Marketers have always tried to use a popular trend or event to reach customers and make their brand seem cool and relevant.
In order to capitalize on a viral trend or personal event, digital marketing teams need to have a strategy to take advantage of situations as they come up and reach out to consumers before that moment has passed.
This is where real-time marketing comes in.
Smart newsjacking is essential for real-time marketing.
One of the best ways to be successful at real-time viral marketing is to join in on something people are already talking about. A great example of this is what Oreo tweeted during the power outages at the Super Bowl in 2013:
Source: Twitter
The subtle jab at the situation with a carefully placed product message generated more than 14,000 retweets and 20,000 likes on Facebook. In addition, Oreo’s Instagram followers went from roughly 2,000 before the game to 36,000 by the final whistle.
You don’t need to use social media to create a successful real-time marketing campaign. After the San Diego Chargers announced they were moving to Los Angeles, San Diego moving company HireAHelper created a website saying that, if the team tried to hire them to help move, the company would say no.
Source: wewontmoveyouchargers.com
The website was shared more than 50,000 times and featured on national news.
You don’t have to go viral to be successful at real-time marketing.
While it’s fun to try to create a marketing campaign that goes viral, you can also use real-time marketing to create a positive experience for your consumers. Some great examples include:
- An email that provides delivery updates on orders
- Helpful emails or social posts about a significant event, such as safety tips before a hurricane
- Abandoned cart emails or promotional deals for consumers who visited your company online or in person
While these examples aren’t as flashy as viral tweets or websites, they all use excellent customer care to create a personalized real-time experience.
Personalized messages deliver 6x higher transaction rates.
How to measure real-time marketing
If your goal for real-time marketing is to go viral, then you’ll want to measure some of the same metrics you’d look for in a social media campaign. A successful real-time marketing campaign will result in high shares, likes, impressions, and new followers. You’ll also want to keep an eye on press mentions, backlinks to your website—which can help give your SEO a boost—and overall site traffic.
If you’re focusing on personalized real-time marketing through email campaigns, you’ll want to track your normal metrics like opens, clicks, and conversions. You can view all of these on the dashboard of your ESP.
Does it really matter?
Real-time marketing can really pay off for your brand awareness and revenue. In one of the most well-known cases of real-time viral marketing (remember the blue and black vs. white and gold dress debate?), press mentions and brand awareness grew by more than 17,000%.
While this is an extreme example, there’s no denying that real-time marketing can have a positive impact on your public perception. Even an example of sending a delivery notification email can pay off for you if a happy customer posts a positive review about your company online.
What now?
You should now understand how real-time marketing can help build brand awareness for your company. It’s essential that you pick the right time to join a conversation—controversial topics are probably not the best way to get your name out there. You can also focus on creating more personalized in-the-moment experiences for your customers through emails and social media. While you’re at it, check out why social media should become a more critical piece of your digital marketing strategy.