Email Marketing

December 2 2022

Leveraging Psychology in Digital Marketing

Content Marketing, Digital, Email Marketing, Strategy, Website Management

Want to learn how to leverage basic psychology in digital marketing campaigns? Are you looking for ways to improve your online marketing strategy? More than ever, marketers today can benefit from lessons learned in psychology. According to Merriam Webster, psychology seeks to understand the human mind and behavior.

Marketers are constantly seeking to engage with their audience and drive actions that help their audience move rapidly through their “funnel”. They do this by constantly analyzing behaviors and working to get into the mind of their target audience. Clearly, there is a strong intersection between modern marketing and psychology. The benefits of incorporating consumer psychology into your marketing is twofold: you assist your audience in their journey to achieve their objective and as a marketer, benefit from facilitating more successful conversions.

Cloud IQ and Marketo put together some marketing psychology tips in the attached infographic that can help you “persuade” your audience.

They break things down as follows:

Persuasion architecture – design the customer journey in such a way as to convince and persuade a buyer to convert. If you want someone to do something, you must make it as easy as possible.
Emotion driven behavior – while buyer education about your products or services is important, marketers must focus on engaging consumer emotions. There are a variety of ways this can be done—through the use of images, storytelling, persuasive subject lines, and compelling copy.
Social proof – people are more likely to find actions appropriate when others are doing them.
Scarcity and loss aversion – when people are faced with either limited availability, or a limited opportunity to get the best deal, they are more likely to buy.
Reciprocity – the reciprocity principal states: you should make sure you are offering something of value in exchange for something, i.e. a subscription, a like or a follow, etc.
Commitment and consistency – if you can get buyers to subscribe to your communications or participate in a reward program, they are more likely to eventually purchase from you.
Anchoring – When choosing between options, buyers use a base from which to start—this is the anchor. For example, the initial asking price for a retail item sets the value, making the sale value seems more appealing.

Also, the full eBook that gives an even deeper dive into “Leveraging Psychology in Digital Marketing” provides additional insight.

Additional insights from the downloadable eBook:

The different types of consumer psychology principles
How to incorporate those principles into your marketing programmes
How consumer psychology principles can assist your customer in their journey
How marketers benefit from facilitating successful conversations

Want to learn more ways to drive engagement or “persuade” your audience in your current digital marketing strategy? Reach out to schedule a call. We look forward to hearing from you!

March 11 2022

The ever decreasing span of… Squirrel!… I mean of humans

Connected TV, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, Radio, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

From 2010-2015, the average human attention span has shrunk by a third from 12 seconds to 8.25 seconds!

Focus, easier said than done!

Do you find yourself working on a multitude of projects at the same time and then in the middle, just kind of slump into your chair and scroll for a bit? Have you lost your focus?

You may think that having a ton of tabs open is multitasking but, in truth, it’s not. In fact, we don’t have the ability to multitask, we are focusing on one task at a time briefly. And guess what? That focus time is shrinking! Additionally, we humans, are easily distracted.

Our friends at Wyzowl have created a cool infographic on the shrinking of the human attention span.

Why does this mean for marketers?

Brands trying to grab the attention of their target audience must be purposeful when creating content. There are ways to hold the attention of your audience.

Make sure your messaging is clear.
The user experience should be positive. When designing your website, make sure navigation is easy.
Use video and rich media to engage the user.

Why is focus so important?

As content creators it’s more important than ever to work on that ever shrinking amount of time we have to catch our fans before they go off and chase that squirrel. When we create content we need to focus on what makes content engaging.

The Hook? What did you write or did you shoot that would grab the attention of your listener?
Is it Unique? Does it bring a different perspective to a topic? Can you give your take on a local occurrence?
Is it Valuable? Does the content allow the listener to think and engage? Does the content teach them something? Does the content make your listener want to share the new info?

If we have a great hook, with content that’s unique and can provide value to your audience, then you have captured the user’s attention, even if it’s for that 8.25 seconds.

Let’s talk about how Alpha Media can help you build a marketing strategy that will encourage engagement. Contact us for a no cost site and media needs evaluation. We pride ourselves in that we work with our clients to identu=ify their goals and put together a strategy to reach those goals.

March 10 2022

The secrets of the Al-Gore-Rhythm

Connected TV, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, Radio, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

As many of you know, the secrets of the al-gore-rhythm or the way social media filters and serves the fans, changes as trends change. Well, in 2021 the algorithm changed and recently, the folks at Facebook recently released an explanation of the latest changes for 21-22.

Basically, Facebook News feed is out and is now just the “feed.” This feed shows stories that are meaningful and informative to you.

The algorithm filters stories based on three things.

Who:

These are sources that you interact with including friends, followers and businesses

Type:

This is the actual type of post. Videos or Photos. If you interact with videos more, you will see more videos and the same goes with photos.

Interactions:

Priority is given to posts with the most engagement of whom you interact with. Then it trickles down from there.

How does this apply to you as a creator of content? Well, when you post authentic and informative posts, Facebook wont throttle you. If you create truthful, meaningful posts, this too, helps. Create posts that your fan will engage with, interact with and you in-turn should interact with and engage with them too. Also, create content that builds a sense of community which means, getting your audience to interact with each other.

We can’t break or hack Al Gore’s rhythm but we can move with it. Let’s talk about this and other ways we can help you with your SEO, SEM and Social Media efforts. We would love the opportunity to do a website/media needs analysis and help you reach your 2022 marketing and lead gen goals. Contact us for a no cost analysis.

March 1 2022

Facebook Shares it’s ‘Most Viewed Content Report’ for Q3

Connected TV, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, Radio, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

Facebook shares it’s ‘Most viewed Content Report’ for Q3. Facebook has gone to great lengths in an effort to debunk the idea that it is a key distribution platform for misinformation and conspiracy theories. As are the pretzel-like logical progressions it’s taken to re-shape its data to reflect the image that it would prefer.

As a quick recap – back in August, Facebook published a new ‘Widely Viewed Content’ report. The report is designed to show the types of posts that typically get shown in user feeds.

The idea was to counter this Twitter account, created by New York Times journalist Kevin Roose. The account shows the most shared link posts on Facebook every day, based on data from CrowdTangle, Facebook’s own analytics platform.

A Personalized Marketing Strategy for Your Small Business

Connected TV, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, Radio, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

One can’t underestimate the importance of having a Personalized Marketing Strategy for Your Small Business. As a business owner or manager, you probably already know what you want to accomplish this year, this month, or even this week. For example, you might want to increase online sales year over year. Maybe you want to increase sales of a certain product this month. Perhaps you aim to improve your business’s reputation or image over time? Whatever your goals may be, a clear-cut marketing strategy will make them more attainable, and give you an edge over your competitors.

A good Marketing Strategy provides a blueprint or outline for what needs to be done in order for you to quickly and effectively accomplish your goals.

To build brand credibility, it is important that your Marketing Strategy is customized to your business. Advertising is not “One Size Fits All.” Even within the same industry, while it is important to do research and be aware of what your competitors are doing, you should have a personalized marketing strategy for your small business, your customers, your geography etc.

Keys to Setting Goals:

The first step to creating a solid, personalized marketing strategy is to identify and set your goals.

Be Specific. Don’t be ambiguous. Instead of “I want to increase online sales,” try, “I want to increase online sales by 15% year over year.”
Make Them Measurable. Your goals should consist of metrics that you can monitor and measure to determine your strategy’s effectiveness. If it’s not measurable, it doesn’t count.
Make them Achievable. Only set achievable goals for which you have the adequate resources, money, and time to make them possible.
Be Realistic. Don’t set goals you can’t achieve. If your Food Truck sold 100,000 hot dogs last year, it would be unrealistic to set a goal of 1,000,000 for the upcoming year.
Set A Timer. Set a specific period of time for achieving your goals. Don’t leave it open ended. At the end of that time assess whether or not you were successful and whether or not to continue to chase that particular goal.

Research

Next, do your research. Take the time to thoroughly research your competition, market trends, target audiences, and other insights. The insights you research now will help you personalize your marketing strategy.

What You Should Know:

Your audience. Understanding your customers/audience and their buying habits and desires is key to developing an effective strategy. This will dictate how you communicate with them. Are they more likely to respond to a targeted email or an ad on social media? What does your research indicate?
Your competitors. Understanding your competition is critical. Knowing what online strategies they are using will help you determine if a similar approach could work for your business. Keep track of how your competitors market and promote themselves. It will provide you with key insights.
Market expectations. Look for emerging patterns and industry trends. Augment that information/data with research on users’ demands, and you will have a pretty good idea of what’s to come.

Information that you discover during your research phase might change or impact some of the goals you set previously. Adapt and adjust your goals accordingly.

Once you’ve set your goals and done your research, it is always important to involve your team members or stakeholders. Getting their input can enhance your overall marketing efforts, and outlining a clear and concise work load for everyone involved will help set expectations and keep everyone on track.

Define Your Message

The fourth step is to define your message.

What is your core messaging strategy and what do you want to communicate? Your message should align closely with your marketing goals. For instance, if e-commerce businesses focus on promoting seasonal offers or products. Their goal is to boost sales. But, on the other hand, a B2B advertiser is more likely to ask a user to connect with them by filling out a form or requesting more information about the business.
Keep your messaging concise and consistent. Stick with the 1-2 themes that most effectively get your message across.

Cross Channel Presence

Finally, it’s important to maintain a cross channel presence.

A solid and detailed marketing strategy coupled with multiple platforms and channels allows you to reach the right audience and get your message across more effectively. The more places they see you, the more likely they are to engage with you.
Concentrate on generating engagement and interaction among your audience while establishing several touch points.
Keep your message clear and similar across all platforms and touch points.

Once you’ve finalized and implemented your marketing strategy, be sure to leverage accurate insights and information as you go to help you achieve your campaign’s main focus. If you stick to a detailed plan and don’t get off-course, you should see an increased return on your investment.

Let us help you put together a personalized marketing strategy for your small business that is focused on your goals and utilizes the latest research, market trends and cross channels to reach your target audience. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your marketing plan and strategy for 2022, reach out to schedule a call. We look forward to hearing from you!

December 30 2021

What are you doing to get ready for the new year?

Connected TV, Content Marketing, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

What are you doing to get ready for the new year? It is time to take control of your stations and digitals, assess what worked in the previous year and shake what didn’t work. It’s time to build upon what worked and add on what can work in 22.

Socially, Digitally, and Graphically, what are the prospective trends for 22? According to socialmediaexaminer.com‘s Predictions from the Pros, here is what we can expect will be social trends in 22.

What to expect in 2022

Here is a quicklist:

1. Reels have been a factor with Instagram marketing success. Head of Instagram’s Adam Mosseri said that the platform has embraced the increased want for more entertaining video content.

2. Facebook Ads performance is more effective. Facebook has become more effective with their ad experiences. Including lead gen and messenger ads. Why is this prudent? If you take the time and effort to boost your posts, they reach more people and therefore increase engagement.

3. What’s old is new again: Longform content is Back Baby! Not 30+ minutes, but if you noticed, Reels has increased to 60 seconds and TikTok to 3 minutes. Facebook has now entered into the realm of Live audio rooms similar to Clubhouse, But unlike Clubhouse(contradicting myself), Live Audio Rooms offers the ability to support podcasting…

4. Skipping a few, People Still Trump Brands. Consumers would rather hear from YOU, an influential person about your endorsements than the brand. Keep that in mind when you are vying for that next endorsement. You are not only the voice for your brand, you are the voice for your endorsement’s brand.

Additional Insights

You can find other insights from the Pros here.

Digitally and graphically, we have ascertained that creating an emotional connection with our listeners will evoke engagement with our products and promotions is what would be the focus visually. Creating more than just one graphic for promotions, creating a campaign for your promotions, slow dripping your promotions, this will help increase engagement and evoke a sense of anticipation for your message.

Make sure you are laying the groundwork for the new year. Outline a strategy to get your brand ready for the new year. Now is a good time to create content that will resonate. Put your face and voice behind your brand. Create different types of content and A/B test to see what works, try :15, :30 and :60 videos and see what generates the most engagement.

We would love to chat about ways we can help you develop your strategy for the new year. We work from a goals first approach and develop the best strategy to achieve those goals. Contact us to learn more

December 14 2021

Digital/Terrestrial strategies for 2022

Connected TV, Content Marketing, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

DIGITAL AND TERRESTRIAL STRATEGIES FOR 2022

What steps are you taking to level up your Digital and Terrestrial strategies for 2022? We are down to weeks left in the year and as we are working towards the new year, we can start by building a solid strategy to anti up your footprint.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Set realistic goals. Take a look at your previous month’s/Year’s stats and really dig into what it took to get to where you are now and what attainable goals you can set to achieve.

Research your audience. We have a lot of tools from both terrestrial and digital that can help you dig in and find out about your audience and what makes them tick. Ask yourself: “Who is your audience and what are they interested in?”

Speak to your audience. Once you narrow down who your audience is, develop content that will interest and engage them. To learn more about how to make content work for you, read this blog: How to Create Content for The Right Audience

Establish your most important metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Are they pageviews? Engagements, maybe TSL? Analyze what content is working and do more of it. You may find that Digital/Terrestrial strategies overlap and work together.

Be Malleable. What do you do when a campaign isn’t performing? You change it. The great thing about digital is that it allows you to change your strategy. If this doesn’t work, maybe this will. Always assess your strategies and improve where they are lacking.

Sprout Social has a great write-up on Building your social media strategy for 2022. These tips can work for both Digital and your Terrestrial strategies.

Let’s continue the conversation on building your 2022 strategy and setting your goals. If you would like to talk about this and other strategies, please feel free to reach out at any time.

November 12 2021

8 Call-to-Action (CTA) Tips

Connected TV, Content Marketing, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

8 Call-to-Action (CTA) Tips That Will Increase Engagement and Conversions

Follow these 8 call-to-action (CTA) tips to build better ads that will encourage the user to engage with your ad. You’ve put in a lot of effort to create an ad, but now you have to make sure it will help you achieve your business goals. If you are looking to build brand awareness, drive website visits or increase sales, the CTA in your ads is an important first step.

1. Design Matters. Design your ad so that it’s easy for the user to follow, and so that key selling points and CTA’s are in just the right place. The most effective design layout is called the “Z Pattern.” Following this pattern, your most important information should be placed in the top left corner, followed by the top right, then center, then bottom left, and finally bottom right. The arrows in the diagram below represent how the viewers eyes are most likely to read your ad.

2. Minimize the Risk. Make Them Feel Safe. Usually, clicking a CTA requires something of the user; a form fill or credit card in most cases. Reinforcing your CTA with valid business reasons makes people less likely to second guess you or question the offer. As a result, you are more likely to garner the clicks you are looking for.

3. Instant Gratification. As humans, we desire instant results/gratification. Use the psychology of instant gratification to appeal to those who are looking for quick solutions. For instance, the ad below offers a chance for the user to see how the product works on their own site! Talk about instant feedback!

4. Avoid Friction Words. Examples of “friction words” include, “Sign Up,” “Submit,” “Invest,” “Get Started,” and others like these. Usually, these words signal more time and effort is needed from the user. Cut to the chase and get user directly to your offer without the notion of added time or energy.

5. Provide Proof. The best proof is social proof. The ability to show that many other people similar to them trust your content. Surround your Call to Action with “social proof” or other compelling testimonial that assures the user they won’t regret taking the next step.

6. Speak in the First Person. Try using “Me” or “My” instead of “You” or “Your.” This feels more personal and consequently leads to better engagement.

7. People Don’t Like Being Told What to Do. Instead of “Act now! Seats are Limited!” try a more ambiguous approach because people do not want to feel pressure. “Reserve Your Seat Today,” is less aggressive and still implies that it could be gone tomorrow.

8. Get Something Now. Similar to instant gratification, CTA’s that call to impulse buyers work great for ads. Use the “Get Something Now” approach to engage impulse buyers. “Get Free Brochure Today!” “Get Website Audit Now!” Simplify it even more if you can. For example, “Download Now.”

To learn more about how Alpha Media can help your ad performance and help you reach your goals, contact us.

October 11 2021

The Impact Of Technology On Recruitment

Connected TV, Content Marketing, Digital, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, Mobile, OTT, SEM, SEO, Social Media, Strategy

The Biggest Change: Reliance On Technology In The Workplace And Recruitment

It’s time we embraced that maybe this is the new normal. As we all maneuver through these unprecedented times, we will need to make adjustments. We should channel objectives, strategies and budgets to fit this new rulebook of social etiquette. What impact does technology have on recruitment? There’s no ignoring the biggest landscape change that’s affected every industry. The reliance on technology in the workplace and recruitment. Changing age old practices that have seemed immortal to decades of social evolution, such as, Job Fairs.

Hence, the emergence of Virtual Job Fairs.

What can consumers experience at a Virtual Job Fair?

Virtual Job fairs allow job seekers and firms to network online from the comfort of their own home. Because consumers may attend online panel discussions. And they will be able to read and listen to testimonials from current employers and employees. And even attend virtual tours, they will have a full, immersive online experience.

Experts believe as much as 80 percent of recruiting will remain virtual for the foreseeable future. This is especially true in the initial stages of prospecting and interviewing.

Benefits of a Virtual Job Fair

Minimize Contact
Are more affordable
Are not limited to an area or a room
Caste a wider net into the talent pool
Make it easy to consolidate data between employers and employees
Can target the right candidates with digital advertising solutions

The most obvious benefit to Virtual Job Fairs is budget maximization. You can focus your budget on engaging the right digital strategies to reach the audience. And less on creating a specific environment. Implicitly, that drives more access and opportunity to useful data.

Data that can provide insight such as:

What do candidates feel about your company?
Are your strategies attracting the candidates you want?
What industries are in demand for recruitment?
The interests and lifestyles of candidates attending the Job Fair.

All of which is data that can be recycled into growing the efficiency of your online recruitment strategy. Strategies such as Streaming Television (OTT), Streaming Audio, Social Media Platforms, Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Websites + Listing Site Management, Targeted Display, Email Marketing and so much more!

Digital Strategies is a numbers game after all. More, in most cases, really is more. With SEO and Targeted Display, engaging more companies and partners to be a part of your initiative only returns more useful data. It will also enhance the experience of your “fair-goers” as they will encounter more like-minded individuals. This will give more merit to your event, and convert into return attendees.

Despite all the pros of Virtual Job Fairs, candidates and employers alike still want the feeling of a personal encounter. Whether it’s getting a feel for the candidate or for candidates to gauge if a company’s culture fits them. So don’t forget to engage your attendees in post-event content like, upcoming virtual company events or video content to get them excited to come aboard.

Recruitment is our expertise. If you would like to chat about how to reach your recruitment goals, please reach out!

Email Marketing

They break things down as follows:

Additional insights from the downloadable eBook:

From 2010-2015, the average human attention span has shrunk by a third from 12 seconds to 8.25 seconds!

Focus, easier said than done!

Why does this mean for marketers?

Why is focus so important?

The algorithm filters stories based on three things.

Who:

Type:

Interactions:

Top 10 links on Facebook – Junk and Spam

Keys to Setting Goals:

The first step to creating a solid, personalized marketing strategy is to identify and set your goals.

Research

Next, do your research. Take the time to thoroughly research your competition, market trends, target audiences, and other insights. The insights you research now will help you personalize your marketing strategy.

Define Your Message

The fourth step is to define your message.

Cross Channel Presence

Finally, it’s important to maintain a cross channel presence.

What to expect in 2022

Here is a quicklist:

Additional Insights

You can find other insights from the Pros here.

DIGITAL AND TERRESTRIAL STRATEGIES FOR 2022

Here are some tips to get you started.

8 Call-to-Action (CTA) Tips That Will Increase Engagement and Conversions

5. Provide Proof. The best proof is social proof. The ability to show that many other people similar to them trust your content. Surround your Call to Action with “social proof” or other compelling testimonial that assures the user they won’t regret taking the next step.

6. Speak in the First Person. Try using “Me” or “My” instead of “You” or “Your.” This feels more personal and consequently leads to better engagement.

7. People Don’t Like Being Told What to Do. Instead of “Act now! Seats are Limited!” try a more ambiguous approach because people do not want to feel pressure. “Reserve Your Seat Today,” is less aggressive and still implies that it could be gone tomorrow.

The Biggest Change: Reliance On Technology In The Workplace And Recruitment

What can consumers experience at a Virtual Job Fair?

Benefits of a Virtual Job Fair

Data that can provide insight such as: