Inspiration is okay, but Implementation is better. Creating a plan is okay, but acting on it is better. Anyway, no one is perfect the first time (or even the second or third time) around. We need to be tolerant of our own failure and the failure of others. And we need to try harder. We need to be really open to the changes happening around us. If we don’t adapt, failure will happen. You can’t do the the same thing, and expect a different result. #thoughts
This was what I posted yesterday on Facebook. I normally post deep thoughts like these after watching a thought-provoking or a really sad movie (like La La Land), but in this case, I didn’t come out of a movie theater. I came from an event, which I honestly thought was going to be another sales blitz. It was refreshingly delightful and inspiring!
It was Facebook Philippines’ Mobile Moves Business and it was definitely one of the most inspiring events that I have ever attended. It was a private event and most of the attendees where brands, agencies, pr people, marketers, etc. A big shout out to Paolo Lacuna of Facebook for inviting me to this event. So being a ‘branded’ event, I thought that the talks would be all about Facebook, so I was pleasantly surprised that I got to learn, not only a few things, but a full page of learnings (which I will share with you, my dear readers!).
These are the things that I remembered (so if someone who was there want to add some things, please feel free in the comment section below):
Rapid Transition to a Mobile First Commerce
We don’t notice it (probably because we are too busy looking at our mobile devices… haha!), but a lot of us now spend most of the hours of our day swiping through stuff on our phone. If you’re reading this, look up, where ever you are and I bet there is at least one person on a mobile device.
This is a timeline that shows the changes in commerce, or the way value is exchanged. And the changes in this ecosystem is quite evident since we clearly see and experience the changes that happened and the changes that are happening and will happen. In the Philippines, it was mentioned that we are now in the middle of an omni-channel and a mobile-first commerce. We are rapidly transitioning to the latter.
As Businesses, Brands, Marketers or Advertisers
Never forget that setting your business objectives is the first thing that you need to do. Without an objective in mind, your campaign strategy will lose direction. Then, never forget to check on the impact that you make on your audience, your brand and sales. This is the reason why I ask PR agencies and brands who ask me to write about them in this blog what their business objective is. I just believe that if you want to be an effective marketer, blogger, business owner, etc., you should bev clear on what your objective is; After which, strategies, creative executions, etc. will align itself naturally (well, most of the time) to your objective.
Another thing that hit me is that we spend a lot of time “producing” content when we do not fully understand the behavior of the market. We jump right to execution. We forget to validate if this is what the audience really want, if this is the right message, if this is the right platform, etc. There are so many questions that we need to answer before we jump into it! An example that was given yesterday was that usually whatever a brand produces for TV commercials is what they use for Facebook, Instagram, etc. The thing is, it doesn’t work that way.
Going back to the basics, these platforms are made for suppliers of VALUE to interact with the audience and tailor-fit, if possible, solutions that they would want or messages that they would love to hear and react to. Stuart Jamieson from Nielsen said, “don’t just shout at them (pertaining to your audience). ENGAGE with them.” When we have a conversation with our audience, we get better results.
Understanding the Philippine Mobile Market
These are some pictures of data the show that mobile moves business. Filipino smartphone users spend 189 minutes per day on their phones. The breakdown below is indicated in the second picture.
Over the years, the digital landscape has undergone a lot of changes. The biggest change really is that social media now has paved the way for people to express themselves. People want to be involved and they express how they feel and “type” what they think via social media.
So if you want to be effective, with every ad that you create and with every message that you deliver, give your audience the chance to interact with you and express themselves.
On Digital Media and Traditional Media
A wake-up call for me is that we often use one creative for different platforms. Yesterday, it was highlighted that a material produced for traditional media may not be as effective when you use it for digital media. There were a lot of side by side comparison of TV commercials being directly played as an ad on Facebook versus playing an edited version specifically produced for mobile screens. It really made a big difference!
Also, I’m sharing this slide on the Kicker Effect. This is basically a guide on how Facebook can help you optimize your TV campaign.
On eCommerce to MCommerce to SCommerce
Inanc Balci, CEO of Lazada and Ross Wakeham, Industry Lead, Facebook Southeast Asia
An interesting part of the program, which I know a lot of my readers with retail businesses would be interested in learning, was the conversation with Inanc Balci, the CEO of Lazada. He said that the changes happening is from the landscape being eCommerce to M(obile)Commerce to S(ocial)Commerce. He says that in this day and age, brands with out eCommerce or MCommerce should seriously consider having it. Also, it is very important that you build a separate team for that. A different set of skills and expertise are required for this kind of business.
When asked about tips that he can offer retail, he replied that a retailer needs to think about these things seriously: Have the lowest prices. Have the best service. Have great logistic and payment parters. And lastly, look at metrics and use it.
His last insight was really funny! He was asked what he saw that was unique about the Filipino buyers. He said that in the Philippines, they would notice a spike in purchases during work hours and a big drop during lunch break and past office hours! haha!
What’s Fascinating About Facebook
Aside from the deep understanding of Facebook that mobile moves business, what I love about Facebook as a channel for advertising and spreading information is that it is a platform which really understands the behaviour, the needs and the journey of each individual. Having this data, they help marketers, brands and businesses reach a specific market that really needs and wants to engage with them. So even if you are a small business like Manila Workshops (my business), we are given the power to optimize each and every peso to tap our potential customers and to convert them to be our customers.
For the past four years, to be honest with you, I have sustained my events management business by solely utilizing Facebook advertising. But even with this, I was inspired since I was excited by the fact that there was still a lot to learn (yes, I know… such a nerd! Learning excites me!). We all have a lot to learn. But I believe that if we learn more about all of these things, we can continuously give value where that value is needed.
Hope this article inspired you to learn more! Indeed, mobile moves business!
