Remember
when traditional marketing was the only way to promote your business?
Business owners would buy newspaper ads, billboards, bus stop ads, and drop
flyers at every doorstep. Snail-mail promotional flyers were considered
high-tech. While some might sigh, longing for the good ole’ days, others are
flourishing in the new age of marketing. Today, we have amazing online tools,
like social media, to promote our businesses to the exact people we want to.
Here are some of the other reasons why brands keep moving their marketing
budgets out of traditional marketing and into social media.
Targeting to the Extreme
How
do you target with a bus stop ad? If your target customer is middle-aged men,
how can you ensure that demographic sees it the most? You can’t. Targeting in
traditional marketing only works if you’re targeting a specific neighbourhood
or city. Any further specifications aren’t possible.
Social
media and digital marketing have changed the targeting game. You can set the
parameters of your Facebook ad to only show up on the feeds of men of a certain
age with a certain profession and certain income level. You can even set your
ad to target people with specific interests or buying histories. That’s
incredible for your return on investment. The money you spend on social ads
gets utilized as efficiently as possible.
Analytics are Everything
When
you buy a paper ad in a magazine, how can you tell how many people read it? Can
you calculate how long most people stayed looking at the ad before flipping the
page? No! With social media ads, you can determine both of those metrics. You
can count how many people saw your ad, clicked it, shared it, or engaged with
it. Then, you can see how many of the people that clicked your ad purchased
your goods or services. This is crucial for knowing which ads work for your
audience and which get less engagement.
Reporting for Future Planning
Since
your analytics are constantly and automatically being tracked, you can create
reports weekly, monthly, and yearly. These reports are amazing for showing
which marketing campaigns have been successful and why. You can see the promising
trends in your content. For example, you might notice in your monthly report
that your Instagram posts that included a person’s face in the image got higher
engagement. Or, that Facebook posts that were written in the first person
received more comments. By reviewing this month’s social media report, you can
plan an even more successful content calendar for next month.
Sure,
you can create reports for your traditional marketing campaigns. Before the
internet, brands would pump out paper ads for a month and then hopefully see an
increase in sales. But, there was no feedback on which specific ads caused the
influx or why. Traditional marketing reports are far broader than social reports
based on analytics.
It’s
no surprise that more businesses are transferring their marketing budgets from
traditional marketing to social media marketing. If you’re curious about making
the change, contact us.
Three
months ago, Instagram rolled out a pilot project in Canada to hide the number
of likes on all posts. For mental health advocates, this was a huge win. When
you don’t know how many likes your peers’ posts are getting, there’s less to
compete with. But, what about the Canadian businesses that once used this
metric to determine the success of their campaigns? This change has left
marketing directors and social media managers at a loss. With the ever-changing
landscape of Instagram, here’s how to keep utilizing this free resource for
your business.
Hiding
likes have changed the algorithm Instagram uses to organize feeds. Before,
posts with very high metrics would be shown to more people. Without likes, how
does the algorithm work? Well, no one knows for sure. But, we can deduce that
it favours direct engagement more now. That means brands need to focus more
on receiving comments, starting discussions in the comments, and encouraging
the sharing of content.
Having
a solution to focus on takes away some of the stress marketers were feeling.
Sure, no one can see the like count. But that seems to be okay because users
are clicking the heartless and less. Instead, users are commenting on posts that
spark their interests, even if it’s with a simple thumbs-up emoji.
There
has been some anxiety over the assumption that Instagram is changing the
algorithm to favour paid ads instead of free posts. For small businesses with
small marketing budgets, this is worrisome. There’s no doubt that paid ads were
successful before, but brands could also be successful without them. Now, it
seems you’re better off if you do a mix of both. Some experts recommend making
one out of three posts paid. If that’s still not feasible for your
marketing budget, experts recommend placing more effort into making posts
primed for engagement.
What
does that mean exactly?
It
means creating posts that spur engagement, like discussions and shares. Treat
your Instagram feed like an extension of your email newsletter. The focus is
always on adding value to your followers’ lives, not spamming them with sales
copy. Does that mean you can’t talk about your products or services? Of course
not! Just don’t talk about them in terms of sales; your call to actions shouldn’t be encouraging users to buy your goods. Instead, create content around the
purpose of your offerings and the problems they solve. Call to actions
should pose questions that spur discussions in the comments or encourage shares.
Post content that your target audience wants to read, even if it’s not directly
promoting your business.
The
learning curve of Instagram for business is ever-changing. The moment you feel
like you have a handle on it, it changes. It’s important to be adaptable and
committed to learning; get comfortable with rolling with the punches. Instagram
is still an amazing resource for marketing if you adapt your strategies to its
changes.
For
expert guidance on rolling with the punches and improving your Instagram
marketing plan, contact us.
Social media has changed the game for businesses everywhere. Suddenly, business owners can connect with thousands of potential customers without even opening their doors. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have created space for brands and consumers to socialize and build relationships. These relationships and connections lead to trust, which can lead to sales.
Unfortunately, many business owners underestimate how long that process can take. The crux of successful social media marketing is networking and nurturing, both of which take time.
Forging Relationships from Scratch Takes Time
There’s a reason most people don’t get married after the first date. You don’t know the person well enough; you don’t know if you can trust them or will even enjoy spending time together.
The same thinking applies to social media marketing.
Why would a user buy something from you when they don’t know who you are, if they can trust you, or if they’d even like your products? For them to answer those questions, they need to feel a connection with you.
Building their trust takes time, effort, planning, and genuine care. You need to be transparent and authentic in your online presence so they can see who you truly are. The most successful social brands view their followers as friends and part of their tribe.
Of course, building so many deep connections will take time. Once you put in the work, these followers become loyal ambassadors for your brand.
Proving Your Value Takes Time
“Add value” is another buzzword phrase in digital marketing. The idea is that providing value to your potential customers makes them value you. It can help them trust you, see your authority, and genuinely like you.
However, adding value isn’t as simple as creating a free e-book and promoting it on social media.
You have to think outside the box. Here’s an example. If your business sells Christmas trees, posting about the trees you sell isn’t adding value to their lives. However, discussing how they can save money on decorations during the holidays does add value. Showing how they can help less fortunate families get a tree adds value. Showing them new and trendy ways to dress a tree adds value.
This is a lesson in content marketing. Understand what your target customer finds value in and start creating it for them. Over time, and as you provide more and more value, users will care about what services or goods you also provide.
Sticking With It Takes Time
Regardless of the algorithm each platform uses, consistency gets rewarded. When you post quality content every day for years, it shows in your engagement rates and sales.
So, how long do you have to be consistent for?
Social media isn’t a one-and-done marketing tactic. That’s why successful brands hire a social media agency or social media manager to work on their pages full-time. The more content you post, the more chances users have to see it on their newsfeeds. If the content you post each day is high-quality, authentic, and adds value, you’ll gain followers and eventually, increase your sales.
Plus, consistency shows users that you’re reliable and active on the platform. By being consistent (posting, commenting, liking, outreach, etc.), you create more opportunities to build relationships with users.
For as long as you care about growing your business, be consistent on social media.
If you’re ready to step up your brand’s social media game, remember that success takes time. We can help you improve your social media marketing; contact us to learn more.
Digital marketing is an ever-changing landscape that can be tough to navigate without the right resources. However, thanks to an ever-growing market there are plenty of companies that work to help businesses create engaging, interesting content. We’ve gone through several programs and resources for you and have selected our top 3 digital marketing apps/programs, focused on content creation and planning, to help you get the best tools for your business quickly!
Promo
Videos are a great way to break up static content and deliver information to your audience, and Promo is a great resource for people who want to create high-quality videos to use for advertising, product or service explainers, and social media content. Their library contains tons of footage, copy and music that you can choose from and edit to suit your own business. There’s also support for various aspect ratios so you can ensure your content looks great on whichever social media platform you’re using. Additionally, the online video editor streamlines the process so that anyone can create beautiful content quickly – regardless of your experience or skill level working with video content.
Story Maker
To give your Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook stories a boost, Story Maker is a great option to expand on and polish your ideas. The app offers a catalogue of 50 templates, stock images, backgrounds, and fonts to enhance your content and create professional stories, with the option to purchase additional resources in-app. Import your high-quality images and take advantage of the options within Story Maker, including unique photo framing options and combination templates, to make sure your stories catch the attention of your audience right away.
Planoly
Designed to make organizing and planning Instagram content easier for users, Planoly is a great multi-tool for both new and experienced Instagram users. The app features a drag and drop grid system that lets you determine how your feed will look before posting, and the scheduling and auto post features ensure that your stories and posts go out to the world exactly when you want them to. Planoly also supports audience engagement with a separate comment section, making it easier to connect with your followers. If you’re interested in tracking Instagram analytics, the app will generate the top five most liked and commented posts, respectively, on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Plus, if you find you prefer working from a computer, Planoly supports mobile and desktop use.There are plenty more apps centred on digital marketing, so if you find that you would like even more options when it comes to content creation feel free to combine our top three picks with your favourite apps! And if you find that digital marketing isn’t something you enjoy doing, or if it’s outside your comfort zone, you’re not alone – it can be a difficult field to navigate. If you need help with content creation and getting your digital marketing plan organized, contact us today.
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.
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%
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.
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