Are you starting a business without taking into account the type of market? Do you think all startups are the same?
Many of us make the mistake of assuming that the keys that have led to the success of a previous adventure or third-party ventures can be extrapolated to our new startup. This is a big basic error that can lead us to the most resounding failure.
Startups are surrounded by a lot of uncertainty and chaos , which leads us to try to look at patterns of other companies that have been successful, thinking that it will also work with ours, what we do not realize is that each startup is a world and Above all, it must be developed with a clear understanding of the type of market we are targeting.
When we do a market study in our business plan we observe the behavior of the market we are targeting and 4 things can happen:
As we can see, there are 4 different proposals that will completely determine how to proceed when creating our company. Something that seems like common sense, (like the fact that creating a new market is not the same as entering an existing market), seems to go over our heads when developing most startups.
The type of market determines the attitude of customers, the way of creating demand, the size of the market, the process of launching the product, how to scale the company... so many factors that it becomes extremely important to know very well the type of market that we are going to to tackle.
The good news of entering an existing market is that the customers and the competition are known, the bad news is that the competition determines the market.
To compete in an existing market, our product must focus on its characteristics, improving the existing offer, whether in terms of quality, speed... in general, it must represent a step forward over the products of the competition.
When entering this type of market we must be very clear about who the participants are and what their market share is. Unseating a company that forms a monopoly is not the same as competing in a highly fragmented market. In any case, our commitment goes through the positioning of the company and the product and a large investment in marketing to gain market share .
If we are going to enter an existing market but repositioning a product to a specific niche or if we are going to compete on price, we differentiate it from this case since it is a re-segmentation of the market and the way of proceeding is different.
Many technology companies find themselves in this dilemma, they have in mind a totally innovative product for which there is no defined market . We are usually filling an unmet need or solving a problem that no one has addressed, but we may also be putting an existing concept to a completely new use.
As is normal, as there is no market for our product, it would not make sense to compete for features since there are no other products with which to compare. However, the fundamental thing is to launch a product that is good enough to solve the problem that we are addressing.
It is true that we do not have direct competition, apart from other startups that are developing similar products, but we do not know the clients we want to target either . This presents a problem since we need to convince future clients that our proposal is not a hypothetical solution but something that is really going to solve their problems.
For companies that are in this situation, the essential thing is to educate potential customers about the benefits of our product and how it solves their problem , to gradually start selling to early adopters , and later to the mass market .
The commitment to marketing is much less, since it is not about selling to a large market, but about starting to publicize the solution that we present and that little by little the market will grow.
We understand by market segmentation to find a group of customers that is not well served by presenting a unique proposal for something that these customers need to solve as soon as possible .
This segmentation can occur by betting on low-cost or creating a niche. As for low-cost, the intention is to cover a need with a low-cost proposal to be able to serve customers with less purchasing power but who also require a solution to their problems.
Normally, the market can be re-segmented in this way, since large companies do not consider it a business to serve this type of client and prefer to focus on those with greater purchasing power.
Retargeting by looking for a niche is different from low-cost, in this case we look for ordinary customers who are willing to pay even more for a product that offers a totally innovative feature that is focused on meeting their needs .
The 2 types of re-segmentation break with the mindsets of customers to gain a foothold in the market.
The segmentation of an existing market may be the most attractive alternative for a large number of startups, but it combines the difficulties of the other 2 types of launches. On the one hand we have to educate customers about the novelty we want to introduce , as if it were a new market, and on the other hand we have to compete with other similar proposals , since it is an existing market.
As we have been able to see, the type of market a startup is targeting is critical for its development, as it has to work with different processes and balance the budget differently.
What do you think? Have you taken them into account in your projects?
The pandemic was a severe blow to many businesses. When the situation began to get back on track and returned to normal, factors such as inflation, the war in Ukraine etc have caused certain sectors, such as orthopedics, to face numerous problems.
Thus, the orthopedic sector , that is, the one that designs, distributes and offers orthopedic products for people who need them (wheelchairs, walkers, bathroom bars...), is in a process of profound change.
As we say, the sector faces a time of challenges. From online orthopedics , the digital activity of businesses, to social networks or the increase in costs, the orthopedic sector is desperately trying to adapt to these turbulent times.
As we have mentioned, practically all businesses have been driven to digital transformation. The pandemic and the confinement confirmed that traditional commerce must coexist with the digital format , and, in fact, having a website and social networks hardly entails costs for companies.
In this sense, current customers choose to search the internet for the products they need . In addition, it is increasingly common for older people to have a mobile device, with which they can compare products, consult stores and find out about what they consider may be adapted to their needs. For this reason, many orthopedic shops now have a web page or store.
A serious problem that the orthopedic sector is currently facing is related to the increase in costs . Numerous products that are dedicated to orthopedic activity come from imports. This means that the increase in costs, both for production and transport, is reflected in the invoice that Nigerian suppliers receive from foreign factories. In addition to this, the fragile economic situation that many Nigerian households are going through , who are seeing a rise in prices that affects all economic sectors.
In this sense, the orthopedic activity is trying to control the rise in prices, reducing costs (for example, betting on a digital store instead of a physical establishment) or offering guarantees and services that compensate for the rise in prices . At this time, more than ever, it is convenient for the consumer to bet on stores with quality products that, despite assuming a somewhat higher outlay, are conceived as a long-term investment.
On the other hand, traditional marketing or communication strategies have also undergone a transformation. Thus, the interaction or direct communication between sellers and buyers has been consolidated with social networks. At present, it is convenient to bet on channels that, directly, reach the public that needs the products that we sell. This means that we must use social networks and the channels used by our audience (Facebook, Twitter or even YouTube), carrying out campaigns or videos that explain and analyze our products. In this way, the consumer will place an order directly on the website, without the need to resort to intermediaries that increase the cost even more.
Digital services franchises have increased their number exponentially in recent years, in many parts of the world. Although its boom is fueled by the massification of the internet and social networks, it is also due to the stability and security that it guarantees for entrepreneurs.
Offering digital services as a franchisee means having the support of specialized professionals; with accumulated experience, proven methodology and a valuable reputation.
At Arewa digital, we present a business opportunity for you to become your own boss, with a profitable and secure model . Read on to discover more.
As promoters of digital businesses , we have a diverse ecosystem of products and services available for the development of companies and professionals. We are committed to commercial sectors with high growth and demand, as is the case of the multiservice area , where digitization is unavoidable to keep up to date.
Due to the above, we guarantee, through our digital consultants, the appropriate tools and digital solutions required to carry out, correctly, the technological transitions; strengthening and supporting the growth of our clients.
Products and services we offer:
Our catalog of solutions is constantly being revised and expanded, based mainly on the following points:
Your role as a digital consultant, and as an entrepreneur of digital services franchises, will be to grow professionally , train yourself in the necessary skills and perform the following commercial and contact functions:
If you are interested in being part of the Arewa digital team as a digital services franchise agent, you should know that the first step is very simple. It consists of filling out and sending the franchisee registration form, to later agree on the interview.
What we are looking for in you, to perfectly carry out the work of Digital Consultant , is a profile with experience in sales and commercial training, desire to learn and excel in professional environments, have the ability to invest a minimum amount for start-up, ability in social environments and have a mobile device or computer.
The root of its popularity? The ideal mix of a successful business model, a high demand sector and the comprehensive support of those who know what they do.
Without a doubt, digital services franchises are consolidated as an attractive method to obtain profits online quickly , since you do not have to develop products and services, without in-depth knowledge, thanks to the training you will receive, and where the success stories they are innumerable.
The people who dedicate themselves to strategy have a very bad press among their peers talk less of the general public.
I remember once I was watching a series “The Big Bang Theory” and in one of its episodes, one of the protagonists (a theoretical physicist) asks his doctor girlfriend: “What have you done today? “She replies that she has done several operations and that it has been a good day and asks: what about you? He stays thinking and says; Well, I've been thinking and…yes, I wrote a formula on a blackboard!”
I could relate to that, my job is to think, read and from time to time stick a post-it on one of the canvases that I have around the house, because my job is to generate profitable business models , something that is a bit like a driver's license, you do it once and then you just need to make small changes, but if you don't do this job, I assure you, everything else won't work.
So today I have decided to write about the advantages of spending time defining the value proposition – the heart and soul of any business model – and how to do it.
People mistakenly believe that the value proposition is just a phrase such as "I help someone to do something" but nothing is further from the truth, working on a value proposition consists of your entire organization having a single objective: to create value for your ideal client .
To define a value proposition, the first thing you need is to work on discovering the ideal client for your products or services.
The value proposition forces you to know your client perfectly so that you know what their problems, motivations, pains etc are...
Once you understand what the customer benefits of your product or service are, you can make them perfectly match them by investing only in those tasks that cover them.
By knowing perfectly the needs of your client, you can clean your product or service of everything that does not add value or that your client does not give importance to.
When you discover the ultimate motivator of your client and you know how to give him what he wants, you can command higher prices than your “competition”, since you will be in another market: one without competition.
By being clear about who your ideal client is and their problems, it is easier to know what springs to touch to attract them to your products or services .
It also maximizes your investment and recruitment since you know exactly who you are targeting.
When your entire company works to add value to a certain customer, it is really easy to know that other products can be fitted over time to maximize the lifetime value of your customers.
The main thing for a tagline to work is for it to be able to inspire and emotionally connect with your client, and this can only be achieved with a good definition of your value proposition.
Interesting, right?
As you should already be clear, the first step in developing your value proposition is to meet your ideal client and for this you have several options:
Then it's your turn to do the detective work:
Do not leave it, start right now to define and discover the advantages of your value proposition . I assure you that it will be worth every minute you spend on this task.
In the last decade it has been possible to observe the increase of a new business model popularly known as ecological business. This type of company is characterized by developing a sustainable economic model and its environmentally friendly philosophy.
Environmentally friendly organizations are not only viable and profitable, they are also necessary if we want to protect the environment and secure natural resources for the future.
In addition to being considerate of the environment and promoting responsible consumption habits, Eco-companies benefit from another series of advantages, noteworthy of which are that:
The increase in this type of company not only responds to a new consumer trend - green is fashionable - but also to a social demand. And it is that, more and more consumers are aware and committed to the need to take care of the environment. These customers demand sustainable production processes and look for Eco-friendly products , respectful of both their environment and the environment in which the products are found.
Although organic seems to have always been more associated with the food sector, the truth is that ecology and sustainability are not exclusive to this area.
Currently there are a wide variety of ecological businesses belonging to different sectors. Some of them are:
For decades, the business world has been one of the main enemies of ecology, especially the industrial sector, which has favored the destruction and pollution of the environment. However, today it seems that change is possible. More and more companies are looking for sustainable solutions, business formulas that respect nature and are beneficial both for the environment and for the company itself and the rest of society.
Ecological business models are, in addition to being a necessity for social welfare, a safe and profitable bet for the future.
Because the social media landscape is saturated with advertising , how do you stand out and capture the attention of your prospects?
To develop more effective social media ad campaigns, follow these 5 pro tips!
Before you start advertising on social networks , be sure to know the profile of your prospects and customers. Each platform allows you to precisely and strategically target your audience. To get maximum ROI, you need to show your ads to an audience clearly defined by their socio-demographic criteria, their passions, their work, their gender or their connection habits. The criteria depend on your activity.
Each network offers slightly different targeting options, but you can usually specify the location, gender, and age range of your ideal audience. The goal of targeting is to get the most out of your ad spend and show relevant content to citizens of the social world.
However, when creating your audience, keep an eye on the estimated audience size (most networks display this information). Getting too specific can prevent some potential customers from seeing your ad.
Quality Score is a metric Google uses to assess the quality and relevance of your keywords and PPC ads. At Facebook, there is a similar score, called “Relevancy Score”, which indicates the relevance of your ad. Twitter also has this feature under the name “quality-adjusted offer”.
Whatever name you give it, the Quality Score is a crucial measure to optimize the impact of your Twitter and Facebook Ads. Change the visuals, call-to-action or target to increase the score, as well as your engagement rates.
The core of your social strategy is to focus on user experience. On social media, the first part of this experience is the creative element, the visual and, therefore, the emotional response.
Humans are quick to respond emotionally to visual stimuli. These reactions can range from curiosity to humor to amusement or charm. Emotions are contagious and often arouse sharing. An interaction that increases your notoriety!
In your Social Media Ads, remember to play on the emotion of your audience to provoke a reaction: click on a link, comment, share the publication...
You will promote your brand to prospects, who may have never heard of your products. How do you ensure that your ads create the desired perception of your business and prompt them to action? It's about making a good first impression. The first thing they'll see when your ad appears in the feed is the visual.
Choosing the “right” image or animation is extremely important. A visual that will capture their attention and send a message consistent with your objectives. Thanks to it, you set specific visual cues that immediately define your brand in the minds of your audience.
Always remember to test your advertising campaigns! Run multiple versions of the same ad to find the one that drives the most conversions. This is the best solution for your social media ads to offer a high ROI. To save time, you can also ask an advertising expert on Codeur.com to help you create your advertising campaigns.
To be successful, an organization must know its customers perfectly; however, obtaining detailed information on each of them is practically impossible, so developing an empathy map will facilitate the process.
The empathy map allows you to divide customers according to the needs, characteristics and behaviors they share, making it easier to identify potential customers.
To find out what an empathy map is, the elements that make it up and how to make one, I invite you to continue reading the following content, where I will explain everything about it in detail and how you can implement it.
The empathy map is a tool that allows us to get to know the client in detail , showing a clear perspective of what they are looking for, feel, think, see, listen to and talk about the subject that interests us, as well as their needs, frustrations and aspirations.
The objective of designing and implementing an empathy map is to be able to put yourself in the customer's place and understand their experience, which allows you to quickly identify the ideal customer, to whom the communication efforts are going to be directed.
The empathy map was designed by Dave Gray, founder of XPLANE, a consulting firm that uses visual tools to enhance the strategic vision of its clients, and quickly became a classic of social analysis due to its simplicity and functionality, since anyone can do it.
Carrying out an empathy map has multiple advantages and some disadvantages for the organizations that implement it. Let's see which are the main ones.
The empathy map is known for not presenting great difficulties to its designer, in fact, anyone can fill one out.
The empathy map deepens the knowledge you have about the user: interests, needs, behaviour and communication networks, which helps you to get to know your potential customers better and reach them.
This tool is the cheapest when looking to perform audience analysis.
You just have to keep in mind that it must be done consciously so that the information collected and placed on the empathy map is really useful and relevant.
Using audience mapping to create or modify a product, service, purchase an item or carry out marketing actions facilitates the development of strategies, since it provides a broad view of the user.
You already know the good points, so now I'm going to show you the other side of the coin.
As you might have guessed there are very few disadvantages and almost not worth mentioning about empathy maps. This is because as a business, the lifeline of your trade is the customer and anything that helps them to feel more connected to you is a merit and an advantage to your business. The few possible disadvantages of empathy mapping are thus:
All the results obtained through mapping are only assumptions, so it must be complemented with other tools to validate the results.
The empathy map requires a great deal of research on current clients to be able to work on it, because if it lacks depth, some of the quadrants may remain empty and that cannot happen.
Recognizing the emotions of customers as the main purchase motivator, the empathy map is divided into six main elements that are not chronological or sequential, but that provide a real vision of who the user is.
To make an empathy map, the user is placed at the center of the map and is surrounded by the four essential points: saying and doing, listening, thinking and feeling and seeing, continuing with two sections at the end in which efforts are analyzed and the results.
Let's look at each section in more detail.
With the questions what does it say? what and how does it do it? The coherence that the user has between the words that he says and the attitudes or behavior that he shows when he expresses himself or the actions that he carries out when he is surrounded by people is analyzed.
Some questions we can use as a guide are:
Understood as the topics that the user usually touches on during the conversations that they hold, as well as the idioms that they tend to use and the opinions that they have about certain topics, products or services.
Here we look for the connection that the user has between the actions that he performs in the contexts that we are investigating and the forms of verbalization that he uses to express himself on certain topics, whether they connect or not, etc. It is investigated and the constant answer to why is sought.
Research is carried out on their hobbies, daily tasks and the activities in which they spend their time, to better understand the context in which they operate.
Answering what and to whom does the user listen? The most influential people for him in his immediate context (family, friends, work) and the public figures or media that attract his attention are recognized through the opinions they express and how they affect his environment.
The questions that we can use as a guide can be:
It refers to the people to whom the user pays attention when making decisions that are important or that he uses as points of reference regarding daily life or in the acquisition of products or services.
The type of content that the user prefers on the different platforms, the way in which they do it, the devices they use to enjoy said content, as well as the public figures they follow and the interaction they have with them are analyzed.
Information is sought on the main concerns, worries and aspirations of the user, understanding their feelings and thoughts, differentiating them from their words and actions.
Questions that can be used as a guide include:
Analyzing their deepest thoughts, it seeks to know the user's aspirations and the most important concerns.
Also, when you buy a product or service, it is important to consider what is the first thing you think about it? What impressions does it leave you? What would be your ideal of that product or service?
The important thing here is to know what the user's impression of their daily environment is and how they interact with it, what they pay attention to, what messages they receive, what media they use, etc.
Some questions that can help fill out the empathy map are:
In this part of the empathy map, the pain points, fears, obstacles, doubts, worries and frustrations that the user deals with not having their needs met will be noted.
Questions that can be used as a guide for mapping are:
By answering these questions, the frustrations that the user presents in his life and with which he must deal daily to feel complete or that, if not completed, cause feelings will be obtained.
It is important to also describe that part on the map.
Contrary to what is put in the efforts section, the results describe the user's strengths, desires and indicators of success, as well as the actions they take to achieve what they want.
Guiding questions such as the following can be used for user mapping:
The definitions that are obtained from each point are vital for the knowledge that we seek about the user and the ideals that he has regarding effort and success.
The ideal is to write down the answers obtained with verbatim citations to ensure that we have sufficient and reliable information during the investigation and correctly develop the ideal client.
If there are any empty quadrants, more research should be done until you have what is necessary to fill all the spaces with real information.
Having all of the above clear, now comes something important, which you must already intuit but which must be clear... How does creating an empathy map help ?
The empathy map allows knowing the user's behavior and their interests, through their actions, behaviors, thoughts and communication networks, with which detailed information about them is obtained.
With an empathy map, the organization can better understand its customers, better satisfy their needs and effectively develop the profile of their ideal customer in order to obtain more sales.
In short, the empathy map serves to segment, humanize, empathize and validate the user, in order to get to know him in a concrete way through his feelings and actions.
How can you do it? Now we explain to you.
Identifying the ideal client is essential for any organization, since communication efforts are focused on them.
The previous investigation helps to separate the different profiles that are discovered into groups, which share characteristics, and the empathy map helps to know these parts in depth, which allows finding the ideal client of the organization.
Knowing that we are working with people and want to understand them in order to satisfy their needs, makes it possible to make the results obtained more useful.
To get to know the user from a personal perspective, it is important to create a connection with him, to see things from his perspective, to be able to imagine from our reality what that person's is like.
When we carry out the empathy map, it is necessary to confirm the information obtained by the designed and resolved instruments, to know if the reality of the user is as we imagine it and to obtain conclusions in this regard to increase, maintain or change the strategy that the organization is following.
Now comes the good part... the moment to know how you can put this into practice.
Making an empathy map can become complicated, especially if you have not done one before, but I share the following steps to make the process more bearable.
Here's the real reason why you're doing audience research: you want to define the real customer, you want to change your marketing strategy, you're going to develop new products, and you want to know who's going to use them, etc.
It is necessary to carry out this step to know the path that we are going to take when carrying out the investigation and define the following movements, since they are all essential to make the map effectively.
To make an empathy map that yields true information, you must research your current customers and define who is going to be mapped to focus your attention on them.
Demographic (age, sex, occupation, marital status, income, education), ethnographic (customs, practices, beliefs and ways of life) and geographic (place of residence, location of recreational spaces) data to be placed must be defined. in the center of the map to allow a constant view of the user.
The empathy map can be done on a physical, digital or paper board; the surface is not important, the main thing is comfort and practicality at the time of conducting the investigation.
A template can be drawn or downloaded directly from the web to help design the tool: placing the user in the center with their data and surrounding them with the four main elements of the investigation (saying and doing, listening, thinking and feeling, seeing ) and placing the efforts and results at the end.
The mapping of the audience is put into practice by answering the questions that are established in each of the quadrants that the empathy map has, to collect the necessary information that we require for the study.
It is advisable to write down the answers obtained on sticky notes (physical or digital) and that they be the literal words of the user to keep the information pure and reliable.
To know that the results we collect are useful, an information validation must be done, since what is obtained remains hypothetical until compared to what the real user shares.
Through surveys, interviews or focus groups, we can compare our information. It all depends on the trust you have with your client and the budget you set for the investigation.
Now that you have the theory about the empathy map, I want you to see what it would look like in practice, so I share with you an example of an empathy map:
We want to implement a new software to develop an Inbound strategy and we want to promote it with our clients, but we are looking for the ideal client for the software.
Age: Between 35 and 50 years old
Gender: Male
Occupation: Commercial director of a technology company
Marital status: Married with children studying at the university
Income: More than $150,000 pesos per month.
Way of life: He dedicates himself to his work without neglecting his family, looking for the constant growth of his company and the generation of results.
Habits: Wake up early to solve work pending without being disturbed, have breakfast with your family and share moments with them before each one of you takes on your homework.
Place of residence: Residential area
What does he say and do?
"We have to increase sales" "We must exploit the digital tools we have to achieve the goals we set for ourselves" "I need results".
You may be considered a workaholic because of the amount of time you spend working; however, he wants to spend time with his family and enjoy recreational activities, so the assignment of tasks, accompanied by an efficient work team, are his priorities.
"Family and work come first."
What do you hear?
He listens to his peers, to people who are in the same conditions as him, who are entrepreneurs and seek to grow, because he thinks they are the ones who can understand him the most.
His family's opinion is equally valid for him; however, when it comes to work issues, he prefers to make decisions based on real information and not assumptions. If his family shows him results, he takes them into account, otherwise he asks them to stay out of it.
Consume magazines and content related to the business world, technology and a bit of economics. He seeks to be informed and keep up to date with the areas related to the company, since he wants to be prepared for any external situation.
He listens to his work team, tries to get to know them and pays them the necessary attention to obtain better results, because he thinks that if his team is good, the rest will work.
What do you think and feel?
How can I improve the performance of my company? What strategies should I follow so that my company continues to grow? How do I increase my sales?
“Who should I ally with to maintain my image in the market?”, “I am the success I have, the more successful I am, the better my life”, “The company is part of me, so my bad decisions affect many people” .
What do you see?
Although he is not a fan of social networks, he needs to stay informed about the economy, so Twitter is his main social network, followed by WhatsApp for informal conversations. He prefers to have personal conversations over digital ones but has had to adapt to the current world.
efforts
He lives constantly worried about the future of his company and his family, he takes meticulous care of the performance of his teams to always take advantage of all the potential they can give.
His biggest fear is that he could lower the performance of the company he created from scratch and lose the largest inheritance he can leave to his children, because he wants them to stay in charge of the business as soon as they finish college.
pain point
The sales team is one of its strongest pain points, since failure to achieve the stated objectives creates a domino effect that ends up affecting the entire company.
Therefore, it constantly seeks effective and measurable strategies so that all teams, together with sales, work hand in hand in search of common goals and it is possible to achieve them in a more organized and simple way.
Results
He seeks to give himself completely to his company because he thinks it is the greatest connection he has with the outside world and his family, he constantly strives for it to grow and continue generating the results he has obtained so far.
The empathy map is a tool that allows you to get to know your user, providing real information and a perspective on what they want or are looking for in a product or service, leaving aside the hypothetical beliefs of the organization.
With the use of the map, the business model will be strengthened and a customer-focused value proposition can be designed, creating stronger ties with them and using the appropriate channels for communication, being able to understand them better.
If you want to understand your customers better, you want to improve communication, you are going to develop a product or you need to carry out any audience study, an empathy map could come in handy, so what are you waiting for?
It's no secret the amount of information online is massive. A question arises… How to stand out? Give your reader the opportunity to identify with you and build a relationship by sharing your stories.The main purpose of stories in marketing is to evoke an emotion in the reader, such as admiration, joy, fear, empathy or sadness.
EXAMPLE – A neighborhood bakery promotes a cake. She shares: “The cake is a mixture of flour, sugar, butter and cocoa, baked for 30 minutes. This is the cake's technical details, or its characteristics.
On the other hand, by sharing instead: “By going to the bakery this morning, you will discover a chocolate cake coming out of the oven. Its aroma will charm you even in the street. When you cut it, you will admire its soft texture and its still runny heart. The chocolate smell will spread throughout the household, to the delight of the whole family. »
The version that will have aroused the most desire and the most emotions in you is most likely the second. You might even have salivated while reading her story! This is the power of “storytelling”.
In fact, those who do storytelling are also doing content marketing, but the reverse is not always true. All stories are content, but not all content is story. It is important to find a balance.
Stories help connect with your audience. Always stimulated, the attention of Internet users is difficult to capture. Rejecting mundane and simple information is almost automatic. An out-of-the-ordinary story makes it easier to grab attention.
They also help build trust. Stories often address customer pain points, connect with them, and prove your authenticity. This type of content can even create a sense of intimacy with the company and be the pillar of a deep and lasting relationship.
Finally, it is a less aggressive sales approach. Stories allow the audience to stay comfortable in the relationship, without feeling trapped.
Generally, your story should have a problem, a solution, and an emotion. Stories that meet these three criteria build customer loyalty by igniting authenticity and emotion. To achieve this, you can, for example,
draw inspiration from the experiences of your customers, use anecdotes related to your company, rely on your own experiences with which your audience can identify, or even revisit the story behind the invention . of a product. Your creativity is your ally in this exercise.
To have a captivating story, there are a few rules to follow:
Find the story in which your customer is the hero . Who says emotion, says identification and memorization. The human being retains more information that sticks to his skin, than another that leaves him without shivers. Find the vein that will make you smile, laugh, move, cry, feel. In other words, create the human story behind your business. It's about seducing your target customers with stories that add value to your communications. The choice of the desired emotion is also important. If humour and caricature are in vogue, this editorial line is not permitted for all communication messages.
Nowadays, being present on the web is not enough. Your publications must be alive! Your target audience will become the main character of your storyline. If you're a hotel chain, target your messages to the types of people who are the heroes of your business. Are they retired women and men, families who participate in sports tournaments in the region or rather customers looking for a gastronomic experience? The more you target your personas , the more personalized your communications will be.
Thus, the way you express yourself, communicate, the choice of your subjects, your tone in your correspondence, all must make your audience react. If you do not yet know the interests of your target audience consult us to help you create a winning marketing strategy for your business.
In every good story, there is a hero. Ask yourself how your brand can address a pressing issue? It is up to you to create solutions to these problems, real or perceived. At this stage, the time has come to build up the suspense. When I talk about problems, I think, for example, of Bonjour Québec advertisements in the spring of 2021, when all borders were still closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ad “Think you've seen everything in Quebec? » provoked a need to travel, without leaving Quebec. According to the news, all regions of Quebec have obtained a visit record, despite health restrictions.
Just as consistency is one of the 5 golden rules of an effective content strategy , it is important to maintain a constant narrative over time, and be careful not to change the axis of communication too often. As mentioned, a good story always has a beginning, a middle and an end. Give your storytelling time to carve out a niche.
Constancy also means making choices. You will probably not be able to be present on all platforms and publish content there at the ideal frequency. Thus, it is better to publish once or twice a week, every week, with regularity and originality, than to scatter. Some pages publish content in bursts, to follow up later with silences of several weeks, for example. Social media algorithms tend to penalize this kind of approach.
Last but certainly not least is the importance of having people speaking on your behalf, rather than just relying on posting advertising content. We know that 14% of people believe in a company's advertising, while 92% of people trust the opinions of others, whether parents, colleagues or friends, but also complete strangers whose comments we read online. !
Several brands promote content, comments and consumer opinions directly on their website, on the home page, to mark transparency and authenticity. It is therefore important to engage in discussion on these forums and on social media, where you are talked about anyway. Might as well get into the conversation and correct the shot, when necessary, right?
Make yourself comfortable and think: “What do I have in common with my customers and who might interest them? PS: If you still don't know who your customers are, it's time to review your communication strategy !
Here are a few examples to help you understand the concept even better.
The very famous sports brand was one of the pioneers in terms of the use of storytelling. It builds its advertisements with a baseline “Just Do It”, through which athletes around the world identify. In its advertisements, Nike transcribes values such as surpassing oneself, team spirit and talks about the fact that everything is possible in life. In the brand's spots, we often discover the story of a professional or non-professional athlete, to highlight that you have to believe in your dreams and that everything is possible with determination and Nike products.
Another brand very gifted in storytelling: Innocent. Famous for its smoothies and fruit juices, it capitalizes on simplicity and humor. They claim it, their recipes are natural and of a certain freshness, their communication too! Innocent has brilliantly succeeded in getting a human and accessible brand label attached to everyone, which makes you smile and make you happy.
Our last and not least example is the famous Apple brand. You have surely already heard that Steve Jobs started the Apple adventure in his garage. Well, the brand's communication was heavily based on this anecdote in order to humanize it. One of the most innovative brands of our century started in a simple garage? Don't look, we are right in the storytelling. From now on, the brand regularly relies on touching stories through its advertising spots, to subtly stage the product in moments of life.
The world of fashion is immersed in a new challenge. The Covid-19 crisis has made the industry rethink its foundations. Now more than ever is the time to reinvent ourselves and agree on new strategies that relaunch the world of fashion in a new uncertain landscape. Well, that time has come through the ' Rewiring Fashion ' initiative. A group from this sector has taken the reins of change and has put forward an, to say the least, interesting approach that will try to prevail in the face of the coming crisis and will reformulate the principles on which fashion is based.
' Rewiring Fashion ' is defined as « a proposal for the global fashion industry, initiated by independent designers, CEOs and retail executives, to agree how it should and could work » under the premise of « believing in beauty, imagination and the craftsmanship that remain at the core of the business .” The objective? Rediscover the magic of fashion ( claiming its storytelling ) and settle the problems that have prevailed in the sector in recent years. That is to say, the aim of this group of fashion professionals is to confront a system that is less and less directed towards "genuine creativity" and "does not interest anyone" (not even the planet).
Here you have to stop and think. We can all agree that the direction fashion had taken was unsustainable . It is true that with digitization it could not be otherwise. The instantaneity that is required in all areas has revolutionized this industry to the point of leading to a frenetic ritual of continuous collections, daily news, a crowded market, excess supply and consumerism based on promotions. How could this be maintained?
Much of the blame lies with our beloved ' fast-fashion ' chains. But of course, the question is a paradox. On the one hand, these retailers provide an admirable service and adapt to the wishes of the consumer, drawing on what designers bring to the table and making it a reality on the streets. On the other hand, large firms (far removed from the average client) have succumbed to the synergies of the economy, wanting to release more collections than creativity and time allow, sacrificing what makes them unique. In addition, many see an opportunity in 'clones' (copies by the networks), as it is a disguised (and treacherous) method of promotion. All this, facilitated by the retransmission of the parades byinfluencers …which, in reality, is also a method of bringing fashion closer. In short, as we have said, an incongruous mess.
To unravel this entire panorama in which fashion is immersed, 'Rewiring Fashion' proposes several topics to study to put into practice . These are three ideas that, in themselves, are problems... to which different supposed solutions have been given. The goal is to reach a consensus among all the participants in the fashion industry to apply a new method. And, although it is only something in the air, what is proposed is quite interesting and feasible.
1.The fashion calendar is not in sync with the end customer.
It is explained that the current timing is unsustainable for industry professionals (because of its speed) and harmful for sales. The proposal is to reflect on when the parades should be held (with the aim of a shorter circuit) as they are far from the delivery of the final product.
Problems: A. Other brands can quickly copy the collections, bringing them to market cheaper. B. The departure dates are not in sync with the actual seasons. C. The periods at 'full price' are very short (and not very profitable).
Solutions: A. Combine the men's and women's fashion weeks on two dates (January-February and June). This will allow the prices to be maintained during those periods and the gender 'item' will be eliminated. B. Align runway shows, collection giveaways, and actual seasons to take place just before the time is appropriate. C. Synchronize the buying periods of the following seasons with the presentations of the current season.
2. The fashion show format is outdated.
Firms should be free to redefine and design the presentation of their collections in order to attract customers more efficiently.
Problems: A. The parade format hasn't changed in 50 years. B. They are now open to the entire globe through the broadcast of influencers and celebs . C. Fashion shows are not adapted to the new digital world, so there are limits to the return on consumer desires generated by investment in these shows .
Solutions: A. The parade as an event designed to attract and secure the consumer, creating expectation and desire for the collections just before going on sale. B. There should be no rules defining the format of the shows or expectations that each label should show a collection every season. C. Freedom for designers to reformulate presentations in order to attract clients and media.
3. Addiction to discounts.
This fact makes consumers expect perennial price drops, eroding the profitability and stability of the brand (for everyone in the value chain). Retailers should break with the practice of continuous discounts, focusing more on end-of-season sales and eliminating mid-season sales.
Problems: A. There are a lot of unsold garments and there is no other option but to make sales to clarify the inventory. B. Each season, vendors tend to discount too early to drive traffic and sales. This makes the consumer get used to and move away from the real prices.
Solutions: A. Retailers should avoid extreme discounting to maintain the importance of brand stability and profitability. B. Future discounts are to be delayed to January and July each year, starting from fall/winter 20. C. Stop discounts such as 'Black Friday' or 'Cyber Monday' during seasons.
The #rewiringfashion statement tries to preserve the idiosyncrasies of the industry while building a solid and sustainable business that can overcome the crisis. A most lawful initiative that represents a before and after in fashion.
What will the new fashion scene be like ? Here is the seed.
The fashion sector is synonymous with innovation . It's artistic character is prone to change. Fashion is a world full of creative geniuses who make anything possible and imagination is its greatest strength. But what happens when the two most inventive industries come together? Since technology managed to digitize our lives, fashion has undergone a complete transformation. This process of metamorphosis was demanded by everyone , professionals and consumers. The bases are reformulated with the aim of achieving total democracy. Fashion asks to be free and has already embarked on the path towards its goal. Thanks to new fashion marketing trends, we can glimpse your wishes and future steps. Do you want to know what is succeeding? Here we go.
It should be noted that after the health crisis caused by Covid-19, the industry has suffered a major blow globally. Luxury brands and small companies have seen their progress diminished, both in terms of sales and production. Consequently, a noticeable drop in income is expected. Therefore, it is not unreasonable that in the face of such an event, specialists have sought to develop different plans to overcome this scenario.
In addition, a group of fashion experts saw the perfect time to launch a manifesto that puts the problems of the sector in check . This proposal arose in order to propose (and achieve) a new future, eradicating the mistakes of the past and rebuilding the pillars of the industry. In this way, we cannot say for sure what is to come but we can take a look at what is already underway.
Let us begin.
It may seem obvious. Online purchases increasingly occupy more margin of the sales rate of companies. Many still prefer the physical method, but the convenience of buying clothes online is gaining ground. The advantages of not having to travel, of not waiting in queues, of seeing the full range of products available to the customer (like a massive showcase), of checking availability, the size guide, the materials, etc. More so after the closure of stores or the fear of contagion due to the coronavirus .
You may be wondering…Is this the latest trend? Yes and no. Of course, the increase in purchases on the digital plane was already a known fact (even though it has seen a significant increase) but, the phenomenon that is really enjoying prominence is sales through smartphones . If you want to be able to compete in this field, the key is to develop an 'app'. We know that it involves a large investment that many cannot afford, but the reimbursement and results will be guaranteed. Of course, the design and functionality are essential for the user's shopping experience and, consequently, your success. Otherwise you will receive the opposite effect.
The 'apps' are the new vein for a business.
The business of influence is one of the biggest investments in a brand's marketing and communication strategy. We have always needed references to look at when dressing. Before it was the celebrities , then the bloggers , the 'it girls' and now, the influencers . Why is this happening? While we still need characters to draw inspiration from, see the different ways to style clothes, or serve as an aspiration, we need something more earthy. Hence, it is understood that the evolution towards these tastes for icons, goes towards proximity. An influencer creates an emotional connection with her followers, a community, a desire and above all, a motivation: “That could be me”.
This is where the figure of the microinfluencer becomes more relevant than ever . Closer still if possible, with an audience in the niche category, much smaller but much more committed. These followers have more defined tastes. In other words, all this means that the actions undertaken by a brand with this type of prescribers will be more effective.
Currently, it is the preferred format. The different formulas that can be applied to this type of content are endless: making of , backstage , fashion shows, tutorials, interviews, short films... The creative advantages give a much more impressive result. Videos entertain more than an image. They are more real and give more sensation of closeness. In addition, they are more useful and informative.
Thanks to today's technological possibilities, everyone has a device that allows filming without the need for much investment. The important thing is a good idea, a good execution and having something to say.
Video marketing also encompasses another of the most successful trends (especially during this quarantine), live streaming . Instagram and other applications have been filled with live shows in which relevant brands or characters participate with the aim of entertaining. A very efficient method to interact with followers, create a larger community and a higher loyalty rate. You have to keep it in mind for its profitability.
This category has been discredited too much. Changes in consumer behavior have reversed the situation, and it is now one of the best options due to its non-invasive nature. Inbound marketing is the way with the highest percentage of obtaining leads . Through its different classes, companies get information about their customers, engagement, diffusion, visibility and a high rate of action.
Within this typology we can use the blog , brand videos, the newsletter or exclusive and downloadable content, such as access to private sales, subscription discounts, invitations to events, etc. Thus, you will be able to expand your database (help for your future marketing strategies) and consolidate a community of loyal customers.
Years ago, the marketing and communication departments of companies decided to focus most of their efforts on social networks. The success of these platforms is real. Some of its benefits are: 1. They give brands the option to form their own image, closer and more personal 2. They allow you to always be present in the minds of your consumers 3. They are prone to the dissemination of content 4. They increase visibility 5. They enable two-way communication (direct contact between the company and customers) 6. They create a community.
What's new? We observe two trends:
As we have already mentioned, consumer behavior has changed. Now the acquisition of a product is not enough. People want an experience, a plus. A unique and special product is desired, containing an emotional meaning. Professionals in the sector have realized this and that is why the option to personalize products has been introduced. Many companies have already implemented this, both in the luxury and fast fashion range .
Although it is not yet very widespread, the possibility of being able to design or customize garments gives a brand a lot of value. We manage to connect with the user and make them understand that it is important.
Fashion is cyclical. Every year trends from previous decades are recovered, adapted to the current time. That, together with the emotional condition of human beings, makes nostalgia a decisive factor when it comes to defining oneself by dressing. We want to remember our childhood, or happy moments of our life. Winks to the past are succeeding more than ever. Brands launch products that go back to these times (usually coincides with the generation of designers or larger buyers). Series, movies, music groups, movements… The sentimental sells .
Although this trend has been implemented more and more in the last five years, it is from the last events that occurred in the United States (the worldwide broadcast of 'Black Lives Matter') when it has managed to take off and introduce real change. The consumer wants brands to have social responsibility, to contribute something to the community. Not only when it comes to the environment and human rights. Companies have to embody the inclusive culture and join it. Have as models or ambassadors people belonging to the entire spectrum of groups and minorities. There are many causes to support: feminism, body/beauty positive , racial equality, the lgbt+ group, people with some kind of disability...
Everyone is unique, beautiful and deserves the same possibilities. It's time for brands to act. The shift to full inclusion must come.
What consumers are looking for is connection, and today more than ever emotions are very present in the market. Thus, it is not surprising that companies are betting on greater empathy with their customers and that they strive to put themselves in their shoes and think about what they feel and need. When the audience feels cared for and pampered by a brand, it becomes relevant in their lives.
The pandemic has had a very negative impact on many local businesses, more than on large business empires. As a result, there has been a rediscovery of local commerce and an attachment to small businesses; those that have a face, name and surname, just like the client. In addition to the human aspect, these stores tend to be more respectful of the environment, a fundamental factor in the purchase decision for some generations of consumers.
Since we have just mentioned these generations of consumers who buy using ethical criteria, the importance of the values that a company has is vital. Thus, traceability and transparency are fundamental principles that must be offered to customers, and are in fact a fashionable marketing trend that is going to gain more and more strength.
First of all, consumers have a right to know where products come from and why they cost what they do. And in the same way, an effective dialogue must be established with suppliers, on whom an important weight of the origin of the product falls.
On the other hand, brands must be transparent and honest about how and when they collect personal information. In addition, this data should be used to show ads that add value to customers. Also keep in mind that users should be given control of their data.
The RRSS are a mine of benefits, but it is necessary to closely monitor the results that are being achieved and those that are to be achieved. Therefore, everything they contribute must be measured very well, the level of engagement achieved, the scope, the frequency with which content is intended to be published, the most useful platforms and the ones that are performing the most, etc.
It makes no sense to get on a train if it is not going to take us to a good destination, and something similar happens with the RRSS. You have to know exactly which platform is optimal for the specific company and you have to make constant reports of your journey, even more so if the brand is digital native.
Marketing has been finding ways to adapt to this new way of living that we now have, in which events can be canceled at any time. Not only that, these must be adjusted to the reduced capacity that must currently be respected, so the attendance capacity is less than before. These two main factors lead to profit losses, which are sometimes quite pronounced.
However, the solution to this could be the phygital experiences , an English term made up of physical and digital . This is a new way of conceiving events, preparing the organization of these for any mishap that may arise. And, on the other hand, it allows those who cannot be in person or who are far away, to continue the experience without any problem.
Undoubtedly one of the biggest trends in fashion marketing today. Since the creator of Facebook announced the launch of the meta universe , this is going to be one of the strong strategies on which fashion brands are going to concentrate their efforts. Added to this is virtual reality , which has recently begun to flood the textile industry.
The future is no longer as far away as the science fiction movies of decades ago imagined. Now it has arrived, and the various virtual realities in conjunction with the metaverse are going to bring about large-scale changes, apart from a totally new language of communication. Cutting-edge technology is not only going to change our way of consuming, but also our way of living. You have to know how to read the air du temps and adapt.
Gone are those times when a brand's content was adapted to another language and that's it. In a world that is becoming more connected every day and in which consumers want to feel seduced and cared for, advertising translation proves essential. It is not enough to convey a message; it must be transmitted , and for this we must apply creativity and not translate literally.
In other words, the advertising translator must create that advertising again, using the base it has in the original language. To do this, he will take into account the meaning and tone of the text in language A, but applying the formulas that he knows best fit not only language B itself, but also its culture.
Competing in the digital world is complicated for many companies. Still, never be discouraged. Things take time. If you follow a forceful and well-executed strategy, success will come sooner or later. Important changes are coming. Therefore, more than ever it is time to increase our efforts towards our goals. Good luck!
