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This marketing skill is in high demand—and can pay as much as $125/hour

March 23, 2023 No Comments

When it comes to marketing, many ― likely most ― companies are going digital.

“Businesses want to meet customers where they are, and that’s often online,” says Margaret Lilani, vice president of talent solutions at freelancer platform Upwork. As a result, she says, for anyone looking for freelance work or a side hustle, digital marketing skills “are going to be highly sought after.”

These include social media marketing, email marketing and lead generation. They also include search engine optimization, or SEO. Experts on Upwork offering this type of marketing charge as much as $125 per hour.

Here’s what SEO is, exactly, and how to get started.

‘Search engine optimization is paramount if you want to be found’

Search engine optimization is the process of ensuring your website gets picked up in organic searches, say, if someone is looking for the kind of products you sell or the kind of content you cover. Imagine doing a search for French fries, snowboarding or Donna Summer on Google. SEO helps sites show up closer to the top of the list Google shows you that aren’t ads.

Experts in search engines like Google and Bing study tactics to ensure the platform considers your site a go-to on whatever you’re offering. They’ll make sure it includes relevant keywords, links and content, among other tactics.

“Search engine optimization is paramount if you want to be found when people are doing online searches,” says Yolanda Owens, career expert at The Muse, adding that it’s “increasingly becoming more and more valuable.” And employers are on the hunt for experts in the field.

A search for SEO jobs on ZipRecruiter results in more than 14,000 open roles, both part and full-time.

‘You spend all this time and all this money building your site’

How does one become an expert in SEO? There are various courses and certifications available online, including from search engines like Google itself. Colleges and universities offer courses as well. These range from free to as much as $1,000 each, so do your research before signing up to make sure you’re taking the best course for you.

Once you’ve learned the basics, the best way to build that knowledge base is by getting some on-the-ground experience. Create profiles on sites like Fiverr and Upwork and start picking up gigs on sites like ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn and Monster. The more experience you accrue, the more valuable you’ll become as an expert and the more you’ll ultimately be able to charge.

As long as search engines are a key way in which people find what they’re looking for, the skill likely won’t go away. “You spend all this time and all this money building your site,” says Lilani of companies’ attitudes, “if nobody can find it, again, why did you do that?”

Feature Image Credit: Envato Elements

By Gili Malinsky

Sourced from CNBC make it

In News

Why Brands Failed to Deliver on Welcome Emails

March 21, 2023 No Comments

By Chad S. White

Here’s what happened after I signed up for over 100 promotional emails. There were some surprises.

The Gist

Forget something? Testing out 100 email signups, more than 8% of brands didn’t send a welcome email, missing a valuable opportunity to deepen the relationship with their new subscribers through promotions, education, profiling, expansion or evangelism.
Send a series. Nearly half of brands sent a welcome series, with subsequent emails including reminders to use discounts, explanations of brand strengths, pitches for loyalty programs, encouragements to download mobile apps or behind-the-scenes looks at their organizations.
Welcoming fails. Some brands missed the mark by using senseless or overly corporate sender names in their welcome emails, while others failed to seasonally optimize or personalize their messages, or had quality control problems.

I shared takeaways from having signed up for promotional emails from 100 brands in my last column, so for this one I want to share what happened next: I received a lot of welcome emails!

But that’s not to say there weren’t some surprises. There were. Here are my key takeaways and the major opportunities I see for brands when it comes to crafting better onboarding experiences.

1. Shocking Number of Brands Didn’t Send a Welcome

More than 8% of the brands didn’t send a welcome email. Instead, they just dropped me into their promotional mail stream. Not only is that slightly jarring, it passes up a big opportunity to deepen the relationship in a way that your promotional emails just can’t.

Here are the five principle messaging strategies for welcome email calls-to-action:

Promotion: trying to drive a purchase through incentives or product promotions.
Education: trying to deepen brand affinity and loyalty by educating the new subscriber about your brand’s history, products, services, values and social causes.
Profiling: trying to to gather more information about the new subscriber so the brand can send more relevant messaging.
Expansion: trying to get the new subscriber to connect with the brand through additional channels.
Evangelism: trying to get the new subscriber to refer their friends or colleagues.

For most of those, messaging them immediately after signup is the ideal time to drive action and establish a healthy long-term relationship.

2. Nearly Half of Brands Sent a Welcome Series

In contrast to brands that didn’t send even one welcome email were those at the other end of the spectrum that sent a welcome series of two, three or even more emails.

What were the subsequent emails in those welcome series about? Brands included:

Reminders to use the discount they included in their first welcome, which was very common for retail and ecommerce brands.
Explanations of their brand strengths in terms of what’s unique about their products and how they do business, which was popular among direct-to-consumer brands.
Pitches to join their loyalty programs, which was also common for retail and ecommerce brands.
Encouragements to download their mobile app.
Behind-the-scenes looks at their organizations, which was most common among service-oriented brands.

Surprisingly, none tried to collect any preferences from me or profile me in any way using polls, surveys or quizzes. That’s a missed opportunity, as that kind of zero-party data can power personalization and segmentation during a time in the relationship when there’s little to no first-party data yet.

But the bigger opportunity here is that if you’re only sending a single welcome email, consider testing ways to expand it into a series.

3. Sender Names Could Have Been Better

For some brands, their welcome emails felt like they were sent by a different department or marketing group because of the sender names they used. For example, some brands had senselessly different sender names from the one used for their promotional emails, adding “Inc.,” “Company,” and “USA” to the end of the brand names for only their welcome emails. It made their welcome emails appear unnecessarily corporate and stiff.

That’s not to say that there aren’t opportunities to extend your sender name with purpose. Extending your sender name for your triggered emails, in particular, helps them stand out — not only from your other emails, but from all the other emails in your subscribers’ inboxes. Yet, only two of the brands I received welcome emails from extended their sender name. One used “BrandName Welcome” and the other “BrandName | Welcome.”

If you’re not currently extending your from name for your welcome emails, consider testing it and seeing how much of a lift you get. Adding an extension like “Welcome” is a sensible place to start.

Again, avoid overly corporate-sounding extensions. For example, some other welcome emails I received used sender name formats such as “BrandName Account,” “BrandName Account Services,” and even longer “BrandName Account Member Services.” Another used “BrandName E-mail Subscriptions,” with the dated hyphenation of email. While all of those are descriptive and accurate, they’re not particularly friendly sounding. They seem like they were written by lawyers, not marketers.

4. And There Were Smaller Opportunities to Improve, Too

In addition to those three big areas for improvement, brands sent welcome emails that…

Weren’t seasonally relevant. Only one brand seasonally optimized its welcome email, adding in imagery and content to match the season in which I signed up.
Rarely used emoji in their subject lines. 😢 Only 13% of brands used emoji in any of their welcome email subject lines. That seems a bit low, given their usage in promotional emails.
Included little personalization. Many brands required my name when I signed up, but few used it. For example, only 3% of brands used it in the subject lines of their welcome emails. First-name personalization isn’t great personalization, but if you ask for my name, use it.
Had quality control problems. One brand’s welcome email was sent twice, and another’s contained multiple broken images (but thankfully lots of HTML text, too). Not a good look.

Final Thoughts on Welcome Emails

Your welcome email — like all of your automations — are living campaigns. They need regular care and attention.

In fact, this goes double for your welcome emails since they are pivotal to making a good first impression and setting the tone for the emails that follow. If you haven’t reviewed your welcome emails lately, sign up for your email program with fresh eyes and see what improvements you can make or test.

By Chad S. White

Chad S. White is the author of Email Marketing Rules and Head of Research for Oracle Marketing Consulting, a global full-service digital marketing agency inside of Oracle.

Sourced from CMSWire

In News

7 Marketing Strategies to Accelerate Your Business

February 27, 2023 No Comments

By Kaloyan Gospodinov

These strategies will help you win and position yourself and your company in the best way this year.

A marketing strategy is the “plan identifying what marketing goals and objectives will be pursued to sell a particular product or product line and how these objectives will be achieved in the time available.” Keep in mind that you need to consider the following three pillars in your marketing strategy plan before execution:

Core audience demographics
Pricing and marketing budget
Business goals

The following seven marketing strategies are vital for connecting with your target audience, achieving your marketing goals by promoting products and services, increasing brand awareness and engaging with your target audience through various channels.

1. Email marketing

Email marketing is an old concept that will be very relevant in 2023. Having lists of targeted audiences with a differentiated email structure for each can provide you with a great and “cheap” way to showcase the developments in your company and sell your products.

Here are three examples that you can implement in your email marketing. The first one is to increase your email interactivity. People are used to social media and the engagement they can give when reading or viewing content. Add videos, sliders, games and carousels of images that people can swipe.

The second one is the use of storytelling in your email copy. People are looking to connect to a brand’s values, and one of the best ways to do that is to tell your brand’s story. Tell them your origin story, show your personality, the company’s culture and team. Use videos, quotes and memes to build a relationship with your subscribers.

The last one is personalization. Personalization in the email body can improve your open rate by 13% and can increase the clickthrough rate by 28% while reducing the bounce rate by 18%.

Email is still thriving as you control how you approach your audience based on your marketing objectives without the need to comply with rules imposed by the platform you use.

2. Social media marketing

Social media marketing is here to stay, and we need to find the right platform for us to create content, connect with our audience and show our expertise or products. This will be dictated by your target demographics and where they spend the most time at.

It is also important to note that Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) companies will have specific platforms that can be used for their business model. For example, LinkedIn for B2B and TikTok for B2C. Remember that your audience can move to a different platform down the line.

One thing that you can integrate into your social media marketing strategy is to think of ways to incorporate user-generated content. This can be in the form of reviews, unboxing, tutorials, and product reviews. According to Stackla, 88% of consumers specify authenticity and relatability as crucial decision drivers to complete in-app purchases and increase their brand engagement.

The most important thing is to use your authentic voice and showcase the people in your company and their expertise, values and personalities.

3. Public relations (PR)

Another old-fashioned concept that still has a place in your marketing toolbox, especially in 2023. PR is relevant and can help you increase awareness around a milestone you’ve achieved or a product/ initiative you are launching. Media mentions will also help you with the SEO of your website/ brand name and how you rank in searches as you get authoritative websites mentioning your company.

According to Statista, the PR industry is expected to be worth $129 billion by 2025 or an increase of 68% from 2020, worth $88 billion.

4. SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a must-do strategy in 2023. SEO aims to increase the searchability of your brand name and specific keywords relating to your offers while helping you grow traffic and sales.

Organic SEO can help you rank your content for specific keywords. I recommend learning how to do the basics of SEO in your content and focusing initially on long-tail keywords, as it will be easier for you to rank.

The main pillar in your SEO strategy should be creating high-quality content and targeting your customers’ needs and questions engagingly while targeting keyword phrases. Create evergreen content that will help customers understand your company and products better.

SEO can be integrated with paid ads so your articles can show on top of the search results.

5. Influencer marketing

Collaboration with influencers can help you scale your business in a short period by increasing your brand awareness and reputation. The key here is to research and get numerous quotes from different influencers so you can decide on the best deal.

I’d say that it’s not always beneficial to go for the biggest names in a particular niche, as your business might not be prepared for that growth. A better strategy will be to find smaller accounts with a more engaged audience so both parties can grow simultaneously and be more sustainable.

One growing trend in influencer marketing is live stream shopping, which means that potential customers can buy products through a live video. Influencers can showcase products, give opinions and answer questions from their followers about the product they are presenting. Instagram introduced Live Shopping in September 2022, which allows users to purchase products from Instagram Live directly, so expect this to be prioritized on the platform in 2023.

6. Virtual events

Virtual events are here to stay, especially after the last couple of years when travel was almost non-existent. Showing your expertise and value through online events can help you increase your brand awareness and reach. The list of attendees can be reused and segmented in your email communication, which will benefit your company in the long run.

Another strategy is to attract experts in the industry you are operating in and create an event where they talk about various subjects related to your company. The event videos can also be reused on social media in long and short-form videos.

7. Video marketing

The most important strategy in the last few years is video marketing. Closely related to hosting virtual events, video marketing can help you present your company from various perspectives.

People from your company can have topics they are working on and record video presentations for the world to see. Behind-the-scenes and company events can showcase the human side of your team, and the sky is the limit regarding creative ways to create video content.

Authenticity here is key as your willingness to open up in front of the camera so people can connect with who you are and what your company stands for.

Short vertical video content will be one of the biggest trends in video marketing in 2023. According to Zippia, 85% of U.S. adults own a smartphone as of 2022, and on average, Americans spend 5 hours and 24 minutes on their mobile devices daily. As vertical video content can take more real estate on a device and people are using TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, you need to focus your time and creativity to investigate that type of video content.

The world is moving towards personal branding, and video is one, if not the best, way to open up to your audience.

Win with marketing in 2023

To summarise, test and see what works for you and your company. Do not focus and do all the strategies mentioned here simultaneously — experiment with what resonates with you as a personality and your business niche. Adapt and develop the best marketing mix for your desired outcome that will help you win in 2023.

By Kaloyan Gospodinov

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor. CEO and Founder at Aezir. Kaloyan is an entrepreneur with global experience. Past successes include 1m+ app downloads, six figures from Amazon FBA, and managing a million-dollar crypto project. Currently, he advises Swiss biotech and runs a London marketing agency. His motivation is helping people pursue their dreams.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

In News

Marketing Trends You Should Not Ignore When Crafting Your 2023 Marketing Plan

January 31, 2023 No Comments

By Roshni Wijayasinha

In an ever-changing landscape, today’s marketers are required to stay on their toes. As technologies advance and business conditions shift, so do the components that make up an effective marketing strategy. This is especially important for startup founders, who consistently need to find creative ways to market their innovative products. Despite operating on a limited budget, startups can indeed execute successful marketing strategies and campaigns by leveraging trending tactics while remaining up to date on evolving sociopolitical and legal changes that impact marketers.

As a fractional CMO at a number of growing startups, I too must stay on top of the constant evolution of the marketing space, strategies, tactics and tools to provide accurate and timely marketing guidance. Here are four of the most powerful marketing trends I have come across that you should consider when you’re developing your startup’s marketing plan in 2023.

1. Data Privacy And User Centricity

The last two years brought about major changes to the way user data is collected and used. These changes were driven by increased government legislation; consumer mistrust and an extreme level of competition in the technology industry may also have contributed. Consumers seem to be more aware and outspoken than ever about who is collecting their data, how it is being used and what rights they should have to protect it. From the death of third-party cookies to Apple making significant changes to its privacy features, the management of big data is becoming rapidly more user-centric. Companies are handing power back to the user and letting them control how much data they are willing to share. I think this trend is only going to continue through 2023.

These changes could impact your startup’s marketing strategy, as marketers must now meet consumers’ high expectations when it comes to safeguarding their data. You should cultivate trust among your customers by being transparent, such as by including easily accessible privacy policies and terms and conditions on your website. And without third-party cookies to rely on, your startup may have to target consumers differently, without using their specific data. For example, you might do so contextually. Additionally, consider incentivizing your consumers by offering them a discount or promo code in exchange for their email address or phone number, and always provide an option to opt out. This way, you are connecting with consumers who feel that they are gaining something in return for their data.

2. Podcasts And Audio Advertising

According to Statista, “the number of podcast listeners [could] surpass 160 million in 2023 after increases of around 20 million each year.” The versatility of podcasts makes them a great opportunity for marketers in that consumers can be reached anywhere at any time about virtually any topic. In the case of startups, you can use podcasts to showcase the innovations and solutions you provide, which can help position your brand as a thought leader in the industry. Consider starting your own podcast or have your startup’s founder be a guest on a podcast with an established following.

Audio advertisements in podcasts also flourished this year, and I expect this to continue into 2023. A study by Signal Hill Insights and Cumulus Podcast Network found that three out of four weekly podcast listeners say they have taken action after hearing a podcast ad. Podcast listeners can enjoy a seamless listening experience when the host integrates ads into the show instead of using prerecorded audio ads that do not fit in and disrupt the content. Podcast advertising can be an effective tactic in your startup’s marketing strategy, as it can raise awareness among your target consumers, especially if you run ads on podcasts with topics that are closely related to your product.

3. Augmented And Virtual Reality Experiences

The Covid-19 pandemic’s acceleration of all things virtual caused businesses to invest in innovative technologies that would help them weather the storm. When physical stores were forced to close, many brands developed augmented reality experiences so that consumers could get the in-store feeling at home. For example, Burberry’s Pocket Bag AR campaign in 2021 allowed consumers to design and view their own 3D handbag sculptures based on Burberry’s new campaign. In years to come, I expect that AR and VR technologies will only become more integrated into marketing campaigns as consumers signal that they want unique experiences and interactions with the brands they love.

AR and VR experiences can provide a space for startups to flex their creative muscles and do what they do best: innovate. From virtual try-ons to wearable NFTs, there are plenty of ways to incorporate augmented reality into your marketing strategy. While it can be expensive, startups may also be able to find more affordable options.

4. Purpose-Driven Marketing

While purpose-driven marketing is not a new strategy, it seems to have become more prevalent in recent years in response to consumers’ interest in social causes. Purpose-driven marketing involves centering your organization’s marketing and communications efforts around a social cause. This strategy not only humanizes businesses but can also help consumers foster a deeper connection with the brands they use and trust. There are copious examples of purpose-driven marketing from small and large brands alike, but one of the most famous is that of the footwear brand TOMS and its “One for One” model that donated a pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair it sold. Supporting a social cause through your startup’s marketing strategy is a great way to build consumer trust and brand loyalty, especially when the cause is something closely related to your startup’s core values.

Staying up to date on marketing trends in your respective industry can help you understand what channels and tactics are in demand. By applying this knowledge to your marketing plan, you can ensure that it is timely and relevant and allow your marketing communications to reach their target audience exactly how and when they need to. Startups working with limited resources can start by implementing one or two of the above trending tactics to strengthen their 2023 marketing plan.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Roshni Wijayasinha

Founder of Prosh Marketing, a Fractional CMO & Marketing Agency that helps Startups & SMBs build their marketing practice and go to market. Read Roshni Wijayasinha’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

10 Powerful Digital Marketing Examples to Inspire You (2023)

January 26, 2023 No Comments

By Marisa Murgatroyd

So, you’re after a few digital marketing examples to inspire your next campaign.

You understand the need for a digital marketing presence, as every statistic you see points towards it…

But where do you start?

Luckily, I’ve picked some of the best examples to get your creative juices flowing.

Let’s jump in!

1. Volkswagen Beetle: The Last Mile

In 2019, Volkswagen (VW) sought to give the iconic Beetle the send-off it deserved after 80 years of production.

They created the digital marketing masterpiece, “The Last Mile.”

You only need to watch the first 30 seconds to be drawn in by its relatable family story.

But why is this a powerful digital marketing example?

What Makes Volkswagen’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

Well, where do you begin?

You’re already captivated by its moving story, imagery, and elements of nostalgia.

You’re engaged.

But, the online video was only the beginning…

The campaign included an interactive website where you could “Build Your Own Beetle.”

Further engagement.

Also, VW prompted users to share their designs via social media, creating a sense of community and buzz around the brand.

Engagement times 100, plus increased brand awareness!

What You Can Takeaway from Volkswagen

Yet, what can you takeaway from this?

VW effectively utilized multiple online channels to engage its consumers.

They tapped into social media and leveraged the Beetle’s history and nostalgia to create an emotional connection with their target audience. It generated a sense of community unlike any other.

So, understand your target audience and create content that resonates with them.

2. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

In 2014, The “Ice Bucket Challenge” was born.

The ALS Association produced a social media masterclass to raise awareness and funds to support research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The challenge went viral.

It was a fun and light hearted way to raise awareness about a serious illness.

Everyone from your next-door neighbour to Bill Gates participated.

But why?

What Makes ALS’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

For one, they kept it simple.

The challenge was easy to understand and participate in.

Simply sit (or stand) and wait anxiously for a bucket of cold icy water to be poured over you.

Easy…

It evoked many crazy reactions, each with an element of comedy and competition.

Secondly, ALS added a clever call to action (CTA) at the end of each video — nominating others, via social media, to take the challenge.

People nominated friends, family and influencers. It enabled ALS to expand their reach and quickly gain popularity.

What You Can Takeaway from ALS

Regardless of your niche, the “Ice Bucket Challenge” shows you can raise awareness and drive engagement around anything.

Ensure your content is straightforward and resonates with your target audience.

Equally, your content should have a crystal clear CTA.

3. Red Bull’s Stratos Campaign

The highly innovative Red Bull Stratos campaign captured the imagination of viewers by enlisting the help of Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner.

In 2012, he jumped from a helium-filled balloon 39 kilometres above the earth’s surface…

Setting a new world record and becoming the first free-falling human to break the sound barrier.

It became the world’s most-viewed live stream event.

What Makes Red Bull’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

Yet, why was the “mission to the edge of space” a resounding success?

The hype was real.

Red Bull took to social media to build anticipation for the event.

Not only that, content was king.

They produced a lot…

From a dedicated website full of in-depth statistics to daily updates leading to the live event — readers felt like they were part of the mission.

Moreover, they encouraged readers to share at every opportunity, using hashtags.

The result…

#LIVEJUMP and #STRATOS was trending.

What You Can Takeaway from Red Bull

Red Bull thought outside the box and created a blockbuster campaign that piqued the interest of even the most sceptical of readers.

But it’s not achievable by all.

Yet the lessons are…

Quality content is king.

So, understand your product and continually provide great content that impacts your users.

4. Dove’s Reverse Selfie

In 2021, Dove launched its Reverse Selfie campaign to combat the increasing pressure on young people to look their best online.

The YouTube video features a 13-year-old girl who drastically modifies her appearance before posting a selfie on social media.

As the title suggests, Dove cleverly reversed the editing process to give viewers a glimpse of the number of modifications.

Ending at the beginning.

What Makes Dove’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

Dove headed straight to the root cause…

Social media.

They repurposed snippets of the video on Instagram, posted shocking statistics, and sought the help of influencers to boost awareness.

It worked.

Viewers were emotionally charged — many shared unedited photos of themselves and encouraged others to do the same.

#TheSelfieTalk

What You Can Takeaway from Dove

Dove zoomed in and focused on one digital platform…

Social media.

Specifically, Instagram because of its focus on sharing photos.

So, you should too.

Don’t spread yourself too thin.

Pick a digital marketing platform that fits your demographic.

For example, if your brand has a strong visual element, promoting through Instagram or Pinterest may be more beneficial than LinkedIn.

5. Blendtec’s Will It Blend?

Founder of Blendtec, Tom Dickson, created the Will It Blend video series to spice up the appeal of the blender.

It consists of Tom adding unusual items to show off its ability…

Have you ever wondered if your iPhone would blend?

Or even your Amazon Echo when Alexa decides to play a completely different tune to the one you asked for?

What Makes Blendtec’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

But what makes Will It Blend a content marketing hit?

Well, each video packs a punch…

The YouTube videos are short and simple yet authentic and entertaining.

This creative recipe draws the viewer in and you really do wonder — @willitblend?

Also, the tag prompts viewers to interact at every opportunity by sharing suggestions.

Plus, Blendtec ensures you don’t miss it. They’ve added the tag to the Youtube channel logo, each video, and webpage.

What You Can Takeaway from Blendtec

Blendtec thought outside the box to increase brand awareness using video marketing and social sharing.

Plus, they’ve proven that you don’t need a flashy, high-cost video campaign to capture your audience’s attention.

So, grab your smartphone and start recording content that peaks your audience’s interest.

6. Smart Blogger’s Affiliate Marketing

Smart Blogger’s affiliate marketing efforts are a prime example of digital marketing done correctly.

Furthermore, they highlight a key point that is worth remembering when considering affiliate marketing:

“You’re earning a commission in exchange for giving readers valuable insights on products or services they were already thinking about purchasing.”

Great!

So what can we learn from one of the world’s largest websites dedicated to writing and blogging…

What Makes Smart Blogger’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

Well, Smart Blogger backs up its key point by offering exactly as they state:

Giving readers valuable insights.

Whether it’s a specific review for a product or a collection of products, they ensure value is at the forefront of everything they do.

They soft sell through education.

What You Can Takeaway from Smart Blogger

Smart Blogger proves you don’t have to head straight for the hard sell with ads plastered over your page.

Instead, opt for the soft sell.

Educate.

Offer a resource and tools webpage with snippets of golden information…

Or dive in and create custom content that provides value to your audience.

7. Buffer’s Guest Blogging

Buffer is a social media toolkit for small businesses.

So, why are we talking about guest blogging?

Because they used this content marketing technique to rapidly grow their user base, and we can learn a few things…

What Makes Buffer’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

Buffer took a proactive approach.

They continually sought out and pitched to sites that fit their target audience. Knowing that writing for them will help establish themselves as an authority.

Not only that, consistency and personalization were vital.

Guest posting daily, building momentum, and establishing long-term relationships with others transformed Buffer into an industry leader.

What You Can Takeaway from Buffer

The key takeaway is to find out which digital marketing channel works for you and double down.

Don’t spread yourself too thin.

If you choose content marketing and find guest blogging is for you, great!

But don’t reinvent the wheel. Send out personalized messages to find opportunities and follow up with quality content.

8. Old Spice’s The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Old Spice was predominantly associated with the scent of older men.

But that changed in 2010 when they launched the YouTube video, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.”

It went viral.

Old Spice’s website traffic grew by a whopping 300%, and the brand became the #1 body wash for men.

But how did this simple form of content marketing garner such a response?

What Makes Old Spice’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

Old Spice used a clever mix of humor and marketing know-how to appeal to its target audience.

But that’s not all.

They backed up their immediate success and kept the viral ball rolling by interacting with their audience on social media in real-time.

Users posted questions and the “Old Spice Guy” answered with personalized videos.

What more could you ask for?

What You Can Takeaway from XYZ

The key takeaway is it’s not enough to create a piece of digital content and expect a response — even if it’s positive.

Follow up, continually engage with your audience, and leave a positive, lasting impression.

Go that extra mile…

Personalize your interactions, and if you can, promptly respond in real-time.

9. Dollar Shave Club’s Our Blades Are Great

In 2012, Dollar Shave Club (DSC) shook up the male grooming industry.

They infused humour into a seemingly dull product.

And the result…

An instant hit.

Their YouTube video amassed millions of views and continues to be shared across social media.

What Makes DSC’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

DSC jumped on the social media bandwagon early.

They knew the marketing and advertising space was shifting to its digital counterpart and created content to suit.

Equally, they knew their target audience and products’ unique selling point.

As a result, “Our Blades are F***ing Great” was born on YouTube.

Choosing the digital platform allowed DSC to interact and engage with its audience.

Also, it allowed users to share through social channels easily.

What You Can Takeaway from DSC

Yet, what can you takeaway from this experience?

Adopting change in your niche is crucial.

Whether it’s technology-based or simply a shift in customer demand, you should pivot.

Doing so will allow you to tailor your content and give your customers what they desire.

10. Apple’s Shot On iPhone

Primarily targeting Instagram, Apple’s Shot On iPhone created a digital marketing storm.

They took the term “customer engagement” to a new level with a simple challenge to their audience…

Use your iPhone to capture a photo and submit it by sharing on social media using: #ShotOniPhone

What Makes Apple’s Digital Marketing Example So Powerful

Apple proved your digital marketing campaign can be simple when showcasing a product or service.

They planted a basic idea and allowed their audience to do the rest through participation.

This engagement was vital to building a loyal fanbase.

As a result, Apple’s reach grew, which allowed their product to be viewed by millions of users on digital channels.

What You Can Takeaway from Apple

Apple effectively used digital marketing channels to showcase its product and build brand awareness through customer engagement.

So, take a proactive approach and prompt your audience to participate in your campaign.

What challenge could you present to your audience?

What’s a Great Digital Marketing Example I Missed?

You’ve made it!

So, it’s time…

Time to take action and consider which digital marketing example will inspire your next campaign.

By Marisa Murgatroyd

Sourced from live your message

In News

5 Ways Creativity Will Drive Marketing Success In 2023

January 18, 2023 No Comments

By Bernard May

As marketers and brands around the world start 2023, one subject I find myself discussing more and more frequently is creativity. Internally, creativity is critical for keeping agencies competitive. Externally, creativity is key for driving results for our clients and partners.

But just saying “think creatively” is a vague request and, therefore, a lost cause. Creativity means different things across the spectrum of marketing channels and expertise.

Looking forward to next year, I want to take some time to outline not only why creativity is key but also where creativity comes into play for improving performance and maybe even helping to future-proof the marketing industry.

Automation Fuels Creativity

While some fear automation as a threat to their particular area of marketing expertise, I personally see automation innovations as gifts that allow us to refocus our creative mindsets.

The time that may have been taken up by manually tracking data points for optimizing the performance of a landing page, for example, can now be reinvested into creating more landing pages for testing. New ad platform innovations like Google’s Performance Max may free up time for Google marketers to create more differentiated ad messaging for more rapid testing and optimization.

As another example, not too long ago, we had to crack open a laptop and dedicate hours upon hours to edit video content. Now edits, flashy transitions and color correcting can be automated on our phones if we desire.

I urge fellow marketers to take advantage of and embrace automation for reasons like these. Time is our most precious commodity, and automation offers us all more time to get creative with our content.

Strategy Requires Creativity

Often overlooked is the need to flex creative thinking to develop effective marketing strategies. Developing creative strategies is an underappreciated but deeply important skill for effective marketing campaigns.

At its core, strategy is problem-solving—mapping out a solution of tactics, tools and processes for going from where you are to where you want to be. Now, this may require thinking about data in creative new ways, exploring the connection of marketing channels from different angles and even re-exploring the pieces of the marketing funnel for different clients.

Remember, a creative mindset is not confined to copy, messaging and design. Without a strategy, there is no vision for how the pieces of the marketing puzzle will fit together. Without creativity, your marketing strategy is likely to fall flat.

Context Takes Creativity

If you take one thing away from this exploration of creativity, let this unpacking of context be the winner.

Context, in my opinion, generates 80% to 90% of the power attached to any piece of marketing content. Ad channels, website content, emails, social platforms, etc.—each require a different understanding when adapting content to the specific medium.

This is a very jargon-filled way of saying “what works in one place may not work in another.” For example, it requires creativity to take the essence of a product page on a website and pivot it to work for a Google ad. Even repurposing the minimal text of a Google ad for Facebook demands an understanding of the context so you can make the appropriate changes.

Just because someone is an amazing blog writer does not mean they can just bang out copy for a Google ad, Facebook ad or email drip campaign—and vice versa. It takes rapid creative thinking and an understanding of the content’s real-world context to be effective. Take the time to ensure you have the right creative minds in the right seats.

Loyalty Needs Creativity

In 2023, customer loyalty, and in turn better customer lifetime value, will become even more important. With a possible recession on the horizon, brands need to hold on to as much repeat business as possible.

So, where does the creative mindset come into play? Well, what drives loyalty is different across the board. It may take a combination of data, messaging and channel creativity to find an effective strategy for outreach, follow-up and loyalty-based promotions that are personalized for your various customer cohorts.

This might even mean polling your customer base to better understand their needs and desires so that you can proceed with creative and innovative loyalty programs.

Customers Want Creativity

All in all, customers have a thirst for creativity—something that breaks through the noise and makes them pay attention. There is a reason that people always talk about the commercials they see during the Super Bowl—it’s the “Super Bowl” of creative ideas.

The good news (and bad news) is that there are no rules surrounding creative concepts. “Got Milk?” and “Think Different” were beyond basic but broke through decades ago and are still remembered today.

There is a reason that consumers across demographics have pivoted to a platform like TikTok: We are attracted to new ideas. This platform has fostered a completely new avenue where creators are promoting products in ways that massive brands could never have seen coming.

The point is that customers and clients will always be in the market for new creative ideas and concepts. Businesses and brands will forever need creative strategies to progress. Marketers cannot ignore the power of creativity.

Creativity Is Non-negotiable

We have to invest in creative minds and ideas to keep our customer bases secure. You, your business or your agency partner may not (understandably) have every single creative angle covered. Anyone who claims to be an expert in every creative sphere is either lying to you or themselves.

So consider the various touchpoints of creativity, from the aesthetic to the strategic, and be sure to have your bases covered as you welcome 2023.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Bernard May

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.

Bernard May is the CEO of National Positions, a 5-time Inc. 500 company, award-winning marketing agency and Google Premier Partner. Read Bernard May’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

Web 2.0 vs. Web3: What’s your next marketing move?

December 19, 2022 No Comments

By Marija Zivanovic-Smith

As marketers navigate the convergence of Web 2.0 and what many are calling Web3, we sit at an important inflection point. Many may be wondering, “Where do we go next?”

Let me first take a moment to define Web 2.0 and Web3.

Web 2.0: The current state of the internet and a digital universe of user-generated content that gave rise to e-commerce, social media, and search engines. It allowed companies to benefit from the collection and monetization of data from individuals.

Web3: The next iteration of the web with token-based commerce, blockchain technology, and its own language and communications. It’s given rise to decentralization and placing ownership of data in the hands of users versus a central authority or large companies.

Just as Web 2.0 brought a kaleidoscope of new opportunities from smartphones to social networks, Web3 is bringing the next wave of tools and innovations.

WILL WEB 2.0 DISAPPEAR?

Everywhere you go, you are exposed to marketing. Billboards, print mailers, and signage still thrive. The rise of Web 2.0 added channels, like email, Twitter, and LinkedIn, increased diversification, and marketing saturation. Enter Web3, where digital assets and digital wallets are another playing field.

According to Smart Insights, as of February 2022, the average email open rate was 16.97%. That reflects a drop from what marketers generally saw at 24% from 2015 to 2018. It is clear that individuals are already not responding to email marketing as frequently. Messaging apps and the ability to make connections and transactions via social platforms have been on the rise. That said, email still holds significant power as a marketing tool with 4 billion daily email users—a number that continues to rise—and an impressive ROI of $36 for every $1 spent, according to Hubspot. Email marketing revenue is estimated to reach $11 billion by the end of 2023, according to Statista.

Just like direct mailers are often still part of a marketing strategy, it is likely email and social media are here to stay. While the ideals and dynamic economies available via social tokens in Web3 are something to strive for, I believe we will not see a disappearance of what we have in Web 2.0 but rather a modernization and democratization.

HOW SHOULD MARKETERS BE THINKING ABOUT WEB3?

Data is quickly becoming the world’s most prized resource. In Web3, all user data is public (generally speaking). However, what is NOT public is the identity of the individual, unless they choose to make it so. Users will have more control over their privacy and likely will use their data as an ownership asset—meaning as a marketer, you will need to have a direct relationship with consumers who share their preferences. This represents a redistribution of power and a new level of privacy, transparency, and control for the average consumer. It also means utility is king and that marketers have to provide the right tools to the right users.

I believe audience expectations will shift, especially when it comes to the channel, frequency, and confidentiality of communications. Communities—not corporations—move to centre stage.

KEY STRATEGIES

With that in mind, here are a few key strategies to help marketers make the transition to Web3 more successful:

1. Focus on authenticity. Digital wallets are public and contain things of value (tokens), whereas email or social media accounts can’t be characterized in the same way. They are free to create—including content, clicks, and likes. This has given way to scams and security issues. I’ve found consumers are increasingly becoming leery of being a part of online platforms or making online purchases. This can provide brands with an opportunity to leverage Web3 technology that offers a level of authenticity and trust as they integrate technology into their own platforms.

2. Be willing to experiment and get messy. We’re sitting on the cusp of Web3 without it being fully here. If you wait for Web3 to be fully established before you “dive in,” you could risk meeting the same fate as companies that waited too long to get on board with Web 2.0.

This is the time to try strategies that may or may not work. I believe the most successful NFT projects so far have offered something creative and original. Tiffany’s NFTiff collection is a good case study of a brand navigating a Web3 marketing campaign. Financially, the limited-edition collection was a success, with the 250 NFTs selling out in 22 minutes at 30 ETH (around $50,000) each. While the NFTiff collection netted Tiffany & Co. the equivalent of $12.5 million, the release and resulting community response also serve as an important lesson for using Web3 as a marketing channel.

3. Take a community-first approach. In an increasingly digital world, people are craving communities that share their ideals, goals, and aesthetics. One of the biggest values in the Web3 space is access to that community. In my experience, belonging is becoming the main driver of loyalty, with the product being secondary. From a marketing perspective, lean more on building and nurturing strong communities. The NFTiff collection was born out of a tweet from Tiffany’s EVP of Product and Communications, who shared images of his custom CryptoPunk pendant. The response drove the storied brand to take its first step into Web3.

4. Create new value. Look at Web3 as an opportunity to envision and create new value for consumers and reconnect to company values. People are seeking fresh ideas, creativity, and innovation. In turn, art and technology intersect. Creativity is no longer viewed through a one-dimensional lens. Consumers expect brands to create and live value.

Ultimately, marketers should take calculated risks and keep in mind that Web3 opportunities are uncharted waters of both risk and innovation. That makes it especially important to work with trusted brands and services with a track record of protecting their users and doing right by customers.

As a marketing leader, the question to ask yourself shouldn’t be “What do I need to start/stop doing?” but “How do I start evolving my strategy so Web 2.0 and Web3 work together to benefit our brand?”

Feature Image Credit: luckybusiness/Adobe Stock]

By Marija Zivanovic-Smith

Marija Zivanovic-Smith is IEX‘s Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, helping drive growth as we enter the digital asset space.

Sourced from Fast Company

In News

Brain Matters: The one psychology principle every marketing strategist needs to know

November 22, 2022 No Comments

By Moneycontrol News

One of the beauties of life is that the secrets to understanding the complex world lies in a few simple truths.

While recently in London for a series of conferences, I met with fellow Behavioural Strategists and some two dozen CBOs – Chief Behavioural Officers from USA, Europe, Australia and South Africa, across diverse industries. A powerhouse of behavioural change and consumer knowledge, the group shared its findings and experiences of implementing Behavioural Science led solutions in their own organizations, or for client products, brands and people.

Now, back home, when I sit down to distil four days of intense knowledge sharing and experience to a basic truth, I find it says only this much.

Everything in the world is what we think it is. Everything is what we compare it to – A basic truth that the best marketers and strategists have intuitively always known.

Zhuge Liang knew he could not fight the 150,000 strong invading force with a bare hundred men at his disposal. But he knew perception is reality. Legend has it, Liang ordered his troops to throw open the city gates, take down his flags and hide. He himself then took a seat atop the most visible part of the city’s wall and lit some incense.

The attackers came in to find the great strategist in flowing Taoist robes, calmly strumming his lute. They were flummoxed. Surely, Zhuge Liang was luring them to their death with a well concealed army. They decided to retreat. Perception became reality. That was 2000 years ago.

Power of reframing

Last year, the Heineken-owned beer brand, Tres Cruces, solved a potential marketing disaster using the power of reframing – by turning a silly typo into an opportunity.

While launching Tres Cruces Light in Peru, the team found a printing error in the packaging. Instead of the company slogan ‘Disfrute’ meaning “enjoy” in Spanish, the cans had ‘Difrute’, with the S missing. 3 lakh cans had already been shipped to retailers. Recalling them back was an option to avoid embarrassment. Was there a better way? Could a new reality be created instead?

Tres Cruces did some creative thinking with their agency and turned it into a game. Spot a can with the faulty slogan and you stood a chance to win a prize. Between 1 April and 30 April 2021, those finding cans with the missing ‘S’ were asked to post their details on a dedicated microsite with the code printed at the bottom of the can. Prizes beginning with ‘S’ (such as speakers, smartwatches, scooters, sex toys, and six-packs of Tres Cruces Light) were to be announced in May after a raffle.

The results? Tres Cruces, which sells about 1 crore litres of beer a year, sold the same amount of Tres Cruces Light in just one month!

The campaign also generated 24 million impressions on social media, 90 per cent of which was positive, according to reports.

From ‘Do this’ to ‘Don’t do this’

In another interesting finding for an Indian unicorn, Poorni S and Pavithra S, two behavioural strategists from India, discovered that when it came to products based on complicated logical decisioning like say taxes, or insurance, people ignore the message ‘Do this’. Reframing communication to take action by using a ‘Don’t do this’ message resulted in a 55 percent jump in engagement. Framing creates perception. Perception is reality.

We’re always trying to attach the right meaning to things, to make better sense of them. It’s why things are always what we compare them to.

BOGO – buy one get one

When it comes to perceiving value, the human love for anything free is well documented. It is hard to resist BOGO – buy one get one. But we also assign great value to things that are expensive.

In 2018, social media was abuzz with the news of British fashion label, Burberry, destroying unsold clothes and merchandise worth £28.6m, just to maintain the premium appeal of the brand.

We like free stuff. We also like expensive stuff.

What is going on here?

One answer lies in the way our brain processes information to quickly arrive at a decision – it does so by using a set of rules referred to as biases and heuristics by cognitive and behavioural scientists. These biases are hardcoded in us due to evolutionary biology and are displayed by all humans (with additional influence of our culture and context). The system 1 process of deciding value involves our minds making a superfast calculation by seeking the answer to – compared to what?

If you have two options for buying popcorn at a multiplex, small at Rs 400 and a large at Rs 700, you might choose either one of them.

Add to it a third option, a medium at Rs 650 and suddenly things get interesting. Your mind races quickly and tells you that the large at Rs 700 is the ‘best’ option here. The introduction of a ‘decoy’ option means your mind gave a different answer for ‘compared to what’, skewing the decision towards one particular option.

It is for this same reason it makes sense to sell an expensive car worth Rs 3 crores in a luxury yacht show where the starting prices of the yachts might be Rs 50 crores, as opposed to a corner showroom. 3 crore is a tiny amount in this context.

In general, folks love saving money. In interesting research for a fintech firm, Priyanka K & Prahlad B discovered that there exists a threshold beyond which the promise of significant savings actually backfired. After a point, a major drop from the anchored price via discounts was just too much to rationalize for the mind and triggered a stressful emotion.

Instead of the desired “Wow! This is so cheap”, the comparison led to ‘Wait, why is this so cheap?”

Another study of 19,978 Groupon deals found that after a point, when the discount hits a certain threshold, it can actually hurt sales. According to a follow up lab experiment the magic threshold is ‘60 percent discount’, after which quality perception plummets.

This effect is particularly true for credence products i.e. products for which it is hard to judge quality even after using them (e.g. medical treatment, automotive repair, expert services, health and organic food).

What does this mean for marketers and strategists?

Most of us will agree that solving the human challenge, the way the mind perceives and decides, is the prime task.

But the frantic pace of brand building, developing and selling inside modern corporate life, both in startups as well as established blue-chip companies, means we are tunnelling most of the time. “Like running with your eyes closed”, as an old timer put it to me, once.

We operate under a scarcity mode, driven by the pressures of quarterly results. We’re always adding the next shiny feature, latching onto the latest trend and creating a new store on Metaverse. While we do all this and deal with our own cognitive overload, there is often just one big risk.

We forget the basics. And the most basic of those truths is that everything is what we think it is, and what we have propped up against it, to let our consumer compare it to.

As Andre Gide said, “Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens, we have to keep going back and beginning all over again”. A good place to start is to remind ourselves that every business is fundamentally in the business of changing behaviour.

And maybe begin each strategy meeting with a simple question: “What behavioural truths do we know about our consumer, with certainty?”.

(Edited by : Sangam Singh)

By Moneycontrol News

Sourced from CNBC TV18

In News

4 Free Marketing Hacks Most First-Time Entrepreneurs Fail to Utilize (and It Costs Them Big-Time)

November 18, 2022 No Comments

By Rachel Greenberg

Here are four free marketing hacks most first-time entrepreneurs gravely underestimate and underutilize, plus a fifth bonus hack that can make you millions.

Many entrepreneurs are great visionaries, proficient builders and competent operators; however, when it comes to being creative, flexible and innovative marketers and salespeople, many of us — especially first-timers — fall flat. I can’t tell you how many entrepreneurs have come to me with the assumption they’ll simply “run ads” or “pay influencers” to grow from an idea to multi-million-dollar profits. While I’m not suggesting ads and influencer promotions can’t work wonders for some companies, it should come as no surprise that with their ubiquitous proliferation, their efficacy has waned.

Audiences have come to expect, and therefore oftentimes ignore, these marketing methods, which means a lot more capital (money) may be required to reach a critical mass of prospects to arrive at an acceptable conversion rate that ultimately leads to actual profits. That’s a long-winded way of saying pay-to-play digital marketing is doable, but oftentimes more difficult, time-consuming and costly than first-time entrepreneurs expect.

That said, the vast majority of first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs fail to recognize or take advantage of the multitude of free, highly-effective marketing tactics sitting at their fingertips. These commonly overlooked growth hacks can yield millions in low-CAC (customer acquisition cost) sales, and I’ve experienced this firsthand, as have a handful of my fellow profit-focused founder friends. Here are four underrated, free marketing hacks you can utilize to catapult your venture’s growth — plus, a fifth bonus hack that made my friend millions without a dime spent on ads or social media.

1. Customization

This first hack isn’t scalable, but it is a great launchpad. When you’re first building your business, the most important thing is creating happy customers, even if that means doing the unreasonable or unscalable. Why? Because these first customers will create the testimonials, reinforced confidence, potential referrals and the overall inertia to push you from a handful of customers to hundreds of customers to thousands and so on. One of the biggest mistakes forward-thinking entrepreneurs make is attempting to build a well-oiled, scalable machine at the expense of the customer experience.

Simply put, customization is one of the greatest free hacks you have at your disposal as a first-time, early-stage entrepreneur and CEO of a small, fledgling venture. While you shouldn’t plan or expect to bend over backward for every customer as you grow, doing so for a few key clients early on can pay dividends for months, years and even decades to come. Don’t be afraid to win over your first customers with unscalable customization; it may pay off tenfold (or more) if you leverage it wisely.

2. Leverage customer testimonials

Speaking of leveraging unscalable customization wisely, that all begins with robust client testimonials. One of the most devastating missed opportunities I’ve witnessed far too many entrepreneurs suffer is the lack of testimonials, simply because they never thought to ask the customers. It is ten times harder to track down customers weeks or months later and reach them, let alone actually capture an enthusiastic, contagiously positive testimonial in comparison to doing so during a customer’s current experience with your company.

One of the most strategic moves I made early on was to include a customer testimonial and feedback form that all clients have to fill out before the last piece of their service is delivered for one of my companies. In so doing, my team has garnered hundreds (maybe thousands) of detailed glowing testimonials without lifting a finger. These are in your own backyard if you act swiftly.

3. Tap into your former clients’ networks

Along the lines of leveraging former customer testimonials as a growth hack (to wildly increase your free marketing content and purchase conversions, due to the plethora of credibility and social proof), you can also tap into those former clients’ networks. One mistake I’ve made in serving a client base who may compete with one another is capping their likelihood of recommending others for our service. If, however, you serve a broad client base that isn’t competitive with one another, then offering an attractive (lucrative) affiliate incentive program to those early customers can be a great way to grow sales passively, thanks to your motivated crew of evangelist former customers who love your product, money, and spreading the gospel of their positive experience with their friends (for a financial upside).

4. Don’t underestimate email marketing

People can knock email and the written word all they want, claiming video or audio is all that matters these days, but as someone who’s sent close to 100 million emails over the past three years — and profited handsomely from them — my results prove otherwise. The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make with email marketing is to assume that sending one, three or even “seven” (that’s commonly touted as the magical number) emails is enough to judge a sequence’s success. There are customers who were on my company’s email list for over two years, received over 60 messages from us and ultimately spent hundreds or thousands of dollars when that right time, subject line or message hit them. There are also customers who purchase within the first few emails they receive, making up for the former.

The point being: If you’re willing to be patient, experiment and analyse the data from your email marketing, it’s entirely possible to build a marketing strategy all around the written word. It won’t, however, likely happen overnight, and you can’t simply pay your way into accelerated success with this channel.

5. This free tool built my friend’s multi-million-dollar agency (ad-free)

Though my current companies don’t employ this method, I have peer founders and friends who’ve built multi-million-dollar businesses all around DMs (direct messages) on channels ranging from Facebook groups to LinkedIn. No, they didn’t have large followings prior; they simply identified the right audience, crafted a client-centric message (or many) and began testing their luck. Similar to email, this strategy is a bit of a numbers game and will surely take some trial, error and improvement — but it’s a free option first-time founders shouldn’t sleep on.

The early-stage advantage

So many bootstrapped, first-time and early-stage (pre-revenue or pre-profit) founders lament their lack of funds or marketing muscle. While capital can surely expedite some methods of marketing, it’s oftentimes a crutch used to minimize the amount of time and hands-on effort founders need to put into marketing. That said, one of the advantages of being a first-time, bootstrapped and early-stage founder is that time, creativity, flexibility and resourcefulness should all be growth hacks you have on your side. You may not be able to out-spend a VC-backed startup’s digital marketing blitz, but you can out-strategy them if you’re willing to get a little bit creative, roll up your sleeves and do a few things that may not scale.

By Rachel Greenberg

Sourced from Entrepreneur

In News

16 Pieces Of The Inbound Marketing Process Agency Clients Often Need Help With

November 11, 2022 No Comments

Sourced from Forbes

When a company partners with an agency, leaders working on marketing typically have ideas about what they think their business needs. If the business sells directly to customers or clients, for example, its leaders know a strong inbound strategy is key. Often, a company will opt to handle certain inbound marketing tactics in-house, leaning on agency partners to help integrate both their efforts into a more comprehensive strategy.

After a client contracts with an agency to help define and shape the strategy for nurturing prospects’ journey through the funnel, it sometimes becomes clearer how invaluable their agency partners’ expertise in the inbound process really is, and the client starts wondering about other ways they could leverage the partnership. Here, 16 members of Forbes Agency Council share specific parts of the inbound marketing process that their clients frequently need more help with than they realized at first, and why this is the case.

1. Content Strategy

Companies often focus on turning out content and don’t do enough to make sure it is the right content for the right audience. Any inbound campaign will generate leads, but how you convert the leads to a purchase is key. This requires programmatic structure, strategy and content, identifying buyer personas and key performance indicators to nurture leads with content through the pipeline to purchase. – Maria Orozova, MODintelechy

2. A Social Media Presence For Marketing

The pressures of owning and operating a business are immense. Operational and service challenges aside, building a presence on social media for marketing is even more challenging. Those who approach social media as a side marketing effort to maintain relevance find little returns. Companies must invest the time, money and energy into a balanced marketing effort—including social media—to succeed. – Cagan Sean Yuksel, Dream Space

3. Audience Research

Usually, the understanding of the audience is based on anecdotes from leaders. Rarely is it rigorously researched and backed by reliable data. Everything flows from understanding target audiences. Spend time and money conducting both quantitative and qualitative research. It will make all of your inbound marketing more effective. – Gyi Tsakalakis, AttorneySync & EPL Digital

4. A Clear Messaging Framework

Too often, organizations jump into tactics before they have a clear understanding of their strategy. A great communications program is built on a foundation of a clearly defined objective, a targeted audience and a strong message that aligns your audience with your objective. Taking time to answer the basic questions and hone the messaging framework at the outset makes the tactics easier to execute. – Nathan Miller, Miller Ink, Inc.

5. Content Creation

Content creation is often one of the most difficult things for companies to execute. We often think, “How hard can it be to write such and such?” The reality is that good content is difficult to execute consistently and frequently. Writer’s block is a real problem for those who don’t do it regularly, and sometimes for those who do it professionally. Save yourself some frustration and outsource your content. – Jason Wilson, Strategy, LLC

6. Effective Copywriting

Many companies drastically underestimate their copywriting needs for organic search, product detail pages, marketplaces and other marketing channels. Companies love the low-cost traffic that SEO brings, but often think it’s a one-and-done project, or think it can be pulsed on and off. It’s a workstream, and many brands only have one copywriter on staff to address all copy needs across their business. – Antonella Pisani, Eyeful Media

7. The Call To Action

There’s a lot to be said around the importance of the offer/call to action when creating inbound marketing content. After a prospect has read your blog post or article, an effective CTA will move them further down the funnel (whether that’s to a sign-up form or an e-book download). Your CTA should be benefit-driven, action-oriented and tested regularly to optimize conversions. – Erik Koenig, SeQuel Response

8. Blog Production

Blogs remain a direct, effective tool for inbound traffic. But we often underestimate the strategy, TLC and even outsourcing they require to generate the desired return on investment. Before launching your blog, write down actionable goals, a distinct purpose and a deployment plan. Cover your bases on a topic bank, publishing frequency, audience, tone and delivery, writing and editing roles, SEO, and analytics. – Samantha Reynolds, ECHO Storytelling Agency

9. Thought Leadership

Thought leadership is the one area where companies seeking inbound marketing results need the most help. Mainly, this is due to their concern of giving away a competitive edge. Their concern is misplaced—being a great resource is its own competitive advantage. Your potential customers need help, and thought leadership is the best way to provide it. – Roger Hurni, Off Madison Ave

10. A Newsworthy Angle For PR

Coming up with your own newsworthy angle isn’t easy. Before they get in contact with me, so many entrepreneurs have tried to do their own PR and have failed because they haven’t identified a strong media hook about themselves. Everyone has their own unique story, and PR is all about bringing this story out of each individual and making sure it’s conveyed in a newsworthy manner. – Adrian Falk, Believe Advertising & PR

11. Personalized Landing Pages For Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is an incredibly effective way to drive inbound traffic to a brand’s website. A key part of the strategy is ensuring the destination you’re driving followers to is fully optimized for the desired action. Personalization of a landing page and clear calls to action may seem like table stakes, but companies often need a greater level of counsel to achieve success in this area. – Cooper Munroe, The Motherhood Inc.

12. Unique Brand Creatives

A brand always needs to invest in creativity, as the rest of any inbound marketing layers are purely process-oriented. Anything that is process-specific can be iterated quickly, except creativity. If your content lacks creative charm and fails to connect with customers, the rest of the inbound marketing process cannot rescue your brand from an apparent failure. – Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day

13. Search Engine Optimization

SEO is an incredibly integral part of discovery for many brands. It is not a set-it-and-forget-it project, as search engines are constantly retooling and revising the algorithms that determine search engine results. SEO requires knowledgeable and dedicated technicians who regularly adjust and integrate the latest best practices for optimal SEO success. – Jonathan Schwartz, Bullseye Strategy

14. Analysis Of Funnel Stages Where Leads Drop

The most common thing in inbound is that leads drop at a specific funnel stage where companies need more help than they realize. Finding out the actual reasons for leads dropping is not very easy, as it takes a lot of time to understand the user behavior. Even after doing everything correctly and by the book, when the leads drop, businesses realize that they actually need help with it. – Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team

15. Conversion Rate Optimization

One area that applies to almost every inbound effort that is usually overlooked is conversion rate optimization. How many site visitors are converting into leads? How many blog readers are subscribing? Beyond this, CRO helps uncover the friction points through most inbound processes. CRO helps brands focus on what will move the needle. – Bernard May, National Positions

16. A Cohesive Web Profile Across Platforms

Creating a cohesive Web profile across various platforms is essential for a presence deemed trustworthy by search engines such as Google or Bing. A revamped SEO strategy should account for social media profiles and Web content, including service pages and blogs. In addition to presenting a unified brand experience to consumers, your organization will also be ranked better on SERPs. – Evan Nison, NisonCo

Sourced from Forbes