Category Archives: Social Media Marketing

Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

How to Improve SEO Performance

SEO Performance

The baseline of digital marketing is content writing, while the baseline of content writing is SEO. Many are puzzled about what SEO really is. Most digital marketers struggle with how to improve SEO performance. In this article, let us discuss SEO and tips on how to improve it!

WHAT IS SEO?

SEO is the abbreviation for search engine optimization. A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong defines SEO as a strategy of increasing the quality and quantity of traffic to a website through organic search results. When we mean organic search results, these are unpaid marketing content. These types of content rank on search pages because of their relevance to the search term.

Google is a website where people can search for information by typing on the query box or speaking through a voice command. Recently, Google has also been testing visual searches. Being the largest search engine in the world, Google gathers all the content they can find on the Internet and indexes them. When a searcher types a query, Google’s crawlers rank the indexed information based on the CORE algorithm. They will then show the 1s and 0s ranking on the search results.

Google’s core algorithm is ever-changing. It is also something that does not have a fixed guideline. But a social media agency Hong Kong lays out that the main factor influencing search ranking today are keywords relevancy, location, and mobile optimization. As such, marketers should focus on creating content using relevant keywords for common search terms in their niche. They should at the same time update their business location to increase the chance of ranking on top of searches. Technically, their social media pages and website should also be optimized for mobile users.

HOW TO IMPROVE SEO PERFORMANCE

Are you looking to rank on top of search results and drive traffic to your website? Here are some tips on how to improve SEO Performance.

  • Find the right keywords and topics for your content. The most important step to improve your SEO performance is to search for the right keywords and topics related to your industry. Prioritize the user’s search intent. These may either be commercial, informational, or transactional. Use a piece of product information and reviews keywords for commercial search intent as searchers are looking for a solution to their pain points. Use industry keywords for informational content as searchers might be looking for broader information. Use specific buying or shop keywords for transactional content as the searcher has a solid intention to make a purchase. The key is to focus on keywords and topics suitable for your web pages’ authority and size. Alternatively, you can use free keyword research tools to make the job easier. Google Keyword Planner, Keyword Generator, and Keyword Surfer are some examples.
  • Avoid keyword stuffing. This year, the ideal length of a standard SEO blog post is 2,100 to 2,400 words. There is no standard percentage on how many keywords are too many for certain content. But the rule of thumb is to use it 5 times within a standard blog post. As such, if you will be using keywords within a webpage with limited text or words, using it once or twice is enough to improve SEO performance. Avoid keyword stuffing as Google’s artificial intelligence may tag your web page into spam. Or it may appear that you are tricking the search engine for your page to crawl. The key is to use context clues, synonyms, and variations to your keyword in order to cover them within the whole content. If you want to make it easier to track your keyword counts, you can use free online keyword density checker tools. 
  • Include visuals on your content to increase engagement. Visual content provides a ton of value over web pages. As they increase engagement, they can boost the time a searcher stays on a page, which is, an SEO critical ranking factor. They also make content easy to consume, which increases the likelihood of a page being shared. A video marketing agency Hong Kong notes that placing a video in the middle of content can greatly improve SEO performance. If visitors go to your website and leave after 10 seconds, Google will tag it as bad or irrelevant. Adding a video makes the viewers click the link and stay longer. They typically end up watching the whole short video. Thus, it can decrease your bounce rate as it lengthens the time a visitor stayed on the page. 
  • Interlink your content with other pages on your website. Internal linking allows search bots to crawl your content. Interlinking your website content gives Google an idea of how you organize and structure your website. Related content makes Google rank you higher among search results. Another advantage of interlinking your website content is that you can rank pages according to their importance. As such, Google searches will display the most important content you want people to discover. Backlinking, on the other hand, gives authority to a web page. By linking your content to credible sources, Google will rank a page higher by providing accurate and reliable information.
  • Use CTAs to drive action. Another way to improve SEO performance is to use the right CTAs to drive action. Call to Action should be clear, well-designed, and well-position within the content. They should relate to the user’s search intent whether they want information or are ready to make a purchase. Use CTAs like “click to know more”, “download now”, etc. for informational searches. Use CTAs like “buy now”, “shop here”, etc. for searches with a solid intent to buy.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Following these 5 tips can greatly boost your SEO performance. But since Google’s CORE algorithm is ever-changing, the main key is to constantly update your content.


Reference:https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/how-to-optimize-your-website-content-to-improve-google-rankings-conversio/603870/

Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

Everything You Need to Know About Ecommerce (2021)

eCommerce

In 1969, an insurance company owner was looking for a computer. He was Harry Gard. Harry was looking for something that can store a lot of data. Unfortunately, the available computer has too much data storage. So, his son-in-law, Jeffrey M. Wilkins, suggested that they buy it out and have the extra capacity rented. Jeffrey resigned from the burglar alarm company where he was working. He joined Harry in running a new company. This became CompuServe in 1979, the first American online service provided. On the other side of the globe, an English inventor, Michael Aldrich, connected a modified TV to a transacting computer via telephone lines. Alas, there was online shopping! Michael became known as the father of eCommerce. 

Three years later, the Boston Computer Exchange was launched. This is the first eCommerce company. It was followed by the first online marketplace for books in 1982 – Book Stacks Unlimited. Then, there was Amazon which also began as an online bookstore in 1995. In 1998, PayPal appeared as a money transfer tool for eCommerce. Then came Alibaba as an online marketplace for different products. The year 2000 witnessed the launch of Google Ad Words. This became a way for eCommerce businesses to advertise using Google search. They began using the pay-per-click (PPC) context, which was then separated from search engine optimization (SEO). Shopify, the first eCommerce platform with a point-of-sales system, rose in 2004. Until 2011, Facebook rolled out Stories ads to join the eCommerce bandwagon. 

Today, eCommerce has gone a long, long way. Since the beginning of CompuServe in 1969, technological innovations have driven its growth. To meet the consumer’s convenience and safety, eCommerce changes at a fast pace. Let us try to lay down everything you need to know about eCommerce in 2021!

WHAT IS ECOMMERCE?

A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong defines eCommerce as the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. It also involves the transfer of data and money to complete the sales. The name eCommerce began as the Internet was served using computers and electronics. The “e” stands for electronics, while “commerce” was referred to as the exchange of goods and services. This year, the global eCommerce market is expected to have annual revenue of $4.8 trillion. As 76% of consumers shop online, people realized the convenience of eCommerce. Like what a social media agency Hong Kong always says, with eCommerce, people do the following:

  • Don’t have to leave their bed while shopping.
  • They can opt for next-day delivery of their online orders.
  • They have a more personalized shopping experience by having more access to products and services information.

THE DIFFERENT ECOMMERCE MODELS

There are 5 different traditional eCommerce models, but there are more other niche models sprouting today. Among the traditional ones are the following:

  • B2B (Business to Business) where a business sells to another business like a manufacturer selling goods and services to a wholesaler and a wholesaler selling goods and services to a retailer. This eCommerce model does not involve consumer interaction. They commonly involve the sale of products that are combined, raw materials, software, etc. 
  • B2C (Business to Consumer) where the sale is directly taking place between the business and the consumer. This is the most popular type of eCommerce and the one adopted by Amazon and Shopify. 
  • C2B (Consumer to Business) where an individual sells products and services online to a business. Typically, it involves selling freelance services like consultancy, digital marketing, photography, writing, etc. A popular C2B platform today is Fiverr.
  • C2C (Consumer To Consumer) where an individual sells products and services online to another individual. Again, it typically involves the selling of freelance services like consultancy, digital marketing, photography, writing, etc. The most popular C2C platforms today are eBay and Etsy.
  • D2C (Direct to Consumer) is the newest eCommerce model. It means that a brand directly sells goods and services to its end customer without passing through a distributor, retailer, or wholesaler. Its most popular item is paid subscription features from varied social media networks. 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ECOMMERCE PLATFORM AND A WEBSITE

eCommerce is powered by online platforms and websites. 

An eCommerce platform is a software that allows the buying of goods and services online. It has all the components you need to run an online business. Instead of creating a website from scratch, an eCommerce platform allows online businesses to upload their product catalog using an interface. They can also consolidate data, design, manage, and promote their digital shops according to their preferences. An eCommerce platform is also equipped with an integrated payment system, security, and support. Some popular eCommerce platforms today are the following:

An eCommerce website is a site that facilitates the buying and selling of goods and services online. It adheres to the different eCommerce models. Retailers with brick-and-mortar stores can sell their products and services online by creating an eCommerce website. This website also serves as a link between freelancers and potential clients or service providers. It also allows product or software downloads. A recent trend on the eCommerce website has risen to the spotlight. Dropshipping allows the selling of goods without holding any inventory. Under this eCommerce niche, third-party sellers wait for an order before getting a supplier to fulfill the sales. Among the most popular eCommerce website today are the following:

THE BOTTOM LINE

Running an eCommerce store is not easy, but overcoming the challenge is worth it. You have to focus on earning the consumers’ trust to buy your products and services. The best way to do this is through mobile optimization as 6.4 billion people use smartphones today. According to a video marketing agency Hong Kong, brand storytelling has made eCommerce highly successful. This is by creating short clips about a brand, product, or service.

Reference: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/what-is-ecommerce

Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

The World’s Top Social Media Influencers (2021)

Top Social Media Influencers

Today, more than half of the world’s population use social media. With around 4.66 billion social media users, influencer marketing among social media platforms is forecasted to be a $15 billion industry by 2022. Around 90% of brands and businesses believe that influencer marketing is very effective. There are 56% of them partnering with the same influencers across different campaigns. 

According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, the top social media platform for influencer marketing is Instagram. TikTok recently bagged the second spot as a preferred influencer marketing platform, while YouTube garnered the third spot as video marketing continues to be the king of influencer content. Instagram Reels, Tiktok Clips, and YouTube Shorts are continuously booming among influencer content as a video marketing agency Hong Kong says. 

Yet, the biggest challenge with influencer marketing lies in finding the right partner. Most brands and businesses are having a hard time sealing a contract with their preferred influencers because of a limited budget and niche considerations. To help them find the right partner, here’s a view of some of the top social media influencers. 

WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING?

A social media agency Hong Kong defines influencer marketing as the partnership of brands and businesses with social media influencers to increase brand awareness or conversions among a specific target audience. Marketers sponsor an influencer’s online content to endorse products and services. This is to influence the buying decision of target audiences and eventually drive conversions.

There are five categories of social media influencers based on their number of followers. These are the following:

  • Nano-influencers with 1000 to 10,000 followers. They are commonly bloggers, reality TV stars, social media sensations, or vloggers.
  • Micro-influencers with 10,000 to 50,000 followers. They comprise around 81% of the active Instagram influencers. They have a large community of followers commonly interested in a specific niche.
  • Mid-tier influencers with 50,000 to 500,000 followers. These types of influencers are commonly active advocates of political or social causes like journalists and photographers. They often have radical views, so brands and businesses should be very cautious in partnering with them. 
  • Macro-influencers with 500,000 to 1,000,000 followers. Commonly, macro-influencers are thought leaders who have top-level decisions among companies.
  • Mega-influencers with more than 1,000,000 followers. They are commonly seasoned athletes, models, movie stars, and musicians.

If brands and businesses were able to find the right influencer, they can make more than 5x of what they spend on influencer marketing.

THE WORLD’S TOP SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

Here are the world’s top 50 influencers across social media platforms:

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo, a soccer superstar with 517 million followers
  2. Justin Bieber, a Canadian singer with 455 million followers
  3. Ariana Grande, an American actress, and singer with 429 million followers
  4. Selena Gomez, another American actress, and singer with 425 million followers
  5. Taylor Swift, an American singer, and songwriter with 361 million followers
  6. Dwayne Johnson, the American actor popularly known as “The Rock” with 342 million followers
  7. Katy Perry, another American singer, and songwriter with 338 million followers
  8. Kylie Jenner, an American media personality and socialite with 333 million followers
  9. Rihanna, a Barbadian singer for pop and rhythm n’ blue music with 332 million followers
  10. Kim Kardashian, an American model, and socialite with 319 million followers
  11. Lionel Messi, an Argentinian football player with 298 million followers
  12. Neymar Da Silva Santos Jr., a famous Brazilian footballer with 283 million followers
  13. Shakira, a Colombian singer, and songwriter with 282 million followers
  14. Jennifer Lopez, an American actress, dancer, and singer with 277 million followers
  15. Beyonce, an American actress, and singer with 267 million followers
  16. Ellen DeGeneres, a famous American comedian and TV host with 260 million followers
  17. Miley Cyrus, an American actress, and singer with 235 million followers
  18. Nicki Minaj, a Trinidad-born rapper and singer with 232 million followers
  19. Barack Obama, America’s 44th President with 221 million followers
  20. Will Smith, an American actor and film producer with 217 million followers
  21. Kendall Jenner, an American model, and socialite with 212 million followers
  22. Demi Lovato, an American singer, and songwriter with 211 million followers
  23. Lady Gaga, an American rock singer and songwriter with 210 million followers
  24. Kevin Hart, a black American actor and stand-up comedian with 201 million followers
  25. Virat Kohli, the captain of India’s National Cricket Team with 195 million followers
  26. Eminem, an American rapper with 194 million followers
  27. Drake, a Canadian rapper with 192 million followers
  28. Khloe Kardashian, an American model, and socialite with 191 million followers
  29. Bruno Mars, an American pop-music singer with 191 million followers
  30. Chris Brown, an American rapper and singer with 180 million followers
  31. Vin Diesel, the famous lead actor of “The Fast and the Furious” with 177 million followers
  32. Narendra Modi, the 1st Prime Minister of Independent India with 175 million followers
  33. Justin Timberlake, an American actor, and singer with 175 million followers
  34. Billie Eilish, an American singer, and songwriter with 171 million followers
  35. Charlie D’Amelio, an American dancer with 169 million followers
  36. Kourtney Kardashian, an American media personality with 165 million followers
  37. Cardi B, a rapper for New York with 160 million followers
  38. LeBron James, a famous American basketball player with 157 million followers
  39. Adele, an English singer, and songwriter with 156 million followers
  40. Priyanka Chopra, an Indian actress, and singer with 144 million followers
  41. German Garmendia, a Chilean YouTuber with 143 million followers
  42. Wiz Khalifa, an American rapper with 142 million followers
  43. PewDiePie, a Swedish comedian and YouTuber with 141 million followers
  44. Akshay Kumar, an Indian actor in Canada with 140 million followers
  45. Snoop Dog, a Californian rapper with 138 million followers
  46. Deepika Padukone, a famous Indian actress with 138 million followers
  47. Britney Spears, an American pop star with 137 million followers
  48. Shawn Mendes, a Canadian singer, and songwriter with 136 million followers
  49. Whindersson Nunes Batista, a Brazilian comedian, and YouTuber with 135 million followers
  50. Salman Khan, a famous Indian actor with 134 million followers

Reference: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/

Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

How to Craft Personalized Marketing Messages to Boost Customer Loyalty

Personalized Marketing Messages

Do you know that Amazon is the pioneer of personalized marketing messages? The company uses sophisticated analytics to customize products offered to its shoppers. It normally sends a confirmation email after a purchase, with suggested bundle offers relevant to the recent item, bought by the customer. Recently, Amazon launched the Prime Wardrobe services for Prime members. Through such services, a team of stylists will do personalized recommendations from millions of brands across Amazon.  

Modern shoppers expect a personalized experience among brands. That is why brands and businesses should craft customized messages relevant to each shopper. This can differentiate them from their competitors and enable them to survive. On a scale, personalized marketing messages lift total sales by 2% plus reduce marketing costs by 10 to 20%. They have also proven to drive customer loyalty and retention. As a result of positive customer interaction, they yield 3x higher return on investment (ROI) than mass promotions. Below, feel free to know how to craft personalized marketing messages to boost customer loyalty.

3 Fast Facts About Personalized Marketing Messages

A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong has noted 3 fast facts about personalized marketing messages. These are:

  • 2 in 3 online shoppers would rather buy from brands that are aware of their purchase history.
  • 72% of online shoppers engage with marketing messages crafted according to their interests.
  • 90% of customers find irrelevant marketing messages annoying.

These fast facts further showed that modern customers prefer marketing messages that feature product details, make them laugh, relevant to their interests, and tell a good story. If a brand is successful in crafting personalized marketing messages, it will eventually achieve brand loyalty, conversion, customer retention, and engagement. On the reverse side, a brand that fails to craft personalized marketing messages drives customers away and fails. 

Tips to Craft Personalized Marketing Messages to Boost Customer Loyalty

There are three categories where brands and businesses can craft personalized marketing messages to boost customer loyalty. These are through email, in-app messaging, and text.

Personalized emails increase click-through rates by 41%. It is important to add first names to your subject line. A person’s name is the sweetest word one can ever hear or read. It increases an email open rate by 20% and reduces the unsubscription rate by 17%. As an extra pro tip, it is best to keep your subject line at 25-30 characters. This makes them mobile-friendly. Remember that a majority of modern shoppers access their email on mobile devices. If an online shopper abandoned a shopping cart, send them a reminder email possibly with a discount code to entice sales. Alternatively, brands can also send behavior-triggered emails when an online shopper completes a certain action on the website. This type of email increases the open rate by 70.5%. Through an automation system, behavior-triggered emails are commonly sent to customers who click the buy button, download an eBook, and sign up for a subscription, etc. According to a social media agency Hong Kong, one way to drive viral growth via personalized marketing messages is to encourage customers to share congratulatory emails on their social media accounts. 

One way to improve the content of an email marketing message today is by adding a video like what a video marketing agency Hong Kong does. The most effective email messages are limited to around 50 to 125 words. So, adding a video to the email can help brands engagingly convey more information. Besides, adding the word “video” on an email subject line increases the open rate by 6%. A 2-minute video is recommended as great email content. 

Personalized in-app messaging provides an exciting journey among online shoppers. Most modern consumers download apps on their devices to make their shopping experience convenient and easier. These shopping apps allow them to access and explore new products and services anytime and anywhere. In-app messages are hyper-targeted messages sent to a user when they are actively online on a shopping app. They allow brands and businesses to send a message to the customer or prospect at the right timing. These include customer support, product updates, relevant updates, etc.  Some best practices using in-app marketing messages are 

  • Sending welcome notes with quick beginner’s tutorials
  • Sending daily users with referral codes or special discounts with a simple redemption process
  • Creating pre-built templates to highlight exciting user data or shareable brand stories

Personalized text messages can also add value to a brand’s overall marketing campaign. SMS messages are cheaper and more personal than other forms of marketing messages. Through text messaging, brands can send a welcome offer guiding users on how to explore the brand’s app or website. Creating a unique coupon code can make the receiver of a text message feel more special and evokes brand connection. Modern customers also prefer to get appointment reminders, confirmation of a reservation, or status alerts. Brands can use text messaging to complete them together with a help desk link to cross the extra mile in providing customer service. It is also best to remember investing in a two-way text messaging platform. Reply to text messages received from customers and prospects. SMS yield a 45% response rate and this can make a big difference to the success of your marketing messages.

Reference: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/10-ways-to-personalize-your-marketing-messaging-to-create-loyal-customers/600643/

Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

Does Email Marketing Still Work?

Email Marketing

Social media has been very powerful today. It is where people connect to the world and search for products and services. SEO has also been a great marketing strategy. By posting quality content on a business website, search engines help brands get discovered. There is one marketing technique still used today by B2B marketers – email marketing. It reaches out to target audiences in a different way. This is by sending them messaging content on their email addresses. It has not been so popular nowadays. And the question is – does email marketing still work?

WHAT IS EMAIL MARKETING?

As mentioned, email marketing is a digital marketing strategy of sending out emails to customers and prospects. It has been around for more than two decades and has become a marketing mainstay. A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong noted that some businesses believe that modern technology has killed email marketing, yet this isn’t true. Email marketing is the most effective way of directly connecting with leads to convert them into customers. It is the number 1 communication channel as 99% of consumers check their emails daily. People who receive email offers spend 138% more than those who do not receive them. That is why email marketing has steadily recorded a 4400% return on investment (ROI). This is 3x better than social media conversions. In other words, email is the best way for businesses to get online sales. 

Another unique power of email marketing, according to a social media agency Hong Kong, is that it can boost the discovery of social media posts. Email is the safest way to inform social media followers about any promotion or updates. There are times when social media pages are tagged as too pushy with their followers and these pages become deactivated. With email marketing, no one can take away the list of leads from a business. 

HOW TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LISTS

For email marketing to work and have a larger reach, brands and businesses first need to grow their email lists. An email list is a collection of names and demographics from customers, event attendees, website visitors, etc. There are several ways brands and businesses can build an email list. Some of the best ways are:

  • CTA buttons through social media
  • Embedded signup forms 
  • Loyalty and referral programs
  • Pop-ups
  • Sign up notifications for discounts and deals
  • Squeeze pages, a dedicated page to capture leads on a business website

A video marketing agency Hong Kong has noted that videos can also be used as lead magnets. An explainer video, how-to, live streams, unboxing, and webinars are great examples of them. Most marketers recommend placing an email request when 20% of the video has already been played. Such a technique captures 43% conversion rates. 

DOES EMAIL MARKETING STILL WORK?

In 2021, email continues to be the simplest method to market a business online. 

Email Marketing Complements Social Media Marketing

Digital marketing is not a single process. It needs different strategies and techniques to work. Email marketing can complement social media marketing. Pairing these two digital marketing strategies side by side can ensure successful ads and campaigns. Using emails, social media pages can remind subscribers about their active social community. They can notify them of any new post, product launch, upcoming events, or updates from the business through email. Social media pages can also launch contests and giveaways via emails. All these efforts lead to boosting connection and engagement among customers and prospects.

Email Marketing Increases Brand Recognition

Most people are not ready to buy products and services online. They may see a brand or business in social media the first time around, but it does not provide them any major buying impact. Email marketing can help increase brand recognition. By sending targeted emails, a brand will be exposed to potential customers. They can help brands stay on top of people’s minds so that when they are ready to make a purchase, it is the brand that they will consider buying.

Email Marketing Is Cost-Effective

When compared to social media marketing and traditional marketing, emails are less expensive and cost-effective. You don’t need to pay artists or creators to curate social media content. You also don’t need to pay for ad spaces, postage, or prints. At the same time, email marketing has a higher ROI. The Direct Marketing Association estimates that emails result in a $40 revenue for every $1 ad spend. 

Email Marketing Is Measurable

One way to make digital marketing effective is to measure its results. Email marketing still works because it can very well be measured. Bounce rate, click-through rate, and open rate are some ways to measure the effectiveness of email marketing. The average email bounce rate is 2%. The average email open rate is 18%. On the other hand, the average click-through rate for email is 2.6%. These metrics give valuable insights that email marketing still works today. Other email marketing insights can also help brands and businesses discover their customers’ behaviors and interests. This is by finding out what email content they commonly open, ignore, and reply to.  

Email Marketing Is Target-Focused

When a brand or business runs a television ad, there is no control over who can see the ad content. When these ads are run on social media, a brand or business can segment the target audience. Yet only interested readers and viewers can reach those segmented campaigns. Like social media segmentation, brands and businesses can send emails based on demographics, locations, and lead status. Customizing email messages based on these elements can lead to higher open rates and, eventually, conversion and sales. 

To wrap it up, email marketing still works! Being the easiest and simplest way to market, it has stayed for more than 2 decades and will stay a decade more.

Reference: https://www.webfx.com/internet-marketing/is-email-marketing-still-effective.html

Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

Tell Your Brand Story Through Animated Videos

Animated Stories

Animated videos have found their way as an effective marketing strategy in the digital world. According to a social media agency Hong Kong, these types of video formats are set to boom in social media marketing this 2021. It is because they have a unique storytelling power to uplift brands. They also never run out of style and are the most beloved types of online video ads. They are very engaging, fun, and informative to watch. History has shown how powerful animated videos are when it comes to marketing.

  • Nike’s “Air Max Reinvented” brought back the glory of the air max shoes in 2013.
  • Cadbury’s “Dancing Alien” revolutionized a new dance craze and taste push in 2016.
  • McVitie’s “Sweeter Together” cemented the company’s position as the number 1 UK biscuit brand in 2018. 

Let us now take a peek at how to tell your brand story through animated videos. If you do them right, you can hit the sweet spot of your target audiences.

What Are Animated Videos?

A video marketing agency Hong Kong defines animated videos as cartoons, puppets, and quirky objects converted into video mode by adding music and voices. Unlike regular videos captured by a camera, animated videos are a series of illustrations compiled together to simulate a short video format. An animated video ad commonly lasts for 15 to 60 seconds to quickly promote a brand, product, or service. Creating animated video ads is more difficult than curating a regular video ad. It requires creativity, precision, and the right technology.

There are a lot of ways to use animated videos in advertising. Some companies use animated videos to create a character for a brand. Animated infographics are a lighter approach to educating clients. Explainer videos help people better understand the benefits of a brand. They can also be used to create a story where either the brand or customer is the hero. So, animated videos are not just for kids. Around 80% of people – young and adults alike – love animated videos.

How Can Animated Videos Boost ROI?

No matter how funny or serious a brand is, no matter what product or service you sell, animated videos can significantly boost the return of investment (ROI). According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, animated videos rock in hitting a brand’s goal.

  • Animated videos help a brand stay ahead of its competitors. It makes a brand stand out as creative, futuristic, and innovative.
  • By guiding and inspiring a brand’s target audience, it turns customers into buyers.
  • Embedded animated videos increase a brand’s visibility on search engine results. Thus, it boosts traffic to landing pages.
  • Explainer animated videos help customers better understand a product.
  • They are also cost-effective, avoiding the expense of hiring humans to act on a video.
  • They can easily bring ideas into life through simple drawings.

How to Tell a Brand Story Through Animated Videos

Modern consumers prefer videos over images and written content. They search for videos to learn about new products, how to use them, and hacks to make their lives better. Through videos, they can save time by learning a lot in just a few minutes of viewing. Animated videos are a great way to tell your brand story. To build an online presence, here are ways on how you can use them.

Brand Imaging

Many brands have to use animated videos to create a persona representing their characters. Animated video is a budget-friendly way of making the viewer’s imagination fly by using augmented reality. A great example of a branding story using an animated video is Toyota’s “Stories for Better.” Toyota has successfully shown in the Paris Motor Show event that their cars made lives better. Rather than promoting a single car model, the company advertised their suites of vehicles through creative and fun animations. 

Cartoon Stories

Stories can evoke emotion and help gain customer loyalty. Cartoon videos are an excellent way to create human connections in the absence of real-life actors and actresses. In 2017. Heinz Beanz: A Can Size for Every Aussie successfully captured the heart of Australian households and created a large community of loyal followers for the brand. The animated cartoon story showed how Geoff innovated a can size Heinz Beanz for one, two, and four people highlighting the value of love and family.

Demo Videos

Using animation allows brands to introduce their products and services in a fun and creative way. It has no limit in adding characters, locations, and styles to the video. This format allows brands to demonstrate their product details and features and how to use them. Even modern tech companies tap on the power of animated videos for their product demos. Western Union, for one, used an animated demo video for US Mobile Payments. With a consistent and minimalist design approach, it has provided simple and to-the-point information on how to use Western Union mobile payments.

Explainer Videos

The best way to use animated video in telling a brand story is through explainer videos. It can help brands communicate complex ideas by using unlimited images and effects to engage the viewers. As such, brands can clearly show how they solve the customer pain points through entertaining animations. Apple’s “How to Move from Android to iPhone” has greatly helped Android users in switching to iPhone devices. It has successfully highlighted that the iPhone is easier to use than Android with spitting at Android’s face. That’s good marketing!

Reference: https://customerthink.com/animated-brand-storytelling-how-brands-can-use-animated-videos-to-grow/

Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

The Scope of Digital Marketing This 2021

The Scope of Digital Marketing This 2021

Digital marketing or online marketing is any strategy to promote a brand, product, or service on electronic devices. This can be a computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, and any other devices that can be connected to the Internet. In essence, digital marketing is a way to connect and influence your target customers through Internet advertising. It covers blogging, eCommerce, email marketing, pay-per-click, and social media advertising. Among the common assets of digital marketing are:

  • A business website
  • Branded assets like a brand’s acronym, icon, logo, slogan, etc.
  • Branded images like company photos, infographics, product shots, etc.
  • Branded videos like product demos, video ads, etc.
  • Online products or tools like AR try-on, interactive content, SaaS, calculators, etc.
  • Social media pages
  • Written content like blogs, eBooks, product descriptions, testimonials, etc.

According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, digital marketing is more cost-effective and reaches a larger audience than traditional marketing. Through it, brands can track campaigns daily and control their ad spending based on ROIs. They can also target global prospects who have higher buying intent which can result in more sales. It also levels the playing field among big corporations and small businesses. Social media agency Hong Kong notes that social media platforms balance advertising and marketing among all users. 

As of April 2021, there are around 4.7 billion global Internet users. That is almost 60% of 7.863 billion people in the world. This means that digital marketing is very important among brands because of the growing Internet usage from time to time. The scope of digital marketing can be defined through the numerous channels and strategies that connect brands and customers. Such a scope differs as trends change. Below is the scope of digital marketing this 2021. 

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is some kind of promotional partnership between a brand and a website. This can be done by hosting video ads through YouTube’s partner program and posting affiliate links on social media pages. Every time a consumer clicks on the affiliate link and buys a product or service on the link, the affiliate website will earn a certain commission. The affiliate can be an individual or a company. Today, affiliate marketing commonly involves social media influencers.  

Content Marketing

Content builds relationships out of trust, and trust can drive revenue among brands. This is the principle of content marketing. It is the process of creating and distributing valuable content to highlight the benefits of a brand. The process includes writing blog articles, eBooks, infographics, and whitepapers. Yet content marketing also involves podcasting, posting on social media pages, webinars, and updating website content. A video marketing agency Hong Kong highlights the importance of videos in content marketing. In 2021, video is still the king. Most consumers today prefer watching videos over reading long posts. Digital marketers noted that video marketing is 68% more effective than Google ads and 74% more effective than static images. Today, most social media channels support the hosting and sharing of branded video content. One trend to watch out for this 2021 is the search engine optimization of images and videos. 

Email Marketing

Most companies use email marketing to connect to their audience by promoting content, discounts, or events. It comes next to social media and content marketing as a digital marketing strategy. Around 87% of B2B marketers use email to distribute ads and campaigns. 

Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is one of the most cost-effective scopes of digital marketing. It is 61% less expensive than PPC, paid social media ads, and traditional advertising. Among the tactics used by brands on inbound marketing are automated messaging, email spam, pop-up ads, true view video ads, etc.

Pay Per Click

Most digital marketers pay search engines like Google to drive traffic to their websites. The best example of PPC is using Google Ads which show on the top slots of Google’s search result. Every time a searcher clicks the ad, Google will charge the brand per number of clicks. Social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter also allow PPC. Facebook paid ads are featured on top of the newsfeed of matching business users. Twitter displays profile badges and tweets among a dedicated audience segment. On the other hand, LinkedIn allows sponsored direct messages based on the member’s background or industry.

SEO.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing website traffic through content and website improvement. There are 3 approaches to SEO.

  • Off-page SEO is done through backlinking using relevant links within the website. This is to allow a connective flow among the pages of the website. Off-page SEO also uses links from another website to increase the audience reach of page content.
  • On-page SEO is done by using relevant keywords on the site’s content to rank higher among search results. The key is to target the most common words that users type on the search box and answer those queries in the most informational manner.
  • Technical SEO focuses on the website’s element. These include the number of clicks to access a page, data structure, image compression, speed of loading, etc. Its main goal is to provide a better website experience among guests and visitors.

Social Media Marketing

Brands and people are going social. This means that they are commonly on social media platforms connecting with family and friends, searching for products and services, and watching out for news and trends. This scope of digital marketing aims to drive brand awareness and generate leads for a business. This 2021, the top social media platforms for marketing are:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

The scope of digital marketing is getting bigger and larger as people find new ways on how to access and enjoy the Internet. As such, digital marketers should always be flexible and on the lookout for the latest news and trends.

Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

The Roles of a Digital Marketing Agency

The Roles of a Digital Marketing Agency

The world population is now at 7.9 billion. Around 3.78 billion people use social media online. That is more than half of the total number of people globally. There are also around 4.66 billion active Internet users as of January 2021. These statistics just proved the importance of digital marketing. Today, with the many tasks that businesses need to cover online, hiring a digital marketing agency Hong Kong is much more convenient and practical. Below, let’s discuss the basics of digital marketing and the roles of a digital marketing agency.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing refers to any online assets or strategies that promote a brand, product, or service. 

Among the most common online assets are:

  • Branded assets like acronyms, icons, logos, slogans, USP, etc.  
  • Business website
  • Images like photos, infographics, and product shots
  • Online products or tools 
  • Social media pages
  • Video content 
  • Written content like blogs, eBooks, product descriptions, ratings, reviews, testimonials, UGCs, etc.

Among some of the most common strategies adopted by businesses are:

  • Affiliate marketing
  • Content marketing
  • Conversion rate optimization (CRO)
  • Email marketing
  • Paid social media advertising
  • Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
  • Search engine optimization (SEO)
  • Social media marketing

The term was first coined in the 1990s when the Internet was introduced for public use. It paved the way for computers and customer relationship management (CRM) applications that revolutionized marketing in the digital age. The introduction of the iPhone in the year 2000 changed the way people search and shop. They began looking for products online needing assistance from online support and after-sales services. From then on, digital marketing has been an important part of a successful business strategy.

The Roles of a Digital Marketing Agency

According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, the best digital marketing agency is equipped with the skill sets and strategies to accomplish business goals most efficiently. Most businesses hire a digital marketing agency because they are cost-effective and guarantee a higher return of investment (ROI). Studies showed that the cost per lead of a digital marketing agency is 61% lower than traditional marketing. This is because the company saves a significant cost from a skilled team of digital marketers over hiring and training of in-house talents. Besides, the scope of digital marketing is much larger. A digital marketing agency can accommodate everything by using the latest technology and tools. Below are the roles covered by a digital marketing agency today.

Analytics

The success of online marketing depends on how businesses use data and insights of ads and campaigns. These can be based on competitor research, current market trends, and previous ads and campaign insights. A digital marketing agency collects and analyzes these reports to guide businesses with their future marketing decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI) helps digital marketers to better access and evaluate data to create personalized content for their target audience.

AR and VR Specialists

Most people today are amazed by augmented reality and virtual reality. Such types of campaigns have proven to yield more conversion as they satisfy the customers’ demand. A digital marketing agency plays the role of an AR and VR specialist. They can well craft AR and VR campaigns to better connect a product with its target audience. They can set up an AR try-on for cosmetics, clothes, shoes, etc. Or they can adopt customized VR backgrounds to highlight a product or service.

Omni-channel Marketing

Omni-channel marketing means a sales approach using different channels like email, print ads, TV ads, and other media. The role of a digital marketing agency is to hand off such an approach smoothly. Emails should highlight social media content. Print ads promote brands and products but must sync with social media posting. TV ads should go hand-in-hand with video marketing. The key to multi-channel advertising is to let the buyers realize the benefits of a product and convince them to buy.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

A very important role of a digital marketing agency is being an SEO expert. From content marketing to email marketing, from landing pages to website optimization, from PPC to CRO, they have all the skills and tools to provide efficient results. A digital marketing agency has very technical know-how on SEO.

Social Media Management

A social media agency is under the umbrella of a digital marketing agency. It handles the creation, posting, management, and planning of social media content. Digital marketing agencies can also connect to key opinion leaders (KOL) or social media influencers. Such personalities have proven to boost brand awareness and drive sales. 

Video Marketing

A digital marketing agency also plays the role of a video marketing agency Hong Kong. Video remains a top strategy in getting the consumers’ attention. A digital marketing agency’s role is to create engaging and high-quality videos. They will connect these videos with relevant keywords and meta descriptions to boost online discovery. It will make it easier for consumers to find the brand or product online. 

Reference: https://www.simplilearn.com/the-scope-of-digital-marketing-article

Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing

How Video Marketing Influences the Buying Experience

How Video Marketing Influences the Buying Experience

If a picture paints a thousand words, then how much can a video express? Around 87% of social media agency Hong Kong use video in their strategies. It is a straightforward means of campaigning and a powerful tool to connect with people. In 2021, video marketing will continue to rise, especially now when consumer habits have changed. It is no longer just a piece of a marketing plan. Rather, it is now the central focus of digital strategies. People go online more often as an effect of the pandemic lockdowns. They now commonly search for products and services in digital shops instead of physical stores. So, the question is: How does video marketing influences the buying experience?

What Is Video Marketing?

Video marketing is using moving images to promote a brand, product, or service. It can be used for everything – from building rapport, promoting products and services, to telling a brand story. It is pretty simple. The rawer a video is, the more authentic it appeals to the audience. It is also cost-effective. Today, you can shoot a 4K video or one with excellent quality just by using a smartphone.

A brand should first identify what type of video it would like to create. According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, there are several types of video content.

  • Behind-the-Scene videos help brands establish a closer relationship with their customers. These give them a unique video experience seeing how a brand is conceptualized, how it works, and how they move forward. It’s watching what they don’t usually see on video ads.
  • Event videos showcase the highlight of the event, interesting interviews, presentations from the gathering, or even a live broadcast while an event is happening. 
  • Explainer videos commonly answer frequently asked questions about a new offering. They may also highlight the functions and benefits of a certain product.
  • How-To videos can be a demo on how to use a product, putting the product to a physical test, or unboxing a gadget plus how to assemble them.
  • Interview videos are a great way for brands to build authority and trust within a community. They highlight the expertise of an influencer or thought leader endorsing a brand.
  • Live Videos mean streaming real-time to announce something important or interact with the customers.
  • Presentations and talks are informational videos related to the brand. They can be a conference of brand advocates, industry experts, and thought leaders in a certain field. The main goal of such video content is to highlight that a brand participates in communities and innovation.
  • Product Demo is an in-depth explanation of the unique selling proposition (USP) of a featured product. It shows the product’s benefits for the potential customers to realize what they could get after buying it.
  • Review videos are commonly user-generated content highlighting how a brand, product, or service helps someone or solves a problem. These types of video marketing alter the viewer’s perception and influence their buying decision.
  • Testimonial videos are also user-generated videos of happy or renowned customers highlighting their good experience with the brand. These increase the confidence of potential customers to try out the brand as it produces positive results.
  • Tutorial videos teach the customers instructions on how to better understand a brand or a product. Like how-to videos, they give clear instructions on how to assemble or use a product the right way.
  • Vlogs are video versions of traditional blogs. They are fun and entertaining content showing how brands can help their clients. It also shows how customers enjoy the benefits of a product and make life easier for them.
  • Webinars are live video talks with a host and several numbers of participants exchanging ideas over a live and multi-participant broadcast.

How Does Video Marketing Influence the Buying Experience?

A recent survey made by Animoto showed the following insights on how video marketing influences the buying experience. These insights clearly show that brands should consider a video marketing agency Hong Kong as a major part of their strategies.

  • Among the best social media platforms for video marketing today are YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. This year, YouTube expanded the reach of TrueView video ads. They can now be seen before an actual YouTube video, during a mid-roll streaming, and at the end of the clip. Facebook has seen a surge of real-time shopping videos. Instagram, on the other hand, positioned itself by enhancing short-form video content. These include IGTV, Reels, and Stories.
  • Around 93% of consumers find videos helpful when purchasing a product. Video is a gold mine to an SEO strategy. By boosting likes and shares, they drive traffic to a brand’s site. Putting the right meta descriptions and tags on videos increase their chances of ranking in Google. Typically, consumers prefer the top 3 on the 1st page of Google search results. After finding the video helpful, searchers are turned into buyers.
  • Consumers prefer videos over photos and reading when learning about new products and services. This is because they are more entertaining than still images and text descriptions. They also make it easier for consumers to explore the content. Studies showed that viewers retained 95% of video messages. This is way higher than the 10% information retention when reading a text. So, when they are ready to purchase, they will most likely remember the brand on a video they have recently watched.
  • Videos are the top 1 favorite content among social media users. Social media users are 4x more likely to watch a product video than read text descriptions of a product. Videos increase the conversions on landing pages by 80%. Even on emails, merely mentioning the word “video” increases the open rate by 19%. These are clear statistics showing the strong influence of video marketing on buying decisions.

The Bottom Line

Today, brands should find a way to make their video marketing stand out. Short-form clips and vertical videos continue to grow in popularity. They are engaging, eye-catching, and relevant. Most social media platforms are equipped with A/B experiment tools. Use them to know what draw your audiences in. Act now, and start creating the most enticing video for your brand. Doing nothing is not marketing. Create pictures that paint a thousand words, and record videos that travel a million miles.

Reference: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/how-video-is-influencing-consumer-decision-making-in-2021-infographic/598171/