Tuesday, 6 September 2016

LinkedIn Analytics: The Complete Guide

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Monday, 5 September 2016

This bizarre live stream has thousands of viewers and nobody knows why


Imagine a few thousand people in a room together, watching a random video, without any idea how they got there. That’s exactly what’s happing on YouTube right now. The website started actively recommending a seemingly random live stream to its users, with many flocking to it as a result. The Jackson Hole Town Square stream is a live stream of a particularly uninteresting crossing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It’s currently early in the morning and not a lot of things are happening in the place 10,100 people call their home. Some of the more exciting things that have happened in the last…

This story continues at The Next Web

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Friday, 2 September 2016

#SproutChat Recap: Effectively Using Video on Social

In today’s digital landscape, video content is a must for any brand. Unlike other forms of social content, video can be extremely intimidating. However, with some ingenuity and a minimal budget brands can begin to test the waters and publish memorable content.

This week at #SproutChat we welcomed video and social expert Margot Mazur, Partnership Coordinator at Wistia for a conversation on the social media video best practices.

Video Resonates With Viewers on a Deeper Level

Video has the ability to grab your audience’s attention and connect with them on on a deeper level than text. Take advantage of the medium’s storytelling mechanisms to better engage with your audience. Before investing too many additional resources into content creation test different topics in a short format using existing technology like your smart phone. Optimize your content with Instagram’s in-app tools and benchmark metrics around your content before diving into longer, highly produced videos.

Monitor Metrics

Before publishing strategize and establish your goals. If nothing else, make sure you’re always measuring social engagement and tracking audience drop-off rates.

Strategically Place Your CTA

While your call to action should be noticeable it needs to be placed in a way that doesn’t distract from your brand’s main message. Amplify your message by including CTA copy in the text box or message space that accompany’s your video.

Make your Video Memorable

Is your brand funny? Sentimental? Use your brand’s voice to determine the tone and voice of your video content. Just like any of your other social content, video should feel like a natural extension of how your brand is already communicating. Illustrate your message in a lasting way by showcasing employees, customers or your product in a way that’s authentic and genuine.

See you next Wednesday, September 7 at 2 p.m. CDT for #SproutChat. Until then, join our Facebook community to connect with other social media and community managers.

This post #SproutChat Recap: Effectively Using Video on Social originally appeared on Sprout Social.



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How to Attract More Subscribers on Twitter with Storytelling

This is a guest post from Teena Thach, Social Media and Marketing Specialist at Socedo. Socedo is a demand-generation system that empowers marketers to discover, engage with and qualify prospects through social media to generate revenue at scale. We’ve teamed up with them to bring you this week’s #EmailChat.

Each day, millions of people share posts on Twitter. So why not attract some of those social media users to your brand?

Before you can get started, it’s important to acknowledge that Twitter users want to interact with authentic, engaging companies that they can relate to. Creating content gets people to connect with your brand doesn’t just bode well for them; people who feel more engaged with your brand are more likely to end up on your email list as well.

And what better way to connect than through storytelling?

How to tell your brand story

There are lots of ways to tell your company’s story within a 140-character framework. Think of each tweet as a mini story; a snapshot of what’s happening in the lives of social media users.

Taking it to the next level, think of the carefully-crafted six word memoirs inspired by the painful and terse “For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn” attributed to Ernest Hemingway; concision can be powerful. However, you don’t necessarily have to condense your organization’s message into six words or fewer to tell a story.

One easy way to get the most out of your Twitter space is to offer a tantalizing teaser and share a link. Buffer Social says tweets with a link are 86 percent more likely to get a retweet, which is perfect, considering this is a great way to drive traffic – and interest – to your brand. Not sure what to link to? Try linking to video posts or blogs on your website.

Be sure to also include photos in your tweets, as these are also more attractive to users. And you know what they say about what a picture is worth when it comes to storytelling.

So what kind of content should those video posts, blogs or photos include? That’s where storytelling comes in.

Keep it relevant

How you tell your story may not be as important as sharing it in the way that works best for your company and shows off your style.

American Express Open Forum explains that your story is the best currency you have; it convinces people they want to do business with you. 

Your stories don’t have to be complex, either.  Share only the information people need to understand what you’re all about – in a world of short attention spans, you don’t want people to lose interest.

Engage your community

Letting someone else tell your story can be powerful. One way to do this is by letting your employees tell your story. Have them share a story about what they do and why they like working for you. Or, interview them in their workspace to give an exclusive glimpse of your company. Or maybe you can show your employees participating in community events or volunteer work.

This doesn’t have to require video, either – a series of shared photos on Twitter will do just fine.

Sharing your company culture – an important part of your story – is a way of showing the Twitterverse what you’re all about and building authenticity for your brand. That works even when you’re sharing your company in a tongue-in-cheek way.

The Wisconsin-based insurance company Acuity, for example, produced elaborate 1980s-style MTV-like recruitment video, and another that featured employees after a zombie apocalypse. The company also made an extended version showing the making of the video, including makeup prep work.

At the end of the day, people simply connect with human stories. Southwest Airlines has been building a culture of storytelling throughout its company for the past 10 years. And they do this by not only featuring employees throughout its organization, but also by featuring traveling customers.

Questions to consider as you tell your story: How does your product or service impact the people you serve? Why do you do the work that you do? And don’t forget to feature your company leader: Who’s the man or woman behind the curtain? What’s important to him or her?

Work in progress

Post planner suggests offering a series of consecutive tweets that build anticipation. Do you have a new product or offering coming out? Offer a behind-the-scenes peek at the product in the making. What were your goals? What were the challenges? How did you overcome them? Develop a story about your product’s upcoming release and share it in parts, building anticipation among your followers.

This is a great way to use photos to tell your story, with or without links. Post photos in daily tweets leading up to the product release, featuring a different aspect of the development, the people who made it happen and your company at work. You might even consider making a video that shows your new product being made, developed or delivered.

Be sure to also follow up with news about the release and success stories after the fact. Once you engage your followers, they’ll want to know how everything turned out.

Keep the content coming

Part of the authenticity that attracts followers is consistency. Here at Socedo, we suggest ensuring that visitors to your blog have a way to subscribe to continue receiving content and stay updated via the email list you’ve built your new contacts.

After all, the best stories are the ones that never end. And if yours is compelling enough, it will help keep your followers engaged.

Sign up for the free brand story course

A good brand story lets you connect with the right customers because it conveys your unique purpose and benefits, aligns them with your goals, and influences them to make a purchase.

Sign up for our FREE 5-day email course to learn how to develop your brand story + get our free PDF guide.

How are you using Twitter to tell your brand story? Let us know in the comments!

The post How to Attract More Subscribers on Twitter with Storytelling appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.



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Announcing Our Google Primer Partnership

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Bonus Podcast Series – Taking Action

In this bonus four-part mini-series of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, AWeber’s Tom T. talks with Digital Marketing Strategist Ernest Barbaric about facing our entrepreneurial fears, getting unstuck, staying focused and taking action.

Each week on the podcast, we hear from some amazing digital and email marketers – but the content is typically focused on actionable tactics and strategies to help you improve your campaigns. While this is great to cover, we rarely dig deep into the psychological non-marketing bits that drive us to be (or keep us from being) successful. So that’s exactly what we’re tackling in these next four episodes.

This disruptive series is all about the mindset and qualities of successful entrepreneurs, as well as the challenges they face. Can’t figure out how to get started? Looking for meaning in your work? Stuck in a rut? Ernest shares his research and experience in both interviewing entrepreneurs and finding entrepreneurial success himself.

Check out part one below, and tune in each week for the remaining episodes:

Today is your day to take action!

As you set out to accomplish your next big marketing goals, the AWeber team put together an amazing resource to help you get started. Maybe you want to launch your first Facebook ad, create an online course, get your next wave of new subscribers, or record a podcast. Well, we’ve got you covered. Check out our latest batch of checklists and success stories to help you accomplish your marketing goals at AWeber.com/today.

About Ernest Barbaric

You can also learn more about our guest expert, Ernest Barbaric, and check out his incredible rut-busting course, Project un(stuck). I’ve taken this free 7 week course and can attest to its effectivity.

Tune in next week, or subscribe via iTunes, as we continue this four-part series.

Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes

The post Bonus Podcast Series – Taking Action appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.



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Thursday, 1 September 2016

Labor Day Emails We Love

Labor Day is just around the corner. And if you’re like most busy marketers, you’re scrambling to pull an email campaign together in just a few hours. (This is where an editorial calendar can help.)

The good news: People check their email on holidays just as frequently as any other Monday. The even better news: Since brands are sending 40 percent less emails on a holiday versus an average workday, there’s less inbox competition.

We’ve compiled a collection of the best Labor Day Emails we’ve seen in awhile – and why they work. Get inspired by these designer-approved ideas and put them to work for your own campaign:

Brit & Co.

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Why it works:

“This email is balanced and organized,” says Kelsey P., Web Designer at AWeber. “The animation is eye-catching, content centered and straight to the point. This email has all the right elements to get readers to click.”

Milled

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Why it works:

“Labor Day and BBQ’s will never go out of style, and neither will this email. Bold headline, simple copy, the play on words and fun illustration are just a few things I love about this email.”

GlassesUSA

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Why it works:

“This email was easily a favorite as we head into the holiday weekend. And I totally get what they’re going for here. Work, work, work, work, work,” says Kelsey. “A powerful headline and a simple CTA. That’s almost as dynamic of a duo as Rihanna and Drake.”

Parker

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Why it works:

“As you can tell from the last four examples, I love animated emails. They’re always eye-catching and, in my experience, always perform better. Parker knocked this campaign out of the park – no pun intended.”

Ron Herman

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Why it works:

“This email first caught my eye because of its colorful, vibrant imagery. But I also like the simplicity of the content. It’s not overly-promotional, which can be a trend around the holidays as people rush to tell you about their sales. A nice break from the norm.”

CUSP

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Why it works:

“I like this email because it plays off the old ‘no white after Labor Day’ myth. It’s another example that proves you don’t have to be flashy or overly promotional. It’s just a simple, well-designed email.”

Even more ideas:

  • Use an eye-catching subject line that includes your discount or promo code
  • Create a sense of urgency – “last call,” “flash sale,” “24 hours only,” etc.
  • Get creative with personalization and segmentation
  • Keep your emails limited to one theme or focus
  • Get social with sharing links or user-generated content
  • Optimize your emails for mobile

Are you sending a Labor Day email campaign? What’s working for you? Let us know in the comments.

The post Labor Day Emails We Love appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.



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