These days, many consumers are watching television with mobile devices in their hands. Increasingly, this isn’t simply to be a distraction during the ads. People are using their second screen—smartphone or tablet—to connect with other people as they experience a show or event, to get more information about what they see on TV, or possibly even make a purchase. Some see this as a problem; others might see it as a second screen content marketing opportunity.

More than 43 million people watched the 2014 Academy Awards broadcast live. According to Google, more than half of the Oscar-related searches that day came from mobile devices. This year, during the Golden Globe awards, Google searches spiked for the actors and director of Boyhood each time the movie won an award. And 65-70% of that traffic came from mobile devices.

It isn’t just search that feels the impact from the second screen phenomenon; social media gets a bump during television viewing as well. The act of watching television is becoming more social because of the power of technology to connect viewers and to build shared experiences.

If you are aiming to get attention on a second screen during the time a consumer is watching television, you are competing with everything else in that consumer’s life. According to Millward Brown: 22% of what a consumer is doing on a mobile device is stacking—looking at content not related to what they are watching on TV. Only 14% of that time is meshing—simultaneous use of the second screen for content related to what the consumer is watching.

Whether the goal is to educate, share information, build brand recognition, or make a sale, content marketers can and should take advantage of this growing second screen phenomenon.

5 Tips for Second Screen Content Marketing

Tip 1: Plan, plan, plan

You have an editorial calendar for a reason—because coming up with content ideas on the fly is a recipe for disaster. The same is true for trying to play the real time marketing game for any televised show or event, pre-recorded or live, scripted or filmed from real life.

Tip 2: Be flexible

Planning has its place. But real-time marketing is all about your ability to go with the flow. If you plan a campaign or tactic based on the belief that something specific will happen, you have to be ready to pivot if that doesn’t happen. And, of course, you have to be ready for the truly unexpected, as Oreo famously was during Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.

Tip 3: Be relevant

You don’t have much time to capture the audience’s attention—so the content had better be bite-sized and relevant. This is where the planning comes in…know your brand message and consider how that relates to the show or event. Snickers surely didn’t know that Luis Suarez was going to bite Giorgio Chiellini during a 2014 World Cup game. But they were ready with an on-brand message when he did.

Tip 4: Hashtags are your friend

At the very least, use of a well-timed and relevant hashtag on social media is the way to get your brand involved in a show or event and to get your audience involved with your brand. If you happen to be running any ads during the show, a hashtag is a must to foster social engagement.

Tip 5: Go big or go home

If you want to do real-time marketing on mobile devices, you’ve got to take a chance. Consider more than just a hashtag to involve and engage your audience. Dominos Pizza created a mobile app to accompany the show The X Factor. The app enables users to vote, provide real-time feedback, and connect with their friends. And, also, by the way, order pizza.

As you think about second screen content marketing, remember…the primary purpose here is to entertain. Your audience is already doing something else. This isn’t the time for sharing important information or using a hard sell. This is the time for fun and engagement. With a little preparation and a willingness to be bold, you can use the second screen to your advantage and amaze and impress your brand’s family, friends, and fans.

The post TV and Mobile: 5 Tips for Second Screen Content Marketing appeared first on Thismoment Content Marketing Blog.

GoPro, a maker of digital video cameras and accessories, practically has a lock adventure based video and UGC marketing. Their products, originally created to enable extreme sports enthusiasts to film their exploits without having to jury-rig a setup or find someone willing to hold the camera, are a natural fit for heaps of adventurous user video, and amazingly impactful UGC marketing.

Knowing this heap of user video creates an incredible marketing opportunity, the company actively shares the content their users make. They have Video of the Day and Photo of the Day contests, a popular YouTube channel, and heavy presence on other social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They have brilliantly harnessed the power of UGC marketing into their channels, engaging customers and building a powerful brand.

But what if you happen to market a product that isn’t used to generate content? Or is not quite so naturally a fit for UGC? There are still lessons to learn from the way they do things at GoPro.

3 UGC Marketing Lessons from GoPro

1. Plug into customer passions

One key element that makes GoPro such an amazing content marketing tool is that the company’s video cameras tie directly to the passions of customers. There are other digital video cameras out there, but none that quite capture the spirit of adventure like GoPro. That’s because the company understands its audience and what they want to do with the cameras. Which is…to show off their amazing experiences to family and friends and share their passion for their sport and their unique worlds.

It’s convenient that the GoPro Hero camera also creates content that GoPro can share as part of it’s marketing program. But what can you do if your product isn’t a content generating machine like GoPro’s Hero digital video cameras?

Think about your audience’s passions and what makes them tick.

Take Red Bull, for example. They make an energy drink, but it’s fair to say that a lot of people know Red Bull best not for that product, but for their other exploits. Such as sponsoring music festivals, cliff diving competitions, snowboarding events, and motorsports. The company understands that the messaging for their energy drink ties directly into its audience’s desire for adventure. As their marketing message makes clear…Red Bull, the drink, gives you wings. Their other activities are designed to give “wings to people and ideas,” too.

2. Use video storytelling to entertain and engage

You only need to watch one or two videos shot with the GoPro camera to get a feel for how well even amateur videographers can capture beauty and mystery and the spirit of adventure. This medium is unique for its ability to entertain and engage. Many GoPro users take the time to edit their videos and add music to make the experience complete. And it doesn’t take extreme sports to get attention. Check out this very popular video about owls made with a stationary GoPro camera, very close to home.

There is enough user-generated video from GoPro that it would take you almost three years to watch it all. But, even if your brand doesn’t have that much video content, you can certainly use video to engage customers and tell your story.

For example, in the Starbucks YouTube channel, they share lots of videos about how to make coffee. And they also have videos highlighting Starbucks as a place to meet new people and maybe even change your life. That’s not extreme. Nor is it user-generated, or anything that anyone would need an indestructible GoPro camera to film. But these are the kind of heartwarming stories that shore up the power of the Starbucks brand and steep users in the experience.

3. Keep brand messages to a minimum

For their marketing purposes, the beauty of GoPro is that the viewing audience knows that all the video content they see is created with GoPro cameras. The medium is the marketing message, as it were. So there is no need for a hard sell or overt brand messaging. Whether it is user-generated content shared on their website or via social media, or videos created with their partners like the NHL, GoPro doesn’t spend too much time talking about GoPro itself.

What can you do to tell your company’s story and get to the heart of your brand messaging without hitting users over the head with it?

What about tying into the GoPro phenomenon directly? Look at Marriott. In certain locations, they have GoPro Hero cameras for their guests to borrow, to film their own adventures. They share these on their own channel as part of their Travel Brilliantly campaign and ask users to share via social media, as well. It’s a great way to get guests engaged in their vacation experience, share inspiring videos with future guests, and make Marriott the hero by enabling guests to capture their own experiences in a new way.

You don’t need to be a company that makes a content generating device like a digital video camera to get useful content marketing lessons from GoPro. You just need to understand your users’ passions, tap into the power of video to tell a story, and be willing to embrace adventure, in whatever form that takes for your product.

The post Adventures in UGC Marketing, Featuring GoPro appeared first on Thismoment Content Marketing Blog.

Google has a unique perspective on what practically everyone is doing online. Recently, they analyzed their search data and compiled some information that is very useful for content marketers. Combining observations from search data with industry research, the team at Think with Google predicted three basic trends and content opportunities to watch out for in 2015:

• Connected life platforms are emerging. In other words, the Internet of Things (IoT) is here.
• Mobile shapes the “Internet of Me.” Mobile devices are where consumers are getting their experiences, and they are fast becoming the hub of the connected life.
• The speed of life gets even faster. Consumers want information, entertainment, and services at the moment they want them.

These trends mean that content marketers have to bring their A game…and have the right content in the right place at the right time.

IoT, Mobile and Real-time: 3 Content Opportunities you Can’t Ignore in 2015

Internet of Things
As the technology improves, the network of smart physical products able to connect and take in and share information is growing. According to Gartner, in 2015 consumers globally will be using 2.9 billion connected things, with 4.9 billion connected things in use in all markets, consumer, business, and industry. That is a 30% increase over the number of smart, connected objects in 2014.

For marketers who market smart, connected products there are ample content opportunities by creating useful and relevant customer info. For one thing, these types of products are relatively new to mainstream consumers. So consumers need a lot of education about these types of products. Marketers need to create content that answers questions such as: How does it work? How easy is it to set up? How do users interact with this product? How will it really benefit a user?

Hue lighting by Philips is a perfect example. If you never imagined there could be value in a smart, connected light bulb, take a look at Hue. The primary content explains how to use the light for a variety of purposes, such as security and health and wellbeing. This is content marketing 101—provide your audience with basic education about how the product benefits them, and help them see the product in their own homes and lives.

Like all good content marketers, the folks at Philips know that a lot of the value of good content comes with engagement. They have a strong social media presence, drawing in the audience with interesting, fun, and timely posts, such as a how to use hue lighting to create the flicker of candlelight for Valentine’s Day. With more than 17,000 Twitter followers and 53,000 likes on Facebook, they’ve done a good job of piquing the interest of consumers.

In terms of engagement, they do not discount the power of fun. The Apps & more page links readers to other smartphone applications that connect with hue lighting. Take a look at Hue Disco, which enables Android users to turn a room into a dance floor. Or Ambify, which let iPhone users set their hue lights to react to the music they play. Just reading this page sparks the imagination. And a quick review of their social media sites or the rest of the website leaves the audience wanting smart lighting in their own home.

Smart products create a higher level of engagement between consumers and manufacturers. The company can capture data from consumers, about how they are using the products and what is working and what can be improved. This is another great opportunity for identifying useful content. In addition, the fact that smart products share information with the manufacturer, apps, or other products, opens up the conversation to security concerns, something marketers would do well to address through educational content.

Mobile
According to Millward Brown’s AdReaction 2014, Americans spend 151 minutes on their smartphone every day, more than they look at the screens of their televisions or laptops. Read: content opportunity.

This makes it all the more important that marketers understand how their audience is consuming their content. Do they view the content on laptops, smartphones, or tablets? Is there a lot of cross-platform viewing? For example, do consumers start looking at your website or app on a smartphone and then switch to a laptop for other parts of the experience? If so, are the platforms connected—if a consumer changes platforms, does he or she appear as a brand new user?

The trend toward consuming more and more content on mobile devices means that marketers have to think mobile first. Think about how your content is viewed on a small screen, in small bits and pieces. Can you shorten long content? Can you create a way to view longer content that is compatible with the mobile experience? This holds true for dedicated applications, as well as your web presence—is your site responsive to enable easy viewing on a mobile device?

My favorite mobile experience with a brand is the Zappos app for iPhone. It has all the content of the full website, with a very easy to navigate menu and interface. In fact, I find the content so much easier to navigate on the app that I deliberately start searching there to identify products that interest me and read user reviews. Then I go to the full website on my laptop for larger views of the products and to watch videos.

Real time
In this hyper-connected world, consumers want what they want when the want it. According to Google’s data, searches for the phrase same day delivery doubled between February 2010 and February 2014. Of course, not every brand can offer same day delivery or wants to. And most brands that offer it aren’t able to do so in every market. For example, both Nordstrom and Barnes and Noble have same day delivery options, but in very narrow geographic areas.

However, if it is in the realm of possibility, it’s a fabulous way for a company to take advantage of this strong desire among some types of consumers. Because same day delivery is typically quite expensive compared to regular delivery options, this is a chance to use content to highlight the benefits and help consumers feel comfortable paying more. Think of content such as videos of satisfied customers or of how the process works, user-generated content like reviews and videos, or social media and blog posts with testimonials.

The speed of life is getting faster. Consumers are spending more time on their mobile devices, managing their lives and checking in with their connected devices. All of this strongly impacts the type of content consumers want, how they want to interact with it and amazing content opportunities for brands. Marketers who find a way to ride these trends will create a strong brand experience, entertain and inform their audiences, and reap the benefits with engaged and loyal customers.

The post 3 Content Opportunities you Can’t Ignore in 2015 appeared first on Thismoment Content Marketing Blog.

Everyone loves the big splash Super Bowl ads make—before, during, and after the game these ads generate massive interest and provide a significant uplift for brands. But the $4.5 million price tag for a 30 second spot is out of the reach for most companies. And even if the cost isn’t an issue, advertising during a football game isn’t necessarily the best forum for all brands. In the end, you don’t need a Super Bowl sized marketing budget to have an impact.

Despite the excitement around ads during the game, when it comes to advertising bigger isn’t necessarily better. Luckily, there are many creative ways for companies to get attention and generate interest – even with a modest marketing budget. No matter when that happens—in January to leverage the hype leading up to the Super Bowl, in connection with another holiday or big event, or at any other time of the year.

As you consider how to generate buzz for your brand, first and foremost, consider what types of marketing and ad campaigns work best for your audience. Then consider some of the principles that make so many of those Super Bowl ads memorable.

Ideas to consider regardless of your marketing budget:

• Be thought provoking. People like marketing that gets them to think about things in a new and different way. For the most part, however, it’s probably best not to tread too far into the sad, depressing, or just plain scary.
• Present a clear message. Depending on your brand, it may be ok to be offbeat, funny, shocking, or yes even a little bit weird. Whatever your approach to communicating the message, the most important part is to make sure your customers don’t have to work too hard to figure it out.
• Tell a story. Customers in both B2C and B2B respond to stories, short and long. It’s a tried and true format, going back millennia. And stories work in whatever media works best for you and your audience.
• Help people to care. Genuine good deeds and connection with the community hit an emotional button for most people. Incorporating these good deeds into your marketing helps make your campaign memorable and encourages the audience to share.
• Be consistent. One-off ads can make a big splash. However, consistency and longer campaigns can make a real difference, in the long run.
• Help your customers promote your message. Let your customers and brand advocates do some of the heavy lifting for you.
  • Take advantage of social media sharing—use hashtags and include URLs (for dedicated landing pages whenever possible so you can track the campaign) in all aspects of the campaign.
  • Consider user-generated content (UGC) of the ad itself. It’s a great way to drive interest, engagement, and sharing.

Clever ideas that didn’t break the bank

Many brands have used these principles to create meaningful and memorable marketing campaigns, without breaking the bank.

Newcastle Ale
The brewer created a campaign called Band of Brands leading up to the Super Bowl. The premise: Why pay $4.5 million for an ad, when you can share the cost with 20-30 other brands? The results: A priceless set of videos that poke fun at product placement and the now traditional heartwarming Super Bowl ad. And a viral campaign that was no doubt well worth whatever Newcastle spent on it.

Taulia
The payment management and the e-invoicing company created the Take Control campaign. The premise: Use cheeky spoof videos to generate interest in their four key target audiences. The results: The videos in this campaign, along with other video content, helped influence over $125 million in their marketing pipeline.

Maersk
Maersk shipping takes advantage of the love many people have for spotting ships at sea. The premise: Encourage people to use the hashtag #Maersk and post photos of the Maersk logo on trucks and ships on a variety of social media sites including Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter. The results: A heavy social media presence focused on engagement and conversation.

These brands are just three examples of companies who are taking a clever approach to getting attention and building engagement, without breaking the budget. And without spending $4.5 million to get it done. Of course, if you’ve got the budget, and it makes sense for your brand, I say, go for it!

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