MARKETING
5 Digital Marketing Hacks To Help You Dominate Your Competition in 2022
Businesses have been using digital marketing to grow their brands online for over two decades now, and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. If anything, digital marketing will only become more critical as we move further into the 21st century.
So what does that mean for businesses in 2022?
It means you need to be ahead of the curve and start implementing these five marketing hacks to stay ahead of your competition and capture those leads!
1. Keep on top of your SEO
SEO is more important than ever when wanting to get your website indexed on the major search engine brands. While SEO trends continue to change and grow, one area that Google, in particular, seems to be focusing on is the difference between search and intent.
You can’t just publish a blog post and call it a day. You need to make sure you are doing everything to optimize that content for search engines. This includes using the right keywords, adding images and videos, and publishing regularly.
Create compelling content
Your website is only as good as the content you publish. If you want people to stick around, you need to produce high-quality content that’s both informative and engaging. However, it doesn’t mean you have to write long, drawn-out blog posts. Shorter posts can be just as effective if they’re well-written.
Optimize your website for mobile users
Today, more people are using their smartphones to browse the internet, so your website must be optimized for those users. It means operating a responsive theme, making sure your pages load quickly, and using easy-to-read fonts.
2. Create Content Using Basic Marketing Strategies
The AIDA framework performs exceptionally well on almost all marketing channels. Its primary use is to grab the reader’s attention, create a fear of missing out, pull on their heartstrings, and finally provide them with a solution to their problem. This formula has been proven to work in the past and is still used today because of its effectiveness.
Another practical copywriting framework is the problem, agitate, solution (PAS) system. Compared to AIDA, it is a more straightforward way to move people through the buying process, so you can also use it on your website, emails, and social media posts if that’s what you prefer.
So it’s a no-brainer that either of these frameworks should be applied when marketing a small business for the year ahead.
3. Use a Variety of Growth Marketing Tactics
It’s important to have variety in your growth and sales tactics because you want to be able to grow using many different methods and pivot as the market changes. Sticking to just one tactic can become less effective over time, so businesses should gather data by testing new things on their customers before they stop working entirely for them.
This will lead to successful outcomes!
Here are three growth marketing tactics that you can use to help your business grow:
- Popups are a great way to capture email addresses and grow your database. You can offer a freebie in exchange for someone’s contact information or use a popup to promote one of your products or services.
- Contests are a great way to generate leads and social media followers. You can offer a free prize in exchange for someone’s contact information or ask people to like your page or follow you on Twitter to enter the contest.
- Gated content is content that is hidden behind a form. To view the content, someone has to provide their contact information. This creates curiosity in the reader, and they are more likely to want to opt in. Ultimately it is a great way to generate leads and grow your database.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Get on Video.
Live video has grown exponentially in recent years, and it isn’t showing any signs that this trend will be going away anytime soon. Brands are using these videos for everything from customer support to product demos.
There aren’t limits on what can happen when you allow viewers to be involved through interactive features like chat rooms or polls.
The advantage of live over prerecorded video is the immediacy and interactivity it provides. Audiences can call in, ask questions, or make comments that can be answered during the live session. This helps to create a more personal connection with viewers, resulting in increased trust and loyalty.
In addition to live videos, branded videos are also extremely popular. These are videos that a brand has created to promote one of its products or services. Branded videos can be anything from product demos to testimonials.
The advantage of using branded videos is that they allow brands to control the messaging and the overall tone of the video. In addition, branded videos enable brands to create a more personal connection with viewers.
This can result in increased trust and loyalty. So, how do you get started with video marketing?
Here are a few tips for getting started:
- Don’t try to do too much at once. Start small and gradually increase the amount of video content you produce.
- Try to be consistent with the type of videos you produce and the frequency with which you post them.
- Try to use a variety of formats, including live videos, branded videos, and instructional videos.
- Be sure to engage your viewers by asking them questions and soliciting their input.
So get on video! It’s a great way to connect with customers and create loyalty.
5. Hone in on Your Email Marketing Strategy
While other communication methods have come and gone, email has remained a staple of both personal and professional life. And there’s a good reason for this – email is fast, efficient, and reliable.
Perhaps most importantly, email is accessible. Just about everyone has an email address, which makes it the perfect way to reach a broad audience.
Another exciting statistic for all those thinking of using email in their marketing is that it has the highest return on investment. Of course, that will only be possible with a well-crafted email with a message that is both clear and gets the reader to take action.
An effective marketing strategy is segmenting your email list to match your customer base. For example, some marketers use the holiday season to offer incentives to their customers, such as discount coupons for those who left their website with an item in the shopping cart.
Segmenting your email list also allows you to target specific groups of customers with tailored content. This can be highly beneficial, as it helps to ensure that your customers are getting the most relevant information possible.
To create an email marketing campaign, you need to keep a few things in mind:
- Keep your emails short: Nobody wants to read a long email. Get right to the point and make sure your message is easy to understand.
- Use attractive visuals: Images are a great way to break up the text and capture your readers’ attention.
- Engage your readers: Be sure to engage your readers by asking them questions and soliciting their input.
- Test, test, test: Always test your emails before sending them out to ensure they look and function correctly.
You know that old saying, “You get more of what you send out”? Well, it’s true!
One way to ensure your emails are getting through is by segmenting them based on who they’re intended for. Suppose there is a specific type of demographic in mind when crafting an email campaign.
In that case, this strategy will allow marketers to not only reach their target audience but also provide incentives tailored specifically towards these individuals, which might increase open rates and click-thru rates.
Segmenting customers is a great way to increase the effectiveness of an email campaign while maintaining a cohesive brand image. Try using demographic information, interests, or purchase history to better target your recipients. It’s a surefire way to improve campaign results!
Conclusion
The best way to approach digital marketing is by taking a marathon mindset. This means being strategic, data-driven, and setting yourself up for success with the hacks we’ve outlined in this blog post.
But don’t forget, these hacks are not written in concrete. It would be best to keep on tweaking your strategy to get the best return for your business.
What this post has shown is that digital marketing strategies are constantly changing. The best way to keep up with them? Keep it simple!
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MARKETING
YouTube Ad Specs, Sizes, and Examples [2024 Update]
Introduction
With billions of users each month, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and top website for video content. This makes it a great place for advertising. To succeed, advertisers need to follow the correct YouTube ad specifications. These rules help your ad reach more viewers, increasing the chance of gaining new customers and boosting brand awareness.
Types of YouTube Ads
Video Ads
- Description: These play before, during, or after a YouTube video on computers or mobile devices.
- Types:
- In-stream ads: Can be skippable or non-skippable.
- Bumper ads: Non-skippable, short ads that play before, during, or after a video.
Display Ads
- Description: These appear in different spots on YouTube and usually use text or static images.
- Note: YouTube does not support display image ads directly on its app, but these can be targeted to YouTube.com through Google Display Network (GDN).
Companion Banners
- Description: Appears to the right of the YouTube player on desktop.
- Requirement: Must be purchased alongside In-stream ads, Bumper ads, or In-feed ads.
In-feed Ads
- Description: Resemble videos with images, headlines, and text. They link to a public or unlisted YouTube video.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that play outside of YouTube, on websites and apps within the Google video partner network.
Masthead Ads
- Description: Premium, high-visibility banner ads displayed at the top of the YouTube homepage for both desktop and mobile users.
YouTube Ad Specs by Type
Skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Placement: Before, during, or after a YouTube video.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Action: 15-20 seconds
Non-skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Description: Must be watched completely before the main video.
- Length: 15 seconds (or 20 seconds in certain markets).
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
Bumper Ads
- Length: Maximum 6 seconds.
- File Format: MP4, Quicktime, AVI, ASF, Windows Media, or MPEG.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 640 x 360px
- Vertical: 480 x 360px
In-feed Ads
- Description: Show alongside YouTube content, like search results or the Home feed.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Headline/Description:
- Headline: Up to 2 lines, 40 characters per line
- Description: Up to 2 lines, 35 characters per line
Display Ads
- Description: Static images or animated media that appear on YouTube next to video suggestions, in search results, or on the homepage.
- Image Size: 300×60 pixels.
- File Type: GIF, JPG, PNG.
- File Size: Max 150KB.
- Max Animation Length: 30 seconds.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that appear on websites and apps within the Google video partner network, not on YouTube itself.
- Logo Specs:
- Square: 1:1 (200 x 200px).
- File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
- Max Size: 200KB.
Masthead Ads
- Description: High-visibility ads at the top of the YouTube homepage.
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher.
- File Type: JPG or PNG (without transparency).
Conclusion
YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to reach audiences effectively in 2024. Whether you want to build brand awareness, drive conversions, or target specific demographics, YouTube provides a dynamic platform for your advertising needs. Always follow Google’s advertising policies and the technical ad specs to ensure your ads perform their best. Ready to start using YouTube ads? Contact us today to get started!
MARKETING
Why We Are Always ‘Clicking to Buy’, According to Psychologists
Amazon pillows.
MARKETING
A deeper dive into data, personalization and Copilots
Salesforce launched a collection of new, generative AI-related products at Connections in Chicago this week. They included new Einstein Copilots for marketers and merchants and Einstein Personalization.
To better understand, not only the potential impact of the new products, but the evolving Salesforce architecture, we sat down with Bobby Jania, CMO, Marketing Cloud.
Dig deeper: Salesforce piles on the Einstein Copilots
Salesforce’s evolving architecture
It’s hard to deny that Salesforce likes coming up with new names for platforms and products (what happened to Customer 360?) and this can sometimes make the observer wonder if something is brand new, or old but with a brand new name. In particular, what exactly is Einstein 1 and how is it related to Salesforce Data Cloud?
“Data Cloud is built on the Einstein 1 platform,” Jania explained. “The Einstein 1 platform is our entire Salesforce platform and that includes products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud — that it includes the original idea of Salesforce not just being in the cloud, but being multi-tenancy.”
Data Cloud — not an acquisition, of course — was built natively on that platform. It was the first product built on Hyperforce, Salesforce’s new cloud infrastructure architecture. “Since Data Cloud was on what we now call the Einstein 1 platform from Day One, it has always natively connected to, and been able to read anything in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud [and so on]. On top of that, we can now bring in, not only structured but unstructured data.”
That’s a significant progression from the position, several years ago, when Salesforce had stitched together a platform around various acquisitions (ExactTarget, for example) that didn’t necessarily talk to each other.
“At times, what we would do is have a kind of behind-the-scenes flow where data from one product could be moved into another product,” said Jania, “but in many of those cases the data would then be in both, whereas now the data is in Data Cloud. Tableau will run natively off Data Cloud; Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud — they’re all going to the same operational customer profile.” They’re not copying the data from Data Cloud, Jania confirmed.
Another thing to know is tit’s possible for Salesforce customers to import their own datasets into Data Cloud. “We wanted to create a federated data model,” said Jania. “If you’re using Snowflake, for example, we more or less virtually sit on your data lake. The value we add is that we will look at all your data and help you form these operational customer profiles.”
Let’s learn more about Einstein Copilot
“Copilot means that I have an assistant with me in the tool where I need to be working that contextually knows what I am trying to do and helps me at every step of the process,” Jania said.
For marketers, this might begin with a campaign brief developed with Copilot’s assistance, the identification of an audience based on the brief, and then the development of email or other content. “What’s really cool is the idea of Einstein Studio where our customers will create actions [for Copilot] that we hadn’t even thought about.”
Here’s a key insight (back to nomenclature). We reported on Copilot for markets, Copilot for merchants, Copilot for shoppers. It turns out, however, that there is just one Copilot, Einstein Copilot, and these are use cases. “There’s just one Copilot, we just add these for a little clarity; we’re going to talk about marketing use cases, about shoppers’ use cases. These are actions for the marketing use cases we built out of the box; you can build your own.”
It’s surely going to take a little time for marketers to learn to work easily with Copilot. “There’s always time for adoption,” Jania agreed. “What is directly connected with this is, this is my ninth Connections and this one has the most hands-on training that I’ve seen since 2014 — and a lot of that is getting people using Data Cloud, using these tools rather than just being given a demo.”
What’s new about Einstein Personalization
Salesforce Einstein has been around since 2016 and many of the use cases seem to have involved personalization in various forms. What’s new?
“Einstein Personalization is a real-time decision engine and it’s going to choose next-best-action, next-best-offer. What is new is that it’s a service now that runs natively on top of Data Cloud.” A lot of real-time decision engines need their own set of data that might actually be a subset of data. “Einstein Personalization is going to look holistically at a customer and recommend a next-best-action that could be natively surfaced in Service Cloud, Sales Cloud or Marketing Cloud.”
Finally, trust
One feature of the presentations at Connections was the reassurance that, although public LLMs like ChatGPT could be selected for application to customer data, none of that data would be retained by the LLMs. Is this just a matter of written agreements? No, not just that, said Jania.
“In the Einstein Trust Layer, all of the data, when it connects to an LLM, runs through our gateway. If there was a prompt that had personally identifiable information — a credit card number, an email address — at a mimum, all that is stripped out. The LLMs do not store the output; we store the output for auditing back in Salesforce. Any output that comes back through our gateway is logged in our system; it runs through a toxicity model; and only at the end do we put PII data back into the answer. There are real pieces beyond a handshake that this data is safe.”
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