EXPLORING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT MARKETING FOR OIL & GAS
Technology is everywhere. We have our Netflix, GPSs, self-driving cars, and even cameras on our doorbells. We have DVRs to fast forward through commercials and satellite radio so we don’t have to listen to radio announcements. We only pick up a magazine or a newspaper if we are waiting at the doctor’s office or barber shop. And when it comes to websites, we are so adept at online surfing, we’ve fully trained our minds to tune out website banners completely. So what value would a practice like content marketing have to the businesses that serve the oil and gas sector?
SAVING BUSINESS ONE PIECE OF CONTENT AT A TIME
It’s time to acknowledge that most consumers have become capable of completely disregarding the “noise” of most marketing efforts. That’s why content marketing is imperative. Content marketing essentially is blogging. But, it is blogging that creates and curates unique, relevant content that customers will find useful and valuable. It’s a strategic approach that doesn’t explicitly sell or promote your brand, but instead stimulates interest in your product or services. In short, content marketing is the art of communicating with potential customers without directly selling to them. In the end, this creates customer loyalty and higher retention.
On average, it takes around 7 touchpoints for a customer to remember you and your brand. Content marketing ensures that each of those touchpoints is maximized to create experiences that truly matter and ultimately, help rein in more sales.
THE NECESSITY OF CONTENT MARKETING ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES
Behind every great brand is a wealth of valuable and relevant content that really connects with the company’s audience. Content marketing has become a necessity for any modern brand and is at the heart of most successful digital marketing campaigns. Your audience wants to know that they are dealing with experts who know the ins and outs of the industry, and that’s exactly what content marketing provides – a platform to demonstrate expertise in the field while providing valuable information to your audience. The oil and gas industry is no exception. Your business depends on you being a trusted expert in your field.
CHANGING THE GAME: CONTENT MARKETING IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
You may be thinking “Yes, but is content marketing really that relevant to the oil and gas field?” The answer is ABSOLUTELY. James Hahn, owner of Tribe Rocket, sums it up nicely in The Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Oil & Gas Operators Make, ‘…our industry is at an inflection point. New technologies aren’t just changing the way people live, they are changing the way they think.’ People in oil and gas tend to have a very traditional mindset that says, “I need to meet people in person to build relationships and grow my business.”’ This poses a huge problem, though, as our world has become more and more digital, where consumers rely mostly on websites and social media as their first source of contact with brands. This means that building relationships with potential consumers has dramatically changed as their first encounter with you more than likely will not be face-to-face. As time has gone on, and technology has advanced, traditional business card marketing techniques are being superseded by those who are venturing into promoting their business on digital channels. The game has changed, and in order to be relevant, you must follow the tide. Content marketing has become the bridge connecting the traditional age to the tech age, merging them into a seamless digitization of old school, “good ol’ boy” marketing. It’s not out with the old – it’s simply the promotion of the old in a new and relevant way.
See how easy it is to create valuable content for your audience? Take their lead, and get ready to jump in with both feet! It may seem intimidating to face these changes, but digitization provides pragmatic solutions to today’s challenges. Help your audience rise above the noise and see beyond it… help them see YOU! It’s this mindset that will set you apart as an industry leader, a leader who is reaching for what’s next. (Because isn’t what’s next what really matters?) Don’t just take opportunities—make opportunities. Harness the power that content marketing provides. Are you ready? Your audience is waiting for you. Reach out and grab them.
Let’s start by breaking down the term “secure site.”
At its core, a secure site is a website equipped with secure servers, through SSL, that allows you to send the website owners information without the risk of hackers stealing it.
So, what is SSL?
It is the required certificate that you must obtain from a licensed certificate provider before your website can be changed to an https. When an SSL session is made active, the information that is sent from any computer to the website owners will be changed from plain text that anyone can read to a unique coding that can only be understood by the sending and final destination computers. This makes it difficult for average people to hack into the private information of your website. This active SSL session is where the added s in https comes from. Although it technically stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol with Secure Sockets Layer,” most people shorten it to Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure or simply “https.”
Although this simple addition does not seem like much, there are some key elements of this that make it almost vital to the success of businesses.
Why Should I Care?
For businesses who plan on collecting any type of information through their website, making it secure is vital for the privacy of their customers. In order to understand the danger of an insecure website, it is important to understand that when someone goes to a website, everything they do or enter is sent from their server, across several other servers, before ever making it to the targeted location. All that is needed for one of the computers along the way to steal the information sent is a packet snifferthat can be downloaded free on any laptop. This makes it easy for anyone to steal website information quickly.
Where the secure element comes in is by taking all of the information from easy to read plain text to encrypted codes. This means that although hackers may be able to get the information, they will have no idea what to do with it. If a company asks for information through an insecure site and that information is stolen, the company could face serious liability problems and can also lose the trust of their audience.
Hackers can also easily change unencrypted messages being sent from your website before it ever reaches the consumer.
This leaves your website, and more importantly your brand, open to the influence of any hacker. They can easily leave links, pictures, or ask for information that the client will associate with your website without you even realizing the change was made. They can even hijack the site entirely, giving them the opportunity to post whatever they want under your brand name. These cybercrime attacks have lost businesses an average of $11.7 million.
Some Benefits of a Secure Site
Some benefits that most companies don’t realize.
Https sites on average load 334% faster than standard http
They build brand loyalty and power by showing customers you are willing to go the extra mile to keep them safe.
It is said that Google uses site security as one of its search ranking factors.
With all this in mind, the key takeaway is that secure sites are necessary because they provide safety for your clients, integrity for your website, and globally recognized authentication of the two.
Google, Secure Sites, and the SEO Impact
Many people exploring https for the first time wonder why Google cares so much about website security and what the company does to sites that are not secure. Google cannot outrite block the websites that are insecure because it would not be a proper search engine if that were the case. However,
Google has taken every other precaution possible to warn their users about insecure sites.
The reason for this grave concern is simply the way it affects Google’s brand image. Google strives for a quick and painless web search experience for every user, every time. Therefore, the prospect of users being linked to a site that may have false information, technical issues, or the possibility of security vulnerabilities is a risk Google does not want to take. Although the vulnerable website is not Google’s website, Google does not want to jeopardize user trust.
Google’s Changes to their (SEO) Page Rank Protocol
For this reason, changes to SEO (search engine optimization) protocol began around 2014. In the beginning, Google changed its SEO protocol slightly to favor companies that were secure. They also included a content-neutral information button that would warn customers not to share personal information on the insecure site.
This laid back approach did not work very well, so in January 2017, the first major change towards “punishing” insecure websites was made with the release of Chrome 56. This version contained URL warnings against non-secure sites that asked for any input such as passwords or credit card information. Businesses quickly saw an impact. The security warnings made more customers uneasy enough to leave the sites without risking any exposure.
This prompted many companies to make the switch. However, Google already had a much bigger plan in motion.
In 2018, all http sites were given this “Not Secure” warning label in the latest Google Chrome browser.
Although the future of these changes is still up in the air, some information has indicated that Google may plan to remove the lock symbol entirely in an effort to create an internet world in which, “users should expect that the web is safe by default.” This will also do further damage to the reputation of unsafe websites by making their security warnings stick out even more.
Overall, Google sums up their goal of this endeavor with the sentence, “Chrome’s new interface will help users understand that all http sites are not secure, and continue to move the web towards a secure https web by default.”
Make the Update
If your business website has not made the migration from “http” to “https,” now is the time to do it. It is a relatively easy, and inexpensive thing to do. Moving to a secure site could actually keep you from losing potential customers. And, really, who wouldn’t want to do that?
Though tricky to accomplish, proper marketing is just as vital for nonprofits as it is for any other company. Unlike businesses with the advantage of marketing a tangible product or service that will benefit their audience, nonprofits face the challenge of having to communicate their particular cause in hope of attracting donors, volunteers, or advocates.
Sadly, many nonprofits neglect to invest in their marketing efforts due to tight budgets. In her blog post, Alyssa Conrardy, President and Co-Founder of Prosper Strategies, explains,
Marketing and communications are some of the first line items nonprofits choose to cut when uncertainty hangs over their heads or when finances get tight. But that’s a huge mistake. Marketing, communications and fundraising play a critical role in organizational growth, sustainability, and mission achievement, and cutting their budgets at the wrong time can make a tough financial situation even more precarious.
Yes, investing in marketing requires time and money, but it is critical to your organization’s success. The goal of any nonprofit organization’s marketing efforts is to raise awareness and inspire action, but achieving that is not always easy.
We have compiled a list of nonprofit marketing do’s and don’t’s in hopes of making it a little easier.
Do:
1. Use storytelling as main communication tool
Nonprofits MUST embrace and utilize the power of storytelling. Stories will have the greatest impact on your audience, and create a relatable point-of-entry. While you may be tempted to just spew the facts about all the good your organization is doing, it is much more powerful to share stories that will demonstrate the good you are doing. Show, don’t just tell.
2. Clearly communicate the impact of a donation
Donors want to feel like they’re making a difference and they want to know the direct impact they will have when they give to your organization. This is especially true for first-time donors. If you want to turn first-time donors into recurring donors, your organization must find a way to communicate to every single donor exactly how their contribution was or will be used and the impact it made.
3. Develop an advocacy strategy
Donating money and volunteering is not the only way for your donors to contribute to the success of your organization. Consider creating an advocacy strategy in order to facilitate growth by spreading your organization’s mission to more people. Create a clear strategy that will make it easy for your supporters to advocate on your behalf. According to an article by Upleaf,
Launching a successful advocacy campaign can boost your credibility, give people an easy opportunity to take action, and expand your community of supporters. That’s all gravy on top of the fact that it may also make a meaningful impact in the real world.
4. Present a unified message across all platforms
Most organizations have many platforms and outlets that they communicate through: email, newsletter, website, donation landing pages, social media, etc. It is important to distribute your campaign message through all or most of your touch points. This will get your message in front of as many people as possible, as many times as possible. Keep the message consistent to prevent any confusion that may discourage a prospetive donor.
5. Focus on the positives
I know I’m not the only one who feels creeping emotional manipulation every time the ASPCA ad comes on and Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” starts playing. Your organization should evoke a feeling of happiness and positivity in your messaging that will inspire donors to give, rather than guilting them into giving through negative or sad messaging. Although there is a time for using sad, emotional appeals, it should be used sparingly. An article on Medium titled, “Should charities use positive or negative empathy appeal in marketing?”, states,
Study shows that sharing a positive impact message with donors helps create long lasting donor relations. ‘The public are tired of the continuous images of distress being dumped upon them,’ says Leigh Daynes, Executive director of Doctors of the world. ‘Charities need to stop presenting beneficiaries as hapless victims and make sure that people are engaged over the longer term.’
6. Create branded donation and fundraising pages
As mentioned previously, your campaign branding and messaging should be consistent across all platforms, including your donation landing pages. It is important that donors can connect the dots when moving from one step to the next. The design and message on your donation and fundraising pages should match that of your campaign. According to Network for Good’s Digital Giving Index,
…donors give higher average gift amounts when the giving experience happens on a branded donation page that matches a nonprofit’s design and message.
7. Define and understand your audience
Every organization must define and understand who their target audience is. This requires developing audience personas to learn how to best communicate with them. Once you know and understand who you’re targeting, you can build your marketing strategy around reaching that specific audience.
8. Understand the psychology of donor giving
It is important to learn what motivates people to give through the psychology of donor giving. This will help you understand how your organization can shape your fundraising objectives to meet the needs of potential donors in order to increase contributions.
9. Prioritize your year-end campaign
Did you know that over 30% of annual giving happens in the month of December? People tend to get more involved with nonprofits and charitable organizations over the holidays. It’s undeniable that the average person’s generosity and kindness is magnified during the holiday season. Additionally, the end of the year is a time many donors use to lighten their taxable income burden, while making a meaningful gift at the same time. Therefore, your organization should make the most out of year-end by making it your biggest and best campaign of the year.
10. Use powerful visuals and videos
A picture truly is worth a thousand words when it comes to nonprofit marketing. Including pictures and videos on social media posts not only increases engagement but it also helps communicate your story better. Video content is one of the most impactful and compelling ways your organization can share the story.
11. Measure and analyze data
Without measuring and analyzing your current marketing, you can’t optimize your strategy for better results. Always make time to evaluate your data so you can continually improve upon your tactics and set new goals.
Don’t:
1. Be too wordy
I said it once and I’ll say it again: a picture really, truly is worth a thousand words. You must also keep in mind that you know a lot more about your organization than your audience does. It can be easy to get overly wordy and technical when writing about your organization. There’s no need to dumb things down, but you don’t want the content to go in one ear and out the other. You can achieve this by keeping your content simple and interesting, and above all, aiming for clarity.
2. Focus on communicating numbers or statistics
Although it is important to communicate to your donors the impact of their donations, you want to do so in a compelling way. Heartfelt stories from those who have been affected or impacted by your organization are much more powerful than numbers and statistics.
3. Dismiss Facebook paid advertising
Organizations often fail to invest in Facebook ads. Do not underestimate the role Facebook can play in helping you to strategically execute your paid campaign. When it comes to big campaigns such as Giving Tuesday and Year-End, do not dismiss this tool. It will get your campaign and cause in front of more eyes and attract potential donors.
…when asking someone to do something—whether that’s making a donation, volunteering, or putting trash in its proper place—don’t forget to tie your ask to why it matters. Why should they care? Why will it make a difference?
These are two important questions to ask yourself before making any fundraising ask. In your messaging strategy, always remember to convince your audience of why they should care.
5. Neglect your website
Think of your website as your organization’s online hub. Even through social media, your goal should always be to direct your audience back to your website. Many organizations prioritize social media use or other online marketing efforts, but neglect their website. This is a huge mistake, especially for nonprofits.
Social media is important, but a strong website presence give you the most control over your message. In an article by Caryn Stein, a nationally-recognized speaker and trainer for nonprofits, she explains,
Whether they give online or off, supporters will look at your website to understand more about your work, how their gift will make a difference, and they will form opinions about what they find there. So, it’s in your best interest—and of those you serve—to make the most of your website and ensure that it’s creating the right environment to inspire giving.
6. Post the same way for all social platforms
Although you should have a unified approach and message strategy, your posts should not be the exact same among all your social platforms. Each platform has different audience demographics and best practices. For example, Instagram is a very visual-centric platform, whereas Twitter is more about words. Another example of this is that Twitter is an acceptable platform for publishing content multiple times a day, however this would not be wise to do on Instagram. Differentiating your posts for each platform is also important because if your audience follows you on multiple different platforms, they do not want to see the exact same post, say, on Facebook that they might have just seen on Instagram. Make sure your organization is taking the time to tailor its content for each platform.
7. Ask more than you give
When it comes to marketing, many nonprofits make the mistake of asking too often and rarely giving value to their audience. According to an article from Cosmic, a creative marketing agency specializing in social purpose brands,
…a healthy rule of thumb is 3:1 giving to asking. For every communication that is an ask, there should be at least 3 that are sharing stories of success, providing proof of impact (which doesn’t have to be focused on numbers), or sharing a point of view or belief that is compelling or thought-provoking.
8. Forget to celebrate success
When your organization hits a milestone or achieves a goal, remember to celebrate the people that helped make it happen! Not only is it important to share results with donors, but it is especially important for those who have not yet donated to see that your organization is, in fact, making a difference and is successful in its efforts. When you celebrate what your organization is accomplishing, it could result in new donors.
9. Skimp on peer-to-peer fundraising strategy
Peer-to-peer fundraising is important for reaching a larger network of people and attracting new donors. When your donors are advocating on your behalf while sharing your message, it results in one of the most organic and effective forms of marketing: word of mouth. Additionally, supporters who are involved in peer-to-peer fundraising deepen their involvement in your organization and its mission.
10. Use social media to only promote your organization
No one wants to follow self-absorbed organizations who only talk about and promote themselves. This is where the rule of thirds comes in:
One-third of your social content should promote your organization to convert followers and generate donations
One-third of your social content should share insights and stories from thought leaders in your industry or similar organizations
One-third of your social content can be fluff, such as fun and organic content that shows the human side behind your social media marketing
11. Underestimate the power of PR
PR is especially important for nonprofits. According to an article from Nonprofit Hub, here’s why your organization should not shy away from PR efforts:
Powerful PR is a vital component to any successful fundraising campaign. It generates brand awareness, builds buzz, and increases credibility. If a donor or potential corporate sponsor is reading about you in the press, hearing your story on the radio, and seeing your name appear in blogs—they’re going to take notice. And if your story resonates with them, they’re going to get involved. Unfortunately, many nonprofit leaders are quick to dismiss PR. They think it’s too expensive and difficult to measure. I’m here to tell you that you can’t afford not to do PR.
Although nonprofit marketing can be difficult, it will pay off in the long-run. The process of implementing marketing strategies for your organization can be daunting, but we hope these tips have provided clarity and will help in bringing success.
If you have any tips that we’ve missed, then we’d love to hear them!
Look to the person on your left. Now look to the person on your right. One of those two people bought a pumpkin spice flavored item within this last year.
In 2017, one in three people picked up something pumpkin-y, propelling the pumpkin-infused industry into a $361 million dollar business. And the most popular pumpkin product of all? You guessed it: Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. Today, that velvety flavor of Fall has elevated Starbucks’ spicy sips to a whopping $500 million craze!
Just the phrase “business promotion” can make people feel overwhelmed. Often times, it’s hard to even know where to start. That’s where we come in. For me, the easiest way to understand anything has always been to first break down the basic concepts. For business promotion, that means breaking down the 4 basic types of promotion. Identifying and understanding what they are and what their key differences are will create a strong foundation. After all, promotion should be much more than just information; it should result in revenue for your business. Understanding the different ways to promote your product or service can help you make the right choice for your business.
So, what are the 4 main types of promotion?
The four types of business promotion are marketing, PR, advertising, and branding. The end result? Brand loyalty.
Marketing
Key Words: Drive, Push
*Driving your product or service in order to push people to buy.*
Marketing is a process by which a product or service is introduced and promoted to potential customers. In other words, marketing is when you drive the message or physical product to your consumers.
Marketing vs. Sales
Though similar in style. Marketing is not the same as sales. Though they share similar tactics, you must remember that they are two separate entities. By working in tandem with a strong sell, a sound marketing message will serve as your sales enabler. When marketing, you will promote the product while communicating and educating potential customers. Marketing thus becomes your brand ambassador in support of your sales team.
Public Relations (P.R.)
Key Words: Relate, Earn
*Relating in such a way that you earn media coverage and promotion.*
Public relations (PR) is the way organisations, companies and individuals communicate and relate with the public. PR is all about building relationships to advance, promote, and benefit the reputation of you yourself and your business as a whole. The goal of PR is to communicate a positive message in order to gain support. It can lead to strong community presence, a growing customer base, lasting partnerships, and even financial support. Above all, P.R. builds the credibility of your organization.
Advertising
Key Words: Display, Pull
*Displaying your message or product in such a way that you pull consumers in.*
Advertising is the process of capturing public attention through paid messages or information which helps promote or sell a product, service or brand. It is a process of mass promotion which involves audio or visual messaging. Advertising educates the public and attempts to persuade customers to buy and use your particular product or service. Advertising creates awareness and helps increase demand.
Branding
Key Words: Knowledge, Association
Branding is the sum of your audience’s perception of who and what your company is, as well as your company’s customer service and your company’s reputation. Branding goes way beyond just a logo or graphic element.
Brand Loyalty (The Goal)
Key Words: Lifetime Results
Brand loyalty is the result of all your hard promotional work. Brand loyalty is a consumer’s emotionally-charged decision to continually purchase a specific brand. How does this happen? Brand loyalty happens when customers believe your brand will exceed all others. When this happens, he or she begins to identify with your brand on a personal level.
Bringing It All Together
Think of Nike. Here’s what each type of business promotion looks like for them.
Marketing:
“Nike is the #1 selling athletic shoe in the United States.”
In this circumstance, by telling others how successful Nike is, you are driving them towards your brand and pushing them to try it themselves.
P.R.:
“Nike was named the official shoe brand of the NBA.”
By reporting that Nike has now been named the official shoe of the NBA, you are telling customers as well as potential partners and investors that your company walks the walk and doesn’t just talk the talk. What’s more, the sponsorship of the NBA makes Nike relatable to sports fans and athletes everywhere. This also gets you valuable media exposure.
Advertising:
“Find your stride with Nike. The next NBA star just might be you.”
By displaying such a clear and compelling message, Nike successfully pulls in consumers, both new and old.
Branding:
“Nike improves my performance on the court and makes me feel like I can do anything.”
If someone is wearing something with the Nike logo on it, its immediately seen and known. What’s more, thanks to successful marketing and PR campaigns, Nike has become associated with success and athleticism. Nike is thought of as “empowering” and has become known as the go-to brand for getting extra hops on the court.
Brand Loyalty:
“There’s no other brand for me than Nike.”
There are a lot of athletic shoe companies on the market, but as a result of outstanding promotional efforts, Nike creates lifetime fans who will wear nothing but products baring the Nike name.
So what does this mean for you?
This means promoting your business is vital for its success. Without promotion, there are core functions that your business can’t perform. By incorporating these basic methods, though, a chain reaction begins. Clients are suddenly informed and engaged. Services and products begin to sell and your business begins to grow. What’s more, your customers are sustained as relationships and trust are built. The bottom line? Without promotion, no one can know your business. So be known! Reach your goals. And stand out from the rest.
Amidst the low quality selfies, hilarious pet videos, and mouth-watering cooking tutorials, social media users in recent years have found a new kind of post on their feeds. This post, if done right, simultaneously advertises and entertains, capturing the user’s brand loyalty as well as their spending dollars. Brands, realizing the opportunities that come with social media, have pounced on the chance to put their products or services directly in their customers’ news feeds. With 78% of consumers relying on companies’ social media posts to help them make purchasing decisions, according to a study done by Forbes, it’s not all that surprising that people would choose to mix their social sharing and shopping research on the same platform. But what compels a user to follow a brand in the first place?
Why do people follow brands? Incentives
As much as we’d like to think that consumers are following our page for a good laugh or the informational content we spend hours producing, it turns out there is a little more to it. Before they can become a loyal and engaged user, there has to be good reason for them to click the “follow” button. A whopping 56% of social media users surveyed by MarketingSherpa said they originally followed brands to see promotions or coupons regularly. In a similar vein, 44% said they followed to enter a contest, get a discount, or win a gift card. Evidently, many are most interested in what companies have to offer them.
Incentives really serve two purposes. First, they attract new users to follow your account, buy your products, or (ideally) both. Second, they keep loyal customers coming back again and again – an equally important task. Discounts or promotions serve as reminders to consumers, positioning your brand at the top of their minds.
Why do people follow brands? Content
According to the same Marketing Sherpa survey, less than half of all consumers (38%) follow a brand for their informational content. Those how-to posts, reviews, and tip sheets you slave over? Apparently they’re not as alluring as the twenty-percent-off coupon that takes you a few minutes to throw together. Even fewer (31%) follow for entertaining content such as funny videos, memes, or bits of pop culture. But don’t let this discourage you, as informational or entertaining content serves its own purpose in attracting and keeping the right customer. As we discussed in our 80/20 Rule of Content Marketing post, all of your social media efforts are in vain if you are not aware of and catering to your target market. While a discount will get you a new follower, your content is ultimately what will determine whether or not they stick around after the promotion is over.
Good content is what turns your brand’s account from a bulletin board of coupons to a social page where users can stay engaged.
♦♦♦
In the delicious and complicated soup that is social media marketing, it’s important to remember that each ingredient gives your social platform a different flavor. Pushing out too many incentives can make your brand seem impersonal, but too much informational or entertaining content might allow customers to forget that you have something to sell them. Striking a balance between the two gives you the best chance of accomplishing the dual goal of attracting a large following and keeping them coming back for more.
In the last few years, history has been made. Words like selfie, selfie stick, twerk, derp and bae have all been added to the dictionary. It’s not surprising to hear something new everyday. Despite the ever-evolving lingo, there are a few marketing terms that seem to not be going anywhere anytime soon.
Have you ever stopped and wondered where some of these common words come from? No need to brush up on your marketing etymology to find out–we’ve decoded 6 frequently used marketing terms for you ourselves.Continue reading
In the south we may not all be country folk or small town folk, but we appreciate the homegrown, porch-sitting, tea-sippin’, take ‘er easy southern pace of living. We have our own way of doing things and often, we have our own way saying things. Words often mean something different than how they sound. We understand that if you didn’t grow up here, you might need translations for some of our favorite sayings. Ya reckon?Continue reading
If menus weren’t available online, I think my husband and I actually might have starved by now. Each night around 6:00 without fail, my husband and I inevitably ask the same question:
So, what’s for supper?
We can’t seem to agree on a place and eventually, one of us gets hangry.
Thankfully, since Facebook implemented its Menu tabs, which allows restaurants to directly display their menu on Facebook business pages, we can resolve our dinner dilemmas more quickly. We can easily scan restaurant menus to find dishes that sound good to both of us.
The addition of menu tabs on Facebook isn’t just better for my evenings, it provides businesses a wider audience engagement that results in some serious ROI.
Now that social media is the place for marketing, businesses need an increased focus on consistency in brand management.
We see it all the time–social media profiles for the same business contain varying and confusing information. Facebook will have one logo, while Twitter shows a different one. Their LinkedIn hasn’t been updated in months or there is a link for an March special and it’s June.
Which profile is up to date? Are these social media profiles for the same business or separate ones?
You do not want customers to ask these questions. You want current and complete social media profiles to further your brand identity. Ours is a world of fast clicks and quick scrolls, and instant brand recognition is imperative.
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You understand that your Materials may be transferred unencrypted and involve (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to technical requirements of connecting networks or devices. “Materials” means Your Trademarks, copyright content, any products or services you sell through the Services (including description and/or price), and any photos, images, videos, graphics, written content, audio files, code, information, or other data provided or made available by you or your affiliates to Jemully Charter or its affiliates.
2. Domain Names
Upon purchasing a domain name through Jemully Charter, domain registration will be preset to automatically renew each year so long as your Jemully Charter Account remains active. You acknowledge that it is your sole responsibility to notify Jemully Charter to deactivate the auto-renewal function should you choose to do so.
3. Jemully Charter Rights
The Services have a range of features and functionalities. Not all Services or features will be available to all Merchants at all times and we are under no obligation to make any Services or features available in any jurisdiction. Except where prohibited in these Terms of Service or by applicable law, we reserve the right to modify the Services or any part thereof for any reason, without notice and at any time.
Jemully Charter does not pre-screen Materials and it is in our sole discretion to refuse or remove any Materials from any part of the Services, including if we determine in our sole discretion that the goods or services that you offer through the Services, or the Materials uploaded or posted to the Services, violate these Terms of Service.
Verbal or written abuse of any kind (including threats of abuse or retribution) of any Jemully Charter employee, member, or officer will result in immediate Account termination.
We reserve the right to provide our Services to your competitors and make no promise of exclusivity. You further acknowledge and agree that Jemully Charter employees and contractors may also be Jemully Charter customers or merchants and that they may compete with you, although they may not use your Confidential Information (as defined in Section 6) in doing so.
In the event of a dispute regarding Account ownership, we reserve the right to request documentation to determine or confirm Account ownership. Documentation may include, but is not limited to, a scanned copy of your business license, government issued photo ID, the last four digits of the credit card on file, or confirmation of your status as an employee of an entity.
Jemully Charter reserves the right to determine, in our sole discretion, rightful Account ownership and transfer an Account to the rightful Store Owner. If we are unable to reasonably determine the rightful Store Owner, without prejudice to our other rights and remedies, Jemully Charter reserves the right to temporarily suspend or disable an Account until resolution has been determined between the disputing parties.
4. Your Responsibilities
You acknowledge and agree to provide public-facing contact information on your Jemully Charter site.
You acknowledge and agree that the Services are not a marketplace, and any contract of sale made through the Services is directly between you and the customer. You are responsible for the content of your Jemully Charter site, the goods and services that you may offer, and all aspects of the transactions between you and your customer(s) via your Jemully Charter site. You represent and warrant that your Jemully Charter site, your Materials and the goods and services you offer through will be true, accurate, and complete, and will not violate any applicable laws, regulations or rights of third parties.
You are solely responsible for the goods or services that you may sell through the Services (including description, price, fees, tax that you calculate, defects, required legal disclosures, regulatory compliance, offers or promotional content), including compliance with any applicable laws or regulations.
You may not use the Jemully Charter sites for any illegal or unauthorized purpose nor may you, in the use of the Service, violate any laws in your jurisdiction (including but not limited to copyright laws), the laws applicable to you in your customer’s jurisdiction, or the laws of Canada and the Province of Ontario. You will comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations (including but not limited to obtaining and complying with the requirements of any license or permit that may be necessary to operate your store or that may be held by you) in your use of the Service and your performance of obligations under the Terms of Service.
5. Payment of Fees
The subscription with Jemully Charter requires a minimum of twelve (12) months. Business owners who terminate their subscription prior to 12 months will have the payment method on file automatically charged for the remaining months that equal to twelve full months of service. plus a 15% early termination fee.
You will pay the Fees applicable to your subscription to Online Service (“Subscription Fees”) and any other applicable fees, including but not limited to applicable one-time fees, setup fees, or site customization fees.
You must keep a valid payment method on file with us to pay for all incurred and recurring Fees. Jemully Charter will charge applicable Fees to any valid payment method that you authorize (“Authorized Payment Method”), and Jemully Charter will continue to charge the Authorized Payment Method for applicable Fees until the Services are terminated, and any and all outstanding Fees have been paid in full. Unless otherwise indicated, all Fees and other charges are in U.S. dollars, and all payments will be in U.S. currency.
Subscription Fees are paid in advance and will be billed in 30 day intervals (each such date, a “Billing Date”). You will be charged on each Billing Date for all outstanding Fees that have not previously been charged. Fees will appear on an invoice, which will be sent to the Business Owner via the Primary Email Address provided. Users have approximately two weeks to bring up and settle any issues with the billing of Subscription Fees.
If we are not able to process payment of Fees using an Authorized Payment Method, we may make subsequent attempts to process payment using any Authorized Payment Method. If we are unable to successfully process payment of Fees using an Authorized Payment Method within 28 days of our initial attempt, we may suspend and revoke access to your Account and the Services. Your Account will be reactivated upon your payment of any outstanding Fees, plus the Fees applicable to your next billing cycle. You may not be able to access your website during any period of suspension. If the outstanding Fees remain unpaid for 60 days following the date of suspension, Jemully Charter reserves the right to terminate your Account in accordance with Section 14.
All Fees are exclusive of applicable federal, provincial, state, local or other governmental sales, goods and services (including Goods and Sales Tax under the Goods and Services Tax Act, Chapter 117A of Singapore), harmonized or other taxes, fees or charges now in force or enacted in the future (“Taxes”).
For the avoidance of doubt, all sums payable by you to Jemully Charter under these Terms of Service will be paid free and clear of any deductions or withholdings whatsoever. Jemully Charter will be entitled to charge the full amount of Fees stipulated under these Terms of Service to your Authorized Payment Method ignoring any such deduction or withholding that may be required.
Jemully Charter does not provide refunds.
6. Confidentiality
“Confidential Information” will include, but will not be limited to, any and all information associated with a party’s business and not publicly known, including specific business information, technical processes and formulas, software, customer lists, prospective customer lists, names, addresses and other information regarding customers and prospective customers, product designs, sales, costs (including any relevant processing fees), price lists, and other unpublished financial information, business plans and marketing data, and any other confidential and proprietary information, whether or not marked as confidential or proprietary. Jemully Charter’s Confidential Information includes all information that you receive relating to us, or to the Services, that is not known to the general public including information related to our security program and practices.
Each party agrees to use the other party’s Confidential Information solely as necessary for performing its obligations under these Terms of Service and in accordance with any other obligations in these Terms of Service.
7. Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
You expressly understand and agree that, to the extent permitted by applicable laws, Jemully Charter and its suppliers will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary damages, including but not limited to, damages for loss of profits, goodwill, use, data or other intangible losses arising out of or relating to the use of or inability to use the Service or these Terms of Service (however arising, including negligence).
You agree to indemnify and hold us and (as applicable) our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, Jemully Charter partners, officers, directors, agents, employees, and suppliers harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of (a) your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents it incorporates by reference (including the AUP); (b) or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party; or (c) any aspect of the transaction between you and your Customer, including but not limited to refunds, fraudulent transactions, alleged or actual violation of applicable laws (including but not limited to Federal and State consumer protection laws), or your breach of the Terms of Service.
You will be responsible for any breach of the Terms of Service by your affiliates, agents or subcontractors and will be liable as if it were your own breach.
Your use of the Services is at your sole risk. The Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty or condition, express, implied or statutory.
Jemully Charter does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free.
Jemully Charter does not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the Services will be accurate or reliable.
Jemully Charter is not responsible for any of your tax obligations or liabilities related to the use of Jemully Charter’s Services.
Jemully Charter does not warrant that the quality of any products, services, information, or other materials purchased or obtained by you through the Services will meet your expectations, or that any errors in the Services will be corrected.
8. Intellectual Property and Your Materials
8.1 Your Materials
We do not claim ownership of the Materials you provide to Jemully Charter. You grant Jemully Charter a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to host, use, distribute, expose, modify, run, copy, store, publicly perform, communicate to the public (including by telecommunication), broadcast, reproduce, make available, display, and translate, and create derivative works of any Materials provided by you in connection with the Services. We may use our rights under this license to operate, provide, and promote the Services and to perform our obligations and exercise our rights under the Terms of Service. You represent, warrant, and agree that you have all necessary rights in the Materials to grant this license. You irrevocably waive any and all moral rights you may have in the Materials in favour of Jemully Charter and agree that this waiver may be invoked by anyone who obtains rights in the materials through Jemully Charter, including anyone to whom Jemully Charter may transfer or grant (including by way of license or sublicense) any rights in the Materials.
If you owned the Materials before providing them to Jemully Charter then, despite uploading them to your Jemully Charter site they remain yours, subject to any rights or licenses granted in the Terms of Service or elsewhere. You can export the content of your Jemully Charter site, however you will be required to fulfill the 12 month subscription requirement plus any outstanding fees and the early termination fee, if applicable. You may notify Jemully Charter of your desire.
You agree that Jemully Charter can, at any time, review and delete any or all of the Materials submitted to the Services, although Jemully Charter is not obligated to do so.
You grant Jemully Charter a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to use the names, trademarks, service marks and logos associated with your site (“Your Trademarks”) to operate, provide, and promote the Services and to perform our obligations and exercise our rights under the Terms of Service. This license will survive any termination of the Terms of Service solely to the extent that Jemully Chartery requires the license to exercise any rights or perform any obligations that arose during the Term.
8.2 Jemully Charter Intellectual Property
You agree that you may not use any trademarks, logos, or service marks of Jemully Charter, whether registered or unregistered.
You agree not to purchase, register, or use search engine or other pay-per-click keywords (such as Google Ads), trademarks, email addresses, social media names, or domain names (including without limitation top-level domains, sub-domains, and page URLs) that use or include Jemully Media or Jemully Charter or that use or include any terms that may be confusing with the Jemully Media.
9. Jemully Charter Theme Sites
You may establish the appearance of your Jemully Charter site with a design template from Jemully Charter’s Theme options.
Technical support for a Theme is the responsibility of the Jemully Charter, and the Business Owner may not modify the Theme.
10. Termination
The term of these Terms of Service will begin on the date of your completed registration for use of a Service and continue for a minimum of 12 months or until terminated by us or by you, as provided below (the “Term”).
You may cancel your Account and terminate the Terms of Service at any time by contacting chartersites@jemully.com and then following the specific instructions indicated to you in Jemully Charter’s response.
Without limiting any other remedies, we may suspend or terminate your Account or the Terms of Service for any reason, without notice and at any time (unless otherwise required by law), including if we suspect that you (by conviction, settlement, insurance or escrow investigation, or otherwise) have engaged in fraudulent activity in connection with the use of the Services. Termination of the Terms of Service will be without prejudice to any rights or obligations which arose prior to the date of termination.
Upon termination of the Services by either party for any reason:
Jemully Charter will cease providing you with the Services and you will no longer be able to access your Account;
unless otherwise provided in the Terms of Service, you will not be entitled to any refunds of any Fees, pro rata or otherwise;
any outstanding balance owed to Jemully Charter for your use of the Services through the effective date and including the completion of the 12-month required subscription and early termination fee, if applicable, of such termination will immediately become due and payable in full; and
your Jemully Charter site will be taken offline.
If you purchased a domain name through Jemully Charter, upon cancellation your domain will no longer be automatically renewed. Following termination, it will be your sole responsibility to handle all matters related to your domain with the domain provider.
If there are any outstanding Fees owed by you at the date of termination of the Service, you will receive one final invoice via email. Once that invoice has been paid in full, you will not be charged again.