Andrew Macarthy's Blog, page 23

How Oxfam Uses Images to Drive Engagement and Donations (Non-profit Social Media Strategy)

As the way that people give money to the causes they care about changes (a study by Three in November 2013 found that a quarter of charity donations are now received via mobile or online), how non-profits inform people about their cause, attract online donors, and promote new fundraising initiatives - especially on social media - is more crucial than ever.

As one of the world's biggest and best-known charities, Oxfam utilises localised social media profiles to best target its audience in different regions. In the following examples, I highlight 5 powerful ways that Oxfam GB (Great Britain) uses images on Facebook to engage with fans, and they're strategies that can be applied to almost any cause.

1. Facts and Figures
Post by Oxfam GB.

Post by Oxfam GB.

Oxfam uses statistics to help its audience quantify the impact that its supporters are making. This type of content simplifies a bigger, more complex story in a way that it quick to digest and understand. When people are rushing through their news feeds on social media, this type of content - smiling faces, bold typefaces and snippets of info, is just what will make them stop and pay attention.

2. Before and After
Post by Oxfam GB.

When people donate to charity, they often wondered what happens to their money. Here, a "before and after" photo is used to demonstrate the tangible difference that donations can make to the lives of the people that Oxfam helps.

3. Direct Quotes
Post by Oxfam GB.

As a way to build empathy and spread awareness, Oxfam lifts direct quotes from the troubled people its work supports.

4. Spotlighting Fundraisers
Post by Oxfam GB.

Oxfam's work wouldn't happen without support from donors and fundraisers, and Oxfam is keen to showcase some of the best efforts on its Facebook page. Not only is this special for the people in question, but it inspires others to share the story and even fund-raise themselves.

5. Gathering Feedback
Post by Oxfam GB.

As social media is such a key avenue to spread awareness and attract donations, Oxfam is understandably concerned about keeping its fans happy. From time to time, it asks them for feedback on how they can better serve the audience, and promptly replies to queries and questions that appear in the comments.

Over to you

Although Oxfam's goals are different to a traditional business, there are definite parallels and lessons any business can take away. The way it uses images to increase awareness, highlight customer stories, simplify complex ideas, and more.

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

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Published on September 15, 2014 08:43

LinkedIn Profile Photo Tips: 8 Examples of Best LinkedIn Profile Pictures

LinkedIn Profile Photo Tips: Examples of Best LinkedIn Profile Pictures

Do you want to make the best first impression on LinkedIn? A high quality, appropriate profile photo is one the best ways to make it happen. Deciding whether or not to have a profile photo on your LinkedIn profile is no-brainer. Not uploading one is a sure fire recipe to professional and networking suicide on the site. I've previously blogged about the types of profiles photos to avoid, so now let's look at ways to make your LinkedIn profile picture shine, and show you some examples to inspire you to improve your own.

Why a LinkedIn profile photo is important

Whether in search results, at the top of your profile page, in comments, in "People Similar to" suggestions, and more, your profile photo appears all over the place on LinkedIn. A profile photo humanises your representation on the site, and will allow connections to recognise you when they meet you in real life. And importantly, people looking to make connections on the site are drawn to human faces, so even if your job title and summary are remarkable, if you're rocking the "empty profile photo" profile photo, then chances are people are not going to pay you any notice.

Note: If you're against having a profile photo for reasons discrimination (particularly if you are using LinkedIn as part of a job search), any discrimination based on the way you look, your age, gender, skin colour, etc. that, sadly, is destined to occur, will rear its head when you interact with companies later on down the line, like in job interviews - and regardless of your credentials. With this in mind - and considering the benefits of having your face on show, you're always better off with one rather than without. If you don't have a profile photo, the first question a recruiter will ask themselves is "why not?".

Glance at the following screenshot of a LinkedIn search result and ask yourself which people you would be most likely to click on...

How to take a good LinkedIn profile photo

Now we've established that not having a LinkedIn profile photo places you at a distinct disadvantage from the get-go, let's look at some of the ways that you can make the image you upload as effective as possible.

Pick a photographer, keep photo current

If you can afford to pay someone to take your LinkedIn profile photo professionally, then that's ideal. However, if you've got a decent camera and a willing friend or family member, this can be just as effective. Ideally, you'll want to update your profile periodically, especially if your appearance changes noticeably (hair colour, glasses, etc.), so that you can be recognised easily when people spot you first on LinkedIn and aim to network with you offline.

Use a head shot, smile naturally

LinkedIn profile photos often appear at small size, so choose a shot with your head and shoulders, complete with a warm and natural smile to help you appear friendly, open, and approachable to prospects. Keep the background simple and clutter-free, so not to cause a distraction.

Dress for the occasion

LinkedIn's professional culture means that your style of dress should reflect this, and be a reflection of the field you work in. This could be a nice checked shirt, a smart blouse, or even a suit and tie. Avoid colours that wash out the colour of your face, and go easy on make-up, jewellery, and crazy hairstyles.

Edit your photo, crop and size

Raw photos rarely appear exactly as you wish, but modern photo editing software makes it easy to correct and remove elements including busy backgrounds, overexposed areas, shadows, uneven skin tones, blemishes, and poor contrasting. Of course, you'll want to crop and size your shot nicely, too. If you aren't handy with photo editing software, take a look at hiring someone on Fiverr to do it for you.

Note: LinkedIn says that "the ideal pixel size for your photo is between 200 x 200 to 500 x 500. If either width or height exceeds 4000 pixels, your photo will not upload." Your photo's file size must also not exceed 4MB.

Examples of good LinkedIn profile photos

Let's take a look at a selection of examples of people putting some of the pointers above into practice.

Over to you

What does your LinkedIn profile say about you? Will you be snapping a new and improved image soon? Let me know in the comments below!

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

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Published on September 08, 2014 06:57

19 Examples of Brands Already Using Hyperlapse for Marketing

When Instagram launched Hyperlapse last week, it didn't take long for some of the biggest brands in the world to jump on board and see what the timelapse-creation app has to offer. It's early days, so what follows aren't by any means spectacular examples of how the app can be used for marketing, but it gives us a good glimpse of the potential. Let's take a look...

Disneyland

Disney gives as a glimpse of Paradise Pier in its California Adventure Park.

The North Face

The North Face captures a throng of runners at one of its sponsored races.

Drink Arizona

Drink Arizona gives us a glimpse of its offices, ending with a cheeky little product placement.

Mercedes Benz

Mercedes Benz takes us along for the ride on a closed course with a professional driver.

Seatte Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks show us their journey and arrival at their game in Oakland.

Taco Bell

Taco Bell takes us on a ride through one of its drive-thrus.

Burton Snowboards

Burton zooms through a quick lunchtime skate session...

National Aquarium

The National Aquarium gives fans a glimpse into one of its tanks...

Footlocker

Footlocker hypes up the launch of a new sneaker with a sped-up unboxing.

Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew leads us on a winding trail with its drink (what else?) at the end.

esurance

esurance takes a peak at tennis stars signing autographs and snapping selfies at its sponsored booth at the US Open.

Bud Light

Bud Light demonstrates what quickly happens to a cooler full of its drinks on a hot summer afternoon...

Sonic

Sonic follows Taco Bell's lead with a ride through one of its restaurants.

Milk Bone

Milk Bone celebrates National Dog Day with a walk in the park and a treat to finish.

Ford

Ford shows off the Active Park Assist feature in one of its new motors.

Chips Ahoy

Chips Ahoy shares some cookies with friends...

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan gives viewers a blink-and-you'll-miss-it tour of its offices.

Nature's Recipe

Nature's recipe shows a dog's-eye experience of playing fetch.

Mike's Hard Lemonade

Another office tour, courtesy of Mike's Hard Lemonade.

Over to you

Have you experimented with Hyperlapse yet? Do you think it will be a useful tool for marketing? Let me know in the comments below!

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
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Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6

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Published on September 01, 2014 16:43

How to Promote A Service on Social Media (Hassle Cleaning Case Study)

In recent blog posts, I have explored how brands have launched products on social media, and promote products even if they are "boring" in nature. This time, I wanted to take look at a service; companies whose offering is not tangible or photogenic like a product can be. I chose is Hassle,. a company that allows people find and book domestic cleaners online.

Hassle's social media strategy caught my eye because it goes against - in the most effective away - everything you might expect from the marketing of cleaning services, be that on social media or not. Let's take at some examples of how Hassle promotes its service and resonates with customers on Facebook and Twitter:

Branding to reflect the goals and desires of its customers

Even though Hassle is a company that finds people cleaners, you wouldn't know it from the cover art on its social profiles, or even by its logo. Instead of a photo of a shelf full of cleaning products or a filthy oven (the very things that its customers are trying to avoid) the brand focuses instead on the positive things that employing a cleaner will provide, e.g. more time to relax, or even go off on adventures! And who really wants to read about cleaning products or see photos of them on social media?

Offers and giveaways
Post by Hassle.

I especially like this promotion in the way that it encourages people to work for their reward in a fun way - a cleaning company gamifying their service! By challenging customers to snap a photo of one of their real-life ads and posting it to social media, Hassle keeps their brand in hte forefront of their mind, and bags itself free promotion each time a photo is shared.

Showing the human side of the brand

Our Marketing Director Paul wishing he was at the beach or on a desert island @pglewis @hassle pic.twitter.com/Xnf7Lb28Qu
— Penelope Roberts (@PenRoberts) July 24, 2014

Post by Hassle.

Very proud of the Manc team this week. Thank you! @RichEdwrds: @hassle @PenRoberts @k8dobson @ali_coleman_ pic.twitter.com/Wc5DzRkJJQ”
— Alex Depledge (@adepledge) August 22, 2014

Cleaning as an industry doesn't have the most exciting reputation, and cleaning staff are often invisible when they go about their work. Hassle is attempting to change this image; showing the upbeat personalities of its front line marketiing staff in candid behind the scenes photos, and inviting customers to interact with its friendly staff. In the tweet above, the firm's boss publicly praises her workers.

Sharing real moments, having fun
Post by Hassle.

Post by Hassle.

Fun and unexpected moments make for great social media content, especially if they involve cute and fluffy pets! When Tia showed up at Hassle, it leapt on the opportunity. Memes, too, if catered to your audience, are quick, easy, and popular "filler" items.

Posting related, inspirational content
Post by Hassle.

Hassle realises that its customers are proud of the houses they live in, so it uses this passion to share an interest in architectural design and interiors. Notice how the wording of the text is used as a method to relate the image back to Hassle's business, with a little humour thrown in for good measure.

Sharing hints and tips
Post by Hassle.

As well as inspiring its fans, Hassle offers practical hints and tips for making their homes that little bit nicer to live in, often sharing such content from other sources. These types of posts set the brand up as a beacon of useful information and ideas, encouraging fans to stick around for more.

Featuring customer testimonials

Incidentally the lady who is doing the cleaning is vanya whom I booked through @hassle. She is possibly the nicest person I have ever met.
— Soph (@la_sophista) August 14, 2014

Hassle isn't just keen to show the boss praising her staff. There's no better recommendation than that of genuine customers, so when a customer tweets about some great service they have received, Hassle is only to happy to showcase it. In the second example above, notice how Hassle replies to the customer in appreciation of their comment, as well as engaging further, and subtly selling the benefits of employing one of its cleaners - more free time.

Providing great customer service

For examples of brilliant customer service, go to @hassle. Every issue immediately and professionally dealt with. Amazing!
— Daniel Ramamoorthy (@mynameisdanram)

When Matt was having trouble with Hassle's service and tweeted them for help, they were on the case right away with a friendly and proactive attitude. So pleased was Matt, that he tweeted all of his followers to let them know about his experience. As with the previous example, this is the kind of genuine word-of-mouth marketing that money cannot buy.

Unobtrusive self-promotion

Caturday night. You could be doing so much more than cleaning! Leave us to help with that, right! pic.twitter.com/631xWbFezn
— Hassle.com (@hassle) July 12, 2014

Manky Gaff? Who you gonna call? Nope, not the Ghostbusters, us*!

*although we can't help with ghosts...yet pic.twitter.com/jRkMBQW1UW
— Hassle.com (@hassle) August 18, 2014

Want to join a team that's so great it would make Ron Burgundy jealous?! Then take a peek here http://t.co/xrHDvYUB5V pic.twitter.com/T4ztiXi5sm
— Hassle.com (@hassle) August 5, 2014

The non-paid self-promotional statuses that Hassle posts maintain the brand's personable, fun, personality. When promotional posts are sponsored (such as in the last example above), the message is simple and clear. It is interesting to note that this paid Facebook status features a photo of a messy setting, something that pretty much all of Hassle's other statuses do not.

Over to you

What do you think of Hassle's approach on social media? Has it given you ideas for your own business? Let me know in the comments below!

ndrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6

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Published on August 25, 2014 15:03

How to Video Blog for Business Using Snapchat (Casey Neistat Case Study)

Have you considered video blogging (vlogging) for business? You needn't post a video every day, or even every week, but if you're hosting an event, something cool is happening at the office, or you just want to give fans a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes (however mundane it might be, passionate fans will really lap it up) vlogging can be a really effective way to go about it.

YouTube is the most obvious destination for vlogging material, but some people - like filmmaker, Casey Neistat, are branching out onto the Snapchat mobile app. In particular, he uses Snapchat stories to create a narrative of the day that unfolds in real-time. Once a story is complete, Neistat takes the full film and posts it to YouTube, where it can exist permanently and can be viewed by everyone, whether they follow him on Snapchat or not.

While Neistat primarily dedicates his time to making bigger and more in-depth films for YouTube, his Snapchat output documents his everyday life, giving fans the closer insight into his daily activities that they have pined for. This casual approach to storytelling, publishing videos daily or otherwise, can be adapted to suit almost any business.

6 benefits of vlogging on Snapchat

It's quick
Recording videos to Snapchat is as quick as opening the app an pressing a button. Each clip is limited to a maximum of 10 seconds, and there's a few more taps to make it live. No fiddling with titles, video descriptions, tags, thumbnails, or any of that usual stuff.

You can mix it up
Snapchat stories can feature any mix of video and photos. Photo stills allow you to focus on specific details in a way that sometimes it is tougher to with video, and they also act as nice intro and outro cards for your vlog.

You can get creative
One of Snapchat's unique features is how it allows you to annotate and doodle over videos and photos. Use these tools as a way caption your story with purposeful snippets (extra information, opinion, etc.), and to add an element of colour, whimsy and fun.

It forces you to think on your feet
Aside from the aforementioned post-production doodling, Snapchat video must all be captured in one take and there is no editing allowed, aside from deciding whether to delete your last-recorded clip or not. While the limitations are obvious, these restrictions also force you to think on your feet and to plan your next recording on the fly.

It enables you to connect with fans an intimately and instantly
The preview image for Snapchat stories is a tiny circle - like a pie chart depicting each clip added within the past 24 hours. So when a fan goes to open a story, they never know what it might entail, and this builds excitement ad intimacy not easily attainable on other platforms.

It acts as a funnel to your other content

If your Snapchat audience enjoy your vlogs, there's a greater chance that they'll check you out on other social platforms, and perhaps spend time engaging with some more of your meatier content.

4 tips for effective Snapchat story vlogs

Use photos "slideshow" to tell a story

Where necessary and apt, multiple photos can be added to a story to add interest and detail. In the above example, Neistat inserts photos of his dog (both from the past and in the present) to introduce her to the viewer.

Use photos as end cards

Neistat closes all of his Snapchat stories with a "The End" photo, using a mixture of Snapchat-created text and doodles. If your audience is watching on the app, these mark a neat, clear distinction between the end of one story and the next.

Film in portrait mode

Vertical recordings are one of the biggest faux pas of online video - except on Snapchat. Users accept and expect portrait clips as the norm, and clips filmed in landscape to not come out well at all.

Save your video clips

After recording a clip, click the "Save" icon (two downward-facing arrows) to create a back-up copy on your Camera Roll. It's these files that you can piece together for uploading to YouTube.

Neistat Snapchat Examples and Inspiration

Check out the following playlists of Casey's Snapchat stories. As well as the subject matter, consider how the type and length of shots is used to make the viewing experience more compelling.

Over to you

Is Snapchat vlogging an avenue that you might like to explore? Are you already doing it? Did you like what Casey Neistat is doing with the platform? Let me know in the comments below!

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6

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Published on August 19, 2014 12:55

How to Launch A Product Using Social Media (Mahabis Slippers Case Study)

If you'd mentioned the word "slipper" to me a couple of months ago, my first thought would have been of a drab, old-fashioned item of footwear (flowery design for women, checked for men), most likely to be worn by my parents of grandparents. That was until I stumbled across Mahabis, a British company who proclaims to be "reinventing the slipper // for everyday adventures," and my original notion has completely changed.

Mahabis has spent over a year building interest in its brand and product up to its launch, and their use of social marketing really caught my eye. What follows is just a sample of what Mahabis has been up to in social spaces, and I'm sure that a great many of you reading will be inspired by their approach and be able to weave some of the ideas into your own strategy.

Consistent branding

Across its social media profiles and website, Mahabis' branding remains consistent, reflecting the young, cool, minimalist style of its product. Wherever a customer discovers them online, the impression given through its visual content is the same. Mahabis' photos are original, and consistently high quality.

Mahabis on Facebook

Mahabis on Twitter

Mahabis website

Strong brand culture

One of cleverest moves made by Mahabis is the way that it has built a whole culture and lifestyle around its slippers. Mahabis lets us know that its products is not just slippers and the people who wear them aren't just looking for practical, comfy footwear. The Mahabis brand has a life of its own - it is humanised - and the showcasing of its interests and influences have been used heavily across social media, ranging from music and design to travel and architecture. When you show people that your business exists beyond the product or service you are selling, people will be much more inclined to buy into it and incorporate those values and ideals into their own lives.

mahabis places // see why our range is named after larvik in norway http://t.co/e0BEB5e6VO #mahabis #slippers
— mahabis (@mahabis) July 16, 2014

mahabis inspiration // photographer matthias heiderich http://t.co/6wLq1aL4s8 pic.twitter.com/28xv02sjzD
— mahabis (@mahabis) July 10, 2014

mahabis design // a century of chairs in one infographic by @TomFaulkner pic.twitter.com/N2LBHbjD4i
— mahabis (@mahabis) June 27, 2014

mahabis sounds // mid week pick-me-up from @alt_J http://t.co/3EBOiJ7C0z
— mahabis (@mahabis) June 25, 2014

Showing behind the scenes

From product development to launch, Mahabis invited its customers "behind the curtain" for a sneak peek at what it was up to. This transparency not only allows people to feel closer to the brand as a trust-building exercise, but also helps to build anticipation which peaks all the way up to the point that the slippers go on sale.

Selling the benefits (and product)

As well as highlighting the lifestyle element of its brand, Mahabis uses social media to sell the practical benefits of its product, but refrains from being too pushy. After all, the vast majority of people do not tolerate direct selling very well on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, et al. In the following examples, a variety of images are used to achieve the desired effect, from staged-but-stylised photoshoots, to annotated product images, to simple shots that show off the full range available.

Exclusive offers

To mark the launch of its slippers, Mahabis released a Facebook-only 15% discount code, distinctly marking it "social15" to make tracking nice and easy against similar promotions set up elsewhere. When fans know that a benefit of following you on social media is exclusive discounts and offers they won't get anywhere else, so the incentive to keep tabs on your activity is increased.

Post by mahabis.
Stellar customer service

Just as social media gives you access to your customers 24 hours a day, so many of them expect to be able to reach you at all times, too (within reason!). In this respect, Mahabis does well to respond to customers' questions in a friendly, helpful manner and - perhaps more importantly - really rather quickly. In the examples below, responses to customer queries arrived in just minutes.

Paid advertising

Like any kind of marketing you choose to carry out, social media should be allocated an advertising budget in order to amplify your reach and chances for engagement. I've seen several Sponsored posts and sidebar ads from Mahabis floating around in my News Feed on Facebook, including the following:

Showcasing its customers

From the moment Mahabis launched its slippers in July, it has been keen to make its customers feel part of its brand image. After requesting snaps from its customers via Facebook, the following examples are photos "re-grammed" to the brand's official Instagram account. Notice how the original photo-taker is credited (making them feel special, likely to share with their friends), the images fit seamlessly amongst Mahabis' own marketing, and how the brand culture is compounded through each photo caption.

Post by mahabis.

A few quick questions (and their answers) for Mahabis

Andrew: In overall marketing terms, how big a consideration has been/is social media for building the mahabis brand - from pre-launch to the present, and future?

Mahabis: A huge consideration. It’s integral to who we are, not a bolt on. Our reservation page was open for about 3 months and was driven largely on and by social media and the response was incredible. As a medium it enables an incredible amount of feedback and excitement to both be generated and shared. So many of our awesome customers have shared selfies of themselves, from the most crazy and random places, it doesn’t just make us happy to see it, it makes us feel like we already have an active and engaged community of mahabis wearers!

Andrew: What are your goals for using social media, and which social channel has been the most effective in helping you to reach them?

Mahabis: We launched on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. We don’t really discount any channels and all have been incredibly effective for different things. But the platforms are all really powerful. As a brand that is incredibly focussed on online, what social allows us to do is to create, define and present our brand in every way possible, from imagery to tone of voice.

Andrew: How do you plan and manage campaign and content creation on a day-to-day basis?

Mahabis: We work in a number of ways from schedules to specific campaigns, look out for our #artofchill series for example where we will be creating content on incredible ways to chill and relax around the world. So in general our content is created in two ways, either planned based on our brand activity or ad-hoc and based on how people are engaging with us. This allows us to be both pro-active and reactive.

Over to you

Mahabis has done a great job of turning what some might ordinarily see as a "boring" product, into something that is cool and desirable, and it has been able to utilise a variety of social media channels to find and engage with a receptive audience. What are your thoughts about Mahabis' social media strategy? Are you doing something similar? Were you inspired by any of the ideas you saw? Let me know in the comments below!

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6

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Published on August 11, 2014 12:10

7 Easy Ways to Promote A Boring Business, Product or Service on Social Media (Moleskine Case Study)

One common question that gets asked about social media marketing is how to make the most of it if your product or service is "boring," e.g. toilet roll, banking, compressed air canisters, insurance, etc. The trick is - as you'll see from Moleskine, a manufacturer of notepads - to make a feature of your brand's personality and highlight its depth: share knowledge, get customers involved, build strong emotional connections, and demonstrate how your product or service benefits them in their everyday lives. Let's take a closer look at some real-life examples. As you read through each point, keep in mind what is being sold here... notebooks.

Tips and tricks

Moleskine has a whole section of its website dedicated to user-submitted "hacks" used to customise its notebooks, and it shares these on social media.

Post by Moleskine.
Advertising new products

Of course, Moleskine uses social media as an avenue to promote its newest products. The frequency of such posts is steady, but the products are always photographed in imaginative ways, which appeals to the creative mindset of its fans.

Post by Moleskine.

Showcasing customers

Fan groups and sub-cultures centred on its notepads have arisen with no influence on the part of Moleskine. Rather than try to disassociate itself with these brand ambassadors, Moleskine realises their influence and actively promotes them on social media.

Post by Moleskine.

Asking questions

As always, asking questions is one of the best ways to encourage engagement from your fans. Moleskine's questions demand a mix of simple text responses and the submission of photos (with a prize on offer for the latter, which requires a bit more effort on the part of customers).

Post by Moleskine.

Post by Moleskine.

Post by Moleskine.

Running contests

Speaking of contests, Moleskine features them regularly as part of its social media context mix, both one-off promotions and re-occurring competitions. The prizes on offer appeal to its fans, and showing photos of what's up for grabs, or current entries, makes the potential reward more tangible, therefore encourages people to enter.

Post by Moleskine.

Post by Moleskine.

Offering freebies and added value

Moleskine inspires its fans to make the most of their notebooks with free, downloadable resources.

Post by Moleskine.

Pairing with "cooler" brands

Moleskine does a good job of turning the humble notepad into something pretty desirable, but it only amplifies their desirability by working in conjunction with other brands that it knows its customers enjoy. How could you take advantage of something similar in your business?

Post by Moleskine.

Post by Moleskine.

Post by Moleskine.

Over to you

What do you think of Moleskine's approach to social media marketing? Has it inspired you to adjust your own strategy, or have you already got it down? Let me know in the comments below!

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
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Published on August 05, 2014 07:11

How to Use YouTube Annotations to Increase Subscribers and Watch Time (VICE Case Study)

Do you want to increase the length of time that people watch your YouTube videos, or encourage new viewers to subscribe? YouTube annotations are an effective way to help make this happen, and VICE magazine does a great job of it. Here are 7 examples of its use of annotations on YouTube...

Just before we begin, a heads-up that you add most annotations to YouTube videos by clicking to edit one in Video Manager, and selecting the Annotations tab. From here, you can select the type of annotation you want to use, its text, colour, placement, function and duration.

1. Promote brand new content

VICE often premiers videos on its own website before publishing them to YouTube at a later date, and uses preview videos combined with Associated Website annotations to drive traffic to its website.

2. Use a subtle subscribe button

When someone watches YouTube content, their attention will primarily be on the content, not the section below. VICE ensures that anyone captivated enough to want to subscribe within the first portion of one of their videos gets the chance to, thanks to a spotlight annotation and a red "SUBSCRIBE" link that sits subtly in the top-left of the video. If the video is clicked, the video will automatically pause as a Subscribe pop-up window appears in a new tab.

4. Add Invideo Programming link

One of the features of InVideo Programming on YouTube is the ability to add a custom watermark to your videos, which links back to your channel page (especially useful if your video is embedded elsewhere as it can be used as a marker for viewers to instantly identify you as the creator).

5. Teasing upcoming / promoting existing videos

VICE often covers the same kind of story from several angles, so it uses annotations to encourage people to let people know, and encourage them to subscribe so that they will be notified when a related video to the one they just watched has been uploaded. In addition, another annotation links them to previously uploaded content on the same subject, encouraging them to click over and watch. I also like the use of the Unicode character "▶", universally recognised as "play" and a subtle nudge to click and keep watching.

6. Nudging people to next episodes

As mentioned above, VICE often splits long form content into several parts (this encourages people to stick around for new episodes and shorter videos are more easily digested). When this is the case, annotations are used to encourage people to subscribe to receive the next part in their subscription inbox, or (when the new part has been uploaded) to click through to watch it. In the third example above, I like the use of the unobtrusive arrow, used subtly to guide viewers back and forth through different parts.

7. Used to control "chapters"

In the above example, VICE has uploaded a nearly half-hour interview with Jim Norton. As such conversations normally have natural sections, VICE uses annotations to allow viewers to skip instantly to the section which interests them most. The bar along the bottom with sction names was added in pre-production, with annotations added later.

Over to you

Are you using annotations to increase your subscribers and how long they watch your videos? Are you going to implement any the ideas above? Let me know in the comments below!

Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6

Follow Me:
http://www.fa cebook.com/50 0socialmediatips/
http://www.pinterest.com/andrewmacarthy
http://www.twitter.com/andrewmacarthy
http://www.youtube.com/5 00socialmediatips

View more on Andrew Macarthy's website »

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Published on July 28, 2014 06:10

How to Use Screenshots and Chat for Snapchat Contests (McDonald's Case Study)

Since the launch of Snapchat Chat back in May 2014, I've been intrigued to discover some of the ways that companies take advantage of it for marketing purposes. Customer service and super-exclusive conversations with brands are two of the more obvious applications, but McDonald's latest promotion is noteworthy in how it uses screenshots and Chat to encourage and receive creative entries for its Mario Kart-themed contest. Let's take a look at how it works:

Before the contest launched, McDonald's added two teaser snaps to a Story...

Then the contest launch - a promo for Happy Meals and the prizes on offer...

That was followed by instructions for how to enter....

How to Use Screenshots and Chat For Creative Snapchat Contest Entries (McDonald's Case Study)

Followed by one more product/prize shot, and the closing date for entries...

... I can't enter as I'm a UK resident, but I couldn't not demonstrate the theoretical entry method in full. Here's my terrible effort....

Of course, after the competition is over, McDonald's can contact the winners through Snapchat, showcase their artwork in future snaps, and highlight entries on other social channels in order to promote the exclusive content that fans can get in return for following them on Snapchat.

Over to you

Have you ever run a contest through Snapchat? Has the above example given you inspiration to launch one similar? Let me know in the comments below!