Signs That You Work in Content Marketing

By | content marketing | No Comments

Every job has its tell tale signs. Lawyers wear suits and carry brief cases, doctors dress in lab coats and have messy handwriting. Regardless of your profession, your family and friends make jokes about the stereotypical habits, dress and actions associated with your career. For those who work for content marketing companies though, the signs might not be as obvious to the untrained eye.

Content marketing companies employ the creative and out-of-the-box thinkers. While your family and friends may not recognize the signs, the critiques of other’s blog posts and the apt use of hashtags are dead giveaways for fellow content marketing moguls. So, as you walk into work tomorrow, embrace the Chucks on your feet and wear your cat cat pride — because you are part of a unique and powerful marketing force.

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EdgeRank: Facebook’s Algorithm Explained

By | digital marketing | No Comments

Even with all of the social media channels out there, Facebook has managed to remain king. Good work, Zuckerberg. So, if there is one thing digital marketing firms need to know, it’s how Facebook works. Just one problem: Most people, marketers included, don’t REALLY know how Facebook decides what people see in their News Feeds.

It’s really not their fault. Facebook keeps its algorithm, known as “EdgeRank,” under pretty tight wraps. Luckily for you, we’ve got a decent handle on this whole EdgeRank algorithm (at least what Facebook allows us to know). Let us enlighten you, or should we say “edgelighten.”

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Making Your Videos Stand Out on Social Media

By | advertising, Social Media | No Comments

As advertising and marketing evolve, it is important that as an advertising agency, we evolve as well. The old days of lengthy content are gone. In their place stands short articles, catchy photographs and attention-grabbing videos. We, as an innovated advertising agency, have responded to the call, and have begun producing content so catchy that you’re bound to want to copy it.

There are hundreds of articles online that claim that a serious advertising agency should do this or a smart advertising should do that, but these claims are often unfounded. The tried and true methods propagated here though have not only seen proven success but outstanding results, as well.

Keep It Short

When creating video, only make the video as long as it needs to be. Do not waste your viewer’s time, or they will likely quit watching halfway through. Make sure that your content is engaging and that the views have a compelling reason to keep watching, from start to finish.

Closed Captions Are Key

The vast majority of videos online are watched without sound, so captions are key. If you want to keep your audience, give them captions that not only keep them informed, but make them want to turn the sound on. Closed captions also keep your videos accessible to a wider audience, which is a great thing.

Auto Play

Very rarely do viewers click directly on a video, so auto play is a surefire way to get people’s attention and keep it. When uploading your video, make sure to upload it so that it will auto play and when creating the video, make the first content to be seen, catchy.

Hashtags

Perhaps your video contains lots of hiking spots in Utah, and your company wishes to promote outdoor recreation in Utah. By developing a hashtag that not only pertains to Utah, but also links the video to the viewers, you give your content the chance to expand and reach and even wider audience.

Ultimately, as an advertising agency or small company, the more you do to plan and prepare for your video before you launch it, the more successful it will be.

Fusion 360: The Michael Phelps of Digital Advertising

By | advertising, digital marketing, marketing agencies | No Comments

Michael Phelps has 23 individual medals, 13 of them are gold. He is one of the greatest Olympians of all time. We are especially big Phelps fans because we too have won a ridiculous amount of awards. In fact, Phelps only has us beat by one medal. Soon, we’ll have more awards than Michael Phelps. That may sound braggy, but is it bragging if it is true?

Let us take a look at our advertising agency here in Utah. Fusion 360 has been pulling in awards since the company’s inception fourteen years ago. Fusion 360 has raked in 18 Telly awards, three Emmy awards and one Webby. We do not see Michael Phelps with any Emmys.

Not only is Fusion 360 one of the premiere digital marketing companies in the country, it is the number one premiere advertising agency in the state of Utah. What does it take to be this awesome you may ask? Well, while Phelps may pride himself on swimming, does he play 19 games of ping pong a day? Utah’s number one advertising agency consumes 86 cans of soda a day. Maybe if Michael Phelps consumed sodas like we do, he would have more medals.

Phelps dropped the 200 Meter at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Fusion 360 never drops the ball. Never.

Being Utah’s Number one advertising agency is not easy. However, we are up to the challenge. Yes, Michael Phelps is one of the greatest Olympians in history. Medal count: Phelps —23. Fusion 360 — 22.

If Phelps was our older sibling we would be bragging about how we almost beat him. I think it is safe to say Fusion 360 is the Michael Phelps of advertising agencies, not just in Utah, but also in the entire United States. See you in the medal count, Phelps!

Social Progression or Social Status?

By | marketing agencies | No Comments

On August 26, Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the singing of our national anthem, which is sung during the pre-game of every professional sporting event. Kaepernick also refused to stand, instead electing to take a knee, the following week before his team was set to play the San Diego Chargers. The reason Kaepernick is adamant about protesting the national anthem is because he sides with one certain aspect of social progression.

Kaepernick said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

The stance Kaepernick is taking is one several athletes across the sports world have taken. In recent years racism has been believed to be the motivation behind several shootings involving cops. Other athletes that have protested also have more at stake than Kaepernick. Marketing agencies target athletes because of the multiple generations they can reach. Even Lebron James, the owner of LRMR marketing agency has protested similarly in the past.

That is the power of sports. That is the power an athlete can have, not to mention marketing agencies. If an athlete can inspire a consumer to buy a certain shoe, can he or she help change beliefs and opinions?

The reaction from the media has been swift in both directions. The far leaning right-minded will point out Kaepernick was wrong, while left-leaning individuals will point out Kaepernick had as much right to sit as any of us have voicing our opinions. Despite this, Kaepernick has yet to be dropped by any major sponsors. On each side a different reputation and character of man is debated and tossed around.

One thing is certain, Kaepernick has had his reputation tarnished as well as strengthened. To some he is a cavalier standing for justice of those he believes were unjustly killed. To others, he is a disrespectful, spoiled millionaire. This begs the internal question we all must ask ourselves. Do we stay true to ourselves or go with the flow?

Marketing on Instagram Like a Boss

By | digital marketing, Video | No Comments

A new report shows that Fortune 500 companies have doubled their use of social media since 2013. Way to go, guys. The report shows that these big wigs still have room to improve. Where you might ask? Well, they could really do better on Instagram. Digital marketing firms are here to help.

It doesn’t matter if you are on the Fortune 500 list or a small start-up. All companies can benefit from the marketing field of opportunity that is Instagram. Starting something new, however, means there will be a learning curve, and some mistakes will be made. Here are a few tips to help you market on Instagram like a boss.

Most Important Facts About SEO

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From the social media savvy millennials to the grandma that’s buying a blanket for her grandson, SEO is here to stay, and that’s because it’s become a part of our everyday life.

Whenever we want to find out about what happened to that one actor from “Growing Pains” or when we’re looking to cram for our geography final, the majority of us will use search engine sites like Google or Bing to help us find the answer. Our reliance on search engines has led businesses of all sizes to push their advertising efforts towards building strong SEO potential. It’s a good business model, and companies who aren’t focusing on SEO are sorely missing out on large growth opportunities.

Here’s why:

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How to Offer Useful Feedback to Your Advertising Agency

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As the premier advertising agency in Utah, we work with a variety of clients. We love our clients. We wouldn’t exist without them. Productive feedback and communication is key to successful advertising. We love when our clients give us feedback because it helps us realize their visions and meet their needs.

We have heard tales from other agencies, though, of clients whose feedback wasn’t exactly helpful. Here are a few professional tips for how you, as the client, can offer the most helpful feedback to your advertising agency.

Know What You Like

When you approach your advertising agency with feedback, make sure you know what you want. It is easy to say, “I don’t like this.” That’s not the most helpful feedback, though, because it leaves your agency thinking, “So, what don’t you like about it?” and “What do you like?”

If you don’t like something, have specific reasons why you don’t like it. Explain the exact elements that concern you, and don’t forget to offer up something positive as well. People will be more responsive to making change when they feel that their initial efforts were valued.

Have a Plan

If there is something you don’t like, offer a solution or a direction to achieve what you do like. For instance, if a design came back in a shade of royal blue, don’t just say, “We do not like royal blue.” Instead, say, “Royal blue really isn’t our thing. We prefer to use a solid navy. Could you make this navy?”

Back It Up With Numbers

If you want to make major changes, it’s helpful to have some data to back up your thoughts. It could be as simple as past customer feedback surveys or an industry trend report. Professionals love numbers, and they’ll want to create products that work with the data, not against it.

Be Open to Advice

At the end of the day, always be open to advice. Your advertising agency may create a product that is different than anything you’ve ever done before. Your reaction may initially be, “I don’t like it,” but give your agency a chance to explain its reasoning. Sometimes, it takes stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new to beat the competition.

The Wonderful Women of Advertising

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Since its onset, advertising has remained an every-changing industry. Though Madison Avenue once wasn’t a place for women, that paradigm continues to change. The anti-feminist culture behind old advertising tactics is no more.

Women continue to bring new ideas and perspectives to what was once thought of as a man’s world. Confident women are now spearheading digital marketing firms and pushing cultural boundaries.

However, if it weren’t for the pioneering women of the past, we may have been doomed to be “damsels in distress” forevermore. So without further ado, we celebrate a few of the women who helped shape advertising into what it is today. Here’s to a future of endless innovation.

Helen Lansdowne Resor

Resor was determined to change things from her work environment to her life. She was active in the suffrage movement and fought to push boundaries that men had placed around her. Resor confidently led an entire department of women copywriters at J. Walter Thompson’s firm. She used sex and feminism in her work, and was the first woman to be successful in national ad campaigns. Modern digital marketing firms admire the footprint she left in the industry.

Caroline Jones

Living in a nation that was still in turmoil over racial boundaries, Miss Jones did everything in her power to break race and gender barriers. She started as a secretary and copywriting trainee who worked her way up to the position of Creative Director. Jones started her own agency. As the executive vice president and Creative Director, she saw success with campaigns for McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and American Express.

Jane Maas

Mass is considered to be one of the founding mothers of advertising. If it weren’t for her work, digital marketing firms wouldn’t be what they are today. Maas was the brains behind the “I Love New York” tourist campaign that has grown to be legendary. With over 47 creative awards and five published books under her belt, she continues to inspire new generations of women to take on the challenges of the world of advertising without fear.

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What Instagram’s Story Feature Means for Advertising

By | digital marketing, Instagram | No Comments

There’s a great adage from Oscar Wilde that speaks continually more truth as our society evolves: “Talent borrows, genius steals.”

Instagram has taken Wilde’s words to heart recently by releasing its newest feature, Instagram Stories. The app will now let you post videos and photos of your daily shenanigans that people can view for 24 hours. After that, the content disappears.

If you’re a Snapchat user, that feature probably sounds wildly familiar because the company implemented that same conceit into its app months ago and users and digital marketing companies alike used the feature to help broadcast their brand on a larger scale and a more creative way.

“Instagram is a follower platform where Snapchat is more of a best friend platform,” VP of platform partnerships at VaynerMedia said to Advertising Age. “Snapchat hasn’t encouraged brands to build up huge followings.”

Instagram Stories is a no-brainer, especially since the company is considered to be very brand friendly for companies who look to advertise on the app. Digital marketing companies are also looking to take Instagram Stories more seriously than Snapchat Stories because the audience base is so much larger. Snapchat revealed they have 100 million daily users, whereas Instagram has 300 million daily users.

The differences between the audience reached between the two users has already been notable. Within 24 hours, a video from Nike on Instagram Stories had 800,000 views. Nike’s most viewed video on Snapchat Stories has been 66,000.

For digital marketing companies and other businesses looking to make a name for themselves, it looks they’ll be better off investing their efforts into Instagram then Snapchat. Not only does Instagram have more users, but they tend to have a larger base of both millennials and people in their 30’s and 40’s, whereas Snapchat is almost exclusively a millennial audience.