'Erry Day I'm Tumblr'n

This week, I learned a bit about Tumblr in my Media Planning class. I found the information useful and relevant to this class as Tumblr can be used as an online marketing tool for both large and small businesses.


So, you may be wondering-- what is Tumblr? Tumblr is a blogging interface that was developed by David Karp in 2007. By 2011, Tumblr's user base grew by 900%, making it one of the most popular blogging platforms for users under the age of 25. It is a unique platform that is simple to use, and is largely visual in nature. Tumblr also is smartphone friendly. 

• Use short, highly visual blog posts. Catch other Tumblr users' attention!

• Forward your posts to Facebook and Twitter. Consistency and coverage are vital to the success of any online campaign. 

• Download the free Tumblr app for your smartphone so you can stay engaged on the go. 

• Don't be afraid to be creative! Users love a company that has personality!

Tumblr's audience is composed of a diverse group of individuals, 50% of which are 25 or under. Tumblr rates in the top 5 blogging platforms when averaging the amount of time that users spend on the site each time they visit. Although Facebook is still #1 in that regard, Tumblr has still been able to attract a huge following, including celebrities like Lady Gaga, Zooey Deschanel, and various other musicians and fashion designers. 

Tumblr allows people to connect with each other through images and tags. Users can follow other users with similar interests, creating their own relevant content stream that appears on their dashboard. Tumblr disperses content at a rapid rate, including photos, videos, gifs, and short statements from users. 

Many companies are currently using Tumblr as a marketing tool. Huggies is a successful example. It's Tumblr blog has successfully created a "lifestyle" around their brand. Users are encouraged to post cute images of their kids or short anecdotes about how Huggies have helped them through the many messes in life. The content produced on their blog is indexed by search engines and has greatly increased Huggies's search visibility online. 

Tumblr is a great online marketing tool for businesses who are already producing or are able to produce visual content. Tumblr can help to increase overall brand awareness and help a business engage with its users more creatively online. 

Want to start using Tumblr to promote your business? Here's some advice: 

YouTube's Untapped Marketing Potential

I'm in Media Planning this semester and was doing some research on great untapped media outlets that have multiple marketing opportunities for both large and small businesses. In researching the marketing opportunities available on YouTube I've come to the conclusion that YouTube is not only awesome-- it's a valid marketing tool for both large and small businesses alike. 

For those of you that aren't "YouTubers", YouTube is a video sharing website that is free for users. Over a billion people watch YouTube every day due to it's easy user interface and awesome content. Over 48 hours of video are uploaded every minute, and over 8 years of content are uploaded every day. It would take you over 600 years to watch all of the content on YouTube, and that time is lengthening by the minute. 

YouTube's viewership is growing, both online and through mobile streaming on smart phones and tablets. All ages and demographics are present on YouTube, with the 18-44 demographic representing 56% of YouTube's daily viewers. 55% of daily users are male and 45% are female. 

So, how many ways can YouTube be used as a marketing outlet? SO MANY WAYS.

YouTube offers marketing services through:

• Channels

• TrueView Ads

• In-Stream Ads

• Mobile Ads

• Homepage Ads

• YouTube First Watch

• Display Ads

• YouTube Analytics

• Custom Solutions

• YouTuber Endorsements

By using YouTube's various marketing tools, it is possible to reach your target market in several ways to maximize impressions online. By using any combination of the aforementioned marketing tools, businesses can take control of their online presence and engage with their online audience in new ways that promote active listening and overall communication between the business and its consumers. 

Many large businesses are already using YouTube and gleaning positive results. Ford ran a YouTube campaign for the Ford Fiesta that was wildly successful. They chose 100 influential YouTube celebrities and gave them a Ford Fiesta for a year to complete "missions" in their community and share their experiences with the Fiesta. This campaign made over 52% of consumers aware of the Ford Fiesta, even if they had never bought a Ford vehicle before. This amount of reach and online influence was instrumental in the success in sales of the Ford Fiesta.

YouTube is a greatly untapped resource that could help both small and large businesses achieve their online marketing goals whilst showing the brand's personality and creativity.

Are social media stereotypes true?

Most twenty-somethings think they know everything about social media. I mean, most college kids basically live on Facebook or Twitter. We all recognize certain social media stereotypes that are widespread in the digital world: Facebook is for high school and college kids; LinkedIn is for old businessy-type people, Twitter is for loud-mouthed youth,

This week the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project issued a report that revealed who is really using which social media-- and yes, some of the stereotypes proved to be true. The findings of this study are as follows:

• 58% of US Internet users that earn up to $50,000 per year are typically found on LinkedIn, while only 7% of those that earn less than $30,000 annually. 
• 56% of Internet users 50 year old or older are using Facebook.
• 19% of female Internet users are on Pinterest, compared to only 5% of male Internet users.

These stats represent over 1,005 US adults (799 of whom identified themeselves as Internet users) that were called by the Pew Research Center's phone survey team between August 2-5, 2012.

Additionally, Pew asked about 6 different social media outlets-- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr-- and discovered some of the following data:

• 66% of the surveyed Internet users use Facebook. The gender spread of users on Facebook is close to even, with female users slightly above male users. The largest age group on Facebook is ages 18-29, closely followed by the 30-49 age group. Annual household income wasn't a huge determining factor for FB users, and neither was their education level. 
• 16% of the surveyed Internet users use Twitter. The gender spread of users on Twitter was fairly similar, with just a few more male than female users. The largest age group on Twitter is the 18-29 category. Users with an annual household income of over $75,000 per year are more likely to use Twitter than those with a lower annual income. Lastly, most Twitter users have had some college education in comparison to those that only have a high school education.
• 20% of the surveyed Internet users use LinkedIn. Both male and female users are on LinkedIn. Users who make more than $75,000 per year are more likely to use LinkedIn, as are users who have graduated college. 
• 12% of the surveyed Internet users are on Pinterest. Mainly women use Pinterest in the 18-29 age category. Most of these users make between $50,000 -$74,999 per year and have some college education. 
• 12% of the surveyed Internet users are on Instagram. Both men and women use Instagram and are mainly in the 18-29 age group. Most of these users make over $75,000 per year and have some college education.
• 5% of the surveyed Internet users are on Tumblr. Far more women use Tumblr than men, and most users fall into the 18-29 age category. Most users earn between $30,000 -$49,999 annually and have some college education.

This type of survey can shed light on previously unfounded social media stereotypes and is helpful for marketers in that they can figure out the social profile of their consumers and takes steps to integrate that information into their business's social media plan. In many cases, older users are online and can be reached effectively through social media marketing efforts. So, it isn't just high school and college kids on social media-- it's everyone!

Hey y'all,

I'm McKenzie McCart. I'm an Integrated Marketing Communications Major with minors in Communication Management Design, Legal Studies, and Sociology. As graduation looms ever closer, I find that I'm conflicted about what I want to do with my life. After much contemplation and general angst, I think I've decided that I want to do a little bit of everything: marketing, event planning, PR, design, etc. I'd love to work in the arts or with creative people, and I love to help small businesses find their footing online. =D

In the past, I've had several internships in the marketing realm. My first marketing internship in 2009 was for The Ocean Club, a spa and resort in NC where I designed their websites and worked with them to create printed marketing materials to send to both clients and perspective clients.
(www.ocspanc.com & www.youroceanclubwedding.com)

The next summer, I worked at a massive B2B, Commercial Web Services, a division of the much larger (and more intimidating) Dominion Enterprises. At CWS I worked with a small team that managed the companies CRM database and helped develop their new Dealer Management System (DMS). I spent a ton of time on the phone interacting with clients and in meetings learning the best ways to train clients to use CWS products effectively.

More recently, I worked with a Social Media Consulting firm (SOMEGO) in Washington, D.C. creating custom SMM plans for D.C. businesses and the federal government (Dept. of Education). Our team was incredibly small and incredibly close, and we basically jumpstarted SOMEGO and cornered the social media marketing in D.C.
(www.rivasolutionsinc.com)

Most recently, I was a marketing and PR intern at FashionMode PR in Shoreditch, London. At FM, I got the chance to meet designers, go to London Fashion Week, and work creatively with the Business Manager to launch an online store for FM's in-house label, OSHUN. I finally got the chance to work with other interns (YAY!) and work with some ladies for a change. =)

After all of the different experiences I've had in the wonderful world of marketing, I'm excited to take this class and bring my experience full circle. There is always something new to learn about online marketing and social media. In this day and age, you really can't know too much about the Internet and how to use it to your (or your businesses) advantage.

See you in class!
-McKenzie

www.twitter.com/mckenziewmccart
www.linkedin.com/in/mckenziewallmccart