Tuesday 2 December 2014

How Far Can FREE Get Me?

Over the past two weeks I have been meeting with clients who have burned holes into my ears about "FREE" and how far they feel it will get them. I have a good photo to capture that:

 


Beautifully illustrated.
 
The term which has become short for social media, is plaguing the world because people believe - as they have been led to falsely believe, that all their marketing needs can and will be met through the use of this FREE channel. *insert sigh here*.
 
Social media, when used properly can absolutely be effective at creating awareness, and increasing reach and visibility to an entire world of consumers. When improperly used though, you're just vomiting a bunch of shit into a digital pool and praying that it resonates with someone. So in a sense, improper use of social media equals spam, but instead of someone just deleting your spam, you can bypass that so they are forced to unfollow you because you've frustrated them. #Fail
 
FREE is a lot of hard work. It's all about engaging with your audience, keeping them posted, giving them content to consume which actually matters and is compelling. There's nothing worse than going onto Facebook and learning that a friend's baby just fudged their Huggies. It becomes irritating. Content has to educate, has to inform and create a new perspective around an idea that is unique and captures the imagination.
 
To create such content I normally work with clients to help them plan a month to month digital strategy for what they want to say and what context they can create around their content. How they will respond to comments and inquiries from their followers and how they can build an online community that feels loyal. It helps them understand where to start and how to stay focused on their goals and vision.
 
So just remember, FREE can equal a sad little picture and not a piece of creative genius, when executed improperly and not given the care and focus it requires. When in doubt, spend some time watching other companies that do it well and see if you can keep up. If you can't, cut your losses and allocate some funds to a company that can do it for you, properly.
 
 
 

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