Do you ever catch yourself singing a tune from an advert you saw decades ago?
A catchy jingle can turn a 30-second advert into a screensaver in our minds, a basic marketing trick that was well understood by 1950s advertising executives.
During America’s golden age of disposable income, stable employment, and only three television stations, 1950s advertising executives had a captive audience with money to spend. In the early ’50s, a TV advert placed in the commercial break of the sitcom “I Love Lucy” would typically reach 11 million families, at a time when there were just 15 million television sets in America.
Today, things seem more complicated. The average consumer can view adverts on everything from televisions to telephones, making some marketers feel nostalgic for simpler times. These days, however, we have a vast selection of marketing tools at our disposal, and if anything, we’re in a new golden age of marketing. Here’s how to make the most of it, Don Draper style—drink cart not included.
1. Understand your audience
On average, people spend 15 seconds looking at online content before deciding whether to stay or leave a website. The audience wants to be entertained or informed and don’t owe you their time. That’s why you need to impress them from the start by speaking their language.
You must know your brand’s tone of voice as well as you know your best friend. Without a clear, defined and consistent brand image and tone of voice, you will not create content that resonates with a reliable and regular audience.
In the above paragraph, I’ve used a “stern father” tone of voice to illustrate the importance of my point. Pretty neat trick, right?
2. Hire great copywriters
Moderately effective copywriting will draw people to your website. Highly effective copywriting will establish your company as an authority on a subject while entertaining and amusing the online community. If you see online content that has been shared into the triple digits, then you’ve seen good copywriting.
So, If you’re looking to expand your brand with written content, choose a copywriting team that is passionate, excellent at research, up to date with the latest SEO trends and capable of writing a gripping story.
3. Make the most of social media
Social media is a cost-effective way of building social networks, responding to customers, and spreading brand awareness. But the history of social media is blighted with hijacked hashtags and fumbled Facebook statuses, so hiring an experienced social media manager is crucial for your brand.
Developing a social media campaign requires following easy rules such as creating a strategy, and using social media monitoring tools to gauge the response. But if you’re looking to hire a social media manager, look at what they have done rather than what they know.
If a company has attracted a quarter of a million followers on their own social media channels and regularly produce content that’s shared widely by an active community, then they will be able to do the same for your business.
4. Make a connection by podcasting
From Johnny Carson to Jimmy Kimmel, talk shows have been a source of entertainment and fun for decades, and provide us with witty conversations and jokes. In fact, the casual discussion on talk shows can be so captivating that people forget they are a promotional tool.
With entertaining podcasts that can brighten the journey of the morning commuter, your business can connect with customers in a meaningful way, spreading brand awareness and casting an authoritative voice while doing so. Just be sure to make your podcasts enjoyable—nobody chooses to be bored in this life.
So, if you’re looking to become Don Draper with a smartphone, hire a company that knows these rules inside and out, and have a passion for making businesses bigger than a Madison Avenue skyscraper.
