Tag Archive of: content strategy

WKLY by NXTLI - Storytelling at its best

Every week Jeroen tracks the news and developments within Content Marketing. In the Netherlands and abroad. Full of tips, trends and innovations. Critical and open, with an eye to the future within a fascinating world in which digital content has become indispensable.

This week: Barilla, SMS and Slacklining with Red Bull in Rotterdam.

Content of the week

More than 1 million people in four days saw the endearing video of Roger Federer surprising Zizou, a young tennis talent, along with Barilla. No sooner had I heard of Barilla. Turns out it is a pasta brand and after looking up the brand via Google, I recognized the packaging.

A sign of love

The connection between pasta and Roger Federer is somewhat indirect, although the tennis legend is bound to eat a lot of pasta. The connection between the brand story "A sign of love" and Roger Federer, however, is exactly spot on. Federer's high favor factor, his undisputed talent and a likeable, up-and-coming tennis talent who made a "pinky promise" with his hero five years ago are ingredients for a wonderful video.
Needless to say, I will reach for Barilla next time I am in the supermarket.

Insight of the Week

SMS is back! It may sound strange, but this very innovation from the 1990s is proving to be a successful addition to your marketing mix. Why?

Brands must constantly differentiate themselves from each other and try to keep communicating personally with their customer at the same time. At the same time, brands do not want to appear coercive; a risk that is always lurking.

It's about the Ping!

Every day we receive many notifications. Mail, Whatsapp, Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok and then the many pop-ups. But the sound of SMS? We don't hear those very often anymore.
The short attention span, for which brands struggle daily, is further fueled by the distinctive sound. Meanwhile, research shows that 55% of consumers appreciate SMS, and there are several cases where SMS achieved higher conversions than mail. Take advantage of it!

Activation of the week

Did you see him, too? Jaan Roose. Last Tuesday, Aug. 9, the highline athlete from Estonia walked a tightrope stretched between De Zalmhavenentoren and De Rotterdam, across the Maas: 625 meters long, at a height of 188 meters.

Red Bull does it again

We know the energy drink Red Bull, of course, from extreme sports. The marketing department is known for propagating their brand story through sensational activations. Preferably in the streets: as close to everyday life as possible: Cliff Diving in Paris, Fierste Ljepper in Haarlem, Street Football with Neymar Jr. and now Slacklining in Rotterdam.
It provides unforgettable and delicious content, and puts Red Bull back on the minds of many.

Digital content strategy with the NXTLI Dashboard

Jeroen Westermann is Content Strategist at NXTLI. With the NXTLI Dashboard, developed by NXTLI, we provide insight into the results of a brand, club, person or organization on its digital channels. We connect this with value and with commercial results. Based on this we create content strategies and develop digital campaigns that accelerate and optimize growth. Interested in how this can work for your organization? Contact me via email.  

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WKLY by NXTLI - Week 31

Every week Jeroen tracks the news and developments within Content Marketing. In the Netherlands and abroad. Full of tips, trends and innovations. Critical and open, with an eye to the future within a fascinating world in which digital content has become indispensable.

This week: Birthday mail, free content via WaterBear and the rise of BeReal.

Insight of the Week

This week was my birthday. Great for me, but also for brands, which thus have THE opportunity to capitalize on this! I am subscribed to many newsletters and several brands have my date of birth in their database. My thanks therefore go to Bol.com, Praxis, HypotheekVisie, De Wijnbeurs, Wijnvoordeel, Independer and the Australian Webjet for their congratulations and offers. All brands not yet doing anything with a birthday of their customers: start doing it! It is the most positive, friendly and relevant way to put every customer in the spotlight once a year.

Innovation of the week

This week I came in contact with WaterBear through an ad on Facebook. With the slogan "The first free video on demand platform dedicated to the future of our planet" combined with a beautiful trailer of a film about child soldiers who had traded in their guns for surfboards, my interest was piqued.

Content as vehicle, not end product

Immediately, though, my question was: how does WaterBear manage to provide this high-quality content for free? Simple: by working with partners and sharing their sustainable story through content, projects and initiatives. With this great content, WaterBear reaches new audiences and global reach. Through the website and app, users can then donate, sign petitions and download information about projects.
So the content acts as a vehicle, a starting point and to generate interest. The content is not the end product. This is a great example for other organizations. Look at how content can be used to tell your story, rather than using content to focus directly on conversion.

Trend of the week

I'm cheating a bit, because this week's trend has been going on for a bit longer than a week. The new social media network BeReal has been downloaded nearly 1 million times in the past few months.

How BeReal works. Every day, users are given two minutes at the same time to publish a photo. Without filters, with little time for edits or adjustments. Pure and real. In other words, "It's time to be real."

The new generation wants no trappings

And that fits exactly with the new generation. They know better than any other generation what it is like to be online all the time. And it is precisely this generation that teaches us something very important: be yourself, unfiltered and develop your own unique identity. Offline and online. Authenticity and purity; an angle many brands can capitalize on.

Digital content strategy with the NXTLI Dashboard

Jeroen Westermann is Content Strategist at NXTLI. With the NXTLI Dashboard, developed by NXTLI, we provide insight into the results of a brand, club, person or organization on its digital channels. We connect this with value and with commercial results. Based on this we create content strategies and develop digital campaigns that accelerate and optimize growth. Interested in how this can work for your organization? Contact me via email.  

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WKLY by NXTLI - Week 30

Every week Jeroen tracks the news and developments within Content Marketing. In the Netherlands and abroad. Full of tips, trends and innovations. Critical and open, with an eye to the future within a fascinating world in which digital content has become indispensable.

This week: psychological tricks to increase conversion, Instagram reverses own updates and innovation in soccer content.

Insight of the Week

Marketing and psychology are inseparable. It is therefore important to know several techniques that subconsciously play into your customer's mind during the choice process. Kim Pot describes them well in her blog on Frankwatching this week.

1. Paradox of choice

If you give your visitors too many choices, they are less likely to actually make a choice. Hence the "paradox," which you need to avoid. If you offer many products, clear filtering and sorting options are crucial to prevent outflow. Give people the chance to narrow down their choices themselves.

2. Loss aversion

Sometimes the desire not to lose is stronger than to win. This is true in sports, but also in purchasing behavior. Creating scarcity for your product, can accelerate purchase. Think "10 more spots available," or "in the last hour, 4 people bought this product."

3. Decoy effect

When someone is given 2 choices - one cheap and one expensive - the cheapest option is often the best option. But if you add a third option, which is between the cheap and expensive options in terms of price, then the middle option in particular often seems to be the best one. Despite having the same price as the first example. This is called the decoy effect, or baiting. See the image below.

4. Pain of paying

Most people don't like spending money. So when you sell something, you want to remind people as little as possible that they need to spend money. You can do this by not displaying prices too large and by asking for payment as late as possible in the ordering process. Another way is to omit the € sign when showing the price, as Albert Heijn, among others, does in advertisements and on its website (see images). No € sign to be seen!

5. Anchoring effect

The first information you provide sticks the most and serves as an "anchor," a base. From then on, everything is compared to this base. Is the second option cheaper, better, more economical, more convenient than the first information? Then the likelihood of a purchase for this option increases. An example of this is showing the original price, when you offer a discount.

6. Goal-gradient effect

People like to know where they stand, where they are in an ordering process, and how long it will take. So make this visible when you guide someone through an ordering process. For example, with a bar, and by clear steps on the page with information, order, confirmation and payment.

Trend of the week

It won't have escaped many people's notice: Instagram was starting to look more and more like TikTok! It was Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner who opened the attack under the guise, "Make Instagram Instagram Instagram again." Instagram responded and in an interview, CEO Adam Mosseri told them that the changes will be reversed.

This means that the home screen with full-screen photos and videos will be rolled back and the number of "recommended posts" will also be reduced. According to Instagram, they are rolling back the changes not only because of complaints from Kim, Kylie and others, but also because they saw declining numbers in user data.

Innovation of the week

The practice match between AC Milan and FC Köln was not only about soccer, but also a chance to test new innovations in content. Soccer is not known for being very progressive - especially when compared to sports like field hockey, cricket, tennis, rugby, etc. - soplayers with a bodycam are a welcome addition to the game and the fan experience. Whether we will see more of this kind of footage remains to be seen. At least it provided unique content.

Digital content strategy with the NXTLI Dashboard

Jeroen Westermann is Content Strategist at NXTLI. With the NXTLI Dashboard, developed by NXTLI, we provide insight into the results of a brand, club, person or organization on its digital channels. We connect this with value and with commercial results. Based on this we create content strategies and develop digital campaigns that accelerate and optimize growth. Interested in how this can work for your organization? Contact me via email.  

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WKLY by NXTLI - Week 29

Every week Jeroen keeps up with the news and developments within Content Marketing. In the Netherlands and abroad. Full of tips, trends and innovations. Critical and open, with an eye to the future within a fascinating world in which digital content has become indispensable.

This week: innovation at Instagram, a redefinition of growth, a missed opportunity for the European Petanque Championship, a survey of podcast usage and a podcast tip. 

Innovation of the week

Instagram has been suffering declining reach numbers for some time. Yet they are not sitting still. The platform is now coming out with a feature that allows a purchase to be made directly through a DM, called Meta Pay. This allows users or followers of a brand, to interact directly with a brand. Once they want to make a purchase, it can be paid directly via a DM. Currently, the feature will only be available in the United States, but there is a good chance that it will be rolled out in other countries within a short time.

Credits: Meta

Insight of the Week

It is time to redefine the definition of "Growth." That is what Chrisiaan Slierendrecht argues for in his article on MarketingFacts.

The world is on fire

After all, the world is on fire. There is war, there is a climate crisis, there is inflation, the housing market is upside down, there is a labor shortage, healthcare is under pressure and so on. So is it still appropriate for Marketers to focus exclusively on growth in margin, efficiency, revenue or profit?

Perhaps Marketers could better focus on growth in the form of connecting with the environment, creating value, helping others develop. In that case, the redefinition of growth would go more toward "transformation.

Research of the Week

While 49% of Dutch people aged 18 or older listen to a podcast on occasion, brands allocate only 8.8% of their media budget to audio, according to the Market Effect Podcast Monitor #7.

Opportunities for brand positioning in audio

This research shows that we as Marketers need to start adapting ourselves faster to keep up with the pace of consumers. At the same time, the success of podcasts may also be a result of the wide range and absence of commercial messages. So the trick will be to be complementary and relevant to the podcast topic, to position your brand.

Podcast of the week

A personal favorite of mine is the podcast "What actually happens in your head?".

The podcast is the product of the company of Klaas Dijkhoff, Bas Erlings and Tom de Bruyne, called Sue & The Alchemists. In the podcast, the men pair current events with theoretical knowledge in behavioral influence and framing. A must-listen for anyone dealing with customers and consumer behavior.

Missed opportunity of the week

My heart beat faster when I heard of about the European Petanque Championship. During the pandemic, I played the French game several times in a park. Neat on 1.5 meters and good for social connection.

For the Dutch Jeu de Boules Association (NJBB), the European Championship was the unique opportunity to improve the sport's image and contribute to the fight against Loneliness. The tournament took place in mid-July in Den Bosch, including a stadium in the city center.

Large target group with great potential

The NJBB has 16,000 members, but that number is considerably higher if we include the visitor numbers of Jeu de Boules Bars and Petanque-playing Millenials in the city park - like myself. So an EK, in the middle of Den Bosch, should appeal to a large audience!

Unfortunately, the tournament's content strategy seems to have become an underthought. A screenshot of the feed on Instagram shows that content distribution (see image) and content quality have not been well thought out. A shame, because organizing an event without properly sharing the resulting content defeats its purpose. 

Let's hope that next year the event also gets the digital attention it deserves. For there is no doubt that the event looked wonderful organizationally. 

Team TOC or NJBB, you can always email me. 

Digital content strategy with the NXTLI Dashboard

Jeroen Westermann is Content Strategist at NXTLI. With the NXTLI Dashboard, developed by NXTLI, we provide insight into the results of a brand, club, person or organization on its digital channels. We connect this with value and with commercial results. Based on this we create content strategies and develop digital campaigns that accelerate and optimize growth. Interested in how this can work for your organization? Contact me via email.  

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The reasons for declining reach on Instagram

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Tiësto new number 1 in DJ FACT Top 100

The 2022 DJ FACT Top 100 has a new, Dutch No. 1. Tiësto succeeds Marshmello at the head of the alternative, fact-based dance-act ranking by Denis Doeland in collaboration with This Is Our House. The complete list can be found below.

A new year, so new round and new opportunities in the DJ FACT Top 100. But first, it's still time to take stock of 2021. Which DJs were the best on the digital spectrum last year? 

Counterpoint to DJ Mag Top 100

As announced in late 2020 at the launch of our alternative rankings, in collaboration with This Is Our House, we would look beyond garnering audience votes through campaigns by artists themselves at the DJ Fact Top 100. In doing so, we aim to provide an objective counterpoint to DJ Mag's popularity poll, the DJ Mag Top 100. 

Reputation Index

For example, it is important to also look at performance on the various streaming services and social media channels. How is the fan relationship maintained? How many fans and streams does the DJ have on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, Amazon Music and 6 other services such as Beatport? But also: how is he or she doing on Bandsintown and Wikipedia?

In compiling the 2022 DJ FACT Top 100, we used insights from various data platforms such as Chartmetric, Viberate and the Reputation Index. Finally, we also considered the position in the DJ Mag Top 100. 

The measurement period is from January 1 to December 31, 2021. The decision to measure throughout the year and announce the ranking at the beginning of the year ensures that we can monitor performance throughout the coming year. We are especially curious about the effect of performances in the real and virtual world on our list.

Zooming in on No. 1: Tiësto

Looking at the various channels and streaming services, as well as Tiësto's reputation, we cannot help but conclude that he is the rightful No. 1 of the DJ FACT Top 100. In the Chartmetric ranking, the Dutchman rose 38 positions since the beginning of last year. Also at Viberate, Tiësto rose by more than 30 million points. His social media performance, music performance and network respect are indicated there as outstanding.

Looking at our own Reputation Index ranking, we see that Tiësto ranks second. In the DJ MAG Top 100, he did not kick it further than 15th place. We compared all the data points and then simply see that, when we assign the DJ Fact Score to it, the DJ/producer originally from Breda gained the most points.

New parameters

In 2020, we started measuring digital reputation for the DJ FACT Top 100. Back then, we did not include other parameters. Now we have integrated the items below.

  • Greatest reach: more streams, more views, more impressions. The number of contact points with the audience is a good indicator. Every day there are a number of eyes and ears that you as a DJ can have contact with.
  • Healthy fan engagement: just scoring streams isn't all that matters. You want to include some of the new listeners in a reliable fan base. Loyal fans are essential to long-term success.
  • Success on multiple channels: different channels suit different audiences. Artists still too often jump from one platform to another. A strong presence on a wide range of channels in the digital ecosystem ensures that you reach as many people as possible.

Where does Charlotte de Witte stand? 

Belgian techno artist Charlotte de Witte has once again risen in the Reputation Index, to fourth place. Nice to see that her efforts on social media are being rewarded. If we hold the other channels against that and look at the streaming services, however, we see that she does not get more than 176 points. That's over 100 points less than the No. 1. 

By the way, our prediction is that Charlotte de Witte will do well again in the Reputation Index next year and will maintain her position in that section. If she is able to get her fan base moving to generate streams and views, she will also begin to rise in our DJ FACT Top 100.

Notable listings

Our research with various systems providing data revealed a remarkable number of DJs who do not have a DJ Mag Top 100 listing but are eligible for one. We also came across many DJs whose ranking is becoming grimly obvious. Not to mention the remarkable new "entries" that just fall out of the sky, it seems.

A number of articles will appear on TIOH.com in the near future that will answer the above findings. Starting with an interview with lead researcher and initiator of the DJ FACT Top 100, Denis Doeland (photo above).

DJ FACT Top 100

The complete 2022 DJ FACT Top 100 can be found here. The first DJ FACT Top 100 can be found here. You will find the 2022 list on TIOH.com soon. See also Denis Doeland's website.

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What opportunities do NFTs present for organizations and for building fan relationships?

NFTs. Maybe you've heard of them, maybe you haven't. We explain more about what exactly NFTs are in this article. And you'll find out right away why so many people and organizations have shown an interest in NFTs in the meantime.

The abbreviation "NFT" stands for "Non-Fungible Token. "Non-Fungible" means that it is unique and there is no alternative to replace it. As proof of this uniqueness, you get a "Token." And these tokens are registered in a blockchain, giving them their value. 

The new Mona Lisa is a digital file

The unique nature of an NFT makes it excellent for creating scarcity for digital art. But how does that work? In the analog world, people have long been accustomed to scarcity. After all, there is only one Mona Lisa or one autographed shirt of a particular soccer player during a particular game. A replica is worth less. But in the digital world, everything is copyable. After all, you can stream a song infinitely and a digital photo is shared on social media in unlimited numbers. By registering a digital file as NFT (for example, number 001 of a photo or video), the file becomes unique, creating scarcity, and thus the digital file also gains its value. Just as we have been used to in the analog world for some time. 

Exactly what the value will be, time will tell. Just as it does with analog art. However, organizations can already assign additional benefits (and thus additional value) to an NFT in the short term. For example, purchasing an NFT version of a Kings of Leon album entitles you to a front row seat at a concert and access to additional content. 

NFT adds value for athletes and artists

Even DJ Don Diablo, and none other than soccer player Lionel Messi are deploying NFTs as a new revenue model. So it seems that the entertainment and sports world is embracing this blockchain solution. 

Not yet convinced about NFTs and their added value? Then be sure to read these examples:

  • American artist Mike Winkelmann, aka Beeple, was the first to put a digital artwork like NFT up for sale. He did so through a traditional auction house, Christies. And it was not without merit. The artwork fetched some 58 million euros;
  • In just four minutes, Don Diablo sold the film of a digital concert (Destination Hexagonia) as an NFT for 600 Ether, equivalent to about $1.8 million (exchange rate at the time, ed.);
  • PSG acquisition Lionel Messi will release three to four NFTs this month, giving fans access to the "Messiverse. Perhaps a consolation prize for the Catalan club that could no longer afford the striker.

Optimize your fan relationship with NFTs

By the way, it is important to realize that NFTs are primarily a way to optimize the fan relationship and increase the perception of fans for your brand or personality. A good relationship ultimately determines whether you emerge as the winner or loser in the relationship economy. Organize your contact with fans smarter, and your NFT will automatically become more valuable.

Want to learn more about NFTs? Get access to the replay of the "Next Level Talk" webinar from Sept. 7, 2021, where the "Godfather of Content Marketing" Joe Pulizzi talked more about the future of NFTs and Content Marketing.

(In this post, I used portions from articles by my colleague Denis Doeland.)

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How do Michelin restaurants in the Netherlands score on social media?

The lockdowns are not only causing a tough time financially for Michelin restaurants. On social media, chefs are also having a hard time keeping things in order. NXTLI shows how the restaurants that have survived are performing on digital, in the still ongoing second lockdown.

Michelin star list leaked

March 27, the 2021 Michelin stars list is accidentally announced. Due to a technical glitch in the Michelin app, 10 chefs are being made happy early with their first Michelin stars (Ouhajji, 2021). An analysis of digital achievements of these chefs will follow in a subsequent update.

Large portion of Michelin restaurants inactive on socials

NXTLI's analysis shows that since the second lockdown, Michelin restaurants have found it challenging to stay active on social media. There are restaurants among them that do not post at all on at least one of their social media channels, such as two-star restaurants Sabero and 't Nonnetje, for example.

Furthermore, Spectrum, de Groene Lantaarn and 212, all three in the top 20 of the Top 100 Tasty 2020, are leaving Facebook completely ignored. As a result, people don't know what these restaurants still offer in corona time, which can raise questions about takeout and delivery options.

Staying engaged with followers is crucial in this day and age, both financially and for image. Our colleague Ognjen Jovanovic states the following on the Digital Capability blog: "It is crucial to invest in digital reputation right now, even though in the corona period many companies' income will come under pressure or shut down completely. Unfortunately, it is almost inevitable that in the hardest hit industries, such as events and hospitality, not everyone is going to survive. The companies that are best able to maintain their fan relationships (via social media and other channels) during this period will stay on consumers' minds. This puts your company in the best position to get off to a flying start when the world goes off the grid again. You may even discover new, digital revenue models in the meantime to bridge the period."

't Lansink and Sinne show what is possible

Yet there are restaurants that do remain active. Restaurant t' Lansink shares with its followers that food can be taken away at the "Frites Boutique Foodtruck" and provides weekly updates on this. His giveaway of one of the dishes creates a lot of engagement. 

Sinne also remains active on social media and, like 't Lansink, posts about its take away options. The restaurant shares content about the special menus it is offering for Valentine's Day and Easter.

Colleague Denis Doeland comments, "The turnaround currently being brought about by the coronavirus is not unlike the paradigm shift that was already caused by the third and closely followed fourth industrial revolution. The new - mostly digital - developments confront an organization with a 'do or die' choice. If you don't transform to a digital first company, your business or business model is doomed from the start. Even after corona. If you have the opportunity or ambition to keep your business alive during the corona period, then you have only one choice: invest in digital. Michelin restaurants now have the perfect opportunity to build the relationship digitally through their own website and social media."

Vista has best digital start of the year

Restaurant 't Raedthuys announces that it delivers its 5-course "Star Thuys Box," which also resonates with its followers on socials. Restaurant Vista scored best on socials in the first months of this year, based on factors from NXTLI's Digital Reputation Index. 

Vista posts like the other restaurants that remain active in corona time about the different menus available in the house. The post about the Michelin star the restaurant may receive for the 4th time this year provides the highest engagement. 

Ognjen Jovanovic: "Our experience shows that many companies operate blind or do not create the right context when it comes to social media performance and maintaining fan relationships. When this performance does get measured appropriately and measured against competitors, everyone involved gets motivated to get the most out of digital reputation. Nothing fuels the fire better than healthy competition."

Rise in posts in March

NXTLI's data shows that most restaurants are more active on socials in March than in January and February 2021.

For example, three-star restaurant De Librije is having a difficult digital start to the year. In January the restaurant posted nothing and in February too it shared little with its followers. However, the only posts in February about online cooking sessions did score well. March sees an increase in the number of posts, with the one about retaining the three stars providing the most engagement. The same goes for De Kromme Dissel, which posts more in March than in early 2021. As such, it is a special month for the restaurant: it is receiving its 50th consecutive Michelin star. This makes De Kromme Dissel the record holder in the Netherlands.

Conclusion

So far in 2021, many Michelin restaurants are silent on one or more of their social media channels. Some restaurants do manage to remain active, with posts about delivery and takeout of their dishes doing well. 

Content about the retention of Michelin stars also genepricing a lot of engagement at most restaurants. In general, more is posted in March than in January and February.

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