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Key Considerations For Video Marketing

It’s no secret that videos are trendier than ever. From hilarious cat videos, to live news on your smart phone, our society is in love with videos. Embracing film as part of your marketing strategy can drastically improve your reach. We are all for video content because we know how powerful it is, when it’s done right that is. Whether you are gearing up to incorporate video into your marketing strategy or already have it implemented, these considerations for a successful video are key.

Concept

Whatever your concept is, make it clear in the first 8 seconds. The first couple of seconds are when the viewer decides if it is appealing or not. This is your do or die window for their attention. Reflect on what audience you are trying to reach and what you are trying to say about your brand, this is your time to shine.

Overselling

Finding the balance between being clear about your product or idea and drowning people in it can be tricky. The goal with any video is to make a lasting impression and call the viewer to action. You want them to remember your brand, and dig a little deeper on their own free will. It’s about creating engagement from the viewer. Rather than spill all the beans, lead them on with excitement and have all the info they’ll be craving ready in another video, or written on your website and point them in that direction.

Feedback

Everyone needs more feedback. Ask strangers in your target audience what they think about your video. Outside sources are best for feedback as your team, family and friends will have a bias.

Call to Action

As mentioned in overselling, each video needs to call the viewer to some kind of action. The call can be just to create curiosity, generate a referral, get a free quote, how to use your product and so on. Maybe all you are trying to do is get them to like your Facebook page, whatever it is, make sure it is clear in your objectives before and after the video is created.

Boring

A few things can make a video boring. If it is too long, it’s boring. If the concept isn’t portrayed in an engaging way, it is boring. If the people in the video are, well boring, it is of course going to be a boring film. Spending a couple of extra bucks to hire someone to film and act in your video could make all the difference. This is something you’ll need to weigh out for yourself, but if you were planning on using Larry, the monotone receptionist as your lead star, maybe rethink that one.

Placement

Now that you’ve created your perfect video, don’t let it go to waste! Placement on your website should be front and center. On YouTube it should be on your own channel which will eventually have more videos to fill the auto play, this will keep your target audience much more excited about your company as there is even more material for them to view. Be sure to cross post on other outlets like Vimeo and Facebook. If you choose to do paid advertisement with your video choose the sites that will appeal to the right demographic, and again watch placement of where your video will be on each page that you are paying for.

We can’t say this will make video-making fool proof, but it is a step in the right direction. When creating or perfecting your video content keep these helpful hints in mind. If you are interested in video marketing but don’t know where to start, check out Cloud9’s video production & marketing services.

June 17, 2015/by cloud9wp

digital marketing for real estate agents

Blog, Marketing

Calling All Realtors: You Need a Digital Marketing Strategy

Dear Realtors ®,

Have you thought about your digital marketing strategy lately?

We know, you’re busy – you’re busy farming, prospecting, marketing your listings, preparing listing presentations, staying in touch with clients, building your network, and doing plenty of other activities.

This might be a good time to mention that a sound digital marketing strategy can help with all of those things.

There’s no denying that the internet is playing an increasingly large role in the world of real estate marketing — you’ve probably heard the stats about how many prospective buyers begin their housing search online. Listing your properties on MLS, WLS, or whatever local listing service your market uses is one place to start – but it’s only just the beginning.

Consider the following:

Your website is often your first impression (you do have a website, right?) A well designed website with useful content creates a great first impression – a fill-in-the-blanks standard template site that looks like every other Realtor’s® site, not so much.
Harnessing the powers of social media allows you to connect with your client base on an ongoing basis. It can also help you build your community.
If your marketing package for your listings doesn’t include digital marketing components, you are missing out on valuable opportunities – and you are disserving your clients.
You know you’re different from your competitors, but how can a client differentiate you from the rest of the pack? Branding goes a long way. If you haven’t developed a branding strategy yet, it’s time to start planning.
Postcard mailers. Newspaper ads. Promotional products. All of these initiatives cost a lot of money, but they don’t always give you the most bang for your buck. Invest in your digital marketing, and you might be surprised at your returns.
Online presence is no longer considered an added perk – most clients expect it from their real estate agent. Don’t be left behind.

This all sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? But back to the original point: you’re busy! You’ve got enough on your plate, and digital marketing takes time.

That’s where we come in. Cloud9 works one-on-one with real estate agents to plan, execute, and measure a strategy. You get to call the shots, providing input on content, direction, and themes, while we implement the day-to-day activity. From blogging to branding, from SEO to social media, we do it all.

We’ll work with you to ensure that you (and your clients) are getting the most out of digital marketing, while freeing up your time to focus on other activities, whether than be taking your buyers on a property tour or negotiating a sale on behalf of your seller. You don’t have to be a marketing expert to implement digital marketing – you just need Cloud9!

So give us a call – we promise not to take up too much of your time – and find out how we can help you get ahead of the game. We looking forward to talking with you, and we can’t wait to help.

Yours,

Cloud9

January 21, 2015/by cloud9wp

Content, Marketing, Tips

Start-up Content Strategy: How Important Is It?

So you’ve just launched a new venture with a shiny new website. How’s traffic? Non-existant? Well, here’s how to change that with a solid content strategy.

Search engines use various methods to determine page rank and position in search engine results pages (SERPs). A large part of that is determined by relevant and credible links to your content, social media interaction, online discussion, articles and white papers, slide shares, videos, etc.

A start-up should focus on getting as much exposure as possible early on. There are several methods that help to build brand awareness, and they should all be considered.

It is very important to understand that without a solid content strategy that will genuinely appeal to users, social media efforts and other inbound marketing efforts will fall short and the return on investment will be very little.

Creating original content and utilizing tools such as article submission, eBooks, blogging, white papers, slide shares, videos and press releases will help to not only build brand credibility and improve your company website’s page rank (through link backs and shares), it will also give you something to talk about.

Once you have a solid content strategy and have built up enough of a library to feel it is worth presenting to the public, you reach out and you share it like crazy!

And that is where social media comes in. Social media is, in essence, the curation of content. It gives everyone the ability to share content as they see fit. This gives the end-user the control over how extensively your content is shared – unless you use fan blockers or other forceful tactics, which are not recommended if you want to build “goodwill” with your fan base.

If you do not have anything original or well-thought-out to share, people will simply and unapologetically move on and not look back. Which, of course, you don’t want. You want to be the source that people flock to for solid information and share with their friends, colleagues, coworkers and so on. But that is only accomplished when the product is good.

We get a fair amount of start-ups asking for just social media. And while a solid social strategy coupled with Facebook advertising and perhaps contesting can yield good results in terms of social media fan growth and engagement, it may not be the answer to increasing traffic to your web site and ultimately into the sales funnel or develop into leads.

So, is a content strategy important for start-ups? Most definitely.

May 27, 2014/by cloud9wp

Email Marketing, Marketing

How to Get Personal with Email Marketing

In March of 2012, 59% of B2B marketers said email marketing was the most effective channel in generating more revenue, according to HubSpot. So whether or not it’s your strongest lead-generator, there’s no denying you should be using it.

But how do you use email marketing most effectively?

When 43% of adults in the U.S. say more than half of their emails are coming from marketers, according to a survey by Blue Kangaroo, it’s a competitive marketing practice to become successful in.

While testing, testing and then testing again is the only surefire way to determine what will work for your email marketing strategy, the element of personalization is no doubt a winning tactic in 2013.

Personalized Email Marketing

In general, personalizing emails can help start conversions, but there can be instances in which being too personal is something to avoid. Walking this fine line between customization and intrusion is something your company should examine closely before embarking on personalizing an email campaign, but it is worth the investment, as personalized emails can raise click-through rates.

Follow these key tips when personalizing emails:

Use the name in the body of the email: Using the consumer’s name in the greeting and throughout the email, the body is likely to get their attention. At the mention of their name, the reader may be more inclined to read the content.

Use the first name in the subject line: Consumers are more likely to open an email if their first name is used in the subject line, but only if the sender is a company they trust. There have been studies showing that using the entire name can be considered too familiar, so it is best to use only a first name. Furthermore, the use of the name is most acceptable if it is based on a pre-existing relationship.

Use the consumer’s city in the subject line: Another way to get personal without getting too familiar is to include the consumer’s city, region or state in the subject line.

Customize the content of the email: Although a name may help grab attention, the subject material of the email will ultimately cinch the deal. In order to get your reader to take the next step in your sales funnel, it is critical to offer them something they want. Offers, sales, coupons and informational content that satisfy a current desire can help initiate that conversion.

Segment your email blasts: Although it is tempting to send emails to all of your leads, there is the risk of losing those with no interest in the content. In order to limit unsubscribes, you should use personal information to generate market segments that are more likely to respond to a more tailored email. Recognizing key characteristics, like where your customer is in the sales cycle, helps deepen the relationship and encourages them to take the next step in the conversion process.

Personalize but know when to keep your distance.

Don’t get too familiar: Using a first name can help arouse interest in your email, but it may not be welcome if the user prefers anonymity. This can be a serious concern if your businesses offers products or services that are of a sensitive nature.

Less familiar = less personal:

Security is a major concern on the Internet, so it is essential that you establish yourself with the consumer before displaying too much knowledge about them.
Emails can often be considered akin to nosy neighbors; unwelcome unless they are there to serve a useful purpose. Identify the needs of your target consumers and then identify the goal of the email. Your email can help satisfy your consumer’s needs making your email content much more inviting, welcome, and, ultimately, successful.

July 8, 2013/by cloud9wp

Email Marketing, Marketing, Tips

5 Tactics to Grow Your Email List

Originally posted on Mashable: 5 Tactics to Grow Your Email List.

Back in January, many email marketers said increasing their lists was their top goal for 2013. Well, spring is here. Is your mailing list growing as fast as your flowers and lawn? If not, it’s time to execute a new plan.

Many marketers have email addresses only for 30% or less of their customer and prospect lists. They’re tempted to revert to their direct-mail experience and reach for a quick fix like email append (“e-append”) and list rental/purchase.

But in today’s engagement-based inbox placement world, this “quick fix” approach can give you more headaches than new sales.

If you seek quantity over quality in list growth, you’re practically inviting the ISPs either to block your entire opt-in mailing list or route everything to your recipients’ bulk folders, where they’ll languish in obscurity until the ISPs dump them automatically.

So, what should be in your email list growth plan? Below are five tried-and-true methods to ignite your email list growth, in a safe, permission-based way.

1. Make It Easy to Opt In on Your Website

Your customers and prospects must be able to find your opt-in form easily on your home page. This advice has been around for years, but today’s web designers apparently didn’t get the memo. They position Facebook and Twitter icons prominently but send you on a search-and-rescue mission to find the opt-in field.

Many websites undersell the email value proposition, using just a link saying “Sign Up for Email” relegated to the homepage footer. Worse, the email opt-in call-to-action isn’t even on the page. Make your forms stand out.

If you want to get more opt-ins, make the email invite more visible. Use a benefit-based call-to-action, and test an offer that you subsequently deliver in your welcome series.

2. Don’t Stop at Just One

Add more opt-in forms throughout your site and in various placements: above the fold (the horizontal halfway point on your website, like the fold in a newspaper), below the fold, in the right rail, in left-hand navigation and on a dynamic layer that displays according to visitors’ site activity.

Test these locations to see how many more opt-ins you can drive, each one alone and in combination with each other. One opt-in form on a page might drive X, while having two opt-in form placements on a page might drive 1.5X to 2X.

At the EEC Summit in 2012, Tommy Hilfiger reported that his company drives 2% of all site visitors to opt in by using a dynamic opt-in layer served to new site visitors on site entry.

3. Collect Emails at Your Stores

Ask your customers to opt in for email at your checkout counter or when requesting an email receipt. However, be sure you are collecting high-quality names.

You’ll have to develop a request procedure that helps you overcome two big pitfalls of point-of-sale requests: phony addresses, either provided by reluctant customers who can’t say no to the request or keyed in by sales associates who have to meet email quotas.

Mistakes, which happen when sales people misspell a written address, misunderstand a customer’s spoken address or omit a crucial detail like the “@” symbol.

Here are a few suggestions for collecting more and better addresses:

Let customers type in their email addresses on a POS touchpad or credit card terminal.
Give them an offer or benefit for signing up in-store.
Explain what they’ll be receiving.
Get explicit permission before adding the address.

4. Make It Mobile

Consumer adoption of mobile sites and apps makes mobile another important collection point for opt-in for both email and SMS text. The best mobile site home pages have two opt-in forms: one for email, one for SMS. Remember the constraints that mobile puts on viewing and data input.

Don’t ask users to fill out lots of form fields. Keep the form short and simple. You can collect more information later in your welcome series using progressive profiling.

5. Remember Your Social Networks

Give your Facebook followers a simple opt-in form page. Call out the benefits and differences between your social experience and your email communications.

Consider using social login, also known as social sign-in. This uses existing login information from social networks such as Facebook or Twitter to sign in to a website without having to create a separate login account specifically for your website.

You can also use this process to allow your site registrants to quickly and easily sign up to receive your marketing emails.

April 22, 2013/by cloud9wp

Marketing, Tips

A Question: Valuing Customer Choice

Here is a question I received through my Linkedin account in regards to customer choice – I thought the question was pretty interesting and touched on companies having to build on trust and goodwill to move forward, especially with the new Panda and Penguin releases in Google – so I decided to share it…

Hi Virginia,

I know you deal with a lot of people everyday and as a marketing professional I thought you may be able to give me some feedback. I have now been in a sales role with Paladin Security for just over 8 months. Cutting to the chase here is I wanted to know in your opinion what your feelings are to NOT having to lock into a 3 year contract for a business service such as cell phone service or as in my situation security alarm monitoring (for commercial or residential customers). Would not having to sign a fixed term contract be more attractive to you or people you know in general? Or would your answer be that it wouldn’t influence you in any way? Paladin just went with all services on a no fixed term contracts so I’m trying to see how I can position that in my conversations with decision makers. Thanks for any feedback. Greatly appreciated!
Warm regards,

Christine

————————–

Hi Christine,

Thanks for your message and congrats on your relatively new position!

Personally, I like the idea of a product not being available only on a fixed term. Especially as we are moving toward an era of genuine and transparent B2C interaction. With the importance of social media and socially influence search playing a much bigger role in SEO and other business ranking factors, the more trust you can build with your customers the better.

In my experience when you lock someone into a contract there is a mild feeling of mistrust – like “Why do they have to lock me into a contract? What don’t I know that I may not like down the road?”. Which does not build a feeling of goodwill and trust toward the business, and ultimately a negative impression – if only slightly. This may influence how they talk about your product OR if they talk about your product at all. Your customers want to feel in control about their choice to use your service and that by offering a flexible no-obligation option, you value that choice. I think if your marketing efforts can focus on humanizing your brand and developing a great customer satisfaction strategy, then your company’s move to no-fixed terms will be a success. Good luck – thank you for your question!

With appreciation,

Virginia-Rae Choquette

February 14, 2013/by cloud9wp

Content, Marketing, Uncategorized

4 Ways to Get More from Content Marketing

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already sold on the idea of using content marketing to benefit your business. However, you may still be looking for ways to get the most out of your content marketing endeavors.

Here are four suggestions for making your efforts more worthwhile:

1. Post content that your customers want: You might think that you should write your blog about your business; after all, a lot of people do just that. However, you need to remember that customers really don’t care about you as much as they care about themselves. You can actually take advantage of this by providing customers with content that they want and getting their attention in exchange. You can post any type of content that you believe will help you achieve this goal. The content might be a video, a how-to article, or a detailed guide, but it should be something that will draw customers to your site and make them more likely to become interested in your business.

2. Mainly write content that is for the benefit of your customers and only promotes your products occasionally: People are interested in reading articles that benefit them. They do not find posts that praise products particularly appealing. If you provide customers with content that they want to read 9 out of 10 times, you’re more likely to create a reliable target audience.

3. Post “cornerstone” content on your site: This type of content is categorized and archived in such a way that customers will have no trouble finding it. It also remains valuable for extended periods of time. KISSmetrics provides cornerstone content with its marketing guides, Copyblogger provides it with a sidebar, and River Pools and Spas exemplifies it with its Pool 101 content. Cornerstone content brings you excellent ROI (returns on investment) because it benefits you over time.

4. Look at other sites to see the types of content customers want: Visit the websites of other business owners in your industry to get an idea of what people seem to enjoy reading. You can find out how many tweets and shares certain types of content get to figure out what is popular. You should also be aware that creating posts about Twitter or Facebook is sure to get you a lot of shares. Although you shouldn’t limit yourself to writing exclusively about these subjects, doing so on a regular basis will definitely increase traffic to your site.

Contact us to find out how Cloud9 Marketing can help you develop a solid Content Marketing Strategy.

January 29, 2013/by cloud9wp

Marketing, Social Media, Whistler

5 Reasons to use a Whistler Social Media Marketer

5 Reasons why you should use a Whistler-based Social Media Marketer if you’re a Whistler business:

1. Local Knowledge: A Whistler-based social media marketer knows the unique local insider tips and info that is valuable to visitors. Secret powder stashes, advice on cheap food, and local’s hangouts. Want to convey a reason why someone should come up for that shoulder season weekend? Maybe there’s an awesome deal on at a restaurant or a great discount on activity that only a local would know about.

2. Timely, Relevant Posts: Social media and blog posts with relevant information is key, and can really only be accomplished while in-resort. A good example: a picture of the first snowfall or a pic accompanied with the “Run of the Day” tweet. That’s a lot more powerful than a link to the weather report!

3. Local Event Coverage: Having your social media presence at the events is so much better than simply posting that it is happening! Provide your followers with up-to-the-minute photos and updates. Plus, in-resort marketers know every little thing that is happening in Whistler, not just the big signature events. “Find unique #Whistler souvenir at the Made in Whistler Artisan Market – Every Saturday!”

4. Location Tagging: It appears a lot more genuine when your social media posts are tagged with a Whistler location. Especially if your posting about mountain or weather conditions!

5. Community: Posts are more engaging within the community, tagging local businesses through developed relationships is a great way for Whistler to help support each other. Plus, social media folks in town know each other, and they constantly share content – spreading the word.

Of course, this applies to any resort or business that relies on tourism to drive business. Social media needs to be genuine in order for it to work – and a company outside of the business area isn’t going to be able to deliver a genuine local voice.

Contact us here at Cloud9 Marketing to learn more about our local Whistler Social Media Management services.

January 23, 2013/by cloud9wp

Marketing, Social Media

Content vs. Social Media Marketing

Is there really a difference between Content Marketing & Social Media Marketing?

There is definitely some overlap between content marketing and social media marketing. However, these types of online marketing are actually separate and unique. They have their own points of focus as well as goals and processes. To eliminate any confusion you might have regarding content and social marketing, let’s take a look at some of the factors that set them apart from each other.

Primary Focus of the Marketing Work

Social media marketing activity is concentrated within social networking sites themselves. Marketers with a social networking focus post their campaign updates directly onto pages on Twitter, Facebook, and other similar sites. When they create content, they specifically use these sites to reach their target audiences.

In content marketing, on the other hand, the focus of a campaign is the website for a brand or specific product. Social networks are certainly used in content marketing efforts, but the networking sites are typically used to backlink to content that has been posted on the brand or product website.

Forms and Length of Content

In social media marketing, the content must be adjusted to fit the nature of the networking site that is being used. For example, text must be no more than 140 characters long if it is being posted to Twitter; likewise, marketers fare better on Facebook if they create games and quizzes. In this method of marketing, brands must use social networking sites in the same manner that everyday users do.

In content marketing, however, it is possible to post longer and more diverse pieces of content because a brand website is being used. Brands can format their postings like media publishers do. They may publish blog posts, eBooks, videos, infographics, and more.

Objectives

Social media marketing and content marketing can both be used for a variety of purposes, but social media marketing mainly focuses on two goals. First, it is used to create brand awareness (i.e., to stimulate discussion and activity in regards to a particular brand). It is also used for the purposes of retaining and satisfying customers. Brands can use social networks to engage in direct discussion with their customers, who may have questions or issues regarding products.

The website-based nature of content marketing allows businesses to better focus on generating demand. Well-developed content sends prospective customers to a brand’s website, bringing about lead conversions and possible sales.

Online Marketing: The Evolution

Social media marketing is currently the main focus for a majority of marketing departments. Content marketing is still a fairly new concept, and as such remains a less popular option at this point.

However, these two forms of marketing are interrelated. They are both part of the continuing evolution of marketing. The Internet has given every brand the opportunity to communicate with its customers directly, and social media marketing and content marketing both make it easier for brands to do this.

Naturally, social media marketing came first in the evolutionary process. This is partially because it allows brands to access users directly. In general, the content is also posted in shorter pieces, making the publishing process quick and easy.

In time, though, content marketing will have the edge as brands grow more familiar with the idea of being publishers. It is true that this version of marketing involves longer content of a higher quality and that brands must draw in audiences through their own websites. Still, content marketing has the potential to produce more powerful results by allowing brands to communicate more closely with their customers and find more leads.

Contact us to find out how Cloud9 Marketing can help you with your Content Marketing and/or Social Media efforts.

January 10, 2013/by cloud9wp