Channel marketing – Culture Republic https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk We know your work. We understand your audience. Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:17:37 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.4 Social Media Engagement https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/trends/social-media-engagement/ Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:29:53 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=trends&p=12629 Get some digital skills and drills that will hopefully send shock-waves through your social media channels and set up your organisation in flashing neon lights. Has your Facebook engagement dropped? Wondering how you can better engage with your fans? Look no further, help is at hand!

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Day 2 of #LearnWithUsWeek is upon us folks. Today the topic is Social Media Engagement. How can your business change and change again fast with these top tips?

Here’s today’s instalment of digital skills and drills that will hopefully send a shockwave of electricity through your social media channels and set up your organisation in flashing neon lights. Has your Facebook engagement dropped? Wondering how you can better engage with your fans? Look no further, help is at hand! #TuesdayMotivation

#1 Pose a Question
If fans can relate to the question and you find a way to leverage people’s interests or needs, they’ll find it hard not to answer.

#2 Ask Fans to Make a Choice
A fun way to get your fans to engage with you is to publish a “this or that” post. Most of the time, those debates are good fun but be mindful of trolls. If you want to spark even more debate, you can always mix in a little controversy but avoid politics.

#3 Post When Your Fans Are Online
Check your Facebook Insights to find out when your audience is most active. By default, the dashboard shows data for when your fans are online.

Top tip: Posting late at night (when your fans are less active) isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s less competition in their feed, so the people who are active on the site are more likely to see and engage with your content. Try posting at different times to see what works best for you.

#4 Share Relevant Images
One picture is worth ten thousand words! Enough said.

#5 Engage With Other Brands
Wander the social landscape, post to other pages, and engage with brands when there’s synergy and a shared audience.

#6 Include a Call to Action
Use a call to action in every post, whether it’s to prompt a comment, share, opt in, like, RSVP, or any other action. Always tell your audience what you want them to do to encourage engagement.

#7 Boost Your Best Posts
If you have a blog post or other website content that has seen tremendous traffic, post it to your Facebook page and boost that post. Give it a modest boost of $25 and target the people who like your page and their friends.

#8 Share Industry News and Hot Topics
Even your most loyal fans are interested in more than just your business. Sharing big news from your industry will show your fans that you’re not focused solely on promoting your business.

#9 Share Content from Other Channels
Select content, videos, and images from your other social platforms (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and so on) and share the best with your Facebook fans (and vice versa).

#10 Go on, Have a Giggle
Please lighten up!  Show some personality. Don’t overthink it. Keep your audience’s interests in mind and make sure the humour is relevant and appropriate.

In the vein of practising what I preach (also see #6), I compel you, please, for the love of digital, get in touch. It can be about anything: the weather, your favourite brew or if you need more help in the area of social media engagement. You can also get more hands-on help at our Learning Week conference.  Remember we are here for additional consultancy too. Contact us to discuss.

 

Shout out to www.socialmediaexaminer.com

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We’re on Facebook! https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/news/we-are-on-facebook/ Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:13:22 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=news&p=12251 Here are some top tips that we’ve found useful on Facebook so far #sharingiscaring 😄

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Find us here!

Top tips for Facebook

Here are some top tips that we’ve found useful on Facebook so far #sharingiscaring 

  • Comments and shares will boost EdgeRank (Facebook’s algorithm for news feeds) more than likes or reactions
  • Avoid using ‘like’ or ‘share’ in your copy
  • Try to avoid bursts and lulls of activity –work on content to fill seasonal gaps
  • Go for comments and shares –encourage activity with friends e.g. tagging
  • Post content at the optimum time of day (6pm onwards for you)

Whether your objective is to generate leads, educate customers or raise awareness, a good strategy coupled with engaging content is the pivotal place to start on social media.

Be S M A R T:
S – Specific.
M – Measurable.
A – Attainable.
R – Relevant.
T – Time-sensitive.

Know your audience: age, sex, location, preferences, education, income…

Engaging content = generates affinity + creates impact + relates well to the times.

Top tips for Twitter

  • Tweets with hashtags get double the engagement of those without
  • Use no more than 2 hashtags per tweet
  • Use hashtags only on tweets relevant to the topic
  • Focus on the copy of the tweet first, and hashtags second –this will help you make sure the hashtags are relevant
  • Always research the topic first!
  • When you read the hashtag on its own does it still make sense?

Liked on LinkedIn Tips:

 Here are some of the keys to feeling loved on LinkedIn

  •  Showcase your expertise: Let people out there know that you are great. There’s no use being a shrinking violet. LinkedIn is your online CV. It shows you in your best professional light. Audiences buy into knowledge and organisations with strong characters.
  • Don’t be shy: When you’ve met someone at  an important meeting for the first time, link in with them. It’s normal practice and shows initiative to work with them in the future.   
  • Tell, don’t SELL!: When you link in with someone, give them space to find out about you and your expertise and interests. Share content and blogs that are relevant and helpful to your audience. If you are going to private message an individual, introduce yourself. DON’T start with a sales pitch – not cool! Organisations should plan to have content that is useful and relevant to an audience. Pushing your products in connections face will backfire.
  • It’s not Facebook: You can keep it professional and have fun but no-one wants to know what you had for dinner last night on LinkedIn.

See you soon on Facebook!
#loverevolution

 

 

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Archived: Getting Smarter with Social Media https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/events/getting-smarter-with-social-media/ Fri, 17 Jun 2016 08:51:16 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=events&p=11876 In this interactive session with expert trainer Tala Byrne, you’ll learn how to choose the right social media channels for your organisation, best practices and tricks of the trade for making sure your content has impact on your chosen channels, and how to juggle social media tasks in your workload.

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It’s becoming ever more apparent in today’s marketing landscape that social media is no longer optional, but essential for arts and cultural organisations who want to reach a wider audience.

Used well, social media can be the best tool for raising brand awareness, driving your audience to take action and telling a story which makes them connect with you. But how can you make sure that you’re picking the right channels, and that you’re posting content your audience wants to engage with?

In this interactive session with expert trainer Tala Byrne, you’ll learn how to choose the right social media channels for your organisation, best practices and tricks of the trade for making sure your content has impact on your chosen channels, and how to juggle social media tasks in your workload.

 

At this session, we will:

  • Examine the social landscape in 2016 – we’ll look at the Snapchat phenomenon, ask is Facebook really ‘dead’ and other burning questions
  • Explore the strengths and weaknesses of the main social media channels, and how to choose the right ones for you
  • Learn about the main functions of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram
  • Learn the rules of engagement and how to manage comments/messages effectively
  • Discover what makes good content, how to choose visuals and copy that will resonate with your audience
  • Create your daily toolkit – hints and tips for managing social media profiles day to day and with multiple team members
  • Learn about paying to play – getting started with social media advertising to drive results
  • Find out what success looks like: key metrics and benchmarks for social media results

 

This is the fifth in the series of Know How sessions from Culture Republic, providing practical insights for content marketers in arts and cultural organisations. 

 

You should attend if:

  • You are in charge of social media for your organisation
  • You want to refine your technique to improve your impact
  • You are familiar with the different social channels but want to be more strategic
  • You are looking to diversify the social media channels you’re using but are not sure which are right for you

Better practice will help you to meet your organisation’s objectives.

Just 25 places available so don’t miss out!

 

Agenda
1215 Registration and lunch
1250 The Social Landscape
1310 The Channels and Main Functions
1425 Rules of Engagement
1440 Content Best Practice
1520 Break
1530 Daily Management Techniques
1550 Social Media Advertising
1620 Measuring Success
1640 Q&A
1700 Finish

 

Meet the Trainer

Tala Byrne has over 6 years agency experience in digital marketing. Her background includes experience in all digital marketing disciplines, as well as PR and offline marketing, but her specialism and extensive experience is in social media. With experience in every aspect of social media from large scale campaigns, to influencer outreach and paid advertising across a range of platforms, Tala is always up to date with the latest social media trends.

As Social Media Manager at digital agency Dog, Tala manages the social media team.  She works across managing social media accounts for clients, delivering high quality specialist training, strategy and advertising for social media. Tala works across a wide spectrum of industries at Dog, including clients such as Curves International, DF Concerts, T in the Park, L’Oreal, Scottish Enterprise and various theatre and arts venues in Scotland.

 

FAQs

What can I bring to the event?

Please bring your own devices to get online.

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you have any questions prior to the event please contact us on [email protected]

What is the refund policy?

We have a 48hr cancellation policy.  If you are unable to attend the event please let us know 48hrs in advance of the event.  After this time you will not be eligible for a refund.  

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Podcast production https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/news/podcast-production/ Thu, 12 May 2016 11:46:04 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=news&p=11318 How do you get your audience to lend you their ears and listen to your story? For more and more brands today, podcasts are the answer. For the second in our series of Know How events we were joined by expert trainers at Inner Ear who showed us to create a podcast.

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Podcasts can be immediate, effective and engaging. They are more personal than many other marketing channels, encourage conversations and provide a great chance for people to access your content on the go. So, for the second in our series of Know How events we explored podcast production. The half-day workshop was led by Inner Ear’s Dougal Perman and Amanda Mitchell.

To start the session Dougal and Amanda highlighted the potential of podcasts, which can vary hugely in terms of style, purpose and approach. Have a listen to some different podcasts to find inspiration for your own. Nice examples from the cultural sector include the Tate and the Scottish Poetry Library. And of course, the Culture Republic podcast series is well worth a listen too – even if we do say so ourselves!

Participants then considered the practical issues of producing a podcast, as well as some useful tools. This was split into three sections: pre-production, production/post-production, and publication.

  1. Pre-Production

Before you begin you should be clear about your objectives. There are many reasons an arts organisation might want to produce a podcast. It could be to market an event or exhibition; to communicate information and increase general awareness; or to generate additional income. You should also identify your target audience. Think about who your podcast is aimed at, their interests and what you want them to take away from listening.

During this planning stage you should also think about the content, style and format. What will the programme contain? Will the podcast be interview-based or do you want to do something different? There are other practical issues to consider such as copyright. If you are going to use music, for example, you may need to gain appropriate permission or pay royalties.

  1. Production/post-production

Having the right kit can help you create a professional sounding podcast. Dougal and Amanda emphasised, however, that you don’t have to spend lots of money on expensive gear. They went through some of the different equipment available for recording and editing.

On the day we talked predominantly about handheld recorders, like the Zoom H4n and the Tascam DR-40, but there are a range of recording software and products out there. This helpful article from Transom has lots of information and detailed advice on picking the right tools for you. There’s a wide variety of software available when it comes to editing too. Dougal and Amanda suggested the app Audacity, as well as an online editor Soundnation.

  1. Publication

Once you have created the perfect podcast you will need to decide how and where you’re going to publish it. There are a range of platforms to consider, including Mixcloud, Mixlr, Podomatic, Podbean and Soundcloud.

The session finished with a live demo of how to generate a RSS feed. This is important for measuring your impact. If you create a RSS link using Google Feedburner and enable stats tracking you can access valuable listener statistics for your podcast.

Throughout the session Dougal and Amanda really emphasised the flexibility of podcasts. They have no set length; the production costs are relatively low and the range of free or affordable support tools available means that you don’t need extensive technological expertise. Have fun coming up with your own style and content, and connect with new and existing audiences.

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Archived: April First Wednesday https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/events/april-first-wednesday/ Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:15:55 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=events&p=11071 Join us for April's First Wednesday to learn from Stuart MacPherson and Sarah Johnson of Whitespace who will discuss marketing automation best practices, tools and solutions. Their insight will highlight how marketing automation could assist in achieving better results from your marketing activities.

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Marketing Automation – How can it help your organisation?

Marketing automation might be the most prevalent of all marketing buzzwords among marketing professionals today. But what actually is it and how could it help your organisation?

At a fundamental level, marketing automation is about optimisation.

In this First Wednesday session, Sarah Johnson and Stuart MacPherson will join us from Edinburgh-based creative agency, Whitespace. They will take us through marketing automation in more detail, addressing some of key areas and questions to think about to help you determine if it is right for your organisation.

We will be covering:

– What is marketing automation?
– Why is marketing automation the latest buzzword of marketing professionals today?
– What can marketing automation actually do?
– How can it be useful to your organisation and business?
– What software options are out there for you, and which one is right for you?
– Next steps: moving forward with marketing automation

Why you should attend

Learn about some marketing automation best practices, tools and solutions to assist in achieving better results from your marketing activities. Automation platforms largely automate far more than just marketing. See how other facets of your business can tie in with this fast developing side of marketing.

This First Wednesday is ideal for any key stakeholders involved in growing their audience and business: Marketing Managers, Operations, General Managers and Box Office Managers.

Agenda

12.15 – Arrival, brown bag lunch
12.30 – Welcome & introduction
12.35 – Partners introduction round the room
12.40 – Sarah Johnson and Stuart MacPherson, Whitespace
13.45 – Q&A
14.00 – End

Meet the speakers 

Sarah Johnson – Head of Digital Marketing at Whitespace

Sarah has over 10 years of experience in digital marketing, specialising in building digital strategies that deliver real results.

She started her career in search engine marketing, creating and running SEO and PPC campaigns for SMEs that were directly focused on driving sales and onsite conversions. This developed her love of statistical analysis and using digital channels to deliver strong ROI.

Sarah heads up the Digital Marketing team at Whitespace, delivering bespoke digital strategies for clients’ and creating high performance traffic driving and content marketing campaigns that encompass all elements of the digital marketing mix, including advanced marketing automation.

Sarah believes that data should be at the heart of every digital activity, constantly driving the evolution of your strategy to achieve your organisational goals.

Stuart MacPherson – Digital Marketer at Whitespace

Stuart has over 7 years of digital marketing experience in running integrated digital campaigns.

He has worked both client- and agency-side on a range of projects including writing and managing social media, content and branding strategies; managing on-going SEO and PPC campaigns; and project managing on multiple website launches and redesigns. He also has a background in running marketing automation programs through Hubspot, Pardot and Marketo.

Stuart has worked with a range of clients in the charity/third sectors, travel and FMCG with leading organisations such as Global Vision International (GVI) – voted Best Volunteering Organisation at the Responsible Travel Awards – and with the L’Oreal Group covering digital strategy for brands such as L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline, Diesel and Lancôme.

Current selected clients include RAC, Business Gateway, Oxfam, Aegon and Heriot-Watt University, focusing on data-led insights and strategies in delivering client results.

ABOUT FIRST WEDNESDAYS

Some of the most stimulating sessions take place when there’s the opportunity to step away from the pressure of a busy job, get together with colleagues and share learning.

That’s why we are hosting ‘First Wednesdays’ – a series of topical, bite-sized information sessions taking place on the first Wednesday of each month.

They are an open invitation each month for our Partners and industry colleagues to regularly drop in our offices to keep up to date with ideas and examples of useful practice we’ve gathered from across the country.

It might be as simple as hearing how other people have successfully tackled the same challenges you face building profitable customer relationships and wider public engagement or learning about the raft of new tools or approaches emerging daily.

Our goal is to inspire fresh thinking, expand current networks and focus on the Most Important Thing … to build new audiences and greater engagement.

If you can’t join us in person, why not sign up for a periscope registration. You will be able to tune in remotely so you can still hear from our speakers from wherever you are!

Join the conversation #1stWed

FAQs

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you have any questions prior to the event please contact us on [email protected]

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Archived: Marketing that Works: The Brains Behind the Campaigns https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/events/marketing-that-works-the-brains-behind-the-campaigns-88/ Thu, 04 Feb 2016 10:11:16 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=events&p=10605 An unique opportunity for Scotland's marketers to hear from some of the most effective communications professionals working in the UK's arts and heritage sectors today. Each of our speakers has a very different story to tell - they will share practical insights around the challenges they have faced and overcome; what has worked for them and what hasn't, and what they have learned from their campaigns and experiences to date.

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Marketing That Works

Meet the brains behind the campaigns

An unique opportunity for Scotland’s marketers to hear from some of the most effective communications professionals working in the UK’s arts and heritage sectors today. A top line-up of leading practitioners will take to the stage in Glasgow to share the stories of their success, providing behind-the-scenes insights into the campaigns that they have run and the tactics they have used to achieve the right results.

Joining us on the day:

Martin Reynolds – Head of Marketing, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Ben Jeffries – Director of Communications and Customer Services, Royal Lyceum Theatre

Helen MacDonald – Systems Administrator, Glasgow Women’s Library

Alan Thomson – Communications Manager, Unique Events

Sid Ambrose – Arts Convener, DG Unlimited

Jo McLean – CEO – The Touring Network 

They’ll share details not only of what they did, but how they did it. Each of our speakers has a very different story to tell – they will share practical insights around the challenges they have faced and overcome; what has worked for them and what hasn’t, and what they have learned from their campaigns and experiences to date. Q&A sessions will give you the chance to get involved, and our closing networking session over wine and canapes is your opportunity to share practice and make new connections.

Why attend? 

  • Some of the brightest marketing minds in our sector will be gathered in Glasgow for this event: this is a one-off opportunity for marketers in Scotland;
  • Hear real-life examples of how marketers in the arts and heritage sectors have overcome specific challenges to drive positive results;
  • Delve beneath the ‘what’ to discover ‘how’: what makes a good campaign great?
  • Every session will provide insight into a different aspect of great marketing practice;
  • Learn and share experience with peers from across the country: make new connections and build your network.

Feedback from last year’s Brains Behind The Campaigns 

“The speakers were very knowledgeable and engaging – each with their own compelling story to tell..”

“Very refreshing. It was tailored specifically for arts organisations and was a lot more relevant to my work as opposed to other workshops and seminars I’ve attended.”

“Amazing afternoon! Thank you for putting this together”

Who is it for?

If you’re involved in marketing or communications in an arts, culture or heritage setting,large or small, or you’re ‘wearing lots of hats’ and marketing is just one element of the mix, this event is for you. Whether you’re leading a team, driving organisational strategy or just starting your journey in the world of arts and culture marketing communications, this is an opportunity to hear from and connect with peers from across Scotland.

Agenda

13.45 – Arrival, tea/coffee
14.00 – Welcome and introductions
14.05 – Session 1 followed by Q&A
15.20 – Break, tea/coffee
15.40 – Session 2 followed by Q & A
17.00 – Wine and conversation
18.00 – End

Meet the speakers: 

Martin Reynolds – Head of Marketing, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Martin Reynolds was Head of Marketing for the Commonwealth Games 2014, responsible for ensuring Scotland’s largest ever sporting event met ambitious ticketing, volunteering & public engagement targets. He was awarded Marketer of the Year In 2014 by the Marketing Society. He has previously worked for the Edinburgh Festivals, Sydney Opera House and the National Galleries of Scotland. He now runs a consultancy, advising and supporting major events, festivals and cultural organisations.

Martin will reveal the key insights that underpinned the successful hosting of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and how his experience in the cultural sector informed and inspired the campaigns to drive public engagement with Scotland’s largest ever sporting-event.

Ben Jeffries – Director of Communications and Customer Services, Royal Lyceum Theatre

In 2016 Ben is celebrating 20 years of work engaging cultural audiences at venues and organisations across the UK including The Tricycle Theatre, the National Theatre of Great Britain, macrobert, Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall.  He has been a director of an Audience Development Agency and has also worked for Arts Council England as Audience Development Officer for London. He is a board member of the Arts Marketing Association and a former board chair of Youth Theatre Arts, Scotland.

Ben will talk about the process and experience of developing a campaign to Celebrate 50 Years of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company, the opportunities of an anniversary year, their findings on impacts to date – and what they have learned in the process.

Helen MacDonald – Systems Administrator, Glasgow Women’s Library

Helen MacDonald has worked at Glasgow Women’s Library since 2005, with a focus on IT support and digital development, including managing GWL’s online presence and developing the Library’s monitoring & evaluation and CRM system, Library Out Loud. She is also developer & moderator of the Women of Scotland website, a crowd-sourced project mapping memorials to women across Scotland. The only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women’s history, Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) celebrates the lives and achievements of women and champions their contributions to Scotland’s culture.

Helen will share the story of how the Library used kickstarter with targeted and intelligent social media to raise funds for their 21 Revolutions project – a publication of new works from 21 artists and 21 writers inspired by the GWL’s diverse and remarkable collections.

Alan Thomson – Communications Manager, Unique Events

Alan has worked at Unique Events for over fifteen years as part of a team of event producers, delivering some of Scotland’s largest and most high-profile public events. Passionate about the festival and events industry in both Edinburgh and Scotland, Unique Events has been instrumental in the success of Edinburgh as a premium winter tourist destination, through the creation and production of the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.

With the advent of #Blogmanay in 2014, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay reach is now global.  Alan will talk about his experience of translating the real-life festival experience into a deeply engaged virtual community of revellers, with outposts all over the world.

Sid Ambrose – Arts Convenor, DG Unlimited

Sid Ambrose is currently commissioned by DG Unlimited to support artists and event organisers across Dumfries and Galloway. He draws upon his experience of being the creative spark behind the award winning Wickerman Festival and also from re-branding both the Eden and Willowman Festivals.

Hear from the man who reintroduced giant burning effigies to Scotland and how he marketed the popular Wickerman Festival to an international audience.

Jo McLean – CEO – The Touring Network

Jo joined the Touring Network as CEO in 2015.   A former classical musician who has played and toured with world class orchestras including the Halle Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera and BBC Orchestras, Jo joined the team at Cove Park in 2006 supporting the visual arts and crafts residencies and developing a series of music residencies to support emerging musicians and composers. In 2011 Jo became senior producer at UZ Arts where she developed and produce a wide range of festivals and events, including one of the signature events for Homecoming 2014 – the International launch of the Kelpies and the John Muir Festival.  Jo has worked as a consultant and producer across Scotland and internationally, commissioning small and large scale works across a wide range of art forms.  More recently she has specialised in site responsive work in a European context.

The Touring Network is a small organisation with a large remit – supporting volunteer promoters to present professional touring opportunities in the Highlands and Islands.  Jo will talk about their ambitious Epic Stage campaign which is helping The Touring Network become more audience facing and attracting audiences from outside the typical venue catchment.

Join the conversation

Event hashtag #CRbrains

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Horizon 2016 – five digital marketing trends to watch https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/trends/horizon-2016-five-digital-marketing-trends-to-watch/ Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:43:56 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=trends&p=10235 As audiences become more digitally dependent audience engagement practice will need to keep evolving in order to stay relevant. Read our top five digital trends for 2016.

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As audiences become more digitally dependent and spend more and more time on their mobile devices, audience engagement practice will need to keep evolving in order to stay relevant in the face of new tools and trends. Here are our top five digital trends for marketers to watch out for in 2016:

#1 Automation

As anyone using email marketing or remarketing tools will have noticed, automation tools are getting cleverer and more precise every day, and smart marketers will be exploiting this to the full in 2016.

  • Be targeted – but don’t be creepy! You are likely already using marketing automation but, as always, with great power comes great responsibility. Econsultancy’s summary is a good reminder of places you can use it and how to make sure that you’re giving customers the information and messages that they can really use. Their best advice is to take care not to be creepy about it despite the temptations, flagged here by Social Media Week, of new opportunities for personalisation and targeting.
  • Will a robot take your job? Robotics doesn’t stop at driverless cars: according to Econsultancy, robots can now write marketing copy, although they still need humans to add nuance. And it doesn’t stop there: the Stage recently profiled a new West End musical whose plot and musical themes were created by an algorithm that distilled a “recipe for success”. And lest you think that live performance is safe, the Guardian reported on the first robot opera performer. Worried now? Check out Nesta’s handy quiz to find out whether a robot will take YOUR job!

#2 Influencer marketing

Content marketing isn’t going away … but 2016 is set to be the year of influencer marketing. This is all about getting maximum impact from the content you produce, by exploiting your networks to the full. How to do it? You need to make sure your best content reaches the tastemakers in your social networks, to transform them into your advocates.

  • Get started The big idea is to find those bloggers and online personalities that are trusted on a particular topic as their endorsement won’t be ad blocked and has greater authenticity than your own marketing messages. Relevance is the watchword says Social Bro when it comes to influencer marketing. Tumblr, in Social Media Week, predicts the marrying of influence + content so that your best material can be better disseminated from peer to peer.
  • Use video Making the right kind of content has never been more crucial. More than 55% of people watch videos everyday according to Charity Digital News.  The Guardian predicts a consistent and rapid growth in the relevance of video for content marketers and small businesses. And Social Media Week points out that people consume video differently on Facebook and YouTube,  whilst Union Metrics Insights show the significance of Instagram video … you may need to use all three. If you’re not yet a master of Instagram video, check out these top tips from Charity Digital News and examples of how brands are using them for engagement from Econsultancy.

#3 Your data in the spotlight

According to Nesta’s report on Making Digital Work, we have turned the corner from big data (remember that?) – in 2016 it’s all about putting the focus on our own data. This is about concentrating on internally held data to get to know your audiences in order to serve them better – and what better way to kick-start your Influencer Marketing?! Use your internal data:

  • For decision making Social Media Week have a four point plan for building data- driven decision making culture in your organisation.
  • For great UX Data can give insight into what your audiences want from you – but when you have too much data, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. Econsultancy offer their top tips on creating data driven experiences for all  your users, and making sure that you’re picking out the really useful data from all the noise.
  • For your own protection According to Charity Digital News, 2016 is going to bring changes to Data Protection legislation. Read Econsultancy’s guide to the new EU data framework and keep your eye on your data protection policies – these might need to change.

Ready to get started? Take Econsultancy’s advice and create a data strategy for your organisation, that will help you figure out what changes are needed to make the best of the data systems that you’ve got. Need a case study? The AMT Lab offer this data love story from the Dallas Theatre Centre which brought two internal departments – marketing and fundraising – into harmony.

#4 Focus on access

With Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at the heart of the agenda for cultural organisations everywhere, digital innovation has a clear role to play as you work to expand your audiences and serve them better. Here are a few top examples of how digital developments are already advancing the EDI agenda for arts organisations around the world:

#5 The year of virtual and augmented reality?

There’s been talk about virtual and augmented reality for engagement and for creative practice for years now, but we’ve yet to see that killer app that draws everyone in. Still, 2015 brought us some pretty exciting projects – 2016 could be the year it hits big.

  • AR for marketing According to Social Bro, augmented reality can be used for a range of branding and customer engagement campaigns by using mobile technology to interact with an object or image. It’s one to watch.
  • AR for sales Art Retail Network launched a tool to engage potential art buyers in a more interactive experience. Culture Republic helped Glasgow venues use Active Canvas (explained here by Colin Ruffell) to drive interest and awareness of the city’s contemporary art scene, at the time of the Turner exhibition. Five Glasgow museums and galleries hosted artworks that were ‘activated’ with a series of short films about the exhibition or the venue.
  • AR comes to life in pictures Last summer, painter Trevor Jones used the Edinburgh festival season to launch his guerrilla one-man show #edinburghhacked which layered digital versions of his work into locations all over the city.

Get started

If you’re ready to up your game in the digital arena in 2016,  get in touch. We can help you make a coherent communications strategy that maximises your mission and business goals; make sense of your audience data for segmentation and reach your audiences with better tactical delivery. If you are a Culture Republic Partner, you can take advantage of February’s First Wednesday. Digital marketing expert Brian Tait will help you make sure your website is working hard enough.

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Archived: Getting It Right Online – a practical digital communications workshop https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/events/getting-it-right-online-a-practical-digital-communications-workshop-139/ Tue, 17 Nov 2015 16:30:31 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=events&p=6520 Culture Republic brings you a thoroughly practical session designed for teams from arts and culture organisations with responsibility for day to day digital communications. By the end of the day you will have a Digital Communications Plan ready to put into action, and a set of tools and techniques at your fingertips that will help you to target and develop your organisation's wider communications strategy.

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Culture Republic brings you a thoroughly practical session designed for teams from arts and culture organisations with responsibility for day to day digital communications.

 Led by Dianne Greig and Deborah Hair of Culture Republic, you will be guided through the process of building a tailor made Digital Communications Plan for your organisation.

The event is designed for team working – ideally a pair of attendees per organisation will work collaboratively on a series of practical activities, however the session is equally relevant for individuals.

If you publish digital content, working with a mix of social and digital channels, this workshop will help you to:

  • Understand and define your online audience: identify who you’re reaching with your digital communications and know what prompts response;
  • Identify and target new audience groups: understand the impact of different digital communications channels;
  • Concentrate on the communications channels that are right for you: make sure that your website and other digital channels work together,  without duplicating your efforts;
  • Create an effective channel strategy: choose the best communications channel for each piece of digital content that you share;
  • Make the most of the expertise in your organisation: identify easy ways to get everyone involved in gathering and sharing digital content;
  • Set and measure digital communications objectives: see how other organisations have made their digital activity work for them, and how they  measure their success.

Throughout the day you are welcome to direct specific digital marketing questions or issues you may have relevant to your own organisation.

At the end of the workshop, you will take back a Digital Communications Plan ready to put into action, and a set of tools and techniques at your fingertips that will help you to target and develop your organisation’s wider communications strategy.

Feedback from previous sessions:

“We both found it very beneficial and we are eager to follow up on some of the areas covered.” Creative Stirling

“I’ve been telling my department about the course and we’re going to put ideas into practice!” Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

It was also very good to be able to meet other folks engaged in similar tasks…with shared highs and lows. Face to face communication to learn about digital communication?  Yes, ideal.” Freelancer/Digital Archivist

Agenda

10.00    Registration, coffee, wireless signon
10.15    Introductions
10.30    Identifying digital communications priorities
11.10    Break
11.25    Focus on audiences, channels and content
13.00    Lunch
13.45    Matching styles and channels
Overcoming challenges
Developing your toolkit
14.55    Break
15.10    Piecing the plan together
Takeaway content matrix
16.00    Discussion and wrap up
16.30    FINISH

Speakers

Dianne Greig specialises in marketing, communications, digital/social media and research consultancy, and works with a variety of Scottish arts and cultural sector organisations and venues on a wide range of public engagement projects and programmes.

Deborah Hair provides digital research and intelligence consultancy to a range of clients across Scotland’s cultural sector. Deborah has a wide range of knowledge of communications within the digital sector, specialising in Social Media platforms and in depth analyses of Google Analytics, Facebook Insights and Facebook Advertising. Deborah brings a creative approach to statistical reporting, alongside her digital research.

If you know others who should attend, please feel free to forward an invitation or tell them about this event.

The post Archived: Getting It Right Online – a practical digital communications workshop appeared first on Culture Republic.

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Archived: Content Strategy – what’s your story? https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/events/content-strategy-whats-your-story-3/ Mon, 16 Nov 2015 11:21:09 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=events&p=3646 A practical, hands on Content Strategy Workshop aimed at arts & culture organisations and designed for individuals involved in practical communications. This workshop introduces a framework of simple techniques to help cultural organisations implement a story-led approach to communications planning that will ensure that their campaigns resonate with the audiences that matter to them.

The post Archived: Content Strategy – what’s your story? appeared first on Culture Republic.

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A step-by-step introduction to brand-led content strategy 

Culture Republic brings you a practical Content Strategy Workshop aimed at arts and culture organisations. This hands-on course designed for individuals involved in practical communications will be led by Jo Cowper, Associate Director at Culture Republic.

Brand stories are everywhere. In today’s hyper-connected communications environment, the need for marketing professionals to proactively shape and monitor their brand messaging has never been stronger. This workshop introduces a framework of simple techniques to help you implement a story-led approach to communications planning that will ensure that your campaigns resonate with the audiences that matter to you. This is a practical, hands-on introduction to the theory and practice of effective storytelling for marketers. Focusing on campaigns, audiences, plotlines and relationship building, we’ll work through a channel-neutral approach that allows you to build up the content strategy that is right for your brand and your audiences, and identify the pitfalls along the way.

From tactical actions to brand strategy, we’ll use a combination of real-life examples, case studies, individual and group exercises to connect campaign-orientated communications with strategic brand development, providing you with a toolkit to support, implement and measure an effective approach to content creation and sharing when you return to the office.

Who should Attend?

  • Anyone with day-to-day responsibility for content development and campaign-based communications
  • Anyone who has attended a Digital Communications workshop with Culture Republic in the past, and wants to take their content marketing to the next level

By the end of this workshop participants will:

  • Be equipped with a toolkit to support, implement and measure an effective approach to content creation
  • Understand the benefits and pitfalls of a content-rich brand
  • Be ready to start implementing and measuring a content-based approach to communications

Feedback from previous sessions:

“The workshop was practical, informative, interesting and engaging. Everyone seemed to leave with a new method of working in mind and the kind of visual materials and references to support this and implement change in their organisation.”

“It’s always really useful to have time to think about planning outwith the office environment and this workshop was set up in a useful way to help me look at how we can improve our content and storytelling across our various channels. From reviewing the documents I was working on with my team when I got back in the office, we have already identified some opportunities which we could make better use of in our upcoming campaign.”

Lunch will be provided.

Agenda

9.15 Registration & coffee
9.30 Introductions & Icebreaker
9.45 Session 1: What problems are we here to solve?
10.30 Break
10.45 Session 2: From Campaign to Journey
12.00 Lunch
12.30 Session 3: Who tells your story?
13.25 Break
13.40 Session 4: Making connections and making it work
15.00 Discussion and wrap up
15.15 FINISH

Speaker

Jo is Culture Republic’s Associate Director for communications. With a passion for brand development and content-rich communications, she has extensive experience of strategy development and hands-on tactical marketing across a range of sectors including education, publishing and the arts.

CIM-qualified with a Masters degree in literature, she has a particular interest in communications strategy development, including customer journeys, content design and international marketing.

She is responsible for Culture Republic’s brand and content strategy, as well as providing communications consultancy to our clients.

If you know others who should attend, please feel free to forward an invitation or tell them about this event.

 

The post Archived: Content Strategy – what’s your story? appeared first on Culture Republic.

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Archived: Getting It Right Online – a practical digital communications workshop https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/events/getting-it-right-online-a-practical-digital-communications-workshop-3/ Mon, 09 Nov 2015 09:53:31 +0000 https://www.culturerepublic.co.uk/?post_type=events&p=3560 Culture Republic is bringing you a thoroughly practical session designed for teams from arts and culture organisations with responsibility for day to day digital communications. You will be guided through the process of building a tailor made Digital Communications Plan for your organisation and, at the end of the session, your team will have a plan that you can start using straight away.

The post Archived: Getting It Right Online – a practical digital communications workshop appeared first on Culture Republic.

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Culture Republic is bringing you a thoroughly practical session designed for teams from arts and culture organisations with responsibility for day to day digital communications.

Led by Dianne Greig and Deborah Hair of Culture Republic, you will be guided through the process of building a tailor made Digital Communications Plan for your organisation. At the end of the session, your team will have a plan that you can start using straight away.

The event is designed for team working – ideally a pair of attendees per organisation will work collaboratively on a series of practical activities.

If you publish digital content, working with a mix of social and digital channels, this workshop will help you to:

  • Understand and define your online audience: identify who you’re reaching with your digital communications and know what prompts  response;
  • Identify and target new audience groups: understand the impact of different digital communications channels;
  • Concentrate on the communications channels that are right for you: make sure that your website and other digital channels work together,  without duplicating your efforts;
  • Create an effective channel strategy: choose the best communications channel for each piece of digital content that you share;
  • Make the most of the expertise in your organisation: identify easy ways to get everyone involved in gathering and sharing digital content;
  • Set and measure digital communications objectives: see how other organisations have made their digital activity work for them, and how they  measure their success.

You’ll hear plenty of case studies and impact results, illustrating different approaches to digital communications and how they have worked for other organisations. At the end of the workshop, you will take back a Digital Communications Plan ready to put into action, and a set of tools and techniques at your fingertips that will help you to target and develop your organisation’s wider communications strategy.

Feedback from previous sessions:

We both found it very beneficial and we are eager to follow up on some of the areas covered.” Creative Stirling

“I’ve been telling my department about the course and we’re going to put the ideas into practice!” Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

“It was also very good to be able to meet with other folks engaged in similar tasks…with shared highs and lows.  Face to face communication to learn about digital communication? Yes, ideal.” Freelancer/Digital Arhivist

Agenda

10.00    Registration, coffee, wireless signon
10.15    Introductions
10.30    Identifying digital communications priorities
11.10    Break
11.25    Focus on audiences, channels and content
13.00    Lunch
13.45    Matching styles and channels
Overcoming challenges
Developing your toolkit
14.55    Break
15.10    Piecing the plan together
Takeaway content matrix
16.00    Discussion and wrap up
16.30    FINISH

Workshop Leaders:

Dianne Greig specialises in marketing, communications, digital/social media and research consultancy, and works with a variety of Scottish arts and cultural sector organisations and venues on a wide range of public engagement projects and programmes.

Deborah Hair provides digital research and intelligence consultancy to a range of clients across Scotland’s cultural sector. Deborah has a wide range of knowledge of communications within the digital sector, specialising in Social Media platforms and in depth analyses of Google Analytics, Facebook Insights and Facebook Advertising. Deborah brings a creative approach to statistical reporting, alongside her digital research.

 

If you know others who should attend, please feel free to forward an invitation or tell them about this event.

The post Archived: Getting It Right Online – a practical digital communications workshop appeared first on Culture Republic.

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