Journal Entry 2

Factors to Consider: Choosing Social Media Platforms for an IMC Plan

There are a wide variety of factors to be taken into consideration when selecting which platforms a company should be present on for an IMC plan. However, one of the most important informational takeaways that I gained from this assignment, is that it is most important to “do social right” (Lee)

and to make sure your customers are on the platforms you choose.
Most Popular Social Networks 
This is of course the most obvious step in determining if a social media platform is right for an IMC platform. This ranking is determined by monthly active users (Lee) and is important to be taken into consideration.
Not everyone is going to find your message useful or enjoyable. Companies need to be on a platform with a high enough rate of popularity that their message can reach and motivate desiring individuals despite all the content-related clutter and non-interested users.
Social Network Growth
This is another good indicator in determining which platform is right for you. Growing platforms mean high levels of engagement and a growth for the opportunity of your campaign being seen, being noticed. On the flip-side is a platform is losing users, this could have negative effects on your IMC plan.
Size
As previously stated, size just like popularity is an obvious factor. That being said… size does not always matter and should not be the only factor that judgment is based on.
“Consistent social network data is hard to find.” (Lee) This means is that while one report may say that Instagram is the top platform because it has the most active users, another may say it has fallen to fifth place. (My previous statement is not numerically accurate, but meant to provide an example to allow deeper understanding.) The differences in reporting results can be attributed to the use of surveys by some, and statistics by others, as well as the inconsistent definition of “popularity”.
In my opinion, size does matter in that you want to be sure your advertisement receives the highest amount of impressions possible. However, if the eyeballs viewing your ads do not belong to your desired customers, all is lost, to put it melodramatically. Even the greatest ad involved in the greatest IMC plan will not be effective if it is pushed out onto a social media platform that is just plain wrong for reaching a company’s target audience.
Where are your Customers?
Again, the importance of making sure that your social media presence is on a platform where your customers are also present cannot be understated. "Do potential fans spend time there?" (Lee)
Company Goal/IMC Content
It is so important to have a full understanding of what your desired objective of the IMC plan is, and be sure that your message across all platforms (including social media) is consistent and allows your company to achieve their desired end-result.
For example, If you absolutely need to increase sales and are a company that is already widely known but recently noticed a decline in purchases, Facebook is not your platform. Although Facebook is often referred to as king of the platforms and is good for companies in many ways, sales generation is not one of them. If your company is more fashion and jewelry-oriented and you are looking to achieve higher rates of sales, you will likely have much better luck reaching your goal on Pinterest.  “While not the best platform for sales generation (in my opinion Pinterest has that honor, as long as your brand fits its niche) it [Facebook] is definitely the best platform for increasing awareness of your brand.” (Scherer, 2014)
“Does it Make Sense for Me?”/”Gut”
Last but not least, deciding whether or not a platform is for your company comes down to your gut. If you are a smaller company and will be doing internal marketing rather than partnering with an agency, it is likely within your best interest to understand your platform. Personally, if put in the position of running marketing for a new locally owned company, I would stray away from Pinterest. This decision would be based on the fact that I do not feel it is the right fit for my hypothetically male-oriented business AND the fact that I myself am very unfamiliar with the way the platform. Whatever platform you are on, be sure that your presence is beneficial and excellent.
 

Budget & Size: Affect on Company’s Social Media Strategy

My initial reaction when confronted with the question, “how might the company’s budget and staffing level affect its social media strategy?” was this: less is not always more.

Overall

Although I am sure there are some exceptions to my assumption, it has been heavily discussed in class that marketing budgets are now extremely scrutinized as a result of the “Emphasis on Measurable Results” trend in IMC. I have additionally learned from class, that one of the weakest types of marketing budgets, the “What We Can Afford” method, coincides with the mindsets of many small companies who budget for marketing last because they do not think it is strategic.

As the social media strategy component of an IMC plan is an emergent form of promotion, meaning it is new and less traditional, it is, in my opinion, even more likely to be discredited or have a low emphasis placed on it by small companies with small budgets. It has been my experience that many low-budget, small companies who do not much care for marketing are fairly traditional and resistant to change.

Example Companies (to Provide Context):

The best way for me to answer this question is by painting a very black and white picture, with two very different companies on each end of the spectrum.

*(I realize that not all situations are black and white and, as stated earlier, I’m sure there are some exceptions. For instance, there may be some small companies started by young, and innovative adults who highly value their Social Media Strategy. That being said, please bear with me for the sake of my overall point.) 

La Sirenita vs. Taco Bell

(Left: Google image photo, one of La Sirenita's two Portland Locations.

Right: Moving graphic at top of Taco Bell's website home page.) 

On one end of the spectrum, we have La Sirenita – a small, family-owned thriving Portland business with two locations. As the company has a small budget and low number of staff, they rely solely on the quality of their product, and buzz marketing, or word of mouth marketing to succeed. When conducting an online search, I found that the small business has absolutely no social presence whatsoever, let alone a social media strategy. Since the company has limited resources and has a steady flow of business, they likely do not see the need for and do not have the desire to invest in social media marketing.

The business does, however have a strong list of consumer-generated content and positive reviews on popular online websites such as Yelp, and Trip Advisor. Neither of these posts appear to have been generated by the business themselves, further reinforcing my previous statement regarding their reliance on buzz marketing and that their products speak for themselves.

(Left: La Sirenita’s Yelp page, right: La Sirenita’s Trip Advisor page)

On the other end of the spectrum, there is chain fast-food Mexican-inspired restaurant Taco Bell. With 166,000 employees, $1.7 billion in sales as of 2004, (Reference for Business), and an untouchable presence on all primary social media platforms and more, Taco Bell’s social media strategy dominates. Taco Bell’s massive staffing level and huge budget allow them to have a highly successful social media strategy. This results from their having the manpower to run all platforms perfectly, as well as research who their market is and what they want in order to effectively position themselves and initiate two-way conversations.



(Left: Ad Age’s explanation of why Taco Bell’s content “blackout” on all social media pages in order to create excitement for the release of their new app had such great results, middle: Taco Bell’s Facebook page, right: Taco Bell’s Instagram account)

Conclusion

It can be observed that in many cases, the budget and size of a company will have an affect on its social media strategy in terms of upkeep, existence, expertise, and efficiency. Small companies often do not have the resources to have a successful social media strategy and may additionally be more reluctant to recognize their need. On the other hand, large companies with big budgets have both the need and manpower for a social media strategy in order to remain competitive and stay top of mind with consumers/remain in their evoked set.

 

Examples of Social Media Platforms – Effective for Specific Demographic

The demographic which I have chosen to focus on is females in urban areas, age 18-29 (Millennials), with some college education and an annual household income of about 30k to 49k. I chose to focus on this specific demographic because I feel they will be the most receptive to the social media platforms of Instagram and Twitter.
This demographic is likely still enrolled in college or have completed a partial amount of college at a previous point in time. They are likely hard-working, technologically advanced individuals, who want to be thought of as individual (unique, special, etc.) and follow trends that influence their buying behavior. “Millennials want to know a company is paying attention to their specific needs. Establishing a social media presence across a variety of channels such as Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook (not to mention on smartphone apps), is the way to reach millennials. But a company will not keep their attention long if the communication is not two-way.” (Kaye, 2014).
I believe that by by utilizing these two social media platforms where research has shown, individuals fitting the demographic in terms of age, education, income and location are active will be the most effective way to reach, and impact these individuals throughout their busy, fast-paced, plugged-in day. This demographic is lower in terms of income but still prides themselves on their appearance and upkeep. Making them intelligent but persuadable buyers who are avid users of social media, Instagram and Twitter in particular.
As can be seen by glancing back over the lecture slides from our fifth class, Instragram is in third place in terms of growth of active members. This is huge because it means the platform is gaining momentum and engagement. (This is especially exciting because those doing the engaging fit my specific demographic. Although this increase in active members may make it seem like a great platform choice, it would not be ideal, as previously stated, if my company’s customers were not present.)

I determined that both Twitter and Instagram would be effective for this specific demographic because both platforms excel in the Millennial age-group. Twitter’s usage makes up 18% of the adult population and its users are more likely to follow brands than on any other platform. Additionally, Twitter users use the platform more frequently than any other social media. (Scherer)

Discussion: Ad Types/IMC Elements

I would want to have a consistent message across both social media platforms targeted at this demographic. I think that the best type of appeals to make for my target demographic of adult to young adult females with some college education would be centered around the following appeals: rationality, sex, music, and emotions. I think that this will be most beneficial because, as simple as it seems this demographic responds strongly to ads that are linked to emotions.
 “Baird, Wahlers and Cooper found that using emotional appeals can be beneficial for advertising to women and could be expanded by using emotional appeals to products normally devoid of emotion, such as tires… Advertising affects buying behaviors by associating particular values to a brand and then emphasizing how these values may be gained or experienced through the purchase or use of the particular brand or product.” (Beane)
The article analyzes women’s responses to advertisements and showed that, in general females do not  react positively to the appeal of emotion, but also experience the means-end theory. In other words, if an ad is done well, they begin to connect the message with idea of that value being achieved for themselves. Because of the information that this mindset often creates itself in my demographic, I will enhance it by working to more specifically include the means-end theory.
I will also use the slice of life executional strategy combined with a bit of fantasy, or look at the ideal life. This should work well for my demographic as they are informed buyers and do not want their intelligence to be belittled by an advertisement or social media message. They are also young females, likely still optimistic about reaching their dreams. I think that my executional strategies as well as appeals combined with an affective, or emotions-oriented messaging strategy with be the perfect mixture for successfully targeting my demographic.
I think this information reinforces my belief that both Twitter and Instagram are the ideal social media platforms for an IMC Plan targeted at reaching the demographic described.
According to the class lecture discussing trends in social media marketing, “customers want value: entertainment, discounts, customer service, engagement”. Both twitter and Instagram will be the perfect platforms to give the target demographic these wants.
Platform Differentiation
I would have similar content employed across the platform of both Twitter and Instagram in order to maintain a consistent message throughout the IMC plan. However, it is of course important to have some differences so as not to bore consumers. Since research shows that users are more likely to engage with a post that has both a question and some sort of image. For this reason I would include a photo or video in every Twitter post. (Instagram does this by default). One difference I could make after a few days of running similar content on both platforms, would be to conduct a poll using Twitter’s new feature in order to gain customer feedback. The variations would include slightly different photos and videos.
Examples

Nike (continuation of above): 

Victoria’s Secret: 

Estee Lauder:

 

Bibliography



"La Sirenita." Trip Advisor. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.  

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g52024-d440027-Reviews-    Taqueria_La_Sirenita-Portland_Oregon.html

"La Sirenita." Yelp. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-sirenita-portland

Lee, Kevan. "How to Choose the Right Social Network for Your Business." Buffer Social. 21

Aug. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-to-choose-a-social-network

Scherer, James. “Social Media Marketing: Which Platform is Right for your Business”. Wishpond. 2014.  Web. 17 Feb. 2016. http://blog.wishpond.com/post/72672192941/social-media-marketing-which-platform-is-right-for

"Taco Bell." Instagram. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.  https://www.instagram.com/tacobell/

"Taco Bell." Facebook. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.  https://www.facebook.com/tacobell

“Taco Bell Corporation.” Reference for Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

            http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history/St-Th/Taco-Bell-Corporation.html

“Why Taco Bell’s Social Media Blackout Was a Brilliant Campaign.” Ad Age. February 18,

          2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. http://adage.com/lookbook/topic/18 

 



Journal Entry One

Keys to Developing Successful E-mail Campaigns

Quality Subject Line
One crucial component to developing a successful e-mail marketing campaign is to start with what may seem the simplest part – the subject. An e-mail’s subject is the first component which the potential customer sees and can have a huge impact on whether or not they choose to open the message in the first place. Similarly to how, no matter how great an ad campaign is, no one will view it if it is being communicated through the wrong medium, no matter how great the content of a marketing campaign’s e-mail, if it never gets opened, or worse yet – gets deleted, the content inside is pointless. The subject of an e-mail is a great opportunity to excite and intrigue the consumer, it can be thought of as the hook to draw someone in. Another key is to remember to not just be creative with your word-choice in an e-mail marketing campaign’s subject line, but also to avoid using words likely to get caught in a spam filter in order to reach the most customers possible! 

Strategies: Writing Effective Subject Lines
One huge takeaway that I have had from this course is how strongly opposed consumers are to “spam” emails. As a result of this strong opposition, if your company’s email subject line is perceived as falling under this category, it will likely never be opened. This causes problems for a number of reasons, the most obvious being poor performance metrics (CTR, Open Rate, etc.) and poor sales conversions. (You can’t convert consumers clicking through your email message and onto the landing page into a sale if the consumer never opened your email in the first place.)

The best way to write a subject line, according to Mail Chimp is to be straightforward. Although it may seem simple, after analyzing 40 million emails, the site put together a side-by-side list of the subject lines that had the best and worst open rates (see below) and it ultimately came down to simplicity.

I completely understand why email subject lines tend to succeed if they are not too flashy – it just comes down to basic human nature and customer preferences. We live in a fast-paced media world, filled with tons of emails, tasks, and advertisements. Our daily routine, though it may be hectic, is kind of like our sanctuary, and receiving a loud, bold, all-caps email from some company when you’re trying to reply to your boss and check for other updates can be very intrusive and undesirable.

Although there are some platforms on which being bright and colorful appeals to consumers, the subject line of emails is not one of those places. Sure, aesthetically pleasing and clever content INSIDE of the email may even be okay, but it is so important to tone down the subject line.

“Always set your subscribers’ expectations during the opt-in process about what kinds of emails they’re going to receive. Don’t confuse newsletters with promotions. If your email is a newsletter, put the name and issue of the newsletter in your subject line. Because that’s what’s inside. If your email is a special promotion, say so in the subject line. Either way, just don’t write your subject lines like advertisements.” (Mail Chimp) 

Best Open Rates (60%-87%)	Worst Open Rates (1%-14%)
1. [COMPANYNAME] Sales & Marketing Newsletter	1. Last Minute Gift - We Have The Answer
2. Eye on the [COMPANYNAME] Update (Oct 31 - Nov 4)	2. Valentines - Shop Early & Save 10%
3. [COMPANYNAME] Staff Shirts & Photos	3. Give a Gift Certificate this Holiday
4. [COMPANYNAME] May 2005 News Bulletin!	4. Valentine's Day Salon and Spa Specials!
5. [COMPANYNAME] Newsletter - February 2006	5. Gift Certificates - Easy & Elegant Giving - Let Them Choose
6. [COMPANYNAME] Newsletter - January 2006 [ *|FNAME|* *|LNAME|* ]	6. Need More Advertising Value From Your Marketing Partner?
7. [COMPANYNAME] and [COMPANYNAME] Invites You!	7. [COMPANYNAME] Pioneers in Banana Technology
8. Happy Holidays from [COMPANYNAME]	8. [COMPANYNAME] Moves You Home for the Holidays
9. ATTENTION [COMPANYNAME] Staff!	9. Renewal
10. ATTENTION [COMPANYNAME] West Staff!!	10. Technology Company Works with [COMPANYNAME] on Bananas Efforts
11. Invitation from [COMPANYNAME]	11. [COMPANYNAME] Update - A Summary of Security and Emergency Preparedness News
12. [COMPANYNAME] Jan/Feb 2006 Newsletter	12. Now Offering Banana Services!
13. Website news - Issue 3	13. It's still summer in Tahoe!
14. Upcoming Events at [COMPANYNAME]	14. [COMPANYNAME] endorses [COMPANYNAME] as successor
15. [COMPANYNAME] Councils: Letter of Interest	15. [COMPANYNAME] Holiday Sales Event
16. [COMPANYNAME] Coffee Exchange - Post-Katrina Update	16. The Future of International Trade
17. We're Throwing a Party	17. [COMPANYNAME] for your next dream home.
18. October 2005 Newsletter	18. True automation of your Banana Research
19. [COMPANYNAME]: 02.10.06	19. [COMPANYNAME] Resort - Spring into May Savings
20. [COMPANYNAME] Racing Newsletter	20. You Asked For More...

(Above: Mail Chimp's analysis of 40 million+ emails to find best and worst email open rates, and compare their subject lines.)

 

Building Reachable Email List (Opted-In Customers)

The ability to develop a successful email campaign is also extremely reliant on making sure that you have built a reachable email list of customers that have opted in. This means that your list should consist of consumers who have willingly agreed to receive this content and still actively use their provided address. One effective way of building your email list is through the Modal Lightbox Acquisition method. This is the message that pops up on top of the online page you are viewing and prompts you to input your email. This prompt is usually accompanied with an incentive such as, “sign up for our weekly newsletter now for 20% off your next purchase!”

Although it may seem slightly invasive, it has a pretty good response rate with, “28.9% of Internet Retailer's Top 500 companies and 29.5% of the Second 500 [using] a modal overlay to acquire email addresses, up 25.6% and 77.7% from 2013 respectively.” (Listrak)

This method is smart because its reaching consumers who are already visiting your site, meaning they clearly have some interest. If anything, it is a help-me-help-you type of situation. The consumer is assisting the company by growing their email list, and the company is helping the consumer by sending them information they will likely be interested in, and discounts, etc. that they will likely see as beneficial.

Another suggestion I encountered on Mail Chimp while conducting research was for companies to consider having multiple opt-in email lists. So, for example, one email list for the newsletter, and one for promotions. This way the content is even more specified and not deemed a bother.

Knowledge: Optimal Frequency of Emails

A study by Campaign Monitor showed that the highest response rates on email campaigns when five were sent within a three month period was always within the first campaign. That being said, it is important to not overdue it when it comes to sending email campaigns for fear of surpassing diminishing returns and reaching the wear-out effects point within the campaign. Although there is much deliberation around the exact perfect time to send emails as it varies by consumer preference and industry, Campaign Monitor has come up with an approximate suggestion. “Our data suggests that sending a new campaign roughly every couple weeks is optimal.” They describe every two weeks as the “sweet spot” for most consumers to notice campaign’s emails without overdoing it.

My Two Cents
 

In my opinion, some other keys to developing successful emails are to customize messages and refrain from sending the same generic paragraph to thousands, as well as to be sure that the content being sent is relevant. I know that personally, there is nothing I hate more than an e-mail in my inbox where I can tell my name has been inserted into a boring script with one or two bland images. It is especially frustrating when the ad relates to a product I would never use. However, I have no problem receiving a fun e-mail packed full of interactive photos, an intriguing color-scheme and a customized message offering discounts on products I love! (I actually enjoy it.)

 

Marketing that Should be Combined with Email to Maximize RR

"E-mail can become an important part of a company’s digital marketing strategy. To be successful, companies integrate the e-mail marketing program with other channels. It cannot simply be a program where addresses are purchased and mass e-mails are sent to individuals on the list. Most people resent spam, and response rates are extremely low. Response rates can increase when an e-mail message resembles information on the company’s Web site and in its advertisements and direct messages." (Clow, Baack, 2014)

As stated in the book, the marketing approach of utilizing more than one medium in order to reach consumers is crucial to an e-mail campaign's success. I feel that this is a result of consumers continuing to evolve and grow along with the technological world. In this day and age there is so much noise polluting and saturating consumers' lives that including more than one channel when reaching out via e-mail seems the obvious choice.

Email Marketing + Other Marketing = Maximized Results
The primary type of marketing initiative which email marketing has to be combined with in order to maximize results is the company website. This is because the click-through from the email to the company’s website can lead to conversion, or at least consideration. However, are many other types of marketing that email campaigns can also work together with to yield the best results. (“Email Marketing”

It can also be beneficial to take a more popular and common approach and combine the email marketing campaign with banner ads and social media ads. Despite the seeming simplicity of these online actions, when used in conjunction they can have a large and positive consumer response. *Note: remember, that regardless of what platform you are using it is important to have one clear voice and a strong, consistent message across all platforms. Using the same key words and call-to-actions is also a good idea.

Key Metrics Used to Measure Response Rates

Some of the key metrics used to measure e-mail response rates are Click Through Rates or CTRs. These can be increased, as we discussed in class by ensuring that keywords are being consistently used throughout the e-mail and campaign. This seems important to me, not just to increase campaign’s organic reach but also because consistency, at least for me as a consumer, has always instilled a feeling of trust. Making sure there is a call to action and that it is clearly stated can also strengthen the CTR metric. Although as consumers, we like to pride ourselves on being intelligent, self-motivated beings, we often subconsciously want to be told what to do, and when it comes to considering a purchase, calls to action can’t hurt in swaying our behavior.
Another key metric used to measure response rates is website traffic. The goal of this traffic is to increase the number of impressions, or the amount of possible times that your ad could have been seen. (Defined in class as, “how often your ad is presented to customers”.) The number of impressions are an important metric to me because it has been instilled in my beliefs through my five-year internship at advertising sales corporation, Comcast Spotlight that impressions are extremely valuable. My supervisor always explained it to me in terms of a billboard. People don't count the number of those passing by who notice your billboard, why should an ad be any different? Just because they don't click your ad, doesn't mean it won't influence their later decision to buy and keep your brand top of mind.

Email Response Rates by Industry (Examples)

 




































(Above: Open & Click-Through Rate of major industries, UK. Via Smart Insights.) 

(Above: Unique Open Rate: by Country & Region, and  by Industry. Via Smart Insights.)

(Above: Open, Click & Soft Bounce Rate by Industry. Shortened Mail Chimp. Via Smart Insights.)

 

Will Email Marketing be Key Component to IMC in Next 5 Years?

I do believe that e-mail marketing will continue to be a key component to Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) campaigns in the next five years in part, because of their obvious values stated in class; that they are relatively inexpensive and can be highly effective when used correctly. I also feel that e-mail marketing will remain extremely necessary because e-mail does not seem to be going anywhere. Despite the constantly changing social media trends including the rise and fall of platform’s like AIM, AOL’s instant messenger chat that I used in middle school, and Myspace, the Facebook of the past, e-mail remains strong. This is especially true in the setting of businesses, where e-mail marketing campaigns tend to thrive. There is something traditional, respectful and personal about e-mails. They are practical and, in my opinion, despite advances in communication, will never grow to be irrelevant. I think that e-mail marketing will continue to gain strength and discover new ways to reach their consumers.

Good Email Campaigns (Examples)

Here's what companies are already doing today. Just imagine what the future of email marketing has in store.

Birchbox

Subject: "We Forgot Something in Your February Box!"
Consumer Response: Email was clever, so consumer was not upset that company mislead her because they still included a discount offer. Was also a product consumer was already using (had opted-in to).

Warby Parker
Subject: "Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring."
Consumer Response: Clever trigger/incentive to click. Helpful reminder and smart of Glasses Company to co-market with optometrist; makes process easier on customer.

Buzzfeed

Subject: "Get Up! Get Up Now!"

Consumer Response: Impressed that Buzzfeed was able to clearly convey message in an aesthetically pleasing way even without images, since images were initially disabled when email was opened. 

Cook Smart: “Weekly Eats” Newsletter
Call-to-Action: “Forward to a Friend”
Consumer Response: Enjoys consistent informational breakup into three sections. 1) Menu, 2) Smarts, “kitchen how-to” (Kolowich), and 3) Tip of the Week.
 

Bibliography

Campaign Monitor https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/2014/03/the-ideal-email-frequency/

https://assets.econsultancy.com/images/0004/9308/unique.png

https://econsultancy.com/blog/65034-what-is-a-decent-email-marketing-response-rate/

“Email Marketing” http://www.superseventies.com/infobank/emailmarketing/combiningemail.html

Kolowich, Lindsay. Hubspot. March 5, 2015. Email campaign examples. “12 of the Best Email Marketing Examples You've Ever Seen (And Why They're Great)” http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-examples-list

Listrak. “Leveraging Email Acquisition.”http://www.listrak.com/ecommerce-marketing-automation/channels/web/how-to-build-your-email-list.aspx

http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-open-click-rate-benchmark

http://mailchimp.com/resources/research/email-marketing-subject-line-comparison/

http://mailchimp.com/resources/research/email-marketing-benchmarks/

https://blog.mailchimp.com/insights-from-mailchimps-send-time-optimization-system/

Smart Insights http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-communications-strategy/statistics-sources-for-email-marketing/