Getting Real About Real-Time Marketing #3: Why Go Real-Time?
The following is part of a series of blog posts related to 2013’s hottest point of social discussion—real-time marketing. This is the second post in the series. The first post is here. The second post is here.
It’s often difficult to separate the hype from the real opportunities. Real-time marketing is no different. It’s been the talk of the industry throughout 2013, and there are plenty of reasons not to be more real-time, which will be addressed in an upcoming post. However, there are opportunities that make it something that can’t be dismissed.
Increase Social Footprint
The most apparent reasons were shown not only by Oreo’s execution during the Super Bowl but also by many brands that make themselves part of a cultural conversation. It increases engagement with the brand. People interact, share, mention and discuss a brand when it makes itself part of the story in a relevant way.
That kind of interaction increases a brand’s share of voice as more people talk and share a brand’s message. This exposes the brand to more people and potential customers who actually might not have considered the brand otherwise. After all, participating in conversations means the brand reaches the conversation’s participants, which may be different than the brand’s typical audience.
Consumers Believe It’s Effective
Consumers see the value, too. When asked if they thought it would be effective for brands to create timely online ads and social media posts during major events, the vast majority of people said yes.
People crave relevance. They want brands to leverage the intersection of their interests and the brand’s products.
It Changes Attitudes
After exposure to real-time marketing, consumers feel more favorable toward a brand. Their messages resonate, and when brands deliver value to consumers through content, consumers reward them for it by being more interested, more likely to recommend and even more likely to try or buy.
The One Reason
The biggest benefit of real-time marketing is simple. It’s the ability for brands to be more relevant in a space increasingly dominated by white noise. It’s one more way for a brand to be interesting by joining conversations people already want to have and are having, instead of the brand trying to create its own conversation.