Ever get that feeling every bit of marketing looks the same?
You’re not the only one.
Some of Australia’s biggest firms picked up on this problem several years ago when they saw overly polished campaigns failing to resonate with audiences.
Whether its Bunnings’ use of actual staff in its advertising, JB Hi- Fi’s hand-written in-store signage or Rebel Sports’ displaying images of local junior athletes in their windows; this ‘authentic’ approach to marketing isn’t done by accident and major corporations spend a fortune on it because they know it works.
These firms are responding to an age-old problem. When everything starts to look ‘same same’, the audience simply tunes out.
The whole point of marketing is to be front of mind when your client wants to buy. However, if we’re all doing the same thing, none of us will stand out from the crowd.
The problem is noticeably evident across digital platforms, where small to medium firms invest much of their marketing budget.
The digital and social media revolution turned traditional marketing on its head by smashing through the previously expensive barriers to entry. Both the largest multinational and smallest sole trader can have a website and multiple social media channels.
The paradox of digital accessibility is whilst many small to medium businesses hope to enjoy the benefits of equality of opportunity, they experience an equally smaller share of the pie.
We’d all like to blame falling social media reach on changing algorithms, but the truth is many of us are guilty of excelling in blandness.
The high demand for content results in mediocre posts, and, consequently, a diluted brand seen by fewer and fewer eyeballs.
Indeed, your social posts might look sleek, clean, and professional, but are they too clean? Are they stripping character and personality from your own brand image?
The problem isn’t digital, it’s the way you’re marketing on digital.
So, what does that mean as we move toward a post-COVID world. As always, the customer decides, and this is where the opportunities could lie for business.
When it comes to online content take a leaf out of the approach of the big firms. Add depth, colour, and interest to your brand.
Don’t create a website that looks like it could come from anywhere on the planet. Talk up your local bona fides. If your social content is filled with generic language and stock images, spice it up. Place your people and customers at the heart of your messaging. Talk about who you are, how you do what you do, and why your customers love it.
In addition, consider the fact many of your clients have been forced into isolation via a largely digital world. Now they are craving real world experiences and interactions.
For marketers it’s time to get back to basics by shifting up your investment into both digital and actual three-dimensional things. Whether it’s print, events, direct mail, merchandise, or packaging, give people something they can see, hold, touch, and experience.
Put simply, embrace what’s tangible and don’t let the content demands of digital act as a disinfectant to your brand.
Want help to make your brand more visible? Be sure to talk with us today.
