Small businesses often focus on traditional advertising like local print ads, brochures, banners, or even billboards. Traditional advertising is important, but it struggles to keep up with digital marketing when it comes to reach, targeting, cost-effectiveness, and measurability.To make the most of your marketing budget as a small business, you should use a combination of traditional and digital advertising. Since people are going online to find new businesses, read product reviews, and make their purchases, you can’t afford to not be online, too! Getting started with digital marketing can be intimidating, but we’re here to walk you through the basics. Here [...]

If cookies are essential to your marketing strategy, it’s time to prepare for some changes! Increasing concern surrounding data privacy has been moving the digital marketing industry closer to a cookie-free future. Shifting to a customer-centric approach can set you up for success in the future, regardless of how things evolve. Before diving into this shift, let’s make sure we’re clear on what cookies are, how cookie use has changed, and what the future may hold for cookies. What Are Cookies? A cookie is a small text file stored on your computer after you visit a website. Cookies were first used [...]

Are your landing pages doing their job? Wait—before you answer that, let’s back up for a minute.As you probably know, a landing page is a single webpage created for a specific campaign. A visitor “lands” there after clicking a link on an ad, social media post, or email campaign.The job of a landing page is to provide tailored content that will move viewers along in their customer journey. An ad gets the viewer to the landing page, and then the landing page brings the viewer closer to a sale! Oftentimes, it’s at this stage that a potential customer gives their information [...]

Customer reviews are a powerful form of social proof; the vast majority of consumers trust reviews to tell them about a product’s pros and cons before making a purchase. Peer opinion has the power to build trust much faster and more effectively than anything you can say as a business—and equal power to tear it down. Since reviews can be so impactful, it’s important to put effort into your business’s reviews. Here are five tips you can use to get great reviews and boost your sales:Tip 1: Ask for ReviewsThis one is simple. Don’t just sit back and wait for reviews; [...]

People are predictable—to a certain extent. When we understand how the human brain works and the shortcuts it uses when making decisions, we can more easily guide customers to choose our products and services. Using this knowledge responsibly means helping good-fit customers choose a product that will genuinely benefit them. So how do you get started? Well, here are seven concepts you can apply right away!  1: Social ProofWhen people are unsure what they should do in any given situation, they tend to follow what others are doing. This is why social proof is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy! [...]

Email is a powerful tool. But with so much competition in every inbox, it can be tough to get potential customers to pay attention to YOUR email!Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating marketing emails that’ll help you get those clicks and conversions you need to accomplish your goals. Step 1: Figure Out Who You’re Talking ToThe first rule of marketing is to know your customer. Hopefully, you’ve already done some work on buyer personas. These fictional representations of your ideal clients can help you dive deep into customer motivations and pain points and see how your products or services can really [...]

How do you reach new audiences on social media? Well, hashtags can definitely help!Hashtags started on Twitter (now X) but are now used on most social media platforms. They’re a great way to increase social media engagement, get in front of new audiences, and grow your brand awareness.If you’re not yet a hashtag expert, we’re here to help! Let’s talk about what hashtags are, why they’re important, and how you can use them properly to grow your social media reach. What Are Hashtags?Hashtags are key words or phrases preceded by a pound sign (#). There are no spaces in a hashtag, [...]

Accessibility often gets overlooked; sometimes, we don’t realize we’re not up to standard until someone points it out!To avoid this situation, it’s important to proactively consider accessibility basics. While every aspect of your business should be accessible, one area where you can make immediate improvements is social media. Let’s dive into what accessibility means, why it’s important, and how you can integrate it into your social media plan! What is Accessibility?According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, “Accessible means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same [...]

All memorable brands have at least one thing in common: consistency.Think of Coke, Apple, FedEx, or any other brand that’s recognizable at a glance. These brands use the same colors, fonts, and general look in all of their marketing assets. They maintain a consistent tone and voice across all their messaging. You always know what to expect from them, because they maintain a cohesive and consistent brand style.How do they pull this off? Well, one essential tool for a consistent brand style is the brand style guide! What is a Brand Style Guide?A brand style guide is a document that clearly [...]

These days, it’s rare for a single ad to drive a sale. Today’s customers want a connection with your brand, not just your product, and they typically need a number of positive interactions with a company before they’ll make one purchase. This is all part of the “customer journey,”—a customer’s overall experience with a brand from first contact to purchase.Improving your customer journey is essential for increasing conversions. But you can’t improve your customer journey if you don’t fully understand it! That’s where a customer journey map comes in. Read on to learn what a customer journey map is, why it’s [...]