With digital communication being of the utmost importance for both small and large brands alike, the need for a robust social media presence can’t be understated. The following infographic seeks to better put into perspective the priority that is social media for businesses and why such an endeavor should be tackled with the help of a digital marketing agency.
Many marketers understand one common convention: social media marketing and content marketing are different things. Although this is technically true, it doesn’t mean that companies should regard these entities as completely separate. The best content marketing agencies in Utah know that to achieve success, companies must create a marketing plan that regards social media marketing and content marketing as one.
Social media marketing requires content. Furthermore, effective social media marketing requires concise, relevant and engaging content. It also requires that the content fit within a specific platform’s parameters, which increases the difficulty of crafting superior content. If a company tweets or posts irrelevant and poor quality content, they won’t drive engagement. In order to avoid this trend and create a sound social media marketing campaign, consider implementing the three tips mentioned below.
1. Research Your Options
To be successful at content marketing in Utah, you must understand that different audiences prefer different social media networks. For example, the Pew Internet Research Project reports that the average Twitter user is a non-white male that’s young, affluent and college-educated. Due to this fact, companies that are creating content on Twitter should ensure that their messages are tailored to this demographic.
Social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram also have unique audiences. In order to be effective on these platforms, companies must take user demographics into account. In addition to user demographics, companies must also understand that social platforms have different requirements.
Sticking to the first example in this section, Twitter has a 140-character limit. In order to successfully market on Twitter, companies must craft messages that are 140-characters or less that also appeal to a young, affluent and educated readership.
2. Implement A/B Testing
Successful Utah content marketers understand what their target audiences respond to. Unfortunately, many companies that are inexperienced with marketing try to push content that hasn’t been proven successful. Luckily, A/B testing can help individuals and organizations understand what topics draw in their audiences.
A/B tests allow companies to systematically assess how different content ideas can grow their businesses. Although some companies learn the A/B testing process on their own, this isn’t always the case. Many organizations choose to outsource their A/B testing to an experienced content marketing company in Utah. This way, a company can focus on what they do best: offering their product or service to customers and a content marketing agency can focus on what they do best: using specific methods to increase a company’s overall success.
3. Understand Your Following and Interact
To be successful on social networks, you must understand your audiences. Fortunately, tools like Nexalogy can help Utah companies increase their audience awareness faster than ever before. Applications like Nexalogy allow companies to understand what kinds of content their followers and fans are discussing. Organizations can then use this insight to generate a content marketing plan with topics that interest their followers.
Every company, regardless of its industry, can grow its business through social media. If you’re unsure how to begin, that’s OK, too. Here at Fusion 360, we understand how to create optimized content that’s sure to take your company’s success to the next level.
For most, the differences between marketing, advertising and public relations are seemingly insignificant and hard to define. While marketing and advertising agencies might have their own specific explanations as to why one is more important than the other, generally speaking, both marketing and advertising take a first-person, representative approach to product and service pushing, while public relations opts for a more distant, removed approach.
Though both can be performed by marketing agencies in a respectable, ethical manner during this—the digital age of communication—digital public relations strategies are proving to be the more favorable option.
An Advertorial Atrocity
In recent years, both advertising and marketing have made it a point to interrupt potential clients in an effort to divert their attention from smartphones, tablets, laptops or flatscreen television sets to something of a more commercial nature.
Well, unfortunately for those who subscribe to this sort of advertising philosophy, the customer revolution is in full swing. Recent studies have shown that 60% of consumers feel more negatively about advertising than they did in the past. Additionally, 61% view advertising as a forced, intrusive and out of control industry. Lastly, and perhaps most disheartening, 65% of people genuinely consider themselves overwhelmed by advertisers. Victims of the process, if you will.
The Value of Digital Media
The perfect solution for marketing agencies is not only public relations, but more specifically digital media. Presenting itself through valuable formats such as graphic design, web design, video production, content marketing and—most powerfully—social media, digital media appears to be here to stay.
Consider the following: one in nine people on earth are on Facebook. Of those people, each user spends an average of 15 hours and 33 minutes a month on the site. YouTube, a different network with similar social roots, lays claim to 490 million unique visitors every month. Their activity on YouTube generates about 92 billion page views per month. All across the digital media board, trends are strikingly similar.
Public Relations as a Viable Solution
“The customer is always right,” claims an old sales adage. Wiser sales-centric words have yet to have been spoken, especially for outdated marketing agencies. As far as the world of public relations is concerned, however, there needn’t be any glittering generalities, reading of subtle nonverbal communications methods or sly hard closing maneuvers.
The field focuses on providing something of value to consumers, more often than not, through reliable journalists, news outlets and publications. Take, for example, the new, up-and-coming practice of content marketing: on average, American marketers spend one-fourth of their budgets on content marketing. In fact, 70% of people say that content marketing makes them feel closer to a sponsoring company.
Furthermore, with respect to the value of widespread public appeal, testimonials have been known to increase sales by 250% or more. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that 75% of buying decisions are based on emotion.
All the world’s marketing agencies are more than familiar with the cutthroat state of their craft of choice. In order to gain a competitive edge, an additional, conscious emphasis must be placed on a target audience through digital public relations. Soon enough, with an increase of satisfied clients on the horizon, you’ll be glad you did.
Any and all marketing agencies here in Utah—and in other parts of the country, for that matter—are quickly discovering that the timely, routine creation of quality content is one of the best ways to get your business and/or product noticed. Though content marketing in its current, digital, SEO-centric fashion is a relatively new advertorial trend for small and large businesses alike, the tactic of providing target audiences with valuable information as a way of both gaining trust and building a pool of potential clients has been around for over a century. Whatever your feelings are towards content marketing, one truth remains constant: this method of advertising has existed for longer than most people realize.
Teenagers are always eager to stay on top of the latest trends. Whether it’s clothing, hair or music, most teens want a proper part of whatever the masses are doing. Digitally speaking, things are no different. Currently, few things are bigger than social media. From posting pictures and status updates to humorous tweets and pinned interests, believe it or not, brands looking to make a name for themselves out on the World Wide Web have a great deal to learn from the up-and-coming group.
Most marketing companies realize that teens—and other demographics, for that matter—spend a great deal of time on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. While navigating the aforementioned social platforms, young people stumble across countless advertisements—many of which actually catch their attention and engage interest. If you and your company need better, more efficient access to America’s younger generation, the following infographic will serve as a blueprint of sorts:
From all parts of the country, be it in Utah or New York, everyone knows that great images are an essential part of any solid web development strategy. Unfortunately, most website design specialists aren’t freelance photographers in their spare time and have little to no access to a robust portfolio of remarkable photos.
Options are as follows: you could take the photos yourself, purchase them from a talented photographer or simply download them from a stock image site. Generally speaking, the later is preferred. That being said, when shopping around on the Internet for a digital archive of complementary images, some sites are simply better than others.
1) Unsplash
For many web development experts, Unsplash has proven to be an incredible resource. Visit its home page and the first thing you’ll be met with is the website’s mantra: “Free (do whatever you want) hi-resolution photos.” Unsplash specializes in blog-style photos of landscapes which almost always come with astounding lighting and extraordinary effects. Not only are 10 new photos submitted every 10 days, but each image contains a link to the credited photographer, just in case you’d like to learn more about the genius behind your newly acquired visual aid.
2) IM Free
Truthfully, IM Free is relatively new to the stock image scene. Separating the aforementioned site from its competitors is the fact that it contains helpful templates, buttons and icons—in addition to stock photos, of course—to more fully further the web development industry. If digital depictions are all you’re after, however, you’ll be pleased to learn that this library is known for well-organized photos that are conveniently grouped by category.
3) The Amazing Pattern Library
Technically, this site’s not actually for stock photos. In reality, The Amazing Pattern Library differs heavily from the other domains on our list in that, you guessed it, it’s main focus is to provide web development enthusiasts with a wide variety of patterns, many of which have impressively been created by some of the world’s most talented designers. Though spacious and detail-oriented, this collection’s high-quality pictures quickly download with just one simple click of the mouse.
4) Foodie’s Feed
Exclusively, Foodie’s Feed features edible items in its image arsenal. Believe it or not, visually showcasing delicious foods in a presentable manner is substantially harder than you might’ve originally thought. In fact, says DesignModo.com of the culinary compilation, “From beautiful deserts to simple garden veggies, Foodie’s Feed has images of almost any edible item you can imagine.” The website uploads a minimum of five new images—many of which come from a single take—each and every week. Foodie’s Feed is supported by user donations through PayPal.
5) New Old Stock
Though a bit oxymoronic in name, New Old Stock does a splendid job of combining the perks of modern-day file sharing with the splendor of vintage photography. If any one of your current web development tasks requires black and white images from decades past, consider New Old Stock your ideal supportive reserve. On this site, the vast majority of images are readily available on the public domain for widespread use due to their age.
6) Free Refe Real Life Photos
Believe it or not, a person can actually accomplish a great deal of artistic good with nothing more than a cell phone camera. Free Refe Real Life Photos is virtual proof of such an assertion. All of this website’s provided images were taken with nothing more than a mobile device. Said images primarily cover simple objects and landscapes which make them useful in divers amounts of web development ventures. Unfortunately, many presented images might be too small for print.
Whatever your web development undertaking may be, stock images are bound to play a role. Armed with the necessary visual outlets to make any project pop, you’re bound to see a sharp increase in both pleased clients and site visitors.
Social Media Examiner is a U.S.-based media company specializing in social media research and content marketing headquartered in Poway, California. Since the business’ founding in 2009, innumerable businesses and marketing agencies, including our younger employees here in Utah, have sought guidance from the company in an effort to improve digital advertising proficiency.
As a result, each year, more specialists are able to better promote their clients through social media and content marketing and, in turn, are becoming industry experts in their own right. The following is a list of Social Media Examiner’s most fundamental techniques which, when put into practice in Utah or any other American state, are guaranteed to produce real, measurable results:
1) Respect for an Audience Is an Absolute Must
Mike Stelzner—founder of Social Media Examiner—was once quoted as saying, “We don’t ignore search engines, but it’s not our primary focus. Our primary focus is to appeal to people.” In 2011, Stelzner revealed that only 15% of his site’s then 900,000 page-views per month actually came from search.
2) Content Should Be Shared Across All Dominant Social Platforms
Social Media Examiner’s content is constantly being shared across the 5 most valuable social marketing platforms on the Internet and in Utah: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest. An individual piece of content produced by Social Media Examiner averages 1,932 combined shares across the World Wide Web’s most favored social networks.
3) The Importance of Infographics Can’t Be Understated
Social Media Examiner does an exemplary job of varying content type when the time for publication arrives, employing the powers of lists, “how to” posts and infographics. Truthfully, infographics are the most powerful of the lot. Providing useful information that can be consumed in a matter of minutes here in Utah or elsewhere, the image’s social shareability is nothing short of impressive.
On Twitter alone, Social Media Examiner’s infographics average about 2,500 shares. Rounding out the top three for the aforementioned content marketing group is Facebook with around 1,300 infographic shares and LinkedIn with nearly 800 of its own infographic shares.
4) Early In the Week Is Paramount for Content Publishing Prowess
According to research conducted by Social Media Examiner, posts published earlier in the week perform much better than those published later on in the week. For example, on most Mondays, Social Media Examiner sees about 80,000 shares on Twitter. However, on Saturday of any given week, the average total plummets to around 40,000. From Utah to New York, both Facebook and LinkedIn follow a similar trend.
5) Authoritative Authors Truly Crown Content as King
Most content marketing gurus are more than familiar with the claim that “content is king.” Well, while true, it can certainly be improved. Digital content, when created by those with authority in their respective fields of interest, truly gives meaningful content the desired sway it’s intended to bring about.
Social Media Examiner uses only key social influencers to pen their most powerful posts, thus building rapport with any and all digital audiences. For example, Cindy King—Social Media Examiner’s Director of Editorial—averages about 8,400 social shares for her more popular pieces.
Though all content marketing agencies seek to peg themselves as an industry leader, there’s always something to be learned. Needless to say, Social Media Examiner is an excellent source for those seeking to improve upon their current level of marketing clout.
For marketing professionals from Utah to the farthest reaches of America’s East Coast, video production is of the utmost importance. While web development, graphic design, content marketing and public relations might be at the forefront of the marketing world, as traditional marketing gives way to that of a digital variety, video production continues to cement itself as a game changer for those willing to adapt their advertising strategies.
For marketers, little is certain. That being said, there are a handful of sure-fire ways to convert the attention of potential consumers into real revenue. The canopying answer? Video production.
1) Digital Sales Presentations
Even here in Utah, a mass delivering of consistent sales messages can be a costly affair. When executed virtually, vital sales and marketing information are transmitted at a fraction of the cost of a typical, more traditional sales call. In fact, small business profiles with videos get 30% more profile clicks, 18% more calls and 24% more sales.
2) Step-By-Step Instructional Videos
Custom-made videos, whose formation came about with key decision makers or sectors in mind, optimize efficacy and increase the likelihood of literal marketplace success. Furthermore, video in email marketing has been shown to increase click-through rates by over 96%.
3) Virtual Product Demonstrations
Technical products and complex services are made all the more straightforward by way of motion graphics, screenshots and voice-over presentations. Studies show that visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely to buy than visitors who do not.
4) Featured Corporate Videos
In the digital age of communication, both here in Utah and elsewhere, the Internet has quickly become the ideal platform from which branding strategies are launched. A corporate video is a simple, yet direct representation of a company’s personality, character and culture. In fact, studies show that 59% of senior executives prefer to watch video over reading text. Though difficult to master, a sound video production effort is well worth your brand’s time, effort and funding.
Social media has transformed the world of digital marketing; realistically, it’s unlikely that it ever reverts back to what it once was. With mega social sites like Facebook and Twitter taking up mammoth chunks of time for worldwide consumers and marketing agencies with any kind of Internet access, it’s hard to imagine a better way to expand your brand’s market reach.
Consider the aforementioned industry leader of all things social: Facebook. Not only does it come fully-equipped with an impressive Alexa Global Traffic Rank of two, it’s pegged that Facebook brings in an estimated 900 million unique monthly visitors. Rounding out the World Wide Web’s best social media networks are Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+.
That being said, the best, most progressive social media strategies and marketing agencies shouldn’t be limited to the select few sites with which most people are familiar. There’ much more that, unbeknownst to many marketing agencies, has yet to have been tapped for advertorial excellence.
1) Tagged
Tagged is one of the top social networking sites in the world with a current Global Rank of 550 and a bounce rate of only 10.3%. Founded in 2004, Tagged has many features which make it similar to Facebook. Profiles are created and browsed through the site’s main interface. Additionally, once again—similar to Facebook—people are encouraged to post descriptive biographies, share interests and upload photos.
Perhaps you’re asking yourself the following: If so similar to Facebook, then why would any company target this site as a means through which potential clients be identified? Well, with the average visitor spending 20 minutes and 48 seconds on the site—not to mention the 18.6 registered members around the world—the community is clearly engaged and active. In order to more fully put things in perspective, the average online visitor abandons a website within a minute of arrival.
2) Quora
Arguably, Quora is the best question-and-answer website the Internet has to offer. Mimicking Yahoo Answers, the company was founded in June of 2009 and immediately saw tremendous growth. Between January of 2010 and January of 2011, Quora grew a whopping 37,000% in usership, giving the website around 160,000 users at the time. One short year later in 2012, Quora was valued at over $400 million.
Just as Tagged’s value comes from community engagement and passion, Quora has accomplished a similar feat. In fact, many American marketing agencies have made content marketing through Quora’s newly added blogging feature a staple of their respective publication strategies. Areas of audience expertise range from startups, entrepreneurship and venture capital to science and food. Impressively, Quora has been favorably published in the New York Times, USA Today, Time and The Daily Telegraph.
3) Yelp
Yelp is a review site with incredible mobile capabilities for both individuals and advertising agencies. Since it’s founding in 2004, the company has followed in the footsteps of other review companies like the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List with booming success. Every day, people go online and talk about products and services that they’ve recently experienced. Apparently, there’s plenty of activity: Yelp averages 135 million unique visitors every month of each calendar year. As of October of 2014, there were 86,000 active business accounts on Yelp.
People can’t seem to get enough of the service. In 2014, there were 67 million cumulative reviews on Yelp. That’s about 26,380 reviews being posted every minute. By the third quarter of 2014, Yelp had over 73 million unique mobile visitors. What’s the end result of all of this, you ask? In short, impressive revenue spikes. On average, Yelp generates 200,000 business calls every day.
If you and your brand are looking for new social ground on which to stake a claim, never fear to venture outside of what most marketing agencies consider the best social media sites. Truthfully, there’s plenty left to discover.
We live in a mobile world. Everywhere you go, from Utah to New York, people are huddled over their mobile devices texting, posting on different social sites, watching videos and surfing the World Wide Web. Judging from the tremendous amount of time that people spend on their smartphones, it’s now more important than ever for companies to have a sound SEO mobile strategy.
Let’s be real: if your business and/or product can’t be found using a search engine on a mobile device, it simply won’t survive. Still not convinced? Well, its predicted that, this year alone, mobile devices will overtake desktop usage. If that fact still has you questioning the validity of what’s been presented, check out the following infographic. It’s loaded with facts and stats on why your business needs to be accessible via any and all mobile devices.