Holiday marketing stats you need to be aware of

It’s the holiday season which means it’s a wonderful time to take advantage of consumer habits. Whether you sell hair products or automotive services, your activity on social media can mean the difference between a fruitful 4th quarter and one where you barely squeak by. Being present and active on social media pays off since 73% of consumers say their buying decisions are influenced by brand presence on social media.

Here are holiday marketing statistics you need to be aware of if you’re not sure whether or not you should commit time and resources to social media marketing:

• 88% of marketers who ran ads during the 2017 holiday season said it was effective

• 56% of consumers say their buying decisions were influenced by brand videos

• Video is the #1 way people find out about new brands and products before making a purchase

• 68% of shoppers peruse on YouTube for gift ideas

• 140% increase in online advertising during the holidays

• Shoppers tend think of how a gift will look on Instagram before making a purchase

• 56% of buyers would rather message a store than call

• 51.9% of marketers says that video provides the best ROI

• 79% of buyers say they’re likely to engage with content personalized to their previous interactions with a brand

38 Headlines That You Can Steal for Your Blog

Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration to get the ball rolling for your blog. It can be tough trying come up with content for your brand, but the good news is that you’re not alone. We have your back. Here are 38 headlines you can steal for your blog:

You don’t have to worry about writer’s block when it comes to headlines.

1. Use these five tips to easily increase online sales this quarter

2. Be ready for your next house party with these outfit combinations

3. How to increase your PR in 2019

4. 7 foods that will help you avoid the flu

5. 14 ways to step up your grilling game and be the hero

6. The beginner’s guide to shopping for men

7. The beginner’s guide to building shelves

8. How can I get more revenue in 2019?

9. How do I find the right attorney?

10. No, you don’t need to be great at working out to lose weight

11. 21 quotes that will make you call your mom

12. How to get more Instagram likes on your business profile

13. Where to get the best protein for triathlon training

14. Quit these three things and you’ll be happier

15. Make more money by doing seven things each week

16. What the best yoga instructors have in common

17. You’re holding your business back. Here’s why:

18. It’s not your fault that you’re struggling with these six things

19. Successful store owners do these five things every day

20. World travelers share their biggest tips and disappointments

21. 50 tricks all fashionistas recommend

22. Entrepreneurs need these five skills to succeed

23. Boost your foot traffic by ending these chronic mistakes

24. Cut out four things that are slowing your growth

25. Follow these influencers for design inspiration

26. Here’s what you should know before you change CrossFit gyms

27. 7 things every culinary pro does

28. Your friends will leave you if you do this

29. How to shoot like Steph Curry and avoid injury like LeBron James

30. Make these changes to your schedule to live like a millionaire

31. Travel destinations you can’t miss out on

32. These three coffee shops can’t be missed when driving through Seattle

33. 12 changes you need to make when you’re expecting a child

34. Attributes all successful entrepreneurs have

35. You can be happy if you stop caring about this one thing

36. Do this one thing each week to take control of your life

37. Should you buy the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?

38. Every penny pincher knows these habits that are keeping you poor

Create headlines that will get people talking.

As you may have noticed, not all of these topics may work specifically for your business so tweak them as needed. Always customize your content to your target audience!

4 Ways to Step Up Your Instagram Story Game as a Small Business

Instagram is surpassing other social media platforms regarding popularity. Recently there has been a shift in social media preferences. Photo-sharing applications made it possible for both new and established brands to market their products and services across the world. The trend is particularly common to a group that belongs to younger demographics. 85% of young people access social media to post something or view a pic or video almost every day.

You can achieve your revenue goals with the help of Instagram marketing

Previously, Omnicore gathered interesting and incredible statistics as to why brands should opt to engage themselves with Instagram followers. As of last September, the Instagram platform has had more than 800 million followers. According to Instagram, there are currently 25 million businesses on the site compared to July 2017, when they were 15 million businesses. Also, over 80% of Instagram users follow a business whereas 200 million Instagrammers visit a business profile on a daily basis.

How to pull from top brands on Instagram

1. Develop brand partnerships To get attention on Instagram like Nike, Chipotle, or Lego you need to partner with other brands that share your audience. For example, you can create a joint campaign that targets a social cause. Through the campaign, the audience will be attracted to know what you are selling. Most companies are establishing affiliate marketing partnerships, sponsoring partnerships, or value-added partnerships. Such approaches can involve celebrity influencers, but this can only be successful if it fits targeted demographics, strategies, and budgets. When working on collaborations, look for opportunities that might yield a win-win situation for all entities. 

Partnerships give you more opportunities to grow.

The primary purpose of the partnership should be geared to attract more customers who can benefit from all brands involved. Partnering creates an opportunity to pull resources together and achieve higher results compared to when a brand goes solo. Also, it gives a substantial financial muscle for partnering companies to compete with established brands like Nike, Chipotle, or Lego.

2. Demand affiliates and influencers to be transparent and authentic  If you are authentic and transparent with your followers, you will get off to a great start by attracting more attention. The affiliates and influencers must be transparent as they market your product/brand online. Primarily online business is grown and maintained by staying transparent and authentic. JVZooCEO Laura Casselman says that the importance of consumer education via Instagram can only be successful if the followers completely trust the influencer. 

Transparency equals authenticity.

3. Stand out with humor for the target audience Don’t be afraid to capture the hilarious moments that happen behind-the-scenes of your business! Your fans will love that you’re willing to share different raw moments on your Instagram Story from pictures to videos. It’ll show your followers another side of your business that will give them more to talk about.

4. Stand out with lifestyle shots to showcase products The pics or videos posted must stand out. Professionally taken photos or fun pics will lure more followers to know what your product is all about. For example, Nike on Instagram always provokes conversation about the brand thus helping the company achieve its core objective. Creativity while taking the pics or video is an important aspect because it makes the pic or video to stand out.

Lifestyle shoots are one of the best ways to showcase what you have to offer.

With many established brands out there, it is hard to stand out on Instagram. New brands must be more aggressive to reach more potential customers. The intention of posting a picture or a video on social media is not to gain views but to increase sales and your customer base. Even if it is hard, the more a product keeps on rotating or appearing on social media, the more it lures potential customers to buy it or try the service. In addition, with careful planning and targeted action, it is easy to connect with your audience on Instagram. Numerous new brands have found their niche on Instagram and they have seen great success.