What can a business say about social media? Some consider social media a tool with tremendous opportunity to reach consumers, while others are not even sure how to approach social media strategy. Regardless, businesses agree that social media is as much of a mystery as it is a necessity.  There is no specific algorithm to being successful, and there is no post guaranteed to keep a brand relevant.  Success varies with content generated and shared, but is highly dependent upon reactions and engagement from consumers.

According to Fortune, within the next five years businesses are projected to allocate upwards of 25% of a marketing budget to social media strategy and content generation. Currently, about 9% of budgets are dedicated to social media.  The trick, both for the present and the future, is finding where these dollars are making a difference.  Upon evaluation, many company marketers struggle to see and articulate where their social media dollars made an impact.

That is not to say their efforts failed.  The results, or lack thereof, are interpreted as reflections of how quickly social media progresses.  To an extent, social media changes hour-by-hour, and it becomes the challenge of the company to match speed.  So, all this being said, how do businesses stand to work with, rather than struggle against, the breakneck speed of social media as it changes in 2015?

1)   Focus on optimization – Social media is not just a constant output of new information, it’s about the value of information and the ability to retain consumer attention and loyalty.  Rather than spending money on continually producing new campaigns, companies are looking to using metrics, which allows for efficient analysis of social media efforts. Sites like VidYard, SocialRank Index, Google Analytics, and Nimble monitor the impact of social media over the course of time, as well as offer comparisons to competition.

2)   Focus on personalization – Catering to the specific needs of consumers is paramount to utilizing social media in 2015, as targeting audiences through larger traditional media, such as TV, is no longer an efficient use of resources. Ads specific to consumers’ personal search history or purchase habits already pop up on popular social media, like Facebook, but the new wave of strategy deals with personalization across devices.  New advertising and social media obstacles include transferring advertisements from tablet to computer, as well as effectively using real time customer data to make the sale.

3)   Focus on mobile compatibility – Once considered the second stage of advertising, mobile as a platform is predicted to come into its own in 2015.  It is no secret that society is moving to mobile, with people on or using their phone almost every hour of the day. What does that mean for advertising? Independent strategies for independent devices, each with their own unique merit.  Easy-to-navigate interfaces and interactive content will define who stands out in the mobile realm.

While strategies may differ, there is no mistaking the domination of social media as a main component in marketing for the year ahead.  With the ability to reach an almost unlimited number of people, the flexibility to execute multimedia campaigns, and the capacity to be analyzed for effectiveness, social media remains a rapidly growing powerhouse in business strategy.

It’s that time of year again. Yesterday millions gathered ‘round with friends and loved ones to eat, drink, cheer and – most importantly – to see some of the best television advertisements of the 2015 year.

One trend we saw this year was the early release of brands’ prized commercials on social media. Not only was this exceptionally effective in creating pre-game media buzz, but also it kept ad junkies on the lookout for each brands’ big debut during the game.

Something unexpected this year was that we saw a 25 percent slip in the use of social media hashtags (from a record 75 percent down to a measly 50 percent). What does this mean? Perhaps advertisers weren’t impressed with the turnout from previous years. Or perhaps it was affected by the ratio of humor to emotional messages we saw featured in 2015’s Super Bowl advertising.

The usual big players showed up with a bang; Budweiser, Dove, T-Mobile and Doritos. More impressively, over 15 first-time Super Bowl advertisers were featured during this year’s game, the most since 2000. Below are a few of our favorite campaigns. Share your favorite in the comments below or by posting the video on our Facebook page.

Loctite: “Positive Feelings”
What a creative and humorous way to sell super glue. No one will ever look at this product the same way again . . .

Nationwide: “Invisible Mindy”
While some may claim that featuring celebrities is an advertising “cheap trick,” Mindy Kaling’s TV persona Dr. Mindy Lahiri was the perfect character to portray the “invisible customer” longing for good service.

BMW: “Newfangled Idea”
It’s hard to remember a time when the internet was a new discovery. And who knows, maybe BMW i3 is the NEW internet?

Always: “#LikeAGirl”
Last but certainly not least, the cut #LikeAGirl ad. If you follow our blog and Facebook page, you may remember that we featured this campaign as a case study when Always released the video last summer. We are thrilled to have been ahead of the trends on this one in recognizing the creative talent, powerful message and exceptional execution of this inspirational campaign.

View all 2015 Super Bowl commercials here.

Photo Credit: Elvert Barnes

DID YOU KNOW?

As of January 2014:

• 90 percent of American adults own a cell phone.

• 58 percent of American adults own a smart phone.

• 67 percent of cell phone owners find themselves checking their phone for messages, alerts or calls even when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating.

   

   

I’m guilty of checking my phone every, uh, 20 minutes or so, just because. Several PSA videos about the use and abuse of technology swirled around the Internet last year, including this one and this one. They are well-made and heartfelt, but how accurate are they really? Only as much as you allow them to be.

My solution? Balance. Rules. Appreciation.

Balance.

Overusing any single thing will decrease your quality of life Whether that’s technology, sleep or even exercise, your life needs balance. Prioritize what is important to you and then allocate percentages of your time to those things, while nixing wasteful habits.

Rules.

Establish rules for when technology (cell phone, computer, TV, etc.) use is appropriate and when it’s not. A general rule that really helps me is absolutely no cell phone use on dates with my significant other or after I tuck myself in bed at night. Consider establishing rules that make sense for your life, and then stick to them. Use that time away from a screen to appreciate other things in your life.

Appreciation.

Appreciate technology for what it is and what it is, what it offers and what it can’t. It’s easy to acknowledge how it’s negatively affecting our lives, but there are several reasons to be incredibly grateful for technology in 2015. We can be connected to more important people in our lives. Grandma in Tennessee gets see her Floridian grandchildren grow up and not miss out on their everyday achievements. The great thinkers of the world are combining their powers to achieve what we couldn’t dream of 100 years ago. Online journals and forums help professors and students stay as up-to-date as possible on the latest information. Our creative juices are flowing like never before with inspirational videos, content and images at our fingertips.

It’s 2015, and we’re sure to see amazing leaps in technology this year. What do you hope to see? How does technology affect your life? Let us know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page!

References: Mobile Technology Fact Sheet. PewResearch Internet Project. Retrieved January 13, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/. 

This time last year, we shared our staff’s New Year’s resolutions. (You can check those out here). Some of us stuck to them, some of us tried, and some of us completely and utterly failed. Chances are, many of you reading this probably fall somewhere between categories two and three. But this year is going to be different.

This is the year for change, and we’ve compiled a list of a few great phone applications that will help you fulfill your goals this year!

Get in shape (a.k.a. Lose weight)

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal is one of the best apps for tracking your calorie intake and workout regimens. Spend the few minutes a day needed to keep this tracker updated, and you’ll be well on your way to a more health-conscious you!

Plus, we highly recommend subscribing to MyFitnessPal’s email newsletter. It always has healthy eating tips, recipes to try, workout suggestions and other great info. Check it out and subscribe here.

Get savings and manage money

Mint helps consolidate all your finances (checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, loans, etc.) into one place. Set up budgets for every expense and stay within them with real-time charts and alerts.

Get out of debt

ReadyForZero helps monitor your credit while paying off debt. Reminders and notifications will keep you from falling behind, and the charts will help you visualize and celebrate your progress.

Stop smoking

It’s easy to resolve to quit smoking, but much harder to actually quit smoking. But the freedom you’ll experience without that burden in your life will make the struggle worth it. MyQuit Coach by Livestrong helps remind you of that with motivational tips and progress charts. The plan is customized to your needs. You can quit cold turkey or ease into it.

No matter which resolution you’ve made, just remember:

We posted a few days ago about the Apple Watch announcement. Sorry we didn’t mention the new iPhone 6 announcement as well. The main update – and most exciting for Apple loyalists – was the increased screen display. We thought that was old hat, and expected.

Don’t get us wrong. We love Apple products. They’re reliable, user-friendly, and almost everyone in our studio uses an iPhone and Mac. However, we love a little brand rivalry, and Samsung did an amazing job using Apple’s sure-fire media coverage to promote its own products through the “It Doesn’t Take a Genius” campaign.

Watch the string of YouTube hits – starting with our favorite: “A BIGGER SCREEN!!??!?!”

Did you hear? Of course you did. You are on Facebook after all. Apple announced today it’s latest and greatest product: Apple Watch.

Even if Apple isn’t known for coming up with the most revolutionary product ideas, they are known for perfecting them, so this may be something to get excited about.

Purchasing this tiny interface for approximately 350 bucks will give you access to new technologies such as Force Touch – where the touch screen senses the difference between a push and a tap – and Taptic Engine – where you not only hear, but also feel the difference between types of notifications.

Apple Watch will be laced with functions such as constant heart rate monitoring and location identification. Sync your Apple Watch with your Apple Pay™ account, as well as with your Apple TV®, and you’ll never need to dig for cash or pick up a remote ever again. Just one big, happy Apple family of products.

When is Apple Watch coming to stores near you? Early 2015. Just in time to make you feel bad about your Christmas gift.

P.S. Why isn’t it called Apple iWatch?

Read more about the product here.

The yet-to-be-released iPhone app Knozen won’t inform you whether or not your coworkers think you’re attractive, but it will tell what they think of your other (good and bad) qualities.

Interestingly, the Knozen founder Marc Cenedella believes this app will help employees improve their work ethic and personalities after being reviewed on Knozen.

For example, if your coworkers rated you using this personality app, and your physical appearance was taken out of the equation, finding the answers to questions you didn’t know to ask like, “Am I friendly at work?” and “Am I lazy?” may actually help you improve yourself.

This app has been in the works for about a year with $2.25 million in startup costs.

How do we think this new app will affect the workplace? Not sure. But we do know one thing: This glass door mentality sure will keep the water cooler busy.

If you’re interested in downloading this app, sign up here to be notified when it’s released!

“Just Google it.”

We bet every one of our followers understands that phrase. Google is by far the leading search engine in the world, and in the past few years has become a leader in social networking as well, encroaching on Facebook’s territory of connecting online.

Yesterday, Google announced Google My Business – a free service that consolidates the confusing process of registering your business on Google Maps, Google Search and Google+. If you’ve already “claimed” your business on Google, this change will just be an upgrade. For those who have yet to “Get of Google,” you’ll have a better experience than if you’d registered a week ago.

We are particularly excited about this upgrade in the PR world because businesses will now be able to respond directly to their Google reviews! Plus, you can update your business followers similarly to Facebook with industry news, interesting photos, company events while interacting with customers and other businesses.

Want to try it out for your own business? Go to www.google.com/business and let us know how it goes on our Google+ page! Happy connecting!

P.S. If you’ve had a great experience with Liquid or our staff, review us on Google here!

Until the past few years, social media seemed to belong exclusively within the territory of tech savvy teens using sites like Twitter, Facebook and WordPress to deliver their thoughts to a (supposed) audience.

Now, it seems that there has been an overnight revolution in the way businesses, both Fortune 500 companies and tiny start-ups alike, are viewing social media. Companies are realizing that social media is more than a side errand that brings negligible traffic, but a platform to attain a digital presence and increase visibility.

This is the age where droves of consumers are turning to the Internet to find dinner recommendations, product and service reviews and vacation rentals. Scratching out your own digital space is easier and less expensive than other marketing strategies, but can drive visibility, traffic and sales.

Gain Exposure to a Varied Demographic

Social media, particularly Facebook, allows your company to specifically target certain demographics. Reach young women on Instagram, Tumbler and Pinterest. Find business professionals on Google+ and LinkedIn. Denny’s official Tumbler has recently gone viral for not only their mouth-watering pictures of pancakes and bacon, but also for their quirky and witty posts that have reached thousands of “reblogs” and “likes.”

Build Brand Awareness

Promote your products and services online, every day! Cheerwine reminds their fans on Facebook that their drink is tasty and appropriate for any time of the day, as well as offering Cheerwine discounts and encouraging them to support their favorite brand #MasonDixonMadness.

Engage Directly with Consumers and Potential Customers

Online users can now retweet Amazon and add their satisfaction (or lack of) with their most recent purchase. This feedback and modern-day “word-of-mouth” helps this online mogul thrive.

Social media has been around for a while now, and advertising there is on the rise. What is your favorite social media advertising tactic? What annoys you? What’s effective to you? Share your thoughts on our Facebook wall!

Most of us here at Liquid Creative Studio love Apple products. Our office is full of Mac computers and everyone but Scott owns an iPhone. But we recently discovered an iOS7 update feature that has us wondering. Did Apple go too far?

According to ABC Action News and our own sleuthing, unless you have your location feature turned off, your iPhone has been keeping up with your whereabouts. Want to check? Pull out your phone (who are we kidding … you already had it out didn’t you?) and follow these instructions:

• Go to Settings
• Go to Privacy
• Go to Location Services
• Scroll all the way to the bottom and click on System Services
• Scroll all the way to the bottom again and click Frequent Locations

If the feature is turned on, you should see a list of locations you’ve visited in the last month. Click on the general location and it should give exact addresses, dates, times and even show it on the map!

We love technology, but at what point does it become invasive? We’d love to hear your comments on our Facebook page!