Hootsuite & Instagram: Better Together

Community managers, rejoice! Starting today August 5, all Hootsuite users can post and schedule Instagram through the social-media management tool.

In a major addition for the social media management platform, Hootsuite has announced that Instagram will now be supported by the Hoostuite dashboard. While users have been able to monitor and track Instagram content for some time via third-party apps, Instagram will now be fully integrated into the Hootsuite experience, enabling users to schedule and publish Instagram content, monitor and engage with Instagram audiences and create team workflows – including shared access with team members - all from the one platform.

The ability to schedule Instagram content will be a major boost for Hootsuite users. Users of Sprout Social, a rival social media management tool, have been able to monitor and comment on Instagram content for the last month or so, though Sprout doesn’t allow users to publish content via the platform. Instagram’s integration with Hootsuite will enable posting functionality – users will be able to edit and schedule content alongside their regular networks within the dashboard, providing content oversight and ease of use. In the official release, Hootsuite notes that Instagram integration has been one of their most requested features for some time.

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Traditional Marketing Is Losing its Power

Thanks to the Internet, marketing has evolved over the years. Consumers no longer rely on billboards and TV spots — a.k.a. outbound marketing — to learn about new products, because the web has empowered them. It's given them alternative methods for finding, buying and researching brands and products. The new marketing communication — inbound marketing — has become a two-way dialogue, much of which is facilitated by social media.

Another reason why inbound marketing is winning is because it costs less than traditional marketing. Why try to buy your way in when consumers aren't even paying attention? Here are some stats from the infographic below.

• 44% of direct mail is never opened. That's a waste of time, postage and paper.

• 86% of people skip through television commercials.

• 84% of 25 to 34 year olds have clicked out of a website because of an "irrelevant or intrusive ad."

• The cost per lead in outbound marketing is more than for inbound marketing.

Inbound marketing focuses on earning, not buying, a person's attention, which is done through social media and engaging content, such as blogs, podcasts and white papers. This content is interesting, informative and adds value, creating a positive connection in the eyes of the consumer, thus making him more likely to engage your brand and buy the product. So it costs less and has better a ROI.

Read more at: http://mashable.com/2011/10/30/inbound-outbound-marketing/

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE? HEART VS. MIND

When consumers encounter promotions while shopping, they are compelled to act on their visceral impulses. At Sentient Decision Science, we call this compulsion hot-state decision making. Hot-states lead to a reduction in immediate self-control (Loewenstein, 2000), and many marketing campaigns emphasize immediate action with hot phrases like “One day only!” and “Call now!”

Catchy slogans, such as “Hungry? Grab a Snickers’®,” Nike®’s “Just Do It,” and Sprite®’s “Obey Your Thirst,” tap into these visceral states and motivate immediate consumer behavior. As a result, consumers often fail to return to a cold-state, where the rational mind might be able carry greater weight on the decision.

From a marketing perspective, encouraging hot-state decision making has the potential to boost short-term sales since consumers will buy products during hot-states through simple reminders of their visceral depletions (e.g. “I am really thirsty!” or “I forgot how hungry I was!”). However, this may not always be the best strategy for long-term growth since consumers will often regret their decision later. Research continues to show that people are unable to fully comprehend why they acted so impulsively in past hot-states (Loewenstein, 1996), and decision regret can in turn lead to reduced customer loyalty and satisfaction.

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The Role Of Music In TV Commercials

Music can often be the leading factor in what elicits an emotional reaction from media viewers. Auditory queues play a significant role in how we interpret an advertisement, much like they do in TV shows and movies. They often set the stage for the scene, giving us an idea of how we should be feeling and what can be expected from the next few moments.

Many of the most successful commercials contain some sort of music, and its applications run the gamut from somber anthems to hilarity-invoking jingles. But if we intend to dissect the music behind the most viral advertisements, there are a number of questions we need to ask.

So, what makes a “successful commercial”?

There are many ways to measure an advertisement’s success, some more complicated than others. But one of the most telling and accessible metrics available is its popularity on social media.

High views on YouTube reflect the commercial’s viral popularity, or how many people were interested enough to spend their time watching it (and in many cases sharing it with their peers afterward). View count is a real-time measurement of a commercial’s exposure and effective reach, giving us valuable insight into the audience it has reached.

Now let’s get down to business. Below are the statistics I’ve gathered after reviewing the 50 most-viewed commercials on YouTube (from a search for the term “commercial”; note that I’m not referring to the sponsored ads that appear before other videos). I narrowed it down to only professionally produced, English language advertising for legitimate products and services.

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How Musicians are Maximizing Use of Social Media

Musicians can use technology to promote their music and connect with new and existing fans.

1. Create Online Buzz

One of the most powerful and easiest ways to create online buzz is through social networks: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others are easy to set up, free, and most importantly reach hundreds of millions of users a.k.a. potential fans.

YouTube can be used to share video content, including music videos, behind-the-scenes clips, and blogs. The fastest way to be seen on YouTube is by uploading viral content, which can quickly be seen by the millions of users who watch over 3 billion videos a day.

Musicians can use Facebook to build their fan base by creating a fan page to create photo albums, post more personal content, and view the demographics of their fans.

Musicians can use Twitter to give followers real-time updates on their whereabouts, music releases, and more; Twitter can also be used to host real-time chats with fans called Tweet Chats.

2. Foster the Community

Technology has created bridges between states, countries, and even continents. Back in the day, musicians connected with their fans on tour, during record signings, fan meets, and other events. But now, musicians can connect with their fans through the Internet and, increasingly, mobile devices. And it’s not just musicians who can connect with fans; fans can connect with each other as well.

With mobile devices, interaction is no longer limited to the desktop. Fans can be part of the conversation wherever, whenever. To have mobile presence, consider creating your own mobile app. Creating a mobile app from scratch is a big investment in both time and money- two things that most beginning artists don’t have enough to spare. Luckily, there are app platforms available for musicians to easily and inexpensively build their own social apps for fans.

3. Increase Music Sales

Creating online buzz and building your fan base are important; however, without sales, musicians can’t survive for long.

It used to be people had to go to their local record store to buy CDs and cassettes. This isn’t the case anymore. Technology has enabled consumers to make their purchases online. And with the introduction of digital music, consumers can purchase and download their music in an instant. The problems associated with physical merchandise like shipping & handling, available stock, and damages are gone with digital downloads.

Digital music is more convenient, customizable, accessible, and in most cases less expensive than CDs. People only need an Internet connection to access music from thousands of artists, both mainstream and underground, across all genres. To get their music out to the masses, musicians should aim to make their music available online, whether in digital stores and streaming services or on the homepage of their website. If consumers have more opportunities to listen to your music, they’ll be more inclined to purchase their favorite tracks.

In Conclusion

One thing is certain: Technology will continue to advance and change the music industry. Musicians must not fight this; they must embrace technology and take advantage of the opportunities available to climb to the top.

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