C'mon - Follow Us!
A popular saying in the marketing world… but what does it really mean?
If you’ve ever been on twitter, or even just heard of twitter, you’ve probably also heard of Elon Musk's love for the platform and his famous tweets. Well, he loved it so much, he bought it. Yep, he bought twitter.
You might be thinking… ahhh what does Twitter have to do with rented land? Worry not, keep on reading and all of your questions, including that one, will be answered.
If we take the phrase literally, you would never build a house on land you’ve rented, you have no control over what happens! All that time, money and foundational building spent on a place where the landlord could make sudden changes at the drop of a hat.
This same principle can be applied to brand content on social media platforms. Any platform you don't control is “rented land”. Unlike Elon Musk, most of us can't just drop a few billion to own it ourselves, so it's always going to be rented land! While platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and TikTok unfortunately fall under this category, it is not to say you need to stop investing in them. Depending on your brand, a combination of these platforms will always play a very important role in a digital marketing strategy.
The problem is too many businesses risk entire investments on platforms where changes can be made that don't benefit them, or just plain don't make sense to them!
Do you remember when social media showed us content in chronological order? *Daydreams about never missing a post from the people you follow*. Fast forward to now, where that is no longer the case and you feel like your content isn't getting seen unless you're doing a dance *shudders at the thought*! Social networks now show content based on a user's current interactions and engagements, and continue to prioritise the same kind of content. You can see how that may be a problem when you’re trying to reach new audiences. Can you see where my Elon reference is tying in? It’s pretty easy to shape the algorithm to your advantage if you own it… nice move Mr. SpaceMan.
Why renting can be helpful 🤔
Renting doesn't have to be a bad thing. Using social media platforms to find your audience is crucial. BUT, to reap the rewards while also diversifying risk, these platforms need to be used as a vector to guide users to your own build. The goal should be to maximise interest and create buzz on rented land, and lead users to your controlled platform. Easier said than done…without the help of some marketing ninjas *aka the Hey Marketing team*.
Where you should build?
Most of us don’t have a cheeky $44 million lying around to buy a whole social media platform. Nice flex, Elon. There are however, a couple of different ways to ensure your investment on rented space is redirecting audiences to a platform you own.
Remember, ownership = control.
A self owned platform could include…
Your own website
Simple, but effective. There are many reasons to invest in a good website (btw, we are really good at making these 🤷♀️ Shameless 2nd Hey plug, I know I know). Here are our top 3 reasons why a website!
1). You have FULL Control
Ok we’re starting to sound like control freaks but control is seriously important when spending your marketing pennies!
With a website there’s no need to worry about algorithms blocking your content or changes being made by content landlords that don’t benefit you. A website allows for total customisation. From graphics, layout, what you put where, mix of media, outstanding customer reviews, blogs, an online shop- the opportunities are endless! All in one place. A brand experience like no other!
2). Boosts Professionalism & Trust
Fun fact: 84% of consumers today think a website makes your business more credible than businesses who only have social media presence. That's a pretty staggering number! When we see a social media profile with no website link or button it makes our marketing heart's cry. Seriously, folks are looking for it!
A website that is consistently updated is kept fresh and modern plus oozes professionalism. With the rise of social media, also comes fraud. I'm sure you’ve seen at least one fake business account trying to scam users. Copying a social media account is pretty easy, so a professional business website legitimises your company in ways no other social media channels can.
3). Stand Out Against the Crowd
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), one of digital marketing’s most beneficial tools (if done… optimally). A well-optimised website has a number of benefits. The first, and maybe most important - you appear on the first page of the search engine (aka Google, bing etc), right in front of your audience. I don't know about you, but personally, I’ve never even clicked to the second page of results when searching for anything… Who has time for that? 🙅🏼♀️ In addition to the awesome front seat placement in search results, SEO can also help your brand exposure through researching a topic similarly associated with your brand. This may seem a little overwhelming to achieve yourself, but don't worry, the Hey team can help with that (Ok, that plug was a little more subtle… #3)!
Email Marketing
The perfect way to communicate with your audience directly. Build a mailing list. Use incentives to gain subscribers, you need to collect the data and own it. You're a land-owner baby - Metaphorically speaking! That means you can build whatever the heck you want, whenever the heck you want to!
Not convinced?
- Mailing lists strengthen your brand awareness and legitimacy.
- Usually if someone is on your mailing list, they’re there for a reason! They’re already a warm lead - just heat them up a little further with some amazing email marketing campaigns!
- Easy to measure analytics to see what’s working and what’s not, tweek and try again!
- Save the planet! Turn your business a little more sustainable and use email marketing instead (plus save money on print costs and save a few trees, win/win)!
SMS Marketing
Think about how many people own a mobile phone… most people I know, even my grandma. Therefore, it should be no surprise that text message marketing is a great way to reach a large number of people. All you need to do is establish a customer database with personalised information. There are sooo many benefits when it comes to SMS marketing! My favourites are...
Instant Deliverability
SMS is one of the most instant channels out there. This means a higher read rate and higher Return on Investment (ROI). Sounds good to me!
Ability to Personalise
Customisation is a breeze with SMS marketing. You can address your audience by name, and customise content to individuals based on their preferences.
Easy on the Wallet
Compared to traditional forms of marketing like print, SMS marketing is more inexpensive. With the high ROI rates, the investment into SMS marketing is a no-brainer!
Events
Who doesn't love an event? 🎉 Always a heap of fun, and not to mention all of those free promotional gifts... love!! I'm a sucker for free stuff. Spoiler, so is everyone. Events are an amazing way to spread brand awareness and humanise your brand, making your audience feel like they are connected to you on a deeper level. Events are the perfect place to generate new leads and introduce new products and services. Remember to always surprise and delight your attendees, and give them a positive experience to associate to your brand!
Put on your construction hat and build baby, build! 👷🏻♂️👷🏼♀️
Elon Musk has the right idea. Own it, control it. Utilise social media for it’s amazing ability to reach audiences, but make sure users are redirected to your own platforms where you can maximise your content.
Need help building on your own land? ...Or maybe just enhancing or dare we say renovating the thing you've already built on it? You've come to the right place!
Skip this if you can’t read our shameless plug...
We are experts in digital strategy and creating kickass websites.
We aren't just going to give you four walls to herd your audience into...We're going to give you a home for your brand, for your business, somewhere that the audience you've worked so hard on wants to be.
By embracing your vision and investing all of our passion and expertise we go beyond the average digital marketing agency to make sure you are set up for success. Don't have an audience yet to bring to your land? We can help with that too!
Oh and I’m new here, you can read a bit about me below.
I’m looking forward to writing to you again very soon ✌🏼.
About the Author of this blog: Grace Lovi
A recent graduate of a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Creative Industries, Grace loves combining her logistical mastermind with her creative eye.
The newest face to the Hey Marketing team, Grace enjoys the diversity of her role and the learning opportunities that arise.
Specialties include knowing every word to every Taylor Swift song and dancing like there's no tomorrow (not pro, but she’s still got moves!).
