Marketing Strategy

2015 Social Media Wish List

January 14, 2015 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

In this video, Steve Groller and Jim Doherty discuss the biggest social media marketing gifts Santa forgot to leave under our trees in 2014.

Here’s to a New Year of social media success, useful integrations, customized business solutions, more efficient management, and killer reporting!

Read Transcript

1. Desktop Notifications

Social media is a really fast-paced environment from a marketing standpoint, and I think it’s important that there’s a one-to-one connection with the intended audience. It can be a big disconnect from a brand standpoint if that communication is stalled or delayed by a certain degree of time.

A lot of social media platforms in 2015, we’re looking for that more instantaneous notification system. A lot of them have those notification systems, but they’re very mobile-based; they’re not so much desktop-based. And throughout the day, a social media marketer might not be on their mobile phone, on that mobile application as much as they might be on their desktop. And most social media marketers might have ten lists open with five or six tabs, and might not have the time or even the inclination at some points of the day, to scroll through and refresh each one of those feeds. But they would rather have that notification system, whether it’s a desktop pop-up or an email or something along those lines to let them know about the important things that are going on behind the scenes.

2. Realistic Upgrades

So the beauty of social media management solutions is their ability to integrate with other third-party solutions, whether it’s a CRM or whether it’s an app, different analytics platforms. That connection is great for businesses that have existing platforms but want to bring and tie all the pieces together.

A lot of these solutions say that all of these integrations are coming forward and they’re in the pipeline and they’re in the works, but none of these transitions actually translate into meaningful data that we can use.

So one thing that we wish for in 2015 and moving forward from these platforms is a more clear distinction between the expected roll-outs for updates and integrations and for better data, for better features, and what actually makes it to the platform at the end of the day.

3. More Robust Reporting

For any business that has made the foray into social media, one big challenge that we’re seeing is the ability to justify the expense and the investment, and show a return on investment for their activities on social. And for the most part from the marketer’s standpoint, that falls to reports. Reports of progress, reports based upon activities they’re doing on the networks and that sort of thing.

So from a reporting perspective, the visual interpretation that we’re able to provide to our clients and to upper management is key in our industry, especially when social media is becoming more visual in and of itself; that holds true for the reporting aspect as well.

So that’s why we hope for, on our wish list for 2015 for social media, that a solution comes around that can strike that balance between great looking visuals, customizable information, and quick exports into a presentable format.

4. Small Business Solutions

For a small to medium sized business to only be able to manage three of their accounts on a free version of a solution usually is problematic. Usually if they’re a local business, they have more than just a Facebook, a Twitter, and perhaps a Google+. There are other platforms that are very valuable to their business such as review platforms like FourSquare and Yelp. If they do videos on a regular basis, their YouTube is also probably a very important social asset.

There’s often a big disparity between the features any business needs and the features that really are catered to an individual person, so where you might want to run a campaign or a contest or something a little bit more elaborate for your small business, in most cases that costs an exorbitant amount of money in relation to how much you pay just to use the platform on a monthly basis.

In 2015, we’d like to see more middle-of-the-road options for small and medium sized businesses who don’t want to necessarily break the bank to run a contest or a promotion, to incentivize their customers to connect with them, to have a more meaningful relationship with their customer base, and eventually turn that social media traffic into foot traffic.

What items are on your social media wish list? Let us know in the comments!

2015 Guide to Kickstart Your SEO Strategy

January 7, 2015 by Daniel Laws Leave a Comment

The office holiday parties are over, the gifts have been opened, and the New Year’s ball has dropped! 2015 is officially underway and so it’s time to move you and your clients’ SEO strategy into this year and beyond. If one thing is certain, it’s that big changes to the organic search algorithm are on the way. With that being said, here’s your guide to the big ticket items that will impact your 2015 SEO strategy.

Improve Organic Search with Mobile Devices for a Successful 2015 SEO Strategy

According to the November 2013 Google/Nielsen Mobile Path to Purchase study, search is the most common starting point for mobile research. Mobile organic search and smartphone usage continues to increase and makes information accessible in real-time. This trend undoubtedly will continue in 2015. But it won’t just be about finding your products or services; it will be the entire mobile user experience across multiple devices (tablet and smartphones) and operating systems. Focus on having customers find you, navigate seamlessly, and discover relevant content based on their search terms.

Use Different Content Types with Intent in Mind

There are “different strokes” for your different audiences, so it’s important to use different content types for search platforms (images, videos, text) as well as considering demographics, interests and a user’s intent. For example, are customers looking for product instructions, directions to a storefront, or comparison shopping? I would recommend that your content represent the brand voice and follow brand guidelines for consistency. Regardless of the different content types, organic search does not exclude branded search terms and your brand can and will appear in different forms. By diversifying your content, you’ll have more opportunities to achieve the goals of your SEO strategy.

Invest in Video as Part of Your SEO Strategy

Based on a recent eMarketer study, watching videos is on the rise, so have you given thought to communicating with your customers with video content? More than 77% of all tablet users will watch video programming on their devices at least monthly, and that penetration rate will grow to 87% by 2018, totaling 149 million tablet video viewers. My recommendation is to start brainstorming, create relevant content, optimize your videos, and leverage video platforms that connect prospective customers to your brand. Consider transcribing your videos into text to improve visibility and additional link earning as well. And remember, YouTube isn’t the only video platform on the planet! Find the best fit for your brand’s message and pursue it.

Build Relationships to Strengthen Your Organic Search Strategy

In my opinion, brand relationships will be critical to driving SEO strategies in 2015. I use the word “relationships” because it’s about the people and the relevant content that’s associated with them (what brand advocates like vs. what your prospective audience likes). By building relationships, you will increase visibility for your brand, create linking opportunities, and engage with influencers that resonate with you as well as your brand. Think about ways to develop an effective outreach program and reconnect with bloggers, journalist, reporters, etc. to get you started.

Develop Your 2015 SEO Strategy with Metrics and Milestones

Take a look at your mobile organic search traffic, assess your existing mobile design and organic search from mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). Identify opportunities to help customers find you, navigate seamlessly via mobile and get to your most relevant content. Test new ways to diversify your content with customer intent in mind. Find opportunities to build relationships via social media, but don’t be afraid to pick up the telephone (they’re people too)! I would recommend re-evaluating metrics/KPIs, establishing benchmarks associated with your organic search strategy’s past performance, setting targets or milestones, and connecting periodically within internal contributors to gauge progress.

Ready to ring in the New Year with an updated SEO strategy? Share your story in the comments!

Marketing Tips for Businesses in 2015

December 24, 2014 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

This week, we’re pleased to feature a guest blog post from Ivan Serrano, a digital journalist hailing from Northern California. If you’d like to catch up with Ivan, you can hit him up on Twitter!

The New Year is a time for change and a fresh start. Whether your 2014 marketing strategy was solid or not, it’s time to look to the future and make some necessary updates for 2015. The most important ingredient for marketing success now and in the future hasn’t changed though: You must know your customers and understand what they want. These marketing tips can hopefully steer you in the right direction and give you some ideas for your own digital strategy.

Go Mobile

It is clear that it is becoming an increasingly mobile-first world. Worldwide there are over 7 billion mobile devices with smartphones making up 25 percent of the total. If you haven’t already gone mobile, now is the time to embrace it as more people expect brands to offer mobile optimized websites. While this might require a complete overhaul of your site, approaching your site design with a mobile- first mentality will lead to more traffic. Consider this: 61 percent of people will immediately navigate away from a site if it isn’t mobile-friendly. When revamping your site for mobile, use a responsive design instead of a new mobile site. A responsive site will automatically adjust your webpage to fit on different screen sizes.

Don’t stop at your site though. Make sure you optimize your email messages for mobile as well. Surveys suggest that 80 percent of mobile users will delete emails if they are not optimized for their screen. Keep your emails easy to read with larger fonts and a simple layout.

Use Long-tail Keywords

Over the years, people’s searches have moved more towards long-tail keywords, as it produces more personal and relevant results, especially with the increasing popularity of mobile. Choosing the right long-tail keywords can be difficult but there are several options you can use to find the best ones for you:

Google Keyword Tool or other similar services
The meta tags in your competitor’s source code
Common keywords on comments, forums and emails

Once you have identified the long-tail keywords relevant to your business, create unique content around it. Do not try to stuff all of your keywords into one post though. Instead, spread it out among several posts or pages. Not only will your content sound more natural, you will also attract the right audience to your pages. As an added bonus, the more pages you have the more likely your site is to appear in someone’s search results.

Personalize Your Communication

With so many businesses and sites vying for people’s attention, it is no longer enough to just send out a mass email or post a generic update and expect to see results. People now expect a level of personalization to their customer experience. Without it, they will move on to your competitors. Personalization isn’t necessarily difficult, but it will take some time. You might already dabble in it with your social media accounts by responding to comments and directly interacting with your followers. In 2015 you’ll need to go a step further by personalizing every interaction your audience has with your company. Some important examples include:

Emails – While including a person’s name in the subject of the email can increase open-rate by 22.2 percent, you can go a step further by tailoring your message to suit the customer. Where do they live? What have they bought from you in the past? How long have they been subscribers? If you take all of these into account you can create a more personal email message that will lead to a higher CTR.
Content – Before you publish another post or update, take your audience into consideration. Do they prefer videos or case studies? What influencers do they go to for information? Create a profile of ideal customer and then base your content around what they want.

Go Local

95 percent of mobile users have used their device to perform a local search, with 88 percent taking action within a day of the search. Local search has become so prevalent on mobile that Google has included location signals in their mobile algorithm. The quickest way to go local is to include your address, phone number and email on the homepage of your site. Make sure you add a click to contact feature so customers can easily reach your business with a single tap.

Incorporate Videos

The growth of video as the major form of content will continue to increase as more social platforms incorporate it on their sites. Video will no longer be about just providing a polished viewing experience; it is moving more about providing experiences to the viewer and starting a conversation.

Usher in 2015 with a Solid Marketing Plan

Personalization will be the name of the marketing game in 2015 as people become more selective with what they choose to read and watch. Adjust your marketing plan accordingly and then continue improving throughout the year.

How do you intend to update your marketing plan in 2015? Tell us in the comments!

Rackspace vs. GoDaddy Hosting Platforms

December 9, 2014 by Dabrian Marketing Group 2 Comments

Rackspace eCommerce Platform

A new contender has joined the eCommerce competition. Rackspace is a UK-based web hosting company that boasts some premium services, but they have been known to be on the expensive side. Compare them to GoDaddy, the widely popular (and often less pricy) eCommerce hosting company, and it might seem like the decision between these two is easy. Let’s see how these two eCommerce platforms stack up against one another.

Rackspace eCommerce Hosting

Some advantages of Rackspace include…

They have nice diagnostic tools like page load speed checker and downtime cost calculator. Those alone can make a huge difference for webmasters when it comes to troubleshooting issues on an eCommerce site.
They have reliable hosting and rarely experience outages.
If your eCommerce site receives a sudden influx of traffic, Rackspace can easily manage the bandwidth.
Rackspace is well-known for their excellent security. We have yet to see them make a list of
“hacked hosting companies.”
Rackspace offers multiple eCommerce software options, including the ever-popular Oracle and Magento.
In our team’s experience, Rackspace has had excellent customer and technical support.
Rackspace has 24-hour support, so there’s no need to worry if you ever have an issue.

The disadvantages…

The price. Their lowest eCommerce package is $300 a month.

GoDaddy Hosting

Some advantages are…

Pricing for GoDaddy is much less expensive than Rackspace–you can generally get hosting packages in the $5-$10 a month range.
In a span of 5 years, they have been reported to only of been down for 6 total hours. That’s quite impressive, even though they have received more media coverage than some smaller hosting companies.
There are several various add-ons you can implement on your eCommerce site (though most of them require you to purchase access to them). The add-ons differ from Rackspace; Godaddy’s add-ons are more along the lines of email, SSL, domains, etc.
They have 24/7 customer support.

The disadvantages…

Even though they have round-the-clock support, we’ve noticed that we often get transferred through several departments before we get to someone who can help solve our issue(s).

Because they’re so popular, they’re usually targeted for malicious attacks. So even though they claim to have excellent security, they’re not completely protected from hackers.

If you are a smaller eCommerce company that does not max out its bandwidth and uses little space on your server, then GoDaddy may be your best bet. If you have a larger or resource-intensive website and choose GoDaddy, you may find yourself dealing with customer service a lot. To save yourself that time and aggravation, you may wish to check out Rackspace and determine if the higher cost is the most effective business decision.

Have a question about these two eCommerce platforms? Leave us a comment below!

Putting the Biggest Content Marketing Questions to Rest

December 3, 2014 by Dabrian Marketing Group 1 Comment

Content marketing is going full-on beast mode.

And business owners are starting to pick up on it. More small businesses are allocating resources to it, and more B2B content campaigns are in the queue than ever before. With this trend, two big problems arise. The first is for the stragglers out there, who have to justify the expense to a greater degree than the argument that it’s “what everyone else is doing.” The second is for the folks who have already begun investing time and resources into content, but encounter the issue of showing its business value.

This week, we’re taking some of the biggest questions in the content marketing space and resolving them, once and for all. *drags out soap box*

How do we even know what to write about?

What this boils down to: Resources

Creating content that’s actually valuable requires more than a good idea. Why? Because those ideas don’t come out of thin air. They take people; knowledgeable, creative, driven individuals. When making the case for content to your higher-ups, the conversation will quickly turn to dollars and cents and personnel and budgets.

The fact of the matter is, content marketing is an investment that impacts all aspects of a business. Sales managers can supply service/product information to prospects, blog posts can reinforce a smaller team’s subject matter expertise, and case studies can act as proof that a company’s product or service helped a client overcome a major challenge.

As it stands, an investment in content marketing covers far more areas than the final document, video, or blog post. It’s really an investment in your entire brand, arguably your most valuable marketing resource.

How would we determine our return on investment?

What this boils down to: Value

We knew this was coming. With all the talk of business value, monetary value is the next logical step. Sure, pieces content explaining the features and benefits of a service are an important touchpoint on the path to a sale. The other types of content, the stuff that reinforce your brand’s story? Tying them to monetary value can be a little more enigmatic.

In conversations to get content marketing off the ground, you’ve got to have a mutual understanding of something: content marketing ROI exists, but it doesn’t happen overnight. In our experience, this type of objection to adopting content doesn’t come from someone who’s leery about the investment; it comes from someone who doesn’t understand how content can have value at all.

This is where your strategic approach and key performance indicators (KPIs) come into play. If your focus is leads, your strategy can contain KPIs like conversions and subscriber retention. And if it’s brand awareness you seek, take a look at consumption metrics like social media shares and website session duration. So long as you align your KPIs to what you hope to achieve overall, justifying content should be no problem.

Isn’t this just part of the SEO and social media we’re already doing?

What this boils down to: Education

Now this can be a tough one depending on who the folks in the room are. On one hand, yes, social media and SEO heavily depend upon valuable, interesting, and edutaining content. But are they one in the same?

Yes and no. Allow me to explain.

Because SEO, social media, Pay per Click, and others all need content to exist and be effective, they’re definitely associated with content marketing. On a different level, though, content marketing is an entire way of approaching how your brand interacts with customers. In that way, it’s distinctly different from the tactic of SEO or the channel of social media.

So back to the question at hand. Is content marketing a part of SEO and social? Yes, but to be successful, we have to think about it as more than that. Rather than ask:

“How should we do SEO better?”
“What do we post on Facebook this month?”

Take a second look at your marketing tactics through a content marketing lens:

“Are we providing valuable content based on what our target audience is searching?”
“Is the content being posted to Facebook relevant to the right users?”

That’s quite a difference, isn’t it? On one hand, thinking about digital marketing in this context more closely associates your tactics as means of achieving your business goals. On the other, it allows your team to understand how individual areas work together as you speed down that path. And at the end of the day, your content is going to be what holds it all together.

Still left with burning content marketing questions? Let ‘em fly in the comments!

The Right Way to Get Your Videos Shared More

November 12, 2014 by Dabrian Marketing Group 1 Comment

This week, DMG is proud to feature a guest blog post from Michelle Downs, Director of Content & Community at 12 Stars Media. 12 Stars is an Indianapolis-based video production company focusing on producing video that allows companies to build closer connections with their target audience.

Looking to get your videos shared more? Of course you are. But in order to get your videos shared, you’ll need to have a purpose for them as well as know what your audience wants from your videos. How many times have you just shared your video once and then expected it to go viral? Or created a video without your audience in mind? In order to get your videos shared you need to first have a purpose for them.

Have a purpose for sharing

Before you even tweet out your video, make sure you have a purpose for it. What do you want your video to accomplish? Do you want someone to sign up for your next event? Plan your purpose out and make it clear when you share your video. By having a purpose for your video before you share it, you’ll know exactly what you want and how you want to present it, which is much better than just throwing it out there.

Know your audience

If you know what your audience wants, then it will be much easier to get them to share your videos. For example: on Facebook we share a lot of behind the scenes videos, because our audience on Facebook already knows us and loves to see things with our team members in it, unlike Twitter where most of our audience loves to hear the latest tips for shooting and editing their videos. It’s important to monitor your channels and find out what your audience wants on each of them because odds are, your audience won’t be the same on each social site.

Share it often

Don’t be afraid to share your video a lot. If you want your video to get out there then you can’t just post it on YouTube and expect it to take off. Share it on your social sites where the video is relevant to that particular audience. And don’t be afraid to share it multiple times in one day on Twitter or a couple of times a month on Facebook. This is especially helpful if you happen to have clients who live in different time zones because you’re more likely to reach them by sharing your video at different times throughout the day.

Change up the way you share

It’s also a good idea to change up the way you present your video when you share it. Don’t just share it with the title of the video. Add some more info to it or your take on the video or how this video will help your audience with something. Ask a question. Present a challenge. You’re more likely to reach a wider audience by mixing up the way you share the video and by sharing it multiple times, and when you reach a wider audience, you’re more likely to get more shares.

By knowing your audience, having a purpose for your video, and understanding each social channel, you’ll be able to expand your reach with each video you share and provide content that your clients and potential clients are looking for.