As marketers, we know that content is king in today's digital marketing world. Another familiar buzz word is engagement. All marketers want to create engaging content. Engagement means that we want to communicate with our readers. We want them to be interested in what they read, we want them to identify with our content and we want our content to compel the readers into an engaging action. We want their reaction and feedback to what we write. Here are a few tips on how to achieve that goal:
1 - Put yourself in the readers shoes
If we want our readers to be interested in what they read, then we need to think what will interest them. If we want readers to identify with our content, then we need to put ourselves in their place and try to understand what drives them. What will make or break them? What problems do they have and what solution and assistant we can offer them through the content we provide? what do they need to know in order to be compelled into engagement with our content? Who is the target audience and what do they want and need? We want feedback from our readers, we should be able to check ourselves and give our own feedback, to make the content even better.
2 - KISS - Keep it short and simple
In the era of the world wide web, people have a very short attention span. Patience is almost non existent. this means we need to keep our messages and our content short and simple. Over elaboration will cause a loss of interest in our readers. Lack of focus will cause confusion. Before you set about to write your content make sure you have defined your target. What do you want the readers to learn from your content? What is the main message? What activity should the reader undertake after reading your content? How can you achieve these goals? If you know the answers, you will be able to write focused and simple content that is engaging and is thus efficient for your business.
3 -"If you have to shoot, then shoot. Don't talk" - Start your content with a big bang!
The short attention span of readers today has already been mentioned. The first paragraph is paramount to peaking the readers interest, so put all the big guns right at the beginning. Focus your first few sentences on the needs of the reader and push all the buttons you think will make readers react to your content the way you want them to. readers need to understand what is wanted of them right att he start. If they wish to comply, they will stay to read the rest. then at the end you remind them of the action you want to take and provide closure to your content that way.
4 - Do not over sell
Yes, we are all marketers. Yes, our readers know this. still if we over do it with selling and marketing jargon, readers will be put off. To many exclamation marks and bold or colored font will also annoy our readers rather then serve the emphasis purpose. Readers what to know that they are getting value for their time. Our content needs to provide them with that value. the WIN WIN situation occurs when both the reader and the writer get value from the content and the engagement it has spurred.
5 - Be professional and organized
Write using correct language and grammar. check your spelling. Organize the content into understandable paragraphs and headings for easy reading. Make the reader feel that this content was written by a professional. Good professional content created a reputation that is transferred also to the product you are marketing. Making a good impression is always conductive to good marketing content.
Remember that you need to provide great text, but images can also help enhance your content. There are many ways to present content today, like info-graphs and videos. But even so, the basis of all content formats is a well thought message and a great script. So the above tips are always relevant. I hope you will find them helpful.
Showing posts with label social media marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media marketing. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
How to Create good Video for Marketing
in today's internet world, video has become a powerful tool for marketers. The saying is that one picture is worth a thousand words...to phrase this to more modern times - one video is worth a thousand pictures. People in the era of web like to get their information visually. Video channels and sharing sites have become powerful search tools in the web. All this means that as a marketer, you should definitely have videos as part of your marketing mix, or you are going to miss out on a great exposure channel. On the other hand, there is so much video out there that is is hard to make your material stand out. This article provides 5 tips to help you create more engaging videos at a moderate cost.
1 - Tell a relevant story - think about the information that your audience wishes to see and how you can provide it for them in an interesting manner. Statistics show that most people are looking for tutorials and training, information on how to use products or educational information such as new trends and tools. Think about the problem that your product solves for your customers and then how to enhance this information in a short video. Present a story line - show the problem and then the solution. Keep the video focused on the i,portant messages you wish to deliver. Make sure what you are showing is indeed the most relevant information your audience seeks.
2 - KISS - Keep it simple and short - think about delivering a focused message in simple terms and within 5 minutes. In today's electronic world even a 5 minute video may sometimes seem to long. People are not looking for flashy high budget effects. You can keep the cost of the video very moderate and still create an engaging film. If you have complex information, consider delivering it in a series of short videos - asking your viewer to watch the next video at the end of each short film (see more below about call to action).
3 - Create clean and focused imaging - consider your composition, lighting and sound.
Composition: The rule of thirds in photography recommends that you divide your frame into 9 blocks (3X3) and use the 4 dividing lines as guides to locating the most interesting objects in the video on those lines. Lighting: When filming people, make sure the lighting is complimentary and there are no shadows falling on their faces. Purchasing a good flash light even for home use is not very expensive and it will change your video completely, giving it a very professional look. Asking your subject to wear colors that compliment their complexion and paying attention to simple make up will also improve your video considerably.
When filing products, make sure the background is neutral and there is no scatter in the frame.
When filming computer screens, make sure there is no reflection and the content on the screen is seen clearly in your film. There are editing software that capture what is going on the screen directly from the computer. Sound: You need to make sure there are no distractions within your video frame. No moving people in the background and no background noise. You might consider using music in your video in a background yet enhancing capacity. Music can help create the right atmosphere for your video without taking center stage. there are websites that provide such soundtracks for moderate costs. If you are recording speech, make sure that you are eliminating the background noise as much as possible and use a good professional microphone.
4 - Do not forget branding and a call to action - your video is part of a marketing mix and its role is to engage your customers to continue their interaction with your information. Place a clear logo in the beginning and the end of your video, so that it is clear to the viewer who is providing them with information. Use your branding colors in the video sequences to enhance your brand even further. If you have music that is identifiable with your brand, use it. You can create such music by using a certain soundtrack in all your videos repeatedly. Make sure that your website link or a link to a landing page is embedded in your video. Include a call to action asking the viewer to do something after they have finished watching your video. should they contact you (provide info how to do so), is there a white paper they can read to further deepen their understanding of the information in your film? should they watch additional videos? Refer them to your website, brochures, presentations and all the other components of your marketing mix.
5 - Share and track - use all the modern web channels to expose your video to a maximum of viewers, and measure their viewing habits so that you can improve your content continuously. Once you have uploaded a video online, make sure it is shared and exposed to your audience via all the available channels. You tube and other video sharing platforms, social media networks, your own website, PR websites, special content websites and indexes or sites of relevant exhibitions as well as your newsletters and mailing campaigns should all have a link to your latest video. Try to create a buzz around the fact that your are publishing new content. Create a special landing page for your video and a corresponding PPC campaign in Google and Social Media platforms. Use the metrics and reporting of channels such as you tube to research the success of your video. Did your audience view your video to the end? how many people viewed it? How many people shared it? All this info is important to understand if your video has indeed provided your audience with relevant information that has interested them enough so that they took the trouble to view your film to the end and even to share it with their colleagues and friends (see first tip about telling a story). If this is not the case, see when the viewing stopped and try to learn from this, where your narrative needs improvement.
If you keep to these guidelines, you will be able to create simple yet engaging video content that will enhance your marketing efforts. In today's internet world, advertising is no longer an expensive undertaking possible only for large and established firms. Anyone can be an internet star! If you create an engaging video and a buzz around it, it can do wonders for your business.
Here is a link to a video I was involved in creating, as part fo my role as MarCom manager for Vidisco Ltd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bIIAuM21c0
1 - Tell a relevant story - think about the information that your audience wishes to see and how you can provide it for them in an interesting manner. Statistics show that most people are looking for tutorials and training, information on how to use products or educational information such as new trends and tools. Think about the problem that your product solves for your customers and then how to enhance this information in a short video. Present a story line - show the problem and then the solution. Keep the video focused on the i,portant messages you wish to deliver. Make sure what you are showing is indeed the most relevant information your audience seeks.
2 - KISS - Keep it simple and short - think about delivering a focused message in simple terms and within 5 minutes. In today's electronic world even a 5 minute video may sometimes seem to long. People are not looking for flashy high budget effects. You can keep the cost of the video very moderate and still create an engaging film. If you have complex information, consider delivering it in a series of short videos - asking your viewer to watch the next video at the end of each short film (see more below about call to action).
3 - Create clean and focused imaging - consider your composition, lighting and sound.
Composition: The rule of thirds in photography recommends that you divide your frame into 9 blocks (3X3) and use the 4 dividing lines as guides to locating the most interesting objects in the video on those lines. Lighting: When filming people, make sure the lighting is complimentary and there are no shadows falling on their faces. Purchasing a good flash light even for home use is not very expensive and it will change your video completely, giving it a very professional look. Asking your subject to wear colors that compliment their complexion and paying attention to simple make up will also improve your video considerably.
When filing products, make sure the background is neutral and there is no scatter in the frame.
When filming computer screens, make sure there is no reflection and the content on the screen is seen clearly in your film. There are editing software that capture what is going on the screen directly from the computer. Sound: You need to make sure there are no distractions within your video frame. No moving people in the background and no background noise. You might consider using music in your video in a background yet enhancing capacity. Music can help create the right atmosphere for your video without taking center stage. there are websites that provide such soundtracks for moderate costs. If you are recording speech, make sure that you are eliminating the background noise as much as possible and use a good professional microphone.
4 - Do not forget branding and a call to action - your video is part of a marketing mix and its role is to engage your customers to continue their interaction with your information. Place a clear logo in the beginning and the end of your video, so that it is clear to the viewer who is providing them with information. Use your branding colors in the video sequences to enhance your brand even further. If you have music that is identifiable with your brand, use it. You can create such music by using a certain soundtrack in all your videos repeatedly. Make sure that your website link or a link to a landing page is embedded in your video. Include a call to action asking the viewer to do something after they have finished watching your video. should they contact you (provide info how to do so), is there a white paper they can read to further deepen their understanding of the information in your film? should they watch additional videos? Refer them to your website, brochures, presentations and all the other components of your marketing mix.
5 - Share and track - use all the modern web channels to expose your video to a maximum of viewers, and measure their viewing habits so that you can improve your content continuously. Once you have uploaded a video online, make sure it is shared and exposed to your audience via all the available channels. You tube and other video sharing platforms, social media networks, your own website, PR websites, special content websites and indexes or sites of relevant exhibitions as well as your newsletters and mailing campaigns should all have a link to your latest video. Try to create a buzz around the fact that your are publishing new content. Create a special landing page for your video and a corresponding PPC campaign in Google and Social Media platforms. Use the metrics and reporting of channels such as you tube to research the success of your video. Did your audience view your video to the end? how many people viewed it? How many people shared it? All this info is important to understand if your video has indeed provided your audience with relevant information that has interested them enough so that they took the trouble to view your film to the end and even to share it with their colleagues and friends (see first tip about telling a story). If this is not the case, see when the viewing stopped and try to learn from this, where your narrative needs improvement.
If you keep to these guidelines, you will be able to create simple yet engaging video content that will enhance your marketing efforts. In today's internet world, advertising is no longer an expensive undertaking possible only for large and established firms. Anyone can be an internet star! If you create an engaging video and a buzz around it, it can do wonders for your business.
Here is a link to a video I was involved in creating, as part fo my role as MarCom manager for Vidisco Ltd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bIIAuM21c0
Monday, January 27, 2014
How to Get the Gold out of Social Media?
I recently attended a Facebook marketing seminar and one of the things the presenter said was that the real money is not in the social media but needs to be dug out of there.
so Data Mining has a whole new meaning now. Mine the gold out of Facebook and other social media networks means that you need to get people who surf in these networks to click on a link that gets them out of the social media and into your marketing funnel - a link to a landing page or your website, depends on how you structure your marketing efforts.
But which social network would give your business the best results? There are a few issues to consider before making this choice:
The first instinct is to day - maximum exposure. but then over time we have learned that in order to get good conversion rates, is you can focus on your public, then quality is better than quantity. The internet gives you the ability to focus on your true public. social media networks like Facebook and linked in are able to cut through the masses and sort out those people who care really interested in your information.
Facebook is able to collect many tidbits of information about the combination of interests of its users, so you can really use its campaigning tool to find exactly who you want to approach with your messages. Placing an advert in the news-feed itself guarantees that it is seen also in mobile smart phones and tablets. these are the viewing platforms of the future and will become increasingly important to your business.
Linked in enables membership in targeted groups and you can use their campaigning tools to reach those groups.
Focusing your efforts is also important. It is very difficult to spread the work in all the various social networks. yo have to be efficient and select the network that is best targeted to your specific audience. Facebook has gotten its users used to commercial content, while twitter and linked in are characterized by a public that is more sensitive to marketing. You have to also think about the type of product and which way to present it will be the most efficient. If you have lots of interesting pictures, you might consider Instagram or Pinterest (e.g these are great platforms for internal designers). If its video, then YouTube is the most powerful channel out there today, and yes, ?I do regard YouTube as a social media network!
Focusing your message also means that you need to repeat it often. setting up an automatic system of adverts and links is part of getting good results. Frequency should not be too often, but you should be exposed again and again to your potential clients. Twitter has the "retweet" system, which enables messages to be repeated again and again in the network.
Focusing means also thinking locally. Local networks may be more powerful in certain markets, so if you want to penetrate them, looking for the strongest local social media or forum is the best solution, and it usually means posting in the local language as well. Professional forums and magazines could prove to be the best communities in which to reach your audience online.
The trick to an efficient and focused campaign is efficient presence. this means that you choose the best two social media networks that are most suited to your product and marketing strategy (see above in focusing), and you remain active in those networks, putting all your efforts into them. In other networks, where you only need to be present (active low scale), will only serve as background to repeating your postings from active networks and linking into your funnel.
Being active means to engage: Put most of your content into the active social network. Take part in discussions, follow group members, respond to posts and create interesting content. Post your own adverts in these networks, pulling readers out of the social media network and into your landing page in order to provide the reader a more elaborated experience with your specialized marketing content. Invest your dollars in campaigning in the social media network you have selected to be active in.
Being present means links to the active social media or to existing content on the website, with no special effort at new content or paid campaigns.
Selecting the main network to be active in is not so simple anymore. Social media has become a popular and accepted means of communication and not only for the young. If you have never worked with social media before, it is advised to test all the networks in the first month and then select the ones to be active in based on results and achievements of the test campaign. the internet offers great measuring tools that can dig up data on your campaigns into the finest details.
Flexibility is key: One network is hot today and cold the next. If in the past Facebook catered to the young and restless, it is today becoming a mainstream family network and young users go to the smart phone apps Like "Whats app" and Insatgram. Twitter was all about news when it started, and now no celebrity who respects themselves will be caught without the ability to "tweet" about every step they take. Being aware if these trends and the changing nature of each of the social media networks is key to launching a successful campaign. Using the measurement tools available to day and monitoring achievements will help you maximize your campaign results. watch your campaigns as they develop and steer them in the right direction, making changes as you learn along the way.
Remember that social media marketing is supposed to serve your product and business. Do not create content jsut for the sake of creating content. Do not purchase "likes" just so you can have thousands of irrelevant people looking at your posts. Make your posts focused to your clientele and give them links into your marketing funnel for maximum results. Dig the gold out of social media, do not stay behind to wallow in the river's mud...
so Data Mining has a whole new meaning now. Mine the gold out of Facebook and other social media networks means that you need to get people who surf in these networks to click on a link that gets them out of the social media and into your marketing funnel - a link to a landing page or your website, depends on how you structure your marketing efforts.
But which social network would give your business the best results? There are a few issues to consider before making this choice:
The first instinct is to day - maximum exposure. but then over time we have learned that in order to get good conversion rates, is you can focus on your public, then quality is better than quantity. The internet gives you the ability to focus on your true public. social media networks like Facebook and linked in are able to cut through the masses and sort out those people who care really interested in your information.
Facebook is able to collect many tidbits of information about the combination of interests of its users, so you can really use its campaigning tool to find exactly who you want to approach with your messages. Placing an advert in the news-feed itself guarantees that it is seen also in mobile smart phones and tablets. these are the viewing platforms of the future and will become increasingly important to your business.
Linked in enables membership in targeted groups and you can use their campaigning tools to reach those groups.
Focusing your efforts is also important. It is very difficult to spread the work in all the various social networks. yo have to be efficient and select the network that is best targeted to your specific audience. Facebook has gotten its users used to commercial content, while twitter and linked in are characterized by a public that is more sensitive to marketing. You have to also think about the type of product and which way to present it will be the most efficient. If you have lots of interesting pictures, you might consider Instagram or Pinterest (e.g these are great platforms for internal designers). If its video, then YouTube is the most powerful channel out there today, and yes, ?I do regard YouTube as a social media network!
Focusing your message also means that you need to repeat it often. setting up an automatic system of adverts and links is part of getting good results. Frequency should not be too often, but you should be exposed again and again to your potential clients. Twitter has the "retweet" system, which enables messages to be repeated again and again in the network.
Focusing means also thinking locally. Local networks may be more powerful in certain markets, so if you want to penetrate them, looking for the strongest local social media or forum is the best solution, and it usually means posting in the local language as well. Professional forums and magazines could prove to be the best communities in which to reach your audience online.
The trick to an efficient and focused campaign is efficient presence. this means that you choose the best two social media networks that are most suited to your product and marketing strategy (see above in focusing), and you remain active in those networks, putting all your efforts into them. In other networks, where you only need to be present (active low scale), will only serve as background to repeating your postings from active networks and linking into your funnel.
Being active means to engage: Put most of your content into the active social network. Take part in discussions, follow group members, respond to posts and create interesting content. Post your own adverts in these networks, pulling readers out of the social media network and into your landing page in order to provide the reader a more elaborated experience with your specialized marketing content. Invest your dollars in campaigning in the social media network you have selected to be active in.
Being present means links to the active social media or to existing content on the website, with no special effort at new content or paid campaigns.
Selecting the main network to be active in is not so simple anymore. Social media has become a popular and accepted means of communication and not only for the young. If you have never worked with social media before, it is advised to test all the networks in the first month and then select the ones to be active in based on results and achievements of the test campaign. the internet offers great measuring tools that can dig up data on your campaigns into the finest details.
Flexibility is key: One network is hot today and cold the next. If in the past Facebook catered to the young and restless, it is today becoming a mainstream family network and young users go to the smart phone apps Like "Whats app" and Insatgram. Twitter was all about news when it started, and now no celebrity who respects themselves will be caught without the ability to "tweet" about every step they take. Being aware if these trends and the changing nature of each of the social media networks is key to launching a successful campaign. Using the measurement tools available to day and monitoring achievements will help you maximize your campaign results. watch your campaigns as they develop and steer them in the right direction, making changes as you learn along the way.
Remember that social media marketing is supposed to serve your product and business. Do not create content jsut for the sake of creating content. Do not purchase "likes" just so you can have thousands of irrelevant people looking at your posts. Make your posts focused to your clientele and give them links into your marketing funnel for maximum results. Dig the gold out of social media, do not stay behind to wallow in the river's mud...
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