by Jenna Elberson | Jan 4, 2013 | Latest, Social Media
It’s really interesting to examine how major companies compare to each other when social media becomes the interest. What makes for a good social media ranking? Any company can create a Facebook page or Twitter account. Getting people to interact is another issue. While some companies are skilled at attracting this type of action, others seem to muddle around in the social networking realm. You might be surprised at some of the top names in social media rankings. However, you’ll find others that make a lot of sense.
Viacom is ranked first in social media use. The media company is just slightly ahead of the more familiar Walt Disney Company. News Corporation ranks third. These three media companies together are doing something right in engaging their fans and followers. Zynga is one of the least surprising companies that ranks well in making the most of social media. The entertainment and games software company develops many of the popular activities used on Facebook and smartphones.
by Jenna Elberson | Jan 3, 2013 | Branding, Latest, Social Media
My Reddit cake day (the term used for 1 year anniversaries) is almost upon me. Having been on Reddit for almost a year, I thought I would take the opportunity to immerse myself more into Reddit – not as a community member, but as a marketer.
It’s important when trying to use social media to reach out to your target audience and see it from their perspective. Understand how and why they use that particular site, get the inside scoop right from them. So that’s what I did. I took the idea to r/marketing and asked my fellow Redditors how they felt about their marketing efforts on the Reddit site.
It’s sad to say, but I didn’t get much love from my post. From all the comments I gathered, most, if not all my fellow marketing Redditors said “JUST DON’T DO IT!”. Reddit is a hard social site to get penetration on for your brand. The community is so different from that of Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler and Google+ that it takes a certain type of person to pull it off. Redditors are a very loyal community and numerous times respondents of my post stated that the number one rule is that you need to be a Redditor first and a marketer second.
My favourite quote from this post was from Modern_Caveman who said “deciding to do marketing on Reddit is a little bit like deciding to swallow swords. Unless you’re really experienced and know what you’re doing, just don’t”.
Well this doesn’t sound good, right? Not necessarily, I’ve come up with a few pointers on how to maintain a brand presence on Reddit without disturbing the force of the community.
1. AMAs: What is an AMA? The acronym stands for “ask me anything”. This is a Q&A Redditors can participate in and ask you questions and you answer. Many film companies have used this method for promoting up and coming movie releases by having the cast answer the AMA. You can utilizes this by having a special guest or expert from your brand answer your fans questions. Talk about new promotions you’ll be having or use the AMA to open up to a new contest.
Upside: It’s very simple and can be extremely successful. 
Downside: You need to make sure your brand/product is appealing to the Reddit community or it will get lost in the hundreds of failed AMAs. Researching top tending AMA topics can be very beneficial to avoid this issue.
2. Subreddit properly: A subreddit is a subform; it’s different categories Redditors can post their content in for example: r/marketing, r/baseball, r/pics etc. For us this is important. We post a few blogs for some added showcase on marketing subreddits. This can be key to promoting your content and there are hundreds of subreddits out there to choose from!
Upside: the subreddit you post in will likely be people with a similar interest to your brand. Downside: some subreddits have very few subscribers, so do your research and find one that would best fit your brand or product with lots of subscribers.
3. Participate!: Reddit is like a giant pool of really neat ideas, pictures, videos, articles etc. Use this to your advantage and get interactive with the community. Comment on topics that resonate with your brand, post in r/freebies to give users a chance to sample your product, post about a product or idea you have, buy some Reddit gold and give it to people who comment on your post and ask for advice.
Upside: You aren’t necessarily marketing on Reddit you’re delving into the community to ask for advice and helping users, which, with patience will help you and your brand out in the long run. Downside: It may take a long time for you to gain a big presents on Reddit, but keep at it and it will pay off!
Overall Reddit is a great community of people from around the world and even though they are potential buyers, clients or fans they are still Redditors and love their site. Unlike Facebook, Twitter or Google+ there aren’t many advertisers so be respectful of that and have fun. Reddit can be a greatest asset to you as long as you use it properly, so enjoy all the wonders that Reddit offers!
If you have any more suggestions or ideas on marketing and Reddit let me know in the comments below!
by Matina Singh | Dec 21, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Interactive
In the age of technology one really must question the effectiveness of in-store POP. In the recent POPAI’s 2012 Shopper Engagement Study, it states that the in-store decision rate has climbed from 70% in 1995 to 76% in 2012. Can’t believe it right? Although initially I had my doubts, the more I thought about it the more I got to thinking that it’s just about right. It’s not that POP is no longer valid, it’s that POP has had to evolve and keep up with technology.
First let’s take a look at your shopping habits, do you use online flyers or read online reviews before you head to the store to make a purchase? The consumer is changing, with the stores right there at their fingertips on mobile paired with in-store efforts, it gives your brand a leg up with consumers. This allows them to see, read and understand the item they want first, before making a purchase.
Is your brand focused on just in-store efforts or do you use social media, mobile shopping apps, mobile coupons and “red flag deals” type-sites to boost your consumer/product relationship.
What else is your brand focusing on? I mentioned before in-store and mobile incentives and I believe these new techniques, along with the ability to flip through an online flyer, helps a consumer make a decision on your brand. It’s quick, and with the world becoming more fast pace and people always on the go, this is a great strategy to tap into. But what if your consumer just pops into the store without that online flyer, will they simply make a decision in-store based solely on the attractiveness, clarity of a product or in-store coupons? Needless to say… when all else fails, packaging plays a huge role.
So let’s talk packaging. In order to get your product off the shelf and into their shopping cart your product packaging needs to speak to the consumer’s needs. The product package itself needs to be appealing; this is the first important feature. Ultimately it’s the only POP space a brand really owns. Read more about packaging here. Use your empathy here and put yourself in your consumer’s shoes; what kind of keywords, design, in-store and mobile incentives would grab your attention? You will need to make your brand stand out from the rest by appeal and the call-to-action. Not only does your brand need to be unique, but it must stand out from all of your competitors.
With all this said don’t forget to use social media to get customer feedback about what they like about your brand, packaging, use of color, basically what makes your brand standout from the rest because this can be a great benefit to your brand and improve ROI.
Your brand needs to be adaptable to this ever-changing world and so does your in-store, on-shelf strategy. Customers love discounts, contests and being interactive. Create in-store buzz by having an event. One that comes to mind is Oreo cookies. They gave children the chance to stack as many Oreo’s in 30s to win a prize and parents received an in-store coupon.
Ultimately, in the end what it takes is to be unique, creative with the technology that is available. Couple that with the understanding of your consumer and you’ll have a solid in-store presence to generate those consumer pick-ups… and sales!
by Jenna Elberson | Dec 14, 2012 | Business Success
It’s that time of year again when everyone gets gathered for the Christmas holidays and here at 3H our office is decked out with purple tinsel, wreaths and a big tree full of PURPLE! Whether you celebrate the holiday festivities or not, this is the best time of year for gift giving. With all the hullabaloo (or should I say Hoopla!) over presents, it got me thinking about what I would like for Christmas. I’m always trying to find the most trendy and unique gifts for myself, even though I should be thinking of my family. It doesn’t help either being in the role that I’m in. Everyday I see posts and blogs about the latest trends in technology or coolest toys, making it hard for me to stay focused on gift giving and not gift buying for myself.
So what do you get someone who’s in the marketing field? Well I thought I’d turn this into a fun blog (hopefully) about what cool gifts to get a person in marketing.
Here is my “Marketing’s 12 Days of Christmas” gift giving list.
1. Traditional Books, Digitial Books, ebooks. Being new to marketing I crave for knowledge! Even though a book seems like too simple of a gift… often that’s the best gift. Marketers are always looking for the next trend, or how brands are built…. expanding their knowledge of marketing through books are a great way to do this.
2. Colour me Pantone. For all our designers out there. Did you know you can get their favourite Pantone colour on a iPhone case, mug, notebook, card case holder and more!
3. Hold that card! Regardless of the digital age, with digital printing being so accessible, cards are really in! The #1 thing any business person does when they meet someone is give them their cards… and that is always the first impression. It goes without saying, making sure the card you offer up needs to be pristine… what better way to protect business cards then with a cardholder. There are sooo many cool ones out there… funky, stylish, hip, humorous, conservative, design-y….
4. Say it’s me with personality! Who says writing on paper is out-dated? I know so few people are doing the writing on paper approach, but it’s that very fact that makes it a great gift. A personalized note initialized or named stationary adds a nice touch and is sure to be remembered.
5. Kitchen Design. For Graphic Designers these Photoshop Editor Magnets are way cool to have on your fridge to frame pictures. It looks just like the Photoshop layout!
6. The gift that keeps on showing up throughout the year! Besides books there’s added benefits to getting monthly marketing trends and how-tos from a magazine, like Marketing Magazine and better yet, they get to thank you every time it shows up!
7. Gadget my world! I carry my smart phone everywhere, even to bed! So if they are like me and in social media, getting a cool gadget attachment is a great option. For example, recycled speakers or if they love posting pictures on Facebook and Instagram, a camera lens attachment that allows for better optical zoom or effects like a fish eye lens.
8. Download your world.Whether it’s for movies on the iPad or songs for the iPhone, everyone is sure to love an iTunes gift card. A simple gift for pretty much anyone. This can be great to download apps that will help with time management or keeping in touch with clients.
10. Get a mini! I’m not talking about the car. Keeping connected is very important to us and the new iPad mini can be of great use. Especially when we’re on the go at conferences or on business trips.
11. Bag it! Having a stylish bag to keep laptops and important documents in is simply a “must have” when traveling to and from the office…. or any where else for that matter. Whether it’s one with lots of compartments, leather or handmade it will surely make a difference when traveling.
12. Make a statement. With the speed of business we are constantly on the go… and that increases the chances of bumping into things or worse… dropping our much loved computer on the floor. You can find tons of different sleeves… one that is just right for that “someone” special. Our computers are an extension of our persona, so having a sleeve that speaks to their personality is a bonus!
Regardless of what you get your family and friends this year enjoy the time spent with them and from the 3H family have a safe and happy holidays!
Have other gift giving suggestions? Let me know in the comments below!
by Jenna Elberson | Dec 12, 2012 | Business Success, Social Media
How often have you heard, or said yourself “Google It”. Google has changed the way we socialize, the way we interact. It has made us become a generation of immediacy. No matter where you are, or who you’re with, when conversations turn into topics that facts, figures, dates, information is required, the it’s the norm nowadays to say, “Google It”. No longer do we need to wait for the library to open its doors or call up a friend “savant”. It has become so much part of our everyday cultured and is in our everyday vocabulary… the word googling is even in the Webster’s dictionary! Needless to say, Google has fast become the ‘go to’ company for knowledge and advanced technology and with the launch of Google Glasses and Google Fibe, it has become nearly impossible to escape its vast empire.
When Google launched Google+, I thought this would be the social media site to sweep Facebook from under the rug and reign in as the new “King of Social Media”. With all of the great new features that could easily top those of Facebook’s I had no idea there would be a lack of momentum even with everyone on the “Google Fan” craze.
Suffice to say that the audience for Google+ is completely different from that of Facebook. They are loyal to their brand and what they love. When you delve into the realm of Google+ you have to pull yourself away from thinking it’s like “Facebook”. It’s not. Google+ is more people focused not brand focused. Google is trying to keep this social media platform as human as possible.
Google+ with it’s 500 million users still remains today in my humble opinion, a big contender on the social media battlefront. If your brand or business hasn’t engaged in the Google+ platform yet, there’s a lot of you’re missing out on. Here are some reasons why you should invest time into getting your brand/business on Google+.
1. The big one: Being Found. With all the searching going on, it’s important to get found. It may be self-serving but the importance of Google+ for SEO is pretty obvious…. simply because, well Google owns it! This alone should be enough of a reason for you to take advantage and be part of Google+. If you’re still not convinced, try this: if you already have a Google+ page, Google your company name and see if it comes up close enough to first search result. The advantages of this are self explanatory… for your brand and for your customers.
2. Google+ supports the use of hash tags. Recognizing the importance of trending, Google+ supports the Twitter way of classifying via hash tags. This way you can hit trending terms that are relevant for your business quicker. In our business hash tag examples would include: #marketing, #branding and #socialmedia or, #design. Like Twitter, trending topics that you participate in will see an increase in followers.
3. Carving out Communities. The Google Community allows the user to become part of a community that they are interested in and get daily posts about that topic. So for example if you have a health product, you can become a member of a Health and Wellness community and make posts that will be specific to that group of people. It’s not just your followers or fans you’re targeting too it’s a whole new spectrum of potential consumers that have defined one aspect of their psychographic profile that reflects the specific niche that is your market definition.
4. Google owns Google+. Yes, I’ve already said that, but thing about the total integration potential your business might benefit from. Starting with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google maps… all these properties are all at your fingers tips to use along with all the other Google+ features. This can be helpful and seamless when setting up an event for your company or a product launch.
5. Google Hangouts! As an avid nerd this is my favourite feature. It’s great for businesses to have a round table discuss from a far. For people who have a passion for a product, gathering them up to discuss the product and what they would like to see provides an awesome opportunity to get honest feedback and real consumer insights. A perfect example to utilize this feature would be a weekly virtual book hangout. If your brand pushes out books or your company has an ebook set up a hangout to discuss the content of the book and new book ideas. This allows you to be closer to your audience and interact with them instead of just commenting on a status they posted.
Just remember Rome wasn’t built in a day, so expecting that your growth or reach on Google+ will grown exponentially quickly isn’t realistic. Unlike Facebook you get the chance to be more interactive in new ways with your followers, help them see your brand/company is focused on THEM and you’re steadfast in working with them to help you and your brand/company improve for them. Over time your ROI will be worth the effort you put into Google+ and the attention you give to your audience as well.
