Instagram Reels: How Businesses Can Use the New Feature

When understanding new features such as Instagram Reels, it’s important to keep up to date with its features:

You’d be forgiven for thinking Instagram’s new feature looks familiar.

Using a new section of the app reminiscent of social media giant TikTok, Instagram have recently released “Reels”, which are vertical 15-second videos equipped with audio and new creative tools.

WHAT IS TIKTOK?

TikTok is a relatively new kid on the block when it comes to social media, and is currently one of the fastest growing of them all according to eMarketer, who forecast that UK users could surpass 10 million by 2021.

The app was initially very popular with teenagers, but its popularity is now extending to other age groups.

The app features the ability to record and edit 15 to 60-second vertical videos, which can be set to music or even the audio of someone else’s TikTok video.

These “TikToks” are then shown to viewers of the app via a “For You” page, which relies on an algorithm that is personalised to a viewer’s interests, based on their location, activity on the app and the content they tend to interact with.

ARE INSTAGRAM REELS SET TO STEAL TIKTOK’S THUNDER?

Harkening back to the early days of Instagram stories, which were designed to rival that of photo and video sharing platform Snapchat, users instantly spotted the similarity of Reels to TikTok.

What’s important to note here, however, is that Instagram Stories are now used by 500 million people a day (Hootsuite, 2020), while Snapchat have a daily active user base of just 238 million in comparison (Statista, 2020).

Also, just one month after the feature launched in August 2020, Instagram has announced that they’ll be increasing the maximum video length on Reels to 30 seconds – setting the app up to rival TikTok’s slightly longer videos.

HOW CAN MY BUSINESS USE INSTAGRAM REELS?

A new feature on one of the world’s biggest social media platforms is a new opportunity for businesses to use it to their advantage.

With that being said, social media strategy is the key to turn that opportunity into a successful marketing avenue.

If your target audience is likely to use Instagram, Reels could be a great way to share additional content.

If your target audience isn’t within that demographic, it’s probably best to consider something else.

When incorporating Instagram Reels into your social media marketing strategy, consider planning around these key areas:

  • Jump on trends that suit your brand’s message

If you want to get in on the action, consider spending some more time browsing through Instagram Reels to gauge what’s popular right now.

If your brand suits the trend, hashtag or challenge, why not give it a go?

  • Show a more “human” side to your brand

Like TikTok, most Instagram Reels feature people. Therefore, it goes without saying that by using this feature, you can show a more human and personable side to your brand and its team.

Why not involve multiple members of your team and their viewpoints?

  • Make it fun and entertaining

Social media is meant to be entertaining. You’ll find that the most popular videos out there will be fun, entertaining and interesting for their audience.

Think: would you scroll past your video or stay for the whole thing? Don’t lose your audience with boring content!

  • Don’t take it too seriously!

As we mentioned above, social media is meant to be entertaining for its audience – but that also applies to creators.

Create content that you genuinely enjoy making and it will shine through to you audience.

Overthinking your content could cause it to appear less natural and spontaneous, and lead you to miss out on those all important off-the-cuff moments that do so well on apps like these.

WANT TO GET IN ON THE ACTION?

If you’re looking to supercharge your social media strategy to include new platform features and trends, our content team can help.

Our social media experts are avid followers of what’s new and popular in the internet world, so if it all sounds far too complicated, we can work our magic to create a social media strategy that makes waves in your industry.

To talk to someone about your brand’s digital presence, social media strategy and content marketing, call 0121 355 8092 or email joanna@edge-creative.com today to learn more.

The (Not So) Secret to Creating Effective Content Campaigns

To help you create more effective campaigns, we’ve developed a list of areas you should regularly consider:

Content can be magical – if you get it right. Most of the time, however, creating an effective content marketing campaign doesn’t happen overnight.

According to Content Marketing Institute’s research into B2B marketing, the majority of businesses find their content efforts to be ineffective. This is because you need to nurture, edit and develop your content regularly in order to make a real impact.

Below, we’ve listed three questions you need to ask yourself to turn your content marketing campaigns around and start making real, tangible results. 

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER BUYING JOURNEY?

Regalix found that understanding your customer’s buying journey and developing relevant content assets at each touch point is integral to your marketing processes.

Understanding this journey doesn’t have to be difficult. In general, each customer-buying journey includes various stages: awareness, consideration, decision and delight (hopefully!)

Firstly, your customer will realise they have a problem. This problem is why they search for a solution, and at this stage, they don’t want you to force your brand upon them. Instead, they want to understand their problem and gather relevant, informative material that will help them to develop their comprehension of what they are experiencing. At this stage of the customer journey, the content you create must be informative, such as eBooks, blog posts or infographics.

Then, your customers will experience consideration, where they try to make a decision about what product or service will be best for their problem. They’re still not completely bothered about who helps them achieve their end goal, just how you are going to help them achieve it. Use this opportunity to create content that highlights your unique proposition and emphasise your success stories.

After this, your customer will make a decision on the best business to help them achieve their goal. They’re likely to compare your offering to your competitors to make what they feel is the best decision. This is where you can shout about your brand and business – tell them who you are and what makes you special.

Lastly, your new customer needs to experience delight. You should exceed their expectations and ensure that they receive a positive experience. Here you want to offer future promotions and discounts in order to foster an emotional connection. Get it right and customers are likely to be loyal to your brand, shouting about your business when they know others with the same original problem they experienced.

You should segment your audience based on their behaviour. If a user is visiting your website frequently, they’re aware of your brand. If they’re filling in forms to gain more information, they’re probably considering your product or services. By driving your content to align with the buyer’s journey, you can optimise your campaigns and maximise the success of your content. 

IS YOUR CONTENT WORKING WITH YOUR OTHER FORMS OF MARKETING?

Content marketing costs around 62% less than other forms of marketing and can generate up to three times as many leads. However, this doesn’t mean your content shouldn’t be aligning with your other forms of marketing.

Take search engine optimisation for example. Content and SEO must work hand in hand. With good SEO, your relevant specific content will get in front of the right person at the right stage of their customer journey and provide them with a good user experience.

As well as this, remarketing on social media can be a valuable outbound marketing strategy to complement your inbound content marketing. You can reach people interested in your business who may have visited your website previously and have already seen some of your content. 

DO YOU REGULARLY CHECK YOUR ANALYTICS?

Research shows that most effective content marketers check their metrics at least three times a week (Hubspot). The only way you can optimise your campaigns is by looking at the results you gather; cutting out anything that isn’t working and increasing the amount of successful content you create. If you’re only checking your analytics once or twice every few months, you’re not maximising on your content’s success.

Consider: How many people are reading your content? How often are they visiting? What content are people sharing? How many people are engaging with it?

By gathering this information, you can get a deeper understanding of what is working effectively and what types of content needs more time and affection to nurture success.

EDGE CREATIVE

Getting your content marketing campaigns correct doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. By hiring a content and marketing agency, you can rest assured knowing your campaigns are in safe hands with experts who know what they are doing.

We are currently offering free consultations with a Marketing Director, so that you can develop your understanding of how your campaigns can perform better. If you are interested in this offer, please email our Content Creator Jess at jessica@edge-creative.com.

Why is Omni-channel Marketing Important for Your Business?

In this post, we’ll cover the following:

In this modern age, marketing is undergoing some major changes. The idea of ‘pull’ and ‘push’ marketing, where businesses either push their products directly to the audience or try and gain loyalty to pull in customers, is adjusting. Today we are moving towards a more personalised way of engaging with consumers, through the vast array of channels and devices on offer.

With the outbreak of coronavirus and the government lockdown, more consumers and businesses are heading online, so making use of online marketing has never been more important. Today’s screen-addicted consumers have pushed marketing and advertising into a whole new digital realm. The effect of this digital surge is what is now known as “omni-channel digital marketing”.

WHAT IS OMNI-CHANNEL MARKETING?

Omni-channel marketing is a core strategy that brands use to engage with customers across multiple channels.

Marketers need to provide a seamless user experience across all channels relevant to the buyer’s journey. Businesses can now interact with their consumers in store, on an online website or app, through print ads and catalogues or through social media platforms.

The Office for National Statistics released their annual report for Internet access in Great Britain in 2019, stating: “among all adults, 84% had used the internet ‘on the go’ in 2019, using a mobile phone, smartphone, laptop, tablet or handheld device”.

A customer’s purchasing journey can now span across many different days, locations, devices and channels. It is therefore crucial that a consumer’s experience remains as coherent as possible, across all networks, in person and behind a screen.

So, if a consumer can engage with a brand at anytime and anywhere, how should your business prepare to accommodate this?

HOW TO IMPLEMENT OMNI-CHANNEL MARKETING

Putting Yourself in Your Consumers’ Shoes

It is helpful to regularly examine the experience you are offering to your customers by re-enacting your customers’ purchasing journey.

Place an order or search for specific information on your channels. Do you provide a seamless experience? Are there any issues or obstacles? By employing a marketing agency like EDGE Creative, we can do this for you. We can help you to achieve this seamless experience you need by examining and expanding on your current marketing strategies through high-quality tools such as Hotjar.

Utilising Data

Data is vital in helping you to understand your business and its developments. Data processing includes increased productivity and profits whilst providing you with reliable, accurate statistics. Investing time and expenses into gathering data will help you to measure your success in terms of the response of real people, over a specific amount of time.

You should also be carrying out conversion rate optimisation (CRO). This practice functions to improve the conversion rate in any advertising, marketing, sales or other business practice that has a goal of getting a person to take an action.

The process of CRO involves understanding how your visitors are using your website, what actions they are taking and what is stopping them from completing your goals.

At EDGE Creative, we have over 15 years’ experience in creating digital campaigns that encourage users to convert. Our expert team are pioneers in using remarketing to boost conversion rates, while raising your business’s reputation, visibility and bottom line.

Defining Your Target Market

A target market is the specific group of people who you want to reach with your marketing message. These are the people who are most likely to purchase your products or services.

Creating a customer persona is a method of segmenting your target audience. These are profiles based on the analysis and research of your existing customers, which help to build more of a detailed picture of how old your customers are, where they live and what their personal motivations might be.

If you have a wide audience demographic, you can create personas for the different products or services you offer. Building these personas mean that you can be sure to target the right person from day one, meaning your business no longer wastes money targeting people on the off chance they slightly fit your audience.

Defining your audience will ensure you are effective in your marketing efforts; it will not stop people from buying your products. Defining your target audience will eventually help you to tailor your future content across all channels. 

As a digital marketing agency, we have over 15 years’ experience in devising customer personas, which makes us experts in helping you to define your audience online.

Listening and Responding to Your Customers

More than ever people are now using multiple devices during a single transaction process. You should be responding to these interactions.

An example of this could be to preserve the items in a customer’s shopping basket across their devices. This way, if a customer logs off their mobile app and switches to desktop, the product will still be in their basket. Sending emails to customers reminding them of the existing items in their basket could also encourage them to confirm their transaction.

EDGE CREATIVE

At EDGE Creative, we have extensive experience in providing a first-class marketing service that creates an impact and retains your audience. We can support you and your business in designing tailored marketing solutions across both traditional and digital platforms. If you are interested in finding out how EDGE Creative can help you, get in touch by calling 0121 355 8092 or email us on info@edge-creative.com.

Element 26: 6 Ways to Get the Most Out of Video on Social Media

Video is changing the way businesses use social media to market to their audience. In this exclusive guest blog, our partner Element 26 outlines how you can get the most out of video to increase leads, brand recognition and ultimately, improve your bottom line.

GUEST BLOG BY ELEMENT 26

All the major social media platforms are prioritising video as a means to both engage and empower users.

Regardless of whether your customers are on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter or on any of the emerging platforms, business owners and marketing managers should be thinking video first in all their content plans through 2020 and beyond.

Don’t believe me, take a look at the content Linkedin are publishing on their own company page and you will get a sense of what i’m talking about. As you can see, their feed is made up almost entirely of video.

So, why are the social media giants prioritising video in this way and how does the end user benefit from this opportunity?

It’s pretty simple really, video keeps users active for longer and promotes deeper more meaningful engagement. According to Wordstream, ‘Social video gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined.’

Almost all of the social media platforms can divide their users down into two profiles:

  • The general user (consumer of content): those who use the various platforms to share and engage in content they’re interested in.
  • The business user (publisher of content): those who use social to further their mission, amplify their voice and find new customers.

In many cases the user can fit both of the profiles listed above, but the business user is perhaps the more intriguing because they will likely understand that social media can be many things.

There are three broad camps of video in social media:

Shared, Advertising & Live

Shared Video

Shared video is everything you post either to your company page or your personal profile. This can come in the form of short to-camera pieces or more polished pieces of branded content.

Advertising Video

Advertising video is anything you put budget behind to reach more people.

Live Video

Live video is content which you broadcast in real time. Similar to a webinar, Live Video is fantastic for real time engagement. At Element 26, we often produce live videos either from the set of our latest shoot or to provide educational insight in lieu of webinars.

6 WAYS YOU CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF VIDEO ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA

Storytelling

Video is a story based medium and humans are coded to respond to stories. Try to publish video content regularly and build a narrative your prospects can connect with. Ideally they should either see themselves in your videos (ie testimonials) or they should connect to a pain point you have identified.

Post Natively

All of the social media platforms support publishing video natively. Where possible, this means you should avoid taking YouTube links and then plonking them onto your Facebook page. Videos published without using the native tools receive secondary treatment from the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn, which limits their reach.

Don’t be afraid of producing different versions of your video for each social channel. We have produced a guide to do this which you can find on this link here.

Provide Subtitles

Users will watch video content on social media at various points throughout the day and it may not always be practical to watch your content with the sound on. You would also want to make sure your video content is accessible to as many individuals as possible such as those with hearing issues.

This is where adding subtitles is important. You have two options when embedding subtitles. You can burn them into the video so that they cannot be disabled or you can produce a SRT (Subtitle Subrip File) which can be uploaded alongside the video file itself.

Maximise Screen Real Estate

Each social media channel handles video differently and presents different opportunities for how your videos should be presented. For example, on Instagram it is usually a good idea to publish your video in a square frame size as this will mean your videos take up more space in the feed. This makes them more eye-catching for your target audience.

Snippets

When producing your video for social media best practice would be to publish snippets or extracts from your video instead of giving the whole thing away for free, especially if you’re providing valuable insight.

We recommend that you host the complete video on your website and use social media to attempt to direct the user there.

Whilst it is notoriously difficult to ask users to navigate away from social media to your website, the benefit of taking this approach is that the user is then closer to your calls to action and can be exposed to various related content which is aligned with your customer journey.

Personalisation

Targeting your video content to the end user is a really powerful way to get responses. All the popular social media platforms offer direct messaging functionality and we like to use this approach to put video messages in the inbox of the recipients we would like to speak with.

Do be careful with this approach though as there are matters of etiquette that should be observed, for example “sliding into someone’s DMs” on Instagram isn’t really the done thing whereas on Linkedin this is not only possible but encouraged.

Thanks guys, I hope you found this blog post useful and you feel ready to take on video in social media throughout 2020 and beyond.

If you found this blog useful, why don’t you share it with your network and connect with me on LinkedIn.

EDGE CREATIVE

At EDGE Creative, we have over 14 years’ worth of experience in delivering excellent social media campaigns to a variety of clients across a broad spectrum of industries. With our solid and established social and content team, we have been able to develop and refine all the finer details in our process. In order to find out more about how EDGE Creative and our partner Element 26 can help you revolutionise your marketing, get in touch by calling 0121 355 8092.

This blog is a guest blog supplied by Nathan Haines of Element 26.

What Did the Last Decade Teach Us About Social Media?

In this post, we’ll cover the following:

If anything defined the 2010s, it’s social media. The past 10 years saw the birth of social supergiants like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and the death of MySpace, Bebo, and Vine.

Now, in 2020, the social media landscape looks completely different to how it did 10 years ago. Facebook has dominated the social media landscape, adverts are everywhere, and influencers are running the show. But one thing remains as important as it did back then: authenticity.

THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA

2010

  • Instagram launches, hitting 100,000 users in less than a week. It was so overwhelmed with traffic that its servers completely shut down.
  • Pinterest, a photo sharing website, also launches.

2011

  • Snapchat launches and introduces ephemeral content to the scene: images that disappear after a set amount of time.
  • Google launches Google Plus and later integrates this with YouTube – much to many users’ dismay.
  • Twitch, a live-streaming platform now hugely popular with gamers, launches.

2012

  • After continued growth throughout the years, Instagram was acquired by Facebook for 1 billion dollars.
  • Facebook also hits one billion monthly active users.

2013

  • Twitter goes public; however, Wall Street investors realise that the size of its audience will never compare to Facebook.
  • Facebook attempts to buy Snapchat, but the owner turns down the 3 billion dollars offer.
  • Vine, a popular short video platform, launches after being acquired by Twitter for 30 million dollars.
  • Instagram launches video sharing.

2014

  • Facebook buys WhatsApp for 22 billion dollars.

2016

  • Facebook, Twitter and Google are accused of spreading misinformation during the 2016 presidential election.

2017

2018

  • Facebook, Twitter and Google face pressure in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.  

2019

  • Google+ is shut down.

HOW HAS THE LANDSCAPE CHANGED?

Social media has become far more accessible than it was in 2010. With the switch to smartphones and the availability of internet, social media and app developers are catering to an audience that’s growing by the minute.

It also means that businesses have had to follow suit. What once was a useful and playful way to keep in touch with friends and family has also become an excellent tool for advertising, and with 90% of social media users reaching out to brands or retailers, it would be a shame to miss out.

With so many businesses, influencers, bloggers and tweeters out there, users of social media can find it hard to cut through the noise. After all, many of us join social media for genuine discussion and connection, finding things that interest us, things that make us laugh, and stories that we relate to. That’s why authenticity is key to successfully engaging with your audience and allowing them to connect with your brand.

90% of consumers say authenticity is important when choosing the brands they support. If your business wants to succeed on social media, you need to drive authenticity through everything you do. Authenticity encompasses sharing genuinely relatable (and relevant!) content, understanding your audience demographics, staying true to your brand message, being transparent and honest, and most importantly, connecting with your audience.

WHAT WILL THE NEXT DECADE LOOK LIKE?

Advancements in technology have drove the main changes in social media, with better smartphone cameras and augmented reality allowing people to upload high quality content in seconds.

5G technology is likely to advance social media even further, making way for more interactive content and immersive games. It is, however, hard to estimate whether there is space for another social media network or whether we have exhausted all social media channels. What do you think?

For support with your social media strategy, email us at info@edge-creative.com or give us a call on 0121 355 8092.

Find Your Voice & Mind Your Tone: How Tone of Voice Makes an Impact

How your company presents itself in the market can make or break your brand, and tone of voice is an important factor in this. When it comes to branding, how you say something is equally as important as what you say. This creative voice helps you connect with your audience and differentiates you from the competition.

Creating a distinct tone of voice is about creating memorable messages for your audience. In order to achieve this, you need to tailor your content to your target audience, connecting with them on a personable level. This can be attained through the creation of customer personas to really understand who you are talking to and how to reach them.

Personas are based on the analysis and research into real customers and helps marketers build a detailed picture of who your customers are. This includes information on their personal motivations and expectations, what kind of communication they prefer and what they value in a brand. For example, selling a teenager a pair of jeans compared to trying to sell a mortgage to a teaching assistant.

Once you’ve created your customer personas, you can work on defining your business’s tone of voice. Think: if your business was a person, what would they say? How would they say it? What type of language would they use? Having clear guidelines of the stance your business takes with language used is key in defining a brand.

ILLUSTRATES YOUR VALUES

A tone of voice embodies a brand’s personality and set of values.

Define your tone of voice by thinking about what makes your company unique. Doing so shapes your audiences’ expectations of how your brand will interact with them in the future.

Think: What does your brand want to tell the world? What would you like people to know about your business? Why was the company set up in the first place? These are the factors that will help you set the tone of voice of your business.

ILLUSTRATES YOUR DIFFERENCES

The tone of voice your business uses should be distinctive and unique. In spoken language every day, people have different accents and dialects. Some individuals have unique inflections, favourite expressions and different paces. These clear differences in language often portray unique characteristics of a person the same way your company’s tone of voice reflects yours.

Language and tone are significant factors in portraying your businesses unique features. To many consumers, most professional services and products offer the same promises, so making your business stand out is key. By focusing on emotional connection and showing personality to your target audience, you distinguish yourself and make an impact.

Think: How is the way you work different? What’s unique about you?

BUILDS TRUST

Certain brands stand above the competition in today’s ever-evolving market. This is down to branding creativity and business consistency.

Think of big brands with clear creativity throughout their marketing. A great example of this is Innocent Smoothies.

One of the most recognisable features about their brand is that the tone of voice is relatively informal and friendly. It doesn’t feel like they’re talking to a customer, but a friend. They stray from grammatical conventions, often avoiding capital letters and keeping their tone childlike and innocent with colloquial terms such as ‘stuff’ and ‘things’ used throughout their marketing materials.

This creativity makes them stand out, but the consistency in their messages creates trust.

There is a strong link between familiarity and trust. When consumers feel your tone of voice is familiar, it requires less effort to process mentally and so they are likely to feel more at ease around it. Creating a specific tone of voice plays a crucial part in this.

Think: How do you want to be recognised? What do you want to be known for?

In order to create this sense of consistency, all marketing materials and even the way you are represented by your staff needs to embody the same tone of voice. Creating tone of voice guidelines will ensure you have something to give employees to help them understand exactly what they need to convey when they represent your brand.

Ultimately, tone of voice is a fundamental feature to your branding strategy. At EDGE Creative, our content creators work to ensure all aspects of your marketing materials embody your business’s unique tone of voice. If you don’t have one, we can help you to create it. We have extensive experience in brand building and creating compelling stories for clients such as Busy Bees Benefits, Christopher Trigg and KLO Financial Services.

Find out more about how EDGE Creative can support you and your brand by calling 0121 355 8092 or emailing jessica@edge-creative.com.

Jessica Greaney

Content Creator

Why Relevant Content Matters

Content marketing is arguably one of the most crucial elements of digital marketing that enables businesses to attract new customers by providing relevant content that answers their queries.

Over the past three years, 75% of businesses have increased their content marketing budget. Educational content can be expensive to create, but brands must continue to produce information to stay above their competitors in search engine results, and also to build authority and brand loyalty within that sector.

In order to make your content marketing strategy a success, relevancy is vital. Creating blog posts, articles and infographics that appeal to a wide audience is important, but if it doesn’t adhere to their specific wants and needs, you are not making the most out of your content marketing efforts.

In today’s modern world, the average consumer is inundated with content. As a result, they are constantly filtering out the content that is not relevant to them. Relevant content shows potential customers that you are catering to their specific needs at a specific point in their user journey. Everything else is noise and so will usually be ignored.

Content is available everywhere and anywhere on the internet. The saturation of so much freely available online information can become overwhelming and confuse users. By creating content that is relevant and informative, you show potential customers that you have something important to say.

RELEVANT CONTENT IMPROVES YOUR PERFORMANCE IN SERP’S

Once you have clicked on a search engine result, you tend to know fairly soon whether the page contains the content you are looking for.

With so much content freely available at the click of a button, we search quickly for indications as to whether the content is relevant to our search query. If not, we click off the page and start again. This all happens in a matter of seconds, and this high bounce rate will affect your overall performance in search engines.

What is SEO? Learn more in our in-depth blog post.

RELEVANT CONTENT POSITIONS YOU AS AN AUTHORITATIVE FIGURE

Creating relevant content on themes relating to your industry helps to position you as an expert within that field. A user is likely to have around seven touchpoints with your brand before they convert, so ensuring that you are visible at all stages of the user journey helps you to become a trusted authority within that sector. Having that constant visibility through content makes consumers more likely to want to do business with your brand because it becomes familiar and shows them that you do know your stuff.

There are a multitude of different factors that search engines take into consideration, such as your URL and page structure, but content is one of the most important elements to a good SEO strategy. Giving your users what they want ultimately drives more potential customers to your site, and when your content is relevant, search engines will recognise this and boost your rankings, which boosts your traffic and ultimately raises your bottom line.

At EDGE Creative, our content team use intricate methods to create content that is relevant to your audience and ideal customer. Whether you need blog posts, infographics or video marketing, our team of specialists can work together to execute a holistic marketing strategy that works.

If you want to revolutionise your content but aren’t quite sure where to start, request your FREE digital audit today.

How to Overcome Common Content Strategy Problems

Today’s widely fragmented and competitive market means that companies are increasingly having to find creative ways to convey their brand. Whether that’s something as simple as sharing compelling images to social media or writing a series of blog pieces, businesses in all industries are seeking fresh ways to engage with their desired target audience through content marketing.

When executed well, you can quickly experience traffic growth in comparison to any competitors who may be yet to adopt content into their overall marketing strategy. In fact, according to research carried out by SEO expert Neil Patel, content marketing leaders experience 7.8x more site traffic than non-leaders. For your content marketing to really pay off, you need to develop a concise content strategy based on what you audience want to see and invest your time into continually refining and improving it. Developing a content marketing strategy that works can be difficult, so we have broken down three common problems that may arise and how to overcome them:

PROBLEM ONE: GETTING FOUND

Ultimately, search engines are created to answers questions. SEO software specialists Moz perfectly describes its purpose as being there to find, understand and organise all the content on the internet in order to offer the most relevant results to the questions that a user is asking. So, if you’re not creating content to best answer the questions that you audience is asking, don’t expect to be found for it.

There are many things that search engines take into consideration when crawling your website. This is everything from your robots.txt file, to your URL’s, page structure (we could go on), but arguably most importantly, your content and keyword selection.

Using appropriate long-tail and semantic keywords is key to helping your content get found.  They are the cornerstone of planning effective content strategies and giving your users what they want, when they want it, ultimately driving more customers and retaining their loyalty because you are truly offering them value.

Ensure that your website gets found through systematic keyword search, hitting users at the right stage in their journey. Avoid guesswork and random brainstorming in searching for relevant keywords and use real data to guide your content.

PROBLEM TWO: CREATIVE BLOCK

To make any content marketing strategy successful, your content needs to be well-timed, relevant, interesting and useful to your audience. The pressure of formulating a plan based on this coupled with your own business objectives can often lead to problems finding inspiration when it comes to developing your content.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. The more you are exposed to through thorough research, the more you will understand exactly what kind of information your target audience are looking for. Sign up for podcasts, blogs, alerts, read more, and get creative!

Although you may get inspiration from other sources, it’s vital that you avoid copying other company’s content marketing strategies. It is your originality combined with a targeted approach which will make your brand survive. Embodying your company’s perspective and creating bespoke content to accompany it should always be at the forefront of your strategy, rather than simply repeating what other people are already saying.

PROBLEM 3: FINDING TIME

Creating fresh content is a time-consuming process. In fact, 42% of writers take up to 2 hours to write just 500 words. For many marketers, the cost of time affects their strategy as internal pressure can often force them to minimise the amount of content they are able to push out.

Make the most out of your current assets and find new and exciting ways to update it and ensure that it is keeping with the current climate. Good content is often evergreen, so by revising and updating, you can drive new traffic without having to reinvent the wheel.

Try experimenting with other types of content such as videos or podcasts which are both great for improving your SEO. Grab your audience’s attention with something that is easy for them to engage with, and once have their attention, push them to other forms of content you have already created.

Repurposing content reduces pressure to produce, creates new forms of content easily and efficiently and allows you to target wider audiences. Don’t forget – content doesn’t just refer to writing. Social media posts, photographs and videos are all important aspects of content you should embody into your strategy.

As an integrated marketing agency, our content team use intricate methods and strong strategy to create content that is unique and optimised for search. Whether it’s video marketing, blog writing or infographic designing, our team of graphic designers, content writers and video specialists can work together to create and execute a holistic marketing strategy that works. If you are considering outsourcing your marketing and would like to invest into your content strategy, please contact us on 0121 355 8092 or email info@edge-creative.com.

Request a free consultation today.

SOURCES:

https://neilpatel.com/blog/38-content-marketing-stats-that-every-marketer-needs-to-know/

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blogging-time-benchmark

https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/how-search-engines-operate

Why Overlooking Social Media Strategy Could Mean the End of Your Business

The rise of social media has revolutionised the way the marketing industry works. Now, there are many different channels of social network, the most market-dominant of which include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to name a few. These platforms have escalated in popularity across the globe and reaching any type of demographic has never been easier.

According to ‘Socialmediatoday’, 50% of small businesses have increased time spent on social media compared to last year and have reported gaining new customers and better business. This illustrates that you can’t set up a social media account and leave it – you need to develop a concise social media strategy and invest time into your processes.

The fact is, if you’re not developing a thorough approach to your social channels, you are missing out on a great marketing opportunity. Here’s why:

YOU’LL MISS OUT ON RELATIONSHIPS

When you incorporate customer service into your social media strategy, you are likely to increase customer satisfaction. Social media can be a powerful tool of communication between you and your audience. It allows you to respond quickly to customers, resolve various issues and receive feedback.

On your social channels, respond to any forms of customer feedback you receive. Whether this is a review, a customer query or a complaint. The interaction you have on social media is an opportunity for you to engage with your customers, enrich your brand, develop customer rapport and illustrate customer appreciation.

By responding efficiently and effectively to customers, you not only engage with your existing audience, you also open doors to new leads. A recent study by ‘Bright Local’ found that 30% of consumers take note of local businesses’ interactions with reviewers and use it as a metric when deciding whether to use the company.

Potential customers appreciate the relationship you have with your existing network and are more likely to try your business as a result.

YOU’LL GATHER LESS CUSTOMER INSIGHTS

Your social media strategy should incorporate interaction with your customer base. By reading through your audience’s channels, you gain insights into what their daily lives and behaviours consist of.

You can find information about what products they are buying, what hobbies they have and what kind of posts they share. With this information, you can refine your customer personas and shape your marketing accordingly.

When you understand your customers, you can write better content and more compelling posts, which leads to more traffic to your website. The benefits can also exceed your marketing strategy, as it helps you identify customer pain points and refine your product strategy.

YOU’LL GAIN LESS BRAND AWARENESS

‘SEOexpertbrad’ found that following a brand on Twitter is extremely meaningful to users. 72% of people who follow brands on Twitter are likely to purchase items or services from them. It is therefore vital that you make use of your social channels to increase brand awareness.

Creating content that inspires interaction is vital within your social media strategy. When your existing audience share your content, it will benefit your social exposure and allow your content to reach many more users than just your followers.

Ensuring that your content is unique and of value will encourage more social media users to read your posts, like your page and visit your website.

YOU WON’T TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE

Incorporating advertisements within your social media strategy is hugely beneficial to your business. Social platforms such as Facebook offer highly specialised ads which can target customers on several factors such as age, location, education level, industry and even user behaviour.

Using targeted ads within your strategy allows you to gain visibility among your target audience and is an inexpensive way to help you reach the right people and generate genuine leads.

Doing this will allow you to grow your customer following and grow your business accordingly.

When you start using social media as a method to connect with your customers, it can transform your brand. With this increased exposure comes serious ROI.

As an integrated marketing agency, we deliver and tailor our services to meet your individual needs. Our social media and content team use intricate methods and strong strategy in order to get the best out of social media.

If you are considering outsourcing your marketing and would like to invest into your social strategy, please contact us on 0121 355 8092 or email info@edge-creative.com.

SOURCES:

Introducing Instagram Stories

SO… WHAT’S THE STORY?

This new feature gives you access to a range of editing tools to customise your story as you see fit, so you can show off the highlights of your day, but only for 24 hours. Unlike regular profile posts, there are no public likes or comments. Instead, you’ll get a private message from anyone who comments.

You can access Stories by tapping the plus icon on the home tab or simply swiping from left to right. You’ll see stories from the people you follow at the top of the home screen, surrounded by colourful rings to stand out.

What Can You Do?

1. Capture your day with photos or videos

2. Edit your content with printed text and pens

3. Playback things you may have missed

4. Post sections of your story as a profile post.

Who Can See Your Stories?

1. If your account is private, only your followers will see it.

2. You can hide stories from specific people.

3. Choose a feature of your story to post publicly to your profile.

However, despite the glitz and glamour, the majority of people are comparing the new feature to Snapchat, and rightly so.

Snapchat launched in the App Store in 2011 and quickly gathered pace, as just over a year later, users had shared 1 billion snaps.

To date, Snapchat has around 100 million users and is known for being the app that shares highlights for a brief period.

So What Are the Similarities Between the Platforms?

1. Both allow clips up to 10 seconds in length that are removed after 24 hours

2. Both allow you to watch your friends’ stories in sequence

3. Both allow you to reply to stories with direct messages

4. Both allow you to add custom text to your images and video

5. Both let you draw with markers

6. Both include the option to save the media directly to your camera roll

7. Both display who views your story.

So you can see why people are bemused at Instagram’s latest move, which has sparked hundreds of hilarious memes.

Collage

These similarities are enough for people to say that Instagram has blatantly copied Snapchat right down to the foundations, and it certainly doesn’t help that Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom nearly admitted that.

In a recent interview with TechCrunch, Systrom said, “They [Snapchat] deserve all the credit” when questioned about the similarities.

However, he later went on to say: “This is about a format, and how you take it to a network and put your spin on it.”

However, the general opinion is that Instagram stories will be more popular.

The main argument focuses on the fact that Instagram has more than double the number of users: 500 million. Not only is the potential reach for stories higher, but you don’t have to start your following from scratch.

Tw 1 Tw 2

What Do We Think?

“They’ve copied Snapchat”; This is the main argument against the recent update. Some EDGE team members think the blatant look-alike features are distasteful.

“It’s all in one platform”; The rest of the team is all for it, pointing out that you don’t need to leave the platform to get all the content you could want. You don’t need to learn a completely new interface or try to encourage your already existing followers to migrate over.

One thing’s for sure: we’re looking forward to seeing how this will all play out for Instagram and how Snapchat will be impacted from this point on.

Our View On Instagram’s New Look

SO, WHAT’S CHANGED?

Logo

Instagram have updated its brand image with a new icon. The old iconic Polaroid has been ditched for a new purple and orange logo.

Taking inspiration from the previous design, Instagram have had a freshen up. Still in the form of a camera, the gradient colour format and the simplistic style give the app a clean and fresh look and feel.

Instagram said the new design reflected how the app, bought by Facebook for $1 billion four years ago, had transformed since it was created.

The move to the new logo has been met with mixed emotions, but Instagram assure us that as the app has changed from one where users uploaded photos to make them look more retro, to the social phenomenon it is today, they too have had to evolve.

Insta

The App

The inside of the app has also had a redesign, although the navigation and usage remains the same, there is now a new black and white design for backgrounds, icons and menus to make all those snaps really stand out and put a lot more emphasis on your photos and videos – as it should be right?

There are also some new filter options that users can use for their videos and photos! The old favourites, such as Valencia and Juno, are still there, but we are loving the additions. All you need to do is click the manage button, and there is a whole list to choose from.

Insta Phones

Supporting Apps

Instagram have also updated the icons for their other supporting apps, including Boomerang and Layout. This has created a consistent brand identity across the Instagram family.

Insta Family

WHAT DO WE THINK?

The EDGE Team have mixed views on the new Instagram branding launch.

Although the brand’s updated look is a big change from the previous, vintage-style Polaroid icon, we think that we will learn to love the new icon and its vibrant colours. However, we do feel that Instagram may have taken its inspiration from PowerPoint, using a gradient we have all seen and probably used in our presentations!

We think that the updated platform has a bit of a feminine look and feel, due to both its icon colour (using pink, purple, yellow and orange gradients) as well as the chic, clean-cut black and white colour scheme.

Some of us also think the changes make the app look much tidier, and maybe even corporate. It has a more professional feel, as we all become more professional in our photography skills!

The choice of new filters is also a big plus to the platform’s update. Although Instagram hasn’t changed the way you navigate around the app, it has added a whole range of photo and video filters for us to experiment with. Hours of fun, and we will be playing with the new filters for weeks! How will we ever choose now?

The Instagram community has evolved, grown and become even more diverse over the last 5 years, hence the reason for the updated look and feel. With over 80 million filtered photos and videos being shared daily, Instagram’s new and professional feel has come along just in time! And overall, EDGE think the change is healthy and we are all going to have to embrace the update, and for some of us who don’t instantly love it, we will learn to. Change is good!