Now more than ever, the process of choosing a college is rooted in digital marketing. As a prospective student, I was blasted with recruitment emails, targeted Instagram posts, and even Pandora radio ads. The sheer amount of content was overwhelming.  I was nowhere near a final decision on which school would be right for me.

A Critical Flaw

“The school will just feel right.”  I heard this phrase over and over again throughout my college search. Frankly, I thought only parents believed this outdated saying. Digital marketing made my decision process more dynamic than theirs – right?

Today, I recognize a critical flaw in the reliance on social media and online content in one’s college decision process. Social media does an exceptional job of showing us the good: what people want us to see. However, it is impossible to get a holistic view, or “feel” of anything solely through the screen of a device.

Austin City Limits

I attended an event at the University of Texas at Austin called “Best of Texas” during my senior year of high school.  Essentially, this was a massive marketing stunt – a weekend intended to persuade prospective students to accept their admission offers to UT. The Moody College of Communication held a luncheon in one of their buildings on campus. Here, the dean explained that we were eating in what was once the Austin City Limits Live studio, and that the school continues to work closely with the studio today. Sitting there opened my eyes to the opportunities that living in the city of Austin would provide. Here, I could envision a successful future for myself as a Texas Longhorn.

All One Could Truly Ask For

It is because of this experience that I stress the continued importance of traditional, in-person marketing in the college decision process. Visit a school that interests you. If you are still unsure, visit again – I did! Touring the campus and asking enrolled students about their experience first-hand allowed me to weigh pros and cons of the decision myself, not just with the help of an Instagram post.  I am beyond satisfied with my decision. My school pushes me to be the best version of myself, and that is all one could truly ask for.

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read. – Groucho Marx

One of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin, once wrote that if a person enjoys reading about their industry in their off-duty hours, they are on the right career path. I actually enjoy reading about marketing – I love learning about how companies promote themselves, new marketing tools I can use, and the pitfalls of unsuccessful marketing.

Here are a few of my favorite titles:

The Storytelling Non-Profit: A practical guide to telling stories that raise money and awareness  by Vanessa Chase Lockshin

Before reading The Storytelling Nonprofit, I was a big fan of Lockshin’s blog. It took me a while to buy her book (my parents call me cheap, I prefer the word frugal). I’m glad that I did.

Every nonprofit has a story to tell and I fervently believe that nonprofits can, and should, use storytelling to market themselves and raise funds. Part guide, part workbook, The Storytelling Nonprofit takes the reader step-by-step through a storytelling process that will reach audiences and donors.

The Crowdsourceress: Get Smart, Get Funded, and Kickstart Your Next Big Idea  by Alex Daly

I like the The Crowdsourceress for a few different reasons: 1) I love learning about people who took a circuitous route to the work that they do now, 2) it’s full of fun stories about successful (and not so successful) crowdsourcing campaigns, and 3) the book gets down to the nitty-gritty of marketing.

In the beginning of the book, Daly was working for a documentary film production company, writing grant applications, when one day a colleague asked her what turned out to be a fateful question: “What do you know about Kickstarter?” From there, the book takes a deep-dive into marketing for crowdsourcing campaigns. Even if you never crowdsource funding, this book is applicable to the marketing of any business or product.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott

Now in its 6th edition, David Meerman Scott’s The New Rules of Marketing and PR is a great introduction to digital media that enables two-way communication between businesses and their customers. At the time that the first edition came out, I knew that social media could be used to build relationships with prospective audiences, but I wasn’t sure how. This book was a great introduction. Scott updates the book every year with fresh, new content.

Scott outlines case study after case study of businesses that used social media, video, and blogs to create an open dialog and build relationships with their customers. If you are unsure about the seemingly Wild West that is the social, online world, The New Rules of Marketing and PR is a great primer.

“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room’s the greatest arsenal we could have – arm yourselves!” – Doctor Who, Episode: Tooth and Claw

If you love reading about marketing as much as I do, I hope you enjoyed this list. If you don’t, you can always call us, and we would be more than happy to help guide your next campaign.

We see it all the time. Businesses who bring us in and ask us to give them a marketing quick fix – a slight website facelift, some basic social media training, a piece of collateral – and think that it’s enough. And friends, I’m here to tell you, it’s not enough.

Although we are happy to collaborate with well-positioned partners on specific marketing initiatives, a marketing quick fix in lieu of a full marketing investment is ill advised. Spending time and dollars on a marketing band-aid is often a waste, when you haven’t done the work to flush out your brand or your audience.

There is no marketing quick fix. Good marketing is thoughtful, mindful, and multi-layered.

Good Marketing Begins With Branding

Everything begins and ends with the brand. Taking the time to identify your brand’s specific positioning and personality is essential. Your business must live and breathe your brand – without it you are dead in the water.

Know How You Fit in Your Market

Identifying your market and where you fit within the landscape is key. Knowing your competitors and their strengths enables you to differentiate yourself in your space.

Get to Know Your Audience

Understanding what motivates your audience is at the heart of any successful marketing program. Identifying your audience allows you to determine how and where to reach them.

Fine Tune Your Messaging

You’ve done all your homework, now you must use that knowledge to develop messaging that befits your brand, positions you well in your market, and resonates with your audience. Put that message front and center.

Track Your Results

A good marketing program should be monitored along the way to ensure you are getting the results you anticipated. If not, make mid-stream adjustments.

There are no quick fixes, friends. Marketing is important, and it’s a process. Do the work, and you will reap the rewards! If you’re not sure where to start, we can help!

Happy 2018, friends! March is underway – which marks our 7th in business! We have a rockin’ team and the most amazing, difference-making clients around. We couldn’t be happier to be where we are today. Bringing you our love and passion for marketing and branding is our mission!

So let’s get to it!

The marketing landscape is a dynamic animal, and in this competitive climate, staying on top of it is imperative. So far, this year we are seeing some definite shifts in the world of social media marketing, so without further ado, here’s the skinny:

7 Things to Know About Social Media Marketing in 2018

1. Free reach on social media is dwindling.

There is no doubt about it, organic free reach is in decline. Algorithms have shifted consumer reach and increased content competition has made break-through infinitely harder. Bottom line? Your social media efforts aren’t reaching as many people as before. Time to pivot. This shift will require you to be more thoughtful, create unique and curated content for each platform, and monitor your audience more than ever before.

2. There will be more focus on influencers.

Did you see our very own Tara Engelland’s blog about influencer marketing? If you missed it, you may not know that this word-of-mouth advertising is taking off. We know that consumers are increasingly making purchasing choices based on recommendations. Users with large followings on social media have the power to influence their online friends and followers, therefore, more and more businesses are forming strategic partnerships with these influencers to lead them in their direction.

3. Marketing is gearing towards millennials.

Most social media users are millennials (technically those born between 1980 and 2000). This generation relies heavily on social media to form and maintain relationships, get news and information, and research brands and products. Right now, this generation is coming of age – leaving home, graduating college, getting jobs, and earning their money and independence. Appealing to this demographic will be key going forward.

4. Mobile ready content is a must-have. 

Here are the numbers: more than 2½ billion people around the world are using smartphones, and 80% of social media users use them to access their platform of choice. So you do the math! The majority of online traffic now comes from mobile devices, so your social media marketing content has to be mobile ready.

5. Algorithms are making decisions. 

We. Are. Being. Watched. Online behavior is constantly being scrutinized and analyzed, and social media platforms are increasingly using algorithms to determine what content is most relevant to the end user. So how do we work alongside this technology? Study the algorithms closely and understand how they work.

6. Consumer data restrictions are getting tighter. 

Legislation such as the CAN-SPAM Act and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) leave marketers no choice but to offer transparency in their data collection. Use this opportunity to build trust in your brand: Ask consumers for relevant data with clear language addressing opting in.

7. Video marketing is here to stay.

Social media platforms are heavily focused on a video-first strategy, and it won’t be slowing down anytime soon. So jump on the video bandwagon!

Overwhelmed? Don’t be. This business is our business and we are here to help! Give us a call.

Influencer marketing has become a very popular form of social media marketing. Brands have discovered that an influencer partnership can have a positive impact on their revenue. This form of marketing allows brands to spread their content, connect with consumers, and build relationships more organically and directly.

An influencer is someone who acts as a mutual friend, and connects your brand with your target consumers. In today’s technological world, people are exposed to an abundance of purchasing choices, yet they don’t have the time to research them. Instead, buyers rely on friends, acquaintances, and fellow consumers to inform their purchasing decisions. The rise of social media has made it easier than ever for people to find other people who will help give them the information.

Luckily, social media has also made it easier for brands to seek out and partner with influencers who will get people talking about their company and products.

Partnerships with the right influencers can be extremely positive for your brand. A successful influencer will drive traffic to your site, spread your message across social media platforms, and grow your following. Ultimately, their recommendation sells your product.

When considering influencer marketing:

• Numbers aren’t everything. Don’t rely simply on the number of followers or social media likes an influencer has. Focus on who their followers are and what they are interested in. Those things matter more.
• Brand alignment is a must. Partner with influencers whose audiences align with your brand and the products you sell. Influencers come in all shapes and sizes: celebrities, industry experts, bloggers, YouTubers, journalists, etc.
• Authenticity is key. Collaborate and build relationships with influencers that truly believe in your brand. Buyers can detect partnerships that aren’t a genuine fit, and that may turn them away from your brand.

In 2018, influencer marketing is a powerful tool. If you’d like to develop relationships with social media influencers and aren’t sure where to start, call us. Front Porch Marketing can help!

A great logo makes your business. It serves as your abbreviated calling card, and speaks to your company’s culture, beliefs, and defining qualities without explanation. Add in color, font and unique graphical aspects and your logo becomes your brand.

“Your brand’s logo is the sort of thing that can have a bigger effect on your business than you first think,” says John Rampton of Forbes. “The wrong logo can make your brand come off as unprofessional, assuming anyone notices you at all. A good logo will create instant recognition within the minds of your target audience.”

Your logo should be unique, memorable, timeless, and versatile. It should stand out in the market. And it should represent your business and its message.

So you have an amazing logo!?!? NOW WHAT? Two simple but surprisingly difficult ideas:

Protect and Share.

On repeat. Make it your 2018 chorus.

From pictograms, ideograms, hieroglyphs to today’s world of avatars, emojis and icons, it can get confusing fast. If you are in a sea of sameness, unprotected and using your marks haphazardly, you are dead in the water.

Your logo usage must be easy, clear, and second nature. Take the Olympic rings, for example. No one mistakes them, everyone knows exactly what they represent, and what time it is when you see them. You can even hear the song in your head, can’t you? No questions. Put your logo under that filter. Every time you put it in play.

If you don’t diligently protect your marks, you are wasting effort.

So how do you protect your logo? You have standards, you have guidelines, you have a playbook and you follow it. No. Matter. What.

Remember, strong brands are:

• consistent at every touchpoint
• supported by strong teams
• not forced
• protective of their image

So in 2018, protect that brand. Share it. And do it again and again. As always, we can help!

Social media marketing is constantly changing and evolving, which is both good and bad. Keeping up with social media marketing trends is practically a full-time job! And so is figuring out the best social media marketing strategies for your brand.

As businesses are planning for the new year, there are several social media trends that appear to be here to stay (at least for now). You should consider these when putting together a strategy for 2018:

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has exploded over the past few years and there is no sign of it slowing in the near future. Using social media influencers is an excellent way to expand the reach of your brand messaging when you choose the right partners to work with.

Studies show that 74% of people look to their networks on social media for advice on buying decisions. In addition, 40% of people have bought something because they have seen it being promoted by an influencer on Instagram or Twitter.

Finding the right influencer marketing partnerships can seriously get your brand noticed!

Social Media Advertising Costs

Gone are the days of social media posting generating free organic reach. In order to gain new followers and grow your brand via social media, you must have a social advertising budget. Unfortunately, as the number of advertisers on social media increases, so will the cost of social ads.

As people realize that social media marketing provides an extremely cost-effective way to reach a targeted group of consumers, the competition for social advertising results increases. Therefore, to keep up with the competition, a social media advertising budget is a must for 2018.

You Gotta Have Video

Did you know that social videos generate 1,200% more shares than text and images combined? In addition, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when they read it in text. It’s estimated that by 2019, video will account for 80% of all consumer internet traffic.

Need I say more? It’s time to take video seriously! Social media video marketing needs to be an integral part of your social content strategy in 2018.

Social media marketing is constantly evolving. You won’t know if something is going to work for your business unless you test it. If you need help navigating the trends and reaching your audience, we on the Porch are here to help!

It’s almost the 4th Quarter, and here on the Porch, it’s all about cooler weather, football, holidays and … 2018 plans. The time is NOW to schedule your 2018 winning game plan. We can help you Play. To. Win.

Here are 6 Things to Think About as we head into Q4:

1. Volunteering.

   Folks, the need for volunteers is going into overtime to help hurricane victims. Our fellow Texans will persevere, but still need our help in Q4 and beyond. Over the last five weeks, the Front Porch Marketing team has donated some serious rocker time to help our clients whose teams were affected and to raise awareness for their fundraising and donation efforts. If you are looking to support hurricane victims in Texas and elsewhere, check out TrustedWorld.org. This fantastic organization based in North Texas helps us all keep on helping.

2. Supporting Women.

   Does your playbook include doing business with and promoting women-owned businesses? Look for WBE certified businesses by visiting Women’s Business Council-Southwest. Consider joining this great organization, and if eligible, get certified. Front Porch is proudly certified WBE, HUB, SBE and WOSB and recently attended the WBCS Business Works Expo in Arlington, Texas. We will gladly answer your questions!

3. Working Social Media.

   Are your fans crazy about your brand? Are they visiting your sites, watching you play and win the social media game, reading your blogs and newsletters and wanting more? It just takes one good quarter to make some great plays. Start now.

4. Celebrations.

   4th Q wouldn’t be 4th Q without events that celebrate family, friends and don’t forget – your team. We love it when our clients such as Mister Sweeper celebrate the team and let us help them plan it. Hint: Cinemark. Star Wars. Private Screenings. Make sure you have plans in place now to thank your team for 2017.

5. New Clients.

   Now that the Back to School huddle is over and everyone is settled into the new routine, we want to take a moment to shout out to two new clients who spend every day helping teachers do a great job of educating the children in our communities. Faith Family Academy and Catch Up & Read are North Texas organizations that demonstrate it’s all about having a passion for what you do.

6. and lastly …

   Friends, if you have to pick one of six things to do in the 4th quarter, pick this – Find. Your. Purpose. Like this one.

Our purpose at Front Porch is to rock your world and help you play to win. See you on the field.

This past weekend we took a quick, three-day weekend jaunt with friends. It was an ambitious endeavor: we had limited time, a long list of fun to be had, a necessary hotel change mid-way through, and 6 people (including 4 teenagers) to make happy in the process.

I would love to be able to tell you that it went off without a hitch, but alas, it did not.

We left too late to fully enjoy Friday. We didn’t plan our morning well enough to enjoy the entirety of the day on Saturday. Our second hotel reservation inadvertently got canceled which caused us to have to find a new hotel and lose several hours in the process. And although we were with very good friends and we managed to have lots of fun regardless, as I look back on it now, it was a bit of a debacle.

We were a tad loose and made some planning mistakes – it was a familiar locale, we assumed that we knew enough to wing some of it, and we weren’t as careful with our timing as we should have been.

Have you found yourself in this position with your marketing? Are you operating loosely and making these easily avoidable mistakes?

1. Operating Without a Marketing Plan

   Perhaps the worst mistake you can make is to just blindly spend valuable marketing time and money with no rhyme or reason attached to it. A good marketing plan is essential – absolutely essential. Take time to develop a plan whereby each thoughtful piece links with the next to serve the greater purpose.

2. Not Understanding Your Audience

   Do you know your people? You must educate, entertain, and inspire your audience. See things through their eyes and speak their language on channels that they frequent.

3. Getting Stuck in an Overly-Promotional Rut

   We get it, you want to promote your product or service; but your marketing can’t just be about your products. Touch on topics that are useful and interesting to your audience through your blogs, newsletters, social media posts, and videos. It can’t be all promotion.

4. Quitting Too Soon

   Good marketing doesn’t always yield immediately identifiable results; however, that doesn’t mean it’s not working. Establish your branding and marketing consistently, dependably, over time. Patience, grasshopper.

5. Picking the Wrong Marketing Partner

   We see it all too often – agencies who attach a high dollar price tag to programs that they don’t explain or support. Ensure you understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Your brand won’t be supported and your plan isn’t going to work unless everyone understands its importance and buys into it. Everyone.

We managed to have a fantastic time with our friends, despite our planning mis-steps. You, too, can have a fantastic marketing experience, even if you have made some mistakes.

We here on the Porch can help you right the ship. Come see us.

According to a 2016 Gallup Poll, Millennials have the lowest level of customer engagement across the industries that Gallup tracks. Gallup estimates that only “25% of millennials are fully engaged customers”, leaving brands to wonder how to engage the remaining 75%.

Gone are the days when when just posting and publishing frequently was enough. Now, with all the clutter on every form of social media, not only does your content need to be eye-catching, it also needs to be interactive and engaging.

As the younger generations shift their focus to work and individual production, their spending and buying habits shift as well. The Gallup Poll shows that while “71% of traditionalists and baby boomers consider themselves fully engaged with specific brands, only 53% of millennials and Gen Xers consider themselves fully engaged.”. Gallup further ranks each generation by their engagement, and found that “millennials tend to be more loyal and profitable when fully engaged,” as compared to other generations.

It is clear that if the success of a business relies heavily on millennials, understanding how to engage more than 25% of them is necessary for success. Even if a company relies on traditionalists and baby boomers for their profits, it is important to learn to adapt marketing plans as times change.

Consequently, companies need to strengthen their engagement and loyalty with millennials. Here are some tips.

Tips for Marketing to Millennials:

• Mobilize Your Efforts. 85% of Millennials use smart phones. Ensure your content is optimized for them.
• Think Like a Millennial. Understand what channels they frequent and how they interact on them. Make sure you are speaking to them and hitting all touchpoint.
• Content is Key. Give them valuable, interactive, meaningful, honest content about your brand and your story. Tell a story – millennials want to engage.
• Listen and Adjust. Listen to what they are saying, and be flexible and ready to adjust your plan when necessary.

Ensure your business isn’t missing this important millennial demographic. We here at Front Porch Marketing are ready to help!