The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach

The History of Social Media

3 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the History of Social Media

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Marketing, Social Media | , , , , ,

People seem to have a love/hate relationship with social media. On the one hand, humans are social beings. We crave interactions with others, and relationships play big roles in our everyday lives. Social media allows us to easily connect with friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers. This can be construed in a positive or negative light depending on who you ask and when you ask them. Whatever your thoughts on social media are, it’s pretty clear it’s here to stay in one form or another. So, how did social media even start? Was it when the first cave painting emerged? When the first telegraph was sent? Did it start with the invention of the internet? The answer to this question isn’t clear cut, but there are plenty of interesting facts about the evolution of social media along the way! Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the history of social media on the internet.

 

1. CompuServe was an early online service provider that used a method similar to time-sharing.

CompuServe Information Service, a.k.a. CIS, was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1969 as a subsidiary of Golden United Life Insurance. Initially, CompuServe had two objectives. The first was to provide computer processing support to the company, and the second was to sell excess computer capacity to other corporations through a kind of time-share system. In 1979, it began providing dial-up online information services to the owners of personal computers. CompuServe is known as the original online portal, offering message forums, online chat services, software libraries, and even online games! It grew in popularity in the 80s and 90s and was sold to AOL in 1997 with WorldCom acting as a broker for $1.2 billion in stock.

 

2. One of the first social media services was SixDegrees.com.

This social network site was named after the six degrees of separation concept, which is the idea that people have an average of six degrees of separation from each other. SixDegrees was founded in 1996 by Andrew Weinreich, and the website launched in 1997, making it one of the earliest social media sites on the internet. SixDegrees allowed users to create profiles, list their friends and acquaintances, and interact with other users. At its peak, SixDegrees had about 3.5 million registered users. Just two years after its launch, it was sold to YouthStream Media Networks for $125 million. SixDegrees was short-lived, though, in part because of the limitations of internet connectivity in the late 90s and early 2000s. It shut down in 2001. 

 

3. Users could rate the attractiveness of strangers on AmIHotOrNot.com.

James Hong and Jim Young, both engineers based in Silicon Valley, disagreed one day over whether or not a woman they passed on the street was attractive. Their solution? To create a website, of course! In October 2000, the two friends launched AmIHotOrNot.com. The site allowed users to voluntarily submit photos of themselves to be rated on a scale of 1 to 10 by others based on their attractiveness. It went viral. Within one week of launching, the site had reached nearly 2 million daily page views. The site incorporated dating and matchmaking elements.

Aspects of Hot Or Not impacted later dating apps like Tinder and OkCupid. The site was even said to have influenced Mark Zuckerburg to create FaceMash.com, where Harvard students could rate the looks of fellow students based on their student ID photos. Unlike Hot Or Not, FaceMash did not allow users to submit photos voluntarily. FaceMash received major backlash, both because students felt it violated their privacy and because it was seen as a copycat of Hot Or Not. After being called before the school’s administrative board, Zuckerburg took the site down. Hot Or Not was sold for a rumored $20 million to Avid Life Media in 2008. 

 

There are plenty of interesting stories when it comes to the history of social media. From computer time-sharing processes to rating the looks of strangers, there is a lot to learn about how social media has evolved. If you own a business, you probably know how important it is to be able to connect with your customers, whether it’s through an interactive website or your social media channels. If you’re looking for a marketing company with a stellar reputation to assist with any aspect of your digital marketing, look no further than The AD Leaf. We offer web design, search engine optimization, email marketing, social media management, digital advertising, and more! Give us a call today at (321) 255-0900 to learn how we could help you grow your business.

Be Concise! Less Is More With Email

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Content Writing, Email Marketing, Marketing | , ,

Email: The Foundational Tool

In the world of marketing, email is one of the most fundamental tools at our disposal. It maintains its mainstream appeal through its accessibility to clients and consumers alike in communicating time-sensitive information. As foundational as email marketing is to the practice, new trends are still emerging that maintain its modernity.

One emerging cultural trend that has been incorporated into the way we use email in marketing is minimalism. Minimalism has impacted email marketing by transforming emails from long-winded chunky blocks of text to concise straight-to-the-point communications that are easily digestible for consumers. 

Why Less Really Is More

  • Ease of Consumption

Skimming has taken over the way we digest media. Our eyes pick up on keywords and bolded text to access the importance of information and let our minds fill in the blanks. With such an excess of media to consume, our time to absorb it all has remained the same. To account for the discrepancy, we’re largely left with one of two options: skim the content or condense the material itself so that it’s less to read. As a marketing professional, making the material easier to interact with is where we step in.

  • Consideration for the Reader’s Time

Clients and customers are on a time budget. Their email accounts are bombarded with numerous emails not unlike your own. Being courteous and condensing your content and information into concise language delivers your goals without sacrificing the time of your clients and customers which they will be appreciative of in the long run. Requiring less reading time from your customers and clients inevitably allows them more time to follow through with the action your email is asking of them.

  • Earn the Favor of Your Audience

Recipients on your email list will value your content more if you show respect for their time and energy. Being concise and writing clearly consistently builds a reputation for the communications you disseminate to your audience. They’ll know what they’re getting every time they open one of your business’ emails and know that it’s going to be easy on the eyes and easily digestible. This will improve your open rate and translate into more conversions for your goods or services and better business for all parties involved.

  • Condensed Writing Encourages Clearer, More Engaging Content

Whittling down the length of your email content forces you to weed out unnecessary information. It forces the writer to think carefully and consider the necessity of each word and sentence. Editing your email content in this way inspires creativity in the way each piece of information gets delivered. Editing out extra sentences and words encourages clearer thinking on the part of the writer and the intended audience as well. The result is writing that gets straight to the point and tells the recipient what they need to know without requiring a substantial time investment.

  • Images and Bulleted Lists Are More Substantial

Substituting lengthy blocks of text with pictures and bulleted lists break up monotonous reading. They capture interest, convey meaning without requiring as much reading, and make for a more aesthetically pleasing design. The old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” exhibits the staying power of this email marketing trend of conciseness.

Bulleted lists benefit this strategy as well by grabbing the attention of the reader and directing them to smaller blocks of important text. This gives you as the writer the opportunity to position some of the most valuable pieces of information to a spot you know the reader will see them.

  • Know Your Audience

Of course, different emails and different email recipients require a different depth of information so it’s important to consider your target audience and who it is that will eventually be opening your marketing emails. A technical client will likely require more in-depth dialogue in their marketing emails based on their industry than regular clients will. If the situation calls for more writing follow your gut and do what you think is best given the situation.

Transform the Way You Reach Your Customers

Looking to increase the open rates or improve conversions of your email campaigns? The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm, LLC is specially fitted to transform the way you reach your customers and clients. Our team of marketing experts has the experience and knowledge to take your future email campaigns to the next level. Contact us today for more information about how we can help!

How Your Brand Can Capitalize On TikTok’s Popularity While Saving Costs and Ensuring Stability

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Marketing, Social Media

The social media scene had remained relatively the same for the past several years. One of the only significant interruptions since the rise of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram is the quick and overwhelming popularity of the app TikTok. TikTok has a unique algorithm that allows creators to rise to popularity at more rapid rates than ever before! Since the app’s creation in 2016, it has gained over 800 million users worldwide. If your brand does not participate on TikTok, don’t worry. The app can still be used to promote your brand without even having an account.

 

TikTok’s algorithm allows users to see the posts of creators, even when the users do not follow them. This stands true to other apps, but for TikTok, it happens at an unprecedented level. Most users mainly view content made by creators they don’t follow. This is due to the “for you page” which is the most commonly used feature of the app. It shows content to the user that the algorithm predicts they will be interested in based on their previous interactions. This is a huge win for brand promotion! For example, if you pay a creator to promote your product, more people than just their followers will see it. However, it can be expensive.

 

For creators with large followings, a good portion of these followers will also follow them on other apps such as Instagram and Twitter. 

 

Why is this important for your brand?

 

  • If someone takes the time to follow a TikToker on another social app, they are a more dedicated fan who wants to keep up with the influencer.
  • They often purchase the merchandise of these influencers and are more likely to trust their opinion.
  • Since only a portion of their fans will follow the influencer on these other social media platforms, their follower count is typically lower.
  • Due to a lower amount of followers, securing a brand deal on their Instagram account will be less costly.

 

One example of this is the TikTok creator @nmillz1. He has amassed more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok in a short amount of time, but currently has only 270 thousand Instagram followers. Charli Damelio is arguably the most well-known TikTok creator securing high-profile sponsorships frequently. She has 90 million followers on the app, while having 30 million followers on Instagram, or one-third of her TikTok fan base. This case is interesting because many people who do not even have TikTok know of Charli, and she is considered to be one of the only creators from the app to rise to actual celebrity status. Her case especially identifies that people who follow a creator on TikTok often do not hold enough interest in them to follow their other social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

 

This gap allows you to capitalize on TikTok’s extreme popularity in a less costly way to a TikToker’s most dedicated fans. You can do this by proposing a brand sponsorship through Instagram. A brand sponsorship is much more costly than just posting an advertisement for your product, but seeing the brand talked about by someone the fans look up to will likely result in more sales and engagement for your brand.

 

What Does It Typically Cost to Hire an Instagram Influencer?

 

  • 2,000 to 10,000 followers – $75 to $250
  • 10,000 to 50,000 followers – $250 to $500
  • 100,000 to 500,000 followers – $1000 to $3000
  • Over 500,000 – $3000 +

 

Large TikTok influencers will either charge a high flat fee, or they will charge per view to promote your brand. According to TalentX Entertainment, a management company for 32 influencers, they charge $0.01 to $0.02 per view on TikTok. The problem lies within the fact that as a brand, you can not control how many views a TikTok post will get. Someone with only 10 followers can post an extremely viral video and get millions of views, while someone with 100,000 followers may only get a few thousand views. The algorithm is very unpredictable and is not publicly released, resulting in a risky investment for marketing. Instagram, on the contrary, is very predictable. An influencer will maintain roughly the same amount of engagement on their account, so you know what you are investing in.  

 

Going back to the TikTok creator @nmillz1, his TikTok videos frequently receive several hundred thousand views, which would result in costs roughly at $5,000 to $10,000 or more, while a sponsored Instagram post would be less than $3,000 and seen by more dedicated fans who trust the influencer. 

 

In summary, your brand can capitalize on TikTok’s rise to the top without even interacting with the app. If you are considering a brand promotion with an influencer, a TikTok creator’s Instagram page can be a great resource for you.

 

Sources:

https://www.digitalmarketing.org/blog/how-much-does-influencer-marketing-cost

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/heres-how-much-brands-are-paying-for-sponsored-content-on-tiktok-youtube/346290/#close

 

Social Media Trends For 2020

Staying Current: Six New Social Media Trends of 2020

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Marketing, Social Media

Social media is all about living in the moment. What might have worked a few years ago or even months ago, may not work today. Your customers will notice your efforts to stay relevant and appreciate that. And that will reflect in your brand image and customer loyalty.  Let’s review some social media trends, new tactics, and content ideas for 2020 to try and implement to ensure you finish off Q4 strong:

1.Ephemeral Posts: Nothing Gold Can Stay. 

The first trend is the growing popularity of “ephemeral” posts or temporary posts. Many social avenues have rolled out content features designed to be appreciated for a small amount of time before they disappear forever. Examples of this include Facebook and Instagram’s story features, as well as reels and TikTok. Although reels and TikToks may have a more lasting nature, they are meant to be more “disposable” than permanent and higher-quality feed content. One way to add to the story features without creating new content is to simply repost older posts onto the story. When you do create new stories, you can extend their lifetime by adding them to a highlight at the top of your Instagram. 

2. E-shops: The Convenience Customers Expect

The second trend is the implementation of social commerce. Many social media platforms are integrating online stores as another feature of a profile. Facebook rolled out its “shops” feature and Instagram allows you to buy right off a post. Pinterest has shoppable pins where purchases can be made right on their site or linked to an external site. Note that this will only be useful for brands that offer physical items as digital downloads are not yet available for sale on these services. Brands with established Shopify’s can more easily transfer their products to these social commerce features. 

3. Video Content: Now Playing

The third trend is the rise of video content. Multiple studies including one by the Cisco report that over 80% of all online content will be video by 2022. Now is the time to feature videos on social media. Integrating video within content that was typically only text in the past is a great way to stay relevant and impress your audience. 

4. Legal Media Ownership: The Ghosts of Limewire’s Past

The fourth trend is more legal and regulatory monitoring. When posting to social media it is crucial that the agency who creates your content is using legal sources and avenues for media. Using an image or song that belongs to someone else without permissions or is copyrighted can land you in court paying hefty fines for a simple mistake. Of course, the best option is using your own photos but this doesn’t work for all business models or clients. Most important is having an agency with access to copyright-free images. Don’t let your company sign with a low-tier agency that doesn’t understand this and makes a rookie mistake that sinks profits. 

5. Local Geotagging: Coming To A Small Business Near You

The fifth trend is the rise of location-based targeting for local brands. Of course, if your company is e-commerce or is looking to reach a demographic of people across multiple states/countries, this won’t apply to you. But if you have a local business particularly in-person service (i.e. vehicle rental, house cleaning, lawn service) this aspect of audience targeting is crucial. Your agency and coordinator must understand that reaching a person 3 states over doesn’t make any sense and is a waste of time and space on captions/hashtags. Hashtags should be like #losangeles rather than #lawnservice for example. The targeting goals for companies that fit into this category should be quite regional and should know the mile-range of their farthest customer to make sure they aren’t missing an opportunity for a sale. 

6. Public Insights: Social Media As A Focus Group

The sixth trend is using insights from social media to shape business strategy and models. If you think about social media as a one-way street, you’ve got in all wrong. You can benefit from the interactions on social media just as much as your audience. Have you ever wondered what your customers really think about your business? By searching publically available search terms and keywords, you have the ability to be a fly on the wall. This strategy also works for general industry terms and adjacent/parallel industries. If you provide an organic peanut butter product, maybe you’re wondering what customer’s jelly habits are as it relates to peanut butter. By simply searching those words, you get to see what people are saying. This tool is incredibly valuable as you are getting a ton of primary research data for FREE. Primary customer interviews and focus groups traditionally cost thousands of dollars, so take advantage of this secret tool. 

By riding the waves of these new social media trends you can achieve everlasting cultural relevancy and clout within your target groups. More important than the actual execution of these trends, is showing your customers that you’re aware of them and are trying to participate. This gains trust and respect, especially with younger and savvier audiences who expect brands to be on top of this. We are a digital marketing agency that understands these 6 social media trends and their importance in 2020 and beyond.  Call us or fill out a contact form today to set your business up for success Q4 to end this year strong in sales.

social media management services

Setting Your Social Media Up For Success In Quarter 4

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Marketing, Social Media

While you may not be quite ready to buy your Halloween costume or deck the halls with boughs of holly, now is the time to start planning your holiday and quarter 4 strategy for your business. Quarter 4 lasts from October to December and finishes out the year. This means that you will be covering 3 major holidays with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you are a product or inventory based company you will be counting on this quarter to implement up-to-date social media management services to be your most profitable and make up for some of the profits that may have been lost due to the coronavirus. It is also always good to end the year on a high note to start off the new year on a good foot.

We all know 2020 has not only been physically and emotionally tough due to the coronavirus but it has also been financially tough due to job layoffs, unemployment, and shutdowns. While many businesses are trying to figure out how to bring back sales, many people are losing hope and are looking ahead to better times. There is a lot of uncertainty as we approach the 4th quarter. There is still hope that the 4th quarter can be your strongest quarter if you take action now. There are many ways to use social media marketing to plan and execute your quarter 4 strategy as well as increase your brand awareness and sales.

Social Media Marketing Benefits And Features To Promote Your Business For The Holiday Season

One of the most beneficial ways for product and merchandise providers to capitalize on the upcoming holiday season is by utilizing Facebook Shop. Facebook Shop allows users to directly shop and browse your inventory directly on Facebook. This is a great way to shop online as people do not have to risk going into the stores and can conveniently do it safely at home through their Facebook account. Facebook shops are relatively easy to set up as well and oftentimes are easier than selling products on a website page or online shopping company such as Amazon. All you need as a seller to create a Facebook Shops site is a Facebook account and a Facebook business page as well as a valid bank account and tax identification number. Facebook shops allow anyone who likes your page or is visiting your page to quickly browse your product inventory available directly through Facebook instead of having to click through another website to access your inventory. For users looking to buy gifts for the upcoming holiday season, this is perfect to quickly access and purchase gifts for their loved ones and receive them before the holiday rush begins.

Another very beneficial social media feature that can be very beneficial for product and merchandising clients is Shoppable Pinterest Pins. Similar to Facebook Shop, Shoppable Pinterest Pins allow you to showcase your product and inventory that is available for purchase much quicker than going to a separate website. This is convenient for users who are searching for gift ideas on Pinterest. Having a Shoppable Pinterest Pin set up will allow the users to directly click on the pin and order the product with just a simple click. An added bonus to steering up and using Shoppable Pinterest Pins right now is that many users are already starting to look for holiday ideas and gifts on Pinterest. In fact, some of the largest trending items on Pinterest this summer were holiday and gift ideas for 2020. Even though we are still months away from Christmas, the coronavirus has helped build up the hype for the holiday season. Showcasing your inventory and making your products available now with Pinterest Shoppable Pins and Facebook Shop will allow you to capitalize and sell to the audience who is already searching for gifts and put you ahead of the competition that waits to make their holiday products and inventory available.

You may also find that increasing your ad spend for the holiday season is a wise move. Oftentimes many companies utilize paid advertisements and increase their spending in the 4th quarter. This can make ad space more competitive. However, by increasing your ad spend you will stay above the competition and gain that ad space that is so vital during this time. The 4th quarter is when consumers spend the most money. Increasing your ad spend will allow you to take advantage of this additional spend. Many people are also paying more attention to ads as they are looking for gifts and ideas for the holiday season. 

Contact Us About Our Social Media Management Services To Market Your Business Today

Using these two social media features and increasing your ad spend will allow you to showcase your inventory and products as well as increase your profits and sales for the holiday season and the 4th quarter. While coronavirus has been very financially devastating to many companies, there is still hope for those who take action now and plan ahead. Let’s get ready to spread that holiday cheer for this upcoming holiday season! When it comes to our social media management services, if you would like to take advantage of Facebook Shop or Shoppable Pinterest Pins we can help you! At The AD Leaf ®, we have a team of Social Media Specialists who thrive off of cultivating premium content and paid ads for a variety of businesses. Give us a call at (321) 255-0900 or, set up a consultation by emailing us at info@theadleaf.com. We look forward to making your 4th quarter and holiday season a success!

Content Marketing For Nonprofits

The Ins and Outs of Content Marketing for Nonprofits

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Content Writing, Marketing

If you run or are involved in a nonprofit, you know how important advertising is in order to get the word of your organization out to the proper channels. However, determining what medium you want to advertise in can be tricky to figure out. Nonprofits require constant communication between volunteers, donors, and those interested in your organization’s activities. Not only that, but your nonprofit also has to reach people in your community or even beyond to gain interest from them. That is why you should consider content marketing for nonprofits as a major form of your marketing strategy. As we are currently living in a time where togetherness is more crucial than ever, consider these important things when deciding whether you should begin writing content for your organization.

Content is a Broad Term

When you think about content writing, what do you think of? Website pages? Social media posts? How about blogs, brochures, emails, and other forms of communication? 

Well, the good news is that all of this is considered content, and its production is considered content writing. From there, you can determine groups for volunteers and employees to be split into. Perhaps one group can work on improving your company’s website content, while another can draft some posts for Facebook.  

The Magic of Search Engine Optimization

You have probably heard of the term “SEO” before, but are unaware of what exactly it means. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, refers to the increasing of your website’s status on search engines such as Google. This can be done in a number of different ways, but most notably through the usage of important keywords that will notify search engines of your page. The more important keywords that are on your website, the higher your website will be in organic search results. 

Content Shows Your Authenticity

Chances are that, at some point in your life, you were scammed out of something. It is a real bummer, but when it comes to nonprofit scams, it can quickly go from bothersome to illegal. That is why showing your credentials on your website and social media platforms is so important. Uploading credentials such as your 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to your website shows that you are a legitimate nonprofit that your audience can trust. 

Content Ideas to Get You Started

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC has created a list of easy, simple ideas for content to help you get started with optimizing your nonprofit using content writing:

  • Creating a Donations page for your contributors to donate to
  • Starting a blog about your day-to-day operations
  • Fleshing out an About section that includes your organization’s mission statement
  • Writing about your programs and initiatives for separate pages

Need more ideas? Want to take the content marketing for nonprofits to the next level? Give The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC a call today at 321-255-0900 for more information and to schedule a free consultation.

The Key Differences Between Business Blogging and Professional Blogging

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Content Writing, Marketing

Blogging is a great way to utilize Content Marketing for Business and to increase traffic on your website. There are a number of different possibilities that you can use a blog for, including educating your audience about your business and promoting new ideas within your industry. 

However, some blog ideas can blur the line between professional blogging and personal blogging. Here are some of the biggest differences between these types of blogs.

Interest vs Action

One main characteristic that makes professional blogs stand out against personal blogs is the fact that its purpose is to lead its reader to take some sort of action. Personal blogs normally write to make their audiences engaged and interested in their work. However, professional blogs take this a step further. Their purpose is to engage the audience’s attention while also encouraging them to undertake some kind of big step. 

The Stories You Tell

Storytelling is arguably the main draw of blogging. Whether your blog is for your business or for yourself, you need to be able to tell some kind of story with your blog content. That being said, there is a line that must be followed when writing your blog content. When writing for your business, make sure that you are writing specifically about topics that pertain to your business. For example, a fashion store would want to write about the latest fashion trends on their blog more than what they had for lunch that day.

Flexibility

When you are writing for a personal blog, you have total control. You get to write what you want when you want. Whether this blog chronicles your day-to-day life or you talk about a broad topic such as movies or fashion, you control the decisions made. Professional blogs are not so flexible. This is because each story needs to be meticulously planned before publication. After determining what your purpose of the blog post is and whether or not the topic pertains to your company, you now need to figure out the best time and day to publish it. This can be determined using analytics for both your company website and your social media pages. If you are able to see when exactly your audience is most engaged online, figuring out when to publish your blog content will be easier than expected.

Conclusion

So, you have figured out the key differences between Content Marketing for Business vs Professional Blogs. However, you do not know where to start. No worries! The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC is here to get you started on your new professional blog. Give us a call at 321-255-0900 or fill out the form at the bottom of the page to schedule a free consultation today.

Marketing To Gen Z

Four Must-Have Tips for Marketing to Gen Z

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Content Writing, Marketing

According to the Pew Research Center, Generation Z is generally considered to be the generation of citizens born between 1996 and the current day. Arguably the characteristic of this generation that applies most from a marketing perspective is the fact that they are considered to be “digital natives,” which are people who have grown up in and around digital technological advancements. Their connectedness to social media and other forms of technology make them an important demographic to advertise to. However, there are some important things to consider before engaging in content writing and digital marketing to Gen Z. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure you are captivating your digital native audiences to the best of your ability.

Keep it Short and Simple

When you think of content writing, you might think about long-form blogs and website pages. However, when you’re marketing to Gen Z, understand that  has a lot of different messages being targeted at them every day, so shifting through these long and sometimes complicated content can be difficult. If you keep your message short in word count and easily digestible, you will be able to be noticed by your target audience.

Keep Track of Current Trends

In our online culture, what was once popular a week ago is considered ancient now. We have all seen those “cringe compilations” of brands that are either trying way too hard to be hip with the kids or are severely outdated. You definitely should not be including outdated memes or online trends in your content. If you see a new trend pop up in your feeds (for example, the recent “everything is a cake” meme), try to market yourself off of that as soon as possible. 

Multimedia Is Key

You simply cannot market yourself just off of promoted Twitter messages. In order to promote a consistent brand, make sure you expand into other forms of content. One idea is to convert a short blog post into a video script for social media sites such as YouTube. If your brand is able to be recognized across various forms of media, then you have succeeded in marketing to your audience. 

Do Not Bombard Your Audience

You could follow the previously mentioned tips and still find yourself lacking in engagement and sales. Why? Because you simply have done too much of it. If you frequently promote your content into the feeds of your target audience, your audience is going to get very annoyed and avoid your product rather than buy it. They might even make your frequent attempts at exposure to a meme itself.

Not Sure How to Start?

Do you want to make sure that your content is being promoted to your ideal audiences? Give The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC a call today at 321-255-0900 for a free consultation with our content writers, social media specialists, and more!

photos

Stock Photography: Silent Brand Killer or Time-Saver?

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Graphic Design, Marketing, Website Design

 

As a business owner, there’s a myriad of decisions that fall on your shoulders from financial decisions to branding decisions. At the end of the day, you may find yourself wanting to slap on any photos for marketing to pair with your social media posts. But before you press that “Post” button, let’s dive into the Stock Photography vs. Original Photography debate.

First things first, why can’t we simply copy and paste any photo from the world wide web? 

Avoiding Copyright Infringement

The photos that we see on online publications are copyrighted and are unable to be used for commercial and marketing use. Using these photos without the permission of the photographer, company, or publication could result in a hefty fine or further legal action. This is typically when companies look to stock photography. Let’s look at the pros and cons, shall we?

 

The Pro’s and Con’s of Stock Photography

Stock Photography can be a great tool to lean on when deadlines are tight. It can save you an hour’s time of messing with a camera and worrying about copyright when you just need two posts worth of photos. Sprinkling in quality stock photos to buff up your volume of content certainly won’t damage your brand credibility, however, it’s important to sift through stock photography libraries. If the image isn’t blending in with the rest of your content or branding it’ll stick out like a sore thumb. We’ve all seen those generic photos of a group of “business associates” that are giving their best faux laugh with a thumbs up. 

The last thing you want when a consumer comes across your marketing content is generic. It cancels out your credibility of providing customized customer relationships and takes away the originality of your brand that you’ve worked so hard to build. Furthermore, nothing is more embarrassing for a company than when they realize their landing page has the same smiling employee as a competitor company in another state. With the public consuming so much content in a day, you’ll be surprised at how quickly consumers of all ages can spot stock photography usage. 

 

The Pro’s and Con’s of Original Photography

Many business owners think that the option of original photography is an expensive and time-consuming process searching for the right photographer. Websites, such as Fiverr, are a great place to find photographers! You’ll be able to analyze their style, read reviews from past clients, and even find a product photographer for as little as $30. Think of this as a legal investment now that you’ll have complete ownership of photos that you’ll be able to use more than once. Working with a photographer will also assist in expanding your brand aesthetic that consumers can recognize without seeing your company’s name. These photos can present your service or product in your perspective. This is a part of laying down the foundation for building trust and familiarity with customers. 

Due to the majority of people having a smartphone, there’s no reason to not have photos of your product or your employees in action while they carry out a service. By typing in “Basic Smartphone Photography” on Youtube, you’ll be provided with countless quick lessons on how to take the proper photo. Allow yourself to present your own point of view and indulge in your inner creative.

 

Stock Photography vs. Original Photography

 In the end, your own photos for marketing will perform better than stock photography. A while back we had a client that was reluctant to provide his Social Media Specialist with photos of his employees while they were working but was unsatisfied with the performance of their social media platforms. They finally decided to send one photo and amazingly enough, the response and engagement were twice that of any previous stock imagery the Social Media Specialist has used in the past. 

A study recently conducted by “Marketing Experiments” compared the response of consumers to a stock image of a woman vs a picture of a company’s founder. Consumers were 35% more likely to sign up for a free consultation when the founder’s photo was used. Even though it wasn’t likely that visitors would be conversing with the founder, they were able to connect with a real person from the company.

All in all original photography not only saves you money in the end but is a testament to your commitment to being a trustworthy, premium content company. There’s no need to ban stock photography from your marketing content, but you’ll find the best engagement success online with photos taken by you or by a professional. 

Still intimidated by the decision on which images to use? At The AD Leaf ®, we have a team of Social Media Specialists who thrive off of cultivating premium content for a variety of businesses. Let’s work together on expanding your company’s presence online! Give us a call at (321) 255.0900 or, set up a consultation by emailing us at info@theadleaf.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon! 

 

Google ads campaign

Google Ads Campaign Management For Small Businesses

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio West Palm Beach
Marketing, Pay Per Click

If you’re a small business looking to launch a Google ads campaign for your company, you may think you can’t afford this type of pay per click advertising. Alternatively, you may want to learn how to run a paid search campaign yourself which is a valuable skill to have. However, it can be time-consuming to manage campaigns while simultaneously managing your business. If you make an attempt to rush in without performing the proper research, you will probably make common beginner’s mistakes and blow your budget with nothing to show for it. This is the main reason why it is best to have a reputable digital marketing agency to handle your Google ads management for you.

Why Use Google Ads Campaigns For Your Small Business?

Reach People When They’re Looking For You

If you target the right keywords with your Google ads, you can get in front of potential customers at the exact moment they’re looking for your products. Having an ad that serves up your products on relevant keywords is a great way to get new customers.

Target Based On Your Location

If you run a local business, you don’t care about appearing in search results outside of your area. Google Ads lets you target your searches based on your location, which can help you get in front of potential customers near you.

Target Multiple Audiences That Use The Same Product

If you sell products that can appeal to multiple different audiences, Google ads can help you reach those audiences by letting you target different keywords. PPC ads would let you target each audience individually by using industry-specific keywords. For example, “Rustic coffee table” and “Western-style wooden tables” may apply to similar products, but they attract very different audiences—Google’s pay per click ads and campaigns let you target both.

Send People To Specific Landing Pages For Products/Services

When someone clicks on an ad, they get sent to a landing page on your website. One of the strengths of launching a Google ad is that you get to choose that page. A lot of people send pay per click traffic to their home page, which is ok, however, it is not ideal. But one of the major strengths of Google ads is that you can send people to your customized landing pages that are optimized to convert. By sending people to landing pages that offer what they’re looking for, you can increase your chances of converting them into customers.

Track Results Easily

With Google ads, you can track click-through rate, cost-per-click, ad spend, as well as conversion rate on your landing pages. You can also split test different ad copy and landing pages easy to maximize your ROI.  Return on investment is a huge consideration for your marketing budget, and Google ads won’t leave you guessing.

Get Results Quickly

Other approaches to getting seen in search engines can take a long time to start working. The conversion process is longer and more difficult to measure. Google ads aren’t a silver bullet, but they will get you results much faster than most other marketing tactics. If you have the know-how, products, ad copy, and landing pages together already, Google ads are a simple way to start getting sales.

Google ads and other pay per click platforms, like search engine optimization, helps companies to get their brands seen by customers searching for relevant search terms. Both of these digital marketing techniques help to increase your boost your website’s ranking so that it appears higher up on search engine result pages. Search engine optimization is a slower, long-term, organic method, whereas paid search is often a quick fix option, providing your business with a short burst of visibility which can be beneficial for temporary promotions or to publicize the launch of a new product or service.

If you require management for your Google ads campaign and looking to find a company that offers services for your small business, here are items that will be incorporated with your package below:

  • One-off set up costs
  • Regular reports and analytics
  • Fixed monthly costs
  • Optimization of existing pay per click campaigns
  • A dedicated accounts manager
  • Keyword performance and campaign monitoring
  • Budget recommendation
  • No minimum spend requirement

At The AD Leaf Marketing Firm®, we understand that not every business has the time to invest their full efforts into PPC Ads. To learn more about how Google ads campaign management can bring more leads to your business, contact us via our phone number, (321) 255.0900. Or, set up a consultation by emailing us at info@theadleaf.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon!