In simplistic terms, digital marketing is the promotion of a brand that utilizes media channels to deliver an advertising message to target audience. However, do not get confused with traditional marketing. In the digital world, marketers have the ability to use methods that will analyze marketing campaigns to get real time results of what is working and what isn’t. With the use of research it is important to consider which/what is going to be the most effective way to advertise(within budget of course).
Some examples of digital marketing include..
Tv commercials slots
Mobile apps
Wireless Text Messaging
Electronic Billboards
Podcast
Social Media Outlets
Digital Televison
Facebook Flyers
Gone are the days where knowledge of your product came straight from your PR team. Not to mention, the information received was only of what you wanted them to know. With digital marketing at it’s highest peak, consumers are looking towards social media outlets to learn about a product. This includes the good, the bad and the ugly. Consumers are more likely to believe their friends on Twitter about your product, than the company itself.
With that being said, a company must ask themselves, “… at what degree must someone be exposed to brand messages in order to achieve advertising objectives…” It is crucial to consider how to not only create brand contact, but how to manage it too. I suggest using the RFG method.
REACH
FREQUENCY
GROSS RATING
Formula is… F=G/R
This will help a company calculate results of an advertising campaign for success rates. I believe the keys to digital marketing success are laid out in the bulletin points below…
Must manage a variety of channels
Respond to and initiate interactions with all of the channels
Extract value from data using RFG to make important financial decision for future campaigns
What I have just discussed is the way I use social media in the digital marketing world. Nevertheless, everyone has his or her unique style. I found this funny infograph online that explains the “7 Type of Digital Marketers.” I think it is hilarious. I find myself between the DATA WHIZ and the E-ARTISTE.
With that being said, social media appears to be the most popular and effective method of advertisement. Social engagement allows companies to have a casual presence where they can engage with consumers on a personal level. is so important because advertisers have the opportunity to go straight to the source through this social engagement.
Furthermore, social media is personal and natural. Without this social engagement advertisers would not successfully be able to understand why something did or did not succeed. Of course there are analytics to measure the success rate and report numbers but in today’s society, numbers alone will not cut it. Social engagement allows for consumer response. With this quick response, advertisers have the opportunity to go straight to the problem and not only fix it, but keep the consumers loyal and make it apparent to them that their voices are heard.
With that being said, social media appears to be the most popular and effective method of advertisement. Social engagement allows companies to have a casual presence where they can engage with consumers on a personal level. is so important because advertisers have the opportunity to go straight to the source through this social engagement.
Furthermore, social media is personal and natural. Without this social engagement advertisers would not successfully be able to understand why something did or did not succeed. Of course there are analytics to measure the success rate and report numbers but in today’s society, numbers alone will not cut it. Social engagement allows for consumer response. With this quick response, advertisers have the opportunity to go straight to the problem and not only fix it, but keep the consumers loyal and make it apparent to them that their voices are heard.
A company’s brand choice should reflect its personality trait. A voice that inspires me on Twitter is one that is refined and chic or flirty and witty. I cannot fathom how many business loose followers simply by sounding like a door-to-door salesman. The people do not want to follow a brand that is constantly trying to sell a product or service. People want to follow a brand that they can have an authentic conversation with. The sample posts listed below are ones I find to be successful via social media outlets.
Cuppa Java- Local Coffee Shop (Refined and Chic)
A. Went to lunch w/ my girlfriends on this rainy day. Splurged on a #large @cuppajava down the street. #Fall #CuppaJava #girlsday (Insert picture of the coffee OR selfie of friends and you drinking it) ß– Twitter or Instagram
B. Send a picture of your morning coffee to @cuppajava and hashtag #JavaLove to receive a BOGO now through Thursday. Show the tweet when you get inside J #happymonday #JavaLove (Inset picture of employees making coffee) ß– Twitter
C. We are at the Mankato Marathon today serving free coffee. Goodluck to all our race friends! (Insert picture of the team serving coffee. Make sure product is visible and easy to read) ß– Facebook or Instagram
Salvage Sisters- Refined Furniture Shop (Flirty and Witty)
A. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, is your table ready? (Insert picture of a table for sale and an autumn centerpiece that is also for sale) ß– Facebook or Instagram
B. Antique furniture shopping is addictive, good thing salvagesisters.com has great steals and deals! (Picture of a favorite piece from the store) ß– Pinterest **Include hyperlink for Salvage Sister website**
C. Looking to impress the in-laws? See how @salvagesisters uses white furniture and accessories to create an #elegant space. #innovativethinking (post picture of the space) ß– Twitter or Instgram
Any business that has not incorporated social media into their advertising campaigns will likely struggle in this generation. Few however have a clear idea of what social media success looks like. The first thing a brand should consider when entering the social media landscape is where its competitors are making their investments and why. As consumers are increasingly looking for a bargain deal, it is vital to know exactly what competitors are offering. When it comes to your opponent, knowledge is power.
Secondly, it is important to identify the ideal platform for your firm (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) based on what each can provide. Consideration should also be given to areas in which your competitors are making their mark. This will allow companies to focus its efforts on a few beneficial and productive platforms instead of trying to be everywhere on the web. One thing to keep in mind is that it is important to connect with the consumers where they are already comfortable. This allows for an easy transition into relationship building.
Once a company has identified its main competitors and its ideal target platform, it is important to identify the unique significance the product is providing that will make consumers want to “like” it. As companies fight for social engagement, it is important to strategize a campaign to convince the consumer that your product is superior to that of your competition. You should also take into account how you will measure and report the success rate and which tools will profit you the most.
Here are three analytical tools that I find useful…
1. Sprout Social– I really like Sprout Social because it is geared towards business results. It allows you to analyze your followers by various demographics. Not only can it manage multiple accounts, but it picks the most efficient time to post on your companies behalf. Furthermore, Sprout Social is affordable. You can get a free 30 day trial and when you realize how addicting it is…. it’ll be worth the 39 dollar price tag. Sprout Social is your patsy. It keeps an eye out on the competition by showing you the number of daily mentions, percents of engagements, and to see who is talking to the competition. This analytical tool is so easy to use… and once you have it, you won’t want to live without its convenience.
2. Social Oomph. I enjoy using Social Oomph as a marketing tool for my Twitter accounts. Since Twitter has become an excellent way for businesses to build solid relationships, it is important to make every customer feel like they are the most important client you have. Social Oomph allows this to happen. Within this analytical site there are different tools to manage multiple twitter accounts at once such as…
Auto Direct Message
Auto Follow
Furthermore, it allows the business to make the direct message a personable one. Here is an example…
“Thanks for connecting with us on Twitter. We are excited to follow you as well, Miranda. Feel free to add us on Facebook to check out some of our promotions.”
This auto following/direct message makes the consumer feel important and valued. Especially when the companies goes the extra mile by following them back.
3.Hootsuite is an effective way to organize and execute campaigns across multiple social networks from one secure channel. It manages every social outlet that is accessible to businesses. More so, Hootsuite can help get your business more seen on social media platforms. It does this by using geo-locating and geo-tracking to your benefit. This analytical tool manages campaigns success and provides reasoning as to why it was or was not a successful strategy. It even provides some of its own analytical tools to get more of an insight into a businesses participations on the outlets.
Social media is the eye of the beholder. It has the power to bring a business together as fast as it can break a business down. However, the power is nothing without the solid results. Good thing for analytical tools, right? ha-ha
Analytics have become an essential form of intelligence for businesses to identify and respond to consumer requests. Listening to what your consumers and competitors are saying about you is key to following through with a successful advertising campaign. Although there are countless tools to help measure and analyze data, I feel that these three listed above, are the easiest to navigate and for the best price tag.
The other day I found an interesting article on what college students should post onto their LinkedIn accounts. Although the article was very insightful, I was disappointed to see that it was only referring to the college person persona. I believe this list is not only important for college students, but for anyone that is trying to master the tips of networking on LinkedIn. Listed below are some of the tips I got from the article with some incorporation of my own opinion on how to network successfully.
1. Include a bio, but make sure to use key words that will give you a better change of being searched on LinkedIn. Example for a career in social media would include this-
” As a recent graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato my objective is to obtain a challenging leadership position applying creative problem solving and lean management skills to enhance the company’s productivity and reputation. My focus is on four core areas: listening, content marketing, community management and crisis management solutions. I am a hybrid social media PR/communications person who is interested in the digital age of social media/marketing strategies.”
-As you can see from the above example, I incorporated some tag words to go along with the biography. This allows you to have a better chance of standing out, compared to other profiles that may not have those tag words.
2. Do not add people for meaningless reasons. LinkedIn is not a place where the amount of friends you have matters. Authentic relationships are key to networking. Also, make sure you do some research on a person before asking to friend them. It will add a personal connection if they choose to accept your add.
3. Always connect. If you are on LinkedIn it is important to put yourself out in there. Join groups that hold meetings. Respond and add the people you meet in those connecting boards as you never know when it will come in handy. Be available and visible to your followers. It will make them interested in what you have to say.
4. And last but not least, make sure that before an interview you try to “investigate” your interviewer. Learning as much as you can about a company shows that you are prepared for the job at hand. It also gives you more to discuss, and to add a personal connection to the interview. One thing I personally enjoy is the fact that the people I am “investigating” can see that I have looked at their page. I do so in hopes that it shows the interviewer that I have gone the extra mile in researching the company.
*Clearly every experience is different, but these four are what I find to benefit me the most as I network myself on LinkeIn. So now that my tips are out, feel free to utilize them to your own experience and become that super-connector we all know you are 🙂
Although it is possible for a company to be on every social outlet, it is not worth the time or money. While it is important to connect with the consumers on a personal basis, it is easiest to do so in a place in which they are already comfortable.
Spring would not be spring without April dedicating itself to the end of sexual violence, as this month has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (“SAAM“). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.
In an effort to break the silence surrounding this oftentimes overlooked issue, Minnesota State University, Mankato offers a wide variety of events geared toward raising awareness and heightening interest amongst its student body. The events so far have included:
Trivia Night
Live performance from local band Sister Gin
Screening of Miss Representation
Sexual Assault Awareness Town Hall meeting
Violence-Free Zone Training
Former classmate and feminist activist, Kristie LaPlante, described her thoughts after watching the Miss Representation screening.
“After watching the movie I see how ads establish the problematic dimensions of what society is forgetting to hit on most. Sexual violence is a crime, it should be illegal in the media too,” said LaPlante.
Miss Representation is a film which examines how the media is playing a dangerous game of chicken when it comes to the sexualization of women in the media. In fact, last year alone the entertainment business spent over $100 billion dollars on internet and television advertisements alone, many of which inappropriately exploit women. To make matters worse, these figures do not include magazines, newspapers or billboard expenses.
“The media is very effective at creating stereotypes because it is sometimes the only source of information people have, said LaPlante. “It is scary, because I do not know how far advertisers will push the envelope just to make more revenue.”
Make no doubt about it, sex sells, but this game cannot last forever. Looking at the statistics alone, it becomes apparent that advertisements are spiraling out of control.
(This youtube video is put together by Ashley Dokken. The footage is from google images)
“When I talk to the Women’s Center I explain how worried I am as to what will happen in the future,” said LaPlante. “The line crossing between what is acceptable keeps being pushed back to drastic measures of dehumanizing women.”
MSU hockey player, Eli Zuck, takes pride in MSU’s attempts to talk about sexual violence openly. He was thrilled at the turnout and the outcome of the events as many students and faculty shared optimistic beliefs for the future.
“Being optimistic is the only way to go. The media has learned not to use the word Negro and has now opted for African American. This is proof that the media can learn to reform its way of thinking with the sex sell theory,” said Zuck.
Women’s Center Interim Assistant Samantha Hedwall shares similar viewpoints with Zuck.
“My hope for the future is that SAAM won’t have to dedicate itself to just a month long event but that it will be an ongoing process of awareness throughout the entire year,” said Hedwall.
“Just because April is coming to an end, doesn’t mean the awareness for sexual violence has to end,” said Hedwall.
The Women’s Center is in charge of many events on campus including variety of speakers, seminars and workshops that the entire MSU community is welcome to attend. For example, every first Monday of the month is Women in Movies Day, where students are welcome to have some fun, watch a movie and discuss women’s issues about sexual violence.
“The movies are by far my favorite event. I get to take a break from the entire world and concentrate on the empowerment of women in society, said Women Studies major, Amanda Freeman. “It is nice to know there is a place at MSU that offers educational services like this.”
Education is crucial to the mission of ending sexual violence. MSU helps create this experience by holding discussions with students about the resources it has to offer.
“The Women’s Center wants you to realize that none of you are alone in this situation. The college at MSU is a community that will stand up, hand in hand, with SAAM to create a society that provides year round outreach programs to end sexual violence for good,” said Hedwall.
The MSU Women’s Center is moving in the right direction; by having a college atmosphere that is not only supportive and safe, it also offers numerous outreach programs for students year round. Therefore it is nearly impossible to let the awareness end this month.
“The months ahead will be filled with opportunities to get involved, inspire change and to take action on the sexual violence that women go through everyday,” said Freeman “Even if the month of April is ending, the start to ending sexual violence is just the beginning.”
MSU and the campus Women’s Center get it. Likely unknown to a number of people, our school provides the much needed support and information to bring sexual awareness issues to the forefront.
The mont of April can be looked at as merely the announcement month for the services and opportunities provided by MSU. But as stated, the fact that “awareness” month is drawing to a close, the school and its professionals offer many services year round.
For a timeline of the events that have occurred and the ones still to come click here.
USA Today’s Steve DiMeglio will speak on April 24 for MSU’s Media Day
MSU alumni DiMeglio will share his journey from working at The Reporter to becoming Senior Golf Writer for USA Today
DiMeglio will be speaking at 4 p.m. on April 24 in celebration of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s annual Media Day. This event will be held in Ostrander Auditorium located in the Centennial Student Union.
DiMeglio will speak at his event, “Mickey Mantle’s on Line 1, Steve!” about his journey from the White House to the House that Ruth built to the Home of Golf.
DiMeglio holds a true passion for sports, and an even bigger passion for writing about them. While he was attending MSU, he wrote for the sport section at The Reporter and now dedicates his time as the USA Today’s Senior Golf Writer.
Of his time spent as a student, Professor Ellen Mrja say, “He was absolutely the most dedicated sports editor our paper has ever had. His sports pages were more than sources. They were interesting, informative and consistently outstanding.”
It is obvious that DiMeglio is an icon to many students. Not only because of his high status at USA Today, but because he has provided coverage for such a large range of public icons Some include:
Bill Clinton
Tiger Woods
Tom Brady
Payton Manning
Arnold Palmer
George W. Bush
DiMeglio’s father, Dr. John DiMeglio, and his mother will be in attendance along with scholarship recipients and other mass media students.
The event is free and open to the public thanks to the Nadine B. Andreas Foundation.
Follow Steve DiMeglio on Twitter and attend Media Day on April 24 to welcome him back to the Purple and Gold colored campus. Home of the MSU Mavericks.
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