Mediaboss Marketing

The Outdoor Industry vs The Digital World

Unlike any other, the outdoor industry provides a real chance for a lifestyle business of entrepreneurial dreams.

Like many, I started my own business for the freedom of creating my own destiny, the autonomy to go where I want to go, when I want to go. To create a business that mirrors my own values and would have the culture I sought but did not find at other places I previously worked.

For me, this meant creating a values-based agency focused on helping great companies with a mission to achieve both profit and impact. Over the last six years, we have found a values-alignment with companies across a wide array of industries with one clear standoutthe outdoors.

Entrepreneurs and their teams working in outdoors have come to this business out of their passion to be outside in the beauty and serenity of natureriding bikes, hanging at the mountain, rafting down the river, camping and drinking beer at the outdoor pub. A rich, full, community-filled lifestyle leading as their most important values.

It wasnt until I moved my family (and my digital agency) to the outdoor mecca of the Rogue Valley, Oregon that I began to see I had been missing the mark on this thing called life. The 10-12 hours a day sitting inside, at my desk, staring at a screen, running social media & digital marketing programs for big sports and entertainment properties, and tech companies satisfied my bank account but not my soul.

As my team jumped into working with outdoor companies like my husbands bike bling e-commerce business AVT.bike and MTO EDU member Revant Optics, I realized a tension point between the pull of outdoor professionals to be well, outside, with the push to move fast into digital.

The growing need to connect with modern day consumers, the fierce competition of big box retailers with hundreds of millions in digital advertising dollars, and digital-first, direct-to-consumer brands popping up seemingly out of nowhere felt at complete odds with the intention of the teams who work in this arena.

A conundrum, indeed.

And then, a point of clarity.

I saw the light of what happens when it all comes together. The seemingly opposite dynamics, coming together, juxtaposed into a perfect yin-yang balance.

And its when this balance strikes, the dream lifestyle business comes into play. Entrepreneurs, this is the promised land.

The outdoor industry values of community, connection and experiences are a perfect pairing with great social media and digital marketing. The resultthe important interconnection between our physical and digital worlds, where online-offline communities coalesce into meaningful experiences, events and yes!: social sharing, evangelism and sales.

And heres the real magic (and the reason for my personal passion)the people who are stuck looking at a screen all day, like I was, are all in desperate need of more time outdoors, whether they know it or not.

Of course, this is the exact point of REIs annual Black Friday #OptOutside campaign (feel encouraged to enjoy this instagram feed of over 14 million amazing outdoor photos using the hashtag).

Its this potential for creating change, for impacting humans on a deeper level where the outdoor industry has a profound opportunity.

Its going outside, connecting with other humans and waking up to the majestic world nature has provided that is the antidote to our addictions to technology and the dopamine fix of social media.

But for the industry to reach its full potential, for outdoor businesses to connect to consumers in this increasingly digital world, to outcompete Amazon and Backcountry.comwe need to overcome the resistance and avoidance of learning and investing in the powerful tools of data-based digital marketing, social media and e-commerce.

For business owners and marketers who would rather be outside, these key insights need to be screamed from the mountaintop.

Business Owners - I know theres a tendency for CEOs, GMs, and Owner-Operators to think this digital stuff is for their marketing team to cover and not something you need to concern yourself with. Thats a mistake. Just like you have to understand whats happening in ops and finance and management, you also have to understand the impact of digital and social media, too.

You dont have to be a pro but you do need to know some things. You need to understand the potential for your business and the path to get there. You need to know what resources and expertise you need to tap, and who can do what in-house vs what you can augment with agency and contractors (Hint: keep community managers in-house, outsource senior strategists and subject matter experts). You need to understand how much to invest and where, and you need to know how to know if youre getting a return on your investment.

Too often business leaders do not have this knowledge and they hire young people who also do not have this knowledge. I see this so much, Ive written a whole blog on the topic. If youre not able to give them the guidance and management they need, likely, nobody is. And it likely means youre investing in the wrong things and NOT showing a return on your investment. Theres a big difference between getting likes and increasing revenue.

As the business leader, these are the absolute most basic requirementsfor those that dont want to just operate at the baseline, the next step is to actually become a social leader. All the data shows this is a beneficial and profitable investment of your time.

Seventy-eight percent of people prefer to work for a company whose leadership is active on social media yet only 20% of CEOs have a social network account as of January of this year.

From more than a decade of teaching social, this boils down to a lack of understanding impact, prioritization or paralysis. To combat this, when I teach executives how to do social media, I teach them with the intention of getting it down to one hour a week. One hour a week can make an enormous difference, when you have a clear path and training. Once you know how to do it, its just like that time you finally figure out how to not catch an edge on a snowboardsuccess and bliss.

Outdoor Marketers - Oh, boy do I know youre busy right now, having just got off the Black Friday and Cyber Monday train. And now, its time to jump right into the holiday sales craziness to finish Q4 strong. For retailers, the last quarter of the year should deliver your biggest revenue with the first quarter a close second.

One of the biggest challenges I see with outdoor industry marketers the most is doing all the things, especially when it comes to those of you in retail: in-store, POS, email, advertising, email, print and sometimes also working the floor and/or customer service.

Its a lot and requires you to be a generalist. Generalists are great but in this competitive environment, subject matter expertise is clutch. The big box retailers and big direct-to-consumer brands have whole teams and agencies dedicated to channel specific marketing. You dont need a full-time team of ten to thirty marketers to compete, but you do need to be able to tap into experts when you need them most.

And while you are likely under-resourced (most small-to-midsize businesses are), youre probably having trouble proving out your need for more resources. Its hard to handle so many initiatives and also be deep in the data. At the same time, its the data that proves whats working and whats not. Surfacing up whats working with hard numbers is what gets you more money and your programs better funded. I mentioned the work my team does with my husbands bicycle company and it wasnt until his mentor said I pulled your advertising report this month and you should triple your ad budget. AVT is one of our smaller clients and as a marketer himself, hes also a tough sell. But good, clear data makes it easy for anyone to decide to invest more money into whats working.

And most importantly of all, what I see so frequently with all the marketers and business owners in our online education program is the strong need for connection and comradery with others working through the slog of constant promotions, content distribution, data digging and day-to-day tactics. The industry is so focused on community, those doing all the marketing need that, too.

The good news is that the entire outdoor industry is absolutely in this together. Everyone has to work through this friction point, but those who do, have the potential to do something really impactful and of course, winning the digital marketing game gets you where you want to be mostoutside, taking those awesome selfies from epic locations!

See original here:
The Outdoor Industry Vs. The Digital World - Forbes

When it comes to the world of online marketing, ideas and technology are constantly evolving. Today, social media is paving the way for a business to become known with their own unique brand voice. The digital space has given companies the opportunity to be heard quickly and effectively.

Social media and online advertising are overtaking traditional outbound marketing tactics such as TV advertisements, direct mail, and cold calls. While these outbound marketing initiatives still have their place in marketing strategies, they are no longer the dominant force they once were.

How can you take advantage of the digital era to grow your local business? For starters, creating a content marketing strategy that is up-to-date, innovative, and engaging is key. After all, youve got more competition than ever as companies from around the world are also using the same advertising space, so now is the time to start generating captivating content.

Need some help? City Beat News is a research and publication company based in Lapeer, Michigan. The company is behind the City Beat News Spectrum Award, a national award given to small businesses that excel in customer service and satisfaction and has 4 tips to help your business adapt to the new age of marketing.

In your content calendar, think of different things your business can do to keep the interest of its audience. Blogs, infographics, video content, and third-party recognition are all great examples of high-quality content that you can present to your consumers that have the potential to create discussion about the company.

To grow your business with social media, its important to build a following organically so that your followers are real people with interests that are genuinely connected to your business. By giving people a reason to follow you, i.e. by being in the press as an award-winning business, or presenting appealing multimedia content via your social media channels, youll become a brand that people are interested in.

To determine how customers interact with your content, City Beat News suggests using an analytics tool such as Google Analytics to track engagement through your social media channels to make changes as needed.

Read more from the original source:
Marketing Your Local Business on Social Media: City Beat News Shows How to Generate Good Content Without Breaking Your Budget - Baltimore...

How often should I post on social? How many pieces of content should I share on Twitter? What should I put on my LinkedIn company page? Should I add Instagram to my social media calendar?

These questions come up a lot in content marketing, and the answers depend not only on your audience but also on the social network itself. Once you know your target audience, creating great content is easy. When it comes to sharing that content, however, theres a science to success youll want to keep in mind.

If youre wondering how to improve social media content, were sharing the best types of content for your marketing strategy, how often to post, and guidance on how to stand out on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Image attribution: Pixabay on Pexels

Twitter is a highly engaged network for B2B teams. Often, a tweet is only relevant for a few hours, and then the audience has moved on to something new. Thats why its a good idea to post three to six times per day.

Timeliness is the key factor for this network. So even if youre posting four great tweets a day, know that your work isnt finished. Engaging with trending topics in your industry is crucial. Find the influencers that speak to your audience and engage with them. Ask questions about their content, retweet relevant items, and start a dialogue.

The type of content that shines on Twitter is always evolving, but based on the way people engage with the platform, having compelling visuals is no doubt integral to success. Because of the limited amount of characters and the frequency of posting required, many assume that sticking to text will work. Not so. Users scroll at the speed of light, so use eye-catching videos, images, or GIFs.

Including relevant hashtags is also key here, since this will allow you to be a part of the conversation on topics that userseven if they arent following youare searching for and participating in. Using Twitters polling feature can also increase engagement. So dont shy away from asking your audience a question. You may learn something or gain valuable feedback, and these users are likely to be more engaged with your brand as a result.

The original social media network is still a powerful asset for business users. A lot of the value today comes from businesses building a community with their followers, instead of soliciting products or services. With that being said, brands should aim for one to two original posts a day.

Facebook is a place where users can engage not only with your brand but also with one another in an easily searchable and highly visual way. No matter the form of content you share, if it tells a story, its likely to resonate well with these users. Facebook allows for long-form content and rich visuals, so customer and employee stories tend to get a lot of traction.

Almost every form of content works well on Facebook since its such a diverse platform. Still, theres one specific type that currently reigns supreme: video.

When everyone else is posting videos and you arent, your content is going to get lost in the scroll. The good news is creating video content is easier than it may seem. To help jumpstart your efforts, you can consider one of the numerous video editing and production tools (many free) now available or enlist a video production team that fits within your budget.

And always, always caption your videos. You run the risk of someone abandoning your work immediately if it doesnt have captions. Why? Not everyone scrolling through their feed is wearing earbuds, and since social norms dictate keeping mobile sounds to ourselves, users may scroll right past videos sans captions for fear of accidentally blasting others with this content.

Additionally, interesting captions could be the element that intrigues someone to actually open your video. Thats why taking a little extra time to caption your social videos will always be worthwhile.

It seems obvious that engaging with your business audience on a professional networking site makes sense, but using LinkedIn will require an approach entirely unique from Facebook and Twitter efforts.

For starters, as a business page owner, youll want to post thought leadership content once a day thats directly related to your products or services. Posting thoughtful questions here can return valuable product feedback, and engaging with the right communities can give you brand equity.

A unique opportunity with LinkedIn lies with your leadership team. The executives or owners in your organization likely have a large network, and as they represent your brand every day, why not include them in your planned content? Going a step further, employee advocacy is a great way to expand your audience. By simply providing them with relevant content to share with their networks, you can engage and activate your entire workforce. There are numerous tools to help with this type of program, and most are easy to set up and manage.

Concerning the type of content to share here, video tops this list as well. However, one thing LinkedIn users like to see in theseand all your posts, actuallyare statistics. Centering certain aspects of your content creation around stats that support your products value proposition will engage your audience and provide validity to your brand. Adding a few numbers to your images, videos, topics, and statuses can help increase your engagement.

Many brands shy away from Instagram because the type of content shared here is so much narrower. However, when this content is curated correctly, Instagram can be a powerful tool for marketers.

The top use for Instagram with most businessesexcluding those with enough followers to directly sell through the platformis culture. Instagram is more casual and limited, so its easy to showcase company culture quickly and authentically. The link in bio feature is the only option for a call to action, so promoting specific CTAs in waves works best. Many organizations leave the careers page linked in the bio, and they consistently post about culture and in-office fun. Highlighting certain team members, outings, and successes are a good starting point.

Instagram is straightforward with what you can post: images or videos. Youll want to limit your permanent posts to once or twice a day, but there is much more flexibility with stories. If your team is attending an event or visiting a customer, stories are a great way to showcase the journey in real time. Afterward, keep that content on your account as a highlight.

The biggest advice here is to ensure that the visual theme and tone on your account are consistent. Since all Instagram content is viewable on an easy-to-compare visual grid, any wavering in your brand standards will stick out like a sore thumband thats the last thing you want.

We know this was a lot to process, but dont get discouraged. If you keep these basic guidelines in mind, youll be well on your way to success with each of these platforms:

Twitter: Post three to six times a day. Actively engage beyond just scheduling posts, and always incorporate visuals on original tweets.

Facebook: Post one to two times a day. Share stories about your customers and employees, and utilize videos with captions.

LinkedIn: Post once a day. Talk about your leadership team and incorporate statistics.

Instagram: Post one to two times a day, but more often with timely stories. Showcase your company culture, and keep your visual theme and tone consistent.

While planning, creating, and scheduling your content is exciting, dont forget to measure your success. Each platform provides great metrics and Google analytics can help you understand the basics, such as how much traffic certain types of content may drive with your audience. However, investing in a tool to help you manage and measure your efforts across platforms can help you better chase and prove ROI for your hard work.

With this social media checklist, you can keep all your efforts streamlined and poised for success. But to truly shine on these platforms, it comes down to one thing: sharing high-quality content that has your audience in mind. Whether its a video, a story, or a long-form post, if its something that will resonate with your followers, youve likely got a winner on your hands.

Want to dive deeper into how to better plan your content and its distribution? Check out this webinar with Oktopost and Skyword.

Featured image attribution: Afif Kusuma on Unsplash.

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How to Improve Social Media Content: What, When, and Where to Post - The Content Standard by Skyword

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Monday, HubSpot,Bitrix,AgencyAnalytics,Agile CRM,Zoho Social,Hootsuite Media, Buffer, SEMrush, SocialPilot, Missinglettr,Animatron,Facebook Apps and Tabs,Loomly,Post Planner,Later,Preferred Market Solutions,Statusbrew

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Large EnterprisesSMEs

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Social Media Marketing Tools Market Growth Drivers, Opportunities, Trends, and Forecasts to 2026 - Alpha News Report

An innovative, onlinecampaign aimed at encouraging bystanders totake actionagainst disrespect and sexism has won a prestigious VicHealth award.

The Doing Nothing Does Harm campaign, by Our Watch,used a series of short, interactive videos that recreated everyday situations and challenged the viewer to click do something when they saw sexism and disrespect towards women.

The campaign was highly effective, with 50 per cent of people feeling motivated to act in this kind of situation after viewing the Doing Nothing Does Harm ads. Evaluation data also found 54 per cent believed that the videos taught them how to respond if they noticed someone they knew behaving inappropriately towards a woman.

Our Watch CEO PattyKinnerslysaid Doing Nothing Does Harm reinforced the message that we could all play a part intaking actionagainst sexism and disrespect.

Research tells us that disrespect and inequality create a culture where violence against women is normalised and accepted. Taking action to prevent this disrespect must be at the heart of the solution to preventing this violence, Kinnerslysaid.

Words matter, and these everyday examples of disrespect that we all see all too often must be called out and challenged.

You can challenge disrespectina number of different ways with an eye-roll, by checking in with the victim if theyre present, or by telling the disrespectful person you dont agree.

The campaign calls on peopleto:show their disapproval, speak up, and support the victim.

Kinnerslysaid the campaign, funded by the Australian Department of Social Services, was based on clearevidence andwasthe result of hard work from a highly skilled and motivated team at Our Watch.

Our Watch ran the Doing Nothing Does Harm campaign between October 2018 and June 2019. The campaigns interactive videos revolutionised pre-roll advertising, reappropriating YouTubes card button function and turning it into a way of intervening.

The interactive videos formed part of an extensive social marketing campaign, which included online and outdoor advertising, an interactive website, social media content, PR and ambassador activity, and training for primary prevention practitioners.

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Campaign To Call Out Sexism And Disrespect A Winner - B&T