Proliferation

May 24
0

The Best Marketing Strategies for a Startup

By | advertising, Brand marketing, Utah | No Comments

Everyone has to start somewhere, and while startup companies face various challenges, the right marketing strategies can help your business go a long way. You might be thinking that the best marketing strategies come from expensive marketing companies, but a lot of the times these strategies can come at little to no cost; you just have to be able to come up with them and put in the work.

If you’re currently working on building your startup company and you don’t know where to start in terms of marketing strategies, we here at Fusion 360 Agency have come up with the perfect list of marketing strategies for the ambitious startup. Here are some strategies that you could implement into your marketing plan.

Identify Who You Target Audience Is

This might sound like an obvious one, but so many companies forgo doing research on who they should be marketing to, which can be detrimental to a company’s success. Before you do anything, you’re going to have to decide who you are going to sell your products or services to. This research can be broken down into four different categories: geographical, demographic, psychographic and behavioral.

Utilize Content Marketing and SEO Tactics

While marketing companies are experts when it comes to content marketing and SEO, this is a strategy that you can easily utilize. As far as content marketing goes, all you need is an on-site blog that contains content that you add to each week. Within this on-site blog, you should post infographics, written content and videos that inform or entertain your readers in a unique and practical way. By inserting SEO keywords and other practices into this content, you should see significant growth in your SEO score and overall online presence.

SEO may seem complex, but all it is is implementing trending keywords into your content to help you rank higher on search engines. Online tools like Moz’s Keyword Explorer can help you find the appropriate keywords for your brand.

Email Marketing

It is believed that email marketing can yield up to a 400 percent ROI, and it is one of the most cost-efficient marketing strategies to date. Marketing companies still utilize this method because of these reasons, making it a great and viable option for startups.

Social Media Marketing

If you put in the time, social media marketing can help you achieve great success. Though not something you can do casually, social media marketing is freely available and is a great, affordable and effective method for startup companies. Marketing companies establish profiles for their clients on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help them connect with their audience.

These are the best marketing strategies for startups because they are affordable and easy to do on your own. But, if you’re looking for a marketing company that can do all of this for you, give us a call here at Fusion 360 Agency. That way you can focus on growing your business in other ways, while we provide you with some of the above-mentioned services.

 

May 22
0

The Difference Between Marketing and Advertising

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, Utah, Utah SEO | No Comments

Some people think that marketing and advertising are the same thing. Others know that they are different but don’t know exactly how to differentiate between the two. If you’re struggling to grasp the differences between advertising and marketing, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Marketing companies across the nation know that in order to put your business on the path to success, you have to be able to know the difference between the two and do your market research. Do this and you’ll see your company reach new heights.

So what’s the best way to finally grasp the differences between the two? We here at Fusion 360 wrote this blog to help you understand how marketing and advertising differ, and yet the work together to bring your company the success you’re working toward.

Marketing Has Various Components

Marketing is comprised of systematic planning, implementation and a mix of activities intended to bring buyers and sellers together. Marketing companies like to think of marketing as a step-by-step process that begins with a proposition for your clients and customers — this is just the first step.

As simple as this comparison is, think of marketing as a pie. The marketing “pie” can be divided into categories — or “slices” — such as advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, community relations, customer support and an effective sales strategy. As you can see, the work that marketing companies do is comprised of different strategies and techniques, and each element, while separate in category and execution, work together to fulfill one unified marketing campaign.

Advertising is Just One Slice of the Pie

As mentioned above, advertising falls into the categories that make up the marketing “pie.” This is the most obvious difference between the two. An advertisement is any announcement that acts to persuade an audience by conveying a message crafted by a company, organization, or person to existing and potential customers or a non-profit member base.

This “slice of the pie” is a component of marketing, and when combined with the other marketing techniques, it helps a brand achieve marketing success! That is, if the campaign is properly planned and executed.

At the end of the day, the main difference between advertising and marketing is that advertising is just one cog in the machine that is marketing. If you’re looking into investing in a marketing company to help you bring your campaign to life, make sure to give us a call here at Fusion 360 — our award-winning team is ready to help take your business to the next level.

May 16
0

Why Your Company Should Consider Joining Discussion Boards and Forums

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, Utah, Utah SEO | No Comments

They may not always look pretty online, but some of the top results for Google and other search engine searches bring browsers to online discussion boards and forums. While these boards don’t look authentic aesthetically, some of the posts you find within can be everything you need! Whether it’s a location you are trying to find that is off the maps or a specific recipe, some of the best and most personal answers on the internet are found on discussion boards and forums.

So how can your company utilize a resource like this? Do just as any digital marketing company would tell you to, create an account and interact with real people that are looking up things that relate to your company.

WHY?

The next question you may face is, “why?” What reasons are there for a company to put in the effort to get on the various boards and forums and start interacting? The answer is the same as why companies comment and talk to others on social media channels: exposure.

When you interact with others on social media, your contribution automatically builds a bridge with the users that see what you’ve said and they are then left with an impression (ideally a good one). These interactions are anything from making a relevant comment on someone else’s Instagram post to quote tweeting something on Twitter. It is already common knowledge that there are marketing companies, digital and social media focused, that include these efforts into their everyday marketing responsibilities. However, you should find it as no surprise that there are other marketing companies that do the same thing on discussion boards and forums.

In addition to an increase in exposure, when individuals in the cyberverse see your company making meaningful or humorous contributions online, they are going to create a relationship with you. Whether they follow you or not, an impression is built. When online interaction is done right by a company, most online users will simply see the company as a transparent, inclusive and genuine company that they can relate to.

Another Platform

Look, making contributions on discussion boards and forums is not that different from making contributions on social media channels, it’s just like another “social” platform. We’ve already explained that contributions on social platforms increases companies’ exposure and gives something online users can relate to, and it’s no different with these forums and discussion boards. Marketing companies that are ahead of the curve are making these contributions online already for their clients and you can do the same for your company, it might just take some research.

There is nothing stopping you from researching some forums and discussion boards that relate to your company’s products and services, but if you need any help with your marketing efforts, contact a marketing company like our own, Fusion 360.

May 15
0

The Basics of a Marketing Plan

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

Marketing companies need to come up with effective marketing plans if they really want to nail down their target audience and know how they’re going to accomplish their business goals, as well as what those goals are. While these marketing plans are an essential aspect of any successful business, smaller businesses can find the task to be daunting, leading them to ignore the creation of a basic marketing plan altogether. Failing to make a marketing plan can be detrimental to a company, but marketing companies can help create a simple yet effective marketing plan to ensure that these smaller businesses don’t miss out on any marketing opportunities.

So, how exactly do marketing companies help businesses come up with a marketing plan? Well, it all comes down to the basics.

Researching Your Potential Market

Research is the backbone of any successful marketing plan. From product research to researching your target market, you have to put in a ton of time if you want to craft a strategy that can guarantee you results. Marketing companies are great to consult with about solid research, but you can also find resources online that will help you identify consumer buying habits in the industry, market size, market growth and decline, and current trends.

When it comes to your target audience, a well-defined audience description will help identify who your buyers are. Marketing companies recommend that you discuss at least two different levels of segmentation.

Identifying Your Budget

Budgets are where most businesses run into issues. Marketing companies suggest that when coming up with a basic marketing plan you put together a month-by-month schedule of what you plan to spend on your marketing efforts. Another important aspect when it comes to a budget is setting up a “red light” decision point. For example, establish a metric that tells you when you should stop if you’re not generating sufficient ROI.

Planning Your Tactics

To create a solid marketing plan, you want to make sure that your company creates specific tactics and then follows through. Tactics are actions that you have to take to help you accomplish your goals. One tactic that a business might use is deciding how they might utilize direct mail, email marketing, online advertising, case studies, social media marketing, and/or sponsorships.

Creating a marketing plan doesn’t have to be complicated to start, and as you get more accustomed to it, marketing companies can help you create more complex plans. If you’re in need of a marketing company to help you create a successful marketing plan, give us a call here at Fusion 360.

May 14
0

Lighting 101: Three-Point Lighting

By | advertising, Utah, Utah SEO, video production | No Comments

When an individual first start learning about lighting techniques, one of the first lessons they’ll learn will be about three-point lighting. By implementing this technique, they can take their video (or photo) shoot from an amateur level to a professional level. The thing is though, they can’t just set up three different lights anywhere around the on-scene subject and call it good, they need a little more instruction.

The three different lights consist of the key, fill and back light. As a video production company that shoots professional-grade videos, we understand the importance of the proper use of these three lights. We’ll expand on the role of each of these lights and how you can use them appropriately.

Key Light

As you may expect, there is a light that is going to act as the primary light to brighten up the subject of the shot, and this main light is known as the key light. However, this light doesn’t sit on top of or right next to the camera, but is placed off a ways to the right or left side of the camera — sometimes at a 45° angle. Amateurs may bring a light to their shoot but may not understand that a key light on its own might overexpose the shot. Video production companies and other professionals know that they need another light or two to balance out their shot.

Fill Light

The way professionals and video production companies control the effect of the lighting is by adding a fill light to the shot. In comparison, a fill light is much dimmer than the key light but it lightens up the shaded areas that are created by the key light. When you shoot with a key light and no fill light, you encounter harsh shadows that will oftentimes darken one side of a person’s face or other areas of a different subject. With a fill light placed on the other side of the camera (opposite of the key light), you can brighten up those shaded parts. Depending on how bright or dim you want the fill light, you ultimately control how soft or harsh the shadows will be.

Back Light

The two lights already mentioned really control how a subject appears behind the camera, but the third light, the back light, adds one extra dimension that completes the shot as a whole. This back light, also known as the rim light or hair light, is usually placed behind the subject but raised up above the camera’s view, casting light down from above the shot. Sometimes, video production companies and other professionals substitute the back light with the sun but then use a reflector or foam board to decrease the sun’s intensity. With light coming from above, there is more depth to the shot and the subject will look less two-dimensional.

Whether your a professional that works with a video production company or an individual with zero shooting experience, everyone understands that lighting enhances a shot. However, without three-point lighting, the end result will be missing that much-needed professional level. For any help with creating a professional video for your company, contact us today.

May 13
0

The Best Video Editing Software of 2019

By | advertising, Brand marketing, content marketing, SEO, Utah, video production | No Comments

Depending on your needs, the best video editing software is going to differ from that of someone else. Speaking in absolutes — “the BEST” — assumes that everyone has the same needs, however, the fact of the matter is that it’s a case by case situation.

If you are a beginner, you will not need advanced software, and a professional at a video production company is going to need something different than that of an editor in Hollywood. The needs of an Apple user that heavily relies on Apple products may alter significantly from PC users. be different as well. While the needs are going to differ from person to person, there are some characteristics and capabilities that set certain software apart from the rest. Here is what we think are the most recognized programs that give users the ability to do what they need in the most efficient way.

TWO DOMINANT EDITING PROGRAMS

We are four months into 2019 and video production companies still agree that Adobe’s Premiere Pro and Apple’s Final Cut Pro are the “best” editing software for professionals.

PREMIERE PRO — The reason this is oftentimes the first software people will talk about is because of its ability to support a variety of different formats, cameras, and devices, and its ability to work on multiple platforms. Further, Premiere runs on Macs and PC computers without difficulty. Whether its a commercial made by a video production company or a feature film made for the big screens, the advanced editing capabilities work for both. With the latest update to the program in 2018, editors are able to use HDR media, playback media faster, and still utilize its other main features (like precise color grading, VR editing, and audio layering). In addition to all of this, using Premiere is convenient if you use any other Adobe products.

FINAL CUT PRO — Apple’s highest quality editing program has a lot of similarities with Adobe’s Premiere. Like Adobe’s ability to work great with other Adobe products, obviously, Final Cut works nicely with other Apple software. It also supports HDR and RAW formats and a lot of other interfaces. As time passes, while Final Cut can execute some advanced editing, it is starting to be seen as a good developmental program.

We mention these two programs first because these are what the professionals at video production companies are using, and they will give you more capabilities than anything else. Nonetheless, as we said before, the needs of each person or entity are different. That being the case, beginners may not need Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, and Hollywood editors may need other editing software that specializes in CGI, 3D effects, and more.

OTHER Software for OTHER NEEDS

Here is a simple list of other software that beginners and/or Hollywood editors may consider to be a better program for their needs.

FOR BEGINNERS:

  • Avidemux
  • Shotcut
  • Rocketium
  • Nero Standard
  • Davinci Resolve
  • Video Pro X
  • Wideo
  • MacXvideo
  • Lightworks

FOR HOLLYWOOD PROs:

  • SynthEyes
  • PFTrack
  • Mocha
  • Boujou
  • Houdini
  • RealFlow
  • 3D Studio Max
  • Cinema 4D
  • Maya
  • Adobe After Effects

While these different programs may not be used by professional video production companies, they will still accomplish similar things for beginners and accomplish more for the industry leading professionals in Hollywood. Ultimately, there is a lot of different editing software, but based on your level and needs, the best program may differ from someone else. However, many video production companies, like us here at Fusion 360, would say that Adobe’s Premiere Pro is the best program to use in 2019.

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.