For Top Brands, Marketing Is A Science

Consumers only see the end result of a brand’s marketing campaign. But as anyone who works in marketing knows, the final product is no accident; it’s the result of a lot of work that relies on various touch points to be successful. And that’s true of just the small brands that have low-level marketing campaigns. When it comes to the top brands, it’s another level altogether: no stone is left unturned when it comes to crafting the perfect marketing materials. In some instances, modern marketing is an art form; in others, it’s a science. In this article, we’ll outline the various components that the top brands utilize when putting together their marketing strategies and campaigns. 

Social Media Integration

The top brands don’t just use social media. In many ways, they are social media. The biggest brands in the world have millions of followers, and that’s not because everyone loves their products (or is eager to find out about their products). They follow because they’re influential and have something to say. What’s the lesson for smaller brands to learn here? Follow the rules of the big brands, which only very rarely promote their own products. More often than not, the big brands are sharing content that’s only vaguely related to the products they sell. For social media business accounts, 80% of the content shared should be other people’s/non-product-related content, and 20% should be promotional. 

Rising to the Top 

The biggest brands all appear on the top page of Google as soon as anything related to their products appears in the search. In truth, the biggest brands don’t really need to invest in SEO — they’re already well-known enough that they don’t need to reach new audiences in this way. And plus, most people search directly for Apple or Nike, rather than just hoping that it appears in the search results. Still, if those brands didn’t appear at the top, then there would be issues. Brands of all sizes should invest in their SEO and work their way up the results page. 

Investing in Design

It’s not always obvious what makes marketing materials successful. In most cases, people are drawn to the words and the image the brand has used. But in reality, what underpins the whole thing is the design the brand has used. It doesn’t matter what aspect of marketing you’re engaging in, whether it be an infographic, website, advertisement, or landing page, good design is key. Without it, brands run the risk of their message failing to land properly. Most brands outsource their design to professionals but with a few tools, such as Photoshop or Canva, even people with a basic understanding of how design works can put together materials that look professional. 

Long-Term Content Planning

Content is king. That’s been true for a couple of years, and certainly looks set to remain that way for the next few years. It rules the roost because Google says it does. The tech company has made excellent, well-written content a top priority when it comes to selecting the results that its users see. So in other words, any brands that have aspirations to have great SEO (which should be all brands) need to invest in their content. Of course, the key to ensuring that your content is effective is to post regularly; marketing experts recommend using a content planning service, which will provide up to two years’ worth of blog content briefs. The most effective strategies are ones that take time to put in place, and if there’s one strategy that’s been shown to be effective, it’s excellent content. 

AI Marketing Assistance

There’s much been written about the emergence of ChatGPT and other artificially intelligent tools in the past six months. The influence and commentary have extended far beyond the marketing realm, but there’s no denying that it’s had a seismic influence in the industry. The early promise of AI hasn’t quite yet been fully realized; for example, while it was thought, initially, that AI tools could basically take over all marketing tasks, that’s not true. AI-generated content has been shown to perform poorly on Google, which more or less defeats the purpose of marketing. However, what AI has been shown to be good at is research. Marketers are increasingly using ChatGPT and other tools for keyword research, blog ideas, and other time-consuming tasks. But when it comes to the actual writing of the content and other SEO tasks, it’s best that humans are in control. 

Data and Analytics

It’s one thing for brands to put together what they think is an award-winning strategy. But as with most things, the proof is in the results. There is a suite of powerful tools that marketers and website owners can use to keep tabs on the effectiveness of all aspects of their digital presence, from their marketing campaigns to how users interact with their websites. Putting together digital materials is half the battle; the other half is analyzing the results and then making adjustments based on those results. 

Top brands also utilize data during the development of their campaigns. For example, to develop a close understanding of their target customer, which can help direct the shape and tone of their campaigns. 

Email Marketing

At one point, it seemed that email marketing may be dead in the water. That was around the time when other methods, such as social media, began to rise. But take a look at your email inbox, and you’ll still see a lot of emails from brands. And that’s because email marketing wasn’t dying after all — it was just sleeping, and in recent years has come back stronger than ever before. One study showed that email marketing brought a return of more than $35 for every dollar spent.

Of course, email marketing success is far from guaranteed. There are many brands that get $0 ROI. You have to do it right, and by that, we mean sending valuable content, being respectful of the recipient’s time, and offering deals and other incentives for them to shop. But as we said, all the big brands rely on emails as part of their marketing campaigns, so you should too. 

Social Progress Marketing

It’s no coincidence that all big brands are taking a stand on social issues these days. This is not by accident; they know that consumers are increasingly looking to spend their money with brands that care about more than their bottom line. That’s why you’ll see companies acting as vehicles for social change. Of course, any brand that does this must do so sincerely; they have to walk the walk, rather than just talk the talk. For smaller brands, it’s recommended to find a social issue that’s close to their heart and which they themselves abide by, and promote that. 

Multimedia Marketing 

There’s more than one way to send a message. Smaller-scale companies tend to focus on written content such as blogs. Yet, while those methods are effective, marketers should keep in mind that different audiences prefer to receive messages in various ways. Investing in video content, which is increasingly popular among all segments, and podcasts, which allow brands to take a deeper dive into their products/services/industry will help to reach consumers who may be beyond their reach via written content. 

Moments of Magic 

The world is a serious place, but it doesn’t have to be serious all the time. There are instances when it’s possible, and, in fact, recommended, to introduce a moment of magic. This works on multiple levels — first, it grabs people’s attention. The public likes to see something that’s never been done before. They like to see a spectacle. Second, it’s memorable. Of course, not many companies can compete with brands like Disney when it comes to creating magical moments, but if there’s a way to incorporate a touch of magic into your marketing materials, then do it. This is how brands promote strong and positive brand perception. 

Predicting the Future

The best brands create a vision of the future that doesn’t exist yet. Indeed, all the companies that we think of as futuristic have adopted this brand voice, in one way or another. Smaller brands can utilize this approach in their marketing by thinking of what their target audience would want several years down the line. What products do they need? What do they want their future to look like? It’s a relatively old trick that was first deployed by Henry Ford, but it still holds true today. 

Grow Your Brand By Following Leading Companies

It’s not always easy being a smaller brand, especially in the competitive world of digital marketing. But in many cases, smaller companies are told to act as if they’re a bigger brand, and there’s no area where that’s easier to achieve than in digital marketing. The methods utilized by the world’s biggest brands are largely available to all companies, regardless of size. By following their lead, smaller organizations can unleash the power of digital marketing and grow their brands.