Are Your Video Ads Share-Worthy?

Posted by Dave Willems, CEO & Principal

Thanks to the ever-popular concept and sheer ease of social sharing, advertisers don’t have to do all the work in getting video content in front of the masses anymore … they’re receiving lots of help from their brand advocates and the connections within those advocates’ social circles.

But what makes videos share-worthy in the eyes of viewers today?

There are a number of things, but it really comes down to one common factor: excellent content.

Viewers will often re-post pieces that are entertaining or emotional … clips that cause a good laugh or tug at the heartstrings. People are also quick to pass along videos that serve as conversation starters, raise important questions, inspire action, provide solutions or educate.

To see what kind of video ads are getting shared the most today, we took a look at recent studies by Unruly Media Inc. and NetBase that eMarketer reported on. So far for 2013, video related to entertainment, fast-moving consumer goods/consumer products (FMCG) and tech topics topped the list.

Numbers also showed that videos averaged 25% of their total shares in the first three days after posting and 50% in the first three weeks. Day two was the highest for total shares at 10%.

Plus, video sharing is the third most popular online activity among users of all ages, out-ranking photo sharing, blogs and reviews.

If you’re aiming for a video ad that gets some serious circulation, start with content that captivates and go from there.

eNewsletter Etiquette & Essentials

Posted by Brenda Timm, VP of Strategic Communication & Online Services

With busy schedules and electronic communications becoming the norm in today’s workplace, eNewsletters are a great way to stay connected with customers and prospects and keep your company on their ever-evolving radar.

But if you’re going to put so much of your own time and resources into creating these pieces on a regular basis, how do you maximize readership while following the most basic rules for email etiquette?

Here are three helpful tips:

• Stick to simple – Even though eNewsletters feature the perfect format to organize multiple articles or updates, stick to the most important stuff so you don’t overwhelm readers. Quick and clean goes for copy and design, too. Keep your layout uncluttered and write in short paragraphs so they’re easy to scan and digest.
• Make it easy to share – If your eNewsletter is packed with great content, your readers will be more inclined to share it. Add a “forward to a friend” link that makes the message shareable, and include a separate note that encourages recipients to send to colleagues. Another idea: reach even more people by sharing eNewsletter content in the form of tweets and other social posts.
• Follow the opt-out rules – Hopefully your content will be so engaging that it keeps readers coming back for more, but if they do want to opt out, don’t complicate the process. Instead, include a one-click opt-out link. Offer more than one type of content? Consider a quick message that allows users to update their email preferences so they still have the option to receive other email correspondence from your company.

Destination: Damage Control

Posted by Lori Van Handel, Senior Public Relations Specialist

In the early months of 2013, cruise giant Carnival is having a tough time living up to its slogan of “Fun for all. All for fun.®”

First there was that highly-publicized crisis in February aboard Triumph, which left thousands of passengers without power and plumbing for days after the ship’s engine caught fire. Next came some generator problems on Dream last month and a second group of stressed and stranded travelers.

From all of the increased press surrounding Carnival and the cruise industry as a whole, these back-to-back incidents – coupled with the 2012 crash of the Costa Concordia – have created quite the stir. Right now the big question is if Carnival can bounce back from all of these troubles and how.

While some have praised the company for its recent post-crisis actions and others have pointed fingers at its lack of proactive PR, we find the story to be a great reminder of a few crisis management essentials:

• Communicate the facts, fast – Time is of the essence during any crisis and it’s important to get the particulars out there quickly. In an age when people are constantly sharing real-time pictures, posts and tweets socially, hearing the story straight from the company involved is critical.
• Don’t intentionally leave out details – The developing conditions related to the Carnival cruises were anything but pretty. But overlooking parts of the story in an attempt to “save face” can backfire and create serious credibility issues.
• Be ready to respond – For every crisis, a point person should be assigned and actively managing the situation front and center instead of behind the scenes. This contact should be prepared to answer all of the hard questions and explain how the crisis is being handled now and what will be done to prevent a repeat incident.

Email Power!

Posted by Brenda Timm, Director of Strategic Communications & Online Services

Ever since social media came along, there’s been speculation that the end of email would be close behind. Sort of similar to the whole “online will crush traditional media” debate.

But as we’ve learned in both cases, especially in the B2B realm, there’s plenty of room for all channels. In fact, many of the most successful marketing efforts are carefully crafted around an integrated mix.

Focusing on email specifically, we found an interesting article from American Express OPEN Forum® that shows how targeting the Inbox is still a highly-effective way to reach consumers. It shares an infographic from project management company Wrike with some eye-opening stats on email usage.

A few of the most noteworthy findings:

• There are nearly three times more email accounts than Facebook and Twitter ones combined
• 92% of Internet users communicate via email
• 58% of U.S. users start their day online by checking email versus 20% on search engines and 11% on Facebook
• 38.5% of time spent online by mobile users is on email while 11% is on social sites
• 53% of people prefer communicating with colleagues by email
• The number of corporate email accounts is expected to rise 36% from 2011 to 2014

So, if you assume that customers have abandoned email or that your regular email newsletters should be retired, think again. Email – of the desktop and mobile varieties – is stronger than ever!

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Posted by Erin Schroeder, Copywriter & Online Specialist

With so much chatter about how important it is to gain product exposure through social sites these days, it appears the blog-o-sphere has quietly made its way to the top of the “where to be” list.

A recent article from Social Media Examiner reports that in a study through Technorati, consumers now rank blogs as the third most influential online resource when making overall buying decisions. Only retail and brand sites out-rank blogs as a means of purchasing persuasion, with Facebook coming in fourth and Twitter close to last.

But why are blogs so big all of a sudden? New ones are popping up constantly and there’s been a huge push toward blogging in the last several years. Consider this tidbit from Nielsen: in 2006, there were 36 million blogs being tracked … that number multiplied to 181 million by the end of 2011.

Not only has the quantity of blogs grown substantially, but readership has, too. Now that there are so many bloggers out there sharing product reviews, readers expect to find honest critiques from people who have established some credibility in the industry they write about. Plus, blogs allow the chance to comment, ask follow-up questions and inspire a deeper conversation.

Been thinking of starting a blog? Perhaps knowing that consumers rely on them so heavily in the purchasing process will give you that extra nudge.

Adding SlideShare to Your Marketing Toolkit

Posted by Brenda Timm, Director of Strategic Communications & Online Services

As LinkedIn usage continues to soar among B2B marketers, it’s no surprise that SlideShare – a 2012 acquisition of the mega social site – is experiencing some big-time growth, too.

But what makes SlideShare so special? Now up to 60 millions visitors and 130 million page views per month, here are just a few standout features:

Powerpoint and beyond – While many people use SlideShare to give their Powerpoint presentations extra mileage, the site also supports PDFs, videos, webinars and other documents.
Repurposing possibilities – Content marketing is huge right now and we’re hearing a lot about ways to repurpose past pieces. SlideShare is the perfect example as it provides yet another medium for sharing.
Topic central – Doing some research or looking for information to support your own presentation? With new content constantly added and a robust search feature built in, it’s easy to find ideas on all types of topics.
Create a webinar – If you’ve thought of creating a webinar, but assumed the process was way too technical, think again! SlideShare allows you to upload slides, add MP3 presenter audio and sync it all together.
New tracking feature – Send your content to a customer via email and you’ll have access to analytics showing when it was opened, how much time was spent on each slide and more … great insight to help you tweak your presentations.

Wondering how SlideShare can help your business? Take a quick tour of the site and see what it has to offer. It’s another great resource to add to your marketing toolkit.

A Super-Win in Social Media

Posted by Erin Schroeder, Copywriter and Researcher

While a lot of brands are doing some smart and creative things with social media these days, we have to give Oreo an A+ for its quick, spur-of-the-moment thinking on Super Bowl Sunday.

As users flocked to Facebook and Twitter with comments about the unexpected power outage and many speculated about what was happening and why, the cookie giant sprang into action and put together an ad right on the spot. It tweeted a picture of a single Oreo on a black and gray background, cleverly captioned, “You Can Still Dunk in the Dark.”

The evidence of instant success? As the lights filled the stadium once again, the tweet had already started to make its way around the world – with over 12,000 shares – in just a matter of minutes.

We think Oreo’s ‘Cookie or Creme Whisper Fight’ TV ad from the Super Bowl scored pretty well, too. But compared to the few million dollars the commercial must have cost, the little bit of free social media advertising achieved was nothing short of marketing genius.

Well done on your Super Bowl victory, Oreo!