Category: Digital

5 Reasons To Use Live Streaming In Your Campaign

5 Reasons To Use Live Streaming Services in Your Marketing Campaign

So your marketing campaign needs some work. You want to boost engagement, expand your marketing plan, accumulate new followers, and of course, sell more products. Well, live streaming may be able to offer your business some help. Here are a few reasons why:

1. It is a natural progression

Since you already know about the advantages of digital and video marketing, live streaming is your next step. Video marketing has now become interactive through live streaming. Video currently accounts for half of all Internet traffic, so it makes sense that you’d want your business to be a part of that.  Videos are accessible, affordable, and their ROI has been tested and proven to work.
It’s opening up an entirely new world of interactivity, and that’s something you should be taking advantage of.

2. It is cost effective

Cost is important especially when you are operating a small business. Well, live streaming is no more expensive than conventional video marketing, which has attributed to its rise in popularity.  All you need to live stream is a stable Internet connection and a good camera that can shoot in HD quality.

3. It creates a community

Live streaming allows people to communicate with each other while watching your video. Your target audience can comment and ask questions, thus forging a type of community guided by you and your brand.

This improves user experience in an organic, natural way that can bring about referrals and recommendations from your audience to boost the number of followers you have.

4. It gives the option to provide education

You are not just selling a product or service. In fact, you are proving education which adds value to your brand. Live streaming can allow you to provide an interactive lesson, seminars or lectures.
Customers can ask questions in real time and those questions can be addressed immediately, which clears up any confusion that blocks a potential sales conversion. This can also nourish your brand’s community and boost your interactions with your target audience.

5. It provides transparency

People want to know what your brand is all about, even behind the scenes. They want to gauge your authenticity. Live streaming makes that easier. Customers can now look behind the scenes as part of special presentations for free.

For example, you can show them a demo of your latest product. You can show them around the office and introduce them to some of your staff in real-time. The advantage this has over traditional video marketing is that you are designed to feel like you are in the room with them.

For more information about live streaming services for your business, visit us at www.mediapartnersworldwide.comm or call us directly at (562)439-3900

Mobile Marketing Media: Changing Radio Effectiveness?

As effective as radio is, there are still some obstacles in regards to consumer response. In some cases, when hearing an advertisement, potential customers can’t write down the number or remember it later. Texting laws are also limiting customer’s abilities to type on their phones while driving.

#250 Mobile media Marketing#250, a mobile speed dialing service, is providing an easier response method that is hoping to capture more leads for your advertisement. According to their website, “#250 (pound two-fifty) is a speed dial that works right now on virtually all mobile phones in the US and Canada.  Advertisers use it as a replacement for long phone numbers that consumers cannot remember when heard in Radio or TV ads.”

This form of mobile media marketing is extremely effective, as it requires simply remembering a keyword, instead of a whole slew of numbers. By punching in just 4 digits (#250) and stating the keyword mentioned in the advertisement, consumers will be directed right to the business’ call center, website or retail page.  It is also Bluetooth friendly, so you can say the keyword and are connected immediately. Hands free, being the safest driving option, is a huge part of #250’s campaign.

So far, the response has been excellent.

KC Campbell, Western Region Affiliate, said that “clients in LA have seen as much as an 86% increase in their calls in the first month.” Some companies have had to staff up to handle the call volume.

Businesses can choose their own keywords as well. This factor is “unique to each individual client,” said Campbell. So instead of hearing an ad on TV or radio that prompts you to call “1-800-GET-THIN,” customers simply dial #250 and say the keyword “Get Thin.”

And as far as performance tracking, they have that covered too.

“We can see we got “x” amount of calls and there is empirical proof of it because we have the numbers and times that these calls went through.” This allows data to be very specific, as you can see the duration of the call or if a text message was accepted.

Mobile marketing media, like #250, has a great possibility of making radio work more efficiently. With more response options and an easier method of remembering your product, consumers will most likely be responding faster and in greater volumes.

That is the main goal, anyway.

Infinite Dial 2016 – Study On Digital, Mobile Growth

By David Alpern The annual Infinite Dial study was recently released. It examined the expanding proliferation of smartphones and digital Infinite Dialaudio services, such as listening to online radio and podcasts. The research found that half of the audience now listens to some sort of online radio each week, up from 44% last year. Here are some highlights of how content delivery is evolving:

  • 57% of Americans use online radio each month
  • Podcast listening is growing on a monthly basis (17% to 21%) and weekly (10% last year to 13% this year). Weekly podcast listeners listen to an average of five podcasts per week
  • In-home ownership of a radio receiver has dropped. 79% have a radio at home. Eight years ago it was 96% = nearly every home in America. Among 18-34-year-olds, radio ownership in the home is down from 94% to 68%
  • Pandora remains the best-known online audio brand with 82% awareness. Apple Music which invested heavily to relaunch a year ago is second (67%). iHeartRadio, the largest broadcaster in the country is close to Apple (65%). Spotify has strong brand presence (52%)
  • Music streaming among the 12-24 demo finds that 43% listened to Pandora within the past month and 30% listened to Spotify
  • Spotify gained as the “Audio Brand Used Most Often,” up from 10% to 14%. Pandora leads everyone with 48%
  • Broadcast radio is tied for the lead among all audio sources for keeping up-to-date with new music – ahead of YouTube. However, among 12-24s, broadcast radio falls to third (58%), behind YouTube (86%) and friends/family (74%)
  • Smartphone ownership continues to grow, reaching 76%, up five percentage points since last year. Among 12-24-year-olds, smartphone ownership rose to 93%. Even seniors are getting “smart” with more than half now using a smartphone – up 45 to 51%
  • On demand video-subscriptions are at 51% of the country. The largest is Netflix. 43% of all survey respondents subscribe to Netflix
  • Facebook remains the most-used social media platform (64%). Among 12-24s Snapchat (72%) and Instagram (66%) lead the social media pack
Media consumption is dramatically changing. Mobile is increasingly being utilized as a “first screen” after several years of having established itself as the “second screen” supplement to traditional HDTV set viewing. Podcasts and on-demand video services are allowing for binge watching and listening, and their anticipated future growth will continue to impact and change the media landscape. Expect to see online radio continue to increase its audience reach and join smartphones and social media as broad mainstream activities.]]>

Google Changes How Ads Display on Computers

By David Alpern Two months after revealing testing of this tactic, Google this week announced that it is rolling out for computer desktop queries globally an expanded 4 ads at the top of search results pages (SERP). Advertisements will no longer appear down the right hand side. This echoes the mobile and tablet experience, which do not have sidebar ads, creating a seamless ad and search experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices. Google SERP This has been the buzz of the PPC and SEO communities this past weekend with many expressing shock. Small businesses with modest budgets will be hurt as the newly added 4th ad at the top comes in place of up to 7 first page slots of “ad real estate” on the (now defunct) RHS sidebar. Also, organic results are being pushed down even more. Bottom line, Google AdWords advertising is about to get more expensive (bidding wars) due to increased keyword bidding competition for the precious few spaces available on page 1. Expect to see the empty sidebar real estate on SERPs begin to be harnessed even more by Google’s various tools including Product Listing Ads, Google Flights, etc.]]>

5 Keys to a High Converting Landing Page

By David Alpern Crafting an effective landing page is not as simple as one might think. There are many elements to address, being mindful of the psychology lurking beneath the surface as it relates to what the prospect ultimately wants and expects, and there is no practical and universal step-by-step guide that is applicable across industries. Keep in mind that at the end of the day your company’s landing page is unique so you need to understand your target audience in the context of the 5 keys presented below. Yet, some things do remain constant across high-converting landing pages: Key #1: Powerful and Compelling Headline The headline is the magnet. That is true in any environment, in print, in an email subject line, as well as on a landing page. It needs to grab the reader’s attention with a short, punchy message that informs the reader what the product or service is all about. If you feel too limited in accomplishing this with just a headline, it is okay to also include a persuasive sub-headline. If the headline makes one look, the sub-headline should be designed to lure them to stay and go into slightly more depth. Key #2: Pictures Not just for the design enhancement of balancing the written content on your landing page, the brain actually processes images 60,000 times faster than text. The reader will be affected by the image(s) immediately. Best practices include using high-quality large pictures, have them be relevant (so using a cute baby, if irrelevant to your product or service is not effective), and making sure the image is not subtle. It needs to drive attention and stimulate. Key #3: Explain the Value Proposition Provide a straightforward explanation about your product or service. Interestingly, the explanation need not be integrated with your headline but should have some relation to your picture. An explanation should be benefit-oriented in a user oriented functional manner. For example, in place of “We make advertisements” go with the more compelling, value-oriented: “Get advertising that makes you money.” This addresses the important “What’s in it for me?” question. Another good way to convey the value proposition is through a list of benefits that are clearly focused on the user, rather than talking about yourself as a company. Ultimately, end with the CTA (call to action) with nearby testimonials, if available. CTA placement is a critical component and is okay to place the CTA in multiple locations on a single landing page, typically positioned at the end of various sections on the landing page. Key #4: Pain & Pleasure The fear of loss is a much more powerful motivator than the prospect of gain. Humans are wired to avoid pain, so if your landing page can cause the user to think about their pain, that can motivate them subconsciously to seek relief and thereby be more likely to convert. Pain can be communicated by discussing what will be lost as opposed to what will be gained. Pain references can appear in the testimonials as well as in the copy. Be sure to explain how your product or service can relieve the pain, as well as how it provides pleasure. Pleasure is often the by-product of what you are selling. For example, software performs tasks more efficiently, so it in effect is offering freedom, relief, and joy. Clothing is selling not just fabric but respect, trendiness, security, vibrancy, and fulfillment. A successful landing page identifies how to inspire and convey a sense of wonder and surprise. Key #5: CTA Lead Generation Form + Contact Information The CTA button is the most significant copy element on your entire landing page. It’s more than a “submit” button, so use a bold color that separates it from the rest of the content on the page. The CTA should be physically big on the page, powerful in value, compelling, and attractive. Yet, some people will want to bypass the CTA and contact you. Make sure you have multiple methods of contacts — phone, address, email, chat feature, as well as that cherished contact form. These help eliminate any friction in the conversion funnel and the physical address and phone help assure that you are a real company.]]>