direct mail

Direct Mail Advertising Isn’t Dead

SethDigital Innovation, Market Information, millennial marketing, New Orleans, Uncategorized, Velocity News 1 Comment

One big urban legend for marketers and business owners is that direct mail is dead, however it is not just alive, but direct mail could be considered superior to other marketing channels. 

In its response rate report, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) found that direct mail achieves a 4.4% response rate, compared to 0.12% for email. Overall, the DMA found direct mail’s response rates are anywhere from 10 to 30 times higher than that of digital. Consumers are often overwhelmed with cluttered inboxes and are more receptive to direct mail which arrives on a much less-cluttered channel.

Even junk mail in the mailbox has something few marketing emails will ever possess: the reality factor. A study conducted by UK Royal Mail concluded that the upswing in the use of direct mail and its enduring effectiveness is because “giving, receiving, and handling tangible objects remain deep and intuitive parts of human experience.” It’s also proven that people who were exposed to physical ads experienced heightened excitement as well as a greater desirability for the items advertised. 

Another urban legend is that millennials would never be interested in anything like postal mail. The fact is millennials like mail, they enjoy the act of receiving mail. Gallup reported that 36% of people under the age of 30 look forward to checking their mailboxes every day. Plus, 95% of 18-to-29-year-olds have a positive response to receiving personal cards and letters. That generation is estimated to yield $1.4 trillion in spending power by 2020. 

All of this research goes to show that people love getting mail and there are opportunities for marketers and business owners. As many things in life are switched to digital, not all marketing should be. If you need help with direct mail marketing, call Velocity Agency today!

iOS app store

Happy 10 Year Anniversary to iOS App Store

SethUncategorized 1 Comment

On July 10th, it was the 10-year anniversary launch of the iOS App Store!

 

Steve Jobs referred to it as the biggest launch of his career. The App store now serves as one of the most important software stores on the planet having 2 million apps, 20 million registered developers, and revenues topping $100 billion over its decade-long lifetime.

In current times, it’s easy to forget that things weren’t always this way. When the App store first launched, things were downright strange. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come in the world of technology. In 2008, services like Pandora and AIM topped the charts. Companies like Snapchat and Instagram weren’t around to compete and steal from each other. In fact, iOS wasn’t even a thing yet.

Services that were important in 2008 actually took some time to become mobile services. Companies still had to learn how to adapt and build software for a whole new type of device that turned out to be very different from web and desktop services. Most apps from 2008 actually don’t exist anymore. In 2008 it was all about novelty apps, such as iBeer, an app that turned your phone into the golden beer you wish you were drinking and responded to movement. Developers loved the iPhone’s multitouch display and motion sensors.

The way things change is all about how we use our phones. 2018’s apps reflect some of the more recent trends where social media is at the forefront. Our phones are now constantly demanding our attention with notifications and we scroll through feeds that will grab our attention.

There’s an app for everything nowadays and here at Velocity Agency, we offer in-house app development. Apps can take your brand further than you ever dreamed it could go. If you are thinking about developing an app for your business, don’t hesitate to call Velocity today!

 

 

successful youtube channel

How To Build A Successful YouTube Channel

SethUncategorized 1 Comment

Have you ever wanted to start a successful YouTube channel?

Youtube is a website with millions of viewers every minute from all over the world. It has proven to be an extremely good asset for companies trying to spread the word about their products or services, and when used well can bring your marketing strategy to the next level. But how do you make the most of your channel? Well, from the digital media experts at Velocity Agency, here are few tips for making your Youtube channel really stand above the rest!

1. Original content- one of the easiest ways to get people to remember your brand is by entertaining them! So one of the most effective strategies for increasing your brand’s reach is by making some original content. It can be about anything related to your product or service: simple DIY tutorials, sketch comedy, spoof music videos, anything! The sky is the limit!

2. Consistency- a big pitfall for many content creators is that they neglect to keep their content’s quality consistent. This can be very useful, as by establishing a set quality standard and theme, you will better retain viewers and associate your brand with quality above and beyond how great it already is!

3. Promotions- you can post your commercials and other media on your Youtube channel, and this is a very good tactic on its own, but another good way to increase engagement is to involve promotions within your videos, or just on your channel by itself. This is a good way to increase viewership and engagement, while increasing your conversions on multiple platforms! 

We hope this helps, and whenever you need help managing your digital media strategies and campaigns, call Velocity Agency! We have a level of quality which sets us well above the competition, helping you stay a cut above the rest! See our website for more details, or come see us today!

reddit marketing

Have You Heard of Reddit Marketing | Velocity Agency

SethUncategorized Leave a Comment

Have you heard of Reddit marketing?

Reddit is now being used for massive promotion, influence, and reach. Reddit is the most influential social news platform in the world currently and it drives headlines, traffic and new ideas further than any other social network.  Here at Velocity Agency, we take advantage of all platforms and recognize the power of utilizing all the resources that the internet provides. Here are three ways that reddit can be useful for digital marketing.

Researching Content Ideas

First, you need to find subreddits that are relevant to your industry and find topics and ideas that are successful. To find content ideas that have worked well you can filter through reddit by clicking the word “top.” By researching through subreddits, you can use the content to build more content on your site. If someone has posted to a subreddit for help, the answers are all there for you.

Researching Keywords

One of the toughest, yet most necessary, parts of doing SEO is choosing the right keywords. Although there are plenty of tools that SEO managers will use to find these keywords, they can be a bit obvious and have your site swimming in deep with hundreds of other sites.

On subreddits, you have the ability to watch your audience interact and talk about products and problems in a normal way. Finding a good thread will give you some golden keywords that keyword search engines won’t find. A New tool called Keyworddit can automate this research process. By placing the subreddit URL in this engine, it can see what the terms rank for.

Find New Sites

You know when you go to a popular website what kind of power it has. Websites that get a huge amount of attention or are a consistent should be bookmarked to use for research. If you are building a content strategy and you want to find blogs to help: there’s a subreddit for that.

Remember, reddit is not the place to focus on promotion. As far as research and content marketing, reddit is the perfect resource to use. Here at Velocity, we have SEO and SEM managers that look at the internet through a broad spectrum to make sure that no part of the internet goes unturned with boosting your brand. Contact us today to see how we can help your business!

 

Welcome to The Newest Velocity Agency Intern, Aidan!

Sethblogging, Company, Digital Innovation, Graphic Design, millennial marketing, Mobile Technology Leave a Comment

Velocity Agency Intern

Velocity Agency is a great place to become a well-rounded individual in the world of digital marketing. We have had the pleasure of having talented interns in and out of our office and hope to provide enriching training to young professionals that are still in college. This blog comes to you from Aidan, our newest intern, who has already begun our office’s favorite past-time: teasing our digital marketing manager Moe!

“I started working at Velocity in the last week of May, and at the time of writing this, I have just finished my second week. Already I have learned so much and been involved in so many different parts of the digital marketing process.

The first day of work was a bit like jumping into a pool. I walked in, was given a tour of the building, introduced to all the members of the team and (to my surprise) started right away with production. Just on my first day, I learned the fundamentals of video editing software; and while it was somewhat overwhelming, the team was very patient with teaching me all the steps and answering my questions.

I would find that this was the standard for how my time would go. The next day, my day started with learning how to use a steady-cam, and how best to frame shots and record audio. The day after, I was given responsibility for recording audio for a monthly program and learned how to set up (and take down) lighting equipment. The second week I worked in different areas, mostly with the graphic design and social media teams, learning effective ways to structure advertisements, write blog posts, and the different steps of the process in making a marketing campaign.

So far I have enjoyed my first two weeks, and while I am here for the rest of the summer I shall be sure to write an update post. Everyone at Velocity was immediately friendly (except Moe), and I have already learned so much. It felt a bit overwhelming at first, but I started to feel comfortable right away. If you want to learn lots, work in a team, and get practical experience working in digital marketing, Velocity is a great place to take an internship!”

 

We are so happy to have Aidan as a part of our team for the summer! Thank you for always helping and being eager to learn and help!

Anthony Bourdain

What Anthony Bourdain Taught Us About The World

SethUncategorized Leave a Comment

Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain was a beloved food critic, chef, and storyteller. Recently the world stopped when they heard of his untimely death. With any celebrity death, news outlets around the country spent their time celebrating his life and uncovering the joys he brought to the world. If we can learn anything from Anthony Bourdain, it’s how to live your life and grow your business. Here what we can learn from the late and great Anthony Bourdain.

Do Everything Unapologetically and Without Fear
“Not having a reputation to lose is a huge advantage.” – Anthony Bourdain
Anyone that watched Anthony Bourdain knows that he was bold, fearless, and always spoke the truth. Whether it would be a slightly pungent flavor in an exotic dish or the economy of a new place he was visiting: he said what was on his mind.

There are no recipes for success; there are best practices for success
Some of the best practices and rules are broken when an innovative business is created. Nobody can tell you which rules to break; however, you can acquire more skill in determining which laws to cut depending on circumstances.

Understanding Human Nature Is Key
Bourdain spoke on the gig that no chef wanted: brunch. “People are foolishly happy to pay $22 for the same two eggs and bacon that they have during the week for $7 or even $3. Give them a free mimosa and a little strawberry, and suddenly they’re happy.” Branding is essential when selling a commodity. When it comes to brunch: bacon, eggs, bread, and strawberries are the commodities, but brunch is the brand.

Learn From Mistakes
“I’m sympathetic to failure because I was a mess most of my career. The line between tragedy and comedy is something I recognize and enjoy.” -Anthony Bourdain 
Anthony Bourdain believed in learning from your failures and turning your failures into success.

As we remember a true legend, we hope that you can learn from his words of wisdom and his way of life. Here at Velocity, we try to learn from the world around us to become the most well-rounded team that we can be.

changes for facebook

Big Changes for Facebook

Sethblogging, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Have you heard of the changes for Facebook?

 

A data firm with ties to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign has reportedly accessed information from 50 million Facebook users without their knowledge, might have kept that data even after Facebook told the company to delete it. Because of the outrage, Facebook has vowed to make the following changes.

Awareness

Facebook does want to be more transparent about which apps can see your information. Within the next month, Facebook will promote its settings page that lists the apps that have access to your account. When you log into services like Tinder or Uber, these companies can access some of your personal information. Facebook’s new app review tool will let you revoke any app permissions right away. Although this is already possible in the Facebook Settings page, there will be a new prominent placement that will reach more people.

Review

2014 was the year that Facebook changed its policies to limit what third-party information apps could gather about you and your friends. Facebook will review all apps that have been pulling large amounts of data about users since 2014 and earlier. If Facebook discovers any misuse of personal data, it will ban the app.

Impacted Users

Facebook claims to be working on a way to see if Cambridge Analytica has accessed your data. If the company finds other apps that misused data in its investigation process, it will take action to inform all users of that app.

Cut-off Time

If you haven’t used an app within a certain amount of time, that app will no longer have access to your personal information. New apps that haven’t been through the company’s existing review process will not be able to access anything other than a person’s name, email address, and photo.

App developers have no reason to worry if they are collecting data within their boundaries. The same marketing capabilities such as SMS marketing and data collection will be allowed. Here at Velocity, we feel that is important to know what companies like Facebook are always doing to adapt our social media strategies accordingly. If you are looking for a team that is adaptive and ahead of the game, contact Velocity Agency today!

 

blogs

How Blogs Help SEO

Sethblogging, new marketing, New Orleans, SEO, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Every popular company has a blog these days. In fact, you are reading a blog right now! However, capitalizing on their blog content to maximize SEO (search engine optimization) results. Here at Velocity Agency, we have a team with an experienced SEO manager and copywriter that will push your brand to success. If your company does not yet have a blog you might be lacking in SEO juice! Here are seven ways you can improve your blog.

Create a Compelling Name for Your Blog

Depending on your brand, coming up with a compelling name for your blog is an optimization opportunity. Centering your blog around a theme can increase organic traffic.

Reach a Specific Audience with Each Post

Each blog should be written for a specific segment of your target audience. Creating content that is optimized for specific customers that contains target keywords related to specific needs and solutions will broaden your target audience.

Have an Effective URL Structure

You should always include /blog/ in your URL structure. This structure improves the ease of blog results reporting. Also, your URL should be short. Your URL does NOT have to contain every word of the title of your blog.

Continually Optimize Blog Content

SEO improvements do not always require new website content. Instead, you can:

  •    Add internal links to other relevant pages on the website
  •    Add optimized images
  •    Link one post to another related post
  •    Review title tags and meta descriptions to ensure targeted keywords are included

Find & Fill Content Gaps

Blogs can be a fast and easy way to create content specifically designed to fill SEO gaps.

Add Images and Videos

Images help to create a positive experience and can increase visitor engagement. You should always include images in your blog post and optimize them with tags. Video content keeps users engaged and allow marketers to provide additional educational opportunities.

Capitalize on Social Media Sharing

There are lots of benefits to sharing blog posts on social media.

  •    It Keeps your social media sites current and relevant
  •    It helps keep your audience engaged
  •    Social Signals improves SEO results
  •    Social links help to increase referral traffic

Although these seven steps can improve your SEO, there is much more to it than that! Velocity Agency knows all the ins and outs of SEO, and we would love to help! If you are in the market for a copywriter to add a blog to your website, contact us today!

 

digital marketing

Shaping the Future of Digital Marketing

SethCompany, Technology, Velocity News 1 Comment

Velocity Agency was recently recognized as one of the top digital marketing agencies in the country by the Silicon Review. A New Orleans-based Digital Marketing Firm, Velocity specializes in techniques, strategies, and branding initiatives that engage and influence their clients’ customers on every screen: smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, televisions, outdoor, and experiential. With a sophistication that grows almost daily alongside technological advances, Velocity Agency has the ability to create custom software solutions for clients and design advertising campaigns that can be tracked, analyzed and adjusted for the highest efficiency and highest rate of return on the client’s investment. The kind of custom creative content that Velocity delivers is something that sets it apart from the rest of the marketing world. Its strategies, techniques and approaches can be studied, analyzed, and incorporated to produce even more efficiencies in terms of return on investment (ROI).
Velocity at its current pace is set to take over the top position in the digital marketing industry and along with it, the firm hopes to release its own set of entertainment products and ad platforms. Already equipped with a wide arena of services starting from TV commercials, music videos to custom merchandise and digital video brochures, Velocity is set to expand into many more divisions of the mobile entertainment industry.

 

To read the full article click here
social media strategy

The Importance of a Social Media Strategy

SethUncategorized Leave a Comment

Most people don’t think of the word strategy when they think about social media. Most of us are using social media, however, when it comes to social media marketing, there’s a lot more planning, research, and strategy involved. A social media strategy defines how your organization will use social media to achieve their goals. It’s a statement of intent that outlines the goals and measurable objectives for using social media while targeting the outcomes that you want to achieve.

Even if your brand is not actively involved in social media, other businesses are, and they are more than likely winning. Velocity Agency is an award-winning team with social media directors that will manage your brand reputation online while also generating business to your brand. We want your message to be heard. Here are four reasons why your brand needs a social media strategy and plan.

 

The Social Web is Growing Fast

There are two key factors driving the social web according to a recent study:

   Mobile Phones: people accessing the internet via mobile increased by 60.3% in the past two years.

   Older User Adoption: The 55-64 year age bracket is the fastest growing demographic

 

This increased mobile connectivity has increased on-the-go social activity. This is why creating a targeted social media strategy will help you focus on using relevant platforms to connect with existing and new customers.

 

Purchasing Decisions Are Influenced by Social Media

Social media used to be about audience building and engagement. Currently, social media if more focused on commerce and personalization. Most major platforms are investing in the ad functions within social media platforms to lure consumers to their brand. Peer recommendation actually has the most influence on holiday gift purchases and a good social media director will devise a plan to encourage people to share and talk about your products.

 

Lack of Strategy Will Route Consumers to Your Competition

Here at Velocity, we have a detailed and structured approach to communication and measurement. We engage your customers based on clear goals, objectives, and targets. We make sure that your potential customers see you and not your competition. Your customers are very active on social media, so it’s important to understand the role social plays in customer communication. Your social media should align with the other communication channels so that your role is defined and understood.

 

Reputation is Everything

Social media can provide a voice to people who previously struggled to be heard and makes your information transparent and portable. With the nature of the internet today, engaging content can sometimes lead to a backlash. If you don’t have a strategy, your social media presence could be destroyed and so can your brand.

 

Here at Velocity Agency, we are constantly perfecting our social media strategies. With our dedicated and talented social media team, your social media will be a powerful tool in your marketing plan. Contact us today!