August, 2021 - Mason Interactive

If you are a higher education marketing professional looking to attract new prospective students, you had better be using social media. 58% of student applicants say they vet the schools they are applying to using social media, and experts project that figure will only continue to grow.

According to Hootsuite, over 98% of higher education institutions use social media to reach students across campus. And while these are enrolled students, this figure sheds light on how essential social media is to the modern student experience. Students start engaging with social media well before they even start applying.

Students are actually well-versed with social media across multiple channels, with research pointing to preferences for TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Although, Twitter, Facebook, and even LinkedIn remain strong contenders for engagement as well.

91% of students think every college should have a social media presence.
EAB

Because you are dealing with such a savvy audience, you absolutely have to master social media best practices if you want to be successful in reaching them. Consider the following four social media tips as you build out your approach.

4 Useful Tips For Higher Education Social Media

1. Define your tone and voice

You likely have more flexibility than you think with this, even within the brand guidelines that your institution requires. Think carefully about who you want to engage. Consider how you want to relate to them, and how you want them to relate to you.

The messaging you use as a result of this tone and voice will define your interactions. It affects not only how you engage with your audience in social media but also determines whether you will build relationships that last.

In order to be successful, you have to put your audience’s needs first:

What makes your audience feel connected, proud, nostalgic, or emotional?
What does your audience need in order to feel supported?
What questions does your audience need answered, and how can you simplify things for your audience, so they are met with the information they need right as they need it?

Once defined, consistency in voice and tone is key. Clearly determine the rules and parameters for students and staff to abide by as they post and engage.

Northwestern University’s stays true to its brand and tone of voice across social media content.

2. Follow content best practices

Your audience is always the target; they are who you are talking to and trying to reach. Keeping your audience’s needs first is vital to successfully building a following and maintaining engagement.

A good practical starting point for pinpointing your audiences is to build out an audience map, where you identify the various personas across all of your channels. From here, you can make sure that all the content you deploy across social media platforms is optimized to resonate with the audiences that “live” there.

Next, build out a content inventory that you can dip into to save yourself time and ensure a steady flow of consistent posts. For example, if there’s an annual big game and alumni event, you can reuse past content and just change the wording a little to make it fresh. There is no need to reinvent the wheel constantly.

Build content templates to announce big events on social media. Example from Howard University.

Monitor your content’s performance so that you make sure it delivers the results you expect of it. Set measurable goals and constantly measure them. If you are reaching them, you can find satisfaction in knowing that your content is meeting its goals and keep building on that success. If you need to adjust your strategy, this data will help you pinpoint where change is most needed.

3. Engage with your audience – constantly

We’ve addressed the need for consistent delivery of content, but that’s only half of the engagement battle. You have to consistently engage with prospective and current students as well as alumni. Aside from posting, respond directly to and encourage discussion across the social media channels, especially through Twitter and Instagram.

Leverage live videos, reels, stories, and audience members directly responding to your content. Add a human touch and showcase your institution’s brand identity.

Social media can help drive audience members to your site—hello, applications!—and even increase engagement during big school events, such as graduation or athletic games. You can also build interdepartmental communication and a more cohesive community by uniting different faculty and students under common interests.

Twitter is a good social media channel for higher education marketing — Use Twitter to communicate with your audiences – prospective and current students as well as alumni. The examples from Emory University.

4. Build a social media communication plan for various crisis situations

Being prepared for a time of crisis is a powerful way for your social media channels to serve your audiences. It can be a powerful opportunity to cement engagement and build a meaningful connection with your audiences, who will trust you more and therefore keep returning.

Consider the protocols your college or university has in place when disaster strikes, whether it’s national or local. How would you notify your employees, staff, and students on campus of any issues or associated protocols? How could you leverage the distinctive features of each social media channel they are on to reach them most effectively?

The Culinary Institute of America used video to communicate the school’s COVID-19 safety guidelines.

With social media you can give timely updates on how to navigate through such crises. But don’t wait for disaster to strike; build out your content library and plan ahead of time, so that you are ready in case they are (unfortunately) needed.

Contact us for more higher education social media tactics!

Social media is more important than ever in higher education marketing. The core principles of being aware of your target audiences, being attentive to their needs, and being consistent with delivering content and engagement remain the same as with any other marketing strategy. Following these best practices lays a solid foundation for the rest of your marketing efforts.

Ready to take your social media strategy to the next level? Contact us for a free consultation.

We’re waving a freshly manicured welcome at our new client, The GelBottle US, the brand responsible for the infamous builder-in-a-bottle (BIAB) who creates vegan and cruelty-free nail polish for salons and nail technicians around the globe. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Saweetie use The GelBottle because of its stunning selection of colors, excellent formulas, and beautiful finish.

Mike Hollman, CEO of The GelBottle North and South America, envisions The GelBottle in every American continent. With new collections inspired by their artistic founder, Daisy Kalina, the gel nail polish company never fails to delight customers with a fun, fabulous fleet of colors multiple times a year. In addition to being a salon provider, The GelBottle is an educator to nail technicians through their TGB Academy, which provides online courses for proper gel nail application.

Mason Interactive will manage SEO, Google, and Bing paid media advertising for The GelBottle US to drive website traffic, increase market share, and complement their awareness tactics. Mason Interactive CEO Brook Shepard shares, “We’re excited to have The GelBottle onboard with us. We’re ready to start our new partnership with such a great product and brand.”

Contact us for a free discovery call if you’re interested in using search engine marketing and optimization to get discovered online and drive website traffic.

Learn more about The GelBottle US here.

Compelling, eye-catching, and scroll-stopping content is the best way to stand out from the sea of holiday promotions. Creative strategy, including brand identity, tone of voice, and visual assets, is a critical element of a well-executed holiday marketing plan.

Outperform your competition this holiday season with these creative best practices for holiday marketing!

1. Be inclusive of diverse groups

While Christmas is a major holiday in the United States and beyond, remember that there are many other holidays to celebrate this time of year as well. In fact, the holiday season is full of varied celebrations for many groups of people around the globe.

You can include these groups in your holiday creative strategy by keeping your messages general and neutral. Instead of wishing folks a “Merry Christmas,” a simple “Happy Holidays” works well. You can also focus your message on common values like peace, faith, family, giving, and community.

When you approach your holiday creative strategy with inclusivity in mind, you remind your audience that your brand supports and celebrates human beings of all religions, geographic locations, sexual orientations, and backgrounds.

ThirdLove’s “Love is Love” commercial celebrates Pride Month 2020.

2. Speak to your customers on a human level

In other words, be relatable.

Up until recent years, most brands were guilty of speaking to their audiences as if they were a monolith (and very gullible). Commercials were canned and contrived. It was easy to look at the actors and actresses in them and wonder who the ads could be targeting — because it definitely wasn’t you.

Today, we’re seeing more creators and influencers producing content that is relatable and down-to-earth. It’s important that your message says to your audience: “We understand you. And we can help”. You need to meet people where they are.

In the end, consumers are more likely to stop scrolling when they see a real person talking about a product than they are when they see a traditional advertisement. Perhaps this is why influencer marketing is expected to grow to a value of $13.8 billion in 2021.

https://youtu.be/gQdLD6kk960

Amazon’s “The show must go on” campaign represents the challenges of 2020. It’s a holiday campaign that doesn’t need to scream holiday.

3. Always design your ads for mobile viewing first

You may be sick of hearing it by now, but we still see many brands producing advertisements that are not designed for mobile first — and that’s not a good thing.

More than ever before, people consume their content on-the-go, and this means via mobile devices. Pew Research Center estimates that approximately 85% of Americans own a smartphone whereas only 77% own a desktop or laptop computer. Furthermore, desktops and laptops rarely travel alongside people. Rather, they’re usually left at home or at the office. By contrast, smartphones go with people everywhere — from meetings and first dates to the bathroom and the bedside.

To target mobile users, brands need to create quick, digestible content that utilizes as much vertical space on the screen as possible. Follow creative best practices and design any videos for sound off, and get to the point as quickly as possible. Your audience is only one thumb-swipe away from not getting your message.

4. Provide value to your audience

This may seem like a given, but your audience wants to know: “What’s in it for me?”

While providing benefits and value propositions of your products or services is key here, it’s also important to dig a bit deeper. For example, post videos of how to use or clean your products. Create detailed gift guides that include a few of your products. Gift guides for different types of people are particularly helpful (moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, kids, bosses, etc.).

You might also provide a BOGO deal so that customers can gift a friend. Look for ways to offer free shipping and general discounts. Around the holidays, your customers want to shop. Don’t give them any reason not to shop at your establishment.

Uncommon Goods’ holiday marketing email details different types of gift guides making the shopping experience easier.

5. Start planning ASAP

Simply put: Don’t wait until November to start planning your holiday campaign. The sooner you begin, the more time you’ll have to do the research and planning necessary to be successful.

On average, it can take two to three months to contrive a strong holiday campaign. You need time to research your audience, develop your products and services, and angle your campaign for the widest reception and success. Even for small brands, we recommend starting as early as July.

Let us help you develop a robust creative strategy this holiday season!

Your creative strategy is always integral to the success of your marketing efforts, but during the holidays, it’s more critical than ever.

To give your company an edge this season, use these creative best practices for holiday marketing or contact us to discuss with our experts. We’ll help you up your game when it comes to your holiday ad campaigns and take your business to the next level as the new year rolls around.

Mason Interactive announces a new, second office opening and an expansion of the service portfolio. These additions empower our clients with enhanced, integrated digital marketing solutions, driving performance for brands across all industries.

The big day has finally come; we are pleased to announce the opening of Mason’s new office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Led by VP of Operations, Adrian Padron, the new location will operate side-by-side with the HQ location in New York City.

“Charlotte was a sensible choice for Mason. The area is a hub for great talent, fast-growing businesses, and technology innovators,” says Adrian. ”We were fortunate to find a perfect office space in one of the most vibrant, up-and-coming areas of Charlotte. The new location will help us continue to expand the agency and grow our team, allowing us to further service our clients’ evolving business needs”, he explains.

New Services: Creative & Social Media Management

Along with the office opening, in the last few months, we have been working vigorously to expand our service portfolio. We’re proud to launch two new services that compliment our dedication to deliver integrated, holistic marketing strategies:

Creative; the creative team curates eye catching, thumb-stopping and beautifully designed ads that are aligned with the client’s brand. Creative is produced as part of a holistic strategy that’s tailored specifically for the client’s audience and their journey with the brand.

Social Media; the social media team pairs ideas and content creation with strategy and audience insights to help brands grow faster, engage better, and ultimately sell more products through the holistic and systematic approach to social media strategy.

Welcome Shannon, Mason’s new Creative Director!

Shannon Gallaher has joined the agency as a Creative Director to build and manage the Creative department, and oversee all creative and social media services. Shannon is highly experienced in the space, with a background in DTC marketing and 7+ years of design experience.

New Creative Director at Mason Interactive

“I’m thrilled to be building this creative team at Mason Interactive— everything we produce is driven by strategy and optimized to perform.”
Shannon Gallaher, Creative Director

“There’s a common misconception that creative professionals exist solely to design beautiful brand assets. While that’s certainly a part of what we do, it’s just the tip of the iceberg”, Shannon says. “I’m thrilled to be building this creative team at Mason Interactive— everything we produce is driven by strategy and optimized to perform. We are looking forward to the client partnerships to come and are eager to help brands elevate their potential through our Creative and Social Media services”, she continues.

We would like to thank all our clients and partners for making the growth possible, as well as Mason’s team for their commitment in service excellence.The new location and expanded service portfolio are the culmination of Mason’s mission to be a trusted digital partner for fast-growing businesses.

If you have any questions regarding the new location, or Creative services, contact us here.

You can find the new office at 1018 Jay Street, Suite 470, Charlotte, NC 28208.

What KPIs determine the success of a holiday marketing campaign? The obvious answer is, “revenue ”. But, revenue is just one of the key metrics eCommerce brands should monitor during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the entire holiday season.

Before you tap into the joy of the season, make sure you’re tracking these eight holiday marketing KPIs.

The Modern Shopping Journey Can Start and End Anywhere

First, let’s take a look at the journey your customers have with your brand. Typically, the journey is broken down into awareness, consideration, and purchase. To measure campaign success, marketers use KPIs that focus on those three stages. The modern shopping journey, however, involves multiple touch points, online and offline, with thousands of unique paths to purchase. And so measurement becomes more complex.

Understand the shopping journey before setting up your KPIs for holiday marketing — *Limitless touchpoints connect the customer via multiple devices, all blazing ads in hundreds of formats.*

Investigate the common journeys customers take to complete a purchase, or abandon a shopping cart. Use the information to fine-tune your campaigns and allocate budget. The holiday season is an optimal time to gather valuable data because volumes are larger than normal.

1. ROI – Return on Investment

Return on investment (ROI) is the single most important metric to track, year-round. By calculating ROI you’ll know how much revenue your marketing efforts have generated in comparison to the money spent. Aim for a marketing ROI that generates positive results to succeed this holiday season.

Whether measured holistically or on a campaign-basis, use ROI to justify marketing spend, analyze campaign success, and secure budget for future campaigns. (Top tip: high ROI = happy boss )

Return on Investment is one of the most important holiday marketing KPIs

2. ROAS – Return on Advertising Spend

Return on advertising spend (ROAS) measures performance of an advertising campaign and helps you determine which strategies work well and which need a tweak. Whereas ROI considers all associated costs, ROAS only counts advertising spend.

What is a good ROAS, you may ask. A “good” ROAS depends on several factors like your margins and the industry you’re in. As a rule of thumb, anything above 2X ROAS is considered healthy. Don’t forget, CPCs and CPMs tend to increase during the holiday season, so you might not be able to hit the same ROAS goal you did earlier in the year.

When working with a trusted digital marketing partner, you can rest assured that your campaigns are optimized to maximize ROAS at every stage of the funnel.

Use ROAS to measure efficiency of your holiday marketing efforts

3. CTR – Click-Through Rate

The end-game of every holiday marketing effort is sales. And to generate sales, you need to encourage users to interact. A click-through rate (CTR) tells you how many of the users who have seen your ad, email, or social post have clicked on your content. A high CTR means you’ve successfully reached the right audience with the right message.

If your CTR is low, act, quick! Take a deeper look at the campaign. Is the copy and creative relevant and engaging? Is the call-to-action (CTA) clear and visible? Are you reaching the right audience? Are there certain geographic areas that aren’t converting?

Click-through rate is an essential holiday marketing KPIs

4. Conversions

Now that a user has interacted with your content, you want them to take action on your website. For eCommerce retailers, the desired action that’s counted as a conversion could be completing a purchase or adding an item to a cart.

If your ad gets 5,000 clicks but no conversions, something is wrong. Tracking conversions and conversion rate (CR) helps make the necessary changes to increase your ROI. Perhaps your content isn’t relevant, or you’re targeting the wrong audience.

Pro tip: Look at the conversion rates by channel in Google Analytics to understand which channel is converting most traffic.

5. CPA – Cost Per Acquisition

Hooray, your holiday marketing tactics paid off and generated sales. Now, take a few steps back and track the customer journey. Calculate the cost per acquisition (CPA) to understand the overall costs for turning a browser into a customer.

Break down the costs by platform and by channel to recognize how successful and effective each activity is. From there, you’ll be able to reallocate budgets and spend accordingly to achieve lower CPA.

Understanding cost per acquisition helps you analyze holiday marketing campaigns

6. AOV – Average Order Value

You’re getting a high volume of traffic to your website. Conversions are up but revenue remains flat. The first KPI to investigate is the average order value (AOV). AOV measures the average amount a customer spends per order on your eCommerce site. It’s one of the most important metrics when deciding on advertising spend, forecasts, and product pricing.

Bear in mind, holiday discounts can bring AOV down. It’s always a good idea to compare your AOV from previous holiday seasons instead of focusing on past months. Strategically increase AOV (and revenue) through bundle promotions that encourage shoppers buy more. Or, set a minimum spend for free delivery.

Calculate average order value to reveal how much revenue your holiday marketing efforts generated

7. Traffic

If available, use historical data from Google Analytics to analyze performance from previous holiday seasons. The Channels report gives you a breakdown of the channels that direct visitors to your website. Focus on the number of visitors, conversion rates, and revenue, to identify most effective channels.

Allocate more budget for the highest performing channels this holiday season. Give extra attention to the channels that didn’t do so well last year or consider removing them from your marketing mix altogether.

Pro tip: View Google Analytics for peak shopping days from previous years to plan promotions and inventory.

8. Impressions and Reach

Impressions and reach are your primary KPIs when the goal is to increase awareness, or to reach a number of people. Both metrics measure top of the funnel activity and customers’ first touchpoint with your brand.

Impressions count the number of times your content, paid or organic, has been displayed. Reach, however, determines the number of individual users exposed to your content. So, a single person who has seen your content three times, would count as three impressions but a reach of one.

For holiday marketing success, you’ll want to create a full-funnel acquisition plan and incorporate brand awareness campaigns with engagement and conversions. Be mindful that a high number of impressions or reach doesn’t necessarily translate to sales. Always keep an eye on the quality of the audience.

‘Tis the Season to Use Holiday Marketing KPIs!

Use these essential metrics to effectively track and optimize your Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday sales strategy. Align the holiday marketing KPIS to your goals and measure them regularly to maximize performance.

If you want to learn more about setting your goals and tracking KPIs, talk to our digital experts today.