Monthly Archives: marketing

Hosting Virtual Events and the Future of Getting Together

It’s been just over a month since the Evans Communications team merged with ON Advertising to expand our crew, and we’ve enjoyed every minute of the process. We’re now capable of doing more than ever on our clients’ behalf and have enjoyed working as a new unit to get through these challenging times. Since our merger, one question we get a lot is: “What’s going on with your events division?” We were halfway through our spring season when COVID-19 hit and were only able to hold about half of our events for the season. Because of this, we are postponing most of the rest until fall 2020 or spring 2021; as a result, we began offering virtual events.

The Future of Virtual Networking

With such unique times to work through, we’ve been purposefully studious about the best ways to produce online events. Why? We wanted to identify true best practices and decipher which approaches and platforms work best. And while we’re not epidemiologists, we don’t believe that virtual events are the long-term answer to the question of how we’re all going to interact. This too shall pass!
Still, we do see the value in virtual events for some of the clients and organizations we work with. And we’ve noticed a few best practices we can share with you as remote working becomes more of a new normal.

Keep it small and simple for virtual events. Zoom or WebEx calls are hard enough to navigate for a work function; and for a social or networking event, they can become unruly unless you limit the attendance size and designate a host who can thoroughly manage the conversation.
Keep everything short. It’s one thing to sit in a hotel ballroom for four hours for a charity dinner. But, it’s quite another to keep people’s attention spans focused online. Especially when they may have a million other distractions around their homes. How can you be safe and avoid losing audience interest? Err on the side of caution that any virtual meeting over an hour is a stretch. And if it’s an hour, you should probably have a reason and make it clear about why it’s longer.
Market, market, market. Organizations can actually expand their reach far beyond what their in-person events might have attracted if they push hard through social media and other marketing channels. An event that might have drawn a few hundred people in-person can potentially draw thousands online. But, there must be a coordinated, strategic PR and marketing effort to make it work.
Find the right platform. “Live” events are still very possible, and we’re working with several companies that are providing the option of doing in-studio content, including fundraising platforms that can capture donations in real-time! But, we’re also seeing some organizations pre-create their content. Going instead with a more passive fundraising ask that can be done on the donor’s own schedule.
Make it professional. If you expected someone to pay to attend your in-person event, and you’re asking them for money now, they should expect to see a professional presentation in return. Think about fundraisers, for example. The in-person experience would ordinarily include a scripted program with themes and supporting visual elements. The online version of the event should be no different!
Most importantly, don’t do anything off the cuff. Everyone wants to do something right now. But if you don’t go into virtual events with a clearly defined goal, thoughtful content, and a significant marketing and social media push, you’re wasting your time and energy and that of any potential attendees.

How ON Advertising Can Help with Virtual Events

No matter the event, from theme conception to running of the show, the team at ON Advertising is ready to ensure your events are executed memorably and flawlessly. We know times are truly unpredictable and unprecedented, which is why we are here to help you with your specific needs, and to share even further insight with you about how you can make virtual events beneficial in these challenging times.
Contact us to learn more about our event planning services and to start working with our expert team.

How We Use Popular Social Media Platforms to Help Our Clients Grow

After working with clients to grow their businesses for over 25 years, we’ve learned a few things about putting together the puzzle of success. And along the way, we’ve come to understand that each piece of the strategy plays its own vital, pivotal role in how a company evolves. For our clients, we employ a mix of social media platforms to enhance their presence. Each one helps solidify brand recognition, improve upon search engine optimization, and adds to a well-rounded approach to growth.
But, no two social media platforms are equal. Each serves a different purpose, is constantly changing, and reaches a unique set of audiences. Meaning one platform may be suitable for one client, and not for another. What popular social media platforms do we use for our clients – and how do we capitalize on their differences? We’re breaking down different social media platforms and how to best use them.

Facebook

Founded in 2004, Facebook was first launched as an online networking for people across the world to connect with family, friends, and even strangers. Since then, it has shifted from its original purpose; now acting just as equally as a business site as it does a personal use one. And just as the social media platform’s use has evolved, so have its capabilities; now including an ad center for paid media, live streaming, story abilities, and more.
Facebook is useful to our clients in a variety of ways, both in marketing and in establishing a strong social media presence to show what you’re truly about. According to Facebook’s Investor Relations Q3 2019 results, there are 2.45 billion active users logging into the platform on a monthly basis as of September 2019; and that’s a lot of eyes to try to get in front of.
On the surface level of Facebook, sharing business updates, new product launches, company news, and photos and video is a strong strategy for keeping a client top of mind for their users. That’s because interaction, such as likes and follows, gets you organic attention. And this applies to capturing both returning customers and prospective ones. But beneath that, utilizing Facebook’s marketing integration, in tandem with organic social, is how we make the most of the site.
By working within the website’s robust advertising tools, we’re able to target the intended audience on a more granular scale. Some of the parameters available are gender and age, and you can also target zip codes and interests. This especially helpful to small, local businesses trying to keep their scope of advertising narrow and localized. And because Facebook is built with B2C marketing in mind, boosting posts and employing paid advertising is a great way to snag sales directly on the users’ feed.

Instagram

What started out as a place for users to share photos of their day-to-day life, Instagram officially launched as the social media app we know today in 2010. Over the course of the past 10 years, it’s become the place to be for companies trying to tell their brand’s story in a more visual way. Interestingly enough, the social media platform is now owned by Facebook after being acquired by them in 2012. And while the sites still seem to operate independently in certain aspects, the similar capabilities aren’t lost on us when it comes to using them for our clients.
According to Statista, the social media platform now has 1 billion monthly active users as of April 2020. Because the entire purpose of the platform is essentially to curate a visually appealing, eye-catching feed – it’s all about putting forth the highest-quality images you can. For our clients, especially our B2B ones, this is where your products, goods, and story of your business can shine. With the ability to add shopping directly on a page and within posts, to the swipe-up feature in stories accessed after 10,000 followers, there’s plenty of ways that companies can sell directly to users without requiring them to ever leave the app.
Because Facebook purchased Instagram, their ad center is capable of creating, publishing, and monitoring ads for both platforms. And while only a few of our clients advertise on Instagram, we’ve learned that engagement is what we’re looking for. Sponsored or boosted posts, as well as actual paid ads, are used on Instagram mainly for brand-awareness rather than tangible conversions. It helps keep our clients top of mind for users and truly targets users’ interests through ad targeting and hashtags, Instagram’s main topic browsing method. In our strategies, creating branded hashtags and using them as often as possible helps create the conversation around our client and encourage it to grow.

Unlike a majority of the other social media platforms we work with, LinkedIn has a stronger focus on B2B marketing. Launched in 2003, the social media site has always placed an emphasis on being a place where users can cultivate professional relationships and strengthen their career. According to LinkedIn’s statistics, the platform has 675 million monthly users of professionals across the globe – a number that has steadily increased in recent years.
With LinkedIn concentrating heavily on professional connections, we often tweak content for our clients and tailor it specifically to the platform. Because of that, this is where content curation comes more into play on an internal level. To retain a strong level of professionalism, this is where our clients share industry articles, partake in conversations concerning their line of work, and make B2B connections with like-minded, complementary companies.
Like the other social media platforms, LinkedIn’s ad center is extremely helpful in growing our clients’ businesses. However, targeting parameters look a lot different, with only options to target companies and titles of individuals who work at those companies. In our planning, we don’t just research our clients’ competitors and peers. But, we also keep in mind what entities may be looking for their services, essentially using LinkedIn as a digital resume for our client.

Twitter

Initially envisioned to be a place where users could send an SMS text that was broadcast to all of their friends, Twitter, launched in 2007, and now has an average of 330 million monthly active users as of the Q1 2019. Now, the social media platform is the hub for up-to-the-second news, business networking, and of course – personal use so users can update their followers about what they’re up to. And with only 280 characters available per tweet, messaging has to be clear and concise.
For our clients, this is where we can keep them relevant, keep their content timely, and get users to engage in a more direct conversation. And with such a limiting amount of room for information, it’s critical that we nail down exactly what our client wants their reputation to be. To create variety in content, Twitter has introduced features like polls, and most recently “Fleets”, which is their version of Instagram Stories, or the original ephemeral social media content king: Snapchat.
Similarly to Instagram, Twitter relies heavily on hashtags to help users partake in conversations and track topics. For all clients, and all platforms, we take an in-depth look at data to determine best posting times, relevant hashtags to use, and what branded ones to inc; and for Twitter this is especially important. Why? In order for users to remember you, Twitter, unlike Facebook or Instagram, is built for increased posting. And this could mean sometimes posting multiple times a day. Tweeting, and tweeting often, with these hashtags included generates the momentum our clients are looking for.

Google My Business

Did you know that there’s a free business profile you can create and manage directly on Google? Google My Business is a place to engage with customers directly and keep them informed. We also update profiles with current photos, events information, announcements, and relevant news. Not only that, but it’s where we control exactly how our clients’ businesses appear within Google’s search engine and what information populates in maps. This is done by updating hours and open locations when things are changed. And during the COVID-19 outbreak for example, this has been an especially poignant step.

YouTube

Throughout our years operating as an agency, we’ve provided a variety of video production services to our clients. And beyond sharing them within content on platforms, integrating them into websites, and more, we also run them as ads on YouTube. Just as we do on any of the other social media platforms we use. Originally introduced in 2005 as a free video-sharing platform, YouTube was purchased by Google soon after in 2006, meaning the two are now integrated seamlessly.
By setting up a Google Ads profile, we can begin to target users based upon age, gender, interests, and location. This allows us to create paid ads to drive traffic to our clients’ websites; and run them directly on the platform with ease. This, along with all of our other efforts, work in unison to better support our clients’ needs.

Plan your Platforms with ON Advertising

The world of social media platforms is evolving by the minute…but so are we. At ON Advertising, we offer lots of different services, but we take great care to match them with your specific vision. And this same idea is applied to the unique, custom strategy we create for both you and your business – because we are committed to your success.
When you partner with us we’ll take a deep dive into your company’s needs. And we’ll determine exactly what platforms are necessary for what you do. Whether that includes a full-blown Facebook campaign paired with a tiny Twitter schedule or just targeted ads that get straight to the point – we’re here to help unlock the potential of your brand.
Contact us to get started on your social media strategy today.

Person uses map application on their smart phone

The Rise of “Near Me” Searches

Gone are the days of pulling out a map, hoping it’s updated, and meticulously searching for a location. Since then, we’ve seen technology offer us various ways to find the businesses and services we’re looking for. With the introduction of Search Engines, starting with Archie Query Form in 1990, we’ve watched the way people search evolve over time.
But even when it comes to the modern-day search engine platforms we know so well, you have to have some semblance of an idea of where you’re going – or who or what you’re looking for. That’s where the trend of “near me” searches can help you narrow down your parameters. And in a time of the COVID-19 pandemic, where consumer behavior has pivoted drastically, “near me” inquiries are taking on a whole new meaning.
It’s worth noting that not only can “near me” searches help audiences and consumers, but it can shape the way that businesses, like B2B and B2C companies, formulate their strategies. How exactly? We took a brief look at the rise of “near” me searches and their role in marketing today.

Near Me Searches and B2B/B2C Companies

How do you search for a business or service near you? Do you type it into Google? Your Apple Maps app? And what about your Alexa or Google Home? Fortunately for us, there are countless ways for us to look for the local businesses we need. That means companies can capitalize on these capabilities, just like you would a blog post – even optimizing their place in result rankings. And it’s a lot simpler to do than you might think.
According to HubSpot, as of 2019 there was a 150% growth for phrases such as “near me now”. And as we see people increasingly looking for these local services, it’s important to know how this data is critical to business marketing. To provide this information to users, Google typically requests you to enable GPS. This is both in your general settings and through various apps, to provide the most accurate results about a consumer’s current location. This usually always runs in the background, even when your phone is locked. It can track things like where you parked and where you’ve moved even when you aren’t aware of it.

Capitalizing on Near Me Searches

But how exactly do you optimize for something that has everything to do with your location and the behavior of your audience? You can start by listing your company on Google My Business; and make sure your business information, like hours of operation or contact information, is as detailed and thorough as possible. This also includes acquiring detailed backlinks for your website and having separate optimized web pages for each business location. Plus, you must set up your website to be friendly on an array of devices.
Surprisingly, you can even optimize how you appear to users who search through voice command. For example, according to the 2019 Smart Audio Report, 24% of adults in the United States own at least one smart speaker device. That’s 60 million people who are asking questions like “Alexa, what sushi places are near me?” or “Okay Google, find a gas station near me.” And to optimize your results to populate among the top when these questions are asked, you have to anticipate what they’ll be. By doing so, you can fully optimize each of your pages to best answer them.

How COVID-19 Has Affected Near Me Searches

Unlike the typical consumer patterns we’re used to seeing, the behavior of shoppers during the COVID-19 pandemic has changed immensely. The landscape of typical “near me” searches have shifted from inquiries about the best local club nearby to where one can find cleaning wipes in their community. According to Search Engine Journal, eCommerce sites that sell essential goods, such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer, are seeing a surge in traffic. And as companies made the switch to work from home, searches for things like office chairs and desks also saw a spike.
But as virtual lines for stores are filling up, searches for local services, beyond that of grocery stores and other essential businesses, are seemingly slowing down. For example, health sites and recipe pages are seeing slight increases in their traffic; and this may only increase in the coming months depending upon new updates concerning social distancing regulations and mandatory closures of all non-essential businesses changes throughout the country.
If you haven’t already, update your business hours as they change. By regularly updating information about any services, like contactless delivery, you can ensure you keep showing up where you should. Optimization is the most important step and adaptability in changing times follows closely behind.

How ON Advertising Can Help

At ON Advertising, our team of experts can help you control the conversation around your business. Our strength is turning general prospects into highly-qualified sales leads and measuring the return on your investment. From a digital strategy and email marketing to conversion rate optimization and SEO/PPC solutions, our digital services can help you unlock your full potential. And in these times, we’re here to do everything we can to help your business. Contact us to speak with our team today.

Crisis Management for Long-Term Care Communities during COVID-19

If you’re like us, you’re likely hunkered down at home, doing your best social distancing to help flatten the curve of COVID-19. As the coronavirus has spread across the globe over the first few months of 2020, we’ve unfortunately learned that those most at risk for contracting are immunocompromised and the elderly.

And even though a lot of the world has shifted from in-person work to working from home, many important, essential employees, like those who work in long-term care communities, caring for the more geriatric population, aren’t able to. This has led to more requests for crisis management services at these communities due to negative media coverage and a discussion of HIPAA transparency from these communities.

Here’s how Critical Point Communications, a subsidiary of ON Advertising, is tackling crisis management recommendations and insight on dealing with the media amidst the pandemic, and how we can help you if you’re a long-term care provider in need.

A Rise in Need for Crisis Management at Long-Term Care Communities

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 there’s been a definite rise in requests for crisis management at long-term care communities. The communities are filled mainly by elderly patients, many of whom deal with already pre-existing conditions or poor health, and are more at risk against contracting the virus, according to the CDC. Calls to manage crisis situations have doubled over the past two month which speaks to the magnitude of the situation these communities currently find themselves in. Due to this increase, we’ve provided crisis management services to more than 50 long-term care communities across the country since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Because of the nature of the virus, this type of management is different from the typical crisis management situation we usually deal with. Typically, we handle problems like citations received during a recent inspection, an employee theft of resident property, a missing resident, and other situations of a similar nature. During this crisis, long-term care communities have faced extreme negative media coverage since the spread began. Since there has never been a pandemic of this kind before, care communities are having difficulty knowing how to manage. From determining the timing of actions, such as limiting or prohibiting visitors, stopping social activities, confining residents, and what exactly to do in the event a resident or employee contracts the virus – there is a lot to consider.

So far, we have dealt with a number of different issues regarding COVID-19 in long-term care communities, like a resident contracting COVID-19 in the community, an employee contracting COVID-19 in the community, and a media barrage on a community regarding transparency. We also dealt with long-term care media communications, employee and resident communications regarding virus in the building, COVID-19 visitation restrictions, and resident and employee quarantine timing and response during the crisis.

Dealing With Crisis Management Issues During COVID-19

To a community in need of assistance, crisis management can deal with the specific crisis occurring at that moment, and provide immediate communication requirements both inside and outside the community to control information regarding the crisis. And in terms of the COVID-19 crisis we’re currently facing, we provide specific directions to communicate to residents, family members, and media outlets regarding the proactive approach the community is doing to limit or eliminate the spread of the virus.
But what steps do we take to do so?
We provide verbal and written recommendations to both owners and senior management, stay in direct communication with media outlets, and write media statements regarding specific crisis issues that arise. Internally within the community, we provide communications to residents and family members. And in such unusual times, we cannot stress enough the need for all long-term care communities to have a crisis management plan in place.

Putting a Crisis Management Plan In Place at Long-Term Care communities

According to an article by Healthline, experts say that Americans may have to get used to social distancing over the next 1 to 2 years. In the event that COVID-19 makes a return this Fall, it would be beneficial for all long-term care communities to be ready with internal and external communication protocols.
Crisis Communication plans include:

An employee policy regarding a crisis situation (written for employee manuals).
Knowing what issues constitute a crisis, and knowledge of who to contact first in the event of a crisis.
Direction on how to communicate to employees and residents during a crisis and knowing when to seek outside assistance for crisis management.
How to handle incoming media calls and what to do if the media shows up at your door.

It is important that long-term care communities do not give on the spot interviews to any media outlet, and that information is carefully articulated both inside and outside of the community. If a facility is not sure what to do, seek outside professional crisis help immediately.

Working With Critical Point Communications

Knowing that it’s not a matter of “if”, but rather of “when” when it comes to a crisis occurring can help your company be better prepared. To better avoid significant damage being done to your valuable reputation within your community, it’s essential that any crisis is either resolved or contained within 4 hours or less. And that’s where Critical Point Communications can help you navigate.
The COVID-19 outbreak has brought forth new, unique challenges being faced by long-term care communities. And because these communities are at the epicenter of the pandemic and taking a brunt of the discourse, we want you to know, we’re here to help.
If you are a long-term care community needing crisis management assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, contact us today to speak to our expert team.

A graphic of Mikaela doing some strategic planning

Service Spotlight: Strategic Planning

At ON Advertising, our main goal is to help make you successful. Whether that means we’ve created a video that perfectly tells your story, or developed a website that transforms your eCommerce business, developing your brand is in our DNA. And it involves strategic planning.

But before we reach project’s end – in fact, before we even begin in-depth research, we develop a strategic approach. One that aligns sales and marketing objectives. This allows us to learn what unique business goals and challenges your business has; and that’s what drives everything else that we do!

Our focus is on providing our clients with a tailored marketing plan that aligns with their business approach. And what’s the most important aspect of making it all come together? Strategic planning by our expert team members.

Strategic Planning

When examining our clients, and what ultimately drives their success, one common denominator stands out: the strategy behind each service we provide. Why is this important? In the end, the goal is to create long-term marketing objectives for your marketing team. And the sales team gets the ongoing short-term support they need to close more deals. Don’t worry if you aren’t selling anything physical and instead provide a service. Our strategic planning extends to social media campaigns and beyond. Whatever you need, we can plan for it.

To fully understand your business’s needs, we start by analyzing the current state of your brand; and focus on what will resonate with new customers. We create your marketing strategy by identifying what differentiates you from all your competitors; and what builds an affinity with prospective customers. To do this, we focus on a number of strategic planning services.

Brand Messaging and Positioning:
We aim to unlock the potential of your brand. By performing brand positioning, we define how you want your audience to view your service. That, paired with brand messaging to further solidify you’re targeting this desired positioning, leaves you with a cohesive voice.

Customer Research and Insights:
To become top of mind for customers, you’ve got to be able to dive deeper into theirs’. Not only is it vital to research your competitors, but to evaluate your customer’s habits, both current and prospective. With this, we can better define the direction your messaging takes. We can also utilize any past analytics, in combination with new insights as we begin our partnership; and we can adjust strategies as we go. Adaptability is key, after all!

Strategic Planning and Sales Plan:
When considering a strategy for any marketing and sales tactics, evaluating a company’s current environment is often where we start. For example, many of our clients have fluctuating “busy seasons”. This can ultimately guide things like how much marketing money is spent, where, and at what time of year. This is also where we can get granular in our target markets and create feasible, attainable goals for our clients about who they’re spending their dollars on.

SWOT Analysis:
You’ve likely heard of a SWOT analysis, which is the evaluation of a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This could include anything from direct competition in your market to a strong internal culture that makes for happy employees! By analyzing the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between, we’re better equipped to help you make the strategic decisions that will shape your business’s future.

Target Market Analysis:
You’ve got a good or service and someone out there has the need for it! But how do you find them in such saturated industries? We perform a target market analysis to determine whether or not you’re reaching your ideal audience. From there we can refine, retarget, and create a truly dialed in customer base/audience – and grow it as you do!

Value Proposition:
At its core, a value proposition describes why a customer would want to purchase your product over another. Or, why they’d rather work with you over another company! And articulating this message, succinctly and successfully, can take a lot more strategic planning than you might think. This message is often one that is seen before anything else concerning your brand. So, we work to make it all-encompassing and expertly crafted.

ON Advertising

We understand that there is a tangible business goal that you want to achieve. And aligning our communication strategies with business objectives of our clients is how we create well-conceived strategies to meet them. When our analytical approach meets big, creative ideas, magic happens! Contact us to tell us all about your business or project; and get matched with the experts ready to take your business to the next level with quality strategic planning.

ON Advertising Acquires Evans Communications

ON Advertising, a prominent Phoenix-based full-service advertising firm, has acquired Evans Communications, a leading Valley public relations, marketing and event planning firm.

Evans Communications will be merged into the ON Advertising structure, and its principal Tom Evans will join the ON Advertising team as Partner-Public Relations and Event Strategies. Evans’ three other employees will join the ON Advertising team as well. The dollar value of the transaction is to be determined based upon revenues over the next few years.

The move significantly expands ON’s public relations and event planning capabilities while providing Evans Communications’ clients with ON’s full spectrum of advertising, creative, digital, social media and marketing services. Evans Communications’ clients include some of the Valley’s most prominent organizations, including Plaza Companies, Valley of the Sun United Way, SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, The Phoenix Symphony and many more.

ON Advertising’s client base includes a broad range of public and private sector organizations, including Hines, Chompie’s Restaurants, Pioneer Packaging, Cici’s Pizza, Aria Energy, Maricopa County and the State of Arizona.

“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished over the years on our clients’ behalf, and have been fortunate and privileged to work with some of the finest leaders in Arizona and some of the most dynamic organizations in the Southwest and beyond,” Tom Evans said. “But we were very impressed with what ON Advertising’s partners John Hernandez, Ron Meritt, and Eric Garcia are building, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it. They have been incredibly gracious and welcoming, and we look forward to what we’re able to achieve for our clients together.”

Andrea Tyler Evans, co-owner of Evans Communications, will continue to serve as Publisher of the Evans’ other company, Frontdoors Media, which is not involved in the transaction.

John Hernandez, Partner and Co-Owner of ON Advertising, said that the acquisition was an opportunity for the agency to continue its growth while expanding its capabilities and adding a well-known name in the community to the company’s roster.

“Evans Communications has an excellent reputation in the Valley,” said John Hernandez. “Tom and our partners had great conversations to make this deal happen, and we knew that not only would our services be complementary, but he and his team would fit into our culture, which made this a no-brainer,” he added.

The transition will officially take effect on April 1, with the Evans team transitioning into the ON Advertising offices in downtown Phoenix.

Founded in 1993, ON Advertising is a full-service advertising, marketing, public relations, graphic design, web design and video production agency with innovation and big creative ideas at its core. For all clients, we take a business-based approach which means we look at bottom-line growth for every client. We start and execute every assignment with the understanding there are tangible business goals to achieve and the communication strategies must align with the business objectives of each client.

Ephemeral Content

Have you heard of ephemeral content? You may not know it by its official name, but you sure have seen it in applications like Snapchat and Instagram Stories. And according to Strike Social, ephemeral content is here to stay.

We already utilize ephemeral content in our everyday content here at ON Advertising, both for ourselves and our clients! But as the content grows in popularity, we’re following how it may impact our marketing and advertising tactics overall. We looked at how ephemeral content is evolving, what it could mean for our strategies, and how it may affect yours.

What is Ephemeral Content?

Ephemeral, by definition, means “lasting for a very short time”. And this is a concept we’ve seen rapidly take off in the world of social media over the last few years. Interestingly enough, we have the social media platform Snapchat to thank for this popular content style. They were the first to entertain the idea back in 2011, according to Rebrandly. What was the reason behind this new concept? The platform was looking for a way to break up the monotonous, overly planned aspect of social media. Unsurprisingly, internet users were behind this new way of utilizing their accounts; and from there, a beloved social media medium was born.

Since then, we’ve seen ephemeral content abilities, of various approaches, pop up in a number of platforms. Instagram, Facebook, and, most recently, Twitter with their introduction of fleets – just to name a few. Each platform’s idea is slightly personal, but with a common main concept. It’s content that, once posted, typically lasts a maximum of 24 hours before it disappears for good. At least from an outside viewer’s vantage point.

Ephemeral Content and ON Advertising

We’re no stranger to the inclusion of ephemeral content at ON Advertising. That goes for both our employee’s personal content, our own company posts, and client activity as well! With all that said: we see a huge value in the strategic use of the idea. With where our industry currently is, as well as where it’s headed, being able to convey a sense of authenticity is more important than ever. This goes for personal social accounts belonging to an everyday user, to the much larger, unapproachable platforms that celebrities and public entities hold. And for us, this also applies to our own clients and their businesses.

Typically, the main feed of a company’s social account is fairly premeditated. Whether it’s an in-house social team managing the page or an outside agency running it for them, posts are often planned. It allows for consistency and a sense of cohesiveness that can help solidify brand recognition. But with this also comes a lack of spontaneity; and in a sense, relatability. After all, if everything is perfectly in place all the time, where’s the sense of fun? This goes without saying, but a perfectly balanced mix of both planned and impromptu posting is the ideal strategy.

How We Use Ephemeral Content

So, how do we utilize ephemeral content in our work? By doing a little planning, funnily enough. When thinking about how best to utilize ephemeral posts in our content strategies, we had to think about what goes best, and where. For example, for a business, a planned feed is likely to house things like product updates, strong photos of their work, and anything else they want eyes to consistently be on. Ephemeral content, on the other hand, may be where things such as casual behind the scenes photos, timely event updates, and more personal posts may go.

By evaluating our client’s needs, and the needs of our own company, we have implemented approaches that mirror this! And beyond the ability to communicate with followers on a more intimate level through the content you know won’t last, it’s a great way to keep your feed uncluttered in general. With brand recognition in mind, it is important to have a sense of eye-catching branding. And a feed is the perfect place for that kind of content to live. By allowing more unedited, raw videos and photos to stay within the ephemeral bubble, you can really enjoy the best of both worlds for your accounts.

Along with everything else, ephemeral content analytics are extremely helpful when it comes to meeting the needs of our clients. For example, though posted stories on Instagram only last 24 hours max for another user, it still lives on in an archive. If you have a business account, that is. By regularly tracking this data, we can see what’s working, what isn’t performing, and come up with new ideas based on those numbers.

Where Do We Think It’s Headed

In reality, the capabilities of ephemeral content, as well as its impact on analytics, are at the beginning stages. Like any other aspect of social media, we’re bound to go through millions of changes over the coming years. So far, we’ve found that it’s a great way to engage with our various audiences in a more personal, timely way. And we’re truly excited to see what new ways we can implement ephemeral content, whether it be the introduction of a whole new platform or just an update to the capabilities we know and love.

Partner With ON Advertising

We know it’s important to connect your brand values with your company goals, and we’re here to help. We use customized social media strategies and campaigns to make sure you’re reaching the right people, in the right places, at the right time. And if you’re looking for help with ephemeral content, our highly-skilled social media experts can provide you with the solutions that work. Contact us today to partner with our team.

Client Spotlight: Chompie’s Restaurants

In 1979, the Borenstein family brought their timeless family recipes from Queens, New York all the way to Phoenix, Arizona, and Chompie’s Restaurants were born. While we’re grateful for the opportunity to enjoy classic, authentic New York deli foods right here at home, we’re also grateful for the partnership we’ve created with the Chompie’s family! ON Advertising has been working with Chompie’s for over 2 years and we can’t wait to see what comes next. But before we begin the next chapter, take a look at what we’ve worked on so far!

What We’ve Been Up To

Although our union with Chompie’s Restaurants is relatively new, we’ve gotten to work on some pretty amazing things with their team thus far. And our custom, thorough strategy for Chompie’s may have something to do with it!

Our extensive scope of services for their team includes:

Social Media Content & Management
Menus, Promotional & Packaging Designs
Email Marketing
Website Maintenance
eCommerce Website Development
Media Relations
Paid Media Management
Google My Business Management
Still Photography
Video Production
Service Evaluation Reports

But, how exactly did our partnership begin? Chompie’s reached out to ON Advertising to help with increasing their brand awareness. And in a state with ever-changing demographics, an increasingly competitive restaurant community, and five locations across the Valley, the task at hand seemed big, but we were confident our team was up to the challenge!

From the beginning, we were tasked with revamping the restaurant’s menu, driving sales through paid advertising and media relations, and enhancing customer retention through strategic email communication. In addition, we did marketing for the restaurant’s 40th anniversary in 2019 and continually handle their social media. Before we began, we first needed to interview patrons of each of the various locations. This was to find out exactly what it was about Chompie’s that resonated with them so much.

Oftentimes our own assumptions, and the assumptions of our clients, were right. Other times what we uncovered was a surprise! The reality is that people in different places, even within a span of a few miles, have different motivators for behaviors. Our data ultimately pointed to a broad consensus point transcending generations of Chompie’s fans: nostalgia!

Memories of coming to Chompie’s Restaurants for years shined through. Stories of East Coast natives who moved to Arizona and miss New York deli’s, to parents of younger individuals taking them to Chompie’s were just some of the memories we were honored to hear. And once we understood the audience at hand, our team of diverse, skilled experts got straight to work.

What Happened

As a result of our efforts, sales increased substantially at three of the five Chompie’s Restaurant locations all within just six months. The two other locations had sales equal to the previous year and remained steady. We even helped Chompie’s eliminate items from the menu that were not selling in high volumes. Meaning we helped them cut internal costs by curating a menu that customers truly enjoy.

Another vital aspect of Chompie’s success is its cohesive social media strategy! And during our time with Chompie’s Restaurants, we’ve implemented some stellar tactics within our partnership. We can attribute much of our Instagram success to a rapidly growing industry: keto influencers. Because Chompie’s offers unique, low-carb products, working with influencers can reach a farther, larger niche audience. Coupled with giveaways, the keto community is proving to be a powerful, driving force for Chompie’s Restaurants.

But beyond social media partnerships, an internal shift of Chompie’s messaging has gone a long way. By using a cohesive photoshoot style and photo editing style, their platforms have a consistent look across the board. Pair this with short, witty, straight to the point captions and Chompie’s has a strategy that’s working.

In our industry, it all comes back to ROI for the client. And in June of 2019, we launched a new online shopping experience! We continue to maintain and update the shopping page for performance and functionality. The results of this update were further ease in ordering products and reduced shipping costs! Plus, a dramatic increase in website orders has shown ever since we launched the new online shopping cart – and sales are only increasing.

We are proud to say we gave this 40-year-old brand a positive return on their investment in us – what we strive for in every one of our partnerships.

In fact, here’s what Chompie’s VP of Operations, Frank Lara, had to say about working with us: “We couldn’t be more pleased about our partnership with ON Advertising! They’ve delivered measurable ROI, helping us to increase sales at our restaurant locations. They’ve streamlined our menu, and their creative team redesigned our bagel boxes. They are creative, responsive and thoughtful…ON Advertising is the best!”

What We’re Planning for Chompie’s Restaurants

A new year means a whole new set of goals! In 2020, we are aiming to greatly enhance the overall awareness of Chompie’s brand and further expand its customer base. This means aiding them in sharing their Jewish culture and DELIcious food with the melting pot that is Phoenix! And because Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the United States, the future’s looking bright.

Ultimately, we hope to continue helping to share authentic New York deli recipes with new customers that share a love for comfort food. Additionally, we will work to strengthen and expand their current digital advertising impact, both locally and nationally!

ON Advertising

At ON Advertising, our goal is to unlock the potential of your brand. And by partnering with our team of experts, in various fields, we can help you enhance your brand – just like Chompie’s! Contact us to get started on your project.

Man with his credit card in hand is getting ready to purchase items off eBay.

The Pros and Cons of Holiday Marketing

Ho, ho, ho, the holiday season is upon us! It’s once again the time of year where our email inbox is flooded with specials, text message deals come flying in, and all over ads are making use of the festive season to target you. While sales tend to skyrocket during this time of year, the marketing efforts that go behind them can be “snow” joke. Whether you have a large budget or are relying on small marketing efforts, holiday marketing can be the thing that helps you “sleigh” the competition. Here at ON Advertising, we’ve compiled a few of the pros and cons of holiday marketing to keep in mind.

Cost of Christmastime Marketing

According to an article by WordStream, bid prices can increase by 140% over their yearly average during the holidays. Con? This means that your marketing budget has to match your efforts. Pro? Your ROI could increase as well. In a piece by emarketer, they revealed that in 2018, holiday retail sales finally crossed the $1 trillion mark, making it more crucial than ever to secure your spot in a saturated sales snowstorm. An article by Vivial using a report by Ignite showed that companies spent almost $27 billion on social media marketing in 2018 alone and allocated 25% of their annual budgets to social media marketing over the holidays. Essentially, sticking with the same budget is no longer viable and it may be time to up yours. CNBC states that holiday spending is expected to rise 5% this year, so it can be extremely beneficial to revisit your numbers and budget from the previous year to find your baseline. Make sure your budget is substantial, your strategy is flushed out, and that you know your goals. You’ll be feelin’ “pine”.

Digital vs. In-Store Shopping

Do you like to do your holiday shopping online, or do you prefer to head to the store to snag your deals? If you like to purchase on the web, you aren’t alone. CNBC also states that according to Tim Cadogan, chairman, and chief executive officer for OpenX, 53% of all holiday shopping is expected to be done digitally. A press release from Adobe Analytics showed that during Cyber Monday, direct website traffic ranked highest for driving revenue at 25.3 percent share of sales (down 1.2 percent YoY), followed by paid search at 25.1 percent (up 7.4 percent YoY), natural search at 18.8 percent (down 2.8 percent), and email at 24.2 percent (up 0.5 percent). They noted that social media had a 1.1 percent share, impacting online sales very minimally. WordStream’s findings also revealed that 8 in 10-holiday shoppers are influenced by the internet before making a purchase. Con? You may not see the largest crowds in your brick and mortar store. Pro? If your holiday marketing efforts are eye-catching and a substantial enough deal, you’ll have your “elf” a merry little Christmas when it comes to sales.

Coupons and Deals

It’s no secret that most people are happy to find a deal or a discount when shopping, including us! In a 2019 report, emarketer showed that internet users “always” or “very often” use coupons when shopping online. Con? You may need to include some stellar deals in your marketplace to lock in the sale. Pro? As reported by Google, one of the most influential factors in buying decisions was sales, discounts, or promos. That’s directly in line with WordStream’s finding that one-third of shoppers reporting that their holiday weekend purchases were driven by promotions. So while Santa doesn’t need discounts to come out on top this season, you do!

ON Advertising hopes that you have a profitable, successful, and strategic holiday marketing season! If you want help with harnessing consumer spending habits and setting your brand up for success both during the holidays and all year long, contact us.