Marketing is a Party! Tips for Digitally Marketing in a Lockdown
by Rachel Hammermueller, Content Writer
Last week, our Design Manager Ailsa Blair and I were joined by Avery Swartz for our remote podcast series First Name Basis. She’s CEO and Founder of Camp Tech, a professional coaching and training company offering courses and workshops for adults wishing to learn web and digital skills alike. Avery is not only an entrepreneur extraordinaire, she recently become a bestselling author for her book See You On The Internet. Our podcast timing was nothing short of perfect, since her book is all about the how-to’s of digital marketing. I can’t think of a more poignant time for learning these skills than when companies have been forced into isolation.
One of our first questions for Avery was if she practices “dogfooding” (a term she taught us), that is, does she practice what she preaches? She dropped a book about digital marketing the same week a global pandemic was declared, so online has really been her only platform to sell. Here are some the highlights of her knowledge sharing:
Stay connected to your people.
“People are rushing to the internet,” Avery says. “For a small business, in a lockdown or not, having a digital connection with your community or your target client is important.” This allows for so much more dialogue than any time before. It offers such opportunity for small businesses to compete online like never before, with no need for an advertising budget. “Everybody starts the same on Twitter,” she tells us. “You’re starting at the same place as Coca-Cola did. It’s what you do with that opportunity and how you grow from there. Twitter is a free equalizer.”
COVID Disaster Edition
We spoke at length about her experience publishing See You On The Internet, from typing ideas into Evernote four years ago to pitching publishers, to sending her books to warehouses across the continent. The same spirit of planning and preparing reflects the mentality she is facing this COVID-19 crisis with. She tells us she threw her business’s 2020 forecast out the window and is implementing what she calls “COVID Disaster Edition”; her modelling of how her company Camp Tech will continue business. It’s also a strategy to think differently about her situation. “There is a willingness to talk. It’s a magical time right now, where you can reach out and ask someone to chat, and they are more willing too.” I immediately noticed a parallel between our conversation and our podcast with Farhan Thawar — both speakers spread the message that now is the time to be creative, to ask questions, and to learn.
Where do I begin to digitally market myself and my business?
“Throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. Experiment, and just start where you are,” says Avery. “If you’re targeting the business community, spend more time on Linkedin — or maybe TikTok is more your speed. Define what you want to create, and who you want to talk to.” Basically, give a lot of value, opinions, humour, and expertise to the internet. “You’ll know if it’s working or if you need to switch it up if you’re lacking engagement.” We spoke about design versus copywriting, how Avery went from thinking marketing was, in her hilarious depiction, “gross”, to seeing it more as a creative party, and how to battle that nasty imposter syndrome — get a taste below:
Positioning
And finally, positioning. She quotes her fellow Torontonian April Dunford, Author of Obviously Awesome, on the importance of positioning in your marketing of your services. “How you position your company’s value may be different in a downturn than in an economic upswing, highlighting your company has a really flexible return policy, for example, is something you want to really market right now.”
Of all the takeaways I jotted down from our conversation, this isn’t even the half of it. You’ll just have to listen to the podcast for the full effect. Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Rachel is the Content Writer here at TribalScale. She works to write alluring content that reflects the focus, goals, and values of our workplace. When she’s not writing about tech or culture, she often has her nose in a book, eating tacos, or re-watching British TV shows.
TribalScale is a global innovation firm that helps enterprises adapt and thrive in the digital era. We transform teams and processes, build best-in-class digital products, and create disruptive startups. Learn more about us on our website. Connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook!
