A promotional motion graphics video to market The Greenhouse Advertising Agency to potential clients. The video was sent via a newsletter encouraging business owners to work with The Greenhouse for any of their brand-building needs. I have curated SEO-optimised blog posts to drive traffic to The Greenhouse website.
This work was created at The Greenhouse Advertising Agency.
THE GREENHOUSE
(motion graphics & blog writing)
All Videos
3 Steps to Build More Meaningful Conversations
Conversation is King
Content marketing is your ticket into the competitive digital playground. But creating content is just the first step. The social media landscape is littered with content. Fighting among paid social ads and memes is no easy task. Brands need to lead relevant and meaningful conversations with their consumers if they are going to win their attention. Content is not king, the conversation is. Content marketing has no value until consumers engage with it. Brands need to create engaging content and play a part in the consumer's life.
Here’s how you can start.
Break the ice.
Don’t go in digital guns blazing. Without a smart and well-structured content marketing plan, the conversation will take a nosedive. Your content marketing plan will dictate what content you push out and when you send it. It is your playbook, so make it count. Your content should not advertise. Consumers are bombarded with enough advertising daily. Your content should start conversations. Sharing that you started your morning off with some yoga is not likely to generate much of a response but sharing that you split your pants during a steamy yoga session will open a whole other can of worms. Content should whet consumers’ appetites and solicit interesting responses.
Participate purposefully.
To stand out, brands need to stand for something. Brands need to be authentic and driven by a meaningful purpose. Consumers are attracted to meaningful brands. Your elegantly crafted social media post may catch their attention but unless you are benefitting their lives in some way, they will continue scrolling. Content marketing is only as strong as the values that underpin the content. Don’t just talk to consumers about values, invite them to contribute to these values. Give them a sense of ownership of your brand and the relationship will flourish. Relentlessly spew out marketing jargon and one-way communications and they’re going to unfollow you. Give consumers a reason to participate.
Less is more.
You just have to punch in a few key terms in Google or swipe your thumb a few times on Facebook to see the endless stream of content flooding the internet. Pushing out more is not going to make for better content. Brands need to dedicate time and resources into understanding their consumers' interests, desires, and purchasing behaviours. This can be a costly endeavour. An efficient and effective way to draw this insight is through inciting a dialogue. Encouraging consumers to take part in your brand narrative will allow you to draw valuable insights that will help you develop more interesting and engaging content. Go for quality, not quantity. Google favours quality above all else and pieces that receive more engagement are ranked higher. Keep the conversation alive and this will fuel future content. Make sure your content calls for connection.
Stop just making stuff and start speaking about the stuff that you make. Consumers want to hear your views and want you to listen to theirs. It takes two to tango so slip on your dancing shoes and take to the digital floor. Build meaningful relationships through consistent content that drives engaging conversations.
Stop Painting With the Same Brush
The Importance of Market Segmentation Among Millennials
It may be time to relook your strategic ‘millennial’ target market. ‘Millennials’ are not a market segment. We need to stop treating them like one. Millennials, aged 18 – 34, represent a vast portion of the population with varying ideas, beliefs, and purchasing behaviours. For marketers to effectively communicate to the millennial generation; you need to define your audience, speak their language and add value to their lives.
Find the right fit.
Do your homework. Research is essential to understanding how best to tackle the diverse millennial generation. Not all millennials watch Game of Thrones and listen to The Weeknd so tailoring your strategy to this loose millennial profile may not provide positive results. Your brand needs to define which niche group of millennials in the millennial generation will resonate with the brand characteristics and tailor communications to this millennial segment. Brands should not attempt to target all millennials. With huge disparities in lifestyle choices and personality traits, tackling a generation of such magnitude will create inconsistent communications. It is all about finding the right fit. Brands need to hone their communications and speak directly to the aspirations of their desired market segment within the millennial generation to cut through the clutter.
Get in their heads.
Brands need to truly understand their selected target market. Without a deep understanding of the consumer, your message is not going to fly. Brands need to understand the psychological, emotional, and behavioural habits of the audience. Not all millennials feel or act in the same way. Millennial moms are more likely to follow DIY channels on Pinterest than 9Gag on Instagram and a millennial social justice warrior is more likely to start a Facebook revolution than an off-the-grid millennial hipster. They have different lives and different roles and how you reach them is going to require different routes. From your tonality and creative direction to your channel plan, you need to get in your audience’s head. You need to think like them, be where they are, and speak their language.
Add value.
It is no use speaking to them without adding value to their lives. Millennials have been called a lot of things; from entitled narcissists to passionate do-gooders. These blanket statements do not hold true to every market segment, but one cannot deny the global call for brands to act meaningfully and purposefully. Selling products is not enough. Each segment within the millennial generation has a set of values. Your brand values should align with the values of your desired segment to resonate with them effectively. At the core of your brand values should be the consumer values.
By trying to target the millennial generation, you run the risk of creating diluted brand communications. It is important to divide the group into targetable market segments. Select an optimal market segment, understand them completely, and create meaningful brand communications that will resonate with them. If you wish to succeed, stop painting millennials with the same brush.