Agency Insights

Autumn officially begins this Monday, September 23. With the change of season comes a change in what consumers will be shopping for. Yes, seasonal marketing is upon us, and there are some rules and practices to be mindful of as we ask the question: When it comes time for marketers to prepare for the holiday sale, how soon is too soon?

Video advertising. Its reach is beyond imagination. Video ads – particular YouTube Ads – continue to ride a wave that will extend well into the future. And if you own a business that is not making the use of YouTube Ads, some recent findings and developments may well make you change your mind. This is not the video advertising you “thought” you knew.

Social media has been around for a relatively short while but has brought big changes. Extreme changes is more like it. Take advertising and marketing. Social media is used by brands, businesses and enterprises of all kinds looking to get their names out before potential customers. When impact is positive, the results can extremely exceed the greatest dreams of success. But when impact is negative, extremely unimaginable nightmares come true. How then, can brands navigate a social media crisis  or fallout. Furthermore, what steps can be taken to implement crisis management?

A few weeks ago, news of Instagram’s removal of the number of “likes” every post receives hit the social media world like a tidal wave. Why post to Instagram if content cannot be recognized by how much it is “liked”? While this change has been in action for only a short period of time, the proverbial “big picture” behind Instagram’s disruption is beginning to be seen in a different perspective. Very simply, it’s time for change in social media. This is because what Instagram users are seeking is changing. This, of course, affects social media marketing.

Some brands are instantly recognizable. Hear their names or see their logos, and you know them instantly. They have a national (or even global) customer base. Then there are local businesses which are favorites within their communities. Say the name of a small family-owned restaurant, and your neighbor likely knows it. Big-name brands are marketed on social media. So are many local businesses. But what about a franchise? You know, that small place on the corner that is noticeable because of the well-known brand logo outside? What about their social media marketing?

Influencer marketing has experienced some setbacks over the last few months. Some marketers may be tempted to shy away. They shouldn’t, because this is still a very viable and strong method where brands and businesses can promote their products and services through the use of social media and influencers that consumers trust and relate to. The secret to successful influencer marketing is knowing its true purpose, and what to keep in mind when generating the three-way connection between the brand, the influencer (or “brand ambassador”), and his or her followers and fans.

Someone clicks “like” on the social media page of a brand. It’s one small sample of free digital advertising. The brand has been recognized. Whoever clicked “like” might follow and even recommend this brand’s products or services to family and friends. This has become standard in the wonderful world of digital advertising via social media. But things change. And Instagram recently set in motion a major change by choosing to hide the number of likes a posted image receives. And this includes digital advertising for brands.

Another Fourth of July holiday has come and gone. The summer season is at the halfway point. It is also a very serious time of year for two groups of people: graduating seniors and professionals at institutions of higher learning. What’s so serious? Both groups are dealing with the inevitable “summer melts.” High school and college administrators, teachers, and counselors know all too well about this phenomenon. How can it be dealt with?

Lately, when conducting a Google search, have you noticed posts showing up in the local finder with the now well-known heading – “Related to Your Search” – appearing above several images, with a few words of text below it? This is what Google is up to with the distribution and display of posts – “Google Posts,” that is. And Google Posts which are associated with Google My Business listings may soon offer new and powerful marketing opportunities.

If you are a healthcare administrative professional, you know that overseeing a facility (or facilities) requires a lot of time and energy. But you must remember that healthcare – whether it is a private practice, hospital, or a chain of urgent care centers – is a business. Every business requires visibility in order to keep operating. How to accomplish this? The answer may be a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign.