Category Archives: 2017

Are You FAILING in Social Media?

Facebook and Other Social Media Can Be Highly Effective for Marketing …

… But Most NZ Businesses are Failing with Social Media

If you’re a Kiwi business, you need to read this NOW.

Unfortunately, too many businesses — in New Zealand, as elsewhere around the world — have the wrong idea about social media.

They spend most of their time on Facebook (and the other social networks) talking about themselves and their products.

If that’s you, sorry, you’ve got it wrong.

It’s called SOCIAL media for a reason.

Your followers are interested in a conversation, not a constant sales pitch.

THE REALITY

We track the performance of around 25,000 NZ Facebook pages on an ongoing basis.

More than two-thirds (69.5%) of those pages have NO engagement with 98% of their Facebook followers in a typical week.

Look at these three (sadly, all too typical) statistics for NZ businesses on Facebook. Hundreds and even thousands of followers, but hardly anyone’s talking:

Why no engagement?

Because too many posts are one-way broadcasts that get nobody talking or sharing, like this example:

Just 7 likes, and NO comments or shares, from a New York retailer with 7,088 Facebook followers!

(We’ve used an American example because we didn’t want to embarrass any of our local colleagues — but, as you’ll probably see from your own Facebook browsing, this is completely typical in New Zealand as well).

There is a solution.

Are Your Posts Actually Getting Seen by Your Followers?

Of course, we shouldn’t ignore the elephant in the room — Facebook has dialled back on the percentage of your followers who will actually see your posts, with the result that (across the more than 25,000 NZ Facebook pages we track), on average just half a percent (0.55%) of those pages’ followers will engage with their posts.

Appalling? Yes. But YOU can do better.

In fact, our online training courses are all about teaching you how to use social media more effectively, so that you can dramatically improve on your performance on Facebook and other social networks.

Here are the current courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

What You Need to Know About Using Video in Your Social Media Marketing

As you’ve probably heard, video is becoming more and more important for Social Media Marketing.

Want some numbers? Try these (from MediaKix):

Globally, traffic from online videos will constitute over 80% of all consumer internet traffic by 2020 (Cisco).
By 2019, the total U.S. digital video advertising spend is projected to eclipse $14 billion—nearly 50% of that figure ($6.86 billion) is attributed to mobile video.
The number of videos published by U.S. users has exploded, increasing by 94% from January 2014 to January 2015. For international Facebook users, the increase in Facebook videos published is a still-impressive 75% annual growth rate (AdAge).
In November 2015, Facebook hit 8 billion video views daily (TechCrunch), doubling its figure of 4 billion from April just 6 months earlier. Each video view is counted after 3 seconds of watch time. At a linear rate, Facebook was expected to eclipse 16 billion video views by May 2016.
Facebook Videos have increased 360% across everyone’s News Feeds

And here are a few more stats, from Social Media Today:

One-third of all online activity is spent watching video
The average user is exposed to 32.3 videos in a month
75% of online video viewers have interacted with an online video ad this month
75% of executives watch work related videos on business websites at least once a week
36% of online consumers trust video ads

So video is becoming more and more important in social media marketing. What does that mean for you?

We’ll tell you what that doesn’t mean: you can’t just add your TV ad to Facebook and call it a day. Sorry.

Unless you’re Air New Zealand, of course, and have the mighty All Blacks for your talent pool, in which case you can simply get three million people to watch and 67,000 to share your inflight safety video …

For us mere mortals, however, we’ve got to try a different angle.

Social Media Examiner offers up some timely advice:

#1: Produce the Right Video for Each Social Platform

Each social network has its own opportunity for video content. Before attempting to post videos on every platform, commit to mastering video on one or two networks first. You can easily incorporate video into your social media content by featuring your business’s best content for each platform.

Facebook

As a social media giant, Facebook is among the essential video platforms.

When you plan video content for Facebook, understand what Facebook viewers actually enjoy. Captions are essential to Facebook video because most Facebook users watch video without sound.

According to Digiday, almost 9-in-10 Facebook videos are consumed without sound, a signal that brands should consider producing video content that can still be engaging, even in silence (Facebook). To that point, Facebook found that adding captions to videos increases the watch time by 12%, on average.

Facebook users also enjoy live video. Facebook Live video is watched three times as much as regular video content and continues to gain popularity. Viewers expect live video to be less polished, so you can produce it without a big-budget production team.

Instagram

On Instagram, you can add video to your story or post video to your feed. With Instagram Stories, you can stream live video or post a 10-second clip. Either way, your video stays on your story for 24 hours. Videos posted to your Instagram feed can be up to 1 minute long.

Because Instagram limits video length, planning for brief videos is important. This emphasis on short videos is different from other social media video networks. On Instagram, make your videos captivating, quick to digest, and direct.

This directness applies to your Instagram captions, too. Ensure your call to action is clear and concise and your captions support the story in your video content, not compete with it.

Ben & Jerry’s are regular users of Instagram video, to mouthwatering effect

Twitter

Twitter’s feed moves quickly, making it hard for organic Twitter content to stick. But when Twitter video connects with users, it can spread far and wide.

Twitter recently made live video available in the app, so you don’t need to use or download Periscope. This move shows the demand for live video within the native platform and the general need for video content on social channels. In fact, a Twitter report revealed that 82% of users watch video content on the platform.

Because 90% of users view Twitter videos on a mobile device, make your Twitter content mobile-friendly and watchable on the average smartphone.

A Twitter video that’s part of a campaign by Michael Kors

YouTube

YouTube is a better place for evergreen content than news or instant video. In fact, YouTube should be the place where your premium video content shines. Although the platform does have live video streaming, at the end of the day, quality execution is more important for YouTube, especially because videos on your channel can be recommended to users watching similar content.

YouTube marketing videos often have high bounce rates because they’re too boring or dry. To improve your YouTube marketing, pique curiosity through storytelling.

On YouTube, content needs to keep users engaged until your sales pitch or call to action arises. You don’t have to rush with your time limit, but you always have to consider social engagement.

The most engaging videos on YouTube in 2016, according to research from ListenFirst Media.

Focus on ways to educate your audience before you start shooting. Rushed and poorly edited videos will drive users to the Back button. However, high-quality video can hold users’ attention and drive traffic to your most important pages.

Snapchat

Just like Instagram, Snapchat is all about visual content. To increase video on this platform for your marketing, start by being active and producing plenty of content. Snapchat reports its users watch 10 billion videos per day, and Business Insider reports that active users spend an average of 25-30 minutes a day on the platform.

#2: Define Goals for Your Video Content

When you start to craft your video content strategy, you should first know the purpose of video for your brand. Is it aimed at increasing brand awareness? Is there an educational component? Are you going to be heavily promotional or produce newsworthy content?

Before getting started, think about what you want to gain from investing time and resources in creating video content. Some of the most important metrics to consider include:

Site traffic
View count (video plays)
Shares
Video completion
Brand awareness
Lead generation
Customer retention

After you establish your goals, plan what types of content you’ll create to achieve those goals. Don’t think about videos as one-off projects. Instead, think through campaigns and themes you’ll cover and test over time. No matter what approach you choose, be consistent.

#3: Develop a Consistent Theme or Format

Building on the last tip, it’s great to have a social video theme or common message to your content. When you know the purpose of your content and the style you’re pursuing, think of a theme you can use to inform your video content.

#4: Invest in the Right Equipment for Your Budget

Most brands wanting to produce social media videos are stuck because of one major reason: cost. Cameras, microphones, lighting, editing equipment, and actors can add up quickly. If you’re not careful, video can cannibalize your content-creation funds.

However, you can be money-conscious without sacrificing quality. For starters, try to do as much in-house filming as possible, because production companies can be costly. Check out rental options or even better, use your own devices. For example, this video explains how to create your own lighting setup for about $100.

Here are the essentials of shooting quality video for your company:

An affordable camera: Cameras on smartphones are just as powerful as some recording equipment. Don’t waste your money on a brand-new camera when you have something highly useful in your pocket.
Simple lighting kit: Great lighting is essential when you’re filming video. Try to invest in a standard lighting kit or build your own.
Quality microphone: If you’ve seen a low-budget commercial that makes you cringe, it likely had poor lighting and cheap microphones. Purchase a quality mic. Don’t use the built-in mic on your smartphone.
Tripod: Your video needs to be stable and clear. Luckily, several tripods are built to fit your smartphone.
Editing software: Several affordable or free video-editing software options are available. Smartphone apps like Videoshop and Splice give you essential editing functions.

Social Media Today tells us about video marketing trends that matter in 2017. We’ve singled out these two as being of particular note:

1. The Rise of 360-Degree Videos

A recent case study by Magnifyre revealed something noteworthy about the 360-degree video format – the average percentage of people who viewed a 360-degree video was 28.81% higher than for the same video in a non 360-degree format. The case study also showed that twice the number of viewers watched the 360-degree video to completion.

2. Videos Watched on Multiple Devices

According to a Think with Google report, 85% of adults ages 18-49 use multiple devices at the same time. It also reports that two thirds of YouTube users watch YouTube on a second screen while watching TV. This tendency to watch videos across several devices (including TV) will probably increase.

It’s Time to Upskill in Online Video Marketing

With all this stuff going on in online video (and this is only the tip of the iceberg), we reckon it’s way past time for Kiwi marketers to upskill themselves in video marketing.

We have two courses that directly address the topic:

As you’d expect given the name of this course, that’s what it’s all about. It’s a four-part short course designed to bring you up to speed on online video marketing.

For full details of our Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

This course, on the other hand, covers online video as just one of its topics as it delves into the most important social media developments of 2017.

For more details of the Social Media Essentials course, please click here.

Can You Answer These 7 Digital Marketing Questions?

So how knowledgeable are you about what’s happening in digital marketing in New Zealand?

Here are seven questions to test your digital marketing knowledge:

1 Which is expected to grow more strongly in NZ in 2017, digital or non-digital spend?

2 What are Facebook Instant Articles and why are they important?

3 What are the names of the digital voice assistants belonging to Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon — and which was the one most in evidence at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas?

4 Snapchat recently released what new type of video?

5 Who recently purchased LinkedIn and how much did they pay?

6 How many Kiwis belong to Facebook, according to their latest membership data?

7 There are now at least 600 million AMP pages on 700,000 domains. But what exactly is AMP and what does it do?

PS If you feel you’re falling short, upskill yourself in Digital Marketing with our online training courses – SAVE $100 with our Early Bird Rates

Available Courses

Here are the current courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

Are You Making These Facebook Marketing Mistakes?

Just how well are YOU really doing on Facebook? Are you making classic mistakes like these:

1. Too much self-promotion

Do your Facebook posts only talk about You, You, You?

As Jeff Bullas notes:

It is okay to share your achievements with your loyal followers but you should never overdo it. If you are not offering value to your visitors or are not providing them with the information they are looking for, you’re missing out a lot. People spend time on Facebook to get entertained, inspired and interact with like-minded people. So in order to promote your brand, you should find innovative ways that inspire visitors and give them a reason to connect.

If you become too promotional, you will soon see the ‘Likes’ turning into ‘Dislikes’.

Here’s a typical example, from Acer Australia & New Zealand:

The local page has more than 50,000 total likes, but this post (a typical recent example) could only attract one thumbs-up.

We’re not picking on Acer — it’s just a typical big brand example, seeing Facebook as yet another broadcast mechanism rather than a chance to interact with customers.

2. Being Boring or Predictable

As Leyl Master Black observes:

When they’re thinking about marketing, some business owners forget that Facebook is a social place where people share things they find funny, interesting or useful with their friends. Think about what kind of content your fans would actually want to share when planning your posts.

Peter Shankman, social media consultant, entrepreneur and author of “Customer Service: New Rules for a Social Media World”, also cautions against becoming too predictable. “Status updates by themselves get boring. But then again, so do photos, videos and multimedia as a whole. Your job is to mix it up. The moment you become predictable, boring or annoying, they’ll hide you from their feed. So keep it varied and personal—a video here, a photo here, a tag of one of your fans here.”

Creating too much “filler” content by auto-publishing content from your blog or Twitter feed can also derail your efforts. Joseph Manna, community manager at Infusionsoft, recommends using Facebook’s native publishing tools to gain the most benefit from Facebook.

“Whatever you do, don’t automate everything,” says Manna. “It’s nice to ‘set and forget,’ but the risk is two-fold: publishing systems sometimes have issues, and Facebook places low-priority on auto-published content.”

Here are a couple of GOOD examples of a local driving school changing things up and providing interesting content while still staying relevant to their product category:

And:

Some more common mistakes, as identified by Dummies.com:

3. TLDR

A study by BuddyMedia found that status updates of less than 80 characters received a 27 percent higher reaction than longer updates. This makes sense when you think about how you use Facebook and how fast the News Feed flies by.

Too Long:

Posting lengthy paragraphs as a status update is like giving your Facebook fans homework. On the other hand, short updates such as questions and short polls get a higher reaction simply because the barrier to participation is very low.

Much better:

4. Ignoring Comments

Facebook fans are people, like you. If they make the effort to leave a comment or reply within a thread on your Facebook Page, they want to know that you’re listening. Pages that consistently ignore posts by fans aren’t as successful as Pages that participate in comment threads. Fans are less likely to return if they don’t feel heard.
The other reason why you want to reply to posts from fans is that Facebook sends that fan a notification, bringing him back to your Page!

Here’s an unfortunate Twitter example (dating back to 2013 and hopefully resolved these days) of customer service only during working hours:

Need help to avoid these Facebook mistakes? Check out our Social Media Marketing online training courses:

Here are the current courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

Outstanding Facebook Engagement: Eco Wanaka Adventures

Hats off to Eco Wanaka Adventures for their outstanding Facebook performance last week, when this dazzling post achieved 377% Engagement (compared with last week’s average of 0.55% Engagement across all 23,860 NZ Facebook pages we monitor).

This was the post that attracted all the attention:

The post attracted 6,600 reactions, 12 comments and 109 shares, more than enough to propel it into its preeminent position as perhaps the most engaging NZ post of the year so far.

Why Was This Facebook Post So Engaging?

Let’s face it, the photos are drop-dead amazing, so that helps.

Note the collection of hashtags, mostly themed around the Hobbit and Middle Earth.

Also, in our view, a certain amount of paid promotion was involved.

TRAINING OPTIONS

If you’d like to know more about marketing effectively in Social Media, check out these courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

Snapchat Adopts Circular Video

#3 OF SEVEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN 2017: SNAPCHAT CIRCULAR VIDEO

Snapchat is making sunglasses now. US$130 pairs of glasses with a camera inside, which takes ten-second video snaps of the world.

The clips can then be uploaded to Snapchat via an iPhone or Android phone paired through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Place the spectacles in the included case to recharge, AirPods-style.

Built into every pair of Snapchat Spectacles is a video camera with a 115-degree field of view. That’s almost exactly the same perspective you see with the human eye, and it gives the glasses the ability to capture circular video.

The benefit of this is that no matter what kind of device you play those snaps back on, you see them in full screen in any orientation. So you can turn your smartphone or tablet midway through, and the video automatically adjusts to provide a full screen image.

Want to know more about Social Media Marketing in 2018? Check out our online training courses — right now you can SAVE $100 on any course with our Early Bird Rates

Here are the current courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

ECOMMERCE COURSES

Our online course, “Mastering eCommerce”, tells you what you need to know about selling effectively online in a seven-week programme that steps you through the principles and practices of eCommerce in New Zealand.

For more details of the Mastering eCommerce programme, please click here.

Advanced Selling on Trade Me

This is a seven-week eCourse providing a comprehensive masterclass on selling on Trade Me. The course presumes you are already familiar with the basics of selling on Trade Me.

For more details of the Advanced Selling on Trade Me programme, please click here.

MOBILE MARKETING

Smartphone usage has hit the tipping point, in New Zealand as elsewhere. According to Google’s Consumer Barometer (2017), most New Zealanders Under 55 now have smartphones — and these devices are dramatically changing consumer behaviour, with significant implications for Kiwi businesses.To help you master this challenging mobile environment, we’ve created a dedicated online training course about Mobile Marketing.

For more details of the Principle & Practice of Mobile Marketing course, please click here.

New Year, Time To Upskill

As New Zealand returns to work after the traditional Christmas/New Year break, it’s time to live up to the resolutions you made as the old year ticked away.

Yes, we all want to be healthier, wealthier and wiser this year. But how are you going to go about that?

To help you on your way (at least in terms of those wealthier and wiser attributes), allow us to point you towards our range of courses that offer continuing professional education in digital marketing.

Upskill Yourself in Digital Marketing for 2017 with our online training courses – and right now you can SAVE $100 on any course with our Early Bird Rates

Here are the current courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

ECOMMERCE COURSES

Our online course, “Mastering eCommerce”, tells you what you need to know about selling effectively online in a seven-week programme that steps you through the principles and practices of eCommerce in New Zealand.

For more details of the Mastering eCommerce programme, please click here.

Advanced Selling on Trade Me

This is a seven-week eCourse providing a comprehensive masterclass on selling on Trade Me. The course presumes you are already familiar with the basics of selling on Trade Me.

For more details of the Advanced Selling on Trade Me programme, please click here.

MOBILE MARKETING

Smartphone usage has hit the tipping point, in New Zealand as elsewhere. According to Google’s Consumer Barometer (2017), most New Zealanders Under 55 now have smartphones — and these devices are dramatically changing consumer behaviour, with significant implications for Kiwi businesses.To help you master this challenging mobile environment, we’ve created a dedicated online training course about Mobile Marketing.

For more details of the Principle & Practice of Mobile Marketing course, please click here.

Why It’s Now Vital for Marketers to Connect with Virtual Assistants

The 2017 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was dominated by Virtual Assistants (and Amazon’s Alexa in particular).

As ComputerWorld reported:

Amazon’s virtual assistant, which first appeared more than two years ago on Amazon’s Echo smart speaker, seemed to be popping up everywhere at the annual International CES trade show in Las Vegas this week.

Amazon opened Alexa to third-party hardware developers in the summer of 2015. Now, a year and a half later, the number of devices that support Alexa are dizzying. (We also learned this week that Alexa now offers more than 7,000 “skills,” which is what Amazon calls apps or third-party capabilities.)

Appliance maker Whirlpool, for example, announced this week a new line of home appliances available in “early 2017” that respond to Alexa commands. They’ll let you change the temperature of your Whirlpool refrigerator by telling Alexa. And the virtual assistant will be able to tell you if your Whirlpool washer and dryer is running and how much time is left before the clothes are done.

Dish Network’s Hopper DVR boxes are getting Alexa control. As with Apple TV, you’ll be able to use voice commands and conversation to find shows and change the channel.

ADT Pulse also got Alexa support this week. After February, users will be able to arm and disarm their home alarm security systems and deadbolts by talking to Alexa. Access to the security system is granted when you speak a four-digit PIN code. Of course, when you speak a PIN code, others can hear it, then later use it from outside the house (if they yell loud enough) to disable the security system. Users should be careful with this one.

When virtual assistants are everywhere and always listening

Let’s be clear about what’s happening with virtual assistants. Within a few years, you will almost never be out of virtual assistant range. When you talk, they will hear you. You won’t even have to think about which device is serving you. Just ask a question and a voice will answer.

There are three ways to achieve this: The Apple way, the Amazon way and the Google way.

The Apple way is to serve up its Siri virtual assistant primarily as a feature on mobile devices like the iPhone and the Apple Watch (two exceptions are the stationary Apple TV and iMac). By choosing “Allow ‘Hey Siri’ ” in the settings of an iPhone, your phone is always listening for the “Hey Siri” command. Everywhere you go, Siri is listening, as long as you bring your iPhone.

The Amazon way is to offer Alexa Echo appliances for every room in the house and also open its virtual assistant to hardware developers so Amazon is built into every appliance, vehicle and object in the home and office.

The Google way, meanwhile, is to do both at the same time — get a virtual assistant into every phone, on every computer and also open to third parties.

Oh, and Microsoft has Cortana, which operates similarly.

So What’s the Big Deal for Marketers?

Consider this: if you aren’t the first choice of the AI behind the assistants, you may never be suggested when Echo, Siri, Cortana or Google Assistant is asked for a product or service in your category.

When your refrigerator runs out of milk and you’ve set it up to re-order all by itself, will it choose Anchor, Meadow Fresh, a house brand or what?

When you’re out of town and ask Google Assistant for a nearby restaurant, how many choices will it give you?

More importantly (from a marketer’s perspective), how will you introduce your product or service to this new breed of virtual gatekeepers? If they don’t know you, you simply won’t be suggested as an option.

Making a good impression with your new robot overlords never became so important.

[PS It’s probably a bit early to write a course about Making Virtual Friends and Influencing Virtual People, but if you’d be interested in such a course, email us and let us know.]

93% of Users Access Facebook via Mobile

If you’re still questioning whether Mobile is taking over the world, wonder no more. According to the latest statistics collected by Expanded Ramblings (here and here), the world’s leading online destination, Facebook, now sees 93% of its monthly users access the site via mobile.

According to those stats (as at November 2016), 1.66 Billion Facebook Monthly Users (out of a total of 1.79 Billion Monthly Users) access the site via a mobile device.

Not only that, but more than one billion users ONLY access Facebook via Mobile.

So, if you’ve been wondering if you should devote a bit more attention to Mobile Marketing, the answer is YES.

Fortunately, we have some online training courses that can help you with both Facebook marketing and Mobile Marketing.

Here are the current courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

ECOMMERCE COURSES

Our online course, “Mastering eCommerce”, tells you what you need to know about selling effectively online in a seven-week programme that steps you through the principles and practices of eCommerce in New Zealand.

For more details of the Mastering eCommerce programme, please click here.

Advanced Selling on Trade Me

This is a seven-week eCourse providing a comprehensive masterclass on selling on Trade Me. The course presumes you are already familiar with the basics of selling on Trade Me.

For more details of the Advanced Selling on Trade Me programme, please click here.

MOBILE MARKETING

Smartphone usage has hit the tipping point, in New Zealand as elsewhere. According to Google’s Consumer Barometer (2017), most New Zealanders Under 55 now have smartphones — and these devices are dramatically changing consumer behaviour, with significant implications for Kiwi businesses.To help you master this challenging mobile environment, we’ve created a dedicated online training course about Mobile Marketing.

For more details of the Principle & Practice of Mobile Marketing course, please click here.

Every Facebook Post Should Include an Image or a Video

Seven Things You Should Know About Social Media Marketing in 2017

This is the first of seven articles about Social Media Marketing Essentials for 2017.

#1 Every Facebook Post Should Include Either an Image or a Video

In our Instant Gratification society, images allow people to communicate in the quickest and easiest way possible. Jess Loren and Ed Swiderski, in their book “Pinterest for Business” (Que, 2013), asked a psychotherapist (Dr Fran Walfish) and a psychologist (Dr Raphael Wald) why society is so drawn to visual images:

The statistics support the good doctors’ point of view:

It’s a generational thing, as well: younger audiences are more likely to interact with something that you’re promoting if it’s accompanied by visual media.

And then there’s video, which is now 135% more effective on Facebook than images alone:

Upskill Yourself in Social Media Marketing for 2017

Those are just some of the facts and figures you need to know about social media marketing in 2017. Our online training courses cover much, much more:

Here are the current courses (click on the links for more details about each course):

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COURSES

Facebook Accelerator Programme

So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.

For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.

The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing

This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.

For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.

The Complete Facebook Marketing Course

For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.

For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.

How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief

Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.

For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – For Your Business And Your Career

This is a seven-part online training eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to LinkedIn, from the basics to detailed instructions on how to use LinkedIn to promote your organisation, build your personal reputation, find a job, recruit prospective employees and even make sales.

For more details of the How to Use LinkedIn Effectively programme, please click here.

ONLINE VIDEO MARKETING COURSE

Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.

Remember the old cliche that a picture is worth a thousand words? According to an estimate by Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

So let’s cut to the chase. It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing. That’s why we’re launching our newest short course on the topic.

For more details of the Online Video Marketing course, please click here.

ECOMMERCE COURSES

Our online course, “Mastering eCommerce”, tells you what you need to know about selling effectively online in a seven-week programme that steps you through the principles and practices of eCommerce in New Zealand.

For more details of the Mastering eCommerce programme, please click here.

Advanced Selling on Trade Me

This is a seven-week eCourse providing a comprehensive masterclass on selling on Trade Me. The course presumes you are already familiar with the basics of selling on Trade Me.

For more details of the Advanced Selling on Trade Me programme, please click here.

MOBILE MARKETING

Smartphone usage has hit the tipping point, in New Zealand as elsewhere. According to Google’s Consumer Barometer (2017), most New Zealanders Under 55 now have smartphones — and these devices are dramatically changing consumer behaviour, with significant implications for Kiwi businesses.To help you master this challenging mobile environment, we’ve created a dedicated online training course about Mobile Marketing.

For more details of the Principle & Practice of Mobile Marketing course, please click here.