Proliferation

Jun 29
0

What Cord-Cutting Means for Cable Companies

By | marketing | No Comments

It was only a few years ago that the cable TV industry was laughing off the idea of cord cutting. At the time, it appeared to be fringe movement by a few frustrated customers and a handful of upstart millennials. Today, the cable companies wish they had been right.

Marketing companies have been watching the cord-cutting movement closely. What started as a small trend has grown into a formidable movement away from traditional cable TV subscriptions. The number of households that subscribe to cable TV has steadily declined over the past several years; A 2010 study by Experian showed that 4.5 percent of U.S. households were cord free. By 2015 that number had climbed to 7.3 percent. Providers of paid TV are losing an average of 350,000 subscribers each quarter.

What does this mean for the future? Research conducted by TransDigm Group Incorporated shows that in 2011, 101 million households in the United States subscribed to cable TV. The research predicts that at current rates, that number will decline to 95 million households by 2017.\

Marketing companies recommend that cable providers closely monitor the millennial movement. Forrester Research reports that by 2025, 50 percent of American adults under the age of 32 won’t pay for cable TV subscriptions.

This slow but steady move away from cable is undoubtedly affecting cable TV providers financially. The average TV customer pays $123 a month for cable. At the current rate of subscriber loss, cable companies are losing an additional $43 million a month each quarter in subscription fees.

To combat this loss, many cable providers are turning to marketing companies for ideas. Several have begun offering slimmed down subscription packages that feature fewer channels for a cheaper price. Others are creating their own versions of online streaming services, such as Dish Network’s “Sling TV.” Methods may vary, but the key to cable companies staying afloat through the cord-cutting movement is adaptation.

Jun 28
0

“It’s Not You, It’s…” How to Tell Your Client They’re Wrong

By | marketing agencies | No Comments

“You’re tacky and I hate you…” Not everyone can take the “School of Rock” approach when telling someone they’re wrong. When it comes to marketing agencies, that approach would get a slap in the face from a client.

There’s a fine line between being direct and too frank. Feedback promotes honesty, which can build trust. So how does one tell their client that they are absolutely, astronomically wrong on every level without hurting their feelings?

Step Back

Do not groan and do not call them names, even if they suggest Comic Sans font. Take a deep breath and smile, even if you’re only talking on the phone. Remember the client knows best, even if they’re walking into a train wreck like a new relationship with Taylor Swift.

Ask Questions to Clarify

Marketing agencies need to get into their client’s point of view. Empathy is a powerful skill. Think back to your last painful college group project — that you got stuck doing all the work on, freaking Karen from economics — and how you wanted your thoughts and input to matter.

Clarify what they don’t like. Get input from the client as to how they think they want to fix the problem. This way you can find a suitable replacement to incorporate into the work you’ve already done.

Explain Your Process

At this point, use facts, data and your personal experience to make it clear why you chose what you did. I put emphasis on the fact that you need to explain, not defend. They hired you for a reason and should respect your feedback. 

Let It Go

You read that right, pull an Elsa and let it go. The most important skill marketing agencies can perfect is the ability to do what the client wants. If your client is immovable with their decision, sign the release of liability and just do it. Their business is their baby, and through trial and error they will perfect their message. You just take your platinum blonde braid and head back to Arendelle, because the cold never bothered you anyway.

Jun 27
0

Why Are People Cutting the Cord?

By | content marketing | No Comments

Cord-cutting, or the move away from traditional cable TV providers, is an undeniable phenomenon. It reflects the digital revolution that’s happening everywhere from digital marketing companies to grocery stores. This move toward apps and internet streaming begs the question: Why?

Digital marketing companies believe the psychology behind the cord-cutting movement is more than the standard “fewer people are willing to pay huge amounts of money for channels they never watch” answer. The reasoning behind the shift is different for each group of cord-cutting consumers — cord-cutters, cord-reducers and cord-nevers.

Cord-Cutters

Cord-cutters are individuals that completely stop subscribing to cable and satellite TV, instead turning to internet streaming. These people fall closest to the standard answer above; they are sick of paying an average $123 a month for cable TV and have decided to do without. They tend to be people in their 30s and early 40s, young enough to catch the Netflix craze but old enough to have already been paying for their own cable subscriptions. 

Cord-Reducers 

Cord-reducers, on the other hand, tend to encompass an older demographic — people in their late 40s and upward are less likely to cut the cord completely. Instead, they reduce their cable consumption by purchasing smaller packages or select channels. This demographic is more hesitant to move completely to internet streaming, simply because their viewing habits were built solely upon the standard airwaves and cable subscriptions.

Cord-Nevers

Cord-nevers make up the largest group of cord-cutters. Technically, cord-nevers are a class of their own because they never had cords to begin with. Cable companies should fear them more than any other group; recent research shows that 2015 marked the first time the number of cord-nevers exceeded the number of other cord-cutters. The study further predicts that by 2025, 50 percent of adults under the age of 32 won’t pay for cable.

Instead of consciously rejecting cable and satellite TV subscriptions, college students and young professionals are simply bypassing them altogether. Digital marketing companies believe that growing up in the millennial-friendly world of “on demand” means that cord-nevers built their viewing habits upon internet streaming — and don’t intend to change anytime soon.

Jun 27
0

Why You Should Create Content for a Variety of Platforms

By | content marketing | No Comments

With such a large variety of content that can be produced as part of your content marketing strategy, the question begs to be asked, “Why should I include so many different types of pieces for content marketing?” While it would certainly be easier to concentrate all your efforts on one form of content, it would certainly not be better. Creating content for a variety of platforms benefits your overall strategy in several important ways.

Audience 

Content marketing success depends almost completely on knowing your audience. A 2011 study by the Custom Content Council reported that 70 percent of consumers preferred to get their information from articles as opposed to corporate advertisements. That number continues to grow.

Audiences vary in what they want to learn and how they want to learn about it. Creating content for many different platforms gives consumers power to choose how they receive their content. A businessman in Utah might choose listening to a podcast on the way to work, while a college student on the East Coast might choose to receive the same information from social media.

Different pieces of content thereby allow you to reach different audiences. You’ll attract certain individuals with an infographic on Pinterest and others with a video on YouTube. The more variety you have, the more people you reach.

Reputation

When it comes to reliable content, it doesn’t matter if you are a major corporation in Utah or a small business in the Midwest. What matters is your reputation. People searching for information online want to feel that they can trust their sources. Your content’s presence on a variety of channels builds your reputation as an expert in your field. It gives the appearance of reliability and shows you keep up with online trends.

SEO

Any marketing agency in Utah will tell you that good SEO is crucial to content marketing success. Simply put, the more quality content you create with focused SEO, the higher your search ranking. Distributing content on different platforms works with the Google algorithm to work for you.

Jun 24
0

What Is Cord-Cutting?

By | marketing agencies | No Comments

Since TV began, consumers have wanted more — more channels, more options and more episodes. Cable and satellite providers swooped in to save the day with everything from documentaries about marketing agencies to cooking competitions. Then the fees began. Prices rose, and consumers were forced to sign up for channel packages that included more of what they didn’t want to watch than what they wanted to. The people were fed up.

Enter the internet. The internet provided an opportunity for consumers to view the entertainment they enjoyed on demand. Employees at marketing agencies could listen to a TV episode during their lunch break, and a busy mom on the go could let her children watch a movie on her smartphone. The more popular streaming became, the more consumers thought, “Why do I even need cable TV?”

Enter cord-cutting. Cord-cutting refers to a consumer movement away from traditional television providers toward relying solely upon internet streaming for all their media consumption. A 2010 study from Experian found that 4.5 percent of U.S. households were cord-free. In 2015, that number had climbed to 7.3 percent.

Cable companies are steadily losing customers to cord-cutting. Research conducted by TransDigm Group Incorporated found that 101 million households in the U.S. subscribed to cable and satellite TV in 2011, and predicted that the number would fall below 95 million households by 2017.

Millennials especially are drawn to a cord-free life. Their high dependence on technological devices and Wi-Fi signals lends well to a lifestyle that isn’t tied down by cable cords. The smartest broadcasters are embracing trends by creating their own streaming services alongside traditional TV channels, hoping to keep millennial audiences happy.

Marketing agencies are watching the cord-cutting trend just as closely as consumers are. Cord-cutting is a movement that exemplifies the new consumer psyche. Consumers don’t want to simply consume what they are given. They want products, services and, yes, entertainment that is personalized specifically to them.

Jun 23
0

Words to Avoid in Content Marketing

By | content marketing | No Comments

Content marketing is a strategy used by many companies all over Utah because of its effectiveness. However, there are few commonly used words in content marketing that devalue the writing and decrease the effectiveness of it. While they may seem minuscule, the eradication of these words from your content marketing vocabulary can great improve your effectiveness.

“Groundbreaking”

This word is usually used to exaggerate a sentence but is commonly viewed simply as filler.

“Awesome”

Awesome has lost its impact in recent years due to the broad population that uses it. It has now become less refined and shouldn’t be used in your content marketing.

“Utilize”

Utilize is simply a fancier version of the word, ‘use’ and will only make the piece harder for the reader to comprehend. It is important to always consider the reader first in content marketing.

“110%”

It is surprising how many businesses use this in their marketing. Exclude this cliché because it only exists for purposes of exaggeration.

“Like”

While this word may be common in teenager vernacular, most readers do not want to consistently bombarded with the word. It feels a lot less natural to read the word, ‘like’ in writing than it does in conversation.

 

“Best”

Using the word, ‘best’ in your writing is very assumptions so it is best to avoid in your content marketing. There are many other words that can replace best in your writing.

“Very”

Unfortunately this word is overused and has lost its impact in writing. Trying using an alternative when you want to use it.

Jargon in General 

Your content marketing will be distributed all over the internet so it is important that you eliminate a lot of jargon from it. For example, if you are talking about skiing in Utah, you may want use the word ‘powder’. However, people who don’t ski will not know what this means. Instead it would be best to explain that there was fresh snow in Utah.

Jun 22
0

What the Obama Administration’s New Overtime Rule Means for Advertising Agencies

By | marketing agencies | No Comments

If you haven’t already heard the news, the Obama administration has recently authorized a sweeping overhaul to the nation’s overtime rules and regulations — a change that will reportedly affect 4.2 million salaried workers and potentially millions more.

This change is by no means a small one and will affect workers from the restaurant industry to those in the academic research field. But what does this new overtime rule mean for marketing agencies?

New Overtime Legislation

According to the U.S. Labor Department, the new overtime rule mandates that any salaried employee making under $47,476 a year must receive time-and-a-half pay for any labor beyond 40 hours per week. This new threshold is double the current limit of $23,660, and probably explains why you haven’t made any overtime pay this year (or ever).

The new rule change is authorized under the Fair Labor Standards Act, part of the New Deal-era legislation designed to protect and strengthen the American middle class. Whereas more than 60 percent of salaried workers were eligible for overtime pay in 1975, today a mere 7 percent of salaried workers are eligible for overtime.

Advertising Often Means Long Hours and High Job Stress

As those of us in the industry know well, advertising is one of the more stressful fields to which to work. Compared to other industries, employees at marketing agencies often work long and irregular hours in order to complete projects and make deadlines — it’s no wonder advertising jobs regularly rank in the top 10 for career stress.

These new overtime regulations may not relieve the stress of working in advertising, but they could ensure that you’re at least getting paid for all that late night and weekend work — especially since a large percentage of employees at marketing agencies in the U.S. currently make less than the new $47,476 salary cut-off.

What’s Next for Ad Agency Higher-Ups?

While these new overtime rules are great news for millions of employees, they present the ad agency higher-ups with a dilemma: cut back on employees’ hours or pay the price.

Opponents of the legislation argue it will force marketing agencies to demote currently salaried workers back to hourly status, potentially stripping them of their health care and other benefits. Other people think agencies will cope with the changes by laying off some of their salaried staff.

Proponents of the legislation, however, see it this way: salaried employees are either going to get more money or have more time to spend with their friends and families. Instead of encouraging lay-offs, proponents argue the new legislation could encourage employers to hire more workers instead of paying time-and-a-half to their current employees.

For an industry with an already higher-than-average growth rate, this could make for even more opportunities for those working in the adverting industry.

The new rule change goes live December 1, 2016. Until then, marketing agencies must face the ultimatum: to cut back on all those nights and weekends hours — or pay the price.

Jun 21
0

What Is Content Marketing?

By | content marketing | No Comments

Marketing used to be more of a science than an art. Marketing agencies from Utah to the East Coast blanketed their messages on TV screens, magazine spreads and internet banner ads. Then one day, this traditional approach to marketing stopped working. Consumers got smarter. They used their DVRs to skip commercials, flipped past the magazine ads and blocked out the internet banners. The scientific approach to marketing didn’t work anymore. It was time to get creative.

Information Creating Sales

Content marketing focuses on creating valuable content and distributing it to a specific audience. Instead of a magazine spread with gorgeous models lathering on sunscreen, a marketing agency in Utah will create videos and blogs about how important it is to protect your skin from the sun. It will research and review the best sunscreens, and publish those results online. Content marketing aims to communicate with consumers in a positive way, understanding that sales will naturally follow.

How does providing people with information generate better business? Content marketing operates under the belief that if a business or organization can consistently provide their audiences with valuable information, those audiences will in turn reward companies and organizations with loyal business.

Communicating With Audiences

Communicating with consumers through content marketing truly is an art. Marketers have to get to know their audiences. What are their likes and dislikes? What information do they want to know? What do they care about? Consumers in Utah may have very different needs than consumers in the Big Apple. The information age means consumers have innumerable options for finding answers, and if they feel a company is out of touch, they’ll simply go somewhere else.

Adaptability and Longevity

Content marketing is the new industry standard because it works, plain and simple. It allows businesses to adapt their marketing strategies to any type of platform — from traditional webpages to the latest social media site. As the world of marketing continues to evolve, there’s no question that content marketing will continue to lead the way.

Jun 20
0

Finding Keywords That Fit

By | SEO, Utah, Utah SEO | No Comments

Keywords are the driving force behind effective SEO. In order to increase your rankings online — and in turn increase your business’s success — you must first select relevant keywords. These keywords, when properly selected, have the potential to propel the rest of your SEO strategy to the top.

With the help of a widely experienced professional SEO firm and time spent performing extensive research, your company has the potential to take its SEO strategy to the next level.

Start With What You Know

When you begin the process of selecting keywords, it is important to gather a team and start brainstorming. Scooby Doo and Shaggy didn’t solve a single mystery without the rest of their team — and neither will you.

By allowing members from multiple facets of your company to join in on your SEO brainstorming session, you set your company up for success. The first part of brainstorming requires you to start where you are and with what you know. Make a list of words that are relevantly associated with your company. If you sell shoes in Utah, maybe the keywords “shoes” and “Utah” will show up on your initial list.

From your initial list, fine-tune the possible keyword options. Once you and your team have assembled a list of relevant topics and possible keywords, the true research begins.

Research Brings the Best Results

The easiest way to start your research process is to head to Google. Google some of your possible topics and see what comes up. If you Google the phrase “Utah Shoes” and companies with a vastly different image than your own appear, consider tweaking your keywords.

Perhaps through your research you discover that the phrase “Utah Sandals” pulls up sites similar to your own. Through trial and error, you have discovered a possible keyword.

Your research continues as you experiment with variations on possible keywords. As part of research, select a few competitors and study the keywords used by those companies. This exercise will give you a good idea of what works for keywords and what does not.

Though this phase can be long and difficult, the research pays off when you select keywords that greatly increase SEO — and ipso facto, business.

Polish Up

After you finish research, whittle down your potential keyword list. It is important that you focus on increasing SEO through only a few keywords. Focusing on too many keywords at once decreases the quality and the effectiveness of your SEO strategy.

Consult a SEO firm for a little extra help in selecting the final keywords. Once the keywords have been selected, get to work on creating great content.

Jun 20
0

Gearing Infographics Toward Social Media

By | digital marketing, Facebook, Mobile marketing, Social Media | No Comments

Infographics were created as a way to keep readers engaged in content. In a world where attention spans are shorter than ever, large blocks of text quickly turn readers away. With the visually engaging appeal of an infographic, it is easier than ever to keep readers reading.

Many companies create infographics, but some do not know how to optimize these infographics for social media. Since social media platforms warrant a large number of infographic shares, it is important that these images are properly optimized. Digital marketing agencies can aid companies in their efforts to take infographics to the next level — both visually and SEO wise.

Five-Star File Names

As the wise wizard Albus Dumbledore one told young Harry Potter, “Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” Little did Dumbledore know, but his ideas epitomize the key to making your infographics social media friendly.
Digital marketing agencies strategically name infographics because it is one major way that the infographics become searchable and social media friendly — don’t be afraid to follow suit. These digital marketing agencies know that Google crawlers read file names as well as page content, so names are important.

When naming infographics, always use keywords and relevant terms that describe the image. Carry the proper file name over into the alt attribute. This provides Google with enough information to properly identify your infographic.

Subject Matter Matters

Just because a company sells hand sanitizer doesn’t mean all of its infographics must be about hand sanitizer. Picking a relevant infographic topic is vital, because people only read about what they are interested in reading. Just because hand sanitizer might be a boring subject, winter health tips might be more intriguing.
Picking a relevant infographic topic that relates to both your product and your audience is key to infographic success. Digital marketing agencies are equipped with the skills needed to help companies discover existing and pertinent infographic topics. The more searched your topic is, the more social media friendly it is.

Mobile Friendly

A large portion of Americans access their social media accounts from smartphones — that is why it is so important that your infographics remain mobile friendly.
Perhaps you create an amazing infographic, but if it becomes distorted on a small mobile screen your readership decreases. If a graphic does not read well on a smartphone or a tablet, not even all of Dumbledore’s wise advice can save it.
Digital marketing agencies use infographics as a form of content marketing — and infographics must not only be widely viewed, but widely shared as well. These digital marketing agencies know that if your infographic is unreadable on a smartphone, no one will share it — which can be devastating.