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LGBT Marketing Agency Helping Brands Connect Authentically With the LGBTQ+ Community

Pride flag in Nashville, TN.
Social Link is the top LGBT marketing agency

Build campaigns that are inclusive, data‑driven, and built to convert

Social Link is a full‑service LGBT marketing agency certified with the NGCC that helps brands earn real connection with LGBTQ+ audiences year‑round — not just in June. We combine inclusive brand strategy, creative production, social and search expertise, media buying, influencer partnerships, email, and analytics to deliver campaigns that feel true, look beautiful, and move the needle.

Primary CTA: Book Your Free Strategy Call

Secondary CTA: Get a Custom LGBTQ+ Growth Plan

About Social Link — A Full‑Service LGBT Marketing Partner

Inclusive marketing is more than a rainbow logo. It’s an ongoing commitment to representation, cultural intelligence, and measurable outcomes. At Social Link, we partner with you from first brief to ongoing optimization, blending authentic storytelling with hard‑working performance marketing. Our team includes strategists, creatives, producers, media buyers, SEOs, analysts, and project managers who specialize in building programs that resonate with LGBTQ+ communities while advancing your brand and business goals.

We’ve spent years crafting scalable systems for multi‑channel growth: content frameworks that travel across platforms, design systems built for accessibility, and reporting that isolates what’s working (and what isn’t) so you can invest with confidence. Our approach is collaborative, transparent, and relentlessly focused on outcomes — awareness, engagement, qualified traffic, and revenue.

Credibility matters. Social Link operates as a full‑service agency with strategy, creative, launch, and optimization capabilities under one roof, supported by monthly dashboards, weekly ad results, and ongoing R&D and A/B testing.

Our LGBT Marketing Services

Below is the core stack we deploy for LGBTQ+ initiatives. Everything is modular; we’ll design the right combination for your brand, industry, and goals.

Inclusive Brand Strategy & Positioning

  • Audience research, persona development, and cultural landscape analysis
  • Messaging playbooks, tone‑of‑voice, and inclusive language guidance
  • Brand identity alignment and creative direction that centers representation
  • Campaign architecture and KPI mapping to keep creative tied to outcomes

Website Design & Development

  • Information architecture, wireframes, and high‑fidelity design
  • Accessibility‑minded UI/UX (mobile‑first, fast, and readable)
  • Landing pages aligned to LGBTQ+ search intent (Pride campaigns, inclusive services)
  • SEO‑ready builds with schema, clean markup, and analytics baked in

Web design and development are part of Social Link’s full‑service creation offering, alongside landing page development and ongoing maintenance/hosting.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

  • Keyword research targeting terms like “LGBT marketing agency,” “LGBTQ+ marketing services,” “inclusive branding,” and long‑tail city queries
  • On‑page optimization: titles, headers, internal links, and content refreshes
  • Technical SEO: crawl budget, Core Web Vitals, structured data, and localization
  • Ethical link development and digital PR with LGBTQ+ publications and partners

SEO optimization is a core Launch/Reporting pillar in Social Link’s offering.

Pay‑Per‑Click (PPC) & Paid Social

  • Google Ads and YouTube campaigns aligned to LGBTQ+ intent
  • Paid social on Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and X — creative and copy that matches community tone
  • Full‑funnel structure (awareness, consideration, conversion) with audience testing
  • Weekly optimization and budget reallocation to proven winners

Ads campaigns (lead gen) and media buying/paid placements are standard components.

Social Media Management & Community

  • Channel strategy, content calendars, and publishing
  • In‑house creative (short‑form video, design, motion) crafted for platform norms
  • Community management and social listening to inform creative and product feedback
  • Custom dashboards to visualize reach, engagement, share of voice, and sentiment

Social Link’s social services include strategy, content & campaigns, video/photo/design, paid social management, channel management, measurement, dashboards, community management, social listening, and influencer strategy/management.

Content Creation (Photo, Video, Design, Copy)

  • Studio and on‑location production for campaigns and evergreen brand assets
  • Story‑led scripts, UGC‑style creative, and micro‑content packages
  • Graphic design for ads, emails, landing pages, and out‑of‑home
  • Editorial: blogs, guides, and case studies optimized for search and shareability

In‑house photography and creative production capabilities support this end‑to‑end.

Email Marketing & Marketing Automation

  • Platform setup and integration with CRM and ecommerce
  • Segmentation, personalization, and lifecycle flows (welcome, nurture, promo, re‑engagement)
  • A/B testing, deliverability, and compliance (GDPR, CAN‑SPAM)
  • Live dashboards and monthly reporting

Social Link’s email service spans strategy workshops, templates, automation, compliance, testing, and performance tuning.

Influencer & Creator Partnerships

  • Talent sourcing (priority to LGBTQ+ creators with authentic fit)
  • Briefs, contracts, and content QA for brand safety
  • Paid amplification and whitelisting to scale proven posts
  • Integration with PR, events, and retail moments

Influencer strategy and management are included in Social Link’s social services suite.

PR, Sponsorships & Events

  • Press releases, pitches, and media list curation (LGBTQ+ outlets + mainstream)
  • Pride sponsorship planning, experiential activations, and measurement
  • Community partnerships and cause marketing that reflect long‑term support

Community building/sponsorships are part of the Launch layer.

Hosting, Maintenance & Ongoing Optimization

  • Site care, updates, and security
  • Conversion rate optimization (CRO) and heatmapping
  • Quarterly testing roadmaps across ad creative, landing pages, and email flows

Ongoing optimization and constant A/B testing are core deliverables.

What Makes Our LGBT Marketing Agency Different

Authenticity over tokenism

We prioritize real representation and lived experience, grounding every decision in cultural awareness and respect.

Creative built for platforms

Short‑form vertical video, carousels, creator‑led storylines, and static design that actually stops the scroll.

Performance discipline

From bid strategies to content clustering, we connect creative to KPIs, not vanity metrics.

Full‑funnel measurement

We architect reporting to show contribution at each layer — awareness, engagement, qualified traffic, and revenue — so you can scale with clarity.

A single accountable partner

Strategy, creation, launch, reporting, and optimization under one roof. (No finger‑pointing between vendors.)

Our Process for LGBTQ+ Marketing Success

  1. Discovery & Alignment We align on goals, define target segments, and review previous learnings. We’ll identify product/market fit signals inside LGBTQ+ audiences and set success metrics.
  2. Research & Cultural Intelligence We analyze search behavior, social conversations, competitor/creative gaps, and community sentiment. Insights turn into a hypothesis roadmap and messaging angles.
  3. Strategy & Planning We define campaign architecture, channel mix, budget allocations, and testing plans. We specify creative needs (assets, formats, hooks) and set the reporting cadence.
  4. Creative Production Our studio produces content that fits the platforms and feels natural to the communities you want to reach — including creator collaborations and UGC.
  5. Launch & Scale We stand up ads, landers, and emails; enable pixels and events; and deploy full‑funnel targeting. As signals accumulate, we reallocate budget to winners.
  6. Measure, Learn, Optimize We monitor dashboards, run structured experiments, and report what moved KPIs. Every cycle informs the next.

Expect monthly dashboards/KPIs and weekly ad/conversion results as standard.

Sample Impact (Illustrative)

  • Retail Pride Activation: +300% social engagement YoY, 22% MoM sales uplift during campaign window
  • Travel & Hospitality: Creator‑led city guides drove +41% increase in qualified organic sessions and double‑digit booking growth
  • Tech Startup Launch: LGBTQ+ audience reach up 75% in 90 days; CAC down 28% via creative iteration and funnel cleanup

Industries We Serve

We’ve partnered across categories where inclusive storytelling and precise performance matter most:

  • Fashion & Apparel
  • Beauty & Personal Care
  • Travel & Hospitality
  • Technology & SaaS
  • Food & Beverage / CPG
  • Health & Wellness, Education, Nonprofit

Where We Operate

We run campaigns across the U.S. and globally, tailoring creative and media to local culture and norms. We’ve supported work in markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, London, Paris, São Paulo, and Sydney, among others — and we localize language, influencers, and media buys accordingly.

Proof You Can Trust

  • Full‑service lifecycle capabilities (Strategy → Creation → Launch → Reporting → Optimization) are a documented part of how Social Link operates.
  • Our social offering includes strategy, content & creative, video/photo/design, paid social management, channel management, analytics, dashboards, community management, listening, and influencer programs — all in one place.
  • We maintain in‑house creative production (photography/video) to keep quality high and timelines tight.

FAQs — LGBT Marketing Agency

What does an LGBT marketing agency actually do?

We help brands reach LGBTQ+ audiences with culturally aware strategy, inclusive creative, precise media buying, community management, and end‑to‑end analytics — all designed to drive measurable outcomes (traffic, conversions, revenue).

How is this different from general “diversity marketing”?

“Diversity” is broad; LGBTQ+ marketing demands specific cultural context, language, and representation. We build with — not just for — the community, partnering with queer creators, media, and organizations.

Is LGBTQ+ marketing only relevant during Pride Month?

No. Pride is a moment, not a strategy. Year‑round consistency builds trust and lifts lifetime value. We’ll plan tentpole content for June, but we anchor in ongoing storytelling and performance.

How do you measure success?

We define KPIs up front (reach, engagement rate, CTR, AOV, CAC, ROAS, subscriber growth, etc.), install tracking, and report weekly/monthly. We also monitor brand safety and sentiment.

Will you help us avoid tokenism?

Yes. Our cultural review process and creator partnerships ensure representation is accurate and respectful. We also advise on internal language guidelines and inclusive imagery.

What if we’ve never marketed to LGBTQ+ audiences before?

Great — we’ll start with discovery, research, and a pilot. We’ll test creative angles, refine messaging, and scale what performs.

Do you work with LGBTQ‑owned businesses and ally brands?

Both. We prioritize brands committed to genuine inclusion and long‑term community support.

What services do you offer beyond campaigns?

Full‑stack support: brand strategy, web design/development, SEO, PPC, social/content, photo/video, email, PR/sponsorships, hosting, and ongoing optimization with dashboards and testing.

How fast will we see results?

Timelines vary by channel. Paid media often impacts awareness immediately and conversions within weeks; SEO compounds steadily over months. We’ll map a plan that balances quick wins and durable growth.

Can you integrate with our existing tech stack?

Yes. We regularly work with CRMs, ecommerce platforms, and email tools (e.g., HubSpot, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign) and set up compliant data flows, automations, and dashboards.

Ready to Build an Inclusive Growth Engine?

If you’re looking for an LGBT marketing agency that pairs authentic creative with performance discipline, you’re in the right place. Let’s build something real — and scalable.

CTA: Book Your Free Strategy Call

Alternate CTA: See How We’d Grow Your LGBTQ+ Audience

(Optional) Add‑Ons That Accelerate Results

  • Local SEO & Landing Hubs: City‑specific pages that rank for “[city] LGBT marketing” and related queries
  • Creator Content Labs: Monthly packages of creator‑made shorts for paid + organic
  • Lead Gen + Email Engine: Offer hooks, gated content, and lifecycle flows to convert new traffic
  • Attribution & MMM Lite: Cross‑channel models to understand contribution beyond last‑click
  • Quarterly Insight Reports: What the LGBTQ+ conversation is doing across platforms and categories

How We’ll Work Together

  • Ownership & Transparency: You own the accounts, data, and creative.
  • Clear Milestones: Strategy sign‑off, creative approvals, launch gates, and reporting cycles.
  • Right‑Sized Team: Dedicated lead + specialists; we scale resources to match scope and seasonality.
  • Flexible Engagements: Project‑based, retainers, or hybrid — designed around your objectives.

Final Notes for SEO

  • We’ve placed “LGBT marketing agency” prominently in the H1, early body copy, and multiple H2s/H3s.
  • Semantic variations appear naturally: LGBTQ+ marketing services, inclusive brand strategy, Pride campaign marketing, LGBTQ influencer marketing, queer creators, inclusive design, LGBTQ community marketing.
  • Internal links you can add: case studies, service detail pages (SEO, PPC, Social, Email, Creative), About, and Contact.
  • Don’t forget descriptive alt text on imagery (e.g., “LGBT marketing agency creative team producing Pride campaign video”).

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New Year, New Leads: Kickstart 2025 with a Winning Paid Search Campaign

Person holding a phone for paid search campaign for new leads
Start the New Year by launching a paid search campaign to drive local leads and grow your business.

Imagine your small business entering 2025 with a fresh, impactful strategy to attract new customers. Whether you run a boutique gym, local café, or home service company, paid search advertising is your ticket to growth.

With Social Link’s lead generation services, you can set up campaigns that deliver measurable results. This guide outlines the steps to set up a local paid search campaign to connect you with ready-to-buy customers in your area.

Step 1: Define Your Goals and Budget

Before diving into the technical details, start with a clear plan.

Key Considerations:

  • Campaign Objective: Decide whether you’re focusing on phone calls, store visits, or online bookings.
  • Monthly Budget: Allocate a realistic budget, even if it’s modest, to kickstart your efforts.
  • Geographic Targeting: Choose a specific radius or neighborhood for targeting.

Why It Matters:

Well-defined goals and budgets ensure every aspect of your campaign aligns with attracting qualified leads efficiently. If you’re unsure where to start, consider requesting a customized proposal from Social Link.

Step 2: Conduct Local Keyword Research

Keywords are the backbone of your paid search strategy.

How to Get Started:

  • Brainstorm Core Terms: Think of terms like “gym near me” or “fitness classes in [City].”
  • Use Keyword Tools: Use platforms like Google Keyword Planner to analyze related terms.
  • Focus on Local Modifiers: Include location-specific phrases to target nearby audiences effectively.

The Outcome:

A list of localized, high-intent keywords ensures your ads are shown to prospects who are actively searching for your services. Learn more about the power of targeting the right audience with Social Link’s lead generation expertise.

Step 3: Create Your Ad Groups and Ad Copy

A structured campaign is key to success.

Action Steps:

  • Organize by Service or Product: Separate ad groups for specific offerings, such as “Personal Training” or “Yoga Classes.”
  • Write Enticing Ad Copy: Highlight unique selling points and include CTAs like “Call Now” or “Sign Up Today.”
  • Include Location Cues: Reassure prospects by mentioning your city or neighborhood in the ad copy.

Result:

Well-organized ad groups paired with compelling ad text boost engagement and drive meaningful clicks.

Step 4: Set Bids and Apply Targeting Options

Precision targeting ensures your budget works harder.

Consider the Following:

  • Geo-Targeting: Narrow your reach to focus on local customers.
  • Ad Scheduling: Display ads during peak hours when your audience is most active.
  • Bidding Strategies: Start with automated options and refine as you gather data.

Impact:

Efficient targeting maximizes ROI by connecting with high-intent prospects. If you’re ready to refine your strategy further, explore our lead generation services.

Step 5: Add Ad Extensions and Local Details

Make your ads more engaging and actionable with extensions.

Recommended Extensions:

  • Location Extension: Showcase your address for easy navigation.
  • Call Extension: Allow users to call directly from the ad.
  • Sitelink Extensions: Direct prospects to specific website pages, like pricing or schedules.

Why It Helps:

Ad extensions enhance visibility and user convenience, increasing engagement rates.

Step 6: Track Conversions and Analyze Performance

Measure your success to optimize for the future.

Key Metrics:

  • Conversion Tracking: Use tools like Google Analytics to measure outcomes.
  • Click-Through Rate (CTR): Gauge ad relevance and user interest.
  • Cost per Conversion (CPC): Determine how much each lead costs to optimize your spend.

Continuous Improvement:

Regular analysis and adjustments keep your campaign efficient and effective. Partner with Social Link’s team to refine and scale your efforts.

Step 7: Scaling and Refining Your Campaign

Once you’ve gained traction, it’s time to scale.

Expansion Ideas:

  • Add More Ad Groups: Create campaigns for niche services or seasonal promotions.
  • Test New Keywords: Experiment with event-based terms like “New Year deals.”
  • Geographic Adjustments: Expand your radius to include additional areas.

Benefits:

Scaling your campaign keeps it dynamic and aligned with evolving customer needs.

Embracing AI and Automation in 2025

AI tools like machine learning algorithms are transforming paid search campaigns. Tools such as Google Ads’ Performance Max use AI to optimize placements, bids, and creative assets automatically, improving efficiency.

Why It Matters:

Adopting AI streamlines campaign management and allows you to stay ahead of competitors. (Search Engine Land article on PPC trends for 2025)

How Social Link Can Help

Launching a paid search campaign is manageable, but optimizing it for maximum ROI requires expertise.

What We Offer:

  • Strategy and Setup: Clear goal definition and precise targeting.
  • Ad Optimization: Crafting compelling copy and extensions for local relevance.
  • Data-Driven Refinements: Continuous analysis for sustainable growth.

Scaling for Success:

With Social Link’s hands-on support, your campaign will be poised for long-term success, turning clicks into loyal customers.

Conclusion

Starting 2025 with a focused paid search campaign can set the stage for a year of growth. By following this guide, you’ll effectively attract local leads, convert interest into action, and achieve your business goals.

Ready to dominate local search in 2025? Contact Social Link today for expert assistance in launching a campaign that delivers measurable results.

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Nashville’s Premier Marketing Agency: Unleashing Success

Introduction:

In the fast-paced and competitive business world, a robust marketing strategy is essential for achieving success. However, navigating the intricacies of marketing can be daunting, especially for small businesses and startups. This is where Social Link, Nashville’s leading marketing agency, comes into play. In this blog post, we will explore the power of partnering with Social Link, a full-service agency and creative studio, offering exceptional services such as social media marketing, website development, paid ad services and high-end video marketing services. Discover how Social Link can unlock the full potential of your business in Nashville’s thriving marketing landscape.

  • Understanding the Role of Social Link: Your Strategic Partner

Social Link is more than just a marketing agency. They serve as a strategic partner, offering a comprehensive range of services designed to elevate your business’s marketing efforts. As a full-service agency, Social Link provides expertise, creativity, and strategic guidance across multiple areas, ensuring your brand stands out in the crowded marketplace. With a strong focus on social media marketing, website development, and high-end video marketing, Social Link is committed to driving your business forward.

  • Why Choose Social Link in Nashville?

2.1 Thriving Business Environment:

Nashville, known for its vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, offers a flourishing business environment. Social Link harnesses the energy and opportunities present in this city, leveraging local market insights and connections to propel your business to new heights. By partnering with Social Link, you can tap into Nashville’s dynamic ecosystem and gain a competitive edge.

2.2 Expertise in Social Media Marketing:

Social media has become a vital platform for businesses to engage with their target audience effectively. Social Link excels in social media marketing, helping your brand build a strong online presence, connect with customers, and drive conversions. With their in-depth knowledge of the ever-evolving social media landscape, Social Link ensures that your social media strategies are innovative, tailored, and impactful.

2.3 Website Development and Optimization:

In the digital age, a visually appealing and user-friendly website is crucial for business success. Social Link’s team of expert web developers and designers create stunning websites that captivate visitors and convert them into loyal customers. By focusing on user experience and incorporating cutting-edge technologies, Social Link enhances your online presence, elevating your brand’s credibility and visibility.

2.4 High-End Video Marketing Services:

Video marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for storytelling and engaging with audiences. Social Link’s high-end video marketing services help your brand communicate its message effectively, leaving a lasting impact on viewers. From concept development and scriptwriting to production and editing, Social Link delivers captivating videos that captivate and inspire, driving brand awareness and customer engagement. Push your message to the market with HULU ads, Youtube, Netflix and other mainstream channels. 

  • The Services Offered by Social Link:

Social Link’s comprehensive services include:

3.1 Social Media Marketing:

Social Link creates and executes data-driven social media strategies, leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. RedIt and LinkedIn to amplify your brand’s reach, engage with your target audience, and drive measurable results.

3.2 Website Development:

Social Link designs and develops custom websites that are visually stunning, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines. They ensure your website showcases your brand identity, offers a seamless user experience, and helps convert visitors into customers.

3.3 Full-Service Agency:

As a full-service agency, Social Link offers a wide range of marketing services, including market research, branding, content creation, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, email marketing, and more. Their holistic approach ensures all aspects of your marketing strategy work seamlessly together.

3.4 Creative Studio:

Social Link’s creative studio brings ideas to life through innovative and captivating visuals. Their team of designers, writers, photographers, videographers and artists collaborates to create compelling branding materials, eye-catching graphics, engaging videos, and powerful copy that resonates with your target audience.

  • Success Stories: Social Link’s Impact

To illustrate the impact of Social Link’s services, let’s explore a few success stories:

4.1 Case Study 1: Local Restaurant A:

Social Link partnered with a local restaurant to revamp its social media presence. Through targeted social media campaigns, captivating visuals, and strategic content creation, Social Link helped the restaurant increase its online visibility, engage with customers, and boost reservations by 40%.

4.2 Case Study 2: E-commerce Store B:

E-commerce Store B sought Social Link’s expertise in website development and optimization. Social Link designed a visually stunning and user-friendly website, incorporating seamless navigation and an intuitive shopping experience. As a result, the store’s online sales increased by 60% within six months.

  • Choosing Social Link: Your Partner for Success

When selecting a marketing agency, consider the following advantages of partnering with Social Link:

5.1 Extensive Experience and Track Record:

Social Link brings years of experience and a proven track record of success in helping businesses across various industries achieve their marketing goals. Their portfolio and client testimonials demonstrate their ability to deliver exceptional results.

5.2 Collaboration and Communication:

Social Link prioritizes collaboration and maintains open lines of communication throughout your partnership. Their team works closely with you, understanding your goals, and providing regular updates on campaign progress, ensuring a seamless working relationship.

5.3 Cultural Alignment:

Social Link values align with your brand’s vision, mission, and values. They take the time to understand your business, ensuring their strategies and creative solutions are tailored to meet your unique needs.

Conclusion:

Social Link, Nashville’s premier marketing agency and creative studio, offers a comprehensive suite of services, including social media marketing, website development, and high-end video marketing. By partnering with Social Link, your business can tap into Nashville’s thriving business environment, leverage their expertise, and unlock your brand’s full potential. With a focus on innovative strategies and cutting-edge solutions, Social Link ensures your brand stands out in the competitive marketplace. So, choose Social Link as your strategic partner and unleash your business’s success in Nashville and beyond.

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Top 10 Marketing Strategies for Nashville Businesses

Introduction:

As a business owner or executive in Nashville, you understand the importance of effective marketing strategies to drive results and stay ahead in the competitive market. In this article, we will explore the top 10 marketing strategies that can help your Nashville business thrive. As the best marketing agency in Nashville, we are committed to providing expert insights and practical tips to help you achieve your marketing goals.

  1. Develop a Comprehensive Digital Marketing Plan:

In today’s digital age, a robust online presence is crucial. Start by crafting a comprehensive digital marketing plan that includes elements such as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, and paid advertising. This plan will serve as your roadmap to success.

  1. Optimize Local SEO:

Nashville is a vibrant city with a thriving business community. To stand out in the local market, focus on optimizing your website for local SEO. This includes targeting location-specific keywords, creating local business listings, and earning positive reviews from satisfied customers.

(Resource: Link to Moz’s Guide on Local SEO)

  1. Leverage the Power of Content Marketing:

Content marketing allows you to establish thought leadership, engage your target audience, and drive organic traffic to your website. Develop a content strategy that includes creating high-quality blog posts, informative videos, and engaging social media content.

(Resource: Link to HubSpot’s Content Marketing Guide)

  1. Harness Social Media Marketing:

Social media platforms provide excellent opportunities to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and generate leads. Identify the social media channels that resonate most with your target market, and create a consistent presence by sharing valuable content, engaging with your followers, and running targeted ad campaigns.

(Resource: Link to Sprout Social’s Social Media Marketing Tips)

  1. Implement Email Marketing Campaigns:

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for nurturing customer relationships and driving conversions. Develop an email marketing strategy that includes personalized and targeted campaigns to deliver relevant content and promotions to your subscribers.

(Resource: Link to Campaign Monitor’s Email Marketing Best Practices)

  1. Invest in Paid Advertising:

While organic strategies are essential, paid advertising can provide an extra boost to your marketing efforts. Consider platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads to reach your target audience effectively.

(Resource: Link to Google Ads, Link to Facebook Ads, Link to LinkedIn Ads)

  1. Embrace Influencer Marketing:

Influencer marketing can be a powerful way to promote your products or services to a highly engaged audience. Partner with local influencers who align with your brand values and target market to amplify your message and increase brand visibility.

(Resource: Link to Forbes’ Guide on Influencer Marketing)

  1. Enhance User Experience on Your Website:

A user-friendly website is

important for converting visitors into customers. Ensure your website is optimized for a seamless user experience by improving page load times, implementing intuitive navigation, and creating compelling landing pages that drive action.

(Resource: Link to UX Design Principles by Nielsen Norman Group)

  1. Utilize Data Analytics and Measurement:

Make data-driven decisions by leveraging analytics tools to track and measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Analyze key metrics such as website traffic, conversions, and customer engagement to identify areas for improvement and optimize your strategies.

(Resource: Link to Google Analytics)

  1. Collaborate with a Creative Agency in Nashville:

To fully unleash the potential of your marketing efforts, partner with a reputable creative agency in Nashville. A creative agency can provide expert guidance, design eye-catching visuals, and help you craft compelling brand messaging that resonates with your target audience.

(Resource: Link to best marketing agency Nashville)

Conclusion:

Implementing the right marketing strategies is essential for the success of your Nashville business. By developing a comprehensive digital marketing plan, optimizing local SEO, harnessing the power of content and social media marketing, and utilizing email marketing, paid advertising, and influencer partnerships, you can drive remarkable results. Remember to prioritize user experience, leverage data analytics, and consider collaborating with a creative agency in Nashville to elevate your brand.

At Social Link Marketing Agency, we are committed to helping Nashville businesses achieve their marketing goals. Contact us today to explore how we can tailor our services to your specific needs.

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Social Link – Full Service Digital Marketing Agency Nashville

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, it’s more important than ever to have a strong digital marketing strategy in place. With the majority of consumers now turning to the internet to find and research products and services, businesses need to be able to connect with their target audience online in order to succeed. This is where a digital marketing agency comes in – a team of experts who can help businesses navigate the complex world of online marketing and create a strategy that works for them.

At Social Link, we’re proud to be a full-service digital marketing agency based in Nashville, TN. We offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to help businesses of all sizes succeed in the digital age, including web design, SEO, social media management, PPC advertising, and more. What sets us apart, however, is our high-end video capabilities. With a full studio in-house and access to the best talent in Nashville, we’re able to create compelling video content that captures your brand’s unique voice and resonates with your target audience.

In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the importance of partnering with a digital marketing agency like Social Link, as well as the key components of a successful digital marketing strategy. We’ll also be looking to the future of digital marketing and discussing some of the trends and technologies that businesses should be aware of in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Why Partner with a Digital Marketing Agency?

Before we dive into the specifics of what makes a successful digital marketing strategy, let’s take a step back and discuss why businesses should consider partnering with a digital marketing agency in the first place. Here are just a few of the key benefits:

Expertise and Experience: Digital marketing agencies are made up of experts who have years of experience working in the industry. They understand the ins and outs of online marketing and are able to create a strategy that’s tailored to your business’s specific needs and goals.

Cost-Effective: Hiring an in-house marketing team can be expensive, particularly for small businesses. Partnering with a digital marketing agency allows you to access the expertise you need without the high overhead costs.

Time-Saving: Building and implementing a successful digital marketing strategy takes time and effort. By partnering with an agency, you can free up your own time and focus on running your business while the agency handles your online marketing.

Access to the Latest Tools and Technologies: Digital marketing is a rapidly evolving field, and it can be difficult for businesses to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. By partnering with an agency, you can access the latest tools and technologies without having to invest in them yourself.

Key Components of a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of partnering with a digital marketing agency, let’s dive into the key components of a successful digital marketing strategy. At Social Link, we believe that a successful digital marketing strategy should include the following components:

Web Design and Development: Your website is often the first impression that potential customers will have of your business. A well-designed and user-friendly website can help to establish your brand’s credibility and make it easy for customers to find the information they need.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is the process of optimizing your website and content in order to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). A strong SEO strategy can help to increase your website’s visibility and drive more traffic to your site.

Social Media ManagementSocial media has become an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. By creating and maintaining a strong presence on social media platforms, businesses can connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive traffic to their website.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: PPC advertising allows businesses to place ads on search engine results pages and social media platforms, targeting specific keywords or demographics. This can be an effective way to quickly drive traffic to your website and generate leads.

Content Marketing: Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content with the aim of attracting and retaining a clearly defined audience. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more. A strong content marketing strategy can help to establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry and drive traffic to your website.

Email Marketing: Email marketing involves sending targeted emails to your subscribers with the aim of promoting your products or services, building brand loyalty, and driving traffic to your website. A well-executed email marketing campaign can help to generate leads and increase sales.

The Future of Digital Marketing

As we look to the future of digital marketing, there are a few trends and technologies that businesses should be aware of in order to stay ahead of the competition. Here are a few key areas to watch:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is already being used in digital marketing to automate tasks like lead scoring, content creation, and customer service. As the technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more use cases for AI in marketing.

Voice Search: With the rise of smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home, voice search is becoming an increasingly popular way for consumers to find information online. Businesses should consider optimizing their content for voice search in order to stay competitive.

Video Marketing: As we mentioned earlier, video marketing is a key component of our digital marketing strategy at Social Link. Video content is becoming increasingly popular, and businesses that can create compelling video content will have a competitive advantage.

Conclusion

In today’s digital age, businesses need to have a strong online presence in order to succeed. By partnering with a digital marketing agency like Social Link, businesses can access the expertise they need to create and implement a successful online marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking to improve your website’s design and SEO, build a strong social media presence, or run a PPC advertising campaign, we’re here to help. And as we look to the future of digital marketing, we’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries and helping our clients stay ahead of the curve.

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Elevate Your Business with Social Link: A Top Marketing Agency in Nashville

nashville marketing agency office
nashville marketing agency office

Are you looking for a marketing partner that can help take your business to the next level? Look no further than Social Link, a leading marketing agency in Nashville that offers a range of services to help businesses build their brand and reach new customers.

At Social Link, we believe that every business deserves a marketing strategy that is tailored to their unique needs and goals. That’s why we offer a full suite of services, including branding, web design, SEO, social media marketing, and more. Our team of experts has years of experience working with businesses across industries, from healthcare to finance to hospitality, and we’ve helped our clients achieve measurable results and sustainable growth.

What sets Social Link apart from other marketing agencies in Nashville? Here are just a few reasons why we’re the right choice for your business:

  1. We take a data-driven approach to marketing. At Social Link, we don’t believe in guesswork. Instead, we rely on data and analytics to inform our marketing strategies and ensure that we’re delivering measurable results for our clients.
  2. We’re committed to collaboration and communication. We know that effective marketing requires open communication and collaboration between our team and our clients. That’s why we prioritize transparency, regular reporting, and ongoing communication throughout the marketing process.
  3. We offer a range of services to meet your needs. Whether you’re looking to build your brand, increase your online visibility, or drive more leads and sales, Social Link has the expertise and resources to help you achieve your goals.

Our Services

At Social Link, we offer a wide range of services to help businesses of all sizes and industries succeed in the digital age. Here are just a few of the ways we can help elevate your business:

  1. Branding: Your brand is the foundation of your business. At Social Link, we can help you develop a strong brand identity that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from your competition.
  2. Web Design: Your website is your online storefront, and it’s often the first impression that potential customers will have of your business. We can help you design a website that is visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines.
  3. SEO: Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for businesses that want to improve their online visibility and attract more traffic to their website. Our team of SEO experts can help you develop a customized strategy that includes keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and more.
  4. Social Media Marketing: Social media is a powerful tool for building your brand and engaging with your target audience. Our social media marketing services can help you develop a strong presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and leverage these channels to drive traffic and sales.
  5. PPC Advertising: Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be an effective way to reach new customers and generate leads and sales. Our PPC experts can help you develop and manage campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads, ensuring that you get the most bang for your buck.

Why Choose Social Link?

When it comes to choosing a marketing agency in Nashville, there are many options to choose from. Here are just a few reasons why Social Link stands out from the crowd:

  1. Experience: Our team of marketing experts has years of experience working with businesses across industries. We’ve seen it all, and we know what it takes to help businesses succeed in today’s competitive digital landscape.
  2. Results: At Social Link, we don’t just talk the talk. We walk the walk. Our team is dedicated to delivering measurable results for our clients, and we have the track record to prove it.
  3. Collaboration: We believe that the best marketing strategies are developed through collaboration and communication. That’s why we work closely with our clients throughout the marketing process, ensuring that we understand their unique needs and goals and can tailor our services to meet them.
  1. Transparency: We believe in transparency and honesty in everything we do. That means providing regular reporting and updates, being upfront about costs and timelines, and always being available to answer any questions or concerns.
  2. Customization: At Social Link, we know that every business is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing. That’s why we offer customized solutions tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.

If you’re looking for a marketing agency in Nashville that can help take your business to the next level, look no further than Social Link. Our team of experts has the knowledge, experience, and dedication to help you achieve your marketing goals and grow your business. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you succeed.

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Digital Marketing Online Marketing PPC SEO Social Media Marketing

Internet Marketing Agency in Nashville | Social Link

Are you looking for an internet marketing agency in Nashville to help you grow your business online? You’re in the right place! In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to Social Link, a full-service marketing agency with high-end video capabilities in-house. We’ll cover current trends, our process to get someone to positive ROI, and specific tactics like content that converts, SEO, PPC, social media, video, and good user experiences with website design.

Current Trends in Internet Marketing

The world of Internet marketing is always changing, and it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends. However, staying on top of these trends is critical to the success of your online marketing efforts. Here are some current trends that we believe are important to consider:

  • The importance of video: Video content is becoming increasingly popular, and businesses that incorporate video into their marketing strategies are seeing great results. According to HubSpot, 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 99% of those businesses plan to continue using video in the future.
  • The rise of social media: Social media continues to be an essential part of online marketing. In fact, 54% of social browsers use social media to research products, and 83% of Instagram users say they discover new products on the platform.
  • The impact of mobile: More and more people are accessing the internet on their mobile devices, and businesses need to ensure that their websites are mobile-friendly. In fact, 63% of all website visits in the US come from mobile devices.

Our Process to Get You Positive ROI

At Social Link, our goal is to help our clients achieve positive ROI through our internet marketing strategies. We follow a four-step process to achieve this:

  1. Discovery: We take the time to get to know our clients and their businesses. We’ll ask questions, conduct research, and analyze data to gain a thorough understanding of your industry, target audience, and competition.
  2. Strategy: Once we have a clear understanding of your business, we’ll develop a customized marketing strategy tailored to your specific needs and goals. We’ll identify the tactics that will be most effective for your business, such as content marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, video, and website design.
  3. Implementation: We’ll put our plan into action, executing each tactic with precision and care. We’ll track and analyze the results, making adjustments as needed to ensure we’re on track to achieving positive ROI.
  4. Optimization: Our work doesn’t stop once we’ve achieved positive ROI. We’ll continue to optimize our strategies to ensure we’re delivering the best possible results for your business.

Tactics for Positive ROI

Here are some specific tactics that we use to help our clients achieve positive ROI:

  • Content that converts: High-quality content is the foundation of a successful online marketing strategy. We create content that engages your target audience and helps drive traffic to your website.
  • SEO: We optimize your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
  • PPC: We create and manage pay-per-click advertising campaigns that drive traffic to your website and convert leads into customers.
  • Social media: We use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with your target audience and promote your brand.
  • Video: We create high-quality video content that tells your brand’s story and engages your target audience.
  • Website design: We design and develop websites that are visually appealing, easy to navigate, and optimized for search engines.

Why Choose Social Link?

Choosing an internet marketing agency is a big decision, and you want to make sure you choose the right partner for your business. Here are some reasons why Social Link is the best choice for your internet marketing needs:

  • Full-service capabilities: We offer a wide range of services, from content creation to website design, so you don’t have to work with multiple agencies.
  • In-house video capabilities: Our high-end video capabilities allow us to create high-quality video content for your business without outsourcing to a third party.
  • Results-driven approach: Our focus is on achieving positive ROI for our clients, and we use data and analytics to measure the success of our strategies.
  • Experienced team: Our team has years of experience in internet marketing and stays up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.
  • Customized solutions: We tailor our strategies to the specific needs and goals of each client, ensuring that we deliver the best possible results.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an internet marketing agency in Nashville, Social Link is the best choice for your business. We offer full-service capabilities, in-house video capabilities, a results-driven approach, an experienced team, and customized solutions. We follow a four-step process to achieve positive ROI for our clients, and we use tactics like content marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, video, and website design to achieve this. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business grow online.

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Digital Marketing Featured News PPC

Google Ads Grant for Non-Profits: $10K per month

Google Ad Nonprofit
Google Ad Nonprofit

Shout out to all non-profit organizations! Looking to enhance your advertising efforts without breaking the bank? You’ll be happy to learn that Google Ads has an initiative called the Google Grant Program. This amazing opportunity provides non-profits with a chance to advertise on their platform for free.

Wait, For Real?

Yep! Sounds made up, right? But it’s true. In case you didn’t know, Google Ads used to be called Google AdWords. It’s a frequently-used online tool with a range of paid ad campaign opportunities.

It’s used by everyone from small businesses to conglomerate corporations. Google Ads is an invaluable resource that can change the game when it comes to advertising. This makes the Google Grant Program all the more exciting.

There’s a lot to learn about this program and its eligibility requirements.

Social Link + Non-Profits = Heart-Eyed Emoji

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, we should mention that Social Link has a history of working with many different non-profits.

We proudly offer 10% off labor rates for qualified non-profit organizations, because we know how hard you work. What your company does is important, and we appreciate all you do.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our work or contact us. We’d love to hear from you.

Now let’s go ahead and dive in.

Google Ad Grants Program Overview

As previously mentioned, the Google Ad Grants Program gives non-profit companies the ability to advertise on Google Ads with no price tag attached. Qualified, Google-approved organizations receive $10,000 USD per month in Google Ads dollars. This marketing spend helps the non-profits carry out their mission and promote their initiatives.

Google isn’t just throwing out money to any organization that calls itself a non-profit. In order to qualify, companies must go through an application process. Once the grant is received, the program regulations must be followed, otherwise the non-profit could lose the grant. You gotta play by the rules if you want to keep that $10k!

Does My Company Qualify for a Google Grant?

To be eligible for a Google Grant, non-profits need to apply to Google for Non-profits. The specific offerings, requirements, and resources Google for Non-profits provide are available on their page. Non-profits also need to make sure their company meets the following criteria:

  • Currently hold a valid charity status. If you’re in the United States, this means your organization needs to have a current 501(c)(3) status. If you’re outside the US, the status specifications are different.
  • Be approved through the Ad Grants pre-qualification process.
  • Agree to Google Grant’s required certifications, which specify how to receive and use donations obtained from the grant.
  • Have a high-quality website with adequate information and details on the non-profit.
  • Be based in one of the 51 countries that Google works with already.

Which Organizations Are Ineligible?

Governmental entities and organizations as well as hospitals and medical groups are all ineligible for the grant. The same goes for schools, childcare centers, academic institutions, and universities. The only exceptions are the philanthropic arms of educational organizations.

The good news is educational entities can still find resources and other forms of support through Google. Visit here for more information.

Maintaining Google Grant Eligibility

Congrats! You’ve got your grant. Now what?

Non-profits must abide by Google’s Grant Program policies in order to maintain grant eligibility. An Ad Grant mission-based policy compliance guide is available online. In addition, Google provides organizations with plenty of online resources to guide them through this journey.

  • No single-word keywords permitted. Exceptions to this rule include your own brand keywords and approved medical conditions. It’s easy to pause single keywords using a filter. A step-by-step guide on filtering keywords and pausing them can be found here.
  • No overly generic keywords permitted. Google’s policy requires overly generics keywords that “don’t indicate the intent of the person searching” to be paused or removed. Examples include basic phrases like “free videos,” “e-books,” or “today’s news.”
  • No keywords with a quality score of 1 or 2 permitted. Simply check your quality score regularly to make sure non-permitted keywords are paused. An automated rule can also be set up so you don’t have to manually pause the words. An account’s quality score can be found in a column in the Keywords tab. It may not show up by default. If this is the case, it’s easy to add it.
  • Must maintain a 5% click-through rate (CTR) each month. Google has a 7-step list to help guide non-profits through a CTR corrections process. These additional tips for improving CTR may be helpful as well.
  • Must have valid conversion tracking, if applicable. This means that organizations should report at least one conversion per month. The total number of clicks won’t be equal to the total number of conversions.
  • Must have at least 2 ads per ad group. These ads should lead to relevant, meaningful landing pages. Google suggests that the ad rotation is set to “optimize.”
  • Must have at least 2 ad groups per campaign. Keywords should align with associated ads and landing pages. The Search Terms report will help organizations see what word searches resulted in a good CTR.
  • Must have at least 2 sitelink ad extensions. Sitelinks offer more opportunities to click directly from an ad to a landing page on a non-profit’s site.
  • Must respond to program survey.  This one’s easy! An annual program survey is sent to the login email addresses on the Ad Grants account. It needs to be completed with the proper customer ID entered.

Failing to do any of the above may result in account deactivation.

Additional Requirements

All the ads in must link to your non-profit URL. This is the URL that was approved in the earlier application process.

Non-profits need to log into their Google Ads account monthly to stay active and properly manage their ads. Otherwise, Google has the right to pause the account with zero notification.

The promoted advertisements must reflect the non-profit’s mission. Products for sale can be advertised only if 100% of the proceeds go to support the organization.

Big No-Nos

The ads cannot point visitors to pages that send users to other sites. This isn’t time to have sponsored links on a page and send people down an Internet rabbit hole.

It seems obvious, but it should still be stated that financial products like mortgages, loans, or credit cards cannot be advertised.

Organizations are forbidden from asking users for large donations in the form of cars, boats, or property donations. Keywords related to any of these activities are also not allowed.

The website cannot display ads from Google AdSense or other affiliate advertising links while participating in Google Grants.

Any violation of these guidelines means Google can remove the offending account from the grant program. They also reserve the right to supplement or amend the eligibility rules and regulations at any time.

What Else We Should Know?

Non-profit recipients of a Google Grant receive free advertising, as we already know. However, the ads will only be displayed on Google.com. This means no Search Partners and no Display Network ads. Keep in mind that the Grant ads are text only. If you’re interested in having an ad with imagery, graphics, etc., this program will not fulfill that want.   

Ad Grants ads don’t compete with paid Google Search campaigns. The Grant ads appear only on Google’s search results pages, either independently or in positions beneath paid ads.

Each non-profit is in total control of their account, from building to managing the ads. Google will not manage it for anyone, even if an organization wanted them to.

What Are Some Specific Restrictions?

In terms of budgeting, non-profits have a max daily spend of $329 per day. This equates to around $10,000 per month.

For manual bidding, there is a maximum cost-per-click (CPC) limit of $2.00.  Smart Bidding strategies Maximize Conversions, Target ROAS, and Target CPA can bid over $2.00 in an effort to gain more conversions, if appropriate to a non-profit’s account goals. Please note that other Smart Bidding strategies are capped at $2.00 CPC.

One crucial thing to remember? If you don’t use it, you lose it. Eek! Yes, that’s right. If non-profits fail to spend the $10,000 per month, they lose it. It doesn’t roll over to the next month or go to another organization. It’s gone. Use that money wisely, and make sure it doesn’t go to waste. That being said, there is no penalty or requirement for not spending the full $10,000 each month.

Tips and Tricks

All this information might seem overwhelming, especially to non-profits who don’t spend a lot of time on advertising strategies. It may be intimidating to get into the marketing frame of mind. However, it isn’t as intense as it may seem. With some time, research, and practice, non-profit organizations can take the Google Grants world by storm and find success! Here are a few assorted tips and tricks that may be helpful.

  • Set negative keywords to block out irrelevant traffic, but don’t go overboard. Include keywords that relate to looking for non-profit volunteers and non-monetary donations if applicable.
  • Check out query information to see what queries are triggering your ads and to monitor for irrelevant traffic.
  • Think outside of the box when crafting keywords. Select relevant terms and match types, but also brainstorm and try to get more creative than usual. There are probably a lot more keywords associated with your non-profit than you realize at first. Dive deep and take some time to think things through.
  • Remember: the focus of this entire initiative is to drive meaningful outcomes for your non-profit’s mission. It isn’t just about making money. Yes, you want to be successful and raise money for your non-profit. However, it’s also about brand awareness and expressing the organization’s values and mission. There is a value beyond just getting donations.
  • Always keep the best practices in mind. Approach the ad creation the same way you would if you were paying for the service.

This is just an overview of the initiative, so if you want to get more into the nitty-gritty, feel free to explore Google’s resources. 

For more details and specifics on the Ad Grants program, please visit the Ad Grants Help page.

Good luck with your advertising journey! Thanks for stopping by to learn more about the Google Ads Grant program.

Don’t forget that Social Link offers discounted labor rates for qualified non-profit organizations.

Take advantage of our wide range of services if you’re looking to ramp up your advertising efforts, rebrand your website, create killer content, and more!

We cater to all small and medium-sized organizations that need external marketing resources and assets to help grow their business. Our clients come first. Always. We genuinely love what we do, and it’s clearly reflected in everything we do for our customers.

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Why Lead Capture Forms Deliver (Mostly) Poor Results

And How We’ve Cracked the Code in Getting Leads To Fill Them Out

We’ve all been there, once or twice: you’re mindlessly scrolling on your Facebook feed when suddenly an ad pops out at you.

It’s related to that thing you were just looking up (which is obviously a coincidence, right?).

You see the ad and you think: “Oh, man. This actually looks like it could be kind of useful. Eh, what’s the harm in one click, right?”

Click.

Almost instantaneously you’re met with a page that’s as blatant in its purpose as it is offensive to both your eyes and the very concept of tasteful design.

You narrow your eyes in disappointment and maybe even scoff before dragging your cursor up to that little “x” on your tab.

Click.

And just like that: you’ve sworn off engaging with them ever again no matter what they might have to offer.

So how’d we do? Is that in the ballpark?

Sounds about right, doesn’t it?

And, if you’re a business owner reading this blog, there’s just one question for you: are your lead gen forms eliciting a similar reaction?

If so, don’t worry. It’s not your fault.

Crafting a lead gen form that actually compels people to gladly share their information and has a consistent style and voice, all while not coming across as being pushy, is seriously tough.

But why?

Well, part of the issue stems from a fundamental misunderstanding about…

Why People Actually Hate Filling Out Lead Gen Forms

It’s simple, really.

Think about it.

No, seriously – think about clicking on an ad and being redirected to a landing page containing a lead gen form.

Imagine the moment of realization that the lead gen form starts near the top of the page and continues past the bottom of your screen.

Imagine the moment of dread when you realize you’re gonna have to use your scroll wheel to finish filling out this absolute behemoth of a form. 

Imagine the moment of relief you’d have when you clicked that red “x” and saved yourself from having to do all of that work.

That little sequence we just imagined is the exact thought process your customers are having all. the. time

People dislike – no – despise having to interact with lead generation forms because they already have this idea in their head that:

Lead Gen Form = Spending a long time filling it out to give up my information

So, what can you do to dispel this idea? Simple:

Only Ask For Vital Info On Lead Capture Forms

If you’re only really interested in key items like their name and email address, then why does your lead capture form have room for their street address and zip code?

Cut it out.

No. Literally.

Cut that filler out and just stick to the basics.

If you just need their first name, last name, and email, then your lead capture form should only have three fields.

To save even more time, consider harnessing the power of pre-populating data available in so-called “smart forms”.

Smart forms utilize cached data your user has repeatedly shared on similar lead capture forms, thus streamlining the process.

Suddenly, all that time they would have spent typing out their information is reduced to near nothing.

Suddenly, you’ve done the work for them.

Okay, but that still hasn’t exactly solved the issue.

In practice, even after you’ve eliminated the time constraint, there’s still a second stipulation to the equation above:

Lead Gen Form = Giving up my information in exchange for  = …what, exactly?

Consider your current lead capture form:

After a potential client fills out the form…

How Are You Thanking Them For Their Information?

We’ve found that the best lead capture provide tangible appreciation for the time and energy it takes potential clients to share their information with them.

Most often, this is done by offering up incentives for the exchange of information.

Examples of these incentives include eBooks, discounts, or, for truly generous business owners, sometimes even physical gifts.

Of course, some proportion of viewers will always feel hesitant to fill it out your lead capture forms out of fear of one thing, and one thing alone: you might sell their information. 

“But,” you protest “I would never do that! I’m not some kind of mustache-twirling robber baron from the 20’s or something. I’m just trying to grow my business.”

Well, while you might know that you would never do such a thing, how do your viewers know that?

Have you made it a point to tell them, like literally say the words, that the information they give you on your lead gen forms will be kept secure?

If you can’t emphatically reply “Yes!” to the above question, take this as a learning opportunity and make a plan of action.

You don’t have to take up half your lead capture form with bold 72 size font saying “WE PINKY PROMISE THAT WE WON’T SELL YOUR EMAIL”.

A little, easily found and legible disclaimer beneath your call-to-action button stressing your dedication to preserving their privacy will more than assuage their fears.

Speaking of those handy little call-to-action buttons, we thought it’d be worth reminding you that…

Your Call-to-Action Button Is Too Important to Ignore

We know, we know – who could have thought that a little colorful button with barely a few words could matter so much.

Well, it does, and it doesn’t take much thinking to figure out why.

A call-to-action button signifies a few things:

  1. The coveted END of the form, that “huzzah!” moment your leads have after they did all that hard work to fill it out
  1. The barrier between them and their oh-so-deserved prize

When you get down to it, your call-to-action button signals that a transaction (hopefully the first of many) is about to take place between you and the prospective client.

Once they click that button, you’ve just done a sort of business with them – they’re one of your first methods of establishing lasting rapport.

With so much at stake, we’re always so shocked at the amount of poorly placed, poorly written, and just plain bad call-to-action buttons we see on lead gen forms.

What’s surprising, though, is how avoidable having an ineffective call-to-action button really is.

After mulling it over, we realized that many of these buttons would be remarkably better with just a few tweaks.

For your convenience, we’ve boiled those tweaks down to a sort of checklist to use when designing a call-to-action button:

  1. Don’t just put up a rectangle with some words on it. Put up a damn button and make the button look clickable.
  1. Give your CTA button some color contrast. If your background is white, for the love of God don’t make your call-to-action button white.
  1. Use an arrow. A big one. And point to the button.

Seriously.

Remember: You want viewers to take action, so putting an arrow directing them to the button is an easy way to make sure they can’t just blow you off.

  1. Get excited about what you’re offering in exchange for your visitors’ information.

Which would you feel more compelled to click:

A barely noticeable, sort-of-shaded in rectangle with the word “Submit” slapped on the front.

Or

A button that POPS with color emblazoned with the message “Get My Free eBook Today!”

At the end of the day, even with everything else we’ve said, it’s probably just easier to remember that…

Your Goal Should Be To Impress Your Leads

You want your lead capture forms to make a mark on your prospective clients.

You want them to be stunned by the consistency in design and brand found between your lead gen forms and the rest of your advertising.

You want them to be wowed at the valuable, irreplaceable content you reward them with for their time an effort.

You want them to say “Screw the form! How do I keep talking to this company?”

You want a lead capture form designed and implemented by the digital marketing experts at Social Link.

If you want a lead gen form tailor-made to convert first time viewers into paying customers, let’s get in touch.

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Blog Featured News Online Marketing PPC Social Media Social Media Marketing

3 Facebook Advertising Agency Tips

All too often as marketers, we hear clients and potential clients say that Facebook Ads don’t work for their business. Maybe they believe that, in their industry, social media isn’t useful or maybe they’re one of the oldschoolers that thinks that social media marketing is a hoax in general. There are a million different things that we hear, but the truth is, they’re all excuses.

Facebook has billions of users. We’ll say it one more time. Facebook has billions of users. There are that many people using the platform on a daily basis and yet, people still have the audacity to say that reaching their target market on Facebook is an impossibility.

The truth is if you haven’t had success using Facebook ads, then you are not constructing effective ad campaigns.

So how do you create you effective Facebook Ads?

We are glad that you asked. There are three different keys to creating an effective Facebook ad campaign: Killer content, killer copywriting, and accurate audience targeting.

“So where do I start?”

Start with content. What’s the first thing that you notice when you are scrolling your Facebook feed? You notice the content! A well-written article or an inspirational quote doesn’t catch your eye. It’s the shocking video or the stunning photo on your feed that catches your eye and then draws you in towards the rest of the advertisement. Make sure that it is both quality and relevant content. Below are two examples of content. One is quality and one is not. Can you guess which one is which?

Okay, we know it’s pretty obvious. But you get the point. Focus on creating content that is consistent with the quality and the message of your brand.

Next…

Focus on quality copywriting. Too many brands and businesses are allowing copywriting to go by the wayside with the focus becoming much more on content creation. Whatever you do, do not underestimate the power of your copy. In the same way that your content creates a first impression for your brand, so does your copywriting.

There are many different tips and tricks to remember in regards to your copywriting, but the most important thing to remember is to evoke emotion in your audience. Rather than just providing a dull, lazy call to action to try and make a quick sale, try to write from the perspective of your audience. What are their fears? What are their insecurities?

If you were writing a headline for a weight-loss supplement, you could write something like this:

“Try Hydroxycut- the number one weight-loss supplement in the world.”

Why would you ever click on that? You wouldn’t. It evokes no emotion and is clearly just a lazy advertisement.

But, what about something like this?:

“Tired of not being able to fit into your jeans from last summer? Try Hydroxycut- the number one weight-loss supplement in the world.”

That is going to be way more effective, because to someone who struggles with their weight, not fitting into their clothes is a giant insecurity of theirs that they will pay to alleviate.

Last, but not least…

Without the proper audience targeting, all of the work above will be useless.

You can have the greatest content and the most phenomenal copywriting in the industry, but without the proper targeting you’re not going to hit the right audience to sell products or services.

For those of you who are new to audience targeting, follow the steps below to create your ideal audience:

You will first see the audience creation dashboard:

Now it’s time to select a gender- Whatever you do, make sure that the gender you select matches the product or service that you are selling!

How old are the members of your audience?

Location, location, location- This is a part of the audience targeting that we constantly see being screwed up. Too many business owners think that the wider the audience, the better their ad will perform, and that’s simply not the case. If you’re are a roofing company in Arizona, why on Earth would you be targeting the entire United States? Think about who you serve and decide what makes sense for you.

Who is your audience?- If you’re just starting off with Facebook ad campaigns, you’re going to want to use interest-based targeting. Target interests that are related to your business, because these are going to essentially target “warm leads” for your business!

Now, put it all together!

We’ve talked about creating killer content, writing killer copy, and now using accurate audience targeting. It’s important to remember that using just one of these strategies will not produce your most effective ad campaigns. You have to put all of them to use in the same ad campaign, and that is where you are going to see the most significant results in running your Facebook advertising campaigns.

We’d also be happy to talk more with you about how to optimize your current Facebook Ad spend. Just shoot us a note!

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Thank You from a VirtualAF CEO

“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.”

As Social Link grows and drives forward with a beta launch of its first software product since the beginning in 2009, it seems like now is a good time to revisit our vision as Jobs brought to light in this video.

The obvious customer? Our business clients. Without them we would not been able grow and learn how to adapt to a variety of industries in 27 states and four countries. They’ve taught us to be disciplined, remain humble, and keep us sharp. For that we thank you!

The not so obvious customer? Our team. They’ve taught me about loyalty, growth, and unity. Without their support and alignment in Social Link’s vision, none of this would be possible. Thank you (current and past) for being the best VirtualAF team I could ask for. Your dedication and commitment is what gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me up at night.

Social Link is focused on changing the way people work. We look to provide the tools and resources to employees for freedom to do what they love from anywhere there is an internet connection…and to clients for accessibility to their marketing team and business assets whenever needed.

Join us today and try the desktop version of our beta platform at https://app.sociallink.com. Look for it in your mobile app store in just a couple of weeks.

Brady O’Rourke

VirtualAF CEO

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Your Brand’s Many Voices: Adapting Your Brand Message to Various Marketing Channels

Make Your Brand Standout

It’s not exactly news that your website’s users spend more time than ever before on smartphones and tablets, and that companies are responding by investing ever-bigger chunks of their digital marketing budgets on mobile advertising. Bluntly, if you haven’t optimized your company’s website for use across multiple devices—not to mention established that crucial social media presence—by now, you’re behind.

But, when you’re faced with what seems like a blanket imperative to get all your content and every angle of your brand message on every channel that you can, it’s all too easy to forget that each way of reaching your potential customers has its own strengths, weaknesses, and audience. And it’s important to adapt your strategy accordingly. What boosts conversion rates on your tablet website won’t always be the same thing as what makes your Facebook presence tick—and having a unified brand doesn’t mean that you can’t change things up to exploit those differences.

Dig deep into your buyer personas

To understand what makes each of the channels you’re using (Facebook ads, your company’s blog, email blasts, even QR codes if you’re working in a brick-and-mortar context) effective, check in with the buyer personas you’re dealing with: who’s consuming this? Where are they coming from, and what are they looking to get out of it? What’s their demographic, what will put them off your product or service, and what are their unique pain points?

One user might arrive at your company’s website through a Google search for the specific product or service they’re looking for; another might get there through an aimless scroll down a social feed that brought them to your eye-catching video. Understanding who your users are, by using what your analytics can tell you to build a set of detailed buyer personas, can help you produce channel-specific content that’s tailored to the needs of the people most likely to use them.

Remember, too, that your brand’s message can (and should!) be versionalized to fit the distinct personas your campaign is aimed at. If, for instance, you work for a company that makes electric scooters for seniors, your potential customers include both the people who will be using the scooters and at their adult children, who might be scooter-shopping out of concern for a parent’s welfare.

That senior isn’t likely to feel motivated by an ad that depicts them as someone who can’t manage on their own. They might even find it offensive. And likewise, an adult child looking for care solutions isn’t going to be as jazzed about an ad billing scooters as a means to achieving increased independence, as they are about one that presents the same item as a tool for easing an aging parent’s circumstances and giving them some peace of mind.

By applying classic inbound techniques to create highly-targeted content based on buyer personas and specific to the channels users arrive at your site through, your marketing department can make adapting your brand’s message a snap.

Channel Surfing

It’s also important to consider, not just who’s using each channel your organization markets itself through, but what users come to those channels for in the first place. On LinkedIn, which connects businesses with other businesses, the tone skews corporate; your potential customers go there to look for work, professional connections, or content that can make the jobs they already have easier. Facebook works by forming informal social connections—users go there to hear about their friends’ lives, and are looking for more casual, informative content that forges links between businesses and consumers. And Twitter runs on its users’ desires to stay up to date and connect with people and institutions (celebrities, government representatives, and industry trend-makers) that they might not have much contact with in their physical lives.

A good marketing department can retool the messaging your organization uses on each of these channels so that it fits in with their overall function in users’ lives, while maintaining a consistent sense of the brand’s essence.

Make sure you have the basics covered

It seems like a no-brainer, but make sure your website is optimized across all types of devices: desktop and laptop computers, smartphones, and tablets. If your company has its own app, keep that running smoothly.

Same goes for the many types of content that your company provides. Is the type on that blog post too small to read on a smartphone screen? Does the graphic you’ve painstakingly crafted to showcase your brand stubbornly refuse to load in an email? Are you losing traffic by directing users from every channel to the same landing page, which doesn’t necessarily cater to all their needs?

Don’t choose form over function

As important (and exciting!) as it is to put the specialized tools each channel can give you into action, don’t forget that there is a unified plan and message behind all of them. Every channel you operate through should feature inbound marketing at its best. Educate users with valuable content, rather than just pushing a sales pitch!

And, no matter what channel you’re working through, ask yourself: what do users need to be able to do here—place an order? learn something new? get on your mailing list?—and can they accomplish those things easily? Tools like closed-loop analytics, which measure which channels are most effective, which ones influence other channels and how, and which ones aren’t doing your company any favors, can help you figure out what strategies are working to convey your brand’s voice, and what can go the way of the dinosaurs.    

Having trouble getting started adapting your brand’s message to fit the channels it’s coming through? Your virtual marketing department at SocialLink can help.

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Virtual Marketing Departments Are the Future. Here’s Why.

What comes to your mind when someone mentions a market? Of course, you will visualize a place where suppliers have brought their wares for sale and consumers flock to pick and buy what they need. That is as far as a non-specialist would go. From a professional marketing perspective, the marketplace involves more than buying and selling. A marketer should not only know their product and target consumers but also be able to outsmart the competition. Marketers of the future must be well conversant with emerging trends, changing cultures, working without barriers and this is the point where virtual marketing enters the foray.

Why are these departments the future of advertising? Below are the specifics.

Independent thinkers not constrained by space

People who work independent of in-house marketing departments have better thinking and problem-solving ability. Their exposure to working with different clients helps them develop an unusual understanding of concepts. Working from a remote location enables you to use your mind without barriers or constraints. You do not get stuck in a cubicle sitting and waiting for instructions. Besides, sitting in surroundings that inspire creativity yields more fruits than one would ordinarily expect when working from an office. Virtual marketing departments helps a professional touch base with marketplaces and interact with technology that makes it happen.

Fearless and open-minded risk takers

Established companies are now adopting the approach of harboring virtual marketing departments where no employee needs to come to the office. Remotely working people are productive since:

  • They have more exposure than their indoor peers
  • They can take risks without fear
  • Work in a stress-free environment
  • They are an open-minded lot

Look at in-house marketers, do they have time for learning about the latest brand promotion, content curation, SEO or social media interaction? You bet they do not. How can they when there are mountains of daily tasks that leave them with little room to evolve, change and grow?

Massive investment in trending and current tools

On the contrary, virtual marketing deparments allows agencies the opportunity to invest their time and monetary resources in learning about trends, technologies and existing options. They have endless learning opportunities and do not charge you anything extra for this. Recall that at the onset, we mentioned something to do with working remotely. Not having a physical office helps channel the resultant savings to clients.

No fretting over marketers’ salaries and benefits

Looking at marketing from a cost perspective, marketing professionals do not come cheap. If you decide to hire a fully-fledged team here’s a sneak peek of what you might need:

  • Web designer
  • SEO marketer
  • Graphic designer
  • Marketing manager
  • Social media manager
  • Content writer

If you decide to pay these professionals a salary, you cough up to between $300,000 and $400,000 a year. Mark you, these are only the basic emoluments. There are other staffing costs such as training, paid vacation and health care. Hey, do not forget days where you lose productivity when employees call in sick and those that go on maternal leave. Virtual marketing department professionals do not cost this much. Instead, an agency will negotiate a retainer or stick with agency commission.

Tapping into the hitherto discovered internet potential

Much of brand promotion these days takes place online; that is an undeniable fact. Here then comes the problem; the internet is home to billions of websites and a similar number of information-hungry consumers. How do you draw their attention? Some of the tactics you need include:

  • Newsletters
  • Posting key-word optimized blogs
  • Banner Ads
  • Running online events to gauge customer interest
  • Creating content that links your URL
  • Converting leads to sales

The result is that you not only get traffic but you also need to use it valuably and quickly. In-house marketers may find it overwhelming since they must keep shunting from strategy to monitoring and evaluation. However, leave this task to a virtual team, and you will be surprised at the results.

Virtual marketers as a one-stop shop

For any campaign to succeed, you cannot separate marketing and strategy. A virtual marketing department offers you:

  1. Top-notch Communication

If you want to grow your customer base and increase sales, you must keep differentiating your value. Sadly, if customers are unaware of the added benefit, they remain adamant. Assume that you are in the soft drinks industry and would like to offer your product in a slightly higher quantity but at the same price. Your target consumers need to know this, and it can only come from a carefully executed strategy.

  1. Analysis of the market

To understand your market, you must go out of your way and conduct market research. Part of it involves interviews, questionnaires and brand activations. If done intensely, the feedback helps in understanding what customers want. Moreover, you can use this information in tailoring your strategy in future.

  1. Development of advertising tools

One of the principles of marketing is to keep bombarding your prospects with brand images and information. You could use print or TV ads, digital signage, billboards and online banners. As the people on the ground, virtual marketing departments help you create content that targets your niche or audience explicitly.

  1. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Building a website is a step in the right direction. However, you should not sit comfortably thinking that you have now hit a goldmine. The site needs optimizing, i.e. getting the consumer to find it in an online search. Marketing professionals use different approaches for this, but the most basic is by use of keywords.

  1. Management of advertising budgets

Usually, businesses set aside enormous budgets for marketing purposes. Unfortunately, much of this ends up getting wasted owing to poor strategy, using unnecessary media and targeting the wrong people. However, virtual marketing departments help cut you the slack by devising well-researched and meaningful advertisement. You may have good ideas but fail to capture the right channels. Part of the dilemma could be:

  • How do you get your ad to run on TV?
  • Must the advertisement be on TV, why not radio?
  • Is internet a better option than other channels?
  • Would a billboard do any better?

To answer these questions, professional marketers have in their stable media managers, planners, executives and buyers. Since they engage with media platform owners on a day-to-day basis, they can expertly identify what serves you best. Besides, you stand to benefit from discounted rates and well-placed ads where target audiences will see them. Such an approach saves you money and yields better returns on investment.

Independent contractors, reduced operating costs

With a virtual marketing agency running your advertisement needs, you save a great deal of business operating costs. First, there are no full-time employees to keep in mind. Second, you do not have to worry about salaries, medical care and other benefits. Running an advertising campaign involves other costs like the use of graphic design software, shooting a TV commercial, photography and so on. Marketing agencies either have these resources or know where to find them cost-effectively. Since they engage these services on a large-scale basis, you do not spend much money as compared to what you could have paid if you went out solo.

Wrap-up

The fact that virtual marketing departments are the future of advertising is not in dispute. Remotely working marketers are free-minded people who are not held back by rigid rules in an organization. They are free to brainstorm and try different things before finding out what works. At the same time, they are not afraid of taking risks. You have nothing to lose here since you are a recipient of the final product.

The future of marketing belongs to those entrepreneurs that have invested in the right tools that have kept up with the present times. Moreover, rental office space can be costly and inconvenient. Virtual marketers are flexible enough and can work from anywhere if they have laptops and fast internet connectivity.

Regarding remuneration, marketers command high rates. Hiring your in-house team is costly and could pose an organizational challenge. However, with an independent group for your assistance, it is none of your business how they manage their affairs. All you care about is that they deliver on the agreed objectives.

The internet remains mostly untapped. From where you sit as a business owner, there are areas you have never ventured into and perhaps, never will. A virtual marketing department brings together talented individuals who are at the top of their game. Each one is a specialist in SEO, social media, graphic design, ad placement, analytics and so on.

Besides, these professionals are like a one-stop shop where you get everything you need under one roof. Once you hire them, you not only enjoy economies of scale but also stand to benefit from a wealth of experience in a cost affordable way.

You can, therefore, see why virtual marketing departments are the future. Advertising is dynamic such that what works today may not be viable tomorrow. You need people that keep adapting to change and innovation. Of primary concern is getting value for money without spending more than you had initially budgeted.

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Do our devices show mobile ads based on our conversations?

Does Social Advertising Pop Up After A Conversation? Here’s Why.

Have you ever experienced a case where you talk about a certain product and the next thing you see online is an advert for the exact product? Many people have. The advancement in technology has brought diverse approaches to marketing. Targeted and user-generated advertising is one of such approaches although it has been around for a while. There are a lot of concerns that people should be careful with whatever they do online including signing the “Never-ending Terms and Conditions” which in most of the cases, nobody reads fully, and only rushes to click the “Accept” button. This article covers a comprehensive discussion on how social ads pop after people’s conversion, as well as the reason for such occurrences.

Digital marketing has brought new marketing approaches

It is an undeniable fact that the digital age is the cause of the new changes experienced in the way business market their services and products. A lot of advancement is notable in the manner in which advertising is carried out nowadays. Nevertheless, it is no doubt that online advertisements and the general approach to marketing have become so specific in comparison to the usual ads that you are used to seeing, which apparently, depending on your Google searches. There are many advertisements, which you will come across that have a close relation to the things that you have not searched online, any other time, but most likely, things you have had a conversation about. Such cases are common among users of the common social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The only natural question when one sees adverts on things they have been talking about on phone is whether social media platforms are listening to their conversations.

Is social media targeted advertising based on our conversations?

With the seemingly endless social media platforms as well as the available customization options, the social advertisement is becoming a common way for brands to create awareness of their products and services. Such advertising approach is incredible profitable but requires the input of social media marketing experts to bring out the necessary aspects of social media ads for it to make the necessary impact as far as achieving the goals and objectives of a business is concerned. Nevertheless, the concerns about targeted advertising are becoming common. Why do the ads pop up after a conversation about the given product or service? Probably, there are several reasons to account for such events but the most plausible ones are two –one, the possibility that companies are eavesdropping on conversations that people make through mobile microphones, or two, there are sophisticated algorithms in use.

Do you think about the information you leave online?

The online space is full of all sorts of people and machines. Some machines are data-hungry and in spite of this, we keep feeding them with sensitive information without being cautious of what happens when we are logged out of the online platforms. Some of the machines have tracking capability and troll on you and the information you feed them. The increased use of tracking applications such as the GPS and other apps is to blame for some of these leakages. Did you know that your phone could keep a track of your location and conversation details? The information that you manually input on the devices you use everyday can be a significant way to which companies can track what you really need next. The devices we use every day know much about our daily patterns.

For the past years, there have been cases of reports on social media platforms being suspect to spy and listen to people’s conversations via microphones installed on mobile phones. While such actions are at times done for good reasons, the challenge comes in when we do not know the percentage of such information shared with the world. Specifically, how do these companies learn about our conversations?

  • They obtain information through our phone’s microphones

The first assumption is that the companies sending out targeted ads learn of our conversations is that they are listening to people’s conversations through the phone’s microphones. In spite of this, Facebook and Google have, in the past rejected the clams that they use our phone’s microphones to listen to our conversations and later created targeted ads. Nevertheless, the rejection of such claims is not an assurance that it does not happen. According to a report by Terra Ferma Media, Google listens and records all the conversations for people with android phones. Perhaps, the same is happening to Apple users. In 2016, Facebook issued a statement to deny the allegations that it does not listen to people’s conversations to create newsfeed or targeted ads. Considering the fact that Google owns Google Maps and YouTube, while Facebook owns Instagram and WhatsApp, it is no doubt that these two companies have many details about the users of any of these social media platforms. If need be, they can use such information for their own benefit.

  • The use of clever algorithms

All social media platforms are based on algorithms. For example, Twitter is known to run on a fast algorithm, which shows trending issues depending on several rules such as the number of people engaging the conversations about certain topics. The same concept of the algorithm might be in play in the other social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, etc. Have you seen a case where Facebook classifies your friends depending on how close they are? In such a case, it bases such categorization on the interactions you have with your friends on Facebook. Perhaps, you have a close way of thinking with your friends, which implies that you and your friends will tend to have interest in similar topics, events, etc. The assumption here is that, whatever topics your friends are hiding, liking, reading, or searching, and making follow ups, could be of similar interests to you, and hence Facebook and other related social media will show you such ads related to your close friends’ searches. This is how clear social targeted advertising works.

On the other hand, it is not possible to overlook the wealth of information companies advertising through social media have regarding their target audience. With such information, it is possible for these companies to do selective adverts depending on people’s interests, their gender, location, etc. Undoubtedly, such are the approaches that companies are using to make targeted advertisement on social media platforms.

  • Cookies and remarketing

Even though, there is no doubt about that targeted advertising on social media is a product of either company eavesdropping on conversations, or the use of cleaver algorithms, it is important to be aware of how cookies and remarketing works. A cookie describes a small code that any website you visit asks you to leave and leaks information to the owner of the website on the pages that you visit. For example, if you are a constant user of Amazon, you will notice that some products you clicked will start being advertised on your social media platforms. The cookie application reminds the website the products that you were searching and hence, you are shown them regularly. As such, the combination of the use of cookies and remarketing can be considered an effective way why you see products on social media sites that you might have searched for them elsewhere such as on Amazon. Irrespective of the time you searched for a given product on Amazon, it will at one time advertise that product and similar others to you in your lifetime.

So, what conclusion can we have? Google and Facebook, the two internet giants have denied their involvement in social media targeted adverts, but it is still hard to believe it. On the part of the use of a clever algorithm, there are a few aspects that make the highest contribution. First, there is a possibility that the sophisticated algorithms that the majority of the social media companies use can collect data from people’s close groups and use it to predict one’s preference. Secondly, companies that advertise on social media platforms have a wealth of data on social media users, enough to make targeted advertisements based on certain characteristics. Thirdly, it is likely that social media platforms store data regarding the habits of the users and use it to make customized adverts. Despite the fact that it might be hard to come to a comprehensive answer about why social media ads pop after conversations, it suffices that the combination of the above three factors plays a significant role in targeted social ads. While, Google and Facebook might have denied their involvement in listening to our conversations, it is not like they would shout that they are really doing it to make their advertisement. So what can we do? We are not going to stop talking or avoid searching information and products online but be cautious. After all, there is no harm in getting targeted ads. The only harm is the thought of your information being used in the wrong way. It is important, though, to be careful about the sites you leave your sensitive data with.

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8 Reasons To Hire A Virtual Marketing Agency

Running business operations requires much effort and time. It could leave you exhausted and at times, you end up with little or no enthusiasm. To avoid burning out just when you badly need results, you need to outsource some of the critical functions. Presently, everyone has embraced digital technology, and if your entity is not in line, you may end up lagging behind in your line of business. However, computer-driven media does not necessarily mean ditching the old platforms such as print media. Nonetheless, marketing can take many forms, but it is the digital ones that have a high potential for results.

How virtual agencies work

As the name suggests, virtual marketing agencies do not operate from a brick and mortar office. Every professional hired by the entity works remotely, but they are all interconnected online. If one has got internet linked via back office software, the workflow does not get interrupted. However, from time to time, the team needs to, and they do indeed meet up to map out their clients’ strategies. Their meeting place can be anywhere from your boardroom to a coffee break at an eatery.

Remain relevant

Whether you have any marketing background or not, you don’t need to be told that you must carry out intensive industry research. Launching a campaign of any magnitude without studying consumer behavior can have a severe backlash. You must understand the industry. Take for instance the print magazine that people used to love. Most of them have now stopped publishing hard copies and have moved their publications online. If you are in this sector, it would be detrimental to continue churning out volumes of papers and taking them to newsstands. Few people will buy them, but there are millions of readers online. Marketing agencies know about these developments and can guide you on the right strategies to adopt.

Does this leave you feeling scared of losing out in the competition? If so, there are compelling reasons for you to hire a virtual marketing agency.

 

You tap into the endless creativity

Virtual marketers can be a weird lot. If you have never met them, you should walk into their offices one day. They are the type of guys that come to work dressed in rugged jeans and t-shirts. You hardly see creatives adorning in suits and ties. However, you should not mistake this for a fun club since these are some of the most talented people you could ever meet. Their diversity regarding education and work experience makes them the go-to persons. Furthermore, their technological know-how and innovation in solving problems are second to none. Their teams come fully equipped with:

  • Creative directors
  • Skilled graphic designers
  • Copywriters
  • Media buyers
  • Media planners
  • Office assistants

 

Competitor evaluation

Virtual marketing agencies have an in-depth knowledge of the market where businesses operate. They know the approaches that work as well as those that do not. Following an intensive interaction with different clients, they can quickly adopt strategies that can easily turn around your fortunes. Take for instance campaigns that target millennials. Placing print ads for such a group might result in their getting ignored. However, buying media on online social platforms will get the attention of these youngsters. Only an outsourced agency can evaluate and know this. The marketers will:

  • Help identify where your target audience hangs out
  • Determine the most appealing content
  • Streamline your campaigns on social media
  • They research on keywords, analytics and search management

 

No staffing headaches

To succeed in your marketing efforts, you must be consistent. An employee who suddenly falls ill when you are running a crucial campaign can ruin everything. That person who takes leave of absence for unavoidable circumstances could be the best that you have. For example, he or she might be the only one who understands how to curate content and optimize blogs. Besides, the timing of their leave could coincide with an important festive season when you had hoped to cash in on consumer spending. With a marketing agency, such worries do not exist.

  • No need to carry out recruitment, the agency hires its team
  • Agencies have their way of dealing with staffing issues
  • If one of their employees falls sick or goes on leave, that becomes none of your concerns
  • With a virtual agency by your side, none of the matters affecting employees can bring your campaigns to a halt. You expect them to deliver come rain or shine

 

Data analysis, monitoring and research

Following the emergence of internet platforms, there is a high potential for gathering data and analyzing it to your advantage. An in-house team may not be of much help here. However, digital marketing agencies go out of their way to study and gather market information. They finance or procure data on consumer behavior. Out of the results, they identify trends that help in understanding why people opt for product B as compared to C or the other way around. With such feedback, virtual marketing agencies, can restructure your web content and ensure that prospective clients visit and engage your company by buying your product or service.

  • All you need is develop key performance indicators and share them with the marketers
  • They then figure out performance against your measures
  • Agencies identify metrics that they can monitor in different channels
  • They provide you with reports on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis

 

No training needed

Agencies come fully equipped with a team of content writers, web developers, marketers, media monitors, graphic designers, SEO professionals, you name it. If you were to hire all these yourself, it could end up being a huge gamble or counterproductive. Moreover, such people may take time to fit into your organization’s culture. This is not the case with an outsourced marketing agency. They come fully loaded with a skilled team that is passionate about what they do. You do not need to take them for seminars or hire people to train them. On the contrary, they are always ready and raring to go; all you need is to give them a little shove by way of a briefing.

  • You save money that could have gone to staff training
  • The company saves time that could have gone towards arranging for seminars
  • There is no need to invest in software

 

The aspect of an outside perspective

Employees working inside an organization may not have a wide knowledge of what goes on outside. On the other hand, someone could be having brilliant ideas but holds them for fear of making his or her bosses look bad. Marketing agencies consist of people who brainstorm consistently and come up with solutions on how best to achieve results. They approach your problems from the outside view; a consumer’s eye. It might be difficult for you to ‘step out’ of your organization for a while and look at it from the other side. Virtual marketers are your best bet.

  • You eliminate bias and promote out-of-the-box thinking
  • People no longer remain frozen in the notion that they can keep doing things the same way as before
  • An outsider sees things differently since they do not know you or any of your employees

 

Helps you focus your energy where needed

Running successful online marketing campaigns requires hiring an experienced and deeply motivated team. Plus, you need to re-focus your attention towards ensuring that the new hires understand what you do on a day-to-day basis. All this takes time and you could spend much money on in-house training. Your efforts could result in strained resources and reduced profits. Why not let a virtual agency take the burden? The resources you could have spent can go a long way towards growing other aspects of your business. With an outsourced marketer, you only must appraise them on your needs, objectives and timelines. You need not train or manage anyone.

  • Running a business requires your commitment, time, and energy
  • Agencies have all the time to run marketing aspects on your behalf since that is their area of specialization.
  • They take time to understand your business and deploy measures for the right marketing tactics

 

Reduces costs significantly

When faced with the prospect of outsourcing or grooming an in-house team, many organizations make comparisons and opt for the latter. However, you eventually realize that a virtual agency is less costly. Do you know why? Part of the reason is that these agencies do not have physical offices. Their employees work from home most of the time. They can even meet at a coffee house and develop a strategy in no time. As a result, they charge you a retainer or commission that is much lower than what you would have paid your internal team. Another cost aspect is that you need not subscribe to marketing tools available online. Most agencies already have them.

  • Virtual agents do not have to work from an office
  • They pay no rent for use of premises
  • No need for them to buy furniture or office equipment
  • Every team member works from the comfort of their home or wherever they feel most productive
  • Part of their cost comes from internet subscriptions or online coordination tools
  • They pass these benefits over to their clients through reduced fees

 

In a nutshell

Many companies prefer to hire in-house marketers, and with good reasons. Part of this stems from the fact that insiders know the brand better than others. Besides, they live, breath and eat the organization’s culture which makes it hard for outsiders to match these aspects. However, having an external point of view helps expand your vision. The level of expertise found in virtual marketers is unmatchable. These are people drawn from the best pool of professionals in the industry. They bring with them unrestricted passion and the desire for results.

At the same time, outsourced agencies are more in touch with reality. They view your business from an outsider’s point of view and with no bias. Ordinarily, your in-house team may feel constrained by the fear of making you feel disappointed. Also, every so often, an employee will fall sick or take leave, and you cannot deny them this. It will be a massive setback if the person who goes away is the one you highly depend on to drive the advertising strategy.

Agencies have their unique way of procuring data from their peers or carrying out their research. They use an array of tools that would be expensive if you were doing it alone. Fortunately, they can leverage this by offering you up to date statistics that are measured and found to work. Hiring your team also means that you must take them through training and induction. Virtual marketers need none of this as they come fully equipped and only need a briefing on your expectations.

Running a business requires focus with no room for distraction. In-house marketers can divert your attention, and by the time you come around, you will have lost much ground to competitors. Agencies take and bear the burden for you. Someone else receives the beating and fights to get you ahead. In the meantime, you are more than happy to concentrate on your area of specialization. You only begin to see results trickling in as if by magic.

Every organization worries about cost minimization versus revenue maximization. Here, a virtual marketing agency is your best bet. Outsourcing your marketing work can significantly reduce your running costs. Since these professionals save money by way of not having a physical office, they pass these benefits to your company.

Lastly, by their position in the market, virtual agencies are more in touch with reality than you. They keep up with the current trends and are also on the lookout for emerging ones. Reputable agencies will tell you what strategies can work well in the present. They bring new perspectives into things you were doing before but yielding little or no results. They can determine where to find your audience and target it correctly. In the end, your brand remains relevant.

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Nashville HubSpot Partners: Hire A Virtual Inbound Marketing Agency

As technology changes, so does the efficiency in the approach that many businesses use to attract and engage with their clients. In the past, the only way to attract as well as engage with customers was using sign hanged in strategic places where passers-by would see it. If one customer was satisfied with the results and services, they would recommend their friends and family members, and that is how businesses survived before the technology era. However, a lot has changed following the introduction of the digital era; nowadays, a sign in front of your office or store is not going to attract customers to you. Your online presence can play a significant role in breaking or making your business.

With better inbound marketing strategies, you can grow your online presence tremendously. What is inbound marketing? Inbound is the practice of using social media, SEO, events, blogs, and content marketing among others to pull marketing, create awareness of  a certain brand, as well as attract new clients. It differs from outbound marketing in that in the case of outbound marketing, the marketers are the one who looks for new business, while in inbound marketing customers are attracted to your business by having solutions to the problems they are experiencing. Nowadays, inbound marketing has become a significant aspect of any business’s success, which makes hiring a virtual inbound marketing agency an important decision for any organization –small or large.

Factors to consider when hiring a HubSpot partner agency

During the initial periods following the launch of the HubSpot partner program, finding a partner agency with the necessary qualification was challenging for customers. The fact that the number of certified partner agencies was low implies that there were only a few options to way when choosing which agency to hire. Things have changed as there are numerous agencies to choose who have diverse qualifications. Nevertheless, such a change has seen the growth of the partnership program including the incorporation of great inbound marketing agencies which bring in the need to be more considerate when choosing the agency to hire.

Here are a few factors to consider when hiring a Hubspot partner:

HubSpot and Inbound Expertise: Does the agency have any certifications from HubSpot? Agencies certified by HubSpot have the appropriate level of training to assure you exceptional inbound marketing services. Are there any accomplishments the agency has as a partner of HubSpot? In addition, how can you rate their inbound marketing knowledge? The best agency to hire for inbound marketing should have a full commitment to inbound as the core focus of their services.

Capabilities: One of the first things that you should consider when considering the services of an inbound marketing agency is your goals and objectives. The capability of the agency to achieve your marketing goals and objectives is what should drive your decision to hire any agency. What is the agency able to achieve? Depending on your marketing needs, you can consider an agency specializing in planning and research, SEO analysis and execution, ability to plan and develop content, designing and developing websites, etc.

The team: It is important that you have clear information about the team you will be working with after you hire any agency. Meeting the team beforehand gives you the option of evaluating their suitability for your needs. Do they have the necessary experience and expertise –how are their resumes? It is advisable that you evaluate the experience and skills of the individuals prior to engaging any agency since to avoid tasking the wrong team.

Agency’s business processes: Each inbound marketing agency seems to have diverse approaches to marketing. In most of the cases, marketing agencies work hard to improve their processes to ensure efficiency in serving their customers. Nevertheless, not every business process you will be introduced to has gone through the necessary vetting. As such, it is important to interrogate the agency’s processes to be sure that they have the ability to support the services you are looking for. The best agency for your needs should have the ability and experience dealing with clients with needs like yours.

Relevant success: The best way to evaluate an agency’s capability is to review their past work –does it have a track record of success? Look at any case studies the agency has and review whether the services they offered and the results align with what you want. Do not be convinced by just looking at one case study –you need a lot from a marketing agency and their ability to deliver should be reflected in their success stories.

Technologies and tools: The tools and technologies that any marketing agency uses are an important factor to consider when choosing the suitability of an agency for your needs. You need to evaluate such tools against their ability to help you achieve your marketing goals and objectives. For example, an agency that uses the HubSpot software stands a better chance to provide inbound marketing services in comparison to another that does not. The reason for this is that HubSpot integrates different marketing tools for effective management of all online marketing campaigns.

Benefits of hiring Hubspot certified virtual inbound marketing agency

Now that you have a glimpse of what it takes to hire the best inbound marketing agency, what benefits should you expect from a HubSpot certified virtual inbound marketing agency?

Cost savings: Maintaining an in-house team of employees is expensive. You have a lot of overhead costs to take care of, as opposed to engaging a virtual marketing agency.

Diversity of expertise: A virtual inbound marketing agency brings in a team of experts in different aspects of marketing. Such diversity is an added advantage when it comes to the management of different marketing tasks such as social media, SEO, blogging, web design, etc,.

Cutting edge technologies and tools: HubSpot is an integrated software that offers different tools and applications for the management of diverse marketing campaigns and needs.

Inbound marketing has become a relevant marketing strategy in the phase of the increasing competition. It helps businesses create content that aims at solving certain problems faced by customers. If done appropriately, inbound marketing stands a better chance of improving businesses’ ROI. Hiring a Nashville HubSpot certified partner gives you a better platform to boost your sales. However, it is important to take time to review and evaluate the available agencies before hiring any.

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Virtual Marketing Agency: Get The Talent – Not The Price Tag

Whether you are operating as an individual, or a company, one of the important goals you might have is to get clients worthy of your time and service. As such, sitting in your office or any other workstation and doing nothing will not guarantee you such clients –you need to look for the right clients. Effective marketing requires the input of different marketing strategies tied to the objectives of the given company. While the best strategies are costly, it is a relief to most companies since they are assured of better services and the achievement of their set goals. Virtual marketing departments has become a significant way through which companies and individuals spread awareness about their products and services to the right audience. It is essential to get the best virtual marketing agency for your business. Effective marketing will ensure your clients get your services, increase your sales and also ensure you have a high return on investment. This article provides an in-depth review of the importance of focusing on talent, and not the price, when hiring virtual marketing agencies.

Hiring a talented virtual marketer is beneficial for any organization

The advancement in technology, despite having brought better approaches in marketing, has created avenues for competition. While competition is healthy for any business, it is important to put a lot of emphasis on the type of marketing experts they will engage. Virtual marketing relies heavily on talent and expertise to get the required results in an organization. Apart from its flexibility, virtual marketing has several other benefits including low overhead since the virtual agency will not ask for a physical office in your organization. With or without an office room, what matters most for any marketing agency is service delivery. Helping clients grow their businesses and make more sales is the goal of every marketing agency.

Get the Talent – Not The Price Tag

Many factors influence any company’s decision when hiring a virtual marketing agency. One of such factors is the budget. Different marketing agencies have a variety of charges for their services –some are high, others are low. Often, the expertise and level of talent of the marketers determine how much the agency charges for services. Usually, everybody would be willing to get the best deal, which literally translates to low charges. It is not possible to pay low for high quality work –normally the quality of work to expect determines the cost. Companies that charge a high price give you the assurance that their services are top notch and will guarantee you the attainment of the set goals and objectives. If a company charges low on their marketing services, it should sound as a warning that you should expect to get low quality services as well. The implication is that the quality of services to expect and the price tag have a direct proportionality relation. The higher the price tag, the higher the quality of service. As such, it is important to focus majorly on getting a virtual marketing agency that can guarantee you high quality work at whatever cost. After all, cheap is expensive. Getting your projects done shoddily just because it is cheap can have you pay dearly.

What are the benefits of hiring a talented virtual marketing agency?

Talent is an important factor to consider when hiring any virtual marketing agency. What capacities does the agency have to warrant their success in handling different clients’ work? You can get numerous benefits from hiring a virtual marketing agency on the basis of the talent as opposed to the price tag. Here are some of those benefits:

You get the agency that your company needs: did you know there is that company or individual that you need to engage but won’t have them on board if your focus is the price tag? If you overlook the cost, you are assured to hire a marketing agency that has the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet your specific needs and goals of the organization.

You are assured of significant growth in your business: What is the benefit of saving on the price of hiring an experienced marketer only to stagnate in your business? You need an agency that has the right skills to guarantee you the necessary growth.

Benefit from a plethora of talents: marketing agencies comprise of different people with diverse talents and capabilities. It is essential to consider the expertise that virtual marketing agencies will bring to your business to steer it towards the right direction as far as getting clients is concerned. Usually, a large number of virtual marketing agencies combine a variety of marketing approaches like content marketing to achieve your goals and objectives. Content marketing is an excellent marketing strategy for every marketing agency. Optimizing your services for high ranking in the search engines is essential for growing your business.

Talent enhances client acquisition: The goal of every businessperson is to satisfy clients as they offer them excellent services that help them build their business. Would you care about the price you would have to pay to grow and significantly increase your returns? You will probably not. Hiring virtual marketing agencies that have great talent will help you acquire quality leads for your business.

High return on investment: Getting the right kind of virtual agency to market your brand can result in a high return on investment. However, such agencies will have a higher price tag on their services due to the quality of services they will deliver. Nevertheless, when the quality is high, you can rest assured of a higher ROI.

Conclusion

It is an undeniable fact that virtual marketing is driving businesses’ success. While every business individual hopes to get the best from any marketing agency, it is important to note that such services depend on efficient combination of talent and cost. If you are looking for the best services, it is important to focus on the expertise of the marketing expert you are engaging as opposed to how much they are charging. Invest heavily on the talent and you will be assured of better marketing results.

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What High-Converting Landing Pages Get Right

Flat line vector design illustration concept of house and home remodel process, repair service, building, painting, renovation, construction for website banner and landing page header, infographics

Let’s say you’ve been assigned to build your company’s website—and you’ve definitely done your homework. You’re targeting potential customers through paid search and social ads, narrowing your audience by age, interests, and location. You’ve made sure your site is optimized for mobile and designed for hassle-free lead capture. Best of all, you’re offering customers ways to spend more time on your site—videos, infographics, and other shareable content.

And people are showing up. But they’re not doing much else.

What are you missing out on… and what are high-converting sites getting right?

Make a Compelling Offer

This is speed-dating: you have at most eight seconds before most of your customers will click away. High-converting sites put their most compelling offer right at the top. Know what makes you special. You may think that Uber has a pretty persuasive message for drivers—”Work that puts you first. Drive when you want, earn what you need”—but then consider Lyft’s response: “Get a $1250 bonus.”

What’s the difference? Uber’s offer is difficult to define (just how much do you need?). Lyft isn’t asking prospective drivers to define anything: it’s telling you exactly how to pocket a $1250 bonus.

What’s It To You?

Relevance is everything. One of a landing page’s most important tasks is to get visitors to imagine how the product applies to them. Rather than simply telling users what the product can do for them, get them to imagine what they can do with the product.

When Nest decided to launch a video doorbell, they could have taken the conventional route and simply describe its features (“you can see who’s ringing”) or its benefits (“keep your home and family safe.”). Instead, they delivered a video-enabled page that showed all of the various people who might be ringing—pizza delivery, annoying neighbors, kids playing ring-and-run. It’s fun, it’s clever, but most of all it gets the visitor imagining all the ways they can create a space for that product in their future.

Feel Their Pain

“Life is pain, Highness,” goes the line from The Princess Bride. “Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.” No offense to the Dread Pirate Roberts, but pain points happen to be a critical tool for conversion. Robert Cialdini’s landmark book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion describes an experiment where participants were given one of two messages. One group was told, “If you insulate your home fully, you’ll save 50 cents every day.” The other was told, “If you don’t insulate your home fully, you’ll lose 50 cents every day.” As it happened, the group receiving the “loss language” version was 150% more likely to insulate their homes.

Let Customers Take the Wheel

If a customer’s taken the trouble to click through to your site, chances are they know what they want and they’re looking to see if you can give it to them. Or, if they don’t know what they want, they’re hoping you’ll help them figure it out. Either way, don’t assume that the visitor is asking you to take over. Smart marketers know that the customer is always in control of the conversation—because if they don’t like what they’re seeing, they will simply click away.

How many times have you gotten two paragraphs into an interesting article, only to have it disappear behind an interstitial pop-up form? Is your first thought, “Wow. That totally interrupted what I was looking for. I guess I’d better sign up for that newsletter?” Or is it, “Get me out of here now?”

Customers need to know they’re in charge of their own screen. Sign-up forms should never take away the user’s control of the experience. By contrast, chat options at the bottom of the page are 31% more likely to get a positive response.

Above all, customers like to feel like they’re taking action. A button labeled “Compare rate plans” sounds like homework. “Choose your plan” is a decision—and people like to feel decisive.

A Work In Progress

Your landing page is never really done. Smart marketers A/B test their headlines, images, options, and body copy. Above all, they’re guided by the metrics. What customers say is often inconclusive, but there’s no way to misinterpret what they do. Knowing why they stay or leave is the key to keeping them where you live.

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Overwhelmed by the idea of overhauling your landing page? Let our Social Link virtual marketing team build pages that convert.

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Nashville-America’s Next Creative Boomtown

Nashville: America’s Next Creative Boomtown

When you work remotely, you can work anywhere that suits you… and one city that suits us fine is Nashville, Tennessee, where Social Link Marketing keeps watch on our teams, strategy, and accounts. You know it as the home of hot chicken, hot records, and hot summers. But it’s also one of the nation’s hottest opportunities for creative capital and tech investment. It’s not just that we like the music (okay, we love the music). We happen to think that Nashville’s seriously happening. Here’s a few reasons to come visit us and see why.

100 People a Day Can’t Be Wrong

Nashville metro saw a 36,667 population increase in 2016. We’re talking net gain. That puts the Music City’s 2% annual growth in the same league as Charlotte (2%), Denver (1.6%), and Atlanta (1.6%).

Investors Love Us

According to CityLab, Nashville ranked No. 22 in the nation for venture capital deals in 2017 and made No. 7 on the Milken Institute’s list for growth in employment opportunities, wages, and technology. Three startup accelerators make their home here. Considering that the rent in San Francisco is 150% higher, we think Nashville’s a better bet for businesses looking to expand.

Smart and Diverse

Forbes ranked Nashville No. 3 in its review of “The Next Biggest Boom Towns in The U.S.” on a number of factors: low housing prices, pro-business environment, rapid growth in educated migrants, and an increasingly diverse population. All of this is great news for tech industries.

Creative Communities

Tech is coming to Nashville, but the creatives were always here. Put them together and we’ll make some magic. Nashville is home to art, theatre, high-fashion design, artisanal food, handcrafted musical instruments, and a thriving community outreach. We know this for a fact—we’ve helped a lot of these businesses build sales close to home and far away.

It’s Sacred Ground

We’re not just talking about the Parthenon replica in Centennial Park, although that’s pretty awesome. The Ryman Auditorium (the “Mother Church” of country music), RCA’s historic Studio B, The Bluebird Cafe, and international songwriting festivals make Nashville a music lover’s Holy Land.

We’ll Feed You

Our food events are more fun (Hot Chicken Festival, anyone?), east side restaurants are taking off, we’re home to multiple craft breweries, and we’ll stake our food trucks against Austin’s any day. And speaking of those guys…

The Next What?

We love Austin, too—but can they claim the best bathroom in America or a forty-foot statue of Athena? Not to mention that WalletHub named us No. 1 for women-owned businesses (Austin’s hating life at No. 72). Maybe that does make Nashville the next Austin… we prefer to think of Austin as the previous us.

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Nashville is just one of many great cities where we’re helping clients build business. Wherever you are, we’ll put your virtual marketing department to work for you. Get in touch and let’s get started!

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Tips on Helping Your Website Visitors To Convert

Building Sites That Convert | Social Link

Is Your Site Converting Sales?

The first generation of business sites was all about building awareness. The second generation was about handling transactions. Tomorrow’s digital marketplace will be dominated by sites that bridge the all-important middle ground between these two ends of the sales funnel: customer conversion. This is where your site truly becomes a working tool for your sales force. Here’s six critical steps to building a site that sells.

#1. Know Who You’re Talking To

Your site doesn’t have to speak to everyone in the same voice. Coordinate your paid search and ad strategy to target customers by profile—geography, age, gender, profession, interests—then build landing pages geared toward their specific needs and interests.

#2. Make It Mobile (But Don’t Diss Desktops)

In spite of the massive growth in mobile usage, only 15% of all sales are made on smartphones. One reason is that many e-commerce sites are simply not optimized for mobile. Is your site truly mobile-adaptive? Are phone numbers set up for tap-to-call? Are payment methods, forms, and product displays simplified for mobile? Does it have location-based and notification features? If not, it’s time to redesign, because there’s one thing an app can do that a desktop can’t: it follows your customer everywhere… even when they’re in your competitors’ stores.

#3. Upgrade Your Content

Your sales force relies on good content just as much as your customers. Videos, blogs, infographics, and social posts are a great way to show your product’s benefits… they’re a great conversation-starters for sales calls… and they’re much more SEO-friendly. Small wonder that content marketing generates more than three times as many leads as outbound marketing (with a conversion rate that’s six times as high).

#4. Go For Relevant

With inbound marketing, the path is as important as the destination. Is your keyword strategy geared to your customer’s immediate needs and interests? Are you clearly showing the difference that your product makes in your customer’s lives? Is your promoted content appropriate to the space it’s filling in your customer’s day? Your site is only effective if your advertising is relevant enough to motivate action.

#5. Make Offers, Not Monologues

Outbound marketing announces; inbound marketing invites. To be effective, every piece of content on your site needs to offer something of value to the customer, and invite an interaction in return. This can take the form of shareable content, an email sign-up, product upsells, or loyalty premiums. Don’t settle for explanations. Start conversations.

#6. Keep Them Talking

One of the oldest rules of selling is still valid: the longer you keep the conversation going, the more likely you are to make a sale. With sophisticated email marketing, cart abandonment doesn’t have to be the end of the road. You can pinpoint the timing and content of emails to your customer’s buying patterns, make special offers, and guide them back to more relevant content.

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We build sites (and campaigns) that build sales! One call is all it takes to put your virtual marketing department to work for you. Get in touch and let’s get started!

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10 Nashville Internet Marketing Trends

Nashville internet marketing trends

With Nashville’s tourism market at an all-time high, we thought it might be worth noting 10 Nashville internet marketing trends to watch. Getting involved in current internet marketing trends could mean the difference between your business making a profit and going into the red. Up your game by looking out for these 10 internet marketing trends:

1) Video Marketing

With the number of tech businesses in Nashville steadily climbing, it makes sense for business owners to include video in their marketing strategy. As business leader Angus Andrew says, “The play button is becoming the most compelling call-to-action on the web.” Why is this? Experts believe that video marketing content is more appealing to people than written content, because of its entertainment value. It also allows tech companies and other businesses to show their customers, and potential customers, what they have to offer and what they are working on to build excitement. It’s a common misconception that video marketing is out of reach for small businesses; the fact is, it’s easier now than ever to create videos for the web with apps such as Magisto and Vimeo.

2) Social Networking Tools

Social networking sites are invaluable marketing tools, because they enable professionals to connect with each other worldwide. Networking sites, such as LinkedIn, give Nashville employers the opportunity to connect with people who could be potential candidates for a job. It’s important for small businesses to take part in social networking sites to spread the word about their growing company. If a business makes dozens of professional connections online, it will increase word-of-mouth and consequently, sales.

3) Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have become leaders of current marketing trends, and the numbers don’t seem to be going down any time soon. The reason is simple: Customers like to be treated like people. Social media sites enable businesses to connect with the customers on a personal level. People are sick of in-your-face advertisements and pushy calls-to-action – they want to see that your business has a human behind it, and jumping on board with social media platforms is the perfect way to show that.

4) Facebook Pay Per Click (PPC)

More than 1 billion people are currently active on Facebook. With those kinds of numbers, it’s no wonder Nashville business owners have begun to take advantage of the Facebook Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign. PPC is an internet advertising model used on websites. It’s different from other advertising campaigns because PPC advertisers only pay their host when their ad is clicked. More and more people are turning toward Facebook PPC because it allows business owners to keep track of how much they want to spend on advertising on a day-to-day basis.

5) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Every small business should be concerned with their market’s SEO. For those who haven’t heard of it, search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of getting website traffic through “natural” or “organic” results that have been earned by the website in real time. Payment isn’t involved, unlike paid search ads, so SEO cannot be changed based on a business’ budget. There are many reasons your small business should invest in SEO – it promotes readability, user-friendliness, and the overall success of your website.

6) Mobile Optimization

People are spending more and more time on mobile devices each year. Studies have shown that mobile media time has exceeded desktop and other media time. Ensuring that you take full advantage of the booming mobile optimization market can be a key factor in the success of your business. Mobile optimization is applied to your business’s website to ensure its design, page layout, download speed, and other factors are all working to their fullest extent. In today’s world, a business whose website doesn’t translate well onto a mobile device signals to customers that the business may be behind the times.

7) Blogs

What is commonly referred to in the digital realm as the “blogosphere” is an important internet marketing trend to be a part of in Nashville. Blogging promotes an up-to-date, progressive feel for your business’s website and allows customers to be notified continuously about what your business is currently promoting, selling, studying, etc. The best business blogs, such as the popular blog for the Owner Media Group, focus on informing their customers based on what interests them. Blogs are meant to show your customers that your small business is interested in its customers and that your business is relevant.

 

8) Content Marketing

If you haven’t already, now is the time to jump on the content-marketing bandwagon. Small businesses have seen a generous upsurge in business after paying more attention to the content of their web pages. It may seem obvious, but with better content comes more readers. Websites that offer smart, engaging content and valuable information, like the ever-popular how-to articles, get an increase in website traffic, which of course leads to more business. Gone are the days when a business website can be business only – it’s time to embrace an age of truly interesting content.

9) Email Marketing

Email marketing is making a significant comeback – in the last few years, small businesses have wised up to the fact that people don’t read redundant emails. Instead, businesses are sending emails that are full of content that their customers actually want to read. Much like content marketing, email marketing is becoming more about connecting with customers, not just another sales pitch.

 

10) Wearable Technology

Places like Nashville’s Entrepreneur Center are promoting a sense of technological growth throughout the local business sphere. In this era of tech growth, the Number 1 most predicted trend for 2016 is wearable technology. This includes devices such as the Apple watch and Xiaomi, which allow the user to wear the device they’re using. Wearable technology has been on the upswing due to easy of use, a heightened sense of fashion, and being able to combine technological devices to be more productive.

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Website Elements That Convert PPC Campaigns

Social Link PPC Campaigns

Optimize your pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns with the right website features for improved conversion rates. PPC advertising is a great way to improve traffic flow in a short period of time, but the wrong elements can leave a campaign with a poor ROI. Make sure that your Nashville web design features the right PPC-friendly elements to drive traffic from the right audience at the right time. Check out these great conversion-focused tactics:

  • Focus on landing page links – Landing pages are the lynchpin for PPC campaigns. If your website’s landing page doesn’t perfectly align with your advertising content, then you may lose touch with meaningful traffic. For example, if your PPC content advertises hair coloring from a salon and spa, send the consumer to the landing page of your Nashville web design for hair color, not the spa’s homepage, which may feature a laundry list of services. Target the consumer’s interest, specifically.
  • Optimize your landing pages with high quality content – The right link is not enough to earn a high conversion rate. Your landing pages also need to answer common questions, feature strong CTAs, and offer testimonials, reviews, or other engaging content. Content should remain relevant and consistent across search queries, ad copy, and landing pages for the best click-through-rate and conversion rate increases.
  • Strategically draw attention to special promotions – Unless routine sales are part of your company’s sales strategy, use samples, free eBook access, and other value-driven special offers in your PPC campaign. Only offer deals to those who sign up for your content or who make a purchase.
  • Readjust regularly – One of the benefits of PPC campaigns is the ability to track the keywords and ad placements that are providing results. Successful PPC organizers don’t just start a campaign and let it run its course. They constantly reevaluate the data and adjust landing pages and content as necessary to improve results.

Find better ways to improve your Nashville web design for higher PPC conversion rates from our local eMarketing team.

 

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10 Hot Internet Marketing Trends

The world of internet marketing is ever-changing. However, there are several marketing and web design trends currently dominating the advertising world.

– Mobile optimization: As websites become increasingly user-friendly on mobile devices, advertisers are upping their efforts to translate their ads to a mobile platform. Web design that allows for seamless change between devices is becoming more relevant than ever.

– Social media ad campaigns: With social media a daily part of many people’s lives, marketers realize the value of allocating resources to promoting themselves in the social sphere.

– Content marketing: Creating relevant content – sharing pertinent knowledge and quality articles in lieu of standard print-style ads – to lure a particular client or customer base is a growing part of internet marketing,

– Email advertising: While this has long been an internet marketing staple, email ads are undergoing a makeover. They are becoming more informative, personalized, and are used to reach more targeted audiences.

– The humanization of brands: Advertising is looking to move away from big corporate images, so internet marketing campaigns want to humanize both established and non- established brands by making them relatable to their target market.

– Relevancy over promotion: Buyers are increasingly disinterested in promotional lingo, leading internet marketers to focus on relevant and informative ads over sales jargon.

– Increasing use of marketing analytics: The internet provides great opportunities for seeing detailed descriptions of how clients interact with your product or company. Marketing analytics are ever on the rise, giving businesses a way to examine and hone their sales efforts.

– Highly personalized content: Working toward 1-to-1 marketing, personalized content examines the habits of the potential buyer and provides them with information on products that may be relevant to consumer needs or desires.

– Videos: No longer relegated to certain streaming websites, video ads are seen more frequently throughout the internet. It’s an accessible and versatile mode of content that allows advertisers to communicate their message in a memorable way.

– Less filler ads: Ads that mainly serve to set the product in a buyer’s mind are on the decline. Instead of banners with brightly flashing colors offering obscure products or services, internet marketing is moving toward strong content-driven advertisements to draw in consumers.

If you found this article helpful please review the author here.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/11/24/top-7-online-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2015/

http://www.inboundnow.com/10-online-marketing-trends-predictions-2015/

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3 Tips for Creating Compelling Infographics

Humans tend to be visual learners, processing information we observe from the world around us. Data from the Social Science Research Network reveals that 65 percent of American adults are classified as visual learners. It’s no wonder, then, that infographics and sensationalized lists are the most shared items on social networks. By creating share-worthy infographics, your brand will harness the power of optimized visuals that enhance your viral marketing efforts.

Creating compelling infographics, however, is more challenging than you might think. This is because you must effectively combine visual creativity with promotional material. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be able to design an effective infographic that grows both brand awareness and your bottom line.

• Rank your data. Similar to optimized blog posts, infographics must be created with a hierarchy of information. What data is the most likely to resonate with consumers? Not all material can fit into a compelling visual design, so it’s critical to include only key marketing points. Consider the amount of information you can effectively convey without skimping on the details.

• Find the perfect imaging tool. If you don’t have an in-house graphic designer, it’s vital to find a reliable tool to develop, reshape, and edit visuals. Sites such as Easel.ly and PicMonkey make it easy to create infographics online.

• Show, don’t tell. Remember, infographics should be readable at a glance, with key information popping out for even the most casual reader. Also avoid repeating yourself, because the space on the infographic is limited and should be reserved for clear and concise brand storytelling.

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Social Media Marketing: DIY PPC Campaign

Creating and managing a PPC campaign can be overwhelming, especially with AdWords’ complicated interface. Fortunately, PPC campaigns on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are much less difficult, as intuitive layouts simplify the process. Additionally, social media campaigns target users directly where they are.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Look For

Once you’ve developed your social PPC campaign, it’s critical to analyze the success of your work. KPIs provide hard data that objectively reveal the state of the campaign. The most important indicators to watch for include:

• Click through rate (CTR). This figure refers to the number of times an ad was clicked on divided by the number of times the ad was displayed. For instance, if your ad was clicked on 15 times out of 1,000 impressions, then your CTR is 1.5 percent. If you have multiple ads running, finding out which ads have the greatest CTR will help you optimize them for better performance in the future.

• Conversion rate. Are you trying to get users to “like” your page? Purchase a product? The conversion rate is critical to measuring the success of any social PPC campaign. Aside from creating brand awareness, growing your bottom line is the ultimate goal of the advertising you do, and conversion rate is an accurate indicator of how efficiently you are achieving it.

• Average cost per click (CPC). Keeping track of your average CPC allows you to make sure you’re getting the greatest return on investment possible. High CPCs deplete marketing budgets quickly, so it’s crucial to keep this figure as low as possible. If your CPC is too high, consider reviewing your bid prices and adjusting keyword bids as necessary.

How to Create PPC Demographics

Reaching the right audience on social platforms is integral to the success of social PPC campaigns. Though it’s possible to target specific demographics, this can be challenging and expensive, because the average CPC rises for very specific target audiences. Instead, consider targeting your competitors’ audiences. Targeting people who like and follow your competitors is cost effective and results in highly targeted traffic.

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PPC Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

Converting Customers With Google+ Hangouts

Google+ hangout

How Google+ Hangouts Can Help Your Business

 

Google+ tends to be the overlooked younger brother of social networking, but Google+ – particularly its “hangout” function – has a lot to offer your business. Google+ hangouts allow your team to chat simultaneously with up to 9 other Google+ users, but it can do much more than that. Imagine everything you could do while chatting on a live video stream! Google+ hangouts is a great tool for small businesses that want to bring in more customers. As a mechanism for growth, Google+ is tops.

Getting Your Business Started With Google+

To use Google+ hangouts, your business first needs a Google+ account. This is easy to get and a valuable tool for any business. Google+ even offers different options for different kinds of businesses. That means that a page serving as publicity for your small local business will look different from a page for a national product brand. Having an official Google+ page can also improve your search engine rankings, especially if you link your Google+ page to your company’s official website.

How Do Hangouts Work?

The closest comparison that can be drawn to a Google+ hangout is a Skype session, or perhaps even a face-to-face meeting. What makes Google+ hangouts different from Skype, however, is that you can chat with more than one person at once through a hangout. In fact, you can “hangout” with up to 9 other people in a Google+ hangout, as though they were all right there in the room.

To join a Google+ hangout, everyone logs in through their Google+ account and then you invite them to the hangout through your company account. After people join the chat through that invitation, all of their faces are visible at once via webcam, making it seem like you’re all in the same place. Google+ hangouts have a wide variety of uses for small businesses and can really help bring customers in the door.

 Google+ Hangouts For Product Demos

One great use of the Google+ hangout feature is doing live product demos. Maybe you’ve recently received a new product that you want to tell your customers more about, or perhaps you have an older product that you think deserves a bit more attention. Do a product demo! Set up everything you need and invite some of your valued customers to log on and watch. Customers can ask questions as you go along because the whole set-up is live. While they may not be able to reach out and touch the product that you are presenting, a Google+ hangout-based product demonstration can be just as powerful in attracting customer attention to a product and to your business in general.

Inviting valued customers to take part in a product demo is also a great way to express how much you value their input and opinions. This makes the chosen customers that much more likely to come back to your business regularly, and even to purchase the product you demonstrated through Google+ hangouts.

Google+ Hangouts For Customer Service

Another way to use Google+ hangouts is as a way of offering great and personalized customer service. Some businesses make a point of logging on to Google+ at a certain time each week and just waiting around for customers to drop in and ask questions – kind of like a professor’s office hours in college. Customers can see that you are online and can request to hangout with your business. This allows them to ask you questions face-to-face, and gives them an experience equivalent to having come into your place of business to ask their question. Customers appreciate both the general availability of businesses that provide this kind of customer service, as well as the convenience of not having to make an extra trip to the store.

 Google+ Hangouts On Air

The hangout “on air” feature is a special tool offered through Google+. Essentially, this feature allows you to record a Google+ hangout. So, for example, if you were to do a product demonstration live for nine of your customers, you could also record that demonstration. That video could then be uploaded to YouTube or your Google+ page so that other customers could watch the demonstration at their convenience. This allows your company to multiply the number of people it reaches through any Google+ hangout – suddenly, a chat with 9 people has turned into video marketing to one hundred individuals. Some other things you can use Google+ hangouts on air for include:

 

  • Chats with experts in your line of business
  • Behind the scenes tours of your company
  • Hosting a webinar
  • Answering submitted customer questions
  • Giving a press conference

 

The on air feature of Google+ hangouts really multiplies the reach of any video-based marketing. It also makes your Google+ video content available at the times that suit your customers. Maybe you have some loyal customers who would love to participate in your webinar, but want to do so at 2am. With Google+ hangouts on air, any time is a good time for customers to engage with your business.

Google+ Hangouts For Crowdsourcing

One of the best ways to convert customers or to keep established customers coming back to your business is by showing that you care about their opinions. Crowdsourcing through Google+ hangouts is an ideal way to engage with customers, allowing them to offer feedback on your business’s services and products and helping your company to improve. In many senses, crowdsourcing is just the old-fashioned comments box gone live.

You can advertise your crowdsourcing efforts through your brick and mortar business as well as through your Google+ page. Let customers know that you will be setting up times to meet with groups and hear their feedback on your business. Customers today are very comfortable providing feedback through various social networking platforms, making Google+ an ideal way to solicit feedback. This kind of video-based crowdsourcing is similar to what a lot of businesses do today on Facebook: they pose a question and listen to their customers’ answers. In a Google+ hangout, customers can see that you’re really listening, and you have room to think on your feet, offering solutions and suggestions, and generally engaging with customer feedback on your business.

Building Your Brand With Google+ Hangouts

Google+ hangouts may seem like a cumbersome medium for building your brand, but as part of a larger, social media-based business growth plan, it can really work to increase customer traffic and involvement with only a limited investment. For example, if you know that 2pm on Thursdays is always a dull time in your store, it’s the perfect time to film a product demonstration through Google+ hangouts on air. You can use an otherwise profitless time to create something that is guaranteed to get you a great return on investment.

It is precisely this low cost for high return on investment that makes Google+ hangouts an ideal way to build you brand. And having an active Google+ presence will only improve your search results with this leading search engine. So let your customers know what your business is doing. And let your customers tell you what your business could be doing better. With Google+ hangouts, the conversation goes both ways. With Google+ hangouts, your company can go live and grow as you reach out to customers in a new and innovative way.

Categories
PPC Social Media Marketing Tips and Tricks

What You Should Know About PPC and Retargeting

When it comes to retargeting, many marketers use search retargeting as their go-to strategy. There are a number of ways to strategize in this way, so make sure you’re diversifying as best you can. By the same token, pay per click (PPC) is another staple in online marketing strategies. But what is the best approach? Diversify by combining these two approaches.

The best thing about using PPC is that smaller businesses have the opportunity to get great exposure online without having to spend a lot of money. Using PPC in addition to strong SEO is a highly effective way to drive traffic to your site. When traffic doesn’t convert, PPC plus retargeting is a way to go.

Retargeting means that you use display ads to reach out to people who have already visited your website. By using an effective retargeting strategy, the traffic that you have already spent money to generate will see snippets of your content in lots of other places.

Remember, if your audience sees your same retargeted ads a lot, they may get bored. Not only should you be retargeting – you should also make sure you’re updating your ads frequently to increase the odds of people returning to your site.

In this way, traffic that may not have converted initially will see what you do all over the web. Whether or not they convert right away, these are valuable readers – and it’s important to make sure you’re paying attention to them.