Tag Archive for: brands

Eric Covino, CEO at boutique digital marketing, brings his experience to help others understand the advantages of Facebook advertising.

Facebook Advertising Secrets: From Start to Success

Advertising on Facebook is crucial and affordable for even the smallest of brands. Why?

  1. Extreme targeting lets you narrow down to only the folks who are most likely to buy: think parents of tweens in 25 miles of you with incomes of $100K or more with an interest in sailing.
  2. Your regular (organic) posts are simply a waste of time.
  3. The average cost of a Facebook ad click is $.64 while Google AdWords costs $1-$2 per click on average.
  4. Even if you have NO budget at all, you can use Facebook’s ad platform for audience research.

So don’t miss out on Eric Covino’s in-depth know-how. Whether you’re new to Facebook ads or looking to improve your game, you won’t want to miss this Newport Interactive Marketers exclusive.

This in-depth talk is designed to break down Facebook ads to its most fundamental level to help maximize your use of the platform and ensure your success:

  • Targeting mistakes to avoid
  • How to get started with tracking leads and conversions
  • Split testing pitfalls
  • Much more!

Whether you already have a Facebook page and are looking to enhance it, or you’re completely new to Facebook, Eric Covino is sure to have the answers to your questions!

Meet Eric Covino

Eric Covino, CEO at boutique digital marketing, brings his experience to help others understand the advantages of Facebook advertising.
Entrepreneur and CEO at boutique digital marketing agency Creative Signals, Eric brings nearly a decade of digital marketing experience, working with some of the biggest names in travel, education, and e-commerce. When Eric isn’t working on super-secret internal projects, he enjoys spending time with his family.

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Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use: Part 2

 

As promised here is Part 2 of our “Travel Blogger’s Secrets You Can Use” blog post! If you missed Part 1 be sure to click here and check out all the amazing blogging tips we covered in last week’s post. This week we’re talking about the best marketing, monetizing, and travel tips our lovely panelists, Tamara Gruber of We3Travel, Lillie Marshall of Around the World “L”, and Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend in Paris, shared at our August #NIMRI event. So let’s get started!

Top 8 Marketing/Monetizing Tips

1. Soliciting Sponsors: The emphasis should always be on the content you’re creating. “Write it, and they will come,” said Priscilla sagely, “Produce high-quality content, and they will come.”

The Work With Me Section of the We3Travel Website

The Official “Work with Me” section of We3Travel’s About Page

2. Doing Business With Brands: There are a few ways a blogger can work with a brand: being contacted by people to place ads, contacting people to place ads, sponsored posts, or, if you’re lucky, a sponsored trip.“If I work with a brand or do a sponsored post, it has to be something I believe in. Once your audience doesn’t believe you, you’re done,” Priscilla warned.

“Native Advertising, which is when you have content that is already successful and then work with advertisers who would complement that content, can work very well,” said Lillie.

3. Navigating Negativity: It can be very difficult to figure out what to do when you have a bad experience as a blogger, particularly if the trip is a sponsored one. It is especially tricky because, depending on the country’s laws, you could potentially be sued for a negative review. “Contact the PR people and be sure to start with the positive things and then talk about the disappointments,” advised Priscilla, “I always give them a chance to fix it. If they do, I won’t write a bad review. If they don’t, I will offer to not write about it.”

“Steer away from negative content, even though it can be very effective. Everyone gets fired up over a bad review and they like to share it, but it doesn’t reflect very well on you and can get you into trouble,” offered Lillie.

4. Create a Community: “Facebook has become a pay-to-play platform. You can pay $5 to promote a post (and I do that sometimes), but you won’t see a big difference in your analytics. What’s really powerful is to form alliances and private Facebook groups, not just with other travel bloggers. People who like wine, food, lifestyle, even interior design share readers. The cross-pollenization that happens helps everyone grow,” Priscilla said.

5. Know Your Worth: “It depends on your reach and your demographic,” reasoned Tamara, “I have a group of travel blogger friends, and we share that information.”

“This is why you need the group mentality!” proclaimed Priscilla, “Building your blogging network is key. Whatever you do, don’t write a post for someone for free – it brings the rate for everyone down to $0. You’re time is worth something.

“I would argue that there is a value in giving content to high-traffic sites, so it can be OK to do something like that for free as long as there is some ROI. It’s a value to your resume,” Lillie said.

One of We3Travel's Pinterest boards

We3Travel on Pinterest © Photos by Tamara Gruber

6. A Photo’s Worth a Thousand Shares (nope, still not right): “For me, Pinterest is very important. It drives traffic to my site, often more than google,” Tamara shared.

“Be sure to link all of your photos: photos on Google and Pinterest should link to your website and have descriptions,” Priscilla said.

“Selling your photos can also be another source of income,” Lillie pointed out.

The Newport Interactive Marketers' Hootsuite dashboard

Here’s a look at the Newport Interactive Marketers’ Hootsuite dashboard

7. Tally Your Toolbox:  “Don’t be afraid to automate! Hootsuite can schedule your posts at the best time for your demographic. You could write the best blog post ever, but if no one ever reads it, it won’t matter,” explained Lillie. To find out when the ideal time for your demographic is, be sure to check out Tweepi. 

“The Tail Wind app is great for automating Pinterest,” shared Tamara, “Paying a little for the right tools can be worth it.”

Google trends is an invaluable SEO tool,” said Priscilla, “In WordPress there is a feature where you can try a bunch of different options and put them in Google Trends to see where you are in searches.”

Snapchat logo

Snapchat! If you want to learn more about using Snapchat as a blogger, check out AdventurousKate

8. Socialize, Socialize, Socialize (your media, that is):  “Learn and get busy on all social media sites and thank everyone who follows (NOT by direct message),” Priscilla advised.

“The biggest mistake people make is to just stop for an extended period of time on social media,” Lille said, “Be consistent and don’t be afraid to self promote!

“Snapchat is the newest thing people must be on, although it does appeal to a younger demographic,” said Tamara, “Its important to know who your audience is and where to find them.”

 

Top 3 Travel Tips

“Use Trivago or another trip-cost comparison site to look for the lowest fare. Then, take a screenshot and call the hotel. They will always match it, and it’s always better to book through the hotel because they tend to have a better cancellation policy and you also will be eligible for upgrades,” advised Priscilla.

“Tuesday is the best day to book airlines usually,” shared Tamara.

“People would pay a lot of money to stay in your home in beautiful Newport so rent it out on Airbnb to get money for travel and also find places to stay in yourself!” Lillie suggested.

All-Time Favorite Hotel

The Phoenix Resort in Belize

Balcony view from the Phoenix Resort in Belize © Photo by Lillie Marshall

Lillie’s Pick: The Phoenix in Belize “No better place for a babymoon!” 

 Kona Village Resort in Hawaii at Sunrise

The now closed Kona Village Resort in Hawaii © Photo by Tamara Grub

Tamara’s Pick: Kona Village Resort in Hawaii “Unfortunately, after 45 years, this resort was forced to permanently close their doors after the March 2011 tsunami.”

A hammock overlooking the ocean at The Bitter End Resort in BVI

The gorgeous Bitter End Resort in BVI © Photo by Priscilla Pilon

Priscilla’s Pick: The Bitter End in the British Virgin Islands “I’ve never been sponsored to stay at this hotel, but I visit every year!”  

And, of course, we had to ask about their favorite place in Newport! 

Castle Hill Inn from the sea

Castle Hill Inn from the sea © Photo by Priscilla Pilon

Priscilla’s Pick: Castle Hill Inn “They have the best lunch and the best views!” 

hotel viking

The beautiful Hotel Viking (#NIMRI venue sponsor for our annual networking event!) © Photo by Lillie Marshall

Lillie’s Pick: Hotel Viking “This is the place to go to feel like royalty!” 

Here’s what #NIMRI members were saying on Instagram and Twitter: 

 

Great turnout at #NIMRI! A photo posted by Suzanne McDonald (@newportinteract) on

 

 

Learning about travel blogging at #NIMRI at @ParlorNewport. #NewportRI A photo posted by The Newport Blast (@thenewportblast) on

Many thanks to our venue sponsor Parlor Kitchen & Bar

Register for the next #NIMRI event now! 

Priscilla-Pilon

Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use

Whether you’re in it for free stuff & trips or to build a following or engage influencers, in between amazing trips, a panel of travel bloggers shares:

  • How they travel for free to exotic locales like South Africa and Iceland?
  • How they got started?
  • Do they really make a living?

Adapt their insights to your industry:

  • Working with sponsors and brands
  • Negotiating to get better deals
  • Using SEO and social media to build your brand
  • Benefits and downsides of doing what you love

Meet Priscilla Pilon aka Weekend in Paris

Priscilla-Pilon
Priscilla Pilon (left) in the Alps, travels the world but is an admitted Paris addict. She is the Publisher of The Weekend In Paris as well as the Travel Editor for The Daily Basics, a contributor for Upscale Living Magazine, The Daily Meal, and Travel Squire.

 

 

 

Meet Tamara Gruber of We 3 Travel

Tamara-Gruber
We3Travel is designed to inspire families to explore the world by providing tips, reviews, destination information and sample itineraries. All to make family vacation planning easier.

Since 2013, this family of three has been showing parents how, with a little planning and preparation, they can take kids anywhere — and have fun! From the cathedrals of Europe to the rainforests of Costa Rica to the battlefields of Gettysburg we are raising a global citizen, one trip at a time. We3Travel was recently named one of the Top 20 Family Travel Blogs in 2015 by Holiday Lettings (a TripAdvisor Company).

Meet Lillie Marshall of Around the World “L”

Lillie-Marshall
Lillie launched Around the World “L” in 2009, which has been consistently selected for Top 100 Travel Blog rankings since. The site uses vibrant photos and engaging writing to feature a wide range of voyages, from solo budget trips to luxury family travel, now that Lillie has a young son. Also, Lillie is a public school teacher in Boston, and runs TeachingTraveling.com, a blog that interviews “Teacher-Travelers.” Lillie has one of the largest social media followings of any teacher in the world! Her travels just this past year have taken her to Turkey, Ireland and Quebec.

Missed this great talk? Learn more about video & visuals and more via the NIM media library!

Become a NIM $upporting member for access to the vast video library of past presentations and watch at your convenience.