When a retailer is developing its marketing strategy, the team might turn to a blog, where interesting stories about the products sold there are housed. A destination wants to engage an audience by describing the attractions, experiences or unique sights offered there, so it uses a hosted podcast to share these regular stories with subscribers and new listeners. An auto dealer wants to remain connected with their loyal customers and remind them that safety and preventative maintenance go hand-in-hand, so they use email to identify key service dates with their audience. Not one of them began their strategy asking for a form fill, a phone call or a purchase. Why not?
Because your audience should be informed, educated or entertained by your brand first.
GIVE
Content that gives only benefits the consumer. It’s meant to entertain or educate, making the consumer better or happier, while steering your brand narrative. Use your organic feed to GIVE to your audience. Boost your post to increase visibility.
ASK
If it has a call-to-action, you are asking your consumer to do something in response to your post. Your ask content belongs in ads, and is targeted to your audience and those like them.
GIVE + ASK
Drive revenue while providing a consumer benefit with this combined post type. It could appear organically or in paid media, depending on the tone and appeal of the content.
GIVE
Content that gives only benefits the consumer. It’s meant to entertain or educate, making the consumer better or happier, while steering your brand narrative. Use your organic feed to GIVE to your audience. Boost your post to increase visibility.
ASK
If it has a call-to-action, you are asking your consumer to do something in response to your post. Your ask content belongs in ads, and is targeted to your audience and those like them.
GIVE + ASK
Drive revenue while providing a consumer benefit with this combined post type. It could appear organically or in paid media, depending on the tone and appeal of the content.
Fifty-two percent of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions. (Read more about digital trends.) Eighty percent of consumers say they are more likely to do business with a company that personalizes their experience. All of this to say that the scales must tip to the “give” side of the campaign, rather than leaping straight to the “ask.”
What does this mean in today’s political environment?
Consumers are savvy. Voters even more so. They want to know about the issue as much as they want to know where the candidate stands on that concern. They need to understand the mission of the issues-based organization and what impact that consortium has had on the topic, before aligning with the cause themselves. That means communicating with your audience surrounding the topic before asking them to support, donate, lend their name, or advocate for what matters to your organization. Here are a few examples of how to do this well. (More tips on creating content.)
EXAMPLE 1
A Climate Change Organization wants to attract followers who are likely to be loyal advocates and promoters of their cause.
WAYS TO GIVE:
- Statistically relevant information on the impact of the cause or issue, in article format
- Follow up the article with a blog, linking away to the article
- An animated video on the organization’s website, featuring the same statistics
- An infographic featuring how the organization impacted the issue
- Individual elements of the infographic, served in social media
- A direct-to-supporter email containing the infographic
- A podcast on the issue, featuring legislators
- A podcast on the issue, featuring those most affected
THEN ASK:
- For social media advocates for the issue
EXAMPLE 2
An Urban Clinic needs to attract funding from the local government. In order to increase awareness of the concern, citizens must champion the clinic with their individual legislators.
WAYS TO GIVE:
- Information on the impact of the clinic, in the local media (tv, radio, or newspaper)
- Blog article, featuring the coverage
- Email to existing users of the clinic, featuring the coverage
- Ads or other paid placements in neighborhood publications about the relevancy of the clinic
- Images of those most impacted by the clinic, with testimonial storytelling
- A direct-to-legislator email containing the images of those impacted and statistical relevance of the clinic, with a link to the coverage in the local media
- A podcast on the issue, featuring legislators and a well-known community leader championing the clinic
- A podcast on the issue, featuring those most affected
THEN ASK:
- For local citizens to contact their legislators
As the runway to the election grows short, our colleagues in the political space increase their asking for support tenfold. Voters and activists suffer for it—crushed under the weight of advertising that feels like shouting. Changing the angle to education, information, and entertainment can make a big difference not just in how the message is received, but in the resulting actions taken.
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We strive to advise our clients well and educating around advertising this subject matter.
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Inform, Educate, and Entertain. THEN ASK.
52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions. 80% of consumers say they are more likely to…
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