Mediaboss Marketing

Gough Hotels, a boutique hotel chain based in Suffolk, has hired Digital Visitor to deliver an influencer marketing and PR campaign across the brands social media platforms.

Digital Visitors brief is to work with influencers to raise awareness of each of Gough Hotels properties, with a focus on creating educational content to engage potential visitors.

Alex Paul, director of sales and marketing at Gough Hotels, said: Having heard a lot about influencers in previous years, we were keen to explore how we could create relationships of our own to raise awareness of our portfolio of hotels. We found Digital Visitor to have a great track record of working with influencers in the hotel sector, and are looking forward to welcoming our first bloggers in the coming months.

Simon Jones, client services director at Digital Visitor, said: Influencer marketing is one of the biggest trends in digital marketing right now and for good reason. With three stunning properties across Suffolk including Southwold Pier we anticipate industry-leading coverage for Gough Hotels from our roster of influencers.

A social media veteran of over 10 years, Digital Visitor specialises in providing strategic social media marketing solutions to the travel and tourism industry, having worked with clients including AccorHotels, IHG and John Fowler Holidays.

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Gough Hotels appoints Digital Visitor to deliver influencer marketing on social - The Drum

Legal tech companies are heading en masse to New York City next week for ALMs Legaltech Show now branded as LegalWeek.

Its billed as the largest and most important legal technology event of the year. Over 10,000 people, including decision-makers from large and small law firms, will attend educational sessions and walk the exhibit halls filled with hundreds of legal tech company booths.

Tens of thousands of dollars will be spent by companies in product announcements, booths, alcohol and whatnot to enhance their brands and sell wares.

The wild thing is that the founders and executives of these tech companies dont have a clue when it comes to using technology and the internet to market and sell.

Rather than take responsibility for learning how to use the internet for relationship building, marketing and selling, the executives hire public relations and marketing professionals to do the job for their company. Crazier yet is that those they hire usually dont know what they are doing either.

A couple weeks ago, lawyer and legal tech entrepreneur Zach Abramowitz (@ZachAbramowitz) penned a piece in Above The Law about the challenges legal tech companies face in selling to law firms:

I meet a lot of legal tech companies, and I cannot tell you how many great products Ive seen way which I later discover have zero meaningful traction. Im not the only one.

Abramowitz went on to reference an interview with Mark Harris, CEO & founder of Axiom, who said:

Selling tech-only solutions into the legal industry today would be like selling a conveyer belt to a blacksmith in the late 1800s. You cannot sell the instruments of industrialization to artisans! They arent ready for them and have no idea what to do with them!

So, before legaltech can have its analogous fintech moment, the legal industry needs to make headway on a services-led, but tech-enabled approach to industrialization. We have to build the factories before we can embrace the tools that make the factory better!

The problem with guys like Harris (and maybe you) dissing law firms and their use of technology is that maybe youve done nothing to engage law firms, earn their trust and educate them. At least not in an effective fashion.

Legal tech companies coming to Legaltech sell the same way companies sold 100 years ago through traditional marketing, advertising and sales. Virtually none of them leverage the internet in a way that engages influencers, customers and prospective customers.

Hundreds of companies have booths at Legaltech. They are relying on websites, emails and cheesy social media to try to grab peoples attention to come to their booth.

I am getting three or four emails a day asking if I want to come by a companys booth to meet the companys CEO or founder. Understand that I am the CEO of my own legal tech company who just happens to blog and have some aptitude using social media.

I dont know the company emailing me. I dont know the CEO. In most cases, neither I nor my social media/blog followers have any interest in the companys product.

The person sending the email doesnt even know who I am; they are firing off random emails to a list of recipients. In the PR or marketing persons mind, I am a channel to get the companys message out because I blog and use social media.

Though they may be selling something great, I have no reason to trust them.

One can only assume these companies are sending the same message out to lots of bloggers, reporters and influencers, all of whom know how to use the Internet to engage and build relationships. Its almost like saying, Yeah, I sell a tech product, but I am a total noob when it comes to using the internet, how bad did I embarrass myself?

So not only do the companies have to keep selling in an expensive and tiresome way, but they leave the people they ought to be connecting with wondering how innovative and tech-savvy the companies really are when they dont even know how to use the net when it comes to sales, marketing and business development.

How many of the companies have CEOs and founders strategically and effectively blogging to build a name, develop relationships and grow business? How many of those companies will have their audience seeking them out based on the name they have built and relationships they nurtured online? Probably none.

Sales, marketing and business development is best done, or at least started, online today. Not with websites and email campaigns but through mediums being used by your customers, prospective customers and their influencers. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn should be used by company leaders as individuals, not by the company.

People learn about products, services and company leaders socially. They learn to trust a company, its leaders and their counsel through online engagement think blogging and social networks.

Dont get me wrong. Face to face discussion is critical to sales. But accelerating relationships and your reputation makes selling much easier.

Its never been easier to market and sell than today. But you dont do it the old-fashioned way, or else youll embarrass yourself.

If youve read this far and youre a legal tech exec attending LegalTech wanting to know how to leverage the internet for marketing and social selling, drop me a note. Lunch or a drink is on me and I wont be selling you anything.

Kevin OKeefe (@kevinokeefe) is the CEO and founder of LexBlog, which empowers lawyers to increase their visibility and accelerate business relationships online. With LexBlogs help, legal professionals use their subject matter expertise to drive powerful business development through blogging and social media. Visit LexBlog.com.

LexBlog also hosts LXBN, the worlds largest network of professional blogs. With more than 8,000 authors, LXBN is the only media source featuring the latest lawyer-generated commentary on news and issues from around the globe. Visit lxbn.com now.

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Legaltech Exhibitors Are Clueless When It Comes To Marketing - Above the Law

Social media seems like an easy and appealing career, right? You usually work from home, and all you have to do is be yourself.

Not so fast, buckaroo. Before you go charging off on your quest for social media fame, there are a few things you need to know.

Social media professionals are in demand, but getting the really plum jobs can be challenging. Much like sales careers, you have to prove yourself before big companieswith big payrollswill be willing to consider you. Here are some steps you can take to stand out from your competitors and land a prestigious job in social media.

Being a social media professional is a dream job for some people. Imagine working from anywhere and making a living on your wits alone. Who knew that being friendly would someday become a job classification?

Its a job a lot of people would love to do, so competition can really be fierce. To land your dream job, make sure you stand out from everyone else.

Sherry Grayis a freelance content writer from Key West, Fla., currently suffering in the suburbs of Orlando. She is a science geek, a social media junkie and an unapologetic fan of all things bacon. Follow her on Twitter: @SheriSaid.

Images courtesy of Unsplash, Neil Moralee.

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How to Become a Social Media Marketing Superstar - SocialTimes

The days of questioning whether Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms are legitimate marketing tools are way behind us.

Those in the know are using social media to share their ideas, businesses, and day-to-day lives. Some of them are making millions from posting pictures online and uploading vlogs to YouTube, and others are using social media as a major strategy to scaling venture-backed startups.

The following social media influencers are all contributors to a new book called 3 Billion Under 30, brought together by 21-year-old Jared Kleinert, a TED speaker and go to marketing consultant for #1 NYT bestselling authors, Fortune 500 companies, and even the United Nations. Who are they, and why should you be following them? Heres your answer.

Jake Paul just turned 20, and yet he has over 17 million social media followers. His videos, which originally were posted on Vine and now span over Instagram, YouTube, Musically, and other platforms, have gained over 4 billion views combined, and Jake has been able to turn his social media stardom into other ventures.

Hes now the founder of TeamDom, which includes investors like Gary Vaynerchuk and Shots Studios (whos in turn backed by Justin Bieber, Pete Cashmore, and other media titans). Hes also become a successful actor. Companies ranging from Coca Cola, Beats, Universal, and others look to Jake and his crew to market their products to millennials and Gen Zers.

Related:5 Ways Startups Find the IdealSocial-Media Influencer

Shaun McBride, or Shonduras, may very well have been the first to partner with a corporation for a sponsored Snapchat story. Disney saw the potential for influencer marketing via Snapchat and decided to work with Shonduras to showcase their parks.

Shonduras has quickly become one of the top social media influencers on the web, most notably via Snapchat. Hes been able to leverage his following to earn revenue for his company in a variety of ways, from keynote speaking to selling merchandise, branded content, and more. Now hes looking into different ways to push digital content creation to its limits, and have the Best Day Ever during all hours in his climb.

Neil Patel is the cofounder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and various other companies. He is also an investor, a writer with a New York Times bestselling book and multiple online columns, and an influential marketing mind for companies ranging from Amazon and NBC to GM, HP, and Viacom.

Neil has been a prolific marketer since his teens, when he was using SEO to help companies earn eight figures in additional revenues annually. Over the years, hes mastered content marketing, paid traffic, social media marketing, and more to make millions of dollars and share highly valuable products hes created for the tech and business communities. On his blog youll find extensive guides to almost any marketing-related question or process. Its worth many reads.

Related:10 New Ideas for Making Money on the Side

Brands like BBC, NASDAQ, SoulPancake, and others have a secret weapon in Virginia Salas Kastilio and her consulting firm, which comprises of the top Snapchat influencers all across the world. A third culture kid who went to over a dozen different schools and managed over a billion dollars at Apple and Orace without a degree, Virginia decided to start from scratch and build an online following.

What resulted is not only her own personal brand and following, but marketing knowledge that other companies, individuals, and organizations have found highly valuable ever since. Shes been sharing her ideas through an online school called Snap and Stream. Tune in to hear how she predicts the marketing world will trend in 2017 and beyond.

This survivor of anorexia and cancer has built an army of over 5 million YouTube subscribers who watch his daily vlogs, competitive eating challenges, training sessions as a sponsored bodybuilder, and candid thoughts on coping with lifes challenging moments.

Furious Pete works nonstop and leverages his influence on social media to market television shows he hosts in Germany, his own line of apparel and supplements, various brands that sponsor him to eat and train, workout routines and programs, and more. If you can see past his Guinness World Record attempts and heavy lifting videos, youll see a marketing machine at work even when he (rarely) sleeps.

Related:10 Habits That Will Dramatically Improve Your Life

Cyrenes business is a mix of that from Shonduras and Virginia Salas Kastilio mentioned above. In her own right, shes an influencer commanding tens of thousands of dollars per campaign to promote companies like Walmart, Samsung, The Voice, MTV, Lionsgate, and a flurry of other companies. Her unique Snapchat art is family-friendly and fun, making her one of the most liked and relatable influencers on social media.

Cyrene also curates a community around Snapchat through her site The11thSecond, which is also the basis for a book shes releasing in February. She not only shares the Snapchat names for different people you should be following on her site, but she herself is someone you should follow to learn more about leveraging the platform for your marketing needs.

Related:How 3 Social Superstars Built Huge Followings Fast

Kristina is many things, including the founder of Kayture, a fashion blog and small team of talented individuals who work with Kristina to deliver exposure and creative help to brands like Dior, Guess, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, and many others. She has over 2.4 million followers on Instagram alone, and millions of monthly readers at Kayture.

She became one of the first social media influencers and fashion bloggers to work with these high-end brands, and in 2015 she signed a seven-figure deal to be a LOreal Paris spokeswoman. Her creative works should be studied not only as art, but as a case study in turning social media into a platform to pursue other business interests.

Coco and Breezy are twins living in New York City whove developed a line of designer sunglasses under their names. Within weeks of moving to the city and starting their new business, their glasses were on all the big celebrities like Ashanti, Beyonc, Rihanna, Prince, and others.

Not only do they have a successful business through their designs, but theyve also began DJing and making a name for themselves in commercials for Diddy, or partnerships with Hersheys, Jolly Ranchers, Adidas, Transitions, and other companies who want to tap into their lifestyle brand and leverage their online and offline creativity.

Related:Tim Ferriss: If You're Not Happy With What You Have, You Might Never Be Happy

Caroline Ghosn herself is not a social media influencer, but she is the founder and CEO of Levo, which is the top online destination for career advice pertaining to millennials. Her company is backed by the likes of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and the Mightybell CEO Gina Bianchini, and uses social media to advance their readership and value to consumers.

The result is a network for millennials to use in navigating their careers and succeeding in the workplace. Levo is masterful at content marketing, and at leveraging their online presence to secure interviews and collaborations with the likes of Warren Buffett, Soledad OBrien, Kevin Spacey, and others.

While Matthew is not profiled in Jared Kleinerts new book 3 Billion Under 30, I had to include my amazing business partner, best friendand brother as a bonus component to this list. Matthew has been able to leverage his online following to accelerate the growth of our companies and help us inspire, motivate and educate other entrepreneurs through our content and free small business forum.

With these social media influencers as examples, we challenge you to revisit how you are using social media to market yourself and/or your company. Are you investing time into new platforms and attempting to become the first mover, or are you still unconvinced that these tools can help you reach more customers and help more people? If you like this article, please share it and tell us how you plan to better market yourself through social media.

Adam Toren is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, investor and co-founder of YoungEntrepreneur.com. He is co-author, with his brother Matthew, of Kidpreneurs and Small Business, BIG Vision: Lessons on How to Dominate Your Market from Self-Made E...

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9 Top Social Media Influencers Marketers Need to Follow - Entrepreneur

Barb Horne, senior marketing strategist for Penn State World Campus and owner of Ideal Image Marketing, spoke to students Monday night about advertising via Facebook and how to strategically market to reach specific audiences.

Horne spoke to about 40 students in 113 Carnegie, in an event called Social Media Advertising: Measuring a Good Return, hosted by the Penn State AdClub.

Facebook ads can transform small businesses into something viral without hurting their budget, Horne said.

She further elaborated on Facebook ads, and said that it all depends on what your strategy is in marketing them to audiences.

During the presentation, students snacked on free Insomnia Cookies and Pokey Sticks as Horne listed a few of the best practices for Facebook advertising. She also used case studies from her personal experiences to further explain the lecture.

Horne said there are three things to keep in mind when creating a Facebook advertisement: awareness, consideration and conversion.

Finding those niche audiences are very important, Horne said.

Horne used a case study from a previous client she worked with Colonial Marble & Granite to show how she created Facebook ads to boost their audience numbers.

Horne said using buzz words that relate to the specific brand you are trying to advertise can really help 100 percent satisfaction was a key word in advertising the Colonial Marble & Granite on Facebook.

Ron Smith, faculty advisor for the Student AdClub, said the event was very successful, especially for a night that did not have ideal weather conditions.

This may be a topic thats not talked about in some classes, Smith said. Its good to bring students in for this extra opportunity to learn from a professional.

Horne also gave students an exclusive look at analytics from a Facebook advertisement she previously worked on, and analyzed the statistics of what the ad generated.

After the presentation, students from the Nittany Group, Penn States Ad Competition team, showed Horne an idea for an advertisement for the National Student Advertising Competition, and heard her critiques to further strengthen it for the competition.

I enjoyed how knowledgeable our speaker was, not only on the programs of advertising on Facebook, but the history and analytics, Liam Datwani (sophomore-advertising) said. She knew the industry and company on a personal and professional level.

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Penn State AdClub hosts social media marketing and advertising information session - The Daily Collegian Online