Tagged: Digital Marketing
The Future of Starling Social
- by Alicia Kurz
TL;DR: Starling Social is carrying on.
From a group of people who write for a living, figuring out what to say in this blog post is hard. One thing we know for sure is that people have questions about what is happening with the company and our team.
Alysonâs passing was not something we ever imagined we would have to consider.
We donât have all of the answers — we donât know what we donât know — but hereâs what we know right now.
How We Made This Decision
Our entire team, including Alysonâs partner, came together after her passing to figure out what the next steps looked like. We unanimously agreed that continuing Starling Social was the best way to continue Alysonâs legacy.
Just like a murmuration of Starlings, Alyson Shane built a team that moves in sync, adjusts to each other's actions and stays aligned with the bigger picture.
Her bigger picture was to support good businesses and non-profits doing great work in their communities. Having a person with a big heart at the head of Starling is what made it so successful. Our team all genuinely loves what we do and wanted to continue to do great work for our clients. That part was an easy yes.
What Current Clients Need To Know
First off, we want to thank our clients for their understanding, patience, and support during this time. Our team is so grateful that our clientsâ trust has remained with their account managers, and the processes and procedures that Alyson had implemented.
Our clients can rely on the same dedicated service and exceptional quality of work theyâve come to expect from us.
We are mourning Alysonâs loss, but doing this work, having a creative outlet and supporting our clients is something we can continue to feel good about moving forward.
Who Is Filling Alysonâs Position
Alysonâs strong need for clear, documented communication has kept everyone aligned, even after her passing. Together, we have been able to navigate, collaborate, and now move forward with an addition to the team who will fulfill Alysonâs duties and add services — and a new perspective — to benefit our clients.
We are welcoming a new Director to the team: Luke Thiessen. Luke is a longtime friend and collaborator who has been involved with Starling since its founding. A graduate of the Creative Communications program at Red River, he has spent more than a decade creating content, directing communications strategy and leading teams across a variety of industries and sectors. He is taking over leadership of the Starling Social team and looks forward to working with our clients as we enter this next chapter for the agency.
Our team wholeheartedly agrees that Luke is the natural fit to continue growing Starling. His skillset and experience complements our team, and as Alysonâs close friend, he knows and supports the direction and goals of the company. We feel good knowing another person with a big heart, and the same values, is continuing her legacy.
We are looking forward to adding Lukeâs skillset, sense of humour, and musical acumen to our murmuration.
Honouring Alyson
Alyson used Starling Social to support women and BIPOC companies, and the LGBTQAI2S+ community where she could. Those will be the initiatives we continue to support.
The University of Winnipeg Foundation has set up the Alyson Shane Memorial Award in Rhetoric. They aim to raise $35,000 to support underrepresented students studying Rhetoric, Writing and Communications at The University of Winnipeg.
She was also nominated for the Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and they will be honouring her memory and contributions to the community at the event.
We will continue to share stories about Alyson, always be inspired by the drive and creativity she shared with her community, and produce work she would have been proud to have her name attached to.
Our Services
Our entrepreneurial crew of self starters works together to help our clients grow their businesses. Hereâs a reminder of what we will continue to offer, and whatâs new.
Digital Marketing Strategy
- Onboarding: This process allows us to act as an extension of your brand online.
- Transparency: Cloud-based tools keep you updated on every campaign detail.
- Monthly Reports: Detailed updates on performance, ROI, and strategic recommendations.
- Quarterly Meetings: Regular meetins to align goals and objectives.
Social Media Marketing
- Content Strategy: Data-driven insights make sure your posts reach your target audience.
- Content Publishing: Professional scheduling and promotion of your social content.
- Audience Engagement: Strategic interactions to grow awareness and connections.
- 24/7 Account Monitoring: Always stay on top of DMs and sales opportunities.
Copywriting
- Blogging: SEO-optimized blogs to drive traffic to your website.
- Email Marketing: Campaigns, newsletters, and nurture streams tailored to your needs.
- Website Copy: Refresh or overhaul your site with impactful, polished content.
- PDFs + More: Custom promotional materials for any campaign.
Social Media Ads
- Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Pinterest Ads: Expertly managed to amplify your digital marketing efforts.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
- Search and Display Ads on Google and Bing: Drive traffic and boost sales with precision-targeted campaigns.
Web Development
- Website Development: Create or revamp your site to showcase your brand.
- Branding and UX Design: Responsive, user-friendly websites highlighting your products and services.
- Logo Design and Brand Identity: Build a memorable visual identity that reflects your brandâs values and stands out in your industry.
- Shopify Setup and Management: Optimize your online store for sales and efficiency.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Improve your search rankings and visibility.
New Offers
With our new addition to the team, weâre offering a small but beneficial expansion to our current offers.
Media Outreach & Publicity
- Press Releases: Creating newsworthy stories to gain media attention.
- Media Relations: Building relationships with journalists and influencers to boost coverage.
- Event Promotion: Generating buzz for your events through strategic media campaigns.
Grieving
Grief can be overwhelming, especially over the holiday season. The Mood Disorders Association of Canada has free resources available for people who have lost a loved one and need support.
Please take care of yourself. If you or a loved one is struggling, you can access Shared Health Manitobaâs Mental Health & Wellness Resources here.
If you have questions about our team, the future of Starling Social, or digital marketing, you can reach us here.
What North American Companies Can Learn From Japanese Ad Campaigns
- by Alyson Shane
If youâve ever seen a Japanese ad or commercial, youâve probably watched it and said, âwtf is thisâ — and youâre not alone.
Having just spent a month in Japan, I was struck by the stark difference between Japanese and North American advertising. Their ads often feature people in costumes, anthropomorphic items and animals, and characters making silly or exaggerated faces and sounds.
Aka, it's the complete opposite of most of the marketing campaigns I've seen here in North America.
As someone obsessed with marketing and storytelling, I loved being immersed in a different culture and seeing how Japanese brands market their products and services.
In this post, Iâll explore how North American companies can find more engaging and memorable ways to connect with their audiences by embracing silliness and being weird the way Japanese brands do.
Letâs start by comparing some ads:
Cup Noodle Japan
Predictably, Cup Noodle is a brand of instant noodles popular in Japan. I saw ads for these on subway trains all over the country, and they often involved people in weird situations interacting with a life-size cup of noodles.
Letâs start with a Japanese Cup Noodle commercial:
Now letâs take a look at an ad for instant noodles from another Japanese company thatâs targeted at North Americans, Ottogi America Inc.:
Night and day, right? While some aspects of the Japanese commercial might not necessarily land with a North American audience (the grandpa being held by a Cup Noodle angel at the end is a weird vibe), the ad is fast-paced and unpredictable and basically the opposite of what youâd expect from a company selling cups of noodles.
God of War: Ragnarok
I didnât actually see it while I was in Japan, but I wanted to include it because it does a great job of showcasing the contrast between how North Americans market something and how they do it in Japan. Check it out:
I read the Google Translate description of the video, and Iâm still not 100% sure whatâs going on here.
Now letâs compare it against the American trailer:
I actually love both versions of these ads, but the contrast is pretty stark: the North American version relies on celebrities. It comes across as more satirical (and tame) than the Japanese version.
It also portrays playing the game and dressing like Kronos as the men are trying to be better dads to their kids — framing GoW, Kronosâ beefy physique, dressing like a Viking, and playing a violent videogame as âmasculine.â
The Japanese version, by comparison, contrasts what arguably sounds like a childrenâs song against a violent, pretty macho video game.
SoftBankâs âWhite Familyâ
I donât remember where or how I discovered this series of ads back in the early 2000s, but these weird, quirky commercials stole my heart and probably set me up for the love of Japanese marketing that I still hold today.
The long-running campaign, which focused on the (Shirato) White Family headed by Otousan (âFatherâ), who is a white dog, was one of the most successful and long-running ad campaigns in the countryâs history.
As of 2012, the campaign had reached 133 âepisodes,â but here are a few to give you a sense of what theyâre like:
(Also, donât sleep on the Tommy Lee Jones cameos!)
As you can see, very few of these commercials actually talk in detail about the phone company or the plans themselves. Mostly theyâre little vignettes about the family and the things theyâre doing.
The commercials are weird, but theyâre also charming and memorable.
Now letâs look at a North American ad that also features a talking animal:
Did you notice that Geicoâs ad followed a lot of the same tropes that the SoftBank ads did?
By featuring an unusual animal who talks (and who is kind of abrasive to the humans around it, just like Otousan), they can create a quirky, memorable ad that promotes their offerings without being too heavy-handed about it.
Differences Between Japanese and North American Ads
Now that weâve looked at a few examples, letâs break down the key differences between ad styles according to research:
Style Differences
- Japanese commercials are less informative than American commercials.
- Japanese commercials emphasize product packaging and availability, while American ads emphasize price, quality, and performance.
- Japanese commercials use a soft-sell approach with short messages, songs, celebrities, female voice-overs, and still graphics.
- American commercials use a hard-sell approach with long messages, animation, male spokespeople, and humour.
Cultural Differences
- Japan is a âhigh-context societyâ whose communication needs are answered through familiar symbols and icons rather than logical recommendations.
- The US is a âlow-context cultureâ requiring Western rhetoric and logical tradition to communicate thoughts and actions.
What Can North American Brands Learn?
Be Weird
As you may have noticed, a key element of Japanese advertising is being silly and weird.
Japanese ads often feature bizarre imagery (see below for an example), unusual characters, and unexpected scenarios. By embracing the unexpected and breaking away from traditional advertising tropes, companies can create more memorable and engaging ads. Weirdness can also help companies stand out in a crowded advertising landscape.
Key takeaway: Donât be afraid to lean into weird, memorable characters or make them a bit annoying or unlikeable for the sake of the joke.
Why is that pistachio so smarmy?!)
Use a âSoft Sellâ Approach
Japanese commercials often use a soft-sell approach with short messages, songs, celebrities, female voice-overs, and still graphics.
This approach can be more subtle and less aggressive, which can be more appealing to some audiences.
Key takeaway: Avoid being too heavy-handed. Tell a story that resonates or excites your audience where the product youâre promoting comes second to a memorable ad.
Use (and Create!) Familiar Symbols and Icons
As we saw in the SoftBank ads, Otousan became something of a cultural icon in Japan. By incorporating or creating characters who can become cultural symbols (think the polar bears for Coca-Cola), campaigns become more easily recognizable and familiar to audiences.
Experiment with Pattern Interrupts and Pacing
As we saw with the Cup Noodle commercial and how a few SoftBank commercials cut between scenes, the Japanese arenât afraid to jump around.
Cutting frequently between scenes is called a âpattern interruptâ and is an effective tool (also employed by YouTubers) to keep the audienceâs attention focused on whatever theyâre watching.
Many Japanese ads also end abruptly or in weird and unexpected ways. Not knowing where the plot is going is another way of keeping viewers engaged right until the very end.
Key takeaway: Donât be afraid of experimenting with pacing and surprising your audience with a twist at the end of your ads.
Play With Satire
Although both the God of War: Ragnarok examples played with satire, the North American one played it safe by linking the GoW series to âmanlinessâ and easily identifiable gender norms.
The Japanese ad, on the other hand, threw gender norms right out the window and went with an ad that could have easily been mistaken for a kidâs commercial.
While the North American ad is fine (I liked it, personally), the Japanese sing-song ad stands out more because it almost feels like itâs making fun of the ultra-macho GoW series instead of leaning into a predictable masculine theme.
Key takeaway: Donât be afraid to lean into satire and juxtapose different elements of an ad against the product youâre promoting.
Get Inspired for Your Next Ad Campaign
Japanese advertising offers a refreshing alternative to traditional advertising, and North American companies can look to these types of ads for inspiration.
So, the next time youâre creating an ad campaign, consider adding a little bit of silliness, embracing the unexpected, and making fun of yourself and your product. Who knows, you might create an ad that people will remember for years to come.
17 of The Hottest Reels Trends Your Business Can Recreate
- by Alyson Shane
With the rise of short-form video content, Instagram Reels have quickly become a go-to platform for creators looking to share engaging and entertaining content with their followers. However, as with any social media platform, staying relevant and up-to-date with the latest trends is crucial to maintaining your audience's interest and expanding your reach.
Following Instagram Reels trends is a great way to achieve this. By staying on top of what's popular and in demand, your content will remain fresh and engaging to your followers. Not only does this help you stay relevant and connected to your audience, but it also increases your chances of going viral or gaining more followers, as users are more likely to engage with current trending content.
But there's more to following Reel trends than just staying current. Participating in trending Reels can also inspire creativity and help you develop new ideas for your own content. Itâs also an excellent way to connect with other creators and build a sense of community within the platform.
Letâs take a closer look at some of the most popular March Reel trends and discuss how you can leverage them to create successful content that resonates with your audience. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting with Instagram Reels, these trends will help you stay ahead of the curve and make the most of this dynamic platform. So let's dive in and explore the March Reel trends together!
Three Ways to Find Trending Reels
Scroll Your Reels Feed
As you spend time scrolling through Instagram Reels, it's easy to keep up with the latest trending sounds. Just keep an eye out for the small arrow in the bottom left corner of your Reels explore page.
Once you tap the sound, you'll find out where it originated, how many other Reels are using it, and which creators have already worked their magic with it.
If you're not feeling camera-ready just yet, no biggie. You can save that sound for later and come back to it when you're feeling inspired.
Get Inspired By TikTok
Instagram will hate that we are saying this, but trending TikToks tend to become trending Reels a few weeks later. And itâs much easier to find trending TikToks — you can literally just type in âtrending soundsâ in the search bar. But, remember to find the sound on Instagram before you post and donât upload it as an original sound.
Follow @Creators for Weekly Trending Reels
The @creators account is a goldmine of insider info and valuable resources for creators.
Pro tip: every Friday, the Instagram team themselves share the hottest Reels trends of the week. They also post tips and facts about the ever-changing algorithm. However, we find these are often geared towards creators and not businesses.
Trending Reels This Month
We know, coming up with Reel ideas and then executing those ideas can seem like a lot. But, you donât need to overcomplicate them. Weâve compiled 18 currently trending reels that you can quickly adapt for your business. Take a look!
Reels to Share Tips
These reels are short and easy to recreate with your own spin. We might even try some of these ourselves!
Reels for people who donât want to lip-sync
There are always a ton of trending sounds you can use with âb-rollâ, like footage from an event, production of your product, or even as simple as your feet on a walk!
Reels to Show Off Your Products
If you have a product-based business, there are endless Reels on Instagram you can recreate. These are as simple as holding your product in your hand, packing an order, and our favourite: telling your audience how your product/service can solve their problem.
Reels to Celebrate
Have you hit a milestone? Finished your work early for the week? Signed a new client? These Reels are quick to recreate and allow you to share your success with your audience. Try them!
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Amber | Content Strategist, Educator + Speaker (@a_creativeco)
Reels That Show What You Do
These Reels are the easiest ones to film, IMO. Simply prop your phone in a place that can record you while you work and record a time-lapse over trending audio. We also love the idea of sharing your favourite tools you use at work, an office reorganization, or a compilation of anything important to your business.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by annekabeee - habits | routines | self-growth (@annekabeee)
View this post on InstagramA post shared by MARIE | BUSINESS MENTOR FOR ONLINE COACHES (@marieewold)
Reels That Transition
Do you feel like getting fancy? These Reels are a step up from easy, but they are still doable and work for a diverse range of products and services.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Print Collective by Fiorella (@printcollectivebyfiorella)
Reels For Re-Introductions
Donât forget new followers may not know much about you. Try to re-introduce yourself at least quarterly. As you can see, there are several different ways to do it! Tag us if you give it a try — itâs a guaranteed like and comment from us ;)
There's no shortage of ways to make your brand stand out on social media when using Reels. So why not start experimenting with these trends today?
If youâre looking for help creating content for your social media platforms, drop us a line! We have over 22 years of experience publishing content online and would love to help.
How Digital Marketing Consulting Can Help Your Business
- by Alyson Shane
The world of digital marketing changes every day.
From SEO updates, to shifts in posting strategies across social media networks, to digital advertising best practices — it can be hard to keep up and keep meeting your growth goals.
Working with an expert who offers digital marketing consulting can help you level-up your online strategy and edge past the competition. They bring a fresh perspective, ideas, and tactics to the table that you might not have known about or considered, and that can make all the difference.
That is, as long as you find a competent expert to work with.
One of the challenges with partnering with a digital marketing consultant is now knowing what youâre getting into, and what youâll get out of the process.
Thatâs why weâve put together this overview what you can expect, and how investing in digital marketing consulting can help your business:
1. Audit your progress
The key to developing a successful plan is understanding what youâve done to date and comparing it against industry benchmarks.
A digital marketing consultation compares things like your goals, target audience, and what youâve done across all your marketing channels (social media, your website, newsletter, ads, etc.) to find ways to better align your actions with the outcomes you want to see.
An audit might also include reviewing the copy on your website, blog, and your newsletter to make sure that your messaging is on-brand and youâre using keywords and language that are Search Engine Optimized (SEO).
2. Develop a new digital marketing strategy
One of the biggest outcomes of a digital marketing audit is the strategy that is developed during the process.
This starts with a SWOT analysis which assesses your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This gives the consultant insight into how you run your business, your position relative to your competition, how effective your digital marketing has been to date, and more.
Other things that need to be developed include Audience or Buyer Personas, lists of competitors, and other supporting documents that codify how your business engages (or doesnât) with your ideal customer base.
All of this information will be used to assess what youâve done to date, the platforms and strategies you should be using, and develop an outline to help you start implementing the findings.
3. Create a high-converting sales strategy
Paid advertising is a âmustâ for most businesses looking to stay competitive. Google Ads (also known as Pay-Per-Click, or PPC ads) generate $2 in revenue for every $1 spent.
Whether youâre new to the world of digital ads or youâve been running ad campaigns for a while, getting a fresh take on the return-on-investment (ROI) of your ads can help you increase sales and generate more leads.
However, Google Ads arenât the only option — a digital marketing consult will help you determine which advertising channels will get you the best ROI as well as areas like:
- Audience segments and targeting
- Geo-targeting
- Keywords
- Duration
- Budget
- … and more!
4. Establish your KPIs
KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator, and refers to a set of quantifiable measurements that you can use to gauge your overall performance.
A digital marketing consultation will walk you through which KPIs and metrics you should be tracking in order to meet your specific goals and objectives. Your consultant should also explain how different KPIs relate to one another so you know how to gauge your success.
For example, when your social content has a high Reach but low Engagement, it means that your audience is seeing but not interacting with your posts. This is a sign that you need to find content that resonates with your audience in a more meaningful way to encourage them to engage via Likes, Comments, and Shares.
Ready work with a digital marketing consultant with over 20 yearsâ experience publishing content online? Drop us a line and letâs chat!
5. Drive growth across multiple channels
Omnichannel marketing is the process of creating a cohesive brand experience across multiple channels, like your social media, website, newsletter, ads, and more.
The best digital marketing consultants have experience with a wide range of marketing platforms and can help you think about how different elements of your strategy interact with and influence each other.
They can also help you think strategically about how your brand sounds on various platforms while staying consistent to your âbrand voiceâ.
After all, people talk to each other differently on LinkedIn and Instagram, but you might need to be active on both platforms — do you know how to âcode switchâ while still sounding authentic? A competent digital marketing consultant can show you how.
6. Help you develop processes for success
The key to great digital marketing is being organized and staying on-task, but this is easier said than done, especially if marketing is just one part of your job function.
A digital marketing consultation will help you take a top-down view of all your digital marketing channels and help you think about how to develop processes to keep everything running smoothly.
This can include how-to documents that you can refer back to, suggesting (and sometimes setting up) project management tools, and even creating visual frameworks so you can see how all the pieces of your plan connect at-a-glance.
How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Consultant in 4 Steps
Hiring a digital marketing consultant is an investment, so you want to make sure youâre spending your money on someone who will deliver the value youâre looking for.
If youâre not sure what to look for, here are five qualities to keep an eye out for:
1. Do they have the right experience?
Digital marketers come in all shapes and sizes, with different levels of expertise and focus. If youâre looking for something specific, make sure they have experience in that area.
When researching potential experts to work with, pay attention to the clients theyâve worked with in the past, as well as the size and types of businesses they typically work with.
2. Can they âwalk the talkâ?
A digital marketing consultant should be able to showcase their knowledge by how they market themselves and their firm. Look at their website, social media accounts, and their overall approach to how they market themselves online.
Donât be fooled by flashy graphics and name recognition: if the company in question isnât actively âwalking the talkâ then they arenât worth your time.
3. Are they credible?
Anyone can make a claim about their abilities and results, so make sure to find testimonials and social proof from online sources before deciding which expert to hire.
4. Are they knowledgeable?
Youâre hiring someone to help educate you and set you up for success, so they need to have the knowledge and expertise to give you solid advice and answer any questions you may have.
Whoever you hire should have in-depth knowledge about digital marketing best practices, shifts and changes in trends, and lots of hands-on experience.
How Digital Marketing Consulting Can Help Your Business: Conclusion
There are lots of reasons why you might be considering hiring a digital marketing consultant, but the key to getting your moneyâs worth is hiring someone competent, knowledgeable, and who you feel you can trust to point you in the right direction.
If youâre looking for a consultant with over 20 yearsâ experience publishing content online, drop us a line and ask about our free consultations.
If youâre interested in levelling-up your own digital marketing knowledge, subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, trends, and insights you need to grow your business.
Everything You Need to Know About Outsourcing Your Digital Marketing
- by Alyson Shane
Do you have questions about outsourcing your businessâ digital marketing?
If youâre struggling to figure out if your business is ready, you may be wondering:
- Why should I outsource my digital marketing?
- Should I keep my digital marketing in-house?
- What parts of my digital marketing should I outsource?
- What are red flags to look for when selecting an agency?
If youâve wondered any of these things, then this post is for you. Letâs dive right in:
Why Do Businesses Outsource Their Digital Marketing?
There are lots of reasons a business would outsource its digital marketing, but here are some of the most common:
Youâre not seeing the results you want from your in-house team/person
Many businesses outsource because their in-house team isnât meeting their goals.
This could be due to inexperience, disorganization, or a cultural mismatch. Whatever the reason, your marketing is always behind. If itâs been a few months (or even years) since your business has launched a new campaign or tried a new strategy, then it may be time to outsource your marketing.
You donât have the resources to scale in-house
One person often isnât enough to manage all of a businessâs digital marketing needs. After all, graphic designers arenât copywriters or social media managers, and vice-versa, so you may still have skill gaps you need to fill to meet your marketing goals.
If hiring 2-3 more people is out of your budget, hiring an agency is a cheaper alternative that can give you the variety of skill sets you need to see success.
Youâre task-driven, not strategy-driven
Posting for the sake of being active on social media isnât a strategy.
As a business, you have revenue goals that need to be supported by your digital marketing strategy. While it may feel good to know youâre posting 3-4 Instagram posts a week… that posting doesnât do you any good if thereâs no strategy behind it.
If youâre not happy with your existing digital marketing strategy, then it may be time to outsource to an agency.
You have no reporting structure in place
If you arenât able to measure the results of your efforts then youâll never have a clear sense of where new business is coming from.
A qualified agency will work with you to set up a reporting system (we submit ours monthly and on a per-campaign basis) which will include a breakdown of what worked, what didnât, and suggestions for building on successes.
If you donât have a reporting system in place, then outsourcing to an agency can give you the clarity you need to make data-driven decisions about your digital marketing.
Why Outsource Digital Marketing? Your Questions Answered
Before we talk about the benefits of outsourcing your digital marketing, letâs answer a few of the questions we hear most often:
Is outsourcing digital marketing cheaper?
Outsourcing your digital marketing to an agency is almost always cheaper than hiring in-house staff - usually by significant amounts, too.
Consider this: you could pay a single person to handle your marketing strategy, copywriting, social media, blogging, email marketing, SEO, landing pages, paid ads, and reporting.
Or, you could spend the same amount and have an entire outsourced team handling the same workload.
Consider the costs, scope, and quality of the work of a single person vs. a team of people, and itâs easy to see how outsourcing becomes the most affordable option.
Is outsourcing digital marketing easier to manage?
Yes, outsourcing is easier to manage than in-house marketing because you donât have to manage an external team the same way you would with an employee.
Qualified agencies will have processes in place that will keep projects and campaigns running smoothly behind-the-scenes, allowing you to focus on your business without feeling the need to constantly check-in.
Does outsourcing guarantee a higher level of expertise?
Yes, outsourcing almost always guarantees a higher level of expertise than hiring in-house.
This is especially true if your business relies on new grads and less experienced marketers due to salary limitations. Most newbie marketers lack the hands-on experience needed to develop, manage, and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy.
Agencies, on the other hand, are typically founded by and employ digital marketers with years of experience, often in a variety of areas.
The Benefits of Outsourcing Digital Marketing
Letâs talk about the best parts of outsourcing your companyâs digital marketing!
Outsourcing gives you outside insight into your business
Hiring an outside agency can give you a fresh perspective on how to approach your digital marketing.
Any qualified agency has a rigorous onboarding process that allows them to develop a deep understanding of your business, your customers, and how your products or services solve those problems.
This work, and the work of measuring and reporting consistently on your digital marketing, offers insight into your business, making them a valuable partner.
Outsourcing gives you access to experts
As we discussed earlier, the level of seniority and expertise that a business can access through an outside vendor is often much higher than they could hire for in-house.
Not only will you work with more experienced marketers, but qualified agencies will always be on the lookout for innovative new tools and techniques to amplify their efforts on behalf of your business.
Outsourcing guarantees a return-on-investment (ROI)
Put simply, agencies have a vested interest in generating continued ROI for your business, or else they risk losing your retainer. This means theyâll continually work to find new ways to make campaigns more successful, increase open rates, and generate more interest about your business online.
(If you donât feel like youâre getting that level of service right now, letâs chat.)
Red Flags When Outsourcing Digital Marketing
Weâve spent a ton of time talking about all the benefits of outsourcing, but what about the red flags? What are some signs that the agency youâre considering might not be all itâs cracked up to be? Letâs take a look:
They donât walk the talk
Letâs face it: a lot of marketing agencies (older ones, especially) tend to offer digital marketing services to stay competitive, not because itâs their passion.
As a result, you can tell pretty quickly which agencies are experts in areas like digital marketing and content strategy, and which are faking it for clients.
When considering who you want in charge of your digital marketing strategy, ask:
- Do they post to their social media profiles regularly?
- Is their content friendly, helpful, and interesting?
- Do they show creativity and innovation in the content they share?
- Do they have a newsletter, and is it any good?
- Do they blog regularly to demonstrate industry expertise?
If the agency youâre considering doesnât do any (or even some) of these, then they may not actually have the depth of knowledge and experience needed to deliver high-quality results.
They wonât show past or current work samples
Whether thatâs sharing links to past or present client work or providing case studies, a qualified agency should be able to point to at least a few success stories.
If youâre considering working with an agency but theyâre giving you the runaround on actual work samples, consider this a huge red flag and take your business elsewhere.
They force long-term contracts
No matter how great or experienced an agency might be, youâll both need some time to get to know one another and decide if your partnership is something you want to continue long-term.
If an agency is pushing for a multi-year contract before work has even begun, consider this a red flag.
Outsourcing Digital Marketing - Final Thoughts
Figuring out what to do with your digital marketing can be stressful, but outsourcing your needs to a qualified agency can bring strategy, clarity, and quality to your businessâ online presence.
As weâve covered here, outsourcing is a cost-effective way to work with digital marketing experts who work hard to consistently deliver ROI for your business.
If youâre ready to take the next step and work with an agency to grow your business, drop us a line and letâs chat.
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Lessons From Netflix's Super Bowl Ad for The Cloverfield Paradox
- by Alyson Shane
Even if you don't watch football, the results of last night's Super Bowl LII should have left you with your jaw on the floor.
No - we're not talking about how the Eagles pulled ahead at the last minute thanks to the touchdown pass caught by QB Nick Foles; we're talking about Netflix's surprise ad and movie release for The Cloverfield Paradox.
For those of you who may have missed it, Netflix sprung a trick play on audiences by investing in a highly-coveted Super Bowl ad for the latest installment in J.J. Abrams' sci-fi franchise Cloverfield: The Cloverfield Paradox.
The ad, which aired during the second quarter, ends with text which reads: "coming very soon" which was followed by an announcement from Netflix stating that they would begin streaming the film online immediately after the game.
Naturally people began freaking out about it online, hailing it as one of the most innovative ways to market a box-office film ever. Netflix's edgy, innovative strategy upended traditional assumptions about how movie advertising is done, and it's likely that things will never be the same.
Even if you're not in the business of making movies (also called "show business") there's a lot brands from other industries can learn from Netflix's groundbreaking move.
Let's explore:
Experiment With Your Approach
We all know that buying a Super Bowl ad is one of the most effective (and expensive) ways to showcase your brand, product, or service to a captive audience of millions. In fact, it's not uncommon for movie studios to drop ads for upcoming theatrical releases during the Super Bowl.
What makes Netflix's approach different is that they barely gave their audience time to react to the ad before the movie started streaming. By breaking with the tradition of releasing teaser trailers, real-world ads, multiple full-length ads, and other traditional marketing tactics, Netflix broke the mold on traditional movie and TV advertising and gave audiences exactly what they wanted within hours of showing it to them.
Netflix took advantage of the energy, excitement, and captive audience generated by the Super Bowl and channeled as much of that engaged audience as possible into their digital streaming platform as soon as the game was over.
Your Takeaway
Don't be afraid to surprise your audience. We love the unexpected, especially when it comes to advertising, and breaking with tradition and experimenting on an ongoing basis will not only help you develop a better understanding of what your customers or clients behave, but you'll keep them on their toes which will keep them as engaged with your brand as possible.
Experiment With Audience Conversion Tactics
"You can't advertise during the Super Bowl and expect people to watch your movie right after!"
What do you think the odds are that someone, at some point throughout planning this campaign, said this? Pretty likely, and it's because what Netflix did flew in the face of traditional audience conversion tactics.
Think about it this way: Netflix managed to draw in an audience of viewers tuned into an unrelated live event and converted them to their digital streaming platform immediately after the event ended.
This is a huge risk for advertisers, as we know that it can be hard to replicate marketing ROI success across different audience types (Facebook audiences react to different content than LinkedIn audiences, for example) but Netflix wasn't afraid to experiment with a new approach which encouraged audiences to turn off one streaming service (their digital package or cable provider) and turn to another - their own.
Your Takeaway
If you know you have a captive audience on another platform or digital medium and you need to find ways of converting them, invest in ads specifically for the purpose of funneling them to your site or platform.
Don't be afraid to encourage cross-platform conversions! Pay attention to when audiences on other platforms are most engaged, or are likely to be online, and direct your advertising dollars into ads that run during those peak times in order to capitalize on the existing, engaged audience like Netflix did.
Don't be Afraid to Experiment. Period.
This isn't the first time that Netflix has shaken up traditional TV and movie advertising tactics.
Back in 2013, they shocked audiences by dropping all 13 episodes of House of Cards at once, effectively ushering in the age of binge-watching and changing how most people consume media.
At the time it was considered a groundbreaking move, but several years on the practice has become so commonplace that many of us allocate weekends to "binge" one season of a show or another. This shows us that taking risks and changing up traditional models can not only result in ongoing publicity and media - something every brand wants - but can fundamentally shape how your clients and customers interact with your products or services on an ongoing basis.
Your Takeaway
TRY NEW TACTICS.
If there's anything that this article and Netflix's strategies should tell you, it's that being bold and trying new methods of advertising, sharing information, and audience conversions is the way of the future.
Most brands are finding it harder and harder to stand out online, and the only way to create a viral hit Ă la Netflix is to step outside of your comfort zone and spend some time experimenting with new and innovative ways of reaching your audience.
With this new Super Bowl ad and immediate release Netflix has once again shown a determination to challenge the assumptions of traditional advertising, and we can't wait to see where they go next.
What's your reaction to Netflix's ad for The Cloverfield Paradox?
Let us know by dropping us a line on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or leave us a comment on Instagram!
