Digital Marketing Strategies

Monday, December 21, 2020

Time to Revisit Your Website?

Image by 200 Degrees from Pixabay

Comfortable colors

Due to the present situation, jobs have increasingly become digital in nature with many individuals spending most of their time working on their computers. For this reason, it is common for users to get eye strain after staring at their screens for several hours. Taking this into consideration, web designers are using color palettes that are comfortable to the eyes.

That is why the dark mode trend became popular last year. This counterbalances the whiteness that overpowers the screen of computers.

In the coming year, web designers will be looking for the middle ground between the extreme dark and light colors. They will make use of soft color schemes such as pastel blues, warm browns, greens and light pinks. This way, the colors of websites will be less harsh as compared to solid white or black to bring about comfort and calmness.

All in all, such trend clearly indicates that future web designers will prioritize accessibility and comfort over impressive innovation.

Web design for a cause

The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the lockdown orders have paved the way for people to take refuge in the internet. Businesses with physical stores have switched to online selling in order to survive, while meetings and business conferences as well as social gatherings are being done via the internet. Web designers have accepted the challenge by coming up with meaningful, impressive designs.

In 2021, web designers will take part in helping people worldwide to go through these troubled times.

Therefore, web designs of businesses will focus on their virtues, which include their efforts to sustain themselves and involvement with their community, among others. In this regard, brands will use stock photos that show real, different consumers increasing the digital spaces that bring awareness to social causes by means of visualizations, simulations and other means of interaction. There will also be a rise in do-it-yourself methods and resources to allow people to create their own website.

Web design aims to deliver great user experience, which in 2021 will emanate from common causes and shared values.

Scrolling transformations

Every time users scroll down a page, they are not merely navigating it, but also interacting. The things they do like moving their fingers on top of the mouse bring about a response. Such interactive actions are a way of participating and whenever they are part of what's happening, there are more chances to gain their interest and engage.

One subtle way for users to interact is through scrolling and in this regard, web designers are developing the visual feedback received by users whenever they scroll. They do these by making changes in full color palettes, complex animated transitions as well as big shifts in the layout. Overall, they will be thinking of more ways to make each scroll feel like they are visiting a new page or new website.

By Karina Popa

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Karina_Popa/1432444

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Hang in There Small Business Owners

In case nobody has told you lately, you're doing a great job.

Monday, December 14, 2020

Marketing Guru Neil Patel on Free Digital Marketing Courses

Friday, December 11, 2020

Video activates your clients

How to incorporate engaging footage into your campaigns.

Use your landing pages

A survey by marketing technology company Eyeview showed that video on landing pages can increase conversions by 86%. It's a great way to increase search rankings, as Google's algorithms are increasingly prioritizing websites with this type of content. Other advantages: It can lead to more social shares, build trust and awareness and reduce bounce rate. Shopify created an inspirational brand montage that lives on their homepage. It explains what they do, highlights different customers and announces they now support one million businesses.

Blogs and articles

Did you know blog posts can be just as valuable as a landing page? Think about filming your post instead of writing it (or do both), and you've easily increased the odds of that info reaching more visitors. Moz, which is considered an SEO authority, found that showing a clip with blog images and text increased reach by 3X. One of our clients, Financial Recovery Institute, uses it in a blog to tell a story.

Emails and newsletters

The digital marketing videos you create will depend on your objectives and goals. For example, are you announcing a new product, an event, or a course you want people to sign up for? You could also use email to give people a sneak peek of longer footage on your website. Once you've decided what you're promoting, you can begin shooting.

Note: There are over 30 major email clients, including Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Apple Mail. Some of them don't support the requirements for using clips in emails. Several of the popular email newsletter services like AWeber and MailChimp make it simple to share what you film by using a screen capture and linking the image to the original content. That way, a user can just click on the image in the email and be directed to your clip.

Social media platforms

A solid social media strategy is essential, and you only need to glance at your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn feed (and of course YouTube and Pinterest) to see how big a role video plays for companies. Some formats you could shoot for social media include:

· How-to guides

· Q & As

· Behind-the-scenes glimpses

· Events

· Interviews

· Unboxings (if you have a physical product)

It's important to remember that each social media platform has rules around how long your digital marketing videos can be. Here's a quick reference guide:

· Facebook allows you up to 240 minutes (though you probably wouldn't want to use all that time)

· Twitter provides 2 minutes and 20 seconds

· Instagram gives you one minute if shared as a post, 15 seconds as a story and up to 1 hour as a live or IGTV video

· LinkedIn has a 10-minute limit

· Snapchat allows 10 seconds

Make sure your videos are optimized for each social media platform. Viewers on Instagram expect different things than those on Twitter, for example. We can't cover every platform or video content marketing strategy but hope this has given you some ideas on how to use this valuable tool.

Remember: No matter what you're creating or selling, it's all about storytelling. It's time to tell the most authentic and compelling stories you can about your products or services!

Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence. As a result of working with Susan and her team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way. Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and download your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results".

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293

Monday, December 7, 2020

Video Marketing

Use power of video for your business

How to Get the Most Out of Video Marketing

In the past few years we've seen a massive increase in video content popping up online, and there's no sign of it slowing down. From creating webinars to putting short clips in emails, a video marketing strategy is a must if you want to truly engage with your audience in order to improve brand awareness and boost leads and sales.

According to Wyzowl, a company that creates animated explainer footage, 83% of marketers say video helps them with lead generation, and 87% say it has increased traffic to their website. Some other benefits include:

· It's good for SEO. If your stuff is compelling enough to attract views and shares, your Google search ranking can improve.

· It's a timesaver. It doesn't take long to create short yet engaging clips in comparison to writing an article or blog.

· It's affordable. It can be more cost-effective to create a short clip vs. producing an ad or a blog.

· It gets attention. People may scroll through written words, but most will at least give a glance to interesting footage.

Three video content marketing trends

Vertical videos

Just when everyone seemed to get the memo that horizontal filming is best, vertical videos come along! This is because consumers watch a lot of things on smartphones. Instagram and Snapchat were the first to utilize vertical videos in Stories, and Instagram Television (IGTV) was next. Even Netflix uses vertical digital marketing videos to showcase previews.

Live streaming

This refers to anything that is recorded and broadcast in real time. People like to feel like they're being spoken to directly and authentically, and live streaming is also a low-cost way to produce collateral. We've seen more and more social platforms implement this functionality, including Instagram Live, Facebook Live, Twitter Live and LinkedIn for a select few.

In-video shopping

So far, it seems to be largely clothing retailers who are leveraging this tactic. How it works: Users can click on a section of the screen (say, a skirt on a model) and be directed to the link to buy the item. A recent survey by Brightcove revealed that 23% of consumers overall and 30% of Millennials want links that let them directly purchase a product.

Our next post will show you how to incorporate engaging footage into your campaigns.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293

Friday, December 4, 2020

More Pandemic Marketing Strategies

Some things can't be stopped - and we mean you!

Two more marketing strategies to use during the pandemic

1. Don't Stop Posting on Social Media

Even if you have to completely shutter your business for the time being, stay active online. In addition to tools like Google My Business, customers look to your Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram channels for the most up-to-date news. It looks really bad to have outdated posts or information languishing on your social media pages.

Some of the updates you could share include:

· Your crisis management strategy, including the steps you're taking to protect your employees and customers (sanitizing workstations, not letting sick employees work, ensuring employees wear gloves, etc.)

· Changes to hours or business policies (for example, only letting one person into the store at a time)

· If you're taking online orders and/or offering free shipping

· If you have private shopping or curbside pickup options

Uplifting quotes or personal messages

One of our clients is offering private shopping appointments and curbside pickup for customers and is a good example of a small business that's pivoting during COVID-19 and providing customers with a little TLC.

2. Be Careful What You Share

There is a lot of misinformation circulating on social media, and it can be dangerous to give your customers the wrong advice (not to mention hugely damaging to your reputation).

Here's an example of poor marketing strategies for the COVID-19 crisis: A yoga studio was shut down in March following complaints that the facility wasn't following social-distancing. Not only that, but they sent out a newsletter claiming that hot yoga can help prevent getting COVID-19.

So map your crisis management strategy out and think before you send out that article to all of your email subscribers or repost something you saw in your Facebook feed. Use trusted sources for coronavirus resources, like the World Health Organization or the Government of Canada.

For example, rather than forwarding one of the articles on homemade hand sanitizers that are circulating, consult this list.

Stuck at home? Now is a good time to figure out your purpose! Our lives are so busy, and we rarely have a moment to just sit in silence and reflect on our life journey and how it has led to where we are now.

For many of us who have chosen to self-isolate, now is a good time to take advantage of the quieter environment to discover if your precious resources are being used to maximum effect.

Whatever your marketing strategies for the COVID-19 crisis are, always look to your brand for guidance. Your brand vision, mission, and values should always be your "North Star" as you stay active online and let your customers know that you're here for them-now and in the future.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

How to Market During the Pandemic

A storm or flashes of inspiration?

How to Market During the Pandemic

From connecting in our relationships to running our small businesses, COVID-19 has transformed the way we live, work and socialize. I am hearing from many small business owners who are wondering whether or not to stop marketing during COVID-19. Instead, here's how to market during the pandemic:

Create a crisis marketing strategy
Help customers rather than simply selling to them
Focus on online events and offerings
Plan for future growth
Empower employees

As we continue self-isolating to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, I want to follow up with some other effective ways to keep your business running smoothly and successfully. Here are 2 marketing strategies to consider:

1. Focus on Digital Campaigns

With the shutdown or slowdown of most brick-and-mortar businesses, entrepreneurs are relying more than ever on digital strategies. A big part of brand marketing during this pandemic and into the future is going to be shifting most (if not all) of your small business online.

In fact, Larry Kim from Mobile Monkey just wrote, "One new customer closed their brick and mortar locations nationwide and found web traffic is up +150%."

According to Klaviyo, an email marketing platform that taps into a network of 30,000 businesses for insights, 22% of brands said they're spending more on ads. And 66% of brands that are spending more on ads are also seeing increased efficiency, with a reduced cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM) and cost per click (CPC).

If you're wondering how to market during the pandemic, consider using Facebook Ads, Google Ads, Instagram for Business or LinkedIn Ads to direct traffic to:

Well-researched and useful blogs and videos
Online products with free shipping
Virtual services you can offer, whether that's financial therapy or online music lessons
Gift cards that can be used now or in the future

That said, don't be afraid to pause campaigns that aren't relevant right now, or that you think may turn your customers off.

Part of brand marketing during this pandemic is knowing when to re-strategize and pivot, rather than continuing with an ad campaign that's not going to resonate with-or even offends-your target audience.

2. Update Your Google My Business Listing

Your customers and potential customers are counting on you for the latest information about your small business. If you're closing your company temporarily, whether you're changing the hours you're open, or offering curbside pickup right now, you need to let people know.

Using Google Posts can be a great way to update people on everything from reduced hours to gift card purchases. Here's some guidance from Google on how to best change your profile.

And don't worry about SEO implications when you're editing your profile. For example, marking your business as temporarily closed will not affect your search ranking, and Google will still display you in the search results.

If you don't immediately see the changes that you make to your Google My Business profile, don't panic. Google has said they may review updates for quality before publishing.