CompanyFolders
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The only problem with this type of social listening is that it dangerously borders on social eavesdropping and the difference between the two is entirely in the mind of the customer. In the HVAC example you used, if the person has a legitimate furnace issue, you might have a new customer on your hands. But let's say they're having a financial crisis instead and their gas is shut off. Coming in and offering your services is going to look slightly predatory in this case and it's not going to lead to any new customers anyway because the furnace is not the issue at hand and the customer is not in a financial position to have any new work done to their home anyway. You have to be really sure that the customer is going to positively respond to this kind of approach and that means putting on your best detective hat and uncovering as much as you can about the customer and the situation before engaging. I know if I was approached out of the blue by a company, even online, they'd need to offer me something valuable to get my attention or otherwise they're going to come off as a spammer.
Some of these are extremely clever, thanks for sharing. I really want the experience of showering under a giant Sprite soda fountain one day! However, I think the best ad was Eskom. It was simple, yet powerful without being over the top. Not to mention, when you're driving around and you see billboard after billboard, the Eskom one makes you stop and think how much energy is being used to power those billboards. It takes a bite out of the competition.
I'm always flabbergasted by companies that don't take their font choices seriously. Nothing is more upsetting than watching a fledgling company struggle while their marketing materials are utilizing Comic Sans or some other equally ridiculous font. I definitely think you bring up some good points in this article--especially the point about a long-lasting font. People are always resistant to change, so even if you're replacing an old font that no longer works for your brand, you're going to meet with some negativity.
Thanks for sharing this! If only more companies cared about instigating over influencing, we'd have much more high-quality content of real value on the Internet. The problem with instigating, however, is that it can't be faked and not a lot of companies have the patience to stick with something that requires so much effort without a guarantee of a payoff.
That's why I feel like some of the best instigators out there are either people who own their own business, are self-employed or do blogging as a side endeavor because it takes a level of creativity and boldness that can't always be reached at the corporate level, where content has to create results and stick to a particular brand identity. However, people who are their own brand have the flexibility to be a bit controversial and experimental. If more companies were willing to try doing the same and focused on genuine content instead of flashy content, we'd definitely see more instigators out there.
I almost wonder if it's actually easier for a start-up business to build a new brand identity because you're given such a blank slate to work with. Once you're established it's a little harder to tweak your brand without running the risk of alienating some of your customers. When you're new you have the ability to see what everyone else did that came before you so that you can start off with a unique brand right out from the start.
@DannyBrown I like your theory that unsubscribers are just loyal readers who want to read your blog live. That's a great way to stay optimistic!
I find it’s best to keep a cool head both when you lose and gain subscribers. There are a number of “serial subscribers” out there who will look at maybe one or two posts and subscribe without getting a full sense of the blog. I know I’m guilty of doing as such—sometimes it’s just easier to subscribe and watch how a blog develops than going back through months of archives just to see if it’s something you want to follow. These people tend to lose interest over time when their perceived idea of your blog didn't match the reality. Of course, when you’re hemorrhaging subscribers at an alarming rate, it definitely merits an investigation.