If there’s anything Covid-19 has taught us, it’s to expect the unexpected and prepare for a crisis before it happens. As many companies have overcome the initial shock of it all, they are now looking to the future and how to protect themselves from being caught off guard again.

Whether it be a global pandemic or a more localized issue, a PR disaster could be lurking around the next corner. It’s the stuff that a social media manager’s nightmares are made of. And, contrary to common belief, this can impact every size of business; from start up to enterprise.

How a business weathers the storm at the worst of times can make the difference between a quick recovery and a slow (and very public) death by a thousand Tweets or Instagram posts. Mitigate the damage ahead of time by having a social media crisis plan in place to avoid being caught off guard next time. 

Social media is equally a public relations frontier as it is a marketing playground, and so we can rest assured that many PR crisis best practices are still relevant in today’s digital world – with a few modifications. Here are the top questions you need to answer to build an effective social media crisis plan:

1.Do you have existing social media response guidelines?

Every company should have a foundation of social media response guidelines that tackle how we respond to day-to-day questions. This can be invaluable in crafting a crisis response strategy as it allows the business to remain consistent in voice, tone and approach during the chaos.

To build your guidelines, align on your brand voice, then build a decision tree for who, how and when you would respond to customers. Finally, build a bank of FAQ assets and responses to make day-to-day online customer service quick and effective. As a PR crisis unfolds, you can update the FAQ to ensure messaging is up-to-date and in line with what people are talking about.

2.Does your business have social listening procedures and tools in place?

At its core, social listening is literally listening to what customers are saying in social media channels to help inform your messaging and business decisions. For small businesses, that might be something as simple as searching out hashtags, comments and @mentions on the crisis topic to glean important insights around sentiment and FAQ.

For a larger organization, a social listening tool could be brought in to provide powerful insights into conversation volume (how many people are posting about the topic), engagement and reach of your content. During a crisis, reporting and analyzing incoming social data is critical to identifying simmering crisis issues, managing operations during the issue, and assessing results after the fact.

For enterprise-level businesses, there are many social listening tools on the market, ranging drastically in terms of budget and functionality. To ensure your tool can be activated for a crisis, ensure that it checks the following boxes:

• Allows for monitoring of hashtags, keywords (geographically is ideal)
• Enables assigning conversations to other members of the team to warm-transfer to subject matter experts
• Provides some type of tagging functionality to categorize conversations based on subject matter, sentiment, influencer status, or other important data that will be useful for aggregate data later on
• Allows you to track conversation volume (ideally against competitors), reach, engagements, sentiment and most engaged users 

3.What is the chain of command for messaging?

One of the most common hang ups when dealing with issues is miscommunication about who approves messaging. Companies can spend precious hours – or even days – chasing their tails as they wait for sign off and alignment. Does the buck stop with your CEO or does the PR prime have final say?

Before you go down the sign-off wormhole, identify which stakeholders need to be looped into the messaging. The leaner the team, the more effective and efficient. It may help to create a sliding scale of severity from 1-5 with examples for each, then establish a RACI model:

• Responsible – in charge of stick-handling the messaging and approvals from end-to-end
• Accountable- they will die on the sword for any decisions the team has collectively made
• Consulted- feedback required, but not final say
• Informed- FYI only

4.Does the rest of your team know what their role is during a crisis?

Finalizing a crisis and issues management plan is a major win for any organization, but an even greater (and more important) feat is making sure your team is in the loop too. Socializing with your business stakeholders will be critical to the successful execution of the plan, should you ever need to activate it.

Do the front-line folks know the plan – and the specific do’s and don’ts during an issue? Has the CEO, PR prime and manager seen and signed off? Are your company’s third-party representatives looped into the plan (i.e. contractors, agencies, or sales representatives)? 

5.What’s your target (and realistic) reaction time?

What is the realistic amount of time it will take to craft and execute on your first messaging response during a crisis?

Time is of the essence when an issue is unfolding in the online space. This means we’re talking hours, not days. All it takes is a few Facebook shares to add gasoline onto already burning embers and you’ll have a sweeping wildfire on your hands.

That said, it’s important that you move forward with accurate, consistent messaging that the whole company is on board with. Remember, the tighter the plan, the faster you can begin to remedy the situation.

6.Is your Customer Service game on point?

The best defence is a good offence, as they say. When you have winning social media response approach during the good times, you will have a much easier time rebounding when things go sideways. Invest in your front-line superstars to ensure they are well-trained and have the resources they need to deliver online service excellence to your customers. Do this now, and  you’ll find a ready army of customer advocates willing to come to your defence if tumultuous times ensue.

7.Do you have the ability to pivot quickly?

One of the common denominators about Covid-19 is that regardless of size, businesses are having to pivot at lightning speed. Whether it’s a mom and pop shop struggling to remain open for business or a multi-national corporation shifting its workforce to remote technology; the struggles are different, but united in their need for agility. Companies that have a lean and agile approach and see challenges as an opportunity are weathering the storm and standing out from the pack. A pivot is only as good as the communications that support it, so ensuring that you can get the word out to your customers through social media and marketing tools is critical.

Here are two recent examples good pivots and supporting social media communications during Covid 19:

EXAMPLES

Guinness Pivots On Saint Patrick’s Day

What happened:

Just days before St. Patrick’s Day, Covid-19 began to grip the Western world. Ireland cancelled celebrations and Guinness, which has been an integral part of St Patrick’s Day celebrations for generations, had to make a giant shift into the unknown.

How they dealt with it:

Rather than go silent, they pivoted—quickly and drastically. On March 13, the company launched a “We are all human” campaign, which promised $500,000 to communities in need during this difficult time through their Guinness Gives Back Fund. They paid tribute to their resilience over the company’s 260-year history and infused a sense of calm during the impending storm. 

We know that St. Patrick’s Day feels different this year, so however you choose to celebrate, stay safe and be good to one another. Guinness is committing $500,000 through our Guinness Gives Back Fund to help communities where we live, work & celebrate. #Guinness pic.twitter.com/EZpYpzAGE0

— Guinness US (@GuinnessUS) March 13, 2020

 

Later.com shifts their content strategy to address Covid-19

What happened: Instagram scheduling and management platform, Later.com is well regarded in the social media industry for their thought leadership; not only on the Instagram platform, but also in digital marketing overall. The company plans their content weeks out, but with the impending crisis of Covid-19 affecting every sector and global market, they had to scrap all planned content and shift focus rapidly.

How they dealt with it: Later.com viewed this as an opportunity to shepherd marketers through this storm. The content team held a brainstorm to adjust their focus, anticipating the needs of their customers and creating content that would address growing concerns around how to continue marketing on Instagram during the emerging crisis. They provided an arsenal of content to give current and prospective clients ideas about how to move forward in this challenging business landscape. Also, most importantly, they met customers where they were at: working from home during quarantine.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Right now, our only job is helping you.

A post shared by Later: Social Media Scheduler (@latermedia) on Mar 18, 2020 at 10:09am PDT

These are just some of the many examples of how pivoting, rapid ideation and customer insights drove an evolved communications approach. Looking to protect your business from a social media firestorm? Connect with us! 

Tik Tok is surging in popularity as it captures the zeitgeist of the Covid-19 global pandemic and puts the “social” back into social media. 

Want to know what it’s like on the frontlines of the fight against Covid-19? Hop onto Tik Tok and you’ll see protective gear-clad healthcare workers sharing first-hand accounts of their experiences: insights about their job, coronavirus facts, tears, pleas for supplies— and, yes, even whacky dances too.  

@icu.nurseashtonPeople are out here dying. You can stay at home to help stop that. ##TheSongOfUs ##happyathome ##nursesoftiktok ##coronavirus ##healthcare ##stayhome♬ original sound – flighthouse

@aecolburnCorona outbreaks got us nurses like…##nurselife ##nurseprobs ##nurseproblems ##nursesbelike ##nursesoftiktok ##nurses ##scrublife ##nurse ##PPE ##morph♬ original sound – cidcurry

Want to experience quarantine? Watch everyday people share the trials and tribulations of working from home and eating their way through their pandemic pantry hoard. 

@iampaynday 3 in quarantine and all the clubs are closed so i gotta make my own party! ##paynp ##coronavirus ##quarantine♬ Satisfaction – DJ Tokeo

This is, perhaps, the first social platform that makes millennials feel “old.” With more than 800 million active users globally, the Chinese-owned platform initially grew in popularity amongst Gen Z (roughly ages seven to 22). At first, no one could understand the appeal—not even millennials. Wasn’t it just a silly app for lip synching and dance-offs? Isn’t it kind of what Twitter’s Vine used to be? As it turns out, that’s exactly what it is, and everyone loves it. 

In recent months, there has been an influx of celebrities and brands jumping onto Tik Tok to join the conversation. Everyone from the Jenner clan to J Lo is hopping on the platform to reach a younger demographic. During Fall 2019, leader of the NDP political party Jagmeet Singh joined Tik Tok in his race for Prime Minister of Canada. Even the World Health Organization has a new account to share important updates about “Rona” as it is now affectionately called.

@thejagmeetsinghPractice social distancing my friends. Stay safe! ##covid19 ##covidー19 ##coronavirus ##foryou ##fyp ##foryoupage @gurkirankaur_♬ original sound – tiktokh0e

Multi-generational appeal

But, it’s not just young people who are joining Tik Tok in droves. Hold the phone, the soccer moms are here. And, so are the grandparents and realtors too. The multi-generational appeal in the platform is apparent as families enjoy the dance challenges and memes that make this platform so fun. While the majority of the globe goes into some level of self isolation for the foreseeable future, Tik Tok has become a fun and engaging way to both spend time with the ones you love and see how other households are spending their time together. 

Music Discovery

Though it’s a video platform, audio is actually the backbone of Tik Tok. The “rinse and repeat’ nature of the platform means that movie clips or sound bytes from songs become memes and spread like wildfire. From foot tapping to hand clapping to shuffle dance routines, it’s a whole new way to discover music and rift off trending content. Somehow, in all of this, the Macarena has even made a come-back. 

There are entire YouTube and Spotify playlists dedicated to curating the most popular Tik Tok songs. At the time of writing, Blinding Lights by The Weeknd is a viral hit, inspiring everyone from nurses to grannies, to try a new catchy 80s-jazzercise-inspired dance routine. Justin Bieber (often an early-adopter of emerging social platforms) recently launched his new single “Yummy” on Tik Tok and more musicians are sure to follow suit.

@theweekndMusic can bring joy during dark times. Thank you to the doctors and nurses risking their health and safety everyday for us. XO @nursesavyrose♬ The Weeknd – Blinding Lights – gregdahl7

Putting the “social” back in social media

When’s the last time you literally LOL’ed scrolling through Twitter? How many Facebook ads do you see before you can even find your friends’ updates on the platform? There has been a feeling amongst social media users (and even social media professionals) that many platforms have lost their social nature and become nothing but ad channels.  

Tik Tok has become a refreshing sanctuary for many. As its revenue model is still evolving, the platform still feels very real and intimate. We users are still experiencing the sweet golden hour before pay-to-play swoops in to ruin the party and fill the feed with branded content. 

Tik Tok’s all about getting people to interact with one another, have a laugh and share a moment of humanity with the world. The engaging and addictive “For You” tab serves up content from complete strangers, customized to your taste. And, the “Duet” feature allows you to challenge people to a dance off.

During these incredibly trying times, we are a captive audience, craving social connection and joy. With social distancing and physical isolation fast becoming a part of our new reality, it’s refreshing to have a window into the lives of others—a friendly reminder that we aren’t so different from one another after all. Nor are we alone. 

A few months ago, we wrote about how analog is making a comeback. Perhaps it’s this rejuvenated appreciation for simpler times that is also fuelling the audio revolution. Influencers, brands and media are capitalizing on an auditory renaissance as podcasts creep slowly from niche to mainstream.

When I was a little girl travelling the world with my family, nothing was more comforting than listening to talk radio or music on CBC AM Radio or hearing the iconic chimes of BBC’s World News broadcast. It felt – though thousands of miles away – I was connecting with humanity from my remote location.

It wasn’t just me, though. For generations, families and colleagues crowded around radios to listen live as events shaped our world. We experienced the sound of wars, presidential elections, assassinations, rising music stars and even groundbreaking fiction, such as War of the Worlds.

But, gradually, the radio star died and video reigned, as televisions turned from black and white to colour; from high def to 4K and so on.

Now, the once-forgotten art form of audio storytelling is storming back onto the scene – and brands are taking notice. Podcasts have become a lucrative medium for both advertising and brand experience. In 2017, Edison’s annual research report indicated that 24% of Americans had listened to at least one podcast in the last month. With several viral podcasts bursting onto the scene in 2018, this number is expected to leap exponentially for 2018.

Public awareness about podcasts has nearly doubled over the last decade and the number of users who’ve listened to a podcast has nearly tripled. Today’s podcast listeners skew slightly male, over-index in the 18-34 age group, are highly educated and have a higher-than-average income.

Media have been early adopters of podcasting; Outside Magazine, the LA Times and Harvard Business Review, to name a few. Podcast stars have carved their niche and drawn cult followings, leading them to go “on tour” for live recordings in front of thousands of enthralled viewers.

But, what is more interesting is how big brands like General Electric and Shopify are captivating audiences by offering intriguing, value-added content to their audiences.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Here’s why audio is an effective content marketing touch point for your business:

Cost Effective Production – When you weigh the costs of video production, podcasts are a cost effective way to produce and self-publish content. All you need is a quality microphone or recording equipment, basic editing software, simple artwork and time. Publishing to iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and other podcast listening platforms is simple and free (or at least very reasonable).

Longer Dwell Time– Podcasts are inherently long form, often ranging from 10 minutes to an hour in length; or even produced as an episodic series. The average podcast user listens while they’re commuting, walking or working, so you can bet that in their earnest attempts to kill time, they can easily crush an entire season of episodes in less than a week. More time with your brand creates a sense of connection and loyalty for customers.

Combat Algorithms – As we know, social media organic reach is shrinking and news feeds are cluttered. It’s difficult to get in front of your audience, let alone capture their attention for longer than a second. Podcasts are often discovered through earned means, such as word of mouth, reviews and media coverage. A great concept that resonates can generate free exposure and gain traction quickly.

A Robust Brand Experience – When you’re building for the 3-second audition on Facebook, your content must be short, snackable and snappy. While it can be a great chance to drive action or build awareness, it doesn’t leave much time for in-depth brand building. A podcast, provides a blank slate for businesses to build multi-dimensional brand experience that includes music, visual aesthetics, tone, and personality.

Partnership and Collaboration Opportunities – In the podcast world, collaborations and co-creation are common and encouraged. Publishing networks like NPR or Wondery often create teaser episodes that are distributed to other like-minded podcast shows; and hosts often give shout outs to up-and-comers or new season launches. Leveraging the power of like-minded podcasts is a great way to reach new audiences organically and authentically.

Intimacy – Audio storytelling cultivates a sense of intimacy. It’s just you and the listener – no newsfeed to contend with, minimal distractions, and a certain level of concentration that only listening to a story can provide. Intimacy creates an emotional connection and listeners are more likely to regard your brand with the comfort and familiarity of an old friend. After all, your podcast has become part of their daily or weekly ritual.

Advertising – If producing a podcast isn’t the right fit for your business, another consideration is to advertise on an already established one. In fact, 60% of podcast listeners buy products highlighted in the ads, according to Midroll – a media buying platform for podcast advertisers.

Regardless of where you sit on podcasting for business, here are some of our favourite podcasts to whet your appetite. Do you have any to add to our list? Comment below!

• • • How I Built This
    • Stuff You Should Know
    • Dirty John
    • S-Town
    • TED Radio Hour
    • 99% Invisible
    • HBR Ideacast
    • Adventures in Design
    • Marketing Over Coffee
    • Tropical MBA

Exponential technology is creating the most rapid social and cultural transformation in modern history. But, as technology becomes more complex, could we be on the cusp of a paradigm shift that is leading us back to a simpler life? And, does “going analog” mean what we think it does?

Are we going back to 8-tracks and floppy disks? No.

There is a new school of thought gaining momentum. Driven by maxed-out tech workers and a new generation of curious digital natives, this movement hinges on the notion that we can still leverage technology to simplify our lives; but must be conscious of how, when and why we consume it, soas not to let it consume us.

Mobile devices have become ubiquitous tools: our maps, music players, writing utensils, books and connection to the outside world. On one hand, access to high-speed internet and powerful smartphone computers levels the playing field – effectively leaving us all with the world in the palm of our hands.

On the other hand, as humanity’s shift to digital accelerates, we’ve become more disconnected from the real world and the tangible tools that helped us experience life through all five senses. Technology, we’re learning, cannot replace everything.

Now more than ever, we’re feeling nostalgic for simpler times when we weren’t connected 24/7.

But, this longing is often mixed with a sense of disbelief for how we might “get by” without the very technology that we take for granted today. How do we learn, document our lives, purchase items with ease, and stay connected with others without the technology we have at our fingertips?

And so here we stand, conflicted. Craving simplicity, but desperate to hold on to our sense of connection and convenience.

So where do we go from here?

The Rise of JOMO

We’re learning the tough lessons about how living an over-extended life can lead to mental health issues, chronic illnesses and an overall sense of unrest.

This new reality is giving way to counter-culture buzzwords like JOMO – Joy of Missing Out. Simply put, this is a rebuttal to the FOMOs and YOLOs of the last decade, which encouraged us to go all in, all the time.

Could 2018 be the year we learn how to live in the present, prioritize what really matters and say “no” just a little bit more?

Taking A Digital Detox

The idea of taking a digital detox isn’t necessarily a new one, but it’s becoming more popular of late. Research shows   that disconnecting from technology for even short bursts of time, leads to improvements in mental and physical health. Everything from more regular breathing patterns, improved posture, deeper sleeps, more focus and positive human interactions can be attributed to disconnecting from the multitude of screens we use everyday.

From remote unplugged adult retreats where phones are confiscated and wifi is but a fantasy to self-induced technology blackouts (think Analog October), the idea is to disconnect from technology in order to reconnect with oneself.

Even some of the most influential thought leaders in the tech space admit to a mostly analog life these days. It’s no surprise that the tech community has among been first to jump on this trend. Anyone who earns their livelihood building the platforms that power our lives is bound to burn out from time to time.

But tech experts aside, you don’t have to go far to find at least one or two friends who have given up social media altogether, or reduced their use of it drastically.

Getting (Anti)Social Media With 1:1 Connections

Social media, it seems, is becoming a bit more anti-social.

The big four: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn have gained their billions through one-to-many communication channels over the last decade. While these vast social platforms enable users to connect with friends, celebrities and brands, the landscape has become saturated with content.

The aggressive push for ad revenue by these for-profit social media goliaths, means that our newsfeeds are literally overflowing with content. Couple this with the theory that humans can only handle an average of 150 friends (made popular by anthropologist and evolutionary biologist, Robin Dunbar), and we have a perfect storm of discontent on our hands.

Enter private, personalized 1:1 connections online. Whether it’s Facebook’s Oculus Virtual Reality Meeting Rooms, Snapchat’s ephemeral social media updates, or intimate group messages powered by Facebook Messenger and What’s App, there is a whole world of “dark social” (or private social media) emerging.

Generation Z – the second wave of digital natives behind Millennials, are giving social media giants like Facebook a miss; instead, seeking out intimate online communities where they can connect without the prying eyes of their parents.

Appetite For Analog – With a Technology Twist

As digital has risen, we’ve lost the sensations of everyday life. Who misses the musty scent of old paperback novel from the library, or the rich sound of a vinyl record?

While they are digital to the core, Gen Z is fascinated by and has a curiosity for all things analog and tactile because it’s something they’ve never experienced. Meanwhile, older generations are resurrecting the things they miss most.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a resurgence of analog: film photography, vinyl records, old Nintendo gaming systems, board games, instant film, and much more. Even the Nokia classic is making a comeback. Each with the basic user interface, design aesthetic and functionalities of its predecessors, backed by modern-day tech.

But, while analog is en vogue again, not all things from the past are making a comeback.

We’re culling aspects of the analog world that did not serve us previously. We’re simplifying our lives by removing the tethers that inconvenienced us and tied us down previously.

For example, we’re cutting cords like it’s nobody’s business. We’re cancelling our cable in favour of on-demand streaming services like Netflix. We’re also adopting bluetooth-powered consumer electronics that enable us to move freely while gaming, listening to music or working.

So, what does this selectively analog future mean to us as marketers, designers and creators?

1.Get Personal – We need to revisit those outdated digital marketing plans focused on spray and pray advertising. Mass digital media is dying, replaced by targeted, personalized, 1:1 communication. We’re going to have to get a whole lot more granular, contextual and relevant if we’re to start talking to each customer intimately as they expect.

2.Lead with experiences – Real life is the new disruptor. We need to create meaningful experiences that bridge the online and real world seamlessly. Aim to build tactile, tangible brand moments, where customers can revel in the human experience and feel connection, versus hide behind a device. 

3.Simplify – We must simplify the lives of our customers, not complicate them with complex user experiences, esoteric design concepts, larger than life marketing campaigns and pointless tech integrations. Make their lives easier online and off, and they will love you forever.

4.Cut the FOMO – We all feel enough guilt as it is. Don’t increase the guilt factor by making your customers feel like they’re letting you down somehow – or missing out on something. Instead, be there for them when they need you most and let them enjoy a little JOMO every once in a while. In fact, be brave and encourage it. What better way to demonstrate your humanity as a company than to demonstrate empathy?

Have you opted to go analog in any aspects of your life? Tell us in the comments below! 

A new coworking space is coming to our community, and we’re so proud to be part of the advisory committee that’s helping to make it happen. Why? Simply put, we believe in the power of connection.

Substrate Studios is based in Squamish, BC – a beautiful mountain town tucked at the end of Howe Sound fjord between Vancouver and Whistler. It’s the outdoor capital of the Canada, and also among the fastest growing communities in the country.

Proximity to large metropolitan areas, lower housing prices than the big city, and attractive business opportunities, are contributing to the population boom in Squamish. Combine this with the rise of the mobile workforce, and you have yourself a tidal wave of change in work and community culture as we know it.

Faster internet connections, more robust technology and increasingly flexible employers are enabling an entire generation of telecommuters to spend at least one day per week working from home. In fact, by 2022 the mobile workforce is set to increase to 42% of the global population.

As small business owners who work from home ourselves, we know how isolating it can be. We left the cubicles, fluorescent lighting and cold boardrooms of the corporate world behind for a reason. But what we don’t want to abandon is the a sense of personal and professional connection with colleagues: comradery, peer mentorship and inspiration.

It’s all too tempting to donne the PJ’s and hunker down, only to surface to humanity for the occasional video conference call. And even then, you’re only dressed smart from the waist up (let’s be honest). But, humans are social creatures and we need to be around other humans; to build community and feed our inspiration. It’s good for our mental health, for our creativity and for the growth of our businesses too.

Until recently, working in a “social environment” has entailed squatting in a coffee shop. But, despite the jolt of java and buzzing atmosphere, there are hefty sacrifices to be made. The guilt of staying for hours in a bustling restaurant means ordering way too many coffee and/or pastries just to feel better. And, participating in a conference call while the espresso machine is blasting and the coffee shop playlist blares is downright frustrating.

Coworking spaces solve these problems by meeting us halfway. A Silicon Valley-esque start-up work environment meets coffee shop with silently crafted lattes.

While the term “coworking space” was coined in 2005 in San Francisco, it’s only in the last number of years that they’ve really hit the mainstream. The coworking industry has exploded, leading to boutique operations and global chains that have forged a path for telecommuters and digital nomads to gather, drink coffee, work collaboratively, and gain a sense of culture and community.

The Common will open its doors in Squamish at the end of this month, and we’re hoping it’s the first of many opportunities to meet new people and continue to nurture our network here in Squamish. Learn more about The Common by liking them on Facebook and Instagram or visiting them online at thecommon.io.

Do you have a coworking experience to share? Tell us in the comments below!

The firehose of content flooding the digital space is ferocious – but, so is the appetite for it. Now, more than ever, businesses must place a stake in the ground and tell their own story by engaging in brand journalism. This is more than just content marketing – this is about building an audience and becoming a valuable resource for existing and future customers.

People are craving connection – with one another, of course, but also the brands they choose to support. They want to feed their insatiable appetite for knowledge. They want to quash their fear of missing out by being almost omnipresent, their finger on the pulse at all times. The explosion of livestreaming, a 24 hour news cycle, and hundreds of million of hours worth of video watched each day barely fulfill these never-ending desires.

So, how does brand journalism come into play? Businesses must be much more than content factories, pumping out videos, blogs and imagery for the sake of it. Rather, they must be thoughtful and strategic about the stories they tell  – human stories from unique perspectives.  

After all, the art of creating timely, meaningful, authentic stories based on human insight and relevance to the audience is a craft the journalism industry has perfected over the centuries. And there are tried, tested and true methods that can be adapted to the marketing space. 

Great brand journalism has the ability to teach people something new, stir up emotion or create inspiration and motivation. Great brand journalism takes a human insight and cracks it wide open, hitting a nerve, making people think. Most importantly, it sparks a conversation. 

Here are a few ways to be a better brand journalist:

1. Behave Like a Newsroom

Newsrooms are well-oiled machines designed for maximum output in a deadline-driven environment.  Editorial meetings take place daily or weekly to discuss story ideas and angles, holding reporters accountable for their responsibilities and shaping each story as new perspectives are shared. Reporters have beats, becoming subject matter experts in specific areas so they can dig deeper and have the historical background. Journalists follow up on tips and work their leads, turning to trusted sources for insider info. They research, fact check and standardize formatting and content packaging.  Most of all, they are guided by the priorities of the audience. 

How this translates to business:

• Set deadlines
• Schedule editorial planning sessions to keep on track and accountable
• Showcase expertise in a specific area and bring in other subject matter experts, such as guest content creators  to help round out the topics
• Conduct proper interviews with your subjects and use quotes
• Put time and effort into writing excellent blog posts
• Work leads for story ideas (team members, customers, partners, industry relationships)
• Do research, get the facts right and standardize formatting
• Keep tabs on industry news that might impact storytelling angles

2. Start With the Human Insight

Before going down the path of crafting any content, first think about why it matters to the audience. Perhaps it’s need-to-know info, based on frequently asked questions from customers or urgent and late-breaking developments. Maybe there’s something interesting about how people use your product or service differently that will grab attention. And more broadly, there might be societal insights, cultural phenomena and larger trends that could lead to a deeper storytelling opportunity.

3. Always Consider Context

Ultimately, we all need to answer the question: “Why is my business telling this story?”  A great story can be lost on an audience unless there is careful attention paid to the context in which it is positioned.

For starters, think about whether this is a topic your business should be covering and what role you have to play in the conversation. Next, look at how the content is being set up when it’s distributed. Context can be implied due to seasonality, trending news or holidays, for example. But, without the crutch of seasonality, the audience shouldn’t need to question why it is relevant to them. Taking the time to build a distribution plan to accompany your brand journalism efforts will lead to greater success – especially when it comes to targeting the right people at the right time.

Do you want to tell your company’s story through effective brand journalism? Get in touch with us! 

2017 was coined “the year of video marketing” by numerous marketing sources the world over. In fact, 74% of all Internet traffic will be from video this year, according to Hubspot. After all, video is an effective way to drive reach and create awareness about your brand or message.

It’s not that video marketing is new to the social media landscape. The momentum has been building for a number years. But what’s changed is the proliferation of tools that empower content creators to make amazing video content – and share it. The ubiquitous nature of smartphones, GoPro, GoPro knock offs, drones and editing software and apps makes it easy and painless to create excellent video content, no matter what your budget.

In tandem, consumers are more open than ever to watching video to learn about products, understand complex ideas, gain inspiration or interact with brands. Why? Because it’s a lot more compelling than reading something. Video = emotion and comprehension.

It’s easy to invest in video for the sake of creating it, but what makes great video?

Here are the top 5 tips for how to build effective social video:

1.Build For Sound Off

This is the #1 most important rule of thumb when it comes to video marketing content.  It’s surprising how many brands build video without the end user’s behaviour in mind. Most social media audiences are watching content when they shouldn’t be: in public, in meetings, during office hours, or in class. So, creating a compelling and visually dynamic video that doesn’t require sound is key. Videos that rely on narration and voice overs lose audiences quickly because the fact of the matter is that very few people want to turn their sound on to understand the gist of the content. Ways in which to reduce this no-sound barrier include: using auto-caption or baking captions into the video; exaggerating the actions humans are taking in the video to make it clear as to what is happening; and eliminating too many “talking heads” in your edit.

2.Make It Short And Snackable

As content creators, we get so passionate about making beautiful “films” that we forget about the end user. But, there’s one problem – this is social media, not a theatre and we have milliseconds to capture the attention of our viewers. They haven’t bought a movie ticket and aren’t automatically interested in what we have to say. The cold, hard truth is that most content viewers will drop off within the first 20 seconds of a social media video – and that’s generous. It’s more like 10 seconds or less. So it’s worth asking whether investing in a long-form video is even worth it from an return on investment perspective. Bite-sized, snackable content is key to video storytelling in today’s world. Keep the storytelling under 30 seconds – and even better, try creating a series of 10 second videos versus full-length, two-plus minute videos. If you must develop a longer video, be sure to create teaser edits with the key points and add to your distribution plan to support the longer video.

3.Create For The 3-second audition

As mentioned above, audiences are fickle and unlikely to stick around until the bitter end. Unlike the typical story arc of a film with an intro, build up and pay off, we need to invert our storytelling pyramid to put the most important and compelling components of the story up front. Whether that’s a key message, brand identifier or the punchline, it’s important to build for the three-second audition. Your audience won’t stick around much longer than that and you don’t want them to leave you without getting the take away you’re striving for.

4.Make It Thumb-stopping

Thumbnail images, post copy and headlines matter. Some might call it “click bait”, but there are many tactics that can be implemented to compel people to click. Whether its Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Instagram, thumbnail images can be customized. Test different subject matter to see if there are any clear performers. For example, try images of people vs nature or close-up vs. far away images. Create intriguing post copy by adding in a question or cliffhanger to compel people to watch the video to learn more. Try headlines that will grab the reader.

5.Design For Mobile

Those small screens on smartphones and tablets – that is what we should be building for. After all, the majority of Internet users are using mobile devices to consume content. That means those long shots capturing subjects from far away just won’t do. The same goes for tiny captions that are difficult to read on mobile. On a small screen, video is most compelling with bright, big subjects that are clear, crisp and visible without squinting.

Want to learn more about producing video for your social media strategy? Get in touch with us! 

While the digital marketing landscape is shifting under our feet and the artificial intelligence revolution takes hold, the ancient art of storytelling remains tried, tested and true. Such is the dichotomy of marketing in the Digital Age.

Last week, I attended the Change In the Making Conference. in our home town of Squamish. Now heading into its third year, the conference attracts some 700 attendees from enterprise brands, small business and agencies. While still maintaining its heavy focus on digital, the CIMC organizing team decided to broaden the scope of the event in 2017, adding in broader topics for the public relations community.

Here are the big take aways and trends that will shape marketing and storytelling in the months ahead. It’s a long one, but I promise it’s a good one!

A Good Story Is Timeless

In today’s Digital Age, it’s important to have a hook in the first 8 seconds if we want to draw the audience in and overcome ADD. But, we needn’t be overly clever. Vulnerability and authenticity reign in this space.

Matthew Luhn from Pixar reminded us all that simplicity is key when it comes to telling a great story. We have to make people feel the story more than anything else. If we can achieve that, we can make magic happen.

Tried, tested and true storytelling devices that have been used for thousands of year still apply. Every story needs a set-up, build, and pay off. But, pacing and tension are critical to create an emotional connection with the audience. And of course, the good old anecdote is still very relevant and effective. In fact, adding a story makes facts 22 times more memorable.

Native Advertising and Influencer Marketing Critical To Marketing Mix

As the digital marketing pipeline becomes more and more saturated (and expensive), relying on third-party allegiances is the new norm.  

After all, in a world where people fear “fake news”, sponsored content doesn’t seem so bad as long as there is transparency. Lindsay Stewart of Buzzfeed revealed that the recipe for success when it comes to sponsored content is for brands to give the publication creative license to maintain their voice. They know their audience best and have historical data to inform their content. In Buzzfeed’s case, they stick to their recipe for success: being relatable, creating emotional pull, educating people or making them laugh.

Native advertising is estimated to become a $28 billion business by 2018. Native ad units might be modelled after IABs, but their place in the digital mix is to add context, educational or entertainment value.

On the other hand, working with influencers to gain reach and third party endorsements has become mainstay in the marketing mix. But, it doesn’t always have to be the mainstream Internet giants whose engagement decreases as their reach increases.  Looking at so-called micro-influencers can be a more cost effective approach with long-term benefits. These are people who are prolific in niche communities and are on their way to Internet fame, but haven’t quite made it yet.

The Web Landscape Is Shifting

No longer is it sufficient to build a mobile friendly site. Rather, with the saturation of mobile, it’s critical to build mobile first web properties. Some brands are deciding to de-prioritize desktop all together, depending on who their target market is.

As design becomes more mobile-centric and m commerce gains momentum, we can expect to see purchasing behaviour shift from desktop to mobile as it becomes easier to buy items from a mobile device.  To date, mobile has done a great job at driving web traffic, but user experience and trust still hinder many from purchasing on their mobile. Broadly speaking, e-commerce businesses still see more purchases made on desktop. But, that is changing.

Another space that is dramatically shifting is the world of mobile applications. Britney Muller of Moz argued that apps could become a thing of the past; replaced instead by a hybrid solution called Progressive Web Applications. PWAs are built for mobile browsers, but offer the sophistication and robust user experience of an app.

But it’s not just web design and apps that are evolving. The landscape of search is changing too, with the prevalence of voice recognition technologies like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google’s voice software. No longer must we optimize our websites for written search terms, but also voice search as well. To date, advertising companies like Google have yet to monetize voice search, but it’s on the horizon. Search engine optimization is transforming and now, more than ever, it’s important to lay the foundation with today’s best practices so you can be ready for tomorrow.

We Need to Simultaneously Embrace and Prepare for AI

We are in the midst of a not-so-quiet revolution of artificial intelligence and automation. Simply put, cognitive computing (or machines that continue to optimize and learn as they go) will play up a major role in almost every aspect of our lives. From helping businesses better understand their customers, to organizing and interpreting massive volumes data, to completing tasks currently executed by humans, AI will become an extension of human decision-making and action. Some would argue we’re already there.

Internet giants Facebook and Google both admitted that “connectivity” is the next frontier. AI and machine to machine will be the next battleground. It’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top in this space.

But, as Meagan Tanner of Google Canada so eloquently explained, technology does not just disrupt industries – it has a trickle down effect.  Technology disruption impacts entire economies. The electric, self-driving car for example, disrupts gas stations, packaged goods sold in the gas station, people who work in goods manufacturing, vendors who serve the manufacturers and so on and so forth.  With these new technologies barrelling towards us, our nation is poised for a major economic disruption and Google Canada is campaigning hard to pressure the Canadian government to invest in tech leadership.

There’s no better place to look at how disruption impacts the economy, than, well, the sharing economy. The revolution started with the likes of Uber and AirBNB, but ultimately permeates just about every industry there is. Ted Graham of GMC posed the question : “who is the Uber Of” the next industry in his talk. He demonstrated how GMC has taken a page from some of the most successful sharing economy brands – and even partnered with them – to adapt and grow.

As we near the midway point of 2017, this is a good time to re-evaluate where we stand. Stéphane Bérubé of L’oreal hit the nail on the head when he emphasized the importance of reinventing, innovating and building the future before it builds you. Becoming stagnant – even if you have a 108-year success record – is the greatest fail of all.

Influencer marketing is a mainstay in brand campaigns these days. Savvy social media stars are cashing in big with one-off promotion of products and services on their channels – often times taking it on as a full-time job. But, are brands taking the easy route of paid influence and ignoring advocacy?

For the most part, influencer marketing is a highly effective tool: lower cost per engagement and all the reach you can buy. After all, the notion of paid product endorsements isn’t a new one and there’s a reason why celebrities make a killing on hawking everything from Parisian perfume to canned coffee in Japan. The only challenge is that influence is a short game, while in actuality, the world of true advocacy is a much longer, more arduous journey. And that is scary, time consuming and costly. But, it’s necessary.

Businesses can win over lifelong loyalty one customer at a time; one social engagement at a time; one recommendation at a time.  Whether it’s rallying your internal team members or connecting with your most active customers, here are three ways you can amp up your advocacy game:

Start With Your Team Members

By far, your team members are the most knowledgeable and passionate about your company. There’s a reason why they are working for you – and it’s time to harness that momentum and share it with the world.

Create an environment where team members are invited to share your social media posts, blogs and marketing campaigns. Make it easy by providing them with a mechanism for easy sharing. A simple all-team email, internal communication tools like Slack and Salesforce Chatter, or a more robust solution like Hootsuite Amplify, are great ways to notify team members that there’s new content to share with the world. Integrate prizing and incentives to make it fun and ensure the engagement is sustained.

Amp Up Community Management

If there’s one low hanging fruit that will give you a leg up on your competition, it’s social media response. Every reply to a Facebook comment or a Tweet (good or bad) goes a long way to showcasing your customer service and sales excellence. If you have to invest in one area of your business, it’s customer service – and social media community management is really on the front lines of this. If you can maintain a balanced relationship with your online audience during the good times, it will do wonders to help you rebound quickly from a crisis if something goes awry. A word to the wise: make sure brand guidelines and issues management plans are in place to ensure your community manager has everything thing they need.

Create Opportunities for Reviews and Testimonials

By now we all know that customers trust their peers more than companies. So, if you know your customers have had a good experience with your product or service, why not invite them to share their story with others? Sometimes all it takes is a gentle nudge to remind customers. Ensure that there is a prompt to provide a review in all point of sale or post-sale follow ups, such as on receipts, clothing hangtags, cash desk cards, and confirmation emails.  

Most importantly, find ways to highlight these reviews in the mediums customers use for researching your business. Some ideas to showcase testimonials include: adding a slider on your website, creating a case study, integrating a call-out box on your email newsletter or creating snackable social media content featuring the quotes.

Want to learn more about how to build an advocacy program? Get in touch for details!

There’s nothing worse than getting into the office on a Monday and feeling panicked that you have nothing to post on social media. With the new year, comes new hope for a stronger, tighter, and more effective content strategy. But, how do you get started with building out your annual social media strategy? Here are three considerations to help guide you along the way when building your content framework.

Align Your Content Strategy With Your Business Priorities

It seems like a no-brainer, but in many organizations, the social media prime is either wearing many hats and running social off the side of their desk without time to build a content strategy. If the company is large enough to have an individual or team running the online content – they may be operating in silos from the individuals tasked with determining organizational goals.

Social media is crucial touchpoint in your communications strategy and the foundation of your strategy should always align with the objectives of your company. Having a good sense of your business priorities allows you to create a funnel of key messaging that will help steer content themes (pillars) and specifics around subject matter (topics).

Refining Your Content Mix

Your content mix is a crucial component to addressing your short- and long-term storytelling needs. There are four key segments of content that you want to focus in on:

• Evergreen content is timeless and is relevant now and into the future. This is content that stands the test of time, and can be repurposed time and time again.
• Seasonal or campaign content is comprised of those hero moments that pulse in and out of market and are time sensitive. They may also have a larger weight of production and media budget.
• User-generated content is driven by your online community and a critical component to a healthy relationship with your customers. Incenting, recognizing and sharing the content created by your power users rewards advocacy and sustains brand engagement.
• Short-lead content is focused around trending and very timely opportunities to news-jack or capitalize on broader conversation taking place online at a given time. You can plan to listen for, but not depend on this as a source of inspiration.

Set Your Foundation

Once you have a good sense of the content framework you’re working within in terms of pillars and topics, you can then focus on building a well-balanced content calendar. Start with your “big rocks” or the hero campaigns and seasonal messaging that is most important to your business. Next, layer in your evergreen pieces that fill in the gaps and help round out your storytelling. And, finally, sprinkle in user-generated content and listen for short-lead opportunities to round out your content mix.

Once you’ve completed your 2017 planning, it’s time to get creative! Check out our recent blog post about content planning tips for more inspiration on where to get content ideas.