Three Reasons Why You Need A Digital Marketing Strategy

By Cristiane Namiuti
 
Digital marketing now plays a larger role than ever in the strategies that companies create. It is crucial to deliver your brand’s message online.

1. Making The Most Of Resources

Digital marketing encompasses everything from your company’s website through to social media, customer reviews etc. A brands digital marketing strategy is driven by the “trifecta: paid, owned, and earned media”

There are many tools to communicate your brand message online. These tools often require lower investment than traditional marketing techniques, which is particularly important for smaller companies with limited resources. Furthermore, most digital marketing channels offer access to analytics data that can be used to quickly adjust strategy based on user interaction.

2. Research Is Key To Consumers

According to recent statistics, twenty percent of online shoppers now take seven hours to complete a purchase. This time will be spent researching brands, finding out what their messages are and, perhaps most importantly, what people are saying about them. Without having a digital marketing plan in place, you can do little to consistently control what is said about you in the online space, which can result in consumers who do research getting bad impressions.

3. Facilitating Interaction

Digital marketing helps brands interact with consumers directly, particularly when using social media. When executed correctly, this in-depth form of customer service leads to increased consumer loyalty and better understanding of the brand itself.

About The Author - Cristiane Namiuti is a brand marketing professional fascinated by digital marketing.

Sources - https://www.titan-seo.com/images/trifecta2.png
 http://digitalmarketingphilippines.com/12-reasons-why-digital-marketing-can-help-you-grow-your-business/
https://econsultancy.com/blog/68131-top-10-digital-marketing-stats-of-the-week-5/

The Four Essential Components of A Strong Company Brand

By Cristiane Namiuti

A well-positioned brand allows companies to grow and thrive. However, many struggle with creating the core components of a brand, lowering their brand’s ability to engage consumers and achieve their goals. The core brand components include the following:

1. Purpose

Statistics show that 45% of a brand’s image comes down to what it says and how it says it. If you don’t have a defined purpose in place you give consumers little reason to grow attached to the brand. You need to understand what drives you, the business and the people working for it and communicate that to others. Your purpose should be what sets you apart from other brands, so while your main aim is likely always going to be becoming profitable as a business, you need to work out what you have to offer beyond that and make it clear in your marketing materials.

2. Consistency

Think of some of the top brands in the world. One of the key components that you will note they all share is consistency in everything they do. Their logos will remain constant, as will the color schemes used in their marketing materials, the messages they send out and even the fonts they use for text. In the best case scenarios, these things will become linked to the brand so that people think of it whenever they see examples of the same thing. A lack of consistency leads to a confused message, which makes it difficult for consumers to engage in the brand.

3. Trust

Many companies survive on repeat business, which makes trust a key factor in brand building. However, an astonishing 54% of people claim not to trust brands at all. The reason for this is likely because they have interacted with brands that broke promises, offered poor services or failed to stand by the messages they conveyed. Everything your company does should meet the expectations set by your brand. By developing trust, you create loyalty, placing your brand in a strong position.

4. Flexibility

Stagnation in business leads to competitors overtaking your company. As such, brands need to be flexible so they can adapt to new technologies, scale as the company expands and react to their competitors’ actions. Effort must be placed into researching competitors so strategies can be altered accordingly. Brands also need to be aware of what consumers are saying about them. There are 2.1 million negative mentions of brands on social media every day, which is something successful brands can mitigate by refocusing their efforts and being flexible.

About The Author - Cristiane Namiuti is a brand marketing professional passionate about brand strategy and innovation.

Sources-http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31739/7-Components-That-Comprise-a-Comprehensive-Brand-Strategy.aspx#sm.0000g0g6citbqed1pi71e2p6ilafu
http://www.visiblelogic.com/blog/2010/04/8-essential-elements-to-a-comprehensive-brand-identity/
https://www.bopdesign.com/bop-blog/2015/10/15-crazy-branding-stats/

Four Ideas for Promoting Innovation In The Workplace

By Cristiane Namiuti
Innovation in the workplace is often stifled by a desire to see productivity increase above all else, which can lead to creative individuals feeling as though their contributions are not appreciated. To avoid this situation, companies need to actively promote innovative thought. Here are some tips on how to do that:

Engage Employees
If employees do not feel connected to their places of work, they are less likely to commit time to coming up with new ideas that may benefit their companies. To counter this, companies need to keep their employees informed about the latest developments, whether this involves changes in internal structures or new products that are going to be soon introduced to the public. By encouraging active participation and employee engagement, businesses can gain access to ideas that their specific teams may not have considered.

Incentivize
Many companies incentivize high performance in what are considered practical areas. This is most commonly seen in the sales environment, where salespeople are rewarded based on the volume or quality of their sales. Similar plans need to be put in place to let creative thinkers know that they play just as important a role in the company. By offering incentives, such as internal recognition for creative thinking, companies give employees more reason to think outside the norm. A key component of this is that businesses should also avoid punishing people for ideas that don’t take off. Not every new concept will be a winner and punishing those that fail discourages an innovative work environment.

Accept Risk
To follow on from that previous point, companies must recognize that risk will always be attached to innovation. Trying something new is intimidating, particularly for businesses that have experienced success with established or traditional methods. This can result in a lack of tolerance for new ideas or, more accurately, little tolerance for the risk involved in exploring new concepts. This discourages creative thinkers and may prevent them from introducing new ideas to senior management. The company needs to support help its employees and help them feel confident to explore and present new ideas in spite of the risk of failing. Because as long as everyone can learn from each failure, failure breeds success. As IBM’s Thomas Watson said: “The fastest way to success is to double your failure rate.”

Focus On Action
Innovation is only effective if the company puts plans in place to follow up on the ideas presented. This requires dedicating time and resources to the exploration of new ideas, their feasibility and how they can be implemented so they stay in-line with the business’ brand strategy and marketing goals.

About The Author: Cristiane Namiuti is a brand marketing professional with more than ten years of experience managing consumer brands for companies like Unilever and Bare Escentuals.

Source:
http://www.thehrobserver.com/10-ways-to-promote-innovation-at-the-workplace/

Cristiane Namiuti - Healthy Living with Attainable Goals

By Cristiane Namiuti

Understanding the process of living a healthier life can be dizzying with the barrage of weight-loss programs, diet plans, exercise regimens, and so on. Luckily, with just a few small and meaningful steps, we can create significant changes in our body chemistry that promote weight loss, stress reduction, and an overall better quality of living.

• Devote a small portion of each day to exercise. This can include walking to work, biking to the grocery store, or twenty minutes lifting weights at the gym. Whatever your preferred form, make sure to move your body every day.
• Cut down on sugar. In high quantities, sugar can cause energy levels to spike and crash. The crashes can be difficult to push through, and the body’s natural response is often to consume more sugar or caffeine to “re-stabilize.” This includes natural sugars, too. Consuming five or six pieces of fruit or numerous glasses of juice in one day has the same effect. Opt for one piece of fruit and a glass of water instead.
• Consider getting a blood panel done by your doctor to see what sorts of supplements might be of use to you. It’s difficult to know exactly what your body needs because we don’t always show noticeable symptoms in regard to a specific deficiency.

About the author: Cristiane Namiuti is a marketing professional who is devoted to helping people live healthier and happier lives both inside and outside of the workplace. She is currently building a technology startup in collaboration with the Butler Venture Accelerator Program at Babson College.

Cristiane Namiuti - An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Taking the Plunge

By Cristiane Namiuti

Choosing to start a business is a thrilling venture that takes a lot of preparation. As a new business owner, you are choosing to build something meaningful, to dedicate yourself to an endeavor that will keep you up late at night and wake you up early each morning. The process is reinvigorating, but you must be sure that you can push through the following challenges to achieve success.

• Being your own boss means that you’re going to be working constantly. You’ll be working not only to find new clients but also to make sure they all remain pleased with your services. You’ll probably work up to seven-day weeks every so often, if not continuously, in the initial stages. And this may continue even after you begin to make money.
• You have to decide how much you’re willing to invest and how you’re going to manage the revenue you earn. Many new businesses close early because they simply couldn’t grow the business fast enough to pay the bills. That’s why many entrepreneurs continue to work a day job while simultaneously building their new business. Have a plan in place, and you may want to consider seeking out a financial advisor beforehand.
• Be prepared to go with the flow. Sometimes business will move quickly, and sometimes everything will come to a screeching halt. You’ll have to learn to adapt and adjust to anything and everything that could possibly go wrong, and quickly.

About the author: Cristiane Namiuti is a passionate advocate for budding entrepreneurs. She completed her MBA at Babson College and has recently joined a technology startup.

Sources: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/12/small-business-challenges.asp
https://www.quicksprout.com/2009/11/24/the-7-harsh-realities-of-starting-a-business/

Cristiane Namiuti - Small Steps to Save the Planet

By Cristiane Namiuti

We often hear about the disastrous effects of global warming in the media, and the news can be overwhelming. Though it seems like so little can be done on an individual level, there are actually a number of steps that everyone can take on a regular basis to ensure a safe, healthy, and thriving planet.

• Never leave electricity turned on if you’re not using it because conserving energy and resources is vital. Turn off lights, televisions, computers, and anything else using power when not in use. This is a good practice with water as well. Turn off the water as you brush your teeth or wash your hair and turn back on only to rinse. 

• Use public transport instead of driving whenever you possibly can. Many cities are implementing faster and more efficient public systems to help minimize emissions. Consider purchasing a bike and walking more, and check into carpooling options in your area.

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle. If your city doesn’t recycle, start a campaign to begin doing so. Reducing waste is a key element of combating global warming, so try buying in bulk or purchasing products with minimal packaging. Ensure that all glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper products are properly managed. 

About the author: 

Christiane Namiuti has over ten years of experience in product marketing and brand management. She is passionate about creating sustainable solutions both inside and out of the workplace to help people live healthier and happier lives. She is a graduate of Babson College in Boston, MA and Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing in Brazil.

Sources:
http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm

Cristiane Namiuti - Using Psychology to Drive Sales in Social Media Marketing

By Cristiane Namiuti

Social media is an indispensable tool to increase sales. Building a meaningful campaign depends on a number of factors that recognize and validate the consumer’s psychology and thought. By taking the time to understand the needs, goals, and mindset of the potential buyer, the brand’s values and message can be highlighted and emphasized to drive sales. There are various methods to keep in mind on the social media front that help deepen this relationship, such as:

Create meaningful connections with consumers by communicating in a relevant language and vocabulary. Building a web presence that allows followers to interact with your brand in a manner that is actually enjoyable and resonant to help customers feel close to your brand, and eventually, begin to trust it.

Offer gifts to build appreciation. Providing the opportunity for consumers to feel grateful is an enormous advantage. A free item, trial, or service will ensure that your name sticks. Offering a potential buyer a free product or chance to win a prize in return for a certain number of shares on a social media platform is also a meaningful trade.

Partner up with brands or people who are already highly esteemed by your target audience to help spread the word. Building credibility is of the utmost importance, and if consumers know that someone they already trust in their social networking community uses your brand’s products, half the work is done.

About the author: Cristiane Namiuti has launched hundreds of consumer products with companies such as Unilever and Bare Escentuals. She is a graduate of Babson College.

Sources:

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/3-ways-to-use-psychology-in-your-social-media-marketing/