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Radio and Millenials Are a Great Match. Here’s why.

May 3, 2013 by primm

Generation Y, Generation Me, Millenials…whatever you choose to call them, the 18-34 demographic is probably a part, if not the focus, of your target market. But despite their purchasing power, they can be difficult to reach meaningfully. Why?

One of the reasons is that Millenials are more suspicious of advertising than their baby boomer parents and traditionalist grandparents. They are skeptical of flashy ads with big claims and desire some kind of personal connection to the brands they support. It’s your job as a business to facilitate that connection.

So, what tactics and channels can you use to crack the millennial code? If the first things that come to your mind are those traditionally associated with “youth,” namely Facebook, Twitter and perhaps strategic email marketing, you’re right. Web marketing does meet millennials where they are (in front of screens.) But what about radio?

Yep, you heard me. Good old fashioned radio advertising, albeit with a millenial twist, can be a fantastic way to get the attention and affection of young people. Even in the midst of the myriad media options available to them, 92% of 18-34 year olds still tune into radio for over 12 hours every week, and when they do, they really listen. Why?

Over time, young people form connections with radio personalities who often accompany them on their way to school or work in the morning and on the way home in the afternoon. They grow to trust these radio hosts and look forward to each day’s topic of discussion. What is more, radio stations generally do a great job of cross promotion online and through social media. One local top 40 station has over 60,000 Facebook followers who regularly interact with their page, not including the followers of its radio personalities’ personal Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Simply put, radio fosters community. It also provides businesses with the ability to directly target the age and interest demographics they want to reach with more specificity than most other marketing channels. The key is to add radio into your media mix smartly by following the lead of market research and, ideally, working with marketing experts that know how to practically interpret that research.

If you are trying to get your brand in front of millenials, here are some tips for making the most out of radio:

Make radio personalities your brand advocates

Since radio hosts already share that personal connection with your young audience, capitalize on their vote of confidence for your brand or product. Whether the hosts directly endorse it in the context of regular programming or simply serve as the voice to your ad copy during commercials, a familiar voice will perk up the ears of young listeners and encourage them to give you a chance.

Collaborate off the air

Radio stations hold numerous contests and events throughout the year. Get in on the action and sponsor one of them or go a step further and work with the station to build an event around your brand. A nice and easy way to collaborate is to provide the station with branded promotional products for them to hand out to contest finalists and such.

Be distinctive and consistent

When you’re looking to catch the attention of young people (who incidentally have pretty short attention spans), your radio spots must be concise, creative and memorable. They also have to run repetitively but not so often that the audience tires of you or tunes you out.

Easier said than done, right? This is where working with an experienced broadcast media advertising agency like Primm really comes in handy. Our creative team doesn’t just write clever individual spots and call it a day. We develop a number of ads all based on a carefully honed concept derived from your brand message. Primm has a long history of collaboration with local and national AM/FM radio stations and the knowledge you need to place your ads on the right station, in the right time slot; all in a way that fits your budget and gets results.

Would you like to add radio to your media mix? Interested in broadcast advertising in general? Call or contact Primm today. (757) 623-6234.

source: marketingprofs.com

The Greatest Advertising Opportunity Since The Invention of Cereal

April 12, 2013 by primm

Is your brand message working for you or is it working against you? To answer that question, take a moment to step back and step in the shoes of your potential customer.

In the above clip from the popular AMC television show Madmen, we find Don Draper making an ad pitch to the decision makers of Lucky Strike cigarettes. Lucky Strike rested its brand image and message on the alleged health benefits of its cigarettes, but government scrutiny and consumer concern about the harmful effects of smoking necessitated a dramatic change in direction.

How could they possibly rebrand, asked the Lucky Strike leaders, when all cigarette companies sold roughly the same product? What selling point would set them apart from the competition if not for the dubious health claims?

“How do you make your cigarettes?” Don Draper asks the gentlemen, who then explain the process, including the step of toasting the tobacco. Draper devises the slogan, “It’s toasted.”

He explains to his befuddled client that even though the other cigarette companies toast their cigarettes as well, those companies aren’t taking that angle. The consumers, who were largely ignorant of the cigarette manufacturing process, would understand one thing: “Everybody else’s tobacco is poisonous. Lucky Strike’s is toasted.”

We can learn three lessons from this all too realistic branding scenario:

1. Find your angle in a sea of sameness.

It seems like an obvious suggestion, but sometimes companies that sell a common good or service can lose sight of what makes them unique. Even if your product isn’t all that different from the competition’s, you can always find a marketing angle that fills a void they left open.

Like in Lucky Strike’s case, that angle is often something seemingly mundane. You can’t overthink it, because your customers aren’t overthinking it.

In fact…

2. Assume no complex knowledge on the part of consumers.

We don’t mean to suggest here that consumers are stupid, but rather that they are, in general, far less acquainted with what your company sells than you are. They don’t care about all the ins-and-outs of the product, because that’s your job. If they are giving the product any kind of notice, it probably means they have some need that either you or the competition can fill. That’s why it is so important to know and be capable of communicating your unique angle, however simple that angle is.

3. Don’t try to be all things to all people.

One way to cater more successfully to your target audience is to stop attempting to market broadly. Instead, tailor your message specifically to the people with a desire and/or need for what you sell. In so doing, you are capturing the attention of those most likely to purchase what you sell and maybe even inspiring a sense of need in previously unaware consumers. Taking an unspecific, one-size-fits all marketing approach will lead only to a marginalized brand message.

Do you need a golden, Draper-esque brand message? Chances are, Primm can help. Call or contact the team today.

The Power of Broadcast Media

April 4, 2013 by primm

retrotv

The advent of Internet marketing, social media and instant streaming of music and video has caused some people to question the relevance of traditional broadcast marketing via radio and television. Is it still effective or are companies who choose to advertise on radio and TV speaking to an empty room? Read on.

Recently, a client came to us needing to promote a highly specific campaign with a direct call to action that required a prompt response on the part of their target audience. We knew what to do. Along with promoting said campaign on the web and social media, Primm launched a robust PR effort that led to our client receiving prime local radio and television airtime. The results were astounding.

Even though the radio and TV pushes happened toward the end of the two-month campaign, they prompted a full 42% of all responses. The volume of responses and the speed at which they came demonstrated something Primm already knew: Broadcast media works.

Along with strategizing based on a well-researched understanding of the media habits of the target market, Primm provided the client with detailed talking points for each broadcast engagement that allowed the client representative to communicate the message quickly, but without stress or confusion. Accordingly, as part of our commitment to a holistic PR partnership, a Primm team member accompanied the client representative during shooting and recording to guide, assist and help keep things running smoothly.

With meticulous media planning, focused engagement with the client and of course the magic of radio and TV, our client got the results they needed and more…in minutes.

Do you think your next campaign might be suited for advertising on radio and television? Do you need a trustworthy and savvy PR firm? The expert team at Primm is ready and waiting to give you solutions. Call or contact us today.

image courtesy of: freedigitalphotos.net

Facebook Graph Search: Optimizing Your Business Page

March 14, 2013 by primm

Have you ever wanted to be able to filter and find your Facebook friends who, say, live within 10 miles of you and enjoy rock climbing? No? Well, by golly, Facebook wants to give you the opportunity anyway with its new Graph Search feature. The ever-changing social network intends to update its search algorithm by allowing users to explore their social graph intuitively, based on traffic, likes, common interests and a number of other complex factors. Users can search using natural linguistic patterns, as seen below when I searched, “Friends who like rock climbing.”

From there I have the option of refining my search and filtering by gender, location proximity, employer and even relationship status. Crazy, huh? The most significant aspect of Graph Search is that it provides a social context for Facebook search that wasn’t there before. It goes deeper than keyword matching by adding the mulitfaceted social dimension.

Along with a redesign of the general newsfeed (notifications are on the right now?!), Graph Search started rolling out gradually to the population of English-speaking Facebook users in January. Its widespread use is fast approaching and as a business, it’s important that you prepare your Facebook business page for Graph Search’s scrutiny.

Facebook hasn’t been very forthright about Graph Search’s impact on business pages, so marketers are currently in the shade when it comes to specific steps to take to optimize Facebook pages for the readjusted algorithm. That being said, there are several things you can and should do now to make sure your business can adapt to Graph Search’s demands and expand your Facebook reach in the process.

Get specific and accurate

If a person that knows nothing about your business pulled up your Facebook page, how full of a picture would they get of who you are, what you do and where you are located? In order to optimize your business page for Graph Search, make sure that your company’s essential details are clearly laid out in your About section. Ambiguity will cause you to get lost in the fray of the new search format, while specificity will help you take advantage of the complex search traffic.

Also, Facebook Graph Search displays ratings and reviews from Yelp, so its important that you create, claim and manage a Yelp listing for your business. The more positive reviews and ratings you get on Yelp, the more legitimate your business seems to Facebook.

Optimize your personal page, too

This is a small but potentially important detail for the business owner who is a big part of his or company’s “personality” or brand. List your role at your business under employment and take care to keep your personal Facebook professional.

You might be thinking, “Isn’t that what my personal profile on LinkedIn is for?” Yes, but Facebook Graph Search will make it very easy for potential customers and potential future hires to see the big picture of your business, and that big picture most likely involves you as “Works at” is one of the options for refining a search. You can avoid personal scrutiny by keeping a tight lock on your privacy settings and encouraging your employees to do the same.

Grow your follower numbers and engagement

Easier said than done, right? Building a following on Facebook takes time, but there are things you can do today to bolster numbers tomorrow (check out this excellent list of ways here).

More likes means more credibility with Graph Search, but don’t stop there. Facebook also takes into account the degree of user interaction and engagement on your page. Along with utilizing Facebook advertising, you can increase the amount and quality of interaction on your page by updating it frequently with things that your target audience cares about or finds interesting.

While we aren’t fully aware of the specific implications and ins-and-outs of Facebook Graph Search just yet, it is definitely the next big thing in social media marketing for small businesses. Prepare now and stay ahead of the curve!

And if you need any help, please call or contact Primm. We can help you navigate the social media waters and make sure you come out on top.

The Anatomy of a Blog Post

March 7, 2013 by primm

Content, content, content. You hear all the time that good content is the backbone of your business’s online marketing strategy and that the company blog is an important part of the content-creation process. If you are new to blogging, especially in the B2B realm, figuring out where to start can be overwhelming. What does a good blog post look like? While all post formats and specific goals will differ between industries, companies, and people, there are a few key components that will make your content stand out.

An attention-grabbing (and SEO-friendly) headline

A strong blog post title is often the first thing your readers see and the first to draw them in to a post. It can and should be funny or thought provoking for the interest of readers, but make sure it also appeals to the search engines by including relevant keywords in a way that makes sense. Accordingly, make your lead paragraph as interesting and relevant to your purpose as possible. A good example of this is a Primm post from a few months ago: Snoop’s Rebranding.

An eye-catching image

Never underestimate the power of a striking photo for drawing readers into a blog post. Like your headline, it is best that whatever image you choose at least distantly relates to the goal and content of your post. Readers will lose trust in your work if they feel misled.

A concise and easy-to-understand text-body

The rule of thumb for blog post length is anywhere between 300 and 1000 words, so, as long as you write about something people really care about, you have a bit of leeway with their attention spans and the search engines’ web crawlers.

Keep your paragraphs broken up idea by idea. People like to be able to scan a blog post to get the general idea and big blocks of words will often deter them from reading.

Some kind of call to action at the end

Especially in the corporate blogging world, it’s important that a blog post sets forth “next steps” for its reader. Avoid hard sells (another way to lose reader trust), but do include encouragement for further engagement with your company. “If you need help with [blank], we’re here for you,” or “Follow us on Twitter!” Anything to help ensure that they establish more connections and associations with your brand.

Do you have questions about corporate blogging or need some advice about how to get started? Call or contact the experts at Primm (see what we did there?).

Email Marketing Tips | Stand Out From The Crowd

February 28, 2013 by primm

email marketing

In our meeting this morning, the Primm team got to talking about the benefits and pitfalls of email marketing in this day and age. A few of us feel overwhelmed by the number of promotional emails we receive every day, while others (probably the ones with better spam filters) find most of the emails less bothersome and even welcome!

There’s no question that spam and promotional emails have replaced the physical ‘junk mail’ that used to clog our mailboxes at home (which makes direct mail a great marketing tool these days!), so how do you make your business sparkle amongst the spam? With tact, professionalism, and a solid strategy, that’s how!

Before you get started with an email marketing campaign, be sure to invest in a reliable third-party mailing program that allows you to easily send mail to a large database and provides you with analytics for each email you send. This way, you can keep track of exactly what is happening with your campaign without a lot of hassle AND learn a great deal about the needs and interests of your customer base.

Here are three tips for using email marketing to your advantage:

1. Construct a reliable, voluntary database

Think twice before buying an email list from a third-party. There is no better way to annoy people than by sending them unsolicited emails. While building an organic database takes more time than buying a database for a certain region or industry, you can be sure that the payoff is much better. If you have a very small database of customer names and emails or you are starting from scratch, there are lots of creative ways to get your customers to volunteer their information.

You can be upfront and put an email sign up box on your website’s homepage, hold a social media contest that requires an email address for entry, or even bring a tablet to your next industry trade show so people can enter their information right from your booth. No matter how you do it, be forthright about how you plan to use your access to their inbox.

Side note: One way to show your customers you respect them and their contact information is to provide easy, one-click unsubscribe. Now, as marketers we obviously don’t want people opting out of emails, but making it difficult or impossible to do so will only irritate your customer. If you find that you are getting a lot of unsubscribes, take some time to reevaluate your content strategy. The number of opt-outs is actually a good measure of campaign relevance!

2. Craft valuable content that really offers something to your customer.

A big part of a successful email marketing campaign is the email’s content. Ask yourself, “What makes me open an email from a business?” Is it an eye-catching subject line, special offers, or maybe interesting company news? All of those things comprise a great promotional email and how you craft your strategy depends on the nature and needs of your customers. What will keep them coming back? Do whatever that is while maintaining variety and consistency.

3. Optimize your emails for all devices.

Just like a website that becomes distorted and broken when viewed on a phone or other mobile device, a poorly optimized email has the potential to throw great content out the window in the minds of your customers. Most everyone receives their email directly on their smartphone. When designing the layout of your email blasts, take into consideration the way images will display on a small screen and how their sizes might affect loading time.

A good email marketing campaign helps your business maintain a relationship with customers via periodic touch-points. In order to make the most of email marketing, the needs and interests of the customer should be the focus of every email you send.

Not sure where to begin? Call or contact Primm. We can help you construct a strategic email marketing campaign to suit your overall brand and marketing aims.

image: m.masterthenewnet.com