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.

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

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.

Discussing Digital Marketing Acronyms

Posted on September 28, 2018 by absolute.admin3

Have you heard the terms SEO, SEM, or PPC being used casually in a business meeting or conversation? It’s easy to nod along, never admitting that you don’t know what these acronyms mean. That’s okay. We’ve compiled a list that explains what these basic marketing terms, so you can feel empowered to use them and make informed business decisions.

SEO

SEO stands for search engine optimization. Effective SEO gradually improves the online visibility of a website or brand through organic, or unpaid, results. SEO involves processes like keyword research and link building. A focused SEO strategy can increase the quality and quantity of incoming traffic to certain website pages. Google, Yahoo, and Bing are the most significant search engines in western countries and they operate using algorithms that calculate what and how to display the most relevant search results. These algorithms change frequently, and it’s essential to work with an SEO specialist who stays informed of these developments. Failing to adhere to updates can negatively impact a website’s visibility.

In the past, devious individuals learned to bypass and shortcut the ranking process through what we call “Black Hat” aka Spamdexing techniques – such as buying links from link farms, keyword stuffing in pages, hiding words in invisible fonts, and other deliberate manipulations of search engine indexes. Search engines like Google caught onto this pretty quickly and started penalizing websites who weren’t playing by the rules. At Absolute, we deploy genuine strategies to develop effective organic marketing that will generate qualified leads for our clients.

If you want to learn more, visit our page to read about our services and our successes in building SEO strategies for our clients in Tampa Bay and beyond.

SEM

On the other end of the digital marketing spectrum, we have SEM: search engine marketing. SEM includes paid placements, banner advertisements, or anything using Google AdWords which can generate positive results for businesses and brands. Paid activities in the digital marketing world include PPC, CPC, or CPA ads – don’t panic, we’ll explain in a second.

SEM can be a powerful marketing tool for brand awareness and lead generation. Depending on the industry landscape, the efforts of competitors, and the cost of ads, we recommend a targeted SEM campaign to complement ongoing SEO and maintain momentum for your business.

PPC

PPC stands for pay-per-click, a popular form of paid advertising via Google AdWords and other third-party platforms. These ads allow you to set a limit for the amount you’ll pay per click. This makes it easy to forecast how many clicks you’ll receive within your allotted budget.

PPC is a powerful tool because you can bid for high placements and get an immediate return on investment (ROI). Ads appear above organic search results, and users are highly motivated to click them since they’re often searching for a specific product, service, or answer.

CPC

CPC means cost per click; every time an ad gets clicked, it costs money. CPC tells advertisers the exact price of each click on a particular ad.

After running a campaign, you’ll be able to see the average CPC and then test variables such as keyword selection, ad copy, position in the ad space, and other factors accordingly. Keep in mind that depending on your competition, keywords can be expensive. For instance, a personal injury attorney or an insurance company should expect to pay double, if not triple, for a single click on their ad compared to niche companies.

CPA

CPA can be a useful form of advertising for a business owner who is focused on how much a new customer costs to acquire. The acronym stands for cost-per-acquisition and refers to exactly that: the cost to get a new customer.

Search Engine Land conducted an extensive study in 2016 and published an article outlining the industry averages for CPA by analyzing more than 2,000 clients in all verticals. They found that the average CPA in AdWords across all industries was $59.18 for Search and $60.76 for display. The CPA’s across industries varied greatly, however, with legal services being a top CPA industry at a whopping $135.17. For more industry benchmarks, check out their article here.

CPM

If you want to venture into paid advertising, another option you have is to go with CPM as a cost model. As opposed to CPC, where you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, CPM stands for cost per mille (one thousand impressions). You set a budget based on how much you want to pay to have your ad shared with one thousand viewers, readers, or listeners.

CTR

You may have heard of marketers talking about CTR, which stands for click-through rate. It’s typically expressed as a percentage because it represents the number of users who clicked on an ad compared to the number of users who solely saw the ad. For example, if you created an ad on Facebook that reached 12,000 people, and 120 people clicked, then your CTR would be 1%.

Many of our clients ask “what is a good CTR?” however, that question is highly subjective. The higher, the better, but it will vary based on industry and competition. In a study conducted by Wordstream, the average CTR in AdWords is 1.91% on the search network, and 0.35% on the display network. For more information about average CTR’s by industry, visit the guide here.

CTA

In the marketing world, CTA stands for call to action. This is a specific instruction given to your reader. It may encourage calling, clicking, buying, or subscribing. Successful CTAs rely on the persuasiveness and quality of the copy, the value of the promotion, and the price. Make sure to work with an experienced copywriter to develop powerful CTAs.

MoM

No, MoM has nothing to do with your mother, or how she may or may not be made of money. MoM is a key performance indicator (KPI) that stands for month-over-month. MoM can be a measure of growth, market traction, business expansion, or any other rates of change. It’s a particularly useful metric for businesses and organizations that are based on monthly subscriptions or memberships.

If you’re still perplexed, contact the marketing team at Absolute Marketing Solutions. Starting with a free consultation, we’ll put together a strategy to help your business achieve digital success. Call us today at (813) 908-6862.