[October 10, 2022]
While the zombie apocalypse isn’t upon us (yet!), it may seem that way to those trying to catch the attention of a prospective client or customer.
Between posting on social media (have you seen the newest TikTok dances?) and binging the latest Netflix series (I mean, who hasn’t watched Squid Games yet??), your potential customer can sometimes be viewed as the un-dead (or walker, infected, ridden or any other spin off name for a good, old-fashioned zombie).
The only difference is, they aren’t craving brains. They are craving quality and meaningful content. More and more of the younger generations (think Millennial, Zenial and younger) are using their wallets to voice their global and social opinions.
So how exactly do you feed these hordes of social conscience-driven buyers the content (brains!) their appetite demands?
Follow these 3 steps and you will be not only surviving the zombie apocalypse. You’ll be thriving in it.
Stay simple
Don’t overcomplicate things. If you’ve stayed alive this long, it’s because you have a worthwhile product at a reasonable price point.
Keep your branding and messaging easy to understand and easy to digest. If a consumer has to wade through a bevy of different taglines, slogans and other communications just to find out what your brand is all about, the battle is already lost.
You always hear that attention spans are short, but I actually disagree with that. They aren’t as short as everyone makes them out to be, there is just a higher threshold for what sort of content people are willing to spend their time consuming.
If you make quality content that doesn’t mislead or confuse, people will take the time to read, watch or otherwise interact with what your brand has to say.
Plan ahead
Flying by the seat of your pants might work for awhile, but ultimately you will find yourself stuck in a corner with no way out.
The key is to know where you are and where you want to be. Seeing that “endgame” can help you plan backward and see what you need to do and when you need to do it in order to reach that goal. If you have previous campaigns and data to reflect on prior to planning, all the better. Those insights and takeaways can be invaluable in your planning processes.
How far ahead should I plan? Great question! I’m so glad you asked! That largely depends on your goals and campaigns, but as a company, you should look at quarterly, yearly, 3-year and 5-year plans and goals. That may seem like a lot, and it is, but if you take it one step at a time, you’ll get there before you know it.
I’m not saying you should live and die by these plans (as you will see below), but having a clear course to follow will ease the stress of the day-to-day minutia and allow your mind to focus on bigger and better things.
Be agile
As we mentioned above, have a well-thought-out plan of attack can keep you ahead of the roving hordes (and your competition). That said, you should be ready to shift focus at a moment’s notice.
For example, trends can be fleeting. Jumping on relevant (or irrelevant – just for fun) trends helps keep you connected with your potential (and current) customers, but requires you to keep a finger to the pulse of social media, as well as being able to create fun and engaging content on the fly.
Likewise, if a campaign isn’t producing the kind of results you expected, don’t string it along because of sunk costs. Look at what worked and what didn’t and adjust. Even if you are deviating from your carefully thought-out plan, following the data is your best course of action for overall survival.
Agility is the name of the game in today’s world. It is the cousin to instant gratification and an invaluable skill when marketing your product or service.
Monitor results, stay on your toes and keep an eye on your consumer base. If you do that, you’ll be agile enough to stay alive…for now.
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Now that you have all the tools you need to survive (and thrive!) marketing to the masses in the zombie apocalypse, all you need is some help!
AKC Marketing knows all about creating the content that consumers crave. We were named 2021 and 2023 Agency of the Year by AMA Iowa and want to help you stay one step ahead in the scary world of marketing.
Don’t be scared, we’re here to help. Contact us today to see how we can help you prepare for...any occasion.