Sometimes it takes more than one top dog to run a successful creative marketing campaign. Meet Brett Dougall, part two of the dynamic duo of Globe Runner Creative Directors helping launch our clients’ traditional and digital marketing campaigns.

About Brett

Though he was born in Las Vegas, Brett escaped Sin City and got to Texas as quickly as he could. Armed with a B.A. in Communications from Southern Methodist University and a right-brain ethos, he set off to fulfill his creative mission. A few creative agencies later, he refined his skills to the point of creative leadership. He firmly believes that “the medium doesn’t matter as long as it’s creative.”

Fast-forward another 20 years and he’s refined even further, helping Globe Runner continue pushing the creative event horizon.

What about Globe Runner drew you in?

When Black Lab Creative was acquired last year, I was a little skeptical about “working for the man” again. I very quickly acclimated to the team’s excitement and aligned with their passion for producing quality work. Now that some time has passed, I genuinely look forward to working in such a fun and exciting environment.

What is the scope of your role as a GR creative director?

Not only have I been a co-creative director, but I’m also a copywriter, account executive, brand manager, print producer, studio artist, photographer, new business generator, funny guy, weird guy, guy who does the dishes…you know—that guy.

I’ve come to understand that being a creative director is more than just a title. I’m here not only to be “the guy,” but more importantly to be a partner in making Globe Runner a better company. I always aim to do more than the status quo. I want GR to be more than successful and to do great work, I want GR to be wanted and desirable because we are successful and do great work. That’s why it’s important to be more than just an “employee.” It’s about being an advocate who’s constantly striving to be better. You don’t get there by simply doing what’s expected. For that you have to focus on what creative blending we can accomplish as a team.

Which three skills do you use most often as a CD?

1. Eye for great design. You can’t manufacture good taste.
2. Teaching and communication. Though Eddie and I technically have a “creative department,” we are helping lead the agency and teaching everyone how we can be better at what we do for our clients – internally and externally.
3. Ability to have fun. Advertising is the fun side of business. We want our clients to look forward to working with us and we want to get them enthusiastic about their business again.

How does the GR culture impact your work?

The open-air atmosphere at GR helps me to be more free and outgoing with my coworkers. This helps me communicate better with others, and in turn, helps with collaboration.

What is your favorite part of a marketing campaign?

The strategic thinking that goes behind every campaign can make or break it. It’s a huge part of how, what, and why a consumer buys a product. From dog food to prom dresses, there are a lot of moving parts. When it comes to a marketing campaign, seeing all those parts come and work together makes it all worth it in the end.

What does a typical day look like in your role?

One might think that a typical workday would be filled with internal and/or client meetings. Sure that happens from time to time, but most days I’m designing, strategizing concepts, and creating. That’s what gets me going… it keeps my brain alive and keeps me generating new ways to solve problems strategically and graphically.

Where do you find your biggest creative inspiration day-to-day?

It really all depends on what kind of project I’m working on. Packaging, web design, branding, or logo work, it varies from campaign-to-campaign. There’s so much good work out there that has already been done, it’s easy to get on the web, do a search, and pick a creative direction. There are many great talented art/creative directors and copywriters out there that can be very inspiring. Really, that’s what it comes down to for me—finding that inspiration. The muse could be music, a photograph, a type treatment, architecture, cooking, etc. Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to be inspired to find it yourself.

How do you deal with challenges in your role?

With 20 years of experience, there are and always will be challenges in my career. Challenges change with the time, but because of past experiences, some challenges are easier than others. As an artist, challenges simply become another opportunity to express my individual creativity.

Do you have any advice for someone looking for an agency role?

Be ready to be collaborative no matter what role you take. Be ready to participate and go above and beyond what your “role” or “title” might be. Be willing to learn to better yourself to keep pushing the status quo.

Also, an art director can direct a piece forever. It’s good to know when to walk away from your work. It’ll always be there tomorrow. Give your eyes and mind a break and you might even see the piece in a whole new light. Just make sure that when you get to a place where you like it, walk away from it and move on to the next project. No matter what you do, eventually, the client is going to have changes.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d received before starting out?

I wish I knew how to put together a better portfolio. To this day, when I can find the time, I keep polishing up my book. I’ve worked on hundreds of projects and only a select few get chosen. I still have pieces from 15 years ago. It’s funny in this business… you can market anybody and everything else, but when it comes to you personally, it’s always a challenge.

Where do you hope to take GR clients in the future?

I want our clients to see the value in what Globe Runner has to offer. Since Black Lab Creative came on board, we’ve become a well-rounded agency that offers more than just SEO. We provide our clients great creative alongside the strategic thinking that can take their brand to the next level. We want our clients and their customers to think differently about their brand.

Want to fuel your brand’s next marketing campaign with a bit of Brett’s creative genius? Make contact!

About Eddie

Eddie and his entire family, black lab included, are native Texans. Since graduating from Stephen F. Austin, he’s taken the creative lead at Dallas agencies, helping local and international clients find their voice and tell their brand story.

What about Globe Runner drew you in?

All the orange. And the clients. But that’s it – the orange and the clients. Oh, and the people. The entire Globe Runner team is the rocket fuel for the work that’s setting our clients up to succeed online and beyond, and I’m having a blast on this adventure.

What is the scope of your role as a GR creative director?

To provide direction in strategy and design; to produce work that is strategic, creative and timely; to encourage GR team members to be strategic, creative and collaborative; and to provide creative support for account management and new business, or any other department that puts out creative work for our clients.

It’s also about helping clients achieve brand consistency. To help them show up authentically across all platforms, from fully branded campaigns to social media to using all aspects of their brand.

Which three skills do you use most often as a CD?

Collaboration. Encouragement. Recognition.

It all comes down to the art of communication and collaboration. Using an unsophisticated stick figure to help illustrate your point can sometimes be more effective than writing the world’s most thorough creative brief. Finding that finesse and getting the whole team aligned helps me turn out the otherworldly work we create for our clients.

How does the GR culture impact your work?

It’s fun here and everyone is a lot younger than I am. They already know so much and are eager to learn more. They inspire me to keep learning and pushing myself to be better at what I do.

What is your favorite part of a marketing campaign?

The strategy that goes into it to make an advertising campaign smarter than the competition. That’s when things get really interesting.

What does a typical day look like in your role?

60% putting out creative fires, 30% selling ideas, and 10% sweating the fact that there are no new ideas.

Where do you find your biggest creative inspiration day-to-day?

Through my own participation in the world. Watching what interests my son, my wife, my parents. I had an old Executive Creative Director once tell me to pick up a coffee table book, an art book, or even an old album cover when I needed inspiration.

Creativity is contagious!

How do you deal with challenges in your role?

By prioritizing my time. It helps me pivot and shift my own task list when I’m called to help someone with something small and simple. I look for the easy wins to keep me going when things are tough. It helps me spread the idea that creativity matters to me.

Which five tools do you use most in your every day?

A pocket knife, a phillips head screwdriver, a corkscrew, my phone and my belt. OR – humor (funny to me anyway), a little self-deprecation, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. 

In addition to my hard tools and soft skills, it really comes down to the Adobe Suite’s ‘big 3.’ If you don’t know the programs, it slows you down. Being able to move between Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign helps me show visually what’s in my brain. It’s the only way to move from ideation to implementation.

Type. Sometimes that’s all you have to communicate an idea. If you respect it and work well with it, you can design so much through it.

Do you have any advice for someone looking for an agency role?

Learn to communicate. Whether you draw on a notepad, use your words, or engage full programs you need to find the best outlet to get an idea across. This may change with your audience or based on the project, so there’s never just one ‘right’ way.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d received before starting out?

When someone challenges your work, be prepared with answers. Show that you’ve thought about your work. Creativity is a thinking man’s sport.

Where do you hope to take GR clients in the future?

Soaring light-years above their competition.

Every day, my goal is to make us a little bit better than we were the day before. To move forward. Whether that’s by creating better design, or simply delivering a project quicker.

I especially strive to push the boundaries and limitations of a campaign. In fact, sometimes that’s my only job. It’s why I always focus on variety, even if a design seems a little too cool or risky at first pass. Part of the job is to help clients dream a little, push past their comfort zones, and pull back off that. That’s the way to give clients the propulsion needed to take them beyond themselves.

Eddie’s Final Remarks

Marketing communications and advertising are a company’s way of having a relationship with their customers. If we can make our clients a little more attractive while showing the heart of their company’s personality, we consider it a win. We believe that win will be reflected in their increased web traffic or increased sales, etc.—everyone’s version of success is different.

Our customers are really good at their jobs, but that doesn’t mean they can bring that same level of proficiency to branding. That’s our job. We’re here to launch them into the stratosphere in whatever ways best serve them.

Imagine performing a Google Search only to discover all the content with a first-page ranking had been upvoted there.  This is, essentially, the premise behind Reddit, a discussion website that hinges on content ratings.

With nearly a quarter billion unique monthly users across its 50,000 niche communities, Reddit has massive marketing potential. But learning how to market on Reddit is an artful science. Users are quick to circumvent anything that could be construed as strictly promotional.

Done right, Reddit is an invaluable part of any brand’s content marketing strategy. Just make sure you learn the nuances and strictly follow the ‘Reddiquette’ or prepared to be banned.

Redditor User Demographics

Wondering who’s online? Last year Pew Research Center released a study of Reddit users.

Seven in ten use the site for news purposes. About 67% are young men between the ages of 18-29. Almost half have a college degree and classify themselves as liberal. Diversity in these communities is low with 70% of users self-reporting as ‘white, non-Hispanic.’

Marketers looking to drive website traffic can use these stats to inform their big-picture approach. Those who aim to build brand awareness with a specific target audience are better engaging the subreddits.

Market Research with Subreddits

Niche communities populate the subreddits of every subject under the sun. Regardless of your industry, in them, you’re likely to find highly engaged users primed for conversion. The trick is knowing where to look.

Reddit is a big place. Start with some keyword sleuthing to zero in on potential customers. You can also download free tools to help with advanced searching. The more you utilize custom filters to weed out irrelevant threads and outdated posts, the more concentrated your market research with be.

Read the subreddits that appear most applicable to your product or service and make a note of common themes, questions, critiques, etc. Pay specific attention to key phrases you can use in your own search marketing. By listening in on these candid online conversations, you can get an honest assessment of how your target market feels about a brand or industry.

You can also see if competitors have attempted to advertise in a particular subreddit. Under the ‘promotion’ tab of the thread, you can view the consumer comments of current or previous promotions. Use them to help inform your next online advertising campaign.

Reddit Rules

Come off as a spammer and Reddit users will spring into action, banning your account or even your entire web domain from posting on the site. (Unsurprisingly, there’s even a subreddit that discusses Reddit bans.)

They don’t take too kindly to overt or clandestine marketing attempts, especially if they’re irrelevant to the thread.

To avoid getting banned on Reddit, don’t:

• Openly ask for upvotes. Facebook recently implemented a similar demotion for brands that ask for likes and shares. Make sure your user-generated content can stand on its own.
• Copy and paste content verbatim in different subreddits. You posting history follows you and redditors won’t hesitate to search it out. If they don’t like what they see or detect a pattern of promotion (i.e., only uploading links to your direct website) it could result in a ban.
• Publish private information or illegal content. These two are probably self-explanatory but are important to reiterate.

Instead, offer thoughtful, original responses to posts and subreddits that are pertinent to your industry. Listen more than you talk, at least at first, and when you do post, keep the focus on customer service. In any event, you always make sure you understand and adhere to posting rules, regardless of thread size.

The truth is, Reddit is a highly evolved community of intelligent and engaged users. Work within their well-established parameters, listen in, and learn what you can to help refine your niche marketing strategy.

Want to take a run at Reddit but aren’t sure where to start? Make contact, and we’ll strategize together.

The process of moving from where you are to where you want to be is always a journey. In business, it’s important to plot your course and establish a direction.

If you seek to drive revenue you may have to make a necessary pit stop like improving your Google ranking. Widening your customer base might require making a hard left by increasing website visits.

Circle Back

Sometimes going in circles can actually be a good thing. Looking to where you’ve been is often an effective way to help you understand where you need to go. Start by reviewing each aspect of your traditional and digital marketing plan. Pull data from your email marketing stats, PPC campaign results, website’s google analytics and social media efforts. See how each performed the year before. Were there certain blog topics that resonated with your target audience? Did one keyword in your content marketing scheme outperform all others? Or, were your traditional media placements and creative outdoor and radio advertisements responsible for driving sales?

Upon review, you may decide to dedicate your marketing budget to one impactful medium. Or, you may find diversifying your spending helps you to truly own your market segment. In any event, take some time to shift into reverse for insights into how customers are responding to your brand.

2. Determine Your Start Point

When planning your 2018 marketing strategy, start off top-heavy. We mean that literally. Gather managers from each department to help you identify all key components. Once you have tangible ideas from each corner of your corporate globe, you can think through how to execute them.

No one knows the ins and outs of your brand like your core leadership team. Leverage them to establish the key pieces you’ll need to build the plan including:

• Selling Points – Who are you and what makes your product or service different.
• Target Market – Get as specific as possible, drill down and segment past age and gender.
• Ideal Channels – Typical outlets like “online” or “tv,” while effective, are too generic on their own. Think through the type of sites your market visits. How would they go about finding information for your type of product or service? Use this to determine the best way to reach your targets.
• Budget – Just because one avenue has a large viewing audience, doesn’t mean it’s worth your investment. Quality ads on the right channels may not come cheap. Be realistic about your budget and research carefully to see that your particular market segment has a good chance of conversion before you hit the gas.

3. Plot Mile Markers

Use guides to point you in the direction of your goals. If you’re having issues identifying key pieces about your company, see if a SWOT analysis, buyer personas, market research or a competitive analysis can help give you the green light.

With your key components plotted, allocate your budget per channel. Note the costs of each and establish goals for those channels. Pay close attention to dollars spent, as you’ll ultimately be weighing them against the profit a sale is expected to generate.

You might consider putting some of each of these into your digital marketing tank:

1. Search Engine Optimization– aka search marketing
2. Online Advertising– retargeting, PPC, and Adwords
3. Email marketing– with market segmentation for increased ROI
4. Organic and paid social media– emphasis on paid
5. Website– optimize pages on your site and increase domain authority
6. Public relations– to help with community and online reputation management
7. Influencer marketing– target the thought leaders in your industry
8. Content marketing– create a schedule based on keywords and trending topics
9. Traditional marketing– outdoor advertising, magazines, etc.

Most importantly, make sure the established goals are SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Doing so will clearly denote whether you’re heading in the right direction or show you where to course correct, especially as the year progresses.

4. Refuel with the Team

Your marketing vehicle needn’t accommodate the entire team at each stop along the way. It is a good idea, however, to pause and refuel with them once you have your route outlined. Perhaps they know of a shortcut here or an alternate route there.

Share what you and your team leads have planned and welcome feedback. Whether the process points ideas in a new direction or spawns new ones along your same path, you’ll be better for it.

At this stage in your travels, it might also be a good idea to bring in an outside digital marketing firm to help look over your marketing map. They’re trained to help point out potential roadblocks and can help tune it to precision.

5. Designate a Driver

Once you’re ready to put the pedal to the metal, put someone in the driver’s seat who’s studied the roadmap. You may identify one dedicated person who’s in charge of working with the various departments. You could also split up the drive between many people in charge of individual key pieces. The idea is to hold someone(s) solely responsible for the implementation, ongoing management, and final results.

Whether as a whole or as part of specific departmental agendas, it’s crucial to ensure that things are carried through to fruition. Again, if all your internal drivers are busy advancing other goals, a digital advertising agency can supplement as a full in-house marketing team.

In short, as your business races into the new year, it can be helpful to periodically pump the brakes to make sure you’re destined for success.

Not sure which stops are best for your business strategy? Hire a full-service marketing agency to help point you in the right direction or do the driving for you.

No one tracks trends like Google. It’s a key part of their mission to make changes based on what we search and, more importantly, how we search. These changes typically come in the form of algorithm updates.

For the past few years, mobile searches have outpaced desktop searches. Currently, more than half of all incoming web traffic happens on a mobile device. With no signs of slowing down, Google has been promising to roll out a mobile-first index in response. How will your site be impacted by the imminent mobile-first launch? Ahead, we’ll unpack what indexing mobile-first will change and how to best prepare.

What does the mobile-first algorithm target?

As of now, the desktop version of your site determines your Google ranking. Although, it’s supplemented by the content on your mobile site that’s soon to change.

After the mobile-first update, search engines will initially look to your mobile site when indexing, prioritizing that user experience. Therefore, you could see a dip in traffic if your mobile content is thin or differs from that contained on your desktop site.

Is this the death of desktop? Probably not.

Google has been clear that desktop content will not stop ranking altogether. Instead, in the near future, websites will be indexed based on the mobile version of the site first. This means webmasters should absolutely prioritize the mobile experience if they want to rank well. But desktops won’t be rendered entirely dormant.

When will the new mobile-first update launch?

This is perhaps the most slippery part of the mobile-first initiative. Google has been hinting at the update for years. It was originally poised to launch at the end of 2017. It’s now looking like that’ll happen closer to early or even mid-2018.

There’s also talk of rolling out mobile-first indexing in batches. If so, this would only target mobile-friendly sites for a while.

Even the most learned SEO experts can’t guarantee it won’t occur all at once. However, this quality neutral initiative is designed in hopes of preserving search results or rankings a bit—at least in the beginning. The goal is really two-fold: first to increase the quality of the search. Next, to protect non-mobile friendly sites from a new indexing method that could halt the internet as we know it.

Next Steps

In 2016, Google released a post about mobile-indexing. Whether you’re a webmaster or small business owner, it’s short and worth a read through. After brushing up you may even decide there’s not much if anything you need to do.

If however, you want to be overly prepared, here are four steps you can take, immediately:

1. Create a responsive/adaptive site instead of a separate mobile site (ie: m. or /mobi/).
2. Mirror all mobile content to your desktop and optimize your images to enhance search.
3.  Remember that Google prescribes no mobile site over a poorly constructed one. If you’re thinking about rushing through it, think again.

In our web-based world, no business can afford a Google flag. Need help kicking off the process of creating a responsive site? We can help you reorganize your mobile-friendly website in advance of the mobile-first roll out!

Year’s end is a good time to evaluate your website and take care of some important tasks that will have your site performing at its best for the New Year.  Add these five important items to your to-do list ASAP:

1. Ensure your Site’s Domain Registration is Renewed for 3 years or more.

When does your website’s domain registration expire? Do not let your domain expire.  You could lose it for good.  Check the expiration date and be sure your registration is valid for at least one year. We recommend renewing it for 3 years or more. Not sure where you registered your domain name or when it expires?  You can look this information up at whois.net.  Click here to check your domain expirations date.

2. Make sure the SSL certificate on your website is working on all pages.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, which is a protocol that creates a secure connection between user and website. Websites that use SSL encryption will display HTTPS (as opposed to HTTP) in the address bar.  This encryption makes data invisible to those wishing to eavesdrop on your online session. You can check to see if you’re utilizing SSL on your site and all of the pages by going to https://www.jitbit.com/sslcheck/.   Click here to check your site for SSL.

Google’s Chrome web browser marks sites without encryption as non-secure and the search engines have stated that websites should be encrypted.  You may be hurting your website’s search engine rankings without HTTPS.

3. Be Sure your Website is Mobile Friendly

The percentage of worldwide online searches done on mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, is between 55% – 65%. What does mobile friendly mean, exactly?  It means that you can read the site’s information without having to expand the page or slide the content from side to side on your device.  Users should be able to use the features of the site (e.g. the buttons, the checkout process, the on-site search function) comfortably as well.  If you’re not sure if your website is mobile friendly, try Google’s Mobile Friendliness Test.  Click here to check your site for Mobile Friendliness.

4. Test your website speed.

The speed of your website is one of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of visitors’ user experience.  Software updates, unoptimized photos, and other neglected maintenance issues can slow it down.  Check site speed frequently.  A slow website harms search rankings as well. To test your website’s speed, check it with GT Metrix.  You’ll want a grade of A or B to guarantee that user experience and keyword rankings won’t be compromised by slow speeds. Click here to check your site speed.

5. Update the copyright on your website.

Make sure your website is copyrighted and it’s using the most current year. Most people think that the creation of a website means it, and its associated content is inherently copyrighted. That’s not necessarily the case. Fortunately, copyrighting your website is not difficult. Just follow this simple two-step process: complete the application form at https://www.copyright.gov/, then pay the two nonrefundable fees for a deposit and filing. If you’ve already taken care of this, make sure you change your copyright date to 2018 on or about January 1.

Want a free check on your website?  Click here to register to receive a checkup report on key components of your website’s operational efficiency. If you need help with any of these essential website maintenance factors, or with SEO, PPC, website design, or social media, contact the digital marketing experts at Accelerate Online Marketing.

Organic Social Media Marketing for Your Law Firm

Few social events are quite as polarizing as the cocktail party, people either love them or hate them, but attending one for professional reasons is very similar to social media marketing. But the one thing you don’t want to do, whether referring to social media or cocktail parties, is stand in the corner and refuse to engage anybody.

Forget those days when Facebook and Twitter were only used to inform friends that your vacation or night on the town was upstaging theirs. Now social media ─ Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn specifically ─ should be an integral party of your law firm’s marketing strategy. And if your firm isn’t using social media as part of its marketing efforts, you’re in the minority ─ seventy percent (70%) are, according to Attorney at Work’s 2017 Social Media Marketing Survey.

Just Remember…Think Cocktail Party When You Think Social Media.

When you’re ready to launch or revamp your social media marketing efforts, keep the following four (4) things in mind:

Be Genuine

You wouldn’t pretend to be something you’re not at a cocktail party (right?), so don’t do it when using social media. Make posts reflective of your firm, the type of law you practice and how you want to be perceived in the marketplace. And while writing about yourself might be uncomfortable, it’s important that your personality shines through. If you love golf, share thoughts and photos about your recent round at Pebble Beach.

Elevator Pitch

We all know what an elevator pitch is, right? It’s something about you and your firm that can be verbalized on a (no more than) 30-second elevator ride. Take the same approach with social media posts; they need to quickly convey who you are, where you work, and how you help people.

Share the Good News

Social media posts work best when they offer a more human, personal touch. You don’t have to only share posts that reference the law or the type you practice. If your son’s basketball team wins the championship, share it with others. You never know who might read it and forward it on to somebody with a vested interest in your son’s school.

Use Images and Videos

Sure, giving the reader something to look at along with text helps information stand out, but it’s more than just about looks. Check out these statistics from Adobe’s Digital Index Report. Tweets with images earned up to:

• 18 percent more clicks,
• 89 percent more favorites, and
• 150 percent more retweets.

LAW FIRM PRACTICE AREAS WE OFFER LEGAL SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SERVICES FOR

Bankruptcy

Business Law

Business Litigation

Child Custody

Civil Litigation

Corporate Law

Criminal Law

Divorce

DUI/DWI

Estate Planning

Family Law

General Practice

Health Care

Immigration

Labor and Employment

Landlord and Tenant Law

Libel, Slander and Defamation

Medical Malpractice

Medicare and Medicaid

Personal Injury

Real Estate

Social Security Disability

Wills and Probate

Workers Compensation

Remember to think cocktail party when designing and implementing your firm’s social media marketing strategy. And here’s the best part ─ you don’t have to dress up for it.

It’s been almost a year since MGM studios and Twitter joined forces for an immersive New Year’s Eve experience using Twitter Live. In the span of a few hours, the launch segment had garnered an impressive 22 million views and impressions. Since then, the micro-blogging social media site has updated and added to the live streaming feature, reflecting back a cultural craving for immediacy.

Curious what’s on the horizon for next year? Here’s a look backward, and forward, to help businesses leverage twitter live in their social media marketing.

A Look Back at Twitter Live in 2017

Twitter Live has had an impressive arch over the last 12 months. When it comes to revenue, video remains their single biggest ad format, according to Twitter.

What has shifted is the participants, players, and partnerships. Let’s see how Twitter Live has settled in over the last four quarters.

• Q1: Twitter’s user growth outpaced Wall Street Predictions, swelling by more than 9 million. By March its content partners had topped to more than 200.
• Q2: Armed with an updated API, Twitter made the live platform more accessible to broadcasting companies. Supporting professional video and editing equipment, as well as the software that runs them, allowed major players to interface directly with Twitter.
• Q3: Partnerships with big names in the sports world, fashion arena and media sect all pledged allegiance to live-streaming. Everyone from the NFL and Viacom to IMG Fashion and BuzzFeed is now relying on Twitter for their live content.
• Q4: Right at the end of the year, Twitter Live is eking out a final offering that’s poised to change news as we know it.

Is Twitter our preferred news network?

News cycles have long rewarded the first on the scene. Twitter satisfies our demand for the instantaneous. For those who want to watch the news in the moment, Twitter is reliably where it happens first.

In fact, social media is the exclusive news provider for more than half of online users. It’s also where reporters themselves look to confirm facts or cultivate story leads.

Twitter Live has taken notice, creating the world’s first “social news network”, TicToc by Bloomberg. As of December 18, 2017, a Twitter-specific 24-hour news cycle will go live supported by a team of 50 reporters and newsroom staff.

It’s the precision and journalistic excellence of Bloomberg News, paired with the global following of twitter’s aggressively engaged users, and the commentary they so freely share.

The move appears to be traditional media’s first dedicated effort to bring some quality into the demand for instant breaking news.

Who’s ahead in the Twitter VS Facebook Live race?

Twitter and Facebook Live both have the potential to grow your market segments. It’s less a question of which is performing better, and more an inquiry into your individual business marketing needs.

If you’re attempting to get in front of an audience you’ve already cultivated, Facebook Live tends to pull ahead. However, if what you’re after is overall network growth, try out Twitter.

The two also differ in terms of which types of content they best support. Since Twitter is a more open platform, it’s especially great for public events. Conversely, Facebook does a thorough job serving concentrated individual networks. Ultimately, the choice is whether your content is better suited for a network-centric audience or open and public viewings.

Keep in mind that about more than half of Twitter Live’s unique video viewers are outside the U.S., and also under the age of 25. If you have a young, international target market, this is the platform for your business.

Some moments can only be truly captured with live video. Whatever your business chooses to broadcast, going live on Twitter can help you share the experience.

Still, have questions? Make contact and we’ll let you pick the brain of an internal social media strategist