting good results without spending any money are slim to none. On Facebook, the organic reach for posts is in decline, only around 5.20%.
It is vital to have a budget for social media marketing. Boosting your posts is a surefire way of getting more attention. Running social media marketing requires an investment of resources. In addition to an online spend budget, you need to hire a strong team to build strategies according to data metrics.
The good news is that social media still won’t burn a hole in your pocket. It is still one of the most affordable ways to boost brand awareness, lead generation and ultimately customer acquisition/retention. All this makes your investment worthwhile.
Myth #3 “More Followers = More Success”
Remember the golden rule “Quality over quantity”. It isn’t the 2010s anymore where buying followers in bulk was in trend. After all, a high follower count is worthless if your engagement is low.
Brands that know their target audience well are more likely to gain success on social media. Social Sprout’s index data shows that 91% of consumers visit the brand’s website and 90% of consumers buy from that brand they are following on social media whereas 86% choose that brand over their competitor.
Myth #4 “More Hashtags = Higher Reach”
We all have seen posts like,
Our #employees had some #fun on #Friday with #IceBucketChallenge. Watch the video below. #officefun #socialmedia #officeculture #teambuilding #behndthescenes #peopleinmarketing
All we can say is No! More hashtags don’t mean your post gets more reach. Plus, it makes you look amateurish and spammy. Research shows that if you use more than 2 hashtags on Twitter, you will see a 17% drop in engagement.
Take some time out to discover relevant hashtags in the community and don’t overuse them.
Myth #5 “Social Media is merely a sales tool.”
There is a huge misconception is that social media is a marketplace for your products and services. Being overly promotional will make your followers run away. Put yourself in their shoes. Do you want to see sales content on your social media all the time?
Marketers need to tap into social data as a valuable resource. 47% of businesses use social data as a multi-team strategy resource. It can answer questions on how to manage and expand business across every department.
Start by focussing on areas of your business that could benefit from social data, and build your social listening strategy based on it.
It is hard for marketers to keep track of falsehoods behind social media. We hope this article helps you bust some of those myths and push you to tap into the power of social media fearlessly.
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Best Practices for Email Marketing
What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is still the most effective marketing channel, leaving behind newer marketing channels like social media.
Data suggests that the number of email users increases every year, making it is a great way to generate more leads for your business and build a community for your brand. This is why email marketing should be the key pillar of your strategy.
Serving a purpose in the buyer journey, emails can be promotional or informational. You can announce special offers, new products, sales or discounts with a clear call-to-action (CTA) through promotional emails.
Informational emails are typically company announcements, newsletters, etc. Imagine your company reached a milestone or there are some issues with shipping, the best way to reach your contacts at once is through an email.
But if you’re confused about where to begin, that’s absolutely normal. We’ve put together a list of best practices for email marketing to spruce up your emails.
Don’t Buy Contact Lists
Well, the reason behind this is two-fold. First is the GDPR. These regulations restrict marketers to send emails to unsubscribed consumers.
Secondly, there is no point in sending emails to a person whose contact you bought rather than an interested customer through a previous interaction. You will see the results drop instantly.
Clean Your Mail List Regularly
Following the previous point, it is equally important to review your subscribers and remove the ones who haven’t engaged with your emails for a long time. We know it could be extremely satisfying to see a huge senders list, but sending out emails to non-engaged users will affect the open rate.
The key is to analyse your campaign quality against your loyal customer base.
Personalise Greetings
How often do you come across an email that reads, “Dear Member”?
Terms like members, subscribers, VIP or others should be for internal use. Using a personalised greeting gets the attention of the reader right away. And you don’t need to write 50 names and send out 50 emails manually anymore. Marketing tools help configure the greeting and automatically send the emails to the names on your list.
Incentivise the Subject Line
Want to increase your open rates? Include the offer in your subject line.
“Free shipping”, “$25 off on your first purchase” or “Earn referral bonus” are examples of some incentive focussed subject lines that could work wonders.
Great practice for subject lines is to keep it between 30 to 50 characters. Why? Email services often cut off lengthy subject lines and your readers won’t be able to read it fully without opening it.
You aren’t writing a story in the subject line; create a sense of urgency for them.
Make your CTA the Hero
If your user has to scroll down to find the main message and CTA of your email, chances are you’ve already lost him.
Research suggests that 57% of the time is spent on above-the-fold content which is the information that’s visible to readers before they scroll down. To increase your conversion rate, the first thing your recipient should see is the main message and CTA.
Email Signature and Logo - A Must
41% of marketers said they use email signatures for branding and visibility.
Even if you are sending an email to all contacts in the database on behalf of your company, it should include a signature of a specific person. The reason for this is to there is a human behind the email. People tend to read emails more when they see it is from a person rather than the marketing team.
The chances of a customer making a purchase goes up 34% when logos are included. The best way to leverage it is to include your company logo in the email signature.
Build a Cohesive Look
Your webpage should match the emails – headline, copy, and look. Consistency is the key to email marketing.
The look and feel of your emails shouldn’t be far different from your other assets like the website, landing page, social ads, etc. Not only does it help build your brand visibility, but it also increases trust in your customers.
Say No to “No-Reply” Emails
What is the point of your email marketing campaign if your customers can’t even interact with you when you send them promotional materials? Personally, I don’t even bother to open emails with the words “no reply” or if the sender’s address is noreply@xyz.com.
As previously mentioned, your customers are far more likely to open an email when they see it is from a human being. Marketing tools allow you to set automated emails from a specific email address. Set it to your first name to give your emails a human touch.
There you have it! You can use the above practices to add a competitive edge to your email marketing campaigns.
Marketers today have many channels to promote their business, but the challenge is learning how to prioritise your efforts for the best results.
Want to prepare an email marketing campaign for your business? Contact us to learn more.
An Introduction to Influencer Marketing Guide
With so many social media platforms, one surefire way to expand your online presence is influencer marketing.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to influencer marketing, but you could make it work for your business with proper research and planning.
What is Influencer Marketing?
When an influential person known as an influencer collaborates with a business to promote their products or services, it is known as influencer marketing.
In the past, brands only had celebrity endorsements. But in the digital age we live in, online content creators with dedicated and engaged groups of followers have changed the game of influencer marketing.
It is common to find yourself asking, “Does influencer marketing bring any positive results?”. Well, Civic Science reported that 14% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 11% of millennials in the U.S had bought some products or services in the last six months because an influencer recommended it.
When it comes to influencer marketing campaigns on social media platforms, Instagram currently tops the list, but it seems like TikTok is catching up. With 68% of U.S marketers planning to use TikTok for influencer campaigns, it is becoming as popular as Facebook to be the preferred platform.
Types of Social Media Influencers
When we say social media influencers, usually celebrities come to your mind. As we said earlier, while celebrities are the top influencers, not all influencers are celebrities.
On the contrary, influencers with a niche follower base could be more effective for brands as they have a higher engagement rate than celebrities. Plus, it won’t burn a hole in your pockets.
Usually, influencers are grouped based on their audience size. Let’s look at different types of influencers.
Nano-influencers
These are the ones who have just started out and have less than 10,000 followers.
While their reach is low, their influence on their small, tight-knit community is enormous. Nano-influencers may know most of their followers on some level.
It could be beneficial for a brand because we are more likely to buy a product on family or friends’ recommendation than some celebrity. Nano-influencers bring a sense of relatability and trust that is rarely seen with celebrity influencers.
Micro-influencers
The most common influencers you will find are micro-influencers who have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers.
Micro-influencers are more specialised and have a more engaged audience than their bigger counterparts, thus bringing in more qualified leads for your business.
Macro-influencers
With followers between 100,000 to 1 million, macro-influencers have a celebrity status of their own.
Since macro-influencers have grown their follower base from scratch, they know their audience well. The strong connection with the audience makes macro-influencers a preferred choice for brands with more major marketing campaigns.
Mega-influencers
With more than 1 million followers, mega-influencers have a following outside the social media world. They are usually celebrities, actors, singers or internet personalities who have risen to fame recently.
However, mega-influencers don’t have a personal connection to their followers, so they could be considered less trustworthy.
Tips for Creating an Influencer Marketing Strategy
Know Your Audience
The first step is to define who your audience is for your campaign. To make your strategy effective, you need to target the right people.
So how do you know who the right people are? Through buyer personas.
Developing your buyer personas is a great way to know your audience. Defining your audience helps you understand the kind of influencers you should collaborate with.
Establish Your Goals
For marketers, the number one goal of influencer marketing is to reach a new audience. Your brand visibility increases when your products or services reach the influencers’ followers.
Usually, the top goal for brands is to reach potential customers, while bringing an actual sale is lower on the list. It is essential to create measurable goals that you can track.
Shortlist Influencers
Trust is the most significant factor when it comes to choosing influencers. If your audience doesn’t trust or respect this person’s opinions, you will find yourself scrambling to get tangible results.
One way of finding out if your potential influencer is trusted is through their engagement. You should check if their posts have plenty of views, comments, likes and shares.
When an influencer has a reasonable engagement rate, they have a loyal following. So check if their follower count is inflated through bots or fake accounts.
Do Your Research
Now that you’ve compiled a list of influencers you would like to work with, the next step is to find out how often they share sponsored content.
Check how they are keeping their audiences engaged – do they post a lot of organic, non-sponsored content, or is there a ton of paid posts on their page? Posting paid content often affects the engagement rate.
Before you approach an influencer, make sure you do your homework. Know what channels they post, their audience, the frequency of sponsored content.
Track Results
It is pretty normal to get impressed by the sheer number of likes and comments on the influencers’ posts. But to measure the campaign results, you must figure out its return on investment.
One of the most effective ways to measure results is UTM parameters. Prepare unique links with UTM codes for each influencer. This way, you can know how many sales you made through an influencer and get a clear idea of how your campaign is performing.
Don’t forget to request your influencers to send you insights and detailed reports on their posts’ reach and engagement levels.
So there you go, a starter guide to help you start working on your influencer marketing strategy. If you find the right approach, you will soon be inundated with many new customers and sales.
Do you want marketing services? GoViral Digital has a whole decade of experience specialising in inbound marketing, and we are taking clients for 2022. Request a proposal to help you improve your business.
Content Strategies for Different Stages of the Buyer Journey
What is a Buyer Journey?
We usually don’t make purchases on a whim, and instead, there is a whole process of research and consideration before anyone shells out those bucks. So in simple terms, a buyer journey is your buyer’s path to purchase.
Buyer Journey gives marketers an insight into the pains and problems experienced by their customers and the influencing factors that push them to make a decision. It allows you to better empathise with the buyer and position your products or services along the process.
With the aftermath of the pandemic, around 57% of the buyer journey happens without any human interaction even taking place. So how do you engage your buyers without actively interacting with them?
Content strategy is your answer. It is essential to prepare a content strategy for each stage as it will be easier for you to motivate the buyer to make a purchase when they hit the human interaction part of their journey.
Let’s dig in a little further to understand better the different stages of a Buyer Journey and the types of content for each stage.
There are five stages to a Buyer Journey:
Awareness Stage
Example: “I am thirsty.”
This stage is where the buyer realises that they have a problem. They don’t know how to meet or solve the problem yet. Their goal is to alleviate the pain, but this is only an information-gathering step.
They are looking to get a better idea and give a name to their problem. They are not ready to make any decision.
Your content strategy should focus on the pain and problems of your buyers and provide them with big-picture industry-focus resources that can help them define their problems. Your best choice is press releases, social media promotions, or advertorial content that leads them to the next stage.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What is the priority of the challenges for buyers?
- How do buyers talk about their goals or challenges?
- Are there any misconceptions buyers have about addressing their problems? If so, what are they?
- What are the consequences of buyers’ inaction?
Research Stage
Example: “Where can I find some drink?”
Once buyers have a little understanding of their problem, they get interested in finding a solution. They start discovering products, brands, and trends.
The goal of your content plan is to educate and help buyers evaluate buying criteria. Usually, buyers trust videos, webinars, events, or ebooks in the research stage.
Questions to ask yourself:
- How do buyers educate themselves on these goals and challenges?
- What are the symptoms that bring their attention to the problem?
- What will help them identify the problem and push them to your products or services designed to help them?
- What online or offline sources do they find reliable?
Consideration stage
Example: “The vending machine has water, soda and juice. What should I buy?”
Now that your buyers have clearly defined the problem and are committed to solving it, the next step is to guide them through different approaches or methods available to them. Your content strategy should help them make a decision.
While case studies or data sheets can prove helpful in this stage, offering demos or leading them to trusted reviews will motivate buyers to solve their challenges.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What are the different categories of solutions available to the buyers?
- In what way do buyers educate themselves on the various categories?
- Are there any pros and cons for each category? If so, how do buyers perceive them?
- What factors influence the buyers’ decision for the right solution for their needs?
Purchase Stage
Example: “I will buy a soda.”
When your buyers reach this stage, they are ready to make the final decision and has a solid reason for their choice. They have already decided on the solution and evaluated providers. As a marketer, you should focus on learning if they have any objections before making the purchase.
Your content should not only validate their decision but also make the purchase process easy. You need to cater to their every question and provide the best service to them. This stage could be where your buyer makes his first human contact with your business.
Your sales approach must highlight a unique selling proposition that provides value and set you apart from the rest. While they are talking to sales, your content strategy offers support to keep their attention. Engage them in live training, demos, user guides or kick-off events
Questions to ask yourself:
- What do buyers know about your products and services?
- What do they like about your products and services compared to your competitors?
- Do they have any concerns?
- Do buyers want to test the products or services before making a purchase?
- Do buyers need any additional information, such as user guides or manuals?
Post-Purchase
Example: “The soda is flat. I should have got water.”
Excellent customer service leads to brand loyalty. In this stage, your buyers expect an exceptional product or service performance and excellent customer service. Play your cards right, and you get a loyal customer base. Who knows, they could turn into an advocate for your brand. After all, word-of-mouth is one of the only forms of marketing that comes from your buyers.
To keep them coming back, offer loyalty programs, build customer communities (online and offline), send newsletters, or even check in through phone calls. The goal is to make them feel cared for.
Questions to ask yourself:
- How are buyers expecting to receive post-purchase support and guidance?
- What obstacles could buyers face in your products or services?
- What are buyers’ expectations of your products or services?
- What actions do buyers need to take to achieve the best result?
- How do buyers rate your product or service, its value, and their satisfaction?
So there you have it – The buyer Journey and all its stages.
Before you jump on creating your buyer journey, make sure you know your buyer personas. Be sure to read our article, “The Importance of Buyer Personas“.
Don’t forget that the primary goal of Buyer Journey is to build a more customer-centric strategy to meet the needs of your target audience.
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What’s better for your business: Facebook or LinkedIn?
As a marketer, choosing which social media channel to focus on is always a puzzle. Many are left scrambling their heads with a multitude of doubts like “Where do I start?”, “Which platform gives me the best ROI on my efforts?” or “Is one platform better than the other?”
While asking questions about different platforms is normal, it isn’t smart to gamble your way out. The key to a successful marketing campaign is identifying your target audience and your marketing goals.
Among dozens of social media platforms, Facebook and LinkedIn are popular choices with marketers. Let’s break down what works best for your business.
LinkedIn is a professional network that was initially founded as a recruitment platform. Over the years, it developed to mimic many features similar to other social networking sites. For example, you can share status updates, send private messages, and connect with people.
On the other hand, Facebook was intended to be a platform for people to share and communicate. However, you can now find plenty of new features that let businesses reach their target audience. One survey by the company found that 74% of American consumers use Facebook to discover new products and brands.
So what are the differences between the two platforms?
Statistics
When it comes to numbers, Facebook is the clear winner.
There are 2.8 billion monthly active users worldwide on Facebook, while LinkedIn’s number stands at 64.7 million.
According to reports, the most active age group on both platforms is 25 to 34-year-olds. However, due to its popularity, Facebook has a broader range of users. 10% of Facebook users are under 18 or over 64. The reason behind this is that Facebook is for everyday users, but LinkedIn caters mainly to professionals.
B2B or B2C?
Undoubtedly, LinkedIn is a more robust B2B platform. Since the platform was designed for networking, it is a go-to place for business-driven individuals. Which also makes it easy to identify key decision-makers and target them directly.
Social selling is embedded into the platform. Reports suggest that LinkedIn has the largest share of B2B display ad spending.
While Facebook can be B2B, it is recognised more as a B2C platform. If you want to reach consumers directly, Facebook is the preferred choice. Not only it is a perfect place to generate brand awareness and engagement, but it also provides you 10X more prospects.
According to reports, marketers see the highest return on investment on Facebook. The networking site wins in numbers hands down, but LinkedIn generates tangible leads.
Thought Leadership
When it comes to thought leadership, LinkedIn beats Facebook relatively easy. The platform promotes business conversations, and one of the ways brands gain credibility and visibility organically is by thought leadership.
Through thought leadership articles, brands can educate, prompt conversations, and push to action. These programs increase website traffic and subscribers, thus helping with lead generation and brand awareness.
Marketers see more success with thought leadership content on LinkedIn compared to Facebook.
LinkedIn Groups vs Facebook Groups
On both platforms, groups are where businesses can connect with prospects and other like-minded users. Before engaging in groups, marketers need to ask themselves –
“Which platform is my target audience mostly active on?”
Keep in mind that users engage on different platforms with different motives. On LinkedIn, conversations revolve around work-related topics, whereas on Facebook, users connect to share their personal opinions on various topics like food, lifestyles, hobbies, etc.
Let’s look at an example. If you want to create awareness about your latest blender, targeting users in cooking groups on Facebook will get you the best results.
However, LinkedIn is a better bet if you’re providing a high-priced service like personnel management.
Facebook Ads Vs. LinkedIn Ads
In terms of variety, Facebook and LinkedIn fair equally. Both platforms offer a diverse range of ads types like carousel, video, dynamic and lead ads.
Targeting capabilities for ads on both sites rely on user input and content relevant to the information provided by them. So, you can easily target users based on basic information like job title, company, age, location, etc. However, Facebook also targets based on their life milestones, behaviour, and other personalized information.
Who wins? Facebook or LinkedIn?
You decide!
Our verdict is that despite sharing standard features, Facebook and LinkedIn have different audiences and intentions.
Which platform you want to use for marketing depends on your industry, target audience and goals.
Another essential thing to remind every marketer is – you don’t have to choose. You can always select Facebook for user engagement and LinkedIn for targeted lead generation.
All we can say is the winner lies in the eyes of the marketer!
Do you want professional guidance? GoViral has now a whole decade of experience specialising in inbound marketing and we can help you improve your business. Contact us to learn more!
Best Marketing Practices for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
The world-famous shopping weekend – Black Friday and Cyber Monday – has always been an excellent opportunity for businesses to maximize profits. Along with boosting your revenue, it is also an opportunity to build brand awareness and visibility.
However, it can be challenging to get noticed when you are practically competing against every other business out there. And this year, we only expect it to be busier. Online shopping is a preferred option for more and more buyers in the pandemic.
A clear and thoughtful campaign with the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) strategies will ensure that your brand stands out this holiday season. But no matter how great deals you offer, buyers won’t know about them without a solid marketing strategy.
To help you get ready for BFCM, we put together a few best practices for marketing your sale this year.
Stand Out by Giving Away “Extra Perks”
We always say that content is your biggest weapon to hold your audience’s attention. But with 116.5 million emails sent out on Black Friday, your email will likely get lost in the endless space of offers and promotions.
To stand out against your competitors, you need to offer your buyers better deals. Consumers expect businesses to put out the best deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, you can get in the game earlier with “early access” Black Friday deals. Promoting deals a week early as an “exclusive offer” is a popular strategy to increase visibility.
Some companies have already started promoting Black Friday deals along with Thanksgiving offers. Another clever tactic used by businesses like Levi’s is giving extra perks like “Free Shipping” if you subscribe to their emails.
Not only does it increase sales, but it also helps you grow your database of engaged customers.
Target Engaged Contacts More Often
An engaged contact is someone who has interactions with your marketing emails. Interactions could be actions like opening the emails, checking out the offers on your websites, or purchasing.
For example, only send multiple emails to contacts that previously opened your email but didn’t buy anything. The chances of these contacts making a purchase are higher than someone who never opened your email.
Emailing only engaged contacts more often results in higher open-rate, click-through rate and increase in sales. Tools like Mailchimp lets you keep track of the engagement data of your marketing emails.
Leverage All Your Social Media Channels and Website Pop-ups
Even though email marketing is the highest-converting channel, social media is your best friend for faster visibility of your BFCM campaign. Promote your offers on every channel, including paid ads.
Sometimes, just a social media post can create a huge impact. Take a look at how this simple Instagram picture posted by fashion brand ASOS to promote their Black Friday deal was well received by their audience.
The key to boosting sales for the website is to have your promotion take all the attention instantly. One of the ways to do this is through pop-ups. Usually, businesses use pop-ups to garner more engaged contacts. Still, many users often find them to be intrusive to their experience.
However, buyers don’t seem to mind when pop-ups include special offers. An important thing to remember is to set up the signup offer in the pop-up is the same as your most significant sale of the year, so your customers aren’t confused.
Send Multiple Emails on High-Volume Days
One of the basics of email marketing is “don’t spam your contacts”. But as we mentioned earlier, customers get inundated with emails on high-volume days – Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Your subscribers will most certainly miss it if you send only one email on these days. Send multiple emails to avoid getting buried in the inbox and make the most out of your email marketing campaign.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Revamp Your Product Pages
Ask yourself: “Is my products display compelling buyers to make a purchase?”
Check your product pages and categories, and make sure the images are attractive and the descriptions are accurate. Invest time in beautifying, simplifying or adding detail to product pages to make them more compelling and streamline the buying process.
Elevating the design and look of your page reflects the value and increases the conversion rate.
Make the Checkout Process Simpler
Bringing attention to your webpage is only half the battle. Your buyer journey is complete when the buyer purchases your products or services.
You are responsible for providing a better user experience, especially when your buyer wants to cross the finish line. One of the areas to focus on is the checkout page, and making checkout faster and easier will lead to high conversion rates.
One way to make checkout easier is enabling Google Address Auto-filler, and it makes the process seamless and eliminates unnecessary distractions. Making buying process easy for your customers will help them focus on completing their purchase faster.
More Offers Throughout the Sale Season
With the holiday shopping experience extended into Cyber Monday, you must offer discounts consistently throughout the season. Sales continue to spike when businesses keep offering more compelling offers throughout the week.
Let’s take a look at how Amazon does it. The company has created segments like “Deals of the Day”, further split into ‘Available’, ‘Upcoming’, ‘Missed’ and ‘Watching’. In doing so, it pushes a sense of urgency amongst buyers and attracts more customers.
The key is to give consistent offers shoppers can’t get enough of!
In conclusion, ready or not, Black Friday and Cyber Monday e-commerce is coming. There is no ‘one size fits all’ campaign for it. Look around, see what others are doing and figure out what works best for your marketing plan. We hope you found some strategies you can apply to your business this year.
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