Category: Marketing

“Don’t Make Me Think” Marketing

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , ,

Variety. Something for everyone. Endless options. Find your fit here!

It’s a myth that more choices make happier customers. In fact, the opposite ensues when a customer is faced with more options that his or her brain can process on the spot. We feel overwhelmed and procrastinate for fear of choosing poorly. Fast Company describes this reaction as “hoarding our energy,” also known as “choice overload” or “analysis paralysis.”

In response, savvy marketers have honed strategies like target marketing or highly refined search results. But social media is spinning out this idea in other ways. Instead of encouraging purchases, social platforms are capitalizing on this psychology to direct the user’s experience. They provide one — just one — easily accessible suggestion that may lead users to try a new app or engage in online activity outside of their normal purview.

Latest Conversations on Facebook

Facebook thrives off of user engagement – whether comments, reactions or (cha-ching!) clicking an ad to purchase. But its online audience has developed a vocal culture that prefers to be led rather than forced into action. Hence, Facebook played it pretty smart with its recent feature.

“Latest Conversations” appears below the News section when you search for something, and it enables the user to peruse information by topic rather just by page or location. The feature suggests topics related to the user’s search, allowing you to see how many people at any given point across Facebook are discussing, oh, Mother’s Day, White House politics or gourmet cat food. You can even interact with Facebook users worldwide that are not your friends on the topic. Facebook didn’t advertise or force users to connect with new audiences. It simply provided the suggestion — one easy choice that piqued curiosity and invited exploration. And poof! Up goes Facebook engagement. New conversations with new friends and more reasons to stay on Facebook. Nice, Facebook.

Snap Codes

We’re so over QR codes, and we are never, ever getting back together. Please don’t make me take the time download a separate app to then scan a code that will then transport me to yet another website. Too much work … I just can’t even. That is until Snapchat leveraged QR codes as a way to add friends.

Then Snapchat upped the ante; it tweaked its platform to read QR codes that will open websites from inside of Snapchat. Snapchat now becomes a tool to access all sorts of activities — shopping, location guides, event data. You can see the biz goal here, right? Why navigate out of Snapchat when it provides all the functionalities you need? It simplified. It smoothed the path, removed user blocks and hence leveraged our “don’t make me think” mentality to boost its own popularity.

Extend the Invitation

Our “don’t make me think” mentality is an opportunity to continually evaluate our messaging strategies and user experiences. Are there blockers? At what point does the guest or customer become overwhelmed by options or challenges that trigger choice overload? Instead, simplify. Target based on smart research. Encourage customers to explore new options not by over advertising but by interest and invitation. It’s a “we think you like this. Want to explore?” approach.

Looking for your next steps? Check out our tips to target market with social media.

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Dazzle Before Distraction

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , ,

In an oft-quoted 2015 study, Microsoft revealed that the human attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish. The small creature can remain focused for approximately nine seconds, while the average person stays focused for only eight. Public relations professionals must adapt to the changing media environment, constantly crafting creative ways to communicate their messages. Everything from word choice to timing can make or break the efficacy of your communication.

Tips for Emails

John Edwards, marketing consultant and CEO at Hosting Facts, unveils important tips for effective email communication. He points to a USC Viterbi School of Engineering study that observed 2 million users who sent more than 16 billion emails over the course of several months. Two findings include:

  1. Send Emails in the Morning

While most professionals check email throughout the day, the highest response rate comes first thing in the morning. Send a note early to catch the reporter when she first gets to her desk.

  1. Follow Up After 48 Hours

There is a 90 percent likelihood you will get a response to your email within 48 hours. If you don’t receive one after this time frame, you may not receive a reply at all. Follow up after two days to improve your chance at an answer.

Tips for Mobile

A 2015 study released by Deloitte concluded Americans collectively check their phones 8 billion times a day, and the average person reaches for his phone 46 times daily. It is vital to adapt your PR strategies for mobile considerations.

  1. Keep Email Subject Lines to Five Words

Pierpont notes that if recipients can’t read your entire subject line on their phone, they’ll delete your message. Google’s algorithm will truncate your headlines if it is more than 65 characters and eliminate additional subheads. Keep openers, subject lines and headers brief!

  1. Add Video

Fifty-nine percent of senior executives prefer to watch video instead of reading text if presented with the option. Consider relaying information through a short, eye-catching video.

Tips for Blogs

  1. Hubspot notes that B2B firms with blogs generate 67 percent more leads per month than non-blogging firms.

Encourage clients to produce their own content. Whether it’s a feature on management, opinions about the industry or tips about work-life balance, allowing potential customers to get a behind-the-scenes peek at the company’s personality can boost the website’s reach.

  1. Keep Age in Mind

Millenials are 247 percent more likely to be influenced by blogs or social networking sites. Think closely about your client’s audience when considering which platforms to focus efforts. If the client base skews younger, for example, explore Snapchat and Instagram.

Check out other tips to master your social media in 2017!

Written by Casey Moore, senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Millennials and Targeted Advertising

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Raleigh PR Agency, , , ,

As brands and businesses embrace social media advertising, advertisements are evolving into sophisticated, systematic machines. Targeted ads are becoming increasingly popular across social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest. However, how effective are they with millennials?

After conducting qualitative research – observations, interviews and a focus group – in a recent Ad/PR Research class at UNC-Chapel Hill, my team and I uncovered some surprising discoveries about millennials’ reactions to targeted advertising.

  1. Perceptions and Reactions
    Research revealed that participants had a negative or neutral perception of targeted advertising. Those who viewed targeted ads in a more negative light were mainly concerned about the privacy implications and companies combing their search history or tracking online behavior. In turn, these concerns lowered the consumers’ perception of a brand or company. On the other hand, many participants remained relatively neutral and simply scrolled past targeted ads on social media. Consumers’ opinions about brands and companies were not changed. They were not bothered by the presence of targeted advertisements but also did not pay them much attention.
  2. Privacy Concerns
    Although companies are not breaking any laws by how they target consumers, all participants were aware of the privacy concerns related to targeted advertising. Many felt as though everything on the internet is already public anyway, so they did not mind that companies were using their data to create ads. Overall, the millennials in our research felt as though the benefits and convenience of targeted advertising outweighed the privacy implications.
  3. Targeted Advertisements and the Likelihood of a Sale
    We expected to see a more direct relationship between targeted advertising and the likelihood of a sale, but our findings did not confirm our hunch. Instead, research suggested that targeted advertising is very effective in reminding millennials of a product they had previously viewed. In other words, targeted ads keep a product constantly in the viewer’s mind whether they decide to purchase it or not. The effectiveness of targeted ads greatly depends on consumers’ shopping habits. For those that regularly shop online, targeted ads effectively remind consumers of the product they had previously viewed, which could potentially expedite the buying cycle. However, for those that rarely online shop, targeted ads proved much less effective in getting their attention.

Alienate or Communicate?
Although millennials may have mixed reactions to targeted advertising, a few key findings can inform future ad campaign strategies. Our research suggested that there may be room to expedite the buying cycle for those that regularly shop online by providing reminders of previously viewed products. Additionally, since many consumers have privacy concerns with targeted advertising, companies should aim to be more transparent about how they are using a consumer’s information to target them.

Looking for more? Learn how to use coopetition to boost your marketing!

Written by Emily Deason, junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Marketing in a Post-Truth Era

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , ,

It’s no secret that America’s climate is undergoing a political, economic and social redirect. In fact, researchers claim that we’re entering into a new cultural era, one of the first shifts of this kind since the mid-1960s.

For example, recent findings by the Kantar Futures Group reveal a resurgence of the populist mindset. For the first time in decades, Americans place a premium on a sense of community and social ties rather than a sense of individualism. While self-expression still exists, it is couched within a context of smaller worlds, shared allegiances and common interests. People are willing to give up a small portion of our “lone ranger” mentality to stay connected to the group.

In addition, recent developments have launched us into a “post-trust era” (or the “post-truth era“) where we no longer trust experts or leaders. It’s not that we don’t see them as credible; we just believe they’re pursuing their own agendas. Interestingly enough, this mindset spans political parties and socioeconomic strata.

As with any cultural ebb, America’s shift affects branding, marketing and public relations. A cursory overview shows how these concepts have already manifested on social media.

– Mastodon: A Twitter clone that appeals to the “old Twitter crowd,” as it were. It sidesteps features that users perceive interrupt their experience — such as a stream of ads or ranked content. Users felt incensed that some “untrustworthy” governing authority regulated their timelines. Mastodon offers organic, real-time experience unfettered by the influence of “the man” along with several privacy options.

– HaterDater: While many apps connect users based on common interests (Match.com, MapleMatch, you name it), app developers have gone so far as to launch forums that connect people based on their dislikes. From those who loath certain politicians to people who hate slow walkers, users can find a like-minded friend on HaterDater. Our desire for connection has prompted us to connect with small communities in some very unexpected ways.

How should marketers respond? Demonstrate that you have your audience’s best interests at heart. Support and enable small communities. Back off of rampant fact sharing, and provide ways for people to strengthen their relationships with others. Heck, sponsor a local tee-ball team! (Okay, not necessarily, but you get the point.) Invest in personal, local and connected as the new currency to strengthening a brand.

What other strategies should you explore to strengthen your brand? Check out our post on Communicating Your Brand.

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How to Keep People Watching

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , , , ,

Netflix, HBO, YouTube, Amazon and more. The world of basic cable is one of the past. With the click of a button, we find ourselves diving into hours upon hours of fascinating entertainment. More than ever, people can discover television that aligns with their preferences. Don’t like “Dexter?” Try “The Crown.” If reality television is your style, perhaps subscribe to Hulu and check out exclusive interviews for “The Bachelor.” The current generation is in the “golden age of television,” and we easily reap the rewards by watching premium content with a bottle of wine and a close companion.

So, where does this leave the older, nostalgic media?

One of the staples of traditional broadcast has been late-night entertainment. With the popularity of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” the world entered a talk show revolution. The comedic, variety program has become a mainstay in current culture. Current hosts include Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, James Corden, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, John Oliver and Trevor Noah. Most of these hosts deliver monologue jokes, interview guests and star in filmed sketches. With such a crowded environment, it becomes challenging to stand out from the competition.

Like public relations professionals, television teams are learning to adapt to current trends. In combination with lighter use of traditional media, shows are taking to the digital space to market and interact with viewers. As an intern and production assistant for Conan O’Brien this past year, I witnessed the way entertainment evolves constantly.

O’Brien’s team has grown to prove they are digitally savvy, incorporating Snapchat and Instagram into their daily communication. O’Brien also does YouTube exclusives, offering a chance for the younger generation to engage with his brand. Though millennials may not tune in to his Monday – Thursday show on TBS, they are more likely to watch his “Clueless Gamer” series on YouTube. To promote the live show in New York City from October 31 – November 4, “Conan” used:

  • Billboards and subway signs
  • Animated street signs
  • Snapchat filters
  • A “step-and-repeat” that was created for an Instagram background
  • Broadcast advertisements and YouTube advertisements

Though O’Brien hits middle ground when it comes to viewers on television, many of his online videos garner millions of views. Because of this success, The New York Post reported that YouTube has approached O’Brien to be the official host for their YouTube Red channel. It remains to be seen whether he will take the position. Regardless, one thing is certain. The longest tenured late-night host will be sure to mix the new and the old in a charming, hilarious way.

Looking for more adventures? Check out another Clairemont intern’s travels to Amsterdam!

 Written by Casey Moore, senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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