Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2024: Trends, How to Prepare, and How to Sell More in 2024
If youâre gearing up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, youâre not alone. According to Retail Dive, nearly 60% of consumers are already scaling back on their regular spending habits so they can take advantage of all the sweet, sweet deals this shopping season will offer up.
In fact, 76% plan to maintain or even increase their spending this season, making Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) the perfect time to sell more of your products and services.
The BFCM weekend is the biggest shopping event of the year, but a successful sales campaign is more than just adding some discounts to your website — you need to stay ahead of the curve and include the latest trends into your marketing strategy.
Below are some of the most important tips you need to know to sell more, increase customer loyalty, and attract new buyers to your brand. Letâs explore:
Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2024: Trends and Predictions
From artificial intelligence to Buy Now, Pay Later options, here are three trends we anticipate will shape the holiday shopping experience this year.
1. Plan for early promotions and extended sales
According to Experian, almost one-third of holiday sales took place in October 2023.
This trend probably isnât going anywhere, especially since more brands are extending the BFCM into the following week (or even the week before).
If youâre looking to fire up your sales early, consider doing âPre-Black Fridayâ promotions and leaning into âCyber Weekâ deals for items sold through your website.
2. Offer flexible payment options at checkout
One trend weâre seeing is the rise of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options at checkout.
If youâre been on websites like Wayfair or Shein lately youâve probably already seen these options, which allow customers to pay in instalments or even defer the full payment amount to a later date.
This tactic is especially useful if you sell big-ticket items like furniture, clothing, expensive jewelry… you get the idea. You can offer these incentives by integrating tools like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm into your e-commerce platform, and once theyâre on your website, make sure to highlight that these options are available in your marketing push, too.
3. Lean into AI-driven customer support
According to research done on BFCM spending last year, AI likely contributed $51 billion to online global sales, so we can expect to see this trend of using AI-powered tools to continue this year, too.
Some ways you can integrate AI into your BFCM marketing planning include:
- Using chatbots to address customerâs questions and issues in real-time.
- Personalizing product recommendations.
- Doing pricing research against your competitors (tools like Prisync are great for this!)
- Using tools like Klayvio to create customized, AI-driven email marketing campaigns.
Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2024: Tips for Success
Here are some of the hottest strategies to help you level-up your BFCM sales success this season:
Start building your marketing plan early
Like, right now! (We can help with this.)
Start promoting your BFCM offers on your social media and through your newsletter as soon as Halloween is over. Some ways you can build excitement include:
- Countdowns
- Previews and sneak peeks
- Early access deals for subscribers and returning customers
- New customer incentives and savings
- Referral codes to existing customers spread the word about your products
Lean into âFlash Salesâ
Creating a sense of urgency is one of the most effective tactics to enhance conversions, both during BFCM and year-round.
Use countdown timers on your website and in your marketing emails to remind customers how much time is left for a deal.
Staggered promotions that evolve throughout the day can also encourage repeat visits and incentivize customers to add more to their cart, too.
Make your brick-and-mortar experience memorable
Lots of customers still love the feeling of an in-person shopping experience, especially when it comes with special incentives.
Host exclusive in-store events with offerings like early access to discounts or special product launches (potentially with gifts).
Even small special details, like free samples or gift-wrapping, can help get more people through your door.
Offer mobile-exclusive deals
Do you have a mobile app? Then donât miss out on the chance to attract more downloads and purchases through it by offering app-exclusive deals.
Encouraging customers to buy through your app also allows you to establish a direct connection with them and can open up other marketing opportunities like push notifications on flash sales and limited-time offers.
Use âRetargetingâ to reconnect with customers
Itâs normal for customers to browse your site without buying anything, especially during BFCM when they may be comparing options across multiple websites.
âRemarketingâ is the process of reconnecting with people whoâve visited your website through Google Ads and Meta Advertising, so those pants someone viewed yesterday will show up in their Instagram Stories or at the top of their Google search feed, which might bring them back to buy.
Are you ready for BFCM 2024?
BFCM 2024 is set to be another blowout shopping season, so start your planning now and use these tips to make sure this BFCM is your most successful one yet!
If you need help getting your marketing plan in order, we can help! Drop us a line and letâs build a winning BFCM strategy together.
Meet Alyson Shane
If youâre here, you probably had some type of interaction with our Founder, Alyson Shane. Whether you read Starlingâs newsletter, follow our social media pages, heard her on a podcast, know her personally, or had a chance to work with her — you know this woman means business.
Not in the traditional sense, though. While she has the traits of a classic type-A person, Alyson puts her whole heart into every part of her life. When you ask her about her interests, you can expect to have at-length conversations about everything she loves, because this woman does her research and cares a lot. The belief that details matter extends through her work, hobbies, and relationships — which leaves everyone in her wake knowing whatever it is, if it involves Alyson, itâs taken care of.
If youâre considering working with our team or just want to read more about one of the marketing powerhouses in Winnipeg, stick around to find out what Alyson is all about, dive into Starling Socialâs past, and see where weâre headed in the future.
Personal Life
Alyson embodies the spirit of Wolseley (Winnipeggers, iykyk). She loves to garden, read, and ride her bike around the city to visit local shops, breweries, and The Forks.
She also makes art in her spare time.
âI draw, paint in acrylic and gouache, and I do art journaling where I âfreeflowâ write out my thoughts, then explore whatever comes out by covering them with paint, collage, and other mixed-media materials. I picked this hobby up during the pandemic, and itâs done wonders for my mental health.â
Sheâs also a gamer. Alyson worked at EB Games (now GameStop) in her late teens and likes to unwind by playing the latest Zelda title or weird indie games like Night In The Woods, Boyfriend Dungeon, and Untitled Goose Game.
(If you havenât played that last one, she canât recommend it enough!)
Work Life
Before starting Starling Social, Alyson worked in Accounts Payable, if you can believe it. That cemented in her mind that she did NOT want to work in accounting. Much to her parentsâ disappointment, she quit her âsafeâ government job to pursue a degree in Rhetoric, Writing & Communications from the University of Winnipeg.
After that she worked at a handful of local marketing agencies around the city (some big, some small) in various roles related to social media content creation, copywriting, and account management.
âWhile Iâm grateful for the time I spent working those jobs, they all taught me a lot about the kind of work environment I wanted to work in (hint: it wasnât any of those), as well as the kind of work/life balance I wanted to have.â
Starting A Business
A writer at heart, Alyson leveraged her passion and turned it into her marketing superpower.
Starling Social grew out of a handful of copywriting and social media contracts she took on in 2014, but within a year, Alyson had taken on so much work that she realized she needed to start building a team to help her manage the workload.
Fortunately, her boyfriend, (now husband) John, already had over a decade of experience running multiple businesses, so she was able to lean on him for advice and guidance — and still does! She says sheâs lucky to be able to ânerd outâ about her business with him.
To help with the transition, Alyson read a lot of books and articles about leadership, management, and process. Some of her biggest influences have been âThe Marketing Agency Blueprintâ by Paul Roetzer (which she actually read while she was working for an agency, which might have been a sign in hindsight), âStart With Whyâ by Simon Sinek, âHow to Win Friends and Influence Peopleâ by Dale Carnegie, and âCrossing The Chasmâ by Geoffrey A. Moore.
In case you havenât picked up on it, Alyson loves working on projects that require strategy and research. Social media audits, developing campaigns, and putting together documentation to pass along to the team are her favourite things to do.
âI had a really good manager at my last job before I founded Starling who taught me the importance of having everything written down in advance — this means Iâm able to clearly articulate my thoughts and break down complicated concepts quickly and easily so the team can execute them flawlessly.â
After 23 years (and counting) of publishing content online, she still loves researching and staying at the bleeding edge of the industry, so any opportunity to dig into the latest trends, changes to social platforms, and strategies feels more like fun than work.
Favourite Projects (So Far)
What Brings Us Here
We partnered with the National Film Board on a project that featured stories behind Indigenous-led community action in Winnipeg.
WBUH was a companion piece to the award-winning short documentary film this river, created by author and filmmaker Katherena Vermette and NFB producer Alicia Smith, and featured profiles of volunteers of Drag the Red and Bear Clan Patrol, both grassroots MMIWG and MMIP movements in our city.
We developed a social media strategy, consulted on content, and managed all aspects of the social media component of the project. Reading the personal stories of participants in the project was eye-opening and sometimes gut-wrenching, and she still considers it to be one of the most important and impactful projects weâve worked on to date.
This Place: 150 Years Retold
We partnered with Portage & Main Press/HighWater Press to develop the launch strategy for â150 Years Retoldâ a graphic novel anthology which features Indigenous authors and illustrators and explores Canadian history through the perspectives of Indigenous peoples.
We created a really robust campaign that included developing all assets and the strategy for social media, multiple contests organized in partnership with Indigenous creators across Canada, blog posts, interviews, and cross-promotional content with the authors and artists, email marketing campaigns, and ads for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
It was a huge project and a lot of work, but not only did it lead to a multi-year partnership with the fine folks at PMP/HWP, but we also helped the book achieve #1 in Native Canadian Literature and #2 in Canadian Literature through pre-orders on Amazon.
Ad Campaigns for Siloam Mission
Alyson is a values-driven marketer and makes it a priority to work with nonprofit organizations locally and across Canada with the goal of helping our communities, so sheâs really enjoyed this ongoing partnership with the folks at Siloam Mission.
She actually used to volunteer in their kitchen before Starling Social and related activities (teaching, speaking, etc.) started to take up too much of her time. Being able to give back to a nonprofit doing important work in her city by developing and managing their social media and Google Ads campaigns has a very special place in her heart.
âTHE FAMILY CROW: A Murder Mysteryâ
This was one of the weirdest projects weâve worked on and Alyson was over the moon to take it on!
Adam from Pucking Fuppet Co. reached out to her after she wrote a review of his one-man show for The Winnipeg Fringe. Not only did our efforts result in several sold-out shows, but the media we got to use to promote the show was super weird and quirky (aka, right up her alley).
As a former theatre kid herself, Alyson loves getting to support Canadaâs arts community and was able to bring what she learned through Starlingâs partnership with Adam and his team to a âFacebook Advertising for Performing Artsâ course for ArtsBoost, a nonprofit who supports performers across Canada. How cool is that?!
Growing Starling Social
Looking back over the last ten years, the thing Alyson is most impressed with is her team.
Alyson never imagined herself as a person who would thrive as a manager, but her team helped her build a company culture that sheâs very proud of, where we all feel heard, supported, and can collaborate on any kind of project. She says that isnât just because of her!
âThe hardworking people who sit down at their desks for Starlingâs clients every day always bring 110% and I can sleep easy (okay, easier) at night knowing that I have a team of whip-smart humans behind me every step of the way.â
Alysonâs Four Biggest Business Changes
However, there are many things to be proud of about the companyâs evolution over the last decade. Alyson shared the four biggest changes in her business since its inception:
Being Choosy About Our Clients
When agencies are just starting out, there can be a lot of pressure to bring every client possible through the door just to generate revenue, but finding clients who are a cultural fit is so, SO important.
If a potential client starts sending up red flags in the initial discovery call, I will talk to the team about how they feel, get their read on the situation, and if necessary, we make the decision to turn down the business together.
(Aka, we do a âvibe checkâ together.)
Refining Our Systems and Processes
My poor team hears me say, âif itâs not written down, it doesnât existâ so often that Iâm sure I must drive them crazy, but I live and die by this mantra.
Figuring out how to communicate, operate, and collaborate as a 100% remote agency has its challenges, of course, but this approach has paid off for us in spades, especially when Starling was first starting to scale up.
Now we have a documented, repeatable, and scalable process for every type of client, project, and deliverable, which not only increases our clientsâ trust in us, but helps us communicate and be more transparent with them than if we were just winging it all the time.
Honing Our Values
When someone goes into this line of work, itâs usually because they like writing, or have an interest in creating content - and thatâs great!
But being a business means we also have a responsibility to give back to our community and do good, which is why weâve started sponsoring events like the QNET Leadership Conference, tournaments for the Epilepsy and Seizure Association of Manitoba, and the Winnipeg Womenâs Community, among others.
Growing my team also means I have more bandwidth to give back professionally, too. Iâve been a volunteer with SPARK!, a local nonprofit who connects small NPOâs with businesses who offer their services pro-bono* since 2018, Iâve worked with Manitoba Music as a mentor helping emerging artists, and sit on the board of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, to name a few.
My team is also dedicated to supporting our community, and makes it a priority to work with and support LGBTQ2SIA+, MĂ©tis and Indigenous-owned businesses.
* I was awarded Volunteer Manitobaâs âSPARK Pro Bono Consultant Awardâ in 2021 for my volunteer work, which was a real honour.
Changing With The Industry
When Starling first started out we offered a pretty narrow slate of services: copywriting, social media management, and email marketing.
We started with these because they were my biggest strengths, but as the digital marketing landscape has changed over the years weâve expanded to include social media ads, website development, video content development, branding, and Google Ads (PPC).
Some of these new services were introduced to meet our clientsâ evolving needs, but generally speaking I started looking for team members who could meet these needs because I saw that weâd be pigeonholing ourselves if we werenât proactive about growing and adapting as the industry changed.
Now, this doesnât mean Iâm the expert in all of these fields! I can read basic HTML and CSS, and I know just enough about Photoshop, InDesign, and how to run a Google Ads campaign to be dangerous, but I prefer to work with people who are experts in their respective fields rather than under-delivering (see my point below about knowing when to scale!)
Advice for New Digital Marketers
Know When To Scale
One of the biggest mistakes that new business owners make is not recognizing when they need to scale.
âI get it! Moving from a âsolopreneurâ to a âmanagerâ can be an intimidating transition, and I definitely didnât go into this thinking that I was going to lead a team.â
Alyson holds her work (and that of the people who work for her) to a very, very high standard, so when she realized that she couldnât keep executing at the level she expected of herself, she brought on others who could help her maintain it.
Learn to Write Properly
Donât rely on AI tools like ChatGPT to do your work for you!
I mean it: thereâs a lot of low-quality content being churned out right now; before that was because a lot of people entering into the industry didnât take the time to hone their craft, and now itâs because increasing amounts of people are cutting corners by letting an AI write their content for them.
Using AI seems like a good strategy at first, but itâs not a good look when your content sounds hollow and doesnât have the unique, creative touch that the human brain brings to the art of writing.
The Future of Starling Social
In five years, Alyson hopes to be doing exactly what sheâs doing right now: running a marketing agency that does work that sheâs proud of and working with clever, passionate people.
âI love the work that I do and while there are always ups and downs, Iâm legitimately excited to sit down at my desk every day.â
As a passionate traveller, where in the world sheâs sitting at that desk might change over time. Itâs one of the reasons why Starling is, and will always be, 100% remote.
âFlipping open my laptop or turning on my computer is still an exhilarating feeling — after 10 years in this business, all I can hope for is many, many more.â
If you have questions for Alyson, or want to talk about your next digital marketing project, you can contact her here.
25 Instagram Reels Ideas to Grow Your Business
A common theme between most of our clients is that they donât want to film Reels. And, we understand the hesitation. Weâre also working from home, often in our cozy clothes, and our Reel filming days require a lot of prep. Organizing Reel days for our clients typically include a lot of poking (ok, nagging), to get it done, but itâs part of the job, and the payoff is worth it.
Thatâs straight from the horse's mouth, people! Reels do better than other content.
We Hear This All The Time…
âI donât have fancy equipment to make high-quality videosâ
You donât need it.* Period.
Instagram wants to show you what youâre interested in seeing. Nowadays, people are sick of the âpicture-perfectâ videos and endless highlights of your business, so if you want to connect with your audience, the best way to do that is through authenticity and transparency. That means showing the messy middle.
Okay, if your lighting is truly terrible, consider grabbing a $30 ring light on Amazon and that will do just fine. Otherwise, natural light can do wonders.
Mosseri even has a recent Reel titled Production value doesnât matter and says, âToo often creators are worried about production value…If youâre trying to create relatable content, production value is almost like an anti-goal.â
@haleyybaylee, the kind of problematic, yet hugely successful content creator (you know, the one who was dressed as Marie Antoinette at the Met Gala and told people to âlet them eat cake,â among other things) was featured on this Reel and said she posts videos that she would send to her group chat.
Putting aside the few TikTok and Instagram scandals sheâs been involved in, what sheâs doing to grow her following is working.
*This section is not for you if youâre promoting a luxury brand. In that case, you do need fancy equipment to make high-quality videos.
âI donât have a lot to sayâ
You donât need to say a lot! Instagram wants short-form videos. Mosseri even spelled out why in another recent Reel:
When you watch long-form videos, you see less of other content. That means you spend less time liking, commenting, saving and sharing. Since Instagram wants you to spend more time on their app, and engage with more content, long-form videos would work directly against their objectives.
The head of Instagram said specifically, âInstagram will not focus on long-form video.â Their goal is to connect you with friends and help you explore your interests — usually through short-form videos.
This is a hot take from Instagram, considering TikTok is expanding into longer videos.
âI donât want to show my faceâ
Instagram posts with faces get 38% more likes than those without. Do with that information as you will, but you also donât HAVE to show your face.
There are plenty of faceless accounts, and you can show behind-the-scenes things like how your product or service works, showing processes, customer reactions, time-lapses, etc. The options are endless.
âI donât know what to postâ
Thatâs why you clicked on this blog post, silly! When we show up to Reel filming days with our clients, we have Reel ideas prepared, props and scripts ready, and itâs a fun and easy day.
However, you might be doing your own socials, and weâre here to help with ideas for that, too.
25 Reel Ideas
Show Your Workspace
Anyone can participate in this! From at-home desks to warehouses to restaurants. These behind-the-scenes glimpses remind your audience of the work that goes into your business.
Step By Step Videos
These are great for recipes, companies to make items, or âhow toâ videos. Having a visual element makes âdoing the thingâ more accessible.
Showcase New Products
Get creative with how you show off your new products. Search the Explore Page for inspiration — this creator has the right idea!
A Day In The Life
There are many examples of these type of Reels, but if youâre camera shy, this is a good faceless option!
Testimonials
Have your clients share short video reviews of your product. If your clients are camera shy, ask them to write a testimonial and you can share them in a similar style as this creator.
Dance
Choreographed dances arenât really our thing, but they are never leaving the app. If you can master the moves, shake what your mama gave ya!
Introduction
Introductions and reintroductions are all over the gram. Itâs a chance to give new followers a better idea of who you are.
Meet the Team
These donât need to be complicated. Making a meet the team post into a Reel, instead of a photo, is a more engaging way for people to get to know your staff.
Time Lapse Videos
Thanks to these apps, weâre all impatient. Thatâs why itâs so satisfying to see a project happen from start to finish in less than 90 seconds.
Celebrate a Milestone
Always celebrate your wins! Plus, telling your audience about your significant milestones is another way to add credibility to your business. Is this post, Alyson shares some valuable lessons sheâs learned in the last 10 years of owning a digital marketing agency.
The âMaking Ofâ Videos
Jenna Rae Cakes is a great account to go to if you want to see how to make their delicious desserts. Will we ever make a fancy cake? No. Do we ever skip a video? Also no.
Share Your Favourite Products, Services, or Tools
Youâre the expert in your niche. Your audience would love to know what your favourite things to use are.
Unboxing Videos
Small businesses have to order products all the time. This allows plenty of opportunities for unboxing videos, like this one from WillowPress.
Explainer Videos
Weâre just going to tag Molly PcPhersonâs entire account because her whole page is explaining PR crisises. However, you can explain your products or services, or even your company culture.
Educational Videos, But Make It Fun
The TSA account is hilarious, but also shares information that travellers would definitely find useful. Check out this example from a couple of years ago, but their account is awesome in general.
Copy Trends
Donât hop on every trend, but if it works with your brand, definitely do it. Hereâs a current popular sound that most businesses can relate to.
Remix Reels
Trigger warning: this one is heavy. Itâs also relevant and important to women's health.
We will give a special shoutout to the KamalaHQ account because they are working at lightning speed to stay relevant on all platforms. Truly unbelievable work.
Tell A Story
The Fingernails Are Pretty account slays at keeping things genuine. Her followers love her because she shares her products in an unconventional way, and itâs relatable to a lot of people because *depression*.
Share Bloopers
Blooper Reels are so funny. If you want to make your audience laugh, consider sharing the slip-ups it took to get to the finished product.
Give Tips
We love a Canva hack, but any quick tips that an average person could benefit from are so valuable. Weâve learned so much on these apps over the years. Thanks for not gatekeeping!
Before and After
You can add two photos, put a transition between them, add audio and boom - a very satisfying before and after video is born.
Answer FAQs
This creator shares FAQs from her audience, giving some consistency in her feed, and it helps build her reputation as an industry leader.
Expectations Vs Reality Videos
You know what weâre talking about with these videos. So, we thought we would share the human version of Instagram vs reality videos with the Australian comedian Celeste Barber, who has built her page around the idea.
Share a Collage
The base of a lot of Reel templates are photos strung together to a sound. This style of Reel tends to get high views because they are short, and the photos go by quickly, forcing people to watch more than once to really see the photos.
The best, and worst part about Instagram is that itâs always evolving. Itâs also a space full of creative people, so itâs a constant flow of ideas and inspiration that you can mimic in your Reels strategy.
Remember, the goal is authenticity and connection, so if any of these donât feel true to your brand, donât do it. But before we send you on our way, hereâs a few other things to consider when posting Reels.
5 Hot Tips for Posting Reels
1. Think about making videos, and content in general, that people would want to send to their friends.
Instagram prioritizes Reels based on what it believes a viewer will be most likely to interact with, and uses a set of signals to help rank content. Sends are high on the Instagram ranking list — it means itâs content you want your friends to see.
2. Keep experimenting
This seems to be Mosseriâs consistent tip for people who are in Viewâs jail. Keep trying new things to see what your audience engages with.
3. Donât post Instagram Reels that are low-res, blurry, have watermarks from other apps, or reposting others content.
These types of Reels will be deprioritized — meaning nobody will see your content.
4. Cover photos make a very minimal difference in Reels performance.
They are only seen on your feed, or on the Explore Page. Most of your reach comes from the Feed or Recommendations. So, if cover photos are something thatâs taking up a lot of your marketing time, maybe itâs time to reevaluate.
5. Use Audio on your Reels
Audio makes the Reel more engaging. When your content is immersive, you are more likely to get more attention, which helps get more likes, comments, and a higher reach.
Using Audio puts your content on the Audioâs page. People go there for inspiration, where they could come across your Reel, giving you an even higher reach.
DYK 50% of people have their audio turned on when using the app?
As you can maybe tell, we love making content. Whether itâs writing copy, coming up with campaign ideas, or creating a Reels strategy tailored to your business — it brings us joy.
Let our team write, schedule, and promote your social media content for you. Contact us here for a free quote.
11 Spooky Social Media Strategies for Halloween 2024
Do you remember the feeling of scoring a full-sized chocolate bar on Halloween? What about putting together a great costume that you were excited to show your friends? If you didn't love the costumes, you surely liked missing a couple hours of school to watch a movie and eat snacks.
People love Halloween because itâs a chance to be creative, indulge in your favourite treats, bond with your community — and if youâre into scary stuff, get an adrenaline rush.
Luckily for brands, Halloween campaigns can evoke a sense of nostalgia, give people a chance to indulge in their product or service, connect with the community associated with your brand, and get a dopamine hit when they hit the purchase button.
If you want your brand to recreate these feelings, associate them with your brand, and have people hit purchase on your website, here are 11 spooky social media strategies for Halloween 2024.
Use Influencer Marketing + Hop-On Trends
People like feeling âin-the-know.â Last year, everyone was on the Wednesday Addams train for Halloween, and this year, you can expect to see a lot of Beetlejuice costumes, decorations, campaigns, etc.
Just look at the makeup brand about-face, who used influencers and trends to make the âBeetlejuice Lipstick Hackâ go viral. Here are just a few of the hugely famous TikTok stars who hopped on the trend.
Jeffree Star's is definitely worth a watch because itâs a fail, but still great marketing!
Start Your Campaign Early
Halloween shopping has already started. Iâm sure youâve noticed decorations and treats lining the shelves as early as September 1. Luckily, 64% of consumers donât start shopping until October. And when people start shopping, they really go for it. Canadians were expected to spend $1.64 billion for Halloween in 2022, up 28.4 percent year over year. Most of that is spent on costumes, candy and pumpkins.
If your Halloween campaign hasnât started yet, now would be a good time to get going, ramp up the ads the first two weeks of October, and set an alarm for early next September to get going on Halloween 2025!
Use Previous Insights
Although we are âword people,â data has its place in your campaigns.
- Do you need to try some new strategies?
- Which platforms had the most engagement?
- What did your competitors do well last year?
- Which days had the most traffic on your website?
- Is there anything you need to advertise more this year?
Leverage what worked and toss what didnât. Use these insights to create impactful content that resonates with your audience.
Update Your LinkTree
This might seem like an easy one, but you would be surprised how many brands have out-of-date links on their social, or website. The internet moves fast, and there is always something one click away to distract your audience. Make it simple for your potential customers to get to your order page.
Integrate Omnichannel Experiences
Omnichannel marketing is connecting your marketing experiences across platforms and offline.
Customers should be able to see the same key messages whether they visit your brick-and-mortar locations, open your app, or see your ads on social media.
Burger King has nails the omnichannel marketing each Halloween by merging their digital marketing and in-store experiences.
There are several examples, but one of our favourites is the âCome as a clown, eat like a kingâ campaign. Burger King combined several marketing tactics to get people talking about their brand and into their restaurants.
It was released in 2017, making Pennywise the Clown a popular costume. They took advantage of making their rival the villain and invited people dressed up as clowns for a free burger on Halloween.
They encouraged guests to tag them on social media, released a video, promoted the event in-store, and advertised on their app.
Offer a Halloween Discount
With the cost of everything skyrocketing, discounts and promo codes are a great way to attract more customers.
Discounts can create excitement, engage people, and help you stay competitive. Plus, fun Halloween promotions done well can boost brand awareness and make customers more interested in your business.
Collaborate with Other Companies
Mutually beneficial business relationships allow companies to share resources, ideas, expertise, and best of all, better products and services for the customers.
Collaboration also helps brands reach new customers by combining each other's audiences.
We love this example from last year: Reeseâs x Nextdoor.
The two companies came together to make a âTreat Mapâ that informs neighbours who is celebrating Halloween and how. Basically, it lets parents pick the best places in the neighbourhood to go trick or treating and see spooky decorated homes.
Share Behind-The-Scenes Content
You donât need to go crazy to capitalize on Halloween marketing. Join in the fun by letting your audience in on your company culture. It builds a connection and adds a little fun. Think of planning a day for team members to dress up, carve pumpkins, do a pet parade, or share baked goods and share it on your social channels. Add engaging features like polls and questions to boost your engagement.
Create a Game or Challenge
Who doesnât love a good game? Weâll never say no to a bingo card — especially if there is a reward.
Hosting challenges like these is a smart way to engage your audience and get them in a Halloween mood. Find something your target would like to do, and doesnât require a lot of work. Think: filming a Story and tagging you or dropping off a colouring sheet at your location.
This example is a little mean, but people LOVED Jimmy Kimmelâs âI Ate My Kidsâ Halloween Candyâ videos. At least there is a call to action to donate candy to the Ronald McDonald House at the end.
Halloween Hashtags and Keywords
Make your content easily searchable this Halloween with keywords on your website and specific hashtags on your social pages.
Join in on popular hashtags like #Halloween or #SpookySeason, and ones that match your products like #HalloweenCandy for grocery stores . Here are some tips if you create your own:
- Stay relevant to your brand
- Make it easy to remember
- Focus on one message
- Keep it short
Get people involved by encouraging them to share their own content and use your brandâs hashtag.
For SEO, brands should add Halloween-related words like âcostumesâ or âspooky decorâ to their website. Writing blogs with fun ideas, like âTop Halloween Party Tips,â can help them show up in searches. And donât forget to use Halloween keywords in product descriptions to draw in more shoppers.
Make Memes
You better believe we âlikeâ every meme we see about Spirit Halloween. Whether itâs about taking over a failed retail space or making fun of a profession, youâll start to see these memes popping up around now.
Funnily enough, we donât think Spirit Halloween had anything to do with these jokes, but leaning into them has made them culturally relevant, and hey, who doesnât want free advertising?!
They even made a blog about their favourite fake costumes last year.
Halloween marketing can be challenging for brands who donât see how the celebration ties to their business objectives. It can be as simple as building your relationship with clients by sharing behind-the-scenes footage, growing brand awareness with influencer campaigns and giveaways, or seeing direct sales with promotions and discounts.
Our social media marketing service provides you with a content strategy, using data to make sure your posts are shared at the right time, and are seen by your target customers. We write, schedule, and promote your social media content for you and generate awareness about your brand by engaging strategically with your ideal customers.
Never miss a campaign opportunity again! Get in touch with us here.
Meet Hayley Dobson
Hayley Dobson is a childless cat lady. And if you know any childless cat ladies, you know that they have many interesting hobbies, take on the coveted role of fun aunt, make the best pet-sitters, and they basically live a more elevated lifestyle of someone in their twenties who can do what they want — except they arenât broke and have a fully developed brain.
The other thing about women with fully developed brains is that they like to use them. If thereâs one thing I know for sure about having a relationship with Hayley, you donât want to get into a debate with her because you will certainly lose. This woman is informed, clever, and confident — as she should be. She can convince anyone of anything, which makes her an incredible and captivating storyteller.
When Hayley joined the Starling team, it was a blessing for us because of her personality and intelligence, and she became a great fit for our clients because sheâs a funny, hard-working perfectionist.
Personal Life
Hayley âlevels upâ everything she is involved in. Her interest in yoga and dance led her to complete her 500-hour RYT certification, which she has been working towards for seven years.
âI'm really interested in movement as a healing modality and a path to more authentic expression.â
If you ask Hayley to do something, she gives it 110% every single time. One of the best examples of this was turning a simple bridesmaid speech into a personalized rap at a friendâs wedding — a performance the crowd will never forget.
She loves attending and running community events, and if you ever meet her at one, youâll be able to find her because of a loud outfit (think light-up cowboy hats or eccentric costumes to fit any theme) and the gathering of people who naturally are drawn to her.
Whether you credit this to a trait sheâs born with or the time, effort and space sheâs given to working on herself and the connection between mindfulness and creativity — sheâs that girl.
Work Life
Hayley started her marketing career over 10 years ago while she was completing her communications degree at Carleton University. During that time, she worked for the Student Association as Vice President of Student Life. She put her skills to use planning the student social calendar for the year, putting together events like orientation week, huge concerts, and homecoming. This is where she fell in love with experiential marketing and hosting events.
After graduation, Hayley started working in community at Lululemon in Vancouver.
âThat's where I learned the power of meaningful experiences and how they support in building community, creating emotional impact, and driving awareness and brand resonance.â
She went on to work in sales and marketing in the cannabis industry, which taught her about working in regulated environments and building an industry from scratch.
Why is Storytelling Important for Businesses?
For many people, the ultimate decision about what product they buy or service they invest in comes down to whether the business or individual offering it aligns with their values. Storytelling allows consumers to learn more about what you believe and why you do what you do. It's the heartbeat of your marketing, and weaving the right story brings magic and life into your brand.
Storytelling helps businesses connect with their audience on a deeper level. When you are choosing a lunch spot, do you choose the sandwich shop you know nothing about, or the one where the owner went to Europe to learn culinary techniques and bring it back to your town because they have a passion for sharing good food? Having a back story just makes your purchase feel more special.
Itâs about sharing values, experiences, and emotions. When you tell your brand's story—how you started, the challenges you faced, or even your quirky office culture—you make your business relatable and memorable.
Hayley is always interested in how brands show up outside their brick-and-mortar locations. She enjoys finding the stories within clientsâ work and sharing them in an engaging way.
How Can Businesses Create Community Around Their Brand?
There's something special about providing people with the opportunity to have an experience with your brand - to create a memory.
Hayley says the best way to create community around your brand is to offer people meaningful ways to engage with it both within your brick-and-mortar and/or online space and outside of it.
Utilize experiential marketing in a way that works for you, whether that looks like hosting an event, going live on Instagram to answer questions or provide information, or offering surprise and delight moments in your store. Collaborate with other businesses who believe what you believe to help grow your reach. And most importantly, make people feel valued and cared for.
These actions create an emotional impact that drives awareness and brand resonace,
If youâre looking for someone to tell your stories and add personality and colour to your digital marketing strategy, reach out to us here.
How to Do Content Marketing Beyond Blogging: Podcasts, Webinars, and More
Written by Starling Social President, Alyson Shane
Iâve been publishing content online since 2002 and have watched firsthand as the world of content marketing has changed dramatically in that time.
Once upon a time we were all just a bunch of bloggers in the âblogosphereâ listing our favourite sites on our blogrolls, but over the past decade-and-change the way and place we publish and share our content with our audiences has become almost unrecognizable from where I first started out.
So today I want to dig into the evolving landscape of content marketing: where itâs been, where it is, and where itâs going — all do you can develop a strategy that connects you with more of your target audience than ever before.
Letâs get into it:
Why Does Content Marketing Matter?
Content marketing describes a type of marketing that âinvolves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or servicesâ (thank you, Oxford Dictionary).
Itâs also the most powerful way to continually reinforce your brandâs message, values, and convey the ways your products and services make your customerâs lives better.
But donât just take my word for it, according to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), marketers have been seeing success with content marketing across the board.
Here are a few stats to back that up:
- 84% credited content marketing with creating more brand awareness.
- 74% said it helped generate more leads and higher demand.
- 63% cited its role in nurturing subscribers, audiences, and leads.
- 58% confirmed that content marketing directly generated sales and revenue, an increase from the previous yearâs 42%.
Itâs clear that finding more ways to share your content with your audience has a net positive effect on your business, but before we dive into all the avenues available to you, letâs quickly review how we got to where we are:
The Evolution of Content Marketing
1994: The First Banner Ad
All the way back in 1994, AT&T ran a banner ad on HotWired.com and earned a click-through rate (CTR) of 44%. These results have the industry completely shooketh, and established a precedent for how companies would start turning to the internet to connect with their customers.
1995: Amazon Introduces Customer Reviews
Weird to think that Amazon has been around this long, but itâs true!
Allowing customers to say whatever they wanted about the products they were buying through the site created avenues for two-way conversations with brands that didnât exist before.
It also opened up the floodgates for new opportunities for companies to gather real-time feedback from customers before social media exploded onto the scene.
1996: Microsoft Launches âNetMeetingsâ and Webinars
Although the term âwebinarâ wouldnât be popularized until 1998, the first public âweb conferencesâ were already gaining popularity.
Since then weâve seen the introduction of more sophisticated tools like Google Meet, Zoom, GoToWebinar, ClickMeeting, and more.
1998: Google Changes Everything
Google and its PageRank algorithm is arguably one of the most important developments to ever happen to the internet.
By prioritizing a websiteâs ârelevanceâ it changed websites from static spots online, to places where businesses regularly began to develop and publish content to improve their digital exposure, setting the groundwork for the SEO sector and brand visibility online.
1999: RSS Feeds
RSS feeds scrape content from sites you connect it to, allowing you to access information in one handy dashboard as soon as itâs published.
These tools didnât become popular until the early 2000âs, but stayed the dominant way people accessed content until social media essentially ate its lunch.
2000: Google Launches AdWords
Google AdWords (now Google Ads) launched in 2000 and allowed advertisers to pay to show their ads at the top of search engine results pages (SERPS).
By 2002, they were paying by click, which is where the expression pay-per-click (PPC) originates from. This technology allowed marketers to display relevant ads only to people who were searching for exactly what they were selling, making this one of the most powerful forms of online advertising.
2003: WordPress Launches
Internet veterans like me will remember sites like Geocities, LiveJournal, and Blogger.com that came before WordPress, but this tool and its WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface democratized the ability for anyone, anywhere, to make a website.
2004: Podcasts Enter the Scene
In his 2004 piece for The Guardian, Ben Hammersley described this new audio format as âdownloadable as you wishâ with Apple launching iTunes 4.9, which had podcast support, the following year.
(Fun fact: 2005 was when I started listening to podcasts!)
2005: YouTube Launches + âInbound Marketingâ Becomes a Thing
The first YouTube video was posted by one of the platformâs founders. Called âMeet Me at The Zooâ it was a potato quality, 19-second video that would go on to revolutionize how marketers and content creators alike published and shared content.
That same year HubSpot coined the term âinbound marketingâ in an effort to show that producing relevant, and helpful material was the best way to build relationships with customers.
2007: The iPhone Launches
This is arguably one of the most important developments of the internet age.
The iPhone and its groundbreaking interface allowed marketers to develop content specifically for mobile devices and paved the way for the app ecosystem we have today.
2007: Facebook Launches Business Pages
The introduction of Facebook Business Pages allowed companies to publish content on the platform that would show up in usersâ feeds, giving them a whole new way to connect with their audiences on social media.
2011: BuzzFeed Explodes
BuzzFeed was ranked the 13th most popular blog in the world in 2011 and made engagement tactics like quizzes, calculators, and YouTube videos cross-posted to the site incredibly popular.
2012: Facebook Buys Instagram
Facebook paid around $1 billion for Instagram that year and changed the way social networks relied on paid advertising and influencer marketing, with Sponsored Posts being introduced in 2013 and putting a focus on collaborative content with users on the platform.
2013: Google Hangouts On Air Make Webinars More Mainstream
The introduction of this service allowed users to broadcast seminars, live sessions, and conferences to massive audiences for free, allowing the webinar industry to reach a global audience.
2013: Snapchat Introduces SnapChat Stories and Vine Launches
Snapchatâs Stories needed to be timely, relevant, and in some cases participatory because they would disappear after 24 hours, and laid the groundwork for a trend in content marketing that would eventually be copied by every single other social media platform.
That same year Vine popularized the publication of short-form content, eventually inspiring TikTok and Instagram Reels.
2016: Google Introduces Mobile-First Indexing
In response to the quickly-growing number of people using mobile devices, Google announced that it was shifting to âmobile-firstâ indexing, forcing marketers to focus on content that was optimized for smaller screens and adapting their SEO strategies accordingly.
2018: TikTok Launches
TikTok exploded onto the scene in 2018, paving the way for marketers to reach a global audience of yonder people and catapulting short-form video into the mainstream to be copied like platforms like Instagram (2020), YouTube (2021), and Facebook (2022).
2020: The Rise of Zoom
Iâd be remiss if I didnât include the rise of Zoom as the go-to platform for businesses, schools, and regular people during the pandemic.
Webinars had been around in the pre-pandemic years, of course, but being forced to pivot to online-only events helped solidify this type of content into the mainstream.
2022/2023: AI On The Rise
AI started to become mainstream with the launch of ChatGPT 2022, but it wasnât until 2023 when OpenAI released GPT-4 in 2023 that it really became a mainstream tool.
Now, AI tools like ChatGPT and others (we list some here) are changing the way content is created more quickly than ever before.
Types of Content Marketing
Blogging
Of course I had to start here, with the âOGâ type of content marketing.
Blogs (like this one) are still among the most important types of content marketing for several reasons, including:
- Building trust in your brand. Being able to articulate what you know about your industry and educate people about it shows that you know what youâre an expert in your field.
- Increasing website traffic. Blogs are still an important part of your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. Not just because you can include important keywords in your content, but also because blogs engage readers for longer periods of time than landing pages, which increases SEO value.
- Driving conversions and sales. When someone lands on your website and reads your blog, it helps them learn more about you and what you offer, which increases the likelihood that theyâll reach out.
- Increasing link-building efforts. Linking to authoritative sources in your blog content, like a product manufacturer, page that has data to back up your writing, or other âreputableâ website helps improve your search engine ranking.
- Repurposing blogs for social media. Youâve probably noticed that we share 2-3 posts on average per blog post to our social feeds, not to mention when I promote them on my personal LinkedIn. This is a âbricks and feathersâ approach to content marketing that works really well, and reduces the burden on you to constantly come up with unique content for every social media post.
But enough about blogs. Letâs explore some of the other types of content marketing you should be leaning into:
Video Content
Vidyard found that the average video retention rate for videos across the board is 54%, making this type of content one of the most impactful kinds you can create.
Video marketing is continuing to evolve, but some of the most popular types of videos you can create are:
- Instagram Reels
- Facebook Reels
- TikTok videos
- YouTube Shorts
- Livestreams
The possibilities here are really endless. You can create tutorials on YouTube; short, snappy TikToks and Reels with trending audio and sounds; and everything in-between.
One example I really like is Old Spiceâs âThe Man Your Man Could Smell Likeâ campaign that launched back in 2010. The videos featured actor Isaiah Mustafa (aka the "Old Spice Guy") in a variety of weird and silly situations speaking directly into the camera in an exaggerated way.
This campaign re-positioned Old Spice as a brand that didnât just cater to older men, but was attractive to trendy, young people, too. The campaign was so successful that Old Spiceâs sales skyrocketed by 107%.
Infographics
Humans have been creating infographics since the pre-internet period, but this type of content is especially useful at conveying information online since usersâ attention spans sit at around 8.5 seconds.
While infographics can be effective, there are a few ground rules to keep in mind:
- Plan your infographic and use it to build on the narratives youâre already telling with your other content.
- Use headings and subheadings to increase âreadabilityâ and keep users engaged.
- Lean on tools like Canva, Piktochart, and others to easily create scroll-stopping graphics.
- Consider making infographic templates for yourself to make creating new ones fast and easy.
Podcasts
Like I said above, podcasts have been around for ages, but only recently have become one of the more popular ways for brands and marketers to get their message out there.
Podcasts can help you reach a wider engaged audience who are interested in your industry and expertise. Some of the ways you can use podcasts are:
- Interviewing guests, experts, and influencers.
- Sharing insights on trends, news, and spicy topics.
- Increasing your visibility through platforms like Apotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
- Build a loyal and active community around your brand.
Protip: If you donât have time to host your own podcast, look for podcasts in your niche and pitch them on being a guest on the show. I do this all the time and get a lot of traction and awareness about Starling Social from my interviews!
Memes
If you follow us on social media, you know we love a good meme.
Memes are a form of cultural expression that spread through variation and imitation, and can be images, videos, text, music… you name it, these days itâs probably meme-able.
Memes are effective forms of content marketing for the following reasons:
- They showcase your brand personality, voice, and sense of humour.
- They relate to your audience and their challenges and pain points.
- They engage with your audience and encourage them to like, comment, and share your posts.
- They show youâre âtapped inâ to current cultural trends and have your finger on the pulse enough to create entertaining, relevant, and engaging content.
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Webinars
Webinars are a great way to generate brand awareness because they position you as a subject matter expert and give you a platform to educate and empower your audience.
They also reinforce you as a subject matter expert who can easily talk about specific topics, ideas, or strategies related to your industry.
Because webinars are delivered digitally, they also allow you to reach a broader online audience of people who might not have heard about you otherwise.
You can host your own, or partner with other brands and organizations to develop and deliver your webinars to a specific audience. For example, Iâve delivered dozens of webinars as a facilitator with Volunteer Manitoba since 2017, which has allowed me to connect with nonprofit organizations in my community who I might not have been able to reach otherwise.
eBooks
Before you clutch your pearls at the thought of writing a whole book, think of it as long-form blog content instead.
eBooks arenât novels; theyâre multi-page ads for your business that reinforce you as a subject matter expert and empower potential clients and customers with information that builds trust.
One great example is The Experience Optimization Playbook by Optimizely, which explores optimization strategies from Fortune 500 companies.
Case Studies and Whitepapers
Case studies can be time-consuming to create, but are a great way to tell a story about how your product or service helped your customers achieve a specific outcome or goal.
With this type of content, your audience can see a customerâs journey from start to finish and see similar use cases in real life.
A great example from LinkedIn shows how HSBC used LinkedInâs marketing tools helped them diverse the way their marketing content is presented:
While whitepapers and eBooks are both examples of long-form content, theyâre not the same thing.
Whitepapers are more densely-packed with information and data than most eBooks, and are detail-oriented where eBooks are more high-level.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is one of the easiest ways to gather content that tells a positive story about your brand, your products and services, and how they help real-life people.
People respond more positively when they hear stories told from people like them and can turn viewers into customers much more quickly than a lot of other content types out there.
One example of UGC I really like is from Doritos. They launched a site called Doritos Legion of Creators where users can create branded images and videos that Doritos shares on their social media accounts.
Users have come up with all sorts of content, from snack-centric weather forecasts, to pictures of themselves laying back in piles of nachos, and more. The company keeps creators engaged by creating challenges like the âoddly satisfying challengeâ which invites creators to create oddly satisfying videos for the chance to be featured on their Instagram Stories.
Testimonials + Reviews
Like UGC, testimonials and review-based content are generated straight from your audience and their experiences with your products and services.
This type of content is especially impactful if your business is operating in a niche market, because testimonials can act as overviews of what sets you apart from the competition.
You can see examples of how bigger companies like Nike use them, too; their Instagram feed is pretty much all celebrity endorsements and reviews.
Grow Your Business with Content Marketing
Content marketing doesnât just drive immediate results; itâs a long-term investment in your companyâs future and brand awareness goals.
By creating relevant, valuable, and high-quality content, you can attract new customers to your business and keep them coming back for years to come - and the best part is that you donât need a huge marketing budget or team to do it!
How To Do An Email Marketing Audit
If youâre a business owner, donât sleep on email marketing. 99% of consumers check their emails every day. When we say âreach your audience where they are at,â email marketing is exactly what weâre talking about.
Yes, they probably are also on their social media platforms, but did you know that only 10% of your followers will see your post on Instagram? And thatâs if your image or video caught their attention long enough for them to stop scrolling.
It's not that Facebook isn't important for your business, but if you want direct impact and reach, email marketing has no competition.
This blog will guide you through how to do an email marketing audit so you can take a close look at your strategy to maximize your return on investment.
Letâs talk about why audits are important, how to do one, and what they are.
Why an Email Marketing Audit Matters
Email marketing gets results. For every dollar spent, the average return is $40. The campaigns help you build relationships with your customers by sharing updates, offers, and valuable content, leading to greater brand loyalty and repeat business.
Your strategy shouldnât just be âsend an email.â Each newsletter should be strategically crafted to reach your marketing goals. Whether youâve been sending emails for decades or your first one is in your drafts, doing an audit will maximize the impact of your campaign.
The goal of an audit is to take an honest, unbiased look at what's working, what's not, and where you can make improvements. By reviewing your email list, content, timing, and overall strategy, you can identify areas to optimize and make data-driven decisions to increase open rates, boost CTRs, and drive better results.
Components of an Email Marketing Audit
If the word audit casts a sense of dread over your body, we feel you. Just remember, itâs not telling you what youâre doing wrong, but more guiding you in the right direction. Hereâs what you should look at when doing an email marketing audit:
Subscriber List
Make sure your subscribers have opted in. You donât want to talk to people who arenât into you anyway. Regularly clean out inactive subscribers to boost engagement and segment your list to more effectively target different audience groups.
Personalization
Identify key moments in your customers' journey to send timely messages. Automated messages like welcome emails and abandoned cart reminders can be personalized. Keep testing and refining your approach to see what works best.
Performance Metrics
Review metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. This helps you see whatâs working and where you can improve.
Compliance
Follow email marketing laws like Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. Get explicit consent, provide clear information, and allow easy opt-outs. This helps you avoid legal issues and build trust with your subscribers.
Content
Look at your subject lines, messages, visuals, and calls to action. Confirm they are interesting and personalized to keep your audience interested. Test different elements to improve your results.
Deliverability
Currently, the best time to send an email blast is 10am on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Make sure your emails bypass the junk folder by maintaining a good sender reputation, using proper authentication, and avoiding spammy language. Monitor deliverability (like with monthly reporting — a service we provide to our clients) to catch any issues early.
How To Do An Email Marketing Audit In 6 Easy Steps
Weâve tackled the âwhatâ and the âwhy,â now for the âhow.â These six steps will make the process a bit easier.
1. Set Your Goals Decide what you want to achieve with your audit. Are you aiming to boost overall performance, improve deliverability, or refine your content? Knowing your goals will help shape the audit.
2. Choose Your KPIs
Key Performance Indicators are what measures your success. These are things like open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates. Setting clear goals will help you see whatâs working and where you need to adjust.
3. Create a Spreadsheet
If youâre not a spreadsheet girly, trust us when we say itâs for the best you become one in this case. Track details like campaign names, subject lines, audience segments, open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates. This helps you keep everything in one place and helps you spot trends.
4. Gather and Organize Data Compare your metrics with industry standards and past performance to find trends and areas for improvement.
5. Analyze What Works Look into why some emails performed better than others. What made the successful ones stand out? Figure out how to replicate that success in your next campaigns.
6. Make a Plan
For all the other creatives crying out there, weâre on the last step! Make a report with clear takeaways and then start implementing and testing your new ideas. It will work!
We like to make ourselves an email audit checklist so we can get a dopamine hit after we complete each of the 6 steps. Bonus points if you add a little treat for yourself after you complete the audit.
Conduct Regular Audits
Email marketing audits will give you valuable insights to make a clear action plan that lines up your email marketing with your business goals. Whether you're focusing on list health or doing a full audit, following this framework will make it easy. Start focusing on what works and ditch what doesnât.
If after reading this email marketing suddenly jumps to the top of your to-do list, weâre ready to help! We also happen to have an extremely high open rate on our own newsletter at 45-49%. Humble brag, but the industry average is 21.5%.
Contact us here to get started on your next email marketing campaign.
Video Marketing in 2024: The Ultimate Guide
- by Alyson Shane
By Starling Social President, Alyson Shane
If you spend any time on social media then youâve already witnessed the overwhelming amount of video content floating around - and itâs no surprise! According to Wyzowl, 94% of marketers consider it âessentialâ and 91% of businesses are always using it as part of their marketing strategy.
If youâre on the fence about getting into video, I get it: it can feel overwhelming at the start, but leaving this type of content out of your strategy will also leave you in the dust!
What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing is exactly what it sounds like: itâs using video content to promote your products, services, or your brand on social media, on your website, and through webinars and email campaigns.
Why is Video Marketing Important?
There are lots of reasons to include video in your marketing strategy! Here are a few:
Higher Social Media Engagement
A peer-reviewed study found that news articles that include videos get more engagement (likes, comments, and shares) on social media than those that just have photos.
User engagement is also an important way that algorithms on social media platforms rank what content is, and isnât, worth showing to other users. So the more people that engage with your content, the more itâll show it to users who donât already follow you.
Videos stand out more on someoneâs screen more than a static image does. Someone spending more time looking at your content is called âdwell timeâ and short, engaging videos are a great way to increase dwell time on your social media or website.
Research suggests that videos are also more likely to create an emotional response with the viewer, which encourages them to react to the video by commenting, liking, sharing, or sending the video to someone they know.
More Leads and Sales
Videos are a great way to get people to interact with your content, increasing the likelihood that theyâll turn from just viewers and into customers. According to Wyzowl, 87% of companies using video marketing said that they led to increased sales.
Ending your videos with a call-to-action (CTA) like âClick Hereâ or âBuy Nowâ encourages the person viewing the video to take the action you want them to take.
So youâve already pulled them in with an interesting and engaging video, helped familiarize them with what you do and what you offer them, and youâre able to encourage them to convert. Win-win-win!
Better SEO Rankings
Embedding videos on important landing pages on your website has a twofold effect: first, some people donât want to read copy and would prefer to watch a video, and second (and maybe more importantly) it causes people to stick around on the page longer, which improves your websiteâs search engine optimization (SEO) rank.
Videos also get picked up by search engines like Google, meaning you can get your message out in front of people who arenât even visiting your site.
Better User Experience
Letâs face it: some people just prefer to consume content through videos. They donât have to read huge walls of text and are able to sit back, watch, and listen as they follow along.
Specifically, videos like tutorials and product explainer videos are a great way to connect with your customers. For example, product explainers and service explainer videos break down how what you offer benefits them and explains how they work, setting you up to look like a helpful subject matter expert.
Improved Brand Recognition
Video content is like a sneaky shortcut to help familiarize someone with your brand.
Video is much better at evoking an emotional response in someone and can show off a fun and dynamic side of your brand, which is what sets you apart from similar companies.
Strong branding = increased sales, so this is a great approach.
Types of Video Marketing
There are lots of kinds of videos you can make to connect with your audience, including:
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are educational tools that break down points of interest or product features to the viewer.
These are not sales tools — theyâre ways of educating and empowering the viewer and showing them how what you offer can benefit them. So while you should include a CTA at the end of every video, make sure to focus on what the viewer needs to know instead of trying to sell at them.
Product Demos
Demo videos are deep-dives into how a specific product works. Usually they show someone using it in real-time and showing off its features and functionality.
Customer Testimonials
We love testimonials! This type of video showcases a real-life person who has used your product or benefitted from a service you offer.
This is referred to as âsocial proofâ because itâs not coming from you or someone else involved with your business or organization; this is a âregularâ consumer who loves what you offer enough to sit down and talk about it.
Theyâll share their experiences, talk about what made the product or service so great, and (ideally) inspire others to try it out for themselves.
How-To Videos
This video type is exactly what it sounds like: they show the viewer how to do something.
The internet is littered with how-to videos for pretty much every product or technique out there, from makeup how-toâs to DIY renovation projects, so in addition to shooting some of these yourself, a great way to make the most of this video type is to reach out to influencers and content creators in your niche and pitch them on partnering with you to do a how-to video using your product.
Livestreaming
Weâre all probably familiar with the concept of a livestream by now, but as a refresher, this style of video is… streamed live.
Livestreaming is a great way to show the raw, unfiltered side of your brand and to help establish trust and credibility with your viewers because what they see is what they get.
You can livestream on Instagram/Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, but just make sure to promote your livestream in advance so people know when to tune in!
Event Videos
These videos capture key moments from an event youâre hosted or attended, and can be a great way to show how your brand engages with the community. This video type offers a behind-the-scenes peek into your company culture and creates a more personal connection with your audience.
Another benefit to this video type is that they can get attention from people who werenât able to attend and might want to show up in the future.
Animated Videos
Animated videos are a great way to break down complicated concepts and can be used for a variety of things, from explaining products and services, to creating engaging content that isnât just a âtalking headâ on a screen, as well as showing how different processes work.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is content created by other users who arenât directly connected to your brand, like reviews, testimonials, or videos of themselves using the products you sell. This type of video is great for conveying authenticity and credibility about what you offer.
Like I said above: connecting with influencers can be a great way to create this kind of content, but encouraging your customers more generally to create UGC you can re-share. Some CTAs you can use in your marketing to encourage this type of content can look like:
- âShow us how youâre using [product]â
- âSend us a video showing your favourite way to use [product]â
- âHow do YOU use [insert product]? Send us a video and weâll reshare it!â
How to Make High-Quality Video Content
Gone are the days when âpotato qualityâ videos were acceptable. Here are a few tips to create scroll-stopping videos:
Define Your Objectives in Advance
Firstly, decide what your goals are with your video content. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, educate your audience, drive sales…?
Whatever your objective(s), your video content should work towards these goals.
Next youâll want to identify your target audience. Some things to ask yourself include:
- Who are you making these videos for?
- Where are they on their buyerâs journey?
- What kinds of videos do they want to see?
Once youâve defined these areas, youâll want to set goals for yourself in terms of the amount of content youâll create (be aggressive, but realistic) and which metrics youâll track to understand which videos are helping you achieve your goals, like video views, engagement, click-through rates (CTRs) and conversions.
Build Your Video Marketing Strategy
Using the research you just did, look into the social media platforms where your ideal customers are spending their time. There are lots of things that might play into this, but one of the key elements is their age. Hereâs a quick breakdown of age demographics and platform usage from Sprout Social to make ti a bit easier:
- 18-29 years â Snapchat (41%), TikTok (35%), Instagram (32%)
- 30-39 years â LinkedIn (34%), X/Twitter (34%), Snapchat (33%), Instagram (32%)
- 40-49 years â LinkedIn (25%), Facebook (22%), X/Twitter (21%)
- 50-59 years â Facebook (29%), LinkedIn (24%), Pinterest (24%)
Another thing to consider is a âbricks and feathersâ approach to your video content. I dug into this concept in this blog post, so donât miss it.
Plan and Write Your Script
I canât emphasize this enough! Without a script youâre likely to sound unprepared, and will probably pepper your videos with lots of âummsâ which can detract from your message.
Here are the steps I use when creating video content:
- Outline the script. I like to get as granular as possible with this and will literally write out exactly what I want to say, in large text (so I can read it on my screen) and line breaks where I want to âcutâ the video.
- Be conversational. Act like a real human and speak the way you would as if you were talking to someone face-to-face. If you have to use technical terms or jargon, make a point to explain it in the video, too.
- Use a hook. âHooksâ are a statement that tells the viewer what they can expect from the video, so include one as the first or second thing you say in your video.
- Include a call-to-action (CTA). Like I said above, tell people what you want them to do after theyâve finished viewing the video.
- Include visual direction. Donât just sit in front of your screen like a talking head. Use your hands, show emotion and excitement through your facial expressions, lean in and out for emphasis, and use graphics when appropriate.
- Be mindful of your video lengths. Different social platforms have time limits for videos, so look this up in advance so you donât accidentally shoot something thatâs too long. Hereâs a reference for that.
- Practice! If youâre new to creating videos, you might need to run through your script a few times before filming, and thatâs okay! Practice makes perfect.
Shoot and Edit
These days a high-end smartphone is often more than enough to shoot a decent-quality video.
Use natural light when possible along with a ring light to even out the light in your space. If youâre using a ring light it will typically come with a tripod, so make sure to use this as well so your video isnât a shaky mess.
Once youâve captured your footage you can either use a video editing tool (I use iMovie because Iâm on iOS for my horizontal videos) or use in-app editing tools which can be found on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Include Captions
Captions serve several important purposes:
- Increasing accessibility for people who might have issues hearing your videos.
- Encouraging viewing since lots of people scroll through social media with their volume turned down or off completely.
- Increasing your social media search engine optimization (SEO) since social media algorithms crawl and index videos based on the text in the captions.
Choose an Engaging Thumbnail
Thumbnails are the still image of your video that shows up on usersâ timelines before they start viewing the video.
For platforms like YouTube that donât auto-play videos, youâll want to use a tool like Canva to create an attention-grabbing thumbnail, but for platforms like Instagram and TikTok you can usually get away with choosing a still from the video youâre uploading to use.
Incorporate Branding Elements
Reinforce your brand identity by including things like logos, colour schemes, or taglines that draw a stronger link between your video and your brand overall.
If this feels too heavy-handed or technical, choose a spot in your office or home (if you work from home) that has interesting elements that can become familiar to viewers when they see your videos pop up on their timelines.
Publish and Promote
Once youâve published your video you need to do a little leg work to get it out into the world.
Include relevant keywords in your title, captions, description so your content can be found by people who are searching for it. Make sure to re-share it to your Instagram/Facebook and TikTok Stories with a sticker linking the viewer to a relevant page on your website.
Video Best Practices
Before we wrap up, letâs review some âbest practicesâ for your video content:
- Keep it short. The best videos are concise and to-the-point. Decide what the single focus of your video will be and stick to one topic.
- Stick to your core message. Choose what the message of your video will be and donât deviate from it.
- Tell a story. Have a beginning (hook), middle (demo, explanation, testimonial, etc.), and an end (CTA).
- Add captions. Increase accessibility and boost your SEO so more users can find your video.
- Include a CTA at the end. Iâve probably beaten this point to death, but every video should have a call-to-action (CTA) at the end.
Get Started With Video Marketing Today
Video is here to stay, so if you havenât taken the plunge then thereâs no better time to dive right in and start creating entertaining, engaging, and informative content that highlights the value of your products and services.
Still feel like youâre struggling with your video marketing strategy? Just click here and connect with a team of content marketing professionals (hint, thatâs us!)
Meet Tineke Buiskool-Leeuwma
Tineke is like the personality hire — except sheâs also full of the talent, passion and creativity that makes Starling thrive. No bad vibes, only impeccable work and lots of sparkle. How did we get so lucky?
If youâre interested in working with Starling Social and wondering what it would be like, keep reading to get to know one of the stars of our team.
Personal Life
âInvolvedâ is one of the first words we would use to describe Tineke. This woman does everything! You can find her supporting local shops and restaurants, on neighbourhood tours, attending community events, and joining book clubs. Essentially, any fun activity going on in Winnipeg, Tineke has done or plans to do. She was even asked to give a Pecha Kucha talk about being a tourist in your own town!
She loves our city so much that she has the Winnipeg skyline tattooed on her shoulder, which balances the wheat tattoo on her other shoulder, showcasing her country and city roots.
We are very font of her âbeeâs kneesâ tattoo because it showcases her love of typography and puns. Sheâs just our type! The Futura looks bright for this one... okay, we will stop.
Work Life
Tineke graduated from the Red River CreComm program in 2004. She immediately put her skills to use with mall and area marketing — sheâs worked for five different malls in Manitoba and Alberta and two business improvement zones.
âI love these industries as my work supported small businesses and a lot of local, independent owners! I became a Certified Marketing Director (CMD) through the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) and graduated from the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Leadership program (a program I highly recommend)!â
All this experience, combined with Tinekeâs love for local businesses and inherently supportive nature makes her the perfect fit for the Starling team (and probably your business).
Tineke loves it all when it comes to her job. In fact, the variety is what makes it so exciting.
âI am super partial to writing for social media, e-newsletters and blogs. I love a great campaign, but supporting the ongoing work for a client is also super rewarding because you get to see it grow over the long term.â
The results of ongoing work with clients is just as rewarding for us as it is for them!
You could likely guess that Tineke is an avid reader, so working with a local publisher on their social media has been a highlight of working with Starling.
âIt was incredible to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of the publishing world, plus learn more about talented authors and illustrators.â
Working With An Agency
We often hear about how marketing is the next thing on the to-do list, but the creativity and time it takes just arenât available.
TBH, weâre creatives, we love this sh*t. We understand you are so busy that you donât have time for consistent posting, messaging, or marketing. This is where working with someone like Tineke can help support your initiatives.
Working with small businesses is awesome because the time from idea to execution is really cut down. We work with your team, as an extension of your business, to tell your story. Even if you have a marketing or communications team and are looking for a little extra support, we can jump in with whatever your needs are. Sometimes, clients need a bit extra support to allow their current team to focus on other initiatives.
âOne way I like to support is by creating educational and informative content so that there is a consistent brand presence and the on-site team can share the day-to-day and behind-the-scenes content. It tends to flow really well together, and the output ticks all the boxes: educational, informative, and entertaining!â
Ongoing Support v.s. One-Off Projects
Tineke loves building relationships with her long-term clients, which goes hand in hand with strengthening marketing strategies. The payoff of seeing the results of that creativity and partnership is really rewarding.
However, she says short-term support is also a lot of fun for both parties! Whether it's supporting an event (eg: a conference), a product launch or a marketing campaign, the Starling team can deliver on these shorter projects!
âThe best part is that we can help with whatever you need.â
If youâre interested in leveling up your social media game, or have a project you could use some help with, reach out to us here.
And to end with a smile, as you do when meeting Tineke, we leave you with a final Typography joke:
The Green Wave: Sustainable Marketing Practices for 2024
Put a finger down if youâre feeling the impact of people destroying our planet. Put another finger down if you want to do something about it. If you have two fingers down, this post is a great place to start.
With 75% of young people frightened about the future, you arenât alone. The current vibe among young people is that even if I didnât make this mess, itâs still my job to clean it up — which is great, but unfortunate that we are here.
The âsilver liningâ in our current state is that itâs pushing companies to want to make a change — but weâre so damn busy we donât know how and donât have the time to learn how.
This blog outlines why people are going green, ways your biz can switch to sustainable marketing practices, and examples of companies doing right.
The Rise of Green Consumerism
Fear is a pretty good motivating factor. With the doomsday clock still at 90 seconds to midnight, the push for immediate climate action is strong. It turns out the best way to make our voices heard is with our wallets.
People are increasingly aware of the impact of their purchasing power — and we love to see it. Sustainability is a key driving factor for buyers, with 85% of consumers making more âgreenâ decisions.
- 64% of consumers want brands to remove plastic packaging.
- 88% of people want brands to help them be more ethical in their daily lives.
- 72% of respondents are buying more eco-friendly products than they did five years ago.
While drastic change is what we need, baby steps like buying eco-friendly products make people feel like they are doing something tangible. People will pay more for items made responsibly and sustainably.
It seems reasonable to assume that this green trend will continue to grow. Companies that align with consumer values stand a better chance of sticking around.
Now is the time to look at your products, packaging, and how you run your business in a more eco-friendly way.
How to Incorporate Sustainable Practices in Your Business
If youâre looking to make a change, the first thing you need to do is find out how to spot greenwashing and avoid doing that at all costs. Consumers are wise, cancel culture is strong, and the point is to truly make good choices.
Be Transparent
When a company is truly making a difference, it wants to share real facts and figures. Make a dedicated page to share how your green practices. This is where you put your numbers and clear explanations. Keyword you should include on your website (and what to look for on other sites) include:
âfootprintâ
âannual reportâ
âimpact assessmentâ
âsustainability reportâ
Spot Greenwashing: Watch out for questionable wording and a lack of information.
Ex. If clothing says itâs recycled, look for the percentage. Sometimes, using recycled content isnât very eco-friendly because the recycling process uses a lot of energy. If you donât see specific numbers, thatâs a red flag.
Get Certified
This is a tricky one because not all certifications are equal. In fact, some you can simply buy. Others require renewals, which keeps your company accountable for upholding your sustainability commitments.
From what we can tell, these are some generally trusted third-party programs you may want to consider for your business and in your own purchasing.
If you are confident in your sustainability practices, you can apply to be on apps like Ethical Consumer, or if youâre in the fashion world, apply to be rated Good On You.
Spot Greenwashing: Some companies use misleading branding. Depending on their regional laws, there may not be any repercussions. In reality, they can design a âgreenâ stamp and put it on their packaging.
Be Specific With Buzzwords
Canada passed a law on June 20th, 2024, saying if you make an âenvironmentally friendlyâ claim on your product, you have to prove it. Until now, nothing prevented companies from putting an âeco-friendlyâ label on their products, even if the product is far from sustainable.
These buzzwords can still be used deceptively, so the more information you can provide about them, the better.
Copy should be a tool for storytelling, connection, information and honesty. It should address your targetâs pain points and how to fix them. Does your audience feel empowered after their purchase? How can you make them feel good? Scare tactics and buzzwords may grab an initial sale, but a genuine connection with your customers will keep them coming back.
If your product is ânon-toxic,â for example, tell them what the industry standard is, why you chose what you did, and the benefits of your ingredients.
Words like âchemical-freeâ are hard to substantiate because everything is made of chemicals.
Spot Greenwashing: When you use words like âfree-of,â the substance can still be present in trace amounts or be marketed on products that never would have contained it in the first place.
Just look at A&Wâs page:
…Since 2013 weâve been serving beef raised without artificial hormones and steroids, and now all our beef is also grass-fed and grass-finished…
But In Canada, the level of synthetic hormone residues that can be left in beef is zero. Seems pretty shady.
Focus on a Circular Economy
Smart business owners are now looking at the circular economy. This idea is about using resources for as long as possible, getting the most value from them while they're being used, and then recycling and regenerating products at the end of their life. Explaining how your brand helps with the circular economy can be a great way to attract customers.
One of our clients, Patent 5 Distillery, has a heavy focus on sustainability embedded into its brand.
Their location is in a historic building, repurposed as a cocktail bar and distillery. They used reclaimed stained glass, doors, wood panelling and other elements from the original building to create their cozy setting.
If they can source the ingredients for their craft spirits from a local supplier, they do. Everything from the grains to the spruce tips and berries are from Manitoba. This means lower greenhouse gas emissions from transport. Nothing goes to waste! Even their spent grains are sent to local farms to be used for feed.
They even invested in a 900-gallon water recirculating system to reduce their water waste, and their whisky barrels are reused.
Anything you purchase from Patent 5 is mashed, fermented, distilled and bottled in-house. Customers are encouraged to return their bottles to Patent 5 for reuse.
These notes are listed on their website and revisited on their social pages to communicate their commitment to sustainability.
Work Remote
We know this isn't possible for every company, but it is for many, and we don't understand why more companies wouldnât embrace it. Starling Social is a completely remote company, and not only does it offer more opportunity for a work-life balance, there are several environmental benefits.
Reduced Carbon Emissions: Our carbon footprint is lowered because we donât have people commuting to an office every weekday.
Lower Office Energy Use: Another space means more heating, cooling, lighting, chargers, appliances, etc. We arenât using any of that!
Reduced Paper Use: Weâre all digital. Weâre not even sure if any of our team members own a printer. Save the trees!
Less Plastic Waste: Letâs get real, if weâre in the office, were going to be snacking, ordering lunch, even packing lunch! As much as we limit single-use plastics, straws and plastic cutlery still come with ordered food.
Since Starling doesnât have these overhead costs, it also allows the team to be paid more. Itâs a win for everyone. Remote work supports sustainability goals and fosters a greener future for everyone — and we will die on that hill.
Talk About It
Write your story, then tell it. Define your green goals, how you plan to meet them, and let your audience know! It doesnât have to be all or nothing.
Unfortunately, some parts of going green can have a high initial cost (think solar power), but itâs motivating to see your own sustainability journey unfold, and you will naturally get cheerleaders along the way. Challenges along the way are relatable. Ask for advice, stories, and ideas. This is another way to encourage two-way conversations with your audience.
Use Eco-Friendly Packaging
Everyone sees your product's packaging, and using eco-friendly packaging sends a strong message. Choose materials that can be recycled or break down naturally, like biodegradable options or those made from recycled materials. Show that you care about cutting down on plastic waste and remind customers to recycle—plus, itâs another way to communicate your sustainability practices with your audience.
Make Your Consumer The Hero
Good marketing campaigns focus on what your company is doing right, but great marketing campaigns make your client the hero. Itâs their purchase that allows your business to run, which allows the local businesses you support to thrive, which reduces our carbon footprint by limiting cross-country or global trasnportation emissions.
Make sure youâre letting your customers know the impact of their purchases!
Companies Doing It Right
Patagonia
Patagonia, an eco-friendly outdoor clothing company, is often leading the charge in sustainability.
Their motto, "We are in business to save our home planet," rings true. They donate 1% of sales to environmental causes, use recycled and organic materials, and aim to be carbon neutral by 2025. Their program, Patagonia Action Works, connects people with local environmental groups.
Ben & Jerryâs
Ben & Jerryâs Climate justice campaigns are clever, informative, and eye-catching. Their partnerships stress how climate change can be accessible and that we donât need to focus on fear to make action happen.
Their climate plan, approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative in 2018, aims for 100% renewable energy by 2025 and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and 2050. You can track their progress in their Social and Environmental Assessment Report.
Tentree
Karma Wallet rated Tentree the best overall sustainable fashion brand of 2024.
Their plan is to work towards a world where businesses are leading the change we need, placing the planet and people first. Tentree gives back to its communities, creates ethical and sustainable products, and offsets its emissions. They hope to show what a planet-first business can look like.
At this point, every step counts for businesses embracing sustainability. Practices like remote work, eco-friendly packaging, and avoiding greenwashing so consumers can make conscious decisions all contribute to reducing your environmental impact.
When businesses Integrate these strategies, they can contribute to a greener future for everyone. If youâre interested in working with a company that wants to help communicate your environmental action plan, contact us here.
