Category: Social Media

Out with the old… in with the older?

We want you to meet the newest member of the Studio Hill family. We’ve replaced our somewhat awkward corporate bicycle with a beautiful 1973 Hercules three speed cruiser. We love getting around downtown without having to worry about parking, plus we get bonus exercise points! So if you see her around be sure to say “Hi”. Her name is Holly and she’s a bit of a flirt. She might even let you take her for a spin.

You do not measure up to this goldfish. Now get some video on your website, improve your SEO and engage your visitors.

PastedGraphic-9The average attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds. Your attention span? A paltry 8 seconds, down from 12, as recently as 4 years ago. Heck, you probably can’t even remember what you had for breakfast, let alone something from 4 years ago.
This statistic might seem alarming to you. But this is the world we live in, where a constant barrage of distractions are hitting us from every direction. Right now, within in your immediate vicinity there is probably a cell phone and an office phone where you can be reached, two email boxes that need answering and a text message coming in from your daughter who needs a ride. Distraction is everywhere. Add to this the fact that you have the entire world-wide-web at your fingertips right now. FlappyBird much? Facebook much? The average office worker checks their email an average 30 times an hour. Wow.

Still with me? I have another number for you – 2.7 minutes. What’s this you say? The entire history of the world? That my friend, is the average length of time that internet users are willing to commit to watching a single video on the web – 2.7 minutes. Compare this to the Neilsen Norman Group’s report that the average page visit is less than a minute, or that the average television commercial is 15 to 30 seconds. Think of what you could do with a 2.7 minute engagement from your website visitors.

Video is your best oportunity to communicate a lot of information quickly. Viewers can see what your products or your services look like and make a meaningful connection with you and your company. A short punchy video can convey in just a few moments what might take 200 words to say. That is powerful.

Further, with yin yang symbiosis, video can improve your SEO. You see, not only does Google index and direct traffic to your video, but once it sees that people are spending a lot of time on your web pages, it increases your SEO page ranking. It’s a win-win.

So if you have made it this far, the next thing you are probably asking is “How do I make a video?” That’s simple. Call us.

As far as goldfish are concerned… wait… what was that about the goldfish?

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wIxNwLX2Cg” ratio=”4:3″ modestbranding=”1″ fs=”1″ rel=”0″]

 

 

What makes a successful social media brand?

free_social_media_icons_image_ubersocialmediaLet me share a little secret with you. You know that social media campaign that your competitor just launched? The one that keeps popping into your customers’ inboxes and social media feeds? The one that has you scrambling to play catch up? Well here is the secret – the intern didn’t do it and neither did the company CEO. No, really. That insightful blog post, the ingenious timing and motivating call to action, the one that got even you to almost press the share button on your Facebook page – they didn’t do that in house. It was written by an advertising and marketing company. The same folks who produce the best advertising, the best billboards, the best print campaigns, and the best brands also produce the best social media content. In the same manner that you went out of your way to hire the best bookkeeper you could find, they went out of their way to hire the best social media expert they could find. And they are kicking your butt.

So what do you do? First you should understand exactly what a social media campaign is. It is building relationships over time backed by a game plan to maintain those relationships. Effective social media is not just posting every other day, tweeting a few times a week and then counting Followers and Likes. Instead, it is publishing engaging useful content on a consistent basis combined with excellent customer service and expertise in your particular industry. What does it get you? More sales. Over time, the cumulative effect of meeting and perhaps exceeding the expectations of your readers, your customers and even your vendors will have them talking. Word gets around.

So is it that simple? Do you just hire someone, give them access to your Facebook account and set them free? Not quite. Think of it like this. In the same way it would be unwise to have nothing more than a New York Times strategy it would be unwise to have a nothing more than a Facebook strategy. Your social presence needs to be a cohesive, integral part of your overall business plan along with your website, brick and mortar, company advertising, marketing and public relations. All of these reflect your company’s philosophy and unique value. To be successful, your social media voice must combine a deep knowledge of your business and offer valuable content delivered with the appropriate tone and an art for persuasion through beautiful creative and branding.

So the secret is out of the bag. Great social media brands don’t just happen. They are created through careful and deliberate planning by experts. Sort of like what your bookkeeper does. If you understand that kind of thing.

Social Media Tip – Get Visual

pink_eyeVisual content demands attention and people love it. Here are three quick tips to inject visuals into your social personality.

  1. Use Photos – use photos to engage your audience, show your personal side, let them know how you see the world.
  2. Use Video – with video, you can educate your customers about your product or service and let them get to know you even better.
  3. Use Infographics – infographics allow you to tell a more interesting story with your data beyond just facts and numbers.

Are you using visuals to share you message? If you are not, you should be.