Pioneering communications and creative forms will often encounter pushback, but that can be a sign that innovators are breaking new ground, said author and speaker Erik Qualman. Digital leaders need to expect resistance, and understand how to balance online and offline, Qualman told Velocitize Talks.
Everyone today has a digital stamp, not just what we post about ourselves, but also the “digital shadow” of what others say about us online, said Qualman, author of Socialnomics and Digital Leader. We have to produce our digital footprint and protect it, he said. The same applies to brands, as well.
Companies often ask how often they should post on social media, but there is no magic number, said Qualman. “If you’re providing value, you can post,” he said, but he warned to keep to a three-second rule before deciding to post something: “If you have to think about this more than three seconds, it has no value.”
Make sure to be consistent, whether it’s three minutes a day or 30, but also turn your communications around, said Qualman. Rather than focus on your own channel, follow others and recommend others to follow.
Communications will become more intense as younger consumers become the focus of more brands. They want to have relationships with brands they know and that know them in return. Privacy is dead, and brands need to accept that begin thinking differently, said Qualman. Gen Z is willing to give up privacy if they get something in return, but they have to trust the brand will not breach that trust.
Marketers who try new things should expect pushback. It can be a sign of innovation, Qualman said: “You don’t use old maps to get to new destinations.”
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