Marketing Strategies for Social Brands


Marketing has evolved from catchy tunes and short announcements on radios or TV to digital messaging and links on emails, websites and social media. The scale of reach has also changed from local to global. Today, we have over 5000 marketing technology solutions and applications to help us gather data and reach millions of people online.



The rules for marketing are constantly evolving, pushing publishers and brands to come up with newer ways to get their message across. Building trust with consumers is near to impossible, when you are racing with thousands of brands offering the same thing you are. Whether you are an online retailer, newspaper or a fortune 500 company, there are essential marketing strategies to always keep in mind:


Know your customer



All of us have new year resolutions and every year we reevaluate our habits and lifestyles. Actually 41% of us make a decision to change something or add a new habit in our lives. This means that about half of your customer base are looking for an improved or new way to do a task or habit every year. It is important to take a look at your customer habits regularly and aim to refresh your communication every year.


Don’t assume what your customers are thinking but build a system to connect with and survey your customers on a regular basis. 52% of organizations say that they rely on educated guesses or gut feelings to make decisions based on their data. This may result from the fact that 39% cannot confirm that their data is fresh. Schedule a quarterly time to read through and evaluate the information gathered from your website or social media outlets. Look beyond the answers and create customer personas to help prioritize the communication.


Improve your social media accounts



Success in any type of activity requires consistency and repetition. This includes managing your social media accounts. Currenly about 54% of B2B marketers said they’ve generated leads from social media, with nearly half (44%) of all B2B relevant leads coming from LinkedIn. Simplifying the process by automating your posting capabilities will increase your reach. One of the first steps is to make your profile photos consistent across all your live social channels. You can then use this as your branding guide for any new accounts you engage in.


Another important step is to insert your popular SEO keywords in your social media profiles by integrating them into your company bio, photo names and even your job descriptions. This will keep your communication more consistent and help in organic search results. Do not forget to untag your handle or delete old posts that are no longer relevant.

Build your reputation and trust by adding endorsements or pin positive posts to the top of your account feeds. You can also use this to promote services your current clients love or share important company updates, ensuring that all your social touchpoints communicate the same information. It is also very important to test and verify all the links included in all your posts and profiles. In this way your social sites correctly direct your traffic to your funnels.


Have a master plan



Whenever we start any new project or task, we consider the timeline, budget, materials and parts needed to succeed. Without a plan, many projects do not succeed. Streamlining the plan is very important or it will miss the mark.


There are many goals a plan can focus on, so we recommend shifting your objectives on 3 main targets that will help make the most impact. They have to capture your company goals and also help provide direction to your social media strategies. According to a research conducted, the top 3 goals companies have when engaging in social media are brand awareness (85%), followed by community engagement (71%) and content distribution (61%). While the top 3 company challenges face are driving traffic to their website (58%), followed by generating leads (49%) and defining what to measure (42%). The most effective way to communicate your plan is to have an additional social media budget in place for boosting important posts or announcements, as well as promotion through platform ads.



Essentially, social media accounts are an additional tool that will help measure how you will accomplish and measure your goals success. However, your social media plan will help you find your voice and tone by coordinating what, when and how often content needs to be shared, and always testing to find that sweet spot.


Go the extra mile



Every day more customers are learning the importance of doing research before buying products or services. This means your online presence and social media accounts will inevitably be a part of their research. Your online accounts will their source of understanding your brand by monitoring how you interact with others.


This might not be a surprise, but 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business and of them, 84% trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Comments and reviews online now make or break a brand. Customer support departments are more important than ever and choosing the right employee is also very vital to your success.




Some timeless qualities in going the extra mile include listening, empathizing, apologizing, responding in real time. If you receive complaints on social media, respond by asking them to contact you via direct message and make sure you are already investigating the issue. Live chats on Twitter or adding a customer feedback tab on Facebook also help with this. Do not just try to take them offline but offer a more direct and personal communication option. On the other hand if you get positive posts, add extra delight by offering them account perks or incentives. Do not forget to gather the data on social media accounts and make good use by noting possible new features to consider or taking out services that are causing more harm than delight.



Ultimately, social media complements all the background work that your company performs day in day out. It should not be a secondary communication plan, but should be considered one of the main ingredients for your marketing success. By being focused and planned in your approach to tackle the online social hurdles, your brand can stand out. Cultivate a marketing and social culture that will not gain clicks and followers but loyal promoters online.

AdPerfect Adds The Seattle Times to Its Growing Customer List

October 19, 2020
AdPerfect, one of the leading obituary platforms used by media companies across North America, will provide its technology and expertise to The Seattle Times, the most read local news and information company in the Pacific Northwest. The AdPerfect Obituary platform provides readers and customers with an exceptional experience for sharing the life and memories of a loved one who has passed. The platform provides a modern user interface and an efficient self-serve option for funeral homes and private parties to place obituary notices. “We’ve worked closely with AdPerfect for a number of years on other products and their customer service, attention to detail and willingness to be a true partner is second to none”, said Gary Smith, VP of Advertising – The Seattle Times AdPerfect was acquired by Tribute Technology last August, a company that provides funeral management and website software to 70% of the funeral home businesses in the U.S.A and Canada. Today, with a direct connection between AdPerfect’s obituary software solution and local funeral home’s software, this never-before-seen opportunity is quickly being adopted by hundreds of local media outlets. “We’re ecstatic to have The Seattle Times take advantage of our obituary platform, as the devotion and admiration they enjoy from informed readers throughout the Pacific Northwest demonstrates how committed they are to their customers. Being able to provide The Seattle Times and funeral homes in the Seattle area with a fully integrated platform will mean better service for families” said Jim McIntosh, Executive Chairman of AdPerfect. About AdPerfect AdPerfect is the most trusted provider of mobile-friendly self-service advertising solutions for publishers and newspapers. We build reliable online platforms and engaging interfaces focused on attracting advertisers, driving user traffic and growing print and digital revenue. For more than a decade, we have always been, and continue to be, committed to designing technologies that support the evolving needs of the media publishing industry. For more information, contact Jim McIntosh, Executive Chairman, AdPerfect at jim.mcintosh@adperfect.com or phone 604.760.9039.   About The Seattle Times The Seattle Times serves the Northwest with independent, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism, as the region’s most trusted news media company, dedicated to public service. The Seattle Times is the second largest newspaper on the West Coast and the most-visited digital information source in the state. Founded in 1896 by Alden J. Blethen, The Seattle Times is now led by the Blethen family’s fourth and fifth generations. It also owns the Yakima Herald-Republic and The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin About Tribute Technology Tribute Technology is the leading technology provider for the funeral and death care industry. Tribute Technology provides website design and development; online obituary applications; case management software; extensive funeral payment technology including credit card processing, ACH payments, crowdfunding, financing, and life insurance assignments; floral eCommerce solutions; digital marketing services; and personalization software for keepsakes, funeral stationery, and video. Tribute Technology's goal is to be the turnkey funeral technology solution for funeral homes and publishers across North America.

AdPerfect Discusses the Company's Obituary Platform & Freemium Model on Guaranteed Digital: The Podcast

September 8, 2020
In partnership with the Local Media Association’s Digital Summit, Daryl Hively of Guarantee Digital conducted podcasts with each of the Association’s many Research and Development partners prior to the start of the conference. In this episode, Daryl sat down with Matthew Ipsan, to learn more about the AdPerfect freemium model, how the company is focused on helping the industry find new and sustainable business models and how the acquisition of AdPerfect by Tribute Technology is a game changer for local media companies.

AdPerfect Participates in Local Media Association Panel Discussion: Look Globally, Deploy Locally

September 4, 2020
Kirsten and Matthew were joined by guests Ashley Montroy, Executive Vice President of Tribute Technology and Nancy Davis from the Arbor Day Foundation. Both companies have seen tremendous revenue results by harnessing the power of data to make the customer journey both enjoyable and efficient.

AdPerfect Introduces Keynote Speaker at 2020 Local Media Association's Digital Summit

September 4, 2020
With nearly 600 people in attendance, virtually, Matthew Ipsan of AdPerfect explained how the AdPerfect freemium model is a perfect example of a new business structure - one designed to provide local media companies with two essential elements for sustainability - significant expense reduction and new incremental revenue through e-commerce.

Tribute Technology Acquires AdPerfect

By jgreen • February 15, 2020
Tribute Technology, the leading provider of funeral management and website services, with cutting-edge personalization and technology solutions used by more than 70% of funeral homes in the United States, has acquired AdPerfect, one of the leading obituary platforms used by media companies across North America. The acquisition will deliver online and self-serve obituaries at no cost to local publishers, while also providing publishers of all sizes and platforms with significant revenue-driving products, such as the Tribute Store.

Online Conversions in 2019

By jgreen • July 22, 2019
The primary goal of online marketing and content is to attract leads and lead them to make a decision. Online conversions are now the ROI of every company. To keep up, every company needs to be aware of new automation options and technology to accomplish wider online reach. Here are some stats […]

The New Social Paradigm – Distribute Information or Provide Value?

By Pelin Arin • June 20, 2019
Communicating with customers and prospects are spanning to wider applications. Just calling a phone number is no longer enough. As customers are more aware of their options, they want more robust and agile services and the content of your message needs to be multifaceted and provide value. In comes social selling, using […]

Artificial Intelligence Marketing

By Pelin Arin • June 12, 2019
With Google and Amazon investing more and more in artificial intelligence, there is still a lot of expectations and hype around the upcoming developments in technology. Although no one for sure can confidently forecast or speculate where the industry stands on this, we looks at some interesting numbers and stats.

Ethical Advertising in the Intelligent Era

By Pelin Arin • June 10, 2019
Online interactions are not only redefining how we receive and gather information, but also our definitions of ethics online are also being redefined. Majority of consumers now believe that using data to personalize ads is unethical. According to research, 59% believe that personalization to create tailored newsfeeds — precisely what Facebook, Twitter, […]

Online Classifieds in 2019

By Pelin Arin • June 5, 2019
According to recent research from the Online Classifieds Industry Report, 56.9% of companies are confirming that they plan to launch new products or services, while 58.6% planning to hire new staff in the next year and even, 38% plan to modify their business model in the next 3-5 years. This shows an optimistic and […]
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