I would like to not talk about the negativity surrounding us right now. I strongly believe that the best thing about the human race is how fast we learn to adapt to new conditions. And it’s this survival instinct that will help us come out of the other end of this pandemic. In the world of business, it’s a time for do or die. And when you come to that situation, you are more open to trying out things which you probably would have never thought of doing otherwise. As the coronavirus rages across the world, businesses and brands across the world are scrambling to find new ways to find their audiences. And in search of that audience, which is now held up in confined territories, brands are finding alternative ways to fill their pipeline. And that is where content marketing and the digital space comes into the picture. With the virus blowing up all large-scale events and trade shows, marketers are now looking at content marketing more than ever. In the past 10 days, I have talked to atleast 5 business owners who have had to shut down their operations (mostly because of the industry they work in) and were now starting to build new streams of business that reach out to the audience digitally. They mostly wanted to know how they could improve their reach through their website? This trend has also been confirmed by the leads on our website. There have been businesses owners calling me to know how they could build a better website and attract more customers online, marketing heads looking for more content and brands looking for a stronger digital presence through content marketing. So, what is content marketing? According to Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” Simply said, content marketing is a part of digital marketing where content plays the lead role in building connections with the audience. Content marketing relies on an ongoing relationship with the customer by creating trust and loyalty and imparting value at every stage. Over the years, content marketing has moved beyond just writing blogs and content pieces to encompassing SEO, social media, email and content distribution. See this infographic on exactly why content marketing works. Why does this make sense now? The graph below gives a bird’s eye view on how conversion rates have been declining across industries since COVID-19. Image Source As you can see, apart from industries like Food, Pharma, Media, and Healthcare, everything else has seen a massive dip. But there’s a silver lining through this whole situation. According to eMarketer, consumers spent 6.1 hours a day online on average in early January. This number has spiked to 7.3 hours in February and March since many parts of the world went into isolation and lockdown. Which means that online marketers have a more captive audience than ever before. And this could hold the key to recovering some lost business and powering through the crisis. At Justwords, we’ve been observing this very closely as we help our clients navigate this very challenging time. In the last month or so, we’ve devised our own playbook. This playbook is all about using digital marketing, particularly content marketing service, as an anchor to tide through these times. Here are some of the most important steps: 1. Use online marketing tools to retain existing customers Needless to say, you will lose some customers as people lose their jobs and businesses start scaling back. Having said that, this is the time to make sure you’re communicating the value you’re delivering to existing customers so that yours is the last product/service that gets hacked. Here are some simple tools you can use: Marketing automation If you’ve always planned to set up personalized, targeted ways of reaching out to existing customers, this is the time to do it. Use a strong marketing automation platform (WebEngage, MoEngage etc) to find the perfect way to communicate with your customers — through a combination of emails, push notifications, app/web content, chat, and so on. Make sure that you’re staying with them through the user journey, communicating about the extraordinary situation, how you’re adapting to it, extra services, etc. Delivering a superlative customer experience at this point will go a long way to retain customers. It’s also a great long-term strategy because your staff will now have free time to focus on content creation services and ROI-generating activities. Generating success-based content It’s really important to share stories about your success and effectiveness at this time. If you’re a B2B company, creating compelling case studies and whitepapers is a great idea, as are video testimonials. Of course, it’s important to be mindful in your messaging — make sure your content reflects the fact that we are in the midst of an extraordinary crisis that we need to come together to beat. Don’t allow your content to ignore the ground reality. Stay on top of social This is the time to really up your social media game when it comes to existing customers. Create a low-cost plan to reach out to customers at every stage of the social media funnel. Use monitoring tools like Hootsuite and Brandwatch to keep a firm eye on what customers are talking about — whether it’s your brand in particular or the industry in general. Also, make sure you add to the conversation — in a way that’s respectful and appropriate, but also adds real value. 2. Leverage dirt-cheap advertising You may be tempted to pull out all your money from online advertising. But think twice before you take this step. Online engagement is at an all-time high as people are spending more time indoors and on their devices. At the same time, many businesses are withdrawing ad spends which means that the auctioning system is
Month: April 2020
11 Reasons Why Nimble Content Trumps Everything Else
There are about 4.5 billion internet users around the world. According to CMI, half of today’s 18 to 49-year-olds read news and information online and 61% of American consumers made e-purchase decisions after reading recommendations on a blog. What does this data mean for marketers? Online consumers today are smarter and more informed. They don’t rely on companies or brands for answers. They choose and review a wide net of resources to extract the information they need. As marketers, it’s up to you to create this valuable info-pool, and make it available across all channels. That’s content marketing in a nutshell. Creating value-added nimble content that educates and informs readers rather than explicitly promoting a brand is the key to increasing the value of your brand. If you haven’t incorporated content marketing in your digital strategy yet, here are compelling reasons for you to do so: Great content builds brand trust People should see you or your brand as an authority in your field. For instance, what’s the first name that comes to mind for sports shoes and accessories? Most would say Adidas or Nike. That’s because these brands have established themselves as unshakeable experts in the domain. Or at least, created such messaging. Both companies spend time and effort to create snappy, share-worthy, and value-added content. People love that they anticipate questions and provide fun answers, which boosts brand perception. Gradually, consumers begin to see you as a reliable authority. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does, over time. Smart campaigns grab eyeballs You’re new in the game, and nobody’s heard of you. But a clever marketer can generate the right kind of noise to create awareness and pull in leads. For instance, a software development firm that sells e-learning tools can publish how-to videos about their products and its benefits, which are then boosted on YouTube, your website and social media. Create blogs about their unmatched benefits for users, send e-mailers, and reveal how corporations can weave in e-learning in everyday operations. Slowly and steadily, online readership will rise. Your blog organic traffic will increase, and so will your search rankings. Instill brand credibility in the eyes of Google The search engine’s algorithm remains a mystery, and nobody knows the exact formula (or its extent) that Google uses to rank search results. But what we do know, is that the algorithm is centred around providing the most useful, vetted results for users. As long as you create high-value content (preferably, multimedia) that readers love to read and share, you’re good. If your ranking doesn’t match your best SEO efforts, it’s time for something different. Today, digital > traditional In 2014, the Aberdeen Group showed how online marketing is six times more powerful than traditional media when it comes to converting leads into paying customers. While TV, print, radio and newspapers hold considerable sway in developing countries, digital marketing methods like social media, e-mailers and blogging have made a powerful climb to the top. Build relationships If your website has unique, informative content that provides value, visitors will keep coming back to your website. For instance we all know Neil Patel as an SEO expert. Every blog he writes is focussed around offering valuable tips and strategies to help brands and digital marketers solve problems faced by them in today’s ever competitive scenario. Similarly Backlink’s Brian Dean is known for providing valuable tips in the form of case studies which gives the impression that it’s tried and tested and therefore trustworthy. People have come to regard them as experts in the field and look to him for any information around the subject. That’s the kind of relationship you should be looking to build with your visitors. Earn precious backlinks Backlinking is when an external or third party website hyperlinks to your SEO content, citing it as a useful reference. If that site is a credible, high-quality source, your audience will multiply exponentially, boosting referral traffic and leading to a higher presence on the seach engine result page (SERP). Google takes the high quality backlink as a sign of trust, and pushes you up on the radar. Targeted content influences purchase decisions Most people look up product recommendations, study user complaints and compare prices before making an online purchase. Blogs, aggregator websites, news portals and best social media channels present a crucible of varied opinion, and brands must strike while hot. Turn buying behaviour your way by providing answers to the questions the user might have. It can be about a common problem that the product aims to solve or a how-to guide that tells or shows the user how useful and easy-to-use the product is. For instance how-to videos, podcasts, social media posts etc are a good idea. Funnel your inbound marketing Gone are the days when you could push marketing material into people’s faces—think direct methods like flyers, brochures and TV commercials. Audience these days hate pushy advertising and being told what to do. They’d rather exercise their own sense of judgement, compare brands, and see if you work for them. Content marketing does just that. Help them decide what is best for them. If somebody wants the best sunscreen in the market, create indirect content that also lists peripheral information. Why are sun-screens essential during summer? What are its scientific benefits? Do effects differ with age and location? Track the common questions a potential customer might have, provide all answers, and voila—you’ve built credibility. Here are some tools that help identify you identify such opportuinities. BuzzSumo – Simplifies content research by bringing up popular posts using keywords. UberSuggest – Primarily a keyword research tool. Can help content research by bringing up search queries that users generally type in. Google Alerts – Helps you stay ahead of the curve by notifying of whenever new content is published around your keyword. SentiOne – A social media listening tool, it tracks brand mentions and conversations around a given keyword.
How Should Brands Communicate Now: 4 Companies That Are Getting It Right
As the Corona crisis took over the world, several brands pulled back their advertising and marketing efforts. While some feared that marketing campaigns could earn backlash against the brand, some just didn’t know to say. So, should brands communicate? Should they communicate at all? A 12-market study (12,000 people were interviewed across countries by PR company Edelman) on what role customers expected brands to play reveals some interesting points. Customers want brands to act responsibly, take care of their employees, and not aim to reap benefit from the crisis. Respondents wanted brands only to speak about their products after knowing how people’s lives are getting impacted by the crisis. Several said they wanted brands to make a difference during the hour of crisis by helping the community and bringing everyone together. Brands, they felt, should use their power to educate and inform. Everyone wanted to hear from the brands they associate with, but was expecting messaging that had empathy for the struggles that were being faced. Having said that, this crisis is a great opportunity for brands to talk to their customers. It’s a moment for them to prove that humanity comes before profits. While many brands did end up losing this golden opportunity by putting the proverbial foot in the mouth, others have really been able to build an amazing crisis communication strategy. Here are some brands that have really aced their messaging and communication at this time of crisis: Pidilite Pidilite’s Fevicol has been acing its social media game for a while. This simple but powerful creative said it all. It kept the seriousness of the situation and the messaging about social distancing at the forefront, but the brand imagery and their core brand messaging is also integrated beautifully. Social distancing made simple #corona #FevicolKaJod #MazbootJod This, by the way, isn’t the first time that Pidilite has created such creatives on topical issues. From the Mumbai rains to Brexit to Game of Thrones, Fevicol social media channels have been buzzing with fun, quirky takes that sometimes incorporate important messages. Lifebuoy In times of crisis, innovative messaging is great but it’s even better if it’s backed by some on-ground action. And that’s exactly what Lifebuoy has done so well. For many years now, Lifebuoy’s brand messaging has centred around the importance of washing your hands, so their Corona campaign was simple yet effective. However, it’s not just the messaging that Lifebuoy did so effectively. They have actually partnered with PayTM on a crowdfunding campaign to get people to donate sanitizers and soaps to domestic workers, migrant labour, and other disadvantaged sections of society. During the Corona Crisis, it’s not just about innovative messaging, brands have to be ready to back their words with action. Zomato Zomato is another brand that has really got its crisis communications plan in place. The brand has set up an initiative to provide free meals to migrant workers and daily wage labourers as India goes through its 21-day lockdown. What’s more, it also has an option on the app where (if you’re practising social distancing), you can request your delivery rider to leave your food outside the door instead of handing it to you. Now that’s what we call some next level crisis communication strategy! Once again, this has worked so well because Zomato has been unafraid to put its money where its mouth is. With the recent COVID-19 lockdowns the daily wager community has seen their only source of income come to a screeching halt, leaving them struggling to arrange for food for their family. Please help.by donating to ‘Feed the daily wager’ to help ensure they don’t sleep hungry during this period of lockdowns. Click the link in our bio to contribute. #BeaHungerHero #Bethechange #Covid19 TravelBlue Travel Blue is a travel accessories brand that provided over 2000 N90 face masks to travel retail partner Flemingo. This helped Flemingo protect airport staff against the COVID-19 across airports in India Mumbai Duty-Free, Go Duty-Free, and the Duty-Free Galleria stores in Delhi and Bangalore all received these masks. Once again, measures like these go a long way in building brand goodwill at a time when the world is grappling with so much panic and uncertainty. Amul When it comes to topical content, few can nail it like Amul. This time too the brand’s simple yet effective copy brought home the strong and powerful message of hygiene and social distancing. #Amul Topical: Precautions against the Coronavirus! Read also: Content Marketing During the Times of Crisis What can we learn from these brands? There’s a lot that marketers can learn from brands at this time of Corona crisis — both in terms of what to do as well as what not to do. Here are some of our key takeaways: Be mindful of the situation People are grappling with an unprecedented situation — and it’s likely to constantly play at the back of their mind. This doesn’t mean that you only need to create content and messaging around COVID-19, but it does mean that you have to address the crazy reality of the moment. Even if you’re putting out a regular story, it’s a good idea to mention the pandemic and the current situation first. Back words with actions This is something that every brand that’s nailing their communication strategy at this point is doing. Any number of brands are sending emails to their customers saying “We are with you during this tough time”, but that isn’t enough. Not by far. You can either make a donation to a worthy cause, organize a cause yourself or even provide some extra value to customers during this period. People will always remember how brands valued and supported them at this juncture so it’s very crucial to get this right. Avoid fear-mongering This one is an absolute must. You have to realize that people are suffering from all kinds of stress and anxiety at the moment — whether it’s about their job,
Working from Home: 11 Tips to Help You Stay Super Focussed and Avoid Distractions
Kids running around, television channels screaming out news, your spouse wanting something done urgently, meals waiting to be cooked and household chores waiting to be finished. That is the home situation that most of us are dealing with nowadays. Add to that the constant stream of notifications that pop up on different messaging channels, and inboxes, and temptations to scroll through our social media newsfeeds and, perhaps even, roll on the bed; and you have a pretty difficult task of staying focussed while working from home. Our responsibility towards our family and society kept us home and our responsibility towards our clients kept us working. The Justwordians are committed to their deliverables. #StayAtHome #WorkFromHome #CoronaVirus #Covid19 #AgencyLife 12 Likes, 0 Comments – Justwords Consultants (@justwordsconsultants) on Instagram: “Our responsibility towards our family and society kept us home and our responsibility towards our…” Studies have shown that a knowledge worker on an average checks his email every 8 minutes and his Skype or other IM messages every 6 minutes in an 8-hour workday. This essentially means that he spends just few minutes before going back to checking/answering emails or messages. Basically, you are constantly battling distractions, procrastination and lack of focus. If you are one among countless others stuck in such a situation, you’re at the right place. Check out these 11 really helpful ways to build your focus and get your work done. 11 Fantastic tips on how to stay laser-focused on your work 1. Prioritize Prioritizing your tasks for the day is very important so as not to get distracted or embroiled in unimportant tasks. Identify your priorities before you get started for the day. Once you have important tasks chalked out, you will be more focussed and find it easier to say no to other tasks that divert your attention. 2. Start Early Whether you’re a morning person or not, if you have to work from home, you’d better get started with it as soon as possible. Start as soon as you get up. All other household chores can wait. Starting early helps you stay focussed as you wake up with a fresh mind. Several productivity experts have maintained that people are most productive in the morning hours. Also count in the factor (as per the British Journal of Psychology) that people are mostly loaded with energy and happier when they wake in the morning. 3. Stop Multitasking Multitasking doesn’t work in tasks which require a lot of thinking. Try to concentrate on one task and finish it before you move on to something else. If you switch in between, you’ll break the flow and it will take some time before your mind can focus on the first task again. Before you know it, you will have already lost 20-25 minutes in the process. 4. Set a Schedule for the day Plan your day and try to have some semblance with your original workday at the office. Plan your usual 8-hour workday including start time, short breaks, lunch breaks and the log out time. Try to get as much done during that time. It’s okay to not get everything done as per plan. Some pending tasks don’t hurt. 5. Be Organized The organization is the key to improving your productivity. Keep your work desk at home tidy and every essential stationery in a place like notepad, pens, markers, earphones if you listen to music while working etc. Keeping everything neat and organized will prevent you from wasting your time looking for them. 6. Use the Pomodoro Technique Image Source This is a time management method that breaks down work into fixed intervals followed by a short break. This means you work for 25 minutes straight without any distraction and then take a 5-minute break. Every 25-minute interval is referred to as Pomodoro. Once four Promodoros have passed which means 100 minutes, you can take a 15-20 minute break. This keeps your mind fresh and focussed. A study by Airtasker also revealed that 37% of employees felt that breaks helped their productivity. It takes time to master the Promodoro technique. It takes time to master the technique but once you do you will see your productivity levels rise. 7. No Social Media You need your phone while working to communicate with colleagues, we get that. But try to resist picking up your phone every few minutes to check social media, Whatsapp etc. You have to be firm about it and discipline yourself if you want to work productively from home. 8. Promise Yourself a Reward Promise yourself a small treat like a cup of coffee, treating yourself to a snack or catching up on a movie once you’re done with a particular task. This will inspire and motivate you to get it done. Who said bribes are just for kids? 9. Have some People Time It’s easy to lock yourself up in a room while working from home to avoid distraction but it can also get lonely at times. Build-in networking with your colleagues into your weekly schedule. Schedule a time slot once or twice a week for a video call with your co-workers. This will not just help to stay connected but also fight bouts of boredom that are bound to settle in when you are working from home. 10. Get the Right Tools Just like a hi-speed wi-fi helps you work smoothly, so do the right tools. Whether you are a writer, designer, software engineer or provide online marketing services, right tools are important in getting the work done quickly and more efficiently. There are a number of tools for time tracking, file sharing, communication and project management tools making easier to get the work flowing smoothly without wasting too much time on unnecessary things like sending emails, messaging colleagues for clarification etc. 11. Know when to end When you’re working from home it is easy to lose track of time