IN CASE YOU FORGOT, MARKETING IS FUN
Universal Pictures / The Holiday 2006 by Nancy Meyers
When we think about the #1 thing businesses forget when it comes to their digital marketing, it’s that it’s supposed to be fun. And not just in terms of the content you’re creating or messaging you’re putting together but the actual act of marketing: brainstorming, strategizing, and executing is inherently one of the most creative functions of any business.
With the influx of channels marketing is responsible for, and the amount of time we spend online consuming content, it can quickly feel more draining than inspiring.
The truth is the more fun you have with your marketing efforts, the more engaged your audience will be. If you feel your marketing is monotonous or stale, there’s a good chance your audience does, too. So how do we refuel your proverbial empty marketing tank? We re-energize.
How to make marketing fun
Mood board: Start a collaborative shared board on Pinterest. Invite other members of your team (even if they aren’t involved with marketing), mentors, or even friends whose content eye you trust. Ask them to pin images, graphics, quotes etc that they find on Pinterest that reminds them of your brand, service, or a specific product. Getting new eyes on crowdsourced content that reminds them of your brand can inspire a plethora of new ideas. Here’s a look at the board we curate for Dive In Digital.
Experiment: It’s time to Bill Nye The Science Guy your own social presence and experiment. If you’re nailing consistency but getting bored in the output, try something completely different. Taking content types you're obsessed with and workshopping them to fit your business or niche often leads to wonderful results.
Consume: It’s rare that anyone should be following advice that encourages them to consume more content on social media. Hi, it’s us. Encouraging you to do exactly that. Start curating your social media feed like you would your own personal magazine. Full of stories, people, and ads that you think are engaging, inspiring, and visually interesting. Start consuming more content that inspires you and less content where you find yourself playing comparison games.
Connect: When you’ve been living in the weeds, it can be hard to muster the energy to come up with content ideas. Our one-on-one consulting services were designed to help you ideate, prioritize, brainstorm, and most importantly, re-energize yourself when it comes to what content you’re putting on the internet.
Holiday planning starts now 🎄
Behind-the-scenes brands are beginning to plan for Q4. To the average internet consumer, this probably feels aggressive. To those of us who help execute Q4 campaigns, summer really is the season to be jolly. Instead of looking at this as a huge lift, we like to throw on our favorite Xmas playlist and rock out while planning an epic EOY content schedule.
Now is the time to keep your VIPs highly engaged and to re-engage lapsed customers so they’re more open to your marketing efforts come November.
How brands maximize holiday / eoy planning
New launches: Over the next month or so, check in on your favorite brands (and keep your eyes on your inbox) for new products and brand partnerships. Summer campaigns allow brands to find new audience members and nurture them before the holiday season.
Summer incentives: As brands prepare to launch new products for Q4, they’re looking to make space for new inventory. It’s no coincidence that Amazon Prime Day happens in July every year. Data in the summer can also help retailers retarget the same folks EOY. ProTip: July is one of the best months to get your wishlist items at a discount.
Holiday-themed blog content: It takes about 3-6 months for blogs to pick up SEO juice. With this in mind, brands will start writing relevant holiday content now so it’s prepped and ready come Q4.
Here's how we can help
Our Black Friday/Cyber Monday planning framework has helped 20+ eComm businesses have their best holiday seasons ever. We spend the entire month of July celebrating like it’s December, putting together a tactical plan that outlines key dates, core incentives, and channel priorities. The result? You’ll slide into Q4 just like Santa in a chimney — Prepped and ready to go.
Jingle all the way onto our calendars to learn more about our BFCM consulting package.
Your new favorite follow: Meet The St. Vrain!
The St. Vrain is a luxurious industrial wedding venue located in Longmont, Colorado. They were inspired to open their space after planning three family weddings in a single year and running into the same issue — It felt impossible to find a space that encouraged a day-of ease without sacrificing aesthetics or spending tens of thousands of dollars to get exactly what you want.
Fast forward to today and their space has been voted Best of Industrial Wedding Venues for the past six years straight by The Knot.
We’ve been consulting with their team for 2+ years and they put as much intention into their marketing, messaging, and client experience as they do into their thoughtfully curated space.
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This is an excerpt from our new monthly newsletter, Dialed In, where we’re sharing strategies that are kicking ass (or not, you can’t always be #winning), internet trends that are inspiring us to get creative, and introducing you to small businesses whose digital presence deserves your attention. Each month, we hope you walk away feeling less overwhelmed by the digital world and, instead, more Dialed In.