Advertising Agency Blog

Me and You and Everyone They Know

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:29:38 +0000

Stream Companies recently sponsored Internet Battle Plan 9, an automotive internet sales and marketing conference in Cleveland, Ohio. During Internet Battle Plan 9, 8 speakers, including our co-founder, David Regn, presented workshops about the future of automotive advertising. David presented, “All Things Google,” which explained how dealerships could use Google and all of its components to their advantage. Throughout Internet Battle Plan 9, it was increasingly clear that in order to be in the digital marketing game, you have to protect and manage the review and reputation process. This is a time when the “us” factor is way more important than the “I” factor. Most consumers, regardless of age, rely on user generated content (UGC) when they are shopping. In fact, according to a recent study from Bazaarvoice, “over half (51%) of Americans trust UGC more than other information on a company website (16%) or news articles about the company (14%) when looking for information about a brand, product, or service.” And guess what? One of the top purchases consumers won’t complete without user generated content: auto. This is the opportunity for dealerships to take a proactive approach to reputation management. Invest the time and money it takes to encourage customers to write online reviews. In addition to advertising resources, you’ve also got to use that great customer service approach, your brilliant wit and charm, to remind your customers about online reviews. And don’t stop there. Everyone is on the move. When a customer actually takes the time to write a review about you – good or bad – you’ve GOT to respond. If it’s positive, thank them. They’re providing valuable feedback about your company. Use that information to your advantage and keep improving. If it’s negative, thank them. So, they’re not happy. This is your opportunity to change that. If you’re sincerely invested in the growth of your company, your customers are the ones that are going to help that. At Stream Companies, one of our clients had a negative comment on its Facebook page. We responded quickly, providing the contact information of someone that could help. Days later, that same customer wrote another Facebook post, commending the client for its quick response and courteous and respectful management of the situation. Reputation management is absolutely critical in this digital age. While it takes some time and thoughtful effort to respond to customers’ online posts and reviews, these posts and reviews truly can make or break you. Don’t disregard your customers’ opinions – unless you’re dead set on damaging your reputation and losing current and future business.

The Revolution Already Happened: Mobile HTML E-Mail Design

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:28:33 +0000

The number of mobile smartphone users is growing rapidly; in fact, 46% of US mobile consumers own smartphones. With such a rise in the use of smartphones comes an increase in the number of e-mail users accessing their email via their mobile devices. What was once mainly a business practice by few is now common practice by many. This has now been happening for years, but e-mail marketing campaigns have been slow to understand and embrace designing for mobile. The ability to see HTML e-mails on mobile devices has reinvigorated and changed e-mail marketing. Thanks to mobile devices, people are now checking their e-mail more often and more times than ever before - on the road and from their sofas. According to ComScore, 90 million Americans access email through a mobile device, with 64% doing so on a near-daily basis. Users flip between mobiles, desktops and tablets, checking the same email account on each device, although often not the same e-mail twice, so e-mail campaigns must work well for every platform. However, designing for a smartphone is different than designing for a desktop computer. The screen is smaller and most mobile devices are touchscreen. Why does this matter? Text and messages must now be more concise and to the point than ever. Links and buttons must be bigger so they easier for a human finger to touch instead of a small mouse pointer.

When possible, text must be kept large and layouts simple. Big calls to action are also key. [caption id="attachment_3720" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Too Small! Just Right!"][/caption] While the iPhone zooms into your email and fits the email to the width of your screen, most other devices will display the upper left-hand corner of your email, leaving users to scroll left-and-right in addition to up-and-down to view your entire message. 2 or more column layouts are dead (or should be) in this new world of mobile. One column layouts are the way to go on mobile. Even in worst-case situations where the text has been zoomed/resized, but the images or surrounding elements around it have not, one-column table layouts have always come out best in terms of usability and readability.

7 Social Media Attitudes Business Owners Want to Avoid

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:03:51 +0000

Like it or not, most businesses, especially B2C businesses, must have some social media presence these days. These platforms can be deceiving, however. While it’s easy to get started, it’s also easy to make fundamental mistakes. Let’s review some of the attitudes to avoid.

I’m on social media to sell, sell, sell! Nobody wants to listen to your commercials constantly. They will put up with them, however, if you leaven them with other valuable content. Give your customers and prospective customers a variety of posts on a diverse range of topics. You want to engage them in topics of mutual interest, whether serious or whimsical. (By the way, engagement is very big in social marketing. Don’t ever put yourself in the position of being accused of being unengaging or unengaged.)
Why should I listen (see above)? You can’t just blast out your message on social media. You have to be willing to respond to your message’s feedback. You have to listen to your customers, even when (especially when) they’re telling you what you’re doing wrong. And you have to engage: respond, like, comment, thank, share, retweet, etc. Be part of a conversation; don’t just spout out a monologue. Don’t think your fans and followers will like you if you don’t like them. Which brings us to…
I don’t care what other people are saying and doing. Build relationships on social media. If you like someone’s post, tell them. Share it with your fans/followers/customers. Not just because the other person will like you for doing so (sometimes even “Like” you), but because you are providing value to your social media friends. Thus they will learn that you are a source of valuable information in your field.
I want to project a sober and professional corporate image. Maybe. If you’re a lawyer or a doctor or a mortician, you might not want people to know you’re a regular and interesting person. You might be prohibited from acting too human by a regulatory agency or your profession’s culture. But for most businesses it’s a good idea to let people know your company is a group of personalities. Why even try to portray your business as a faceless, humorless machine? Where’s the fun in that? Use social media to discuss your product or service, your industry. But if you live or die by the Phillies (sigh) or take your golf game very seriously, don’t be afraid to share some of that—though not too much.
If I ignore the problem, it’ll go away. When you do make a mistake on social media or in your business, apologize right away and on all appropriate platforms. Get it behind you so that everyone can forget about it. Except for you; you have to remember your lesson so that you are not doomed to repeat it.
I’m using the platform. That’s good enough. When you join a social media platform, make sure you complete all the profile information you want to share. Use the opportunity to market yourself effectively and everywhere. Two points here: (1) Use all the space allotted to let folks know all the things you want them to know about your business. (2) But don’t feel obligated to answer question which are unimportant or may potentially alienate some prospects or clients. For example: If you are a consultant and your personal Facebook profile is part of your professional brand, and you want to sell to Democrats, Republicans and Independents, you don’t have to disclose your political views; it’s just unnecessary.
Build it and they will come. The Field of Dreams Fallacy. You can build the coolest website and the slickest Facebook page. You can put out the wittiest and most succinct tweets and produce the finest YouTube clips. But you still have to let everyone know that they exist and that there’s a good reason to seek them out. Send emails to your current list. Use Facebook Ads. Make sure there’s a link to every digital asset you have on your website, your emails, your email signatures. Remind Facebook fans that you’re on Pinterest and LinkedIn contacts that you’re tweeting.

But what if I make a mistake? Experiment. Social media is fast-moving and forgiving. If you make a mistake—whether a spelling mistake or a foolish statement—it will be quickly forgotten. Usually. If it’s a real doosey, of course, at least one wise guy will turn it into a social media blog post: A lesson on what not to do on social media. But isn’t any publicity good publicity?

Get Your On Hold Message On Point

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:22:39 +0000

We’ve all been there. You call a company, and then you wait…on hold. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? It doesn’t matter. No one is particularly happy about being on hold. That static ridden rendition of the Girl from Ipanema, or worse yet, absolute silence can speak volumes about a company. You might say, “’Speak volumes?’ Really? Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?” And to that I say, “No! That is why I’m writing this blog!” An on hold message may seem insignificant. Your goal, of course, is to keep a customer from being on hold entirely. However, in the event that a customer is on hold for longer than a few seconds, you need to be prepared. Here are some cold hard facts that prove an on hold message really IS important: A study by US WEST reported that when companies played information on hold…

Caller retention increased by 40%
Inquiries increased by as much as 15%
Requests for services increased by as much as 12%

On hold messages provide an opportunity to share vital information about your company and services. This is a great time to advertise, all in a relatively inexpensive way. And like the rest of your advertising, an on hold message should reflect your brand. Working with a copywriter and production team can ensure that you not only convey the right message, but also convey it in a way that engages the customer. Here are a few things you should include in your on hold message:

Information introducing your company
Segments about your services
Anything that sets you apart from your competitors
Other contact information including your address, website and social media sites
News, awards and accolades

Embark, my friend, on a new advertising adventure! Be the on hold message pioneer you’ve always wanted to be! (You’re only now realizing this was your lifelong dream?) Skip the elevator music and collaborate with the professionals to deliver useful information to your customers!

The Devil’s in the Details: Media Buying with Your Target in Mind

Thu, 03 May 2012 20:50:02 +0000

For most of our automotive clients, our target demographic is adults ages 25-54. At a first glance, this age range seems to be quite narrow. Members of the demographic share a number of commonalities: most are presumably employed, have some sort of income, and are moving forward in their careers and personal lives. However, I would argue that this age range – of 29 years to be exact – is almost too broad when purchasing media. There is no doubt that a 25-year-old woman and a 54 year old woman have different media habits (actually…I know we have different media habits, as I’m a twenty-something and my mother is in her late forties. To say we are different in our media consumption would be an understatement.) The Philadelphia media market is one of the largest in the country and is home to over 4 million media-hungry individuals ages 12+. But of these people – these consumers – there is quite a range of ages. Baby boomers comprise most of them. Information from the Census data below indicates that the baby boomers were up 39.2% in 2010 than in 1970, and that the 25-34 age group was down 4.3%. This poses a particular question in my mind when we are placing media. How much influence do the baby boomers have on the media market in Philadelphia, and are we leaving out the younger part of that 25-54 age range to some degree? Let’s take a look at some radio rankers. If we were buying radio for women 25-54, the rankers indicate that we may want to take a look at WDAS or WOGL.

However, if we narrow the age range down to women 25-34, it may make a bit more sense to look at WUSL or WRFF, as the rankers have fluctuated to account for a 20 year age difference. The 25-54 age demo is skewed, as the older generation comprises much of the listenership. The numbers are not necessarily reflective of the younger generation and their habits since the younger generation is simply smaller in size.

It is important to be cognizant of the type of consumer you are really targeting with your advertising campaigns, whether it be the 25-year-old young professional or the 44-year-old mother of three. Both could be in the market for a new vehicle, but the avenues that we take to reach each of these individuals should be different. As a media buyer, it is also imperative to utilize all of the market research that we have at our fingertips in order to get to know the consumer (rather than presuming that we know who they are and the things that they like.) The 25-54 age group is nothing but that – a group of individuals who all have different interests and objectives. The more information we have regarding the type of consumer, the better we can effectively target them.

Stream Companies Goes Hollywood

Wed, 02 May 2012 21:16:25 +0000

Stream Companies is currently in Malvern, Philly, NJ, Maine, and… Hollywood? Well, at least one of us has invaded Tinsel town. That would be Creative Director Dave Mazzoni, Producer and Director of The Fields (starring Cloris Leachman and Tara Reid). The Fields, a suspenseful thriller that follows a young boy as he encounters a menacing presence around his family farm in 1970’s PA, is currently making a huge splash on the independent film scene. You don’t have to wait for the theater to find out what happens - you can find The Fields on DVD & Blu-Ray, and it will be on Redbox and Comcast On-Demand this June! Prior to its release, The Fields garnered success on the film festival circuit, with wins at the following festivals: 2011 Terror Film Festival (Best Feature Film), 2011 Buffalo Niagara Film Festival (Best Feature Film), and 2011 Eerie Film Festival (Best Directors). Read a review about The Fields below: http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/45071/ Follow The Fields on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/thefieldsmovie The Fields marks Mazzoni’s second directorial collaboration with Tom Mattera, as the two wrote, produced and directed The 4th Dimension which was released in 2008.

Spot on Spots: Expect the Unexpected

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:13:03 +0000

There’s something to be said about the element of surprise: in advertising, it can either be incredibly effective or just plain fall short. Like all ads, it’s about putting together that perfect blend - striking images, excellent copy and great sound. If it’s the right formula, the right balance, then you’ve got something memorable. Creating ads with twist endings requires a keen attention to all details- just one aspect out of place and the ad can flop. I first saw this ad in college in 2006. While it may not be the “best commercial ever,” I have always remembered this one because of how engaging and entertaining it was. Let’s set the scene: one grocery store, one tired-looking dad, one young boy and one HUGE tantrum. We’ve all seen it, though perhaps not to this extent. The over exaggeration of such a run-of-the-mill situation makes you chuckle, and the kid’s very loud wailing and outbursts sure keeps your attention. In the end, all it takes are two words, one call to action and one logo to make the twist. Clever, eh? This ad came out recently. It’s only been on Vimeo for a week, and it already has 26 million views. Again, it’s a familiar set of events, a reference to the film The Exorcist. And if you don’t get the reference, at least you know something very eerie and creepy is going on. While it’s a little longer, the rich visual effects, great casting and slow but steady lead up pulls everything together. This ad is an example of where a “surprise” ending falls short. The ad has had a fair bit of hype, an article in AdAge, and it’s featured on multiple advertising blogs. But maybe it’s my lack of prejudice (hooray for me) or the fact that I didn’t feel as intrigued as I did with the Dirt Devil commercial. That same ominous tone just isn’t there in this ad. You be the judge. That perfect combination of style, tone and creativity has the ability to make any advertisement soar. To really get a surprise ending ad to work, you have to be even bigger stickler than usual. Can our Type A perfectionism get any worse, uh, I mean, better? Well, guess what? It’s got to if you want a really great unexpected ending ad!

Defining Your USP

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:47:27 +0000

What’s Your USP? A USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is one of the basic ingredients of any solid marketing campaign. Specifically, it’s a summary of what makes your business unique and valuable to the market you serve. It should answer the question: How do the services you provide benefit your clients better than anyone else in your platform? An effective USP should clearly communicate what your company does and why you do it. It should also be able to convey your most important business goals drilled down to a sentence. The Process…..Define Your Target Audience Before you can even start marketing your services, you need to know who you are targeting. In this step, you want to be as specific as possible. Explain the Need or Problem You Need to Solve From your prospective clients' perspectives, what is the individual need or challenge they face that your business can solve for them? What Are the Biggest Distinctive Benefits List some of the biggest benefits a client gets from choosing to work with you that they could not get from someone else (i.e., what sets you apart from your competition). Again, thinking from the clients’ perspectives, these benefits should explain why your services are important to them and why they would choose you over another provider. Define Your Commitment A big part of a successful USP is making a pledge to your clients. While this can be implied instead of spelled out in your USP, write down this promise you make to your clients in this step.

Postcard Campaigns: Creative, Informative, Easy

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:42:15 +0000

Staying in contact with clients, whether they’re new, potential or longstanding, is incredibly important. You must consistently communicate information about your business to your client. One way to advertise to your customers is a postcard campaign. Postcards are direct mail pieces which reach a broad group of customers cost efficiently. However, you must remember that there are two basic building blocks of a postcard that can make or break its success. Theme: When you’re designing your postcards, you can have a fair amount of creative liberty. Images, fonts, colors – all aspects of the design – must sing well together. It’s best to work with design professionals that live and breathe design that will create the best looking pieces. Also keep in mind that while choosing a theme for your postcards can be fun, it should still be industry relevant and resonate with your customers. Content: Remember: a postcard only has a small space to work with. Provide information that is absolutely paramount, including details about your company, your products and services and any current promotions. And don’t forget the details! Company name, logo, phone number and address are a given, but be sure to include your website and any social media sites you use. For more information about postcard campaigns, visit Stream Companies at: http://streamwirelesscoop.com/motorola/ today!

Using Video Content to Improve Your SEO

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:53:53 +0000

Posting your video content to the web has a number of benefits for your business or organization: - Videos provide a dynamic, interactive experience for site visitors - Videos can highlight promotions, provide tutorials, and show customers how products operate - Video encourage users to spend more time on a page, thereby increasing stickiness - Videos can convey more essential data in a shorter time - Videos with clickable links direct users to appropriate pages in the website or to other video selections, providing additional opportunities for you to cross-sell and upsell However there’s one oft over-looked benefit of video content that is more important now more than ever before… and perhaps more important than any of the above benefits: The power of video content as an SEO tool. When used properly, video content will improve your search engine optimization and help you engage with leads quicker and more frequently. Here are just a few of the ways that video content will boost your SEO: -Site “stickiness”. Videos typically last 2-3 minutes. That keeps people on your site for an extended amount of time. - Extra search engines. Did you know that YouTube is the web’s 2^nd largest search engine? Hosting your video content on YouTube and other video providers is like benefiting from multiple search engines at once. - Links…the navigation tool of the web. Links are the navigation tool of the web, and that means that you can use your video content to direct traffic back to your website. For example, adding a link to your video’s description on a high authority site like YouTube is an effective way to get people to your site. - Titling & tagging. Properly titling and tagging your video content with key words and phrases can play a big role in registering with a search query and, in turn, a search engine’s relevant indexed content. That translates to better search results for your video and ultimately your site. - Transcription. Most video providers will let you transcribe your video content. This is a great way to add those valuable key words and phrases that search engines will index to help your rank. Another benefit of transcription is that it targets different learners. Some people would rather skim content that watch video.