Overhaul Your Strategy: Social Media Trends and Strategy to Follow in 2020
If you're going to make social media work for you, then you're going to need a strategy. A darn good one at that. Whether you're a blogger, artist, or business, you need to use social media to communicate with people and raise awareness. But blindly launching a social media campaign won't get you very far. You've got to implement a strategy to achieve great things.
In this post, I'm going to talk about some of the biggest and best social media trends that will improve your overall strategy. If you've been apprehensive about leaning into social media because you're not sure how to succeed, sit back, put your feet up and let us help you figure it all out. While it may not be rocket science, you can't just expect it to work for you without putting the work in yourself.
Don't Tear Down Communities. Build Them.
As we all know, one of the best things about social media is the ability to interact with your audience. And do it virtually in real time. It doesn't matter what you're selling; when you can relate your image and your product to an audience in a meaningful way, then you're going to get more people paying attention. This goes far beyond brand building. You've got to encourage a sense of community around your brand so that even when you're not engaging with your followers, they're engaging with one another.
A community can come in many forms. Ultimately, you want it to work both online and offline so the conversation around your brand never stops. You might be asking yourself (and if you're not, then I am pretending you are!) "how do you start this from the ground up?" It's important to use insights that the major platforms give you to come up with posts that take them into account. Specifically, look at engagement. Having lots of followers is a great building block, but you'll start to see followers turn into customers when your likes and comments increase. This is where it all comes back to content. Work on putting out content that gets people talking and encourages that sense of community that you're after.
Video Is King.
Video has taken over the digital marketing landscape and it's obvious now that people like to get their information from a video rather than reading it on a blog or a post. Like this one. But hang in there because there's more juicy nuggets coming your way.
You can use social media to promote your videos and even create video content directly on some platforms. Social media companies have made video easy to produce, and it's the best way to instantly communicate with your followers. Stories and IGTV on Instagram give you a platform to say and do whatever you want. Similar features are available on Facebook, Twitter, and many newer platforms. The video content that you should be pushing on your social media platforms isn't polished or sales-oriented. It should be raw and relatable to your followers so that it better suits that sense of community that we talked about earlier.
Word of Mouth Marketing.
Word of mouth marketing is a concept that we've become accustomed to for a long time. That's how a business grows from a starting point. You provide a great service, then encourage happy customers to tell everyone they know about your business. In essence, they've become ambassadors of your brand and that is very powerful. Well, obviously social media takes this concept to a completely new level. Whereas before, a happy customer might tell their sister and a few friends about a pleasant business experience. Now, with social media, you can tell someone halfway across the world about a brand that you've fallen in love with. This isn't exactly a "new" trend anymore, but this globalization of small business has only intensified and nowadays, more people are inclined to look at reviews online and take recommendations from someone they don't know on social media than trust a friend's suggestion.
So with that said, encourage people to tell others about your products and services and you'll see the awareness spread.
Outside the Soap Box.
One of the new developments in social media marketing going into 2020 is the rise of alternative platforms. Of course, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are still at the top and should be the focus of any strong social media marketing campaign. However, things like Pinterest, LinkedIn, and now TikTok are grabbing attention. Even Instagram is launching a new feature called Reels to combat TikTok.
Choosing which platforms to put your time and effort into developing depends on what you're trying to promote. TikTok is a relatively new platform that's seen rapid growth in the last year, but mainly with a younger demographic. And as I mentioned, even Instagram will have a platform like this as well. If your aim is to sell products, Pinterest might be the best option for you. LinkedIn remains focused on B2B interactions, but it's more valuable than ever for companies that are primarily interested in that. We're seeing these "alternative" platforms rise because they've begun to hit their stride and find their niche. Now you can find an alternative platform that works for what you're trying to sell, where before it was confined to the big 3.
Build Your Brand.
Brand building is still one of the most important social media trends out there. If you don't have strong branding, then you're going to be forgettable in a world that has huge quantities of everything. The best way to stand out is to focus on consistency across all social media platforms. Consistency of voice in your content and engagement with followers is important, but so is your visual consistency. We're big on real, human connection here at the agency and we believe that providing one with your followers is a characteristic of great brands. It's all about understanding the value of personalization and a positive customer experience and coupling that with great stories. You have to believe in what you're promoting if you expect your followers to as well.
Forget Hindsight. Foresight is 20/20.
Some of these social media trends are old mainstays, while others are new ideas that have grown out of established ones. To really improve your ability to market yourself on social media, you've got to stay informed on what's happening and what's coming. What's important today might see diminishing returns in 2021. Anyway, I hope this has been helpful in understanding how important we feel putting special emphasis on branding and creating a community for your followers to engage each other in really is. You'll see positive gains in both your public perception and your digital advertising strategy.
If you'd like some help with building your brand over social media, contact us here at EraserFarm. We're a Tampa-based digital marketing firm that takes human emotion and makes it part of the DNA of your marketing strategy. Check out our portfolio to get a better idea of what we're doing for our partners and what we can do for you.
The Logo Design Basics: How to Create a Great Image for Your Business
McDonald's golden arches. Nike's checkmark. Apple's... apple. Today, brands are increasingly recognizable by their standout, eye-catching logos. Companies that neglect essential logo design basics, however, will fail to create a logo that breaks out from the crowd. When you do stand out, you can attract new business and build your business. A consistent brand that starts with a memorable logo can increase revenue by up to 23%. Want to develop a great image for your business! Start with your logo.
Here are the ten tips you need to create a logo that stands out from the rest successfully.
1. Add More Meaning
Too many logos fall into the quicksand trap of choosing dull, overused images. If you want to stand out, consider using the visual double entendre technique. This design technique takes two or more recognizable images and combines them for an eye-catching effect. What images connect back to your business? Consider what images people already associate with your brand. Then, determine how you can connect the two. This technique can add a fun, clever element to your brand. Instead of using imagery thousands of other companies have in the past, you can make sure your brand remains distinct. Careful not to get too clever, though. If your customers can't recognize the images you're using, they won't remember you.
2. Consider Your Colors
A signature color can improve your company's brand recognition by up to 80%. As you add these logo design basics to your brand, consider your color choices. Check out this color psychology map as you select your shades. What emotions do you want people to experience when they look at your brand? The right combination of colors can add another layer of meaning to your logo.
There are also different color palette combinations to choose from. A few include:
- Analogous - three colors side by side on the color wheel (green, yellow-green, yellow)
- Complementary - two colors opposite from one another on the color wheel (red and green)
- Triad - colors evenly spaced out on the color wheel (green, orange, purple)
Finding the right color combination creates an effect that's pleasing to the eye. As you develop your logo, try different color palettes to see what best suits your brand.
3. Avoid Design Clichés
Using design cliches won't help you stand out from the competition. When potential customers see the same images over and over, their eyes glaze over. Remember, you're trying to attract people to your business. What makes you different from the competition?
A few cliches include:
- The overhead arch
- Overlapping letters
- Using Helvetica, Papyrus, or Comic Sans
- Random colored dots
- The chat bubble
Instead of falling into the crowd with clichés, consider these 10 top brand marketing trends to amplify your reach and attract new business!
4. Consider Going Custom
There are more font typefaces out there than Helvetica and Papyrus. If none of the already-made options speak to you, consider creating a custom font. A custom-made font can give your logo a unique feel. You can also work with a designer to make sure your typeface captures your brand's personality. With a custom font, you're standing out while staying true to your company's brand.
5. Don't Neglect Simplicity
While you want to stand out from the crowd with unique imagery, it's important you don't overdo it. Sometimes, a little simplicity can go a long way. Don't overcomplicate your logo with crazy script fonts of dizzying double entendre designs no one understands. Instead, focus on your brand. How can you illustrate your company's personality? Work to capture the heart of your company in a classic logo. Then you can expand on it for a design that makes an impact.
6. Recognition Is Key
Instead of following the pack by using design clichés, consider imagery that will make you immediately recognizable. Think about the Evernote logo. They use an elephant head within their imagery. However, it's the folded ear (like the page of a notebook) and curled trunk that helps them stand out. As you develop a classic logo, start with a basic idea. Then expand on it. What can you do to turn your logo design into something unique?
7. The Beauty of Symmetry
Symmetry is pleasing to the eye. If your logo starts to look complicated, take a step back. Prioritize proportion and symmetry within the design. Symmetry will ensure your logo is balanced and consistent. Otherwise, it could end up looking complicated and chaotic.
8. Know Your Negatives
Using negative space is another way to add extra meaning to your logo. Consider the FedEx logo. Hidden between the second "e" and "x" is a small arrow. This imagery adds movement and extra meaning to the shipping company's logo. If it works within your company or blog logo design, try utilizing negative space. In addition to adding meaning to your design, it will also help demonstrate your company's wit and creativity.
9. Add Action
Movement (such as the Twitter bird in flight or Puma's pouncing wildcat) can give your logo energy. Instead of taking a passive approach, add movement, and activity in your design. For example, you can point your imagery upward, so it looks like it's moving. This will communicate a sense of motion, activity, and liveliness (instead of leaving your logo looking sleepy).
10. Know Your Brand
Above all else, know your brand. Your company has it's own story and history. Try to distill that story within your logo design.For example, the Apple logo has a "byte" missing from the apple. The World Wide Fund for Nature panda was inspired by a panda at the London Zoo, Choosing imagery that tells a story will spark intrigue and help people recognize your brand from the rest.
Design It Right: 10 Logo Design Basics You Need to Stand Out
Design it right and stand out from the crowd! With these 10 logo design basics, you can connect with customers through an eye-catching brand. Otherwise, you're fading into the crowd and potentially losing customers.
Ready to stand out from the crowd? Let's work together! Contact us today to get started with your next logo project.
3 Reasons Why Packaging Design Is Just As Important As Your Product
Approximately 72 percent of consumers state that the packaging of products influences what they wind up buying. And 61 percent of consumers stated that they are more likely to buy more of a luxury product if it came in premium packaging.
This makes it clear how important your product packaging design is and why it is so important you pay attention to what you are using. Remember, the packaging you use ultimately goes into your brand identity.
If you are trying to create a strong brand identity, you have to use good storytelling to establish your brand as relevant and unique, and to make it more engaging for your target audience. Keep reading to learn more about package design and how to ensure yours conveys the right message to your target audience.
1. The Right Packaging Makes a Good First Impression
Regardless of what industry you are in, you have competition. You have to think about how you can differentiate your product from your competition.
Effective packaging is one of the best ways to stand out from the competition and to attract customers. If you are selling in a brick-and-mortar store, the packaging design is the first thing a potential customer is going to see. They may get their first impression of your product and company based on the packaging you have used.
Even though the total value of your product isn’t determined by how it is presented, this is the first (and sometimes the only) opportunity you have to win a customer over.
The graphic identity of the package you use needs to capture your buyer’s attention. Think of the packaging you use the same way you think about branding and advertising.
2. The Right Packaging Design Creates and Demonstrates Your Brand Identity
Brand identity helps to connect with consumers in two ways:
- It creates a clear impression of a product or company
- It reminds consumers about the products or brand
The packaging is a key element in sharing and defining brand identity. The impression you create for your business and your product is what helps consumers not only recognize it but remember it.
Look at your current packaging. Does it clearly show your company logo? Does it include company trademarks, fonts, or colors? If not, then it’s time to consider a redesign.
Put simply, a customer should be able to glance at your product’s packaging and have it create a new impact or rekindle a memory.
3. Your Packaging Communicates all the Important Information
Not all packaging is created equal. However, there is something that they should all adhere to. The packaging you use should be informative.
You need to tell a user everything they could need or want to know. Put all the answers to common questions on the outside so they learn about the product before the box is opened.
Some questions the packaging should answer include:
- Why is this product needed?
- When should the product be used?
- Where was the product made?
- What is the product used for?
- Does the product have limitations?
- What skills are needed to use the product?
- Who designed the product?
- Who is the product designed for?
By answering these questions, the customer is going to be able to see why your product (rather than the one next to it) is the right option for them.
Tips to Use Your Package Design for Brand Storytelling
As mentioned above, the packaging you use should tell the story of your brand. Now that you see why it’s so important, it’s time to ensure you get the packaging design right.
Target the Product’s Audience
When you begin designing the visual elements of your package, you need to consider your target audience. For example, if you sell products for kids, use a colorful style and bold, large typography.
If you are targeting career-oriented adults, use a minimal design with typography that’s more elegant.
Convey the Experience
The package design you choose needs to reflect the experience of the product. For example, eco-friendly products need to be packaged with sustainable materials to build trust in the product.
If you sell a luxury product, use high-end materials for packaging, rather than cheap packaging. If you have a product that touts convenience, the packaging should be easy to open and use.
Create a Design that’s Aesthetically Pleasing
Most people judge a book by its cover – it’s really human nature. If they see a brand that has put effort into the creation of a package that’s visually appealing, they are going to assume this reflects the brand’s effort to make a high-quality product.
The real challenge is being able to create a great looking design, but that’s also unique in relation to the competition.
Details Matter
You can’t ignore the small details that go into your packaging. A carefully planned package design is going to let your customers see you mean business.
Details like FDA information can help you gain your customer’s trust, and help ensure the item isn’t recalled off the shelves.
Getting Your Packaging Design Right
The packaging design you ultimately use can have a huge impact on your brand identity. You should use the packaging to help spread awareness of your business, brand, and the products you offer.
It should also promise to deliver on your UVP (unique value proposition) while targeting your audience and speak to the brand’s personality. Not only should you use packaging that leaves a great first impression, but it also needs to have a lasting impression.
If you want to create amazing packaging, but don’t know where to start or what to do, contact us. We can help you get the desired results with the product packaging you use.
Rebranding a Company: 10 Signs its Time for Your Business to Update its Look
Like anyone who has started their own agency ( or business for that matter), my partner and I give everything we have to the business and have so since day 1. And as such, I am aware of the difficult decision to make a change. While we haven't reached that bridge yet, circumstances can arise that will force you to seek out a new look for your company in order for it to survive or thrive well in the market.
Most people have the mentality that the brand of a company consists only of a logo and name. On the contrary, because there is more to a company’s brand than just its name and logo.
An outdated image, new management, and international growth are some of the reasons that may indicated the need to rebrand a company. If it has been a while since your business look was designed, it may be time to take another look. Here are a few signs that should tell you its time for rebranding a company.
When Your Company Name Or Logo Don’t Reflect Your Vision Anymore
One thing is for sure, the world keeps on changing. For your business to thrive you need to adapt and change right along with it. Your business name could have sounded like a great idea five or so years back but now it might not reflect your brand anymore.
This could be the case because your business name could be outdated or maybe society and its cultural changes have contributed to the alteration of the meaning of your brand's name or logo. Whatever the reason is, don’t let it be a burden that will slow your business down in any way.
Embarrassed Of Your Own Business Card
If you find yourself in a situation where you are ashamed to give out your business card or share your website with new people or customers, this is clear evidence that your company is outdated and needs a rebrand. There are so many interesting and clever ways to design a business card that will impress folks. Many times it is the first real piece of communication about your company someone may have.
If you feel that your website address needs a disclaimer or your business card is a little cringe-worthy, boring or stale, well, maybe these are some valid signs your company could benefit from some rebranding.
Be Different From Competitors
You simply can't ignore your competition. You need to take a look at other businesses and compare yourself because they might provide insights as to where you can make changes in your business. This can be the change you need in the process of rebranding. reluctance to adapt to new times has always been one of the company killers.
Change In Business Model
Each company is built on a set of values and objectives but due to unpredicted changes in our world these objectives can transform with time. They could be facilitated by technological variations or unforeseen market opportunities in the market.
The changes experienced in your business models can change your company’s brand. If you find yourself falling victim to this situation, don't shove it aside. Make sure you take necessary measures to rebrand your company.
Outgrowing Your Brand
Scaling is one of the problems experienced in business. In order to compete highly with rival brands, you need to change your old name and logo in order to meet the current needs of the market. Check our article on brand positioning to help you strategize your business for a better market share.
If Your Company Is Undergoing Through a Merger
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the right fit for a new company’s brand to adjust from the parent company. It’s a good opportunity to change your brand when your business is undergoing a merger. And that's because you’ll be able to represent new strategies and objectives of your new company to your users. Failure to change a brand in an acquisition or merger can cause confusion due to poor brand alignment. This will wreak havoc on both brands involved in the merger.
Changing Or Expanding Your Geographical Location
Companies often experience growth in the market and they start to expand. This will force them to relocate to a better location or open another branch in another area to facilitate the expansion of their services. Once your business starts to experience this kind of change, you need to rebrand your company for national and international significance.
Lack Of Attraction For Top Talent
All upper echelon talent wants to associate with top company brands. If your company can’t recruit great employees to boost your business to another level, it’s clear that your brand services are outdated. This could be because of subpar trade standards or clinging to old and outdated market morals. Rebrand your company not only for the sake of the current employees but also for future employees too.
Connection With New Customers
There will always be new generations to utilize their capital in the market. Your company can only satisfy their needs by adapting to the needs and requirements of each generation. Rebranding is a way to recreate your business in order to meet the goals of these new audiences.
A good company is the one that is able to adapt with time and meet its customer's needs. This is because no one is interested in purchasing commodities or services that were previously associated with our parents.
Difficulty In Raising Your Prices
If you’re experiencing problems with fixing your brand's products and service prices in the market despite the high prices of materials, you should try rebranding your business You see, sometimes the way to boost your company’s business is through changing the minds of those you serve.
Rebranding could help to reshape your business and change your customer's perspectives about your products and services. This will in return help you raise the prices of your services accordingly.
Rebranding A Company Helps To Gain Better Chances In The Market
An effective and suitable brand is something difficult for any company to pin down. It’s also important to note that a powerful and sustainable branding is also something that consumers can’t fail to spot. So if you have any strong reason to change the general outlook of your business, take all the essential measures to do it.
Rebranding a company in good time will bring in more capital and help avoid losing customers and employees. Be sure to contact us if you need to redesign your package or forge a new eye-catching brand identity for your business. We'd love to work together.
What Is a Social Media Campaign? 7 Reasons Why You Need One
So everyone thinks they know what a social media campaign is right? Or so they think. But if your online business is struggling to generate income, then maybe there's a few things you're falling short of. More often than not, online businesses fail without their owners knowing why. Some fail because of poor website design while some fail because of financial mismanagement. But the most prominent reason why online businesses fail is that they lack an online presence. This means that when people look up anything related to their business on search engines like Google, other business will come up first on the list. To help boost your online visibility, you’re going to need a good social media campaign.
Why do you need it, you ask? Excellent question indeed. It's a way for you to increase your revenue by integrating social media into your business. Some people may have second thoughts about making one because social media doesn’t fit their business’s tone.
Here's a few things we've found to keep in mind when creating a campaign regardless of your business's tone.
1. Drive That Brand Recognition North Of The Border
The main reason why people overlook a certain brand or business is that they don’t necessarily recognize it. Recognition is important because this is a key to gaining the trust of customers. Having customers trust your brand is the first step towards a successful business.
Social media marketing will is a sure-fire way to help with all that. Many other businesses are already turning to Facebook and Twitter to increase their brand’s awareness, in fact. And that's because they know most people log in to their social media accounts whenever they go online. You know, like when they're in meetings they're bored with. Or in the bathroom. Or basically anywhere.
So, they make their own business page, post content, and pay for ads on social media platforms. Doing this introduces their brand to people and while it takes a while, the constant presence is a start to familiarizing potential customers to your brand.
2. Increase That Cha-Ching Sound For On-Site Sales
Ah that's music to your ears, no? After a while, people should have enough time getting to know your brand and you should start noticing an increase in your sales when this happens. Yep, it's a big perk you can get when you get a good social media strategy together. This happens when someone likes what they see about your business while they browse and often gets them clicking away on the content they see. If the links you made are right, then it should lead them back to your business’s website. Customers are then free to browse your website. They’ll either arrive at the landing page or the page of the product they clicked on. If it’s the latter, chances are they'll buy the product.
This will result in a big ol' leap in on-site sales over a period of time and it's also a great way to increase the traffic going to your website.
3. Referrals, Referrals, Referrals. Get More of 'Em.
What’s great about social media is that everyone is, in different ways, connected with one another. This gives your business a chance to thrive in a social media community because people tend to share positive experiences with other people who may like them. Basically what this means is that running a social media campaign may ensure success if you’re targeting a niche. You'll have no trouble getting the word out about your product and customers who liked your products or services will be the ones to do it for you.
Also, because your existing customers who are doing the referring are also those who find some interest in your product, retention in your website will increase as well. People will spend more time on your website checking everything out. So, making a functional website will allow your new visitors to have a good time exploring your site.
4. It Increases Your Marketing Opportunities
Another great perk with social media marketing is that it ensures your future. Through social media marketing, your website will never die because active users will be the ones keeping it alive. There have been times where Google struck out high-ranking businesses before. Inactivity was the root cause of Google’s move. Not enough people were visiting them even though they were at the top of the search results.
A good social media marketing strategy prevents that from happening to your website because there are a lot of ways you can market through social media. Using your existing customer base, the content you post, and ads for marketing can all provide a new opportunity for someone new to become a potential customer.
This can bring in new customers for an indefinite amount of time. As long as you have a way to reach customers, your website will never be inactive.
5. Want More Partnership Opportunities? Done And Done
Social media platforms are great places to discover amazing partnerships and can vary from small companies to big ones, even to individual people. Regardless of which one you will have a partnership with, they can help your business out a lot. You can collaborate with small business. Doing this will allow you to share each other’s demographic to boost traffic with one another. Big business collaborations could do the same but with a larger crowd.
Individuals, also known as influencers, talk you up to their audience for a price and, quite often, they have a large audience to showcase you to. So, their prices tend to be worth the exposure.
6. Climb The Ladder Of SEO Ranking
Your SEO score is huge and, yes, social media marketing helps improve your organic growth rate. All the actions that we mentioned above, from customer retention to link building with different social media organizations all work towards increasing your search engine optimization score. Increasing your SEO score will help your website appear on the first page of search engines. This will allow even more people to discover your business and means you can nab more customers and visitors for your website.
7. Stay Hungry And Stay Competitive
The main benefit you can reap from social media marketing is you can stand toe to toe with your competitors. In fact, great social media strategy planning will put you ahead of your competition because of everything mentioned above. Everything works towards making your website the next big thing on the internet. It’s true that all other websites already do everything I've mentioned but, rest assured, you can make it better because you can take your time to personalize it. And personalization becomes easier through social media marketing because you know what your customers like by looking at their profiles. It'll give you a significant edge over people who don’t perform any kind of marketing.
So Now You're A Social Media Campaign Expert Right?
What is a social media campaign and why is it important? I hope this guide answered all your concerns and provided a little more insight into what you should do to move forward. But if you need help planning your social marketing campaign, we'd be ecstatic to partner up with you. Contact us here and we’ll get in touch as soon as we can.
Why Content is King (And Always Will Be)
Many businesses increased their production of content for their websites in the last year hoping to compete in the ever-changing and challenging digital space. It seems that content is in every sense of the word king in 2019 and publishing doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
But not all content is created equal. Not all of it adds value to a business or its products. It's important that you create high-quality content that engages your potential customers and brings new purchasers to your brand. Your content should never be self serving asa as such should be relevant to your customers. They need to feel like you are on the same page with them and you can do that by showing how your products will make their lives easier.
Listen, I know at times I can ramble on but trust me, I've self-edited myself here. So if you would like to learn more about creating great content and to explore all of the reasons why it remains an important place to spend for your business to be successful this year, please, keep on reading.
It Gives You the Best Opportunity for SEO
Search engine optimization is a very popular marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes, and content is a huge part of how it's done. It used to be that you could just seed your website pages with keywords to get them to rank on Google.
Well not anymore. Today, Google ranks web pages based on the quality and relevancy of their content. That means if you have great posts on your website, you're more likely to rank for all sorts of things.
Try to research high traffic keywords to find out what your customers are looking to learn. You can also visit websites like Reddit to see what people who buy your products are talking about. Then, use your content to answer questions that are often asked there.
It Encourages Your Customers to Engage With You
When you write a blog post or make a video and post it on your website, your customers have the opportunity to see what you're about. They can then leave a comment to engage with the content and let other people know what their thoughts and feelings are.
I believe this can really foster a great relationship with your customers. The kind that makes them feel like they play a vital role in your business and its success. Because, let's face it, they do. They'll want to share their opinions and advice with others who visit your website. That means if they find your products helpful and your content helpful as well they'll be likely to leave compliments.
And now for a little pro tip: If you want to make the most of the interactions between your customers, try creating a forum for your website where they can go to discuss your products. This is particularly good advice if you're in a very small niche.
They'll really enjoy having other people to talk to who share their specialized knowledge and needs. And by creating a feeling of community on your website, people will be encouraged to come back more often and engage with others.
It Can Generate New Leads
Content used for search engine optimization is meant to pull in people who might be browsing about topics relevant to your products. By choosing the right topics to write about, you can reach people who are in the latter stages of the sales funnel and encourage them to buy your products.
You should have content targeted at all of your potential customers. That way, you will be able to reach the widest market. The more audience members you appeal to, the more sales you can make.
Try to come up with various customer identities that you want to appeal to and write content for that market. For example, if you sell hair conditioner, you will want to appeal to an audience of young professionals, an audience of mothers, and have posts for an audience of grandmothers as well.
It Adds Value to Your Brand and Products
When you are trying to sell someone something, you don't want to tell them they just have to take your word for it. You want to be able to demonstrate the value of your products.
When you are selling online, it can be especially difficult to reach your customers and let them know that your products work. Content gives you the opportunity to open that dialogue and educate them on why they need to buy what you're selling.
Content is King and Establishes You as an Expert
When you write high-quality articles for your website and publish content that is relevant to your customers, then you establish yourself as an expert on the subject. The more information you have available, the more it seems like you know what's best for your customers.
It Encourages Loyalty From Your Customers
When your customers are drawn in by your content and you have established yourself as an expert in your field, then they will come to you when they have a question.
They will look to your website for more information about your products and use that knowledge to educate themselves for future purchases. That gives you the opportunity to suggest more products to your existing customers to help encourage their brand loyalty.
People like to buy from someone who sounds like they know what they are talking about and the content on your website could be just what you need to gain an edge.
Content Can Sell Products
Content is king and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. Today's customers like to interact with their favorite brands and content gives them that opportunity through sharing and comments.
And not only that, great content can bring you new customers and educate them on your products to encourage them to buy. But there are also other steps you can take to improve your business' reach.
Contact us today for help with your marketing strategy to sell more units than ever in 2019. My ramble is now officially over.
The Hottest Packaging Trends You'll Want To Follow
I must admit, I have at times (in fact even over the Thanksgiving holiday) purchased a product specifically because I liked the packaging. How many of us have done that before? Hopefully I'm not the only one raising his or her hand. But just peruse any alcohol store or college apartment and you will understand something about packaging. When the contents of a product have an intrinsic but subjective value packaging can certainly be the one extra factor that seals the deal.
Boxes and colors and bags wrap up the plastic and glass containers for trips home. High-end scotches come in lined wooden boxes screaming class and refinement.
Vodkas and schnapps, popular with faster drinkers, feature shaped bottles and colorful arrays. Alcohol packaging trends lead the market in finding new ways to dress up old products. Suffice it to say, I'm a sucker for great packaging.
That's why, in my opinion, understanding the emerging trends of packaging can make the difference. Do you want your items rotting on or flying off the shelves?
Emerging Packaging Trends
Of course, creative packaging isn't new. Boutique industries and gifts industries have been fighting these battles for a while. Other industries didn't care. They were able to dominate or saturate a particular region and their packaging didn't need to be anything more than functional.
Packaging does more than serve as a container to deliver the goods inside. Packaging serves a purpose in establishing your brand and engaging customers. It does so by mixing the right material with the right impact.
Purpose
Packaging serves three major purposes to a customer.
- House the objects inside.
- Provide or indicate status.
- Market through brand positioning.
Brand positioning focuses your product packaging from ancillary to necessary. You want your customer to be of the mindset that they aren't buying an item but The Item.
Trending
Making brand packaging trend is about glomming onto the most potent of marketing: named brand recognition.
Unboxing
A newer trend pushing popular packaging designs is the unboxing potential. People love to unwrap and reveal the contents of packaging. Unboxing has emerged as a whole world of anticipation and fun. Making packaging that presents well in an unboxing means tons of views and shares. So now that you have an idea of the end goal of packaging, here's the big question. How the heck do I achieve these goals?
Materials
Considering the material shapes the product messaging. Increasingly, consumers crave packaging that functions well and leaves less damage. Recyclable and upcycle ready packaging get noted and praised. Innovative use of materials and 'less is more' philosophies garner accolades.
Papers
Wooden boxes, cardboard wrappers, and paper constraints make great packaging. Wood is renewable (though it takes energy from other sources). Paper packaging also recycles efficiently.
Paper materials work best when they accent the products inside. Since paper isn't often transparent, cutouts and previews are recommended. These designs provide a little taste of the contents inside.
Laser cutting logos into the packaging provides an old-world flair. Laser cutting is also a great way to create interactive packaging that becomes puzzles or games.
Minimalist designs and DIY looks pop better on paper products than plastic.
Plastics
Plastic wins in terms of durability and longevity but loses in overall appeal. Many consumers also have it out for plastic thanks to the floating garbage islands.
That said, dedicated industries make strides in plastics recycling and upcycling programs.
Plastics provide useful ways of making form-fitting contents with injection molding processes. This makes it easy to keep products from sustaining damage and, in the case of multiple components, can be designed as a storage or carry case.
Think of any given tool case. The packaging that sells the product also contains and transports the product.
Plastic products make large text easy to read and unusual shapes easy to form. Don't settle for a box when an oval, dinosaur or recreated sarcophagus can house the goods.
Impact
Part of what you will select in a material is for geared toward the impact you desire. With so much jockeying for position in store shelves, an eye-catching package can seal the deal.
You also want to find a trend that matches the desires and expectations of the target consumer. You don't want to sell baby shampoo in a hand-tooled wooden box or a set of knives in a pop out Day-Glo plastic case.
Colors
You already know that color theory and the psychology of color are important. Consider also, that tone has an effect in packaging. Bright and bold color appeal to the youth while down-played pastels attract older audiences.
Simple contrasts command respect and offer a quiet superiority. Garish jumbles of colors invoke youth and enthusiasm in their chaos.
Loose design elements lend themselves to color. Precision lines and angular shapes do better in monochrome.
Pick a color scheme that matches your audience but avoid looking like a competitor. Stand out by being precise.
Minimalism
Mark Twain famously intoned, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." So too, minimalism takes a lot of time and effort to look simple and uncomplicated. This constantly rediscovered 'trend' in packaging makes sense. People want the packaging to do its job and expect to receive what is advertised. A simple external package sells a promise to uncomplicate stressful lives.
The internal components, though, keep any number of pieces and parts free of damage and easy to remove.
Minimalism in the unboxing era also provides a nice slight of hand for designers. Audiences (future consumers) love to see how many things can emerge from an otherwise unassuming box.
Vintage
The post-modern 21st-century world also loves a good harkening. We love to be reminded of simpler times. Products with a heritage or traditional sensibility make us feel part of a wider world.
Obsequious lettering and simple color contrasts advertise well and boast readability.
Combine a vintage design with some typography know-how to build your brand into a collectible. How often have you seen a t-shirt with a logo for a product that has nothing to do with shirts? That is the power of typography at work.
Also, if you hate the overuse of certain typefaces, get outside of the papyrus and comic-sans horrorscape with a fresh take on lettering.
Get Creative
With these tips and packaging trends, you have what you need to edge out potential shelf-mates. Design and marketing go hand-in-hand and it takes a lot of information to stay ahead of the competition.
Contact us for details on how you can apply design to all of your business functions.
The Top 10 Benefits of Hiring a Professional Marketing Agency
Most business owners start their own companies because they have a passion for what they do. Hey, that's what we did. But that doesn't mean they are adept at performing all the duties associated with running a company. Here at EraserFarm, we're all wearing a multitude of different hats. But that comes with the territory I guess. Which is why many business owners learn new skills to help them run their company more efficiently. And when possible, smart owners also hire employees with specific skills they don't have. But you don't always need a full time or even part-time employee to run certain things. Especially when it comes to marketing.
Outsourcing your marketing to a professional marketing agency often makes the most sense on a variety of levels. Before you do any marketing hiring, keep on reading to learn the top 10 benefits to hiring one.
1. Hiring a Marketing Agency is Cost Effective
The advantages and disadvantages of advertising are numerous and the costs associated with marketing is usually considered a disadvantage. However, since paying for marketing is a tax deduction and when it's done right it brings in new business, it's not entirely all negative. Especially when you hire a marketing agency because you don't have to spend money on advertising or hire a headhunter to find the perfect candidate. Not only that, you save money by only paying for what you need (Who doesn't love that?) while having access to the latest marketing technology and a whole team of professionals. If you paid for that same level of quantity and quality in-house, well, naturally, that would require you shelling out wads of cash in the hundreds of thousands range. Unsubscribe, you say? Agreed.
2. Saves You Time
You're busy running a company. And like I said, that means you wear a lot of hats but the good news is now you can take one of them off. While you should know something about marketing, it's no longer your job to be an expert. There are many pros and cons of advertising. One of the cons is that it can be time-consuming to keep up with the latest trends. But one of the pros of a marketing agency is that they handle your marketing while you focus on making sure you can handle all the new business you'll enjoy from hiring the right company. That sounds like a good deal doesn't it?
3. Access to a Team of Marketing Experts
If you hired an employee to handle your marketing efforts, you'd only be able to take advantage of their knowledge about marketing. Most marketing experts focus on one or two areas. They can't possibly know everything, especially since Google constantly updates their rules and regulations. But a team of pros means you have a well-rounded group of experts who together know everything and anything about marketing.
4. Fresh Ideas
Your employees are highly valued because of what they can bring to the table. But after a while, working together often means you begin to think alike as well. We're all individuals here, not a pack of lemmings walking towards a cliff. It may prevent you and your employees from developing fresh ideas for your company. And hiring an outside team means you have a team with a fresh perspective on what makes your company awesome.
So, in other words, go find a marketing company who has worked with companies like yours before. I would put my money on it that they already know what it takes to make your company succeed.
5. Access to a Wide Variety of Marketing Techniques
Marketing experts can't all be great at everything, as much as some of them think they are. It's usually best to focus on a few areas to become an expert on. At a marketing agency, they can afford to hire experts who are great at social media and other experts who know SEO better than the back of their hand. And together, they all form a great team whose sole job it is to make your brand shine.
6. Helps You Avoid Hiring an Employee
Marketing hiring isn't fun if you're trying to do it in-house. It can get expensive and take a lengthy amount of time. You don't have to worry that they'll suddenly decide to quit. You don't have to pay out benefits or pay for their health insurance. And if you do decide to part ways with your marketing agency, it's far easier to fire them than it is firing an employee.
7. Ability to Scale Your Marketing Efforts
One of the advantages and disadvantages of advertising is knowing how to properly scale your marketing efforts so you get the right type of exposure without going over budget. When you hire in-house, part of your budget goes to pay their salary and insurance. Hiring an agency means you can focus more dollars on marketing which allows you to scale your efforts more easily. And as you grow, it's easier to work with an agency who can work with you rather than having to pause to hire additional employees.
8. No Training Necessary
Training a new employee takes time. Then there's making sure they fit in with your corporate culture. When you hire a marketing agency, they'll help you focus on and develop your brand so they can use it for marketing purposes. That's all the training they need. They don't need to learn how to use your computer systems because they're using their own. And they also use their own technology to help your brand become more competitive.
9. Access to the Latest Technology
There are many pros and cons of advertising. The expense of technology is one of them. Technology constantly changes, especially when it comes to how we market our companies. And it costs money to keep up with it both in terms of education and arming yourself with the right programs. Any marketing agency worth their salt will always be on top of the latest technology and they're happy and eager to share that technology to help promote your company.
10. Increased Security
By 2021, it's expected that cost of cybercrime damages will exceed $6 trillion. And it's really difficult to keep up with hackers these days. Working with a marketing agency, they can help ensure that your website is a safe haven for your customers to shop at. You can trust they can help ensure that your site isn't hacked and that it won't crash at an inopportune moment. Even small businesses have to worry about cybercrime so make sure your site is protected at all times.
Work With Us
We like to consider ourselves a cutting-edge marketing agency. And trust me when I say we eat, sleep, and breath the latest technology. We're kind of nerdy in that way, I admit. But we truly do love to help clients we partner with succeed. And we'd love to hear from you. Whether you have a question or you're ready to hire us, click here to set up a time for us to chat.
Digital Advertising Strategies that can work wonders
The digital market is a new frontier for most marketers. Although digital advertising has grown tremendously within the last decade, many companies still don't have a solid digital marketing strategy.
Research shows that more and more consumers are making their purchasing decisions online. Nowadays, the moment a user lands on your website or sees your ad, they are a potential customer.
It's up to your marketing team to create a comprehensive marketing strategy that converts users into customers.
In this guide, we'll highlight some advertising strategies that will boost your revenue.
Learn Your Platform
The best thing you can do as an advertiser is to learn your platform. Social media advertising has grown in popularity but it doesn't work for everyone.
Old-school pay-per-click advertising works wonders for others. On the other hand, search advertising converts the most leads into customers for certain companies.
The online platform matters because you need a platform that speaks to your target consumer. Search advertising is great for companies that have a product or service that most people search for online.
For example, a maid service benefits from search advertising. Most people don't know they need a maid service until something happens.
Once the search begins, they look for the most reputable businesses in the area. If you provide a business or service people don't know that they need, search advertising is a great outlet.
For more conventional retailers i.e. restaurants and clothing stores, pay-per-click (PPC) is probably more effective. Search advertising is part of PPC, but all those ads on a website are also part of the PPC network.
Website ads require a bit more research because the web owner and advertisers have to make sure their audience and needs align.
Bidding for ad space on a site your demographic enjoys will really impact your conversion and click-through rates.
The product/service placement makes sense because it aligns with the site's mission and demographic ex. sporting goods equipment on a hunting site. Users won't view the content as spammy and it'll pique their interest. Interest=clicks.
Social media advertising is great for new and innovative products. Startup businesses love social media because advertising is relatively inexpensive and the platform does most of the work for them.
Platforms like Facebook have users share information about themselves to curate their online experience. All you have to do is select your demographic.
Now, social media campaigns are more detailed and require more research but the idea of innovation is the same. Social media users are unique and they're looking for unique products.
Research Your Consumer
Your team can pump out a million advertising campaigns, but without the right research, you're wasting time and money.
It's amazing to see the number of companies that don't understand the true needs and wants of their customers. If your digital advertising strategies don't connect to your audience, they won't spend money with your company.
Use web performance metrics to track page visits, search terms, top search engines, bounce rates, an average visit duration. These are just a few metrics that help you gauge your customer's behavior.
The unique visitor metric tracks a customer's IP address to track their visits to the website. Another tip is to engage your customers with online surveys and polls. Have them tell you what they want to see and what they need.
Once you've identified your customer's "personality" start doing some A/B testing with your web campaigns. You can change little things like font/size or redesign the entire page.
A/B testing is another metric that helps with web optimization and research. Pay special attention to the conversion and drop-off rates.
You can use this information to set reasonable goals for your advertising strategies.
SEO is a big part of digital advertising and keyword research is the centerpiece of SEO. Use your AdWords account to add PPC keywords, identify negative keywords, and optimize landing pages.
Only bid on keywords that perform well for your site. Zero in on methods that work.
Get Creative with Your Advertising Strategies
Nobody wants to see a boring advertising campaign, especially on the internet. A digital campaign will help you flex your creativity button. Get your graphic designers and UI/UX designers on board.
Create a campaign that's not only eye-catching but also user-friendly. You will also need to optimize your images for mobile sites.
You can also use a digital campaign to revamp the company's image. Switch up the logo or add a mascot, create some visual interest.
People have short attention spans, so your digital campaign needs to be vibrant. Adding graphics like gifs, memes, and other fun digital effects. Experimenting with different visuals will help your campaign stand out.
Google notices your creative efforts and it will also improve your search ranking.
Hire a Content Marketing Agency
Sometimes, it's hard for you to know what your company's advertising sector needs. Members of your marketing team may be laser-focused on areas that don't need that much attention.
They may have a hard time understanding the changes that need to be made.
That's where a content marketing agency steps in. They can offer a comprehensive and objective review of your company's advertising strategies.
Content agencies also stay up-to-date with the newest digital trends and Google updates. They can bring some new and exciting suggestions to the table.
Finding the right content marketing agency will take some work. You want a firm that pays special attention to your marketing goals and industry needs.
Eraser Farm
At Eraser Farm, we pride ourselves on being digital experts that focus on the human element and the emotional aspect of marketing.
We develop concepts that speak to your consumers' minds and hearts.
We utilize strategy and neuromarketing techniques to help us pinpoint powerful emotions that will connect with consumers. Techniques such as eye tracking that helps us recognize the methods that grab the user's attention.
Combining biometrics and tried and true research methods is a unique approach to advertising that drives results.
Curious? That’s an emotion we love. Check out some of our work and contact us today!