Social Media Analytics: Should you hire a pro or go it alone?

March 21st, 2012

As more companies are starting to understand the impact and relevance of having social media as a viable sector of their marketing plan, CEOs are expecting to see a ROI. Now that your company pages are set up and you have started posting, how do you start to analyze a flurry of likes, re-tweets, fans, demographics, and other data that looks nice on a report, but does not give much insight and lacks accuracy? In a recent survey done by the Harvard Business Review, two thirds of the companies who participated said that they are either currently using social media channels or have social media plans in the works. Nearly one-third did not measure effectiveness and less than one-quarter are using social media analytic tools. So how do you know if hiring an analytic company is right for your business?

advent-social-media-analytics

Well, this depends on what your goals are for your company. Most starting out will say that they want to gain awareness for their brand. Other companies with a larger client base would say that making sales is the goal. Maybe you just want the inbound links to help raise your website rank in organic search engine results, or perhaps your key objective is to connect with consumers and network with other companies.

Once the goal is established, decide the best way to measure it. If you’re building awareness, a steady incline in Likes and Followers can be a measuring tool. Then again, are these followers in you target market? Does it matter? Are you going to run campaigns and track the results? Do you want to tackle customer service inquiries and manage what people are saying about your brand via your Facebook page?

Overall, there are many social media analytic companies that would jump at the chance to organize all your data and send a perfectly packaged report with a shiny red bow on it. Google Analytics is a useful, free tool, but can be complicated and time consuming to understand. Then there’s analyzing the data and deciding what’s working and what isn’t – that takes skill.

A few questions you should ask yourself when deciding to hire an analytics company are:

  • What is my overall budget for social media? Can I afford professional analytics?
  • How important of a role does social media play compared to my entire marketing plan?
  • Is there someone on my team who is savvy enough to analyze the results we currently get for free?
  • What are the major questions I want answered? Do I need professional help to reach the answer?
  • In the long run, will the investment in professional social media analytics help our company grow?

In conclusion, yes, having a professional team collecting and analyzing your complied data would be beneficial to any company, but make sure you do your research, as there are many companies available. At Advent, we are our own guinea pig. Everything we do with our clients has already been tested and proven for ourselves. With our SEO services, we can help incorporate social media data so that you have a well-rounded online marketing strategy. With the growth of social media, there will come a time when analytics will be necessary. It’s good to get your feet wet now and start exploring.

Please feel free to visit our website for more information.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Taking a Step Forward: The Scoop on HTML 5 and Upcoming Web Standards

January 10th, 2012

html5-web-standardsThe web is evolving at a rate fast enough to make your head spin. The minute you adapt your company’s website to use one web technology another one comes up to make the standards even stronger. The acceptance of these new technologies and standards allows the web to keep pace with web applications that can adapt to multiple new mobile/tablet devices while increasing browser processing power without the need of third party plug-ins. Advent keeps a close eye on these advances and this post will briefly touch on what you need to know about these new standards, how can these advances improve the web and what resources one can use to help integrate these new standards into their own website.

What do you need to know about HTML 5?

browser-market-shares

StatCounter.com

HTML 5 is the newest iteration of the HTML web standard that is simplifying and revolutionizing the way the web works. The underlying concept and objective of HTML 5 is to make the browser load pages faster and to make pages more powerful by natively implementing technologies typically handled by third party plug-ins. By making the standard cross-browser compliant, it also ensures that your site functions and looks exactly how you would like it to without having to worry about browser compatibility.

HTML 5 is still considered a “working” standard so not all of the proposed improvements have been accepted or implemented by the major browser makers. However, over the last few years enough browsers across the board have accepted the new standards that the message is clear and that the standard is here to stay. The market has also been voting by abandoning older browser versions that do not implement some of the new standard improvements.

How can these new standards improve the web and your own website?

What many wish to know is “How can these new standards benefit my website and the overall web in general?”. Here are some points to keep in mind when considering moving to HTML 5:

  1. Faster Page Loads = A Faster Web – By natively implementing tasks typically handled by third party plug-ins this reduces the overall page load time and eliminates the need for your end user to install anything. This is most significant in the use of streaming video, audio and recently with the increased use of animations using CSS 3. Improvements can also be seen behind the scenes by natively adding options to control storing of page content for later offline use and options to delegate processor intensive tasks to its own processor thread (web workers) eliminating the need for JavaScript to hang up a page.
  2. Improved Cross-Browser Compliance and Acceptance – The biggest complaint from web developers about previous web standards has always been the lack of consistent implementation of the standards by browser makers. In the past, a website may have appeared dramatically different if seen in Internet Explorer browser versus a Firefox or a browser on your phone. HTML 5 is changing the end-users viewing experience and is already showing signs of early acceptance by the majority of browser makers including Microsoft®, Apple®, Google® and Mozilla®.
  3. Syntax/Layout Improvements – HTML 5 improves basic presentation syntax by adding new descriptive tags that replace the tasks typically handled by generic div tags in the past. This matters because these more descriptive tags help standardize layouts of web pages while also making it easier for search engines to determine the importance of various elements on a page.
  4. New APIs – In addition to presentation improvements new APIs have been added to natively handle video, audio, offline content/storage, drag and drop, page history and editing page content.

What resources can I use to implement HTML 5 on my site?

There are numerous resources where one can get started to learn more about the new HTML 5. Below I have listed some of the resources someone should look at when diving in:

•HTML 5 Rocks
HTML 5 Rocks has a great interactive presentation summarizing some of the HTML 5 features and provides sample code, tutorials and a code playground.

•HTML 5 Test 
Convenient site that allows one to score their browser to see how compliant it is to HTML 5 standards.

•W3C HTML 5 Validation
This tool allows one to test their HTML 5 code to find possible validation issues

•Apple’s HTML 5 Showcase
This site shows samples of what is possible using the new HTML 5 technologies.

•HTML 5 Boiler Plate
This provides for a great wireframe template to get started with HTML 5, encouraging the best coding practices and additional resources to help improve your website’s performance.

•Move the Web Forward
This is a great resource to learn more about the standard and how to keep up with the latest advances in the standard.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Web Standards | Comments Off

Advent Raises the Bar with Custom Designed Booths at SPE ATCE 2011

November 14th, 2011

The Advent Team just returned from a successful showing at this year’s SPE ATCE 2011 tradeshow in Denver, Colorado. Covering 5,600 sq. ft. of the exhibit floor, Advent made its mark with stunning custom booths such as Tesco Corporation, Frac-Tech Services, and our newest custom build – Fekete.

fekete_booth_118_001

Expanding its office to the US market and as the official SPE ATCE 2011 banquet sponsor, Fekete sought to have a strong presence at this year’s exhibition. Fekete, a reservoir engineering consulting company headquartered in Canada, came to us to design and build an eye-catching trade show booth that would portray their brand accurately yet stand out from the crowd among hundreds of exhibitors at this year’s show. Advent’s creative team of designers, builders, and account managers strategically created a unique booth that brought Fekete visibility and heavy traffic to promote their newest software, Fekete Harmony™.

advent-tradebooth-Fekete_21

The focal point of the booth’s structure was their large curved arches, inspired by the rounded elements within Fekete’s logo. A custom tension fabric canopy tied together the individual arches to create one cohesive structure. Spanning the booth to provide accent colors to further enhance the display’s visual impact, subtle L.E.D. lighting simultaneously illuminated three custom-built counters and the fabric canopies hanging from above. The design and color palette used throughout the booth were chosen to reinforce Fekete’s corporate branding and to create an inviting environment for attendees to demo their newest program.

Tammie, Marketing Manager for Fekete, was thrilled with the outcome saying, “I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Advent staff!  You all did a fabulous job. We couldn’t have asked for a better booth or better service.  All the Feketies were very impressed!”

We are very proud of our team and look forward to the future projects coming up for 2012!

View gallery images for this specific booth

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Custom Build, Exhibits, Trade Show | No Comments »

Trade Show Exhibits: Standing Out From the Crowd

October 14th, 2011

advent-trade-boothAdvent is smack-dab in the middle of one of its busiest times for trade show exhibitions. As we fly from continent to continent, we are seeing thousands of different trade show booths and wanted to mention a few pointers on how your exhibit can stand out from the crowd. There is a small window of 3-5 seconds for your booth to make an impression – for any exhibitor, this is key to maximizing your ROI.

Aesthetics – Get their attention

This sounds like a no-brainer, but few booths pull off the proper aesthetics to capture the attention of those passing by. Here are some key pointers:

  • Design – Make sure the logo and any key messages are towards the top of the display. Viewers read from top to bottom, left to right, so the first and last thing they see, should be the company’s mark and/or any crucial messages. With this in mind, is the logo large and legible? Are the messages bold and emphasized? Is there too much clutter? Are the graphics relevant and powerful? Simple and direct design is always a safe bet.exhibit
  • Lighting - Lighting can play a subtle, yet important role in highlighting key elements throughout the booth. By strategically lighting certain messages or areas, attendees can focus on what the booth has to offer. Also, keep in mind that lighting should be dim and inviting and not too overbearing.
  • Interactive Tools – With the excessive use of smart phones, tablets and laptops, it’s no secret that the human attention span has diminished. Stay up-to-date on trends and incorporate interactive media in your booth. This can include Xbox Kinect interactions, video displays, interactive visualizations, integrating web applications, games and more. This is a great area to be creative, but be sure you do ample research on your target market!
  • Solid Branding – This is the most important on the list. In order to stand out from the crowd, having a solid looking brand will portray the professionalism and quality of the company. Every color, font, text placement, tagline, logo and uniform should comply with the branding standards of the company.

Engagement – Keep their attention

Now that you’ve got their attention, how do you keep it?

  • Greeting – Again, first impressions can make or break you. If a prospect walks up to a booth, and employees are busy texting or talking to a coworker, they just lost a potential sale. Look alert, approachable and genuinely happy to meet people. Smiling will attract people to you, so put your best face forward and greet everyone who passes by. Once you’ve got their attention, open with something that requires an answer. “How are you enjoying the trade show today?”, “What have been some of your favorite booths so far?”. Use a soft greeting to get them comfortable before you introduce them to your product or service.
  • Don’t be too pushy – Yes, your goal is to meet prospects and then turn them into sales, but no one appreciates a pushy sales person. Start off with a casual, neutral conversation, then ease into how your company can benefit the individual. What do they need and how can you give it to them?
  • Ask Questions – Why did they choose this particular trade show? What do they hope to gain by attending? What challenges are they currently facing? The more questions asked, without being invasive, the easier you’ll be able to identify the root of what the consumer needs, and then properly assess how you can help.
  • How can your services benefit them? Remember, it is all about the customer. Be sure to state all the key benefits, not just the features of your product or service.

Retainment – Be memorable

You’ve got their attention, you’ve engaged them, but will they remember you once they leave the exhibition?

promotional-items

  • Give them something to take home – What can the prospect take away from your booth? We’ve all done it. We get home and dump our giant bag of trade show booth goodies onto the table and examine all the unique knick knacks we’ve collected from the day. Some of it will get trashed, some will not. Create something that people will want to keep around for a while. What can they use on a day-to-day basis? What is something that other exhibitors won’t have?
  • Leave a lasting impression – After talking to hundreds of exhibitors, why should the prospect remember you? Did you make them laugh? Provoke deep thought? Challenge their way of thinking? Leave them with a thought or question that they will continue to ponder long after the trade show. Games are also a good idea because if they win something memorable at your booth, they will think of your company every time they use the item.
  • Thank them for stopping by – Simply enough, a sincere “thank you for stopping by” is always courteous and respectable.
  • Ask for feedback – People love to express their opinions. Ask them what they think of your trade booth design. What was their first impression? What kind of promotional items do they like to receive? Make it all about the consumer, they’ll give you answers on the spot.

Of course, we just scratched the surface of all the great tips to having a successful trade show booth. What tips do you have for sticking out in a crowd?

Thanks for stopping by!

See more pictures of Advent’s trade show booths.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Advice, Exhibits, Trade Show | No Comments »

Social Media: Connecting with the world, one post at a time.

September 7th, 2011

advent-social-media-laptopWe’re what you would consider a classic, full service marketing agency. Not quite like the three martini lunch creatives at Sterling Cooper, but we believe that face-to-face business is the best way to create long-lasting client-agency relationships. We’ve been in business for more than 15 years and maintain several relationships abroad where we often make the 15-hour roundtrips in order to keep these relationships flourishing. So why is it that we’re just now jumping on the social media bandwagon? Easy, the data speaks for itself.

Besides the fact that in the US, Facebook has over 149 million users with 70% of them logging in once a day ¹ and that Twitter users are sending one billion tweets in a week ², social media accounts for 25% of all time spent online ³. Those are significant numbers and with the increase in availability, affordability and user-friendly interfaces, these numbers will grow rapidly. Best of all, these incredible outlets of information are free and extremely powerful if used properly.

Here’s a few more astounding facts derived from a recent Universal McCann² study:

  • 71% of social media participants say they are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow online
  • 66% of social media participants note that participation with brands online has made them more loyal to those brands
  • 63% of social media participants state that they will recommend these brands to their friends and associates
  • Ford’s 2011 Explorer launch on Facebook generated a 200% greater return than a Super Bowl ad.

Not only will social media enforce and strengthen your brand identity, but it will keep you connected all around the world with a click of a button – leading to potential clients, employees, and partnerships. So, now you’re saying, “Ok, great, but who has time for this?” That’s a valid concern. Many of us wear multiple hats and are already pulling 60-hour weeks, but there are a few options that should be considered.

  1. Hire an in-house social media specialist – Money may be tight, but this investment will reap big rewards. Having this outlet of communication is vital to reaching the online generation, as well as making professional contacts all over the world. An in-house specialist will be able to give your brand an accurate voice and personality which will provoke authentic conversations with fans and followers. People know when they are being sold to, and they don’t like it. Being genuine and personable is the only way social media will be effective.
  2. Hire an outside social media consultant – You’ll want to be careful with this option as many so-called, “experts” have developed over the years claiming guarantees that they cannot keep. Alas, there are also legit companies and individuals that can get your company’s profile set up and educate team members on proper social media rules and etiquette. Consultants can also help post quality and relevant content and gather unique followers. Just make sure you do your homework with this option!
  3. Do it yourself! – This option is obviously the best option, as the boss can control what messages are being put out and can network with followers on a personal level. The downside to this, of course, is that the boss is already overwhelmed with running all the other aspects of the business. With the loss of attention, the social media sector will start to fall through the cracks and become a useless feat.

Regardless which decision is best for your company, the key is to start. Start somewhere. Register for an online webinar, contact your business pals and ask for advice, pick up a how-to book, or simply search for an experienced individual or company to hire.

Advent is proud to report that we’re on board 100% with social media and want to connect with you. We’re all about helping one another and making our business and community a more connected, prosperous place. Like us, follow us, connect with us, or even stop by and say hello (we like that!).

Let’s be friends!

advent-facebook-pageadvent-twitter-page advent-linkedin

 

 

(1)  Ogilvy & BuddyMedia

(2) Social Media Facts for Business Owners

(3) Nielsen

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »