Now more than ever, the process of choosing a college is rooted in digital marketing. As a prospective student, I was blasted with recruitment emails, targeted Instagram posts, and even Pandora radio ads. The sheer amount of content was overwhelming.  I was nowhere near a final decision on which school would be right for me.

A Critical Flaw

“The school will just feel right.”  I heard this phrase over and over again throughout my college search. Frankly, I thought only parents believed this outdated saying. Digital marketing made my decision process more dynamic than theirs – right?

Today, I recognize a critical flaw in the reliance on social media and online content in one’s college decision process. Social media does an exceptional job of showing us the good: what people want us to see. However, it is impossible to get a holistic view, or “feel” of anything solely through the screen of a device.

Austin City Limits

I attended an event at the University of Texas at Austin called “Best of Texas” during my senior year of high school.  Essentially, this was a massive marketing stunt – a weekend intended to persuade prospective students to accept their admission offers to UT. The Moody College of Communication held a luncheon in one of their buildings on campus. Here, the dean explained that we were eating in what was once the Austin City Limits Live studio, and that the school continues to work closely with the studio today. Sitting there opened my eyes to the opportunities that living in the city of Austin would provide. Here, I could envision a successful future for myself as a Texas Longhorn.

All One Could Truly Ask For

It is because of this experience that I stress the continued importance of traditional, in-person marketing in the college decision process. Visit a school that interests you. If you are still unsure, visit again – I did! Touring the campus and asking enrolled students about their experience first-hand allowed me to weigh pros and cons of the decision myself, not just with the help of an Instagram post.  I am beyond satisfied with my decision. My school pushes me to be the best version of myself, and that is all one could truly ask for.

Maybe it’s the arrival of new interns on the Porch or the fact that it’s graduation season, but I have been thinking a lot lately about marketing as a career and the things I’ve learned over the years.

So, in no particular order, here are a few things to remember as you try to make your mark on the world:

Strong writing skills make up the foundation of any marketer’s toolbox.

There are plenty of writing opportunities outside of copy writing that will come up, and you need to be ready. Marketing plans, proposals, key message development, talking points, and So. Many. Emails. – writing will be key to your professional life.

The industry you know now will change dramatically in ten years.

When I graduated from college, social media didn’t even exist. Now, my parents Facebook message me from Guam and I follow my little brothers’ dogs’ Instagram (Yes, @Berkeleytheyellowlab , has his own Instagram account.)

Don’t worry too much about keeping up – figure out what piques your interest and learn as much as you can about the topic. Not what you hoped for? That’s okay. Try out as many aspects of marketing as you can and see where you can add value.

It gets better.

Millennials are known for being super-confident and yet somehow, suffer from an epic case of Imposter Syndrome. We get it, you’ve got a lot of anxiety. The good news is, this too shall pass. The bad news is, it might take a while. Your twenties are a time of proving yourself, building a network, and acquiring new skills. And that can be a painful, stressful process.

But, one day, you will wake up in your 30s, and feel a sense of calm. You will still feel stress, but these worries won’t run around in your head like a demonic hamster. They will come, and they will go.

You’ll be the one writing a blog post on a Sunday night, with a to-do list a mile long and the laundry piling up. And you will know that you are exactly where you need to be.

Happy 2018, friends! March is underway – which marks our 7th in business! We have a rockin’ team and the most amazing, difference-making clients around. We couldn’t be happier to be where we are today. Bringing you our love and passion for marketing and branding is our mission!

So let’s get to it!

The marketing landscape is a dynamic animal, and in this competitive climate, staying on top of it is imperative. So far, this year we are seeing some definite shifts in the world of social media marketing, so without further ado, here’s the skinny:

7 Things to Know About Social Media Marketing in 2018

1. Free reach on social media is dwindling.

There is no doubt about it, organic free reach is in decline. Algorithms have shifted consumer reach and increased content competition has made break-through infinitely harder. Bottom line? Your social media efforts aren’t reaching as many people as before. Time to pivot. This shift will require you to be more thoughtful, create unique and curated content for each platform, and monitor your audience more than ever before.

2. There will be more focus on influencers.

Did you see our very own Tara Engelland’s blog about influencer marketing? If you missed it, you may not know that this word-of-mouth advertising is taking off. We know that consumers are increasingly making purchasing choices based on recommendations. Users with large followings on social media have the power to influence their online friends and followers, therefore, more and more businesses are forming strategic partnerships with these influencers to lead them in their direction.

3. Marketing is gearing towards millennials.

Most social media users are millennials (technically those born between 1980 and 2000). This generation relies heavily on social media to form and maintain relationships, get news and information, and research brands and products. Right now, this generation is coming of age – leaving home, graduating college, getting jobs, and earning their money and independence. Appealing to this demographic will be key going forward.

4. Mobile ready content is a must-have. 

Here are the numbers: more than 2½ billion people around the world are using smartphones, and 80% of social media users use them to access their platform of choice. So you do the math! The majority of online traffic now comes from mobile devices, so your social media marketing content has to be mobile ready.

5. Algorithms are making decisions. 

We. Are. Being. Watched. Online behavior is constantly being scrutinized and analyzed, and social media platforms are increasingly using algorithms to determine what content is most relevant to the end user. So how do we work alongside this technology? Study the algorithms closely and understand how they work.

6. Consumer data restrictions are getting tighter. 

Legislation such as the CAN-SPAM Act and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) leave marketers no choice but to offer transparency in their data collection. Use this opportunity to build trust in your brand: Ask consumers for relevant data with clear language addressing opting in.

7. Video marketing is here to stay.

Social media platforms are heavily focused on a video-first strategy, and it won’t be slowing down anytime soon. So jump on the video bandwagon!

Overwhelmed? Don’t be. This business is our business and we are here to help! Give us a call.

According to a 2016 Gallup Poll, Millennials have the lowest level of customer engagement across the industries that Gallup tracks. Gallup estimates that only “25% of millennials are fully engaged customers”, leaving brands to wonder how to engage the remaining 75%.

Gone are the days when when just posting and publishing frequently was enough. Now, with all the clutter on every form of social media, not only does your content need to be eye-catching, it also needs to be interactive and engaging.

As the younger generations shift their focus to work and individual production, their spending and buying habits shift as well. The Gallup Poll shows that while “71% of traditionalists and baby boomers consider themselves fully engaged with specific brands, only 53% of millennials and Gen Xers consider themselves fully engaged.”. Gallup further ranks each generation by their engagement, and found that “millennials tend to be more loyal and profitable when fully engaged,” as compared to other generations.

It is clear that if the success of a business relies heavily on millennials, understanding how to engage more than 25% of them is necessary for success. Even if a company relies on traditionalists and baby boomers for their profits, it is important to learn to adapt marketing plans as times change.

Consequently, companies need to strengthen their engagement and loyalty with millennials. Here are some tips.

Tips for Marketing to Millennials:

• Mobilize Your Efforts. 85% of Millennials use smart phones. Ensure your content is optimized for them.
• Think Like a Millennial. Understand what channels they frequent and how they interact on them. Make sure you are speaking to them and hitting all touchpoint.
• Content is Key. Give them valuable, interactive, meaningful, honest content about your brand and your story. Tell a story – millennials want to engage.
• Listen and Adjust. Listen to what they are saying, and be flexible and ready to adjust your plan when necessary.

Ensure your business isn’t missing this important millennial demographic. We here at Front Porch Marketing are ready to help!