Needless to say, there are a few not-so-subtle differences between Millennials and Baby Boomers. Known for their fear of financial commitment and sense of entitlement, Millennials make up what’s been pegged, according to Forbes, as America’s most “publicly reviled, praised, misunderstood and analyzed” generation.
Baby Boomers, on the other hand, tend to value things like individual choice, communal goals and confidence. Though members of each individual group might struggle to understand those of the opposing generation, digital marketers must have a firm grasp on what both want. While a complex matter, the following infographic displays—as far as America’s many marketing agencies are concerned, at least—what Millennials and Baby Boomers are looking for:
As far as marketing agencies are concerned, the world of professional communications is no stranger to change. What was once very much a field built upon yellow legal pads and ink pens is currently digital in every facet of its existence.
As a direct byproduct of such a change, public relations—and the innumerable specialists and managers who work in said field—have had to adapt their communicative tactics to account for the transformation.
Long gone are the days when traditional reporters, direct mail and simple phone pitches earned proper media placement. Interested in a few more of the specifics? Take a look at the following infographic to see what’s presently going down in the world of PR:
Both inside and outside of Utah, content marketing, more than just about any other advertorial practice, has gained a great deal of respect with both advertisers and consumers. Focused largely on the needs of consumers and providing them with helpful information, content marketing differs from traditional advertising with its genuine focus on audiences, as opposed to the force-feeding of intrusive material.
While traditional marketing and its tactics still exist, more marketers than ever before are finally opening their minds to the idea of using top-tier websites, social media and digital public relations—all practices firmly built upon the generic foundation of content marketing—to build rapport with their respective target demographics. Are you looking to make the switch? If so, take a moment or two to see how the world’s most modern companies are using content marketing to their advantage:
These days, from Utah to the most remote of locations out on America’s East Coast, there are few digital marketing trends as big as SEO. While the practice might be seen as a bit of a pseudoscience by those of a more traditional marketing background, SEO is here to stay. Simply put, as long as search engine continue to be used by consumers, the industry promises to remain a constant for professional product and service pushers.
However, seeing as how the Internet is an ever-changing changing entity, so too must the SEO practices with which experts arm themselves. Currently, long-tail SEO takes the proverbial cake as being of the utmost importance for brands hoping to build rapport with Google’s mysterious search algorithm.
At a loss for what long-tail SEO is and how you can use it? Take a look at the infographic below to better understand what your company desperately needs for complete and total dominance out on the World Wide Web:
Professionally, just about everything is sales. Regardless of your field of interest or money-making niche, if success is to come about, you’ve got to be able to understand what consumers want and help them understand how your product or service helps them accomplish such a desire. Likewise, when creating a reputable website and its design, it’s important to consider what target audiences want more than just about anything else.
While it’s true that each industry carries with it a specific set of differentiating factors, generally speaking, when digital interfaces are involved, there are a handful of factors that any and all visitors will hope to find. The following infographic presents five things that any successful website, especially in today’s digital age of communication, will have present. How well does your current site stack up?
More than likely, ever since you were first able to open a Word document on your own, you’ve taken the time to examine the innumerable font types that Microsoft makes readily available for its users. While many of them are practical and have their rightful place in meaningful document creation, truthfully, there are quite a few that—outside of lemonade stands and birthday party invitations—have no place being used.
Drag digital marketing and web development into the mix and it becomes even more paramount that proper font selection be taken seriously. Still confused? No need to worry; the following infographic presents the eight most unacceptable fonts for those serious about their website design and development:
When it comes to assessing one’s digital marketing strategy, most companies look almost exclusively to their PageRank to gauge success. Has their site moved up in Google’s search results? Then things are going well.
However, many marketing agencies would be quick to note that while PageRank is of extremely high value in the digital age, there are other factors that should also be taken into consideration. After all, having a high PageRank is great, but without other signs of success, it’s not as useful as one might think.
A successful digital marketing campaign produces quality content that not only improves PageRank, but also draws in new visitors to the site and keeps them coming back for more. Quality content provides site visitors with valued information or entertainment, which also results in more time being spent on the site and positive word-of-mouth that can bring in new visitors as well. As more time is spent on the site and the number of new visitors increases, Google recognizes the page as a source of quality information, and SEO continues to improve.
Of course, the ultimate measure of success for marketing agencies and their clients is an increase in sales leads generated by a digital marketing campaign. Ideally, digital marketing efforts will combine an SEO and conversion-friendly website, engaging content marketing and other methods with this end goal in mind. An increase in sales (or sales leads, depending on one’s business model) is perhaps the greatest measure of success.
Successful marketing agencies across the nation know that these factors are what ultimately contribute to a successful digital marketing campaign. As a company’s PageRank, number of visitors and sales leads increase, they can rest assured that their advertising efforts are getting the job done.
Asking people for money is not just uncomfortable—it doesn’t always go well either. People usually don’t donate just for the sake of giving away money; they need a purpose. Although many crowdfunding campaigns have a good purpose, it is not always clear to the public.
Using advertising can help spread the purpose behind crowdfunding campaigns out to the general public. This way they won’t just see a company asking for money, they will see an opportunity to contribute to a great cause.
There are specific advertising techniques that showcase crowdfunding at its best. It’s finding those techniques that can often be a struggle for an agency. Below are some tips for specific types of advertising to use in your next crowdfunding campaign.
Start With Social Media Advertising
This is a free and easy way to kick start your campaign. However, make sure to not use every social media channel out there. Hone in on a select few based on the audience at hand and dominate those outlets.
Social media also provides a chance for an agency to not only advertise, but interact with the public. People are much more likely to support a cause when they feel part of it. Asking questions, requesting opinions and seeking out stories can turn originally uninterested people into loyal donators.
Make sure to customize the promotion so that it reflects a common purpose across each social media outlet. This is a personalized way to bring the purpose of a campaign to an audience’s attention.
Target a Specific Public
While it may seem more logical to advertise a campaign to the entire world since that would provide more donating hands, it is not the best way to get donations. Choosing one or a few specific key publics to reach out to is a much more successful technique for any agency.
When choosing the publics, make sure that they are either already a supporter of your brand or have a reason to be interested in the campaign’s purpose. Who would be most likely to donate? Who would care about the cause at hand?
Think about these things and choose a few publics to target. You may be surprised that this type of advertising receives more response than general advertising.
Create a Personal Connection
Once you have found the best audience for your advertising, try and build a personal connection with them. This means using those social media channels for frequent communication. It also means giving the company a face. Introduce team members who truly believe in the crowdfunding cause.
Integrate both personality and humor into a campaign for increased success. Using the team as part of a campaign or funny advertising stunt will pull in more interested donators. People feel connected to people. That is a large motivator for donations.
Wait a While to Ask For Money
With that connection in mind, don’t ask for money right away. This will make people second guess your intentions and feel pressured. Simply create a connection with important publics and let them know about the crowdfunding cause.
From there, donations will naturally occur as people begin to feel a sense of duty to an agency and want to be a part of their efforts. Make sure the public can see how the money from the campaign will be used upfront. This way they know that although they may not get their money back, it is beingused for something they support.
Use Video In Advertising
Another technique that will ensure those donations keep coming is to use video. This goes back to the connection principle because people are more stimulated by video rather than text. Use this to your advantage by creating a connection with a video that plainly portrays the purpose behind the campaign.
This not only builds trust between the public and an agency, but it is an advertising technique that is known for catching the eye of the public and keeping it there.
Start Big
Any agency that receives money during the first three days of a campaign is more likely to reach their target goal than those that don’t. This means that a big start is a big part of any crowdfunding campaign. Don’t shyly put the word out there and hope that maybe someone cares. Plan out advertising techniques ahead of time and launch them loudly with the start of a new campaign.
Using all of these advertising techniques can be the thing that makes crowdfunding go from an impossible attempt to an easy way to raise money for an agency. Remember to keep a connection with a select audience and build trust from there. Donations will follow.
Whether it’s a site made specifically for cell phones or not, every website now needs to be adaptable for mobile devices. However, handhelds read a lot differently than large computer screens. That means that web development adjustments must be made.
Keeping that in mind, what are these necessary adjustments? Which changes are most important and which ones can be overlooked? Below are nine mobile-friendly features that must be included in order to keep handheld viewers coming back:
Buttons That ‘Click To Call’
Millennials love to have everything right at their fingertips. Mobile devices are a big part of what makes that possible. Technology has also shortened the attention span of frequent users. That means if something is too difficult to access, they have no problem giving up and finding something that can satisfy their needs quicker.
Most people nowadays also don’t travel to check out a store or product. They will call first, make sure they can find what they’re looking for at the location and then make the trip out there. This makes “click to call” or “click to SMS” buttons imperative.
Don’t forget during web development that the easier a navigation process is, the better. More people will inquire after your product or service if “click to call” buttons are included.
Lay Out Directions
Once a viewer does decide they want to take the next step and visit your store location, it should continue to be an easy process. Include a mobile map in web development that can easily guide potential customers to you without any hassle.
This can be done by including a Google Maps widget. Also be sure to include step by step directions along with the map itself so that customers won’t give up and turn the car around.
Keep Contact Forms Simple
Although most will simply call a company to make an inquiry, some people prefer email or contact forms. Make contact forms as short and simple as possible so that again, contacting you is not a hassle. Difficulty is one of the top things that will turn away interested but flighty customers.
Web development should revolve around simplicity. Especially in regards to how a customer can contact personnel. The easier and faster it is for them to accomplish their goal, the more likely they will be to return.
Create Collapsible Content
Content should also follow the principle of simplicity. It is easy to get carried away with too much information during web development. Although it all may be important, choose the most relevant information to feature first.
Then, use collapsible content so that users don’t have to scroll down the page at all. This way one touch of a minimize button can bring up new content without cluttering the screen.
Tricks To Easy Navigation
Once a customer decides they want to explore past the home screen of a website, navigation should be effortless. One way to do this is by including a “back” button at the bottom of each page. Also, make links or other pages bold and pop outso that there is no doubting buttons are buttons.
Don’t just focus on the homepage aspect of web development. Make sure that every single page is easy to explore, and that all signs point to home. It shouldn’t be difficult for customers to get back to the main page.
Include Video Content
Another part of the millennial generation that is taking over the technology world is video. Millennials (and most people for that matter) are stimulated by sight. They connect better with images flashing on a screen rather than words.
Videos not only grab attention, but they are more successful at holding that attention too. 41 percent of users prefer video over text. Even if it is just an introduction to your company or product, include at least one video in web development.
Make Buttons LARGE
As discussed before, navigation should be easy. That means you should make buttons bolder and bigger. If it is an important button that will spread the word about your site, make it bigger than the others. It will more likely catch the eyes of browsers that way.
Social media links should especially should not be hidden. Use the logo for each social media outlet and make it look like a button that when customers click on, it will take them right to the outlet. Specifically, buttons should be designed during web development to be between 45 and 57 pixels.
Don’t Forget the Link
Although you may already be planning to include “back” or “home” buttons in your web development, don’t forget to include the entire link. This way if someone wants to copy and paste or open your website in a different browser, it is uncomplicated.
After including all of these important features, remember that usability is key. Simply ask yourself if anyone could get frustrated while using your site on a mobile device or otherwise. If the answer is yes, then it’s time to rethink your web development.
Building a company is many things, but one thing that it will always be is a challenge. There are numbers to crunch, people to hire and products to build. With all of that to consider, sometimes Entrepreneurs miss the most important part: marketing.
Learning how to market your company can be the very thing that makes it successful. Although the rest is important, without marketing there will be no customers; without any customers, there would be no sales; and without sales, there will eventually be no more business. That’s why learning the tricks of startup marketing is not just important—it is vital.
Keep Company Goals in Mind
Before anything is solidified within new companies, they first must set goals. Both short-term and long-term goals will set the standards for future actions within those companies. Therefore, these same visions must be kept in mind when entering the marketing phase. Understanding the purpose of the startup will direct a company towards the right key publics, deciding which consumers are the right consumers to target. Zeroing in on a few specific types of people is important. If a company attempts to market to everyone they will usually find themselves left with no one, especially with the limited resources of a startup.
Figure out which types of consumers would be most likely to fulfill the goals of the company. What kind of person would buy your product or use your service? Once you figure out who your audience is, learn everything there is to know about them. This will then guide the rest of the marketing process because different consumers obtain their information in different ways.
Piggyback On Partnerships
When it comes to a starting a business, the best way to learn is from those who have already been through the same exact thing. Find established companies with whom you can partner with. Find out how you can help their company and they will most likely be happy to help yours in return. These companies can not only act as a mentor but can feature your product on their blog or website that already has solid followers.
Make sure to find a company, however, who fits in with your personal brand identity. It is better to learn from someone in the same industry. Also, it is important to partner with a company who is trying to reach the same audience as you. This way it will make it easier to reach out to your key consumers. Associating with a well-known and well-loved company can be the “in” that establishes your startup as noteworthy. If the big-wigs thinks it’s cool, then it must be.
Developing Content and Establishing a Brand
Perhaps the most important part of marketing a startup is creating content that will stick. Consumers want content that relates to their lives and is interesting. Establishing branded content will help any startup connect with their target audience. The brand must be something that the audience feels they can connect to and be a part of. Gone are the days when selling a product was about convincing people; millennials now want brands that allow them to join in and become involved.
The best way to do this is to avoid promotional content. Companies need to discuss topics within the industry or present interesting findings to consumers who care. Provide legitimate information that gives the chance for consumers to join in on the discussion with companies.
Don’t Forget Social Media
In order to give consumers that chance to converse, companies must have a presence on social media. This may seem like a no-brainer since it is a free and easy way to get in touch with target audiences. However, it may be so easy that some companies put their focus elsewhere. Don’t forget that social media is one of the main communication channels of the modern age. It is now how people receive information every day. Not only that, but it provides an easy route to reach out to specific influential people in the industry and spark discussions.
Strive For a Viral Status and Incentivize Sharing
Take that social media to the next level by striving to make content go viral. This is a step that will come later for startups as it may not be easy to even gain the eyes of the target audience at first. Once a company becomes a little more established, however, think of ways to make content spiral and spread. This can be done through contests, urging people to tag or share with friends, holding events or extending questions in need of response. Keep the “sharing” goal in mind while developing content. Think about whether your consumers would not only be interested in the content, but would also be motivated to share it with their friends and family. That will eventually extend your brand to multiple publics, reaching the eyes of millions.
Keeping marketing in mind throughout the adventure that always comes with building a company from scratch is vital. There may be a lot to do, but don’t forget that marketing will eventually be what brings your company success.
