Is mass marketing dead?
For several reasons, marketing has evolved tremendously. TV and radio placements at prime time, full pages of high-circulation daily newspapers, premium or print media purchases are no longer enough. The universe has become more complex, transformed, reinvented. Today we juggle an endless number of products, brands, tools, channels and media. We are forced to adapt to this new reality of Inbound Marketing or Permission Marketing . The days of spam are over . More than that, we must establish a direct, sincere and close dialogue with our consumers. It's all about the customer .
In order to deal with these changes that have been taking place for several years, but which will only increase over time, we must be infinitely more granular, cunning, relevant and conscientious with each of our investment dollars. investment in digital marketing.
HOW NOT TO MISS THE BOAT? HOW TO MOVE AWAY FROM MASS MARKETING BY PERSONALIZING YOUR MESSAGE?
“ WE LIKE TO FEEL SPECIAL. SOME PEOPLE WANT DECAF. SOME WANT SKIM MILK. SOY MILK. ALMOND MILK. WHEN A BUSINESS LISTENS TO YOUR SPECIFIC DESIRES AND MAKES AN EFFORT TO CATER TO THEM, IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD.'' – MONETATE.COM
1. INVEST IN A RELIABLE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
This should be the basis of any web initiative. How do we make business decisions if our numbers are wrong? How to draw conclusions about its digital campaigns or communication efforts? Our data should be easy to access, easy to understand and digest; Too much data is like not enough. You have to be able to have a quick view of reality. Moreover, an excellent way to focus on the right data is to first define your objectives and KPIs upstream, to document them, but above all, not to lose sight of them. It is also essential to have the right glasses, ie to understand the interaction and the contribution of the different channels between them thanks to a reliable attribution model .
2. SEEK TO TEST, CONTINUALLY
Test, test, test. We can never say it enough. It's the only way to grow, to know what works well and what doesn't. There is no escaping great successes, but also disappointments! Different tests are possible, be it A/B tests of banners, text ads, landing pages, design or content. The conclusions drawn will make it possible to offer the best possible user experience, or to choose the most meaningful and inspiring words for its audience. Everyone is a winner, including you. #engagement #conversions #ROI
Source: wordstream.com
3. OFFER AN EXPERIENCE, PRODUCTS & SERVICES THAT ITS CUSTOMERS WANT
Quickly, it seems obvious, a basis for everything, but do we really think about it? What do our customers like and dislike about our products? Are we listening? An attractive offer aligned with the needs of its customers is the best way to success. And in a competitive industry, you have to stand out and get noticed. What is our competitive advantage?
“ DON'T FIND CUSTOMERS FOR YOUR PRODUCTS, FIND PRODUCTS FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.” – SETH GODIN
4. KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCES PERFECTLY
Do you really know your audience? Do you know who your message resonates positively with? If so, we hope you use this valuable knowledge as a pillar of your marketing strategies. If not, it is probably time to investigate by using, for example, user interviews, analysis of search trends, A/B tests or the use of its own database ( 1st party date ). These efforts allow us to define our personas, an extremely valuable knowledge for any company. This knowledge then opens up many opportunities, for example Custom or Look Alike audiences in paid purchases, or even personalized e-mail marketing.
5. PERSONALIZE AND TALK TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME
In short, the idea is to be able to reach the right people, to segment/personalize its messages and therefore to maximize the effectiveness of its investments, its ROI. More importantly, missing the target doesn't just cause the investment to be lost. It also means that by bombarding our message to the wrong people, we can create an unfavorable sentiment towards our brand image.
Adapting your message to your audience is in itself very natural; We do it automatically in everyday life, so why not apply the same logic on the web? The real challenge is to make choices in the face of all possible opportunities. In other words, it is for example to evaluate the effort of creating three messages compared to ten messages versus the incremental benefit of these three or ten messages.
Source: monetate.com
6. ACT TRANSPARENTLY
The consumer is not fooled. He has never had so much access to information. Wanting to control it or hide this information would be lost in advance; everything is known quickly thanks to many channels. Do you remember the Volkswagen scandal ? As Seth Godin puts it so well: ''The fact is, you're always on the record, everyone is a critic (or could be) and the web remembers forever'' . Success comes more often with honesty, transparency, communication, and this, for your good and less good moves. Let's surround ourselves with allies and ambassadors for our brand. Above all, let's establish a direct and effective dialogue with the consumer.
“YOU CAN NOW BE REWARDED VERY QUICKLY IF YOU CAN BUILD SOMETHING WORTH TALKING ABOUT'' – SETH GODIN
… AND THE OPPOSITE IS ALSO TRUE!
Source: linkedin.com
7. CREATE RELEVANT CONTENT THAT MEETS NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS
Why not talk about something other than your brand? It's not about you anymore ! What interests your audience? Offering useful, rich, informational content that answers users' questions pays off a lot. Even more, offering inspiring, unique, engaging content could yield more. You have to challenge yourself, innovate! In a world where every digital media campaign is increasingly expensive, it is all the more important to create sustainable digital assets.
8. ENSURE AN INTEGRATED APPROACH BETWEEN THE VARIOUS INITIATIVES
Each initiative will influence another. The best media plan should be combined with quality banners and landing pages that provide the best user experience. The best content strategy must have been developed in conjunction with SEO, SEM or social media specialists. Then your brand must be consistent both online and offline, then on digital and traditional channels. Marketing is everything!
9. BE FAST AND ONLINE
Spotting opportunities quickly, even before others, can pay off big on the web. Remember the Oreo offensive on Twitter during the 2013 Super Bowl? Thanks to its responsiveness, inventiveness and its sense of timing, Oreo managed to steal the show from the big advertisers for zero dollars. It is also within our reach!
Source: forbes.com
In short, no, mass marketing is not dead, but it is not enough. It is probably in decline, but can certainly be used depending on the context or the brand. However, it is essential to adapt to today's reality, to evolve according to its new conventions.
And you, what are your digital strategies and tactics in recent years?
Sources:
– Infopresse Forum data and programmatic conference
– SETH GODIN, Meatball Sundae, 2012