It’s been on the market a little while now and we’re sure you’ve heard of it (for the savvier amongst you, are already even using it). Still, we feel that BuzzSumo hasn’t quite got the credit it deserves –now tipped by some to be one of THE business tools for 2019, we thought we should help it get a little more recognition.

So then, what is BuzzSumo?

Well, BuzzSumo offers a number of different services, with the overall aim of ensuring that you can most effectively optimise that all-important new marketing strategy for 2019.

Who’s talking about your brand and sharing your content? What are visitors most interested in on your website? BuzzSumo is first and foremost a monitoring tool but there is a lot more it can do. Wish to find out the most talked-about trends and topics in your industry, what kind of content your target audience wants and which influencers you should be in contact and building relationships with? BuzzSumo provides you with a full overview and analysis. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, it also helps give real insight into what your competition is up to.

With this greater understanding, you should be much better equipped to create a great marketing strategy that you now know is guaranteed to perform.

If you’re not already, it may well be time to give it a go.

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There’s never a dull moment in the communications industry, and 2018 has certainly been no slouch. This year, we’ve seen the roll-out of GDPR, 1.9bn people tuning in to watch Harry and Meghan getting married, Apple achieving a market cap of $1tn, as well as the UK gradually limping towards Brexit.

And we’re sure that 2019 will be no different; in fact, here’s how we think it’ll shape up.

1. FAANGs will keep being bitten: Governments will continue to see privacy and data handling infringements and continue to prosecute brands like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google – but the megabrands will also throw their weight around. If Zuckerberg can ignore a Parliamentary summons, he’ll keep doing so – but we anticipate that more ugly truths about social networks will continue to rear their ugly heads
2. Digital Rebound: As trust in major social networks declines, there will be a slow and gentle backlash against digital channels. The ‘online/offline’ division will cease to be important, with the upshot that the online world eventually loses its halo. Consumers will start to realise the value of real, physical interactions rather than social feeds that provide fat rather than protein to their social diets
3. Companies achieve comms balance:With the ‘social influencer’ hype over, organisations will lose their magpie tendencies and work towards balanced comms plans, regarding channels as exactly that – rather than seeing them as strategies
4. eSports starts to be seen as mainstream: Brands (and gamers!) have been pushing at this for a long time, with all kinds of firms getting involved and wanting a slice of the pie. With Epic Games putting $100m behind Fortnite tournaments for a single year – three times the Wimbledon prize pot – the gaming world is fast ascending and 2019 see more eSports coverage than any other year to date
5. Skills for the AI world: This trend cuts across more than just the comms and marketing industry, every industry is impacted by AI in some way. We’ve all come across the drive for ‘soft skills’ – like management, leadership, writing etc, but a new generation of soft skills will emerge that are crucial in the AI world. They represent something robots can’t do and will include emotional intelligence, strategic decision making and ethics
6. Death of being ‘marketed to’: If marketing isn’t entertaining then customers won’t engage. Webinars are becoming more like chat shows, inviting the audience in. People follow brand social feeds if it’s a fun experience and entertaining, not just to keep track of deals
7. The funnel is changing: The current sales funnel prioritises transactional relationships but that’s changing rapidly. Brands are winning over customers in micro-moments, or may even lose them that fast, for example on price. The key here is building trust and genuine relationships to foster loyalty – but know that customers won’t always be loyal with so much choice!

One Touch Wonder is a growing trend that any client or PR agency should jump on.  It’s what all those time-starved people out there want – one touch and a problem is sorted, a question is answered, or a service is delivered.

How will One Touch Wonder influence your PR success?

The need for One Touch Wonder is encouraging innovation in businesses, and when done well is very PRable. In the UAE, you can push one button on your fridge door to get your favourite pizza delivered. In Paris, you can push one button on your fridge door to get bottled water delivered. In Ibiza, you can sign off for hotel extras with a finger print. Innovation like this sets a client apart from its competitors – it catches the imagination and spreads like wildfire, often propelled by social media with some behind the scenes encouragement and pushing, of course.

There’s a bit of One Touch Wonder here at Firefly too; via some clever apps which will help you to watch the success of our PR campaigns roll.

We view analytics reports and see the increase in views to our client’s website once a release or piece of content has gone out. We can see which sites are generating the most traffic, how long people stay on the page for, which pages they read and which organisation they are from.

Is One Touch Wonder making your life easier?

My kids get their school dinners by swiping their finger prints, if they spend over a certain amount it’s flagged to me by an email alert.

I just walk up to my car, get in it, push a button and drive away. No need to scramble for keys.

My public transport card auto loads payment as I swipe through barriers, I get an email alert just for the record. I never have to queue.

One Touch Wonder is built into Firefly’s business operations.

We make life for our clients as easy as possible.

Client satisfaction is critical for us. With a handy little SaaS tool, in one click we can see on a monthly basis whether our clients are happy or not.  If they’re not happy, we know instantly and it prompts an email alert followed by a phone call to discuss what we need to do better.

With just one email address, our clients can reach their whole team. We make sure that between us we cover mail 24/7 and the right person will pick up the actions or deal with the instruction or issue. Our clients don’t have to think who to call, and don’t have to double check we’ve got the message.

For some clients, one point of contact is what they want. And in those situations they are given their own dedicated client handler: someone who is there to take on their strain, available pretty much 24/7 within reason, someone who really understands them completely and can anticipate and solve any problems or challenges coming down the line.

The problem is when we come to expect One Touch Wonder as the norm, what comes next? Probably mind reading? Now wouldn’t that be great!