Do you know what your differentiator is? What can you offer your target customers that your competitors can’t or don’t? The answers to these questions are the foundation of a successful marketing plan for your business.
Determining Your Value Proposition
The goal of a value proposition is to express what you can offer your customers. It also explains why and how your product is the most effective at solving a certain problem or bringing additional value to your target demographic.
Your value proposition should:
communicate what value your product has to the consumer; and
explain why your product is more effective than what your competitors are offering.
Get to the Point
Keep it short and sweet. Use language that is accessible and easy to understand by your target consumer. Your audience should be able to determine how your product can help them without needing further explanation.
Your value proposition should also be memorable, relatable and easy to find. Don’t hide it away or make your customers work to figure out how you can help them. It should be front and center on your website’s home page.
Staying Top of Mind by Bringing Value
One of the biggest reasons businesses lose out on return customers is being forgotten. Do you remember where you bought every item you own? Probably not. In order to cultivate customer loyalty, you must stay relevant and in touch with previous customers.
Staying top of mind is about more than sending out reminders or promotional materials. Interactions that offer value to your customers will help you position yourself as an expert in your field. It will encourage customers to come back to you when they have a need for your services. For instance, if you run a party planning business, you could send out a monthly email newsletter that offers tips on related topics such as a guide to choosing the perfect caterer.
Focus on sharing content that is unique, informative and beneficial to your customers.
Branding Helps You Build a Reputation
In modern advertising, branding is hugely crucial to getting customers through the door. Effective branding will communicate your value proposition to target customers with clarity and personality. Your branding should reflect how you want your business to be perceived and the unique qualities customers can expect from you. Use it as a tool to build a reputation that will resonate with your target audience.
Why Having a Strong Reputation Leads to Success
Having a strong reputation will be the key to your success. Consistently deliver on your value proposition and evolve with your industry as it changes. A good reputation will encourage new customers to try out your products and keep old customer coming back for more.
Do you need help marketing your value proposition? Our team can help you develop a branding strategy that is tailored for success in today’s market. Contact us today!
The next time you knock out a killer blog post, don’t just let it gather dust. Repurpose those great ideas into new content to reach fresh eyes. As a general rule thumb, you should aim to repurpose your content 4-5 times to maximize its impact and really reap the benefits.
Content Is Key
Creating niche, original content is the way you add value to your brand. Your target audience gets to know you through what you create. This is what sets you apart from the pack. Sharing your ideas and knowledge through mediums like videos or blog posts can help you grow your reputation as the go-to expert in your industry.
The best content is enriching and offers value to consumers. Once people have finished consuming your creations, they should come away feeling like they have gained something.
When inspiration strikes and you are able to craft a piece of content that shares something you know your target audience will love, get those amazing ideas in front of as many eyes as possible.
Why You Should Repurpose Content
Not everyone is going to see that amazing video, blog or what have you, the first time you post it. Even if you get the most traction you have ever gotten on a release, your reach is still limited by your medium. Not everyone reads blogs or e-books. Some people prefer podcasts or short video clips. Others still might be more likely to come across your content through infographics posted to photo-sharing sites like Pinterest.
Today, people get their information from a wide variety of sources and you can (and should) take advantage of that.
Tips for Repurposing Content
The idea here is to take something old, and turn it into something new. So, how do we achieve that? We change the medium! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Share your content across all social media platforms, but don’t just copy and paste links. Make sure you are creating graphics and text that’s tailored to each platform so that your link shares look professional and engaging. HINT: Check out our Quick Sheet for Social Media Image Sizing to make sure your graphics meet the requirements.
Compile blog posts on related topics into a downloadable guide or an e-book. If you are a blogger, you have probably written more than a few blog posts exploring different areas of the same topic. Turn those posts into one convenient package, add an introduction and a conclusion, and suddenly you have repurposed content that you can market as an e-book.
Start a podcast. Podcasts are the “it” thing right now, so don’t be afraid to harness the power of this trend. A podcast episode can be as simple as spending a half hour talking casually about the topic or a more scripted affair that’s structured more like a seminar.
Create short video clips or a video tutorial series. If you simply want to drive more traffic to your website or other content you have produced, create summary videos that briefly touch on the main points and then redirect your audience to your original content. Alternatively, you could also make a series of short video tutorials that cover the same content but in video form.
Publish in major media outlets or magazines related to your industry. Is there a magazine or website that everyone in your industry keeps up with? Reach out to them. Getting published in a reputable information source will heighten your visibility and boost your reputation.
Expand on your ideas in additional posts. If one blog post or podcast wasn’t enough to get all of your ideas on a certain topic out in the open, or if you simply have something new to share on a topic that you have covered before, revisit and expand!
Create new content expanding on those old posts and don’t forget to link back to your original posts! If you have enough content, you can even turn it into a regular series like a monthly newsletter or vlog!
Need a hand with repurposing content? We’re happy to help! Our team of experts can help you transform your ideas into videos, graphics, blog posts, social media posts and more.
Are you conscious of image sizing when you post on social media? You could have the most beautiful graphic content to post on your social media accounts, but it isn’t going to do you any good if they are not sized correctly.
Why You Should Care About Image Sizing
Most companies completely disregard image sizing guidelines for the platforms that they use. Common problems of incorrectly sized images include:
Images are cut off resulting in missing words and image content
Pixelation causing images to appear grainy and low in quality
Your audience misses out on the full scope of your message because they do not see the images as they were intended to be seen.
Recommended Image Sizes for Popular Social Platforms
Facebook
Cover Photo:
828 x 315 px
Anything smaller than this size will show as stretched out. Images with logos and text appear best as PNG files. Everything else can be RGB or JPG. Ideal file size is less than 100 KB.
Profile Photo:
180 x 180 px
One of the most important images for branding on Facebook!
Shared Images:
1200 x 630 px
Images for Share Links:
1200 x 627 px
Twitter
Header Image:
1,500 x 500 px; Max File Size is 10 MB; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
Profile Photo:
400 x 400 px; Max File Size is 100 KB; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
Tweets:
minimum expanded to 440 x 220 px; maximum expanded to 1024 x 512 px; required aspect ratio is 2:1; Max File Size is 5 MB for photos and 3 MB for GIFs.
Instagram
Photo Posts:
1080 x 1080 px; required aspect ratio is 1:1 – Instagram will scale these photos down for the thumbnails and on the feed so maintaining the aspect ratio is important!
Profile Photo:
110 x 110 px; required aspect ratio is 1:1.
LinkedIn
Personal Pages
Background Image:
Between 1,000 x 425 ppx and 4,000 x 4,000 px; Max File Size is 4 MB; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
Profile Image:
Between 400 x 400 px and 20,000 x 20, 000 px; Max File Size is 10 MB; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
Company Pages
Top Logo:
400 x 400 px; Max File Size is 4 MB; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
Hero Image (the image that sits at the top of the Company Page):
974 x 330 px minimum; Max File Size is 2 MB; Landscape Layout; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
Business Banner:
646 x 220 px minimum; Max File Size is 2 MB; Landscape Layout; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
Square Logo:
60 x 60 px; Max File Size is 2 MB; Landscape Layout; Accepted File Types are JPG, PNG and GIF.
YouTube
Channel Cover Photo:
2560 x 1440 px on TV Display; 1546 x 423 px will always be visible regardless of device or app used to browse page with a cut off of 507 px on the left and 507 px on the right.
Videos:
1280 x 760 px for HD; required aspect ratio is 16:9
If you need help with creating social media posts with images that are sized correctly, or if you simply don’t have the time to do it, contact us! We are happy to take care of social media posting for your business!
The best B2B practices used to be as simple as cold calling or emailing, but times have-a-changed. In today’s market, you must prove your worth to your target audience before they will engage. Here are the top 5 B2B digital marketing practices that you should be using to entice your audience.
1) Educational Content Add value to your services by producing content that has value for your target audience.
Look at all of the successful thought leaders and entrepreneurs of today. They frequently publish guides, tips and articles that offer to teach the reader something valuable about their industries. Your audience will be drawn to the quality of the content you offer and the way it is structured. Offer something meaningful, in a digestible package.
2) Adding Contact Info to Company Pages Including contact information on your website and social accounts is an absolute MUST. Create a “Contact Us” page where people can find your email address, links to your social profiles and your physical address if you have headquarters. A company page without contact details is an opportunity squandered. How else are people going to reach out and connect with you?
3) Mobile Friendly Website Since 2015, the number of people using their mobile devices to browse the web has exceeded those who strictly use desktops. The mobile interface is drastically smaller than a desktop’s. If your website is only compatible with desktop users, you will be alienating mobile users who will, no doubt, abandon your site after mere seconds of struggling with the tiny features. Having a mobile version of your site ensures visitors can navigate with ease no matter what they are browsing with.
4) The Effectiveness of Calls to Action Calls to Action (CTAs) are what transform the users who click off your page into those who engage with your products. CTAs are vital to conversion and generating business. The pillars of an effective CTA are visual design, placement or position on your website, and creative copy that persuades visitors to follow through. Above all, visitors should be able to find them quickly and know exactly what they are when they see them.
5) Demonstrate Your Expertise Are you a leader in your industry? Do you have the experience and know-how that ensures you can offer your audience something your competitors can’t? Then show it off!
Those who visit your website should feel that they have tangible evidence that you are an expert in your field. Featuring testimonials and glowing reviews from happy clients, are great ways to demonstrate your successes. Reserve a page for your portfolio where visitors can browse your best work.
Do you need help creating a strong B2B content strategy for your business? Contact us! We can help you employ these top strategies.
Do you know what it takes to build and maintain a successful brand? It is about more than just getting eyeballs on your website.
A strong branding strategy encompasses five key elements:
Logo, Colour, Slogan
These elements represent the image you want to portray to your prospective client base. They are the unique elements that allow you to stand out from the crowd and ensure that when people think of a certain product or service, they think of you. When fleshing out the brand’s logo, the coloring and your tagline or slogan, you will want to incorporate core values, the industry and the purpose of your brand.
Core Messaging
The core message should seek to answer two main questions:
Who are you
Who are you here to serve?
With answers to those questions in mind, you should construct your mission statement as if you are speaking directly to your intended client base. Endeavor to connect with them in a way that says, “I know what you’re going through, and I will help you by providing X.” Your core messaging should be evident in every communication you have with your clients, staff and investors.
Reputation
Your brand’s reputation represents public opinion. Factors like community involvement, employee satisfaction, investor relationships, corporate culture and client interactions all contribute to your reputation. Having a good reputation ensures loyalty from your clients and builds the public’s confidence in your product/service. Cultivating a reputation as a “trustworthy” brand will drive growth and increase profits.
Social media, content marketing, traditional public relations and search engine optimization are all tools that can be utilized to build your brand’s reputation.
Brand Promise
Your clients, employees and the public should be able to rely on your brand to deliver on a key value or set of values. It might be customer care that goes above and beyond, high-quality services and goods, or the best bargain in town. Regardless of what the actually promise is, a celebrated brand shows a consistent, unwavering commitment to their brand promise. No matter what, people should be able to rely on your brand to uphold that promise.
Client/Prospective Client Listening
How do your clients and prospective clients feel about your products or services? Are they satisfied? Impressed? Are there any problems or issues they have encountered that you should know about? The answers to these questions are what client listening is all about.
Gather feedback from the people who enlist your services. Make sure they feel heard and that their concerns are being considered and addressed. Don’t ignore negative feedback, and don’t take positive feedback for granted. Touch base with your clients frequently to gauge how well your brand is meeting their needs and to address any issues they might have. Use this information to improve and grow.
The five elements of branding aren’t isolated components to be checked off individually. They represent a multi-level approach to building a sustainable and successful brand.
Unsure of how to incorporate these elements into your business model? Feel free to contact us and we can help you out!
Social media browsing usually happens during times of boredom, relaxation or more predominantly out of habit (when you have the time, of course). It is unlikely that you will be browsing your social media platforms while you are busy at work. Online social media usage is therefore at its peak when business activity is low.
Business hours are typically Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm resulting in the standard 40-hour work week. More recently, casual Fridays or summer hours have paved the way to a more casual, relaxing Friday, resulting in 4 productive work days. The internet on the other hand never sleeps – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whether or not you are “working”, the internet is alive and well and therefore there are no “standard” hours for social media use. At any time, prospects are researching your website, getting familiar with your service offerings, buying product from you or sending emails. Your business is up and running, even while you sleep.
Though business operates during those standard work-week hours, there seems to be a significant disconnect between how businesses utilize social media and how clients/consumers do. Most businesses are utilizing social media during the work-week and during “work hours”. Therefore, as the work week progresses, business are engaging on social media. Then, once the weekend commences, clients/consumers engage more and more on social media while businesses break for the weekend. That leads us to the golden question – how can a business make good use of social media while their prospects are not present?
It is a good idea to assign a social media manager to distribute relevant content over the weekend and track engagement, monitor accounts and reply to comments/questions as they come in. Customer service is one very important aspect of social media. Clients and consumers expect responses to their questions. They want answers, and more importantly, they want answers immediately. Responding in a timely manner becomes indication of an interest in good relationship building enabling real and true engagement.
If you are interested in assigning a social media manager for weekend monitoring and engagement, contact us, and we are happy to help!
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