Buzz

The key to successful digital marketing starts with an understanding of some basic principles of advertising. Here’s everything you need to know about online marketing. (This pair of sentences was written by a human so the AI had something to build context off of.)

Read more, and then make some decisions based on what works and what doesn’t. As with any marketing, a good strategy requires a lot of effort, and more than a little luck, and your own work and creativity.

How should you do it?

The first step is not to simply follow the crowd. As a result, we’ve seen a lot of brands go the route of social media influencers. But that means creating fake accounts, and those accounts can be easily found. Instead, it’s time to figure out where the real world influencers are to begin your digital marketing plan.

There are various social media platforms that could give you an advantage. For example, Pinterest lets you discover new brands, and has a network of thousands of users dedicated to Pinterest. Or you could try a new social media marketing platform, such as Zappos, to become more noticed among the millions of Zappos loyal fans. A recent study showed that Zappos’ Facebook fans had more followers than any other brand on the network.

For the most part, the internet is an equal-opportunity space for influencers. If you’re looking for a particular type of fan, make sure to ask in the forums or on Twitter where you can find them.

However, remember to take your online marketing strategy to the next level by starting up a blog. There are a number of free and paid blogging platforms to choose from. Blogging can bring out some serious social media savvy.

Why do you need a web presence?

If you’re looking to launch a great digital marketing campaign that generates business, don’t stop at Facebook and Twitter. You still need to get your brand out there. You better have a Web presence, since most of your visitors will come to your website.

The online world is very crowded with information, and you don’t want to be left behind in the information revolution. You’re already a marketer, so it won’t be very difficult to learn how to put information into action. But there is a lot your audience can do on their own. The Internet is an open, global resource, and a digital marketing campaign should reflect that.

You can’t ignore the fact that there is a huge market gap between consumers and marketers. People are willing to spend money on their online purchases. It’s still a new concept, but many companies are trying to address consumer needs. If your content is compelling to your target audience, you’ll start attracting customers.

Be on the lookout for a follow-up blog all about AI and how it’s going to help and hurt advertising really soon! 

If you wanted to try this AI for yourself check it out here: https://storyai.botsociety.io/

Your friends send them, your favorite brands utilize them, and your mom loves them just a tad too much. So, what are Emojis exactly? Well, they’re just the most expressive keyboard your phone has, and it doesn’t even require letters! The Emoji keyboard has a universal nature that makes it hard to ignore. Today, we are doing just the opposite by celebrating World Emoji Day! Join us in celebrating with these interesting facts!

Today’s Emojis Come From All Over 🌎 

Ever since the popularity of Emojis skyrocketed in the post-MySpace era other companies understood they needed to incorporate this special keyboard into their apps. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter all have their own different but similar looking Emojis.

The First Emoji Was Created In Japan 🗾

When emoticons like the classic smiley 🙂 or the flirty 😉 entered popular culture the next step were Emojis. Created in August 1999 by Shigetaka Kurita in Japan. The tiny characters that help us express ourselves better online, blasted onto the scene, with a lot of Japanese influence. From the bowing businessmen to some of the original food Emojis, like ramen.

Adding A New Emoji Is Harder Than You Might Think 🕑

Adding a new Emoji to Unicode is a formal process that can take more than 2 years. When the general public desires a new Emoji, it can trend and get national attention, but it still will take a while to reach smartphones. According to Emojipedia, there are ”3,019 Emojis in the Unicode Standard as of March 2019. This includes sequences for gender or skin tone, flags, and the components that are used to create keycap, flag, and other sequences”

The Hot Dog Emoji Was Up For Debate 🌭

The hotdog Emoji was one of the most requested Emojis, even getting a viral petition for the creation of the dog. The problem was the creators where struggling on what toppings to include on the iconic American delight (Mustard ultimately won out). Now its existence makes many people all over the globe very happy. 

The Reach Of Emojis Is Hard To Fathom 👽

With availability on just about every modern smart device, Emojis are accessible to social media users from young to old all across the globe! It is reported that 5 BILLION Emojis are sent on Facebook in a single day! There is no doubt Emojis have revolutionized how we communicate in the digital age. 

⁣⁣

Hollywood Hears It’s Popular–Hollywood Makes It A Movie 🎥

The Emoji Movie premiered last fall to an uproar of mass confusion. This silly children’s movie earned a whopping 7% score on Rotten Tomatoes! While Emojis themselves are a great way to communicate, their movie didn’t quite talk the talk. 

The Same Images On Your Phone Are Hanging In A Museum 🎨

On the flip side, the actual art of Emoji’ has been admired for its impact on society. The Museum of Modern Art houses the ORIGINAL Emoji collection. Talk about fine art!

Emojis Are A Measurable Medium 📈

Twitter has invented their very own Emoji Tracker! The Emoji Tracker has been described as “an experiment in real time visualization”. The software is keeping track of how many and what Emojis are being used on their platform. The 😂 is the most popular!

The History Behind The #Holiday 📅

The first World Emoji Day took place in 2014. The holiday is  celebrated with emoji events and product releases. As well as annually trending on twitter and being discussed on talk shows. 

No one: 

Emojis: 

All Demographics Use Emojis

Even though the majority is younger, everyone can get butterflies from receiving a 💜 Emoji or go beyond the “LOL” with a 😂. Emojis help people connect and show emotions. Some even Calling Emojis the new global language. There is beauty in the fact that no matter what language you speak a 💜 is a 💜

Emoji’s have definitely infiltrated everyone’s lives. The ability to send a heart or a smiley face really helps connect people. The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words really has proven true with Emojis success. This digital language is worth celebrating every July 17th! How will you spend your World Emoji Day 🤔 ? 

Links For Sources 

• https://www.cnn.com/style/article/emoji-shigetaka-kurita-standards-manual/index.html
• https://emojipedia.org/stats/
• https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/94792305/how-do-new-emojis-get-created-it-takes-at-least-a-year
• https://blog.emojipedia.org/5-billion-emojis-sent-daily-on-messenger/
• https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/technology/digital-world/emoji-the-new-global-language/
• https://www.cultofmac.com/639170/check-out-all-the-new-emoji-coming-to-iphones-this-fall/

    From scrolling down your twitter feed to a stroll through the mall, it’s easy to see that this year’s Pride is in full swing. The month-long LGBT+ celebration is a beautiful conglomeration of activism, history, parties, and even marketing? Brands promoting gay pride publicly was unheard 50 years ago (Which is when the historic Stonewall Riots occurred, leading the way for the modern gay pride movement.) However, now in our more socially-minded society, consumers care a lot more how a large brand impacts the world and it’s culture.  With an increase in brands riding the inclusivity wave, it calls into question, does featuring and celebrating LGBT+ Pride positively or negatively impact consumer demand?

    Inclusivity Marketing is creating content that truly reflects the diverse communities that your company serves.  We have seen this in various movements from the #bodypositivity movement to #aeriereal campaign. Which shows models of all shapes and sizes flourishing in underwear ads. Brands are realizing marketing to every kind of person may be the way to attract new customers. Creating campaigns that showcase real people not just photoshopped models. Which allows more marginalized groups a chance to really connect with that brand, creating brand loyalty. An even simpler reason, is  targeting a wider range of people equates to plainly, more eyes on your products. This more inclusive marketing trend combined with the Pride celebration’s continued growth. Means the month of June is the perfect showcase for large-scale inclusivity marketing. A mix of companies using their platform for good and some wanting to make money off of marginalized groups leaves a mixed-bag of interesting campaigns that are worth analyzing. 

2019 Pride Content Examples

1. Adidas – Released a Pride collection entitled “Pride pack”.  Though not tied to product sales, Adidas will be supporting The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for the youth of the community.

2. Absolut Vodka  – Using a myriad of LGBT+ influencers, Absolut Vodka  is kicking off a campaign with multiple channels, including commercials, branded events during Pride weekend, and in addition to bringing back its iconic rainbow bottle, Absolut has launched a multi-year partnership supporting GLAAD’s work accelerating acceptance for the LGBT community.

3. Victoria Secret- Their brand Pink, tweeted their support for Pride month where they state that they will donate 100K to a LGBTQ+ Organization, the brand is still facing scrutiny over anti-trans comments made earlier this year.
4. Gap –  Launched its “Love all ways” campaign highlighting what family means today and will donate 15% of proceeds to the U.N. Free and Equal Foundation.

5. American Express – Is celebrating Pride with a performance by Singer Lizzo. All proceeds will go to the Stonewall Community Foundation, an organization that bears part of its historic name to honor the 1969 uprising that started in New York and the spirit of freedom, resilience, and resolve that abides today. American Express is also displaying an array of Pride-themed ads over New York with messages of Pride and acceptance. 

These are just some of the examples of what companies do during the month of June. What Makes them successful or scrutinized all depends on context. 

How These Campaigns Were Received

    Campaigns run by Absolut Vodka, Gap, and American Express have three things in common, that made their Pride campaigns successful. First, their brands support the LGBT+ Community throughout the year, not just in June. They do this with continued donations (American Express) and inclusive marketing (Gap and Absolut Vodka). Two, they specifically call out where they are donating their money, instead of just vaguely stating they are supporting the community. This makes the campaign seem more genuine. Lastly the pride/rainbow items they are selling are completely or in-part not for profit. The transparency demonstrated by these brands isn’t just a new fad. 

    Regan Clarke, Brand Director of Absolut Vodka, USA knows exactly where his brand belongs in all of this and is proud of it. Stating “Supporting the LGBTQ community back in 1981 was a risky decision for mainstream brands, when taking a stand for equality meant going against conventional culture.” Absolut’s 30+ year commitment to Pride is a great example of how inclusive marketing, can work and has worked. Demonstrating how powerful, socially aware marketing really can be when trying to further your brands position and satisfy younger consumers. These brands are creating an image for themselves as a positive presence in the world. Brand directors  like Regan Clarke, show how putting time and effort into a pride campaign can really yield positive returns. 

    On the opposite spectrum is Victoria Secret. Earlier this year they had a major scandal involving their CMO Ed Razek. When he claimed transgender people don’t belong in the “coveted” Victoria Secret fashion show, because they don’t represent fantasy. “Dear Victoria’s Secret, you said trans women can’t sell the “fantasy” so here I am as a TRANS WOMAN selling the FANTASY! ماهي لعبة الروليت ” wrote trans makeup mogul, Nikita Dragun on her Twitter account in the weeks following the 2018 fashion show disaster. Fans were quick to bring Dragun’s tweet up again when Victoria’s Secret attempted to voice support for the LGBTQ+ community during pride month (The Tweet above). Showing how consumers are quick to call out inconsistency and injustice within a brand. The brand has not fully recovered from Ed Razek’s comments. كيف تلعب القمار This tweet sent out for Pride makes the company look even more out of touch. Only helping in bringing up past scandals and driving even more consumers away.

    Adidas similarly has a bad reputation when it comes to supporting the LGBT+ community year round. The company is a huge sponsor for the Olympics, which took place in Russia in 2014. قواعد لعب البوكر Russia’s anti-gay policies are well documented and many LGBT+ Individuals from all over the world run the risk of these harsh policies by traveling to and participating in the games. Many consumers called them out, saying the company is not truly LGBT+ supportive when they are helping fund the Olympics in such a dangerous place for the community. Many calling their  “Pride Pack” a cash grab because of LGBT+ consumers’ desire for rainbow everything during Pride. The “Pride Pack” seems disingenuous because the money made from, those shoes specifically, all goes into Adidas’ pocket.

    The donations they are giving to the Trevor foundation are appreciated and valid, but many consumers seem to be unhappy with the broad claims of supporting the Trevor Project because isn’t being transparent about the actual amount or percentage of product sales that they are donating. Vox writer Alex Abad-Santos summarizes what Adidas is doing perfectly stating that “Brands promoting gay pride and the LGBTQ community may not always be consistent in actually supporting the LGBTQ community, but they still capitalize on the help that people want to give that community.” With their continued support of an event that isn’t LGBT+ friendly like the 2020 Olympics consumers are smart enough to realize that this brand doesn’t really have the LGBT+ communities best interest at heart year-round, only when it might seem convenient. 

Is Marketing During Pride Worth The Risk?

    A good Pride campaign can break boundaries, start meaningful conversations and position your brand favorably with a growing audience. On the flip-side, brands whose campaigns seem like lazy cash grabs will dig their company into a very big hole both on social media and with the general public mindset. Consumers are savvier than they have ever been and can tell when a brand is being genuine in their marketing.  Companies like Gap and American Express clearly state where the money raised from their Pride campaigns is going and it is that transparency that draws in the modern consumer. In today’s age consumers vote with their dollars, many choose not to support brands that don’t align with their views. It’s up to brands to decide where they will fall politically and socially because it might affect their bottom line. 

Help For Our Heroes

Darren Seys with Commander Ryan Ley

Darren Seys, founder, and CEO of Peak Seven was quoted in the Miami Herald’s article There’s still lots of time to help others for Thanksgiving, this week. As a board member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization South Florida (EO), Darren indicated that troops in their early 20s needed guidance on “starting a business, joining a company or just integrating back into the civilian community,” and that EO was going to give these troops any mentoring they needed to get readjusted to civilian life.

“One of EO’s core values is to ‘Make a Mark’ like serving our community,” Seys said. “It’s extra special to do this for these young South Florida men and women who bravely serve our country in the air and on the ground. بينجو اون لاين ”

Thank you to the Miami Herald for writing such an uplifting and thoughtful article. We hope Darren’s words helped to inspire some more good acts in our community this holiday season. كيف تفوز في روليت You can find their interview with Darren in the second section of the article. رهان الخيل

To read the full Miami Herald article, click here.

To learn more about EO, click here.

Is Video the Answer?

Back in 1980, The Buggles released a little song called Video Killed the Radio Star. It was a pop hit and is remembered for it’s message about how Video was going to take over radio, but moreover, all other forms of media.  In the past year, Facebook has instructed digital marketers to use more and more video on it’s platform because it had adjusted it’s algorithm to favor video posts. The world’s largest social media platform said it would bring more followers and engagement organically than static images or well-written copy would.

What Does the Data Say?

Businesses who valued their social media standing took this advice to heart and started pouring money and hours into video content ranging from 10s clips to live footage of events and Stories. Unfortunately this hasn’t panned out as agencies expected since “engagement has dropped by more than 50% over the last 18 months”. This goes for all post types including video, images and links. Interestingly enough, image posts performed much better overall than video posts in that same 18 months as the chart below shows. Creating video content is an expensive and time draining process. قانون البوكر It turns out that all that work might not be worth it in the end.

So what do most businesses do to curb the engagement drop? Post more content of course! Well, not exactly. “Facebook Business Pages that posted less than once a day had the highest engagement per post…however [they] had the lowest overall levels of engagement.” It turns out that even if you’re posting 5x per day on Facebook, your page still suffered greater than 50% loss in engagement.

What Should your Business Page do?

The answer to this question comes in a few different flavors. One thing you can do to bring back followers is post higher quality content. This might be a win-win for both you and your followers. بينجو اون لاين On one hand your followers get to enjoy nicer looking, better written content. On the other hand, your brand is better represented online and may be looked at more favorably than a competitor with lower quality social posts. العب اون لاين مجانا Anther answer to the organic engagement problem is to focus more on paid engagement by boosting posts. Paying for your social posts on Facebook to reach the right people at the right time can be very helpful is bringing in new followers and driving up viral impressions. Expanding your content offerings beyond Facebook is something to look into as well. There are lots of platforms on the web, each one with a different audience and more opportunities to show off your brand. Maybe it’s time to start thinking about Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest and even newcomer Tik Tok (Musical.ly) as a space for your brand.

Whatever you decide to do, it’s too early to fully leave Facebook behind as so many people still use it, but it might be a good idea to start thinking about the future of social media as older platforms decline in popularity (see Myspace).

Sources:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/buffer-facebook-page-post-analysis

https://blog.bufferapp.com/facebook-marketing-strategy

https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/2/17644260/musically-rebrand-tiktok-bytedance-douyin