Brand Leveraging: Partnering with a Positive Brand Brings Attention to Your Own

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Brand leveraging is quickly becoming more common as it becomes harder for messages to break through the clutter. This marketing strategy uses the power of an existing brand to support a company’s entry into a new, but related product category by communicating valuable product information to the consumer.

Utilizing recognizable pop culture can help you establish credibility. It adds emotion, and further draw in a potential customer- and more and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon.

Incorporating Recognizable Visual Stimuli in Brand Leveraging

Combining your product with recognizable TV and movie characters has a great impact on a customer.

For example, In Walmart’s recent commercial the owners of notoriously famous cars use their Grocery Pickup service in preparation for Super Bowl Brand LeveragingLIII. As Gary Numan’s futuristic song “Cars” plays in the background, drivers race to Walmart in iconic vehicles, including the “Ghostbusters” car, Lightning McQueen from “Cars,” Batman’s Batmobile, the “Dumb and Dumber” dog car, KITT from “Knight Rider”, Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine, the “Back to the Future” DeLorean, and even Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. Every generation can recognize this ad, there is something for everyone.

Walmart’s U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Messing said in a statement on the store’s website that this ad is the “biggest and first-ever cross-platform national marketing campaign for Walmart Grocery Pickup.

Five Great Examples to Improve Brand Marketing Strategy Using Amazon Alexa

Familiar Celebrity Voice Endorsements in Brand Leveraging

When a celebrity endorses a certain product, you can’t always see their face. Sometimes, the only thing you can recognize is their voice. However, this still has a powerful effect on potential customers.
If you’ve ever watched a television commercial and felt for sure that you knew the voice-over artist from somewhere, chances are, you’re right.

John Hamm’s Voice for Mercedes Benz

John Hamm, known for his role as Don Draper in Mad Men, voices Mercedes Benz commercials. His soothing and yet serious voice is hard to miss, further drawing in the potential customer. It also leaves the viewer curious and perhaps wanting more. The mystery of a faceless celebrity seems to have an effect of intrigue on viewers.

Julia Roberts for Nationwide Insurance

Without being in front of the screen, Julia Roberts can be heard discussing the benefits of being a member of Nationwide Insurance Brand Leveraging in some of their recent commercials. “When we were considering how to bring our message to life, we were looking for a familiar voice that would bring our brand attributes to life,” Jennifer Hanley, senior VP-brand marketing for Nationwide, said in a statement to Ad Age. “Julia Roberts’ voice brings an assuring, and confident tone to the campaign that resonates well with our target audience.”

Using Memorable Songs in Your Ads

Though large brands are known for their products and services, it is often the experience they create that actually builds loyal consumers and brand advocates. And what better way to strengthen a brand’s customer experience than to incorporate music within their ads.
It has the ability to create a wide range of emotions, tell a story, and can even reinforce the sale.

Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” song in Toyota Camry Commercial Brand Leveraging

Many generations recognize this classic song and it’s easy to sing along to. It may even get stuck in the viewer’s head, which Toyota is definitely aiming for. It shows different people zooming off to various destinations in the 2018 model of the Toyota Camry. The timing of this song being is also significant, and the Bohemian Rhapsody movie has been widely popular in recent months. With the anthem “don’t stop me now” repeating itself in the background, this song was chosen to add to the ad’s overall message – which is – driving the Camry makes you want to say “let’s go places”.

Meghan Trainor’s “All the Ways” song in Target’s Same Day Delivery Commercials

This upbeat, positive song gets the attention of people of all ages, and not just the young ones. People describe Meghan Trainor’s music as uplifting and wholesome. Target was quick to involve her music in to their advertisement campaign. The commercial highlights “all the ways” Target can assist you.

No matter the tune, music is a brand’s leading tool to create an experience.

Learn The StoryBranding Process
media mix

Using The Right Media Mix During Each Stage Of The Buyer’s Journeys

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Not all buyers are created equal, and depending on what stage in your sales funnel a buyer lands can dictate the type of marketing they’re ready to receive. And while old marketing practices preached broadcasting a message to the masses, using a media mix to nail down a lead at a specific point along their buying journey is crucial and proven to be more effective to converting leads into sales.

Inbound marketing is about just that: tailoring exactly the right content to your buyer precisely when they need it. In order to accomplish this, though, you must know exactly who your buyer is, where they are in your sales funnel, and what content they need. To do this, you must first understand your buyer personas. From there, you can begin crafting a targeted, personalized, and efficient marketing campaign keeping your buyers in mind.

In order to find the right media mix for your buyers, though, you need to better understand your buyer’s journey stage by stage.

Awareness

Awareness is just the beginning of your buyer’s journey. At this stage, potential buyers are becoming aware they have a problem and begin their search for a solution. This is a perfect opportunity for your brand to be the first thing they see, and plenty of juicy, easily-consumed, educational content will satiate their desire to learn more about their problem.

The awareness stage is at the top of your sales funnel, so buyers are most likely ready to receive a media mix of keyword-focused and successful blogs, PPC and SEO to drive traffic to your site, and mass media to get your message across. Essentially, your buyers will become information consumers and it’s your job to be the content expert they turn to during this initial information gathering phase through your sales funnel.

Your buyer’s awareness of having a problem, incidentally, coincides with your own company’s brand awareness which is the cornerstone of helping curious buyers find their way to your content. Learn how to build that foundational content in the second part of our attraction marketing series: How to Drive Brand Awareness.

media mix

Consideration

Once a buyer has been made aware of their problem, the consideration stage of their buying journey begins. At this point, buyers truly begin to shop around for a solution to their problem and it’s extremely important for you to deliver authoritative, trusted solutions as they matriculate through your sales funnel. Here your brand becomes more distinguished from your competitors.

This is where granular, tailored messages begin to take on a new life and a new role for your buyers media mix, typically in the form of targeted emails that trigger actions from the buyer. Drip emails and lead nurturing campaigns (when used correctly) will become the staple media mix for these buyers entering the middle of your sales funnel. From those emails, a buyer should be able to download content, sign up for a webinar, or read a case study.

Naturally, once a potential buyer filters their way into the middle of your funnel, they must be nurtured in a way that will keep them thirsting for more content and information about your brand. The third part of our attraction marketing focuses on exactly that: Using Lead Nurturing During the Consideration Stage of the Buyer’s Journey.

How do you create great content with the help of the buyer’s journey?

Decision Making

This is where the rubber meets the road for your marketing and your buyer’s journey. If your buyer has made it this far, then you’re on their short list and it’s time to make all of those hard-fought marketing efforts deliver by closing your lead into a sale. Now, you should prove why your brand is above and beyond your competition and establish an emotional connection with your prospective buyer.

At the bottom of the funnel, the best types of mix media marketing for your lead are retargeting and one-to-one connections. Retargeting is where you reconnect with your site visitors and offer a fresh look at your brand while one-to-one connections make a personal connection with your buyer through emails, phone calls, or customized demonstrations of your products or services. These are make-or-break tactics, and implementing them very well could make the difference in making a sale.

For some marketers, picking up the phone and calling a prospective sale can strike fear into their hearts at first glance. Nevertheless, the final piece of the attraction marketing puzzle comes by Using Personal Selling During the Decision Making Stage. Here, we will discuss how to successfully make those personal connections and close your qualified leads into sales.

Download Our White Paper Guide To Learn How To Perfect Buyer Personas For Your Business

website strategy

The Best Strategies for Website Engagement in 2021

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The way people engage with businesses tends to evolve over time. At no point has this been more obvious than during the past year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. More people were either unemployed or working from home than ever before, resulting in more time being spent online. Because many people have transitioned to work-at-home, there’s a good chance that they will remain there. Because of this, website engagement is as important as ever.

However, this doesn’t mean that you automatically have their attention. You still need to find a way to engage them — and to keep them engaged. This is especially true when you consider that the average person spends no more than 15 seconds on any given website before they leave. With that in mind, the following are a few effective strategies for boosting your website engagement this year:

1. Eliminate Technical Issues

Knowing that the average user is going to have a short attention span, the last thing you’ll want to do is waste their time with technical issues. Technical issues, such as broken links or slow loading times, will frustrate visitors — especially first-time visitors. Most will leave your site a few seconds after encountering a technical problem, and odds are they’ll head straight to the site of a competitor. Make sure that all of your pages load within a few seconds and that there are no broken links.

2. Create Relevant Content

A technically sound website will help prevent visitors from becoming disengaged immediately; however, good content is what will keep them engaged for longer. Do not focus on promotional content. Online users are constantly bombarded with ads wherever they go, which means that if they go to a site that feels like it’s trying too hard to sell something to them, they will leave. Instead, create content that addresses their problems and needs. Good content that educates visitors will build your brand authority and trust as well. As a result, not only are they more likely to stay on your site for longer, they’ll be more likely to come back — and even to share your content on social media.

There is a lot of competition in websites between businesses. Here are more tips to keep your site competitive.

3. Make Your Content Easy To Read

Even if your content is of high quality, visitors may give up on it if you don’t make it easy for them to read. For instance, if your main page is just a wall of text, it will give visitors a headache as they try to read it. You should break your content up using headers, bullet points, numbers, and supplementary visual content. The easier it is for visitors to read your content, the more likely they’ll be to read it through to the end.

4. Optimize Your Website Engagement For Mobile Use

Despite the fact that more people are online from the comfort of their own homes than before, many of them will still be surfing the web via their mobile devices, such as their smartphones or tablets. On top of that, the country has slowly been getting back to normal since the vaccine rollout, meaning more people are leaving their homes with their mobile devices. As such, you need to make sure your website and all of your content is optimized for mobile use. Otherwise, it won’t display properly on smaller screens, making it a pain to navigate. Mobile users won’t stay on websites that aren’t mobile-friendly for very long as a result.

website design

5. Add Video Content

Human beings are visual creatures. As such, they tend to absorb visual information better. While written content is still quite effective, you should also invest in video content. People are more likely to watch through a short video than they are to read through a written blog post. This is especially true for mobile users.

6. Add Social Proof

Adding social proof to your website will create trust in new visitors. Most people will be a touch skeptical when they visit a new website they’ve never been to before. Social proof helps to reinforce your reputation. For example, positive reviews from well-known sources in the industry or social media influencers can help boost your trustworthiness, as can customer reviews or customer testimonials. The more social proof you have on your site, the more at ease visitors will be, making it easier to obtain website engagement.

7. Implement A Chat Feature

A live chat feature or a chatbot can go a long way towards making sure visitors stay engaged while checking out your site. With a chat feature, you can engage visitors the moment they arrive on your site. A chat feature can also help guide visitors by helping them find what they’re looking for, thereby making sure that they don’t leave out of frustration.

Keeping your visitors engaged is essential to making sure you don’t lose any potential leads. The more engaged your visitors are, the better of a chance you’ll have of nurturing them through the sales funnel. As such, be sure to consider implementing these strategies to help improve your website engagement in 2021.

25 Website Must Haves For Driving Traffic, Leads & Sales
Inbound Marketing Strategies

5 Types Of Marketing Videos You Should Think About Using

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Year after year, marketing videos grow in importance. Video has never been easier to consume for Americans, especially when considering the increasing quality of smartphones and tablets. Video is also the easiest way for people to absorb information. Additionally, according to a prediction by Zenith, the average person will spend around 100 minutes a day watching videos in 2021. The pandemic certainly had an impact on these numbers as well. People have more time on their hands to watch video content, especially those who have switched to a work-at-home environment.

Because of this increase in video consumption, a video marketing strategy is an absolute must. The following are some of the different types of marketing videos that you should consider producing this year.

1. Educational videos

Educational videos should be used to help inform your audience about a particular subject. No video marketing strategy will be successful without them. This is because the more informed your audience is, the more confident they will be in making a purchasing decision down the road. Educational videos provide them with the knowledge they need to understand your business and the solutions you offer. There are several types of educational videos, including:

  • Demo videos – Videos that demonstrate how your product or service is used.
  • Explainer videos – Videos that showcase why your product or service is needed.
  • How-to videos – Videos that provide step-by-step instructions on how to do a specific task.
  • Animated videos – Animated videos are a fantastic way to deliver information in an entertaining way, whether they’re explainer videos or how-to videos.

When is the Best Time to Post on Social Media?

2. Interview videos

Interviews are an excellent way to provide detailed information about certain subjects to your audience while also providing a personality to engage with. You can film interviews with both employees and upper management as well as experts that are relevant to your industry. What’s great about interview videos is that they are incredibly easy to produce.Marketing Video

3. Event videos

Certain events, like industry tradeshows, conferences, fundraisers, and round table discussions, can reveal a wealth of information. Film these events and edit them into event videos for your audience to enjoy.

4. Case study and testimonial videos

These types of videos focus on customers and their experiences using your product or service. Not only can you use them as social proof that your products or services work, but they make it easier to build trust with your audience. Potential customers are much more likely to relate to and believe what previous customers have said, after all. Using case studies and testimonial videos, you give customers the chance to explain what their challenges were and how your product or service solved those challenges.

5. Behind-the-scenes videos

A big part of creating a successful brand identity is presenting your company as being relatable. You don’t want your audience to think of you as a big faceless corporation, after all. Creating videos that depict your company behind the scenes is a great way to do this. It shows that there’s a human element behind the business. There are tons of ways to go about creating behind-the-scenes videos. A video of the day-in-the-life of the typical employee or a video of the manufacturing process of a product are great examples.

These are five different types of marketing videos you should consider creating in 2021. As you develop your video marketing strategy, remember that the quality of your content matters — and so does the audience that you’re creating it for. Always keep viewers in mind to ensure that your video marketing efforts are relevant.

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targeted marketing

3 Ways To Use Targeted Marketing To Reach Qualified Prospects

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Imagine, if you will, walking out of a model home and before you know it…you see an ad for a builder just down the street appear on your cell phone. You think to yourself, “Hmmm…coincidence?” It’s not. With targeted marketing, you can pinpoint potential customers down to an address where they have visited.

Targeted marketing is nothing new. Agencies and companies have been doing it for years. First through direct mail, then via email, using data points such as zip code, gender, household income, marital status, and age. But now, we have the ability to narrow our scope even more to truly reach those most qualified to purchase.

Niche Marketing Through Social Media

Recently, a new client came to Stevens & Tate needing to attract more students to its private school. We discovered several factors that determined whether parents chose to send their children to this school. They could afford it. It was close to their home or work. And it provided the type of education they wanted for their child. To reach this very specific audience, we advertised on social media. Social media sites such as Facebook gather a great deal of information about their users from information the users provide themselves. These sites also monitor behavior patterns. As a result, we were able to do niche marketing, advertising to select neighborhoods around the school and in local employment corridors. And we focused our message on the benefits this private education offered. After the first month, the school recorded an increase in attendees to the parent information sessions.

Learn more about Effective Marketing Strategies For A Changing Economy.

Targeted Marketing On Radio? Yes.

One of Stevens & Tate’s clients needed to build ticket sales for its classical music concerts. After researching the prior season’s data, we discovered that the majority of concertgoers came from a 20-minute or less drive of the venue. So we incorporated online radio into the media mix to aim our message at those who would have an affinity for the brand. The beauty of this targeted marketing plan was that we could reach listeners with a preference for classical music. We were able to narrow down our audience not only to those who lived in a specified geographic area but also to those who exhibited classical music listening habits. The result was a 25 percent increase in year-over-year show attendance.

Hyperlocal Marketing Pinpoints Your Audience

For a Chicagoland homebuilder with a new property in the city, we wanted to reach home shoppers living near the neighborhood as well as those holding certain job titles. Rather than choose a medium to advertise on, we chose a very small group of people to reach out to. Using a digital hyperlocal marketing campaign, we were able to serve ads to a very niche market segment—including those who had recently used a home finder app. We served ads to these individuals multiple times via multiple vehicles including desktop, mobile and in-app ads; emails; social media newsfeeds; and native content based on online search history. Since launching the program, sales at the community have increased 50 percent.

These are just a few examples of the power of a targeted marketing campaign. And new digital technologies are being unveiled all the time. At Stevens & Tate, we partner with multiple media sources to devise just the right targeted marketing campaign for each of our clients. If you are looking for an agency that can help you move from a shotgun to a rifle approach to marketing, contact Stevens & Tate and see if we are a fit.

Free Marketing Consultation

tiktok engagement group

How to Use TikTok to Reach Your Engagement Group: An Insight Into the Algorithm

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Arguably the primary goal of social media marketing is to reach as many people in your engagement group as possible and to interact with them. As such, it’s important that you establish a presence on social channels on which this is possible. While almost all businesses use social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, there are a few others to consider as well; for example, TikTok.

What Is TikTok?

TikTok is a video-based social platform that has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years. What makes the platform so unique is that users can only upload videos that are 15 seconds long. There is, however, an option to edit together multiple 15-second clips into a minute long video. It gained traction among teens because they could upload videos of themselves lip-syncing, doing comedy bits, and dancing. At first, the marketing opportunities on the platform seemed limited. However, the size of the audience simply cannot be ignored:

  • There are over one billion monthly active users worldwide.
  • There have been over 2.6 billion downloads of TikTok since its creation.
  • In January 2021, there were 62 million downloads of TikTok alone.
  • Users spend an average of 52 minutes on TikTok every day.
  • 83 percent of users have posted videos to TikTok.

TikTok’s advertising strategies are becoming more common. Read more here.

Why Should You Market On TikTok?

Advertising on social media platforms can cause numerous issues for users. The user experience can often be disrupted for the sake of the ad. Users on those platforms are often less likely to engage when annoyed by a barrage of advertising. TikTok is different in that ads are almost no different than the regular content posted on the platform. They can’t be longer than 15 seconds and they’ll appear on user feeds just like regular videos do. The user experience is not hurt because of this, as they appear just like other videos.

Why Should You Consider Using TikTok for Your Engagement Group?

Many people do not even realize they’re watching ads (especially if the content created by the brand is of particularly high quality). With this in mind, the following are just a few other reasons to consider using TikTok:

  • Reach younger generations – Younger generations rarely want to follow in the footsteps of their parents, which is why you won’t find a lot of Generation Z users on Facebook or Twitter. Instead, you’ll find them on TikTok, which is where a lot of Millennials are fleeing to as well. If you’re looking for a younger audience, TikTok is where you’ll find them.
  • Multiple marketing options – Despite the platform’s limitations (which were by design), there are still a few ad types that you can choose from, including in-feed videos, branded augmented reality (such as custom filters, stickers, and more), TopView ads (which appear at the top of user feeds), branded hashtag challenges, and sponsored content.
  • Flexible CPM – The cost-per-thousand impressions becomes cheaper the broader your audience is. The more you target your audience, the more it will cost; however, the ads will be more effective at engaging users as a result.
  • A level playing field – TikTok’s algorithm is based on identifying content that’s based on each user’s location, preferences, and viewing patterns. That is why user-created content goes viral so often on TikTok and it is why marketing businesses have a better chance of going viral as well.
  • Better chances of engagement – Outside of the algorithm, TikTok also allows you to go live once you reach a thousand followers. What makes this option particularly effective is that you can see how many followers are currently active so that you can determine when the best time to go live is.

use tiktok to reach engagement group

Tips For Using TikTok To Reach Your Engagement Group

There are some serious benefits to using TikTok; however, your success depends on your ability to leverage the platform effectively. The following are a few basic tips for using TikTok:

  • Know your audience – Develop your buyer personas so that you can more effectively target users that will be more likely to engage.
  • Identify influencers – TikTok influencers often have millions of followers. You can get them to post sponsored content that their users will see.
  • Create challenges – TikTok users love challenges. Branded hashtag challenges are a great way to get people to engage with your brand without being overly promotional. It’s also a great way to generate user-made content.
  • Go live – Going live on TikTok at the right time can make it easier to engage with followers who will drop everything to view to ensure that they don’t miss out.

Leverage TikTok To Reach Your Engagement Group Today

TikTok has a massive audience and is growing significantly year-by-year. Due to the algorithm’s design, companies have a level playing field against other businesses that already leverage TikTok. Just keep in mind that if you focus on creating high-quality content that engages your target audience, the chances of success on TikTok will be much greater.

 

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pinterest marketing

Utilize Marketing Audiences on Pinterest Today

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pinterest marketingPinterest is a valuable marketing tool, as 88% of pinners purchase something they have pinned, and 49% purchase 5 or more products they have pinned. Despite its effectiveness as a marketing tool, only 28% of marketers are already using Pinterest, so get ahead of the competition and start using this visual platform today.

Who’s Using Pinterest?

Pinterest has over 335 million  worldwide users and 88 million users from the United States. With over 200 billion Pinterest pins and 4 billion boards, users save 2 million shopping pins on boards daily. 71% of Pinterest users are female. In the United states, 40% of dads use Pinterest, and 80% of moms. The median age of Pinterest users is 40, however most active “Pinners” are below 40 years old. Gen Z adults and millennials are the most dedicated users, however Gen X users increased daily use by 10% from 2018 to 2019.

30 Ways to Boost Instagram Engagement and Following

Marketing on Pinterest: Homebuilding, Crafts, Senior Living, Real Estate, CPG, and more

Two thirds of pins represent brands and products, and 50% of users have made a purchase after seeing a promoted pin.  According to Mintel’s February 2020 Arts and Crafts Consumer Report, Pinterest is largely used to spread creativity through DIY crafts, creating a valuable marketing opportunity for craft and home decorating companies. Pinterest is also a valuable tool for homebuilders to reach consumers through typing in keywords linked to related visual boards of ideas and products. Additionally, Pinterest is a marketing tool to promote services as well, such as Senior living facilities. A platform that provides a unique way to visually display information, Pinterest provides a way for your brand to share health and caregiver related articles, exercise routines for seniors, home health care products, images from your service’s website, and even healthy recipes. As nearly 30% of Pinterest users have a 6-figure income, Pinterest is a  sufficient platform for real estate companies to reach their target audiences. In a study of 9 million consumers, consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketing research shows that Pinterest households were 29% more likely to try a new product within the first 10 months of launch than non-Pinner households, and the Pinner “trial date” was 40% higher in the first 30 days of launch than non-Pinners. Experts say the study shows that people on Pinterest are more likely to try new CPG products. Overall, 75% of Pinners say they are “very interested” in new products compared to 55% with the same level of interest on other digital platforms.

Click here to learn more about social media from our FREE Social Prospecting Workbook

30 Greatest Lead Generation Tips

 

Google ads credit

How the Covid-19 Relief Google Ads Credit Program Works

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Google has responded to Covid-19 globally by giving qualified small and medium sized businesses $340 million in free Google ads credit. This includes small and medium sized businesses who advertised with Google Ads directly through Google and/or a digital marketing agency (like Stevens and Tate).

google ads credit

Eligibility and Amount Given:

In order to qualify for the Google Ads Credit Program, a small or medium sized business must have spent money with a Google Ads account in 10 of 12 months in the year 2019, and in January and/or February of the year 2020.

Each eligible customer will receive one ad credit, even if that customer advertises with more than one account. The maximum U.S. Dollars the free ad would be worth is $1,000, and the amount varies by factors including: amount spent on Google Ads in the past, country billing address, and currency.

How to View your Google Ad Credit:

Google Ad credits have launched in Australia, China, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States. There is no application process; the Google ad credits are automatically applied. Additionally, qualified customers cannot transfer, split, or refund their Google ad credits. Qualified accounts will receive a notification email. The applied credit appears on the Google Ads account by clicking “Tools” > “Billing” > “Promotion”. The Google ad amount appears on the “Transactions” page. The free ad credit expires on December 31, 2020.

Helpful Resources for your Business During This Time of Uncertainty:

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earned media vs paid media

Understanding the Difference Between Earned Media vs. Paid Media And Embracing The PESO Model

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When it comes to digital marketing, there are four main types of media. The first, owned media, is relatively obvious. Owned media refers to the media that you own, such as your website, your blog, or your social media pages. Then there’s paid media, which often comes to mind first. However, you could argue that earned media is just as important. The following is a breakdown of earned media vs paid media as well as the importance of following the PESO model, which implements all forms of media for a more balanced digital marketing strategy.

Earned Media vs Paid Media

Paid media consists of the marketing elements that you pay for. Traditionally, paid media consisted of things like TV commercials and magazine ads. However, these days, they also include PPC (per-per-click) ads, social media ads, and display ads. To get the most out of your paid media, you have to plan your marketing strategy carefully and make sure that you’re targeting the right audience. However, paid media can be quite effective at helping to increase brand exposure and web traffic. earned media vs paid media

Earned media is essentially a form of marketing that you do not pay for and do not own. Customers and brand advocates generate earned media. In a way, it’s like a digital form of “word-of-mouth.” Earned media can include having reviews written by customers as well as professional product review sites or having news stories published about your company. Any kind of publicity that you didn’t pay for is earned media. Earned media is an excellent way to increase brand recognition even though you don’t have direct control over it; however, earned media is also free.

What Is The PESO Model?

Earned media and paid media are not the only types of media you should be concerned with. Owned media, which includes marketing elements that you have direct ownership and full control over (such as your website and your business blog) as well as shared media, which is the media you earn through social media engagement (shares, likes, and comments), both play an important part in helping to grow your brand. The mistake many businesses make is to focus more on one type of media than the other.

Similar Article: Using The Right Media Mix During Each Stage Of The Buyer’s Journeys

Gini Dietrich stressed the importance of integrating all four forms of media with her PESO (paid, earned, shared, owned) model. By implementing the PESO model, you integrate all four forms of media to strengthen your ability to attract leads and convert customers. For example, the use of paid media and shared media can help draw the attention of prospects. Earned media helps to establish the credibility of your brand so that those prospects trust you. Owned media, such as eBooks or whitepapers, help showcase the value of your brand.

While knowing the difference between earned media vs. paid media is important, it’s also important that you don’t value paid media over earned media or vice versa. They, along with shared media and owned media, play an important part in helping to grow your brand. Finding the right balance can take some time, but as long as you keep the PESO model in mind as you create your marketing strategy, you’ll end up having a more balanced and effective marketing campaign.

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media mix

How To Use Media Mix When Marketing To Your Audience’s Buyer’s Journeys

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Some marketers make the mistake of trying to reach as many people as possible with their content. The problem with this is that your pushing information to people who are either not ready to receive it or not interested all together. Without tailoring your content to your specific audience at their buying stage and delivering it to the platforms where they actually consume messages you’re missing out on a huge conversion opportunity.

Why Use Mix Media Marketing

Mix media marketing is the process of utilizing niche marketing to get granular with your messaging. Depending on your audience and their buying stage different platforms and messages will reach better than others. Email typically converts those at the middle or bottom of the funnel while social media is great to reach those at the top of the funnel. Let’s take a closer look at the different stages in the buyer’s journey and which mix media marketing strategies work best.

[Read About Using the Buyer’s Journey to Create Great Content]

Awareness Stage

The awareness stage is at the very top of the funnel and is a great time to just put your brand out there. At this point the buyer has a problem that needs to be solved but they might not even be fully aware of the problem or that there is a solution. During this stage educational content and strong SEO is key. You want to be found when users are searching and use keywords that resonate with their pain points.

Best types of mix media marketing at this stage:

  • Blogs- with keywords focused on relevant topics to your audience
  • PPC and SEO to drive traffic to your site
  • Mass Media- TV, Radio, to get your brand name out there

Consideration

During this stage the buyer is aware they have a problem and is actively looking for a solution. You need to show your target audience that you can deliver the solutions they need and are a trusted source. You’ll want to get more granular at this stage and really tailor your messages to their needs. You can use segmented email messages that push buyers through the funnel.

Best types of mix media marketing at this stage:

  • Targeted emails that trigger actions such as signing up for a webinar, downloading content, or reading a case study

Decision Making Stage

If your audience has made it this far in the buyers journey than you are one of the companies they are considering. Now is the time to really drive home why you’re better than the competition and develop an emotional connection.

Best types of mix media marketing at this stage:

  • Retargeting- reconnect with those who have visited your site to keep your brand fresh in their mind using retargeting ads or email
  • One to one connections- this is the why us part. Demos, personal emails, phone calls, and other follow-ups that show your audience you’re there for them will go far to push your buyers through the last step before converting

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