Trends in Digital Marketing for 2024

Why do you want to read about trends in digital marketing in 2024?

Because in today’s dynamic digital space, blending in is not an option.

As we journey deeper into 2024, the marketing landscape undergoes a seismic transformation, propelled by technological breakthroughs, shifting consumer preferences, and an ever-intensifying battle for attention. Get ready for an enlightening expedition as we delve into the heart of these changes in our comprehensive guide.

Social Media And Digital Maarketing

Organic social media

Winning the War of Attention and Retention

Social media platforms have become a battleground, with each one vying for users’ attention and loyalty. In 2024, we anticipate a significant shift in focus from engagement rate to retention rate. Brands will need to create longer more captivating, and creative content to encourage audience retention and ensure their message stands out amidst the noise.

To succeed in this highly competitive landscape, brands must understand the psychology of attention and leverage techniques that foster engagement and loyalty. Consider incorporating gamification elements, interactive storytelling, or immersive experiences to captivate your audience and encourage them to spend more time engaging with your content.

Use platforms such as TikTok Creative Centre, Answer the Public, etc. to assist with your content and trending search ideas.

The New Search Engine for Gen-Z

With approximately 40% of Gen-Z using platforms like TikTok and Instagram for search purposes instead of traditional search engines like Google, optimising your social media content for search engines is becoming increasingly crucial. Incorporating relevant keywords and metadata into your social media posts can significantly boost your brand’s visibility and reach.

Our best point of call would be to conduct thorough keyword research and analysis to identify the terms and phrases your target audience is using to search for information related to your products or services. Integrate these keywords strategically into your social media content, captions, hashtags, and metadata. Additionally, leverage the power of social listening tools to monitor conversations and trends within your industry, allowing you to create timely and relevant content that resonates with your audience.

Securing your brand's online presence

TAKE the PROACTIVE APPROACH

As social media platforms continue to evolve and new ones emerge, it’s crucial for brands to proactively secure their online presence. Even if you’re not actively using a particular platform yet, our recommendation is to claim your brand’s username to safeguard your branding efforts and establish a consistent identity across all channels.

Successful brands like Canva and TED Talks have mastered this strategy, ensuring their brand identity remains consistent and recognizable across all channels. By claiming your brand’s presence early, you can prevent impersonation, protect your intellectual property, and ensure a seamless transition should you decide to leverage a new platform in the future.

Embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI)

A Paradigm Shift in Digital Marketing

AI is rapidly transforming the digital marketing landscape, and for the first time, something doesn’t have to be human made to be successful. As AI algorithms continue to learn and improve, it’s essential to trust the process and allow for a test-and-learn phase. Support AI in the learning process by providing segmented audience lists, creative inspirations, and copy ideas to guide machine learning effectively.

While AI will not replace human marketers, those who understand how to leverage AI tools effectively will gain a significant competitive advantage. Invest in upskilling your team and fostering a culture of continuous learning and experimentation with AI technologies. Explore various applications of AI, such as automating repetitive tasks, generating creative content ideas, optimising ad campaigns, and personalizing customer experiences. By embracing AI strategically, you can streamline processes, accelerate results, and unlock new avenues for innovation and growth.

These include tools like Jasper, Descript, Asana, and SaneBox.

Unleashing the power of employee advocacy

Amplifying Your Brand’s Voice

In 2024, we anticipate a significant rise in the utilization of LinkedIn as a platform for employee advocacy. Professionals will not only update their profiles but also share valuable insights, leadership tips, mental health and work-life balance advice, and industry expertise. This trend presents an opportunity for brands to leverage their employees as influential voices, amplifying their message and reaching new audiences.

Implement an employee advocacy program that empowers and encourages your team members to share their expertise, experiences, and insights on social media platforms like LinkedIn. Provide guidelines, training, and resources to ensure consistent messaging and alignment with your brand’s values. Additionally, consider incentivizing and recognizing employees who actively contribute to your brand’s online presence through their advocacy efforts.

How can you do it all?

By staying informed about these digital marketing trends for 2024 and embracing new technologies like AI while maintaining a strategic and measured approach, your marketing agency can position itself as a true thought leader in the industry.

We’re here to unveil the top digital marketing trends destined to mold the industry in 2024, equipping you with actionable insights and strategies to not just survive, but thrive amidst this wave of change. Let’s navigate these shifts together and emerge as trailblazers, poised to conquer the challenges, and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

Want to stay on top of digital marketing trends this year? Get in touch with our via [email protected] to see how our team of digital experts can help.

Decoding Social Media Success.

Let’s talk about the Power of Data-Driven Strategies for Unbreakable Audience Connections

Let’s be real, in today’s crowded social media space, it takes more than a few fire emojis to truly make waves with your audience. Simply gaining more than 100 likes is kid’s play – the real MVPs know that genuine engagement is where the magic happens. It’s time to ditch those vanity metrics and start unlocking the hidden power of data to forge epic connections that keep your audience hooked.

Are you ready to go all-in on cracking the social media? Here’s how we’re helping our clients level up.

Sabio Social Media Success

Mining the comment section

Likes and shares are nice, but true fans bring the heat in the comments section.

By analysing those juicy conversation threads, you can gauge what really resonates with your crew and build a raving fan base that can’t get enough of your brand. The comments are a goldmine of unfiltered audience feedback – pay close attention to the language, pain points and inside jokes your die-hards are dropping. Then you can serve up more of the content they crave while fostering a tight-knit community.

Take it a step further by leveraging AI to identify your most influential brand advocates through comment sentiment analysis. This vocal minority is invaluable for crowdsourcing ideas and getting an authentic pulse on your audience. Nurture these VIFs (Very Influential Fans) through personal engagement, making them feel like part of your inner circle. When you mobilize your biggest supporters as co-creators, you’ll stay ahead of trends while building an unstoppable force of brand evangelists.

Quality over quantity

Who wants random accounts casually double-tapping?

Smart cookies monitor engaged followers per post to cultivate a devoted squad that’s locked in and ready to binge on your premium content. That’s how you foster a loyal tribe that drives the meaningful interactions money can’t buy.

Define your ideal audience personas down to the most granular interests, in-jokes and online habits. Then, create pillar content and optimised posting schedules tailored specifically for this core tribe. Every caption, visual and video should feel like it was meticulously crafted just for them.

When you nail this hyper-relevant niche affinity, you’ll inspire a rabidly devoted community that organically amplifies your brand across every social platform. They’ll create viral user-generated content, passionately defend you, and even permanently sport your logo on their bodies. That’s the kind of priceless promotion money can’t buy.

The conversion content game

Sure, clicks give that instant gratification, but to really need to optimise those CTAs.

Study your audience’s behaviour flow to craft irresistible calls-to-action that compel them to take the actions that move the needle. But optimisation is an iterative process that requires relentless testing. Deploy variations of CTA copy, visual treatments, formatting and placements. Simultaneously, create tailored CTAs for distinct audience segments and sales funnel stages to maximize contextual relevance.

For in-the-moment mobile usage, trigger impulse clicks with bold, concise CTAs that pack a visual punch. For deep engagement with brand superfans, build curiosity through long-form caption storytelling that provides a scintillating build-up release towards your call-to-action.

With insightful creative applied to granular audience tendencies, you’ll catalyze lucrative micro-conversions while accelerating macro-conversion rates.

Blowing the roof off your reach

While your current following is important, the true opportunity lies in your data.

Your follower count is just the start – While your current following is important, the true opportunity lies in leveraging data to uncover viral growth potential and forge connections with new audiences. By identifying your most shareable content and mapping audience interests, you can strategically expand into relevant communities and exponentially amplify your brand’s sphere of influence.

Don’t simply syndicate the same content across every channel. Instead, design channel-specific content optimised to strike viral cultural chords unique to each platform’s environment. On Twitter, hone in on exploiting the latest meme format craze with your own on-brand spin. On Instagram, earn new followers by hopping on emerging aesthetic video trends early.

Collaborations are also a potent way to facilitate audience crossover. Identify complementary creators and brands, then co-create campaigns that unlock immediate access to their fan ecosystems, while offering your tribe something refreshingly new.

When your co-branded activations spark those coveted “suggested” feed impressions, you’ll unleash an unstoppable viral growth trajectory as new pockets of audiences are organically introduced to your brand.

Shaping brand narrative

Becoming a Mind-Reader Positive/negative sentiment is entry-level stuff.

The pro move is leveraging AI analysis to tap into those delicious nuanced vibes. Understanding your audience’s true feelings lets you adapt messaging and personas to resonate on a mind-blowing level.

By analyzing comments, shares, reactions and other engagements, you can categorize emotion into granular spectrums that reveal your audience’s subliminal dispositions, unconscious biases and intrinsic motivations. Were they feeling excited or let down? Was that laughter born of genuine joy or mere schadenfreude?

With those nuanced insights, you can exquisitely tailor your brand messaging, creative concepts and content strategies to forge deeper psychological hooks that stoke your audience’s core desires and personality traits. You can even simulate potential responses across segments prior to launch, tweaking accordingly to optimize for reception.

When you master the emotional resonance game, your hyper-relevance and preternatural attunement to your audience’s psyche will inspire an unmistakable cult-like brand fervor and loyalty that scales your business to perpetuity.

Opportunity is knocking

it’s time to elevate your social media strategy.
The social game has leveled up, and it's time for you to claim your piece of the action. Armed with these elite data strategies and insights, you'll be slaying engagement left and right while forging deeper audience connections that keep them thirsting for more. Just tap in and let's get this party started!
If you want to learn more about how you can elevate your social strategy, connect with our Digital Director, Sophie Viallard, via [email protected] to find out how our digital experts can support you. 

Boosting sales through creative marketing: Unleash the power of imagination

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape, simply having a great product or service isn’t always enough to guarantee success. Creative marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to survive and thrive in this environment. By harnessing the forces of innovation and imagination, companies can significantly increase their sales. Let’s explore how creative marketing can be a real game-changer for your business.  

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Captivating content creation

Creative marketing starts with captivating content. Engaging blog posts, attention-grabbing videos, and visually appealing infographics can all help your brand stand out. Quality content attracts potential customers and keeps them coming back for more.   

Quality content is all about delivering relevant, original, engaging, credible, visually appealing, value-driven material consistently to your audience. By prioritising quality in your content creation efforts, you can attract, retain, and convert customers effectively while strengthening your brand’s reputation and authority in the marketplace. 

 

Storytelling that resonates

Storytelling is an essential component of creative marketing. Instead of bombarding your audience with a list of features and benefits, tell them a story. Share your brand’s journey, highlight customer success stories, or create narratives that evoke emotions. A well-crafted story can make your brand memorable and relatable, driving sales through an emotional connection.  

Social media magic

Social media platforms are fertile ground for creative marketing. Visual platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest allow you to showcase your products in unique and visually appealing ways. Engaging with your audience through live videos, interactive posts, and creative contests can build a loyal following and boost sales.  

TikTok has rapidly become a vital player in the realm of social media, offering a unique platform for short-form, visually captivating content that can quickly go viral; its emerging role as a search engine for discovering trends and products makes it an essential channel for boosting brand visibility and driving sales. 

Don’t forget to include relevant keywords and hashtags to enhance your SEO presence.

Influencer collaborations

Influencer marketing is a creative approach that can yield impressive results. Partnering with influencers who align with your brand can expose your products or services to a broader and more engaged audience. Influencers can use their creativity to promote your offerings authentically, making it a win-win situation for both parties. 

A great example of influencer storytelling is Alix Earle, who has risen to fame relatively quickly with her relatable and captivating content. She opens up to her following with her ‘Get ready with me (GRWM)’ videos posted on TikTok, which have become so iconic that she has since scored deals with brands such as Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty and Alex Cooper’s Unwell network.  

Gamification for engagement

Gamification is an innovative way to engage your audience and drive sales. Create interactive quizzes, contests, or challenges related to your products or services. Offer rewards or discounts to participants, encouraging them to explore your offerings further. This not only boosts engagement but also fosters a sense of excitement around your brand.   

We used gamification as an educational tool to engage with teenagers to drink more water through the ‘Thirsty? Drink Water!’ campaign – check out our case study here.   

Personalised marketing

Personalisation is a creative strategy that can significantly impact your sales. Use data and analytics to tailor your marketing efforts to individual preferences and behaviours. Send personalised emails, recommend products based on past purchases, and create custom landing pages. This level of personalisation can lead to higher conversion rates and increased sales. 

Unconventional
marketing channels

Think outside the box and explore unconventional marketing channels. Guerrilla marketing, experiential events, and viral campaigns can generate buzz around your brand and increase sales. These strategies often have a strong online presence, contributing to improved SEO rankings. 

An awesome example of this is KFC’s 11-course fine dining experience created by renowned chef Nelly Robinson. All dishes on the menu were inspired by KFC’s classic menu and featured innovative, elevated menu items including one where diners were encouraged to lick their plate and another in which a candle made from frozen beef fat would burn and create a gravy for a potato bun. This one-of-a-kind and once-off dining experience captivated social and traditional media worldwide.  

Overview

Creative marketing is not just about aesthetics; it’s about innovation and imagination. By incorporating creative elements into your marketing strategies, you can differentiate your brand, connect with your audience on a deeper level, and ultimately increase your sales. 

Remember to analyse the effectiveness of your creative marketing initiatives regularly and adapt them to evolving consumer preferences and market trends to stay ahead in the competitive landscape. If you’re looking for some out-of-the-box thinking for your next campaign, reach out to our Creative Director, Bec Kowald and book a complimentary consultation. – [email protected] 

Mastering Influence: Key to Effective Influencer Marketing Initiatives

The evolution of social media has been constant over the years – from the early days of creating Facebook pages through to the current state of play where digital-led marketing campaigns are driving results for businesses of all shapes and sizes.  

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One pivotal milestone in the evolution of digital mediums and their impact has been the opportunities for content and digital creators to build their presence and influence online via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. In simple terms, influencer marketing. 

Influencer marketing is a collaboration between prominent individuals and brands to promote the products and services that are expected to resonate with their audience base. In many ways, it is a shortcut to increasing the eyeballs on your business, product or service, with a third-party endorsement from a trusted source.  

For many years the idea of influencer marketing was oversimplified, with very little policy or procedure around engagements, however in 2024, the rise of influencer managers/ agencies, analytics and reporting have made these engagements much more strategic.  

Below are our tips for making the most of your influencer marketing strategy: 

Quality over quantity

Working with an influencer that has 1 million followers doesn’t necessarily guarantee results. Depending on your product or service, we recommend considering ‘micro influencers,’ who have a smaller audience, but greater influence in that group. 

Data and analytics

Every influencer should be able to share their key performance metrics with you when you are in the exploration phase. Specifically, you want to see their engagement rates, click-through rates, past post-performance metrics and conversions and sales (where relevant). 

Background check (not the police type)

Before engaging an influencer, make sure you deep dive into their content and social commentary to ensure they are aligned with your brand values. For example, if you were a vegan brand, you want to engage committed vegans who can authentically talk to their experience with your product.

Review process

While influencers are creating more quality content than ever, we highly recommend building in approval processes to contracts, to ensure you are happy with how your brand is being represented.  

Reporting

As part of any engagement agreement, make sure there is a requirement for influencers to report back on the success of their campaign with you. This keeps the person accountable and gives them extra motivation to succeed with you! 

If you’re contemplating implementing influencer marketing as part of your marketing strategy in 2024, but don’t know where to start, contact our Communications and Operations Director, Laura Carlin – [email protected].   

Finding the right influencers for your campaign

It’s no revelation that influencers have taken over the advertising game in the last five years.

With the industry largely unregulated due to the fast rise and ever-changing nature of the platforms and influencers who work within them, it can seem like an unruly task to select the talent who will work best for your brand and objectives.  

Sabio has managed countless local and national influencer collaborations, both paid and contra-based. These experiences have formed the team’s thorough understanding of working effectively with talent across many brands and industries. So… we wanted to share our learnings with you – particularly on how to find the right influencers for your campaign.  

Austin Pillay Cherie Chavez And Soraya Boularas

Our tips for finding the right fit:

Tip 1: Who are your audience/s?

Identify who you are trying to reach through your influencer marketing activity. Pinpoint your primary and secondary audiences and consider how these demographics differ, what motivates them, their likes and dislikes etc. Knowing who you are trying to engage will impact the type of influencer and content strategy you will employ for an effective campaign outcome.  

Tip 2: Where are your audience/s?

Consider how your potential customers are consuming content. If they are after decoration inspo or party planning ideas, it’s likely they’re looking at Pinterest. If they want short workouts or aesthetic self-development quotes it may be Instagram. If they’re after quick cooking hacks it could be TikTok.  

Think about the geographic AND online location. If your product is only available for delivery within a small remit or in-store, ensure you are looking into where the influencer’s followers are based. There is no use reaching people in Brisbane if your service is only physically available in Perth. Knowing who and where your audiences are is pivotal in actually reaching them. And don’t forget – just because you aren’t on these platforms, doesn’t mean you should disregard them.  

Tip 3: What content resonates with your audience/s?

How are your current and potential customers interacting with content across social media? Are they looking for inspiration? Education? Motivation? Aesthetic? Consider these aspects when working with influencers to develop the creative concepts. With a paid partnership, you have control to steer talent in the desired direction so take advantage of that and be clear with your creative direction. Remember influencers generally know their audience best – the most successful results often occur when the partnership encompasses the influencer’s preferred aesthetic and content-style, in combination with your key messaging.  

Tip 4: What do you want out of your campaign?

There are several reasons you may want to work with influencers and it’s important to consider how these goals will translate and be achieved throughout your campaign. If you are looking for an ambassador to promote your brand on an ongoing basis, think about how the partnership could extend beyond social media. Could they also be used in media interviews to promote your campaign with the press? You may want to create aesthetic content that can be repurposed across your own platforms and channels. If this is the case, reach and awareness may come second to a creator’s style and technical photography or design skills. If you’re after sales conversions, consider which mediums and platforms allow you to track these metrics, such as Instagram stories with their trackable swipe up link.  

These points should intertwine when considering who, what and where your audience/s are and help narrow down the talent pool when it comes to identifying a potential list of influencers for your campaign.  

Tip 5: Getting the facts and figures

Once you’ve shortlisted your ideal influencers, one of the first things you should request when reaching out to them is their media kit and/or social media insights. We recommend asking for the following items to give you a deeper understanding of the talent’s followers: 

  • Demographic breakdown of gender and location.
  • Recent examples of reach, impressions and engagement across a variety of posts.
  • Data from similar campaigns if the influencer has worked with a competitor before/ in a similar format

Tip 6: What’s your budget?

As an unregulated industry, there is no rule of thumb for the price influencers charge for collaborations – the power is in the hands of the talent and their management team. As a result, it’s important to get all the facts and figures to ensure you can evaluate if the return on investment is worth it for your company. Just because an influencer has hundreds of thousands of followers, doesn’t mean they receive hundreds of thousands of likes, comments and strong engagement.  

You have the power to negotiate so always scope flexibility in the influencer’s pricing to ensure you are getting bang for your buck. If someone is out of your price range and you can offer access to your service or send product, use these contra items as a bargaining tool.  

Don’t forget that talent agencies who represent influencers often include a 5-20% agency fee to cover their costs, as well as GST on top of the quoted amount. Be sure to have contingency within your budget to cater to these requirements.  

Tip 7: Cementing relationships & maintaining connection

Once the campaign has wrapped and the transaction with the engaged influencer/s has been exchanged, consider the collaborations that worked for your brand. Are there opportunities to extend your partnership with an influencer who generated a strong alignment with brand? Maintain your relationships with talent and their management – this can be a positive ongoing awareness exercise and create long term connections between your organisation, talent and their followers, leading to strong customer loyalty in some cases.  

Overview

Finally, there are a few additional considerations to keep in mind when developing and working through an influencer marketing campaign.  

  • Even if you find the perfect influencer, they may not want to work with you. Unfortunately, this is the name of the game and influencers have the power to knock back opportunities due to budget, misalignment, and time, among many other reasons. 
  • You will likely deal with talent directly and their management. They communicate differently to one another. For example, management is generally quicker to respond, but may not always have the answer straight away. They are the middleman. In the same vein, talent without a manager can sometimes be less expensive as they are not paying an agency to handle their workload and deals.  
  • For paid influencer activity, always have a contract in place outlining the campaign brief and key messages, deliverables, specific ‘dos and don’ts’ to ensure everyone is on the same page  

If you’re interested in hearing more about our influencer campaign and collaboration options, get in touch with our team or reach out to me directly via [email protected]

Five Tips on How to Host a Memorable Event

A PR event is all about showcasing your brand to the public and reaching as many people as possible with your brand message. 

We love working with our clients to bring events to life here at Sabio, so we’ve pulled together some of our tips and tricks to create a memorable event experience for your guests.   

How To Host Blog Graphic

Tip 1: The Who's Who - create the perfect guest list

A PR event is all about generating buzz, brand awareness and of course publicity, so developing the perfect guest list is key. While it can be tempting to invite the hottest and biggest names, it pays to assess the audience relevance and brand fit of each possible attendee to maximise the payoff of their attendance. We recommend building a guest list with influential identities who are a natural fit with your brand – that could be because they have engaged with your brand before, share similar values or X – and who speak to your target audiences. Doing so will ensure your event is a valuable exercise. Make sure to invite media contacts that you know are brand aligned and could have a vested interest in the brand, they might even be able to offer some coverage off the back of it! 

Tip 2: Suppliers are everything - choose the right event stylist

How you style the space sets the tone for the entire event. If you’re launching a new venue, be sure to choose theming that will enhance the space you’ve worked so hard on creating but that doesn’t give the public a false sense of what to expect when visiting for themselves. We know the power of event styling as a key component to ensuring a successful and visually stunning event.  

Tip 3: Plan for everything - run sheets are key

A good run sheet can mean the difference between a well thought-out, expertly timed event and one that falls a bit flat (or goes off the rails). As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail! A run sheet should be highly detailed and cover every element of the event – from supplier arrival times to when guests will arrive, food will be served and speeches or other activities will commence. The run sheet is your bible for the night, so make sure you invest the time into it.  

Tip 4: Don’t let your guests go home hungry (or thirsty)

If you plan to serve food at your event, do it in abundance. It doesn’t matter what type of event you’re hosting; guests always remember the food and you never want a guest to remember that they left hungry. Make sure the team is briefed on how many guests will be in attendance to ensure the kitchen can prepare accordingly, and so that there are enough staff on show so guests are served efficiently. Food is also a chance to make a memorable moment. Think highly visual grazing boards, creative or quirky canapes or branded cocktails that can be as formal or casual as the event demands.  Ensure a good first impression by offering guests a drink on arrival.  

Tip 5: it’s all about the visual opportunities

A great way to increase  the social media reach is by creating brand moments that demand to be captured. Create engaging and visual moments through aesthetically pleasing, interactive and high-impact décor like photo walls, unique entertainers and immersive experiences. These not only create great visuals that will inspire guests to share on their social channels, but also enhances the overall experience. If budget allows, hire a professional photographer to capture still and video footage during the event. This also means any content can be used on your social media channels, or be sent to media that couldn’t attend but might want to publish something post-event. Your guests will also love looking out for pics to share on their socials post-event!  

If you need a hand planning your next big event – talk to our team of experts and connect with our Operations Director, Laura Carlin at [email protected].

Branding:
why is it so important?

Branding is a powerful tool that extends far beyond company logos and taglines.

It incorporates the entire experience a brand offers, encompassing everything from visual elements to messaging and customer interactions.
In today’s interconnected world, branding has transcended its traditional boundaries and virtually applies to everything. From businesses and products to individuals and causes, effective branding plays a pivotal role in establishing a strong identity, creating emotional connections and forging lasting relationships with target audiences. In this blog, we will explore the benefits of effective branding and dive into how everyday design elements enhance a brand’s ability to engage with its target audience. 

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The power of branding

Differentiation

In a crowded marketplace, branding can help a business stand out from its competitors. By creating a unique identity, a brand becomes easily recognisable and memorable. Differentiation cultivates a sense of trust and loyalty among consumers, leading to repeat business and increased customer retention. Nike who have significantly invested in their brands positioning, are now easily recognisable by their iconic swoosh allows the business to generate wide margins and strong profitability.

Emotional connection

Strong branding taps into the emotions of consumers. It creates an emotional connection by aligning with their values, aspirations and desires. When individuals resonate with a brand, they form an emotional bond, leading to long-term brand loyalty. For example, Coca-Cola has successfully positioned itself as a symbol of happiness and togetherness. By excelling at storytelling through their content strategy, which is embodied in their TVCs, Coca-Cola has created a product which is considered by consumers for events, BBQs and more.

Trust and credibility

Strong branding instils trust and credibility in consumers. Customers are more likely to choose a brand they trust over unknown or lesser-known alternatives. Consistent branding across various touchpoints, such as websites, social media and packaging enhances the trust-building process. Apple’s minimalist and sleek design aesthetic consistently permeates its products, packaging and marketing materials, creating a seamless experience that resonates with its target audience of tech-savvy individuals.

Everyday design elements and it’s impact on branding

Logo and visual identity

A logo is the face of a brand and serves as a visual representation of its values, personality and offering. Consistency in a brand’s visual identity such as colour palette, typography and graphic elements will strengthen brand recognition and helps consumers identify and connect with the brand.

Website design

In the digital age, a brand’s website is often the first point of contact for potential customers. A thoughtfully designed website that reflects the brand’s identity and values enhances the user experience and can captivate visitors and encourage them to explore further. Smooth navigation, visually appealing layouts and compelling content all contribute to creating a positive brand experience.

Packaging and product design

Packaging plays a crucial role in creating a memorable brand experience. It serves as a physical representation of a brand and its values. Innovative, visually appealing packaging that aligns with the brand’s aesthetics and messaging can help products stand out on shelves and generate interest among consumers. 

Advertising and
marketing collateral

From print ads to social media campaigns, consistent branding across all marketing collateral ensures a cohesive and recognisable brand presence. Imagery, colours and language should be in sync with the brand’s overall identity, allowing consumers to easily associate the collateral with the brand. Well-executed advertising campaigns have the potential to leave a lasting impact by fostering brand recall.

Branding in action

Enaex

As a new player in the Australian market, Enaex needed to build brand recognition and engage their workforce. By crafting a robust brand positioning strategy, Enaex were able to successfully build a brand that resonated with mining companies across the globe. Positioning themselves as a premium blasting solutions company, Enaex built a unique and clean identity, that has become easily recognisable and is evident at each of their touchpoints. This ensures that wherever the target audience interacts with their brand a visual representation of its values, personality and offering is conveyed. By fostering a sense of connection and reliability, Enaex has transformed the way people think about explosives and robotics and has redefined the blasting experience.

Enaex Swag2
Perfect Binding Brochure Mockup 5

St Hilda’s School

Following a comprehensive review and analysis of St Hilda’s  
marketing footprint, a subtle brand refresh was delivered across social media, online, print, radio and internal marketing collateral. This elevated the look and feel of the St Hilda’s brand and is now one that captures the school’s endless experiences and inspires a new generation of empowered women. A curated selection of layouts and templates created an emotional connection with new and potential families and continues to forge a trusting relationship with target audiences. 

Overview

Effective branding helps establish a strong identity, creates emotional connectio and builds trust and credibility. The benefits of branding, such as differentiation, emotional connection and trust are invaluable in today’s competitive landscape. By examining successful brand examples like Enaex and St Hilda’s, we witness the power of branding in action and how it has propelled these brands to prominence.  

In considering design elements such as logos, website design, packaging and marketing collateral, brands can enhance their ability to connect with their target audience. Consistency and thoughtful execution across these touchpoints not only reinforce the brand’s values but also leave a lasting impression, ensuring a loyal customer base and sustainable success. 

If you are interested in finding out how you can elevate your business and make sure your branding is consistent across each customer touchpoint, contact our Creative Director Bec at [email protected]. 

The importance of marketing in tough economic times.

Will Australia enter a recession?

If one thing is for certain, it is that with rising interest rates and
stagnant or decreasing savings, consumers have the unpleasant feeling that their disposable
incomes are quickly diminishing.

 And what the market thinks is what matters, so learn about the importance of marketing in tough economic times.

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Is Australia in recession?

Cutting marketing costs, a shortsighted mistake

Despite enticing marketing, consumer confidence ultimately influences purchasing decisions, with consumer beliefs outweighing flashy campaigns, shaping economic outlook and spending habits. In 2023, concerns about the country’s financial state surge, reflected in search queries like “is Australia in recession” and “cost of living”.

Google Search results for "is Australia in recession"
Google Search results for "is Australia in recession"
Google Search Cost Of Living Graph
Google Search results for "cost of living"

In times of uncertainty, households become cautious, altering spending habits and favoring essential
purchases over indulgences; postponable expenses will be planned for later and treats might
become less frequent. And, in an absolute nightmare for all B2C brands, brand loyalty wavers as
consumers sometimes consider opting for cheaper alternatives.

In response to these market signals, companies often cut costs and postpone investments, too often
making the marketing and communication expenditures their first targets – a shortsighted mistake.
Studies on the rise and fall of companies through financial and economic crises since the 70s have
found patterns in business strategies that have caused the success or failure of businesses. While
cost-cutting is a necessary evil during these times, companies that have maintained their marketing
efforts, emphasised customer experience and adapted their offering, ultimately positioned
themselves for future success.

So, we’re going to share with you our ideas on how to trim your costs in a clever way without jeopardising the success of tomorrow. 

Reassess your offering

Start by taking a deep dive into your products and services; how likely are they to be impacted by
the crisis? Which ones have the strongest chance of thriving in this market and which ones should be abandoned for now? Is your core target market strongly hit by the rising cost of living or is it more sheltered than the average population?

Focusing on products or services that have the highest likelihood of resilience and on your core
audience will allow you to concentrate your marketing bucks on them to achieve the best cost-efficiency possible. Other products or services and secondary target markets might have to be tabled until more prosperous times.

Gaining in visibility and market share

As some of your competitors reduce their marketing and advertising efforts, what used to be noisy
markets suddenly become much quieter. This creates opportunities for your business to gain market
share and attract more prospects similar to your existing customers which diversifies your client
base. With fewer active brands, your own advertising costs will ultimately decrease too, providing
more value on your investment. Explore new channels and ad types, reach out to new prospects and
secure yourself the lion’s share to invest in your future growth.

Some digital channels you can test to achieve this are the ones that are designed to yield great reach and awareness at a low cost, such as Google display ads, YouTube ads (if you have video content available), or campaigns on any social platforms that suits your business. Capitalise on competitors reducing their digital marketing efforts, for example by running Google search ads for users looking for their brand names and positioning yourself as an alternative, potentially gaining new customers. You can read more about these different digital channels here.

In the world of PR, companies who continue to invest in an ‘always on’ media relations strategy will
thrive as they have the opportunity to capitalise on a quieter news cycle and speak louder to target
markets which will influencer consumer behaviour.

Branding and core values

Maintaining brand integrity is pivotal amid challenges. Resist the urge to dilute your core values to attract temporary customers to ensure you don’t alienate your loyal ones. Even if the temptation is strong to focus solely on the next day when things get tough, it’s crucial to continue to invest in the long term. If you don’t, you risk losing your loyal customer base by trying to momentarily acquire new customers who won’t serve you long term once there is an up-tick in the market again. Furthermore, you would be running the risk of ruffling some feathers with your competitors, whose markets and positionings you will have entered. Despite limited funds, stabilising your brand and emphasising unique selling points is wise. Learn more about the different ways to support your branding here.

Building new creative assets that go back-to-basics by truly reflecting your brand identity and its elements that people recognise and recall is usually a good idea. These assets, spanning from your website to your marketing collaterals, digital campaigns and social media platforms enhance brand recognition. Balancing adaptability with brand stability ensures sustained customer loyalty and market relevance.

Focus on your customers

While market forces and competitors are beyond your control, maintaining a strong connection with
loyal customers is within your grasp. If you have built and maintained your first-party database over
the years, then utilise this to create a unique dialogue with your core audience, acknowledging their
challenges and expressing gratitude for their support through these tough times. Ensure your
communication adds value, aligns with your brand values and most importantly, is genuine.

Direct channels such as email and SMS marketing, when tailored for VIP customers, can show them
how important they are to you. If you cannot afford offers, simply share meaningful updates about
your company, but always keeping in mind that you have to offer something valuable and not simply
talk about what you want to say. Other ways to care for your clients include improving your website
UX and overall customer experience from the first touch point with your business all the way
through to the after care. Authenticity and value-driven communication form the foundation of
lasting customer relationships, empowering your brand amidst market uncertainties.

Plan for the future

Prepare an implementation plan for post-recovery to outpace your competitors. Embrace innovation, introduce new products or services, messages (but still aligned to your core brand values), campaigns, and brand ambassadors that align with your core values.

By planning for it during the quiet period, you will be the first one ready to implement it when the time is right. By engaging your team in the process and encouraging to envision a bright future, you can boost staff retention and productivity. Companies that have been able to strengthen the bond with their teams during hardships have seen evident signs of increased staff loyalty and advocacy, which allows for a higher quality of work from the existing team and is a fantastic leverage to attracting new talents.

Despite budget constraints, prioritise marketing; it’s vital for survival. Explore cost-effective strategies and leverage your team’s collective creativity.

 

Ten heads work better than one! If in need of marketing ideas, collaborate with our Sabio team for an obligation-free catch-up or introductory consultation. Stay proactive to ensure your business not only survives, but thrives in the evolving market landscape.

Connect with our Digital Director, Sophie Viallard, via [email protected], to find out how our digital experts can support you.  

The power of video

How to enhance your video content and harness its power to build trust

If you aren’t taking advantage of video in your marketing mix, there is a big chance you’re missing out on an opportunity to introduce more customers to your brand. Video content is a must, for almost every objective. Let’s talk about what video is, why it’s something your audience wants to see more of and how you can use it to build trust with your customers.

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What is
video marketing

Video content can help brands explain a product, service and/or raise brand awareness. Videos are usually published on popular social media sites such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn as well as other platforms such as Vimeo or self-hosted sites. Video content can also be in the form of live videos, webinars, and courses.

When video is done well, it has the potential to generate a substantial return on investment.

Check out our blog on: What role does design play in marketing

Why include video into
your marketing strategy

Video content is the favoured medium among consumers with 54% wanting to see more video content from a brand they support (1). As content on social media increases, audience attention spans are decreasing. Video format is not only easy-to-digest, it’s entertaining and can tell powerful stories within a few minutes or less. Video is a powerful storytelling tool which can encourage emotional connection and engagement with your brand, product, or service. When so much of our lives are consumed by the digital world, it is no surprise that video has garnered a lot of our attention; 72% of customers said they would rather learn about a product or service through video content (2).

The emotional bond gained through video can build brand trust and lead to sales. 64% of consumers say that watching a video makes them more likely to buy (3). So, by implementing an engaging video content strategy you can increase the chances of gaining new customers, inspire likability and create loyalty, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates.

How does video drive and convert leads?

Harness that power of video and convert consumers’ interest into leads. Below are some examples of the types of video content you could be utilising during each stage of the sales funnel to lead your customers into loyal advocators.

Awareness

At the top of the sales funnel is the awareness stage.  At this stage, your audience is typically new to your brand or product– it might be the first interaction they’ve had with your brand or product, so you’ll want your videos to be informative, fun, and express your point of difference.  Types of video content that can garner awareness can include:

Brand films

  • Brand films are used to familiarise your audience with your brand’s vision, mission and core values. You can use this type of video content to bond with the audience who are still learning about your brand or offering. It’s especially powerful when done with a storytelling approach and focus on a specific message to make it memorable and give it that ‘wow’ factor. Check out our video for St Joseph’s Nudgee College the weaves a powerful message to drive donations.

Educational

  • This format is great to help your audience discover and learn more about you by blending information and entertainment about your product or service. It can come in the form of explainer videos, how-to’s or tutorials. To successfully keep your audience engaged you’ll want to keep these videos brief and targeted on learning goals.

Promotional

Now that you have your target audience’s attention and they’re considering your brand, it’s important to nurture that relationship and further prove why you’re the best! This format works by focusing on the benefits of the purchase and how the product or service solves their problem to increase confidence with your brand. A few examples of this are:

Video emails

  • Keep your audience engaged by surprising them with video content in email. Initial emails including video have a 96% higher click-through rate than those without.(4)

Product videos

  • Showcase your product or service in action. This is an effective way to convince your customer by allowing them to see exactly how it solves their problem, which in turn can inspire belief and instil trust with your brand.

Decision stage

We’ve talked about creating and establishing a relationship between your brand and your audience, but how do you drive home why they should choose you over your competition? Easy! Show them what life would look like after they’ve made their purchase and address any fears or questions they may have along the way.

Here are a few video types that can help are:

Testimonials

  • Similar to product videos, this format can further prove how the product or service solves a problem. When we see others positively speaking about their purchase, it’s an authentic way to encourage action and build credibility with your audience and customers.

Demos/webinars

  • When you’ve already captured your audience’s attention, they are often more willing to engage longer with you. At this stage, it is beneficial to provide long-form videos to further explain the details and benefits of your brand. Webinars are a great opportunity to engage with your audience and answer and questions or concerns they may have.

Enhancing your video content

Now that you are familiar with content types, here are a few important steps to make the most out of your video content.

Define the purpose

Why are you creating this video? Where is it going to be housed? Consider all aspects as this will define the rest of the video and help guide what formats and length it should be and the story you should tell to create the biggest impact. Recently we created the Sabio work life balance video with a clearly defined purpose to inspire our audience and showcase our new policies. 

Play Video about Screen Shot 2022 09 28 At 9.36.12 Am

Tell a story

It’s important to keep your video concise with one clear message so you don’t confuse or lose the viewers’ attention. A well scripted story can help you achieve this. By using a storyboard to conceptualise every step of your video, you can pinpoint the element that will make your video memorable and drive impact. For our client, Personalise Plates Queensland (PPQ), we produced and filmed a video to tell the story of 10 Cent Tom. The video focused on reflecting his unique cheery personality and showcasing his PPQ’s plates. Check out the case study here.

Show personality

Your brand should shine through every video you create if you want your audience to remember and recall who you are. An established tone of voice, brand guidelines and characteristics that make your brand unique are vital in playing a part to generating and nurturing leads. If you want to know more about brand design, check out our blog here. Consistency with those elements is key and you can further expand your brand personality in video through colour grading, intro and outro animations and lower thirds – the possibilities are endless, so get creative!

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Guide the viewers
with a call to action

Including a call to action (CTA) in your video content is crucial so there is a clear action for your consumer.  This could be guiding viewers to visit your website, donate, or sign up to your newsletter.

Video is a powerful tool because of its versatility and impact, whether your key objective is to raise brand awareness or convert your customers by educating them on a product or service, video can be used to deliver results.

If you need help in taking full advantage of video and level up your marketing strategy, reach out to our Creative Director, Bec Kowald and book a complimentary consultation. – [email protected]

Social commerce: the future of shopping.

The future of online shopping is here – are you ready for it? 

It’s official, the time has come for businesses to meet their customers in their domain. Whether they’re lounging on the couch at home, commuting to work or simply filling in time, consumers are growing hungry for effortless ways to get a hit of those virtual checkout induced endorphins. 

And where are your customers hanging out almost every day? Social media.  

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The context

So, what is social commerce?

A beacon for online businesses, social commerce is the process of selling products through social media outlets – a handy combination of the brilliant elements of ecommerce and social media that we have all come to know and love. Think of it as an extension to your existing storefront, both brick-and-mortar and online, here to help you increase overall brand awareness and revenue.  

With COVID-19 turning more customers towards online shopping methods (and forcing new audiences to trust the online world), the use of social commerce has skyrocketed, leaving the ability for customers to have the option of making a purchase within the realm of their social platform more popular than ever. More than a simple sales transaction, social commerce encapsulates the entire customer journey, all the way from product discovery to customer service. The entire buying process is happening right at their fingertips – and we recommend you jump on the bandwagon.  

The benefits

Reach new customers daily with an ever-growing audience

If your social journey has already commenced, your brand will likely have begun to foster a community of loyal followers – also known as the perfect target audience to help you achieve those business goals. Not only does implementing social commerce within your marketing strategy offer the opportunity to convert existing audiences into return customers, but it increases the likelihood of garnering new clients. With social platforms currently housing over 4 billion active social media users worldwide, there is an ever-growing market right at your doorstep.  

Creating a compelling customer experience that’s unique to social media

Compared to typical ecommerce methods, social commerce offers an interactive experience through a personalised shopping journey that is only possible thanks to the help of social media. Not only can customers get the hit of their social shopping day out by conferring online with friends, but they can show off any new purchase to their personal followings, giving your brand VIP access to your own library of user generated content (USG).  

Methods such as USG allow brands to promote their satisfied customers while also showcasing their product range – a win, win that offers you an evergreen content base, while also providing users with a sense of social proof to increase the likelihood of potential customers. There also lies the opportunity for brands to customise their customer experience through engaging with their audiences using community management methods, increasing brand touchpoints and brand trust.  

The opportunities

Now, is investing in a social commerce strategy really a necessity for your brand? If you’re looking to drive sales and open up new revenue streams, the short answer is yes.  

Social commerce is on track to nearly triple by 2025, boosting it to become a $1.2trillion channel. With the appetite for online shopping growing in popularity across the globe, social media is no longer simply a space for brands to foster a community and build brand awareness. Instead, it’s a powerful avenue available to businesses to directly influence how the average consumer shops (and who they shop with!). 

The ability to shop via social media allows customers to readily find new brands to connect with, and new holy-grail products to *add to cart*. You want to make sure your catalogue is ready and waiting to be browsed by the 81% of shoppers that use Instagram and Facebook to window shop during their consideration phase. Offering your online community a no-fuss shopping experience that doesn’t involve a mad dash to their local Westfield also helps to remove barriers or pain points that the everyday customer may face, helping to make the buying process as easy as the tap of a button.

The options

Instagram Shopping

From their discovery feature to collections, Instagram has quickly become a fantastic way for businesses to elevate sales thanks to the platform’s snazzy range of e-commerce features and its visual content focus. With straightforward options that are easy-to-use for both buyer and seller alike, Instagram helps funnel existing followers to your product pages, while also allowing new fans to effortlessly browse your catalogue. To put the playing field that awaits you into context, 130 million people tap on an Instagram shopping post each month, with 44% of users using the platform to shop weekly – all we can say is, wow. 

Facebook Shopping

Social media marketing is about making the most of all opportunities that come your way – and we would call Facebook offering businesses the ability to reach over 250 million shoppers through their shop feature a big opportunity. With the mobile-optimised shop also accessible through Instagram, users can have new experiences with your brand and products daily through the likes of custom collections and tags. With one million sellers already taking advantage of the feature, if you don’t jump into the social shopping arena and join them, you’ll be left behind.  

Pinterest Shopping

Did you know that 9 out of 10 users visit Pinterest to pin inspiration for their next purchase? Well, you do now!  

Users are logging on to save the items that they love as part of the consideration phase of their buying process, and with 64% of pinners visiting the platform just to shop – it’s safe to say purchasing is on their mind. We can all acknowledge that the platform is not the simple hub of DIY ideas and recipes that it was once upon a time, and with options available such as product pins and shopping lists there are countless opportunities for your brand to boost sales. 

Opportunity is knocking – it’s time to elevate your social media strategy

Now, we aren’t saying that your product pages and online storefronts will see an influx of customers from near and far without effort on your part. From getting more eyes on your products to driving sale numbers, it’s important to ensure your pages are implementing a strong strategy with clear goals to ensure the success of your social commerce outlets.  

If you want to learn more about how you can elevate your social commerce strategy, connect with our Digital Director, Sophie Viallard, via [email protected] to find out how our digital experts can support you.  

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