Category Archives: Marketing

Is it a good idea to outsource social media? Take the pub test and see.

Content & Social, Marketing, , , ,

Imagine you’re too busy to go to the pub and socialise with your friends.

Would you send a complete stranger along to socialise with them on your behalf?

Is it a good idea to outsource social media?

You’ll be able to brief the stranger on topics you like to talk about. Tell him about what makes you tick. He might be able to do a good impression of the way you talk. Use your mannerisms. Almost becoming your avatar.

But there’s a problem isn’t there?

He isn’t you. Your friends would know that. Instantly.

The real you

As good as he was at mimicking your personality and style, he’d be a poor substitute for the real you. And your friends might find it a little weird you sent him along in the first place.

If you wouldn’t get a complete stranger to impersonate you in a social setting like a pub, why would you get a complete stranger to impersonate you on social media?

There are companies out there offering such a service.

“Outsource social media to us,” they say. “We’ll tweet on your behalf. Let us post on LinkedIn and put photos up on Instagram.”

So it’s possible to get a complete stranger to do your social media for you but is it a good idea?

The answer depends on what you use social media for. If all you’re doing is promoting your stuff then it doesn’t matter who is pressing the tweet button. If all you do is sell your products and flog your services then who cares who schedules your posts?

But if you’re having real conversations in real-time, asking questions, giving answers, helping people and engaging with people, how can anyone else do that better than you?

It is just like socialising in the pub.

Team you

If you’re a larger company you might have several people trained up and running your social media accounts. They’ll know your strategy, and your brand and how social media is about engagement and not blatant selling. You might even use a bit of automation to send out links to great content.

As long as you keep up the social aspects of your activity it can work. You can keep interacting. It can be engaging. Continuing the pub analogy your friends would recognise your team members and would understand.

And if you do it yourself. Or keep it within your team. Think of how much you’ll learn. How much you’ll grow. It’s so tempting to think “How much money can we save by outsourcing. How much time time can I free up.” Instead of thinking, “How much can we as a team learn?”

If an outsource company approaches you and convinces you they can run your social media for you, just check you’re clear what social media is, and why you are doing it before you hand off your socialising to strangers.

Now it’s your turn:

Do you outsource your social media? Do you still manage to engage with people and have conversations? Or is it mainly promotional?

Would you like help?

I’m not offering to do your social media for you! That’d sound a bit rich after what I’ve just written. But if you want help putting together a social media plan, or if you’d like social media training then let’s chat. Please do get in touch.

An Example of Marketing Gobbledygook from a Company that should know better.

Copy Writing, Marketing, , , , ,

Do you like things simple?

Most customers do.

Are you a stickler for simple language in marketing communications? Do you try to avoid, jargon, gobbledygook and most of all long passive sentences?

Unfortunately not everyone shares that view. Some still put out bloated business copy. I’m still astonished by some of the mumbo-jumbo that some companies send me.

I recently received an email from a marketing agency wanting to set up a meeting. I was so shocked by the depth of clichéd management style jargon, I almost feel like naming and shaming them. Instead I will simple share with you the beauty of their bull.

marketing gobbledygook
photo credit: Gavin Llewellyn via photopin cc

Here’s one of the many incredible sentences:

“Our unique, proven and collaborative approach of combining doctorate level theoretical analytics, strategy and world-class creative execution delivers ground-breaking, game-changing initiatives for ambitious brands.”

What on earth does it mean? Is this supposed to impress me? Do they really think I want to do business with people who produce such claptrap?

There’s more.

“Our commitment to actionable strategies, ingenious ideas and sustainable impact has already led to successful outcomes.”

marketing gobbledygook

Okay hands up. We’ve all used such language. But we really must stop it.

If something is “unique” you know that it is just the same as everything else.

If it is “very unique” you know the copy writer doesn’t realise that you can’t have degrees of uniqueness.

“Innovative” is equally meaningless, “game-changing” even more so.

Please don’t tell me about “value added” or how something has been “optimised” or “finessed” so that it attains the “scalability” to become “world-class”.

People want you to talk to them in plain English. That’s how they communicate. Verbally and in writing.

And please don’t use passive sentences?

Bad: “A letter full of marketing gobbledygook was sent to me by the Marketing Agency”.

Good: “The Marketing Agency sent me a letter full of marketing gobbledygook”.

When you work in an industry of complex products and processes we owe it to our clients and each other to make communications simple. Resist the people who comment on your copy and want to reintroduce complex language unless there is a legal reason for doing so. The fact that they “wouldn’t have written it that way” is not good enough.

Oh and I can’t wait for the follow-up call from those guys at that marketing agency.

Now it’s your turn:

Do you get annoyed by marketing gobbledygook, management speak and jargon? Whilst it is annoying it can also be funny at the same time. Please share your own examples of meaningless marketing gobbledygook. I’d love to read them and perhaps create a list of the most magnificent and meaningless.

Brand storytelling: How you can use Instagram or Snapchat stories to engage with more customers

Content & Social, Marketing, , , , , , , ,

Brand storytelling is something you shouldn’t ignore. And whatever the platform the techniques are the same and easy to learn.

If you read my article on Snapchat for older people and businesses earlier this year, were you a little skeptical?

Snapchat is for kids and teenagers isn’t it?

You can’t use Snapchat as a business? Can you?

1-Ep006-Blog-Image-Roger-Edwards-500x281

I think you can and still do.

The “Story” function is a great way to engage with customers. Show them the real you. The face behind your business. The real human behind your brand. Give them a behind the scenes view of what makes your business tick.

But there’s a stigma about Snapchat. The “kids and teenagers” label might create a nagging doubt.

Instagram recently launched their own version of Snapchat stories. It’s almost a carbon copy. And it’s good news for businesses.

You’re probably using Instagram already. If not you’ll agree it doesn’t carry the same stigma as Snapchat. Now, as well as great photos, you can share your stories. A series of videos and photos merged into a stream.

The key for businesses is telling stories. Whether it’s your own personal brand or company name, telling stories is going to become more important.

Please have a listen to this podcast where I talk to entrepreneur Kelly Baader about brand storytelling on Instagram and Snapchat.

You’ll hear us chat about:

  • Tips for creating compelling stories: master the brevity of simplicity, create suspense, use behind-the-scenes, and engage with your audience with involvement
  • How Instagram and Snapchat “stories” can help you get personal with your potential customers, making it easier for them to engage with your business.
  • How Instagram’s wide reach of demographics combined with a facsimile of  Snapchat “stories” make it a perfect platform for businesses to showcase their products through storytelling.

You can listen to the episode by clicking here.

Or you can visit Kelly’s website by clicking here.

Now it’s your turn:

Please let me know what you thought of the show. If you want to have a chat about Brand storytelling and how you can use Instagram or Snapchat stories to engage with more customers, please get in touch.