How many times have you heard that social media is the cheapest form of advertising there is? How many times have you seen companies hire interns fresh from college for social media marketing?
That\’s not going to last for long. Social media’s getting dearer and not in a way we like.
This was stimulated in part by Facebook’s decision to change its news feed algorithm to deliver more news. This was done to boost popular content but discourage marketers from reaching audiences via organic posts. These changes are concerned with the frequency and reach of the communication that Facebook provides and marketers will have to counter the same by spending money to get themselves noticed.
Facebook has declared, Content that is eligible to be shown in news feed is increasing at a faster rate than people’s ability to consume it. It’s not just Facebook though, Google derives 97% of its revenue from advertisements with insurance, loan and mortgage taking gold, silver and bronze on the keywords that cost list.
How is this change likely to affect the public, brands and Facebook?
1. For The Consumer
It’s mainly good news. This change means less focus on your personal updates giving Facebook an outside-in approach like Twitter. It also means that you no longer waste your time reading low-quality content. A lot of social media packs no punch and adds no value to either the product or the medium of advertisement. This is a good way to get attention from brands on what matters – content.
2. For Brands
Brands can no longer rely on part-time employees to generate interest. they have to up the ante and get content that generates views, shares and comments. Branded pages are to see a decline in organic views and creating superlative content is the way out. You have to be relevant, direct and simple. Frills distract consumers and undermine your core message.
3. For Facebook
Though people are simplistically regarding this as a cash-grabbing opportunity by Facebook, this is a great decision at many levels.
Facebook has changed the social media game. It\’s no longer just enough to pile on numbers. This is a strategy to re-work how brands view social media as a platform. The message is simple: We get you audience attention, so it’s time for you to give the audience and us some attention as well.
Increasing costs also include the employment of trained employees rather than just interns. Brands have realized the error of their ways by hiring part-timers for something that has the potential to make or break their reputation. As they say, if you think hiring a pro is expensive, wait till you hire an amateur. For smaller businesses, the opportunity cost of spending an hour on social media might outweigh the business accrued from the same. Content creation has become a billion dollar industry with good reason. The reason why social media seems and is so expensive is because brands have not currently budgeted for social media outreach in terms of cost involved and benefit accrued. The cost of social media remains a side operation rather than a mainstay of marketing expense. For most brands, a good reputation in traditional media precedes rather than succeeds social media success.
Most brands know the real cost of social media is not as great as the cost of bad social media. @EntMagazine
So, how should you wisely spend money on social media?
1. Understand your target segment
Don\’t confuse apple and oranges. If you know your product line, you also know who will buy it and how much time will that segment spend online. Choose the right social media tool and the time you wish to get it.
2. Have Money, Will Spend
How do you ensure that the spending you do on social media is commensurate with the benefits you derive?
Spend your on :
Great People
Great Content
You will soon find that things take care of themselves.
3. Promote kick-ass content
A lot of social media feed is dull or just a glorified press release. Ensure you stand out in the herd. The new algorithm has created a vicious circle where Paid ads and sponsored content will help drive the “organic” reach of your other content. In addition, brands with more Facebook likes are going to see a lower cost for paid distribution because paid social ads will show greater social context. More likes and followers will lead to cheaper ads!
Being the best will drive your cost down.
4. Analyze
Customers have woken up to their value in the world of social media. On Facebook, your life is the product. More than half the marketers on Facebook have requested someone to mention their product. Until you don\’t figure out what people like and share of their own volition, you\’ll be a laggard in the race to like, share and follow.
5. A Few Great Men
The best people will get you the best results and drive down your costs. There\’s a demand for SEO specialists, data scientists, content writers and digital marketers like never been before. You need people who\’ll measure, analyze and show you off to the best. Unfortunately, they do not come cheap. Fortunately, you can catch them young and save on your costs.
The world of social media needs better content, better people and more results. Is your brand ready?
The 71st Golden Globe Awards showcased how twitter’s taken over Hollywood.
A night to remember, it was made even more special by outstanding coverage on Twitter with celebrities chirping away to glory and #GoldenGlobes trending.
#GoldenGlobes saw an average of 3600 tweets per hour. It ranked in the top 10% of popular hashtags of all time with more than 28 million impressions. In total, Twitter saw 1.6 million tweets out of which 60.7% were retweets, with 436 pictures and links!
Tweet Activity for #GoldenGlobes
The timeline of tweeting showed that the maximum number of tweets happened after 12 p.m. and up to 3 a.m. immediately after the conclusion of the Globes. The maximum word mentions included “globes”, “best”, “dress”, “Jennifer” and “winners”.
Perez Hilton did an outstanding coverage of the Awards covering every aspect from who were the winners to who was the worst dressed. In fact, Jacqueline Bisset\’s meandering walk had Perez Hilton tweeting, “If you give anyone over the age of 68 an award, you can\’t expect them to give a brief acceptance speech!\”
The common man on Twitter, watching the show in real time tweeted about their favourite celebs and who won what. Other people tweeted extensively about the movies they were rooting for and the celebs that looked best. #AmericanHustle garnered the most tweets followed by the seminal 12 Years A Slave. CNN was the most influential tweeter about the Golden Globes with over eleven million followers.
The power of the twitter trend could be witnessed when a deliberate slip of tongue by the hosts got Tam Honks trending on Twitter. Within minutes, a a German Twitter account with the same was already in place with, of course, a picture of Hanks on a bus stop bench from 1994’s “Forrest Gump.”
The best art of the trending hashtag was celebrities taking to twitter. They showed off everything from their wardrobe choices to their manicures; there was hardly an aspect of the show that wasn\’t spoken of. Other celebrities like Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Monica Potter posted pictures. Celeb tweets showed us a side of the Globes that we hadn\’t seen before such as this gem:
One of my favorite things about #goldenglobes is getting to watch the snipers on the roof!
It cashed in on the immense popularity of a major event that\’s the third most watched award show in the world after the Oscars and the Grammy. Events that go viral are either extremely popular or so obscure that they become quirky be default. Golden was a natural trend. It’s had to escape the glitz and glamour when your feed is inundated with your favourite celebs tweeting and instagramming.
2) Did you see what Jennifer Lawrence wore?
Celebrity engagement fueled the fire that got people hooked. After all, more people follow Lady Gaga than the Golden Globe Awards. When someone important says something, it\’s bound to hook people up and spread the word around. Quirky humour and cute celebrity moments helped to get the #GoldenGlobes trending. In this case, Jennifer Lawrence’s dress was parodied across twitter even by celebrities who latched onto the absurd simplicity of the dress. It spurned the new hashtag #Lawrencing. This joined other trends such as actress Julia Louis- Dreyfus, who jokingly refused a selfie with Reese Witherspoon to the misspelled hastag of Bryan Cranston.
3) No incident too small
From Diane Keaton\’s singing tribute to Amy Poehler\’s make-out session with Bono, no moment was too small to grab attention. Twitter\’s innate simplicity led people to tweet about the big and the small. Everything mattered. If it’s worth thinking about, it’s worth putting on Twitter. So, what can brands learn from the glitz fest? The most interesting take-away from the pre and post award tweeting is that the public and critics change their opinion quickly when faced with views and attention on social media.
The analysis of the top movies predicted to win changed swiftly. The key lesson for marketers is to adapt quickly and grasp the public mood while making a pitch. Also, most brands treated the Golden Globes in a very lukewarm fashion when it was a great opportunity to capitalise on public attention and reflected glory from celebrities. People share positive reviews and excitement during award shows which translates into more eager and receptive customers during that phase. Brands should be aware of key happenings across spheres and try to capitalise on them as and when they happen.
Identifying, tracking and using hashtags will get your message across faster. In conclusion, our very own Beta21 shared the excitement with this tweet:
The world of television advertising is laced with high drama. Advertisers have to captivate audiences or all their hard work goes down the train with the flick of a remote control button.
In 2013, several ads managed to hook audiences by narrating compelling stories that generated brand interest.
Nielsen determined the most memorable advertisements aired between January and November in 2013 by taking the net memorability score which was the percentage of viewers who were able to remember the ad and correct brand for each top ad.
They then indexed it against the mean score of all new ads during the same time period. The analysis excluded Super Bowl ads and ads that related to any show or series.
According to the researcher, the year’s most memorable new commercials took into account principles that generally boost memorability such as:
Using emotions to create connections
Including “attention-grabbing sights and sounds”
Consistency in creativity and style
Here’s a look at the top five brands that the audience remembered best:
1 . State Farm
Aaron Rodgers has some surprise seatmates on his flight who express the value of double checking.
See how you can get to a better state when you save money with State Farm’s Discount Double Check.
Two friends are enjoying a nice Tuscan Chicken Melt at Subway. One is enjoying tweeting away about the phenomenal taste of the sandwich. The other has finished his sub and is now moving on to Mr. Tweeter’s sub.
The German Automobile giant delivers a smooth test drive.
Here’s where we’re headed!
So, what do digital marketers need to know to clinch the next big ad break?
1. Quality over Quantity
No brand had more than one spot in the top 10. Too many advertisements annoy people. It’s better to have one stunning campaign than spurts of half-baked commercials.
2. Adam and Eve do think differently
Feminists might frown upon women living on venus but Nielsen’s data shows that women and respond to different kind of advertisements. Only 2 type of advertisements were remembered by both men and women. Those were: “Thriller,” from Party City (3 for women and 10 for men); and the commercial from Kay Jewelers (which was 10 for women and 6 for men).
Placing your advertisement during the most popular crime show slot won’t work wonders.
Doing a preliminary study of how men and women perceive that ad might.
3. Does size matter?
There seemed to be no correlation between how long an ad was and how fondly the audience seemed to remember it. 15 second ads scored as well as 45 second teasers. However, 60 second long ads didn’t work as well.
Lesson: Get your message out clearly but don’t take too long.
4. Borrow, don’t cheat
Party city leveraged the power of a popular number to get the audience grooving to them. However, it was relevant to their brand proposition. Feel free to get ideas from any source, use them only if they go with your brand image, otherwise, the music might be memorable but your product won’t be.
5. Think long term
Brands need to have an integrated strategy that follows and builds on whatever they believe in. Getting a memorable and catchy ad means nothing if the ad is not synchronous to the company’s brand positioning.
The biggest challenge to advertisers comes from placing their product prominently without being thought of as pushovers.
It’s a balancing act that can create stunning, cute or quirky campaigns that remain etched in your memory.
Think a little, how many of the top ten can you recall?
Chanel’s been voted the luxury marketer of the year for 2013. The classy, elegant brand has always been a trendsetter when it came to selling itself right. From Marilyn Monroe’s declarations to the Little Black dress, Chanel’s always tried to do things differently.
So what’s new this time around?
Chanel’s spreading luxury and class in the domain of social media with its digital marketing that combines young enthusiasm with the brand’s stellar legacy.
They have an impeccable strategy that positions itself cleverly across platforms, be it Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. It is therefore no surprise that Chanel ranks highest in terms of pins, re-pins and impressions even on Pinterest. What is most interesting is that Chanel does not even have a Pinterest account! A perfect example of stirring longing for a cult luxury brand.
Snapshot of Chanel’s Pinterest Page
Though other Luxury brands such as Cartier and Gucci are still perceived as snobbish, Chanel’s trying to carve a niche by offering a mobile site for its beauty products. This is a great way to bring high fashion to the door of entry level consumers and get them to appreciate the brand.
Their Facebook and Twitter pages are extremely attractive while maintaining the elusivenes that’s inherent in a luxury brand. They’ve also strengthened the focus on emerging markets that are commanding Chanel’s interest off-line. Their new product launch included a video featuring Gisele Bundchen as well as a video sharing make-up tips. It seems that Chanel’s sets its eyes on getting rich, elitist customers while enchanting regular folks who dream of being able to afford Chanel one day.
They have released an 18-minute brand film starring Keira Knightley that showcases the label’s innovation and willingness to break the rules of digital marketing. Chanel knows what it is doing, the film despite its length, did attract and engage the audience.
So, what are the key lessons that social marketers can take away from Chanel’s runway success?
Luxury brands can use social media without breaking their image
Using social media to promote a high-scale brand will not make it a mom and pop store. If your brand is used by the rich and the mighty, you\’ll find both your customers and aspiring customers online. Chanel has found a way to make itself more relevant offline by putting a great show online.
Getting more eyeballs – and customers
Let’s face it. Luxury brands have a limited number of customers. They are for a niche clientele and that is what creates their allure. Teasing customers online with trailers and products is a great way to grab attention and get people to buy beauty products that are more affordable than haute couture. Case in point, Chanel’s Première watches that were positioned as a collection that can translate to all occasions by showing stylish women going about their daily lives. Once these consumers discover beauty items that they fall in love with, they typically stick with what they know and get into a particular regimen that involves repeat purchasing.
Be all you want to be
Social media is a byword for customization of the advertising experience. Aspiring customers and target customers can both flirt with their favourite Chanel dress online. In fact, the two divergent styles seen in Chanel’s videos converged through print campaigns in top luxury publications that reached the affluent backbone of the brand. The fashion label showed its might with multiple prime ad placements in all the major luxury publications.
Emotions, Emotions, Emotions
People connect better with people than with just featured content. Social media tells a story that traditional media does not. It rivets the mind and the senses. Chanel’s marketing journey is an epitome of an inter-linked approach that tells a grand story from the founder’s background to Keira Knightley’s wedding dress.
Chanel has elevated itself from its competitors and contemporaries by staying true to its legacy and getting across a heartfelt message with the finesse and allure.
As Gabrielle Chanel said, “Chanel is above all a style. Fashion passes, style remains.”
Isn’t social media then the best fashion to carry this style forward?
If you’re not careful your online past could destroy your offline future
– Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert is an American comedian, television host and actor who hosts Comedy Central’s hit satire The Colbert Report. Mocking the news world has not just made Colbert a household name but also won him an Emmy and put him among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.
The Colbert Report has become an internet phenomenon with fans posting all over about it. It has millions of followers on Twitter and Facebook – making it one of the most successful television shows on social media. But howe does he do it?
Some would say the reason for his success is his ability to blend in platforms simultaneously. Colbert built his fan following on Facebook and Twitter and now steadily cross-promotes content. He’s even made fun of Twitter’s money making model comparing it to Jesus Christ saying that they both made the same amount of cash and liked short commandments.
Ironically, he received the first Golden Tweet Award from Biz Stone for having the most re-tweeted tweet. This hi-profile tweet was retweeted 44,000 times or by 2.3% of his followers and focused on a trending topic, the British Petroleum Oil Spill, and Colbert used his trademark humour to get the message across.
One can argue that Colbert being a celebrity has it easier than the rest of us, but his social media strategy doesn’t involve putting selfies for fans but thought-provoking, heart-warming content. Say for example, his take on SnapChat, the popular photo-messaging app which sees and deletes 100 million photos every day:
Is starting an app now in college like the old version of starting a band? @Snapchat
— The Colbert Report (@ColbertReport) May 1, 2013
He’s also taken jabs at Bitcoin commenting on its shady nature and joking that, “How does this unregulated, imaginary currency invented by an anonymous hacker, backed by the full faith and credit of YouTube comments ever go wrong?\”
Colbert doesn’t simply talk about Obamacare and Mitt Romney on his social media channels, he casts his net far and wide – providing commentary on what social media wants to hear. His humor of course, is not something that can be easily matched by us, normal mortal social media managers, but we should put in a slight effort. Maybe.
Here are some tips to maneuver your social media strategy based on his:
Controversies are Fun
Stephen Colbert advises that a brilliant strategy is to discomfort people. He says, Just associate your product with a divisive political position and just wait for the cash to roll in.
Colbert added: Hey, La-Z-Boy, why not run ads that say, You know who’s lazy? Mexicans.
It’s however, also important to ensure that these controversies are addressed in the right manner by your brand, and racially or culturally sensitive topics should be avoided at all costs. Quick banter on a celebrity (except a stand-up comedian) is acceptable, such as the #BetterBatmanThanAffleck episode.
Decide Who You Want to Be
Stephen Colbert’s always satirical even if he is not picking up on political segments. He’s built a persona for himself and he cannily uses the reach of social media to reinforce that perception. He lashed Nissan in a segment which Nissan then converted into a positive PR opportunity. He still stuck to what he best does. There’s no point eating your words or deleting your posts.
No Original Content? Talk About Other People
Your organization might not have something going on 24*7 but there’s always something happening in the world. Capitalise on it. Stephen Colbert takes on advertisements like a sappy Cheerios ad when he doesn’t want to talk democrats and republicans.
If You Can Make People Laugh, You Can Make Them Do Anything
Humour is the sharpest weapon in your hands. Jump on trends and get people to laugh along with you. Stephen Colbert has a huge fan following not just because he is a celebrity but because he creates entertaining content. Remember, no one likes to get bored and everyone likes a laugh. Especially on social media, which is an escape from the real world for all your fans.
And as Colbert would say, “That’s it for now, everybody. Good night.”
Here’s where we’re headed!
