Emerging Technology in Marketing

by: Kenneth Cossin

We began to see a shift in traditional marketing with the advent of the Internet, social media, blogs, and other forms of digital technology in the mid and late 1990s.  This movement was inevitable, because the industry of marketing must stay current with human trends.  Consider the many businesses that struggled over the years, because they didn’t have the foresight or couldn’t keep up with changes.  Thus, marketing and marketers themselves must have an ever-evolving perspective.

Enter the new age of further emerging technologies such as mobile and wearable devices, the Internet of Things, cloud technologies, augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and so on, and the marketing industry must morph once again.  We marketers need to realize that whatever our marketing specialty is, we must consider how these new technologies will change it.

Big Data

With marketing buzzwords, such as big data, floating around, we all must consider how it will affect our jobs.  Let’s take the Internet of Things for example.  Devices, such as Alexa and Google Home listen to our questions and provide answers, but they are doing more than just that.  They are collecting data on what we like, what we ask, what we request, how frequent we request it, and so on.  These data are then used by Amazon and Google to market to us.  Often, these data collected by these devices are sold off to businesses around the world to be used in their marketing.

In addition, these devices use machine learning, or AI, to improve results in the future.  According to the article, “Better Personalization: The Intersection of AI, Automation, and Marketing,” these devices will help with dissecting consumer data to predict certain behaviors.  If we can anticipate how a consumer may react, then we can better serve the consumer, and thus, be better marketers through the use of almost instant information.

Internet of Things

As of last years numbers, 58.9% of all mobile traffic is from mobile devices, and once 2018’s numbers are crunched, this number may be as much as 61.2%.  Thus, as marketers, we need to understand how to effectively use the emerging technologies affecting mobile devices.

Let’s use the iPhone as an example, since it is the most popular mobile phone in the US.  Siri is the built-in voice command system that allows the user to make requests.  Now, consider how our home devices are connected through the Internet of Things, and we have a useful and powerful technology in our hands.  We can set up our lights in our home to be controlled through the Internet of Things, and then, simply by downloading a respective app, we can use voice command to turn on and off individual lights or even all of them.  We can even change the lights’ colors and brightness if they have these features.

AR/VR

Augmented reality has a lot of practical applications beyond only entertainment on our devices.  For example, augmented reality can be used to create virutal fitting rooms to allow consumers to “try on” before buying.  Lemon&Orange created a fun and interactive virtual fitting room for the business, Timberland that you can watch here.  Take a look at some of the other video solutions.

Virtual reality also has many applications when it comes to mobile devices.  We can tour a house before ever going to see it, visit far away places, test drive a car, and more, right from our phones.  Some virtual reality experiences need an additional VR headset in which to insert their phone, but it allows the user to experience another world.

In essence, these technologies have a lot of potential for marketers in our future.  The reward can be increased consumer awareness and engagement as well as sales of products and services, and ultimately consumer loyalty.

Ethnographic Consumer Research: A Cultural Marketing Tactic to Enhance Consumer Insight

Guest post by: Dr. David S.B. Butler

Culture influences consumer behavior and should not be overlooked by Digital Marketers (Chaffey 2005). Raw numbers produced by Digital Analytics reports do not account for the subtleties of cultural understanding. “By providing contextual information about consumers, cultural market research sets the stage for strategically targeted marketing, and it is the foundation for online promotional content” (Butler: 2012). Understanding the culture of customers is fundamental to traditional brick and mortar marketing and is equally important online. The culture of online consumers should be embodied in promotional content that is consistent with their cultural expectations.

Culture is the unit of analysis for (and is traditionally studied by) Anthropologists.  Reports designed to explain cultural behavior are known as ethnographies (which are the result of ethnographic research). Conventional ethnographic studies were crafted by Anthropologists who often traveled afar to observe the cultural groups they studied. In the nineteenth and twentieth century, the typical ethnography which involved direct observation of and often times direct participation in cultural activity took around a year of daily data collection. The traditional ethnography process was time-consuming but it was designed that way to minimize bias and maximize understanding of human behavior. Traditional ethnographers lived with members of the culture they were studying and took copious notes about all daily household activities as well as shared, group cultural events. Therefore, through the lens of Anthropology, culture has been explained through an analysis called an ethnographic study (the results of which are called an ethnography).

Today, there are more efficient manifestations of ethnography designed to study consumers in contemporary urban environments and enhance marketing effectiveness by collecting consumer information within a given cultural context. These present-day marketing applications of ethnographic studies are known collectively as Ethnographic Market Research (EMR).  “Ethnographic market research has its roots in the social science discipline of anthropology, where it has long been used to gather information on human societies and cultures” (Burrows: 2014).  Shear explains that “Ethnographic market research (EMR) helps companies understand the consumer in terms of cultural trends, lifestyle factors, attitudes and how social context influences product selection and usage.” (January 2019).

Jones suggests that Ethnography can be applied to “create personas and improve website user experience and usability” (2019). Therefore, it should be noted that, in addition to influencing the creation of consumer personas, ethnography can also be applied toward design and usability studies. The foundation of ethnographic research is a non-biased observation of behavior where and when it normally occurs as a part of everyday life (rather than in a controlled environment such as a laboratory). When conducting EMR, observation of consumer behavior associated with consumption or purchasing behavior transpires where it takes place (normally at a place of business or at one’s residence).  Research studies conducted at a site away from a consumer’s home “…take place wherever the consumer is utilizing the product or service — in a restaurant, store, office or even car. Conducting place-based research allows the researcher to interview and observe as the behavior is carried out and provides an opportunity for follow-up questions as needed” (Shear 2019).

Shear explains that “In-home EMR sessions are similar to on-site events, but are limited to the home environment. They can include one or multiple family members, and often last for several hours. The researcher is immersed in the home environment and observes, asks questions and listens to obtain insight into consumer trends, reactions, problems. Consumers go about solving those product or service-based dilemmas. In-home sessions provide businesses with insight into how to improve products, what new items are needed and how changing needs affect usage.” (2019).

Digital consumer personas are created by evaluating a number of variables that establish groups of consumers based on shared characteristics. One significant element related to deciphering the most accurate consumer personas is accounting for behavior within the culture they represent.  Rather than assuming that consumer behavior influencing the consumption of products and services is the same across cultures, (whether marketing in a multi-cultural society or conducting international marketing) it is better for you and your clients to incorporate cultural insight gained through EMR into your Cultural Marketing strategy.

 

Jones, Robert, “How Ethnography can help Improve UX” (April 19, 2019) https://www.smartinsights.com/persuasion-marketing/marketing-personas/how-ethnography-can-help-improve-ux/

“Ethnographic Marketing Research: 101” (InterQ, Transformative Consumer Insights Blog) https://interq-research.com/ethnographic-marketing-research-101/

Burrows, David, “How to use Ethnography for in-depth Consumer Insight” (May 9, 2014) https://www.marketingweek.com/2014/05/09/how-to-use-ethnography-for-in-depth-consumer-insight/

Butler, David, “Cultural Targeting: The Key to Online Consumer Receptivity” (May 25, 2012)

http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2012/8001/cultural-targeting-the-key-to-online-consumer-receptivity

Chaffey, David (editor), “Internet Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice” (2009), Prentice Hall.

Faulkner, Rebecca and Laurence Parkes, “Why context matters: the power of Ethnography in Design” (September 25, 2018)

http://www.brandquarterly.com/context-matters-power-ethnography-design

Lomas, Fiona, “Understanding the Impact of Culture on Marketing Content” (March 19, 2019)

https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/understanding-the-impact-of-culture-on-marketing-content/

Shear, Jessica, “What is Ethnographic Research Marketing?” (2019)

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethnographic-research-marketing-25205.html

 

Culture as the Foundation of Customized Promotional Content: An Online and Brick and Mortar Perspective

guest post by: Dr. David S.B. Butler

Cultural Marketing and Cultural Context

Cultural marketing represents 1) research evaluating the impact of cultural context to consumer behavior cultureandconsumers 2) applying cultural analysis toward cultural segmentation culturalsegmentation and 3) the creation of culturally customized content designed to promote products or services (promotional content) culturalcustomization. For marketing applications, cultural context represents the cultural landscape of target market analysis and consumer segmentation. Researching the cultural context of potential customers represents the starting point for target market analysis that should facilitate cultural segment development and enable cultural targeting represented by culturally customized promotional content. “From the anthropological perspective all market behaviors are culture-bound…in order to match the marketing mix with consumer preferences, purchasing behavior, and product-use patterns in a potential market, marketers must have a thorough understanding of the cultural environment of that market” culturalmarketing.

Cultural Targeting

Cultural targeting refers to any marketing initiative that is customized to accommodate the perception and cultural expectations of a consumer relative to their cultural context culturaltargeting. Examples of how this form of consumer targeting is applied include customizing content to capitalize on cultural variables such as: language (language type and language orientation such as reading left to right or right to left), holidays (holidays are often culturally specific and should relate to timing and content of advertising campaigns), images (imagery familiar to a given cultural group), cultural meaning and colors, gender relations, monetary exchange (tax rates and currency) and promotional content related to cultural traditions other than holidays such as sports marketing. By including these and related cultural variables Business Anthropologists utilize their cultural insight to customize marketing strategies.

Multicultural and Cross-cultural Marketing

Multicultural marketing represents cultural segmentation efforts in countries that contain multiple cultures. One example of this type of marketing in the United States includes marketing campaigns that target products for the Chinese New Year such as red envelopes. Another example from the U.S. is marketing campaigns such as the “Dish Latino” campaign designed to target Hispanics. “Dish Latino is a highly culturally relevant service to the Hispanic community that plays to Hispanics’ passion points of entertainment, sports and news on their home countries” culturallyrelevantcampaigns. Cross-cultural marketing designates international marketing campaigns marked by promotional content designed to target cultural segments in countries (and cultural contexts) that are different than that of the marketer. A cross-cultural campaign that demonstrates a lack of cultural research transpired when “Honda introduced their new car “Fitta” into Nordic countries in 2001. If they had taken the time to undertake some cross-cultural marketing research they may have discovered that “Fitta” was an old word used in vulgar language to refer to a woman’s genitals in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. In the end, they renamed it “Honda Jazz” crosscultural.

Cultural Segmentation

Cultural segmentation denotes grouping consumers based on shared characteristics (such as demographic and psychographic and cultural traits). Cultural segmentation enables marketers to form consumer segments for targeting based on a holistic approach that prioritizes culture as a consumer variable that should impact promotional content. “Once you identify the segments you wish to target, research their behavior, attitudes and buying habits…Use the information you glean to design advertisements that match the cultural attitudes of your potential customers” marketatrategyandsegmentation. Consumer behavior research demonstrates that understanding the cultural affiliation of consumers is just as vital to marketing success as insights gained through traditionally applied segmentation variables including demographics and psychographics culturalsegmentation. If marketers stop short of incorporating culture into their consumer segmentation strategy, they risk alienating consumers and wasting resources on ineffective marketing strategies.

Cultural Customization

Cultural customization signifies customizing content used to promote products or services (promotional content) based on the cultural expectations of consumers culturalcustomization. Consumer behavior is heavily influenced by culture and insights gained through cultural marketing research have been effectively applied toward the production of culturally customized content targeting consumers in a specific location targetingwithculture. Therefore, to optimize the efficacy of geo-targeting (targeting consumers based on their location) cultural customization should be prioritized throughout the consumer research process multiculturalstrategy.

Conclusion

The cultural marketing research agenda outlined here provides a model that establishes a research process for the cultural customization of promotional content. The objective of cultural marketing should be 1) to provide cultural insight through target market analysis that prioritizes the cultural context of consumer behavior 2) apply cultural marketing insight toward cultural targeting and cultural segmentation and 3) apply cultural marketing research toward cultural customization of promotional content. Cultural marketing positively impacts customers by facilitating promotional content that is consistent with cultural expectations. Likewise, it has a positive impact on the marketing industry because it helps marketers maximize their effectiveness, which augments the success of their clients. By optimizing consumer receptivity and return on investment culturallocalization vis-à-vis cultural customization, online and offline marketing effectiveness is enhanced locally and abroad. Business Anthropologists businessanthropology have a unique opportunity to serve as cultural marketers analyzing the connection between consumer behavior, culture, and marketing practice.

Dr. David S.B. Butler is a Professor in the Internet Marketing Program at Full Sail University and is a PhD in applied anthropology.  He specializes in cultural marketing, consumer behavior analysis, and target marketing analysis.   You can read more from Dr. Butler at: http://bit.ly/1XzW6Ku

Consumer Behavior and the Cultural Marketing Landscape

by guest author: Dr. David S.B. Butler

The marketing planning process is initiated by setting goals that may be articulated as mission statements for a specific campaign or relationship with a client (Richardson et al. 2015). Marketing planning proceeds with target market analysis that identifies and evaluates the business environment (the context) where marketing will transpire. It is important to recognize that just because consumers share geographic space, this does not mean that they share common characteristics or that they will be receptive to the same promotional content.

Prioritizing the culture of consumers as a key element of marketing planning articulates which consumer segments of a target market are most receptive to offer(s) associated with a marketing initiative. “While an understanding of the cultural context of domestic business is invaluable, the importance of culture is even more vital within the international sphere…When studying both domestic and foreign societies, anthropologists are especially skilled in finding and explaining patterns of behavior that impact strategies and tactics” (Tian 2010). Fields (2014) contends, “Brands never speak directly to consumers or customers. It’s always through the medium of culture” CultureasCompetitiveAdvantageforMarketers. Therefore, marketers can maximize their effectiveness by localizing and customizing promotional content that meets the cultural expectations of consumer segments being targeted. Contemporary research makes it clear that marketing content that is consistent with the cultural perception of potential or recognized customers represents culturally customized content which “…decreases cognitive effort to process information on the site and represents an environment where demands are clearer, leading to easier navigation and favorable attitude toward the web site” (Singh and Periera 2005:25). Empirical studies evaluating consumer behavior make it clear that culture has a resounding impact on the perception and action of consumers. Singh and Periera (2005) explain “in a world where customers are one click away from a competitor’s web site…it would be disastrous to overlook what has been established as a key element affecting consumer preferences: culture” (Singh and Pereira 2005:25).

Incorporating cultural research into target market analysis offers marketers and their clients the opportunity to capitalize on cultural variation of consumers by producing culturally relevant content that is consistent with the ideals and expectations of cultural groups (Butler 2012). Research studies clearly indicate that customizing online content based on cultural expectations has a beneficial effect on consumer behavior and Web ROI (return on Internet advertising as well as website investment) (Singh Pereira 2005:24-25).

Recognizing the significance of cultural context to promotional content has led to the emergence of cultural marketing as a specialization that is applied toward target market analysis. Culture from the perspective of Business Anthropologists researching consumer behavior represents what consumers do (lifestyle choices, hobbies, purchasing decisions), how they do what they do (how conversions/purchases occur) and why they do it (motivations for making purchases). “Culture is the medium through which all communication travels, and it’s what complicates marketers’ efforts. Just as water bends light, culture changes – sometimes to a great degree – the direction, impact and meaning of communication” (Fields 2014). Marketers communicate through promotional content designed to persuade potential consumers to take action. “Many businesses concentrate their marketing efforts on one of several segments of a culture…understanding the cultural behaviors and attitudes of potential clients helps businesses market their products and services in relevant and effective ways” (Mack 2016).

Adding cultural affiliation of consumers to target market analysis facilitates a holistic understanding of consumers that enhances a marketer’s connection between promotional content and consumer expectations. In order for Business Anthropologists and marketers to create cultural consumer segments and customize content to connect with their potential consumers they must recognize the overarching significance of culture to the online and offline (brick and mortar) marketing landscape. Singh and Pereira (2005:24-25) suggest the Internet is made up of content that is the byproduct of culture and that culture is important to Internet Marketing because it represents a ubiquitous variable that influences online consumer behavior.

Cultural context defines the where (geographic location and culture of consumers), who (demographics, psychographics and culture of consumers), and what (product or service offer and sales/conversions) of target market analysis. Research and strategic planning undertaken to achieve goals for a marketing campaign should be relative to the cultural context of a marketing plan. A concept proposed here that is absent from contemporary marketing and Business Anthropology literature is Cultural Marketing Landscape. The cultural marketing landscape represents a context for target market analysis that applies cultural insights with geo-targeting and traditional consumer behavior analysis focusing on demographic and psychographic consumer segments. The evaluation of a target market as a cultural marketing landscape might facilitate 1) the development of several cultural segments and represent multi-cultural marketing OR 2) this landscape might represent a marketing context that contains a single cultural group targeted for advertising locally or abroad. To optimize consumer receptivity, contemporary marketing practice (online and in brick and mortar contexts) should capitalize on the opportunity presented by prioritizing culture and evaluate target markets as cultural marketing landscapes. If marketing context (the where and when of a marketing initiative) is overlooked rather than evaluated holistically the relationship between consumer segmentation, geographic space and culture will be overlooked and an opportunity to culturally customize content will be lost.

References

2015. Kiddon, Joan and Larry Light. New Brand Leadership: Managing at the Intersection of Globalization, Localization and Personalization. Pearson FT Press.

2013. Buzan, Tony and Chris Griffiths. Mind Maps for Business, 2^nd Edition. Pearson International.

Dr. David S.B. Butler is a Professor in the Internet Marketing Program at Full Sail University and is a PhD in applied anthropology.  He specializes in cultural marketing, consumer behavior analysis, and target marketing analysis.   You can read more from Dr. Butler at: http://bit.ly/1XzW6Ku

 

What the Hashtag!

by: Kenneth Cossin

How to Properly Use a Hashtag in Your Social Media

What the Hashtag!

Don’t freak out!  I am sure that you have seen the proliferation of the hashtag on television today, and you may be asking yourself why this little symbol has become so ubiquitous.  As most of us know, it has been used in many different forms of communication and technology from telephones, voicemail systems, programming languages, etc, but today, it has really gained a lot of traction in social media.  Often, the hashtag is overused, because there is not much thought behind its real function in social media.  Also, we hear so many mentions of hashtags every day in the media that we just think that it must be important, therefore, we must use them, too.  I bet some of us have even caught ourselves saying things like, “[Hashtag], #NotMyProblem” or something of the like to get a laugh or two.  Well, this little mark has a lot more functionality than just to gain laughs or to annoy social media users.

Make Previous Posts Findable

What is a hashag anyway?  It is a pound sign or hash (#) that is placed at the beginning of a word or phrase that makes your social media posts searchable.  For example, one can denote #USA or #USAFlorida at the end of a social media post to make the post findable or searchable after the post is made.  When a post is created with the hashtag, you can go back to search for this chosen word or phrase without having to remember everything that you posted.  To explain further, posts with a particular hashtag can be aggregated to tell a story, provide information, supply metrics for measurement, create social media trends, track results, or a plethora of other uses.  These uses are only limited by your imagination.

Make Topics Searchable

Hashtags are used by most social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, etc.  The hashtag can help users of the platform to locate accounts that they wish to follow – that is, accounts that strategically fit into their interests.  For example, let’s say that you want to follow some great marketers on Twitter that publish/promote content about the marketing field.  You could perform a search, “#Marketing” on Twitter to locate all tweets containing this hashtag.  A majority of the results will not only provide you with interesting information on the marketing field but also provide you with Twitter users that have tweeted this interesting information.

Using a hashtag effectively starts with knowing how many hashtags to use and how to be strategic with its use.  A great rule of thumb is to use no more than three.  Also, know what search keywords are important to your tweet.  These keywords or key phrases should be hashtagged in your post.  Note that overusing hashtags affects your post’s readability.  You can read some of my thoughts on this subject in my article, “3 Quick Tips on Writing a Readable Tweet,” that helps explain hashtag usage further.

Make Hashtags Easy

When developing a hashtag for your tweetups, daily posts, etc, make sure that you use a hashtag that is easy to remember, easy to type, and not trademarked.

For example, for a tweetup, remember that the people tweeting are probably using a mobile device.  Therefore, don’t use a combination of capital letters and numbers.  Having to switch your virtual keyboard is a nightmare on a mobile device when you’re trying to be quick and efficient.  So, maybe use #entnews instead of #EntNews or #EntNews10.  Also, keeping it short and sweet is important.  The more typing someone must do, the more room there is for errors.

Steer clear of using trademarked names, as this can not only cause confusion but also create a potentially messy situation with the owner of that trademarked name.  Just play it safe and be creative in your choices.

So, next time you hear the word hashtag being used in the media, you will know what it means and how to use it properly.  While this catchphrase may fade from the short attention span of television and the viewing public, it will most likely continue its functionality in the social media world — that is, until something more catchy comes along!

photo credit: bunnysvintagevictory.blogspot.com

Check out some of my most recent curated content in Cossin’s Corner Deux!

http://paper.li/Kenneth_Cossin/1342551628

7 Tips to Creating Great Video to Increase Your Audience

by: Kenneth Cossin

With how easy it is today to create video, we, as bloggers, need to think of how to leverage video content to increase traffic to our site. I will give you some video tips that are easy and inexpensive enough for anyone to use to get started with video content for their blog.

Why make a video?

• You can cram a lot of content and information into a short 5-10 minute video than you can into paragraphs of words.

• When used effectively, you can build an audience and gain returning visitors through visual content.

• Video helps to build trust with your audience. They see and hear what you are talking about, therefore they understand better the message you are trying to convey.

Types of Videos

Below are five types of videos that work well with blogs. They can be applied to almost any subject.

• Teasers – These are short 30-90 second videos that show your viewers a product or service. They are much like a TV commercial.

• Leadership – Demonstrate your authority on a subject. You can provide useful and unique information from your perspective.

• Interviews – Open dialogues about a subject related to your blog. These videos can be fancy and shot in a studio or simple Internet conversations recorded with Skype or another video conferencing tool. Check out these five video interviewing tips.

• Demos/Training – These videos show step-by-step how to do something or provide an overview of how something works.

• Storytelling – A narrative related to subject matter associated with your blog.

Storyboarding

Starting off with a storyboard is very important whenever you set out to do a video. It does not need to be fancy, have awesome drawings or graphics, or have details that everyone would understand. It is a tool to help YOU plan out how the video will go from how the camera shots and angles will be set up to where the person or object on camera will be placed in the frame.

Equipment

Start off with some basic tools such as a simple video camera with an on-board microphone and 3-point lighting. There is no need to invest in expensive equipment. Find things around your house that will suffice. For example, locate a lamp that will light up a large area. Fill in the shadow areas with other lamps of varying intensity to minimize shadows. Be sure to strategically set them up to be flattering on the subject. When recording a video over the Internet, you can usually get away with only one light source and the built-in audio and video capabilities.

Talent

Whether you are doing an interview or having someone be your talent on camera, you always want to have a specific thought in mind. Therefore, you can clearly convey to your talent why you are choosing them and what you want them to do or talk about.

Scripts

Assemble a detailed verbatim script of what the person or people will say on camera. Also, have your talent practice the script to avoid bloopers and other mistakes. Your goal is to always capture on camera exactly what you want for your final product so that you minimize the amount of work you have in post-production. In essence, the more work you do in pre-production, the less work you will have in post-production.

Audio

Avoid recording outdoors at all costs unless your audio will be replaced with other audio. You do not want to ask your talent to return to your location to do voiceover work for inaudible parts. Also, test your audio to see if the recording volumes are set correctly.

Editing Software

It is very easy to edit your videos using iMovie for Mac or Movie Maker for PC. These software packages are inexpensive and have a small learning curve. They will allow you to cut out any undesirable parts and insert a leader, royalty-free music, images, graphics, cuts, or information.

Have Fun!

My last tip is to simply enjoy the process. No matter what type of video you create for your blog, you can make it a fun process with these simple tips above.

If you are ready to start your video adventure take a look at these tips on how to optimize your Youtube channel and how to optimize your videos.

Republished with permission from Marko Saric of How to Make My Blog.  Original post: http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/video/creating-great-video/

Related articles

• 3 Point Lighting (amandaviolet.wordpress.com)
• Lighting for Video (theonlineartera.wordpress.com)
• Tips & Gadgets for Great Online Video Marketing (getresponse.com)
• How Can I Make Quality Videos and Short Films on a Budget? (lifehacker.com)
• 4 Technical Video Marketing Skills for Young Professionals (business2community.com)
• THE Guide to Making A Kickass Video To Demo Your Awesome Product (nextbigwhat.com)
• My first video project (tanschulze.wordpress.com)

6 Ways To Increase Your Social Value

by: Kenneth Cossin

Building social value or clout requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, planning out your journey to success can be daunting. I offer you six tips to get started. Be diligent in your effort; that is, set aside scheduled time for these tasks to be successful.

Connect with industry experts

A great way to start out is to discover what parts of an industry you are interested in. For example, if you are passionate about internet marketing, you may want to connect with blogging, social media, Analytics, SEO, or mobile experts. You can follow people in your specific niche or choose to follow people in all of these internet marketing categories.

Interview experts

A great way to gain valuable information for your blog and your followers is to do some interviews with them. Ask industry experts if they would be willing to give you an hour of their time for an interview. Give them details regarding your topic of interest and a list of interview questions. Therefore, you both will be prepared. You may have to ask a hundred people before you get one “yes,” but be persistent.

If you are going to publish these interviews on your blog, be sure to get permission and a signed release to use their likeness and record them. Having interviews for your blog readers to watch is always a great way to build your audience.

Write guest blog posts

Why not share the love? Be willing to write guest posts for popular blogs that have a great following. You can get your name out to others that read your guest posts while building your trust and authority. Also, be willing to let others guest blog on your blog. Doing so will help them build their trust and authority while you gain the mutual benefit of their knowledge.

Be inquisitive

Understand that in life, you are always going to be learning. So, why not seek out new knowledge? You will be surprised at the new things that you can learn each day if you take just a few moments to read and listen to the people around you. Be sure to make an extra point of applying the new knowledge and ideas regarding your industry.

Go to industry events

Most of us know that going to industry events provides a great networking opportunity. In addition to listening closely to the great presentations at these events, be sure to walk around and introduce yourself in the halls to everyone. Don’t be surprised if the most unlikely person you talk to winds up being the person that helps you out the most!

Monitor your brand

This goes without saying, no matter what social media platforms you choose to be part of, monitoring your brand, your tweets, your posts on Facebook, regularly updating your LinkedIn profile, and so on is imperative. Anything that detracts from the message you are trying to give people is extraneous. Therefore, get rid of it. Also, know that even the nicest people still judge. Be sure that what you put out there is what you would want them to judge you on.

These tips are just the beginning of your quest to finding social value. As you learn and practice, you will find that some things work better than others for you. Use what you know and what works best for you. Be open to new ideas and suggestions no matter how seasoned of an expert you are, and remember to stay inquisitive.

Republished with permission from Marko Saric of How to Make My Blog.  Original post: http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/social-media-2/social-value/

photo credit: NewToWallpapers.com

Communicating through Color

by: Kenneth Cossin

Using color effectively in all kinds of imagery is a great tool to enhance your non-verbal or written communication.  Businesses, entertainers, marketers, the media, and so on use these to gain our attention and to convey their message quickly without us even knowing it.  Color that is used in a familiar context can be quite effective at building brand identity by creating a comfortable environment for the customer.  Thus, getting across a message to prospective consumers is much easier.  So, how does this all work?

Meaning

Let us start off by taking a look at the common meanings for different colors.  These meanings are very typical for western culture and may vary based on the culture to which you are visually communicating.

Red – strength, power, love, energy, danger

Orange – creativity, enthusiasm, determination, happiness

Yellow – Sunshine, cheer, happiness, yield, caution

Green – harmony, health, nature, safety

Blue – trust, loyalty, intelligence, wisdom

Purple – royalty, power, wealth

Black – Formal, elegant, power

White – Purity, innocence, cleanliness

Variations of these colors as well as combinations of them have an effect on how you perceive the message.  In addition, colors that complement one another, when used effectively, can combine the communication effects of color.

Context

When using color, you must always think of the context in which you are using it.  For example, if you are selling your home and you have decided to give it a fresh coat of paint, it is best to look to neutral and earth-tone colors.  These colors convey a message of wealth and richness.  Bright, flashy colors, such as pastels, do not typically sell houses.  There are exceptions in the tropical and subtropical climates, but as with every example, there are cases in which it will not fully apply.

Let us take another example.  Let’s say that you are furnishing your new baby’s room.  You would want to go with bright colors and entertaining themes.  These bright colors stimulate a child’s mind and positively affect his or her happiness.  According to some expert sources, some colors can affect your baby’s mood, behavior, and even feeling of well-being.

Mood

In marketing, companies will use color in their logos and in their messaging to influence buyer decisions.  They use color in their logos, designs, and ads to influence buying decisions.  The intent is to change your mood or your feelings toward their brand so that you will make a purchase.  Take a look around you next time you are in the store.  Identify what colors attract you, and think about how they make you feel.  You will be surprised by how much thought is given to color.

Nature

One of the best color coordinators is nature.  When seeking complimentary colors, look at the natural world, your environment.  As you will notice, the colors that we see are not exact or standard hues.  In addition, colors are typically a gradation of color, that is, things are not monochrome.  Therefore, you need to closely inspect the color combinations in order to ensure a natural complement.

Another awesome effect that occurs in nature is the ever-chaging color of our environment based on lighting and seasons.  Take advantage of these variations when choosing colors that communicate.  Remember that much of our communication is non-verbal, therefore, use these color choices in your clothing and accessories.

Generation

Depending on your age range, your choices of color will typically change.  For example, children will gravitate to reds, yellows, and oranges whereas adults will gravitate to greens, blues, and purples.

As we get older, social acceptance for color preferences changes which may strongly influence our color choices.  Therefore, if we are given the societal message that, “blue is for boys,” grown men are not going to say that their favorite color is pink.  Even women see the color pink as a color for young girls and, therefore, shy away from this color.

Popular Color Usage

It is fun to learn what colors are used most in marketing.  The type of product being sold can strongly influence the color choices.  For example, red is the most common color for beverage logos with blue running a close second and purple being the least common.

Next time you are designing something, think about the color choices that you make and why you are making them.  Use nature to inspire color combinations to help you effectively communicate your message.

image credit: freecolorsource.com

6 Great Storytelling Tips For Bloggers

by: Kenneth Cossin

Coming up with topic ideas for your blog can be very frustrating at times. Below, I offer some great storytelling tips to help get your content ideas flowing. If you need more blog ideas, check out this list of 31 types of ideas you can post.

Stories usually tell about a journey, whether it is a personal passage, a conflict, or a challenge. Along this journey, we hope that the hero will transform into a better version of himself. As bloggers we need to capture and translate these same concepts into our blogging to better engage our readers. Here’s what you can do:

Gather Your Raw Materials

Keep a journal of your topics and decide on what categories they fall into whether you are providing tips, tricks, creative ideas, suggestions, or opinions. For example, think about how we categorize films into genres of comedy, drama, thriller, and so on. The categorization process is the same.

Outline your ideas and jot down key words as they come to you. As a rule of thumb, make sure that you can express your ideas in about 800 words or less.

Break Down Your Story into Segments

Create a compelling introduction that grabs your reader’s attention within the first 2-3 sentences. If your reader is not continuing on with your entry after the first few seconds, he will quickly move on to another one. Touch on your key points clearly and concisely. That is, be detailed but brief. While this statement is rather vague, try spicing your reading up with a sprinkling of adjectives – not too many or you’ll lose your reader in the details.

Give your reader a sense of conclusion, a sense of closure. Therefore, briefly summarize your points at the end.

Use Visuals

Relate the concepts you are trying to present to something that people use or do every day. Use photos, videos, and podcasts to help visually draw in your reader. While videos and podcasts take a lot of time in terms of planning, coordinating, setting up, recording, and post-production, there are many simple tools that you can use as an individual to accomplish this goal.

Use Analogies

Telling stories often incorporates complex ideas. Therefore, it is always a good idea if you can relate an everyday task to what you are explaining. Also, you will want to make sure that your analogy relates directly and translates easily to the complex idea. For example, if you are showing someone how to play a grand piano, you may wish to equate it to playing darts or some other simpler task that still requires a keen sense of accuracy.

Leave out the Sub-plots

Note that there is no time for sub-plots to your blog entries. Sub-plots detract from the overall story that you are trying to tell. Be sure to remain brief and to the point.

Build to an Epic Conclusion

What is your reader getting from reading your blog post? Is it knowledge, ideas, solutions, answers to questions… Or is it simply them wishing they got those 10 minutes back in their life? Make your reader feel like it was worth their while to spend time with your post. Make it dazzle them; make it epic.

In summary, your blog posts should always be something that you are proud of. Bring creativity and excitement to your work through storytelling.

 

Republished with permission from Marko Saric of How to Make My Blog.  Original post: http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/writing/storytelling-tips/