The Debate: Mission vs. Vision

What's the difference between defining your business's mission or vision? How does one answer that? What's more important to know is how a marketing agency can guide their clients in this answer, too.

Over the course of the last century of marketing, the imagination and attention of the consumer has become harder to understand and capture.

Consequently, developments such as various persuasion models, acronyms and abbreviations, promotional habits, and advertising jargon have been used to "facilitate clarity". Some of these ideas have been crafted for our industry, while others are merely re-applications of time-old knowledge.

The questionable appropriation of "vision" and "mission" is a wonderful example of this scenario.

These concepts are often used as mere statements. In a worst case scenario, these two statements are just fluffed up pieces of writing stuffed with grandiosity and poor punctuation; they become better suited backs to business cards than carriers of ideology in the employees and the brand's consumers. In the best case scenario, these things are the simple, well-stated beliefs of a brand that knows how to be useful and be seen as a resourceful authority.

This means that "vision" and "mission" can be wonderful assets for leading consumers who share a common interest.

So where does the confusion originate? 

These two concepts have gone from similar bodies to synonymous. How are they supposed to be used? How are they different and how do they work together?

Here's how:

• A vision and a mission are complementary statements. 
• Vision takes priority over mission. 
• A vision is a goal or aspirational objective that a company may never meet but hopes to do so. 
• A mission is a way to achieve success by delivering specific action(s) that will flow with the vision. 
• The simpler, the better. The better they are, the more likely they are to be remembered and used. 
• Simply put: vision= internal, mission = external. 
• Or, the vision wins the war, the mission wins the battle. 

Does your business need help defining its mission and/or vision? Then contact Integraphix, a leading Chicago creative marketing team with over 25 years experience with branding. 

GIF source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/blues-brothers

NBA Players & Their Kids in Post-Game Interviews: Marketing Tactic or Family Fun

You've likely seen the videos of NBA players bringing their kids onto the podium during post game interviews.

It is not something that is new, NBA players (and players of many sports) have been bringing their kids to the podium with them during post game interviews. However, it seems that this season, it has been more popular then ever.

Could this be a simple trend amongst the NBA's elite or is it a tactic to get more mentions and popularity with marketing, especially on social media?

A couple weeks ago, Stephen Curry brought his daughter, Riley, on stage with him. Curry's mentions on social media lit up; his position on sites like The Pulse, NBA.com, among others, went up to number one!

Derrick Rose saw similar popularity when he brought his son on stage after the Bulls' game 4 loss to the Cavs in the Eastern Conf. Semi-Finals.

Some reporters find the practice to be unprofessional but it seems the league thinks otherwise, since they've done nothing to deter the practice. Also, as we mentioned, it is a huge hit on social media and generates wonderful web traffic for whichever site can publish a story about the child first; this is a big deal for NBA.com, who struggles for traffic over ESPN.

Is this great content marketing for the NBA? Or is it a way to show the players are family men and improving branding for the league since pro athletes are often thought of as unfaithful? Or is it just family fun?

Let us know your thoughts! Comment below, on social media, or email Integraphix.

Also, if you have not seen any of these interviews, here are a few. Enjoy.

Why Your Business's Marketing Has to Evolve

Every business has to market themselves to some degree, whether they realize it or not. However, some businesses get stuck in a rut, sometimes a good rut, and stay there. Marketing has to change, it has to evolve.

Now, it can work to keep the same message, mascot, color schemes, branding, etc. But it does not work to keep the same platforms, techniques, and strategy. Very few businesses have succeeded because they kept with the same techniques & strategy.

Industries change. Consumers change. Interests change. You get the point. 

That's why a business's creative marketing has to evolve. If you don't evolve, you miss your market. Then you're like that owl wondering, "Where'd they go? Did we miss them? What happened?"

Industries change. Every industry in the world has likely changed in the way it operates over the last decade or two. For example, marketing. This industry has massively changed in the last five years, alone! Now there's a heavy emphasis on digital marketing and digital advertising; things like social media, YouTube, blogging, or search engine marketing have all become points of interest.

• Take a look at your industry, how has it changed? 

Consumers change. Every generation thinks differently than the last. Every demographic has its own interests. Every culture has its own way of doing things. If you haven't heard, Millennials are a big topic to talk about in marketing. So let's talk about them! They are vastly different than previous generations, Gen. X and much different than Baby Boomers. If your business targets a demographic like 20-30 year olds, your target market in 2015 is vastly different than your target market was in 1975. Even from year to year, consumers change; our minds change all the time.

• Take a look at how you shop, how has it changed? 

Interests change. As hinted in the last point, our minds change all the time. What seems like a good idea now might not be in a few months. Look at the K-Cup. At the beginning, people loved it because it was easy, personal, and no prep/cleanup. Now, it's one of the most hated ways of consuming coffee on the planet. Or, for us techies, look at how fast apps come and go in popularity. Draw Something? What's that? Maybe fashion is more your fancy; how often does fashion change?? There was a time when baggy jeans, K-Swiss shoes, and bull-cuts were popular. Now, it's skinny jeans, boots, & fades.

• Take a look at your interests, how have they changed?

The bottom line is that in business, especially marketing, if you stand still, you will be left behind. Don't stand still and become a static business! Hire Integraphix to help your business get going forward, not become irrelevant. 

Does Pinterest Actually Boost Web Traffic?

Many businesses put lots of effort into social media, even social media platforms like Pinterest (aside from the usual Facebook & Twitter). Pinterest can be a great place to post things like blog posts, product images, process images, etc.

But does the power of Pinterest actually aid the SEO process and generate traffic to your blog and/or website? 

Short answer: Yes. Yes it does.

When you use Pinterest, it creates a local place for people to visit to view your important messages without sifting through junk. Even on your company's Twitter and Facebook, you still have to get through informational, promotional, and even silly posts to find the ones that share things like recipes, how-to's, or posts of the like.

Pinning your blog posts, which are hopefully linked to your site, or pages within your site extends their viewership lives. What do we mean by that? Well, when you post these things to Twitter, Facebook, or Google+, they get pushed down onHowever, on Pinterest, while they will get pushed down on the newsfeed, they stay in the same position on your profile, making each pin very easy to find (especially categorized by boards).
the timeline as you post other stuff (and even faster on newsfeeds).

If you tag your pins right and put healthy descriptions, you can get them found via search very easily, unlike other social media platforms.

What are some tips to do Pinterest for business well?

• Pin consistently
• Schedule pins
• Have great descriptions
• Add links
• Have great images
• Pin to appropriate boards

Tired of having social media strategies that don't get your business any good leads? Then email or call Integraphix for a free marketing analysis! 

8 Stats about Digital Video You Need to Know

Some exciting news has been revealed about the current state of digital video, which were revealed during the Interactive Advertising Bureau's Digital Content NewFronts meeting (yeah, it's a mouthful).

The scope that awaits what can happen for digital video has never been seen before for any aspect of marketing. Here are 8 points why digital video's future is so exciting and why your business needs to get in on the action:

1. Market researchers have surveyed ( 1,900 consumers and they found that consumption of digital video is up 13 percent since 12 months ago. And, as we've mentioned before, advertising in digital video is becoming much more appealing for brands since more & more people are watching YouTube ads from start to finish. 
2. 24 percent of the people surveyed stated that they watch at least one video per month that they've never seen before. This is a two percent increase from last year but when you consider the amount of videos on the web, even just YouTube, that's a lot of video consumption. That is a lot of people viewing your company's videos and digital marketing efforts. 
3. TV influences the traffic and activity on the web, too; 11 of all online shopping is spurred by something seen on TV and 153 million social media posts are generated by TV shows each month. 
4. 91 million social media posts are generated by reality TV alone, every month. That is 16 percent of TV viewers that watch TV share their thoughts on social media. 
5. Tremor Video and Magid Associates surveyed 1,000 people and found that 55 percent of U.S. households have more that four devices (TVs, computers, tablets, and phones). 40 percent of households still have access to video streaming services. 
6. Eight percent of the people surveyed in pt 5 plan to cancel cable TV within the next 12 months. 14 percent of the respondents have no cable TV service now. The trend of cutting the cord is growing, especially among Millennials. 
7. Subscription-based streaming is huge. We know the success of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime streaming, but apps for channels are catching on; HBO Now just released last month and of the respondents, 70 percent signed up for HBO Now. 
8. Ads that utilize pathos have more success. When videos get viewers to experience an emotion, they are 2x likely to be shared. The Coca-Cola "Grandpa" video ads had an eight percent share rate in their 2014 campaign, pretty good! 

Creating videos to increase brand awareness for your business is making the shift from being a luxury to a necessity. Integraphix is an internet marketing agency of 25 years. Call or email us about getting started. 

Save Money on Your Marketing Project

Don't get left behind and let your competition get more visibility than you. Call or email Integraphix about your next indoor marketing or outdoor marketing project for a trade show, event, billboard, anything! 

How to Get Noticed with Great Print Marketing

Canva for Work is Here! It's Here!

A sigh of relief was breathed by the business professionals of the world as Canva has announced its latest venture, Canva for Work.

Designing and building graphics is not a skill that everybody has, however, Canva wants to change that. We have known of Canva's service that allows people to easily create graphics, covers, invites, posters, ads, etc.

Today, Canva is rolling out a new service to expand its growth and offerings, Canva for Work. With the addition of $6 million in additional funding from investors, Canva for Work is exclusively offered at business professionals. Now businesses can create images for social media, presentations, print marketing materials, and more.

40 percent of Fortune 500 companies use Canva, among all the smaller businesses that use the site. This sparked a large need for the site to accommodate all the businesses that were using Canva. In fact, over 200,000 businesses are reportedly on Canva; our Chicago marketing agency has been known to create graphics on Canva, like that one right there.

The site is a hit with professionals and the general public alike, gaining 2.3 million users in the last 20 months, creating a total of 3.2 million designs last month. Some of their growth is due to word of mouth marketing with elated users spreading the word to friends, family, and coworkers; another significant portion of their growth is via people seeing their quality graphics be posted on the web on social media, blogs, and other places.

Go and create like a professional graphic designer! 

How to Effectively Market to the Millennial Parent

Millennials are morphing from the generation that "won't grow up" to a generation firmly planted in adulthood, at least the Millennials 24-35. This section of Millennials are buying homes, having their own children, owning cars, and other "adult" things. Data states that 40 percent of Millennials are currently parents.

This generation likes to have marketing experiences that are personal and not canned/dry pushes. As a Millennial myself, and Chicago marketing company copywriter, I would agree with many other Millennials that we like products & services that are intentional and tailored to our needs. If we don't see a product or service and understand how it will make our lives better, we don't buy into it. Even if it's an extremely cool product or service.

More and more Millennials are 1st or 2nd generation immigrants. According to U.S. Census statistics, 15 percent of Millennials between 20-34 were born in another country. This is the highest rate of 1st generation immigrants in this age range since 100 years ago.

More than 70 percent of Millennials enjoy the influence of other cultures. As globalization is gaining more and more traction, the idea of understanding other cultures becomes more appealing. One aspect of globalization that has generated this is how easily people move around the country and world these days. This knowledge has forced marketing agencies to adjust their strategies when appealing to demographics based on region.

84 percent of Millennial parents say that trust the recommendation or distaste of a brand they hear from their peers. This is why word-of-mouth marketing is so huge for brands to capitalize in 2015, especially since search engine marketing and social media marketing help facilitate and even spark much of that talk.

With so much technology and fast-paced industries, it is no wonder why we all want gratification instantly. This means that many Millennial parents, while meeting the demands and requirements of their young children, not only desire a process that is easy & straightforward, they require it.

As the first truly digital-native generation, Millennial parents turn to online resources for a lot of things. Yes, they turn to it for entertainment options and other fun resources but it is common for them to turn to the web for things like advice and tips on parenting and family matters.

Millennial parents and their kids share interests. This is not a jab that the parents never grow up mentally, they just appreciate and embrace more than previous parenting generations. The parents and their kids like some of the same movies, video games, and more. This includes brands, as well. This allows some brands to appeal to both parents and kids in one marketing effort.

Is your brand's target market Millennials? Specifically Millennial parents? Email or call Integraphix and see how our creative marketing team can help you reach them effectively! We have many Millennials on staff so you get first-hand knowledge. 

This Big Brand is Taking a Big Step Forward With Its Rebranding

Abercrombie & Fitch. Famous for its shirtless models and sexualized marketing has decided to tone things down instead of toned abs.

By the end of July 2015, the clothing brand, along with its Hollister brand, will no longer be utilizing the highly sexual marketing efforts. That's right, even their famous in-store shirtless models will be gone.

A&F wants to focus on the future and be taken more seriously. They will place a major emphasis on consumer experience and make it a primary focus. This is a major shift from their current marketing slant but it could be a great marketing effort and getting a bigger market share.

This rebranding could be in response to the brand's disappointing sales, new CEO, or the mentality that many consumers have towards the brand.

Is it time for your business to rebrand? While it can be intimidating, even the big brands are willing to put it all on the line. Email Integraphix or call us and talk with our Chicago marketing agency. We will work with your business to create the optimal rebranding effort possible.

Mobile Advertising Increased 76% in 2014, Digital Advertising Becomes $50 Billion Business

According to data from Interactive Advertising Bureau, the digital advertising world widened by 16 percent last year and had sales totaling $50 billion. I thought you said it increased by 76%. Well, remember that mobile advertising is under the umbrella of digital advertising, so we'll explain.

A large reason for the increase of digital advertising was the intense growth of mobile advertising. The IAB stated that increased by 76 percent, gaining $12.5 billion last year (compared to $7.1 billion in 2013), increasing the value of digital advertising total to $50 billion.

The incredible growth in the mobile advertising sector is showing the value of mobile, which reflects the continued consumer behavior shift from PCs to smartphones and tablets.

One industry that seems to be embracing the mobile advertising opportunity is retail. Retail stores accounted for 21 percent of the marketplace in 2014, by far the most of any other buyer of mobile advertising. The runner-up was financial service businesses (13 percent) and then the auto industry (12 percent) finishes up the top three.

When it comes to what kind of mobile advertising was embraced the most, that would be video. Online video ads mastered a whopping $3.3 billion last year, increasing from $2.8 billion in 2013. Display ads had some growth but not as much, increasing five percent last year.

The methods and structure of advertising is changing! But that is how business works, no? If your business is not considering mobile advertising, then it needs to. Email Integraphix and see how it could benefit your business! It can be as simple as ads on Google, social media, YouTube, and more. We would love to talk to you! 

12 Branding Tips Every Business Needs to Know

When you shape your brand, you shape consumer perception. If you want your business to have value that lasts, then your business has to be as good as it claims. 

The quality of your brand identity and sensory experience that your brand delivers can make or break a deal or even consumer trust. 

Here are 12 points to live by for your business, according to our Chicago marketing company. Any questions? Then email Integraphix. 

Does Viral Video Marketing Work for Promoting?

We've heard a lot about this video of notoriously nice actor, Dennis Quaid, having a meltdown on the set of a movie or TV show. For many people, this video was quite a shocker since he's known for being a kind soul.

However, it turns out the video was just a big joke. Funny or Die, a popular channel for videos on sites like YouTube, was behind the joke; that's right, the whole video was one big marketing stunt for Quaid's new project.

The video was recorded with a cellphone and it looks like the cellphone holder was being sneaky, so it all seemed legitimate that he was flipping out and it was secretly being recorded. This lent to the credibility of the meltdown being real, which was smart branding from the team on set.

The video hit Reddit on Monday and by Tuesday, it was all over the web and being talked about everywhere, including the radio. See how potent internet marketing can be with viral video marketing efforts? Using YouTube for business can be a wonderful asset, if done right, and in connection with social media marketing.

Does your business need to get in front of more eyes? Then you need to try using viral video! YouTube, Vimeo, Reddit, Tumblr, and other popular sites can be what your business is missing. Email Integraphix about getting started. 

Not sure about this? Chat with our creative marketing team and see what you think! There's no commitment.

What Mobile Devices Does Your Target Audience Prefer?

When appealing to your target audience with digital marketing, it matters to recognize which devices they tend to use the most. Between Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers, the three largest demographics of consumers, are into tech and use it… a lot.

Smartphones
Smartphones are the biggest players in the digital marketing world. When it comes to effective online advertising, SEO, web design, and social media marketing, much of the efforts revolve around smartphones.

The biggest players here are none other than iPhone and Android. Android wins with Millennials by one percent; 54 percent of Millennials prefer to use Android, while 53 percent of Millennials love their iPhones.

For Generation X, Android wins by a large percentage here; 55 percent of this generation likes Android while only 38 percent of their fellow Xers like iPhone.

As for Baby Boomers, they have the largest winning percentage for Android at 50 percent; only 24 percent of them like iPhone.

What about the other people not accounted for? Well 20 percent of Millennials prefer Windows Phone and five percent like other smartphones. Nine percent of Xers like Windows and six percent like other smartphones. Finally, eight percent of Boomers like Windows, while 8 percent like other smartphones.

Tablets
iPads have a very nice grip on Millennials over Android tablets; 33 percent of Millennials prefer to use iPads vs. 20 percent of their peers who choose Android tablets.

For Generation X, the iPad loses just slightly to Android; 28 percent of Xers like to use iPads and 31 percent use Android.

Baby Boomers like Android tablets much more than iPads; 37 percent of them use Android tablets over 21 percent use iPads.

Does your business need help understanding its target audience? Does your business need help figuring out who that target audience is? Then email Integraphix - a Chicago marketing agency with over 25 years of experience in marketing.

3 Myths About Marketing That Are Costing You Sales

Myths are everywhere. They even exist in marketing. Some myths are 100 percent made up, while others were once rooted in truth. Regardless of their origins, if a myth is no longer valid, it can be harming your business.

Here are three myths about marketing that can be harming your bottom-line.

1. Not understand how in-person sales work. When doing sales in-person, or at all, really, you need to establish a connection. However, not every company has realized just how mIn the past, salespeople were the gatekeepers of information for companies; consumers could not research a product or service and obtain the info they needed without talking to a salesman. However, with the internet, people can find any info they want, whenever they want.
uch technology has changed that aspect of sales.

Don't get us wrong, salespeople are still very, very important to the success of a company. It is just that their purpose has shifted a little. Now, salespeople are who consumers call when they need answers beyond what they've found online. Today, salespeople need to be great at developing relationships, creating trust, and being able to key in on consumer needs.

2. Believing that the more communication, the better. Just like everything in life, moderation is key; yes, you want communication but too much can be overwhelming for consumers, sometimes. Due to the rise in popularity of things like blogs and social media, companies can publish so much more information than ever before.

You want good, reliable content for your clients and customers but you don't want to say too much, otherwise they get overwhelmed and a boomerang effect occurs. If it is not relevant and helpful information, then you don't need to publish it.

3. Not utilizing a marketing mix. Having great content marketing is essential for business in 2015 but it really only works if people know to look for your products or services. If you create a marketing mix, you can create a beautiful blend of content creation and great branding. This will drive demand for your products and services.

Unfortunately, too many companies want that "silver bullet" or "magic potion" that will fix everything in one go. This results in those companies ditching the marketing mix.

Do you know of any marketing myths that companies still believe in? Let us know! Email Integraphix - a Chicago marketing company.

20 Tips on How to Write Emails that Get Opened, Read, and Shared for Email Marketing

Email marketing doesn't have to be a waste for your business, it can be an asset. If done correctly. Here are 20 quick and easy tips about how to improve your email marketing. Let's dive in.

1. Make it personal. Don't write as if you are writing to several hundred or even thousands of people; write as if you are writing to one person. 
2. Make it count. Only email when you have something valuable to share. 
3. Be trustworthy. People should know what to expect from your emails and be able to trust the info inside it. 
4. Don't be creepy or weird. Use some personalization but don't use too much information or say things that could be taken as awkward. 
5. Make it rewarding. Give people a reason of benefit when they read your emails. The reader should feel some benefit of your emails. 
6. Give an incentive. Promise something good to readers. Let them know your email has something that will improve their lives. 
7. Use numbers. Specifically, digits. Such as the title of our blog post. It stops wandering eyes and intrigues people. 
8. Pique their curiosity. Use words that draw interest and make people say, "Hmm?" But don't use clickbait. 
9. Don't always go for clever. Not everyone understand clever things and people have different senses of humor; if you are unsure about using a clever remark or not, especially in the subject line, go for simple, instead. 
10. Study up. See what great email campaigns look like and model after them. 
11. Don't use pointless language. Sure, throw in some stats and facts in the emails but don't be unnecessary about it and say meaningless things. 
12. Try new things. Don't always send the same email. Change things up now and then. Of course, stay within your branding. 
13. Write quickly. This actually encourages you to write enthusiastically and readers will read it enthusiastically. 
14. Short & sweet. Shorter emails are going to be read by more people and are likely to be shared. Concise emails that give the good info are emails worth sending. 
15. Ask questions. Ask your readers questions to generate interest and conversation. You like conversation, right? 
16. Use pronouns like "you". It adds that personal touch. 
17. Be natural. Don't use rigid tones and words, be natural and type the way you would naturally speak. 
18. Don't be dull. Who likes reading something that puts them to sleep? No one, that's who. 
19. Talk about the benefits of your product or service. It is very likely that your product or service won't sell itself; highlight the reasons why your readers should care and how it improves lives. 
20. Know how to write. Need it be said? Surprisingly, yes. 

Email marketing can be a real asset for your business. Does your business need help improving its email marketing? Then email Integraphix, a Chicago marketing company with over 25 years of marketing experience, including email. 

Meerkat vs. Periscope. Which is Better?

So over the past month, we have all been hearing about Meerkat. Meerkat this! Meerkat that! Then two weeks ago, Twitter-owned Periscope made a splash onto the live-streaming app scene. In that very short amount of time, Meerkat has seen its success take a huge hit. Meerkat was inching closer to breaking into the top 100 downloaded apps from the App Store but once Periscope came out, it plummeted to the 500s and Periscope is in the top 10.

Both apps allow users to live-stream what they are seeing. Both apps post to a user's followers within the app and connect to a user's Twitter account. Both allow for viewers to leave comments and interact.

However, the question is still very much in the air, "Which app is better?"

Well, there is some serious evidence that Periscope is already winning the war. One of the differences is that with Meerkat, you only see video streams from people you follow on there; with Periscope, you can also see streams from anyone via the People button, whether you follow them or not. Don't worry, it doesn't get overwhelming or annoying. It's quite nice, actually.

For more reasons, it seems that Periscope is the winner between the two apps. Here are some reasons why, according to our Chicago marketing company team.

• The User Interface. Once you launch the app, you can immediately see three "featured" videos. From there, you can also see a list of videos from people you follow and via the People button, you can see videos from people you don't follow. You can add more people to your list of those you follow, too. 
• On Meerkat, when you launch the app, if there is no one streaming, then you can't watch any streams. The only thing you can do is start your own stream or schedule a stream. Well, there is one thing you can also do, you can see who the most popular streamers are. That's it. 
• The GPS location. If you so choose, you can enable GPS to connect with your Periscope streams. People can also see which direction you're pointing in the stream, too. While some may feel this is TMI, it can be cool. Don't want you location to be known? Don't enable the GPS. 
• Meerkat doesn't have GPS. 
• You can do private broadcasts. On Periscope, you can choose to only have certain people see your broadcast, instead of everyone who follows you on the app (and Twitter). So, if you want to have a live-stream that only your friends and/or family can see, you can do that. 
• On Meerkat, everyone that follows you can see every stream you do. 
• You can save streams. For a period of 24 hours, your streams can be saved on Periscope for people to view after your stream ends; viewers can't interact or comment but they can still view it. After the 24 hour period, your saved stream disappears. 
• You can't actually save your streams on Meerkat. You can "save" them by saving them to your camera roll. Also, if you use the #Katch hashtag, then you can publish your stream to YouTube. Both are viable options but are difficult and not actually saving your stream for later viewership like with Periscope. 

So it seems that Periscope is definitely winning the battle between the two apps. Decide for yourself. For more comments, email Integraphix, a Chicago digital marketing agency and chat with us! 

10 Great Blogging Tips for Beginners

As a Chicago marketing company, we frequently get questions about how to blog or when we recommend to clients they should start blogging, they say, "I have no idea how to do that." And comments of the like. There is a lot to know about blogging but there are some basics that can get you into a blogging-ready state. This blog is courtesy of our marketing copywriting team.

Write about something you love
Pick a theme or core topic idea that will be the generator of your content; each blog post will surround this topic. What is your blog about? Is it about cooking? What about pets? Or maybe it's about woodworking? Just make sure your blog has an overall theme that filters every blog topic and that this overall theme is you. Why does a central theme matter? We'll, if your blog is all over the place, then readers won't know what they will find on your blog, which overwhelms and confuses people and they will likely not come back to your blog.

Obviously, our Chicago marketing agency always has blogs that filter out of our love for marketing; we write about advertising, copywriting, marketing trends and news, etc.

If you are writing your blog for your business, then your overall theme is sort of decided for you. Make sure you stick to that and write topics that work within that theme. If your business is about hardwood flooring, then write under than umbrella.

Remember, this topic has to fuel you enough for you to be motivated to write about it a few times a week, if not several times a week.

Do something different
Chances are that your blog is not the only blog that will talk about that particular theme. If your blog is about cooking, then do something that will help your blog stand out, like "meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less" or "meals for people on a sugar-less diet". This can help you really stand out and find some very dedicated readers.

You can also do things like reader submissions. For example, if you are doing that cooking blog, maybe encourage your readers to send in their own recipes and discuss them on your blog; you can even take this a step further and have them submit recipes for a specific dish & then you pick a winner! Maybe that dish is "Best gluten free baked ziti!"

Be conversational 
Write the way you talk. Now, if you talk with a lot of slang, incorrect grammar, etc. then step it up a bit but still remain conversational. This is something the copywriting team at our Chicago creative marketing agency tries to do. You can still be professional and an authority in your industry even if you write blogs that carry a conversational tone instead of formal, stiff, and jargon-stuffed. In fact, one could argue that the conversational yet professional blog is a better sign of an expert; when you truly understand something, you can explain it to anyone, even someone who knows nothing about the topic.

When you write with a conversational tone, it is much easier to let your personality shine through, which is what will attract readers and help them connect with you.

As we mentioned, be watchful for your grammar; people can be forgiving if you use a comma where you use a semicolon but if you misuse "they're" "there" and "their" or even "you're" and "your" then you will catch flack for that.

Have great content
Write about things that people will find interesting. "How do I know if other people will find it interesting?" You ask. Well, is the content obvious? Or does it have tips and info in it that many people do not know?

Think about this, if you were to write a blog about, "5 Games for Teachers to Play with Students at Recess" and then write about hopscotch, swings, tag, man on sand, and football, then people will be bored. Take it up a notch! Do games that are more fun, less known, or invent some games!

Use good images 
Every blog needs to have images. This is a big mistake our copywriters see with other blogs: no images. Or bad images. If you are not good with photography, take a night class and step it up. Also, you can use things like Canva and create cool graphics for your posts, also use stock photos (but watch out for the blatantly cheesy ones).

Don't post blogs without an image. Blog posts with an image get more readers and shares than posts without them; they can have a chance of being shared by as much as 7x more.

Use formatting
The formatting of your posts should be a big concern. Now, you can have text positioned to the left or centered but our writers like posts with copy to the left. When you write with centered text, it can look like poetry.

Use headers and bold them. Also, bold important words and phrases that you want the reader to see.

Research
Make sure to study up on bigger blogs; see what they are writing about, how they write, what images they use. Take notes. Look at what you like about the blogs and what you don't like about the blogs. If you see some big blogs and get discouraged about how your blog can ever be that good, don't quit, keep going! Your blog will improve. Remember, not every blog starts out as a masterpiece.

Also, research the topic you're writing about. While you will surely know info about the topic you're writing about, some research can help you find out new bits of information and some cool statistics.

Fake it til ya make it
Lie? No. But be confident! If you sound like you are an expert in your field, people will buy it and they will trust you. Don't give out false info because you think it's right but carry yourself (in your blog) with some chutzpah!

Do good things! 
There are a lot of bad blogs on the internet and not just ones that have bad spelling/formatting. There are lots of bad blogs because they are just so the person can complain and rant. You will stumble upon these blogs when searching for good ones to model after, don't fall prey to these blogs! Yes, some of them have lots of followers, that is not a sign of a good blog.

Make some friends
This can be a toughy but is definitely worth it. When someone talks to you and leaves comments, then respond to them! They will appreciate it when you respond and be impressed if you do, too.

Does your blog need some help? Do you need help getting one started? Then email Integraphix and see how our Chicago copywriting team can help your business get a good blog!

7 Trends That Will Change Content Marketing

Well, we are a few months into 2015 and we have already been seeing some wonderful trends in the content marketing world. There are 7 trends that our Chicago marketing company has observed and can't wait to see how they affect things.

1. Live marketing. Remember during the Super Bowl in 2013 when the stadium went dark and all those brands posted tweets and posts about it and creatively tied their brand into it all? That is a wonderful example of live marketing. Brands have done it with many other events and situations and it is wonderful. Our social media marketing team and other social media teams around the country see it, too. Consumers certainly have a field day with it, seeing how brands can work pop culture. Of course, this can be a slippery slope; if brands fail to see something is a "touchy" subject/one of controversy, then they can be bit, hard. 
2. Participation marketing. This is a two-fold structure; the first part is when brands invite their audience to help create the content- crowdsourcing, the second part is engagement. Some brands have allowed their fans/followers to "unlock" certain perks, deals, etc. when they retweeted certain tweets. This drives engagement from their audience and gets people talking. Many brands use hashtags on social media to filter conversations and drive awareness. This is a big trend in digital marketing. 
3. Personalized content marketing. As the way to create and deliver more personalized content becomes more mainstream/easier, we will see more brands doing this. It helps build customer relationships and makes consumers feel more loved, which makes them more brand loyal. For example, Travelocity has posted ads of their mascot holding a sign with a traveler's name and it linked to their favorite destination. 
4. Social media and video stars become assets. Brands all over the world are starting to use stars from YouTube, Vine, and other social media. Stars like Michelle Phan and Bethany Mota are getting endorsement deals from various companies (though, not together); Vine stars Robby Ayala and Zach King have been featured in a TV ad for HP. They connect well with Millennials and so their influence is heavy with a demographic many marketers have trouble with. 
5. Videos will be more about the message and less about the time length. We have seen a big swing in trends with video. In the past, a big emphasis was put on how long a video was; however, with the success of Instagram video and Vine, we now see it's okay to have very brief video formats. Consumers like videos as short as 6 seconds and as long as 7 minutes, as long as the content is worth it, it is great to watch. YouTube for business and social media for business are two, awesome formats for businesses to use. 
6. Content will be curated live & via signals. What people are talking about on social media, from what they are doing, what they are thinking, etc. can be used by brands to create content that matches the messages. Budweiser had a hashtag #FriendsAreWaiting to promote responsible drinking and connected with Twitter users who were talking about drinking, going to bars, and partying. 
7. Content will be aimed at conversion. No more content that is purely informational and aimed at one, niche area. Content will start to be connected to many parts of the purchase funnel. Content will be used to drive sales and also build brand awareness; this is a trend in web design, too. 

There are many more amazing trends on the horizon. Is your brand eager to connect with more consumers and in a more meaningful way? Then email Integraphix about improving your creative marketing efforts. 

Which Music Streaming Services Attracts the Most Millennials?

Appealing and drawing in consumers can be a tough gig for services for music streaming sites; music streaming services are abundant and it can be hard to know which one is the most successful, especially when you consider demographics such as millennials. This demographic is famous for its purchase power, influence, ability to change their minds, and adaptability. That's what makes this demographic so wonderful, yet challenging, for marketing agencies to market to, including our Chicago marketing company.

Pay attention, brands, as this information is pertinent knowledge if you plan on airing radio advertisements, or any digital advertisements that have to do with music, really. 

Pandora Radio is the winner of the major music streaming services: Pandora, Spotify, iTunes Radio, iHeartRadio, and Beats Music. Pandora Radio has a total of 250 million users listening every month, the second place finishers is Spotify, with 60 million users. iTunes, iHeart, and Beats all finish behind Pandora and Spotify.

When it comes to Millennials, Pandora has 34.6 million of this demographic tuning in. Spotify has a far distant market share of 15.8 million Millennials, iHeart Radio has 9.6 million, iTunes Radio has 8.6 million, and Beats Music has a low 3.0 million.

This means that brands that are considering internet radio ads as a way to appeal to Millennials, they need to air on Pandora and even Spotify. However, if budgets restrain airing ads on one of the services, the data points to which one is the better choice. As a Chicago internet marketing agency, we have indeed seen great ROI for many brands that air Millennial-targeted ads on Pandora.

In addition to knowing where the target market is, it is important to know the purchase consideration within the services from the consumers; these numbers indicate the purchase consideration for both the music aired and the services/products featured in ads.

• Pandora - 41% of listeners
• Spotify- 15.3%
• iHeart - 12%
• iTunes - 15%
• Beats - 1.5%

Is your business considering airing ads over music streaming services? Then email Integraphix - a Chicago creative marketing company - and see how our creative teams can help your business appeal to your target market!