Is Influencer Marketing for Your Business?

P T on October 18, 2021

Who has the most influence to promote your brand?

In the past, those who had the most influence on mainstream popular culture were famous celebrities — actors, athletes and musicians. But thanks to the significant global impact of social media over the last ten years, it no longer takes Michael Jordan posing on a Wheaties box to convince children across the world that a breakfast cereal will transform them into elite athletes. 

Now, some of the biggest authorities on trends and products are the appropriately named “influencers” on social media. 

Recent research indicates influencer marketing can deliver an 11 times higher return on investment than some traditional marketing tactics, but influencer marketing is not for every brand. These findings suggest, though, that business owners should take another look at their marketing strategy and decide if influencer marketing is an effective tool to reach their target audience.

Surprisingly, influencer marketing can have a more significant impact on B2B companies over B2C companies. Mainly because the average purchase amount in B2B is typically far larger than that of B2C. Additionally, a study conducted by Convince and Convert found that while 19 percent of the overall U.S. economy (B2B and B2C) is driven specifically by word of mouth, 91 percent of B2B transactions are at least influenced by word of mouth. 

If you think influencer marketing could work for your company, let’s explore how it can be done effectively to boost your company’s ROI. 

Conduct research to find the right influencer

A report by eMarketer says 75 percent of influencer marketers struggle to find the right influencer, but making sure you have the right person who can appropriately showcase your company’s products and services is crucial to successful influencer marketing. Obviously, if your business sells a variety of meat products, your top choice for an influencer for your brand would not be someone who goes by the moniker “Vegan 4Ever.” When looking for the ideal influencer to represent your brand, a great place to begin is to search for people who are already supporting your business. This can involve going through the followers on your company’s social platforms to see if any of them have a large fan base, or quickly researching your business on the Internet to see if it has been mentioned by any popular bloggers. Also take note of employees within your company. They should already be big fans and if they have a respectable number of fans on social media they could be a perfect, reliable influencer to effectively represent your brand’s voice and values.

Don’t forget to research your target audience

Just as it’s important to research potential influencers for your brand, it is also important to make sure you understand the type of influencer who would connect with your target demographic. Find out what brands and influencers your social media followers are following, liking and engaging with on social media. If necessary, conduct a B2B buyer persona that details exactly what your audience enjoys and searches for in a brand. Even if a popular influencer uses your products or services, if they have other interests or a certain energy that could be off-putting to your current customers, they won’t be worth the investment.

Know your budget

As with any new marketing tactic, understanding how influencer marketing plays into your budget is an important factor in finding the perfect influencer for your company. Keep in mind that every influencer has their own price, which is usually dictated by factors such as their number of followers and engagement rate. Influencers can be broken down into the following levels:

  • Mega-Influencers: Over a million followers, often celebrities, usually paid 4 to 6 figures per post, less than 1% engagement rate.
  • Macro-Influencers: 10K to 1M followers, usually paid 3 to 5 figures per post, 2% engagement rate.
  • Micro-Influencers: 1K to 10K followers, usually paid 2 to 3 figures per post, 3-4% engagement rate.
  • Local influencers: 0 to 1K followers, followers are friends and family, do not usually get paid, engagement rate varies.

These levels determine the cost of having the influencer promote your business. Remember that it’s not always beneficial to choose the influencer with the most followers, especially if they could monopolize your budget. Also, if your business is part of a niche industry, chances are high that the top influencers for your business will have fewer followers. Review your B2B buyer persona to see if your target audience likes to have a lot of interaction with brands. If they do, it is more advantageous to select an influencer with fewer followers but a higher engagement rate (which will probably be less expensive as well), than to choose a mega-influencer who will rarely communicate directly with customers.

Go beyond social media

While much focus of influencer marketing is placed on the number of followers an influencer has on social media, great influencers for your company can be found in other areas as well. Incredibly influential people can be found in the form of authors, speakers, thinkers, podcasters, researchers and more. If you find a potential representative that has high visibility but may not have a large social media following, consider creating short videos or guest blog features that your business can place on its website or social media platforms. Influencer marketing is all about being creative, so don’t be afraid to step out of the box – it could have a positive impact on your business in the long run!

Could influencer marketing be right for your brand? Contact Prototype Marketing at 434.846.2333 to learn more about this trendy marketing tactic. 

Animating your Brand for Competitive Advantages

P T on October 1, 2021

Today’s digital world is continually changing and evolving. Internet users are constantly consuming content, and it is easy to get lost in the mix. It is important to stay ahead of the game to keep up with everchanging algorithms.  

Animation has become a popular trend in digital marketing because it captivates consumers more than text or photos. According to HubSpot, 85% of consumers want to see more video content from brands. Animation uses dynamic components to engage viewers, which increases retention of the content. Studies have shown that animation in marketing campaigns leaves a longer lasting impression on viewers. Here are four ways your brand can use animation to liven up your marketing experience.

Explainer Videos

On average, B2B videos that are shorter than 60 seconds are watched in entirety 68% of the time. Explainer videos are extremely popular for companies wanting to show complex products to their customers. Live-action explainer videos tend to be longer and do not keep viewers engaged. Animated explainer videos convey a product in a fast, engaging and easy-to-understand way. 

Animated explainer videos show the complexities of a product or process quickly, while also keeping the viewer visually stimulated. Processes can be simplified for consumers, making it easier for them to understand your products and services. Well-executed animation can persuade consumers to seriously consider purchasing a product, promote more engagement, and increase brand loyalty by helping customers visualize complex solutions. Using animation does not have to mean cartoons. Many successful companies use highly realistic animated footage to portray scenes that may have been difficult to film, such as the inner workings of equipment that cameras cannot reach. 

Email Marketing

On average, consumers get an average of 120 emails every day between personal and business accounts. Your company must do something to stand out in email inboxes. Animated videos and GIFs inside emails can increase engagement and retention of the email’s contents. A promotional email can be elevated using animation, creating a memorable impression on consumers. It is crucial to place your call to action in or around your animation as recipients are more connected with animation than text.

Logos

In the past few years, many companies have begun to animate their logo. A memorable use of animation is the Google logo, which changes often for holidays and special events. Animating your company’s logo can increase brand awareness because consumers are more likely remember it compared to a static logo. 

Animated logos do not have to be complex or expensive to produce. Adding a small, animated element draws attention to your logo, increasing brand awareness and retention. For example, FedEx animated their logo with arrows representing speed and direction. Logos with animation can demonstrate brand positioning unconsciously to consumers.

Social Media Ads

Social media advertising promotes your brand to unaware consumers and adding animation to your advertising creates a lasting impression that will stick with users longer than a static advertisement. Facebook’s algorithm change in 2016 gave preference to videos over other posts. Therefore, a short, animated video can be viewed by more people and create a longer-lasting impression than a photo. 

Social media users are looking to be entertained, not just be presented with information. Animation adds an element of entertainment and increases brand trustworthiness because consumers feel they are receiving more than just a sales pitch. Advertisements on social media using animation are more likely to be noticed and retained by those scrolling through their feeds.

Animation is appealing to consumers and highly personalized to your brand, increasing brand awareness and retention. It is clear and concise, which is what consumers in the digital landscape are looking for. Animation is an important tool in your marketing strategy that can increase results of a campaign, whether it be more followers or web traffic.

The experts at Prototype Marketing can create animation for your company that engages viewers for desired results. Call us today at 434-846-2333 or visit prototype-marketing.com for more information.

Integrating Digital Calls-to-Action with Graphics

P T on August 31, 2021

In today’s digital world, direct mail remains one of the most effective and profitable forms of advertising and since the pandemic, it has become even more appreciated. According to the US Postal Service, people are more excited to receive mail each day since the pandemic, and 34 percent of consumers are scanning direct mail ads for deals more now than before the pandemic. 

As presented in a session titled “What You’re Missing About Today’s Direct Mail,” during The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Direct Mail Virtual Conference, these statistics demonstrate just how powerful direct mail is for moving people to action:

  • 68% say they use coupons they get in the mail
  • 46% say direct mail encourages them to go online for more information about the advertiser
  • 41% say direct mail encourages them to make an online purchase from an advertiser

As you can see, an effective call to action, or CTA, is crucial to the success of any direct mail campaign. But the traditional “call today” may not be enough to stay competitive.

So how about integrating digital calls-to-action into your direct mail campaigns? A digital CTA prompts the reader to respond to your direct mail digitally through a website address, QR code, social media channel or more.  

Social Media Icons

According to WyzResearch, social media icons are the top used digital CTA in direct mail. Including social media icons not only offers visual appeal to your mailings, but also establishes trust, especially with millennials and gen-zrs who have grown up with social media. 

Social sharing can give your direct mail additional reach and could even go viral with the right incentive. For example, “Follow us on social media and share this offer with your friends for a chance to win…” 

QR Codes

The second most used CTAs are QR Codes. These easy-to-use squares offer a simple way to get customers to your website or social media channels. Your customers can simply scan a QR code on your postcard with their smartphones or tablets and be immediately taken to your website, blog or social media profile. You set the destination! 

Get creative! QR codes are not just for URLs anymore, here are some examples of ways you can use QR codes to engage with your customers:

  • Scan to read our blog
  • Scan for an instructional video
  • Scan to download a free e-book
  • Scan to enter a contest or giveaway
  • Scan to register for our event
  • Scan for a 20% off coupon
  • Scan to hear our story (or podcast)

The options are endless.

URLs or “Visit Our Website”

WyzResearch shows URLs are still the third most popular CTA, and for good reason. Your website is one of the best tools for generating leads and converting them to sales. Add forms to the pages that get the most traffic to obtain contact information for your prospect list, and make sure these popular pages are doing everything they can to nurture the visitor’s interest.  

Through website analytics, you can gain valuable insights into who your customer is and what interests them. By knowing your visitors’ demographics and interests, you can create targeted content and get better visibility on search engines. 

Personalized Calls-to-Action

With today’s technology, it is so easy to personalize your direct mail campaigns. Long gone are the days of offset printing, when printers had to create plates before running the press, resulting in large set up fees and minimum quantities. Today, with print on demand, set up time is minimal, and printers can easily integrate your contact data and other personalized content into the job. Here are some ways you can personalize your calls-to-action in your direct mail.

  • Personalized URLs (PURLs): When your prospect visits their PURL, their contact information is already pre-populated, and the message is very specific to them. The CTA would read something like, “Go to {companyname].com/[prospect name] for your personalized pricing.”
  • Variable Data Printing (VDP): VDP is a form of digital printing that is data driven, allowing for total customization. VDP automates the process so each piece looks like it has been designed and printed specifically for each recipient and can include anything from the prospect’s name, unique salutation, text, coupons, tracking numbers, PURLs and even maps.
  • USPS Informed Delivery: Customers who sign up for this free service from the US Postal Service receive scanned images of their household mail before actually receiving it in their mailbox. They can view the images via email, an online dashboard or the mobile app. For businesses, this service offers a new opportunity to engage users through an integrated mail and digital marketing campaign that generates additional customer impressions, interactions and insights. 

By integrating these digital calls-to-action into your direct mail campaigns, you will create effective multichannel marketing opportunities that will reach a broader array of customers right when and where they are — whether that is on their computers reading social media, on their phones or at their mailboxes. 

The experts at Prototype Marketing can help you integrate, personalize and profit from your direct mail and digital marketing campaigns. Call us today at 434-846-2333 or visit prototype-marketing.com for more information.