Before you get started, figure out what you want to gain from social media marketing. Is it a way to be seen? Do you want your business more known? Do you wish to increase awareness of your brand? Or do you intend to attract new clients? Knowing precisely why you’re using social media will make tracking success and determining which tools are valuable easier.

2. Be patient

It takes time to build up a social media following, especially if you’re new to the game. So don’t get discouraged; expect roadblocks and plateaus as you work toward establishing a presence strong enough that people start coming in at a regular rate – and keeping them coming back once they’ve seen it! You may need to modify your material on a regular basis or adjust your marketing strategies before seeing results.

3. Treat social media like traditional marketing

Even if something is labeled “social media,” you can’t forget all of the basic marketing principles. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, make sure to establish an effective internet presence for your business by utilizing attention-grabbing headlines and succinct text. When it’s possible, include photos even with links. Also keep in mind that social media is interactive, so be responsive when people interact with you through the sites’ tools. This means replying courteously and professionally if consumers have inquiries, complaints, or compliments – after all, they are your clients!

4. Make it easy for users to share what you publish

Make sure that what you’re promoting is actually shareable on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. It will not only increase the amount of exposure for your material, but it will also show that the information is worth sharing in the first place. Always have prominent social networking buttons when you create new content so that people may quickly spread the news about your company without having to make much effort on their part.

5. Be consistent

When it comes to posting on social media sites, each business type has its own criteria, but there is one rule that holds true across the board: be consistent so consumers know what to anticipate. Make a calendar of when and how often you’ll post material, offer visitors with links to your social network accounts when they come to your website, provide them an idea of what kind of material you’ll publish in the future – and follow through!

6. Cross-promote

Consider promoting posts via newsletters or linking to them on your website if feasible. Consider utilizing social media in conjunction with traditional marketing tools such as TV commercials or billboards – even hiring actors who resemble your web persona! Also, consider cross-promoting with fellow business owners in the same sector by cross-promoting with one another.

7. Let influencers do some of the work

Influencer marketing is an effective strategy for boosting brand awareness and increasing sales. Because people tend to trust authoritative sources, it’s critical to have influencer marketing on your side. So why not let prominent social media figures do some of the legwork for you? Incentivize them to share links from your site with their followers and provide something in return, such as special offers or a sneak peek at a product release. Remember that influencers can be found all around—even at trade shows or community gatherings—so keep your eyes open!

8. Pay attention to trends

Everything changes on a daily basis, so keep up with the newest trends on social media (and beyond) to stay current. Keep track of hashtags and their popularity; if you’re not sure what a hashtag is or why it’s important, learn more about it. Then you can start utilizing hashtags in your posts when they’ve hit critical mass and gained momentum.

9. Keep an open mind and be honest about your mistakes

Nothing is flawless in this world, even internet marketing endeavors! Just keep in mind that if things don’t go exactly as planned, it does not imply that social media has failed you. A little openness may actually assist clients in understanding what went wrong and how you plan to correct it in the future.

10. Set goals in advance

Before attempting anything new in social media marketing, it’s important for company owners to define success in their own terms; after all, there are several ways to measure if an effort was a success or a failure. Putting up a photo on Instagram that receives 1,000 likes might be considered successful, but not if just 50 people click the link to your website as a consequence. To avoid any later disputes, consider how you’ll measure certain social media marketing objectives before devoting too much time and energy into any one strategy.

11. Test out new ideas

You may test a concept only if you believe it will work for you, so test it first! That may appear to be a no-brainer since marketers all over the world should at least pre-test their plan before finalizing anything, but it comes up again and again in social media discussions because it’s critical for success. So go outside of your comfort zone and see how things turn out; if it’s a complete failure, there’s no harm done!

Do you remember way back when your favorite social media platform was born? Instagram was created back in 2010, Facebook in 2004, LinkedIn in 2002, and Twitter in 2006. I’m sure you can imagine the metamorphosis these social media giants have gone through since their inception! 

Instagram 

With a strong start in 2010, Instagram was the leading photo-sharing app! With filters to perfect the look of your images and personal profiles that showed a snapshot of your life, Instagram quickly became a staple in growing businesses’ online presence.  

Now, Instagram profiles are carefully curated, planned, and edited to show only the most ideal snapshots of a user’s life or strong highlights of their business. With features such as reels, tap to shop, stories with polling options, and so much more – Instagram is a powerhouse when connecting with the world. Different profile types were rolled out and the age of influencers boomed!  

Including Instagram in your social media strategy is critical in reaching your friends, family, fans, and customer base! 

Facebook 

Kicking off in 2004, Facebook began as a way to connect with friends and family from around the world! Updating statuses and chatting with friends via PM was a quick form of entertainment after a long work or school day.  

Now, Facebook has changed its parent company name to Meta in order to host its family of products! Viral videos are still spreading like wildfire, advertising has reached a whole new level, and businesses are able to reach their customers/potential customers more efficiently than ever before with dozens of ways to run ads and hit target markets. 

Facebook is a huge tool in running your business on a digital scale, a great way to pull analytics, and strategize on how your campaigns should move forward!  

LinkedIn 

This professional networking platform, born in 2002, has now turned into one of the leading ways to search for open positions, connect with industry professionals, learn about trends in your chosen field, and so much more! There are so many features that will come in handy for use in your professional life, and tons of ways to soak in knowledge.  

Share informational articles, connect with companies you love, and learn about what they’re up to, and so much more – LinkedIn is a huge asset for any working professional and especially, any B2B company! 

Twitter 

Short snippets reign on this popular platform! Starting back in 2006, Twitter was the go-to place to update everyone about anything and everything – from the most life-altering moments to the most mundane of tasks. Originally with a character limit of 140, short snippets were all you could get out! 

Fast forward to 2021 where the character limit doubled to 280, and content is far-spreading from news, to trending videos, industry topics, and more. Have something groundbreaking to share? Twitter is the platform to announce it on! Perfect for news and other attention-grabbing pieces of content, including Twitter in your marketing strategy for 2022 could make your brand extraordinary. 

Social media is a huge asset when it comes to promoting your business and sharing what you’re all about! It’s crucial to not only include a robust social media strategy in your marketing plans for 2022 but to adapt to the new changes each platform brings throughout the year!  

Build your brand where the world is watching and call the social media experts at PMC Media Group! We’ll refresh your strategy and ensure that your digital footprint is impactful and always evolving with the times. Our strategists are ready to create! (401) 667-7777 https://pmcne.com/  

While browsing through websites it’s clear to see that they all differ in content, visuals, messaging, and the list goes on. There may even be different information that is displayed based on your latest location, browsing history, or even your most frequent purchases.  

Websites that contain dynamic content are known for having great engagement and high conversions. Based on analytics, this most likely means that it may be a hot trend moving forward into the new year. 

As popular and important as SEO is, we all know that voice commands work! Many of us who have a cell phone have some sort of voice command options (Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Google, and others…) to help us research, find the closest coffee shop, find the cheapest gas station, and even create our next shopping list. The most logical next step is to implement this technology into a website.  

For example, why not add a custom long-tail keyword or phrase within your business content that is based on how people speak rather than how they type. For example, “Where is the closest dry cleaners to my location?” vs. “cleaners near me”.  

Very similar to the voice optimization category, accessibility will be the next big thing. As web designers continue to enhance the UI/UX throughout each page, the page navigation options will become far more advanced than they currently are.  

These same designers will be able to customize page features that do not rely on keyboard functions, but rather use voice commands, virtual reality, augmented reality, and more. 

As time moves forward within the web and design world, the trends have started to move towards a more simplistic and elegant look and feel. With the coming year right around the corner, it is safe to say that the white space strategy has become the new norm.   

Dark mode is taking over screens across the globe. Not only does it feel like you gave your phone and applications a face lift, but it offers a fresh look opposed to the traditional colors and layout. The dark mode design also helps with eye strain for users and can highlight content and visuals easier. 

Do you know the percentage of people accessing your website through their mobile devices? 53%! Smartphones and tablets are taking over, and this information is vital to the web design community. The designing mobile-first mentality is a no-brainer. This focus is important to the structure and layout of upcoming websites.  

Dynamic scrolling means that your featured content is all contained within one page, vs having to access another page for the continued content. This is a great feature to be able to minimize any friction users may feel while browsing the site. 

Interactive is the new sliced bread, people cannot get enough of it. Whether it is used in a poll, a quiz, an online calculator, or any other type of tool, your users will become even more attracted to the website. This feature adds relevant, exquisite, and valuable interactive content for your audience. This will definitely become a part of the web design process for years to come. 

Patience is something that is diminishing within our society, we want everything now. About 20 years ago, we would have no problem for a website to load after 30 seconds. Now we want to pull our hair out if we must wait more than 5 seconds. Anything past 5 seconds will increase the bounce rate for a website. The recommended load time for a website should be around 2.4 seconds. This is something to think about while building and developing a new site. 

Staying relevant within your local community is crucial for many businesses. As 2022 comes around, it is recommended to have a strong local SEO. Any content and SEO keywords and phrases should have modifiers such as, “near me”, and “close by”. This will help with your local user’s Google searches tremendously.  

Less is More 

In previous years, we saw an increase in companies posting abundantly and frequently with little relevance and seemingly only to have their page at the top of their follower’s feed. 2021 went a little differently with brands taking the ‘less is more’ route and posting more purposeful and relatable content helping boost their engagement and following. In addition to less frequent posting, brands were producing ‘snackable content’ that can be easily seen and read while scrolling. “Snackable content can be in the form of photos, infographics, memes, gifs, short videos, and other formats, but essentially it is short, easy to digest, and able to be shared easily.” 

Virtual Reality

Although VR is not a new trend, it is a trend that is becoming more popular with brands, and it is here to stay. VR is a playground for consumers to step outside of their reality for an immersive and engaging experience. If done right, a brand can create an unforgettable experience leaving a lasting impression on the consumer without them having to put their phone or computer down.  

Ephemeral Content  

Although brands are focusing on ‘less is more’ on their feed, their stories are becoming more vital and beneficial. Brands are realizing that consumers experience FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) knowing that the stories will disappear in 24 hours, so engaging with stories is higher on their priority list than scrolling through their feed. In addition to the urgency ephemeral content brings, it also creates more relatable content. According to Strike Social “People like to buy things from people. Good ephemeral content is quickly produced and carries a very personal tone. The lack of polish makes it easier for people to identify with the content. Ephemeral content should be created quickly and inexpensively — so it’s effective and efficient.”  

Content Value over Production Quality 

While many businesses were forced to go remote in 2020, brands had to take new approaches and create new marketing initiatives that could be executed from the comfort of their own homes. At home “production” shoots became the new norm and were relatable to the millions of Americans who were also stuck working from home.  HubSpot’s Kelly Hendrickson explains “without a production studio or tons of equipment available, production value became a bit more lo-fi and, in the end, also a bit more human.” 

Shopping Features 

As mentioned above, Covid-19 forced companies to take their work home, resulting in their business being run completely online. Instagram and Facebook developed the ultimate convenience by offering shopping capabilities directly on their app. Consumers can now shop for products from posts immediately without leaving the app through Facebook Shops and Instagram’s shoppable posts.   

Influencer Marketing is Here to Stay 

Although not a new trend, influencer marketing is here to stay and thrive. Brands are not collaborating with the most famous influencers, but rather a group of smaller, more relatable, and niche influencers resulting in higher engagement and lower costs. According to Influencermarketinghub.com, “Investing in influencers is much cheaper than running paid ad campaigns and yet it delivers good results. Moreover, influencers can help marketers achieve a variety of marketing goals and not just generate leads.”  

If you’re looking to take your social media to the next level, contact the media experts at PMC Media Group today!  

PMC is ecstatic to be challenging ALS and making a difference in the lives of those impacted by this devastating disease. We are committed to doing #WhateverItTakes to raise money and awareness to support people right in our community living with ALS.  #TeamPMC has secured the ultimate soaker to soak our CEO – a dunk tank, and we’re inviting our clients and community to help dunk DJ! To help raise maximum awareness and donations, our team has created a sign-up page where you can donate and select one of PMC’s team members to make your throws to soak our CEO!  

The 1st Annnual ALS CEO Soak is a corporate version of the famous ALS Ice Bucket Challenge engaging corporate and higher education leadership to get soaked while raising funds and awareness for the ALS Association- Rhode Island Chapter! The funds raised during the CEO soak will help with patient care, research and advocacy – providing support for Rhode Island ALS Families.  

Come join us at 12pm noon on August 4th at our office on Main Street in East Greenwich, RI to SOAK OUR CEO! Visit our fundraising page to help support Rhode Island families living with ALS. 

Vehicle wraps are a relatively straightforward method of advertising.  You can add images, lettering, and other information to laminate, and then apply it to the vehicle.  If your business requires at least a few service vehicles, wrapping can help with brand recognition while helping customers know when your representatives have arrived.  Wraps can be applied to cars, large trucks, vans, or even boats.   Did you know that vehicle wraps generate on average 101 impressions per mile?  80% of people that see a vehicle wrap out on the road remember the brand/product! 

The Benefits:

1. Unlimited Exposure around town   

1. Attention Grabber – helps you stay top of mind   

1. Consumer Friendly – Advertising   

1. Advertise without effort  

1. Hard to Miss 

There are many benefits to having a wrapped vehicle, especially when paired with PMC’s creative touch.  We know that a campaign can only be as strong as the creative elements that drive it.  From the simplest logo design to the most comprehensive multi-channel campaign, we develop powerful visuals and thematically consistent messaging that work together to tell your story.  We strategically build a brand identity, using all internal and external communication channels to reinforce and strengthen your image in the market. 

PMC brings your brand to life, giving ideas wings, and getting you noticed.  We blend creativity with process-based development to deliver messages that resonate with your customers. On-time, on target, and within budget.  Get in front of customers with a strategically designed company vehicle by PMC!  Want to learn more or looking to get started on your vehicle wrap?  Contact PMC Media Group!  Call us today at 401-667-7777 or send us a message by filling out this form!

https://pmcne.com/design-portfolio 

As restaurants and stores slowly start to reopen, we see that it is possible to be innovative with the times to try and conduct business as usual. Although COVID-19 regulations and guidelines limit the number of people in one space, with the help of modern solutions, many people are turning to virtual options to hold their event. Read below to learn how you can have a successful event online!   

Transforming Your Event into a Virtual Event 

As the world continues to deal with the coronavirus, virtual events are getting more and more popular.  Many companies are now considering this option due to current circumstances and with available capabilities, it has never been easier to host a successful online event.  Virtual events can work well for a variety of industries of all different sizes, making the options available endless. Read below to learn how to get started! 

Can My Event Be Virtual? 

With many traditional events being postponed due to state and local government regulations, we offer a handful of solutions to host your virtual event, no matter what size! Whether you are a large trade show looking to offer an interactive experience with exhibitor booths or a fundraising event, PMC can guide you throughout each step to ensure a successful event.  

Below we have listed some event categories that can be translated on a virtual platform.  

• Trade Shows 
• Conferences 
• Workshops 
• Tutorials/Classes 
• Training Courses  
• Interviews  
• Webinars 
• Networking Events 
• Sales Event 
• Fundraisers 
• Fitness and Health 
• Open Houses 

Don’t see your category listed? Click here to schedule an in-person or virtual consultation with us so we can better evaluate your options!  

Promoting Your Virtual Event: 

Once we identify your goals for a virtual event, including the anticipated size, we determine the best platform to host your event.  

To get started, PMC will create a comprehensive marketing strategy to get the word out and target a list of prospective attendees. We also develop a healthy marketing mix that will include efforts that make the most sense for your event. This could include any combination of social media marketing, email marketing, media placements, digital advertising, print advertising, and more depending on your event. 

How to keep your audience engaged during a virtual event: 

Need help or assistance on having your virtual event stand out from the crowd? A great starting point is to create excitement before the virtual event within your audience. Send out a registration and agenda in advance. Another great way to keep your audience engaged during the virtual event is to develop an event community. An event community can help you create that sense of connection and engagement that you miss by not being in person. Engagement helps assist with accomplishing those larger goals and incentives as well. Some other additional recommendations can be as followed… 

• Involve your speaker and experts 
• Ask your attendees for feedback– Getting reviews in addition to feedback on how the overall event went will only help make improvements on your next event! It also makes the attendees feel like their opinion and voice matters.  
• Include Q&A’s– Another great way to analyze the overall success of the event and help tailor improvements for the next event!  
• Include incentives into your experience– if you have the availability to offer or provide your viewers/attendee’s with a “prize” or “reward” during your event, you can almost guarantee the engagement will increase all around 
• “Turn the community into a resource hub” 

How PMC Can Help 

When it comes to planning and hosting your virtual event, PMC has your covered! From creating a highly interactive virtual event, creating, developing, and maintaining a website for the virtual event, to generating a spectacular digital campaign, our team works hard to bring your virtual vision to life. We will coordinate all elements of the experiential marketing landscape to deliver a cohesive, consistent message that builds event awareness and drives engagement. 

Here are just some of the ways our team creates awesomeness around your virtual event:  

• Digital Marketing: Our approach to digital marketing combines a strong strategy and great creative with an unrivaled understanding of technology. Technology is always evolving, providing us with unlimited ways to communicate. Our team leverages this and constantly strategizes to break the analog mold. 
• Social Media: Our social media team develops and executes dedicated social media strategies for each of our clients. We take the time to understand your business and industry to create accurate and relevant content that resonates with your target audience. Looking beyond “likes” and “comments”, we determine when engagement becomes valuable to your business. 
• Creative Services: Great creative is where we begin. At PMC, we know that a campaign can only be as strong as the creative elements that drive it. From the simplest logo design to the most comprehensive multi-channel campaign, we develop powerful visuals and thematically consistent messaging that work together to tell your story. 
• Web Design & Development: We combine key elements to give your brand more validity. Our team of industry experts specializes in specific layouts and organizational strategies that always create a friendly experience for all visitors to your event’s website. Our team also specializes in search engine optimization and mobile responsiveness. 

Our team blends creative with process-based development to deliver assets and messages that resonate with your target audience. We bring virtual events to life! 

Want to learn more or looking to get started on your virtual event? Contact PMC Media Group! Call us today at 401-667-7777 or send us a message by filling out this form!

Reopening Rhode Island & Massachusetts 

In Rhode Island, Phase One of reopening began on May 9th, allowing some non-essential businesses to reopen. However, social gatherings are still limited to 10 people, and masks, vigilant hand-washing, and increased sanitization schedules must be maintained. All activities must account for the strong social distancing guidelines of remaining at least 6 feet apart. Some restaurants have also been able to resume dine-in services only outdoors as long as they are following strict capacity limits and social distancing guidelines.  

Phase Two will begin soon with more non-essential businesses reopening and more relaxed guidelines. Additional restaurants, retail stores, and close-contact businesses such as nail and hair salons may be able to reopen. Recreational activities will likely return with restrictions. 

In Phase Three, social gatherings will be limited to 50 people. Offices, restaurants, larger retail stores, and other businesses will lift some of the tightest restrictions to allow more people in at a time but will need to operate under long term safety guidelines. Older adults (aged 65+) will no longer be strongly encouraged to stay at home but will need to exercise significant caution in public. Lastly, working from home will still be encouraged, but more people will be allowed back into the workplace.  

As for Massachusetts, their plan to reopen is slightly different than Rhode Island’s.

Phase One in Massachusetts began May 18th, with manufacturing and construction businesses resuming normal operations. On May 25th, personal services, such as barbershops, hair salons, and pet grooming services will resume by appointment only. Exterior car washes will be permitted, and offices (with the exclusion of Boston) will be permitted to reopen but must be less than 25% of maximum occupancy. Work from home will continue to be strongly encouraged. Retail for remote services will resume, as well as curbside pickup options for many other stores. Beaches, parks, drive-in theatres, athletic fields, outdoor adventure activities, and most fishing, boating, and hunting reserves will resume with guidelines. On June 1st, some offices in Boston are to reopen, with guidelines and specific safety standards to follow. Facial coverings will be required in all public spaces. 

Phase Two in Massachusetts will begin no earlier than June 8th and will include the reopening of retail businesses, restaurants, hotels, nail salons, and day spas with restrictions.  Less urgent preventative health measures, like dentist offices, will reopen. Campgrounds, limited youth sports, playgrounds, and recreational day camps will also reopen with restrictions.  

Phase Three will begin no earlier than June 29th and will include the reopening of gyms, bars, casinos, and museums. Youth sports games and tournaments will be permitted, with limited crowd space.  

Phase Four will be the full resumption of normal activity. According to the governor, there is no expected date in mind for this phase yet. Large venues and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen, and professional sports will be able to resume with guidelines.  

How to Leverage Social & Traditional Media to Let Your Customers Know You’re Open 

Now that your business has reopened, it is time to enforce state-mandated guidelines and learn to navigate your new business model. In the midst of this, you must also be alerting your customers of your reopening, perhaps via email newsletters, social media marketing, and updating the exterior signage of your business. It is also important to communicate the operational changes with customers since you’ve last closed doors, including the new safety guidelines in place and the health/sanitation measures being practiced by staff members. Updating your website’s homepage to reflect these new procedures and protocols are great ways of being consistent and displaying transparency during this time of crisis. 

Best Practices for Social Distancing & Different Safety Precautions to Use 

As mentioned before, it is important to keep up with frequent handwashing and using hand sanitizer, especially after coming in contact with surfaces or handrails. Facial coverings in public places are now required in order to promote the overall safety of indoor spaces. To further aid social distancing, many large retail spaces have implemented “one-way” signs to better facilitate traffic and keep individuals 6 feet apart from one another at all times. Floor stickers outlining where to stand, countertop shields, capacity limitations, and sanitation schedules are all great ways of maintaining cleanliness and abiding by new state safety directives. 

How to Keep Employees Safe When Serving the Public 

There are a number of ways your business can provide support to your employees to ensure their safety is of utmost priority. Promote frequent handwashing and provide alcohol-based hand rubs with at least 60% alcohol content are great first steps for maintaining safety within the workplace. Encourage workers to stay home if they are feeling sick and require temperature checks for large retail stores before entering the workplace. Provide employees with protective masks, gloves, and countertop sneeze shields. Restrict the number of employees allowed in small offices of the workplace, such as personnel offices.  

Contact PMC Media Group for COVID-19 assistance, including strategic planning to help you navigate your new normal. We can also assist you with digital and traditional communications to help inform the public of new business procedures, as well as safety collateral like branded masks and floor stickers. Call us today at 401-667-7777 to learn more about how we can help! 

On Sunday, February 2, 2020, millions of viewers tuned in to watch Super Bowl LIV.  As the most highly viewed sporting event of the year with over 102 million viewers, the San Francisco 49ers  took on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Both teams certainly proved that they deserved to be there with a tight scoring game for nearly the entire first half. However, it wasn’t just the game that had our eyes glued to the television. Each commercial break proved to be an opportunity to keep our attention and avoid getting another serving of guacamole.

It’s common knowledge that advertising during the Super Bowl comes at a high cost and brands spend millions of dollars for airtime during this big game. In fact, the average cost of a 30-second commercial was 5.6 million dollars, topping last year’s 5.2 million price tag.

Just days before the big game, teasers of the 2020 commercials were released all over the internet.  Big brands view the Super Bowl as their golden opportunity for advertising because of the anticipation that builds prior to the game.  Companies who use this tactic usually incorporate a hashtag or social media post for fans to interact with and gain even more excitement. 

Another component that seems to become more prominent every year is the use of celebrities.  Almost every commercial either features an actor/actress, singer, influencer or athlete. This tactic allows companies to leverage a brand ambassador’s fan base to connect with their product or service.

Common themes were present throughout this year’s spots with humor, female empowerment, equality and perseverance being the most popular. These themes were especially present in some of our team’s favorite Super Bowl LIV spots.

PMC’s Favorite Ads

“Smaht Pahk – Hyundai USA” by Innocean USA

This ad, by Innocean USA,  pokes fun at the famous Boston accent with a self-parking car featured four celebrities with Boston ties. This spot was one of our team’s favorite given our proximity to Boston and familiarity with the accent.  A spot featuring some of Boston’s famous faces wouldn’t be complete without, of course,  Red Sox legend David Ortiz.  

“Before Alexa – Amazon Echo” by Droga5 London

Amazon’s ad, featuring Ellen Degeneres and wife Portia de Rossi, shows us what life would be like without Alexa’s helping hand.

“#SnickersFixtheWorld – Snickers” by BBDO NY
Another PMC favorite was Snickers’  humorous ad “#SnickersFixtheWorld”, communicating that maybe the world would be a happier place if it just ate snickers.

Half Time Show

Super Bowl LIV’s half time show featured Latina powerhouse vocalists Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Their performance was no less than a party megamix of their greatest hits combined with the spectacle that was there undeniably incredible dancing. With the big game taking place in Miami, it was only appropriate that the halftime show featured two of the most influential Latina artists. The two women were joined by Latin Pop and Reggaeton artists Bad Bunny and J Balvin. International genres of dance like rumba, salsa, Champeta and Mapalé were also incorporated into their performances uniting the National Football League with cultural influences from all over the world.

Photo credit to https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/super-bowl-2020-nfl-honors-kobe-bryant-moment-silence-1275638

Super Bowl LIV Champions

With just a few minutes left to the game, it was unclear which team would be the champions of Super Bowl LIV.  Quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the team to an epic comeback for the Kansas City Chiefs making this their first championship win since 1969.  This was also the first Super Bowl win for the longtime Chiefs’ coach, Andy Reid.

First, let’s get a better understanding of what makes online shopping so appealing in today’s world because let’s face it, it’s hard to imagine the world without it. Retail e-commerce sales worldwide are forecasted to more than double between 2018 and 2023, surpassing 6.5 trillion U. S. dollars in 2023, (Statista). This large volume of online sales shows not only optimistic projections, but also the influence of web and mobile sales that will continue to rise in the coming years. What’s so appealing about this method of shopping is that internet buyers can quickly research products online and even interact with other shoppers about products through reviews before making a purchasing decision. U.S. shoppers can easily choose from a variety of brand sites, retail platforms and online marketplaces to purchase their products from.

Search engines make comparison shopping even easier by collecting product information like specifications, pricing and shipping so that consumers can compare retailers and make a well-informed purchasing decision. Search engines ensure that the product offerings are identical at each retailer so that information can be compared against one another fairly.

Another comparison-shopping platform is Amazon. Amazon, the largest player in the e-commerce game, allows shoppers to easily research and comparison shop.

The retailer also has efforts such as offering free 2-day shipping for prime members, options for same day shipping and free returns, shoppers have the ability to access products quickly without having to leave their home. Amazon has in the past open the free 2-day shipping to all shoppers during the holiday which lead to a spike in online shopping sales to roughly 50% of the online market according to Bloomberg in February of this year. Their reports also show that the retail giant’s online market is subject a 11% cut this year as the industry begins to examine their market power. Great news for the physical retail demographic.

Even as online shopping continues to grow, shoppers haven’t given up on in-store shopping. According to the U.S. Census, nearly 90% of transactions still happen offline. The holiday shopping season traditionally kicks-off on Black Friday and this year, The International Council of Shopping Centers reports about 63% of holiday shoppers will began shopping before Thanksgiving, and 49% of shoppers plan to complete their holiday shopping within the last ten days before Christmas. This means there is still time to gear up and begin implementing efforts to get more foot traffic through your store.

A great way to encourage shoppers to come in store is simply inviting them. This can be done through email marketing or an online invitation sent to a consumer, making them feel personally chosen for a unique shopping experience in store. Getting people through the door is only half the battle, creating a unique and memorable experience can turn a consumer into a customer.

One way to accomplish this is by investing in an in-store experience for consumers. Forbes found that more than 80% named “quick checkout” as the top factor in creating a great customer experience. Long, slow check outs are among one of the most dreaded experiences that comes with physical retail shopping and finding a way to eliminate those crazy lines will certainly aid in the overall experience. Hosting in-store events like sip-n-shops, which invite customers to enjoy a drink while they are shopping. Serving apple cider or hot chocolate can give this experience a more seasonal touch. Live music and in-store raffles can also enhance a shopper’s experience and encourage them to shop for longer amounts of time.

Adding to the overall in-store experience also includes ensuring your store has easy to navigate landscaping with sprinkle of holiday decorations with a dash of holiday aromas because who doesn’t love the holidays.

In-store giveaways, promotions, and discounts are also a great way to incentivize shoppers. Consumers expect to receive savings when shopping during the holiday season. An interesting approach to this is offering shoppers door busters for specialty or seasonal products or services or a mystery gift for spending a specific dollar amount.

PMC Media Group’s experiential marketing services can assist you with promoting your business year-round. We bring your conceptual ideas to life with the support collateral you need to create a unique shopping experience for consumers, allowing you to compete with online retailers.

Our approach to experiential marketing combines our in-depth knowledge of consumer behavior with great creative execution. Contact us today to learn more about PMC Media Group’s experiential marketing services!