Frictionless Media: The Easier Experience

Make it frictionless for your customers to buy onlineLearn how to give your customers the fastest, easiest online experience possible with frictionless media.By Chris Largent, Hudson Valley Public Relations Account Content Writer

We consume media more now than any other time in human history, but that is not news. What is news is how customers are caring more and more about their media experiences with the companies that they buy product from. An online experience that is prickly, slow and hard to get through will turn off most consumers and lose you the sale. The importance of this frictionless media cannot be overlooked if you are looking to be a successful online competitor.

So How Do You Make A Frictionless Experience?There are several different routes that can be taken to make it easier for purchases on both your mobile or desktop/laptop sites. Here are our top four.

Encourage their visitEven if a customer is only on your web page for exploration, making it the most frictionless experience possible will only help your company, whether it is for that particular visit or any future purchases.

Make sure that your servers run fast and efficiently. Note the capacity of your server and match it to the amount of traffic that you get. Visitors may be fed up with a long loading time or a bunch of hoops and registrations that they are made to jump through and sign up for.

Another helpful tool for getting your products found on your website is your own personal SEO. Include key words in your descriptions so that customers can easily find what they are looking for. Have suggestions come up while they are searching in the text box.

Keep reviews readily availableMany consumers turn to reviews when it comes to online shopping, since getting the feel and quality of a product is unavailable to them. Making these reviews not only accessible but also filterable can help the flow of your sale.

Do not be afraid of negative reviews either. Although it may be tempting to delete negative remarks, customers often times appreciate the existence of bad reviews so that they can weigh the difference themselves.

You can also open a section where comments and questions are answered by either you or other customers. This will create a frictionless communication between you and your consumers.

Finishing upMuch of the technicalities of buying and checking out can be a turn off to customers as well. Make sure you keep everything your customers may want to see right there on their laptop, desktop or phone screens.

For instance, if the purchase is allowing them a promotional discount let them know. However do not have the space that the promotion takes up take away from billing and shipping data.

Ensure security without having your customer have to go through too many steps. I know I personally have been turned off by a website that required the password to have a symbol, two capital letters, a number and a punctuation. Have a strength suggestion box instead, showing customers just how secure their password is.

Take advantage of your channelsIt is not to say that every channel is best for every market. Know the channels and niches that your company fits into and utilize them. There is no need to squander time and money on a channel that isn’t a good fit for you.

That being said, make sure you use the channels that you have at your disposal: Social media, email marketing, mobile, desktop. All of these channels can be used in a different way and honing each and every one to its full potential will create a frictionless experience for all of your customers, whichever medium they choose to use.

A Big Part Of It Is Mobile.There seems to be certain reluctance in purchasing on the phone, and a lot of customers may prefer to shop on their laptop and desktop computers. Constructing a fast and easy mobile site can be difficult since the compatibility is different and monitoring and changing must be in two different platforms. However, so much of today’s market and media are looked at and consumed on cell phones. Allowing customers to purchase products straight from their phones without having to resort back to their computers can be the step you need to increase your online market.

Keep in mind that these are only a few suggestions. There are many more that can assist you in your online platforms. For more information about frictionless media and a frictionless experience please contact us at 845.202.7087 or visit our website: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com 

Sources:

Photo Credit

Solis, B. (jul. 18, 2016) It’s Time for Retailers and Brands to Design a Better Mobile Shopping Experience. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/its-time-retailers-brands-design-better-mobile-shopping-brian-solis?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-network_publishes-55-null&midToken=AQES94e5y8d5TA&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=0FzCCHdES5Ank1

Event Marketing

How to Successfully Market Your Event and Increase ROIBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern

Why Have Events?Because events are fun! They are a good way for customers and potential customers to get to know your business face to face. Engaging on a personal level with customers is essential in today’s buyer-driven marketplace. Earning trust and building a good reputation are good ways to grow a customer base and maintain loyalty. Customers that come to events can learn just what your business is all about and how you stand out from the crowd. By hosting events, you give the customer something fun and exciting to do that will display your business and brand in a positive, entertaining light.

How Do I Market My Events?So you’ve decided to host an event and it’s all planned out, but how do you let your customer base know about it? And how do you grow that customer base to increase admittance?

Here are a few methods to expand your audience and successfully market your event.

Number 1) Leverage Other People’s Audiences (LOPA)First you need to increase your customer base. Do this by doing some networking of your own. Find leaders within your community, either online or in person and share your story with them. You should have something in common

with those you look for. For instance, if you are hosting an event to bring awareness to a certain cause or issue, make sure the people you reach out to show an interest in it. Those who follow these leaders are sure to have similar feelings. Try to establish a relationship with them so that they will share your story with their followers. Invite them to your event so that they may spread the word to their own customers.

Number 2) Speak to the Right PeopleEvents can be expensive and ROI can be difficult to maintain if the wrong people are attending. Make sure that the people you are targeting have an interest in the event and want to learn more. Sending out a broad message on any social media platform will surely lead to low attendance. Look for demographics such as:

Age Location Employment Shared Values

These will help you figure out who will be willing to attend your event. For example, if your event is being hosted in New Jersey, it is not very likely that a customer from Massachusetts will spend the time to drive down, unless they are very invested in the cause.

Number 3) Social MediaSocial media is a solid solution for marketing to your core stakeholders. .

Use Twitter to find the leaders that will have the most influence for your event. Tweet updates about your event and answer any comments or questions that your customers or potential attendees might have. Be sure to create a hashtag to generate more buzz about the event as well. It will also be helpful to live tweet during the event as well for those that could not attend.

Use Facebook to create more visual content for your event. Make inforgraphics about your event to catch the eye of potential customers. Be careful not to overload the amount of event posts, limit your posts on Facebook to a few times a week. Switch up the content as well so that the customer is reminded about the event and not just bombarded with the same message.

Use Google+ to easily create groups and customize invitations. Google+ is a useful social media tool because it allows synchronization with Google Hangouts which helps to promote your event to potential attendees (Marketo, 2015).

Number 4) Stay ActiveBe sure to follow up with any and all attendees and non attendees. This shows that you are an active participant in this event that you take seriously. Be sure to include valuable information in all follow up messages, but do not be redundant. Also, follow up with attendees after the event. Make them aware of any further events or promotions coming up for your business. Remember, the event is as much a networking opportunity for you as it is for them.

The most important part of event marketing is the event itself. It doesn’t matter how many people come to your event if it doesn’t go well so take all precautions to make sure the event runs smoothly. Keep in mind the number of staff that will be needed and make sure to meet all deadlines (Marketo, 2015).

 

To learn more about event marketing and social media planning visit our website at: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us at call at: 845-202-7087.

 

Sources:

Photo CreditPatel, N., Taylor, B. (n.d.). The Definitive Guide to Growth Hacking. QuickSprout.Marketo. (n.d.). Event Marketing. Marketo. Retrieved from: http://www.marketo.com/event-marketing/

Growth Hacking and New Business

By Marist College Intern, Chris Largent

Technology and Predictive AnalyticsTechnology has opened a door to the business world. It has provided businesses with a way to analyze data like never before. One process that has been useful for a number of companies is data mining, or harnessing the free information on the Internet to find what useful patterns there are within it.

Attempting to predict trends has always been a vital part of business practice. Seeing where the next big thing will arise has been how companies soar over their competitors. Now, with the use of technology, this process has not only become easier but also widely available.Predicting trends and patterns of customer behavior through this process is called predictive analytics. Unlike traditional analytics, which looks backwards at past behaviors and informs a business of what has worked recently, predictive analytics looks at all available data and makes predictions based off that

information. This allows companies to look forward and plan for possible future trends and patterns in customer behavior.

Social Business, the Application of Foreseeable PatternsSocial Business is all about connecting with the people within your networks. These people are your audience, your customers, stakeholders and your employees. You can contribute to the success of your business by making your business social. Take advantage of the technology mentioned above. Becoming a social business is not just about being on social media and posting regularly. Instead, a social business makes it a point to encourage connectivity and constant flow of information and creative ideas between these important audiences. This sort of business values allow for the much-needed transparency that so many businesses have struggled at in recent years. Adopting these policies can make the difference for your company.

The combination of predictive analytics and social business can greatly increase the ROI of your company. Focus on tactics such as customer engagement. Today’s market is not made up of mindless buyers. Your customers have personalities, interests that differentiate them from the rest of your customers. Engage with them on a regular basis. Use the information that you gather from predictive analytics to find out what the next top issues may be. Be the first to start the conversation about them (IBM, 2014).

Be innovative! Generate new content and use it to generate growth for your business. Sort out what your highest business goals are and find innovative and creative ways to enact them. For instance, if you wish to connect further with your customers, as suggested above, consider using growth hacking. This process uses a series of strategies such as Search Engine Optimization, blogging and leveraging other people’s audiences to extend your reach and the impact of your content (IBM, 2014).

Use predictive analytics to find out what your customers would like to see and hear. Perhaps there is a growing trend for the use of small videos as seen with Vine and Snapchat. Be a leader in this trend by being the first to put out a series of videos that promotes your products or services.

 

How Predictive Analytics Works and Helps Growth HackingPredictive analytics has its obvious benefits. It is an automated process powered by a software program that uses a wide variety of factors to make predictions. These factors are, but are not limited to: “clustering, decision trees, market basket analysis, regression modeling, neural nets, genetic algorithms, text mining, hypothesis testing, decision analytics,…” (Zaman, p. 1). Although training is needed to translate the outputs into useful business lingo, these solutions can be extremely helpful to point you and your business in the direction of creativity and ingenuity.

Knowing where customers can and will join the market can allow your business to move in those directions. This will lead, quite quickly, to extensive growth for

your business through customer acquisition and increased profitability. Not only is it able to predict trends but also other business related issues such as risk factors. The software itself analyzes attributes of business practices and customer behavior that could be detrimental to company success.

Some examples of predictive analytical software are as follows and suggested by author, Mukhles Zaman: SAS, SPSS Inc., Insightful, StatSoft Inc., and Knowledge Extraction Engines (KXEN).

 

To learn more about growth hacking and predictive analytics visit our website: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at 845.202.7807 

Photo Source:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140922125640-35405-predictive-analytics-in-a-paid-search-modelhttps://www.uea.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-degree/detail/msc-knowledge-discovery-and-datamininghttps://bloomfire.com/blog/the-definition-of-social-business/Information Sources:

Zaman, M. (n.d.). Predictive Analytics: the Future of Business Intelligence. Retrieved from: www.mahmoudyoussef.com/BI/9.doc

IBM. (Jan., 2014). Applying social business: The repeatable patterns that improve business processes and provide return. Retrieved from:

Macro-Environmental Factors

How Macro-Environmental Factors Affect Your BusinessBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern

Staying AheadThere are so many factors to keep track of but try not to get overwhelmed. Focus on what your customers like and value the most. It is important to keep track of growing movements within your company’s niche. Do this by monitoring your social media accounts frequently to see what your customers have to say about incoming and outgoing trends. Get involved in these conversations. Find out what they would like to see evolve within your company.Monitor what your competitors are doing as well. Just like in the case of AOL, useful advice and tactics can be found from the people and companies in your industry. Take them and make it your own. Being able to predict where these trends is a skill not easily mastered, especially in today’s trend filled world. However, doing so can make the difference in a business’s success.What Are Macro-Environmental Factors?Macro-Environmental Factors are factors that affect a business but are uncontrollable. These factors could be a shift in political ideology, an increase in population, a change in the values of their customers, growth of a certain

technology, or even trends within the culture of a nation. All of these factors should hold weight in the decisions made by a company, because not being ahead of the game means being left behind.

A Healthy AlternativeCoca-Cola is one of the leading producers of soft drinks in the world. With one of the strongest international brands out there, it is a common sight to see a Coke paired with any meal. However, with the recent surge of healthy eating, one has to wonder if the Coca-Cola company is making any moves to hit this trend or if they are simply staying stagnant.

A study from a few years ago explained that the beverage industry has been moving toward teas, coffees, bottled water, and sports drinks (Deichert, Ellenbecker, Klehr, Pesarchick, & Ziegler, 2006). Seeing these growing trends, Coca-Cola released several new brands and products including Dasani water in 2001 and Fuze Tea nationally in 2005, both of which have gained a lot of success.

A more recent movement has been seen in the healthy snack alternatives. Greek yogurt company Chobani has been on top of this one, releasing its new “Flip” yogurt-granola combination. Not long ago, Coca-Cola started up a deal to buy up a lump sum of Chobani’s stock (Golbert, 2015). Although the plans fell through, this acquisition could prove to be a good start for Coca-Cola to move into the snack industry, a place where the company could easily expand.

The Technological BeastTechnology is growing and changing faster than it ever has before and will continue to grow this way if all goes well. If acted upon correctly, the use of technology can be a huge benefit for companies and set them far above their competitors who they have left far behind.

One example of this innovative expansion into the field of technology comes from AOL and its acquisition of a live streaming service called Kanvas. The company made this move in response to the development of similar services within rival companies. The difference for AOL, however is that it is launching this new service coupled with an event hosted by clothing brand Guess. Guess and AOL both hope to stand out with this online streaming service by giving the consumer

“a unique platform where users are able to customize and animate their livestreams with a broad range of animation options in real time” said a spokesman of the brand (Peterson, 2015).

It is motions such as this one, using technology to get a step above, in ways that stand out from the rest, that allow businesses to excel in today’s market.

To learn more about Macro-Environmental Factors visit our website: husdonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at 845.202.7087 

Sources:

Photo CreditDeichert, M., Ellenbecker, M., Klehr, E., Pesarchick, L., Ziegler, K., (February 22, 2006). Industry Analysis: Soft Drinks. Retrieved from:https://www.csbsju.edu/Documents/libraries/zeigler_paper.pdfPeterson, T. (Dec. 1, 2015). AOL’s Periscope Rival Signs First Moneymaking Brand Deal. Ad Age. Retrieved from: http://adage.com/article/digital/aol-s-periscope-rival-signs-money-making-brand-deal/301532/ 

The Subconscious Effectiveness of Negative CampaigningBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern

The History of Negative CampaigningNegative campaigning has been around for centuries. One of the first instances of this campaigning method was in the early 19th century between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Although fierce friends while fighting for independence, running for the presidential office proved to be quite the strain on their friendship. Adams and Jefferson slung insults at each other that make the smear ads of today pale in comparison. Jefferson labeled Adams a fool, a hypocrite, a criminal, and a tyrant. Adams branded Jefferson a weakling, an atheist, a libertine, and a coward (Swint, 2012).

The use of negative campaigning did not slow down throughout history either. In the 1872 race between Grant and Greeley was dubbed “a shower of mud” by The New York Sun (Wehner, 2010). And then there was the 1964 election between Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater. LBJ released an ad found heredepicting a four-year-old girl picking the petals off of a daisy abruptly interrupted by a nuclear blast. LBJ claimed in the ad that, “These are the stakes” if he is not elected (Gordon, 2012).Often times these ads leave a bad taste in our mouths. We ask ourselves– Why can’t there be fair play? Why does a politician have to degrade another? So, if viewers dislike being shown these ads, then why do politicians put them out?

The answer is simple: because it works.

It Works, SubliminallyAt face value, negative campaigning seems to be no more than mud slung from one side of the aisle to the other. Adams calling Jefferson an atheist seems to be a shallow stab at the founding father’s character. However, these tactics are far from simple insults. What makes this tactic so successful is that it plays on what people fear the most at the time. At the time Adams made his statement about Jefferson, the Enlightenment area had just come to a close, and the United States was still a very pious nation. The accusation of atheism surely frightened a good number of religious minded voters.

Lyndon B. Johnson’s ad of the little girl was released at the peak of the Cold War. His depiction of a little girl being blown away by a nuclear blast would have hit very close to home with Americans at the time.

A more recent ad put out by Hillary Clinton’s administration during her campaign against Obama in the 2008 election claimed that she was more qualified to keep American families safe than her fellow candidate. According to a study, although many viewers said that they disliked the ad, it was still very effective. The study found that viewers of the ads unconsciously associated negative words when shown a picture of Obama after seeing the ad put out by Clinton (Westen, 2012).

Negative Campaigning in the Current RaceFor the current presidential race, negative campaigning has been at an all time high. An astounding 96% of all presidential advertisements have been smearing

toward candidates, according to a CNN article (Stelter, 2015). So with so much negative slander going around, how does one candidate stand out? There are two nominees that have taken opposite stances: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

TrumpTrump has made it his business to smear anyone and everyone who gets in his way. He has created a brand for himself that depicts him as a man who will say anything about anyone. He constantly bashes his opponents on both sides of the political spectrum. One example of this is his post on Facebook from November 14th in which he claims that Clinton, Sanders and O’Malley were doing poorly in their debate:

Trump takes his rivals off guard by turning conventional campaign behavior on its head.

 

SandersBernie Sanders, on the other hand, is doing the exact opposite of Trump. In an interview with CNN, Sanders claimed that he will not run any negative ads. In fact, he even went as far as to praise Hillary in the interview, saying that he “respect[s] Hillary Clinton” and that “He is more concerned with addressing the substantive issues than in tearing down his opponent” (Brekhus, 2015). This seems to be just as bold a strategy as Trump’s. This, however, embodies Bernie’s brand as well. He has asserted himself as a straightforward man as well, stating his strong opinions on his Facebook and being dubbed a “king of social media.”

It is hard to predict which strategy will work for either contestant. Although Trump is currently leading Republican polls, his numbers and spreads are never much higher than Sanders’. It seems as though the crowd will have to be thinned, the race will have to come down to the wire to see for certain.

 

To learn more about negative campaigning and branding visit our website: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at: 845.202.7087 

Sources:

Swint, K. (Aug. 22, 2008) Founding Fathers’ dirty campaign. Retrieved on November 17, 2015 from http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/08/22/mf.campaign.slurs.slogans/index.html?_s=PM:LIVING

Wehner, P. (OCT. 29, 2010). Some Historical Perspective on Negative Campaigning. Commentary. Retrieved on November 17, 2015 from: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/campaigns-elections/some-historical-perspective-on-negative-campaigning/

Gordon, J. S. (Jan. 4, 2012). Gingrich and the History of Negative Campaigning. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on Novermber 17, 2015 from: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203391104577124622834142632

Stelter, B. (Apr. 15, 2015). Campaign ads get negative right away. CNN Money. Retrieved on November 17, 2015 from: http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/15/media/negative-campaign-ads-already/

Westen, D. (Feb. 19, 2012). Why attack ads? Because they work. Los Angeles

Times. Retrieved on November 17, 2015 from: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/19/opinion/la-oe-westen-why-negative-campaigning-works-20120219

Brekhus, K. (May. 19, 2015). Bernie Sanders Rejects Negative Campaigning, Says He Likes Hillary Clinton. Politics USA. Retrieved on November 17, 2015 from:  http://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/19/bernie-sanders-rejects-negative-campaigning-likes-hillary-clinton.htmlTrump’s FacebookPhoto Credit

Use Periscope to Help Your Events

How To Use Periscope to Help with Your EventsBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern

What is Periscope?Periscope is a live streaming service app that came about in 2014. It was created by two people, Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein, who were inspired while traveling abroad in Istanbul. This app, accessible on both Android and iOS, was bought up by Twitter in 2015 before going public. This merger gives users of the app an option to tweet out the Live Stream that they created on the app itself, with options of public and private settings. The app itself allows for a lot of customization of the video the “scoper” puts out. This service allows a lot of for ample amounts of creativity while essentially inventing “the closest thing to teleportation” (Periscope, 2015).

So what can you do with Periscope?Of course it is beyond important to get a high admittance to any event you hold. The more people the better! But what about those people that cannot make it but had a strong desire to go? Even though you had great promotional tactics you may not have reached everyone you could have. You can use Periscope in two ways to amp awareness of your event.

1. Assign your event staff to cover the event as it happens. Before the event encourage your audience and those who will be attending your event to follow this person either on Twitter or using the app itself. That way those who cannot make it to the event can virtually attend. As Periscope says on their website, “A picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you someplace and show you around.”

2. Encourage your audience and attendants to use Periscope while they are at the event. This will get them more involved and give your event a lot of social media steam. Consider giving out awards to the person with the most “hearts” they receive for their Periscope videos and the “scoper” with the most creative video.

Periscope can be a useful tool for promoting your event before, during and after it takes place. Attendees can recap their visit and those who could not attend can see what it was all about.

To learn more about event management and Periscope go to our website: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at: 845.202.7087Sources:Photo Credit   Periscope Website. (2015). Retrieved from: https://www.periscope.tv/about

Donald Trump: Social Media Tactician

Social Media Tactician: Donald TrumpBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern

Politics and Social MediaSmear tactics are nothing new to politicians, it’s been going on for centuries. Back in the early 1800’s, party politics had so distanced John Adams and Thomas Jefferson that, for the first and last time in U.S. history, a president found himself running against his vice president. Jefferson’s camp accused President Adams of having a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.” In return, Adams’ men called Vice President Jefferson “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.”

Since Barack Obama’s election to the presidency in 2008, there has been a surge in the involvement of social media in politics. For politicians, social media has become a quick and easy way to reach target publics, just like their business counterparts. Obama and his administration have been all over this trend. Recently, when flying up to Alaska to promote his environmental policies, he

shared a picture on Instagram of the beautiful Alaska countryside (Carr, 2015). This kind of connectivity shows that politicians are people just like me and you and allows trust to flow more easily.

With the 2016 presidential election fast approaching, candidates not only need to win in debates, but also make ground on the social media front. That battle is surely raging. There are ample examples of social media tactics from all of the potential runners representing both sides of the political spectrum. But there is one that towers over all the rest.

Trump TacticsMr. Trump’s social media pages embody who he is as a presidential candidate. Posting about every hour or so on Twitter, Trump constantly updates his followers, last count of 4.79 million and growing. He tweets about events he has attended, often tweeting “thanks” to states for their support in placing him top in polls. One of Trumps best tactics is that he responds to a lot of the tweets that slam him as well as posts that praise him. Trump often tweets directly to his fans and his critics, tactfully quoting them in his own tweets.

Trump is also very active on Facebook, posting about two or three times a day. Trump’s content reflects his personality — A master of the smear campaign, many of his posts bash the other candidates such as his remarks about Jeb Bush’s “low energy” and his tweets about Ben Carson. On November 6th Trump posted on Facebook: “The Carson story is either a total fabrication or, if true, even worse-trying to hit mother over the head with a hammer or stabbing friend!” Trump aggressively attacks the entire field of presidential hopefuls, ” Marco Rubio is a total lightweight who I wouldn’t hire to run one of my smaller companies – h highly overrated politician!” Trump is quick to respond, he tactfully makes everything personal, this let’s his competitiors and the press know he is listening and that he is serious about winning the election. Trumps social media tactics are gaining a lot of steam with his supporters.

Although Trump does not reply to as many comments on his Facebook page as he does his Twitter account, he is very active on both social media channels. Trump tactfully posts many articles about his standings in the polls and also quotes publications such as People Magazine about how he is winning in key states.   He also tactfully shares clips from videos from the debates, and a clever office video where Trump thanked Joe Biden for not running.

The Trump BrandSmart, savvy publicity and social media tactics he helped to put Trump at the top of the polls  Trump has dominated the news networks coverage of the presidential race, often eclipsing coverage of competition on both sides of the aisle. Now a front-runner Trump has refined his message, “Make America Great Again!” Trump’s slogan resonates with many American’s who feel that we have lost our standing as a super power and don’t get the respect we deserve. The message also succeeds in making Trump seem much more presidential.  People know exactly what they are getting with Trump. He is a straightforward, pull no punches kind of guy and he has made that abundantly clear with his speeches and debates which he has so tactfully shared over his social media channels.

Trump’s content is bombastic and brash,  many people find him offensive. Love him or hate him, his publicity and social media tactics are solid. Trump is riding the “no such thing as bad publicity” train and it’s working.

 

To learn more about social media tactics visit our website: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at 845.202.7087 

Sources:

Carr, N. (Sept. 2, 2015). How Social Media Is Ruining Politics. Politico. Retrieved from: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/2016-election-social-media-ruining-politics-213104Swint, K. (Aug. 22, 2008) Founding Fathers’ dirty campaign. Retrieved on November 11, 2015 from http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/08/22/mf.campaign.slurs.slogans/index.html?_s=PM:LIVING

Trump’s TwitterTrump’s FacebookPhoto Credit

Ethnographic Research

Ethnographic Research MarketingBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern.

Knowing Your Customer on a Personal LevelIf I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times — today’s marketplace is buyer-central. People want to feel a connection with the products and brands that they use every day. Catering to the buyer is essential. But how does a business cater to one person while still trying to sell to a large customer base? The answer is simple: ethnographic research. This type of research goes beyond the traditional use of demographics to market, which has been shown to be outdated. Instead, ethnographic  research focuses on a few key aspects of consumer’s attitudes, opinions, preferences, likes etc.:

Behaviors   Habits   Environment   Values

BehaviorsFinding out how your customers behave on a day-to-day basis can provide you with insight on how to market more efficiently to them. A useful way to go about finding your customers’ behaviors is to visit them in a natural setting, perhaps at the office. Although this may take a good amount of time and effort, it will be worth it in the end. The objective is to learn about the customer on their home turf instead of yours (Anderson, 2009).

HabitsThe same goes for their habits. Human beings are habitual creatures. We enjoy security and routine. Go out and observe your customers habits. Take note of the products they use, the shows they watch, the food they eat. Creating content present within the habits of your customers will bring more attention to your brand and business.

EnvironmentWhether you believe in Nature or Nurture, it is essential to take your customers’ surroundings into consideration when researching their ethnography. Take time to learn about where they work, where they live, their families and what they generally surround themselves with. A customer that works for a company but has no family will have a very different mindset when it comes to shopping than a customer that works for that same company and has a family to provide for.

ValuesFind out what your customers value deep down in their hearts. If your customers believe in transparency when dealing with companies then it may be wise to open up and provide more information to your publics. If not, you may find that when a crisis happens, it will be harder to manage the aftermath, having lost a lot of the trust of your customers.

This ethnographic research can be done through observational trips, focus groups or well written surveys (Anderson, 2009). Many of these techniques may come across as too time consuming, however, finding out who you are selling your products to on a personal level will ultimately help to grow recognition and loyalty with your business.

 

These are many ethnographic research methodologies to consider,  to learn more about ethnography visit our website: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at: 845.202.7087 

Sources:

Photo CreditAnderson, K. (2009). Ethnographic Research: A Key to Strategy. Harvard Business Review.   Retrieved on October 27th, 2015 from: https://hbr.org/2009/03/ethnographic-research-a-key-to-strategy.

Branding Opportunities

Taking Advantage of Branding OpportunitiesBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern

Branding OpportunitiesA little known fact about branding is that there are certain periods during people’s lives when they switch their brand loyalty. Instances such as a transition to college, or a marriage are two examples for branding opportunity.

Consumers are not born branded, in our early formative years we begin to embrace values, opinions, beliefs and brand preferences. As we age we are not as open to new ideas. Key opportunities for branding are prime time for marketers. While at college, people tend to buy products and services independent from what their parents brought home from the super market. Millennials begin to buy their own food and work supplies. This leaves a lot of room for the development of brand loyalty. People are more moldable to brands when they are young. People tend to have their preferred lifestyles and products set in stone by around the time they are able to vote. Take advantage of a younger customer base so that your brand sticks with them for life.

By the time people are married, they tend to have their brand loyalty in place. However, when they do get married, when shopping, they now have to consider their spouse’s brand loyalties as well. Often times, new couples move into a house together and that house must be furnished and filled with whatever makes that family who they are. Take advantage of this time by gearing your products to new families, driving for brand loyalty that will last the rest of their lives.

Brands and ReputationBrand recognition and loyalty is what drives today’s buyer-focused market. Customers feel more comfortable with their purchases when they know the brand they’re buying. In order to achieve and maintain loyalty businesses must invest a lot of time working on the reputation and image of their brand.

Even a reputational crisis can make people re-evaluate their brand preferences.A great example of an opportunity to gain new consumers is during a brand crisis. Unfortunately, not all businesses seem to get what is gluten free, this is a big problem within this market, as some stores create the illusion of actually being gluten free. People that have a serious gluten allergy or disease bar them from consuming gluten. If it’s not gluten free, it can be seriously detrimental to their health. Mistakes like this can lead to a reputational crisis for companies and their brands. Companies with brands that are able to maintain their reputation through transparency and loyalty easily rise to the top of their industry.

To learn more about branding or crisis communications visit us at http://hudsonvalleymedia.com or give us a call at 845.202.7087. Thanks.

Sources:

Photo Credit

Managing and Planning for a Crisis

Planning for and Managing CrisesBy Chris Largent, Marist Intern

What You Need to KnowCrises, thankfully, are not an every day thing. However, they can happen and having the right plan in place for when they do can be the difference between success and failure for your company. When dealing with a crisis it is important to maintain a positive outlook and keep a level head. To use a common communications phrase, a business should “respond” not “react” to crises. According to research, businesses that dealt with crises poorly usually experience a 10% drop in stock prices. On the contrary, businesses that handled crises well did see a slight drop in stock prices initially but were actually able to recover to a positive growth of 7% (Donohue, 2015).

Strategies of PlanningIt is easy to say, “we’ll handle that when we have to” but this mentality can be detrimental to a company’s health and reputation. A smart tactic would be to look for potential issues that may arise in the future and either fix them before they arise or at the least have a plan of action for them when they do erupt.

Take a look at your business. Think critically. What are some aspects of your trade that may rub people the wrong way if found out? For example: it is a very good idea to be transparent with your customers and the public. It will gain you trust and credibility and you will be rewarded with a loyal customer base. However, too much transparency can be harmful. In 2013, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch stated that the company would not make XL or XXL clothing for women because it wanted to market for a more attractive customer base (Levinson, 2013). This kind of transparency is not only offensive but also had adverse side effects for the clothing brand’s reputation.

Act on these issues before they arise. Look closely at the spokesperson for your business: are they enthusiastic? Or are they overzealous.

Strategies for ManagingRemember, the faster you respond to a crisis the better. Half the battle is fixing the crisis itself. The other is determining how the public perceives you. Think about all of the audiences that will be affected by not only your crisis, but also your response to it. Think about the media that you should use in your response. It may be wise to release more traditional media such as a news release. But do not forget to address the issue on social media and other digital outputs. Make sure to remain personable and respond to customer comments and inquiries. One of the worst things to do is stay silent to your customers. Just because the crisis has blown over, do not assume that it is finished. Make sure to check back in with research and statistics to evaluate how your reputation with the public came out.

 

To learn more about crisis management go to our website: hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at 845-202-7087 

Sources:

Photo Credit

Levinson, S. (May 3, 2013). Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Explains Why He Hates Fat Chicks. Elite Daily. Retrieved from:http://elitedaily.com/news/world/abercrombie-fitch-ceo-explains-why-he-hates-fat-chicks/Donohue, J. (2015). Issue Management and Crisis Communication.

Growth Hacking Tactics

Growth Hacking: How to Increase ROI for Your BusinessBy Chris Largent, Marist College Intern

What Exactly Is Growth Hacking?Growth Hacking is a marketing technique that breaks the mold of traditional marketing. It utilizes the technology of today to promote one thing: the growth of your business. Growth Hacking combines creativity, SEO (optimization), social metrics and an analytical mindset. Growth Hacking can help to not only sell products but also to expand and engage your business within the market-place. Hacking is cost efficient, effectively skirting past the high-cost advertising techniques of traditional marketing.

 But How? Growth Hacking Tactics.Growth Hacking uses low-budget means to spread awareness of your business. Here are five easy Growth Hacking tactics that every business should use in order to grow its brand name and market awareness.

Number 1: Search Engine OptimizationMake sure that your customers can find your website. When building a snippet use keywords to attract the attention of the potential visitor in both the headline and the meta-description. Be certain that the url is clear and readable so that the consumer knows exactly what they are clicking on (see article onpermalinks).Number 2: BlogsCreate content that is intriguing to your customer and do not simply attempt to sell your product right then and there. The purpose of Growth Hacking is to subtly pull your visitors to your website. Becoming a salesman on a blog can force potential customers away. Instead, find creative ways to pull emotional strings within them. Follow the ebb and flow of trends and niches within society and find ways to relate them to your business (Patel & Taylor).

Number 3: InfographicsInfographics are a quick and easy way to help your visitors visualize a topic of your choosing. A creative design can go a long way with infographics since, after all, catching the customers’ eye is what Growth Hacking strives for. Choose a topic that may be controversial as well. For instance: you can display what makes your business stand out from the the rest of the industry. Distribution of these infographics is easy: link your infograph to your social media pages (Patel & Taylor).

Number 4: Social MediaSharing content on social media channels is easily and it’s free! Posting and sharing your blog and infographics on these social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.) is an excellent way to amplify and extend the awareness and reach of your message, driving visitors back to your website. Remember, social works both ways. Interpersonal communication is key for leadership in the market (Patel & Taylor).

In order to receive awareness it is smart to spread awareness for others.Comment on other posts and blogs.Answer questions that customers may comment on your posts.

Number 5: Leverage Other People’s Audiences (LOPA)Networking is always an essential part of business life. Find people and leaders within your community that already have an expansive audience. Create a mutual benefit system with them in hopes that they will share your story with their audience and grow your awareness (Patel & Taylor).

Since Growth Hacking works with such low-budget tactics it is easy to boost ROI. Throughout the use of these tactics it is vital to analyze success rates. This analytical approach can help to perpetuate a repeatable process that works for every individual business. Some examples of companies that used Growth Hacking successfully to expand awareness are: Facebook, Dropbox, YouTube and Instagram.

To learn more about Growth Hacking and what it can do for your business, contact us at hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at 845-202-7087.

Sources:

Photo CreditPatel, N., Taylor, B. (n.d.). The Definitive Guide to Growth Hacking. QuickSprout.Ginn, A. (n.d.). What is Growth Hacking? Quora.

Content Marketing Helps Save a Maligned Dog BreedSpecial to Hudson Valley Public Relations, By Chris Largent Marist College Intern

Creative Content MarketingIn this age it is easy to get overwhelmed with a surplus of bland, boring content. It is the creative, ingenuitive content that attracts the eyes of customers. Recently Honest Tea imposed a question to Americans, asking which city is the most

honest? Employing social media, Honest Tea gathered responses (Olenski, Forbes 2015) identifying who, where, when and why consumers love their tea. A highly successful social media campaign was developed.

Social Media MarketingIts a jungle out there, today it’s a challenge to just try to stay ahead of the curve. You need to get it right the first go around, start with a well thought out market-media plan. Focus on the vision, establish the overarching goals, then nail down you market objectives and strategies to achieve your goals.

BUSINESS PLANVision / Overreaching GoalObjectivesStrategiesMedia + Market PlanTarget Audience / MarketsTactics

It is important, however, to thoroughly examine the content that is being put out on social media (Clay & Newlands, 2014). In this on-demand digital word,  it is very easy to reach a broad, unspecific audience and flood it with information via social media. That is simply not an ideal way to go about achieving objectives and may, in fact, turn customers away. Instead, figure out what the business wants accomplished by establishing several objectives that will help reach the overall goal. Once goals and objectives are decided on, research must be done to find the specific target audience the business wants to reach. Finding out who the customer is, when they shop and why can be vital information.MARKET RESEARCH  —  Personas (who, when, where, and why they buy)After the demographics have been compiled, assess and identify your business’s persona profiles. These profiles will help a business understand its customers and allow it to create meaningful and successful messages geared specifically toward its desired audience. By doing this, campaigns for new products and services can generate much more steam when entering the marketplace.

Campaign to Save Pit Bulls

While studying abroad in Australia, my group (Changing Attitudes, 2014)  was tasked with developing a campaign to lift the ban prohibiting owning a pit bull. There is a strong biases against pit bulls in Australia, not an easy assignment for sure. Research, we started with sound research into the attitudes and opinions Australians have towards this misunderstood dog. Our research identified our core stakeholders consisting of new families with young children. A content marketing campaign was created to achieve our goals of changing attitudes towards owning pit bulls. Videos and photos were posted strategically targeting new families via social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) with emotive imagery showing a more loving and caring environment with young children. Engaging with our core stakeholders tactically on social media channels our team created an online movement in support of owning pit bulls.

To learn more about content marketing and social media marketing visit our website hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com or give us a call at 845.202.7087.

Sources:Photo SourceOlenski, Steve. “The 3 Best Social Media Campaigns of 2015 (So Far).” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 21 Aug. 2015. Web.               13 Sept. 2015. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2015/08/21/the-3-best-social-media-campaigns-of-                 2015-so-far/>.

Clay, Bruce, and Murray Newlands. Content Marketing Strategies for Professionals: How to Use Content Marketing and               SEO to Communicate with Impact, Generate Sales, and Get Found by Search Engines. North Charleston                       (North Carolina): CreateSpace Independent Platform, 2014. Print.

Largent, C. (2014). Theoretical Case Study to Change Attitudes about Pit Bulls. Griffith University, Gold Coast Australia.