How Important Is Reactivity In Digital Marketing?

Companies that respond to current events and online conversations could be more successful than those that don’t.

That’s because this strategy enters them into the public discourse, providing exposure to the day’s critical topics. 

Reactivity in digital marketing seeks to do three things: 

• Focus on what is happening now (by tailoring communications to current events instead of sticking to calendars that schedule everything in advance)

• Responding in real-time to events (by making thoughtful and valuable contributions, riding a wave of buzz)

• Engaging with trends (by spotting viral moments and incorporating them into brand strategy)

Most companies don’t rely on reactivity in marketing 100 per cent. Instead, they combine it with planned campaigns to meet their goals. 

Taking a musical analogy, reactivity is like improvisation on top of an established score. It adds extra flair to outreach. 

The Importance of Reactivity in Digital Marketing

Reactivity in digital marketing is crucial for staying relevant and competitive in today's fast-paced landscape.

How critical is reactivity, and should every brand use it? It depends considerably on the firm’s objectives and whether this approach can help. 

1. Supercharged Engagement

Brands don’t always succeed in engagement through conventional channels. Companies can find grabbing attention hard when their marketing campaigns don’t reflect users’ immediate interests. 

For these firms, reactivity might be a promising strategy. Companies can communicate with their audiences directly by discussing current events and trends affecting them. It can also help draw additional prospects into the conversation through shared interests. 

By contrast, reactivity isn’t as essential when companies already have strong engagement. Some brands naturally attract more interest than others, perhaps because they are aspirational or cater to their audiences’ hobbies. In these cases, keeping up with current trends (especially those outside the industry) may be irrelevant. 

2. Capitalise On Trends

Reactivity can also assist digital marketing by capitalising on trends. Companies using it successfully can boost their online presence and relevance. 

It can also change how people perceive the brand. For example, the language-learning app revealed its edgier side when it responded to Elon Musk’s rebranding of Twitter to “X” by posting a Twitter grave-related meme. 

Of course, it’s not the only company to do this. For example: 

• SEO marketing tool service, SEMrush, responded to the new live-action The Little Mermaid trailer by posting a meme about how marketers feel on Monday (the happy cartoon depiction of Flounder) and how they feel on Friday (the expressionless and numb depiction of Flounder in the new live-action movie)

• Fast food joint, Wendy, joined in with The Bear memes on X, posting photos of Chef Carmy looking dismayed at random drive-thru orders

• Dunkin’ Donuts partnered with Ben Affleck (an actor famous for looking miserable while holding the company’s products in movies) where he operated a restaurant’s drive-thru lane for an afternoon, with bemused customers surprised to see him serving them

However, moving fast enough to capitalise on most trends is challenging. Hopping on board with memes can work, but it is risky. Firms need someone who understands how they work and what’s funny. Nothing is worse than trying to be hip and ending up cringe-worthy. 

3. Enhance Brand Visibility and Generate Authenticity

Reactive marketing enables brands to show their audience who they are, what they do, and their values. It helps to strip away corporate blandness and showcase the real characters behind the operation. 

For example, brands that jump on the latest trends can better establish their voice. Companies can craft witty responses to memes, using them as sounding boards to show more of who they are. 

Reactive marketing campaigns can also generate unscripted moments. Behind-the-scenes glimpses of how firms work make them more relatable than ads polished to a fault. 

Lastly, companies can use reactivity to stand up for what they feel is right. Pointing out an injustice or promoting social responsibility can help some brands in various situations. 

Again, though, firms must be careful. Engaging with controversial topics can create divisions and even put off some audience members. For example, condemning one political figure and promoting another will likely alienate a segment of the customer base. 

The Value Of Reactivity In Digital Marketing

Having read this post, you should better understand the value of reactivity in digital marketing. It is an essential tool to complement existing planned strategies. 

Finding a good digital marketing blog that covers this topic will help you learn more about it. The better you understand how it works, the more you can leverage it for your enterprise.