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If you have social media of any kind, chances are you’ve heard people talk about “algorithms” pretty regularly. When someone posts content and it performs poorly, whether they be a business, an influencer, or your Average Joe, you might hear them blame it on the algorithm.
“Oh, the algorithm hates me… I can’t figure out the algorithm… The algorithm is always changing, I can’t keep up!” And so on and so forth.
At Digital Storyteller, we recognize that there is some truth in these statements. Algorithms are always changing. But first, what are algorithms—and how do they work?
While the word “algorithm” is thrown around a lot today, it can be hard to fully grasp what this term even means.
Kristien Matelski at Vizion puts it perfectly. An algorithm “is a pattern or set of rules that problem-solving operations (especially computers) use to make calculations.”
Let’s dive into what this definition means for Google and social media specifically.
The Google algorithm is “a complex system that allows Google to find, rank and return the most relevant pages for a certain search query.”
Like we mentioned, algorithms are constantly changing. In fact, Marketing Whiz Neil Patel shares on his blog that Google makes minor changes to its algorithm daily!
Google “might even release multiple updates in 24 hours,” says Patel. “These changes are usually small, and you probably won’t notice a drop in search page rankings due to these updates alone.”
However, knowing that the algorithm can literally change overnight (and multiple times at that!), it can feel impossible to keep up. (We know our social team at Digital Storyteller works hard every day to stay fresh with new updates and trends you can’t ignore.)
Google holds over 70% of the search market share and therefore, is the most popular search engine, according to Hubspot. This considered, how can you use the algorithm to your advantage? What does the algorithm take into account when ranking content?
Well, you’re in luck! According to an explainer video posted by Google titled “How Google Search Works,” there are hundreds of factors that go into determining what pops up on a search engine. Here are a few.
For our friends who are interested in watching Google’s quick explainer video for more information on how Google search works, here it is.
So, what’s a social media algorithm? “A social media algorithm is the mathematical calculation that sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and [Snapchat] use to understand user habits and to customize the social experience,” says Matelski.
“Social media algorithms work seamlessly behind the scenes, optimizing the user experience without them knowing the system is at work.”
No two algorithms are identical but they all use similar structures to determine what content you see, to organize the way you see it, and when you see it. Here are a few elements to consider.
For those of you whose business is ready to take advantage of the benefits of video content, check out our article on Instagram Reels to learn how video content supports your social strategy.
At Digital Storyteller, digital marketing is our specialty, and we know that staying ahead of algorithms can feel like a full-time job. Whether it’s Google or social media platforms, algorithms determine how your content is ranked and seen.
Understanding and adapting to these changes is essential for success. From keywords and backlinks to hashtags and video content, each platform has its own rules—but we’re here to decode them for you.
If you’re ready to take your digital marketing to the next level, reach out to our team.
Interested in learning more? Check out our guide, The Linkedin Algorithm Explained: How to Make it Work for You, here.
Amazon, Apple, and Google. We’re assuming you, like pretty much everyone else, know about each of the aforementioned companies. They have some of the highest global brand awareness.
Everyone wants more brand awareness. Why? The more people who know about your brand, the more likely they are to engage with you and ultimately purchase your services or product(s). Let’s discuss more on how you can use an organic social strategy to build your brand awareness.
Brand awareness is how consumers recognize or remember your business. The more brand awareness you have, the more people are familiar with your logo, who you are, what you do, and most importantly- your products and services.
Brand awareness is a vital part of your overall marketing plan. The goal with bringing awareness to your brand is to increase the number of people who are familiar with your business. This familiarity breeds trust, which, in turn, creates deals.
Toobla Blog says it best, “If you can build brand awareness among your target demographic, you can help your brand become top-of-mind when these consumers are ready to research and make a purchase.”
Consumers are more likely to buy from a brand they are familiar with than a brand they have never heard of.
For more secret sauce tips on brand awareness, watch our Chief Creative officer speak more about it in the video series here.
Now, that you’re a brand awareness expert, let’s discuss how an organic social strategy is one of the best ways to build it.
An organic marketing strategy is essentially the opposite of paid advertising and with more benefits (woohoo!) Learn more about the difference between paid and organic social media marketing here.
Examples of organic marketing include:
All of these items combined help increase your business’ visibility digitally. When you share your organic content to social media and your website, it will be seen by the following consumers:
It’s not enough to show up online a few times, you need consistent content to help create a consistent brand message and build an engaged community.
Inconsistent messaging confuses your audience. It makes it harder for them to understand who you are and what your business does. This inconsistency leads to a lack of trust among your audience and therefore fewer leads.
Best practice is to choose your brand archetype and stick with it. Your audience will thank you for it.
Content that is consistent and aligned with your brand voice performs. Every time. Keep in mind that it won’t happen overnight. Be patient with the timeline because the rewards are worth it.
When working with our clients, here’s a typical timeline of what we see and when.
Read on for more information on how each media platform and what each should be used for your business.
So you’re wondering what type of marketing you should implement for your business? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
The two biggest types of marketing are outsourced and in-house. Both want to promote your business to the best of their ability, but they have a few big differences. Learn more about the differences between outsourced and in-house marketing below!
Welcome to the ultimate guide on how to make the LinkedIn algorithm work for you! If you want to improve your LinkedIn game and ensure that your posts get seen by the right people, you’re in the right place. And to sweeten the deal, we’ve got a free download at the end of this blog post (you’re welcome.)
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the LinkedIn algorithm. We’ll explain how LinkedIn categorizes posts, how to avoid being flagged as spam, and how to achieve high-quality status. We’ll also share tips on how to make the most of the golden hour, when to post, how to encourage engagement, and what not to do.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid understanding of how the LinkedIn algorithm works and be equipped with the knowledge to take your LinkedIn game to the next level. So, let’s get started!
These categories are:
So, how can you avoid being flagged as spam? It’s easy, just follow these simple tips:
That’s where things get tricky. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
What’s the deal with golden hour, you ask? It’s not just a trendy Instagram filter – it’s the first hour after you drop a post on LinkedIn. And trust us, you want to make that hour count.
LinkedIn measures the initial engagement to see if it’s worthy of moving on into other people’s feeds. If your post does well in the first hour, it’s much more likely to do well all day, week, or month.
In other words, if you can generate some buzz in that first hour, you’re on your way to LinkedIn fame and fortune. But if crickets are chirping during the golden hour, it’s like your post has been condemned to social media purgatory. So don’t waste your time on lackluster posts – give them the golden hour treatment they deserve!
Not sure where to start? We got you covered.
So, you’ve made it past the first filter – congratulations! But your journey to world domination on LinkedIn is far from over. The next step is to get people to like, comment, and share your post. Think of it like getting a stamp of approval from your audience. The more love you get, the more likely you are to appear in even more feeds. Keep ’em engaged, folks!
To avoid having your content penalized by LinkedIn, it’s important to create high-quality content that resonates with your audience. This means knowing your target audience, understanding what they want to see, and crafting posts that meet their needs. It’s also important to avoid using spammy tactics like engagement bait or excessive tagging. Instead, focus on creating engaging and valuable content that encourages likes, comments, and shares.
On LinkedIn, there are three key factors that influence what appears in your feed.
In conclusion, understanding the LinkedIn algorithm is crucial for anyone looking to increase their visibility on the platform. The algorithm evaluates factors such as engagement probability, interest relevance, and personal connections to determine the relevance of content to its audience. By following the do’s and don’ts of the golden hour and creating high-quality content that encourages likes, comments, and shares, LinkedIn users can boost their engagement and increase their chances of appearing in more feeds.
Want to optimize your business’s LinkedIn page but not sure where to start? Download our freebie, here.
Read on to learn how to leverage your business using LinkedIn. Then, get in touch with our team to schedule your FREE Brand Storytelling Session.
There are two types of marketing available to businesses today: paid marketing and organic marketing. Paid and organic social media are different tools that achieve varying end goals. That being said, it’s critical to understand the pros and cons of both. We introduce you to “Paid vs. Organic Social Media: A Complete Guide.”
Unlike organic social media, paid social media is, well, exactly that, paid.
Paid social media marketing includes posting paid advertisements on social sites and paying to boost existing posts to reach a greater audience of viewers. For example, we’re sure you’ve received an Instagram ad or Facebook ad.
More recently, paid social marketing has increased as consumers have grown more comfortable with the experience of buying directly from their Instagram feeds, for example. Where ads may have once been seen as an annoyance or clogging one’s feed, the ability to target such specific audiences has become a foot in the door for successful paid advertising.
In fact, the best paid social media marketing likely means that at a first glance you didn’t even realize it was an ad! In cases like this, the business targeting you deserves a round of applause. Ads that come off naturally, and not salesy, are the goal when it comes to paid social media marketing.
Overall, paid social media advertising is best suited to target new audiences and convert them into clients. Paid social advertising is commonly used to accomplish the following:
While one option is to attract a new audience, reaching outside of your business’s typical bubble, most often, the best use of paid social media advertising is to target audiences that have already shown an interest in relevant topics.
For example, in running a paid ad campaign on Instagram, a recently opened vegan bakery might target local audiences that have recently liked or saved vegan recipes. They know, based on this audience’s previous behavior, that they would likely be interested in their vegan bakery.
To provide a further example… If someone were trying to attract Digital Storyteller, (or any of our employees for that matter!), they might show us an ad for a monthly wine or chardonnay subscription. Well… Because everyone knows we love ourselves a glass! Oh wow, you didn’t know that? Well, it’s time for you to check out our awesome Chardonnay Review series with Andrew Marr, Digital Storyteller’s Owner and CEO.
In this case, organic doesn’t mean twice as expensive—thank goodness! However, your content WILL be healthier than your competition’s through the use of organic social media marketing. But first, what is it?
Organic social media marketing includes the ‘free’ content that your brand shares to your unique accounts. Well, free in terms of money. Organic content creation requires a great deal of time and effort.
The content that you include in your organic strategy may include blog posts, video, visual graphics, infographics, client testimonials, the list goes on. When your business shares organic content to your social media channels, you can assume that it will be seen by one of the following consumers:
As a business, organic social media marketing should be at the foundation of your digital marketing strategy. But why? “Because [organic marketing is] the best way to nurture a connection with your customers at scale.”
Businesses use organic social media tactics to establish their brand voice, build relationships, engage with prospects and clients, and provide stellar customer service.
Let’s dig a little deeper into each of these.
Establishing your brand voice is ideally something you want to do before rolling out your organic social media marketing strategy. Your brand voice determines so much! Your brand voice is the distinct and consistent personality that your business takes on.
Coca-Cola, for example, has a great and clear brand voice. “The Coca-Cola voice is positive, friendly, and down-to-earth… On the market for over 130 years, [their voice’s] purpose [is] to evoke happiness. You can see polar bears, families getting together to have dinner (and a Coke) or friends dancing and smiling—in every marketing campaign you’ll see the concept of happy-life.”
Think about it this way, you probably talk to your Grandma a little differently than your best friend.
Inviting Grandma over for dinner might sound something like, “Hi, Grandma! I’d love it if you joined me for dinner at my house on Friday night at 7 pm” whereas making plans with your buddies might sound more like, “Hey man, wanna grab a pizza Friday?”
Although this example might not be exactly the case with everyone, you can understand the differentiation based on who you’re planning to address. Determining your brand voice works the same way. Identifying your brand voice should start with pinpointing WHO you’re targeting and go from there.
Lastly, making sure your brand voice aligns with your business’s values and goals is critical.
Take a minute to think about those few Instagram accounts or select news pages you’ve always followed on social media. Chances are there have been other news outlets or Instagram accounts that pop up, however, the accounts that you’ve been following longer, you’re more likely to trust and support.
Establishing a following base with whom you can build a relationship is critical. Ideally, you want to become a source that your followers look forward to seeing content from.
Maybe you post a weekly #MarketingMonday video, or consistently share new inventive vegan recipes. Whatever the case, your organic social media content should be a resource that helps build relationships your followers are equally as invested in.
Social media has changed the name of the game for marketers. While we once may not have been able to determine who we’re talking to and who actually views and appreciates our content, social media has provided the insight of every analyst’s dreams.
Growing your business’s organic social media presence and social network creates a platform for your consumers to engage with your brand. Whether it be getting feedback, growing relationships, or otherwise, having conversations with your audience through social media is key to ongoing organic growth.
Stellar customer service is an important aspect of every business. Whether B2B or B2C, ensuring customer satisfaction is the backbone of a successful business. That being said, it can cause frustration when clients don’t know where to turn to gain the support they need to solve problems and answer questions.
Social media can help.
Social media, for many, is often the most reliable source of information. The public nature of social platforms makes them a quickly accessible way for clients or prospects to directly get in touch with a brand. When we’re busy planning a company retreat or Happy Hour for our team, chances are we check social media for reviews and photos.
Additionally, when clients or prospects have issues or challenges, many turn to social media to have their problems solved. Whether it be tweeting Chipotle for forgetting your guac or DMing Nordstrom about a delayed package, social media is the perfect platform for quick, easy problem-solving.
While organic marketing has significant upsides and success factors, there are some notable flaws in pursuing a strictly organic strategy. Due to the ranking algorithms of social media platforms, not all of your content will be seen by all of your followers.
The recent decline in organic reach is due largely in part to the social platforms pushing to create a user experience that is both “meaningful” and “responsible.” The goal is to show followers more of what they like and want to see, which is determined by their ongoing engagement.
When a user likes, comments on, saves, or shares your posts, it tells the algorithms that they like that content. Based on their engagement, the platforms prioritize similar content with regards to content, hashtags, and accounts.
Getting your content to reach as many eyes as possible is the ultimate goal, and this is where paid social media tactics come in.
In many cases, the best practice is to implement a strategy that combines both paid and organic social media efforts. Keep reading for a few tips to consider when making the decision of how best to incorporate both.
Not all of your posts need to be boosted and paid. Best practice is to identify your best, strongest organic content, then boost that.
You may decide to boost a specific post that’s focused on an upcoming launch or product update, but your most relevant post during a given timeline may just be a well-crafted organic post that appeals to your target audience and builds a positive relationship.
Regardless of what you decide to boost, how often, and how much funding you allocate towards paid social media marketing, all of your posts should be properly optimized. Even a paid post can perform exceptionally well if it’s well optimized for your target audience.
Posts can be optimized in many different ways:
Overall, optimization is key to ensuring the best possible performance of your content.
We recommend building your organic audience before jumping into paid advertising. By analyzing your organic audience you can answer questions like: Who is looking at my posts? Where does my audience live? What is my audience interested in?
These questions can help tailor your content for the future to ensure that it’s best suited for both your existing audience and the audience members you’d like to earn.
In a perfect world, organic marketing would be everything. But in many cases, organic social media doesn’t provide the booming results many businesses strive for. That’s where paid is brought in.
Once your organic audience is identified, the goal is to continue growing your audience within that very same bucket. Paid social media is helpful in doing exactly that.
One of the most important aspects of both paid and organic social media marketing is to track your results. What’s performing and what’s not? What posts led to the great increase in profile visits? Which produced the greatest increase in new followers?
Paying close attention to the type of content that performs the best for your unique audience is critical as you continue to invest more time and money into ongoing content marketing. Social media channels collect an unreal amount of data from their users, much of which is available for review and analysis by marketers. Take advantage of it!
For more on how you can implement organic content creation to grab your clients’ attention, read on.
Are you frustrated with low views on your YouTube channel despite your efforts? We may have some bad news: simply posting videos is not enough. With 122 million daily active users and 500 hours of content uploaded every minute, competition on YouTube is fierce.
The good news? You can optimize your Youtube content to increase your visibility and attract more viewers with just a few simple steps.
Let’s dive into how you can do it.
Audience engagement plays a crucial role in driving interactions and building a connection with your viewers. Encourage interaction by responding to comments, creating a community, and asking for feedback. Experiment with different formats like Q&A sessions, challenges, live streams, or contests to engage your audience effectively.
Make sure to complete your profile to provide viewers with more information about you and your content.
Don’t underestimate the power of simply telling people to visit your website. Incorporate a bookend approach in your videos, mentioning your website at the beginning and end. Display your URL in the video description. By explicitly inviting viewers to visit your website, you can significantly increase referral traffic and expand your reach.
While immediate traffic is important, focusing on long-term growth is equally crucial. Ask your viewers to subscribe to your channel. Subscribers receive notifications about your new videos and are more likely to become loyal fans. As your subscriber count grows, so does your viewership and potential website traffic.
Here at Digital Storyteller, we’re all about embracing the fun and excitement of the comment section! It’s like a virtual hangout where viewers can ask questions, share their thoughts, and create an awesome community.
But wait, there’s more! By actively engaging with the comment section, you not only get to showcase your expertise (cue the expert mode), but you also have the perfect opportunity to sprinkle some magic. Share relevant links to your website or other valuable content, turning the comment section into a gateway for epic discoveries.
Collaborating with other YouTubers in your niche can be mutually beneficial. Look for channels with a slightly larger subscriber count than yours to expand your reach. By sharing audiences, both parties gain access to new traffic sources and increase their visibility – sounds like a win-win to us!
We know, we know, the word “metadata” doesn’t sound like the most fun, but it’s the secret sauce that helps your videos rank higher in search results.
Metadata refers to the valuable information you provide about your video, including titles, descriptions, and tags. By optimizing these elements, you can work your way up the search results ladder and increase your video’s visibility.
Here’s how to work your magic on metadata:
Enchanting Titles: Create descriptive titles that incorporate relevant keywords. Think about what your target audience is searching for and craft titles that catch their attention.
Captivating Descriptions: Craft detailed descriptions that captivate viewers and provide valuable information about your video. Be sure to include targeted keywords and consider adding URLs to direct viewers to your website or other related content.
Strategic Tags: Add tags to your videos to include additional keywords that couldn’t be naturally incorporated into the title or description. These tags help search engines understand the content of your video and improve its discoverability.
By optimizing your metadata, you’ll increase your chances of ranking higher in search results and attracting more viewers to your videos.
Creating playlists for your videos helps organize your content, improves discoverability, and enhances viewer engagement. Group videos with similar topics or themes into playlists to make it easier for viewers to find what they want. Playlists also rank in search results, driving additional traffic to your content.
Optimizing your YouTube channel is essential for standing out from the competition and achieving success on the platform. By engaging your audience, directing viewers to your website, encouraging subscriptions, interacting with comments, partnering with other YouTubers, optimizing metadata, utilizing playlists, and harnessing the power of annotations, you can maximize your channel’s potential and drive more traffic to your content.
Remember, building a successful YouTube channel takes time and effort. Consistently create high-quality content that resonates with your target audience, and apply the optimization strategies discussed in this guide. Monitor your channel’s performance, analyze the data, and make adjustments as necessary.
Keep exploring new techniques, staying up-to-date with the latest trends, and learning from successful YouTubers in your niche. With dedication, persistence, and a well-optimized channel, you can increase your visibility, attract more viewers, and achieve your YouTube goals.
Good luck on your YouTube journey!
The goal of an outsourced digital marketing agency is to understand your business and your brand voice to then let the world know how awesome you are.
We start every engagement with a Brand Storytelling Session where we identify your unique brand voice. Then, our team uses bi-weekly client calls, Monday emails, and content calendars to make sure you know what’s happening, always.
We have monthly reporting where we let you know what the return on investment that you’re getting is from your relationship with us.
Of course, there’s always a team member available to you just a call, email, or even text away. Not to toot our own horn, but we’ve been told on multiple occasions that our bi-weekly calls are their favorite calls!
Happy with the direction we’re headed in? We’ll keep running that way. Want to tweak something? More than happy to adjust.
We’ll bring you fresh ideas from our kick*** creative team from a relationship built on trust. Because that’s the beauty of digital marketing.For those who are interested in learning more about the difference between outsourced marketing and in-house marketing, read on here.
If you’ve made the smart decision to partner with a marketing agency, you’re on the right track to accelerating your business growth. But to truly maximize the potential of this collaboration, there are certain steps you can take to set yourself up for success (spoiler alert: this includes communication, patience, consistency and yes, timely approvals for content – pretty please!)
In this blog, we’ll guide you through a series of essential strategies and best practices that will help you foster a thriving partnership with your outsourced marketing agency. From clearly defining goals and expectations to establishing transparent communication channels, we’ll cover all the crucial elements that contribute to a successful outsourcing relationship. Let’s dive in!
Take some time to define your goals and expectations. Do you want to increase brand awareness, boost conversions, or expand into new markets? Lay it all out and share it with your marketing agency. With a shared vision, you’ll be cruising towards success in no time.
Share your brand’s personality, tone, and values, so they can create content that hits all the right notes. A unified front will resonate with your target audience and create a memorable brand experience.
Communication is key to any successful relationship. Establish a transparent communication channel with your agency, whether it’s through email, project management tools, or regular video calls. Keep the conversation flowing. Share updates, ask questions, and provide feedback. The more you communicate, the better your agency can understand your needs and deliver exceptional results.
Provide your agency with access to relevant data, customer insights, and industry knowledge. Share your brand guidelines, creative assets, and any other resources they might need. By equipping them with the right tools, you’ll empower them to create marketing campaigns that hit the bullseye.
It’s time to break down the walls between you and your marketing agency and embrace collaboration. You bring your industry expertise and deep knowledge of your target audience, while they bring their marketing prowess and creative genius. By working together as a team, you’ll unlock new ideas, innovative strategies, and out-of-the-box solutions that will propel your business forward. So, let those creative juices flow and let the magic happen!
Strategic discussions are like electric storms of ideas, where sparks of brilliance fly around. Don’t miss out on the fun! Actively engage in these discussions with your marketing agency. Bring your unique perspective to the table, ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore new possibilities. Together, you’ll uncover hidden opportunities and forge a path towards marketing greatness.
Patience, grasshopper, patience. In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it’s easy to expect instant results. But here’s the reality check: organic growth takes time, my friend. So, let’s take a deep breath and embrace the art of patience.
Organic marketing is like nurturing a beautiful garden. You plant the seeds, water them, and patiently wait for them to bloom. Similarly, organic marketing requires consistent effort, valuable content, and genuine engagement. It takes time for your brand to gain visibility, build trust, and establish a loyal following. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a thriving organic presence.
Managing expectations is key to maintaining your sanity in the world of marketing. Set realistic goals and timelines based on the nature of organic growth. Understand that it may take several months or even longer to see significant results. But rest assured, with a solid strategy, consistent effort, and a sprinkle of patience, your hard work will pay off in due time.
Consistency is the secret sauce to organic success. Stay committed to delivering valuable content, engaging with your audience, and nurturing relationships. Keep showing up, even when it feels like progress is slow. Remember, every interaction, every piece of content, and every effort
When you partner with an outsourced marketing agency, you’re tapping into a wealth of knowledge and experience. To get the most out of this dynamic relationship, it’s crucial to respect their expertise and foster a collaborative environment for mutual success.
Your marketing agency brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Recognize their strengths and value their expertise. Trust that they have the skills and knowledge to guide you towards success.
One of the benefits of working with an outsourced marketing agency is access to fresh ideas and strategies. Be open to their suggestions, even if they challenge your current thinking. Embrace their unique perspectives and explore new possibilities for your marketing efforts.
Your marketing agency has your best interests in mind. When they make recommendations or provide insights, trust their expertise and follow their lead. Remember, they’re working towards the same goal as you: success for your brand.
We’re begging you, please, make timely approval a priority. Your marketing campaigns rely on the smooth flow of content creation and deployment. Delays in approval can disrupt the momentum and effectiveness of your initiatives. So, be responsive and proactive in reviewing and approving the content. Your agency will be eternally grateful, and your marketing engine will run like a well-oiled machine.
By embracing the content approval process, you play a crucial role in maintaining the quality, consistency, and success of your marketing efforts. So, grab your red pen, don your discerning marketer hat, and let’s give that content our seal of approval. Pretty please, with a cherry on top!
Lights, camera, action! We know that the thought of being in front of a camera might send shivers down your spine, but trust us, it’s time to conquer that fear. In today’s digital landscape, video content reigns supreme, capturing attention and connecting with audiences on a whole new level.
So, why should you get on camera, even if it’s not your favorite thing to do? Here are a few key reasons:
Captivating Visuals: Video has a unique ability to grab attention and engage viewers. With eye-catching visuals, dynamic storytelling, and the power of motion, videos can leave a lasting impact on your audience.
Authentic Connection: Videos allow you to showcase your personality, passion, and expertise in a way that resonates with your audience. By putting yourself in front of the camera, you humanize your brand and create a genuine connection with your viewers.
Expanded Reach: In the age of social media and sharing, video content has a greater potential to go viral and reach a wider audience. Engaging videos are more likely to be shared, increasing your brand’s visibility and attracting new viewers and potential customers.
Increased Conversion Rates: Studies have shown that including video on landing pages or in marketing emails can significantly increase conversion rates. Video has a way of capturing attention, keeping viewers engaged, and compelling them to take action.
In the digital age, where everything seems to happen online, it’s important not to forget the power of in-person connections. Events provide a fantastic opportunity to bring people together, showcase your brand, and create memorable experiences. And what better way to capture those moments than by taking pictures?
When you host or participate in events, whether it’s a conference, trade show, workshop, or even a casual gathering, make sure to have someone dedicated to capturing the highlights. These photographs not only serve as mementos for attendees but also become valuable assets for your marketing efforts.
Sharing event photos on your website, social media platforms, and other marketing channels humanizes your brand and gives your audience a glimpse into the real people behind it. It adds a personal touch and helps build trust and familiarity with your audience.
So, don’t be shy to whip out your camera or hire a professional photographer to capture the energy, excitement, and human connections at your events. Let those pictures tell a story and make your brand come alive.
Marketing and sales are two sides of the same coin, and their collaboration is crucial for driving business growth. By fostering a strong relationship between your marketing and sales teams, you create a seamless customer journey and maximize your conversion opportunities.
Encourage regular communication and collaboration between the marketing and sales departments. This can be achieved through joint meetings, shared insights and data, and even cross-training sessions.
Marketing can provide valuable information and resources to support the sales team, such as targeted content, lead generation strategies, and customer insights. On the other hand, the sales team can provide valuable feedback and insights from direct customer interactions, helping to refine marketing messages and strategies.
When marketing and sales work together harmoniously, it creates a powerful synergy that boosts the overall effectiveness of your business. It aligns your messaging, ensures a consistent customer experience, and ultimately drives revenue growth.
So, break down those silos, encourage collaboration, and let marketing and sales teams talk to each other. Together, they can unlock new opportunities, improve customer engagement, and drive business success.
Give us a call or shoot us a message to schedule your Brand Storytelling Session today.Read on to learn more about why organic marketing is especially great for financial services companies.
The use of social media in financial services is often disputed. Some believe that social media does not hold the same value for business-to-business (B2B) brands as it does in the business-to-consumer (B2C) market.
This, however, is not the case.
While it may be true that B2C companies are often more successful on social media than B2B companies, there are still a multitude of various reasons why building a social media presence benefits a financial services company.
Take it from our Social Media Team at Digital Storyteller: “A marketing strategy without social media is like a margarita without tequila. No one wants that!”
In this article, we’re detailing the key benefits of using social media marketing for financial services companies.
One of the greatest benefits for all businesses to developing a social media presence is to strengthen their existing client relationships.
This may refer to:
Either way, social media networks provide a platform to maintain relationships.
Email marketing and consistent calls are of course another option to nurture relationships! These methods, however, have the potential to get irritating rather quickly.
While blasting your clients’ inboxes with emails may lead them to the dreaded unsubscribe button, they may not feel the need to take such drastic measures when their level of engagement is the casual viewing of sporadic Instagram posts.
Social media provides a relaxed addition to your existing client nurturing process while additionally providing a platform to develop new relationships.
In the same way that Google evaluates content for SEO purposes, viewers evaluate clients based on their authority and expertise. Developing a depth of content on social platforms provides potential clients an opportunity to review your level of expertise within your field.
Over time, existing clientele and prospective clients will likely begin to follow your accounts and engage with your content. Engagement with your content shows that you have a proven following and support system that trusts your business.
Read on to learn more about Instagram engagement.
Social media has turned into an easy, new line of communication.
It has become common for consumers to utilize social media to gain support and answers from companies rather than going through their traditional customer service channels. Various social media platforms provide space where clients are comfortable and familiar.
It is easier for a client to tag, tweet, or comment on a company’s latest post than it is to sit on hold with the customer service line for hours trying to solicit help… No, thanks!
Companies love to see their favorite clients and prospects engaging with them on a personal level through social media. Brands that engage and respond to their clients on social media have overall higher customer satisfaction ratings.
It’s 2022, your clients are on social media—and your competitors are, too.
The truth of the matter is: Brands are expected to have a social presence.
Giving your clients an additional outlet to contact you offers them the support and guidance they’re looking for.
After all, your product or service already serves to solve a problem that they’re facing. Why not fix another one by making yourself more accessible?
In a sense, this goes along with the previously mentioned need for customer support. Making your brand available on social media is like positioning yourself as their friend. Social media platforms were created to connect friends and share experiences, so why can’t the same be the case with brands?!
Social platforms allow your brand to share a behind-the-scenes look at the people that make your brand what it is. For example, our co-founders, Andrew Marr and Amanda Rogers, each have their series of relevant videos that we share weekly.
Not only do these videos “share the secret sauce” behind our brand, but they also give our viewers insight into the faces behind the brand! Plus, who doesn’t love a chardonnay review!?
The same may also be the case with your brand. Finding a way to interact with your clients on an informal basis allows them to consider you a friend or peer. It creates a relationship of trust and mutual respect: Two things you definitely want in your client relationships.
Lastly, being engaged on social media allows your brand to gain insight. Be it consumer or competitive insights, social media functions as a reporting platform.
The way that consumers engage with your social media account can tell you about their buying behavior, likes, dislikes, and needs.
Instagram, for example, has transitioned its functionality to operate similarly to a search engine for users. Tracking the views of your page, accounts reached, post likes, comments, shares, and saves can provide significant insight into how your brand is performing.
Read on for our article “What is Going on With the Instagram Algorithm!?”
Similar claims can be said about your competitors. One of the benefits of public social media accounts is that you can track insight into your competitors’ content. As they provide content for their followers, you have a front-row seat to see what they’re doing!
If your brand is already on social media, there are additional ways to ensure that you are optimizing your channels. This is particularly the case for financial services companies interacting on social media.
Check out this article for additional tips on the use of social media for financial services companies!
SEO, CTA, KPI … The list of terms you need to know for your marketing strategy seems to go on and on. We’re here to help break it down and make it easy for you to understand. Keep reading for our full guide to marketing key performance indicators (KPIs).
KPI stands for key performance indicator. They are a way to measure performance over time. Following certain metrics over time can help your business reach milestones, gauge processes, and provide insight to make better business decisions.
Tracking the right key performance indicators can provide a holistic view of how your business is performing.
We, like Semrush, believe that these are some of the best KPIs you should be tracking:
Your business’ marketing KPI strategy should be unique to your business needs. Sure, you can glean ideas from other similar business models, but tailor yours to help guide you where you want to go.
Here are a few tips on how to develop your marketing KPI strategy.
See an example below of how we at Digital Storyteller keep track of the important KPIs to our business strategy.
Frequently, our clients ask us, “Should I ask for testimonials?” or, “Do people even read testimonials?” and, “Should we do video testimonials?”
The short answer to all of these questions is… YES!
The bottom line is that we receive a lot of questions around the idea of other people (past or current clients!) talking about what you do as a business and how you help people.
So, how do you request a client testimonial? Listen to our CEO, Andrew Marr, speak more about how to ask for a video testimonial.
Don’t lie, you’ve spent time on Yelp or scoured Google reviews… The truth is, as we all know it, a review can make or break someone’s decision to partner with your business.
Use this fact to your advantage. This means you should showcase clients you’ve helped and those you’ve created great partnerships with (because your business is awesome!)
Collecting and displaying testimonials for the world to see helps prospects know how great it is to work with you. After all, Boast found that 72% of consumers say positive testimonials help increase their trust in a business.
Testimonials are powerful, and video testimonials are especially imperative to tell the story of how you helped people.
Many of us grew up in a culture of not asking for help and not talking about ourselves. Video testimonials, however, go against the grain.
When you ask a client to contribute a testimonial for your business, what you’re essentially asking is, “Please, will you talk about us? Will you talk about how we helped you?”
(Hint: These questions are super consequential to those reading—or watching—your testimonial!)
Different questions you can ask your clients to help guide the testimonial are:
If you ask your client for a video testimonial, remind them that it doesn’t need to be very long at all. Ideally, the video should be very short, 30 seconds to one minute. Keep it straight to the point.
The clients might need some coaching, but it’s very easily done.
Lucky for you, we have an entire article that you can send to your clients to prep them titled, “How to Record a Great Zoom Testimonial.” Check it out!
Once you have the video, put it everywhere. We recommend testimonials live on your website, in blog posts, on LinkedIn, and more. Tell the world how you help people. Hell, shout it from the rooftops!
We’re sure that the clients that you did help will be more than happy to do this for you.
Don’t make things complicated. It’s just five simple steps.
How do you know if you need a digital marketing agency? The simple answer is: if you’re ready to focus on your business and do what you do best. Then, you can let a marketing agency do what they do best- help market your business.
There are, however, more signs that your business is ready to partner with an outsourced marketing agency.
Yes, there is a time and a place for a reactive strategy, but that time and place is not with your marketing. Why? Because reactive marketing doesn’t work. It’s a band-aid for a long-term problem.
It usually sounds like this… “Oh s**t, we don’t have any holiday posts scheduled for tomorrow!” and/or “We need more leads, ASAP!” Last-minute posts made hastily are more prone to contain errors or be off-brand.
At Digital Storyteller, we help create a proactive marketing plan for our clients through our content calendar that details an entire month’s worth of content. This accessible and downloadable template can be customized to fit each client’s needs. It also helps our team stay aligned with deliverables.
Need a Thanksgiving post? Boom added to the calendar. Celebrating an employee’s birthday? Bam! Added to the calendar.
Trust us, this content calendar is the best thing since sliced bread.
Are you focused on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? If not, how are people supposed to find you in the black hole of Google?
Amazing blog posts paired with a stunning website can only get you so far without SEO. SEO is how you can tailor your content to rank for search engines like Google. For an in-depth review of SEO, read our article here.
When you use SEO consistently and throughout your content and social media, you’ll see organic growth, keyword ranking, and a higher authority score. Hint- it’s what we see with our clients when we apply these same methods.
Be honest with yourself: Is your business posting content consistently? That could look like weekly blog posts, and at least 3 social posts a week. It won’t cut it anymore to post on social media when you feel like it. In today’s market, your audience is looking at how active you are.
Posting consistent content helps build a better experience for your customers by building credibility and trust. You are seen as an authority in your field as well as a resource for people to go to.
The audience we’ve built at our digital marketing agency knows to expect to see a new article a week along with social posts on our different social media platforms.
Now that you know you need to post consistent content, let’s discuss where you should be posting this regular content.
As an organic digital marketing agency, we believe in the value of blog posts on your business’ website. Each week, we announce our new blog post on social media platforms that work best for us: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. To find out which social media platforms your business should be on, read here.
We also use these social platforms to post relevant content that add value to our audience. Sometimes, we like to have a little fun with our social posts (okay maybe most of the time we do!)
It’s 2022, everyone uses their phones for everything- unless somehow you managed to survive this long with just a flip phone.
Everything you do, from emails, blog posts, website builds and social posts should be optimized for mobile. Think about it, we all live on our phones. According to research from Oberlo, 63% of Google’s United States organic search traffic came from a mobile device.
It’s time to get with the times and be as mobile-friendly as possible. If not, you may lose customers who are frustrated with navigating something that is non-mobile friendly.
If you find yourself committing one or more of these marketing no-nos, it’s a sign that it’s time for you to partner with a digital marketing agency. An outsourced partner has the resources to help your business grow, rank, find leads, and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
Read on to learn about more benefits of outsourced marketing.
If you’re like us, you’re trying to stay updated on what the heck is going on with Twitter. The nearly 20-year-old app has experienced some changes recently, and we’re here to explain what’s going on.
Earlier this year, electric vehicle tycoon Elon Musk expressed interest in Twitter because he sought to continue the company’s commitment to free speech. In April, Musk bought over 9% of Twitter, making him the largest shareholder.
After negotiations, Musk and Twitter finally agreed to a deal. According to the New York Times, “Twitter agreed to be taken over at $54.20 a share, a 38 percent premium over the share price before it was revealed that Mr. Musk had been buying up the company’s stock.”
In simple terms, he bought Twitter for about $44 billion. This is the largest deal in history to take a company private.
Critics, however, question the deal since the platform has around 217 million daily users compared to the billions of users logging into Instagram and Facebook daily. Additionally, the little blue bird app hasn’t turned a profit in nearly a decade.
Tesla’s CEO counters financial criticism because he is placing a higher value on opening the platform to free speech. In a release announcing the agreement between Twitter and Elon Musk, the new owner explains “free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” said Musk.
The billionaire tech mogul added, “I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”
A company reshuffle is to be expected during any merger or acquisition. Twitter is no exception. This company, however, is experiencing a larger than usual reshuffle as three C-suite-level executives and two vice presidents depart from the company.
Amid this new chapter for the company, their CEO, Parag Agrawal, has assured the staff at Twitter that they are not planning company-wide layoffs.
Only time will tell how Twitter will fare after the dust settles.
Of course, Twitter users have plenty to say about how they feel about Elon Musk purchasing the app. There are mixed feelings about it, but we thought we’d share a few of our favorite reactions below.
The Twitter saga is long from over, and we’re excited to keep you up to date on any new news that surfaces. Save this link to stay updated on what’s going on with Twitter. Speaking of social media apps, read our next article explaining what’s going on with the Instagram Algorithm!
At Digital Storyteller, we believe storytelling is absolutely essential to the success of your business. But of course, you already knew that (we mean, the word ‘storyteller’ is in our name for goodness sake…)
But anyway, storytelling is key. Today, we’d like to share a story from our rockstar client, John Milikowsky, Founder of Milikowsky Tax Law.
It’s the origin story of his business, the inspiration for his logo (check it out here!), and how his skill set makes him a fantastic tax lawyer. Let’s dive in.
—————
“I’d like to set the scene… Come back in time with me, if you will.
It’s 1987 and I’m 10 years old. I’m sitting in a windowless supply room in the back of my
parents’ lighting store on a stool and in front of me is an oil barrel filled with screws. Machine
screws, wood screws, drywall screws, Phillips screws, and… you get the idea… a lot of screws.
And my task, set out for me by my father is to sort these screws into containers.
So many questions fly through my mind… why am I in the back storeroom when my sister gets
to be out on the floor of the store, actually TALKING to people, doing something useful and fun?
Who is the Machiavellian monster who has indiscriminately put screws from every facet of
construction just WILLY NILLY in an oil barrel?! Why does this oil barrel live in the storeroom of
my parents’ lighting store…
Sort
Sort
Sort
In that entire summer, I never made more than an inch’s worth of progress in sorting those
screws.
But sometime in the middle of that summer, I realized I had a choice to make… I was at a
crossroads. I could be furious, resentful… victimized by the mundane monotonous task set in
front of me… or, I could do it well and fast. I could be the best at screw sorting…
It’s possible that hindsight has put that perspective on my young experience…
But certainly, as I navigated my first few years of audits with my Tax Law clients, as they handed
me THEIR metaphorical oil-barrels filled with numbers… profit and loss statements for 3, 4 5
years, receipts faded with time and transactions whose recipients had long gone out of
business, I came to appreciate that summer of sorting. That training in detail work, that
patience for sifting through the most minute details.
I discovered that my passion was for the detective work it took to uncover the one piece of
information that made all the rest of a company’s business narrative fall into place. I realized it
was like finding a needle in a haystack, a diamond in ice… a golden screw… And that through
that kind of attention to detail, I could help people in their moments of crisis, at their crossroads.
Through diligence, expertise, and attention to detail, I can help save people’s businesses,
their families, and often, their sense of humor.”
At Digital Storyteller, we market for financial services companies. This can encompass a lot of different types of businesses that offer different products or services. Think law firms, HR consultants, commercial real estate firms, wealth advisories, commercial insurance, and more.
We know, a little bit random… but we love it! Read on to hear more about why we chose marketing for financial services (hint: this industry is wildly underserved).
Working in the financial services industry means helping our clients might look a bit different from your typical B2C marketing agency. So, how do we help our clients?
Today, we’ve got Andrew Marr, CEO and Owner of Digital Storyteller answering that very question. It’s your lucky day.
But what is the main goal of a digital marketing agency? We’re going to hand things off to Andrew.
There’s one major goal, and it’s simple. That is to shorten the sales cycles of our clients.
A sales cycle is defined as “the repeatable and tactical process salespeople follow to turn a lead into a customer.”
This includes everything from the first encounter a client has with your business (whether it be through seeing your posts on social media or through receiving an email) to closing the deal and follow-ups.
Well, there are a lot of things we do to achieve a shorter sales process at Digital Storyteller. This might look like:
As you can see, there are a lot of different branches that come off of that tree.
The number one goal, however, for any marketing agency, is to use their toolkit to shorten sales cycles for their clients.
Want to hear some more of this Scottish lad ranting? Visit this page on our site that’s decked out, head to toe, with Andrew reviewing chardonnay. (We know, it’s kind of ridiculous—but we promise it’s entertaining!)