Online commerce is so much more than shopping

The current global context has made us all adapt. So when COVID-19 caused one of our longstanding B2B clients to take their educational environmental workshops online, our team rose to the challenge.

When the global pandemic halted our client’s plans to deliver in-person educational workshops to its community of government officials and council workers, Evolve worked with their team to adapt, pivot and connect in the digital world instead.

With our web and graphic designers, alongside the brand’s esteemed scientists and program founders, we designed an online space that replicated, and enhanced, the face to face learning experience. While you’ve likely heard of digital learning tools like Zoom, Coursera or Udemy, we created a custom platform that brought many high quality, information rich learning resources together in a convenient, aesthetically pleasing, optimised online space named an Online Learning Portal.

This portal features:

A password/username protected log in, and access controlled via the backend to securely provide and monitor tailored information to learners (based on their role, purpose and organisation)
Integrated Zoom call connectivity (easily set up a meeting via the toolbar)
A range of learning modules tailored to each program
Interactivity through forums, videos, forms, case studies and helpful links
Online-optimised downloadable resources including worksheets, booklets, excel documents and PDFs, so learners can save all their learning documents on their computer
Responsive forum and chat functions for specific groups and topics
Personalised and ‘real-time’ learning support via a contact form and live Q&A sessions
Lesson tracking and ‘submit’ functions, to track participants’ individual progress
Search function to enable quick access to learning tools
Optional feedback forms to ensure the ongoing optimisation and improvement of the platform
Modern, responsive, on-brand design for seamless learning on the go

Feedback from participants on Stage 1 has already indicated the platform’s positive impact, with one learner describing the resources provided as “fantastic” and the ability to save and edit their own copy of resources very helpful. Our client now has a series of online workshops that support their audience, mission and values through dynamic, responsive education.

As this stage marks the first of many, we’ll be working with our client to maximise the platform’s potential by streamlining the user-experience, adding new functionalities and improving education methods in line with user feedback. Excitingly, it’s a functionality that will now be implemented across our client’s suite of information-rich programs.

We’ve learnt lots of positive things from COVID-19, and one stand-out lesson is that learning can be enhanced, not inhibited, by digital connectivity. Together with our clients, we can facilitate community or internal communications using advanced technologies and deliver education in new and exciting ways that will maintain value now and into the future. Beyond workshops and education, similar platforms could be custom-built for internal communications with HR or any external communication platforms. All we need is your goal, and we can brainstorm the right communication platform with the best suited functionalities. No project is too big or small, the importance is tailoring the platform to your unique business’s needs.

As we head into our ‘new normal’ and restrictions on gathering and events begin to ease, we’ve all become accustomed to the true flexibility of brands, their teams and their audience. We can take lessons online and deliver it to more people, instead of to a small classroom, we can deliver products and services via e-commerce instead of brick-and-mortar, we can develop resources tailored to the online experience to enrich our lives. At Evolve, we, like many businesses, have learnt that we now have far more opportunity and choice in the way we do our work, and we’re supporting our clients to maximise their potential, too.

Let’s discuss how this innovative new platform can be tailored to benefit your team or audience! Get in with us at hello@evolvemarketing.com.au or 07 3254 1911.

Marketing during the Covid-19 crisis

With gyms, bars, restaurants and other non-essential services closing, we’re all adapting to our new way of life at home, work and school. But how do brands do the same?

Professor of Social Studies at MIT, Sherry Turkle, says that the advent of Covid-19 will help us rethink how we connect and consume. Brands should ask themselves, “What can I authentically offer?” and “What do people need?”. These two simple questions are the key to pivoting, adapting and surviving throughout the uncertain months that follow.

Here’s five ways to apply them…

Go Digital

We’ve already seen brands pivot their marketing efforts from offline to online. Even those that heavily rely on brick and mortar sales, like fast-food chains, have adapted to our new normal.

Ikea, who’s in store experience makes visiting the international retail chain more of a luxury than a chore, has produced an ad encouraging its customers to stay home and purchase online. Aside from driving online sales, the Swedish chain is taking the lead to spread the vital message to stay inside.

Via ‘The Drum’ on Youtube

Via ‘KFC Australia’ on Facebook

KFC, a chain who has been heavily impacted by new restrictions on the hospitality industry, has taken to promoting its app, drive thru and delivery service. While smaller cafes and restaurants are sharing their message on social media, these big players have dedicated their previous ad spend to diversifying their sales in uncertain times.

We’re lucky to be in an age of marketing where online consumption is the norm and digital advertising provides a great return on investment.

While these B2C businesses are showing us how to adapt, B2B businesses can do the same. If you dedicated a huge spend of your marketing budget to a trade show stall this year, pivot to an equally strong digital marketing strategy across Facebook, LinkedIn and Email. There are new ways to invest your spend, adapt your messaging and connect with more people.

Customer Engagement

As a consumer, there’s nothing more off-putting than having to search via social, web and messenger to find our whether your retail store is still open, or your café is offering takeaway only.

Make your information available at every touchpoint and provide real-time updates. Email, social media and your website are the right place to start.

This time is more about retaining your existing customers, rather than acquiring new ones. Considering the state of the economy and our drastically changed lifestyles, it’s unlikely your ideal client will be searching for a new pair of heels or commissioning a new vehicle. What they will be looking for is whether you’re moving online, what support your offering and what these uncertain times mean for their existing business with you. Particularly in B2B sectors, client retention through frequent email correspondence and online communication options is vital.

Use automated email marketing to provide timely updates about your changing business practices. Cover all the key points such as billing, services, delivery times. If you’re a gym, will you be suspending memberships and moving online? If you’re a freelance designer, will you continue to deliver on your briefs and move meetings onto a virtual conferencing platform? Take the same bite-size updates to social media and your website to ensure you’re reaching every audience segment.

Engaging with your customers also means offering support. Apply extra resources to answering direct messages and comments on social, responding to queries on email and contact form completions on your website. Now is the time your audience needs you most.

Adaptability

What is your purpose as a brand during this global crisis? To understand this, you’ll have to reassess your 2020 business goals, mission and values. Identify your purpose and understand how this new ‘normal’ applies to you.

Director of brand purpose agency Verity London, Debra Sobel says, “There are winners and losers, and the intelligent brands are the ones that activate their purpose now. They will need to communicate effectively and be authentic. In the long term they will gain”.

What can you authentically offer your customers now? If you’re a financial firm and a large percentage of your income is derived from face to face consultations and you’re experiencing a hefty drop off, take to virtual meetings and workshops. If you’re a gym franchise, take what you already practise in your classes and develop a series of Youtube videos, workshops or an online course or members hub that takes the methods you use and makes them accessible for your audience to ‘DIY’.

Tie these actions back to your purpose. Using the gym example, if your mission is to help people of all shapes and sizes feel good inside and out, your offering will focus on positive affirmations and easy to follow exercises. If your business values as a financial provider are offering 24/7 support, and down-to-earth advice there’s a huge opportunity to take your offering global through platforms like Zoom conferencing and membership communities.

Consistency

Update thoroughly and update often. If you’ve not heard of the ‘mere exposure effect’, it’s the phenomenon that causes consumers to develop a preference for your offering, simply because they’re familiar with you.

Use this to your advantage. While sales may be decreasing now, it’s not a time to give up and neglect your marketing strategy. Instead, it’s time to pivot. People are at home, consuming more media than ever, so you’ve got a far larger audience ready to hear your brand’s message. Plus, if you’re posting regular Covid-19 business updates, providing discounts and stand-out customer support, your customers will remember you when they’ve got cash in their wallets and are ready to spend again.

Get in front of your customers by sticking to your posting schedule and continually optimising. Whether you’re running an organic social media and email strategy, or a comprehensive Google campaign, check your performance more regularly than ever. Adapt your tone, language and creative to align with the current feel of your target audience. Remember that restrictions will vary from audience to audience, so keep up to date with developments in that region and ensure what you’re offering is viable.

Check in with your audience by using the polling or questions feature on Instagram stories, or send an eDM with a link to helpful resources and invite your audience to share their personal stories. While we can’t control a lot of what is happening right now, we can control how and when we interact with our valued clients.

Empathy

Take those findings and channel it into what your audience wants to see. If your audience is feeling stressed, or nervous, or they want to see uplifting stories, be empathetic and adapt.

Via ‘The Digital Picnic’ on Instagram

The employees of Melbourne social media agency, The Digital Picnic, have been working from home and using the hashtag #storiesfromthebunker to share their everyday life. It’s a great way to showcase the humans behind the business and assure their clients that while things aren’t routine, they’re available.

Their stories range from the funky slippers they wear, to the workload they share and their weekly Work-in-Progress meetings, proving not every post needs to be coronavirus related, but it does need to be sensitive.

Applying a ‘business as usual’ approach won’t work here, but it is about getting the balance right between empathy and positivity, because while your customers may not be in the position to commission a new vehicle, or remember the name of your latest collection right now, they will remember how you made them feel.

If you’re not in a position to share your own stories, share positive customer experiences and useful advice from other brands as social proof to boost engagement and connections – something very important in times like these. Revisit the customer experience on your website by making small changes that funnel customers to key information or sales points.

Alarmist, negative, ‘doomsday’ words can trigger unpleasant emotions in your audience, and they only add to the stressful noise of the media. In all of your communications, use uplifting, strong, empowering language to unite, not divide. And with misinformation spreading rapidly, it’s also important to get your facts right. If you’re not in the health or financial sector, steer clear of offering your own take on events and stick to government issued information.

As we drastically adapt our work and personal lives, brands will need to do the same to remain relevant in our changing world. While we may not be able to physically connect, the affordances of our digital world mean we can pivot, adapt and survive in times like these. It’s important now more than ever to move your services online as much as possible, to engage, adapt, be consistent and show empathy. Use email, social media and a responsive web design to prove to your audience that you’re there for them through the tough times, and they’ll be there to support you in the long run.

To book a free consultation to discuss your brand’s next steps, contact us at hello@evolvemarketing.com.au or 07 3254 1911. At Evolve we offer end to end online solutions, from Zoom conferencing to Microsoft teams and regular email and phone calls to ensure your brief is delivered to the highest standard.

Content Marketing

Coronavirus has been making its way around the world for some time, but when it began to cause panic on Australian shores, Queensland Health made this post:

Amongst content promoting its employees and free health initiatives, this brand stepped up to provide the advice and reassurance its audience needed, without inducing more panic or fear. Queensland Health didn’t even mention ‘Coronavirus’ in its caption. It was simply a reminder to maintain good hygiene in the wake of a dangerous disease.

When faced with global issues, how brands communicate with us is more vital than ever. It’s even more vital that the communication is genuine, unbiased and well-meaning – because sometimes it’s about being informative, rather than making the sale.

From government organisations to lifestyle products and business software, today’s blog post discusses content marketing and how brands can leverage their value to deliver content that fulfils its audiences’ needs to build loyalty and long-term trust (rather than make a quick sell).

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Cyber Monday: Taking the Digital Sphere by Storm

“Cyber Monday” was a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation to describe the phenomena of exceptional sales promoted by online retailers on the Monday after Thanksgiving in America. Evolving from the ever-popular, Black Friday (which began as a national ‘call in sick day’ and became a worldwide retail holiday over time), Cyber Monday has progressed to become the biggest online shopping day of the year, producing a record $9.4 billion in purchases this year alone (CNBC, 2019).

So, what’s the big deal anyway? Well, not only does the existence of Black Friday/Cyber Monday push retailers to provide some of their most outrageous discounts of the year – it pushes us, as consumers, to build our shopping clocks and our savings accounts around our favourite sale periods. For some, that may be Cyber Monday or Click Frenzy. For others, it may be theme-specific dates such as Super Bowl Sunday or Cinco De Mayo or, of course, the tradition sales periods such as Boxing Day and End of Financial Year. Therefore, it can be assumed that a business participating in Cyber Monday or any of these retail holidays, is likely to connect with consumers that are ready to purchase their goods or services. (more…)

The History of Teneriffe

Breaking news! Teneriffe has just been named Brisbane’s 2019 ‘Most Expensive Suburb’ as rated by The Open Agent. After years of working its way up the property ladder, Teneriffe is now officially the leader in Brisbane’s upcoming real estate market. How did this come about? Well the answer is simple – marketing. Prior to a suburb-wide refurbishment, Teneriffe was an industrial jungle not suited to upmarket family living at all.

After declaring a city-wide urban renewal project that was finalised by 2000, Teneriffe saw its famous Woolstores be converted into apartments and office spaces (like the one we’re located inside here at Evolve), a number of refurbishments to the river including boardwalks and ferry terminals as well as 730 hectares of industrial land development (Atkin, 2018). (more…)

Branding Matters

When you want to find something online, what do you do? Do you ‘Bing or ‘Yahoo it’? Or do you ‘Google it’? While this household verb was working its way into your vocabulary, the company Google was branding themselves as the world’s most used search engine. Google is so well known in fact, that in 2002 its brand name was marked the most ‘useful word’ in 2002 and has since been printed in every Oxford Dictionary since 2006.

Google’s Logo

Starting off in developing algorithms, there is no doubt Google has continued to grow, now providing a search engine, advertising, email and even word processing. But as consumers, we remember that synonymous coloured logo and the new word that became a verb.

It’s all about how organisations like Google command their brand on every platform through consistent messaging, colouring, and tone. At Evolve, we work with our clients to develop well-rounded, consistent branding. We use a variety of on and offline platforms to deliver a unified message about who they are, what they offer and why their clients should choose them. We help our clients become as synonymous in their industry as Google is in every household. (more…)

Online Marketing – Getting it Right: What?

Where, How and What: Evolve Marketing’s guide to online media advertising

Part Three: What do I advertise with?

As we learnt in Part One and Two, different platforms require different content tailored to their respective audiences. To ensure your ad is seen by the right users, on the right platform, here’s our breakdown on how to make the right content appealing for the right platform.

Video

Video is fast becoming the most popular form of content on the internet. According to Wordstream, over half of marketing professionals believe video marketing presents the most return on investment, and 64 percent of consumers have made a purchase after watching a video on social media.

At Evolve, we recommend our clients produce high quality videos, suited to digital formats to truly optimise their digital advertising spend. With the popularity of video, standing out from the crowd is important. We draw on our network of skilled videographers to showcase stories about the brand, rather than its products or services. This way, the ad audience engages with content that matches their interests.

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Online Marketing – Getting it Right: How?

Where, How and What: Evolve Marketing’s guide to online media advertising

Part Two: How do I ensure optimal ROI?

Welcome to the second part of our three-part series covering the ins and outs of digital marketing. In this post, we’ll discuss how to set up and monitor your ads for ongoing success and optimisation.

Three letters, one huge meaning – ROI, or ‘Return on Investment’. We understand that while digital advertising may not be cheap, it’s incredibly effective when executed correctly. Our team at Evolve are experts in the ad set up and monitoring process, providing ongoing suggestions, tweaks and reports about how our client’s ads are progressing. This ensures all of our clients know exactly where their investment has gone, and what it has achieved.

Digital marketing isn’t just set and forget. You can have the first two parts right – the platform and the creative but ensuring your spend is achieving at and beyond your desired results is even more important. So here is our breakdown on the best way to set up and monitor your ads to ensure ongoing ROI.

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Online Marketing – Getting it Right: Where?

Where, How and What: Evolve Marketing’s guide to online media advertising

Part One: Where should you advertise?

With thousands of social networking sites accessible to billions of fingertips, finding your voice as a brand has never been more important. We’re going to talk you through the five key players in this space; Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Google Ads and YouTube.

Facebook

Facebook is a platform for sharing, liking and communicating with ‘Friends’ and ‘Pages’ through video, image, stories and text. (more…)

Our Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends for 2019 Part 2

A new year brings new trends in all aspects of marketing. We narrowed down our top 10 trends for 2019 and brought them to you in a two-part series, with our tips on how to apply them to your business.

Real-time communication

With the rise of chat bots and live videos, the need for brands to be available 24/7 will increase in 2019. This also adds to a brand’s image of trustworthiness and reliability. From 24/7 live feeds, automatic replies and second-fast responses to tweets, brands will need to cover all bases on social media to ensure cohesive and reliable communication with consumers. (more…)

Our Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends for 2019

A new year brings new trends in all aspects of marketing. We narrowed down our top 10 trends for 2019 and brought them to you in a two part series, with our tips on how to apply them to your business.

Reputation Rebuild

Whilst Facebook remains the most popular social media platform, last year’s Cambridge Analytica data breach tarnished the company’s reputation with users. Rebuilding trust across its 1.74 billion active users will be an important step in ensuring long term growth and sustainability across the social media sphere. (more…)

Social Media Through The Years

The story of Facebook is one that many of us are familiar with, thanks to Jesse Eisenberg’s rendition of Mark Zuckerberg as we learned of the humble beginnings, internal dramas and long-winded politics. Today, Facebook has reached it’s point as the number one most used Social Media platform in the world, though has seen it’s first drop in users since 2004 – but could it all be coming an end with this privacy breach fiasco? And what about all the other platforms we’ve known, loved and forgotten over the years? What’s their story? What was their downfall? And are they still around? (more…)

Go Digital

Customer Engagement

Adaptability

Consistency

Empathy