My days as an intern at Sonnhalter are not what I expected them to be. For one, there’s way less grabbing coffee for everyone than popular media would lead you to believe. For another, they gave me a huge desk with a window view. The view is a cemetery, but beggars can’t be choosers.
I help ghostwrite blog posts for the Sonnhalter website than I can add to my portfolio, draft up press releases for tools I now know more about than I ever thought I would, conduct research and create social media content. I also sit in on meetings with clients and go to in-person open houses to get a better sense of what I am writing about.
One thing I enjoy about interning at Sonnhalter is that no two days are the same. Some days are more writing intensive, while others are more research focused, and I can switch between projects if I want to write more than research.
I have been learning a lot during my time at Sonnhalter and I am excited to take it with me into my future career.
User-generated content (UGC) is content that was created through images, videos and podcasts. Types of user-generated content could be product reviews, testimonials and educational material. User-generated content can come from your customers, influencers or your employees, and can be an added benefit to your brand.
Why is it important?
UGC can be beneficial in the buyer’s journey to add credibility as well as increase social media engagement and overall conversions.
Consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic compared to content created by brands, so utilizing this strategy is important.
UGC can help build brand loyalty and can help grow a tight knit community for your brand. Often, businesses will create influencer programs so they can send out their products for influencers to post about. This allows the company to gain content that they can post across their social media channels.
Sharing audience content also works to develop and deepen audience and business relationships, driving more brand loyalty.
Cost-Effective
Instead of creating a campaign around one of your least popular items and having to spend money on a photoshoot, you can save money by sprinkling in UGC. When starting to use UGC, check your analytics across other posts. You should find that the UGC receives higher engagement and obviously didn’t cost an arm and a leg to create. UGC is a cost-effective way to introduce an innovative marketing strategy to the mix.
Conclusion
Utilizing UGC content can help benefit your brand, but understanding how using UGC can align with your goals is important. Sit down and review your marketing strategy and see how UGC can fit into your marketing mix, so you can use it to your full potential.
Videos have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years, but has your company used videos to their full potential? Join us as Matt Sonnhalter explains why your company should be using video content in your marketing mix.
Sonnhalter announced the recent appointment of Kaylee Lauriel to public relations intern. In this role she will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience including writing press releases and blog posts, conducting research and creating social media content.
Lauriel attends Pennwest Edinboro University, where she majors in Strategic Communications and plays on the women’s soccer team. Along with being a student athlete, Lauriel is a member of multiple on-campus groups such as the Honors College and the Applied Communicators of Edinboro.
During her time at Pennwest Edinboro, Lauriel has taken introduction to PR classes, as well as courses on event planning and organizational business that have prepared her for taking on this internship. By the end of her internship, Lauriel hopes to have a greater understanding of her future career path, along with gaining some real-world portfolio content.
When she isn’t working or on the soccer field, Lauriel enjoys spending time with her dog or reading books.
In a recent article from Industrial Distribution, the term “omnichannel” and what it means for distributors was discussed. Omnichannel means the connection of all systems, platforms, departments and sales channels. With omnichannel capabilities, distributors can provide customers with a consistent experience across all touch points.
Why are omnichannels important to B2B customers?
Omnichannels allow users to have a fluid shopping experience and give them options when they shop. Over time the number of channels that customers can engage with has grown and will continue to grow. In a study from McKinsey & Company, they found that modern B2B buyers want to engage with distributors across 10 or more channels and move between channels seamlessly.
With more channels for buyers to access this leads to more sales.
What Is Omnichannel?
An omnichannel model gives you a holistic view of the customer experience and buying journey. When you understand your buyers’ buying patterns then you will know what products they are in the market for and how to better your business.
By having multiple channels, it allows users more opportunities for buying and makes it easier to buy from you.
How many channels do you offer your customers today? If it’s anything less than 10, it’s possible you’re not reaching all your potential customers.
