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Tag: Social Media Marketing

  • Weekend Digital Media Round-Up: Weekend Digital Media Round-Up How AI and automation will redefine consumer personalisation and marketing strategies in 2025, How AI could shape content and ads in 2025, How YouTube’s Big-Screen Focus Is Reshaping Content, Viewer Trends, and Platform Features & More….

    Weekend Digital Media Round-Up: Weekend Digital Media Round-Up How AI and automation will redefine consumer personalisation and marketing strategies in 2025, How AI could shape content and ads in 2025, How YouTube’s Big-Screen Focus Is Reshaping Content, Viewer Trends, and Platform Features & More….

    1.How AI and automation will redefine consumer personalisation and marketing strategies in 2025

    AI and automation are set to revolutionize consumer personalization and marketing strategies by 2025, handling over 80% of customer interactions and enabling hyper-personalized experiences. These technologies will allow brands to deliver highly relevant, real-time content and offers, significantly enhancing customer engagement and loyalty. [Source: Social Samosa]

    2. How AI could shape content and ads in 2025

    Tech giants and startups have developed new generative AI tools for ads and content, leading to increased adoption despite concerns about copyright and data privacy. Improved outputs and lower costs are driving more personalized and dynamic ads, especially for smaller brands.[Source: Digiday]

    3. How YouTube’s Big-Screen Focus Is Reshaping Content, Viewer Trends, and Platform Features

    YouTube saw a 30% increase in creator earnings from TV viewership in 2024, with more creators producing high-quality 4K content for big screens. New features like “watch with” and “Parent Code for TV” are enhancing the viewing experience for families and kids. [Source: Digital Information World]

    4. Global Survey Unveils Influencer Aspirations, Social Media Trends, and AI’s Growing Role in Content Creation

    A global survey by IZEA reveals that 25% of social media users consider themselves influencers, with China leading at 45%. Additionally, 59% of users utilize AI tools for content creation, highlighting the growing role of technology in influencer marketing. [Source: Digital Information World]

    5. Where Commerce Media Will Flourish—and Sputter—in 2025

    Retail media is set to grow in 2025, with in-store advertising becoming a major focus. Generative AI will continue to influence marketing, but scalability is crucial for its success. [Source: AdWEEK]

    6. Generative AI grows up: Digiday’s 2024 timeline of transformation

    In 2024, generative AI advanced significantly, moving beyond being just a buzzword. The year saw a surge in AI-powered gadgets and discussions around transparency, copyright, and ethical use.[Source: Digiday]

    7. Modern Retail+ Research roundup: Retailers’ e-commerce, retail media and social media strategies were 2024’s biggest trends

    Major retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon updated their e-commerce strategies in 2024. Marketers capitalized on growing retail media opportunities while maintaining a strong focus on social media marketing [Source: Modern Retail]

    8. AdEx releases AURA, an AI-driven Web3 activity analyzer

    AdEx introduced AURA, an AI-driven tool that uses blockchain data to provide personalized recommendations for users and developers. AURA aims to enhance user engagement and transparency within the Web3 ecosystem. [Source: Finbold]

    9. Particle is a new app using AI to organize and summarize the news

    Particle, a new app from former Twitter product leaders, uses AI to organize and summarize news into collections called “Stories.” It offers customizable summaries and aims to reduce AI inaccuracies with human editorial oversight. [Source: The Verge]

    10. Govt’s digital initiatives transforming India’s socio-economic landscape: World Bank

    India’s digital initiatives have significantly boosted entrepreneurship, business income, and social mobility, especially for small-scale vendors and economically lagging districts. The World Bank highlights the role of digital technologies and the Aadhaar system in transforming India’s socio-economic landscape. [Source: The Economic Times]

  • 10 Social Media Trends for Driving Your Marketing Strategy in 2021

    10 Social Media Trends for Driving Your Marketing Strategy in 2021

    As lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to remain indoors, social platforms witnessed an unexpected surge in the amount of time people spend on these platforms. From communicating, accessing the latest news, entertainment to shopping, popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and more turned into the go-to destination.

    According to a report on SocialMediaToday, people spent at least 20% more time on social media apps during the lockdown. Thus, businesses can no longer look away from social media in 2020 while creating an effective digital marketing strategy.

    As 2021 is about to begin, what are the top social media trends that businesses and marketers should watch out for? Here is a list of top 10-

    1. People-first Marketing

    Brands are understanding the importance of two-way communication on social platforms. Regularly posting relevant content and engaging with your audience is an effective way to boost your brand on social platforms organically.

    2. Connect Emotionally

    At times like these, when the majority of people are struggling financially and are in a constant state of fear and anxiety, brands can help provide that emotional support and sentimental boost. Consumers are looking for ways to connect with the happier past, and nostalgia marketing can be the solution.

    3. The Age of Misinformation

    Fake news and inaccurate information are on the rise on social platforms. In 2021, popular social platforms will look for ways to curb them. Brands can futureproof themselves by being transparent with their consumers and avoid being victims of false or inaccurate rumors.

    4. Diversify

    TikTok turned into a social media star in 2020. As compared to platforms like Facebook and Instagram, TikTok witnessed significantly higher downloads throughout the lockdown. Brands should diversify their social media strategies to take advantage of such new platforms. On the flip side, with the ban on TikTok in many countries, businesses relying solely on the platform for their social media strategy were severely impacted. All the more reason to not focus on just one social media platform.

    5. Consider Video Marketing

    As compared to text or images, consumers engage more with video content. Moreover, as people had more time during the lockdown, the consumption of video content has increased significantly. In 2021, brands should focus on regularly posting information video content to better engage with consumers.

    6. Memetic Messaging

    Social media users love memes. Brands and marketers can use them creatively to boost their social media strategy. Users also love sharing memes on social platforms. All the shares, likes, and comments can also help improve the organic ranking of your posts on social platforms.

    7. Go Live on Social Platforms

    Almost every social platform now allows you to stream live videos. Live streaming is engaging and also helps you create unique content. From QnA sessions, product launches, collaborations, announcements, to interviews, conduct them live to delight your audience.

    8. Talk About Important Issues

    There has been a growing awareness of social, political, and environmental issues in 2020. A lot of conversations regarding these issues takes place on social platforms. Consumers like brands that take a stand or at least talk about such problems. Talking about such topics will help you connect with your audience emotionally.

    9. Think About Social Commerce

    Social commerce flourished in 2020. An increasing number of brands now sell their products directly through social platforms, eliminating the need to redirect consumers to their websites. It is easy and helps consumers save a lot of time. In 2021, more brands will focus on growing their social shops.

    10. Listening is Vital to Communication

    It has only become more important for the brands to listen to how the consumers react to their content on social platforms. By closely following social conversations, brands and marketers can get excellent insights about how they can further improve their marketing strategy.

    Social Media Marketing in 2021

    2020 has helped us realize the importance of staying prepared for the unexpected. While there is no saying as to how 2021 will unfold, the trends discussed above will probably have a significant impact on social media marketing trends in the following year.

    Use a few or all of the tips discussed in this post to make social media marketing work for your brand in a world that is adjusting to the new normal.

  • 3 Tips for Creating a Social Media Marketing Strategy for the Post-COVID-19 World

    3 Tips for Creating a Social Media Marketing Strategy for the Post-COVID-19 World

    COVID-19 has significantly impacted all aspects of our lives. But the need for businesses to connect to their customers and prospects remains.

    Social media is quickly turning into the go-to marketing option for brands worldwide to achieve this crucial business goal.

    The Rise of Social Media in the COVID-19 Era

    As people were required and advised to remain indoors and limit their movements to prevent the spread of infection, social media usage has witnessed a huge spike.

    For instance, according to a report on DataReportal, social media usage increased by 10.5% in July 2020 compared to July 2019. Another report by eMarketer suggests that Facebook witnessed a usage surge of 70% across its apps in March 2020.

    From staying connected with friends and family, reading the latest news, to entertainment, social platforms have now turned into a go-to digital source.

    But an event like the current pandemic significantly impacts user and consumer behavior. So, it is very much possible that a pre-COVID-19 social media marketing strategy might not deliver similar results in the post-COVID-19 world.

    Marketers need to tweak their strategies to provide what the consumers are now looking for on social platforms. Here are three tips that can help-

    1. “Re-Understand” Your Audience

    Marketing on social platforms abundantly relies on empathy. With anxiety and fear due to the pandemic spreading faster than the virus itself, now more than ever, people are expecting the brands they deal with to be more empathetic and understanding.

    But being empathetic is all about how well you understand your audience. If you’ve been using social media marketing for some time and believe that you know your audience, you might not know them well in their current state.

    You can begin with their basic information, like age, gender, location, income, and interests. Then move on to get a better understanding of what the potential and existing customers are currently feeling and thinking. The more you try to know your audience, the easier it will be for your brand to build lasting relationships in the post-COVID-19 world.

    2. Move Beyond Clicks and Focus on Conversations

    At times like these, social media turns into a platform for conversations. Marketers should move beyond click-driven results and outcome expectations of the pre-COVID world. Priority should be given to participating in conversations across platforms, like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or even TikTok.

    Every content you create should spark lively and positive conversations and engagement. Try to be more active in the comments section of your posts to make your brand appear more human and not just another multinational company that is only focused on selling its products and services.

    The primary use of social networking platforms is to connect people and facilitate conversations. In the post-COVID-19 world, focus more on this primary purpose to better connect with your audience. Do it well, and it might automatically bring in the clicks and conversions.

    3. Adjust Your Success Metrics

    You are running a business, and your final goal is to make money. But this is not really the time to continue focusing on the KPIs. While it is not wise to overlook them completely, you should try to rethink your social media approach and how you measure success, at least for a considerable duration when the world is trying to recover from the pandemic.

    For instance, before the pandemic, ROI was considered the king. Now, ROI sure is essential, but other metrics like likes, comments, clicks, and shares will help you better gauge how people engage with your brand on social platforms.

    Not to forget that the pandemic has also had a significant financial impact on most people. So, as they might not want to make a purchase now, these engagement metrics will help you better understand your popularity among your audience and their future probability of making a purchase.

    Rethink Your Social Media Strategy to Succeed in the Post-COVID-19 World

    With more people now using social networking platforms, this can be an excellent time to boost your social presence. But do so in a way that you encourage conversations, educate, inspire, and offer help at every available opportunity.

    You can always consult digital marketing professionals to help you build a robust social media marketing strategy that is in line with not just your business goals but also the changed expectations and behaviors of the consumers.

  • Social Commerce: The Future of Marketing

    Social Commerce: The Future of Marketing

    In July this year, for the first time, more than half of the world’s population (3.96 billion) started using social media according to this report. While many experts do say that the lockdown is to be blamed for this feat partially, the truth is social media is consistently rising.

    And while people are using to connect with their friends, families, and personalities, brands have been using this medium for a long time to drive more visitors to their site. However, off-late marketers and brands are also using it to increase their e-commerce sales. Integrating social media with e-commerce, social commerce is fast capturing the attention of marketing geeks as the future of marketing.

    Let’s check out how.

    Reach to the Global Market

    Social media platforms connect individuals beyond countries and boundaries. In this way, taking your brand presence overseas generates much more leads and increases your client base. While regional e-commerce platforms can keep the domestic sales going, your social media presence will give you a platform to connect with prospective customers in other countries and even continents.

    An Appropriate Representation of Newer Brands

    New brands and niche brands often tend to struggle to gain significant market representation. Their catalogue gets easily overshadowed by the presence of big and established brands on regular e-commerce platforms. However, backed by their own social media presence, the e-commerce marketing of these brands can have a far deeper cut into the market.

    Also, platforms like Facebook Shops that are intertwined with a recognized social media platform- Facebook, level the field for smaller brands. Their sophisticated and updated search algorithms offer appropriate brand representation to newer brands and companies. Moreover, consumers love it too. In fact, consumers in some countries such as the USA prefer buying directly from the brand rather than multi-brand retailers.

    Build Long-lasting Brand Loyalty

    Brand loyalty is a crucial aspect to keep your business thriving in the long term. Marketers have found that social media can help you to generate a likeable image amongst the netizens. Effective engagement of your social media handles with individuals can keep your brand in eternal limelight.

    Merge Influencer Marketing

    Also, marketers point out the crucial contributions that influencers can make towards your social media marketing. Established influencers command a deep loyalty and support amongst their following. By roping in influencers that believe in your brand, you can convert their loyal followers into your loyal customers.

    The Successful Relationship Between E-commerce and Social Media So Far

    Social media helps to form the desired perception of your brand in the market. Research shows that social media has had a prominent impact on e-commerce marketing strategy so far. As per a survey by North American e-commerce agency Abosuletnet, 30% of customers expressed their desire in making purchases directly through social media platforms.

    Asian continent to tends to support the research since nearly one-third of e-commerce transactions in Thailand were traced back to popular social media platforms. This calls out for a thoughtful and well-vested social media marketing strategy.

    What’s in Store for Brands?

    Social commerce acts as a cost-effective method of marketing owing to its free nature. Marketers show that by keeping your content on social media handles updated; you can create a community of your own in a quicker way. Also, the results of social media campaigns can be instantaneously generated by integrating it with your e-commerce strategy. Each platform comes with its own analytical insights that can guide you on what is working for your handle. This can help you revamp your own strategies and adapt appropriate measures that can widen your community and increase your e-commerce sales.

    The Challenges of Social Commerce

    One of the biggest challenges faced by social commerce is going to be to make people transact on the platform. For instance, Facebook Shops lacks behind in terms of quick payments. The cumbersome process of entering the details each time deters people from going through with the transaction. However, if brands can win the trust of their community to enable them to go through with the transaction, social commerce can create a win-win strategy for both brands and their customers.

  • 7 Ways to Build A Bigger Social Media Audience

    7 Ways to Build A Bigger Social Media Audience

    Be it a mainstream product or a niche category, every seller has a potential customer base waiting online to know more and engage with the company and their offerings. As a seller, you can hook influencers, the casual online window shopper, the serial online shopper, the user who waits for online reviews before committing, and many other types of social media audiences and build them into your loyal customers. A bigger audience means a bigger reach.

    As a brand custodian, you can leverage the vastness of social media to reach existing and potential customers, build brand awareness, and generate business. Here are 7 effective ways in which you can significantly increase your social media audience and build your business:

    1. More visual posts

    ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ is no longer a vague adage in the times of social media marketing. Stunning visuals captivate the user and compel them to know more about you compared to a dry post with only text. Include more visuals with human faces in it to increase the likelihood of that post being reshared by the audience. You can use free online graphic design websites to create high-resolution creatives for free to go with your post.

    2. Include more videos

    If a picture speaks a thousand words, then a video…certainly narrates an epic. Video content garners the most audience engagement on all social media platforms. Be sure to directly embed the video onto your post instead of simply sharing a link to the video that could direct the user to another website. This ensures that the video will automatically play when the user reaches your post on their news feed, and instantly grabs attention. Make sure the videos are of a good quality, appropriate in length, and do not infringe on any copyrights to get the best possible engagement.

    3. Be responsive to user comments

    Be it a query on your Facebook post or a comment on your YouTube video, it is important to reply to your users, and preferably within the day! Acknowledging and appreciating your followers can make them feel heard and even special. They are more likely to champion your brand and encourage their social group to follow you. You can even make an ask- request your followers to tag their friends who may like your brand.

    4. Update your profile pictures

    Use meaningful, high-resolution images as your profile picture, cover photo, or banner, depending on what social media platform you are using. Pictures of an individual using your product is more likely to engage your audience and encourage them to see themselves as users of your products. Make the accompanying caption witty, sharp, and as close to your brand’s messaging as possible.

    5. Run contests

    Who doesn’t like freebies or even being competitive? Holding ‘Best Photo’, ‘Best Hashtag’, ‘Best Caption’ contests will not only keep your current followers engaged but also get you new ones. Encourage your social media community to tag as many friends as possible on the contest to get more people to participate as well as raise your audience numbers.

    6. Customise your content

    Instagram is best for visual content, while Facebook is most-suited to share testimonial stories or longer posts. Put in the effort to customise your content for each social media platform, and play to its strengths. Tweet a witty opinion on the latest news which relates to your field, or post a detailed video on the features of your new product on YouTube.

    7. Use hashtags and latest news

    Someone searching for posts with a specific hashtag such as ‘#FashionTrends’ or ‘#SaveMoney’ is more likely to land on your social media page. Find the most popular hashtags for the day and figure out a way to post something on your page with that hashtag. Similarly, if there is a news headline that is relevant to your work, then link that news to your post with your take on it along with trending hashtags. Word of advice: don’t force that hashtag into your post as that may confuse your audience as to what your page and brand is about.

    Engage in some research on the strengths and limitations of each social media platform before you start your campaign, and be open to experimenting, few trials and errors before you find your rhythm and the right way to maximise your social media audience.

  • 3 Ways In Which Social Media Influencers Can Affect Customers’ Buying Decisions

    3 Ways In Which Social Media Influencers Can Affect Customers’ Buying Decisions

    Trends come and go, but in the current expansive world of social media marketing, trendsetters are the new constant. Gone are the days when a movie star or sportsperson were the only influencers who could significantly impact the buying decisions of the masses. Today, that role of cultivating and promoting a particular product, service or even starting a trend has been taken up successfully by what the marketing world calls ‘Influencer’.

    A relatively new stakeholder in online marketing, an Influencer thrives on its followers need to ‘belong’ to a cult, and to stay abreast of the latest in any given field of product or services. An influencer could be promoting an electric car, a new diet, a fashion product, or even a whole new lifestyle. The range and reach of Influencers are commendable and striking.

    If you are looking to engage or understand Influencer marketing, read on to find out 3 ways in which social media influencers can affect customers’ buying decision:

    • Using digital platforms for creating brand awareness

    Creating engaging content is an art, and over the years, Influencers have become gurus at it. Be it Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or the newly emerging TikTok platform, Influencers are attuned to what works where. Visually rich images for Instagram, detailed tutorials on YouTube, witty Tweets or testimonials on Twitter, or a long post on Facebook- they know how to leverage the styles of posting content that will reach their followers and spring them into action.

    An Influencer knows the pulse of their followers; they can artistically build your brand’s story into a tutorial which will result in the followers checking out your website or social media handles and buying or availing of your products and services.

    • Enable peer-driven recommendations

    When a product or service is accepted by the group of followers, every member of the group is more likely to choose that product. Once the Influencer is able to create brand awareness, the next step is to promote brand loyalty through peer reviews. When a peer writes a comment appreciating the product or service, it acts as a genuine quality endorsement. These reviews are perceived to be significantly more reliable than common advertisements making claims of quality.

    • Providing fair opinions

    An Influencer is often like an interactive FAQ. They talk about the features of the product or service, highlight its value for money or in contrast, even the exclusivity of the product. The brilliance in Influencer marketing lies in the Influencer’s ability to smoothly include your brand’s message into their own, giving the impression of integrity. “The Influencer uses this product, so why shouldn’t I”, is the thought of the follower. An Influencer’s post is viewed as that of a ‘user’ rather than a ‘promoter’.

    There are certain challenges that accompany this promising medium of marketing- measuring ROI and getting the right kind of Influencer. However, with adequate effort and research, any marketer can leverage this fascinating strategy in marketing.

  • Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s cut off on less secure apps, Facebook’s holiday theme for messenger, Instagram’s new content rules and more…

    Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s cut off on less secure apps, Facebook’s holiday theme for messenger, Instagram’s new content rules and more…

    1. Google to choke off ‘less secure apps’ starting June 2020

    Google is making a move towards further securing G Suite accounts by cutting off “less secure apps” or LSAs starting June 2020 and will completely switch off access in February 2021. [Source: ET CIO]

    2. Facebook Adds Holiday-Themed Features for Messenger, Along with Messenger Stories Archive

    Facebook has announced a new set of holiday-themed features for Messenger, providing additional ways to engage in the spirit of the season via the app. [Source: Social Media Today]

    3. Instagram Has New Rules for Publishing Branded Content

    Instagram is introducing a new policy that will prohibit influencers from publishing certain types of content. Under this new policy, branded content that promotes goods such as vaping, tobacco products, and weapons will not be allowed. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

    4. Snapchat Launches New, Interactive Ad Format, New Competitive Game Features

    Snapchat has this week launched a new movie preview ad format called a “trailer reaction lens” as part of a campaign for the upcoming Paramount Pictures film “Top Gun: Maverick”. The format will add another level of interaction to Snap’s growing slate of games, which could make them more engaging. [Source: Social Media Today]

    5. Bing Expands Visual Search to More Places in Microsoft Windows

    Bing is expanding its visual search features, allowing the features to be accessed in more places throughout Microsoft Windows. Visual search lets users conduct a search using an image to find other, visually similar images. This feature was previously only accessible from Bing’s image search results. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

    6. Facebook Expands Brand Collabs Manager to Include Instagram Creators

    Influencer marketing set to remain a significant consideration in 2020, particularly on Instagram. Facebook is now looking to provide an easier, more direct way for brands and Instagram creators to collaborate on campaigns and partnerships. [Source: Social Media Today]

    7. Instagram Officially Launches New Layout Mode for Stories

    Instagram has this week officially launched its new Layout mode for Stories, which provides a range of grid display styles for still images within a single frame. There are six different grid styles to consider, providing new options for your Stories images. [Source: Social Media Today]

    8. Yandex Announces Major Algorithm Update

    Yandex announced an update to their search engine. The update is named Vega. The update offers many details about how modern search engines work. This update features 1,500 improvements. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

    9. Instagram Provides New Age Restriction Options for Business and Creator Accounts

    Instagram is now rolling out an option, which will enable brand and creator accounts to set age restrictions for followers of their profiles. Businesses can also set variable age limits for different countries, which could be particularly helpful for brands that are looking to adhere to regional restrictions. [Source: Social Media Today]

    10. Facebook Adds Additional Fact-Checking Resources via ‘Community Reviewers’

    Facebook continues its approach to fact checking with a new program that will see the appointment of a team of ‘community reviewers,’ a diverse group of non-Facebook employees who will be called upon to check potentially false reports. [Source: Social Media Today]

     

  • 4 Proven Ways for Businesses to Boost Brand Awareness by Partnering with Influencers

    4 Proven Ways for Businesses to Boost Brand Awareness by Partnering with Influencers

    Influencers have a large followers base and play a crucial role in influencing the purchase decision of the younger generation – millennials and Gen Z-ers. A recent market survey by Unbox Social reveals that 51% of marketers who use influencers for marketing agree that influencer generated content performs better than brand-created content.

    In this guide, we look at four proven strategies to boost brand awareness with influencer marketing.

    1. Use Influencers to Add Variety to your Content 

    The primary reason why influencers are an incredible force on social media is that they provide their followers with useful and engaging content. Influencers know the pulse of their audience and create content based on the 3Rs – resonance, relevance, and reach. Influencers establish a sense of connectivity and trust with their audience.

    With that said, audiences today are astute and savvy. They can easily spot the differences between a sponsored post and a regular post by an influencer.

    How to make this strategy work? 

    • Identify and partner with the right influencer – someone who is the ideal fit for your brand persona and values.
    • Once you bring the influencer on-board, give them the creative freedom in your partnership. You may know your product best, but the influencer knows his/her followers best.
    • Provide the influencer with the necessary guidelines and leave the rest to him/her.

    This way, the influencer remains true to his/her audience, while adding variety, engaging, and authentic content to your feed.

    2. Get Interactive – Get Influencers to Host Giveaways and Contests 

    Giveaways and contests are great ways to create a positive buzz for your brand. Brands can increase social media following and drive traffic to the site by hosting contests.

    How to make this strategy work? 

    • Get influencers to incite curiosity among their followers for your brand by promoting contests and fun giveaways.
    • Make sure that the influencers you partner with engage with their followers to spark conversations regarding the contest.
    • Make the contest simple to increase participation.
    • You can also create a specific #hashtag for the event and get influencers to promote it.

    3. Consider Starting a Referral Program 

    According to a market study by Twitter, there was a whopping 88% increase in customer purchase intent, when a trusted influencer promoted a product.

    How to get started with a referral program? 

    • Create and share a unique referral code with each influencer.
    • The influencer can then share this code with their audience.
    • When a customer purchases a product using this code, he/she enjoys an instant discount, and the influencer earns a percentage of the sale as commission.

    How to make this strategy work? 

    Peer recommendations, especially from trusted influencers play a crucial role in impacting purchase decisions. So, make sure to ask the influencer to mention your brand name on their social media channels and blog, while promoting your referral code. It increases brand awareness while generating trust for your brand.

    4. Publish Guest Posts from Influencers 

    It’s another strategy to boost brand awareness. When a well-known influencer contributes a guest post to your blog, it drives the influencer’s followers to check your blog and site. It creates both brand recognition and boosts brand value.

    How to make this strategy work? 

    • Not all influencers work for your brand. You need to identify the right influencers whose persona and values match your brand.
    • You can make use of tools like iFluenz  to zero in on the right influencers for your campaigns.
    • While choosing influencers, remember engagement matters more than follower count. Large follower count without reasonable engagement rates implies that either the followers are fake or the content doesn’t resonate with the audience.

    Use Influencer Marketing to Drive Brand Awareness 

    Influencer marketing, when used right, has the potential to amplify brand awareness and visibility significantly. But, to reap the benefits, brands must be conscious of getting the three crucial factors right.

    Right influencer + right strategy + right platform = influencer marketing success. Make use of the ways listed here and amp up influencer marketing campaigns.

  • Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s product availability markup, Facebook’s new Ad reporting tools, Instagram’s new story layouts and more…

    Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s product availability markup, Facebook’s new Ad reporting tools, Instagram’s new story layouts and more…

    1. Google showing product availability markup in image search results

    Google is displaying the availability of products on image search results page. The feature was spotted by Hamburg-based digital marketing consultant Frank Sandtmann, who noticed the feature in English, German and Polish image search results. [Source: Search Engine Land]

    2. Facebook Introduces 3 New Ad Reporting Tools

    Facebook is rolling out new tools to assist advertisers with analyzing campaign performance to make it easier for advertisers to measure ad performance across accounts, channels, and publishers. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

    3. Instagram Now Testing New Layout Options for Instagram Stories Frames

    Instagram has begun limited testing of a new ‘Layout’ option in Instagram Stories which enables users to select from a range of presentation styles for their visuals within a Stories frame. [Source: Social Media Today]

    4. Yahoo Shopping aims to stand out in commerce discovery with Rakuten cashback reward

    Verizon Media is offering Yahoo Shopping and Yahoo Mail users access to exclusive cashback rewards from more than 50 online retailers through Rakuten, including Nordstrom Rack, Nike, Disney and Bed Bath & Beyond. [Source: Search Engine Land]

    5. Snapchat Cameos edit your face into videos

    Snapchat is preparing to launch a big new feature that uses your selfies to replace the faces of people in videos you can then share. It’s essentially a simplified way to deep-fake you into GIFs. [Source: TechCrunch]

    6.Google Brings New Features to ‘App + Web’ Properties in Google Analytics

    Google is upgrading the new App + Web property in Google Analytics, which allows users to measure multiple websites and apps. It will allow people to measure data across their app and website all in one place. It’s designed to help site owners better understand users’ journeys across the two platforms. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

    7. Pinterest Trends gives marketers a view of the top U.S. searches on the platform

    Pinterest Trends will offer set of keyword trend data, specifically around the categories it caters to such as food, home and fashion. More insight into search queries and trends can give brands a better understanding of the content and campaigns that may perform well on (and off) Pinterest. [Source: Search Engine Land]

    8. Google Launches ‘Google Shopping 100’ to Highlight Trending Products Based on Search Data

    Google Shopping 100, the data collection has its own mini-site and provides some interesting, and potentially valuable insight into what the key product and consumer trends were over the course of 2019. [Source: Social Media Today]

    9. BERT is rolling out to Google search in over 70 languages

    BERT, the natural language processing algorithm that launched on English language queries in October, is now coming to over 70 languages globally. It is designed to better understand the intent behind a user’s query, and Google has said that 10% of all searches are impacted by the BERT update. [Source: Search Engine Land]

    10. Google Ads Now Includes Location Extensions Automatically

    Location Extensions will be activated in Google Ads. Google will now link your Google Ads account to Google My Business location and then show location extensions in your ads. [Source: Practical Ecommerce]

     

  • Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s optimization score for display campaigns, Facebook’s photo transfer tool, Twitter’s survey tool & more…

    Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s optimization score for display campaigns, Facebook’s photo transfer tool, Twitter’s survey tool & more…

    1. Google extends optimization score to Display campaigns

    The campaign optimization score that Google Ads shows for Search and Shopping campaigns is now available for Display campaigns. Scores will be available at the campaign level, and a combined account-level score now encompasses Search, Shopping and Display. [Source: Search Engine Land]

    2. Facebook tests tool that lets users transfer photos to Google and other platforms

    Facebook is testing a new tool that gives users the ability to move photos and videos between Facebook and other platforms, the company announced in a blog post on Monday. The test is initially rolling out with support for Google Photos, with other platforms to follow in the coming months. [Source: MarTech Today]

    3. Twitter Expands Access to Brand Survey Tools to Help Brands Understand Ad Effectiveness

    Twitter’s looking to help brands better understand their tweet campaign performance by giving more advertisers access to its ad response survey tools, in order to glean more insight around their promotions. [Source: Social Media Today]

    4. Snapchat Publishes New Guide for Auto Marketers on the Platform

    Snapchat recently published a new ‘Auto Playbook’, which is full of stats and tips on how to utilize Snapchat’s various ad and outreach options to connect with potential auto shoppers through the app. [Source: Social Media Today]

    5. Google My Business phone support has ended, but help from the experts has not

    Google has officially shut down its phone support for Google My Business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get quality support. The best way to get GMB support is through the Google social media channels. [Source: Search Engine Land]

    6. Facebook Adds New Measures to Enforce Targeting Restrictions on Potentially Discriminatory Ad Types

    Following on from its efforts to limit discriminatory audience targeting in ads related to housing, employment or credit opportunities, Facebook has this week announced two new measures to further enforce its additional rules and provide more transparency into its process. [Source: Social Media Today]

    7. Quora testing lead gen forms for advertisers

    Quora, the question-and-answer knowledge sharing platform, is rolling out lead generation forms for advertisers in a beta test, the company announced on Wednesday. A new Zapier integration is designed to bring leads into marketers’ CRM systems. Users can share contact information with businesses right from the ads without leaving Quora. [Source: MarTech Today]

    8. Twitter Launches New Privacy Center to Better Communicate Platform Rules and Processes

    The new Privacy Center facilitates direct connection to the platform’s rules and policy documents, as well as your personal data settings and privacy tools. It also includes links to related regulatory documentation, including the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act, and an overview of updates to Twitter’s terms and processes. [Source: Social Media Today]

    9. Podcorn launches self-serve podcast advertising platform

    Podcorn, a marketplace where brands can connect with podcasters, has launched a self-service platform that allows advertisers to create podcast ad campaigns based on budget, ad creative and podcasts that best align with their brand. [Source: MarTech Today]

    10. Facebook updates crisis response tools, adds WhatsApp integration

    Facebook is expanding Crisis Response, its disaster-reporting and communications feature that’s been used in 300 crises in more than 80 countries. The company is announcing several new features, including WhatsApp integration, support for first-hand information sharing and an expansion of its “Data for Good” tools for things like better disaster and displacement maps. [Source: TechCrunch]