Smartphones=Smarter Marketing

 

 

 Words can’t even describe how excited I am to write about Mobile Marketing. I could literally write hundreds of blog posts about the importance of mobile marketing, but in order to keep your attention, I will limit my enthusiasm and content to a minimum. (you’re welcome!)

Take a moment to look at your surroundings. Chances are, if you are in a public place there are at least 5 people on their phones. If you are alone, your phone is most likely close by, if not feet away from you. Studies show that, “A majority of mobile phone users report that they consider their device to be so personal that they do not allow it to stray more than a foot away from them.” In fact, some of you may be on your phone reading this bog post.

Because phones have become our personal companions, it is vital for businesses to increase their mobile presence. Still not convinced? According to Mashable.com, “2013 is expected to be an even stronger year for mobile advertising. eMarketer predicts that U.S. mobile ad spending will reach $7.19 billion next year, and more than $20 billion by 2016. Furthermore, in the article, “Guess Who’s Planning to Spend Big In Mobile”, “Two-thirds of CPG advertisers and their agencies say they plan to increase spending in mobile advertising over the next 12 months, according to an Advertiser Perceptions semiannual survey of more than 1,200 people involved in deciding how ad budgets are allocated.”

Now that you are aware that mobile advertising is increasing, it’s important to never underestimate the power of a handheld device. Why? Because a mobile device is much more than just a communication tool where we interact with our friends and family. It’s now a platform for businesses to engage with us. In fact, by 2015, 50 percent of Web sales will be generated from social and mobile applications.

Data from AdWeek

Because our mobile devices are so important to us, they are also important to Marketers. After reflecting on why my generation is so attached to their phones, I came up with three reasons that best summarize why our mobile devices are so central to our lives.

1)   Our phones are the ultimate shopping companions.

79% of people use their phones to help them shop, and 70% of people use their phones while in a store. This helps customers compare prices, look at sizes, and see what color options and  materials they have to choose from. Also, many stores offer special promotions that are only offered via mobile devices. Interestingly enough, men make more purchases on their smartphones than women. As a marketer this is important because:

1)   More men have smartphones than women

2)   Young men are more likely to notice ads on their mobile devices than women

3)   Guys are more likely to be receptive to mobile ads if they got something in return.

Based on this information, marketers should create relevant ads that will appeal to certain target audiences. Additionally, this allows marketers to create apps that will provide incentive for continued interaction. This is vital because most apps go unnoticed or even used after downloading them. In fact, for most apps, 90% of the people who download your app are gone within 6 months.  In order to keep customers engaged, businesses can offer coupons, deals, or other promotional events in order to keep customers “hooked.” You can even provide a call to action for customers to sign up for a newsletter or loyalty program.

2) Convenience

More often than not, we rely on our phones as a crutch. “Siri, where is the closest Starbucks?” We are spoiled to have information provided right at our fingertips. Because of this, many people download apps that will simplify their life. However, before many people buy apps, they usually check app reviews. Marketers should spend their time making sure that their ratings and reviews reflect a positive imagine of their app. Therefore, it is vital to be proactive, and have happy customers leave positive reviews in the app store. This can be obtained through in-app promotions that remind customers to leave a review after completing significant action like using a coupon, or making a purchase.

3) Our mobile devices make us feel local.

This last point hits close to home. During my freshman year of College, I attended DePaul University in Chicago. Although I was thousands of miles away from home, I never really felt that far because I was in constant touch with my friends and family through my mobile device. Social media platforms (and apps) such as Instagram, Twitter, Skype, and Facebook, keep us well connected. Because of this, our smartphones provide us with that digital “Facetime” when we aren’t physically present with our friends and family. Because we use our phones to stay connected, businesses can create apps that help us stay even better connected. Furthermore, marketers can use this connectivity to their benefit by creating value for their customers. Craig Weinber, mobile practice lead at Mindshare says it perfectly, “At the end of the day, think about how you use your phone. Are you going to want to be intruded with ads and things that don’t make sense and don’t offer you some kind of utility or entertainment value? No, you don’t.”

Intrigued by mobile marketing?  Press this link to see how mobile is changing

“Maths Men”- Mad Men in a Digital Era

Database marketing is no magic trick; it’s an art that has the potential to transform our world.

Database marketing is a systematic approach to gather, organize, analyze, and process consumer data maintained in a company’s database system. The main advantage of using database marketing is that you are operating within a known territory, stepping into the world of consumers by using the data that they have already given you. Why is this so great? Because you are able to target an audience that has already expressed an interest in your product or service. Since data doesn’t lie, you are able to skip the guess and check phase, and focus on targeting consumers that have already expressed an interest in your company.

Below are some real life examples of how companies have used database marketing:

1) Orbitz uses predictive analytics to target consumers

Orbitz uses data to guess the future shopping habits of customers. They do this by using database marketing to find out who their target audience is and then tailor offerings to the people that they believe have the highest “lifetime value” to their company. Orbitz aims to appeal to customers who have a high lifetime value in order to stay relevant to the customer, and strengthen their brand loyalty.

According to Orbitz database research, Apple users stand out as big spenders. In the article, “ On Orbitz, Mac Users Steered to Pricier Hotels”, I learned that, “Nearly half of retailers in a recent study by Forrester Research and Shop.org said users of tablets—a large majority of which are iPads—tend to place bigger online orders than users of laptops or desktops” Additional information tells us that, “ The average household income for adult owners of Mac computers is $98,560, compared with $74,452 for a PC owner, according to Forrester”

Does this mean that Mac users are at risk for spending more on a plane ticket? Possibly. Because of this, it is important to evaluate your alternatives and participate in an information search, two important steps in the consumer decision process. Because companies are able to track your every move online, paying attention to how you enter a site is also a key factor that Orbitz uses to make assumptions about users’ spending habits. For example, “If a shopper enters Orbitz through Kayak.com, which aggregates offers from travel sites, it might indicate a user is more sensitive about price than a visitor coming from review-focused Trip Advisor, who may be more interested in hotel ratings.”

2) Persuading customers through data:

The Obama campaign is an example of how companies targeted certain voters based on data that showed their “persuadability”. In the article “Corvitz: Obama’s ‘Big Data’ Victory”, we learn that, “multivariate tests identified issues and positions that could move undecided voters, ProPublica said: “The persuasion scores allowed the campaign to focus its outreach efforts—and their volunteer calls—on voters who might actually change their minds as the result. It also guided them in what policy messages individual voters should hear.”

According to the article, “Inside the Secret World of the Data Crunchers Who Helped Obama Win” these tests were run based on database information pertaining to the customers. “About 75% of the determining factors were basics like age, sex, race, neighborhood and voting record.” Furthermore, the Cave at Obama’s company headquarters in Chicago, enabled marketers to create predictive consumer profiles and run tests on them. For example, in a e-mail campaign, many e-mails were simply tests with different subject lines, senders, and messages. According to the data, “Michelle Obama’s e-mails performed best in the spring, and at times, campaign boss Messina performed better than Vice President Joe Biden.”

Although database marketing has many advantages, it also has its disadvantages. In fact, some people believe that database marketing is unethical because many consumers are unaware that their online activity is monitored. Additionally, consumers may feel manipulated due to the fact that their personal information is being used to increase sales based on their buyer behavior patterns. According to an article in the New York Times, Acxiom, a marketing technology corporation, has servers that process more than 50 trillion data “transactions” a year. Additionally, “Company executives have said its database contains information about 500 million active consumers worldwide, with about 1,500 data points per person. That includes a majority of adults in the United States.”  Some people may stop and question: “Is this information benefiting me? Or the marketer?” By changing our perceptions on what we need versus what we want, many people are worried that database marketing manipulates consumers into shameless buying.

Another example of a company that uses customer information in a way that borders ethical and unethical practices is Target. When you shop at target you most likely have a guest ID number, which keeps tabs on everything that you buy. According to the article “How Companies Learn Your Secrets”, information such as your age, whether you are married and have kids, which part of town you live in, how long it takes you to drive to the store, your estimated salary, whether you’ve moved recently, what credit cards you carry in your wallet and what Web sites you visit,” is another thing that Target tracks.

Sound creepy? Just wait. Target can also buy data about  “your ethnicity, job history, the magazines you read, if you’ve ever declared bankruptcy or got divorced, the year you bought (or lost) your house, where you went to college, what kinds of topics you talk about online, whether you prefer certain brands of coffee, paper towels, cereal or applesauce, your political leanings, reading habits, charitable giving and the number of cars you own.”

Andrew Pole was hired by Target to study and identify those unique moments in consumers’ lives when their shopping habits change, become flexible, and can be easily persuaded to change based on the right advertisement or coupon. It turns out that when customers go through a major life event, “ their shopping habits became flexible in ways that were both predictable and potential gold mines for retailers.”

Some findings indicated that:

• When someone marries, he or she is more likely to start buying a new type of coffee.
• When a couple moves into a new house, they’re more apt to purchase a different kind of cereal.
•  When they divorce, there’s an increased chance they’ll start buying different brands of beer

So how do people react when they know that they are being tracked? Press here to read how a Minneapolis father reacted to Andrew Pole’s pregnancy-prediction model on page 14.

Additionally, if you want to learn about three brands that used data to transform their media strategies, press here. You won’t regret it!

*This graphic is from the article, “Use Analytic techniques used in personal”

As a marketing student, I am very fascinated with database marketing. I am intrigued by the ability to turn data into a creative advantage. I used to always think that number crunching was black and white, but I now see that there is a grey area where marketers are able to turn data into creativity.

How to Read Between the Lines…and Numbers

You can’t have meaning without data. In this digital age, having the skills to analyze, interpret, and draw conclusions is vital. SQL (Structured Query Language) is a coding language that communicates with databases.

Sounds simple? It is!

 With SQL you no longer have to download worksheets and manipulate them by hand. In the article, “Why Learning SQL Will Change Your Life, we learn that”, “you can communicate directly with the database, extract exactly what you need, and because your procedure is there written in code and not lost in a series of manual copies, pastes, and filters, you can re-run it at any time and easily find and fix errors in your process.”

So what exactly can SQL do?

• SELECT – extracts data from a database
• UPDATE – updates data in a database
• DELETE – deletes data from a database
• INSERT INTO – inserts new data into a database
• CREATE DATABASE – creates a new database
• ALTER DATABASE – modifies a database
• CREATE TABLE – creates a new table
• ALTER TABLE – modifies a table
• DROP TABLE – deletes a table
• CREATE INDEX – creates an index (search key)
• DROP INDEX – deletes an index

What does this mean for marketers and why is it important to know SQL?

Because consumers want to connect with a brand, SQL enables marketers to access information that is relevant to the consumer in order to increase customer satisfaction and sales. By using the segmented data in your database, you can run queries of people that fit the campaign that you are promoting.

For example, let’s say you are a retailer specializing in shoes. If you wan to target females attending Prom, you can run queries on females aged 15-18 who have purchased shoes from your company within the last four months. Once you find your target audience, you can send personalized coupons or e-mails directly to them to promote your prom shoe sale.

 Besides being a technical tool, SQL also creates value. Creating personalized promotions creates a reciprocal relationship with your customer. By sending them personalized messages, customers will be more willing to buy from your company.

Incase you are wondering which companies are using SQL, look in your inbox! I already found two examples of companies that use SQL this morning.

 1)   Piperlime- I received an additional 40% off coupon because I hadn’t bought anything in the last 5 months.

2)   Starbucks- I recently received my Starbucks gold card, and now have a free drink on them.

 So why is it important to learn SQL? Jamie Stevens from Moz explains that today, you have to be both a specialist and a generalist. “Without both of these capabilities, you’re prone to be less efficient than a colleague or competitor who does.” Because I am graduating in the spring, I want to learn skills that will enhance my competitive advantage when applying for jobs. By learning technical skills, I will be able to show future employers that I am not only creative, but also technical.

Want to learn SQL? Click on the link below to start learning!

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/sql_intro.asp

 

When in Doubt, Test!

A wise man once one wrote in his blog “ Digital Marketing is so fantastic because everything is trackable and since everything is trackable, everything is also testable. “

AB Testing is a great way for businesses to test out what is working and what isn’t working within their digital marketing strategy.  Therefore, because the web is trackable, A/B testing provides an opportunity to evaluate a websites performance using controlled experiments. This validates that any changes that you make to an element on your webpage are improving your conversion rate before you directly make the change to your site code.

In “The Ultimate Guide to AB Testing“, AB testing is defined as having, “ two versions of an element (A and B) and a metric that defines success. To determine which version is better, you subject both versions to experimentation simultaneously. In the end, you measure which version was more successful and select that version for real world use.”

In case you are unaware which element in A B testing is A and which element is B, A is the existing design (which is called the control) and B is the new design, which is being tested. By testing both designs you are able to measure certain elements such as conversion rates, sales, bounce rates, and more.

 So which elements are usually tested? Below is a list of popular elements:

1) The Call to action- changing certain variables such as wording size, color, and placement

2) Headline or product description

3) Layout and style of website

4) Product pricing and promotional offers

5) Images on landing and product pages

6) Amount of text on the page (short vs. long)

7) Social proof

8) Links/ Images

Now that you have a better understanding of A/B testing I will take you through three steps in order to maximize the benefits of A/B testing.

 1) Establish a Goal

Before testing your webpage, the most important thing to do is establish a goal. For example, one question you could ask is,” why is the bounce rate of my website lower than the industry standard?” Once a goal is established, you are on your way to finding a solution to your problem and reaching your goal.

2) Construct and Test your Hypothesis:

Simple hypothesis testing is a great way to bring you one step closer to reaching your goal. An example of a hypothesis could be something along the lines of, “ Changing the sign up button from green to red will increase conversion rate.” In the article, the “Practical Guide to Controlled Experiments on the Web”, the authors describe that, “even minor changes can make a big difference, and often in unexpected ways. A live experiment goes a long way in providing guidance as to the value of the idea.”

Once your hypothesis is created, you can test it by creating a website in which version B has a red button, while the original website A, has a green button. Then, you can measure the results. Although creating and testing your hypothesis is important, the length of time that you spend testing your hypothesis is equally as important. In the “Practical Guide to Controlled Experiments on the Web”, the authors suggest to run the experiment for multiple weeks due to the Hawthorne Effect, in which, “when a new design or feature is introduced, some users will investigate it, click elsewhere, and thus introduce a ‘newness’ bias.”

3)  Analyze data and draw conclusions

If changing your button from red to green increases its conversion rate then you can conclude that color is one factor that draws users to convert into a user. However, if you do not see any differences, then create a new hypothesis and start testing all over again. In the article,“A/B Testing is Key to Unlocking Your Website’s True Potential”, they also reinforce the importance of drawing conclusions and understanding your statistics. By testing what works for your customer based on the data you collected, you are creating a better website for your users that will maximize profit and increase satisfaction. So what are you waiting for? Start testing!

How I Learned To Honor The Code

I won’t lie. Just seeing the word “coding” makes my anxious. So, as you can imagine, I was a little intimidated to spend two hours on Code Academy. Luckily, after a few mental pep talks I began coding in no time. Code Academy’s website is set up in a foolproof format in order to teach people simple coding techniques. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Code Academy, it is a self-educational tool that allows users to learn several different coding techniques. Because the program is hands- on, you are able to directly practice the codes that are presented right in front of you.

 I decided to start learning JavaScript. In my first hour three key things that I learned was:

 1)   Computers are very literal! Therefore, the syntax needs to be in exactly the right place for the computer to understand the code.

2)   That a Boolean is a data type with only two possible values.

3)   How to use the prompt command to ask where a person is from:  prompt(“where are you from?”)

And in my second hour I learned:

1)   Using the function: console.log( ) will take whatever is inside the parentheses and log it to the console below your code.

2)   With great patience, anyone can become a coding master!

Although slightly frustrating at times, I highly enjoyed the two hours that I spent on Code Academy. Because I only completed 24/28 steps due to running out of time, I am confident that I will continue to visit Code Academy in order to brush up on my skills and to learn new information. For those of you that want to learn more about Code Academy, please visit their website: Signing up takes seconds, and you’ll soon be on your way to becoming a coding ninja.

Lastly, in order to relate my experience with the world around me, I read a fascinating article called, “Tech Rivals Lay Down Arms For Youth Coding” which explains the importance of educating youth programmers. Because our world is becoming more digital everyday, it’s important to embrace technology and start educating the future of our generation. One alarming thing that I learned from that article was that, “ few schools in the United States teach computer programming, even though some of the most abundant high-paying career opportunities are in the field.” Because there is such a popular demand for coding and computer programming, it’s important to take initiative and learn the language of our future.

 

Paid Media: Friend or Foe?

We live in a digital age. Now, more than ever, companies are searching for new ways to promote their brands online.  Because consumers are bombarded with a plethora of advertisements everyday, businesses are having a hard time targeting the right consumer.  In fact, you’ve probably already seen at least a dozen advertisements since reading my blog. This is where paid media comes into play.

 Before I explain some examples of paid media, it is important to understand the differences between owned, earned, and paid media.

Owned media: A channel that a brand controls. For example: company websites, mobile sites, blogs, etc..

Earned media: Customers become the actual channel. For example: word of mouth, creating buzz, etc.

Paid Media: A brand pays to leverage a channel (also known as native advertising) For example: paid search, and display ads.

 The image below is a great example of the similarities and differences between the three.

Because many businesses use all three forms of media, they are able to better reach consumers. One way this is done is by creating ads that camouflage and blend in website content.  An example of this is through the use of sponsored stories.  Sponsored stories are messages that showcase engagement with a page, app, or event that a business or individual has paid to highlight in order to better reach certain individuals. Facebook is the king of sponsored stories, and these stories often appear on your newsfeed of your Facebook homepage.  The power behind sponsored stories lies within their use of transparency. According to a report by Mashable.com, 70% of consumers trust brand recommendations from friends, while only 10% trust recommendations from an ad.

So what does this tell us? That word of mouth is key! Instead of creating banner ads, which will most likely go unnoticed, it’s important to create ads that create an emotional appeal, so that real content is attached to their brand.

 Now that you are aware that paid media is important, you may be wondering, how does a company know where to place their ad online?

Most of the time, companies use cookies to better understand their target audience. Cookies act as tiny attachments that track what you search and where you go online. Sounds a bit creepy? It is.  In fact, many countries are beginning to legislate against them. Even though a cookie can be seen as an invasion of privacy, they do provide useful information to marketers, allowing them to target the right audience. One clear way to know that you are being tracked is by looking at your Facebook advertisements.  For example, last week I looked at plane tickets to visit my friend in Honolulu on Cheapoair.com. On my Facebook homepage there is an ad for cheapoair.com in order to remind me that yes, I did visit their website, and that they can still provide a plane ticket for me. What tempting punks!

An Example of an Ad on my Facebook page

Lastly, now that you are aware of cookies, you may want to know how companies are charged for their advertisements. Recently, there has been a debate between pay per click advertising, where a company only has to pay when an ad is actually clicked on, and pay per impression, where companies pay every time their ad is seen.  I believe that the safest way to go is through pay per click because companies do not need to pay anything until their ads start-generating traffic.  On the flip side, in pay per impression system, the website displaying an advertisement gets paid for bringing the audience (per thousand impressions) regardless of how viable the ad is.  Therefore, The amount paid per impression is calculated by dividing the CPM by 1000.

 Because of digital marketing’s forward progression, advertisers have to be creative when reaching consumers and choosing how to be charged for there paid media. Now that you are educated about paid media, I will leave you some questions: Do you think that cookies will die out because of their controversy?  And, now that you are aware of paid media blending in with website content, will you be more aware of ads?  Please comment below to share your thoughts!

 

 

Content Marketing

 

                                                   Content + social +search+ = content marketing

Content marketing is all about making connections, providing valuable information, and establishing a relationship with potential customers.

 One thing that really stood out to me was a quote in “The Business Case For Content Marketing” that stated, “our initial goal should be to create audience-focused content as if social media and search engines don’t exist.” This quote reinforces the need to establish yourself as an expert in your field. By creating content that is simple and to the point, consumers will be able to better find your business and or brand.

While reading “100- Content Marketing Examples”, one trend that made the biggest impression on me was the use of a microsite. In case you are unaware with what a microsite is, it’s a separate page of a website that provides rich content developed by the sponsoring brand itself. By providing links that attract potential customers to a microsite, you are directly increasing the length of time that a user spends on your website because customers are voluntarily reading information that is either relevant or interesting to them. Additionally, you are simultaneously increasing your brand image and brand knowledge. This will help the potential customer create a “relationship” with your brand, and increase their chances of forming brand loyalty.

So, the million-dollar question is: how do you keep a potential customer hooked? The answer lies in creating quality content.

 In “The Business Case For Content Marketing,” content is described as, “valuable information uniquely tailored to speak the language of your intended audience, while simultaneously addressing the problems and desires that this audience expresses.” What’s important to you, and me, may not be important to another individual, so creating content that appeals to the right target audience is vital. A great example of a company that uses microsites and content that is tailored to their intended audience is Nike.

For starters, consumers that visit Nike’s homepage are active individuals searching for comfortable and fashionable athletic gear that fit their individual needs. Because consumers that visit Nike are searching for specific gear, it is likely that they are willing to visit microsites that will allow them to access additional information.

 For example, if you are a runner looking for a new pair of shoes, then you will search for running shoes under their filter options. Once you select those filters, Nike’s webpage gives you two options: to shop, or learn more about their new product, the Nike Free Hyperfeel. If you are a curious individual like myself, then you will most likely press on “learn more” to visit Nike’s micro page, which promotes their new product, and shares informational content.

Above is an example of their microsite

 

Allyson Felix, gold medal Olympian known for her 200-meter race, is featured on the “learn more” page that Nike offers. By using Felix as a celebrity endorsement, the ad screams, “if these shoes are good enough for an Olympian, then they are good enough for you too.” This is where Nike creates authenticity, which is one of the 7A strategy frameworks. In “A Content Marketing Strategy That Works”, authenticity is described as a way to,” identify the people who would be drawn to your topic covers, and do keyword research to discover the language the audience uses.”

Therefore, another content marketing strategy that Nike uses lies within their strategy of creating emotional appeal. Creating a target audience personification, or using a real life person, is one marketing strategy that has been extremely successful.

 Once an authentic personification is created, you can then form a community, and Nike does this through the use of their Facebook page called Nike Better World. One of their posts features their new running shoe the Nike Free Hyperfeel, which reduces typical running shoe upper waste by 90 percent. Furthermore, this Facebook page is all about creating a “bigger team” and sharing inspiration and building a better world through sport. Click this link to learn more about the Nike better world on Facebook.

An example of Nike’s Better World Facebook page.

 By creating authority and quality content, brands like Nike are able to create valuable information for consumers in a way that influences them to buy products solely on their individual needs. By creating links that lead consumers to a microsite, businesses are showcasing their product to prospective buyers enabling them to buy what they want rather than interrupting them with what they don’t care about.

 

SOCIAL, Media

I am going to be brutally honest. Last year, I created a twitter account  because Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis were at a Seattle Starbucks serving coffee to promote their new movie, The Campaign. Apparently, all of my friends were buzzing about the event on twitter, but never shared the information via word of mouth.  Therefore, I was unaware of their guest appearance and missed out on seeing one of my favorite actors. In order to stay up to date on social events I decided to create a twitter.

After learning the ropes of twitter, I started branching out and engaging more with the brands and products that I love. If there was a specific brand that I enjoyed, then I would follow them on Instagram or Twitter in order to see the latest trends, what goes on in their offices, and how they style their clothing. Because of this, I started to feel more connected to certain brands because they were “humanized” through their social media platforms. Who would have thought that I could feel close to an article of clothing that I saw on my phone screen?

Last quarter I became so fascinated with social media that I created a survey on how generation Y uses social media. No matter the situation, I learned that the main reason that generation Y uses social media revolves around the need to stay connected with others, share with others, and learn from others.  From the information that I gathered, I also learned that when using social media, timing is everything.  Our generation is what I like to call a “multitasking generation.” We have to be stimulated at all times, and can shamelessly watch a video and tweet at the same time. However, the length of time that we spend on social media consists of short increments of time multiple times a day, instead of one long visit to a social media platform. This information was important to my survey because it showed that advertisements often go unseen unless they are relevant to our everyday lives. In an article I wrote last year for my internship I explained that, “ Our generation is not looking for an advertisement; we want an advertisement to find us. We will only click on an advertisement that showcases a brand or product that is intriguing or familiar to us. It is not likely that we will go out of our way to click on an advertisement just because it is presented to us, or shows up in our news feed” .

Because our generation is so adept at multitasking, I couldn’t help but question WHY someone needs to be stimulated at all times? Is watching a movie not enough stimulation? Do we have to grab for our phones? The conclusion that I came to is that in a sense, we are in a relationship with our phones. Why? Because they enhance our sociability and connect us with others when we are not able to see them face-to-face. Without our phones, we lack any form of communication with our peers, family, and the outside world. Therefore, when we are not on our phones, we fear that we are out of touch with society.

When I asked a friend why he uses his phone while watching a sports game he said that it’s because he wants to share a moment that he watched with others. “Wow Lebron is on fire!” Furthermore, he shared that, “my tweet encourages others to go watch Lebron’s dunk or start a discourse surrounding that event. It creates buzz, excitement, and interaction.” Another reason why someone may tweet or use their phones while doing something else is because they are bored,  want to check information about the show that they are watching, or because they simply want to waste time.

Because technology is a cultural enabler, companies like Bluefin are able to interpret data based on social media interactions. After reading about Cambridge’s Bluefin Lab Decodes Social Media Chatter, I was able to parallel this article, and the use of social media during the political campaign, to another article that I read earlier this year called Data You Can Believe In. Both articles explain the importance of social media and marketing, and how data can play a large role in TV, which is a 70 billion dollar-industry. For example, in Data You Can Believe In, we learn that the Obama 2012 effort was the most data-driven campaign ever due to the newest technology that was able to, “look into people’s lives and the sheer amount of personal data its vast servers were crunching.”

However, sometimes data can struggle with context. In an article by New York Times Opinion Columnist and Author David Brooks, “Human decisions are not discrete events. They are embedded in sequences and contexts. The human brain has evolved to account for this reality. People are really good at telling stories that weave together multiple causes and multiple contexts. Data analysis is pretty bad at narrative and emergent thinking, and it cannot match the explanatory suppleness of even a mediocre novel.”

So what does this information tell us? For starters, I think that it’s important to understand, especially in a digital age, that social media is not only good for businesses, but also for the individual’s social needs. I know that sounds crazy, but it is 100 percent true, especially as a current college student. Why? Because utilizing social media is a part of our social identity. In school we are taught to write about certain things, and are limited to our own creativity. Social media provides us with a platform for creative expression; a way to say what we think, and say what we feel without being told how to express it. Therefore, Social media allows us to interact with our friends and brands in a way that mirrors our social context of the world around us.

Inbound Marketing: Engage and Connect

In a world full of brands, you may ask yourself, “how is it possible to stand out and maintain a competitive advantage?” The answer is simple: through emotion and community, which can be attained through inbound marketing techniques.

Marketo, an automotive software company, defines inbound marketing as, “ the process of helping potential customers find your company-often before they are even looking to make a purchase-and then turning that early awareness into brand preference and, ultimately, into leads and revenue.”

So what are the benefits of inbound marketing?

1) Brand Recognition/Awareness:

Utilizing social media is a great way to spread brand awareness. Just think about it, millions of people can link an article to any social media platform and share information within seconds.  Why is this important to you? Because inbound marketing has the ability to reach new audiences that you otherwise would not reach through traditional marketing.

2) Engagement:

 “Engaging consumers means much more than simply finding the newest channel to push out a message to the masses. Instead, marketing today is about understanding how consumers research and make purchase decisions in this hyper connected digital world.” Social media, blogging, and quality content, are three great ways to engage your users. I believe that Marketo sums up the need for engagement when they state,” others may know you exist, but don’t understand what you do.” The best part about company engagement is that you are able to add value to the people engaging with your brand. For example, you can post videos on Vine, or upload pictures to Instagram so that users can preview a “behind the scenes” look at your business. Instead of just recognizing a logo, users will be able to learn more about the people and activities behind your business, shedding light on what makes your company so great.

Whole Foods is a great example of a company that utilizes inbound marketing. Below are a few examples of how they use two-way communication to connect with their customers, create value, and spread awareness.

Twitter:

Whole Foods uses Twitter to respond to customer dissatisfaction, showcasing their excellent customer services skills. By engaging with a dissatisfied customer, Whole Foods is hoping to turn a negative situation into a positive one.

Pinterest:

Whole Foods has a Pinterest page dedicated to numerous DIY (Do it yourself) recipes. This allows the customer to engage with their products and brand.

3) Blogs:

Although blogs are mentioned above in brand recognition and awareness, they deserve a category of their own because they are by far the most influential inbound marketing tool that you can use. In an Inbound Marketing Survey provided by Business2Community, they found that, “B2B companies that blog regularly see 65% more leads generated than those that don’t. And, 82% of marketers report a positive ROI from their efforts”

Furthermore, according to Marketo, you must, “offer content that is not promotional in nature, but instead is relevant to your prospective buyers, helping them see how they can overcome their challenges or achieve their aspirations.” Bloggers are not seen as pushy sales people, but rather peers, friends, and people just like us. Because they are unthreatening, people are more inclined to trust their opinions because of the relationships that they have developed and gained through following their blog.

“Mommy blogs” are a great compliment to the quote above because they house community involvement and trust. In fact, they are so trusted that companies even send products to bloggers for them to review. An example of a Mommy blog is the  http://www.thenaptimereviewer.com/ . I chose to showcase this blog because it provides many examples of product reviews. It also shows how I am working inbound marketing into my blog post, because I am providing free marketing to this blogger!

SEO Is The Way To Go

93% Of Online Experiences Begin With A Search Engine.

                                                             

My first encounter with SEO began during my internship with a digital marketing firm last year.  One of the tasks that I encountered was constructing blog posts that were relevant to current marketing trends and other digital marketing news. Because I was constructing blogs on Word Press, I quickly learned how to choose key words that would enhance my search-ability on any given search domain.

After reflecting on my past experiences with SEO and reading this article, I am able to recall two important factors when aiming to rise to the top of a search: quality content and consistent key words.  A great blog starts with great content. The key words are the appetizer, but the content is the main course where you are able to dig in and satisfy your needs. Therefore, I believe that SEO is becoming popular because it provides companies with a chance to boost their popularity and increase online visibility.

Because SEO is becoming so popular, it is important to provide the right key words and quality content so that the reader does not press the back button in order to find another webpage that better fits their needs. The “Beginner’s Guide To SEO” continually stated that quality content is the most important step for SEO.  However, even if you write quality content, it may not be enough to stay ranked number one. For example, in the text it states, “ search engines constantly evaluate the effectiveness of their own results. They measure when users clock on a result, quickly hit the “back” button on their browser, and try another result. This indicates that the result they served didn’t meet the user’s query. It’s not enough just to rank for a query. Once you’ve earned your ranking, you have to prove it over and over again.” I chose this paragraph from the article because it reinforces the need to create quality content that will drive users to your website time and time again.  After all, Importance= popularity, and you can’t have popularity without having good content.

If businesses do not use SEO then they will be fighting a battle with competitors for relevancy. In Tjaco Walvis’s book, “Branding with Brains”, Walvis describes the three laws of branding as: relevance, coherence, and participation. In a way, SEO is like branding in the sense that you are creating your own online identity, and therefore branding yourself and or business.  If your content is not relevant to the reader, coherent, or does not offer the reader a chance to participate with it, then you will be unsuccessful in branding an online identity.

Lastly, I believe that SEO is becoming popular and will continue to grow because of its mean to influence. In an article by ImFORZA, I learned that search is the “#1 driver of traffic to content sites, beating social media by more than 300%. “Furthermore, “As marketers the Internet as a whole and search, specifically, are undoubtedly one of the best and most important ways to reach consumers and build a business, no matter the size, reach, or focus.” By choosing the right key words, you are choosing to influence the right people. Because key words act as a fundamental building block, it is important for key words to be used in titles, text, and Meta data. That way, you are setting yourself up in the best way to optimize a page ranking. You can parallel this to a treasure hunt. Without the right key words, you are unable to find the right clues to lead you to where you want to go.