Taking What I've Learned...

It's not often that you take a class and have an almost immediate real life application for it . I'm looking to turn a hobby/interest of mine into a business that already has a full marketplace.

However,I believe the demand for the product is so great that I still stand a chance of being successful. What is going to set me apart will be me utilizing the tactics that I learned in this course. I will definitely have to use video marketing. I will also have to use content marketing. I will have to find influencers who can love and share my product with their network. 

I've already joined several groups on Facebook so I can put myself in the spectrum of people who are interested in the products that I will be selling. I have also been checking out my competitors and seeing what of their methods that I like and what I don't like in an effort to decide how I'm going to set myself apart from  them. Over the holiday season I'll be sitting down and devising a social media marketing plan for this business. I will identify goals and strategies I will thoroughly evaluate my competition's performance and identify their SWOTs. I will devise content and  come up with a plan for implementing that content. I will have a full implementation plan for all of the various social media platforms. 

I plan to use more than just YouTube or Facebook which are the two primary platforms which my products are marketed. I look forward to growing this business in 2017 thanks to info garnered over this semester! 

Semester In Review

A Vlog based upon what I learned this semester.

Boost Your Business in 2k17

In our ever changing world, businesses must adapt constantly to stay ahead of the tide. Moving into 2017, businesses need to focus on two main things, 1) Customer Engagement and 2) Customer Generated Content.

Customer engagement involves interacting with customers in real time. Live-streaming on social media, conducting live webinars, and other live events enables businesses to connect immediately with their consumers. Providing relevant and interesting information will keep the consumers invested in the presentation. Another integral piece to customer engagement is follow up. Too often businesses lay the groundwork and provide the content but do not close the deal. Reach out to participants in your live events via social media, email, text, or whatever medium they prefer and deepen the connection.

Customer generated content pertains to building a strong brand image that is recognized as having a high moral composition. Content created with the user in mind is relevant because the creator has listened to the consumer to ascertain their likes and dislikes. Third party validation of the content is a sure fire way to gain weight and recognition for the brand. The key rule in this new spectrum of marketing is ensuring that your audience is interested. If they are not, all of your hard work will be for naught.

Text M@rketing

Oftentimes, when you visit a retailer or their website you are often asked to opt-in to receiving text messages. As a consumer, I will tell you that initially I did not give my cell phone number out. I envisioned salesmen calling me on the phone and hounding me to buy products from across the spectrum. Nowadays I find myself opting in to everywhere I like to shop.

Over the past weekend, I've received texts from Kohl's (offering a mystery coupon), JoAnn Fabrics (50% off), VS Pink (Get an Outfit for $40), Express ($25 off $100), and Gap (25% off Purchase). Of these five text message, three elicited actions from me and one an unplanned purchase. Kohl's mystery coupon brought me to their website to see if they had anything I wanted to buy today as the coupon is limited to 12/12 only. JoAnn's 50% off one item coupon was too good to pass up. Especially since I had been eyeing a Silhouette Cameo 3 machine and 50% off would bring my machine to $150 at the most. Sadly, when I read the coupon's fine print I discovered 2 things, 1) The coupon could not be applied to machines, and 2) the coupon is only available for use in store (where my machine wasn't sold.) VS Pink yielded my one purchase thus far. The $40 outfit was more than 50% off and was on y daughter's Christmas list. As a result, I couldn't pass that deal up.

 The other coupons were good and useful if I was planning to make a purchase from that store but the deals weren't "can't be missed" deals. Leveraging potential sales with the revenue "lost" from the value of the coupon is something businesses must decide whether it works for them. Since the text messages came to my phone they were much more effective than email marketing.

Content With Your Content

A large part of social media marketing is content marketing. Content marketing is the process of creating and/or distributing relevant and consistent content which is usually targeted to a specific audience. Entrepreneur offers 6 tips for content marketing on Twitter. I've included the 5 that I most agree with below and my interpretations of them.

1) Create Content used as a service. Provide uses for your products and or services beyond the traditional use. For example, Pop Secret the popcorn company could post a graphic or write an article about the various ways you can use pop corn during the holiday season. (i.e. string it and place it on a tree.)

2) Map your moments. Look at a calendar. Identifying upcoming events and holidays then devising content around them is instrumental in content marketing. Creating specific and relevant content is step one in going viral.

3) Give consumers a live look. Live video started with Ustream and has ventured off into Periscope, Snapchat, and Facebook Live. These services offer real-time video. Presening a behind the scenes look into the inner workings of a business is often engaging and informative to consumers.

4) Employ creators. In today's world of technology, those with average technical ability may not be able to bring the dynamic ideas they have to life. Partnering with gurus, influencers, and those with the abilities that are lacking is an effective method of filling the gaps that may occur when stepping into any new forum.

5) Always optimize. Reviewing the content metrics from content that has already been created and shared will enable a business to determine the success or failure of their current campaign. They will also have the ability to isolate the posts that do well and can devise future content based off the analysis of the successful posts.

Creating Buzzzzzzworthy Events Socially!

In today's world, marketing on social media is a free or low-cost, yet effective method of reaching hundreds of potential attendees. Many traditional business have accepted that they must utilize social media to maximize exposure of their event.  After reading Buzzworthy Events I decided to discuss their suggestions which resonated most with me.

1. Engage/Invigorate: Interacting with your attendees prior to the event is a great way to build rapport and excitement about the event before it begins. As time draws near, offering teasers and social event specials can lure even more attendees.

2. Intrigue: Using free event platforms such as Eventbrite and Facebook Events provides event organizers with a medium for connecting with attendees and prospective attendees. Facebook events often expand their reach organically through fan interaction with the page. Eventbrite provides the option to sell tickets to the event. Upon purchasing a ticket (which can be free).

3. Integrate: Creating a Hashtag and beginning social contests will yield  excitement and begin the social buzz about the event.

Lastly, Propagate and Aggregate: Create your own content. Use mediums such as Facebook Live, Periscope, or Snapchat. Once its created... distribute it! Share links across social media. Offer attendees incentives for sharing event content. Reach as any people as possible. At the conclusion of the event, review the tactics used and determine what worked and what didn't. Take that information and prepare for next year!

A Devil's Advocate

Should EVERY business, small or large have social media? While I am of the opinion that all businesses need social media, I stumbled across an article that made some valid points of why small businesses may not need to engage in social media.

Once upon a time, social media = free marketing. An organic reach enabled businesses to reach their fans friends based on their activity. According to the article if a business doesn't have $200+ per day to plug into their social media marketing they shouldn't go into the social media realm. I disagree with this principle. While having a budget for social marketing is important, it is not necessary for small businesses to plug hundreds per day into social media. 

Secondly, the article suggested that businesses without a social media strategy should not use social media. This is a premise I can agree with. Without a road map how can a business determine where they are going. A social media strategy covers critical aspects such as content development, post frequency, response plan, and monitoring metrics. A business that has not identified these critical pieces, is doomed to fail or be overwhelmed by their social media and let it fall by the wayside. 

Lastly, the article states that businesses who cannot afford to dedicate an employee or several employees to focusing on social media, shouldn't venture into it. To an extent, I agree. Small businesses who are not familiar with social media definitely need to get familiar or hire someone who is. Hiring an individual who is well versed in social media will help you prevent item 1 and help with Item 2 while satisfying item 3. Personnel is key. This may be why so many jobs now are looking or employees who are also versed in social marketing. Social marketing is now a viable and marketing skill in the current workforce.

Reference: http://marketingland.com/3-signs-small-business-forego-social-media-174349

The Right to Yelp!

I stumbled across an interesting subject in my email, "The Right To Yelp." Yelp is a social media platform that allows users to share reviews about their customer experience with businesses. Many businesses use their Yelp ratings as third-party validation when marketing to new customers.

Last week, Congress passed a bill that will reach President Obama shortly. It prevents Yelp businesses from threatening and retaliating against negative reviews. There was an instance of a consumer who refused to take down a negative review. The business threatened him, hit him with a lawsuit, and fined him. He didn't pay and the business reported the fine to a credit bureau as debt which negatively affected his credit score. All because he wrote the truth of his customer experience and the business didn't like it. As a result of the law, businesses will be fined up to $40,000 for retaliating against consumers for honest reviews.

This law makes me feel more confident in the Yelp reviews I see as I know they have not been tampered with and are a true representation of a real customer's existence

Reference: Yelp!.

It's All About That Brand...

Branding is a principal element that should be considered when devising strategies for a business. The brand that you build sets your customers expectations on items such price, quality, products and services. In competitive markets a strong brand can give a pronounced edge. Consumers are more likely to spend their money with brands that have developed their sense of loyalty. Loyalty is garnered by meeting and exceeding consumer's expectations in the areas that matter most to them.

Successful branding requires development of a brand strategy. What will you communicate? Who are you communicating to? How will you communicate with your intended audience? The images and verbiage a business chooses to distribute their message should support that branding strategy. A strong brand drives sales. Pepsi sells a popular cola drink. Shasta also sells a cola drink. Pepsi's commitment to marketing their brand into a household name allows them to charge significantly more than Shasta.

Some keys to building your brand are as follows:

Create a dynamic logo and place it everywhere!
Ensure your employees know, can communicate and most importantly LIVE your brand message.
Create an in-depth brand strategy that is integrated into every part of your business.
Design templates and brand standards to ensure that all marketing has the same look and feel.
Create a Tagline which can be a theme throughout all marketing.

There are many options when it comes to creating a brand. It shouldn't be done lightly as your brand can make or break you in the business world.

Bridging the Gap to Social Media Marketing

Once upon a time two friends had an idea! What if you could secure freelancers in an online marketplace, similar to Amazon or Ebay. The idea was novel but needed and thus Fiverr was born. Fiverr has grown to be a marketing dream for some especially in the terms of social media marketing. For only $5.00 users can get a variety of services such as getting a YouTube video "blown up fast" or get a website social campaign marketed to over 3 million fans. In the case of many small businesses, this type of cheap marketing is invaluable.

While social media is free, to older generations it can be a bit daunting. Sites like Fiverr which connect buyers and sellers in a service marketplace have proven effective in lessening the learning curve of social media marketing. As with anything that seems too good too be true, there is often a catch. For Fiverr consumers that catch may be a less than stellar product. You can avoid that by check reviews and comments from others who have purchased from a particular seller. There are also forums where you can post specifically what you are looking for and be directed to a seller who is potentially the best for the job. 

It is easy to get caught up on Fiverr, buying "likes" or "fans" but end consumers should remember while social media marketing is a numbers game, the old adage quality vs. quantity does indeed apply. 

Get out your Ruler! Measuring Social Marketing!

We are building a social media campaign as part of our final project. A component of that project includes measuring the success of our social media campaign. As a whole I only know about Facebook's metrics so I did some research on social media metrics and I shall share what I found.

Social media measurement can be broken down into two main categories, ongoing analytics and campaign-focused metrics. Ongoing analytics tracks the overall feel about a brand, topic, or company. It tracks what is being said about the topic at hand. Campaign-focused metrics reflect the success of targeted marketing. For instance, companies send YouTube gurus products for free to try with the expectation that the guru will share their honest thoughts about the product. The companies may then issue a unique coupon code to specific Gurus. That code is traceable. Guru A may have only had 27 customers redeem her coupon code and Guru B may have had 78 redemptions. Guru B's marketing campaign may appear to be more successful but it would depend on what the company is tracking. If 70 of Guru B's customers and 7 of Guru A's customers are already customers of the site Guru B's campaign was successful at retention. If the campaign's goal were to solicit new customers, Guru A's campaign was most successful. Other factors would also go into play such as subscriber counts and video views but both campaigns could be considered successful which is why it is important to identify the goal of the campaign prior to initiating it. 

Social Media Measurement suggests that there are 5 steps to measuring social media marketing.

1) Determine Social Media Goals - Identify the goals of your campaign. Goals may be different across every platform.

2) Create Metrics to Measure These Goals - Identify what metrics are relevant to your goals and track them. Be specific. 

3) Measure - Now that you've identified your goals and metrics to track them, you must now locate the tools to bring those metrics to life. 

4) Monitor and Report - Track your tool's measurements and make conclusions based on what you've learned. 

5) Adjust and Repeat - Determine what was successful. What didn't work? Take that information and revamp your social campaigns and get back out there and try again!

Good Luck!

Social Media Laws

The idea that there are laws for businesses on social media is a bit novel for traditional business owners. Social media (and learning to use it effectively) is the next frontier. I came across an article that caught my fancy, 10 Laws of Social Media. A few of them were profound.

Law of Compounding: Like all positive things in our financial life, Compounding is a thing of beauty. When it comes to social media marketing requires an obscure finesse. You want interesting and unique content that is relevant to your target audience. This is the type of content that is shared across social media and may even go "Viral."

Law of Influence: Discovering the influencers in your target market and partnering with them can be instrumental in growing your current business or launching a new business. A prime example of social media influencer marketing is YouTube. YouTube "gurus" are sent products for free in the hopes that they will like the item and share it on their YouTube channel to their subscribers. As of now the top YouTuber (in terms of subscribers) has 48 million. His audience is immense and they are interested in the things that interest him.

Law of Value: One sided relationships, conversations, and friendships are BORING. If you go on a date and the person only talks about their self and why you should pick them, initially you may let it slide. At some point though, if you don't feel that they add value, they aren't someone you're going to choose to keep in your life. It's the same for businesses. If all a business is post about their business and or products they won't find as much interaction as if they humanized themselves and interacted with their audience.

Law of Acknowledgement: Building relationships is key to social media marketing. Interacting with those who comment, like, or patronize your page is integral. Responding to every comment isn't necessary but scrolling through a business's social media page should include some interaction with their consumers. This goes doubly for negative consumer experiences. On site like TripAdvisor and Yelp, you will often find negative comments have a response from the company. This goes all the way back to eBay. If a customer leaves negative feedback, a seller could rebut it.

As a millenial, social media is a large part of my life. As such these "laws" are relevant to society today and likely society in the future. Learning to capitalize on free marketing is a skill every business (small and large) needs to master.

Cult: The Casino Way

Cult: a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.

It is ironic that last week's blog centered around my love of all things Apple. A brand for which I am a cult follower. This week in class we discussed those consumers like me, who blindly followed a brand regardless of trial and tribulation, success or failure. The discussion of cult brands intrigued me and led me to read up more about cult branding and how to enable ANY brand to become a cult brand. 

As someone who is actively trying to enter the marketing world, specifically casino marketing, I am eager to take the knowledge and information that I garner from class and translate it to real life strategies. In cities such as Las Vegas, Reno,  and Atlantic City casino options are many and "whales" (high limit gamblers) have many choices were to gamble. Like the rare mammal they are named after, the amount of true whales in the world is limited. Yet there are some whales that will only play a specific game, at a specific casino, with a specific dealer. Some would assume that the choice of casino, game, or dealer was because the whale had routinely won at that property under those circumstances. That is not the case. 

In my quest for more information, I came across a graphic that I think describes me as a cult follower so I have included it here and will relate a few to casino whales.

Rule 1) "Consumers want to be a part of a group that's different." -  Gambler-created casino forums and websites appeal to the need of the average gambler to reach the coveted status of "whale".with their own executive casino host. They discuss tips, tricks, and short cuts to that elite status. Comped prizefight tickets, complimentary five star stays around the world, free play money, and yacht cruises through the Greek Isles to name a few are just some of the standard offerings for whales. 

Rule 3) "Cult brands sell lifestyles." Las Vegas is all shining lights, fluffy interiors, and grit. Arrive at the airport in your casino's private jet courtesy of your casino host. A pristine limo of your preference waiting patiently to escort you anywhere around the city. This weekend, the 5 star villa that houses 20? Yours. Whales are extremely motivated to come and gamble, simply because the perks outweigh the costs (in their eyes.)

Rule 7) "Cult brands promote personal freedom and draw power from their enemies." A popular incentive to international whales in the early 2000's was a discount on their losses. A whale from Dubai who lost $250,000 would be entitled to the casino's standard international whale discount. Say that discount was 15% , the international whale would only be responsible for $212,500. A domestic whale in the same time period could lose $500,000, He was responsible for the full $500,000. A well-known casino host, Steve Cyr was the first to exploit this flaw. By simply offering domestic whales the same comps offered to international whales he was able to lure some cult brand followers away from their casino of choice to his employer. Casino's can't see their money walking out the door and not implement a change. As a result, discounts on losses is perk that is now offered to all whales regardless of their country of origin. 

In an era where competition is stiff and consumers can be fair-weather, it has become increasingly crucial to a business's bottom line to retain their current customer base. It is easier to retain an existing customer than to find a new one. 

Graphic obtained from: http://cultbranding.com/ceo/seven-rules-of-cult-brands/

Information about Steve Cyr, Casino Hosting & Whales: Whale Hunt in the Desert by Deke Castleman

Once upon a time... There was a girl who wanted an iPod.
She asked her dad and he agreed, but he bought her a Sony MP3 player! She was devastated; however, her dad didn't understand her angst! Why couldn't her father tell the difference between an Apple iPod and a Sony MP3 player? She only wanted an iPod and wouldn't settle for anything less. The MP3 player never made it out of the packaging and an iPod was purchased. Why wouldn't the girl settle for the MP3 player? It did the same thing as the iPod, play music right? She couldn't answer that question definitively because then she didn't understand.  Now, years later as a consumer who looks to Apple first for all technology she realizes that it was their marketing. 
Driving down the street today, she notices a billboard. Clean lines, black text on a white background, and a dynamic, high resolution picture that speaks more than any of the words could. The words they do choose for the billboard, "Taken with an iPhone 6s Plus." She looks down at her phone and smiles. 

San Francisco, California, Wednesday 9/7/16. Millions tuned in via Twitter, live stream, Facebook as well as any method they could manage for the unveiling of Apple's newest product lineup. There was no big marketing blitz to prep the public for the always anticipated latest iPhone. Why? Apple has a simple, yet highly effective method of marketing. In thinking about that Apple Marketing, I decided to research their methods. 

What is about Apple that they can offer a new product with features from existing phones and still remain the hottest topic? 

Simple Marketing. Apple is infamous for merely showing a product and letting the product speak for itself. They don't include any unnecessary items to sway consumers away from the ad. If anything their ads leave you wanting more. The billboard mentioned earlier leaves consumers with a feeling of surprise that the iPhone has a camera with such a high resolution photos can be blown up  to billboard size without losing quality. It also makes the consumer curious about the price of a phone that can do that. 

Value vs. Price. Another component of Apple's marketing is their value. Apple is never the cheapest option. Often it offers a product comparable to many other products but their pricing will be on the high of the spectrum. In the previously mentioned billboard Apple shows the value of the iPhone by showing the high quality pictures it can take. It leaves a message of "Yes, we cost more, here is one reason why." That value isn't unique to new Apple products; it applies to used Apple products as well. Apple products depreciate much slower than comparable products of other brands. For example, a Macbook Pro and a Windows based laptop with identical specs can be taken into a pawn shop. The value received for the laptop will be significantly less than the Macbook Pro. Though on paper they are the same, the Macbook's value automatically increases because it is an Apple product.

Marketing that Elicits Emotions. There are several elements to capitalizing on consumer's emotions. A picture is worth a thousand words and will often evoke a more poignant emotional response. Many people are visual learners and would prefer to see a picture broadcasting an idea rather than reading lines of text for that same idea. Strong visuals can be the bridge between the manufacturer and the consumer.

Curiosity is a motivator. Apple shrouds their upcoming products in mystery and are bolstered by the many technology gurus who strive to get the scoop first on what is coming down the pipeline. They get their hands on purported prototypes and release them to the public via blogs and articles which helps build consumer's anticipation. The downside to emotional marketing is that not all emotion produced is positive. With the intense hype surrounding Apple at all times, there are consumers whose expectations are sky high and when they receive the product they realize it's similar to other products, some they may already own (at a cheaper price). 

Yet,emotional consumers have a power, their voice. Whether they love the product or hate it, consumer reviews often are impactful to the viral success of a product. I myself was first drawn to the iPhone by existing iPhone users. They loved their phones and I just liked mine. I wanted to love my phone too, I needed an iPhone. The exclusivity of the iPhone with AT&T was an initial deterrent and built up my desire for an iPhone. I waited patiently (ish) as carriers were added. Finally, the iPhone came to Sprint. I raced to the store to upgrade to the iPhone 4s and fell in love. I haven't looked back since. From the teenager who wanted an iPod to the adult who is patiently waiting for the iPhone 7 Plus's official release Apple is thoroughly integrated into my life. As I check the time on my Apple Watch and submit my homework on my Macbook Pro, Apple's marketing in combination with (what I believe are) stellar products has made me a lifelong Apple fan. Simple yet effective, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Information from this article was obtained from 10 Things You Need to Learn From Apple's Marketing