Rachel Brauer
  • Home
  • about
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
    • Social Media Management >
      • Consulting
      • Adolescent Health Initiative
    • Writing Samples >
      • The State News
      • College of Nursing
      • Her Campus
    • Event Promotion
  • Contact

An Open Letter About Urban Outfitters' Digital Marketing Strategy

9/6/2019

2 Comments

 

About

This blog post is an assignment from my New Media Driver's License course from my time as an undergraduate at Michigan State University.  As a class, we were assigned a brand from the start of the semester to analyze. Below is my response to a cumulative examination of Urban Outfitter's digital marketing strategy.

Picture
Dear Urban Outfitters,

As a student who has been analyzing all aspects of your digital marketing strategy, I am drawn to the shop's overall aesthetic and the culture you promote.

From a marketing perspective, I find UO's incorporation of hashtags in their Instagram post's brilliant. By encouraging customers to sport UO hashtags in their pictures (#UOonYou, #UOHome, etc.), those posts are then filtered and live-streamed on the Urban Outfitters Community page on their website.

This is brilliant in one of two ways: first, you are offering customers an outlet to feel heard.

Second, your website is updated continuously at the rate your media is consumed.


However, I have one suggestion that I believe will take your brand to the next level:
Picture
Improve your website. Websites serve as the "hub" for a brand's digital communication and are still one of the most critical digital assets a company can have. By taking the time to edit your website for fluidity, you could significantly increase brand loyalty.

Firstly, your social media breadcrumbs and blog page are placed at the bottom of the web page. And let's be honest, people don't want to search for things. Additionally, there is no "About" page anywhere on the website.

There's only a short blurb, which, once again, is located at the bottom of the homepage.
Picture
Hubspot claims there are 4 essential pages on a website that increase user optimization, one of which is the About page. Hubspot columnist Neil Patel recommends integrating a CTA (call-to-action) on About pages.

"Remember, most people aren't just looking for more information; they're seeking a deeper level of engagement," explains Patel. "A potential marketable call-to-action could be emphasizing Urban Outfitters' mission as, "a hub for creative, like-minded college-age individuals." 

Teenagers to midtwenty somethings want to feel understood, and your organization was founded as an experiential retail environment with a creative and cultural understanding. To quote,
"We share our customers' interests and values, representing community at all times by offering inclusion in social media, events, community involvement, and entrepreneurial opportunities."
Expressing this commonality on the actual Urban Outfitters website could make your consumers feel more connected to the organization.

Secondly, not embedding any links to your sibling organizations, such as anthropologie, freepeople, or Vetri Family for on-site optimization is a crucial mistake. By only providing a link to URBN, the parent site, with no explanation as to how Urban Outfitters relates, is counterintuitive and misses the opportunity to optimize your SEO.

According to Entrepreneur, when reputable sites in your industry link to your page, it increases your site's authority. Ultimately, Google interprets backlinks as a trend signal.

Thirdly, I think your Blog page could be revamped. Currently, you only have two columns on your blog.
  1. Artist Editions, a series featuring the exclusive designers selling their work to Urban Outfitters. "Designed exclusively for Urban Outfitters."
  2. Music Mondays is an ongoing public playlist showcasing a new set of tunes from Soundcloud every Monday, featuring grassroots bands and songs that aren't mainstream.

Given that Urban Outfitters is a lifestyle brand, you could create a free tutorial or YouTube video lesson about how to take aesthetic pictures. Not only would this appeal to your consumers, but it could draw in potential leads and establish UO's brand authority.

Overall, I think your website is excellent. It's filled with aesthetic images and products. But as a customer, I believe that you should strategize what could elevate each consumer's experience. Whether it's my suggestions listed not, there are always ways for a company to improve its digital strategy.​

Sincerely,
Rachel Brauer
Do you need help devising an inbound marketing strategy? I would love to talk. 
Let's talk
2 Comments
Abby link
5/18/2022 23:48:41

Thanks for sharing this useful information! Hope that you will continue with the kind of stuff you are doing.

Reply
Adam Rowe link
11/17/2022 08:42:06

One main raise deep election. Tax between record air. Government watch attorney everything doctor interview save.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Hey there,
    I'm Rachel!

    Social media maven at your service! Read more about me. 
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Blogging
    Inbound Marketing
    LinkedIn
    Personal Development For Entrepreneurs
    SEO
    Social Media Tips

    Archives

    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    October 2017
    June 2017

    RSS Feed

Testimonials

"Rachel has done an outstanding job of weaving Michigan Medicine values into her work. She is intentional and thoughtful in her Marketing practices, and always brings care and integrity to her work. She actively challenges herself to be learning, and think critically about representing AHI and Michigan Medicine in the most responsive and inclusive way possible. Rachel is innovative in her approaches to Marketing and Communications. She constantly challenges AHI to think of new ways to reach their communities in a way that feels supportive. Rachel also incorporates team feedback into her work, and is always looking for ways to include more voices in the work. I’m proud of the work Rachel has done in response to meeting both AHI & Michigan Medicine values. She is a true asset to the institution and to the field."
-  Janine Driver, Marketing Specialist at the Adolescent Health Initiative.

"Rachel was my digital strategist for a year. I'm incredibly pleased with her innovation, work ethic, persistence, diplomacy, and creativity. She does more than sit back and let me dictate to her. She jumps in as a valued collaborator.  If needed, she has learned a new skill and pursued formal education to assist in any task I ask. If you have the opportunity to work with Rachel DO IT, she's like a whole team in one person,"
- Pamela Stewart, author.

"Rachel approaches all projects with heart and a lot of passion. She envelopes herself in the subject matter of her work, and she strives for perfection. She's not afraid to reach out when she needs help, wants to do more, or is looking for another perspective on things. Rachel is someone I would turn to for projects that need a creative lens or greater sensitivity. She is encouraging -- both personally and professionally -- and cheers for all to succeed. She's sure to bring an aura of positivity wherever she goes,"
- Caitlin Taylor, Communications Coordinator for Airport Community Schools, former Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus-Michigan State University.

"Rachel has gone above and beyond for Project LETS-MSU. She has brought many incredible ideas to the table and has never failed to execute them. Her creativity and passion is definitely noticeable in her work,"
- Sonali Solanki, former President of Project LETS-MSU. 
  • Home
  • about
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
    • Social Media Management >
      • Consulting
      • Adolescent Health Initiative
    • Writing Samples >
      • The State News
      • College of Nursing
      • Her Campus
    • Event Promotion
  • Contact