Owned Earned and Paid Media

Owned Earned and Paid Media

Owned, Earned, And Paid Media: The Digital Marketing Trifecta

 

You may have heard the terms “Owned, Earned, and Paid Media” tossed around in the past and could be concerned that they are new types of media that you must have to optimize and create a well-rounded online presence for your business. However, there’s a strong likelihood that you already have developed and are using at least a few of these types of media already!

Owned, earned, and paid media all play a strong role in your company’s SEO, and all work together to provide a clear overview of your company to a customer. Let’s dive into the differences between earned, owned, and paid media.

Owned Media

 

Your owned media is just that – any content or platforms your brand owns. If you have complete control over the media, you “own” it. Owned media is great because you control the entirety of the messaging and branding. The more places your brand can be found online, and the more engaged on these platforms your audience is, the better your website will rank on a search engine results page (SERP).

Examples of your owned media include:

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Website

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Ebooks

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Blogs

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Podcasts

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Apps

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Social media accounts

Owned media allows your brand to shine. If you have a branding kit, make sure that you’re referring to it consistently to so your messaging, brand personality, color scheme, and fonts are all on-brand. It’s important to show consistency across all of your owned platforms to increase your brand awareness.

Whether you’re working to develop all your owned media platforms or you’re continuing to grow them, now is the time to do an audit.  Make a list of all of the owned media your company has, and make sure that you’re utilizing them all to their fullest potential. This is a prime way to get seen by current and potential customers, so make sure you are putting your best foot forward and providing up-to-date and engaging for your audience. Create a plan to monitor and engage with your social media accounts. If you have a social media account you’re not currently using, consider whether or not you have the bandwidth to re-engage with this platform.

Root and Roam Tip: There are many types of owned media, but you do not have to use them all. Focus on the owned media platforms that resonate with your audience.

Earned Media

 

Earned media is any mention your brand has earned through work of your own. You’ve heard before that “nothing good comes easy,” and your earned media is a prime example. Over time, your earned media grows exponentially. Putting in the hard work to develop customer relationships, loyalty, and provide excellent customer service pay off for you with earned media.

Examples of earned media include:

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Blog posts about your product or service others have written

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Press mentions

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Online reviews

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Social mentions

It may feel uncomfortable, but the fastest way to gain earned media is by asking. Check in with your most loyal customers and ask them to write a review on your Google My Business page, an online business review site, or even your social media platforms. You can do this in person or through an email.

Root and Roam Tip: It may feel easier to ask a customer to leave a review in exchange for a discount or small token of appreciation. Resist this temptation. Doing so can inadvertently be considered to be bribery. Your company is great and your organic reviews will show this!

Paid Media

 

Your paid media is any content or brand mention you’ve paid to have. They may fall anywhere on the cost spectrum, from just a few dollars to the largest paid campaign that you could dream up.

Example of Paid Media Include:

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Google search ads

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Streaming ads

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Google display ads

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Banner ads on a website

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Network display ads

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Paid articles or advertorials

Your paid media is an important part of your overall marketing strategy because it expands your reach.  Paid media allows you to get your company seen by potential new customers. Targeting options allow for you to hand-select who your audience is, and there are multiple ways for you to do so. You can target your search and display paid media in many different ways, including geographic location, specific keywords or searches, demographics. You even have the option to do a retargeting ad to follow up with those who have already visited your website or Facebook page.

Your paid media also includes any ad buys that you make on any online industry publication and streaming TV or radio ad.

Root and Roam Tip: There are many places you can use paid media. The opportunities are endless. Start off simple with platforms that you know your current audience or target audience are utilizing, and do some A/B testing to see what resonates best and provides you the most conversions.

How do I combine earned, owned, and paid media?

 

As we talked about the differences between earned, owned, and paid media, you may be thinking “How do these all work together to give me a well-rounded digital marketing strategy?” The combinations of earned, owned, and paid media is the key. All types of media play a pivotal role in your SEO strategy but also in your overall brand strategy.

Owned and Paid Media

 

Some examples of owned and paid media combinations include:

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Sponsored social media advertising

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Boosted social media posts

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Influencer partnerships

Owned and Earned

 

Some examples of owned and earned media include:

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Testimonials on website

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“As seen on..” Sections of the website

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More branded searches for your business

Owned and Paid

 

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Engagement on your owned media from influencers or social ads

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Website conversions through paid advertising efforts

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Increased web traffic on a dedicated landing page to capture leads through an ad

Each option of the type of media you choose, if leveraged alone, can achieve a company goal. However, when combined with another type or better yet, when all three are utilized, you’ll see much better results regardless of if you’re targeting brand awareness, lead generation, lead nurturing, or transactional opportunities. Interested in learning more about how these three types of media can improve your business, get in touch with a marketing strategist at Root & Roam!

Bringing Brands and Communities Together!

Bringing Brands and Communities Together!

The agency and the brand

 

Here at Root and Roam, we’ve enjoyed almost a decade of supporting one of our favorite clients, Pederson’s Natural Farms. Pederson’s was the first to create a no-sugar bacon and make it available nationally. They’ve grown to 90 employees with dozens more protein products and they continue to grow steadily. From label design to national campaigns, we’ve showcased Pederson’s across numerous channels over the years. Moreover, we have helped them increase revenue along the way.

Recently, they approached us about getting involved on a national level. Although Pederson’s has long supported local farmers and communities near their headquarters in Hamilton, Texas, they became interested in taking that helping spirit and supporting broader needs. And boy were we excited to hear that!

Broadening that giving spirit

 

Pederson’s is passionate about providing some of the best meat on the market. It’s something they take extremely seriously. They were the first to make a no-sugar bacon available nationally.  Since then, they’ve continued creating no-sugar added, non GMO, no nitrite or nitrate, all natural and sometimes organic, no hormones or preservatives…meat (well, you get the point)! They sell great meat. Naturally, working in an industry that provides millions of meals to fellow Americans gets you thinking, and the question arose: “What happens to the people who can’t get natural, wholesome proteins?” That question led Pederson’s to consider doing more to help feed their fellow citizens.

That’s when Root and Roam introduced Pederson’s to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Feeding America works tirelessly to connect people with food and end hunger. And thus, a beautiful partnership was formed!

#PedersonsFeedsAmerica

 

On April 15, 2021, Pederson’s announced its partnership with Feeding America. Pederson’s pledges to provide 1.5 million meals* to communities through their own charitable donation and the donations of Pederson’s customers through the #PedersonsPrepRally campaign.

In conjunction with this partnership, Pederson’s launched a campaign called Pederson’s Prep Rally to bring diverse communities together to celebrate our differences through people’s shared passion for food. Four influencers from diverse backgrounds were identified to help share engaging content across social platforms all while raising awareness about Feeding America. Diversity is a big part of the Prep Rally strategy.  We want to bring different communities together to share their love of food and to support those who need our help in getting quality food. Donation buttons will be on all platforms and websites leveraging the campaign. Together with Root and Roam and all of the Prep Rally influencers, Pederson’s will play an active role in helping to provide meals to those with food insecurity.

The best part about this partnership is that people who donate literally provide meals in their respective zip codes! People can give back and help support their own local communities in need.

How you can help support Feeding America

 

Pederson’s has provided multiple ways that you can donate to those with food insecurities and help support the great work Feeding America does. Here are just a few ways:

Join the Rally Room! The Rally Room is a membership and subscription-based way to get quarterly SWAG, exclusive deals and meat bundles of Pederson’s delicious proteins. All while donating monthly to Feeding America. It’s part of your subscription! You can find out more about the Rally Room here. https://pedersonsfarms.com/pages/prep-rally

You can also go to www.pedersonsfarms.com and donate right on the homepage! No purchase necessary.

You can also check out Pederson’s social media channels – Facebook and Instagram – weekly to find out other ways you can give to Feeding America. We’ve got you covered there!

And finally, to everyone who participates, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Let’s help feed America!

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks. Meal claim valid as of 7/1/20 and subject to change.

How To Create A Great Newsletter

How To Create A Great Newsletter

Newsletters are one example of email marketing, which is just a small segment of a digital marketing strategy. 

Unlike transactional email marketing (an email that is triggered when a user performs a calculated action), newsletters have (or should have) a regular cadence and should be sent to only certain segments of your overall email list. Newsletter marketing is intended to build a relationship between your brand and the lead or customer you’re targeting. 

Newsletters can contain all sorts of content, from company announcements to information about product launches. However, the ultimate goal of a newsletter is to build relationships, drive traffic to your website, roll out a new product or service, or generate or qualify leads. And you want to compel your readers to take some sort of action that benefits your brand or business. 

We’ve outlined a few tips on what makes a great newsletter and why you should send one. Keep in mind that newsletter marketing is serious business, so if you don’t have the resources to support it, consider working with a marketing agency to help you. 

In the meantime, here are a few tips to creating a newsletter with purpose that we believe your readers will enjoy. We’ve also added some Root and Roam tips for you to try. Read on!

Bring Value To Your Readers

 

If you’re considering creating a newsletter or want to revamp the newsletter you already have, consider these questions:

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Why do I need a newsletter?

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How do we measure our success?

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Are we providing content the reader wants?

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Do we have the resources to support the creation, distribution, and analysis of a newsletter?

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Who are our readers? Do they even read newsletters?

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How will we promote our newsletter?

Know your readers, and consider creating content they will be interested in, not just something to fill up their inbox. If you bring them real value, they will respond.

Remember, we all get a lot of email, so take that into consideration when you’re creating your newsletter.

Root and Roam Tip: Consider segmenting your newsletter email list and targeting content to that specific email group. Example: if you can identify your most loyal customers, consider a referral program and incentivize them to bring in new customers.

YOUR NEWSLETTER SHOULD LEVERAGE A BIGGER DIGITAL STRATEGY

 

Newsletters are usually part of your overall content strategy, which is part of your digital strategy. Each element within your digital marketing strategy should work holistically to achieve your business goals.

After you’ve created your customer personas (that’s a different blog), ensure that your targeted customer wants to receive their information from a newsletter. This is important because demographic information dictates strategy, so leverage it when considering if your target audience responds well to newsletters. And include topics and themes that are tied to a bigger strategy, company goal, or objective.

Root and Roam Tip: Put your most important content at the top of your newsletter. The top of your newsletter gets the most attention from your readers.

UTILIZE A GOOD NEWSLETTER PLATFORM

 

There are dozens of newsletter platforms on the market, so it may be a challenge to choose the right one. We won’t get into details on which ones are our favorite, but here are just a few features you should look for if you’re considering distributing a newsletter.

Keep it simple – Use a platform that allows you to drag and drop or create the newsletter easily. There are plenty of platforms out there that provide a very simple newsletter template allowing you to include your own color palette, branding, and content.

Make sure it measures – Analytics are important. Make sure the newsletter platform you choose measures the effectiveness of each newsletter. Wondering what to measure? You’ll want to measure how engaged your audience was by looking at the “open rate.” This demonstrates how many people actually opened your newsletter. You’ll also want to look at the “click-through-rate” or CTR. This will show you how many people clicked through to your website or whatever platform you’re directing them to. Pay attention to your unsubscribe rate, too. If you see a high unsubscribe rate, consider creating a new newsletter strategy.

Root and Roam Tip: The average open rate for a newsletter is 15-25%, and the average CTR is 2.5%. Consider setting two types of goals: benchmark level goals (meet the industry average) and “stretch goals,” exceeding the industry average.

CHOOSE A SUBJECT LINE THAT ENGAGES AND INSPIRES PEOPLE TO OPEN THE EMAIL

 

Your subject line may be the most important piece of content in your entire newsletter.

According to Optinmonster, 47% of people open an email based solely on the subject line, while 76% of people will report the email as spam based on the subject line.

And remember, people don’t just receive information on their desktop. Consider the right length of your subject line based on a mobile device.

Finally, it’s okay to be playful with your subject line, so if you feel emojis project the sort of message you want, use them!

Root and Roam Tip: As creative as you may want to get with your subject line, make sure it represents the content inside the newsletter.

CONSIDER ONLY A FEW TOPICS AT A TIME

 

Let’s face it, we are consuming more and more data as technology makes it simpler for us to access it. No one wants to read pages and pages of information.

You may have a lot to say, but don’t use your newsletter to tell it all. Your newsletter should focus on one or two main topics presented in engaging and fun ways. Too much content is a turn-off to your reader, and you could end up with a high open rate and a low click through rate.

Think about keeping it light and succinct. Don’t go on and on about a subject. And leverage a storytelling format. People love good stories, so tell one when you’re creating your content.

Root and Roam Tip: People love behind the scenes content. Consider showcasing how something is made or how business is conducted in your organization.

NURTURE YOUR EMAIL LIST

 

Your email list is an asset to your business; it’s something you grow, nurture, and leverage when necessary. Think of it as a garden; you put a lot of work into tending to it, it grows and grows, but you still have to tend to it in order to get it to deliver the best bounty. Your email list works the same.

Use an “opt-in” list only. Opting in to receive information from your business is vital to growing your list organically and important to your business’s reputation. There are single opt-in and double opt-in options. Double opt-in is a two-step process allowing the reader to agree twice to receiving information from your business. Although the double opt-in feature might reduce your email list, it is still the best way to ensure people really want communication from you.

Aside from wanting to grow your email list the right way, it’s also the law. The laws are in place to deter people from receiving unwanted and unsolicited information and spam.

Root and Roam Tip: Never purchase an email list. Not only could this negatively affect your brand, most newsletter platforms will freeze your account if you try uploading massive lists at one time.

DON’T FORGET YOUR CALL-TO-ACTION (CTA)

 

Your newsletter should have purpose and tie back strategically to your overall goals and objectives. This is where your CTA plays a role in your newsletter.

The CTA should be prominently placed throughout your newsletter – meaning more than once – and be designed well for maximum visibility.

Use text that is actionable and engaging when creating your CTA. If given the choice between “Click here for more information” or “Get your discount,” which one would be more enticing?

Root and Roam Tip: Create a sense of urgency with your CTA. “Shop now – only 6 left” or “30% off today only” are great examples of CTAs that inspire you to act quickly!

Check your newsletter across digital platforms

 

Generation Z now makes up 27 percent of the entire US population. What does that mean to me, you may ask? Well, if you’re marketing products or services to this demographic, who grew up on mobile devices, you better ensure your newsletter looks great and functions properly on this platform. More and more people are using their mobile phones to get their information, so when creating your newsletter, be sure to check that it works across devices. Check all versions before you hit send: desktop, laptop, mobile device and tablet.

Just one bad experience with your brand on any digital platform, and you may lose that customer forever.

Root and Roam Tip: Be sure and send a “test” version of your newsletter to your colleagues and have them check it on all platforms. This will ensure your audience gets the best version of your newsletter.

Promote your newsletter!

 

It’s important to grow your email list, and you can only do this by promoting your awesome newsletter! Consider embedding a sign up form on your website and social media platforms. Encourage people to sign up, and perhaps tie a contest in with it.

Website pop-up windows are a great way to get people to sign up, and if you couple that with a contest, giveaway, or discount code, your sign up rate will increase.

Don’t be pushy. Let your audience feel like they are participating in something that will provide value to them.

Root and Roam Tip: Include a “share” option within your newsletter so your reader can forward your newsletter on, share it across their social media platforms, and encourage their friends, family, and social community to be a part of your newsletter.

Marketing Trends To Expect In 2021

Marketing Trends To Expect In 2021

There is no doubt that COVID-19 had a dramatic impact across industry sectors, to include the one we work in here at Root and Roam Integrated Marketing Agency. The pandemic decimated small so called “Mom and Pop” shops, while wreaking havoc on just about all brick and mortar businesses. 

And although we hope the worst of this economic shake-up is behind us, it is still difficult to predict what the future holds when it comes to sector growth and keeping businesses up and running. 

No one likes to operate in a volatile market, which is why we’ve outlined a few marketing tips that we believe can boost your business even during such uncertainty. 

YOUR BRAND SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE

 

It’s all about transparency and accountability. Yes, two words that you’ll often find in a mission or vision statement. A lot of businesses may talk the talk but don’t necessarily walk the walk. 

Even without a global pandemic, competition across industries is and always will be fierce, unless perhaps you’re Amazon. That is why now more than ever it is important to not just provide stellar goods and services, but to do so with purpose. 

Research shows that brands that have a precise and carefully communicated purpose observe growth two times faster than businesses that don’t. And leveraging transparency and accountability should be woven into that purpose. 

With all the options out there, it is important to stand out, so clearly communicating your purpose helps in doing so. 

As well, present-day consumers are more aware of the social responsibility businesses should embrace. Gone are the days of repetitive purchasing because of limited options. Now customers not only become lifetime consumers, they literally align themselves, and their communities, with their favorite brands. And if you consider that currently Millennials make up the largest demographic and have the most buying power, you should take note that social issues are a big part of their buying decision. Issues like inequality, social struggle, and environmental problems should be integrated within your marketing solutions, if you want to reach this demographic.

TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF YOUR MARKETING

 

We’ve seen how businesses have been impacted by COVID-19, but one of the first line items usually to go when creating a budget for a business is marketing. Now more than ever, every penny you spend in marketing needs to directly contribute to a return on investment (ROI). Working with a market research firm or having access to online databases in order to curate the exact information you need to create that marketing strategy is imperative to the success of your marketing efforts. And in the end, you’ll achieve better ROI by leveraging data.

Being able to take a deep dive in your customer’s purchasing journey, understanding your brand’s share of voice (SOV), or even creating customer personas isn’t something even the brightest marketer can do without the access to good data.

At Root and Roam, we leverage strong data to build strategies that make sense. We don’t guess, because budgets can’t support guessing, and businesses can’t thrive on the unknown. 

THE RISE IN TEST MARKETING

 

Product and/or service launches can be costly; that’s why you need to get it right the first time. With smaller marketing budgets come fewer resources, so this is where testing your product or service prior to launch can help save millions in dollars and resources. Testing the market versus sinking millions into research and development (R&D) can often be more cost prohibitive and get you the answer you’re seeking faster. 

Expect to see an increase in test marketing, as companies try to keep up with consumer demand, but don’t have the big budgets backing them like they used to. 

And if you’re a company prepared to launch a new service or product, work with your marketing teams or a marketing firm that can help you facilitate marketing testing. You’ll be glad you did.

VIDEO CONTENT IS STILL HOT

 

Video content has been and will continue to be some of the most important content you create. Whether it’s an answer to a question, a “how-to” video, or a cooking demonstration, people of all ages engage with video more than any other content. 

Video also helps to humanize your brand and a perfect platform to demonstrate your accountability messaging.

Pro tip: to get the biggest bang for your buck, edit your video for various platforms (i.e. long-form for YouTube, short-form video for Instagram). Also, don’t be afraid to edit and modify for each platform. For example, if the majority of your audience is younger and spends their time on TikTok, consider modifying your message and video for a younger audience. 

Also, don’t be afraid to go live! Facebook offers a great platform for live video, and people love to see brands in action. 

LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR BETTER CUSTOMER RETENTION

 

The second quarter of 2020 saw an increase of budget of 24 percent for social media support as part of the total US marketing budget. Marketers turned their focus to customer retention, which, in terms of marketing spend, is far less expensive than trying to acquire new customers especially during a pandemic. 

The pandemic also changed how much time viewers spend online researching products, services, and brands. In response, marketers can expand their reach, connect with first-time buyers, and continue engaging with loyal customers. Consider highly engaging content, customer loyalty programs, and social media “shout-outs” to your most loyal customers. Let them feel they are part of your brand’s success by sharing their content, incentivizing them when referring new customers, and showcasing their loyalty through social media.

USE MORE INTERACTIVE CONTENT

 

Consider this, interactive content facilitates 2x more conversions than content that is passive. 

Interactive content can include quizzes, surveys, polls, giveaways, contests, open-ended questions; basically any content that the user is compelled to respond to. The more engaging the content, the more time the user spends on your platform, and this helps your business grow in two ways: the more time someone spends on your site, the more search engines deem your site worthy for organic search, and the more time they spend on your platforms, the better chance they have to convert. 

Highly engaging, interactive content is likely to be shared more across social channels, so consider this when creating content for your users.

VIRTUAL EVENTS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW

 

With the pandemic came the dramatic increase in the use of virtual platforms. Just ask Zoom! And although some of these meeting-based digital solutions have been in play for quite a while, they haven’t always been leveraged for events. 

This has presented a unique opportunity for businesses. By making events virtual, you’re able to open up your business and share your content to the entire world! If COVID-19 taught us anything, it was that people don’t need to gather in physical spaces to share, engage, or get things done. 

Need ideas on virtual events? Consider doing a virtual Q&A on a topic that your managers have expertise in. This is a great way to demonstrate thought leadership within your industry.

CONVERSATIONS SHOULD KICK-START YOUR CONTENT MARKETING

 

There are two types of digital content; content created for Google’s algorithms and content created for humans. Yes, as digital marketing experts, we understand the importance of creating and publishing content that leverages search engine optimization (SEO) tactics for better organic search. However, we also understand that no one is going to take the time to read 1800 words of uninteresting content. 

When creating content, whether it’s a blog or a Facebook post, consider reading what your customers are reading and providing content that compels them to read and engage. It’s okay to be creative, have fun with content, yet still be a brand serious about revenue goals. But if you create the same boring content day after day on your products or services, you will lose your audience. 

BRANDS CONTINUE TO EMBRACE E-COMMERCE

 

In 2020, marketing agencies specializing in e-commerce development saw a mass influx of requests. Some were out of fear due to the decrease of foot traffic in brick and mortar locations, and some were due to the rise in direct to consumer (DTC) opportunities prior to the pandemic. Regardless of the need, we expect e-commerce development opportunities to continue to rise. 

During the pandemic, we know that consumer behavior dramatically changed with more and more people going online to transact, but in 2021, don’t expect to see that behavior change. With the ease of pushing a button and just about anything you want can be delivered right to your doorstep, consumers are finding that online shopping is the way to go. 

That said, if you’re considering taking your products or services online, now is the time to do it. 

The good news is, there are a lot of great e-commerce platforms out there that won’t break the bank in terms of development costs. As well, these platforms utilize other technologies that integrate with them seamlessly, technologies that have automated what marketers used to manage.

EMBRACE 2021 WITH A NEW MARKETING STRATEGY THAT MATTERS

 

In summary, your organization’s marketing activities in 2021 should be driven with the intent to reach new audiences and embrace the customers you already have, with purpose. Provide them with content that matters, leverage the platforms they use most, and consider utilizing video and live, virtual events to have compelling conversations. 

If you’ve been thinking about taking your brand online for e-commerce opportunities, seize the moment, and do it now before your competition beats you to it. 

And finally, if you’re not working with a strong agency that understands good digital marketing, consider working with one. At Root and Roam, we know digital marketing, so feel free to give us a call.

Holiday Marketing Matters: Three Big Ways To Bolster Your Holiday E-Commerce Business

Holiday Marketing Matters: Three Big Ways To Bolster Your Holiday E-Commerce Business

Many of us eagerly anticipate and look forward to the holidays. It’s a time for celebration, family, good food, and what we hope is just the right amount of snow. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, we’re quickly coming into the 2020 holiday season. As a business owner, you may look forward to the holiday season in more ways than one, as sales typically increase and for many businesses, it’s the busiest time of the year. Retail businesses see close to twenty percent of their annual sales during the months of November and December, average holiday spending has been trending upward for the last ten years, and over 80% of holiday shopping is done by the end of November

If you’re part of an e-commerce business, it’s clear that more and more people are doing their shopping online. Last year over 20% of holiday shopping was done online, and that number is sure to multiply given the circumstances of the 2020 season. So, what can you do as a business owner to better serve your customers, increase your sales, and make the season as free from stress as possible? We’re going to cover that in this blog.

1. MAXIMIZE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

 

We love working to better serve our customers, and this is a good area to start with when evaluating how to help an ecommerce business grow. Ensuring that your customers have the best user experience on your website helps rule out barriers that may be getting in between a person’s interest in your products and their ability to purchase them. A few elements to focus on include:

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Site Speed & Infrastructure – is your website quick and responsive? Optimized for mobile? Can your hosting provider handle big bandwidth spikes due to high amounts of traffic? Is everything up to par security wise? These are questions we deal with everyday and we can help you answer them.

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Third Party Integrations & Payment Options – many websites use various third party modules and services to provide product lists and provide payments. Are they up to date? Are you offering as many forms of payment as possible? Are your shipping rates and your return policy clear and transparent? Do your customers have to log-in or register? Have you made that process as simple as possible? These are all areas we specialize in and can help you with.

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Site Search Optimization – many ecommerce sites have a built in search function, and when you offer a wide array of products, customers will use this to find what they’re looking for. It’s important to configure your site search with helpful search suggestions and common misspellings to help show customers the products they’re looking for quickly – even if they happen to make a typo.

It’s important to make sure these steps have been taken well in advance of the busiest parts of the year, and we recommend freezing any kind of major updates or changes to your website in the weeks leading up to the holidays. Once you’re sure your website is ready for the increase in traffic, you can focus on preparing for the holidays in other ways.

2. PLANNING AND PROMOTING YOUR HOLIDAY OFFERS

 

It’s well documented that the holidays drive some of the biggest sales numbers for online stores. Online Black Friday shopping sales hit 7.4 billion dollars last year – an all-time high. People are ready to spend because they know that they have a great potential to save money, as average savings on Black Friday specials are around 37%. With this in mind, you know that competing during these sales means coming up with aggressive promotions and offers of your own, and doing so in a strategic way. We specialize in segmentation, tailoring messages, and finding out what works for what crowds. A few of the things you can do to help plan and promote your offers are:

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Dig into last year’s data and find out how low you can go, while still pricing in a way that will make all your effort worthwhile. If you’re an online retailer you can find where your strongest traffic came from and look to boost those relationships this year. This can come in the form of blogs and buying guides, social posts, and paid advertising. These are all areas we specialize in at Root & Roam Integrated Marketing Agency.

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If you have an email marketing list or an active following on social media (or both), it’s imperative that you plan and schedule content that will help inform and guide your customers into making holidays purchases. Let your customers know what to expect and what to plan for, even if it’s telling them to keep an eye on their inbox and your pages for the soon to arrive specials! Creating a sense of urgency and taking advantage of FOMO (fear of missing out) can help sell to people that may otherwise miss out. This way when you start to ask for sales, they’ll be more likely to already have that perfect gift in mind.

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Showcase your deals and products. This may be viewed as a no brainer – but get your best deals in front of people in as many ways as possible, from your website’s home page to your marketing pushes through email and social media. Surround your products with memorable design, from the digital work you put into your marketing to the packaging that makes your unboxing experience. Give your customers good reasons to tell their friends about their experience!

3. BE PREPARED FOR VOLUME

 

We’ve already discussed having your website ready for increased traffic and a higher volume of customers – but what about the rest of your business? Shipping and fulfillment will also be under pressure with higher order volumes, and having a plan in place to handle that will help ensure your holiday sales go off without a hitch.

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Anticipate volume and hire accordingly. If you handle shipping and fulfillment in-house, you’re likely aware of the necessity of seasonal workers to help accommodate increases in demand. Getting this support in place is imperative and the sooner you can get it in place the better.

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Consider a third-party logistics(3PL) provider for shipping and fulfilment, or if you work with a wholesaler you may consider what setting up a dropshipping relationship would cost. It’s different for every business and it’s up to you whether or not it’s right for you and your business. At a certain point of growth it can often make sense to offload shipping and fulfillment to someone with the infrastructure and expertise to handle it most efficiently.

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Remember returns. Holiday buying sees higher return rates than any other time in the year – around 12% of all sales according to the National Retail Federation. Customers appreciate painless returns, and providing an easy return process is a good way to bolster long term customer loyalty. Many businesses are including return labels and using resealable mailers for gift purchases, and a short note or print out on how to make a return or even better an exchange can make your recipients (and your) life that much easier.

The holiday season is something to prepare for on many fronts, and it’s no different for business owners. With a bit of planning it can be just as successful as a highly anticipated Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. Before we know it, we’ll be stepping into a new year and it’ll be time to analyze and find out what has worked best for us and where we can improve. 

We hope that the points discussed in this post give you a clearer picture of how to ensure your businesses holiday season success, and you should know that Root & Roam Creative Studio is here to help you take your marketing and business growth to new levels. We have a diverse team of marketing professionals ready to tackle any area of analysis, content strategy, creation, and delivery. Happy Holidays!

Week 4: Make It Shine

Week 4: Make It Shine

Originality

 

This harkens back to creating empathy and being genuine. Being original can be challenging, but the key to originality goes back to what we covered in the Week 1 section. Find out who you are, what you do, and be unequivocally that. There’s an old saying that there’s nothing new under the sun – so don’t worry too much about creating something that’s 100% fresh – worry about creating something that is 100% you and relevant to the people you’re wanting to reach.

“EVERY DETAIL COUNTS” (EDITING, COMPOSITION, ENVIRONMENT

 

This is for the perfectionists and planners out there. How many steps are there when it comes to creating competent video? There’s no one-size-fits-all right answer, but, like many things, the more you can break it down in detail the better the whole package will be and the more confident you’ll feel going into it. How many steps you take for a video largely depends on what the purpose of the video is, what platforms you’ll be creating it for, and how much time and money you want to invest in it. Typically you can categorize your steps between pre-production, production, and post-production. With this being considered, nearly every video should touch on these areas as you go through the process of creating it:

PRE-PRODUCTION

 

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Script and Storyboard – Now, you may be doing a spontaneous live video, like a short Instagram story or update. You don’t have to script those – but thinking about what you’re going to say before you say it won’t hurt. If you do have a lengthy script or storyboard, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!

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Selecting Recording Gear – Will you be simply recording this with your phone? Or will you be using something dedicated like a DSLR, Action Camera, or Video Camera? Will you be using multiple angles? How long do you plan to record – do you need more batteries or memory cards? Do you have multiple subjects? How many cameras do you need? If you need multiple cameras, what formats and resolutions will your various cameras record in, will they blend together well? Will you be recording audio? How will you be recording audio? Through your device’s microphone or a separate microphone? Will you need mic stands, or will you be using a lavalier? How many mics will you need? Will you need a tripod for your camera, or will you have someone to record it for you? Have your things ready to go before you start.

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Environmental Factors & Lighting – As you likely know, lighting is extremely important to capturing quality visuals. Wherever you plan to record this video – how’s the lighting? Time of day can impact this. Will you need external or dedicated lighting? How’s the ambient noise? Is there lots of traffic outside that you’re going to have to contend with? What about wind? If you’re recording outside – what’s the weather like? This can come into play even when you’re recording inside – a boom of thunder or driving rain may not compliment your product showcase. Knowing as much as you can about your environment beforehand helps you be prepared and keeps your quality consistent. A side note is safety – if you’re recording in the field, keep mind of where you’re recording and the people you may encounter. Are you permitted to film where you’re recording? Also remember the value of your equipment and be aware of your surroundings. Audiovisual equipment is highly attractive to thieves, so be aware of your surroundings, and try to keep it out of sight if you ever have to leave it in a vehicle.

PRODUCTION

 

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Setup and Settings – This could go in the pre-production category, but since it typically happens on the day of shooting, we’re going to put it under production. Get things setup and ready to go. Get your cameras and microphones setup. Take test shots, establish your desired white balance, and check your mic levels. Find your depth of field for your subject. If you’re shooting on location, you may want to go ahead and get some b-roll for filler in post-production.

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Action! – All your efforts have led up to this. Stick with your planning, adapt where you need to, and focus on the moment! If you need multiple takes, take them. If you need more angles, get them. It is better to have too much footage to work with than too little, and you often won’t get another chance at it.

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Tear Down – take apart all your gear and keep it organized for the next shoot. Take note of what cameras and mics did what, and note any thoughts you may have had during shooting, things you’ve learned, what to avoid next time, and things you may have to fix or adjust in post.

POST-PRODUCTION

 

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Organize Footage & Audio – You’ll thank yourself down the line if you go ahead and establish a system for importing and organizing things in a system that makes sense to you. This can take time to figure out and will change from project to project – but the key is knowing where everything is and how to manage your assets well.

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Editing – Like many of the other parts listed, the extent of your editing depends on a variety of factors. If you’re doing anything more than a one-off video your editing will typically include color correcting and grading, syncing and optimizing audio, and adding various effects, titles, and texts to your video. The scope of this process can fluctuate greatly, but you’ll need to have someone who is experienced in an audio visual software environment to make the most of your raw footage and audio. If you have more than one camera this person will decide how your multicam video will flow and appear in the end product.

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Exporting/Encoding – Once you’ve edited your video to your liking you have to encode and export that video into a finished product. This involves choosing the quality of your video and how that video will be processed. Typically most editing environments will match the source video when exporting the final product, but there are many options here. Many social media platforms will compress your video into more palatable formats, and as a rule of thumb it’s typically safest to export your final copy in the best quality available – be that upwards of 4K or your standard 1080p.

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Publishing/Uploading – Now you get to show your work to your audience! Oftentimes people will publish their work to one channel like YouTube or Vimeo and share the content from there to other networks. Although this can be the best way to ensure your audience sees your video in it’s highest quality, most social media networks will be more apt to make your video appear in more places when it’s been uploaded directly to that platform. When it comes to exposure it’s recommended to upload your videos directly to each platform for sharing within that platform, you can always link to the highest quality version of your video in the comments.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT VIDEOGRAPHER(S)

 

Capturing high quality video takes a lot of knowledge, experience, and usually a good amount of talent. It also takes gear and equipment that most folks just don’t have access to. You’ll be wanting someone that has an eye for capturing captivating frames but has also put in the effort to learn how to utilize their equipment well. This combination of talent, experience, and equipment works together to make a great videographer. Depending on the size and scope of your project you may need multiple people who fit this description, and you’ll also need someone who knows how to put all this footage and audio together to make a coherent and visually stunning finished product. This is an area where professionals excel, and finding someone you can trust will make or break your video project. Like any professional field, look for someone with an impressive portfolio and references, as well as someone you feel will understand your vision and be willing to work with you as well as for you.