Many companies have dedicated marketing departments that undertake traditional advertising, events and creating marketing goals etc. However, social media is on the rise and if your company hasn’t moved into the digital age then it’s now or never! We say that because digital marketing/advertising is growing rapidly and allows you to connect with your ideal customer. At Toucan we have our own methods to success and this did not happen overnight. Years of trial and error have led us through successful campaigns and added to our experience. This doesn’t mean that we have a secret sauce, it just means that we have adapted to be proactive and reactive in a fast paced environment.
We encourage all of our clients to put just as much effort into digital as traditional marketing techniques. As these companies slowly progress into the digital realm, here are a few sins that are regularly committed and make your brand seem poorly managed.
- Don’t sound like a robot. Yes we understand that some brands need to be a bit more formal in their approach, however, this doesn’t mean you should have a copy template. Copy should be engaging, clever and respectful. Sometimes, even with formal brands, you can even get away with a joke or two. If you have a lifestyle type brand, casual lingo or local dialect is acceptable to an extent. Be wary, no one forgives poor punctuation or typos!
- Re-inventing the wheel. Ok, so you’ve found the young, social media savvy millennial in your marketing department and told them to manage the social media pages. In his/her effort to impress their boss, they would like to come up with this out of the world concept that would recreate how we see social media. False. Recognize what works and refine the wheel, don’t re-invent it. By recognizing what worked for other brands, you can start working on yours. Trying different techniques and approaches would only help come to that creative “Ah Hah” moment. Don’t put the carriage before the horse.
- As humans, we are visual. Now many persons learn visually, others learn by repetition and some need to write it over and over. However, we are a visual species. We have evolved to recognise changes in our environment and this evolution translates to our ability to recognise poor visuals. While we aren’t all master graphic artists, we can still notice when a visual is poorly executed or created. At Toucan we have a team of expert designers/animators/photographers/videographers that recognize amazing design and know how to execute it. This may not be the case for many in house marketing departments. Therefore, we suggest spending a few hours on Youtube, yes Youtube! Search for design instructions, compositional training and color harmony. These all play into fantastic visuals.
As a well rounded digital agency, it is our job to surround ourselves with the best people for the best results. That is why we have a team for every aspect of a digital strategy. From designers to project managers, we know how to execute and create a successful campaign. Avoid the mistakes above and you’re on your way to a strong digital foundation.