Great news for cold-weather lovers: Fall is here! For the rest of us, time to change our desktop screen savers to pictures of Hawaiian beaches and pile on the sweaters. Whatever the weather, Creating Results will do its best to start your day on a warm note with the “hottest” mature marketing links of the week.
1. MOST CLICKED: Creating Results has written previously about the value of blogs, particularly to real estate marketing. This is because we’ve seen positive results for clients who’ve invested in blogging. And because our own Social, Silver Surfers research showed that blogs are a commonly-used social sharing tool as well as a source of information. (Even more so for 40-44 year olds, those influential adult children.)
A recent post by Amanda Hicken of PR Newswire on blogging became the most shared item on our social channels last week. Hicken wrote “Blogging retains — and continues to expand on — its value.” This is because good blogging creates a relationship between brand and buyer. Consistently good blogging that puts the buyer’s needs first builds trust.
One tip is putting the buyer, the reader first. Hicken shared thoughts from the Content Marketing Institutes Monina Wagner on how to put that reader first.
‘… You have to focus on your audience when considering the changes that blogging has, does and will face.
“I think the biggest change does not stem from the blog itself but how audiences interact with them,” Wagner [says]. “There has been an emergence of other channels vying for your audience’s attention. Bloggers and brands are talking to consumers but consumers have so much other noise around them. The web is saturated with words and pictures and videos. In order to stand out from the crowd, bloggers – individuals and brands – need to present quality content.”’
Read the full article, with additional tips: http://prn.to/1YYP6Jq
2. MOST SHARED: More and more consumers of all ages are interacting with those blogs and your brands via mobile devices. Which might explain why Creating Results’ followers quickly shared an AdAge article that showcased four brands with creative and effective mobile marketing efforts.
- Red Roof Inn’s mobile search campaign got attention (and a 60% in last-minute bookings) by reflecting their audience’s needs when “Stranded at the Airport.”
- Home Depot’s videos put help in the palm of your hand for DIY projects, and put 43 million more eyeballs on their brand.
- Walmart cut its mobile load time by nearly 5 seconds this year. “Each second shaved off reportedly boosted conversions by 2 percent,” reports AdAge.
- Realtor.com created a five-part video series that acts as a guide (albeit a quirky one!) to the very complex process of buying a new home.
See samples from each campaign at http://bit.ly/1YYPOpX, then share YOUR thoughts on creative mobile marketing below. What have you seen recently that inspired you? What steps have you taken to make mobile more effective?
3. Also of note: Pew’s latest research gives marketers a better picture of Pinterest users. As eMarketer summarized, “women are still the site’s main audience, with male internet users in the US avoiding the network en masse.”
You’ll note that in addition to the gender split, the social platform still hasn’t really captured the loyalty of 65+ seniors. Here is our Social, Silver Surfers data on how it stacks up to other social networks. Among respondents who were both online AND used social networks:
ICMYI (Internet short-hand for “in case you missed it”), in 2012 Creating Results looked at the appeal of Pinterest to seniors and boomers — and its appeal to mature marketers. Please follow the links to related posts, seen below, and then warm my heart by sharing your thoughts in the comments section!