Keyword Planning

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Sometimes determining the best keywords for your brand can be difficult. There are lots of words that COULD fit in to what your company does, but the execution doesn’t always work out. Below, we explain a few best practices that will ensure your ad dollars go to the best possible key words.

  1. Not every word that pertains to your brand’s function should be used on AdWords. Some words are too broad and could make your ad populate for searches that don’t pertain to your work function. If you are a bakery, but only design wedding cakes, then advertising for bakery will extend your audience to people looking for bagels, cupcakes, bread, etc., and thus wastes your advertising budget.
  2. Pretend you are your customers, and think about every keyword they could potentially search for to find a business like yours.
  3. Take note of your budget. Some key words cost more than others, but if these are the keywords that are most pertinent to your business, then they are worth the investment. It is always wise to spend where your customers are looking.

Engagement Best Practices

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As a brand, it is important to produce content your followers want to interact with, but merely getting likes or comments is not enough. You also need to focus on turning these likes into website clicks, calls, and purchases. Here are a few ways to engage with your followers:

  • Use captions that ask questions to encourage comments.
  • Respond to your follower’s questions or comments.
  • Repost your follower’s pictures of your product or at least comment or like their pictures.
  • Post pictures on Instagram and Facebook with shopping links.
  • Utilize the “swipe to shop” feature on Instagram stories.
  • Cultivate a community where your followers feel comfortable asking questions.
  • Become a subject matter aspect.
  • Share related articles, or other subject matter expert’s content if they are not in direct competition with you.

Social Media Trends

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Pew recently released a study detailing the most used social media platforms. This year, the surprising winner was YouTube, which 73% of adults use, beating out the previous dominating platform: Facebook.  Facebook is the second most popular due to its appeal to older generations. Fifty-five percent of adults 50 and over use Facebook, while only 7% use Snapchat. This proves there is a generational divide amongst social media platforms, with the younger generations adapting to the newer platforms. Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter remain popular, but amongst the younger generation.

 

Though the original social media platform may still dominate, in this day and age, there is always going to be competition. As innovators create new concepts, users will flock. Remaining current in the digital age requires an eye towards the future and attention to research trends. Recently, due to backlash against Instagram’s algorithm, another platform has seen a surge: Vero. Though its staying power has yet to be tested, this is mere proof that in a week, things can change in the digital sphere. It is important for marketers to stay informed, pay attention, and be flexible.

 

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Olympic and Super Bowl Advertising

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Right now is a huge time for sport TV viewership. Between Super Bowl Sunday and not even a week later the Winter Olympics starting, now is the time to capitalize on advertising, especially if your product is sports related or sports viewing (think pizza, beer, chips, soda- you get the picture). Not every Olympic event is going to be viewed, but between the ice skating, snow boarding, and those opening and closing ceremonies, there are at least a handful of opportunities to capitalize on. Here are a few of our strategies:

  1. Take advantage of hashtags. Any trending hashtag on social media is a great opportunity to be a part of the conversation.
  2. Be relevant by commenting on a big event that happened. Did an underdog win Gold? Was there a huge oops? Make your product relevant, and again, join the conversation!
  3. Tag people! You never know if an athlete will retweet what you said. Take a risk, it might pay off!
  4. Make a seamless strategy. Toyota is releasing 6 ads between the Super Bowl and the Olympics, all with a central theme. The benefit of doing something like this is everyone is talking about it, wondering what will be next. Have a signature story and play into the themes of the time: patriotism, following your dreams, and being determined.

2018 Marketing Trends

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2018 is here and the digital realm continues to evolve prompting new marketing trends, so what will be big in 2018? Below are a few of the marketing trends we know will continue to be huge this year.

  1. Transparency and Accountability for corporations: Just like every other realm of life, accountability is HUGE. People want others to be held accountable for their mistakes, and the same is expected for businesses. Brands that are green, assist the community, and treat their employees well are viewed much more favorably. This is the year for authentic brands and for brands to SHOW consumers behind the scenes.
  2. Non-visual content: People can now ask Siri, Alexa, and Google what the weather is, to order more paper towels, and text a friend, making consumers more comfortable with a non-visual experience. Podcasts are also gaining in popularities, so brands need to capitalize on these opportunities
  3. Individual communication: A simple FAQ page is no longer sufficient. Consumers demand easy, personalized answers, which is why chat bots are huge right now for any business that needs customer support or sales information.
  4. Influencer content: Bloggers were all the rage in 2017, and though this is still true, there is a slight change in brands strategy. Now, brands are honing in on individuals who have similar values, target audiences, and have established communities. It is easier and less expensive to gain traction with an established individual than build a community from scratch.
  5. Live video: Between Instagram, Facebook, and personal pages, live videos are taking off. It is a way for a stronger consumer connection and Facebook reported users comment 10x more during live videos, thus encouraging greater interaction. Now, these videos need to be relevant and well thought out, but they are more genuine and authentic than prepared videos, which relates to our first note.

 

 

Maximizing Your Marketing Strategy

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If you are in retail, now is the time to be pushing your product(s). The holiday season is upon us and consumers are shopping, but with so many products out there, how do you make sure you’re seen? Here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

  1. Know Your Audience: Who is your targeted demographic? Make sure your marketing strategy is focused where these consumers are looking.
  2. Timing is Key: This is especially on social media that now has unique algorithms. It’s important to be relevant, consistent, frequent, and engaging.
  3. Be Relevant: Though this was mentioned before, it is extra important and deserves its own point. Be a part of the current conversation and know what is trending at the moment. This is the easiest way to engage with your audience.
  4. Be Authentic: Establish a brand image and stick with it. Let people know what to expect when you are posting and be a subject matter expert.
  5. Have Fun: Marketing is supposed to peak people’s interest, which can be noticed through true enjoyment. If you love your product, you can demonstrate it in fun and creative new ways and your consumers will notice your genuine excitement.

Holiday Marketing

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The holidays can be a profitable time, but you have to make sure your product is in front of the consumer. There are a few steps to creating an effective holiday marketing strategy, and if you put forth the work, you could see great reward! Here are our recommended steps:

  1. Make a holiday calendar. Develop a schedule and maximize the time you have. Also, keep note of the big shopping days: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and of course, all the days leading up to Christmas.
  2. Take note of the trends for this year and capitalize on them. Do you sell what everyone is talking about, or can you contribute to the conversation in some manner?
  3. Be a holiday shopping resource and make holiday gift guides! You consumers will appreciate it.
  4. Make a holiday event or a sale. It’s an expensive time of the year, so everyone loves to think they’re getting a deal!
  5. Be true to your brand, but this is also a great time to show your human side. Show your employees, family or other meaningful messages.

What is SEO?

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SEO is a buzzword recently, but what is it and why do you need? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is ultimately the process of enhancing your website so it populates and performs well in organic searches. SEO is what allows a plumber’s website to be placed in front of potential customers in need of plumbing services instead of other local plumbers. It is the best way to ensure you are connecting with your targeted audience.

First, you need to determine your demographic, and then figure out how they might search for you and what keywords they are using to search for you. Next, these words need to be implemented into your website. Search engines continue to develop their algorithm making it necessary to remain current. You have to be cognizant of what should go in your meta data, review your Google Analytics, and evolve as search engines do. It can be a lot to think about, but that’s what advertising agencies are for and the work definitely pays off!

Discover Your Brands Voice

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Whether it’s social media, blog posts, or email newsletters, it is important to establish your brands voice. This should be reflective of what the company does and how you want it perceived. For example, a lawyer should be approachable, but also serious. This is a person you should trust.

A consistent voice gives the perception of being a reliable brand, one consumers can trust. This will also build brand loyalty if consumers believe they can expect the same level of service and quality every time. Nordstrom has perfected this with their customer service focus. Consumers know what to expect when purchasing from Nordstrom. Similarly, a consistent voice can build a following. Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign attracts go-getters who appreciate and relate to Nike’s strong, empowering message and persona.

Developing a voice can set you apart from your competitors and let consumers know why they should choose your brand. Be relatable and consistent.

Social Media Best Practices

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Social media has never been more important, but merely having an account does not mean you will be successful. Follow these best practices as a basis to make sure your social media platforms curate meaningful connections:

  1. Consistency: No, not all of your pictures have to use the same filter (though people do enjoy an aesthetically pleasing flow on Instagram), but what really matters is remaining true to your brand’s voice. Define who your brand is and what it stands for to ensure a consistent appearance that consumers can trust. Signature hashtags are also a great way to remain consistent and find your consumers, which comes into play with #4!
  2. Research: Understand who your consumers are so you can remain current. Word choice and images are key as groups vary on what speaks to them. If you know your audience, play to their needs.
  3. Know Your Competitors: See what your competitors are doing- what works for them and what doesn’t. Don’t copy them, though, as that will undermine the trust of your brand, but it could encourage new ideas.
  4. Engage & Interact: Consumers love brands who will engage and respond to them. Make your consumers/audience feel involved and special. Little things like replying to a post or answering a comment go a long way, but don’t feel like you have to get to everyone if you’re a large brand! Do your best.
  5. Select Your Platforms: Not every brand necessarily needs to be on every social media platform. Once you know your voice and audience, determine WHERE you can best reach those people with your message. Also, be creative! If pictures of your product aren’t the most interesting, maybe consumers using your product will be more so. Williams-Sonoma doesn’t just post pictures of baking tools, but instead posts recipes and food that uses their products.