URBAN NETWORK 2014

BEING CREATIVE IS NOT ENOUGH

According to the Internet Advertising Bureau 20.1 BILLION DOLLARS was the amount of revenue Internet advertising reached in just the first half of 2013.  How much of that number did you receive?
Today much of the content we engage with is intimately about us, our desires, our relationships, our locations, our like and dislikes.  As a musician, songwriter, artist or video creator you want to reach the maximum audience you can as quickly as possible.  Mobile phones and hand held devices our now the “screen” of choice.   Over 70% of mobile phone owners age 18 – 29 access social media on their devices as reported by Pew Research.

Consumers’ access video on their smartphones of course, but the content accessed is directly related to their lives.  Instagram, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, Vine, Snapchat, Whats app and now mobile dating platforms are popping up catering to the needs and desires of coordinating, socialization and connecting human beings constantly while on the go.

Smartphone screens have become as powerful, and in some instances, more powerful that television.  Once thought to be a passing fad the smartphone market has grown to be a crucial channel for advertisers and entire campaign strategies.  eMarketer predicts that by 2017 mobile will account for four (4) of ten (10) global digital ad dollars.

Start thinking now about how you can effectively reach your targeted audience through mobile.  Having people “LIKE ME” on a Facebook campaign no longer qualifies as a social media strategy.  Successful campaigns are those that prioritize mobile devices and social media during upfront planning getting customers involved while interacting with your audience in “real time” on a one on one basis.

Technology and content are getting more personal and individualized everyday. This trend is pushing mobile devices to the forefront for both advertisers and content creators.  As this shift continues successful companies will be those who build their marketing strategies around the consumer and engage them.
Listen to the Voice of Customer (VOC) whenever you can.  Most entertainment industry content creators substitute their audiences’ attitudes and motivations for their own biases resulting in frustrating web experiences and loss of profits.   When developing your content think more about what is needed versus what you want to happen.  The most profitable content of this century was developed by what people were NOT seeing or hearing at the moment within their day to day loves.