January 2019 - Mindstream Media Group

[Case Study]: How to Increase Social Media Engagement By Repromoting Content

Posted on January 25, 2019January 21, 2020 by Mindstream Media Group

Promoting content pieces like blogs, whitepapers and infographics with multiple social media posts is a popular arrow in many a marketers’ quiver. But does repromoting the same piece of content really provide value and increase social media engagement? Recently, we set out to answer that very question (spoiler alert: it works).

Introduction

Recently, one of our clients asked me why I was creating posts for blog articles that we had published weeks before and already promoted across their social media profiles. My initial thought was that repurposing content is a fairly accepted best practice to increase social media engagement and drive incremental traffic to older blog posts (as well as an easy way to fuel a social media pipeline without having to create content from scratch).

Thankfully, I caught myself before I even started composing that woefully inadequate response. I quickly snapped out of auto-pilot and realized my initial thought was antithetical to how we as marketers are trained to think. We don’t take even the most established best practices at face value, we dive in and develop strategies based on data and our own informed instincts.

Since Mindstream Media Group manages social media content and strategy for several brands so I had more than enough data to work with. I pulled up performance data for another client that we’ve been consistently repromoting blog and whitepaper content for since the beginning of our campaign.

A little background on the client

Before diving into the results, here’s a quick primer on the client whose data we analyzed. They are, simply put, a social media manager’s dream. The brand publishes dozens of content pieces a month – including blogs, whitepapers and case studies – more than enough to keep our social media calendar stocked with multiple posts per day.

Mindstream Media Group works with the brand to develop and manage social media posts that promote these various content pieces. Our social media strategy focuses heavily on LinkedIn and Twitter to reach B2B audiences in the finance and investment industry.

Social media engagement strategy

Given the declining rates of organic brand posts across social media platforms, we promote a lot of the brand’s content pieces multiple times (usually three to five times) on LinkedIn and Twitter. We typically publish the first social post the day the content is published with subsequent posts going out in roughly one-week intervals over the next few weeks.

For the subsequent posts, we change around several variables including post copy, images, time of day and day of the week. Our goal is to reach new audiences that either didn’t see the original post or didn’t find it appealing as they scrolled through their feed.

The results of our repromotion strategy

To find out how well the strategy was working, I gathered performance data from social media posts promoting five different pieces of blog content and three whitepapers. Each piece of content was promoted three times on both LinkedIn and Twitter following the reposting strategy outlined above.

Based on my experience managing social media strategy and monitoring performance, I went in expecting that the data would support repromoting content. What I did not expect, however, was how much additional engagement we were seeing when we repromoted blogs and whitepapers.

LinkedIn Results

Compared to the first social post alone, promoting blog content a second and third time on LinkedIn led to a:

We found similar results when we looked at the posts for the whitepapers. Second and third posts promoting the whitepapers yielded a:

Other than delivering incremental social media engagement, the second and third posts more than held their own in terms of performance compared to the original posts. Here’s a look at the percentage of impressions, clicks and interactions from LinkedIn posts promoting both blogs and whitepapers.

LinkedIn social media engagement share by post

Twitter results:

The results from Twitter showed similar performance, proving the strategy can work on multiple social platforms. Tweets repromoting blog posts yielded a:

As we saw on LinkedIn, we found similar results for tweets promoting whitepapers. Re-promoting whitepaper content on Twitter delivered a:

Twitter also showed comparable performance for subsequent posts compared to the originals. For posts promoting blog content and whitepapers, impression and engagement numbers for the second and third posts matched – and even surpassed – the original post’s performance.

Twitter social media engagement share by post

Overall Results

To give you a full picture of the impact repromoting previous content had on the brand’s social media engagement, here’s a look at the overall results:

Need help driving social media engagement for your brand? Contact Mindstream Media Group to learn how we crush the social media game for our clients every day.

Three Ways Personalization is Shaping Organic Search

Posted on January 23, 2019January 28, 2020 by Mindstream Media Group

The new year is in full swing and with it comes plenty of exciting changes in organic search marketing along with big expectations for digital marketers. One of the most significant search trends in 2019 is personalization – i.e., consumers’ desire to find the specific information they need as they research buying decisions.

To help marketers understand this growing trend and update their 2019 strategies accordingly, here’s a look at three ways personalization is changing the organic search game.

No. 1: Consumers want variety in their search results

While text-based queries and results were the status quo for Google and other search engines for years, consumers now have a myriad of methods to search for products and services. With searchers increasingly turning to voice search and visual search, text-based results no longer cut it for consumers.

Consider these numbers from a recent study by Slyce.it:

The takeaway for marketers

For marketers (or anyone who conducts cognitive research), these numbers should come as no surprise. Humans are wired to process information visually and it’s only natural that we would default to that preference when researching buying decisions online. Marketers need to create and optimize online content beyond the written (typed) word. This requires publishing visually appealing content like product images, infographics and video.

Marketers also need to embrace the rise of voice search and start thinking of how to optimize content to reach position zero. (For more information on how to reach position zero, check out our post on how to create content that earns featured snippets.)

No. 2: Consumers get to choose their own buying journeys

Think with Google recently published an infographic on how consumers’ search habits are disrupting the traditional marketing funnel. To show how the marketing funnel is changing, Google looked at thousands of users’ clickstream data. The results were telling for marketers and exhibited exactly how prevalent personalization has become.

To illustrate the point, Google highlighted four consumer buying journeys. Here’s a recap of their findings:

The takeaway for marketers

While the graphic above represents a small sample size and the whole point of Google’s research was to show how no two buying journeys are the same, there are still a few general takeaways for marketers:

Unsurprisingly, the more significant the purchase, the more intricate the buying journey. With smartphones providing unfettered access to information, major purchases like headphones and flights now involve extensive consumer research.
Even buying journeys we normally wouldn’t consider significant – like buying candy or makeup – can involve a lot of research and multiple touchpoints for brands to connect with consumers.
Consumer research doesn’t end at purchase. With Ava’s search for flights, she conducted post-purchase research to find information like where to access her boarding pass, how to print tickets and which luggage she could bring.

No. 3: Marketers are turning to AI

Consumers’ ability to choose their own personalized buying journeys is a relatively new dynamic. Smartphones, tablets and other connected mobile devices have given consumers round-the-clock access to the internet. In this always-connected world, consumers expect to easily find information customized to fit their needs.

With more consumers expecting to find customized information as they navigate through their unique buying journeys, marketers are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver the right messages at the right times. According to recent research from BrightEdge, nearly 60 percent of marketers planned to use AI in 2018, up from 43 percent in 2017.

How likely brands are to use AI to develop content marketing strategies

The takeaway for marketers

AI presents an incredible opportunity for marketers to use machine learning to customize their messaging based on consumer intent. There’s a good chance the numbers from BrightEdge underrepresent the percentage of brands leveraging AI as something as simple as dynamic search ads on Google would technically qualify.

There’s no shortage of ways for marketers to use AI in their content marketing strategy. And if BrightEdge’s study is any indication, any brand not at least thinking of ways to leverage AI are already behind in the game. For marketers, this means there’s no time like the present to start looking for strategies to use AI to create the customized messaging consumers have come to expect.

Need help creating personalized media campaigns and content for your target audiences?

Contact Mindstream Media Group to find out how we can give you VIP access to your consumers.

The Role of Organic Content in the New Consumer Buying Journey

Posted on January 17, 2019January 23, 2020 by Mindstream Media Group

Over the past few years, there has been much ado about the evolution of the consumer buying journey. In the past, the buying journey was perceived as a linear process that followed this basic structure:

That traditional model has been turned on its head thanks to the increasing role the internet and digital media play in the buying process. Consumers can now become aware of a need to buy something, research products and services to fill those needs and make purchases at any time on their phones, computers and other connected devices. This has led many marketers to wonder if the consumer buying journey (i.e., marketing funnel) as we know it is dead.

“Forget everything you know about the marketing funnel. Today, people are no longer following a linear path from awareness to consideration to purchase. They are narrowing and broadening their consideration set in unique and unpredictable moments. People turn to their devices to get immediate answers. And every time they do, they are expressing intent and reshaping the traditional marketing funnel along the way.”

– Think with Google

The new buying journey(s)

I would argue the journey has changed but the flow is still similar. With consumers having more control of the buying process than ever before, they can now tailor buying journeys to fit their needs. So rather than having one generic consumer buying journey, we now have a bunch of individual buying journeys for each consumer and purchase. Today’s consumers can build their own journey which means they expect to get the specific information they need when they need it.

What does this mean for marketers?

Simply put, it means marketers need to be able to provide the specific information individual consumers need anywhere at any time. So, rather than building strategies around a singular consumer buying journey, marketers need to think about Susie’s process for buying a new smartphone or Johnny’s approach to booking a flight.

This new dynamic presents a significant opportunity (or challenge depending on how you look at it) for brands whose businesses depend on guiding consumers through the journey and turning them into customers.

Guiding consumers through the journey

Paid media like display, search and social ads can be effective at guiding consumers through the journey. But marketers who rely solely on paid media are leaving a lot of opportunities to connect with consumers on the table. Leveraging owned media – content that brands create and control on owned platforms like websites, blogs and social channels – is essential for reaching consumers with the messages they need to convert as well.

Organic content like blog posts, product webpages, social media posts, infographics and video are extremely effective at delivering the information consumers need throughout the buying journey. And, unlike some paid media, organic content is not meant to be overly salesy, reducing the chance that consumers will be put off by the messaging. Instead, organic content is meant to assist, inform and entertain consumers.

Here are just a few ways you can use organic content to help your brand connect with consumers:

Make consumers aware of a need to make a purchase
Explain how your products and services address that need
Answer questions about your products and services to help consumers make purchase decisions
Provide new customers the information they need to use your products and services

Understanding what consumers need at each stage of their buying journey

While buying journeys vary based on the consumer and the actual purchase, there are still common themes at each stage of the journey – both in terms of the messaging consumers need to move towards a purchase and the goals and objectives for marketers.

To give you an idea of these common themes, let’s take a look at a specific purchase – buying a new car. While each consumer approaches car buying differently, there are some common behaviors that provide marketers with clues of what kind of messages they need to provide. Let’s take a look at each stage of the buying journey to examine:

The consumers’ situation and what information they need to move towards a purchase
Your goals and objectives for helping consumers progress through the journey
Some common buying behaviors of consumers in that stage

Awareness

Situation

Consumers are not aware of their need to buy a car or are just beginning their search and don’t have specific makes and models in mind.

Marketing Goal

Turn unaware consumers into better-informed shoppers that are actively looking to buy specific makes and models.

Content Objectives

Make the consumer aware of their need for a new car.
Generate awareness for your brand, as well as specific makes and models.
Grab consumers’ attention and help them connect with your brand.

Common buying behaviors

Consideration

Situation

Shoppers are actively researching purchases and evaluating options.

Marketing Goal

Turn shoppers into buyers by helping them understand how specific makes and models fit their needs.

Content Objectives

Make consumers aware of how a vehicle’s features and benefits address their needs.
Provide seamless paths for consumers to get from a content piece to the next step in the buying journey.

Common buying behaviors

Sources:

Facebook, “Understanding the Auto-Buying Journey of the Connected Consumer,” December 2018
Ipsos/Google, “Digital’s Influence on In-Market Auto Consideration,” Aug 2018

Decision

Situation

Buyers have narrowed down their options and are ready to buy.

Marketing Goal

Give buyers the information they need to complete purchases and become customers.

Content Objectives

Provide information that leads to seamless buying experiences.
Promote future sales by establishing trust and credibility.

Common buying behaviors

Sources:

Facebook, “Understanding the Auto-Buying Journey of the Connected Consumer,” December 2018

Loyalty

Situation

Customers are evaluating their new car.

Marketing Goal

Turn one-time buyers into loyal customers that will promote the features and benefits of their car to friends and family.

Content Objectives

Create content that provides additional detail into interesting features of the vehicle.
Offer helpful tips on how to use and maintain the vehicle.

Common buying behaviors

Sources:

Facebook, “Understanding the Auto-Buying Journey of the Connected Consumer,” December 2018

Now that you know a little more about what type of messages consumers need at each stage of the journey, make sure to subscribe to our blog. In our upcoming posts, we’ll explain what types of organic content are most effective at delivering the right messages at each stage of the consumer buying journey.