How to Effectively Market Your Brand to Spring Break Travelers

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Each year, thousands of college students pour into the city of Chicago for spring break. Although the city is not as warm as other popular destinations, it does provide plenty of activities for spring breakers to participate in.

All of these extra people mean extra business for you. Make sure to capitalize on this huge event by optimizing your marketing efforts toward spring breakers.

Merchandising

A perfect way to attract students on spring break is to offer them free merchandise. As college students, they are very willing to accept anything that does not cost money.

This allows you an opportunity to get students interested in your brand, and to vicariously promote your brand to other spring breakers in the area. As a rule of thumb, always put your logo on every single piece of promotional material in order to maximize brand awareness. Enlarging this logo is also a good idea so you can be sure to make it stand out.

This method may seem a bit simplistic and perhaps even outdated, but we can assure you that you will see a response from travelers if you incentivise them with a cheap t-shirt or pair of sunglasses.

Facebook

During spring break, visibility is key. This does not necessarily mean to be visible physically such as with billboards and promotional merchandise. You can also generate an incredible amount of traffic to your business by utilizing online advertising strategies and platforms.

Facebook is an incredible resource for all companies that are looking to directly target a detailed group of people. The Facebook ads manager tools allow you to refine your target audience based on current and previous locations. You can also use a multitude of other keywords or phrases to put your ads in front of ideal consumers. This makes it so simple for you to precisely target college students from out of town that are now within a close proximity to your business.

The other major benefit is that Facebook ads are also highly cost effective. If you create a week-long campaign to drive people to your website, you are likely to generate conversions for mere pennies on the dollar!

Twitter

The strategy behind Twitter ads is very similar to that of Facebook ads, but Twitter is not quite as successful at generating leads. However, Twitter is absolutely ideal for achieving better brand awareness. If you do not possess a prime location that receives a lot of walk-by traffic, then you could be missing out on substantial potential profits.

With Twitter, you can make sure that students on spring break are seeing your business, even if they are not clicking on the ad. Even on a subconscious level, consumers are more likely to interact with a brand that they recognize than with one that they do not. Now go ahead and get your brand out there!

More From Onimod Global

To learn more about the digital marketing industry, please visit the Onimod blog today! Our content creation specialists regularly produce up-to-date content so that you remain current on digital marketing methods and strategies.

A few of our most recent articles include: The Importance of Google My Business for Local SEO Rankings, How to Build Customer Loyalty That Drives Search Traffic, 4 Statistics That Should Impact Your 2018 Online Marketing Strategy, and much more!

The Importance of Google My Business for Local SEO Rankings

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Google My Business (GMB) is a unique tool that provides local businesses with an opportunity to appear in Google search and map results to essentially increase local SEO rankings. Having a GMB listing and being active is critical in today’s digital world for local businesses in order to stand out from the crowd. Including important business information and images, optimizing your GMB listing, and frequently posting updates will greatly improve a business’s local search visibility. This post will explore the overall importance of Google My Business when it comes to local SEO and outranking industry competitors.

Google My Business Overview
Utilizing Google My Business allows your organization to take charge of what people see when conducting a local search for your business. Google states that “Google My Business gives you the tools to update your listing and engage with customers from your phone, tablet, or computer. All for free.” GMB enables you to update business hours, images, menus (restaurants), locations, have reviews, and now lets you add posts to highlight what’s happening. Moreover, it’s a crucial tool for businesses to increase online visibility so potential consumers can find you.

Setting up and Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing
Just simply setting up a GMB listing is a good starting point, but in a competitive environment you will need to go above and beyond to stand out. The first step to driving in new business is to claim your listing. This will enable your business to update all of the relevant information like location, hours, images, and contact information. A second step is to seek assistance from your customer base regarding reviews and making sure they are positive. A large number of positive reviews can increase the likelihood of ranking higher in search results. Once these initial steps are completed, the next plan should be to develop consistent posts to keep potential consumers engaged about what’s happening with your business. The GMB posting feature allows your business to display deals, events, or important company news. Ultimately, it should be noted that the more time you spend in the Google My Business interface, the better local SEO presence your business will experience.

Advanced Google My Business Optimization Strategies
In addition to the basic GMB optimization tactics previously listed, there are more advanced GMB optimization strategies that will improve local visibility even more. First, the importance of displaying intriguing images often times gets overlooked. Select photos that will stand out and grab the attention of online users to attract more website clicks on your listing. Another important tactic according to digital marketing expert Kevin Gibbons is to “check up on popular times of the day and create SEM or paid social campaigns to drive more visitors during times your business is open but not as busy.” In the end, Google My Business offers an excellent opportunity for businesses to enhance their local online visibility and create a better overall chance to increase both online and in-store traffic.

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For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

4 Statistics That Should Impact Your 2018 Online Marketing Strategy

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2018 will be a critical year in terms of marketing with all of the constant changes happening within the industry. Therefore, having the right marketing strategy in place will ensure that your organization doesn’t fall behind in 2018. The importance of online visibility in today’s digital world should never be overlooked, and it’s an aspect that many businesses lack. Listed below are four marketing statistics from various sources that will help shape your marketing strategy for the year ahead.

1. Repeat E-commerce spenders spend twice as much as new customers
Customer loyalty is huge, and it’s no surprise that repeat customers are far more likely to purchase more from your business. According to an article from Neil Patel, the “average E-commerce spending of repeat customers is $52.50 compared to $24.50 for new customers.” Moreover, effective E-commerce strategies will be crucial in 2018 and being able to generate solid customer relationships will most likely result in revenue increases.

2. The number of advertisers using Facebook is now over 3 Million
Facebook is an extremely effective digital marketing channel, and if utilized correctly it can greatly increase the ROI for your business. Investing plenty of time and money to the social media giant should definitely be a component of your organization’s marketing strategy, as it will pay off in the long run. According to a report from Statista, “the number of active users on Facebook worldwide has now reached 2.13 billion.” Another interesting Facebook fact found by WordStream is that “the average cpc on Facebook across all industries is $1.72.” Ultimately, there’s a reason that Facebook now has over 3 million advertisers, as the platform can be very rewarding for you business if used correctly.

3. Over 90% of shoppers’ purchase decisions are influenced by social media
It’s no surprise that social media is important when it comes to potential consumers and what influences their purchase decisions. A study from Iron Paper found that “approximately 93% of purchase decisions are influenced by social media, and that 90% of users trust peer recommendations.” Businesses that have caught on to this trend have seen increases in sales and overall ROI. It should also be noted that image focused platforms like Instagram and Pinterest offer a huge opportunity for businesses to showcase products/services to help influence purchase decisions.

4. 87% of internet users own a smartphone
The overwhelming usage of smart phones has revolutionized the entire advertising industry. Mobile marketing is not the future, it’s happening right now. The Global Web Index found that “87% of all internet users own a smartphone” and that “there are 9 new mobile users added every second.” Therefore, there must be a major focus on mobile responsiveness in any marketing strategy. It’s essential regarding your organization’s website in terms of user friendliness and ranking higher in search engine results.

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If you’re business is in need of digital marketing expertise this year in 2018, Contact Us at Onimod Global. Check out Our Work and see what digital solutions we have to offer! We look forward to hearing from you!

Unilever CMO Collaborates with Platforms for Better Digital Advertising Standards

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Keith Weed, Unilever CMO, believes that many platforms have not yet caught up to the innovative technologies of today. As a result, many of these platforms are serving poor quality advertisements to consumers, with little recourse.

Ongoing Topic of Conversation

Procter & Gamble CMO Marc Pritchard has voiced many of these same concerns. Generally speaking, Pritchard is focused on 4 ways in which brands should rethink their current digital marketing tactics:

  1. Transparency
  2. Ad Quality
  3. Mass One-to-One Marketing
  4. Messages For Good

To learn more about Pritchard’s digital marketing strategies, please read through our article, “Digital Marketing Advice From Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer”.

While Weed and Pritchard share similar concerns, they are each handling these concerns in very different ways. Pritchard has been much more forward about failures within the digital advertising industry, and has presented an ultimatum to platforms that facilitate such services.

This ultimatum basically consists of the platforms correcting their mistakes and producing a better performing platform, or risk immediately losing business from major companies like Procter & Gamble.

A New Approach

Rather than publicly address platforms with harsh ultimatums, Weed believes it is in the best interest of all (the company, the platform, and the consumer) for large corporations to work alongside these platforms to create a better experience for the end user.

In his own words, Weed expressed to Adweek that, “This has gone beyond us talking internally within the industry about the efficiencies of the media supply chain. This is now impacting trust as a societal level, which I think brings great urgency.”

Even with Weed’s compassionate understanding toward platforms, Unilever has begun shifting their ad dollars around. Weed freely admits that the company is indeed moving money around to spaces that meet their higher standards in the viewability and third-party verification of digital ads.

In the end, what matters most is the user and their experience. Both Weed and Pritchard are trying their very best to better this experience, despite their different approaches. However, their efforts are likely to produce results that all digital advertisers can enjoy going forward.

3 Important Traits That Successful Digital Marketers Must Have

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Although there are numerous traits that digital marketing professionals must have to be successful, there are some in particular that appear to be more critical than others. Perseverance, detail oriented, and being a team player are all important traits. However, from our experience here at Onimod Global, here are three traits that we have found to be essential drivers of digital marketing success.

1. Flexibility
The digital marketing industry is constantly innovating with updates and changes happening on a weekly or sometimes daily basis. Just look at how quickly platforms change or what factors are most important for quality SEO rankings. Therefore, in order to become a successful digital marketer having that ability to be flexible and thriving on change is a must. Successful digital marketing agencies have employees who are willing to adapt and can keep up with the speed of the industry.

2. Focus on Fundamentals
Fundamentals and basics such as writing, communication, and listening are all crucial skills when it comes to digital marketing. Although having advanced skills like SEO knowledge and website development expertise is important, the basic fundamentals of successful digital marketers can sometimes be overlooked. An article from Marketing Land portrays an example of “having a great idea to boost website traffic, but being unable to communicate it well to a client can be a huge setback.” Ultimately, there should always be a focus on fundamentals because without them it’s very difficult to execute successful digital marketing strategies.

3. Dedication
One of the most important traits any successful digital marketer has is dedication, and the hunger to always want to learn more and become the best. The best digital marketing agencies consist of marketers who are self motivated and will do whatever it takes to rise to the top of their field. What does being a dedicated digital marketer really mean though? An article from the Digital Marketing Institute talks about how driven digital marketers “attend conferences, build strong networks, take refresher courses, stay on top of industry news, and always learn new skills.” In the end, being dedicated and passionate when it comes to digital marketing will set successful marketers apart from the mediocre ones.

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

Creating a Highly Proficient Digital Company Culture

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Company culture is a relevant topic for any industry. However, statistics show that workplace culture is particularly impactful in the digital space. Respondents to a McKinsey&Company survey reported “cultural and behavioral challenges” as the most significant challenge to meeting their digital priorities.

Expert Advice

Statistics like the one mentioned previously have caused many corporate leaders to reconsider their methods. Time recently released an article written by Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, on this subject. In this article, Huffington details several ways in which companies can actually improve their culture. She suggests:

  • Overworking is Overrated: Americans have long held the belief that the more time you spend working, the better. Unfortunately, this constant state of maximum exertion quickly leads to burnout of even the best employees. The truth is, we are all human and we all need a break once in a while. By giving your employees time to recuperate, you support a more sustainable business model, which keeps quality employees around longer.
  • Hold Everyone Accountable: It has become the norm to let those with extraordinary talent run the show. As Huffington puts it, these “brilliant jerks” may be causing more harm than good to your company, even if they do bring in a profit. She explains that once others see that this kind of awful behavior is tolerated, there isn’t much to keep them from behaving that way themselves.
  • Authenticity Above All Else: Consumers today, particularly millennials, are interested in companies that are concerned with more than just the bottom line. Social responsibility is not very easily fabricated. A company really needs to possess a genuine desire to improve the lives of others. This aspect is not necessary in order to be a successful company, but it is certainly a very effective way to win over younger consumers.

To read through the rest of Huffington’s article, which includes additional tips to improve your company’s culture, please click here.

More From Onimod Global

Here at Onimod Global, our content creation team is constantly working to produce relevant content about the digital marketing industry. Whether you are looking to learn about social media marketing, website development, search engine optimization, or any other digital service, we are here to keep you up to speed.

Please visit our blog to read through some of our latest articles!

Expert Opinions on Upcoming Super Bowl LII Ads

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Many tune in to watch the best football players in the country face off during the Super Bowl each year, but many more tune in exclusively to watch the amazing advertisements that are shown in between in the game.

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most costly days of the year for many advertisers. Each ad is carefully crafted and backed by an enormous budget to appear in front of more than 110 million Americans. It is not absurd to say that $5 million is a bargain for such an ad.

This year, many professionals are weighing in about such Super Bowl ads. In this article we will focus on ways for marketers to improve their Super Bowl advertising strategy, as well as take a look at previous Super Bowl ads and how they compare to those in recent years.

How to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck

AdWeek contributor Chandler Sopko provided several ways in which she believes marketers will be able to optimize their efforts during Super Bowl LII. Her advice is as follows:

  • Outspend the Competition: Even if you are not planning to run a TV spot during the game, you still have to shell out a considerable amount of cash to get your ad into prime position for users. It is very common for people to interact with brands during the game, particularly through social media. For this to happen, you have to first gain their attention by making it to the forefront of the pack.
  • Pin it Up: Party hosts are going to be scouring Pinterest looking for recipes for their upcoming party. If your company has any relevance to users that are looking for ‘the best cheese dip ever’ or ‘football decorations’ now is the time to show them one of your ads.
  • Geotarget with Snapchat: Snapchat has allowed businesses to create and implement their own filters for quite a while now. If you own the type of establishment where users are likely to hang out during the game, such as a sports bar, then a geofilter would be an excellent way to engage your customers while also promoting your business. Make sure to add your logo to the filter. This will alert recipients of every snap of your business, and what a great environment it provides for major events.
  • Continue the Conversation: Do not let the end of the game mark the end of your campaign. Talk of Super Bowl ads extends far into the following week. Be sure that your campaign is still visible as people are discussing it with one another. This will hopefully help you to squeeze a few more engagements out of your target audience.

Past vs Present

Adweek took the time to interview several top creatives in the world of advertising. These creatives discussed their opinions on Super Bowl ads, and shockingly, they all had rather harsh criticisms to share.

Matthew Bull, founder and CEO of SoloUnion, and Rafael Rizuto, founder and CEO of TBD, felt that the Super Bowl is often used as an excuse to be more innovative and creative. Both of these critics felt that each and every day in advertising should be as innovative and creative as possible. No single day should get all of the attention or effort.

Gerry Graf, founder and CEO of Barton F. Graf, expressed disappointment in how little most brands receive for their incredibly large investments into advertising during the Super Bowl. He feels that in order for the ad to have the biggest impact possible on the brand, it should be used for a new company that is not yet recognized by many Americans.

To see the full video interview conducted by Adweek, please click HERE.

When is it Time to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency?

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Regardless of how long your company has been in business, there will come a time when you realize you need assistance with online marketing efforts. The demand for engaging and effective digital marketing strategies is increasing, and numerous organizations don’t want to fall behind the curve. According to the U.S. Digital Marketing Spending Report from Gartner, “many companies outsource up to 50% of all online marketing activities.” Moreover, it’s critical to hire an experienced digital marketing agency sooner than later, and listed below are signs that it’s the right time to outsource.

Lack of relevant skills
It’s easy to imagine how much business owners already have to deal with when it comes to overseeing their own company. Therefore, trying to incorporate marketing efforts into individuals with busy schedules is probably not the best bet. Staying current with SEO strategies, SEM, social media, email marketing, etc is very time consuming and requires plenty of effort. Once your company has realized it’s time to work with an agency, be sure to find one that is experienced and is a good fit. Review case studies and other work from multiple agencies to help with your outsourcing process.

Inadequate Reporting
Are your marketing results being measured? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter the most? Are you focused on brand awareness, leads, or conversions? These are questions that should always be addressed when it comes to an organization’s digital marketing efforts. Hiring the right digital marketing agency would give your company the ability to measure results with accuracy and evaluate if returns on investments are positive.

Website is getting poor traffic
A lack of website traffic is a common issue that many businesses encounter. They begin to realize that the traffic being driven to their site is often irrelevant and lower than expected. Is your company paying close attention to Google Analytics data? How well does the site continually rank for relevant search queries? Questions like these can be better answered by a digital marketing agency with a proven track record. Ultimately, hiring an experienced agency is most likely the best solution to increasing relevant website traffic

Content quality is lacking
Many companies need to face the reality that their internal employees are most likely not experts regarding content generation and knowing how to increase online presence. A good digital marketing agency will consist of content marketing experts that better understand effective SEO strategies, high quality content, and how to increase organic traffic. Therefore, if content marketing results are poor, it’s time to hire a digital marketing agency that will help your business grow.

Contact Us
At Onimod Global we are a proven digital marketing agency and know what it takes to fulfill the needs of our clients. Check out Our Work and see what digital solutions we have to offer! We look forward to hearing from you!

4 Social Media Predictions For 2018

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The dynamic of social media is constantly changing and 2018 has the potential to be an important year for social media. After analyzing an article from Marketing Land written by Laura Collins, there are some interesting changes that could happen in the world of social media. Listed below are some social media predictions the article points out that could have major implications on the future of the industry.

1. Instagram’s Continued Dominance
2017 was an incredible year for Instagram in terms of revenues, user engagement, and a rapidly growing user base. Instagram is continuing to innovate already in 2018 in ways that are attractive to their users and advertisers. The Marketing Land article mentions how Instagram announced last month that there is a new capability to incorporate hashtags. “Advertisers could pay to target followers of particular hashtags, or perhaps appear in the top posts section for those relevant to their business.” This hashtag integration could ultimately take the platform to new heights if utilized correctly and just like last year, 2018 could be another big year for Instagram.

2. Twitter Revamp
It’s not a surprise that Twitter has been struggling to compete in recent years with the other social media giants for ad revenue. There was very slow growth in 2017 especially and the article predicts that 2018 is “sink or swim” for Twitter’s future. It hasn’t even been a month in 2018 so far and Twitter is already making steps towards changing their ad offerings. The article mentions how new “premium video content partnerships designed to turn the platform into a destination for high-quality entertainment. Its new pre-roll and mid-roll ads will offer advertisers brand-safe inventory with high visibility standards and a chance to target people who are highly engaged and predisposed to view video content.”

3. Snapchat Revenue on the Rise
Although it was reported that 2017 was not Snapchat’s best year, there were still major strides made from the mobile based social media giant. The article points out how Snapchat is learning from their mistakes and they “recently released a pixel to address accusations of a lack of transparency or ability to measure ROI.” There is also talks of a “total redesign of the app as a response to older users reportedly struggling navigating the interface.” Ultimately, the prediction being made for 2018 is that Snapchat will become more flexible for their users and advertisers, and then see ad revenue growth from a more diverse group as a result.

4. Live Streaming Becoming the “Go-to” Option
The drastic increase of live streaming viewership has definitely caught the attention of major social media platforms. It is now a mainstream aspect of most social media channels, as brands have been utilizing live streams to capture the attention of followers. An article from Entrepreneur predicts that in 2018 “more brands will begin to realize the power of live streaming, and will incorporate it into their monthly content plans to help attract a larger following.” Moreover, the importance of live streaming can’t be overlooked by organizations and those who are not using the feature correctly or at all will fall behind.

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!