Vine vs. Instagram

Last month we posted an article on The New Vine Craze, and how the application has made a huge impression within the online community. From personal to business branding, vine is becoming more and more popular in the marketing and social media industry. Doesn’t this sound familiar? (*Coughs* Instagram)

Once upon a time the popular photo-uploading app, Instagram, made headlines with its simplistic user friendly interface and breathtaking filters. Let’s not forget the huge increase in downloads which occurred once the Android market was granted access to the application. So what is the difference in popularity between these two? Well, according to ABC News Vine is becoming more popular than Instagram (at least on twitter). Vine is actually owned by Twitter, and users have the ability to view vines directly on the timeline as they are posted.

In the past account holders of Instagram were able to post and view photos uploaded and shared onto the Twitter application directly within the timeline. That is, until the app decided to part ways and create their own integrated filtering system. Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion, but this created some skepticism as to whether or not the new deal would decrease the app’s original popularity in the mobile community. Similar to Instagram, Vine was only available to Apple and iPhone users. Once Android was granted the opportunity to join and create accounts, the app increased by 13 million users! Pretty amazing, wouldn’t you say? “Currently, it is the second most popular free application in the iPhone App Store; as of today, Instagram was number 19”, reports ABC News.

Vine is an incredible tool for marketing, and we think it will do exceptionally well within the online, mobile app, and social media communities. Feel free to comment. What are your thoughts?

Branding In A Way That Relates

In today’s society, it is extremely important to brand your product and/or service according to the interest of your target. For example: If you own a swimwear collection, your main objective is to reach out to consumers who are interested in the latest trends in the swimwear industry. One method of advertising that I found to be very unique and effective is Relatable Branding. Separate your business from local competitors by adding an edge to your strategy. What is relatable branding?

Relatable branding promotes integrity, credibility, and trust within your product/service which stems from the business to the consumer through effective marketing techniques (See B2B and B2C SEO). For example, TD Bank utilizes this tactic very often when it comes to their commercial advertising. The link I’ve provided not only relates to our own individual banking experiences today, but it also appeals to the target audience who can relate to the frustrating occurrences we face by using automated customer service when calling banks. Finally, with the use of relatable branding it ties in a promotional comparison which identifies the reason why the consumer should select TD Bank for a more personal experience. The brand uses this campaign in other commercials as well, combining the material with the slogan “TD Bank. It’s time to bank human again”.

I also stumbled upon a KIA Sorento commercial which also utilizes this method of relatable branding. We’ve all heard the expression, “Less is more”, and this advertisement displays just that with its short scene taking place in a crowded parking deck. We’ve all had that experience, searching for a parking space, and there is one available… However, the space is so tight that it makes parking a complete hassle and the result usually ends with us driving by the open space. This commercial incorporates humor, relates to the consumer (see what I did there), and highlights specific details of the car which promotes the product effortlessly.

Whether you have a family, despise automated customer service, or just simply appreciate the entertaining aspects of these commercials, the message is clear:

Relatable branding appeals to the consumer.

These are just two examples of brands that use this method. Feel free to comment and/or share any other online videos or social networking campaigns that you find which represent this technique. We’d like to hear from you.

Thanking Everyone – Everywhere!

We finally did it thanks to all of you! Truth Marketing would like to send the largest thank you to everyone who stopped by and liked our FaceBook page. In January we created a kick-off contest with our readers and followers, the Featured 100 Contest, and we are tremendously grateful to announce that with the help of everyone who visited the page we have reached 100 likes! Who is the incredible individual that sealed the deal today?

Her name is Vanessa! For the purposes of privacy and confidentiality, we have refrained from listing additional details at this time. Unfortunately we were not able to contact her in regards to creating a guest post, but we would like to send her a huge THANK YOU as well as everyone else that contributed to our goal. Engaging with our followers and visitors is something that we strive to do every day here at Truth Marketing. We wouldn’t be able to grow as a marketing company and learn from our online community if it weren’t for you!

Thanks again from all of us here at Truth Marketing! We look forward to connecting with you all, and we will update you on the next contest!

Yahoo! Acquires Tumblr – Latest Social Media Buzz

Have you heard? The rumors are true; Yahoo! recently acquired the popular blogging platform:  Tumblr. We are all familiar with Yahoo as a widely used email service.  The brand also caters to its target audiences who are interested in News (current events), Sports, Finance, Weather, Games, Shopping, Travel… you name it! According to the Tumblr site, it hosts over 109.2 million blogs, averages 51.0 billion posts daily, 900 per second, and receives 300 million unique monthly visitors. Looks like Yahoo may have hit the jackpot.

Yahoo’s Chief Financial Officer, Ken Goldman, predicts that the combination of the two large online brands will add to both parties’ revenue within the upcoming year. Yahoo has faced recent criticism about falling off of the online “in crowd” grid. This new opportunity may bring the buzz back to the household name. The deal went for $1.1 billion, and CEO Marissa Mayer stated, “We promise not to screw it up”.

What are your thoughts on the new acquisition? Will this be the business move needed in order for Yahoo to make an impression in the online community again? Will this hurt Tumblr’s popularity? There are many opinions surrounding this new deal, and we would like to know what your view is. Feel free to comment.

Vine Application Creates Buzz

Do you Vine?

If not, I urge you to try it out for yourself to see if you like it. Vine is a fairly new video app available to iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, iPod touch (3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th generation), and iPad users. What separates this innovation from the rest of its competitors is the ability to create clean, crisp, interesting videos related to a closed network. That is not to say that Vine will not expand to the Google Play Android market, however, it is currently popular as a result of its exclusivity. This app has caused a huge buzz throughout the personal use of it, but this has also transferred into the marketing and branding industry as well! Popular brand names such as Beats by Dre, Urban Outfitters, and Wendy’s have used vine to extend their branding efforts to target audiences within the mobile online community.  The White House even utilizes Vine!

“Tell me more”, you say?

Why of course we will. Here is a list of some specifics to get you started before posting your first vine:

-You have a total of 6 seconds to record (so make it interesting!)

-The front and back cameras are accessible (you can also flip to -and- from during your recordings).

-In order to separate your recording, press and hold the screen until you are ready to begin a new snippet.

-Embedding hashtags within your captions makes your vines easier to search and locate.

-Users have the option of searching popular videos, videos by hashtag relevance, and editor’s picks.

Perfect example of branding through Vine: Oreo

One of our twitter followers posted this link in a tweet, and before grasping the actual concept of this application, I was completely amazed by the strategic use of it. In regards to branding this may be the next big social platform to blossom in the online/mobile marketing industry. Should Instagram worry about the new app, or will this only add to the phenomenal outburst of innovative social networks for brands in today’s society?

Feel free to let us know what you think. Hit or miss?

TweetDeck Eliminates FaceBook Columns

Do you use TweetDeck for social media maintenance? If you’re using the program for twitter management in efforts to monitor multiple client accounts then you have nothing to worry about. However, if you are utilizing TweetDeck as a dashboard panel for your company FaceBook pages, this service will no longer continue as of tomorrow, May 7^th. The popular online social management platform has decided to terminate their support of FaceBook.

Who should be aware of this abrupt change?

-TweetDeck AIR

-TweetDeck for Android

-TweetDeck for iPhone app users

If you are familiar with the application, you are aware of the customizable FaceBook column made available to all users with active accounts. Anyone thinking of switching their update manager to a different platform should make this change as soon as possible in order to prepare for tomorrow’s shift. This conversion will eliminate your FaceBook column with or without your consent so it is wise to consider alternative dashboard options, before this takes place.

What is your perception of this?

TweetDeck previously mentioned that they are undergoing a shift in maintenance to primarily focus on their web initiatives. Do you think this will help or hurt them? Most web applications are going mobile, and with the constant battle of social media competitors (*coughs* Hootsuite) this may just be the gateway to a complete downfall for the platform. Many users have tweeted their responses regarding this new loss of FaceBook support, and most do not seem very happy with the change. Some TweetDeck users have even stated that they are switching to different dashboard applications to avoid this change.

Feel free to let us know your thoughts on this controversial topic.

Increase Engagement -Start Asking Questions

Social media has become such a vital necessity within the marketing industry. Time and time again, I run across blog articles, FaceBook posts, and tweets from business accounts that are only stating as opposed to asking. What do I mean by this? Don’t get me wrong if you are an expert in your craft it is wise to sell your service via social platforms, and offering your expertise significantly sets you apart from your competitors. However, I cannot stress how important it is to consistently engage with your audience simultaneously throughout the development of online marketing for your brand.

A social network isn’t very “social” without the aspect of interaction between its users. Many small businesses offer services for a variety of industries, and the addition of online branding enhances their presence. I’ve noticed that most companies receive a higher following rate on platforms they utilize for the purposes of connecting with their target audiences. This information is applicable to both B2B and B2C marketing (see B2B and B2C SEO for more). Sharing your knowledge and skill is a remarkable tool, and it also increases your credibility among potential and current clients. Asking questions is a great way to start a conversation with interested customers. When an appealing question is posted, this gives other businesses an opportunity to share their insight and/or feedback on relevant topics pertaining to your industry.

So give it a try! You’ll be surprised by the results you receive. Next time you’re creating your Social Media Priority List, start asking questions that may be of interest to your online visitors. Polls are great measuring tools for FaceBook and blog posts. Hold a Q & A session one day each week or each month to get the discussion going. Does your company have an Instagram account? Don’t run away from utilizing this platform as a method of engaging with your followers. For example, if you’ve recently re-branded your logo this application works wonders for feedback. Construct a Pic Stitch, and compare the old logo with the new version. Sit back and watch the magic unfold as you receive genuine responses from your target audiences (and don’t forget to place a hashtag in the caption to increase search finds).

Feel free to leave a comment. Any questions?

Online Business Pitching

Crush Path! What’s that, you ask? A new online pitching opportunity for your business. I stumbled upon this magnificent site on Mashable a few days ago, and instantly became impressed by the product so I decided to conduct further research. Before visiting the site, I stopped by YouTube and viewed a few informative videos of the product… Again, very impressed. So what does it do?Crush Path is a website designed solely for the purpose of conveying short and sweet pitches to your current and potential clients. Brace yourself for a platform that combines customized branding, social media, and online marketing all-in-one. Upon entering the site, if you’re interested, you have the ability to customize your pitch sites’ URL. From there you immediately edit your pitch page, and the admin capabilities are very “user friendly”. The edit options provide you with a background and avatar icon upload, a pitch, deals, company description, and services section. You also have the ability to enter a website URL, and contact page to your website (optional).

Keep in mind that the pitch page is created to directly reflect your company, it’s business, and your pitch so there are limited characters available within the editing fields. However, we feel that this platform is very innovative and the approach of clear and concise content will enhance it’s intended purpose. If someone or a company views your pitch page, and would like to do business with you, there is an “I’m Interested” option. Once this link is selected, you now have a notification displaying potential client interest. What also makes this site amazing is the addition of pitch page analytics. Can you believe it? After all of the amazing details we’ve shared about this they even have tracking abilities to seal the deal.

We’re still in the beginning stages of our pitch page, but we would like you to visit!

Share your thoughts with us on the new Crush Path site. Hit or miss?

Group One Slogan Contest

Group One LLC, our parent company, is making a few changes over at headquarters! New company slogans are on the way for all affiliated companies, and we’re happy to extend the opportunity to all staff members within our offices. Here at Truth Marketing we value the creative perspective of our fellow team members as well as our co-workers employed within other divisions of the company. After we receive all submissions, a winner will be selected. Stay up to date with us on Twitter and FaceBook to view the announcement of the Slogan Contest Winner!

Captcha Codes – Secure Website Log-ins

What’s that weird squiggly security field that appears each time we enter passwords online? We’ve all seen them before, and they’re called CAPTCHA Codes. They’ve been prompting us on a more frequent basis. This may have something to do with the fact that recently a group of hackers attacked 90,000 smaller WordPress blogs. (Gasp!) It is extremely important to create complex passwords and usernames in efforts to protect your online information. In February we posted an article, Online Social Hacking, to explain the dangers of internet hacking. We also used an example of Burger King and Jeep’s recent twitter hacks, which went public, and virally spread through headlines of publications like wildfire.

How are hackers able to access this information?

Well, in this recent massive WordPress hacking there were a few probable causes:

1. Usernames and passwords remained in default standing, and weren’t changed. This makes it easy to break into.
2. It has been noted that this particular group of hackers used a program which cycled through 1000 frequently used passwords.
3. Once a hacker has access to your WordPress admin capability, your blog becomes a “botnet”, meaning, the site is now able to be utilized for the purpose of spreading attacks.

So you see, no one gets special privileges when it comes to online hacking. If popular brand names such as Jeep and Burger King can become victims to such a violating act, your brand should also be protected. Captcha codes vary from squiggly letters and numbers to mathematical equations, but the main purpose of this is to ensure that the response is generated by a human being. Prevent your website and/or blog from becoming an accessed victim of hacking and include a captcha code to enhance security efforts.

Let us know your take on this topic!

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