As I reflect back on my decade of working in this space, I have seen the fads, the innovations, and the flops. What initially began as a means of connection and communication has evolved into a powerful marketing and advertising tool that has been embraced wholeheartedly by the masses – not to mention brands, influencers and media.

Have a read through my 6 tips for navigating the social media universe today, tomorrow and into the future.

Don’t go chasing algorithms. Trust me on this one. They change so frequently, it’s becoming nearly impossible to keep up, let alone game the system. While we can have a surface-level understanding of the intent behind algorithm changes, the truth is that the sophistication of algorithms is beyond human comprehension. Strategies that work today may not work tomorrow, as machine learning analyzes thousands of data points and optimizes against them. Instead, focus on producing insight-driven content that resonates. Know your audience, understand their interests, behaviours and pain-points and you will be far more successful than if you were to spend your time dissecting how algorithms work.

Remember MySpace, Foursquare, Ello, Peach, or Google Plus? Their rise to stardom seems so long ago now. Change is the only thing guaranteed in the social media space. Social networks have risen and fallen, just like the ancient civilizations of our past. Every social network prides itself on continuous innovation, though new and flashy features have flourished and failed over the years. Always allocate at least 10% of your resourcing to innovation and testing. However, being flexible and agile is key. It won’t serve you to be rigid with your strategy, so don’t chase your tail. Fail quickly and move on.

If you can do just one thing, spend your efforts on creating quality content, versus quantity. The social media audience of today is fickle and discerning. You are competing against thousands of other brands and content creators who are vying for shortened attention spans. Put yourself in the position of others and ask yourself the honest question: “Would I share this?”  Spend time on your creative and really think it through. There are plenty of turnkey, budget friendly tools available to help you up your production game.

Please, whatever you do, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. All it takes is an ousted tech CEO, a drop in shares for one of the big giants, or a disastrous data breach, to leave a Silicon Valley business hanging by a thread. Remember the list of social channels above? At one time they seemed like steadfast investments, but have now become irrelevant. While Facebook is currently THE best place to reach a broad range of customers, it may not always be the case. Keep your options open and be prepared to shift your approach or you could be left in the dust.

Every customer counts. Having a social response strategy will help you ensure that every customer comment (whether good or bad) is addressed. Of course, there are the trolls who stop at nothing to try and discredit and harm a company. However, the majority of customers just want to be heard. Approaching social media response with humanity, humility and even a little humour can do wonders for building your brand reputation.

Storytelling approaches are as diverse as the companies that employ them. But, education and emotion-driven stories should be the tenets of every social media strategy. It’s been said many times that content is king. But context and insight are equally as important. Teaching people something they didn’t know – or stirring up an emotional connection with your audience is the trick to holding their attention – and building loyalty over time.

Every day, I’m inspired, humbled – and even a little astounded – by the speed at which social media is changing. There’s no question that online communication has brought out both the good and evil of the human race. But, I’m still hopeful that connecting our global community through the power of technology and storytelling brings people together in new and unexpected ways. Ideas are exchanged with every Livestream, every Tweet, and every inspiring image. And even if a small fraction of those ideas bubble to the surface to make the world a better place, then that’s just fine by me.  

Do you have a social media challenge for us to solve? Get in touch and let’s chat! 

The world has been abuzz in recent weeks amidst the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica data scandal. This is, perhaps, the most damaging and far-reaching revelation in the company’s 14-year history. Rally cries to #DeleteFacebook have been trending for weeks – and many individuals, including large brands like Tesla – have followed through on this threat.

Mark Zuckerberg’s scrutinized testimony at the congressional hearing, was followed by Facebook and Instagram’s sweeping API changes to crack down on how advertisers and third parties can access and use customer data. This has created a ripple effect across the digital marketing industry, as third-party developers and software companies play catch up.

But, I’m not going to write a blog post today about how marketers can adapt their privacy, data usage policies and overall social media advertising approach to the new era of social media marketing. There is plenty of coverage on that. Today, I’d like to share my thoughts how we must create healthier boundaries around social media.  

Admittedly, I am in deep conflict about the state of affairs of the digital media landscape. Having worked in the social media space for over a decade now, I’ve helped some of Canada’s top brands capture the hearts, minds and attention of their customers. On a personal level, I have met and connected with amazing friends and colleagues, and have access to a flood of helpful information on a daily basis that helps me stay on the cutting edge of this industry. That said, I have also had my fair share of burn outs from staying connected to the firehose day in and day out.

The utopian vision of universal connection on which social media was founded upon has been crumbling for years now. Left in its place, there is a darker, more dystopian landscape, where social media has become a tool powered by algorithms, populated by marketers and, in some cases, manipulated by “bad actors”.

The #DeleteFacebook movement isn’t directly caused by the data scandal – this sentiment has  been simmering below the surface for a while. It’s as if we know our social media usage isn’t sustainable, but we want to find a reason to cut the cord. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is just the latest reason, but it won’t be the last.

We all know that the platforms on which we’re spending increasing amounts of time are creating damaging dopamine-fed behavioural loops, where we keep checking for Likes and RTs like Pavlov’s dog and bell experiment.

Thanks to machine learning designed to personalize the experience, our feeds have become information echo chambers where our values, news sources and ideals are reinforcing existing views versus exposing us to diversity of thought. There are countless studies that speak to the direct correlation between an increase in social media usage and self esteem issues, anxiety and depression. To put it plainly, our current-day usage of social media is unhealthy and it’s making society worse off.  

But, it’s not as simple as turning off our social media is it? We’re tied to social media for many reasons, whether it be work, social lives, extracurricular activities, committees or family.

Creating Mindful Habits

In my view, we don’t have to look at social media usage as all or nothing. There are still many positive benefits to using these tools – in moderation. We can create boundaries around how, when and why we use social media to enhance our lives – and when we need to put the phone away.

It’s not just about locking down our privacy settings and being more aware of third-party apps. It’s about creating mindful habits to allow moderate usage and give us the freedom to experience life outside of the addictive sandbox that has been carefully crafted for us.

I work in the digital space, so spend some days completely glued to one social channel or another for my clients. But, I’m working to create boundaries in my personal life by:

• Setting specific hours for when I check my social feeds and private messages
• Being mindful each time I pick my phone up to check my feeds. I ask myself: “Is this out of habit or are you checking for a specific reason?”
• Thinking before I post: “Am I just posting to get likes?”
• Creating digital detox days where I turn my phone off or leave it home
• Opening the virtual door at a reasonable time, not while I’m still in bed

The Advertising Model

The largest digital platforms, Facebook (and Instagram), Twitter, Google (and YouTube), have all been built around a business model whereby the tool is free for users and paid for by advertisers. On the surface, it’s going well. Facebook’s meteoric rise since it went public in 2012 has meant great financial gains for its shareholders as its ad platforms continue to rake in obscene amounts of cash. In 2017, for example, Facebook reported earnings of $39.94 billion USD in ad revenue.  

The problem is that to sustain their advertising model, these digital giants need to keep enhancing their habit forming technology to keep users coming back for more.  What if there was another way to sustain these platforms, ad free? For example, if Facebook charged its 2 billion users just $20 per year for an ad-free platform, that would cover off last year’s ad earnings.

Scientist and technology watcher, Jaron Lanier, explained more about shifting this paradigm on the TED stage in Vancouver this year:

 

I know I am not alone in the struggle to find balance between real life and the virtual worlds that continue to pull at my coat tails. This is going to be an ongoing challenge for our society as we fight against the dystopia.

One thing is certain though, there is a groundswell of discussion around this topic in academic, tech and digital marketing circles. Thought leaders with creative solutions are emerging and it’s only a matter of time before the landscape shifts once again. I just hope we can steer ourselves back to that utopian vision so many of us still believe in.

The firehose of content flooding the digital space is ferocious – but, so is the appetite for it. Now, more than ever, businesses must place a stake in the ground and tell their own story by engaging in brand journalism. This is more than just content marketing – this is about building an audience and becoming a valuable resource for existing and future customers.

People are craving connection – with one another, of course, but also the brands they choose to support. They want to feed their insatiable appetite for knowledge. They want to quash their fear of missing out by being almost omnipresent, their finger on the pulse at all times. The explosion of livestreaming, a 24 hour news cycle, and hundreds of million of hours worth of video watched each day barely fulfill these never-ending desires.

So, how does brand journalism come into play? Businesses must be much more than content factories, pumping out videos, blogs and imagery for the sake of it. Rather, they must be thoughtful and strategic about the stories they tell  – human stories from unique perspectives.  

After all, the art of creating timely, meaningful, authentic stories based on human insight and relevance to the audience is a craft the journalism industry has perfected over the centuries. And there are tried, tested and true methods that can be adapted to the marketing space. 

Great brand journalism has the ability to teach people something new, stir up emotion or create inspiration and motivation. Great brand journalism takes a human insight and cracks it wide open, hitting a nerve, making people think. Most importantly, it sparks a conversation. 

Here are a few ways to be a better brand journalist:

1. Behave Like a Newsroom

Newsrooms are well-oiled machines designed for maximum output in a deadline-driven environment.  Editorial meetings take place daily or weekly to discuss story ideas and angles, holding reporters accountable for their responsibilities and shaping each story as new perspectives are shared. Reporters have beats, becoming subject matter experts in specific areas so they can dig deeper and have the historical background. Journalists follow up on tips and work their leads, turning to trusted sources for insider info. They research, fact check and standardize formatting and content packaging.  Most of all, they are guided by the priorities of the audience. 

How this translates to business:

• Set deadlines
• Schedule editorial planning sessions to keep on track and accountable
• Showcase expertise in a specific area and bring in other subject matter experts, such as guest content creators  to help round out the topics
• Conduct proper interviews with your subjects and use quotes
• Put time and effort into writing excellent blog posts
• Work leads for story ideas (team members, customers, partners, industry relationships)
• Do research, get the facts right and standardize formatting
• Keep tabs on industry news that might impact storytelling angles

2. Start With the Human Insight

Before going down the path of crafting any content, first think about why it matters to the audience. Perhaps it’s need-to-know info, based on frequently asked questions from customers or urgent and late-breaking developments. Maybe there’s something interesting about how people use your product or service differently that will grab attention. And more broadly, there might be societal insights, cultural phenomena and larger trends that could lead to a deeper storytelling opportunity.

3. Always Consider Context

Ultimately, we all need to answer the question: “Why is my business telling this story?”  A great story can be lost on an audience unless there is careful attention paid to the context in which it is positioned.

For starters, think about whether this is a topic your business should be covering and what role you have to play in the conversation. Next, look at how the content is being set up when it’s distributed. Context can be implied due to seasonality, trending news or holidays, for example. But, without the crutch of seasonality, the audience shouldn’t need to question why it is relevant to them. Taking the time to build a distribution plan to accompany your brand journalism efforts will lead to greater success – especially when it comes to targeting the right people at the right time.

Do you want to tell your company’s story through effective brand journalism? Get in touch with us! 

While the digital marketing landscape is shifting under our feet and the artificial intelligence revolution takes hold, the ancient art of storytelling remains tried, tested and true. Such is the dichotomy of marketing in the Digital Age.

Last week, I attended the Change In the Making Conference. in our home town of Squamish. Now heading into its third year, the conference attracts some 700 attendees from enterprise brands, small business and agencies. While still maintaining its heavy focus on digital, the CIMC organizing team decided to broaden the scope of the event in 2017, adding in broader topics for the public relations community.

Here are the big take aways and trends that will shape marketing and storytelling in the months ahead. It’s a long one, but I promise it’s a good one!

A Good Story Is Timeless

In today’s Digital Age, it’s important to have a hook in the first 8 seconds if we want to draw the audience in and overcome ADD. But, we needn’t be overly clever. Vulnerability and authenticity reign in this space.

Matthew Luhn from Pixar reminded us all that simplicity is key when it comes to telling a great story. We have to make people feel the story more than anything else. If we can achieve that, we can make magic happen.

Tried, tested and true storytelling devices that have been used for thousands of year still apply. Every story needs a set-up, build, and pay off. But, pacing and tension are critical to create an emotional connection with the audience. And of course, the good old anecdote is still very relevant and effective. In fact, adding a story makes facts 22 times more memorable.

Native Advertising and Influencer Marketing Critical To Marketing Mix

As the digital marketing pipeline becomes more and more saturated (and expensive), relying on third-party allegiances is the new norm.  

After all, in a world where people fear “fake news”, sponsored content doesn’t seem so bad as long as there is transparency. Lindsay Stewart of Buzzfeed revealed that the recipe for success when it comes to sponsored content is for brands to give the publication creative license to maintain their voice. They know their audience best and have historical data to inform their content. In Buzzfeed’s case, they stick to their recipe for success: being relatable, creating emotional pull, educating people or making them laugh.

Native advertising is estimated to become a $28 billion business by 2018. Native ad units might be modelled after IABs, but their place in the digital mix is to add context, educational or entertainment value.

On the other hand, working with influencers to gain reach and third party endorsements has become mainstay in the marketing mix. But, it doesn’t always have to be the mainstream Internet giants whose engagement decreases as their reach increases.  Looking at so-called micro-influencers can be a more cost effective approach with long-term benefits. These are people who are prolific in niche communities and are on their way to Internet fame, but haven’t quite made it yet.

The Web Landscape Is Shifting

No longer is it sufficient to build a mobile friendly site. Rather, with the saturation of mobile, it’s critical to build mobile first web properties. Some brands are deciding to de-prioritize desktop all together, depending on who their target market is.

As design becomes more mobile-centric and m commerce gains momentum, we can expect to see purchasing behaviour shift from desktop to mobile as it becomes easier to buy items from a mobile device.  To date, mobile has done a great job at driving web traffic, but user experience and trust still hinder many from purchasing on their mobile. Broadly speaking, e-commerce businesses still see more purchases made on desktop. But, that is changing.

Another space that is dramatically shifting is the world of mobile applications. Britney Muller of Moz argued that apps could become a thing of the past; replaced instead by a hybrid solution called Progressive Web Applications. PWAs are built for mobile browsers, but offer the sophistication and robust user experience of an app.

But it’s not just web design and apps that are evolving. The landscape of search is changing too, with the prevalence of voice recognition technologies like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google’s voice software. No longer must we optimize our websites for written search terms, but also voice search as well. To date, advertising companies like Google have yet to monetize voice search, but it’s on the horizon. Search engine optimization is transforming and now, more than ever, it’s important to lay the foundation with today’s best practices so you can be ready for tomorrow.

We Need to Simultaneously Embrace and Prepare for AI

We are in the midst of a not-so-quiet revolution of artificial intelligence and automation. Simply put, cognitive computing (or machines that continue to optimize and learn as they go) will play up a major role in almost every aspect of our lives. From helping businesses better understand their customers, to organizing and interpreting massive volumes data, to completing tasks currently executed by humans, AI will become an extension of human decision-making and action. Some would argue we’re already there.

Internet giants Facebook and Google both admitted that “connectivity” is the next frontier. AI and machine to machine will be the next battleground. It’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top in this space.

But, as Meagan Tanner of Google Canada so eloquently explained, technology does not just disrupt industries – it has a trickle down effect.  Technology disruption impacts entire economies. The electric, self-driving car for example, disrupts gas stations, packaged goods sold in the gas station, people who work in goods manufacturing, vendors who serve the manufacturers and so on and so forth.  With these new technologies barrelling towards us, our nation is poised for a major economic disruption and Google Canada is campaigning hard to pressure the Canadian government to invest in tech leadership.

There’s no better place to look at how disruption impacts the economy, than, well, the sharing economy. The revolution started with the likes of Uber and AirBNB, but ultimately permeates just about every industry there is. Ted Graham of GMC posed the question : “who is the Uber Of” the next industry in his talk. He demonstrated how GMC has taken a page from some of the most successful sharing economy brands – and even partnered with them – to adapt and grow.

As we near the midway point of 2017, this is a good time to re-evaluate where we stand. Stéphane Bérubé of L’oreal hit the nail on the head when he emphasized the importance of reinventing, innovating and building the future before it builds you. Becoming stagnant – even if you have a 108-year success record – is the greatest fail of all.

You might have the sexiest content ever created by humankind, but without a distribution plan, it’s going to slip into the black hole of the Internet, never to be seen or heard from again. Set your content marketing up for success by taking a step back, and think through the execution.

For starters, a social media distribution plan is comprised of these areas. Each has a ripple effect on the other:  

• Objectives
• Targeting
• Timing
• Channel selection
• Amplification budget
• Quality of creative
• Real-time analysis  and optimization
• Community engagement

Putting a plan on a page will ensure you’ve thought through these crucial elements.

Most of these areas are fairly self-explanatory, but let’s take a minute to talk about budgets. You might be wondering if budget is even necessary. The answer is a resounding “yes”.  For most businesses, organic reach is so low on social media that it’s almost not worth investing in developing content unless you’re going to invest in amplifying it.

How much you invest is really up to your annual media budgets, the importance of the campaign in your overall messaging strategy, and also how much you invested in building your creative.

Ultimately, digital marketing channels will spend as much or as little as you want to throw at them. You will, however, need to adjust your measurement scorecard so that it’s realistic based on the budget.

Next, ask yourself the following questions:

What Do You Want the Audience to Think, Feel and Do?

Never lose sight of your audience. We want to do everything in our power to ensure they taking the action we want. Every aspect of the creative, from post copy to photography and video thumbnails matters. The more clarity we have with our vision, the easier it is to pull the right levers to help the audience feel all the feels.

What Is The Content Objective?

It seems simple, but you’d be surprised how few people stop and have a think about this. Are we driving website traffic, social media conversation, advocacy or reach? The answers matter, as they will help shape, not only how you package the content, but how you optimize the media. Know what your objectives are before you launch and it will save you countless hours of rework.

Is My Creative Optimized For Objectives and Audience?

Creative matters, but how you package it up matters more. There are so many special features and ad units available – particularly on social media channels like Facebook. Post formats are designed to encourage different actions, so do your research and make sure you choose a format that will drive the action you’re looking for.

All too often, we get so wrapped up in the blood, sweat and tears of our projects that we sometimes lose objectivity. And, most importantly we lose sight of the end-user. Take a step back and create one more checkpoint – a simple question that may give you fresh perspective. You may not like the answer, but at least it will prompt you to look into what features about the campaign or creative are posing a barrier.

Nothing is finite in digital marketing and so the ability to be nimble and adaptive is key. Take time upfront to think through your distribution plan, but be prepared to tweak it as you go. The best time to build a distribution plan was yesterday. But, the next best time is today.

Want to learn more about content marketing? Read our recent blog post about building a content strategy. 

At long last, Substrate Studios is born! Years of dreaming, and six months of planning have come to fruition. So, how did we get here and who are we?

We are a husband-wife graphic design and marketing strategy team, proudly based in Squamish, BC.

We founded Substrate Studios because we have a passion for helping businesses grow and we want to see the entrepreneurs and companies in our town – and other small towns – prosper to create thriving local economies. We believe that consistent visual identity and smart marketing are the tools every business needs to achieve success – and we can help.

Amber Turnau brings more than 10 years of marketing experience to the table, having worked on the marketing teams for Whistler Blackcomb, TELUS and – through her agency life – numerous other clients in a variety of industries. She’s been immersed in the world of digital – particularly social media marketing – and has a strong background in content marketing, online advertising, and analytics. 

Neil Foster is a maker and a creator. He’s an artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and screen printer – who also co-owned a BMX and skate apparel company in his home town of Plymouth, UK. Neil looks at design through a kaleidoscope of perspectives, bringing his passion for clever visual storytelling that evokes emotion and reflection. He is versatile – both in his ability to use a variety of different artistic mediums – and the wide spectrum of clients he’s able to service.

We are yin and yang: wildly creative and adventurous, yet pragmatic, thoughtful and strategic. By bringing the left and right brains together under one roof, we’re able to solve business problems from a 360-degree perspective.

Together, we create, we build and we explore. And, we look forward to doing great work with you.

Have a marketing or design challenge for us? Get in touch!