The Power of the Right Message at the Right Time to the Right Person
This 2016 election cycle will go down in history for many reasons, one of which is the influence of digital marketing and social media. According to a Borrell Associates report, digital advertising dollars are projected to surpass $1 billion for the first time. Fortune Magazine reports that the majority of that money will go toward digital display ads on Facebook and Google.
Candidates have grown adept at reaching who they want and when. Information gathered online about people’s interests, dislikes and hobbies fuels this trend. With a few well-defined demographics and eye-catching placements, they can connect with the undecided working mom in Nebraska who is concerned about healthcare. Or inform the job-seeking Millennial when the next debate will be. Candidates count on the fact that millions of users check their social media accounts several times per day. That social habit has personalized this election and delivers campaign messages into the palms of voters’ hands. Digital media excels at tailoring messages instantly to fit the needs of users and delivers immediate feedback and communication.
You don’t have to run for president to benefit from these tactics. The power of a direct message at the right time to the right person is what marketing is all about. With digital marketing and social media, we can take that message and turn it into a conversion faster than ever before. Just ask Kenneth Bone. Kenneth wore a red sweater to a nationally televised debate, and suddenly that red sweater is everywhere. With the data available, advertisers can learn which websites key demographics visit, what topics are important to them and which apps they frequent and place relevant ads front and center. As an added bonus, Google remarketing ads follow users for a few weeks to ensure they get the message. On Facebook, ads can be viewed, shared, commented on, liked and shared some more. Suddenly, your product or message is everywhere. Information is out there, the key is using it to connect.
Mark Mathis
Mark wrote his first direct-mail fundraising letter in 1981 for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. The effort raised a few million dollars in undiscovered wills and legacy gifts. From that day forward Mark discovered a love of the big idea that moves the needle. After 12 years at KWWL, Mark became a business owner as a co-founder of ME&V — rebranded as AMPERAGE in 2015. After 25 years of leading creative teams in video production, graphic design, PR, writing and web development, Mark transitioned out of ownership in 2021. Today he serves in an employee role as special projects consultant. He is creatively ambidextrous — son of an artist and engineer — and famous for distilling complex ideas down to a few words and a few visuals. Mark is a writer. When he found that many nonprofits struggled with complex branding puzzles, he wrote the book, “NonProfit-NonMarketing .” He also wrote a novel called “Reenactment.” Mark is an active blogger OneMinuteMarketer® with nearly 1,000 readers each week on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. One of his most popular YouTube videos is on “How to Look Good on Zoom.” One of Mark’s fondest business memories was being named to INC 500 two times and attending the INC 500 conference with other winners. Mark is considered by some a Civil War expert (and that explains his novel). Mark also served as an adjunct professor in the business and in the communications departments at Wartburg College. Mark is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is currently vice president of the University of Iowa Journalism and Mass Communications Advisory Board. Mark is married to state Sen. Liz Mathis, and the two love to travel, even when it means being trapped by a volcano in the Czech Republic for three weeks.
