Category: Blog

February Social Media Updates

Post author By Noisy Trumpet
Post date February 20, 2018
1 Comment on February Social Media Updates

Social media platforms are constantly innovating ways to retain users and draw in new ones. When done strategically, businesses can leverage these innovations to grow the visibility and value of their product or service. The following are the top three social media updates helping grow businesses.

Instagram Goes Shopping

Instagram is becoming an avenue of opportunity for e-commerce businesses. The app’s increasing popularity among beauty and retail brands and the rise of influencer marketing emphasize its potential for businesses. In order to capitalize on this insight, Instagram is testing a more immersive in-app shopping experience.

According to AdAge, the test includes full-screen and multimedia ad units allowing users to scroll up from the ad to see featured products in richer and more descriptive detail. Best of all, this feature would allow users to complete purchases without ever leaving the app, satisfying their purchasing desire quickly and seamlessly — making brands even more effective on the platform.

Snapchat Snap Map

Snapchat is now allowing people to view its content and formatting outside of the actual app. Using a web-based map, users can go to the Snap Map website and view publicly posted stories just like in the app. The unique element of this feature is it allows users to embed the story onto a webpage.

This update can be a great asset helping brands showcase their events. It provides a more personal experience via consumer-generated content and greater reach to those who were unable to attend. In addition, the update allows marketers to integrate the feature into a larger overall campaign.

Facebook Viewable Impressions

Facebook announced a new measurement update possibly resulting in a reduction in organic reach for business Pages — but it’s not all bad news. The social network will start only counting ‘viewable impressions’ for Pages. These impressions only count when a Page’s post actually appears on the screen and not when it’s just preloaded into the feed.

Despite the possible decrease in reach, this change gives Pages a newfound confidence in their numbers and ensures brand awareness is achieved. Also, rates of engagement per impression will be more insightful, truly showing which portion of users engaged out of those who just saw the content.

Allowing your brand’s voice to be heard can be a tough task. Our duty as marketers is to provide our clients with every resource available, including the most up-to-date social media tools and tips. With our expertise and these innovations, we’ll keep your business flourishing. Contact or stay social with us! We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet, favorite and DM away.

Super Bowl Advertising Reclaims Surprise

Post author By Noisy Trumpet
Post date February 7, 2018
No Comments on Super Bowl Advertising Reclaims Surprise

This year, Super Bowl advertising attempted to reclaim the element of surprise. This domineering tactic indicates a major shift from previous years with an interesting result.

Traditionally, Super Bowl advertising has become its own championship showdown, showcasing some of the best ads of the year. Not to mention, it constantly has the highest rates of viewership all year. So why did some advertisers not choose to hype up their ads with early releases or teases?

The Power of Surprise

In years past, advertisers release their ads weeks before the game to milk the expensive price tag for all its worth and stimulate consumer interest.

This technique uses the psychological priming effect. Basically, they create a small, positive experience first so that subsequent experiences are more likely to be positive. Teasing an ad helps ensure that people will keep liking it, making sure the $5 million budget isn’t wasted. However, this strategy leaves out a vital component of the ad’s success: consumer engagement.

The Effect on Consumers

For consumers, seeing the Super Bowl ads prior the game can surrender the joy of novelty. Consequently, consumers will care less when the actual ad is shown.

For instance, if a consumer has already seen the ad, they probably won’t pay attention during gameday — losing out on the value of the media buy. On the other hand, a consumer seeing the ad for the first time will likely be more attentive during the ad and even more engaged online.

Consumers are more motivated to join a conversation about real-time, trending topics rather than what’s already been covered. Therefore, their input and opinions about the ads become more meaningful. Whether it be on social channels or at work the Monday after, they see themselves as apart of a national conversation and current event rather than commenting on the past.

What to Take Away

According to Deadline, viewership for Super Bowl ads on Youtube after the game increased 16% from the previous year despite a 7% decrease in viewership of the Super Bowl. This suggests that there is something to the tactic of surprise.

It pays to be one step ahead of the conventional. Understanding consumer behavior and perception on a larger scale can help brands and advertisers stand out, garnering higher engagement and interest in real time — which, as marketers, is what we’re all after.

Advertising Blog

Email Campaigns Are Far From Over

Post author By Noisy Trumpet
Post date January 30, 2018
No Comments on Email Campaigns Are Far From Over

Let’s be honest. Most of us suffer from inbox overload, and filing through dozens of unwanted emails is just added stress. Nearly 105 billion emails are sent each day and this number is expected to reach 246 billion before 2020. For some, email campaigns are great at providing information directly to the consumer. However, for those sending multiple emails a day, it can easily get sent to spam. Here are some tips on how to receive and retain the attention your emails need to survive an inbox purge.

Only send important emails

Newsletters are no longer making the cut. No matter how interesting the subject line may be, studies show daily newsletters have the lowest read rate among campaign types and contribute to faster unsubscribing rates. Send emails twice a week, at most, to avoid pestering readers. Keep them interested by showing them what has changed since the last email. If emails include new information about the company or a new promotion, people will engage with the content more.

Keep it short and simple

Long emails filled with clutter will guarantee your email a spot in the consumer trash bin. Since simple structure gets the most clicks, always use clean lines and sharp images make emails more appealing. Write out short, well-defined, pieces to engage your audience. Don’t make anything long or confusing for them. Insert multiple links in your email directing readers to your site; this will keep their attention on your company. Most importantly, make all emails optimized for mobile devices. 72.9% of 18-24 year olds use their phones to check email; therefore, it’s essential to keep emails formatted for mobile users.

Make it personal

Emails with personalized data get the most interaction. Instead of writing “dear subscriber” try using the reader’s name. Personal emails like birthday promotions, post-purchase feedback, and welcome messages receive more attention than any other type of email campaign. Narrow down the general clutter in emails by sending recommendations based off the reader’s past interests. This will give the consumer a greater reason to read your emails.

Most importantly, know who your readers are and what made them originally interested in your company. Keep all emails closely related to each other and experimentation at a minimum. Ask yourself if the emails you send are worth reading; if you don’t want to read them, you can’t expect others to either. By incorporating these methods into your email marketing campaign, your emails are sure to be hit with the audience you’ve worked so hard to build.

Tags campaigns, digital marketing, marketing

Advertising Blog Industry Trends

Super Bowl LII: Traditional vs. Digital Marketing

Post author By Noisy Trumpet
Post date January 24, 2018
No Comments on Super Bowl LII: Traditional vs. Digital Marketing

As the Super Bowl approaches, there is no shortage of talk anticipating this year’s ads. More than 40% of American households are expected to tune in! It’s no secret the market for ad time is extremely competitive during this period of highly engaged viewers. However, with last year’s ads priced at nearly $5 million for a 30-second slot, some companies are beginning to wonder if the benefits are worth the price. Will marketers begin implementing a heavier presence in the digital realm as a result of increased traditional media competition during the Super Bowl hype?

Traditional Media

Our sister agency, The PM Group, has been handling media advertising for decades and has noticed digital trends. However, despite digital’s evolution, traditional media still reigns – for companies willing to pitch in that extra dime. A recent study published by the INFORMS Marketing Science journal finds revenue increases substantially for Super Bowl advertisers. MarketWatch estimates that a full hour of the Super Bowl broadcast is advertisements, meaning they are collectively viewed more than 136 million hours, just by the end of the game. When researchers studied the sales trends for beverage companies over the course of 5 years, researchers found that heavy sports advertisers, like Budweiser, had nearly a 5% increase in sales before and after major sporting events had aired (such as March Madness and the Super Bowl).

Social Media

We know traditional media isn’t going anywhere, but how are new digital practices affecting the playing field? Researchers suggest social media may have a bigger influence when it comes to extending the shelf life of big game ads. Forbes magazine calculated that nearly 5.7 million original posts were made online within 1 hour of last year’s Super Bowl. This produced nearly 40 billion impressions while paid social impressions had a total of 5.4 billion and TV ads had 11 billion. Consecutively, the hashtags #SB, #SB51, and #Superbowl2017 compiled over 86 billion impressions by the end of the game, which consisted of 11.9 million posts. For advertisers, social media is key when top Super Bowl ad lists are generated by companies. Last year consumers spent a record 350,000 combined hours watching Super Bowl 51 ads on YouTube. Oreos is most famously known for this type of marketing campaign, after tweeting about the infamous blackout of Super Bowl XLVII. Social media during major events gives marketers a platform to experiment with while still accomplishing their goals as a brand.

Digital Media

Although the cost of social media marketing is dramatically different than the price of TV spots, digital advertising brings a different element of value to the plate. The efficiency that digital ads provide when targeting consumers has many marketers turning to the digital playing field. Marketers can now pay to advertise to a specific subgroup within the Super Bowl audience, rather than the game’s entire viewership. Digital ads on a 30-second national spot will cost you $700,000 while the same national spot in broadcast will be around $5 million. Marketers are even able to customize multiple campaigns on various digital platforms, utilizing creative specific to the market, rather than air just one 30 second TV spot. Smaller budgets, audience customization and overall efficiency creates a better experience not only for the user, but the consumer as well.

So while traditional TV spots are booming, for now, expect to see digital presence skyrocket in the following years with brands’ Super Bowl campaigns. The digital space provides an affordable outlet to take advantage of trending campaigns surrounding major events, such as the Super Bowl. Differentiating between traditional and modern marketing strategies is key to realizing the value that lies in each. Especially as our world becomes more connected, integrating newer digital technologies into our tried-and-true marketing tactics will only allow for a more successful, holistic approach.

Tags ads, advertising, campaign, digital marketing, marketing, sports

Advertising Blog

When Is the Right Time to Rebrand?

Post author By Cesar Benavides
Post date January 17, 2018
No Comments on When Is the Right Time to Rebrand?

As consumers, we generally don’t realize the exact point we become brand aware. Throughout our daily lives, we interact with so many different brands without thinking about it but usually end up being subconsciously loyal to a select few. Although the number seems high, some studies suggest that we interact with around 4,000 different ads a day across tv, radio and social media.

Let’s face it, we all have our biases and preferences when it comes to certain brands; and to take even further, if we don’t recognize a specific company, we’ll completely write off their credibility.

This brings up the question, when should a business consider rebranding themselves? Does it have to do with their current brand awareness? Maybe, their company looks too much like another one? Or maybe, the brand has simply grown and shifted their mission.

To answer this, you’d need to take a look at a few factors that might aid in divulging existing problems with your current brand.

Your company looks too familiar to a competitor

Let’s say you and a familiar competitor had the same idea when tapping into the elements that make up your brand. This would result in using the same colors, fonts, imagery and maybe even verbiage when communicating your selling points. If the consumer or potential customers can’t distinguish between the two companies at a glance, then it’s definitely time to consider a rebrand.

You’ve shifted from your initial mission or focus

Evolution of a company is almost inevitable. And for the most part, expected. If your brand has outgrown its original mission from its early days or it has simply decided to focus on a new an improved initiative, rebranding could be the perfect way to communicate this message. Changing a business model to stay current with the climate of your competitors is a viable reason to start rethinking your overall image and in this case, approaching a rebrand with a fresh perspective could be extremely valuable.

When your initial brand was just a starting point

Let’s say you’re a startup, and the development of your company is moving quickly. You’ve set up an infrastructure, created somewhat of a general mission or direction, and you’ve got the initial building blocks for what could be a well thought out and expressive brand. Maybe it’s time to start extending the reach or the message to focus on an untapped market or it’s possible that you’ve finally found your voice and you’d like to make that concrete statement of “who are we”. In this case, a rebrand to the level of fleshing out the current brand would be a great idea. Catching a stride and finally understanding what you want to say and who you want to say it to would be the perfect chance to wrap a bow around your current brand.

It’s time to…..get with the times

There’s plenty of reasons to rebrand, but a common situation (and the easiest to justify) is that your current brand couldn’t stand the test of time and it’s time for a refresh. Updating the look of your brand to not look so outdated is the perfect time to consider a rebrand. But be careful. Brand awareness and brand recognition are a real thing and messing with your customer’s perception of your business can have negative effects that you weren’t planning for.

With every reason, rebranding should take place with greater attention than the first time around. Inspiration should draw from the past but not forget the direction that your company is headed in the future. Pay close attention to trends that are useful as well as those that will fade. It’s a process, but with a little work and research, you can come out with an amazing brand that speaks volumes about your company.

Also, be sure to contact us for any of your digital and PR needs in the future.

Tags rebranding

Advertising Blog Industry Trends Social Media

2018 Digital Trends to Grow Your Business

Post author By Noisy Trumpet
Post date January 9, 2018
1 Comment on 2018 Digital Trends to Grow Your Business

2017 was a big year for digital and tech — and 2018 is looking to be even bigger! As technologies have evolved, brands now connect with consumers in new ways as they demand a more integrated experience. We share what we think are the major 2018 digital trends:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Will be Commonplace

Artificial intelligence is no longer the product of science fiction. It’s real and helps brands better connect with their consumers. But what is it? Simply, it’s the study of how to make machines smart enough to solve problems as well as people can. Combined with big data and machine learning, AI is expected to make a huge impact on how we market to our consumers. Think image recognition software, chatbots, speech recognition, recommendation engines, and programmatic advertising.

Voice Searches Are Shaping SEO

As the use of Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, etc. increases, brands will begin optimizing their websites for how users search with their voices as opposed to typed.

According to Google, 20% of mobile search queries submitted via its app are already done using voice. Meanwhile, comScore estimates 30% of searches will be done without a screen by 2020.

Live Video Will Continue to Skyrocket

Live streaming started as a niche but has quickly been adopted by dominating social platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Unsurprisingly, live video accounted for 75% of all internet traffic in 2017 and is slated to increase.

Personalization Is Increasingly Important

The further that technology evolves, the higher consumers expectations are. If these expectations aren’t met, they can just click away in an instant. So, personalization, relevance, the customer experience, and tailored messaging will be key to truly connecting with your audience. AI and other technologies allow marketers to achieve this relevance at scale.

Strategic Social Media Will Become Your Best Chance at Reaching Followers

It’s no secret social channels are constantly updating their algorithms — making it harder and harder for you to reach your intended audience. That’s why 2018 is going to be the year for strategic, actionable social media plans for local businesses and large brands alike. Tailor content to your target user and be sure to keep up to date with trends.

Influencer marketing will evolve.

Brands will need to establish deeper, more authentic relationships with influencers, rather than a mere paid transaction that consumers see through. Micro-influencers with audience sizes of 1,000 – 100,000 followers will also gain more traction in the new year as their posts are likely to get up to 4x more engagement than macro influencers.

Mobile Video Viewing (and competition!) Is Growing

Video is king and brands have taken notice. In fact, brands have created video content to boost search engine rankings, increase engagement and website traffic rates. This will continue to grow in the new year.

Get Hyperlocal

Google and Facebook alike have begun incorporating local into their platforms, making it easier for local businesses to connect with their consumers. As ‘local’ becomes an increasingly hot topic, even larger national businesses will focus on local marketing, ensuring all locations are appearing in local rankings in 2018.

No matter your goals for the new year — if you want your business’ digital presence to outshine the rest — you need to be on top of the latest in digital. Need some help? We’re here for you!

Tags digital marketing, public relations, San Antonio, trends

Advertising Blog Public Relations

The Top Marketing & PR Campaigns of 2017

Post author By Noisy Trumpet
Post date December 19, 2017
No Comments on The Top Marketing & PR Campaigns of 2017

As we look back, 2017 consisted of many powerful marketing and PR campaigns – ones that have helped grow brands by touching on universal truths that resonate with their audiences. As marketers, it’s no surprise we admire when a campaign hits the mark. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites of the year.

Force of Nature

Combining nature and female empowerment in retail was not something on consumers’ radar in 2017. But, when outdoor company REI dropped Force of Nature, people were pleasantly surprised by the amazing storytelling campaign about a woman’s place in the wild.

Dilly Dilly!

Whose power, creativity and humor has the whole nation shouting “DILLY DILLY”? Bud Light, that’s who. This newly prominent catchphrase caught like wildfire and is worth admiring. In fact, this campaign was successful enough to present a sequel ad. Bud Light even went as far as sending a cease-and-desist scroll via town crier to a Minneapolis brewing company to protect their campaign’s individuality.

Strange Mode

Experiential marketing has been on the rise in recent years as marketers realize the importance of audience involvement. However, Lyft’s partnership with Netflix took it to another level — a “stranger” one. In partnership with the hit series Stranger Things, Lyft users got a chance to visit the Upside Down on the day of Stanger Things’ season premiere.

Fearless Girl

One of 2017’s most well-known campaigns was surprisingly the brainchild of a financial firm. State Street Global Advisers placed a bronze statue of a girl in power pose standing in front of the iconic Wall Street bull. The firm’s goal was to advocate for more female leadership – as a result of this creative statement, brought an incredible amount of brand awareness to the firm.

While the average consumer remembers the campaigns that made them laugh or cry, it is our due diligence as marketers to analyze what made these campaigns work so well. At Noisy Trumpet, we break down what brands have done right or wrong to help us become better at what we love doing.

Tags campaigns, digital media, marketing, public relations

Advertising Blog Public Relations Social Media

3 Ways Social Media is Impacting the Public Relations Industry

Post author By Cesar Benavides
Post date December 5, 2017
No Comments on 3 Ways Social Media is Impacting the Public Relations Industry

We are living in a connected world, a world where most rely on social media platforms to get their latest news. According to a recent PEW Research Center study, in 2017 two-thirds of U.S. adults received news from social media sites, predominantly Twitter.

Social media has affected not only how we consume news but how we engage with one another. For businesses, social media has become the new content distribution model, disrupting not only the nature of brand marketing, but also public relations strategies.

Gone are the days of traditional public relations, when developing brand awareness and visibility solely depended on press releases and cold calls to relevant media. Social media has changed the rules of the game, making it easier to amplify a brand’s reach, publicity efforts and media outreach on a global scale.

Today, PR firms must be disruptive and innovative, utilizing the power of social media to maintain a brand’s voice and online reputation through promotional content and consistent engagement. To better understand this transformation, here are three ways social media is impacting public relations initiatives:

1. Audience Reach

When it comes to audience reach, writing and distributing press releases is still a prominent and useful promotional tactic for content distribution and news coverage. If a media pitch is successful, press releases offer additional details and information journalists can endorse to audiences via broadcast, print and online channels.

Social media, however, gives brands the power to relieve a bit of this dependency and release news more frequently outside of local media outlets. By posting relevant content and utilizing visual aesthetics such as photos and videos, businesses are able to expand their audience reach, engage with their followers and measure traction. Social media offers a great platform for public relations firms to boost their client’s opinions, promote relevant content and offer commentary on the latest news and trends.

2. New Editorial Opportunities

Social media platforms, like Twitter, have become modern-day newsrooms. PR professionals can utilize these channels to find and segment new journalists by interest and industry focus. Most journalists are highly active on social media, often utilizing it as a search tool for interviews and expert commentary to support their latest story assignments.

Not only can sites like Twitter help PR professionals build their rolodex of media contacts, it can also result in new editorial opportunities for their clients, placing their brand and expertise in front of a larger audience.

3. Crisis Management

If there’s one thing a business dreads to hear and deal with, it’s a crisis. No matter the magnitude of a controversy, how and when a business responds can either boost or severely damage their reputable image.

By identifying potential crisis scenarios and preparing holistic approaches, PR professionals can employ social media in interim, to offer an immediate statement on behalf of their clients until an official assessment of the situation is made. An online presence following a crisis is necessary to not only monitor feedback and complaints, but to maintain a brand’s reputable image overall.

Overall, knowing how to use social media is an essential component to having a successful public relations campaign. Without it, you miss valuable opportunities for your brand and your message. Don’t forego social media’s power in your PR campaign. If you want to know more about how you can leverage social media to impact your campaigns check out our website or get social with us. We are just a like, tweet, follow or connection away.

Tags digital media, public relations, social media, trends

Advertising Blog Public Relations Social Media

Understanding Influencer Marketing

Post author By Noisy Trumpet
Post date November 27, 2017
1 Comment on Understanding Influencer Marketing

From YouTube stars to lifestyle bloggers, influencer marketing has emerged from the social media landscape as a new opportunity for marketers.

The buzziest of buzzwords at the moment, influencer marketing has gained traction for becoming an effective campaign strategy. In fact, a study suggested that 60% of marketers were increasing their influencer marketing budgets. However, like most trends, it is too easy to contextualize what something is and its effects without knowing the facts. Here, we help you gain a rational understanding of this up and coming trend.

Influencers vs. Celebrities

So, what exactly is influencer marketing? Deriving a definition from itself, influencer marketing is a strategy that uses influential people to successfully persuade people to use a good or service.

Simple enough. But what differentiates this marketing model from celebrity endorsements? They, too, are influential people who are often used to persuade audiences. To get a better understanding of social influencers, let’s look at key differences between them and celebrities

Influencers have their own niche audience; celebrities attract mass appeal
Influencers use social channels to produce content; celebrities use traditional channels
Influencers produce their own content; celebrities are a small part of content produced

These differences suggest influencers have a stronger connection with their audience than their celebrity predecessors. This is the key opportunity for marketers – leveraging influencers to tap into their personally invested audience. For this reason, there are many benefits that influencers bring to any campaign.

The Benefits

The most recognizable value of using influencers is also the most basic: people like them. This is a notable element for marketers because people have higher rates of attention and are more likely to be persuaded by people they like. Yes, this may seem intuitive, but it is also based in psychology. The most common of Cialdini’s persuasive principles is liking and it’s one of the reasons that celebrity endorsements have worked so well in the past. However, as the digital world flourishes, influencers may supersede celebrity endorsers.

Influencers are also highly specialized having become an authority in a particular niche. As a result, they receive greater engagement and are perceived as highly credible (another Cialdini principle). People go to them to meet a very specific need. Thus, marketers can access a highly engaged audience via the trust established by the influencers credibility. This ultimately leads to a better ROI. In fact, Adweek suggests 40% of respondents purchased something they saw promoted by an influencer through a variety of channels.

One overlooked benefit is that influencers help break down the traditional communication structure of advertising. Rather than typical one-way communication, partnering with influencers allows marketers to establish a dialogue with their target audience in the comments of social platforms. In addition, using influencers adds personality, tone and character to a brand. These elements are created organically by using a real-life person rather than fabricating it through a collection of tactics that can feel off-putting and artificial.

Precautions

With everything in marketing, it is important to reflect on the unintended consequences of whatever strategy your business is employing. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what to look out for with influencer marketing.

Like celebrity endorsements, placing your trust in a public figure can be unnerving. Even a celebrity is just a human, and humans make mistakes. As a result, your brand’s image can suffer greatly if an influencer makes even the most minuscule of mistakes. We’ve all seen how unforgiving the internet can be if a mishap does occur.

Another precaution to be aware of is selecting the correct influencer to promote your product. Yes, there are many. No, the one with the most followers isn’t always the best idea. According to research by Hitwise, a campaign’s success must be, “guided by the interests of both the influencer and target audience.” There must be a harmonious connection between influencer and a brand’s target audience, one that extends beyond demographics.

Understanding how to use social influencers can be a daunting task. Done correctly, it can be a valuable strategy to building your brand. As marketers, we understand the nuances in differing strategies, and with our assistance, we can use our expertise to help meet your business goals. Contact or get social with us!

Tags campaign, influencer, marketing, public relations, trends