KHQ Marketing & Sales

It's time to start advertising on Connected TV - https://mailchi.mp/91a496754566/khq-helps-with-new-ad-grant-program-4835514

Marketing for the holidays 🌲 - https://mailchi.mp/591c7ed65dc7/khq-helps-with-new-ad-grant-program-4833190

As a TV station we are striving on all levels to make our video content valuable and relevant, which is why we just produced this video.

Are you using video to meet your viewers (customers) where they are?

More: https://khqmarketing.khq.com/blog/content-marketing-in-2021

Non Stop Sizzle Reel KHQ

TV definitely has its advantages. It's also evolving, which is why KHQ has taken the TV experience to new heights.

TV has its advantages — KHQ Marketing & Sales Well we hate to toot our own horn…but if we must!!  The question frequently comes up regarding the effectiveness of tv.  We, obviously, think tv is magnificent!  This article backs it up and so do the numbers that are generated directly from Dish and Direct set-top box

This might be hArD tO BElieVE, but your target market does not want to hear what you want say. They want to hear what THEY want to hear. How they will benefit from your product/service.

Does that surprise you?

What do your customers want to hear in your advertising? — KHQ Marketing & Sales While seemingly simple, we continually bring advertisers back to this question because they just can’t stop themselves. Answer: Your target market does not want to hear what you want say.  They want to hear what THEY want to hear. How they will benefit from your product/service. You coul

As time goes on, it's becoming increasingly evident that ConnectedTV provides advertisers an incredible opportunity to reach targeted audiences. And to those who think viewers don't want ads on streaming TV, well - think again!

Yes, viewers are willing to watch more ads on Connected TV — KHQ Marketing & Sales We have kind of been harping on the streaming news/OTT topic..but wait there’s more! According to this article: According to  Deloitte’s 2020 Digital Media Trends  survey, price is a key factor in consumer streaming decisions. 65% of consumers want cheaper ad-supported stream

It is everywhere. We have talked about it constantly. You see it every time you look at your phone or fire up the laptop. Video is dominating!

How are you taking advantage of all the eyeballs consuming online video?

Advertisers shouldn’t dismiss the video surge — KHQ Marketing & Sales It is everywhere. We have talked about it constantly.  You see it every time you look at your phone or fire up the laptop. Video is dominating. This article states it perfectly. “More consumers are turning to video to inform their purchasing decisions.” Your customers also help you a l

The tried and true sales funnel isn't what it used to be. It's a whole lot more technical and detailed - and more interesting!

The new and more interesting sales funnel — KHQ Marketing & Sales So over the past 30+ years we have all been engrossed in the sales funnel.  It very simply spelled out the process of selling:  Awareness -> Interest -> Decision -> Action. Today’s digital funnel is so much more interesting!!  Look at the graphic in

You may not know what it's called, but I guarantee you've experienced it. INTENT TARGETING focuses on a user's behavior and serves an appropriate ad. If you're not using it.... 🤨

DOWNLOAD our Intent Targeting explainer, and then get in touch with us so we can get you started!

Intent Targeting makes good use of your ad dollars — KHQ Marketing & Sales Perfectly stated in this article, “Intent-based targeting is a way of improving your marketing effectiveness by targeting prospects based on their purchase intent.”

What are some of the communication methods you have found to be successful with your customers? If you have difficulty answering that question, well.... you might want to consider a few of these ideas.

Try these ideas to improve customer communication — KHQ Marketing & Sales When it comes to communicating with customers, we believe there is one overriding constant. Listening.  None of the rest matters if you didn’t hear them in the first place.

KHQ wants to partner with YOU!

We have a new limited-time grant program that will help you and give you the confidence to take the plunge.

If you have never advertised with KHQ and are not working with an advertising agency, we can offer the following to you.

Anytime between now and May 1st we can offer you one of the following grant packages*
1. Purchase $10,000 worth of advertising and we will add $5,000 more for FREE.
2. Purchase $5,000 worth of advertising and we will add $2,500 more for FREE
3. Purchase $1,000 worth of streaming news on KHQ.com (33,000 impressions) and we will add $500 more (16,000 more impressions)

Important to note:
• This is available on advertising purchased between now and May 1st. All ad campaigns must run before the end of 2021.
• You must be a brand new advertiser on KHQ
• You may not be working with an advertising agency
• We will cap this offer at $100,000

Click here to apply! https://khqmarketing.khq.com/khq-grant-program

Simple Explanation of NATIVE ADVERTISING!

Native advertising is a term that gets dropped into almost every conversation concerning digital advertising. So let’s plow in to what it really means.

Native advertising is one tactic, among several, used in targeted digital advertising.

The goal with native advertising is to present your ad with a similar look and feel as all the other stuff they are reading. This ends up giving the consumer the feeling that they are just reading more about what they are interested in. And they trust it more. And click on it more. As long as the message is relevant and has a reasonable call to action. The best phrase here is, “The key to native advertising is that it is non-disruptive…”.

Check out this article for more tips and remember to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter for marketing gold like this right to your inbox!

| Outbrain.com

The phrase “timing is everything” pertains to most parts of life.

“I missed that boat (Titanic) by a half hour and thank goodness I did”

“I was in exactly the right place when I bought that lottery ticket (said the winner)”

Or maybe a little closer to home, “That tree came down in my front yard 5 minutes after we went inside.”

In sales and marketing, it is no different. You need to show up on time – or five minutes early really. You need the marketing message to be timely and relevant. You need to make the communication often and make it count. You need to pick up the phone when it rings. And for HEAVEN’S SAKE, if they ask you for a proposal/bid and want it by Tuesday, get it to them Monday!!!

We are all in sales. Even if we aren’t speaking directly to the consumer, we are supporting the company that works directly with the consumer. We are invoicing for the consumer. We are managing a part of the supply chain purchased by the consumer.

Everyone has an important job that, in the end, contributes to the end user’s experience. And by the way, that end user is also the one who pays our mortgage.

Best phrase of this article, “speed is a competitive strategy that will separate you from your competition” BAM!

Speedy – efficient – attentive. Or lose the sale to the next person who was.

Who wants to win!!!

Blog post: https://hyken.com/customer-service-strategies/quick-response-provides-customer-service-advantage/

Messaging is key in marketing. Consumers are hit constantly from all angles – laptops, phones, outdoor signs, social media, tv, radio, even the grocery store has digital message boards. You could be placing ads in the few, highly targeted, huge-volume areas, but if your message doesn’t hit home for your target market it will just be swallowed up in the chaos.
Instead of talking about what NOT to do (who needs a pessimist?), let’s talk about what you SHOULD do and how (ever the optimist!).
Relate: Are you thinking about what they need and why they need it?
• Working remotely is quite an adjustment. In order to make it a little easier for you, Company $$$! has re-designed our widget and expanded the selection for varying work environments. So regardless of your situation, this widget will help ease the anxiety.
Value: Will it meet their needs and is it affordable? These need to be in balance – can’t have one without the other and you have to explain this to your market.
• The upgraded $$$! Widgets are now available in 3 variations – same great price but designed differently with your unique needs in mind. #1 is for the person who commutes part time and works from home part time, #2 is for the person who never leaves the house, and #3 is for the person who is working and homeschooling!
Convenient – is your product or service easy for them to purchase. It has to be quick and safe.
• You can get it online at www.CO$$$!.com or just pop by your local $$$! store today for a complete selection. We are open every day from 8am to 8pm.
Finally, be sure your message is consistent across all media, and never ever ever leave out the call to action. Call today. Check out the website immediately. Get it before the sale ends. Visit us now!
Messaging is our thing – we can help.

The emergency that was forced upon us last March forced a pivot - everything we were accustomed to was turned upside down. We were hit with waves of data and explosive growth of digital everything. Digital sales, digital marketing, digital events, digital meetings, etc.

Technology efficiencies and breakthroughs were magnanimous. We had no idea this time last year that many businesses would thrive without people “going” to work. Those that embraced the change and adapted came out ahead.

Now we need to take this technology and up our game in the area of personalization. More two-way communication, connection and engagement. People connecting with people is still paramount. Trend #10 and #12 in this article speak volumes – people people people combined with content marketing. Make it relevant. Dial in to what they want to hear, not what you want them to hear.

We have said it before – everything must be reimagined. It will never be the same as pre-pandemic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out and slay the world with your products and services.

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketing-predictions-experts

Marketing Trends to Watch in 2021, According to 21 Experts Check out the marketing trends you'll want to look out for in 2021, according to 21 marketing experts.

2021 is the year of Branded Content!

It is always the goal in marketing to say the right thing to the right person at the right time. So a question that always comes up is, how do we know we are reaching that targeted person? We have data upon data to support the validity of many forms of media, one of which happens to be exceptionally accurate – Branded Content.

Another word for this is Sponsored Content. Essentially what it means is, when your prospect is online seeking information/reading content/watching videos, they see the article or video you created to answer their question or meet their need. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s not “sales speak”. Branded Content is relevant content with your brand attached to it.

So, as an example, someone is looking for information on retirement activities for elderly parents. They find your article highlighting a list of potential activities. Next to the article is an ad promoting your retirement home, and at the bottom of the article is a call to action which invites readers to call you, email you, or visit their website.

That didn’t happen by accident.

They are already interested in that topic. You are providing more information that is relevant – which will typically evoke an emotion – and in turn that emotion correlates with your brand. On purpose!

3 Steps to Create Branded Content That Earns Shares Learn the steps to creating unique, valuable content that not only aligns with your brand identity – but earns shares among your target audience.

And so it begins!

Remember these six major trends as you plan out 2021

Well, we are here. 2020 is over. All we can do at this point is move forward right? Yes. And no. There is no way we can be productive, effective and efficient marketers in 2021 without thoroughly assessing 2020. Perhaps the best sentence in this article is this, “In a nutshell, 2020 was the year of adaptation and survival”. I should say so!

Never to downplay the fear, sorrow, and intense struggle, there is still an upside. The marketing world evolved in ways that could never have been imagined.

The huge areas of advancement centered on real human interaction and technology. Digital digital digital. Video video video. People are online - they want to know more and want to be heard.

Marketing tactics that proved successful:
• Listening. To everyone. Without talking.
• More thoughtful and real communication with current customers as well as prospects
• Mobile is a top priority – availability and functionality
• Simplification of online material and processes – if it’s too difficult they’ll go somewhere else
• Ease of product/service delivery
• More video - people just plain like it.
• Consistency across all media – your TV ad needs to have the same message as your targeted display ads (of course, if this isn’t already painfully obvious, the website says and feels the same way too!)
• Did I mention video?

If you can improve upon all of the above, starting now, with the intention of continual monitoring and improving, you are well on your way.

We can help!

We spend HOW LONG on our smartphones?

A well thought-out mobile strategy could turn mobile views into real sales!

It probably comes as no surprise that there are a 3.5 billion people who “use” a smartphone, worldwide. The word “use” is in quotes because that is quite the understatement. We would be more inclined to say that a ton of people are addicted to the things. Can’t bear to be more than 5 feet away from them. Sleep next to them.

More on that, US adults spend an average of 2 hours and 55 minutes on their smartphones every day. These stats were compiled by Oberlo from a variety of sources, including eMarketer and SmartInsights.

Additionally, the industry categories of mobile activity that really took off in 2020 are: computers/peripherals, food/baby/pet, furniture/appliances, home and garden, and sports/fitness.

So of course the question is next – is it worth your hard earned $$ to invest in digital advertising that reaches the smartphone user? And should you consider static and video in your messaging? Yes to both.

Users in the 25-54 age group consume well over half of total mobile video. That is our primary target in the tv world so I suggest we use all forms of media to be visible to them. Hit ‘em from all sides!

All of this requires a well thought out strategy. Media tactics that reach them – message the compels them to keep looking – call to action that makes them buy YOUR stuff.

We can help, just look! Here is a case study from a real KHQ Sales and Marketing advertiser:
https://khqmarketing.khq.com/mobile-ad-case-study

Want more website visits fast? This proven method works every time!

As we approach prospective clients, we are still faced with the objection, “TV doesn’t work” or “nobody watches TV anymore”. And while the media world continues to evolve, particularly in the fast-paced digital environment, we remain adamant TV-yes-it-does-believers. It just plain works!

The following is a direct quote from a TVB Email Newsletter dated 11.20.20.

“Recently the VAB came out with a report called, “The Halo Effect: TV as a Growth Engine.” which shows that TV drives the growth of brands – new or old. Ads on TV increase the number of unique visitors to a brand’s website by at least double-digits, giving its strongest effect to younger brands. Direct-to-consumer brands that are 3 years old or younger saw a +134% increase in unique visitors during the months with TV advertising compared to the three-month average prior to TV. Even brands that are between four and seven years old saw a +72% lift during their TV campaigns. TV maintains its traffic-driving strength into home goods and services brands as well. Younger brands in this category (3 years or less) saw a +157% lift in website traffic while advertising on TV, and brands 4-7 years old saw a +24% increase. These results reveal that TV strengthens companies across all life stages, but younger brands, who are still establishing their identity, gain the most.” – TVB

Boom!

But please remember – it takes the right programming and the right messaging. And for heaven’s sake, make sure your website is current and reflects the same look/feel/message as your TV commercial.

We can help!

These 8 points illustrate the growth of streaming video!

While we are on the topic of streaming video, we decided to pass a few more interesting bits of knowledge on to you. As we said last week, streaming video has experienced growth in 2020 in ways that were unimaginable. And still the majority is having to reimagine the future of video.

More to that end:
• Streaming video is said to have increased almost 100% in this year alone
• By the beginning of 2021, live streaming is expected to account for over 80% of all internet traffic
• KHQ research by the Leigh Stowell Company tells us that 60% of this market engages with online advertising
• About 75% of millennials say they watch videos to compare products online
• Over 80% of viewers say they prefer seeing a live stream rather than reading a brand’s post
• The video streaming market is predicted to be worth over $180 BILLION by 2027
• 70% of marketers say that video produces more conversions than another content

These points, plus about anything else you read online, ensure that the video streaming world has only just begun.

KHQ can help! Call us now!

For more reading, see this article about Developing Live Streaming Strategies:
https://www.dacast.com/blog/event-content-marketing-strategy/

Streaming Video is BIG and so is KHQ's pending announcement!

It’s probably a gross understatement to say that 2020 has changed the way people consume video content. Video was already a raging growth area, but the onslaught of quarantine took that to all new heights.

KHQ is very proud to announce that we will soon have big news for you!! All about streaming. Just not quite yet. You’ll have to wait a little longer for this big news!

In the meantime, let’s talk streaming stats.

According to an article by Comscore, 72% of households with WiFi now stream video on their connected TV screens. The number of CTV/streaming homes increased from 44 million in 2019 to 50 million in 2020. This is a truly massive market!

You may not realize it but you probably already stream content. Do you watch any sports on your phone or tablet? Or do you have Roku, a Fire stick or Apple TV? That’s all streaming! You are officially a streamer!

How are you connecting to your customers with this medium? We need to talk!

Streaming Trends: What Are Streamers Watching in 2020 People around the world have sought in-home entertainment due to the pandemic. Discover streaming trends of 2020 and what has changed.

I love love love this article.

Marketing is one of my genuine life interests. I consider the term marketing to be a broad umbrella that hosts lots of smaller divisions such as research, stats, sales, advertising, merchandising, branding, image, PR…etc. I like the big picture planning and coordination and I like seeing a company of any size realize the benefits of their strategy. And I can’t lie, I love to win!

But when I dive into the weeds of each of these components, there are details that I really don’t understand all that well. Which is precisely when I defer to the experts.

One of those details is SEO. Chances are you got into the business you are in because you are good at that particular business. Not at SEO. This article breaks it down into regular, simple language so you can get started and keep it going.

Read on and enjoy!!

SEO strategy mistakes: top 7 ways you're killing your rankings These 7 SEO strategy mistakes are the most commonly made when it comes to executing on your SEO plan. Could they be killing your rankings?

Step 1: Properly identify your competition

Last week we spoke of the importance of staying on top of your competition. Vital stuff. If we fail at this, they will sneak up in stealth fashion and steal market share faster than you can imagine. And of course, by staying aware and ahead of them, you will improve your own business offering, eliminate wasted product and time, and identify upcoming trends first. First is best.

Let’s start with identifying the competition. We are a fictitious business selling widgets. There are two other significant widget businesses in town that make a lot of noise. Widget Silver and Widget Gold – we are Widget Platinum. They advertise here and there. They have a strong social media presence. Their offers are typically really good but we have similar offers – sometimes better pricing and sometimes we are a little higher. But our widget holds up longer than theirs so people who really use a lot of widgets will buy ours over theirs. Or do they?

Dig in deeper.
• Is there product development going on at G&S that we don’t know about? Find out!
• Do they use local/national sources or are they going out of the country?
• How are their online reviews? Are they as good or better than yours? What about how they respond to them?
Ask your bigger widget buyers about their business. Will they still be needing these widgets in two years or are there industry changes taking place that will require updates? Are there delivery or service issues that we don’t know about in our “new normal”? G&S might already know about this and are addressing it.

And finally, don’t forget the smaller widget people. There are probably a few niche widget providers lurking. Find them and figure out what they are doing.

After you gather this information – craft your marketing message that takes them all out. Without being self-serving and transparent, tell your widget buyers how happy they will be if they continue to work with you. It’s about them, not you!

Series: Analyzing the Competition

Collecting information about your competition is tremendously important to the long-term success of your business. Even when you know you have a better product or similar product with better value, if you don’t acknowledge the “others” in the market you are begging them to steal your share. More than likely, they are watching you like a hawk!

The results of gathering this information will improve your marketing and messaging tactics, which in turn will help you stay a step ahead of them. In addition, you will identify gaps in the market and develop new products, uncover new trends, and avoid threats.

1. Determine who your direct competitors are
2. Determine what products your competitors offer
3. Research their sales tactics and results
4. Analyze how they market their product
5. Take note of their content strategy
6. Analyze the level of engagement on their content
7. Observe how they promote their marketing content
8. Look at their social media presence, strategies, and go-to platforms
9. Perform SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.

In the next few weeks we are going to dive into these steps by using a fake business. Just so you get the hang of it.

Stay tuned!!

What's a Competitive Analysis & How Do You Conduct One? Open for a detailed marketer's guide on how to analyze and discover your competitors' strengths and weaknesses.

Tuesday's Tip: Keep your foot on the gas!

You are driving your dream car. You have a very specific destination in mind. Once you get up to speed, do you take your foot off the gas and hope for the best? Chances are, if you are humming along - hills, valleys, whatever - you still need to maintain the speed. If you are really confident, you will just put it on cruise and let it rip.

In the business world, when faced with hard times or seasonal down-turns, you may question your marketing objectives. Even a well-designed, long-term strategy can feel over exuberant. Consultants are often confronted with companies who decide to cut their marketing budget the minute things get tough. It is a knee-jerk reaction that never ceases to amaze us. Without being self-serving, the old saying, “when times are good, advertise and when times are bad, advertise!” really does have a lot of truth in it.

As far as seasonal ups and downs go, consider it a big wave. There are high points and low points. If you only advertise during the low points, you just fill in a little of that low volume. If you only advertise in the high points, you miss those consumers who need to be reminded of you all year long. But if you stay consistent throughout the year, the entire annual wave will rise.

The same goes for hard economic times. In the past we called it a recession, now we call it COVID. Those corporations that maintain their marketing strategy benefit in many ways. Spring of 2020 recorded significantly greater tv viewing numbers and online activity in all demographics. Also rates were significantly lower so the advertisers got a lot more bang for their buck. Obviously, many businesses have suffered greatly, but there are many many businesses that flourished (think home repair, decorating, gardening, paint, online purchases, grocery…etc.)

So if you are serious about growing your entire business – for the entire year – let’s talk strategy!

The #1 Key to Successful Marketing

We could probably spend 6 years talking about marketing messages. Everyone has ideas and they are all worth consideration.

The first sentence in this article really nails it. A clear, consistent message can be the difference between a phenomenally successful marketing campaign and an utter waste of time and money. The trick, as we all know, is to get it right.

There are questions you need to ask yourself before you can even get started, such as:
• Who is that primary person we need to speak to? Lots of people may walk in your door, but who walks in the most? Focus on that one person
• What do they need/want about your product the most?
• What will compel them to come in right now?
We take all this information, narrow it down, and put it into words. From there we add video, music, and emotion, and with proper program placement, it will soar.https://courses.lumenlearning.com/clinton-marketing/chapter/reading-defining-the-message/

There is definitely something that makes you and your business stand out from the rest. Let’s talk about it, define it clearly, get your message out to the masses, and get your numbers up!

Call us now at 509.448.4686 for more information!

Reading: Defining the Message | Principles of Marketing A clear, consistent message can be the difference between a phenomenally successful marketing campaign and an utter waste of time and money. If you, as a marketer, have not defined your message clearly, how likely is it that your target audiences will get the message you want them to hear? Answer: N...

SEO – do you really know what this means and how it affects the bottom line?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. This article from MOZ goes into way more detail than I could possibly imagine.

Now we know what SEO IS, but do we really know why it is so important?

Above all else, SEO makes the information on your website more “discoverable”. Over time, as people find the content on your website more often, you can expect more visits, sessions, and conversions. Whether that increased visibility leads to more sales is ultimately up to you. Is your content appealing? Are your offers attractive? Do our products and services provide a solution to someone’s problem?

The process of optimizing a website for results takes time. If someone pitching SEO services tells you they can make your website a smashing hit overnight, don’t just walk away. Run! It doesn’t happen that way. Search Engine Optimization, as the name connotes, is a process that takes time to yield results. It will take several months to take your keyword rankings from non-existent to the first page, so you will have to remain consistent and patient to let it take full effect.

Next question, is it good enough to just do SEO alone with no other marketing?

SEO is for organic traffic. That means there is no guaranteed way to PAY your way to the front page. But if you want to outwardly encourage people to find your product or service, you can push them to your site through advertising. This subset of online marketing, when combined with SEO, produces rockstar results.

What type of advertising is best?
Asking which kind of advertising is best is kind of like asking a parent to name their favorite child. Let’s not go there! From our perspective there are two basic kinds of online advertising: Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Targeted Display and Video Advertising.

SEM: think Google Ads. You bid on keywords people use in Google searches, and your ad text shows up in the “Ads” section on a Google search page. It’s quite a bit more complicated than that, but you get the point.

Targeted Advertising: you identify the demographic and/or behavioral attributes or your desired audience, and then serve them your ads on websites and mobile apps. Tactics include Search Retargeting, Geo-Fencing, Site Retargeting and more. Certainly you’ve seen those ads that tend to follow you around, right? That is targeted online advertising.

Utilizing both SEO and internet advertising harmoniously is a key formula for success in today’s complex digital landscape. But you must remember, the call to action needs to be strong, the message should be the same across all marketing efforts, and the website the consumer is taken to should also be compelling enough to make them stay or shop.

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