by Jenna Elberson | Mar 26, 2013 | Business Success, Latest, Social Media
You have a great Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest page. Your timeline photo, background image and profile pictures are eye catching. Your brand is engaging your fans/followers with compelling content, because as we know content is king. You have all the elements you need for great social media presence, do you have social media metrics to track and measure the growth and success on the social media landscape?
There’s more to social media metrics…
If your brand has a business page on Facebook tracking changes to your social media is easy, but that’s not always the metrics you need to go by. Even on sites like Google+, Twitter and Pinterest it can a little more complicated, but it’s do-able. Keep in mind that not every client or business is the same so measuring metrics and your ROI will vary.
Here are just a few ways you can measure the success of your social media and enhance it. First start with…
1. Track it!
Search the web and you will find a few social media templates that have likes, comments, RTs. You can easily make your own, ask your client or yourself what it is you’re trying to track. What is your objective with your social media campaign; retweets vs new followers? Once you have the items you want to track you’re good to go. Keep track of the weekly activity and at the end of the week visit the chart and see what works and what doesn’t.
2. Sales
You should keep a close eye on your sales when promoting on Social Media. Most companies see big gain in sales by doing a push on social media. Track which type of promo does best for your sales. Whether you offer a % discount vs. a BOGO etc AND also keep a watchful eye on which social platform you generate the most sales from. Pinterest always increases sale more when you promote and item like clothing or a gadget where as a % discount on a product will better suit you on Facebook and Twitter.
3. Engagement
Which stories or posts garnered the most comments? When your users engage with your brand or the content you aren’t necessarily gaining a fan you’re gaining interest from that person. Track their social media journey. Does a picture do better than a story or a video vs. a question. The social media chart should track this and by revisiting it find out what works and doesn’t with your brand and watch for an increase in engagement with your fans/followers. Another key ingredient here is how YOU engage with your followers. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to response, but that you respond! People want their voice to be heard, whether it’s in a positive way or negative make sure you are engaging with your fans and interacting with them.
All brands will have a different social media strategy when it comes to tracking their metrics and ROI. As long as you keep a close eye on what’s working and what’s not and act on it, you will see a positive change towards your social media campaign. Not all things work the first time, be patience you’re working towards a positive ROI outcome and at first you don’t succeed try, try again.
by Miriam Hara | Mar 11, 2013 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Creative, Latest
Suffice to say that in any business, client happiness amounts to a happy business– your business. In the advertising world where business marketing meets conceptual communications …objectives, strategies and creative all need to be integrated to provide the one strong solution … it’s important to keep the following in mind to earn client happiness!
This should be your mantra: KNOW THEIR BUSINESS. It’s the equivalent of being prepared when you go to an interview. You must do your homework. Research their market, the industry, the competitive landscape and the product offerings. Remember trust must be earned, so if you’re not prepared and you don’t offer up a knowledge base of their playground…clients will get nervous about entrusting their product, service or brand to you.
Be a partner and not a supplier. Be accessible and make yourself a constant resource. In today’s speed of business, marketing teams, brand managers and marketing directors feel the need to rely on external resources to get the job done…and done well. Be that external resource. How? Ask to be part of the strategic process. Keep current on industry news or competitive information. Send them articles of interest or highlight key opportunities that may be pertinent to their company’s or brand’s success. Watch their back… and they’ll only be too happy to invite you in their inner circle to get the value of your insight!
Don’t tell them what they can’t do, tell them what can be done. As an advertising or brand agency it’s your job to sensitize them to the issues at hand, the potential problems of a certain initiative or concept…but if you leave it at that, that’s one more thing that they need to solve. If you want to keep your clients happy, provide solutions. You not only need to highlight the potential risks, you need to provide solutions to deter that risk. That’ll make them happy!
We all know it, we all think it. Everyone is a marketer, everyone is an art director, everyone thinks their creative. Often I have been directionally briefed. I get asked to deliver on a pre-decided tactic… “We want a direct mail” or “we need an advertising campaign”. Clients often know what they want, and they should. Afterall, they are the keeper of the brand. However, it’s our job to push the envelope and to ask the questions that may provide a hidden nugget, a new perspective, a different tactic. Our role as a brand advertising agency is to know about the next best thing about…well advertising and creative. So the rule of thumb…give clients what they need to see. Only then will they be receptive to a different approach and evaluate what you can bring to the table… making you again a partner in their business.
Prepare to WOW. It’s good enough is never enough. Go in with concepts and solutions that will WOW them. When presenting creative campaigns it’s important to go that extra mile. Understand the potential and limitations of each of your creative solutions and speak to them. Wow them, not only in what they see before them, exciting concepts, but in your thought process and preparedness to answer questions and provide insight.
One word. CARE. Ultimately that’s really the one word that wraps up all previous points. Care enough to matter. It’s about client service. There you have it. The secret on how to be a successful business. What is client management if it isn’t about keeping the client happy. And what makes clients happy, what keeps them that way is pretty straight forward.
No matter what client services you offer, ultimately there is one factor that will keep them coming back, delivering on your promise, promptly, effectively and consistently. Client Happiness is guaranteed to make your Business Happy. It’s a perfect marriage.
by Lisa Wedmann | Mar 8, 2013 | Advertising, Branding, Creative, Design, Latest
Adrien Gagnon, the Quebec Natural Health Products provider for over 60 years, found themselves losing their market, their leadership and their relationship with Quebecers. As such, they needed to reposition their brand to the Quebecer of today, providing a contemporary and youthful image. With our understanding of the regional market differences in Quebec, we were able to create a strategy that will speak to the Quebecer to re-establish Adrien Gagnon as a leader in health and wellness.
The first step in this process was to re-brand their logo and their positioning
Here’s how:
Positioning Statement
Adrien Gagnon is all about health and wellness. The goal for the new tagline was to create a simple message that would ultimately speak volumes for the brand. As a health and wellness company, «santé vous-bien» (“Be Well”) or Take Care of You, was the positioning statement that speaks best to what Adrien Gagnon is about. PLUS, the french tagline includes a fun play on words. The French word for health << santé>> and feel << sentez >> sound the same phonetically…so it was a natural.
Logo
The redesign of the logo was kept simple, peaceful and tranquil. We used 2 leaves in the corner of their name to represent wellness while keeping Adrien Gagnon’s name bold with a healthy green colour.
The 2 colours are representative of heritage (dark green) and growth (light green) illustrating the credibility and new stance that is now Adrien Gagnon. This new vibrant logo speaks to Adrien Gagnon’s health and wellness values and positions the company and young and vibrant.
From concept development, graphic design to positioning statements, we deliver solid re-branding strategies that are sure to embody your brand values and get your brand noticed!
by Jenna Elberson | Mar 8, 2013 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Latest, Social Media
The “Trend”. More brands are turning to social media to reach more of their customers through trending, they are not realizing the impact 1 tiny misspell or mistake can make.
Already in 2013 we have seen many social media fails. While they bring in a good laugh for the public, for the brands or companies it can be hugely embarrassing and worse.
Some of the biggest mishaps of 2012 were awarded with a SUXORZ awards at the New York social media show. Yes, just like the Razzies which are awarded for the worst movies of the year, prizes are now awarded for #socialmediafails!
Here are just a few of the recipients…
Belvedere Vodka
Belvedere thought it would be great to throw their hat into the meme ring. But when your fans mistake your “meme” as a promotion for rape an apology just doesn’t cut it.
Credit: SUXORZ
Tip: Think it through. When attempting a comical ad piece, think about your audience and what your brand is trying to convey. Ask yourself what is the goal of this promotion and go from there.
Susan Boyle
They say any press is good press. For Susan Boyle, her trending hashtag was the talk of twitter (and won her an award). #Susanalbumparty was one of the top trending topics last year. If you can’t see why… look harder.
Tip: Pick more than 1 hashtag option. When thinking of trending a topic, pick a few options to find the perfect fit for your campaign or promotion. Proof read twice, then a third time, even five times. Then have a group of people review them to. Fresh eyes are always helpful. The goal is to choose a hash tag that is legible and easy to understand.
McDonald’s
Look before you leap should be the motto for all social media campaigns. McDonald’s attempted to engage their followers by asking for heartwarming stories with the trending hash tag #McDStories. The hashtag quickly trended with negative stories and backlash and the campaign was pulled after 2 hours.
Tip: Understand that people like to complain more than praise. Tread carefully when asking for feedback or any type of response on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Word spreads quickly in the age of social media.
Know of any other social media snafus. Please share them here!
by Lisa Wedmann | Mar 6, 2013 | Branding, Business Success, Interactive, Latest
In this business, we all want to keep our clients happy. Yet in this busy, fast paced go go go world, one key component is lacking – listening!
Instead of hearing what our clients are saying, we are so eager to “sell” our latest idea, fix a problem or answer a question, that we interrupt, ramble on and miss important knowledge and insights.
Listening is THE only way to provide a client with great ideas and plans. Yet instead of hearing what our clients are saying, our brain is busy rushing ahead preparing answers and plans.
Here are a few tips to help listen to clients.
Keep an open mind
Don’t go into a meeting with pre-conceived ideas about what is going to happen. Yes, prepare an agenda. Yes, do the necessary research. And then, let the meeting happen.
Listen with intent
Actively listen to what your client is saying. Don’t jump in, or worse, interrupt. Provide answers when necessary. Remember, the goal is to keep the conversation going and lead to a plan of action.
Talk Less Than You Listen
Be present and be quiet. Yes, ask questions. Yes, provide answers. But let your clients speak, without interruptions.
Ask open ended questions
When asking questions, the aim is to get your client to share. Avoid simple yes and no questions. Instead, ask questions that will get you client to open up and share important insights.
It’s not personal
The client is always first… even when they are wrong! Understand that this is part of business…any business not only the advertising business. It’s hard to sit in a meeting and have your latest ad torn apart after hours of work.
As tough as it can be, remember it’s not personal – this is business. Don’t get upset, interrupt, or get defensive. Hear what the client is saying and let them get it out.
Get off email
When a client sends an email expressing a concern, get it off email – quickly. Pick up the phone, or set up a meeting to talk it out. Then listen. This will lead to a solution quicker than having multiple emails going back and forth. It’s so easy today to “duck” facing issues personally… but just because you can, doesn’t mean it’s the right approach to use.
Communication with clients is a two-way street. We do need to be persuasive “sales” people. But in order to achieve success, to obtain the “go ahead” or buy in that we want, we need to listen first.
by Miriam Hara | Mar 4, 2013 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Events, Latest
There’s a lot out there about how business has changed over the last decade, let alone 25 years. During the course of our journey leading to this point, suffice to say, 3H Communications has not only seen many changes… it has embraced them. My earlier blog written last week speaks to those business changes. Here, I would like to talk about the ‘business staples’ that have provided us with the ability to meet the challenges of change head on, maintaining our credibility and growing the business.
1) There is no “business as usual”
Each brand, business and company is unusual… and each comes with its own personality, culture, character, challenges… Just like a person! This is a thinking perspective that 3H Communications has always implemented. Perhaps this perspective is a result of 3H’s strong marketing focus and the fact that we had never set out to be an industry specific agency. Specializing in marketing creative, we work in all industries, all media, and all channels. That has enabled us with lateral and forward thinking assisting us in identifying business patterns.
2) Passion is essential
No matter how many changes there are in business and how often business changes, the necessity of maintaining passion for the industry, for the people, for the product and for the business is essential. Just like business is unusual, a business led without passion, is led without drive. Drive is the force that allows us to focus, to work towards success… to deliver results.
3) Relationships are the cornerstone
With all the change in technology and how individuals and business communicate today, it’s easy to say that one on one relationship are no longer valid. I would beg to differ. We send out e-zine, e-newsletters; we comment on LinkedIn and set up lead generation tools on web sites; we offer e-books and feature case studies, all online, all though technology… all with the aim to establishing relationships… so we can call, meet and develop the relationship. The tools that we used in the way relationships are established, formed and even fostered may have changed…but the essence of cultivating relationships is still monumental.
4) The client is always first
No matter what else change… clients or customers are still first and servicing them in the way they need and want to be serviced still stands. Understanding the old adage, if you don’t take care of your client, someone else will has never been more relevant. With technology breaking down geographical borders, competition has never been fiercer…so servicing clients is the point of differentiation.
We hear it every day…The one thing about business that is constant, is change. So the one thing that businesses need to be is flexible. To adapt, to maneuver, to navigate. Being nimble and less cumbersome. That doesn’t mean to blindly follow all changes and trends. The need to assess and to research is still very essential…but decisions should be streamlined so that change is allowed to take place.
6) Business stance
The best offense is a great defense may be true in sports, but in business a defensive strategy is a losing one. Just look around at the businesses that are no longer. Business must always have a progressive strategy…because only then will it defend the market space it now enjoys, grow and prosper!
