No one has time to read anymore.  It is no surprise that we have seen a surge in the use of audiobooks, video, and podcasts. Audio-based tech is easy to consume while on the move. Brands are increasingly gravitating toward podcasts to reach their target audience while they commute, work, exercise, cook, and travel. Podcasting allows brands to integrate into consumer lifestyles to establish authority in their industry. “Podcasting is a proven technology that is still in its infancy. It’s an open mic, a chance for people with something to say to find a few people (or perhaps more than a few people) who’d like to hear them say it.”  – Seth Godin, Entrepreneur, Best-Selling Author, & Speaker Marketers often use blogs to connect with target audience lifestyles and drive users to websites. While blogs have not lost their relevance, podcasts are producing stronger results for those very same goals!   Even technology novices are seeing strong conversions, building brand, and gaining followers by turning to the mic. A strong message and marketing strategy are key to launching a podcast. It is important to integrate key tools into the podcasting process to propel conversion. Marketing strategy can be the difference between success or failure, regardless of your message! Podcasters must create platforms to reach their target audience and encourage downloads, in order to reach a place where advertisers are interested in doing business with the show. The potential for advertising is another perk to podcasting. While many blogs utilize advertising for revenue, podcasts yield stronger results [...]

When you hear a brand name, you may think of a logo or slogan. What do you think of when hearing about the company Wendy's? If you use Twitter in 2018, Wendy's snarky retorts to competitors and quit witted tweets about trending content come to mind. Wendy's has expertly crafted a brand voice across on a platform they dominate relative to competitors. Today's authenticity hungry consumers rapidly reply and retweet Wendy's tweets because of their conversational and human tone. Twitter users feel like they are engaging with a person and not just a brand. A brand voice connects a product or service to their target audience in a way that simple price-focused or educational content cannot. Felt-need is at the heart of a brand voice. If you're not familiar with felt-need, think of it as the pain point or emotional trigger for your target audience that makes them want to purchase your product or service. Felt-need helps brands connect on value over price. Wendy's has honed their felt-need by crafting a snarky brand voice that confronts competitors, engages target audiences, and even educates their followers. A brand voice bridges the gap between social media account and person, by making content personal and human. A personal touch is a key to customer service and retention. It is not a surprise that it also plays a role in marketing. Professional copywriters know that language must speak to the needs of the reader to build a connection. Wendy's has expertly created a brand voice that is conversational, hilarious and [...]

The struggle is real! Small-business owners are constantly thinking of new ways to sell their products and services. The problem is, when strategies keep changing, there isn’t enough time to evaluate whether a process works. It is tough to make decisions when dollars are at stake and ROI is unclear. Most business owners do not have the luxury of reminder marketing. Big businesses like Nike, McDonald’s and Amazon simply have to say, “We are here, and we have what you need.” Reminder marketing is the result of many years of educating customers and building brand. Brand building takes time. Ask yourself, what platforms allow your brand to receive the greatest number of impressions per dollar? Impressions build brand recognition. The more times a prospect sees your brand message, the greater familiarity they will have with your business. The ultimate goal is for prospects to think of your brand first when they need your product or service. Strong brand familiarity and top-of-mind awareness develop after prospects see your brand many times. Unfortunately, one offer or one image is not enough to convert a prospect to a paying customer. Today’s consumers seek out information before purchasing. The key is to create enough touch points that give consumers the information they need to convert. Tech-savvy information hunters want reviews, data, and authenticity. Authors must blog to build trust, e-commerce sellers must have reviews when prospects cannot touch a product, and B2B servicers must educate to establish authority in their industry. Each touch point you provide to prospects moves them [...]

Any business owner using social media has said at one point or another, "I'm getting engagement, but I do not see sales!" Unfortunately, one engagement is not enough to turn a social media user into a paying customer. The value in social media, regardless of your industry, is exposure. Social media offers businesses the highest value for cost per impression compared to other forms of media. Cost-effectiveness is not social media's only value. The key to transitioning from brand awareness to sales is your brand's ability to capture user data from the right users and traffic those leads to a place where they can learn more. Think of it this way: Social media is the very top of your sales funnel. Social media creates awareness for your brand and gives you the opportunity to generate leads. Once you capture leads, you can reach out to these individuals and provide them with the information they need to become paying customers. Facebook today is not the social media platform of the past. A few years ago, you could post an image and some information and generate huge impressions! Today, social media requires a more significant budget and Facebook's advertising tools. However, the benefit of utilizing Facebook advertising functions is the ability to target users that are closer to your target audience. Users who closely resemble an audience that needs your product or service are more likely to convert to paying customers over time. When you put those ideas together—brand awareness plus reaching the right audience plus capturing data—you [...]