Feeling festive with the John Lewis ad

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The much-anticipated annual John Lewis Christmas Ad has finally aired. The release of the much-loved advert is often used as an indicator to start getting into the festive spirit, and a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner with its release about six weeks prior to the big day.

This year, John Lewis follows the story of Sir Elton John, beginning with him nostalgically playing his big hit ‘Your Song’ on his piano. It traces back in time through his concerts, 80’s dressing rooms, hippy campervans, and school performances to the Christmas in which he received his first grand piano. With the message ‘some gifts are more than just a gift’.

Some reviews such as the Guardian and The Drum have raised concerns that the company’s use of a celebrity marks a shift from creative and heart felt Ad’s and towards the simplicity of ‘star-power’.

However, at Smart Cow, we admire the use of using a national treasurer singing his emotional song as it brings people together through engaging on social media platforms. It gets everyone in the festive mood. The John Lewis advert is always going to have people rushing to Twitter and other social media platforms to share their opinions. The #EltonJohnLewis hashtag has been trending, allowing people to be a part of the conversation whether that be their love for Christmas, music or for Elton John.

At Smart Cow we loved the advert and it has put us all in a very Christmassy mood! Thanks to the John Lewis Ad it’s got us all inspired to start unpacking the tinsel and getting the halls all decked ready for Christmas!

Make up

Avon sharing

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Perhaps the phrase ‘Avon calling’ is something for a certain generation here at the Smart Cow office, but with a quick google of the term then you’ll see a raft of adverts from the iconic Mad Men era of the 1950’s. The company itself is over 130 years old and now pitting itself against the big players to keep its place in the beauty market. The Drum magazine has recently interviewed the company to find out how it is rebranding itself for the Instagram generation to compete for its market share.

So, how has a brand synonymous with door to door selling entered the digital age? An app for starters. Potential customers can connect with a representative via the app.  Avon is taking on the Instagram influencers and creating its own bank through its representatives. Take a look at the full article in The Drum.

We certainly think this is a genius move and makes absolute sense. The door to door salesman is now our social media networks.

If you’re looking for some help with your digital marketing strategy and using social media, then get in touch with us to chat through your idea.

Digital marketing tips for the construction sector

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Digital marketing can help raise awareness about your construction business through timely and newsworthy content, social media and email marketing.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO is a collection of different ways to boost your website to be found easier on a search engine. It means creating fresh content full of key words relating to your sector, from ‘construction’, ‘contracting’, ‘contractor’ #constructionsite’ through to specialism such as ‘scaffolding’, ‘mechanical”, “electrical’ etc. It is also important for small businesses to create a catchment area, this is key to being recognised on a search engine in relation to the location, so be sure to add in areas such as Surrey and Croydon and share images and case studies of the work you have completed in the area. As an inbound marketing agency, SEO is something we’re proficient in so for more details get in touch.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

The online construction market is very competitive so what often comes with SEO is investment in a Pay Per Click campaign. This means you pay to have tailored campaigns which appear as ads on a search engine or social media platform of your choice when you have used specific keywords that your potential customers are using. What this does is allow a wider audience to visit your website which in time helps with SEO and improvement in search rankings. We can make these campaigns specific to your construction business in Surrey, Croydon and the surrounding areas.

Social Media Marketing

There are many social media channels out there all with millions of users, so it is important to start engaging on some of these platforms. Having a social media account allows you to engage with potential clients. For a construction firm we would suggest a focus on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Email Marketing

Email marketing can help keep your customer base informed of services. Email marketing is looked at as being out dated and inefficient, however it seems to be the leading source of revenue for companies, so be sure to consider its benefits for your business. At Smart Cow we use Constant Contact as a way of distributing email marketing.

Digital Marketing in Construction Industry 

For more insight and guidance into digital marketing in the construction industry get in contact with Smart Cow via our website and find out what we can do for you construction business

Raising brand awareness on social media

Raising brand awareness on Instagram

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Instagram is a social media platform where you can share photos and videos about your business to your audience. Photos and videos are quick to convey messages, and easily understood by everyone; as the famous saying goes: ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ Instagram allows you to like posts, so getting your audience to follow, engage and like your posts will increase brand awareness, giving your business the boost, it needs.

We’ve complied five top tips on how to increase your like ratings:

1. High quality photos/videos! The main purpose of Instagram is sharing photos and videos, so of course take time in choosing and editing what to post. Instagram has an edit option before you post. Make sure they are looking good and relevant to your business. Typing ‘photo editor’ into your Appstore will give you hundreds of editor app options.

2. Attention grabbing captions! Once the post entices people in, the next thing to look at is the caption. Make sure that it is clear and interesting to read, perhaps giving context to the photo/video, or directing your audience to the ‘bio’ for a link to your webpage.

3. Use the hashtag! Hashtags mean your posts can reach out to a wider audience. When using a hashtag ensure that they are to the point, relevant to your post and you’re not overusing them.

4. Have a theme! When someone clicks on your profile they will see a grid of all your posts. Making sure your grid looks organised and has a nice aesthetic is appealing to people, and says a lot about your business in the way of co-ordination.

5. Post consistently – without being overwhelming. There is nothing worse then a feed being bombarded with posts from the same company. It is all about striking a balance and posting enough so people recognise and can engage with the post, but not too much that they unfollow you.

Hootsuite*, where we gained our inspiration for this blog, has many other tips on how to increase your Instagram likes and ways to get your business noticed.

Social media agency Croydon

If you need help with your social media marketing, get in touch with Smart Cow today! A reliable digital marketing agency in Croydon, helping you would be a pleasure.

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