What Star Wars Can Teach Us About Digital Marketing

Published on February 10, 2016

Obviously, we here at Geek were plenty excited to see the latest entry in the Star Wars saga, The Force Awakens. More than one member of our team may have lined up to see it on opening day. (Hey, we don’t call ourselves geeks for nothing.)

But thinking back on a lifetime full of Star Wars movies, games, books, and toys (we may or may not have a BB-8 rolling around the office right now) got us thinking about our other geeky love: digital marketing.

And while we know that improving your organic search results or helping you craft your brand story isn’t quite as exciting as a galaxy far, far away, the Star Wars universe and our marketing methods have more in common than you might think.

Here are a few takeaways from the Star Wars movies that will help your next digital marketing push. Don’t worry, we’ll steer clear of Force Awakens spoilers!

Don’t Be an Empty Escape Pod

We’re going to get super nerdy right off the bat, so bear with us! Remember in the opening of A New Hope (That's the original Star Wars, un-nerds! <insult>), when Leia sends R2D2 and C-3PO out in an escape pod? The Empire doesn’t blow up the vessel because “there are no life forms aboard.”

And while this worked out for the droids and the Rebellion, we think you should think like the Empire for just a second. What’s the lesson?

Users are more likely to find and stick with your site if there are signs of life! For that, we’ve always said that creating high quality content is key; having a solid content marketing strategy is a great first step on the way to boosting your SEO, and creating original, highly sharable content is vital if you’re looking to launch a successful social marketing strategy.

Think of having an attractive, frequently updating blog as your own sort of clone army – it’s a sign that you’re well-prepared for your customers’ needs, an effective method for drawing in new users on social media, and a great way to improve your search rankings with Google.

Those are the Droids You’re Looking For

Throughout the entire Star Wars saga, characters communicate with each other through holograms, sent via telecom or through droids like R2D2 or BB-8.

Believe it or not, we’ve got technology a little better than that, and it’s currently nestled in your pocket. Now more than ever, it’s incredibly important to make sure your site is optimized for use on cell phones, tablets, and other mobile devices.

As more of our time online – for business and pleasure – is spent using mobile, rather than desktops, it’s crucial for your business to keep up. Check out our tips for mobile design to give you a leg up over most of your competitors.

Use the Force

Over seven movies, we’ve seen Jedi and Sith warriors use the Force – the mysterious power that binds the Star Wars universe together – in all kinds of ways. The Force takes all sorts of forms: pushing, pulling, shooting lightning, seeing the future, reading and influencing minds (we’ll go deeper into that last one in a second).

What’s the takeaway? Just as the Force can take many shapes, so should your quality content. Don’t be afraid to explore multimedia platforms and experiment with new ways of spreading the word about your business – might we recommend the podcast? What about crafting short, shareable videos for YouTube or launching a social campaign on Pinterest? The entire virtual world – in fact, the whole galaxy – is your playground!

And as for that famous “Jedi Mind Trick” – getting someone to do your bidding with just a wave of a finger – there unfortunately isn’t a real world equivalent. But we do have some ideas on converting visitors into customers by creatively using visuals to guide the eye or by writing compelling content that speaks to your readers, not above them.

“Do or Do Not, There is No Try.”

Remember when Yoda gave Luke this advice in the swamps of the Dagobah system? We think it holds true for digital marketers.

Don’t get discouraged if your early attempts at social media seem more like the barren plains of Hoth than the fertile valleys of Naboo (nerdy enough for you yet?).

Luke didn’t get to be a Jedi knight in a day. Like levitating an X-Wing out of a bog, it can take a lot of trying and a certain level of know-how to get a multi-faceted digital marketing campaign off the ground.

That’s why we’re here! Whether you’re an experienced master just looking for the latest tips and tricks, or a young Padawan ready to take the first steps toward designing a marketing campaign for your business, Geek would love to help! Drop us a line when you’re ready to get started.