Proliferation

Aug 15
0
social media marketing companies

Why We Love Instagram Stories

By | digital marketing, Social Media, Utah SEO | No Comments

Whether you’re a 15-year-old girl or a 35-year-old father, we are willing to bet that when you get on Instagram, you watch at least some of the stories posted by those you follow. It doesn’t matter if it’s for the simple update you hope to see or the enjoyment you get from polls, there’s something interesting about Instagram stories.

As a social media marketing company, we can tell you that we LOVE Instagram Stories, but our reasons might be different from the typical Instagram users. More than showing followers what we’ve been up to, we like using stories because of the increased visibility, linkability, creativity and lack of penalty that comes with posting a story for 24-hours.

Increased Visibility

From the companies or influencers you follow, have you noticed the consistency in which they post content to their stories? There is a reason for this. As you may well know, the most recently published stories usually show up at the top of your timeline — there is an algorithm that affects whose story you will see, but we won’t get into that. In other words, by post periodically throughout the day, the more people will see your content.

It may be difficult to understand, but think about it… If you post stories at 2:13, 2:45, 2:47, and then at 7:07, the story posted at 7:07 will make your day’s ENTIRE story more relevant. Let us explain: when you post at 2:13, maybe a handful of people on the app around that time will see your story, but they will miss the next two if they get off before you start posting. However, if those same individuals get back on around 7:30, they will likely see your two earlier posts from 2:45 and 2:47, AND THEN your 7:07 post. Additionally, if someone gets on at 6:20 and then again an hour later, they might miss your first three stories because they are not as relevant, but once they get back on the next hour, your story becomes relevant again, and they might see all four stories.

Social media marketing companies understand this and will advise individual companies to post throughout the day for more visibility.

Linkability

Beyond what posting throughout the day can do for a company’s visibility, social media marketing companies also love Instagram Stories for their linkability. An excellent feature that Instagram recently added to their arsenal of features for their stories is linking the story to a website. Companies selling shoes, t-shirts, headphones, home decor, etc., can get people to their catalog by merely sliding upon an embedded story that features their product. Not only will a story navigate the viewer to a website, but it can also take them to a post within their Instagram account. And the more eyes you get on your product or account, the better the branding.

No Penalty for Posting

Last of all, when you post stories, they are no repercussions. Yes, you might need to be careful not to post so much that your followers get annoyed with you, but, unlike regular posts, posting a lot of stories won’t affect the algorithm. Social media marketing companies see Instagram Stories as a threat-free way to help get more eyes on their clients’ products and webpages.

To get help from a reliable social media marketing company, contact us at Fusion 360 agency.

Jul 12
0
video production companies

5 Benefits of Working with a Full-Service Video Production Company

By | advertising, digital marketing, Utah, Utah SEO | No Comments

Every company needs to create videos in order to successfully market their brand, but not every company has a video production team and THAT’S OKAY. There are video production companies capable to help any kind of company make the video they need. When these companies choose a fully functioning video production company, they benefit in multiple ways.

Here are five benefits of working with a video production company that combine to create a much higher-quality video overall.

Resources

When you start working with a fully-serviced production company, you may or may not recognize how there is almost no end to possibilities.  Whether its finding locations or recruiting talent, competent video production companies have connections to everything needed within the industry.

Knowledge

Compared to a newer video production company or freelancer, you will notice just how knowledgeable legitimate production teams are. With a company that is fully stocked (or fully serviced), you receive a team with decades or even hundreds of years of experience through all the individuals involved. What this gives you is reliable workers who know what to do and will continue to find ways to function even better.

On-Screen Supplements

Full-service video production companies are not only resourceful and knowledgeable but also give you on-screen support with high qualities props or special effects. As needed, video production companies with full services should also provide you with on-screen options for things such as makeup, green screens, background props and more.

Top-Quality Visual Capabilities

You can expect that a full-service video company will give you the best lighting accompanied with the best cameras. If the company pulls out all the stops and employs full teams of writers, editors, gaffers, etc., then you can also bet that they will use the best lighting and camera equipment, giving the video the best possible visual capabilities.

Audio and Editing

With every aspect of the video production being top-notch to this point, it’d be out of place if the post-production portion was not, but that’s why you also benefit from a fully focused team that specializes in audio and editing work. Just like with the cameras, lighting, props and more, fully serviced video production companies will also have top-quality mics and editing gear. Once all the video and sound is captured, the audio and editing teams will make sure everything fits together as it should. Trust us, while the client’s pressure is enough to push everyone to do their best job, EVERYONE apart of the production relies on the editing team’s final touches. Therefore, you are going to get high-quality editing as well.

No matter the industry, companies that are fully stocked in all departments usually have little tolerance with incompetency, that’s why you can rely on a full-service video production company to produce the best possible video. To summarize, these video production companies can give brands all the connections they needed, innovative thoughts, direction and experience, any additional on-screen assistance, and the highest quality visuals and audio needed.

May 06
0

Latest Social Media Trends

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Social Media, Utah | No Comments

Just like all forms of technology, social media is constantly changing and evolving. As the platforms continue to change, so do the current social media trends. Popular social media tactics from three years ago are now outdated, and with social media users being such a trend-following audience, your social media marketing strategies need to be trendy as well. Here are some of the latest social media trends that social media marketing companies have been following.

Stories

Snapchat was the original creator of the “Stories” feature, but platforms like Instagram and Facebook have adopted this feature, and have done a fantastic job with it. Stories started as basic 15-second videos showing funny moments or behind-the-scenes content, but have now evolved to branded storytelling snippets. A recent study found that stories are growing 15 times faster than feed-based sharing, and in the next year could surpass feeds as the primary way social users share content with their followers. Because of this, social media marketing companies suggest that every brand be actively making some type of story, as it is a great way to engage with your audience and let them get an inside look at your brand.

Creative Advertising

With so many brands participating in the social ads trend, social media marketing companies have found that in order to successfully advertise on the platforms, you need to increase your ad budget. In addition to just increasing your ad budget, your social ads need to be as creative and engaging as possible.

Companies like Spotify and Netflix have done a great job with their social ads, as they feel more personal and entertaining. Their ads help generate user discussion and engagement, instead of placing a boring banner ad into user’s news feeds just to create awareness. The more creative your advertisement is, the more successful it’s going to be.

Private Communities

Many brands are choosing to create private communities for their audience and customers. These private communities primarily exist on Facebook, as you can create Facebook Groups and even Secret Groups for members to chat with one another. Social media marketing companies have found that creating a Facebook Group can help your brand address niche interests and target superfans of your brand. You can facilitate conversations that are related to your brand and industry, however, don’t advertise or pitch products to these private communities.

Video Content

Posting video content on social media has been a trend for a little over the past year, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Video content has been characterized as a “super-trend”, and for good reason. Video content can be posted in a few different ways, but some popular video formats include live videos, stories, native videos and interactive videos. If you choose to post videos (which you should), try to make the first ten seconds as interesting and entertaining as possible. This is where you have the opportunity to capture as many user’s attention as possible.

By following these social media trends, you can be incredibly successful with your social media marketing and build up your audience. For more tips on social media marketing, contact a social media marketing company near you.

May 05
0

Can a Marketing Company Supplement an In-House Marketing Team?

By | content marketing, digital marketing, SEO, Social Media, Utah | No Comments

Every company markets its product and service somehow, but the way they do that differs from place to place. A small bakery might leave signs outside their door or post things on their website, both tactics are a form of marketing. Other companies might turn to marketing companies that specialize in a specific type of marketing. Then, there are the larger companies that can support their own in-house marketing team in order to carry out their needs. However, is there ever a time for companies (big or small) that have their own in-house team to rely on a marketing company?

The answer is — YES! — and you can find out why from the sections included below.

The Effect of Marketing Varieties

When a company builds up its own marketing department, they are going to take care of the companies immediate marketing needs. Depending on the company, these immediate needs are going to differ from company to company. To some, the first thing they will look to establish in an online presence and a solid public relations effort, but another might want to focus on their point of purchase and branding. After that though, they may not have the budget or constant need to fill positions that focus on any other marketing need.

A company may have marketers focusing their day to day work on direct marketing and point of purchase marketing aspects, but might not be doing anything to advertise their product or help their social and online presence. Marketers that know about product placement, brand recognition and how to sell their company’s product directly may not know how to make their company look good on social media. Maybe they do, but what about SEO and content marketing? These other marketing aspects may not be critical enough for the company to hire full-time employees for the work but might be important enough to outsource to a marketing company.

Knowledge and Experience

Perhaps the company has found a handful of marketing gurus that have a vast understanding of all common marketing concepts, but do they have the experience? When a company outsources a certain part of their marketing efforts, they have the assurance that the marketing company they hire specializes in what they need. This gives the company new insight and results that they wouldn’t see otherwise.

Timing

We have a separate blog post that lays out other reasons marketing companies are used by in-house teams and two of the reasons found there have to do with timing. There are stints during which a company suffers at the hand of turnover, and during these hard moments, a company can turn to a marketing company for help. Further, there are periods in which there is a surge of work for the company. Whenever there is a time where it is hard to accomplish all the work, companies can definitely benefit from the help of a marketing firm.

Summary

There are multiple reasons in-house teams still utilize the resources that come from a marketing company, and these are just a few. If your company needs any marketing help with SEO, social, branding, film or web, contact us at Fusion 360.

May 04
0

The Top Social Media Sites for your E-Commerce Store

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, SEO, Utah | No Comments

Social media has become more than just a place to socialize with our friends and family, it has become a necessity for businesses to use in order to grow and tap into new markets. Marketing companies know that these sites are crucial marketing goldmines; if companies know how to utilize them, they will reap the benefits.

So, which social media sites should you be using for your e-commerce business? Should you be tweeting about your products, uploading pictures to show them off on Instagram, or posting about them on Facebook for your friends and family to see? We here at Fusion 360 agency have come up with a guide on which sites are best when it comes to promoting your e-commerce business.

Facebook

If you’re a regular Facebook user, you might notice that there are tons of ads for products and services being pushed on the platform. While sponsored posts are present on all major platforms, Facebook pushes businesses more than these other platforms and even offers various marketplace pages which can be utilized by marketing companies and businesses to promote their brand.

It’s recommended by marketing companies that you post at least two updates per day to promote your business, and that you utilize Facebook’s Dynamic Ads, which tracks a user’s browsing information to provide targeted product advertisements.

Instagram

Instagram is a more photo-heavy platform, which is great for showing off your product or service through amazing visuals. Marketing companies also know that Instagram is an influencer-driven platform, so it’s important for businesses to invest in influencers to take photos with a specific brand’s product in order to get the audience’s attention.

Another cool feature that Instagram offers is the ability to allow users to click on a picture that will redirect them to the company’s website, making it easier to purchase a product.

Twitter

When on Twitter, it’s best to keep it short. People use this platform for brief text, videos and images, so you should focus on visuals and on a strong, short-form quote related to your industry. Apart from posting the visual content directly to the site, you could also link to your website through a text tweet. One differentiating factor between Twitter and the other big platforms is that it acts as a customer service support channel, so make sure that you utilize that to your advantage.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a good way to offer quick, behind-the-scenes content, teasers and upcoming promotions when it comes to product releases. Snapchat is a great platform because it allows for ads and customized geofilters, which can make your brand seem more personal.

These platforms are the best ways to grow your e-commerce business today, and marketing companies can help you get started. Give us a call here at Fusion 360 if you’re ready to take the next step in your digital marketing endeavors.

May 03
0

Path to a Career in Video Production

By | advertising, content marketing, digital marketing, Social Media, Utah, video production | No Comments

If you are wanting to pursue a career in video production, you might be wondering where you should start. Video production is a highly technical profession that requires a lot of practice and experience. As it has become an increasingly growing field, your video skills need to be top notch in order to make it in the video industry. This means that you should consistently be practicing and improving your video production skills. Video production companies are looking to hire the best of the best, so if you are wanting to work with a production company, here are some steps you should follow.

Degree in Film or Communication

Most colleges offer film programs, so if you choose to attend college, think about pursuing a degree in Film or Communication. Depending on your university, the film program might be part of a specific major, so do some research to figure out the best way to get the film education you need. While at school, do your best to volunteer or help out on amateur or student film sets. This will help give you more experience and get used to what a video production set is like. You can also find mentors who are more experienced to help guide and teach you everything you need to know.

Teach Yourself

Although video production companies recommend getting a degree in Film, it is also possible to teach yourself everything about video production. With so many online resources available to you (some even for free), teaching yourself video production is very doable. If you choose to teach yourself, make sure you familiarize yourself with many aspects of production. This includes cameras, lighting, editing and more. Try to find as many opportunities to go out and shoot as possible. A lot of freelance video producers were self-taught, and their skills are just as good as some of the professionals who received film degrees. What matters most is your experience, not your degree.

Internships

Internships are a great way to get more experience in video production. A lot of video production companies offer internships. By taking an internship, you can get real-world experience and learn how professional production companies run. In addition, taking an internship could lead to making connections in the video industry as well as full-time work opportunities with that production company.

Career

Once you have gained all the necessary experience, you can settle down with either a production company or work freelance. With freelance work, you probably won’t have a consistent schedule, and you will most likely work on smaller projects. With a video production company, you could be working on content ranging from commercials to big movie productions. Both freelancers and production companies are in high demand, so it’s up to you to decide which path you want to take.

Video production is constantly shifting and evolving, so you must always be willing to learn new things. Overall, a career in video production is obtainable if you are willing to put in the work! For more information on careers in video production, contact a video production company like us here at Fusion 360 Studios.

May 02
0

Roles Within a Video Production Company

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Utah | No Comments

The size and positions with a video production company can vary significantly. Depending on the industry and size of the company, you might see as many as 15 different occupational positions or as little as 5 positions. The purpose and budget of the client’s video are going to ultimately dictate what kind of video production company they go with. Here is a look at what a big and small production company looks like.

Full Production Companies

Before we lay out all the different roles, it is also worth noting that not all of the positions are filled by just one individual either, several roles may require a number of individuals performing the same work. In addition, a video production company of this size aren’t going to be creating dinky commercials for local channels, but something as big as a nation-wide movie production. Without further ado, here is our list of all the different roles within a big-time production company.

Producer – The individuals that communicates with the client and arranges the production.
Director – The individual that envision the production and makes it come to life.
Screenwriter – The individuals that write the copy and lines for the entire production.
Production Designer – The individuals that translate the vision and copy into a storyboard.
Art Director – The individual that is responsible for the design of each scene’s setting.
Director of Photography – The individual that oversees the visual outcome of every shot.
Camera Operator – The individuals that are in control of the camera.
Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) – The individual that ensures the camera’s color is correct.
Lighting Director – The individual that makes sure that the lighting looks right in each shot.
Boom Operator – The individual that is in charge of the microphones used on set.
Gaffer – The individual that executes every electrical-related factor in a production.
Audio Technician – The individual that oversees everything related to sound.
Lead Editor – The individual that compiles the shots and edits them so they run smoothly.
Production Assistant – The special individual that runs errands for everyone on set.

While this seems like an exhaustive list, this doesn’t cover every position out there; we haven’t mentioned all the positions related to the Talent, Foley Artists, Animators, Key Grip Specialist, etc. — now you know why credits are so long! Obviously, with a video production company that fills all 15 of these different roles, you are dealing with a media company equivalent to the ones found in Hollywood. If you’ve found one that is not quite Hollywood-level but close, you can expect the video to still be grand, more technical and cost a lot!

Smaller Production Companies

While the spread is quite large between a full production company and a local one, you can still receive great quality work from smaller production companies. Typically, individuals that work at a smaller video production company will wear multiple hats. For example, you might see one person act as the producer, director, screenwriter and production designer, and another that operates all the cameras, set up the light and microphones, and make sure everything is working electrically. However, you can see their sample work and find that they are still able to produce what companies need.

If you are looking for a production company to help you with creating a corporate video, brand film, social video, commercial or anything else, contact us here at Fusion 360.

Apr 30
0

What is IGTV?

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Utah, video production | No Comments

With the combination of surges in social media marketing and video content, Instagram created a place within their platform for users to throw up longer and more professional videos. Instead of multiple 15-second story videos and 59-second post videos, Instagram started providing a way for anyone to upload one succinct video that will last much longer, and social media marketing companies are loving it.

If you are still wondering how it works and what it can do for you, don’t worry, we got you.

IGTV Channels and the Algorithm

Thinking of traditional TV channels, you might envision a list of channels on a TV menu’s guide or a remote clicking through the variety of channels you have, but IGTV is much different. Once you click on the IGTV icon that is now readily accessible from your Instagram’s home page, there are multiple videos that you can scroll through and watch. There are four to six video viewable thumbnails on your phone at a time with descriptions and lengths marked over the thumbnail. The videos that appear on your IGTV list are based on what accounts you follow and what things you like. This is an algorithm that is supposed to give you the things that you will be interested in.

When you finally click to watch a certain video, it will expand to a full-screen view but it will play vertically rather than horizontally. In addition, you can access the video creator’s IG page from the full view play screen, exactly what brands, influencers and social media marketing companies want.

Creating a Channel and Why

You already know that these entities are creating their IGTV videos solely to get more people to engage with their IG page, but can you think why?… Of course you can! It not even a question you wouldn’t already know, however, it is worth discussing.

Whether it is a social media marketing company doing work for a clothing company or an influencer promoting the latest update on their blog, IGTV videos are just another way to bring people in. Unlike most of the other video content on Instagram, what is nice about IGTV videos is that they can be made with more quality and professionalism. Further, having the option to create a 10-minute video gives creators the ability to expand on a vision or thought. These kinds of videos are a nice change up from the typical short videos and can give viewers A LOT more content. The individual or company that can deliver a video with rich content — more than their typical posts — will have a better chance of attracting a wider audience.

Once you’ve posted an IGTV video, Instagram automatically creates a subpage for you that contains all your IGTV video posts. This page ultimately functions the same as any other regular page but will be made up of just IGTV posts. At the top of the page, under the description is a “View Profile” link that will take you to the creator’s main page. Creators can also post a 59-second “Preview” of the video on their main page so that your followers will see the post and then have the ability to watch the full video on IGTV.

The first reaction to Instagram adding “TV” to their platform may not have been a good one for some people, but it is definitely a good move. It is still less than a year old and yet social media marketing companies are finding it highly effective. If your company is looking to do more on their Instagram page, contact a social media marketing company like us, Fusion 360, and we will turn your Instagram space into a polished account with the followers you need and want.

Apr 29
0

The Largest Marketing Budgets in the U.S.

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Social Media, Utah | No Comments

Marketing has become such a crucial aspect when it comes to a company’s success. As the marketing world continues to evolve, it comes as no surprise that marketing budgets are also on the rise, leaving many people across the nation wondering the same thing: what are the largest marketing budgets in the United State? It’s human nature to be curious, and today we’re going to explore that curiosity.

In this blog, we’re going to take a look at which brands are spending the most money on marketing efforts and how that budget is affecting their success. These large budgets are without a doubt what keeps marketing companies in business. We’ll see what these budgets are and what marketing companies are able to accomplish for established brands.

Samsung Electronics

Samsung electronics is a name you’ve probably heard a thousand times. This electronic manufacturing company has their brand littered across several different varieties of electronic devices; from cellphones to TV’s, Samsung is a household name. However, all of their success doesn’t come cheap. Samsung has shelled out $2.14 billion in the United States alone to market just their Galaxy S8 phone during their #DoWhatYouCant campaign.

Although the brand is headquartered in South Korea, they managed to make it into the top ten spenders in the United States. Further, they were able to win creativity awards for their “Ostrich” commercial that showcased a VR simulation app.

General Motors

General motors has held the title as the country’s largest auto manufacturer for decades, but their success is due to more than just their quality engineering. The company owns brands such as GMC, Buick, Cadillac and Chevy, so you can probably already guess that they’re going to be spending insane amounts of money on marketing and advertising efforts. In fact, they spend about $10 for every American, to be exact. GM has to run various campaigns at any given time in order to cover all of the brands that they own. You can find that they paid advertising and marketing companies $3.24 billion for just one year of campaigns.

Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble might not be a name that you’re super familiar with, but you have probably heard of brand like Charmin, Tide, Gillette, Downy and Febreze — Procter & Gamble owns them all. You can already imagine how much this company spends on advertising in order to market all of their products successfully. Procter & Gamble spent a whopping $4.39 billion on ads for their brands, with one of their most successful campaigns being their “The Talk” ad campaign, which was aimed at stopping racism. The campaign went viral, garnering millions on views on YouTube.

Comcast

Comcast is known for owning Xfinity cable, which is the leading TV and internet service provider in the nation. They also own brands like NBC, Telemundo, E! and USA Network. You’re probably wondering how much they spend on advertising, and the answer may not surprise you. Comcast put down $5.75 billion to promote top-grossing movies such as Get Out, The Mummy, The Fate of the Furious and Despicable Me 3. They also rely on marketing companies to help them promote the globally recognized amusement parks that they own, Universal and Islands of Adventure parks and resorts in Orlando, Florida.

These mammoth companies lead the world in their marketing budgets, and their success shows that it must be paying off. Smaller companies can also take advantage of marketing tactics by hiring a marketing company to promote their brand. If you’re looking for help with your marketing — on a much smaller scale in comparison to these Goliath companies — give us a ring here at Fusion 360 Studios. Our award-wining team is ready to take your brand to the next level.

Apr 28
0

Why You Need a Brand Film

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Social Media, Utah | No Comments

Might we just say, the fact that you are trying to learn more about brand films is a sign that you are doing something right. Also, you came to the right place! This video production company knows everything you need to know about brand films and how they can help your company. What it all really comes down to is building trust with your target audience, telling a story, communicating your brand’s values, and leaving the viewers wanting more from your company. We are going to expand on all of that below — Take a look!

Building Trust

Video production companies understand that when they create a brand film for another company, they are supposed to display that company’s unique characteristics so that their audience will be able to identify with. When we make a brand film, we aim to deliver a professional video that evokes the right emotions that will help viewers connect with the brand. You want this in order to construct a strong relationship built on trust with your consumers. The more they are able to connect with your brand, the more loyal they will be to your company.

Tell Your Story

A large part of building trust with your target audience is giving your viewers an inside look at your company. A video production company can help open up and show the bones of your company, and the more that happens, the more likely people will see your company as an honest one that does good for the world. By telling a raw story from within the walls of your company, you will be able to show everyone who your company really is.

Leaves Your Audience Wanting More

By telling a raw story and building trust with the viewers of your brand video, they are going to be ready for more! As mentioned before, the more your audience connects with your brand, the more loyal to your company they will be, and the more loyal they are, the more they’ll anticipate the next release from your company.

Communicating Brand Values

The trust and anticipation that you build with this brand film is great, but a brand film can also help your company emphasize certain values that are important to your brand. You need to express the company’s values so that people know what they can expect from your company. Showing your audience what your values are is just another way to staple down who you are as a company, and, years down the road, people will see the consistency of your brand and its values.

Closing Thoughts

Along with stapling down who you are as a company, the points we’ve made in this blog all comes back to helping your target audience build up trust and connect with the brand. Is there any more reason as to why you need a brand video? The key to making a brand film is authenticity — you don’t want your video feeling too much like an advertisement.

The video production company that helps you shoot your brand film is probably going to have experience making other types of videos (commercial, corporate, etc.) and will know how to keep your brand film true in purpose. If you are still trying to find the right video production company, consider working with us, Fusion 360! We have the knowledge and experience you need.