Looking for the best way to gain exposure for your brand in the upcoming year? We came across the 5 most popular digital tools, broken down by Cheap Sally, which engage your fans to make them feel as connected to you and your brand as possible. Keep reading to find out which tools are right for you and your brand!
1. Social Bookmarking
Brands can gain more exposure and a bigger audience by joining one of the newest online trends: social bookmarking! Social bookmarking includes features that allow users to upload, tag, and follow products they love. Some websites that feature social bookmarking include Twitter, Tumblr, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Reddit, WeHeartIt and Pinterest. Out of those, we find it quite intriguing that Pinterest, the 5th largest social bookmarking site on the web, is driving more people to 3rd-party websites than Google, YouTube, and LinkedIn combined, according to the infographic by CheapSally.com! Not on the Pinterest bandwagon just yet? Get a feel for what it’s all about by checking out the lotus823 Pinterest page!
2. F-Commerce
Many brands use F-Commerce, also known as Facebook Commerce, to connect with their audience by offering exclusive sales and items for customers who are active on their Facebook page. Studies show that almost 25% of all online activity is conducted on Facebook alone. Who is doing f-commerce right? Oscar de la Renta! Through Oscar de la Renta’s Facebook page store, fans can purchase fan-only items, sold solely through Facebook, direct for the runway. Talk about a Facebook fan exclusive!
3. Digital Coupons
Nowadays, many brands use digital coupons to incentivize potential customers to visit their social media sites and become a ‘fan’ and/or “follower” of them. When incentivizing in this way, it is important to make it very easy for your target audience to obtain your coupon codes online, in an effort to provide them with instant gratification. Interestingly enough, the popularity of digital couponing has caused at least 1/3 of America’s population to no longer look through the Sunday paper to find deals.
4. Mobile Photo Sharing
Another way that companies and brands are gaining exposure for their brand is through instantly sharing ‘behind the scenes’ photos with their audience. Once these photos are shared, fans can interact with the brand by liking, commenting, and/or sharing the photos. In 2011, the amount of people sharing photos by a conventional camera decreased by 52% since 2010, making mobile photo sharing one of the most popular ways brands can relate to their audience and gain a following. Instagram, a popular mobile photo-sharing app for iPhone, is now being used by over 200 brands – wow! We definitely suggest checking it out, if you haven’t already!
5. Gamification
Gamification is the concept of applying game-design to non-game applications to make them more exciting and engaging for the audience. In 2010, companies spent an estimated $100 million on gamification alone, and that number is expected to rise to $2.8 billion in 2016. Gamification has gained popularity because many tend to think people are more inclined to do something if there is something of value in it for them (i.e. get 2 of your friends to buy this promotion and get your item for free).
Are you already using one or more of these 5 essential tools for branding success? Share your favorite with us or tell us which you are looking forward to trying!