As 2015 sets in at full force, it’s vital for brands and marketers to have an active gauge on which demographics are using social media. Depending on the type of content you’re promoting, knowing which social media network to use greatly affects the success of the campaign or post. The reason is simple – we all want the greatest reach possible.

To break it down, Adweek lays out each social media network and interaction in a handy infographic. It highlights exactly what age group is using each social media site – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram – in 2015 and what the percent of growth is for each. This early in the year, getting a jump-start on these numbers could greatly improve your social reach as you began to plan campaigns, content, and leverage.
Continue…

It’s no secret the web has grown – but just like it’s hard to see change in yourself, it’s hard to see it online until you really look at the big picture.  From 1984-2013, the web saw huge changes in terms of users, as well as socially and technologically speaking. Just to see how much it’s really changed, take a look at the infographic below hostgator coupon , thanks to whoishostingthis.com. From 1984 to 1998, the Internet had grown to 50 million users. Since then, it’s grown to 2.7 billion users (39% of the world’s population) and counting. The implications of this, as well as the rapid increase in mobile use, are overwhelming. And let’s not forget about the growth of social media – Facebook, since its launch in 2004, has since grown to over 1 billion users. These numbers should speak for themselves – take advantage of them, and make the most out of your online presence, because people do notice. Some experts even say that by 2020, everyone will be online. Prepare yourselves.

Continue…

Where is It?

As of May 2013, two cities offer Google Fiber and two other cities are being networked:
1. Kansas City, Missouri (Already Active, See Map)
2. Kansas City, Kansas (Already Active, See Map)
3. Provo, Utah (Quarter 4 of 2013)
4. Austin, Texas (Quarter 2 of 2014)

What is It?

Free Internet? What will Google think of next? If you’re even slightly tied to the Austin area, you’ve seen the billboards and heard the news. By spring 2014 our automobile traffic will be even slower; however, Austin’s Internet connections will be among the fastest in the country!
Continue…

Trends, Shares, Hashtags and Retweets!  Twitter is social media’s most interactive resource to keep in touch with virtually anything and anyone you so desire, and, in real time. Since Twitter became one of the leading social media sites, I have become curious to know the numbers that make Twitter unique; so I did some research and I came up with a list of my favorite ever-changing Twitter statistics.

– 124,000,000,000 (Yes, that’s 9 Zero’s!) Tweets worldwide in 2012

– 500 million Twitter users worldwide

– 300 thousand NEW Twitter visitors every day

– 73 percent of Twitter users are between 15 and 25 years old

– 50 percent of 2013 Super Bowl ads mentioned Twitter

– 24 million Tweets accounted for during the 2013 Super Bowl (XLVII); up nearly 50 percent from 12 million in 2011 and 15 million in 2012

– 22 percent of Twitter user accounts are located in the United States (that’s 110 million Americans!)

– 16 million: the amount of the official Twitter account followers

– 11 new accounts are created every second

– 7 years since Twitter’s 2006 launch at SXSW

– 2nd ranked country for Twitter users is the England, just behind the US

– 1st Ranked for Twitter followers is Justin Bieber, 34 million and counting

Regardless of what number or metric we measure, it’s clear that social media has taken the world by storm.  Nearly 1.5 billion people engage in one or more social media platform as of December 2012; that’s 30% of adults worldwide.  The numbers for the United States are even more impressive with 69% of Americans ages 15 and up using social media, for a tally of 168 million users.  It’s always been said that “numbers don’t lie”; so my educated guess is that this social media craze will only grow and become more embedded in our culture and economy just as the internet and television did some 20 and 60 years ago. Until next time, happy Tweeting, Liking, Pinning and connecting!

As the month of March rolls around, Austinites (and now, people from across the globe) are preparing themselves for the one festival that brings together over 50,000 locals, techies, musicians, hipsters, film makers, producers, celebrities and many more. Yes, South By Southwest or “South By” for those of you in tune with the local lingo has quickly become the go-to festival in North America. Boasting musical acts from over a thousand artists, countless indie movie premieres and hundreds of technology start-ups, SXSW feeds the souls of those in attendance.

In addition to the many fun-filled events, there’s a lot of business that goes down during the nine days that make up SXSW. And as a creative agency that specializes in working with startups, we take this time seriously, both as a networking opportunity and as a chance to help these young entrepreneurs realize their dreams.

Over the years, SXSW has been the launch pad for many major players in the tech and web-based industries. So much so that the third largest social network, Twitter, launched at SXSW back in 2007. The launch of the micro-blogging platform was so successful that Twitter’s servers became overloaded with users during the event. But not every story is as big as Twitter’s, there are hundreds of smaller companies making a name for themselves each year during the festival- and we’re excited to be part of that growth.

As a progressive digital agency with over nine years in the biz, we know how much hard work goes into building a reputable brand and a dominant online presence from the ground up.We can help get you to the next level through proven marketing techniques, creative web design/development and a plan of action that works.

Are you planning on visiting Austin for South By Southwest. If so, make sure you give us a call, Follow us on Twitter, or come say hi when you see us front row at The Flaming Lips and Green Day concerts!

If you have a website or use a search engine on a regular basis, it’s likely that you’ve heard of SEO Sydney or PPC. These two common acronyms are mentioned and preached every day. However, does everyone really know what they mean, or how they work? If you don’t, you’re not alone.

Let’s answer any lingering questions, settle myths, and clear the air of this Edmonton SEO madness! I’ve compiled the most common myths, most important facts, and the most exciting secrets in this post! I know what you’re thinking, “Whew! it’s about time!”

So let’s start from the top…

Define:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – An algorithm designed to impact visibility of web content (pages) through organic search results. Commonly used as a free alternative to PPC (pay per click) advertising.

Facts:

• Organic search results is a natural method for locating a webpage. This process will match search terms with relevant content on competing webpages. The stepbrother of organic search results is “non-organic”, or paying per click. “Paying per click” are ads that allow a company to blindly bid on highly competitive key search terms.

• New content is the maintenance that will keep your page ranked. The most effective way is blogging and tagging with search terms. Google, and other leading search engines will reward your website for publishing relevant information. Since you know your business, show off and show off often!

• Content is king. Keep relevant and new content flowing like a river! Adding content is important for your ongoing ranking; the most effective way is with a blog attached to your website. All blog content should follow the relevancy rules while it gives you space to display content that your website does not have room for.

• Play to win. Similar to Monopoly night with your Grandmother, according to the company from Search-consulting.com. Compete, and compete often to maintain and most importantly to increase your ranking.

• Duplicate and be dumped. Search engines (especially Google) are smart enough to detect fluff and manipulation; so think of these algorithms as more of an art than a science.

• By the numbers. If you’re more of a numbers person; you can make SEO a science project by using the KEI (keyword effectiveness index) equation. This will give specific words a rating based on the number of times a word is searched over the number of webpages displaying the word or phrase, for those in the SEO game is never ending. Using this approach will show you what words and phrases can give you the best chance of winning the keyword game.

The internet can be the most rewarding source of marketing if used properly. Website optimization best practices are ever evolving and will only become more competitive as time passes. Adopting this process now can completely change the way your business operates in a positive way for years to come. Check out the following and read more if you wish to find ways on how you can save money while using internet marketing for your business.

HMG Creative is thrilled to announce the launch of Quick Fix Stock Charts, a financial site that educates members on the market about pay day loans and stocks by providing daily stock charts, complete with analysis and comparisons.

Continue…

HMG Creative knows there are a lot of amazing writers and bloggers out there, and we want to find you. We are always looking for new ways to inform, educate and expand our clients and readers’ industry knowledge.  So with that said, we are looking for some writers who can inject their knowledge, expertise and passion into our blog.

Topics HMG Covers:

• Social Media Marketing
• Social Networking
• SEO
• Mobile Technology
• Email Marketing
• Web Dev/Design
• Something Awesome

Why Write for HMG:

• Exposure to a new audience
• Increase your presence and credibility online
• Get syndicated on other media outlets
• Get new followers on Twitter, of course
• Blog a little or blog a lot
• Because who doesn’t like having their writing featured

Sounds good to you? Great, email us!  Introduce yourself and give us a quick rundown of who you are. Send us an article for review and we’ll place it in queue if we like your stuff. Don’t forget to mention the frequency of your posts (weekly, monthly, etc), or if you just want to be a one-time contributor (we’re cool with that too)! Don’t have an article to post yet? No worries, we’ll help you mull over some cool topics we think would be relative to our blog.

Submit or contact us here.

Continue…

Luxury fashion brands are utilizing the digital world to attract, connect and build better relationships with customers. Premier fashion news resources like the JustLuxe.com Fashion Blog have taken notice of the shift among luxury retailers. Leaders in the industry like Macy’s with her free Macys coupon code know their affluent audience has high expectations and these insightful brands are leveraging like-minded bloggers, social media channels, email marketing and the latest trend of high-fashion videos to push out valuable content and new products to engage with and “wow” their clientele.

Who is leading in the digital revolution as of late? Louis Vuitton, GUESS, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana 14k signet ring.

Fashion Goes Digital:

Louis Vuitton and the Traveling Photog: To promote a Shanghai fashion show the French luxury label launched an all-digital initiative following an LV photographer from the brand’s home base in Paris all the way to the show’s set. The brand built buzz tracking the photographer on his travels and posting pictures and short clips along the journey.

GUESS Adopts its First Blogger: GUESS by Marciano makes history this week with the announcement of collaborating with renowned Swedish fashion blogger Elin Kling. The synergetic fashion partnership marks a “first” for the luxury brand, bringing best fragrances for women reviews
Kling on as the inaugural collaborator and blogger. GUESS identified Kling as an ideal partner not only for her writing style and engagement among followers, but for her character and fashion tastes highlighted in the HerBraveTaste posts. Kling represents the target market for the high-end brand and appeals to GUESS’ customer demographic with perfection.

Gucci’s Double G Spot: “Follow the Double G” is Gucci’s tagline for its new Fall/Winter 2012 interactive video highlighting men and women’s luxury accessories like belts, bags and shoes. The genius behind the clip is that consumers can shop and access product information by clicking the highly-identifiable Gucci brand icons throughout the film.

The Gabbana Boy: Dolce & Gabbana lets customers peak behind the curtain with their new slice-of-life storytelling campaign which highlights blogger Bryan Boy, now a new face and voice of the luxury brand. The viral videos were 30-second snippets of Boy which provided insight into a “day-in-the-life” and revealed the identity of the new voice for the brand.

Every industry is learning to adopt and revolutionize digital marketing in a way that appeals to their target audience. All the above campaigns and others have succeeded at creating engaging content, and pushing it out where their customers reside: on social media and in their email inboxes for a personal touch with their customers. Social media alone cannot create an effective ROI, but when all these tactics are integrated brands can see a true impact.

What can opportunities in the digital revolution do for your company?

Most would agree that looking at streams of pictures is far more enjoyable than reading lines of text.  When Instagram launched in October 2010, the new app was perceived to be just another product whose popularity would quickly fade.  But little did they know, Instagram would become one of the most admired social media platforms and acquire over 100 million active users in the short two years the program has been active.

So, what is Instagram exactly?

As stated on their website, “Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures.”  The app is very similar to Twitter in the sense that the pictures posted by your followers are displayed in “feeds.”  But it also provides its users with the capability to “like” and comment on your favorite pics, a similar characteristic of Facebook.  BUT, not only can you post pictures in an instant, you also have the ability to choose from a variety of 17 different filters to make each photograph unique and eye-catching.

Can Instagram be used as a marketing tool for your Company?

Of course!  Instagram is one of the leading social media platforms today and is a perfect way to market your company. With the ability to link your photos to Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter or Pinterest, you are able to create a vast amount of reach without a whole lot of effort.  Instagram allows a company to display their culture, highlight their employees and advertise their work.  About 40% of the world’s top brands like MTV and Starbucks are dominating the app and about 25% of those brands are posting at least once a week.  In a study conducted by Facebook, it was found that photo posts received 50% more “likes” from viewers than text posts, so by using Instagram you are bound to gain more interest from customers.

Anything else you should know about Instagram?

Not only is Instagram enjoyable, but it provides an opportunity for your company to increase SEO.  But how, you ask?  By using alt tags, keywords and geo-tagging gives followers and those surfing the app an opportunity to come across your photos.  Are you interested in joining the Instagram phase?  All you have to do is download the app (which is free I might add), create an account, and start posting pictures.  With that said, start snappin’ some pics and join in the fun. But first, make sure to follow us on Instagram @hmgcreative!