What do you picture in your mind when we say “digital marketing”? To be honest, if we asked three people, we’d probably get three different answers and that’s because digital marketing can mean different things depending on your marketing goals.
Oftentimes when we say digital marketing, we’re referring to online search or display ads that generate brand awareness and website traffic. At the other end of the spectrum, though, digital marketing can mean things much larger in scope, like creating and promoting an online, community initiative. Here’s an example of one that we’re kind of proud of that you might be seeing online right now!
The Client and the Goal
Downtown Eau Claire, Inc (or DECI) has a mission of supporting and promoting Downtown businesses in Eau Claire. As the state of Wisconsin began re-opening businesses after this spring’s quarantine, they wanted to create a community-wide effort to get consumers safely back to the Downtown businesses they know and love. They wanted to tap into the love that locals have for their downtown and generate economic opportunity for those who do business there. DECI chose #TeamHookd to help them achieve that.
Creating a Branding Identity
One of the first steps in this process was to brand our efforts that the community could rally behind. So, we created a logo that complemented their current brand and spoke to the idea of unity and growth (both past and present). We named the campaign “Root for Eau Claire”. It features an icon with roots and colored leaves that represent the five, downtown wards that DECI represents. Then, there’s the obvious tie in with rooting for our shared success.
Making it Engaging
In order to boost engagement with online audiences, we knew that they needed the tools to do so. So, we helped them establish the hashtag #Root4EC and then created a branded Facebook profile frame for downtown visitors to use and share online.
It was also important to engage the downtown business community. So, we created a video and still photography ad campaign with them as the focal point. Within the first week, the primary video had over 12,000 views!
More than that, though, we encouraged business owners to get involved. We gave each Downtown business a media kit that included social media graphics for them to post on their own, and fully explained how visitors can take photos, download the FB frame, and even use the hashtag and tag their business in Facebook and Instagram posts.
To further encourage engagement, DECI is running a contest and giving away gift cards and other swag to those who are participating.
Distributing Content and Generating Traffic
Great content and incentives are wonderful, but they’re nothing if nobody sees them! That’s where the final piece of the puzzle comes in… a press release to local/regional media outlets and a 90-day, digital media campaign using the videos and photography stills we created. They reach people within a radius of Eau Claire through Facebook, Google, and even YouTube. The goal of the ads: provide much-needed exposure for our Downtown businesses and promote clicks to a dedicated landing page where visitors can learn more about the promotion.
The Last Step – Measurement
Of course the final step is measuring our success, which we’ll be doing soon! Stay tuned to future blogs where we’ll provide a more in-depth look at the results we were able to generate for this campaign. Initial results are promising and we’re excited to share!
If you have any questions about what a digital marketing campaign could mean for you or your organization, don’t hesitate to reach out. There’s very seldom a one size fits all approach and we’d be glad to consult with you on what will work best for you! Just reach out to our Director of Sales, Sarah Gordee, and she’ll be able to walk you through next steps: [email protected]