Older, Affluent Consumers Go Social

To get your target market to hear your brand message, you must be sharing that message in the places where you find your target market. Pretty basic business tenet? We thought so but, given how many small luxury brands are still neglecting social media in their marketing, apparently not as basic as we thought.

Recent reports show that social media usage continues to increases among wealthier and older Americans. Today, 68% of U.S. Internet users with incomes greater than $75,000 use now using social media.¹

Meanwhile, if you continue to buy into the “Facebook is for kids” myth, it’s long past the time to look at the facts:

• 77% of U.S. Internet users between 30 and 49 use social media.¹
• 52% of those aged 50 – 65 use social media. ¹ 
• 65% of college-educated U.S. Internet are active on social media sites.¹

Research also reveals that Facebook continues to be the most popular social tool, with 67% of U.S. Internet users logging on and staying active. Important for luxury brands to note: Facebook is being used by 73% of U.S. Internet users with an income greater than $75,000, making these wealthiest Americans the most active Facebook users.¹ 

Twitter meanwhile, continues to be the second most popular social networking site, and 32% of U.S. Internet users over the age of 30 are active on Twitter.¹

Finally, Pinterest continues to gain momentum, and is more likely to attract higher-educated, affluent women¹.

Still questioning social marketing, or just unsure of where to start? Let us help…

¹as reported by Pew Research Centre 

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

Amid the myriad of social and digital marketing options, visual content is proving to be one of the most powerful tools for luxury brands, with online videos becoming a vital element of marketing strategies. According to The Internet Retailer, a consumer is 144% more likely to purchase a product after viewing a product video, making videos the “go-to” tool for consumer engagement.

Proof? Videos have been linked to boosts in e-commerce for numerous luxury brands. Luxury retailer Barneys New York released videos to coincide with their Men's and Women's Spring 2012 Collections. The videos featured models wearing the collections while singing, dancing, and telling real life stories. Thumbnails appeared throughout the video allowing shoppers to purchase what the models were wearing. More powerful than a standard product image, these videos captivated consumers and significantly impacted their purchasing decisions.

A digital pioneer, elite fashion house Oscar de la Renta is another great example of a luxury brand utilizing online video to engage their audience and drive sales. From streaming runway shows live on the Oscar de la Renta YouTube channel, to using Vine to display the latest jewelry pieces, the brand is able connect with consumers, showcase new products and drive traffic to their websites. In return the company saw their online sales for 2012 more than double from the previous year.

An important aspect for up-and-coming brands remember when utilizing video for their social media marketing is that content is key. A brand should strive to entice its audience; this is not about old-school advertising. By showing a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a design process or presenting an exclusive interview with the designer about a favorite piece, you can engage your audience authentically and create long-term fans.

As for what video platforms luxury brand should be using, we have a few recommendations. YouTube, of course, continues to be the most trusted and widely used video platform. Having a YouTube channel is a great way for a brand to collectively display video content under one umbrella. Google + hangouts are a rising platform for brands to reach consumers. Google + allows brands to stream live webcasts that can act as interactive video blogs. Vine, meanwhile, has become the visual version of Twitter, allowing users to create a short, six-second video that can be shared on various forms of social media.

While large luxury brands are finding great success with video, few smaller brands are properly taking advantage of the fact that, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth much, much more. 

Social Media: Breaking the Barriers of Traditional PR

It is undeniable that social media has revolutionized the way society communicates and shares information. Americans spend an average of 6.9 hours each month on social networks—more than double the time they spent social networking in 2006. It is even more remarkable how social media has become a habitual part of everyday life; 22% of Facebook users log in severaltimes a day, making social media one of the most influential platforms for reaching the public.

Thus, not surprisingly, social media—by providing a brand with the opportunity to make a direct connection with its audience without the filter of the media—plays an integral role in public relations strategies. According to thedrum.com, “Social media cuts across channels and is all about engaging with individuals, holding conversations not relying on press releases and launches.”  Social media provides a greater control over the messages directed at a brand’s audience.

Traditionally, marketing has been a monologue. As a result of mass social media usage, it is now a two-way conversation between brands and consumers. Thus, to survive, brands must be interactive and authentic; not only via their Facebook page, but also in all their communication with both consumers and the press. Recognizing this revolution in the way we communicate, companies must transform their PR strategies in order to reach their target audience.

As PR professionals, we facilitate a 24/7 conversation in order to get the desired message across and to engage the public. In return, we are able to receive continuous feedback, explore what truly engages our audience, and quickly respond to any criticism. However, along with these great opportunities that social media provides comes the responsibility of constant managing and monitoring to ensure the safety of a brands reputation.

When examining how social media has altered public relations, it is important to acknowledge how social media has changed journalism and the way consumers look for information. (Lets face it, in the new digital age, you are more likely to hear of breaking news via your Twitter feed than by turning on your television or by flipping through a hard copy of a newspaper). More than half of Americans receive some form of local news through their mobile device. Journalists are now turning to social media to capture the attention of their readers and strive to do so in 140 characters or less.

Social media has contributed to the changing dynamic of the Publicist/Journalist relationship. No matter how eye-catching, creative, and well timed a pitch may be, there is always a chance it will go overlooked in a horde of emails. A more operative way for an up and coming brand to reach an editor, reporter, or blogger is to connect with them through various social media channels. At miamore communications, we recently pitched to an editor who had blogged about potential article topics. This resulted in the placement of two of our clients. While an editor may be overwhelmed with the traffic in his/her inbox, they may be more likely to respond to a tweet. In fact, many journalists actively use social media to post queries and gather information.

So, what does the future hold? We feel that blogger outreach will become just as important as traditional journalist outreach, especially for specific industries. While mass social platforms will continue to be relevant, niche, industry specific networks will prove to be a more effective arena for brands to connect with consumers. Just as email transformed modern communication just a couple of decades ago, we predict that social media will become a principal form of interaction over the next few years.

Key Elements of Effective Email Marketing

Along with social media and mobile marketing, email continues to be a significant portion of an effective virtual marketing strategy, especially for a small business. However, email marketing can run the risk of irritating subscribers and potentially tarnishing a brand’s image. Here are some essential tactics to running an effective email marketing campaign:

Strategic Timing and Frequency

In order to run a successful email marketing campaign, it is critical that your message reaches your reader at the right time. Ideal timing and frequency varies depending on the type of business you are in. The goal is to find the timing where you are most likely to generate the greatest response. Our office was recently enticed into ordering lunch from a local café after receiving email notification of their specials, including an image of a mouthwatering grilled cheese, conveniently at noon.

Your frequency also has a significant impact of the effectiveness your campaign. Sending emails too often is an annoyance and sending email too infrequently will result in losing your audience’s attention. According to the DMA National Client Email Marketing Report, the ideal frequency for the retail industry is 2-3 times a month.

Segmenting

According to farotech.com, 80% of email marketers send the same content to all of their subscribers. This is a colossal mistake! Segmenting your lists and dividing your content is a great way to avoid spamming your contacts and to prevent the fatal UNSUBSCRIBE TO ALL. Make sure to send subscribers content that is relevant to their relationship with your business.

Effective Content

One of the most common reasons a customer will subscribe to a business’s emails is to feel that they are being delivered exclusive information. Providing a first look at a new product or special promotion shows that their participation is valuable and appreciated.  

Keep in mind; your readers are just as busy as you are! If you do not have time to read a lengthy newsletter, neither do they. Keep your content short and to the point. Always include links to your website as well as your social media. This provides your subscribers with the opportunity to interact with you instead of just having a one-way conversation.

Analyze Your Results

Any form of marketing needs to be evaluated in terms of response and results. Many email marketing programs give you the tools to calculate how successful your emails are. If not, Google Analytics is an amazing free platform to measure the effectiveness of your campaign. Some important elements to track are open rates, click-through, bounces, response, lead tracking and website traffic (Mail Chimp offers some benchmarks, per industry, here). If you are not getting the results you desire, make some adjustments. Something as simple as changing your timing could have a radical impact on your results.

Social Media Lessons from 2012

They say history is the best teacher so, in planning client social media campaigns for the 2013, we're taking a look back at 2012. Perhaps the biggest news of the year was Facebook crossing the one billion user mark (with an older demographic continuing to be the fastest growing). That widely documented  feat was perhaps the year's best symbol of the overall growth and--more importantly--continually evolving nature of social networking. Here, we outline a few of the key things that 2012 taught us about social media for business...

Pinterest climbs up the social media pyramid. Pinterest has experienced more growth than any other form of social media this past year. According to techspot.com, Pinterest’s mobile visitors increased by an incredible 4,225% in 2012. There are many factors that contribute to the successful growth of this site. Namely: Pinterest is a sizable contributor to ecommerce, allowing brands to easily connect with their target markets by showing--not telling. Pinterest is visually oriented, which is proving to be more popular with mobile social media users.

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” The greatest social media trend of 2012 is by far sharing visual content. Social media sites such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest have found tremendous success by allowing users to primarily share images instead of text. Social networkers no longer want to read about what you are doing, they want to see what you are doing. The popularity of visual social media also results from a change in how users browse the web. Social media users are accessing sites via mobile applications more than ever. Even luxury brands are using sharing images through these visual social media sites. Tiffany & Co. uses Instagram to post snapshots of new pieces, ad campaigns and pictures in shades of Tiffany Blue.

The 2012 Presidential Election takes social media by storm. The 2012 presidential candidates took their campaigns digital; posting content in real time and creating an ongoing conversation with voters. Both the Obama and Romney campaigns used Facebook and Twitter to directly connect with their supporters. According to the Huffington Post, Barack Obama’s victory post was the most liked photo on Facebook of all time, receiving over 4 million “likes”. It is safe to say that social media has become an essential piece in the communications strategy of any business.

Mobile applications triumph over websites. Smartphones have become an indispensable part of everyday life. Instant access to the internet at any time or place has opened the door for numerous mobile applications for social networks. According to Google Insight, 79% of smartphone users have used their mobile device for help with shopping and 35% of users have made a purchases with their mobile devices. As a result, social media sites will have to strive to create the most functional and efficient mobile applications. In the fourth quarter of this year, Barneys New York has launched a newly optimized mobile site. The site features more efficient ways for consumers to filter and search for products, as well as the same personalized check out options featured on the Barneys website. 

Social media and business 101: Personal is never truly personal

Perhaps, as a Gen Y-er, I can chalk it up to having been technologically spoiled since the age of sixteen. From my earliest memories, technology was always at my disposal, assisting me in areas where I never really needed to develop the skills that countless generations before me relied on (To put it in perspective, I only passed my driving test thanks to a rear-view monitor). Thanks to technology: I know when the roads are closed; how the next 15 miles of traffic will impact my travels; when storms are coming, when a dollar exits my bank account, and the moment my or a client’s name appears online.

Within the last month, though, I’ve encountered more than one situation that reminded me that technology is wonderful but, when it comes to business, is only as good as gut instinct.

I will preface my first example by saying that I (in case I haven’t made it obvious) pride myself on my professionalism. A bold statement, yes, but one that I’ve lived by all my life. I’m notoriously over-dressed, over-prepared, over-packed, and over-resourceful. Most people keep a first aid kit in their glove compartment. I, however, keep an emergency bow-tie, just in case of a formal emergency (yes, they do happen). Having said that, you can probably assume that Halloween wouldn’t be one of my favorite holidays. Just because I don’t personally like appearing in costume, doesn’t mean I’m not entertained by them, in fact—quite the opposite applies. Unfortunately for me, though, the entertainment factor of a tongue-in-cheek costume (and resulting photo of me with the person in said costume) did not make for a well-received addition to my personal Facebook page.

 'So what’s the fuss about? It was your personal page, and its not like it was YOU?'

Personal? More like semi-private. Upon further examination of the post, I realized that people I wasn’t even friends with had seen and liked it, despite my privacy settings. How? Because they subscribe to my public updates. Further, while I--like many in a small business setting--attempt to keep personal and professional separate on Facebook, the lines always blur. In discussing this matter with Carrie, she framed this example perfectly: “Josh: you are NOT a nameless, faceless cog in some big corporate machine; You are a high level employee at a small firm with national presence.” Quite possibly the best argumentative point I’ve ever heard.

Underscoring the lesson of this very personal experience are recent high-profile examples of the damage that can be caused by professionals thinking emails, tweets and status updates are "personal"; or, worse, professionals not thinking about the bigger picture when posting something online. Take, for example, Hurricane Sandy. While this superstorm paralyzed the northeast, taking not only homes and businesses--but also lives... companies like Gap Inc. took it as an opportunity to tweet to encourage online shopping with the 'spare time' the storm afforded its victims.  Needless to say, the backlash was tremendous.

So what if you are a cog in a major corporate machine? Does this make you exempt from following the rules of social media etiquette? Absolutely not. In fact, the stakes are higher. While in a smaller company, a good working rapport with your superior means that he/she will, in most cases, understand that your social media post was made in good humor and work with you to correct it. However, if a tweet or post could even have a whiff of being in poor taste, chances are, it is, and could result in the termination of your employment.

The moral of the story? Know your audience, and never forget that your social audience--regardless of your so-called safeguards--also consists of your coworkers, superiors, and clients. Remember: words are the new 'sticks and stones'; 'everything you say, share, post or photograph can and will be held against you'.

The prosecution rests, your Honor.

Lessons in PR: Communication isn't simple

Communication. Pretty simple word. But pretty tricky business. Ever tried to communicate to a family member, friend or significant other how they hurt your feelings in a tense situation, only to have it backfire? Okay, now that 99% of you are nodding, I’ll get on to my point…

Everyone, it seems lately, thinks they are “PR experts”. But public relations isn’t about having a lot of friends or throwing fun parties. It is about expert communication, especially with the press (and, in this age, on social media). I find myself, almost daily, cringing at PR faux pas—from basic to potentially fatal.

While hiring a professional to represent your brand is the best way to avoid this sort of deadly foot-in-mouth syndrome, I understand that this is often cost-prohibitive. If that’s the case for your company, there are some basic PR/communication rules that I drill into my staff and interns daily, and that I happily share. From me to you: lessons learned thanks to my 10+ years’ experience interviewing thousands of designers, politicians and retailers as journalist; 3+ years as a publicist giving press interviews and representing brands on social media… but, mostly, thanks to my relentless journalism professors at the University of Connecticut.

1. Fact check. Think you know how to spell the proper name of an organization or person? 98% of the time, you’re probably right. You do. The problem is the other 2% of the time. If I spelled a proper name wrong on a college journalism project, my journalism professors would make me write it correctly, by hand, 500 times. Actually, it may have been less than 500; but having spent a couple nights sitting in the dorm lounge writing a name over and over until my hand ached: I still double check the names of even clients I’ve worked with for years.
2. Listen. As a reporter, I learned the most in interviews when the interviewee suddenly went off on a tangent in response to an innocent question… often revealing more than I ever imagined asking. This is a basic of any business communication: listen carefully to the question before opening your mouth. Example: I once served on a non-profit board and, when I hadn’t received end-of-year financial reports, I asked the executive director for them. The executive director’s reply was shockingly angry and defensive. How dare I accuse her of misappropriation of funds? Well, actually, that hadn’t crossed my mind. But once she threw it out there, told me to call her lawyer, and told everyone within earshot that I’d made such an accusation; it definitely crossed my mind (and everyone else’s). Enough said.
3. Condense. Short is, indeed, sweet. Say what you have to say. Then wait an hour and go back to edit. In PR, wordiness has always been a cardinal sin. Today, it’s deadly for a publicist or any business person. Who among us isn’t suffering from information overload? Case in point: The average attention span of someone opening an email? 8 seconds. The average attention span of a goldfish? 9 seconds. Need I say more?