Big Frame

Author: Bridget Klein

  • How To Pick The Right Influencers For Your Brand And Your Campaign

    How To Pick The Right Influencers For Your Brand And Your Campaign

    With consumers becoming increasingly wary of ‘traditional’ advertising, social platforms and online conversation can now have substantial sway over how people spend their money.

    This being the case, influencer marketing has become one of the most effective tools for marketers hoping to reach a large audience.

    However, with the likes of Instagram now boasting over 1 billion monthly users, it’s hard to know which influencer is the right one.

    When choosing an influencer, it can be difficult knowing where to start. But, it’s important to get this choice right.

    After all, any influencer marketing campaign can only be effective if both the brand and influencer are on the same page. 

    Picking an influencer to work with doesn’t have to be a long, arduous process – simply being clear on your brand’s aims as well as what you want to achieve with the campaign can go a long way in helping you understand which influencer is the right one. 

    On that note, let’s take a look at some tips to help you choose the right influencer for your brand and your campaign. 

    Understand your aims

    Launching and running an influencer campaign will be a lot easier if you’re clear from the start about what you hope to achieve.

    Before you even begin searching the expanses of the internet for the perfect person (or people)  to represent your brand, the first step is to come up with a comprehensive set of goals for the campaign.

    Not only will this clarify which metrics should be focussed on when it comes to measuring the actual success of the campaign, but it will also simplify the process of choosing the best influencer for the job. 

    Starting out with clear objectives will make it easier to pick an influencer who can achieve these aims for you, and will also allow you to be more transparent with them.

    Having pre-set goals in mind means you’re able to communicate your expectations to any prospective influencers at the selection stage, giving both parties an early indication as to whether the partnership will be a successful one. 

    Likewise, it’s important to bear in mind some longer-term goals in terms of your brand and brand image.

    You should have a sound understanding of what your brand is by the time you’re ready to launch an influencer campaign, but you should also have an idea about what you want it to be in the future, and how any influencer might help you achieve this. 

    Compile a good short-list of options 

    Once you have outlined the objectives of the campaign, it’s the right time to start looking for a short-list of influencers that you can narrow down based on your requirements.

    It can be daunting knowing where to find the right people, but a good influencer marketing agency will provide suggestions about potential influencers and advise on a marketing strategy to ensure you target the right people on the right platform.

    A  natural starting point is understanding which type of influencer will be the best fit for your brand, and then going on from there. 

    There are 3 main types of influencer: 

    • Micro-influencers – a person who produces niche content and tends to have a smaller following, but a highly engaged and devoted audience
    • Maco-influencers have a larger fan-base and are regarded as experts or trendsetters in their particular industry 
    • Celebrity influencers –  big names who have the largest, most diverse audience and will have content on a broader range of interests (but often come with a substantial fee!)

    Your brands’ aims (and your budget) will dictate which type of influencer group you should target. The important thing to remember, however, is to make sure their content and audience match your brand and whatever it is you’re hoping to market. 

    Look at their portfolio of work

    Having a familiarity with an influencer’s previous work allows you insights into their content and personality in order to see if working with them will be a good match.

    Look at their portfolio of work and see who they’ve worked with previously – and, indeed, how successful the campaign turned out in the end.

    This way, you can gather if they’re likely to agree to a brand partnership in the first place as well as whether they would agree to work with a brand similar to yours.

    Working with an influencer who has the skills and knowledge to achieve your aims means nothing if their content isn’t a fit for your brand and they don’t share like-minded values.

    Remember, any association you make with an influencer will reflect back on you and your brand so you want to make sure it’s a good one.

    Go after influencers who are well-respected within their particular community so they can bring a good level of credibility to the product or service you’re offering. 

    Likewise, when the time comes to working with your chosen influencer, remember to allow them some creative influence – after all, that’s why you brought them on board in the first place.

    Audience and Metrics

    When you’ve narrowed down a short-list of options, it’s a good idea to start monitoring their audience and taking a look at some important metrics. In terms of audience, ensure that their follower base is in line with your target demographic, whatever that may be, just so you can be sure any content you produced will be relevant.

    Once this has been established, look into their activities. For example, look for how often they interact with their followers and see how responsive are they in return. This kind of information will give a good indication of the sort of relationship an influencer will have with a consumer-base.  

    The number of followers is a factor, but it’s not the only one. Also pay attention to how many likes and impressions the influencer has, as well as how engaged their audience seems to be.

    Bear in mind it’s not always about having a large fan-base – micro-influencers actually tend to have a more engaged following, often leading to more effective campaigns. 

  • 10 Creative Ways to Gain Twitter Followers

    10 Creative Ways to Gain Twitter Followers

    Twitter claims to have 126 million daily active users. With numbers like this, it only makes sense that some of those people should follow you.

    The trouble is, you don’t know how to attract them to click that “Follow” button.

    We’ve got the inside tips you need to boost your audience.

    Here are ten creative ways to get Twitter followers.

    1. Don’t Neglect Family & Friends

    They might not be your target audience, but they will become loyal followers. Don’t overlook them just because they are family.

    2. Use a Directory

    With a directory of social media users, you can find ways to feature your Twitter account for next to nothing. It’s the best way to implement display advertising and doesn’t take much effort.

    You want to work with a company that allows you to target by country and interests. Otherwise, you will get lumped together solely by location, which isn’t going to work.

    3. Get Active

    No, we aren’t suggesting you start exercising, although that won’t hurt. What you need to do is have an active Twitter account. 

    Now, let’s get clear, you can quickly start spamming if you don’t purposefully tweet. It’s time to be a responsible tweeter.

    Otherwise, you could end up in Twitter jail. Trust us; you don’t want to go there.

    Make time to tweet every day. Every time you do, you increase your visibility. It doesn’t even take that much time; simply retweet a few things while consuming your morning coffee.

    We recommend that you tweet a few times throughout the day – try not to do it all at once. Drip-feed the tweets over your day. You can also schedule the tweet times to make sure you are following a routine.

    4. Run a Twitter Contest

    It doesn’t get any easier to run a twitter contest. Just make sure you have a stellar prize.

    It also helps if you put a little effort into the planning. Sure, you will have some people that unfollow you when the contest is over, but what you gain will be worth your energy.

    5. Live-Tweet an Event

    Have you ever dreamt about being a reporter? Pick one local event and start covering it live on Twitter. 

    It could be a political speech, conference, PR event or sports game. There is really no limit to what you could cover. 

    If the access is exclusive, you will have a more significant following for the coverage. You also want to choose something relatively popular.

    If you are planning to cover Merfest in North Carolina, you are only going to gain followers that are fascinated with mermaids.

    Once you find the awesome event to cover, watch your followers grow. Just make sure you are using the right hashtags to promote the event. Otherwise, you are just rambling and no one is listening.

    In the process, you do want to be careful of your existing followers. They might not appreciate the tweets. 

    6. Host a Twitter Chat

    Think debates, interviews, Q&A’s, creative polls and panels. Pick one willing victim and start a chat.

    You want to select the person carefully. They must have tons of followers for this to be effective.

    Of course, you won’t want to look stupid, so make sure you brush up on your debate skills first.

    7. Start a Tweetup

    That’s not a typo. A Tweetup is just like a meetup, but better.

    You want to target people with the interests your audience should have. Then, create a fun meeting for them to join in with.

    While there doesn’t have to be a compelling reason to join in, it won’t hurt to have one. For example, if you want your audience to love sports, then create a Tweetup at the local game. 

    During that event, you might even be able to persuade a local player to stop by and say hello. You can encourage them to visit if you promise them some new followers as well. 

    8. Networking

    Before social media, companies had to network to get business. These methods still work today, even though we all attempt to avoid dealing with real people.

    Find a networking group with the people that fit your target audience.

    As you mingle, hand out your cards, complete with your Twitter @handle. Then, reach out to your new friends and ask them to follow you.

    Of course, you will turn up the charm and make yourself irresistible in order to get results. 

    9. Tell a Story

    If you are a pro, then you already know this tactic and probably don’t need to read this post in the first place. If you aren’t, you must know that you can get massive engagement if you are willing to tell a story.

    Aim to create one good thread each week. If you have time for more – go for it.

    Focus on creating high-quality content, which is much more valuable than quantity.

    For example, take a look at this story about railroad tracks. Once you are done learning a little something, check out how many retweets and likes it received. Stunning!

    10. Don’t Buy Followers

    We know this is a how-to guide, but this one is too important to exclude.

    Never buy followers.

    You may not know the difference between fake and real paid-for followers, but Twitter does and you will lose them all. There’s never a reason to pay for a certain number of followers.

    It won’t work and it’s against the rules. Whose rules? Twitter.

    Some sites claim they can boost your followers if you just give them your password. Does this sound like a good idea? No, it’s not.

    They lure followers with mass churning and follow-baiting. Basically, they will follow 100 people, wait for them to follow and then simply unfollow them.

    Guess what? Twitter knows this is going on and is ready to suspend your account for it. 

    Those companies can also DM spam your followers, sometimes with malware links.

    You Can Find Creative Ways to Gain Twitter Followers

    It’s possible to gain new followers every day without shady practices. Sure, some of them will require time or some money, but it will be well worth your investment if you do it right.

    Start experimenting and see what works for you.

  • Maximising The Value Of Star Performers And Dealing With Bad Apples

    Maximising The Value Of Star Performers And Dealing With Bad Apples

    As managers, our focus is invariably on keeping the team on track, aligned with one another and the mission. But overall performance can be strongly affected by certain individuals; either by outstanding individuals or by ‘bad apples’. These outliers are key to building the dream team and reducing risk.

    So, how can these two extremes be managed to maximise success while eradicating pain points?

    I don’t believe there are many real ‘bad apples’ – intrinsically most people want to do well. Traction, by Gino Wickman, approaches the problem in a more useful way. There are three types of underperformers: the wrong person in the right seat; the right person in the wrong seat; and the wrong person in the wrong seat.

    Wrong person, right seat

    These people might look great on paper, but in practice are a cultural mismatch. To avoid this, keep an eye out for warning signs, for example, staff taking other people outside for ‘chats’ or being negative. You need to confront the individual before it escalates. Negative behaviour can be toxic – your culture risks losing credibility with the rest of the team.

    To tackle it, outline behaviours in reviews, providing examples and evidence. Most people will try and overcome this, or leave of their own will if they’re really not a good fit.

    Right person, wrong seat

    If someone fits the business, but not the role, there are three areas that might be holding them back; self-motivation, self-management, and skills. Often people can be promoted above their capabilities because they show talent in a different role – it’s known as the Peter Principle, that people tend to get promoted to the level of their incompetence. If they have the right motivation and attitude try to up-skill them with training.

    If that doesn’t work look at other roles within the company that would suit them better.

    It can be tempting to leave your star employees to their own devices. But it’s just as important to help them develop and keep them motivated.

    If self-management is the issue, try putting a work-in-progress board above each team member’s desk with all the things they’re working on plus updates. They’re forced to take responsibility for their tasks, and review them regularly!

    Wrong person, wrong seat

    If someone is wrong for the company and the role, and that doesn’t change, you might need to let them go. In these cases, the most important thing is to do things by the book and be generous to your leaver (with notice periods and so forth), for an easier exit in the long term.

    It’s not just about the legal side of things either. Being decent to leavers and keeping them onside (as far as possible) is important for your brand. Disgruntled leavers can cause untold brand damage in the worst cases. When HMV announced mass redundancies to their employees, marketing staff took out their anger publicly on HMV’s own Twitter account.

    Right person, right seat…

    It can be tempting to leave your star employees to their own devices. But it’s just as important to help them develop and keep them motivated. You will need to invest time to understand the different individuals. I used to manage two guys, one of whom a good ‘talking to’ would always push them to prove themselves, whereas for the other it would cause the other to panic and break down!

    Developing goals for high-achievers is important for their development. SMART goals are one option or Traction uses the idea of Rocks with three to seven goals that must be achieved within three months (for companies, teams or individuals).

    Continually monitoring progress is an essential part of that goal-setting process. We use Monthly Business Reviews, one-on-ones looking at highlights and issues from last month and defining objectives for the next, and Crucials, weekly actions crucial to the business.

    Finally, great staff will need rewards to keep them keen and motivated. Feedback and praise are a huge part of that, but pay, bonuses and, perhaps most importantly, promotion, should also be considered. This is especially important for junior staff – if there’s no progression available, you will get leavers.

    Develop a clear promotion framework with bands of salary – once an individual is at the top of their band, progress them to another responsibility. If someone has progressed as far as they can go in the framework, how about letting them manage key areas like a new product launch, giving them real independence and responsibility?

    Where some underperformers can be ‘culture terrorists’, your star performers can fulfil the opposite role, illustrating what success looks like and inspiring others in the team.

    Depending on your business culture, perhaps think about creating some friendly competition, for example, have screens showing people’s achievements against their targets.

    In the end it’s all about culture and values, ensuring that your culture enables success, validates achievement, but also challenges underperformance. Both underperformers and high-achievers play a vital role in realising the culture that emerges in practice – as a manager it’s your job to make sure everyone’s moving in the right direction.

  • Why Small Businesses Need A Compelling Logo?

    Why Small Businesses Need A Compelling Logo?

    The small businesses are in their initial stages and need to rise in order to gain more customers.

    As per experts, the need of the logo and that too, a compelling one is most needed for small business.

    Always believe in the fact that the first impression is the last impression.

    Do you know the human attention span (7-8 seconds) is shorter than a goldfish’s (9 seconds)? You only have 7 seconds to grab a website visitor’s attention.

    The Logo is like a small ad for your company. When you begin the process of logo creation make sure you have developed your brand strategy to convey the right message. Having a great logo will avoid many business problems in the future.

    If you are successful in creating a good impression of your business in front of the visitors, the chances are very high they will visit again and also provide you with the mouth publicity.

    According to Wikipedia,

    “A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. Logos are either purely graphic (symbols/icons) or are composed of the name of the organization.”

    Su Mathews Hale, a senior partner at the New York brand strategy and design firm Lippincott said,

    “A company’s logo is its shorthand, a visual cue that tells a story of the brand’s culture, behavior, and values,”

    Entrepreneur.com recently published an interesting piece in which Matthews Hale explains Walmart Logo Design

    “Mathews and her team decided to keep the color blue, which Mathews said is the world’s favorite color, but go for a brighter hue they believed evoked modernity and trustworthiness. They replaced the sharp angles of the original letters with “a more humanistic font.” Finally, they decided on an asterisk-like symbol they wanted to look like “a lightbulb going off in your head,” a metaphor for Wal-Mart shoppers being smart for taking advantage of affordable, quality products. They chose a hue of yellow that appeared hopeful but didn’t make it too bright because “bright yellow is associated with low-cost items in retail,” said Mathews. She was happy to find that focus groups also interpreted the spark as a sun or flower, both positive associations.”

    Unilever is a global consumer goods provider company. See the Unilever Logo.

    The “U” in Unilever logo is creatively filled in with a variety of images, but every single icon used actually represents an aspect of the Unilever business.

    According to Unilever, “Their logo was designed to include 25 icons, each of which represents something important to Unilever. Each icon has a rich meaning at its core, and represents some aspect of their effort to make sustainable living commonplace.”

    In the process of making a small business look like a well-established brand, the logo plays an important role.

    There are several reasons why small businesses need a compelling logo:

    To look bigger and well established

    As discussed, the logos are a way to symbolize your business as well established and bigger. The great logos create a great impression and people most often remember the logos, which are unique and well crafted.

    While, many may forget the brand name, but if the product is well suited, people look for the logo in the next purchase. Thus, create a logo which is hard to forget.

    Attract new customers

    Always remember a fact that your customers see a lot in the market, and thus expecting them to remember you is a bit difficult task.

    But, if your logo is a bit appealing, it may send a direct message to your potential customers over making you as a choice over your competitors.

    Thus, differentiate yourself from your competitors by the use of a compelling logo associated your brand and give yourself a better chance to gain more footfalls.

    Think about how your logo will appear on business cards or stationery. You can also greatly utilize the logos in your T-Shirts, which is a trend of today.

    Employees are your first brand ambassador. Design your company T-shirts with your brand’s logo, it’s a powerful and affordable marketing opportunity.

    Logos are a sign of professionalism

    In fact, logos are a branding way. The logos serve the purpose of giving you a professional look and imbibe a sense of confidence among your customers.

    The customers feel safe and proud to connect with you if your presentation is good in the market. The logo is a way to send a message of professionalism.

    It infuses a sense that you are stable and build a much-needed trust of your customers in you.

    Logos are a sign of your niche

    Most of the times, logos serve the purpose of conveying your niche field. The logos are just a symbol, but in most of the cases, it serves more than this.

    It serves as an identity of your niche you are dealing with. It also conveys your company name and thus acts as a visual clue for your business.

    You don’t need to spend a thousand dollars on a logo to stand out from the crowd. In case, you are looking for a well-reputed logo designer, who can create a great logo for you, there are several brands available in the market.

    Get a well-reputed logo designer and start your branding with the perfect logo for your business.

  • The Importance Of Instagram Videos And How To Use Them For Your Business

    The Importance Of Instagram Videos And How To Use Them For Your Business

    Are you wondering how to set up Instagram videos and how you can make your business more visible?

    Are you wondering how to make images and videos work for your business? Then let me tell you the importance of Instagram videos and how to use them for your business.

    Instagram is not only for those in the food or fashion industry; it is for all businesses big or small.

    It is one of the many social networking platforms that you could use for your business to take pictures and videos then share them on Instagram or other social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and the likes. Learn more about this social platform and you will see the importance of videos marketing and how to include it into your marketing strategy.

    Instagram is centered on visual content where users can edit or post photos and short videos of up to 15 seconds but no text updates like what is commonly used in Facebook or Twitter.

    How to Create an Instagram Account

    Before you sign up for an account, you need to download the app to your mobile device since Instagram is a mobile-only app. It is a free app and can be found in both Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. There are two ways of signing up; one is by connecting through Facebook and your personal information is automatically gathered by Instagram which includes the email you used for Facebook and your profile picture. And the second is by putting in your email address which is preferred by some to keep personal and business information separate.

    Just like most social networking platforms, you would have the option to edit your profile information and the likes. But in this article, we will focus on making Instagram videos and how to use them for your business.

    The first thing you need to know is how to navigate the app. It is pretty simple since at the bottom of the app are the five buttons where you need to go, and these are the Home tab, Search tab, a Camera button, an Activity tab and, of course, your Profile tab.

    How to Create an Instagram Content

    As I mentioned earlier, Instagram is all about photos or videos. Just tap on the camera button and it will ask you if you want to take a new photo or a new video, or simply select something from your phone’s gallery. After you tap on the next button, you can already start editing your photos or your video.

    The next tab is for the Filters, Lux, and Tools. Filters are where you can scroll through photo filters that are available to you and help you to change the colors of your images, making them more attractive. Clicking on the desired filter will automatically change your photo, so it is easier to choose the right one. When you tap on the name of the filter, it will show you a slider to adjust its transparency. This is how the #nofilter came to be because it shows your true photo without being enhanced by Instagram filters.

    The Lux will adjust the sharpness or exposure of your photos. The Tools section, however, has several options like Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Highlights which are all self-explanatory. And there is an Adjust feature which straightens or rotates your images. Vignette will darken your photo’s edges and Tilt Shift will blur the outside of the images.

    Instagram videos are a bit similar to the options for your images but with slight differences like instead of 3 options, Instagram videos have 4 options.  The first option is still about adding Filters. Second is how the video will fit on the screen. Third is choosing a cover frame. And fourth is all about the audio if you want to mute it or not.

    Now, why is learning to put an Instagram video so important for your business? Because of the ways you can interact with your target audience and your subscribers:

    #1 Instagram Direct – lets users interact privately. Just go to Instagram’s homepage, that’s where you can find Instagram Direct. It lets you send a photo/video which you upload from your gallery. And if you want to send a message instead, you can choose the Send Message option, and you will be taken to a chat screen where you can type your message.

    #2 Mentions – just like in Twitter, Instagram lets you @MentionSomeoneHere which can call the attention of whomever you “mention” on your Instagram post.

    #3 People Tagging – just like in Facebook, Instagram allows users to “Tag” a certain photo or video to widen the scope of your image or Instagram video.

    #4 Liking Photos or Instagram Videos – is the simplest way to connect with someone in Instagram. But instead of the “thumbs up” sign of Facebook, Instagram has a “heart” symbol to show you like the photo or the Instagram videos you’ve come across with.

    #5 Instagram Comments – lets you comment on photos and videos via a simple tap on the comment button which will take you to a text box where you can type your message, then hitting the Send button will complete the Instagram comment.

    #6 Hashtags – lets other users find your #Instagram content like what’s being used in Twitter and Facebook already. These #hashtags let you check out the competition or those on a similar niche as your brand.

    #7 Photo Locations – allow users to add their location which will automatically map out where you’ve been and generate local followers and of course gain additional interaction. You can also see nearby locations which could attract more customers.

    How to Advertise on Instagram

    Another way that you can use Instagram for your business is through advertising which will appear on the users’ home feeds. Advertising on Instagram can be done with Photo Ads, which allows you to posts photos. But since it is used in advertising, there is an added option to “Learn More” about the “Sponsored Label” found in the photo.

    Instagram videos can also be used as Video Ads which is similar to the Photo Ads since it has the “Learn More” button and shows the “Sponsored Label”. The difference between a standard Video post and an Instagram Video Ad is that the Video Ad has now a 60 seconds length, while your usual video post is only 15 seconds long.

    If you want to use multiple photos, you can use Carousel Ads where users can swipe through the photos and see more of what you are trying to advertise.

    Creating an Instagram content could be challenging at times, but your photo or your Instagram videos can reach a wide array of your targeted audience which is great for any business or brands. It allows you to share a visual story which could get your subscribers wanting more. Instagram can showcase your creativity which can lure your target audience to your business.

    Instagram could give your business that much needed boost because with these photos and Instagram videos, you can disseminate information about ongoing events and promotions. Or even embed these Instagram posts on your website to show your followers and subscribers that your brand or business has an Instagram account, and they are more likely to follow you there too.

    Do remember that links do not work on Instagram. It will only work on your profile, so no use of putting it in the captions or photo comments. Instead add a note on the Instagram video captions or on the photo comments that the website link can be found on your profile. This can help your audience to a specific webpage.

    Wrapping it Up

    After creating an Instagram account, be sure to learn how to fully navigate it properly so that you can abuse the full potential of Instagram and how it can help your business. Use Instagram Direct, Mentions and People Tagging to maximize the reach of your photos and Instagram Videos. Be constant in liking photos or videos to interact with your audience.

    Links don’t work in Instagram comments or captions, and best to put it in your profile instead. Use #hashtags and steer clear of the 30 hashtags allowable in Instagram. Keep it to a minimum. Don’t be a hashtag abuser.

    Make use of the photo locations options to entice local subscribers to your brand or business.

    If you’ve got the resources, then delve into the world of Instagram advertising and explore even more possibilities to broaden your reach.

    Use other social networking platforms to share your photos and Instagram videos. Use automation if you have and if you can. Be diligent in sharing; schedule it if you know how. Hope you’ve seen the importance of Instagram videos and how to use them for your business.

  • How Visual Content Dominates Social Media And How to Leverage This For Your Brand

    How Visual Content Dominates Social Media And How to Leverage This For Your Brand

    As a marketing professional, it’s part of our blood to notice trends and embrace them with open hands.

    Whether you’re in B2C, B2B or personal marketing, visual communication is quickly becoming a very important way to connect with your audiences.

    The challenge is how to produce great, engaging content that holds traction in a saturated market.

    In order to do this, it’s worth understanding the how and why visual content is the key to the future of online and social marketing. One way to approach this would be looking at the psychology behind visual stimulants.

    From an evolutionary standpoint, visual aids were responsible for identifying threats, finding food and sparking love.

    It comes as now surprise then that only 10% of the information you hear is remembered after three days while an incredible 65% of information that you see is remembered 3 days later.

    The brain is significantly more responsive to visual stimuli than what you hear or read.

    By appealing to people’s sense of visual aid, you can create more powerful and engaged reactions to the content you share on social media. It was found that people who respond to directions with both text and illustrations performed 323% better than people who followed instructions without illustrations.

    By appealing to people’s naturally stronger memory processes, you can create a more engaged response. For instance, BuzzSumo analysed over 1 million articles and found that articles with an image once every 75-100 words was shared double the amount of times than articles with fewer images.

    Likewise, Facebook posts with a picture receive on average 2.3 times as many engagements than ones without. As a marketer your goal is to maximise genuine engagement with your content, so the question is still raised – how do you produce visually compelling content?

    For the sake of appealing to the hallmark tendencies of marketing professionals, we’ll focus on the three ‘low hanging fruits’ of visual content.

    Relevancy, emotions and great design.

    Relevancy

    To achieve the desired result of content, your marketing efforts need to focus less on your goals and more on the goals, wants and needs of your target audience. By providing content that is relevant to your buyer or audience persona, you are providing value.

    Your goal as a marketer is to create value but by then focusing on the value that they expect from you as a company. There’s no point in a clothing company creating infographics of a marketing sales funnel. It’s not relevant.

    By positioning your company within the expectations of the market, and aligning your content strategy to it, you can create highly engaging content.

    Time relevancy is also a defining factor of why content becomes engaging. When there’s hype around a topic, people want to share it with their friends as people want to provide value to their friends or be known as a thought leader in their social circles.

    For instance, if a clothing company plans a slideshow to promote on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google fashion groups, focusing on a fashion relevant event, such as a reputable fashion week gives the audience social currency in the form of relevant information to share and promote.

    When constructing visual content, ask yourself whether this type of content is what your audience expect of you to produce, and what they need or want.

    That ensures that you have their attention once it’s published. Then be sure to ask yourself whether or not it has relevance to the target audience’s interests and social circles. If you achieve that, then there is potential for engagement.

    Once you combine both, you have a piece of content that has powerful potential to be engaging and useful for your brand.

    Emotions

    The great advantage of visual aids is that you can appeal to people’s emotions far more efficiently than written content. There’s a reason cute cat images are some of the most shared content around.

    There’s also a reason memes have found extraordinary success as a medium for sharing small snippets of information. It’s because they can create emotional responses in the form of humor, anger, love, and interests.

    After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

    As a marketer tasked with creating engaging content for your audiences, identifying your audiences emotional sensitivities can bring personality to your brand and encourage engagement.

    For instance, a surf company can appeal to their audience’s sense of adventure and adrenaline to promote a new line of surfboards.

    By affirming associations between your audience’s emotions and your brand, you create a personal connection, which will increase trust and ultimately help you increase conversions.

    Design

    Great design goes a long way when it comes to visual aids. It secures a sense of professionalism and integrity that most brands overlook when producing visuals. It’s incredible just how many people expect poorly produced visual content to have an impact on social media or beyond.

    Simply, In order to have an impact you need to create stunning visuals. This is a lot easier than most people think.

    Great design is a combination of fonts, colors, structure and graphics that work comfortably together to visualise ideas. If you can’t visualise information properly, it can often be more harmful than you think. A poorly designed graph screams of boredom and unprofessionalism.

    On the other hand, a slideshare presentation with great branding, color scheme, and font scheme streamlines the user’s experience, for instance, and helps retention rates increase. If you’re building a presentation, you could use different color themes as highlighted in this article.

    Alternatively, if you’re looking to share a simple message, perhaps use a block font such as Arial in bold over an emotionally related image that has had a slight dark transparency applied to it.

    A simple font is crisp, contrasting and easy-to-read. If you’re looking for free stock photography, try out Pexels.

    If you’re a larger company, you could always look at outsourcing design work. Companies such as 24slides provide professional design and presentation services for very affordable prices. If you have a limited budget, you could always look towards tutorials on Youtube. For inspiration, Pinterest is a great place to start.

    If there’s one thing we learned from 2019, it’s that content is still king. 2020 is going to see a massive increase in visual content and in order to compete in a social sphere saturated by content and information, you need to appeal to the customer and prioritise their needs, wants and expectations.

    You need to do this while positioning yourself as a professional and reputable leader with well designed visual content that evokes emotional responses.

    Relevancy ensures your audience is interested and provides a foundation for engagement.