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Marketing Blog | Addison Clark | Richmond, VA

brand storytelling

"Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make but about the stories you tell." — Seth Godin

You may be wondering how you can possibly tell a story in today's fast-paced world. The good news is that even though attention spans are shorter, people still love a good story. We just like to consume it in a different format than our parents and grandparents did. 

2020 marketing

Times are tough, human beings are resilient, and your business can be too.

COVID-19 has shaken up the world, to say the least. It has forced us to evolve in ways we didn't see coming. In comparsion, it may seem like marketing is an irrelevant topic amongst the bigger issues going on. However, it is through marketing that we are able to see some positivity and look towards brighter times for you and your business. 

As the world of business and marketing continue to evolve and adapt to the times, here are some things to pay attention to. 

marketing board strategy

Have you ever heard of the Rule of 7? The Rule of 7 suggests that consumers need to hear a message seven times before they will consider taking action. That is why having a multi-touch marketing strategy is so important and can help make your business more successful!

By using various formats such as your website, search engines, content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing and other channels, you're more likely to have success getting your message to resonate.

Here are a few ways having a cohesive, multi-touch marketing strategy can bring your business success:

 marketing myths

Common misconceptions and misunderstandings about marketing can often lead companies astray when it comes to making decisions on how to increase business and successfully market their brand, products, and services. In order to create a strategic marketing plan, it is important to be informed! Here are some of the top marketing myths explained.

community management

Community management is the process of building an authentic community among a business’s customers, employees, and partners through various types of interaction. The purpose of community management is to grow your audience, network, and engagement levels. This helps your brand keep its voice and tone consistent across all social channels.

marketing details

The big picture is important, but the details are what can make or break your marketing efforts. As self-proclaimed data nerds, our team is always digging into the details to understand the why, what, and how of a campaign and its results. Keeping an eye on the big picture helps us to determine our objectives and goals, but it's the details that get us there. Without paying close attention to the details, little things get overlooked that could potentially sabotage our efforts. 

Here are three examples of small details that can have an immeasurable effect on marketing efforts:

Website speed. Sometimes all it takes is one extra second to lose a potential customer. What seems like such a minor detail in the grand scheme of things can significantly harm your conversions. Google reports that a one-second delay in mobile load times can impact conversion rates by up to 20%. Fifty-four percent of people say that as the load time for a website increases, so does their frustration. While a small lag in your website's load time may seem minuscule to you, it is paramount for consumers who have come to expect a speedy online experience. Because Google knows that customers prefer a fast online experience, they give preference in search engine results to websites that meet their threshold for site load times. So, not only could a few seconds delay be driving customers away from your site, but it could also be burying it deeper online. Ultimately, the details of your website (especially your load time) can make or break your online marketing efforts.

Call to action (CTA). This is arguably the most important component of your content marketing, whether it's an email, blog post, whitepaper, or service page on your website. Even the most riveting content won't produce many results without a call to action.

tracking conversions

Marketing is great, but if you can't measure your goals it's hard to tell what is working. Tracking conversions is a great way to analyze your marketing efforts. 

First, let's define what a conversion is.

According to Google, a conversion is "a completed activity, online or offline, that is important to the success of your business. Examples include a completed sign-up for your email newsletter (a Goal conversion) and a purchase (a transaction, sometimes called an Ecommerce conversion)."

Conversions can mean different things based on your business goals. If you are a service provider, your goal may be to get more calls. In that case, a mobile click-to-call would be a good conversion to track. Do you want users to download a recent white paper? A download would be a good conversion to track. Whatever you decide to track, Google Analytics can help you gather conversion data. 

web design

Are you in need of a new website? Whether you are starting a new business or need to give your current website a facelift, it is important to have a solid plan in place before starting the website design process. Here are a few important aspects to think about when it comes to website design and development.

social media stories

The concept of "My Story" started a few years ago when Snapchat started the story concept. Ever since then, other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube, have done the same. While stories started off as a feature mainly used by individuals, that has changed. Companies have found a purpose for stories, including keeping their customers engaged and connected outside of their normal organic postings. 

Some of the benefits of using stories for business include:

  • Increased brand awareness
  • Constant engagement with followers
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Increased traffic to your web  page
  • Opportunity to reach younger audiences

lessons from 2020

We are about halfway through 2020 and no one could have predicted the events of this year. From a nationwide pandemic to important political and social movements, 2020 for better and worse has not been what we expected.

What we know:

  • Customers appreciate honesty and facts. Your consumer wants to be able to go into your store or onto your website and know what you stand for, your values, and company mission. Be open about your brand and the customers you value will reward you by shopping your products or using your services. 
  • Communication remains incredibly important. Along with honesty, communication has never been more important. Being silent is not the answer during a crisis. Customers want to hear from you. This is a good time to update your customer database so you have an up-to-date email list to use to talk to your customers on a regular basis.
  • Loyalty is more important than ever — especially to brands. Even when money is a little tighter, customers vote with their dollars. Being a brand that your customers can be proud of will encourage loyalty. Consider rewarding your customers who have stuck with you these past few months with specials, coupons, or some sort of token of gratitude.

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