77% of marketers agree that being flexible in marketing strategies and having an ability to react to breaking news and relevant trends in order to communicate with customers is now crucial. However, 37% of marketers have not integrated real-time marketing as a part of their marketing strategies yet. We ask – WHY?
Understanding real-time marketing
While specialists are trying to find a perfect definition, marketers agree that real-time marketing is a perfect way for the companies to stay relevant by joining trending conversations. Effectively engaging in real-time topics that are relevant to your product and important to your customers and prospects, takes a lot of creative effort, but is possible to master with practice.
There are 5 things companies have to get right in order to make real-time marketing work wonders for their business:
1. Topic
Instead of blindly joining every viral conversation, be selective. Breaking or trending news worldwide most likely will work, however, you should be able to overlook all the digital noise.
One of the well-known celebrity couples might have changed their relationship status and the whole world seems to care, however, is it really the topic you want customers and prospects associate your business with? Just because the topic is trending it does not mean your business can benefit from it.
It is also important to understand the trending topic. Before you even consider sending out your message, make sure you have your homework done. Research the context behind the story and the hashtag you are about to use. The last thing you want is ruining the image of your brand by a silly mistake.
Another important thing to do is understand the trending topic. Before you even consider sending out your message, make sure you have your homework done. Research the context behind the trending story and the hashtag you are about to use. The last thing you want is ruining the image of your brand by a silly mistake.
2. Time
You should not be congratulating people on Christmas in April. If you did not manage to join the relevant conversation on time, wait for another chance. You cannot jump on the bandwagon months later and expect people to still care about the topic. Instead, stay on top of the news worldwide and your industry, patiently wait for the right moment to shine.
3. Message
Or more precisely – goal of the message. Answer yourself whether you want to promote an event or special offer, communicate your brand name to prospects or simply join the trending conversation. Choose your words accordingly, be playful and responsible.
4. Audience
Clearly define who you are trying to reach with your message. Are these people your current customers or prospects. Now learn what is interesting and important for your target audience and what is the most effective way to reach out to it.
5. Medium
If your target audience is traditional media consumers, what are the odds they will lay their eyes on your tweet? However, if you are targeting college students, social media might be one of the most effective mediums to reach them. Choose the medium wisely and do not forget to base your decision on statistics, rather than personal opinion.
There is a perception alive that real-time marketing is purely spontaneous. While some of the content is being created in unexpected circumstances, other messages are strategically planned. A great example could be well anticipated Leonardo DiCaprio moment on last year’s Oscars. While most of Oscar’s spectators were holding their breath to hear the announcement whether or not it is Leo’s turn to finally be awarded the Oscar, marketing teams were preparing messages to celebrate the occasion.
As we all know now, 2016 was Leo’s year, and the news set the internet on fire. DiCaprio’s first Oscar generated more than 440,000 tweets per minute. It was the most-tweeted 60 seconds of an Oscar telecast. From fans to celebrities and brands, Leo success was not only celebrated, but also used as an opportunity to engage a conversation with customers and prospects.
Real-time marketing is not something businesses should consider implementing, it should already be a part of their marketing strategies. As the idea of “now or never” is moving toward its’ literal meaning, businesses simply cannot afford to be left out. Therefore, marketers have to be fully prepared to react to the next hot topic.
