by Micah Smith on May 8, 2012
Storytelling isn’t a new thing. Actually, it’s one of the oldest things there is. But the idea of harnessing story as a marketing and branding tool is relatively recent. Twenty years ago we were at the mercy of a single image on a billboard or the 30 seconds of a television commercial to reach the masses, now we have more dedicated and in-depth mediums with social networks, blogs, and websites.
Where a story was hard to communicate before, it’s easy to do now. And for the official record, this is important and necessary. If you’re still relying on gigantic images and quick pitches, let me assure you that people are learning to tune it out – if they haven’t already.
Stories captivate. When we hear a story, it’s human nature to become introspective. To relate. And then to share. We’ve been doing it for thousands of years.
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by Micah Smith on May 3, 2012
When I was in college, I had quite a few side jobs. A lot of times, they involved preschoolers, but when they didn’t involve preschoolers, they involved brands.
Over two years, I held three different Brand Ambassador positions with Glacéau, Chegg.com, and Procter & Gamble. Basically, my job with each one was to be a brand evangelist in the most enthusiastic way possible. I talked the brand up, delivered free stuff to people, shared discount codes, hosted events, managed Facebook pages, plastered the campus with stickers, and drank more than a reasonable amount of vitaminwater (it’s hard to avoid with cases of it in your garage).
They were all pretty great gigs, especially for a college student. I mean, I was getting paid to hand out free stuff and share a brand’s mission and vision with other students. It was even better because I personally loved the products I was telling others about. And honestly, it worked. It got samples into the hands of each brand’s target market and generated awareness, social media growth, and ultimately, sales.
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by Micah Smith on May 1, 2012
Your most powerful marketing plan will always be no marketing plan. It will be other people. Friends, family members, and satisfied customers and clients who believe in your company and have had a great experience will be bigger (and less expensive) billboards than any you see on the side of the road.
And that’s why when it comes to your brand, every interaction matters. CONTINUE READING
