Visual Social Marketing: A shift from read to view

CHAPTER 1

Basics of Visual Social Media Marketing

Objectives

This chapter will enable the reader to:

• Gain knowledge on recent trends and understand the concept of visual social marketing

• Tuned to various social media platforms and get a know on their working methodology.

• Get a fair idea on the usage of social media and benefits received.

• Adept to the introduction of visual social marketing strategies.

Caselet - Implementing of visuals for marketing by a company to enhance click through rate

This is the case about a nursery that sells trees, plants, creepers ,flower bulbs and garden accessories under the horticulture division of a particular state. The team’s content repository was so enriched that it helped masses to take care of their garden. They also had a web application, which was at its initial stage and wasn’t able to reach their target audience or in other words was not able to initiate a reaction from the target audience. The audience would only flip through the web pages but were not subscribing to the email list or were buying any item or commenting on the web repository. Since the nursery was under a specific horticulture department, they got guidelines to quickly design banner ads and set up a quick A/B split test, by using Visual Website Optimizer. The banner ads information page generated more than hundred percent plus visits to the "top deals page and fifty five percent increase in subscription and thirty three percent increase in sales and below is the sample of the banner ad which helped them to achieve the same. (Fig 1)

jpg Figure 1: Case Study

1.1 Evolution of Marketing Channels

Marketing channels have evolved to great extent in last 20 years from traditional to digital channels. Over a period of time many strategies were introduced, some of them have good results and some failed to satisfy the businesses and consumers. Until recently, outbound marketing methods such as print or TV ads were only mediums to reach audience in masses. Today we talk about online marketing, digital campaigns etc. Marketing has travelled through paper based to mobile and still new concepts are being discovered.(Fig 2)

jpg Figure 2 Evolution of Marketing Channels

In above Figure 2, we can see the journey of marketing channels. Before 90s the only direct marketing channel was postal mail service to send newsletters or brochures or leaflets. Then internet was introduced and some features of internet made marketing little convenient and faster. People started using emails and search engines for marketing purpose. Later in early 2000, internet presented some more useful tools like blogging, chatting etc. Down the line social media portals were introduced and they changed the whole marketing game. Today social media websites and channels are most preferred marketing channels across the globe. Moving on, everything started migrating from ‘e’ to ‘m’ i.e. from computer based to mobile based. And today we talk about ‘Inbound Marketing’,which is the process of attracting the attention of prospects via content creation, before they are even ready to buy.

1.1.1 Conventional Marketing Strategies and Challenges

Traditional marketing is actually a broad category of marketing which in fact includes many forms of advertising and marketing. It’s undoubtedly, is most used and the most recognized types of marketing, the advertisements we listen and watch every day are a part of this marketing. There are four categories, under which all marketing efforts can be categorized:

1. Print

2. Broadcast

3. Direct mail

4. Telephone.

Print

Print marketing or paper-based marketing is the oldest form of marketing where papers are used to market the product or services. In today’s context print marketing refers to advertising space in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and other printed materials intended for distribution.

Broadcast

In Broadcast marketing TV and Radio are widely used to spread marketing contents. Radio is being used since 1920 for marketing whereas TV is explored first time in year 1941.

Direct Mail

Sending brochures, leaflets, post cards etc. by using postal mail services, falls under Direct mail marketing. This method is one of the most ancient methods of marketing. In around 1888, this method was used first time for marketing purpose.

Telephone

Telephone marketing or telemarketing is the practice of conveying message to consumer to convince to buy product or services. This marketing method is still used but has become somewhat controversial. Few countries have enforced some regulations on this marketing channel.

Traditional marketing has cons and challenges in present market.

• Traditional marketing is not targeted and hence may not result in healthy conversions.

• Traditional marketing is forced on audience, as they come across it daily through various entertainment and information medium.

• No community of like-minded consumers for traditional marketing. Unlike digital marketing it doesn’t propagate from one audience to other.

• Traditional marketing today is not preferred as most of the buyers expect different content altogether.

• Traditional marketing lacks in providing ample amount of data for analysis and decision making process.

1.1.2 Recent Trends in Marketing

As the buying behavior is changing, marketing strategies are changing as well. Marketing cannot be limited to merely sharing the information about product or service, but must monitor many other things to satisfy customers as well as business needs. Recent trends in marketing emphasize on:

• Quality, Value, and Customer Satisfaction.

• Relationship Building and Customer Retention.

• Managing Business Processes and Integrated Business Functions.

• Global Thinking and Local Market Planning.

• Strategic Alliances and Networks.

• Direct and Online Marketing.

• Services Marketing.

• High-tech Industries.

• Ethical Marketing Behavior.

Organizations are putting lot of efforts and money to attract and retain the customers. Day by day the competition is becoming very difficult to even survive. Use of technology and collaborative business models are becoming big threats to small and standalone businesses. The amount of money and other resources businesses are investing in marketing and advertising is immense. There is only one way to be in the competition and that is to use technology enabled marketing and reach the volume of audience across the globe with standard content. Technology also helps in analysis of the performance of campaigns, which we run for marketing and helps in making required improvements. In the past couple of years one can see, many companies have started outsourcing their marketing campaigns to third parties which are expert in marketing of products and services.

1.1.3 Digital Marketing-Evolution, Concept & Practices

On one hand, marketing is a tool to create and satisfy demand, wherein the digital marketing drives the creation of demand with the help of worldwide spread Internet network, and satisfies this demand in new and innovative ways. The Internet facilitates easy and efficient way of interaction. Internet is so popular because it not only allows the exchange of currency but allows the exchange of values in a way.

Businesses can gain time, attention and advocacy from the consumer by using internet. Entertainment, enlightenment and utility are the values for user; content marketing and visual marketing are the powerful way to create value. The most important aspect of digital marketing is that; it should be two-way. If one entity acts, it should be reciprocated by other entity.

Businesses are changing, the Internet is changing the way of doing business. Though it is not a new marketing altogether; instead, it has created a new paradigm for the way in which consumers connect with brands and with each other as well. If we look at the complete lifecycle of marketing practices on the Internet – positioning and promoting, purchasing, distributing of products, services and offering other services. The web enabled platform exposes consumers with more choices, more price range, more information and more power. Brands have new ways of selling, new products and services to sell, and new markets to which they can sell.

It is obvious that the marketing agencies are shifting too. Old school ‘traditional’ agencies are getting better at digital marketing, while agencies that started out as digital shops are starting to play in the traditional advertising space. More than ever, integrated strategies that speak to an overall brand identity are vital to achieve an organization’s goals. Consumers are increasingly more active in their activities across various channels and in their use of multiple channels at once. And when consumers are using multiple channels they expect that their brands to be available on all platforms and channels. However, one can say that marketing on the Internet is totally new and has no connection with marketing rules and business concepts. Instead, the Internet is a tool to gain maximum throughput from these concepts and rules. Profit is still revenue minus cost. The Internet does not change that.

Note

Marketing strategies have changed with respect to change in the behavior of buyers and range of products. Though traditional marketing cannot be called as obsolete but it is not as effective as newer marketing methods are.

Self-Assessment Questions

Fill in the blanks

1. Before 90s the only ______________________was postal mail service to send newsletters or brochures or leaflets.

2. Radio is being used since ___________ for marketing whereas TV is explored first time in year ______________.

3. Down the line _________________________ were introduced and they changed the whole marketing game.

4. Businesses can gain time, _______________________________from the consumer using internet.

5. Consumers are increasingly more active in their activities across various___________ and in their use of multiple of channels at once.

State whether the following statements are true or false

1. Marketing these days has more Emphasis on Quality, Value, and Customer Satisfaction.

2. These days marketing is more concerned about Global Thinking and Local Market Planning.

3. Use of technology and collaborative business models are not threats to small and standalone businesses.

1.2 Introduction to Visual Social Media

A research says that, a message or information we hear, only 10-15% of it we remember after 3 days, while if we see that information in pictorial or graphical form we can recall about 65-70% of it. Since from the beginning of time, human brain can easily capture and remembers anything which is pictorial. When someone reads words, they see the characters as little pictures, which take the brain longer to comprehend.

It’s crystal clear that digital marketers can’t afford to see visual marketing as least important method of marketing anymore.

Venngage’s has studied 300 online marketers in December 2016 and found that in 2015, 41% of marketers admitted that approximately 90% of their content are either pure visual content or contained visual components. In 2016, that number grew by 12% and became 53%. The increase by 12% illustrates the increasing importance of visual content in digital marketing.

1.2.1 Introduction to Social Media

Social media is a tool to create, share, exchange ideas, concept, information in virtual communities and network. There are many such portals which enable people to network globally. Few to name in this category;

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

• Google Plus YouTube, etc.

Features of Social Media

• Social media is about discussions, group, associating with the people and building connections. It is not only a communication but it deals and promote device.

• Authenticity, honesty and open dialogue are key.

• Social media not just enables to hear what individuals say, yet empowers to react. First, listen and then talk. (Figure 3)

jpg Figure 3 Key Social Media Platforms

Social media is not limited to networking with people; it offers wide range of facilities and tools to showcase interest and expertise as well. Social media is becoming professionally a recognized platform for various assessments and hence gradually it is becoming a serious task.

1.2.2 History of Social Media

The earliest method of communication over distance was written correspondences or letters. Messages used to be delivered by hand from one person to another person. In 1792, the telegraph was invented. This allowed messages to be delivered over a long distance far faster than a horse and rider could carry them. In year 1890 and 1891 two most important discoveries happened, in 1890 telephone and in 1891 radio was discovered. Both technologies are still in use today, although the modern versions are much more sophisticated than their predecessors.

Innovation started to change the above trend in the twentieth Century. After the PCs were made in the 1940s, researchers and specialists started to network between those PCs, and this later prompted the introduction of the Internet.

By the 1980s, the changes were faster, home computers became more common and social media evolved in a sophisticated manner. Chatting platforms, or IRCs, were used for the first time in 1988 and continued to be popular even after couple of years of invention i.e. 1990’s.

The first recognized social media was Six Degrees, created in 1997. It was all about uploading profile and making friends over internet. In year 1999, first blogging site came to existence and allowed people to share their thoughts. After the invention of blogging, social media began to explode in popularity. Sites like My space and LinkedIn gained prominence in the early 2000s, and sites like Photo bucket and Flickr facilitated online photo sharing.

YouTube was introduced in year 2005, and offered a new way and means to people for sharing and showcasing their stuff. By the year 2006 Facebook and Twitter were launched and social media became the un-detachable part of virtual life of billions of people across the globe.(Figure 4)

jpg Figure 4 History of Social Media

Today, there are not less than 10 thousand social networking portals with wide variety of services, and many of them are capable of linking with each other and facilitate cross-posting. Social media platforms allow user to communicate with mass without sacrificing the intimacy of person-to-person communication. We can only speculate what the future of social networking may look in the next decade or even 100 years from now, but it seems clear that it will exist in some form for as long as humans are alive.

1.2.3 Introduction to Social Media Platforms

Visual contents add lot of value to digital marketing, we agree to this. But now the question arises, which platforms are best to showcase the visual contents. There are many available but some of them have really performed outstanding;

Facebook

While Facebook might be declining being used among youngsters, despite everything it stays solid with whatever is left. As per few Research Center, 72 percent of online American grown-ups and 77 percent of online ladies (the essential spenders in the house) are Facebook clients. 82 percent of grown-ups who are between the ages of 18 and 29 utilize Facebook, alongside 79 percent of those between the ages of 30 and 49. If a business has optimal customer who is beyond 18 years old, they are doubtlessly on Facebook. Facebook is additionally a profoundly visual platform and the better visual content which discover its way into the newsfeed before the customers.

Instagram

Instagram is little different than Facebook as far as users demographic is concerned. 28% of online adults use Instagram, while around 55% of online teenagers use Instagram.

It is suggested that if the target audience is between 18-30 age group, then Instagram can be the right option to go with. This site likewise demands superb pictures that are significant to the target audience’s advantages. Before a user hits post, one should ask himself: Is the picture alluring? Is it rousing or imaginative? Does it advance a way of life? Does it offer some incentive to the target audience? Does it demonstrate one’s items being used? What’s more, will it emerge in a quick moving newsfeed? And so on.

Pinterest

When we wish to use social media for visual contents, Pinterest is definitely one of the best and fruitful options to go with. The platform is literally a virtual bulletin board for images offering extremely good UI and tools for visual content display.

Like Instagram, one should be creating boards with images that are customer-centric. Pinterest is gradually becoming a search engine in itself. People look at Pinterest for solution to their problems. By December 2016, Pinterest has announced 150 million users on board, which proves the popularity this platform has achieved in a short span of 7 years.

YouTube

YouTube can be looked and used as visual content marketing platform for many reasons. However, video definitely falls into the category of visual, and many businesses have started creating short video ads for their product or service promotion. Nowadays all TV Ads are also published on online platforms like YouTube. YouTube has huge user base of around 81% of total online crowd. In March of 2015, 98.3 percent of viewers between the ages of 18 and 24 spent an average of 10 hours on the site. What more businesses will ask for, this portal offers everything a digital marketing needs. YouTube offers wide range of interest categories, which helps advertiser to select the right category to display their visual content for better conversion.

Whichever social media platform is used by us, the contents should be interesting, educational and should precisely communicate the message we wish to convey. The type and form of content should vary from platform to platform depending upon user demographic and other criteria.

Note

Social media has become Un-detachable part of business today. May it be marketing, sales or analysis, social media is a tool for everything. Only conventional marketing cannot help businesses to survive for long time, they must be accompanied by