The world of online advertising is very dynamic. Just as fast as the internet and social media change, so do the dos and don’ts of campaigning on them. However, there are some basic guidelines that will stay as long as the internet exists – and that’s quite a long time. We got the chance to have a chat with the owner of Viking Media, Orel Asformas – and if you haven’t heard the name by now, we’re talking about a marketing solution whiz – to learn more about his take on the matter. He gave us four good tips for dazzling online marketing. Ready? Here goes.
- Is it unordinary?
Orel: “The first rule of digital marketing is that there are no rules. This may sound like a cliché, but it basically means that nothing should be ruled out automatically. Don’t do what everyone does, and don’t reject an idea just because nobody else has done it yet. Very few things are taboo in the world of online advertising. Quite the contrary: A lot of advertisements are not good enough, just because they don’t bring anything new to the table.
“If you want to be remembered, your modus operandi needs to be completely different from what everyone else is doing. A successful digital campaign is first and foremost one that entices the viewer to be exposed to it. As opposed to radio, TV or newspapers, in the online world you can just skip an ad if you don’t want to see it. This means that you need to present the viewer with something very unorthodox that will make them stay on your ad, even though they can easily move on to something else.”
- Is it daring?
Orel: “It’s very easy to wave off an idea just because it may seem forbidden or unacceptable in the online marketing industry. However, in reality there’s very little that’s not allowed in this virtual playground. Gone are the days when advertising needed to be conformative in order to be successful. Today you need to surprise and raise an eyebrow (or two) in order to stand out, so find that very thin line between ‘this is groundbreaking’ and ‘this is too much’ and put one foot on each side of it.
“Remember that even if you cross the line, this isn’t necessarily bad for you. Your digital campaign might draw negative feedback, but in today’s high-speed reality, that feedback will be forgotten faster than you think. What will remain in the minds of consumers is your product, because of that buzz around it.”
- Is it unforgettable?
Orel: “In direct continuation with the last tip, your goal is not to make people think good things about your product. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice bonus, but it’s not your aim here. Your aim should be to stick in people’s mind. Everyone campaigns by making their product seem positive. You need to make it something that stays in someone’s head – and that pops up at exactly the right moment (during a visit to the grocery store, for example).
“One good tactic is to entice emotions, but not necessarily positive ones. If your ad is, let’s say, disturbing or spooky, you can be sure it won’t be easy for the viewer to brush it off their mind. It’s also important, however, to make sure that the product or service you’re trying to sell sticks inside the mind as well – and that’s done by linking between it and the ‘emotion enticer’. For example, footage of two customers fighting over a shampoo bottle at a grocery store is certainly not something the viewer will forget, and the linkage to the product here is really strong.”
- Is it extreme?
Orel: “It’s time to meet my ‘est’ rule: When you choose a theme for your online campaign, make sure it’s the best projection possible of that theme. Don’t just make a funny ad, make it the funniest you can. Don’t settle for spooky, go for the spookiest. Being lovely doesn’t suffice, the ad has to be the loveliest thing the viewer has seen lately. Before you publish anything, watch it again, just to see if you can tighten some screws and go even more extreme than you already have.
“That’s not enough, however. When you show your results to other people around you, check out their reaction. Think if you can make them laugh/cry/gasp/flinch even more than they had, and how you can do it. Only when you can say with complete confidence that you put your best effort into the ‘est’ rule, it’s time to unleash the beast.”