Insights

Recently a client told me they wanted to launch a social activation campaign that focused on growing the brand’s Instagram followers and audience. Knowing that you can’t simply run a paid advertisement specific for new followers, our client wanted to get creative to achieve such an initiative.

Here are the 6 ideas I provided in order of least to most investment by time or money. If you have a campaign in mind or want to talk about customizing one of these ideas for your brand, shoot me an email at chelsea@infinitee.com and we’ll get started.

1. Outreach

The tactics we see the greatest return on are with outreach efforts - liking and commenting on as many posts as we can, and following as many profiles (that align with your audiences) as possible. It takes time, but it's the most cost-effective way to increase genuine, quality followers.

2. Advertising

Other opportunities are boosted posts and ads ran in conjunction with Facebook. These would be best if they're tied to some kind of incentive that relates back to the Instagram content and your brand’s unique selling points. Imagery should be aspirational to capture viewer attention. The ads should also have a CTA in the copy or the image/video to "Follow us" and the ads should link back to the Instagram profile, not to a web address.

3. External Promotion

You can also promote the Instagram profile in other communication mediums: Facebook, Twitter, Email, Mobile app, Push/text notifications, Onsite signage, etc. with the same CTA to "Follow us". If you’re a shopping center, charge your CSRs to ask shoppers if they’ve followed your brand on Instagram when they visit for other needs!

4. Sweepstakes/Giveaway

When it comes to incentivized campaigns, we typically see Instagram garner more engagement than followers unless the CTA or mode of entry is to actually follow the profile. Unfortunately, that is difficult to track as you can't export followers or see when someone followed you. For now, Instagram followers are listed in chronological order when you have 200+ so it would take manual effort to track new followers each day of the campaign and ultimately select a winner at random.

5. Social Movement

There's always the opportunity to turn this into a larger initiative like a social movement where users are following and interacting for a cause or message rather than an incentive. Oftentimes these are the most successful in garnering new followers as well.

Adidas did this with the #ORIGINALis campaign and so did Apple with the #shotoniPhone6 campaign. Both of those capitalize on the purpose of Instagram - user generated content and the network itself being picture driven.

6. Instagram Takeover with Influencers

Other campaigns geared toward followers are “Instagram takeovers” from a person of influence. Magazines and publications seem to have the most success, but it has to be done with someone who already has a strong social following so their users know to visit the page they're taking over. This is oftentimes the most expensive investment from a national perspective, but can be quite cost effective on a local level with smaller influencers.

If you’re not sure how to get started in identifying influencers, visit one of our recent posts, Influencer Marketing: Finding Your Squad.

And again, these are just 6 simple ideas off the cuff ranging in scale that you could certainly consider for your brand. If you’re interested in continuing the conversation, just email me - Chelsea Cannon at chelsea@infinitee.com!

Thanks for visiting!

Chelsea Cannonchelsea@infinitee.comDigital Brand Strategist infinitee Communications, Inc.

It is no longer a question of whether or not a commercial real estate company should have an active social media presence. Remember the 90’s when companies realized they needed to build a website? Well, now we're in 2-0-1-7 and so it is with social media platforms. The benefits far outnumber the negative misconceptions of time it takes to post and manage. And the analytics demonstrate the effectiveness of these tools to for three main reasons and more:

1. Grow brand awareness
2. Increase search engine optimization
3. Reach and engage with your customers (yes, even B2B customers)

The commercial real estate industry has been slow to adopt social media as a mainstream marketing tool. The reality is that CRE clients (aka corporate America) have already embraced social media — which means that your CRE company needs to leverage it to build your brand and grow their business. But this must be done strategically.

Few CRE companies do it consistently and even less do it well. A notable exception is Cushman & Wakefield maintaining an active presence on multiple platforms. Barbi Reuter, COO of Cushman & Wakefield, writes for and launched the blog PICOR Connect, Trends in Commercial Real Estate. Reuter once stated:

Don’t let yourself be scared off by the vast world of social media. Think of it as an opportunity to give your brand a personal touch, and to more closely connect with the community around you. The blog became the hub, and our social channels the spokes through which we share our messages.

Companies can no longer expect to reach specific targets via traditional marketing that pushes out messages through advertising, brochures, direct mail, email, flyers and even websites. (Yes, email and websites are now considered traditional marketing efforts.)

Social media has granted permission and access to consumers to share their opinion openly with the world, both good and bad. Being able to address both appropriately and timely can create lifelong brand advocates. There are three components to launching and maintaining your social media presence:

1. Pick your Networks

Although there are literally hundreds of social media platforms available, the most popular ones for B2B include: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogging. All have their unique advantages.

• Facebook allows daily communication, transparency, brand exposure and industry engagement
• Twitter is an instantaneous news feed of engagement and a great source for driving website traffic
• YouTube is viewed by millions of subscribers daily and serves as an impactful messaging tool for showcasing images that speak volumes about your brand
• Blogging positions a company as a thought leader and serve’s as new website content for the search engines ultimately increasing SEO

2. Develop a Messaging Plan

Developing a strategic messaging plan is the first step to executing social media and many companies will engage outside experts to write the plan based on specific goals. The plan can then be executed by an in-house team or be maintained by an outside resource. Experts in social media should propose a plan that is customized to the CRE company internal capabilities, objectives and budget.

Having an active presence on social media is no longer an option for CRE companies and, in fact, can be a detriment for some if they do not have an active voice online. If you are still questioning the value of social media, you are already behind the curve and your competitor may soon pass you by as they glean customer insights, increase brand awareness and grow their business through social media.

To learn more about how social media can impact your businesses bottom line or to simply get started, contact our Digital Brand Strategist, Chelsea Cannon at chelsea@infinite.com.

Our longstanding client, Gables Residential, brought us a unique opportunity in 2016—brand and market a new residential development on the very last piece of available real estate on Harbour Island in Tampa, Florida. Wow.

For those of you unfamiliar with Harbour Island, it has its very own zip code (33602) acting as a sub-district within Downtown Tampa. The island mostly consists of private residential areas including a yacht club. Sitting just across the bridge from major Tampa attractions like the Straz Performing Arts Center and Amalie Arena, Harbour Island is known for luxury with waterfront dining, cultural events and festivals, upscale shopping and an atmosphere filled with energy.

Our challenge—Brand the newest (and last) luxury apartment development that embodies what it means to live on Harbour Island surrounded by ocean views and steps away from Tampa’s downtown revival.

Our solution—We created an upscale brand identity with additional branding recommendations including design and execution of onsite signage, wayfinding and pre-leasing materials. This omni-channel program consisted of digital, print and social media, as well as public relations designed to reach this highly targeted audience.

Color Palette & Mood Board

Selected colors and imagery embody the upscale details of a modern and luxurious residential development, while emulating oceanic tones tying in the serene surroundings.

Property Name, Logo & Positioning

A number of distinction. When your location is as prestigious as your development, self-branding is like a self-titled album and the solution that simply makes sense. Located at 500 Knights Run, we branded the community after its address: 500 Harbour Island.

To bring it home, we created a positioning line with a bit of a double entendre playing on the upscale development and vivacious lifestyle, coupled with its island surroundings giving birth to

Urban Living. Island Time.

Website

An image-intensive, responsive website was key to capturing prospective residents online and to serve as an information source for media outlets curious about the newest development breaking ground on the last piece of precious real estate. Explore the website on your own at 500harbourisland.com.

Leasing Brochure

Building from the tagline, “Urban Living. Island Time.”, a unique property brochure was created. Having essentially two front covers, one half of the square brochure showcases the proximity of downtown Tampa and the energy and convenience of having great dining and shopping options just steps away, while the other half focuses on the serenity and tranquility of 500HI’s spa-like amenities and its distinct island address.

On-Site Signage

This was a blast. We love opportunities to carry the branding through every piece, part and component of a project. From digital to onsite, it’s truly rewarding to see our initial efforts in the color palette and mood board become a reality in real life.

Social Media

To capitalize on consumer search and participate in the chatter, we developed and managed all of 500 Harbour Island’s social media presence including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and others. Utilizing social listening tools, we conduct outreach on a daily basis tracking chatter and engaging in one-to-one communication to keep the dialogue going. In addition, we launched an intensive paid media campaign on Facebook and Instagram to get in front of highly targeted audiences.

Within the first 5 months of management, we acquired over 700 followers and garnered nearly 185,000 impressions.

500 Harbour Island is certainly a feather we wear proudly in our infinitee cap and we’re so glad we were able to share its branding story with you!

If you’re interested in learning more, contact Kelly Nation at kelly@infinitee.com or see more of our work here: www.infinitee.com/#thework

There's a phenomenon going on in the digital ad space and it's called Programmatic Media Buys. Here's what you need to know about it and why it's one of the best uses of your digital dollars.

What is a programmatic buy?

Programmatic Media Buys serve digital ads to the right users, in the right places at the right time through specialized media campaigns with highly targeted, streamlined tactics utilizing data-driven algorithms and human expertise.These tactics can include:

1. Placement on various channels including Display, Mobile, Video or Cross-Device
2. Advanced Geo-Targeting through State, DMA and Zip Code Targeting or mobile-focused Hyperlocal Targeting
3. Audience Targeting through:
   • 1st Party Cookies: Placing a pixel on your website and following users where ever they go online
   • 3rd Party Behavioral Targeting: Targeting by relevant user searches, popular websites, online magazines, mobile apps, etc.
   • Audience Match: Utilizing an existing database or Look-Alike audiences
4. Content Targeting by Demographics, Interest/Categories, and Industries relevant to your target demographic

Why is it better than other digital buys?

Over the course of a campaign, data correlates to identify patterns for optimum delivery and performance. Media placement adjusts daily to improve spend and targeting parameters based on performance. Each campaign builds upon the existing data ensuring your media spend is more targeted and more cost effective each time. It essentially takes the guesswork out of it granting you quality impressions.

What roles do media spend and campaign duration play?

A higher media spend and longer campaign duration are very important for the first programmatic campaign. The more media spend available, the more tactics you can test to properly identify which resonate best with your target audiences. Sufficient funds are required to run more than 2 tactics to avoid spreading the budget too thin, risking optimum data analysis. Additionally, a longer duration for the first campaign, such as 60 days compared to 30, allows more time for feedback on the target demographic's online behaviors.

Once the initial data is collected on tactic and targeting performance, you can accurately select tactics you know perform well with your audience and conduct future campaigns over a shorter time frame requiring less media spend. It's important to note that sometimes seasonality plays a factor into necessary spend. For example, digital ad bids are more competitive during the holiday season and therefore more media spend is required to ensure your ads outbid competitors also trying to serve ads to your target audience at the same time.

How is performance measured?

Performance is assessed through primary KPIs like Impressions, CTR, CPM, Conversions, etc. Over the course of a campaign, you can see Impressions increasing, CPM decreasing, CTR increasing and CPC decreasing because the ad placement is automatically optimizing based on performance.

If you're ready to learn more, email our Digital Brand Strategist, Chelsea Cannon, at chelsea@infinitee.com.

Tech-savvy Millennials were the age group on every marketer’s mind in 2016 especially when it comes to e-commerce. However, older generations like Gen-X and the Baby Boomers actually account for a significant amount of online spending, and according to  Business insider, 25% of mobile shoppers are over the age of 55.

So what does this mean for your e-commerce advertising strategy? Don’t alienate the older generations with a millennial-focused strategy - especially in regards to ecommerce.

Below are key takeaways for a multi-faceted e-commerce advertising strategy geared towards Gen-X.

1. Highlight Product Quality.

According to  Ascendia, quality is the most important consideration for an older online shopper. While Millennials focus on scoring deals on products due to having the lowest incomes, Generation X and Baby Boomers have more wiggle room with their budgets. Play up the quality of the product in an obvious and enticing way for them, like  JM & Sons does on its “ About Us” section of its website.

JM&Sons Story

2. Utilize Email Marketing.

You can’t go wrong with email marketing to back your ecommerce strategy. According to  MarketingSherpa, over 60% of every age group prefers that companies communicate with them by email marketing. This is in stark contrast with the less than 30% of every age group that prefers communication on a mobile app or the less than 40% of every age group that prefers communication on social media.

3. Keep it Simple.

Simplify the buying process for older e-commerce users who expect ease and convenience as they spend the least amount of time on electronics. The call-to-action button should link the shopper directly to their shopping cart; links that open other tabs could deter impatient users. For more tips, reference  Ecommerce Guide.

4. Ask for Feedback.

Asking for customer feedback on the purchasing process will help your business find the perfect balance between simple and modern. Since your specific products attract a certain clientele of their own, it’s important to keep testing and modifying your e-commerce experience in order to find the perfect fit for them.

5. Deliver a Seamless Experience.

Don’t forget the millennials since these shoppers do make up such a large portion of your online customer base. They still are looking for a seamless, updated online experience in line with their advanced tech skill. Your website should be current and trendy to appeal to this fickle generation while not losing sight of the features above.  

All of your customers are important and should be considered in your e-commerce strategy, but the range of generations surfing your site makes this task difficult. While articles on Millennials demands’ of online shopping are popping up on the internet every day, older generations with the highest disposable incomes are being put on the back burner. Maximizing on these powerful age groups will ensure that you are not missing out on easy sales giving you a leg up on your competition. See more insights from infinitee here.

The Pew Research Center marked 2015 as the first year in which millennials made up the

largest portion of the workforce, making this demographic group the focus for many real estate commercial developers. Both new and remodeled buildings need to include essential elements and features to attract companies with a Millennial-dominated workforce in order to convince them to select their commercial property over the competition.

Bloomberg

An Open Floor Environment

The New York Times says that the amount of square feet per worker decreased from 500 in the 1970s to 300 in 2010 and even less by 2015. This economic trend was inspired by the collaborative nature of this demographic group and their desire for engagement, synergy and innovation all within a free flowing open environment.

Enstarz Images

A Convenient Commute

The shift from the traditional high rise building with the corner office to an easier morning commute is attracting more Millennials to companies in mixed-use and urban environments. Given their preferred methods of transportation like car sharing, bikes, Uber, walking and public transportation, developments incorporating live, work, play advantages will continue to be popular choices for companies employing twenty something year-olds.

The Live-work-play Lifestyle

Today’s typical workday looks very different from that of the past and often requires irregular hours and remote work days. The 24/7 younger mentality and multi-tasking personality of Millennials is being satisfied by adding amenities like coffee stations, well-stocked kitchens, game rooms, quiet spaces and “box” gyms that offer the latest fitness training.

Google Dublin

A Social Office Culture

Business Insider found that 88% of Millennials look for a “fun and social” workplace and that 71% of them actually wanted their fellow employees “to be a second family.” Hosting various social events and opportunities for everyone in the entire building to meet will go a long way in making this generation feel connected to not only their coworkers but others they pass in the lobby or ride the elevator with.

Expert Beacon

A Rewards System

The Millennial age group expects feedback and praise in the workplace so why not embrace that desire by rewarding them when they frequent retailers and restaurants in your property.

infinitee Communications, Inc.

Total Connectivity

Millennials are use to constant connectivity and use tablets, laptops and mobile phones to socially engage and research. They expect free high-speed internet anywhere in or near the workplace (inside and outside) and demand extra connective features such as USB charging ports and Virtual Meeting Rooms.

Ocean Tech

Eco-friendly Features

When a company supports environmental or social efforts, Millennials are 3 times more likely to apply for a position with them. Energy efficient light bulbs, easy access to recycling and utilizing natural light are simple ways for developers and management companies to meet this need. More features to consider include vertical gardens, recycled material used for floors and walls, and even renewable energy from solar panels or wind turbines.

Green Life Designs

Millennials want and demand certain features in their work environment and they will select companies that cater to their needs ultimately affecting the decision of owners on the best commercial office space to select in order to entice this younger generation. Understanding the demands of this dominating segment of the workforce is key to staying ahead of the competition and ultimately creating a property that will remain fully leased for years to come.

ATLANTA – May 26, 2016 – infinitee, a full-service strategic marketing agency in Atlanta, GA, was engaged by Avison Young

to rebrand their U.S. Retail Services and create an impactful launch at the 2016 ICSC RECon convention in Las Vegas, Nevada this month. Avison Young’s U.S. Retail Services is one of the fastest growing commercial real estate firms in the nation and the International Conference of Shopping Centers trade show provided the perfect opportunity to showcase their growth.

To highlight the new look and feel of Avison Young's U.S. Retail Services, infinitee utilized strategic content and powerful visuals to create a capabilities brochure to serve as Avison Young’s primary marketing collateral for leasing and business development at the industry conference. The powerful visuals were applied to trade show graphics, email marketing, print ads, digital components and website. By conveying the company as a dynamic, modern ensemble of retail real estate experts, infinitee created a strong brand presence for Avison Young at this year’s largest retail leasing trade show.

“We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to reposition this exceptional principally owned team of Avison Young retail real estate experts.” - Barbara McGraw, Founder & CMO, infinitee

The International Conference of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is the global trade association of the shopping center industry and has more than 70,000 members in over 100 countries including shopping center owners, developers, managers, investors, retailers, brokers, academics, and public officials. With over 36,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors, RECon is the global convention for the shopping center industry.

For more information about infinitee, call Managing Partner, Jocelyn Smith, and (404) 231-3481, visit www.infinitee.com, or find us on Facebook.

About infinitee

infinitee is a full-service marketing and advertising agency that understands how to improve brands, communications and customer experiences. With a focus in real estate for the past 26 years, its strategic and creative solutions build brand equity and drive sales for companies across the country. infinitee’s expertise has proven invaluable to national and southeast regional brands wishing to strengthen and grow their bottom line, including: OliverMcMillan, Cousins Properties, Hines, PM Realty Group, Tanger Outlets, Craig Realty Group, Lennar Commercial and Banyan Street Capital. Through all facets of advertising, collateral, digital media, and brand strategy, infinitee creates award-winning marketing and innovative communications.

Ahh, it’s that time of year again when the conference heard round the shopping center industry induces panic and preparation in all the major players of the game: RECon. Words often associated: crazy, busy, non-stop, exhaustion, hard to keep up. Sound familiar? I say, bring it on.My agency has been in business for 26 years with the same founding partners. That’s practically unheard of and it’s safe to say we’ve attended this conference a time or two since inception. Each year we prepare, plan, book and exceed our objectives: network with existing and new clients, and secure new business deals. As the years progress, so does the nature of the conference – and the demographic of the 36,000+ attendees. How many business cards can you collect, remember and keep track of in a single 3-day period to follow up with – when, next week? While this is still necessary based on any good sales SOP, there’s another way to touch base and stay top of mind than waiting to send emails on the plane ride home.Our answer: Social Media. We’ve got our own tricks up our sleeves on how we cut through the clutter and engage with new relationships, and we encourage you to use our same tactics.(Pause: A lot of my clients can’t believe how much information I share with them. I’ll give my best advice, free tools, industry insights and analysis to anyone. We have to stick together in this industry – it changes all the time. But that doesn’t mean everyone can actually do it on their own. And I’ve found my honesty, passion and expertise is what brings and keeps more clients than anything else.)I say this over and over (shout out to my patient clients who can quote me in tandem!) – Whether you think you’re on social media or not – you are. So this year, own the conversation, build your profiles and use RECon 2016 as the launch pad to get your professional brand on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the like. Trust me – people will try to connect, and we’ll be one of them. :)

Where to Engage

ICSC has done a fabulous job creating, owning and managing its own social profiles serving as a platform for all conference attendees to use as the local watering hole and connecting point. By engaging with their profiles and, in turn, their followers, you can get one step closer to your prospects faster.

Our Recommendations:

• Select your top 3 networks to leverage before, during and after the conference. I highly recommend joining and participating in the LinkedIn Group discussions, actively engaging on Twitter, and leveraging Instagram if you have it for business purposes. (Between the booth designs, cab lines, women switching out their shoes, golf cart rides across buildings, client dinners, corporate parties – there’s plenty of great moments to snap and share. Kidding, but in all seriousness – watch your back this year and don’t end up on any social feeds with #ICSCfail.)
• Follow all of these profiles. Seriously. All of them. It’s easy networking at the click of your finger.
• @ mention or tag ICSC’s handles in all posts. IMPORTANT: ICSC’s Twitter profile retweets each mention meaning your posts get repurposed to their 36.7K followers increasing your visibility and viral rates. That’s a no brainer.

Now that you know where to engage, tune in next week for what to post. You’ll learn how to use your time more wisely and leverage the wheel rather than reinvent it.Stay social, friends.-Chelsea SmithSocial Media Strategist infinitee Communications, Inc.About Chelsea Smith: Chelsea started with infinitee in 2013 merging her two-year old start up with infinitee’s twenty-four year old agency to develop its in-house Social Media Department. She created a proprietary and strategic approach to address all social media projects applicable to any industry and vertical known as Social 7 and has since evolved it to include Social 5 and Social 3. With her strategic and analytical mindset, innovative ideas and constantly evolving services, and easy-to-understand consulting tactics, department personnel and annual revenues have tripled since inception. She’s quickly made a name for herself in the Atlanta market and is now being asked to speak at industry wide conferences. You can catch her next one at ICSC MOCIAL in San Francisco this August 2016.Want to connect on social media? Tweet @infiniteecom and ask for Chelsea!

Welcome back!

Last week we talked about where to engage at ICSC RECon16. You can check that blog here in case you missed it. This week we're focused on what to post. Content is key in engaging with ICSC’s profiles and followers – how many times have you heard this? It’s even more important when engaging with your prospects. The nature of it should vary from a company or personnel perspective on the basis of opinion, personal connections and experience. But the end goal should remain the same: thought leadership. This is how you stand out.

ICSC puts industry leading content out on all of its social networks – that’s not something you need to do or waste your time trying to find, repurpose or even creating organically – yuck. Instead, invest that time commenting on it and sharing it with your peers and prospects to establish yourself as a thought leader; cut through the minimal effort of likes, favorites and retweets; and start and join conversations that matter. This is exactly what ICSC wants you to do! Just as you network in person at the conference and meet new people, you can network online. Prospects always want to know “What can you do for me that’s new and exciting”. Well, use social media to tell them! It's such an obvious answer and so few people are doing it. (If you’re one of the ones that says, “I don’t have time”, make sure you come back next week where I talk about how to manage it.)

Our Recommendations:

• Tweet/connect immediately after you meet. (Especially on Twitter and LinkedIn.)
• Don’t be generic – stand out. Be a thought leader! Share your opinion and let your personality shine through. People want your opinion, they want you to challenge them, they want to know how you’re different – your intellectual property is the answer. Show them.
• Share something you just discussed, that’s personal, and directly relevant to their current needs that you literally just talked about.
• Include hashtags to stay in front of conversations and have your thought leadership appear in other people’s newsfeeds to. (Two birds, one stone.)
  • Popular conference hashtags are: #RECon16, #ICSC, #Dealmaking, #Networking
  • Make sure you use your corporate ones too. Ours is #infiniteeworks – as in the agency at large and our project work. Clever, right?

So we’ve now made it through Parts 1 and 2 of this three part series and so far you’ve learned where to engage and connect on social media and what to post for ICSC RECon16. Last week is our final post on how to manage it all and I’ve been told you don’t want to miss it.

Stay social, friends.

-Chelsea Smith

Social Media Strategistinfinitee Communications, Inc.

About Chelsea Smith: Chelsea started with infinitee in 2013 merging her two-year old start up with infinitee’s twenty-four year old agency to develop its in-house Social Media Department. She created a proprietary and strategic approach to address all social media projects applicable to any industry and vertical known as Social 7 and has since evolved it to include Social 5 and Social 3. With her strategic and analytical mindset, innovative ideas and constantly evolving services, and easy-to-understand consulting tactics, department personnel and annual revenues have since tripled since inception. She’s quickly made a name for herself in the Atlanta market and is now being asked to speak at industry wide conferences. You can catch her next one at ICSC MOCIAL in San Francisco this August 2016.

Want to connect on social media? Tweet @infiniteecom and ask for Chelsea!

Alright, you’ve made it the last part of this series! Today we talk about all about how to manage everything I just spent two weeks discussing – where to engage and what to post on social media at ICSC RECon16.

If you’re one of those people that isn’t ready for a personal Twitter, that’s okay – unless you’re a broker – totally not okay and unacceptable in 2016. (Give me a call, I’ll tell you why.) Everyone, however, needs a LinkedIn profile, and I’m sure that’s already taken care of. (If not, again, please, give me a call.)

Back To Twitter:

If your company has a Twitter account, ask for permission to use it, and, Companies, please, grant it! Allow your people to use your corporate profile to respond and engage with others by simply asking them to sign off each Tweet with something as simple as –Joe. This will personalize your brand, help with steady content flow, unite your followers and diversify the conversations. Don’t trust them to maintain brand standards? Do it for them. (Again, skip through.)

LinkedIn:

Login to your app, find the person you just met with, and ask to connect with a brief message including something unique you discussed so they remember you. Do not miss this opportunity. I promise it's better to do it now than wait until you’re back in the office, sorting through business cards, trying to connect and getting lost in the mix of the other 500+ invitations your prospect received from the conference.

“But there’s no time” is not an excuse. It takes two seconds – if it’s taking you longer, let me know. I’m thinking of hosting a webinar to show people quick and easy tips to manage social media before the conference. If you’re interested in joining, email me at Chelsea@infinitee.com. We’ll get all the right social media management apps downloaded to your phone, iPad, and everything else and you’ll be a fast tweeting millennial in no time.

Seriously not interested in doing this at all? Give it to someone else. Find a partner or someone that you trust to build your social presence on your behalf. How does that work at the conference?

• You send content to your “home base” such as your pre-planned schedule of appointments and personnel you’re meeting with, pictures you take during the conference, cool facts or things you’ve seen (something you would normally text to a colleague or friend), special notes like additional people you met with or schedule changes, and of course, spontaneous meetings.
• Home base personnel connect, tweet and engage for you. Those special notes like new acquisitions and specific project needs give them a driving force to find relevant content and share with your prospects using thought leadership tactics like we talked about. (Again, you’ve got to find someone who you trust and really understands your industry and objectives.)

The right partner will have all the tools: social listening software, analytics reporting, strategic mindset, and efficiency in time management, creative copywriting, and so on. If you have someone in house that can do it, great! Still find the right partner to get them all set up – and tick tock – the conference is around the corner.

So let’s sum this up:

1. Get on social media and engage with ICSC’s profiles.
2. Post the right content and be a thought leader.
3. Learn how to efficiently manage it or get someone else to.

This year I’m staying back with my team to serve as the “home base” for our company and many of our clients who will be there. We’ve got our plans in place; our listening monitors ready and we’ll be here behind our screens getting in front of yours just as quick as we can.

I wish all of you the best of luck at #RECon16 and, please, reach out with questions before you go to make sure you’re prepared! Remember, you can download the entire series here to pass along to your team. Our Founding Partner & CEO, Jocelyn Smith, and, VP of Digital Strategy & New Business Development, Vince Vitti, will be there. Tweet us @infiniteecom to make an appointment.

Stay social, friends.

-Chelsea Smith

Social Media Strategist

infinitee Communications, Inc.

About Chelsea Smith: Chelsea started with infinitee in 2013 merging her two-year old start up with infinitee’s twenty-four year old agency to develop its in-house Social Media Department. She created a proprietary and strategic approach to address all social media projects applicable to any industry and vertical known as Social 7 and has since evolved it to include Social 5 and Social 3. With her strategic and analytical mindset, innovative ideas and constantly evolving services, and easy-to-understand consulting tactics, department personnel and annual revenues have since tripled since inception. She’s quickly made a name for herself in the Atlanta market and is now being asked to speak at industry wide conferences. You can catch her next one at ICSC MOCIAL in San Francisco this August 2016.

Want to connect on social media? Tweet @infiniteecom and ask for Chelsea!

infinitee, a full-service, strategic marketing agency in Atlanta, GA is proud to support its client, the North Fulton Community Improvement District. As agency of record, infinitee recently generated a comprehensive marketing plan for the NFCID, as well as developed the organization’s 2015 Annual Report for current and prospective members. infinitee will continue to oversee the branding and messaging of the community services the NFCID provides and will help grow awareness of the organization among the many property owners and employees of North Fulton. infinitee is thrilled to support the NFCID’s efforts to widen the Encore Parkway Bridge over S.R. 400 and transform the Alpharetta thoroughfare into a multi-modal complete street.

This $14 Million project will widen the existing two-lane Encore Parkway between Westside Parkway and North Point Parkway, a distance of 0.7 miles. The new roadway will include two 14 ft. travel lanes, two 6 ft. bike lanes, 8 ft. sidewalks, landscaped buffers on each side, and a raised, landscaped median. A sidewalk will be constructed on the east side of North Point Parkway, using shared lanes to connect the new Encore Parkway bridge to the existing Big Creek Greenway trail and parking area. The existing bridge over GA 400 will be replaced and upgraded to accommodate future GA 400 widening. The new bridge and roadway will include streetscape features such as trees, landscaping, pedestrian lighting, street furniture, and architectural bridge elements.

Construction began on January 4th, and the bridge was closed down to accommodate an aggressive construction schedule. The bridge will be closed from January 4th, 2016 - November 15, 2016, opening up to traffic just in time for the 2016 holiday shopping season. A detour map can be found here. Construction of the project will be complete in the summer of 2017. Click here to see live construction progress.

Source: North Fulton Community Improvement District

One of the biggest topics in retail for 2016 is the rise of e-commerce. New technology and the digitization of the industry will bring a lot of change to the retail industry in the coming year. Some predictions for the direction of e-commerce in the new year include:

1. Facebook will surpass YouTube for branding. Facebook videos receive more total views than YouTube videos, which will lead to Facebook becoming the top video branding platform in 2016.
2. Amazon will launch Amazon Prime Air, which provides drone-based deliveries in as little as a few hours, effectively kicking off the drone era.
3. Mobile shopping will exceed desktop shopping. It is expected that 60% of holiday shopping will come from smartphones and tablets in 2016.
4. Personalization and hyper-localization will drive growth in global commerce. Retailers will be challenged with creating deeper, more personalized and localized experiences for their global customers.
5. E-commerce will rise to become 10% of all retail by the year’s end.

With all of this talk about the rise of e-commerce, it is important to address the common misconception that e-commerce will soon replace brick-and-mortar retail stores. This idea couldn’t be farther from the truth. Rather than take over the retail market, e-commerce will simply be one of many purchasing paths from which a consumer can choose.

Perhaps the biggest development to expect in 2016 is the blending of physical (brick-and-mortar) and digital (e-commerce) purchase channels. The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is gaining popularity with retailers as a customer engagement tool. Retale Virtual Reality for Oculus Rift updated version is being released this year, and will provide customers with an immersive, 3D environment where they can shop context-based local offers. Users will be able to browse virtual showrooms and select products or stores and add them to their shopping list on the Retale mobile app. Based on the users’ selections, Retale will then send the user navigation information to guide them to the nearest retail location to purchase their selection, driving traffic to store sites.

Star World is another example of digital and physical commerce coming together to create the ultimate shopping experience. A hybrid of brick-and-mortar and e-commerce, Star World combines the convenience and selection of online retail in a physical environment through interactive store kiosks. These in-store kiosks allow shoppers to browse the warehouses of Star World’s suppliers and make online purchases while simultaneously saving Star World warehouse costs.

Star World and Retale Virtual Reality for Oculus Rift are just two examples that highlight the need for e-commerce and brick-and-mortar to work together to create profitable new points of distribution and increase consumer awareness. A study completed by L2 and sponsored by Simon Property Group found retailers who use an omnichannel strategy that includes both online and physical stores are the most successful. Online only retailers are disadvantaged due to their high marketing and shipping costs, whereas online retailers that leverage physical stores drive higher organic site traffic and lower customer acquisition costs, all the while elevating brand awareness across multiple channels.

infinitee’s expertise in integrated marketing, digital and social media, and branding gives us an advantage when it comes to finding the optimal combination of physical and digital channels. The time to get started on this rising trend is now. Call Jocelyn Smith (404-231-3481) today to get your business on track for 2016.