Beyond Impressions

In our prior blog we discussed the power, popularity and reach of SMS texting.

Now that we’ve reinforced the ‘why’, let’s look at the ‘how’.

The most effective way to build your audience is to use a ‘text to join’ campaign, a simple strategy to entice users to opt-in to a subscriber list that segments them to a specific message or offer. Because SMS plays well with other services, you can easily cross reference users from print, email, web site or any other digital service.

SMS Messaging is an ‘oldie but a goodie’.

SMS protocol predates the advent of smartphones by over a decade. But rather than become outdated, it has increased in use and popularity with 4.2 billion+ people around the world (source: MBA Online) sending 22 billion texts every day (source: Domo). Currently, text messaging is the most used data service in the world (source: Nielsen).

So although SMS stands for ‘short message service’, it could easily stand for super-duper marketing strategy, and one worthy of serious consideration.

Which comes first, brand or design?

Like the chicken and the egg, they are virtually interchangeable; one cannot exist without the other.

Consider these high profile examples of brand and design combining for a truly impactful message.

In our prior blog, we hit the road towards our strategic destination fueled by the proper tactics to keep us on the right track. While strategy and tactics are required to make the trip, they are also very different tools.

Tactical thinking vs. strategic thinking is similar to “which comes first, the chicken or the egg”. One cannot exist without

the other. A strategy needs to be in place before you can determine the ideal tactics to achieve your goal. By the same token, your goal may not be achieved unless you employ the proper tactics. They are different and essential tools to employ in every short and long term business plan.

In our last blog, we considered how our day to day busy-ness can steer us away from our strategic goals by way of side roads, dead ends and U turns.

In this blog we get back on track.

Scheduling time to ‘think big’ may initially seem less productive than tending to the emergency of the moment, but it is essential information that can give clarity to all the smaller decisions you make along the way.  And let’s be real: is the company retreat really about company direction, or is it getting side tracked by company politics?

Some things to consider when designing your strategic plan:

You take a deep breath, and slowly push your seat away from the desk. Your inbox is empty, your notifications are cleared, your texts are returned and you have nothing else to do in this moment than reflect on your strategic plan and think about where you want your business to be in five years.

High-level philanthropy demands data-driven, measurable results that prove your organization is truly making a difference. Although it is easy to understand why this information is important to a donor, tracking it can be a challenge. Outcomes, predictive modeling and data in the non-profit/social services field are exceedingly hard to gather and analyze.

A traditional annual appeal may list statistics of how many participants are served, programs and services offered, and a human interest story or profile to highlight and personalize the potential impact of their gift. For many donors, this is adequate and effective.

But high level donors are asking for more.

Think of one product or service whose target market is ‘everyone’. Not even the most expensive super bowl ad will appeal to 100% of the viewers, no matter how cute those puppies are. And while these mega-ads are created with brand awareness in mind, most viewers can’t recall the brand of the product advertised, but boy were those puppies cute!

The good news is you don’t need to promote your business to millions of people. And as cute as they are, you don’t need to wrangle together a group of puppies to promote your company.

Rather than trying to reach the most consumers possible, narrow your focus to reach only those consumers who are most likely to need/buy your product or service.

Snapchat has been on a meteoric rise since its inception in 2011. In its most basic form, it is a visual messaging system that ups the ante on instant engagement by giving users just 10 seconds to decide if an image is worth saving. To give your snap a better chance at survival, there are all sorts of cool gadgets, filters, sticker and emoji’s to ensure your image is swipe-worthy. 

You can spend hours creating and perfecting content for your website/twitter feed/blog or other digital platforms. But if all your followers do is take a look, muster a quick ‘huh’,and move on, you’ve failed to engage them. True success in digital marketing is when your content is deemed share-worthy.

Because in the digital world, sharing is caring.

Think about the last time you read or viewed something online and thought ‘that’s so interesting’, ‘that’s so useful’, ‘that’s really funny’, or ‘wow, I never knew that’. Then think about what you likely did immediately after. You shared it.