It's Not Always About The Technology

For marketers and brands alike, the new ways in which we can reach audiences – whether via mobile apps, SMS campaigns, the latest social media platform, podcasts, etc. – can be overwhelming. At Rhythm, we’ve seen firsthand the confusion and frustration that our clients face when it comes to determining which latest and greatest marketing mediums to employ to reach their desired audiences. Many marketers and brands feel like they have to jump on the latest technology or get in on the latest social channel to get their message out and reach their audiences. If you have ever found yourself in a similar quandary, the good news is you’re not alone. The even better news? You never have to worry about missing the boat again – if you’re the captain.

What the heck does that mean?

In one word: control. Today’s digitally-driven world gives marketers the means to know more about their customers than ever before. With this knowledge comes the ability to better understand what customers really want and need, and the ways they’d like to access it. This level of understanding allows marketers to adopt only technologies that work for the unique needs of their customers, and protects marketers from unnecessarily gravitating toward the “latest/hottest/newest/can’t miss” marketing medium or technology.

Let's look at an example. We often have clients come to us saying that they need a mobile app, they need to be on Snapchat. Their reasoning behind these desires? Everyone else is doing it. Really? Everyone should not be trying to be everything, do everything. The brands that do this often fall short and lessen their worth, their one true value or key differentiator. Most often it's the fear of missing the proverbial boat that leads brands to think this way. But sometimes that boat is the Titanic, and if marketers/brands fail to think about and understand the real wants and needs of their audience, they’ll almost certainly regret hopping aboard.

While it’s only natural to be captivated by new marketing mediums and technologies, it’s important for marketers and brands to realize that (returning to the mobile app example) there is no single magic bullet. For instance, maybe the reason you think you need an app is because many brands have developed apps and maybe some of your customers are asking for an app. But are these good enough reasons to launch an app? Apps can be expensive and time consuming to design and develop and they require ongoing maintenance costs. Your app has to provide a solution for customers, but also something more in effort to keep them accessing your app and not simply deleting it. Perhaps instead of creating an app you could better meet your customers' needs with a responsive site that brings the depth of your website to every user vs. a mobile app that's limited by its already high budget and only accessible via an app store. Maybe you should consider email marketing. Maybe you need to take a closer look at your social strategy.

The fact of the matter is that marketing success doesn’t usually come from the latest and greatest marketing medium or technology – it comes from the most effective medium or technology for your audience. It’s really about meeting your customers where they're at. You need to truly understand your customer journey, their wants and needs. Who are they? What age are they? Where are they? How do they access information? What do they really want from you? How can you make their lives easier/better/more fulfilled? How can you provide them with something of value in a unique way that keeps them engaged? These questions and others will lead you to different marketing mediums and technologies that could be applied to reach them - each with their different benefits and associated costs. Often, it's not the high-cost technology or super time-intensive channel that provides the right answer to meet your audience's need.

When you're ready to really understand your customer journey and identify which mediums or technologies would work best for your brand, contact Rhythm - we would love to work with you.