What the media prefers flashes of things than to go deep. Flash news, flashes of singing and dancing in music videos, and of course 'flash' ads. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, too, offer flashes.
Gaming, that I recently picked up, can be a frustrating experience. Gaming apps that get funded by ads increasingly become annoying when images of products or other games (that I have no interest in) pop up at random moments.
This is also true for online shopping. Being a frugal 26-year-old, I thrive on daily newsletters sent by online merchants selling discount 'anything'. Every day between 10 and 11AM, I get 'flashes' of clothing, furniture, or pet supplies, which a few months ago I finally started to get rid of religiously without unsubscribing, thinking that I will eventually need them again. And when I do, my shopping experience is based on what I see, things that often look better in edited pictures; it's more like taking a leap of faith for spending and saving at the same time (what a paradox!) rather than shopping with confidence. Sometimes browsing these 'flashes' would get so overwhelming that my 'appetite' would fade. No purchase, maybe next time.
Overwhelmed? Yes. Can deal with it again? Sure. Will I pass on the message to others? Most likely not. Is it the only way of marketing? I hope not!
Continuum wrote an article about how “With Technology, Shopping is More Stressful Than Ever.”[1] Retailers are constantly badgering us with 'flashes', discounts, and alerts. The more we are connected on the communications industry, the more doors they can knock.
So reading just the beginning part of Content to Commerce by Avi Savar, I realize I have believed in badgering consumers with information when I create strategies for social media marketing. 4-5 posts a day on both Twitter and Facebook, with eye-catching or funny images. Will this change in the short run? Likely not!
But two things that I want to slowly learn and implement around social media strategies are:
1.Publish content with ’substance’ in the least intrusive way as possible
‘Substance’, in the case of Sarjana.co.id, would be things that empower users to dream about college and use the features on Sarjana’s website. It would also be brief explanation about a social media post or about why users should use the features we offer.
‘Least intrusive’ is a tricky one. The conventional wisdom is that the more we flash our brand to consumers, the more they will remember. But the risk is the more annoyed they get and the more meaningless the ‘flashes’ become. I think product placement has been effectively used in movies or TV shows, where products become part of a story line. A hairdresser once chatted me up about how ads should be made in the form of skits like those of SNL to engage the attention of consumers with increasing level of attention deficit.
2. Brand advocacy with incentives
How does a good word about a product gets passed on? Content to Commerce talks about brand advocates who are more than willing to promote a brand without any compensation. I would love to experiment on structures that can convert Facebook fans and Twitter followers to be advocates. But in my experience, advocacy does not come consistently (or not at all) without rewards. Does good product quality justify the effort of rating? Not always (at least I don't bother rating apps mostly, unless someone who works on it that I know asks me to). What if product rating comes with rewards like discounts, prizes or even money? Remember 'multi-level marketing'? What if the reward is multiplied charitable donation or a recognition (not just as a loyal consumer, but as marketer)?
My intention to post this is to challenge myself humanize some consumers like myself who refuse to be treated like spending robots or mindless, impulsive clickers. Of course, there will always be those who respond to ‘flashes’, but retention, I believe, costs more than ‘flashes’.
[1] Brian Gillespie. “Retail Therapy? Not Anymore… With Technology, Shopping is More Stressful Than Ever.” http://bit.ly/1cHZyNi
Gaming, that I recently picked up, can be a frustrating experience. Gaming apps that get funded by ads increasingly become annoying when images of products or other games (that I have no interest in) pop up at random moments.
This is also true for online shopping. Being a frugal 26-year-old, I thrive on daily newsletters sent by online merchants selling discount 'anything'. Every day between 10 and 11AM, I get 'flashes' of clothing, furniture, or pet supplies, which a few months ago I finally started to get rid of religiously without unsubscribing, thinking that I will eventually need them again. And when I do, my shopping experience is based on what I see, things that often look better in edited pictures; it's more like taking a leap of faith for spending and saving at the same time (what a paradox!) rather than shopping with confidence. Sometimes browsing these 'flashes' would get so overwhelming that my 'appetite' would fade. No purchase, maybe next time.
Overwhelmed? Yes. Can deal with it again? Sure. Will I pass on the message to others? Most likely not. Is it the only way of marketing? I hope not!
Continuum wrote an article about how “With Technology, Shopping is More Stressful Than Ever.”[1] Retailers are constantly badgering us with 'flashes', discounts, and alerts. The more we are connected on the communications industry, the more doors they can knock.
So reading just the beginning part of Content to Commerce by Avi Savar, I realize I have believed in badgering consumers with information when I create strategies for social media marketing. 4-5 posts a day on both Twitter and Facebook, with eye-catching or funny images. Will this change in the short run? Likely not!
But two things that I want to slowly learn and implement around social media strategies are:
1.Publish content with ’substance’ in the least intrusive way as possible
‘Substance’, in the case of Sarjana.co.id, would be things that empower users to dream about college and use the features on Sarjana’s website. It would also be brief explanation about a social media post or about why users should use the features we offer.
‘Least intrusive’ is a tricky one. The conventional wisdom is that the more we flash our brand to consumers, the more they will remember. But the risk is the more annoyed they get and the more meaningless the ‘flashes’ become. I think product placement has been effectively used in movies or TV shows, where products become part of a story line. A hairdresser once chatted me up about how ads should be made in the form of skits like those of SNL to engage the attention of consumers with increasing level of attention deficit.
2. Brand advocacy with incentives
How does a good word about a product gets passed on? Content to Commerce talks about brand advocates who are more than willing to promote a brand without any compensation. I would love to experiment on structures that can convert Facebook fans and Twitter followers to be advocates. But in my experience, advocacy does not come consistently (or not at all) without rewards. Does good product quality justify the effort of rating? Not always (at least I don't bother rating apps mostly, unless someone who works on it that I know asks me to). What if product rating comes with rewards like discounts, prizes or even money? Remember 'multi-level marketing'? What if the reward is multiplied charitable donation or a recognition (not just as a loyal consumer, but as marketer)?
My intention to post this is to challenge myself humanize some consumers like myself who refuse to be treated like spending robots or mindless, impulsive clickers. Of course, there will always be those who respond to ‘flashes’, but retention, I believe, costs more than ‘flashes’.
[1] Brian Gillespie. “Retail Therapy? Not Anymore… With Technology, Shopping is More Stressful Than Ever.” http://bit.ly/1cHZyNi
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