In my last article, I discussed Multichannel Masters and the channels they use based on our research into how this correlates to confidence and spend. Today it’s the turn of the SoMoLo Maven, when I ask what kind of digital marketer are you?

Archetype #2: The SoMoLo Maven

SoMoLo marketers have their finger on the pulse of what’s shiny and new. They focus on the latest media channels, apps and platforms like Vine, WhatsApp and Snapchat from which to tell their story and attract new customers to buy.

From a budget perspective, our research shows that they spend more on social media, mobile marketing and webinars than any other group. Unsurprisingly, they also use websites, search and email in their activity on a regular basis. Online is their world and they show a positive dislike to traditional broadcast media.

Working for a disruptive brand or small online agency is commonplace for SoMoLo Mavens. They tend to be innovative at making budgets work as hard as possible and often will design ‘noisy’ campaigns with not much money to spend.

These are the new generation of digital marketers. The pioneers. The risk takers.

And the most confident about their marketing strategies compared to any other digital group.

Interestingly, they see great value in live events in tandem with their digital execution – these are an extension of their ‘social’ approach and might include events such as hackathons, meet-ups or flashmobs. Our survey of 560 marketing managers and marketing directors unveils that SoMoLo Mavens will also often use up to ten channels in any one campaign.

SoMoLo Mavens will always use email, mobile, social media and webinars, with websites, search, online ads, as well as live events and direct mail used as part of campaigns when required.

Mobility is centre stage

SoMoLo Mavens use mobile unlike any other archetypal marketer. Rather than concentrating on short-term sales through coupons and discounts, they advocate engagement through conversations to boost brand allegiance.

If we take an aerial view of mobile proficiency, SoMoLo Mavens understand the complexities involved in the way digital natives purchase goods and services – at any time from any location.

In fact, despite a propensity for mobile usage by all marketers, our research reveals that the majority of marketers struggle with confidently executing mobile campaigns. In fact, 37 per cent of all respondents say that their organisation’s mobile competency is below average or poor compared to 28 per cent last year.

It seems that the waters are becoming even murkier; confidence in mobile marketing is dropping as it becomes more crowded and complex. That is with the exception of the SoMoLo Maven. They have a handle on M-commerce and M-engagement. Extrapolating data from customers on the move and converting it into wisdom is second nature.

The caveat for the rest of the digital industry is that SoMoLo Mavens sit in a skills vacuum. They are specialists at unravelling unstructured data. They are the archetype that is empowered by increased knowledge of their business and their customers through analytics to deliver more personal customer experiences.

Other marketers must be wary of not falling behind the curve and only spending their budgets on what they know best; live events and other comfortable, traditional channels. The contradiction and inhibitor of course remains the data skills gap, and this must be narrowed in order for more marketers to realise the benefits of data and analytics.

Honing mobile marketing skills will become an even more important strategic priority for the rest of the digital industry over the next half-decade. A driving force behind this will be harnessing data with the application of analytics. Marketers must tap into its power to turn data into insight, and finally into an action.

So are you a SoMoLo Maven? If not, maybe you are the third of our marketing archetype, the Digital Nerd?

 

By Charles Randall, Head of Solutions Marketing at SAS UK & Ireland. 

PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.

comments powered by Disqus