Category: Marketing

Digital Media: 

Since the rise of social media in the early 2000s, marketers, and companies saw a new avenue to market their products and services to a much larger audience. An audience much larger and easier to reach than traditional marketing channels. Social media gave marketers a fabulous way to measure the success of paid media campaigns: analytics. Analytics has given marketers a unique tool to see tangible evidence that their efforts are having an impact.

According to the 2019 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Marketers have identified two key benefits to social media over the last 5 years. 

86%  of marketers found their social media efforts have generated far more visibility

78% of marketers found their social media efforts have led to more traffic to their brand’s social media.

Digital marketing has been on the rise as technology becomes more apparent in our daily lives. Digital marketing will only become the dominant form of marketing in the years to come as technology advances. As it is only 24% of Gen-Z watches cable tv and Millennials only 41%. 

Gen – Z is becoming known as the “cord-nevers” since they are the first generation to grow up in a purely digital age. They don’t watch cable because they grave content and are more likely to grave videos over other forms of content. Which puts traditional media outlets in a precarious position. 

Traditional media:

While traditional marketing is still effective (for now) it is however nothing new. We have seen it in one form or another whether it’s from a tv commercial, print material in big box stores, a billboard while driving, or a magazine in the doctor’s office when our cell service won’t connect. 

All though traditional media has evolved over the last 20 years the fundamental aspects remain the same and it still remains limited in the digital age and with an evolving consumer base. Some forms of traditional marketing will outperform others, radio segments and podcast advertisements will outlive tv commercials as more people move to podcasts to get updates on current events in the world instead of the mainstream media. As it is, over 63 million Americans listen to podcasts each week. This presented a greater opportunity for podcast advertising. Currently, Podcasts are projected to generate 1 billion in revenue by 2021; according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). 

Who Will Win?

Both traditional marketing and digital marketing use the 4 P’s of marketing: Product, Price, Promotion, Place. 

Traditional media uses this as an integral part of creating a sales funnel and planning marketing campaigns. While traditional media can do well with price, product, and place it lacks in the fourth P: promotion. It’s too easy to ignore it and it doesn’t connect with people, it’s just there. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is very different and it uses the 4 P’s of the marketing mix effectively and in a unique way and at most times better than traditional marketing. 

The drawbacks of traditional marketing are that it does not reach about 50% of its audience, it’s more costly, you can’t measure your ROI, and can’t measure consumer feedback. As it is more marketing across all industries are shifting their efforts online, most consumers now do their product research online before making a purchase.

No matter what industry your business is in you will need to establish a digital presence and actively work to build your digital marketing strategy. We have already seen big box stores such as Sports Authority, Toys R Us, and Sears file for bankruptcy because they could not understand the importance of Digital Vs Traditional Marketing.

In the marketing industry, one of the most common concerns with business owners is leads. They want to ensure, matter of factly, that hiring an agency or firm to manage their social media content will result in viable leads. 

Will consistently posting content on social media platforms result in leads? Likely, yes. However, this is not fully the point of upkeeping social media platforms, and it may take time for this result to occur. Your social media is almost entirely about creating awareness and trust with your audience. Consider applying these topics to your current perspective on the purpose of social media:

• Brand Awareness

One of the most paramount aspects of why your company should have social media is brand discovery. 60% of Instagram users say that they’ve discovered new products while using the platform. If a potential customer doesn’t know of your company’s existence, they’ll never become a customer. Being discovered on social media means that you are now on their radar. 

An example of this would be a user scrolling through hashtags and stumbling on your plumbing company. Currently, they don’t need any plumbing services, so they may not follow or message your company, but now, they have seen it. Next time they have a plumbing problem, they may think back to that time they found your social account and search for your company again, potentially leading to a phone call or website click to inquire about your services.

• Make Your Company Relatable

Human beings are constantly seeking connection. When people see your company standing for something, sharing something, they start to form trust. This may happen consciously or unconsciously. 90% of people use social media to communicate directly with brands. This is largely due to this humanization of your company through these platforms. Many people are uncomfortable with calling a company and speaking to a stranger, so social media becomes that missing link between human connection and gaining information about a product or service. 

Sharing photos of your product or service in action on an authentic level is something your potential customers typically would not get elsewhere. Seeing your staff and company culture forms the start of a basic human connection with your company. Testimonials from other people immediately increase that level of trust as well, which is something often found on your social media. Now, people know a real, living human being has interacted with your product, and that has more meaning than the number of followers or likes on your page. 

• Growth

74% of consumers use social media to make a buying decision. One of the best ways to create actual, tangible numbers that you can notably say is making a difference for your company is advertising on social media. Advertisements are highly targeted, meaning that the algorithm on the social network is showing your product or service to a very specific group of people that are likely to be interested in it. However, showing this advertisement to a user isn’t usually enough. Depending on the price of your product, most people prefer to do research on the company before spending a large sum of money. Here’s where your social media page comes back into the narrative. 

A common type of advertisement is a traffic ad, meaning that once an interested user clicks on your ad, they’ll be redirected to your website. Your website should have a lot of information on your product, who you are, your mission, etc. If they like what they see, they’ll continue their research. This will lead them down the road of searching for reviews and real photos of your product and service at work. They’ll search to see if they feel that they can trust you and will generally make this decision based on your social media, if that is where they first found you. 

This is one of the reasons that your social media is essential. It cannot be simply regurgitating photos from your website. You need to be distinguished as a thought leader, as empathetic, as an expert. This is portrayed over a period of time, and will be seen in a matter of minutes as a user scrolls through the past several months or years of your company’s social media.

• Top of Mind Awareness

We’ve talked about brand awareness, but now we should consider a subsection of this, top of mind awareness or TOMA. TOMA brings all of these points together. If you’re the plumber that was discovered by a social media user, you want to be the absolute number one plumbing service that comes to their mind when they need these services. For example, if you get injured, you may say you need a Band-Aid. This is a brand that holds the spot in the top of your mind for the bandage industry.

Once your brand has been discovered by a social media user, this is where the process starts. Slowly, they’ll begin to recognize your brand and gain the trust that we’ve talked about before. Company growth is a large step on the path to top of mind awareness as well. The more your brand becomes recognized and tested by potential customers, the more they will consider you a leader in your industry, and this is where you will procure viable leads and successful sales.

The Ad Leaf Marketing Firm LLC has been in the industry for almost a decade and kept up with every trend on Social Media in Business with careful detail. We would love to have you as a client and start taking your brand’s presence on social media to the next level.

The social media scene had remained relatively the same for the past several years. One of the only significant interruptions since the rise of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram is the quick and overwhelming popularity of the app TikTok. TikTok has a unique algorithm that allows creators to rise to popularity at more rapid rates than ever before! Since the app’s creation in 2016, it has gained over 800 million users worldwide. If your brand does not participate on TikTok, don’t worry. The app can still be used to promote your brand without even having an account.

TikTok’s algorithm allows users to see the posts of creators, even when the users do not follow them. This stands true to other apps, but for TikTok, it happens at an unprecedented level. Most users mainly view content made by creators they don’t follow. This is due to the “for you page” which is the most commonly used feature of the app. It shows content to the user that the algorithm predicts they will be interested in based on their previous interactions. This is a huge win for brand promotion! For example, if you pay a creator to promote your product, more people than just their followers will see it. However, it can be expensive.

For creators with large followings, a good portion of these followers will also follow them on other apps such as Instagram and Twitter. 

Why is this important for your brand?

• If someone takes the time to follow a TikToker on another social app, they are a more dedicated fan who wants to keep up with the influencer.
• They often purchase the merchandise of these influencers and are more likely to trust their opinion.
• Since only a portion of their fans will follow the influencer on these other social media platforms, their follower count is typically lower.
• Due to a lower amount of followers, securing a brand deal on their Instagram account will be less costly.

One example of this is the TikTok creator @nmillz1. He has amassed more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok in a short amount of time, but currently has only 270 thousand Instagram followers. Charli Damelio is arguably the most well-known TikTok creator securing high-profile sponsorships frequently. She has 90 million followers on the app, while having 30 million followers on Instagram, or one-third of her TikTok fan base. This case is interesting because many people who do not even have TikTok know of Charli, and she is considered to be one of the only creators from the app to rise to actual celebrity status. Her case especially identifies that people who follow a creator on TikTok often do not hold enough interest in them to follow their other social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

This gap allows you to capitalize on TikTok’s extreme popularity in a less costly way to a TikToker’s most dedicated fans. You can do this by proposing a brand sponsorship through Instagram. A brand sponsorship is much more costly than just posting an advertisement for your product, but seeing the brand talked about by someone the fans look up to will likely result in more sales and engagement for your brand.

What Does It Typically Cost to Hire an Instagram Influencer?

• 2,000 to 10,000 followers – $75 to $250
• 10,000 to 50,000 followers – $250 to $500
• 100,000 to 500,000 followers – $1000 to $3000
• Over 500,000 – $3000 +

Large TikTok influencers will either charge a high flat fee, or they will charge per view to promote your brand. According to TalentX Entertainment, a management company for 32 influencers, they charge $0.01 to $0.02 per view on TikTok. The problem lies within the fact that as a brand, you can not control how many views a TikTok post will get. Someone with only 10 followers can post an extremely viral video and get millions of views, while someone with 100,000 followers may only get a few thousand views. The algorithm is very unpredictable and is not publicly released, resulting in a risky investment for marketing. Instagram, on the contrary, is very predictable. An influencer will maintain roughly the same amount of engagement on their account, so you know what you are investing in.  

Going back to the TikTok creator @nmillz1, his TikTok videos frequently receive several hundred thousand views, which would result in costs roughly at $5,000 to $10,000 or more, while a sponsored Instagram post would be less than $3,000 and seen by more dedicated fans who trust the influencer. 

In summary, your brand can capitalize on TikTok’s rise to the top without even interacting with the app. If you are considering a brand promotion with an influencer, a TikTok creator’s Instagram page can be a great resource for you.

Sources:

https://www.digitalmarketing.org/blog/how-much-does-influencer-marketing-cost

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/heres-how-much-brands-are-paying-for-sponsored-content-on-tiktok-youtube/346290/#close

Social media is all about living in the moment. What might have worked a few years ago or even months ago, may not work today. Your customers will notice your efforts to stay relevant and appreciate that. And that will reflect in your brand image and customer loyalty.  Let’s review some social media trends, new tactics, and content ideas for 2020 to try and implement to ensure you finish off Q4 strong:

• Ephemeral Posts: Nothing Gold Can Stay
• E-shops: The Convenience Customers Expect
• Video Content: Now Playing
• Legal Media Ownership: The Ghosts of Limewire’s Past
• Local Geotagging: Coming To A Small Business Near You
• Public Insights: Social Media As A Focus Group

1.Ephemeral Posts: Nothing Gold Can Stay. 

The first trend is the growing popularity of “ephemeral” posts or temporary posts. Many social avenues have rolled out content features designed to be appreciated for a small amount of time before they disappear forever. Examples of this include Facebook and Instagram’s story features, as well as reels and TikTok. Although reels and TikToks may have a more lasting nature, they are meant to be more “disposable” than permanent and higher-quality feed content. One way to add to the story features without creating new content is to simply repost older posts onto the story. When you do create new stories, you can extend their lifetime by adding them to a highlight at the top of your Instagram. 

2. E-shops: The Convenience Customers Expect

The second trend is the implementation of social commerce. Many social media platforms are integrating online stores as another feature of a profile. Facebook rolled out its “shops” feature and Instagram allows you to buy right off a post. Pinterest has shoppable pins where purchases can be made right on their site or linked to an external site. Note that this will only be useful for brands that offer physical items as digital downloads are not yet available for sale on these services. Brands with established Shopify’s can more easily transfer their products to these social commerce features. 

3. Video Content: Now Playing

The third trend is the rise of video content. Multiple studies including one by the Cisco report that over 80% of all online content will be video by 2022. Now is the time to feature videos on social media. Integrating video within content that was typically only text in the past is a great way to stay relevant and impress your audience. 

4. Legal Media Ownership: The Ghosts of Limewire’s Past

The fourth trend is more legal and regulatory monitoring. When posting to social media it is crucial that the agency who creates your content is using legal sources and avenues for media. Using an image or song that belongs to someone else without permissions or is copyrighted can land you in court paying hefty fines for a simple mistake. Of course, the best option is using your own photos but this doesn’t work for all business models or clients. Most important is having an agency with access to copyright-free images. Don’t let your company sign with a low-tier agency that doesn’t understand this and makes a rookie mistake that sinks profits. 

5. Local Geotagging: Coming To A Small Business Near You

The fifth trend is the rise of location-based targeting for local brands. Of course, if your company is e-commerce or is looking to reach a demographic of people across multiple states/countries, this won’t apply to you. But if you have a local business particularly in-person service (i.e. vehicle rental, house cleaning, lawn service) this aspect of audience targeting is crucial. Your agency and coordinator must understand that reaching a person 3 states over doesn’t make any sense and is a waste of time and space on captions/hashtags. Hashtags should be like #losangeles rather than #lawnservice for example. The targeting goals for companies that fit into this category should be quite regional and should know the mile-range of their farthest customer to make sure they aren’t missing an opportunity for a sale. 

6. Public Insights: Social Media As A Focus Group

The sixth trend is using insights from social media to shape business strategy and models. If you think about social media as a one-way street, you’ve got in all wrong. You can benefit from the interactions on social media just as much as your audience. Have you ever wondered what your customers really think about your business? By searching publically available search terms and keywords, you have the ability to be a fly on the wall. This strategy also works for general industry terms and adjacent/parallel industries. If you provide an organic peanut butter product, maybe you’re wondering what customer’s jelly habits are as it relates to peanut butter. By simply searching those words, you get to see what people are saying. This tool is incredibly valuable as you are getting a ton of primary research data for FREE. Primary customer interviews and focus groups traditionally cost thousands of dollars, so take advantage of this secret tool. 

By riding the waves of these new social media trends you can achieve everlasting cultural relevancy and clout within your target groups. More important than the actual execution of these trends, is showing your customers that you’re aware of them and are trying to participate. This gains trust and respect, especially with younger and savvier audiences who expect brands to be on top of this. We are a digital marketing agency that understands these 6 social media trends and their importance in 2020 and beyond.  Call us or fill out a contact form today to set your business up for success Q4 to end this year strong in sales.