It’s so easy to get caught up in the number of “likes”a Facebook page has or doesn’t have… Businesses should ask themselves is the number of “likes” they have really all there is? Is it even possible to over value the worth of a “like”? We all know that utilizing Social Media for business and brands is more than just Twitter and Facebook. It’s about having a good social media strategy, listening to the online conversation, engaging in and setting objectives with measurable results… and having a next step.
Last week the marketing world learned of a Facebook marketing strategy that had gone seriously wrong. For simply “liking” their Facebook page, the company had promised a free gift that was worth about $17.95. For some reason the company forgot the basic marketing premise of never disappointing their customer base. Just a simple disclaimer: “while supplies last” or “for the first 100 people” is what it would have taken to make this promotion a success. Three days later this company realized their blunder, achieving their forecast number of “likes”. They compounded their lack of accurate forecast by waiting about 3 weeks before they initiated dialogue to customers that had liked the page but wouldn’t get the freebie; far too long a response time. The damage was done… twice they had not delivered on their marketing promise to their potential customer.
It’s a known tactic that offering consumers free stuff engages response and trial… and in today’s world, the word gets out fast on contest-aggregating websites! A lack of understanding of the media and how the audience engages is sure way of failing. Success of any marketing initiative, social media, print, TV or radio…still remains in the planning, execution and details.
A marketing plan is fundamental and the social media plan needs to be folded into that. Freebies, giveaways, free stuff…. it’s great to see how many people are listening to you, and dive in! Yes! But at what cost? What price? Premiums, giveaways….they’re investments in building a relationship to further promote customer engagement and customer’s experience towards your brand.
What is your USP? Who is your target market? What is your budget? Setting objectives is mandatory for long term vision. Set sharp, clearly defined goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound (trackable)… just as you would in traditional marketing.
I remember the days when WordPress was young and Matt Mullenweg was just starting to kick out one of the most exciting and user-friendly ways to run a blog and self-host it. Then it got real beautiful and super exciting because the open source community embraced it. Developer and designers a-like, believed that if you enhance a platform for the love of it and to improve it for all, more people will use it. They were more then correct on that assumption, they were dead on. WordPress has evolved into a robust CMS (Content Management System) which is being utilized by a variety of different businesses and individuals. I personally have grown up using it, developing and deploying it for clients and I am a huge supporter of the WordPress movement. It was great to hear one of the co-creators share on the history and future of the platform. To read and see the address head over to WordPress – State of the Word 2011 or view it below.
Designing for a niche is a well-targeted sales strategy. When your product caters to too many targets, the customization becomes diluted and your product doesn’t stand out. Nowadays, with so many options out there, you really have to make what you’re offering reach out and grab your target’s attention.
Because of its specificity, a collaborative, agile niche market design that really speaks to consumers at a deep level is long lasting.
Print, news and web are changing the game, demanding more comprehensive design materials that allow for interaction, and the reflection of social media integration. It’s not all about pretty pictures. But whether it be print, web, packaging or specialty products – the niche is a lucrative place to look.
Engaging an optimal audience is also possible through niche marketing. As reported by the Globe and Mail, when designing women’s shaving cream packages, Toronto Agency Juniper Park took little things into account like the fact that women shave in the shower – easy gripping – and that they like scented products – colourful variations.
Reaching out to a target in this way creates deeper dialogue between its members – who are already more invested in the product than the norm. Said Paul Kemp Robertson, editor of Contagious, in a article over at Marketing Magazine: “The beauty of niche is you get people who are very engaged and create thicker connections…The smaller the network, the thicker the connection.” These are the people that will pass along the information with others they think will be interested, because they are.
Like most successful marketing, the key is having that agile perspective. To really put yourself in the shoes of your target, and create something distinct that they will want to share and discuss.
QR codes are everywhere. 3H utilizes this fast evolving technology for our clients, and for ourselves! A digital marketing consultant provides some good info: what they are, how they work, and where to incorporate them into a company’s marketing plan (see link below).
We are 3H Communications, an advertising, marketing, branding, communications and new media agency. Our team is driven and passionate about all that we do. We take pride in what we produce and ask that you have the same outlook.
Question: Why do you want to work with us?
Answer: You are a…
Web Developer with Mad skills.
Play great in the sandbox
Quick on your feet
Meticulous
Responsible,
Reliable,
A thinker
Well organized with solid production capabilities.
Experienced in building database driven websites
Person who is great to bring home to an unsuspecting family
If you dream, chew on, and fantasize about the following, you’re a person that we need to have a powwow with:
Query and modern standards based HTML5/CSS3
You get stoked about all the latest APIs – Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, geo, custom oData
Programming in multiple languages (the ones we have all come to know and love)
Creating, Testing and Debugging sites and web applications for cross-browser and multiple device compatibility
Enforcing a quality assurance process for the code, adhering to our high quality standards and processes
Content management platforms (and building CMS solutions that content editors love)
You’re at your best working with a team who are experienced, are uber smart, super capable, and like to “get it done!”
Disclaimer: If you are not all that, but can learn fast and feel that you’re up to the task, don’t be shy, we would love to hear from you.
Only candidates that are fit to be interviewed will be contacted.
Foursquare is one of the latest players in the social media market, quickly catching a following of over 6.5 million.The mobile-based program has been marketed as a game. It leverages itself as a social networking platform using “check-in” to local venues to gain loyalty points. (more…)
