In the spirit of the new year, I’ve started to contemplate ways in which I can change and better myself. Like the other billion or so people that are decreasing their booze intake and swapping normal, beautiful potatoes for the sweet sort, I’ve overhauled my lifestyle and have made changes that are now part of the ‘new me’ diet. Yes, it’s faddy. Yes, I probably will be back to my booze and burger-consuming ways by mid February, but one change I thought was a must will be a tad more permanent. I’m talking tattoo removal.
This has a point that comes to marketing, I swear – this isn’t simply about my childish mistake, made in a grim studio that happily inked me with butterflies and swirls that I now daren’t look at without wondering “Why?”.
I’ve already begun my hunt for the right laser tattoo removal specialist. To my dismay, though, I found next to nothing. Well, by next to nothing I mean Google directed me to the local studios, most with names about death or skull inking. This didn’t instil any confidence in my quest.
This is a tricky situation, I need rid but I can’t risk scarring myself for life worse than I already am with the brazen crest of chav-hood I already have. So, I took to my love and library of advice: Social Media. To where I found… nothing. Aside from jibs from my lovely directors about the predicament.
At a loss, I began to smile. Despite being no further on, this real-life situation made me think – what we at Neil Walker Digital Group do within our practice is the solution to this problem.
In a hypothetical scenario where we started to work with a laser removal specialist, we would ensure that, as well as earning the trust of Google, we’d ensure their social campaign was informative and approachable, offering an open and conversational tone that would have surely come to my Twitter rescue when I sent out my plea. We’d be sure to create interesting, topical content which would be seeded across information hubs to be sure the day I set on my online journey I’d have found an informative piece on the stages of visual change due to treatment, rather than a link to FlamingSkullInkDeath.net.
Users are savvy, and particularly when it comes to selecting services. This isn’t simply about bad tattoos; what if I’d had poor service and decided to take legal action for neglectful practice? I certainly wouldn’t have selected the first solicitors who had paid Google through the nose to rank at the top. I’d have selected the firm that had a fantastic visible case profile, an informative and interactive social account that I felt was accessible and inclusive for me as an individual. Gone are the days that a good reputation comes with just ranking well. I want signals that I can trust companies through a beautiful blend of social media, great content, PR and a sprinkling of that old thing called SEO.
This was coincidentally one of the key themes which caused a stir of nods and ‘hmms’ of agreement at the recent SAScon seminar (i.e. Mini SAScon, which I keep calling baby SAS for some unknown reason).
The point is: gone are the days of segmented marketing which focuses primarily on one key method of gaining attention for brands. Bringing real benefit in terms of amplifying brand and, more importantly, creating more scenarios in which research becomes revenue by becoming a client is the way to market. There must be more tie in and focus across the core areas that users will take to.
I’d love to hear people’s thoughts, do you agree or disagree that we must tie up our methods to ensure we deliver a thorough digital campaign, or do we stick to what has always been? If you are a service business, have you noticed any change in enquires through digital? Also, I’m still the un-proud owner of an unwanted tat and am welcome to suggestions!