After it was spotted in testing last month, Instagram has now officially launched a live test of 60-second videos in Stories, which will mean that longer video clips will no longer be split into 15-second segments, and played across various Stories frames.
As noted, last month, app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi shared this message, stored in the back-end code of the app, which is now being displayed to some users in the live environment.
We asked Instagram about the update, and it provided this statement:
“The ability to create longer Stories posts comes highly requested by our community. We’re excited to be testing 60-second Stories so that people can create and view Stories with fewer interruptions.”
Instagram says that the option is currently being tested with a small group of users, with a view to providing more creative freedom, and further integrating the app’s various video options to streamline its creative tools and functions.
Which, really, is the key focus. Back in January, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri flagged a coming consolidation of the app’s video products, with a view to better facilitating creation, and scaling back the platform’s various tools. That started with the merging of its video feed posts into a single format early last month, along with the retirement of the IGTV brand.
As Mosseri explained to Decoder:
“We’re looking about how we can – not just with IGTV, but across all of Instagram – simplify and consolidate ideas, because last year we placed a lot of new bets. I think this year we have to go back to our focus on simplicity and craft.”
The re-thinking of its approach has been largely influenced by TikTok, which has become the most popular social app among young users, overtaking Instagram as the cool place to be.
Part of TikTok’s core appeal is simplicity – on TikTok, you open to a full-screen feed of video clips and live-streams, with all of it combined into one, optimized, focused listing, tailored to each individual user.
Instagram is far more segmented, with Reels in a separate feed, and Stories in its own section. That could be restricting optimal take-up, which is why Instagram’s now looking to bring all of these elements together, which will also, eventually, enable it to showcase the best of each aspect in a single, more-engaging stream.
The expansion to 60-second video clips in Stories is another step in this gradual merging, which, at some stage, will likely see the app open to a full-screen feed of Stories, feed posts and Reels, all in one, enabling IG, like TikTok, to use the full breadth of uploaded content to maximize user engagement.
It’s still a way off that next stage, but longer videos will mean that users can now post full Reels to Stories, for example, essentially merging the two functions automatically. Then it’s just determining how it shifts from the traditional feed to a more Stories/Reels aligned one instead.
That’s a bigger step, and a more fundamental change for the app. But as part of Meta’s broader focus on winning back younger users, you can bet that it’s coming, and likely sooner, rather than later.
Which is why this new test is a significant step. It’s limited for now, but you can expect to see longer Stories videos coming to your Instagram app sometime soon.
This could come in handy – YouTube has today added a new option in YouTube Studio which enables users to re-use details from previous uploads for new uploads within the posting process on desktop.
As you can see here, the new option enables you to re-use:
- Video title
- Video description
- Language settings
- Shorts sampling permissions
- Category selections
That could save you a lot of time, particularly for those who regularly post on the same topics, or have to manually input language options with each new post.
Of course, you’re probably not going to upload many videos with the exact same title and description, but by copying the details across, that could make it easier to edit those details quickly, for similar content, without having to re-enter the same info for each video in a series.
You can access the new option in the ‘Details’ section of the upload flow, with a new ‘Reuse Details’ option above the title field.
It’s actually fairly similar to YouTube’s existing upload defaults option, which you can use to apply the same settings to each of your clips, but this new variation enables more control, with the capacity to utilize different settings for each clip, while you can also customize your selections with each upload.
YouTube announced the update among a set of new tweaks, including an updated ‘Memberships’ tab in YouTube Studio and the addition of more analytics previously only available on desktop to the mobile app.
As you can see in these screenshots, users will now be able to access ‘last 28 days’ views performance, weekly view performance and monthly performance stats in the app, providing more ways to stay on top of key measures via the mobile app.
The update’s part of the platform’s ongoing effort to bring the desktop and mobile apps into parity, with all of the functionality eventually set to be accessible on the go.
And while they may not be game-changing updates, as such, for those who are working to maximize their YouTube performance, and are uploading regularly, they could drive significant benefits.
8 Effective Digital Marketing Strategies For Restaurants: Attract Customers and Drive Sales in 2021
They say the restaurant business is one of the most difficult industries to break into, let alone thrive in. Small business owners already face an uphill battle, as nearly 50 percent of them fail within the first five years. If the restaurant business is even more unforgiving, how can you push the odds in your favor?
The key to any successful business is knowing how to market to your audience. You need to answer important questions like “How will my community know I exist?” and “How can I attract people to my restaurant?”
Your answers lie in restaurant digital marketing. While some validity can be found in the traditional means of advertising such as handing out flyers, direct mailing services, and radio commercials, the world has largely gone digital. If you don’t have an online presence, you might as well close up shop.
1. Perfect Your Website
First, even though you own a local restaurant that’s anything but digital, your storefront is no longer the face of your company. When 88 percent of consumers go online to research products or services, they judge a business’s credibility based on their website above all else. If your restaurant’s website leave’s something to be desired, odds are they’re going to bounce off your website to find one they like better.
Your website needs to be professional, functional, and user-friendly. Potential customers need to be able to navigate your site intuitively to find things like menus, hours of operation, and your address. Additionally, remember that most people use their smartphone to research things like this, regardless of if they’re at home, in the car, at work, and so on – your website must be optimized for mobile devices.
Finally, invest some time and money in professional pictures of your restaurant space, foods you offer, and your staff. The food will look more appetizing and your staff will appear more professional. It gives potential customers a sense of intimacy with your restaurant, even before they visit.
2. Focus on Local SEO
One of the most important steps in restaurant digital marketing is perfecting your search engine optimization. SEO is everything in terms of getting organic traffic to your website, and ultimately, customers in your seats. When someone types in “Italian (or whatever) restaurants near me,” your SEO rating will determine how quickly they find you.
Whether people are locals or travelers, you need to make sure your website’s SEO makes you a local hotspot. You can boost your SEO by taking the following actions:
- Create a blog on your website full of engaging and relevant content
- Make sure every page of your website utilizes local keywords and other forms of SEO coding (metadata embedded in pictures, videos, headings, etc.)
- Use both internal links (to other pages of your site) and external links (to affiliate websites, sources of data, etc.)
- Create a Google My Business Account
- Make sure your contact information and address is listed multiple times and is easy to find
As you can see, if you’re new to SEO, it can be a steep learning curve. Look into further educating yourself about SEO or seek professional services if you need help.
3. Gain Followers on Social Media
Having a website that’s teeming with SEO coding is great (and necessary). However, there are some more proactive ways you can drive traffic to your site as well. Did you know that 70 percent of American adults are on Facebook? That means 70 percent of your potential customers can be found in one location.
Restaurant digital marketing without a social media strategy is folly. Not only can you amass a following of people who are attracted to your restaurant and are likely to be repeat customers, but social media also provides effective networking opportunities. The best part is, you have plenty of options for both free and paid advertising campaigns.
For example, you can market cost-free on social media by hosting raffles or competitions offering free meals, gift cards, or even cash prizes to the winners. The key is to use the competition to extend your reach by encouraging users to like, comment, and share your posts. In turn, their followers will see their activity, be exposed to the competition, and likely start following your profile to compete for prizes as well.
Alternatively, you can look to paid social media marketing which allows you to choose how much you spend per day toward your campaign as well as your target audience (based on age, gender, location, and more). This also comes with the perk of analytical data that breaks down the success and performance of your ads. You’ll be able to see how each ad performed in terms of engagement (link clicks, likes, follows, shares, comments) to help you fine-tune your advertisements.
4. Use Influencer Marketing
If you have yet to amass a strong following or are looking for a larger target audience, consider influencer marketing. Social media influencers are those who have established credibility within certain industries or demographics, and as a result, often have thousands, if not millions of followers.
If there are any food-specific influencers in your relative location, it may not be a bad idea to reach out and invite them to eat at your restaurant for free. If they like your food, you can come up with an influencer marketing contract. In exchange for them to create a post about your restaurant, you can pay them a fee or give them a certain number of free meals.
5. Implement Email Marketing
Another effective restaurant digital marketing strategy is called email marketing. First, you need to build an email list of recipients who have subscribed to your email. Gaining subscribers can be done by offering discounts to previous customers who subscribe, through social media, your website, affiliate websites, and landing page ads.
Once a customer subscribes, you need to have an automated set of emails that go out once or twice a week. These emails should be friendly and express gratitude to your subscribers while subtly pushing them toward coming back to your restaurant. However, they also need to contain valuable content (discounts, promotions), or people will stop opening them.
Email marketing has proven to be a top contender because it falls back on marketing to people who’ve already shown interest in or eaten at your restaurant.
6. Take Advantage of Online Reviews
Next, remember that most people need a little reassurance when it comes to investing in products or services, including dining experiences. When people research restaurants online, one of the things they’re looking for is what other customers had to say. You need to take advantage of online reviews and the level of credence consumers put in them.
Start by encouraging every paying customer to post a review on Google, your website, or on your social media profile. Most people need to be incentivized, so offer a respectable discount on their next meal once they’ve completed the review. While offering a chance to win ‘x’ amount of dollars can be helpful, most people won’t take the time to review your restaurant for a mere chance of winning something – give them something definite.
7. Network With Other Local Businesses
Another beneficial restaurant digital marketing strategy utilizes other small business owners in your area. Start building affiliate relationships with complementary businesses (but not other restaurants). You can work with one another by guest-posting on each other’s blogs, recommending their services, and more.
For example, connect with a local hotel and see if they will recommend your restaurant to travelers and other guests. They can do this in person and through their website. On your end, offer discounts to any customers who come to you through the hotel.
Alternatively, you can team up with other small businesses and offer discounts for business-related meals, such as salesmen meeting with current or potential clients, team luncheons, after-work parties, etc. The key is to offer value to other businesses that choose to affiliate with you. In return, you gain more customers and stronger influence within your community.
8. Keep Online Engagement High
Lastly, it’s important to understand that consistency is everything in restaurant digital marketing. If you want your community to remember your name when it comes time to grab a meal, you must make an effort to make it so. Running an advertising campaign once a year isn’t enough.
However, this doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to keep patrons coming back to your restaurant time and time again. It’s the little things like updating your website regularly, posting new content a few times a week on social media, and advertising new items on your menu. But remember, you have to keep the community involved by hyping up new specials online, running contests, and giving back.
Looking for More Help With Restaurant Digital Marketing?
Owning a successful restaurant isn’t like it used to be. At one time, as long as your food and service were good, you could set up shop on the street corner and do business for years. However, it takes a little more intention now in the way you market and engage with the community.
Are you considering your Facebook strategy for the year ahead? Want to learn the key facts before executing your campaign?
The team from Oberlo share the stats you need to know in this infographic.
Here’s a summary of what you’ll learn:
- How Many People Use Facebook?
- Facebook Advertising Revenue
- Businesses Use
- Mobile Over Desktop
- Average Time Spent
Check out the infographic below for more detail.
While well-known marketing strategies may still apply in some cases, changing consumer behavior requires new and effective strategies to gain traction and improve sales. It’s also extremely important to understand that the market is now driven by convenience and experiences, and change is necessary in order to keep up with the competition.
For example, millennials now account for two-thirds of the buying power in the world and recent statistics show that the average millennial spends more than five hours per day on social media. With this in mind, hotels that fail to produce content on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms are practically invisible and when you consider the buying power above, this can be extremely detrimental to hotel sales and reputation.
In this article, we take a look at some of the intricacies involved with hotel digital marketing and the specific actions you can take to get ahead in the industry.
How hotels market?
Successful hotels will have a digital marketing strategy that takes in all the points in this article. While some experiences may be digital, others are much more personal and the common trend across these initiatives is that the customer is always right.
Either way, it’s not simply a case of doing a little here and there but rather about creating a marketing blueprint that will help the hotel excel.
Now, let’s dive into twelve actionable tips for hotel digital marketing in 2019:
2021 Guide to hotel digital marketing
1. You need an amazing website to support your hotel digital marketing efforts
Many visitors jump on Hotels.com or one of the many other booking engines to find the best value deals. However, you will also know that many online users will then search for the hotel website for either more information or an even better price for the night. With this in mind, you absolutely need an attractive website for the best results. And a great website is crucial whether you work in the hotel business, the healthcare digital business, the financial business, the IT business or any other business out there.
Here are just a few more benefits to having an amazing website:
Location – You can elaborate on the location and outline the features in the area as opposed to just explaining how a tourist can come to your hotel. In most instances, location is the first way in which a hotel can differentiate itself from the competition.
Voice – Booking engines are generic by nature but having your own website is an opportunity for hotels to speak directly to the customer. In other words, you can keep things more personal or conversational and “speak their language” in order to establish a relationship with potential customers.
Features – Why might customers choose your hotel over any other? Having a dedicated website enables you to outline the most attractive features that set you apart from any other hotel. As you know, booking engines rarely take time to highlight these aspects in the way that they probably should.
SEO – Search engine optimization is essential for long term success and hotel digital marketing will increasingly rely on this effort to produce valuable information for the end user. With your own website, you can improve keywords and social media links to booking search rankings and over time, this can reduce a hotel’s dependence on such engines.
Content marketing seems all the rage right now but there is good reason for this focus. In other words, content is the best way to drive sustainable traffic to hotel listings and creating this content is undoubtedly the most effective strategy.
As a rule, there are two forms of content – images and descriptions:
Images
You need a professional photographer for a hotel website and anything less just won’t do. High quality images tell a story and professional photographers know how to capture this story in every shot. When you think about it, these images are the face of your brand and every booking engine will also use these photographs so it makes sense to put time, effort, and money into making the right first impression.
Descriptions
Whether the hotel breakfast is the stuff of legend or each bedroom offers picturesque views from the balcony, you need broadcast these details loud and clear. Luxury bedding, friendly staff, and saunas are all features that you are likely proud of and that needs to be communicated to potential guests.
Simply put, your guests won’t know what you don’t tell them and these features are what most people think about when it comes to choosing the best option for an upcoming stay.
3. Meta-search marketing
Did you know that more than 70% of hotel bookings come from online travel agencies (OTA) like Kayak, Priceline, or Expedia? It’s true, and meta search marketing is the best way to increase the number of direct bookings on your hotel website. In fact, using a meta search strategy for hotel digital marketing can drastically reduce the need for these OTAs and allow the hotel to create a much more powerful sales funnel.
More than 70% of hotel bookings come from online travel agencies (OTA) like Kayak, Priceline, or Expedia.CLICK TO TWEET
Just so you know, meta-search marketing filters the availability and rates from hotels and shows these results in one central place. Example, you go to expedia.com and type in Chicago hotels. You get to see all hotels listed on Expedia for Chicago. For this reason, a hotel can set regular advertising campaigns and use click-based ads to expose their weekly or monthly deals to millions of online users.
At the same time, attaining positive reviews and social signals is just as important for this process, so hotels should frequently remind guests to leave reviews or positive comments about their experience.
4. Manage all online reviews & reputation
As you may know, Tripadvisor has come under scrutiny in recent years due to fake reviews and rather sinister activities – and has also viciously retaliated against offenders which has resulted in indictments and prison time.
However, reputation is everything in the hotel industry and online reviews are still the only way to gain an independent insight into a hotel experience.
While hundreds of five star reviews will inevitably result in further sales, even one bad review can severely damage the reputation of a hotel.
For this reason, it’s important to ask customers for positive reviews and leave reminders of this request at every turn. You should also share these positive reviews on social media and take time to respond with appreciation for these reviews, demonstrating your attention.
Finally, responding to negative reviews is equally important for online reputation management. That is to say, this is your chance to apologize and improve, and alleviate any concerns that these review might pose to future guests.
5. SEO for hotel digital marketing
Hotel digital marketing is largely dependent on SEO and this can be split into two categories – on-site and off-site SEO. While on-site SEO is a lot faster and easier to implement, it should be known that off-site SEO is often the most effective way to gain traction online.
On-site SEO – On-site SEO refers to how you can optimize elements on a hotel website to increase online visibility. You can use this strategy to improve pages, posts, images, and even the structure of the website. However, keyword strategy is arguably the most important aspect of on-site SEO and this can dramatically improve the amount of traction and visitors a hotel website will receive.
Off-site SEO – Off-site SEO is a process that most often involves building external backlinks to a hotel website from other online resources and directories. Social shares signals also count toward this effort but guest posts, sponsored posts, and referrals are some of the most common ways to improve off-site SEO.
6. Focus on local SEO
Any type of SEO is a good thing but local SEO can produce immediate results for a hotel website. While many people assume local SEO merely tends to optimizing images, descriptions, tags, or titles on a website, there is much more to this process.
For example, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and other listing websites hold important information about your website.
You can start your local SEO efforts by optimizing and improving the details on these listings. Also, Google My Business is increasingly effective in terms of ranking for local search queries and you should ensure every aspect of this profile is complete to take advantage of this opportunity.
On the other hand, you can also focus on local content and create posts or videos about activities, events or attractions in the nearby area. With this in mind, local SEO can help give your hotel website a greater sense of relevance for search queries and this authority is essential for hotel digital marketing.
Any type of SEO is a good thing but local SEO can produce immediate results for a hotel website.CLICK TO TWEET
7. How do hotels promote on social media?
Many hotel owners forget that Facebook is still the king of social media and the ultimate machine for driving hotel digital marketing.
Positive reviews – If you think about it, the review sections is placed right at the top of a Facebook page but many hotels seem to ignore this feature entirely. Whether you have a stack of reviews on Tripadvisor or elsewhere, positive reviews on this section will instill confidence and trust in potential guests.
Facebook sales – Facebook now enables business owners to take bookings and even payments through the platform. In fact, Trivago recently awarded a resort in Mexico for their outstanding social media campaigns which resulted in an especially large number of direct bookings via Facebook.
Twitter – Although often overlooked for Instagram or Facebook, Twitter is a fantastic tool for reaching a very specific target market. Trivago also awarded Cedar Manor in the UK for how the hotel manages to drive so much traffic by using hashtags to highlight events, news, and attractions in the local area.
Instagram – Needless to say, Instagram offers hotels the opportunity to reach an incredibly big market and with the right images, this is another obvious way to demonstrate the high quality of the hotel.
People – On the other hand, social media is all about the people and some of the best hotel digital marketing strategies are those which involve the staff and people behind the hotel. After all, stories are incredibly effective in content marketing and telling stories about the staff is a great way to create a meaningful relationship between the hotel and potential guests.
8. Social listening for hotels
In case you might be asking yourself, social listening refers to the hotel digital marketing strategy that uses trackers and tools to alert the business about mentions online.
But why is this important?
Well, this is your chance to interact with guests and show future customers how much you care. At the same time, you cannot respond to what you do not know about and the following platforms can help businesses know when they receive a mention in the online world:
Hootsuite – Although many people use Hootsuite to automate social media posts, you can also use the dashboard to check for mentions on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and most major platforms.
Curalate – Curalate is all about improving the selling process for hotels and this platform enables you to connect social media content to your website, while checking for mentions in the process.
Sprout Social – Forming meaningful connections with guests is highly important for a hotel and Sprout Social offers many solutions which can pinpoint interactions online relating to your brand.
Buzzsumo – BuzzSumo is fantastic monitoring tool which helps you find content on social media relating to your hotel. In fact, you can even enter the domain and links should appear instantaneously.
9. Try out Facebook’s Dynamic Ads for hotels
In case you might be asking yourself, Facebook Ads are far from “dead” and many businesses continue to focus the majority of their marketing budget on this avenue. In fact, Wish is now one of the largest e-commerce stores in the world with five million users and this platform was built almost entirely using Facebook Ads over the past few years.
Travel Ads is a new initiative which allows hotels to show their ads across Facebook and instagram to people who are most likely to travel. For example, if a user is browsing hotels and yet to make a booking, travel ads will place your hotel in front of them for specific dates and prices.
As far as hotel digital marketing goes, Facebook’s Dynamic Ads is certainly one of the most exciting strategies to reach the industry in recent years.
10. Email marketing for hotels
Email marketing is increasingly important in the hotel industry and this is especially true at a time when ads and social media marketing is so common. At the same time, this is also still one of the most affordable ways to reach an audience and one that requires no upfront cost.
However, it’s important to take the right approach for hotel digital marketing and here are just three of several important considerations to keep in mind:
Segmentation – You cannot start an email marketing campaign without a robust plan and defining your audience is extremely important to ensure your emails land in the right place. In other words, you cannot just send everyone the same email and expect success, and your database must be divided into categories of interest.
Grab attention – It should go without saying but generic content has no place in email marketing and you will need to use deals, discounts, or information about local events to grab the attention of your ideal users. Either way, there simply must be genuine and unique value in the email to have any impact.
Nurture respect – You should really treat your customers like royalty and seek to create a meaningful relationship that will make them want to open your emails in the first place. You should also welcome feedback from these emails and try to establish precisely what the customer wants to hear from you.
Needless to say, these are just a few things to keep in mind but the overall message here is that email marketing is effective when you take the right approach.
11. Have remarketing enabled online (Do NOT ignore this strategy!)
Hotel remarketing is a process that helps hotels engage with potential customers that may have visited the hotel website and abandoned their search. That is to say, you can use this strategy to get these users to revisit the website and make a purchase at the second time of asking. If you think about it, this is extremely effective because you already know that the user is ready to make a purchase.
But how can you use remarking as part of your hotel digital marketing strategy?
Remarketing ads will simply target previous users with discounts or deals to re-engage these customers.
In this sense, your ad will pop up in the users newsfeed and tempt them with an improved offer. As a rule, it’s important for this campaign to offer a lot of value and the right keywords need to be used to reach the largest possible audience.
Keep in mind, it’s just as important to be subtle rather than “in your face” and the value on offer should hopefully be enough to entice this customer to book the hotel.
12. Emerging technologies
New technologies are proving extremely powerful for the hotel industry with chatbots in particular making a significant impact. As you may know, chatbots are created by developers and have various functions which enhance the performance and user experience on a website.
There are two types of chat bots that can be used for hotel digital marketing – chatbots for the hotel website and chat bots for the hotel room via Alexa.
For many people, they will know that chat bots can successfully engage with customers via messenger and extract critical data that can be used to follow up later on by the hotel.
On the other hand, voice-enabled devices can use Alexa to improve the hotel experience and provide valuable assistance to guests, just like the Amazon Echo does in the kitchen.
Final thoughts
As you can see, hotel digital marketing is a vast topic but the above tips are some of the most practical strategies and solutions for getting ahead in the industry.
While some methods require financial investment, much of this process is down to knowledge or experience, and having a solid marketing plan is usually enough to ensure your hotel is improving at every turn and moving in the right direction.
As 2020 comes to an end, Group M Global TYNY Report shares the year-end forecasts and key takeaways in advertising across media channels.
This year will, in some ways, be remembered as more of a mild setback than an industry-changing economic catastrophe for the media business. Despite the grim realities of a global economy that will be the worst since the Great Depression, advertising weathered the storm relatively well and will end up declining by 5.8% on an underlying basis (excluding-U.S. political advertising). This is a much better expectation than our June forecast of an 11.9% decline for 2020, but still a sharp fall from 2019’s 8.7% growth rate.
To simplify, the nature of the downturn and new consumer behaviors forced businesses to rapidly adapt to e-commerce models, and digital advertising benefitted. This is the new baseline from which e-commerce is expected to keep growing and, along with it, performance-based marketing. As such, we’ve updated our 2021 outlook for the global advertising market from our June forecast of 8.2% to 12.3% growth.
Looking at the eight largest markets—the U.S., China, Japan, the U.K., Germany, France, South Korea, and Canada—we expect seven of them to see declining growth of nearly 2% and worse in 2020. The exception is China where we expect a rate of growth China at 6.2%. The good news, though, is we expect all these countries to show growth in 2021: 11.8% in the U.S., 15.6% in China, 12% in Japan, 12.4% in the U.K., 4.6% in Germany, 7.2% in France, 1.6% in South Korea and 15.1% in Canada.
Also read: 85% of FMCG companies have had a negative influencer experience: Report
Key Takeaways
Here are the six key takeaways from This Year, Next Year: Global 2020 End-of-Year Forecast Report by Group M:
Digital advertising
- Digital advertising is expected to grow by 8.2% during 2020, excluding U.S. political activity. This follows nearly a decade of double-digit growth, including the last six years, when it was better than 20% globally.
- The advertising for pure-play media owners like Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc., should be 61% of advertising in 2021. This share has doubled since 2015 when it was only 30.6%.
- By 2024, we estimate digital advertising will have a 66% share globally.
Television advertising
- The advertising on Television will decline by 15.1% excluding U.S. political advertising, before rebounding to grow 7.8% next year.
- Digital extensions and related media, including advertising associated with traditional media owners’ streaming activities (primarily on connected environments), will grow 7.8% this year and 23.2% next year.
Outdoor advertising
- It is estimated to decline by 31% during 2020, including digital out-of-home media. Next year should see a partial rebound, with 18% growth.
- Beyond 2021, we expect outdoor advertising to grow by low- or mid-single digits and generally lose share of total advertising; however, we do expect larger brands generally to allocate more of their budgets to the medium.
Cinema
Cinema is newly separated in our global forecast for markets where data could reasonably be estimated. The global sector likely generated less than $3 billion during 2019 and likely fell more than 75% during 2020 given the absence of major studio releases in most markets around the world.
Print advertising
It includes newspapers and magazines and is expected to decline 5% for the year, a significant acceleration over the high-single-digit declines of recent years. However, those single-digital declines should resume following an economic recovery.
Audio advertising
It is likely to decline by 24% during 2020 as advertisers disinvest, in part, because of the medium’s dependence on away-from-home activities, such as driving. Digital extensions, including streaming services from terrestrial stations and their digitally-oriented competitors and podcasts, still attract relatively small audiences of a few billion, but help make the broader medium more appealing to marketers.
You can read the complete report here:
‘Read Me’, is intended to enable marketers to effectively achieve their objectives on LinkedIn, through the trio of essential guides.
The series of guides delve into comprehensions of the various facets of the LinkedIn platform and how marketers can use it to the maximum advantage. The guides are available free of cost.
Here is the breakdown of objectives one may pursue with the help of each guide:
Read Me If You Want to Build Your Brand on LinkedIn
- Long-term business growth
- Building a strong business case for branding
- Using mainly organic content
Read Me If You Want to Drive More Leads on LinkedIn
- Short-term sales and marketing results
- Improving lead quality and quantity
- Using mainly paid advertising
Also Read: LinkedIn launches Sales Insights, a hub of people-sourced data
Read Me If You Want to Advertise Better On LinkedIn
- A balance of long- and short-term results
- Maximizing campaign effectiveness
- Using an integrated organic + paid strategy on LinkedIn
Each guide would explain how one gradually progresses towards an objective. For instance, defining objectives, precise targeting, choosing the right format mix, and monitoring the right metrics.
The guides are packed with statistics and data to spell out the significance of a tactic. Analysis of campaigns that have worked in the past, similar to the case study format, that dissect the challenges, solutions, and results, are also an integral part of the guide.
Marketers can also get a gist of optimized use of LinkedIn features, and use case scenarios to pursue the desired objectives such as establishing an organic presence, garnering higher engagement, and more.
As the world grappled with a global pandemic, India took to Twitter to stay informed, connected, and entertained while talking about their passions, re-discovering interests, and having diverse conversations.
Needless to say, #Covid19 dominated this year with people on Twitter, seeking reliable information, connecting with experts, and following what was happening in real-time in India.
The conversations on the service revolved around multiple Coronavirus-related topics, including the critical need to #WearAMask. This year also brought a sense of gratitude for our frontline workers. Tweets expressing being grateful or thankful increased by 20% globally, with particular recognition of doctors (+135%) and teachers (+30%).
Beyond #Covid19, fans paid tribute to #SushantSinghRajput and his career and denounced the alleged rape of a young Dalit woman in #Hathras. People talked about movements taking place across the country, lending their voices to #StudentLivesMatter, #ShaheenBagh, and #FarmersProtest, making those the most Tweeted about people’s movements this year.
In a time where everyone sought to be entertained on the internet, Twitter was the go-to destination for sports chatter with #IPL2020, #WhistlePodu and #TeamIndia becoming the most Tweeted hashtags in sports.
Movies and TV were no less. Globally, there were more than 7,000 Tweets per minute about TV and movies this year. In India, Hindi film #DilBechara, Tamil film #SooraraiPottru, and Telugu film #SarileruNeekevvaru were the most Tweeted about films to release this year, and people took a minute to laugh at the relatability of #Binod, making it the most Tweeted meme.
People connected virtually and yet, more intimately. From re-discovering interests such as #Photography, #Yoga, and #Poetry, to throwing back to a different time and getting nostalgic with conversations about #Ramayan, #Pokiri, and #Mahabaharat, audiences took to the service giving rise to diverse conversations from the tedious to the unexpected.
Talking about how Indians used Twitter this year, Manish Maheshwari, Managing Director, Twitter India said, “Being the year it has been, conversation on Twitter in 2020 was unique. From the fight against this global pandemic, rejoicing in celebratory moments, standing up for those communities impacted by the pandemic, to bonding over rediscovered shows, interests, and memes, India came together beautifully on Twitter this year. In 2021, while the nation bounces back, we hope to continue giving everyone a voice and provide a service to stay virtually engaged with what’s happening in the country and the world.”
Here is a look at the Golden Tweets of 2020, Tweets that became the most Retweeted, Liked, and Quoted Tweets on the service. From Vijay’s connection with his fans, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s celebratory news, Ratan Tata’s Tweet pledging support to impacted communities, to Amitabh Bachchan’s Tweet about COVID-19, each of the Golden Tweets reflect what Indians loved talking about in 2020.
#ThisHappened: Golden Tweets of 2020
*Methodology: Identified based on the total number of Retweets / Likes / Quote Tweets by Twitter accounts in India between Jan 1 to Nov 15, 2020.
Most Retweeted Tweet
Vijay’s selfie with his fans from February 2020, celebrated the strong connection that Tamil stars have with their community on Twitter.
Vijay’s Tweet of a selfie with his fans in Neyveli in February was widely loved and shared by fans of Tamil cinema across the country. Over the years, film fans from Tamil cinema have actively taken to Twitter to show their love and support for their favorite superstars and Tweet about what’s happening in the world of entertainment. 2020 was no different.
Most Retweeted Tweet in Politics
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tweeted about lighting lamps of hope and good health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his ‘9 PM-9 Mins’ public address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested the people of India to light lamps from the safety of their homes as a symbolic gesture of solidarity towards one other. This Tweet became the most Retweeted Tweet by a politician.
Most Retweeted Tweet in Sports
MS Dhoni expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s letter.
Cricketer MS Dhoni shared his gratitude on Twitter, thanking Prime Minister Modi for sending him a letter that appreciated his achievements and contribution to cricket in India. The Tweet was met with applause from sports fans across the nation making it the most Retweeted Tweet by an athlete.
Most Retweeted Tweet in Business
Ratan Tata pledged support to communities affected by COVID-19.
Business tycoon Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts, announced a commitment of 500 crore rupees on behalf of the company towards protecting and empowering communities affected by the pandemic. The initiative was widely appreciated and served as a reminder to every Indian to stay united in the fight against COVID-19.
Most Liked Tweet
Virat Kohli Tweeted about Anushka Sharma’s pregnancy, giving Indians a reason to celebrate.
Virat Kohli’s Tweet that announced Anushka Sharma’s pregnancy became the ‘Most Liked Tweet of 2020’ as people across India shared their love and wishes with the couple. Anushka Sharma’s Tweet celebrating the same news was also in the top 5 most Liked Tweets of the year.
Most Quoted Tweet
Amitabh Bachchan shared his diagnosis of COVID-19 and spread awareness about the virus.
On testing COVID-19 positive, Amitabh Bachchan took to the service to share his news. He also requested people who had been in close proximity to him to get tested, spreading awareness about the virus and shared measures to be taken in case of exposure. Those that Quote-Tweeted his Tweet wished him a speedy recovery and encouraged people to stay safe, wash their hands, and wear their masks.
#ThisHappened: Top Conversations of 2020
Hashtags take conversations across timelines. These were the most Tweeted Hashtags across different interest areas in 2020.
*Methodology: Ranked by number of total Tweets by unique authors using this hashtag on Twitter in India from Jan 1 to Nov 15, 2020.
Current Affairs and People’s Movements
Also Read: #SSThrowback2020: A year of Fleets, Quote Tweets, K-pop, Safety & Updates on Twitter
Most Tweeted about current affairs topics
- #Covid19: Unsurprisingly the most Tweeted current affairs hashtag this year was #Covid19. People used the hashtag to seek reliable information, connect with healthcare experts and agencies, and follow what was happening in real-time. Globally, Twitter launched a COVID-19 search prompt and a dedicated event page that shared information related to the virus from credible sources such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare of India and the World Health Organisation. Within the larger conversation about COVID-19, hashtags used prominently included #Coronavirus, #JantaCurfew as well as those that encouraged people to #WearAMask, #StayHomeStaySafe, and maintain #SocialDistancing. Other popular topics of conversation included the adverse impact on migrant workers as well as gratitude for healthcare professionals across the country.
- #SushantSinghRajput: The unexpected demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput became one of the biggest topics of conversation in India this year. Public figures and fans took to the service to express grief, pay tribute to his career, share views about the entertainment industry, and discuss developments around the investigation into his passing. In July 2020, fans celebrated the late actor by sharing love for his last film #DilBechara that also became the most talked-about film on Twitter in 2020.
- #Hathras: The alleged rape and death of a young Dalit woman in Hathras became a topic of conversation across the country. People Tweeted their perspectives and demanded justice using the hashtag #DalitLivesMatter.
Most Tweeted about people’s movements
- #StudentLivesMatter: The conversation around the changing schedules of examinations became the most Tweeted about movement on the service, with the hashtag #SpeakUpForSSCRailwayStudents gaining particular momentum.
- #ShaheenBagh: People across India Tweeted to share their support and criticism about the protests when thousands of women camped out at a site in South Delhi. Speeches, lectures, and poetry readings held at the protest ground every day were also talked about on the service.
- #FarmersProtest: Conversations on Twitter ranged from support of the new farm bill to discussions around the impact this would have on farmers’ livelihoods with the hashtag #IStandWithIndianFarmers.
Sports & Movies
Most Tweeted sports hashtags:
- #IPL2020: Twitter was abuzz with Tweets across the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the much-anticipated sports season took place later in the year than usual. Cricket enthusiasts celebrated and connected with each other on Twitter, making #IPL2020 the most Tweeted hashtag in sports.
- #WhistlePodu: The MS Dhoni-led team Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) became the most Tweeted about team in #IPL2020, and subsequently their team hashtag #WhistlePodu became the second-most Tweeted hashtag in sports this year.
- #TeamIndia: Before the pandemic, the stellar performance of the Indian Women’s cricket team at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup created cheerful conversations and strong momentum on, and off the field.
Most Tweeted movies hashtags: These were the most Tweeted Indian movies that released in 2020
- #DilBechara: Fans of the late Sushant Singh Rajput Tweeted to express their love for the actor and appreciate his last on-screen performance in the Hindi film Dil Bechara.
- #SooraraiPottru: Tamil fans declared the movie a masterpiece on Twitter while praising the performances of lead actors Suriya and Aparna Balamurali.
- #SarileruNeekevvaru: Starring Mahesh Babu, Rashmika Mandanna, and Vijayashanti, Sarileru Neekevvaru was the most talked-about Telugu film of the year and the third most talked-about film overall.
Nostalgia and Interests
Most Tweeted hashtags related to nostalgia
- #Ramayan: As Ramayan made a comeback on DD National amid the nationwide lockdown, fans celebrated the show sharing memes and memories related to their childhood experiences of watching the show.
- #Pokiri: Fans celebrated the 14th anniversary of the blockbuster Telugu film ‘Pokiri’ this year, and celebrated the star of the movie, Mahesh Babu.
- #Mahabharat: With the re-run of Mahabharat on DD National, viewers across the country reminisced about their memories of the show and re-lived some of its iconic scenes together.
Most Tweeted about interests
- #Photography: Professional photographers, as well as budding shutterbugs, Tweeted their beautiful images on the service. Enthusiasts turned Twitter timelines into a vibrant, virtual exhibition!
- #Yoga: As the nation coped with staying at home and staying healthy, conversations about yoga spiked on the service. From basic wellness asanas to rigorous physical exercise, people came online to get fit. Popular voices from entertainment, sports, and other fields Tweeted to strengthen the conversation around yoga.
- #Poetry: Inspirational poetry became a finger tap away on Twitter and took off this year thanks in part to the brevity of the medium. Indians rediscovered their love for poetry and shared rhymes on their timelines while attempting to cope with the lockdown.
Most Tweeted meme
Twitter is fun and memes are at the heart of its humor. A mention of “Binod” in a video by Slayy Point set off the meme, which took over the service.
Creators, brands, and even the police jumped in on the conversation, changing their profile names and Tweeting videos and pictures. There was a lot of conversation about “Who is Binod?”, but it was clear #Binod was everywhere, securing its spot as the most Tweeted meme on Twitter in India this year.
Content Credit : Social Samosa
As a realtor, you may have experienced a major shift in the last ten years. Clients are beginning to buy houses in a different way, often beginning with online market research and a clear vision of precisely what they want out of their future home.
For best-in-class realtors, digital marketing has come to the forefront of their marketing efforts. From generating new leads to completing successful sales, the real estate industry is now reliant on digital marketing.
Real Estate and the Importance of Digital Marketing
Social media was one of the first game changes for realtors seeking ways to get noticed online. From purchasing Facebook Business Ads to sharing photo albums of new listings, various social media platforms allowed real estate professionals to build a brand and a booming business.
With 84% of real estate professionals using social media platforms, how can modern real estate brokerages and realtors in the United States further differentiate themselves in a saturated market? Your digital marketing strategy can have a much greater impact than traditional marketing strategies.
To jump-start your real estate digital marketing strategy, use the following 8 tips and tricks to get the results you’re seeking:
1. Develop an Email Campaign
No matter the industry, an email nurture campaign is a valuable tool in connecting with new leads and staying relevant with past clients. Ideally, a well-rounded campaign will funnel potential clients through predetermined actions based on their buyer profile and previous engagements with you.
According to Smart Insights, the average open rate of emails for real estate businesses is around 27% with a click-through rate (CTR) of 3%. However, the more relevant your content is to a client, the more likely they will be interested in opening the email to see what you have to say.
2. Create a User-Friendly Website
How many times have you opened a website only to close it because it wouldn’t load fast enough? With so many photos and links, realtor websites can sometimes be a web developer’s nightmare. However, with the help of a professional web designer and a knowledge of what your clients are looking for, real estate professionals can develop a responsive website that is optimized for mobile browsing.
Almost half of all web browsing is completed on a mobile device, so if your website is not designed to be responsive, your clients will not be able to browse your site comfortably. Your mobile-friendly website should include the following content in order to give your clients the best experience:
- A list of all new listings
- Content that will guide them throughout the home buying process
- Links to relevant moving-related services such as lawyers, movers, and home inspectors
In addition, consider implementing a live chat feature on your website. Your real estate business is extremely people-centric, meaning that it’s important to be available when they need to ask questions. Investing in a live chat software allows people to connect 24/7 and schedule appointments without necessarily speaking directly to you.
3. Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-Per-Click – also known as PPC – advertising is an excellent strategy for realtors looking to generate new leads based on ads that they pay for every time the ad gets clicked on.
PPC is a great digital marketing option for real estate professionals seeking potential clients who may genuinely be interested in their offering, as they only pay when someone clicks through their ad.
Often, PPC ads can be targeted toward individuals who have searched for correlated keywords in Google or another search engine.
4. Create and Post Valuable Blog Content
Responsive websites that have a blog often have 434% more indexed pages, helping real estate professionals achieve better SEO.
A blog is a fantastic way to level-up your SEO, build a positive reputation online, and provide your clients with actionable advice on buying or selling a home or piece of property. A real estate professional’s digital marketing strategy is nothing without valuable content, whether it’s shared on your website or social media.
In addition to your responsive website, make sure that you regularly write content that buyers and sellers can come back to for answers to their most pressing real estate questions.
5. Host Virtual Tours
Virtual tours of a home are incredible pieces of content in a successful digital marketing strategy. Not only do these tours share video content – which generates revenue 49% faster for marketers than non-video users – but a potential client can get an idea of what a home really has to offer them.
Purchasing a home can be difficult, and as a real estate expert, your job is to make the home buying journey as easy as possible for your clients. Andrew J Carr shared some of the more critical qualities realtors should try to include in successful virtual tours, such as:
- Using real footage of the home, as compared to digital illustrations
- Ensuring the video of the tour is interactive and responsive across all viewing methods (mobile and desktop)
- Making the virtual tour 3D and user-friendly
6. Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy
It’s one thing to post real estate-related content on your Facebook account every once in a while, but a full-fledged social media marketing strategy is what truly yields the results you’re looking for. Some ideas of useful content to post on your social media channels include:
- New or existing listings
- Team bios (if you run a real estate brokerage)
- Case studies
- Relevant blog posts
- Success stories
If you’re experienced in digital marketing, you may realize just how difficult it can be to create a social media strategy and to post regularly across all channels. However, tools like Buffer are designed to help make social media content development and scheduling simple and clear.
The most important rule of thumb for developing a social media strategy for your real estate business is to share varied content. Although sharing listings is an important factor of your digital strategy, you want to make sure that your content is useful for a broad audience, not just leads in the market for a new home.
7. Host a Webinar
Sharing all your expertise as a real estate professional is vital for successful digital marketing. Thankfully, techniques such as webinars and online workshops make it easy to reach a large audience and stay relevant in the industry.
GoToWebinar is a webinar hosting tool designed to make creating and hosting webinar events easy, and it is extremely user-friendly from both ends of the operation.
Digital marketing for real estate professionals relies highly on generating inbound leads, so getting your name and expertise out there is vital for a successful digital marketing campaign.
8. Ensure You Spend Time on SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a critical technique to drive leads to your website. When done correctly, your website and web pages will show up higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) during relevant searches.
However, Google and other search engines are constantly changing their algorithms, so it’s critical to focus on your SEO more than one time. Keywords are a basic aspect of SEO that can make a significant difference. To include keywords in your SEO strategy, make sure that you include high-ranking keywords such as your location and your industry throughout your blog content and website.There are other elements of a strong SEO strategy, including:
- Backlinks
- Meta titles and descriptions
- Social media pages
- Online directories
Because content is such a valuable asset to a good SEO strategy, make sure that you update your blog regularly. Typically, the material that is ranked highest on Google is between 1,140 words and 1,285 words, so it may be a good idea to write high-value, long-form content on a regular basis.
Digital Marketing Improvements You Can Make Today
Develop buyer profiles: Buyer profiles are the ideal clients that you are trying to target through your content. From new homeowners to existing agents, take time to map out who your audience is, what they do, their average salary, and other characteristics that might impact their decision-making processes.
Start posting relevant content: Whether it’s from your blog or another trusted real estate professional in your brokerage, high-value content is what attracts readers and builds your reputation for being a well-informed expert online. Try to update your company blog once a week, and include valuable content for a variety of buyer profiles.
Work on improving your SEO: Increasing your rankings on the search engine results pages of sites like Google and Bing isn’t as hard as you may think. Take a couple of minutes weekly to review popular and industry-related keywords on Google Ads and make sure to include them throughout any copy you develop.
Are you looking for ways to improve your Facebook marketing approach? Want to know the key platform trends that are predicted to rise in 2021?
The team from Oberlo share their key Facebook trends to look out for in this infographic.
Here’s a summary of the key points:
- Facebook Live back in favor
- The AR ecosystem on Facebook
- Facebook video marketing to grow
- Private, interest-driven communities
- Include online shopping experiences
- Facebook News Feed ads format remains king
- Chatbots potential
- More support for small businesses
- User-generated content
- Hashtags usage to improve reach
Check out the full infographic below: