Marketing Communications Today Blog

Metrics are simply standards of measurement by which efficiency, performance, or progress can be assessed. Yet in social media it can get complicated quickly with amount of data and options of what can be collected and where. In this podcast, join Keith Quesenberry as we cover the basics of collecting social media data, tracking social media metrics and identifying KPIs (key performance indicators). We also consider how to link social media actions to business goals and marketing objectives for social measurement and optimization.

Cindy Greenglass: Keith, you have said that Social media metrics can quickly get complicated, can you explain what you mean by that?

Keith Quesenberry: Yeah, you know, just for example if we look at some of the top social media channels and what is actually available through their analytics programs, their insights programs. So Facebook insights, it can give you all kinds of data. It can give you metrics on page posts such as likes, unlikes, organic likes, paid likes, reach, engagement, engagement rate, impressions, demographic information. It can also give you detailed video stats including views for three seconds, 30 seconds, 95% of total video length.

As the holiday season begins, many individuals find themselves looking for ways to spread cheer by giving back. For marketing communications professionals, this time of year is about creating compelling messaging to inspire advocacy and charity.

Today, two WVU Marketing Communications alumni share insights about their career in nonprofit communications during the "giving season."

Vice President of Marketing and Development for Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio

Host Matthew Cummings speaks with award-winning designer and creative director Nathan Pieratt about the three ways data impacts the creative process: it informs, it adds complexity and it uncovers insights. Pieratt shares stories from his more than 15 years of industry experience to illustrate how data helps determine the right channels, audience segments and messaging. While adding complexity and time to the creative process, data can uncover behaviors that lead to more insights…making the extra time and effort well worth it.

Matthew Cummings: With today's focus on creativity, how does data impact that creative process?

My name is Leah Schoolcraft and I am a Brand Ambassador for West Virginia University’s Integrated, Data and Digital Marketing Communications online programs! I recently finished up my first semester in the program. I have learned a lot in my first two classes and I’m excited to share them with you! 

I decided that the IMC program was for me because I felt stuck in a career and knew that I always wanted to continue learning. I had ventured down just about every avenue that I thought was possible within my skillset, and kept coming up short when I realized that none of them sparked my curiosity and creativity, but rather hindered any possibility of growth. I wasn’t alone in thinking this either, a few of my coworkers were feeling the same way. After a couple of talks with them, I decided to take a deeper look. After doing some research online and reaching out to program advisors, I applied. The program was completely different from the industry I had gotten my undergraduate degree in and been working in for more than a year, but marketing was a skillset that I always wanted to learn more about. A few short weeks after applying, I found out that I was accepted and would start in the 2020 fall semester. 

When I first started the IMC program, I was nervous about juggling a full-time job and graduate-level school work. I tried to follow the same process as I do for my fast-paced job, which is more of a constant stream of always doing something. I found out quickly that setting up a schedule was necessary for me to succeed and take care of my mental health. Here are a few tips that helped me coming in from nearly a year out of school. 

The holidays are here and it’s a time of giving. How do marketers plan for this season as they work on fundraising? Leandra Clovis joins us to discuss how she is navigating\ the giving season in her work as Senior Director, Walk to End Alzheimer’s at the Alzheimer’s Association, Central and North Florida where she manages the development and implementation of peer to peer fundraising campaigns.

Cyndi Greenglass: Can you define for us what peer to peer fundraising is?

Leandra Clovis: Peer to peer fundraising is a really specific area of fundraising that encompasses all of the different events, where our donors are asking their peers to donate to them. That covers walk events, bike events, marathons—any kind of event where someone is signing up, and then they are soliciting donations to support them in their endeavor to do whatever that specific event may be. Thus, the peer to peer, because it's really those constituents asking their donors for the money. It’s a different type of fundraising than direct marketing or major gifts where the development professional is soliciting those large donations themselves. Our money really comes from our individual walkers, reaching out to their friends, their families, their employers, hosting unique fundraising events themselves and raising those dollars. The main source of money that we solicit would be sponsorships.

The use of digital advertising has been on the rise and has seen continuous growth despite these unprecedented times. How do you stand out in a crowded digital space? Storytelling. Join Sukhi Sahni, head of corporate communications at Capital One as she discusses how to sell stories in a digital world.

Amy Teller: Could you start us off today by describing, in your own words, what is digital storytelling?

Sukhi Sahni: I think at the heart of storytelling is how humans connect, right? So, if you think about how you connect with your families, your friends, every conversation, if there's a story that's a part of it, we tend to remember that story. You might not remember the occasion, you might not remember the people in the room, but if there was a story that was told in an impactful way, you tend to relate to that. So, I think at the very essence of storytelling is just the way humans connect, and what's more important these days is that we are connecting in a lot of different ways and a lot of different channels.

Last year WVU Marketing Communications produced a piece predicting the biggest marketing trends to come in 2020, before the year took a dramatic turn. In light of many unforeseen events, the biggest trends of the year drastically changed. COVID-19 and other events pushed marketing communications professionals to test their creative capabilities and ability to pivot, forever changing the industry.

In light of another unpredictable year ahead, the WVU Marketing Communications graduate programs hosted a Twitter Chat discussing "Predicting 2021 Marketing Trends" to encourage staff, faculty, alumni and students to consider what will be the next biggest thing in the industry.

If you missed the Twitter Chat, please view the recap below or visit the @wvuimc Twitter page.

On November 17, Twitter launched a new feature called “Twitter Fleets.” The new feature mimics the popular Stories feature that is available on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and most recently LinkedIn.

Twitter positioned the rationale for Fleets by stating the brand hoped to empower users to share content or thoughts that typically would be left in drafts. Users can share text and image posts that are only visible for 24-hours. Beta testing of the feature prior to launch in the U.S. showcased that users were more likely to “join the conversation” when they knew their post would only be available for 24 hours.

Much like Instagram Stories, user’s Fleets are only visible to their followers. For those with public profiles, anyone who has access to see a user’s public page will be able to view their Fleets. Reactions are also available for Fleets. Individuals who view a user’s Fleet can reply with just a simple emoji or DM a full text message.

Amanda Sains is the head of marketing at Joolies Organic Medjool Dates in Venice, CA. She was part of the brand launch at the trade show Natural Products Expo West in 2019 with only packaging prototypes and a stand-out booth design. Now, about a year and a half later this July, the brand is distributed nationally in over 1,500 doors with many different products including Dates and Date Syrups and flavors. Join Amanda as she discusses brand management and her experiences in launching a brand.

Karen Freberg: Tell us a little bit about your role and how did you get to become the head of marketing for Joolies?

Amanda Sains: When I joined, it was the two founders, the CEO, and then myself. We had 500 acres in the Coachella Valley, and we had a lot of dates, but we didn't have a logo or a package yet. Together as a team, we created the brand that you see today. The name Joolies came from our founder, David Kohl, and his family being date farmers. They just wanted a really fun and cute way, to refer to as medjool dates, it's a little bit of a mouthful, but Joolies is kind of a cute thing.

The holiday tradition of Black Friday shopping typically comes with crowded stores, camping out in close quarters and a high-touch environment. In the face of COVID-19, this holiday and shopping season will face challenges in logistics and marketing. 

Here are some trends to watch for as we move towards the holidays. 

Shifting to Social Commerce