SOCIAL MEDIA
CREATIVE: Proving That Those Who Can, Do.
Saturday, June 30th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
When you claim to be one of the top art, film and music educational institutions in the world, you better practice what you preach — and Full Sail University in Florida has consistently done that across 30 years, turning out stellar graduates and award-winning projects across media, entertainment, the arts and more.
So when Full Sail recently released its totally integrated, awesomely innovative new YouTube channel, well, you expected something that would wow you. And wow it is.
The Full Sail YouTube channel is the first we’ve seen that fully (and sweetly) integrates animation and motion graphics in its delivery. With each page load, a different student appears against a nondescript background, to open and hold up a blank piece of black paper — the creative canvas upon which the Full Sail story will literally unfold. From there, a brief video story engages and excites you to the Full Sail experience, dissolving to a montage of clickthrough opportunities, complete with the aforementioned student’s hands that, while still holding the canvas, move up and down with your cursor.
It’s work like this that clearly convinces you that Full Sail University’s got what it takes and delivers on its promise — proving once again two adages true: actions speak louder than words and yes, those who can do.
SOURCE: NOISE
INTERACTIVE: Tumblr Reaches 120 Million People – That’s a Lot of Eyeballs.
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
[Via Social Times]
Does your company have a blog? A blog is a great way to let your customers know about anything new or fun happening with your business. Not sure a blog would work on your website? Tumblr is a great alternative.
This microblogging social network now has over 120 million users with more than 15 BILLION page views each month. Get some of those eyes on your content!
Read the full article here.
WEB: Where the Grass Is Still Greener.
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
If you’re an online marketer, it’s easy to become enamored of social media’s exciting landscape — its seemingly endless ability to engage consumers, stimulate action and influence or even transact sales. But here’s a reminder that despite appearances, the grass of profitable online sales remains far greener on the web side of your digital neighborhood.
How much greener? Among organizations offering both web- and social-based sales channels, according to a recent study by technology marketer Demandbase in partnership with online network Focus, websites remain a whopping 700% more powerful in generating inquiries and actuating income than alternative social platforms.
What should that mean to you? Well, NOISE would suggest that should mean you remain about seven times more focused on the success of your website, making certain it’s:
• Spot-on branded;
• Strategic, intuitive, obvious, simple and fast;
• Enjoyable and rewarding;
• Interactively engaging with video, imagery, social networking, sharing and more;
• Incredibly search engine optimized;
• An awesome user experience that consumers will want to return to and repeat, again and again.
For most marketers, social media isn’t a highly profitable alternative to web-based sales — at least, not yet. So embrace it — like digital marketing, e-marketing and your other effective strategies and tactics — as another seed to help your web sales grow.
SOURCE: ZDNet, NOISE
CREATIVE: You’ve Got Talent You’re Not Even Aware Of.
Saturday, October 1st, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Next time you’re gearing up for a campaign that requires a human element, NOISE creative offers up this suggestion: before you (or your agency) contact a bunch of professional modeling agencies to sift through endless head shots, comps and portfolios — stop and, instead, look around. You’ll find some outstanding talent among your employees and your consumers.
Amazing? Yes. True? Yes. Easy? Well, there’s the rub.
While the thought of working with real people scares many a hearty marketer’s heart — or sounds exceedingly boring to those of you who can’t imagine an interesting face around your place — the fact is that fascinating, compelling, engaging and attractive people types are literally all around you. You simply (alright, not so simply) need to know what to look for when you look into someone’s eyes, and that’s where your agency and their talents should come in.
We were reminded of this lesson recently at a two-day, run and gun photo shoot for a NOISE client. By the end of our assignment, we had compiled a portfolio of quality, variety and style any talent agency would drool over. Plus, our client didn’t have to pay a dime in talent fees.
Lesson: don’t be afraid of turning to real people for a campaign that requires real people. More often than many marketers assume, they’re perfect for the part.
SOURCE: NOISE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Measuring ROI Requires More Than One Yardstick.
Friday, September 30th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Maybe it’s just us, but it seems the relationship between social media and return on investment is a particularly hot topic. Here at NOISE, we can’t seem to make it through the day (or through a conference) without an e-mail, a blog or a seminar proclaiming that it owns the definitive bottom line on how to arrive at SM’s bottom line.
News alert: there is no one way or best way to measure social media ROI. The way we see it and practice it for NOISE Social’s many clients, which is the way you should see it and practice is, is that you measure social media’s return simply against what you’re asking it to do. And as you know, social media is no one-trick pony.
So, drum roll please, as NOISE reveals the top ten ways we apply (and measure) social media return on investment:
1. Brand Ambassadorship Development: Defined by the numbers of legitimate, involved social community followers you attract.
2. Consumer Engagement: Defined by the involvement and participation of your community’s followers in your brand via interactions.
3. Brand Passion: Defined by how often and how passionately your followers recommend your brand, and share it with or refer it to others.
4. Databuilding: Defined by hard counts of actual e-data consumers your social media efforts add to your overall marketing machine.
5. Market Research: You can use social media to learn a lot about a lot of things, both consumer-based and marketing-specific; if so, what’s the level of involvement and quality of data?
6. E-commerce: Are you transacting sales within your social media platforms? If so, measure your inquiries, conversion rates, transactions and profits.
7. Secondary Sales: Social media can generate sales by driving consumers to secondary transaction points (like a reservations page, or a shopping cart). Measure your efforts vis-a-vis referrals to your sites, as well as transactions.
8. Public Relations: Done effectively and creatively, social media can create a whole bunch of ancillary buzz via public relations. Are your social media efforts being acquired and publicized by other media outlets, creating value-added buzz for you?
9. Web Traffic: Social media should generally have an end-goal, and for most brands, that end-goal should be to drive consumers to your web brand to further engage, interact and transact with you. Look at your analytics.
10. Dollar Signs. In the end, social media can specifically and emphatically deliver sales. Don’t believe us? Try creating a social-media-only sales offer, package or campaign.
Bottom line? There is no one, best way to measure social media. But social media’s bottom line can clearly be measured by how you apply strategies and tactics — and if done correctly, its impact on your branding, marketing and sales efforts can be powerful and positive.
SOURCE: NOISE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Why Google+ Just Might = Success.
Monday, August 1st, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Although Google+ has put a temporary moratorium on branded accounts for business, odds are it won’t be long before the new social media upstart opens the door to all of us impatient marketers who, like Black Friday shoppers at midnight, are lining up outside. Are you one of them? If not, you should be. Here’s why:
Google+ and YouTube = Success. The integration of these Google products means a far more pandemic viral potential for branded video marketing. Plus with Google Hangout (its multi-user free video chat), brands will be able to interact with consumers real-time.
Google+ and Latitude = Success. With Google’s geo-tracking product (Latitude), it’ll be easier than ever for people to check into a location and have that information immediately shared with their “circles” of friends — enabling brands to easily execute loyalty marketing and rewarding programs.
Google+ and Translate = Success. Are you a brand with an international audience? With Google’s Translate product, multi-lingual communications to your brand page will automatically re-render in your default language — and vice versa. A simple advantage like this could literally open up new worlds to marketers.
Google+ and Sites = Success. While Facebook remains relatively limited in its ability to enable marketers to truly brand pages, Google’s Sites product is far more flexible in design, content and functionality — another plus for Google+.
Google+ and Adwords = Success. Added bones: Google’s paid search marketing program will bring far more contextual, demographic and analytic sophistication to social PPC campaigns — bringing all of us more clarity on the value of social media marketing.
Within the first month of its “launch,” Google+ has been attracted more than 15 million users, not to mention Facebook’s attention. The question now is: will Google+ be the next social media phenomenon? Only time will tell — but if you’re an innovative marketer that in any way engages a social media community, the time is now to prepare for the opportunity that Google+ is about to open to you.
SOURCE: Memeburn, NOISE
DIGITAL: Make Your Brand Music to Their Ears.
Saturday, July 30th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
What does your brand sound like? Does it rock? Is it a little jazzy? Is it classic, or sophisticated, or chilled out? If your brand’s consumer experience happens to include a little attitude or style, then you’re in luck because now — your brand can, in fact, have its very own sound.
The new place to find it is online at Turntable, which purports to be a new online social community where like-eared friends can gather to listen to, vote on and chat up music that’s available for play free from Turntable.fm’s extensive and impressive online library, or via personal library upload. And while Turntable currently remains in beta testing and is accessible only by invitation, more than 400,000 members (according to AppData) have already hopped on the dance floor.
What’s most interesting to us at NOISE is AdAge Digital’s report that a number of brands have already staked their claims and names to their very own, free music lounges — including Pepsi, Groupon, Gawker, New York Times Digital and Bravo. And in full disclosure, so has NOISE — with our own NOISE Blues lounge, as well as branded lounges for most of our clients.
Where will it all go? We’re not quite sure and odds are, Turntable isn’t either. But one thing is for sure — brands are beginning to mark their territory. So if you’re a brand with a personality and a passionate following, you might want to tune in, so to speak, build your playlist and give your brand loyalists (and their ears) another reason to enjoy their relationship with you.
SOURCE: AdAge Digital, AppData, NOISE
BRANDING: How Word of Mouth Has Become Digital Buzz.
Sunday, July 24th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
In case you haven’t been paying attention, it’s a digital world that’s evolving almost daily with new media and new opportunities for your brand to capitalize on. And yet, there remains this constant: word of mouth.
However it’s said in our online and mobile and social and digital and ubiquitously-connected world, word of mouth remains among the most influential contributors to a consumer’s decision-making process. Just consider how “digital buzz” — the term we at NOISE have dubbed for old-school “word of mouth” — is explosively influencing consumer purchasing habits as reported in the outstanding e-book, Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, from Google:
• More than 37% of all shoppers find online social sources to be a significant, influential driver when when making a decision to buy (or not). That’s nearly double the 19% reported just one year earlier.
• Online referrals from trusted sources like friends or business associates, or positive mentions of the brand in social networks like Facebook, dramatically up the chances for said brand to be purchased.
• Editorial relative to the product — specifically, both external (public) and internal (your proprietary) blogs — can influence a purchase.
• Additionally, the muscle of Facebook brand pages also flexes the consumer’s inclination to buy, especially (and obviously) when he or she becomes a follower or friend of the brand.
Google’s Zero Moment of Truth is a manifesto on why today’s and tomorrow’s most successful brands aren’t shying away from consumer word of mouth — positive or negative — but are running toward “digital buzz” with arms outstretched. How about you and your brand? Are you embracing this brave new world? Or ostriching it?
SOURCE: Google, NOISE
CAUSE MARKETING: Celebrating 25 Years With $25,000 — Just ‘Cause.
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Cause marketing has emerged over the past year as one of the most effective new strategies to build positive brand awareness, grow and engage social communities and consumers, influence sales and — at the same time, at the bottom line — impact humanity on the plus side. Now, it’s our turn. And we have 25,000 ways we’re saying thanks.
You see, 2011 marks 25 years since John Sprecher incorporated what is today NOISE. And as dramatically as the brand communications industry has evolved since 1986 — from the caveman days of typewriters, markers, White Out and an amazing new thing called a facsimile machine — what hasn’t changed is our company’s four-part mission statement, which includes this closing phrase: change the world for the better.
As a result, NOISE will celebrate and say thanks for 25 years of success — by giving back $25,000 in value of brand development services to great causes, great ideas and great people all throughout 2011 in an effort we’re calling “JustCause.” This will comprise 10 $2,500-value services grants throughout the year — based on nominations of great non-profits, game-changing start-ups or passionate people that you make here at our JustCause site, then decided upon by the number of votes you (and your cause) generate among your followers and friends.
To stay in touch, be sure to follow us on Facebook here. Twenty-five years and $25,000. That’s how NOISE says thanks — and you’re welcome.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Out With the New, In With the Older.
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
While social media may have been launched and nurtured by young adults, today’s social media audiences are decidedly older — and more female — than ever before. So social media marketers, take note of these important trends as reported by Pew Research in a study of engagement habits over the past two years:
1. Twice As Nice. Today, almost one of two persons in the United States (47%) interacts daily with a social media site — nearly double the number in late 2008, when the last study was undertaken. And for whatever it’s worth, folks who participate in social media sites are more politically engaged than other adults, and more likely to trust others.
2. Aging Gracefully. At the same time, the most significant growth in social media is occurring among older adults — with the average age of the social media user climbing to 38 years old (five years older than just two years ago).
3. Girl Talk. Additionally, the U.S. social media audience continues to grow more feminine, with 56% of today’s users women (versus 53% two years ago).
Need to reach intelligent, trusting, motivated females who are likely involved in families with children, with a higher than average disposable income? Now you know a little more about where to find ‘em.
SOURCE: NOISE, MarketingProfs, Pew Research
BRANDING: Dare to Think Gib.
Monday, March 28th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Do you know the land of Gib? The land of Gib is neither an easy nor a comfortable place to journey to. It’s a destination sought by only the most courageous brands and agencies who dare to think big plus (bonus) think counter-conventionally — thus, the name Gib.
Arriving there is like navigating your classic, precarious Scooby Doo rickety rope bridge across a plummeting-deep gorge — only unlike ol’ Scoob and Shag, should the risk-taking brand or agency slip, we can’t motor-burn our feet to congo-drum sound effects and race safely to the promised land. We fail. We fall.
Example in point is NOISE client Florida Repertory Theatre, and case in point is the Rep’s annual fundraising 
gala held this past March. Now, you might expect that a performing arts group hailed as “one of the best repertory companies in the United States” by the Wall Street Journal — serving an audience that skews decidedly older adult than most in the country — would default to the expected, formal, black-tie event. But not so, these daring marketers. Rather, Florida Repertory Theatre held steadfastly true to its brand — which by definition is the delivery of creativity, passion and excellence in performing arts — and challenged its status quo with the “Downtown Hoedown,” a celebration of all things red-necked, white-trashed, tatted-up, dressed-down and otherwise diametrically opposed to high artistry.
We applaud Florida Repertory Theatre leadership and management for daring to think Gib and act Gib. It’s a sparsely populated place. But it’s where great, memorable branding is found. Bravo!
SOURCE: NOISE
MARKETING: Are You a Pluser or a Minuser?
Thursday, February 10th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Here’s something you already know: given the state of the economy the past few years, discounting has become the norm. But here’s something, as NOISE sees it, you may not know: subtraction may not be the best form of addition anymore.
Instead, think addition if you want addition.
By addition, we mean value added. Gift wrapping your service or product with the pretty bow of perceived high value (meaning both desirable and tangible) enhancement, rather than a discount. Amplifying your consumer’s positive experience with your brand by rewarding their experience — therefore exceeding your customer’s expectations, which fuels not only satisfaction but loyalty, which stimulates word-of-mouth and social network referrals. All of which will multiply your addition, so to speak.
And bonus: value-added promotions often cost less in real dollars than simply subtracting real dollars from your price tag.
Now, NOISE is not suggesting you abandon competitive pricing structures. Unless you’re a brand (x-luxury) that commands its own price regardless of market conditions, price point will always be important. But by combining competitive pricing (not discounting) with desirable value-added, we believe your pluses will far outweigh your minuses. It’s a strategy we’re implementing in 2011 with our clients, and the results are (pardon the pun) adding up.
Interested in learning more how NOISE can rock your world? Contact us before February 28, 2011 and tell us you want to get “plused.” And yes, of course: there’s a $5,000 value-added offer waiting for you (legal department mandatory: certain restrictions apply).
SOURCE: NOISE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Four Facebook Dos and Don’ts: Are You Doing Any of Them?
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Experienced social media marketers already know this (we think) — but here are words from the wise, if you’re a brand that’s new to Facebook (or have been led to the promised land by less than seasoned hands):
1. Don’t Establish Multiple Pages For Your Brand. It amazes the experts at Hubspot who authored this report, as well as all of us at NOISE>Social, to see the number of brands that seem unable to control the number of Facebook pages that bear their name. The very first and best way to mark your territory is to correctly launch your brand’s page — then claim its vanity URL (www.Facebook.com/YourBrand) — once you reach 25 followers.
2. Create the Correct Facebook Page. This seems one of those pieces of advice that should come with “duh” attached to it — but again, NOISE>Social and Hubspot see waaaaayyyyyy too many brands creating profiles, rather than pages. Profiles are for people, pages are for business. Profiles (like people) acquire friends, pages acquire likes. The ways of communicating with your community, and measuring your success, are vastly superior when you do it the right way (pages) versus the “duh” way (profiles).
3. Don’t Turn Off Wall Posts. It amazes Hubspot, and NOISE, when brands jump into social media to connect with their consumers in two-way dialogue (the definition of the medium) — yet slit the consumer’s throat by not allowing commentary on their Facebook pages, viewable to the public. If your brand is so afraid of your consumer’s opinion that you won’t give it voice, you’re in poop too deep for social media to dig you out.
4. Start a Conversation and Keep It Going. About as equally stupid as not giving your consumers a voice, is not giving voice to your consumers. If your business is going to participate in social media, participate! Or fail.
Odds are, if your a Trendy Trendspotter, you’re not making any of these gross mistakes. But feel free to pass them along to others less fortunate you know.
SOURCE: SmartBrief, Hubspot, NOISE
CAUSE MARKETING: $50,000 Ways NOISE is Saying Thanks.
Friday, November 12th, 2010 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Cause marketing has emerged over the past year as one of the most effective new strategies to build positive brand awareness, grow and engage social communities and consumers, influence sales and — at the same time, at the bottom line — impact humanity on the plus side. Now, it’s our turn. And we have 50,000 ways we’re saying thanks.
You see, 2011 marks 25 years since John Sprecher incorporated what is today NOISE. And as dramatically as the brand communications industry has evolved since 1986 — from the caveman days of typewriters, markers, White Out and an amazing new thing called a facsimile machine — what hasn’t changed is our company’s four-part mission statement, which includes this closing phrase: change the world for the better.
As a result, NOISE will celebrate and say thanks for 25 years of success — by giving back $50,000 in value of brand development services to great causes, great ideas and great people all throughout 2011. This celebration will comprise ten $2,500-value services grants, along with one $25,000-value services grant to a grand-winning recipient. A formal nominating process will be announced December 22, 2010.
To stay in touch, be sure to follow us on Facebook. Twenty-five years and $50,000. That’s how NOISE says thanks — and you’re welcome.
SOURCE: NOISE
SOCIAL MEDIA: What’s Not to Like? Or Unlike?
Thursday, November 11th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
What are the most effective ways to motivate social media consumers to like your brand? Engage with your brand? Share and actually purchase your brand? Equally important, what are the mistakes to avoid if you want to keep ‘em in like with you? We know the secrets, and we’re telling.
According to a newly issued Cone Inc. survey, as reported by Mark Dolliver of Adweek, the average social media consumer engages with brands for the following reasons (in order of influence):
• 77% Offered Incentives (Promotions, Discounts, Free Trials, etc.)
• 46% Solved a Problem (Customer Service, etc.)
• 39% Solicited Feedback (Surveys, Research, etc.)
• 28% Entertain the Consumer
• 21% Market to the Consumer (PPC)
The payoffs are big. With a positive brand experience, 60% of social media consumers feel better served by the brand they engage with, and 59% are more likely to buy that brand.
On the flip side, consumers will quickly and eagerly thumbs-down and unlike a brand. Here are the three biggest mistakes to avoid:
• Don’t Act Irresponsibly Toward Consumers
• Don’t Over-Communicate (Begins to Feel Like Spam)
• Don’t Become Irrelevant
With studies suggesting the average marketing value of every Facebook “like” at $130-plus, there’s a lot to gain here. And a lot to lose. Choose wisely.
SOURCE: Cone Inc., Adweek, NOISE
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