Category Archives: Marketing

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6 Reasons Why “Driving Traffic” is Vital

by: Jamey Brown

On my way home for Easter this weekend (from Atlanta to Athens, Georgia) I had to stop, turn off the main highway and go around, through a gas station, and get back onto the main highway about 500 feet down the road. Why? A water line had busted, thus forcing cars to have to go around and reconnect to the same road a few hundred feet further down. Pulling through the gas station, along with all of the other cars, and back onto the main highway I thought, “I was redirected here. And now, I am in front of this gas station and I am a little hungry…” The bottom line: I was driven, directed to a destination where I could potentially make a purchase for something I wanted. Now, I understand gas stations are a hard comparison because they offer various things (as opposed to an ad that offers a specific product or service), but the real life metaphor got me thinking…

Cost effective social ad buys must be specifically targeted. The more targeted, typically, the better results.

Aim for the enthusiasts. In the end, they will convert and convince more than anyone else.

Make sure your destination is inline with your ads. User confusion ends in click-offs and no conversions.

Monitor your campaigns daily. Be it traditional Facebook ads, promoted posts, Twitter trends, etc. Always know what’s doing well and what’s not.

In conjunction with the above, adjust your ad images, copy, spend, interests, demographics, etc. based on what is working and what isn’t.

Rinse and repeat. If you had a successful ad campaign that had a high CTR and a plethora of page views and visits on the destination you wanted, then repeat that strategy! Be wary though, some adjustments might need to be made as all campaigns aim towards different people.

 

What have you found to be a successful way to drive traffic to the destination you want? 

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A Letter To My Family (the 25 Years of Age Update)

by: Jamey Brown

So I got to the office early today. Poured my coffee. Turned on my computer. Teed up my to-do’s list. And began clicking. But this morning was different than other mornings – and you can ask my coworkers, I cherish my early morning time. This morning I could not stop thinking of what it is I do and why I do it. Sometimes we get so caught up in doing what we love we don’t have time to actually love it. So, I switched over to my personal e-mail account and decided to write a letter to my family (which, sadly, I rarely do). Below is what I wrote, with inspiration from Chris Pirillo - following is the response from my father (the best man I know):

Hi Family, 

You know, I grew up in the world of sports and hard work. Sweating was what equalled success. And believe me, that is the mentality I still have, and always will have. But today, my interests have shifted – not changed, just altered (bc I still love cracking some beers and watching a Braves game and obviously a UGA game. That will never go away). But now, I consider myself a “geek” and a “nerd.” Deep down that’s what I enjoy on a daily basis. I enjoy digital media, social media, screenwriting, nerding out with movies, tv shows, certain comics. That being said, I think what makes the difference, what makes it a career, is the business side that goes along with it – the drive to get others talking about it and connecting with the zealots out there. Rallying people for a cause, expo or brand is what I love to do. And today, that is best done by storytelling – a gift I think I have. I lack in a lot of areas (don’t we all?), but I feel I am here right now, right here to do what I am doing. Many people can’t say that with an honest face. Moving aside from my genetically passed down philosophical points of view, I wanted to share a quick 2 minute video. Please watch with full sound (the music is good). I have been following this dude for a while and seen him make his career. How did he do this? He unapologetically loves what he does and has made a thriving career for himself. Yet with all the digital and tech in his life he lives in beautiful Seattle with his wife and values relationships – real, connected relationships. He values how digital and tech can help better our real life relationships and day to day activities. That is a hard combo to find. Therefore, I find this as genuine inspiration. So again, please watch below with headphones, let it sink in and cheers to change and loving what you do. 

 
Just had some time to give you all a 25 years of age update, 
Your son
RESPONSE FROM MY DAD 30 MINUTES LATER BELOW
I am pleased that you are able to do something you are passionate about, and  have the work ethic you have developed-maintain it as you will need it throughout life. The fact that your primary interests and focus may have changed is part of life-but I have never cared for a “classification”-it implies being one dimensional which I don’t think is good or healthy. Follow your passion-enjoy what you enjoy-but remember this statement (I can’t take credit for it) – “To label me is to negate me”. 
 
Be a compilation of ALL of your interests, past, present and future- your influence upon others will be heightened.

 
We’re proud of you, son.

DAD 

First off, I think it’s safe to say my father is awesome. Secondly, I know it is hard to do what you love and make a career out of it. You are going to have horrible days and you are going to struggle and be unhappy at times. But as long as you are working hard at what you love doing then it is always worth it. Always.

- Jamey

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Should All Brands Be Onboard With “Real Time Marketing?”

by: Jamey Brown

I was reading a good piece by Scott Monty yesterday on what exactly “real time marketing” was and if it should even be a term. After taking 24 hours to digest the piece and digest the comments, I woke up with these thoughts about the newly slated strategy:

- I like this term, but it will soon be overused by every marketer out there and will then die a tragic, buzzword death.

- No, not all brands need to adopt this style of marketing. It needs to be applicable to A. your brand and B. your brand’s campaign.

- Don’t forget normal marketing.

- Not everything has to be “live.” I swear, as soon as a harlem shake comes down the pike it’s off to the races on who can push out the fastest blog post. And half the time, they aren’t worth the keystrokes that went into writing them. When something viral hits and I read these immediate write-ups on it, they usually just say that it happened…and that’s it. Is it too much to ask to be informative these days?

- Force messaging is not the answer. During the Oscars I saw SO many brands pushing campaigns that had no business being lumped into this stream of conversation. Again, don’t compromise your brand’s mantra just because a big event is coming up.

Bottom line: Real Time Marketing can be effective, but under the right circumstances and for the right brand. Always be wary of marketing trends before decisions are made.

Do You Know Brands Who Are Doing A Good Job With “Real Time Marketing?” A Bad Job?