Cool’ is an interesting word. It’s a word with a secondary meaning that used to belong to only a small subset of the population. An underground meaning that was kept away from an establishment that didn’t understand what it meant to be ‘cool’. As that subset became a part of that new establishment, ‘cool’s other meaning became the generally accepted meaning of a word that no longer seems to mean ‘low in temperature’.
The irony is, since cool became the official word for things that are ‘cool’, the meaning started to switch. It became really uncool to say ‘cool’. Leaving us in a strange situation where nobody really knows what ‘cool’ means anymore.
‘Cool’ Online Marketing Content
Which brings us to business web design and online marketing content. Businesses have become the biggest users of the word ‘cool’. It’s become industry shorthand for something a bit different, clever or surprising that is accessible to younger, tech-savvy customers and clients. Before a business really knows what it wants from an online presence or marketing content, they know whatever they want; they want it to be ‘cool’.
The thing is, no one really knows what ‘cool’ means anymore. Especially online, where there are just as many people lined up to accuse you of creating something pointless and derivative as there are people looking at your website thinking ‘this is pretty cool’. But that’s still one of the most common requests people make when planning online marketing content. People want video, infographics, HTML5 and slick, modern web design, because it’s ‘cool’.
What businesses should never lose sight of is the fact that the more these ‘cool’ technologies are used in business the less ‘cool’ they become. When a really smart B2C brand come up with something genuinely new and surprising, it holds its ‘cool’ only as long as it remains new, surprising or exclusive. That ‘cool’ sheen will quickly ebb away once other businesses get involved. The final nail in the cool coffin is usually driven in by a B2B business trying to capture some of that ‘cool’.
The ROI of ‘Cool’
The question then is why do you want to be ‘cool’? Will creating a genuinely ‘cool’ online presence boost anything other than your ego? B2C brands aimed at younger audiences may gain a boost with a bit of ‘cool’. But would a B2B tech company gain the same lift from a ‘cool’ Twitter campaign or viral video? Would a slick UI on a financial planning site encourage you to move your business from a provider you already trust?
The answer in both cases is most likely ‘no’. Because ‘cool’ isn’t really what we want from the majority of businesses. We want quality products, top class service and genuine expertise. When B2Bs plan online marketing content, they shouldn’t be thinking about cool. They should be thinking about their products and services first and foremost.
If your online presence and marketing content communicates your message, identifies your unique selling point and clearly outlines your services; your customers and clients will find what they need. No one ever read a clear, concise and informative product description and thought ‘yeah, but where’s the cool?’
You don’t have to avoid being ‘cool’ or ignore new advances. You should keep your content offerings up to date. But don’t make the mistake of confusing new technology you need to use with ‘cool’ technology you think you want. Remember that ‘cool’ is secondary, your business and your products come first. Because you don’t sell ‘cool’ and even if you did, no one knows what that is anyway.
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