Featured

Effectively Impacting the Consumer Through Digital Media

THE TALE OF TIGER’S BIG ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHTS AIRPORT’S COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE

The example that I chose to dive deeper into for this week’s blog post was Tale of the Tiger: Customer Service. This story revolves around The Tampa International Airport, a young boy who lost his stuffed tiger there, and the heart warming story of the Operations Manager who reunited the two. I lived in Tampa for 4 years, so I was very excited to see that one of the options we could choose from was centered around this airport. It is actually one of my top five airports that I have traveled in and out of, and this story only reaffirms these feelings for me.

While you may not think of an airport as a traditional business, travelers do have a choice in deciding where they want to fly in and out of. Tampa International Airport is aware of this, so they choose to go above and beyond in making sure their customers experience with them is out of this world. So many people may lose an item while traveling, and they are told to simply call a phone number and you may be lucky enough to get the item back, but not in the case of this story. One employee at the airport went above and beyond once they received a call about a lost stuffed animal tiger. He took the tiger around the airport to different areas, snapped adorable photos, and created a photo book for the boy to collect along with his stuffed animal when they arrived back in Tampa. You may think that the responsibility of airport employees is to simply get you to and from cities safely, but this created an experience, and one that went viral.

The airport posted this story on their Facebook and Twitter pages with photos of the tiger, and the story gained traction. This then turned into a prime opportunity for the Tampa International Airport to use their social media to link with customer experience. The story reached over 3,000,000 people, and it allowed other customers who had a positive experience with the airport to begin sharing their stories as well. It made the airport feel more personal, and almost gave it a personality, which people connected to. They did a fantastic job of handling their digital media followers by replying to comments on the Facebook post, but when it came to mainstream media, they chose to let staff and the family tell the story.

I feel that this experience was handled perfectly, and there is nothing I would change about it. It made an industry that is so hectic and impersonal, hyper personal which rarely happens. People become loyal to companies that truly care about the people they are serving, and I know people will always think of the Tampa International Airport after hearing this story. It truly takes one employee to make a difference, and seeing good news like this so widespread and gaining national attention is great for our morale as a society.

Tampa International Airport’s Online Presence

When you take a peek into Tampa International Airport’s website, it takes you to a one stop shop for information. Everything is laid out perfectly so if you are a new traveller with any questions, you can navigate the site easily and feel confident in finding an answer to your problem or question. They also have a mobile app which also serves to be a one stop shop for questions, flight information, and general guidance for traveling in their airport. Where they really excel is in their use of Social Media to connect with people. Upon going to their Instagram page, I was surprised to see funny and relatable content on there. I would not usually think of an airport to be one to post funny memes, but I found myself giggling at several of them. They also use their social media to keep travelers informed, answer customer service questions, and tell stories of families being connected or reunited. They really are setting themselves apart from just being a cookie cutter airport, and putting an emphasis on the customer relationship and connection.

References:

https://shortyawards.com/8th/boy-leaves-stuffed-tiger-at-tpa-returns-to-a-tale-of-tigers-big-adventure-see-more-at-httpww

https://www.tampaairport.com

http://www.instagram.com/flyTPA

http://www.twitter.com/flyTPA

Featured

Green for Profit or Green for the Environment?

Lush Cosmetics

I was excited for this module in our class, because I am able to discuss one of my favorite brands in the world, Lush Cosmetics. Lush is a company that sells, bath and beauty products, all of which are cruelty free and the majority of them are also vegan. They pride themselves on having sustainable business practices, as well as being charitable as well.

One aspect that has always stood out to me in regards to their sustainability has to do with their packaging. If you purchase five full size products in containers, and return said containers, Lush will give you a free large face mask. This encourages people to not throw away the plastic containers, and then the company is able to sanitize, and reuse them for future use. Lush has a program called “Charity Pot,” which is the sale of a specific body lotion. For each unit that is sold, they donate some of the proceeds to different causes. This program has been around since I can remember, and the different charities change, so they are able to help many different people or causes.

Lush also strives to treat its employees with care and respect, especially being in the retail field which is often not known for caring about sales people. Employees receive 50% off on all merchandise, they emphasize internal promotion, full time employees receive full health benefits, and they even pay staff members to participate in charity events.

From my research, I could not find any instances where Lush was involved in situations of conducting business in an immoral or ethically corrupt manner. This is refreshing to me, as the cosmetics world is full of players that seem to have little care for animals or the environment. This leads me to my last point. I believe that Lush is mostly green for the environment, however their business model and beliefs has also made them green for profit. As I mentioned in the beginning of my blog post, they have their recycling program for their plastic containers. While this idea is fantastic because it reduces the amount of plastic ending up in landfills, it is also financially smart as well. When people recycle the containers, it then cuts back on the cost of the company needing to purchase more as well, which I believe would cut back on cost as well. I also know that as a consumer, when I feel a company is doing good in the world, I will spend more money for a product to support a good cause, or if I feel it makes a positive impact in the world.

Resources:

https://www.lushusa.com/stories/article_why-work-at-lush.html

Featured

My First Blog Post

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

AT&T & Mobile Cramming

What Laws Were Broken by AT&T

In 2016, mobile service company AT&T was ordered to pay consumers $88 million in restitution for a tactic that is called “mobile cramming.” According to the FCC, “Cramming is the illegal practice of placing unauthorized charges on a consumer’s telephone bill. (FCC.gov, 2020). These tactics rely heavily on confusing, lengthy, and expensive phone bills to disguise and add in hidden recurring charges for third party items such as ringtones, horoscopes, and more.

Negative Consequences to Consumers

In situations with mobile cramming such as the case with AT&T, the consumer is paying for small charges monthly without ever being aware. These third party unauthorized companies rely on confusing phone bills to trick people into never knowing about these charges. This amount can add up greatly over time, and people are paying for services that they are not using, and may never even know about. This can also cause a great amount of distrust between a consumer and their phone company, such as AT&T. It is especially wrong because the charges are placed on their phone bill, any many just pay their bill without thought.

Consumer need to be more diligent as well and thoroughly go through bills, pay with a credit card for greater protection, and protect your cell phone number from crammer websites (Consumer Reports, 2012).

The penalties for cases such as this one mainly lead to a payment demanded from the FTC to consumers. In the case of AT&T, they were ordered to pay back $88 million to 2.7 million customers. Many phone companies have also agreed to automatically block third party vendors from automatically charging consumers as well in an effort to prevent cramming. Once the trust is lost however for a consumer, companies can struggle to come back from this.

Ethics in Mobile Marketing

When conducing mobile marketing campaigns, it is the job of the company to protect their customers, and their privacy. Companies are responsible to make customers aware of their privacy information, and how their personal information may be used. This needs to be shown right as someone is going on an app or website, this includes cookies. In regards to the case discussed with AT&T, they need to legally be responsible for unauthorized third party charges. Customers should also be shown any charges that are not directly from the phone company, and given the option to accept or deny transactions. Especially with elderly people who may not be as proficient with billing, it is very important to protect them, their information, and lastly their money.

References

FTC providing OVER $88 million in refunds to AT&T customers who were subjected to Mobile cramming. (2016, May 23). Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/12/ftc-providing-over-88-million-refunds-att-customers-who-were

Mobile phone bill Cramming – Consumer Reports. (2012, August). Retrieved from https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/08/beware-of-bogus-phone-bill-fees/index.htm

Marketing Objectives

Many people want to know what their end goal is before starting a project, or creating a new product. With this in mind, companies need to create their marketing objectives to ensure they are on track and have specific goals in mind. The idea is for them to not just provide a general overview, the goals should be specific. Many companies will create SMART goals.

Smart Goals are:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Timely

The goal of creating marketing objectives is to help instruct and set targets. Once marketing objectives have been determined, a company can then figure out what steps need to be taken to reach these goals. Without setting these objectives, there may not be a clear direction on what steps need to be taken. Another important aspect is in setting KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators), which gauges how effectively a business is achieving objectives. This allows them to determine if there need to be shifts or changes to help reach these goals as well.

Some examples of great marketing objectives may include, increasing brand awareness, increasing website traffic, increasing in store visitors, and increasing overall profit. When creating your marketing campaign and implementing marketing activities, it is important to be mindful that it aligns with the mission, objectives, and goals of the company. Does the marketing represent the company culture, and current branding? While a product may be new, it still needs to tie into the company’s current branding.

When looking at legal and ethical standards in marketing, there are a few things to be aware of as well. The American Marketing Association has set their codes of ethics that companies should keep in mind in their marketing process.

This includes:

Strive to be truthful in all situations and at all times.
Offer products of value that do what we claim in our communications.
Stand behind our products if they fail to deliver their claimed benefits.
Honor our explicit and implicit commitments and promises.

As a marketer, you should always be looking to serve the needs of your customers, as well as foster trust (ama.org, 2020). Legally speaking, the FTC also plays a role in the ethic of marketing as well. When you go onto the Federal Trade Commissions website, the first mention is of advertising and marketing basics. They mention, “Under the law, claims in advertisements must be truthful, cannot be deceptive or unfair, and must be evidence-based. For some specialized products or services, additional rules may apply” (FTC.org, 2020).

References:

Advertising and marketing. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/advertising-and-marketing

Codes of Conduct: AMA statement of ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/codes-of-conduct/

Smith, B. (2020, June 15). Everything you need to know about marketing objectives. Retrieved from https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/06/15/marketing-objectives

Market Segmentation

Tools for Discovering Your Target Market

Identifying a target market is crucial when a company is looking to launch a new product, or market current products. You need to learn who is your ideal market, what is their age group, gender, geographic location, and even their interests. When you are narrow this information down, you can make more informed decisions with your marketing campaigns. For example, if your market is 85% female, you may tailor your marketing material to reflect that information.

Google Analytics

If you have a website, there is no better tool to learn more about your target audience than Google Analytics. According to medium.com, “Over 50 million websites around the world uses Google Analytics.” It is a powerhouse of information and insights into your audience. You are able to look at your audience based on their gender, location, age, language, and even interests. You also have the ability to see what people searched to reach your site, and what are the most popular pages on your website as well.

Social Media Analytics

If your company is active on social media, they need to be informed of their analytics to better understand their market. Both Facebook and Instagram offer extensive insights into your audience. On Facebook for example you are able to view ages, gender, and locations for people that follow you, or are interacting with your page. Instagram offers similar statistics.

Both of these tools provide you with the opportunity to customize your marketing plans to fit the needs of your actual audience. For example, maybe you thought your target demographic was “Baby Boomers,” but when you check these tools you can see people ages 20-30 are more active, you can adjust your messaging to appeal to this audience. You can also adjust material to reflect certain interests that might have an overwhelming theme with your audience as well. The best knowledge you can have is to know everything about your audience, and then customize all of your marketing to appeal to them.

References:

Lopez, G. (2021, February 16). 5 tools to help you learn about your target audience. Retrieved from https://www.adroll.com/blog/marketing-analytics/5-tools-to-learn-about-your-target-audience

Su, B. (2018, June 08). What is Google analytics, and Why is it important to my business? Retrieved from https://medium.com/analytics-for-humans/what-is-google-analytics-and-why-is-it-important-to-my-business-8c083a9f81be

Marketing Advantages of Mobile Phones and Tablets

The trend of people using smartphones in the United States is on the rise. According to statista.com, the number of smartphone users in the U.S. in 2021 is 280.54 million. There has also been a general trend of traditional desktop and laptop usage decreasing. When we pair these two trends together, it is clear that marketers need to adapt and increase their use of mobile marketing in campaigns.

Looking at more traditional methods of marketing, you are unable to reach as many people, and the cost to print or advertise can be more expensive for the reach. Billboards for example in Seattle, Washington cost roughly $4,000 a month per billboard, and roughly only 50% of people act on these advertisements (Tartash, 2020). This type of advertisement cannot be specifically targeted to consumers based on their interests, or behavior either. The same can be said for advertisements in print such as newspaper or magazines. You are not afforded the luxury of customizing advertisements specifically to certain consumers.

Mobile marketing however has changed the game in many ways. As mentioned earlier, 280.54 million people own a smartphone. This means there are that many people in America alone that are active on web browsers, and apps. These are all places that marketers can be selling products and services. Another added benefit compared to traditional print comes in the ease of purchase for a consumer. If someone sees a billboard, they need to remember the number or website, and go there later. Compare that with mobile, they can instantaneously click a link, call a number, or complete the purchase in minutes. This time saving can lead to greater conversions, and impulse buys.

Next, if we think of apps such as Instagram, companies can specifically target who their ads or promotions are shown to. Say for instance there is a jewelry store who wants to advertise. They can set specific parameters so their ads are shown to only females, who like certain accounts related to jewelry, or even narrow it down by geographic location. This ability allows you to market more to those who are more likely to purchase.

One big success story in the world of mobile marketing comes from Starbucks, and their app plus loyalty program. They changed the game and made a huge impact on the retail space. In 2011 they introduced mobile payments, which in turn increased customer retention, and visits. There is are in app promotions for special drinks, loyalty points (stars), and bonus days. This prompts users to return more often. They made it easier for people to customize their drink order with ease. They have also allowed people to earn free beverages, which is the ultimate game changer in my opinion.

Now we need to address some possible concerns with mobile marketing. One major issue comes in the potential for a bad user experience. We all know the term “viral content,” but this can arise from bad marketing as well. Companies need to be thorough in their process for approving advertisements. One bad advertisement can leave you with scrutiny for years from millions of people, and cost you business. There need to be safe holds in place and standards set for approving ads to ensure this does not happen. Mistakes can be seen instantly, and usually are saved and reposted on the internet, so this is very important to keep in mind.

References:

O’Dea, S. (2020, April 21). Number of smartphone users in the U.S. 2010-2023. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/201182/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-the-us/

Pearson, B. (2020, December 16). 12 ways Starbucks’ loyalty program has impacted the retail industry. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanpearson/2020/12/16/12-holiday-gifts-from-the-starbucks-card/?sh=5b3b3ad34534

Tartash, A. (2020, December 14). Billboard advertising STATISTICS, cost & Effectiveness. Retrieved from https://www.back40design.com/blog/billboard-advertising-statistics/

[Person using Starbucks app to purchase beverage]. (2016, November 18). Retrieved from https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/starbucks-mobile-app-launches-in-indonesia/

Preliminary Findings and Limitations

Apple’s iPet Feeder

Apple is excited for the introduction of their brand new product the iPet Feeder. Finally busy pet owners will be able to feed and interact with their pet from anywhere in the world. The camera enabled feeder will allow owners to view their pet from a live and recorded camera feed, set a feeding schedule, play, and throw treats all from their favorite Apple device.

Market Research

The objectives in conducting marketing research for this product is to ensure that the product is needed or a great addition to the market place, can surpass competitors products, and has the quality and pricing that is customers expect and are willing to pay for when it comes to the Apple brand. When we look at the strengths that the organization has, Apple has excellent financials to products a great product and market it effectively. We also know that people who shop at Apple will also purchase their other electronic needs there as well because of the seamless integration between devices. According to an poll done by CNBC, the average household owns 2.6 Apple products, and 64% of Americans now own Apple products. This is a great indication that there is a high level of customer loyalty and retention as well. The overall goal is to sell this product to current Apple customers, and make it a product that anyone with an iPhone and a pet feels they need.

Industry Trends

There are a few competitors that stand out in the camera pet feeder industry that Apple needs to be aware of. These include PetCube and Furbo. Both of these companies have been around for roughly four years, and have become household names in the space. There are features that are both included in the Petcube and Furbo feeder. These features are cameras, food scheduling, ability to talk to animal. For both of these companies, you need to pay an additional fee to have access to past camera footage. In order for Apple to really stand, out there are some suggestions that would help. I would include access to live camera footage, past footage, and motion detection for free to anyone who purchases Apple Care for their feeder. One upcoming trend that would help set us apart is in two way interaction, where there is also a screen on the feeder enabling the pet to see the owner. This is something that has yet to be capitalized on. We will keep consistent with Apple’s signature clean appearance, where it does not feel like another gadget in your home, but a beautiful art piece.

It is crucial to stay up to date on the current and upcoming technology in this area to make sure Apple is the front runner. One implication on this trend could be a rise in people working from home however, especially with COVID. According to an article in the Stanford News, “An incredible 42 percent of the U.S. labor force now working from home full-time. About another 33 percent are not working – a testament to the savage impact of the lockdown recession.” If this trend continues, the need for a camera pet feeder could become obsolete.

Legal, Ethical, and Industry Standards

There are also legal, ethical, and industry standards that must be acknowledged as well. According to the American Marketing Association Code of Conduct…

Marketers must:

Foster trust in the marketing system
Strive to be truthful
Offer products of value, and they must do what they claim
Stand behind your products and their benefits
Serve the needs of customers
Consider environmental factors in decision making

Summed up, we must always be honest with what our products do, as to not mislead customers. Always have consumers best intentions in mind, and always act honestly. Pricing must also always be fair and consistent. As a company, you want to always foster trust with your customers. It can make or break your brand.

Legally speaking, the FTC also plays a role in the ethic of marketing as well. When you go onto the Federal Trade Commissions website, the first mention is of advertising and marketing basics. They mention, “Under the law, claims in advertisements must be truthful, cannot be deceptive or unfair, and must be evidence-based. For some specialized products or services, additional rules may apply” (FTC.org, 2020). The FTC also monitors and set guidelines in regards to influencer marketing, transparency of advertising, “made in the USA” claims, online advertising and marketing, as well as environmental marketing. Their job is to ensure that companies are remaining honest to protect consumers and their hard earned money.

Apple never claims to be made in the USA, and all of the advertising will promote products as they are. There will never be false claims of what the product can do, pricing is transparent, and if we work with an influencer or company for marketing purposes, we will disclose this. Often profit and making money to please shareholders can be of greater importance for companies than selling excellent products, and making customers happy. Given however that Apple is such a well established company, I do not foresee any issues ethically or legally.

Limitations

One limitation that I have encountered while researching for this product has lied in the secrecy that Apple holds surrounding new products. It is difficult to learn how they research for new products, what their process is, or how they prepare to launch a new product. Apple has never done a product in relation to the pet industry, so I also found it difficult to find research to connect the two. I have however learned a lot about the research process, and how much detail really goes into it before a company can launch a new item.

References

Advertising and marketing. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/advertising-and-marketing

Codes of Conduct: AMA statement of ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/codes-of-conduct/

Steveliesman. (2017, October 10). America loves its Apple. poll finds that the average household owns more than two Apple products. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/09/the-average-american-household-owns-more-than-two-apple-products.html

Swider, M. (2020, October 06). [Ipad and Smart Pencil]. Retrieved from https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ipad-mini-2019

Product Development & Marketing Research

Apple

The company I selected for the final project is Apple. Apple is currently a powerhouse in the Fortune 500 with the impressive rank of #4 (fortune.com, 2020). They were founded in 1975 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Los Altos, California. While the first product ever offered was simply a processor and motherboard, the company has grown exponentially over the years, with the creation of the iPad, iPhone, Macbook, and more.

I chose Apple because I have been an avid customer of their since I was 16 years old with my first iPod Nano.

I own an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro, and cannot see myself owning another brand of electronics in my life. My favorite feature is in the ability to have all of my information (texts, contacts, notes, etc…) all sync in one cloud across devices. Apple has been a pioneer in creating an excellent user experience, which has in turn gained a large amount of loyalty from customers.

Proposed Product Idea

The product that I would consider launching for Apple is iPet. iPet Feeder is an electronic pet feeder with an attached camera that allows users to interact with their pet while they are away. It allows users to keep track of their pets nutrition, calories, activity level, and monitor their activity all from their favorite Apple device. Through the use of face recognition, iPet feeder also allows you to set different feeding schedules for different pets, the feeder will only dispense if the correct pet is in view of the camera. According to the American Pet Products Association the pet industry generated $95.7 Billion in expenditures in 2019, it is a very profitable market to branch into. Apple has consistently created amazing products for humans, it could be time to expand into the world of pets.

Research Objectives

With the introduction of the iPet Feeder to the market, we must first conduct some research before launching. My research objectives include specifying target consumers/demographics, learning current customers interest in pet products, and to narrow down pricing for related products. I believe these three objectives are important when launching a product, we need to first see who would buy this product, would our current customers have an interest? And if so, how much money are they willing to spend?

This would be an exploratory research design, as this is a new product launch for Apple. I plan on using primary research for this product as it is a new product, and a new product line. I plan on heavily using pilot studies such as focus groups, questionnaires, and surveys to hone in on the interest from current customers in pet related Apple products. We can also utilize them to see if non Apple users may have an interest as well. This is also a great way for us to find out about features people might look for, as well as pricing ideas.

References

Apple: 2020 Fortune 500. (2020, August 17). Retrieved from https://fortune.com/company/apple/fortune500/

Pet Industry Market Size & Ownership Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp

Weinberger, M. (2020, August 19). Apple just became a $2 trillion company. Here’s how it came to rule the world, from its early struggles to beat Microsoft to the launch of the iPhone. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-apple-in-photos-2015-8#the-companys-first-product-was-the-apple-i-which-was-just-a-motherboard-with-a-processor-and-some-memory-intended-for-hobbyists-customers-had-to-build-their-own-case-and-add-their-own-keyboard-and-monitor-as-seen-in-the-picture-it-sold-for-66666-seriously-the-apple-i-was-invented-by-wozniak-who-also-hand-built-every-kit-5

SEO and SEM Ethical and Legal Considerations

For today’s blog post I will be discussing ethics in relation to SEO/SEM. I found a case from 2014 in Michigan where a law firm was suing an SEO provider for using spam techniques in their campaigns for the law firm. While the company had success in ranking from their SEO campaign, the company was violating “link farms” in their campaign. According to RankRanger.com, “A link farm is a website or group of websites which were created for the sole purpose of boosting another website’s PageRank by linking to the website from various pages in the link farm.” Google prohibits it and will even de-index sites that use this tactic, which in this case hurt the law firms website rankings.

Ethical vs. Unethical Practices

Ethical vs. Unethical Practices:

Ethical and Unethical tactics for SEO are also known as “white hate” and “black hat.” When you are conducting an ethical SEO campaign, you are abiding by all of the rules and regulations set forth by Google. You are taking into consideration the needs and privacy of your client, while always acting in their best interest. Ethical practices never involve sneaky or hidden tactics, and all moves are visible and transparent.

Some example of ethical practices include:

Using relevant keywords and through content
Different links on webpages
Adding a sitemap
Use of inbound links

Unethical practices while not technically illegal, is definitely frowned upon, and can hurt you when it comes to ranking on Google in the end. While ethical SEO can take months to a year to take effect, the aim of black hat tactics are to have automatic ranking though immoral means.

Some examples of unethical practices include:

Javascript redirects
Duplicating content
Plagiarising others content and using it as your own
Use of hidden text

The benefits of being ethical in your SEO campaigns, while they take time to take effect far outweigh cutting corners. Google highly favors authentic content, relevant keywords, and following their guidelines. If you use unethical practices, Google may decrease your search rankings, or even remove you in general. While you may get an increase of website traffic, they also could not be your ideal market. Finally, you will keep the trust of your clients, and your reputation.

References:

Ethical SEO vs. Unethical SEO: Optimus01 – Online Thinking. (2013, January 14). Retrieved from https://www.optimus01.co.za/ethical-seo-vs-unethical-seo/

Sterling, G., & Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land. (2014, August 04). Lawyers Sue SEO Firm For Violating Google Guidelines. Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/lawyers-sue-seo-firm-violating-google-guidelines-192492

What Is Link Farming & Why Does Google Hate It? (n.d.). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.rankranger.com/seo-glossary/link-farm

The Benefits of Social Media Marketing

Pinterest launched in 2010 receiving roughly 5,000 active users each month. Fast forward ten years to 2020, and the bookmarking social media platform now has over 442 active monthly users (statista.com, 2020). I personally turn to Pinterest if I am ever in need of inspiration. Whether it be a recipe, fashion, mood boards, or home decor, I am sure to find something that sparks my interest, and gives me great ideas of things I can implement in real life. Pinterest feels more educational than other social media platforms, as each post is linking to something of value, it is not just to look at. As a user, I find it to be the most helpful of all platforms, and business’ can also take advantage of Pinterest as well.

I have been lucky enough to have some experience in the realm of running a business page on Pinterest, which I will share below. I help manage a relationship advice blog, and Pinterest has been a huge boost for us in website views. People who are looking for quotes about love, or advice on how to deal with relationships are searching on Pinterest, and when they do our images may appear.

Here is an example of our business dashboard:

Our top performing pin is “How to Deal with People You Don’t Like at Work.” Everyone has someone they may not like at work, and perhaps they are searching for ways to deal with it, they are then taken to our website to watch a video for helpful tips. While someone may go onto Pinterest to find a delicious recipe to cook tonight, the beauty of the platforms lies in what else you might learn or discover. I also am drawn to the fact that Pinterest feels more anonymous, like a large place to learn or discover anything, but without feeling sold to. The advertisements placed on the site also feel very natural. If I am looking up home decor inspiration, an ad for Brooklinen a bedding company may appear. This does not feel like spam, as all paid ads are curated to fit into applicable searches.

Overall, I feel that Pinterest has made a unique place for itself in the social media world. It is a one stop shop for anything you may be interested in. It promotes learning, growing, and inspiration.

Resources:

Clement, J. (2020, October 30). Pinterest: Monthly active users worldwide 2020. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/463353/pinterest-global-mau/

Pinterest Business Hub. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/business/hub/

The Role of Social Media

YouTube

In 2006, internet powerhouse Google purchased a video streaming and sharing website YouTube for $1.65 Billion (Sorkin, 2006). According to HootSuite.com, the video website averages 2 billion monthly users and in the U.S. alone will make $5.5 Billion in advertising money. Due to the acquisition by Google, they have been able to turn YouTube into an advertising machine, which has almost become a routine part of watching videos on the platform.

I personally spend more of my time watching YouTube than traditional television, or even streaming services like Netflix. I love the aspect that videos are created by real people who are sharing their life, passions, interests, and more with a huge audience. You being to feel an investment in these people, and they become a part of your life. YouTubers have also become a certain type of celebrity where some are as famous as movie stars. It has also become a way for normal people to earn an income doing something they love and sharing it. However in order to help the people who create the content for the platform, they need compensation which is where the advertisements come in.

Watching ads is almost second nature to me on YouTube. Whenever I click on a video I anticipate that I am going to be watching one ad, and possibly two. The beauty of advertisements on YouTube however is in the fact that you usually have the ability to skip them after 5-10 seconds. These advertisements are called “skippable in-stream ads.” If I really love the YouTuber who’s video I am watching, I will usually let the ads play through entirely, because I believe they receive more money and I want to support them. There are two other types of advertisements that will be found as well, “non-skippable ads,” and “banner or display ads.” YouTube also allows creators to include more than one advertisement in their video as long as the video is longer than 10 minutes, which encourages them to create higher quality content for viewers.

As the content that you are watching on YouTube can be very niche, I find that the advertisements are very targeted to my interests. Also since YouTube is owned by Google, and I am logged into the website with my Google account, I believe they are able to tailor advertisements to me even more. While I have purchased items from other social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, I have never taken action from a YouTube ad that required purchase. Especially in the time of the election, I have found that most of my ads have been related to candidates in Nevada where I live, as well as presidential candidates. My favorite advertisements that I am shown are movie trailers. As I mentioned earlier, I do not watch much television, so I appreciate being shown upcoming movies as I love going to the theater. Overall, I do not feel that advertisements are very effective on me as a consumer on YouTube, but as a platform I really love that it has created jobs for thousands of people, and entertains billions of people who come to be entertained, learn a new skill, and more.

References

23 YouTube Statistics that Matter to Marketers in 2020. (2020, January 13). Retrieved from https://blog.hootsuite.com/youtube-stats-marketers/

The Complete Guide to YouTube Ads for Marketers. (2020, July 20). Retrieved from https://blog.hootsuite.com/youtube-advertising/

Sorkin, A. (2006, October 09). Google to Acquire YouTube for $1.65 Billion. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/business/09cnd-deal.html

SEO vs. SEM

If you are starting a company, running a website, or need to drive more traffic to your site, it is very important to consider using paid (SEM) and organic (SEO) strategies to boost traffic. “With over 94% of Internet users using search engines to find what they’re looking for, having an effective presence there is vital” (Lalonde, 2019). SEO otherwise known as “Search Engine Optimization” is the optimization of content to be discovered through a search engine’s organic search results (Hardwick, 2019). SEM or “Search Engine Marketing” on the other hand is the use of purchasing ads on search engines to boost website traffic.

How do SEO & SEM differ, and what are the advantages or disadvantages of each?

SEO

Search Engine Optimization has it’s advantages and disadvantages, but it is a very important tool when it comes to your website ranking in Google. One benefit to SEO as a business is the cost, as it is completely free to implement and use. The key however to utilizing SEO effectively is ensuring that the content on your site is very high quality, and uses accurate and relevant keywords. As a coffee shop for example, you can use SEO tools such as Google Businesses to improve the visibility of your business in search rankings. There is also a level of trust the comes with showing up high in the search results organically. Users will trust the site has the content they are really seeking, especially when they see that it is not an ad.

There are however disadvantages to using SEO, such as delayed results. When you optimize your site, it can take as little as 30 days to begin seeing any results or ranking, so you need to be patient. There can also be a lot of competition when it comes to relevant or very popular keywords, so even if you do a great job with optimization it may not make a large impact in the search results. Your websites content, speed, and responsiveness also always need to be top notch, or Google will not favor your site in search results so you need to make sure you are always staying on top of your website.

If you can utilize Google Business’ feature for Winston Flowers, create relevant and trustworthy content, with enough patience, SEO would be excellent option.

SEM

Search Engine Marketing differs mainly from SEO because you are paying to guarantee that your website will show up in an associated search. However, just like with SEO there are some positives and negatives to SEM as well. With SEM, the results are immediate once your campaign goes live. If you have the money to spend, you can get automatic results, and begin seeing an increase in traffic to your website. You are also now associated with other people that are in your field as well as you are showing up alongside other sites that are listed as an “ad.” You are able to control how much you want to spend on each campaign, so you can adjust the budget. SEM can also increase your organic results as well. Ultimately however the best attribute to SEM is in the ability to really pinpoint your target market or demographic. You can specifically target people that would have a genuine interest in your company, and your click through rate should be great.

The downsides to SEM begin with the knowledge that may be needed to set up successful campaigns and ads. It is possible for an ordinary person to create an ad, but to be very successful it may be wise to bring in an expert to get your started. You want to find the best keywords to ensure your paid advertisements appear to consumers, to make sure that you are getting relevant leads, therefore your return on investment is worth it. When the listing shows up in the search, it shows that is is an advertisement, which may actually turn people off from clicking as opposed to organic results. When you use SEM, you need to be consistently tracking analytics, and tweaking keywords or other things in order to make sure you are still benefiting or getting the results you desire.

My overall recommendation for a business who is considering whether to use SEO or SEM to market their company would be to utilize both. As I mentioned, both strategies offer different benefits, so using them both in unison gives you your best chances for success.

Resources

Gaille, B. (2018, November 12). 18 Search Engine Advertising Advantages and Disadvantages. Retrieved from https://brandongaille.com/18-search-engine-advertising-advantages-and-disadvantages/

Hardwick, J. (2019, November 26). What is SEO? Search Engine Optimization Explained. Retrieved from https://ahrefs.com/blog/what-is-seo/

Lalonde, M. (2019, May 20). PPC vs SEO: Pros & Cons Of Paid and Organic Search Marketing. Retrieved from https://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/paid-vs-organic

Saba SEO. (2019, July 24). Advantages & Disadvantages of Search Engine Optimization. Retrieved from https://www.sabaseo.com/seo-benefits-and-drawbacks/