Why Businesses Fail to Measure Marketing Results – and How to Overcome These Challenges

Posted on July 20, 2022 by absolute.admin3

There’s a lot of talk in the business world about the importance of measuring marketing results. But when it comes down to it, many businesses simply don’t do it (or do it incorrectly). Why is that? In this post, we’ll explore some of the reasons why businesses fail to measure actual marketing results and offer some tips on how to overcome these challenges.

Not Knowing What to Measure

Many small business owners do not know what to measure with a seemingly endless number of marketing metrics to sort through. As a result, ‘analysis paralysis is a common predicament for many businesses. In these cases, nothing ends up measured because no one can agree on what should be measured.

Many small business owners recognize that they do not have the knowledge or the time to perform their marketing. In these cases, owners rely on others to select the appropriate metrics. Unfortunately, third parties often choose metrics for reasons other than the interest of business owners. In some cases, the same challenges presented in this article apply to marketers and business owners. The need to report something to business owners while facing some of these same challenges can lead marketers to conclude that it is better to track anything than to track nothing. Since business owners do not know what metrics to track, they believe the metrics reported are the ‘appropriate’ ones.

As a hypothetical example, Freddie and Dan’s Chicago Pizza is a trendy pizzeria in South Tampa. Freddie and Dan have enough challenges running a busy pizzeria they do not have the time to perform their marketing. They also recognize that their expertise lies in making a hot deep dish and not dishing deep on social media. Freddie and Dan decide to hire Dan’s cousin Sammy “Social” Smith to manage their social media. After all, Sammy spends most of his day on Tik Tok and Instagram, so he must be an expert. After a month of working with Sammy, Freddie and Dan received a report that shows the number of followers and engagement they have received across their social channels. Happy that ‘marketing’ is being done, Freddie and Dan reshift their focus back on making pizzas.

Not Knowing How to Measure

Data collection is one of the biggest challenges businesses face when measuring marketing results. To accurately track and measure results, businesses need to have a system for collecting data. This can be a challenge, especially for small businesses that don’t have the resources or manpower to dedicate to data collection. Another challenge is ensuring that the collected data is accurate and reliable. This can be a problem if businesses rely on manual data entry or don’t have a consistent system for tracking results.

Returning to our example, Sammy has a lot of experience as a social media creator. He knows how to create content that captures attention. Sammy is very familiar with the reports the different social media platforms provide and forwards these to Freddie and Dan every month. Sammy has read blogs about other marketing metrics, such as cost per acquisition (CPA) and lifetime value of a customer (CLV), but he does not know how to measure them.

Using the wrong Measurements

Another challenge businesses face is measuring the right things. Focusing on measurements that will give you insights into your marketing performance is essential. Otherwise, you’re just spinning your wheels and wasting time and money.

After a few months of flat or declining sales, Freddie and Dan realize they may have a marketing problem. They meet with Sammy, who shows them how their social media metrics have only increased since he has managed their marketing. At this point, Freddie realizes that the social media metrics they have been monitoring do not necessarily align with their business goals. Sammy explains that there are other marketing measurements, but he doesn’t know how to track them. Freddie and Dan decide to hire a marketing agency to oversee marketing, with Sammy reporting to them.

Not Having the Resources to Measure

Many metrics are difficult or expensive to collect and therefore are outside the capabilities of many small businesses to measure. In these cases, companies often track other metrics that may not provide an accurate or meaningful depiction of marketing results.

Let’s check in on our pizza shop. Freddie, Dan, and Sammy met with the new marketing agency, Absolute Marketing Solutions. The team at Absolute Marketing Solutions held a workshop to establish marketing targets. As part of the workshop, Absolute Marketing Solutions President, Alfred Goldberg, works with Freddie and Dan to uncover their business objectives and develop a marketing strategy to help them achieve them.

For example, one common business goal amongst small business owners is to increase sales. Therefore, a business objective might be to increase the number of customers within a particular target segment. One of the strategies to accomplish this objective was introducing a new Vegan Deep Dish pizza to attract more vegan and vegetarian customers. A corresponding marketing objective might be to increase brand recall amongst vegans and vegetarians in the Tampa Bay market. A business could measure the effectiveness of a brand-building marketing campaign by surveying the target demographic at the start of a branding effort and then again after the campaign.

After reviewing the plan, Freddie and Dan believed that, like many small business owners, they did not have the budget for such an effort. Because of these concerns, Absolute Marketing Solutions shared with them how digital tools such as survey monkey and social media made it cheaper and easier to do market and brand research than ever before.

Not using the Measurements

Finally, businesses need to be able to use the data they collect to make decisions. This can be difficult if you don’t have the right tools or are unsure how to interpret the data. Without being able to take action on your marketing measurements, they’re essentially useless.

Revisiting Freddie and Dan, we discover that despite demonstrating that the current marketing tactics were not producing a noticeable change in brand recall amongst Tampa’s Vegans, Sammy continued to pursue the same tactics. Absolute Marketing Solutions worked with Sammy to show him how he could adjust his content and targeting to better reach the target audience with the right message at the right time. The agency also showed Freddie and Dan some other marketing tactics that could promote their Vegan Deep Dish. Freddie, Dan, and Sammy agreed that all marketing meetings would conclude with an explicit declaration of what changes would be made based on the current information provided by the tracked metrics.

Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these challenges. By developing a clear plan for measuring marketing results and using the right tools, you can set your business up for success. Then, with a little effort, you can ensure that your marketing measurement efforts are paying off.

What do you think? Do you have any other tips for measuring marketing results?

Reaching for Education

Posted on April 27, 2022 by absolute.admin3

Continuing our values series, our second value in the acronym REACH-IT is education. Many marketing firms define the term “education” differently. Some may value a certification or degree over one’s experience. Although we recognize the importance of attending a university, we do not stop there when looking to build our team. In fact, we believe that one’s education is never complete. As marketing and technology continuously change, we must develop our minds to recognize the challenges created by the ever-changing marketplace. For this reason, and many more, we have made education one of our core values.

Since there are many outstanding universities located near Absolute Marketing Solutions, we have been fortunate to recruit alumni from the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, and Florida State University. Just like any university, we value the importance of education. However, a degree only gives you a basic understanding of what to expect when working professionally. Moreover, a degree proves one’s passion, dedication, and ambition. In many cases, we look for candidates who exhibit these traits and are open to expanding their knowledge.

These characteristics are easily found in those who show enthusiasm for the industry or subject. At Absolute Marketing Solutions, we do not limit our employees to one specific department. Instead, we encourage them to learn all aspects of the business. As a result, our employees will often collaborate and teach each other how to perform tasks outside their expertise.

We also take the opportunity to educate our employees about the latest marketing trends and techniques. These lessons may be demonstrated through games, meetings, videos, or workshops. These activities act as educational tools for employees to enhance their skills, communicate with coworkers, and participate in hypothetical situations. In addition, we have found that having our employees engage with each other helps them recognize opportunities to further their development and spark new interests.

To ensure that the information resonates with our employees, we often use the vocabulary and methods conversationally throughout the office. For example, business acronyms such as RACE, SOSTAC, and SWOT have become part of our company’s culture and language. We have found that the willingness to use this vocabulary directly correlates to the performance of our employees.

We also value education within our client relationships. For example, we find value in sharing the process and results of our projects with our clients. We do this by presenting our research, metrics, and strategies to help them interpret our solution. Nevertheless, we always welcome questions and comments that can improve our work in the future. These interactions are also a practical educational experience for our employees.

Since marketing platforms change so rapidly, it’s also common for clients to get confused about our work. It doesn’t help that most of the information they are reading is from a handful of different sources. However, we see their questions as a sign of trust. By answering these questions, we can demonstrate our expertise, help our clients better appreciate the work, and add security to our client relationships.

As a constantly growing marketing firm in a continually evolving industry, we understand the importance of education. At Absolute Marketing Solutions, we are responsible for giving our employees proper training. Regardless, that training is only effective for those willing to dedicate their time to learning. Therefore, we encourage all those interested in pursuing a career in business to continue educating themselves beyond a textbook.

If you are looking for a team to partner with on your next marketing project, please contact one of our team members at Absolute Marketing Solutions.

Reaching for Results

Posted on April 20, 2022 by absolute.admin3

When initially meeting with a client, we always begin by asking them to define their business objectives. Then, understanding their objectives, we help them craft their strategy, guide their selection of marketing and promotional tactics, and capture the appropriate metrics. We do this because our clients count on us to deliver actual measurable business results. Our focus on achieving these results led to the first of our company values, “results-oriented.” Results-oriented is a term we use to describe our agency’s focus on outcomes rather than processes and activities.

Although most marketers would agree with this approach, some fail to maintain being results-oriented. Unfortunately, this mistake is not unusual

because the day-to-day activities we engage in occupy so much attention, making it easy to shift focus away from client objectives. However, the more you focus on business objectives, the more likely you will successfully achieve them.

A common goal amongst clients is to increase sales of a particular product or service to a specific audience. For example, a local restaurant may wish to increase the number of delivery orders to college students. To help our client achieve this objective, we will likely use several different marketing tactics. These tactics have metrics that help us make decisions. We call these tactical metrics. For example, social media has well-known metrics such as likes, follows, and engagement. These metrics let our social media team know how effectively they reach a particular audience and how receptive that audience is to their message. However, these metrics do little to tell us how effective their efforts are in increasing the number of delivery orders to college students.

Many firms focus solely on these tactics and exclusively use them when reporting to clients. Although some clients may be interested in seeing this data, we believe it is more important that clients know that we are making progress toward their goals. Instead of hiding this data, we demonstrate how these tactical metrics may drive objectives. Building on our previous example, we can use tactical metrics such as reach and engagement to show how well we promote their delivery option.

Our values create our company culture. When looking for new hires, we look for this trait by asking open-ended questions that could demonstrate how a candidate is results-oriented. Additionally, we have developed a style of “company dialogue” that helps our team members reorient back to client objectives when discussing campaigns, projects, and strategies. In this way, we ensure that Absolute Marketing Solutions will always be results-oriented.

If you are looking to partner with an agency that will be focused on achieving your business objectives, look no further than Absolute Marketing Solutions.

National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day

Posted on December 21, 2021 by absolute.admin3

As of February 2021, the number of homeless in downtown Tampa hit a high of 1,650 people. Although the city has been working to provide shelter, food, and hygienic products to the homeless, many still struggle to survive. However, Hyde Park United Methodist Church has made efforts to support homeless initiatives through its non-profit organization, the Portico. On National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day, we honor the work that our client, the Portico, has done to recognize those who face homelessness in our community and those who have died without a home.

The Portico Cafe:

The Portico Cafe is a social enterprise that helps bridge people battling homelessness, addiction, and incarceration with employment opportunities. Many of the cafe’s employees have taken his opportunity as a second chance to rehabilitate their lives and reconnect with community members. In addition, the cafe offers many different breakfast and lunch options for customers to order. These funds directly support the Portico’s events and initiatives. For more information about the cafe and its employees’ stories, please visit their newly renovated website here.

Portico Housing Solutions:

The Portico Housing Solutions provides safe housing for those transitioning into a new life. In exchange for accommodation, tenants are encouraged to give back to the community, attend church services, and develop a savings account that can be upheld after completing the program. The Portico Housing Solutions also offers mentoring and spiritual support for its residents provided by Hyde Park Methodist Church. Their goal is to support and transform the lives of the homeless.

Love INC:

Located on the third floor of the Portico, Love INC is a group of volunteers that provide the homeless with necessities such as food, water, and clothing. They differentiate themselves from other organizations by also bringing love, wisdom, and religion to individuals in need. Their mission is to mobilize local churches to transform lives and communities in the Name of Christ.

Homeless Memorial:

Outside the Portico campus is a homeless memorial that honors those who have died on the streets of Tampa. The wall is edited each year with the names and ages of each person who has passed. The Portico works hard to recognize the strength and lives of the homeless as they have documented over 115 names to date.

Homeless Jesus:

Timothy P. Schmalz, a Canadian sculptor, best known for his religious art pieces, created the well-known Homeless Jesus Sculpture outside the entrance of the Portico campus. This prominent figure depicts a distressed Jesus sleeping on a park bench. Many people in passing have stopped to take a second glance at the realistic statue once they have recognized the sleeping man’s face. These actions have fulfilled the artist’s intentions of acknowledging those who are homeless and acknowledging that Jesus is with everyone.

To help the Portico’s many efforts in preventing homelessness around the Tampa area, please visit https://theportico.org/ to learn more about how you can get more involved.

If you are interested in working with Absolute Marketing Solutions for your marketing needs, contact one of our team members today.

How to Stay Productive In and Out of the Office:

Posted on December 13, 2021 by absolute.admin3

It seems like ever since the pandemic, workers have been struggling to shift their focus back into the office. But just as we adjusted to sleeping in, dressing down, and meeting on Zoom, we must readapt to traditional business standards to achieve company goals. To avoid a lack of productivity in the workplace, we recommend following these few simple steps at home and work to increase mental stimulation.

Plan Ahead:
Although it may seem obvious to any business professional, it is necessary to create a well-organized planner that tracks future events, meetings, and assignments. Building this calendar will help you stay on top of tasks and approximate proper time management. We also suggest you highlight any deadlines to ensure that they are complete. As well as creating checkpoints leading up to the official deadline to keep yourself accountable for these tasks.

Avoid Distractions:
In a recent Forbes article, studies have found that those who work from home are much less productive than those in a professional environment due to the lack of company culture, many distractions, and untrustful technology systems. Therefore, those who work in an office should take advantage of the opportunity by separating work and home life. By maximizing your work time at the office, you may feel more determined to complete tasks before the day is complete, ultimately creating more time to relax at home. In addition, you should also turn off unnecessary notifications when working to avoid any distractions. Some people may even need to hide their devices to remain focused.

Make Healthy Choices:
It may be efficient to order from a local fast-food chain while on your lunch break, but the outcomes of consuming unhealthy food can be detrimental to your mind and body. It is essential to fuel your body with natural food that gives you energy, boosts your immune system, and decreases stress. Try bringing snacks that are not prepackaged, like fruits, vegetables, or nuts. These foods lead to higher antioxidant levels that reduce “brain fog.”

Move Your Body:
These days, many companies provide amenities to their employees to promote healthy living. For example, a company may pay for a gym membership or have a fitness center in its office. These recent changes have found that employees are less likely to miss work, lowering the employee turnover rate. In addition, studies have shown a direct relationship between working out and brain function in which working out can increase memory, focus, and creativity. If your office doesn’t have a gym, try taking a brisk walk around the block to stimulate endorphins.

Socialize with Others:
One of the benefits of working in an office is having a team of professionals around you. These relationships can increase awareness of your company’s different departments and projects. It is essential to understand all aspects of a company to ensure employees work cohesively. We recommend communicating with your coworkers to collaborate on ideas or ask for advice. These interactions can also decrease stress and increase one’s mood.

Although there are many more ways to increase productivity in the office, these are just a few examples that the Absolute Marketing Solutions team has found to be successful. It is important to remember that every individual is different and may have additional methods that increase their work ethic.

If you have any questions about company culture, please contact the Absolute Marketing Solutions team.

Start Preparing Now for Next Year’s Cyber Monday:

Posted on November 30, 2021 by absolute.admin3

The weekend following Thanksgiving can easily be named one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. Just this year, Cyber Monday brought over $11 million in sales from over 80 million people. As a small business owner, this opportunity is not one to miss as it can help you reach your short- and long-term sales goals. We suggest that businesses start preparing now for next year’s chaos to ensure that Cyber Monday is a success.

Thankfully, Cyber Monday has made it easier for customers to purchase their holiday gift list with a simple click of a button. Unlike Black Friday, customers no longer need to map out shopping routes, wait in never-ending lines, or fight their way to the cash register. This significant change in retailing has urged more consumers to order online. To prepare for a large number of shoppers visiting your online store, we suggest updating the speed of your website. You can measure this through Google’s Paid Speed Insights. Note that your website should ideally load in less than three seconds. If your website does not load within that time range, there is a high chance that users may move on to your competitor’s site.

You can additionally use your website to promote offers running exclusively on Cyber Monday. This campaign can create a sense of urgency for customers who may be browsing your website before November 29. As an example, try revealing weekly deals on hot products leading up to Cyber Monday. If your website utilizes cookies, you can track whether a customer has viewed these offers, and therefore, tailer their future visit around this information.

Since there will be a large number of online traffic, it may be helpful to have a customer service team available to answer questions and assist customers with any problems. An effective customer service team can be easy to reach on multiple platforms, such as phone, email, social media, or online chatbot.

As explained in our previous blog, Direct Marketing Solutions, direct marketing can also be an effective tactic to use when communicating with your customers. If your business has established a mailing list, we recommend utilizing the subscriber’s information to send specific details about Cyber Monday. By directly contacting customers, there is an immediate sense of loyalty felt between the recipient and business. You could use this relationship to offer brand advocates a pre-access code to Cyber Monday deals or a product sample with a specific purchase. If successful, this promotional style will translate to word-of-mouth marketing through their advocation for your business.

Although loyal customers are always beneficial to a business, it is important to reach new customers too. To do this, we recommend using social media to inform and engage prospects about your Cyber Monday offers. At Absolute Marketing Solutions, we like to use Instagram and Facebook ads to reach a larger audience. These platforms allow you to track analytics relating to your advertisement and can be easily managed. To differentiate your Cyber Monday advertisements from others, use hashtags like #cybermonday, #shopsmall, or #cybersales.

Although many other promotional tactics can be used to market a business during Cyber Monday, we have selected these specific methods to ensure success in sales.

If you have any questions regarding promotional or marketing tactics, please contact one of our experts at Absolute Marketing Solutions.

Brands Aren’t Made in Factories, nor Photoshop

Posted on November 11, 2021 by absolute.admin3

For the past few years, Forbes has named Apple, Google, and Microsoft the top leading brands in the world. Like most people, I am sure you were picturing their logos as you simultaneously read this statistic. If this is the case, you have successfully exhibited brand recognition with these multibillion-dollar companies.

Although the mentioned companies have many financial resources to help build a positive brand image, it is not to say that a small business cannot do the same. Based on our experience, we have found that small businesses either do not understand the importance of a brand or believe that their product represents the brand itself. However, building a brand around your product is essential in conveying a business’s message. To understand this dilemma better, we have provided some common questions received from clients about branding.

“Is it too late to create a brand?”

Branding impacts all aspects of a business, regardless of the age of your business. If you have been in business for a few years, there is a high chance that you have created an accidental brand. An accidental brand occurs when a company unconsciously designs a brand based on the established characteristics of the business. For example, your company may be known for its convenience, authenticity, quality, or customer service. You can use these qualities to your advantage by delivering a consistent brand promise that conveys your company’s mission. If successful, your business can achieve positive brand equity.

“What does a brand need besides a logo?”

While a logo helps gain brand recognition, there are many more aspects that can help create a brand. In fact, a brand’s identity is what truly helps a brand gain its presence. These characteristics can include a company’s color palette, font, tagline, tone, or perceived value. Nevertheless, we have noticed that most small businesses don’t pay attention to these details when establishing their brand identity. When branding for a client, the Absolute Marketing Solutions team does extensive research on the meanings of colors, fonts, and shapes before producing multiple examples to present to our clients. Depending on their feedback, we may have to restart the entire process. This method seems tedious now, but it is understood that a logo can be a company’s most valuable intangible asset.

“I need social media marketing, not branding…”

Branding is part of everything you do in a business; therefore, your brand should influence your company’s culture and content. For instance, our Social Media Manager works hard to mimic our client’s brand when creating content for social media. These details include the caption, emojis, filter, and pictures she chooses to post. In many cases, we have found that consistency provokes interest and following on social media. Without an established brand, customers may get confused about what your company is trying to deliver.

“Isn’t promotion the same thing as branding?”

In short, the answer is no! Promotion is a form of marking communication in which the publicization of a product, organization, or venture increases sales or public awareness. The most successful form of promotion pushes branded products towards consumers. One of our clients, Eddie and Sam’s NY Pizza, has a popular style of pizza that is crafted with authentic New York water. This factor is an advantage for Eddie and Sam’s that pulls customers in to taste their product. When we recently created coupons for them, many consumers were already aware of the brand, and therefore, utilized this form of promotion. In the end, this promotion would not have been as successful if Eddie and Sam’s had not established the proper branding before the campaign.

As you can see, a business’s brand takes time to establish and should be professionally crafted. As a small business, a recognizable and preferred brand is essential when building awareness, esteem, and loyalty.

If you have any questions about branding or logo design, please contact one of our experts at Absolute Marketing Solutions.

5 Digital Marketing Resolutions for 2019

Posted on January 1, 2019 by absolute.admin3

It wouldn’t be a new year without New Year’s resolutions. In addition to getting to the gym more, meditating, and whatever other personal goals you’ve set, it’s likely you have a few career-related resolutions too. Hopefully, these resolutions include your company’s marketing methods, because there’s a lot to watch out for in 2019. We cherry-picked the most important upcoming trends. If you take note, your marketing efforts will be at their best in the new year.

1. Stay accessible

Remember when you could take a week to respond to an email or a social media comment? Those days are long gone. Consumers, clients and business partners alike are looking for high-speed responses for immediate solutions. Technology has created a standard for real-time communication. Your business or product may be discussed anywhere in the world, at any time, on many forums. A company representative must be accessible to answer questions and complaints instantaneously. If necessary, this could be a chatbot, but the real brownie points go to the C-suit professionals that step into the spotlight on behalf of their brand. When business leaders speak out on social media, it fosters a sense of trust and accountability that is otherwise impossible with automated answers and customer representatives.

2. Listen + act accordingly

With more trends, products and news than ever before, social listening (or monitoring) has become vital to marketing success. Whether you’re listening for general, community happenings or customer conversations about your brand, social monitoring will give you unparalleled information. In 2019, this practice will even be used for lead generation and selling. There are numerous tools that assist the listening process, weeding out specific keywords, mentions and hashtags. Listening is just the first step; you must respond (quickly, of course) and record relevant feedback to be used as hard data. Customer reviews and comments cannot be overlooked this year. It takes a single conversation to change the nature of your business and reputation. So whether it’s good or bad, you need to listen to and act on all feedback.

3. Find genuine, ‘micro-influencers’

Social influencers are all the rage. For the past few years, every notable brand has partnered with celebrity or high-profile influencers in order to promote their products. However, this has become increasingly ad-like and expensive! So, if you’re a local business or SMB, consider working with micro-influencers instead. Micro-influencers are niche – making it easier to target a specific audience. Although a micro-infleuncer’s audience is smaller, it’s still notable in size, and their followers are eager to hear what they have to say. Micro-influencers are often considered experts in their niche, so the products they push are seen as must-haves, not just another paid ad.

4. Personalize, personalize, personalize… responsibly

Communication is expected to be more personal than ever. Consumers now expect companies to know their location and tastes, and to recommend nearby stores or services. This age of personalization is a major way to boost marketing performance and customer experience. However, after many data faux pas, we’re also in the age of accountability. The ethics of data usage are being scrutinized like never before, and more businesses are expected to be transparent with their information. Many businesses are attempting to use data to make a positive societal impact to benefit their brand and overall bottom line. Consumers want personalization, but they also want responsible action, and they will pick and choose the companies they deem fit. Resolve to balance personal information with accountability in 2019.

5. Create an innovative, internal culture

You may be wondering, ‘what does my company culture have to do with my marketing services’? The answer is everything. With Gen Z’s rapidly entering the workforce, new expectations and work styles enter the office too. These young professionals are innovative, direct and fast-paced. They expect a work environment that both challenges and inspires them. By creating an open, team-oriented atmosphere, you’ll make the most out of your employees’ ingenuity, which will affect every aspect of your marketing efforts.

In marketing (and in life) there is a lot we can’t control. However, by staying aware and staying steadfast, we can remain informed and relevant. Choose to follow through with your marketing resolutions, and your business will reap the benefits. If you need more information on any of the topics listed above, contact us today. We can help integrate the latest practices into your marketing routine. Here’s to a year of prosperity, which we hope to assist you with! Cheers!

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Phoebe

A recent graduate from the University of Tampa, Phoebe brings an understanding of journalism, PR, advertising & branding to the Absolute team. Her extensive customer service and cross-cultural communication experiences give her insights into various perspectives.

A Business Owner’s Guide to Digital Marketing

Posted on December 27, 2018 by absolute.admin3

The red bubble on your inbox icon reads 52. It’s 7:02 am. Gulping your coffee, you start wading through the email chaos. You clench your mug – half of these emails are ads for digital marketing services. Finding digital marketing help has been on your to-do list for a week, but more options bring more confusion. How do you choose a digital marketing person or team when you don’t know what digital marketing entails? Can digital marketing be done by one person? More importantly, how is digital marketing even defined? Now your head is spinning with questions you don’t know the answers to. Digital marketing efforts will be postponed another day… or five.

We’re often asked, “what’s the difference between regular marketing and digital marketing? and “is digital marketing social media?” so we decided to break it down. The basic definition of digital marketing is: “the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising and any other digital medium.”

The main difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing is, of course, the Internet. Digital marketing is on the rise because it is more measurable, targeted and personable than traditional marketing. However, it’s no surprise that many are unsure about the digital marketing process, the roles that are necessary, and how digital marketing can be utilized for business.

Web Design

Developing a website is not included in digital marketing, but digital marketing activities (when done well) drive traffic to your website. If potential customers are directed to your site and cannot find what they need, the digital marketing practices are useless. It is imperative that your website is fully developed before moving forward with digital marketing, so we always recommend beginning with website design.

In today’s noisy landscape, your website is the first impression, portraying your value to visitors. An informative, eye-catching and easy-to-use website is crucial to any business in defining its brand, connecting with customers and influencing buying decisions. Not only does your website need to be effective on a computer, but it must be equally effective on a cell phone or tablet – this is referred to as responsive web design. Mobile traffic makes up nearly 60 percent of all web traffic, so it is crucial for websites to function on various devices. To learn more about our responsive web design services, click here.

Website Optimization

A website cannot be built and left alone. It takes constant testing, examining and measuring to ensure a website is performing effectively. The goal of website optimization is to convert visitors into customers. This may entail moving features around, changing colors or updating information to cater to different people. Website optimization is a perpetual process of educated experimentation. You can track and compare users’ actions, but preferences and features are constantly changing. By optimizing and updating your website, your online presence will never stagnate. Feel free to read more about our optimizing maintenance services.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

A great website is no use if no one can find it. That’s where SEO comes in. In order for a website to register with search engines like Google, popular keywords must be utilized. The SEO process includes website audits, link building and in-depth keyword analysis to determine which phrases people use when searching for your products or services. SEO requires a trained SEO professional, who sometimes works with the website developer when elemental changes are necessary. Want to read more about SEO? Click here.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is the most common form of SEM. PPC is a key-word focused approach used as a form of paid advertising. The advertiser (you) pays the search engine a small fee each time your ad is clicked. When done efficiently, the visit to your website will result in a sale, which outweighs the amount paid to get the consumer there. This form of marketing generates immediate leads and measurable results. If you’re interested in PPC, or other forms of search engine marketing click here.

Display Advertising

Display advertising includes any type of banner ad used on websites, apps or social media that aim to deliver targeted messages. Digital advertising isn’t limited to banner ads, it also includes forms of outdoor advertising. Did you know that digital billboards can tell when it’s raining, and can change the displayed advertisement to fit the forecast? That’s the difference between traditional billboard marketing and digital billboard marketing. Digital marketers utilize ever-changing scenarios and concepts to their benefit – thank you, technology. Display advertising calls for a copywriter and graphic designer.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is no longer just a way to chat with your friends – it’s an opportunity to improve your business. Social media is a powerful digital marketing tactic; posting consistent, relevant content will help build a loyal following. Consumers have daily conversations about your industry. The best way for your company to remain at the center of the conversation is to become a part of the conversation. Social media is a forum for conversations, reviews and trending information, and must be constantly monitored. It’s crucial to know that it’s not all about receiving likes. One person can handle social media marketing, but the best work is done when writers, photographers and graphic designers create content together. There’s a lot to understand about social media. Here’s some more information.

Content Marketing

Businesses are continually finding ways to carve a place in the minds and hearts of consumers. The days of using a catchy jingle or a colorful print ad to capture customers are gone. In our digital age, one of the best ways to build trust among consumers is to offer something of value. Creating content (like blogs or video seminars) that solves a problem, entertains or educates consumers will help your business stand out. The content marketing process usually calls for a videographer/photographer, writer and graphic designer. Read on about our content marketing process.

Email Marketing

While email may be one of the oldest forms of digital communication, it also is one of the highest converting mediums. An effective email marketing strategy can connect you to your audience; email marketing software helps you understand your audience’s response so that you can plan your next marketing move. It’s a good way to ensure that specific audience members are receiving important announcements and opportunities. Email marketing is not as simple as just hitting send, the writing, visuals and flow of information must be well-thought-out. More about email marketing can be found here.

Public Relations & Reputation Management

Public relations focuses on storytelling, persuading and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships on clients’ behalf. The goal is to ensure that your business is being positively discussed by the public – both in person and online. PR professionals work to repair the business’s reputation and mend the repercussions if a business has been negatively impacted. When a business takes a hit, it doesn’t take long before it’s being discussed on the internet, making crisis management a digital concept. PR professionals must repair the digital status by pushing down any negative articles or comments in search rankings. This also entails sending custom messages to all stakeholders. Writers, spokespeople and social media managers may make up a PR team. If you need help managing your reputation, here’s a more in-depth look at our process.

Although we’ve discussed each component of digital marketing as separate, it takes a team of digital communication professionals to work together for consistency and success. Our clients utilize our team of graphic designers, content strategists, videographers, PR professionals, website developers and SEO experts for every digital marketing project. The best digital marketing is done as a team with a goal, tone, strategy and audience in mind.

Do you have a clearer understanding of digital marketing services? If not, give us a call to learn more about how we can help advance your business: (813) 908-6862.

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Phoebe

Will Instagram Likes Pay the Bills?

Posted on December 3, 2018 by absolute.admin3

Social media users are like addicts. I don’t say this lightly – the obsession with likes has been compared to doing cocaine or smoking cigarettes by researchers and psychologists. Likes drive our egos- it feels good to receive a lot of likes. So, it’s no surprise that many social media marketers are also consumed by the pursuit of likes. Many marketers see it as an easy way to validate their efforts on behalf of their company or client.

However, it’s easy to overinflate the value of a like. Likes offer a simple measurement method: having no likes is bad, and having many likes is good. However, a like seldom reflects revenue. After all, we have yet to meet a vendor that accepts likes as payment (if you know of any, please leave a comment below).

Don’t get me wrong, we’re not arguing that likes don’t have value. They serve as an important indicator of how your social content is being received by your audience. However, too many marketers rely on likes and other so-called vanity metrics. Vanity metrics look good on paper, but they are easily manipulated and as mentioned, do not correlate with profitability.

Now we can discuss how social media can actually benefit your business and bottom line. Social media is an effective way to:

engage in meaningful dialogue with existing and potential customers
get informed on relevant trends and tastes
research your competition
monitor your reputation

Let us explain.

ENGAGING MEANINGFULLY

What exactly is engagement you may ask? In marketing, we sometimes hear the term ‘engagement rate’ used to represent the amount of vanity metrics received. Instead, we like to refer to the vanity metrics received as social transactions and use the term ‘engagement’ to describe social media dialogue. Although dialogue is more difficult to measure than vanity metrics, it is much more rewarding; it is the type of social media use that results in loyal fans and customer insights.

Here are some tips to drive dialogue:

Know your brand personality and stick to it.
Personalize every message.
Stay human and conversational.
Timeliness matters.
Pay attention to what times your audience is engaging.

Engaging in meaningful dialogue takes time and creativity. Users can tell when they’re getting the same, computer-generated responses, and it makes them feel unheard and unappreciated. It pays to put some thought into your responses in order to keep conversations going! It’s also a good idea to take initiative and start dialog yourself by posing questions and asking for opinions. This is how you make the customer feel important and understood. By fostering conversation, you foster trust in your brand.

SPOTTING TRENDS

Social media is a hub for information. It’s a way to learn about local news, events, businesses, products and people. Large companies pay a great deal of money for market research. Major publications publish countless articles on the latest trends. However, these aren’t the only ways to gain public insight! Social media makes it possible for small and independent businesses to do market research and trend analysis independently – but you’ve got to know what you’re looking for.

It is important to read credible blogs, follow specific hashtags and search for industry phrases, acronyms and thought leaders. Since the marketplace is constantly changing, you must do so regularly. Trend-spotting is not just about listening to your target audience, it’s about asking them questions. Tools like SurveyMonkey and social media polls are affordable ways to get direct feedback. Social media is a community of existing and potential customers. You diminish social media’s value if you’re not paying attention to the overarching conversations.

RESEARCHING COMPETITION

Analyzing the competition has never been easier. Long gone are the days of going to your competitor’s establishment undercover – just head to their social media. Here, you’ll be able to find much more than their products and promos. Social media enables you to see who their audience is! Who are they attracting, that you are not? You can even see what their audience members are saying about them and use it to your advantage by differentiating or improving. You can also get an understanding of your competitors’ marketing tactics. What language and images do they use? How often do they post new content? Do they engage with their audience? What are they doing well, and what are they doing poorly? All of this information and more is available via social media.

MONITORING REPUTATION

Social media is an important tool in protecting your reputation. Usually, when someone has a negative experience, social media is the first place they go to complain. For many business owners, it’s hard to read critical comments. For this reason, it is many business owners’ first reaction to act defensively, viewing and answering their “haters” as enemies. This is almost always a big mistake, and it’s one of the main reasons it is beneficial to hire an outside agency to manage reviews and reputation.

Hug Your Haters, written by best-selling author Jay Baer, refers to social media complainers as the “early warning detection system for your business.” He writes about how when handled correctly, haters can be used to your business’s advantage. What matters most is in the response. One must apologize for the issue and pacify the person, all in a speedy manner. This helps make up for the problem, and the insight can be used to ensure it does not happen again.

Loads of likes may be impressive to the eye, but they are not increasing your profit. Social media has evolved into a platform for customer reviews and market research. It’s a marketer’s job to use social platforms to make informed business decisions and strategize for the future.

Engage meaningfully with customers to gain loyalty and brand awareness. Study trends and competitors to discover external standards and inspiration. Accept negative feedback to solve internal issues. When done diligently, you’ll build a stronger social presence and overall business – the real payback of social media.

Contact Absolute Marketing Solutions to learn more about social media marketing that focuses on real customers, in real time, to generate real results.