by Fronetics | Nov 9, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
Try these content formats and related tools for B2B social media content that keeps your audience engaged.
Conventional wisdom, careful market research, and common sense are all telling us that social media is transforming the way we do business. We know we should be leveraging these platforms to drive awareness, engagement, and revenue for our businesses. But creating content to share with your audience is actually more difficult than it sounds.
Character limits and the increasingly visual nature of these platforms means marketers are having to get creative with how they engage their audience. Here are four ideas and related tools that can help B2B organizations produce interesting, informative content that is suited to social media.
1) Video
The 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report rates the growing prevalence of video among its top findings for the year. It found that 60% of marketers are now using video in their marketing, and 73% are making it a goal to increase their use of video. This trend is for good reason — 64% of business that use video reported that it has led directly to increased sales.
Video is an efficient, visually appealing way to present your content in an imminently shareable format. Here are some online tools to help you create effective video content for your business.
- PowToon: A tool that guides users through the creation of animated videos and presentations, PowToon boasts an approachable interface and minimalist design that makes it simple for marketers with limited video experience.
- Magisto: Ideal for creating videos with emotional impact, Magisto features tutorials on creating video for your business, and allows users to create highly customizable video content through a simple interface.
- WeVideo: Featuring advanced video-editing tools with a simple interface, WeVideo is a cloud-based collaborative video editor that allows users the convenience of cloud video storage.
- Wideo: Allowing you to create videos in minutes, Wideo offers a variety of plans aimed toward working with your existing marketing strategy.
Creating your video is just the first step. Here are some places to upload and share your content:
- YouTube: The titan of video sharing services, YouTube allows for public and private upload, and gives users free access to analytics tools for their videos. Along the way, take a look at these valuable tips for getting more views on your YouTube videos.
- Vimeo: With a similar platform to YouTube, Vimeo is ideal for video sharing, discovery, and generating creativity.
2) Infographics
Social media platforms are becoming increasingly visual. A well-designed infographic makes your content visually appealing and delivers your message in a clear, easily digestible format. A recent report from eMarketer and the communications firm Lewis found the demands of social media and the format’s high engagement rates are key reasons for its use.
Here are some online resources that let you create and share infographics:
- ly: This site features a vast array of templates, which you can easily edit and customize and share immediately on social media platforms.
- Piktochart: With an easy-to-navigate interface, Piktochart allows you to create intricate, design-rich graphics, complete with icons, images, charts, and interactive maps, and publish them directly to social media platforms.
- Canva: This site allows for quick creation of infographics, as well as presentation covers, social media images, online advertisements, and flyers.
- Visme: A simple interface, Visme allows you to translate your ideas into engaging infographics, presentations, reports, and more. You can share your content online as a URL or on social media, embed it on your website, or download it.
3) Podcasts
The 2016 SME Report identifies podcasting as a relatively untapped way for marketers to engage with social media audiences. The audience for podcasts in the United States alone is close to 60 million people, making this medium a significant opportunity for businesses to engage with potential clients.
Here are some tools that can help you create quality audio content:
- Audacity: This open-source audio software lets you record audio, convert tapes and records into digital recordings, and add your own audio effects.
- Podbean: This tool lets you quickly create and share professional podcasts, no programming knowledge necessary. You can publish them directly to social media platforms.
4) Slides
If you have a lot of dense, industry-specific content that you want to get out to your audience, presentations are ideal. Breaking up your content into slides lets you get the information to your network in an engaging and visually appealing way.
Here are some tools that help you create and share professional presentations:
- SlideShare: LinkedIn’s platform lets you build, upload, and edit presentations, and share them on social media.
- SlideBoom: Ideal for converting PowerPoint presentations to Flash, SlideBoom lets you share your presentations with your target audience.
- Prezi: This tool is available for download or as an online editor, and it allows you to add animations to your presentations and share your content on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Social media has changed the way businesses engage with their target customer base. Embracing these tools is key to creating and maintaining an active and loyal audience.
Related posts:
by Jennifer Hart Yim | Nov 8, 2016 | Blog, Logistics, Supply Chain, Talent
An upcoming webinar series will help your business improve its ability to attract, hire and retain top supply chain talent.
This guest post comes from SCM Talent Group, a national supply chain recruiting and executive search firm.
The supply chain discipline has been experiencing a talent shortage that many experts in the field are predicting will only get worse, before it gets better. Baby boomers are retiring rapidly, while the number of qualified candidates coming up through the ranks aren’t enough to close the gap. While macro-level solutions have been implemented, such as the expansion of university supply chain programs, it will most likely take years before any significant progress is made.
A new webinar series, presented by SCM Talent Group, is centered around the talent aspects of the supply chain discipline. The purpose of this series is to provide low-cost, high-impact solutions and advice that employers, hiring managers, and HR partners can implement in efforts to improve their abilities in attracting, hiring, and retaining top supply chain talent.
The first webinar, “Strategies for Sourcing & Recruiting Top Supply Chain Talent,” will take place on November 10th from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. EST. Participants will learn how to optimize their supply chain recruiting program and processes around industry best practices and discover creative sources and strategies for attracting and hiring candidates for their supply chain job openings.
Future webinars will take place regularly, and cover various aspects of supply chain talent acquisition and talent development, such as:
- Create an Employee Referral Program that Drives Results
- How to Craft Job Descriptions that Attract Top Supply Chain Talent
- Top Employer Branding and Candidate Attraction Strategies
- How to Develop a Winning Supply Chain Leadership Development Program
Rodney Apple, founder and president of SCM Talent Group who also serves as the career coach for APICS, will lead these solution-oriented webinars, which will occasionally feature guest speakers.
Through his almost two-decade career in both corporate and executive search environments, Apple has experienced an assortment of supply chain talent acquisition and talent development programs. He will provide informative best practices with the goal of helping employers overcome hiring challenges created by the supply chain talent gap.
To register for this upcoming webinar, sign up here. To stay informed on SCM Talent Group’s upcoming webinars, sign up to receive regular updates.
Related posts:
by Fronetics | Nov 7, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Fronetics is conducting a survey to determine how companies in the logistics and supply chain industries are using content and social media.
Have you ever wondered how your competitors, customers, and business partners are using modern marketing tools like social media? Are you curious how many companies like yours have a blog, how often they publish, and, more importantly, how many are generating new business from it?
Fronetics was curious about these questions and more. So we conducted our first industry-wide survey back in 2014 to learn how logistics and supply chain companies were using content and social media as part of their marketing programs.
The results were very telling. Though all reported leveraging these tools for only a short while, the majority had already seen a positive impact on their business. To read the full reports, click below.
Well, a lot has happened in two years. And, once again, Fronetics would like to take the temperature of the industry to see how the use of social media and content has changed (or stayed the same). So we are launching a new survey for individuals working in the logistics and supply chain industries to weigh in on how their companies are using these tools today.
Each survey takes about 3 minutes to complete. Results will be reported in aggregate, using no personal or company information from respondents. Those wishing to receive the completed report can indicate this preference during the survey.
Please click the buttons below to take our surveys. We look forward to hearing your responses!
Related posts:
by Fronetics | Nov 3, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
The web search has changed the way businesses shop for products and services — and content marketing is your key to reaching them.
What’s the first thing we all do when we need a gift for Fathers’ Day, can’t think of a song lyric, or want to buy a new kitchen appliance? We Google it.
The world of B2B sales is no different. Demand Gen’s 2016 B2B Buyer’s Survey Report found that 62% of B2B buyers say that a web search was one of the first three resources they use to learn about a solution. In fact, 94% of buyers reported using online research at some point in the purchasing process.
That means businesses must be more than just conscious of their digital presence: They must actively manage their website and digital content assets to accommodate the ways buyers are conducting research.
Seeing opportunity in the new reality
In the pre-internet age, the salesperson’s role began relatively early in the buyer’s journey. Today’s average B2B buyer, however, progresses nearly 60% of the way through this process before making any sort of contact with a sales rep. That means your prospects are forming their early opinions about your business and your products based on what they find on the web.
This new reality may seem daunting, given how much of the purchase decision-making process occurs before you have the opportunity to engage with a potential client. But in reality, this changing climate offers serious opportunities for businesses to demonstrate their expertise, without turning buyers off with overt sales pitches.
Content is king/key
To make the most of the potential purchaser’s experience with your business, content is key.
A robust content marketing strategy builds brand awareness, establishes trust and rapport with prospects, and generates traffic to your website. Thoughtfully generated and curated content catches the attention of buyers and keeps them interested in your business through the time of purchase.
Specifically, 67% more leads will be generated by companies with an active blog in 2016. And content isn’t limited to your website: a vibrant social media presence helps buyers conduct their research, with 57% of consumers reporting that they are influenced to think more highly of a business after seeing positive comments online.
Again, while this new reality may seem like a challenge, it’s actually a golden opportunity for your business to put its best foot forward with potential buyers. By thoughtfully generating and curating focused, informative content, companies can guide B2B buyers through the sales process, and develop an engaged and loyal customer base.
Related posts:
by Fronetics | Nov 2, 2016 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Twitter will shut down its 6-second video platform; Facebook launches Recommendations feature; and more social media updates.
Twitter folds Vine
Twitter announced its plans to fold its video platform, Vine, in a Medium post on Thursday, October 27. The mobile app and website will not close immediately so that users can still access and download their Vines before they become unavailable.
The announcement follows news that Twitter would cut 9% of its workforce as it struggles to become profitable. Meanwhile, video platforms, like YouTube and Snapchat, and video capabilities on other social networks, like Instagram and Facebook, continue to soar in popularity. Read more
Facebook launches Recommendations feature and CTA buttons for local businesses
Facebook’s new Recommendations feature allows users to gather, map, and organize local business recommendations from their friends. You can pose a question, such as, “Where is the best place to buy paint?” and Facebook will auto-add extra information, like addresses and reviews, based on your friends’ responses.
Additionally, businesses can implement new call-to-action buttons to drive users to book an appointment, purchase tickets to an event, and more without ever leaving your business’ Facebook page. Read more
Facebook Live launches broadcasting tool for verified pages
Facebook Live’s new tool allows the administrators of verified pages schedule a live broadcast up to a week in advance, so that companies “can build anticipation and buzz” with their audiences. A page’s fans can wait in a virtual lobby as soon as three minutes prior to the launch of the broadcast.
As soon as a page schedules a broadcast, fans receive a notification in their newsfeeds and an option to schedule a reminder. Pages will receive a link to share or embed in websites, social media posts, and blogs. Read more
Simply Measured releases annual State of Social Marketing report
Social analytics company Simply Measured recently released its annual report regarding social media use by some of the biggest brands around the globe. The 2016 State of Social Marketing Report uncovered trends about a wide range of topics, but among the most interesting was the disconnect between how marketers are measuring social media success and what their leadership is asking for. Read more
More social media news and features to watch
Related posts:
by Fronetics | Nov 1, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
Companies dedicate enormous resources to ramping up email marketing programs around seasonal pushes, like the holidays. But do they actually get more customers?
We all know the feeling — how the office buzzes, the anticipation starts to build. Busy season is around the corner, and your team is getting ready for the big push to make this the most successful year yet. But have you ever wondered if all the extra hours and money you pour into these seasonal marketing campaigns are worth it?
As the holidays approach, many businesses, especially retailers and e-commerce companies, are starting to ask themselves this question — or, at least, they should be. At what point will creating and sending another email to your database be detrimental, rather than beneficial? How much should your messaging change? Should you try something totally new and different to catch customers’ attention?
IBM Marketing Cloud’s 2016 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study has some interesting answers to these questions.
The holiday email-marketing study
The 2016 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study is an annual report that offers insight on how many people open, click, and ignore messages from email marketers around the globe. It aggregates data from messages sent by nearly 750 companies representing 3,000 brands in 40 countries. This year, the study also examined the performance of holiday messaging versus non-holiday messaging for retail/e-commerce vendors.
Most retailers send at least double the amount of emails during the holidays (defined as Thanksgiving to New Year’s) as they do during the non-holiday period. They entice potential buyers with aggressive pricing, free shipping, and deal deadlines. But do these more frequent, offer-loaded emails make a difference? Let’s take a look.
Click and open rates
In almost every respect, non-holiday emails outperformed holiday emails in a significant way. Open rates during the holidays were 18.8% lower than during non-holidays. Mean click-through rates differed by 28%. Mean click-to-open rates remained similar.
There are several takeaways here. Yes, open rates were lower during the holidays. But because the volume of emails sent during this period increased significantly, it’s likely that the total number of emails opened was greater during the holidays than non-holiday period. That’s a positive thing.
That being said, click-through rates decreased pretty dramatically. You would expect that special holiday offers would entice recipients to click through more often. But increased email volume seemed to detract from such motivating offers.
Similarly, click-to-open rates measure the effectiveness of email content (in driving a reader to take the requested action, e.g. redeem an offer). These rates remained relatively similar across both time periods, which is surprising. With more people looking to make purchases during the holidays, you would think that more recipients would act on the offers presented in the holiday emails. Again, increased email volume seemed to detract from their doing so.
List churn metrics
Increased email volume meant retailers processed more hard bounces, unsubscribes, and spam complaints during the holidays.
Here are the takeaways. Firstly, more emails equal more hard bounces. That seems logical enough.
Though unsubscribe and spam-complaint rates were slightly lower during the holidays, that doesn’t equal success. Because of the frequency math effect, retailers are losing a larger number of subscribers because they are sending more emails.
Say your company sends one email per week during the year, and two emails per week during the holidays. If you usually have 10 people unsubscribe per week during the year, approximately 20 people are unsubscribing during holiday weeks. That can deplete your database pretty quickly — especially if you’re more than doubling your email volume.
Conclusions
The folks at IBM Marketing Cloud had some interesting thoughts about their findings and how to increase the effectiveness of holiday emails.
For one, while increasing the number of emails you send during the holidays isn’t inherently a bad idea, as more emails equates to more total opens, many retailers are going about it the wrong way, as is evidenced by lagging click-through rates.
That’s because when many marketers ramp up email volume, they forget all the best practices that make their emails successful in the first place: personalization, targeted content, and offers that are relevant to the specific recipient based on his/her place in the buyer’s journey. Personalizing email content will help improve click-through and click-to-open rates, which could dramatically impact sales given the increased email volume.
Further, a courtesy head’s up about increasing email frequency could reduce the number of opt-outs and spam complaints. IBM Marketing Cloud suggests that companies should “consider sending an email to subscribers before you ramp up frequency, explaining the increased frequency, what kind of promotions they can expect, and shipping and return policies. Include prominent language about frequency options and link to your preference center. In addition, revise your preference-center language and options to encourage unsubscribers to opt down or snooze emails instead of simply opting out.”
Application across verticals
While the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are not every business’s busy season, the findings from this study are still applicable. If your prospects experience an uptick in marketing emails during a particular season from you and your competitors, you’re likely to experience similar results.
The key in ramping up emails prior to a big push is to retain quality — that is, customizing content and offers to the particular recipient. If you can’t scale, then you shouldn’t send.
Furthermore, this study speaks to the value of a strategic, year-round marketing program that builds brand awareness and customer loyalty, regardless of how close the busy season is. If prospects grow to know and trust your brand, they’ll turn to you when it’s time to buy, regardless of how many emails you send them in the weeks prior.
Related posts:
