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The latest video production, creative development, and marketing news regarding Nordic Media

Nordic Media > creative

How Do You Succeed With A Marketing Agency?

So what’s it like working at our marketing agency in Edmonton?  Truthfully, it’s incredibly rewarding and incredibly challenging at the same time.

Over the past years our company was growing exponentially, so we just built our new studio this year, moved our entire staff over, expanded our team to serve our clients better. Throughout the expansion we have been meeting our deadlines for our clients for their marketing campaigns and product & service launches.

The studio at our creative agency in Edmonton

PRO-TIP: The #1 thing I tell clients when they come to our company is that as long as we plan well, we can plan on success!

Magic Pill For Marketing

There is no “magic pill” to marketing.  I would argue that good advertisements go a long way to reaching the correct demographic and converting them over, but the true key ingredient to any creative agency worth their salt is: planning.

Facebook & Google Advertising

I’ve been at this almost a decade and in that time I have been at the forefront of changes in advertising, from tradition to digital, and even more challenging are the micro changes in platforms such as Google and Facebook.  Google once was a dominant giant in keyword advertising with Google Adwords and Youtube, but recently we have seen Facebook taking over the advertising marketplace significantly.  I’m sure by this time next year we will be talking about the significant changes Google is making to help with more effective advertising funnels for their customers (they just changed the named of “Google Adwords” to “Google Ads” as an example).

To be successful on these platforms you can use them independently, where conversions are taking place right on the social media platforms or you can use these platforms in tandem with your website as a sales and conversion portal.

PRO-TIP: I get a lot of questions about SEO… The #1 most important SEO tool is your very own website.  Buying “SEO” services such as link building and article creation make no sense if the website itself does not have native SEO built into the site.

Against the Creative Clock

A lot of times our customers come to us after have been burnt by a previous marketing process.  We look at their existing website and funnels to find it is simply not geared towards converting their clients.  What makes the process even that much more difficult, is sometimes these clients can be significantly against the clock and need results even quicker due to lost time trying other marketing practices through agencies they used to partner with.

All hope is not lost if you are in that situation… the great thing, is we can use advertising through social media and keep the customer converting directly on the platform and not send them to an unoptimized website.  You may have seen things like “lead forms” and “messenger” being a more common way to generate leads.

PRO-TIP: we use it ourselves and it works splendidly.

Our clients get treated comfortably in our marketing agency. Quick drive from anywhere in Edmonton. Coffee is always great!

#1 Question I Get In Marketing:

So here is the biggest complaint I hear about marketing and advertising: “If Facebook and Google have made these processes more and more easy to use for the average consumer then why doesn’t it work for me?”

Well, there are nearly limitless minor reasons, but it all comes down to 2 major factors:

  1. The Ad
  2. The Audience

Let’s talk about “the ad” first.  Most advertisements I see out in social media land are created at very low cost, with very little planning, and end up falling short.  The truth of the matter is a lot of people out there are doing the same thing: “Hey, here is my business… we are great… do business with us.”  These ads are being lost in a sea of content.  They are not converting because people skate right past them.  To make a great ad we must keep the audience in mind but also factor in what is going to make someone stop what they are doing, take time out of their day, and connect with your business.  A truly great advertisement is one that evokes emotion: (1) laughter, (2) passion, (3) sadness, (4) intelligence, and yes, even (5) concern.

This may sound simple, but it is not.  Crafting a unique, captivating, sensation advertisement is the most challenging part of our business.  It takes time, it takes planning, it takes testing, and most of all patience.

Now, let’s talk about “the audience.”  It doesn’t matter what platform you advertise with, you can easily identify your demographics.  A lot of the problems I see when clients come to us with their ineffective campaigns is that either their audiences were too broad or too narrow (missing people).  Let’s say for example you are in the concrete repair business.  You can easily target people who have been recently looking for this service (through Google) and convert quite effectively with the right advertisement.  On the flip side, you can “proactively” seek and search out these customers (through Facebook) and by getting your demographics just right and enjoy a low cost to conversion.

PRO-TIP: it’s relatively easy to target users on Google who are looking for a particular product or service; the cost can be quite high (I feel so much empathy for a business like real estate, ouch $$$$).  It’s a bit tricker on Facebook, because you can massage your demographics, but the real magic is in an effective advertisement.

Video Production Matters! Quality Matters!

I think this needs to be stated.  Yes, there are a lot of cat and viral videos out there that get tens of millions of views that are low quality.  Unless your business has proprietary footage of an amazing cat, an act of God, or something else you might want to rethink a low quality strategy of advertising with your cell phone video.  This ad here is a prime example of what we did.

Mother In Law from Nordic Media on Vimeo.

So What Should I Look For In A Marketing Agency?

Well I’d like to come right out of the gate and say “choose us”, but it’s quite alright if you don’t.  The most important thing you should look for in a marketing agency is that they can show you results.  Many creative agencies or video production companies out there can show you great images, videos, and ads they created, but the question you should be asking for is: “show me the results” or if you feel real cheeky “show me the money!”   <- If you didn’t catch the reference, you may have not grown up watching Jerry Maguire… I think I still have the VHS copy if you want to borrow it.

Cheers,

Matthew Altheim
Executive Producer

Nordic Media
www.nordic.media

About Nordic Media

We are a full-service marketing agency focusing on stunning and captivating creative assets and video production that move people to do business with the clients that chose us to compete for their business online and offline.

Here is a link to some past articles you might find interesting

Joyriders

About Our Marketing Agency

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Getting ProLift More Traction Online

Ready To Start

ProLift, the concrete leveling company, was looking for a way to increase awareness of their services and came to us looking for our help. They had a website but really wanted something to increase client traffic and gain attention. Our marketing company specializes in building clientele bases through traditional and new media and they thought we were their best choice. In our meeting they explained they wanted a way to increase calls and consultations, and talking it over, we both came to the conclusion that a commercial could do just that.

Consultation

At Nordic, we are an Edmonton marketing agency that has the creative ability to do in-house video production. ProLift really liked how versatile we are as a company in what we provide and being pleased with the one on one care we put into our consultations they became very excited for the commercial.

 

Process

We made sure that they had creative control and approved the script before shooting. We came up with a few different ideas for the script and proposed the concepts to them. They decided that the Mother In Law idea would be their favorite for us to make.

Production

We were all enthusiastic about production and shot the commercial at our director Matthew’s house. Casting local Edmonton actors we had a crew and a cast all dedicated to making the best production possible. For props, we rented a wheelchair, used the ProLift truck and equipment, used real ProLift uniforms, and used what we had on set with permission of our director.  It took about a day to film the main part of the commercial and we went to a different location to film the section where they lifted the concrete. The first day of the shoot went smoothly. We had to work around the clouds covering the sun and ended up using a light reflecting board to make sure we could light the actor’s faces when we were outside. The second day went amazing as well it was fascinating watching the ProLift workers do their magic.

The End Result

In the end, ProLift was very satisfied with our company’s work and we are proud we were able to make another company’s ad campaign a success. We are glad we were able to represent such a quality company and it was a pleasure working with everyone involved. With the launch of the commercial, we know the company is going to be a success!

 

About Nordic Media

Nordic Media is an Edmonton advertising agency, stationed in Alberta, we make it our priority to really establish and execute the marketing vision of every company we work with. Making it our focus to make a product our clients can be proud of, we provide in-house creative and production services as well as offer step by step personalized advice. Nordic Media provides service throughout Canada and internationally to the United States. To set up a one on one meeting, or for any information regarding our company, contact us.

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Generating A Marketing Campaign for DDD

Coming To Us With Their Ideas

We were approached by the DDD (Dedicated Designated Driver) services for advertising help. They came to us with an idea of what they wanted, and as a marketing agency, we worked together with them to flesh out a campaign that they were excited about and that fit their budget. They loved our customer service and how we paid attention to the details. Embracing their company’s needs and incorporating our team’s creative focus, we were able to go beyond their expectations with our product and performance.

Process

We were really able to make their marketing dreams a reality. Checking in for approval all along the way, we wanted to make a product that satisfied their needs and expectations. In our consultation sessions, they explained how they specifically came to us to increase their amount of service request calls and bookings during peak holiday seasons. Strategizing as a team we set out a plan to create them a Facebook advertising campaign and a commercial from scratch to boost their audience base.

Our crew is on set working with the actors for the commercial

Script And Casting

We didn’t move forward in the creative process until we got their project approval on our advertising strategy. When we wrote the script for the commercial we worked and edited it until the client fell in love with it. We casted a local actor Vance Avery who has experience in acting in local productions on camera and on stage. Having previous experience as a hand on set, it was a pleasure to work with him because he was very talented as well as knowledgeable in what we do on the video production side of things.

Filming

For filming at the house we filmed at an airbnb location we rented for the day on the outskirts of Edmonton. We wanted to make sure we could have a place where we had enough space and could film without interfering with the surrounding neighbors. We also shot at a pub that was across the street from the old office building we were stationed in at the time on the south side of Edmonton. We filmed during the day and color graded it to look like night time. We chose these options because it was time and cost effective. Wherever we can save our clients money we will.

For props we wanted to show a guy who had a really good time and wanted to convey that within seconds the props were showed. We ended up buying a feather boa, a party hat, and for the tattoo of regret we used a temporary tattoo with a bit of makeup. We wanted to appeal to DDD’s audience by taking a serious topic and making a powerful advertisement while adding fun spin so it was relatable.

The Result

In boosting their online reach we were able to boost their sales and bookings to where they were very happy with the results. With 199,340 views and hundreds of likes, comments, and shares on their commercial, DDD had a direct increase in calls and a significant increase in their customer base. They were proud of the end product of the commercial and the Facebook campaign feeling their money was well spent. We had a ton of fun working with them and are glad that we could help.

About Nordic Media

Nordic Media is a marketing agency in Edmonton, Alberta that focuses on meeting the needs of our clients and going above and beyond their expectations. We provide in-house creative and production services as well as consultations and advice for all your marketing needs. Nordic Media provides service nationwide throughout Canada from Edmonton, Alberta as well as to cities in the United States and beyond. To set up a meeting, or for more information about our company and how we can meet your advertising needs, contact us.

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Marketing Small Business Online

How does small business compete online?

Before the age of the internet, marketing and advertising for small businesses was difficult. Commercials were expensive to produce and airtime was at a premium, as larger competitors saturated the signals. In the last decade, we have seen juggernauts such as Google and Facebook make advertising more accessible to the mass market. With a few minutes of forethought and some new age tools, any business owner can create an advertisement and target their key demographics (location, age, interests, etc).

Even here in Edmonton, you can advertise across the planet with just a click. Sometimes the response is great and other times a complete failure. So why does one advertisement succeed and the other fail?

It comes down to creativity and quality.

Creativity is important. With the right message, you will have a positive outcome. With the wrong message you could have no outcome or even worse, you could have a public backlash.

In the days when traditional media ruled the roost, advertisements needed to be generic enough to appeal to all segments of the population to improve reception. In the days of digital advertising, messages can be custom tailored and delivered to only those who are most likely to respond. This is the reason why I receive advertisements for beard oil and my wife does not.

The “big players” are constantly battling in the marketplace with creative ways to communicate their products and services. They spend significant resources to develop and market test ideas even before they commence video production or purchase ad space. They have standardized the process and created a semi-scientific process to marketing. The great thing about marketing, however, is that the rules are constantly changing as new technology and creativity interrupt the status quo.

In 2015, 2016, and 2017 Nordic Media partnered with the City of Edmonton to promote their “Front Yards in Bloom” campaign. You likely saw this advertisement at the movie theatres and online. In 2016 Edmonton won 1st place out of all international competitors in the large city category.

 

Quality is the second component. With the age of Facebook and YouTube we have become accustomed to seeing a viral video shot from cell phones garnering millions of views. Many of us think we can replicate the viral video concept and even apply it to our business

If you are thinking this way, then I commend you, as you are ahead of the game. You understand today’s audience wants entertainment mixed in with their advertisements: they want to laugh, cry, and be motivated with your message.

What comes next is usually the part that fails: the execution. Out comes the cell phone video camera, along with a script that no one else vetted. Maybe the script wasn’t as good as once thought or maybe it is just too long considering anything over 45 seconds is going into the “danger zone”. Attention spans are incredibly short in today’s world. That small cell phone microphone was not invented to pickup audio from across the room.

Did you know even in Facebook Advertising each advertisement gets a relevance score? If your score is low, you are paying many magnitudes higher for every engagement you get. Facebook doesn’t want poor ads clogging up their news feeds, so if they are forced to show a low quality advertisement, they will charge a premium for it. A good advertisement should be costing pennies per engagement, while a poor advertisement is costing dollars.

In short: good creative and a quality production is actually pretty tough to master. It does not matter if you are hiring a professional company to do your marketing or if you are doing it yourself. You must research, get critical feedback on your ideas, and produce quality content. Quality marketing doesn’t just help keep market share, it grows the base by attracting new eyes to the business.

In this example the advertisement received a relevance score of 8, meaning the advertisement is having a strong clickthrough rate and the content is resonating with the demographic we targeted.

To finish answering my original question: small businesses compete online through good ideas and quality content. Anyone can have a website and a virtual presence instantly, but getting people to give you their time, attention, and money is much harder.

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