Including Hashtags in Commercials

#GetTheConversationStarted

In the past, there have been a few main sources for giving people information: direct mail, television, print media. Today, people crave interaction.

Many times, individuals are on multiple devices at once. For example, they might be watching a TV show but also checking their Twitter or Facebook on their smartphone. To keep these multitasking consumers engaged, companies should look into including hashtags in their television commercials.

These campaigns could be as simple as prompting consumers to tweet about the product, or they could be made into a contest. Either way, including a hashtag promotes customer engagement and shows that the brand is willing to open communication between themselves and their audience.

When opening the lines of social interaction, though, companies need to make sure they are ready to handle the responses. Social media is geared towards interactions, so if people are reaching out to a brand and not getting any response, they will either get bored or annoyed with the company. Communication must come from both parties, and social media has made it easier than ever before for a brand to have a clear voice and connection with their consumers.

If you aren't on social, you're missing connections

Likes. Shares. Followers. 

With social media constantly growing, these terms are becoming more and more prevalent to businesses.

Since online communication has been booming just in our recent past, it can be difficult to get company buy-in for creating a social media presence. That being said, the best way to make meaningful connections with consumers today is through sites like Facebook and Twitter.

http://ipage.com/blog/facebook-marketing-101-infographic

Taking some time to connect with audiences through social media shows that the company is invested in the people they are serving. There are many reasons why social media is a mustfor businesses, a few of which are: increasing exposure, enhancing trustworthiness, and cutting marketing costs. Reaching out to consumers through social media is an inexpensive way to show that a company is willing to open a dialogue, which builds trust in the brand.

So, with all of these positives, the question then becomes, why wouldn’t a company utilize social media?

Reporting News Isn't Enough

Make your stories shareable!

When journalism first emerged, reporters were seen as gatekeepers—they determined what content reached the public, and what stories were better left untold.

Today, though, anyone with a device that can connect to the Internet has access to basically any information they want. Because of this shift, reporters and news organizations need to tailor their content for a new audience. They need to make their stories stand out when they are shared on social media sites.

While about 30% of Facebook users use the site to gather news, 78% of ‘news users’ mostly see news stories when they are on the site for other reasons.

http://www.journalism.org/2014/03/26/8-key-takeaways-about-social-media-and-news/

This means that people are seeing content that has been shared by their friends. In order for news stories to be seen, they now must be shareable. Buzzfeed, a favorite among Internet users, gives some tips formaking stories more likely to be shared, such as having lists, appealing to emotions, and covering controversial topics.

While these strategies might get content shared, it also sparks the question of where is the line between journalism and advertising news stories?