General Marketing

Jan 21 2020

Choose the Right Social Media for Your Business

There are more and more social media platforms every day. As an integral part of your marketing strategy, it’s overwhelming to say the least. Keeping up with multiple platforms is a lot to handle, especially when you’re just beginning. While it’s great to have multiple platforms to advertise on, focusing your efforts on one or two sites keeps you from stretching yourself too thin. But which platform do you start out with? How do you decide? Each social media has its own demographic, and lends itself to certain kinds of content. When choosing the right social media for your business, keep in mind its userbase and the kind of content you want to make.. In this article, we will discuss some of the current major social media sites, to help you determine which is the best fit.

Facebook

The big one, the one everyone thinks of first, Facebook. Facebook is the largest social media platform, therefore has the biggest potential reach. Potential. Reach. Though the pool of potential customers is vast, it can be hard to get their attention. Paid ads are basically a must, as this allows you to select your target demographic. The upside, however, is that Facebook lends itself to a wide variety of content. It’s a great place to share blog posts, post product images, or even host live videos.

Instagram

Instagram is great for images. It’s owned by Facebook, which can be nice as their paid ads are capable of working in unison. Instagram’s demographic is much younger, and does well with lifestyle posts. It’s especially important here to ask “what does my audience want?” and post pictures of that. They don’t all have to have your product in it, but most should.

It can be difficult to grow organically, because there are so many users also trying to get found. Aside from paid advertising, hashtags are the best way to get found. Be strategic–are there certain sayings that relate to your product? What hashtags are your competitors using? Is there a hashtag you can start that’s unique to your product/service?

The other important thing with Instagram is engagement. Like a fan’s picture when they use your hashtag, respond to comments on your posts, just keep the conversation going. Fans want to know that you read their posts and you care about their patronage.

Twitter

The big draw of Twitter for a lot of people is that posts remain in chronological order, unlike Facebook and Instagram. Like instagram, it caters to a younger crowd. However, a lot of companies use it for customer service updates, instead of over email or the phone. It’s also great for multiple, quick updates through live-tweets. These are usually recapping day-to-day events, getting customers excited for what’s coming next. Because of the chronological order of the platform, you should expect to tweet 10-15 times a day so you don’t get buried in people’s newsfeed. Luckily, there are apps that you can plan posts ahead of time and schedule them for publishing.

While it isn’t very social, Pinterest is still a very viable platform for certain types of marketing. Pinterest is it’s own beast in that it’s more akin to a visual search engine. Utilized properly, it can be one of your most successful platforms to drive traffic to your website and blog. While the majority of it’s current members are female, about half of it’s new members are men. People primarily use pinterest to plan purchases, and get ideas.

YouTube

We’ve talked a lot about YouTube in the past, and that’s because it’s a great tool to get your product/service out there. YouTube is a one-stop shop for video content, and has a robust algorithm to help you get found. It’s a great platform to demonstrate your product and show the benefits firsthand.

In the end, you want to choose a social media platform where your customer base is. Starting in the right place is important, because otherwise you’re just shouting into the void. Like with all business marketing, it takes trial and error, and lots of time to get going. But, by being in the right place, you will begin to see the difference.

Jan 16 2020

5 Ways You Can Improve the Overall Design of Your Website

We talked about landing pages, but now we need to talk about the design your website overall. Think of your website like a storefront. The image you give off here reflects how potential customers are going to see you. You want to make a good first impression, because you might not get a second one. Do you know what you are doing right? How about what you are doing wrong? What are you close to doing right, but need a push to get there? This article will focus on five things you might need to improve on your website.

Your Website Has Low Readability/Legibility

Content is king. If people can’t decipher the content on your website, that becomes a problem. Your image will be determined by how your website looks, so be diligent when deciding what to publish. Not only that, but how you display your content also matters. If the text on your webpage is low contrast, has big blocks of text, and low-quality pictures, people aren’t going to stay. Add variation to what kinds of things you put on your pages, and break them up. Don’t overuse ultra-fancy fonts. Better yet, avoid them altogether. What about the font size? Are your paragraphs separated with headers? Are your images high-quality and relevant?

Your Pages Have a Messy Layout

Another big issue businesses have with their website is how their pages are laid out. If your text isn’t properly aligned, your images are all over the place, etc. etc. your website looks messy. Keep image placement and size consistent. One way to make your website look cleaner immediately is to add more whitespace. If your content is crammed too close together, it looks unorganized. Give it, and your reader, space to breathe. Another thing you can do is strip unnecessary content from your website. If there are things that people don’t ever look at, or are stated elsewhere, get rid of it. It’s just getting in the way and you can potentially use that space for something else.

Your Website Has Poor/Unclear Navigation

This one is a biggie. People come to your website for a reason. If they can’t find what they’re looking for because you have poor navigation, you’ve lost a potential sale. When figuring out your website’s navigation, think in terms of categories. You might have your “about” category, which can then be further sectioned into pages about your employees, as well as the history of your company. Maybe you also have a FAQ page, or a blog page, both of which could be their own category. A great way to test your website’s navigation is to do a sitemap, or a diagram that shows which pages are linked to which page, and how. If an important page is buried under three layers of navigation panels, how are people supposed to find it?

Your Website Has Inconsistent Design

The aesthetics of your website can’t be overlooked. It’s your brand. Your website should look consistent throughout all it’s pages, with similar colors, fonts, and layouts. Think of it like a chain store. If you go to two different Walmarts that are three hours apart, chances are you know what the inside of both are going to look like. Keeping the look of all your pages consistent allows your visitor to focus on the content and not get distracted. Some things to consider when deciding if your design is consistent include:

Is your color scheme consistent?
Is your font the same (both style and size)?
Are your pictures consistent (rounded corners, straight edge, topic)?
Are your layouts similar?

Your Website is Too Flashy

I know, you want to stand out from the crowd. It can be tempting to have your sections fade in when a page loads, or have tons of animations all over. While these are certainly cool and it’s great in moderation, it’s easy to overdo it. If everything is moving and changing and flashy, it’s all fighting for attention. It becomes impossible to focus on anything and the visitor becomes frustrated. Keep in mind what things are most important, and focus your energy and pizzazz there. Also keep in mind what kinds of animations or extra bits you’re putting where. For example, if text is constantly moving or changing it becomes impossible to read.

Having good website design is an ever-evolving process. Not only do things change, but different people can have different ideas on what works best. For example, your navigation might seem straightforward and organized to you, but your customers have trouble finding what they need. Look out for feedback and adjust when necessary. When in doubt, go simple. You can always add bells and whistles later.

Jan 14 2020

Improve Your Website’s Landing Page

Your landing page is the first thing people see when they visit your website, so it needs to draw them in

Your website, more specifically the landing page of your website, is your number one asset. It’s the first thing people see when they visit, so it needs to draw them in. Yes, the saying goes “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, but it’s human nature to have first impressions. Your landing page needs to draw in potential customers, whether it be to sign up for your email list or to make a purchase. The conversion rate of visitors to customers is less than 3%, so what can you do to keep that from going any lower? Using this article, take a look at your landing page and see where you can make adjustments.

Offer

Your website is all about your product/service, or your offer. Without a good offer, nothing else matters. You could have the shining example of design and composition, but if your offer isn’t good nothing else matters. When figuring out your offer, there are two components to consider: your headline and your call to action. Both of these should stand out on the page.

Headline

The headline should answer the prospective customer’s biggest question: What can this product/service do for me? A good headline is short, catchy, and evokes emotion. For example, wix.com, a popular website builder, has the headline “create a website you’re proud of”. Under this, they have a smaller header that reads “Discover the platform that gives you the freedom to create, design, manage and develop your web presence exactly the way you want.” This immediately tells the visitor that this service can help them design a professional-looking website.

Call to action

Right under the header should be your call-to-action. What are you wanting your visitor to do? Do you want them to sign up for your email list? Do you want them to make a first purchase? Whatever you want the visitor to do, give them an actionable step towards that goal. Usually, this is in the form of a button.

Form

Now that we have our call to action that takes us to a form, let’s talk about the form itself. The rule of thumb here is to be as minimal as possible, especially in the beginning. If you are still in the beginning of the customer acquisition journey, you want to make it as easy as possible for your prospect to go through it. If all you want them to do is sign up for your email list, only ask for their name and email address. Once they want to make a bigger commitment, then you can have a more in-depth form for them to fill out.

Trust

Your landing page could be the first time someone interacts with your business. Making a good impression that instills trust shows them not only do you know what you’re talking about, but that you can help them as well. You can do this in a number of ways.

Design

Subconsciously we make opinions on things based on appearance. If your website looks professional, people are more likely to trust you and your product. Being consistent with your colors, font, and page layouts are key. Your images, even though they’re different, should all feel like they belong together.

Relevant Trust Icons

If there are any publications that you’ve been featured in, display them. Showing your visitor that you have been recognized for your product/service is a great way to back up your claims. On a more personal level, adding testimonials from customers is a great way to show how good your product/service is. Having a third party sing your praises shows that you can deliver on your promises.

Clear Privacy Policies

With rising regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), it’s important to be upfront with your privacy policies. What are your terms of service? Stick these at the bottom of your page, so they’re there but out of the way. Does your website use cookies? Have a popup that lets the visitor know. Having these clearly displayed on your homepage lets the visitor know you’re not trying to do anything funny.

Visuals

It’s been said a few times already, but visuals are extremely important. You can have all of the above done to perfection, but if it looks bad, you’re sunk. Employ visual hierarchy to better draw visitors to the most important things on your page. Where does your eye go? How do your eyes travel around the page? The layout should guide your eyes to the different sections, focusing on the most important: the call to action. Any images or other things on your page shouldn’t take focus away from it. Factors like font choice, color scheme, photo layout, and even size can all factor in.

Website design is a tricky thing to get right. It’s evolved so much over the lifespan of the internet. Having your landing page include your offer in the form of a headline and call to action right up front is proven to grab attention. Having a simple form to fill out gets potential customers on your email list, so they can start their customer acquisition journey. Above all, make your landing page look good. Employ visual hierarchy to draw their eyes to the important information.

Nov 26 2019

Why your business needs a blog (and tips on starting one)

Writing a blog is difficult. It seems simple on the surface, but a lot of time and effort goes into creating quality content. Difficult or not, blogging is a great way to get your customers interested and excited about your products. But why start a blog? What kinds of content should be on the blog? Isn’t blogging a bit outdated? All good questions! Answers to these, as well as tips to getting started on the right foot, are what this article is about!

Why Start a Blog?

You may be thinking, “my business already has a Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. Why would I start a blog on top of that?” Starting a blog is a commitment, yes, but it allows you to show off your product or service in ways that other social media can’t. Blogging, unlike other social media, is more long form. Can you imagine having this blog post pop up on your Facebook feed? You’d scroll right past it, wondering why we ever thought you’d read such a long post! But on a blog, it doesn’t seem that long. It’s expected that blog posts are going to be several-hundred words long, so readers go in with that mindset.

It’s important to remember that, while your readers are going in expecting longer-form writing, they are still there because they are at least somewhat interested in your product. Your blog is a tool to sell, first and foremost. Your content should always be selling your product, either directly or indirectly. We’ll discuss this in a moment.

Blogs allow for a wide array of content. You can have videos, write anecdotes, interview other people…any number of things can count as content for your blog. This variety can either be freeing or daunting, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, you can seemingly post whatever you want. On the other, which do you choose?

Content for Your Blog

Before you dive in to blogging, you need to ask yourself: What kinds of things are you going to post? This is one of the many times your customer avatar will come in handy. What interests does your avatar have? What is your product providing them? How can you mesh these two?

For example, let’s pretend that you own a home improvement store that specializes in lawn maintenance. Your customer avatar is a man aged 35-55 who loves to be outdoors and keeps a meticulous garden. During the summer, he’s out every weekend cutting the grass or getting rid of weeds. Maybe his wife has an area where she has flowers and statues of forest animals. What kinds of content would they enjoy?

Not every blog post is an advertisement for the products and services you offer. You can make mention of it, but it should rarely–if ever–be the focus of your posts. Instead, you want to focus on making you sound like an authority on what it is you sell. In the home improvement store example, you want to make sure your readers walk away trusting you to help them when they come to your shop. So, posting articles about the latest gardening trends, interviews with professional landscapers, or tips for starting out can be great article ideas to get you started.

Planning Your Content

Once you know what kind of content you want to have, it’s time to start planning your posts. Try and categorize the types of content you are going to post (interviews, how-to’s, etc.). Having a running list of ideas ensures that you always have a topic and your posts are varied. If you’re ever stuck, look at similar blogs to see what they are doing. Don’t copy them directly, but maybe you can talk about something from a different perspective.

Use a Content Calendar

After you have a list of ideas, put them in a content calendar. Again, this is so you are not trying to come up with your idea as you sit down to write. Take the stress out of writing as much as you can and plan ahead. When setting up your calendar, take into account what time of year you are posting what. For example, you’d probably want to hold off on a blog post about getting your backyard barbecue ready for closer to the summer. Posting that kind of article needs to be timely, so having a calendar to plan accordingly helps you stay on top of everything.

Content calendars are also good for showing gaps. Being consistent with when you post content is extremely important for growth, and knowing when you are about to have a content drought can help you plan for that. Your readers are going to expect a new article on your specified days. Not having an article for three weeks and then three in one day will do more harm to your numbers than good.

Starting a blog is a big undertaking. It requires lots of planning and thinking ahead, but is a great way to get people interested in your product(s). When done right, your blog enhances your customer’s interest by getting them excited about the lifestyle they could have with your product.

Having trouble with your blog? We can help! Contact us here for more information.

Blogging is a great way to get your customers interested and excited about your products.

Nov 21 2019

Getting the Most out of Customer Avatars

You aren’t using your customer avatars properly. Rather, you aren’t using them enough. Customer avatars, when done right, give you a base for all of the marketing campaigns you are going to do with your business. When was the last time you looked at your customer avatar? After a while, businesses can get in the mindset of “I know my customer, I don’t need to look at the avatar!”. While it may be true that you know who your avatar was, what’s changed since you created them? When was the last time you updated your avatar? 6 months? A year? Never? There are many factors that can cause your avatar to need updating, and it’s important to do so every so often. Today we will discuss a few reasons to look at and revise your customer avatar.

Why Update Your Customer Avatar Profile?

Good question. Put simply, people are not static. Likes change, dislikes change, people change. If something in the world happens, it might alter how your customers view the world—or certain aspects of it. Your avatar is a picture of who you want to sell to, so it should reflect that. If you’re using 10-year-old data, you could be marketing to someone who doesn’t exist anymore. It can make your business and product seem old and outdated.

This doesn’t mean that every six months you need to completely throw out your old customer avatars and start from scratch. If you did that, you’d never get anywhere. Small tweaks every so often are good to make sure nothing drastic has changed, and to remind yourself who your customer is. Reserve big changes for when you really need it. There are several things to look at when updating your avatar profiles. We’ll discuss three big ones.

New Technology and Innovation

Today, new tech is coming out what seems like every day. Whether it’s a new smartphone or a new idea in grocery delivery, there are always new things happening. Has new technology emerged relating to your product or your avatar? Do they like it or not like it? Or, maybe there’s a new social media site that has become popular? Why? How can this relate back to your product or service? Indicate this on your avatar profile, so that you can best advertise to them.

Popular Culture

Okay, not everyone is into the latest celebrity gossip. But even people who aren’t up to date on who’s dating who tend to have opinions on modern movies, television, and other media. For example, it’s hard to go outside the last few years and not see someone in some form of superhero clothing. What are some cultural trends today? How does your avatar feel about these trends? Whether they love it or hate it, that’s something to mark in the avatar’s profile.

Political Climate

This is a touchy subject, but it’s important. Even if your business itself doesn’t outwardly endorse a certain party, your target customers probably do. What party is that? Have they always affiliated with this party? What changed? What hasn’t? Has the political climate affected their spending habits? The answers to these questions can be very eye-opening, especially around big election time.

Using Your Updated Customer Avatar Profiles

Okay, now that you’ve updated your customer avatars, time to put them to use. You’ve got this data, you know who you’re selling to, now you need to sell. If you ignore this information or don’t intentionally utilize it, you run the risk of wasting time and money on advertising. Why bother making up avatars if you don’t make good use of them? The question now becomes, how? You’ve got all this data, but how do you make the most use of it for your advertising?

Targeted Ads on Social Media

Targeted ads quickly becoming one of the best ways to advertise. It’s quick, cheap, and can reach a targeted audience. When you set up targeted ads, Facebook, Instagram, etc. all have you fill out a questionnaire on who you want to target. Having just updated your avatar profiles, you probably have a better idea on who your customer is. If you’re already using targeted ads, update these parameters if you need to. If you’re just starting, don’t forget to come back periodically when you adjust your customer avatar.

Social Media Content

Along the same lines as targeted ads, your content should reflect your updated avatar. If you’re posting pictures of cats on your Instagram page for a dog food brand, you’re not catering to your avatar. These posts aren’t always paid advertising, but your fans and customers should still expect to see content that resonates with your brand.

Likewise, your blog is a form of social media. Think about what kinds of things interest your avatar and how that can relate to your product. From there, you can begin to create a blog content calendar so that you always have a topic to write about.

Creating Campaigns

Your blog, social media, and any other form of advertising should all be at least somewhat cohesive. Ad campaigns can last anywhere from a few months to a few years, so having up-to-date customer avatar profiles ensures that these campaigns are relevant.

The customer avatar profile is one of the most important things to keep coming back to when advertising. Without it, you’re throwing stuff at a wall and hoping something sticks. Customer avatar profiles give you direction. If your avatar is up to date and accurate, you’ve got a great jumping off point for any future advertising you do. That is, until you update your profiles again!