INTEGRATED MARKETING: How to Really Involve Your Customers With Video.

Sunday, August 9th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Okay, so let’s assume you’re an innovative marketer who’s just created a social video for your product or service — and now you’re ready to hand it over to web programming.

Stop.

Online social video is perhaps the coolest, most effective new way to engage your customers, involve them (intellectually and emotionally) in your brand experience, and motivate them to action. But to paraphrase a certain movie cliche, it’s not like you can just edit it and they will come.

At NOISE, we’re building integrated marketing programs for our clients that leverage the power of online video across the gamut of marketing channels. Here are a few must-dos, as we see ‘em:

1. CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES. Social video isn’t like the old corporate video that packs everything you ever wanted to say in a five to seven minute novel. Social videos are your brand’s short stories — editorial, entertaining, fun, offbeat, quirky, informative, whatever you want them to be in ideally 120 or so seconds — but focused on a single element or experience of your brand. So inventory all your brand can offer a consumer, and you’ll have an idea of just how many interesting titles your online video library could contain.

2. YOU SHOOT, YOU SCORE. Assuming you’ve got the skill set in-house, or you’ve contracted with an expert social video producer (like QwickClick VideoTours) to create some really cool content, you’ll want to make sure you capitalize on all the ways video can drive traffic to your website by syndicating it throughout the world wide web. Sites like YouTube are obvious, but there are many more opportunities to put your video in front of potential consumers (from social media networks to industry-related websites and blogs). Asterisk: another advantage of utilizing a company like QwickClick for syndication is their ability to keyword tag your video for search engine optimization, and to provide important traffic data on your efforts.

3. HAPPY LANDINGS. Want to really create an integrated experience? Create unique landing pages (or microsites) for each social video. If you’re a hospital, that could be service offerings. If you’re a resort, that could be recreational opportunities. If you’re a retailer, that could be your sales, service or customer satisfaction divisions. If you’re a real estate company, that could be every listing. And with unique landing pages, you can track traffic specific to that page, thereby allowing you to better measure your efforts.

4. HERE A VIDEO, THERE A VIDEO. Now, examine your current marketing channels for opportunities to promote viewership of your online video. Print advertising? Direct mail? E-marketing (like the ‘Tween Waters Inn Island Resort example here)? Social media? Public relations? The possibilities are endless. The potential to excite consumers to clickthrough to your site is enormous.

So remember: for truly successful online video marketing, “the end” is just the beginning.

SOURCE: NOISE

SOURCE: NOISE

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, BRANDING, destination, florida, fort myers, healthcare, internet, marketing, media, milwaukee, noise, qwickclick, real estate, resort, retail, sanibel, social, video, wisconsin

MARKETING: Reslicing Your Budget Pie.

Monday, August 3rd, 2009 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

How are marketers investing their very valuable budgets today? According to a newly-released report from Forrester Research that studies First Quarter 2009 marketing budget allocations to First Quarter 2008, the pie is being sliced up quite differently than just a year ago. How does your budget compare?

Overall, the report noted that marketers have quickly and emphatically re-prioritized dollars toward strategies and tactics deemed most valuable to maintaining a competitive advantage. In simple speak, that basically means: adios traditional media, hola new media. Here’s a look at how the budget pie is being resliced:

• Social Media: 47% have increased budget
• Web Development: 44% have increased budget
• Online Advertising: 40% have increased budget
• E-Marketing: 38% have increased budget
• Marketing Technology: 27% have increased budget
• Loyalty Programs: 14% have increased budget
• Branding and Advertising: 11% have increased budget
• Direct Mail: 7% have increased budget
• Staff and Training: 5% have increased spending
• Traditional Media (TV, Radio, Print, Magazine): 4% have increased spending

Clearly, the trend would suggest that smart marketers will build their brand best by investing in areas that best enhance their customer’s brand experience — you know, marketing tactics that are interactive, directly communicative, social and measurable. To us at NOISE, that sounds like a smart strategy in any economic climate.

SOURCE: American Marketing Association, Forrester Research, NOISE

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, award, brand, BRANDING, destination, E-MARKETING, florida, fort myers, health care, milwaukee, new, noise, resort, retail, sanibel, SOCIAL MEDIA, tourism, travel, web design, wisconsin