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.
1. You have a Reactive, Not a Proactive Marketing Plan
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.
2. You’re Not Focused on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
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.
3. Your Content Isn’t Consistent
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.
4. You’re Not Posting on Your 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!)
You’re Not Optimizing for Mobile
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.
A Final Note
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.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/iStock-994066416.jpg14152119Beatriz Cariashttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBeatriz Carias2022-07-24 07:00:002022-06-24 14:07:355 Signs You Need a Digital Marketing Agency
So, you’re a business owner, and your email marketing strategy sucks. It might be ineffective for a number of reasons. Perhaps:
Your business doesn’t have the bandwidth to have a consistent email marketing output
Creative copy isn’t your forte
Your emails are boring or you don’t know how to optimize them
Or, you didn’t even know you were supposed to be focused on email marketing! (Of course, you have a lot of other things going on while running a business…)
Regardless of what the reason may be, poor email marketing isn’t going to cut it anymore. So, let’s talk about how to fix your email marketing.
What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing, according to Mailchimp, is “a form of marketing that can make the customers on your email list aware of new products, discounts, and other services.”
Why Is Email Marketing Important?
Email marketing is extremely important for your business. However, promoting products, discounts, and services isn’t the only thing email marketing is used for.
Email marketing is a great way to:
Incentivize customer loyalty
Educate your audience on the value of your brand
Keep clients and prospects engaged between purchases
And yet, according to Inc., 60% of small business owners don’t use email marketing. What a shame!
What Platform Can I Use for My Email Marketing?
There are a TON of platforms you can use in crafting a killer email marketing strategy. At Digital Storyteller, we work with a number of different customer relationship management (CRM) softwares to design, build, and optimize our clients’ email marketing strategies, including:
Hubspot
Constant Contact
Salesforce
Pardot
Campaign Monitor
Stripo
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
How We Create Kicka** Emails
Let’s take your email marketing strategy from meh to awesome! Let’s start off with an example.
Our Most Recent Email Workflow
So, we know we previously mentioned all of the different CRMs you can use… But, it’s not all about the software you use. In fact, what’s IN the email and as well as the CADENCE of your emails is more important than anything.
Here’s a sneak peek into an email workflow Digital Storyteller recently launched for ourselves. It’s a “prospect workflow,” a series of emails are sent to prospective clients to accomplish a specific goal (i.e. onboarding a service or purchasing a product). For us, in this case, it’s to onboard a new content client!
Below is a screenshot of the first email in our prospect email marketing series. The subject line was: “Why Would You Outsource Your Marketing?”
This email received GREAT feedback, with over 600 opens and 48.6% of people read the email (“read,” according to HubSpot, is defined as contacts who have “opened and viewed [the email] for eight or more seconds”).
People responded directly to the number and we got some prospecting calls on the calendar as a result. Why?
The email was FUNNY (in our brand voice!)
It was punchy yet informative
It provided a call to action (“Find out more”)
Emails will look different for everyone as far as brand voice and what your call to action is (depending on what you’re trying to get the reader to do), but here’s what every email should include.
What Every Successful Email Should Include
There are a few elements to consider when crafting awesome emails. (No, it’s not as easy as just slapping something together! Well, it is… But that wouldn’t provide a great ROI, would it?)
Define Your Target Audience
A majority of cold emails get ignored.
This considered, the first thing you need to do is define your target audience. This concept goes further than just creating a list of who your ideal clients are.
You need to understand your target audience at their core. In our prospect email workflow at Digital Storyteller, we used a combination of Andrew Marr’s (the Owner and CEO of Storyteller!) existing LinkedIn database as well as the LinkedIn connections from his Kennected sequence (Kennected is a LinkedIn automation, messaging, and outreach tool that we use) to increase response rates.
Connecting with people prior to emailing them adds a human touch and is a great strategy to practice.
For a cold email to get read, you need a catchy subject line.
Your subject line needs to be descriptive, short, and something your ideal client would want to open. Examples of subject lines that have worked for us?
One time we titled a prospect email “We think our clients are sexy…” And boy, was this email a wild success! People were shocked, and of course, opened the email… which then said:
“Get your mind out of the gutter – we mean we think our clients’ businesses (financial services) are sexy… At Digital Storyteller, we work exclusively with financial services companies. It’s our bread and butter.”
Now, we get that this type of subject line won’t work for everyone (we’re Jesters!) – but it works for our brand voice.
At Digital Storyteller, we believe marketing without a brand voice is like a margarita without tequila… Learn more about the importance of brand voice.
Preview Text
Preview text is the words that show up next to or beneath the email subject. It’s a sneak peek of the coming email. And do you know how important it is? Research shows that 24% of people look at preview text before deciding to open and read an email. So, use it to your advantage!
Personalization
Personalizing an email goes beyond just adding your prospect’s first name to the greeting or subject line.
According to Campaign Monitor, “personalization is when marketers use subscriber data within their email content to make the content feel tailor-made for the individual.” And the result? Personalization “is proven to increase open rates and drive revenue by as much as 760%.” Wowza!
You can take advantage of this by:
Adding your recipient’s name
Selecting images based on data and customer profiles
Personalizing offers and product recommendations
Mentioning a mutual friend or contact
Mentioning something your prospect has done in the world recently (i.e. business move, family trip, a conference they’ve spoken at, etc.)
Add a Strong Call to Action
Make it easy for your prospect to understand what you’re asking of them. Do you want them to follow you on social media? Do you want them to download a free PDF or brochure? Always be sure to add a clear, strong call to action (CTA).
Follow Up
When it comes to email marketing, it’s not a one-and-done thing. In other words, you need to include follow-up emails!
Not sure what this looks like? Get in touch with us today to learn more about mapping out your email workflows.
A Final Word
So, to recap, email is not dead and is very much a crucial part of your marketing strategy. With that being said, however, we know cold emailing isn’t easy—which is why we’re here to help. Interested in learning more about how we help our clients? Read on to see how we shorten sales cycles for our clients (using email marketing and more!)
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Your-Email-Marketing-Sucks…-Heres-How-to-Fix-It.png6281200Becca Joneshttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBecca Jones2022-06-26 05:20:002022-05-17 17:25:32Your Email Marketing Sucks… Here’s How to Fix It
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.
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.
What is the Main Goal of a Digital Marketing Agency?
There’s one major goal, and it’s simple. That is to shorten the sales cycles of our clients.
What is a Sales Cycle?
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.
A great illustration demonstrating sales cycles, courtesy of Snov.io.
How Do We Help Our Clients Shorten Sales Cycles?
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!)
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/How-Do-We-Help-Our-Clients-1.png10801920Becca Joneshttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBecca Jones2022-03-11 07:44:552022-04-21 14:31:08How Do We Help Our Clients Shorten Sales Cycles?
Author Robert McKee once said, “Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world.” And he was right!
At Digital Storyteller, we begin all of our partnerships with a strong foundation—your very own ‘brand storytelling session’ (BSTS). After all, we’re an outsourced digital marketing agency, which means we will be creating content as if we were you. This BSTS is crucial in order to be able to do what we do best (…marketing!).
If a ‘brand storytelling session’ sounds a bit like another language, we’re sorry! We’ll explain. Better yet, Amanda Rogers, Owner and Chief Creative Officer at Digital Storyteller can give you the lowdown and answer all of your juicy questions, like why is your brand storytelling session important? And what the heck is it anyway!?
Let’s get into it.
What is Brand Storytelling?
Brand storytelling has become kind of a buzzword. People use it to mean all kinds of things. They use it to mean:
Branding that means something to you
Storytelling for individuals
What Do You Do During a Brand Storytelling Session?
In our Brand Storytelling Sessions, we do things a bit differently. We block out two hours on our calendar to zoom with you and get to know your brand at its core.
We know it sounds intense, but don’t worry. Our favorite description that a client gave us at the end of a Brand Storytelling Session was, “I was expecting a root canal and I got a massage.” Yay for free massages!
For Digital Storyteller, the Brand Storytelling Session grew naturally out of questions we had to ask clients over and over again and the research we did to better craft clients’ websites, content, and content marketing strategies.
A brand storytelling session focuses primarily on finding out what your ‘brand voice’ is. In other words, what your brand archetype is.
Brand Archetypes
What’s a brand archetype? We’re glad you asked. Brand archetypes are as old as Greek tragedy (sadly, we can’t take credit for making them up…) The 12 brand archetypes that we use at Digital Storyteller are:
The Innocent
Everyman
Hero
Outlaw
Explorer
Creator
Ruler
Magician
Lover
Caregiver
Jester
Sage
Don’t worry, we cover what all of these archetypes mean during your Brand Storytelling Session!
What Happens After Your Brand Storytelling Session?
We’re all for transparency. After your two-hour block, we have a comprehensive overview of:
How you talk about what you do
How you feel about your company name
What your brand archetype is
From there, we can start to build the kind of marketing strategy that is unique to your company.
The Timeline
A week after a Brand Storytelling Session, you will receive a well-designed deliverable.
A few days after that, we get on the phone and set a kickoff call, if you decide we’re the right fit for you!
After our one-hour kickoff call, we set weekly one-hour meetings for the first month of our partnership, followed by bi-weekly meetings following.
Defining your brand voice through a Brand Storytelling Session shortens your sales cycle because having a clear brand voice makes people feel like they already know you when they walk into a room with you.
It helps build trust, and it makes prospects feel at ease as they’ve heard your brand voice consistently across your website, content, and social posts.
When you pick a brand voice and choose a brand archetype, it’s about the way in which you speak, not what you’re talking about.
Conducting a Brand Storytelling Session helps us to truly understand a client’s brand voice, their brand archetype, and helps us to be able to write in their voice.
Amanda, Founder and Creative Director at Digital Storyteller, put it best. “I can talk about something that’s highly consequential in a number of different brand voices. The way you speak about what you do is what sets you apart from your competitors… A Brand Storytelling Session is the uncovering of the way in which you tell your own unique story.”
If you couldn’t tell by Amanda’s spiel, a BSTS isn’t anything to be afraid of. Don’t believe us? Check out what one of our clients, Todd Regan, said about his BSTS. (P.S. He wasn’t excited!)
“Looking at the [brand storytelling session] appointment on my calendar, I thought this is going be so painful – it was the opposite, so insightful, valuable, and fun.” —Todd Regan Chief Operating Officer at Payroll Hub
A brand storytelling session is crucial for all of you out there who struggle to explain to your drunk aunt what business you’re in every Thanksgiving. If you’re not clear on what you do, how can your prospects and clients be?
Plus, we can’t—or any outsourced marketing agency, for that matter—accurately represent your brand until we truly understand who you are, your audience, and your goals. Our brand storytelling sessions answer all of these questions.
We’re so confident in our ability to surprise and delight you that your initial BSTS session and deliverable are free.
Interested in learning more about the importance of brand storytelling? Check out this article.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Why-Is-Your-Brand-Storytelling-Session-Important-And-What-the-Heck-Is-It-Anyway.png6281200Becca Joneshttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBecca Jones2021-11-28 07:00:002022-02-11 09:47:35Why Is Your Brand Storytelling Session Important? (And What Is It Anyway!?)
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Paid-vs-Organic-Social-Media-A-Complete-Guide-1.png6281200Becca Joneshttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBecca Jones2021-10-31 07:00:002021-12-20 14:58:45Paid vs Organic Social Media: A Complete Guide
Marketing agencies today have more tools than ever to support clients in their marketing efforts. Content creation, website design, SEO optimization, the list goes on. But at Digital Storyteller, we have our eyes on a few agencies in particular. Here are the eight best marketing agencies in San Diego.
Founded: 2010 by Katie Wagner after retiring from her TV news career
Where:
Orange County, CA
San Diego, CA
Atlanta, GA
Las Vegas, NV
Specialty: Boy, oh boy! KWSM does it all. While every plan is different, they specialize in creating customized digital marketing strategies that help clients get results through:
Social Media Management
Content Creation
Website Design and Management
Content Optimization (SEO)
Online Advertising
PR and Influencer Marketing
Video and Photography
Social Media Coaching
Speaking and Workshops
Their Mission: According to their site, “KWSM exists to help great companies make genuine connections with their customers. We believe good business starts with strong relationships, and the best way to build them is by sharing your story.”
Founded: By dynamic duo Rebecca Tall Brown and Leah Prehn, 2015
Specialty: Aside from being awesome? Office of Awesome offers hourly brand advisory services, 12 to 18-month brand breakthrough strategy, and two to ten-year brand architecture strategy. They promise to take what you have and make it even more awesome!
Why They Rock: “We’re a brand strategy consultancy that builds brand experiences on the foundation of smart business strategy. Using our inside out approach, we capture the momentum of all that is working in your existing brand, improve on it, and package the results in a market-ready plan… We see the unseen areas of your business that we can fix, clarify or define before you spend time and money on external branding or marketing.”
Founded: By Jacques Spitzer and Adam Wagner! (Raindrop compares these two to oreos and milk and peanut butter and jelly. In other words, they’re the perfect pair!)
Specialty: Simply put, Raindrop helps build your brand and build your audience. At Raindrop, “our goal with every client is to take you to your next level by helping new audiences to discover you, crafting deeper relationships with your core audiences and allowing you to confidently be the best version of yourself.”
Plus, their video production is top-notch! In fact, they have accrued more than 400,000,000 video views for their clients, been awarded two Emmys, and have produced the #1 performing Youtube ad of 2020.
The Story Behind the Name: It all begins with this quote: “True friendship looks like raindrops coming together on a window-sill; beautifully and effortlessly before your eyes.”
As written on their site, “I think we can all agree; best friends are… well, the best. They are there for us, cheering us on, listening to us and helping us to live our best lives. We imagined that same level of trust, open communication and fun-loving spirit as the foundation for our work.
“The result is a truly special connection with our clients that we believe inspires even greater work. Being a Raindropper means partnering generously and creating strategically. We revel in the success of our clients and celebrate the collaborative culture that we share as a team.”
With Offices In… San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
Who Are We? Power Digital is “a cutting-edge, nationally recognized digital marketing agency dedicated to elevating your brand through innovative marketing solutions, custom strategies, channel expertise, and flawless execution.”
Some Rules They Live By: Integrity, loyalty, trust, challenge yourself, find the solution, embrace change, don’t take yourself too seriously, and more as seen here!
What They Do: A better question would be, “What don’t they do!?” Power Digital offers:
Founded: By Jules Taggart (Psst… She’s kind of awesome. Jules loves riding on the back of a motorcycle with her husband, running near the beach, and her two daughters, Olympia and Helena)
Who Do They Serve? Although Wayward Kind represents clients from a variety of industries, all of their clients are hell-bent on shaking up their industry for the better. “We actively seek out clients who are purposefully wayward and not afraid to go their own way… We work with challenger brands who are making a significant impact in race, class, and gender equity.”
Their values include human connection, libration, no noise, and low ego, high impact.
What Makes Them Different? Wayward Kind is a digital marketing team “built on the belief that effective marketing is rooted in human connection. We help ordinary businesses have extraordinary conversations with their clients… we help you start and nurture online conversations that bring in new clients.”
Founded: By David Rodnitzky out of a coffee shop in Pacifica, CA, in 2008
Their Motto: Infinite Possibilities. Infinite Growth.
Why They Rock: 3Q Digital is growing, growing, growing! With six U.S. locations, two international presences, and over 20 virtual locations, this marketing agency can work with you wherever you are!
3Q Digital Offers…
SEO
Conversion Rate Optimization
Programmatic
Analytics
CTV/OTT
Strategy and Planning
Digital Due Diligence
Creative
And more!
At the end of the day, there isn’t a hard and fast answer for which marketing agency you should use. Each company is unique! (But we think you should choose to work with us!) If you’re ready to take a look at what our outsourced marketing services would look like for you, contact our team at Digital Storyteller today.
We know we’d make a great team, we’re just waiting on you!
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Wednesday-October-6-.png10801080Becca Joneshttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBecca Jones2021-10-03 07:00:002021-12-10 10:00:13The Eight Best Marketing Agencies in San Diego
We are not a one-size-fits-all society, nor are our websites. As our physical world becomes more aware of creating physical accessibility, we should also understand the importance of facilitating web accessibility as well.
As we spend more time surfing the web, learn more about how to increase inclusivity for people with disabilities. It’s just good practice, and it also benefits your company.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/What-Is-Web-Accessibility-and-Why-Is-It-Important-82321.png9241640Beatriz Cariashttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBeatriz Carias2021-08-22 13:34:002022-03-03 16:07:41What Is Web Accessibility and Why Is It Important?
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!
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/outsourced-vs-in-house-marketing-whats-best-for-your-business.png9241640Beatriz Cariashttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBeatriz Carias2021-08-15 11:57:002021-12-10 10:00:14Outsourced VS In-House Marketing: What’s Best For Your Business?
So you want to market your business, but you’re not sure where to start?
We wanted to share our favorite resources that make us successful in our industry so you can be successful in yours.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Top-10-Resources-for-Digital-Marketers-81021.png9241640Beatriz Cariashttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBeatriz Carias2021-08-08 10:33:002022-05-16 09:22:42Top 10 Resources for Digital Marketers
When you think of marketing, what do you think of? For many, it’ll include billboards, that one realtor’s face on a bus stop, or the not-so random ads when you’re scrolling through Instagram.
It’s actually much more than that. Yes, paid ads have their time and place to increase your exposure, but let’s let you in on a little secret: there’s a better way to market yourself, and it’s not by relying on ads.
I know, shocking.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Save-Money-on-Ads-So-You-Can-Spend-It-on-Wine-8321-copy.png9241640Beatriz Cariashttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBeatriz Carias2021-08-01 11:51:002021-12-10 10:00:14Save Money on Ads (So You Can Spend It on Wine)
You See a Doctor Every Year, Shouldn’t Your Site? The same way that your own health sometimes requires a little TLC or a trip to the doctor’s office for extra attention, your site does too.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Copy-of-Copy-of-3.png9241640Devin Auberthttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngDevin Aubert2021-07-25 13:02:002021-12-10 09:59:34Why You Should Conduct Site Audits
We’ve talked time and time again about the importance of content marketing and why consistently producing strong content is an ideal marketing strategy. That being said, we know it can be easier said than done.
Here are all our best tips on how to organize content.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Copy-of-3.png9241640Devin Auberthttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngDevin Aubert2021-07-18 12:17:002022-05-25 19:07:54How to Organize Content
In a world where we have varying options on how to engage with potential clients, reels open the door to adding your personal flair. From informational how-to videos like how to make your grandma’s top-secret cookie recipe to a silly clip on your opinion of this week’s Bachelor rose ceremony, the possibilities are endless.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-1.png9241640Beatriz Cariashttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBeatriz Carias2021-07-11 10:03:002021-12-10 09:59:34Let’s get REEL! How Instagram Reels Support Your Social Strategy
When most people consider their brand’s success on social channels they jump immediately to wanting tons of likes, comments, and followers on their profiles. While these factors are important in many cases, there’s more to social media than these tracking measures.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-1.png9241640Devin Auberthttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngDevin Aubert2021-07-04 12:31:002021-12-10 09:59:35Social Media Brand Awareness Metrics: More Than Likes and Comments
As a B2B financial services company, you may be questioning whether having a social media presence matters for your marketing strategy. We’ll keep it pretty simple for you: It does.
Social media has become a critical part of any marketing strategy. Whether it be organic or paid, B2B or B2C, and so on, social media marketing plays an important role in strategizing for any business.
That being said, social media is constantly evolving and changing. While platforms are updated to best serve their users, it can make it complicated and challenging for marketers to keep up with. Luckily, we’re here to help.
One of the questions we get asked most commonly by new clients is, “Which social platforms should we be on?” Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, the list goes on!
Deciding which platforms work best for your business is important to ensure that you delegate your time and resources towards a strategy that’s going to move the needle for your brand.
Here are the top four social media platforms that we believe all financial service companies should be on.
Facebook
Often known as the “original” social media platform, Facebook has begun to drop slightly in usage and engagement. While this is the case overall, it still plays an important role and holds unique value in the world of social and business.
Facebook is approaching its 20th anniversary following its creation in February 2004.
Pay-to-Play Platform
In recent years, however, Facebook has become largely a pay-to-play platform. While paid ads aren’t necessarily mandatory for success on the platform, statistics show that putting a little money behind your Facebook strategy has the power to make a significant difference.
Facebook takes its in-house marketing one step further by providing real-world case studies of companies that have found marketing success on their platform. These various stories provide quotes, statistics, and examples from clients on how they successfully implemented strategies on the platform.
At Digital Storyteller, we have adopted similar strategies when working with Facebook. Each of our clients has a Facebook page to which we share organic content. We produce custom content weekly and share blog posts, visuals, infographics, videos, and more.
We pinpoint each client’s strongest posts and work with them one-on-one to set a realistic budget to boost posts. Following post boosts, we delve into reporting to assess the success of each given boost.
Facebook provides statistics on reach, clicks, cost per click, and engagement in a simplified easy to navigate manner that makes sharing reporting with our clients a breeze.
Bottom line: Make sure your business is on Facebook.
Instagram
We’re going to give Instagram a nickname: “The social beast.” Since its launch in 2010, it’s amassed over 500 million users. Over 60% of users log in daily, averaging a total of 3.5 billion likes.
Instagram is a critical platform for businesses in addition to individuals. Nearly 49% of businesses have accounts on the platform.
Compared to its competitors, engagement with brands on Instagram is 10 times higher than on Facebook, 54 times higher than on Pinterest, and 84 times higher than on Twitter. Safe to say they’re doing pretty well!
But how can you tailor your Instagram account to your audience? Like Facebook, Instagram offers a pay-to-play option by boosting your posts to a relevant audience. That being said, this doesn’t hold quite as much power with Instagram as it does with Facebook.
The Instagram Algorithm
But why? Instagram’s goal is to create organic experiences for its users. Its algorithm pays attention to what videos users watch, what they like, which hashtags and account types they follow, and what engagement types they utilize.
Based on these factors, Instagram creates an organic experience by boosting and promoting what they think a user is most likely to want to see.
Based on these features, it’s important that when using Instagram as a social media platform, you tailor it to your audience. One of the best ways that we’ve found to do this is by getting down to the nitty-gritty and creating buyer personas.
Imagine you’re selling cookbooks… Your target audience might be Jennifer. Jennifer is a married stay-at-home mother of three that loves following influencers that share new recipes and provide inspiration for her girl’s night dinner party. Jennifer is a perfect audience for this product.
Things might be different if Jennifer were a 12-year-old girl that uses Instagram to follow her favorite celebrities and learn the latest TikTok dances. Making sure that you identify and tailor to your ideal audience is critical to the success of your Instagram usage.
Another important aspect of Instagram usage for businesses is curating your bio and your feed in a way that represents your brand voice. Consistency is key when it comes to creating content that your audience genuinely wants to see. This starts with your bio.
Your Bio
Your bio is the first thing people see when they visit your account, essentially representing your virtual storefront. You have a short blurb—150 characters to be exact—to communicate who you are, and what you do, and ideally convince people to follow you and engage with your content.
While Instagram does not allow for direct linking in their captions or individual posts, they offer the opportunity to share one single link in your bio. Better use it wisely to make sure you’re directing traffic where you want it!
One helpful resource that we can’t commend enough is utilizing a link-building site such as those offered by Metricool or LinkTree. Both of these sites create the ability to provide users with multiple site links within one URL.
Your Feed
Having a well-curated Instagram “feed” or “grid” is also a huge advantage to developing a professional business Instagram account. As previously mentioned, consistency is key.
Whether it be utilizing personalized photos, brand colors, a common filter, or even a precise layout template, there is a multitude of options when it comes to how to set up your post grid.
Moreover, it’s a notable fact that about 40% of customers respond better to visual content than they do to written content. With this in mind, it’s no surprise why Instagram is a massive hub for marketing opportunities.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a marketing MUST in the financial services industry.
LinkedIn differs from other social media platforms because it is more strongly based on personal and genuine connections. The “friend of a friend,” “we met at a conference,” or “Oh, I recognize that brand name” attitudes go a long way in today’s day and age.
The unique circumstances that we’ve experienced over the past two years as a result of the ongoing pandemic have further changed the name of the game when it comes to professional networking.
A survey conducted by LinkedIn themselves revealed that “B2B buyers are 5X more likely to engage with a professional via a warm introduction than via cold outreach.”
While cold outreach is a reality for many B2B businesses, LinkedIn offers these businesses the capabilities to connect with their audiences on a more personable level. Additionally, it allows for more accurate persona targeting.
In addition to serving as a virtual professional networking platform, LinkedIn has positioned itself as a leader in news delivery. The same survey previously mentioned also shares that 79% of small and medium businesses consider industry-specific news/articles to be the most valuable content shared on social media.
Social media platforms, LinkedIn in particular, have enabled users to identify the news sources and industries that they want to hear from specifically. Rather than opening up the morning paper and spending time sifting through the garbage that you’re not interested in, hop on your LinkedIn account in the morning to see what your followers have posted lately.
The people that users follow and engage with are often the sources that they want to hear from. Enabling users to deliberately identify the sources they want to see and eliminate (or simply just not follow) the ones that they don’t wish to see content from has turned LinkedIn into somewhat of a personalized news outlet.
Twitter
Twitter is a great platform to keep your business’s personality alive.
While financial services companies more commonly target more professional and refined messaging, Twitter offers the opportunity to incorporate your brand’s voice more casually.
Just Say It!
Being that Twitter only allows posts that contain up to 280 characters, you’ve got to figure out what you want to say and just SAY IT. Removing the fluff and the details is sometimes the best way to get across and be remembered for what’s important.
While starting your morning by reading the latest news articles or blog posts might be your favorite part of the day, sometimes all your consumers want is quick, simple facts. You’ve been there, right?
Adding a human element to your brand is made easy by the relaxed, casual voice most often shared on Twitter. Whether it be celebrating a holiday with a hashtag (#HappyWomensDay or #HappyEarthDay), often your company’s tweets don’t need to be as much of an event as full-blown in-depth content.
While writing a blog post or filming a video might take hours of prep, edits, and reviews, posting a one-line tweet may be an opportunity to simplify.
That being said, a successful Twitter strategy usually involves tweeting from five to 15 times daily. While each tweet in and of itself may be a simplified way to reach out to your audience, doing it more often is what’s going to help move the needle.
It’s often noted that it takes people an average of 11-13 touch points before a message truly breaks through. With that in mind, tweeting five to 15 times a day provides an opportunity to interact with your audience on various occasions.
Compliance and The Financial Services Industry
Another important fact about Twitter for financial services companies, in particular, is the growing challenge of compliance with specific Twitter terms and conditions. The financial industry is highly regulated on social media.
Companies need to state clearly who they are, and what they do, clarify any risks or benefits, and provide full transparency about all of their services. GDPR is therefore not the only regulation that financial businesses need to obey.
Many other directives were implemented in banking industries in the last few years. Whilst not all of them have a direct impact on social media communication, some of the legal initiatives do.
Take a look at MiFID II, which is focused on refining consumer information and making it easier to understand.
Pinterest
You might be surprised to see this one on the list, but we couldn’t help but mention it: Pinterest!
Pinterest is an image sharing and social media platform with over 400 million monthly active users. These ‘pinners’ (so they’re called!) use the platform to find inspiration and ideas for their interests and hobbies.
At Digital Storyteller, we’ve recently started to grow our Pinterest account by sharing information on user-generated content, site audits, client management, organic marketing, and more!
Pinterest is awesome because you can link to specific URLs on your “pin,” which grabs a user’s attention through use of a photo.
For example, below is a ‘pin’ we posted when the news hit that Elon Musk decided to purchase twitter. This pin linked to our article titled, “What’s Going to Happen to Twitter?” Here, we provide more information on the subject.
Using Pinterest in this way builds your business’s credibility, and encourages users to come back to your page for inspiration or information.
So, give it a shot! Get your business Pinning.
A Final Word
When it comes to implementing an effective social media strategy for your business, there is much to be considered. Various platforms perform better or worse based on your business type, target audience, and intended involvement level.
If you’re looking for support in developing a social media strategy and don’t know where to start, reach out to our team of experts at Digital Storyteller.
With our specialization in the financial services industry, our experience and expertise is growing stronger every day. Call or contact us today for more information or to schedule your FREE brand storytelling session.
https://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-3.png9241640Becca Joneshttps://digitalstoryteller.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Digital-Storyteller_Logo_RGB_Signature_Full-Color-300x300.pngBecca Jones2021-06-27 08:59:002022-08-05 12:14:26Which Social Media Platforms Should I Be On?
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