Didn’t make it to the Detroit Regional Chamber‘s Digital Marketing Boot Camp? Franco team members Adriane, Jen and James summarized the top takeaways (and tweets) from a morning of impressive presenters and panelists including Sola Obayan, Eric Hultgren, Eric Thomas and Marcus Burrell.
1. Don’t get caught up on vanity metrics
While vanity metrics, like the number of likes on a post, are useful to measure a page’s growth, digital marketers should focus on measuring actionable metrics, like the page’s engagement and website conversion rates. It’s good to know how many people are viewing your social content, but it’s great to know they’re communicating with your brand and visiting your website.
Integrate daily metrics into your social media strategy to help drive more engagement. Move beyond vanity metrics. #DMBC17
— Franco (@FrancoPRGroup) February 15, 2017
2. Email marketing is critical
Email marketing has the highest conversion rate of digital marketing, but it’s effectiveness and simplicity is often overlooked. Programs like MailChimp and Constant Contact offer personalized content and specifically target key demographics.
Did you know that email marketing has the highest conversion rate? #DMBC17
— Franco (@FrancoPRGroup) February 15, 2017
3. Don’t fall victim to shiny object syndrome
When a new platform arrives, don’t feel the need to jump onto it immediately. Conduct some research to determine if it works well with your social media strategy and goals. It’s also not recommended to spread yourself too thin across multiple social platforms. Common practice says it’s better to dedicate more resources to platforms that are the most engaging for your brand.
@solao discourages marketers from chasing every new platform that exists on social. Don’t fall into the Shiny Object Syndrome. #SOS #DMBC17
— AGA Productions (@_AGAProductions) February 15, 2017
4. Keep watch for dark social
Seventy percent of brand interaction doesn’t directly tag or link the brand’s page and falls into an unknown space referred to as “dark social.” Use keyword and social tools such as Sprinkler, Zapier and Buffer to find out what people are saying about your brand.
“Dark social” = 70% of #socialmedia conversation is occurring without a #hashtag #dmbc17
— Brenda Meller (@brendameller) February 15, 2017
5. Passion first, edit second
Instead of becoming a thought leader, become a passion leader. Brainstorm the heart and soul of your message first. Let your thoughts flow and allow your passion to create meaningful and engaging content. You can always go back later to edit the copy and move commas around.
Passion first, edit second. #DMBC17
— Franco (@FrancoPRGroup) February 15, 2017
6. Be human!
Don’t speak to your audience, speak with them. Social media is centered around two-way communication and is meant to be social. When followers and fans engage with your posts, respond to them in a voice that allows your brand to seem personable. Don’t be a robot.
Give your #brand a human voice. Let your brand’s humanity shine in your content and social media strategy. #DMBC17
— Jeff Chinn (@jchinnJRT) February 15, 2017
7. Know your why
Organizations and brands concentrate marketing efforts on “what” the product or service is, or “how” the product or service can solve a problem in a potential user’s life, only eventually leading to “why” it should be purchased. Focus marketing efforts around the “why” to delve into the customer’s emotions and specify why the good or service can be useful.
Dig deeper and find your ‘why.’ #DMBC17
— Franco (@FrancoPRGroup) February 15, 2017
Bonus bits from boot camp:
- Optimize your brand’s website search terms, so that users can easily locate your website. When a user is searching for a brand, they’re a potential new customer, but if they can’t find you… you just lost a sale.
- Stay away from Uncanny Valley, or a social strategy with scheduled content and semi-robotic replies. Embrace the personality of your brand and engage with potential users for the sake of creating two-way communication.
- Finally, if your brand isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re not marketing.
