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Daniela Alba

5 Steps to Crafting a Winning LinkedIn B2B Marketing Strategy

November 3, 2023

By Daniela Alba

In the realm of B2B marketing, LinkedIn has emerged as a powerful platform for businesses to connect, engage, and generate leads. Its professional nature and business-focused audience make it an ideal platform for B2B marketers looking to amplify their reach and impact.

The platform’s unique blend of networking, content sharing, and professional insight capabilities provides unparalleled opportunities for businesses to establish thought leadership, foster meaningful connections, and drive business growth. From company profiles to tailored posts, the ability to directly engage with your target audience opens up an avenue of communication that many other platforms cannot match. Moreover, with robust targeting features and analytics, LinkedIn offers a level of precision and insight into your marketing efforts, allowing for continuous strategy refinement and optimization. Simply put, LinkedIn is more than just a social network; it’s a dynamic marketplace for ideas, partnerships, and opportunities that can propel your B2B marketing to new heights.

Step 1: Building a Strong Company Profile

The first essential step to capitalizing on LinkedIn’s potential is creating a compelling company page. This is not just a placeholder for your company on the site, but the hub of your LinkedIn activity and a representation of your brand to the professional world. Your profile should succinctly convey your company’s mission, services, and value proposition, and it should do so in a manner that speaks to your target audience. Ensure that you incorporate relevant keywords, a high-quality logo, and a captivating cover image. A comprehensive, appealing company page enhances your credibility on the platform and is the foundation of all your LinkedIn marketing efforts.

Step 2: Creating Engaging Content

The key to standing out on LinkedIn and attracting your desired audience is creating content that resonates with them. This could be in the form of informative articles, insightful industry updates, thought leadership pieces, or even engaging videos. It’s not enough to just broadcast your offerings; you must provide value to your audience and establish your brand as a credible source of information. With LinkedIn’s content sharing features, you have the opportunity to shape your brand narrative and demonstrate your industry expertise, all while fostering meaningful connections with your audience.

Step 3: Networking and Engagement

LinkedIn is a networking platform at its core, and leveraging this aspect is crucial for B2B marketing success. Actively connect with other businesses, participate in LinkedIn groups, engage with your audience’s content, and respond promptly to comments on your posts. This not only increases your visibility on the platform, but also helps foster relationships, build a community around your brand, and demonstrates that your company values the input and interaction of its audience.

Step 4: Utilizing LinkedIn Advertising

LinkedIn’s advertising tools offer a robust way to reach a professional audience that aligns with your target demographic. From Sponsored Content to InMail, LinkedIn provides various ad formats to help businesses target and reach their ideal customers. It’s essential to understand these tools and how to use them effectively to meet your marketing objectives. LinkedIn’s advertising capabilities allow you to transcend organic reach and directly present your brand to potential leads, amplifying your impact on the platform.

Step 5: Measuring Success

Finally, to understand the effectiveness of your LinkedIn marketing efforts and to make data-driven decisions, it’s important to measure and evaluate key metrics. These include engagement rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and more. LinkedIn’s analytics tools offer comprehensive insights into your content performance and audience behavior. This not only helps you understand what’s working and where improvements can be made, but it also provides invaluable insights into your audience, informing future content creation and marketing strategies.

Conclusion

LinkedIn’s potential for B2B marketing success is significant. By building a strong profile, creating engaging content, fostering connections, utilizing LinkedIn’s advertising tools, and regularly measuring your success, you can leverage the power of LinkedIn to propel your B2B marketing to new heights.

Embracing LinkedIn as a part of your marketing mix is not just about generating leads; it’s about nurturing relationships, demonstrating expertise, and creating a lasting, positive brand image in the minds of professionals. By effectively utilizing the tools and strategies that LinkedIn offers, you’re not just marketing your business, but positioning it as a leader in your industry. This is the potential that LinkedIn offers, and the path to unlocking it begins with a comprehensive understanding of the platform’s capabilities and a strategic approach to leveraging them.

How to Create Engaging, Bite-sized Content for Social Media

July 27, 2023

By Daniela Alba

bite-sized content

Capturing and retaining the attention of users has become increasingly challenging. This is where engaging, bite-sized content plays a crucial role in social media marketing. With the average attention span shrinking and users constantly bombarded with a plethora of content, it has become important for brands to deliver information in a concise and captivating manner.

Impact of Attention Spans and Content Overload on User Engagement

Today’s digital landscape is characterized by shortened attention spans, largely influenced by the rapid consumption of content across multiple platforms. Users are constantly scrolling, seeking quick and easily digestible information. As a result, lengthy and complex content tends to lose their interest, leading to lower engagement rates and reduced impact of marketing efforts. 

An article published on Curiouscoms.org discusses how users’ habits and behaviors are tied to the diminishing of their attention and the ease with which they shift to new content. The person interviewed observed a recurring pattern of engagement, where the deluge of information from social media and other media platforms leads to divided attention. Content overload further exacerbates this challenge, making it essential for brands to cut through the noise and capture attention within seconds.

Concise Content for Optimal Social Media Engagement

To captivate social media users, brands must master the art of creating concise yet compelling content. 

  1. Start by defining a sharp and engaging core message. This serves as your content’s thesis, encapsulating your brand’s key point or call to action. Even if a user only briefly engages with your post, they should still grasp its essence.
  2. Prioritize strategic content planning. Using analytics and insights, you can identify what interests your audience and when they are most active. This information allows you to align your content strategy with audience behavior and preferences, thereby increasing its relevance and impact. Visual content is also crucial in today’s digital environment. Humans are wired to process visuals more quickly than text, and quality images or videos can instantly grab a user’s attention. Whether it’s a stunning photo, a compelling infographic, or a short but engaging video, visual elements can enhance your message and encourage user interaction.
  3. Storytelling is another powerful tool for creating engaging content. An interesting narrative can turn a bland piece of information into a captivating tale, stirring emotions and building a stronger connection with your audience. Moreover, stories can make complex information easier to digest, enhancing comprehension and recall.
  4. Finally, interactive content can further boost engagement. By incorporating polls, quizzes, or contests into your content strategy, you can encourage users to interact with your posts, turning them from passive viewers into active participants. In summary, with a blend of these strategies, brands can craft concise and engaging content that optimizes social media engagement. By doing so, they can stand out in a crowded digital landscape and effectively achieve their marketing objectives.

Importance of Attention-Grabbing Headlines or Captions

Capturing the attention of users is essential to drive engagement. One of the key elements in creating engaging, bite-sized content is crafting attention-grabbing headlines or captions. The headline is the first impression users have of your content, and it must be compelling enough to make them stop scrolling and take notice. A captivating headline sets the stage for the rest of the content, drawing users in and sparking their curiosity.

Utilizing Powerful Language and Keywords to Pique Interest

To make your headlines or captions stand out, utilize powerful language and carefully chosen keywords. Use words that evoke emotion, curiosity, or urgency to capture the reader’s attention and generate interest in your content. Incorporate relevant keywords that align with your target audience’s interests and search behaviors to increase the chances of your content appearing in search results. By using the right words and language, you can create an immediate impact and encourage users to delve deeper into your content.

Incorporating Hooks and Intriguing Questions to Encourage Further Engagement

Hooks and intriguing questions are effective techniques to encourage further engagement with your content. A hook is a compelling statement or an opening that immediately grabs the reader’s attention and entices them to read or watch more. It can be a surprising fact, a thought-provoking statement, or a captivating story. Similarly, posing intriguing questions prompts users to think and engage with your content. Questions that evoke curiosity or challenge the reader’s perspective can generate comments, shares, and meaningful interactions.

By crafting attention-grabbing headlines or captions, utilizing powerful language and keywords, and incorporating hooks and intriguing questions, you can entice users to explore your content further. These elements create a sense of curiosity, urgency, or emotional connection that compels users to engage, click, and share your bite-sized content on social media platforms.

Conclusion

In today’s digital age, crafting short, engaging content for social media is crucial. Brands need to distill their messages, use audience insights for content planning, include striking visuals, and tell compelling stories. Making your headlines catchy and employing powerful language, as well as posing thought-provoking questions, can enhance user engagement. By applying these tactics, brands can shine through the content clutter, connect deeper with their audience, and reach their marketing goals more effectively.

How TikTok is Changing Search Engine Visibility

July 12, 2023

By Daniela Alba

tiktok changing search engine visibility

TikTok has emerged as an alternative source to search engines and is changing the way brands connect with their audience.

In a recent report by TechCrunch, it was revealed that an increasing number of Gen Z individuals are now turning to TikTok and Instagram as their preferred search engines, surpassing the reliance on traditional search engines like Google. This shift highlights the growing influence of these social media platforms as information hubs for the younger generation.

We’ll explore how TikTok is reshaping the search experience, including its innovative features like keyword identification and linking to search results. We’ll also discuss TikTok’s expansion into the search ads market and how it puts the platform in direct competition with industry giants. 

Lastly, we’ll highlight the changing landscape of technology and user habits, showcasing how TikTok has become a preferred information source for Gen Z, and the diverse content it offers beyond memes and dance videos.

TikTok as a Search Engine

TikTok is fundamentally reshaping the way people search for information by providing a dynamic and engaging platform that combines short-form videos with search functionality. Users are now turning to TikTok as a source of instant information and inspiration, bypassing traditional search engines in favor of the app’s unique content format.

One of TikTok’s innovative features being tested is the ability to identify keywords in comments and provide direct links to relevant search results. This feature allows users to seamlessly explore further information related to the topics they are interested in, creating a more immersive search experience within the app.

tiktok is changing search engine visibility

Marketers can harness the power of TikTok as a search engine to their advantage in several ways:

  1. Creating short product information videos that capture attention and provide valuable insights about their offerings, catering to the platform’s fast-paced and visually-oriented nature.
  2. Collaborating with TikTok content creators who have established a loyal following and can help promote products or services through engaging and authentic content, amplifying brand visibility and reach.
  3. Developing mobile-first content that is optimized for TikTok’s vertical video format, ensuring a seamless viewing experience for users and increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.
  4. Setting up a TikTok shop, which enables businesses to showcase and sell their products directly on the platform, providing a convenient and frictionless shopping experience for users.

By leveraging these strategies, marketers can tap into TikTok’s massive user base, maximize brand exposure, and drive meaningful engagement, ultimately enhancing their search engine marketing efforts.

Gen Z’s Preferences Towards TikTok as a Primary Source of Information

There’s been a significant shift in the ways Gen Z (Generation Z) is engaging with information and news. A study by CM Group has revealed that TikTok, is currently where 41% of Gen Z users are sourcing their news and information. This statistic makes TikTok the most popular source among this demographic, significantly outpacing traditional avenues such as TV news, news radio, and news websites. 

TikTok is becoming an increasingly popular choice for online searches. Google’s internal data shows that nearly 40% of Gen Z members turn to TikTok for this purpose. This trend presents a golden opportunity for marketers. By understanding how Gen Z uses TikTok as a search engine, marketers can tap into this trend and enhance their strategies. They can engage their audience with creative, attention-grabbing content, and effectively reach this large and influential demographic.

However, it’s important to tread carefully. A recent study by NewsGuard reveals that misinformation is rampant on the platform, with one in five search results on TikTok containing misleading content. As marketers, while taking advantage of the platform’s reach and influence, it’s crucial to be vigilant about the content being shared and how it aligns with your brand’s values and messaging.

TikTok’s Content Diversity and Its Emergence as a Search Engine 

TikTok has evolved significantly from a platform primarily known for viral dances and memes. Its rich and diverse content is transforming it into a search engine, presenting a unique opportunity for marketers to connect with a vast and engaged audience. Whether it’s a quick language lesson, DIY project, or science trivia, users are actively searching for and engaging with educational content. As a marketer, this means you have the chance to educate audiences about your product, service, or industry in a captivating and digestible way.

Lifestyle content spanning from food recipes, fashion trends, travel vlogs, and fitness routines can be content that users will turn to when searching on TikTok to discover new trends, ideas, and inspiration. For marketers, this provides an opportunity to showcase your brand or product in context, demonstrating its use and appeal in everyday life. TikTok is quickly becoming a platform for social discourse and activism. Users are turning to TikTok to research and understand different viewpoints on a variety of topics. This offers brands an avenue to take a stand, voice their values, and connect with their audience on a deeper level.

As you broaden your content strategy to align with TikTok’s evolution into a search engine, maintaining engaging, original content should remain a priority.

Conclusion

TikTok’s rise as a go-to source for information and its evolution into a search engine has had a transformative shift towards a new era of information discovery and consumption, making TikTok a vital part of the SEM landscape. Marketers must recognize this change and adapt their strategies accordingly. Embracing TikTok’s potential can enable businesses to tap into a dynamic, engaged audience and significantly enhance their digital marketing outcomes.  As marketers, it’s time we harness the power of this platform to create meaningful connections with our audience, drive brand awareness, and ultimately, boost our SEM success.

Inclusive Marketing During and After Pride Month

June 28, 2023

By Daniela Alba

Inclusive Marketing During and After Pride Month

As pride month comes to an end, it’s important to understand why your brand should practice inclusive marketing during and after pride month.

Inclusive marketing refers to the practice of creating and delivering marketing campaigns that are respectful and welcoming to all individuals, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, ability, or other personal characteristics.

During and after pride month, it is especially important for brands to engage in inclusive marketing practices that authentically support and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. This can help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers and foster a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all. 

The Importance of Authenticity in Inclusive Marketing

Authenticity lies at the core of effective inclusive marketing. In an era where consumers are increasingly discerning and value-driven, it is crucial for businesses to demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusivity rather than treating it as a marketing trend. Here’s why authenticity is paramount in inclusive marketing:

  1. Building Trust: Authenticity establishes trust with your audience. When brands approach inclusivity sincerely, it resonates with consumers, fostering a sense of trust and loyalty. Consumers are more likely to support brands that authentically embrace diversity and inclusivity.
  2. Avoiding Tokenism: Tokenism, where marginalized groups are used as mere props for marketing purposes, can have detrimental effects. Authentic inclusive marketing goes beyond surface-level representation and avoids tokenism. It aims to genuinely understand and include diverse perspectives, experiences, and voices.
  3. Connecting with the Community: Authenticity in inclusive marketing enables brands to build genuine connections with the communities they aim to represent and support. By actively engaging with the LGBTQ+ community and seeking their input, brands can create campaigns that resonate with their audience’s experiences and needs.
  4. Reflecting Values: Inclusive marketing that is authentic aligns with the core values of a brand. When brands demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity, they signal their support for equality and social justice, which can attract like-minded consumers who share those values.
  5. Empowering Marginalized Voices: Authentic inclusive marketing provides a platform for marginalized voices to be heard. It creates opportunities for representation and amplifies diverse stories, perspectives, and achievements. By giving voice to marginalized communities, brands can foster inclusivity and inspire positive change.

Best Practices for Authentic Inclusive Marketing

To truly embody inclusivity in marketing, it is essential for businesses to prioritize authenticity. Authenticity serves as the foundation for meaningful connections with diverse audiences and avoids the pitfalls of tokenism. Brands can navigate toward inclusive marketing that goes beyond surface-level representation and contributes to the larger goal of social change and equality.

  1. Research and Education: Take the time to understand the LGBTQ+ community, its history, and current issues. Conduct thorough research and educate yourself and your team to avoid unintentional misrepresentations or stereotypes.
  2. Collaboration and Consultation: Involve LGBTQ+ individuals, activists, and organizations in the development of your inclusive marketing campaigns. Seek their guidance, input, and feedback to ensure your messaging is respectful and accurate.
  3. Internal Diversity and Inclusion: Authenticity starts from within. Promote diversity and inclusion within your organization to foster a culture that values and respects all individuals. This will inform your external marketing efforts.
  4. Meaningful Partnerships: Collaborate with LGBTQ+ influencers, content creators, or organizations that are aligned with your brand values. Seek partnerships that are based on shared values, mutual respect, and the empowerment of marginalized communities.
  5. Listen and Learn: Actively listen to feedback from your audience and the LGBTQ+ community. Continuously learn and improve your inclusive marketing practices based on constructive criticism and evolving social dynamics.

By embracing authenticity in inclusive marketing practices, brands can make a genuine impact, foster connections with their audience, and contribute positively to the broader goal of creating an inclusive and equitable society.

Extending Inclusive Marketing Beyond Pride Month

Pride Month prompts inclusive marketing, yet the importance of supporting the LGBTQ+ community extends beyond a single month. We recommend offering continuous support for several reasons: Sustaining visibility all year round emphasizes the ongoing commitment to the community’s welfare, not just a short-term marketing strategy. Second, regular engagement builds authentic connections, leading to trust and loyalty as it evidences a genuine desire to be inclusive. Third, year-round support allows brands to continually raise awareness about issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, promoting social change. Fourth, endorsing inclusivity attracts consumers who prioritize values alignment, boosting brand reputation and customer loyalty. Fifth, empowering LGBTQ+ employee resource groups within companies cultivates an inclusive work environment and showcases community commitment. 

To provide ongoing support, brands can include LGBTQ+ representation in year-round advertising, sponsor LGBTQ+ events outside Pride Month, partner with LGBTQ+ organizations, and uphold inclusive internal policies. By extending efforts beyond Pride Month, brands cement their commitment to inclusivity, equality, and social progress, promoting lasting change for a more inclusive society.

Conclusion

Inclusive marketing during and after Pride Month is an opportunity for brands to showcase their commitment to diversity, equality, and social progress. However, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of authenticity and year-round support for the LGBTQ+ community. 

By practicing inclusive marketing that goes beyond tokenism, actively engaging with the community, reflecting brand values, and empowering marginalized voices, businesses can build trust, foster genuine connections, and contribute to a more inclusive society. 

Extending support beyond Pride Month through sustained visibility, addressing ongoing issues, and championing inclusivity in the workplace can have a positive impact on brand reputation and attract like-minded consumers. By following best practices and embracing inclusivity year-round, businesses can make a meaningful difference and create a more welcoming and equitable environment for all.

Email Marketing Tactics for the Food and Beverage Industry

June 21, 2023

By Daniela Alba

Email Marketing food industry

Email marketing remains a powerful and effective tool for the food and beverage industry. It remains one of the most effective ways for CPG companies to reach and engage with their target audience.​ According to HubSpot:​ 99% of consumers check their email every day and it is by far the preferred way to receive updates from brands​ In 2023. 

Emails allow brands to connect directly with customers on a regular basis. By keeping them in the loop with updates, relevant content, and product information, brands can establish a genuine relationship. This ongoing communication helps customers feel connected and valued, leading to stronger brand loyalty.

How Can Email Marketing Help Build​ Brand Loyalty?​

 Email marketing in the food and beverage industry helps build brand loyalty by providing a direct channel of communication that connects with customers consistently. With personalized engagement, food brands can deliver tailored messages that make customers feel valued and understood. Offering exclusive offers and rewards can create a sense of exclusivity and appreciation, further strengthening customer loyalty. 

Brands can generate anticipation and excitement with sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes content and keep customers engaged to be part of the brand’s offerings. With email, brands can use surveys and feedback collection to actively listen to customers and tailor products based on their preferences. 

In this post, we will dive into how email marketing can help CPG food and beverage brands enable effective communication, generate personalized engagement, showcase exclusive benefits, and collect customer feedback effectively.

Push Loyalty and Purchase Continuity with Email Content​

food and beverage industry email

Learn more: organicgirl & Newman’s Own

It’s important to align your email marketing efforts with your web and social content calendar. By coordinating your email content with what you’re sharing on other channels, you can amplify your messaging and cross-promote your platforms. This cohesive approach enhances brand consistency and encourages customers to engage with your content across multiple channels

Determining the frequency and timing of your emails is also crucial. Consider factors such as your audience’s preferences, time zones, and peak engagement periods when deciding how often to send emails and which days and times are most effective. Conduct testing and learn from the results to refine your email strategy for optimal engagement and conversion rates.

By strategically integrating your email content with your overall marketing efforts, you can strengthen customer loyalty, drive purchase continuity, and achieve better results in your email marketing campaigns.

Use Drip Campaigns and Automation to Nurture Relationships Over Time

food and beverage industry email

Source: Sugarfina & Chobani

Drip campaigns are a powerful tool to nurture relationships with your subscribers over time. By sending a series of targeted emails, you can deliver relevant content, educational materials, or personalized product recommendations based on each subscriber’s stage in the customer journey. This approach builds trust, fosters engagement, and strengthens loyalty to your brand.

Automation triggers further enhance the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Some examples of automation triggers include subscribing to a newsletter, placing an order, sending birthday wishes, addressing shopping cart abandonment, or re-engaging customers who haven’t made a purchase in a while. By leveraging these triggers, you can automate the delivery of timely and personalized emails that keep your brand top-of-mind and encourage ongoing interaction with your subscribers.

With drip campaigns and automation, you can nurture lasting relationships with your audience, delivering the right messages at the right time. 

Generate Excitement with Exclusives and Sneak Peeks​ ​ ​

food and beverage industry email

Learn more: organicgirl

Offering exclusive promotions and sneak peeks to your email subscribers is a powerful way to create a sense of value and appreciation. When you provide these special privileges, you reward their loyalty and reaffirm their decision to engage with your brand. The feeling of exclusivity not only makes subscribers feel special but also fosters a deeper connection and loyalty. Giving your customers a sense of being part of an exclusive group will develop a stronger sense of belonging for your subscribers.

Your brand can nurture a dedicated community of subscribers who eagerly anticipate and engage with your brand’s latest offerings by generating excitement through exclusive offers and sneak peeks. This heightened sense of anticipation and belonging helps build lasting loyalty and encourages ongoing engagement with your brand.

Email Surveys and Polls​ ​ ​

Email surveys and polls are invaluable tools for gaining a deeper understanding of your customers’ preferences, needs, and satisfaction levels. By asking targeted questions, you can gather valuable insights that inform your email content, design, frequency, and overall strategy. 

A key benefit of surveys and polls is the ability to improve your products and services. Receiving customer information about their experiences, satisfaction levels, and suggestions for improvement can help you identify areas where enhancements can be made. Collecting data through surveys helps gain valuable information that can be used to segment your email lists and deliver more personalized content. This level of personalization enhances the customer experience and increases engagement with your email campaigns.

Involving your email subscribers in surveys not only helps you gather insights but also demonstrates that you value their opinions and input. You can effectively gather feedback, improve personalization, and engage customers by leveraging email surveys and polls. 

Conclusion

Email marketing in the food and beverage industry can greatly contribute to building strong customer relationships and drive loyalty. By pushing loyalty and purchase continuity through relevant email content, leveraging drip campaigns and automations to nurture relationships over time, generating excitement with exclusive offers and sneak peeks, and utilizing email surveys and polls to gather valuable feedback, brands can create personalized, engaging, and impactful email campaigns. By strategically implementing these best practices, food and beverage brands can effectively connect with their audience and cultivate lasting brand loyalty.

Understanding the Hispanic Pet Owner: Effective Pet Industry Marketing Strategies

June 14, 2023

By Daniela Alba

pet marketing industry

The Latino/Hispanic households now represent 61.4% of all pet owners in the United States. It’s essential for successful marketing in the pet industry to grasp the significance of this demographic. This blog aims to offer valuable insights into the rising impact of Hispanic pet owners, the cultural aspects that shape their pet ownership, their preferences and behaviors, and practical tips for adapting marketing strategies to effectively connect and engage with this audience.

The Growing Influence of Hispanic Pet Owners

The number of Hispanic pet owners in the United States is growing rapidly. According to Hispanic Online Marketing there are 20 million Hispanic pet owners in the U.S. Cultural factors, like the emphasis on family and community, play a crucial role in shaping the importance of this market segment. Hispanic pet owners possess substantial purchasing power, making them a key market for pet brands and related products and services.

Cultural Factors Shaping Hispanic Pet Ownership

Cultural values and traditions, like the appreciation for companionship and reverence for animals, shape Hispanic pet ownership. Family and community play a significant part in guiding their decisions regarding pets. Implementing bilingual marketing strategies is vital to effectively reach this audience, as many Hispanic pet owners prefer to communicate in Spanish.

Understanding Hispanic Pet Owners’ Preferences and Behaviors

Hispanic pet owners have a higher inclination toward owning dogs rather than cats. They place a strong emphasis on the health and well-being of their pets, paying special attention to high-quality food and preventive care. Moreover, they exhibit a notable sense of brand loyalty, with 65% of Hispanic pet owners reporting that they remain dedicated to a specific brand of pet food.

How can digital marketers tailor their strategies to Hispanic pet owners?

When it comes to targeting Hispanic pet owners, culturally sensitive advertising and imagery are essential for effective engagement. Localization of language and the creation of Spanish-language content are also crucial. Social media, especially platforms like Facebook and Instagram, is highly effective for reaching this audience.

Digital marketers can optimize their strategies for targeting Hispanic pet owners by following these tips:

  1. Understand the Hispanic pet owner demographic: Start by researching and understanding the unique characteristics, preferences, and behaviors of Hispanic pet owners. Consider factors such as language preferences, cultural values, and household dynamics. This knowledge will help you tailor your marketing messages effectively.
  2. Language localization: If you want to target Hispanic pet owners, consider creating Spanish-language content. Translate your website, social media posts, and advertising materials to effectively communicate with this audience. Ensure that the translations are culturally appropriate and resonate with the target audience.
  3. Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity: Acknowledge and embrace the cultural diversity within the Hispanic community. Avoid stereotypes and be mindful of cultural nuances when crafting your marketing campaigns. Show inclusivity by featuring diverse Hispanic pet owners in your advertisements and showcasing their experiences.
  4. Leverage community events and partnerships: Engage with the Hispanic community by participating in local events or partnering with community organizations. This allows you to build relationships, gain brand exposure, and demonstrate your commitment to the community. Consider sponsoring pet-related events or providing educational resources in collaboration with local Hispanic organizations.
  5. Analyze data and adapt: Regularly analyze the performance of your marketing campaigns targeting Hispanic pet owners. Monitor key metrics such as engagement, conversions, and customer feedback. Use this data to optimize your strategies, identify areas for improvement, and refine your messaging to better resonate with your target audience.

Conclusion

Recognizing the increasing impact of Hispanic pet owners, along with their cultural factors, preferences, and behaviors, is essential for successful marketing in the pet industry. By customizing digital marketing strategies to reach and connect with this audience, pet brands and related products and services can tap into their substantial purchasing power. Enhance your marketing strategies and effectively target Hispanic pet owners. Incorporating these strategies will enable you to seize the opportunity and maximize your reach in this dynamic market segment.

Balancing AI and Human Creativity: The Future of AI Image Generative Tools

June 7, 2023

By Daniela Alba

ai image generative tool

There is no question that AI (artificial intelligence) has taken the world by storm in the last few months since the launch of ChatGPT. Everywhere we look, we find discussions or debates on how AI image generative tools are revolutionizing the world of content marketing, design, and management. Generative AI, a branch of AI, has caught the attention of many marketers.

This technology refers to a type of artificial intelligence that is capable of generating new content or data similar to a given input. This can include generating text, images, music, and other forms of media. Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize many industries by automating content creation and enabling new forms of creativity.

Industries that have already started adopting AI include marketing and advertising, technology, consulting, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and defense. Generative AI can be used in marketing and advertising to personalize experiences, content, and product recommendations.

We had the opportunity to speak with Steven Louie, Flightpath’s Creative Director, who has over 25 years of experience in the digital marketing space. We wanted to get an insider’s perspective on how Generative AI is currently impacting the digital marketing industry and more.

Q: How do you envision AI image generative tools impacting your creative process as a creative director? 

A: First off, I think it’s a very transformative new tool to have in your arsenal. It clearly has the potential to be a significant tool to use. When it comes to sourcing artwork, stock images, or organizing photo shoots, AI image generative tools add to the options available to you. In the process of creating a creative piece, you have various sources to choose from. You can draw it yourself, hire someone else to draw it, obtain stock art, explore different styles, or arrange for a photoshoot or video shoot. This provides an additional way to, for better or worse, replace those assets as you move forward. This is especially relevant in terms of imagery.

Moreover, if you expand the narrative beyond a single image, video, or artwork and consider the composition and different ways of presenting information or infographics, AI image generative tools can be a game changer. They offer the potential for finding inspiration or a starting point, opening up new possibilities and avenues for creativity. 

Q: What are some potential benefits of using AI generative tools in creative projects? How do you see these tools enhancing your work?

A: It provides additional options and sources of inspiration that can be accessed much more quickly than ever before. In some ways, it parallels what some people use ChatGPT for. There’s nothing in ChatGPT that you couldn’t achieve on your own with extensive Googling and research. However, ChatGPT can provide answers or outlines in a matter of seconds, whereas the same process through manual searching might take you many minutes or even hours.

Q: Do you have any concerns or reservations about incorporating AI generative tools into your creative workflow? If so, what are they?

A: There’s the rights issue. If you use AI generative tools, sourcing material becomes questionable regarding the legal rights to use it. It puts us and our clients at risk to use such imagery, perhaps rightly so. That’s why it’s increasingly important to use AI generative tools that have been trained on diverse and licensed source materials. AI-generative tools from companies like Adobe or Shutterstock are guaranteeing that their AI-generated imagery is safe to license and use.

Another concern is that, at this stage, some AI image generative tools, despite their impressive hyper-realism, may not consistently produce pleasing results compared to more traditionally photo-realistic methods. Additionally, if everyone starts relying heavily on AI generative tools and everything looks the same, it diminishes the uniqueness and freshness of new styles and stock.

However, the upside is that as these tools continue to improve, the range of styles in which AI image generative tools excel becomes virtually limitless. Currently, certain aspects may appear better than others, but this won’t always be the case. The technology will undoubtedly advance to a point where it can rival professionally shot content. I have no doubt that’s the direction things will ultimately head in the end.

Q: How do you think image AI generative tools can contribute to innovation and push creative boundaries within digital marketing?

A: We’re always striving to find the right creative that will succeed and meet the goals we have for our advertising. Image AI generative tools can assist in quickly creating different variations that can be tested against each other. It’s not just about artistic appeal, but rather about whether something effectively converts, delivers results, garners views, or entices viewers to click, learn more, or make a purchase. These tools, much like generative tech tools for generating Google SEM keywords, can do the same for imagery.

Let me give you an example. Suppose you’re creating an ad for pet care. Maybe the right pose, the right dog, and the right bandana are important factors. But with AI tools, you can explore variations like a Chihuahua, a Labrador, or a Golden Retriever to see which one tends to work best. You can even use these tools to segment and target different audiences based on gender preferences—for instance, identifying breeds that appeal more to women versus men. The hope is that these tools can help us generate imagery efficiently, as long as it doesn’t appear fake or artificial. Currently, some generative images of animals may still appear CGI-like, but this is likely to improve more rapidly than generating realistic human images. It’s a similar situation where even in movies, you can sometimes tell that a dog doesn’t quite look natural, whereas it’s challenging to discern the difference with dinosaurs since we have no real-life reference point.

Q:  How do you strike a balance between the human touch and the use of AI generative tools? 

A: In terms of the history of design, at least within our industry, we’ve never relied on a single style, tool, or image type. Inspiration comes in various forms, and what surpasses that initial inspiration can take many different paths. This diversity will continue to evolve and thrive. Some individuals have a unique artistic touch that can only be captured when they draw on paper or a tablet. It’s something that can’t be replicated artificially. At the same time, there are numerous things that can be generated artificially, which would be impractical or impossible to create by hand, especially when it comes to meeting high-volume demands.

Finding the right balance between using these tools effectively and achieving success will always be the key. It’s about utilizing the tool in a way that enhances our creative output and aligns with our objectives. The ones who navigate this balance skillfully will consistently find their stride.

Q: Do you think these tools will eventually replace human creativity?

A: AI image generative tools have already augmented our work, and they will continue to do so in the future. However, I sincerely hope that they will never replace human creativity. These generative tools are ultimately built upon the foundations laid by human creatives. It’s similar to how we sometimes complain about movies having repetitive plotlines. It would be a sad scenario if these tools were to entirely replace human creativity.

But as of 2023, it’s important to note that AI generative tools require prompts. For now and the foreseeable future, there remains a creative aspect in how we use these prompts to generate the desired outcome. If the prompts are not given in the right way, the results will differ, and everyone won’t achieve the same outcome. This highlights the role of creativity in utilizing these tools effectively. Of course, people will improve their skills in crafting prompts, and there may be additional features or buttons to guide users in generating desired results.

I believe that AI image generative tools will continue to augment our work, but hopefully never fully replace it. The optimal outcome lies in a harmonious coexistence where human creativity and these tools complement each other. It would be a bleak world indeed if we were to be dominated by automated creations.

Conclusion

We explored different aspects of the future of AI and image generative tools. From the impact of these tools to changes in a creative process to the challenges of rights and uniqueness, we’ve examined some of the opportunities and potential pitfalls of AI.

It is clear that AI image generative tools have the potential to be transformative, providing new options and sources of inspiration for creative professionals. However, we must also navigate ethical concerns and strive to preserve the unique touch of human creativity. Finding the right balance between leveraging these tools and maintaining our artistic authenticity is key.

Principles of Building Digital Performance KPI Metric Dashboards for Non-profits

April 27, 2023

By Daniela Alba

Metric Dashboards for Non-profits

Non-profit organizations rely heavily on digital performance metrics to measure the success of their online campaigns and outreach efforts. However, many non-profit organizations struggle to keep up with the disruptive impact of the data revolution and the challenges posed by fragmented customer experiences. 

To combat this, building efficient digital performance KPI Metric dashboards is increasingly important to better understand your audience’s behavior and preferences, including their interests, giving habits, and financial situation. 

To fully leverage the benefits of digital performance dashboards, it’s essential to have a solid understanding of the principles behind them. This blog post will explore the key principles of building digital performance KPI metric dashboards for non-profits, providing actionable tips and insights along the way. 

Key Metrics and Data Points

kpi metric dashboard for non profits

Source: who.int

Organizations can quickly understand their constituents and monitor trends with the correct use of dashboards. One of the key benefits of dashboards is their ability to facilitate faster learning and drive impact. An effective dashboard will provide clear insights into donor behavior and needs, allowing them to make data-driven decisions and improve their overall performance. 

When building a dashboard, it’s important to choose relevant KPI metrics for your audience to avoid overwhelming them with too much data. Keep in mind that the purpose of the dashboard is to quickly convey insights and drive action. To provide more context, consider contextualizing your metrics with ancillary visualizations and include external data points. 

Metric Dashboards for Non-profits

Source: datapine.com

This will help your audience better understand the metrics and their impact on the overall campaign. Summarizing financials in a clean and clear view is important to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to budget vs. actuals.

The ability to filter down to specific attributes is also important to drive insights. This will allow stakeholders to hone in on specific areas of the campaign and understand what’s working and what’s not. Don’t forget about operational dashes for quality control to ensure that your campaign is running smoothly. Lastly, keep in mind that different stakeholders have different needs, so it’s important to create different dashboards for different audiences.

Create Effective Dashboards

Metric Dashboards for Non-profits

Source: Funraise

Create effective dashboards that truly serve their purpose. First, ask yourself who the dashboard is for and what its purpose is. This will help determine the appropriate combination of charts and numbers to use. Remember to avoid burying data with too many views, as this can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, limit data in one view and ensure that it relates to the insight needed. 

It’s also important to experiment, iterate, and solicit feedback when creating dashboards. This ensures that they are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the audience. Collaboration is key when creating dashboards, so don’t overestimate its importance. By working together, you can create a dashboard that truly drives impact.

Identify Your Needs

In order to create effective dashboards, it’s important to identify your needs. This includes understanding your audience and identifying the most important metrics for your organization. It’s also crucial to address gaps in data that may be needed and align visualizations with the story you want to tell. When organizing your dashboard, it’s important to make it user-friendly and decide on the appropriate number of views. 

Source: WHO Financial Statements

You should consider how you want to summarize financials and the importance of operational dashes for quality control. Different dashboards may be needed for different stakeholders, so it’s important to keep that in mind as well. Experimenting, iterating, and soliciting feedback can also help improve the effectiveness of your dashboard.

Final Thoughts

Dashboards play a critical role in helping organizations make data-driven decisions and drive impact. It’s important to understand the behavior of your audience and identify the most critical metrics to include in your dashboard. By limiting data in one view and ensuring it relates to the insight needed, you can avoid burying important information and create a user-friendly experience.

Experimentation, iteration, and collaboration are key components in creating an effective dashboard. Soliciting feedback from stakeholders and testing different visualizations can lead to better insights and more impactful decisions. Additionally, aligning visualizations with the story you want to tell and organizing the dashboard in a clear and concise manner can make it more impactful.

Dashboards are essential for organizations looking to make data-driven decisions and drive impact. By following these best practices and continually refining your approach, you can create effective dashboards that provide critical insights and drive success.

How Brands are Boosting Sales and Engagement Rate with Whatsapp Ads

April 13, 2023

By Daniela Alba

Engagement Rate with Whatsapp Ads

The need to be present as a brand across all major channels is key to reaching potential customers. WhatsApp ads in particular have the ability to reach customers globally. Its main objective is to connect with customers and increase conversions.

So how do you know if advertising WhatsApp is right for your brand? Below we explore ways brands are using WhatsApp Ads for customer reach in order to help you decide whether or not to implement them.

What is WhatsApp Advertising?

WhatsApp falls under the arm of Meta, and the opportunities that exist within the platform are designed to be used as an extension of ad campaigns across Facebook and Instagram. WhatsApp ads, also known as Click-to-WhatsApp ads, feature CTA buttons within Facebook or Instagram ads. 

These buttons redirect users to a WhatsApp chat where they can chat directly with a business representative and learn more about the product or service. The landing page for these ads is on WhatsApp and can be in the form of videos, single images, or carousels. 

Audiences from Facebook & Instagram are merged with WhatsApp. This tends to result in more leads and territory scouted. The ability to control audience targeting via Facebook Ad Managers allows for improved messaging to converse directly with your audience.

Promote Products with Messaging

WhatsApp’s main objective includes promotional messages to capture the user’s attention and encourage them to take action. To achieve this, message templates frequently utilize emoticons, exclamation marks, and vivid visuals.

KiKUU, an online vendor, employs various multimedia elements such as images and call-to-action buttons in their lively WhatsApp marketing messages to announce their sales. They have included a click-to-store button in the messages, which makes it easy for users to access their website and purchase products on the go.

Engagement Rate with Whatsapp AdsEngagement Rate with Whatsapp AdsEngagement Rate with Whatsapp Ads

They observed a 70% higher open rate for WhatsApp messages and a 60% boost in sales via the channel in just one week during an experiment conducted by them. An experiment divided their target audience into two groups to evaluate the effectiveness of WhatsApp campaigns versus Facebook Messenger advertisements. 

Boost Brand Loyalty and Enhance Customer Engagement

Snocks, a German e-commerce company, implemented a WhatsApp strategy to enhance their customer engagement and support. They utilized WhatsApp’s Business API to create automated messages that provided customers with order updates and delivery information. 

Snocks included a customer service feature that allowed customers to ask questions or provide feedback via WhatsApp, which increased their customer satisfaction and retention.

To increase their reach and effectiveness, Snocks also utilized WhatsApp for marketing purposes. They created a broadcast list of opted-in customers and sent them targeted promotions and discount codes via WhatsApp. 

They had the ability to personalize their messages and increase the relevancy of their marketing efforts, thus, resulting in higher conversion rates and increased revenue. Snocks was able to establish a more direct and personal communication channel with their customers, leading to higher customer engagement and satisfaction.

Whatsapp Ads for Revenue Growth and Improved Customer Service

Segari, a Malaysian-based brand, used WhatsApp to enhance their customer service and engagement. They provided customers with the option to order food and make reservations via WhatsApp, which helped to simplify the ordering process and increase customer satisfaction. 

Segari also utilized WhatsApp to provide customers with real-time updates on their orders, such as preparation time and delivery status, which helped to improve their overall experience.

To increase their reach and engagement, Segari also used WhatsApp for marketing purposes. They created a broadcast list of opted-in customers and sent them promotional messages and offers via WhatsApp. By personalizing their messages and making them more relevant to their customers, Segari was able to increase their conversion rates, drive more revenue, and establish a more direct and convenient communication channel with their customers.

Takeaways

The use of WhatsApp ads as a marketing tool has proven to be a game-changer for businesses looking to accelerate growth and engage with customers in a more personal way. With the ability to deliver personalized messages, real-time updates, and convenient ordering options, companies can provide a top-notch customer experience that leads to higher satisfaction and loyalty. 

By garnishing their marketing efforts with creativity and personalization, businesses can spice up their customer service and drive revenue growth. Overall, WhatsApp ads are a valuable addition to any company’s marketing strategy, providing a flavorful and engaging communication channel with customers.

Effective CTV Programmatic Ad Strategies for Your Brand’s Success

March 28, 2023

By Daniela Alba

ctv advertising

Connected TV (CTV) programmatic ads offer an innovative form of digital advertising that combines the power of data and technology to deliver targeted and personalized ads to viewers who watch TV through internet-connected devices. The rise of streaming services and internet-connected TVs has allowed CTV to grow Streaming services and internet-connected TV households, making CTV advertising a prime platform for reaching a broad audience. To truly succeed with effective CTV programmatic ad strategies, it’s essential to implement effective strategies that consider the unique characteristics of CTV devices and their users.

Understand Your Target Audience

target audience Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

This involves gathering data on your audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors and understanding the unique characteristics of CTV devices and how users interact with them.

Once you have a deep understanding of your target audience, you then can tailor your CTV programmatic ads to their specific interests and preferences. 

This might involve creating multiple versions of your ads to target different segments of your audience or using dynamic creative optimization to deliver ads that are personalized to each viewer.

Effective CTV Programmatic Ads That Capture Audience Attention

With so many options vying for viewers’ attention, crafting engaging ads is a must. So, how can you make sure your ads stand out in the crowd? It all starts with creativity and a few key strategies.

1. Tell a Story

brand story telling Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

Whether it’s a narrative or a visual story, people love to be engaged by a compelling tale. If your ad can hook viewers with a story that they want to follow, you’ve already won half the battle.

2. Focus on Emotion 

Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

People respond to ads that make them feel something. Tapping into emotions is a powerful way to engage viewers and leave a lasting impression. This can be done with the use of humor, sadness, or excitement.

Visually appealing ads are also essential. Incorporate striking visuals and dynamic graphics that are impossible to ignore.

3. Set a Clear Call-to-Action

Call to action

What do you want viewers to do after they see your ad? Whether it’s visiting your website or making a purchase, a clear call-to-action will help ensure that your ad is more than just eye candy.

Collect and Analyze Data to Improve Targeting and Optimize Campaign Performance

Collecting and analyzing effective CTV programmatic Ad data is crucial for improving targeting and optimizing campaign performance. By harnessing the power of data, you can make more informed decisions and achieve better results.

1. Determine What Metrics to Track

You can focus your data collection efforts by identifying metrics that matter to most to your campaign goals. Important metrics to measure CTV performance include CPCV (cost per completed view) and VCR (video completion rate). These two metrics are crucial when measuring efficiency with the number of views. 

2. Once Collected, Analyze it

Use data analytics tools to uncover patterns and trends. if you notice that certain demographics are more likely to convert, you can adjust your targeting to focus on those audiences.

3. Conduct A/B Testing 

Running two versions of an ad with minor differences can help determine which version performs better and use that information to optimize future campaigns. Test different calls-to-action or headline copy to see which one resonates best with your audience.

4. Continuously Monitor and Analyze Data 

You can make real-time adjustments to improve targeting and optimize performance. This iterative approach to data analysis allows you to stay ahead of the curve and maximize your results.

Frequency Capping: Avoid Viewer Ad Fatigueviewer ad fatigue

Frequency capping helps manage the number of times an ad is shown to a viewer to ensure that your ad remains fresh and engaging. 

How does frequency capping work? It involves setting a limit on the number of times a viewer will see a particular ad within a given time period. You may choose to cap the frequency at three views per viewer per day.

The key to effective frequency capping is finding the right balance. For example, you want to avoid showing the same ad too frequently. Therefore, you don’t want to cap the frequency so low that your ad doesn’t have a chance to make an impact. Test different frequency caps and analyze performance data to find what works best for your campaign.

Key Takeaways

CTV Programmatic advertising combines data and technology to deliver personalized and targeted ads to viewers through internet-connected devices. To get the best results you need to tailor your ads to your audience, create captivating content that triggers emotions, collect and analyze data for improved targeting and optimize campaign performance, and cap ad frequency to avoid ad fatigue. By adopting these strategies, you can fully benefit from the potential of CTV programmatic ads and enjoy a higher ROI. Don’t be afraid to get creative, experiment, and use data to your advantage to craft ads that stand out in the crowded digital advertising landscape.

A Videographer’s Guide to Social Media Content

March 8, 2023

By Daniela Alba

Whether you’re creating product demos, customer testimonials, or thought leadership pieces, video content is an effective way to engage with your audience and convey your brand’s message. 

This guide will provide tips and insights for videographers looking to create compelling B2B content that resonates with target audiences to achieve specific marketing goals. 

Goals and Audience

1. Determine the Target Audience

Understanding who your audience is will help you tailor your messaging, visuals, and overall approach to resonate with them. Start by identifying the industries your clients operate in, and consider their company size, location, and job titles. 

It’s also important to consider their challenges and pain points, and how your video content can help solve these problems. 

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can start developing a content strategy that drives engagement and conversions.

2. What is the video’s purpose?

Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or educate your target audience about a new product or service? Once you have a clear objective in mind, think about the key message you want to convey to your audience. 

Your message should be clear, concise, and relevant to your target audience. It’s also important to consider the tone and style of your video content and ensure it aligns with your brand identity. 

3. How will the video be edited?

Once you have a clear understanding of the video’s objective, review the raw footage and identify the strongest shots that support that objective. Next, create a rough cut, keeping in mind the pacing, tone, and length of the platform it will be published on. Consider adding music or sound effects. 

4. How will the video be distributed?

Begin by identifying what the tone of the video will be for each type of social media platform.

For example, LinkedIn is a great platform for sharing thought leadership and educational content, while Instagram is better suited for visually appealing content and product showcases. Understanding the platform will help you tailor the content to resonate best with different platforms’ audiences.

Technical Aspects to Consider

According to your video purpose and target audience, it’s important to keep in mind the following technical aspects of video creation:

1. Video Quality

Ensure the camera used is steady and the footage is smooth. Steady and clear footage is best obtained using a gimbal but in cases where one is not available a tripod can still give you a professional feel. 

Proper lighting and exposure are known to be an important elements in creating quality content. However, finding it is not always an easy task. 

The best time to film outside is shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the sun is not too high. This is commonly referred to as the “magic hour.” You get more flattering light when the sun is lower on the horizon.

Good windows include 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. However, this varies by time of year, time zone, and location in time zone. If the sun is too high, the harsh lighting creates long unwanted shadows on your subject.

2. Background Noise

Be mindful of background noise that may be picked up by the microphone. Traffic or ambient noise can distract your audience, and drastically reduce the video’s ability to convey your message. If filming in a noisy location is required, consider using a directional microphone to minimize background noise.

3. File Format 

Every social media channel has specific social media specs required when uploading content. Keep the following video specs for popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube in mind when creating content.

Facebook (Recommended size):

In Feed: 1280 by 720 pixels for Landscape and Portrait

Carousel Ads / Stories: 1080 by 1080 pixels

Reels: 1080×1920 or greater

Instagram:

Landscape video: 1920 by 1080 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)

Carousel Ads / Square video: 1080 by 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)

Vertical video: 1080 by 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio)

Reels: 9:16 aspect ratio recommended

Youtube:

Min size: 426 by 240 pixels

Max size: 3840 by 2160 pixels

Video Guidelines to Follow

​​It is recommended to film for a vertical aspect first, but where possible it’s helpful to keep a wider shot to allow cropping for all platforms. 

Vertical First Content

For content on platforms like TikTok, Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts, and Snapchat, it is important to zoom out enough when there are multiple people in a shot to ensure the video does not feel cramped or claustrophobic. Also keep in mind where important visual information will be placed, as the description and other text might run over some of the footage.

Youtube Video Composition

When composing a shot for YouTube, it is important to consider the basic principles of composition. The rule of thirds or symmetry can be used to help create visually appealing footage. The rule of thirds is a common compositional technique that divides your frame into an equal, three-by-three grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines that intersect at four points.

The rule of thirds grid can be turned on the back display of the camera to help ensure that the elements of focus fall within the vertical lines. This ensures that the footage can be used in both horizontal and vertical orientations, without sacrificing the overall composition of the shot.

Video content has the power to engage and inform audiences in a way that other content formats cannot. With the right approach and tools, videographers can help their clients create social media video content that will make a lasting impression on their audience and help them achieve their marketing objectives.

How B2B Companies Can Leverage GA4

February 22, 2023

By Daniela Alba

google analytics 4

The latest version of GA4 is scheduled to take over Universal Analytics on July 1st, 2023. In this post, we highlight some of the key differences between UA and GA4, how to prepare for GA4, and how B2B companies can leverage GA4 changes.

Key Differences Between GA4 and Universal Analytics

Google’s GA4 is a recent version of Google’s analytics platform intended to support the future of analytics reporting. The key difference is that GA4 is set to run seamlessly across various platforms and does not depend on cookies. 

It gathers both website and app data and uses event-based data instead of session-based data. This offers a more inclusive and user-oriented approach to scrutinizing website performance, thus enhancing the customer experience.

It employs an event-based data model to measure website traffic and user engagement. Moreover, GA4 comes with privacy controls, advanced reporting features, and the capability to measure cross-device performance at the property level.

How to Prepare for GA4 

It is highly advisable to create parallel GA4 properties alongside UA properties in order to compare data. The sooner the better. More details here: “Make the switch to Google Analytics 4”. A few tips to prepare for Google Analytics 4:

  • Begin building historical data on GA4 well before the deadline.
  • Creating GA4 properties now will allow getting ahead of any potential issues in setting up events and conversion tracking.
  • Understand how paid media tracking will get impacted by GA4.

How B2B Companies Can Leverage GA4

GA4 is here to change and improve the way B2B marketers measure and track performance. Here are some ways B2B companies can leverage GA4 for increased efficiency.

1. Identify Customers With Highest Lifetime Value

With advanced machine learning and predictive capabilities, GA4 provides marketers with real-time insights into user behaviors and conversions. GA4 also offers an easy way to create lookalike audiences based on high-value customers, enabling marketers to expand their reach to similar potential customers.

These features will allow businesses to streamline their data analysis and decision-making processes without the need for complex analytics models, saving time and resources.

2. Better Understanding of Complete Customer Journey

B2B Companies will be able to better understand the complete customer journey with GA4’s event-based measurement model. This model provides a holistic view of the customer lifecycle that is not limited by individual sessions or platforms.

GA4 will help easily track data across various applications and devices, providing a comprehensive and accurate understanding of how customers are interacting with your brand.

3. Data-Driven Attribution for Improved ROI: 

Data-Driven Attribution is a model for distributing credit for conversions that relies on data for each conversion event. It calculates the actual contribution of each click interaction using data from your account.

This feature will help improve the return on investment (ROI) of brand’s marketing campaigns by analyzing the customer journey from the first touchpoint to the final conversion. It can also provide a more accurate and detailed picture of how different marketing activities contribute to conversions.

It can help identify which marketing channels and campaigns are most effective in driving conversions and allocate your budget accordingly. Allowing to optimize marketing efforts and achieve better results with less investment.

4. Cross-Channel Insight Integration

GA4 provides enhanced integration with diverse Google offerings such as Google Ads, Search Console, Merchant Center, Display and Video 360, BigQuery, and Search Ads 360. This integration enables you to blend web and app data, extract valuable insights, and utilize them to refine marketing campaigns.

By blending web and app data, GA4 allows valuable insights into customers’ behavior, interests, preferences, and needs. These insights can help identify trends and patterns in customers’ behavior, such as how they interact with websites, which products or services they are interested in, and where they are located. This data can then be used to refine marketing campaigns and optimize online presence.

Looking Ahead of GA4

Google Analytics 4 is a powerful analytics tool that provides businesses with valuable insights about their customers. However, more than insights are needed to drive engagement and conversions. An integrated marketing strategy that incorporates these insights into various marketing channels is crucial for businesses to achieve their marketing goals.

To put these insights into action and optimize marketing ROI, B2B companies need to employ a digital marketing solution that can help them apply data-driven learnings across multiple touchpoints including programmatic advertising, social media marketing, website design, and email marketing.

Digital and Social Media Marketing Trends for 2023

February 8, 2023

By Daniela Alba

digital marketing trends 2023

Some trends come and go, and it’s important to stay on top of them if you wish to keep up with the ever-changing digital world. From the rise of AI and automation to the increased focus on privacy and data protection, these ten Digital and Social Media Marketing Trends will help guide your marketing efforts and drive success in 2023.

1. Social Networks For Customer Service

Social networks for customer service

Now more than ever, social networks are being used more as a tactic rather than an afterthought. A 2022 survey by Hootsuite confirms this, with  59% of marketers saying social customer care has increased their organization’s overall value.

This highlights social networks’ ability to facilitate communication between customers and brands. Companies are using multiple channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as an almost near-instant chat. 

Paypal, for example,  responds to “mentions” on Twitter to help customers and respond to feedback.  Some platforms like Facebook offer companies automated responses and chatbots to improve overall customer service experiences.

2. Preparing For Post-Cookie Changes

post-cookie changes google

It’s the beginning of the end for third-party cookies as more users refuse to be tracked on websites. Loss of cookies is great for individual data privacy, but a challenge for organizations that heavily rely upon them for tracking and engagement.

With GA4 replacing Google’s Universal Analytics permanently in July 2023, it’s important to become familiarized with the update. GA4 relies upon first-party cookies – those used by the website that the user is actually visiting. By leveraging machine learning and statistical modeling, GA4 can fill in data gaps as the world becomes less and less dependent on cookies.

Marketers can leverage paid social on social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn among others. These social channels are considered “walled gardens” that contain first-party data with identity-based audiences. While limited, access to this data will aid marketers in targeting and retargeting consumers within their target audience.

3. Micro-Influencers Continue to Dominate Brand Partnerships

micro-influencers

Among the influencers on social media there exist a subset of micro-influencers. Micro-influencers are deemed to be among brands’ most powerful collaborators, and for good reason. 

This group of influencers has between 10k – 100k followers—a presence slightly larger than a normal person, yet smaller than a celebrity. And in 2023 they are sure to dominate influencer marketing as a whole due to their ability to reach a much higher engagement rate to a niche-based following.

4. Short-Form Video is Here to Stay

short-form video

According to The Tree Top Therapy, the average human attention span is 8.25 seconds. While this can vary depending on the individual’s age, environment, and type of activity, keeping this statistic in mind is clutch when creating a short-form video.

According to Wyzowl 2022 Video Marketing Statistics, 86% of businesses are using video as a marketing tool. They are also utilizing videos for various topics, having explainer videos coming out on top at 74%.

Influencer marketing and short-form video are trends that are continuing to grow. In a study by Influencer Marketing Hub, influencer marketing has grown from 1.7 billion to $13.8 billion since 2016. And with a projected value of at least $16.7 billion by EOY, it’s key to prioritize maintaining influencers within your content strategy.

5. Niche Social Communities To Engage Consumers 

niche communities

We are seeing brands move further and further away from personas and allowing brand communities to work independently. Their ability to focus on these communities is essential for brands because it increases loyalty.

Without brand loyalty, a community will still prioritize the groups’ voice over influencers. Connecting and catering to these communities can help to understand the consumer ecosystem.

Strategically broadcasting marketing messages can work to captivate niche audiences. Depending on the brand, LinkedIn and Facebook groups offer community member exchange, which can hugely impact your brand’s messaging and trust component.

6. Digital and Social Shopping

social shopping

A 2022 report confirmed 84% of Instagram users have purchased products on social media platforms. This trend gained major traction in the past months, and the statistic proves that developing a strategy for social shopping will be increasingly important.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are continually making social shopping easier for users. People can currently shop photos and in-app stores on Instagram, or even shop live streams on TikTok.

Meta decided to venture beyond VR by launching “The Meta Avatars Store” for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram Stories, and DMs. Encouraging digital sales by providing digital outfits to purchase from Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne.

7. Sustainability And Brand Accountability

brand sustainability

No one wants to hear environmental buzzwords in 2023. Millennials and Gen Z are all about real sustainability and less greenwashing. Social media has amplified our awareness of climate change. Climate neutrality will continue to become the norm as more younger consumers demand brand transparency.

Consumers expect brands to act on environmental issues over pure profit. 

With impact-driven expectations currently trending, prioritizing these interactions on social should be a top priority. Brands must be ready to answer all and any questions to increase trust.

8. Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality

Lilmiquela

AR and VR have opened up new opportunities for user engagement. This is due to their ability to connect with audiences and help brands build better brand engagement. According to Acumen Research and Consulting, AR’s 2022 market size reached more than USD 28 billion and is expected to reach USD 451.5 Billion by 2030.

We have been seeing growth in the popularity of Virtual Humans like @lilmiquela which has accrued 6.2 mil followers on Instagram alone. Other popular Virtual Humans include @imm.gram and @rozy.gram with over 500k followers combined.

Two brands keeping up with digital shopping innovations are Nike and Ikea. Nike allows customers the opportunity to scan items like shoes or clothing for additional information. Nike’s customers can also immerse themselves into a VR world to experience the different steps in Nike’s supply chain to see where items are being made.

Ikea on the other hand, allows shoppers to use AR with their smartphone camera with the help of “The Place App”. The Place App helps customers visualize how specific furniture items can look in their homes or any setting.

9. TikTok to Compete With Google as a Search Engine

tiktok as a search engine

TikTok has now positioned itself as a search engine in direct competition with Google by prioritizing high-quality results. 

In a recent Google survey, 40% of Gen Z are using TikTok as a search engine over Google and Instagram. 

Brands may need to rethink how they’re prioritizing social media marketing and traditional SEO. Brands can use TikTok as a tool to rank within search by using trending sounds or working with micro-influencers.

10. BeReal Creating Change Within Social Media

bereal for authenticity

Consumers are craving authentic, real-time content. BeReal saw this demand and created a new platform focusing on true-to-life content by allowing users to post once a day within a two-minute notification window. Their incredible one-year growth from 10,000 to 15 million daily active users proves viewers want to see this authentic content more. 

And brands are jumping on this trend. Tourism Fiji promoted their country with an image a day in various locations, highlighting the unedited beauty of their destinations. On the other hand, Chipotle tapped into the right-now need for consumers by posting a coupon code to their account available only to the first 100 followers to use it.

Conclusion

There is no question that 2023 will increase many of the social marketing strategies that were kick-started last year. The focus on authenticity, short-form video, and the use of micro-influencers will continue to rise. 

In addition, sustainability and brand transparency will be more sought after, with social being even more incorporated into other aspects like VR and AR. With so many developments on the horizon, now is the time to review your strategy and ensure that you are prepared to adapt and thrive.

How Marketers are Gearing up for CPRA Changes in 2023

January 24, 2023

By Daniela Alba

Companies have gone to great lengths to acquire consumer data for the purpose of unwanted marketing and sales efforts. The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and the California Privacy Protection Agency (CCPA) are privacy laws that have given consumers more control over their personal data and how it is collected and used. The most recent change has been made on January 1, 2023, as CPRA has replaced the CCPA and is set to bring significant changes that will impact how advertisers and marketers target their efforts.

CPRA’s added layer of consumer protection regulations will limit the processing, deletion, and sharing of personal information of any California consumers. This includes employees, job applicants, contractors/freelancers, suppliers, and B2B prospects. With this legislation now in effect (full enforcement will start on July 1, 2023) companies and marketers are already taking steps to ensure compliance.

What are the changes?

CPRA Changes data privacy

Marketers are now paying close attention to how these changes are affecting companies. The recent $1.2 million fine issued to Sephora for CCPA violations in data collection and processing serves as a warning of the strict penalties for noncompliance.

Companies are now adhering to new notice content requirements and passing on deletion requests to third parties. Marketers are regulating personal information transferred to comply with data security requirements. Some of the changes include:

  1. Personal information, with same protections as consumer data
  2. Expanded consumer data rights
  3. Right to know, right to delete, and right to opt-out
  4. Passwords and security questions protection
  5. Prohibiting numerous attempts if someone declines
  6. Stricter penalties for violating the data rights of children under the age of 16

These changes impose new requirements when managing service providers and require contracts for the transfer of personal information to third parties.

How will this affect advertisers?

The CCPA has granted California residents the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information, but the CPRA has taken a step further by introducing a new specific language allowing residents to opt out of having their data “shared” with advertisers.

This means that California residents will have even more control over their personal information and the ability to protect it from being used in targeted advertising systems.

Privacy professionals believe that the new CPRA will set a new tone for digital advertising and publishing that will change the way advertisers choose to advertise.

How to work with these changes?