Influencer marketing is hardly something new.
From Mark Twain’s name and image being featured on two different brands of cigars in the nineteenth century to Kellogg’s partnering with Michael Jordan throughout the nineties, we’ve all got examples in mind of brands using celebrities to promote their products.
We may not give it a lot of thought, but artificial intelligence is already part of our daily lives in a number of ways.
When it works well, it makes our life slightly easier – from trying to anticipate our needs (e.g. Amazon’s suggested products or Netflix’s recommended shows) to preventing us from being victims of fraud (e.g. our bank’s fraud detection systems).
When running a quick search for the #SocialSelling hashtag through any social media listening tool, the amount of data you get in return is quite overwhelming.
According to TweetReach, during the three hours before I wrote this article, #SocialSelling gathered more than 800,000 impressions on Twitter.
If there is one thing that all businesses in the world have in common – whatever their industry, size, internal structure and corporate culture – it’s that they all need sales to thrive.
But, as is often the case, keeping up with the evolution of the purchasing cycle in order to be present where and when it matters is easier said than done.
Let’s face it, it’s not too unusual to run into corporate communications that feel impersonal and distant from a customer’s point of view.
So, it’s no coincidence that agencies use the word ‘humanising’ over and over again when providing advice on brand messaging.
Putting aside any possible scepticism towards the seemingly volatile concept, humanising customer interactions must be the ultimate mission of any modern brand, which should empower its brave employees to shake off any robotic feel customers may perceive in their interactions with the company.
Thanks to social media, the reach of a company’s internal and external communications span much further than they used to.
Although many love the work they do, not all employees are passionate about their jobs.
How do you get even the most unengaged employee to become a company advocate? After all it’s becoming increasingly clear that employees can be your most valuable marketing asset.
If there is one thing job candidates are becoming better and faster at, that’s gathering information on social media about companies they might want to work for.
From friends of friends who work at an organisation, to Instagram photos showcasing glimpses of company’s culture & life, there are a number of ways for recruits to find out more about their future employer.
When employees share company’s news with all their connections, brands reach a much broader audience than what they’d otherwise do.
This is Simon Sinek during one of his inspiring TEDtalks, back in 2009:
To make the most of your employees’ sharing habits, it is important to learn which type of content they love best.
It would be impossible for the modern CEO not to recognise the value of social media in keeping their company at the forefront of their market.
So why is it that so few CEOs engage personally? What is holding them back and why is it so important for them to actively participate in their company’s social media endeavours?