Author: demelzaleonard

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What to share on Social Media during a National Emergency.

Social Media in a Crisis

The Australian bushfires are being reposted, shared and commented on Social Media globally with tens of millions of posts.

Social media is shining a spotlight on the bushfire crisis, significant figures are sending their gratitude for firefighters, donations and urging their fans globally to help. 

However, with so many users on the platforms, emotions at an all-time high and disagreements plenty, the potential for inaccurate and sensationalised information is likely to be shared to large audiences.

Out of date imagery, incorrect statistics and the hashtag #ArsonEmergency has attracted bot-like tweets and reposts featuring the wrong information and insight.

Yet through these incorrect messages, correct and vital information is apparent. 

But what can we do to make sure we are sharing the correct information on our personal and business pages?

After all, as platforms continue to grow (Australia has 18 million active social media users (SocialMediaNews.com.au)) Social Media will continue to be a go-to source of information for many.

WHAT CAN I DO?

There are a number of things we can do to make sure we are getting the right information shared. Not those that may have been created or shared due to “motivated reasoning.”

Fact Check the information yourself.

Ask yourself the following questions.

a.    Where does this come from?

b.    Who is the original source?

c.    Is this image or information credited by an official source?

Share from trusted sources

By sharing information from trusted sources we are reducing the chance of error or miscommunication.

Media outlets sharing news has already fact checked a lot of the information for you. So you know that by sharing their posts their information is up to date.

Groups and organisations that are officially affiliated with education, assistance and recovery will also have reliable and factual information to share.

Avoid sharing content with no attribution.

Most reliable sources will credit the photographer or place where the original post has come from. If this information is missing, then it might be best to not hit that repost button until after you have checked its validity.

Report misleading information with the platform.

If you find information that is incorrect or misleading, you can report or flag it with the social media platform, helping them to ensure the right information is seen in News Feeds.

Use Google Images to help verify photos

With both the Australian bushfires and even the Amazon fires, incorrect imagery has gone viral.  Social Media users are seeing photos taken during other similar emergencies being reused to share the national disaster stories today.

If you aren’t sure of where a photo originated from, or the photographer to credit, then use Google Image search to help you find the true source.

You can find the link here.

Read the post fully and understand what it suggesting.

In times of heightened emotion we might not fully read or comprehend what a caption might be saying, leading to us hitting that repost button prematurely.

We have recently seen this with the NASA image of Australia from Anthony Hearsay, which was depicting hotspots around Australia, not the real number of fires burning at the time.

By taking these simple steps, not only are we truly helping the cause in the way we always wanted to, we are making sure the correct information is shared by ourselves and our businesses to others as well.

If you or your business need help with your Social Media Crisis Communication strategy, contact Demelza for a 1:1 consultation and discussion.

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Blog Social Media

Social Media Trends to Watch in 2020

As we head into a new decade, social media remains a dominant force in our daily lives. 15 million users are active on Facebook in Australia monthly, whilst 9 million are active on Instagram.

According to the GlobalWebIndex, 54% use social media to research products and services. But as more users realise the benefits social media platforms can have for their business, the more clutter we’ll see in our feeds.

As we move into 2020, it’s important to stay at the forefront of social media and the methods, tactics and tools that will allow you and you business to cut through the noise.

But what trends could prove impactful and change the way we market our businesses and selves on social media?

NICHE PLATFORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE.

As Facebook, Instagram and YouTube continue to grow in audiences so does the noise on these platforms. As users become disillusioned with these channels, Niche channels will cater to like-minded audiences will continue to grow in popularity.

We have already seen this with the growth of Tik Tok. A platform with a high youth-based audience which uses short form video content. With its rapid growth in popularity, however, it can be argued if this platform can still be considered a niche.

Other platforms such as Twitch (gamer based streaming platform), LinkedIn (targeting corporate and businesses), Dribbble (for designers) and Goodreads (for book lovers and authors) have also found growth in the past year or two. This is due to like-minded audiences finding better connectivity leading to higher conversions and less competition for businesses on these channels.

VIDEO CONTENT WILL DOMINATE CONTENT MARKETING.

It’s no big secret that humans are programmed to be attracted to motion. And when it comes to social media, we continue to consume video format regardless of whether it is a short (Tik Tok or IG Stories) or long format (YouTube).

After all, Facebook and YouTube continue to be the most widely used platform in Australia every month.

A recent HubSpot study also highlighted that people are consuming more video than ever before. 88% of Marketers stated video gives them a positive ROI on their marketing investment whether that be leads, sales, engagements or views.

As more marketers increase their video content, it’s important for businesses to ensure they cut through this noise as well.

Incorporating video content whether that be through Stories or video for advertising, will prove beneficial and allow businesses the opportunity to cut through visually on platforms in 2020 effectively.

INCREASE IN AUGMENTED REALITY FOR BUSINESSES.

In late 2019, Instagram has incorporated Augmented Reality opportunities via their online shopping feature.

A handful of brands were afforded the option to allow consumers the chance to use AR filters to try their products on themselves. These included makeup & eyewear.

The platform also gave access to their Spark AR public beta which allows anyone to publish their own AR effects as Story filters on the platform.

Could this be the new try before you buy option that potential online shoppers have been searching for? No doubt giving customers the option to see what products will look like on them within the comfort of their homes will assist online shopping revenue and those online retailers even further.

THE GROWTH OF SOCIAL COMMERCE.

And just as AR can provide users the opportunity to shop effortlessly at home, so too will the adoption of more shoppable features across Social Media platforms.

Earlier this year, Instagram Storefronts was launched providing an easy to click shopping platform direct from the social media channel.

It’s nothing new for these channels with Instagram, Facebook and even Pinterest providing plenty of opportunities for brands to sell their products.

However, as consumers look for more on-demand ways to purchase their products and solve their problems, Social Commerce will develop into a mainstream retail channel for many businesses. Thus putting them inline with brick and mortar stores and websites.

The key for any business here is to make the shopping process as quick and efficient as possible. If you can create this flow, you are more likely to see success from Social Commerce options in your business.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN SOCIAL MEDIA.

As more and more consumers use social media platforms to interact with businesses, the importance of Customer Service will continue to grow.

After all, you just need to look at how quickly poor customer service responses in recent months can turn into major damage control for a business.

With options such as automated messages, messenger response times, it’s important for your business to have a customer service plan and strategy to be able to deal with customers queries and feedback in a timely and appropriate matter.

A mitigation plan with FAQs and answers is always a great document to have on hand for anyone who might be managing your social media.

USER GENERATED CONTENT & INFLUENCER MARKETING WILL STILL PLAY A ROLE.

User generated content (UGC) will continue to play a strong part in Marketing strategies particularly as 85% of consumers find visual UGC more influential than brand photos or videos.

Over the past few years, the trend remains strong with some brands relying heavily on UGC (for example Kathmandu) for their social media feeds.

For businesses this is a free opportunity to encourage social media users to share their experiences within your business and be rewarded in return with a repost on your profile. To do this, simply encourage users to tag your business in their photo or use a branded hashtag to be considered.

Just like UGC, Influencer Marketing is not a new trend but it’s a trend that will be around for a while.

Yes, even as social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook remove likes.

Using Influencers can prove cost-effective for businesses and help to create leads, higher engagement and new followers for businesses.

Popular influencers are starting to be incorporated in advertising across both traditional and new marketing methods.

But it’s important to do your research on the influencers you use. Ensuring your requirements and their fees are part of their contract will ensure a mutual business arrangement that will benefit both parties and potentially a successful partnership for the future as well.

By considering some of these trends in your Marketing strategy in 2020, not only will you be allowing your business the chance to stop the scroll but also provide new and exciting ways to market your brand and its product to your desired audience with the potential for higher conversion rates and loyalty to establish yourself well over the next few years.

Want more information on which of these trends might be best for your business? Book an appointment with Demelza and build a successful 2020 Social Media strategy today!

Categories
Blog Marketing

Truth, Justice & the Multi-Channel Way

Let’s face it, Social Media has really changed the way we Market ourselves over the past 10 years. For many businesses, budgets have been reduced due to Social Media providing a cost effective alternative.

Focusing on just one Marketing tool can prove a risky exercise. Are you prepared if Social Media crashed tomorrow?. But when you have the assistance of a cohesive multi-channel strategy this ensures that your eggs aren’t all in one basket. That you are using Social Media as the marketing tool it is and not for your entire Marketing or Business strategy.

And whilst Social Media is a great marketing tool to use, it’s important to remember, it isn’t the only tool to use when it comes to promoting your business.

A Multi-channel strategy is exactly what is says it is. It’s a number of different channels which all work to relay your businesses message through a number of different tools or channels.

Think of it as your multi-channel strategy is the Justice League – where by 6 superheroes work together to help convey your message of good.

1.SUPERMAN IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA.

He is the one that fights for promotion, justice and the Silicon Valley way. He is the main hero, the one that everyone dotes on to save the day. But if he’s struck down with kryptonite (that is the shutting down of a platform or a glitch in the system), it could spell disaster for your Business.

Your Social Media should work with the other heroes to reach your target audience where they like to hang out and should be directing your audience to other tools that will help your business further.  In this case let’s look at the digital elements to your multi-channel strategy.

2. CYBORG IS YOUR WEBSITE & EMAIL MARKETING.

Created by technology, he goes on the offensive when it comes to promoting your business. Your website does the same thing, in that it showcases your business’ message whilst describing and highlight your services or products.  The website should give potential customers the opportunity to join your mailing list, allowing you to build a database away from Social Media. Whilst this can be used with Social Media (for advertising purposes), it’s important to build a database separately so that you can continue to relay your messaging to your now interested and loyal followers.

3. AQUAMAN IS YOUR SEO.

To ensure that your website is seen, a good SEO or Google ranking is important. This brings us to our next hero, Aquaman. Just like Aquaman and Cyborg didn’t get along at first, a website without strong SEO or a decent Google ranking will also have a rough relationship.  The world wide web is a “sea” of marketing messages and websites, so it’s important that your SEO strategy works to boost your website so it can be easily found and seen by your ideal customers.

4. BATMAN IS OFFLINE MARKETING.

Whilst Cyborg and Aquaman (along with Superman) can work cohesively, the loner of the group is none other than Batman. Batman is your offline marketing that works nicely on his own, sharing your message through traditional forms of media such as TV, Radio, Magazines, Newspapers, Posters and so on.  For those that might not pay too much attention to online, or choose to leave the online at work, this is a great way to capture your market in high volumes but just like Batman it’s got a bit of money behind it.

5. THE FLASH IS EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING.

Another type of marketing tool to consider for your business that can work well is Experiential Marketing. This is The Flash – it’s the one-off event based campaign that helps to build awareness and revenue, targeting a specific market at a specific location. Think along the lines of a beverage tent at Coachella, a pop up showcasing a limited edition product or even a launch. It’s here one week to build the brand awareness but in a flash of a lightning bolt it’s gone the next.

6. WONDER WOMAN IS WORD OF MOUTH.

And finally Wonder Woman is the hardest, yet most effective form of marketing tool. She is the trusted source by many, she is your Word of Mouth. Whilst this multi-channel is one that can prove a little difficult to use in your Strategy at first, it can also be one of the most powerful. People are looking for businesses they can trust and what better way to be trusted then by great reviews and recommendations from the customers and followers that can rope (pun intended) in new customers to build a relationship with.

All of these heroes (tools) work well on their own (with the exception in this case of Aquaman) but they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. So when they are “all in” just think of the strong and cohesive marketing strategy that is working together for the good of your business – battling the millions of messages in the world in an effort to ensure you are seen and heard by your dream audience.

Without a doubt, Social Media is still one of the most powerful tools. Isn’t it time you summoned the league to truly make the most of your business’ promotion?

Categories
Blog Marketing

6 reasons why your business should be using GIFS in its marketing.

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Are you a business owner who has heard the phrase “GIFS” but more than likely rolled your eyes discounting it as another fad?

Whilst for many the phrase might just sound like something millennials use, the four-letter word with the confusing pronunciation can prove extremely beneficial to your brand’s presence on Social Media and in your Marketing if used correctly.

What are GIFS?

GIFS (pronounced Jifs) are an animated image file. This means that images created to form a short moving picture and used online through emails, website or on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and (more recently) Instagram Stories.

See example below:

via GIPHY

Why Should I Use Them?

There are many benefits that arise from using GIFS for your business promotion.

1) It’s all about the Motion.

First and foremost, we as humans are attracted by motion. It’s part of our programming. It’s one of the reasons why video marketing is proving so popular with marketers and brands. However, when we need things in a smaller format then a GIF might be just what we need to share our message and still meet our objectives effectively.

2) Going Viral.

If used correctly it is a powerful tool to going viral. Not only our GIFs great for conveying a message, if used effectively they have the potential of being shared with your followers’ network.

3) Brighten up your Messaging.

Using GIFs can help create a fun and informative tone for your message, thus allowing you to stand out from the rest of your competitors. It can  liven up your message across a range of Marketing channels including emails, social media and websites.

4) Attract Attention to your Brand.

Think about how many times you visit a website and animated ad attracts your attention. GIFs can become eye-catching animated ad banners and leaderboards; thus ensuring your brand stands out.

5) Engagement Boosters

GIFs when used correctly can retell a story or is a great way to show emotion about a particular topic. This more often than not will resonate with your audience and will help boost ngagement on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram Stories.

6) The Old Saying…

“Actions speak louder than words”, so why not use this as an advantage over your competitors.

Provided the GIFs used align with your brand’s personality and tone, they can be a very effective tool to use in your Marketing messaging and communication.

So, have a look at your Marketing messaging.

Look at your Social Media, your Instagram Stories, your Business Blogs and even your Email Newsletters. Is there a way you could be factoring GIFs into your communication in a way that will be beneficial to your business and brand?

You never know, you might just have the next viral post because of how you incorporated the use of GIFs into your marketing.

via GIPHY

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Social Media

CONTROLLA – How the trending genius of Aubrey Graham can help small business owners in Social Media.

Aubrey Graham. Drake. The 6 God. Drizzy Drake. Jimmy Brooks from Degrassi…

It doesn’t matter how you know him the rapper constantly trends. Whether as a meme, a dance challenge or at an NBA game.

But why is it that this rapper from Canada continues to go viral, continues to break streaming records and continues to see his name trending. 

Before we analyse this and what we can take away from the OVO owner let’s look at the Social Media/ Viral history of Drake.

STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM – The History 

Drake is no newcomer to the entertainment industry. Thanks to a popular Canadian high school franchise – Degrassi, the rapper first gained attention as Jimmy Brooks. 

In 2007, he left the teen drama to pursue a career in music and made waves with his 2009 mix tape So Far Gone that featured his now signature melancholic sound through songs Best I Ever Had and Successful. Drake was being authentic long before it became a marketing buzzword 10 years later. Think about it, if he were to come in as a Thug rapper like 50 Cent and the G-Unit crew, no one would have bought what he was selling. 

Whilst Drake was dabbling in “authenticity” ahead of time, it was in 2011, that Drake’s influence on pop culture was about to be unleashed. The popular song The Motto features the term “YOLO” which has become a popular hashtag for the millennial generation. 

The hashtag of YOLO may have started the rapper’s first foray into Social Media, but it was the video clip for Started From the Bottom that would begin his rise to “King of the Memes.”

With the release of his mainstream hit Hold On, We’re Coming Home, the web saw an influx of memes with the rapper photoshopped looking sad and surrounded by money.

And then with the now iconic first line “you used to call me on my cellphone…” from the Hotline Bling video, Drake’s Dad dance moves saw him go viral once again.

Add to this dance challenges based upon his song In My Feelings (#dotheshiggy) and the release of his album Scorpion reaching 3 million Tweet mentions in over 24 hours after the album dropped the bombshell that the rapper had fathered a child. 

His love of his hometown Toronto and the city’s basketball team has contributed to his trending ways. In 2014, Drake sat courtside and lint rolled his tracksuit pants whilst watching the game. The image went viral and the following week the OVO label head and the Toronto Raptors had partnered giving out branded lint rollers to those at the following basketball game.

These are just a few examples of how the rapper has trended in some way or form.   

POP STYLE – How Drake Remains On Trend

Now, let’s find the key takeaways from his virality and how we as small business owners, personal brands and social media managers can learn from this.

AUTHENTICITY

As already discussed, Drake is authentic. He isn’t afraid to embrace those uncool mannerisms that allow him to go viral and uses it to his advantage. His brand started with a melancholic sound and whilst innovative, if he was to début as a more aggressive rapper from the “hood”, the fans would never have bought the concept due to his TV history.  

As fans played into his somber, emotional ways, he continued to serve himself to his audience, clear in the Hotline Bling Dad dance and its popularity. 

Therefore, by remaining true to ourselves when it comes to our social media, we can build a loyal follower-base that in turn can lead to customers who will eventually want to buy what we are selling. This means showing transparency, vulnerability and sharing your unique story and not just selling to your audience. 

LOYALTY

Drake is proud of his origin. He represents his hometown of Toronto. This was never clearer then the controversy he caused during the recent NBA finals series against the Golden State Warriors. His passion for his home team saw the rapper trolling the opposition with his antics and, you guessed it, was trending every game. He also ensured if the Toronto Raptors won, he was ready to release a song to commemorate the historic occasion. 

This is a great example for us to represent what we believe in. That might be our hometown, our group of small business collaborators or even our favourite products and services.  The more you do this and represent your origin or loves, the more your audience is going to get to know you better and believe in what you say.

ENGAGING

The capitalization of going viral that Drake consistently demonstrates shows an example of the “network effect” that he has on his audience.  The way he acts ignites fans and (trolls) to turn him into yet another social media trend – he is indirectly engaging them (almost baiting them) to make him go viral once again. This cycle is why he remains at the top of trending lists. He drops a song and instantly excited fans make sure his songs stream heavily and chart. In some cases breaking streaming or download records.

By engaging with our audiences on Social Media we are able to use the algorithms to our advantage. Maintaining our relationships with our followers and those who we wish to become our followers. If we are lucky we might even be able to go viral ourselves.

CONSISTENCY

And once it’s all said and done, he does it all over again. Consistently serving himself on a Social Media platter to the world. Ready to capitalize on his virality once more.

Drake has been a trending topic regularly since 2009. That’s a decade of maintaining himself and his reputation on Social Media. And this consistency is one of the major keys to his success.

As personal brands, small business owners and social media managers, we also need to make sure that consistency remains in our Social Media Strategies too. While, we may not be beefing with another rapper, releasing a new track or trolling court-side at a Raptors game, we can still use consistent posts and messaging to make sure we build our brand name, our loyalty from our followers and convert them into buyers.

These are the 4 key elements that highlight how the Canadian Rapper, Actor & businessman uses Social Media and it’s channels to his greatest advantage. It’s also 4 key elements that we can use in our Social Media Strategies to help us work with the algorithm and give our brand names the best opportunity to trend as possible. Because just like Drake we all “just want to be successful.”

Categories
Blog Marketing

How a lack of branding distinction gave the wrong company $2.3 billion dollars in free Advertising

Game of Thrones is arguably the most popular show in TV history.

It’s Season 8 premiere saw the #Gameofthrones hashtag used over 4 million times in the space of 48 hours.  It has seen brands such as Spotify, Dominos Pizza and even Sesame Street have jumped on the bandwagon to gain reach and popularity from the HBO show’s success. 

But what happens when your product is mistakenly featured in the popular show and consensus believes it to be your competitors? 

In a recent episode “The Last of the Starks”, a shot of Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, revealed a cup of takeaway coffee. The beverage held in a craft coffee cup (which has since been edited out) was from a coffee chain in Belfast where the show was filmed. However, many believed the coffee cup was from Starbucks given the shape, colour and similar logo on the cup.

This was a huge win for the Global coffee chain, with the franchise estimated to have earned over $2.3 billion in free advertising from the gaffe.

And whilst this proved beneficial for Starbucks, somewhere there is a Belfast coffee chain that has lost out on $2.3 billion worth of advertising and notoriety because their packaging was not distinctive enough. 

When it comes to product packaging, distinction is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Even if your product is not that different (in this case coffee) something as simple as a bold and easily identifiable logo or more distinctive coffee cup design would have worked to the Belfast business’ advantage.

It’s highly likely that this Belfast business will still gain some sort of attention and publicity but not nearly as close to the $2.3 billion that it’s global competitor has earned to date.

This is something that occurs all too often and it can cost your business and brand considerably. Whilst this situation was the case of a blooper, it’s a possibility that this could easily happen in daily life with the public mistaking your brand for that of your competitor’s.    

So what can you do to make sure this is avoidable? 

Sit back and take a look at your brand. 

Does it have elements of your brand that is easily recognisable should it go viral?

If your brand features product packaging this is a major element to consider. After all, this is the home of your product and one that will help new and regular customers reach for your items on the shelves as opposed to your competitors. 

Without a strong distinct asset, which clearly defines your brand and potentially has similar traits to others within your industry, you are running the risk of driving that customer to their brand instead of yours.  

Remember, recognition combined with loyalty towards your brand is going to result in profit for YOU. The more distinct and unique a brand looks, the more identifiable it is within that industry and the easier to earn loyalty from customers. 

In this case of the non-Starbucks coffee cup, people loyal to the brand instantly thought it was their favourite caffeinated beverage. It gained over 193,000 mentions in 24 hours. But if it’s cup packaging had a design or something that just made it look that little bit different, Starbucks would not have even been considered. 

Packaging isn’t the only time that this can lead to potential clients and customers favouring your competitors.   

This is something which happens all too often in Social Media when posts and images are reposted but there is no real distinct branding to know where the original source has come from. And let’s face it, not everyone will credit the original source.

Is this then potentially brand awareness and publicity that you might be missing out on because your brand assets are not different enough? Consider the following for Social Media to give your brand a distinct identity head start and protect yourself from a mistaken identity shock of “Red Wedding” proportions.

1.    Consider the overall brand and business vision.

2.    Consider a unique colour palette that relates to you or your brand’s personality or identity.

3.    Think beyond trends – this will give longevity with your brand and it’s recognition.

4.    Create your own content and photos and avoid the stock imagery as often as possible.

5.    Find your own voice and tribe and not align with someone else’s.

6.    Create your own quotes

These tips alone don’t make a fully distinct brand identity and you should speak to a branding expert to ensure that you create something that will be unique to your industry yet cohesive across all of your promotional tools and assets. They will also ensure that your branding remains true to the overall vision of your business.

By doing these few steps, talking to a specialist and being aware of its importance you are ensuring that your competitors aren’t reaping the benefits that rightfully belong to you and securing your place on your Iron Throne.