Today, your marketing strategy has become more important than ever before. That’s because the Internet makes it easy for consumers to conduct research and discover new brands. With information and other resources so readily available, each business in every industry has a competition to worry about.
You may have some successful content marketing tactics. That’s great, and you should continue using them. That said, content marketing alone won’t be enough to reach the widest possible audience. If you want to create more brand exposure and gain an edge over your competition, you’ll need to do more, you need to leverage your audience specific interests.
Focusing on your audience interests may be the solution to give your company the advantage you’ve been looking for.
- How can you Leverage your Audience Data?
- 3 Crowdsourcing Tactics for Leveraging Your Audience
- How can Brands take Advantage of Audience Analysis?
- Leveraging Your Personal Brand to Build a Bigger Corporate Audience
- Top 10 Ways To Reach Your Target Audience
How can you Leverage your Audience Data?
Data is at the forefront of operational and business efficiency in our industry.
Companies’ use of data has evolved beyond just making smarter business decisions and is now being utilized for content delivery and advertising messaging. When it comes to running a successful ad campaign, there are a number of different ways to leverage data.
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But before exploring different approaches, here’s a quick recap of the types of data that exist in the marketplace.
Defining Data
First Party Data is data that is collected and owned by the company. Examples of first party data are user registration data or user behavior data collected within owned and operated properties, like a website.
Second Party Data is someone else’s first party data. It’s branded from a trusted source and there is transparency into how the data is collected and organized. Example of second party data is an advertiser using publisher data for targeting or two publishers exchanging data segments for targeting.
Third Party Data is anonymous non-branded data. This data is associated with a lack of visibility into where or how the data was collected. Third party/anonymous data is usually sold via Data Management Platforms.
Leveraging Your Audience Data
There are a number of ways Brands and Publishers can leverage data to help grow revenue and boost customer engagement. The strategic mix really depends on the goals. Let’s explore a few first and second party data approaches:
First Party Data Strategy
Starting off with a game plan around data strategy (Collection, Management, Audience Creation, plan to grow audience) is key to executing on campaigns. If you’re not already collecting data on your customers, there’s no better place to start than your own website.
An email capture for some form of content, be it a newsletter, whitepaper or a contest, will provide you with invaluable audience data that can be leveraged in a number of ways. When recently asked about the importance of first-party data and email, Kelly Leger of Merkle said “Email is the holy grail of marketing and advertising and acts as the universal identifier for media activation.”
Direct Sold Campaigns: Targeting campaigns within owned and operated properties can enhance the the optimization and performance of the campaign by honing in on the audience.
For example, let’s say an advertiser wants to target “travel” on a particular publisher. Instead of targeting the “travel” content section of the site, they set up the campaign to target an audience data segment of “Travel Enthusiasts” throughout the entire site.
This provides flexibility with respect to maximizing the value of the inventory by reaching those interested in travel regardless of where they are throughout the website.
Audience Extension: Running audience extension campaigns provides a Brand or Publisher the ability to accomplish a few things:
1. It makes it possible to reach known audiences anywhere, regardless of whether the user is within owned and operated properties or on a third party website. And knowing who those users are and where they are is key to identifying your audience.
2. It gives publishers the ability to extend buys off-site in cases where they are short on inventory.
3. Retargeting known customers is a great way to reinforce product offerings. Using Audience Extension as a tool can help improve acquisition numbers. We’ve seen some clients see a lift in conversions as much as 117%.
Second Party Data Strategy
A Second Party data play is becoming a bigger part of data buying strategies and there are a number of Data Management Platforms in the marketplace that are creating opportunities for their partners. Utilizing second-party data is a great way to create partnerships with companies that have complementary data sets to drive campaign performance and share insights.
If done properly, second-party data can help fill in the gaps of where a brand, publishers or advertiser may be weak. This provides a new product offering. For example, we have seen a local news publisher and a fashion magazine publisher transact on a second party data deal.
The local news publisher is able to create/sell Fashion and beauty audiences whereas the fashion magazine publisher is able to layer in local geo data into their campaigns.
Acquisition Campaigns: Leveraging data to persuade the potential targeting audiences to sign up or purchase something is a great way to acquire new users or grow a subscriber base. We have seen brands run acquisition campaigns across the LiveIntent platform and increase their email file size by 31% and open rates by 8X.
Creative: To help tell the story, it’s essential to pull together the right metrics (not all metrics, but the right metrics) from multiple sources into one report structure.” As advertisers evaluate campaigns from a branding and performance perspective, it’s important that the appropriate data is used.
This is everything from utilizing the appropriate audience file for targeting, making sure that file is up to date as well as the appropriate data to understand the success of the campaign and what can be done better in the future to gain more success.
At the end of the day, the goal here is to increase Revenue Per Open (RPO) and leveraging different types of data sets is a great way to do that. As marketers and advertisers get smarter about the data they own and the data that’s available in the marketplace, the use of data in campaign execution is only going to continue to grow.
3 Crowdsourcing Tactics for Leveraging Your Audience
Crowdsourcing is one of the buzziest buzzword words of recent years. Sites like Kickstarter have seen more than $1 billion donated since its 2009 launch, and organizations small and large have found it to be a useful way to connect with champions and supporters of all stripes.
Beyond funding, the value of crowdsourcing for marketers is found in leveraging your audience’s interests for your company’s benefit.
Here are three different tactics derived from this crowdsourcing model that are now being deployed by big time marketers across traditional and social media channels.
- Solicit interaction with your product or participation in your marketing campaign in return for some kind of reward.
- Use your knowledge of your audience to give people what they want.Ok, if this sounds too obvious, bear with me. Does your audience like cartoons? Action movies? “Mad Men”? Imbue your content with that aesthetic.
- A third tactic is to present content that appears to be pulled from a wide variety of public, every day, nonprofessional sources, giving it the appearance of the “reality”we all deeply hunger for.
These tactics aren’t necessarily brand new. A 2011 Mashable article indicates that marketing has already become a two-way conversation where customers can both potentially create and/or participate in a given company’s marketing efforts.
These big changes boil down to an increase in choice brought on by a more intelligent audience. As marketing has grown and its tactics evolved, so has its audience.
One way to look at this evolution is what Bryan Kramer, CEO of PureMatter, calls H2H marketing. He asserts that B2B and B2C are distinctions that took the language of marketing too far from its simple goal of bringing people together through communication. With these three tactics, we see big companies embracing this philosophy of H2H and embracing more of a two-way conversation.
Solicit Interaction
The first crowdsourcing tactic is soliciting interaction with a specific campaign for a potential reward. It’s shocking to see how different brands and customers look at this relationship. While 73 percent of customers think brand loyalty programs are there to give them rewards, 66 percent of brands feel that the opposite is true.
So while marketers and audiences need to come closer together on this one, it can still be effective, like when Mountain Dew encouraged people to help choose their new flavor on social media through the “Dewmocracy” campaign in 2007.
Dew-heads coast to coast were lining up to fight for their favorite flavor, so much so that the campaign was used again in 2009. Though you may traditionally think of a reward as something material like a free T-shirt or gift card, merely being electronically recognized by said brand is often more than enough to get people in the door.
Give the People What They Want
Bud Light is another mega-brand that has slightly altered their model using the second tactic: give the people what they want. They’ve recently been marketing their beer to people who are “up for whatever.” Their ads typically feature a bunch of good-looking people having a great time.
Their new TV ad takes this targeting even further by highlighting a slew of unique messages on each bottle that begin “the perfect beer for…” and end in some zany or fun situation. Similar to Coca-Cola’s assortment of first names adorning their cans, it’s an attempt to make a simple product personal.
Bud Light targets their customers by matching their audience with situations they are likely to find attractive. The more the individual agrees with or is amused by the statement on the bottle, the better.
So in this situation, the ideal bottle might feature a phrase like, “The perfect beer for sitting in front of your computer, reading a blog on content marketing” or “The perfect beer for marketers who are up for whatever their customers want.”
The Hunger for Reality
McDonald’s is a prime example of the third tactic, the phenomenon David Shields calls “reality hunger.” As one of the most visible, storied brands worldwide, their marketing is instantly recognizable. They’ve recently made a significant shift in tactics. Instead of going after our appetites like they have in the past, they’re going after our heartstrings with a heavy dose of sentimentality.
Their new TV ad shows a montage of McDonald’s signs, the ubiquitous and iconic golden arches hovering above the black and white changeable message board. As it cycles through sign after sign we are treated to a barrage of messages of hope and positivity.
Though this ad has caught some initial criticism for being too precious, these messages tap into our shared American consciousness by referencing national tragedies (Boston Strong) and personal struggles and triumphs alike (Happy 95 Birthday Woody We Love You).
McDonalds also created a Tumblr especially for the occasion of the signs ad. Tumblr is one of the most popular social networking sites among millennials and is typically used to create a personal page.
Branded, “Every sign tells a story,” you’ll notice as you scroll through the webpage that none of those stories are about the brand’s food. They’re all about reminding us the viewers about their integral place in the fabric of American communities.
Take note of these three tactics and see what you notice the next time you turn on your TV or scroll through social media. Brands are turning over the reigns to their audiences in increasingly visible ways.
By paying attention to what trends hold sway in popular culture, companies can come to know their audiences better and be more equipped to meet them where they want to be met.
How can Brands take Advantage of Audience Analysis?
The audience is one of the most important parts of a successful sponsorship. Brands need to create sponsorship campaigns that will resonate with their target audience, and in order to create that perfect sponsorship, they need to know who their target is by performing analysis.
Audience analysis is more than just knowing who your target group of people are, it provides insights into how to properly create a marketing strategy. Elite follower analysis is a vital component of a successful marketing campaign.
What Is Audience Analysis?
Audience analysis is the process of analyzing data collected on a target audience and then using that data to create a specific marketing plan to reach them, this means analyzing the data about an influencer’s followers.
Brands analyze the followers of their ambassadors so they can create custom marketing campaigns in order to reach those people and improve their return on investment.
There is a wide range of useful data that can be collected about an ambassador’s followers such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, interests, religion, etc.
An example of follower age data can be seen in the graph below. This data combined with trend matching and smart decision making allows brands to more effectively reach potential customers.
How Brands Can Leverage Audience Data To Make Better Decisions
In order to create an elite marketing campaign that will help a brand gain better recognition, you need to understand who you are marketing for. For example, let’s say a brand is looking to showcase a new line of baseball cleats.
Their target audience would likely be both a mix of males and females whose interests consist of baseball and softball and who are younger than 35. Knowing who is more inclined to buy your product allows you to define your target customer and then find ways to reach them.
Audience analysis can also aid brands in finding the best ambassadors for their products. For example, if Adidas is looking for an ambassador to promote their products they probably won’t want to partner with someone whose core base of followers are middle-aged with interests in classical music and art.
Instead, Adidas would want to choose an ambassador whose core group of followers consist of younger athletes who have an income range that would be able to afford their product.
Audience analysis also allows brands to work with their current ambassadors to create content that is likely to entice their current follower base.
If a brand’s goal is to reach an older group and they know which ambassadors have a follower base like what they are looking for, they can get together with the ambassador to create posts that will be engaging for the older group – posts that will generate more engagement and better results.
Another way brands can leverage audience analysis is by collecting data about the geographic locations of followers and potential customers. If a brand knows its target group is from a certain area or region, they can invest in ambassadors that have a large number of followers in those regions.
Perhaps a brand wants to promote an event they are putting on at a certain location, partnering with an ambassador from that area is sure to boost interest for it and increase turnout. Another way brands can use geographic data is to expand their company.
Maybe a brand wants to expand into a new region, and a good way to do that is to partner with ambassadors from that area that have followers from the same location. These ambassadors can help develop a core base of new customers to help establish a brand’s presence in a new location.
Why It is Important
Audience data and analysis has become extremely important for brands, as proper analysis allows a brand to bolster its online follower base and captivate more followers. The better a brand is able to connect with its target audience, the better their brand recognition and reputation will be.
Hookit’s product makes it easy to see all of your follower data and analysis in one place. Brands are always looking to get a leg up on the competition, and in-depth analysis is key to generating top-notch sponsorship marketing campaigns.
Leveraging Your Personal Brand to Build a Bigger Corporate Audience
There’s a common school of thought out there when it comes to dealing with social media for business: focus on promoting your company’s brand, and promote the hell out of it.
But did you know that there’s a hidden gem out there that you should be taking advantage of to grow your corporate audience? That’s right – if you’re not leveraging your personal brand in conjunction with your company brand, you’re missing out.
The Benefits of Having a Personal Brand
If you’re thinking that it’s crazy (or even a little conceited) to develop and promote your own personal brand, just hear me out: there are a number of benefits that come with successful use of your personal brand. Your personal brand will:
- encourage your prospects and customers to start seeing your company as more than just a business; instead, they’ll start seeing you as a business that’s made up of a team of experts.
- provide your prospects with the opportunity to get to know the individual(s) behind the brand. This is especially true for buyers who are either making big, considered purchases or are buying your company’s creative vision. Getting a glimpse into a person behind the business helps increase the trust factor of your prospects.
- give your corporate brand a wider reach and larger audience. Your personal brand should act as an extension of your company’s brand, giving more opportunities for prospects to find you and start realizing how your products or services can provide a benefit to them.
Defining Your Personal Brand
Now that you know the benefits, let’s backtrack and define what a personal brand actually is, and how to go about leveraging it. Quite simply, your personal brand is a representation of the type of professional that you want others to see you as, particularly online.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Okay, so it’s all about who I am as a professional. I’m a senior consultant at XYZ Consulting Firm. That was easy.” Not so fast… Your professional representation should expand beyond your basic job title. If you’re a consultant, what particular industries or product types are you interested in? What are the nuances of consulting that you feel especially passionate about?
A more complete way to sum up your personal brand might be something along the lines of “I’m an eager consultant specializing in consumer health and beauty products, with a specific interest in the innovative process behind new product concepts.”
Once you’ve identified the specifics of your personal brand, it’s critical to commit to your brand. Strive to become an industry leader; someone who is an expert in your specific interests. Let your interests serve as inspiration for the topics that you blog about and the content that you create.
Additionally, use those interests to drive the type of third-party content that you share on social media. Start familiarizing yourself with industry websites that produce high-quality content and scan them each day for articles and resources that relate to your professional interests that you can share on social media.
Where to Leverage Your Personal Brand
With a seemingly unending list of social networks out there, it can be a little intimidating to think about managing and promoting your personal brand across social media. But as the old saying goes, less is more; don’t feel like you have to be everywhere. Consider the following:
- LinkedIn – This one almost goes without saying, as LinkedIn is the place for business professionals to connect and share their company content on behalf of their personal profiles. Make sure your professional interests are spelled out in your profile and join groups that pertain to those interests and your industry. Get involved in discussions and share relevant content to get your name – and likewise your company’s name – out there for others to find.
- Twitter – Use this platform to share quick updates with your company content and the relevant third-party content that you come across with a multitude of followers by capitalizing on hashtags to get your posts seen by the right audience. Don’t just stop there, though – make the most of your Twitter biography by establishing yourself as an industry expert and using hashtags that will help you be found in search.
- Industry Forums/Online Trade Publications – If you know of any online resources that are made up of industry expertise, make sure you take part in the discussions and add your voice to the team of experts by contributing blog posts, if possible. When you comment on a discussion or submit a blog post, make sure you include links to your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles to encourage readers to follow you and heed your expertise as an industry insider.
Taking these few steps to build and leverage your personal brand can have a significant impact on your corporate audience. Make it a priority to commit to your brand and don’t miss out on the excellent opportunity
Top 10 Ways To Reach Your Target Audience
If you’re a business owner, you want to advertise your products and services to the people who are most likely to need them. But how do you determine who your target audience is and even more importantly, how do you reach them? One of the major advantages of working with a full-service marketing agency is the ability to more effectively target your desired demographics. Here are the top 10 ways to find, target and reach the right audience for your product or service:
1. Getting to know your target audience
It may seem obvious, but to reach your target audience, you first need to know who they are. It can be surprising how little companies know about their current customers and who they should be trying to reach with their advertising.
Market research includes gathering, analyzing and interpreting information about a market, a product or service to be offered for sale in the market and the past, present and potential customers for the product or service.
A reputable advertising agency understands the complexities of the data. It will help you identify exactly who your current and potential customers are, using demographic information such as age range, gender and household income.
2. Focusing on your target audience’s needs
All too often, companies waste valuable advertising space and dollars talking about what is important to them, not their customers. Effective advertising begins with listening to your audience.
Whether your target audience is comprised of executive chefs, doctors or office workers, your advertisements need to speak to them and their needs.
Clients don’t really care about your company’s departmental structure, its long and storied history, or that mission statement you spent weeks hashing out in the conference room. They want to know what you can do for them and how you can make their lives better and simpler.
3. Talking to (or even better – with) your target audience, not at them
This is connected to the previous idea but deals more with the tone of your advertising. A marketing message should never be delivered from “on high” or be focused on singing your company’s praises. It should connect with the reader, listener or viewer on a personal level and use a conversational, rather than a lecturing tone.
Your potential target audience needs to feel that you understand their needs and are going to provide them with a product or service that will make their lives better. By working with a quality advertising agency, you can be sure that you genuinely engage your audience with a message that speaks to them and delivers concrete, measurable results.
4. Building Trust and Credibility
Using the right tone, wording and images, an advertising company can help you develop a strategy for making your company trustworthy and credible. If you haven’t established trust and credibility with your target audience, attempting to resonate with them will be an uphill battle. For new, young and relatively unknown businesses, building credibility and trust are essential for future success and growth.
5. Creating an Engaging and Attention Grabbing Message
People are inundated with advertisements from every direction all day, every day. Studies show that the average number of advertisements and brand exposures a person sees per day is over 5,000. Of all the ads a person sees in a day, only an average of 12 leads to conversions.
After a while, a large percentage of ads become little more than white noise and are largely overlooked by the public. If your ads aren’t eye-catching and go unnoticed, they can’t accomplish the task.
A good advertising firm understands that there are words that sell and words that fail. Using the right phrases, graphics, pictures and/or calls to action greatly improve your chance of standing out.
6. Maximizing Your Budget
In a perfect world, money would not be an issue, and you could spend as much on advertising as you wanted without ever worrying about the return. For most business owners, this is obviously not the case, and every dollar matters.
Most businesses should be allocating between 2 – 5 percent of their annual revenues to advertising. An advertising company can help you get the most out of your money by strategically selecting different mediums to fit your budget while reaching the people most interested in your offerings.
7. Finding the Right Channel/Medium
So you know who your target audience is, but how do you reach them? It’s very important to use demographic research to understand when and where your audience is consuming media.
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This helps control your cost and reduce wasteful spending since your advertisements will only appear where your audience will see them. An experienced advertising agency has already done this research for you.
8. Balancing Frequency and Reach
One of the age-old conundrums in advertising is whether it’s better to reach a large audience a limited amount of times, or a small group on numerous occasions. Balancing the line between frequency and reach is essential for effective advertising and something that may be difficult. This is a decision best left to the professionals.
9. Rebranding or Changing of Message
Many businesses go through a period of rebranding or a time when they are shifting their message or mission statement. Rebranding is essentially changing the gift-wrapping on your company’s products and/or services.
This is very easy to botch, as the owners of Radio Shack can attest, following its brief name change to “The Shack” in 2009 and the resulting failure. Redefining yourself as a business to your current customers is very complicated and takes a well-designed and executed advertising campaign.
10. Improving Search Rankings
In today’s digital world, it’s all about where you rank on the search engines, primarily Google. Understanding of SEO strategies, as well as geo-local targeting and other efforts will help you move up the rankings.
Without a thorough understanding of how to implement strategies that improve your search rankings, visibility to your prospective target audience will be limited.
