7 Steps: A Guide for Logical Decision Making

Critical decisions can be tough to make in the business world. Rational decisions are important when we as humans tend to be highly emotional. However, there is a model to help those who have to make these difficult choices daily in the workplace. This guide can make the process less stressful and help you come up with clear solutions that are the best. Here’s how it goes:

1.     Identify the decision that must be made: Clearly define your decision or problem.

2.     Gather relevant information: Find all data pertaining to the problem or decision that must be made. This can be internal (inside the workplace) or external (outside the workplace). This is where the brainstorming begins once the data has all been gathered.

3.     Find alternative answers: How many different ways can you spin this? How many solutions are there? Write down a pros and cons list of each one. Do the pros outweigh the cons? SWOT analysis and decision matrixes are helpful here too.

4.     Weigh your findings: Place each alternative in order of ranking from highest to lowest based on the pros and cons lists you created. Which ones make the most sense?  

5.     Choose: Now it’s time to choose the best solution for your problem. Sometimes a blend of a few of the alternatives may be the answer and not just one single solution. Being an effective decision-maker involves creativity and confidence.

6.     Act: Now that you have chosen it is time to act. Implement your decision but take the time to create a plan so that the team is on the same page.

7.     Monitor and Review: Did the decision solve the problem? Here is where you can look at the results of the solution. Look at the solution and evaluate whether or not it has resolved the problem properly. Are you satisfied with the outcome? If the answer is no, this is when you can try another option.

Human nature causes us to be emotional but decisions should be made rationally. We shouldn’t make decisions based on reasoning that is backed by feeling. Logical decision-making can be tough to do sometimes. Following this guideline can help you and your team make the right decisions for the brand/business. Good luck and we hope this helps!

Good Team Management Skills

Leading a team can be tough. Managing personalities is not an easy task but leading a team with effective management skills that focus on the needs of the team will motivate, support, and engage them. Essentially, if you’re an effective team leader your team will be successful. Some benefits of running a team that’s a well-oiled machine are:

1.     Employee satisfaction and reduced burnout

2.     Team building

3.     Increased productivity

4.     Promoting learning

5.     Better performance

So, how does one become a better team leader? There’s a fine line between micromanaging and being an absent leader. Here are some traits of an effective leader that we think are crucial to the success of the brand.

1.     Kindness & Empathy: “You get more with honey.” People are likely to respond more positively with positivity. It’s also crucial that you empathize with your team members. Each one has a different life and different needs. Put yourself in their shoes and try to understand how they operate.

2.     Transparency: Being upfront and honest with your team is key. Give them all the context and information they need to get the job done right. People can see right through B.S.

3.     Good communication & collaboration: Teamwork makes the dream work as they say. It’s cliché but there is truth in that saying. Clarity and collaboration will drive success for your team. Two minds are better than one. Three are better than two. You get the idea. Some may have ideas and ways of thought that others may not. Collaboration compliments innovation.

4.     Feedback that goes both ways: Constructive feedback is critical not only for your members of the team but from the members about you as a leader. No one is perfect and everyone can always grow. Listening to and implementing feedback from your team about your management style can also help you become a better leader. Members also need feedback from you regularly to know if they’re completing tasks properly and promptly.

5.     Leading by example: This one is big for us! “Do as I do not as I say,” goes a long way in management. Model the behavior that you want your members to embody.

6.     Promoting work-life balance: Work hard but play hard too. Burnout has lasting effects on the business as a whole. Performance will suffer. Use a resource management plan to see how much workload every team member has. Promote time off when work is slower and push employees to pursue hobbies outside of the workplace.

It can take a lifetime to develop as a team leader. Some have a more natural ability to lead, while others have to work very hard at it. However, every leader can benefit from learning and growing to invest to support their employees better. A happy work environment will make people want to be there and enjoy the jobs they do for you.

Don’t Be a Car Salesman: Best Sales Practices for Your Brand to Follow

Ahh, sales. Nobody loves it. Well, maybe some people do. Those people are born with a certain knack for it and are probably in roles that are specific to that. However, if you’re an entrepreneur, sales are part of your job to grow your business and it may not be where your strengths lie. It is a necessary evil, and a very important one at that to drum up new business and succeed. If you’re one of these people, do not fret, there are some tactics that you can take to keep up with best practices in sales. Here are some of our tips.

1.     Know your audience: In B2B sales, you need to know what other businesses are looking for. What do they want from you? What can you offer them that others can’t?

2.     Sell in a buyer-responsive way: Provide the buyer with what they want, when they want it.

3.     Establish trust: Be transparent with your prospective clients. Honestly goes a long way and showing them that you are human will strengthen this.

4.     Demonstrate your expertise: How is your brand the best out there? Why? What makes you stand out? Let prospective clients know your worth and show them you’re an expert. This will increase the likelihood that they will go with your brand instead of someone else’s.

5.     Be a good storyteller: We’ve said this in the past and we’ll say it again. Telling good stories is important for so many aspects of business and this is one of them. When selling, it’s important to sell your story too. Let businesses know who you are and why you do what you do. This will show your humanity as well. Everyone has a story to tell. What’s yours?

6.     Personalize: Do research on prospective clients before reaching out. Let them know you’ve done your homework and it will show your desire to want to work with them.

7.     Try multiple marketing tactics: Send emails, try cold calls, social media DM’s, etc. You never know what the best way to reach someone will be and everyone’s preferred method will be different. That’s why it is important to try multiple forms of contact.

This list is just somewhere to get you started on your sales journey but it can help you begin to understand the strategies necessary to meet sales goals. Not everyone is born good at selling but the good news is that it can be improved on. “Become the persona who would attract the results you seek.” -Jim Cathcart

Graymail vs. Spam Mail

We all know what spam mail is and have been subjected to the annoyance of it since the creation of the internet. But, what is graymail and how is it different from spam mail? Graymail is different from spam mail because it comes from a legitimate source and has varying value to different people. It also is solicited and otherwise known as bacn. With graymail, the recipients opt-in to receive but don’t click through. For example, when you opt-in with your email address on a website to get emails and never interact with them. We know we’ve done this on multiple occasions and have eventually unsubscribed when they become annoying. Graymail can be newsletters, sales, ads, and just plain old announcements from a brand. The largest difference between graymail and spam is that users opt-in for graymail whereas spam is unsolicited. So, as a brand how can you use graymail to your advantage? First, you have to verify the IP addresses before delivering to avoid spam complaints. To keep your brand emails from becoming graymail, your content has to remain relevant to keep email service providers from sending them to the spam folder for continued lack of engagement. You can do this with re-engagement campaigns. For example, incentivize your audience with discounts, prize surveys, and even freebies. You can also use Graymail to test your sending frequency. This can help your brand see how much you should send your audience emails. Try different things. Once a week. Maybe once a month. Every other day. Do a run of each for a while and see each CTR. When user’s opt-in for your brand emails it’s important to follow some guidelines to hopefully keep your emails out of the graymail category altogether.

1.     Let them know exactly what they’re signing up for

2.     Immediately follow up after signing up

3.     Segment your audience

4.     Send relevant and engaging email content

We’ve all gone on those unsubscribe rampages at one point or another. Keep your brand emails from becoming victims of graymail by following these practices. Protect your brand’s email reputation with interesting content and appropriate mailing frequency. You can also exclude low-engagement users from your mailing lists. Keep your open rates on the up and up.

Marketing Communications 101

Otherwise known as MarCom, marketing communications refers to the combination of promotional tools, channels, messages, and media that brands use to communicate with their audience. The role of marketing communications is to:

1.     Shorten sales funnel

2.     Increase customer loyalty

3.     Increase brand awareness

4.     Create a demand for products/services

5.     Reach the right people

6.     Promote brand innovation

Advertising falls under the umbrella of marketing communications as well as digital marketing, direct marketing, public relations, sales promotion, and branding. Marketing communications strategy falls under the Four P’s. We’ve talked about the Four P’s in past articles, but now it has been updated to the Seven P’s, which are:

1.     Product

2.     Price

3.     Promotion

4.     Place

5.     People

6.     Process

7.     Packaging

Marketing communication channels are important because they are the foundation of all brand marketing. The beauty of the digital age is that you can reach much larger audience pools through social media channels with your marketing communications. Traditional channels, such as print, radio, and television are no longer required to reach your target audience. This is why user-generated content advertising is just getting started. All brands, large or small can benefit from a digital marketing strategy. With UGC, your brand can leverage low-cost digital marketing ads while increasing brand reputation and consumer trust. Pew Research’s recent study showed that “26% of people are online constantly and 43% are on at least once a day.” Digital communications marketing also extends to B2B with some slight differences. B2B will be more logic-focused than emotional. They will also take slightly longer because more than one individual will be involved. The bottom line here is marketing communication strategies have changed vastly over the last decade. Traditional marketing communications aren’t a thing of the past but rather no longer a requirement and can supplement digital marketing efforts. UGC has a place within this new marketing communications world. If you would like to learn more feel free to contact us.

SWOT Analysis

Can you tell me 3 strengths of your brand? What about 3 weaknesses? If you hesitated, had to stop and think for an answer, and maybe found one minute later then you can benefit from SWOT Analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This is a tool to analyze the aspects of your brand to help it improve, grow, rinse, and repeat. Some benefits of conducting a SWOT analysis are:

1.     Brand self-awareness

2.     Recognizing opportunities

3.     Identify threats and mitigating

4.     Plan and make decisions strategically

5.     Optimize Resources

6.     Improved employee collaboration & communication

7.     Tracking performance

SWOT will look at internal and external factors to understand your brand’s position in its field. That said, how can your brand go about conducting the analysis? You need to create a SWOT Matrix. Here is an example of what that will look like.

SWOT Analysis can be a very useful tool for your brand to succeed. We hope this helps you as a starting point to conduct one to improve. It should be noted that there are some common mistakes to avoid when doing this though. Try not to make your lists too long. This can overcomplicate things and make it less feasible to improve. Don’t be vague. Being specific will help provide laser focus on each topic. Do not overlook your weaknesses and be honest. You will only hurt the brand by doing so. Don’t be unrealistic with ideas that may not even be an option yet. It’s great to have future goals but if your brand isn’t there yet, it will be a waste of time and effort. Lastly, do not do the analysis alone. This should be done as team collaboration to make sure you don’t miss anything and build a stronger bond between employees. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. -Helen Keller

Global Marketing Strategy

Going global is not just for big corporations anymore in the digital world. Any market can be any brand no matter where they are based. Global marketing is a way to market your brand that will encompass many countries from many different regions of the world. This is when global standardization comes into play. This means that your campaign messaging can be used simultaneously in different countries and cultures. You can choose to do your campaigns this way or localize them that are different across markets and countries. However, it is much more cost-effective to use the former. No matter which one you choose a successful global marketing strategy will include understanding your international audiences, setting SMART goals, and knowing your competition. Implementing a global marketing strategy has many benefits aside from the obvious one of further brand reach. It will give your brand a better reputation and will also help you understand your brand identity on a deeper level. Global marketing can help you reinforce your messages and ideas across borders. It can reduce financial waste if you choose to use global standardization and create uniformity across packaging, design, and advertising. However, it can be off-target or culturally insensitive and lack uniqueness. Global marketing success will depend on finding a good balance between standardization and localization.

KISS principle

“I-I-I wanna rock and roll all night…. And party every day! I-I-…” Oh, sorry wrong KISS. The KISS principle stands for, “Keep it Simple Stupid,” and was designed to keep designs and/or systems as simple as possible. It’s used in many fields from science to marketing and advertising. Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it, you don’t understand it well enough.” This is the heart of the principle. It has also been called the, “Keep it Short & Simple,” and the “Keep it Simple & Straightforward” principle. It is also the same idea as Occam’s Razor that we’ve talked about in the past. All this being said, we should preface with the fact that some things are by nature complex. The point of this principle is to keep things as simple as possible when possible. Complexity should be avoided when it only exists for its own sake. Too often, people will overcomplicate things that shouldn’t be. If someone can’t explain to a kindergartener, then chances are they don’t truly understand either. The easier something is to understand; the more likely users will adopt and engage. We can all benefit from this method of thought in every aspect of our lives. There is something very genius about keeping it simple.

Dynamic Marketing

Markets are always changing and evolving, so why wouldn’t your marketing strategies do the same? Dynamic marketing is a strategy that maximizes customer data to create relevant, personalized, and flexible. There are 5 pillars of the dynamic marketing strategy. They are:

1.     Personalization: We’ve stressed the importance of this in every aspect of your business. Customers expect this now. It is the norm. Tailor-made messages guarantee that your audience will be satisfied.

2.     Automation: This involves segmented customer data that is interpreted to create personalized messages. Automation makes this process more streamlined by matching the right automation with the right people.

3.     Tool prioritization: What tools should you prioritize? Many brands have a different tool for each goal. For example, APIs connect people to key pages and information, and AI learns customers’ preferences in real time. More is not necessarily better here. Think less is more. Choose the right tools for the right jobs.

4.     Tracking: Who doesn’t want to know if their efforts are being effective? KPI’s come into play big time here. Set benchmarks and check. Here are some things you should be tracking. Website traffic, clicks, impressions, and lead generation. Once you have established your KPI you can see what is working and what the challenges are. You can use your current success as a starting point here.

5.     Streamlining: Make every interaction with customers and your brand count. Quality over quantity and be flexible to adapt the messages of campaigns.

The point of dynamic marketing is to create a flexible strategy. There are some things to keep up with to do so, such as seasonal changes, tech updates, automation upgrades, and customer journeys. The benefits of a dynamic marketing strategy can be considerable. Some of these include performance-enhanced personalization, responsiveness that leads to higher revenue/profits, data-driven personalization, and long-term customer retention relationships. For your dynamic marketing strategy to work your teams must be unified with goals. It can be a deeply involved strategy but once your team gets a good, unified workflow, you will see substantial results.

SEO & Voice Optimization

“Siri, look up the weather today… Alexa, find me the best-rated recent horror books.” The list of questions that we verbally ask our devices can get long really fast. We now live in a world that is synchronous with smart technology that ten years ago we would have said was impossible. Hell, we even ask our T.V.s to find specific shows for us now. It’s easy and convenient. That being said, we should preface this entire article by saying that typing a search and voice search are not the same. The main difference is that when people ask a question they usually speak more naturally, using long keywords. Text search is usually shorter and gives more options to choose from. With voice search being so popular and fast, your website must be optimized for SEO voice search now as well. It will help increase how many voice searches you appear in and improve user experiences so, here are some ways to help improve your website for voice search results.

1.     Use conversational language in your web content: If you feature blogs, make sure that they are written conversationally. This will help with organic search results because this style is considered more relevant concerning voice search. When writing, speak to the reader. Use terms such as I, we, you, etc.

2.     Make sure your site is fast to load: Nobody likes a slow site. Attention spans are getting shorter. Ensure your site loads in under 2 seconds to keep the user from experiencing negativity with the brand. This is considered when Google ranks your site.

3.     Optimize for mobile: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Websites MUST be optimized for mobile. Most people search on their phone. If your site is impossible to read and navigate, you will lose your audience. Not only this, Google again, considers it when ranking your site.

4.     Target long-tail keywords: Since voice search is more specific long-tail keywords can better optimize. These are 3 or more words that contain who, what, when, where, and how questions. There are keyword research tools you can use to find which long-tail keywords work for your brand.

5.     Localize your business: If your brand is local, it’s important to add a location to your pages. Use visual content that tags the specific location of the area. Use local keywords and a Google business profile.

6.     Try to land Google Snippets: A Google snippet is a short piece of content that is above search results. They come from pages that rank high for a specific query.

Following these practices will help optimize your website SEO for voice search in our world of artificially intelligent devices. Even if you don’t see results right away, they are happening trust us. Using these tips will help better your chances of reaching more customers. Modern consumers crave convenience so make sure your website offers what they need.

Tips to Help You Calm Nerves Before Giving a Big Presentation

We recently wrote an article with some tips to become a better public speaker, which is very important in business. But, no matter how many times you have given a big presentation, your nerves most likely won’t go anywhere. This is a good thing. It means that you care. You want it to go well. That said, sometimes the anxiety can cause you to bomb or affect your confidence. So, how do you calm your nerves down before presenting? Here are some ways to help curb the nervousness that comes along with public speaking.

1.     Focus on deep breathing: Take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. A good 4-second count in and out as you breathe. This helps regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress. You can do this before, during, and after speaking.

2.     Stretch: Do this before the presentation. This can help with your body language to be more relaxed and natural. It can also improve posture.

3.     Visualize: See yourself in the first person giving the presentation to the group in a confident way. The first person is important here. Make sure you aren’t visualizing in the sense that you’re watching yourself from the outside like a movie. Engage the audience and see positive outcomes, such as applause. This can help curb negative emotions.

4.     Positive affirmations: These reinforce strengths and goals. Write them down and put them in places where you will see them often. We like to put them on the bathroom mirror, and in the car, and we state them aloud before bed and after waking. An example of a positive affirmation is, “I speak confidently and with conviction.”

Public speaking is never easy but you can use these tips to help manage anxiety that inherently comes along with it. Following these guidelines can help your presentations flow more naturally so that you can focus on your message. Remembering the value that you have to offer your audience is important to keep in mind as you present. If you make a mistake during the presentation, don’t freak out. You’re only human and mistakes are bound to happen. Let it go and move on to the next section. Redirect your focus and keep it organic. Practice makes permanent and the more you do it, the better you will get!

Conversational Marketing

With the rise of A.I. communication styles from brand to consumer are evolving. We’ve all been on the line with a Chatbot at one time or another and this is exactly what conversational marketing is all about. Conversational marketing is a type of marketing that engages customers in real-time conversations with a two-way communication channel. It makes sense to think that speaking with customers and not at them is a more effective way to gain new leads. This style of communication has been leading to improved results in conversion rates because it helps humanize the customer experience. Among these, there are other benefits as well, such as:

1.     Increased engagement

2.     Higher conversions

3.     Shortened sales cycle

4.     Better maintenance of customer-to-brand relationships

5.     Faster response times

6.     More positive experience for the consumer

7.     Gain valuable insights into your audience

Conversational marketing is a part of the inbound marketing strategy and Chatbots are one of the best ways to get started. They allow your customers to engage with the brand 24/7 and can augment the off hours of your team. It can help your customers get answers with FAQs. It can help promote events, products, and content. They can schedule meetings and get feedback from customers. It’s important to make sure that customers have the option to speak with a representative though, so make sure this is an option in one method or another. While conversational marketing isn’t a new concept, the use of technology to improve it is. Now that we can have more direct two-way conversations with our audience, we can speak with them instead of at them, on their terms. What better way to gain a person’s trust and create better brand-to-consumer relationships?

Agile Marketing

Agile marketing is a fairly new concept and wasn’t introduced until 2012. It’s a strategy that prioritizes high-value projects and concentrates all resources on them. The team(s) then work in short, intense bursts to complete goals, assess their impacts, and work toward getting better results next time. At the core of this method, its values are:

·      Reacting to change instead of following a plan

·      Rapid repetitions over larger campaigns

·      Testing data and validated learning instead of “rules”

·      People and interactions over large audiences

·      Customer-focused instead of hierarchy

According to the 2022 State of Agile Marketing Report, “555 of agile marketing teams can release things fast, and 48% can change gears quickly when feedback demands it.” Research from McKinsey also found that “agile marketing increases revenue by 20-40%.” You can see the benefits of this method already, so how does one go about implementing it?

1.     Planning: This is a sprint kickoff meeting to determine the priorities of the project. The project will be divided into tasks that are given deadlines, and assigned to team members. It’s important to show that the customer is most important above all else and emphasize speed, collaboration, data, and accountability.

2.     Sprints: Short burst from 2-6 weeks to finish a project.

3.     Stand-up meetings: Every day all team members should meet to go over what each has completed the previous day so that everyone is on the same page moving forward. This is an important step for problem-solving as well.

4.     Board to track progress: Whiteboards, software shared doc, etc. Whatever means necessary to keep everyone on track in the same place.

5.     Teamwork: This goes for any team in any department. Teamwork makes the dream work!

6.     Retrospective: Run by the scrum master for the scrum team. This is where everyone shares what went well and what didn’t. This meeting is for improving on future sprints.

Now that we know the methodology, let’s look at the individuals who make up the agile marketing teams.

Scrum Method:

1.     Scrum: Responsible for keeping the team on track. They facilitate meetings, solve problems, and ensure collaboration and communication between all members.

2.     Product owner: They’re in charge of the why behind the work and ensuring that tasks are being completed promptly. They’re in charge of understanding the audience of the brand the most to provide them value.

3.     Developer: All others in the team are developers. They contribute unique skill sets from different departments that your project falls under.

Kanban Method

1.     Visualization: This method uses visuals to track progress. A board is used and divided into columns for each stage of work. In simple terms; to-do, doing, and done columns. Whatever the task at hand is will determine how many columns to create to track. 

2.     WIP limits: These are boundaries to outline how team members work on the tasks within each column. This places a limit on how many tasks one person can work on or how much time each task has to be completed. This keeps people focused on one job until it’s completed and moving on to the next.

3.     Meeting cadences:  Similar to scrub, planning meetings, daily stand-ups, and retrospective meetings will occur to make sure everyone and everything is on track. The delivery meeting is absent since Kanban doesn’t work on timelines.

Agile marketing can be a great way for marketing departments to react quickly to changes in the market. They can also try a lot of new things in short campaigns to see what will work for your brand and what won’t. But, how do you know if agile marketing is right for your brand? Is your company seeing high turnover rates? Are your employees folding under pressure from immense workloads? These both might be good reasons to try an agile marketing effort. If your team is willing to change and give it a try it’s worth the trial run. A good example would be a trend or challenge happening on the internet. We can help you gather those moments.  The truth is your brand won’t know if it works unless you test it out.

Informational Social Influence

Monkey see. Monkey do, as the saying goes. Turns out that this might not be far from the truth. People tend to conform to what others are doing or saying if they perceive them as a source of accurate information. Humans like to be right, so they look to others who are considered experts in their respective fields to understand something deeper. This typically occurs when someone is unsure of something or lacks knowledge in a particular area. Informational social influence is associated with the internalization of said ideas adopted by the expert. You can see how this can lead to social conformity. There have been experiments done to test this theory, such as the Jenness’ Bean Jar Experiment, where participants were asked to guess the number of beans in a jar separately. Then, they were asked to guess the number of beans while in a social group. It turned out that their guesses varied greatly but when they were put into the groups, their estimates were closer in value. This shows that humans can influence one another’s behaviors and beliefs. This is why “social proof” in the advertising world works. If consumers don’t feel like they have enough information on a topic, product, etc., they will seek out a way to have accurate views and information. Social comparison is the process of comparing our opinions with those of others to gain an accurate appraisal of the validity of an opinion or behavior (Festinger, Schachter, & Back, 1950; Hardin & Higgins, 1996; Turner, 1991). It should be noted that informational influence is different from normative influence. Normative influence is when conformity happens due to one’s desire to “fit in” with the group to gain acceptance and fulfill expectations. The use of informational social influence is used in advertising in the form of social proof to influence the opinions of consumers. A positive view of the brand is the objective to gain new customers. Informative social influence can be a useful tool for widening your brand’s audience.

Tailored Advertising

Think of your brand as a personal tailor for each customer of your audience. Your brand voice should remain consistent but customizable to communication style depending on your audience. Think of it like this, you’re selling the same suit but have to tailor that suit to fit each person differently. Same messages but different deliveries based on a particular group’s interests, perspectives, and backgrounds. Here are some tips to help you tailor your advertising efforts.

1.     Know your audience: This may seem like a no-brainer but it’s extremely important. Who are each group? What are each group’s needs? What motivates each group? What are each group's values and beliefs? You need to segment your audience into different groups with similar interests, etc.

2.     Use the right language: Speaking the language of your audience will help connect with them on a humanistic level. This is why it’s important to segment them. The language you use for your boomer generation will not be the same for Gen Z.

3.     Social proof: Knowing which group identifies with which influencers and creators will make a difference. Age and other factors, such as sex, race, etc. General reviews will be generally useful for all groups but specificity here can make the difference on whether they truly trust your brand.

Emphasizing the needs of individualized groups of your audience will ensure that your ads don’t fall on deaf ears. It will be more effective than generalizations made on your audience since it will reach them more personally. It will also help your brand to reduce financial waste.

Buzzworthy: Ways to Create Hype for Your Product Launch

“Nearly 30,000 new products are introduced each year, and 95% of them fail,” according to Harvard Business Professor, Clayton Christensen. Look at Apple. When they release a new product, they don’t focus on the specs of the new product. Instead, they focus on the emotion of how it will affect the people who purchase it and how it fits into their lives to make it more convenient. That being said, big companies like Apple can afford to make mistakes if their new product launches, whereas smaller startups do not have this luxury. That’s why it’s extremely important to take proper steps to hype up your product launch. There are a lot of ways to create buzzworthy talk about your new product but we’re only going to list a few of our top favorites.

1.     Offer early access/deals: Early access and pre-order deals get people excited early. This can help create a sense of FOMO and urgency.

2.     Create a build-up launch plan: A deliberate plan should be constructed on what info you will release when you will release it, where you’ll release it, and who you want to be talking about it. Having a plan will be part of your success. It’s important to note here that you should make sure you know your audience for the product.

3.     Partner with creators/influencers: Find creators and/or influencers that are in the field of business your product is to help promote it. They will help engage your audience and possibly even bring in new customers. Their opinions can have a positive impact on public perception. Make sure that these creators are authentic and relatable to your audience.

4.     Get early testing feedback before going live: Let some people in on the product to get feedback before the actual launch. This can help improve areas that may need it before it goes public. It can also be a way to help market the product when the launch occurs.

5.     Turn the product launch into an event: This is a great way to invite the right people that you want to talk about your product to get the WOM out there. Invite local media, family, and business partners. If you have the budget for this, do it! People will take your product more seriously and sales will likely increase.

Offering value and focusing on people first will ultimately help the launch be a success. People don’t care about every little attribute of the product. What they want to know is how it can positively impact their lives. What problem will it solve? How is it innovative and bold? You want to paint a picture of their “best life” because of your product. Make it exciting so that they will want to be a part of something special.

Labor Day Fun Facts

We’ve written about the history of Labor Day in the past, so this year we thought we’d throw some fun facts at you on the holiday. Here is a quick list of fun facts about Labor Day.

1.     Oregon was the first state to declare Labor Day an official holiday in 1887

2.     Labor Day is considered the unofficial NFL season kick-off

3.     Labor Day marks the end of the summer season

4.     You can now wear white after Labor Day. The old saying that you can’t wear white after Labor Day roots back to the Victorian Era, where wearing white after the holiday was taboo. People don’t follow this anymore.

5.     One of the top Labor Day weekend destinations in Charleston, SC

6.     Other countries celebrate Labor Day but it’s called International Workers’ Day

7.     Canada celebrated Labor Day before us but it’s spelled Labour Day

Today is a day to celebrate the hard work that we all put in every day, every month, and every year. Take time off today to relax and reset before fall begins. Enjoy your last day of summer today and we’ll see you on the flip side.

Agency Case Studies

The proof is in the pudding as they say. We recently sat down and crunched some numbers for a client and were excited to see the data on some of our projects so we wanted to share it. Not to toot our own horn, but we’re very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. Here are the results of a few of our favorite and most successful campaigns we’ve done in the recent year, so you can see for yourself.

UBER

The goal of this campaign was to showcase their employees living their work/life balance that’s different from other careers. They choose their hours and take time off when they want. Uber and their respective agency needed 22 videos of people showing what it was like getting ready for their current jobs in a humorous way. We were able to discover/curate 251 moments in 3 days. The agency and Uber chose 40 pieces for clearance. We were able to clear 27 selects in 17 days. This was inclusive of background checks for creators in the U.S. and Canada. Uber and the agency licensed 12 assets.

Ford Ranger

 The goal of this campaign was to showcase still photos of drivers with their Ford Rangers between the truck years of 2006-2023 for a video commercial and a still flipbook. Ford and their respective agency needed 15 stills of people showing where they take their rangers and how they use them in their daily lives. We were able to dig out 167 moments in 2 days. Ford and their respective agency chose 40 pieces of content for clearance, inclusive of backups. We were able to clear 38 of those selects in 7 days.

Thrive Pet Healthcare

The goal of this campaign was to show the love that owners have for their pets by showcasing them in matching outfits, celebrating their birthdays, and even having spa days together. Thrive and their respective agency needed 20 video clips of people caring for their pets in a loving, sometimes human-like way. We were able to dig out 137 moments in 3 days. Thrive and their agency chose 22 pieces of those for clearance, inclusive of backups. We were able to clear 17 selects in 7 days. Thrive and the agency ultimately licensed 10 assets.

We hope this helps our B2B partners understand how sourcing content for every project is valuable over stock libraries. Most of these libraries don’t even have fully cleared content. About 80% to be exact. With sourced UGC you never have to worry about this or marked up licensing fees. We’re no frills and no markup. We focus on real creativity on a global scale.

Radio Advertising

Did video really kill the radio star? Is radio advertising still an effective tool with all of the streaming services, social media platforms, and podcasts available now? Let’s take a look at some stats first. “The average American listens to 1 hour and 39 minutes of radio daily,” according to research done by online Market Splash. That’s a surprising number but it demonstrates that people are still listening to the radio. There are some pros and cons, as with anything, to using radio advertising.

Pros:

1.     Reach a large audience

2.     Target specific areas

3.     Target specific audiences during shows, genres, etc.

4.     More cost-effective than T.V. or digital ads

5.     Produced fast and air immediately

Cons:

1.     Minimal buying intent

2.     Choice time spots are more expensive

3.     Ephemeral and short

4.     Not a guarantee that the right audience is listening

5.     Listens tune in and out (typically because they are driving to and from work)

6.     Limited performance tracking

If the pros outweigh the cons for your brand, how do you create a radio ad? First, there are three ways to do so.

1.     Hire freelance: Hire a freelance team to create your ad.

2.     Have the station create it: This can include professional production quality. It is usually the radio host reading the prompt in the ad so keep that in mind if you’re looking for something with a little pizzazz.

3.     Hire a production company: They will do everything from writing, recording, and mixing it. This is the best option in our opinion for the highest quality. It is still very cost-effective ranging from around $800-$1,200.

Once you have decided which option you will go with you need to decide which type of radio ad you want. Do you want:

1.     A jingle

2.     A testimonial

3.     A sponsorship

4.     A live read

5.     A narrative commercial

There will be different levels of cost depending on certain factors, such as the time slot you choose. Peak commuting hours are the costliest because they reach the largest audience. This is from 6-10 am and 3-7 pm. Audience demographics can also impact the pricing. Stations that have listeners between 24-54 will be higher due to their high purchasing power. Stations that have wealthier listeners, such as jazz or classical will also be higher. Special events will also increase pricing. According to Nielsen Sales Effect Studies, radio ads can have a massive ROI with an average return of $9.9 for every dollar spent. Let’s just say that the answer to our first question is no, the video did not kill the radio star.

Presentation in Business: Become a Champ at Public Speaking

Did you know that, “About 77% of people have a fear of public speaking,” according to Cross River Therapy Group. Why is having good presentation skills important in business? Well, it can mean the difference between getting a new client, sharing knowledge efficiently with the team, and/or it will improve the impact of your message through a self-assured and grounded persona. Here are some reasons why it is vital in business.

1.     Time management: Inefficient presentation skills can waste unwanted amounts of time. the more efficient your skillset, the more time you will save for everyone.

2.     Leadership: Delivering a message in a confident and inspiring way makes others want to listen. If you’re a leader in the organization, you need to be able to deliver messages this way to keep the respect of your employees.

3.     PR: Good presentation skills can give you a better public image. People tend to judge those in higher positions, so give them a positive one.

4.     Business success: As we stated above, it can be the difference between landing that new client or not. Conveying your presentation with confidence and a little pizazz will increase the likelihood of your business’s success.

This skill takes practice. Trust us. But, the good news is that if you’re not great at it, it can be improved. Here are some tips on how to become a better presenter.

1.     Practice speaking in front of groups: Like anything else in life, practice makes perfect. Start small and practice in front of a mirror. Then, increase to a few friends or family members.

2.     Make eye contact: Look at different members of the audience in the eyes throughout your presentation. This will engage them by speaking more directly to them.

3.     Be you! Be your authentic self. This will automatically make the presentation feel more relaxed.  

4.     Pay attention to body language: Your body language can speak volumes for you without saying a word. Make sure to use open and friendly gestures. Don’t cross your arms. Don’t put your hands in your pockets.

5.     Big visuals: A lot of people are visual. Striking visuals will grab attention and make things easier to understand. Simple is not too distracting and will get your points across. Make sure there is a structure that flows as well.

6.     Encourage questions and comments: Make sure your audience knows that comments and questions are welcome. You want to make sure they feel comfortable doing so.

7.     Avoid awkward pauses: Try to refrain from using the word “umm” a lot. Natural pauses should happen so this is another reason why practicing will help you know where those are.

Most people don’t like getting in front of groups of people to speak and that’s ok. However, if you’re in certain fields of work it will require that you do so, whether you like it or not. The good news is, you can take steps to get better at it. They can take time to develop but just can have a very positive impact on your professional career.