There's a common misconception that branding is just about crafting a visually appealing logo or an engaging website. However, that's just scratching the surface. Branding is an art form, a strategic symphony of actions and decisions that set the stage for how your business is perceived. It's about weaving authenticity into every thread of your company's narrative and aligning it with the values and needs of your customers. Your brand strategy is extremely important, even for startups. Let’s explore the truths of branding that go beyond the aesthetics, embodying the essence of what truly makes a brand resonate with its audience.
Key Point: Mastery is magnetic. Focus on one core product, service, or value proposition, and execute it with excellence. It's about becoming synonymous with that one thing your brand does better than anyone else.
In the realm of branding, the power of specialization cannot be overstressed. At Redbear, we advocate for the philosophy of "Doing One Thing Exceptionally Well." This approach is about identifying your brand's cornerstone—the singular product, service, or idea that you can deliver better than anyone else—and channeling all your energy and resources into perfecting it. It's about achieving such a high level of expertise and recognition in your niche that your brand becomes the default choice for that particular offering.
This mastery creates a magnetic pull that not only attracts customers but also fosters deep loyalty and advocacy. When a brand is exceptionally good at one thing, it sends a clear, compelling message that cuts through the din of a crowded marketplace. It's a strategy that turns businesses into benchmarks within their industries, ensuring that when consumers think of excellence in a particular area, they think of one brand—yours.
Key Point: Your brand is a promise, and consistency is how you keep it. Consistency across all platforms, from visual elements to tone of voice, reinforces your brand's identity and builds trust.
Consistency is the heartbeat of branding. At Redbear, we understand that branding is an ever-evolving process, not a static set of visuals or a one-time event. It’s about making a commitment to your brand’s identity and ensuring that every aspect of your business—every product, every interaction, every message—echoes the same core values and promises. This relentless dedication to uniformity is what builds recognition and trust over time.
Your brand is like a story unfolding across various chapters: your website, social media, customer service, and even your internal culture. If any chapter strays from the narrative, it can confuse your audience and erode trust. But when all chapters align, they create a powerful, cohesive story that resonates deeply with your audience. In branding, consistency isn’t just about repetition; it’s about creating a reliable and familiar presence that customers can always count on, which in turn, cements your place in the market.
Key Point: Every visual must be a deliberate strand in the larger web of your brand strategy. They should not only capture attention but also encapsulate your brand’s values and strategic goals.
Branding transcends mere aesthetics; it is the strategic framework upon which visuals are hung. At Redbear, we assert that "Visuals Can't Work Without Strategy." A visual devoid of strategy is akin to a rudderless ship—it may be afloat but lacks direction. Visuals must be the embodiment of your brand's strategy, a visual handshake that introduces and reaffirms your brand's core values and purpose at every encounter.
When visuals are crafted with strategy at their core, they become powerful conduits of your brand's narrative, capable of capturing the essence of your message and conveying it even without words. They are the signposts that guide your audience through your brand’s journey, ensuring each visual touchpoint is not just seen but felt and remembered. A strategic approach to visuals ensures that your brand is not just recognized but also understood and embraced, creating an emotional imprint in the minds of your audience.
Key Point: Clarity is persuasive. Position your brand with a message that cuts through the noise and directly speaks to the hearts and minds of your target audience.
In the nuanced world of branding, clarity in messaging and positioning is non-negotiable. Redbear stands by the axiom that "Having a Clear Message + Positioning" is foundational for a brand's resonance and recall. This clarity carves out a unique space for your brand in the consumer's mind, distinguishing it from competitors with laser precision. It's about articulating not just what you sell, but why it matters, in a language that is both accessible and engaging to your target audience.
The messaging must be clear enough to be understood at a glance, yet profound enough to motivate and inspire. This involves boiling down your brand's essence to its most potent form, ensuring that every word and image conveys your unique value proposition and brand promise. Positioning, therefore, becomes a strategic activity, a deliberate placement of your brand in a market segment or within a consumer's psyche. It’s about owning a concept or a feeling in the market—ensuring that when someone needs what you offer, your brand is the first that comes to mind.
Key Point: Authenticity cannot be faked. Your brand should be an honest reflection of your values and mission, inviting customers to engage with something real.
Embracing authenticity is paramount in today's branding landscape. Authenticity in branding isn't a tactic but a truth; it's about aligning your brand's actions, voice, and image with its true ethos and values. An authentic brand doesn't mirror what it thinks consumers want to see; instead, it reflects the brand’s genuine character and convictions, creating a transparent and honest dialogue with its audience.
This authenticity breeds a unique type of loyalty, where customers feel a deep, personal connection to the brand, as if it's a trusted friend rather than a faceless entity. It goes beyond transactions and into the realm of relationships. By being authentic, a brand invites its audience to engage with its story and become part of its journey. In a marketplace saturated with pretense and promotion, a brand that dares to be real stands out. It is not only seen but also valued and remembered for its integrity and genuineness.
Key Point: Every touchpoint with your customers should be intentional, adding to the narrative you are weaving. Nothing about your brand is incidental.
At Redbear, we believe in the profound impact of purposeful action, encapsulated in our credo: "Being Intentional About Everything." This speaks to the deliberate choices that define and differentiate a brand. Every decision, every communication, every product must be a conscious stride towards fulfilling the brand's mission and vision. Intentionality in branding means each element, from customer service scripts to packaging, is meticulously crafted to contribute to a cohesive brand experience. A Redbear, every piece of content created for our clients has an intention. We examine who the content is talking to and where they are in the funnel. A message to someone who never heard of you must be different than a message to someone he may have issues with your brand.
This strategic intentionality ensures that every facet of the brand is a thread that weaves into a larger, purpose-driven narrative. When a brand is intentional, it moves with clarity and focus, turning each point of engagement into an opportunity to reinforce its values and deepen its relationship with customers. Being intentional means that nothing is left to chance; every aspect is a chance to underline the brand's commitment to its promises. It is through this lens of intention that a brand can craft a narrative that not only resonates with its audience but also stands the test of time.
Key Point: Branding is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes resilience to build a brand and patience to see the cumulative effects of your efforts.
In the dynamic and often tumultuous landscape of branding. Branding is not a sprint; it's a marathon, demanding not just creativity but also resilience and endurance. The path to establishing a solid brand is paved with challenges that test conviction and the willingness to persevere through market shifts, trends, and feedback.
Grit is the tenacity to keep pushing boundaries, refining, and improving, even when the results aren't immediate. It's about being unwavering in your vision and steadfast in the face of setbacks. Patience, its indispensable companion, is about understanding the rhythm of growth, recognizing that the most robust brand presence is built over time through consistent effort and engagement. It's about playing the long game, investing in the slow and steady accumulation of brand value. These virtues ensure that a brand can not only survive the inevitable ebbs and flows of business but also emerge with a narrative of depth, resilience, and substance.
Key Point: It's not just about reaching people; it's about reaching the right people with the right message at the right time. Optimization ensures that every marketing dollar contributes to your brand story.
Optimization is the sharpshooter in the arsenal of branding strategies. It's not just about blanket coverage or casting wide nets—it's about precision and adaptability. Effective optimization means understanding and implementing data-driven decisions to ensure that every marketing effort is not just reaching an audience but the right audience at the right time and in the proper context.
This strategic optimization goes beyond mere analysis; it's about actively listening to the market and responding in real-time, tweaking campaigns for maximum relevance and impact. It's about resource allocation, ensuring that every dollar spent is an investment towards achieving specific and measurable goals. By continuously refining your approach based on performance metrics, customer feedback, and evolving market trends, you can create balanced marketing campaigns that resonate deeply and drive meaningful engagement. In essence, optimizing your marketing efforts is about making each brand interaction count, building a narrative that is both compelling and conversion-focused.
Key Point: Stand for something. Brands that take a stand are memorable, and while not everyone will agree, a strong brand attracts the right audience and fosters loyalty.
At Redbear, we advocate for a bold approach in branding, encapsulated in the philosophy of "Not Being Afraid of Being Judged." This principle is a call to embrace the uniqueness of your brand, to stand out, and to stand for something, even if it means facing criticism or judgment. The fear of judgment often leads brands to play it safe, but true brand differentiation lies in taking calculated risks and expressing a distinct point of view.
This courage to be judged is not about recklessness; it's about being true to your brand's values and mission, even when it challenges conventional norms. It's about having a voice that resonates with authenticity, and not just echoing what everyone else is saying. Brands that take a stand, that dare to be different, are the ones that leave a lasting impression. They create a strong emotional connection with their audience, foster loyalty, and often inspire advocacy. In a landscape cluttered with uniformity, the brands that dare to be different, to be themselves unabashedly, are the ones that truly stand out.
Key Point: When your brand focuses on making a difference and adding value, financial success often follows. Impact creates meaningful connections that transcend transactions.
We believe that when a brand prioritizes making a meaningful impact, financial success often naturally follows. This principle is about shifting focus from short-term monetary gains to creating long-lasting, positive change through your products, services, and brand presence. It's about understanding that the true value of a brand is measured not just in revenue, but in the difference it makes in the lives of its customers and the broader community.
When a brand commits to making an impact, it resonates on a deeper level with its audience. Customers today seek more than just transactions; they seek connections with brands that share their values and contribute to the greater good. By aligning your brand with a purpose beyond profit, you create a compelling narrative that attracts and retains a loyal customer base. This approach not only builds a strong, trust-based relationship with your audience but often leads to sustainable business growth as a byproduct of genuine, impact-driven actions.
Key Point: Your brand's offerings should fill a genuine need in the market, solving a real problem or enhancing your customers' lives in a meaningful way.
"Having an Offer People Need" is a fundamental principle at Redbear, highlighting the importance of aligning your brand's offerings with the genuine needs of your market. In a landscape saturated with options, the key to standing out is not just in offering something unique, but something that fulfills a real, often unmet, need in your audience’s lives. This approach shifts the focus from selling a product or service to solving a problem or enhancing the quality of life for your customers.
Understanding and responding to the needs of your market means engaging in continuous dialogue with your audience, gathering insights, and adapting your offerings to meet their evolving challenges and desires. It's about empathy and innovation – seeing the world through your customers' eyes and responding with solutions that make a tangible difference. When your brand becomes synonymous with a solution to a pressing need, it not only establishes market relevance but also builds a loyal customer base that sees your brand as an indispensable part of their lives.
Key Point: The best brands are customer-centric. Understand and anticipate your customers' needs, and let that knowledge drive every decision you make.
Branding is a complex, ongoing journey that involves much more than a logo on a webpage. It's a comprehensive, living process that requires attention, intention, and connection. Dive deep into these principles and watch your brand not just grow, but thrive.
We believe in "Putting Customers' Needs First" and recognize it as the cornerstone of effective branding. This approach is about transcending the traditional seller-buyer relationship and fostering a more profound connection based on understanding, empathy, and responsiveness to the needs and aspirations of your customers. It's a commitment to not just meet but exceed customer expectations, to delight and surprise them at every touchpoint.
Putting customers' needs first means actively listening to their feedback, anticipating their desires, and continually adapting your products, services, and experiences to align with their evolving preferences. It's about creating a customer-centric culture within your organization, where every decision and action is guided by the question: "How does this benefit our customers?" This approach not only earns customer loyalty and trust but also turns customers into brand advocates. When a brand consistently puts its customers' needs at the forefront, it builds a reputation for reliability and excellence, securing its place as a leader in the hearts and minds of its audience.
Branding is an intricate tapestry woven from various threads – mastery, consistency, strategic visual design, clear messaging, authenticity, intentionality, resilience, optimized marketing, courage, impact-focused philosophy, responsiveness to needs, and a customer-centric approach. At Redbear, we understand that successful branding is more than just surface-level aesthetics; it's about crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience at every level.
If your business is ready to dive deeper into the world of impactful branding, to explore the rich landscape beyond logos and websites, we invite you to reach out to us at Redbear. Our team is dedicated to helping brands find their unique voice, carve out their niche, and connect with their audience in meaningful ways. Whether you're starting a new venture or looking to rejuvenate your existing brand, Redbear is here to guide you through every step of this exciting journey. Let's work together to uncover the true potential of your brand and transform the way the world sees you. Contact us today to start a conversation about elevating your brand to new heights.
Updated: Jan 21, 2024
Let's start with the bottom line.
" Shoppers are twice as likely to make a purchase after viewing something like a product video than they are without it." Learn more here.
That's worth repeating -- twice as likely. What would it mean to your digital marketing if you could double the number of shoppers who actually make a purchase? If we've learned anything about SEO or search engine optimization in the last few years-- it's this: You absolutely must keep up with emerging trends based on shifting consumer behavior.
Gone are the days when you could count on reaching your prospects with the same mix in your digital marketing strategy year after year. Things change faster than we expect them to when it comes to the consumption of content. In this article, we've prepared some of the main reasons you might want to take a good hard look at adding video to your mix, even if you turned it down last year.
Every day Google revises its ranking algorithms based on over 200 factors. Two of the main goal drivers are improving user experience and ensuring they can serve up more relevant information for queries.
In plain English, this means Google is constantly moving the goalposts to better reach consumers. To achieve your business goals, you must keep these shifting goalposts in your crosshairs to avoid wasting your marketing dollars.
Based on findings that in 2024, video will add up to over 80% of all web traffic, Google has already boosted the number of video carousels displayed in results pages by over 30%. This result will likely go higher in the coming months. That's how important video content is to Google.
How long will it take you to catch up?
SEO is a brutal game of tweaks and adjustments. It can take forever to gain a little ground on a competitor, only to lose it again when they get the jump on you next time. These hard-fought incremental gains and losses have been compared to WWI trench warfare.
So don't settle for the usual back and forth you get by doing the same thing you tend to do. Familiar tactics may indeed appear less risky and less complicated than video content because you've done them before. Still, video is compelling, and it can provide a breakthrough in the marketing battle.
How much will it cost you to test it? How much might it cost you if you don't?
As you take a second look at your plan for 2024, rest assured that the tried and true will work. The question is, can it work harder when rounded out with video? The pandemic spiked the increase in video demand by users, and there's no sign this trend will slow down. Adding video to your mix will provide a deeper level of engagement as you serve up more of what people want.
Did we mention, "Shoppers are twice as likely to make a purchase after viewing a product video than they are without it?"
Dwell time on your site is closely scrutinized by search engines. If you get a decent number of people to your site, but they don't stay long, you can get dinged for that.
Here's a big surprise – your average person will more likely watch a video than they are to read, even a riveting blog post or a beautifully written paragraph or two describing your product or service. It's just a fact, search engine results that include a video are more attractive. Moreover, when it comes to your site, video significantly improves your bounce rate, which means search engines zoom you higher in their rankings.
Don't be that guy. You know, the guy that is always sharing some long-winded article about something you're too bored to read through to the end? How many times do you pass on an article on your social media?
Now, how many times have you linked to a video? Earning referral traffic makes a difference with Google, even though they won't spell it out for you by publishing their own secret algorithm architecture.
The use of streaming content is rising like a tidal wave. We know this by the increasing number of cord-cutters out there. Along with this growth comes an enormous opportunity to reach your consumer through video advertising. Studies show more and more consumers are accepting video advertising as a way to get their content free.
Here are some undeniable facts.
'nuff said.
The right kind of video can communicate more about your brand than pages and pages on your site. Videos tell stories, stir powerful emotion, change minds and provoke action. On the other end of the spectrum, nothing can simplify and explain a detailed message like a how-to video about your product or service. YouTube is a perfect example of how videos can explain, entertain and engage.
Here are some tips for your videos.
TikTok, whether you like it or not is taking over. Among Gen Z content consumers, the platform ranks #1 for media consumption per minute. Google ranks 5th. TikTokers consume 167,000,000 minutes of content per month. Facebook live comes in a distant second at 44,000,000.
Ask your marketing team what they are doing to grab these eyeballs. Remember, in the world of TikTok, lo-fi beats highly produced corporate content, and authenticity is key if you want to be watched.
4Updated Sept 20, 2022
Like many other marketers, you're probably putting a lot of emphasis on social networks, search engines, and other avenues to reach your prospects. But despite all the buzz about modern digital marketing strategies, it's imperative to ensure that you aren't overlooking one of the oldest and yet most effective marketing channels – email marketing.
There's a common misconception that email marketing isn't as effective as it used to be. Some marketers believe that today's email recipients ignore their messages more often than they open them. And that makes sense, considering there are lots of spam and low-value content popping up in people's emails, but this is not completely true.
Email marketing has, is, and will continue to be an effective digital marketing tool. In fact, email ranks third as the most influential information source for B2B audience, coming only after niche-specific experts and colleague recommendations. That said, if you haven't been using email marketing as part of your overall digital marketing strategies, it's time to start.
According to a Statista report, the total number of global email users was 3.9 billion in 2019, and projections show it will rise to 4.48 billion users in 2024. It further shows that about 281 billion emails were sent and received globally every other day in 2018 and that the number will increase to more than 347 billion daily emails in 2023.
These numbers alone should help you make an informed decision regarding the use of email marketing for advertising. That's particularly accurate if your primary goal is to expand your reach to a larger buying market. But if you'd wish to learn more about what email marketing can do for your advertising, we’ve got you covered.
Email marketing involves the use of emails to communicate a relevant message to your target audience. It is more or less similar to direct mail, but more accurate in its targeting. Also, you send your message electronically instead of through the postal service. Email marketing can include promotions of deals and sales for subscribers or email newsletters with updates on your business. The emails may also share general information on behalf of the company in the event of a scandal or natural disaster and so on.
A successful campaign will get the recipient to take the desired action – whether it's to buy, subscribe, or help you get more sales and leads. But you'll need to do some prep work if your campaign is to be effective. Here’s how to create a successful email marketing campaign
Email marketing tactics are one of the most effective ways of communicating with your prospects and customers alike about a product or service. When done correctly, it can help you capture attention, boost sales and maximize profits. Here's how email marketing work for advertising.
In business, timing is everything. If you can deliver your message and have your target audience open in real-time, then that's a big win. The good thing about a marketing plan in which you advertise your solutions through email is that you'll have an opportunity to reach more prospects in real-time. A Litmus analysis of emails found that 56% of emails get read on iPhone and Gmail. Today's clients read messages through their mobile devices. In fact, sites like The It Girl Guide claim they have almost 95% of their views from mobile devices. So it is probable that clients are likely to see your ad even on the go. Just try to avoid long paragraphs and large image files. Also, try emphasizing urgency with time-sensitive deals to discourage users from using functions like snooze and so on.
More than 90% of consumers use email. This is another great motivation to start using email marketing for advertising. Email marketing gives you an incredible opportunity to tap into this diverse market. With your prospect's email address at hand, you can send out special promotions, discounts, and other ads to get them to buy.
A nationwide survey by Fluent looked into millennials' interactions with different online media platforms and how they influenced their buying decision. The findings revealed that digital advertising mediums had the same levels of influence on their purchase. However, promotional emails edged out other digital mediums. 68% of millennials said it occasionally influenced their buying decisions. Social media platforms and ads on websites/news had 63%, while promotional text messages had 56%.
Promotional emails do a great job appealing to millennials to take action. The survey revealed that these emails were 10% more effective at convincing millennials to buy than the older generations. So, a highly customized email could yield even better results.
There are many tools designed to measure and analyze email performance. So, when you send out advertising emails, you can easily monitor delivery rates, bounce rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and open rates. With this information, you'll know the effectiveness of your ads, as well as where to adjust or do an overhaul.
Email continues to deliver a strong ROI. According to DMA, 2019, you can expect an ROI of $42 for every $1 you spend on email marketing. On top of that, email advertising allows you to reach a large customer base at a lower cost. So, think of it as a cost-effective way to advertise your solution.
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Redbear knows how important good design is. We take pride in every image or video that has our client's name on it.
Like it or not, there are already over 50 million Americans who have become Cord-Cutters/Cord-Trimmers and Cord-Nevers. In varying degrees, they have said "No" to cable or satellite companies, and this will most probably affect your digital marketing and that of your competitors as well. This article will dig deeper into what's going on in the marketplace, how this relatively new consumer behavior is growing in popularity, and what implications this can have on your marketing strategy.
Cord-cutting was relatively rare among the average American consumer only a handful of years ago. Today, some analysts describe the growing trend of cord-cutters as dismantling the cable tv industry. But, if recent history has taught us anything about digital consumption, today's 50 million cord-cutters will soon double and triple faster than our ability to accommodate the implications.
Cord-Cutters and the less common moniker -- Cord-Trimmers, have pared down or completely severed their tv content relationship with their cable or satellite provider. Specifically, Cord-Cutters, as the name suggests, no longer pay their cable company for tv content. However, some may still receive their internet access and telephone landline from their cable company.
On the other hand, Cord-trimmers usually purchase the bare minimum of tv content from their cable company. There may be several reasons for this, not least of which may be a "bundled price offer" made by their cable provider. In this way, some cable providers "force" a minimum purchase of cable tv so that consumers qualify for a more reasonable price on the internet service they want.
Cord-Trimmers in this category may consume all of their tv content by streaming it through providers like Apple TV, even though their contracts identify them as cable tv buyers. This means the number of streaming-only-group might be even more significant than we realize.
Cord Nevers are entirely different. These people have never received their television content from a cable company, and today they represent approximately 31 million people. They consume a considerable amount of content through streaming.
Cord-Nevers tend to be younger. 90% of Americans aged 25 to 34 use a digital streaming service and are not interested in traditional long-term contracts for their tv viewing. They are most likely to be Youtube watchers, mobile-oriented, and active in social media. There are regional differences for these groups across the country, and generally, these differences follow well-known tech adoption trends.
Cord-Cutters and Trimmers a skew a little older to 49. As this trend becomes more popular, the age segment stretches a little older. As the idea spreads, more and more older people are joining in.
These people are digitally savvy and consume a significant amount of content. Binge-watching their favorite shows is common among this segment.
Saving money: "Do you want fries with that?" is an all-too-common pricing practice among cable and satellite providers. What begins as a reasonably priced introductory offer quickly balloons into exorbitant fees piled up as high as a car payment. Each new "add-on" helps providers nickel and dime their way to emptying your wallet.
Depending on the streaming service, the fee to watch the same amount of content is only a fraction of what it would be for a traditional provider. For example, Apple TV starts at only $4.99 a month. Netflix basic is only $9.99 a month. Hulu is $11.99 a month.
Multi-way streaming: Multiple people in the same household can watch their favorite programs and films using a wide variety of smart devices. No more squabbles about whose turn it is to watch their favorite movie. Everyone gets to watch what they want on their own device. Some serial tv programs can be downloaded ahead of time and then watched on a plane whenever or wherever they like – even when unable to connect to wifi.
Wide variety of services: Cord-Cutters and Cord-Nevers can enjoy a growing number of ideal replacements for a traditional broadcast tv program. Instead, they can cherry-pick their very own mélange of content through services like Hulu, Disney, and Netflix.
Keep your local favorites: It's difficult to estimate how many people still haven't "cut the cord" because they don't want to miss out on local news and live sports. However, they may not yet be aware that some services like Hulu + LiveTV enable you to continue watching these and cutting the cord.
Review additional marketing research here.
Even if you and your competitors don't currently participate in media buys that involve broadcast tv, everything is changing so fast the time might be ripe for you to start planning on taking advantage of all the changes. New, cost-effective video marketing strategies are made possible because of highly-targeted campaigns that wouldn't have been possible with traditional broadcast tv buys.
You don't need a whole broadcast network media-buy to get the word out about your product or service. Content marketing populated with your own customer testimonials and video ads can work wonders for you on Youtube.
Video views are video views, and they're sometimes even more effective when you can pinpoint them to a very specific target. OTT (Over The Top) refers to streaming content to customers directly over the web. Online videos you may already have and/or new short videos featuring your product or service can easily be added to this content.
CTV (Connected TV) refers to any screen connected to a streaming service. This includes gaming consoles and smart tv.
- Highly targeted, precise audiences eliminate the waste of your message going to the wrong people
- Rapidly growing market of young consumers who are cord-cutting from which you can mine your prospects
- Extraordinary measurability. For example, you can measure impressions by daypart, device, date, and day of the week.
Do you have a solid and effective marketing strategy that includes cord-cutters?
First things first – what is the metaverse?
The easiest way to define it for yourself is to mentally replace the word “metaverse” in a sentence with the word “cyberspace”. For most if not all intents and purposes, these two terms are interchangeable. From a lay person’s perspective, metaverse does not refer to any specific technology or any specific activity. Rather, metaverse refers to a very broad mix that is accessed by internet users, who are your customers.
“At a conceptual level, the metaverse can be thought of as the successor-state to today’s internet – just as today’s predominantly mobile internet was built on top of fixed broadband internet of the 1990s and early 2000s,” according to Mathew Ball’s Metaverse Fund.
Some of the technologies and activities in the metaverse include VR experiences or virtual worlds that exist even when you are not directly engaged with them. Metaverse creates opportunities to combine elements of the physical and virtual world through augmented reality. Some additional examples of the metaverse can be found here. Most if not all aspects can be accessed through just about anything that gives you internet access: desktops, laptops, game consoles, smartphones, and mobile devices.
The metaverse creates an opportunity for users to compose, trade, sell and buy goods within a digital media marketplace. This means you and your customers. The quicker you can make an impact in this new marketplace the more successful you can be.
Your competition may already be doing their marketing research to gather information and get ahead of you. This is crucially important because whether or not your marketing mix includes the metaverse, both your existing and your potential customers are already accessing portions of it. It will take a lot more time and money to overcome the advantage of being first. Why not let your competition play catch-up?
“Every brand and company will need a metaverse strategy,” Cathy Hackl, chief metaverse officer and CEO of metaverse-focused consulting agency Futures Intelligence Group, tells The Current.
If Nascar can do it, so can you
You can’t get more middle America than stock car racing. This multi-billion-dollar industry is not for some fringe, elite internet nerds. Nick Rend, managing director, gaming and esports at NASCAR, calls the brand’s new Roblox partnership “critical” to the brand’s long-term success in reaching new consumers, especially those who will grow up knowing NASCAR. “The community makes this platform incredible, and it is essential for us to show up authentically.”
Rend doubles down on the metaverse in one of his posts, “We are also aware the brand impact and engagement KPIs aren’t necessarily driven by traditional licensing models” VR marketing is definitely a priority. Rend believes when it comes to digital channels, “growth comes from how users/customers interact with, interpret, and incorporate your brand as part of their virtual escapades.”
The reason is simple – geometric growth of home media consumption. According to Nielsen, the pandemic has fueled tremendous growth in home media consumption and opportunities for brand awareness. Here’s one example, the time we spent streaming video in the second quarter of 2020 went up 75% compared to the same period in 2019 – 142.5 billion minutes weekly vs. 81.7 billion minutes weekly. This is a heck of a lot of user interaction that your traditional marketing including some online marketing may be missing out on.
No matter how you define marketing, you have more to coordinate than ever before. VR marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and traditional marketing methods need to be prioritized and coordinated without necessarily adding zeros to your budget.
With all the added complexity, SEO might be your skeleton key to unlocking the potential for what’s coming and you might be halfway there already. If in the recent past, you had to figure out how to “get found” on search engines like Google, Youtube, and Bing, then you can apply some of the same learning for how to “get found” in the metaverse.
You remember? Three easy steps: content, content, and more content. In fact, the good news is that good quality content is really a driving force and today that means making sure your content is more visually oriented.
As you already know, interesting images make your content work harder. And believe or not, search engines like Google are figuring out exactly the impact of these visuals. The metaverse is a visually rich environment and focusing on images for your content puts you ahead of the game. Search out ways you can add virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D experiences to your current content strategy and you’ll be well on the way to a real metaverse strategy of your own.
Let’s face it, there is a dizzying amount of change you’re already dealing with. Less than a generation ago, a comprehensive marketing strategy may have involved half a dozen methods to choose from and they were all from just one category – traditional marketing.
Today, the number of methods, tactics, and strategies to choose from is overwhelming. And then to make things even more challenging, add to this the metaverse. Under this kind of pressure, you might be experiencing the tyranny of choice.
It’s the equivalent of freeze, flight, or fight in the animal world. Take a quick look at the list below to see if one of these less-than-optimal strategies is creeping into your plans.
The tell-tale signs: When it’s too difficult to evaluate different options on their own merits, just hire the cheapest vendor and haggle the price down constantly.
The illusion: Who can argue with getting the lowest price? If it’s too hard for you to figure out how to make your marketing work better this year over last year, it feels good to know at the very least, you can do it for less.
The reality: Try that for a couple of years and see where how far behind the rest of the world has left you.
The tell-tale signs: When you declare out loud, “I don’t care about what new thing is coming. We’re doing fine.”
The illusion: Avoiding the risk of the unknown feels like a responsible choice. Why spend money on a test and learn approach to new opportunities when you’re just going to end up wasting part of the money? No one knows for sure what’s coming in the metaverse. Why take the risk?
The reality: Your existing customers and your potential customers are already neck-deep into it. Can you afford to wait?
The tell-tale signs: Increasing your allocations to safer, more predictable choices.
The illusion: Who can argue with adding more to your moneymaker? As is often said in corporate America – “No one gets fired for doing the same thing as last year.”
The reality: New approaches are a necessary evil. The rules of the game often change underneath our feet with existing elements of the marketing mix.
It could be Google messing with its algorithms. It could be a new competitor blindsiding you with a product or service you didn’t expect. It could be a pandemic completely changing consumer behavior. Whatever it is, you should be prepared for these types of unexpected market shifts.
Wow, that’s great, my business gets a whole month to make our numbers instead of just one day?! Nope. Nice try. Not a chance. Cyber Monday turning into Cyber Month doesn’t mean you have enough time to kick back and relax. According to Taylor Schreiner of Adobe Digital Insights, “With 21 Days in November driving over $3 billion in spend, what we know as Cyber Week is starting to look more like Cyber Month”. In plain English, we all need to have our marketing working hard for a longer period to stay even with last year.
First the good news. Even though YoY sales for Black Friday and Thanksgiving Day are down from last year, the data shows over a longer period, consumer spending will be up 10% for the holiday season 2021. It’s just going to take us longer and we can’t take our foot off the gas pedal.
It’s still too early to see the entire picture as to why sales are slower this year. There are many unknowns. However, what we do know is that we’re facing new and not completely understood consumer behaviors. The supply chain is not yet back to normal. Labor shortages are still an issue. And, the longer these two factors persist, the more long-term complications are going to crop up. Inventory shortages are still with us. Consumers can’t be expected to just grin and bear it indefinitely when they see items out of stock.
Cyber Monday is still the most popular period for consumers to shop online. In fact, during prime time 8 pm to 9 pm P.T., here in the United States, consumers bought $12million online every 60 seconds while searching for Cyber Monday deals. In spite of this, two years of dealing with a pandemic have created a certain amount of frustration and chaos in the marketplace. Out of this, consumers no longer concentrated their purchase activities during Cyber Monday 2021. What we’re counting on this year, is that consumers increase their holiday shopping over an extended period of time beyond Cyber Monday Sales.
Be careful not to bore your audience. Even the most brilliant idea will become annoying if it’s used on everything you do and it’s the same every time someone sees it. We’ve all experienced it during our consumption of media. It’s a tight rope all brands need to walk. Stay in front of your consumer as much as possible but don’t wear out your welcome. Brand fatigue is a real problem and the way to avoid it is to keep your work fresh and interesting even if it’s the same message for your product or service.
There are 4ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. These are recognized as the pillars of a competent marketing strategy and they’ve been around for over 60 years. Even so, don’t let their familiarity lull you into complacency. Today, more than ever, successful marketers apply rigorous discipline in keeping their 4Ps relevant as things develop. For example, there was a time when Price and Place could be counted on to hardly change year to year. Now, it’s imperative to stay ahead of shifting trends in Price and Place with consistent investment in marketing research.
Even the most loved brand values and attributes can go stale. Coca-Cola has been around for more than a hundred years. The product is essentially the same and what they stand for remains unchanged. Yet, just about every penny of the hundreds of millions of dollars they spend in marketing every year is expected to keep Coca-Cola interesting and relevant. Here are a few ideas on how you can
None of the 4Ps of marketing can escape this. Even when it comes to your product, the product life cycle is so fast these days, how long can you expect your competitors to let you sit on a real or perceived product advantage? If this sounds like too much work or too expensive, take on your content strategy. Is it fresh? Are you staying current with how potential customers consume their favorite content?
It’s easy to focus on a bright and shiny new object like TikTok. This is likely just as true for your consumers as it is for your marketing teams. Rightly so, however, make sure you save some positive energy and dollars for the more tried and true platforms your consumers still use. A great idea on a more “traditional” social media platform can still deliver for you.
Sure, it may not be the sexiest part of your marketing mix. However, Search Engine Optimization SEO can be a powerhouse of results. The overwhelming number of purchases made today begin with a search. This is true across a vast variety of products and services year after year. And, during the holidays, this is, even more, the case. When is the last time you’ve dug deep into your SEO numbers? Are you paying too much for less than great results? Perhaps it’s time to take a fresh look.
A long time ago, the most famous marketer in the world said, “I know half of all the money I spend in marketing is an absolute waste. I just wish I knew which half.” Too bad they didn’t have the analytics and media analysis we have today. There’s no reason to fly blind anymore. There’s a way to find out which content is performing well.
Unfortunately, some marketers spend good money on a lot of data no one understands. Data is just that, data. Find yourself an organization that can turn your data into useable, actionable knowledge. There’s no need to stumble around in a fog of data. Cut through it and find out what’s working and even more importantly, why it’s working. Rest assured your competition is doing just that.
Social media is every marketer’s dream come true. It provides free access to a vast audience of prospects for all businesses. With over 3.9 billion users worldwide, social media is a goldmine for marketers. 77.6% of small businesses say they use social media to promote their brands. Businesses invest in social media marketing to build trust and forge relations with their prospects. But different surveys reveal that these efforts seem to be backfiring.
Statistics show that 91.9% of US marketers for companies larger than 100 employees will use social media this year. That’s because social media offers an effective way to connect with potential leads, deliver custom content and build relationships that lead to conversions. When done correctly, social media marketing helps businesses to:
But although many marketers are promoting their business on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, it doesn’t mean they are getting significant revenue out of it. SmartInsights shared a DMA research that reveals only 48% of marketers said social media gives them a return on investment. DMA interviewed 111 marketers from different B2B and B2C companies regarding social media use. SmartInsights also ran its research on 609 marketers and uncovered a vast difference in how they see social media marketing's effectiveness.
Social media can still be a great source of traffic and income for marketers. However, for many, it is not as effective as it used to be. Here are some reasons why.
This is an era of digital Darwinism – a time where society and technology are evolving faster than businesses can naturally adapt. Technology marketing moves quickly, and consumer behaviors and interests are hard to predict. Marketers who apply the same social media marketing methods as they did years back cannot survive.
Today’s consumers are becoming more digitally empowered. As a result, brand messages can lose their impact, thus reducing the number of conversions. Businesses that want to convert digital-savvy clients into buyers must provide the most substantial range of digital experiences. Successful brands seem to differentiate themselves in the market as they are good at building referral networks on social platforms. Unless a brand has a marketer who can craft a dynamic social media marketing plan, a business can get lost in the noise and end up with fewer conversions and ROI. If this is your case, you make consider outsourcing social media management.
Today’s consumers don’t trust social media and the brands that use them as they once did. According to Edelman’s 2018 Trust Barometer, only 41% of people trust social media platforms globally. The survey further revealed that 40% of people said they deleted a social media account in 2017 because they didn’t trust the platform with their personal information.
Kantar’s DIMENSION survey revealed a looming mistrust among consumers towards social media platforms and advertisers alike. The survey had 8000 connect participants across eight countries, including The UK, US, and China, which have a combined total ad spend of $400 billion. It found that there’s a degree of cynicism about paid media, with only 14% saying they trust advertisers in this respect.
Social media was ranked the least trusted medium for news and information, with only 17% of connected users citing Twitter and Facebook as trusted sources. Social media accounts for 13% (or $84 billion) of total global ad spend. In the survey, 37% of participants said they trusted newspapers, 31% TV, and 32% radio.
The last few years have seen a rise of new social movements. These movements are powered by sending and receiving data in near real-time to different groups and platforms worldwide. According to a Solace Global report, the demonstrations in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, and Asia share critical characteristics. They’re driven by principles and messages fostered on social media platforms.
Unfortunately, these messages have significant impacts on businesses that run ad sets on different social media platforms. For instance, 48% of consumers blame a brand if their ads appear next to hate speech, inappropriate or violent content. Many consumers assume that content on the same page as the ad shares the same values and views as the advertiser. Just recently, advertisements for more than 400 brands disappeared from Facebook after parties failed to conclude on the boycott over hate speech on Facebook.
During the political campaigns of 2020, Redbear noticed that discussions on Facebook had become so toxic that consumers wholly ignored ads on the platform. A quick pivot away from the platform saved our clients a fortune. Advertising on today’s social platform requires around-the-clock monitoring to ensure a positive ROI.
In addition to trust issues, there’s a problem with data safety on social media channels. Facebook, for instance, is now under the watchful eye of the government after privacy breach concerns. According to the Federal Trade Commission, The tech giant repeatedly misled its 2.2 billion users. It wasn’t upfront about how advertisers, app developers, and other third parties gained access to users’ personal information.
With such revelations, social media users may be skeptical about taking any actions online. They may doubt sharing content or clicking certain Facebook ads for fear that their information or movements are being monitored. This, as you’d expect, has a significant impact on marketers who rely on user action to spread the word. It also makes it hard for businesses to sell their products or services or drive traffic back to their sites.
One of the best things about social media is that it can give businesses the ability to interact with customers. But understand that social media platforms are closed-loop systems. Simply posting to your employees is not going to create awareness, let alone make something viral. Thanks to paid ads, a company can quickly target a custom audience for a much larger reach, but understand, it is a pay-to-play scenario. You must have a knowledgeable team creating suitable campaigns to get the conversions you want. And these campaigns must be monitored, tested, and optimized as much as possible.
Many sources in the past have stated that video marketing is the future of online marketing. Cisco's recent Visual Networking Index is a good example. The study predicted that global online video would account for 80% of consumer internet video traffic in 2019, increasing from 64% in 2014. In 2021 it hit 82%.
If the studies are anything to go by, then the future is already here. Most projections have come to pass, and video marketing is now at the center of every effective marketing strategy. Furthermore, viewers claim to retain 95% of what they see in a video compared to only 10% of what they read.
Entrepreneurs from all business segments are now using video as a tool to entice users across a multitude of digital marketing channels. A whopping 89% of marketers say video gives them a good return on investment, and that shouldn't come as a surprise considering the internet's insatiable appetite for video content.
If you've been wondering whether it's worth investing your marketing dollars in video marketing, you came to the right place. This article will tell you why video is essential in modern ad campaigns. But before we do that, let's quickly point out the types of videos in the digital marketing world.
Types of video content marketing
When done correctly, video can be a powerful way for businesses to create brand awareness in a way that's easily accessible to a large audience.
As industry experts put it, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video could very well be worth a thousand sales. The great news about videos is that internet users widely prefer watching over reading. They will spend twice as much time on a page with a video and even browse around the site a little longer. Here are a few more reasons why video is essential in modern ad campaigns.
Videos don't just entertain or educate your prospects they get them to convert. The State of Video Marketing Infographic by Social Media Today notes that 90% of users say video will help them make a purchasing decision. But that's not all. Videos are a real attention-getter. More marketers are using videos to explain their products, services, and business – and there's a scientific reason for doing this.
Videos have four elements:
People are wired to pay attention to these elements
In one study of online fashion retailers, those using videos on products saw a 134% boost in sales conversion.
Ranking on the first pages of search engine results pages (SERPs) puts a business in a strategic position to attract, educate and convert potential customers. But unless you optimize your site for search, you might never rank. Uploading a quality video on YouTube and using relevant keywords to describe it can be an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. When doing keyword research, we found videos embedded in blog posts led to increased time on site of outrageous gains. It works for web searches, lead generation, pay per click, social media marketing while being delivered to your target audience.
The reason is that Google includes 82% of YouTube videos at the top of SERPs. According to Searchmetrics, 55% of all keyword searches in the US yield one or more videos blended into Google's search results. And remember, in some cases, digital video ads can pop up in standard display ads.
Furthermore, videos hold visitors to your site longer. This gives Google and other search engines the impression that your platform provides value, making it more likely to rank.
PRO TIP: Make It Unique. Creative commons videos won't cut it.
Video is practical and convenient for brands trying to connect with online traffic, as it becomes the primary means by which users browse the net. According to M Booth and Simply Measured, videos on Facebook are shared 12x more than text posts and links combined.
On YouTube, over 100 million people watch or interact with one or more videos in a week. The reason behind video uptake is apparent – users want to consume content without reading blocks of texts.
Trust is at the core of any conversion or sale. Unless customers trust you, they won't buy from you. Videos are a great way to humanize your brand and build trust. They allow you to put a face and personality behind your sell sheet. Potential customers get to see the company or the people they're going to work with.
Moreover, explainer videos help customers understand how to use a product. It shows them that the product is effective and not a scam. Effective digital video advertising presents your solution in a conversational form. This creates a sense of personalized approach, which 57% of customers say gives them the confidence to buy online.
Videos are great for communicating your brand message. And if you think along the lines of practicality, a precise, unique explainer video can make a real difference informing prospects about your products or services – all while entertaining.
When done right, a video can help set your business apart from your competition. If that isn't reason enough to embrace digital video advertising, then this one is. Your peers are doing it. If you don't keep up, you'll lag.
eMarketer's forecast shows that overall, 2.72 billion internet users will watch videos on their mobile devices in 2023. In the US, an average adult spends about 13 minutes accessing various video apps and digital media platforms. Most of them spend less time on TV and more time checking different applications on their phones.
This explains why many businesses are shifting from traditional marketing channels like TV to digital marketing channels (OTT). And with the ever-growing number of mobile devices used, you can be confident that your audience will keep increasing with time.
Video content plays an integral part in driving affiliate marketing conversions and sales. As mentioned earlier, most consumers find product videos helpful when making buying decisions. Minus the video, you are losing those extra affiliate sales. In case you're wondering how to go about it, try creating videos relative to your products or services and share them with your subscribers. You can also make YouTube videos to retarget clients with other forms of advertising.
Digital video advertising is becoming more affordable. The adoption of video is partly due to technological advancements, it's easy to spread worldwide and it has a proven ROI. If you are not already using videos in your online marketing efforts, then now is the best time to join in.
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