266: What 2 months in South East Asia taught me about marketing

Just came back from 2 months in Southeast Asia and let me tell you... their marketing and business approaches are interesting! I wanted to share some with you. 

While exploring Vietnam and the Philippines, I couldn't help but notice so many creative forms of marketing and just how they connect with customers.

From tour guides who take your phone underwater to capture perfect snorkeling photos (so you can just enjoy the experience!) to fun ways businesses encourage reviews... we can learn from what I saw!

If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag us @contentqueenmariah.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GET YOUR TICKET TO GOOD CONTENT MARKETING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS 👇

✨ The power of reviews and feedback - how Southeast Asian businesses creatively incentivize reviews 

✨ Why WhatsApp is transforming customer engagement (and how to adapt this for your business) 

✨ How to add more novelty and fun to your marketing approach 

✨ Why the sale is just the beginning of your customer relationship

SHOW RESOURCES 👇

If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @contentqueenmariah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Other than that, enjoy - chat next week 💕

PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

This is episode 266, and I'm sharing three things that I learned about marketing and business when traveling Southeast Asia for the last two months.  Welcome to the Content Queen podcast. I'm your host, Mariah, entrepreneur, storyteller, creator of Content Bootcamp and founder of Content Queen. I'm here to teach you how to share your unique story.

Create content and market your business with strategy through the channels that work for you. Each week I'll deliver a story to help you connect to a powerful strategy around marketing, business, and content creation. I'll also be joined by amazing sales and entrepreneurs for you to share their own journey along with actual steps to help you take your business to a whole new level.

Do amazing storytelling, powerful land marketing, and content strategy. Let's do it. Hello, gang. How are we? Hope you're having a amazing time wherever you are.  As you know, I'm back in Australia.  We've been back for like. Just over two weeks now and it's time to reflect on what happened when we're in Southeast Asia.

It was a really great time. Obviously, we were planning on being there for a little bit longer than we were but we've come home to Australia so that we can sort a few things out including Mitch getting citizenship, which will be amazing. And we're going to buy a bus and we're going to travel Australia and renovate the bus and it's going to be very fun.

So there's lots of fun things happening. It just didn't happen in the way that we had intended in the beginning. We always wanted to invest in a bus, just not this soon. So that's great. It's all part of the journey. And I think, uh, I've talked about this before in like previous newsletters and things.

When this happened, we were like, so  Oh my god,  this is really annoying because we had our path, we had our journey, we know what we wanted to do, and we've had to change and tweak it. But, Mitch and I sat down and did like a 10 year vision, and within the vision was all those things that we wanted to do.

Because we had that kind of strategy and that vision, we were just able to tweak it, so we weren't like so down and depressed. We were literally like, oh my god that was really annoying, and we were sad for like 12 hours. And then we sprang into action because we had had our plan and we knew what we wanted to do and we could do it.

Tweak and change it. It's so different in business, in marketing, if you have a proper strategy and a plan and a path forward and a vision, you just make those tweaks and changes as you go when things like quote unquote hit the, when like shit hits the fan.  You have that backbone and that's why it's not like having a content marketing strategy isn't about holding you down and making sure that you have no flow or no creative energy.

It's actually to give you the space to do that. If you have that plan, you know what you're doing, and things, you do want to shift, or you do want to make a change, you've got a starting point, you've got that baseline. So, my audio guide that you can download for free in the show notes is going to take you through how to kind of build that out.

So you can have that, like, flexibility, but also that structure, so that when you don't know what to do, you're feeling really unclear, you have a path forward. So, that's what happened with us. We now are so excited for that next adventure, because We had that plan. We did that work. So I will stop on that tangent because let's talk Southeast Asia.

We had the best time. We were there for two months. We traveled Vietnam and the Philippines. On my personal profile, I'm going to be doing, which is Mariah underscore content queen. It was kind of like the founders page. I'm gonna be posting some videos on a quick recap, which made them over the weekend.

They look amazing. Lots of drone footage. Yeah, if you want to go to the Philippines or Vietnam, like, hit me up because I've been to Vietnam a few times. I think the itinerary we did in the Philippines worked really well for us, and I have heaps to share. So, and I know so many people going to the Philippines.

It's It's pretty cool. So I need to do some content on our itinerary, but  of course when we're there, we're nomading and we're also  looking at the marketing lens. I think, and I was talking about this with Mitch on Saturday, it's both a blessing and a curse at the same time that Mitch and I work in the same field because we're so passionate about it that we finally talk about it all the time.

So sometimes you don't get that sort of break, but we were so intrigued by like different Marketing techniques and we were always like looking at things and oh, we really loved how they did that or we really like what they did there or, you know, so I wanted to share some of the things that we noticed that was pretty cool and why I think it's really important for us to think about when we're marketing our businesses.

or, you know, setting things up. And there was just some other little things, like honorable mentions that I want to note. It's just like the level of detail. Say like, for example, the tour guide in the Philippines, if you went snorkeling or whatever, they, and you had your phone in like a Waterproof case, they would take it down and get all your photos and all your content and then you would have all this amazing stuff on your phone and you didn't have to, you could just enjoy it.

Right? So that is the power of delivering a really good service. I think if you can make your clients feel like that, it just makes  bigger difference for their overall life and business. For example, with me and my clients, like if I'm doing the groundwork and I'm thinking about the marketing. strategy and things like that, then they can go and enjoy their business in other parts, or they can go and,  you know, build strategic plans, sell their offerings, deliver a great service, which like kind of continues to fill up that pipeline.

So whether you're service based product, whatever.  It's about making your target audience's life easier so that they can enjoy the process of whatever they're doing. So just think about it from that lens. And that's what I really enjoyed about the tours that we did is we come away with all these beautiful memories and we could enjoy it at the same time.

So think about how you could do that lens for your clients. And I was thinking about it for my own clients and I think it's um, super impactful.  But anyway, I'm going to share my three. The first one, which I think is very important, is  power of feedback and review. So this was something that in Vietnam and the Philippines they were really like  really adamant on getting reviews.

So basically, and I listened to a podcast a while ago about referral review, things like that, and the woman on the podcast said it doesn't matter like how great your marketing is, if you're not continually filling up that pipeline, because of word of mouth feedback reviews, then your product or service  So you could have the best marketing plan, but if you're not continuing to build that retention or that feedback loop, then it is really hard to build a sustainable business.

And I felt like in Vietnam, in the Philippines, they were always keen on getting feedback. They offered things for reviews. You know, for example,  we were in Vietnam, in Hanoi, and we went to this shop and bought these really cool jumpers. And, The place had awesome, like,  prints and they, um,  credited all the local artists and they said, you know, if you leave a review on your experience and your product, you get a free, um, little postcard, which I think if you're watching in the video, it is  up there somewhere.

And Yeah, so of course we left a review because we wanted the cool postcard and it's not that I didn't want to leave a review and it's not tricking me into leaving a review. It's just that I'm busy and I wouldn't have done it outside of leaving. So just to give that little incentive to leave a review while you're there I think is really cool and it was a really nice touch.

The same thing happened at a cafe. It was a Harry Potter themed cafe. It was very cool. And if you left a review, you got a a necklace. Um, but then even not just incentives, like a lot of the Airbnb hosts or that, you know, they have, and I'm going to talk about that in point two, had my WhatsApp number. So some of them have gotten into touch in touch with me weeks after and said, Hey, here's a link, you know, do you mind leaving a review?

We'd really appreciate it. And, and bits and pieces like that. If you could share with your friends and family, a lot of them were always like, please share with your friends and family. And you want to. And it's a simple ask, but I find a lot of the times we get so busy and so caught up in what we're doing, we, not all of us, but some of us, and I'm guilty of it too, don't spend the time asking our clients and customers for reviews.

I've started building case studies on my website, these sort of marketing, which is essentially content, it is content created by someone else for you. But even how can you turn that into content and use that after the fact? But I think it's just. It's very important because without feedback, reviews, um, word of mouth, I think businesses fall flat.

So if you can spend some time focusing on that, I think it would be amazing. And then the second one, which was I spoke about how a lot of them had my WhatsApp number. A lot of, in Southeast Asia, they use a lot of WhatsApp.  So WhatsApp is a massive form of communication, but I found this so refreshing and I haven't seen this in Australia.

Whereas like I can quickly reach out to someone on WhatsApp. It doesn't matter. Why my number is, if it's an Australian number,  a Filipino number, a Vietnamese number, like I can contact someone. And it's that level of engagement and experience that you have with the business before you go on a tour, go to their accommodation, whatever it is.

And obviously some of us don't all need WhatsApp as a form of communication. But if you are client facing and talking with clients and have a service, I think that communication channel that is very easy for people to reach out to you and to get hold of your number. is very important because it allows you to create that engagement straight away.

So even on tours where we were going to be late, I could message them and communicate with them and get a reply straight away. If I email, like I'm not going to get a reply. It's not going to happen. Who checks their emails as much as they check their WhatsApps. So the example that I want to share is we were on an overnight ferry and there's a massive delay overnight on the ferry and it doesn't often happen.

We were meant to jump on a tour like the next morning. We're going to completely miss it. So I was able to WhatsApp the company and say, look, this is our situation. This is what's happening, obviously. Cause it's WhatsApp. They replied straight away. I couldn't call them cause they didn't quite have enough reception or, and I didn't even really have a call data pack to be fair.

And there was a solution straight away. They put us on a private tour. We paid a little bit extra, which was fine. We're happy to do that. And we could then enjoy the rest of our time knowing that. We were going to get a tour at the end of the day. So there's just that level of engagement that you have.

And then, of course, they could reach out to me and ask for reviews, or we could have that really personal conversation that was Beyond formal email or, you know, Instagram messages even. I feel like that WhatsApp direct one on one conversation is really powerful and it creates really great engagement. So,  for you, where's that communication channel that's very easy to get in touch with you?

Maybe it is Instagram. Then how are you using that to engage? You know, if someone signs up to your workshop, are you, like a lot of them reach out to me on WhatsApp to say, Hey, you know, you're booked into our Airbnb. This is a number. Reach out to me whenever you need. Obviously at mass scale, it's not ideal, but if you are creating really intimate experiences, how can you use a communication channel that might not be email to really meet?

Okay. directly one on one reach out. One of the things that I do is I have, you know, in any opt in, I ask for their social media handle. And then what we do is we reach out to those people on Instagram and just check in and follow them and engage with them. So that level of engagement, I really loved in Southeast Asia.

And I think we could do a lot better. And the third one is novelty. I find that in Southeast Asia, there's just this great novelty around marketing, everything's fun, the things that they offer is like,  yeah, it's just got this level of novelty to it, a level of fun, these fun elements, even, you know, their billboards or their advertising, for example, you know, you go to a shop like Dunkin Donuts and they've got like all their products are just fun and they might have like a promotion for a certain movie or a certain TV show, which I think we do in Australia.

I think we definitely do it, but I feel like in places like Vietnam and Southeast Asia, I saw a lot more come to life. I felt like everything, and even the level of service, right? For example, like we found, um, Souvenirs and things like that, like the level of  fun and engagement that they have with tourists, with even their own customers within their own country, like, they just add that level of fun.

Yeah, so, and there's this level of experience, so,  Mitch just gave me this idea, is basically it's not just when we sell that product, that's when the service ends, that's when it begins. So, there's all these things that they have around it, you know, like the upsells and the, um, Uh, you know, you go on a tour and there's all these other little things that you do along that adventure that I think it's like, it doesn't just end when you get that purchase and that money, that's only the beginning of it.

So there is a lot of fun in the way that they market, in the way that they sell, everything's an up sell, everything is, you know, it's not just that one experience that you do, it's a whole journey. So  For example, how can we bring more novelty into our marketing campaigns, into our services, into our business?

And then how can we also think about, okay, as soon as that person has made a purchase, that's just where the beginning of it. How can we, you know, bring that engagement along?  I had a client the other day reach out and say like, Oh, I've got, you know, how can we engage with people? We've made this business change.

How can we get people involved in it more? So there's always, that's like the novelty of it. How can we get people to come along that journey still and be part of it? So there was a lot of things that we experienced in Southeast Asia. As I said, we were there for two months. We had the best time, but. It's always cool to see different, how different countries market to their audience, how they engage, how they just deliver a service.

I did another one on South South America when we finish there. So I'll link that in the show notes if you want to listen to that as well. But I think that's the amazing thing about going to different countries, different cultures, different cities, different, you know, and that's, we can experience that online.

We can be very intrigued with how different people market. But I also just found that  There was that level of engagement that we had in Southeast Asia with the organization that I haven't seen done well in other countries. So I think if one thing you could take away is think about the engagement of your audience and how you continue to bring them along your service even after they've made a purchase.

So they were my three things. If you've traveled to different countries, if you've traveled to Southeast Asia, I'd love to know like what other Things that you think are quite interesting or what things you've noticed about marketing and selling and business. Um, message me, tell me, I'd love to hear it, but that's all I have for today.

Be a content queen or king and remember that developing your strategy and story develops your business. Thank you so much for joining me today and please don't forget to share this with all your business and entrepreneurial friends. You can do this by adding it to your instastories and tag me at contentqueenmariah or just tell them about it.

If you do rate and review on whatever platform you listen to this on, it does help me get more guests, more content, more value to you. So, please leave a rate and review and follow us on Instagram, TikTok. I just created a video recently. On an experience I had where I lost four and a half, four thousand, yeah, four and a half thousand dollars from a ex client, so if you're a freelancer or a business owner and you're intrigued to hear that journey, follow it on TikTok and watch it.

Yes, I made a lot of mistakes, but I share them so that you don't. And let me know if there's any topics you want me to talk about in the future, I would love to cover them, but I'll talk to you next week. Bye! 

PodcastMariah MacInnesmarketing, marketing advice, how to be authentic online, business ownerComment