Infinite Path » Social Media

What Ray Whinstone teaches us about the future of advertising

Infinite Path — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:40:34 +0000

“It’s all about the In-Play,” says Ray Whinstone in a slightly menacing tone in bet365’s latest advertising campaign. In reality, it’s all about the future of advertising.

The rise of In-Play betting, which allows users to bet on a sporting event whilst it is in progress, is symptomatic of the increasing culture of immediacy that has been prevalent since the dawn of the twenty-first century. Rolling news channels and the Internet allow us to access information at our own convenience and we expect this to be immediate and forthcoming.

This trend is something which advertisers are hoping to take advantage of, with bet365 the first company to employ a televised advertising campaign which offers information in real time dependent on the current state of play. These adverts are typically broadcast during half-time of football matches and up-to-the-minute odds are provided for the second half’s action. This encourages punters to place a bet depending on the action they have already seen.

Five years ago, this would not have been possible. In-Play betting was a fledgling concept and to place a bet would have meant leaving your television and turning on your PC – or visiting your local bookmaker. However, with the rise of smart phones, mobile social networking and company-generated apps, this can now be done whilst you watch the match in the comfort of your armchair with beer in hand.

This new concept suggests the potential future of advertising as the Internet, television, games consoles and mobile phones all become integrated into one multi-dimensional world of online communication. In five years time, your wireless connected 3D TV could show you your betting history and how much you have in your bet365 account as the advert plays. This targeted and personalised creative could reap large dividends as companies look to recruit fans rather than mere customers.

Personalised real-time creative already exists in the world of online advertising. Algorithms analyse a customer’s browsing habits, as well as their interaction with previous adverts for a particular brand. The creative is then adjusted accordingly to try and make the customer buy a particular product. This is expected to become more sophisticated in the future – with companies offering reduced prices for goods viewed but not initially purchased in the hope of securing the sale.

In a way, bet365 are already doing this with betting, hoping to attract customers with favourable odds. In the future, this policy could become a cornerstone of all companies.

Trying to be Social Makes You Unsociable

Infinite Path — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:57:37 +0000

Social media is probably what 2009 will be most remembered for in terms of online marketing. Obviously many were “getting into social” long before this time, but 2009 has probably been the year when many companies decided that they had to do something on this before they lost touch completely.

The problem, of course, is that deliberately trying to get into social media marketing is much harder than just being in it. Like anything, if you have an interest in something, you will make a conscious effort to be involved in related activities. By accident, almost, you find yourself writing about it, getting involved in communities and interacting with others who have a similar interest. Forcing yourself to do something that doesn’t interest you is never easy. The same can be said for forcing yourself, or your company, to get into social media.

You know what you are supposed to do and you know what everyone else is doing so, naturally, you start trying to replicate it and ‘get involved’. However, this doesn’t work. If you don’t have an interest and you don’t understand what you’re getting into, it is quite possible that many of your efforts will be in vain.

The people – and companies – who are really good at social media are good not just because they are excellent marketers, but because they understand the landscape and are interested in the methods which need to be employed. They want to be part of the communities and enjoy interacting with other people within those communities. They don’t just participate out of a misguided necessity; they participate because they want to. Their success in social media effectiveness is merely a by-product of their visible enjoyment and understanding of how everything works.

When companies decide to get social, it is important to use the right people/faces (not a face in the conventional sense, more a face for the company in question) for the task. Of course, they may not be as committed to the company as an owner or senior marketing executive, but as long as they understand what the company offers, what its values are and they enjoy what they do as much as possible, they will able to engage with online communities.

Effective social media marketing is not something that can just be switched on. It takes time to create a successful campaign and the people working on it must understand how it works and be ready to adapt to new methods.

Twitter Receives Facelift as Cameron Highlights the Platform’s Evolution

Infinite Path — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:49:57 +0000

Logging onto Twitter yesterday morning, users were greeted with a new front page which, aesthetically, is worlds apart from its predecessor. The new front page is simple, attractive, and, in want of a more technical term, eye-catching.

However, it seems likely that aesthetic alterations were not made purely to please the eye. Rather, they reflect, in an entirely appropriate manner, the way in which Twitter has evolved since it was formed, with the new message of being able to “share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world” in place of the old adage that friends and families can be kept up to date with the answer to the question “what are you doing?” being a particularly effective change.

The fact of the matter is that Twitter has changed dramatically. Whereas once it was a simple way for family members and friends to keep in touch with one another, it has now morphed to become an entirely different animal.

In fact, David Cameron’s controversial assertion (broadcast for all listeners of Virgin Radio breakfast radio to hear yesterday) that “too many twits might make a twat” highlights the reason why Twitter may have decided to make these aesthetic changes to their front page.

Cameron’s misdemeanour, although played down at the time, must have turned the faces of those who spend their working days trying to control the manner in which the Conservative party is perceived by the public bright red in anger.

Cameron was caught out by the instant and irreversible nature of radio. He opened his mouth and words came tumbling out; the fact that these words were broadcast for thousands of people to hear was unfortunate. This is precisely the problem with Twitter; it’s all too easy to dash out 140 characters, hit enter, and your personal musings (which often should be kept quiet) are exposed for all to see. For brands and companies, this is potentially devastating and one misjudged tweet can quickly and irreversibly unrail even the most well-oiled and slick PR machine.

It therefore seems entirely appropriate that Twitter has changed its welcome message. After all, if used properly and sensitively, it can allow consumers to discover “what’s happening right now” with a particular brand. However, individuals representing companies online who are too rash with their tweets leave themselves open to criticism from people “anywhere in the world”.

The search capacity of Twitter has now been made a dominant feature, with users able to view real time search results for a given keyword without registering or logging in. The decision to make the search capacity such a central feature on the front page is also entirely appropriate, since most users instantly associate Twitter not with a means of keeping in touch with old friends but with powerful news aggregators.

It Seems that Social Media DOES Pay

Infinite Path — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:30:55 +0000

Debate about the potential success of social media campaigns is nothing new and, since a lot of the work involved is intangible, some companies don’t always feel comfortable investing money in this kind of activity.

However, a recent study into the effectiveness of social media found that large-scale social media campaigns actually do provide a very good return. Some of the world’s biggest companies were researched and, even though they do have the spend to make significant headway, it is still interesting to see precisely how certain firms are making social media work for them.

Microsoft, Dell, Nike and Amazon are all winners in the social media stakes. These companies have invested both time and money in social media, employing structured and dedicated teams to oversee the campaigns they run. Obviously this is something not all firms can do due to pressures on resources and finances but these companies show that a well-planned approach really can pay dividends.

Matt Roche, Marketing Director at Infinite Path Ltd, believes “social media platforms can prove to be a brilliant place to connect with consumers. It takes time to identify where the important people hang out but once you do – and you make sure that you can add value to their experience of the platform in question – you can gain their trust and instil a positive brand image within a relatively short period of time. Interacting with your target market is essential. Knowing how and where to do it can set you apart from other brands”.

Social media will probably remain a slightly confusing area for some time, but as more proof of success comes to light it is highly likely that more companies will invest heavily in this form of customer engagement. Online is growing in every sector and social media is now set to become more of a staple addition to the marketing department’s ever-growing internet arsenal.

Obama Makes Social Media History in Africa

Infinite Path — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:08:51 +0000

Barack Obama is no stranger to social media. An effective social media campaign launched in the build-up to the election last year was lauded as a fundamental reason for his eventual success and, ever since, Obama has not been afraid to be seen to encourage interaction via online means.

The use of social media in Obama’s visit to Ghana at the weekend still signalled the start of something exciting, however, since in African countries social media has not become the buzz phrase it is in the Western world.

It seems that the U.S. government is keen to engage with a generation of Africans perceived as vital for securing a better future for the continent and clearly the White House believe that social media, an important element of what has been termed the government’s “new media strategy”, could be the key to breaking down barriers between authority and the wider population.

Before arriving in Ghana, the government established a website for users to register themselves to receive SMS updates and the further option of sending messages and comments, some of which would be read by the President himself, went down extremely well over the weekend.

Obama’s visit has been the subject of hot debate and this was facilitated by the organisation of “watch parties” (communal gatherings at public places and embassies which broadcast the speech). For those unable to reach such events, the speech was streamed live on several social networking sites and, for those watching in the privacy of their own homes, debate happened virtually via Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.

Social media certainly seems to be fulfilling the ambition of Obama to send out a firm message to as many people across Africa as possible. His words were not spoken exclusively for the privileged few in power; they were intended for those who hold the future of the continent in their hands. In the words of Obama himself: “You have the power to hold your leaders accountable”. Ultimately, social media ensured that the individuals being addressed in this instance were not those sitting in the room politely applauding.

Finding the Influencers and Making them Work for You

Infinite Path — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:32:51 +0000

There are many influential individuals online – people who have become authorities in a subject by hanging around in communities that interest them. As such, they can often sway others’ views and opinions and even subconsciously market products and services. This natural marketing is in many ways the very best sort of marketing. An advocate exists who doesn’t even realise that they’re essentially working for the company whose product or service they are talking about. This leads marketers to think about ways to exploit these influential people. In the main, it can be done in a way that isn’t completely forced.

There are two ways of going forward as a marketer from here. One way is to pick a person whom you might be able to mould into an ambassador for what you are trying to push online. So, you choose a person, tell them where to hang out, and tell them what they should say. This person might not have necessarily dealt with anything your company has to offer but they may know a little bit about getting involved online. This method will probably mean that you have to train this person and tell them all about your product and, quite possibly, your company. It can work, but it takes longer and sometimes it’s easy for people to spot a fak

The other way, and unfortunately the more difficult way, is to find someone who is influential in the communities to which your company is most relevant. This person will already be involved in the conversation and will probably know what sort of style and tone is most appropriate. You can save a lot of time and effort by using this person as an ambassador for your brand/company.

There are various different ways of finding influential people online. The method you employ depends entirely on where you are looking. It takes time to search, and you may find that someone whom you think would be perfect turns out not to be at all. However, because the internet is full of conversations, forums and FAQ pages, there are many places to look and the right person is out there.

Social Media Budgets Set to Rise but Integrated Online Strategy Still Fundamental

Infinite Path — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:25:05 +0000

Given the manner in which social media has burst onto the public domain over the last few years, making headlines almost every day and becoming an integral part of popular culture, it didn’t come as any great surprise when Forrester Research released the results of its new Interactive Marketing Forecast, which projects the growth of social media marketing over the next five years. According to the forecast, social media marketing is set to grow to $3.1 billion by 2014.

Furthermore, the projected rate of growth is significantly faster than that of other forms of digital marketing and the estimated figure for 2014 will make social media a larger marketing channel than email and mobile.

So, what does this mean for other forms of marketing? Well, for social media marketing efforts to work and justify such a high level of investment, they really need to be part of a wider strategy. Social media marketing and online brand building work best as part of an integrated strategy which aims to raise the profile of a company or brand. However, without strong foundations, there will be no profile to market.

There’s no point reaching out to consumers by representing the human face behind the brand if, after interacting and gaining trust, the consumers are let down by a frustrating user experience on a company website, for example. It’s all well and good becoming an active voice in the communities which matter to your target market but if there’s nothing solid behind this interaction, all social media attempts will be for nothing.

That’s why, at Infinite Path, we see brand building as an integral part of an overall web strategy. We work on building strong foundations, through web design, development, and search marketing, before engaging in any meaningful interaction. It is through this process that we believe consumers receive the most satisfaction.

One thing that we can take from Forrester Research’s figures is the fact that companies are now realising the immense financial potential of interacting and engaging with consumers and narrowing the perceived gap between target market and brand.

Social Media Brand Building: Where to Start?

Infinite Path — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:45:20 +0000

An effective social media brand building campaign will allow you to identify and interact successfully with your target market. It is becoming increasingly important for companies to be seen to be encouraging feedback, whether positive or negative, from consumers. If done properly, a social media campaign can significantly increase the incoming traffic to your site and positive brand awareness will multiply rapidly. Through social media websites, your company will be able to gain maximum exposure and organic link building should also be a natural result of this process. You may want to consider the following social media services:

Article submission to social news/bookmarking sites: e.g. Digg and Reddit
Group and fan page creation on social networking sites: e.g. YouTube and Twitter
Posting content to social media technologies: e.g. blogs and picture sharing websites
Participation on social media online communities: e.g. targeted forums
Thorough monitoring of all these services to assess which work best for your brand

Depending upon your individual requirements, it may be best to market existing content through social media or it may be more appropriate to create entirely new content with the aim of spreading it far and wide.

Top Ten Reasons to Hire an Online Agency

Infinite Path — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:57:40 +0000

They really can help you to increase your sales: Online marketing experts will be able to do thorough research into what keywords your site should be ranking for when it is crawled by the search engines. Approximately half of all web searches performed each day are unique, meaning that professionals trained in SEO will be able to ensure that your site shows up for generic, short-tail keyword phrases as well as for specific, long-tail phrases. With traffic arriving at your site from both these kinds of searches, you will be able to attract both shoppers (who often use short-tail keyword phrases) and buyers, who are more likely to search for specific terms.
They can help you reduce the risky side of SEO: Any SEO campaign involves risks but some are more dangerous than others. Professionals will be able to help you minimise the risks involved in your SEO campaign and will make sure you don’t become involved in any black hat techniques (SEO tactics opposed to best practice), which could cause you more harm than good.
They can spend time you don’t have: Any white hat (legitimate) SEO campaign takes time before it has an effect. In many cases, site owners and those involved in the daily running of a business do not have time to sit around and see if a particular method has an impact or not. An online marketing company can remove this hassle and let you focus on your own company’s needs.
They can remove the technical confusion: No matter how much you love your service or product, web sites can be confusing. The problem with websites is that you can try to change something and end up causing damage across your site in the process. Online marketing companies will be able to explain things to you in simple terms.
They will know what techniques to use: Individuals who choose to carry out SEO campaigns on their own often think that they need to try every single technique that they can find described on the web. Experts will know which techniques to use and which to ignore, since some sites will need to target different areas to others.
They will be up-to-date with search engine preferences: Online marketing companies keep up-to-date with news and gossip in the industry as part of their job. Technology moves very quickly and new SEO techniques are being introduced all the time to suit the search engine’s ever-changing preferences. If you try to take control of your own SEO campaign, you may end up using methods that lost their relevance a year or two ago.
They can track progress: You can spend a lot of time doing SEO yourself but, apart from obvious indications such as increased sales, there are not many free indicators to tell you how successful your attempts are. SEO experts will have tools at their fingertips which can monitor all aspects of an SEO campaign and they will be able to keep you fully informed of their progress at all times.
They have contacts: Online marketing professionals usually have many contacts, some of whom may specialise in working with customers who specialise in the same area as you. They will be able to get inside tips and advice about how best to serve your needs.
They know the differences between the search engines: Different search engines have different preferences and what may suit Google may not suit Yahoo! in the slightest. It is worth having at least one feature on each of your pages which suits all the major search engines but it is difficult to understand how to do this unless you know the differences between the major search engines. This is one area where online marketing professionals can really help you.
They can help you with your wider online strategy: They can identify problems with your website and suggest design or development features which may provide additional benefits.

Building a Brand Online

Infinite Path — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:35:26 +0000

Building a brand presence on the Internet is vital in today’s day and age. Most of the large brands operating globally have figured out that achieving a positive reputation online is key to success in all areas of their business. These companies are lucky in that they can afford to hire professionals to devise and carry out an online PR campaign on their behalf but, if you own a small company, you may be forced to consider a DIY approach to brand building on the web.

The positive results which the expertise of a professional company can have should not be underestimated but, as a general guide, you should follow some simple steps to success. Devise an online PR plan, which takes into account the different elements of your brand identity and describes the characteristics which you wish to become synonymous with your brand.

Remember that word of mouth on the web is fundamental for success, so make sure that you have a product or service which will get people talking virtually on social media websites. Viral marketing can either be the downfall or the start of something big for your brand. Tailor your website in such a way that it is simple and easy to use for visitors. Functionality is key in this respect.

The best way to build your brand is to get other people to do it for you…for free. Create an unusual piece of link-bait and, with luck, it will spread like wildfire. Good ideas include video blogs, photos, and new gadgets that will improve the way people use a particular aspect of the web.

Getting people talking about you on blogs and social media sites is the first step to large-scale brand building and once this starts to happen, you will be able to monitor virtual conversations and adapt your online PR campaign as appropriate. Which parts of your company are people regularly criticising? Can you fix them easily? Where are people talking about you negatively on the web? Can you start positive conversations on these forums or blogs in order to try to change people’s opinions in a constructive and honest manner? Showing that you actually take other people’s thoughts into account is extremely important. Brands are not infallible and should be seen to be adaptable and open to change at all times.

Honesty really is key when it comes to brand building. Lose the corporate speak and show the human side which lies behind your brand. It is essential to strike the right balance here. Whilst it is a good idea to show that you are an average human being, it is not a great plan to post drunken photos of you on the web or make comments about other brands which could be blown out of proportion.

The importance of website functionality is often overlooked by individuals who choose to DIY brand build online. However, think how annoyed you feel when you visit a company’s website and end up wasting your time navigating around a complicated site. Often, the irritated feelings which arise from this process subconsciously result in negative psychological associations with the brand. Whenever you view an advert on TV from the company that wasted an hour of your time, you will remember those original feelings. Make your website simple and as user-friendly as possible and, ultimately, make sure each aspect works properly! Ensure that key information is easy to find, particularly if it relates to the process of exchanging money.

Ultimately, any online PR campaign needs to be easy to adapt but do not lose patience too quickly. There is not one brand in the world which has a completely positive reputation. All you can do is remain visible to consumers as a company which favours feedback and welcomes change.