Social Media Marketers: 3 Key Actions to Take for Your Video Marketing Strategy

As a Social Media Marketer, you might be surprised to learn that social media videos get 1,200% more shares than text and images combined. Marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users. It is time to use VIDEO in your content marketing strategy.

As a graduate student in the Northwestern University Medill IMC program, who has an interest in how to develope effective video marketing strategy, I have found two articles on how to develop video content marketing along with some great examples.

The first article is Content in 2017: How video is transforming social marketing from Warc. It introduces the point that the rapid growth of video is transforming social media marketing by turning social platforms into broadcast media. In addition to regular videos, live video as an emerging format is expected to drive high interaction and customer engagement (mainly indicated by sharing rates). Many brands have concluded that the quality of video is more important than quantity, so they are trying to make less, shorter, but better videos. Moreover, influencer-focused videos are proved to be effective as complements to traditional channels. 

The second article is How To Incorporate Video Marketing Into Your Communications Strategy, in which Elizabeth Fay shared her knowledge on how to incorporate video into communications strategies based on her work as a content producer and strategist. She introduces readers through a four-step approach: 1) identify your goals - what you want to accomplish with your video, what actions you want the viewers to take and how you will measure success (KPIs); 2) create with intention - develop visual story ideas that support your goals; 3) distribute the videos - think carefully about when and through what channels you want to distribute your videos; 4) analyze and optimize - track your KPIs and analyze results to gain insights and improve. The whole set of methodology leads to effective creation of video contents.

Based on my review of these two articles and the work that I have done at Northwestern about social media strategies, I have developed 3 key action items marketers and companies should do now. They are:

o    Great Timing = Big Profits - The success of a video marketing campaign relies greatly on the timing of the content release in terms of how many audiences it reaches and how well it collaborates with other marketing events.

o    Content drives Performance - In order to achieve high level engagement, companies have to emphasize quality over quantity in video content creation to achieve high performance.

o    Optimization makes Success - It is important to measure the results and figure out what worked and what didn’t for the purpose of optimizing video marketing campaign.

Social Media Marketers, the next time you are planning a social effort, keep in mind the 3 key action items and add videos!

Yiling Feng
Northwestern Medill IMC 
Graduating in Dec 2017

As a Master's student studying Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University (Medill), I am very interested in digital & social marketing, and marketing analytics. I post about these topics on twitter (Yiling Feng @mochiii_rei). Please connect with me on Twitter, and LinkedIn!








Citations
Fay, Elizabeth. “How To Incorporate Video Marketing Into Your Communications Strategy.” Web blog post. Forbes Community Voice. Forbes, 8 Nov. 2016. 20 Jan. 2017.

Ware, Florence. & Kelly, Saoirse. “How video is transforming social marketing.” Web blog post. Warc Toolkit 2017. Warc, 7 Dec. 2016. 20 Jan. 2017.

Brand Managers: 3 Ways To Deliver Content In The Digital World

Brand Manager are facing enormous challenges to differentiate, engage and meet the constantly changing purchase behaviors of their digitally empowered customers. As a brand passionate and graduate student within the Integrated Marketing Communications program at Medill, Northwestern University, I have found two interesting articles. What do brands need to focus on, in order to deliver the right content & engage with their customers in today’s interconnected world? Two articles that I am convinced, you will find interesting.


The article Trends Showing B2B Content Marketing Won’t Be Boring in 2017, published on business2community.com and written by Aashish Sharma underlines the importance of content marketing and describes trends brands have to focus on to engage with their customers. Due to the high content exposure,  Marketers need to use the right strategy to be recognized by their customers. According to Sharma, video content is going to be increasingly important as a form of marketing and 85% of content marketers already report a positive ROI when using videos. Influencer marketing is mentioned as a second big trend for 2017. Engaging influencers is becoming essential to be successful. They have the possibility to help brands gain trust and credibility. Furthermore they can build meaningful relationships. Therefore, it is important to identify the right influencer and understand how to use this opportunity most effectively. 

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240099

Similar to Sharma, Lilach Bullock reports in her article 6 Predictions for Content Marketing in 2017, published on socialmediatoday.com, what content marketing is going to be like in the upcoming year. According to her content is a “great promotional tool for businesses” and video is driving more engagement then any other content. Whether it is on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram or other social media platforms - video is king. Customers watching videos are 1.81x more likely to purchase that those who don’t. Bullock therefore advises to use video to deliver content in the digital world in order to make more conversions and sales. The second trend she is pointing out is that you should put emphasis on your mobile device optimization. We live in a world where consumers have their phones and tablets with them 24/7. Most content consumption is therefore on there mobile devices. Brands need to adjust and optimize all the information for mobile devices. If they do not, they run the risk that people will simply not engage with their content. Have a look at the two article to explorer additional trends that could be of interest for your brand!

After reading these two powerful articles and from my studies as a graduate student in the Northwestern Medill IMC program, I have identified three recommendations for you. Here is what you should do in order to deliver meaningful content to your most valuable audience:

• Engage through Video - Be ready to create video content, video content drives more engagement than any other content.

• Identify relevant Influencer - Through influencers, your brand will have the possibility to reach a much larger audience, because they can add to the importance of your messages.

• Think Mobile - Your Brand should create and optimize its social media content for mobile devices.

Anke von Hanstein

Creative Thinker. Brand Passionate. Insight-Driven.

Anke is a graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications (class of’17). She is currently pursuing her degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Her strong interests in brand & content marketing within todays digital world motivates to become a marketing professional. Connect with her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Content Marketers: 3 Key Action Items on Writing the Best Blog Possible

As content marketers and bloggers, whether fledgling or veteran, we all face the same issues: getting going on writing the best blog possible. As an undergrad in the Northwestern Integrated Marketing Program I’ve received rigorous training in writing and have found two great articles that I found useful, and think you can, too.

Veronica May wrote a great article, “10 insights on How to Attract More Traffic with Distinctive Writing,” published on Jeff Bullas’ website. In the article she wrote about how important it is to have a distinctive voice in one's writing. She emphasized the great benefits that having a personal style can have with regards to marketing content and creating loyal readers. According to the article, a distinct style will attract repeat visitors who not only drive traffic, but also attract other readers and are willing to defend you against any detractors.

Photo by stockimages.

Tam Henderson wrote, “This is How to Cure Content Cringe: 4 Quick Reminders” on the Social Media Today website. The article does a great job to encourage reluctant writers to pursue better writing skills through various means. She encourages readers to practice writing and to be confident about one’s own writing ability, as that's what will lead you to success. The article reminds us that everyone has their own way of looking at things, and this is something that is valuable to others when you present it in a well written manner.

Following an analysis of these two articles and as an undergrad studying marketing, I have three recommendations you should consider when struggling to write another blog:

• Practice! Practice! Practice! - The best way to improve any skill is by doing it over and over again. Don’t just read blogs on how to write, but actually put pen to paper, hand to keyboard, and force those words out.

• Embrace your style – Don’t try to simply emulate another successful blogger, or try to rid your writing of your personal style. Your style will make your blog posts unique, and will draw repeat visitors. As Jeff Bullas wrote in his own blog, “distinctive is memorable.”

• Everyone’s a critic – Don’t worry about being criticized, and don’t let it discourage you from writing. Great content gets great results, and you’ll know when you’re on the right path.


As a Northwestern University student and fledgling marketer I think these three tips can be really helpful in getting going on a blog post.

I’m an undergraduate at Northwestern University on my way to completing the Integrated Marketing Certificate offered by the Medill School of Journalism. I’ll be graduating in June 2016, but before then I’m diligently studying Social Marketing. You can find me on Twitter @AgataNartowska

Marketing Strategists: 3 tips for building better relationships (because customers are people too)

The best marketing strategy won’t work if no one is listening. You first need an interested and engaged customer base, since that’s the audience for your content. By building stronger customer relationship, you will drive higher results for not just your marketing programs but sales performance too.

As an IMC graduate student, I have learned the importance of creating integrated marketing strategies that put the customer first. Here are two great articles that can help you learn how to treat your customers like humans, not commodities. 

According to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s report “How marketers will win,” marketing visionaries know marketing success in five years will be all about engagement. Marketing veteran Jim Stengel recommends you measure customer relationships like anyone else: get them to look forward to hearing from you. You’ll both benefit from a relationship built on human connection and trust.

Cultivating this type of customer relationship isn’t a new concept; it’s always been a part of sales. But creating and maintaining that value, respect, and connection is part of relationship marketing too. In the Huffington Post article “Relationship Marketing 1-2-3: Why Building Relationships Matters Most” R. Kay Green points out the key to building customer relationships is all about “providing value on a consistent, ongoing basis.” Just like a personal relationship, this takes time, commitment, and communication.

Now that you’re hooked on the value of building better customer relationships, here are 3 tips to help you get started:

• Engagement = Loyalty. Renewal, retention, and repeat purchases are all measurable marketing goals that drive better engagement, resulting in higher sales.

• Stop shouting. Your customers have a lot to say, so stop telling them what you want them to know and start listening to them through surveys, support logs and across social channels.

• Be human. All the right technology and tracking is useless unless you engage your customers in a human way through storytelling, honesty, and transparency.

Customer loyalty is all about human connection so treat your customer relationships like all other people in your life: engage, listen, and converse in a two-way dialogue.

Dana Huston I @dlhNU2015

Dana is a Master of Science candidate in Integrated Marketing Communication at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is a senior marketing professional with experience in innovative marketing strategy, analytics, and automation solutions.

3 Tips for Marketers: Don’t Let Poor Design Hold Your Awesome Content Back

If content is king, design is queen. Design is content’s partner; it’s better, more eye-catching half. Emphasis is always on the message, but you need good design to help you deliver it. As a graphic designer, strategic communicator and graduate student in Northwestern Medill’s Integrated Marketing Communications [IMC] program, I have a few easy lessons that will help you marry your awesome content with good design.

Design has a big impact on how audiences understand and receive messages. Communications scholar and professor Curtis Newbold, also known as "The Visual Communication Guy," in Top 5 Most Common Design Mistakes that Will Make You Look Like an Amateur outlines some of the most common problems in designing communications: center alignment, all caps, overemphasis, small margins, and tacky fonts. He says that while most people know poor design when they see it, they do not know why it is bad or how to fix the design issues. He is right and offers practical advice for avoiding a typical #designfail.

Design skills are necessary for marketers and communicators who want to better communicate to, interact with and serve their audiences. Tips are useful, but even more so when combined with design thinking. Designer and AIGA member Emily Hamre speaks to the process of solving communication problems with design in her article 3 Tips For Becoming A Better Design Communicator: understand the problem, gather insights from others, and make ideas tangible. Just as you plan your message and carefully craft copy, design is planned. 

Universal design principles and theories can help guide your understanding of what makes good graphic design — but you don't have to learn them all. I've synthesized my knowledge of good design into three key design rules that you can keep in mind the next time you plan the design of your marketing communication:

1.  Make it readable. 

Readability is twofold. Think legibility and comprehension. Knowing your objective and audience is just as important to design as it is to marketing. Ask yourself, is the text easy to read at a glance, and can my audience easily take away the key message I am trying to convey? 

2.  Make it consistent.

Clear and consistent use of type, graphic styles, and graphic elements gives your audience a framework for receiving your message and understanding the information. You want to provide an overall visual system for your content that brings all elements together into a more easily understandable whole. Consistency makes things instantly recognizable, simplifies learning, improves user experience, and ultimately builds trust. 

3.  Make it pretty (or make it C.R.A.P.).

For some, "making it pretty" comes naturally. For others, some things to think about when arranging elements in a composition: structure, order, harmony, balance, which translate into the main principles of design – unity, variety, and hierarchy. You can achieve unity, variety, and hierarchy using different strategies. One of the easiest is the C.R.A.P. or contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. The best way to get better at making things look pretty is to look at pretty things. Look here and here.

These are my mantras. You too can learn these simple design rules to make your communications look more professional and let your awesome content shine.

Maggie Hutaff
I am a graphic designer and communicator in North Carolina. I hold a bachelor’s in visual communication from the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication and am currently working on a master of science in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University’s Medill School. I have taught Introduction to Graphic Design at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Follow me at @designmah.

Higher Ed Marketers: Simmering Social Media Content Keeps Students Returning for Seconds

As a higher ed marketer, you’re constantly searching for better ways to reach and engage prospective students. No doubt that search has you redirecting more and more of your marketing efforts online, where the “digital natives” spend most of their time, and toward social media campaigns. As a graduate student of marketing at Northwestern University’s Medill School, I came across two articles that can help strengthen your social media content marketing strategy.

In Marketing Profs’ “A Seven-Item Checklist for Measurable Marketing in the Digital Age,” writer Grant A. Johnson argues that most of our digital marketing efforts are measurable. Among my favorites on his checklist: establish trust from the start (without trust, students won't take action and you won't have a lot to measure); harness the power of segmentation (all students are not the same; don't reach out to them as one mass audience); and test, adjust in real time and test again (copy tests, A/B split testing, landing page tests, etc.)

Johnson's remarks about establishing trust resonated with me most. Trust sets the stage for measurable marketing, and he points out that consumer skepticism online is a growing challenge for marketers. In the student recruitment world, we certainly know that's true. Prospective students won't click, view, open or share our content just because they can, or because our universities ask them to. The initial allure of a student flashmob video on YouTube or an artfully filtered Instagram of the campus Quad isn't going to be enough to sustain an ongoing conversation, because it does nothing to build trust. As Johnson notes, “clickthroughs rarely matter; it’s the conversions that count.” That's where compelling content comes in, focused around your audience’s needs and motivations. What is the most pressing problem your prospective students are facing, and how can you serve as a resource in helping them solve it? 
 

Image courtesy of intead.com

In “How to Strengthen Your Social Media Content Marketing Strategy,” Small Business Trends’ writer William Johnson suggests a successful social media campaign is “not just about increasing fans, friends or follower counts. Instead, he says, you should be focused on finding mutual benefits for you and your social media followers to stimulate an ongoing conversation instead of a one-off response. Johnson suggests embracing your audience as active participants in your content creation process. When your social media followers become co-creators in the conversation, they naturally becomes invested in the conversation, and in the long-term, your brand.

Based on my own experience in higher education marketing and my review of these two articles, here are three recommendations you can use to jumpstart your own social media content strategy:

1. Show students this is about them, not you. Elevate the conversation beyond your university as their “perfect fit.” Zone in on their pain points, and show how your campus can help fix them. Build trust by connecting students to the resources they are seeking, including those not offered by your university, such as relevant content that you curate from third-party experts. Delivering a broader level of value goes a long way in demonstrating your credibility and inspiring students to take the next step in the enrollment funnel.

2. Focus on the student journey, and be the guide. The college admission process can be confusing, frustrating and incredibly stressful. Your university has the inside track to help students navigate through it. Why not use your position to develop high-quality, emotionally compelling content that empowers students? Host a weekly webinar on Twitter or Google Hangouts that give students practical, straight-forward tips for approaching the next stage in their college search, whether it’s explaining how financial aid works or how to make the most out of a college tour. Your students are your best ambassadors, but pairing them with an authoritative figure on the subject is another way to build trust (especially with counselors or parents or prospective students).

3. Give the admission process a note of levity on occasion. Humor, when used appropriately, can show that your university has a “top-ranked” personality to match its prestige and world-renowned academics. That could take the form of a BuzzFeed-type quiz that students can take to identify which college environment best matches their personality, or a countdown series of Instagram images showing the most unusual places on your college campus.

It’s important to think beyond capturing immediate buzz to how your ongoing social media content tells your university’s story and supports its business objective of nurturing prospective relationships and generating new leads. What is your social media strategy doing to drive prospective students beyond the click-through to the next step in your enrollment funnel?


Kristin Burns is a marketing communications professional with 16 years of experience, primarily in higher education marketing. She specializes in strategic communications, content marketing and youth marketing. Kristin is a pursuing a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University’s Medill School. Connect with her on Twitter (@aggiefan) and LinkedIn.