Authenticity is Key

by admin | Jul 26, 2019 | SocialEyes

It’s the buzzword of the year: authenticity. Something millennial businesses have in spades and older generations can’t seem to find the formula for. Consumers today would rather shop from businesses they trust, can relate to, or share the same values as. For companies that were always successful with traditional marketing methods, it’s never been more important to get with the times. How can you be authentic in your marketing?

Storytelling is the crux of authentic marketing. It’s what gives your brand a personality, a history, and a purpose. The contents of your brand story are what make you different from your competitors. In the past, marketing campaigns would focus on products or services. Now, it’s better to use your brand story to explain a problem that we can all relate to. Then, as the solution, naturally suggest your products or services.

Next to having a brand story, the second-best way to market your businesses authentically is to have a social purpose. Look at the shoe brand, Toms. This multi-million-dollar B-corporation connects with socially conscious consumers (i.e. most of today’s consumers). For every pair of shoes purchased, Toms donates a pair to a child in need. Consumers can buy a pair of shoes and feel good about their money also supporting a worthy cause. Toms has expertly crafted their brand story and used their social purpose in their marketing.

So, how can you apply these strategies to your business?

First, you need to do a deep dive into your brand’s mission. Why did your business get created? What problem does it solve? What obstacles has your business faced? How have you overcome those challenges? What is your why? Consider working with a brand strategist to help you craft your story in an authentic and marketable way.

Second, get charitable. Is there a charity or organization your company aligns with and could support? For example, if you’re a women’s clothing brand, consider supporting a women’s empowerment organization. If you offer tutoring services, consider supporting an organization that provides books to low-income libraries. Find a cause that aligns with your business.

Third, be transparent. Be open about your business practices and the ways you’ve improved to be more socially conscious. It’s okay if your company didn’t start as an eco-friendly, fair-trade business. Highlight how you’ve improved, who you are now, and the ways you’ve grown as a brand.

Fourth, get personal with your audience. The face of your business needs to be a face, not a logo. Networking is a major facet of your marketing strategy that needs to be authentic and social media is the perfect channel for it. Give potential customers a real sense of who you are as a brand through your posts, live videos, stories, and engagement. You could post behind-the-scenes live videos, interviews with experts, and success stories (not one-and-done testimonials!). Respond to comments and direct messages like a human, not a customer service bot.

Is making the transition to being more authentic is stressing you out? You’re not alone. This is a challenging obstacle for many brands who’ve always relied on traditional marketing. If you need help developing your brand and getting authentic online, send us a message or give us a call.   

Why Video Content Performs Best

by admin | Jul 24, 2019 | SocialEyes

Video content has become an integral part of successful digital marketing, especially on social media. Once considered a side-strategy in diverse marketing plans, brands are now devoting entire marketing teams to develop their video content. What changed? You could say the proof is in the pudding. Video content outperforms all other types of digital content. 

Why does video content perform so well? What makes it shine brighter than images and text?

There are a few reasons. First, in 2018 we saw the emergence of “authenticity” as the most desired trait in a brand. Today’s consumers want to see real, transparent, and human brands with a conscience. Brands that use video can show their customers a more raw and exclusive perspective of who they are. Video is amazing for telling stories, explaining a problem, and demonstrating a solution. A 2019 study reported that consumers prefer lower-quality, realistic videos over highly-edited and top quality ones. To them, the lower quality of video comes off as more authentic and less manipulated by a marketing team. 

Here are some statistics showing the impressive performance of video content:

• Consumers say they want to see video content 50% more than any other content from brands
• Saying the word “video” in your email subject line increases the open rate by 19%
• Landing pages with video increase conversions by 80%

Then, there’s the shareability of video content on social media; it’s the revolutionized word of mouth marketing. 92% of video watchers share the content with their peers. If a brand makes one compelling video that viewers resonate with, it could be shared to thousands or even millions of people. Of course, you shouldn’t create a video with the hopes of it going viral because that would be inauthentic. The point is that doing video content well can lead to an explosion of awareness.

So, what are the most successful types of videos to make?

If you sell a product, demonstration videos are crucial to showing customers how to use it. You should have an easy-to-understand version on your Facebook page as well as your other social profiles. Then, tap into influencer marketing; hire an influencer to do a product demo on their social channels. Next, turn your case studies into video format. These are your success stories that show just how effective your business is at solving a problem. You don’t want to only show a customer giving their testimonial; tell a story. Let the audience get to know the customer and relate to them. Some other effective types of videos are expert interviews, behind the scenes, event promotion, company culture, and vlogs.  

On social media, live videos are the way of the future. Users are already spending three times as much time watching live videos than pre-recorded ones. It can be intimidating to put yourself out there on live video, but you’ll be rewarded with higher engagement and more traffic. Contact us to learn more about video content and how to include it in your social media marketing efforts.