By Rachel Kerstetter, PR Architect, Sonnhalter
“It seems like a lot of companies are doing _________. Should we be doing it too?”
Fill in the blank with any new digital tool: Virtual Reality, Facebook Live, Snapchat, Augmented Reality, etc.
Marketers are asked to consult on new communication mediums and trends on a daily basis. When they aren’t asked to consult, they’re being directed to jump in.
Once upon a time marketers were asked about email, then social media and apps. We’ve come a long way in technology trends. But the basic question is: Should we jump on the bandwagon?
I love the B2T space because we can watch the newest developments in communication and see whether they thrive or fail. We can see the techniques that marketers in the B2C space try and learn about their results before it ever really becomes an issue in our realm.
I’ve had the opportunity to play with VR and AR technology and it’s cool. But right now it’s a toy for me, not a tool. As communicators, it’s good to be aware of what’s new and what the trends are. But it isn’t always good to jump in head first.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is investing in a technology or program that doesn’t reach your audience. You can’t expect your customers to invest time, money or efforts into a technology just so you can market to them.
You can pull off a beautiful, thoughtful and sophisticated marketing campaign using any and all of the trendy marketing tools, but if your messages aren’t reaching who you want, then you’ve failed. Put your messages on the channels that your audience uses, even if they’re old, boring channels and you’ll find more success.
So, should you jump on the bandwagon? Only if your audience is also along for the ride.
