Content marketing is about more than just writing content. In order to be effective, your content needs to start with a strong foundation, be executed with a degree of expertise, be syndicated correctly and to the widest possible audience, and then be analyzed and revised for effectiveness. Content marketing strategy is easy to pick up but is difficult to master, as there are many different skills that must be honed for different stages of the content marketing process.
Whether you have a team of content marketers working for your company, or you’re a one-man operation trying to cover everything yourself, there are seven distinct roles your content marketing team will need to perform in order to be successful:
The visionary is going to perform the first step of your content creation process: creating the tone and overarching themes of the campaign. Working closely with the researcher, the visionary is going to take inventory of previous company knowledge and set goals and direction for the campaign. This includes identifying buyer personas, setting the tone and brand voice for the content, establishing key content ideas and topics for the blog, and determining which types and formats of content to use throughout the campaign. The visionary will also be responsible for overseeing each additional step of the content marketing efforts, making sure each step aligns with this initial vision.
The visionary ensures that content marketing teams are aligned with the goals of the campaign, reflecting best practices in the content marketing industry. By focusing on content marketing initiatives that generate compelling content, they aim to improve search engine results pages and attract the right buyer personas.
The researcher’s job is to find and harness information that can be used for the betterment of the campaign. In the earliest stages of development, the researcher will feed data to the visionary, working together to form conclusions about the future direction of the company’s content production. In later stages, the researcher will find facts, gather statistics, and ultimately provide fuel for the production of individual pieces. As the campaign develops, the researcher may also be responsible for uncovering other types of information along the way.
The researcher will conduct market research and keyword research to identify trends and opportunities that will guide the campaign's strategy. By providing content writers with relevant data and insights from their market research, they ensure that each piece of content is well-informed and targeted.
The producer is the role most closely associated with today’s typical content “writer.” For the most part, the producer will spend his time coming up with titles and materials in line with the visionary’s initial plan, then writing up pieces of content that can then be put on the web. However, today’s producer is typically responsible for much more than just writing content. With a target audience that demands multiple mediums of content including pictures, videos, and presentations, the producer is also responsible for developing alternate forms of visual content. In many cases, this means including multiple different producers, each an expert in a different realm, or outsourcing some of the work.
The optimizer serves as a revisionist and a front-line editor, ensuring that each piece of produced content fits in well with the overall themes of the campaign. For example, the optimizer could tweak the titles of the produced work to fit previously targeted keyword phrases or make design edits to an infographic to make sure the brand is more prominently displayed. The optimizer can also enhance different pieces of valuable content by adding new features—for example, he could be responsible for sourcing and including relevant images for the body of written content.
The editor’s role has two main functions. First, the editor is responsible for ensuring that there are no mistakes in the written work—including spelling grammar, syntax, and even fact-checking to ensure accuracy.
Second, the managing editor is responsible for publishing the material. Once the work is completed and the editor has signed off, it is his responsibility to post the material online or in social media platforms. In most cases, this only requires familiarity with a CMS, so that the content can be published quickly to the web pages.
The syndicator is responsible for ensuring the visibility of the published piece, which is one of the most important parts of the process. Once published, the syndicator will prepare the visionary’s selected channels, and schedule the post for distribution. This may include writing more concise headlines or teasing introductions, or it may include simply posting a link to the relevant content. It could also include purchasing ad space or submitting published pieces to external sources for guest post consideration. Whatever the case, the syndicator’s core job in content marketing operations is to maximize the visibility and accessibility of the piece.
The analyst has virtually no impact on the current campaign; instead, the analyst’s job is to measure the impact of the current campaign and use that information to make recommendations for subsequent marketing campaigns. The analyst will determine the success of the content strategy at every level, measuring impact in terms of inbound traffic, post popularity, social signals, and other dimensions.
Also, the analyst will then make firm conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the campaign, as well as how each role performed in the team context. Once complete, the analyst will work with the visionary to convey this information and plan for the future, and the cycle will continue again.
These seven roles are critically important, but the best person for one role may not necessarily be the best for another. Do not make the mistake of assuming that one person can handle the overall content marketing strategy; while it is possible for one person to develop all these skills over time, if you want the best possible results, you might want to consider partnering with an outside expert. If you can fulfill these roles with individual, niche experts, you’ll set yourself up for a meaningful, long-term campaign.
If you want to scale your digital marketing agency, there's more to it than simply creating great online content and executing on existing client accounts.
True scale requires access to numerous enterprise-level contracts.
It means harpooning whales en masse instead of fishing for minnows with a rickety pole.
The occasional $1,000/mo client retainer just won't do.
Wouldn't you rather report to a team of 3 or 4 whose corporate entity was paying $20K to $50K monthly than have to report to the CEO of 20 companies paying $1K each?
Enter the digital marketing RFP.
By gaining access to large corporate buyers for your digital marketing services, your marketing agency will be able to achieve remarkable growth.
Here, we'll discuss the pros and cons of using the RFP process, where to find RFPs, how to draft and submit your RFP, and a bunch of other tips and tricks.
I've personally responded to hundreds of RFPs over the years.
The process can be tedious and time-consuming.
Worse, it can be a waste of time if you're not extremely careful.
An RFP, or Request for Proposal, is a document that is used to solicit bids from vendors in order to obtain goods and services.
The purpose of an RFP is to provide potential vendors with the information they need to submit a bid on a project or service.
This document typically contains information about the scope of work (project scope), project overview, project deliverables, project timeline, evaluation criteria, and desired project budget.
Including crucial data points in the RFP makes the proposal easy for vendors to understand and respond to accurately. A proposal manager often oversees this process to ensure clarity and completeness.
Contract terms are also detailed within the RFP to outline expectations and requirements for the prospective client. By providing comprehensive information, the RFP helps vendors craft a final proposal that meets the project's needs and aligns with the client's objectives.
Getting on the RFP shortlist is 90% of the battle.
But how, among thousands of digital marketing agencies, do you catch the eye of corporate buyers so as to get included on their shortlist?
Answer: do something great, notable, and amazing, and you'll become a known entity worthy of receipt for large RFP invites.
Because reviewing RFPs takes time, most corporate buyers issuing them prefer to keep the shortlist for potential vendors small.
If their RFP list is too large, it creates even more work for them. But if you aren't regularly receiving access to quality RFPs from government and corporate buyers, where else can you go?
Here are a host of online platforms exist where RFPs are listed for free or for a small monthly fee:
Numerous others exist.
We tend to avoid government bids as more of those are cooked. And while we have used these solutions to submit large numbers of RFPs, we have found direct relationships are always best.
Your biggest downside risk of responding to and engaging with entities submitting a project out to bid will be the "cooked" RFP.
The vast majority of RFPs, particularly those that come from public governmental entities, are "cooked.
"What is a cooked RFP?
A cooked request for proposal is one that is created out of a requirement to issue one publicly but whose recipient is already internally known.
Cooked RFPs have the following characteristics:
If not 100% cooked for a particular purpose or vendor, many RFPs will preclude your business, particularly if you don't fall into categories like:
In scenarios where RFPs have the aforementioned requirements, you may be SOL when it comes to winning the bid.
This is THE biggest downside risk in the RFP process as it creates a time-suck if you complete the RFP only to be disqualified before the process starts.
Even if I told you to read the RFP carefully, that would not necessarily solve the potential impediment because RFPs can be extensive in their requirements and requests, and the details you need may be buried in a quagmire of words.
This can be a further waste of your time.
If you're obtaining your RFPs from an online source and not being solicited directly, be more cautious and exercise more discernment when you read, as there will be a higher likelihood you're wasting your time.
Like any sales initiative, the RFP process is a numbers game.
You need to execute at scale to be successful, and responding at scale requires SOPs and the right team.
Your process also requires the right team.
Without the right team, it can be difficult to develop a comprehensive digital strategy and timeline for meeting the client's needs.
Without experienced professionals on board, you may not be able to provide accurate pricing models or deliver quality work within the desired timeframe.
The key to success is assembling a process around a well-rounded team for both submitting the RFP and delivery of the services, including digital marketing, project management, budgeting and more.
With this type of team in place, you will have the knowledge and resources needed to craft a compelling response that meets all of your client's digital marketing objectives.
We typically design our response with our PPTX/slidedeck response team.
They have created beautiful templates for our RFPs that we can then use on repeat.
We'll keep our RFP response process template (which is some 50 pages long) a bit closer to the chest, but here is an example of the caliber of product our design team produces for our RFP responses:
If you want to stand out as a great marketing agency, a proper design of your response will be paramount.
Don't just send a Word Doc that you have saved as a PDF.
You need something that makes you stand out.
If your team has the ability to produce custom video or interactivity to your response, it may be in your best interest. After all, you're submitting an RFP response as a marketing agency.
Quality RFPs are not only visually appealing, but they also do a better job of showing (in graphs & charts) versus telling (long-form paragraphs). When it comes to design, always opt to show and avoid telling, where possible.
The length of your response to the RFP will vary depending on the specific requirements of the request. Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to make it as long as necessary to thoroughly and accurately answer all questions, but not so long that it becomes overwhelming for the recipient.' It is important to keep in mind that you should only provide information relevant to the request and avoid any unnecessary details or information. As such, try to be concise and succinct when presenting your response.
It is important to keep in mind that you should only provide information relevant to the request and avoid any unnecessary details or information. As such, try to be concise and succinct when presenting your response.
For a winning RFP response, consider including an executive summary to provide a high-level overview of your proposal. Utilizing an RFP response template can help ensure that all crucial sections are covered and that your document is well-organized.
Reviewing RFP response examples can provide insights into best practices and successful strategies. Additionally, a compelling RFP cover letter can set the tone and highlight the key aspects of your proposal.
In conclusion, your proposal response length should be like a miniskirt: long enough to cover the essentials but short enough to keep things interesting.
Understanding and outlining the client's needs is a critical step in responding to an RFP.
Before you begin crafting your response, you must first understand the client's objectives, their target audience, and their desired outcomes.
This typically requires a detailed read of the request for proposal doc, which will outline all the necessary requirements for a response process.
RFPs can be long, so being detailed could take some time.
But, it is important to take the time to listen carefully to what the client is asking for and make sure that you understand the scope of the project.
This will ensure that your response includes all of the necessary information and details requested by the client.
Creating a strategy and timeline for the response to an enterprise digital marketing RFP is essential to meeting the client’s needs.
A well-crafted strategy should include clear business goals, measurable metrics, and actionable steps to maximize success. It should also define the timeline for completing each task as well as any potential obstacles or risks.
The only thing that works better than social proof is actual proof.
Start with social proof in testimonials. The rest of the proof is in the ROI pudding.
Your case studies should show visually how you helped execute on past client digital marketing campaigns, delivering on key performance indicators (KPIs).
Here is one example we have used, but we typically include several in all our responses:
If you have an idea of the client's budget, then you may have the leeway to create a specific budget.
But most scenarios will be nebulous, like this:
To avoid this scenario, we always like to provide our clients with options.
Unless they want a specific quote for a specific level of engagement, give them a "choose your own adventure" novel when it comes to their pricing.
In doing so, be sure to explain what services are included in each package or plan.If you can (literally or legally) estimate a return on investment (ROI).
Avoid outlining different payment options. That will come later with a signed MSA (master services agreement). It's bad form to include it too early.
When crafting a response to an RFP, it is important to ensure that you meet all of the customer's requirements.
This means that you should be sure to read the entire RFP document carefully and pay attention to any specific instructions or requests.
In addition, use language that is clear and understandable so that the customer understands exactly what services you will provide and to what extent.
Be sure to address any questions or concerns that may arise, and make sure your response is tailored to the needs of the client.
A successful RFP response requires more than just meeting expectations and requirements. In order to stand out from the competition, your proposal must also be engaging and informative and clearly demonstrate your ability to meet the needs of your customers. Here are some tips for making your proposal stand out from the crowd:
By following these tips, you will be able to craft a successful response that meets all of the customer's needs and stands out from the competition.
Once you have crafted your perfect response to the RFP, it's time to submit it. It is important to ensure that your response is submitted in a timely manner according to the deadline specified in the request for proposal. Here are some tips for submitting your response:
Once you've written your response to the RFP, it is important to ensure that all documents are properly formatted and organized.
This will help ensure that the customer can quickly and easily find the information they need. Make sure all documents are clearly labeled with appropriate headings and subheadings, as this will make it easier for the customer to understand the information you're presenting.
Following up is an important part of the process once you have submitted your response to an enterprise digital marketing RFP. Following up demonstrates that you are organized, attentive, and committed to meeting the client's needs. Here are some best practices for following up after submitting your RFP:
The RFP process is different for every company and/or government entity.
How and when you hear back can vary widely.
Responding to a request for proposal (RFP) from an enterprise can be a daunting task.
Whether you're looking to provide digital marketing services or any other type of business offering, it's important that your response is well-crafted and tailored to the client's needs.
Hopefully, we've provided some helpful tips on how to craft the perfect response for your enterprise digital marketing RFP, one that meets all of your customers' expectations and wins you more business.
Nailing the first RFP is often the most difficult, but once you get a system and process in place for responding to more, you'll find yourself getting into a groove.
We work with our white label digital marketing agency partners through our white label SEO services to submit RFP responses as a contributing agency partner to an overall team.
Let us know how we can help you submit your next RFP response!
The mantra "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" can be appropriately applied to digital marketing.
But sadly, a B2B brand message that works well on LinkedIn or Google may fall completely flat on Facebook or TikTok.
As such, some brands may feel pigeonholed into a tighter group of platforms on which they can engage with clients and customers.
Furthermore, diversity in ad spend and customer messaging is nearly as important as diversity in the platform for distribution.
Consequently, complete diversification in digital marketing can differ widely from company to company.
The true definition and mix for diversification that works for your business is likely nebulous.
With any successful marketing mix, the best distribution will require a healthy budget with ample live market testing.
Diversity in digital marketing can be defined in one of several ways:
Diversification is typically driven by your appetite for risk.
The greater the risk, the greater the propensity to achieve higher returns.
If you're not diversified and all efforts are focused in one area, then you likely have no back-up plan if something goes wrong or isn't successful in your digital marketing.
Lack of diversification means you are more likely to be negatively impacted by:
Most executives know that not marketing at all when your competitors are is the ultimate sin of omission.
Are you looking to diversify your digital marketing channels? With so many options available, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some tips for identifying the best digital channels for your business
1. Analyze Your Target Audiences: Research who your target audience is and which platforms they use most often. This will help you determine which digital networks are likely to produce the best results for your campaign.
2. Consider Your Budget and Goals: Think about how much money you have available for advertising campaigns and what type of ROI-first strategy will work best for achieving your goals.
3. Test Different Channels & Messages: Once you've identified a few potential channels, take some time to test different messages across those multiple platforms using A/B testing or other techniques in order to find out which ones resonates with customers the most effectively.
4. Monitor Your Campaigns Closely: Monitor each of your campaigns closely in order to identify any issues that may arise, as well as opportunities that present themselves over time.
Organic search marketing and paid search marketing are two distinct and important components of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.
While organic search marketing allows brands to organically reach users through natural search results, paid search marketing requires allocating a budget to target audiences using ads or sponsored content.
Having a well-rounded and diversified approach to digital marketing means utilizing both of these channels in tandem.
Some spurn paid social channels, but they're absolutely an important component of a diversified strategy.
It's important for brands to diversify their social media presence so that they can reach as many potential customers as possible. This means not just having a presence on major platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn but also exploring niche social networks that are tailored to a specific audience.
For example, if your target customer is a younger demographic, you may want to explore platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, or Twitch in order to reach them. If you're targeting business professionals, LinkedIn should be part of your strategy.
Don't forget that your sales factor is heavily incorporated into your marketing.
Depending on how your sales and clients are acquired, you will want to ensure your marketing gives your website or sales teams the lead fodder they need to succeed.
Your sales teams may desire diversity of inbound vs. outbound lead flow.
Striking that balance could be critical.
For instance, perhaps your organization is focused on enterprise accounts, but you have found your sales teams are better able to focus when they can shoot rabbits along with the target bear or even whales they're hunting.
Diversity of marketing strategies can ensure you don't fail your sales teams just to diversify your marketing mix.
Remember, the overall goal is higher revenue and better profitability, not just diversity for diversity's sake.
The key to success in marketing diversification lies in understanding the needs of your target audience, setting clear goals and objectives, and testing different platforms to see what works best.
To choose the right channels for your business, start by researching which platforms are most popular among your target demographics.
Then, consider how much money you have available for advertising campaigns and which ROI-first strategy will produce the best results.
Once you've identified a few potential channels, take some time to test different messages across those platforms using A/B testing or other techniques.
Finally, make sure to monitor each of your campaigns closely so that any issues can be addressed quickly and opportunities can be taken advantage of over time. With these steps in mind, finding success with a diversified marketing strategy shouldn't be too difficult!
When it comes to optimizing each channel within your marketing mix, there is always a balance between hiring the agency vs. hiring an in-house marketing professionals.
There are pros and cons to both options, which we will outline later, but your best means of optimizing each channel is to avoid the generalists and use specialists who are experts in each avenue.
Optimizing each channel is typically performed by a channel expert. Someone with credentials like.
Tracking and analyzing the results of multi-channel marketing campaigns can be a challenge.
To ensure that you're getting the most from your efforts, it's important to understand which channels are performing best and then use those insights to inform future campaigns.
One of the most effective ways to track and analyze results from multiple channels is to use a marketing analytics platform.
These platforms allow you to track and analyze your campaigns on multiple channels all in one place, giving you an overview of which strategies are delivering the best results.
By taking the time to understand how each channel is contributing to your overall performance, you can make more informed decisions about where to invest your resources in the areas that matter most.
If your business is fully diversified across multiple marketing channels, you will absolutely need multiple digital marketing tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs) across the various methods of marketing distribution.
When you already know your customer lifetime value (CTV), you can better know what you are willing to spend on customer acquisition.
While we've been talking heavily about diversification, it is important to understand that the best return on your marketing dollars is going to come from concentration on what works, not on diversification.
The following quote applies:
In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for any business looking to reach its intended audience. With the right mix of digital marketing channels, businesses can effectively target new customers and promote their products or services.
However, it can be challenging to decide which channels to use and how best to diversify your channel mix for maximum success.
Your digital marketing strategy success will likely be best accomplished by choosing the best digital marketing agency. Contact us to learn more.
In a world where digital marketing reigns supreme, you might be wondering if there’s still room for print ads. The answer is yes – there’s always room for print ads because people still largely consume physical media. What you need to be concerned with is how to run successful print ads, and this article will help you sort that out.
The first thing to know is that effective print ads operate by the same principles as digital marketing messages. You still need to know your target demographic, reach your audience with convincing copy, and include an enticing call to action. The difference is that digital marketing can reach a larger number of people. However, that doesn’t mean the conversion rate is higher. In fact, many companies generate a higher conversion rate from print ads.
The conversion rate for print ads will vary based on each organization’s strategy and industry but consider this example from Print Observer. Their average conversion rate for a print campaign is 42%. The reason their ads are so successful is that they have identified a very specific market for their products, that market has specific needs, and their ads are convincing.
Whether you’re already running creative print ads or you’re just starting to think about launching a print advertising campaign, here are seven strategies that will help make your print ad campaign a success.
Always hire a professional designer if you want successful and the best print ads. The aesthetics of your print designs matter just as much as your copy and call to action. Stunning graphics will get you more conversions than stock photos ever will. If your design elements are flawed, low-quality, or off-center, the perception will be that your company is also low-quality.
Print ads are not a good DIY project. While templates are available, they’re harder to work with than digital ad templates. For instance, if you’re not a designer, you can still open up a template in Photoshop, make some changes, save your file, and make it work. It doesn’t even have to be high-resolution sometimes. Print is a different story.
Working with print templates is harder if you don’t have design experience. Most of the time, print ad templates will be created for use in programs you don’t have, like Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Spark. While you can buy a subscription to these applications, there will be a huge learning curve just to learn how to use the basic tools. The same goes for Photoshop. No matter how many times you’ve used Photoshop, preparing images for print media is a whole other story.
Even if you make it past that learning curve, it’s easy to mess up a print-ready file if you don’t have experience. For example, say you create a design from scratch in Photoshop but fail to set the right resolution. A design created in the standard 72 dpi will need to be recreated in 300 dpi in order to be print-ready. In other words, you’ll have to do your work over if you want it to print well.
You also have to set up your templates with the right margins and bleeds, and you need to know how to make your text print flawlessly. This is easier said than done. You’ll also need to take your file(s) to a professional printer because printing your files at Walmart or a local mail center won’t produce high-quality results.
If you don’t have professional design experience, hire someone to create and print your ads to ensure you get the best possible results.
When it comes to print ads, white space is your best friend, and simplicity is king. However, “white space” doesn’t need to be white – it can be any color. The point is to have space on your ad that isn’t stuffed with content.
You want generous margins and plenty of space in your ads. Resist the temptation to fill the entire space with images and text. You don’t even need a background image most of the time. You may want to use a solid-colored background with a light texture, but it doesn’t need to be busy to capture attention. That’s what your main imagery is for.
Print ads with generous white space are easier to read and actually stand out more than cluttered ads. Spacious designs can make your business look higher-end as well, and with the right color scheme, you can convey some very specific feelings about your brand.
Typography is crucial for print ads, just like it is for digital ads. When you craft your typography for your print ads, you’ll want to spend time getting it perfect because even just the typeface you use will influence visitors in specific ways.
Choose the wrong typeface, and you’ll convey the wrong idea. For example, if you use a font that has been branded by a well-known company, you’re going to send subconscious signals to people related to that brand. It doesn’t matter if that isn’t your intention because once people associate imagery with a brand, it’s impossible to counter that brand recognition.
To avoid sending the wrong message to your audience, run your ads by several different people to make sure they don’t make them think of other brands, especially if they’re your competitors.
To ensure you convey the core message you intend, stick with easy-to-read typefaces and don’t use too many different fonts on the same page. It’s okay to use a couple of different fonts, but don’t use them in a way that distracts the reader.
Whenever you run ads, adjust them for the season or upcoming holiday. For instance, if you’re running ads in December, use a Christmas themed visual element and advertise the value proposition of your products and services as holiday specials.
People are going to have the next upcoming holiday in mind, and by running ads that connect to that holiday, you’ll capture more attention. It’s easy to do this even if you don’t actually have any upcoming specials for each holiday. You can rebrand your existing deals as a holiday deal or create a new deal.
Or you can just run a basic ad for your company with imagery and copy that highlights the holiday. For example, for Veteran’s Day, the top ¾ of your ad can depict a patriotic image with a copy that honors all veterans. The bottom ¼ of your ad can be a general ad for your business. Around Veteran’s Day, your ad will catch people’s attention because the holiday will be on their minds.
Some of the best holidays to craft your ads around include:
These are the main holidays that most people celebrate in some way and are used to seeing ads with special deals for these holidays.
Both clever and direct copy will sell, but the secret is to know when to apply each of these techniques to your ads. It really depends on your industry because some industries don’t do well with cleverness or sarcasm. For instance, if you’re a firearms dealer, sarcasm won’t sell your products. However, if you sell cleaning supplies, sarcasm is on the table.
If you can’t make cleverness or sarcasm work to perfection, stick with direct messages. You can’t go wrong with a direct copy. However, misplaced sarcasm and cleverness can hurt your brand image. The best way to figure out how to use sarcasm and a clever copy is to look at past ads in your industry and see when or if it’s been used before. If popular companies have run successful ads of that nature in the past, it will probably work for you, too.
Having a clear call to action (CTA) is paramount in any print advertisement campaign, but it’s even more important in a print ad. Say you have multiple CTAs directing readers to do different things. Online, your audience can just hit the back button if they choose the wrong CTA, but in print, it doesn’t work like that.
Define the action you want your audience to take after reading your ad, and make sure it’s made clear to the reader. Tell people exactly what you want them to do. For instance, be direct and say:
These are just basic examples of CTAs you might use in your print ads. Whatever your desired action, just make sure it’s clearly stated and that you only have one CTA per ad.
Amazing print ads aren’t going to be effective on their own – you’ve got to get them in front of the right people. Do you know your target market well? If not, it’s time to get acquainted with your market on a detailed level. Do some in-depth market research to find out who your ideal market is and learn about them. The narrower you can define your market, the more successful your ads will be at generating conversions.
Once you have narrowed down your target audience, you’ll need to get addresses to direct mail your print ads. If you already have a list, you’re ahead of the game. However, if you’re new to print advertising, you’ll need to source a mailing list. The easiest way to do this is to go through a mailing list broker. If you just buy mailing lists related to your industry, you won’t get the narrow target you’re after. There are far too many lists out there that may not be specific to your market. A list broker will talk with you to find out more about what you need and will curate a set of lists that meet your specific requirements.
Many companies choose to run fully digital marketing campaigns, ignoring physical ads altogether. If this is the route you choose, you’re missing out on the opportunity to generate a large number of conversions through print ads.
Yes, digital has quickly eclipsed print in terms of advertising market share, but using print ads in your campaign is a holistic marketing strategy for your business.
For the best possible results from your marketing efforts, combine both digital and print advertisements; both are perfectly viable methods for generating revenue. If you’ve been avoiding print advertising and print marketing, try it – print ads just might turn out to be more effective than you thought.
Corporates and agencies alike are up in arms about the predictions and prognostications for 2023's inevitable marketing malaise.
Marketing budget backpedaling is nearly inevitable in light of inflation spikes and the Fed's rising interest rates.
But let's let the data do the talking.
Here are a few stats courtesy of Axios:
Large-scale layoffs are occurring in some over-hired areas in the tech sector.
Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft & Google, and a number of private unicorns have experienced large-scale layoffs in the last few weeks. Jeff Bezos' Twitter comment gives valuable insight into the overall sentiment well:
Furthermore, tech-heavy NASDAQ has seen heavy losses as growth companies tighten their belts.
Unfortunately, many such layoffs often occur in what are viewed as non-critical areas, including marketing.
Regardless of where you think things are headed, where there is pain, there is even greater opportunity.
Because we try to adhere to a growth mindset, we actively seek opportunities rather than crawl into a hole.
Let's innumerate just a few.
Layoffs almost always coincide with a rise in startup formation.
Marketing agency startups are one such sector that is likely to grow in the coming months.
As such, marketing agencies are also likely to experience a peak in demand for outsourced work, including white label digital marketing efforts from partner agency clients.
This presents a unique opportunity for both new and existing agencies that can partner on exciting digital marketing projects.
The effective internal marketing strategy and function do not evaporate with layoffs.
While layoffs may cut immediate costs inside larger organizations, there are still functions and tasks (at least minimally) that need to occur in order for the business to function at least at a status quo level.
Said tasks either require the existing marketing headcount to work harder and longer (a phenomenon we saw in the layoffs of 2008), or corporations may be prone to look for outside help from an agency.
Here are some arguments as to why the agency model is of benefit in such a scenario:
An outside perspective is almost always helpful in seeing the opportunities in spite of the challenges, all within a budget that is likely smaller than hiring an internal team to assist.
In the competition for limited or smaller budgets, incumbents have a greater chance to make waves and land new business.
They have the experience and work portfolio that showcase their ability.
An established marketing team leads with sturdy internal marketing efforts, systems, and processes, too.
Tighter budgets typically equate to greater ebb and flow based on real-time internal revenue adjustments.
Agencies like recurring revenue too, but the reality is they're contractors whose services can be purchased a-la-carte and when needed.
Such a relationship means marketing budgets can be flexible without having to fire and hire internal staff, which can tank morale and cause legal employment issues.
Outside contractors solve this in-house issue with on-demand assistance.
In such scenarios, hiring a marketing agency may trump the hiring of full-time, in-house marketers.
Finally, a tighter labor market favors the agency model, especially when hiring freezes are present:
It is also interesting to note that even with larger layoffs on the horizon, some 50% of workers are still looking to quit.
Not all is gloom and doom. Some silver lining exists. According to GroupM, we are likely to expect:
CEOs and investors at various levels are split on how they feel the next 6 to 12 months will shake out. However, there are some inelastic industry sectors that are more likely to thrive and that marketing agencies tend to target during recessions.
To name just a few:
There will be pockets elsewhere that are also likely to weather the storm over the months ahead.
Whether you're a corporation or one of the marketing teams that serve them, adaptation is paramount heading into this coming year.
The best marketer is a chameleon, able to adapt to its changing surroundings, all while providing incremental value to the company's brand, preferably above the cost.
We'll continue to work to nail that internal benchmark for each of our white label SEO clients as we head into 2023.
A lackadaisical approach to customer relations has never worked.
But in today's ever-connected world, customers expect more of the brands they patronage.
People don't just love the feeling of a social cause. They have come to expect it.
In today's digital age, customers want corporate social responsibility (CSR), brand activism, and a brand mission that aligns with their own moral compass.
Did you know your customer service should be top-notch and beyond reproach as well?
That means today's successful brands will be required to do more. MUCH more.
In this article, we'll discuss the top ways that you can ensure that your brand remains authentic while staying competitive in today's digital landscape.
Strategies such as providing consistent customer service, investing in quality content creation, and leveraging influencers will be discussed in detail so that you can remain true to your brand identity while also staying relevant to changing market trends.
Let's get started!
Brand authenticity refers to the process of aligning a company's values, mission, and goals with its public image.
Being authentic means that an organization's brand is consistent in its message, language, and tone across all points of contact, demonstrating brand consistency. It also involves being true to the beliefs, products, services, and standards that a company stands for, fulfilling the brand promise.
Marketing is secondary to your operations.
You might talk a good talk with the right marketing soundbites, but you're living a lie; your hypocrisy will do more harm than good to your brand.
When it comes to brand authenticity, first make sure you nail your mission, practice what you preach, and then tactfully let your target audience know where you stand and hold your ground.
Companies need to make sure that their message, language, brand voice, and tone are the same across all of their platforms.
Also, they should stay true to the products, services, and standards they believe in.
Differentiate yourself by telling and flaunting your brand story.
If you're able to properly craft your message, you'll be able to grow your margins and move your brand up-market.
Market why you are different and why that matters.
Let customers know!
One of the key components of maintaining your brand authenticity is providing consistent, quality customer service.
Having a repeatable and reliable customer experience will help ensure that customers can trust the quality and consistency of your products or services.
Customers should be able to expect a certain level of service from your business each time they interact with it, regardless of their location or platform. This consistency reinforces what the brand stands for and reflects the brand's personality in every interaction.
Support customers as if your business depended on it because it surely does.
This means providing a reliable level of customer service in person, on the phone, and through digital channels such as websites, social media, and mobile apps.
In other words, build brand authenticity in your standard operating procedures, not just your marketing message.
Content has always been the cornerstone of marketing.
However, with the rise of digital media and short attention spans, content creation has become even more important.
It's now essential to create content that resonates with customers and builds trust in your brand.
High-quality, well-researched content can help you stand out from the crowd and convey your values to a wider audience.
It's a fact that active brands receive more inbound vs. outbound leads.
You will also want to diversify your digital marketing between both content type and distribution platform.
If you want to maintain authenticity, you need to be preemptive in putting out fires before they get out of control.
Enter brand monitoring.
An authentic brand is an engaged brand.
An engaged brand will know when poor content is being written about them online.
Monitoring customer (and even non-customer) feedback is key to staying authentic and gaining trust with your customer base.
How quickly you respond to customers on social media matters to your brand.
Doing so allows you to address issues before they become major problems while also giving you an idea of how customers perceive your brand.
Another way to monitor customer feedback is through a robust customer service system, such as live chat, where customers can ask questions, provide feedback, and report issues.
Being transparent with customers is essential for maintaining brand authenticity.
Companies should be honest and open about their business practices and values, as well as the products and services they provide.
A polarizing brand that takes a position is better than a brand that has no vision of what it wants.
You can't be everything to everyone, but you need to be transparent in what you believe.
Doing so will build trust between the company and its customers, which is critical for sustaining long-term relationships.
You don't just want customers; you want loyal customers.
The right type of customer loyalty can be extracted and drawn upon for years to come.
By leveraging data, companies can understand their customer base and create more targeted and effective campaigns.
Companies should use data to measure the success of their campaigns, as well as analyze customer behavior to gain valuable insights into their target audience.
This will help them create content that better resonates with the right target demographic and highlights the brand values.
As we always like to say:
Data doesn't lie, but people do.
As we have stated in our digital marketing manifesto, business is always personal.
Focus on each customer as if they are the only customer, and they will return time and again.
That's why it's called a customer relationship management (CRM) system and not a customer sales system.
You're not selling people. You're building relationships.
What makes brand authenticity important to your overall strategy is the way you use it to build long-term relationships with loyal clients.
Remaining flexible while staying true to your core values is essential for maintaining brand authenticity.
Companies must understand customer wants, needs, and preferences in order to create meaningful content that resonates with them.
At the same time, companies must also remain consistent in their core values and messaging so that customers can trust the company. Consistent messaging ensures that the company's communications are always aligned with its values, further building customer trust.
Sometimes customers may disagree with your ultimate approach to how you solve problems are look at issues that occur within your business.
As long as you maintain your core values, you are more likely to retain the respect of your core audience, even if you need to be flexible in how you implement your strategies.
Destroying even perceived brand authenticity takes a single moment: email, tweet, or gaff.
In today's digital landscape, maintaining brand authenticity is essential for any business to succeed.
By leveraging data-driven strategies such as providing consistent customer service and investing in quality content, businesses can build trust with customers and gain a competitive edge over their rivals.
Additionally, companies must remain rigid in their core values while also being flexible in their approach when it comes to solving customer issues. Doing so will help them stand out from the competition and create meaningful relationships with customers that last long into the future.
Customers expect brands to be genuine and honest in all aspects of their operations, from customer service to marketing efforts.
Brand authenticity helps build trust with customers and gives them a reason to choose your business over the competition.
Let our digital marketing agency help craft the right message for your target audience to ultimately make your brand authentic.
The only constant is change.
Nowhere is this more palpable than in the world of internet marketing and search engine optimization.
What works today may lose its impact in six months. One such internet marketing strategy that is starting to wane is the Skyscraper Technique.
Coined by Backlinko's Brian Dean, the Skyscraper Technique is a simple concept for creating marketing-ready content online:
The Skyscraper Technique is a deliberate, methodical means of both finding ideas for new content generation and creating something better.
Presumably, this content would rank better in search engines. It did for a long time.
In fact, because of the varied entity keywords and LSI keywords included throughout such long, exhaustive pieces, these types of blog posts would often rank for hundreds, if not thousands, of keywords.
With exhaustive content that covers a concept completely, a blog post can rank for hundreds, even thousands of keywords.
In short, they would answer multiple questions around a single overarching topic.
The assumption was that if someone had a question, the most exhaustive piece on the subject would be what they wanted.
It would not only answer a user's question directly, but it would include many other interesting facts on the subject, all while being witty, educational, and informative.
Internet users are notoriously fickle. This is not a new phenomenon.
Even users who get their queries answered are likely to bounce quickly, especially if their intent is not to learn everything there is about a given subject.
What is new is how Google and other search engines are now able to preemptively understand the type of content someone is looking for in a given search.
In other words, AI and machine learning are becoming better at gauging whether a particular search query might necessitate an extensive diatribe of random facts about the subject, complete with charts, graphs, gifs, and videos, or if a simple paragraph answer would suffice.
If the latter, wouldn't it make sense to rank a page with not-so-exhaustive content?
Or, better yet, the SERP (search engine results pages) might shove the answer itself into a featured snippet so that the user gets what they want and need immediately without ever having to click.
Featured snippets answer the question with no click required, negating the need for a completely comprehensive piece of content.
If a featured snippet or more tightly created piece of content can answer a user's query, why would a webmaster or blogger feel the need to 10x their content when a simple answer would do?
Copywriters have been using the SEO skyscraper technique to produce high-quality content for years, but recent changes in Google's algorithm have decreased its impact as a means of ranking a single post for 1,000+ terms and phrases.
There are a number of reasons for this:
While the Skyscraper Technique certainly has its place (I mean, who doesn't want to find an article that covers the topic so in-depth there's nowhere left to turn?), it also has a few weaknesses:
There is a place for skyscraper-type content, but it's unnecessary for every query.
In some cases, you want to match search intent without overwhelming users.
Did you know that a full 15% of all searches have never been searched before?
This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for content marketers looking to garner organic search traffic and improve search engine rankings.
Here are a few pointers.
Traffic is in the longtail, and "riches are in the niches."
"It's often easier to rank phrases that have low keyword difficulty.
There is also measurable value in targeting zero-search-volume terms that hit a specific pain point for your target audience.
Steve Toth has one of my favorite posts on this topic. Tim also covered zero search volume here.
If you intend to go broad or rank for a broad topic, you will want to understand what other pages are doing or have done to achieve their existing rankings. Here are a few questions to ask when researching the possibility of ranking for a phrase:
Can you quickly mimic competing pages?
If you are unable to mimic quickly, you should be able to get a sense of how long it might take to get there.
When you're choosing your titles, meta descriptions, and URL slugs, as well as the flow of your content, think about the following:
If you've created a relevant content asset, you should be spending as much time promoting it as you did creating it.
That means using your favorite email outreach tool and other link-building tactics to get quality inbound links.
Google doesn't want content created for a search engine or link building tactic.
But if search engines do their job, they will give users exactly what they want.
Deemed a potential Google killer because of its ability to answer queries without all the blue links, ChatGPT (and other similar future AI chatbot tools) are likely to negate a lot of the work people do in creating content online.
When a bot with machine learning can read thousands of articles on the subject, learn the topic, and respond to a specific question about it based on that learning, it will be tough to compete with the answers produced.
We can't assume the way the internet currently works today is how it will work in 1 to 5 years.
The answer is nuanced.
Like me, you probably hate the "it depends" answer, but the world is not always black and white.
Search engines like Google are getting better at determining search intent.
If I search "What is the capital of Montana?" I probably don't care what the state flower is.
But, if I want to learn about string theory or quantum mechanics, I probably will not want to find multiple sources on the subject and would prefer to dive deep.
When you create content, you have to learn to anticipate searcher and search engine reactions to your content and adapt accordingly.
In some cases, less will definitely be more.
In the best cases, your content may reach a proverbial tipping point.
Gone are the days when creating long-form content was the only means of getting it to rank online. Adapt your approach, and you're more likely to find success and drive more traffic from the right target users.
As we prepare to launch a new digital marketing agency website here at Marketer. co and head into a new year, we wanted to codify, in writing, a mission statement that would perfectly reflect our goals, strategy, and agile marketing approach to both internal entrepreneurs and external partner clients.
We have a phenomenal team of experts and professionals who strive every day to make our business and its processes better today than they were yesterday.
For that, I'm thankful.
Our team's growth mindset is invigorating as it drives us into the next level of opportunities with some of the world's most interesting people and brands.
As we move into 2023, we will strive to improve on our existing success, expand our processes, and continue to deliver at the highest-performing level possible.
We want to not only maintain an authentic brand but one that will last much longer than ourselves.
We fully expect this mission and digital marketing manifesto to be updated to reflect each successive milestone we achieve as we move forward.
Like the Hippocratic Oath, we strive to adhere to the mantra of
Do no harm.
Care in client and partner campaigns is paramount.
We don't use clients as untested guinea pigs.
We test the poison on ourselves first.
Once proven and confirmed with peer review, we perform full-court press to deliver outstanding results.
I love the quote attributed to Warren Buffet:
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
Our goal is to deliver value quickly and often with an aim toward perfection.
More often, we deliver something that lands in between with a focus on value delivery over business work, activity, and output.
We'll continue to strive to deliver value above and beyond expectations.
In short, we're fine with hitting the stars on occasion as long as we hit moonshot results.
The truth is in the data.
People get things wrong more often than computers, especially when it comes to data analysis in online marketing.
When we learn, it's generally through experimentation and looking carefully at what the data is telling us (or not telling us) after removing all lurking variables and distractions.
Trust the data first.
Instincts are important, but they are secondary in data-driven marketing. This is our brand manifesto for building trust through accurate and insightful data interpretation.
Remove the silos that break down communication and ideas.
We pride ourselves on being a team that melds and understands the technical and the beautiful creative aspects of marketing. Our organization exists to revolutionize email marketing by embracing these principles and continually seeking out inventive strategies.
Regular project, client, and internal SCRUM meetings help with this.
Find the problem and seek a solution among known constructs by the team.
But we strive to be adaptive in finding needs and solutions outside the box of the ordinary. Our brand manifesto describes how we approach challenges with creativity and innovation, ensuring we are not confined by conventional methods.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, but to make the sophisticated simple is one of life's great challenges.
We will continue to strive to perform flawlessly in the face of ambiguity and challenging problems. By leveraging top talent and innovative approaches, we aim to stay ahead in our field, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Do the right thing, and you'll always have clients and friends.
Honesty and integrity are critical to a sustainable business environment where everyone wins.
Google might treat the world as a zero-sum game, but we never will.
Measuring twice and cutting once
beats the alternative.
The same thing could be said for hiring.
It does the employer and employee no good to discover a non-fit only after the hiring has occurred.
Lucky for us, we haven't had to fire that often because we tend to hire well.
While we use bots and data, business is always between humans.
Focus on results and treat people like people, and the rest falls into place.
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