I don’t tend to set New Year’s resolutions. I’m not sure if I’m put off by the likelihood that I’ll forget them in 2 weeks and give up, or if I dislike the idea of waiting for a calendar flip to make life changes.
Anyway, this year I’ve set a few small (and hopefully achievable) goals based on areas of weakness that I’ve identified in myself – you could call it self-improvement, I guess.
I write the way I talk, so today, I want to ramble (in typical ‘me’ style) about one of them.
Goal: Push Yourself To Learn
Some may call it lazy, when I’m being kind to myself, I call it efficient… but I tend to take the easy route in life.
“Work smarter, not harder” – am I right?!
However, I’ve noticed that this approach is starting to be a detriment to my progression, both personal and professional.
If I don’t know how to do something, no matter how small, and someone in the room does – I will always ask them for help before working it out myself.
Now, I don’t know if that is sensible or not (afterall, Google can’t solve all life’s problems), but I’ve noticed that I’m not pushing myself to learn anymore.
I had a job last year, where I was the only person with any real marketing/digital knowledge. Consequently, when faced with any obstacle, I had to work it out myself.
After the initial despair of feeling like “I can’t do this”, I’d resolve that I, in fact, had no choice, because if I couldn’t do it, no-one else could do it for me.
Although tiring, I found this experience to be exhilarating. I taught myself so much in such a short period of time – yes, I didn’t always get it right on the first try, but I progressed extremely quickly.
Now, I have the privilege of working a job that I absolutely love, with a colleague who is dedicated to helping me grow as a Digital Marketeer. But, I must admit, I’ve become far too comfortable in the presence of his expertise and am becoming lazy in my own learning.
I ask questions that I already know the answer to, and seek approval for work that I should be confident in alone.
Recently, I’ve started some voluntary passion projects outside of work and I’m starting to explore these unknown territories again. I’m working things out on my own, and it’s frustrating… but kind of great.
So, that’s one of my honest goals for 2021 – to stop being lazy and to start pushing myself to learn more, because it’s important but also because I love it.
I’d genuinely love to hear what other people have set as their self-improvement resolutions/goals for 2021, so please reach out if you fancy a chat about them.
Black Friday is an annual bandwagon that most brands choose to jump on, and rightly so. Especially given the year businesses have been through, no one can blame companies for wanting to encourage some extra sales.
But, in a sea of promotions, PR stunts, and discounts, how do brands get their offering noticed?
Today, I’m looking at the best and worst marketing from brands on Black Friday 2020.
Why? Ease and accessibility, I think. As a nation, we’ve gotten lazy and have begun to expect instant satisfaction from retail, we don’t want to wait for things, or put in effort when shopping and Amazon have capitalised on that.
This year was more of the same. Amazon had a gargantuous Black Friday offering – the main difference? They included a tab with products from small businesses. A nice nod, but not enough.
Cards Against Humanity 4/5
The first brand that I tend to look to is Cards Against Humanity, not because I am a customer or even a fan, but because they always seem to pull a PR stunt for Black Friday. You may have heard of their past campaign, leaving a payment form on their website for visitors to pay them £5 – why? No reason!
This year, they scrapped the pranks and focused on the real issues. They chose to donate their entire $250,000 Black Friday budget to non-profits that their staff suggested.
The brand knows that people go to their site on Black Friday to see what they’re up to, and they used their platform to spread a good message.
Positive PR for their brand and doing good at the same time – nice, we love to see it.
Pretty Little Thing 0/5
Pretty Little Thing (PLT) completely missed the point with their ‘Pink Friday’ offering. With some items reduced up to 99% off their original price, this online fashion brand demonstrated everything that’s wrong with fast fashion.
Boohoo, parent of PLT and Nasty Gal, were embroiled in controversy earlier this year when it surfaced that they were paying their workers as little as £3.50 an hour. Followed by this discount frenzy, which has no place in 2020, the brand shows no regard for the latest fast fashion kickback, climate issues, or labour abuse.
I’d give it minus points if I could.
Patagonia 5/5
Patagonia are another brand who have boycotted the Black Friday hoo-ha. In previous years, they’ve run a ‘100% of proceeds go to saving the environment’ campaign, but this year’s a bit different. – https://www.prodo.com/blog/best-black-friday-marketing-campaigns
“Buy Less, Demand More” is an initiative pushing for a circular economy. This campaign integrates the company’s four-year-old ‘Worn Wear’ program which encourages recycling and repurposing used clothing and gear.
Now, customers shopping for new clothing items will see a button that takes them to refurbished alternatives on their ‘trade-in’ platform – sold at a lower price, of course, whilst simultaneously fighting against fast fashion.
I think this offering will encourage sales and appears to be an initiative with some longevity – 5/5.
Ted Baker didn’t have a particularly standout offering this year, but they gained a lot of attention on social media for their unfortunate choice of graphic overlay for their Facebook Catalogue ads.
You may have seen this screenshot posted on your timeline and, no, I don’t think this was done purposefully as a marketing stunt. It appears the marketing team chose an overlay to use on their catalogue ads and didn’t consider how it would work with their entire range of products (understandable – who has the time for that?!). But, unfortunately, the graphic didn’t work so well with certain products.
A mishap? Yes, clearly. BUT I think this was a bit of a happy accident, because a lot of people ended up talking about Ted Baker and searching them on socials, which will have consequently led to an increase in website traffic.
GiffGaff 3/5
GiffGaff partnered with LadBible for their Black Friday campaign: ‘Check your drawers’. The aim is to encourage mindful consumption by imploring the nation to reacquaint themselves with the contents of their drawers, specifically old mobile phone handsets.
GiffGaff explain that their ambition is to create a circular economy and build a sustainable model for the industry by getting these preloved devices back into circulation.
Clearly a great initiative regarding sustainability with some positive PR thrown in, but I’m not sure how well this will encourage future sales.
AllBirds – have you heard of them before? I hadn’t, but I’m not exactly their target audience.
However, I did hear about their “Break tradition, not the planet” campaign. Another brand against Black Friday this year, instead of throwing customers a discount, AllBirds have raised their prices as a stand against consumerism. Each product has had its price increased by $1 which will be matched by the brand and donated to Greta Thunbergs’s Climate Strike movement ‘Fridays for Future’.
Whilst I admire their strong stance against consumerism, I’d be interested to see if this campaign paid off in the way of sales. Brands can strive for a greener fashion economy all they like, but the end game continues to be achieving sales and making money, right?
Interesting campaign nonetheless, anything fighting against fast fashion is good with me.
Deciem 4/5
Deciem, parent company of The Ordinary (amongst others), are another brand that decided to boycott Black Friday this year. Instead they are discounting their products by 23% for the whole of November.
They’ve titled this campaign Knowvember as they say they’ll be raising awareness of the climate crisis in the process. This sounds a bit like virtue signalling to me, but I genuinely think this will drive sales in the run up to Christmas.
Also, I really agree with this quote from Deciem co-founder and chief executive Nicola Kilner: “The reality is that if you wouldn’t pay full price for it, it’s probably not something that you truly did need in the first place.”. Spot on.
All in all, this year has brought much of the same in terms of Black Friday marketing campaigns. You have those who resist and protest against consumerism, and those who follow the crowd (sometimes at the expense of the environment and their workers – looking at you, PLT).
Black Friday can be a great opportunity for businesses, especially those smaller companies who have really struggled this year, but there is definitely a right and wrong way to go about things.
Receiving engagement on your business posts is usually a positive, but on the (hopefully rare) occasion that a user comments negatively – what do you do?
It’s never nice to be criticised and I think a natural reaction is to panic a little bit. Do I respond? What should I say? How many people have seen this already?
The best thing to do is to step back for a second, breathe, and think calmly. Is the offending comment true and relevant? If the user is reporting a problem, has it since been resolved?
In customer-facing industries, we have to pay special attention to the idea that the customer’s always right. Yes, it is often easier to appease someone by agreeing with them, but when you are online, the dynamics are a little different.
We’ve all heard the saying “Once it’s on the internet, there’s no pulling it back” and, whilst that’s not always true, it’s worth bearing in mind when it comes to negativity. One short, hot-headed reply could land you in trouble with future customers for years to come.
So, what should you do when people leave negative comments or reviews on your online business activity?
How to respond
Firstly, make sure what they’re saying is correct. I’m not suggesting that you ever call a customer a liar, but there are ways of diffusing tense situations if you can calmly prove that these claims are false.
If the comment is true, then check to see if the problem has been resolved before replying. For example, if someone is complaining about an order being delivered faulty, you may have already sent out a replacement or given them a refund – spell this out in your response. Prospective customers seeing this interaction will be reassured to see that you handle problems in an efficient manner.
Secondly, make sure the comment is relevant. Are they talking about your business specifically and are they a genuine customer?
When marketing for an estate agent, I once received a comment complaining about estate agents in general – I addressed it directly by saying “We’re sorry that you’ve had a negative experience with estate agents in the past. We see you haven’t worked with us before, so feel free to get in touch to see how we could help you.”. Exposing irrelevant comments helps to disassociate the business from the negativity whilst remaining polite and helpful.
On that note – apologise to customers when they’re unhappy, BUT be careful what you’re apologising for. I prefer saying “I’m sorry you haven’t had a positive experience with us so far”, instead of explicitly addressing their complaint; avoid seeming to assume guilt.
Lastly, if a comment is true, relevant, and you haven’t yet fixed the issue, BUT the criticism is written in a constructive manner – say thank you. Adding a short sentence along the lines of “Thank you for your feedback, we’re committed to constantly improving the experience for our customers.” can show users that you’re not being defensive and you’re happy to learn.
Summary
In my opinion, it is incredibly important to address all online negativity towards your business. By ignoring complaints, it can make you look ‘guilty’ or as if you don’t care about your customers’ feedback. The key things to remember are: be polite and as helpful as possible.
Last Wednesday, Snapchat released a study on how video consumption behaviours have evolved recently.
I didn’t think the findings were all that surprising but it’s always reassuring to have your opinions backed up with fact. I’ve summarised the key points and my thoughts below:
Optimise Video For Mobile
Firstly, mobile phone usage now far exceeds the number of people using their PCs to watch video. In fact, daily video engagement on mobile devices has increased by 25% in 2020 alone.
This figure is typically higher with younger audiences. Whilst consumers tend to watch TV for an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes per day, Gen Z and Millenials are spending around 3 hours and 24 minutes on mobile devices.
Consequently, it’s wise to take this into account when formatting, for example: if you intend to create video content that can be repurposed for other channels, such as IGTV, appropriate aspect ratios should be considered.
Shorter Content is King?
It’s somewhat common sense that shorter video content is more popular than longer pieces as consumers are known to have shorter attention spans when using social media. But the study reveals that more than 8 in 10 consumers prefer short-form content, and that 54% say longer full-length programs or videos are too much of a time commitment for their busy lives (Sounds obnoxious, but that’s what the report said, I promise!).
Personally, I think this may be true for apps such as Snapchat and TikTok, which often feature much shorter videos (it’s worth bearing in mind that this study was conducted by Snapchat). However, considering the popularity of binge-watching Netflix, Youtube, and the fact that Instagram introduced IGTV to allow for longer video content, I don’t believe this to be a universal trend for all platforms.
Personable Content
Unsurprisingly, consumers like personable content that they find relatable and feel drawn to share with others. Apparently, people feel a stronger sense of community when watching short-form video content, likely because it is easier to digest and thus more shareable.
Personally, I think the rise in popularity of TikTok could be partly responsible for this. It has become far too easy to fall into a black hole of watching very short and entertaining videos, which has made longer content feel laborious in comparison. However, that is not to say that longer length videos are not still incredibly popular and valuable when marketing a business – simply that the chosen platform and audience must be greatly considered beforehand.
Overall, the key takeaways are:
Video content should be optimized for viewing on mobile devices.
Shorter videos tend to be more popular than longer pieces (depending on a number of variables).
In order to be popular, videos should be personable, relatable, and shareable.
It’s important to remember that this report is based on data collected by The National Research Group when interviewing Gen Z and Millenials. Therefore, the video consumption habits of older consumers do not necessarily follow these patterns.
Most of us are experiencing some kind of ‘new’ at the moment, be that a new working environment, a new way of living, or a new job entirely.
‘New’ is somewhat synonymous with ‘change’. In order for something to be new, it must be an addition or an alteration of what we currently know.
A lot of us fear change, or more-so the unknown.
How do you view change?
I try to view change as new opportunity, although it’s easier said than done, especially if said change was not something that you chose for yourself.
Change can be scary, but that’s not a bad thing. It is when we feel most uncomfortable that we are growing. If you never did anything that scared you, you’d never achieve much. We need to push ourselves in order to thrive.
My current job was technically my first ‘proper’ job (full-time) and I really settled down there. I learnt more about myself and what I’m capable of than I could have ever imagined. I made friends and developed a routine. Although the position was an internship, I had been offered a permanent role upon completion, which I was thrilled with. However, this job was never meant to be a long-term role for me. I applied intending to work throughout my last semester of university and bridge the gap between graduating and finding my next role. That’s what internships are for: learning and gaining experience that can launch you further into your career goals.
But, I got comfortable.
Comfortable isn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, I felt very lucky to have had something to settle into. However, I didn’t want to be in that state in my first job. I wanted to be constantly pushing myself and making the most of this time to learn and grow.
It took some dramatic events for me to realise that I had settled and that I was letting myself down by doing so. That sounds like I’m being a bit hard on myself, but I don’t have any regrets. You learn from everything in life. Nonetheless, I’m glad that I had the courage to push myself again after a period of coasting.
I start a new job on Monday and, whilst I’m incredibly excited, I’m nervous too. Hopefully, this job is going to push me a lot and teach me a great deal. It’s probably going to be difficult, hence the nerves, but that’s also exactly what I’ve been searching for. Something to get my teeth stuck in to.
What kind of change are you experiencing at the moment? In spite of fear or nerves, are you looking at the opportunity that it’s presenting you?
Okay, I’m not an avid, public user with a large following and a carefully curated collection of boards, but I love it!
I use Pinterest for home decor research, motivational quotes, fashion inspiration, everything (All private mood-boards).
Consequently, I was especially interested to read about the Pinterest Insights report that was released on Tuesday (21st July). The report shows a real shift in searches and keyword use.
During lockdown, I have also noticed a change in my personal search history on the platform. In the place of ‘Office outfit inspo’, I’ve been searching for recipes, home workouts, positive quotes, etc.
I’m sure we’ve all been looking for entertainment in new ways since the craziness descended in March. So, I was not surprised (but relieved!) to discover that I haven’t been the only person to be using online platforms differently.
Some of the results that made me happiest were the increase in self-care related searches over the past four months, such as ‘exercise routine at home’, ‘meditation‘, ‘gratitude’, and ‘positivity’.
A lot of awful things have happened since March, but one silver lining is that people appear to be becoming more aware of the need to look after themselves, both physically and mentally. I think this is a shift in perspective that has been greatly needed for a long time.
I’m intrigued. Have you been taking to search engines and social media platforms for bursts of positivity and WFH inspiration?
When presented with a new opportunity, do you step back and think about it or do you dive straight in?
Had you asked me this question a week or two ago, I would have definitely said that I was the former. I’ve always been a planner. I like to think through important decisions – which is the ‘sensible’ thing to do.
However, until you’re met with the type of opportunity that makes you want to go all in without careful consideration, you never know how you’re going to react.
I have recently been faced with such a situation. On paper, I thought I could work out which of two options would be best for me. On paper, I had planned and considered – I thought I was certain. On paper, I couldn’t anticipate my gut reaction.
It wasn’t until I had this new, shining opportunity in front of me that I realised planning is not always the best approach.
I was excited, happy, lost for words. All of a sudden, the carefully thought-out plan that I had settled on was irrelevant. My gut feeling had shown me which path to choose.
Although I’m still an advocate for careful decision-making, sometimes all you can do is trust your gut feeling.
The one thing that helps me through any decision-making process is:
Nothing lasts forever.
A bit pessimistic? Yes, I suppose. However, knowing that you are never stuck in one place permanently is very liberating to me. If I am unhappy, I can choose a new path, or I can work with what I have to improve my situation.
Are you an impulse risk-taker, or are you a careful planner?
There is no right or wrong answer, in fact, in an ideal world, it’s best to be both. I love this quote by Heller:
“Never ignore a gut feeling, but never believe that it’s enough.“
Robert Heller
My main piece of advice for this week: Listen to your instincts, then step back. Let the adrenaline fade away and think through your choices with a clear head.
But remember, don’t be intimidated by change – nothing lasts forever.
Okay, let’s be honest. If you’ve ever been asked the following question, be it by an interviewer, teacher, or friend, have you answered genuinely?
“What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses?”
I think it’s quite normal to lie when faced with this question. Why would you want anyone to know your weaknesses? Surely that just damages your image or your chances of getting the job? Right?
I have always had a set answer prepared for whenever I would be asked this question. Of course, the strength was genuine, but the weakness was a merely a strength that I had twisted to sound like a challenge.
Essentially a dishonest answer, yet I understand why I used to twist the truth. It takes vulnerability to be honest, you have to be prepared to be rejected based on the answer that you give.
In my last semester of university, I had to do a group project with 3 girls from my class. We would be marked as a group for the final task, therefore, it was in everyone’s best interest to work to the unique strengths of each person.
The project highlighted some aspects of my personality that I was already very aware of, such as my sense of organisation. For this reason, I took on a role that involved planning and structuring our workload.
However, I similarly discovered elements of my character that I had never really paid attention to. Probably because I did not want to, as these were the characteristics and skills that I would class as my ‘weaknesses’.
More recently, I’ve had some very interesting conversations with influential people in the marketing industry. I have tried a different approach and been honest when faced with this question, exposing the skills that I wish I could be better at.
Doing so has taught me a great deal. Vocalising your insecurities can be a very empowering experience and can often help you to identify the reasons why you are ‘weaker’ in said areas.
I am now more aware than ever of the skills that I would like to improve on, but I am equally now clearer on exactly how to better myself in these areas.
If I could give any advice this week, it would be to reflect on yourself.
Be honest with yourself – What am I good at? What do I feel insecure about? You need to identify your genuine strengths and weaknesses and try to understand why they fall into each category before you can vocalise these to others.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself in the process – we’re all still learning all of the time!
My question today is – do you feel ‘qualified‘ to do what you do?
Whether you serve in retail, teach, or work in marketing – can you honestly say that you feel 100% equipped in your field?
This isn’t a test or a trick question, you definitely can feel like you are qualified. Maybe you have years of experience or have a degree in your target area. However, a lot of people may have a secret feeling that they ‘don’t really know what they’re doing’ or that they’re ‘making it up as they go along’ – perhaps a lot more people than you think! But, this is by no means a bad thing.
Personally, I don’t feel ‘qualified‘ to work in the marketing industry – however, regardless of this, I do so with confidence and zero apologies.
I have just graduated from the University of East Anglia with a First class degree in French studies. Evidently, this is not a marketing qualification.
Since I first thought that I might want to pursue a career in marketing (back in 2018) I have put a lot of effort into learning as much as possible about the industry. I worked freelance for a bit, before I even realised that the work I was doing fell under the umbrella of marketing. I applied for and completed a few digital marketing internships. I’ve done some free online courses and read some significant literature. But the biggest investment that I have made towards my career is a CIM qualification.
Looking back, I may have been a bit naive. I knew that I wanted to go into marketing and I felt like I needed a qualification to do that. Therefore, I found a ‘beginners’ course in my chosen field and went for it. I passed and the rest is history really. Yet, as it is a lower level ‘foundation’ course, I doubt it will ever get brought up with any great significance.
Regardless of the perceived value of certificate, the most important thing that the course gave me was confidence. No longer did I have to feel inadequate when applying for marketing jobs. I could share my passion for the industry and prove my dedication with a qualification that I self-funded and worked for during my final year of university. I may not have spent 3 years studying the theory of consumer psychology, but I made an active effort to better myself on my own accord.
Now, having nearly finished by 2nd full-term marketing internship, which is becoming a full-time position upon completion, I am starting to feel like I have earned my place here.
Qualified? Perhaps not. Yet I feel like I deserve to be where I am and that I am good at what I do. Maybe that’s better than having countless diplomas hung on my walls? I suppose it boils down to personal preference.
The key thing to take away from this ramble is: you deserve everything that you work hard for, regardless of whether you feel qualified or not.
This week, I have moved back to Norwich following a 3-month stint living with my parents in Hertfordshire. Being back in Norwich means being back in the office and I have truly loved it. Working from home has been a good experience, but nothing beats bouncing ideas off your colleagues in real-time.
One thing that I have been thinking about a lot this week is the impact that social media marketing can have on a company – an impact that often goes unnoticed.
We all know that good marketing will lead to conversions (or whatever your end goal may be) – however, social media marketing does so much more than simply generating leads.
In general, marketing gives businesses an opportunity to be sociable with their target audience. I like to think of marketing as a conversation between a company and the client; it provides an opportunity for people to get to know you and understand what you’re all about.
If I am researching a business or thinking of buying from someone, I will look them up online – as most people will. Personally, if I search a company and find a fully-formed website and social media pages with a decent following, that company is legitimised to me. Perhaps it’s wrong that the size of a social media following and the activity of an account influence the way that I perceive a business, but they do. Inactivity isn’t attractive to me as a customer.
Connecting with your community via social media channels presents your business in a new and (often) more personal light. By engaging with potential clients in groups or online forums, companies can demonstrate their knowledge and willingness to help clients without trying to directly sell.
The same applies to online customer care. Often people will rant on social media without any expectation of being contacted by the company in question; therefore, replying to enquiries and complaints on social media helps to make the customer feel seen and attended to. Generally, this has been proven to improve customer advocacy levels [1]. Additionally, if these exchanges are public, other people will see your responses and, if nothing else, will be impressed that you engage with client feedback (the good, the bad, and the ugly!).
Consequently, even if your social media accounts don’t bring in a huge amount of leads, they will definitely have an ‘unseen’ impact on the way that clients perceive your business. If you aren’t already investing some time (and maybe even some money) into your social strategy, I’d recommend starting now.
Grace Appleby 