Posting on Facebook is a great way to stay connected with current and potential customers of your business. However, only those who take the time to like your page will regularly see the content you post. So, you should have a goal to increase Facebook page likes to broaden your audience and drive engagement for the content you post. If you’re not sure how to get those coveted likes, follow the tips below.
Your SEO marketing efforts can help fuel your Facebook likes. With a simple plugin on your website, a user can click to like your page—without actually visiting Facebook. So, when users find your website via search, they have an opportunity to connect with you on social media as well. If your website is inviting and engaging, readers will be likely to want to see more from your business.
Stock photos are an easy choice for social media posts because they’re readily available and high-quality. However, a quick scan of Facebook will show you that many of the best stock photos for your industry are already being used by your competitors. So, it’s worth the time to take high-quality pictures around your business and use those across your page and new posts. This personal touch will help users feel more connected to your business and give them a real look at what it is that you do.
Posting great content is a must for getting people to like your page and stay interested in it. Quality content also warrants requests for users to like, share, and comment—each of these actions can bring in new views to your page from your individuals your followers are connected with. Don’t be afraid to ask users to share or comment on a post. You can even offer incentives, such as a contest entry for anyone who comments and shares a particular post.
Here at Smargasy, we know how important it is to be seen online, especially on social media. Our marketing team can quickly help you gain a stronger social media following, so that your business can grow. Call (239) 214-8592 or email [email protected] to get started.
While it’s tough to pinpoint a firm end date for the pandemic, more and more businesses are currently able to reopen safely and get back to normal operations. But is your business ready for success after COVID-19? Whether you’ve been open in a limited capacity or closed throughout the pandemic, there are a few steps you can take to prepare for a successful re-launch.
It’s been a trend for businesses to keep their customers in the loop about their hours and other essential updates via social media. So, that’s likely where your followers are looking for news about your business. Ramp up your organic social presence and consider purchasing paid ads on social media to promote your re-opening. You may also make your team more available on Facebook messenger and in the comments of your posts to answer questions and actively engage with followers.
Email marketing has always been a helpful strategy for reconnecting with previous customers. To promote your success after COVID-19, you might launch an email campaign promoting new offerings from your business, locations that have reopened, or services that are back after a hiatus. Including special offers like a post-pandemic discount can gain even more attention and promote more conversions, whether that’s through a direct purchase in your store or an appointment booked on your website.
Your business may have undergone some permanent changes as a result of the pandemic. Be sure that your website still aligns with your services and speaks to your target audience. If it doesn’t, now is the time to invest in a website redesign to align customer expectations with their service experience.
Ready to get back to business after the pandemic? Smargasy can help you build a strong digital strategy to bring back your old customers and welcome new ones as well! Call (239) 214-8592 to get started.
When you need a specific product or service, what’s your first step for finding a company you can trust? Chances are that your answer has something to do with browsing the web. In fact, many purchases begin with a Google search, online service directory, or interaction with a digital ad. So, if your business isn’t using digital marketing to be seen within these spaces, you may not have many new customers walking through your doors. Here’s a closer look at the reasons why small businesses need digital marketing:
One of the most amazing things about digital marketing is the power to out-compete national chains in your local market. With tools like Google Maps searches and local directory management, you’ll have an easier time being seen right alongside bigger competitors. However, you’ll have the advantage of being seen as a local small business rather than a faceless corporation.
Digital marketing isn’t just about broadcasting your brand on the web. Services like SEO, PPC advertising, social media marketing, and email marketing all yield data that can offer valuable insights about your customers. You can see how they react to different marketing strategies. Then, you can tweak your approach accordingly so that you see even better results over time.
Don’t shy away from digital marketing because you assume that it’s not in the budget. Online marketing services are more affordable than traditional marketing strategies like roadside billboards and TV commercials. Even more importantly, they are delivered in a targeted way so that conversions are more likely with each ad interaction.
Any business can start small with digital marketing and grow their strategy over time. You may begin with a solid foundation including local SEO, directory listing management, and PPC ads. As your budget grows, you can add in social media advertising, email marketing, and other services to engage a wider audience and make even more conversions.
No matter where you are currently with your digital marketing plan, Smargasy can help you build an effective, affordable strategy that yields results. Call (239) 214-8592 today to schedule your free strategy session with our Fort Myers team.
No matter what your company sells, it’s not enough to simply have a great product. You also need to have a brand that resonates with customers. That way, they will keep coming back to do business with you. Brand personality should be something you think about in every piece of marketing material for your business. Here’s a closer look at why.
Brand personality, or brand identity, allows customers to make an emotional connection to your brand. You can think of it as the mood you want people to feel when they think of your company. There are a few common brand personalities you might select from, such as Youthful/Exciting, Sincere/Authentic, Competent/Knowledgeable, Sophisticated/High End, and Rugged/Outdoorsy. For some brands, the personality type will be a natural fit. For example, a camping store would easily identify as more rugged and outdoorsy than sophisticated and elegant. However, you may also gravitate toward a hybrid of these personalities or something unique and all your own.
Implemented well, brand personality will show through in your logo, commercials, social media posts, web copy, and blogs. It’s what speaks to the brand personas you’ve worked hard to develop with your marketing agency. With the right brand personality, you can better capture the attention of your target audience.
Consider the following example: A local grocery store in a hip, developing neighborhood wants to attract young parents to shop with them rather than the national chain grocer down the road. To stand out, they develop a fun and trendy brand personality with a brightly colored logo, bold marketing taglines, and a high-engagement social media campaign. With a Youthful/Exciting personality, this newer—and likely more expensive—store can distinguish themselves from the national chain that relies on a Sincere/Authentic approach that might appeal more to older adults.
For a personalized, refined approach to digital marketing in Southern Florida, contact Smargasy today. We’re a full-service agency based in Fort Myers. You can reach us for a free brand personality consultation at (239) 214-8592.
As a small business owner, you have probably seen first-hand the impact that your online reputation has on your business. If you don’t boast a 4- or 5-star rating on popular review sites like Google and Foursquare, you may be turning away customers before they ever reach your doors. However, it’s not just your star rating that matters. Potential customers will also look at how your business is answering reviews. They’ll be looking to see that you value your customers’ feedback and are consistently focused on creating positive service experiences.
You may wonder if it’s worth the time to answer reviews left for your business, especially if the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. However, answering reviews offers yet another opportunity for a positive customer interaction. Even better, it’s an interaction that’s visible to the public. In addition, responding to your customers’ feedback indicates to potential new customers that you’ll care about their opinions too.
It is important to develop unique strategies for answering different types of reviews. Here’s a closer look at what you should keep in mind.
Responding to existing reviews is a great step for your online reputation management. However, you may need a more comprehensive strategy to get new reviews coming in and boost your star rating. Smargasy is here to help! Schedule a free strategy session with us on our website or at (239) 214-8592.
Storytelling in marketing is a tough concept for many business owners to master. After all, most potential customers are only going to spend a short time visiting your website or visiting your profile on social media. So, shouldn’t you make the most of that time with the hard sell? As counterintuitive as it may seem, it’s often better to take a storytelling approach to get customers interested and engaged with your brand. Then, when they are ready to make a purchase, your company is the one that will be on their minds.
There are several forms that storytelling in marketing may take. The following tips will help you start focusing more on your story and less on your sales pitch.
Before you can implement storytelling in marketing, you need to know what your story is. Audiences tend to connect with unique backstories and challenges that businesses may have faced as they started up. Alternatively, building strong ties to the community you serve can resonate with a local audience. Find those aspects of your brand’s story that will create an emotional connection for your brand and let those guide your storytelling efforts.
Your website will be where your story is primarily told. With this in mind, you may need to revamp your core site pages to reflect your message. In addition, you’ll want to post content to your site regularly that isn’t trying to make a sale. Blog posts, for example, can be a great place to keep customers connected with what’s happening in your industry without necessarily trying to make a sale in every post.
Social media offers a real way for you to engage with your audience and create human connections with your brand. Make the most of it by using your social media pages to share interesting and informative content that lines up with your brand messaging. You can also use your social profiles to boost new content on your website, thus creating even more opportunities for engagement.
Tell your brand’s story with help from Smargasy! We offer a wide range of digital marketing solutions to help your business get noticed. Call (239) 214-8592 or email [email protected] for more info.
What is the goal of your branding strategy? Naturally, your branding and marketing efforts will all be working toward one ultimate goal: more sales. However, there are lots of smaller goals to shoot for that will eventually pay off with increased sales and customer loyalty. For example, working to tell a story in your branding will yield stronger connections with your current and potential customers, cultivating valuable brand loyalty that can last a lifetime. To tell a story with your brand, follow these helpful steps in brainstorming your digital marketing strategy.
Every brand has a story, and every good story includes a problem, conflict, and resolution. Think about what these are for your brand. What is the primary problem that your business is trying to solve? What challenges have stood in your way? How have you overcome that adversity? Answering these questions through your website content and blog will help customers connect with your brand in a deeper way so they feel compelled to keep coming back to your business.
Recounting your journey should make this next step a breeze. Now that your brand is established, what values do you represent? How have conflicts and challenges along the way shaped those goals? Ideally, your values will not only reflect the interests of your business, but also the community you serve.
Now that you have the raw materials of your story, it’s time to bring that story into your brand messaging with essential branding pillars. These will include your tagline, the personality reflected in your written content, and your brand’s stances on important issues in your industry and community. These pillars will guide your entire content strategy, from your blogs to your social media posts.
Find your story and develop your brand with Smargasy. Our passion is helping businesses succeed in their digital marketing efforts with exceptional branding solutions. Get started with us by calling (239) 214-8592.
As a business owner, you may hold the belief that exceptional customer service is what retains customers once they choose to patronize your business. While that is true to a degree, the digital era has created so many different opportunities to extend the customer service experience outside of your doors. So, it takes more frequent online interactions to stay in the minds of your customers. Here’s a look at what you should know about nurturing your customers in the digital marketing age.
If you’re just developing a new marketing strategy, your primary focus should be on attracting new business with awareness-focused campaigns. These might include paid ads (PPC ads), social media ads, local SEO strategies, and directory management. In addition to helping customers find your business online, you should also help them spread the word about your business with reputation management services. Reputation management can boost the presence of positive reviews about your business around the web. Having more visible positive reviews can then bring in new leads.
It’s not enough to just make customers aware of your brand. Your message may not land at a time when potential customers are interested in making a purchase. Alternatively, you may want to generate interest among customers who visited you in the past, but haven’t yet made a repeat purchase. Retargeting campaigns will let you focus on these members of your audience who have the potential to become brand ambassadors. For example, boomerang ad campaigns, email marketing, and social media marketing are all great strategies for nurturing both your customers and your leads who already know about your brand, but aren’t currently making purchases.
Nurture current and potential customers with a complete menu of digital marketing services from Smargasy. Call us at (239) 214-8592 for an onboarding consultation with one of our marketing specialists.
There are numerous options to create websites these days, and while even a small business startup can easily establish a web presence, not all websites are created equal. Creating content and designing a website can be challenging. You want a site that informs your customers about who you are and what you offer, and that prompts them to purchase your products or services. However, websites are often confusing, overwhelming, and generally ineffective in driving revenue.
You need to design your website to be a funnel. A funnel, in marketing terms, is a method of advertising that encourages potential customers to move through the process of gaining awareness, generating interest, and ultimately prompting an action to be taken (1). This action can be making a purchase or even just signing up for a weekly newsletter. You should have a very clear plan about what actions you want viewers to take while visiting your website.
What are the characteristics of a well-designed funnel website?
Your funnel site should tell a very clear story. You don’t want to confuse your visitors. Inform your viewers about who you are, what you offer, and what you hope to accomplish while they are visiting your site. This is your call to action, and it is an essential part of the story you want your potential customers to see.
There should be no confusion about how to navigate the site. Scrolling should be intuitive and any action should take the fewest number of clicks possible. Allow the flow of the site to naturally lead the users toward the calls to action.
It is estimated that 60% of website users are accessing the site through a mobile device, and that number continues to grow. Failure to design a site that offers a good mobile experience is basically like leaving revenue on the table. Approximately 50% of consumers indicated that a poor mobile website experience would make them much less likely to make a purchase from that vendor. This is a large category of potential customers that should not be overlooked.
There are several tools available to track website views, like Google Analytics. With these tools, you can determine which parts of your website are most popular, as well as areas that could be improved upon. You can also learn a great deal about the visitors to your site, which will help you understand which of the visitors are likely to convert, and which ones are not. This can help you to improve your marketing techniques to those groups.
A funnel site is intended to invite viewers to take an action, and in order to do that, you must have calls to action in a number of locations. It is not enough to just begin or end your site with a call to action. You should have them strategically placed in 6-10 locations throughout the site, and they can be static or a pop-up. However, they should be planned so that they do not cause confusion. Do not call for visitors to sign up for emails and set an appointment right next to each other. Too many different actions may cause them to not take any action at all. The calls to action should be clear, always encouraging the viewer to take the next step in the buying process.
Lastly, you should make a clear and irresistible offer. These are lead magnets and can be greatly effective in driving new business. Place the offer in an obvious spot on the site or as a pop-up, and refer to it in your calls to action.
It’s time to get serious about driving new business with your website! By creating your website to be a funnel that is designed to convert, you can stop leaving revenue on the table and start converting website visitors into customers or clients.
Ready to get started? Call (239) 214 8592 today to see what we can do for you or visit our website at www.smargasy.com to explore our proven solutions.
If you want your business to get found on the web, then SEO is something you’ll need to utilize. SEO, or search engine optimization, encompasses any digital marketing task that is intended to improve your site’s rank in relevant, organic (unpaid) search results. While there are many marketing agencies out there that boast SEO services, it’s not always easy to find the right SEO expert for your needs. Follow these helpful tips to ensure that you find a strong partner for your digital marketing goals.
SEO may seem abstract, but it comes down to specific tasks that align with Google’s search algorithms. So, your SEO expert should be familiar with the latest trends in SEO. They should also provide a concrete plan for helping your business achieve your goals in search marketing. In addition, this plan should be customized to your brand’s goals—avoid any firm that offers one-size-fits-all solutions for every client.
You wouldn’t hire a lawyer who guarantees a win in court; after all, the nature of the work often makes such promises impossible to keep. SEO is the same. No agency can guarantee that you’ll rank on page 1 of Google or that you’ll see X number of leads within a given period. If you’re consulting a so-called SEO expert who promises these types of specific results, look instead for an agency that focuses on scalable, achievable growth throughout the long haul.
Instead of promising to get you on page 1, your SEO firm should commit to reporting progress to you regularly. They should also check in often to rework your strategy as needed. Search engine marketing requires an ongoing, evolving approach. If your marketing agency isn’t regularly checking in and reporting on current progress, your campaign will simply have no room to grow.
Smargasy is ready to make SEO an achievable marketing practice for your business with proven strategies for success. Call us at (239) 214-8592 or email [email protected] to start developing your SEO plan.