It's All About The ExperienceA blog about managing and improving customer experience and improving profits.https://ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog24 Examples of Social Media Advertising Campaigns Small Businesses Can Use To Build Their Brandshttps://ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/24/28-examples-of-social-media-advertising-campaigns-small-businesses-can-use-to-build-their-brandsBranding,Content Development,Conversion,Customer Complaints,New Product Development,SEO,Social MediaThu, 30 Nov 2023 14:29:00 GMT<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuid3YuAHgdErd3s" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Social media is one of the most influential elements of modern advertising. It has arisen from a trendy curiosity to a mainstay of consumer marketing. Marketers use social media in various ways, most of which small business owners can use to build their brands. These include&nbsp;<strong>paid advertising</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>influencer marketing</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>content creation</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>social listening</strong>, and&nbsp;<strong>user-generated content</strong>&nbsp;development. Finally, new technology has allowed marketers to engage in community building through&nbsp;<strong>live-streaming</strong>&nbsp;events and<strong>&nbsp;contests</strong>.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">As a Management Consultant and part-time College Instructor in Marketing and Management, I am a great keeper of examples that help explain marketing techniques. Below, I briefly explain the six kinds of social media advertising strategies. With each element of this typology, I provide examples of excellent execution of these strategies. If one of the examples interests you, click on it to learn more, then bookmark the URL for future use!&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>Paid Advertising.&nbsp;</strong>Paid advertising tops the list of ways marketers use social media to promote their products and services. With paid advertising, marketers provide target audiences with tailored messages. Marketers design these messages to drive engagement with prospects and customers and lift conversions. <a href="https://www.ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/15/integrate-or-die">Retargeting customers who have visited your website with ads on social media</a> is an example of a particularly successful tactic we&#39;ve mentioned in previous posts. Products from pages previously visited suddenly start appearing on other web pages we visit. Here are some examples of companies that do this well:</span></p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://landingcube.com/traffic/facebook-retargeting-amazon-products/" target="_blank">Amazon&#39;s retargeting program on Facebook</a>&nbsp;(LandingCube, 2023).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.markettailor.io/blog/growth-hacking-through-retargeting-and-remarketing" target="_blank">Spotify uses retargeting ads on Instagram to increase customer engagement and sales</a>&nbsp;(Growth Hacking Through Retargeting and Remarketin<em>g</em>, n.d.).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://digiday.com/media/apple-brings-retargeting-iad/" target="_blank">Apple&#39;s retargeting Twitter ads drive customer loyalty</a>&nbsp;(McDermott, 2014).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-gb/marketing-strategies/video/how-airbnb-used-ad-sequencing-bring-their-new-product-life-youtube/" target="_blank">How Airbnb&#39;s retargeting campaigns on YouTube used video content to target their audience</a>&nbsp;(Shipley &amp; Clark, 2021).</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Paid social media ads allow marketers to track the performance of their campaigns in real-time. This attribute helps marketers make data-driven decisions about their marketing strategies and how they are paying off.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>Influencer Marketing.&nbsp;</strong>As we discussed in previous posts, marketers can reach a broad audience in their target market by working with influencers. Influencers are people who demonstrably speak to your target audience and theirs. Marketers find influencers with large followings on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and the newly emergent&nbsp;<a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/07/introducing-threads-new-app-text-sharing/" target="_blank">Threads</a>&nbsp;and hire them to insert their products and services directly into their context -- hopefully the same context as your target audience. Influencers can help build trust in your brand with key customers. Influencers accomplish this by providing reviews and recommendations for your products and services or, like athletes and outdoor video bloggers, simply using your products. Here are some examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns. Most examples below include mega influencers, but remember that a top blogger, amateur athlete, or rising musician can be just as influential!</span></p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://business.twitter.com/en/success-stories/starbucks-stokes-red-cups-fever-on-twitter.html" target="_blank">Starbucks&#39; #RedCupContest on Twitter</a>&nbsp;(Starbucks Stokes Red Cups Fever on Twitter, n.d.)</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvQSWlVpnkS/" target="_blank">Nike&#39;s collaboration with Lebron James on Instagram</a>&nbsp;(Instagram, n.d.).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/apple-joins-instagram-to-show-off-shot-on-iphone-campaign/448839/" target="_blank">Apple&#39;s #ShotOniPhone campaign on Instagram</a>&nbsp;(Kirkpatrick 2017).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://qz.com/quartzy/1304635/how-rihanna-forced-the-beauty-industry-to-acknowledge-a-world-beyond-the-rich-and-the-white" target="_blank">Dior with Rihanna for the Fenty Beauty launch</a>&nbsp;(Singh-Kurtz, 2022).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/folders/5ikXYlau81nAaRF9KYIVlz/lists/6473VM25BnkXXqIrJvqLOZ/" target="_blank">Coca-Cola&#39;s #ShareACoke campaign on Twitter&nbsp;</a>(Napean, 2014)</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>Social Listening.&nbsp;</strong>Social listening is an effective technique marketers use to find out what their target audience thinks about their products and services. Social listening involves monitoring conversations on social media platforms to deliver insights into what people say about a particular product or service. Marketers use this type of research to inform marketing decisions. Consumers provide free feedback that marketers can use to improve the product or service they are promoting. As we discussed in <a href="http://www.ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/7/finding-increased-profits-through-better-complaints-management">our previous blog about complaints management</a>, this information can improve profits and lower costs when adequately indexed, sorted, and analyzed. Here are some examples of social listening programs that have worked well:</span></p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.diligent.es/social-media-listening-strategy-starbucks/" target="_blank">Starbucks Successful Social Listening</a>&nbsp;(Diligent Team, 2016).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://netbasequid.com/blog/envisioning-iphone-worthy-release-social-listening/" target="_blank">How Apple Uses Social Listening to Improve Products</a>&nbsp;(Surico, 2023).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.giraffesocialmedia.co.uk/how-do-amazon-use-social-media/" target="_blank">Amazon&#39;s Use of Social Listening to Enhance Customer Experience</a>&nbsp;(Stroud, 2023)&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2012/09/25/in-dell-social-media-journey-lessons-for-marketers-about-the-power-of-listening/?sh=3734fe902570" target="_blank">Dell&#39;s Innovative Way of Engaging with its Consumers Through Social Media Monitoring</a>&nbsp;(Rooney, 2012).</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>User Generated Content (UGC).&nbsp;</strong>UGC refers to any content created by users on a particular platform that has been shared publicly, such as reviews, photos, videos, etc. UGC provides free exposure for brands as it often resonates more strongly with other users than traditional forms of advertising due to its authenticity and relatability factor. Here are some examples of how marketers use UGC:</span></p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://amazonseoconsultant.com/product-storytelling-examples/" target="_blank">Highlighting customers&#39; experiences with the product &ndash; reviews, recommendations, and stories</a>&nbsp;(Buckland, 2023).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/2023/07/unboxing-videos.html" target="_blank">Showcasing customer &#39;unboxing&#39; videos to demonstrate product quality and features</a>. (Pilon, 2023).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-user-generated-content-ugc-with-4-great-examples" target="_blank">Asking customers to post photos wearing or using the product on their social media profiles with a hashtag associated with your brand</a>&nbsp;(Myers, 2023).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.omnisend.com/blog/testimonial-advertising/" target="_blank">Inviting customers to submit creative content for marketing campaigns</a>&nbsp;(Meyer, 2023).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-celebrity-endorsements/415568/" target="_blank">Engage influencers and celebrities in conversation about your product or service</a>&nbsp;(Weinstein, 2021).</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>Live Streaming.&nbsp;</strong>Live streaming has become increasingly popular among marketers in recent years. Live streaming events permit marketers to interact directly with viewers in real time. Showcasing a product or service during a live event builds consumer engagement with your brand. It usually forges a stronger connection between the brand and its audience. Also, live streams often go viral, increasing brand awareness and sales opportunities. Examples abound! Here are a few:</span></p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/world-cup-why-nike-should-turn-its-soccer-short-the-last-game-into-a-digital-series-1201242251/" target="_blank">Nike&#39;s &quot;The Last Game&quot; Live Stream</a>&nbsp;(Graser, 2014).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/burger-king-whopper-detour-mobile-marketer-awards/566224/" target="_blank">Burger King&#39;s &quot;Whopper Detour&quot; Live Stream</a>&nbsp;(Koltun, 2019).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/17/apple-musics-concert-series-livestream-performances-harry-styles/" target="_blank">Apple&#39;s &quot;Apple Music Festival&quot; Live Stream</a>&nbsp;(<em>TechCrunch</em>, 2022).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.theverge.com/23799567/samsung-galaxy-unpacked-live-stream-watch-date-time-z-flip-fold" target="_blank">Samsung Live Stream of Galaxy Fold Unpacking</a>&nbsp;(Roth, 2023).</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>Contests &amp; Giveaways.&nbsp;</strong>Contests and giveaways are another great way for marketers to use social media platforms like Facebook &amp; Instagram to promote their products and services. Contests allow brands to engage directly with followers while offering prizes for other products or services. Marketers design these promotions so that a company starts a relationship with customers (who typically will trade an email address or phone number in exchange for a chance to win.) These fun promotions increase brand awareness and encourage followers to spread the word about your business, increasing sales opportunities and marketing lists! Here are a few examples of successful programs:</span></p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.talon.one/blog/mcdonalds-monopoly-a-masterclass-in-promotions" target="_blank">McDonald&#39;s Monopoly promotion</a>&nbsp;(Bewicke, 2023)</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYkzqvcCl_E" target="_blank">Doritos&#39; Super Bowl Action Movie contest</a>&nbsp;(ABC News, 2014).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/13/oreo-giving-away-100000-if-you-can-guess-the-mystery-flavor.html" target="_blank">Oreo&#39;s Mystery Flavors game</a>&nbsp;(Carter, 2017).</span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><a href="https://www.wrike.com/blog/winning-coca-cola-formula-successful-campaign/" target="_blank">Coca-Cola&#39;s &quot;Share a Coke&quot; campaign</a>&nbsp;(Codella, 2022).</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>Summing Up</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Social media is an excellent way for your company to get itself noticed. As the above examples show, the tactic is used successfully by some of the biggest businesses. This interaction is why even small business marketers should learn social media advertising techniques. Take note of the above examples of ways to use social networking for marketing purposes. Social networking allows small and large businesses to create a strong presence, build brand recognition, and increase sales. Every business will have its unique approach to using social media. Still, one thing is sure: if done effectively, this medium can tremendously impact any organization&#39;s bottom line -- including yours.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><strong>References</strong></span></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">ABC News. (2014, January 9).&nbsp;<em>Doritos Super Bowl ad competition offers winners $1M</em>&nbsp;[Video]. YouTube.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYkzqvcCl_E" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYkzqvcCl_E</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Avar admin. (2023, August 7). Dell&#39;s approach to social media sourcing and ROI.&nbsp;<em>Avature</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.avature.net/blogs/dells-approach-social-media-sourcing/" target="_blank">https://www.avature.net/blogs/dells-approach-social-media-sourcing/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Bewicke, H. (2023, July 23).&nbsp;<em>McDonald&#39;s Monopoly: a masterclass in promotions | Talon.One</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.talon.one/blog/mcdonalds-monopoly-a-masterclass-in-promotions" target="_blank">https://www.talon.one/blog/mcdonalds-monopoly-a-masterclass-in-promotions</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Buckland, T. (2023, May 26).&nbsp;<em>The 6 Best Product Storytelling Examples from Around the Web</em>. Amazon SEO Consultant.&nbsp;<a href="https://amazonseoconsultant.com/product-storytelling-examples/" target="_blank">https://amazonseoconsultant.com/product-storytelling-examples/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Carter, S. M. (2017, November 22). Oreo is giving away $100,000 if you can guess its &#39;mystery&#39; flavor.&nbsp;<em>CNBC</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/13/oreo-giving-away-100000-if-you-can-guess-the-mystery-flavor.html" target="_blank">https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/13/oreo-giving-away-100000-if-you-can-guess-the-mystery-flavor.html</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><em>Coca-Cola launches Tweet-a-Coke as trackable social coupons gain | Retail Dive</em>. (n.d.).&nbsp;<a href="https://www.retaildive.com/ex/mobilecommercedaily/coca-cola-tests-twitters-social-commerce-waters-as-it-begins-to-emerge-as-a-top-predator" target="_blank">https://www.retaildive.com/ex/mobilecommercedaily/coca-cola-tests-twitters-social-commerce-waters-as-it-begins-to-emerge-as-a-top-predator</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Codella, D. (2022). The winning Coca-Cola formula for a successful campaign.&nbsp;<em>Blog Wrike</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wrike.com/blog/winning-coca-cola-formula-successful-campaign/" target="_blank">https://www.wrike.com/blog/winning-coca-cola-formula-successful-campaign/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">David Kirkpatrick Contributing Editor. (2017, August 8).&nbsp;<em>Apple joins Instagram to show off &quot;Shot on iPhone&quot; campaign</em>. Marketing Dive.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/apple-joins-instagram-to-show-off-shot-on-iphone-campaign/448839/" target="_blank">https://www.marketingdive.com/news/apple-joins-instagram-to-show-off-shot-on-iphone-campaign/448839/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Diligent Team. (2016, September 13).&nbsp;<em>Social Media Listening Strategy and how Starbucks does it</em>. Diligent.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.diligent.es/social-media-listening-strategy-starbucks/" target="_blank">https://www.diligent.es/social-media-listening-strategy-starbucks/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Editorial team. (2013, August 20).&nbsp;<em>Giveaway! Bridal Lingerie from Cosabella | Junebug Weddings</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://junebugweddings.com/wedding-blog/giveaway-bridal-lingerie-from-cosabella/" target="_blank">https://junebugweddings.com/wedding-blog/giveaway-bridal-lingerie-from-cosabella/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Graser, M. (2014, June 23). Variety.&nbsp;<em>Variety</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/world-cup-why-nike-should-turn-its-soccer-short-the-last-game-into-a-digital-series-1201242251/" target="_blank">https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/world-cup-why-nike-should-turn-its-soccer-short-the-last-game-into-a-digital-series-1201242251/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><em>Growth hacking through retargeting and remarketing</em>. (n.d.).&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markettailor.io/blog/growth-hacking-through-retargeting-and-remarketing" target="_blank">https://www.markettailor.io/blog/growth-hacking-through-retargeting-and-remarketing</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><em>Instagram</em>. (n.d.).&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvQSWlVpnkS/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/CvQSWlVpnkS/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Koltun, N. (2019, December 9).&nbsp;<em>Campaign of the Year: Burger King&#39;s &quot;Whopper Detour.&quot;</em>&nbsp;Marketing Dive.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/burger-king-whopper-detour-mobile-marketer-awards/566224/" target="_blank">https://www.marketingdive.com/news/burger-king-whopper-detour-mobile-marketer-awards/566224/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">LandingCube. (2023, April 20).&nbsp;<em>Chapter 5: Facebook retargeting for Amazon products</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://landingcube.com/traffic/facebook-retargeting-amazon-products/" target="_blank">https://landingcube.com/traffic/facebook-retargeting-amazon-products/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">McDermott, J. (2014, October 15). Apple revamps mobile ads with retargeting options.&nbsp;<em>Digiday</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://digiday.com/media/apple-brings-retargeting-iad/" target="_blank">https://digiday.com/media/apple-brings-retargeting-iad/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Meyer, B. (2023, June 20).&nbsp;<em>The 13 best examples of testimonial advertising</em>. Omnisend Blog.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.omnisend.com/blog/testimonial-advertising/" target="_blank">https://www.omnisend.com/blog/testimonial-advertising/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Myers, D. (2023, January 16). 4 Great examples of User-Generated Content (UGC).&nbsp;<em>Digital Marketing Institute</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-user-generated-content-ugc-with-4-great-examples" target="_blank">https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-user-generated-content-ugc-with-4-great-examples</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">NapeanLLC. (2014, July 29).&nbsp;<em>Coca-Cola launches Tweet-a-Coke as trackable social coupons gain</em>&nbsp;[Video]. YouTube.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECFUR_4s5oQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECFUR_4s5oQ</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Pilon, A. (2023). Twenty-five best unboxing videos and how to create your masterpiece.&nbsp;<em>Small Business Trends</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/2023/07/unboxing-videos.html" target="_blank">https://smallbiztrends.com/2023/07/unboxing-videos.html</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Rooney, J. (2012, September 25). In Dell Social-Media Journey, Lessons For Marketers About The Power Of Listening.&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2012/09/25/in-dell-social-media-journey-lessons-for-marketers-about-the-power-of-listening/?sh=3734fe902570" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2012/09/25/in-dell-social-media-journey-lessons-for-marketers-about-the-power-of-listening/?sh=3734fe902570</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Roth, E. (2023, July 25). Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023: how to watch the live stream and what to expect.&nbsp;<em>The Verge</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/23799567/samsung-galaxy-unpacked-live-stream-watch-date-time-z-flip-fold" target="_blank">https://www.theverge.com/23799567/samsung-galaxy-unpacked-live-stream-watch-date-time-z-flip-fold</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Shipley, K., &amp; Clark, S. (2021). How Airbnb used ad sequencing to bring their new product to life on YouTube.&nbsp;<em>Think With Google</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-gb/marketing-strategies/video/how-airbnb-used-ad-sequencing-bring-their-new-product-life-youtube/" target="_blank">https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-gb/marketing-strategies/video/how-airbnb-used-ad-sequencing-bring-their-new-product-life-youtube/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Singh-Kurtz, S. (2022, July 20). How Rihanna forced the beauty industry to acknowledge a world beyond the rich and the white.&nbsp;<em>Quartz</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/quartzy/1304635/how-rihanna-forced-the-beauty-industry-to-acknowledge-a-world-beyond-the-rich-and-the-white" target="_blank">https://qz.com/quartzy/1304635/how-rihanna-forced-the-beauty-industry-to-acknowledge-a-world-beyond-the-rich-and-the-white</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><em>Starbucks stokes Red Cups fever on Twitter</em>. (n.d.).&nbsp;<a href="https://business.twitter.com/en/success-stories/starbucks-stokes-red-cups-fever-on-twitter.html" target="_blank">https://business.twitter.com/en/success-stories/starbucks-stokes-red-cups-fever-on-twitter.html</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Stroud, S. (2023). Amazon &amp; social media: How does Amazon use it?&nbsp;<em>Giraffe Social Media</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.giraffesocialmedia.co.uk/how-do-amazon-use-social-media/" target="_blank">https://www.giraffesocialmedia.co.uk/how-do-amazon-use-social-media/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Surico, K. (2023). Envisioning Your iPhone-worthy Release with Social Listening.&nbsp;<em>NetBase Quid</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://netbasequid.com/blog/envisioning-iphone-worthy-release-social-listening/" target="_blank">https://netbasequid.com/blog/envisioning-iphone-worthy-release-social-listening/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;"><em>TechCrunch is part of the Yahoo family of brands</em>. (2022, May 17).&nbsp;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/17/apple-musics-concert-series-livestream-performances-harry-styles/" target="_blank">https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/17/apple-musics-concert-series-livestream-performances-harry-styles/</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Weinstein, M. (2021). 10 Examples of Social Media Celebrity Endorsements That Paid Off Big Time.&nbsp;<em>Search Engine Journal</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-celebrity-endorsements/415568/" target="_blank">https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-celebrity-endorsements/415568/</a></span></p> 249 Ways To Build A Small Business Brandhttps://ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/18/7-ways-to-build-a-small-business-brandBranding,Content Development,Customer Complaints,customer experience,Customer ServiceTue, 15 Nov 2022 20:12:53 GMT<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">As a follow-on to our <a href="https://www.ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/17/six-ways-a-strong-brand-improves-profits">previous blog</a> about&nbsp;the crucial link between a strong brand and higher profits, set out below are nine&nbsp;ways&nbsp; companies can build their brands in their local markets:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">1. Get Social.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Social media is one of the best ways to build your company&#39;s brand. It is among small businesses&#39; most potent tools. You can build your audience and brand by creating a presence on&nbsp; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for direct-to-consumer communications and LinkedIn for B2B communications. Posts that are informative, fun, or help your customers in their day-to-day lives can do much to build a small company&#39;s brand. See&nbsp;our upcoming post with <a href="https://www.ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/24/28-examples-of-social-media-advertising-campaigns-small-businesses-can-use-to-build-their-brands">24 examples of how leading companies use social media</a> to build their brands.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">2. Create Sponsorships.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Another affordable way to build your company&#39;s brand is through event or sports sponsorships. When you sponsor an event or team, your company&#39;s name and logo become visible to fans, athletes, and other local event participants. This visibility can increase brand awareness and create positive associations with your company. For example, I have lived all over the country, and everywhere I go, the local Blue Cross Blue Shield sponsors a 10K event it supports along with other local employers. These excellent brand-building events for the Blues help cement their relationships with local employers (and their employees) who make up their target market.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">3. Develop &#39;Ninja&#39; Advertising Campaigns.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Advertising is another great way to build your company&#39;s brand. A cheap outdoor campaign, for example, can be hugely helpful to a local brand. You can reach many potential customers and positively associate with your brand by placing ads in strategic outdoor locations or running targeted campaigns on local radio, television, and sports media. The smaller your budget is, the more critical it is to be creative with your advertising. A local law firm I know is specialized in defense cases. It is considering buying advertising from home game announcers to use their name every time there is a penalty,&nbsp; just as the local car dealers pay to have their names mentioned with each touchdown!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">4. Leverage Public Relations With Local Media Outlets.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Public relations is another excellent way to build your company&#39;s brand. Getting involved in community events or working with local media outlets to announce new products, services, or charity initiatives can generate positive publicity for your company and build your brand.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">5. Accelerate Positive Word of Mouth Digitally.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Word of mouth is among the most effective ways to build your company&#39;s brand. Creating opportunities for referencing by surveying and then asking permission to post positive reviews on Google or Facebook can help digitize word of mouth and drive brand awareness.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">6. Request a Local Celebrity Endorsement.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Not all celebrities are in Hollywood. For example, do you live in a city or state that loves its college sports? NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) creates numerous opportunities for &quot;celebrity endorsements&quot; from college athletes. Often, small businesses can cut deals using barter arrangements like burgers for life or free wash-dry-fold services for athletes in exchange for commercial endorsements. Increasingly common, new NIL opportunities are becoming increasingly organized and effective.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">7. Go Above and Beyond.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Your company can garner favorable reviews by going above and beyond in various ways. You can anticipate your customers&#39; needs and do something they will appreciate without being asked. You can exceed expectations by over-delivering. For example, a business can finish work before it is due or be highly responsive &ndash; always picking up customer phone calls or staying open late to help a long-time customer. While seemingly small, these can also create appreciation and build your brand with them. If you make a customer happy, encourage them to post a review that tells others about it. Finally, following up with customers to determine their satisfaction with your work can build trust in your brand and alert you to problems.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">8. Sponsor or Participate in a Parade.&nbsp;</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Sponsoring or participating in a parade can introduce many people to a brand and its products or services in a short time. A parade float can be fun for employees while effectively generating interest in a brand and getting people talking about it. A business on or near a parade route can use the event to increase foot traffic and generate sales. Companies can hand out flyers or promotional items, offer discounts, or set up unique displays to catch the attention of parade-goers and draw them into the store.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size:larger;">9. Place Your Product in Movies or With Influencers On Social Media.</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:larger;">Product placement involves placing a company&#39;s products or brand in a movie or television show. Advertisers can use placements in several ways.&nbsp; &nbsp;The characters in a movie can use the product, display the product prominently, or mention the product by name. Or, a skilled influencer prominent in a business&#39;s target segment can use the product for free in exchange for the opportunity to use &quot;sponsored&quot; products. So, although placement in a James Bond movie may be out of reach for many small businesses, many can afford to give their products to top influencers in their market segment. Outdoor sports manufacturers like Rossignol Skis or Wilson Sporting have provided top amateur or collegiate athletes with free equipment for decades. For example, Red Bull has a YouTube video channel dedicated to extreme sports athletes. Finally, if all that doesn&#39;t work, make a video! If it&#39;s good enough, the video can go viral! See <a href="https://www.ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/20/viral-videos-that-build-brands-and-how-to-make-them">our next blog article on Viral Videos</a> to learn how this can work.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Happy Brand-Building!</span></p> 18Why Marketing Post-Covid Will Be About Community and Connectionshttps://ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/13/why-marketing-post-covid-will-be-about-loveContent Development,Conversion Improvement,customer experience,SEOThu, 11 Mar 2021 20:22:19 GMT<p style="text-align: justify;">In the post-Covid-19 economy, our businesses will become increasingly dependent on our digital connections with our customers and community. The longer you have been working in marketing, the more counterintuitive this brave new world will be.&nbsp;&nbsp; From direct mail to email to television and display advertising, traditional marketing weapons are becoming increasingly ineffective. The online search drives nearly everything these days. It is time for a new approach. Today&#39;s marketing must leverage&nbsp;technology&#39;s power and integrate&nbsp;the community&#39;s human appeal.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Here are some examples driving this trend:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;">Online Meeting Platforms, Zoom, and Teams wake up to find their online meeting platforms&#39; businesses are exploding. Everything from bible study to classrooms to business meetings has gone online.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">The online streaming service, Hulu, offers a&nbsp;&quot;Watch Party&quot; service that <a href="https://help.hulu.com/s/article/watch-party?language=en_US" target="_blank">permits subscribers to watch movies and shows together</a>, using Hulu to connect online and jointly watch synchronized content from different locations.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://portal.facebook.com/products/portal/?utm_source=gg&amp;utm_medium=a_ps&amp;utm_campaign=6466155258&amp;utm_term=facebook%20portal&amp;utm_content=502615399172&amp;utm_ad=74850662342&amp;utm_location=9013447&amp;utm_location2&amp;utm_placement=kwd-391571568194&amp;utm_adposition&amp;utm_device=c&amp;utm_matchype=e&amp;utm_feed=134437763763&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAnKeCBhDPARIsAFDTLTJSfE8ERaWjFUjOVHtzsue3fLuIriFi_F_-EtvP2vLzT6kZWfvI1L4aAtrVEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Facebook&#39;s portal system</a> allows users, families, and friends to make smart video calls from a device in their living rooms.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Amazon Prime turns 150 million Prime members into a streaming, online books, audiobooks, and entertainment distribution channel.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Girl Scouts are leveraging geo-lookup technology and <a href="https://www.today.com/food/girl-scout-cookies-home-delivery-here-s-how-order-online-t177027" target="_blank">have partnered with Grub Hub</a> to make&nbsp;cookies more available. You can even&nbsp;arrange contact-free delivery in many locations across the US.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">Ministry Brands, a software company for nonprofits, helps churches around the United States manage everything from <a href="https://www.ministrybrands.com/solutions/live-streaming/" target="_blank">online Church service video streaming</a> to <a href="https://www.easytithe.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_term=%2Bonline%20%2Bgiving&amp;utm_campaign=Giving+BMM&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;hsa_acc=3413534549&amp;hsa_cam=331299986&amp;hsa_grp=29696239826&amp;hsa_ad=418256446231&amp;hsa_src=g&amp;hsa_tgt=kwd-19412610014&amp;hsa_kw=%2Bonline%20%2Bgiving&amp;hsa_mt=b&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_ver=3&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAnKeCBhDPARIsAFDTLTKc4AgU-KhouK3iXCY7t2ZNubWJwFAbW1ofAjO9qlFKa-DjD1sPEZYaAtncEALw_wcB" target="_blank">online offering collections</a> and <a href="https://www.ministrybrands.com/solutions/background-screening/" target="_blank">background checks online</a>. Business is brisk.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What&#39;s going on here?&nbsp; </strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The answer is one part Pandemic, two parts software development.&nbsp;&nbsp; Nir Eyal can help us understand how and why this happens from the software perspective. Eyal is&nbsp;Stanford MBA and behavioral scientist who wrote a book called,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LMGLXTS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1" target="_blank">Hooked</a>. The book&nbsp;has taken the software development world by storm. Eyal started creating online games and learned how to make communities of gamers who couldn&#39;t stop playing his company&#39;s games.&nbsp; &nbsp;In his book, Eyal builds on the gaming software paradigm to show how to build habit-forming products of all kinds.&nbsp;&nbsp; His formula for success involves a four-step process of creating a trigger (say, an email from Facebook saying one of your friends posted on Facebook), action (posting a comment), variable reward (likes for your comment), and investment (making some posts of your own gradually over time.)&nbsp; Community, it turns out, is addictive. By isolating us, the Pandemic has added fuel to the fire.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Big Changes Afoot in Marketing</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em>&quot;Two-thirds of marketing is taking place without us [the marketers]&quot; </em>intones East-Tennessee-based <a href="https://youtu.be/3cg5oLPCzd4?t=73" onclick="window.open(this.href, '', 'resizable=yes,status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,fullscreen=no,scrollbars=no,dependent=no'); return false;">Mark Shafer, online marketing guru and author of <em>Marketing Rebellion</em></a>, &quot;<strong><em>...</em></strong><em>Our hyper-empowered, tech-enabled customers have moved to a different place.&quot;</em><strong><em> </em></strong>In a recent Harvard Business Review (HBR) article, <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/01/when-community-becomes-your-competitive-advantage" target="_blank">When Community Becomes Your Competitive Advantage</a>, HBR&#39;s Jeffrey Bussgang and Jono Bacon take the idea one step further<strong>: &quot;</strong><em>If a company can transition from simply delivering a product to building a community, they can unlock extraordinary competitive advantages and create a superior business model.&quot;&nbsp;</em>Among Mark Shafer&#39;s solutions is User Generated Content (UGC). Shafer suggests <a href="https://businessesgrow.com/2020/08/24/content-isnt-king/">leveraging UGC content</a>, much as a surfer might ride a wave (rather than be hit by it.) HBR authors Bussgang and Bacon believe businesses need to create an environment that &quot;incentivizes the behavior [the business wants] to see, exposes the value generated, and highlights and rewards great participation.&quot;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">There are social, business, and technological underpinnings to these trends. &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Social - We crave connections of all kinds.&nbsp;</strong>The past year of Covid-19 isolation has been a lonely one for most of us. The big winners of the Pandemic have been pound dogs, suburban real estate agents, and, well, online communities. To give some dimensions to this trend, Facebook has reported <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/" target="_blank">1.8 Billion people to use Groups</a> to join communities of different kinds on Facebook. As Eyal&#39;s model prescribes, we are rewarded with likes from like-minded individuals when we contribute views and content to Facebook Groups. Affinity is revenue in many fields, such as journalism, entertainment, and product promotion. Tweets, clicks, and likes drive this.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Business - Social Proof Drives Conversion and Lowers Acquisition Cost.&nbsp;</strong>Positive comments from third parties about you, your company, or your product provide&nbsp;<em>social proof</em>. Social proof is valuable. While it may not necessarily be from a friend or family member, social proof offers an endorsement that says this product or service is trustworthy. Think about the last time you went somewhere new. &nbsp;&nbsp;Did you ask someone where the best place to eat or shop was? Did you take them up on their recommendation? This is how social proof works. From Amazon&#39;s &quot;People who shopped for this, also bought&quot; to Shopify add-ons to Google My Business page customers reviews, <a href="https://optinmonster.com/social-proof-software-tools/" target="_blank">software tools for providing social proof</a> abound. We trust, therefore we convert.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Technology - User-Generated Content Improves Search Rankings.&nbsp;</strong>There are several reasons User Generated Content makes it easier for search engines to find you:</li> </ol> <ul style="margin-left: 40px;"> <li style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Constantly Updated Content.&nbsp;</strong>Harnessing the power of customer comments means your customers are doing the content development for you 24/7. This keeps you on your toes as to both trends and problems. Google treats user-generated content of a site as your content but gives you tools to manage it as well. See a recent video on <a href="https://youtu.be/muCwZcORL0k" target="_blank">how Google Search handles UGC here</a>.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Keywords Oh My!&nbsp;</strong>When customers write about your product in their own words, they increase your site&#39;s amount of content. The users&#39; vocabulary is not yours, so the content they create provides large numbers of <a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/7-brilliant-examples-of-brands-driving-long-tail-organic-traffic/" target="_blank">so-called long-tail (less-frequently used) keywords</a> to your site. Think of it as casting an ever-broader SEO net for your content.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Links Galore.</strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;Users pepper their content with links to content on your site, links to other sites, and social media connections. These links improve SEO. The more high-authority websites link to your site, the higher your page ranking becomes.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;"><strong>More Trust.&nbsp;</strong>Research has shown that <a href="https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey-2014/" target="_blank">consumers trust other users much more than brands</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; Google and other search engines trust user-generated content as much as they do yours because&nbsp;users speak the truth about their interactions with your brand.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Start with Google My Business and Facebook</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, how should your business leverage this trend? We recommend our clients start with baby steps. Since Google owns the ranch in search, we recommend spending the small amount of time it takes to have a robust Google My Business (GMB) page. GMB pages are free to set up, and your GMB page is what people are searching for your business usually see first.&nbsp;&nbsp; Ensure every satisfied customer writes a review by following up with them post-purchase with a link to your GMB reviews page. Integrate hours information and appointment setting capabilities, and if you have multiple offices, make sure all of them appear in the GMB locations. Add answers to frequently asked questions and take the time to tell Google detailed information about your products and services. GMB&#39;s capabilities are growing almost daily, so <a href="https://www.callrail.com/blog/guide-to-google-my-business/" target="_blank">stay abreast of changes and update GMB</a> once a quarter. Facebook small business pages offer a similar suite of capabilities to GMB and should be managed and updated similarly.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Building A Product Reviews Capability</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">For larger organizations with larger budgets, consider adding user-generated content to any products you sell online. Ensure that you find ways to provide social proof to your product profiles.&nbsp;&nbsp; Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings in this category is growing quickly. Larger, more established providers include <a href="https://www.bazaarvoice.com/" target="_blank">Bazaarvoice</a> and <a href="https://www.trustpilot.com/" target="_blank">Trustpilot</a>, among many others. Even Shopify offers a <a href="https://apps.shopify.com/product-reviews" target="_blank">product reviews app</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>B2B Solutions</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">For companies operating in the B2B space, the advisory council is a valuable way of creating community. As the Pandemic allows, select a group of your best customers and invite them to join you are a resort somewhere pleasant. &nbsp; &nbsp;Pay for their hotel and meals for a few days in exchange for their input in round table discussions. If this is not possible, a zoom meeting or two rewarded by some gifts can work. For example, ten years ago, one vendor gave me a Gortex golf suit which I still have today! &nbsp; Use these customer councils to test your hypotheses about new products and enlist their help defining new ones. &nbsp; Prioritize opportunities to improve margins, create a competitive advantage, and enhance the customer experience. &nbsp; Make sure to take action on their gripes so that they know you value their insights.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Community Building</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Digital or not, our community is where we find it. Here are some examples from my community. My friend who owns a fence contracting business gets referrals from the neighborhood Facebook page. Another friend, who owns smoothie franchises, donates smooth drinks at local golf fundraisers and hands out free drink cards to student-athletes to build customer-trial. A local orthopedic clinic provides its staff to work the sidelines of local football games and prioritizes scheduling&nbsp;injured athletes. A local restaurant hosts post-game&nbsp;drinks&nbsp;and snacks for a&nbsp;local high school football team&#39;s parents and coaches. Another company I know monitors post office address changes and offers welcome wagon security upgrades to new arrivals. Our church&#39;s&nbsp;services and giving are online now.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The possibilities are endless! Make them digital and see them scale!</p> 13Small Company + Big Data = Huge Impacthttps://ronrassociates.com/Rons-Blog/PostId/11/small-company-big-data-huge-impactConversion,Conversion Improvement,Customer Relationship Management,Nonprofit ManagementWed, 28 Aug 2019 17:23:49 GMT<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Using Big Data to Better Serve Customers, Donors and Prospects</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">You&#39;ve completed an analysis of your customers or donors. You know which customers are profitable.&nbsp;Or, if you are a nonprofit, you know which donors are most supportive of your cause.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">But you still have an incomplete picture of those individuals as people. Where do they live? Where do they shop? Where do they work? Who are their friends? How do they spend their free time? With what organizations are they affiliated? What other, perhaps related products do they buy? In short, you still need an understanding of their demographics and behavioral traits. How else can you go out and find more of these profitable customers? It is on these occasions that Big Data becomes the marketer&rsquo;s friend.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Go Fish?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Here&#39;s how the process works. Take email addresses, phone numbers, names, social security numbers, or other identifying information. With permission, of course, use this information, you&nbsp;<em>do</em>&nbsp;know to reference more data in a data vendor&#39;s warehouse about what you&nbsp;<em>don&#39;t&nbsp;</em>know. Tap the database to find information about essential attributes like age, income, mailing address, location, driving record, credit, or assets. Select the variable based on what is useful to your business intelligence needs. Analyze and summarize&nbsp;<em>those attributes</em>&nbsp;to inform your marketing strategy and boost marketing performance.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">By enabling this kind of analysis, Big Data allows marketers to understand customers deeply. Even better, with predictive modeling, marketers can even predict how likely customers or users are to buy or donate in the future. The Gartner Group surveyed its Gartner Research Circle members worldwide. The technology research firm found that most (73%) of those surveyed in its customer base planned to use Big Data in the future.[i] The bottom line? Smaller organizations are going to have to develop similar information to compete.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>A Toe In The Water --- Social Media Custom Audiences</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Facebook and LinkedIn provide small business advertisers alternatives to buying data about customers. Instead, Facebook advertisers can upload CSV files with email addresses of customers. If the emails uploaded match those of their members, Facebook will place advertisements in the members&#39; timelines. Similarly, LinkedIn allows users to provide lists of company names. Marketers can advertise to LinkedIn, its members who work for those companies. See information on LinkedIn&rsquo;s Service&nbsp;<a href="https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/marketing-solutions/a/targeting/matched-audiences/pdfs/Account-Targeting-Checklist-v01.07.pdf" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.)</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">It gets better. With the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/a/custom-audiences" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>Facebook</u></a>&nbsp;<em>custom audience tool,</em>&nbsp;marketers develop ads for&nbsp;<u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/a/lookalike-audiences" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">&ldquo;lookalike&rdquo; audiences</a></u>. These audiences have similar demographics to those of existing customers. So, identify a list of profitable customers, donors, or B2B companies you currently serve. Upload them to the appropriate social media platform. Then, let&nbsp;<em>their</em>&nbsp;data scientists take care of the rest. Cool right?</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Facebook Partners</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The behind-the-scenes magic that has allowed social media marketing to work so well for Facebook has been a database of&nbsp;<a href="https://wapo.st/2bz22Cb?tid=ss_mail&amp;utm_term=.0e8310059f20" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>98 attributes.</u>&nbsp;</a>Facebook worked with its data partners, companies like Experian, Epsilon, and Oracle Data Cloud. They helped Facebook complete its detailed knowledge of us. We members give Facebook our age, gender, location, education, relationship status, and employment. We do this to improve our connections with former classmates, colleagues, and friends. Our likes tell Facebook how we feel about many topics. Yes, Facebook knows our politics, our hobbies, our true loves, our family, and even our musical tastes.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">To this, Facebook&rsquo;s Data Partners program concatenated information from large data providers. How many credit cards do we have? What kinds of restaurants do we frequent? How likely are we to move? Are we likely to buy a new car?</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The Facebook data and target market interface gave even the smallest businesses the targeting power of big companies. For small businesses, gaining affordable, easy access to this kind of data was revolutionary. It democratized Big Data. A small restaurant or hotel had access to the same information as so its national chain competitors across the road.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">That was true until recently. The controversy over the&nbsp;<u><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-scandal-fallout.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cambridge Analytica Affair</a></u>&nbsp;dragged social media executives before Congress. Other challenges included the new Privacy Rules in the European Union (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>GDPR</u></a>). Facebook announced it was phasing out access to its Data Partners this year. (See Facebook&rsquo;s short Partner Categories Article&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/help/298717656925097" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.)</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Despite the change in policy, we think Facebook will continue to be an excellent advertising resource for small businesses targeting consumers.&nbsp;LinkedIn remains the most effective way to target B2B customers by industry and position affordably.&nbsp;&nbsp;Both platforms will allow small companies to pinpoint critical segments in their customer base&nbsp;<em>affordably</em>.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Large Data Purchase - 100 Attributes for Under $1.00</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Plan B is to buy your own demographic or propensity data. And there is lots of it available out there. A typical database vendor such as Acxiom, LexisNexis, Choice Point, or Trans Union has hundreds of pieces of information for sale. This information is gathered from many providers and sources, then cross-indexed and cross-referenced. Here is a link to one provider, USADATA (also branded as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usadata.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>MyAcxiomPartner.com</u></a>). USA DATA has a self-serve data mart targeting small and medium-sized businesses. We expect more small business-focused offerings from other large data providers in the future. Make no mistake.&nbsp;The market will find a way to fill the void left by Facebook&rsquo;s policy changes.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Big Data - A Fundraiser&#39;s Life Blood?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Big Data is also crucial in the nonprofit fundraising sector. CRM vendors to nonprofits offer a series of services using Big Data. These services include data cleaning through the US Postal service relocation database. They also provide wealth indexing, and Social Security sweeps for recent deaths.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">An example is Blackbaud Group&#39;s Raiser&#39;s Edge product.[ii] The Blackbaud Group integrates the Raiser&#39;s Edge Product and ResearchPoint databases. This integration allows fundraisers to access information about prospective donors, such as net worth.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Want more? They can access even more granular information, as well. What securities do they own? What real estate properties do they own? What are some of their other sources of wealth?[iii] The Research Point integrated data service also provides data about a prospect&#39;s past giving. It also can provide information on prospective donors&#39; Board Relationships. The software even identifies people who live near the prospect who might be donors as well. For fundraisers seeking high net worth donors, these kinds of tools can be invaluable.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Computer, &quot;Go find this customer&rsquo;s VIN, please.&quot;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Insurers, banks, and other financial services institutions also use Big Data. Big Data allows them to make quick decisions about selling us insurance or lending us money. Insurance companies can buy underwriting data about prospective customers and can use that data, so the customer doesn&#39;t have to remember it or enter it themselves. Here&rsquo;s an example of how consumer database information was applied to improve customer experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">A client in the auto insurance industry was having difficulty keeping customers engaged. Customers had to fill out 100-question application forms to purchase auto insurance. Users couldn&#39;t for the life of them remember one piece of information needed to quote the risk accurately. Who do you know who can remember their vehicle identification number (VIN)? (The VIN is a 17-digit alphanumeric number appearing on the left of corner of the windshield.) Our client studied the drop-off of users. Many who were requested to provide their vehicle identification numbers departed, never to return.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">It was clear. The client could increase the number of completed applications. How? Get the VIN from data warehouse vendors. Don&#39;t force the customer to provide the information she doesn&#39;t have easily accessible. Instead, pull the data out of the cloud. Then ask customers to confirm a picture of their make and model. Large insurers are learning that the best way to pull customers through the online sequence is to purchase as much data as they can. Recent competition among auto insurance sellers to have the shortest quote time is an example of this trend.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Here are two more examples from a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inc.com/magazine/201407/kevin-kelleher/how-small-businesses-can-mine-big-data.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>recent article</u></a>&nbsp;in Inc. Magazine. Carvana, a mid-sized and entrepreneurial used car dealership, employs five data scientists. They held an online Kaggle competition to solve a complex analytical problem. Carvana asked the data science community for help in developing a better way to predict whether cars purchased at auction were lemons. The data model allowed Carvana to buy higher-quality cars &quot;for $500 below what similar cars would sell for.&quot; The same article shared how a zoo in Tacoma, Washington, was able to save money on staffing. Zoo management correlated local climate data with attendance peaks and valleys. The resulting analysis allowed them to build a better staffing model, saving the organization thousands. The zoo later improved membership by 13 percent by upping its marketing spend in the zip codes of its most frequent guests.[iv]&nbsp;All of the preceding was thanks to the application of Big Data to small/medium-sized business problems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Why Math Is Our Friend</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So how do the professional data &#39;wranglers&#39; do this? Does your company have large amounts of data about its customers? Can you afford to purchase more data about them? If so, here are some examples of techniques from a favorite article by two FICO data scientists in&nbsp;<a href="http://analytics-magazine.org/consumer-insight-driving-profitability-with-retail-analytics/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Analytics Magazine</a>. Even if you aren&#39;t the one doing the analytics, you can benefit from understanding how these analytical techniques apply to your marketing. We summarize the methods in the below infographic; then explain them in more detail in the body of the article.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><img data-li-src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E12AQG_CzlsXVkvRw/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0?e=1572480000&amp;v=beta&amp;t=1IrdnidBCGgpojH3HEXg72bcylzF3nHE8BUM3iQEuOM" data-media-urn="" src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E12AQG_CzlsXVkvRw/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0?e=1572480000&amp;v=beta&amp;t=1IrdnidBCGgpojH3HEXg72bcylzF3nHE8BUM3iQEuOM" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Clustering Algorithms</strong>&nbsp;offer the opportunity to create broad behavioral segments. Examples are animal lovers, people who enjoy traveling by RV, or people who buy only local farmer produce. These clusters bring together large numbers of customers who may be different in other ways, but who may have similar beliefs or tastes. Quite often, retail stores will use this kind of segment information to create decors. Marketers can also use it for product groupings, or in-store departments targeting this segment. They use this technique for cross-selling products. For nonprofits, this kind of segmentation offers obvious opportunities to identify like-minded individuals. These individuals may believe in the non-profit&#39;s mission. But they may not have had the chance to learn about the organization. Here&#39;s another use: translate these segments into keywords. Then, use the keywords to improve online advertising yields and organic search.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Propensity models</strong>&nbsp;are predictive models. These models bring together an extensive line of attributes that are predictive of buying or giving behaviors. For example, Scottish Terrier owners who live in urban environments may be more likely to donate to specific animal-related causes. Sometimes wacky, these predictive models have become a keystone analytic of direct-mail organizations. More recently, online marketers study clickstream data to try to identify when people are ready to engage in a valuable activity. For example, they may be prepared to make a significant purchase or, perhaps, donation. In a world where constant marketing noise is the norm and in which client acquisition costs are soaring, these models can move the numbers. They do this by predicting who will buy or donate so that we can give them a nudge at that golden moment.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Collaborative Filtering</strong>&nbsp;is a way of taking data about existing customers and applying the data to prospective ones. Often called a &quot;look-alike model,&quot; companies can use these models on the Internet to find new customers. Facebook does this with its lookalike audience feature discussed above. Amazon applies this technique with the &quot;customers who bought this item also bought.&quot;[v] The method is also used by entertainment media companies. TiVo Suggestions. Netflix, Yahoo!, and Apple&#39;s Genius also reportedly use it to make their decisions.[vi]</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">A data scientist named Jonathan Goldman, a physics Ph.D. by training, joined LinkedIn in 2006. Legend has it he developed a module that allowed users to see the names of people to whom they were, &quot;Not connected but were likely to know.&quot;<a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_edn7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[vii]</a>&nbsp;The technique was an immediate success. The discovery reportedly threw LinkedIn into hyper-growth.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Flunked Stats in College?&nbsp;Here&#39;s Technical Help for English Majors!</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Software as a service solutions (SaaS) offerings is emerging that incorporate many of these analytical capabilities. A Canadian company named&nbsp;<a href="https://canopylabs.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>Canopy Labs</u></a>, for example, provides an online tool-set for marketers. The tools are designed to allow customers to consolidate consumer data and analyze the &ldquo;customer journey.&rdquo; The software includes different kinds of statistical analyses.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Another company, called&nbsp;<u><a href="https://www.retentionscience.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Retention Science</a>,</u>&nbsp;provides a similar online platform. Retention Science claims data cleaning, analysis, and marketing automation on its platform. The software boasts behavioral and transactional profiling. It also offers customer life cycle analysis, and analytics to measure campaign performance.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.insightsquared.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>Insight Squared</u></a>&nbsp;has a product that integrates with QuickBooks, Google Analytics, or Zendesk. Even the mighty IBM&rsquo;s talking artificial intelligence avatar, &ldquo;Watson&rdquo; has gotten into the act. An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ibm.com/watson-analytics/pricing" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><u>analytics package</u></a>&nbsp;that starts free and grows with your knowledge and the value created is available under the Watson brand. Thanks to IBM&#39;s big Watson branding advertising push, senior management understands what you are trying to achieve!</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Solutions like these greatly simplify the analysis. Other solution providers are emerging daily, so shop around.&nbsp;They usually provide engagement teams with human beings who you can call and ask questions about what the data is telling you.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Professional Advisors &ndash; Ask them to focus on &lsquo;Keeping It Real.&rsquo;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Like everything else, there is the opportunity for a great deal of puffery in the analysis and interpretation of data. If a service provider overwhelms you with a long concatenation of buzzwords and hard-to-understand terms, find someone else. A plain-spoken expert can do the same work! Our recommendation is to keep it simple, go one step at a time, and get analytical help as you can. Quite often, a local university statistics professor or graduate student would be glad to help. They love a real-life problem on which to test their latest models. If your company&#39;s a little bigger and can afford to hire a data wrangling consultancy, don&#39;t be shy about hiring the right talent. Look for someone with a strong track record with clients like you. Make sure they provide references. Have them include Ph.D.&rsquo;s as well as a few liberal arts-trained executives. Make sure they have led to real value-added for clients like you.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Do you know everything you should about your profitable customers? If not, it&rsquo;s time to find out!</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Notes:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_ednref1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[i]</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2848718" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2848718</a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_ednref2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[ii]</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.blackbaud.com/fundraising-and-relationship-management/raisers-edge" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.blackbaud.com/fundraising-and-relationship-management/raisers-edge</a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_ednref3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[iii]</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRFAGB8DHE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRFAGB8DHE</a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_ednref4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[iv]</a>&nbsp;Kelleher, K. (2017). What 3 Small Businesses Learned from Big Data. Retrieved from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inc.com/magazine/201407/kevin-kelleher/how-small-businesses-can-mine-big-data.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.inc.com/magazine/201407/kevin-kelleher/how-small-businesses-can-mine-big-data.html</a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_ednref5" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[v]</a>&nbsp;New Advances in Intelligent Decision Technologies: Results of the First KES International Symposium IDT&#39;09 (Google eBook) Kazumi Nakamatsu, Gloria Phillips-Wren, Lakshmi. Jain, Robert J. Howlett Springer Science &amp; Business Media, Apr 28, 2009 - Computers - page 103.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_ednref6" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[vi]</a><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/%20http:/sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-prediction-loverrs-handbook/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-prediction-loverrs-handbook/</a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://fixingleaks-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ron_ronrassociates_com/Documents/Fixing%20The%20Leaks/Blog/Small%20Company_big_data_huge_impact.docx#_ednref7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">[vii]</a>&nbsp;Davenport, Thomas H., and D. J. Patil. &quot;Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century.&quot; Harvard Business Review 90, no. 10 (October 2012): 70&ndash;76. See&nbsp;<a href="https://hbr.org/2012/10/data-scientist-the-sexiest-job-of-the-21st-century/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://hbr.org/2012/10/data-scientist-the-sexiest-job-of-the-21st-century/</a></p> <hr />11