8Apr

Is Marketing Expensive?

Posted by: IndiVisualCreations Categories: Marketing TIps
Comments Off on Is Marketing Expensive?

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Is Marketing Expensive?” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1491642933871{margin-top: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1491643010158{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]

Expensive mistake: Being cheap about marketing

The related myth is that you can rely on social media to build vitality and attract customers for free.  “Social media is not free, to do it properly takes unbelievable amounts of time, and it’ll typically take six months to a year before you’ve got even slight momentum–it’s not fast.”

If you’re not sure how much money to budget for marketing, it’s suggested to aim for 10 to 20 percent of your targeted gross revenue.  

Marketing is what we like to refer to as Image Development. 

  • Logo
  • Branding
  • Advertising
  • Networking
  • Writing
  • Social Media Development
  • Press Kit Creation and Professional Bio.

I recommend always using an experienced marketing professional for this work and remember when getting quotes…if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Experienced design professionals are worth their weight in gold and while it may be costly, you will save money in the long run by not having to pay someone else to “fix” what wasn’t done correctly the first time.

Costs – Marketing
Marketing is not an expense it’s an investment and it’s important to have a clear understanding on where to start investing. If you can get this, you are one step ahead.  Good marketing is critical to the success of any business.

Many companies view marketing as an expense. Truth is when a business understands the importance and the role it plays in growing a business it’s clear on why it should be considered an investment.  Marketing is crucial when it comes to gaining the attention of prospective consumers and clients, developing products or service demand and turning those prospective consumers into customers.  Marketing has an affect on your sales, pricing, promotions and your advertising strategies.  When understand the importance of marketing you can use it to promote the ongoing transition of your services and products to the consumer; this can create success in your small business.

 [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7325″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”VIEW ALL” style=”flat” color=”success” size=”lg” align=”center” button_block=”true”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Tags:
16Dec

Reaching Millennials through Smart Marketing

Posted by: IndiVisualCreations Categories: Marketing TIps
Comments Off on Reaching Millennials through Smart Marketing

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Millennials, young adults who are currently between 18 and 34, control $1.3 trillion in annual buying power.  This group, making up 25% percent of the population, are so powerful, but also so unique to generations before them.  Their differences touch many aspects of millennials’ lives – from work ethic and preference, to spending habits and value of technology.

The biggest threat to advertisers today is their over-dependence on “traditional” advertising.  Millennials have become one of the smartest, most opinionated and globally aware group of consumers. As a demographic they can be marketers’ worst nightmare, but also potential best friend.

Millennials Express Themselves through Brands, Millennials want brands to have more than just a logo. They want a brand to have a personality, which they can display their ideals through.  This generation shows their beliefs by what they choose to purchase.

The best way for brands to get their messages heard by millennials is to market within them.  Millennials don’t trust advertising; instead they go to their peers for new information.  It’s estimated that 98% millennials are more likely to engage with a friend’s post over a brands post.

The terms “Instagram Famous” and “Facebook Famous” are very existent in today’s society. It doesn’t take you to be an actor or singer anymore to grow a following; instead posting images that have a high relevance to fellow followers can create stardom. These social-media focused millennials grow their own personal following, by posting lifestyle images that express themselves. These images often market brands they believe in, making these “famous millennials” a public to target.

Millennials Want to Be Your Friend, Millennials have more friends online and probably offline than any other generation.  Social media has created an online community for millennials with 46% of the generation reporting to have 200+ Facebook friends, compared to 19% of non-millennials. Millennials base their social existence off their online following, and what their friends think of their image.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MARKETING EFFORTS?
When marketing to millennials it is essential to develop your brand in such a way that millennials would like to befriend it. Millennials don’t want to be “sold” an idea on social media; instead they want to relate to your account. Gain followers, or friends, by posting about more than just the item itself; instead post genuine and sociable core attributes of your brand.

Everything is a Branding Exercise.  The generation is self-absorbed; the reason why millennials constantly post status updates, tweet and are on Instagram. They make statements of where they go and what they wear, as a way for others to notice them. Take notice of the not so subliminal messages millennials are sending through social media, and make your brand relatable.

Millennials Want to Make a Difference. Millennials are loyal to brands that they believe are making a difference. With their generation being the technology era, they have become more aware of the demand to be philanthropic in today’s world. This generation is less motivated by cost, rather by the aim to make the world more compassionate, innovative and sustainable. Brands that stand for more than their bottom line, receive greater millennial brand love. They support cause-campaigns, with almost 50% of millennials more willing to make a purchase if it supports a cause.

SUMMARY:
Reveal the behind-the-scenes story of your brand, keeping authenticity in mind. Millennials are mindful of their impact on the environment, and want to know how your product is made. Highlight your philosophy and reasons behind it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Tags:
25May

Using Social Media as a Tool for Success

Posted by: IndiVisualCreations Categories: Digital & Social Media Marketing
Comments Off on Using Social Media as a Tool for Success

Social media is similar to starting a new business, and with it comes many obstacles: how to treat your customers, present yourself to the community, and effectively spread the word about what you do and what makes you different from your competitor.

Same as a new business you have to hire a friendly person to work the front counter is a good way to create a welcoming atmosphere.   Your Pages should be just as inviting.  If done correctly, you will begin to build your clients, generate a voice in a online community, and keep your fans coming back.

This might sound easy, but Social Media can be hard to maintain once you get it started.  What to post about and who to build relationships with can be tricky.  Here’s a list of tactics to use to keep your Social Media thriving:

Actively Engage with your Customers:  Don’t post only about your company.  Use interactive ways to promote your business by talking about current events going on in the community, or sharing posts made by others that will generate conversation relevant to your customer”s interests.

Measure your Success:  Track who your followers are, and make sure you are reaching out to the appropriate audience.  Having your message fall on deaf ears is not only frustrating; it’s a waste of time.

Ask for Advice from Others:  Using other people’s strategies to your advantage can really help, and most people are willing to share how they use their Social Media pages.  Getting advice will not only help you, it will let you engage and build stronger relationships in the online community.  After all, social media is a group effort.
Get into a Routine:  Make sure you stay on a schedule.  This gives your fans a time frame for when you will or will not post, which helps keeps things rolling.
At IndiVisual Creations, we provide customized Social Media Packages to fit our customers’ specific needs.

Tags:
15Apr

Getting More Exposure without Spending More

Posted by: IndiVisualCreations Categories: Digital & Social Media Marketing
Comments Off on Getting More Exposure without Spending More

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]First of all, no matter what type of business you have, it is valuable to the media. Not only are you going to potentially spend money with them for advertising, but your customers are also an asset, along with what your business offers.

Assign a value to your assets.  This is important when it is time to negotiate your advertising schedules.  Assets include what you can use to leverage your media buys.
-Can you include the media on onsite signage or promotional pieces?

Assets include more than brick and mortar:
– Do you do special events that the media can be a part of?   (Ex:  Sponsorship Spot Opportunities)
– What about promotional materials such as brochures?  (Ex: The companies Logo placement on xyz brochures)
– Does your website reach a large audience?  (Ex:  Offering Backlinking – which is a double win with SEO increase on both ends)
– What is your email database quantity?
– Whatever you are using to reach your audience, this is worth something to the media.

Once you’ve assigned a value on everything you can offer the media, it’s time negotiate!
– Offer your assets in exchange for more spots, bigger ads and extra exposure.  There are several other ways you can save your company money and get more “bang for your buck” with the money you do spend which include: On-Air Giveaways:  Media outlets love to do giveaways.
– Do you have something to offer them to give away on the air or for online contests?
– Give them something to give away, along with talking points about your business and what you offer.
– Having a deejay talk about your park may seem more credible than your spot to a consumer.

Trade:  Trading for air time is a great way to increase your schedule without paying hard costs.  However, if you trade, make sure you are trading “dollar for dollar,” meaning, you want to be able to decide when and where your traded spots are running, not ROS (run of schedule).  It would be wasteful if your traded spots ran overnight or in a time period when no one is listening or seeing your advertising.  Billboards/Sponsorships: Radio and TV stations have opportunities to “sponsor” a weather forecast or traffic update.

WINNING TIP TO SAVE YOU!  Never buy media without asking for a billboard, for no extra charge.

Third-Party Tie-ins:  Your media reps are certain to have other clients that could benefit from associating with your business.

If you are buying media to promote an event:  Offer event inclusion to your media account reps’ other clients.  For example, one of their clients may be trying to launch a new product or service.  Let them set up a one-day product demonstration in exchange for more exposure on the radio or TV station media you are paying for.

Digital (website, email blasts, e-coupons):  All media outlets are using digital components to reach their listeners and viewers. Ask for inclusion on their next email blast. Being associated with the radio or TV’s brand is a great way to extend that loyalty to your business.

Other ways you can enhance your print media buy without spending additional dollars is to ask for: Larger ads: Since you are already committing to advertising in their publication, ask for a larger ad. If you want to run 3 ads in a publication, ask for the 12x rate. They may not give that to you, but they are probably willing to compromise by offering you the 6x rate.
Color: Ask for color even if you are buying a black and white ad. You can provide them with a black and white and color version of your ad, and if they have space on a page that is already going to be in color, they may give it to you instead of running a “house” ad, just to keep you happy and also make their publication look better. Website exposure:   Ask for exposure on their website as added-value to your print schedule, as well as inclusion on e-blasts.  Do you like the added-value ideas outlined in this article?

Don’t have time or have a person on staff dedicated to solely to marketing or advertising? Let IndiVisual Creations help you get the most out of what you plan on spending. Contact us and we’re ON it!’, ‘Getting More Exposure without Spending More'[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Tags: