Never Miss the Mark: Timely and Relevant Marketing

Innovative and valuable marketing includes two essential elements: timeliness and relevance. Why? When it comes down to it, people have become pickier about what they consume and how they consume it. And you can count on them ignoring anything that doesn’t hold their attention or isn’t what they want to hear. If you can build a trusted relationship with them, you might have a brand loyalist. The key is being where your customers are and giving them what they want.

Now, with that being said, how exactly do relevance and timeliness work? And what exactly do they mean? Let’s take a closer look.

“Timeliness” and “Relevance”

The definition of timely states done or occurring at a favorable or useful time or opportune; the definition of relevance is the quality or state of being closely connected or appropriate. You’re probably thinking, “I get it. I don’t need a vocabulary lesson,” but here’s the thing: we have seen many timely marketing campaigns that fail to deliver the right messaging.

So, not only does your marketing have to be strategic at the opportune moment, but it also has to answer your consumers' wants, needs, and desires. You have to be current, and the best way to stay up-to-date is to:

1. Look at the latest data, analytics, and trends. 2. Be where your audience is. Are they on Facebook? Do they follow you on YouTube? Are they engaging with your short-form videos on TikTok? 3. And understand your audience values.

A COVID Case Study

Case in point? The COVID-19 pandemic. We watched as our world as we knew it was shut down overnight – most businesses and services closed or slowed down, with customers trying to get a grip on what was happening and how to keep their loved ones safe. So, for those businesses that could still operate, it meant adjusting their role in an ever-evolving environment to cater to those needs.

Our mold assessment client, in particular, had a unique opportunity because people might not realize that their home environment could already impact their health, making them more susceptible to the virus.

Ultimately, their goals were to talk to more people while being economical about their advertising. We recommend shifting their sales strategies to leverage free platforms like Facebook Live and live streaming on YouTube with pre and post-show marketing tactics for greater reach, exposure, and results.

Internally, we harnessed their team, providing instructions and training to help get the word out and raise awareness about the live event.

In addition to helping them address consumer concerns about health, we were able to help them discuss how a home service business can still operate with a no-touch and paperless platform. Mold Inspection Sciences can still help people solve significant issues with mold and indoor air quality without having them worry about contamination.

Mold Inspection Sciences approved this concept. We had a planning meeting on a Tuesday, developed and launched the pre-show promos that same day, and two days later, we were live. That’s how fast we move to keep up with the ever-evolving times.

This live event reached nearly 3,000 people, had over 270 engagements, was shared nearly 30 times, and had about 1,000 views.

To Really Nail It, You Have to Know Your Consumer

We hinted at this above, but being able to pull off the timely and relevant one, two-punch means you must listen to your audience to know them and produce the right content they want to see.

It sounds simple, but you need to walk a day in their shoes. If you’re starting with this sort of thing, you may want to develop a customer avatar – a detailed profile of your ideal customer. The avatar is focused on one person in particular and outlines just about every detail of their life, from demographics to challenges and pain points. If you’ve already done that, you should track necessary KPIs and collect customer feedback to hone your messaging.

The second part of truly knowing your customer means knowing where your audience is. If you have been on social media, even just a smidge, you know that video content is king. According to a recent article about social media trends, short-form video via apps like TikTok and Instagram dominates right now and highlighted that users in America “spend an average of 45.8 minutes per day on TikTok,” while Instagram users spend “53 minutes of viewing time per session.”

As it relates to video marketing, the same article reported that over “96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and 88% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by a brand’s video.”

Regarding platforms, we mentioned TikTok and Instagram above, but don’t forget to add YouTube to that mix. In the third quarter of 2022, TikTok had over 1.5 million active users per month. Instagram also has a whopping 2.3 billion monthly users worldwide. And while the mobile short form moguls vie for top spots, YouTube also has 2.7 billion monthly users. Video-oriented platforms are grabbing user attention, and they aren’t letting go.

Internalize This Messaging

Understanding this concept is one thing. Implementing is another. If you think your messaging is hitting both elements, but your customer feedback is telling another story, your work is not done. Look at your data again, listen closer to what your customers are saying, and, most importantly, make sure that timeliness and relevance are a focus throughout your business – all team members and departments should be on the same wavelength – a concept that guides all initiatives you do.

So, before you launch a new campaign, put your content out there, or release a new product or service, take a moment to review – is this timely? Is this relevant to my customer – solving a problem or a challenge? Answer a want or a need?

Are you catering to your client across all touchpoints, no matter the current climate?

If you can get to know your audience as well as you know yourself, you’ll always be on target.

Q2Mark has a proven track record with a highly efficient team of experts. We are here, on the virtual ground – as we’ve done for 16 years – working with businesses and clients around the U.S. to protect their opportunities despite difficult times.

We can help navigate your industry and your specific situation. Click here to schedule a free consultation, and let’s discuss your needs.