Author: uptown@adm

Written by Allison Herrera

Edited by Brittany Prats

Digital advertising is constantly growing & evolving into a variety of forms. You probably already read our blog about the seven benefits of digital advertising; but, how does one choose which type of digital advertising channel to hone in on? Social media ads are the perfect opportunity for highly targeted & engaging visual ads. But, paid search advertising offers advertisers an opportunity in grabbing online users’ attention who are actively searching for relevant terms. But, what if you’re focusing on increasing brand awareness? Perhaps native advertising or display advertising is the option for you.

When it comes to digital advertising, it’s up to you, when strategically picking your poison. There are many different types of digital advertising channels you can utilize in reaching your audience, & each channel can yield effectiveness based on what outlet(s) you choose, your goals, the nature of your business, & how you utilize each feature towards the nature of your business. Let’s talk about the nine types of digital advertising below!

Native Advertising

• Native advertising is often called the “anti-ad”, because it integrates with the content or the platform where it is published without interrupting the navigation.
• The purpose is creating useful & engaging content for your target audience that doesn’t feel like an advertisement.
• Native advertising focuses on a positive & seamless user experience, because the ad’s design matches the function, feel & look of the media platform it appears on.
• This in turn build customer trust, as advertisements appear genuine & authentic, rather than spam or a nuisance.

Email Marketing

• Email marketing creates quality databases & offers opportunities for a segmented audience.
• Strong email campaigns use content that entices users to “click to download”, which can vary from ebooks to checklists. This creates a database or interested leads, as it requires users to add in their information (name, email, etc.). As your database grows, you can separate your list of users into specialized groups based on each user’s specific behavior & interests. Then, you can deliver relevant email campaigns their way.

Social Media & Social Media Advertisements

• Back in 2019, internet users spent an average of two hours and 22 minutes per day on social media, which means social media provides a huge opportunity for marketing your business.
• Social media & social media advertising is a great strategy in reaching a specific & engaging audience at a low cost.
• Let’s break this category into two aspects – social media (organic marketing) & social media advertisements (paid digital advertising).
• Social media is organic marketing, in the sense that it’s free to have a page on a social media platform, although you would only grow with a professional’s guidance or management.
• Although organic marketing efforts are free, you can implement paid digital advertising through social media advertisements for an extra push in attracting online users.
• Think of social media as your vehicle & social media advertisements as the gas that keeps your wheels rolling.
• When you feel as if your business is rolling, but you want to attract a new demographic, paid advertising can assist & is an affordable strategy.
• Social media advertisements increase brand awareness, sales, & revenue through segmenting your target audience.
• Social media ads depend on millions of users and they allow you to segment to arrive to your target audience.
• Each social media platform has different features & options, which help segment your target audience.
• Of course “everyone” is on Facebook, but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily the best platform in reaching your target audience.
• The platform you decide in ultimately placing your ads on depends on a number of factors, such as your audience’s online habits & where your target audience typically spends most of their time. Here are a few of our favorite social media platforms:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat

 

• From there, you focus on ad formats, which takes into account messaging, budget, & the platform itself.
• Social media ads also have more than one goal in mind. From building brand awareness to increasing sales, a professional marketer can help properly craft a clear goal based on strategy backed up by research.

 

Display Advertising

• When most people think of online advertising, display ads are what typically comes to people’s minds in terms of traditional digital marketing.
• Display advertising is a published visual element that is found on a designated area of a website, blog, social media platform, etc. Great examples of display advertising are banner ads, promotional images, & pop-ups on websites.
• These ads are often placed on websites with relevant subject matter, in hopes of targeting a similar audience.
• Display advertisements generally have a lower CTR than search ads, since the placement is not always relevant to users & disrupts a user’s website experience – appearing intrusive or annoying, from a psychological standpoint.
• This sometimes yields into low engagement rates, & internet users sometimes ignore display ads.
• The CTRs & engagement rates of display ads are also affected by the growth of ad blockers, but there is a great potential in re-marketing options when it comes to this type of advertisement.
• Display advertisements also build brand awareness in a highly targeted environment.

Remarketing/Retargeting

• Remarketing displays personalized ad online based toward a user’s online behavior or users who have previously interacted with your website, brand, or similar websites & brands.
• Remarketing ads are always appropriate & relevant to users’ latest interactions through using information about users collected through cookies.
• This type of advertising is a key driver of ROI for e-commerce business (& so much more), because it focuses on engaging with users who interacted with your brand in the past & demonstrated interest in your products/services. This strategy shows a higher conversion rate rather than targeting customers who have never heard of your brand or company before.
• Remarketing reignites a consumer’s interest & encourages him/her to return & finalize a purchase. Either way, the goal is remaining top-of-mind with users & increasing the likelihood of a sale

SEM (aka “paid search advertising”)

 

• Paid search advertising are the ads that you see at the top of any search engine’s results page – such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. It blends in as a search engine result, but says “Ad” next to the URL.
• Paid search advertisements have a high CTR & drive more conversions than display advertising, because they seamlessly blend in as a search engine result, although they say “Ad” next to the URL.
• Users are also highly likely to read & engage paid search advertisements because not only do they sit at the top page of search results, but you’ll capture your target audience when their attention matters the most – when they’re actively searching for a product or service you can offer them.
• SEM quickly & easily responds to the needs of users based on keywords & phrases in what they are typing in the search engine.
• Like social media ads, you can also target customers through SEM according to age, location, & interests
• Google Ads also offer the option of designing search engine ad campaigns combined with with retargeting lists, which boosts the effectiveness of paid search advertising campaigns.

Mobile Advertisements

• Mobile advertising is focused on the appearance of ads on mobile devices, such as a smartphone or tablet.
• This type of advertising includes promotion texts sent via SMS, banner ads on mobile-enabled sites, and ads that pop up within mobile apps.
• As more & more online users spend most of their time on their mobile devices, digital campaigns should definitely also focus on mobile.
• According to Google, searches are significantly higher on mobile instead of desktops. As a result, Google does not index a page if it doesn’t have a mobile website.

Video Advertisements

• Video is the king of content. Due to its effectiveness, video ads receive a better CTR than traditional advertising.
• Video platforms, such as YouTube & TikTok, continue growing in popularity, as smartphone users spend a majority of their time engaging with video content online.
• Videos also provide an authentic connection for consumers, which expands reach, promotes engagement, makes boosting campaigns easier, & drives clicks/sales.
• Hearing & seeing someone in real life generates a genuine feeling from the screen to the target audience.

Audio Advertising

• Audio advertising targets audio streaming service listeners.
• This type of advertising involves recorded messages that are placed between songs on podcast episodes, unless users are paying a subscription fee on streaming devices.
• Audio advertising is a great opportunity for brands to reach a large audience, & can be strategically placed based on users’ interests. For example, a podcast focused on dogs is the perfect opportunity for a dog groomer to advertise himself/herself.
• With professional marketing, advertisers can also create memorable, high-impact messages for listeners, while ensuring audio ads yield a target audience.

Now that you’ve read about the nine main types of digital advertising channels, what’s holding you back? You’ll want a professional on your side when navigating this ever-changing digital world. Contact one of our team specialists today – we can help you find the perfect channel that’s right for your brand, while providing an effective & efficient digital advertising strategy.

 

 

Written by Allison Herrera

Edited by Brittany Prats

We already told you how digital ad revenue is increasing, but let’s chat about why you should invest in this branch of marketing. Digital advertising occurs when marketers or business owners promote their brand on the internet (website, email, social media, etc.). In order for consumers to see a brand’s advertising efforts, they must be actively using the internet in some form.

Digital advertising is effective for several reasons. This type of marketing provides rapid results when consistently practiced & strategized by professionals. We broke down seven reasons digital advertising is beneficial.

Cost Effective

• Organic marketing efforts are any advertising instrument that you don’t have to pay for. This can include your website, social media pages, blog, email marketing, or search engine marketing (SEM).
• Although organic marketing efforts are free, you can implement paid digital advertising within those outlets for an extra push in attracting online users…& you are completely in the front seat when it comes to pricing!
• Think of organic marketing as your vehicle & paid digital advertising as the gas that keeps your wheels rolling.
• When you feel as if your business is rolling, but you want to attract a new demographic, paid advertising can assist & is an affordable strategy.

 

Provides Client Data

• Online ads can give you access into customer demographics & behaviors. By experimenting with messaging & adjusting campaigns, you can gain insights on customers’ demographics, which help companies understand exactly: who are their customers, what are their customers’ interests, when are their customers active online, where are their customers located, etc.
• Through digital outlets, companies can easily gather data from testing messaging, then analyzing it in terms of what best resonates with their audience.
• From there, marketers can implement those hard numbers obtained (which are more beneficial than simply guessing), & optimize campaigns for maximum results without before even touching the dollar amount they are investing in digital advertising.
• Remember, data doesn’t lie 😉

 

Measurable

• We talked about how digital advertising provides data on online users, but it also allows you to accurately measure the results of your campaigns in terms of how they are performing. This includes an increase in website visits or evaluate how the cost per click (CPC) of your social media ads changes over time.
• The beauty of digital advertising is that it allows gives marketers the luxury of running an ad for 30 minutes & immediately knowing details (no matter how big or small) – how much money was spent, how much the business gained from the ad, how much web traffic the ad yielded, & so much more!
• Much digital advertising’s allure is really is its ability to deliver hard data that can be used in future campaigns.
• Also, if you implement lead capture, you can measure your conversion rates to help estimate your return on investment with digital ads.

Targeted

• Online ads are highly targeted. Through client data & campaign measurements, digital marketing allows marketers to easily target campaigns to the right customers.
• For example, social media platforms allow marketers to define a specific audience from platforms’ users. This grouping is achieved by targeting different attributes, such as gender, age, hobbies, interests, & even occupations.
• So, you would take all of the numbers obtained from clients & past campaigns, then use it in moving forward with future digital ads through targeting the correct audience.

Optimized

• With digital marketing, you can optimize your campaigns by easily evolving them, whether it’s switching up copywriting or swapping out a picture…the options are endless!
• Although results take time when first beginning, you can instantly adjust any campaigns online through a few simple clicks.
• For example, if you notice that your audience isn’t highly responsive to an ad, you can change the images and messaging quickly & with ease, until you see the results you’re looking for.

Accessable

• The internet doesn’t sleep & can be accessed anywhere at any time, especially with online usage running higher on phones, instead of desktops.
• There are 7.83 billion people in the world (Worldometer), & 4.66 billion of them are active Internet users. (Statista).
• That means you have a pretty good chance of reaching an audience online, where the average Internet user spends 6 hours & 43 minutes online every day. (We Are Social Global Digital Report 2020).

Builds Your Credentials

• Having an established & creative digital presence can set your business apart from competitors. This sets the tone that your brand is modern & can “keep up with the times”.
• Digital advertising increases brand awareness, who may otherwise never frequented your business or perhaps missed your traditional advertising efforts.
• Digital advertising also opens the door for communicating with potential clients & encourages customers to engage with your brand.
• Businesses typically use digital advertising in supporting promotions or spreading important messages, which effectively captures new customers & efficiently informs current clients or any news.
• Through digital advertising, you can guarantee that your business is on users’ radars, especially when first launching a brand or busines

Of course these are the benefits of running digitals marketing advertisements, but it is important you work with a professional in order to obtain effective & efficient results. Shoot us a call or email today – we would love assisting you on this marketing journey. Let’s optimize your digital advertising campaigns together!

Written by Allison Herrera & Brittany Prats

A whopping 500 million people go on Instagram daily. I don’t know about y’all, but that sounds to me like 500 million potential new customers. That is…if you have a cohesive Instagram feed.

A whopping 500 million people go on Instagram daily. I don’t know about y’all, but that sounds to me like 500 million potential new customers. That is…if you have a cohesive Instagram feed.

An effective social media strategy based on data, statistics & strategy is ALWAYS the way to go. This ensures a unique opportunity in connecting with already existing consumers & potential consumers. There’s more to it than just that though. It’s all about consistency, babe. This is key when establishing professionalism, & you can reveal that through an Instagram feed with a consistent color scheme, theme, grid design, & creative graphics/photos that stand out. Your online aesthetic should represent who & what you are as a business – especially when there are so many similar pages or companies out there.

We know you’re literally screaming at your screen right now asking “BUT, HOW DO I GET AN AESTHETICALLY PLEASING INSTAGRAM!!!!!”. Guess what – your favorite Uptown Girls have a few tips for you! A cohesive & aesthetically pleasing Instagram is comprised of these characteristics:

• Represents Your Brand
• First Impressions
• Recognizable & Memorable
• Messaging & Mood
• Professionalism

Represents Your Brand

Your aesthetic represents your brand, & an aesthically pleasing Instagram feed is the first thing viewers will notice when they land on your page. PS: if you’re confused about what branding is, click this link for our blog post breaking it all down. That means, it is crucial that your content complements your brand identity.

First Impressions

In developing first impressions, it is crucial that you exhibit a snapshot of your brand…& an aesthetically pleasing feed does just that! When a person clicks on your profile, your first impression will either make them follow you or continue scrolling on other pages. You want to keep *quality* visitors on your page. So, it is crucial that your company’s colors, layout, tone, messaging & feeling are conveyed online not just on individual posts, but also on the feed as a whole. Each element in a successful social media account works hand-in-hand with success.

Recognizable & Memorable

You want people from all over recognizing your brand. Recognizable brands focus on consistency & relevancy when it comes to their voice, tone, & content…& having a cohesive Instagram feed makes your page instantly recognizable. Your audience should be able to instantly recognize your post within a sea of other posts on their personal feed by correctly pairing it with your specific account, which uploaded it. Brand recognition is the number one driving force behind many successful businesses, & you have an opportunity to explore that option online, while also showing off your brand in a creative and interesting way. If a consumer simply likes the way your feed appears, there’s a better chance that your brand will remain at the top of viewers’ minds. Consumers will also have a clearer idea of your brand based off of how you appear online.

Messaging & Mood

A cohesive feed helps your audience easily understand messages you communicate relating to your brand, as a cohesive feed is predictable – it focuses on the element of repetition. This also helps your audience know what to expect from your posts & sets a specific mood in your messaging. An aesthetic refers to a specific mood that you want your content conveying. A aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed means landing on a specific “mood” that you want your brand portraying. Businesses can accomplish this by choosing a style for content & writing, which focuses on your brand voice.

Professionalism

An aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed builds your credentials as a professional & helps brands establish better connections. Nailing your brand’s colors, layout, tone, messaging, & feeling through a cohesive feed shows users that you understand your company’s purpose, personality & story. A pleasing aesthetic also reveals a brand cares about how they present themselves not only in-person, but online, too, & have the ability to “keep up with the times”. A cohesive feed also shows your account is active, which promotes engagement & improves your connection with your audience.

Instagram feeds reveal a brand’s purpose, personality, & story. That means not only should your feed show off a cohesive look, but everything else must stay consistent – your writing style of your captions, the way that your visuals fit together as a whole, the way that your bio is written, story highlights, etc. Each post & element on your profile should represent your brand & its personality.

Hey, we get it…this is a lot to take in, which is why we’re here to help! We won’t let you go through this alone – you have bigger & better things to do. Let us handle the job – it’s kinda our thing 😉

Written by Brittany Prats

Edited by Allison Herrera⁣

We literally always say  you have to go digital. The time is now. No more excuses. But, hey, if you don’t want to take our word for it, that’s fine. Before you close any doors, though, check out this evidence proving it’s time to go digital!

Did you know that Digital Ad Revenue had the largest increase last year since 2006?! That’s a 35% increase in Digital Ad Revenue in one year, but we can’t say we’re super surprised by this. Coming off of a pandemic that lasted well over a year, it was almost impossible for a brand to not turn to digital marketing. Everyone was constantly online, which quite honestly resulted in digital marketing really as businesses only option in terms of advertising.

Just to further put this number into perspective, an increase in Digital Ad Revenue of 35% equals just about $189 BILLION. Previously, from 2020 to 2021, the growth rate of Digital Ad Revenue was only 12%. There are millions of reasons that this may have been the case, but let’s break down the main one.

There was an enormous increase in the amount of businesses, which in turn means more of a need for marketing and advertising. In fact, a record of 5.4 million new business applications were filed. Because of the immense amount of new businesses, the only way that they could really promote their new business or find new customers was by going digital, whether that be through social media, video, or even audio.

Online shopping is another contributor to this spike in Digital Ad Revenue. People practically accomplished all of their shopping online last year as well, which makes a significant difference in Digital Ad Revenue. Online shopping is a big portion of our everyday lives, and it’s clearly not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, online shopping is constantly developing as digital outlets continue growing. Think about it. Twenty years ago, we would wait for the mailman/mailwoman to deliver the latest store catalogs. Ten years ago, we moved online, where we would “window shop” on online websites and could even order products. Five years ago, we would browse social media and message stores comments, questions or concerns about products. But today, we can now order products through digital apps, such as Instagram, with a few simple clicks after being hooked from algorithms and Digital Advertising.

Now, your next question is probably how do you calculate ad revenue? Well, there’s no one-size-fits all calculation for ad revenue, since difference platforms/outlets can charge advertisers based on a few different metrics, including:

• Cost-per-thousand-impressions
• Cost-per-click
• Cost-per-acquisition

Cost-per-thousand-impressions or cost-per-mille (CPM) measures how much you earn each time an ad earns 1,000 views.

• Formula: Total impressions / 1,000 X CPM = Revenue
• For example, if you charge advertisers a $10 CPM and you have 200,000 monthly website visitors, you might expect to earn $2,000 per month if each of those visitors view an ad once
• Here’s how that works: 200,000 impressions / 1,000 X $10 CPM = $2,000

Cost-per-click (CPC) measures how much you earn each time someone clicks on an ad.

• Formula: Total impressions / 1,000 X CPM = Revenue
• For example, if you charge advertisers a $10 CPM and you have 200,000 monthly website visitors, you might expect to earn $2,000 per month if each of those visitors view an ad once
• Here’s how that works: 200,000 impressions / 1,000 X $10 CPM = $2,000

Cost-per-acquisition (CPA) measures how much you earn each time someone converts after viewing your ad. This conversion is similar to CPC, but it typically comes in the form of an email sign-up, app download, or purchase.

• Formula: Total acquisitions X CPA = Revenue
• For example, if you charge a $2 CPA and 1,000 of your readers convert, you earn $2,000
• Here’s how that works: 1,000 conversions X $2 = $2,000

Now that you understand how these numbers are calculated, you can see how Digital Ad Revenue has skyrocketed; however, just because ad revenue has increased, that doesn’t mean it will do that for every brand. You have to practice effective advertising in order for your means to make a difference. With digital advertising quickly evolving everyday, it can get incredibly hard to keep up with all of the new trends, channels, and options you have.

So why do it alone?! If you want real results based on specifically you and your goals, then hire someone who actually specializes in digital marketing. Oh wait, that sounds familiar, huh? Hire Uptown Girl Media, where we believe everyone deserves a piece of the pie…and we’re willing to get you there however we have to!

Written by Brittany Prats

Edited by Allison Herrera⁣

We hear it all the time: “I can do my business’s marketing on my own, it can’t be that hard.” Sure, maybe you can – but if you really want to grow your business like never before, then you need to hire a professional (**cough cough** us **cough cough**).

What even is a marketing agency anyway?!

Well, it’s pretty simple actually. A marketing agency is a team of people who help brands grow in whatever their goal is through the execution of a campaign or strategy. Whether that’s through social media, out of home, commercials, or even just website development, the options are limitless. Marketing agencies focus on telling your brand’s story in a creative & strategic manner.

I don’t know. I still think I could do it on my own. So, why is it worth it?!

We get it – it seems really easy, so why wouldn’t you just do it all on your own? Let’s break down a few advantages of why hiring a professional can make a serious difference in upping your marketing game.

1.  Professionals are Objective.

Obviously, you’re going to think your business is the best in the field & that your methods of marketing are top notch, but that’s not always the best perspective when promoting your business. The way you promote your business may not be the most effective approach; so, with an objective eye, professionals analyze everything, see where your competitors are doing well, & figure out the best move for your goals, along with creating content that is specifically strategized for your brand, focused on customer engagement/experience, & cannot be replicated or re-produced.

2. Access to Professional Resources & Knowledge

The professionals will have access to data, stats, software, & other materials that the average person simply doesn’t. Just like how you have resources that help you in your field but aren’t necessarily available to everyone, it’s the same way for marketers! We also stay up to date on ever-changing knowledge pertaining to marketing, whether it’s Instagram’s algorithm or website design trends. As digital continues updating, we continue learning.

3. Tracking Results.

Yeah, yeah, yeah we know – Instagram Insights are a great thing…but, those statistics are sometimes vague & lacking in areas that make all the difference. Do you really know what those numbers mean? And did you know that there are so many other important statistics from your campaign that Instagram can’t analyze by itself? Through hiring a professional, you’ll have access to all of the data & statistics that really matter for your goals in your campaign. Plus, we’ll go over each report we create for you – helping you understand each statistic & analyzation a little bit better.

4. Saving you Time & Money.

Time is money, baby, & you don’t have time to waste. Hiring a professional will help you get back to the fun parts of being a business owner, & more importantly letting you focus on the things you know best. What takes you maybe four hours to create may take us only fifteen minutes. Since we know the tips & tricks of the marketing industry, using a professional can actually save you money in the long run, as we can better target your audience & implement strategies focused on goals. We’re constant learners & on top of the trends/changes in the digital world, which takes a large chunk of time on a day to day basis. Let us take that burden off of your shoulders.

5. Experience!!

This one is a little obvious, but it might be the most important. Just as you’re an expert in your field of work, professional marketers are experts in their field. They know all there is to know about what will make your brand grow & how to do so. Everyone has their own strengths, & ours just happens to be marketing! We always keep up with the latest trends ensuring that your campaigns will be accurate, effective, & produce positive results throughout the duration it is used. Experience is something you really need when it comes to marketing if you want to effectively get your business off of the ground.

Okay, cool, but what about Uptown Girl Media?!

We do all of that & so much more, but with a twist! Our goal as a business is providing a unique visual experience that no one else can reproduce, by curating individualized visions that are strategically personalized for you & your brand. We specialize in highlighting memories & experiences consumers will value through a creative & unique outlet.

We want you to leave the hard work to us, & enjoy the fun parts of being a business owner! We believe that we can grow any brand to reach its specific goals. This not only expands your brand, but it builds your credentials & enhances your professional presence.

Regardless of who you choose to hire for your marketing needs, just always remember that you need to do your research, ask questions, & get a second opinion before you hire them. Don’t waste your time or your money if you know you’re not the right fit. At Uptown Girl Media, we think of working with clients as a mutual selection process.

We want to work directly with you, & we want our goals & values to align. We won’t let you waste your time, & we most certainly won’t let you waste your money. Give us a call, babe, & let’s see if we’re a fit.

As Biggie Smalls once said, “never let ‘em know your next move”. Well, Instagram certainly follows this ideal. Update after update. New feature after new feature. It’s harder keeping up with Instagram than the Kardashians, but you know what…every update & feature has truly enhanced users’ experiences on Instagram. The social media giant is cooking up their newest update – Instagram story likes.

Users are now able to “like” an Instagram story privately (meaning only you & whoever posted the content will see that you “hearted” that picture your crush posted on their story). As opposed to the current reactions that are used on Instagram stories where Instagram will send a DM to the user of whatever reaction you clicked on, story likes will simply just be shown on the same feed that shows who viewed your story. This feature was created in hopes of  helping declutter users’ DMs.

I know, I know – you’re probably wondering, “Okay. Cool. But, you’re a marketing company…so, why do you care? This just seems helpful for personal accounts”. Oh no, honey. This new feature is full of benefits that can help a business grow their social media game.

Think of it like this – if you’re liking someone’s story, you most likely have a relationship with that person, or are at least trying to have a relationship with them. Why is it  any different for a brand?

Imagine that your ideal client averages 400-500 views per story. That user who is your ideal client may not follow your IG account, which means your chances of becoming noticed are one in four hundred or one in five hundred. But, have no fear! By “liking” that user’s story, Instagram will bump your account to the top of the viewers list; whereas with the current IG story interactions, your “reaction” ends up in a “requested” messages folder (if an account doesn’t follow your account). This new feature entices users you deem as ideal clients into looking into your profile, since you personify your brand through liking that user’s story & implying you genuinely care about what that user is posting.

Utilizing the new story like feature assists in growing brands. This new feature not only gets brands noticed by potential customers, but it builds relationships & trust with clients – potential, past and/or current. Not really sure if keeping up with Instagram is a priority for you? Give us a call, because staying social is always our number one priority.

Written by Brittany Prats

Edited by Allison Herrera⁣

Picture this: You recently posted a beautiful picture on Instagram promoting your brand. You check the Instagram Insights to see how the post is doing. You look at it, think “cool”, & then close out the app. You have no idea what you just looked at. Sure, they’re big numbers, so you think that’s good…but what does it all really mean?! We’ll break it down for you.

Reach vs. Impressions – what’s the difference?

Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. Reach is the number of unique users who view your post or ad, while impressions are the number of times your post or ad is seen. Think of it like this, if you personally see an ad three times, then that ad made an impression on you three times, but only to you those three times. This means that most of the time the amount of impressions will be much higher than the reach, due to the fact that the ad is more than likely going to be served to that user more than once.

I’ll give another example to make this a little clearer. Say Dior posts a picture displaying their new shade of Lip Oil. This post gets a reach of 1.2 million, but 3.3 million impressions. This means that out of Dior’s 39.7 million followers, only 1.2 million of those users saw the post, but it was seen a total of 3.3 million times. Therefore, a majority of the 1.2 million unique users who saw the new shade of Lip Oil actually saw that post multiple times. Everytime a user is shown a post or ad, it counts as a new impression, regardless of if they have seen it before or not.

Reach and Impressions fall into two categories: Paid and Organic. Organic reach and impressions are when users view your post organically on their feed – the content just happens to show up to them. While paid reach and impressions are when you pay for your content to show up on someone’s feed – think of this as Instagram ads, Facebook ads, or any “boosted” post.

You’re probably thinking, “okay cool, but why does it even matter?”. Well, the answer is pretty easy: brand awareness. The more people who see your post (reach), the more people will recognize and notice your brand. Would you even know of your favorite online boutique if they never reached you? Probably not. The amount of times your post is viewed (impressions) is important, because the more someone sees your post, the more they’ll remember it. Remember that one ad you saw over and over again and now know all the words to? Yeah, they meant to do that. Now you remember the ad, you remember the brand, and you’re more likely to buy from them if you feel like you know them from seeing them so often.

Overall, reach and impressions are extremely important when growing your brand. You want people to see your content; and you want them to see your post more than once, so they remember it. Still having trouble figuring out what it all means or just need those numbers to be a little higher for you? We got you, babe. Give us a call – we can help!

Written by Allison Herrera⁣

Your client is essential, as it’s who purchases your products/services &, essentially, keeps your company in business. Our job is catering to your client, because they deserve valuable content…but, have you ever thought about centering content based around them? Here are four (4) reasons why:

People trust consumers over companies

Peers, influencers & even celebrities often voice their opinions on products/services; which, in turn, generates more potential clients. This works because your peers, influencers & celebrities build a loyal following with like-minded people, who trust them & their opinions on products promoted. Followers feel that the brands are reputable, as opinions are coming from an end user instead of the brand’s designer or developer. Peers, influencers & celebrities even present the product or service from they point of view, & how it relates to their day-to-day lives.

Long-term SEO value in customer-focused marketing

Many companies toot their own horn on their “About Page”, but not many brands have a “Customer Reviews” page. This allows customers to speak on behalf of your brand, which leads to more user-generated content & more engaged online followers. Adding reviews on your website can also positively impact your SEO – especially in terms of certain keywords. When you engage with customers via social media, you also show up in the SERP. These positive interactions should translate on your website for SEO purposes.

Word-of-mouth marketing

Kantar found in a 2020 study that 93% of people trust their family & friends as reliable sources when choosing a brand or service. Quality products & outstanding customer service are two factors in leading consumer decisions; which in turn, boosts recommendations of services/products to friends & family. This is how brands can achieve customer stories & emotive marketing, which share the impact of a company.

Big brands use this strategy…& it works

Brands like Tesla, Nike, & Airbnb have seen great success from shifting their marketing to a customer-focused strategy.

• Tesla’s marketing strategy is practically non-existent compared to its competitors, as its strategy is essentially word-of-mouth. Tesla even began a referral program rewarding customers for referring Tesla to friends & family, which has been highly successful. That referral program led to one Tesla customer referred over 180 people to purchase a Tesla. That same one customer also brought in $16 million, with Tesla spending $0 in terms of advertising.
• Nike is also another great example of focusing on its clientele. Nike ditches product descriptions &, instead, focuses on the wearer & his/her experiences wearing Nike – the kid who finally hits her half-court shot or learns to run for the first time. Of course millions of athletes sport Nike’s brand, but the company uses their “Average Joe” clients who believe in the Nike brand. In turn, Nike represents these regular people in their marketing strategies.
• Airbnb recently increased its focus on brand marketing, which resulted in them cutting their performance marketing spend by over 25% percent. Airbnb reports that they are experiencing its strongest earnings ever in Q3 2021, after launching its first global brand campaign, “Made Possible by Hosts”, in Q1 2021. This campaign centers around its customers & through their eyes as travelers, whether it’s an average family vacation, solo trip, or adventure.

 

Your customers should consistently & constantly stand as the focal point of your marketing strategy. After all, your brand would not succeed without their support. Are you unsure of how to begin utilizing your clients? Contact us today – we can help!

Written by Brittany Prats

Edited by Allison Herrera⁣

Imagine you’re out on a Friday night and you see a really cute person across the room – how are you going to get their attention? Flip your hair? Shoot ‘em a wink? No. We hate to break it to you, but that’s not going to get you that Valentine’s box of chocolates. Sorry, but it’s true.

You know what will catch their attention & make them remember you? A pickup line. Whether it be cheesy, smooth, or even a little direct – we guarantee you they’ll remember it. Listen, we know what you’re thinking, “Why is a marketing company giving me dating advice?” We’re not. We’re giving you email marketing advice.

That’s right. Think of emails as if you’re picking that cutie up at the bar. Don’t you want to get your recipient’s attention? Well, in email marketing, what’s the point of sending emails if your followers aren’t  even going to open it? Here’s where those pickup lines come in.

When you’re getting ready to send an email, whether it’s to promote a new sale, new products, or just to get people in the door – you need your audience to OPEN THAT EMAIL. If you want to get your message across, you gotta get creative. Over 105 billion emails are sent every day, so how will you get your audience to open your email? Here’s seven types of subject lines to use for your email marketing strategy that we know will entice that cutie into reading your email 😉

Simple (but to the point) Subject Lines

Minimalism is never a bad thing. Sometimes all your customer wants is something quick and to the point. If creativity isn’t your strong suit, that’s okay – these types of subject lines are for you. You could even just use one, simple word – something as easy as “Sale” or “Freebie”. In fact, many of your customers will appreciate a quick notification that tells them what they need to know without having to dig and figure out context clues.

Funny Subject Lines

Everyone loves a good joke, even if it’s the cheesiest thing they’ve ever heard. Your readers aren’t going to want to open an email whose subject line is super serious. They want to open an email by a brand who clearly has a voice and sounds human. Putting a joke in the subject line of your email can entice your reader and make them feel as if they are able to better connect to your brand. If your subject line is really funny, then chances are the user will share how funny your brand is (i.e. giving your brand more awareness).

Shocking Subject Lines

Be risky. We know…it’s sometimes scary taking that jump. But what’s important is that taking risks can actually bring in major rewards. Shock your reader. Maybe even insult them. But, take this advice carefully. We don’t actually want to offend anyone – we just want to stop them in their tracks. Think about when you read something that calls you out, but it doesn’t really call you out. It makes you stop and go ,“Wait, what??” Yeah, that’s what you want to do. For example, if we were to send out an email about this blog post with the subject line “Hey, your email marketing sucks. Let us help you.” We’re insulting you, but only a little. You have to thread that line of controversy. Think cheeky and sarcastic, with some hint of truth.

Incorporating Numbers & Lists into Subject Lines

Also, you only have so much space in a subject line, so why would you make it lengthier than it has to be? Your mind is automatically going to shift towards a shorter subject line, and using numbers is a great way to cut that subject line down. Your subject line has to stand out from the dozens of other emails in their inbox, and our brains are naturally drawn to digits.  If every other email is just a long line of text, don’t you think that one email with digits in it will make the reader stop? Guess what, it will. 

Personalized Subject Lines

Stop for a minute. We ARE NOT talking about putting the user’s name in the subject line. Sure, that’s great – but everyone does it. Don’t you want to stand out? Yeah, that’s what we thought. When we talk about personalization, we mean personal. Not just a name or what they ordered, but what they enjoy and where they live. Don’t be creepy about it; but if you know they’re in New Orleans, say something like, “Good Morning, New Orleans.” If you know they almost bought something on your site, say something like, “Please don’t forget about me.” Gain their attention, then retain it. Make the reader feel like you know them.

Using Punctuation in Subject Lines

Make your reader question what’s going on. Be direct. If you’re asking them why they’re not taking advantage of the big sale going on, they’ll more than likely question themselves. On the other hand, make them feel rushed. Focus on time constraints by using proper punctuation. Using exclamation points can make your audience feel excited or as if they need to act immediately, because you want your reader to feel that  they’re missing out on something. Get creative, have fun, and make your reader question why they haven’t done what you want them to do.

Mysterious Subject Lines

People love a little mystery in their lives. Keep them guessing. If you intrigue them enough, they’ll open the email. Think about if you’ve ever seen an email with the subject line “You’re missing out…” It made you wonder what you were missing out on, huh? You opened that email, didn’t you? If YOU did that on your company’s email – just imagine the opens you would receive. Make your reader think a little bit. They’ll want to know more…trust us.

Let’s be honest – if you’re really trying to pick up that person at a bar, you’re not going to be boring. Sorry, but “boring’ will not secure you a fancy dinner at Commander’s or roses at your front door. But, do you know what will? Being fun, creative, direct, and maybe even a little risky. When you’re writing an email subject line, don’t make it harder than it has to be. Just keep it simple, no one is going to read a paragraph of a subject line.

Act like you’re trying to get a date with Zac Efron and you’ll be golden, babe! You know us – we won’t ever leave you stranded. If you’re still feeling like you just can’t get the hang of it, contact us, we can always help.

• « Instagram’s Three Feeds

Written by Allison Herrera

Instagram’s objective is keeping users *cough* you *cough* on the app & consuming content for as long as possible…so, the app is undergoing the biggest change for its feed! Adam Mosseri (the head of Instagram) released information that the app will soon have three different home feeds which users can toggle between. Keep reading & learn about the three variations.

Home

The “Home” feed is the way your Instagram feed currently appears based on what the app’s AI system believes you want to see, which shows that the app is beginning to take on more & more of TikTok’s traits by the day. IG’s new & improved “Home” feed will greatly resemble TikTok’s “For You Page” (aka their feed) mixed in with the algorithm IG introduced in 2016, which is filtered by engagement between you & the accounts on the feed. This feed makes discovering new accounts easy, based on your your current engagement.

Favorite

The “Favorite” feed is a way for you to stay on top of content from accounts you don’t want to miss out on. You can add people to your favorites list & IG will ensure you will see their posts, since this feed isn’t oversaturated & curated based on your selective list. This is a good opportunity for you to use it as a close friends list or create a list based on specific hobbies or industries. Perhaps you don’t want to miss out on your BFF’s content, or maybe you don’t want your favorite chef’s IG recipe videos lost in the sauce (no pun intended).

Following

The “Following” feed is definitely a blast from the past, as it focuses on chronological order. Who else is feeling the 2010 vibes?! Posts in this feed are shown in the order in which they are posted – regardless of whether or not you recently engaged with them. That goes against the current algorithm, which is pumped up by engagement. This is a dream for people who are tired of seeing posts on their feed from five days ago.

With the goal of engagement in mind, these three different feeds ensure just that – showing what the app thinks you want to see (“Home” feed), showing what users decide they want to see (“Favorite” feed), & showing real-time content that isn’t buried from days prior (“Following” feed). By incorporating all three of these feed options, there is no way users will miss a thing & will experience a boost in comments/likes/shares on content posted!