What have we learned this past year? Specifically, what have we learned about communication during this past year?
Well, we can expect the unexpected.
The year 2016 was a wild ride (in more ways than one) that included many highs and a few lows. Many out there will argue that there were more lows this year but we like to look at the brighter side of things.
So let’s talk business. More specifically, let’s talk about what we learned about the marketing industry and how it relates to communication this past year. Our agency went through quite a few changes and experienced a lot of growth in 2016, and as a result, we experienced our fair share of growing pains.
One of our core philosophies has always been that if we don’t know it, gosh-darnit, we’re going to learn it and excel at it. Whether it’s regarding new online platforms, new software implementation, or new trends, we’ve had it all thrown at us this year. But, oddly enough, communication still ranks high on our importance scale.
Here are a few things we’ve learned that have helped us move forward this past year:
We’ve learned that taking a lot of extra time to craft and create Facebook ads for clients goes a long way. More than ever, this year we’ve really delved into what makes an ad relevant to a specific demographic, and we’ve been extremely pleased with the results. We believe that it is absolutely worth our time to fine-tune ads, even if it takes us hours, to get it right. Communicate with the client on exactly what they'd like to see.
The old adage of “know your audience” couldn’t ring any truer. On top of that, writing in the client's voice could not be any more important than it is now for an agency. In an industry where everything is white noise, it’s so paramount to own your (your client’s) story.
It’s your client’s job to sell their product or service, but as a marketer, it’s your job to present their brand in the best possible light and create opportunities for their audience to engage, interact, and yes, buy their product or service. You have to trust your client as well. It’s difficult to market something that you or people don’t believe in or doesn’t provide or add value to people’s lives. As a small agency, we work with a lot of mom & pop shops that provide great products and services, and people just don’t know where to find them. That’s where you come in and help to tell their story. Stop selling their products and services and communicate their story.
We’ve learned that writing consistent content for the web across all platforms produces the best results. If you can create content for a client’s website, then distribute that exact content across social media, blogs, and other web platforms. Writing quality content for a website should be at the root of all the content you share over other media.
As always, the most important thing is communication with the client. Being proactive and reaching out to your clients cannot be replaced with any other practice. We’ve continually seen that the more we stay in touch with a client, the better our relationship remains.
However, one of the most important takeaways of the year is this: Nothing can replace your client’s knowledge and understanding of their own business. This isn’t necessarily something new we learned in 2016, it’s just something that we continually see confirmed to us in our line of work.
You can create a killer ad that is dialed in perfectly in every single way, but without the help, information, and expertise of the client it will ultimately fall on deaf ears.
Gaining and fostering the trust and support of your client will go further than anything else you can do. Working hand-in-hand with your client will produce better ads, better content, and a better relationship.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The year 2016 came and went faster than a thief in the night, and some might argue that it left your place in ruins, but one thing is certain—we learned a lot.
