"virtual events will never be able to match the feeling of in person.."
It’s a narrative I’ve been reading a lot in Linkedin land of late.
Well no offence, but maybe you’re hanging out at the wrong online events…
I won’t lie. Selling tickets for The Digital Circus LIVE were a bit of a slog this year. Especially with the current cost of living crisis we have recognised that people are prioritising their spending in different ways. And quite simply when it comes to online its easy to excuse yourself, to book out your diary with other things. The value is seemingly weighted differently to booking yourself in to something in person.
In fact one person excused themselves from coming by saying they felt that they knew everything they need to know right now. That same person is booked on to an in person learning event in just a few weeks time...
So what is the problem?
Death by PowerPoint. One directional webinars. Taking the lead from the Zoom host. Not having a voice.
Like I said. You’re hanging out at the wrong online events.
Now, one thing I know we can’t ever replicate are the hugs. The wonderful Jackie Goddard - Power To Speak mentioned this the other day. She’s a hugger. You definitely can’t do that online.
Nope you can’t.
But you CAN replicate so much other stuff. And in actual fact when done right I think it can be better than in person.
Here are a few thoughts I have had since reflecting on this years The Digital Circus LIVE event.
This year at ????The Digital Circus LIVE we facilitated a warm up act, 4xkeynote presentations, 10x 30 minute workshops, an expo, networking sessions and a sundowners session. All in all that was 20 different opportunities on the schedule that our online guests could get involved in.
Alan and I are a small business team of two. It’s just us. There is no way we could have packed that much value into an in-person event by ourselves, not to mention juggling the logistics of moving over 100 humans around a physical space.
Think of the time wasted at physical events herding visitors from space to space. Waiting for the room to fill, getting comfy in seats, waiting for a few stragglers to come back from the loo. Waiting for the speaker to set up at the front, settling down the noise before starting.
Using Hopin for our event was incredible and for the most part transitioning between speakers was seamless. Alan and I were in mission control throughout the day ensuring that 5-10mins before we had the next expert lined up, tested and energised.
We had a 91% turn out on the day which was incredible. And from the LIVE attendees [ replays were available to those who couldn’t make the day LIVE] the average time spent at the event per visitor was 6hrs and 17mins. Our virtual doors opened from 08:45 to have some opportunity to network before the first live element at 09:45 and closed at 17:30. This meant that the majority of the attendees were in it for the long haul. People fed back that they couldn’t wait for the next thing on the agenda, in fact one attendee was having so much fun that she forgot to pick up her own children from school at 3pm.
One major win was that people seemingly enjoyed and valued the 30min session times throughout the day. No long and arduous 2hr zoom webinars but fast paced and balanced sessions filled with value and a couple of key takeaways per session that were immediately actionable. This meant that if a particular topic didn’t resonate with an individual they weren’t tied into an hour long session where they could be utilising their time better. We also ensured that there were two sessions running side by side at all times to ensure that the choice was left in the hand of the participant.
Managing visitor participation at an in person event is hard. Think about it for a second from both session delivery and participant perspective in an auditorium. The speaker is delivering one to many and for the most part this is one way delivery, all be it on a stage. The room may be listening but for the most part silent. You sit with someone to your left and to your right and you may converse but you’re not chatting to the person in the back row or in seat 4F.
In an online space the dialogue is free flowing throughout the session. If you’ve chosen to keep your camera on you can read the room, you can look at facial reactions, you can leave continuous feedback and comments in the chat, you can spark conversations for later on in the day because you’re not leaving it for the potential Q&A at the end of a physical session [ if anyone has been brave enough to raise their hand in public]
By running an online event somewhere like Hopin and by thoughtfully curating an event schedule that took in so much we really did put the choice in the hands of our event visitors. For those that wanted to learn? They did. For those that wanted to sit in the networking zone all day? They did. There were those that interacted with their cameras and microphones on and those preferred to stay off camera. Those that made a hundred comments and got involved in the polls and those that just listened and absorbed.
The day could be exactly what you wanted it to be.
But yes Emily you say, it’s not all about the learning sessions at at an in person event. The magic happens during lunch or at the bar….
Well that surely depends on your own character doesn’t it?
If you’re anything like me at public events you gravitate to the people you know rather than standing in the middle of the space hoping to find a random face you’ve never met. In fact in a busy room I find it an absolute social nightmare to make sure I can give everyone the right amount of attention, making eye contact whilst eating a sausage roll at a buffet, trying to listen intently to the person next to me whilst having a sensory overload with the other conversations happening at the same time.
Arguably you have the opportunity to speak to MORE people at an online event than in person in a calmer, turn taking environment.
So that takes me to point 5…
Yes you often get lunch at an in person event. Sometimes it’s provided, at other events you’ve got paid options. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out at an online event.
In year one of The Digital Circus LIVE we trialled something that we may actually bring back for 2024. Lunch in the post!
As part of our offering we wanted to feel as close to an in person conference as possible but just in an online space. We worked with two catering companies to provide post friendly lunch options to our participants. One was an afternoon tea style box supplied by Chouxlicious and the other a charcuterie box from The Slinky Fox.
People could opt in if they wanted or alternatively nip down into their kitchens to make a cheese sarnie during the lunch break meaning that those who wanted to be catered for could fully absorb the day. They had commonality with others who received their box on the morning of the event and they could use the lunch break to eat amongst their event colleagues and peers and have that conversation point you would have at an in person conference.
Much like in point 4 we trialled this in year one with post friendly gin cocktails for the sundowners at the end of the day. We dropped the mail order gin but the Sundowners session has remained for every LIVE so far. This year Alan and I arrived at a packed full Sundowners room with two cans of red stripe and laid back in our chairs. Everyone brought a long a drink if they wanted one and we just unpicked the day that was and shared stories, wins and future thoughts. We couldn’t get everyone to leave at the end!
The Digital Circus LIVE opened us up to participants globally. And yes, at some stage our little event delivered by our little team of two might be the size of the likes of CEX and Social Media Marketing World whereby participants are willing to fly half way across the world to join us in person but for now we’re still Emily and Alan from Yellow Tuxedo with our bijou audience that we are growing daily.
Our online event allowed us to interact with people from USA, Australia, Finland, Germany, Dubai, India and beyond.
And whilst yes, we still agree that we couldn’t have hugs on the day, networking in the way we did online means that we can cut to the chase when we next see people in the real world. I don’t need or want to hug EVERYONE, there are some key people that I now know that I absolutely want to continue building a relationship with after The Digital Circus LIVE. I’ll seek them out for a hug later!
The Digital Circus LIVE will be back next year continuing to build human connection in a digital world. Sign up here to be on the waiting list to find out more when details are released..
This week we were absolutely pleased as punch to be asked to feature on the OC podcast with the wonderful Sophie Easton from Outdoor Ceremonies. In this episode we talked all about our experience of growing an outdoor business online for nearly a decade and of course offered our pearls of wisdom from a Yellow Tuxedo perspective now that we have exited the outdoor events industry.
Lots of you who have followed Yellow Tuxedo for a while now will know our backstory. We spent many, many years in the events industry and were presented with so many incredible opportunities mainly down to the online presence that we carefully crafted with Baylily Bell Tents.
So this episode is mainly targeted at those of you who are working within the wedding an events industry. For those of you that are INCREDIBLY skilled at what you do in events but who may struggle slightly to know your point of difference and to get your business seen in what is now a very crowded industry.
We discuss some of the key foundation blocks that events business owners should focus on and how social listening is paramount to successful content strategy!
Thank you massively to Sophie for giving us this opportunity to chat about a subject that really is close to our heart. We will always be a little bit in love with outdoor events!! And if you know of anyone who works in the outdoor wedding industry and who is trying to grow an outdoor events business online do sign post them to this podcast. It's well worth a listen!
If you need support with growing your outdoor events business online we are absolutely here to help. Visit our services page to find out about all of the different ways that we can support you
We were absolutely delighted when Gayle Tong from Enrichment Coaching asked if we would like to help kick off series two of her podcast 'Confidence Conversations." We always love a good podcast discussion and this one was a particularly interesting topic. We were discussing confidence with your online presence and how business owners might sometimes have to feel a little bit uncomfortable, a little out of those comfort zones we all have, to strive for great things with our business and to show up for our clients and customers.
WIth a strong background in retail management and retail training Gayle is now an accredited Coaching practitioner. Her vision is to live in a world where people are confident to be the best authentic versions of themselves every single day. Enrichment Coaching exists to help empower people to take action through the exploration of clarity, courage and confidence for a more enriched life.
Now back for its second series, the Confidence Conversations podcast is hosted by Gayle and she talks with others about all things confidence from the highs to the lows and everything in between.
In our episode [ which you can listen to below] we talk about everything from marketing structure to your ecosystems to micro & macro marketing, from seasonal affective disorder affecting confidence to you being the expert on you.
There are some moments in this episode where we talk about upbringing, anxiety being a child at school again, getting the answer wrong and how that would affect confidence. We agree that often there's more to be said in saying nothing when it comes to content but that takes confidence to say to yourself I'm not going to post anything this week.
Thank you so much to Gayle for allowing us the opportunity to talk about Confidence with your online presence. Do be sure to give the episode a listen and as always #besocial give her a follow and some love out there on the socials!
If you're a small business owner, it can feel like the world is constantly changing. From internet marketing to social media strategies and everything in between, it seems like there are always new things to learn about running your company. However, there's one thing that never changes.. the importance of community for small business owners.
Community is a great way to build your brand. But not only that it is a great way to build your business. And not only that, its is a great way to support your customer base. AND NOT ONLY THAT [!] Its an incredible way to build you reputation and your network too.
In fact it's simple. Community is awesome.
If you're a small business owner, you may be thinking that community isn't something that applies to your particular industry or company size. But even if you don't think of yourself as part of a larger group, and even if your business has only one employee, you are still part of an ecosystem with which customers interact and engage online, in person and through social media channels. The more connected we are with each other (in person or virtually), the better our experiences will be as consumers and clients.
Community building is ridiculously straightforward but its easy to get blinkered by the larger players out there that make it look so complex. Its important to remember these four things to get started.
Ask questions and listen. Small business owners are often so busy running their companies that they don't have time to listen or respond to customer concerns, especially in person. But when you're able to put aside the stress of daily operations and actually engage with people, it can go a long way toward building trust between your brand and its customers.
Be there for them on social media. Social media is an excellent platform for connecting with customers because it allows you to build relationships outside of work hours (and even across time zones). If someone has a question about something related to your product or service, or even just wants advice about using it, you can use these platforms as a way of engaging directly with them without having any face-to-face contact at all! Just remember: always be respectful when responding online; if someone posts something negative about your company or products/services, don't get defensive! Instead try asking questions about how things went wrong so that next time around everything goes smoothly again...which brings us back around again into another key point here which is...
If you want to grow a community, be present. It's that simple.
Be authentic. If you don't have time for your community, why would anyone else? Don't make excuses or give yourself an out, the more honest you are about your schedule and availability, the better off everyone will be in understanding what it takes for them to get involved with what matters most to them (and their businesses).
Be consistent. You don't need to post every day or even every week; however, if there is no consistency then people will lose interest quickly because they won't know when they can expect new content from you next! If possible try posting at least once per week so that others can plan around this schedule knowing when they can count on seeing new content being created by someone who cares enough about them as individuals versus just another business owner trying something different out on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram where there's little accountability required when it comes down too whether someone actually cares about doing business with us.
You're probably familiar with the concept of community, but what does it actually mean? The dictionary defines a community as "a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common." In this case, we're talking about your business and its surrounding ecosystem, the customers and clients who support your work.
Community is important because it helps us feel connected to others around us and increases our sense of belonging. It also allows us to share knowledge, resources, and experiences that benefit everyone involved in some way or another. This can be especially beneficial for small businesses owners who are working solo most days (or nights) at their desk or standing behind a barista station at their coffee shop!
One of the best ways to learn about your community is by connecting with other people in it. Online communities are a great way to do this, as they allow you to share knowledge and experiences with others who have similar goals or interests. You can also use online communities as an opportunity for self-marketing, as many people will be interested in what you have to offer if they know about your business through these groups.
You don't need any special tools or equipment for this step; all it takes is dedicated time to be present and to engage. Something we ALL forget to do sometimes!
The importance of community for small business owners is something that can't be overstated. If you're a small business owner and you don't know who your customers are, or what they like, or how they interact with each other online, well then, you're going to have a hard time building a community around your brand.
But it doesn't have to be scary! Community building is actually one of the easiest ways to grow your business and there are plenty of tools out there that make it easier than ever before. You just have to get personal with customers (which I know can feel uncomfortable if this isn't something you've done before). And showing up regularly makes all the difference. Showing up regularly means being yourself instead of putting on an act; being authentic means making sure that everything about how people interact with each other shows up in every interaction between members of an online community, including comments from community manager who participate actively as well as regular updates from wider team members who represent themselves authentically too!
We hope you’ve learned a lot about the importance of community for small business owners. Community is key to growing your business, and it can be a lot of fun too! We know that starting out as an entrepreneur can be challenging but don’t worry, we’re here to help. If you want more resources on how to build your business online simply and effectively then do be sure to join our very own community The Digital Circus. It's our monthly membership packed full of other small business owners and creatives striving to build a better business in the online space. We would love to see you there!
At the last conference or event you attended, did you ever wonder how people made connections? How they were able to meet new people and network? Of course, there is always the traditional method of meeting people in person. However, with such a vast number of events being held online these days, this can make it difficult to speak with the right people at them and to make those all important human connections – which is why we’re here to help! Here are some of our top tips for networking at a virtual event.
Don't be afraid to reach out to others.
Networking is all about making connections with people. If you're new to an event, come up with a few questions you can ask people who might be able to help you make those connections. This can include asking someone where they are from, or what they do. If the person seems like they might be helpful in connecting you with other attendees at the event, get their contact information so that you can follow up later on!
The first rule of networking is that you get out what you put in. You can't expect to meet and connect with everyone if you're only focusing on your existing contacts and not reaching out to new people who might be interested in what you have to offer.
It's a good idea to have a few introductions ready before going into the event, so that when someone comes up and asks what your business is about or why they should care about it, you can give them something real right away—not just some generic elevator pitch about how great everything is going without any proof of results.
Don't be afraid to reach out to people you didn't connect with during the event. Even though it can be intimidating, it's worth it! You never know what could happen and how beneficial a second chance meeting could be. Don't hesitate to send a follow-up email or message after the event, especially if there were some people who seemed particularly interested in what you were doing or saying throughout the day. Even if they don't respond right away, don't take it personally—just try again later on down the road when things have settled back down from all of the hustle and bustle of the event itself.
Of course, there's more to networking than just meeting new people. Here are some tips for making the most of your virtual connections:
Networking is an important part of being successful. It's the best way to get new clients, find new opportunities, meet new people and get to know your industry. Networking can also help you build relationships with other professionals in your field and make connections that can lead to exciting collaborations.
Don't forget it's always useful to reach out to the event organiser or the other event speakers after the event itself. Ask questions about their talk and get to know them a little better. Active participation in sessions not only helps pack the event with quality discussion amongst attendees but is also a sure fire way of getting noticed on the day and encouraging others to chat to you. Don't be a background lurker- get involved!
You could always offer to help and support with the next event. Perhaps give yourself an opportunity to be a speaker and share your wealth of knowledge as well to benefit the event community.
The day before the event, send a reminder to your own network that you'll be live during the virtual event to encourage additional sign ups. You can use social media and email to remind people. For example...
A virtual event is a great opportunity to share your own content, after all, the more people who attend the more opportunities you will have for networking with a broader range of people. As the attendee it is in your best interests for the virtual event to be as successful as possible!
While you can’t shake hands or make direct eye contact with your fellow attendees, it is still possible to network at a virtual event. The same skills that make networking in person effective apply just as easily to networking online: they include creating human connections, building trust and forming quality partnerships.
At The Digital Circus LIVE, our annual one day virtual business conference, we strive to make virtual networking one of the core pillars of the day as we see how incredibly important it is. Don't forget, human connections in a digital world is the main theme for the 2023 show!
Throughout the day we will be encouraging virtual networking as much as possible throughout our interactive workshops, the chat and of course the speed networking zone sponsored by our amazing event sponsors ONLE Networking.
And the benefit? Virtual events like The Digital Circus LIVE open us up to a really exciting space. We are no longer constrained by geography with our connections. Virtual events mean a global network of people from all across the world and that is a VERY exciting place to be!
So, if you're new to virtual networking, or just looking to improve your skills in general, these tips can help you. Remember: it's not a competition and networking isn't supposed to be stressful! Just remember that everyone else at the event is there for the same reason: they want to meet people and learn more about their industry. So take a deep breath, reach out when necessary and don't forget about your network before the day even begins (and after).
Do you want to find out more about The Digital Circus LIVE and how you can network virtually with other small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the world?
The Digital Circus LIVE 2023 is being hosted over on Hopin on the 28th March 2023 and is all about human connections in a digital world. It's an incredible one day virtual event designed to help celebrate your digital visibility, business growth and the new opportunities to support that growth. We would absolutely love to see you there!
The terms “branding” and “marketing” are often used interchangeably, but, while they are both services we offer at Creative ID, they are distinct and different concepts. However, like shoelaces and shoes, branding and marketing are at their best when they work together. In many cases, they enhance the offering.
Put simply, branding is who you are and marketing is how you spread awareness.
Branding is your identity, it is built from your core values, your beliefs, and your culture. Branding is the embodiment of everything that makes your company unique, and it should be represented at every touchpoint from your logo to how you speak.
Marketing is how you tell people about your brand, products, and services. It’s advertising, direct mail, social media, promotional events, and word of mouth. Marketing is any activity you undertake to make people more aware of your business and what it offers.
Marketing without branding makes it almost impossible to build a loyal customer base. You may sell individual products to one-time buyers, but you won’t give them an identity to associate with, encourage them to come back, or empower them to spread the word.
If every element of your marketing is created to represent your branding, then you are selling not just single products, but your entire business.
From the channels we use to how we use them, marketing is constantly changing, and faster than ever before. Whether using print, broadcasting, digital, or social media, marketing trends are always evolving and, while previously this occurred over months and years, modern media means trends today can last just weeks.
Marketing has to respond quickly to this moving environment if it is to be effective, but it should never do so at the cost of losing its brand identity. By filtering all marketing activity through the constant of your brand, its values, and its style, you ensure that you are always building, selling, and affirming the identity which makes your business stand out.
Your marketing is a fundamental touchpoint of your brand and should always be treated as such.
If your branding is clearly defined, then your marketing can react to its environment while ensuring it remains unmistakably “on brand”. Behind the scenes, this requires expertise and diligent work. To your customer, it should appear seamless. If you have created branding that fits naturally into your customers' lives, by giving them something to align with, aspire to, or take comfort in, then your marketing can make that brand part of the conversations the customer is already having and, in turn, generate conversations about your brand.
Just like a Michelin star chef elevating a classic dish with their skill and creativity, it is the seamless integration between well-established branding and fluid marketing which helps your business grow most effectively, and it is why we offer both services together.
For a marketing agency to be effective, it needs to intimately understand its client's branding. By being both a branding and a marketing agency, Creative ID is uniquely positioned to help generate continued success and constant brand growth.
We join the dots between branding, marketing, and customers to help businesses get noticed and create long-lasting connections with those customers.
Just as shoes fit best when they are laced neatly together, marketing is at its most effective when it ties together a clear, well-designed and consistent brand. The stronger this bond between brand and marketing the better the fit will be. Working seamlessly together, your business can reach new audiences and sustained growth.
If you would like to create the right fit for your business, please contact Vaishali, Founder and Creative Director of Creative ID, about how your branding and marketing can work effectively together. Please also enquire about our new ‘Elevate’ Marketing services.
Sign up to our online publication 'Crop Mark | bringing innovation into focus' where you will find our curated pick of innovative branding and marketing ideas.
Email [email protected], visit our website www.creative-id.com or call +44 (0)20 7242 1877.
This week Alan had an opportunity to be interviewed as a podcast guest for Newtons Nuggets hosted by Paul and Jesse. It was a really fun hour with some great conversation. We’re going to be sharing lots about it over the coming week on our socials to make sure we can help get eyes on the episode, but it got us thinking, how can you maximise your own opportunities if and when you have the chance to guest on someone else’s podcast. Here are five simple things that you can be doing as a minimum. These are by no means exhaustive!
Spotify is the worlds biggest music and podcast streaming platform with 422 million people using the platform at least once a month.
If your marketing strategy involves guesting on other peoples podcasts then why on earth would you not create a Spotify playlist of the podcasts you have featured on? Not only are Spotify playlists searchable but they are a great thing to share out to your audience as part of your content strategy. What a great way to show your brand authority by showcasing your back catalogue of interviews with other industry professionals!
Something we have discussed long and hard here at Yellow Tuxedo is the rise of the video podcast. It really is the top of the tree when creating macro content. More and more creators are utilising video first and then extracting the audio to upload to their preferred podcasting platforms. With this in mind, much like with Spotify playlists, why not create a podcast playlist on your YouTube channel with all of the episodes that you have been a podcast guest on. Its great social proof for anyone trying to validate you and your business.
Before, during and after the event, you SHOULD be utilising the power of social media always. Being a guest on someone else’s podcast gives you a plethora of content opportunities both formally and informally on stories and on more curated posts. Social media is all about the power of community and by sharing other peoples podcasts you are tapping into a brand new audience who may not know you yet.
As a bare minimum you should absolutely be blogging about your podcasting opportunities. Not only is it a great way of creating long form, optimised content based on the themes and topics introduced within your discussions but it is a great way of tapping into keywords that you may not have used before. It is always a great way of creating links with your collaborators.
At Yellow Tuxedo we always talk about the holy trinity of digital visibility.
Email is powerful. It is a way of connecting with a whole host of people who have requested to hear from you. They are essentially a warm audience and with this in mind you should be talking to them.
So whether you share a direct link to the podcast you have featured on or whether you share a link to your blog post [ which you have written in point 4] you have a wealth of options to share more content with your audience.
Don’t forget being a podcast guest is an opportunity to really showcase you and your business. And yes, you want to take advantage of being put in front of your hosts audience. But this is a collaboration. You have a responsibility to help share out the episode as much as you can so that both of you can benefit as much as possible. The common goal is here is to get as many eyes or ears on the content and you owe it to yourself to get it working for you.
Emily & I are big on ‘human connections in a Digital world’ and part of connecting with others in this environment is sharing a bit more about yourself and understanding how much is too much to share on social media!
Some people talk about being vulnerable and others talk about personal brand.
Both, are obviously spot on, but for us it’s a sliding scale of what you’re happy to share and what you do and don’t want to talk about and we encourage everyone to budge that slider along at least one notch when they next create some epic content…
For instance..
At one end of the scale is just sharing your name and the other end is Katie Price aka Jordan who likes to share everything, as Oliver Cromwell said, warts ’n’ all. That's Katie's style.
We, for instance will share our personal life [or just 'life' as we like to say] and we’ll share our kids and chickens, what we get up to and lots more, but we don’t talk about our finances for example. We just don’t want to.
It’s not about being inauthentic, it’s about being happy and comfortable with what you do want to share!
It’s good to be reminded here, that the more you share, the more engagement you’ll probably get and more opportunities for you and your business! I refer you back to Katie Price right now, she made a business out of being her.
What I’m encouraging you to do today, in amongst the confidence, imposter syndrome and other challenges we all face every day is to just budge that slider along one notch. Go on, you can do it.
If you share your name, well, today could be the day to share your face?
If you’re happy sharing your face, what about one of your hobbies next?
If you share your hobbies, is it time to share what you got up to at the weekend?
If you’re happy with that, then perhaps bring your kids or other members of your family into your content. Why not your grandparents or parents? Everyone does love a good parent post…
Trust me, people will find it interesting, engaging and possibly fun.. It will be way more interesting than sharing out what we all have for sale right now, that’s for certain!
If you do this, people can really start to get to know you. After all, if they trust you or your business brand, then they’re way more likely to move on further through your ecosystem towards being brand advocates and possibly clients..
Of course, next level stuff is to make that personal information link with what you have for sale!
Well, there is no thing as too much really. It's all about what you're happy with. But, go on, today, share a bit more..
If you've enjoyed this and found it informative, then you may like our other blog all about being social on social media and how to do that properly... 'How to be more social on social media'.
Thank you so much for reading and have fun always..
We’ve had some interesting conversations here at Yellow Tuxedo Towers inspired by some wider debates within our wider network. The question of which marketing channels serve our businesses better/ give us the best return has been a big one as has the conversation about which channels will become more important within the next two years. In fact we listened to a brilliant podcast by the legendary Mark Schaefer which discussed this exact point.
And, while this was all well and good, we couldn’t help but think…we all need to stop thinking in these very defined digital marketing silos. In fact by siloing your marketing efforts you’re just making life harder for yourself!
First and foremost the biggest problem in working in this siloed approach to your marketing is that you will find yourself focusing and prioritising those individual marketing goals rather than looking at the bigger picture and taking in your wider business goals.
Not only does this lead to an inconsistent customer experience and expectation of your brand but this can also lead to discouragement and friction from your yourself as the business owner/ team member when those wider business goals aren’t ticked off and you don’t achieve the desired outcome that you want.
Creating a siloed marketing approach in our business is something that many of us fall into doing and usually from a very early stage in our business journey. We often don’t even realise we are doing it. But with every new development in technology, every new social media platform or marketing channel, we often get that feeling of shiny object syndrome by adopting these new tactics without thinking about how this works within your overall marketing ecosystem. We look at and measure the individual insights on each of those platforms but do we really think about that bigger picture?
A strong digital marketing strategy much like the ecosystem model that we work with here at Yellow Tuxedo, prioritises your business needs with all of your marketing efforts working towards the same end goal. Your channels, content and tactics have to speak to each other and present a united front if you ever want to grow. You need to be taking a holistic approach to your online presence.
It’s been really interesting when listening to these wider debates this week how all of our marketing channels have slowly been put into some sort of hierarchy of importance. If you were to look at a recent poll conducted by Mark Masters off of You Are The Media over on Linkedin it was interesting to see that their audience thought that in two years we will all be saying sayonara to SEO but content marketing would be one of the top marketing channels for your business.
This is where looking at SEO and content marketing as two separate silos is problematic. We all know content is king. And yes in two years I can imagine that it will be more important than ever to connect with your audience with high quality content with a strong message within it that resonates with your target market. But HOW do you expect to reach a wider audience without heavily relying on your existing network without understanding and adopting the principles of SEO and optimisation to ensure that your content is actually seen by your people and picked up and shared wider across all of the search engines?
Yes, we agree that SEO in its individual form looks at optimising your web pages and bringing links back to your site and YES, absolutely this kind of cold, technical approach to visibility is probably less sexy than other methods of visibility. But the principles of optimisation are here to stay. We want you content to be seen.
Likewise with your thoughts about social media. Whether you are a lover or a hater you cannot deny that social media plays an absolutely crucial part in the marketing mix when done right. And this is often the issue for many, its not done right!
We have lost track of the amount of times we hear that social media has no direct ROI for someones business. That they don’t get direct sales from their daily posts, that networking is their highest converting marketing channel for their business and that they don’t see the point in social media… They are vastly missing the point. As a marketing channel social media SHOULD be be equal to or an extension of your networking efforts. It should be a place to meet people, to start conversation, to build rapport, to be a touch point of your brand. As a channel it may seem like it doesn’t have a massive ROI in terms of money in your pocket but indirectly it could be worth millions to your business.
As a final point I want to address the danger to your brand when you place weighting on certain marketing efforts over others. By working in one silo and neglecting others we can inadvertently cause damage to our overall brand perception.
Your audience are human and they shouldn’t be pigeon holed. Your social media followers could well be visitors to your website. Your website followers could well choose to be loyal email subscribers or your biggest fans on YouTube. And with this knowledge that our audience moves around our ecosystem you absolutely cannot let the ball drop when it comes to a consistent and unified approach across the board.
By way of an example. I recently had a conversation with somebody within a networking meeting. They openly placed “connection” as one of their core business values and said that networking is the place that they think works best for their business. After that meeting I decided to “connect” with that person on Instagram, a channel I know that they also utilise for their business, and left them a voice note. It’s now been 3 weeks and that voice note STILL hasn’t been listened to or acknowledged. Now, whether they realise it or not, as a member of their audience I have a new perception of their business and what they mean by “connection” Its less than positive.
If you’re going to utilise social media in your own marketing mix you have to commit and bring it into the fold wholeheartedly rather than tickling the surface.
You need to build an ecosystem. One that brings all of your siloed marketing efforts together and helps you to not only smash your wider business goals but really helps you to build a strong and effective online presence that has deep rooted foundations to stand the test of time.
Not sure how to build one for yourself? Book a virtual cuppa with us and we'll help you...
Have fun always and thanks for reading..
When Anna Bravington asked us to be guests on her podcast, Crossing The Content Chasm, we simply couldn't say no. We've been long time fans of Anna's content and were even more delighted when she recently attended as a guest at The Digital Circus LIVE back in April. It was a fun filled chat whereby we talked lots about our approach to social media, how more businesses could be using online events to their advantage and how we could all benefit from being less of a social media lurker and engaging more.
Crossing The Content Chasm is the lively and educational podcast for people who want to bring a content strategy to life. This show, hosted by twenty year marketing pro Anna Bravington, will equip listeners with knowledge and tools to pursue a complete content marketing strategy and help marketers embrace the power of great content with gusto.
We know that marketing can be a difficult and complex topic – particularly in the realms of stakeholder buy-in and strategy, but this show is like audio-camaraderie; not just motivational with a zeal for great knowledge but also creating actionable insights and enjoyable top-level marketing conversations - with a fair dose of humour- in equal measure.
According to our good friend Mr Trevor Young over 90% of your audience are actually lurkers. This isn't all that surprising really. We all fall foul of not engaging sometimes and its easy to slip into that trap.
Don't lose sight of the reason that social media was created. Make sure you are using it to start meaningful conversations and to be more curious about the people who surround us more so than worrying about making your social media feed look more aesthetically pretty.
Social media lurkers suck...don't be one of those people!
Within this episode of Crossing the Content chasm we also go into depth about why business owners should think more about the opportunities that can be presented online outside the realms of social media. Anna asked us some brilliant questions about our thoughts on online events and in particular what made us create The Digital Circus LIVE as a way of connecting with our wider audience.
We really did love recording this episode with Anna, it was such an easy conversation and we really could have chatted with her for hours. We hope you do enjoy listening to it and of course, if it resonates with you in any way do be sure to engage in some way. Perhaps leave Anna a review or search her out on social media to give her some love. Remember....don't be a social media lurker, make it count!
P.S. Whilst you're here did you know that we have a membership called The Digital Circus? Doors are open for £200 per year [ or £20 per month] and you can get full access to our online community, learning resources and monthly networking and accountability sessions. Come and join the adventure, we'd love to see you in there!