social media marketing Tag

Maximizing Marketing ROI. It’s not just for recessions.

Given consumer spending at the start of 2023, it may seem like the media are crying wolf when it comes to recession fears. The problem is, although consumer spending and corporate profits seem strong, all of those reports are based on trailing data. It shows us what happened last month or last quarter. The Consumer Confidence Survey®, on the other hand, is meant to reflect prevailing business conditions and likely developments for the months ahead – and confidence is down for the past 2 months.   Regardless of the indicators, ROI-driven marketing is always the safest/best place for your marketing spend. Being an agency that specializes in direct marketing, we have some ideas on this topic.   Recognize which channels drive the most ROI.  For prospecting, the 2022 Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Response Rate Report shows direct mail in the lead. Direct mail’s advantage over digital is that our mailboxes are far less saturated with...

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New Year’s Resolution: Update your profile pics! Quick advice and free tools for a smart refresh.

Who was the President when you last updated your profile pics? If you answered anyone other than Biden, it’s probably time for a change. And if you’re wearing a puka shell necklace or a designer trucker hat in your pic, it’s DEFINITELY overdue.   Your profile pics need to make a solid first impression. They reflect your personality and can have an impact on networking, job opportunities and possibly your career. So don’t wait for that spare moment that will never come, follow these easy tips to create a fresh and fulfilling profile pic.   1) Frame yourself so people can clearly see your face. Especially important for professional/business profiles.   2) Take multiple images from multiple angles. Hold your camera at face level and shoot face forward, 3/4 angle, and side profile images. You’ll probably prefer one over the others.   2) Be conscious of the background. Flat colors that contrast your image are ideal. Also, try...

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Why your marketing plan MUST consider short-form video.

If you’ve been wondering if it pays to make the leap from online image ads to short-form video the answer is most likely a resounding, YES!  Even with the added production costs, video is too powerful to be ignored.   According to Social Media Today, video is the best performing content type on all social platforms. Video wins on engagement, response, shares and other metrics.   Consider these mind-blowing video ad statistics: Facebook: Video gains 2-3x higher click-throughs and a 20-30% increase in conversions compared to image ads (adQuadrant)   Instagram: Video posts gain 60% more engagement than photo posts (Hootsuite)   Twitter: Video delivers 10x more engagement and 50% savings on cost per engagement (Social Media Today)   LinkedIn: Video delivers 3x the engagement as text posts (LinkedIn)   YouTube: Best ROI for video with 34.6 billion visits per month (the world’s second most popular website after Google).   What qualifies a short-form video ad? Anything under 1-minute. 66% percent...

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TikTok ‘til you drop. Why and how to use social media’s fastest growing app.

Did you know TiKTok is the fastest growing social media platform of all time? According to the Digital Marketing Institute, it has grown faster than Facebook and twice as fast as Instagram since its inception. Yet only 4% of U.S. social media marketers use the platform.   Why aren’t more marketers jumping in?  There’s a misconception that TikTok is for teenagers. Yes, that’s where the initial rapid growth took place but now, as with previous platforms, its user base is broadening. For example, 54-year old celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey has amassed 23.3 million followers on TikTok.   Check out this distribution of users in the United States as of March 2021.    Source: www.statista.com/statistics/1095186/tiktok-us-users-age/     How can you make TikTok work for your brand?  TikTok is all about short-form mobile video entertainment. If you’re not already on the platform, have a look at TikTok’s top 100 from 2020 to get an idea of what attracts eyeballs and gets shared. Here...

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Marketing Year 2021 – More social, influential and self-aware than ever

As we enthusiastically leave 2020 behind us and wonder what the new year will bring, we have some predictions for our marketing community. Actually, they’re more like suggestions for staying on the cutting edge of what’s working in today’s world.   Social commerce – where sharing meets shopping   Ever buy something you saw on social media without ever leaving Facebook, Instagram or whatever platform you were on? That means you’ve already participated in a swiftly growing trend. Amped in 2020 by the fact that the entire world was shopping from home during the pandemic, social commerce is predicted to rise steadily with a compound annual growth rate of 28.4% from 2021 to 2028. Besides simplifying the purchase for consumers, it also allows them to immediately share purchases in a post which helps marketers reach new customers – brilliant eh?   Video, video and more video   The meteoric rise of TikTock since 2019 reveals our strong appetite...

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Gettin’ GIFFY Part 2: Social Media Marketing

How effective are GIFs in social media marketing and how should you use them?   The short answer: They are highly effective and you should promote and share them everywhere you post and respond to customers.   Now, for the long answer: Yes, using a GIF over a static image is going to grab more eyeballs. It’s well known that GIFs are a simple and powerful way to show off products, highlight a special offer and latch onto popular trends.   That’s all wonderful but the GIFs largest potential lies in people sharing your brand.   For those unfamiliar, the ideal situation goes something like this: Your brand creates and shares some highly appealing GIFs possibly through your GIPHY channel. If your GIFs gain traction, people looking to add cute little GIFs to their Instagram stories, text messages, etc., will find your GIF in top search results. Very suddenly, your GIF could be reaching millions of people.   You’ll find...

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PETS! Is Their Mass Appeal On Your Marketing Radar?

There’s been a lot of hype in recent years surrounding our adoration of Pet Influencers and with good reason. According to AdAge, Grumpy Cat (RIP) made an estimated $100 million from her film, media appearances, sponsorship deals and merchandise sales since going viral in 2012.   Jiffpom is currently the most popular pet influencer reaching 30 million followers across the globe. If you want him to sponsor your product on Instagram, be prepared to shell out up to $32,000 plus. Clearly, these are not the kind of numbers you should expect from your average pet with a social media account. Jiffpom’s reel on IMDB reveals that he is a highly trained and talented 4-legged actor with a stunning resume including world-record stunts.   You don’t have to employ a celebrity of Jiffpom’s stature to capitalize on the power of pets. Consider these advantages that come with choosing animals over humans for your next campaign…   Animals...

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Back to college: Reaching tomorrow's consumers today.

Back-to-College: Reaching tomorrow’s most valuable consumers today

Now that U.S. campuses are beginning to fill with nearly 20 million students, it’s a good time to consider what this means to your brand today and tomorrow. At this very moment, they have back-to-school needs and interests. Not too far down the road, they have the potential to become your most profitable customers.   3 key reasons why they’re the most sought-after segment: Today, Gen Z represent 44 billion dollars in estimated buying power   After they graduate, they will earn anywhere from 42% - 135% more than workers with no degree   College years represent a pivotal time in people’s lives when they are straying from parents and defining who they are and want to be. Connect with them now and you could reap some serious lifetime value.   How do you connect to Gen Z? Some traditional brands are doing surprisingly well.  Student brand ambassadors have been a big thing for companies such as...

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