Marketing With Vine: Leveraging the Power of 6-Second Videos |  |
- Marketing With Vine: Leveraging the Power of 6-Second Videos
- Your Green Office: Energy-Saving Tips for Small Businesses
- Google Announces Web Designer, Enhancements to DoubleClick
- Why You Should Be Focusing On Visual Content Marketing
- Sony Introduces a 13 Inch Tablet That Slides Up Into A Laptop
- How the IRS Scandal Might Benefit Small Business
| Marketing With Vine: Leveraging the Power of 6-Second Videos Posted: 11 Jun 2013 02:00 AM PDT
If you haven’t heard yet, Vine is now available on Android and is now surpassing Instagram in total Twitter shares, reports MarketingLand. Vine is an app that lets you creates 6-second videos. The app’s description invites you to “Create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see.” You then can load your Vine videos on to Twitter or other social accounts. Vine was previously available only to Apple mobile device users (iPhone, iPad etc.), where it was downloaded by 13 million people and became so popular that Twitter acquired it in October 2012. According to Twitter, 12 million Vine videos are posted to the microblogging site daily. Some might doubt the marketing power of a video that lasts only seconds. But the same doubts might have been raised about photo sharing app Instagram a year ago before Facebook paid a billion dollars for it. Here are some tips from the community for marketing using Vine videos. Marketing With VineAnimate Your Images - Social Media Today Vine provides an easy way to create animation on a mobile device. By stopping and starting the video while recording, you can make creative animated videos like Lowe’s video of ants invading a sandbox and Urban Outfitters’ dancing sneakers, writes blogger Julie Blakely. Keep Your Story Short - YayaConnection With the perceived short attention span of the younger generation, ages 18 to 24, and the busyness of the average Web surfer or mobile user, Vine is seen as an ideal way to tell your company’s story these days. Analytics specialist Bridget Kelly introduces us to the 6 second history of denim at The Gap or a six second love story between a pineapple and a bottle of Malibu Rum. Get Your Customers Involved - Big Ideas Blog There’s no reason to stop with just making your own Vine video clips either. In this post, Megan Totka, chief editor for ChamberofCommerce.com suggests the ease of use of the Vine app makes it perfect for encouraging fans of your business or brand to get creative too. For example, create a contest for your customers to send in a video using your product in imaginative ways and give prizes to the winners. Start With a Plan - Smart Insights Just because a Vine video is incredibly easy to make and is only six seconds long, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be planned out, says Mark Donington, Lead Designer of Higher Ground Creative. Donington suggests starting with a narrative and planning what you want to say before you start recording. Think Elevator Pitch - Silicon Beach Training It might sound strange to think about a video this way. But just as an elevator pitch forces you to share your business idea in less time than it takes to reach the executive suite, a short video requires focus. Think about what you could do to demonstrate the greatness of your product in 6 seconds or less. Make a Lasting Impression - Hubspot Six seconds may be too little time for a lengthy marketing message, but it’s enough time to create a lasting impression with a truly creative video. Think about a way you could use those six seconds to create a memorable impression of your brand with a story or series of images customers will never forget. Here are 15 real world examples from branding expert Hannah Fleishman. Focus on Visual Elements - Reel SEO Focus on the visual elements of your brand. This could be easier for some businesses than for others. For example, later this month 20th Century Fox released the highly anticipated film “The Wolverine” starring Hugh Jackman, and two months ago issued a Vine teaser of the new film, generating buzz. Your business may not be as visually stunning as a Hollywood blockbuster, but look for ways to tell your story in an exciting and visual way. Remember Your Marketing Basics - Hyperbot Vine may be a new marketing tool, but in the end, it’s not so different from other tools that have come before. Though blogger Clyde Smith is talking specifically about how musicians can use Vine to market their work online, the principles are the same. Consider what techniques have worked in previous online video platforms like YouTube and don’t forget to be creative. Always Remember the Social Aspect - Social Media Examiner Yes, Vine is an app allowing you to easily create six-second videos. But it is also one of a new breed of social media tools acquired by Twitter and similar to other social tools like Instagram. When shared via Twitter or on other sites, Vine can be a powerful way to engage with your customers. Kristi Hines gives you some ideas on how to do it. Be Sure You Have a Strategy in Place - Mittcom You can use Vine to market your brand or business in so many ways. From giving customers a look behind the scenes in your business to giving a preview of new products to heighten anticipation. Remember, though, that like any marketing campaign, you’ll want a strategy in place first to make your efforts more effective. The post Marketing With Vine: Leveraging the Power of 6-Second Videos appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Your Green Office: Energy-Saving Tips for Small Businesses Posted: 10 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT
Unless you enjoy working by candlelight on a manual typewriter, the power bill is a necessary evil for your small business. It's also one of the last areas business owners consider when it comes to reducing expenses—but it should be at the top of the list. There are plenty of ways you can save big on your energy costs, while helping the environment at the same time. From small changes in your habits to investments that pay for themselves, here are some great energy-saving tips for your business. Your Green OfficeLet There Be Light (Sometimes)It's easy to overlook the lights in your business. You turn them on when it's dark, or simply out of habit at the beginning of the day and (hopefully) turn them off when you leave. But if you make a conscious effort to control excessive light use, you can save quite a bit on your energy bill. Here's how. Inexpensive and Free:
Energy-Saving Lighting Investments:
Warm-Ups and Cool-DownsWhen you're dealing with Mother Nature's mood swings all year, you need a way to control the temperature inside your business. Heating and air conditioning often represent the biggest chunk of money on your electric bill, but there are ways to reduce the burden and still keep things comfortable inside. Here's how. Heating Tips:
Cooling Tips:
Things That Plug InComputers, equipment, and appliances seem to run on money instead of power. Fortunately, this is also one of the biggest areas you can save energy costs in. Here's how. Plug-In Tips:
How do you conserve energy in your small business? Green Office Concept Photo via Shutterstock The post Your Green Office: Energy-Saving Tips for Small Businesses appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Google Announces Web Designer, Enhancements to DoubleClick Posted: 10 Jun 2013 01:30 PM PDT
Google is set to launch a new app to help advertisers create Web ads and engaging Web content assets, using a standard called HTML5. The new tool is called Google Web Designer. Neal Mohan, Google’s Vice President of Display Advertising, pre-announced it on the official DoubleClick Advertiser blog:
Google Web Designer is not exactly what the names implies — and that has created some confusion on the Web. Several sites reported it was a tool to design websites. However, its main purpose appears not to be about creating websites. Google already offers Google Sites. Rather, Google Web Designer was pitched by Mohan as a tool to create rich media advertisements at last week’s Think DoubleClick industry event. This new product appears created to address the growth of mobile devices. Currently the DoubleClick Studio contains Flash tools for building rich media ads. According to Mohan in a video address to the audience at the Think DoubleClick event, rich media ads are hot. There has been a “50% increase in engagement rating for rich media ads over the course of the past several months,” he says. However, Flash-based creative has some limitations. It’s not viewable on many mobile devices such as tablets (including Google’s own Android platform), without users going through complicated work-arounds or installing special plugins. HTML5 is important to enable rich media such as video-based creative to be readily viewable on mobile devices. Google Web Designer will allow agencies and advertisers to build advertising creative that can run across all modern devices and modern browsers in HTML5 format. It will be available within DoubleClick and as a stand alone tool. Google Web Designer Not the Only DoubleClick ImprovementThis new product is one more step in the growing range of advertising-related product offerings Google is building out under the DoubleClick brand. They were previewed last week at the Think DoubleClick event, after a brief review of the online advertising industry. As Mohan points out, people have been predicting — wrongly — the demise of display advertising almost since the beginning. “We’ve seen how all that’s turned out,” he notes humorously, adding that display advertising is a $200 billion industry opportunity. Mohan walked through the online-advertising history, starting with DoubleClick for Publishers, an application that started 15 years ago and three years after the first display ad debuted on the Web. Google acquired DoubleClick in 2008. Google AdSense, the Google ads that publishers place on their websites and the product many think of when they think about Google advertising, is 10 years old. If you’re not familiar with DoubleClick for Publishers, it is an ad serving program that intelligently delivers ads on a website, tracks performance metrics such as click-through rates, provides reports, and more. AdSense ads can be delivered through DoubleClick for Publishers, or publishers can deliver their own direct-sold ads or house ads. There’s a main version of DoubleClick for Publishers. And there’s also a free version called DFP for Small Business (Small Business Trends uses DFP for Small Business to serve ads on this site). In other news last week, Mohan announced Campaign Manager, which is the renamed and upgraded advertiser tool platform. Recognizing the importance of social, Google also has integrated Wildfire into DoubleClick, to get a better sense of how your social presence feeds into your advertising efforts. He says this is just the first step of the integration between Wildfire and DoubleClick — more to come. Also announced was better integration between advertising using YouTube video and DoubleClick. Image: video still from Think DoubleClick Correction: Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick was announced in 2007 but not completed until 2008 after regulatory approval was given. The post Google Announces Web Designer, Enhancements to DoubleClick appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Why You Should Be Focusing On Visual Content Marketing Posted: 10 Jun 2013 11:00 AM PDT
Visual Concept Photo via Shutterstock It’s time to reevaluate your content marketing game-plan. If you’re still pumping out articles and blog posts that consist of no more than a catchy title, some bulleted lists and a few bold headlines, you’re going to need to step it up. It’s a visual world, and those that want to establish an effective online presence need to keep up with the latest in the online content arena. Consider visuals and visual content marketing your new content marketing frontier. The fact is, there’s just too much text out there. People don’t have the time to read about all of the things they want (or need) to learn about over the Internet. Cutting corners by condensing lengthy text content and spacing out short paragraphs to maintain readers’ attention can only do so much. Online text can be extremely well-written and engaging, but users are still going to rapidly scan through content, quickly moving on to the next shiny article that catches their eye. If you want your content to flourish, you’ve got to start incorporating a variety of visuals throughout your text. Of course, the quality of your textual content still remains important; however, search engines and the general public are after more than just words. Visuals rank highly. On top of that they’re also highly sharable: Think about it, it’s way easier to share an image, video or comic on social media and other venues than it is to share a standard 500-2500 word article. Furthermore, if you do share the latter, people aren’t going to get the main idea simply by glancing at it. With visuals it’s a different story–subject matter can be absorbed through just a glance, unlike a slew of paragraphs. Just Remember This About Your Visual ContentOne rule that should be stated before we go any further is that it is extremely important that you supply original visual content. The same rules that apply to textual content marketing apply to visual content marketing: Don’t copy someone else’s idea or design. Be creative or your content won’t make it on the public’s radar (or Google’s for that matter). If you find that someone else’s visual is just too perfect not to use in your content marketing, at least give credit to the source you got it from. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to some examples that will get your creative juices flowing. Below are some ideas for visual content marketing that will popularize your content. Visual Content MarketingInfographicsData driven content is is key to pleasing both readers and search engines. Infographics are a great way to combine facts like stats and percentages with helpful visuals that drive the point home. They’re also a great way to teach a process or set of facts that is hard to conceptualize. An infographic explains a popular topic in an engaging, visual way and is much more effective than an article on the content marketing process. Readers are more likely to give more of their time to something that’s visual in nature. Graphic visual representations are worth many words, and they can convey things that would take way too much text to get the point across. What’s more: Like most other visuals, they’re easily sharable. MemesMemes are a tough racket, but they’re a hot ticket. Basically, a meme is a humorous visual that spreads rapidly through Internet-based sharing platforms like blogs, e-mail, video sharing sites and social media. If you don’t have the slightly awkward, effortlessly witty, ironic touch that meme generators tend to have, then you might not ever come up with a hilarious or genius meme that will get proliferated over the Web. However, you’ll never know until you try. Graphs and ChartsCharts and graphs are another way to drive a fact or a point home with data-purposed content. People love statistics, but they especially love looking at the numbers when they’re actually looking at the numbers. Don’t just splat statistics out on the page, visualize them with a color-coded bar graph or an innovative piechart
Cartoons and ComicsThere’s a reason people turn to the comics first in the newspaper: They’re way more fun to read than the text that they are sandwiched between. Try using comics or cartoons to engage your readers and keep them interested in what you’re trying to say. As users are scrolling through your posts or articles, a comic can stop them in their tracks. The effect of cartoons and comics helps readers absorb a decent amount of what an article’s purpose is because those visual cues keep readers going. MapsMaps are great visuals for informational content, and if you can color-code your map and add more visuals to make it more interesting, that’s even better. Many times a map can be a great indicator of data driven content. A map is really just a type of infographic that conveys the purpose of a topic with very little text; however, they’re extremely effective. For example, a map of Chicago detailing the high-risk crime areas can be color coded to get the point across with virtually no text. By just looking at the map for a moment users can see information in an instant that would take a few paragraphs to explain. VideosOf course, videos are also a great visual tool to use throughout your articles, and search engines love them. They’re also highly sharable. You just have to remember to keep it original and professional. If you’re going to go to the trouble to produce a unique video, you might as well do it right. Hire a team of experts to plan, shoot and edit your video. Think about adding some original music, even. A well-done video will get you respect in your industry, and it will impress your customer base. ConclusionAgain, as with any content marketing, what you produce should be original. If you don’t have the experienced personal to publish unique content of your own, like infographics, comics, charts, and maps; hire a graphic designer. It’s a small investment for what could be a big opportunity in your content marketing campaign. Visual content marketing should now be your main objective if you’re out to better your online presence. Inputing visual aids into your content is also proven to get your site ranked higher in the nations top search engines. So if your content marketing objective is SEO, then visual content marketing should be number one on your to do list. Know that if you really want make a point–or an impression–on the world wide Web, you’d better immediately start using a variety of visual techniques in your content marketing that capture an audience’s attention, inviting them to share your imagery with the click of a mouse. If you play your cards right–you could even go viral. The post Why You Should Be Focusing On Visual Content Marketing appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Sony Introduces a 13 Inch Tablet That Slides Up Into A Laptop Posted: 10 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT
If you’re looking for a large tablet that turns into a laptop, or vice versa, Sony introduces one that has it all — for a price. The Vaio Duo 13 is a tablet with a 13-inch screen. Set it on a flat surface and it transforms from a tablet into a laptop (or all-in-one PC) with a single sliding motion. It’s an update to the company’s Duo 11 from last year, with a larger screen. It comes in just two colors — what the company calls Carbon Black and Carbon White finishes. As tablets go, Dan Ackerman of CNET pronounces it a “little bulky.” That is true. But if you need a tablet to double as a laptop with a physical keyboard so that you get two types of devices in one package, this Vaio Duo 13 could offer a versatile solution. At about three-quarters of an inch thick and weighing under 3 pounds, it still is portable. Vaio Duo 13 – Features That Resonate With Business UsersThe Vaio Duo 13 follows the hybrid tablet trend we’ve been watching avidly. Hybrids seem to resonate with business people. Whether there’s enough interest for hybrids to catch on permanently as a device category remains to be seen, however. With the Vaio Duo 13, there is no keyboard dock to attach. Instead the keyboard is concealed under the screen when in tablet configuration, waiting to be slid in place when needed. Remembering your keyboard is one less thing to think about for entrepreneurs or other mobile professionals when carrying your tablet with you. Business users will also appreciate that it runs Windows 8. It boasts a 10+ hour battery life. Here’s another feature business users may appreciate: like other tablets, the Vaio Duo 13 has a rear camera for taking vivid photos. But IDG News also reports that the device’s image capture software can also double as a scanner for documents. Take a photo of a document and then use the Vaio Duo 13′s imaging software to “straighten it out” like a scanned document. Optical character recognition software can even recognize the text from the scanned item. You can also write on the screen with a stylus, so you can take notes while using it as a tablet. Another cool feature is a so-called “constant connection” which means that, like smartphones, the computer stays connected to the Internet downloading emails and updating applications even while in sleep mode. In his review (video below), Ackerman also praises the easy-to-use keyboard and even the narrow but functional touchpad mouse (“it’s better than not having one”). However, he points out that the slant of the screen when the device is in laptop configuration, cannot be adjusted and may not be for everyone. The Vaio Duo 13 just went on sale in the U.S. and it is pricey at $1,399. However, the device features the new Intel Haswell-based microprocessor, giving it considerable functionality, reports Venture Beat. Image: Sony The post Sony Introduces a 13 Inch Tablet That Slides Up Into A Laptop appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| How the IRS Scandal Might Benefit Small Business Posted: 10 Jun 2013 05:00 AM PDT A few weeks ago, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) admitted that some of its employees improperly subjected to disproportionate scrutiny to conservative groups seeking to set up non-profit status. While you might think that the scandal has little to do with small business, in the strange world of Washington — where everything influences everything else — the scandal has the potential to benefit small business owners in several ways. The biggest potential gain for small business owners lies in the ammunition the scandal provides Republicans in their effort to challenge the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the GOP has thus far failed to stop the new health care law, the scandal gives Republicans the opportunity to hinder the tax agency's efforts to enforce the law. By hammering away at the theme that the IRS cannot be trusted, the GOP may be able deny the tax authority the funds it needs to administer the new law. That, it turns out, will benefit small business owners, who tend to oppose the ACA. A Gallup Survey of small business owners conducted in April revealed that 48 percent think the new law will be bad for business, while only 9 percent think it will be good, and 39 percent think it will have no impact. The cost of the new law, and the benefits of any reduced enforceability, will fall largely on small businesses because almost all big companies provide employee health insurance. In 2012, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 98 percent of businesses with 200 or more employees offered employee health insurance, but only 61 percent of companies with fewer than 200 employees did. The scandal also adds to the credibility of the Tea Party groups, who are major supporters of small business. Conservative organizations claimed months ago that they had been singled out for unfair treatment, but many were skeptical of their claims. Being the victim of the IRS has boosted the favorability of the Tea Party movement, a CNN/ORC International survey suggests. Between the March poll (before the news of the scandal broke) and the latest poll, the Tea Party's favorability increased nine percentage points, CNN reports. If the Tea Party can capitalize on the scandal to garner support in the mid-term elections, their electoral success should work to the advantage of small business owners. Tea Party supporters are more likely than other voters to believe that cutting taxes on small business is a good approach to job creation, a 2010 Winston Group survey revealed. Moreover, nearly two-thirds of small business owners believe in the Tea Party idea that the government is too expansive, as compared to less than half of all Americans, A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll showed. Then there's the effect of the scandal on IRS audits themselves. The tax agency might need to cut back on audits in the wake of the scandal, as it seeks to rebuild its trust with the American people. That would be a welcome respite for successful small business owners who have seen an increase in the rate of IRS examinations in recent years. According to the IRS's annual data book, the audit rate for business returns of between $200,000 and $1 million jumped from 2.8 percent in 2008 to 3.7 percent in 2012. Perhaps a corollary of the proposition that "politics makes strange bedfellows" should be: "politics creates unexpected linkages." The post How the IRS Scandal Might Benefit Small Business appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
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