Author: Phoebe Moore

Digital marketing evolves, and it evolves quickly- which is why it is crucial to stay ahead of the game by exploring every means of connection with your audience. SMS marketing is often overlooked as a marketing channel, with the return on your efforts underestimated. Keep reading to find out more about SMS marketing and why it should not be overlooked…

We are surrounded by generations who spend very little time away from their smartphones, which is why targeting customers where you know they will see it is both simple and effective. SMS marketing subscribers are engaged potential or repeat customers. Your messaging needs to be quick, powerful and impactful in order to get this mix of subscribers back on your site.

 

The advantages of SMS marketing are endless, with great platforms like SMSBump making it incredibly easy and accessible. These include:

 

Higher ROI (return on investment)

One of the most notable benefits of SMS marketing is its potential to deliver a higher ROI. Due to the accessibility and common/frequent use of SMS, campaigns tend to have exceptionally high open and click-through rates, naturally resulting in more actions being taken.

 

Easy setup and automation

SMS marketing doesn’t require elaborate design work or complex campaign setups. With platforms like SMSBump, campaigns can be set up very easily, and the same goes for automated sends. These are triggered by specific customer actions e.g. abandoning cart. All you need is powerful short-form copy to capture your audience’s attention and drive them to take action.

 

Increases customer retention

Inevitably, the cost of retaining customers is lower than investing in new ones. So having an SMS marketing strategy that explores retention marketing is crucial. Naturally, it makes sense to keep your SMS subscribers engaged to ensure that they remain interested and loyal to your brand- let them know of any new product launches and send over exclusive discounts to incentivise them to purchase, either for the first time or as a rewarded loyal customer.

 

How do you get started with SMS marketing?

 

1 – Firstly, to begin your SMS journey you need to prepare subscriber capture methods. Implement strategies such as website popups prompting visitors to sign up for SMS alerts. Drive them to do so by incentivising them with exclusive discounts such as 10% or 15% off their next purchase. This initial step is crucial for building your SMS subscriber list with engaged customers.

2 – While you are getting to know the basics and furthering your knowledge of SMS it is important to update your compliance to ensure that your terms of service and privacy policy include SMS. With the goal of being as transparent as possible with your customers,  you need to include things like a description of the service, clear opt-out instructions and a link to your Privacy Policy. A full list and more information can usually be found with the help of your chosen SMS platform. 

3 – In order to streamline your marketing efforts you’re going to want to integrate your SMS marketing with your existing email marketing provider. This integration allows you to sync subscribers and subscriber data, creating a unified approach to reaching your audience for omnichannel retention marketing. You can also encourage your existing email subscribers to sign up for SMS to access ‘more exclusive deals’.

4 – Once you’re all set up, you can kickstart your SMS marketing strategy with automated flows. Automated flows are triggered by specific subscriber actions or events. You can start with things such as a welcome flow for new subscribers, abandoned cart reminders to recover potential sales, or post-purchase flows that upsell their next purchase. Winback flows can also be implemented for subscribers who abandon their browsing session or don’t return to purchase for more than 45 days. You can offer attractive discounts to low engagers in order to rekindle their interest. 

5 – As your subscriber list grows, it’s time to start thinking about campaigns. Preparation is key, so create a content calendar with a regular schedule, aiming for at least 2-3 campaigns per month to begin with. Segment your audience based on various factors, such as their purchase history or browsing behaviour. This segmentation enables you to tailor your messages and create targeted content for different groups of subscribers. This allows you to appeal to a wider range of customers and keep them engaged accordingly.

 

And there you have it, the key to getting started with SMS marketing! 🚀

If you want to find out more about adding SMS to your marketing strategy, or how we can help you elevate your marketing strategy as a whole- get in touch today.

Now more than ever, we know the importance of UGC (user-generated content) in elevating brand memorability and trust. In other words, you can’t sleep on good-quality UGC to make your brand stand out in the market and get your customers talking. UGC has experienced spectacular growth over the last few years, with brands harnessing the power to build brand trust with relatable, personal content.

In this article, we’re going through how you can get started on your UGC journey, and where to source the creators and customers at the centre of this content.

 

But first of all, what is UGC?

User-generated content is content created for your brand and product(s) by either consumers or content creators, and published to social media. This most commonly involves video creation, featuring a relatable face talking about the impact, benefits and features of the product, often making it personal to their own experience and how it’s solved a particular problem.

It can range from simple ‘how-to’ educational videos to fast-paced creative storyboarding, depending on your vision and the creators you use.

 

And how can you source the people who create UGC for your brand?

There are many different avenues to choose from when sourcing UGC, depending on the size of your brand and the investment you’re willing to make here. Let’s go through your principal options:

 

1. Freelance UGC creators

With the rise of UGC comes an new-found industry network of experienced content creators clued-up on how to create scroll-stopping, memorable UGC. You can reach them on talent platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, by writing a callout brief of your desired content/ creator and finding your best fit. Make sure you request and check their portfolio to ensure they’ve got what it takes to create high-quality content for your brand.

In your brief, make sure you clarify what you’d like to see- what B-roll should they film? Do they include a testimonial talking about the featured product, and if so, what should they mention, what angle should they focus on, and should they speak directly to camera or provide a voiceover?

It’s important to visualise what you’d like to see, and get that down in words as clearly as possible, so that your creators can easily understand exactly what you’re looking for.

Provide them with as much helpful information as possible, including your website, product page and any brand guidelines to guide them in the right direction.

 

💡 Need help sourcing the right creators- or want a streamlined, easy way to outsource this process? We’re here to help. Our UGC service does just that- working with you to source and create high-quality UGC for your brand. Get in touch and find out more – and get your UGC strategy elevated in time for Q4.

 

2.Paid partnerships with influencers/creators

If you wish to delve into influencer marketing and find more recognisable faces in your niche, why not look into paid partnerships? You’d pay the influencer to promote your brand/product in sponsored social media content, from Instagram Reels/TikToks to posts and stories. By investing in your brand promoters, you’re increasing your brand’s credibility and bringing it to the attention of thousands of their followers. 

Perhaps start with micro influencers (between 10k to 100k followers) or even nano influencers (between 1k-10k followers) if you’re just getting started.

 

3.Gifted products in exchange for content

A more informal way to secure memorable content from influencers, without the big-time investment, is gifting products in exchange for social media endorsements. This could be a shoutout/mention on their story, or a lifestyle reel featuring the product and the benefits it brings.

While risking the potentiality that the influencer doesn’t end up endorsing the product you gift them (as there is no contract or monetary agreement here), it is a much more economical way to work with micro/nano influencers and build awareness via follower bases and niches you wish to tap into. 

 

4. Brand ambassadors

You can also work with loyal ambassadors for regular brand endorsements (thought this is on a more contractual basis). These ambassadors fit the criteria of your target consumer, and help you communicate your brand values and product USPs on socials. 

They become a face of your brand, and you can rely on them for a high-quality content stream- via both posting to their page and sending you content for you to use on your own social media account.

 

5.Customer feedback

The easiest way for you to obtain social proof (ie clear recommendations and endorsements of a product), which is a simple form of UGC, is via customer feedback. You can ask your customers or social media followers to share their thoughts and experiences on their story/posts, tagging you in their shoutouts for a possible feature on your page. 

It’s a win-win for you both, and an economical way for your brand to build trust via authentic customer feedback and experiences.

 

🚀 Need help building your social proof and want to delve into the ever-growing world of UGC? We’ve got you covered. Get in touch with our expert team now and find out how we can help your brand grow in trust and market presence.

Black Friday is undoubtedly the biggest date in the eComm calendar (Friday 24th November- add it to your diary if you haven’t already). If you want this BF to be your biggest YET, here’s what you can do right NOW to start prepping your customers to spend big on your store.

 

1.Drive for LOYALTY:

Grow your brand loyalty and engagement via retention marketing: loyal customers stick around – and many wait for the big price drops and offers to give back, after all the value and engagement you’ve given them across your socials, email newsletters and blogs. Keep your most engaged followers and subscribers coming back for more, with high-quality, memorable and unique content that addresses their interests and lifestyles.

 

2. Make your brand HEARD:

It’s more important than ever to present yourself as a key market contender, above the competition and worthy of the market’s attention. Utilise your paid social ads to reach new audiences, tapping into audience and creative testing to see what makes your customers tick. You can even reach new audiences organically with boosted social posts and referral programmes, to spread the love for your brand and keep it memorable in your target demographic’s mind.

 

3. Educate to accumulate:

Your target audience needs to know exactly WHY they need to be investing in your offering this Black Friday. Keep reminding them why your product/service is crucial to heal their pain points and benefit their life. Why does it stand out? What’s the reason why it came into existence? What have other happy customers had to say? Share insightful social proof from which potential customers can learn why they should opt in- in a big way this Black Friday: via customer testimonials, reviews and UGC.

 

4. Build that HYPE:

Why not tease your upcoming offers? It’s never too early to start alluding to the exciting Black Friday you’ve got planned. We’re not suggesting you reveal all (they’ll have to be patient!) but announce there’s big things coming. As the days start creeping closer to the big day, you might uncover some of what’s in store. Your audience simply needs to know that your store is where they HAVE to be on the 24th November…

 

That’s a wrap! We hope that helps get you in gear for the biggest Friday of the year. And remember- you’re not alone: if you need a helping hand and a little expertise to elevate your marketing strategy ahead of Q4 and Black Friday, it couldn’t be a better time to join us.

We’re experts in all things digital marketing, from paid social to retention channels, and we know how to help you connect with potential and current customers alike. Now more than ever, you’ll be in the safest hands to grow your brand to the stars.

Book an intro call with us to find out how we could be your ideal growth partner. 

If you’ve not seen the movie yet, you will 100% have seen Barbie (or at least Barbenheimer) plastered all over your social media. Even if Barbie isn’t your cup of tea, we can assume that you’ve at least been tempted to make a visit to the cinema for FOMO’s sake. So how did we get here? Where anything and everything pink is considered to be Barbiecore and Ryan Gosling’s rendition of ‘I’m Just Ken’ plays on a loop in our heads 24/7?

We could be here for a while… so we’ll briefly go over a couple of things that we have learned, noticed and loved about Barbie’s supersize marketing campaign. Before we dive in, let’s just remind ourselves that the Barbie marketing team is reported to have had a budget of $100-150 million to play with. While your budget might not match in size, you can learn from this and apply several elements to your own brand’s marketing campaigns.

One element that has been almost inescapable, is the sheer amount of brand collaborations the Barbie movie has been affiliated with. These collaborations are crucial in tapping into a huge variety and range of customer bases and audiences, extending both brands’ reach to gain more visibility. It’s simple: brand recognition + brand visibility = brand trust. The film’s marketing team explored a massive range of brands to collaborate with, with the goal of remaining diverse and extending the Barbie community to a ton of different cultures and demographics. This played a key role in highlighting the core values of the film, and what production expects from the audience; inclusivity, empowerment, personal growth and self-expression. 

Brand recognition is clearly not something that the Barbie marketing team has struggled with. Particular shades of pink are now predominantly associated with Barbie and have become increasingly popular. This has resulted in the majority of audiences going to see the film refusing to go without wearing some sort of pink shade, as a salute to the brand. On top of this, the world has been shocked at the power of the Barbie Billboards. How is it so easy to recognise this pink block with a singular date and know EXACTLY what it is referring to?

This is simple, clever, and a perfect example of how effective brand recognition can be. 

Contrasting the game plan of brand collaborations, but equally as successful, is organic marketing. As an agency, we have a LOT to say about organic marketing: social media, TikTok especially, has had an insane impact on building up the Barbie hype. In an interview with Variety, Josh Goldstine, the president of global marketing at Warner Bros., was asked about the importance of TikTok as a marketing resource. He responds by saying although they did some promotional work with them a “tremendous amount is organic”. He goes on to talk about the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon and also comments that organic marketing ‘[took] on a life of its own’. 

From the songs, discussions, outfits and loads more, Barbie was given to creators on a plate. Coupled with their creative marketing strategies and collaborations, this is a marketing presence that will stand out in the years to come. It’s a real testament to the power of consistent branding to cement a brand or product (or film in this case) in the customers’ mind.

We could risk being here for hours talking about Barbie’s marketing success- but in the meantime, if you want to have a chat about what your business could achieve with a strong marketing and branding strategy, then get in touch now.

When you have a high workload, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed out. Stress can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health, as well as your productivity. Fortunately, there are ways to manage your stress and keep it at bay even when you have a lot on your plate. In this blog post, we’ll explore 5 practical tips that can help you manage stress when you’re facing a high workload.

1: Prioritise and Organise

When you have a lot of tasks to complete, it’s essential to prioritise them and organise your schedule. Create a to-do list and rank your tasks in order of importance. This will help you focus on the most critical tasks first and avoid feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to do.

It’s also helpful to organise your schedule to make the most of your time. Allocate specific time slots for each task and stick to them as much as possible. This will help you stay on track and avoid feeling like you’re always behind.

 

 

2: Take Breaks and Rest

When you’re under a lot of pressure, it can be tempting to work around the clock to get everything done. However, this approach can be counterproductive and lead to burnout. Taking regular breaks and getting enough rest is essential to manage stress and maintain your productivity.

 

Try to take a 5-10 minute break every hour or so to stretch, walk around, or do something else that helps you relax. Also, aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. This will help you stay alert and focused, and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by your workload.

 

3: Practice Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation can help you manage stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation and calmness. These practices can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, allowing you to identify and manage stress triggers.

 

Try incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine. You can start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on your breath and quiet your mind. There are also many apps and online resources available to help you get started with mindfulness and meditation.

 

 

4: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial to manage stress when you have a high workload. Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated can help you maintain your energy levels and boost your mood.

 

Try to incorporate healthy habits into your daily routine. For example, aim to eat a nutritious breakfast, take a walk or do some other form of exercise during your lunch break, and drink plenty of water throughout the day.

 

 

5: Seek Support

Finally, don’t be afraid to seek support when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Talk to a colleague, friend, or family member about your workload and how you’re feeling. Sometimes, simply talking to someone can help you gain a fresh perspective and feel less stressed.

If you’re struggling to manage your stress, consider talking to a professional. A therapist or councelor can help you develop coping strategies and provide you with the support you need to manage your workload and maintain your mental health.

In conclusion, managing stress when you have a high workload is essential for your physical and mental health, as well as your productivity. By prioritising and organising, taking breaks and rest, practicing mindfulness and meditation, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and seeking support, you can keep your stress at bay and manage your workload effectively.

Book a call with us today to talk all things paid advertising & how we can help!

 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have noticed the worldwide domination of AI/ChatGPT in all aspects of media from fake viral imagery to portions of television episodes written by AI technology ChatGPT, in the instance of South Park’s episode Deep Learning. 

The development of AI in recent years has been nothing short of groundbreaking, with the technology being capable of performing tasks and generating content at a quality comparable to, well, what a human could produce…

As a modern society, the general consensus is quite mixed as to how much power and responsibility we should be allowing AI to present in our day-to-day life, with many arguing that this technology is a modern phenomenon whereas many fear that it could potentially put many creative jobs at risk.

But when it comes to the world of business and particularly digital marketing, the introduction of AI brings numerous benefits that when used correctly, can be a potent tool for your paid advertising…but only to a certain degree. 

In this week’s blog, we’ll uncover the pros and cons of bringing AI into your marketing strategy, so you can maximise its potential as well as keep yourself aware of the risks that come with this ‘controversial’ technology.

Pros:

1. Efficiency

With many arguing that AI is putting an employee’s job at risk, it’s actually quite the opposite…if you’re a marketing professional who often finds themselves overrun with tedious tasks, you may have found your perfect virtual assistant, freeing up more time to focus on more important work. 

Unlike a human, AI doesn’t need to take a coffee break so can easily automate repetitive tasks such as generating ideas for email campaigns, social media captions and customer service replies. This not only benefits employees as a whole but can also improve your business’ reputation via quick and accurate responses. 

This also applies to the likes of copywriters and creative writing-based job roles. The technology is not here to do the job for you (or replace you!) but is actually what some would call a ‘life hack’, as it is able to generate ideas and quick information on a topic, therefore, being a cure for that pesky writing block we all know too well. 

 

2. Personalisation & Retargeting

If you know anything about digital marketing, it’s that marketers love a bit of personalisation and retargeting! So when you bring AI into the mix, you’re in for a customer-targeting goldmine. This is due to AI being able to create a hyper-personalised experience by analysing customer behaviours, interests, and preferences. 

This means that marketers don’t need to rely on generic messaging across their channels, and instead can create content and relevant messages based on exactly what that extremely specific audience is looking for. Coming back to the efficiency factor, you’ll be able to create messaging faster than ever before. 

 

3. Ahead of the trends

You don’t need to be a marketer to be aware of the impact that trends have on all social media channels…and how quickly a trend can be overdone before you even get a chance to make the most of it. This is where AI comes in handy. 

AI has the capability to predict future trends and customer behaviours based on the data you input, therefore this will allow your business to make more insightful decisions when it comes to planning your future strategies and staying ahead of the curve and in turn, the competition.

 

Cons:

1. Humans (Lack of empathy and bias) 

To knock the obvious answer out of the park, AI lacks any sense of human empathy and generally doesn’t have a ‘welcoming’ tone to its automated responses – which isn’t ideal especially when it comes to phone call conversations, or even when constructing a particular tone of voice in your messaging.

Although AI is capable of delivering insightful and informative content on pretty much any topic, without that human touch, you run the risk of your brand looking ‘robotic’ and unoriginal in some aspects of your content. You will always need that human presence to ensure any messaging from your brand (whether that be ad copy, blog posts or emails) always lives up to your brand’s overall TOV and general unique feel that makes your brand stand out and remain memorable. 

So don’t worry copywriters you’re safe, for now…

 

2. Inaccuracy

In instances such as ChatGPT, there have been many reports of unreliable answers ‘riddled with inaccuracy and plagiarism’, therefore it’s not recommended to see these technologies as your holy grail. Extra research should always be done to ensure what you’re publishing is containing 100% facts, backed up with your own findings to avoid any risk of plagiarism.

 

3. Limited Creativity

As AI is built on data that already exists, and a general pre-programmed algorithm so it cannot offer any level of creativity to a topic beyond any available information, it isn’t ideal if you’re looking to create content ‘outside the box’ or essentially anything original. 

This point leads back to the argument many bring up in relation to AI ‘taking creative jobs’ because, at this point in time, the majority of AI apps and general technologies can only do so much and are not yet capable of comprehending complex ideas. 

For example, AI can create a well-structured image based on data and a generic prompt, but it cannot produce anything near comparable to the typography and in-depth image manipulation you see from a qualified graphic designer. These materials require lots of manual verification and revisions before being published in any state. 

But who knows what the future holds, Adobe has already announced its AI-generated photoshop is in the works so watch this space…

 

Looking to achieve unrivalled results for your brand?

If you think your business could benefit from paid advertising, get in touch today and let’s discuss how we can elevate your marketing strategy.

Meta ads are a great way to target new customers and bring more visibility to your business. However, before creating your Meta ad campaigns, there are a few things you should think about to ensure the best results. In this blog post, we’ll go over what you need to consider when creating Meta ads with the goal of targeting new customers.

 

1. Know Your Target Audience: Before creating a Meta ad campaign, it’s essential to identify your target audience. You need to know who your customers are, their interests, their demographics, and their location. Understanding your target audience will help you create relevant and effective Meta ads that resonate with them.

 

2. Define Your Goals: What do you want to achieve with your Meta ads? Are you looking to increase brand awareness or drive traffic to your website? Knowing your goals will help you create Meta ads that are tailored to achieve those objectives.

 

3. Create Compelling Content: Meta ads are all about catching the attention of potential customers. You need to create compelling content that stands out from the competition. Your Meta ads should be visually appealing, concise, and have a clear message that resonates with your target audience.

 

4. Choose the Right Ad Format: Meta ads come in different formats, including images, videos, and carousel ads. Each ad format has its unique advantages, depending on your goals and target audience. Choose the right format that best suits your objectives. For example you may choose a video creative to demonstrate your product or service or showcase your brand, compared to a carousel ad which could be more suited to showcase a range of products or new launch of items.

 

5. Set a Realistic Budget: Meta ads can be costly, depending on your target audience and ad format. Set a realistic budget that aligns with your goals and target audience. Consider starting with a smaller budget and testing your Meta ads to see what works best before increasing your ad spend.

 

6. Monitor and Optimise Your Campaign: Monitoring your Meta ad campaign is crucial to its success. Keep track of your ad’s performance and make necessary adjustments to optimise your campaign’s results. Use metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and engagement rates to evaluate your Meta ads’ performance.

 

In conclusion, Meta ads can be an effective way to target new customers and grow your business. To create successful Meta ads, make sure you consider your target audience, set realistic goals, create compelling content, choose the right ad format, set a realistic budget, and monitor and optimise your campaign’s performance. With these tips, you can create Meta ads that resonate with your target audience and help you achieve your business objectives.

 

If you are still struggling and would like further help on launching meta ads built to convert, please get in touch here.

Helloo spring! After what feels like an eternal winter in the UK, it’s finally time for some warmer weather- and time to switch up to spring-themed campaigns.

From paid ads to email to SMS, read on for a dose of creative inspiration to make the most of the new season in your marketing strategies.

 

 

Select your angles

Before we dive into each marketing channel, let’s go through some of the key angles you could use this spring. Depending on your brand and audience, you might find some of the following a great springboard for connecting with your customers at this time of year:

 

-Spring cleaning – many view spring as a time to reset, declutter and refresh- so why not encourage your customers on why your product/service is an essential investment/replacement this year?

 

-Outdoor activities – with the arrival of more favourable weather, customers are more likely to spend time outside- so it’s time to identify what they’ll be doing, and match their needs and interests (from sports to camping to gardening).

 

-Spring trends – particularly in the fashion industry, spring calls for a new wave of trends for the warmer temperatures and activities customers typically engage in this season (from day trips to picnics to sunny holidays). What might be trending in your industry, now winter’s a thing of the past?

 

-Easter – the principal date to highlight in your calendar, Easter weekend is coming up (Fri 7th-Mon 10th April). From virtual egg hunts to vibrant graphics to egg-cellent themed copy (mind the pun), it’s time to get creative and theme up for this holiday.

 

-Spring travels – with the Easter holidays and May half term, your customers might be planning a trip- so it’s important to target the greater likelihood of vacations and staycations. Why should they bring your product along with them? Why is your product travel-friendly?

 

Target pain points in paid ads

Make your brand stand out within the influx of spring-themed content on socials. Your audience will be in the spring mindset- so it’s important to consider and address their pain points, lifestyles and needs at this time of year. Theme up your ad copy and creative to address the change in season.

As well as the angles above, consider promoting a spring-themed promotion to push site clicks and conversions. Encourage customers to celebrate the beginning of spring with a treat, from 10% off their purchase (with a themed code) to a bundle deal.

 

Engage your subscriber lists

Whether it’s email or SMS (or better yet, both), your subscribers offer you the highest loyalty, making the perfect audience to get those creative juices flowing! Theme up your email templates and SMS phraseology (think: pastel colours, nature, flowers, blossoms). 

You could offer your subscribers exclusive discounts to commemorate the start of spring- across your site, or for a specific collection that ties well with spring and activities your customers might typically engage in.

 

Be creative on organic socials

Time to show spring some love on your socials! Engage your audiences with spring-themed content, such as:

 

-Creating themed graphics/infographics that your audience would enjoy and value (for example: ‘how to declutter your space this spring’)

-Sharing your favourite things about spring (a great way to show ‘behind the scenes’ content and elevate your engagement rate)

-Running a spring-themed poll to nurture follower engagement

-Utilising trending sounds to celebrate the coming of the new season

 

Reset for Q2

As April rolls around, the next quarter presents a great opportunity to assess what’s working and how you can optimise your content and campaigns for improved performance over the next few months. Ensure to plan content calendars ahead of time to produce the highest-quality content, and look at key performance metrics (from email click rates to organic engagement) to see what needs particular attention. The ‘spring refresh’ includes your content output, too!

 

Want stellar content for your brand?

If you’ve got the vision, but need the execution- that’s where we come in. Get in touch with our team to see how we can help elevate your marketing strategy and scale your brand in Q2 and beyond.

Book a call now to discuss all things paid advertising, from social media ads to email marketing to UGC.

 

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic entirely redefined the structure of the way we lived our lives both personally and professionally, with many office-based businesses left with no other option but to adopt remote working. 

Fast forward almost 3 years to date, many businesses (including here at SN) have still opted to keep remote and hybrid working as a permanent part of their business model, due to the numerous advantages that come with this style of working. 

If you’re still apprehensive about making WFH a permanent part of your business then we’ve got you covered, as we share the top four favourite benefits of working from home. 

 

Flexibility

Although it goes without saying, working from home can do wonders for your work schedule and general organisation. Your morning, lunchtime and evening routines are free for you to do as you like without the stress of planning around commutes or rush hour traffic.

This point is particularly beneficial for employees who are parents or carers, as remote or hybrid working allows more time to focus on important personal responsibilities such as the school run or getting to appointments.

Improved work-life balance & general well-being 

Whether your ideal morning is getting in an early beneficial workout or a cheeky lie-in to recharge, working from home allows you to easily manage your time and focus on things that are important and personal to you! 

In fact, 47% of people say that thanks to hybrid working they’ve seen a significant improvement in their mental health and well-being, which in turn has made them feel valued as an employee. 

 

 

Increased productivity

Working in an office is great for connecting with your team and is an easy way to stay social. However, as many of us know too well, sometimes the office environment can cause distractions away from your work… 

Working from home allows more control and flexibility around interactions .i.e responding to emails or Slack notifications in your own time, and pausing notifications altogether when you don’t want to be disturbed. 

On top of general freedom of communication, WFH allows you to work in whichever way you feel most comfortable with the freedom to change your work settings (i.e from the bedroom to your study) and even location (i.e going to a workspace or work cafe).

 

Environmental benefits

With the world going greener, there has been a huge amount of pressure on millions of businesses to go net zero by 2050…

Unless you’re lucky enough to walk or cycle to work, unfortunately, the majority of our daily commutes impact the environment via increased C02 emissions, but thankfully this can be solved by switching to a WFH pattern for you and your employees. 

When the initial WFH order was announced in March 2020, globally we saw a huge drop in pollution as a result of the sudden shift in daily commutes. Studies have now shown that a whopping 7.8 billion vehicles aren’t used each year for those who work at least part-time from home! 

 

 

Here at Social Nucleus, we’ve seen first-hand how beneficial a WFH structure can be for both our team and the work we produce, and we wouldn’t be able to achieve the same groundbreaking results without it! 

Book a call today and let’s discuss how we can take your brand to the next level. 

When you’re in the paid social ads game, it’s important to stay in close touch with audience behaviours and tendencies. You need to know what makes your target audience tick, in line with changes to how we consume content on social media. Read on to find out how to adapt your paid ad strategy to today’s social media habits, and the key metric you need to pay attention to.

 

What you need to know

We’re now grappling with even shorter attention spans and multitasking scrollers- think about your compulsion to satiate your attention span by scrolling Instagram while you watch Netflix, for example. Or your rather brutal, subconscious decision-making the second you scroll to every new video on TikTok- if it’s not immediately interesting or entertaining, your thumb knows the drill.

There’s a greater need to capture social media users within the first 3 seconds that they’ll view creatives- and us marketers need to adapt. The metric to optimise is the Thumbstop Ratio; ie  the percentage of people that stopped their scroll to view your ad. Ie your 3-second video plays, divided by total impressions. This metric is vital if you want to succeed at paid ads- the higher it is, the better.

 

Here’s a basic chart to determine how high this KPI needs to be:

Above 40% : Excellent

30-40% : Very good

20-30% : Average

10-20% : Need for serious improvement

Below 10% : Problematic

 

How to improve your Thumbstop Ratio

Here’s the buzzword for boosting your Thumbstop Ratio : the HOOK. Visually and verbally, you need to capture your audience’s attention from the outset. This goes for video/UGC (User Generated Content), graphics and copy- let’s break it down so you can start creating FIRE scroll-stoppers and take full advantage of high quality content.

 

Video/UGC (User Generated Content)

• Be selective with your first clip – show the product straightaway (ideally with a human face or hand in shot) and get to work with dynamic transitions every 1.5-3 seconds.
• Test initial hook text that does well at triggering instant interest, curiosity, or FOMO- keep them short and eye-catching. 
• Ensure you use pumped-up music to keep audiences watching.

 

Graphics

• Use an eye-catching headline that speaks to the audience’s pain points/problems/interests. Any other, smaller copy can talk about product details/key USPs/how it solves the problem.
• Keep things simple- don’t overcrowd the graphic with imagery and text. Pull the audience in with easily digestible visuals and a design that appeals to their demographic.
• Add any offers/deals to attract attention and incentivise further time spent on the ad to find out more.

 

 

Caption copy

• The first line (your hook) needs to speak to your audience- reel them in with a rhetorical question or an appealing statement. Keep it short and punchy to allow the caption to be easily digestible.
• Visually, your copy needs to look like an easy read- break down chunks of text into smaller sections or bullet points. There’s nothing more scroll-worthy than a block of text that the audience immediately thinks is too much to devote time to.
• Use relevant emoji to pull in attention. They’re colourful and fun, and depending on your brand image, a great way to communicate your message.

 

Think like your audience

It’s important to be critical with your ads, and put yourself in the shoes of the social media user persona – appeal to short attention spans and make the experience of your ads as immediately valuable as possible.

You might find a long pan shot interesting on your video content, but your audience has infinite media to watch- and their time is precious. If it’s not engaging enough, you’ve got to be brutal – just like your audience’s decision to scroll (which is often on auto-pilot, responding to their screen stimulus).

Once you’ve mastered the art of scrolling stopping, apply the same dynamism to the rest of your creatives, and you’ll soon see the incredible difference this rather merciless practice will make to your Thumbstop Ratio- and to your ad results overall.

 

Need help to make this vision a reality?

That’s where we come in. Our expert team is always clued up on what’s working, from audience habits to trends to techniques that work. No matter your audience demographic, our dynamic results-driven testing method is proven to help get you the results you’re looking for.

Partner up with us for a built-in paid ads team to put all this into practice and get your audience talking. Book a free strategy call with us to find out more and see how we can help your brand get to the next level.