Business 2 Community3 Ways to Make Your B2B Marketing Timely: Lessons from “Weird Al” Yankovic
Have you caught any of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s new videos? He released one a day for eight days, and they’re all hilarious.
Here’s one of my favourite videos from his new album, Mandatory Fun. It’s a parody of “Blurred Lines”, in which he rants about bad grammar in “Word Crimes”:
“Weird Al” said that Mandatory Fun is likely his last full-length album. He told the Associated Press, “I’ve been under contract since 1982, and I just kind of feel like — especially with the kind of music that I do — the album format isn’t the best way to deliver that music. It feels like I need to be more immediate. And that means, probably, singles.”
His decision to make singles so he can quickly respond to what’s happening in popular culture is a savvy marketing move.
As B2B marketers, we can learn a lot from “Weird Al”. Like many B2B companies, “Weird Al” has been in business for a long time. He has a loyal, niche fan base. He could have done a traditional album release and kept his fans happy. However, his decision to move forward with the times has helped Mandatory Fun debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts — a first in his long career.
Here are three things that B2B marketers can learn from “Weird Al”:
1. Understand what channels your customers are using.
It seems as though a new marketing channel is popping up every day. While you don’t need to rush to every new channel, you do need to find out which ones matter the most to your customers. Where are they hanging out? Where do they want to engage with you? Just as “Weird Al” is focusing on online video, you should focus on the channels your customers use the most.
2. Be responsive.
In many B2B companies, it’s impossible to act fast. By the time you get approvals to do something, it may no longer be timely or relevant. However, the more timely you can be, the better you will engage customers. Help your executives see the benefits of taking action quickly. According to MarketingProfs, these benefits can range from an increase in high-quality leads to long-term business success.
3. Don’t use any of these words!
Nothing says, “boring”, “slow” and “corporate” more than the words “Weird Al” poked fun at in his song “Mission Statement”. Check out the video for 4:30 of corporate jargon that you should remove from your marketing now.
What do you think of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s latest album and marketing strategies? Please share this post on social media and add your comments.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: 3 Ways to Make Your B2B Marketing Timely: Lessons from “Weird Al” Yankovic
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