IQ-Magazine-Issue-15

IQ marketing
Building the library
As we publish more information online, on social media,
via email and in printed form, we’re adding to our evergrowing
library of content. In 2016, we need to start
putting more emphasis on developing our digital assets
in a way that’s sensitive to how they’re being shared.
By designing channel-specific assets, we’re optimising their
ability to make an impact. Engaging visuals and video
content work best on social, whereas mobile-landing pages
need to be short, snappy paragraphs. Using the same
information in blanket fashion won’t get you anywhere
any more.
Getting personal
As mobile, social media and email marketing have
evolved into being established marketing channels, they’ve
collectively produced a new trend that is seeing increased
investment from both B2B and B2C organisations.
It might sound odd, but technological advancements
allow us to be more personal with our communications
than ever before. Segmenting email data, targeting
Facebook adverts, or dedicated direct mail offers are
all techniques that should be part of our arsenal
moving forward.
Adopting a ‘relationship’ view helps us to broaden the
horizons from a traditional transactional marketing
model, encouraging us to have a longer-term narrative.
This extends into how our brand identity will evolve
as customers expect a more human experience across
the board.
The might of mobile
Google announced its ‘mobile-friendly’ algorithm update
in 2015, a milestone for mobile marketing. This signified
the importance we should all be putting on evolving this
technology – but also as marketers. It’s more than ‘a
website thing’, it’s a state of mind. How our customers
interact with us on mobile should be central to how we
design and deliver our key messages.
It impacts how our websites look, sound and how they’re
optimised, as well as how our emails are formatted and
our content is displayed or shared on social. Under the
‘relationship marketing’ umbrella, investing in your
mobile marketing activity will pay dividends, as you’re
creating experiences for your customers that have been
tailored to how they’re interacting with you.
Get it together
Connected communications are, without doubt, more
effective than a disjointed approach. As our channels
diversify, it’s never been more important to invest in an
integrated approach to your marketing efforts. Social
media isn’t something for the intern to ‘do’ at lunchtime,
and emails shouldn’t be fired out once a month without
consideration for what else is going on within the business.
Operating in silos is an outdated model that just won’t
work in 2016. Get your teams together and look at what
you’re producing and see how it can be better aligned to
ensure you’re making the most impact from your activity.
Elevate your emails
If we’re suspicious of adopting trends too early, we can
also be guilty of abandoning things too quickly. People
have been saying that ‘email marketing is dead’ for years,
yet marketers still attribute this channel as providing an
excellent return on investment.
Email is fit and healthy – if you’re using it properly.
Times have changed and if you’re going to see the desired
returns, you need to raise your game. As consumers, we’ve
come to expect quality, relevant email communications
that have been personalised according to our interests.
If you’re still sending corporate style newsletters in 2016,
you’re missing a real trick.
more information
on what’s going to be big news next year
get in touch with the Cubiqdesign team
by calling 01638 666432, or by
emailing info@cubiqdesign.co.uk.
issue 15 | page 37