How to Create Highly-Sharable Content - if in doubt think fluffy bunnies!

We all want someone to 'share' or even just 'like' our social media posts. But what is the key to creating content that others will engage with and share?

The following four points will provide a guide to delivering highly sharable content.

1. If your content is not relevant to your audience there is little or no reason for posting it. Having said this however, there are exceptions to the rule (please refer to point 4).
2. With such a cluttered and crowded social landscape it is important to offer your audience something new, different and therefore interesting. By providing something unique and never seen before, you will become a thought leader within your category, encouraging others to look up to you, seeing you as a source of new and insightful information. 
3. If something is not of interest, why would I want to share it with all my friend. Everyone is trying to portray a certain personality and image, the material that we share provides an extension to how others perceive us. If your content is not of interest to you, chances are it won't be of interest to anyone else, thus no one will want to share it with their friends and followers. 
4. If in doubt use kittens and fluffy bunnies! The most highly shared online content are home videos of small animals generally looking and being cute. We can all relate to a fluffy bunny, I mean you have to be a pretty soulless individual to not find bunnies cute!

A great example of how you can deliver highly-sharable content using all of the above four points in the Ibis hotels advert.

• It is relevant as everyone has stayed in a hotel before and experienced both good and not so good bed comfort. 

• It is unique, when have you ever seen a group of bunnies hopping around a hotel room and falling asleep on a bed in a huddle in the centre? 

• It is interesting, as it is actually a very good delivery of a brand message. Optimally, who isn't interested in staying at a hotel that has beds so comfy it would attract fluffy bunnies from all across the county to have a nap on! 

• Finally, the fluffy bunnies make this ad so fantastic. Even if the three previous points don't actually apply to you, we all love a cute little fluffy bunny, there is no denying that! 

Gemma_Clarkson

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Content is the Key

As consumers we are bombarded with advertising and marketing messages every single day, countless times. Have we reached saturation point? I know that I am overwhelmed by the sheer mass of messages I encounter each day.

We live in a world constantly overflowing with information, shouting SELL, SELL, SELL, all at the same time. With this constant "noise" and competition to be shouting the loudest, is it really worth entering into a shouting match? 

Shouldn't we start doing something different, a little left of centre? I am a strong believer that nothing will change unless you start doing something differently.

At this point, I feel that the element that is differentiating the "clever brands" from others is the successful use of content marketing. 

Content marketing takes the essence of traditional marketing and applies an intimate edge. By delivering your brands message through a medium your target audience are communicating or searching for their daily information fix, as well as providing them with material that will add value and richness to their lives, then you are onto a winner. 

In order to deliver successful content marketing you must stick to these simple points: 

• Find the appropriate medium for delivering your message. You must make sure you are delivering your content through the appropriate platforms and outlets that your target audience are viewing as well as naturally feel comfortable engaging with. 
• Informative content that adds value to your consumer. If your audience do not feel that your content is adding value and providing them with information they are hungry for, there is no point in putting it out there. 
• Maintain a consistent flow of content. We are now a special breed of "information-junkies", always hungry to learn and take on new and interesting knowledge. You must maintain a constant and persistent level of content production to fuel this desire. Supply your audience with the information they require at the rate they demand it. 

When thinking about the way in which algorithms are constantly influencing marketing communications, I feel that the introduction and increasing popularity of content marketing has been relatively unaffected by algorithms. 

The depth and personality that makes content marketing the next and superior frontier for the world of communications, is the very thing that prevents algorithmic influence. 

Until algorithms have been designed to have the complexity of a human personality, they will fall short of being able to provide effective content marketing solutions. 

@Gemma_Clarkson

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'Upgradia!'

I thought I was above this culture I had noticed to constantly need to upgrade every element of my life for faster, better and snazzier electronic appliances.
However, just yesterday I crumbled under the glittering and glistening pressure of the absolutely beautiful iPhone 5S, I know I'm a bit late on the uptake, however I gave in!

As it is the first of the month, I have done my usual trendwatching.com search to see what this month's trend briefing has to offer.

This month is all about UPGRADIA, which I thought was a very topical subject seeing as just a few days previous I had given into our overbearing 'upgrade' culture and indulged myself in the latest (and most beautiful) iPhone.

The trendwatching.com briefing sets out a very thorough the following definition:

UPGRADIA: Driven by consumers' thirst for quicker, more seamless access to the new (in ways that are cheaper, more sustainable and more participatory) and facilitated by emerging technologies, the constant stream of upgrades and iterations typical of the digital ecosystem is coming to the world of physical objects.

So, what is driving this trend?

Well, according the researchers at trendwatching.com there are three central driving forces that are to play in the concept of 'Upgradia':

1. Infinate Newism 
As a people we are constantly searching for newer and better things. Our digitally saturated lives make it almost impossible to avoid the pace and rate of change all aspects of our lives are taking. Products are evolving at an incredible rate, you only have to look at Apple to see this perfectly illustrated, with a newer, better, sleeker version of each of their products every quarter or so!

2. More for Less
As humans we have an ingrained desire and demand get get more things for less money. The concept of Upgradia results in this desire being fulfilled, with us demanding more for our money and an ever growing pace.

3. Hacker Chic 
There is an element of Upgradia that reflects our desire to become closer and more hand-on with the products and technologies we consume. The recent wide spread phenomenon of 3D printing is testament to this specific element. In providing consumers with the ability to upgrade as and when it suits them, is the ultimate Upgradia manifestation.

So, what is next for the Upgradia culture we find ourselves in? Is there a limit to Upgradia? Or are we in a constantly demanding and exponentially expanding state of Upgradia?

@Gemma_Clarkson

Google+

Algorithms vs. Human Interaction

As discussed in my previous post, 'You Must Keep up with your Consumers Online: Three Need to Know Tips!', it is now fundamental for large consumer facing organisations to be online and amongst the online conversations happening between their target audience and consumer groups.

When thinking about this paramount requirement to be online and amongst the online conversations our consumers are having, it presents the question to me, who would be more efficient when it comes to engagement and interaction with online conversations? a human or an algorithm?

When considering the questions there were a 5 factors I thought would be useful to assess in the analysis as to whether humans or algorithms would be most efficient at performing this task.

1. Speed
There is no doubt that algorithms are faster and more efficient that humans. For this speed aspect, algorithms would win hands down. With speed being such a significant quality and factor when considering online activity and the pace of change that is involved in the online world.

2. 24/7
Again, unlike humans, algorithms do not require sleep or even coffee breaks. Therefore, it is no surprise that algorithms would again win hands down. as previously discussed, the need to be online 24/7 is extremely important, especially for global organisations with consumers residing across the world, therefore being online 24/7.

3. Consistency
In order to portray a consistent and succinct brand image and personality, it is extremely important to provide consistent online interactions between your brand and your consumers. There are arguments that the uniform response an algorithm is able to provide, could maintain this consistency your brand demands. However, there is another school of thought that the use of a human can monitor and make sure all responses are within brand guidelines and using the brand's tone of voice.

4. Accuracy
Again, the accuracy and minimisation of error in interactions can again be a difficult toss up between humans and algorithms. There is a degree of human error, through spelling etc. and there is also the risk that something falls through the net with an algorithm, at the end of the day, neither are perfect and are unable to be 100% accurate.

5. Personality
In part, relating to the point on consistency, humans are able to provide personality and the advantage of a unique and personalised interaction every time there is a consumer and brand interaction. There is no doubt that algorithms are not yet able to provide the personal and unique touch of a human.

So, are our jobs safe from the overhaul of algorithmic ruling? In short, I think for now, yes. However the consistent and persistent development of sophisticated algorithms means that our jobs and unique human qualities could be at risk of losing out to the algorithm!

@Gemma_Clarkson

Google+ 

Algorithms 101: What is an Algorithm?

I am a true digital native, spending my entire working day on the Internet or using the web in some way or another. My personal life is extremely similar, whether I am emailing my friends and family, following the news on Twitter, even posting my latest culinary exploits on Instagram or asking Google endless questions regarding every aspect of my life.

Digital Native

noun

• a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and so familiar with computers and the Internet from an early age:the digital tools that are reshaping our economy make more sense to young digital natives than to members of older generations

So, you would have thought I would understand exactly what an algorithm is and how exactly they work. Well, up until very recently I was just as baffled as you! During my search, yes starting with Google (of course!), I started to get a better understanding of what exactly an algorithm is and actually how all-encompassing and fundamental algorithms are in my life. 

So this post will convey, what I feel are the 3 key elements to help you understand the basics of algorithms.

1. Algorithms, the bottom line

While trying to get my head around these fundamental things called ‘Algorithms’, I was swamped by the mass of terminology and ‘gumff’ that came with it. In order to overcome this hurdle and get my, visually driven, brain around this concept I started to think of algorithms as a simple feedback look.

Well, an algorithm in its simplest form is a set of instructions aimed at solving a specific problem. Psudocode allows us common folk (non-computer programmers) to read these instructions.

2. Where Algorithms are found

When we initially think of algorithms, we think of computers (well I do). However this is not the only place that algorithms can be found, ‘we’, as humans, also function using a series of algorithms. This Ted-Ed video on algorithms helped me get my head around how human use algorithms, in a very nice illustration using the basic process of counting how many people are in a room.

A computer programme (if you can even begin to get your head around that) is a series of complex and interwoven algorithms. These algorithms are dealing with multiple different processes happening at any one given time, driving a variety of processes. 

Computer programmes are responsible for every ‘click’, every ‘scroll’ and every ‘mouse movement’ we do. Providing governance for all processes that are involved in presenting a perfectly seamless computer screen to the end user.

3. Algorithms vs. Human processes

An algorithm is a set of instructions aimed at solving a problem, via a step-by-step process. As previously discussed humans use algorithms to perform a whole host of different tasks. 

Like any journey or process, there are many different route to get from ‘A’ to ‘B’, some routes require you to go via ‘C’, or even pass ‘Go’ to collect £200.

Well, with this in mind it is no surprising that I am posing the question, ‘One day will there be algorithms to replace the processes we manually execute as humans in our everyday lives?’

Why would there not be? If anything algorithms are quicker, more accurate and don’t need to take a tea break. What more could you ask for in an employee?

So, I will be using this blog to answer some of the very key and poignant questions I have, specifically around how algorithms are going to shape the world of marketing as we know it today.

So, stay tuned for some more intellectually tantalising ‘Algo-Marketing’ topics as well as my attempt to answer some of the questions that puzzle me about how the world is evolving through the ever expanding and dominating digital and online universe.  

@Gemma_Clarkson