Social Media Metrics to Monitor to Improve Your Content Strategy

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, Social Media Metrics to Monitor to Improve Your Content Strategy

Social media has become an integral part of many businesses’ marketing strategies. It provides a platform to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and promote products and services. However, simply having a social media presence is not enough. To get the most out of your social media marketing, it’s important to monitor key metrics that can help you understand what’s working and what’s not. In this post, we’ll explore some social media metrics that you should be monitoring to improve your content strategy.

Engagement Rate

Engagement rate is one of the most important metrics to monitor on social media. It measures how many people are interacting with your content, such as liking, commenting, and sharing. High engagement rates indicate that your content is resonating with your audience and driving conversations.

To calculate engagement rate, divide the number of engagements (likes, comments, shares, etc.) by the number of followers or impressions. A higher engagement rate is better, as it indicates that your content is creating a strong connection with your audience.

Reach

Reach measures the number of people who see your content. It’s important to monitor reach to understand how far your content is spreading and how many people it’s reaching. A high reach means that your content is being shared and seen by a large number of people.

To increase reach, consider using paid advertising, such as promoted posts or ads, to target specific audiences. You can also optimize your content for shareability, such as using eye-catching visuals or incorporating trending topics and hashtags.

Click-Through Rate

Click-through rate (CTR) measures the number of clicks your content receives. It’s an important metric to monitor because it indicates how effective your content is at driving traffic to your website or other desired destination.

To calculate CTR, divide the number of clicks by the number of impressions. A higher CTR is better, as it means that your content is compelling and driving action from your audience.

Conversion Rate

Conversion rate measures the number of people who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. It’s an important metric to monitor because it helps you understand how effective your social media marketing is at driving business results.

To calculate conversion rate, divide the number of conversions by the number of clicks. A higher conversion rate is better, as it means that your social media marketing is effectively driving business outcomes.

Follower Growth

Follower growth measures how many new followers you’re gaining over time. It’s important to monitor follower growth to understand how well your content is resonating with your target audience and how effectively you’re building your social media presence.

To increase follower growth, consider running contests or promotions, optimizing your profile and content for search engines, making your content sharable with tools like share button from ShareThis, and engaging with your audience through comments and messages.

Mentions and Hashtags

Mentions and hashtags are important metrics to monitor because they help you understand how your brand is being talked about on social media. By monitoring mentions and hashtags, you can identify brand advocates, respond to customer feedback, and identify trends and topics that are relevant to your audience.

To monitor mentions and hashtags, use social media listening tools or simply search for your brand name or relevant keywords on social media platforms.

Time of Day

Monitoring the time of day that your content is being shared can help you understand when your audience is most active on social media. This can help you optimize your posting schedule to ensure that your content is being seen by the largest possible audience.

To monitor the best times to post, use social media analytics tools or simply track engagement rates at different times of the day. You can also experiment with posting at different times to see what works best for your audience.

Content Type

Monitoring the type of content that is generating the most engagement can help you identify what your audience is interested in and what types of content are most effective at driving engagement.

To monitor content type, look at the engagement rates for different types of content, such as photos, videos, and text posts. You can also experiment with different types of content to see what works best for your audience.

Audience Demographics

Understanding your audience demographics can help you create more targeted and effective content. By monitoring metrics such as age, gender, and location, you can tailor your content to the preferences and interests of your target audience.

To monitor audience demographics, use social media analytics tools or simply track engagement rates and other metrics by age, gender, and location. You can also survey your audience to gain a deeper understanding of their preferences and interests.

Share of Voice

Share of voice measures the percentage of social media conversations about your brand compared to your competitors. It’s an important metric to monitor because it helps you understand your brand’s position in the market and how well you’re competing with other brands.

To monitor share of voice, use social media listening tools or simply track the number of mentions and conversations about your brand compared to your competitors. You can also analyze the sentiment of these conversations to gain insights into how your brand is perceived compared to your competitors.

In conclusion, monitoring social media metrics is a critical component of any effective social media marketing strategy. By tracking engagement rate, reach, click-through rate, conversion rate, follower growth, mentions and hashtags, time of day, content type, audience demographics, and share of voice, you can gain valuable insights into your audience and improve your content strategy.

The Rise of 3D Content in Digital Storytelling

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article | The Rise of 3D Content in Digital Storytelling

The business value of 3D content for digital storytelling is obvious: it enables you to take your customers through a customized world that demonstrates what you can do. While some still cling to the prejudice that 3D content is ‘gimmicky’, this kind of experience can illustrate your products and solutions in action using realistic settings that your customer will recognize. This makes 3D content a unique asset for your digital storytelling arsenal, provided your digital storytelling software can handle this kind of content.

How 3D Content Tells Your Story in a Unique Way

Using 3D content, your business can draw the invisible connections between physical assets or to show how services are connected, even when they’re physically distant from one another. Some sectors struggle to show the value of their connected products – especially in the software and high-tech sectors, where the ‘action’ can be intangible or invisible. 3D content can visualize these situations.

For example, a technical product manufacturer can show their interconnected solutions in action on a refinery, how these are linked to related solutions in international pipelines, storage facilities, carbon capture, wind power, and power storage. Understanding interlinked concepts like this can be hard without something three-dimensional we can truly grasp.

Another unique quality that 3D content has is the ability to show new possibilities that just don’t exist yet. This means that new technology or products can be shown in a realistic setting, even when there are no existing examples that you can show in action.

The Metaverse: a 3D Internet

The metaverse has gained a lot of attention in recent years, but many feel that it has failed to live up to the promises. It’s important with emerging technologies to take hyperbolic claims with a pinch of salt. Forget the hype and poorly conceived demonstrations and look at ‘the metaverse’ for what it truly is: a 3D internet.

When you strip it down to this basic concept the true potential is laid bare.

Working ‘in the metaverse’ might be a number of years away, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore this incredible technology.  Solid applications for 3D content in the metaverse already exist. Digital storytelling provides measurable value to business, and this will certainly be one of the things that makes a successful jump into the metaverse.

Businesses can gain an advantage by getting to grips with 3D content early-on and exploring how they can use it. Before it becomes necessary to have these capabilities it is wise for companies to already understand how to use 3D content to generate business value.

Starting with a demonstrably practical application like digital storytelling, companies can learn to master 3D content without stretching their resources for merely hypothetical gains.

Using 3D Content With Digital Storytelling Software

Digital storytelling is remarkable for its ability to engage audiences and form strong emotional responses that cement memories in our brains. Things are easier to understand when they’re communicated in the format of ‘a story’, and digital media makes it possible to do this prolifically.  

Businesses typically use professional digital storytelling software to deploy digital stories across multiple distribution points, organize media into a single library, and create multiple targeted versions of stories that reach specific audience groups.

Engagement

When it comes to video content, even digital stories, our attention span is limited. By adding this kind of engaging content to digital stories, it can create a natural ‘break’ that resets the viewers attention span and keeps it interesting.

Interaction

Many companies struggle to find ways of fostering interaction with their digital storytelling. This is especially crucial for immersive Customer Experience Centers, which are the perfect venue for displaying your 3D content. By exploring a three-dimensional model of your product, or walking through a virtual factory, you can give your customers a special and interactive experience that brings them closer to your brand.

Customizable

3D media can also be customizable, by creating multiple variations of virtual environments that display your customer’s own factory using your robots, or showing their branded store with your products. Common elements can be reused, and different ‘rooms’ can be added when needed. Your digital storytelling software helps you achieve this and deploy these customized experiences with minimal effort.

When you add engaging 3D content to digital stories, it can add a new dimension to the experience. So, it’s worthwhile selecting digital storytelling software that can handle 3D content.

The Right Setting for 3D Content in Business

While the value and capabilities of 3D are already becoming clear, what is not clear is the best way of using it.

Is there a ‘right’ setting for 3D content? There are numerous ways that we can experience 3D environments, and businesses will want to know how to direct their investment. Some prognostication would be useful here, but in reality, it is hard to know which technologies will become the most popular ways to explore 3D content in the future.

There are many ways you can display 3D content today. Let’s look at some of the options on the market right now.

VR Goggles

VR goggles have been around for about 30 years, starting with the SEGA VR. Working examples were uncommon for several years, and the technology has struggled to gain popularity. As it became easier to produce 3D content in the 2000s, VR goggles started to return to the public consciousness. Many find them clunky and distracting, and this can limit their applicability. Interaction also relies on a third technology such as gloves or gesture sensors.

Small Screens

From smartphones to desktop computers, smaller screens are the most common way that people explore 3D content. This may remain the primary way for people to interact with the metaverse for a number of years.

Large Screens and Briefing Centers

Briefing centers have a lot to gain from 3D content. These environments are already well set up for this kind of content, as they typically have large screens and digital signage. By interacting directly with a touch-capable screen, customers can easily explore 3D environments and make them curious to learn more.

Customer Experience Centers and Immersive Experiences

Customer experience centers bring a new level of brand experience to the traditional briefing center, often exceeding customer preconceptions. Experience centers often use immersive technologies such as immersive experience rooms to show digital stories and presentations. These are the ideal environment for 3D content because they’re totally immersive without having the drawbacks of cumbersome goggles.

Games and D2C Content

Gamification has become a real buzzword for marketers wanting to create engaging brand experiences and events for their customers. These are especially valuable as part of a D2C initiative as games can help solidify attachment to a brand by encouraging customers to invest themselves (time spent) on building a relationship via a game. 3D content can bring these to life, make them more interactive and engaging.

YouTube Content or Website Videos

Video content has grown immensely in value, and it accounts for a staggering share of internet traffic. Most people prefer to watch a video than read the equivalent text. In many cases, your video content will be the very first point of contact with your brand. Adding 3D content judiciously can boost engagement and help you demonstrate things that are intangible or otherwise hard to show.

Wherever You Want

It’s good to know that with the right digital storytelling software, it doesn’t matter which screen or device your customers use to experience your 3D content. The process for creating the content itself is largely the same, regardless of how you intend to deploy it. This means that you can reuse your 3D content in any setting, provided your digital storytelling software supports it.

Using 3D Content With Your Digital Storytelling

While still developing rapidly, 3D content has already made a niche for itself. Younger generations will become more adept with this kind of content, for whom it is already part of their digital landscape.

One thing is certain: 3D content isn’t going away and will only become more important in the future.

When businesses recognize that the much-hyped ‘metaverse’ is essentially a 3D internet, it is clearer that ignoring it is a dangerous path to take. Mastering 3D content is the first step toward building a metaverse presence, and companies can immediately start to generate value from this content.

If you’re still feeling hesitant, it’s worth reflecting on those poor retailers and businesses that shunned the internet as a ‘fad’ in the 1990s. Ignoring the immense potential of this technology out of fear of the technical aspects is to be done at your peril.

More information about this available on https://www.purplestorytelling.com/.

What are Responsive Search Ads?

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, What are Responsive Search Ads?

In the ever-evolving Google Ads world, online marketers are used to different ads coming and going. Since the introduction of ads, there have been text ads, expanded ads, and responsive search ads. Google introduced responsive search ads in 2018 to match effortlessly with its push for automation and machine learning.

With responsive search ads, marketers have better chances of advancing from one base to another while at the same time scoring a run. That’s because the latest default ad type for Google search campaigns provides more room for faster and easier optimisation.

In the world of responsive search ads, marketers need to ensure their message speaks directly to their potential customers and be unique than ever before. In this article, I’ll explain what responsive search ads are and provide useful information to help you get started with this pay-per-click ad type.

Responsive search ads (RSAs) are the most flexible and largest Google search ad format. They’re different from traditional search ads, where marketers write their headlines and explanations together to create a static text ad. A responsive search ad allows marketers to write a maximum of four different descriptions and fifteen different headlines.

These headlines and descriptions can be arranged in more than 40,000 different permutations, meaning the testing possibilities are almost endless. Google shows these ads randomly depending on their relevance to the searchers’ questions.

How Do Responsive Search Ads Work?

Your responsive search ad may appear a little different based on where the results display and the search terms. Responsive search ads consist of various components, including:

  • Headlines: These are short, hyperlinked descriptions designed to attract potential customers.
  • URLs: These are actual or display URLs for landing pages.
  • Descriptions: These are lengthier explanations that form the ads’ main bodies.
  • Extensions: These are extra hyperlinks below the ad descriptions that provide additional options to click.

Additional components include images, a business name and a logo. After including all these components in your responsive search ad and submitting it, Google will automatically test multiple headline combinations and descriptions and know which ones perform excellently.

Responsive Search Ads Best Practices

Here are four proven practices for creating top-notch responsive search ads.

Create Distinctive and Concise Headlines

Responsive search ads allow you to add up to fifteen headlines, each with a maximum of 30 characters. Google’s algorithm optimises different headline-description combinations in order to provide new information in each ad.

Remember, distinctive, concise and easy-to-digest headlines work excellently. Ensure each headline highlights a fresh point and says something unique. Each headline should include important elements like benefits offered, relevant keywords, product and brand names.

Use at Least Three Popular Keywords in Your Headlines

An ad headline that includes terms searchers use increases ad visibility. The chances of searchers clicking on your ads are also higher. Headlines built on popular terms are likely to attract potential customers.

Be Descriptive with Your Descriptions

Your description needs to have a maximum of four lines of text. With this number of text lines, your responsive search ad will have the power to deliver the information you want to your potential customers.

RSAs only display two descriptions simultaneously, and each line features a maximum of 90 characters. Utilise these description fields to illustrate the information you didn’t cover in your headlines.

Use Top-Rated Google Ads Reporting Tools

A Google ads reporting tool allows you to gain access to accurate information, including click-through rates, impressions, quality scores, and more. It helps you capture your marketing data on a single control panel for actionable information at a glance.

A Google ads reporting tool also helps reduce time-consuming tasks, improve accuracy, cut costs and increase productivity. With the best Google ads reporting tool, you can track how your campaign is doing, allowing you to take action to achieve your goals.

7 Ways to Ensure Your Startup Gets the Media Attention It Deserves

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article | 7 Ways to Ensure Your Startup Gets the Media Attention It Deserves

As a startup, one of the big struggles you will face is how to get the word out about your brand. Brand recognition is a goal that all entrepreneurs aim to achieve, and there are many ways to go about it. While creative ad campaigns and clever marketing can make a difference, one of the best ways to establish your initial reputation is by being featured in the media.

But how do you get media coverage when you are just starting?

According to the United States Census Bureau, nearly 5.4 million new business applications were filed during the 2021 calendar year. That’s 5.4 million brands trying to make their mark, attract media attention, and build a reputation. So, how are you going to stand out?

Attracting media attention is a great opportunity, especially for startups. In this article, we are going to look at seven ways that you can engage journalists and media outlets, earn media coverage, and build a solid brand reputation with minimal or no budget:

  1. Write a Press Release
  2. Email a Unique and Customized Pitch
  3. Introduce Yourself on Social Media
  4. Contact Specific Journalists or Reporters by Phone
  5. Pitch Media on Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
  6. Attract Media Attention Using Content Marketing
  7. Get Involved Locally

Write a Press Release

One of the most direct routes for reaching out to the media is to write a press release. Brands often use this technique to showcase major events or milestones in their business. An effective press release is short and sweet at approximately 400-600 words. 

When you finish writing your press release, you can submit it to thousands of media outlets for consideration through PRWeb or PR Newswire.

Email a Unique and Customized Pitch

Rather than waiting for journalists and media organizations to find you and your startup, why not reach out and put yourself in their inbox? This approach is commonly done by pitching journalists and reporters through a carefully worded email. Unfortunately, one of the biggest mistakes business owners make when pitching is sending out a copy and paste pitch to everyone in the hopes that someone will pick it up. As a result, journalists get hundreds of these template-style pitches and often delete them.

Instead, take the time to write a unique pitch for each journalist. Before writing, take some time to read through the articles previously written by that journalist so that you better understand the topics they focus on and how they approach a story. This research will give you some insight to help you write a pitch highlighting why their audience wants to hear your story and how you can provide value.

Your email should share some context on who you are and why they should be interested in what you have to offer. At the same time, you want to keep your pitch concise and to the point. Be upfront about what you pitch and why the editor receiving your email should be interested in covering it. According to The State of Journalism 2020, over 60% of journalists prefer to receive pitches no longer than three paragraphs.  

Introduce Yourself on Social Media

Leveraging social media to reach the media is an underrated strategy. Too often, social media is seen only as a marketing tool, but it’s also a great campaign tool when you get creative.

To begin, write a clear and concise bio on each social media platform that you use. Then, when connecting with reporters, don’t just jump to pitching your brand as a story. Instead, use the platform as an opportunity to connect and engage with journalists and media personnel with whom you want to work.

Like building a relationship with a sales lead, connecting with reporters on social media starts with establishing a connection. You want to be proactive in getting to know them and building a relationship while introducing your new business and its purpose. Not only will this help you to get the attention of the media in the beginning, but it will also create working relationships that can help you in the future with new product launches, announcing brand events, and other newsworthy developments.

Contact Specific Journalists or Reporters by Phone

If there are certain media outlets or journalists that you want to work with, you may wish to make it a priority to reach out to them individually. Journalists and reporters receive email pitches and social media messages every day. A great way to make yourself stand out is to take the time to contact each of these individuals by phone.

First, list the journalists, reporters, and media outlets you consider the most important for sharing your brand’s story. Some factors include the publications that they write for, their location and their writing style. Next, find a phone number for each media contact on your list. 

Finally, set aside a day to make some phone calls. Make sure each conversation is unique to the person you are contacting.

Pitch Media on Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

Another simple (and FREE) way to earn media attention is by pitching reporters on the Help A Reporter Out (HARO) website. Journalists working on a story in your industry will share a query explaining what information they need. 

It could be an answer to a specific question or a quote for a piece they are writing. You can pitch the reporter if you see a query that you believe fits your expertise well. The goal is to help them know that you would be the right expert for their recent piece, earning free press coverage for you and your brand.

Attract Media Attention Using Content Marketing

The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.” When discussing content marketing, the audience in question is usually an audience of potential clients you hope to attract. However, that’s not the only opportunity to use content marketing to your advantage.

Create content that will showcase your knowledge and expertise to attract the media’s attention when covering topics related to your industry. You win the attention you’re seeking by positioning yourself as an expert in your field.

What content can you create to showcase your competence? This content includes written, video, and audio content such as blog posts, newsletters, emails, and social media posts. Create high-quality content answering common questions or solving problems within your industry. You will come to mind as an expert when journalists work on a piece related to your profession.

Get Involved Locally

Is your startup a locally based business? Pay careful attention to any events that may be occurring in your area that would attract media attention while also aligning with your brand. For example, if you want to build rapport and trust with your clients (and potential clients), you may wish to speak at a local convention or industry event. 

Speaking to an audience in your niche helps you to showcase your knowledge and expertise. If you are more focused on introducing your brand to the community and local media, try volunteering with your staff at a local charitable event. You can showcase how many of you are present from your company by having staff wear company swag or brand colors. And once you manage to build that initial connection, don’t stop. Send simple gestures of appreciation such as thank you cards to let your audience feel that your brand is human. People love brands that connect with them on a personal level.

If you want to make a splash in your community, why not plan your event? Designing your event will ensure the connection between the event and your company is clear and your involvement is noticed. At the same time, you can make a difference and build a reputation that will showcase your startup in the best light possible.

By focusing on these seven strategies, you can position your startup in a way that will attract journalists and media organizations. 

This approach will help you build a brand reputation, highlight your expertise, and begin to establish notoriety in your industry. It’s an investment today that will continue to pay off for years down the road.