Author: lisa byrne

Audience research, Blogs, Digital, Marketing Plan

Why You Should Use LinkedIn As A B2B Marketer

When marketers are considering which social media platforms to use for their businesses, many will automatically head for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But when it comes to generating B2B leads, then the most powerful social media platform has to be LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is possibly the most important social network for marketers to be able to reach business buyers and connect with professionals and has become one of the major social media platforms for B2B media and content marketing.

When looking at the Monthly Active Users (MAU) of the popular social networks, LinkedIn, with 310 million MAU may not be the biggest platform available, compared to 330 million MAU on Twitter, one billion MAU on Instagram, or a massive 2.7 billion on Facebook.

But the LinkedIn audience is one of the most lucrative ones for B2B marketing.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can become noisy and crowded, and while LinkedIn was once much quieter, it has become busier. However, unlike Facebook, where people go to connect with friends and family, watch funny videos, or post irreverent content, LinkedIn is the place where people go to network with like-minded people within their industry.
If you are looking to drive qualitative B2B traffic to your website or blog, then LinkedIn is the platform for you. The social network allows users to build relationships, establish thought leadership, generate B2B leads, gain insights, improve a brand’s reputation, conduct market research and help to build online communities.

LinkedIn now has over 875 million members, from 200 countries all around the world, and members can interact with each other, share their views, and boost their professional profiles.

It is a powerful social media platform that allows professionals and businesses to easily connect, boost brand identity, and engage in B2B marketing, and it should be part of any comprehensive social media strategy.

Using LinkedIn for marketing can be an effective way of raising for brand or business’s profile, if it’s done right. Overly ‘salesy’ marketing methods are typically not well received, and businesses that achieve success on the platform tend to leverage their industry expertise and knowledge to set themselves up as thought leaders in their field.

What is LinkedIn marketing?

LinkedIn Marketing is the process of using the social media platform to promote businesses or individuals and draw attention to their profiles. Not only can individuals create their own profiles, but business can also establish their own company pages, and subpages for specific departments or products, on the platform, which they can use to:
Build brand awareness
Drive traffic to websites or blogs by sharing content
Create new connections or continue to develop existing business relationships.

Let’s have a look at six reasons why you should be using LinkedIn in your marketing efforts.

  1. Create awareness and improve reputation

It has been estimated that more than two professionals sign up to LinkedIn every second, meaning that businesses have an increased opportunity to be able to network with an increasing number of diverse interesting contacts. It means that LinkedIn is the ideal platform to help boost your online presence.
By making use of the different personal and group features on the platform, businesses and the people representing them can improve their visibility and credibility.

The status update functionality is an underutilised feature that should not be forgotten about, however, the latest design means that updates are more prominent on the homepage.

  1. Thought leadership and influencer marketing

Several features on LinkedIn allow users to position themselves as thought leaders. As well as providing high-quality content, you can improve your personal profile and participate in LinkedIn communities to answer questions.

The platform is ripe for thought leaders and can lead to businesses and individuals becoming trusted advisors. Leadership and reputation go hand in hand with influence, and with the main purpose of the platform being networking, it can help you to identify and engage with other influencers.

  1. Generating leads

Of all the social networking platforms, LinkedIn is probably the best for lead generation. As well as traditional marketing techniques such as providing content that potential customers can download or driving traffic to blogs and websites, LinkedIn offers personal ways of helping to identify leads, engaging with them, and converting them into customers.

This can be achieved through a combination of listening, analysing, participation, sharing information and content, networking, and responding. Finding potential customers on the platform and networking and marketing to them indirectly through LinkedIn will boost the opportunity to make sales and increase revenue.

Potential and existing customers are likely to post questions and needs. Group-related posts and questions allow B2B marketers to identify new leads, while shared and liked content will give marketers insight into what LinkedIn users find interesting.

By providing answers to questions on the platform, it is possible to demonstrate your expertise and knowledge. If your answer to a question is what a potential customer is looking for, then they will likely initiate contact.

  1. Social CRM

In a CRM (customer relations management) context, LinkedIn is ideal; it allows for a better view of prospective customers and other contacts and can be done by using Social CRM applications and other connectors such as Outlook.

While most Social CRM applications provide integration with LinkedIn, you can also set up a basic integration of your contacts as LinkedIn has support for Google Contacts.

The main benefit of using a social CRM tool is that you are then able to see what your contacts are doing on LinkedIn in real-time, which provides valuable insights and information on their behaviour and preferences.

  1. Traffic building

One of LinkedIn’s strengths, which can often be forgotten about, is its power in link building and traffic driving.

Just as with most of the other social networks, LinkedIn has a social sharing button so you are able to share content in your status updates, which are visible on the homepage, and in LinkedIn Groups – the communities of which you are a member.

This can prove particularly useful for business-related content and can lead to viral content status. Business-related content is far more likely to be shared on LinkedIn than on Facebook, for example.

  1. Listening and gaining insights

LinkedIn is the ideal place to listen, ask questions, and gain insights, which is the case for all social media marketing. Take time to engage with your contacts, ask questions as well as answer them, and pay attention to what people are saying, posting, and asking.

Need help with your LinkedIn B2B marketing?

Here at Tonic, we know the ins and outs of marketing on LinkedIn, from helping set up your business profiles to developing engaging and interesting content to helping identify leads and new customers.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help grow your business, then get in touch today.

Blogs, Marketing Plan

10 Bad Marketing Habits to Kick in 2023

As 2023 rapidly approaches, brands, creators, influencers, and social media managers will be striving to discover and develop new marketing strategies for the next 12 months, as well as keeping a keen eye on the latest trends.

But before you launch into new and untested social media waters, we wanted to have a look at some of the things you should stop doing on your social platforms in 2023, and what you should be doing instead.

So as well as cutting back on takeaway food, taking part in Dry January, and remembering to go to the gym, resolve to quit these 10 social media habits in 2023.

1. Neglecting video content

With TikTok hitting the 1 billion monthly users mark in 2021, becoming the seventh most globally popular social media platform, and Instagram continues to update Reels to keep up, if you aren’t making the most of video on TikTok or Instagram Reels, then you could be missing out on a huge audience.

You don’t necessarily need to be using both platforms, but content can very easily be repurposed for cross-promotion, and supercharge your success in the new year. Read up on Instagram Reels and TikTok to learn all you can, so you can promote your brand and find and engage with new audiences.

2. Not defining your niche

The attention spans of social media users are notoriously short, meaning that your window of opportunity to make that vital first impression is minuscule at best.

This means that you need to define your niche and target market quickly, as soon as someone views your profile. Ensure that your social media bio defines who you are, whom you serve, and what you share, and inject a dose of personality and credibility to help hook people into your content. It will give your social media marketing strategy a well-needed boost.

3. Content that’s irrelevant to your audience

It’s vital that you know your audience in order to increase your followers, engagement, and website traffic, and boost sales. In 2023, make sure you know the needs, challenges, aspirations, and pain points of your audience, as they will want to know what’s in it for them, and whether your brand understands what matters to them.

Self-serving content is great for helping develop a personality for your brand, but instead of simply posting a photo of your tasty salad, share the recipe, or instead of boasting about gym gains, detail your fitness regimen.

4. Forgetting the hook

The hook is the carefully crafted opening statement that immediately grabs your readers’ attention, enticing them to read more – see above about short attention spans!

Carefully develop the copy on your social media posts so that people stop and read instead of scrolling past your Reels and TikTok posts and entice them to read the full caption, turn on the sound and listen to your video, and engage with your stories.

5. Neglecting the analytics tab

If you want to take a deep dive into the best and worst-performing content in the past 12 months, then you should make yourself more familiar with the analytics tab, and start the new year on the right foot.

Check to see which posts had the most and least likes, shares, saves, comments, plays, and highest/lowest reach. Did you find there were common themes for top-performing or worst-performing content? Investigate what works and what doesn’t, and you’ll soon discover what your audience wants more of, and what you should drop going forward into 2023.

6. Forgetting to use social media as a sales tool

It can be easy to forget that Instagram is a powerful sales tool, packed with features that can help you make sales right within the platform, and in some cases, you might not even need a website to generate revenue through sales.

The basics for any online-operating business are a way for consumers to find you, a compelling offer, product, or service, and a means for people to send payment, and you can find that on most social media platforms.

7. Quantity over quality

We’ve all seen those posts with messages such as ‘Want to grow on Instagram? Simply post Reels every single day for 30 days!’

It might work for some accounts, but it isn’t going to work for everyone. It’s more important to be consistent with your social media content. Instead of testing every day for the sake of posting, post three times a week, but use your A-game content to help build a sustainable social media marketing strategy that will last all year.

8. Competition over community

You should care about other creators’ work, especially within your niche. Like, comment, and share other creators’ work, and develop mutually beneficial relationships. You likely share similar audiences, and their followers will also love your content.

However, ensure any relationships developed are meaningful, not just service-level, as you want value-driven, genuine, and authentic connections. Your audience will quickly see through anything that appears superficial.

Community over competition is a mantra to remember in 2023, and it’s not just about chasing clout, but supporting each other and growing together.

9. Not driving people to your website

If the main reason you’re on social media is to redirect people to your website, eCommerce shop, or blog, then you will need to remind your audience from time to time and give them a nudge in the right direction.

If you find you’re being asked the same questions in comments and DMs, then why not write a FAQ blog that can go into greater depth? The next time you get asked a question, you can redirect to your website.

Remind people at the end of posts to tap on the link in your bio so they can find out more about your product, service, or offer, or use the link sticker in Instagram Stories to drive traffic even easier in one tap.

Don’t forget to add a call-to-action on your blog to help get people more engaged with your content and your brand. Once you get a ‘yes’ to opt into an email list, then it becomes easier to elicit another ‘yes’ when making purchasing decisions.

10. Selling a product not a lifestyle

No matter how good your product or service is, consumers are not interested in it. What they are looking for is how it will transform their lifestyle.

No one cares about the capacity or number of pockets that designer handbag has, but they will certainly care about it elevating their level of status, the sense of accomplishment, belonging to an elite group, or even how it could boost their self-esteem.

You should think about your product or service in the same way and develop a narrative around your brand that people will buy into. Sell them the lifestyle, not the product.

Onwards into 2023!

New Year’s resolutions always seem doomed to fail. A few weeks into a dark, grey, and cold January, getting up early to hit the gym feels like a terrible idea, while a bottle of wine and a takeaway pizza on a Friday night becomes increasingly more tempting.

But if you take note of these marketing resolutions, and stick with them, you can help make 2023 your year, grow your business, increase your audience, and get on the road to success!

If you’re looking for assistance with your marketing this year, then we’re here to help at Tonic, so get in touch today, and have a very happy, and fruitful, new year!

Child with hands covering his face and question marks around
Blogs

When Ads Go Wrong And What We Can Learn From Them

Advertising and marketing campaigns have the power to significantly raise the profile of a brand and lead it to success. But what about when ads go viral for the wrong reasons? Companies must be careful about the messages they promote.

We have a look at some of the advertising fails that caused offence, ridicule, and outrage, for a variety of reasons, and what we can learn from these marketing mistakes.

What is an advertising campaign?

Before we get started on our list of marketing disasters, let’s look at the basics. An advertising campaign is a marketing strategy designed to promote a brand, service, or product. They are devised by a team of marketing experts who come up with the advertising concepts and organise them into a marketing document or brief.

This then moves on to the actual creation of the advert, and its effectiveness can be enhanced by creating and distributing it in a variety of formats for different media, such as print, audio, and video, for use on TV, the internet, print media, radio, podcasts and more.
When advertising works, it can create a positive buzz about the product, service, or brand, the Holy Grail of the ‘water cooler moment’ as friends and colleagues discuss the latest advertising campaigns.

Just think of John Lewis’ annual Christmas campaign, Nick Kamen stripping to his undies in a laundrette for Levi’s in the 80s, or even the ‘You’ve Been Tangoed’ soft drink ads from the 90s.

Some ads might be silly, subject to ridicule, or make headlines due to being a little too saucy for some audiences – Wonderbra’s traffic-stopping ‘Hello Boys!’ billboards for instance. But they get people talking and generate huge brand awareness.

But advertising can be hard, especially when you’re trying to make an impact in a sea of sameness. When fighting desperately for customer recognition in an age where ads are everywhere we look, marketers can sometimes use tone-deaf, senseless, and hurtful marketing techniques.

Let’s have a look at three of the biggest advertising disasters:

When ads go wrong

  1. Pepsi

In 2017, global soft drink brand Pepsi debuted an advert that featured Kendall Jenner abandoning a photoshoot in the street to go and join in a passing social justice protest.

However, things take a turn for the worst when Jenner approaches a police officer manning the barricades and hands him a can of Pepsi, effectively ending the protests, socio-economic conflict, racial tension, gender equality, and police brutality, bringing about world peace. Maybe.

The issue

Pepsi used social justice movements as an opportunity to sell soft drinks, massively disrespecting the people who had suffered and sacrificed in the name of protest and change. What made it worse is that the apology that came from Pepsi wasn’t focused on BLM supporters or Women’s Marchers, but on Kendal Jenner herself.

What can we learn?
Helping movements for social change is a good idea, however, using these serious issues to sell a product is insulting, insensitive, and damaging. Pepsi left a bad taste in the mouth of consumers all around the world. Tread carefully when referencing important social issues in marketing.

  1. Peloton

A man buys his wife an expensive Peloton exercise bike for Christmas 2019. She’s depicted as already being a little on the ‘thin’ side, and then the man documents her year-long journey to staying thin.

The issue

The whole advert feels very uncomfortable, bordering on an abusive controlling relationship, and far from promoting a message of keeping fit and staying healthy, appears to be a dystopian nightmare for ‘Grace from Boston’, her expression mirroring a girl on the poster for a horror movie as she starts on her journey.

The narrative of the advert appears that the husband has thrust the peloton upon his wife, as he believes she needs to get fitter, a sinister message that she needs to change for him. Every day she does her spin classes, eventually realising how she’s changed and found true love. It feels like a hostage situation evolving into Stockholm syndrome.

What can we learn?

Peloton, whose stock dropped by 10 per cent after the ad went viral for the wrong reasons, claim that the message was misunderstood, and while promoting healthy living and keeping fit is a positive idea, the message was garbled and easily misinterpreted. Keep messages simple and straightforward to avoid misunderstandings.

  1. Nivea

German skincare brand Nivea launched an advert for a deodorant range in 2017, formulated to ensure that clothing wasn’t discoloured through excessive sweat. However, the Facebook advert campaign, targeted at Middle East consumers, was titled ‘White is Purity’.

The issue

It doesn’t take a genius to link a slogan such as ‘White is Purity’ with white supremacy, and the skincare company was branded as racist by commenters on social media around the world while being praised for the message by white supremacists.

It’s not the first time that Nivea has courted controversy. In 2011, the brand launched an advert for ‘Nivea for Men’ products that depicted a clean-shaven black man holding a disembodied head with an afro, presumably his former self, with the slogan ‘Re-civilize yourself’. A corresponding ad with a white man holding a similar disembodied head omitted the slogan.

What can we learn?

The main takeaway here appears to be a lack of common sense. Nivea has issued statements deeply regretting the adverts and the offence caused. But surely using diverse focus groups to review campaigns could have prevented the ads from ever being run, even if the seemingly blatant harmful and racist messaging had not been noticed by marketing executives.

How can marketers avoid these advertising mistakes?

The above three examples are only a few of some of the terrible, harmful, and offensive adverts that unbelievably make it to print or air, and there is much that can be learned from these mistakes.

Always proof your campaigns

As seen above, common sense is not always as common as it should be. It’s important to make sure there are as many eyes as possible on your content. Ask colleagues, friends, neighbours, and people on the street, or create a diverse focus group to assess your advertising and marketing efforts. Use an editor to proofread your copy before it is published.

Keep in touch

Many of these advertising campaigns fell flat on their faces because they were tone-deaf. Always carefully consider the implications of your messages, and while humour can be a great advertising tool, make sure you check any and all jokes from all angles and perspectives.

Do your research and make sure that your campaigns do not inadvertently cause offence in different regions of the world, and avoid anything that can be considered tasteless or offensive.

Pay attention to current events
Sometimes ads have the misfortune to be released at just the wrong time, and it can be difficult to hold anyone to account if world events throw a different light on your campaign. Your organisation should take a moment to reconsider any imminent launches if a disaster occurs. It will be beneficial to postpone launching a campaign rather than it being deemed misguided.

If your campaign relates to current events, then make sure your brand has a genuine interest in educating your audience about the situation. Your customers are not stupid and can see through any thinly veiled attempt to sell products on the back of important issues.

Marketing and advertising campaigns are planned months in advance, and it can be easy to slip up, so keep up to date with national and international events before you launch your campaign.

In conclusion

Advertising is a powerful medium and should never be taken for granted. Regardless of whether you’re printing a message on promotional items to give away at a trade fair or conference or planning a national billboard and TV ad campaign, you must be always mindful of the word you use and what they might mean.

Your ads send an important message to your audience, so make sure you’re sending the right one!

If you’re looking for help with marketing and advertising, and to ensure you’re sending the right message, then get in touch with Tonic today!

Marketing Plan
Blogs, Digital, Marketing Plan, Out of home

How to Develop a Marketing Plan

No matter whether you’re dipping your toe into the world of marketing for the first time, or you’re a seasoned professional, trying to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of marketing trends can be overwhelming.

Even during this year alone, there has been a shift to short-form videos, new platforms arise, while others fall out of favour, and the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to impact the world. In most cases, what was a tried and tested marketing strategy yesterday simply might not be working for you by tomorrow.

To ensure that your marketing efforts continue to be successful, and to maintain a sense of relevance with your increasingly picky audience, you must stay ahead of the curve, and one means of accomplishing that is to develop a marketing strategy that covers all the bases.

We wanted to have a look at how to develop your marketing strategy in 2022 and beyond, and how to put it into practice with a marketing plan.

The Importance of a Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy
A robust marketing strategy will help you gain traction with your target audience, which includes those who are unaware of your brand as well as your most loyal repeat customers.

By neglecting to create a defined marketing strategy, you’ll be taking potshots in the dark, and keeping your fingers crossed that you manage to hit your target, which ultimately costs time, money, and precious resources.

A marketing strategy needs to:
Align your marketing team to specific goals
Help align your marketing efforts with the brand’s business objectives
Allow you to identify and test your marketing efforts to see what gets the best response from your target audience

In developing a successful marketing plan, there are seven steps to take into account. Develop your marketing plan, create buyer personas, identify your goals, choose the right tools, review existing recourses, audit and plan campaigns, and implement your strategy.

  1. Develop a marketing plan

While a marketing strategy will determine why your marketing team needs certain resources, take certain actions, and set certain goals, a marketing plan lists the set of actions you need to take to achieve it.

Your marketing plan is your roadmap to help organise, execute, and track your marketing strategy over a given period. It will help you deliver your strategy, as well as determine what works and what doesn’t, as well as tie in with your business goals.

  1. Create buyer personas

Defining your target audience can be tricky, and if you discover that you are unable to pin it down in a simple sentence, then creating buyer personas is a way to develop a snapshot of your ideal customer.

For example, clothing retailer H&M, despite an extensive product portfolio, primarily targets women aged between 20 and 34, who are looking for fashionable, up-to-date, and trendy apparel at a low price. They could define a buyer persona as Budget Brenda, a stylish working-class urbanite in her late 20s, who wants to have a wardrobe full of designer clothing at low prices.
Keeping Budget Brenda in mind, the brand’s marketing team have a clear definition of whom they want to target. Buyer personas include psychographic and demographic information, such as age, income, location, and interests, which Brenda has listed in her description.

Of course, while Brenda might be H&M’s primary focus in this fictional example, other buyer personas can be developed for young male shoppers, families with children, and even homeowners for their homeware ranges.

Buyer personas should be at the core of your marketing strategy.

  1. Identify goals

Your marketing strategy goals need to reflect the brand’s business goals. For example, if one of the business goals is to have 200 people attend a conference you are holding in the next quarter, then one of the marketing goals should be to boost online registration of the conference by 10 per cent by the end of the month to ensure you stay on track.

Other goals could include increasing brand awareness, generating high-quality leads, or growing thought leadership within your industry.

You need to identify what your goals need to be as well as how your marketing department can work to achieve them.

  1. Choose the right tools

Once you have defined your goals, then you need to use the right tools to measure their success.

There are many different software suites such as social media schedulers that can provide analytics that will help you keep track of what works and what doesn’t. Tools such as Google Analytics can measure blog and web page performance.

  1. Review media

To help develop your strategy, assess what resources you have that can help. You can streamline this review by considering your assets as belonging to three different categories – paid, owned, and earned media.

Paid media is any channel on which you spend money to help attract your target audience, including offline channels such as TV and radio advertising, direct mail, and billboards, to online channels such as social media platforms, websites, and search engines.

Owned media is anything that your marketing team creates, for instance, photos, videos, podcasts, infographics, blogs, etc

Earned media refers to user-generated content, such as shares on social media, tweets or Instagram posts mentioning your brand or products.

Collate these materials in each media category into a central location to allow you to gain a clear picture of what you have and how you can use them in your strategy.

For example, if you produce a weekly blog – owned media – you may promote the blog on Twitter – paid media – which customers may then retweet – earned media. This can help you develop a more well-rounded marketing strategy.

It can also provide you with the opportunity to spring-clean your resources and get rid of any that don’t easily fit into any of the three categories, as well as help you determine any gaps in your resources.

  1. Audit and plan marketing campaigns

Now you have gathered all your resources, you need to decide which content will help you. Focus initially on your owned media and marketing goals. For example, updating your call-to-action at the end of blogs or newsletters can help boost online registration for the conference in the above example.

Follow this by taking a close look at your buyer personas. For example, consider a business that creates podcast creation software. If one of the buyer personas is looking for a way to add sound effects to the audio, but you have no content that shows how to do that with your product, make a short-form video for Instagram that demonstrates how effective your product is at solving this problem.

Lastly, develop a content creation plan, which needs to include topic clusters, goals, format, and the appropriate channels for each piece of content, and don’t forget to consider the challenges faced by your buyer personas that it will help solve.

  1. Implement your strategy

Your market research and planning should now present you with a clear vision of how to execute your strategy, and by whom. The final step is to now bring all that together and assign actions to your plans.

Define your strategy in a document that maps out the steps necessary to implement your campaign. It is important to think long-term when creating this document and keep in mind that the standard strategy document will be for the next 12 months. This document should become the main guide for your marketing efforts.

This document needs to outline all the details that have been outlined in the above sections and will ensure you are all set for the coming year.

What happens next?

Developing a robust marketing strategy takes time and hard work, and dedication the ensure you reach your target audience whenever and wherever they are and want to be reached.

Stick with your plan, use all the resources at your disposal, and use customer feedback and research to help you refine your strategy and maximise your time on the marketing channels on which your audience spends most of their time.

If you need help developing your marketing strategy for your business, then come and talk to us at Tonic, and we can help set you on the right track to success!

Blogs, Digital, Technology

10 Types Of Digital Marketing For Your Business

Marketing has always been key to achieving success in your business, and in this day and age, developing a digital marketing strategy is more important than ever. But you must understand what this means, how to use it, and the different types of digital marketing that you can use.

We wanted to have a look at different types of digital marketing to help you gain an understanding of how they can help boost traffic to your website, grow your customer base and brand awareness, and engage with your audience.

  1. Content Marketing

Consumers are hungry for information, whether it’s to increase their knowledge base, fulfil their desires, or save a problem. By providing your customers with high-quality and useful content, you will gain their trust and confidence.

Quality content will place your business in a position of authority in your market, and help cement your brand at the front of their mind when they are making purchasing decisions.

Content marketing is about providing your audience with answers to questions by publishing useful content, whether that’s in blogs, on social media, emails, or other channels, such as in apps or push notifications for mobile devices.

Content can take on many different formats, depending on the channel it is optimised for, and there are many different types of content, for instance, blog posts, infographics, videos, data sheets and more.

Content marketing can be orientated by a ‘funnel’, influencing the type of content used. At the top of this funnel, content is more general, for example, evergreen posts like relevant industry news or guides, and then will get more specific as the funnel narrows, such as testimonials, demonstrations, product news or releases.

  1. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

If you want your business to be a success, then consumers must be able to find it. SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, will help your website and content to rank highly in search engine searches, meaning that your website can be easily found by consumers actively searching for what you provide.

To leverage SEO, you need to know the keywords that the consumers you want to reach are searching for, and then develop your content around these.

According to statistics from the Search Engine Journal, 91.5 per cent of web traffic is shared by the websites listed on the first page of results on Google, the first Google organic search accounts for 32.5 per cent of traffic, and 51 per cent of all website traffic comes from organic searches.

Organic traffic can be leveraged by producing high-quality content that is found in searches on Google or other search engines, demonstrating that SEO simply cannot be ignored.

  1. Social Media Marketing

As the name suggests, Social Media Marketing is a method of promoting your brand, products, or content through social media. It can be done organically, by paying for ads and posts on social media, or by using both simultaneously.

You can publish your content on social media for your followers and audience, or pay for ads to be placed in front of a specific social media audience or demographic. Either way, it is vital that you choose the right social network for your brand, product, or content. For example, Tik Tok is better for the younger generations, while Facebook may be more appropriate for older ones.

The advantages of social media marketing are that it is possible to get closer to your desired audience and improve your engagement and interaction with them. There is also the benefit of gaining extra validation of your brand, if or when your audience shares your content.

Social media also provides your brand with means of direct communication with your audience, which is why it is important to continually and consistently update and monitor your social media channels.

  1. Email marketing

Many people may claim that email marketing is dead or dying, due to the sheer number of email messages sent every day. But it is actually one of the more effective types of digital marketing and, used strategically, can provide significant results.

The way to accomplish this is to ensure that email subscribers are provided with useful, informative, and engaging content or interesting product or service promotions, but it is important that you always respect your audience’s privacy and refrain from sending spam. Email also provides a means of direct communication with your customers.

  1. Instant Message Marketing

Worldwide, the use of instant messaging has significantly increased, and almost all social media platforms have integrated direct messaging systems, while more and more brands are using platforms such as WhatsApp, providing a great opportunity for your marketing strategies.

If your customers need support, they can use these channels to get a quick reply, which in turn leads to positive associations with your brand, building on the relationships forged between brand and customer.

According to Statista, WhatsApp has 2 billion users in 2022, easily demonstrating the power and reach of this specific messaging channel and showing that this type of digital marketing cannot be neglected.

  1. Influencer Marketing

An influencer is a specialist in a specific subject with a considerable audience who is interested in their opinions and voice. A digital influencer may be enticed to produce specific content for your business if it fits well with their tone of voice.

For example, they can produce content such as product tests for their audience, reviews, or make affiliate content. However, there are risks, as influencers may also post about any negative experiences, which could be detrimental to your brand.

Despite these risks, more and more brands are using influencer marketing in their strategies and getting very good results, spreading the word to their loyal followers, and helping your brand find a new audience.

  1. Mobile Marketing

To reach your audience in this day and age, mobile marketing is almost mandatory. We all rely on our smartphones 24/7, for everything from communication, social media, health, shopping, and much more.

Mobile marketing is not just a trend, it now needs to be a reality for brands so they can ensure they are immediately available for their customers whenever they are needed.

This can be achieved by creating an app that allows for push notifications and instant messaging for direct marketing and communications with your customers, as well as exclusive mobile content such as engaging videos that they can consume anywhere.

  1. Video Marketing

Over 2 billion people per month look for videos on YouTube, according to Google, whether it’s for entertainment, the latest news, study content, or more. It is a huge opportunity for brands to reach new customers.

By integrating video marketing into your digital marketing strategy, you will be able to drive results through your marketing funnel.

People tend to search for videos for a variety of reasons, such as product reviews, or to find out more about specific products or services, and how others have used them. Over half of consumers will search for these videos before making a purchasing decision.

Developing engaging, informative videos as part of your marketing is an opportunity to boost sales and find new customers.

  1. Audio Marketing

Audio marketing has taken a different turn from the days of radio advertising with the prominence of podcasts, as more and more people listen while undertaking everyday tasks.

It may be an opportunity to develop audio marketing that targets the habits and podcast preferences of consumers, by inserting your product or service contextually into podcast advertising opportunities and making audio marketing a huge sales opportunity.

  1. Virtual/Augmented Reality Marketing

VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) are becoming more commonplace in our lives and can be leveraged by marketers to provide your audience with a more immersive experience with your brand product or service.

It is a rather unique marketing experience that will be almost unforgettable for consumers who try it out and will help differentiate your brand from the competition.

VR and AR are innovative and can help associate you with more modern concepts, helping to position your brand as an innovator and ahead of your time.

Are you making good use of digital marketing?

Digital marketing is simply marketing but leverages modern technology, such as smartphones, email, and the devices and online services we all use every day.

To get ahead and build your brand, you must make the best use of the opportunities available. Digital will only continue to grow, and who knows what innovation in technology and marketing we will all be using in the future!

If you want to know more about how digital marketing can help your business become and success, then come and talk to us at Tonic today!

Newspapers
Blogs

Is Print Advertising Dead?

We live in an ever-increasingly connected world, and if we’re not glued to our smartphones, with digital adverts being thrust upon us on every conceivable social media platform and app, and businesses and brands sending marketing messages via SMS, alerts, websites and more.

It could be easy to believe the hype that print advertising is a dead medium and a waste of your precious marketing budget. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Print is alive and well, and any brand that bases its marketing strategy on a ‘print is dead’ basis is doomed to fail.

Even in this digital age, your customers still pay attention to the world of print, and by investing in print advertising, in newspapers, magazines, and direct mail, you can boost your sales and increase brand awareness.

Let’s have a look at some print marketing statistics that may surprise you.

Print marketing statistics:

  • When combining print and digital advertising, marketing campaigns were 400 per cent more effective.
  • Newspapers are read by 13.6 million Brits every day.
  • An astonishing 95 per cent of those aged 25 and under still read magazines.
  • According to a US survey in 2016, 82 per cent of internet users trusted print ads when making purchasing decisions.
  • Readers will spend, on average, 20 minutes or more reading printed publications, compared to just five minutes on digital news sites.
  • Print advertising requires 21 per cent less cognitive effort to process.

Digital vs. Print Advertising Statistics: 

  • There is a 20 per cent higher motivation response to print adverts, which increases if it appeals to more senses than just touch.
  • There is a 77 per cent higher brand recall for print advertising, compared to 46 per cent for digital.
  • In the 18 to 23-year-old age group, 92 per cent find print content easier to read than digital content.

Benefits of Print Marketing Statistics

  • Newspapers are read by 25 per cent of Millennials, Gen-Z, or those aged under 35 years old.
  • Over 60 per cent of adults aged over 35 years old regularly read newspapers
  • Consumers who see print ads are highly likely to also visit the advertiser’s website.

It’s plain to see that print publications still have a profound effect on consumers, even among those who grew up in the digital age – the Millennials and Gen-Z, aka the advertising goldmine.

But what is it that makes print advertising so appealing in the digital age?

Print advertising commands more attention

Despite the naysayers, the digital age has not killed off print, and if anything it has helped draw a sharper focus on how much impact print advertising has compared to digital marketing and advertising.

Print advertising commands attention that digital adverts are unable to achieve, as our brains are able to remember print advertising better than digital. This is why those who grew up in the digital age will still pay more attention to print ads than digital ads.

Print advertising also has better longevity than online advertising. Banner ads disappear once the user clicks away to another page. Viral videos and memes only grab attention for a few seconds or minutes at the most, while print adverts live on. Pick up an old magazine or newspaper, and those ads will still be there.

Print advertising offers stronger credibility

Consumers place stronger credibility in print advertising, which is an aspect that marketers should pay attention to. Consumers trust print in far larger numbers (71 per cent) than TV advertising (41 per cent) or online advertising (25 per cent).

Undoubtedly, digital advertising will continue to grow, but this does not mean the end of print advertising. Sales of print advertising did decline, but this has levelled off, demonstrating that print is not going anywhere, and the most effective advertising strategies will combine the power of print and digital media.

Print is still an inexpensive and effective way to advertise your business, brand or product, attract new customers, and generate sales, as well as helping to drive people to your website.

Magazine advertising

Magazines also still have a massive impact and are still read by millions of Brits (44.3 million between April 2019 and March 2020, according to Statistica). Most people who read online magazines also read print magazines, and many of these could potentially become new customers.

While social media advertising can help you reach more potential customers, magazine print advertising has a higher likelihood of reaching the right customers.

Of the three different types of readers – those who read both print and online, those who read print only, and those who read online only – print/online readers tend to have the highest average income, followed by print-only readers, while online-only readers make up the lowest average income of the three.

Direct Mail

Around 80 per cent of marketing emails are disregarded, with the remaining 20 per cent opened, but not necessarily read. However, 80 per cent of traditional direct mail is opened, showing that there is little doubt about the effectiveness of direct mail.

Email marketing has gained a bad reputation, with email spam filters and unsubscribe buttons causing a low engagement rate, while direct mail has maintained a high engagement rate. The average response for direct mail is 4.4 per cent, compared to just 0.12 per cent for email.

Alive and kicking

To refer back to the title of the article, it is plain for all to see that print marketing is certainly not dead. It is currently going through somewhat of a resurgence, as many people, particularly following the lockdowns and working from home, look for ways to disconnect from a noisy and cluttered online world.

It has long been proven to be a trusted and tangible medium that helps provide more of an emotional connection that can be achieved via a smartphone or computer screen.

Digital will continue to grow, and the print industry is predicted to experience a continued decline in ad spending, the impact of print advertising on consumer brand recall and purchasing decisions will still be a major consideration for marketers, particularly if they want to implement a multi-channel marketing strategy.

If you want to know more about how print advertising can help your brand, then come and talk to us at Tonic today!

Leeds Boxing Event Ad Van
Blogs, Out of home

What Is Ad Van Advertising, And How Can It Benefit Your Business?

Despite living in an increasingly digital and always-online world, physical advertising is still a very important form of marketing for all businesses. But with millions of brands and businesses all competing to get their message across to the public, it can often seem near impossible to make yourself seen or heard.

However, if you’re looking for a type of targeted, low-cost advertising that can help you stand out from the crowd, then you should take a closer look at advertising vans, also known as ‘Ad Vans’. These mobile billboards have long been used, but this old-school method of marketing can greatly benefit your brand or business.

What is an Ad Van?

An Ad Van is a branded van that drives around a set route as a form of mobile advertising. This means it can take your message, logo, and brand to the consumers, as opposed to a static billboard which is banking on consumers noticing it as they pass.

They first gained popularity in the US during the 1980s and 90s but did wane with the dawn of online advertising. However, businesses soon realised that offline, or as marketers call it, ‘out-of-home’, advertising still plays a very important role and can be seen as a unique way of marketing your brand.

An Ad Van typically carries a branded portable mobile billboard, like a large ‘A’ board, with a billboard poster or display on each side, meaning it can be seen from both sides of the vehicle. As mentioned, this marketing method has been around for many years and has certainly withstood the test of time.

They have long been popular with businesses that are seeking to target a particular area or a means of marketing that helps them stand out from their competitors.

They can ensure your message is seen on every street in your targeted area, whether that’s a particular postcode or a particular demographic, for example, areas with large numbers of students in university cities, or audiences at key events, such as festivals, sporting events, or conferences.

They can be as simple as a standard billboard poster, be illuminated and backlit for higher impact in low light conditions, include audio systems to play music or a message, or even make use of advanced LED screens for dynamic, animated advertising that really grabs attention.

Ad Vans can be used to promote so many different things, for example:

  • Store openings or re-launches
  • Product launches
  • Sales, discounts, or special offers
  • Exhibitions and events
  • Public safety messages and announcements
  • Election campaigning
  • And anything else you can think of!

Benefits of Advertising Van Adverts

Let’s have a look at how Ad Van advertising can benefit your business:

Target a specific geographic area – With an Ad Van, a brand can specify a geographic area. The Ad Van will travel around that area, or make circuits along a designated route. This could be the catchment area in which the brand’s service or product is being offered or areas in which there is a high demographic of the brand’s target audience, such as students or city-centre office workers.

Guerrilla Marketing – An Ad Van can drive around targeted areas which would otherwise be very expensive to advertise in or buy static billboard space, for example, sponsorship and advertising at festivals, exhibitions and large events can be very expensive, but by employing ‘guerrilla marketing’ tactics, you can get your message across to consumers at these events at a fraction of the price.

Easily amended – Print and online advertising is typically arranged for a set period, and will not be able to be changed once the campaign is live. But an Ad Van can be redressed as often as required, the destinations changed, and associated promotional activity adjusted to suit. It is this freedom to amend your marketing that have made the Ad Van so popular over the years.

What are the costs?

Various factors will determine the cost of hiring an Ad Van, including:

  • Duration – For how long do you want the campaign to run? A day, a week, a month?
  • Transport – Do you want the Ad Van to drive around, or simply park up in high-impact areas?
  • Type – Do you want a standard print billboard, illumination, audio, or a digital billboard?
  • Size – How big do you want the billboard? This will obviously impact the size of the van required.
  • Additional charges may also apply, for instance, cognition charges, Low Emission Zone charges, and toll roads.

Does the impact of an Ad Van compare to other forms of outdoor advertising?

Ad Vans are very effective, although it can be more difficult to accurately quantify how effective. For instance, in the case of adverts in train stations, there are records of how many people will have passed through that station and will likely have seen the advert.

However, your brand can be confident in knowing that whether it is driven around or parked up, the Ad Van will have been seen in busy areas by many people.

In conclusion

To sum up, here’s why you should be taking another look at Ad Vans:

  • Make an impact – double-sided posters or high-tech digital displays, either way, this unique form of marketing will grab the attention of your target consumers.
  • Get seen – Get your brand and message out in front of your target audience and in the areas in which you want to get noticed.
  • Perfect timing – Choose the best time of day to ensure the Ad Van is seen by your audience.
  • Cost-effective – A means of marketing in high-impact areas at far less cost than traditional billboard advertising.

Ad Vans and mobile billboards are being used in many large cities in the US as part of experiential marketing, and the UK is quickly catching up, with recent campaigns for ITV, Virgin, and Vodafone. If you’re interested in finding out more about this unique and highly attractive media for marketers and businesses, then come and talk to us at Tonic today for more information!

Blackpool Fireworks
Blogs, Out of home, Recent projects

Why Should Your Business Consider Sponsorship

Brand sponsorship is a marketing strategy that differs considerably from advertising, but they can often be confused with each other. We have a look at what sponsorships are and how they can help your business.

Traditional advertising attempts to persuade customers with a single message, whether it’s your brand, a product, or a service to a large audience, casting a wide net.

However, sponsorship allows a brand to develop an ongoing relationship with a sports team, a charity, an event, or more, that ultimately aims to be profitable for both parties. Sponsorships take the form of financial or in-kind support of activities, for example, events, trade shows, or charities, to help reach specific business goals and boost their competitive advantage.

Unlike advertising, sponsorships do not directly promote your brand, services, or products, investing instead in a specific event or group that your customers care about. This will lead your organisation to be associated with the beneficiary by customers, the public, and the media.

How does sponsorship work?

Developing an affiliation with an entity that the public cares about through sponsorship will help increase the perception of the sponsor’s brand in the public eye. This affiliation helps create a ‘halo effect’ of goodwill, and the positive associations of the beneficiary are reflected onto the sponsor.

Sponsorship provides a positive benefit to society by empowering entities that consumers care about, meaning that sponsorship has a higher positive perception than advertising, the only goal of which is for commercial gain, and therefore does not appear to have any perceptible benefit to society.

Advertising can sometimes appear aggressive and coercive and can result in consumers becoming defensive, while the commercial intent of sponsorship is far more subtle and indirect, lowering these defence mechanisms.

Many large community events leverage sponsorship to help develop more exciting programmes and to help offset costs.

In the case of trade shows or charity events, there are various promotional opportunities, such as the sponsorship of guest speakers, press rooms, VIP lounges, awards and awards receptions, educational programmes, AV equipment, and more.

There are also opportunities for sponsorship for local causes, such as sports teams or charity events, which while offering limited places, allow brands to reach a specific local audience.

Sponsoring a small, local sports team means fewer people will see your branding than at a national trade show, but if your customers are all local, then it could be the best place to be seen by a local audience.

The marketing benefits of sponsorship

Sponsorships can help your brand reach niche markets without the cost and uncertainty that can be associated with traditional advertising, and a strategic sponsorship can help you achieve multiple marketing goals simultaneously.

Consumer attitudes. Sponsoring an event or cause that your customer base cares about will help create a positive attitude about your brand. If your customers feel that you care about the same issues that they care about, they are far more likely to develop a positive attitude about your business.

Brand awareness. Sponsorship in the form of in-kind products tends to be cheaper than traditional advertising, and by choosing beneficiaries strategically, you are almost guaranteed to find an audience that needs your products.

For example, a pet food manufacturer or pet supplies that provide a dog/cat shelter with their products will have its brand seen by its target audience regularly.

Drive sales. With brand awareness comes an increase in sales. Many sponsorship opportunities will drive sales by introducing customers to your product or services in a way that encourages them to make a purchase.

Using the above example, providing free samples or products for people who adopt a cat or dog, or discount vouchers to make a purchase at your stores or website can lead customers to purchase your products regularly.

You can also link purchases to a specific event, such as, in the above example, making a donation every time a customer makes a purchase during the shelter’s charity drive.

Increase reach. Consumers who attend an event that you have sponsored will gain a positive association with your brand and will talk about your product, or service. Strategic sponsorship will encourage word-of-mouth marketing, and having your brand on an event’s promotional materials will allow you to reach more customers.

Media Exposure. Media coverage can be costly, and often out of reach for small businesses, but media exposure can be capitalised upon by sponsoring an event, occasion, or trade show. Media coverage of such events will typically include the name of sponsors, particularly if your brand name is included in the event’s promotional materials and press releases.

This can significantly increase the visibility of your brand, products, or services and generate positive association. Develop a media plan to capitalise on this.

Stand out from your competitors. Sponsorship, especially if it is exclusive, will help set you apart from your competitors as you are tied to a positive affiliation in the minds of your customers. This is a good tactic if your competitors have a larger advertising budget than your business.

Become a ‘corporate citizen’. Sponsorships do not have to be focused on industry events and trade shows. Sponsoring local sports teams, charities, or events such as museum and art exhibits will establish you as a brand with a conscience, and consumers will perceive you as being a contributing factor to their community, creating goodwill and positive associations.

Lead Generation. Sponsoring an industry event, such as a trade show, will allow your brand to connect with consumers who are in need of your products or services. You can capitalise on the sponsorship by showcasing your brand, product, or services.

However, do not make the focus on sales, and instead, be helpful and a knowledge base to assist interested customers, encouraging them to sign up to find out more about your business. Offering something free in return for contact information is a tried and tested way to engage with consumers.

Develop business, consumer, and VIP relationships. An event can provide the opportunity for sponsors for exclusive VIP receptions, networking, or outings with high-profile industry individuals. This can be used to your advantage to meet key customers and develop business relationships, but ensure you have a follow-up plan for after the event.

Adding sponsorship to your marketing plans

Sponsorships can help your business improve its public image, prestige, and credibility, but like other forms of marketing, it needs to be used strategically to be sure that you reach your target audience.

As you develop your marketing plan, you need to consider and research the events and causes that your target audience cares about.

Consider the following:

  • Has the event/charity/organisation worked with sponsors previously?
  • If not, are they open to the idea?
  • What kind of support would they be expecting?
  • What levels of exposure would different levels of sponsorship provide your brand?

Consider the cost and reach of the sponsorship opportunities available, and you may find that they will often be a far better use of your marketing budget than traditional advertising, particularly on a local level.

Case Study

The World Fireworks Championship is an annual event held in Blackpool every year, throughout September and October. Set to music, the popular and incredible displays take place on the beach in front of the iconic Blackpool Tower and have proven to be a big draw for tourists to the town.

This year, a fourth date, Friday 28 October, has been added to the fireworks festival, which gathers the ‘the crème de la crème of the world’s firework elite’, and has been sponsored by one of Tonic’s clients, Coral Island, a family-friendly indoor pirate-themed amusement park on Blackpool’s promenade.

The World Fireworks Championships is well publicised, with features in the local press, both Blackpool and the wider Lancashire region, for instance, The Lancashire Telegraph and the Visit Blackpool tourism website, all of which highlight that the additional date has been sponsored by Coral Island, which is only a short walk from the site of the displays.

If you want to know more about how sponsorship can benefit your business, come and talk to Tonic today!

London Underground escalator
Blogs, Out of home

Why Advertise On London Underground

The London Underground, the capital’s rapid transit system is as much of an icon of the city as any of the popular landmarks. Serving the Greater London area and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, the Tube sees 4.8 million passengers every day, carrying them through the 400km network and 270 stations.

This means that London Underground, and the new Elizabeth Line, is a prime location for advertising in a city that has a population of nearly nine million, as well as the millions of tourists who visit the capital every year. Many companies, large and small, advertise on the London Underground to promote their brands, products, and services.

It is easy to see why advertising on the underground is so popular with businesses, having such a wide reach. We have a look at what the options available for advertising on the London Underground are, the costs factors, and the benefits for your business.

What is London Underground Advertising?

London Underground advertising is out-of-home advertising that leverages the infrastructure of the Tube network, to promote brands, products, and services.

Not only does London have a population of around 8.9 million, but it is the destination of millions of visitors every year, including people in London on business and tourists from other parts of the UK and from overseas, many of whom take regular trips across Greater London on the Tube.

This potential exposure to a diverse demographic of people makes advertising on London Underground a popular and profitable investment for many businesses, as they are able to target audiences on platforms, lifts, and elevators who have the time to take in marketing messages while they wait.

According to statistics:

  • 4.8 million people use the London Underground every day.
  • 47 per cent of London Underground commuters only use the tube to commute.
  • 60 per cent of London Underground users notice when advertising on the Tube is changed.

The advertising options available on the London Underground are varied and have long been proven to be effective. It does mean that there is much to consider when developing a marketing campaign.

Advertising options for the London Underground

Let’s have a look at the options available to you for advertising on the Tube.

LEPs (Stair, lift and escalator panels) – These are the posters typically seen at the side of the escalators and in lifts as you travel to and from train stations and tube platforms. LEPs are the most popular form of London Underground advertising, and while traditionally printed on paper, there are also digital display LEP panels in larger stations.

LEPs are seen by anyone standing on the escalators or using the lifts, and therefore have a high impact on the majority of passengers. But with so many LEPs on every line, your advert must have strong clear messages to get the point across quickly as the dwell time is short. This form of advertising allows you to easily target key stations for a greater ROI.

Tube Tunnel Adverts – These large format posters on Tube walls have a greater impact than LEPs, and are seen by passengers standing on platforms. They are typically favoured by larger and international brands for advertising and help to build brand awareness.

Passengers are often waiting for a few minutes on platforms, which means there is more time for the message to be absorbed and understood given the longer dwell time.

Large format posters on station platforms – Smaller and cheaper than Tube Tunnel Adverts, these 4- or 6-sheet posters have similar benefits and are typically bought in packages consisting of more than one poster.

This allows advertising to be spread throughout different platforms and stations, increasing the reach and impact with London Underground passengers.

Walk-way branding – This form of advertising is popular with larger businesses, but it can be expansive, and thus needs a far larger budget. It can involve branding entire walkways or monopolising all the posters in one section of a station.

Consider the rebranding of Piccadilly Circus as ‘Picardilly Circus’ to advertise the launch of the new Star Trek Picard series on Amazon Prime in 2020. This generated national media coverage and delighted passengers, whether they were Trekkies or not!

The main benefit of this form of advertising is that passengers are unable to escape it, as they will have to walk through a plethora of posters and branding to reach their destination. They are ideal for product launches or niche events and tend to become talking points with Tube users, and can even become viral.

Adgate advertising – This is advertising placed at the gates that all tube users need to pass through, whether to tap Oyster cards, bank cards, or use their tickets. As every passenger has to go through these gates, it is a popular form of advertising as it gets a lot of exposure and attention. It is also commonly paired with adgate advertising at railway stations.

Concourses/ticket area/entrances – To complement advertising campaigns throughout the Tube tunnels, platforms and LEPs, simple poster sites in the concourses are a popular choice. These can target an audience that may be buying tickets, waiting for friends, or more.

Tube train advertising (aka tube seat advertising or tube car panels) – These are the small posters seen above seats on the Tube carriages. They are typically eye-catching and seen by passengers as they travel.

With mobile phone reception being spotty at best on the London Underground, passengers often have little to do or look at while travelling to their destination, meaning that this option can be very effective and reaches every stop along that particular line.

What are the costs involved in advertising on the London Underground?

There are a number of factors which will determine the cost of advertising on the Tube, including:

  • Time of year – as with any outdoor marketing campaign, it is recommended to book as far ahead as possible, particularly to target key dates, for instance, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc, to ensure you get the best rates and the prime underground sites.
  • Format of advert – Size matters! Smaller posters will almost always be cheaper than large format posters.
  • Choice of stations – Stations closer to Central London, and thus with greater daily footfall, will be more expensive than those on the outskirts of the capital. It would be advantageous to consider your target market and if you want to focus on certain parts or demographics of Greater London.
  • Advertising campaign length – while it is more expensive to have posters stay up for a prolonged period, it is proven that longer campaigns have a far better ROI. London Underground advertising typically has a minimum of two weeks, while many advertisers tend to do a month or more.

To find out more information and the specific costs for advertising on the London Underground, you will need to consider exactly what you are promoting, your budgets, when you want to advertise, and where you would like to advertise. London Underground advertising can be expensive, but it is very cost-effective and produces great results.

What are the Benefits of London Underground Advertising?

There are many benefits to advertising on the London Underground, as outlined above, but the main benefits for your business are:

  • Huge exposure and a receptive advertising environment
  • The ability to target stations with key messaging
  • The potential to be seen by people from all over the Uk and the world, not just London residents and commuters
  • A wide range of options to suit all budgets
  • Adept at establishing and maintaining a positive brand perception.

If you’d like to find out more about advertising on the London Underground and how it can benefit your business, then come and talk to our experts at Tonic today!

TV showing Mazuma Mobile advert
Blogs, Technology

The Benefits Of TV Advertising

If your marketing department is planning a new ad campaign, then they will likely be faced with a multitude of options, such as social media adverts, email campaigns, influencer marketing, and many more. However, there are many advantages to TV advertising, and it’s not just for huge brands. We look at why you should be considering TV advertising in the UK.

It may feel logical that with the popularity of the many streaming services available in the UK, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, TV advertising could be losing out. However, TV advertising is far from dead.

UK TV viewing facts and figures

TV accounts for 37 per cent of the average Brit’s media consumption and makes up a whopping 95 per cent of all actively viewed video advertising, which provides it with a reach and mass-media potency that internet advertising simply cannot match. TV still comes out on top when it comes to returns on investment, awareness and brand recall.

A UK TV viewer will watch around 41 TV ads on any given day, which makes TV advertising still the most effective means of video marketing.

According to statistics from 2020, the average Brit watched over 22 and a half hours of TV a week, and this trend continues to increase. 28.5 million Brits own at least one TV. Television makes up 37 per cent of the average Brit’s daily media consumption, and 96 per cent of Brits watch TV weekly. which can be a huge potential customer base for your brand.

Isn’t TV advertising just for big brands?

No one can deny that the bigger your marketing budget, the bigger the audience you can advertise to, and the more you will see in return.

But this is true for any advertising campaign, from traditional print media to paid social media advertising, and TV advertising can prove to be highly advantageous for small and medium-sized businesses, too, with targeted TV advertising and innovations such as Sky AdSmart, making it much more cost-effective.

Where to advertise?

There are over 480 TV channels in the UK, including nationwide UK TV channels such as BBC, Channel 4 and Sky, but also a wealth of regional and local channels, from the ITV regions such as Anglia, Granada, or STV in Scotland, to London Live, The Bay Liverpool, and Notts TV.

With the majority of these channels owned by the networks, packages can be bought to provide national and regional advertising, and specific transmitters can be purchased to further narrow down targeted advertising within regions.

However, there is another way to buy regional TV, via Sky AdSmart, which has been developed to target viewers in different locations, different ages, lifestyles, and many other demographics.

Sky AdSmart can target smaller audiences such as towns and cities and even specific postcodes by using marketing data to allow advertising platforms such as Sky and Channel 4 to provide a bespoke service that will allow smaller brands access to premium viewing environments, not just limited to linear broadcasting, but also in video-on-demand (VoD) services.

Why advertise on TV?

One of the immediate advantages of TV advertising is that it builds trust with your audience. According to a 2016 survey, when asked ‘In which, if any, of the following places are you most likely to find advertising that is most trusted?’, respondents scored TV ads 42 per cent, while print newspapers trailed way behind with 13 per cent, and YouTube with a mere six per cent.

TV adverts run full screen, they are not competing for space on a busy webpage, or an annoying pop-up ad at the bottom of an app, nor are they subject to internet ad-blockers.

While streaming and VoD services are more popular than ever, in 2018, 86 per cent of Brits still regularly watched live TV instead of recording to watch later (and skipping ads), meaning that the majority of TV viewers will still watch TV adverts.

TV advertising has been creating viral videos long before the term existed, and even now we will all ask each other if we’ve seen the latest advert for a brand or product, especially during the Christmas period. Word of mouth existed long before the internet brought us viral videos.

TV advertising can deliver a huge advantage to your brand, driving market share, building trust, and providing scale and reach. Brands can buy the exact number of ratings/viewers they need, and target specific audiences, whether it’s Love Island fans, or families gathered around the TV to watch Saturday evening entertainment.

The advantages of TV advertising

Reach

There is no other kind of media able to provide the same reach with a single advertisement. TV advertising can reach huge audiences frequently and quickly, as much as 70 per cent of the UK population in one day.

While there is a growth in people watching TV and film via tablets, computers and smartphones, none of them are as ubiquitous as the living room TV, and with many UK households owning more than one TV, that reach increases.

Influence

Television, compared to other video marketing platforms, has one of the highest engagement rates. According to data from the websites of organisations that use TV advertising, TV ads contribute to around 35 per cent of all visits to the number of all website visitors.

Studies from around the world have shown that there is a 60 per cent likelihood of consumers buying a product due to influence from a TV advert, compared to 40 per cent from online and social media ads. TV advertising has retained an air of prestige and quality that other channels are unable to meet.

Audience targeting

Targeting a specific audience is not just used by the internet, using data from Google, Facebook and more, and it has been utilised by TV advertising for a long time. TV ads are shown at certain times of day, on certain channels, and during certain shows to ensure they are being shown to the right audience.

This has become even more sophisticated with the advent of Sky AdSmart and targeted advertising has become even more integral to TV advertising.

Captive Audiences

While there is a certain amount of ad-skipping in VoD and recorded TV, and viewers are free to get up and pop the kettle on or visit the bathroom during ad breaks, the majority will stay in their seats, and even if only passively, they will be exposed to your adverts. In the case of recorded TV, if adverts are skipped, the brand will not be charged.

As VoD TV grows in popularity, many platforms are now including adverts before the show or film they want to watch, and some have now implanted unskippable ads that have to be watched in order to view the on-demand content.

Building trust and legitimacy

It can take time, effort, and cost to develop a TV advert that is suitable for a wide audience, but the engagement and trust inferred by TV over other platforms provide a great ROI. TV also can establish a greater sense of legitimacy and trust in your brand than other platforms, and brand recognition is bound to increase following even a single ad campaign.

For example, whether or not you have used the service, we all know the Go Compare jingle that has been in use for over a decade, you don’t ever have to have eaten Kellogg’s Frosties to know ‘They’re Grrrreat!’, or how about ‘Barry Scott’ enthusiastically promoting Cillit Bang?

Are you convinced about the power of TV advertising yet?

When it comes to video advertising, TV is the most widely viewed medium and has become home to many small and medium-sized brands, who are easily able to find a place among the traditional TV advertisers and larger brands.

If you’re looking to take advantage of TV advertising to promote your brand, product, or services, and looking for expert advice and help, talk to Tonic today!