Making Data Fun Again
As Direct Marketers we understand the importance of tracking results and being able to analyze the response from any given project or campaign. It is in this data where we can determine if a campaign was a success and gain valuable insight as to what is driving response. Often times, this data gets buried into endless spreadsheets and boring graphs and charts which doesn't always do this valuable information the "justice" it deserves. So, how do we make this data relevant? Say hello to the infographic.
The infographic is not a new thing by any means but the way it can visualize what can often times be considered "boring stats" has made data and statistics fun and interesting again. In many ways the infographic accomplishes the same thing that The Weinstein Organization strives to do every day - blending the art and science of Integrated Marketing.
Below is an infographic courtesy of TAMBA, which breaks down the stats, explaining why Pinterest is so powerful with its consumption-friendly audience. We thought this was a great example of how powerful an infographic can be. What do you think?
Are you getting paid for that post?
A new form of advertising is starting to spread around your social networks and it may make you think twice about clicking on your friend's latest posting. A new service is being offered that allows users to share videos and get paid every time someone in their social network views that video. So, is this going to be another form of spam for social media or is this the next best way to drive conversions?
The concept seems sound and for advertisers this seems like a win-win. They get access to people's private social media networks and for viewers it appears that their friend is posting an interesting video for them to see. As long as advertisers are providing unique and interesting content, then their videos should have an exponential reach to their target customers. And for the people that are posting the videos, they won't get rich, but if they are posting videos that they would normally post, then a little extra cash doesn't hurt either.
Is this going to be the next big way to reach potential customers in a highly targeted way, or will it be written off by advertisers and consumers as another form of spam? Only time will tell, but if this new channel of reaching customers works, then you might want to think twice the next time you are about to click on that funny video clip your buddy posted.
Hello...Again
The Weinstein Organization is happy to announce the roll-out of our refreshed blog and social media efforts. We've taken some time and given our blog, Facebook page, and twitter page a bit of a facelift and will be providing more content and updates then ever before. With a rotating group of contributors, you will see our take on what's going on in the industry. So please be sure to connect with us and follow our blog!
Re-Think Engagement As Direct Response
AdAge Digital published an interesting article called "The Brutal Truth About Social Media: It's Okay To Be A Little Antisocial". The point of the article was that "most" consumers will "never" engage with your brand or your content, so it's really okay to treat social media like a broadcast medium.
There's some validity to this point in that the consumption of your message and content is a form of engagement. As long as your message gets out there to your audience and they see it, watch it, or read it then your mission may have been accomplished. This has worked for traditional media, so it must work for social and digital too, right?
It might work, but how would you even know it? That's why we believe effective social media marketing is really a direct response approach.
Social media is a wonderful catalyst for incentivizing response from a relatively stable, uniquely measurable, and highly scalable (thanks to viral marketing) audience. These are characteristics that we direct marketers love, which is why you should re-think how you define engagement.
Engagement by most social media standards loosely means fostering a 1:1 relationship with your audience and getting them to "have a conversation" with your brand. But that is really wishful thinking and a misdirected goal.
Brands and organizations need their audiences to RESPOND in meaningful ways that advance their goals. That could be a sale, or an email sign-up, or a re-post, or a download, or a click to a landing page. Or any trackable and measurable action that you specifically incentivize your audience to take.
When you think about Social Media Engagement as Social Media Response, you can begin to apply successful and proven direct response marketing techniques in ways that no other media can.
It Used To Be Called "Interactive"
Remember way back (circa 7 years ago) when digital media was called "interactive"?
It seems as if many marketers have forgotten that the roots of digital/online/social media are in the now time-worn idea of interactivity. Isn't that the wonderful inherent advantage of marketing and communicating on the internet? The ability to engage in a real-time back-and-forth with your customers and prospects is something that can't be replicated by TV, Radio, Print and Mail.
Instead of just simply pushing out content on your social media portals, email campaigns and web pages, use them simultaneously as broadcast networks and response channels. Instead of just requesting a like or a follow, incentivize a click to a landing page. Lead them to a pURL. Reward people for sharing your content. Encourage them to come back and bring their networks to your brand.
Think responsively. Promote interactivity. Push Marketing and Pull Marketing can coexist on the internet.