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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 />

2 timesunionmedia.com


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 />

timesunionmedia.com<br />

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 />

timesunionmedia.com<br />

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 />

timesunionmedia.com<br />

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 />

timesunionmedia.com<br />

9


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 />

10 timesunionmedia.com


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 />

timesunionmedia.com<br />

11


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 />

12 timesunionmedia.com


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 />

timesunionmedia.com<br />

13


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 />

14 timesunionmedia.com


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 />

timesunionmedia.com<br />

15


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

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