Content marketing and native advertising technology company provides tools to produce interactive visual quizzes, surveys and polls, while creating a premium monetization channel
LOS ANGELES – Creating addictive and engaging, original, digital content is challenging. Hone, a content marketing and native advertising technology company, is launching today to meet that challenge.
Hone provides content creators, publishers and brands the tools to produce interactive visual quizzes, surveys and polls that have social value, while creating a premium monetization channel. Already dozens are creating content through Hone, including Teen Vogue, Shelborne Wyndham Grand and Nativo, that is easily branded and distributed across platforms with a focus on mobile, online and social.
To view live example quizzes, surveys and polls created through Hone, visit:
– http://gohone.com/examples.html
“Thanks to mobile and social media, content marketing is a tremendous opportunity more so today, than ever before, to engage audiences. However, it is expensive, and whether you’re a creator, publisher or brand, formats are limited,” said Andrew Heckler, founder and CEO of Hone. “Question-based content has proven to be one of the most engaging forms of digital media, as we’ve seen through the likes of BuzzFeed and on Facebook. We are taking quiz, survey and poll, native advertising-like content directly to those creating content that is addictive, engaging and audiences want to share.”
CO-OP Financial Services, which works with more than 3,500 credit unions, has found Hone’s platform to be a powerful content marketing tool to reach millennials and understand their relationship with money. CO-OP created quizzes, highlighted on the company’s consumer site, which helped catapult its Twitter following, now the highest in the credit union industry.
“Hone’s content marketing technology has been an excellent means by which we can better understand Millennial consumers, and also begin to educate them about credit unions,” said Samantha Paxson, Chief Marketing Officer, CO-OP Financial Services. “Not only is the quiz-form content perfect for the Millennial audience, but the data gathered from responses is incredibly insightful as to how credit unions might best serve these potential new members.”
Content creators, publishers and brands to date have created hundreds of “Hone’s” (quizzes, surveys and polls), that are demonstrating the addictive and engaging nature of this form of content marketing. Hone’s, on average in the first quarter of 2015, are experiencing an engagement rate of 86 percent; completion rate of 81 percent; 12 percent for social sharing; and 16 percent for retakes.
Along with CO-OP, SANDOW owned NewBeauty has also leveraged Hone. The publication used the tool to communicate with its audiences and share brand partners’ messages, such as: Do You Know Your Celebrity Face Shape?
“The way in which audiences digest digital media today is evolving. As a beauty marketer, it is paramount to recognize this. The power of programs increases engagement and social sharing,” said Elise Wood, Vice President, Strategic Marketing of NewBeauty. “Working with Hone has provided us the privilege to do just that – create stellar online activations that drive real business results, not just metrics.”
“The engagement with Hone created content is just the tip of the iceberg,” added Heckler. “The power of Hone’s technology goes even further collecting conversion and insightful audience data content creators, publishers and brands can leverage for continued success with their content marketing strategies.”
Background on Andrew Heckler
Hone’s Heckler has a diverse entrepreneurial and investor background spanning the clean technology and digital media spaces. In addition to his position at Hone, Heckler also serves as founding partner and chairman of Brightfield Energy, a clean energy business, and is a partner at Workhouse Capital, an early stage investment technology fund. He entered the clean tech investor space as a consultant at Sequoia Capital. Previously, Heckler has been responsible for an array of investments, including Plain Vanilla Games, the studio behind QuizUp, the fastest growing iPhone game in history; Useek, a video advertising platform; Black Book, a digital magazine; and Modern Meadows, a company developing novel biomaterials.
About Hone
Hone (www.gohone.com) is a content marketing and native advertising technology company that simplifies the creation of addictive and engaging forms of original, digital media and empowers them to reach audiences over any digital platform. The company provides content creators, publishers and brands the tools to produce interactive visual quizzes, surveys and polls that have social value, while creating a premium monetization channel. Hone’s platform creates content that is easily branded and distributed across platforms with a focus on mobile, online and social, leading to conversions and insightful audience data. For more information, visit: www.gohone.com.
