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How to Bring the Real World and the Online World Together
#RockTheVote
#GenderEquality
#IceBucketChallenge
I fully plan on voting in a couple of weeks. I [clearly?] believe in gender equality. I absolutely did not pour a bucket of ice water over my head. But just by using those hashtags I helped, right? I have now done my part to bring about change and good in this world, right?
No. No, I did not.
When did awareness and action become synonymous? Since the advent and widespread usage of social media, we have become a country of slactivists. A community that loves to talk the talk, but stumbles a bit when it comes to walking the walk. Nothing drives this point home like experiencing it firsthand.
I recently had the opportunity to attend an event where the subject matter centered largely around a global need for women’s equality. As a woman, I found myself saddened and riveted about the stats – women receive only 8% of venture capital funds nationally, 1% globally. As a human, I found myself wondering how we could get more women around the table to make the laws that affected women. As a new mom, I found myself literally sitting in a closet with my back against the door…to pump.
You see, for all of the thought that went into stats, quotes and shareable hashtags, no thought went into how to make this event accessible to real-life working moms.
This is not uncommon. As marketers, let’s take the lessons from advocacy and bring it closer to our world. It is imperative for us to think about how to move people to actions, not just likes and shares. How do we go that extra mile for them, so they go the extra mile for us?
We have to think the experience all the way through. It starts on social, but it ends in their “shopping cart.” A good strategy is one that comes full circle. One that thinks about more than what the client wants – it’s what the consumer needs.
We answer emails at 3am and drop everything for our clients and call that good client service. Great client service is being a staunch advocate for their consumers. Always standing in their shoes. Never letting agenda get in the way of what will make them take action. And that takes a more long-term vision of the marketing strategy – a more well-rounded understanding of the business goals.
It’s about understanding the gaps as they stand, how the client can fill those gaps, how we can continue to measure and make sure that we are making that happen.