Twocents Magazine June 2015

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TCM

APRIL 2015.

THIS ISSUE WE FOCUS ON:

THE MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS OWNERS AND MARKETING TEAMS

DIGITAL MARKETING

THE ART OF A GOOD EMAIL SUBJECT LINE. THE 3 BIGGEST MISTAKES BUSINESSES MAKE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. FOUR WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR CONTENT MARKETING. 30 SOCIAL MEDIA HACKS TO BOOST YOUR BRAND PRONTO!


e m o c wel

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR W

elcome to the first edition of the TwoCents magazine. This will be a quarterly publication full of tips, trends, insights and hot topics about the world of marketing. If you are unfamiliar with us, TwoCents was established in 2009 and our aim has been to help Australian companies of all types and sizes, to grow. We do this by providing our clients with the marketing expertise and resources that they may not have in-house or supplementing those in-house skills with more creative ideas. Across the TwoCents team, we specialise in marketing strategy, company branding and logo design, graphic design, advertising campaigns, social media, public relations, web design and development services, SEO and Google, and print. This magazine will explore the art of a good subject line, tips on how to improve your content marketing and our top 30 social media hacks. The entire TwoCents team has contributed to the production of this magazine. We hope you enjoy this magazine and we look forward to seeing you again in Spring!

SIMON DELL FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

CONTENTS 2

WELCOME LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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[ TECH TIK ] 2015 WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE!

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THE EVOLUTION OF OUR FAVOURITE WEBSITES

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FOUR WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR CONTENT MARKETING

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30 SOCIAL MEDIA HACKS TO BOOST YOUR BRAND PRONTO!

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THE 3 BIGGEST MISTAKES BUSINESSES MAKE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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THE ART OF A GOOD SUBJECT LINE

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CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: WHAT INFLUENCES CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISIONS?

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[ DESIGN GRIPES ] WHEN LOGO DESIGN GOES BAD.

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WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM IS BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE APART OF THE NEXT TCM ISSUE? Email info@twocentsgroup.com.au

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[TECH TIK]

2015

WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE!

Drones

Apple Watch

Quantum Dots

What is a drone? A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that can fly with pinpoint accuracy via computer controls. No longer just a weapon of the US military now drones are able to fly at speed and go where people can’t. They can potentially help locate and rescue swimmers, hikers, map unmanned areas, transport people, medicine and other goods to those in unreachable locations.

The Apple Watch has been one of the most anticipated products of 2015 and the marketing for the watches has been fantastic. The watch acts as a supplement to the iPhone and has over 3,000 compatible apps. It monitors your health, delivers your notifications, allows you to text, tweet and order an uber.

Now we know you’ve seen all the curved televisions, promising better quality and experience but what about the picture itself? The quantum dot is going be the next big thing in television watching bringing better image quality to cheaper sets.

Drones are providing data beyond our visual line of sight and experts believe spending on drone technology will reach 11 billion dollars in 2016. For marketing purposes drones are currently being used for publicity stunts for example delivering coffee. Drones will be used to target consumers mobile devices to send specific ads, so there is a space opening up for marketing professionals to use drones to deliver content in new and exciting ways.

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Response to the gadget has been mixed; it’s easier than ever to tell the time and access your notifications, but it’s not so great for apps. The screen is too small and the watch has a less user friendly interface. Marketers should focus their apps on creating easier processes for consumers rather than pushing sales as consumers familiarise themselves with the watch by providing content that is targeted and relevant. The apple watch means that marketers now are closer than ever to their consumers - smartphone screens are significantly more influential than TV screens but operate again, on a significantly smaller scale.

The first thing to know is quantum-dot televisions are a new type of LED-backlit LCD TV. The image is created just like it is on an LCD screen, but quantum-dot technology enhances the colour. On an LCD TV, you have a backlight system, which is a bank of LEDs mounted at the edge of the screen or immediately behind it. That light is diffused, directed by a light-guide plate and beamed through a polarized filter. The photons then hit a layer of liquid crystals that either block the light or allow it to pass through a second polarized filter. While the prices are incredibly high at the moment we can see them dropping in price and everyone enjoying their benefits.

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THE EVOLUTION OF OUR FAVOURITEWEBSITES GOOGLE Yes we had to include the one and only Google. Where would we be without it? How would we know how long starfish live? Founded in 1988 Google is the world’s largest search tool with 40,000 searches per second and 1.2 trillion searches per day. Google is racing Apple to be the first trillion dollar company. www.google.com

WIKIPEDIA

TWITTER Founded in 2006 Twitter was originally thought to be a flop as people wondered how they could convey messages in 140 characters. Today Twitter has 1.6 billion searches each day with 500 million users and 80% of businesses use it as a form of communication. twitter.com

AMAZON Amazon was originally intended as an online bookstore but since it was founded in 1994 it has become one of the world’s largest online stores. Over the years Amazon has been more interested in providing a quality service than flash website however they are currently worth $54 billion. FACEBOOK

CNN is an extremely popular news program in the United States and in 1995 they made a bold decision to move their news online. CNN has been able to keep up with the 24 hour news cycle and is the most searched for news website in the world and 16.9 million followers on Twitter.

en.wikipedia.org YOUTUBE Youtube is a website that does not provide any content for their audience. Youtube users upload 300 hours of content to Youtube every minute and has been responsible for launching the careers of Justin Bieber, Cody Simpson and Kate Upton. Youtube was purchased by Google in 2006 for $1.6 billion and is now worth an estimated $40 billion. www.youtube.com

www.amazon.com

CNN

While this website may not be the most reliable source of information Wikipedia has 4.8 million articles with over 470 million searches each day. Founded in 2001 it is often at the top of a Google search and allows users to make edits to the information.

The brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg everyone has heard the story of Facebook. The social networking site launched in 2004 at Harvard University now has over 1.4 billion users and is worth an estimated $212 billion. Facebook has managed to stay relevant unlike other networking sites such as MySpace by constantly changing and updating to keep up with audiences.

EBAY Ebay was founded in 1995 and again provides no content yet a platform for businesses to exchange goods for cash. This can be done from private sellers or established companies and Ebay provides seller security. Ebay is worth an estimated $43 billion and is one of the success stories from the Dot Com Bubble. www.ebay.com

www.facebook.com

www.cnn.com

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30 SOCIAL MEDIA HACKS TO BOOST YOUR BRAND PRONTO! 1. Have a call to action on your social media channels. Sign up for our newsletter here! Read our new blog! Purchase yours now! 2. If your customers have lots of questions you can have a dedicated Q&A session on your social media where customers can have their questions answered right away. 3. If your customers post positive reviews or experiences make sure you share them and thank them. 4. Ask your audience

questions. What are they doing? What do they like? They will provide you with valuable insights and allow you create a dialogue with your customers.

5. Keep an eye on trending

hashtags and see how you can relate your content to reach a wider audience.

6. Allow a budget to boost posts and promote your page. Make sure you target the correct audience relevant to your business. 7. Engage with groups and

events that relate to your products. For example share your ‘101 things you need to know about traveling’ to a travel interest group.

8. Always use call to actions

and always provide clear direction for example ‘click here to find out more’.

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9. Integrate your different social media platforms to boost followers. Each platform must be reflective of the others posting similar but not exact copies of the content. 10. Offer promotions and exclusive deals to your followers rewarding them for their engagement. 11. Allow your users to promote by tagging a friend on your page or sharing an image on their page. Offer further discounts or prizes as incentives. 12. Have a wide range of content to post so your audience does not get bored with your page. 13. Utilise your platforms

analytics page to gain valuable insights to your audience. Who are your audience? When are they online? What are they engaging with?

14. Avoid scheduling your posts. They have a lower reach to your audience than if you post in real time. Also the news/current event and weather of the day can change dramatically. You would not want a post promoting a BBQ during a thunderstorm. 15. Use hashtags where appropriate, make sure they are relevant and highly searched. 16. Avoid posting controversial topics unless they directly relate to your business and your comments are necessary.

17. Do not delete negative feedback. Thank the customer for bringing the situation to their attention, apologise for the mistake and ask for their personal contact details to resolve the situation privately. 18. Always use images when

possible, followers engage more with visual aids.

19. Share content from other sites. If you see a great article related to your business on platforms such as Buzzfeed then share it. 20. Engage with larger accounts. For example a restaurant may tag @gastroart on Instagram with a chance to be featured on their page to millions of followers. Having your content being shared by another page with a large database of followers can mean an increase of thousands of followers overnight. 21. Create a blog to discuss your business, industry trends and news. Comment on other blogs to lend your expertise. 22. Develop and implement a social media policy for your staff. If you do allow your staff to engage with your brand on social media there need to be restrictions on what they can and can’t say.

24. Give your brand a personal touch. Did one of your employees have a baby? Is it someone’s birthday? Did someone participate in a charity event? Share this news. 25. Make sure all your accounts are linked to each other and you use the same name. Also make sure your website and phone number are listed on all platforms. 26. Run competitions which are funny and engaging. 27. Share video content. Videos are the fastest growing form of entertainment on social media with 4 billion videos viewed on Facebook everyday. Show a video of how your product or service works. 28. Where you can photograph your customers engaging with your brand. Where possible, tag them in images you share online. 29. Share information via your own personal graphics, where possible put your logo on this. 30. Watch other larger companies in your industry to see what they do. What is working for them? What doesn’t? Learn and modify your content to suit your situation.

23. Invite key media, bloggers and influencers with large social media followings to experience your products/services.

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THE 3

BIGGEST MISTAKES

BUSINESSES MAKE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Not responding to complaints

2. Ignoring copyright

3. Being irrelevant

The internet has created an anonymous open forum where customers can unleash their bad experiences on a company’s social media page. Customers have a habit of exaggerating when they complain online as they have had time to go over the situation and have allowed it to get worse.

Copyright law protects the intellectual property of the authors whether that be music, art or film. With so many businesses promoting themselves on social media and encouraging you to share content with your own followers the line between ok to share and copyright can be blurry. As a general rule if you are unsure whether you can share content ask the site and make sure you acknowledge them in your posting.

There is no point in posting to social media if your content is not relevant. Only post what directly relates to your business. Feel free to be fun and creative. Post news about your business, your products/services, your industry trends and your own content. Never badmouth your competitors on social media or make claims that you are better than them.

When these negative comments and reviews are posted on social media it can be very damaging for a business especially a small business. It may be so tempting to delete the comment or to let the customer have it however this can be extremely detrimental for your business. Companies have destroyed their reputations by not responding to these types of comments appropriately. Feel free to remove any comments with swearing, abusive language or obscene content. Make sure you acknowledge you have deleted these comments but posting ‘Your comments have been removed as they contain obscene language, if this type of content is posted again you will be blocked and reported to (social media site)’. The correct response is to thank the customer for their feedback, apologise for the incident and ask them for their personal details to handle the complaint privately. You may offer the customer an apology, offer the customer to return to your business for a discount/free experience or offer the customer a refund. If you still feel the customer is being unjust in their comments an apology is all you should offer.

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If someone claims you have shared copyrighted content on your page and reports you the content can be removed without your consent. You will be given a formal warning from the social media site however you will be able to make a counter notice. The social media site will be able to assist you from there. By complying with requests and cooperating with the website you should find yourself in the clear. In extreme circumstances you may want to gain legal advice. If you feel someone has infringed your copyright you can begin by contacting the person/ company and asking them to remove it. If they do not comply you will then need to fill out a copyright claim with the website.

If you are posting statistics or news make sure you double check the source and the information is correct. Customers will not engage with your brand if you post incorrect information. Being irrelevant can also mean you don’t post enough or you post too frequently. If you don’t post enough your audience will unfollow you and stop engaging with your brand. On the other hand if you post too frequently you run the risk of oversaturating your audience and having them switch off. Be consistent with your postings. If you only post once a week, keep it that way. The exception to this would be in the event of an emergency and you are relaying information to the public in real time.

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THE

ART OF A

GOOD SUBJECT LINE How many emails do you send straight to the trash can every day?

W

e’re living in a time where brevity is important. Your audience’s inboxes are jam-packed - you need to fight off the other hundred emails just get them to open your email and read through it. So with so much noise, how do you stand out? How do you ensure that your email gets opened? A good email subject line is the key. It will increase your open rates and get your audience reading your emails. But unless you’re a copywriter, it can be hard to craft the perfect subject line. I haven’t always got the subject line right. It’s taken a lot of testing and learning from other email marketing experts, but I can confidently say now that my subject lines work. They help my email marketing campaigns get opened and read. So what makes the perfect email subject line? It’s a combination of five elements. Let’s explore each element and discuss how you can start improving your email marketing with better subject lines.

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1. Use the right words Too many times I run into email subject lines that just don’t use the right words. They are either plain boring or way too complicated to understand. One way to improve performance is to use words that describe a benefit. In fact, research by Adestra studied subject lines from 2.2 billion emails and found that words like “delivery” and “sale” perform well. Keywords that describe a benefit work well because they stand out. Particularly, if the benefit is closely related to an audience’s need, then it instantly makes a connection and the reader wants to open the email to find out more. Let’s look at an email from Van Heusen with the email subject line: “Shirts for less than $35”. This subject line works because it offers a benefit. As a past customer, I know that shirts from Van Heusen usually retail for $80 - $100. So when an email like this hits my inbox, it immediately grabs my attention because it’s offering shirts for more than 50% off.

2. Avoid common ‘spam’ words On the flip side, there are words that you must avoid. These ‘spam’ words are known to lower your open rates because they tend to get caught up in email spam filters. You should avoid these words at all cost: “Free”, “Buy”, “Call now”, “Bonus”, “Discount”, “% OFF”. Although you may be tempted to use these words, they may stop your message from getting to your audience. Let’s look at an email I received from Menulog, which was caught in my spam filter: “Simon, all aboard! It’s the Menulog world tour (plus 10% OFF!)”. The reason this email got caught was because it had “10% OFF!” in it. You can’t be yelling “OFF” with an exclamation mark. That – combined with a percentage sign – just screams spam. Before you send an email, think about whether your subject line sounds like one of those spammy emails you get all the time. If it does, it will probably get caught.

3. Use celebrities & brands that are well-known to your audience Have you ever wondered why you are drawn to celebrity news? It’s because you want to read about their lives – you want to relate to them because they are popular and newsworthy. Using celebrities and ‘celebrity brands’ can really help improve the performance of your subject line. The trick is to find a celebrity or brand that your audience knows. Even better – find someone or a brand that works inside your industry. People want to read about other people and brands they are familiar with and can relate to. For example, let’s say TwoCents is sending an email update about this blog post that you’re reading right now. Imagine if we used a subject line that references a brand mentioned in this article. Compare these two subject lines: •

“Avoid these email subject line mistakes made by Menulog”

“Avoid these email subject line mistakes”

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Image Credit: Rayi Christian Wicaksono (unsplash.com)

Which email would you open? Of course the Menulog one because it’s a brand you know and you can relate to!

4. Personalise your email subject line We have all been guilty of sending broadcast emails that are bland and generic. But personalising subject lines can be one of the easiest ways to increase email engagement. How many times does an email marketing campaign actually address you by name in the subject line? Would that catch your attention? Apparently it does. Research by Retention Science analysed 260 million emails and found that subject lines with the recipients first name in it had and average open rate of 18.3%, compared to subject lines without a first name attracting an open rate of 15.7%. That’s a 16% increase. Mailchimp research found similar results in its study: personalising the first and last names in subject lines had the biggest impact on open rates.

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Although using a recipient’s first name might not make sense with every email campaign, it certainly is worth trying. Let’s look at this email from Freshbooks: “Simon, you have 3 days left on your FreshBooks trial”. Freshbooks addresses me by my first name, which certainly stands out from the other generic emails in my inbox. This works because people like receiving emails that are addressed to them. It makes us all feel special. We don’t like being treated just as an email address we are human!

5. Appeal to your audience’s interests Knowing your audience is an essential element of email marketing. So when it comes to writing subject lines, you need to incorporate your audience’s interests and challenges. By segmenting your email list based on your audience’s interests, you can tailor the subject lines to connect on a more personal level.

For example, let’s say at TwoCents we have two primary segments for our email list. We have marketing managers and we have small business owners. Each audience has different goals, interests and challenges. When we send out an email update to let them know about this blog post, we should use a different subject line to appeal to their respective interests. Marketing managers are interested more in how-to guides and strategies, while owners are interested more in the end result: the ROI. Here are two different subject lines that show this idea in action: Marketing manager: “Five ways to improve email open rates by writing better subject lines”

Improving email subject lines is a process of testing and optimising. Email marketing is becoming harder and harder as more and more emails are flooding our audience’s inboxes. The best way to combat this noise is to make your subject lines brief, to the point and interesting to your audience. You might not come up with the perfect subject line straight away. It will take ongoing a/b testing to find out what works best for your audience. Use inbuilt segmentation and a/b testing features inside your email marketing to try different subject lines and analyse what works and what doesn’t. As you get a better understanding of what works, you can optimise your subject lines for better performance.

Business owners: “Improve email marketing ROI by understanding how subject lines affect email engagement” Are you segmenting your email list and sending tailored emails? I can guarantee it will increase engagement.

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CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR:

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WHAT INFLUENCES CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISIONS? Understanding consumer behaviour is an essential skill that can help you increase revenue. The rise of social media and the web has changed how consumers shop for products. Instead of relying on recommendations from friends over coffee, consumers are now turning to the web to get opinions from friends and others online. This fundamental shift in consumer behaviour cannot be ignored. If your business is still turning a blind eye to social media and the web, you are at risk of becoming irrelevant. In this article, we’ll help you better understand what is influencing your modern buyers and show you some strategies that can help you use this insight to grow your business.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACTS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

2. THE WEB IMPACTS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

3. STORE FEATURES IMPACT CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: Research by Bigcommerce found that 81% of respondents said they were influenced by social media posts from their friends. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Social media is a communication tool we use as an extension of our day-to-day lives. It is simply an online medium that we use to express our opinions, thoughts and gripes.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: The web has become the go-to resource for product research. In fact, the Bigcommerce study found that 9 out of 10 respondents watch videos about tech products they may buy. A separate study commissioned by GE Capital Retail Bank found that 81% of buyers research online before going in store to purchase.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: The study by Bigcommerce asked respondents what store features influence their purchase decisions. If you exclude the obvious factor – pricing – purchases are highly influenced by delivery speed, in-store pickup availability, rewards programs, reviews and education content.

The big difference in the old way you shared opinions and the new social media way is the reach. Consumers can reach all of their friends on Facebook with one post. This update can be liked and shared to hundreds more people via the single platform. Word of mouth is no longer restricted to the people in the room. This is great news for you. It means that if you sell great products and deliver amazing experiences, your customers will do your marketing for you. They will share your products on Facebook, they will recommend you on Twitter and they will like your photos on Instagram.

Consumers aren’t just using PCs to research products online; they’re also using their smartphones. Seventy-six percent of smartphone owners use their devices while shopping and fifty percent use their devices to check prices, promotions and reviews. With this changing landscape, how do you keep up and influence buyers? Here are some ideas.

If you can provide these nice-to-haves that extend the customer experience, you’ll be able to influence purchase decisions and drive more sales. The three influences that really stand out to me are delivery speed, in-store pickup and rewards. As a business competing online, here are some ideas to help you offer these features.

Encourage your customers to share your content. Consumers trust content that has been shared by their friends. So instead of simply using social media to push out new products and content, empower your customers to share content themselves. Thirty percent of consumers are most likely to respond to branded offers shared by friends – because they trust their friends’ recommendations. Use visual content to increase engagement. Photos and videos are the preferred mediums on social media. Consumers want engaging content that connects with them emotionally. Instead of using simple updates on social media, try to use images and videos to better communicate your messages. Bigcommerce research found that 44% of consumers are most likely to engage with content that contains pictures and 37% will engage with content that features video.

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Product information is key. Consumers love to research products before they buy. No longer do they trust the opinions of salespeople. This means you need to help consumers by ensuring you have in-depth and accurate product information on your website. Provide consumers with the information they need to make a purchasing decision. By being the store that provides great product information, you’ll be in a great position to encourage consumers to buy from you when they are ready. Your website needs a good mobile experience. Consumers are visiting your store on their mobile devices. You need a responsive website that is easy to use on mobiles, or you risk deterring consumers and forcing them to go to your competitors. The modern consumer is savvy – he or she will likely be researching on their phone while walking through your store. By making the user experience seamless, you’ll keep them on your site and have the opportunity to personalise offers during the purchase decision process.

Delivery speed. Source a delivery company that can guarantee fast delivery. Innovative companies like Want it Now offer retailers fast three-hour delivery services. In-store pickup. Add the in-store pickup option to your online store. Give an employee the responsibility to fulfill these orders and arrange them for pickup at a designated spot inside your store. Loyalty rewards. There are plenty of products available to online retailers that let you set up loyalty programs and incentive systems to encourage customers to come back and buy more from you. Sweet Tooth offers a customer loyalty product that integrates seamlessly with popular shopping carts like Magento, Shopify and Bigcommerce. Grow your business by understanding consumer behaviour. Knowing what modern consumers want can help you influence their purchase decisions. The rise of social media and the web is making retail super competitive. To grow your business, you need to provide enhanced experiences for the modern customer.

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[DESIGN GRIPES]

N E H W GO LO N G I S DE OES G

D A B A logo is the identity of a brand, the visual representation of a company, easily identifiable and what your customers will judge you on. We no longer live in a world where your logo will be laughed at by the people on the street. A simple snap from a phone can mean your logo is online and being criticised world wide. We live in a world when people online can be very cruel and can see things in ways which were never intended to be seen. Simple innocent logos can be perceived as sexual, obscene or taboo by looking at it from a different angle. A STYLE

CATHOLIC CHURCH ARCHDIOCESAN YOUTH COMMISSION

This logo is another example of an optical illusion however A Style may not have chosen this logo by accident. The company has been accused of using this logo as a form of guerrilla marketing to attract attention to their company.

This logo was designed in 1973 and was originally awarded for excellence in design yet is an example of how perceptions can change over time.

ARLINGTON PEDIATRIC CENTRE This logo for a children’s clinic has gained international attention for all the wrong reasons. This is an example of an oversight where the logo was not overviewed properly.

OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCE On first inspection this logo is simply an OGC but when turned clockwise 90 degrees you can see something different. Despite criticism the logo is still in use by the OGC with no signs of change. Image Credits: www.boredpanda.com

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Tips for your logo? 1.

Choose a simple design. Simple designs can be very effective, elegant and easy to remember.

3.

Make sure your logo reflects your business. Use colours, font and style that reflects who you and your company are.

2.

Go with a reputable agency. You may have to pay more to get a reputable agency to design your brand for you but it should pay off in the long term as you will have a creative, beautiful and sleek logo you can use for years.

4.

Have a second, third and fourth pair of eyes look over it. Not just your own peers, choose someone younger and older as well. Words, symbols and acronyms can mean different things to different generations.

5.

View the logo backwards, upside down, in a mirror and back to front. If it looks ok then you are good to go!

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WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM IS BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS? %

of brands using social media platforms

Google + 37%

While Google+ only has 37% of businesses it is an important tool for B2B, networking and bloggers. Google+ allows you to visually demonstrate products and services to your network of clients. Google+ has 359 million active users per month and can deliver fantastic search engine results if utilised properly. Your Google+ allows people searching your business to see your Google+ Page and the most recent posts will be displayed on the right side of their personal search results page. Google+ is one of the newer social media platforms however it continues to grow in popularity as more companies utilise the benefits of this Google powered channel.

YouTube You Tube is the second biggest search engine after Google and video content is the fastest growing form of entertainment social media and You Tube commands an audience of billions with 300 hours of video uploaded every minute. 60% of businesses use You Tube to communicate with their audiences. As it is owned by Google having content on You Tube can boost your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). For a business the most successful videos are short between 30 seconds to 1 minute, fast, engaging and relevant to your brand. The business must visually demonstrate their services, products and latest news the more engaging or humorous they are the better however video production can be expensive so it is important to have a plan on how it will be executed.

60%

Facebook Facebook continues to be the largest social media platform with 80% of businesses using this platform. Facebook experiences 22 billion likes and shares per day, 4 billion video views per day and has 15% of total internet minutes on their site. Facebook allows businesses to have a two way conversation with their customers, run competitions, collect data, share content and manage inquiries. Video content has become increasing popular with video views increasing by 1 billion in just 4 months. Videos displaying your product or services in a humorous, clever and engaging way will have the most success.

80%

Twitter 83%

All businesses should be on Twitter and from the graph you can see that 83% are. Twitter is an open forum to start conversations and establish an open dialogue with your customers. Depending on the structure a business should be posting multiple times per day and commenting on relevant news to be considered a thought leader. A recent survey of social media users found that 39% would rather hear from companies on Twitter than any other forum.

Instagram 23% Brands using social media platforms. Bigcommerce 2014.

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Only a mere 23% of businesses are on Instagram however Instagram users are up by 240% since 2014. Not all businesses need to use Instagram, it is more important that you are on relevant social media channels and managing them well, rather than trying to be across all platforms and doing this poorly. Instagram is for users who want to switch off, they do not want news, statistics or serious content. They want to see beautiful images of food, fashion, design and lifestyle products. The key to success is to use hashtags relevant to your business. #dontusehashtagsthatdontexist you want people to find you. Creating a company hashtag and encouraging your followers to use it on related posts is the only exception to this rule. The humble selfie is also your key to success as pages with people’s faces tend to have higher rates of interaction.

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Cover Image Credit: Jeff Sheldon (unsplash.com)


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