Category: Public Relations

Why Instagram’s “Swipe Up” Works

Cherith AndesBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Confession time. We at Clairemont Communications aren’t immune. We have all been responsive to well-placed marketing ads — not the least of which are Instagram’s Story ads.

Story ads wield serious marketing clout. According to VidMob, 60 percent of millennials watch Stories, and one in four millennials and Gen Z-ers consult Stories for products to buy. Social Media Today noted that, “Facebook also found that Stories placement lead to a 35 percent increase in brand outcomes.”

That’s a noteworthy sales heft.

So what makes Instagram Story ads so effective?

  • Hyper-Targeting: Much like Facebook ads, Instagram Story ads allow you to choose objectives based on where your targeted customer falls in the sales funnel. (Just trying to make a first impression? Seeking to close the deal with a warm customer?) You are able to customize your audience based on demographic, psychographic and behaviors, and of course, maximize the Facebook pixel to create effective look-alike audiences.
  • Re-Targeting: Similarly to a well-placed Facebook ad strategy, Instagram Story ads can leverage your website traffic and target buyers who were browsing your products … but just didn’t purchase. It has worked. Yours truly may or may not have bought a sweatshirt that kept magically popping up in her Instagram Story ad sequence.
  • Visual Appeal: The marketing adage states that “diners eat with their eyes first.” The same applies to almost any product. Instagram’s Story ad platform allows for a highly visual medium designed to tout your product (and a strong call to action).
  • Ease: This one is the clincher. Literally, all one must do is swipe up to connect to the product page. At that point, add the item to your cart, punch in a credit card number (or approve Apple Pay) and mailing address, and wait for your purchase to arrive. No typing in URLs. No Google searches. Just suh-wipe up.

To prove our point, here are a few guilty pleasures that each of our team members recently purchased on an impulse via Instagram Story ads.

KELLI

“I bought this ice roller when Ashley Streicher (@streicherhair) posted a video of her rolling her face after a night out in an effort to de-puff and look fresh. This spoke to me. I keep it in the freezer and use most mornings – whether or not I’ve had that extra glass of wine the previous night!”

TRACY 

“I purchased this via a blogger on Instagram just hours after my favorite coffee mug shattered on the floor. Right place at the right time.”

CHERITH“Soooo … I often begin my workday from the bed after the alarm, checking emails and social media accounts. I have a big love for Friends, and when this classic joke showed up on my Instagram feed (How did they know!?), I just did the swipe thing before I was even fully awake.”

TAYLOR

“My recent impulse buy was this sweatshirt. I purchased it because everything on the website was 50 percent off, and the woman running the company is suspending the store until June.” (SCORE!)

Looking to learn how social media marketing can work for you?

Drop us a line!

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Do What You Love & Love What You Do

Kelli FletcherBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , ,

Happy Valentine’s Day! Perhaps you received a bouquet of your favorite flowers. Or you might be out last-minute shopping for that special someone. Or maybe, just maybe, you are one of those counting down the hours until all that holiday-themed candy goes on sale …

Love it or hate it, we certainly don’t hold anything against this day, which means we couldn’t let it go by without celebrating it ourselves! In the spirit of continuing to celebrate Clairemont’s 10-year anniversary, we’re sharing what we love about PR and working at Clairemont!

Read below to see what our team loves most about what we do and where we do it!P.R. While the acronym, of course, means “public relations,” it also stands for “personal record.” Interestingly, that’s one of the things that I feel like we’re able to do for and with our clients — help them achieve their companies’ “personal record.” We get to work with people we love, tackle hard problems, apply strategic game plans and dream up zany, creative solutions, all to form a path for our clients to exceed their goals. For me, it’s the light in a client’s eyes when they begin to see the upswing in sales or when they read their first feature article in a major magazine. I love that we get the privilege to be a direct catalyst in a client’s success. Also. Sometimes we work from a coffee shop. And the coffee shop has brownies. – Cherith Andes

I love that a career in PR means no day ever looks the same. I also love that it has forced me to learn about a wide variety of industries and businesses. What do I love about Clairemont? Our team, our energy, The Clairemont House, our clients, the work we do! – Tracy Lathan

When I landed my first gig in Boston, I had a coworker tell me in regards to a job, “You either have to love what you do or love who you’re doing it with.” Since joining Clairemont I can honestly say I’m lucky to love both! In PR, you can be both creative and strategic. You can have fun and do important work that really moves the needle for a business or person. There’s rarely a boring day! There’s so much I love about Clairemont – the house, the location, the clients! But most of all I truly love our team! We work well together, and we work hard. We’re all here for the same reason: because we love PR (and fun!). – Kelli Fletcher

What I love most about PR is that the skills and practices can be applied in almost any field! At Clairemont specifically, I love that I get to work on a variety of exciting projects. It also doesn’t hurt that Clairemont’s location in Downtown Raleigh gets me out of Chapel Hill to explore more of the Triangle Area! – Taylor Bolden

The thing I love most about Clairemont is the women I get to work with each day. They are some of the smartest, kindest and most fun people I know! They inspire me to be a better PR professional and a better person.  – Dana Phelps

Happy Valentine’s Day to you! Have an idea that could use a little creative love? Drop us a line!

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Hollywood, Here I Come!

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

Before College 

Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to be when I got older. What I did know was that I loved movies, television, music and the stars that came along with them. I never thought I could make a career out of that since I didn’t have an interest in acting, singing or directing. So, when it came time to decide a major at UNC-Chapel Hill, I had no idea what to choose, leading me to scour the internet for a solution.

After searching for potential careers and majors for about 15 minutes and taking a personality-based career questionnaire, I knew with absolute certainty that I would get a doctorate in psychology and become a therapist. However, I’d soon find out that my quick Google search would lead me down the completely wrong path!

Finding PR

All of my plans came crashing down after taking one psychology class at UNC. After final semester grades came, it was evident that I needed to reconsider my choice. This time of transition led me to take different classes to explore my options. Among these classes was a PR writing course, which turned out to be the hardest yet most rewarding class of my college career.

When I walked into class on the first day and had to write an entire news release, I never thought I would survive the semester. In the end, this class taught me how to think on my feet and write effectively under pressure. It laid the foundation for me changing my major and even landing an internship in New York City!

My summer in New York City, June 8, 2019

Looking Forward to the Future 

While there are many significant aspects of public relations, what I love most is that many PR skills and practices can be applied in almost any field! I hope to take what I learn to the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, where I aspire to be a publicist for singers, actors and others in entertainment.

Coincidentally, my sister is also following a career path in the entertainment industry by earning her master’s degree in filmmaking and directing. Maybe one day I can be her publicist! Until then, I’m looking forward to learning and growing my knowledge of PR during my semester internship at Clairemont Communications!

Me and my sister

Did you know? Clairemont is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Check out this blog post to find out how!  

By Clairemont intern Taylor Bolden, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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#Clairemont10years

Dana PhelpsBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, ,

Hello, 2020! As the whole world is making resolutions and looking ahead to the next decade, we at Clairemont are looking back at our first decade. That’s right! It is Clairemont’s 10th anniversary.

We’ll be celebrating throughout the year by sharing top 10 lists, TBTs and lots of hashtags —-> #Clairemont10years #Clairemont10 #Perfect10 #Clairemont10thAnniversary.

We have a lot of favorite memories from the last 10 years – of our work, of our clients and especially of our city. What about you? Shoot me an email and let me know! And if you feel like celebrating this milestone with us, stop by the Clairemont House any time!

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When You Wish Upon a (Holiday) List

Kelli FletcherBlog, Marketing, Public Relations

These days there seems to be a wish list for everything. Nearly every online retailer I frequent (Amazon, Madewell, Nordstrom) has an easily clickable button for me to oh-so-conveniently add an item to my “wish list” instead of simply bypassing it altogether.

I shake my head as I admit it, but my wish list lists are embarrassingly long at each of the stores in my online shopping mall. And for what? To hold my “maybe” items in a safe place?

It wasn’t long ago when the term “wish list” meant one thing and one thing only to me: Christmas. Once upon a time, I got one chance once a year to create this SUPER IMPORTANT list and I didn’t have the luxury of messing it up with some “maybes.” I waited all year for the thick Sears catalog to hit my doorstep from which I would pick my dream toys.

While Sears reintroduced its once-famed catalog a few years ago, it barely caught on in today’s market dominated by millennials. The nostalgia was nice but the big-box department store seemed just too outdated to bounce back via that holiday book even with its effort to make it digital.

This year I was thrilled to see Amazon’s Ultimate Wish List hit my mailbox, mostly because I couldn’t wait to show it to my kids. Complete with a removable numbered list that encourages you to write down your wants, stickers to tag your favorite gifts and other little tips and surprises throughout, this wish book, created by everyone’s favorite retailer, somehow made looking at a catalog full of toys that you don’t actually have, fun. The perk for mom and dad? There’s a “How to shop” page right up front detailing how you can easily “Add to Cart,” “Scan & Shop” by using codes and/or purchase by asking Alexa.

It’s a brilliant thing, really, what Amazon did. They took an old concept and made it exciting again in a way that only an innovative, forward-thinking company can do: by making it better. This obviously had us thinking about how we can apply this same concept to our work. Whether it be a grand opening, anniversary party or unveiling a new idea, below are three ways you can make sure you get the most out of it.

  • Make it relevant – Will your concept satisfy a need in today’s world? Perhaps you’re offering a digital spin on an old idea. Or maybe you just want to hark back to the good ole days where every party didn’t require a hashtag, and offer a “digital detox” event. Either way, make sure it addresses a need or concern prominent in today’s times.
  • Make it simple – We never get tired of applying the KISS acronym. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here, just make it faster/prettier/bigger. Keep in mind that good ideas never really go bad, they just need to be tweaked with simple, updated details.
  • Make it fun – At the end of the day, girls (and guys) just want to have fun. Offering an interactive activity or anything that allows people to put their own spin on the situation offers people an opportunity for creativity and memorable moments.

Check out other ways we up the wow-factor for our clients.

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