How do you compete in an oversaturated social ad space? In the era of binge-watching and short attentions spans, marketers are challenged with creating content that is to-the-point, adaptive to the platform and personalized. We need to reach audiences with familiar content, reliable content and consumable content.

I wrote my last blog about snackable videos, so I’ll be sticking with the food theme as I take a minute to dive further into consumable content. To make content consumable, we can’t simply dump content on a user and expect the results to be long-lasting. We need to do more than just engage. We need to maintain engagement. So we must create supportive content that is easily accessible and encourages continued relationships. Enter the age-old solution of storytelling.

There are many different tactics one can use for a digital campaign. My personal favorite? Video, of course! Should it be decided that video is going to be utilized for a campaign, then great! I’m a big fan of that decision. 

But before we jump in head first, it’s important for us to understand the objectives of the campaign. We can put our heads together and create the most amazing piece of video the world has ever seen, but if it doesn’t align with our overall strategy, then it doesn’t do us any good. It is our responsibility as creatives to convey the appropriate messaging to the appropriate audiences via the appropriate channels. So the first thing we’ll do is familiarize ourselves with the task at hand and answer a few key questions:

• What are the goals of the campaign?
• Who is our audience?
• What platform or platforms are used to reach that audience?

Over the past few months, company’s and advertiser’s ability to manage and protect user data has taken center stage. Thanks to the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal and the impending General Data Projection Regulation (GDPR), user data and how companies acquire and utilize this information is a topic that isn’t going away. No matter your marketing strategy, it is important to be aware of the possible impact and changes data regulation can have on your business. Join us on a quick rundown on the changes and what you need to consider in a post Cambridge Analytica & GPDR world.

Video is one of the most engaging and effective ways to educate your target audience. Let’s face it, video can be used to support almost any objective. While it is usually designed to achieve upper-funnel objectives, it can be used to achieve lower parts of the funnel too. These are a few ways to ensure video is used as effectively as possible at every consumer touchpoint.

Never go to the grocery market hungry. If you do, you'll come home with much more than you went for, and with some items that you would never buy. That’s because when you’re hungry, everything sounds good, right? And you’re not finished shopping until you’ve grabbed a few of the impulse items at the checkout stand. It’s too easy to grab the Kit Kat and throw it in your cart.

Social media platforms may seem similar in many ways, but they don't provide the same value for every consumer or brand.

Before initiating a social media campaign, a brand should understand their voice and what position they hold in the market place and consumer's mind. On average, your audience will see 10,000 brand messages every day. Brands should understand at each one of these intersections they are reinforcing their brand promise, no matter the platform. Consider the following when determining where to have a social presence.

Erin Robinson doesn’t need super powers.

Her wit’s quicker than a speeding bullet. Her creativity’s more powerful than a locomotive. And her spirit is stronger than five Incredible Hulks combined (the Lou Ferrigno one more so than Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal).

As a VI Senior Art Director, Erin has been locally and nationally recognized for her strategic and creative brilliance, and she’s won too many awards to count. From art direction to graphic design, cocktail illustrations, wrapping paper design and more, her creative range is limitless. And her killer kindness and positive attitude always instill inspiration around the office.

Congratulations! You’ve been tasked with increasing online traffic to your website. There is just one little wrinkle — your boss wants focus on search engines to achieve this goal. You will need some help from your PPC and SEO professionals. But what exactly is the difference between these two strategies? How can these strategies help point those online eyeballs to your business and its awesome online products and services?

When we discuss targeting capabilities of various digital platforms, clients often use the term ‘creepy.’ People can be a bit uneasy with the realization that they are being targeted with ads based on their own actions, purchases and self-reported information.

One of the most important, but often forgotten, aspects of a digital marketing campaign is conversion or goal tracking. You can put together the most strategic marketing plan with sound strategies and clear objectives, but if you don't have a way to track success, you won't be able to measure campaign success. For this reason, determining success metrics prior to campaign launch is crucial. These success metrics may vary by objective, but are typically conversion goals and/or key performance indicators (KPIs) for each tactic. Keep in mind that determining what action or actions you want a user to take is only the first step. You also will have to determine the best way to track these actions.

In December of 2017, FCC commissioners, led by chairman Ajit Pai, voted to dismantle net neutrality regulations. In the wake of that decision, Mr. Pai was dubbed "the most hated man on the internet" - so hated that earlier this year, death threats forced him to cancel his appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show. It wasn't the first time.

It’s safe to say: Valerie Trammell eats her Wheaties.