It has been ten years! TWT Audio marks a decade of innovation, growth, and inspiration. To celebrate the milestone, we're kicking off a special series: 10th Anniversary Interviews with Leadership.
In this series, we'll delve into the experiences, challenges, and lessons learned by our leadership team. But most importantly, we'll explore the vision for the future.
Get ready for insights on leadership, industry trends, and the secrets behind the success of TWT Audio. This first interview features Danny. Let's dive in and see what they have to share.
1. As the CMO, how do you approach developing marketing strategies that resonate with educators and align with your mission in the education sector?
“Understanding the customers and end users is the driving force behind TWT Audio and how we approach the market. Having been born out of the classroom and fulfilling a need for better audio, this holds true today when we look to build a better, more durable audio option that can withstand students' daily usage. We understand the downtime a teacher will have if units are not working. As it turns out, our offerings sound great, too.”
2. Can you share a successful marketing campaign you've led that specifically targeted educators and what made it effective?
“One of our successful marketing campaigns was our REVO benefits program, which saw a significant uptick in traffic to the website via our email marketing campaign and social postings. The open rate was extremely high, and click-through rates were as well. This campaign was great as the initial launch of the REVO series was just months prior, and this was coming off the continuation of the product line with our Bluetooth and REVO USB-C models.”
3. How do you stay informed about trends and ensure your marketing efforts remain innovative and impactful in the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape?
“Our marketing team consistently reads and follows social media and marketing trends in education and general marketing. We work with several outside teams to keep us at the forefront of digital marketing while consistently updating and refining our in-person marketing efforts.”
4. How do you tailor marketing messages to address educators' unique needs and challenges in different regions?
“Knowing your audience is critical for tailoring your messaging. TWT Audio attends over 25 conferences and trade shows, each where we have countless conversations with end users, potential customers, and old clients. This feedback helps us form our messaging regarding what educators are looking for, which varies significantly from a traditional end user. An example would be durability in the classroom, followed by isolation in the microphone so multiple students aren’t heard in the background—something that is not necessarily common in a traditional setting.”
5. With the rise of social media, how does your marketing strategy leverage these platforms to engage with educators and build a sense of community around your brand?
“Staying up to date with social media helps TWT Audio as a brand communicate directly with teachers using our products daily. It's one thing to sell to a district or school, but the feedback from the educators administering testing or a lesson plan is the most valuable feedback we can receive. TWT Audio’s Social media is a great way to inform our users about new products, trade shows we will be attending, or sales we may have occasionally.”
6. How do you balance data-driven marketing decisions with the need for creativity and empathy in connecting with educators and understanding their perspectives?
“Everyone looks at ROI regarding marketing expenditures, but TWT Audio has always tried doing it differently. We understand that educators are consumers just like everyone else and should be treated as such. Catalog ordering is not the norm, so we try to bring some life into our campaigns and connect on a personal level.“
7. Can you discuss the role of storytelling in your marketing efforts, particularly in conveying the impact of your products and services on education?
“The role of storytelling is extremely important to TWT Audio as our story best sells our product. We were born in the classroom by a former ed tech director, who was tired of throwing out trash bags of headphones (this really happened; we have photos to prove it also). From there, we looked at the four pillars of building a headphone and headset that spans five different product lines, each with unique characteristics. To this day, we are a small family-oriented company looking to help educators with their daily lessons and get more out of the tools they have been equipped with.”
8. What metrics do you prioritize when evaluating the success of marketing campaigns targeting educators, and how do you adjust strategies based on the insights gained?
“Open and click-through rates come to mind immediately as they pertain to email marketing sends. Our lists are made up of leads we felt were truly qualified at a conference or convention; thus, when those educators open and click, it is direct input from our marketing efforts. We are always looking to grow our email lists and subscribers.
Another metric that comes to mind is the number of unique users to the site and time on site, as we have a wealth of information on our blog. Seeing people using this information as intended is rewarding, as it is a free educational resource.“
9. Given your experience, how do you approach partnerships and collaborations that can enhance your marketing reach and effectiveness within the education sector?
“We approach partnerships with a win-win mindset. It has to be good for both partners to leverage their client base and put the energy and effort behind it. It can be highly beneficial for both parties, especially in the education space, to team up on projects and get in front of more users or potential clients, as we have limited time to compete effectively for mindshare. A lot is happening at conferences and throughout the school year, and we must show up in as many places as possible where it applies to headphones or headsets.”
10. If you could organize a dream event or campaign for educators, what would it be, and what activities would you include to make it unforgettable?
“An idea that comes to mind is a large-scale customer appreciation event. We’d invite our current and long-standing customers to an evening of music, demos, drinks, and dinner. TWT Audio is a group of current and former musicians, some large and small, and our love for audio is apparent. I would love to share that same excitement for good audio with our customers outside of just wearing a headphone or a headset for a song or two. We are considering hosting something like this at an event such as ISTE to make it easier for everyone attending.“
TWT Audio offers everyone unmatched comfort and a higher caliber of audio quality. Connect with our top-quality headphones and headsets, made for professionals, gamers, and students alike, and elevate your listening experience with crystal-clear sound and unmatched comfort. Check out our selection of headsets and headphones. Call us at 949.237.2651 or email us at info@twtaudio.com. For any queries, please feel free to contact us. We are glad to assist you.
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