1. Copyright

A copyright is one of the most commonly used types of intellectual property, which protects the original work of the creator. This covers a wide spectrum of mediums including paintings, illustrations, photos, music, apps, books, movies, and much more. This isn’t something you need to apply for, it’s something you obtain automatically. You can do this by marking your work with the © symbol. This will legally protect your work from people copying it, redistributing it for free or for profit, making adaptations of your work, or displaying your work publicly.

2. Trademark

   A trademark is simply any symbol, design, or phrase that’s used to identify a service or goods coming from a specific source. There are two categories of trademarks: registered and unregistered. Both of these trademarks are protected by law, but federally registered trademarks have a wider range of protection. You can trademark copy, audio, colors, smells, motion graphics, logos, and much more. Trademarks are protected for up to 10 years.

3. Trade Secrets

Have you ever wondered what the Colonel’s secret fried chicken recipe is? I bet you have, but unfortunately for us, that’s a trade secret. A trade secret is a piece of information that the owner classifies as legally confidential. This includes a broad range of information, including info that gives its owner a competitive advantage due to its limited availability to the public.

4. Design Rights

A design right protects key attributes of a product or article that are specific to its identity or appearance. Design rights are applied to a variety of products such as home goods, handcrafted items, containers, furniture, jewelry, electronic devices, and much more. A great example of this would be a Dyson vacuum. Both the technology and design are protected so the structure, aesthetic, and functionality are all unique to that company.

5. Patents

Have you ever had a great idea for a product, just to realize that someone has already beat you to it and patented it? The patent can prevent you from coming out with a product closely mimicking another because it protects and registers inventions and makes it illegal for anyone to make or sell the said invention without the owner’s consent. The invention must be new, inventive, and have industrial applicability.

It’s very important to know which of these specific types of intellectual property apply to you and your product, service, design, or invention. Being diligent about something like your company name or logo ahead of time can save you a lot of trouble down the road, so remember to always protect your work!

The post 5 Insights on Intellectual Property appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

We don’t need expensive cameras to take quality photos. Our cell phones can take such high-quality photos, and most people can’t tell if they are taken with a phone or professional photography equipment. The camera can’t do all the work, though.

There are a few key tips to keep in mind while you’re trying to capture that Kodak moment.

#1 — Light it Right

Lighting is one of the most important tools you can utilize when taking photos. An easy tip to remember is to ensure your subject isn’t backlit, and that the light is shining down on it directly or coming at it from an upper-diagonal angle. If the light hits it from the back, you’ll be left with a dark, indiscernible green smoothie bowl, which is social media blasphemy.

You can combat this in a few ways:

• The first way is to make sure your light source is coming from behind you (facing the subject).
• You can also take the photo in HDR mode.
• The third option is to fix it in post-production.

#2 — Shoot in HDR Mode

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. In HDR mode, the camera will typically take two, three, or more photos at different exposures in quick succession, and then blend them together into one image with detail in both highlights and shadow.

Smartphone cameras that have the HDR feature usually offer the option to switch the HDR setting to On, Off, or to set it to Auto-HDR. Having HDR set to “On” tells your phone to capture a high dynamic range image every time a photo is taken.

#3 — Understand Depth of Field

Creating depth of field with your phone camera is a really cool way to up your Instagram photo game. When you’re shooting, always take into consideration the foreground, middle ground, and background in relation to the subject of the photo.

Let’s say you’re taking a picture of a subject some distance away from you and you want the subject in focus and the background blurry — simply tap your subject and wait for a yellow square to appear. Shooting in portrait mode on your phone is a great way to effectively highlight the depth of field, too.

#4 — Learn the Rule of Thirds

Rule of thirds, also known as the golden grid rule, is a technique where a composition is aligned to a three-by-three grid.

By dividing a composition into three grids, we section it into nine imaginary rectangles with four intersections. The focus subject is aligned at one of the intersecting points or close to them. This creates an asymmetry in the composition.

In Settings, tap Camera, and then enable the Grid option. That’s all you have to do to turn the feature on! Your next step is to apply the concept: remember to put important things along the lines.

#5 — Have Fun With Camera Angles

Playing with unique angles can help your photos stand out and offer you a variety of options to choose from when it comes time to post. Angles can create the illusion of depth and height, making your images more interesting to look at, thereby generating more views.

TIP: Try lowering the angle to create a new perspective instead of shooting straight down.

#6 — Use Negative Space Appropriately

Negative space is the area surrounding the main subject in a photograph that is left unoccupied. Basically, it’s the space around the subject that helps define the positive space (or main focus).

Leaving a large amount of negative space in the photo can emphasize scale and simplicity, but make sure you are using it correctly.

TIP: If you’re trying to highlight the subject in the photo, make sure you’re taking the photo close up and filling the frame with the subject. This will reduce the surrounding negative space.

#7 — Tasteful Phone Editing

We could break down each category of editing you can utilize on your phone, but for simplicity’s sake, we want to highlight the three tools that can really elevate your photo:

1. Brightness: It’s always a safe bet to bump up the brightness a bit unless your photo is already over-exposed. Indoor lighting rarely provides you with adequate illumination for a decent photo.
2. Contrast: Adjusting the contrast ever so slightly helps to make the darks darker and the lights lighter. This can help your image appear less “flat.”
3. Saturation: Delicately increasing the saturation will help to bring out some of those vivid colors that poor lightning may have counterbalanced. Make sure to not overdo this one or you will end up with some radioactive colors.

With over 4.6 billion people around the world using social media, online engagement is higher than ever. That is why it is so important to have content that is not only engaging but aesthetically pleasing. Take each one of these tips into consideration the next time you are taking a photo with the intention to post and you’ll look like a pro in no time.

And the Mad Men Marketing production crews are always ready to step in and help elevate your content for you! So, are you ready to interact? If so, reach out to our team today by calling 904-355-1766!

The post 7 tips on taking better photos for social media appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

A thorough brand guideline or style guide is a must-have for any business, big or small. The purpose of a brand guideline is to break down your company’s personality and aesthetic in a document for other creatives to utilize.  By providing a comprehensive manual for designers to use, you can ensure that the message, tone, logo, and design elements are all used properly, thereby protecting the visual identity of your brand.

Let’s Break It Down

Brand guidelines cover seven key points:

• An Overview
• Mission Statement
• Logo Usage
• Color Palette
• Fonts
• Imagery
• Mockups

Overview

An overview is used to set the expectations for both your customers and your team. This is an opportunity for you to explain your business’s core values and history.  Ask yourself what values are unique to you and your business.

Mission Statement

A mission statement is essentially a brief explanation of the organization in terms of why and how you do what you do.  It’s important to explain your purpose and overall intention while supporting your vision and direction.  The main two questions to ask yourself while writing a mission statement are: “What is our company’s purpose?” and “Why does our company exist?

 Logo Usage

Designers create logos to be used in a variety of ways, and people without the proper experience or knowledge can easily use a logo incorrectly.  It’s important to provide a detailed visual breakdown of how to use different variations of a logo, the correct use of different background colors, and proper margins surrounding the logo.

Color Palette

Consistency is key when it comes to your color palette.   It may not seem that important, but repeated usage of specific colors is key when it comes to brand recognition.  Companies like Google and UPS are immediately recognizable due to their color palette. The more people can recognize your brand, the more effective your advertisements can be.

Fonts

The consistency and variety of fonts are just as important as the color palette.  In your brand guidelines, you want to display each font your brand uses, along with their font family (variety of weights the font offers). A good rule thumb is to utilize two to three fonts — one for headers, one for body copy, and one for your logo (which may be one of the previous two).

Design Elements

When designers create a brand, specific design elements other than the logo are created to help with visual recognition. Whether it’s a specific shape, background, texture, pattern, or illustration, having consistent imagery will help consumers link visuals to your brand, making them more likely to interact.

Mockups

Providing a visual representation of how you utilize the brand is key.  This is usually in the form of business cards, letterhead, apparel, and other swag. This gives anyone looking at your brand guideline a cohesive snapshot of how your company visually promotes itself in various ways.

The post Brand Guidelines 101 appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

• • Choose a space that is well-lit with as little background noise as possible.
  • Avoid spaces where you will be back-lit, such as sitting in front of a window or a lamp, as this could cause you to be silhouetted and difficult to see. Position yourself to keep your main light source in front of you.
  • Also, avoid spaces where there would be distracting clutter in the shot.

2. Framing your shot

• • Position the camera at your eye level to avoid shooting yourself at high or low angles, and keep yourself centered in the frame.
  • Use a tripod to keep your camera steady. Some selfie sticks come with a built-in tripod. If you don’t have this equipment available, then propping up the phone on a flat surface can work.

3. Front or back-facing camera

The back-facing camera on your phone will provide higher quality video due to a better lens and higher megapixels. But if you prefer to be able to see yourself as you shoot, then you can use the front-facing camera.

KEEP IN MIND: As you’re shooting, keep eye contact with the lens as if it’s the person you’re talking to.

4. Hitting the record button

• • Give yourself a couple of seconds after you hit the record button to start talking. This will give the final video editor room to splice in your video and transition between others.
  • Be sure to smile before you start talking and after you finish.
  • Speak clearly and avoid muttering or trailing off as you talk.

5. Some more helpful tips

• • Keep water on hand (but make sure you can’t see it in the shot) for when your mouth or throat get dry.
  • Avoid wearing jewelry that can make noise, like bangled bracelets.
  • Don’t be too hard on yourself. Most people get nervous being on camera and it can take multiple tries to get it right!

The post 4 Tips for Shooting Video of Yourself on Your Phone appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Step 1: Know Yourself

Before you choose a font, it’s important to have a solid understanding of your brand’s identity.

Every brand has a personality. Coming up with a few adjectives that describe your business’s character is a great place to start:

• Bold
• Helpful
• Caring
• Serious
• Adventurous
• Imaginative
• Youthful
• Playful
• Vibrant
• Energetic
• Reliable
• Whimsical
• Masculine
• Feminine
• Innovative
• Calm
• Luxurious
• Elegant
• Humorous
• Glamorous
• Healthy
• Old-Fashioned
• Kind
• Light-hearted
• Witty
• Tough
• Sexy
• Authoritative
• Quirky
• Smart

Step 2: Font Psychology

Fonts are broken up into different categories with different aesthetic traits. This is known as “Font Psychology.” Review each font classification and see which one fits your brand most appropriately.

• Serif: Classic, traditional, elegant
• Sans-Serif: Clean, modern, minimalistic
• Slab-Serif: Strong and adventurous
• Script: Chic and exclusive
• Handwritten: Creative and Informal
• Decorative: Unique and stylized

Step 3: Licensing

Not all fonts are free, so it’s important to figure out how you will source your fonts before making the final decision.

Free font resources: 

• Google Fonts
• Dafont
• Font Squirrel

These resources may be free, but free resources usually lack diversity in weight throughout the font family.

Paid font resources:

• Adobe fonts
• Envato Elements
• LinoType

Paid fonts give you more versatility with your designs in that they offer fonts that have a variety of weights (thin, book, normal, semi bold, bold, and black).

Step 4: Find a pairing

Now that we have identified our font classification, it’s time to mix and match. Having a secondary font option can help with visual hierarchy and diversify your brand’s look.

Always make sure to test your font pairings out in real situations to ensure they work well. Don’t forget to make sure your font licensing is covered in all implementations (websites, packaging, print, etc.)

The post Finding the Best Front for Your Brand appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

In 1947, psychologist Carl Jung posed the theory that 12 essential characters exist in everyone’s unconscious mind, each one battling for dominance.  Since then, marketing experts have utilized this theory, stating that each brand fits into one of the 12 archetypes or “characters.”

These characters are all based on universal patterns of behavior that everyone can instinctively relate to. The following human desires each match with a specific character or “archetype”:

• Power = The Magician
• Mastery = The Hero
• Liberation = The Outlaw
• Freedom = The Explorer
• Understanding = The Sage
• Safety = The Innocent
• Intimacy = The Lover
• Enjoyment = The Jester
• Belonging = The Everyman
• Innovation = The Creator
• Control = The Ruler
• Service = The Caregiver

The Outlaw

The outlaw archetype tends to be disruptive, rebellious, and combative. This is the type of brand that attracts people who like to live life on the edge, encouraging revolution and empowerment. Harley Davidson motors is a great example of an Outlaw.

Related Industries: Automobiles, Tools, & Apparel

The Magician

The Magician is a reassuring archetype that wants to make your dreams come true. They want their customers to feel like anything can happen and that one is only limited by their imagination. A perfect example of this would be Disney.

Related Industries: Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Cosmetics

The Hero

The Hero archetype is honest and brave. They have the determination and desire to make the world a better place. Businesses like Nike and FedEx lean towards the Hero archetype due to their motivation to prove their worth.

Related Industries: Sportswear, Outdoor Equipment, Trade Services

The Lover

The Lover archetype can be sensual and soothing, seeking pleasure from the experience of intimacy. Some brands that relate to this are Victoria’s Secret and Chanel.

Related Industries: Cosmetics, Wine, Food, Travel

The Jester

The Jester archetype is the playful, fun-loving optimist. The Jester is all about living life in the moment and ensuring that the people they surround themselves with are as happy as they are. Some great examples of companies that utilize this persona are M&Ms, Old Spice, and Dollar Shave Club.

Related Industries: Beer/Liquor, Child Services

The Everyman

The Everyman archetype is authentically humble and friendly. They don’t like to stand out from the crowd, so they seamlessly blend in to society. They tend to be very positive due to their need to fit into a group. Target and Ikea are both great examples of brands that fall under the Everyman category.

Related Industries: Foods, Home & Family Life, Apparel, Automobile

The Caregiver

The Caregiver archetype has a warm and caring personality. They are often thought of as maternity figures due to their need to protect others. Toms and UNICEF both have brands that make them perfect caregivers.

Related Industries: Elder Care, Non-Profits, Hospitals, Education

The Ruler

The Ruler archetype has a very refined and commanding presence.  Above everything else, the ruler needs control.   They can be considered intimated at times due to their authoritative actions.  These brands consider themselves to be the best of the best and want their customers to feel the same way. Mercedes-Benz and Rolex are both obvious Rulers in their industry.

Related Industries: Luxury Automotive, Watch Manufacturers, Hotels,  Formal wear

The Creator

The Creator Architype tends to be provocative and inspirational, always wanting to create something incredible.  Imagination and creative expression are two things they value the most. Lego, Apple, and Adobe are all great examples of creator brands.

Related Industries: Arts, Design, IT, Marketing, Writing

The Innocent

The Innocent archetype is always humble and honest. They have a positive view of life due to their inherent optimism. Companies like Dove and Aveeno would be considered Innocent brands.

Related Industries: Beauty & Skin products, Fresh Food, Cleaning Supplies

The Sage

The Sage archetype is knowledgeable and understanding. They seek truth above all else and want to share their knowledge with the world. Examples of sage-like bands would be Google and the University of Oxford.

Related Industries: Media & News, Schools & Universities, Educational Businesses, Search Engines

The Explorer

The Explorer Archetype is exciting and fearless. They have very daring personalities and don’t like to be pinned down. They love to push themselves out of their comfort zones and are on a constant road of discovery. Patagonia, North Face, and Jeep are all true Explorer brands to the core.

Related Industries: Extreme Sports, Outdoor equipment, Automotive, Travel

You may be wondering if your archetype is that of your customer or that of your brand, and the simple answer is both. Archetypes represent all personalities.  First, we must figure out your customers’ personalities and then tailor your brand to the archetype that is most attractive to your customer base. Define your character and begin your story!

The post Brand Archetypes 101 appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Namely, in the below blog we explore the wage gap, intersectionality, and more.

After all, without first identifying and acknowledging the existing obstacles to women in the workforce, we’ll never be able to truly overcome them.

The Basics of Wage Inequality

The matter of wage inequality has been both acknowledged and debated for decades, but the needle has remained relatively slow to move. Thankfully, it has not stopped moving altogether.

“In 2020, women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings that were 82 percent of those of male full-time wage and salary workers,” the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2021. “In 1979, the first year for which comparable earnings data are available, women’s earnings were 62 percent of men’s.”

Based on the aforementioned information, we can begin to see how, over time, the wage gap has begun to close. That being said, workplace equality cannot be deemed “achieved” until that gap no longer exists.

Moreover, the wage gap between men and women is varied — and further exacerbated — by a woman’s racial identity, meaning we need to take an intersectional approach in studying and remediating this nuanced obstacle.

The Matter of Intersectionality

“There has never been a time in this country when there has not been a wage gap that exists along intersecting gender and racial lines,” the Center of American Progress affirmed in an article exploring the depths of the wage gap with regard to women of color.

For example, the following breakdown of women’s earnings according to their identified ethnicity has been calculated by the American Association of University Women (AAUW):

Women’s Earnings as a Percentage of White Men’s Earnings, by Race/Ethnicity

• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino — 79%
• Black or African American — 63%
• American Indian and Alaska Native — 60%
• Asian — 87%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander — 63%
• Hispanic or Latino origin — 55%

With these numbers broken down so plainly, it’s easy to see how workplace inequality is not merely a matter of gender. Consequently, even if the wage gap were to eventually close between white women and men, there is no guarantee that women of color would be able to catch up at the same time.

The Introduction of the Broken Rung

You’ve heard of the glass ceiling, but have you heard of the broken rung?

Simply put, the broken rung theory applies to the specific phenomenon wherein women are less likely to obtain promotions that lead them up the leadership ladder in their workplace(s).

What’s more? It starts at the very bottom and continually narrows as it goes up, making a woman’s first few years in an entry-level position critical.

“Women continue to face a broken rung at the first step up to manager: for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 86 women are promoted,” as reported in McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace report for 2021. “As a result, men outnumber women significantly at the manager level, which means that there are far fewer women to promote to higher levels.”

With all this being said, we have to acknowledge that this is by no means a comprehensive review of the facts, figures, and realities of workplace inequality.

We have not yet addressed motherhood, for example, as a driving force behind these disparities, among other variables. However, we do hope to slowly and systematically take a look at these matters, in addition to the personal stories of leading women in our communities.

So, do you have a story you’d like to share with S.H.E. Matters?

Is there a resource or organization you believe deserves more attention?

Or do you know an incredible woman who has more than earned the spotlight on her accomplishments?

We’d love to hear from you.

Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!

The post Workplace Inequality 101: An Introduction to S.H.E. Matters appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Oh, how memes have changed in such a short amount of time. But even as memes are largely associated with the internet, can we really say that they’re actually… new? After all, where did memes even come from? And when?

And, more importantly, how do they factor into your marketing strategy?

The Origin of the Word “Meme”

To find the original origins of our modern memes, we’re going to have to turn around and take a look at Greece. In fact, we’ll be glancing all the way back to Plato and Aristotle, who first coined and defined the term “mimesis” as a concept by which art is imitated, re-represented, or essentially copied.

Generally speaking, this theoretical principle is used primarily in the field of humanities. But not only is mimesis used as a way of describing the anthropological transfer of visual art concepts, it has since branched out and also become prominent in the study of literary criticism.

But how, then, did this seemingly-academic Greecian concept evolve into internet memes as we know them today?

Simple — from mimesis we have the word “mimeme,” or simply, “something which is imitated.”

Then, in 1976, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins published The Selfish Gene, a book from which we can trace back the initial establishment of the word “meme.”

In an effort to describe the proliferation of ideas and trends in a manner similar to that of genetics, Dawkins shortened the term “mimeme” to “meme” so that it would sound closer to the word “gene.”

Thus, he defines a meme as a unit of cultural transmission or imitation.

“Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches,” Dawkins explains. “Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation.”

The 21st Century Meme

With Richard Dawkins, the term we know so well today was officially coined. But the next question, then, is how did it diffuse and become all but synonymous with global virality?

Well, the advent of the internet not only expedited the process by which memes are spread from one individual to another, but the use of memes on social media platforms fundamentally changed the very definition of what a meme is.

“[Internet memes] often take the form of pictures, videos, or other media containing cultural information that, rather than mutating randomly, have been deliberately altered by individuals,” according to Britannica. “Their deliberate alteration, however, violates Dawkins’s original conception of memes.”

Despite this deviation, however, Dawkins himself has affirmed that, while the modern definition of the word “meme” is no longer an exact match to his original 1976 definition, it is still similar enough in that his original premise still concluded that a meme is “anything that goes viral.”

In fact, the final chapter of The Selfish Gene features a passage in which Dawkins uses the metaphor of a virus in order to describe the way a meme functions and is transmitted.

Enter: Marketing with Memes

Okay, so we just recounted historical origins and semantic variations regarding the word “meme.”

But what does this all mean for your company?

“Memes work for brands because they’re designed specifically for social platforms and provide value through entertainment,” Forbes states. “Memes aren’t overly promotional — they make people laugh with a casual reference to your brand.” 

In other words, entertainment breeds engagement.

And not only are today’s memes inherently designed to be entertaining but, as memes exist based on the basic premise of imitation and recreation for cultural purposes, they can remain in circulation for long periods of time, thereby enhancing your brand awareness and generating earned media when one’s audience is engaged correctly.

The key, then, is defining what the “correct” usage of memes involves. After all, in order to stay trendy, social media managers and marketers need to:

• Be cognizant of the high rate of meme turnover when strategizing social calendars
• Keep up with breaking news and use emerging memes in a timely manner
• Mind their audience in terms of their interests and demographics
• Be relatable rather than blatantly sales-oriented, particularly for Gen Z and younger Millennials
• And more

Now, is that a lot to take into consideration? Absolutely.

But don’t worry,  you don’t have to struggle to stay afloat in the flood of memes and internet trends. Rather, you can pass that responsibility on to the professionals you trust.

Namely, you can pass it to Mad Men Marketing!

Here at Mad Men Marketing, we are rooted in the belief that brands should interact with their customers, not interrupt them. And what better way to integrate that mindset into your strategy with memes? That’s why our team features social media aficionados and research experts who can help you stay on top of the ever-changing landscape of social strategy and trending memes.

So, if you’re ready to learn more, contact Mad Men Marketing today by calling (904) 355-1766!

The post The History of Memes and Why We Use Them in Social Marketing appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

We understand. While owned media and paid media certainly offer their own benefits and have their own place within a multifaceted marketing strategy, there’s another ultimate form of media that brands are constantly chasing after… and possibly without even knowing its name.

Specifically, we’re referring to earned media.

The Ins-and-Outs of Earned Media

Simply put, “earned media” is any kind of publicity you and/or your brand receives without having to create or pay for it on your own. In other words, that five-star Yelp review? That public praise you were tagged in on Facebook? A passing recommendation of your business from one friend to another by word of mouth?

Those are all examples of earned media.

What’s more, earned media is becoming increasingly commonplace given the continual broadening of the internet, social media platforms, and the overarching globalization of today’s market.

And for you, that means more opportunities to convert customers. In fact, not only do 83% of online audiences trust their peers’ digital recommendations more than that of advertisers’, but “25-40% of all traffic and lead generation comes from earned media,” as reported by Newswire.

How Earned Media Is Earned

“Great,” you may be thinking. “Earned media sounds fantastic but how do I, well, earn it?”

Allow us to present you with a few key methods:

1. Develop Exciting Content — When you have cohesive, catchy, and reliable content to share with your audience, chances are they’ll want to share it to their own stories and with their own friends.Specifically, “shareable content tends to be either really useful or really funny, and in the form of a list, infographic, or video,” as suggested by Hubspot. Whether you’re taking a public stand on an issue, unveiling a new innovative product, or simply rebranding for the coming year, you’ll always have the opportunity to develop increasingly exciting content.
2. Engage Your Audience — While content provides you with a polished brand presence from the outside, developing your leads from the inside via engagement is what will garner trust.By responding to and interacting with your audience on your website and social media platforms, you can further build a positive brand reputation that is worthy of more attention. In some cases, this may also include capturing the attention of influencers. Beware, however, as the trick is figuring out how to gain the influencer’s endorsement without handing over a significant sum of money.
3. Attend Live Events — By attending events that are relevant to your brand and industry, you can provide yourself with the opportunity to more literally and physically interact with potential leads.Try posting photos and videos to your Instagram story in real-time, tagging on-site advocates and attendees, spotlighting your company culture, and generally putting a face to your overall brand name. The more personalized you can make your brand, the more likely your audience is to trust you, gravitate toward you, and pull their network along with them.

Of course, these three methods aren’t necessarily the end-all-be-all for any one business. But they’re three distinct ways of building your brand’s voice and angling it in a way that individuals are more likely to take note of you.

Earning Made Easy

Developing a strategy for earned media is as helpful as it is challenging. After all, when you’ve effectively earned public attention without spending so much as a dime, you know your overall business is generating both effective products/services and an authentic presence.

The obstacle, though, is determining how to get there.

“When asked to identify the top three biggest challenges in implementing an earned media strategy,” Cision explained, “60 percent of marketing/communications professionals chose identifying and connecting with key influencers, 52 percent chose measuring financial impact of programs/prove ROI and 42 percent chose creating compelling content.”

But don’t worry — before you begin sweating over the small details, we want to remind you that you never have to develop, implement, or coordinate such a strategy on your own.

Not when you have Mad Men Marketing on your side, at least.

Our team understands that your focus should be trained solely on your existing responsibilities as a leader and entrepreneur. Thus, our services are specifically designed to offer you more than mere media management; namely, we provide creative digital campaigns, social media strategies, research-driven results, and more!

So,  are you ready to interact? If so, reach out to Mad Men Marketing today by calling 904-355-1766.

The post Marketing Methods And The Merit Of Earned Media appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

The math is simple: Free Content + Premium Content = The Freemium Model.

In other words, freemium content utilizes a two-tiered conversion strategy aimed at targeting new leads with free content and/or services. This is because, by offering your audience access to your product with no strings attached, you can continually build trust with them — thereby optimizing your ability to retain their loyalty long-term.

What’s more, once they’ve gotten a taste for your free content, the key is to pique their interest with an enhanced or expanded version of those products, services, or content available only when they take the next step with their wallet.

“Because free features are a potent marketing tool, the model allows a new venture to scale up and attract a user base without expending resources on costly ad campaigns or a traditional sales force,” as explained by the Harvard Business Review.

In other words, freemium content is all about strategically dangling the carrot in front of your audiences’ noses in an effort to lower your overall customer acquisition cost (CAC).

Finding Today’s Freemium Models

“Successful freemium apps offer continuously evolving content or services to provide value to users and to encourage engagement and monetization,” Apple reports on their App Store website. “Engaged users sometimes move quickly through content, and planning and resources are required to keep the pipeline full.”

Thus, one prime example of a freemium model in today’s market would be that of Spotify.

Providing users with a wide, nearly unlimited library of music and podcasts across all genres and industries, Spotify is arguably one of the most widely accessed music streaming apps across the globe today.

Of course, you can always use Spotify for free, in which case you’re provided with the same general services — like content access, discovery tools, playlist creation capabilities, and even music blacklisting options — as with Spotify Premium.

The drawbacks? Users can’t endlessly skip songs, download content to listen to offline, avoid annoying ads, or further customize their unique Spotify algorithms.

They can, however, do all of those things with Spotify Premium — which makes it entirely unsurprising that it has over 155 million paying subscribers today.

Fitting Freemium Into Your Marketing Plan

If freemium sounds like a fresh and flexible new model for your business, the only question, then, is how best to effectively integrate it into your marketing strategy.

After all, if you’re attracting plenty of new leads but are finding that few — if any — are paying for your premium services, you may be offering too much at the basic level, thereby dampening the allure of your higher-end product(s).

On the other hand, if you’re not attracting any new users at all, it’s time to reconsider what other boosts you can give to your basic offerings.

But don’t worry, if you’re struggling to find the best balance for your business, you don’t have to continue taking shots in the dark.

Here at Mad Men Marketing, we recognize that freemium content offers an excellent avenue for interacting with your audience, as opposed to interrupting them and consequently chasing them away. That’s why our team specializes in designing and developing a strategy in accordance with your business’s unique needs and goals — because, at the end of the day, conversion is key.

Effective freemium strategies are not far out of reach. To learn more about how our team can optimize your marketing model, contact Mad Men Marketing today by calling 904-355-1766!

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