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More SignalLess Noise------------------------------Why attention mattersbut engagement is a tacticnot an outcome
Simon Nash More Signal Less Noise
-------------------------------------------------------Why attention matters but
engagement is a tactic not an outcome
------------------------------------------
@simonnash
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I work at Reading Room where I consult with organisations trying to adapt to digital. My areas of interest include content marketing, social engagement and digital transformation. Today I want to take in a common misunderstanding relating to the role social engagement and set out my views on how organisations should employ engagement to meet business objectives.
I was looking for examples of misdirected engagement and this one (originally published by Mashable.com) jumped out at me. If anyone can explain to me how Clorox aim to sell more bleach through this I'd be keen to listen. Now I'm not suggesting that bleach brands shouldn't engage but perhaps they might be better off blogging about environmental impact reduction schemes or some other message.
Fortunately, I’m not alone, many commentators have highlighted this issue.
Roughly 99.9% of online banners are never clicked. --------------------------------------
Michael Brenner, Senior Director of Global Marketing at SAP
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Attention Matters!
But attention does matter, the old methods if marketing and advertising are increasingly ineffective and their modern equivalents are not faring much better.
Buyers wait until they have completed 60-80% of
their research before reaching out to vendors
--------------------------------------Michael Brenner, Senior Director of Global
Marketing at SAP
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Attention Matters!
Consumer behaviour has changed too. Opinions are being formed in places we cannot reach using conventional methods. To tackle this we need advocates out there in the wild extending our reach.
Everyone’s at it
So attention does matter and engagement is one of our primary tools for achieving this. And everyone is having a go, governments, charities and commercial organisations are all throwing money at social engagement.
But conversations about engagement often miss the
bigger picture
My concern is that investment in engagement achieves something. The conversation is dominated by likes, audience size and reach but we need to look beyond that.
Engagement is important but
It’s what you do with it that counts.
Nowadays people expect content and experiences that are more
meaningful
Consumer expectations are changing too. Just take Red Bull who have spent a decade investing in a consistent engagement campaign focused on associating their brand with endeavour.
Engagement should
effect changes in behaviour
Behaviour change requires a series of carefully planned engagement initiatives.
Engagement should
influence action
Ultimately you should be able to influence action. That might be a sale, a referral or donation – something tangible your organisation will benefit from.
Engagement should deliver
competitive advantage
-----------------------------------------------------------To create future customers who will drive the
business forward. Brand engagements are platform engagements. This means advancing
customers into new creative realms–and markets–where they can add value back to the brand, and
where competitors can’t follow.
----------------------------------------------Brian Phipps
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The process can be
direct or indirect
Focusing on results doesn’t mean we need to ram our message down people’s throats. We can craft a programme of engagement that indirectly leads to a beneficial outcome.
It takes time to communicate your message whilst engaging
So don’t expect just to dive in and achieve results right away. There are plenty of other marketing tools that will deliver immediate ROI. For engagement you need to be thinking about long term programmes and calendars of activity.
The Glenlivet came to us and invited us to plan their crm campaign - the end goal was sales but they wanted to invest in customer relationships. Having researched their audience we felt they would respond to a conversation rather than overt sales. That's not to say sales were off the agenda but we understood that push messages would turn them off. So we designed a three year programme of content and messaging designed to build affinity and interest in The Glenlivet by nurturing an interest in connoisseurship.
Engagement can deliver business results
Awareness +58%
Consideration (amongst those who are aware but not buying TGL)
+75%
Preference (vs. Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie)
+113%
Brand I trust
Brand for me
+24%+37%
Consumption / Sales
regular buyers of TGL52%
Qualitative research proved that this engagement led approach yielded substantial business results.
The building blocks of successful engagement
You need to understand what makes your audience tick
At Reading Room we focus on using research to define Audience Personas. By understanding audience needs and goals we are able to uncover how and where to engage each segment.
Recognise its all about
value exchange
Its really important to understand that social engagement is voluntary, if we don’t offer our audiences a tangible return for their involvement then why should they bother.
Understand
how people use our content-----------------------------------------------------------
If I like your content it’s not because I like your brand it’s because I like my friends.
----------------------------------------------Henry Jenkins - ‘Spreadable Media ‘
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This quote was a real inspiration to me. I’m always trying to imagine what people will do with the content we produce and how I should therefore tailor it for that purpose as much as my own agenda.
Play the long game
and understand the role of every interaction
You need to have a game plan, a long term objective and a set of initiatives that are going to get you there.The Content Grid by Eloqua does a
great job of mapping this out
Conversational
• Responsive• Promotional• Engaging• Positive
Content Led
• Proactive• Content creation• Advocacy driven• Campaigning
Narrative Led
• Strategic• Story telling• Dialogue driven• Always On
Embark on a journey from conversational engagement
This is where many organisations are. Engagement works and best practice is being followed but that may not be translating into results.
Conversational
• Responsive• Promotional• Engaging• Positive
Content Led
• Proactive• Content creation• Advocacy driven• Campaigning
Narrative Led
• Strategic• Story telling• Dialogue driven• Always On
Embark on a journey from conversational engagement
More experienced organisations start to steer engagement and to lead with their own original content. They tend to start seeing real return on investment.
Conversational
• Responsive• Promotional• Engaging• Positive
Content Led
• Proactive• Content creation• Advocacy driven• Campaigning
Narrative Led
• Strategic• Story telling• Dialogue driven• Always On
Embark on a journey from conversational engagement
toward an ‘always on narrative’
Engagement should not be treated as an entertaining side-show
Frustratingly many organisations still see engagement as an adjunct to their core marketing activity.
It’s a crucial element of your
multi-channel marketing plan
Whereas success comes from a much more integrated approach. Understanding how engagement fits into your customer experience is the key to unlocking ROI.
Focus on the
customer experience & create clear
paths to action
London Business School have placed engagement at the centre of their digital strategy and have invested across all of their digital channels to support this. We helped them develop an engagement strategy and a framework to support that. Now engagement is fully integrated and they are enjoying spectacular results .
To achieve this you need
system-thinking
When you step back and consider what that actually means you realise that you are creating a really complicated system of interwoven activities across multiple channels. That requires a different mode of thinking and the ability to grasp how each channel and touch-point contributes to your end goal.
Supported by
culture and processes
Organisations need to change to support this new type of thinking. They need new attitudes and an evolved set of values. They also need to create processes to support effective engagement, that means revaluating everything from customer services to publicity. And staff often need support to make that happen. You cannot just assume people will get it – the risks and the pressure are too great
And one eye firmly on the prize
Lastly you need a sophisticated reporting and analytics process so you can track and measure the impact of what you are doing. Tweets and Likes and numbers of followers are not the be all and end all but they are incredibly useful signals we can learn to interpret and adapt our tactics accordingly.
In Conclusion…
Integrate social engagement with your
marketing plan
-----------------------------------------------------------
In order to achieve a tangible return from your investment in engagement you need to integrate content and social channels within your overall marketing plan and develop a
connected and personalised experience across every touch point.
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Integrate social engagement with your
customer experience
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The reality of the evolving multi-channel operating environment is that social
engagement is no longer an adjunct to your marketing activity it is a critical aspect of the
overall customer experience.
----------------------------------------------
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So stop focusing on engagement
and start thinking about
transformation
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That's one of the principle drivers behind the argument for business transformation. Simply
slapping social media on top of the same old tired business models won't cut it anymore.
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