Maurilio Amorim

Author: Maurilio Amorim

How Marketing Is Going to Change in 2021
The ways in which we communicate are changing very, very fast. The pandemic has accelerated changes that would have taken years to take full effect and are now happening in a matter of months.

Much like you, I want the work I do to mean something. I want my efforts to produce fruit, and I want the people and organizations I help to thrive, not just survive.

I have a few predictions of what’s in store for those of us who want to reach people using marketing strategies and tactics. These have been trends I’ve seen growing in 2020 and some that have appeared in the past few days even, but can fundamentally change how we reach people.
1. Good content is not going to be enough to reach people
Content is now ubiquitous and great content is everywhere. There was a time where if you had helpful, practical content, you were ahead of the curve and it was easy for people to discover your content and to consume it.

That’s no longer true. Great content is everywhere: podcasts, blogs, e-books, videos, course, and it’s easy and a lot of it free.

Now people are seeking curated content.

“Don’t just give me good information. Help me to understand it and implement the information you produce.”

The new winner in content marketing is The Guide. That’s the person who not only show me a better, faster, easier, purposeful way of doing something, but he or she is willing to help me through the journey of getting what they promised me with their content.

Figure out how to be the guide for your content, product or service and you’ll win.
1. Online advertising is going to take a step backwards
As a marketer, the past decade of evolution in digital advertising has been an amazing ride.

A few years ago, we marketers would send direct mail pieces and pray that it would connect with our list (which we hoped it would be worth the thousands it cost to buy). Today we are able to define exactly who our target audience needs to be for any of our digital ads. For example, we can show an ad to a mother of preschoolers who lives within 3 miles of our client’s location, is a conservative Christian and, therefore, would most likely be interested in the Mother’s Day Out program our church has to offer.

I’m afraid it’s not going to be that easy anymore.

First it was GDPR, then came the California Consumer Privacy Act who put more scrutiny on how personal data was collected, and now Apple just announced that it will stop sharing personal information with social networks and sites unless users give their expressed permission to do so.

What does that mean?

Well, a lot of things, but mostly, no more pixel tracking. Which means we won’t be able to serve ads and content to people who visited our FB page, our website, our ministry landing pages or opened our emails.

While there are a lot of strategic and tactical implications for marketers, the biggest one is that it will take longer and cost more to find your target audience within social networks.

However, once we unlock how to create engagement with our target audience, we will be able to have a greater impact on them.
1. One-to-one marketing will grow exponentially
Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram direct messages, and text messaging are going to rule the day, shortly.

While you are not able to retarget ads to someone who saw your IG story, you will, however, be able to contact them if they sent you a direct message or contacted you via Messenger or WhatsApp.

While that’s a lot more work, it is also be a much more personal and effective way to communicate with a potential volunteer, member, buyer or donor.

Here are some resources that you might want to take advantage of:

The 5 Must-Do Nonprofit Marketing Strategies from the Pandemic is a great resource if you have not downloaded it. You can find it here.

If you want help in putting together an integrated marketing campaign, we have a FREE training. You can learn more here.
January 13, 2021
Welcome Pete Wilson to The A Group

Some of the most significant events in life happen outside any clever planning on our parts. This is ever so true in this new chapter of The A Group. Today, Pete Wilson, author, speaker and former pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN joins our team as our new President.

Pete Wilson joins The A Group

I have known Pete for many years and served on Cross Point’s Board during its first 12 years. As Pete was going through his own discovery journey for the next chapter in his career, I was contemplating The A Group’s future, and how we could best serve our clients. In a series of events that could only be described as “divine intervention,” both stories came together and a new chapter is being written.

I founded The A Group almost 15 years ago, seeing a need to offer churches, ministries and non profits excellent marketing and technology services from people who understood their unique challenges. As The A Group grows and continues to serve organizations in the ever-changing world of technology, faith and culture, I realized that it was time for us to offer a fresh perspective and experience that can only come from recent service in ministry. Pete is the perfect person for that job.

I know Pete’s heart for ministry, as well as the deep knowledge and wisdom he has acquired during his time leading large, growing organizations. Being able to offer his invaluable experience and counsel to other leaders is an honor.

Nearly every client that comes to us is asking the same questions: how do we reach the next generation? How do we grow in an increasingly secular world? How do we adopt new technology and adapt to a new culture without losing our hearts? Pete has navigated that world with incredible wisdom and success, creating a growing, thriving church that reaches across generations. He has invaluable experience and encouragement to offer other leaders who are facing those same challenges.

Ultimately this partnership will bring new perspective, creativity and leadership to our clients as well to our internal team. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Pete as a part of The A Group!

To read the full story of how this partnership came together, view our full announcement and hear from Pete as he shares his perspective on his blog.

And be sure to subscribe to The A Group’s blog, as we’ll be sharing encouraging content and resources from Pete each week, along with marketing, technology and donor development resources. You won’t want to miss it!

Please join me in welcoming Pete Wilson to The A Group. God has great things ahead!

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October 3, 2016
Content Marketing Rules: How to Add VALUE to Your Posts
Content is still king in 2015, but how do you generate meaningful social media that provides VALUE? By focusing on creating content that will be:
- Visual
- Amuse
and by making sure you
- Listen
- Unify
- Engage
with your audience.

VISUAL

A picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes a thousand clicks. When you scroll through your news feed on your smart phone, what catches your eye? Photo posts account for 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook. Photos on Facebook generate 53% more likes than the average text only post (Hubspot 2012). Use pictures and video to your advantage by creating compelling images that share the story of your brand and its impact, your brand’s history, and celebrate your customers.

AMUSE

Even the most conservative brands and organizations can have fun. Show your wittier side and your fans will love you. Think about the unpredictable humor behind such traditionally “boring” brands as Old Spice. Their new campaign strategy featuring former football player and actor Isaiah Mustafa was quirky and very, very viral. Old Spice’s online interactive strategy took place over just three days and featured real-time responses to Twitter accounts during “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign. The campaign generated 80K twitter followers in 2 days, bumped up traffic to their website by 300% and Facebook fan interaction jumped 800%. Maybe you don’t have a shirtless guy to promote your brand, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box when appropriate.

LISTEN

According to the Exact Target’s State of Marketing Report, 60% of marketers were using social listening strategies in 2013 and 24% plan to do so in 2015. Social listening helps you identify opportunities to interact directly with your audience but it’s more than setting up a HootSuite account and monitoring tweets that mention your brand’s name or your conference hashtag. Monitor your social media statistics to see what content resonates best with your fans. Use social media listening to better understand your target audience, respond strategically, and build relationships.

UNIFY

Use social media to unify your brand messaging across all platforms as well as to create unity. Non-profits can really utilize the power of social media to get their supporters to rally behind a like cause. Consider appointing a social media street team to help spread unified messages about your organization.

ENGAGE

Don’t just inform your followers, interact with them. Consider using user-generated content. Ask your audience to submit photos and videos as part of a special campaign or to recognize a milestone, such as an anniversary or fundraising goal. Moe’s is celebrating their signature “Welcome to Moe’s” greeting with a fun fan-generated Instagram video contest. They’ve asked fans to upload their own version of the Moe’s welcome and tag it on Instagram. One lucky winner won a $250 gift card to Moe’s (that’s a lot of burritos.) Not only is fan-generated content a fun way to show customer appreciation, it’s a clever way of generating fresh, relevant content.

Social media should be a 24/7 conversation that constantly evolves. If it’s a one-way street of dialogue, then pretty soon you’ll be the only vehicle on the road.

What’s a good social media campaign you have seen lately?
June 21, 2015
Your First Impression Matters

“You never get a second chance at a first impression,” sounds like a tired cliche your mother used to get you to comb your hair as a teenager. But I must say that, too often, professionals lose big when they discount the value of a strong first impression.

We all have heard someone say: “he was not what I expected,” or “I imagined her being different.” Often these comments translate into “he did not look like he had his act together,” or “I expected her to be more professional.” Before you call me shallow and too focused on the veneer of human existence, hear me on this one. I agree we are so much more than the sum total of how we look and dress like. I get that. But no matter how hard we try to get people we meet to see the real us, we will be categorized by our first impression–at least for a while anyway. During those crucial first seconds people will place you somewhere in their minds. We can make a positive impression or a negative one. Most of the time, we hold the power on how that impression is made.

Regardless of our physical attributes, there are several things we can do about creating a first impression that will help us in life. Here are some thoughts:

1. Dress appropriately to your role. Be yourself, but understand that you’re representing your personal brand as well as your professional role. No matter your style, wearing clothing that fits goes a long ways. Ok, this is a pet peeve of mine: coat sleeves that are too long, specially on men, make you look like a child wearing an older sibling hand-me-downs. Scuffed and dull shoes tell people you don’t care about details or finishing a job. You don’t need new shoes to impress someone, just make sure the ones you have are shined.

2. Engage people with your eyes. Nothing says more about you than your eyes. They are true windows to your soul. If you fail to look people in the eye they might think you either have something to hide or you’re uncomfortable with them.

3. Smile. That seems so obvious, but I can’t tell how many people I meet whom will extend a hand but their faces tell a different story. A smile is always appropriate.

4. Get the other person talking about himself. Except for your mother, no one wants to hear how wonderful you are. You can never go wrong with focusing the conversation on your new friend.

5. Assume the person you just met could become a close friend and treat her accordingly. What type of first impression would we make if we approached new people not as strangers but as a new friends we might have for life?

6. Don’t take yourself too seriously. There’s nothing that endears someone to you more than some self-deprecating humor. My friend Wayne Elsey has a famous line. Every time someone compliments him on something he’s wearing, he often answers: Lane Bryant Catalog.

What am I forgetting? Do you have any other points?

May 1, 2015
Social Media Content Strategy That Works
Content is still king in 2014, but how do you generate meaningful social media that provides VALUE? By focusing on creating content that will be:
- Visual
- Amusing
and by making sure you
- Listen
- Unify
- Engage
with your audience.

VISUAL

A picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes a thousand clicks. When you scroll through your news feed on your smart phone, what catches your eye? Photo posts account for 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook. Photos on Facebook generate 53% more likes than the average text only post (Hubspot 2012). Use pictures and video to your advantage by creating compelling images that share the story of your brand and its impact, your brand’s history, and celebrate your customers.

AMUSE

Even the most conservative brands and organizations can have fun. Show your wittier side and your fans will love you. Think about the unpredictable humor behind such traditionally “boring” brands as Old Spice. Their new campaign strategy featuring former football player and actor Isaiah Mustafa was quirky and very, very viral. Old Spice’s online interactive strategy took place over just three days and featured real-time responses to Twitter accounts during “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign. The campaign generated 80K twitter followers in 2 days, bumped up traffic to their website by 300% and Facebook fan interaction jumped 800%. Maybe you don’t have a shirtless guy to promote your brand, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box when appropriate.

LISTEN

According to the Exact Target’s 2014 State of Marketing Report, 60% of marketers were using social listening strategies in 2013 and 24% plan to do so in 2014. Social listening helps you identify opportunities to interact directly with your audience but it’s more than setting up a HootSuite account and monitoring tweets that mention your brand’s name or your conference hashtag. Monitor your social media statistics to see what content resonates best with your fans. Use social media listening to better understand your target audience, respond strategically, and build relationships.

UNIFY

Use social media to unify your brand messaging across all platforms as well as to create unity. Non-profits can really utilize the power of social media to get their supporters to rally behind a like cause. Consider appointing a social media street team to help spread unified messages about your organization.

ENGAGE

Don’t just inform your followers, interact with them. Consider using user-genrated content. Ask your audience to submit photos and videos as part of a special campaign or to recognize a milestone, such as an anniversary or fundraising goal. Moe’s is celebrating their signature “Welcome to Moe’s” greeting with a fun fan-generated Instagram video contest this spring. They’ve asked fans to upload their own version of the Moe’s welcome and tag it on Instagram. One lucky winner will win a $250 gift card to Moe’s (that’s a lot of burritos.) Not only is fan-generated content a fun way to show customer appreciation, it’s a clever way of generating fresh, relevant content.

Social media should be a 24/7 conversation that constantly evolves. If it’s a one-way street or a monologue, then pretty soon you’ll be the only vehicle on the road.
September 2, 2014
If You Tweet It, They Will Come OR Branding, Buzz, And Getting People In

Social media works. Period.

Savvy churches are now using social media to fund raise, organize events, and bring people to Christ.

The old adage that dictated that the pastor of a church had to use the stage for all formal announcements is over. Churches and their communities are plugged in. Communication 101: reach people where they are. And for a large demographic in today’s world that most likely means via social media.

Cross Point Church here in Nashville held an overwhelmingly successful night of praise this week that was completely announced via social media and an impressive 1,500 people showed up to the event. No emails, no church bulletins, no announcements were made. This was pure buzz generated solely via social media. Using powerful imagery and graphics and promoting the event with the hashtags #WorshipNight #OneNightOneVoice, Cross Point built up excitement. By posting on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, they spread their message efficiently and effectively.

Some may argue that social media causes people to feel isolated, but it can also be used by the Church to listen, lift up and love on their communities. By effectively leveraging social media, the Church can build community and engage with people who normally resist setting foot on a church campus, but who are open to watching a live worship cast on their iPad.

Social media is just that – social. It is possible to build meaningful online relationships that lead to meaningful IRL relationships. Millennials especially want that digital connection.

Churches can no longer ignore the power of social media engagement. How is your church adapting to the digital age?

August 28, 2014
Marketing and Technology Come Together: MarTech Conference
When I started The A Group more than 12 years ago, I had no idea I was giving life to a new type of business: martech. We developed in-house technology to make sure our marketing efforts worked and were simple to use. We knew marketing could not live without technology. It was true a decade ago, and even more so now. Not only digital natives demand it, we all do. We browse online, on our mobile devices but often purchase at a physical store. We want the same information on our desktop computer, tablet and phone whenever, wherever. We measure our tolerance to wait for information in mere seconds. Today’s consumer has an attention span of less than 6 seconds.

Last week I attended the first Martech Conference in Boston. The Martech Conference was an integrated conversation of marketing, technology, trends and best practices led by experts, often titled Chief Marketing Technologists (a position that didn’t exist a few years ago). There was a lot of good information and networking, but here are some of the thoughts that resonated with me:
- We are in the age of the consumer and brand expectations have never been as high.
- The new digital marketing tools allow marketers to quantify results and make course adjustments. I once heard someone refer to “marketing voodoo” as a reason not to invest in a campaign. Now we can tie dollar-per-dollar from marketing strategies direct to results.
- Customization is no longer an option. Consumers now expect you to anticipate their needs and customize their next experience. They expect you know what they want to see next time they log in your website. New intelligence allows a completely individualized online experience.
- Data is key to customization and brands, small and big, need to learn how to tap into “big data” in order to deliver the experience consumers expect. That’s no longer an option.
- Omnisource. We want our shopping, church, learning, and even dating experiences to follow us on all of our devices seamlessly.
- Video is still king online. Nothing brings more conversions than video on landing pages.
- Marketing budgets are surpassing IT budgets.
- Marketing technologists have to understand and work on marketing strategy, software integration and IT support to make their companies viable.
How have you experienced the collision of marketing and technology?
August 25, 2014
How I Became a Safe Person

I don’t know when it started, but one day I became a safe person to those around me. Perhaps it’s been part of my own internal make up or perhaps I developed the skills and the temperament it takes to be the kind of a person people around me find “safe.” It’s not unusual for someone I barely know to share something deeply personal and important with me. While I’m honored and humbled, I remember the days where the opposite was true. People would tell me I came across unapproachable and intimidating. So what changed? Obviously I did, and while I might not have enough self awareness to understand the complete metamorphosis process, here’s part of my personal journey that changed me.

I embraced grace for myself and for those around me. In my early twenties my life was a series of black and white pictures. Grace helped me soften the landscape with shades of gray. Once I embraced the grace God has freely given me, I was able to be more gracious to those around me. I could not be a safe person without that understanding. Thinking about it now, I might even call it “shades of grace.”

Failure humbled me. Early in my career I thought I was invincible and to a great degree inerrant. And it was until my late 30’s before I could point out to something I could deem a big failure. I couldn’t take the heat in the career I felt called to and gifted for, so I quit. I walked away. I failed. There’s nothing that gives me more compassion for those who fail than remembering how it felt to come to grips with the fact that my dream was no longer going to happen the way I had planned. It was not going to happen at all.

Age gives me perspective. Age cannot give you wisdom. I’m convinced of that. Time, however, gives you perspective. As I listen to those in the middle of a storm, I can often relate to the feelings of fear and panic that often paralyze us during those situations. I’ve been through them–quite a few of them. Knowing that storms are always temporary no matter how threatening, helps me to listen, comfort and walk with my friends through their own turbulent times.

In which other ways can we become a safe person to those around us?

August 6, 2014
Your Brand Promise and the Importance of the Front Line

Every person in your organization is telling your story. Paid, volunteer, happy or disgruntled, everyone matters when it comes to your brand’s perception. People talk about brand management like it’s something a highly paid executive carefully orchestrates from the company’s headquarters. But more often than not, managing a brand’s perception is left to those at the front lines of contact, such as hourly sales workers or volunteers. Millions of dollars in advertisement cannot overcome a poorly trained or unhappy minimum-wage employee.A while back, I went to the Guess store looking for a shirt. The store was somewhat busy, but soon a helpful sales lady opened a dressing room for me and brought me several shirts she she wanted me to try on. Through the course of the conversation, she asked about my jeans preference and brought me 4 or 5 pairs to try. Beth was great at her job. When something didn’t fit well, she immediately would say, “no, I don’t like that on you.” Soon, what was to be my single shirt purchase had grown into two shirts, a sweater and a pair of jeans.

I left the Guess store feeling good ready to buy some news shoes to match my new purchases. I knew my next stop would have to be the Kenneth Cole store. My experience could have not been any more different. The store was empty of customers with all three sales people standing by the small counter in the middle of the space talking and bobbing their heads to a techno beat–think “Night at the Roxbury.” No one seem to notice me, my large bag of purchases or the fact I was trying on several different pairs of shoes. As I matter of fact, when I asked one of the head-bobbing employees a question about their merchandise, I felt as if I were rudely interrupting their conversation. A great product and brand was tarnished because of poorly trained and managed employees making near minimum wage.

Think about your organization and the people you have at the front lines. Are they contributing to the brand promise you’re trying so hard to build, or are they working against you? Are the greeters at the parking lot creating that great first impression for your church, or are they yelling at the people for parking in the wrong spot, as someone did to me recently? (I wrote about it here) What about the person who answers your telephone? Have you thought of the tone of emails coming out of your organization? Sometimes people don’t realize how short or impatient they come across on their correspondence.

Remember: every exchange matters. Every communication defines your brand, specially the ones at the front lines.

How’s the quality control at your front line?

July 2, 2014
50 Must-Know Mobile Commerce Stats

Mobile is changing the way we buy, sign up and do most everything online. It’s the fastest growing game-changer/disruptor technology since the internet itself. Here’s a great slidershare on the 50 things you should know about mobile commerce.

How have you seen your own purchasing habits change after you adopted a smart phone?

June 10, 2014