Month: October 2017

Come October, we found some interesting stories doing the rounds that can just about shape up your digital marketing strategy for 2018. With just 2 months to go for a new year and new beginnings, it is a good time to think about what’s coming your way. Have a look 1. Keyword Rankings are meaningless: Learn how to grade your SEO For the past few years, clients came to us with one goal – Page 1 ranking for select keywords. Like all SEO done at the time, we too managed to get our clients to their happy spot. But things have been seeing a small shuffle. Search intent has begun to matter. Local SEO has become super important. And to top it all, Google’s tests are showing that it is trying to individualize search results based on search location and history. Which means the results you are seeing for a keyword will be different from the results your friend is seeing a few kilometers away. This will definitely bring about a change in client goals and agency metrics. We have to wait and watch this one out closely. The article on Forbes also suggests a keen eye for long tail keywords and their search results. The long tail is now an important part of good SEO strategy and it may just get stronger in the coming years. 2. Should you outsource your digital marketing strategy? We often have clients coming to us in a state of a conundrum. They’ve felt that they can do their digital strategy internally but somehow need a third party expert to get in and help out. If you specialize in selling trekking equipment, that’s your domain. We would tell you to relax and leave the complex world of digital marketing to us because that’s our domain. Just like we wouldn’t know when to pick out Nitrile gloves over regular mittens, it’ll be difficult for you to pick out the right bids for keyword optimization. So you do what you do best – provide trekking equipment and leave the rest to us. This article articulates the fine points well on why a digital marketing agency is a must for your online marketing. Looking for a content marketing agency? We have explained what you should keep in mind before hiring the best content writing agency in India in this blog. 11 things you should know before hiring a content agency 3. How to create local content for local SEO There’s a lot of talk about how effective local SEO is for small businesses. It goes well beyond stuffing the location name everywhere in your content. Small businesses have a tough task of competing with their online and offline local competitors but in addition to this, they also have to compete with national competitors online who have the same product/service. To get an edge on this competition, they can optimize themselves well locally to get better conversion rates. One of the key points this article highlights is increasing your reputation, reach and reviews by improving your local relevance. You’ll need to create local citations around the web and also double up on your local reviews on third party websites. Read up to know the details of how these strategies can help. 4. 10 important digital marketing stats we’ve seen this month Stats are like a lifeline for us digital marketers. We use them lavishly in the content we write and the conversations we have with our clients and the pitch presentations we make. So a stats update is a must in our monthly round up. This month, there are 10 stats that Econsultancy laid out neatly. Did you know that ad spend on videos overtook banners! A lot of stats here are relevant to the UK but there are some that you can easily extrapolate to your location. The fact that 60% specialty retailers are offering loyalty programs is a good indicator of how the marketing strategy seems to be effective and how it can be replicated for your location too. 5. Will blockchain upend Digital? The threat is real Even as we get a hang of blockchain being shoehorned into industries where it may not be relevant, blockchain can have a far-reaching impact on digital. Did you know that ad fraud will grow into the world’s second-biggest black market by the middle of the next decade amounting to US $44B by 2022! The fact that blockchain is open and transparent can then to disrupt the industry as we know it. Though speed is a big challenge as of today, it could just change in the coming years making blockchain an irreversible part of our digital lives. 6. What the Science of Binge Watching Can Teach Content Marketers Have you started watching an episode of Friends on YouTube and couldn’t stop even after a few hours. So much so that you go back to watch the bloopers and viewer interpretations and spin-offs! We all have our weak points. With Netflix and Amazon giving us perfect access to our favourite shows, we can easily fall into a rabbit hole of binge watching. The catch is not everyone feels bad about this guilty pleasure. Have access, will use is the motto.  So what does this habit tell us content marketers and how can we get our users to binge on our content? That’s the interesting question answered by this article. 7. 10 amazingly creative Instagramming brands We all want that Instagram account with a million follows. But not all of us get the strategy right. You post high quality, ultra filtered photos with the exact relevant hashtag and yet you don’t the amount of engagement you were expecting. Meanwhile, some other brands are growing like a wildfire setting all of Instagram ablaze with each post. What are you and they doing differently? Read on to find the gaps in your Instagramming strategies and how you can pick a few pointers that can help you ramp up your performance. 8.There

Instagram has soon risen in popularity in the last couple of years. While some brands are yet to track their customer journey from a delicious photo to the ROI table, most brands know that this is a  valuable medium to grab customer attention. Being visually engaging is more important than ever. This engagement is a valuable currency in the online world where there are millions of brands vying for attention. Some brands do know their game well in this field. Here are the 10 creative Instagram brands that we found were so  that we could follow them anywhere.   1. Humour: Buzzfeed   like if you know what this is A post shared by BuzzFeed (@buzzfeed) on Oct 19, 2017 at 7:18am PDT   If you aren’t following Buzzfeed on Instagram you are missing out on your daily dose of humour. As always, Buzzfeed takes the best of the web and sums it up just right. A lot of user-generated content is reposted which goes well with the brand perception of fuelling content that is somehow a part of our daily lives and yet no one else expresses it better. The memes are the best. At times, we feel its Buzzfeed who teaches the rest of the internet on how to get their memes right.   2. Food: Oreo   Golden #OreoThins: Perfect with an icy brew. A post shared by OREO (@oreo) on Feb 26, 2016 at 7:17am PST   Oreo is by far one brand that most other brands can learn from on social. Their campaigns across media have been loved and many have gone viral instantly. Their Instagram account is no less. Perfectly showcasing the ‘wonderfilled’ cookies, Oreo’s Instagram plays with words and images to create a cohesive brand image. One thing to note about Oreo is that almost all posts are about them and feature the product and packaging well. From the desserts you can make with Oreo to featuring it in different settings, there’s a bit of our world that’s featured in there which is happy to revolve around an Oreo.   3. Travel Photography: Murad Osmann   #followmeto Taj Mahal with @natalyosmann. Finding a new angle was a challenge for us… I will be honest with you – I like this picture more than the previous one from Taj. Which one is your favourite? Thanks to our dear friend @mohitrai for coming to hotel at 5:30 a.m. and helping us with the dresses. #следуйзамной в Тадж Махал. Признаюсь вам – найти новый ракурс и переплюнуть предыдущую фото было для нас сложной задачей, но эта фотография мне нравится больше :). А какая вам? On Nataly: @abujanisandeepkhosla, @amrapalijewels, @raabrabyrahul. #IndiaInstaMeet @beautifuldestinations @theluxurycollection @itchotels A post shared by Murad Osmann (@muradosmann) on Oct 30, 2016 at 10:52am PDT   There is so much of wanderlust and travel photography out there that it is hard to pick one to feature here. Even then, we are featuring Murad Osmann here because his photography is in the perfect position to set a new trend with his creativity. Murad’s photographs mostly feature his girlfriend leading him by hand to different places. It covers the emotion behind the travel experience and the fun in exploring new places together. A new couple goal we hear?   4. Sports: UsainBolt   “I’m clear about why I’m here how about yuh” #4:44 A post shared by Usain St.Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) on Jul 4, 2017 at 9:35am PDT   The one place you can see the fastest man on earth unravel in slo-mo is on Instagram. Posting absolutely wonderful pics from his training, Usain lets us see the man behind the tagline. If that’s not enough, his casual posts showing him having fun with friends, posing with celebrities and politician and simply being himself is an awesome treat for fans. He’s the fastest man on earth… isn’t it a given that we can only follow him. Don’t miss the Usain Bolt v/s Kevin Hart skirmish with the #GameOn challenge to see who is the most maverick of them all.   5. Nature / Wildlife: stevewinterphoto   @stevewinterphoto @natgeo Leopards are the world’s most widely distributed big cat, but did you know that they’ve disappeared from an estimated 63-75% of their former range globally. The biggest threats facing leopards in Africa include the illegal skin trade, wire snare poaching and human-leopard conflict. National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative is working towards the conservation of African lions, leopards and cheetahs across Africa. Increasing anti-poaching efforts, installing protective bomas to stop lion-cattle conflict and monitoring big cats numbers with camera traps. Visit https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/big-cats-initiative/ to find out how you can help save big cats today, and remember by saving apex predators like lions, leopards and tigers we keep ecosystems balanced and healthy! Follow me @stevewinterphoto to see more images of our natural world and Thanks! @www.causeanuproar.org
#follow me @stevewinterphoto to see other images, thanks!

#instawild #instashooters #wildlife #wildlifephotojournalism @ngwild #natgeowild @thephotosociety #NatGeoCreative #onassignment #wildlifeconservation #inthefield #wildlifephotojournalism #BCI #bigcatsintiative #photooftheday #beauty #lion @africanparksnetwork A post shared by Steve Winter (@stevewinterphoto) on Sep 1, 2017 at 8:29am PDT   Start looking at nature/wildlife accounts and there are so many thoughts that cross our minds. The endless transcendence of nature, the beauty of life in all its form, and the people who have the privilege of taking that photograph. There is simply too much beauty in the moment out there that it is super difficult to play favourites. Even then, our pick for wildlife photography goes to @stevewinterphoto who is a conservation photojournalist. Steve’s photos are not just about the imagery but about his experience and sheer love for the art. He has been chased by rhinos, stalked by Jaguars, trapped in quicksand and stayed in freezing -40  degrees – all to get that shot he really wants.   6. Celebrity: Rihanna   #FENTYxPUMA A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Oct 8, 2017 at 7:53pm PDT   Our pick these days for the best celebrity Instagram account goes to riri. Rihanna who goes by the name of

  Ads are sometimes a notorious hindrance in videos. Given how they are being programmed these days, it is difficult to skip some without watching at least for a few seconds. Thankfully, not all ads are bad or useless or boring. Some are made so extraordinarily well that you’ll forget about the video you were going to watch and want to see the ad again. Some send a poignant message. Others are sprinkled with a good sense of humor. While we picked out the ads that had impressed us over time, we started noticing a trend. There were a few things that popped out as common factors that go behind ‘good’ successful videos. The best videos on YouTube are generally under 3 minutes: Ads, especially can’t run for more than that so it works best to have a short video. Make the first five seconds count: The user gets the option to use the ‘Skip’ button after five seconds. You’ll have to make those 5 seconds so effective that the user is compelled to watch further The Catch 22 about a brand recall: There’s been a long-standing debate on where you should place the brand logo or do a brand mention in a video for best recall. In a research on TrueView ads by Google done across 16 countries and 11 verticals analysing 170 creative attributes showed that if you put the logo/mention first, the engagement rates drop. If you put it in the end, there is higher engagement rate but the ‘Skip’ rate increases. So what do you do? If you are going to show your logo first, make sure it is tied to your product, not appearing elsewhere on the screen. Tune in to your viewers: The tone you establish in the first five seconds also plays a huge role in deciding if the viewer will continue to watch you after 5 seconds. Google’s classified 10 categories of style and tone like humorous, emotional, and calming. It turned out that humour was by far the best way to ensure that people continued to watch your brand. Bring in a recognizable face: If the viewer sees a recognizable face including a general celebrity or even a YouTube celebrity, the chances of them remaining glued to your ad are much higher Now, here come the 7 ads that seem to have taken these advice points seriously and done a great job at keeping viewer attention.   1. Volvo Trucks – The Epic Split   There’s a celebrity in focus, no brand mention until the very end and a very neatly done ad in just over a minute. The ad more than drives the point across and does so in a way you’ll simply not forget. The video is so good that there are parody videos created on the same ad which has gathered over 1M views!   2. Dove – Real Beauty Sketches   The ad starts with an element of mystery. What is a forensic artist doing in a Dove ad? You’ll spend the rest of the video finding it out for sure. The emotional element in this video is high. It makes the viewer want to introspect their own thoughts and what they think about themselves. As a result, there is a strong connect established with the brand that tells them that they are so much more beautiful than they think.   3. Always #LikeAGirl   Don’t cry like a girl. Don’t throw like a girl. Without even realizing, the term ‘like a girl’ turned into an insult – one that was used on both boys and girls. A simple insight transformed this ad into sharing such a poignant message. We love the way the ad has been shot.   4. Knorr #LoveAtFirstTaste   Love – the four-letter world that makes the world go round. And gets you a lot of views on YouTube. This ad is shot with a certain degree of staged realism. Even then, it makes you watch until the end if food can really connect you to love. Somewhere, you begin to wonder if that would be a good way for you to find the love of your life too?   5. Vatika – Brave and beautiful   Imagine a hair oil brand saying that you don’t need hair! There’s no sign of the brand throughout this ad but the connect established in the end is quite strong.   6. Choose a different ending   There are quite a few interactive video ads that we really like but this one really drives home a point. This video contains violence and may not be suitable to watch at the workplace or for all ages. But it does a great job at combining video and interaction to show the consequence of action and power of choice   7. Nike Just do it   We all love the line from Nike that gets us going. Forget our weakness. Forget circumstance. Forget what is impossible and Just Do It. And this commercial – it does it! So which one is your favorite ad and what makes you watch it. We would love to know in the comments below. Here are some more interesting reads from the world of online marketing that you might be interested in. From the (Advertising) week that was What did these 6 blogs do to make us love them? A fresh n fabulous list of websites that offer free stock images If you want to know or discuss anything more about content marketing strategies for your business, feel free to write to us at sales@justwords.in or leave us comments below.

  The Advertising Week in New York concluded last week. It was a week where the best brains in advertising, marketing, and media industries met, shared best practices and engaged in conversations that can shape the future of the industry. This year, there were many data-backed insights that were highlighted during the Think With Google sessions that we particularly loved. Filled with some great examples of marketing, the sessions brought to light how brands can increase engagement with customers by simply knowing how to connect better. Here are some of the highlights Show them you know them   Google’s VP of Agency & Media Solutions Tara Walpert Levy and Wendy Clark, CEO of DDB North America spearheaded an interesting discussion on what drives consumer attention for video ads and how new innovations in the video can help advertisers. As digital marketers, we’ve been constantly vying for consumer attention. We sometimes call it a click, sometimes a goal and even a conversion. But when it comes to video marketing, advertising has long been looked upon as an intruding filler. Over the years, the video industry has studied data to improvise how the ads are presented to consumers. You are forced to watch some for 5 secs before you can skip. Others come right in between the video you are watching, just like a TV commercial, and you are forced to sit through. Even then, some ads work better than others and are more willingly consumed. Is creativity the only key to increasing attention span? Levy begs to differ. Here are a few myths she busted during her session a) People DO pay attention, even today   Did you know that according to Ipsos, 81% of video-viewing occasions get all or most of people’s attention. But attention is given with a certain caveat. Your ad will get attention only if is really interesting to the viewer. You may look at that sentence with two highlight words – ‘interesting’ and ‘viewer’. Universal creativity, generating awe or shock or even humour gets covered under interesting. But what eludes most ads is the attention they choose to give their viewer. How much do you understand the viewer? Do you think they’ll be able to relate the product or service directly within the first five seconds? That is a key question when you are demanding their attention.humour gets covered under interesting. But what eludes most ads is the attention they choose to give their viewer. How much do you understand the viewer? Do you think they’ll be able to relate the product or service directly within the first five seconds? That is a key question when you are demanding their attention. b) Attention-worthiness of video ads depends just as much on how the ads are served as what’s in them    Consider the restaurant analogy. If you go to a high-end restaurant that has exotic ingredients listed for its recipes but doesn’t match it’s ambience with great service, would you recommend them? Good service comes from a deep understanding of your customer.  Same goes for video ads. It matters ‘how’ you serve them.  As both Levy and Clark emphasized, “People will give you their attention if you can show them you know them”   c) Intent-based targeting can get you 20% higher ad recall and 50% higher brand awareness compared to only demographics targeting   What is intent-based targeting? It involves collecting data about your actions, things you like, stores you visit, apps you install, search history and the likes and then show you an advertisement based on what is likely to resonate best with you. This is definitely better than plain old demographic targeting. For example, if you are a beverage company launching a new flavour of coffee, you could target your ad to 18-50-year-olds and expect some level of engagement. But if you could choose people who already like popular coffee shops and have had recent conversations about coffee, their chances of consuming your advertisement are high. So you see, it’s not just about the coffee but how and when you serve it.   Use data to put customer first   How well do you understand your customer? From the first time, they visited your website to the time they saw your ad on YouTube, read a review on a third party site, saw a blog about your product, then walked into your store and made a purchase. From awareness to action – can you trace your customer’s journey and see how you did at each touch point? Marketers today have access to Big Data that can slice and dice to present numerous facets of your customer and help you know them better. From their general shopping habits to the shows they like to watch to their average family size, you can know both demographics and psychographics from data that’ll allow you to market your products better. But are you doing it? Google partnered with Econsultancy to conduct a research among leading marketers (defined for the study as those that significantly exceeded their top 2016 business goals) to see how they use data to understand their consumer. Here’s what they found:   1. Successful businesses are investing in technology that allows them to gather and act on consumer data quickly   The study showed that “leading marketers are 72% more likely than the mainstream to strongly agree that they’re investing in improving the quality and/or volume of the first-party data they capture“. Collecting data across websites, on-ground sales channels, teams, and even kiosks allow marketers to get a holistic view of the relationship they share with the customer. This allows them to personalize their offering to an extent and improve engagement and loyalty.   2. Use that data to find more customers like yours The data collected from current customers are not only helpful to keep them happy and engaged but is also useful in finding more customers. Applying the statistical probability to a larger set of audience allows marketers to discover new and