Real-time marketing is when marketers react quickly to national or global events happening online or offline to inject their brand into consumer conversations. Real-time marketing focuses on current trends or events and occurs when you react instead of planning a marketing plan for months. Real-time marketing allows you to connect and communicate with your audience. An easy way for companies to implement real-time marketing is to have an active social media presence.
One of the best examples of real-time marketing is the ice bucket challenge from 2014. This
challenge was a way to raise money and awareness for ALS disease. Since it was a current event and trend, many companies took the opportunity to increase brand sentiment and awareness by participating in the challenge.
An excellent example of a company that utilizes real-time marketing is Taco Bell. The fast-food restaurant engages with their customers in real-time without the use of robots. They take advantage of social media to emulate their witty and unapologetic sense of humor. This marketing strategy allows them to reach and connect with their millennial target audience.
4 Real-Time Marketing Tactics
1. Always be listening
To use real-time marketing correctly, you have to catch trends as they happen. To do this, you have to have an active presence on social media. Paying attention to top hashtags and google trends allows you to keep an eye on what trends are making the rise.
2. Resources
To be able to react quickly to new trends, you have to have the right resources. You need to have employees that are ready and willing to make content at a moment’s notice to act on the trend before it’s popularity runs out.
3. Know Where the Conversation Is
Being aware of where the trend started is important. If the trend is a hit on Twitter but not on Instagram, you need to market on Twitter to make the biggest impact. This way, your marketing team can create the most relevant content.
4. Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Real-time marketing is about having fun and connecting with your customers, so don’t be afraid to try new things. Companies that show their personality stand out and create a strong brand. It also allows you to show your customers you appreciate them on a personal level.
Using real-time marketing is a great way to join the conversation that your customers are having every day. Incorporating current trends help you stay relevant to your customers.
If your business has questions about marketing call 435-264-1819 to get advice from one of our marketing experts.