Internet Marketing and Digital Media Strategy Sydney Australia

This blog is the ongoing chronicle of our own application to our business of the theories; ideas and lessons we are sharing and recommending with our clients.  

Taking Risks

If you're not taking risks then you're playing it safe.  It's one or the other.

Yes, it's hard for some people/ companies/ brands to take risks - there's the natural fear of failure, but today, the paradox is it is more risky to maintain the status quo - you risk become commoditised and irrelevant - easily replaced.

"If you or your brand does not have relevance and create passion from your customers and fans then long term you're in trouble - you're no different than washing powder."  Franklyn Un

Much of the current marketing talk today is about online social media, building and connecting with fans but social media is more than just about setting up a Facebook fan page or Twitter account.  It's about creating social objects says Gaping Void's Hugh MacLeod.

Facing Problems

I faced a problem with the CLIVE stuff we were creating - namely potential customers where comparing us with inferior produced competitors.  Our key messages were not being heard.

The reason - our website - (which is where most of our customers find out more about us)  did not clearly communicate our unique selling points - we looked like our competitors - ie just selling the technical video production ability instead of where we wanted to play - our creativity, our online marketing understanding, our script writing, our production quality, presenter coaching, technology platform and analytics. 

We had to change the way we sold and move from a volume production view of the world towards a very customer centric, creative, niche approach.  Less how many video jobs but more about developing the whole of customer experience - right through to their customers experience.

Seeds take a while to germinate

It took a very long time (in web years) for my team to actually understand what I was saying (and I suppose my deeper understanding of the space and ability to communicate).

Lonely Girl 15 (2006)

We'd all seen the Lonely Girl thing way back in 2006 but what was the end result today? Did it eventually ever sell anything beyond building the Directors profile? Was/ where's the long tail benefit to fans?  What's the point if those no end in sight?

Beached As

I'd seen the clips years ago but the guys appeared on one of the national morning TV shows - I sent the interview to my guys - it's when they saw the commercial return from the books "they got it".  In many ways many businesses are like this - they need to see someone else successful before they have a go - it reduces their perceived risk - they need to be sold and convinced.

For every huge success there will tens of thousands of failures - today there's 37 hours of video uploaded to Youtube every minute.

"It ain't viral till it's viral" but there are some common elements to viral video success - low budget; humour; topicality; provocation; surprises and strategies - piggybacking on trends or celebrities; kids and cute animals.

If you focus purely on the $$$ then customers will soon see through your work.

2010 - Doing Incredibly Boring Work and the Creative Stuff that inspired.

My video guys were stuck on a very boring government job - we done a hundred simple presenter to camera CLIVE clips, it was the creative ones like Wendell's Dancing Reebok that got the most Click Thrus and results - social media was focused on how many fans or Twitter followers - the next metric is engagement. 

2011 - Focus on Creative Inspiration 

Less now on volume and more focused on customer experience.  The development of characters to deliver key communications messages to targeted audiences; a platform for companies and brands to engage online; a framework for new talent to be involved.

Introducing The Characters

Each character went through a behavioural profiling approach (60 questions) used by Human Resource consultants around the world - developed to hopefully resonate with each customer segment.

The Hard Arsed CEO	The Punchy Salesman	Online Presenting Diva	Viral Video Expert	The Nerd
Facebook	Facebook	Facebook	Facebook	Facebook

Each character a Facebook fan page; Twitter account created and behind the scenes video element created. 

The rest to unfold - I'll keep you posted.  

Marketing and making waves - beware the dumpers

Surfers watch weather maps for low pressure systems that will generate big waves in the days ahead.

Experience tells you which breaks will get the best waves - the best spots are usually busy.

Out in the surf pack on big days there is a strong hierarchy, a pecking order, a combination of experience, talent and bravado. 

In any group there are usually those who make their presence known quietly and others who bully and yell like greedy anxious seagull waiting for the next chip.

No matter what type of surfer you are - with every big wave you catch you have to wary of the dumpers that close out, the ones that suddenly explode out of control, sucking and grabbing you into the white water turbulence and smashing you across the reef.

There's always a risk in whatever we do - in surfing, the nirvanic reward, a perfect tube - the self realisation, the hoots from your peers, the applause from the crowd.

It's how you handle the situation that counts.

From the observers point of view standing safely on the cliffs above, the "spectacle" of both victories and defeats at the hands of the elements - that's sport, that's entertainment, that's business and relationships.

AND there is a significant difference between those doing the surfing and those observing from the shoreline.

Up on the hills and out in the water there's little sympathy for the weasel bloke smashed across the reef, picking up the pieces of his expensive broken board, crawling up the rocks and out of the water.  The chorused boos and indifference of the crowd.

"At least I was in the water" he says defiant and raising his finger, oblivious to the quick buck mentality road of destruction.

It's not the destination but "the journey", the "how we got here" that echos idol collective.

A new day, more waves to conquer, another surfer paddles out.

We've all been subjected to "death by Powerpoint" - presentations that steal your valuable time so I started looking for great presentations - ones that left the audience inspired and wanting more. 

Steve Jobs from Apple always delivers great presentations.  Like everything, what appears simple and natural usually means highly crafted.

So, I spent the last month looking at what makes highly effective presentations.  The sources ranged from a whole lot of different things - from advertising, to public speaking, from emails to articles and blogs.  They also included script writing to internet videos.

 The initial driver being three separate events -

1. Our first CLIVE ALIVE event at the beginning of the month
2. Another client who is presenting to a group of builders this Wednesday night.
3. Constantly improving our CLIVEvideo script writing and presentation skills

It wasn't hard to find some good presentations - you only have to look at the TED conferences and read up on some thoughts of marketing guru Seth Godin.

Four books filtered to the top and were consumed -

1. Seths Godins Purple Cow
2. On the back of a napkin
3. Ignore Everybody
4. Presentation Zen

The end result is some good basic guidelines for presentations (too numerous to try and write all down here)

BUT the key, break those sacred cows of presentations process.

When putting your presentation together

1. Get away from the computer and use Postit notes to storyboard and title header first
2. Focus on the audience and What's In It For Them - tell a story, keep it real and human.
3. Focus on the core message then break slides into topic headings.
4. Use high quality relevant images to support headings.
5. Reduce all clutter - Maximum seven words on a slide - remove logos etc
6. Leave the detailed information for handouts after the event.
7. No one every got shot for a slightly shorter presentation