Year: 2017

6 Tips for Strong Facebook Video Ads

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

Video ads combine two of Facebook’s strongest elements: attention-grabbing content backed by the punch of advertising dollars. And ever since Facebook has placed a premium ranking on videos, they’re surfacing as the leading medium for social media. Now more than ever is the time to leverage these top tactics to boost your video ads, generate leads and increase sales.

1. Create sales funnel-specific content.

The marketing sales funnel targets buyers based on their stages of awareness, interest and readiness to purchase. The concept is designed to capture an audience’s attention and nurture them until they’re ready to purchase (or sign up or whatever).

While the sales funnel can be sliced and diced into several helpful subsections, for this blog, we’ll keep it simple. Fortunately, Facebook helps by organizing campaign objectives according to stages in the funnel. (They also provide a more in-depth guide to help you narrow your objective.)

Start your ad by segmenting your target audience into one of three purchasing stages:

1. Awareness: Individuals may have an interest in your general industry but need to be made aware of your specific business and services.
2. Consideration: Buyers know they need your type of product, but they’re considering many vendors and options.
3. Conversion: Individuals are ready to purchase a product — hopefully, your product — and they need a nudge to make the leap!

Tailor your message to appeal to the needs of each specific stage. Ask yourself, “What is their biggest pain point, and how will this ad answer it?” For example, those in the consideration phase may best respond to a short, engaging video that provides an overview of your product or service rather than a deep dive into a single feature. For those at the conversion stage, specific incentives (free shipping!) or targeted bonus features may help finalize the deal.

Bonus Tip: To reach an expanded segment similar to current buyers, create lookalike audiences, one of our favorite tools.

2. Run the one-sentence test.

Once you’ve determined your sub-audience, hone your message. You should be able to summarize the point of the video in one simple sentence. If it takes more than one concise statement for you (the creator) to explain, it will certainly take more time for the viewer to process (AKA: understand and act). As a bonus, simple messages with a strong personal pull boost shareability and, ultimately, your message’s visibility.

3. Embrace the silence.

Recent research shows that 85 percent of viewers play videos without sound. (Makes sense, right? Especially if you’re Facebook ghosting in a meeting, which we know you never do.) While some users my opt to include audio, run on the assumption that many will not. Add dialogue captions to your video either via your editing software or directly through Facebook’s automatic captions function.

4. Leverage the first three seconds.

Those are your money-makers. According to AdWeek, forty-three percent of people who watch the first three seconds will watch the first 10 seconds, and most who watch 10 seconds will then view the entire video. In addition, these golden seconds are all the more important because Facebook counts it as a “view” after three seconds.

So how might you grab attention? You have a cornucopia of tools at your fingertips. An eye-catching thumbnail (which you can customize) or dynamic visual movement in the first seconds have been proven to stir interest. Create curiosity by posing a short question in the caption, or, as one study suggests, the use of the word “you” or “your” in the first three seconds increased viewership by 100 percent.

5. Tweak and Test.

Just like any solid marketing endeavor, test variations of your ad by adjusting copy, video content, video length and call to action. Small tweaks, even a few verbs or the tag music, can affect your audience’s response and increase CTRs. While designing ads, keep an eye on the relevancy score, Facebook’s algorithm that determines how strongly your ad will appeal to your target. All of the elements affect relevancy. Not only does a higher relevancy score increase efficacy, it also decreases the cost of your ad spend!

6. Make the Call! (the call to action, that is)

You have multiple options to display your call to action. (Note: one thing that is NOT an option is to omit the call to a action — at least not if you want strong results.) Naturally, you can include an action button (“Sign Up,” “Learn More,” “Shop Now”) within the ad structure. But underscore these CTAs in the post text or feature it within the video itself. Remember, if an actor or voiceover states the call to action, be sure to include it in the captions. (See #2!)

Bonus Tip: Check out these CTAs you can’t refuse.

Looking for more ideas to add vavoom to your video ads? Drop us a line!

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Cool Bats: Internet Summit 2017

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Photo of the Week, ,

Eery, mysterious, hanging from their toes by sheer will. Turn the picture upside down, though, and the interpretation of these night creatures shifts. As Seth Godin — keynote speaker — said, “now they’re just cool bats.” Bats breakin’ it down, whipping out the moves to some silent disco tunes.

The Internet Summit 2017 brimmed with entertaining quips like these, along with a host of data-rich sessions featuring marketing industry leaders. From social media strategy and “Monty Python marketing” approaches to creating data-driven customer experiences and retargeting B2B digital ads, the Clairemont team spent two days geeking out on our favorite marketing and communications topics.

And for fun, one of our sessions utilized Beyonce’s moves to inspire marketing strategy. We didn’t hate that.

Want to collaborate on something cool for your company? (We can’t promise Beyonce-style dancing.) Give us a holler!

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Fire It Up! Briar Chapel’s Pepper Fest

Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , , ,

Briar Chapel is one of the largest master-planned communities in Raleigh-Durham and part of Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential real estate developer. Hosted on-site at Briar Chapel, the annual Pepper Festival features local culture, food, music and art, while inviting the community to support North Carolina agriculture. With more than 50 participating chefs, the festival has grown to be one of the largest chef competition in the state. As the Briar Chapel marketing team planned for the 9th Annual Pepper Festival, greater exposure and higher attendance were the primary goals.

Strategy

Clairemont established an event strategy targeting two main audiences: local media and influencers to drive exposure and Triangle residents with interests in new homes, food, fashion and sustainable agriculture.

Execution

Since research revealed that prospects valued a sense of community, Clairemont highlighted how the festival benefits local farmers, celebrates local culture and provides family activities – like a kid chef competition – in marketing messaging, media pitches and event activities, creating a draw for festivalgoers.

Inaugural Spicy Kid Chef Competition: The 9th Annual Pepper Festival paired seven of the Triangle’s top chefs with elementary-aged students, challenging the “peppery pairs” to craft their most creative pepper-themed dish. Students and chefs kicked off the contest with a meet-and-greet hosted at a local restaurant to tour the kitchen, learn cooking skills and brainstorm recipes with their chefs. They even received personalized aprons as “Tiny Top Chefs!” Highlighted at the festival, the kids debuted their recipes to a panel of four prominent media judges (and the judges’ children). The competition resulted in radio, print and online coverage along with a pending regional magazine feature article.

“How Spicy is Your Personality?” Quiz: To boost online visibility and social sharing, Clairemont created an interactive social media quiz peppered with twists of wit and plays on words. Seven short questions posed fun, unexpected queries, like “What’s your getaway vehicle?” and “Pick Your Poison” – a question followed by four beverage choices ranging from wine to milk. The results stretched beyond “mild, medium or hot.” Clairemont crafted five positive personality types that featured popular phrases or song lyrics related to heat, fire and smoke. Are you a Mild Child, a Sweet Heat, Spiced Just Right, a Firecracker or a Flamethrower? Participants could then enter for a chance to win Pepper Festival tickets, share their results on Facebook and encourage friends to take the quiz or buy tickets. With a goal of 100 quiz entries, we secured approximately 130 quiz entries and 1,700 views.

“Hot” Glam Fashion Show: In order to appeal to a new audience and media, Clairemont rolled out the pepper-red fashion carpet; we challenged local designers to create pepper-themed couture out of eco-friendly materials, tapping into the festival’s themes of agriculture, sustainability, arts and local culture. The event secured attendance and coverage from fashion media – a first for the festival.

Judging Panels and Spicy Media Pitches: Clairemont invited key members of the media to serve as food and beer judges, targeting highly visible reporters who personally enjoy spicy dishes and craft brews. We secured attendance from busy and hard-to-reach targets by assembling a panel of prestigious reporters from print, radio, blog and TV outlets that correlated to resulting media coverage. Creative and individualized pitches were used to pique the interest of target influencers.

Results

Turning up the heat on the Pepper Festival, Clairemont exceeded objectives with the following results:

  1. Secured 19 news stories, posts and magazine articles across local and regional outlets.
  2. Bolstered online visibility with third-party social mentions from bloggers and reporters to almost 75,000 combined followers on Twitter alone.
  3. Boosted ticket sales more than 10 percent.
  4. Garnered a record attendance of 2,200 people.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Briar Chapel earned Best in Category for Events and Observances and an Award of Excellence for Events and Observances from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. It also received a Gold Award in Special Events from the Raleigh Public Relations Society. We are proud that this campaign represents two of the 190 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

Images courtesy of Briar Chapel.

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Sticky Situations: PR Ethics

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, , ,

At some point in our lives, we all face a dilemma that makes our stomachs churn. The public relations world presents tricky scenarios that professionals must respond to quickly, honestly and effectively. And with serious legal and reputational consequences on the line, it is crucial for practitioners to develop strong ethical codes to guide their responses. Thankfully, industry experts and Greek philosophers have proffered decision models, paradigms and guidelines to help professionals feel good about the work they do both in and out of the office.

The Codes in Place

The Public Relations Society of America requires its members to abide by its code of ethics. As a refresher, we’ve included the Code’s two key elements.

The PRSA’s six core values:

  1. Advocacy
  2. Honesty
  3. Expertise
  4. Independence
  5. Loyalty
  6. Fairness

The PRSA’s six provisions of conduct:

  1. Free flow of information
  2. Competition
  3. Disclosure of information
  4. Safeguarding confidences
  5. Conflicts of interest
  6. Enhancing the profession

The Code serves as a guide for professionals to reference when handling ethical challenges.

Ethics in Practice: the Potter Box Model

Allow us to transport you back to your college ethics class and reintroduce you to an old friend: the Potter Box model for ethical decision making.

This tool allows you to apply the professional codes and your individual beliefs to a specific situation with four steps:

Facts: What is happening in the situation at hand? What is your role in the organization or entity involved?

Values: Which of the six core PRSA values are at play in the scenario? (Hint: it’s usually more than one.) Is the situation threatening your ability to be honest with a client or public, or is your loyalty to a public at risk?

Disciplines: How would philosophers advise you to handle the situation? To which philosopher do you relate most? For example,

  • Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” theory encourages individuals to perform an action because they believe in it, not just because it is a rule.
  • Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative suggests that one should act rationally, and actions should be applied universally to all situations.
  • J.S. Mill’s utilitarian school of thought says the ends justify the means. If the outcome produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people, compromising some values along the way may be acceptable.
  • Ross’s competing ethical duties emphasize the context. Depending on the situation, one duty may take priority over another. As a low-stakes example, when you lie to your friend to conceal her upcoming surprise party, you prioritize your duty to do good for others over your duty to tell the truth.

Loyalties: To which publics are you most loyal in this case? What other groups would be directly or indirectly affected by your decision?

After moving through those four steps, new facts may emerge, bringing you back to the start. And thus, the cycle continues until you determine the best course of action.

With these vital resources in your ethics tool kit, you’re well-equipped to navigate any sticky situation that comes your way. Take some time before the next moral dilemma to reflect on your ethical code, and you’ll be primed to make wise, effective decisions throughout your career.

Written by Clairemont intern Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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The Branding of You

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

A short five years ago, life presented a different picture. The change in scenery sprang from the rapid progression of society’s dependence on social media.

Just a short time ago, people weren’t stressing over their Instagram aesthetic, and Snapchat stories didn’t exist. With the growing popularity of social media comes new techniques, like self branding, that allow people to connect with potential employers and opportunities. Employers also have another window to reach potential candidates.

Consistency is Key

A CareerBuilder survey from 2016 found that 60 percent of employers examine social media accounts to learn more about job candidates. With that said, it’s becoming increasingly more important to make sure that more than just your resume adheres to what you want employers to understand. 

Self branding on social media is anything from Twitter bio content to your Instagram aesthetic. Maintaining a polished and positive self brand across accounts can show employers more about your personality than a resume or cover letter can.

Your social media content should always be consistent. If one social media channel is showing off a different side of you than another, employers may not perceive you as a stable — or transparent — job candidate. Forbes.com further emphasizes the importance of consistency across social platforms, because “presenting yourself in a consistent manner helps you control their perception of your personal brand.”

A College Student’s Perspective

Self branding on social media as a college student is challenging, specifically because university life includes so many different types of activities and lifestyles. From academic settings and social gatherings to professional events, a college student’s day-to-day life may include a wider variety of experiences than the average person. Figuring out what to post to promote yourself as a young professional while showcasing distinct qualities of your personality is not a simple task.

Many of my college professors are tailoring their class content and the projects they assign to better prepare students for employment. Whether it’s designing an online portfolio or simply promoting your work on social media, they make it clear that perfecting your self brand online will differentiate you from other potential job candidates.

Along with that, professors have explained that a healthy balance of professionalism and personality is valuable for employers to see throughout social media channels. Showing a well-rounded life proves to employers you adeptly prioritize both professional life and the activities that make up your personality.

Self branding goes hand-in-hand with the social media revolution that defines much of modern-day life. Although sometimes it may seem tedious or unnecessary, everything you post on social media is a direct representation of your lifestyle, values and personality, all of which define the branding of you.

For more tips and tricks to amp up your social media, check out the the Social Media category of our blog!

Written by Clairemont intern Lindsey Hoover, a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

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