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Content Originally posted by Heike Young for the SalesForce Blog
In keeping with our trend of highlighting 30 brilliant social media campaigns, we now turn our lens to content marketing. The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as “a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
The brands and efforts highlighted in this post definitely meet those qualifications when it comes to Digital Marketing. They’ve created something that’s valuable, relevant, and consistently useful to their audience (and a clearly defined audience, at that). Ultimately, I don’t know what actions were driven by these campaigns because I can’t peer into each brand’s analytics and conversion rates and it is sometimes hard to understand how does ringless voicemail work in regards to getting more customers. But I can attest that these campaigns caught my eye, and serve as shining examples of content marketing genius.
I’ve organized these into content-style categories to showcase the trends shaping today’s best content marketing. Trends include:
How-To Content
Shareable Visuals
Clever Curation and Crowd-Sourcing
what is self service
Behind-the-Scenes Brilliance
A+ Brand-Building
Get inspiration from the 30 most genius content marketing examples of 2014. How-To Content 1. Anthropologie’s DIY drink recipes
Anthropologie frequently features DIY cocktail recipes on their blog, like this one for acoconut cooler. The drink recipes work for two main reasons: they’re seasonal and timely (for example, summer refreshers or winter warmers) and they feature unique ingredients and flavors, mimicking the original style of Anthropologie’s fashions. Like many examples of the best content marketing, these posts aren’t an obvious play for sales; Anthropologie doesn’t sell homemade bitters or simple syrup. Instead, the posts position Anthropologie as a trendy, knowledgeable friend who knows a thing or two about drinks-as well as clothes. 2. Intelligentsia Coffee’s Brew Guides Brew Guides from Intelligentsia are the coffee industry’s answer to B2B whitepapers. Lovely photography precedes step-by-step instructions for a variety of coffee-making tools. Learn how to brew the perfect cup of coffee in a French press, Chemex, V60, and beyond. It’s free information that reminds you why Intelligentsia is such a lauded coffee master (we marketers might even say a coffee “thought leader”)… and the content makes you want a cup of their coffee ASAP. 3. Wistia’s Learning Center Videos
It’s a simple concept, but Wistia executes to perfection: short, educational videos that teach viewers how to be better video marketers. Many businesses might want to utilize an animation explainer video in order to showcase products and services they offer to customers. Each short lesson is a microcosm of some concept within video marketing, including bulleted lists for easier retention of the subject matter. I can think of very few brands that couldn’t create a video series like this for their products or services, with minimal resources invested. Check out this example video on concepting fundamentals. Most businesses aim to create a website that offers self-service toeir customers as this is the best way to sell products and increase customer satisfaction.If you are looking for more information about what is self service there are many websites that explain it in more detait. 4. American Express Gives Business Owners an OPEN Forum
Businesses of any size can learn something from the OPEN Forum posts by American Express. Posts center around leadership, customer service, marketing, and technology, and they position American Express as a true partner to business owners. Take a look at these examples of currently trending posts on the website, and get a glimpse of the free, valuable ideas being shared by the credit card company. 5. Birchbox’s Beauty Advice
Birchbox is a popular purveyor of monthly beauty boxes. The brand also runs an excellent content marketing program, with how-to videos of useful beauty tricks (for example, gettingbeach waves for short hair and how to look great post-flying). They’re essentially running a full-scale beauty magazine without the mess of paper and addresses. 6. Gov.UK Simplifies Civil Tasks
In the words of the site itself, gov.uk presents “simpler, clearer, faster” ways to accomplish government tasks. Most people dread filling out benefits forms or looking up info about birth certificates or marriage licenses, and this site is the answer to those qualms. The how-to articles guide UK citizens through a plethora of government tasks, for example, how to look after children after a divorce. The site content creators did an expert job of writing easy-to-read, jargon-free content and including bulleted lists with links for more information. Shareable Visuals 7. Lana del Rey’s Tumblr
In 2014, the singer and songwriter Lana del Rey launched a new Tumblr. The first post on April 14 was a series of GIFs promoting her new album’s first single. The GIFs didn’t take any extra effort from her production team other than casting a few captures from her “West Coast” music video, but the GIF post has garnered more than 20,000 Tumblr notes. Not every brand has the video collateral of Lana del Rey, but every brand can take a step out of her Tumblr playbook in two ways. First, recycle content in short, visual, shareable snippets. Then, go where your fans are. Lana’s fans love Tumblr, so she’s building a new fan community on the platform. 8. Deus Ex Machina’s Dreamy Video
Custom motorcycle and surfboard outlet Deus Ex Machina consistently creates content that goes beyond selling. It delivers a culture. In the brand’s own words, “Deus ex Machina is a step bigger than a brand: it’s a culture. Our openness and enthusiasm strike a chord with people, wherever they are… Deus (‘day-us’) didn’t set out only to sell custom parts and hand- built motorcycles, but to celebrate a culture of creativity.”
In the brand’s latest short film I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night, the film crew follows surfers catching waves and living the dream in a beautiful landscape. The chill, vibey video doesn’t try to sell you surfboards or even mention Deus’s product lines, but simply reinforces the lifestyle that Deus is all about. To watch the full film, viewers must enter an email address, which is a smart way to deliver high-quality content at a negligible cost to the viewer. 9. Callaway Golf’s YouTube Is a Hole in One
Callaway Golf scores on YouTube, with excellent content that isn’t overly salesy or promotional. Videos include how to hit a bump and run and vertical centers of gravity in golf drivers. You don’t have to be a Callaway customer to benefit from this content, and next time you’re purchasing a golf club, you might just consider Callaway for their know-how and generosity. 10. Beats by Dre Can’t Be Beat on Instagram
Beats by Dre shows that their innovation isn’t limited to headphones. Their Instagram uses great visuals to build the brand and give fans a behind-the-scenes view of the company. Their content strategy includes short videos, commentary on current events (like the World Cup), and plenty of celebrity photos, which definitely don’t hurt. 11. Lion Brand Yarns Spins Helpful Content
This example could either fall under the visual or how-to categories of content styles. Either way, Lion Brand Yarns has created some excellent knitting resources and shared them on their site under a special video page. This video on knitted cast ons has garnered more than 325,000 views! The brand clearly understands that, in order to use its product and purchase more products in the future, you have to enjoy knitting and know how to knit. And what better way to educate current and potential customers than through shareable videos? It’s a great example of why content doesn’t need to be high-budget to be highly successful. 12. Business Insider India’s Infographic Educates on Business Schools
Infographics don’t have to be illustrated with artsy bells and whistles to be functional. This infographic by Business Insider India shows the top 25 business schools in the world through one cohesive, concise image. It’s designed simply and cleanly, with reader understanding at the forefront of the design. You see the ranking, a bit more info about the survey, and a bit more info about the participants. The design proves that content should be more about the information than the container. Clever Crowd-Sourcing and Curation 13. Arcade Fire’s Fan-Sourced Gallery
One genius way to create content without much in-house effort: crowd-sourcing. Arcade Fire asked fans to submit their own photos of the band’s Reflektor tour, and in return, the fans’ photos could wind up on Arcade Fire’s Facebook page and website. This was a win for both the band and fans, as the website benefited from new photography, and fans could earn a spotlight on their favorite band’s online properties. 14. Random House’s Literary Inspiration
I appreciate the way Random House takes readers into the digital era with their Pinterest account and corresponding content. Books have been around forever, but publishing companies are just getting started when it comes to e-books and online engagement. Take a look at a few of Random House’s Pinterest board titles:
The Literary Imbiber
What Would Jane Austen Do?
Bookish Nooks
Literary Tattoos
Literary Wedding
Best Book Covers
Random House doesn’t write all the articles or create all the images associated with these boards, but curating them for their fans in a one-stop book-lover’s shop is a surefire win. With such targeted and well-curated content, it’s no wonder they have nearly 1.5 million Pinterest followers. 15. Virgin Atlantic’s Curated Instagram Galleries
Virgin Atlantic’s blog is filled with great travel content, from must-see sights in various cities to visually interesting galleries like this example from Tokyo. They curated photos from Tokyo-based Instagrammers for a quick peek at culture from the locals. Virgin Atlantic did a similar post for Los Angeles, and they also craft content for busy business travelers like their “Between Meetings” blog series. 16. Intel Has Content Marketing IQ
A classic example of great B2B content marketing, Intel runs a blog called IQ that’s “a peek at the outer edge of design, technology, social and big data.” The blog is largely based on content curated by employees. IQ’s editor in chief, Bryan Rhoads, says: “We developed an algorithm to curate social content in a way that leverages our employees. We want to publish what they’re sharing and what’s grabbing their attention. It’s a combination of a social algorithm, plus an employee filter that crowdsources what they are saying and sharing, and uses that as a discovery tool.” 17. Curata’s Slideshare Advice
Quotes can come in handy for marketers looking for advice and inspiration. Curata collected 27 quotes about content marketing from various experts, packaging the lot into a single Slideshare. Each slide includes the quote itself, along with the Twitter handle of each quoted person. The exercise required no original writing; just some reformatting and thoughtful quote selection.
18. Panera Bread Cozies Up to Pinterest
Pinterest is a great to build curated content because there’s so much readily available to re-pin and package into albums and stories that fit with your brand. See what Panera Bread has done on Pinterest, curating both their own content (like this Break Bread album with several links to their blog) and content from outside sources (like this album with tips to take better care of yourself). It all fits in with Panera Bread’s cozy, familiar, healthy (but not at the expense of comfort) image. Behind-the-Scenes Brilliance 19. Disney Shares Behind-the-Scenes Magic
The Disney Parks Blog features an entire category for behind the scenes posts. Disney fans love to see the making of the magic, so these blogs provide a welcomed glimpse into the beloved parks and cast members.
Check out these recent posts for a content creation lesson from one of the best-marketed brands in history:
20. CB2’s “How It’s Made” Blog Posts
CB2, the affordable and urban-centric offshoot of Crate&Barrel, has an excellent blog called “In the Loop.” Features include behind-the-scenes looks at designers, patterns, and products, including this recent feature on tablecloth-making. 21. J.Crew’s Backstage Photoshoot Passes
Famous for great style and fabulous photography, J.Crew lets viewers take a sneak peek into how their photoshoots are conducted with behind-the-scenes blog content. Check out this recent post incorporating an artist’s story of how her paintings were included in a J.Crew shoot. 22. The White House Offers Humor, Insights
This photo gallery from the White House gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what the President and First Lady have been up to in 2014. With more than 150 photos, it’s a fun glimpse into a side of the First Couple that you won’t see in any press conference. 23. Microsoft Shows How a Tech Commercial is Made
Microsoft created a two-minute behind-the-scenes video to answer the question, “Wondering how we got the Surface Pro 3 from the bedroom to the board room in a single shot, without edits?” This video, narrated by the ad’s director, is an entertaining look at how much hustle it took to produce Microsoft’s recent Surface Pro 3 commercial.
24. Google Takes Street View Behind the Scenes
Ever wondered how Street View captures those infinite images of every nook and cranny in our world? Google has put together a beautiful “About Street View” page explaining how the service is compiled and maintained. They’ve also created behind-the-scenes videos of “Street View Treks” to highlight particularly inspiring locations. A+ Brand-Building 25. Equinox Flexes Marketing Muscle
Equinox is a fitness club brand with multiple locations across the US. Aside from their generally gorgeous website, Equinox also runs an excellent health and fitness blog, proving that the company’s coaching ability goes far beyond personal training-it translates to content marketing, too. Recent topics include post-workout recovery, heart-healthy foods, and warm-weather workout gear. And check out this animated GIF, showing readers a plank they “probably aren’t doing, but should.” 26. New Belgium Brews a Well-Balanced Blog
Based in Denver, New Belgium Brewing showcases the brand’s adventurous, fun-loving energy on its blog. A quick scroll through recent posts shows customer-centered events (like the Tour de Fat), food and beer pairing ideas, and fetching photography of beer fans and brewers alike. And you won’t see any long lulls of silence from New Belgium; they update their blog at least once a week, which gives readers a reason to come back and check often for updates. The approach is a crash course in how to make an audience feel connected to a brand, no matter where they are in the world. 27. Whole Foods Tells the Whole Story
Natural grocery store giant Whole Foods has an incredible brand, and their blog is no exception. When you walk into a Whole Foods, you know what to expect: organization, a focus on eco-friendliness, extremely helpful employees, and above all, healthy food. Their Whole Story blog takes the brick and mortar experience digital with clean design and helpful articles. Instead of going for the hard sell, their content is useful and relatable. Check out this recent post about how to save money on weekly grocery trips. 28. GE Reports on Inspiring Technology
GE offers a beautiful blog interface and fascinating stories about technology on its GE Reports site, which lives on a separate domain from GE’s homepage. The stories on GE Reports center on what’s new in tech, brilliant machines, and advanced manufacturing to educate readers on current tech innovations. The site incorporates edgy imagery and easy-to-use social share buttons to widen the site’s audience. This animated GIF is from the article “Underdog Scientist Cracks Code to Reduce Flight Delays.” 29. Uber Drives Content Innovation
App-based car service Uber has revolutionized the way we call cabs in the digital era, so it’s no surprise that the brand understands digital marketing. Of particular note is their blog, which features categories like Uber Data, city-specific blogs, and product updates. Uber epitomizes a jet-setting, smartphone-centric lifestyle, and the company blog follows suit, with posts instructing users on how to expense Uber rides in Concur and which country’s Uber users are the most well-traveled. 30. Stanford GSB Teaches Business on Tumblr
Stanford Graduate School of Business positions itself at the cutting edge of the business world with an expertly executed Tumblr. “Big ideas, candid insights, and practical takeaways” are at the heart of the site, and they offer young professionals ample advice from Stanford GSB students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. Only a few readers of the blog may ever enroll at GSB, and many may not even be prospective students, but the on-point content solidifies the school as a frontrunner in business, and makes sure everyone knows that Stanford GSB understands digital publishing and relevancy.
Have a brand or example you’d add to this list? Leave a comment or send me a tweet (@YoungHeike)! Content Originally posted by Heike Young for the SalesForce Blog
Here’s a quick tutorial on how to add, delete and update food menu items on the Grand Restaurant Theme by ThemeGoods. While we are generally the only ones that update our client’s websites I find it necessary to provide them with training on how to update on their own. This gives our clients peace of mind know that they have complete control at all times and while other agencies frown on this I feel that it’s just a good ethical business practices.
Your definition of real-time marketing is about to change. While real-time marketing will still revolve around social, new elements are hitting the scene. While real-time marketing on social media is efficient, it may not reach the top retailers you need to properly expose your brand. RangeMe allows direct contact with top retailers, with the opportunity to promote to places such as Target for target partners online. Despite this, real-time marketing is still a vital part of an advertisement.
Both Google and Facebook recently announced new real-time marketing additions. Google, of course, has been the key platform for internet marketing for a while now, with all brands and businesses looking to perfect their SEO so that they can perform best on Google. This is often done by professional SEO teams such as bigfootdigital.co.uk that help their clients become higher ranked on search engines. However, it seems that both Google and Facebook are developing their presence in the online marketing world. Unsurprisingly, both arrived just in time for the historic Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7. Now both platforms can roll out their new features to eagerly awaiting brands and fans by seizing the Super Bowl’s momentum.
The 2015 Super Bowl was the most tweeted ever with more than 28.4 million tweets. Facebook also saw record-high numbers with more than 265 million posts and conversations about the Super Bowl.
The significant bump in both traffic and engagement drastically affected the ads running on Facebook. Click-through rates for Facebook ads were up 9 percent, while conversion rates increased by 415 percent compared to the Sunday prior, according to Marin Software data.
Super Bowl organizers announced this year’s NFL title game will be the most technologically advanced game ever played. With this in mind, the opportunity to generate mobile ad revenue is undeniable. I’m guessing it will be the most social game ever too.
Here’s what you need to know about the new real-time marketing additions. Follow along with the features as you tune into Super Bowl 50.
Google introduces real-time advertising
What: Real-Time Ads let brands publish advertisements live.
Why: Google wants “to help brands be a part of live events conversations in a way that’s timely and relevant.” Ideally, your message should “tie directly to the big moment consumers just experienced.”
Where: Your brand can instantly run real-times ads on YouTube as well as the apps and 2 million sites in Google’s Display Network.
When: Right now, this new addition is still in beta. Its first major test will be during Super Bowl 50. Later in 2016, the feature will roll out more broadly.
How: If you’re thinking, “How could I create and publish a relevant ad during a live event?” Google wants you to know that while the ad will run it real-time, “right now, the content is typically preplanned.” Phew! However, for some businesses, Google ads are not used because of rule changes, bail bond ads are one of these chosen. You can see why Google banned bail ads and what to do if you need to advertise in alternative ways. by looking at sites such as bailwebmasters.com.
Advantage for your brand: Real-Time Ads allow you to connect and talk with consumers when you have their full attention. So, make use of it. Oreo’s 2013 viral tweet about the Super Bowl power outage is a perfect example. Your brand can quickly chime in on real-time happenings. Or, you can amplify the same message that’s already running on other platforms.
Facebook’s new Sports Stadium can show live updates of the game as well as comments from friends. (Image: Facebook)
All about Facebook’s new real-time additions
What: Facebook Sports Stadium displays all content related to the game in one place. Specifically, you’ll see friends’ comments, experts’ commentary, live scores and game info. The game unfolds with a live play-by-play, even allowing you to comment on and share individuals plays.
Why: Facebook declares itself “the world’s largest stadium” with over 650 million sports fans. Now, they want Facebook to be your go-to place to watch and talk about the game.
Where: Search for the game in your search bar on iPhones. Facebook Sports Stadium will roll out on other platforms in the next few weeks.
When: It’s live! Right now, Facebook Sports Stadium is broadcasting American football games.
Advantage for your brand: There aren’t too many ways for your brand to participate in Facebook Sports Stadium – yet. For now, your best bet is to run Facebook ads during big football games to get your message out to a captive audience. Maximize your momentum by creating football-centric content.
Every business could use a boost in marketing, whether it’s selling a product or a service. In the case of restaurants, it happens to be both food and service. Running a restaurant can be immensely challenging. Using the best Restaurant Equipment would help make everything run smoother. Being able to show people that your restaurant is the place they want to eat (with Instagram pictures of fantastic food and shiny Nella Cutlery), is the root of your marketing, and social media should be your main conduit. So if you wish to make your restaurant look the best it can be and bring in new customers via Social Media, then check out 30 tips and recipes for sweet Social Media marketing success!
Social Media Branding
The most fundamental part of your Social Media marketing is having the audience recognize your brand. By having a carefully designed brand to carry the good name of your restaurant in Social Media, you showcase an image of class and professionalism, which is very important. Know Your Target Audience
Be aware of what kind of establishment you run and aim for the people who are most likely to visit your restaurant. Whether you are a diner or a fancy high-class establishment, you should always be building an audience-focused Social Media marketing strategy. Scope Out Your Competition’s Social Media
It’s important to be aware of what your competition may be doing with their social media, what new ideas they’re incorporating, and whatever they’re doing better than you. Have someone do a Social Content Audit for your site and Social Profile Audit for your pages. Maintain Visual Consistency
This goes with your brand as it helps customers quickly identify with your posts. The colors, fonts, image quality, and overall visual theme should go well with your brand and be consistent across all social media platforms you are in. If you don’t have time to create social media images, you can always hire good designers to do it for you. Spruce Up Your Pages
Going with the previous tip, you should put up cover images and other stuff on your Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as fill in all the details to help your audience know what you’re all about, where you are, and so on. Do Facebook SponsoredPosts
Sponsored posts are basically ads on Facebook that show up like any other post, but can be visible to a target audience as a suggestion for them to like and follow. Go to Facebook insights and pick the best stories among your posts. It could be a video showcasing your customers and members, news on your latest’s offers, or even a contest you want your audience to participate in. Target Your Ads at Your Local Area
For restaurants, any Social Media platform’s geotargeting option may be the most valuable ad you could run. Market to places near where your restaurant is to get a higher conversion off your marketing. Consider moms, millenials and mobile diners to be your most valuable targets. Pick Your Main Platform(s)
While the previous tip helps you become more visible online, you may want to focus your social media efforts in one or two of them for best effect. Facebook and Instagram seem to be restaurant favorites these days, with Snapchat jumping up in popularity as well. Put Your Brand on Every Image and Video
Post It does not have to be a gigantic logo displayed everywhere. Just have it in a corner of an image, visible but discreet. As for videos, just have an intro that is a few seconds long. Make Use of Different Social Media Platforms
Do whatever you can to reach as wide of an audience as you can. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are a given, but you can also get into Foursquare, Yelp, Groupon, Snapchat, and others to boost your chances too.
Some of the newest platforms, like TikTok, can help you to advertise your restaurant to younger audiences. You may even want to have a look at places similar to – https://bumped.in/buy-tiktok-followers/, to find out how you can find followers quickly, so you can create videos at your own pace. Be Authentic
The one thing that will help your brand the most is authenticity. Being genuine with your intentions and your actions in the restaurant and in social media is a long-term strategy that pays great dividends in time.
Social Media Content
This forms the meat of your social media marketing as you provide value to the audience by consistently posting high-quality content. In order to get value from the people, you must first give value to them through rich and interesting content. Post Menu Items
You can post images of your menu items on Facebook and/or Twitter and include a link to the whole menu for those who may be interested. Showcase Your Food and Services on Instagram
Since diners post pictures of food on Instagram nowadays, you should do so as well to show off what your restaurant has to offer. Other Instagram users can then see your food and be encouraged to check your place out. Use Trending and Niche Hashtags
Hashtags are great for both utility and visibility. Trending hashtags expose you to a huge audience, while niche hashtags help potential customers within your area to find you. Post More Videos
People always appreciate good video content. You can do things like showing how your cooks prepare your food or how your waiters conduct their service. Practice Employee Appreciation
Similar to the previous tip, you can post content featuring your staff doing what they do. This lets customers see how much you care not just about your customers, but also the people who work in your restaurant. Lists, Lists, Lists
Another thing people like are list articles. You can post something like “Top 5 Foods for Mother’s Day” or something else that is timely, offering information to the audience while still advertising your restaurant. Images with Quotes
These are also popular in social media. While a picture is worth a thousand words, a quote can actually enhance the impact of that image. As long as it fits the image and resonates with the audience, it should do well. Promos and Updates
Patrons of your establishment would like to know if you have new stuff going on, so provide updates on your primary social media outlets to let them know if you have a great discount or days when the place will be closed and so on. Keep It Fun and Friendly
There is no need to be serious with your posts; restaurants are places where people go to relax and enjoy good food, after all. Inject some lighthearted humor into your content; casual, but not tacky. You’ll be surprised how well people take to it. Be Consistent
Have a schedule for posting on social media. You may be able to automate your system, but it won’t do well if you don’t have a steady stream of relevant content at reasonable intervals. If you ever need a Social Content calendar, let us know – we have the best content chefs in town!
Social Media Engagement
Content may get the people interested, but it’s engagement that will make them stay interested and come back for more. Communicating with customers and showing that you care about them is an act that pays for itself and it adds ‘value’ to your overall branding. Have Someone Read Comments
It can be tough to stay engaged since the negative criticism may get to you. If this is a problem, yet social media marketing is still important, then assign a social media manager to do it for you. Let Customers Know You’re on Social Media
You don’t have to shout it out loud, but you can have your Facebook page or Instagram profile on your menu or on signs to make them aware of your online presence. Ask Questions to Customers
Whether through comments or asking them to post with a specific hashtags, ask them about your service, their favorite menu item, and so on. You can learn a lot about your customers’ tastes and preferences this way. Conduct Photo Contests
Have customers post their best pictures of your food online with a specific hashtag. You can then reward the winners with a free meal, gift certificates, or so on. Have Giveaways
It’s one of the oldest, simplest, and most effective ways to get an audience engaged. For a restaurant, a giveaway should be done in a way that can be done seamlessly within the establishment. Reward Customers Who Check-in with Location-based Networks
Show gratitude for those who check in with networks like Foursquare by providing exclusive discounts and other perks. This can encourage others to check-in as well. Encourage Reviews
Customers appreciate establishments that value their input, so have them review your restaurant through platforms like Yelp in order to get feedback that can help improve your service. Use Calls to Action
Humbly request your audience to follow, like, share, and comment whenever possible. Don’t be incessant about it; just drop it in whenever you have the chance and show them that you do care about your audience. Keep Track of Your Followers
With the better analytics tools available in Facebook and other platforms these days, it’s much easier to track what they like and don’t like. It’s also a part of feedback in a way, so pay attention to that data. Make Customers Feel at Home
What holds true in the restaurant is the same in social media. Being in the hospitality industry means being cordial and welcoming to customers. Thank them for their patronage and they will keep coming back. Pin it on Pinterest Originally posted by Kristel Cuenta of Kairay Media
This is a great post about the future of Snapchat originally posted by social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk. Original Article Here
Two big things happened recently on Snapchat. One, the release of Madonna’s new video.Two, the addition of the Discovery feature, which puts major iconic media companies front and center with unique content for the platform. Both of these things have created a frenzy of emails in my inbox about Snapchat. And it’s about damn time you guys noticed.
As someone who’s been a very strong advocate of Snapchat marketing since the early days, I’m getting enormous gratification out of receiving these emails. People are asking me what they should be doing on it, saying “Okay, now I believe you.” It’s been fascinating to watch, and I give kudos to Snapchat’s team. Because no matter what you think of Discovery personally, you cannot deny that, as a product feature, it has absolutely brought the mainstream business world’s attention to the platform.
Now, knowing all of this, I am asking all of you for one thing: please do not be on the wrong side of history.
I need everyone to start realizing what happens when platforms mature right in front of your eyes, and you miss it. The way I was able to bet on Snapchat so publicly several years ago wasn’t because of any secret knowledge or talent; it was based on good old fashioned scale.
When you see a platform gain 50 to 100 million teenaged users (as we are seeing currently with Instagram and prior to that Facebook), it will eventually age up. These teens will eventually graduate high school and go to college. Then they will graduate college and head into their life, whether that’s work or family or whatever.
Guess what comes along with them?
The app that allows them to communicate with the largest percentage of their social graph.
This is the reason so many people in their mid-thirties right now still use Facebook. All their high school and college friends use it. They’re all on there. It’s part of their behavior. It’s the same reason your grandma wants to talk on the phone. It became the standard form of communication for their social circle. And the standard form of communication for a lot of sixteen to nineteen year olds right now is being built on the behavior of Snapchat.
This is why I highly recommend everyone pay attention to the Discover feature and how people are consuming content there. Swiping left to right for new stuff, up and down for depth. If you want to market to twenty year olds in the next twenty-four to thirty-six months within a mobile environment, using that cadence and feature set might be a great place to start. Everything ages up. People don’t leave forms of communication behind. They stick to what will allow them to communicate the most and at a large scale. Pay attention to where the younger generations are going. That’s all there is to it. And get into Snapchat before you miss your chance entirely.
Is There a Perfect Time to Send Your Marketing Message?
When sending your marketing message you need to think about the timing of your message, is it relevant to the content of your message? Will your customer appreciate receiving this message at this particular time?
There is no perfect time to send a mobile marketing message, however there are some general times that seem to be good for certain industry sectors.
If you own a restaurant, café or fast food outlet and you are looking for some extra footfall during the lunch hour, then sending lunchtime offers around 11am while customers stomach’s are rumbling and lunch time plans are being made is a perfect time.
For retail stores we have found that Saturday mornings work great as people are deciding where to go and what to do with their day, a little Saturday morning offer could mean they they come in and visit you.
Online retailers is a little bit more tricky, however we have found that in the early evenings particularly on Sundays works well, people are usually planning their week and having a little downtime where they might treat themselves to a little present.
So before you hit the send button on your marketing message stop, look at the time and think about your customer and message.
When you run a digital marketing agency you’re creativity is constantly tested. Here’s a few advertisers from 2013 that aren’t running low on creativity.
This article was originally posted by KYLI SINGH of Mashable via the following linkHad enough of Facebook and Twitter? It may be time to switch up your go-to social network.
With the daily explosion of startups, there are plenty of new social media tools popping up. These newer platforms could be working on the next big thing, so you’ll want to keep an eye out.
Here’s a look at 10 up-and-coming social networks you should know.
Secret offers a platform for users to share their feelings and thoughts anonymously. All secrets come from Facebook friends or people in your contacts, without you knowing who they are.
The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Addicted to taking selfies? This app was designed for you. Shots is a mobile social network through which you can snap and share selfies. You can reply to any given Shot, and also send private messages.
The app is only available for iOS, but will be launching an Android version soon.
Snapchat is a popular mobile platform that allows you to share photos and videos with others. You can set a time limit for how long your viewers can see your snaps before they disappear. You can also create Stories, or a series of snaps that form a narrative, and use a variety of features for customization.
Snapchat is available for both Android and iOS devices.
WeChat is a mobile text and voice messaging service. In addition to making free calls, you can share videos and photos (or “Moments”), create group chats, and find new people nearby.
The app is available for Android, iOS and several other devices.
Think of this as a younger and artsier version of Pinterest. Instead of pin boards, the app has “canvases” and “collections.” Users can “heart” and tag others users in photos.
We Heart It is available for both Android and iOS devices.
While not exactly a social network, Tinder is a mobile dating app that pulls your photo and basic info from your Facebook account. Users can swipe “yes” or “no” to potential matches who are nearby. If the feeling is mutual, people can chat within the app.
Tinder is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Medium is a microblogging platform that launched in 2012, created by Evan Williams and Biz Stone (formerly of Twitter). If you want to publish stories or ideas, you may want to consider using Medium. Users can also recommend stories with their networks and curate their favorites.
Seven months after Twitter acquired Vine, the video sharing service made its way up the charts. The fun app allows you to shoot and share six-second looped videos.
Vine is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Bubblews, a social networking startup, allows users to create posts (aka “bubbles”), follow friends, and “like” and comment on other bubbles. It differs from other social networks because the company pays its users who attract advertisers and traffic. Currently, Bubblews does not have a mobile app.
Whisper is another social media platform that allows people to anonymously share secrets. With Whisper, you can send anonymous direct messages and ask others for advice, or just chat.
The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Apparently facebook just got a whole lot more creepy..
Article originally written by Samantha Murphy Kelly for Mashable.
If you’ve been eyeing someone on Facebook whose profile doesn’t list a relationship status, the company is making it easier (or possibly more awkward) to find out if he or she’s single.
Facebook has rolled out a new “ask” feature for those profile pages that don’t list relationship statuses. The owner of the page doesn’t see the button — only the person who is checking out the page.
IMAGE: BRIAN HERNANDEZ, MASHABLE
By clicking “ask,” you must send the user a message related to the status (such as “want to grab a drink sometime?”), as well as a request to list a status as single, engaged, married or in a civil union. Note: users must be friends with the person in order for the “ask” button to appear.
The owner of the Facebook page then receives a request to list select a status that only the sender can see. This means your status can remain private but visible to only those who “ask” for that information, if you so wish to divulge it.
It’s also possible to update your entire network with this information too, but Facebook is probably guessing — correctly — that you’d simply list your status already if you wanted everyone to know.
The feature introduces a new way to use Facebook as a way to find dates. With the continuing success of online dating sites, and Facebook’s massive user base, the only surprise here is that the feature wasn’t introduced sooner.
A user’s relationship status can also be of use to marketers that target products or services to certain demographics. By answering an “ask” request, a Facebook member is telling the site their status (even if it’s not visible to the public) and in turn, giving the company that personal data.
The feature first started popping up on mobile and desktop versions of the site a few months ago, but is now accessible to all users. It’s also possible to “ask” for other unlisted information too, such as phone numbers, email addresses, current city, hometown and place of employment.
Let the awkward inquiring begin.
