Cindy Haynes

7 Awesome Benefits Your Business Gets From Working With a Digital Marketing Agency

About 68% of online activities start with a search engine. Unfortunately, the majority of people (75%) never look beyond the first page of search results. If your website doesn't appear on the first page, you need to update your marketing. With help from the best digital marketing agency around, you can reach more customers online. They'll help you generate more website traffic, leads, and sales, too. Otherwise, you could miss a chance to reach customers. Your competitors are likely appearing in front of those customers instead.

On the fence about hiring a digital marketing agency? Here are seven benefits to consider first. After discovering these reasons to work with an experienced marketing team, you can make a more informed decision for your business. Read on to learn more today!

1. Access to Experts

How much do you know about search engine optimization (SEO)? Are you up-to-date with the latest web design and development trends? What about Google's Core Web Vitals or Instagram's algorithm changes? You're already trying to become an expert in your field. You shouldn't have to become a digital marketing expert, too. Unfortunately, failing to keep up with the latest trends could cost you customers. Consumers might think your brand is old and outdated. They might turn toward competing brands that appeal to their interests instead. Before that can happen, hire a digital marketing agency. You can leverage their experience and expertise. With their help, you'll never fall behind the latest trends. Instead, they could even help you become a trendsetter in the industry. Consumers will notice you've upgraded your digital marketing strategy. They'll recognize your effort to remain informed about their concerns, too. These consumers might feel more inclined to choose your business.

Failing to remain up-to-date with the latest marketing trends could hurt your business in other ways. For example, Google updates its search engine algorithm constantly. These algorithm changes might impact your search engine rankings.

Lower rankings might make it more difficult for consumers to find you online.

Meanwhile, you could waste money with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising if you lack experience and expertise. You might unintentionally blow through your advertising budget on day one. Instead of risking it, look for an experienced digital marketing agency. They'll remain available to answer your questions and keep your strategy up-to-date.

2. Ongoing Attention for Campaigns

Once you start developing digital marketing campaigns, it's important to keep an eye on them. Many businesses make the mistake of "setting and forgetting" their campaigns. If you're neglecting your campaigns, it could cost you money.

Instead, consider the benefits of working with a marketing agency. They can keep an eye on your campaigns for you. They'll also know which key performance indicators to track. If your campaigns aren't meeting set benchmarks, your digital marketing team can make the necessary improvements. They'll know how to analyze and optimize your campaigns, setting every digital marketing strategy up for success. Then, you can generate more leads and sales. Optimizing your campaigns will boost your ROI, too.

Once you hire a digital marketing agency, you can use the time you would spend watching your campaigns on bigger tasks.

3. Improved Targeting

Are you reaching a broad audience with your current marketing strategy? Not every message will appeal to every consumer. In fact, about 74% of consumers get annoyed when content has nothing to do with their interests. About 45% won't spend time with branded content that doesn't align with their interests. Consider working with an experienced digital marketing agency that understands the importance of precise targeting. Segmenting your target audience into smaller buyer personas will help you personalize your messaging. Then, you can connect with customers based on their needs and interests. Improved targeting will help you save time and money. You can optimize your campaigns to improve your ROI, too. In fact, about 80% of consumers are more likely to shop when brands personalize.

Personalization could lift sales by 10% or more while improving your marketing ROI by eight times, too.

4. Better Tools

If you're not using the right tools, you might struggle to make informed decisions regarding your campaigns. For example, you'll need to gather keyword research before creating optimized content. Otherwise, you might choose keywords that have a low search volume. An experienced digital marketing agency will already use the tools needed to improve your campaigns. You won't have to spend time learning how to use these tools, either. Instead, rely on your marketing team to handle it for you.

5. Gain a Unique Perspective

It helps to gain an outside perspective. If you're too close to your business, you might not realize there are issues with your campaigns. You could struggle to improve your messaging, too. Gaining a unique, outside perspective could set your campaigns up for success.

Look for a marketing company that has experience working with businesses like yours, too. You can leverage their experience to further boost your campaigns.

6. Create an Omnichannel Approach

Remember, you're busy enough trying to grow your business. Handling an omnichannel marketing strategy as well can feel daunting. If you're not utilizing an omnichannel approach, however, you could miss the chance to reach customers.

The best digital marketing agency will know how to reach your customers on different marketing channels. They'll know how to create a cohesive customer journey, too. For example, you can promote your business on social media while engaging them through emails. Improving the customer journey could help you generate more leads and sales.

7. Save Time and Money

You don't have to take time away from your business and customers to focus on your campaigns. Neglecting your campaigns, however, could cost you opportunities. You might miss the chance to grow your business. Before that can happen, hire a digital marketing agency. They can save you valuable time, optimize your campaigns, and ensure you don't waste money. Instead, they can boost your ROI to set your business up to grow!

Set for Business Success: 7 Benefits of Partnering With a Digital Marketing Agency

Don't miss the chance to grow your business. So consider these seven reasons to hire a digital marketing agency. With help from an experienced team, you can set your business up for lasting success.

And, of course, don't worry about handling your campaigns alone. We're here to help.

Contact our team today to get started.

by Cindy Haynes

What Does a Marketing Agency Do?

In today's day and age, the internet is not an optional endeavor for businesses. In fact, by the end of 2021, experts are predicting that offline global revenue will be down by 20%. This is pretty scary news for small or medium-sized businesses that count on offline sales to survive. Fortunately, with the help of a great marketing agency, you can keep your business thriving in the years ahead, both online and off.

So what does a marketing agency do, you ask? These experts are responsible for taking the everyday challenge and time-consuming task of marketing off your hands. Of course, the benefits of using their services go much further than this. Follow along to discover exactly what a marketing agency can do for your business today.

What Does a Marketing Agency Do?

The answer to this question relies entirely on what 'kind' of marketing agency you're thinking of bringing on board. Some agencies focus only on specific tasks such as social media or SEO while others have a team of professionals that work together on your entire marketing approach. The latter is referred to as a full-service marketing agency.

For the sake of simplicity, let's tackle what these full-service agencies really do for your business. Your full-service offerings will break down into two categories:

Digital Marketing Strategies

Digital marketing includes all of the online avenues your business needs to stand out. A digital marketing team will work together to create a cohesive experience for users and drive traffic to your website.

The digital areas they will tackle include:

• SEO (search engine marketing)
• Content marketing
• Mobile marketing
• Video marketing
• PPC advertising
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing

As you can imagine, each of these tasks is a full-time job in itself. For example, your SEO strategies will include both on-page and off-page SEO to not only make your website user-friendly but increase its visibility across all platforms.

We'll dive into the benefits of these strategies later.

Offline Marketing Strategies

While your online approach is growing increasingly important, it is still vital to tackle offline marketing strategies too. By integrating your offline marketing with your online approach, you'll be able to get the most out of both strategies to maximize your impact.

Your offline marketing may include:

• Radio and broadcast advertising
• Print ads
• Events
• and more

The Benefits of a Using a Marketing Agency

So why not develop these marketing strategies on your own? Even if you have a strong understanding of how marketing works, taking on these tasks for your business is simply unmanageable for many business owners. Beyond the sheer amount of time it takes to carry out marketing correctly, the landscape of marketing and advertising is continually changing, making keeping up with your online and offline approach a huge commitment. In addition to the time and headache you'll save by outsourcing these tasks, you'll also experience the following benefits:

Fresh Perspective and Ideas

It can be easy to get stuck in a rut, especially when it comes to marketing. Oftentimes, what worked in the past on social media campaigns or brand advertisements isn't compliant with new algorithms or trends. This is why companies will have great success for a while and then plateau or drop off overnight. While you may know and understand your brand the best, an outside perspective can help you tackle those roadblocks and plateaus to continually see results.

Increased Relevant Traffic

Even if you're rising up in the ranks on Google, your SEO strategies could still be unbeneficial to your business. This is because you could be targetting keywords or audiences that won't help you grow. Because your marketing team is so well versed with their techniques and research, you'll notice an impressive difference in the quality of your audience. Instead of reaching uninterested consumers or ones way beyond your buying radius, you'll have increased website traffic that actually matters to your business.

Improved Brand Awareness and Reach

While there are many objectives to marketing, perhaps the most coveted result is brand awareness. Exposure to your brand is essential to gain customers, earn trust, and establish authority. Fortunately, by tackling your marketing with a full-service approach, you'll increase your brand awareness on multiple platforms. This increased awareness then directly impacts your reach. The more active and available you are in your marketing, the more customers will begin to see and remember your brand.

Expert Knowledge and Experience

When it comes to marketing, there's a ton to learn. While learning about the ins and outs of SEO and social media campaigns is doable, it's likely something that you just don't have time for as a business owner. Beyond this, as you learn, you'll inevitably make mistakes. While these mistakes are all a part of growing, they can cost your business quite a lot of money and energy to fix. Because marketing experts are so well versed in their job, they are far less likely to make these big mistakes, and if they do, they are tracked down much faster. Couple this with years of experience understanding what does and doesn't work in your industry, and it's clear how advantageous bringing on a pro can really be.

Cohesive All-Around Approach

Finally, by taking your entire marketing campaign to one agency, you'll have the clear-cut advantage of consistency. Your customer's trust relies on your brand having a consistent and cohesive experience on all platforms. Without agents that understand what's going on from platform to platform, they won't be able to create that unified approach. Beyond this, with insider knowledge on your entire campaign, the different elements of your marketing can work together to drive traffic exactly where it needs to be!

Your Marketing Strategy for Success

Now that you know the answer to your burning question, 'what does a marketing agency do?', you can set forth with confidence. From choosing a marking agency that suits your needs to understanding the benefits you can expect to see, we know you'll be on the right track with your marketing strategy.

Ready to experience the difference for yourself? Get in touch with us today to discover how we can transform your marketing approach for success in the ever-changing market.

by Cindy Haynes

7 Of 2021's Biggest Social Media Marketing Trends

About 11 new people start using social media every second. Now, there are over 3.5 billion active social media users. That's 45% of the world's population! A strong social media marketing plan can help you connect with your target audience. You can engage, entertain, and inform them through your posts. It's not enough to develop a social media marketing strategy, though. You also need to make sure you're up-to-date with the trends. If you're not following the latest social media marketing trends, consumers will take notice.

Here are seven of 2021's biggest social media trends. Following these trends can boost your entire marketing strategy. You can remain relevant and connect with customers online.

Give your social media marketing strategy a kick in the proverbial pantst! Start following these seven amazing trends today.

1. Stories and Live Streams

The live streaming market will be worth over $247 billion by 2027.

In fact, videos on social media generate 1,200% more shares than texts and images. Companies that create videos generate 41% more traffic from searches. About 40% of consumers say videos increase their chances of making a purchase, too.  By the end of 2021, live streaming could account for 82% of all internet traffic, too. Live video content became more popular in light of COVID-19. Now, companies can use live videos to leverage the fear of missing out (FOMO). You can encourage an audience to watch your videos before you stop streaming. Tapping into an "in-the-moment" connection can help you interact with your customers online. Try to schedule more live interactions using video content this year. For example, you can create a weekly Q&A session. Consumers can ask questions about your product or service. Learning more about your offerings can help brand trust grow. If consumers don't trust you, they won't try your product. You could struggle to generate leads and sales as a result. Instead, you can use live videos to answer any questions they have. Then, you can foster brand trust. They might decide to give your product a try as a result. Q&A sessions can also help you demonstrate your experience and expertise. You might have an easier time standing apart from your competitors as a result. Don't forget to use Instagram and Facebook stories this year, too. Stories give you a chance to create interactive content. For example, you can use polls and quizzes to learn more about your customers. Then, you can use the answers from your polls to generate content your target audience wants.

Following these social media marketing trends could make it easier for you to engage followers in the future.

2. Social eCommerce

Consumers can now start shopping straight from your social media posts. If you want to improve your social media marketing strategy, use social eCommerce. Create an eye-catching post that shows off your products. Make sure your images are sharp and high-quality. Then, consumers can click on the post to start shopping. Using product tags and enabling easy checkout can improve the user experience. Shoppers won't have to leave the platform to shop. Creating this ease of use could boost sales. Start by creating a social media storefront. Then, highlight the value you're offering. You don't have to use sales language to encourage shopping. Instead, help people see the benefits of choosing your products. Then, you can use shoppable posts to shorten the customer journey. Consumers can shop straight from the platform. You might notice a decrease in abandoned transactions as a result.

Following this trend can help you adjust your strategy for changing audience behaviors. Otherwise, consumers could get frustrated due to a complicated user experience. They might abandon carts on your website if it's not easy to shop from your store.

3. Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two social media marketing trends that aren't going anywhere anytime soon. You can use AR and VR to create more interactive experiences. It's a great way to boost engagement with your brand. For example, you can create your own AR filters to encourage fan interactions. AR filters can also help you promote new products. Consumers can engage with your filters and become more aware of your offerings. You can also use AR to let consumers "try" your products. For example, they can see how furniture looks within their own homes. They can try on makeup, glasses, and clothing using AR, too.

4. Transparency and Authenticity

As you start improving your social media marketing strategy, take the time to consider your posts. Are you encouraging transparency? Are you remaining authentic to your brand? Try posting more behind-the-scenes content this year. Show consumers how your products are made. Transparency and authenticity can boost brand trust and loyalty. Consumers will feel more comfortable with your business as a result.

5. Influencer Marketing

You can also foster brand trust through influencer marketing. Find an influencer who already has a strong connection with your target audience. Then, ask them to promote your brand. You can leverage the influencer's existing brand trust and reach to boost your business.

6. Inclusivity

Inclusion is becoming more important than ever before. Consumers want to choose businesses that invest in their communities. Make sure any content you create involving inclusivity is well-informed. Choose social issues that suit your audience. Inclusivity could help you build deeper connections with your customers. You can show customers you care about their identities and diversity. Otherwise, you might struggle to connect with your audience.

7. UCG

User-generated content (UCG) can help on-the-fence customers realize people just like them already love your brand. Share the content your customers are posting about your product or service. Make sure you have permission to share their content. Create a branded hashtag for your business marketing strategy, too. Encourage your customers to post using the hashtag. You'll have an easier time finding and sharing the content they create.

Social Success: 7 Social Media Marketing Trends for 2021

Following the latest social media marketing trends doesn't have to feel challenging. Instead, add these trends to your social media marketing plan. With these tips, you can remain relevant and connect with customers. Then, you can boost engagement, draw more leads, and increase sales!

Need help improving your social media marketing strategy? We're ready to roll when you are. Just say the word!

Contact our team today to get started.

by Cindy Haynes

9 Simple Digital Marketing Tips for Your Business

Whether your business is online or not, it's important to engage in digital marketing. Not only does it help your brand to grow, but it helps you keep that growth. Once you have customers, it's important to keep them engaged so you don't lose that connection. But how do you go about doing this? What marketing strategies are effective enough to help you gain the trust of your customers while upping your conversion rate?

Luckily, we're here to help. Read on for nine of the best digital marketing tips.

1. Create a Plan

Without a plan, you're setting yourself up for failure. Instead of getting lost each and every time you set out to accomplish something new with your business, create a plan to help you stay on track. This plan should include everything from the content you're going to create down to the time it's all going to be posted. It could also be a great idea to include spaces for tracking the progress you make along the way. Create the original plan in one color, and then make any edits or include the progress you've made in a different color. No matter what, creating a plan is going to help you stay on track, and it's going to help you know your exact marketing goals.

2. Create a Google My Business Listing

This is a free step to take, and it's a simple one. To see a Google My Business Listing, simply type in the name of a business. That business's address will then pop up and you'll be able to see essential information about the business. This gives potential and current customers a quick and simple way to reference your business.

To edit the listing, claim the one that's already been made, or create one for your business. Once this step is done, you have a lasting way to market your business. Just don't forget to edit the listing when things change — especially store hours and location.

3. Optimize for Mobile

It's estimated that 56 percent of total web usage comes from mobile users. This means that optimizing your website for mobile users is crucial to the success of any online business. Typically, website builders like WordPress or Square Space offer themes that are already optimized for mobile. This simply means that you pick that theme knowing your website will run smoothly across any device.

4. Place Your Focus On Local Marketing

Chances are, your business is going to be operating on a local level. This means it's smart to target a local audience when it comes to your marketing campaigns. The immediate area surrounding your business is going to be a lot easier to target than a national or even an international audience. You can take advantage of local marketing by focusing on local SEO, and even creating a social media ad campaign that targets your geographic area.

5. What Social Media Are You Going to Use?

Just like content marketing, social media marketing is a great way to gain the attention of potential clients and customers. It's also crucial to gaining attention since 74 percent of consumers rely on social media marketing to guide their purchasing decisions. Finding the social media channel best suited for your business is going to be the difference between going viral and staying off of people's radars. If you own a company that takes a lot of pictures, then Instagram or TikTok might be great options for you instead of LinkedIn or Twitter. No matter what, it's important to note that social media marketing is ever-changing, and it's important to keep up with algorithms and trends to stay on top of the market.

6. Set a Budget

Once you have a plan in place, it's time to set a budget. Sit down and figure out what you're looking for when it comes to marketing strategies. Are you going to need to hire someone to help you grow your channels? Are you going to need help keeping up with your posting schedule? Whatever the answer, this is an important thing to consider when you're creating your budget. Another crucial thing to remember is ad campaigns. Knowing how much you have to spend on those ahead of time can save a lot of headaches down the road.

7. Figure Out Your Target Audience

Knowing your target audience or demographic can make or break your marketing campaigns. It's important to be as specific as possible when it comes to creating your target persona, down to how they enjoy being interacted with. The more specific you can be, the more tailored ad campaigns are going to get.

8. Customer Experience Matters

Did you know that 90 percent of leading marketers say personalization contributes to the profitability of your business? Customers enjoy feeling seen by the brands they do business with. Personalizing an experience to your target audience's preferences is crucial in for ensuring they continue to do business with you.

9. Are You Doing It All Yourself?

So, are you going to take on digital marketing yourself, or are you going to hire a professional to help you out? It can be easy to forget that there are options out there for those who are confused by the process of digital marketing or simply don't know where to start. If it's in your budget, however, and there's a marketing firm you'd like to work with, it can be well worth it in the long run.

These Simple Digital Marketing Tips Can Help Your Business Succeed

Now that we've gone over some of the best digital marketing tips, it's time for you to see what they can do for your business! No matter what strategies you decide to use, make sure you keep a record. This record can help you keep track of what does and doesn't work so you know what to do later down the line.

If you still find yourself needing help, we're here for you. Contact us today to discuss your goals and we can get started.

by Cindy Haynes