Happy Friday! This week we’re revealing the secret on how to win the war against adblockers, and the essentials to developing a website strategy.
Sian, Creative Strategist
How to win the war on adblockers
Adblockers. A word that sends shivers down the spine of most marketers. In 2014 9.5% of UK Internet users installed adblockers. In 2016 that number doubled to around 18%. By the end of this year, adblockers are predicted to be used by 27% of people in the UK—that’s almost 55 million people not seeing our ads.
Right now, many brands are fighting this by bypassing ad blockers in various ways—host websites lock down content until you disable the blocker, whilst new formats are made to dominate our screens, interrupt our viewing, and are infuriatingly unskippable. This approach is the equivalent of a toddler ramping up their temper tantrum when they’ve already lost.
Meanwhile, there are brands out there that users don’t block. Instead, users actively seek out their content. What this brands are doing differently isn’t something revolutionary. Instead, it’s all about giving users content that they want and will therefore seek out.
Research has shown that the brands that produce the most compelling divide their content to focus on four emotional categories:
- Funny
- Useful
- Beautiful
- Inspiring
Some will focus on one category more than others, but all will produce something within each of these. Some brands also chose to keep these categories separate from each other by assigning them to one channel. I might therefore ensure that Instagram is for beautiful content, whilst my Twitter is for funny content and my Youtube is for useful content. This makes it easy for consumers to find, and come to expect the certain kind of content they like from the brand.
Indeed, some target audiences can be mapped into these categories, resonating with some more than others, and giving you a guide to where you should be focusing your efforts more.
So, the way to fight adblockers? Craft compelling content that users actually want.
Candice, Managing Director
The essentials to developing a website strategy
Many business owners or marketing managers find it challenging to decide which marketing channels to focus on and what they should be presenting on those channels. Many companies try to do it all and find that they are not getting the results that they are looking for.
It can be overwhelming, especially with technology evolving all the time, and with all the information out there about multi channel marketing. I always advise clients to start with the basics. It’s important to do less things right, rather than trying to do it all and hope for the best.
One place to start, is by looking at the different ways you currently communicate with your customers through your website? Do your visitors get a clear sense of what you offer in the first 3 seconds when they land on your home page? Are you keeping your content fresh with engaging content that is written for your target audience? Is it easy for them to contact you if they require further information? Sounds simple right? But you will be surprised how many companies don’t get the basics right.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when developing your website strategy:
Integrations
- eCommerce
- Social Media
- Mapping
- Email sign up
The right CRM
- Robust flexibility
- Ease of use
- Security
- Customer search
User Engagement
- Clear navigation
- Right CTA’s
- Storytelling
- SEO
- Relavant content
Mobile Strategy
- Responsiveness
- User Interface
- Custom Architecture
Creative
- Cohesive visual language
- Unique design
- Strong copywriting
Be strategic about your website, as your approach will not only save you valuable time, but allow you to gain insight into what your target audience requires. This will therefore guide you with choosing the next channels to focus on and what to present on those channels.
