After an all out binge on super hero movies this past weekend, it got me thinking about some of the parallels between the themes in comic book stories and certain aspects of digital marketing. I’m guessing that your initial reaction is how far-fetched and over the top this idea sounds. After all, how could a comic book possibly help us to better understand the fundamentals of Internet marketing? Well, to that I say “challenge accepted.”
When we dive deeper into the fundamental aspects surrounding comic books, we can see that there is in fact something to be learned from the stories and the heroes. There are ideologies that can be borrowed and applied from these masked heroes that can help us to better understand how we should form our marketing messages and our brand identities. Below are 6 lessons that comic books can teach us about our digital marketing strategies.
1. Nothing is insurmountable.
If there is one consistent theme in comic books, it is that nothing is impossible. With the proper work ethic, a motivated team and maybe a little bit of luck, you can achieve the marketing goals that you have set for your business.
Setting up a digital marketing campaign can be overwhelming, foreign and all too time-consuming for many business owners. However, you are not alone. Often times, business owners struggle with the task of balancing business operations and their marketing efforts. With a clear set of goals and the right team for the job, you can slowly and steadily work your way towards a successful marketing campaign.
2. Visuals matter.
Could you imagine reading a comic book without any images to help paint the picture for you? It wouldn’t be anywhere near as entertaining for the reader. Likewise, having your website looking sharp and visually appealing is something that many businesses do not take the time to consider.
The user experience of your website can have a dramatic effect on the amount of time a person spends on your site. As a business, you want them to stay on your site as long as possible in the hopes that they will inevitably take action. Design your website to appeal to your customers in a way that will engage them.
Furthermore, incorporate visuals into the content that you create. Add pictures, videos, or infographics to your blog to encourage sharing. People respond differently to visuals and research suggests that images on social media platforms are far more likely to be clicked on, shared or retweeted.
3. Take risks.
In comic books, superheroes are always willing to take risks for the greater good of society. Let’s face it; sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.
Effective digital marketing is the exact same in that if you aren't taking risks, you won’t get noticed. Sometimes putting together a campaign that is different or against the status quo can help your business stand out amongst the clutter of competition. Branch out and try something new.
4. You can’t always do everything alone.
Batman has Robin. Wolverine had the rest of his X-men cast. The fact of the matter is that if you are trying to go it all alone, you are setting yourself up for failure.
There is nothing wrong with getting a little bit of help along the way, and, in terms of marketing, having a knowledgeable team to support you and have your back is extremely beneficial. Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder, famously said that what sets apart those that do from those that dream is that they ask for help and are not afraid of failure.
5. Don’t get greedy!
In comic books, the villains always find themselves asking for too much and inevitably they get themselves caught. This can easily be related to SEO because often times businesses will do whatever they can to boost their rankings, not realizing that there is no fast-pass to the top.
Avoid taking shortcuts with your SEO such as acquiring sketchy back links, using keyword stuffing or any other “black hat” SEO tactics. These are going to do nothing but worsen your rankings and potentially get your site removed from the SERP’s altogether. SEO simply doesn’t happen overnight. Slow down, put in the work, and you will soon see the fruits of your labor in the form of higher rankings and more website traffic.
6. With great power comes great responsibility.
This is the classic cheesy line from Spiderman that all superheroes live their life by. However, in terms of marketing, I find the opposite to be true.
With great responsibility comes great power.
As business owners and marketers, we are not only able to influence people to purchase our products or services, but also buy into our ideas and beliefs.
Take responsibility for what you are trying to accomplish with your marketing. Create positive messages for your target market and utilize goodwill. If you put the time and effort into your marketing strategy, you be able to develop a powerful approach that can greatly influence your customers and those around you.
On a final note, marketing may not involve super heroes that can fly and save people. However, there are some underlying elements that we can relate to and learn from as we work towards achieving marketing success. Let us know what you think by dropping us a line or reaching out to us on social media!
