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Dive Brief:Retailers’ social media activity is far better than their websites or search engines at getting shoppers to convert or try new things, according to a report from digital marketing vendor Epsilon Data Management LLC.
For its “Digital Shopping Tool Impact Study 2015,” Epsilon looked at what prompted shoppers to try new brands and products, and the top influencers were: - retailers’ social media usage (29%) - brands’ social media usage (28%) - printable coupons (23%), - daily deal sites (22%), and friends’ social media posts (21%).
While consumers may use a retailer’s site more often, social media, apps, and even coupons are more likely to influence their shopping and decision-making in 10 areas of the shopping process, including what store they visit and their amount of unplanned purchases. The top five digital tools, according the report, are retailers’ social network posts and pages (35%), price comparison sites (35%), shopping apps (34%), brands’ social network posts and pages (33%), product reviews (33%), printable coupons (32%). ...
A lot of small businesses start their use of social media with high expectations; too high, in many cases. To a large extent, they have seen their campaigns fail and have cast aside social media as a tool that they either do not have the skills to use or that is simply not effective.
Instead of giving up on social media, it is important for businesses to learn how to use it effectively. They should adjust their expectations and consider automating their social media tasks as a means of making them more affordable and less labor intensive. Websites like Twitter call for a high volume of content which makes it almost impossible to generate leads consistently without some form of automation....
Digital marketing offers greater opportunities for businesses over the next year than more traditional channels, according to a new report.
When asked to identify which three marketing channels offer the greatest opportunities, half of brands (50%) mentioned social media followed by email (43%) and websites (35%).In fact the top 10 most cited channels are all online, with the most popular offline channel being direct mail at 8%....
Whenever a major news story breaks, the talk quickly follows from the news itself to how social is killing mainstream media. While there is merit behind this argument, they tend to neglect one major factor....
Every time a major event happens, the same thing happens. Story breaks on Twitter, people retweet it and then the many media organisations are lambasted for taking 20-30 mins to report on it and then the debate of how mainstream media is dying because of how slow it is.This debate happens every single time and the Boeing 777 plane crash on Saturday was the latest example of this.
But why is there an "us versus them" debate every time traditional and new media is compared? Especially since neither is perfect by any means. True, daily newspapers are suffering because of falling advertising, but for other mediums like weekly newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, why are we still talking about them as if they're in direct conflict with social?
The Wrong QuestionThe question that should be asked isn't which is better, but which one best suits the way you consume media? Both mediums have their own strengths and weaknesses and instead of pitting both against each other, why can't we appreciate both for what they are?...
No longer marketing’s shiny new object, social media has become an indispensable tool to achieve key business goals since prospects and customers spend at least one out of five online minutes using these platforms. This makes social media too big to ignore. The challenge is leveraging the power of social media to achieve your organization’s key objectives in a measurable way. “Whether you work for a big business or small one, one thing is clear from this research. Social media marketing is here to stay.” – Mike Stelzner, Founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner Social Media Examiner’s 2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, a survey of a cross section of businesses using social media as part of their marketing mix, highlights nine benefits of social media marketing....
...As you see, the deeper one looks into permission marketing basics, the more it becomes obvious that social offers a lot of room for deviation from these. Could it be that, on the one hand, following someone on Facebook means giving them a permission to talk to you, but, on the other hand, could this be just like subscribing to a TV channel with interrupting ads? Why social is NOT ALWAYS permission marketing Now, one important remark: permission marketing is gradual in nature.You approach a prospect step by step, getting permission after permission, until you are allowed to actually sell stuff to them. A good analogy would be a person attempting to sell something in the street. If you just stop a passerby and tell them “buy a toaster from me”, they never will. However, if you ask “would you care for a free toast?” they might say yes, and then you could start pitching the toaster at some point....
Traditional or “outbound” advertising is all about framing a message, which is packaged and sent to a wide audience, hoping to capture the attention of the smaller audience being targeted. The nuances of how a campaign is run on social media are far different from traditional marketing. The focus and goal of various businesses is also unique – companies may want to sell their products, get referrals, gain exposure, service customers, and become the industry “expert,” and so on. However, no matter what the original goal, ultimately, the Page will take on a life of its own, as user’s define how they wish to interact with the page and, ultimately, with the company. So while it is important to define a strategy prior to beginning any marketing campaign, the Page’s administrator must be flexible enough to tailor the content to the audience. This is the only way that Social Media Marketing will truly work as it should. Following are some examples to illustrate how Pages are being used...
It goes without saying that if you don’t have a plan then you have a plan to fail. In this post I’m going to share with you a few of the generic pieces of advice that I see people sharing on social media and why you should not listen to such advice....
The web has made media a complicated, jargon-filled world. Marketers need a way to simplify it.... ... In the past short while, we have seen a rise in new ways for advertisers to connect with consumers like never before. We're also seeing an increasing amount of media budgets shifting from traditional channels to digital advertising. You can't throw a marketer down a flight of stairs these days without hearing terms like real-time bidding, big data, retargeting and native advertising tumbling off of his tongue. It's beginning to make social media, mobile marketing and plain-old digital advertising seem somewhat antiquated. So, where do you, the business leader, place those ad dollars? Do you spend them with the latest and greatest shiny object? Do you stick to your traditional guns? Do you sprinkle them around in the hopes of hitting the jackpot on the advertising table of roulette? What we need is a framework that helps us transcend the many different ways that consumers are connecting with brands and lets us see the bigger picture....
Today, the entire business community is aware of the fact that social media marketing (SMM) is a hugely rewarding way to retain existing customers.... Social Media has remarkably altered the way people connect, interact, and share information. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn are the most prominent sites where social interactions constantly take place. SMM may be defined as a method to profitably use social media to build relationships, obtain repeat business, and attract to convert prospects through friends sharing with friends. In short, SMM is word-of-mouth powered publicity leading to enlargement of customer-base. SMM means connecting with customers and prospects where they hang out online and actively participate in conversations about the topics most interesting to them. Remember, there are already ongoing conversations between your customers and prospects and it is up to you to take advantage. As a rule, people like doing business with people they know and transact business with people they trust. Though prospects are available aplenty, successfully connecting with them calls for a well-conceived and meticulously executed strategy....
...Tressie Lieberman, director of social and digital for Taco Bell, says the brand has been "blown away" by the response it has gotten on Snapchat. Taco Bell is using the app to reintroduce the Beefy Crunch Burrito. "People are obsessed with Beefy Crunch Burrito so Snapchat seemed like the right platform to make the announcement," she says. "Sharing that story on Snapchat is a fun way to connect with the fans that we are thrilled to have. It’s all about treating them like personal friends and not consumers."
Taco Bell is one of the few marketers to embrace Snapchat, a mobile platform in which pics self-destruct within 10 seconds....
Brian Solis explains why companies need to get out of the "sales funnel" mindset for converting customers and start taking a more social and experiential approach to marketing.... Over the years, businesses have developed sales, marketing, and service strategies around the sales funnel. The model of awareness, interest, desire, and action describes the likely steps a customer may take in making a decision. If only the world were that simple. It was assumed that the linear path of the funnel would continue despite the evolution of technology and behavior. That has changed. Today, the customer journey goes beyond a simple sales funnel. Yet it is the funnel model that dictates how businesses invest in product development, sales, marketing, and service strategies. It’s a big problem....
At Econsultancy, we publish a huge amount of content related to digital marketing and ecommerce. One particular area that gets a lot of attention (and rightly so) is social media, which has had a profound impact on the way that consumers and businesses interact with each other. To help you keep up to speed with what’s going on in the field, we’ve assembled some of our case studies, statistics, infographics, opinion and best practice blog content all in one place for you to digest at your leisure. You could even bookmark and share this page to add to your ninja toolset....
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Regardless of its positive or negative side effects on human psychology, the reality is that most people share some part of their lives online – eight out of ten, to be exact.[i]
For better or for worse, humans have elevated social media to a primary method of communication, and in some cases, even use it to replace more traditional ways of interacting with family, Twitter’s psychological influence on the masses can’t be denied, which is why social media platforms have also become vehicles for businesses, organizations, and public figures to reach a broader audience.
For many, the goal is to enlist as many Twitter followers as possible, but this isn’t always an easy task. Growing a devoted following requires Tweeters to carefully craft their messaging, post interesting content that’s “retweet-worthy,” and connect with other influential Twitter members, among other tactic....
As keen observers of retail competition and its solutions, we're always watching the latest trends in retail. Henrik Persson of The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (in their publication, SCENARIO) wrote about 6 more retail trends that will change retail forever, addressing how people have changed their habits as result of technology -- and how technology must adapt to meet the changing habits of the consumer. (Not to mention the need for technology development behind the scene -- for pricing and assortment intelligence, for example).
On the surface, this is a complex process involving several interacting retail trends such as deleverage and thrift in the face of lower economic growth, gradual demographic change; and changing consumer behavior and expectations combined with new technology and social innovations.The saturated and matured retail market is ripe for some radical nonlinear shifts, writes Persson. "Incorporating these changes in both online and store retail… the consequences are as huge as transforming the (US)$500 Billion Online World Into (US)$8 to $10 Trillion global retail market." Here's why the demand for online purchasing opportunities is increasing as people and their circumstances change to meet technology (and as technology changes to meet them):...
Brand relationships are no different. Keeping a fiery connection takes some work.
To unlock long-term love for our brands and set the stage for strong lasting connections, one simply has to look at and apply basic human relationship principles. Here are five ways you can keep the spark alive and forge a devoted, lasting connection to consumers....
Film stars are no longer the reader magnets they once were, so magazines are turning to TV actors, reality stars and musicians. Pity the poor Hollywood film stars: they can’t open movies the way they used to and now they can’t sell magazines. Even a few years ago, the prize for a magazine editor was in luring an A-list Hollywood star onto the cover. But just as much critical attention has shifted to television from theatrical releases, readers are now more likely to pick up a magazine featuring a television actor, reality star or musician. “There was a day when movie stars were the gold standard for magazines,” said Jess Cagle, the managing editor of Entertainment Weekly, where the frequency and sales of TV-oriented covers are catching up with film covers. “But movie stars are less revered than they used to be, and also audiences have shifted their allegiance in large part to television.”
We all need to acquire new customers to make our products and businesses work. Whether there are a few users paying big bucks or thousands visiting your platform for free, how you get and retain customers is what is important. But ask yourself: are you really ready for more customers? Is your team set up to handle an influx of users? What’s your promotion strategy – inbound marketing or traditional PR? This extensive guide will walk you through what user acquisition is and how to execute a plan....
Last week, I gave a talk to a networking group on social media marketing. Without slides and a limited time to cover a HUGE subject, I focused on 10 key things that I’ve learned about social media that I think every small business owner should know. Here are my 10 things: 1. Social media is social. It’s about interaction, not broadcasting. This means that you should be having conversations, not just blasting your own promotions all the time (in fact, don’t do that at all.) 2. You cannot outsource a relationship. Be careful if you’re considering outsourcing your social media marketing because you can’t delegate personal connections, and that’s what social media is all about....
Social Media - In the early days of social media, users interacted like real people do. However, in time, social networks evolved into pits of broadcast messages. Here's how companies lost their way ...
Did you know that a recent study showed that almost half (44 percent) of moms have gone on to make a purchase after a friend posted a recommendation or liked a product on a social media site? We’ve been here before, of course (many times), but it bears repeating – moms and social media make a great mix, and if these socially savvy ladies are a demographic fit for your business then you should absolutely be engaging with them – frequently – within your marketing campaigns. You need more proof? Moms love to share information about products. Your products. More than nine in ten (92 percent) pass along information about deals or finds to others, and 78 percent of moms follow brands on social media to get coupons and discounts (compared to 55 percent of other folk). They’re mobile, too – 89 percent of moms use their smartphone to check social media on the move....
The catch phrase of 2013 seems to be “Big Data” – the concept of how massive amounts of strategic data collection (can you say “google”), analysis and targeting can generate huge ROI for businesses. I’ve written how I believe technology for marketers has finally caught up (technology-wise and cost-effectiveness) to where “lazy marketing” is no longer a valid excuse. Do you know which of your marketing channels are bringing in the most customers? In today’s multi-channel world, it can be tough to tell. Generating engaging content marketing media is already tough enough – we need tools and processes to know what’s working and what’s not in order to maximize ROI. Savvy marketers know and use closed-loop analytics tools to measure, analyze, and act on the performance of all the elements of their marketing, from blogs to social media, landing pages to leads, and calls-to-action to email marketing and more. Take a look at the infographic/study below, conducted by the gurus at SEOmoz. The standout takeaway: “….lastly, it turns out that 60.2% of marketers are looking for analysis options, as well as other analytics options, in their social media management tools”. This comes as no surprise. When savvy social media marketers are communicating their messages online, they want to know exactly how those efforts are benefiting them by analyzing whether each social strategy is connecting to their end goal: revenue….” …and how do your social media channels stack up against your blogs, videos email touches and landing pages?...
How Does Social Media Impact Shopping? Did you know that 81 percent of shoppers say that posts from their friends on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook directly impacted their purchasing decisions? Moreover, 30 percent of social media shoppers respond better to brand offers when they have been reposted by a friend, and almost two-in-five moms (38 percent) are more likely to purchase from brands they “Like” on Facebook than other women. Social media has revolutionised many industries, and it’s greatest impact has perhaps been on the world of online commerce. There’s still room for improvement, however, with competitive pricing, the ability to purchase online and delivery speed cited as the most important factors that determine a customer’s decision to purchase, with advice received via social media sites impacting just 18 percent of transactions....
Don’t Ignore Social as a Way to Connect... According to a May 2012 survey by Constant Contact, over three-quarters of small businesses agree on their primary goal: attracting new customers. Unfortunately, a more troubling statistic shows that many small business owners are missing out on a vital opportunity. According to a recent eMarketer post, only 32 percent of small business owners think social media marketing is an effective tool in today’s digital bazaar. This perception needs to change. For many small business owners, social media is still largely an unknown quantity. Here are a few basic reasons that businesses of every size should invest their marketing resources in social media. Five reasons social media marketing is important...
Real-time social media marketing can be incredibly powerful as it adds elements of context and relevance to your social media content and audience interactions. The challenge for many organizations is that existing processes can stand in the way of engaging and interacting with audiences in a timely manner. Process by its nature takes time, and virtually strips organizations of being able to act in real-time. Opportunity identification, legal reviews, running approvals up the ladder, creative ideation, risk assessment, production, organizing and rallying a team to create content are a few of the factors that can grind execution of the best intentions to a halt. All of these components are important, but to capitalize on real-time opportunities on social media, certain planning and preparation will need to be in place. Also, in some cases, concessions or modifications might need to be made to your organization’s regular processes. Following are a few suggestions and ideas for how you can prepare your organization to be equipped engage in real-time on social media:...
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Staying on top of social media activity and providing engaging content are, according to this survey, more important than many retailers realize.