Edible Founder and CEO Tariq Farid is famous for sharing some important advice his mother gave him when he was first starting out in business: “Don’t chase the money. Chase the customers and then the money will chase you.” That philosophy has been key to Edible’s growth from a single store in 1999 to a global, iconic brand in just 20 years. But even moreso, it helps explain how Edible was able to achieve record-breaking results in 2020 despite the pandemic.
By taking advantage of their myriad of communications tools, they were able to meet their customers where they were seeking information and then pivot Edible’s business to address their wants and needs with expanded product and menu offerings that will continue far into the future. Think whole fruit and produce. Think fruit bouquets and flowers. Think free delivery as a more regular option, rather than a special promotion. And there is so much more to come.
Edible’s omnichannel approach to meeting its customers on their own turf signals a serious barrier to entry for competitors in 2021 as a connected society searches and engages online in larger numbers than ever before.
Organizations expecting to grow in the New Year will need to take a people over profits approach to their business. Here are three ways you can do that thanks to input from Manager of Digital Services Sarah Lofdahl, Lorie Garber of Marketing Mama, Nadira Rafeek of Marketing Tech and Kelsie Rimmer of Envato.
Embrace Social Media
One easy way organizations can embrace people is through social media.
Research found that social media usage is up for every generation and nearly 50% of adults are using it more than before the pandemic began. In 2020, there were 100+ million downloads of the Instagram mobile app and 300+ million downloads of TikTok. And usage across social media platforms has skyrocketed. Daily Facebook traffic is up almost 30%, Instagram usage is up 40% and Instagram Live usage is up 70%.
Connect Through Video
Those trends have directly led to an increase in video media marketing as well. Video content is king and will continue to grow in 2021 and beyond. So how do you utilize video media to connect with customers?
Let’s take a look at Edible. In November, Edible officially launched its new Edible Music platform that allows customers to give the gift of music along with an arrangement. This platform also introduced a partnership with Grammy and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. and his new holiday album. Not only could Edible customers buy the album on the Edible website, but one of the songs, “Snow”, was included in Edible’s holiday advertisements and through videos across the brand’s social media channels. The advertisement debuted on TV, and was also uploaded to YouTube for added viewership.
This was a huge win for Edible because nearly 60 billion users access YouTube daily. YouTube engagement and views are currently at an all-time high with views being up 20-30%. And with YouTube being the world’s second largest search engine, having content on the platform is crucial.
Focus On Semantic SEO
SEO is constantly evolving and in 2021 semantic SEO search will be a major trend. This means your company needs to focus its SEO content on overall topics rather than just keywords because users are now much more conversational in their use of search engines, especially as platforms such as Siri and Alexa increasingly become the search engine of convenience.
Here are some mobile search stats from Google:
There has been an 85% increase in mobile searches starting with “can I”
There has been a 65% increase in mobile searches for “do I need”
There has been a 65% increase in mobile searches for “should I”
The pandemic has shifted the mindsets of consumers and businesses must adapt to those mindsets to not only stay afloat in 2021, but thrive. So as you prepare for the next year, find new ways to embrace social media, increase the use of video content and always be evolving your SEO. This will allow you to “Chase the customers and then the money will chase you” in 2021.
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