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January 13, 2015

CONTENT MARKETING TIPS FOR EMERGING BRANDS

When your brand or company is new or growing, the idea of developing and implementing a marketing strategy can be overwhelming. But marketing is an essential part of growing your business. So below are some tips on helping you make the most of your time and getting the best results from your marketing efforts.

As you build your strategy, you may hear a number of terms you’re not familiar with and it may seem like you will never be able to make sense of so much complex information. But fear not. One of the most important terms you will hear as you go about promoting your brand is “content marketing.” Because this type of marketing is so effective, it is one of the first strategies you should master.

What exactly is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a strategy that involves the creation and distribution of useful content to your customers and prospects on a regular basis. This type of marketing is not intended to promote your company’s products and services directly, but rather to build a strong relationship between your brand and each individual customer. As customers come to rely on your for information and/or advice, they are more likely to come back and make purchases from your brand as well.

Content Marketing Tips

Below are some tips designed to help you get started with content marketing.

1. Define your audience.

The first step in creating a viable content marketing strategy is to determine the audience your content should target. For example, if your brand sells software products for accounting professionals, your target audience may be independent accountants and CPA’s between the ages of 25 and 55 who either lead an accounting team or run their own business. After defining your audience, you should write each article, blog post or social media update as though you are directly talking to the members of this group.

2. Be consistent across all channels.

If you are utilizing multiple channels to distribute your content to your customers and prospects, make sure that the content posted on all channels is consistent. Content should not necessarily be repeated word for word, but you should draft posts that complement one another.

3. Don’t overdo it.

When it comes to content marketing, more is not always better. Although it is important to post content on a regular basis, you don’t want to bombard your readers with too many posts at one time. Make sure you post new content at least several times each week, but avoid releasing new posts more than once in the same day.

4. Create valuable content.

Make sure that all of the content you post provides your audience with something of value, whether it be information, advice or tips. If your content is not valuable, users will not return to read more of it in the future and they may even unsubscribe from your email list or social media profiles.

5. Regularly evaluate and revise your strategy.

Don’t expect your content marketing campaigns to be perfect on the first try. Some trial and error is required before you find what resonates with your readers. To identify areas in need of improvement, evaluate the results of your content marketing efforts on a regular basis using quantifiable data, such as website traffic to your posts or open rates on your emails, etc. Determine the success of each of your efforts and make changes to your future campaigns accordingly.

The bottom line is that providing fresh content for your clients and prospects on a regulator basis is an important part of your overall marketing success and will pay significant dividends. Use these tips to help you get it right.

Categories : BLOGGING, BRANDING, Content Creation, INTERNET MARKETING, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, STRATEGY

Posted by DBC Digital on

September 11, 2014

Go Mobile for Better Marketing

Having a Web presence has become, even for the most resistant companies, almost a requirement of doing business. The benefits of having a business website and Facebook page are enormous on their own. But in today’s consumer market, it’s not enough.

Your customers aren’t just using their desktop computers to find you and your business. They’re doing it on tablets and smartphones, and in every location imaginable: their living rooms, the evening commute, even from the bathroom. This is a problem for websites that haven’t optimized for mobile consumers, and as mobile usage increases, the costs will only increase.

Mobile optimization is an intimidating phrase, and it isn’t always easy–it’s more expensive the more complex your website is. But without mobile-optimized sites, brands face a very grim future, and that future is coming sooner than you think. Here’s why it’s so important for businesses to account for mobile.

Building for Multiple Devices

Know your audience.

Consumers visiting your website are doing so through all kinds of different devices–and screen sizes. All of these variables make the mobile experience one that’s tough to nail down. What works for an iPhone might not work for a tablet, and what works for a mini-tablet won’t translate well to a desktop.

Early on, the solution for mobile optimization was to build a version of your website for each different type of device. When it was only smartphones that needed consideration, this wasn’t too tough. But now that literally dozens of devices are on the market, dedicated versions just isn’t practical. Instead, businesses have started turning to responsive design as a one-size-fits-all solution.

Responsive design basically allows websites to operate with one single version of the website. That version is then capable of customizing its features to best accommodate whatever device is accessing the site. Smartphone and desktop users can then visit the same version of the website at the same time, but the customizations built into the design will result in each device receiving an optimal experience.

In the long run, this responsive design is cheaper, and it can be more efficient in accounting for all devices–including new ones that haven’t’ been released yet.

Considering the Touchscreen

Perhaps the most significant difference between traditional and mobile functionality is the use of the touchscreen. Mobile-optimized websites don’t have mouses and cursors to consider–instead, it’s the fingerpads of consumers that drive navigation. In order to account for touchscreen functionality, mobile versions of websites need to have larger clickable buttons that users can easily click on with their fingers.

The number of links on any one page has to be minimized to keep the Web page at a reasonable length. All in all, brands are forced to consider their navigation experience through mobile devices, and only the most essential features must be included.

Improving the User Experience Through Location Technology

Location Technology

Mobile devices make it easy to tap into the location services built into the hardware. Any mobile website can use this functionality for a range of purposes. On a mobile website, for example, consumers can be given the contact information and driving directions for a nearby store location. They could be shown unique, location-specific ads for a brand. And brands can use the data from GPS-enabled mobile devices to see where their customers are when they access the Web page–information that can help deliver more relevant content and better services.

Mobile users are particularly interested in a great user experience, and leveraging existing mobile technology is an easy way to make that happen.

Don’t continue to lose customers because your mobile website isn’t fully developed. Contact DBC Digital and start accounting for mobile today.

Greg Sherwood is CEO of DBC Digital, a marketing agency based in Denver, Colorado. With over 30 years of marketing experience with traditional and inbound (internet) marketing, Greg helps mid-sized businesses get a better return on their marketing dollars.

You can reach Greg at (303) 357-5757 or at dbc@dbcdigital.com

Categories : SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

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August 14, 2014

Why Your Marketing Needs Location-Based Targeting

Location-Based Targeting

As recently as a few years ago, advertisers had no interest in location data. A consumer’s GPS location in the world was far less interesting than other demographics used to target consumers. Marketers didn’t care whether you lived in New York City or Tuscaloosa–what mattered was your age, gender, education, income and other telling characteristics.

In 2014, this outlook has entirely changed. Businesses have come to understand location as an extremely powerful filter used to target consumers in digital marketing campaigns. This shift can be credited in large part to new channels for gathering location data–consumers now use smartphones and tablets equipped with location technology that makes this data easy to record and analyze.

Even if you aren’t primarily targeting a mobile consumer base, incorporating location into your targeting strategy can save you a lot of money while improving your campaign results. Here are some of the key benefits.

You Stop Wasting Money on Far-Away Consumers

The first key benefit of location-based targeting is the most obvious: You can stop spending money on entirely irrelevant consumers. What’s the point of promoting your local restaurant to someone who lives 1,500 miles away? Why pay to advertise products to parts of the world you aren’t equipped to ship to? At the simplest level, location-based targeting weeds out all of these consumers that will never spend on your business.

If you’re a local operation–a dentist, plumber, or other company that depends on physical foot traffic and in-person transactions–location targeting lets you spend on digital marketing in a cost-effective manner. You can ensure that everyone who sees your ads is within your service area.

You Can Spend More Heavily on Shoppers in Your Local Area

If you suddenly cut out the fat of marketing to consumers outside your target area, you free up tons of digital spending that can go to better uses. If you’re been running campaigns inefficiently, location filtering can create plenty of new dollars to re-invest into more efficient campaigns. All of these funds can go into campaigns that restrict ad displays to whatever area you choose–it could be a city, a zip code or other constraints.

Because all of these dollars will be funneled directly into your local market, you should see an uptick in the conversion rates of your ads. Every exposed consumer will be more relevant, and therefore more likely to invest in your company’s offerings. This will drive returns from your campaigns and increase your revenues.

Walk-In Specials and Other Promotions Can Be Utilized

When you market to a local area, unique promotional opportunities can be used to drive business. Just as you might mail coupons or limited-time offers to consumers in your local area, digital campaigns can be used to deliver a variety of promotions. You might choose to offer daily deals to anyone within a certain proximity of your business, or you could push in-store traffic by marketing a walk-in sale.

Even if you sell to a national or global audience, a physical location can benefit nicely by encouraging shoppers to visit the store. Furthermore, it reminds shoppers that you aren’t an online-only brand–you also have a local presence, and this physical location may attract consumers that don’t always want to do their shopping online.

Once a primitive targeting tool that couldn’t be offered with any accuracy, location has become one of the most valuable targeting tools on the digital front–particularly when paired with other targeting filters you are already using. To get started building location-based targeting into your digital strategy, contact DBC Digital today.

You can reach Greg at (303) 357-5757 or at dbc@dbcdigital.com

Categories : MESSAGING AND DESIGN, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Posted by DBC Digital on

August 12, 2014

Embracing the Mobile Wallet: 3 Key Benefits

Mobile wallets are a tricky innovation of digital commerce. We’ve had the technology to deploy mobile wallets for years, and many consumers have mobile wallet solutions installed onto their smartphones and tablets. At the same time, those consumers are still reluctant to use mobile wallets on a regular basis. Whether for security reasons, the limited opportunities to pay with a mobile wallet, or simply a resistance to change, shoppers still prefer to pay with plastic and even cash whenever possible.

Consequently, businesses are none too interested in driving this innovation. The task of accepting mobile wallets requires an upgrade of payment processing technology, and this cost is one many companies would like to avoid. This broad resistance to mobile wallet technology presents a great opportunity for businesses that choose to move ahead of the curve. If mobile wallet technology truly is inevitable–and many think it is–then becoming an early adopter could have a huge payoff. Here’s why.

1. Tech-savvy consumers want businesses to adapt

Perhaps the majority of U.S. consumers are slow to embrace mobile wallet technology, but the payment solution is slowly gaining traction and building its adoption base. There are already a group of dedicated consumers that prefer mobile payment solutions over any form of payment processing, businesses can get in the good graces of those consumers by adopting the technology with their own business.

It’s important to keep in mind that when you adopt mobile wallet processing, you don’t automatically stop accepting other payment methods. The process of adopting mobile wallets across all retailers and businesses will take quite some time, so consumers who aren’t ready for this technology can continue being served just as always. It only requires a little adaptation on the part of businesses, and this adaptation will set them up for future.

2. Cheaper processing fees could save you money in the long run

Credit card payment processing is extremely costly to businesses, which is why many smaller companies sometimes refuse credit cards entirely. But by refusing credit card payments, businesses also risk alienating their consumer base. In short, there’s no easy solution that avoids complications entirely.

Mobile wallets may not solve all of those problems, but they can give consumers an extra option that offers cheaper processing costs for the business and the customer. Services like Google Wallet, PayPal Here and others can connect to bank accounts easily and offer a non-cash solution that businesses might prefer. Over time, businesses could encourage their customers to make payments through mobile wallets, helping them manage their money on a smartphone or tablet while cutting out costly credit card charges–and making payment processing cheaper for all.

3. Information integrated with mobile wallet solutions could assist your marketing efforts

Mobile wallets are uniquely linked to a consumer’s information–or at least they can be, in most cases. This is a huge opportunity for businesses looking to integrate mobile wallets with their digital marketing efforts. By accepting mobile wallet payments, businesses could gain access to the user profiles of consumers with registered mobile wallet accounts.

Even when a consumer makes a simple purchase in-store or online, the business could automatically receive contact info, including email addresses and phone numbers, all of which can be used to target those consumers through various digital campaigns. This is a fantastic option for acquiring highly qualified leads–in this case, those leads are past customers, making them very likely to repeat.

Mobile walleting technology can be intimidating for businesses that aren’t familiar with how it works. If you’re ready to embrace mobile wallets but don’t know how to get started, let DBC Digital help you build toward a better future.

You can reach Greg at (303) 357-5757 or at dbc@dbcdigital.com

Categories : SEO, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Posted by DBC Digital on

August 7, 2014

Growing Your Business Through Social Media

Social media is so uniformly prescribed to every business these days that it’s easy to forget why we’re all there in the first place. For all the times managers are told that they must develop a multi-platform social presence, some inevitably feel the pressure to do so without fully grasping the results.

But the product of social activity is always better when companies have a clear vision of their goals and how social media utilizes them. Without this understanding, social activity occurs blindly–companies post regularly and follow best practices, but they don’t know what metrics to follow or what their activity even produces. While these benefits are influenced by your strategy–meaning everyone’s results will differ based on their goals–here are the general benefits that make social media such a valuable online campaign.

A Continuous Connection with Your Consumers

Businesses always want to keep a fresh connection with their existing clientele. Email newsletters and other campaigns can help accomplish this, but social media offers a much stronger connection because your brand can reach those consumers on a near-daily basis. And when you are active on social media, your followers aren’t only past customers: you’re also producing content for prospective customers, including individuals following you just out of a general interest in your company.

It sometimes takes weeks, months, even close to a year before your social activity really gains traction, but the value of each additional follow is significant. It gives you another potential consumers–and thus future sales–and it increases the visibility of your brand. For any small-to-medium business, both opportunities are critical.

Strong Brand Visibility

Sales may be more quantifiable, but any good business understands the importance of branding. Great logos, mottos and other branded material can offer fantastic value, but only if consumers get to see that branded content. When you post to social media, you are guaranteed that this branded material is viewed on a daily basis. In a sense, you’re simply using social media to beat your brand into consumer heads. It might sound like a broad approach, but it works.

Referring Warm Prospects to Your Business

Some of social media’s value is the same thing that has helped inbound marketing catch on. To some degree, social networking performs the first steps of a sales pitch. If a consumer comes directly to your business after following you on social media, they’re likely already sold on your brand and your reputation. Content can help direct them to your website or other properties where selling and conversions occur. These warm prospects take much less work to bring them to the point of a conversion. If you employ a sales staff, this reduces their workload and increases their efficiency. And if you don’t, then you’re leveraging social media to provide valuable sales work you aren’t getting otherwise.

For Small Businesses, You Can’t Beat the Price

Money talks, and that’s why social media is great for small-to-medium businesses. If you’re limited in terms of marketing funds, social media campaigns can be run for little-to-nothing. With a little education on social strategy, a business manager can easily handle social responsibilities for about 15 minutes each day. Even if you don’t get the results a social media manager can provide, the returns will be significant since you won’t be spending any extra. Meanwhile, you can test out social strategy, and as the results come in you can decide whether an additional investment might offer even better returns.

Don’t let your competitors pass you by on social media. Talk to DBC Digital today and get started on the path to a winning digital strategy.

You can reach Greg at (303) 357-5757 or at dbc@dbcdigital.com

Categories : MESSAGING AND DESIGN, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, STRATEGY

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