Tools of the Trade
I have always been a motorbike guy; it could be because I spent a large part of my teenage years in Haiti riding dirt bikes from village to village through picturesque tropical terrains to barren desert-like landscapes. It could also be the notion that you can’t explain the freedom you have when you fall in love with the open road. Moving back to Canada marked a sad day for me as I had to leave my bike behind. I recently restored my loss and purchased my first bike since owning one in Haiti. I couldn’t just buy a brand new bike; I wanted something that reminded me of that first bike I owned. I ended up finding a 1982 Honda CB650 in mint condition.
The bike was in great shape, but I wanted to make some modifications. One of the first things I wanted to do was install new signal lights, giving the bike a cross between vintage and modern. In order to do this I needed to drill a larger hole for the new lights. I got out my trusty Black and Decker drill that I have used for many years, installed my bit and started to drill. After about 10 minutes, I noticed that I still had not gained any ground so I tried a different bit and started again. After 3 bits and over 30 minutes I determined this was not going to work.
If you ask any professional contractor about tools, they will surely tell you that it’s essential to have the proper tools for the job. This is hard to fully understand until you have been placed in that position. I often witness the disconnect in the business place when online marketers are not given the proper tools or budget. Usually because the people in charge of the organization are operating in a different organizational silo than the people in charge of the website and social media. They haven’t had a chance to experience first hand why these tools are important. Business can’t be done anymore by just using one outlet; it’s changing far too quickly for us to sit still. Companies are still growing rapidly and seeing great profit, but they are the ones that are learning to use the right tools.
There is no longer time to be afraid of social media or to be camera shy. Video, social media and email marketing have become the holy grail of leads, stats, knowledge and marketing for many companies. They are amazing tools that will tell you everything you wanted to know about your customer, down to the street corner they were standing on when they watched your promo video. Video is one of these tools that is often overlooked, Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D. — also known as The “Brain Lady,” has published material stating how our brain is naturally wired to like video. She has uncovered 4 core reasons we are drawn to video:
#1: The Fusiform Facial area makes us pay attention to faces
This is an actual brain function that hard-wires us to use the human face as a gathering point for information and believability. This can help any company who wants to make a more personal approach and gain trust with their consumers.
#2: Voice conveys rich information
If you need to educate your consumers, the simple sound of a human voice speaking to us has an amazing way of converting information into meaningful content.
#3: Emotions are contagious
This can help any company bring feeling and excitement into their services. Emotion can be a subtle but powerful aspect that we may take for granted. The body language of emotions is appealing and we naturally love to share.
#4: Movement grabs attention
Another trait that runs deep in our DNA is the power of peripheral motion. As consumers, we love working with companies who are on the move. So if we can illustrate this with movement it becomes powerful.
We need to listen to our marketing personnel and provide them with the tools they need to make us profitable. Writing blogs, posting frequently on social media, sending out newsletters to keep our customers informed, launching educational product videos, generating leads on social channels, optimizing our website for Google, and updating our website with new calls to action and stunning imagery are great places to start.
Going back to my bike situation, after wasting all that time and effort and not seeing any success I came to conclusion that I needed a new drill. Yes I loved my drill; after all I had used it for years. It always did the job before but in this application it was not the right tool for the job. I was hesitant about spending money on something that I wasn’t 100% sure was going to benefit me and solve my problem. Just like in business we are often hesitant on spending money on virtual items because we can’t always see the benefit instantly.
I decided to take a gamble and asked a few contractors about drills and my needs and they pointed me to Dewalt drills. I invested and took home a shiny new yellow Dewalt drill. Holding my new drill up to the bike I was a little nervous about the possibility that I may have just wasted my money. I pulled the trigger and within 10 seconds the drill had pushed through and accomplished the task. The success and amazement instantly showed me why having the right tool for the job was essential.
When marketing online, it’s equally important to have the proper tools. You can try and get by using methods that have worked in the past, but encourage yourself to branch out and explore new tools. You may need to spend some more money, but the outcome could be well worth it. You may also need to change a few bits along the way until you discover what items need to change. Dive in to social media, start using video and leverage the power of email marketing. You’d be surprised at the results!
If you are curious about how my project turned out visit our Instagram page here.