What are some of the top marketing trends we need to be aware of in the coming year?
It is no surprise that marketers can expect some pretty dramatic shifts in the norm over the course of 2016. The speed at which new media evolves has led to the marketing world changing significantly as every year passes. While some marketing trends for 2016 are to be expected, there are others that are somewhat unprecedented.
So what exactly can you expect?
Mobile Will Eclipse Desktop
This should be the most obvious one. At this point, Google has reported that in ten countries, mobile has already surpassed desktop searches. You might even be reading this article on your smartphone.
Photo Credit: KPCB
2015 was the year that websites went mobile first. Google made it clear that websites without a mobile-optimized experienced would now not only have a difficult time ranking highly, but would be penalized. (Remember ‘Mobilegeddon’?)
In the coming year, we will see this mobile-first trend continue. As more of the world moves away from the desktop, so will the share of mobile searches and activity rise.
A Rise in Dedicated Apps
App indexing has been around for some time, but only now are brands starting to realize the value that app indexing possesses. Just as mobile search and traffic will continue to trend upwards, dedicated mobile applications will begin to overtake mobile-friendly websites.
What will be interesting, however, will be the shift in search structure. As venues such as the App Store and Google Play become more crowded (as if they weren’t already crowded enough) will users turn more to search engines when searching for apps, or will these native app houses be remodelled to function more as a search engine themselves?
Marketing Automation Will Reach the Masses
If you haven’t used a marketing automation system (like Marketo or Pardot) yet, that might be because of the oft-prohibitive price tag that accompanies these robust technologies. But as with anything tech, it is only a matter of time before the products reserved for the enterprise elite become more readily available to the small and medium sized businesses.
In 2016, marketing automation will certainly begin to play a much bigger role in the lives of SMB marketers. While the core functionality might not be as robust as the tools listed above, there will certainly be much more available to marketers than ever before when it comes to automation.
Photo Credit: Smart Insights
Practicality in the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things has been around for some time now, and the novelty, though still there, has started to wear off slightly. Now, engineers (and, subsequently, marketers) are looking for more practical uses for the phenomenon.
While the connected home and the connected city are exciting macro-scale applications for the IoT, the connected buyer journey is of particular interest to any marketer. We are always looking for ways to personalize the buying experience and, perhaps more importantly, to retain customers for a longer period of time by building a relationship in a shorter timeframe. All of that is possible with the Internet of Things, and we can expect some new developments in that field this year.
Conclusion
It is amazing to think about how quickly the digital world evolves. Just a few years ago, much of what is outlined above seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. Now we are on the precipice of the greatest explosion in technological advancement ever (yes, even more so than in the past!).
For marketers, this means faster evolution and more to pay attention to, but it also means more possibilities. Which marketing trends are you most excited about?
Marketing Trends to Watch For in 2016
/by Corey PadveenWhat are some of the top marketing trends we need to be aware of in the coming year?
It is no surprise that marketers can expect some pretty dramatic shifts in the norm over the course of 2016. The speed at which new media evolves has led to the marketing world changing significantly as every year passes. While some marketing trends for 2016 are to be expected, there are others that are somewhat unprecedented.
So what exactly can you expect?
Mobile Will Eclipse Desktop
This should be the most obvious one. At this point, Google has reported that in ten countries, mobile has already surpassed desktop searches. You might even be reading this article on your smartphone.
Photo Credit: KPCB
2015 was the year that websites went mobile first. Google made it clear that websites without a mobile-optimized experienced would now not only have a difficult time ranking highly, but would be penalized. (Remember ‘Mobilegeddon’?)
In the coming year, we will see this mobile-first trend continue. As more of the world moves away from the desktop, so will the share of mobile searches and activity rise.
A Rise in Dedicated Apps
App indexing has been around for some time, but only now are brands starting to realize the value that app indexing possesses. Just as mobile search and traffic will continue to trend upwards, dedicated mobile applications will begin to overtake mobile-friendly websites.
What will be interesting, however, will be the shift in search structure. As venues such as the App Store and Google Play become more crowded (as if they weren’t already crowded enough) will users turn more to search engines when searching for apps, or will these native app houses be remodelled to function more as a search engine themselves?
Marketing Automation Will Reach the Masses
If you haven’t used a marketing automation system (like Marketo or Pardot) yet, that might be because of the oft-prohibitive price tag that accompanies these robust technologies. But as with anything tech, it is only a matter of time before the products reserved for the enterprise elite become more readily available to the small and medium sized businesses.
In 2016, marketing automation will certainly begin to play a much bigger role in the lives of SMB marketers. While the core functionality might not be as robust as the tools listed above, there will certainly be much more available to marketers than ever before when it comes to automation.
Photo Credit: Smart Insights
Practicality in the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things has been around for some time now, and the novelty, though still there, has started to wear off slightly. Now, engineers (and, subsequently, marketers) are looking for more practical uses for the phenomenon.
While the connected home and the connected city are exciting macro-scale applications for the IoT, the connected buyer journey is of particular interest to any marketer. We are always looking for ways to personalize the buying experience and, perhaps more importantly, to retain customers for a longer period of time by building a relationship in a shorter timeframe. All of that is possible with the Internet of Things, and we can expect some new developments in that field this year.
Conclusion
It is amazing to think about how quickly the digital world evolves. Just a few years ago, much of what is outlined above seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. Now we are on the precipice of the greatest explosion in technological advancement ever (yes, even more so than in the past!).
For marketers, this means faster evolution and more to pay attention to, but it also means more possibilities. Which marketing trends are you most excited about?
Social Media Hurdles Faced by Not-For-Profits
/by Corey PadveenThe not-for-profit world is apt to benefit from social media, but there are certain hurdles that make it slow to adopt.
Not-for-profit social media channels are booming with content, but the speed at which the industry adopts new practices (and viable social advertising channels) is generally slower than average. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to this.
Last week, t2 was a sponsor of the Miami event for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and a lot of interesting conversations took place wherein certain key struggles of the industry became apparent.
Budgets Are Limited
One thing that is (quite obviously) required when running a campaign of this sort is a budget. Gone are the days of free growth and easily obtainable virality. Now, most networks force brands and organizations to rely on a pay-to-play model. In the world of not-for-profits, that’s a luxury most do not have.
What budgets exist have been assigned to traditional fundraising practices, like events and direct marketing. And this lack of discretionary resources hints at another major issue…
Knowledge of the Platform is Limited
While a fairly top-level understanding of new media and some of its more advanced concepts is a reality that many marketers face, there is a key differentiating factor when it comes to the world of not-for-profit social media. For not-for-profits, that lack of in-depth knowledge of these platforms means that the little budgets that do exist might be wasted on an area where marketing teams are unsure of how to use them.
Social advertising, though easily accessible by any Page manager, requires an understanding of optimization practices. Much can be done with a limited budget, but without a knowledge of practices like incremental bidding and ad dollar optimization, that limited budget disappears very quickly.
Sticking with Familiarity
Events have been the backbone of the fundraising world for a very long tie. Huge investments are made in events and the results are funds raised (naturally) as well as an increase in exposure and awareness. Those are wonderful benefits, but Avectra (now Abila) conducted a study that found some interesting information.
On average, not-for-profits are spending $1.33 to raise $1.00 when it comes to events. Of course, there are other significant benefits, and in the long run much more is raised, but in terms of finding a balance in order to prevent these immediate losses, social could be a great ally. It’s simply not understood in order to drive those results.
Ready to Pivot
One particular item of note is the excitement that a lot of these not-for-profit marketers expressed when discussing social. While virtually every not-for-profit present (and any NFP we’ve spoken to or worked with in the past) had a presence on social media, it has been used largely to share content. Now there are clear opportunities to drive fundraising efforts (with more than simply gimmicks) and not-for-profit marketers are ready to make that shift.
Conclusion
Expect the transition to this new way of fundraising to take some time, but not as much time as it might have taken some years ago. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a boom in audience activation campaigns for not-for-profits (think of crowdfunding and peer-ro-peer initiatives). With the trend we noticed in Miami, we can expect to see much more of this in the months and years ahead.
What Is Content Curation? [Video]
/by Corey PadveenWhat is content curation and what are some of the best content curation tools?
Sometimes, one of the fastest ways to build your presence and acquire new fans and followers is to find and share some of the greatest content on the web. Of course, you’ll always want to have a focus on creating your own great content, but sharing (and, naturally, properly attributing) third-party content across your social channels through the process of content curation can be a major asset.
So what exactly is the process of content curation, and what are some of the pieces of technology that make this process simpler? Watch this short video and find out how you can start curating the best content across the web to fire up your brand building process.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
/by Corey PadveenWe would like to wish every one of our readers a very happy holiday season and a happy New Year!
As we approach the holidays, we’ll be taking some time off from posting content to the blog, but we would like to leave you with some wishes for a very relaxing and joyful holiday season, and a very happy New Year! We’ll be back early in 2016 with lots of great new content, videos, infographics and much more!
Creating a Social Media Dashboard in Google Analytics [Video]
/by Corey PadveenCheck out the latest edition of our instructional videos on Google Analytics!
Now that we have covered some of the basic components of our Google Analytics dashboard, it’s time to start delving into some of the more detailed and customizable aspects of the software. In the latest instalment of our video series in conjunction with the Social Media Strategies Summit, we tackle the creation of a custom social media dashboard in the backend of your Analytics system.
For a lot of marketers, creating customized reports and dashboards can seem like a daunting task. Out of the box, Google Analytics is more or less what-you-see-is-what-you-get. That is both a blessing and a curse when you’re looking to pull in very specific data. Luckily, the steps involved in building something like a social media dashboard are much simpler than one might think!
Watch the video below to learn how you can start creating custom dashboards in Google Analytics, and be sure to check back regularly for more great insights and useful instructions about the website tracking and analytics tool!
6 Important Tips for Creating Instagram Ads
/by Corey PadveenInstagram ads have arrived for all to enjoy, and there are a few helpful tips and best practices to keep in mind for when you decide to delve into the realm of Instagram ads.
By now you’ve no doubt heard about the wide launch of Instagram ads, and you might have even created a campaign or two to test them out. It’s an exciting time to be a new media advertiser!
While Instagram does use the now-familiar Facebook advertising interface, there are a few key setup points and differences to keep in mind when creating and launching a campaign. Follow these useful tips and you’ll be well on your way to generating new business from the popular photo-sharing app!
Connect Your Instagram Account
It is a trivial step, but one that is somehow overlooked regardless. In order to run Instagram ads, you’ll need to ensure that your Instagram account (either your personal or business account, depending on where you want your ads to run) needs to be connected to your business page.
In the image below, you’ll see the new screen in the backend of your page settings that allows you to connect either a new or existing Instagram account to the business.
Choose a Relevant Goal
Building your Facebook audience (Page Likes) is not a goal worth trying to achieve on Instagram. If you have an app, are trying to drive purchases or web sign ups, then consider using Instagram as a part of your ad strategy.
The key is to first look at your objectives, then consider the value of the audience on Instagram as well as the way users interact with the network. If those don’t coalesce, best to leave Instagram out of this campaign. Your use of Instagram should be tied to a specific action (for example, a download) and if that is not the case, consider saving it for a more relevant campaign objective.
Properly Optimize Your Ad Delivery
One of the new features that Facebook has integrated is a clearer method of choosing your delivery optimization. Do you want your ad to show as much as possible (impressions) or would you prefer that your audience members be carefully selected in order to ensure an action is taken?
Granted, this is not unique to Instagram ads, but it is still an important practice nonetheless, and it becomes increasingly important for Instagram when you launch a campaign designed to acquire new users to your app (downloads/installs).
Pay for What Matters
Another great feature that was included in the most recent round of updates to the Facebook ad interface is the new payment plan option:
Prior to the update, you were billed in a hybrid fashion (between impressions and clicks). With the new update, you can specifically select how you’ll be charged, and that makes everything clearer for marketers.
Create Separate Creative
Perhaps the most valuable best practice to keep in mind has to do with the creative you use with your next campaign. The aspect ratio for traditional Facebook ads is 1.9:1. On Instagram, the aspect ratio is 1:1. Your ads will not look the same on Facebook and Instagram.
One nice thing about the new creative structure on Facebook’s ad dashboard is the ability to create separate creative (and placement!) for every one of your ads directly within the editor. Essentially, that means that you can create a 1:1 aspect ratio image for Instagram, select only Instagram as a placement and use that as one ad, while another ad is created with Facebook ratios in mind that neglects the Instagram placement. Life is made easy!
Remember the Audience
Again, it is crucial to keep in mind that audiences on Facebook and Instagram are responsive to different things. You might not necessarily want to run the same creative, the same rhetoric or use the same tone on both networks. They might be housed under the same dashboard, but the structure and interaction from your audience is going to be quite different.
With that in mind it will be significantly easier to create ad sets that resonate on both networks (even if they appear differently to you).
The Social Media Manager’s Morning Checklist
/by Corey PadveenAs a social media manager, you should have a carefully organized social media morning checklist referenced at the start of every day.
A social media morning checklist is crucial to getting a jump on the day ahead. While your day in the office might have ended as far as your co-workers are concerned, the socialsphere is still very much abuzz after the lights go out. When you arrive in the morning, pour yourself a cup of coffee and start going down this checklist in order to ensure that your day won’t be filled with a game of catch-up.
Review Mentions
While you were out, there is a good chance that somewhere in the socialsphere, someone has reached out. Whether that is simply a message about your brand, a complaint or a customer service ticket filed, you’ll want to have a system in place that gathers all recent mentions into one place.
There are plenty of tools that offer something like this; from low-end management dashboards like Hootsuite to high-end listening systems like Radian6, a technology that organizes mentions (and, if possible, prioritizes them based on the language used) is a must. When you sit down in the morning, review those mentions and determine which ones require a response or attention from your (or another) department.
Prepare Daily Content
For a lot of managers, content is prepped and scheduled for the week or in some cases the entire month long before the day has begun. That said, it is always necessary to review the content that will be going out that day, make modifications where necessary and add in other, more topical content when it is appropriate.
When a crisis strikes, for example, the general rule of thumb is that your editorial calendar is paused and your crisis protocol moves in. This is not to say that you should approach every day as if a crisis has hit, but you should always review what is scheduled to go out in case something is no longer appropriate or other content might make more sense. Remember, your social channels operate in a live environment and what was scheduled at the beginning of the week or month might not make sense by the end.
Analyze Your Ad Campaigns
At the start of every day, one of the most crucial tasks a social media manager will have will be the analysis of current and ongoing ad campaigns. There are a few things you will want to examine every morning:
The last question listed here has a lot to do with whether or not you’ve properly implemented t2’s proprietary incremental bidding system. You can learn more about that by downloading this eBook.
Read Industry News and Updates
While a lot of what is on this checklist has to do with your brand and owned media, you’ll want to take some time at the beginning of the day when things are generally a little bit quieter and review some of the industry updates.
It is not secret that things change at a dramatically rapid pace in the world of social media, and it is a manager’s duty to be on top of those changes. Why? As best practices and standards change, so does your approach to daily management. Being in the know makes it a lot easier to adapt and stay ahead of the curve while others play catch-up.
If you’re looking for a few great resources to check out at the start of your day, take a look at this list.
Key Audience Metrics in Google Analytics [Video]
/by Corey PadveenWatch the latest video in our series with the Social Media Strategies Summit!
In this instalment of our video series in conjunction with the Social Media Strategies Summit, we cover some of the key audience metrics in Google Analytics. Watch the video below and get a better understanding of what your Google Analytics data represents!
Effectively Manage a Social Media Crisis
/by Corey PadveenWe hate to think about it, but we should always be prepared for the case of the dreaded social media crisis.
The speed at which information travels has increased exponentially with the advent of social media. Therefore, when a crisis breaks, a carefully thought out strategy and proper mechanisms need to be in place in order to mitigate the issue before it spirals out of control.
In our latest eBook, we walk you through the proper steps to managing a social media crisis, and provide you with an easy-to-follow document that will allow you to outline every aspect of a crisis, making it that much easier to handle should it ever occur.
Click here or on the image below to download the eBook today and find out how you can properly plan for a social media crisis and mitigate an issue spiralling out of control!
5 Local Marketing Tactics You Might Have Ignored
/by Corey PadveenLocal businesses often face fierce competition when it comes to marketing.
The main objective is to get the word out about your brand and grow a customer base and maintain it. However, we are talking about small businesses that target the local customers. Unlike large organizations, they can’t afford big, splashy campaigns in order to grab the customer’s attention. Local business owners need to adopt the marketing strategies that fit their budget.
In today’s market, there are lots of opportunities for local businesses to revolutionize all the aspects of their marketing strategy. The biggest dilemma faced by small business owners is how, when, and where they should dedicate their marketing efforts and budgets.
When it comes to local internet marketing, these are a few best practices that should always find themselves as top considerations.
Digital Outreach
Though we might be looking at success at a local level, it is important to consider your brand’s digital presence. Your customers are searching for you online (whether or not you are there) so it is a wonder why so many businesses are still hesitant to embrace digital practices like social media, SEO, or paid advertising.
The top reason: many business owners find most forms of digital media complex and time consuming. Businesses think of digital outreach as a complicated process owing to its multiple options and ever-evolving nature. While it can appear burdensome, it is advised to start small. Customers are searching for information pertaining to your products and services. What type of information is going to be helpful to them? Answer that question and begin from that point.
Coupons
This is a tried, tested and true marketing method. A coupon will drive customers into your store. Whether they’re downloaded from Facebook, sent straight to email inboxes, or even circulated in print, coupons will always remain an enticing way to promote your business. Coupons are easy to create and quite inexpensive to produce. When it comes to tracking ROI, digital coupons and coupon codes are an easy way to do it.
Ask Customers For Reviews
More and more often, customers are referring to online reviews (like Yelp!) to find out more about local businesses. Businesses have admitted that having reviews written by their customers have successfully given them an edge over the competitors.
Encourage your customers to provide online reviews as there is a high demand for these by prospective customers.
Content Marketing
With regards to digital marketing, it has become more important for businesses to come up with compelling content that could educate the targeted buyers before pushing them gently into the conversion funnel.
In order to come up with this compelling copy, you will need to understand the customers in the local market, study their interests and preferences, their main pain-points, and more on their demographics and psychographics.
In short, you will need to create in-depth personas and content for each of these personas in mind to be successful in relating to the needs of the audience.
Business Listing Services
You will also need to make sure that all the information in your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is perfectly filled out across all local listings websites. If someone else has listed your business somewhere, you will have to claim the listing and provide the necessary proof that it is yours.
Conclusion
Though local business marketing budgets are not always large, there are several options that are available that have proven to drive success. When you’re looking to move into the online marketing space for your local business, consider some of these great strategies!