Charlotte Rae Digital

27/03/2024

Community is reshaping the marketing landscape ⛰️

This quote from Mark Schaefer's book 'Belonging to the Brand' is worth noting: 👉 “Helping a person belong to something represents the ultimate marketing achievement. If a customer opts into an engaging, supportive and relevant brand community, we no longer need to lure them into our orbit with ads and SEO, right? What we used to consider marketing is essentially over.”

He reckons that 'community is the last great marketing strategy'. What do you think? 💭

24/03/2024

❌ No budget
❌ No resource
❌ No strategy or not following their current strategy
❌ No understanding of the importance of community management
❌ Some brands may not realise that building a community around their product or service is important and should be a focus.

At the risk of sounding like a sleazy saleslady, whatever the reason, I have a solution to fit around your community roadblocks. If you have a product you're selling, you should be investing in community management 🎤💥

✅ Happy customers at every touchpoint
✅ Boosting brand awareness
✅ Identifying areas of improvement or innovations
✅ Sharing valuable business info
✅ Preventing a digital crisis
✅ Looking 'alive' on social media vs. a tumbleweed.

Ready to invest in your community but maybe not sure where to start? Pop a 🧡 in the comments below.

20/03/2024

It's always an absolute treat to receive this kind of feedback. 🌹💘 I helped create a few client press releases for Reigning Social so if your business needs any help with writing tasks, flick me a message. ⌨️

17/01/2024

You think you want brand new, viral, fresh content being pumped out faster than a shooting star while comments go unanswered, 🧯 but you *actually* want to know ways to foster a community of digital devotees who resonate and LOVE what you're already putting out there. 💫

I hear this all the time... your digital community shouldn't! be! taking! the! backseat!

17/01/2024

Really great article by Social Simulator about how businesses need to adapt to different types of crises. 🌏

The earth is warming at an increasingly rapid rate. While world powers and government entities work to combat climate change, the global population has experienced increased severity of hurricanes and frequency of natural disasters. These...

14/01/2024

I've told anyone who isn't sick of listening that "2024 will be the year that brands wake up and smell the community management coffee". ☕

There's space to take on new work from March 2024 onwards!

If you've been contemplating strategies to enhance your digital community, OR if you're feeling the urge to make a change but lack clarity, let's connect and discuss. Send me a message. ✨

20/12/2023

At the beginning of this year, I was optimistic about where my business was going. I had just finished up some big chunks of work with my business coach Rachel Your Digital Coach.

I was ready to take it to the next level, and for the first 6 months of 2023, I seriously considered quitting my business and getting an office job. This year has been so hard. In more ways than one. It's felt like setback after setback - but the horrors persist, and so do I. 👻

I've learned quickly that businesses need digital community specialists, and that no one is doing exactly what I want to do/offer. So, I'm gonna keep going!

Here's to those sticking with it, even when it's hard.
Here's to those who quit business ownership because it's not for them anymore.
And here's to those who have finally found their business sweet spot!

S**t, it's a journey, but the teachings are continuing to help shape exactly what I offer, and I'm going to welcome whatever 2024 brings me.

Have a fabulous and restorative break, everyone. Remember to switch off and get that tech-free time! See you in the New Year ✨

02/12/2023

22/11/2023

Post Malone: 21st November 2023. The Outer Fields, Auckland, New Zealand. Review by Charlotte Lightbody, photography by David Watson.

29/10/2023

Wrote about The Chicks last night for Ambient Light - what an incredible show! 🤠

The Chicks: 28th October 2023. Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand. Review by Charlotte Lightbody, with photography by Doug Peters.

01/10/2023

Because being 'too niche' in my opinion has never resulted in anything negative. My focus is on assisting businesses in creating strong and interconnected online communities through tactics such as strategy, team building, content creation, and communications. This service is valuable for several reasons:

🔸 I have a genuine passion for digital community building and have personally witnessed its positive effects both online and offline.
🔸 The world is becoming increasingly connected online. Brands must act now or risk being left behind.

Establishing a robust digital community around your brand can lead to higher sales, greater brand awareness, improved brand image, a more active online presence, and valuable feedback for business growth.

If you're interested in working together or learning more about how I can help, let's have a conversation ✨

30/09/2023

I work with:
🔸 Businesses that have been established for 2-3 years
🔸 Those with an existing online community
🔸 Those who already recognise the value of community but may need guidance on how to cultivate it
🔸 Individuals who are willing to experiment and have some fun.

We may not be a good fit if:
❌ Your business is brand new
❌ You are seeking a quick-fix service
❌ You have a history of late invoice payments.

28/09/2023

Managing a digital community? You’ll need a Crisis Comms Plan with that ✔️ Get my easy-to-use, FREE template that you can customise here: https://charlotteraedigital.myflodesk.com/crisis-comms-planner

29/08/2023

It's been two days since New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria began, and there's still plenty of time to come down and experience the excitement. The public can enjoy a variety of free events. Visit www.nzfashionweek.com to check out the schedule.

28/08/2023

And we're off! 🚀 New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria is an internationally recognised event, elevating the creative and innovative New Zealand/Aotearoa fashion industry. Grateful to be spending the next few days here celebrating and helping to showcase the talents of our Kiwi designers.

27/08/2023

Gearing up for the much anticipated New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria which is starting tomorrow! ✨

Very excited to spend the week writing for some truly incredible designers. Will I be seeing any of you there?

27/08/2023

Attention digital community managers 📢 are you labelling your incoming message and comment queries?

Start labelling incoming queries and grouping them by the topics or issues customers are bringing to your attention. This will help you pinpoint their difficulties and frustrations, show trends, and allow you to work to improve the way your brand responds to their needs.

Labels can include things like phrases, keywords, campaign names and profanity. They're particularly important if you're wanting to monitor a potential digital crisis too. Better living everyone 🧡

24/08/2023

It's when the brown stuff starts hitting the whirly thing 💩 But really, a digital crisis can look like SO many things depending on the business and industry. Keep reading.

🔎 Examples include controversial content being posted, politically charged comments, blatant racism, natural disasters, health crises, privacy loss, data mishandling and power outages. Even events that happen offline and aren’t seemingly related to the business or even the industry you’re in can turn ugly when it manifests there later (it always does) and it’s not handled correctly.

💥 Want to know what the heck you're doing next time s**t hits the fan? Download my FREE Crisis Communications Plan at the link in my bio 📱

21/08/2023

When it comes to the internet - the 9-5 day doesn't exist. It's always humming—24/7. That's why a brand’s community management team should also ideally operate around the clock 🕗

These days, customers feel empowered to share thoughts and concerns directly via social media with brands, without changing channels or waiting—which is why constant moderation of comments, direct messages, tags etc. is essential 👂

It's a sure thing ✔️ Community management is now synonymous with customer service. Customer demands are greater than they once were—customer care now encompasses public relations, crisis management, market opportunities + more.

It's an exciting (and sometimes stressful) time to be building a digital community, that's for sure!

18/08/2023

I love working with clients who are genuinely trying to reduce their environmental footprint 🌏 MyFurbaby offers super healthy dog food delivered right to your door! 🐕 Check them out if you're a pet parent looking for a grain-free, tasty, biscuit alternative without plastic packaging.

27/07/2023

Who would I be if I didn't give the glorious .agency a shoutout? 💫 A brilliant talent and all-round super nice human and past client. Go check out her work 💚 https://www.withjane.agency/

24/07/2023

A little past client shout out because if you're feeling a little on the drier side you might enjoy some deliciously hydrating UHO body oil. Packed full of nourishing ingredients like mānuka oil, kawakawa and kiwifruit seed oil. It leaves your skin healthy and soft 🕊️

18/07/2023

Thoughts on now that Instagram’s text-based conversation app has been out for over a week? 🧵 I'm truly excited to see what comes of this easy, effortless and chatty social media channel as time goes on in terms of community building.

I also hope that if brands jump on the threadwagon, they do so with the understanding of WHY people are there. No need for a hectic strategy, please. Especially as many conversations I've witnessed include the incredibly freeing vibe of not being marketed to.

FYI: Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes. You can easily share a post on your Instagram story or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.

13/07/2023

Honestly, I should do a TEDxAuckland talk on this sometimes because I've seen a lot. Often, what you may think constitutes a digital crisis is an easy fix! 🧰 A digital crisis could look like any of the following:

💼 Operational-based: This could look like controversial content being posted, politically charged comments, blatant racism, or attention to detail gone wrong.

💰 Financial-based: Examples include things like bankruptcy or store closures.

👱 Personnel-based: This kind of crisis could be controversial behaviour from disgruntled customers, employees, ex-employees, stakeholders or influencers.

☔ Natural-based: Things like natural disasters, health crises, building fires and floods.

⚡ Technology-based: Privacy loss, data mishandling and power outages.

Want your own Crisis Management Plan Template? Grab it from my resources: https://www.charlotterae.co.nz/

10/07/2023

The brands who get it have it in the bag 👜 Slide into my DMs if you *think* you might need a community management strategy and I'll give you ONE tip on how to build a group of raving brand advocates ✔️

03/07/2023

Missed my live webinar on Digital Boost? Rewatch it here - All about how to harness epic community management! 🥰

02/06/2023

Kia ora, Hey, Hellooooooo 👋 It's me, Charlotte - the cackling digital community specialist behind the brand. I started this business because I've always loved helping others and truly value transparency in the marketing realm because sometimes it feels like a rodeo 🤠

I have a strong background in social media marketing, but also in customer service. So combining both felt natural and was something I haven't seen many others diving into.

*I also offer copywriting and content creation services because sometimes it's better to just offer all the things you love doing instead of whittling it down. It's like picking a favourite pet or child... 🤷‍♀️

30/05/2023

Feeling lost when it comes to truly understanding your digital community and potential biz prospects? 😭🌏

Improve your community management to create exceptional experiences and gain insights. Start now, whether you're launching, managing, or improving a digital community. There's never a bad time, really...

Let's chat. We'll talk about communities for a bit. I can hold your hand if needed and we can smash this out together with a tailored Community Management Strategy 💥

26/05/2023

I know, I know, it's BRIGHT, but my new branding is fun, fresh, zesty, energetic and EXACTLY what I wanted 🍊

A very special shout out to Braid Road for nailing my extremely loose brief and coming up with this *quite frankly* perfect branding, which I couldn't be happier with 🧡

Strap in and check out www.charlotterae.co.nz for the full experience!