Discovering opportunities to engage with online and offline communities to build strong brand ecosystem. Creating social exchanges of knowledge and information in a relevant and meaningful manner.
Online
Channels where the critical point of contact is online handled digitally or through an automated process.
Website
The website is the central source of truth for the brand, information, and builds authority thus requiring extra care in messaging and experience. Developing content to support the core online presence determined by the overall marketing plan and content execution strategy is key.
Public Relations
Public relations spans the overall impression of the brand across its online presence. Ensuring proper curation of content to provide consistent high quality communication across channels.
Social Media
Social media networks provide established populated communities which can be leveraged to reach out to potential clients, fans, partners, and talent.
Social media becomes more integrated into the daily lives of individuals. Its integral to a successful marketing plan to consider the ideal use cases for each target platform to maximize the potential impact.
| Comparison Basis | |
|---|---|
| User Characteristics | |
| Male vs Female Audience | 40% vs 60% |
| Post Secondary Education | 80% |
| Under 35 Years Old | 34% |
| Brand Exposure | |
| Brand Management Focus |
|
| Platform Audience Pros |
|
| Platform Audience Cons | Platform limited CTA |
| Customer Communication | Opinion sharing and customer service |
| Traffic to Website | Direct links to content and complete business page |
| Comparison Basis | |
|---|---|
| User Characteristics | |
| Male vs Female Audience | 55% vs 45% |
| Post Secondary Education | 66% |
| Under 35 Years Old | 49% |
| Brand Exposure | |
| Brand Management Focus |
|
| Platform Audience Pros |
|
| Platform Audience Cons | Audience not fully engaged |
| Customer Communication | Monitoring engagement and usage of branded tags |
| Traffic to Website | Timely distribution of new linked content |
| Comparison Basis | |
|---|---|
| User Characteristics | |
| Male vs Female Audience | 57% vs 43% |
| Post Secondary Education | 82% |
| Under 35 Years Old | 72% |
| Brand Exposure | |
| Brand Management Focus |
|
| Platform Audience Pros |
|
| Platform Audience Cons | Content must be highly curated and/or industry specific |
| Customer Communication | Industry related groups and company profiles |
| Traffic to Website | Small highly targeted segment |
| Comparison Basis | YouTube |
|---|---|
| User Characteristics | |
| Male vs Female Audience | 55% vs 45% |
| Post Secondary Education | 57% |
| Under 35 Years Old | 45% |
| Brand Exposure | |
| Brand Management Focus |
|
| Platform Audience Pros |
|
| Platform Audience Cons | ROI is uncertain especially on start-up |
| Customer Communication | Quickly engaging customers with entertainment/information |
| Traffic to Website | Extra care required to drive traffic |
Modified from Source: “Using Social Media to Connect with Consumers.” Marketing, by Frederick G. Crane et al., 9th ed., McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2014, pp. 556–556.
Lead Nurturing
If we have properly guided our potential leads they will begin to engage in the sales funnel. This is ultimately the goal but can fail if either the feed or the funnel is broken leading to confused or disgruntled customers. This can lead to PR issues on public communication channels (ex: social media, news) that will need to be addressed.
Offline
Channels where the critical point of contact is offline or the primary tasks are handled in real time.
Branding
This is focused on the controlled aspects of the brand which stem from original content, online and offline branding, product quality, and differentiation. Creating a cohesive brand image through intentional marketing and content strategy is key to an organized and efficient messaging.
Brand Awareness
Once the branding is in place the next step is to plan on how to communicate your brand and create awareness through multiple channels. Building your brand through participation in or hosting opportunities can establish deep strong and meaningful connections. Networking and events are important areas to engage with other businesses and audiences in a meaningful setting.
Customer Contact Points
The more complex our brand ecosystem the more our touch point network expands. Keeping track of these touch points and planning for interactions originating in different campaigns, marketing efforts, and/or calls to action.
