Relationship-Based Digital Marketing Agency

IMPRINT DIGITAL

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Times are changing. One of my good childhood friends, Bob Dylan, put it this way&#8230;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
Come gather &#8217;round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You&#8217;ll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth savin&#8217; And you better start swimmin&#8217; Or you&#8217;ll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin&#8217;
<cite>The Times They Are A-Changin&#8217; Song by Bob Dylan 1964</cite></blockquote>



The time to start swimming is now. 



There is a common thought that cutting the marketing budget during an economic downturn is a way to save and cut costs to make it through a recession. History proves this is a horrible idea.



But today I bring you a contrarian thought!



You may need to cut your budget in certain areas. You may not be able to afford your full-time marketing person anymore. Your paid budget may be bloated and you need to creatively approach your social media, reviews, and content strategy. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Social strategy = Best Kept Secret</h2>



Social media is an incredible tool for storytelling. Social is where people spend most of their time. Social is like a movie, a feed of information to escape and to engage with funny, interesting, and engaging content. 



The best thing your brand can do is to tell your brand&#8217;s story through social with comical, encouraging, informative, and helpful content. 



&#8220;Going viral&#8221; used to be a rare and coveted thing to happen. With how social channels and organic algorithms are working, one small piece of content can rocket an individual or brand into visibility and awareness that used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How humans have failed at communication</h2>



Remember the saying &#8220;you have 2 ears and 1 mouth.&#8221;



^ This saying is WILDLY relevant to social media. 



So many brands create content to simply create. They don&#8217;t pay attention to current events, popular sounds, songs, or ideas. They just create for their own benefit and visibility. People see through the self-serving intention!



Let me say that again&#8230; People see through the self-serving intention!!!



Most brands &#8220;sink like a stone&#8221; as our pal Bob Dylan said above&#8230; They create content that doesn&#8217;t mean users are where they are. Content should be made for users based on where they are, how they are engaging with the internet, and in a fun and approachable and memorable way. We are all human after all!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cutting to the chase</h2>



Your old ways of marketing won&#8217;t cut it. Your old approaches won&#8217;t work. Lazy marketing deserves to be cut. What has worked over the last 13 years in creating your growth won&#8217;t be the same playbook you used over the next decade. 



The sooner you are intentional to connect with your audience and the internet at large, the more success you will find. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, target markets still matter, but we are talking &#8220;word of mouth&#8221; here. 



Create fun, engaging, trust-building, and valuable content that relates to your audience. You will generate engagement, engagement leads to visibility, visibility to lead flow, and lead flow means &#8220;it is time to close some sales&#8221;.



We are here to help. Give us a shout below and we will help craft a strategy that won&#8217;t leave you sinking like a stone. Because the times are changing&#8230;

Social is the secret to word-of-mouth marketing in a recession

The digital marketing world has been flipped on its head. Digital marketing agencies of yesteryear are struggling to keep up with trends and the attention span of users is quickly turning to the most entertaining and engaging brands.



Social media has made it to where the most entertaining and relatable brands are the winners.



Years ago, advertising agencies would create TV ad placements that are well thought out and planned, and they had lots of time to create!



The timeline has shifted, and brands no longer have months to plan. Marketing strategy and response to current events and current trends have lowered that execution time to hours. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The old marketing agency</h2>



Years ago brands would gameplan for months. There was a lack of tangible real-time data prior to the internet and social media. Decisions were driven by real-life focus groups, polls, and mailouts. Consumers were loyal to the big brands they simply knew and have seen before. 



We have moved from radio, television, and magazines into a more fragmented model. Now media is everywhere. Legacy marketing agencies that make laggard decisions are getting left behind and are completely losing the attention of consumers.



One-stop-shop advertising agencies were a thing of the 1800s and 1900s. At this time in history agencies were truly focused on the top of the funnel. This was primarily about creating awareness and consideration. 



A screenshot below of what I mean.



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://sbx-dev.imprint-digital.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Marketing-Funnel-Design-618x628.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3453"/></figure></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Modern Digital Marketing and Branding Agencies</h2>



The power distribution has shifted from legacy institutions to their digital counterparts. No longer do 1-2 placements reach the masses. The fragmentation of how media is consumed has completely changed how marketing is done.



Search and social platforms have created near-unlimited reach. Consumers can purchase nearly anything at any time. Thanks to such targeted reach brands can become super niche which has led to the rise of the direct-to-consumer models which are competing with bigger brands.



Premium design is now a standard. Even the smallest brands can have a luxury design and feel. Custom product design, photography, videography, and quality creative direction are more abundant than ever.



Personalized content wins.



If you have used the internet at all you have seen the well-styled and personalized content that always seems to find you. 



While digital marketing will be cutting back on pixel tracking into 2023, <a href="https://imprint-digital.tempurl.host/blog/brand-identity/your-brand-name-is-forever-keywords-are-temporary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">organic social content</a> is on the rise and its reach is getting better by the day.



Performance and Optimization are daily.



Marketing campaigns of yesteryear could run for 3-6+ months. With digital and social reach like we have with Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok campaigns can be optimized and changed daily based on user response.



Digital agencies now are standardly a/b testing everything, tracking all ads, analyzing niche customer groups, and using real-time data to drive faster and better decision-making.



The best brands move quickly.



Without a strategic plan to respond to consumer sentiment and acting responsively to the needs of your core audiences or niche, you will be replaced with a better storytelling brand that resonates and connects with consumers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Consumers are advertisers</h2>



With the rise of platforms like Youtube, Instagram, and Tik Tok we are seeing consumers more than ever, influence purchasing behavior.



First, consumer reviews and consumer affirmation of brands from influencers or respected individuals is a massive trust builder. (This is basically digital word of mouth).



This also lends itself to the idea that brands MUST be where consumers are. Brands must be present on the social platforms that influence buying and decision-making. 



This is how your brand can win!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The takeaway</h2>



The 3-6 month game plan for marketing is dying. Brands that respond in real-time to consumer needs, niche consumer data, and to social and societal trends are the winners of today and the future.



Your brand must develop a customer-centric strategy that entertains while being the advertisement all brands need.



At Imprint Digital we help craft tailored and intentionally niche marketing campaigns for brands that understand this competitive landscape shift is underway. We would love a chance to work with you. Reach out below.

instagram marketing

Social is the secret to word-of-mouth marketing in a recession

Advertising has become Entertainment