Have you ever heard the expression, “Finding such and such is like finding a needle in a haystack?”
Well that expression came to mind on Monday when I was looking on Facebook for local pop up makers and sellers to let them know about our Black Friday advertising promotion. To set the scene, I am a person who’s sole responsibility is to well… run the newspaper but also seek out clients so that our paper can keep running so we make ends meet. So my motivation for finding new clients is pretty high.
But, even with this motivation I can tell you that trying to find obscure little pop ups that only run their business marketing on Facebook is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and since the early days of Facebook pre-2015, that haystack has gotten pretty huge and finding them has gotten pretty hard.
Okay I thought, maybe these people do not want to be found but just the same I am pretty savvy with words, I will work my search engine magic and see what I find.
Search terms used: Drayton Valley + retail, Drayton Valley, this netted four listings. Drayton Valley + shopping, this netted two new listings. Drayton Valley + clothing, this netted two new listings. Drayton Valley + candy, this netted two new names. Drayton Valley + gifts, got nothing etc, etc. You get the point. The hyper focused marketing method that has been touted by the digital giants as the new way of doing business has made it harder to find a locally owned, small store that you do not already have some connection with or knowledge of.
I am not saying there is no space for a specific focus at the bottom end of your marketing funnel. This is a perfect place for your ardent followers and word of mouth marketing friends. What I am saying is that if this is your only method for marketing you are missing the top third to half of your marketing funnel and with that a bevy of potential customers.
What we are getting into here is a practice that digital giants deem unnecessary – “awareness marketing.” I suppose I would say this too if I held all the buttons to which posts, businesses and stories get seen. I would definitely do my darndest to hack down the power of awareness marketing found in the traditional forms of business such as: radio, podcasts, tv and digital streaming, newspaper, magazine, newsletters, billboards, phone books, and mailout marketing.
Those little guys who are competing against box stores and digital giants this holiday season who all are utilizing the full marketing funnel including awareness marketing, do not stand a chance. Our little guys have become that needle in the haystack.
The whole thing was an exercise in frustration. I can understand the desire to run a boutique marketing campaign in a larger urban centre, where focused marketing would still net a large clientele, but Drayton Valley has a population of 7,000, with the service population between somewhere of 14,000-20,000. In an urban centre our whole population would be considered a focused demographic. Which would make the opposite marketing tactic in a small rural area the most effective approach. Therefore awareness, and blanket marketing would be the recommended tactic.
In a non-educated discussion with my friends at the office we also noted the fly in the ointment with it comes to organic social marketing. Since I am focusing on Facebook and we seem to be a Facebook community I’ll use it as the case example.
Facebook algorithms are designed to lengthen screen time spent on your newsfeed. This being the case you will see organic posts from friends Dick and Jane, and you will also see ads specific to your interests. So for the bald guy in the office next to me this means he sees ads for hot single women, urine bags and golfing. While these have been hand picked for his particular age, sex and demographic, this does not actually help him find that one in a million unique gift for his lovely wife Lil C. In this instance his time would be better spent on Sarah’s feed, the lovely gal who I share a space with that makes sure this whole thing doesn’t fall apart week after week.This is an example where the effort to hyper focus in a small region will actually hinder your business. I am making a vast assumption here but I know that many Facebook users are women. The Free Press insights show 70 percent of our Facebook followers are women. If we were a company looking to sell female items to men buying gifts for their wives, our focused follower base would be an issue.
Needless, to say at the end of my ramble. Even if you don’t want to be found I will do my darndest to find you and if it is this hard for someone paid to find you then you are not doing your potential customers any favour. Don’t be that needle in the haystack this holiday season utilize the whole marketing funnel.
