Storytelling in Marketing

Have you seen Chipotle’s recent video called "The Scarecrow"?

It’s an eye-catching little video meant to highlight Chipotle’s commitment to using far more sustainably grown ingredients than most fast-food chains do, or for that matter, most sit-down restaurants. Their brand is only mentioned at the very end for a few seconds.

Amazingly so… it has received a lot of press and people have either ferociously embraced it or strongly objected this little video. To date it has been viewed more than 11 million times.

Why was this video so popular? 

First of all, Chipotle’s effort isn’t just to make a viral video: It's a brilliant content marketing play to get people involved in the Chipotle story on a massive scale.

Secondly, it pulls at our heartstrings - I will admit you can get a bit choked up with the video - and if you manage to do that in marketing, it’s an incredible feat. A secrete to storytelling is to create a character that your audience will root for. Chipotle did that brilliantly. (By the way, this isn’t the first time Chipotle has done this. They did "Back to the Start" in 2011, which was a similar movement.)

Thirdly, they are not trying to sell you anything! At least it doesn't blatantly feel like it. It is telling you a story. That's also key in content marketing. You want to make your audience feel that you have their best interest in mind, not that you want to pick their pockets.

One of the most important things in content marketing and storytelling is consistency, consistency, consistency. You need to take a 24/7 approach to telling stories to attract and retain your customers. This is exactly what Chipotle has done. They found their bigger story and began a movement around it. 

If you think about what stories you can tell, they should not be about you but rather something you stand for, which will make a difference in your customers’ lives.

Let us know what you think...

Is your Marketing Ready for 2014? Plan ahead!

"Oh no! I forgot to budget for marketing this year!" 

It never ceases to amaze us how often we hear: "Oh no! I forgot to budget for marketing this year!"

We totally get it- it’s easy to completely focus on running your current business and only when there’s a lull realize the necessity for marketing to bring in new business. 

As the end of the year draws near, it’s time to not only prepare your marketing budget calendar and for 2014, but to also take note of what worked for your company in 2013 and what didn’t. This “marketing audit” helps your company analyze and evaluate your past marketing strategies, activities, goals and results in order to be more effective in the future. While it takes time, the results can be enlightening and profitable. Here are a few basic steps that should be included in your 2013 Marketing Audit in order to lead the way to a more powerful marketing plan for the upcoming year:

Step 1: Check Your Brand and Presence

Do you have your brand and material in order? Basic material like:

·      Your logo

·      A brand sheet  

·      Website

·      Business Cards

·      Marketing brochure or flyer  

Are they consistent and look the same? Same colors, fonts and so forth? How is your website looking? When was the last time you updated it?

Step 2: Your Services / Product

What is the purpose of your business? What is it that you specialize in? Take a look back at sales for 2013 and see if that is, in fact, what you are selling.

Step 3: Who are your Competitors 

First of all, do you know who your competition is today? Not when you started your business- but as of today. When was the last time you took a look at their website or Facebook page?

Ask the questions: 

• "What makes us different and unique compared to others?"
• "Why would customers use our services or buy our goods versus others?”
• "What do I admire about these competitors?”

Step 4: Who are your current customers? 

Write down a list of customers are that you worked with in 2013. Describe them in detail. Where are they located? Their size, budget, industry and so forth.  Now categorize them and highlight patterns that become apparent- what is the common denominator?

Step 5:  Who is your ideal customer?

Are they your current customers? As you did before, describe them in detail. Who are your ideal (and most profitable) customers? Where are they located? What size? Industry? Pay specific attention to their behaviors and what draws them so you understand how to target them.

Step 6: What are your marketing goals?

General goals may start off as simple concepts such as:

• Increase company visibility
• Increase audience size or Facebook Likes
• Differentiate from competition
• Increase or maintain market share
• Generate qualified sales leads
• Refresh and update the brand image

…then we need to take it a step further:

Be specific and create measurable goals. For example, rather than “Increase sales” it should look something more like: “Increase sales of a particular product line by at least 18% by the end of the fiscal year”.  In addition, create corresponding benchmarks and ways by which you plan on achieving these objectives.

Step 7: Analyze Your 2013 Marketing tactics

If you did create any ads or direct mail? Did you keep record of how effective campaigns were including the database that was hit? Have you done an analysis of your website visitors or your social media?

Create a list that outlines each tactic and their effectiveness. Next to it note what helped you get more clients, calls, visits to your website etc. Remember, just because something works for one company, doesn’t mean it will work for yours- so be realistic about what is worth spending your time on in the upcoming year.

NEXT STEPS

Create a plan for 2014!  Sadly, while everyone knows to address and identify their target market, many people fail to address, in specifics, how they plan to reach out to that market. They fail to develop a comprehensive Marketing Plan as part of their Business Plan.

Having a carefully laid out plan will help you to make better informed decisions year round and when the time comes to make new decisions, you can always refer back to your plan and see how new opportunities fit in to your calendar and budget. A good marketing plan summarizes the: ‘who, what, where, when, and how much’ questions of company marketing and sales activities for the planning year. By following the above listed steps, you would have answered many of these questions in your marketing audit.

• Who are our target buyers?
• What sources of uniqueness or positioning in the market do we have?
• Where will we implement our marketing spending plans?
• When will marketing spending plans occur?
• How much sales, spending, and profits will we achieve? 

How Much to Spend? 

According to SteemFeed in a recent article by Randy Bowden the average small business spends between 2-20% of annual gross revenues on marketing efforts. The amount spent will depend upon the industry of the small business and whether or not it’s a new business or an existing more established business.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recommends that an established company that earns less than $5 million per year allocates 7-8% of revenues for marketing purposes and that this percent should increase if it’s a new start-up business; particularly for industries such as retail and restaurants.

Make sure that your budget includes a mix of tactics such as: 

• Digital Advertising
• Print Advertising
• Event and Trade Show Participation
• Networking Group Memberships
• Social-Media Management
• Professional Photography
• Web site Maintenance
• Graphic Design
• SEO and/or Copywriting Services
• Vehicle Graphics
• Printed Materials such as Flyers and Brochures
• Promotional Items and Branded Clothing

 And of course, call us if you prefer that we do your audit and plan for 2014 for you. That's our specialty! hello@purplearrowmarketing.com

Prep your Marketing now to enjoy the Holidays!

The holidays are usually a rough time for marketers. Everyone is stressed and bombarded by deals and holiday inspired material and at the same time have the stress of dealing with traveling or family.

The great thing about inbound marketing is that you can schedule a lot of your marketing in advance! Just a bit of planning ahead will get you very far and let you enjoy that delicious slice of apple pie.

Here are 5 great tips from our friends at HubSpot on how to prepare a marketing feast:

1) Your emails
Plan your emails and newsletters in advance! Keep in mind people will be away from work Thursday and Friday, if they're in the U.S and many people will be using their phones to see email. Your message is key too...HubSpot recommends sending a top-of-the-funnel, shareable message (for example, "101 Awesome Marketing Quotes"), and save a more in-depth offer (such as "How to Optimize Email Marketing for Conversions") for the following week.

Here are 8 little tricks to make your emails better...click here.

2) Write a holiday blog
The holidays are a great excuse to tie in your content with the holidays and reach out to clients and prospects. Need ideas? HubSpot recommends one of these blog post templates -- they will help you organize ideas and put together a quality post in practically no time.
Make sure you add a call-to-action to it! Here are some helpful templates: calls-to-action templates

3) Schedule social media posts
Ideally you have a social media "content" calender so that there is rhyme and reason to your posting! That would make it easier to then schedule out your posts in advance and be covered! HootSuite is a great social media management system if you are looking for one.

As HubSpot says, "be sure to align the content you're promoting with your blog post(s) and email sends to get the most out of each day. Also, it may be best to intersperse lead-gen posts with fun posts related to the holidays".

Expert Tip from HubSpot: Use holiday-specific keywords and hashtags to increase your social presence when it's feasible to tie your post's content to it: Thanksgiving, turkeys, pie. Also, utilize events that get a lot of social media love -- the Thanksgiving morning parade and pro football games that day, for example -- by scheduling posts to launch during that time. Again, make sure to tie it back to your content.

Oh...and don't forge to set up your "out of office reminder".

Enjoy the holidays!

Purple Arrow Marketing
hello@purplearrowmarketing.com

Should I bring a megaphone or magnet to the market?

There's a lot of talk about different types of marketing...from inbound to content to outbound and more..We'll try to break it down a bit and focus on what attracts consumers to you.


At Purple Arrow Marketing we break up our marketing tactics into two groups: Inbound Marketing and Outbound Marketing. Some marketers use only one or the other, but that doesn't make any sense. The idea that potential clients will "come out of nowhere if you write good content" is not true. You need to post or create a blog or something to get their attention!

Think of a megaphone and a magnet. You either go to market with a megaphone and shout about your product in the hopes people pay attention … or use a magnet and attract them to you (Point is you need to actually GO to the market in the first place!)

In other words, you “push” your product on to people or you “pull” them with something that draws them to you.

We actually believe in the power of both...but here is the difference:

“Inbound Marketing” is often used interchangeably with “Content marketing” and in all honesty, that’s fine as you cannot have effective inbound marketing tactics without good content to begin with! The beauty of this style of marketing is that contrary to your traditional “hammer style” marketing we mentioned, you communicate relevant information with potential customers without selling them anything. The idea is to inspire business and loyalty from buyers by delivering consistent, ongoing valuable information. I am sure we can all agree that we don’t like to be “sold to” and this is why inbound marketing generates a lot more loyalty and following. People grow relationships with you because they see you as the trusted source for that particular content. This can then lead to sales.


What does content marketing look like?

Like this! It can look like a daily blog, a podcast, a quarterly magazine, a weekly newsletter or even a TV show. You have to be the producer of the content and create an asset.

Content marketing happens when businesses start to think like publishers and deliver compelling content to a defined readership. You should position yourself as the go-to resource in your industry.

Where to start with a content strategy?

You need to answer the following questions when creating content:

1. Who is your buyer?
2. What’s your objective with sharing the information?
3. What’s the outcome for the buyer? What is your potential buyer / existing client getting out of it?

As always, the main question is WHY.


The next step is to know what you can be the leading expert in. Why are you unique? This is your niche and what your material should center around.

Joe Pullizi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute and author of the new book, Epic Content Marketing, states: "The number-one reason why content marketing programs fail is because they stop. The other is because businesses talk about themselves. IBM research states that 85% of corporate blogs have 5 or fewer posts. Content is a promise to your customers and you have to keep that promise.

Joe states that content marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. If you build a loyal audience, magic can happen in any business 

We couldn't agree more. What do you think? Let us know by emailing us at hello@purplearrowmarketing.com

Get your content seen online!

One of the top requests we get at PurpleArrow is our clients asking us for strong online presence. It never ceases to amaze us how many people assume that just because they write a blog or create a website, they will automatically receive millions of followers.

This takes time, dedication, good and relevant content...and patience. It won't happen overnight and if you ever read or receive an offer that says it can, then you are being taken for a ride. On average, it takes roughly 4 months for the average release to accumulate most of its views

There are thousands of article online with tips on how to "increase content visibility". It's rare to find one that is short and to the point. We did and we've summarized it here. Thank you Natalie Saumure  (Marketing Strategist at PROSAR Inbound Inc)

1) PLAN: Create an Editorial Calendar to organize your content/thoughts and publish timely and relevant information that people are looking for. By planning your content ahead of time, you ensure that it aligns with your goals and other marketing activities, such as events or campaigns. 

2) BE "IN THE KNOW": See what’s trending in your industry. Look at twitter trends, for example. Then write  an article that shares and comments on other people’s content. If you can’t think of anything to write about, don’t sweat it. Take a look at what some other’s people in your industry have been talking about and share some of their insights along with yours (don’t forget to give those sources credit!). 

3) SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! Share your content! If you use social media networks on a regular basis, you this to your advantage and post updates about the content you just published. You can even post other relevant items with a link to your content as well to further penetrate your market. Tip: Join relevant groups (i.e. on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc…) and post your content and share/comment on other content as well. Just don’t be spammy. 

4) OPEN UP THE CONVERSATION: At the end of your article, ask an open-ended question to engage/interact with your audience. The more comments your article gets, the longer it has the potential to stay under people’s radars. 

5) HAVE AN INTERESTING HEADLINE:  Write headlines that will get more clicks. First impressions matter! The title of your article is extremely important because it is the first thing that a reader sees. There is nothing worse than reading a dry/boring headline. Note: Your title should not be too long as most search engines only pull 65 characters. If your title has to be longer, optimize your page with a creative meta-description to briefly explain your article. Check out these Nine Elementsof On-Page Website Optimization for further assistance. 

6) PEOPLE LOVE PRETTY PICTURES: There is nothing worse than reading long content without any breaks for visuals.

7) LET THEM KNOW HOW TO FIND YOU: Include a 'Call To Action' (CTA). A CTA within your posts encourages readers to interact with your brand and nurture client relationships. Some tips for creating good CTAs are: 

• use numbers - tells visitors exactly what they’re going to get, how much of it, for how long, etc.
• use action words like "call now" / "click here"
• keep it brief but enticing
• use practical language
• don’t overload the reader with too much information in the call-to-action. 

Give just enough information that they are clear on the offer, but not too much that it gives everything away. Create curiosity so that they click. Check out 4Ways to Get More Clicks on Your Calls-To-Action for more information on designing great CTAs. 

8)  ADD RELEVANT KEYWORDS: Being specific about your keywords makes the search interest more qualified in viewing your content. Remember to properly incorporate these keywords into the content of your article. Click here to learn how. 

9) ASK FOR HELP! Call us with any questions...we are always happy to help - 646.435.4707 or info@purplearrowmarketing.com 

People love pretty images. There is nothing worse than reading long content without any breaks for visuals. Include a CTA. A CTA within your posts encourages readers to interact with your brand and nurture client relationships. Some tips for creating good CTAs are: use numbers, use action words, keep it brief but enticing, use practical language. Don’t overload the reader with too much information in the call-to-action. Give just enough information that they are clear on the offer, but not too much that it gives everything away. Create curiousity so that they click. Check out 4 Ways to Get More Clicks on Your Calls-To-Action for more information on designing great CTAs.
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/8-tips-increase-content-visibility-online-0615720#obuBXD5tm3HfosaL.99

People love pretty images. There is nothing worse than reading long content without any breaks for visuals. Include a CTA. A CTA within your posts encourages readers to interact with your brand and nurture client relationships. Some tips for creating good CTAs are: use numbers, use action words, keep it brief but enticing, use practical language. Don’t overload the reader with too much information in the call-to-action. Give just enough information that they are clear on the offer, but not too much that it gives everything away. Create curiousity so that they click. Check out 4 Ways to Get More Clicks on Your Calls-To-Action for more information on designing great CTAs.
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/8-tips-increase-content-visibility-online-0615720#obuBXD5tm3HfosaL.99

Share, share, share your content! If you use social media networks on a regular basis, you this to your advantage and post updates about the content you just published. You can even post other relevant items with a link to your content as well to further penetrate your market. Tip: Join relevant groups (i.e. on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc…) and post your content and share/comment on other content as well. Just don’t be spammy.
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/8-tips-increase-content-visibility-online-0615720#obuBXD5tm3HfosaL.99

Share, share, share your content! If you use social media networks on a regular basis, you this to your advantage and post updates about the content you just published. You can even post other relevant items with a link to your content as well to further penetrate your market. Tip: Join relevant groups (i.e. on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc…) and post your content and share/comment on other content as well. Just don’t be spammy.

Share, share, share your content! If you use social media networks on a regular basis, you this to your advantage and post updates about the content you just published. You can even post other relevant items with a link to your content as well to further penetrate your market. Tip: Join relevant groups (i.e. on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc…) and post your content and share/comment on other content as well. Just don’t be spammy.
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/8-tips-increase-content-visibility-online-0615720#obuBXD5tm3HfosaL.99

Most companies now understand the importance of maintaining a strong online presence, the constant need to provide worthwhile and fresh content, and the benefits of nurturing client relationships online. So inbound marketing, SEO, and content marketing are all in great demand as we strive for greater sales conversions online. But it is no surprise that there is a tone of competition for your audience’s attention (just because you publish something, doesn’t mean they’ll see it!). 8 Tips To Increase Content Visibility Online image strat So, how do you publish your creative content and promote it so your target audience will see it and more importantly, convert? Below are tips on how to make your content more easily found online. But remember, this won’t happen overnight. On average, it takes roughly 4 months for the average release to accumulate most of its views. Check out 5 Rules to Make Your Content Great for additional advice. Want more? Here’s Proof that Blogging and New Content Boost Traffic and Leads. Create an Editorial Calendar to organize your content/thoughts and publish timely and relevant information that people are looking for. By planning your content ahead of time, you ensure that it aligns with your goals and other marketing activities, such as events or campaigns. See what’s trending in your industry by writing an article that shares and comments on other people’s content. If you can’t think of anything to write about, don’t sweat it. Take a look at what some other’s people in your industry have been talking about and share some of their insights along with yours (don’t forget to give those sources credit!). 8 Tips To Increase Content Visibility Online image social sharingShare, share, share your content! If you use social media networks on a regular basis, you this to your advantage and post updates about the content you just published. You can even post other relevant items with a link to your content as well to further penetrate your market. Tip: Join relevant groups (i.e. on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc…) and post your content and share/comment on other content as well. Just don’t be spammy. Open up conversations. At the end of your article, ask an open-ended question to engage/interact with your audience. The more comments your article gets, the longer it has the potential to stay under people’s radars. Write headlines that will get more clicks. First impressions matter! The title of your article is extremely important because it is the first thing that a reader sees. There is nothing worse than reading a dry/boring headline. Note: Your title should not be too long as most search engines only pull 65 characters. If your title has to be longer, optimize your page with a creative meta-description to briefly explain your article. Check out these Nine Elements of On-Page Website Optimization for further assistance. People love pretty images. There is nothing worse than reading long content without any breaks for visuals. Include a CTA. A CTA within your posts encourages readers to interact with your brand and nurture client relationships. Some tips for creating good CTAs are: use numbers, use action words, keep it brief but enticing, use practical language. Don’t overload the reader with too much information in the call-to-action. Give just enough information that they are clear on the offer, but not too much that it gives everything away. Create curiousity so that they click. Check out 4 Ways to Get More Clicks on Your Calls-To-Action for more information on designing great CTAs. Add relevant keywords. Being specific about your keywords makes the search interest more qualified in viewing your content. Remember to properly incorporate these keywords into the content of your article.
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/8-tips-increase-content-visibility-online-0615720#IsT7S6VwOTUyYq3V.99

Which Game Face Makes The Perfect Campaign Face?

With the U.S. Open’s prize money a whopping 37% higher than last years, it makes us think about who gets what and how these players bring in cash throughout the rest of the year. Clearly it's endorsements - but these endorsements are big hitters for the big names then taper off quickly.

So what makes these players perfect for the advertising world other than the fact that they are the best tennis players in the world? Lets take Federer for example – the marketer’s dream… and I’m not just saying that because us ladies at Purple Arrow think he’s a god. As illustrated by Forbes “He has been at the top of the sport for a decade. He is handsome, graceful and has not sniffed any controversies of note during his career. He is European, but speaks English (and several other languages) perfectly. Federer also plays a sport that runs practically year-round, which keeps his name and image front of mind for many.” So there ya go... he literally defines the word 'perfection'.

Federer, Nadal and Sharapova are prime examples of the ‘all-around perfection’ that makes these elite players the ideal ad.  Although other players may possess the same beauty that translates perfectly to the media world, unfortunately they can’t all be the face of a brand.  The reality is that endorsement money doesn’t reach much further than the top 100 players and as travel and training costs add up the life of luxury isn’t all tennis pro’s reality. I guess if we all had it all there would be nothing to strive for! 

What do you think?

Forbes Article by Kurt Badenhausen Referenced: http://onforb.es/17BHgJf

Pinterest of any interest? How to get followers.

This week we learned that J.Crew's at-home catalog subscribers won't be the first to glimpse the brand's September issue...That honor fell for the first time to J.Crew's Pinterest followers !

It's a big move for a company that, until a year ago, did not have a social media department, nor a Pinterest account. In fact, so far as we've aware, J.Crew is the first clothing brand to debut its catalog on the image-based network.

J.Crew isn't the only apparel brand to choose social media over more traditional channels to introduce its lineup this fall. Late last month, Oscar de la Renta premiered its fall campaign via Instagram. Each image garnered more than 1,000 likes in the first hour.

So you are probably wondering how to get going on Pinterest? We found an interesting article on 'Social Examiner', that sums it up in 10-steps (they do 12 but we've chosen the top 10).

But first...Why More Pinterest Followers?

More Pinterest followers can help you get more likes, repins, comments, clicks and impressions.
This can then help drive traffic, build your profile, generate leads and therefore increase sales.
It also provides an opportunity for you to generate more engagement with your customers.

Here is a summary:

#1: Add the Pinterest Follow Button

Install the Pinterest button in several prominent places on your website and blog—the header, footer, sidebar, etc. Make it easy for people to find your brand page and convert them into followers. To create your button, use the widget builder page on Pinterest or create a custom button that matches your branding. Similar to the Follow button, the profile widget also leads your website visitors to your Pinterest page. But you may find the profile widget more effective than the Follow button because it’s bigger and can display up to 30 of your latest pins.

Find out how to install a profile widget here: Pinterest Business Accounts: The Definitive Guide to Getting Started.

#2: Share a Lot - Be Active  

When you share often, more people will see your pins and those pins lead people back to your page by displaying your details below the pin. Also, when you pin a lot of images people enjoy, Pinterest will recommend you more often to people who pin the same image. This will help you attract a lot more followers.

#3: Comment on Popular Pins

The Popular section on Pinterest consists of pins that have been repinned, liked and commented on several times. Take advantage of this and get people to check out your own page by commenting on these pins.

#4: Mention Others

When appropriate, mention others in the description of a pin or the comments section.

#5: Connect Your Social Networks

Connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts with your Pinterest account to attract your Facebook and Twitter friends and followers to your Pinterest account.

#6: Find Friends From Other Social Networks

Another advantage of connecting your other social networks is you can find friends and connect with them. Connect your accounts and click on your business name in the top right corner of the screen. In the dropdown menu that appears, click on Find Friends. You can then choose the social networks you’ve connected to find friends and followers and follow them on Pinterest.

As you follow people you already have relationships with, they’ll be very likely to follow you back.

#7: Promote Your Individual Boards

Instead of following an entire profile, people prefer following boards on subjects they’re interested in. Work on getting followers for your most popular boards instead of the entire account.
Go through your brand page and look for your most popular boards and promote them to gain more followers.

#8: Contribute to Others’ Boards

A quick way to attract followers is to contribute to popular group boards that already have a lot of followers. When you contribute quality pins to these boards, their followers become your followers, too—if they like your pins.

#9: Follow Others

Look for people with similar interests, follow them and a fraction of them will follow you back. Continue to follow the ones who follow you back and unfollow the ones who don’t. Repeat the process.

#10: Run Contests

There are two ways to gain followers when you run a Pinterest contest. You can either base entry in the contest upon following you or you can use a tool like Rafflecopter to give away a few extra entries for those who follow you.


Remember...

It’s not just about getting followers, it’s also about keeping them happy. Make the extra effort to keep your followers satisfied so they’ll continue following you instead of leaving you.
Here are a couple of ways to keep followers happy:

• Don’t share everything at once: Instead of clouding your followers’ feeds with your pins all at once, time your pins to go out at regular intervals. You can easily do this by using a scheduling tool like Curalate.
• Stick to one topic per board: One way to lose your board followers quickly is to share irrelevant pins to your boards. It’s okay to share lots of different topics on different boards, but make sure you stick to one topic per board to keep your followers happy and get them craving more. 
• Aim |  Shoot | Acquire!