Sometimes it only takes three little letters to scare the heck out of you. Mention the IRS and people feel faint. The FBI is outside your door? Yeah, that’s never good news. And when you’re talking about websites, SEO is often viewed as the big bad wolf.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is one of the most misunderstood, yet most important digital marketing topics out there. There’s a misconception that harnessing the power of SEO is quick and easy. Not true! SEO is a process that takes time to yield results. It can take months to see results.
Read Full Article
It’s not merely what you say, or how you say it. It’s also how it looks.
I’m talking about font selection. It might not immediately seem like something that could affect your bottom line, but choosing the right fonts is a way to draw a customer in or drive them away.
Read Full Article
There’s no denying it, social media video is the king of content right now. From “live-as-it-happens” videos to eye-catching mini-movies, consumers are watching closely. Visual trends are growing and platforms like Instagram and Facebook play an important role in this shift. Consumers are viewing more video, so brands are creating even more social media video marketing for them to view. And where they watch is extremely important.
Read Full Article
“To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.”
– A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
The new year is a good time to set goals. Roughly half of us make personal resolutions when the calendar changes and unfortunately, most of us don’t follow through. The number one reason for failure? We focus on too many goals.
Read Full Article
What happens to your advertising plans when the surrounding community is devastated by a natural disaster? That’s the question Essential Federal Credit Union faced this year because of the 2016 floods in Louisiana.
As a credit union, Essential is a vital part of its community and when it was threatened, Essential sprung into action. The branding campaign Innovative Advertising had planned for the credit union was quickly revamped to focus on helping its customers through the rebuilding process.
Read Full Article
Media buying used to be simple. Well, maybe not simple, but it was definitely more straightforward than it is today. You had fewer outlets to choose from — Print (newspaper and/or magazine), Radio, Billboard, and TV. You could compare each channel’s reach into your geographic market and amongst your ideal customers’ demographics with relative ease, and you could allocate your media buying budget accordingly.
Read Full Article
By 2019, experts believe that 80% of all the traffic on the internet will be consumer internet video. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat or Hulu, video content has emerged as the medium of choice for the masses. In fact, nearly three in four agencies say online video is as effective, or more effective, than television. Here are a few reasons why –
Read Full Article
Creating and distributing content is one of the most effective ways to build your brand and engage with your target audience. But, only if it’s done right. If your content primarily focuses on pitching your company, services and products, you need to rethink your strategy. Today’s consumer prefers to learn about products and services through articles, not advertisements. They want to be educated through online searches, not “sold.”
Read Full Article
If this season’s programming successes have taught us anything, it’s this: viewer options are increasing and preferences are changing, but audiences are still flocking to smash hits – both old and new.
This season has already surpassed the last in programming choices and hits. This may be due, in part, to the fact that broadcast networks are sticking with the genres and programs they’ve become known for: NBC-dramas, CBS-reliability, FOX-sports and one-hit programming like Empire.
Top Broadcast Show of the Fall Season
This is Us, NBC’s newest family show, came with high expectations and big promises. And, it delivered. It makes you smile, laugh and cry, with well-developed characters and equally well thought-out storylines reminiscent of NBC’s fan-favorite, Parenthood.
Since its premiere, This is Us has boasted strong numbers, blowing even projected and anticipated viewership out of the water (with help from heavy promotion on traditional TV and digital, a sizeable ad budget and a strong lead-in from The Voice). Renewed only a week into the opening season, This is Us is firmly positioned as the season’s “must see” show and a clear example of what viewers are looking for.
Canceled Shows
As always, there are shows on the chopping block. However, networks seem to be turning to ordering fewer new episodes rather than cancelling them outright. Part of the reason — although traditional TV viewership is down 38% from 2011, streaming video services are growing at a rate of 9% year-over-year. 2016 marked the first year that streaming video services were in 50% of US television households. So, it makes sense for networks to see which shows perform better with online and on-demand viewers. This strategy buys them time to evaluate DVR and online numbers, resulting in a more informed cancellation or renewal decisions.
| Network |
Full Season Pickups |
Too Soon to Tell Or Decreased Episodes |
| ABC |
American Housewife
Designated Survivor
Speechless |
Conviction
Notorious |
| CBS |
Bull
Kevin Can Wait
MacGyver
The Great Indoors
Man With a Plan |
Pure Genius |
| NBC |
This is Us |
Timeless
The Good Place |
| FOX |
Lethal Weapon |
Pitch
Son of Zorn
The Exorcist |
| CW |
|
Frequency
No Tomorrow |
Surprise of the Season
NFL ratings are still outpacing all other shows, but have seen an unexpected decline this season. I believe (along with many others) there are a multitude of reasons:
- The NFL has been slowly getting rid of what made the games fun to watch — touchdown dances and team celebrations
- More and more bad calls by referees
- Over commercialization of the game
- Lots of negative player stories
What Can We Learn?
All in all, the fall season numbers (as well as its fewer cancellations) have once again confirmed the power of quality television. In spite of increasing changes in how audiences are watching, they are continuing to tune into their favorites shows and will be for the foreseeable future. For more information on TV viewing trends and stats, click here.
Read Full Article
Every year during the holiday season, consumers are inundated with advertisements from millions of companies vying for their attention and money. With so much competition, why do businesses even bother? Because, if you place the right type of ad, it pays off. Big Time! In 2015 , brands reaped 113% more return on ad spend, thanks in part to larger increases in average order values (AOV).
Read Full Article