Qualities to Look for in a Brand Journalist

By | digital marketing | No Comments

The ranks of the Fusion 360 team are filled with many different talents. Among us there are the few, the proud, the brand journalists. For those who aspire to write as a career, this is a field you may start considering.

 

Digital marketing companies are always on the lookout for the unique talent. If you don’t posses the qualities we’re looking for, I’m sorry to say we take “Mean Girls” very seriously, so you can’t sit with us.

The Importance of Brand Journalists

Consumers have gotten wise to the old tactics of advertising. With ad blockers and DVR set ups, no one has to look at your sales attempts if they don’t want to. In addition to that, the lack of trust for large companies creates a need for someone to tell the story of the brand through digital marketing companies. Cue the brand journalists to stage left.

How to Be the Best Brand Journalist You Can Be

To join a team of revolutionaries, you need to be a cunning linguist who uses their talent for good. The story has always been the essence of communication. The way you get that story to the reader needs to be show stopping. Most folks have short attention spans. With the right kind of headline and lede you can pull anyone into the rabbit hole of information that is the internet.

To be the best brand journalist you can be, you should practice open-mindedness. You won’t always be writing about things that gather traditional interest. Heck, you may well find yourself writing about the state of refrigerators. Instead of brushing off this topic, take the opportunity to write accurately and leave your audience wanting more.

Lastly, your brand journalist needs to be quick. We’re talking “I just saw a Dragonite on my “Pokemon Go” radar!” quick. Digital marketing companies aren’t known for their lackadaisical attitudes when it comes to deadlines.

Brush up on your skills and someday soon you may be able to count yourself among the ranks of brand writers, changing the face of this world one article at a time.

Advertising for Self-Confidence

By | advertising, Utah | No Comments

If you’ve ever accidentally started a movement by not wearing makeup, you know what it feels like to be Alicia Keys right now. It all started with a simple letter for Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter. Her focus on natural beauty has left every advertising agency from Utah to Pluto scrambling to follow suit.

Alicia Keys and the Movement

Fifteen Grammys in a 20-year career — Keys has always been a great example of empowerment. She is the epitome of equality and #BlackGirlMagic. Through admitting that she’s struggled with self-esteem issues during this wildly successful career, we love her even more (if that’s possible). By being honest about the way she hid her true self, intelligence, thoughts and feelings, she’s been able to reach women of all ages.

In her own words, this movement isn’t “anti-makeup,” rather a “you do you” kind of attitude. She was brave enough to attend the MTV VMAs fresh faced, making it easier for the average woman to brave the grocery store without her face on. I’d go as far as suggesting that confidence is the true movement — she never once seemed out of place, even in pictures with Queen Bey herself.

Dare to Bare

The latest no makeup movement is hardly the first of its kind. Over ten years ago Dove’s advertising agency released the “Campaign for Real Beauty,” promoting the use of real people instead of photoshopped models. Their efforts didn’t stop there, as they released videos displaying “The Evolution” behind retouched ads.

As the pace picks up, we see celebrities going out of their way to expose over-edited photos (you go Zendaya!). American Eagle has gone as far as encouraging women to upload un-retouched photos of them as part of the “The Real You Is Sexy” campaign.

We are at a tipping point for women. Empowerment is all around us, and the advertising agency employees who catch on will go down in history for creating timeless content. May the odds be ever in your favor as you take on this newest endeavor.

How Americans Do Halloween

By | marketing agencies | No Comments

Marketing companies do our best to take advantage of holidays. Holidays mean buzz and excitement. They mean that for a short time, there is one thought that is occupying everyone’s mind.

Our job as marketing and advertising professionals is to help our clients capitalize on the holiday spirit. It all starts with Halloween. Halloween is the candy-covered gate that leads to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a pretty sweet holiday. You dress up as crazy things, and people give you free candy. Ok, it’s a little weird, but it’s also awesome.

Halloween is a great opportunity to market your product in a new light. It’s a big deal. Don’t believe us? We’ll let these numbers do the talking.

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How Fusion 360 Is Like Eleven on Stranger Things

By | content marketing | No Comments

We all fell in love with the buzzed hair, pink dress wearing, Eggo waffle eating little girl that is our sweet Jane Ives, a.k.a. Eleven in “Stranger Things.” In a parallel universe we like to believe that we’d be the Eleven. Most of us can’t claim that we were born to a mother and tested for incredible psychic abilities. However, we are one of the few content marketing companies that can connect with El on a deeper level.

We’ve Got Great Taste in Music

As we flashed back in “Stranger Things” time to the spunky sounds of the 80s tickled our eardrums. We felt a deep connection with the vibes that little El was putting out. “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” more like the soundtrack to our SEO.

Sensory Deprivation? We Have the Next Best Thing

Eleven skillfully uses a sensory deprivation tank to observe people in other locations. While we praise the creativity behind turning a pool into a tank, as many content marketing companies claim, we have the skills to reach people far from us. Through our skilled analytic technology, we know the words to use and the websites that need help — blacked out goggles not necessary.

Like Eleven, We Love Eggos

What are content marketing companies without the kitchenette full of snacks? El took on grocery store employees to get her hands on a few boxes of frozen waffles. Just the other day we took on an entire Costco to fill our kitchen with brain food to feed our creative team.

We Take Down Monsters, Too

El took down the metaphorical monster that was Mike’s bully Troy. Following that action she took down the monster from the upside down with nothing more than her telekinesis. We are proud to say we can take down the metaphorical monster that is the workload we’re faced with each week.

As for our telekinetic superpowers, some things are better left off the internet.

Social Media at Advertising Week

By | digital marketing | No Comments

Advertising week has once again wrapped up, leaving us with several nuggets of wisdom to digest. The strategies and tactics imparted upon us are the perfect ammunition for digital marketing companies to load up on for the next year.

The heart of the advertising industry has always been about bringing people together, no matter the product. However, creating emotional connections in the virtual world is no easy feat. It’s high time for companies to put social media first in their advertising plan instead of leaving it as an afterthought.

Social Media Marketing Requires Meticulousness

With the birth of new social media platforms comes the opportunity for creativity and, in the words of Apple, “Courage.” It feels as though companies like Snapchat are rolling out new features weekly.

Your social media marketing plan will fall apart if you don’t understand why your target audience is using each platform. When you understand the subtleties of how these folks use each program you can better reach them. A precise plan will lead to stronger connections with your target audience.

Consistent Communication

According to the professionals at Advertising Week, there are two kinds of media, aggregate media and human conversation. Aggregate media is the data analysis side of it — purely number crunching. Human conversation on the other hand, is the feeling that another person is getting your message and you aren’t just talking into the great void that is the internet. The most successful digital marketing companies use both types of communication to create campaigns.

Great Content

Digital marketing companies with great content will build better connections with their followers. The advertisements that tend to stick with us are the ones that hit close to home. This emotional connection builds a relationship that lasts longer than the 30 seconds that the ad does.

Your social media platform is useless unless your audience feels like you’re hanging out with them every day on social media. Be the Milhouse to their Bart. Make the relationship matter.

Registering to Vote Advertisements

By | advertising, marketing agencies | No Comments

This election season has brought on a turbulence that we have never seen before. Marketing agencies around the nation are taking the opportunity to encourage people to get out and vote, regardless of the stance. The millennial crowd has long since been the target of this plea, leaving many celebrity A-listers prepared to do whatever it takes.

A History of Voting Campaigns

With the help of marketing agencies, celebrities do their best to create social and political movements. “Rock the Vote” was introduced in the 1990s. This movement was described as a progressive-aligned group whose mission is “to engage and build the political power of young people.” After seeing the impact that a celebrity voice can have, Diddy created the “Vote or Die” campaign of 2004. The campaign was even featured on an episode of “South Park.”

This Year’s Efforts

This week we have been faced with not one but two celebrity super groups who are urging us to get out and vote. Hollywood is typically known for leaning left, and the “Save the Day” group proves that. People like Robert Downy Jr. and Neil Patrick Harris got on camera to voice their concerns and shout the plea of “register to vote and make your voice heard on election day.” Though they make their political stance very clear, this advertisement is highlighted with humor at the promise of Mark Ruffalo doing a nude scene.

The second group of celebrities promotes the “Vote Your Future” campaign. People like Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts got together for a more generic piece that asks young voters to figure out what they care about and vote for it. Their movement was more about sharing what matters to them and why they will vote. They took a page right out of the handbook of top marketing agencies and made it social media accessible.

Regardless of what side you’re on, the obligation to be part of the decision is now stronger than it ever has been. If you haven’t heard it enough, get out there and make your voice heard.

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

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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!