Why start a blog called Healthy Digital Living? I had set-up a generic blog years ago, that I would randomly post things to. I concentrated so much on the brand and company that I was working for and didn’t really brand myself. In December 2015, I felt it was time that I started to get some of my thoughts and knowledge out of my head and on paper, as there was a lot going on in there and it would provide me with a place that I would lose or forget my thoughts. My wife was on a journey of weight loss and healthy eating and I kept hearing the questions that people were asking her about it. I kept telling her and myself, we should start a blog about it and educate people. But yet, I wanted someplace to share my marketing knowledge, from there Healthy Digital Living was born. Read more
Marketing
My big game commercials reaction
At first I was kind of underwhelmed by the big game commercials. That was, until I saw the Doritos Baby commercial, as a father I could relate and my wife and I both laughed out loud when we watched it. We actually both agree that was our favorite commercial. For me, that was until the third quarter of the game, when the Toyota Prius bank robbery chase commercial aired. Now, I am I a little biased on this one because some of the highway chase scenes were filmed on the Amstutz Highway in Waukegan, IL and you see the city of Chicago.
Importance of Twitter for Brands
When I first joined Twitter back in 2007, it was a different time. Twitter was in it’s infancy, ad agencies didn’t see the value, but us marketers did. It was a way for people to connect with people, learn from others who they may never have met and interact with brands. It was a place where the early adapters would have conversations with brands, reporters other folks in their industry, etc. I have met some amazing, awesome, smart people on Twitter that I still connect with today.
Today, over one billion Tweets are sent every three days. It is a different time. There are more people on the platform than ever before. More people are engaging with hashtags, brands, sporting events, etc. It is a place where live marketing can happen in a moment, hence the Oreo lights out ad (You can still dunk in the dark), when the power when out during the Super Bowl a few years ago. Read more
Why Email Marketing is Crucial to your Marketing Strategy
It’s that time of year. When marketers send out e-newsletters in droves, announcing Black Friday deals, store hours, when Santa will be at their location, flights to get home for the holidays, etc. My inbox gets filled up more this time of year, than any other time. The holiday season is upon us.
E-mail marketing should be one of the pillars of your content marketing strategy. Social Media is great to mention your Black Friday deals, holiday items, etc, but as a marketer I like to think of Facebook and Twitter, etc, as rented platforms. Everybody’s favorite past time is complaining about the changes that Facebook makes to it’s platform, how brands are not getting the organic reach as they have in the past, etc. Technology changes fast and there are new social media platforms coming out just as fast; that consumers are flocking too. Everyone is always trying to be on the next great thing. These platforms can go away at any moment and everything you have built will be gone. Don’t get me wrong, social media is an extremely important component to your marketing strategy. Read more
Why Creating A Video To Go Viral Shouldn’t Be The Goal
Viral Videos. They happen all the time but one simply does not go viral. Believe it or not, I hear, ‘we have a video coming out tomorrow, can you share it because we want it to go viral’. I do not laugh or shake my head, it is the new normal and they just may be taking orders from the higher ups. How can you blame them for wanting eyes on their video? Everyone wants that when they publish a it to Facebook or YouTube.
I believe that many videos that go viral, do so because of timing, current events and luck. With that said, the goal should never be to go viral. Too many marketers and brands go for the Hail Mary, rather than utilizing Google Analytics and social insights to drive more engagement. Usually, the video that is launched is not backed with the appropriate content strategy or fits within the current strategy. Brands, marketers and upper management are obsessed with the big view video that ultimately has a short lifespan. Read more
My Periscope Perspective and Tips
When new technology comes out or becomes hot, I like to test it personally and then figure out how it can be used for the brand. I think of what I would do with it to promote the brand, how it will benefit the brand and do we have time to incorporate it and do it well instead of just doing it because everyone else is doing it. If this is another social network, I think about how it will be incorporated in our strategy and how we will get people to follow us on this new network and be relevant.
Recently, for the first time, I decided to add Periscope to our wheelhouse and do some live videos when we are out filming creating our YouTube videos for Visit Lake County. The first video I did was 2 weeks ago, and it was on Six Flags Great America making their announcement of a new coaster coming in 2016. I figured this was a pretty easy and I could potentially have a decent attendance, especially with some coaster enthusiasts. As it turned out, I was quite surprised with how it went and the amount of people who were watching us live and interacting us. Read more