In the world of digital marketing, new strategies and tactics come and go faster than ever before. It seems that every month there is a new platform, screen, social network or posting strategy via which to reach audiences, drive engagement and develop connections with customers and fans. However, there’s one new approach to marketing that I believe is here to stay.

Real-time marketing (RTM) is the practice of brands and media companies jumping on current social trends to join conversations consumers are having on various social channels. Brands are doing this more and more every day - chiming in on global events like the World Cup, smaller events like National Ice Cream Day, and trends that come and go within hours every day.

The response to this tactic has been to label it as a fad or an annoyance to the audience, which is why I have looked at the data behind RTM to see how audiences responded to brands in conversations, and did so across more than 100 of the most valuable brands in the world.

As it turns out, when you look at the data, real-time marketing works really, really well to engage an audience. On average, brands see double the engagement on social posts when they jump in on trending conversations, and even higher numbers with different examples of RTM, such as the unexpected #BendGate trend around the new iPhone and lesser-known holidays like #NationalAviationDay.

If we step back and think about it, that makes sense. Brands have traditionally had to distract audiences from current behaviors (like watching a TV show or scanning Facebook) with an advertisement that talks about what the brand thinks is important. RTM works in the opposite way - brands jump in on conversations to become part of the trend, not distract from it. The fact that audiences are responding in huge ways shouldn’t be a big surprise to us; it should be a wake-up call that this new, modern audience responds to brands and their messaging in new, modern ways.

While the performance data shows real promise for RTM, marketers need to make sure they are planning and building infrastructure to manage risk. The right people, process and technology are needed every step of the way to make sure that brands are finding the right trends to jump on, measuring success and opportunity, and putting their best foot forward when it comes to real-time.

 

By Chris Kerns at Spredfast

 


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