Tag: marketing strategy

User-Generated Content: Your 2022 Marketing Key

Dana PhelpsBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

User-generated content is the strongest marketing tool you’re not using.

Amidst a tumultuous social political and economic landscape, people are craving something they can trust. Research shows that transparency and authenticity are the leading social currencies for consumers. In fact, according to Stackla, 90 percent of consumers evaluate authenticity when deciding to purchase from a brand, and Label Insight points out that 94 percent of consumers are more likely to support a brand that offers transparency. Quippy taglines or eye-catching visuals alone will no longer forge a meaningful and lasting connection with your audience.

User-Generated Content: Transparent Talk

User-generated content (UGC) provides that unvarnished, unedited peek into the experiences and words of “people just like me”. UGC consists of pictures, videos and quotes directly from current customers. A well-curated library of UGC automatically showcases a variety of demographics offering brand advocacy that consumers know isn’t paid or polished. UGC can build your brand champion base as well as educate your audience about the daily uses of your product. And as a considerable benefit, User-generated content is easy to maintain and relatively inexpensive (or free) in comparison to paid advertising or influencer partnerships.

The proof is in the pudding on this one. Stackla shares that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view UGC as authentic compared to content created by brands, and 79 percent of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. Now is the time to focus on your UGC strategy, strengthen customer loyalty and broaden your market share.

Curating the Content

The online realm is ripe with avenues to effectively gather UGC from customers, brand champions and even employees themselves. When crafting a UGC campaign, gather content for a social media platform that highlights not only your product but also the product’s adjacent lifestyle. For example, a women’s fashion shoe brand won’t just show photography or videos of its latest stilettos; it might also showcase the pumps in a snazzy wine bar at a girl’s night out, on date night or in a posh salon—hinting at the social cache that comes with wearing these shoes. To start using user-generated content:

  • Launch a branded hashtag on social media: ask followers to share experiences marked by a hashtag. Instagram is the front-runner platform for a hashtag campaign, followed by Twitter and TikTok. Create a consistent ethos for your campaign with a corner overlay or border for UGC reposts.
  • Roll out an email campaign: directly ask fans for their pictures, videos and quotes.
  • Leverage a landing page or personalized app: craft a contest, challenging fans to submit their best take on your product for a chance to win swag, experiences and discounts.
  • Tap product reviews: encourage photos in reviews for a one-stop shop. (Fun tip: More than 70 percent of consumers say they look at product reviews prior to purchase.)
  • Host a daily photo challenge: make each 24-hour period an opportunity to submit fresh takes (like this one from GoPro).
  • Create a TikTok challenge: for richer content complete with ready-made music, sound effects and built-in video editing.
  • Gamify the goods: require users to complete a series of tasks (including submitting content!) to earn rewards.

Utilizing Your User-Generated Content

The beauty of UGC is its versatility and applicability throughout the customer relationship, and options abound for how to leverage your UGC library. Once collected, certain content formats perform better on various platforms. Facebook, for example, works best for longer-form video, which can also be featured in paid ads for greater and more targeted reach. For shorter-form content, use the Regram app to repost to Instagram. Share Reels and challenge followers to “react to this person’s video” or ask them to repost as a duet.

But don’t be afraid to branch beyond social media. UGC can be featured on employee uniforms, fan swag or product packaging. Connect with brick-and-mortar foot traffic by spotlighting images in your store (checkout lines, store backdrops and even floor decals).

While UGC yields impact at every stage of the buying cycle, stats show that it is distinctly effective at the final stage of the journey—the tipping point where consumers are weighing options. For example, include UGC photos on the landing page for a specific product that garners ad traffic. Feature quotes on an abandoned cart landing page or email. Build review testimonials into a nurture campaign for warm audiences.

Important note before posting any user content:

Be sure to ask your consumers’ permission before sharing their content. If launching a formal campaign, build in a consent form in the entry process, or reach out to individuals via direct messages. Ensure that you also confirm how they would like to be credited, especially if sharing content across multiple mediums.

Ready to beef up your UGC strategy? Email us for a consult!

Read More

5 Resources for marketing campaigns

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , ,

Photo credit: Pexels

Do you want to launch a marketing campaign but aren’t sure where to start? Clairemont knows a thing or two about successful campaign strategy. 

The first step in developing a strong marketing campaign is crafting a compelling story viewpoint and distinctive theme. Check out some of the resources we’ve provided to guide your campaign development.

The down-to-earth, people-centric approach

Use the Enneagram: Including a dash of personality in your marketing can be an effective strategy to relate to your target audience. One way to achieve this is to work insight from the Enneagram test into your marketing. 

Take a Page from Toyota’s Playbook: Toyota’s Super Bowl ad, “Swimming Upstream,” told the story of Jessica Long, a U.S. Paralympic swimmer. The ad’s strong, person-centric storytelling forged an emotional connection between the brand and its audience, leaving a lasting impression. 

The bold and attention-grabbing approach

Be Conscious of Color: One surefire way to make your marketing stand out is by selecting a bold theme. This can be as simple as choosing attention-grabbing colors in designs, backed by our research tying psychology to color used in marketing campaigns.

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different: When Disney had to close all parks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company completely rewrote its playbook. By reallocating its focus towards creating digital content for Disney Plus and shopDisney, the company found success outside of its normal playing field. 

The humorous, relatable approach 

Harness the Power of Ha-Has: The way to many consumers’ hearts is through their funny bones. Effectively using humor in marketing can make a brand seem more approachable and showcase a one-of-a-kind personality. (Extra Tip: Memes are a great social media tool to leverage humor and spotlight your brand’s relatable character.)

Are you still not sure where to start on a campaign? Contact us and let us craft a head-turning marketing strategy for your business.

By Clairemont intern Anne Claire Foreman, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Read More

Marketing: Why Work with a PR Firm

Clairemont InternBlog, Hiring a PR Firm, Marketing, , , , , ,

Marketing your business can be a daunting task, but it’s a crucial element to success in today’s world. Working with an agency is an efficient way to bring more to the table than just brand awareness. Businesses large and small can benefit in many ways by hiring an agency including:

1. Introducing Investors

Having a steady source of income is, obviously, the linchpin for a successful business, especially at its early stages. PR agencies can help to attract investors by demonstrating your credibility and producing strategies to target investors at the right time.

2. Creating a Rockstar Reputation

Reputation is a part of attracting new clients, investors and great employees. PR professionals help you refine your brand messaging and increase industry awareness, which ultimately generates new clients, coverage and talent. 

3. Maximizing Media 

PR agencies are masters at forging new connections, reigniting old ones and integrating digital media tactics, thanks to their built-in knowledge and strong relationships with media outlets. 

4. Increasing Productivity

Marketing, especially good marketing, is a lot of work. Hiring a PR agency can free up valuable time, energy and resources for you and your employees. Experienced PR pros can take the work off your plate so you can focus on growing your team and business. 

However, we understand that sometimes it’s not possible to immediately collaborate with an agency. We’ve put together a list of low-maintenance and cost-friendly marketing strategies that can jumpstart your business and brand, and make agency collaboration seamless down the line. 

  • Create a Google My Business account. This (free!) listing allows your business to show up on Google Maps, the local section of a Google Search and the right-side Knowledge Panel for branded searches. 
  • Post and engage regularly on social media. Increasing social media presence and engagement (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok) can build a community online and allows you to express your brand’s personality as well as build trust with your audience.
  • Start a blog. Blogging is still a great tool to make content a regular part of your marketing efforts. You can share your posts on social media and it’s an easy way to direct potential clients to your company site, increase user engagement, improve visibility and strengthen your overall SEO. 
  • Apply for awards. Applying for awards can generate buzz for your business and, if you win, boost credibility. 
  • Collaborate with others. Double your exposure and reach a new audience by collaborating with another business in-person (post-pandemic) or virtually. Teaming up can also mean placing business cards, flyers or brochures at your partner’s physical location or taking over/guest-starring on its social media account — get creative!

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of hiring a PR agency and what Clairemont Communications can do for you, drop us a line. We’d love to work with you!

Curious about more marketing resources? Check out our blog for some stellar social media tools.

By Clairemont intern Maia Guterbock, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Read More

The Best Super Bowl Marketing and Why

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

Photo credit: Pexels

While the Super Bowl looked different in many ways this year, the tradition of brands shelling out millions to vie for our attention with 30-second ads remained the same. 

From big-name celebrities to catchy jingles, there were lots of great marketing campaigns this year. Below we outline some of our favorites and share why they were effective from a marketing perspective. 

  1. “No Way, Norway!”
    This General Motors ad starred comedian Will Ferrell as a passionate electric vehicle driver. When Ferrell finds out that Norway greatly outproduces the United States in electric vehicle production, he is outraged. Ferrell plans to assemble a team to make a stand in Norway, except they all accidentally travel to the wrong Scandanavian countries. We liked this ad because it was lighthearted and comedic, but still clearly got the point across that GM is committing itself to produce more electric vehicles. Because electric cars are better for the environment, GM is showing that the brand cares about the future and is helping to invent a better tomorrow. 
  2. “Swimming Upstream”
    After a year full of trials and tribulations, Toyota’s ad addressed the hardships of life head-on. The ad told the life story of Jessica Long, a U.S. Paralympian and double leg amputee who was adopted from Russia as a child. The ad showed that while Jessica faced many struggles, she persisted and found success and happiness in life. We loved this ad because of its phenomenal storytelling. Storytelling is one of the best ways for marketers to connect with their audiences and leave a lasting impression. While you might not directly think of Toyota when you think of a brave Paralympian, this story of persistence perfectly ties into its tagline: “Let’s Go Places.” 
  3. “Alexa’s Body”
    This hilarious Amazon commercial followed along with an Amazon employee who came up with the idea to put Alexa technology into a humanlike body. The commercial takes a turn when she puts Alexa technology into actor Michael B. Jordan and can’t stop drooling over him in front of her husband. According to post-Super Bowl social media analysis, this commercial made the biggest splash. Amazon saw a 110 percent growth in social media activity and growth within 24 hours of the Super Bowl. The second-ranked company on the list, Paramount, only saw a 54 percent boost. This ad is a great example of how powerful humor can be in marketing if it is executed tastefully and strategically. 
  4. Budweiser’s CSR
    Instead of spending $5.5 million on a 30-second Super Bowl ad, Budweiser donated a commercial slot for coronavirus vaccine awareness efforts. While it was the first time in more than 30 years that fans didn’t get to see the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales on the big screen, the brand still gave viewers a glimpse of their adored horses via Twitter. On each commercial break, Budweiser tweeted out a video of the horses carrying a mystery item across rugged terrain and asked followers what they thought the item was. At the end of the game, Budweiser revealed that the Clydesdales were carrying a cooler full of beer (shocker!). We loved Budweiser’s marketing strategy for several reasons. First, by choosing to donate their Super Bowl advertising budget to coronavirus vaccination efforts, it shows its audience that corporate social responsibility is important to the brand. The campaign also harnessed the power of video by using stunning visuals to draw viewers in. If you’re interested in integrating video content into your marketing campaigns, check out our blog on strengthening video strategy. 

If you want to develop a marketing campaign but aren’t sure where to start, contact us! From planning to execution, we can help you along every step of the way. 

By Clairemont intern Anne Claire Foreman, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Read More

Calls-to-Action You Can’t Refuse

Cherith AndesBlog, Copy Cat, Marketing, , , , , , , , ,

Calls-to-action (CTAs) are the life breath of advertising and marketing strategies. Why bother crafting (and funding) a hefty communications campaign without utilizing the number one catalyst to recruit leads? Click, download, listen, like, share—no doubt you’ve been peppered with these same pop-ups vying for your attention. And no doubt you’ve ignored equally as many pop-ups (probably with an eye roll thrown in for good measure).

However, communication strategies can’t afford to skip or skimp on these vital triggers. As Megan Marrs points out, effective CTAs incorporate not only striking design but more importantly compelling copy. So please note, whether in print or online, content still reigns as king.

As I was perusing one of my favorite fashion retail sites (don’t tell my husband), I encountered one of these CTAs. Same old, same old—until I read the last line.

Ann Taylor Call to Action

Option 1: “Enter Your Email for 50% Off Your Entire Purchase.”

Option 2: “No thanks, I prefer to pay full price.”

Wait…back up! I don’t want to pay full price! And hence, you see the beauty of this particular pop-up, not in the actual CTA but in the opt-out text. By cleverly articulating the consequences of opting out, Ann Taylor actually convinced me to relinquish my precious personal email address…hook, line and sinker. And now I’m a regular newsletter recipient!

The lesson? Take a second glance at your standard copy and look for a fresh way to frame the customer’s or client’s options. What’s in it for them? What will they truly lose if they refuse your offer? Honest and creative positioning cuts through the competing marketing “noise,” nabs the reader’s attention and just might make the difference in your sales, clicks, shares, downloads, sign-ups, tweets, posts, replies…you get the picture.

Now it’s your turn. What quality makes your copy effective?

Read More