As the volume of marketing content increases, smart brands are creating more natural campaigns that fit seamlessly into people’s experiences. This approach avoids the interruption of traditional marketing. Instead, it focuses on providing useful and entertaining content that complements people’s day-to-day living. Here are three approaches for integrating your brand into customers’ lives:
1) Share a “Recipe”
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board created the Grilled Cheese Academy, a website devoted to gourmet grilled cheese recipes. It adds unique value to people’s lives at the very moment they need it – specifically, when they search ‘grilled cheese recipes’ – with subtle branding for the Wisconsin dairy industry in the background.
What expert resource could you create that customers will value? As a starting point, ask your social media community.
2) Offer Text Updates
For example, CNN offers opt-in mobile text updates to sports fans hungry for breaking news about their teams. You might not be CNN, but you can be a source for news about your industry, your local area and of course, your own business (deals and offers). Share sparingly, stay relevant and don’t spam.
3) Value-added Email
After a customer makes a purchase, send a follow-up email with a curated list of popular Twitter handles related to their purchase. If someone booked a hotel stay, for example, pass along three Twitter accounts that tweet about cool things to do in the area.
Kayak.com includes discounts and recommendations on related services when you purchase a flight from them. Their confirmation emails list car rental agencies and hotels in the area as a value-added service.
Marketing is all about understanding your customers. Know their likes and dislikes, as well as their habits and expectations, to fit into their lives in a natural way.
