A Guide to Digital Marketing
Times-Union Media's ebook, 'A Guide to Digital Marketing'
Times-Union Media's ebook, 'A Guide to Digital Marketing'
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A GUIDE TO<br />
DIGITAL<br />
MARKETING
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
CONTENTS<br />
• • • • •<br />
OVERVIEW 3<br />
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE 6<br />
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION 8<br />
CONTENT MARKETING 10<br />
EMAIL MARKETING 12<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING 16<br />
PAID ADVERTISING 19<br />
CONCLUSION 23<br />
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DIGITAL IS NOW<br />
• • • • •<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
From digital news <strong>to</strong> livestream video, the world<br />
around us is growing more and more digital by<br />
the moment. That’s why it pays <strong>to</strong> understand and<br />
connect with cus<strong>to</strong>mers online, and refine our<br />
strategies <strong>to</strong> generate the most impact with our<br />
audiences.<br />
<strong>Digital</strong> marketing, at its most basic, is any form of<br />
marketing that takes place digitally — whether<br />
owned media, earned media, or paid media (also<br />
known as the digital marketing trifecta).<br />
Owned media includes the many digital assets<br />
your brand already maintains and controls such as<br />
your website, mobile site, blog, and other thought<br />
leadership content your company creates.<br />
Earned media is advertising generated by your<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers such as word-of-mouth marketing or<br />
online reviews.<br />
Paid media is when you pay <strong>to</strong> leverage your brand<br />
on a digital channel. These tactics include: pay per<br />
click advertising, search and display advertising,<br />
retargeting paid content promotions, and social<br />
media advertising.<br />
All three elements will contribute <strong>to</strong> a complete<br />
and highly effective digital marketing strategy.<br />
DIGITAL MARKETING TRIFECTA<br />
EARNED, OWNED & PAID MEDIA<br />
SEO & brand content drive earned<br />
media (sharing) & traffic<br />
SHARING<br />
MENTIONS<br />
SHARES<br />
REPOSTS<br />
REVIEWS<br />
DIGITAL PROPERTIES<br />
WEBSITE<br />
MOBILE SITE<br />
BLOG SITE<br />
Propel sharing & engagement<br />
with paid promotion<br />
EARNED<br />
MEDIA<br />
OWNED<br />
MEDIA<br />
PAID<br />
MEDIA<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
PAY PER CLICK (PPC)<br />
SEARCH RETARGETING<br />
SITE RETARGETING<br />
PAID INFLUENCERS<br />
PAID CONTENT PROMOTION<br />
Leverage owned, earned, and paid media<br />
for a comprehensive marketing strategy<br />
Gain more exposure <strong>to</strong> web properties<br />
with SEO and PPC<br />
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3
OVERVIEW<br />
WHY DIGITAL MARKETING<br />
• • • • •<br />
Simply put, <strong>to</strong>day’s consumers are online, and<br />
you should be, <strong>to</strong>o. In 2017, U.S. adults spent an<br />
average of 37 more minutes per day consuming<br />
information on their smartphones than the<br />
previous year. 1<br />
As such, since Americans are dedicating more<br />
and more time <strong>to</strong> digital media, it’s imperative<br />
brands engage consumers online. Pew Research<br />
Center reports that <strong>to</strong>tal digital ad spending<br />
grew another 20 percent in 2015 <strong>to</strong> about $60<br />
billion. 2 Forrester estimates that <strong>to</strong>tal digital<br />
spending will near $120 billion by 2021 and<br />
account for 46 percent of all advertising. 3<br />
In <strong>to</strong>day’s world, if you’re not taking digital in<strong>to</strong><br />
account with your marketing strategies, you’ll<br />
find yourself missing out on a plethora<br />
of opportunities <strong>to</strong> boost your brand and<br />
business. There’s never been an easier time <strong>to</strong><br />
reach your cus<strong>to</strong>mers online. And while digital<br />
marketing is all around us in our day-<strong>to</strong>-day lives,<br />
about 49% percent of companies still don’t have<br />
a digital marketing strategy. 4<br />
In 2017, U.S. adults spent an average<br />
of 37 more minutes per day consuming<br />
information on their smartphones<br />
than the previous year. 1<br />
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TODAY’S TRENDS<br />
• • • • •<br />
The pace of changes and innovations in the<br />
digital marketing arena keeps business owners<br />
and marketers on their <strong>to</strong>es when it comes <strong>to</strong><br />
keeping up with the most effective ways <strong>to</strong><br />
reach their audiences. The only way <strong>to</strong> thrive is<br />
<strong>to</strong> evolve and adapt along with the trends.<br />
LOCAL MOBILE SEARCHES<br />
Use of mobile devices continues its upward<br />
trend <strong>to</strong> now exceed desk<strong>to</strong>p usage. A survey<br />
from Pew Research Center revealed that in<br />
2016, 77% of Americans owned a smartphone,<br />
up from 35% in 2011. 5 The ubiqui<strong>to</strong>us presence<br />
and use of mobile devices inevitably has an<br />
impact on the way consumers make shopping<br />
decisions. The smartphone has become the<br />
consumer’s go-<strong>to</strong> shopping assistant.<br />
A review of Google data shows that shoppingrelated<br />
searches on mobile increased 120% in<br />
2015 and 2016, and 82% of shoppers consult<br />
their phones on purchases they are about <strong>to</strong><br />
buy in a s<strong>to</strong>re. 6 Thus, implementing mobile<br />
marketing strategies should be at the <strong>to</strong>p<br />
of your planning list if your goal is <strong>to</strong> reach<br />
potential cus<strong>to</strong>mers.<br />
LIVE VIDEO STREAMING<br />
Both Forbes and Brandwatch say digital<br />
marketing will become more and more<br />
immersive in the coming years, whether<br />
through reality technology or capabilities<br />
like live streaming (Facebook Live, Instagram<br />
S<strong>to</strong>ries, and Twitter’s Periscope platform)<br />
that allow audiences <strong>to</strong> feel right alongside<br />
companies and brands. Live streaming creates<br />
transparency for brands, building trust <strong>to</strong>wards<br />
their authenticity.<br />
According <strong>to</strong> HubSpot’s State of Inbound 2017<br />
Report, 46% of marketers plan <strong>to</strong> add Facebook<br />
video <strong>to</strong> their content strategy in the next year. 7<br />
NATIVE ADVERTISING<br />
We can also expect consumer attention <strong>to</strong> rise<br />
when it comes <strong>to</strong> digital marketing tactics that<br />
blend right in<strong>to</strong> user experience, such as native<br />
advertising.<br />
BI Intelligence reports that advertisers are<br />
putting more emphasis on the quality of their<br />
ads and want more control over where their ads<br />
appear. The number of ad buyers purchasing<br />
native ads increased 74% YoY in Q1 2017, the<br />
largest increase of any ad format measured. 8<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
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5
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE<br />
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE<br />
• • • • •<br />
YOUR AUDIENCE IS THE KEY<br />
TO MARKETING SUCCESS<br />
To build a solid foundation for<br />
your business, you must first<br />
identify your current clients<br />
and cus<strong>to</strong>mers and then tailor your marketing<br />
strategy accordingly.<br />
Specific characteristics of your ideal cus<strong>to</strong>mers<br />
may include geographic, demographic, and<br />
psychographic variables. The more you know<br />
about your audience, the more powerful your<br />
digital marketing efforts will become.<br />
Business influencers Forbes and Inc. 9 both <strong>to</strong>ut<br />
a better return on investment when a business<br />
is able <strong>to</strong> define a target audience, making<br />
informed maketing buys where the messaging<br />
will be most meaninful <strong>to</strong> the target audience.<br />
Contrary <strong>to</strong> popular belief, targeting a niche<br />
audience doesn’t mean you’re actively<br />
excluding anyone. Instead, you’re focusing on<br />
the demographics of cus<strong>to</strong>mers most likely <strong>to</strong><br />
be interested in your services.<br />
GET TO KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE<br />
• Get personal. Try <strong>to</strong> build an emotional<br />
connection with your cus<strong>to</strong>mers. This is<br />
the first step <strong>to</strong>ward putting <strong>to</strong>gether a<br />
target audience.<br />
• Conduct thorough market research and<br />
learn everything you can about your<br />
demographics. Leave no s<strong>to</strong>ne unturned.<br />
• Develop a sense of empathy for the people<br />
you’re marketing <strong>to</strong>. What are they passionate<br />
about, and how can you address it? What are<br />
their values and attitudes?<br />
• Pick a motiva<strong>to</strong>r. Every decision we make is<br />
motivated by something. If you can tap in<strong>to</strong><br />
that influencer, you are closer <strong>to</strong> motivating<br />
people <strong>to</strong> purchase your product or service.<br />
• Narrow down who your competi<strong>to</strong>rs have<br />
pinpointed as their target audience. What<br />
marketing strategies are they deploying<br />
<strong>to</strong> reach that audience? Look for niche<br />
opportunities that they may be overlooking.<br />
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TARGET THE RIGHT PEOPLE<br />
• • • • •<br />
IMPLEMENT STRATEGIC MARKETING TACTICS<br />
Zeroing in on your business’ core audience<br />
can help you prioritize what strategies and<br />
technologies you can use <strong>to</strong> better reach your<br />
prospective cus<strong>to</strong>mers.<br />
Strategies may include social media <strong>to</strong> engage<br />
current and prospective cus<strong>to</strong>mers, SEO and<br />
SEM <strong>to</strong> increase visibility in crucial moments<br />
of discovery, email <strong>to</strong> push messages directly<br />
<strong>to</strong> desired audiences, and targeted display <strong>to</strong><br />
create awareness and retarget consumers after<br />
a first <strong>to</strong>uch.<br />
For businesses looking <strong>to</strong> focus on hyper-local<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers, take a look at geofencing <strong>to</strong>ols that<br />
allow you <strong>to</strong> send emails, texts or special offers <strong>to</strong><br />
smartphone users in a specific geographic range.<br />
Snapchat geofilters are also one of the latest<br />
marketing trends, and can also be used as a<br />
smart marketing tactic. Any business can create<br />
their own cus<strong>to</strong>m geofilter, which overlays text<br />
or images <strong>to</strong> a Snapchat pho<strong>to</strong> and allows for<br />
others <strong>to</strong> see exactly where the user is and what<br />
they’re doing. This is a great targeting <strong>to</strong>ol for<br />
certain consumer segments, like millennials.<br />
Once you’ve identified your target audience, it<br />
is much easier <strong>to</strong> select which media is best <strong>to</strong><br />
reach them and what marketing messages will<br />
resonate with them.<br />
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE<br />
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7
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION<br />
UNDERSTANDING SEARCH<br />
• • • • •<br />
You’ve probably heard the<br />
term SEO more than once or<br />
twice. SEO, or search engine<br />
optimization, is the effort <strong>to</strong><br />
improve the quantity and quality<br />
of traffic <strong>to</strong> your website from users who have<br />
performed relevant searches on search engines.<br />
Basically, it means you didn’t pay directly <strong>to</strong> show<br />
up on Google, Bing or any other search engine.<br />
While SEO may sound simple enough, there’s<br />
actually a science and an art <strong>to</strong> doing it right.<br />
THE SCIENCE OF SEO<br />
SEO consists of primarily two types of tactics:<br />
on-site and off-site. On-site includes improving<br />
the content, structure and code on your website.<br />
Off-site includes increasing the links and<br />
mentions of your website and business on other<br />
sites relevant <strong>to</strong> your business and useful <strong>to</strong> your<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers.<br />
There’s nothing random about how your<br />
business, or any search term for that matter,<br />
shows up on a search engine. Whether it’s<br />
Google, Yahoo, or something else, search<br />
engines follow an intricate, almost alwayschanging<br />
set of rules and algorithms <strong>to</strong> rank<br />
your website pages.<br />
Google fields more than 2 million searches<br />
every minute. 11 In <strong>to</strong>day’s digital world, it’s<br />
imperative <strong>to</strong> know how <strong>to</strong> increase your<br />
visibility on search engines if your brand is<br />
going <strong>to</strong> show up in search.<br />
Much of how your web content gets ranked,<br />
and therefore helps you show up in search,<br />
depends on the quality and relevance of the<br />
content. While keywords, proper tagging, and<br />
page structure all play a role, a focus on your<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers and providing them the most relevant<br />
and helpful content is the foundation of a good<br />
SEO strategy.<br />
Over 80%<br />
of cus<strong>to</strong>mers report<br />
researching a company<br />
online before doing<br />
business with them. 10<br />
For some of the more detailed ins and outs<br />
of how <strong>to</strong> best set up your website <strong>to</strong> make it<br />
search-friendly, consult with one of our qualified<br />
marketing advisors.<br />
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TOP 8 SEO GUIDELINES<br />
12<br />
• • • • •<br />
Use quality keywords<br />
in the page title, meta<br />
description, and the<br />
page’s body content.<br />
Backlinks are a strong<br />
indication of authority.<br />
Ensure a high volume<br />
of external domains<br />
are linking back <strong>to</strong><br />
your website.<br />
An increase in clickthrough<br />
rates on your<br />
landing page results a<br />
boost of it’s overall SEO<br />
value.<br />
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION<br />
Ensure your backlinks’<br />
anchor text is relevant <strong>to</strong><br />
what your landing page is<br />
all about.<br />
SEO<br />
Your landing pages<br />
should be optimized for<br />
mobile.<br />
Include enough content<br />
on the page <strong>to</strong> satisfy<br />
the <strong>to</strong>pic and purpose<br />
of the page <strong>to</strong> enchance<br />
overall quality.<br />
Identify common<br />
features on the your<br />
page, and include these<br />
specific terms and<br />
phrases in the content<br />
on the page.<br />
The amount of time it takes<br />
a page <strong>to</strong> load impacts<br />
its rankings. Be sure <strong>to</strong><br />
compress resources (scripts,<br />
images and CSS files) so the<br />
page will load faster.<br />
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CONTENT MARKETING<br />
THE ROLE OF CONTENT<br />
• • • • •<br />
When it comes <strong>to</strong> marketing,<br />
content is king! The Content<br />
<strong>Marketing</strong> Institute defines as “a<br />
marketing technique of creating<br />
and distributing valuable, relevant<br />
and consistent content <strong>to</strong> attract and acquire a<br />
clearly defined audience – with the objective of<br />
driving profitable cus<strong>to</strong>mer action.” 13 In other<br />
words, it is about being helpful <strong>to</strong> cus<strong>to</strong>mers<br />
making buying decisions.<br />
Brand<br />
Awarness<br />
Lead Conversion<br />
& Nurturing<br />
CONTENT IS THE PRESENT — AND FUTURE —<br />
OF MARKETING<br />
The key here is value. Anyone can post piece after<br />
piece of content, clogging up people’s inboxes or<br />
content streams, but content marketing is about<br />
strategically creating content (whether it’s an<br />
eye-catching infographic, viral video, or ebook)<br />
that helps potential clients get <strong>to</strong> know your<br />
business and see the value of your expertise.<br />
And if there’s any doubt about the importance<br />
content plays in digital marketing, know that<br />
more than 70 percent of marketers say that<br />
creating relevant content was the most effective<br />
SEO tactic, according <strong>to</strong> a 2015 study by Ascend2.<br />
Passionate<br />
Subscribers<br />
Upsell<br />
CONTENT<br />
GOALS<br />
Cus<strong>to</strong>mer<br />
Conversion<br />
Cus<strong>to</strong>mer<br />
Service<br />
There are hundreds of content types <strong>to</strong> use in<br />
marketing, but it’s important <strong>to</strong> understand how<br />
<strong>to</strong> use them <strong>to</strong> effectively answer consumers’<br />
questions. The goal is <strong>to</strong> match the message <strong>to</strong><br />
the most effective form of content <strong>to</strong> enhance<br />
your overall strategy.<br />
Retention<br />
& Loyalty<br />
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TYPES OF CONTENT<br />
• • • • •<br />
THE<br />
1. BLOG POSTS (WITH REGULAR UPDATES<br />
AND REPUBLISHING)<br />
2. SHORT FORM EVERGREEN CONTENT<br />
AND ARTICLES<br />
Articles with an image once every 75-100 words<br />
got double the number of social shares than<br />
articles with fewer images.<br />
CONTENT MARKETING<br />
1TYPES OF<br />
CONTENT<br />
THAT WORK<br />
BEST<br />
FOR SEO 14<br />
5. DETAILED LIST OF INFORMATION<br />
3. LONG FORM ARTICLES<br />
4. PHOTO AND VISUAL GALLERIES<br />
Visual content is 40x more likely <strong>to</strong> get shared<br />
on social media than other types of content<br />
6. INTERACTIVE TOOLS<br />
7. COMPREHENSIVE CATEGORY TEASERS<br />
9. VISUAL DATA OR INFOGRAPHICS<br />
Infographics are liked and shared on social media<br />
3x more than any other type of content<br />
10. VIDEO<br />
4x as many cus<strong>to</strong>mers would rather watch a<br />
video about a product than read about it.<br />
8. MULTI-PAGE GUIDES<br />
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EMAIL MARKETING<br />
EMAIL MARKETING 101<br />
• • • • •<br />
At its core, email marketing<br />
encompasses any email sent<br />
from a business <strong>to</strong> a cus<strong>to</strong>mer,<br />
though it typically refers <strong>to</strong><br />
targeted campaigns with the<br />
ultimate goal of growing business and gaining<br />
consumer loyalty.<br />
Email marketing can help your business:<br />
• Drive revenue and profit<br />
• Create and increase brand awareness<br />
• Retain loyal cus<strong>to</strong>mers<br />
The U.S. Small Business Association notes that<br />
response rates on email marketing are strong,<br />
ranging from 5 <strong>to</strong> 35 percent, depending on<br />
the industry and format, whereas response<br />
rates on traditional mail campaigns can barely<br />
crack 3 percent.<br />
THE POWER OF THE INBOX<br />
For every $1 spent on email marketing, there is a<br />
$44.25 average ROI. 15<br />
91%<br />
88%<br />
PEOPLE THAT CHECK THEIR<br />
EMAIL DAILY. 16<br />
OF PEOPLE REGULARLY<br />
CHECK EMAIL ON THEIR<br />
SMARTPHONES. 17<br />
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EMAIL BEST PRACTICES<br />
• • • • •<br />
To get the most out of email marketing,<br />
it’s important <strong>to</strong> build a robust email list of<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers and prospects.<br />
GROWING A HEALTHY SUBSCRIBER LIST<br />
• Encourage visi<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>to</strong> join your email list on<br />
your website landing pages.<br />
• Include a subscriber link <strong>to</strong> all of your social<br />
media channels and blog posts.<br />
• Promote your email newsletter at networking<br />
events — use a sign-up sheet or business card<br />
drop box.<br />
Before adding a user manually, be sure <strong>to</strong> have<br />
expressed consent (or opt-in), respect their<br />
privacy, and offer email opt-outs.<br />
Once you have a strategy in place for building<br />
your email list, look at the ways in which you can<br />
make email marketing work for you.<br />
Segmenting your cus<strong>to</strong>mer list by demographic<br />
ranges or industry preferences can help you<br />
get the right message in front of the right<br />
audience at the right time, and increase your<br />
chances of engagement.<br />
CREATING GREAT EMAIL CONTENT<br />
Email marketing campaigns can have a high<br />
ROI, but only when done well. It’s worth the<br />
time <strong>to</strong> make sure you’re creating content that is<br />
targeted <strong>to</strong> your readers, and adds value <strong>to</strong> their<br />
inbox. If you’re only advertising your products<br />
with a ‘buy’ but<strong>to</strong>n, don’t be surprised when your<br />
readers hit the unsubscribe but<strong>to</strong>n.<br />
Types of email content include:<br />
• Industry trends and insider news<br />
• Ongoing education and thought leadership<br />
• VIP offers and discounts<br />
• Corporate culture updates and company<br />
philanthropic efforts<br />
EMAIL MARKETING<br />
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EMAIL MARKETING<br />
EMAIL TEMPLATES<br />
• • • • •<br />
THE ANATOMY OF AN EMAIL TEMPLATE<br />
There’s not just one formula for a successful<br />
email. It really depends upon the nature of<br />
your business, your brand, and the needs of<br />
your cus<strong>to</strong>mers.<br />
Including these key elements will help give<br />
you the structure you need <strong>to</strong> focus on what<br />
really matters: communicating a message that<br />
connects <strong>to</strong> your cus<strong>to</strong>mers and drives the sort<br />
of engagement or response your business wants.<br />
Intangibles aside, most successful emails meet a<br />
few key criteria:<br />
Header<br />
The header contains the cues your recipient will<br />
see in the inbox.<br />
• Use a recognizable and friendly “from”<br />
name and address<br />
• Use the right “reply-<strong>to</strong>” address<br />
• Create a killer subject line and compelling<br />
“preheader” text<br />
Body<br />
The body of your email template is where you<br />
have a chance <strong>to</strong> really tell your s<strong>to</strong>ry.<br />
• Keep design visually simple and responsive<br />
• Contain placeholders for personalization<br />
• Use images strategically<br />
• Focus on one easy call-<strong>to</strong>-action<br />
Footer<br />
• Include your company’s contact information.<br />
• Add clear, easy-<strong>to</strong>-find unsubscribe and<br />
messaging preference links.<br />
33%<br />
OF EMAIL RECIPIENTS OPEN<br />
EMAIL BASED ON SUBJECT<br />
LINE ALONE. 18<br />
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TIMING IS EVERYTHING<br />
• • • • •<br />
Timing is key when it comes <strong>to</strong> sending emails<br />
and actually getting people <strong>to</strong> open them, and<br />
even taking the next step of clicking through <strong>to</strong><br />
your website. It can be the difference between<br />
engaging your cus<strong>to</strong>mers or losing them forever.<br />
Coshedule Blog recently conducted an analysis<br />
of 10 studies about the best time <strong>to</strong> send<br />
emails. 19 While many of the studies had varying<br />
results, here is how you can prioritize your send<br />
times based on data:<br />
• The best days of the week <strong>to</strong> send emails are<br />
Tuesday, Thursday and Wednesday —in that<br />
order.<br />
• They also found that sending an email at<br />
10 a.m. EST, 8 p.m. EST, 2 p.m. EST, and 6 a.m.<br />
EST will give you the highest open rates and<br />
chances of receiving a response.<br />
The success of your emails may also vary<br />
depending on your audience. Are you targeting<br />
consumers for your products or services, or<br />
other business professionals? Consider when<br />
these people may be checking their emails<br />
throughout the day. Are they checking their<br />
work emails or their personal email accounts?<br />
The best day <strong>to</strong> send email..<br />
#<br />
#<br />
#<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
TUESDAY<br />
THURSDAY<br />
WEDNESDAY<br />
The best time <strong>to</strong> send email..<br />
1<br />
10:00am<br />
2<br />
8:00pm<br />
3<br />
2:00pm<br />
4<br />
6:00am<br />
EMAIL MARKETING<br />
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SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING<br />
• • • • •<br />
Social media has an enormous<br />
impact on <strong>to</strong>day’s digital<br />
marketing landscape. Its<br />
popularity among marketers<br />
is expected <strong>to</strong> rise over the<br />
coming years as users spend more and more<br />
time on social media, especially on mobile<br />
devices..<br />
But making social media work for your business<br />
<strong>to</strong> acquire and retain cus<strong>to</strong>mers is very different<br />
than personal use. It requires a strategy, some<br />
creativity, and commitment <strong>to</strong> a consistent<br />
effort of outreach and sharing.<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN ART FORM<br />
Considered the most effective digital marketing<br />
channel <strong>to</strong> earn favor with audiences, social<br />
media platforms provide the space <strong>to</strong> generate<br />
advocacy from your cus<strong>to</strong>mers.<br />
The act of planning and executing a social media<br />
marketing strategy takes patience, practice and a<br />
bit of creativity. Your success depends on it.<br />
When it comes <strong>to</strong> engaging others with your<br />
business, it’s all about making sure each and<br />
every tweet, post or upload, stays on message<br />
with your brand. If you’re a food company trying<br />
<strong>to</strong> engage millennials with fun, unique foods,<br />
your tweets had better read with a personality<br />
that matches.<br />
The connections between your social media and<br />
your owned assets have the potential <strong>to</strong> impact<br />
your search engine rankings the most.<br />
While it’s important <strong>to</strong> have a social media<br />
strategy, not all platforms are created equally.<br />
SNAPCHAT<br />
FACEBOOK<br />
• 72% of adult internet users use Facebook<br />
• Only 45% of marketers think that their<br />
Facebook efforts are effective<br />
LINKEDIN<br />
• This platform caters <strong>to</strong> business<br />
professionals and had over 460 million<br />
members at the end of 2016<br />
• In the past two years, content consumption<br />
on LinkedIn has increased 21%<br />
20<br />
• Snapchat has 150 million daily active users<br />
• Every second, 8,796 pho<strong>to</strong>s are shared<br />
on Snapchat<br />
INSTAGRAM<br />
• Instagram has 600 million monthly active users<br />
• Pho<strong>to</strong>s showing faces get 38% more likes<br />
than pho<strong>to</strong>s not showing faces<br />
TWITTER<br />
• 23% of adult internet users use Twitter<br />
• Twitter accounts for 16% of referrals <strong>to</strong> longer<br />
articles from social sites and 14% for shorter<br />
news articles<br />
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TOP SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS<br />
• • • • •<br />
TOP SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING<br />
LIVE STREAMING VIDEO<br />
Live streaming videos allow for<br />
companies <strong>to</strong> garner more views,<br />
more comments, and<br />
of course more engagement with<br />
their brands.<br />
Facebook “Live”<br />
Instagram S<strong>to</strong>ries<br />
Twitter’s Periscope<br />
INCREASED USE OF<br />
SOCIAL INFLUENCERS<br />
Brands are activating influencers<br />
<strong>to</strong> construct credibility and trust <strong>to</strong><br />
their audience.<br />
MORE PERSONALIZED<br />
CONTENT<br />
Marketers are taking advantage of<br />
Facebook retargeting that allows<br />
them <strong>to</strong> craft averts and content<br />
driven by identifying where the<br />
audience has been on the web, as<br />
well as their own preferences and<br />
interests.<br />
THE RISE OF CUSTOMER<br />
SERVICE CHATBOTS<br />
Chatbots can be used <strong>to</strong> improve<br />
the cus<strong>to</strong>mer experience by<br />
responding <strong>to</strong> inquiries <strong>to</strong><br />
communicate with cus<strong>to</strong>mers,<br />
answer frequently-asked<br />
questions or <strong>to</strong> provide immediate<br />
information on a product or<br />
service.<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA<br />
ECOMMERCE<br />
Social media ecommerce is<br />
a powerful avenue for sales.<br />
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and<br />
Pinterest offer ways for users <strong>to</strong><br />
purchase products from directly<br />
within their apps, and Snapchat<br />
started testing and rolling out<br />
ecommerce features in the spring<br />
of 2016.<br />
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SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING<br />
MAKE SOCIAL WORK FOR YOU<br />
• • • • •<br />
Two main reasons businesses often shy away<br />
from creating or maintaining social media<br />
accounts are because it is overwhelming and<br />
time consuming. With a myriad of platforms<br />
available, it can be difficult <strong>to</strong> decipher which<br />
are best for your company, and how often (and<br />
when, and what) <strong>to</strong> post.<br />
Much like overall marketing, social media<br />
marketing yields the best results when an<br />
intentional plan is in place.<br />
spread yourself <strong>to</strong>o thin posting on every single<br />
platform. Figure out the most important outlets<br />
for your target audience and structure your<br />
social strategy around those core outlets.<br />
If you’re not sure where <strong>to</strong> start, consider<br />
consulting with an expert <strong>to</strong> find out which social<br />
media sites are right for your audience. Once<br />
you’ve identified those, you can put <strong>to</strong>gether a<br />
posting plan, and even utilize scheduling <strong>to</strong>ols, <strong>to</strong><br />
make distributing content easier.<br />
Oftentimes, it’s better <strong>to</strong> concentrate efforts<br />
on a few social media outlets well rather than<br />
In 2016<br />
there were<br />
2.3 BILLION &<br />
more than<br />
1.9 BILLION<br />
active users on social media active mobile social users. 21<br />
74%<br />
of people say they<br />
use Facebook for<br />
professional purposes.<br />
Content consumption on<br />
Facebook has increased<br />
57%<br />
in the past two years.<br />
60%<br />
of small business owners<br />
are not able <strong>to</strong> track<br />
ROI from their social<br />
media activities.<br />
1/3<br />
of the world uses social<br />
networks regularly.<br />
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BE SEEN ACROSS THE WEB<br />
• • • • •<br />
THE RIGHT PATH TO REACH<br />
YOUR CUSTOMERS<br />
The internet is a crowded place.<br />
Marketers have <strong>to</strong> work hard <strong>to</strong><br />
stand out from the competition.<br />
Paid media and search engine marketing (SEM)<br />
can help generate brand awareness and attract<br />
new cus<strong>to</strong>mers on the web. When strategically<br />
planned, paid media and SEM activities will drive<br />
traffic <strong>to</strong> your website, blog or other promotions<br />
<strong>to</strong> increase exposure and potentially lead <strong>to</strong> new<br />
and repeat business.<br />
That’s why it’s important <strong>to</strong> incorporate paid<br />
media activities in<strong>to</strong> your budget and your<br />
overall annual marketing strategy. Start<br />
by defining what you expect <strong>to</strong> gain (new<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers, repeat business, brand recognition)<br />
and relating those goals <strong>to</strong> revenue. As<br />
previously mentioned, your paid, owned and<br />
earned marketing strategies should work<br />
symbiotically <strong>to</strong> position your brand where and<br />
when consumers need you.<br />
Examples of paid media include:<br />
• PPC advertising (pay-per-click)<br />
• Search retargeting and site retargeting<br />
• Social media advertising<br />
• Paid influencers<br />
ONLY PAY FOR RESULTS<br />
With PPC advertising, you only pay for results.<br />
Google AdWords is the most popular paid search<br />
platform used by search marketers, followed by<br />
Bing Ads, and then Yahoo Search Ads.<br />
PAID ADVERTISING<br />
SEARCH ADS<br />
DISPLAY ADS<br />
VIDEO ADS<br />
APP ADS<br />
Search ads appear above results<br />
when consumers Google a product<br />
or service. When users use this ad<br />
<strong>to</strong> visit your website or contact<br />
your business, you pay — hence<br />
the term “pay-per-click.”<br />
AdWords display ads appear on<br />
more than two million websites<br />
and in more than 650,000 apps,<br />
allowing your ad <strong>to</strong> reach your<br />
audience through sites and apps<br />
they frequent. Display ads include<br />
text ads, banner ads, Gmail ads<br />
and in-app ads.<br />
Video ads can be targeted <strong>to</strong><br />
the consumers you want <strong>to</strong><br />
reach, and you only pay when<br />
they watch.<br />
App ads are a simple way<br />
<strong>to</strong> promote your app <strong>to</strong> iOS or<br />
Android users on Google<br />
— no advertising<br />
experience required.<br />
The Google Display Network reaches 90% of internet users worldwide. 22<br />
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PAID ADVERTISING<br />
TARGETING MADE SIMPLE<br />
• • • • •<br />
Have you ever searched online for a particular<br />
product or service, and then a day or two later<br />
notice ads appearing of similar nature? These are<br />
called search retargeting ads. Search retargeting<br />
is a very efficient way <strong>to</strong> reach potential new<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers for your business.<br />
SEARCH RETARGETING VS. SITE RETARGETING<br />
Both are online advertising tactics, but there is a<br />
big difference between them.<br />
Search retargeting shows your ads <strong>to</strong> people<br />
who have never visited your website, but have<br />
recently searched using relevant keywords. It<br />
allows you <strong>to</strong> reach highly relevant, potential<br />
new cus<strong>to</strong>mers for your business.<br />
Site retargeting (remarketing) shows your ads<br />
<strong>to</strong> people who have visited your website, but<br />
may have left without taking action. It allows<br />
you <strong>to</strong> reach users who have already engaged<br />
with your brand, extending your brand’s reach<br />
<strong>to</strong> interested audiences, reminding them of your<br />
key differentia<strong>to</strong>rs, and inviting them back <strong>to</strong><br />
explore more.<br />
INFLUENCER MARKETING<br />
Influencer marketing focuses on a key individual<br />
or group of individuals, instead of consumers as a<br />
whole, <strong>to</strong> market products and services. The idea<br />
is these key individuals can influence purchase<br />
decisions within a company’s target market.<br />
Influencer marketing is often used on social media<br />
and in conjunction with content marketing.<br />
Some campaigns focus on establishing<br />
creditability in the market — often seen when<br />
key community stakeholders endorse a brand.<br />
Others use it <strong>to</strong> generate a buzz around a<br />
product or service. If a well-known celebrity<br />
on Instagram is shown wearing a certain pair<br />
of sunglasses and living a luxurious lifestyle,<br />
consumers may equate this product with fashion<br />
and luxury and emulate their style.<br />
Oftentimes brands will track an influencer’s<br />
ROI with promotion codes or tracked links <strong>to</strong><br />
get an idea of how influential each individual is<br />
for the company.<br />
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TRACKING PAID PROMOTIONS<br />
• • • • •<br />
INTEGRATING PAID SOCIAL PROMOTIONS<br />
Brands are posting <strong>to</strong> social media more than<br />
ever, but engagement is at an all-time low. 23<br />
Thus, building a paid social strategy can solve<br />
declining engagement and help actually<br />
quantify the value of social media.<br />
Paid social allows you <strong>to</strong> strategically target<br />
consumers, track the cost and ROI of each click,<br />
and, with the right measurement plan and <strong>to</strong>ols<br />
in place, see every <strong>to</strong>uchpoint in the funnel all<br />
the way through <strong>to</strong> conversion.<br />
These metrics will vary depending on your goals<br />
and which paid social channel works best for you.<br />
Not only does each channel have a slightly<br />
different way of calculating metrics, but each<br />
of them serves a different purpose in the<br />
conversion funnel.<br />
THE BID<br />
PAID ADVERTISING<br />
“<br />
A paid social<br />
strategy is the<br />
corners<strong>to</strong>ne of<br />
successful social<br />
media marketing<br />
<strong>to</strong>day.<br />
24<br />
CLICK THROUGH RATE<br />
CONVERSIONS<br />
RETURN ON INVESTMENT<br />
6<br />
7<br />
5<br />
POTENTIAL REACH<br />
1<br />
THE 7<br />
PAID SOCIAL<br />
METRICS YOU<br />
SHOULD BE<br />
TRACKING 25<br />
BIDDING AND BUDGET<br />
4<br />
COST PER THOUSAND IMPRESSION<br />
2<br />
3<br />
ENGAGEMENT & INFLUENCE<br />
AUDIENCE GROWTH RATE<br />
COST PER CLICK<br />
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SOURCES<br />
SOURCES<br />
• • • • •<br />
[1]: http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/us-adults-consume-entire-hour-more-media-day-they-did-just-last-year-172218/<br />
[2]: https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2016/06/30143308/state-of-the-news-media-report-2016-final.pdf<br />
[3]: https://www.forrester.com/report/US+<strong>Digital</strong>+<strong>Marketing</strong>+Forecast+2016+To+2021/-/E-RES137095<br />
[4]: http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/digital-strategy-development/10-reasons-for-digital-marketing-strategy/<br />
[5]: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/12/evolution-of-technology/<br />
[6]: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/5-ways-consumers-connect-s<strong>to</strong>res-mobile-shopping/<br />
[7]: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics<br />
[8]: http://www.businessinsider.com/programmatic-ad-buying-declining-native-advertising-increases-2017-7<br />
[9]: https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/06/defining-your-target-market.html<br />
[10]: http://www.adweek.com/digital/81-shoppers-conduct-online-research-making-purchase-infographic/<br />
[11]: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-engine-facts-2016-3<br />
[12]: http://searchengineland.com/8-major-google-ranking-signals-2017-278450<br />
[13]: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing/<br />
[14]: https://moz.com/blog/the-ten-types-of-content-that-work-best-for-seo-whiteboard-friday<br />
[15]: https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/07/email-marketing-stats.html<br />
[16]: https://www.marketingcloud.com/sites/exacttarget/files/deliverables/etmc-2014mobilebehaviorreport.pdf<br />
[17]: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/<br />
[18]: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/powerful-subject-line-stats-that-will-supercharge-your-open-rates#sm.0001iih89l1ca7dtvztbk4gc6fpyg<br />
[19]: https://coschedule.com/blog/best-time-<strong>to</strong>-send-email/<br />
[20]: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics<br />
[21]: https://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/digital-in-2016<br />
[22]: https://adwords.google.com/home/how-it-works/<br />
[23]: http://marketingland.com/facebook-delivered-triple-the-engagement-over-twitter-for-branded-content-in-2015-report-163995<br />
[24]: https://bitly.com/blog/paid-social-strategy/<br />
[25]: https://bitly.com/blog/paid-social-metrics/?utm_campaign=July+Blog+Posts&utm_medium=bitly&utm_source=Social+Media+Blog+Posts<br />
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GET STARTED TODAY<br />
• • • • •<br />
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR<br />
MARKETING DOLLAR.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
If you’re not sure where <strong>to</strong> start, or don’t have<br />
the manpower <strong>to</strong> implement these strategies,<br />
Times-Union Media can be an extension of your<br />
team <strong>to</strong> help you develop, manage and execute<br />
a solid plan that gets results.<br />
Our local sales team will keep you informed<br />
about what’s happening with your marketing<br />
strategy, and work with our teams <strong>to</strong> ensure<br />
we’re helping grow your business.<br />
Contact us <strong>to</strong>day <strong>to</strong> learn more about<br />
our solutions.<br />
Times-Union Media<br />
1 Riverside Avenue<br />
Jacksonville, FL 32202<br />
wecanhelp@jacksonville.com<br />
904.359.4318<br />
timesunionmedia.com<br />
23
1 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32202<br />
904.359.4318<br />
wecanhelp@jacksonville.com