Balanced Risk

11/09/2023

You KNOW you're in trouble when you ask social media for help. 😨

29/08/2023

Not the best headline to start your run for presidency.

21/08/2023

Are you thinking 5 steps ahead each time you create a post?

Netizens were quick to slam HDB for the post. Pointing to rising property prices, even as Singaporeans grapple with the hefty cost of living and the impact of inflation, Singaporeans online asserted that the post was unprofessional and unsympathetic to the plight of Singaporeans who are struggling t...

31/05/2022

"It's so easy to start a page. Why do I even need a website?"

Well, because of:
- SEO
- Google search advertising
- Customised layout, not fixed to a page design only
- Own your audience data & tracking pixels for multi-platform remarketing
- Your success is not determined by an algorithm

Yes, we recognize the irony that you're reading this on Facebook, but still- you need a website if you haven't started one yet!

27/05/2022

Too many businesses just have 1 homepage that they drive traffic to. And that's a problem.

You see, when you run ads that promise to solve your customer's problem, the customer expects that the website they visit has more information on that.

But what do they end up seeing? A bucketload of marketing spiel that caters to the general audience. And with the micro-second attention span that online readers have these days, it's blink and you'll forget.

Don't be that business with a non-engaging website. Build landing pages, test them, fix and improve constantly, and measure success.

Read more:

How do you convince your visitors to convert on your website? Get inspired by these brilliant landing page design examples.

26/05/2022

Do spam mails still work?

Sure they do. It's cheap, relatively effective, and admit it, even though you deleted the mail, you briefly considered if you needed it. The same might not be said for online ads these days.

So how can one write the perfect cold mail? Here are 3 easy steps to avoid looking like spam:

1. Define the purpose of the email
2. Make the call to action specific
3. Check whether your CTA is not too much of a request

Read more:

Have you been wondering how best to end your cold emails? Learn how to write a short and clear CTA without sounding salesy.

21/04/2022

This Earth Day, let's look beyond the rapidly declining rainforests the polluted lakes and melting ice caps. Let's be selfish and think about ourselves, and how we need to change the way we build, grow and live.

16/04/2022

Do influencers actually work? We've debated about this ever since the first celebrity started touting products and services that they have no clear affinity to.

In some cases, the choice of having a familiar face front your product is great for business - in the long run, they get associated with their client and the brand affinity runs long after the marketing campaign is over.

But in this age of social media, the length of a social media influencer engagement is as short as the attention span of a social media user - i.e. on 1, 2, or maybe posts. And that's it. Compare this to the traditional advertising cycle that lasts for months and plastered across multiple channels.

So what should you expect from engaging influencers? It's more than just having a famous face represent your business!
1. Brand affinity - So-and-so trusts my business enough to want to use his/her image to support me
2. Brand association - This is a fitness influencer, and I'm selling fitness supplements. So health fans should recognise that my products are great for them!
3. Brand building - I will be growing my brand followers by getting the followers from this influencer to follow me. Pro tip: Make the sure the influencer posts about you clearly, and not hide it in a sneaky, unassuming post about something else.
4. Brand sales - The influencer helps tout my products and drive sales. This then generates ROI.

So a great engagement covers the full marketing and sales cycle from 1 to 4. That gives you most bang for your buck.

Anything less, just save your money for running ad campaigns, or make sure your 'influencer' is getting paid a fairly low fee for his/her 'limited' services.

11/04/2022

"Let's start a Tiktok account. All the kids are on it, we can't wait any longer!"

If this sounds familiar to you, you're not alone. With Tiktok rapidly gaining market share and its army of energetic video creators, brands are clambering on board the short-form video bandwagon.

But then, what next? Are you going to repurpose product ads on a portrait orientation? Or find an intern to dance to the latest moves? Tiktok may be easy to start, but cracking the Gen Z code is proving to be a challenge for brands still coming to terms with Instagram stories.

While there's no perfect formula, consider the unique community engagement that Tiktok offers - participate in hashtag challenges, create reaction videos to trending content and use viral audio clips in your content. It ain't pretty, it may not drive business outcomes, but it sure works and the kids might see you as the cool grandpa.

And with that, let's take a moment to commiserate with the challenges faced by a fellow social media professional -

TikTokers helped a lady grow the corporate account she was managing after she shared a video ranting about her struggles.