Having just wrapped up my exit from the agency I founded 12 years ago and moved into the consulting world, I’ve had a little time for reflection recently.
As I was recalling some of the clients I’ve worked with over the 25 odd years since I set up my first agency, and how marketing has changed so dramatically in so many ways, and yet in others, nothing’s really changed at all.
There was no such thing as digital marketing – no SEO, PPC, social media etc. – so you could be forgiven for thinking that everything is now totally and utterly different. And in some ways, of course, you’d be right. The Internet, social media and a million different marketing technology solutions have revolutionised the way we do things.
But in other ways – i.e. the fundamental principles of marketing – things really never change. And I think that, as marketers in a digital age, we sometimes need reminding of the basics. We’re very quick to jump on new and shiny things but, occasionally, we’re just as quick to forget the fundamentals.
Ignoring my pet subject of ‘content marketing’ and when it was invented – I’m pretty sure people have been doing it for a very long time before digital came along – here are a few quick examples to get you thinking…
It’s not rocket science… break down your audience into segments or personas and understand what makes them tick. Identify the right messages for each target group, and present it to that audience via a channel they actually use at the best time.
Back in the days before digital, how did we put together a marketing strategy? Well here’s what we didn’t do… start with a list of popular magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations, throw in some outdoor advertising close to busy roads, and scatter the budget evenly between them (please tell me that’s not how you did it!).
But essentially that’s exactly what some companies do with the digital channels that are available today. Just because we have more ‘cool stuff’ available to us, doesn’t mean we have to use it all!
The advancement of technology is relentless. But, again, just because they’ve built it, doesn’t mean you have to find a way to use it! Over the years I’ve witnessed a repeating theme of companies embracing new technology because they saw something cool, got over excited and didn’t properly evaluate their actual requirements, and what benefit they would derive from the tech.
I’ve met several companies recently who have signed up to one of the all-singing, all-dancing inbound marketing software solutions or social media planning/scheduling tools at substantial cost to their business, only to realise that the platform relies on content to feed the entire process – something they’d overlooked completely – so they find themselves grinding to a halt.
One of my first clients owned a massive multi-storey department store in a pretty dodgy part of town which sold everything under the sun, from furniture to clothes and any other random job lots he’d picked up from the back of a lorry, I suspect.
At a time when authenticity (especially in the context of social and influencer marketing) is on everyone’s lips, it’s never been more important to understand your brand, and what it actually is, rather than what you’d like it to be, and carefully match your communications to your audience. You’ve worked so hard to get them to interact in some way with you – don’t let them down.
Recommendations and reviews weren’t invented for the Internet. Testimonials have always been powerful in marketing. Before the Internet, if you needed a plumber, or the roof fixing, what did you do? You may have used a directory like Yellow Pages, but you’d probably also ask around. Has a neighbour, friend or family member used someone that they can recommend?
Building in testimonials and proactively driving recommendations and referrals has always been one of the first things I’ve tried to introduce into my clients’ marketing material.
Back in 1994 we engaged a well-known cricketer to be a brand ambassador for a client. He turned up at events, and we produced a range of marketing material which featured him and the client’s product in ways that felt less like an advert and more educational. We leveraged his large fan base and trusted position to introduce our client’s product to a wider audience and make it instantly credible by association. Sound familiar?
Another buzzword hijacked by digital/content marketing in recent years is ‘storytelling’. I read an article last week in a reputable marketing publication, which started with this sentence: ‘Brand storytelling is gaining momentum in the marketing world, and with good reason.’
The same article then went on to define brand storytelling as: “Using a narrative to connect your brand to customers, with a focus on linking what you stand for to the values you share with your customers.”
Um… correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that marketing principle isn’t just starting to ‘gain momentum’ in 2018!
Why is it, that when it comes to B2B communications, it seems like all the fun stuff goes out the window, and what’s left is often mind-numbingly boring and lacking in any personality or emotional connection?
But just because our subject matter may not be as glamorous as selling fashion or fragrances, it shouldn’t mean that all the life is automatically sucked out. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Sure, when you think B2B, you might picture a room full of serious suits discussing return on investment (ROI) and cost per acquisition (CPA). But guess what? Those suits are still humans, and humans have emotions. That’s right, even your stoney-faced CFO has a heart somewhere under that spreadsheet.
Traditionally, marketers have had this idea that emotions only matter in the B2C world. After all, it’s easy to see how a heart-warming commercial can make you reach for your wallet and buy your nan her favourite chocolate, or how the ‘cool couple’ in the advert could influence you to indulge your mid-life crisis and buy that new convertible you can’t afford. But when it comes to B2B, the prevailing sentiment is that we’re all about logic, facts and figures. Emotion? No time for that!
Now just for clarity, we’re not advocating some badly-judged attempt at humour when announcing mass redundancies. The tone should always be appropriate for the audience and subject matter. But what we are saying is, don’t be scared to inject a little personality into your communications, connect on a more human, emotional level and you’ll see an improvement in engagement.
So, let’s dive into why emotions matter, how to appeal to different personalities, and why buying stages can turn even the most rational buyer into an emotional rollercoaster.
B2B buyers have hearts too
It’s true that B2B buyers often have different priorities than your average consumer.
They’re focused on solving business problems, increasing efficiency and often, cutting costs. They’re also less likely to make an impulse buy on the spur of the moment. But they’re still people, and people are swayed by emotions, whether they admit it or not.
Even in the most rational B2B decisions, emotions are lurking in the background, pulling the strings. Maybe it’s the fear of making a costly mistake, the excitement of a potential breakthrough, or the trust you feel towards a particular supplier. Emotions play a part in every decision, whether we like it or not.
Appealing to different personalities
Now, here’s where things get interesting. With B2B audiences one approach most definitely does not fit all. Just like in the B2C world, different personalities are at play, and understanding these personalities can help you craft marketing and PR campaigns that hit the bullseye.
The Analytical Thinker: These people are all about data and logic. They want facts, figures and hard evidence to back up your claims. But guess what? Even they have emotions! Appeal to their desire to make the right decisions by showcasing case studies, whitepapers, and testimonials that demonstrate the rational benefits of your product or service and make them feel comfortable that it’s the right decision to work with you.
The Relationship Builder: These are the characters who value trust and long-term partnerships. Building an emotional connection with them can be a game-changer. Showcasing your company’s values, commitment to quality, and the human faces behind the brand can go a long way in winning them over.
The Innovator: Innovators are driven by curiosity and a thirst for the new. They crave excitement and the promise of something ground-breaking. Tap into their emotions by highlighting the innovation and forward-thinking nature of your product or service and make them feel like they’re on the cutting edge.
The Sceptic: Sceptics are the hardest nut to crack. They question everything and trust nothing. But guess what? Their scepticism often comes from a place of fear – fear of making the wrong decision. Address their fears head-on, provide reassurance, and offer guarantees or trials to ease their anxiety.
The Pragmatist: Pragmatists are all about getting the job done efficiently. They want practical solutions and minimal fuss. Appeal to their emotions by showing how your product or service can save them time, money and prevent headaches.
How buying stages make a difference
Now, let’s talk about the buying stage. As your B2B audience moves through the buyer’s journey, their emotions can fluctuate like a heart rate monitor during a horror movie. Here’s how it breaks down:
Awareness Stage: At the beginning, your audience may not even know they have a problem. Here, you can use emotions to raise awareness and make them realise they need a solution. Appeal to their sense of curiosity or concern about the future.
Consideration Stage: As they dig deeper into possible solutions, emotions like hope, excitement, and anxiety come into play. They’re looking for the best fit, and emotions will guide them toward the right choice. Make them feel like you understand their pain points and can provide the perfect remedy.
Decision Stage: Here, emotions like trust, fear, and even relief can dominate. They’re about to make a commitment, and they want to be sure it’s the right one. Use testimonials, case studies, and guarantees to ease their minds and make them feel confident in their decision.
Of course, that information is fairly useless unless you’ve been through the exercise of defining your buyer stages and are tailoring your communication and channels accordingly.
So, why is it crucial to embrace emotions in B2B PR and communications?
Have you ever had the impression that you’re pursuing your online rivals’ triumphs like you’re playing a virtual game of cat and mouse? It’s time to give up chasing and take charge of the group. Knowing how your competitors operate in the complex world of SEO can help you propel your company to the top. Together, we can simplify rival keyword research and set you up for success.
In a nutshell, competition keyword analysis is SEO done like Sherlock Holmes. It’s the skill of figuring out the keywords your rivals rank for and how they use them to drive traffic. Putting on your detective cap, you may utilise expert SEO strategy to uncover your competitors’ secrets and utilise the information to guide and improve your own SEO efforts.
Imagine having complete awareness of your adversaries’ whereabouts and their forthcoming moves. That would be powerful knowledge, right? In terms of SEO, having this knowledge enables you to:
You must first ascertain your opponent’s identity before you can assess. Consider your digital adversaries as well; they may not even be on your radar now. Think beyond traditional competitors. Look for companies that are listed for the terms you are interested in on the search engine results page (SERP).
Many SEO tools are available that take care of the research for you. Use them to find the top search engines for your keywords and examine their profiles.
An easy Google search will yield a wealth of information. Look up your main keywords and take notice of who comes up most often. These are your principal opponents.
The real game is about to start. It’s time to examine your rivals’ keyword strategies in detail. Recall that knowing the context in which keywords are being used is just as important as just locating them. Here’s how to do it:
Take note of the kind of content that your rivals create. Do they use product pages, blogs, or case studies to focus on particular keywords? How does the quality compare? What’s more, how can you improve upon it?
Examine the headers, meta descriptions, and title tags. They contain a wealth of keyword data. Take note of the prominence, frequency, and seamless integration of keywords on their website.
To determine the relative value of a certain keyword, it is essential to run a backlink analysis and find out which keywords are generating the most links.
With newfound insights, it’s time to inject some zest into your SEO strategy.
Equipped with a keyword list, create content that outperforms those of your rivals in terms of engagement, insight, and overall quality. Make Google think you’re better than your competitors.
Through competition keyword analysis, you can elevate your online presence by finding keyword chances that your rivals have overlooked. Make original content for these keywords to take the lead in the market.
Create a strong backlink strategy by focusing on the same superior websites that link to your competitors, or discover new ones to increase your reach.
SEO requires ongoing care, unlike a slow cooker that can be “set and forget”d. Maintain a close watch on the actions of your rivals and often analyse their strategies, adjusting your own as necessary.
Success in SEO doesn’t come overnight. It’s a continual process of improvement and adaptation. Use Master the Art of Competitor Analysis for Superior SEO Strategy to ensure you’re always one step ahead.
SEO can seem like an insurmountable mountain to climb, but with savvy competitor keyword analysis, you’ve got the best gear to reach the peak. Remember, your objective is not just to match your rivals – it’s to surpass them.
Don’t let complexity deter you; when done correctly, rival keyword research may be a very useful tool in your SEO toolbox. Are You Prepared to Change Your SEO Approach with Competitor Keyword Mastery and Get an Advantage in SEO with Insights into Competitor Keyword Strategies? It’s time to take action!
Even though I’ve provided you with the treasure map, occasionally you still need an experienced guide to show you the route. Fear not—I’m here to help you through the SEO jungle if you find it intimidating to navigate on your own. How about scheduling a discovery call at https://www.bristechtonic.co.uk/discovery-call? Together, we can begin mapping out your path to SEO dominance.
Follow the link to watch our Christmas advert: https://youtu.be/e7OHFtfZjgQ
Why create a viral Christmas advert?
We LOVE big-budget TV ads like the John Lewis Christmas advert. They’ve really found the winning formula to maximise engagement and go viral.
In fact, we love it so much that we decided to give it a go ourselves. But instead of helping a big department store or supermarket grow its profits, we decided to help a charity grow its reach.
Our friends at Love Squared do amazing work that’s well worth shouting about.
Who is Love Squared?
Love Squared is a Bristol-based charity who support young people and families with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs.
They noticed a huge lack in services for young people and children who had aspirations but were missing out on reaching their potential because of SEMH needs, so they work to change this and provide the resources and support to those who need it.
With such a great cause, we knew we wanted to support them this year by donating our resources to create them a Christmas advert they can use to raise awareness and donations.
So how do you go about creating a viral Christmas video?
Inspired by the John Lewis Christmas Advert 2022?
So were we. Here’s your guide to making a viral Christmas ad to rival the very best – whether you’re a charity, non-profit or B2B business.
Every year, audiences eagerly await high-production TV Christmas ads from John Lewis, M&S, Sainsbury’s, and a plethora of other consumer businesses. But this year, we’re seeing more and more clients take an interest in Christmas content and other seasonal campaigns – and for good reason.
As we all eagerly await this year’s marketing showdown, many businesses are thinking about their own festive advertising and how they can get a slice of the action.
Emotive and uplifting storytelling
The most popular Christmas ads really tug at the heartstrings. It’s the time of the year when people value togetherness, generosity and kindness the most, but it can also be a tough time for many. So, it’s important to capture the emotions of the festive seasons and make your audience feel seen and understood. Having said that, it should be hopeful and optimistic – after all, it is the most wonderful time of the year.
Our copy team put together a script that captured the emotion behind Love Squared’s amazing cause.
Focusing on issues of loneliness and mental health, we created a story that would speak to the challenges young people face, while reflecting the power of imagination – one of Love Squared’s primary values. We even got our best (only) David Attenborough impersonator in to do the voice-over.
Adorable heroes and creature companions
From John Lewis to Sainsbury’s, all the best viral Christmas adverts embrace the cute-factor. And whether they take the form of animals, humans, dragons or monsters, the bigger the eyes, the more we seem to love them.
Our designers and animators created relatable characters with big eyes and even bigger dreams.
We wanted to introduce an imaginary friend that brings joy to a child’s life, presenting creativity, resilience and fun as an antidote to loneliness and boredom – and so, best friends Rita and Howie were born.
A powerful song choice
Emotive covers of popular songs are a staple of the annual Christmas-ad-off. Possibly the most successful among these are the John Lewis Christmas adverts that feature big stars covering even bigger ballads – from Lily Allen’s rendition of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know to Gabrielle Aplin’s cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood classic The Power of Love.
Our Love Squared Christmas ad features an acoustic track with an emotional hook: “when we’re together again” – which pairs perfectly with the beautifully animated scenes about loneliness and newfound friendship. Oosh! Right in the feels.
Video and animation magic
The trick to a truly amazing Christmas ad is to fully immerse your audience, perhaps even leaving them thinking: “How did they do it?” Whether that’s through impeccable animation or beautiful videography, or a mix of the two.
There really are no limits to what you can do with video and animation (other than budget, of course).
Our Video and Motion Graphics team did an amazing job of directing, producing and animating an impactful campaign video to support Love Squared.
What’s more, they sprinkled humour in throughout.
Shout out to our A-list actors (A for ‘A member of our studio, marketing, HR and finance teams’) for some pretty impressive skills and even more expressive faces.
A good cause
At P+S, we’re passionate about supporting amazing initiatives and organisations that offer support in our local community. Partnering with Love Squared for this video was a no-brainer.
How do Christmas ads work for B2B brands?
Many B2B marketers mistakenly pour all their energy into lead generation, believing that B2B decision making is a head-over-heart endeavour, where common sense prevails. In reality, buying committees are equally as emotion-led as consumers, but with one key addition – risk.
It’s far more risky to introduce a lesser-known supplier/ partner to your business than it is to buy from an established one, so recognition and reputation are just as important for B2B brands – whose sales representatives are no longer in the room when these buying decision are made.
So, while we may not pour the same level of budget into TV and traditional media advertising, it’s still worth considering how B2B Christmas advertising can set you apart from the competition and make a memorable impression on prospective customers. Ultimately, you want them to remember your brand when they’re in market (just 5% of the time you spend plugging away at lead generation).
(For context: what are you talking about?)
I’m not worried about AI stealing my job as a content writer. I’m excited about how it will evolve.
AI tools have sky-rocketed my productivity, re-ignited my excitement for work and made me a better writer. Turns out, my pain points were never about a lack of inspiration or creativity. It was the lack of efficiency.
My boss always says, “Just break the white page, get something down and you’ve done the hardest part.”
Also known in the industry as the ‘SFD’ – shitty first draft.
Now, and preferably, forever, AI does the hardest part for me.
Mr Bucket’s original job screwing caps onto toothpaste tubes is content writing before AI.
I think this quote from the film sums up what that was like quite nicely…
“The hours were long, the pay was terrible, and occasionally, there were unexpected surprises.”
In the end, Mr Bucket gets a more interesting, better-paid role at the factory. Fixing and maintaining the robot that took his job.
I much prefer my new job of fixing and maintaining the metaphorical AI toothpaste robot.
Research is easier and more thorough. Article outlines are done for me, giving me an SEO-optimised structure which hits (and improves) my client’s briefs. I have an editor, PA, proofreader, sense-checker, and idea-suggestor, for free, whenever I need them. And we make a damn good team.
AI-written text can be good, but it’s not great. We all know its technical limitations, but its biggest flaw, through no fault of its own, is that it doesn’t care.
It doesn’t build relationships, collaborate with others, or get excited about what you’re trying to achieve. There’s no ‘above and beyond’ with AI.
It’s an out-of-the-box solution for a skill that’s anything but.
Maybe one day it will take my job. But I think the day humans stop writing is the day humans stop reading. In which case we’re all screwed anyway.
AI Oath🤚📕
I solemnly swear I did not open a single AI tool while writing this article.
But I probably should have. It might have told me it’s not as funny as I think it is. And I wouldn’t have spent half an hour deep-diving the Willy Wonka fandom.
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie’s dad (William Bucket) lost his job because a new robot did his job more efficiently – and for less money.
Content marketing has become an essential strategy for business growth. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right content formats to achieve your goals?
This comes down to a question of, what do you want to achieve. Because not all content marketing is made equal.
Before you’ve even made a piece of content, let alone published it. You need to consider a number of factors, from your audience and prospective customers, buyer journeys, timeframes and what you want to achieve from your content marketing efforts.
The most successful content marketing examples are built and grounded in this strategic understanding of a business’s audiences and objectives.
Your content strategy should map to your audience’s buyer journey.
Understanding the different stages and how different content marketing formats and types fit within each stage will allow you to make the most of your content marketing strategies.
At this point, content should inform, entertain and engage. The purpose is to hook potential customers, not to sell to them.
Blog posts, whitepapers, and social media help raise awareness of a problem your product solves. Focus on educating your audience at this stage. This isn’t the place for hard sales and conversion CTAs.
This is where things start to get more information and detail-driven. At this point, a potential customer will be more serious and considered about their purchasing. They may not be quite there with a final purchasing decision, so this is the time to start dialling up the informative and story-driven content.
Videos, email marketing, and social media posts can showcase your product benefits and competitive advantages. Make your content informative and story-driven.
We’re at the the end of the funnel now. Buyers are tooled up and informed. Now you have to give them a real reason, and incentive, to buy.
Free trials, coupons, case studies address final questions and objections. Give decision-makers an incentive to choose you over competitors.
The more versatile your content, the more effective and efficient it will be.
You should not be making content solely exclusive to one channel or output. When you’re planning and putting together your content strategy. Consider how you can ‘sweat your assets’ and create a versatile multi-channel content strategy.
As for what adaptable content is, this can really vary. Hero video content can be broken down into smaller pieces of shareable snippets. This can then be used across all of your owned channels.
White papers and reports can be broken up into blog content and multi-channel social media campaigns.
Don’t put the blinkers on your content strategy. Repurpose, reuse and re-engage.
To ensure your content is shareable, ask yourself if the content gives you a reason to be shared.
Does it offer insight into an issue, concern or problem? Does it ignite the imagination and inspire ideas? Or does it show impact and results that really wow?
Then ask yourself, would I share this personally?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one size fits all approach to creating shareable content. There is no one winning formula. Every business, every audience and every industry is different.
But fundementally, shareable content is interesting content. So prioritize creating content that is interesting.
Your content strategy should but tuned to your business goals. What is the purpose of your content? What output is it aligned too?
Is it brand awareness, pushing certain products or services, or are you looking for lead generation or driving conversations and engagement?
Don’t just create your content and then try to tack activation and strategy on at the point of delivery. Create content to match the desired outcome.
Analyze performance data to see what content resonates best with your audience. Refine your strategy based on insights.
AB test your content, to trial combinations of copy and creative. Take what’s working, remove what isn’t and learn from your analytics. A data-driven approach helps create a content marketing flywheel, where you continually optimize content for impact.
Even the most creative and insightful piece of content marketing can be brought low by bad timing.
Whether this is trying to come in with a hard-line sales message too early in the incubation period, or being unaware of how external factors, such as news agendas, sector-specific or even global issues, may have impacts on your content… external factors can and will impact your content marketing strategy. So there has to be a certain level of pliability in your approach.
From a funnel perspective. The 95-5 rule tells us that 95% of an audience will be ‘out of market’ and AirBnB learned the hard way, how external events can impact your content marketing.
Content creation is so much more than just pumping out images and videos to the world.
Effective content creation and content marketing strategies are built around goals and outcomes. Simply making content, for the sake of making content, will not give you the ROI you desire. So it’s really important to know your audiences and what kinds of content they are most reactive and receptive to.
You also don’t have to have Hollywood-level production, to create content. In fact, in many instances, a more stripped-back production value is more beneficial than something slick and expensive looking… an iPhone can be a content marketer’s best friend.
But, the most important thing to note… make interesting content.
Everyone is looking for reach, shares and engagement. You won’t get any of this with uninteresting content. You can force all the messaging and calls to action you can in there, but if the crux of your content is boring to your audience, it isn’t going to work.
So, the next time you’re in a content planning session, or strategising for the year ahead before you’ve shot a frame. Think about about what you want to get out of this content, and what would be the most interesting way to achieve this.
What’s on your Christmas list 🎁. Nailing your new business strategy so you are confident in achieving your 2024 targets 🚀is probably very high.
So in the spirit of Christmas and to broaden my network I would like to offer 1hr free of charge consultancy to agency founders, CEO’s or senior new business folk. A chance to validate your thoughts and pick my brains. I have 6🎄FREE 🎄1hr new business strategy sessions up for grabs.
I can’t promise mince pies but you will leave with an actionable plan to kick start your new business strategy and get you on the right track to deliver your 2024 targets.
😃 I’m excited for these sessions so please message me to book in your free 1hr session 🤶
The Daily Disruptor Network is a free community of tech founders, startups and small businesses, which helps people to get advice and solve problems faster. Our network connects and supports people running technology companies, giving them access to genuinely useful content, events, advisors and more. The network has been running for a few years now, but has some exciting things in the pipeline upcoming for members. Membership is free and offers you instant access to the network’s Slack group, as well as the email newsletter which shares heaps of useful insights and industry knowledge. You can find out more about the community here.
This webinar is the first webinar the network has run for its members and is the first in a long line of new benefits being launched. Join the network today to stay in the know with what’s coming next.
About the webinar
The new year comes with new opportunities to generate the growth and traction your business needs to succeed. Whether you are a brand new startup or a scale-up that is further along its growth journey, using the end of the year to reset, recalibrate and gain insights from your peers allows you to set the foundation for a fantastic 2024.
Join us for this free 1-hour power session on improving the likelihood of 2024 being your best year yet. We’ll be covering how to:
Achieve the sales velocity you need to hit your financial targets
Identify your ideal customers and understand what will make them buy from you
Set the goals and objectives that will get you closer to your dream
Create a culture of progress to take your business towards your goals
Book your place to join the webinar
Yiuwin Tsang has been working in sales and business development for more than 15 years. With a broad range of clients from big 4 consulting firms to independent abstract artists, he has seen how having the right value positioning, new business systems and robust sales processes can have a transformational effect on the commercial performance of an organisation.
Founder and CEO of Disruptive Thinking, a B2B marketing and business development consultancy, Yiuwin will be sharing his vast expertise and knowledge throughout the programme and help you supercharge your revenue potential.
If you have any questions or a project you’d like to discuss, please contact; [email protected].
Short-form social media video content is short, snappy, informative, or humorous videos that are posted on social media by brands and businesses to gain the attention of their target audience. The ideal sweet spot is somewhere between 30 – 60 seconds.
So why is it important to utilise this type of video content as a business on social media?
It’s a proven way to reach new audiences by incorporating it into a multi-media social media strategy. Plus, it’s a cheaper way to reach new audiences if you are currently operating on a limited budget and can’t yet afford to outsource to an agency or hire a marketing team. Whilst it may not promise the same reach and consistent results as running correctly optimised ads, these ads rely on a solid foundation of organic social media content to be successful- and this content will benefit from short-form video content!
But as great as that all sounds, what if you are a time-short business owner, or just have limited experience when it comes to social media content creation?
We’ve compiled our top 3 favourite video and reel / TikTok editing apps to help you create post-worthy content whilst saving time. They are all affordable and easy to use, with plenty of features and video templates to use.
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
Cons:
If you are just starting out and need an app for some basic video editing, it probably won’t make a difference which one you use. They are all fairly cheap, and CapCut is completely free. Once you become more confident and decide to replicate specific social media trends or look for specific video editing features, transitions, or filters, it’s likely you will find one of the above suits your business better.
Thankfully, they all at least offer a free version or free trial to test out the app before investing in a monthly subscription.
Trusty Social is a social media marketing and management agency. We work with busy businesses to improve their online presence through social media, while positively impacting the world and donating 3% of our profits to social justice initiatives each year. Find out more by visiting here and get in touch with us here!
In less than 12 months, AI has taken the world by storm, marking what is arguably the most significant technological development since the birth of the internet.
ChatGPT has become the poster child of this technological eruption, with a userbase increase of 9,990% in the first 60 days of launch. At the time of writing, it has more than 180.5 million users.
Of course, this meteoric rise has been far from subtle. In what seems like the blink of an eye, AI technology has transitioned from a point of post-pint speculation to workplace reality, embedding itself across industries. From initial research and conceptualisation to data analysis, time management and content creation, marketers worldwide are unveiling innovative uses for these powerful tools.
The danger with such a rapid adoption of new technology is that unstable dependencies are formed. SEO professionals everywhere are jumping head-first into the world of AI, for fear of falling behind.
The question, therefore, is not ‘will AI change SEO forever’, but to what extent has it already?
If you were to ask a room full of marketing professionals what they thought of AI, it’s likely their answers would vary significantly. On one side of the fence are the utopians, with their boundless optimism for the technology’s endless capabilities. On the other, are the doomsayers, to whom AI tools mark the first step towards a dystopian Terminator-esque future. End of days stuff.
At Superb Digital, we’re somewhere between the two.
As far as research, data collection, analysis and reporting are concerned, AI tools are brimming with potential. They can streamline processes, smash through monotonous tasks and massively improve overall efficiency. But, don’t believe the hype; AI can’t do everything and the quality of its output is wholly dictated by the information it is provided.
Working with, and getting the most from, AI requires a clear understanding of objectives and best practices. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the ways in which AI tools are actually being implemented by marketers at ground level.
The role of AI technology within a digital marketing and SEO context is, of course, nuanced. Where its usefulness ends and its limitations begin is frequently debated among professionals. That said, its capabilities with regards to research, data collection and analysis are undisputable.
As far as research and analysis is concerned, AI is more than capable of scouring live sites and retrieving key information such as page structures, meta data, content styles. Where necessary, this research and data can be stored and presented, for use in later stages of a campaign.
The above methodology is useful, but basic. The full potential of AI can only be realised with the correct combination of input and instruction. If, for example, AI tools are fed specific documentation and reference points, such as Google’s Helpful Content guidelines, they are able to learn from the information provided and proceed from a point of task-specific understanding. As is the case with most AI technology, well-engineered human-led prompting is essential.
You don’t have to spend long working with AI to understand its planning capabilities. After all, heavy lifting and monotonous task management is where tools like ChatGPT really come into their own.
AI can be of great use when generating content plans, brief outlines and structures, but this technology is limited by the efficacy of its instructor (there’s a theme developing here…). Generic, poorly structured prompts will lead to equally useless content.
From our own experience, working with AI requires a clear understanding of two things:
Simply instructing ChatGPT to ‘create a plan’ based upon a topic or title is sure to lead to bang-average results. Whereas, feeding the programme clear examples of high-quality work will provide insight as to the results you want to achieve. Whether this is a website quality report or long-form article outline, it is crucial that such examples are well-crafted and reflective of the results you wish to attain. This type of activity has already garnered a name: “prompt engineering”.
Now, this is where opinions begin to differ. While some AI evangelists will claim that its content creating abilities are on par with those of a human, this is simply not true. AI is capable of many things, but crafting and writing high-quality, insightful content is not one of them. If you’re looking for content that meets Google’s Helpful Content guidelines and actually reflects your brand, ethos and personality, you need a person.
But, this is not to say that AI has no place in the content creation process. As discussed above, this technology can prove endlessly useful during the ideation, research and planning phases. Here at Superb Digital, we often use AI tools for transcription and summation purposes. This allows us to extract key points from client interviews and collate research much faster. As far as the writing is concerned though, that’s all us.
As powerful as AI tools may appear, it doesn’t take a top-tier developer to understand their current limitations. Yes, this technology is cutting edge, and getting better by the day, but it is not infallible. As is the case with any software, AI language is capable of making mistakes.
Take ChatGPT, for example. The language model’s achilles heel is the pool from which it draws information. As of this point in time, ChatGPT is only trained on information up to January 2022. This means that, without the use of plugins and beta tools, it cannot retrieve up to date information from search engines.
Moreover, one of the most obvious flaws that arises when working with AI is the way in which it receives information. There is, understandably, a dissonance between the language model’s method of processing and our own human cognition. In other words, it cannot always recognise actions as we do.
It goes without saying that over reliance on this technology can be dangerous. Rather than becoming overly-confident in the abilities of AI, it is important to adopt a cohesive approach. By all means, use these tools to assist, streamline, cut down and create, but beware of leaning too heavily on their independent capabilities.
The million dollar question: what next? AI technology has already transformed the digital marketing industry, impacting the ways in which user data is gathered, analysis is carried out and optimised content is created. If this continues, what will be left of human jobs?
The reality is that SEO is, and always has been, evolving. This industry is built on the ever-changing foundations of internet algorithms and technological advancements. Keeping up is just as important as getting ahead.
As AI technologies develop and cement themselves in our personal and professional lives, emphasis will be placed on certain skills. In particular, prompt engineering. As capable as these tools may be, they require precise and focussed instruction to achieve above-average results.
Additionally, it is worth noting the impact that AI has, and will continue to have on the ways in which individuals search for products and services. If AI assisted search tools, such as Google’s Bard, are transforming the means through which consumers browse the internet, so will the ways in which businesses and marketing experts target them. It is difficult to say exactly what this change will look like, but an increased focus on the ways in which AI platforms search for information will become a necessity.
Here at Superb Digital, AI tools are swiftly becoming an integral part of our arsenal. That said, certain processes simply cannot be replicated by computers; we place great emphasis on the value of real human input.
Yes, these tools will continue to evolve and improve. But our focus must remain on the knowledge and experience of human experts. Prompt engineering, quality control, copywriting and strategy are among the many areas of SEO that cannot, and should not, be replaced by Artificial Intelligence technologies.
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