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Mastering Mobile Marketing: Successful Strategies that Work for Your Business

mobile marketing

Mobile marketing has quickly become one of the most utilized methods of marketing. It is estimated that more than $271 billion will be spent on digital advertising by the end of 2023. Since last year, that number has increased by more than 11 percent. Digital advertising encompasses a wide range of promotional activities conducted through digital channels and platforms. It leverages the internet and electronic devices to deliver targeted messages to a specific audience. Included in that area is mobile marketing, which is what we are focusing on here. Mobile marketing includes advertisements specifically designed for mobile devices, including mobile apps, mobile websites, and location-based targeting.

When it comes to our cell phones, sometimes it can feel as if the power of life itself revolves around them. They have become our personal assistants, managing everything from calendars to maps and reminders to entertainment and social connections. Targeting mobile users makes good sense for relatively low dollar amounts. It allows businesses to reach a highly targeted audience, track performance metrics in real-time, and adjust strategies based on data insights. It’s a dynamic and evolving domain that continues to adapt to new technologies and consumer behaviors.

So how do we attract consumers and advertise effectively when it comes to mobile marketing? We’re glad you asked. At Ligon Marketing, our experts have a few tips up their sleeves on this very topic. Let’s take a look at some key components, below:

Targeted advertising

Your digital desktop campaign may drive traffic to your website and business, but does it work as effectively for mobile users? People search desktop computers (and laptops) in different ways and for different purposes than they use mobile devices.

While they may use the same keywords, their goals and urgency may be quite different.  Developing your mobile strategy and advertising campaigns starts with understanding the thinking and behavior of those who are seeking your products or services. Once the mobile campaign is implemented, it’s important to measure mobile and desktop results independently. Detailed tracking will help you make the most of both campaigns and spend your marketing dollars effectively.

Mobile-specific ads and landing pages

As mentioned above, translating existing website content to a mobile format doesn’t always work. Sure, you want consistency in your branding, but why not consider creating an ad specifically for mobile use, and linking it to a mobile-only landing page? You might increase conversions through an ad that has a sharp, relevant landing page to keep your audience clicking.

Ad campaigns based on location targeting (geo-fencing)

By definition, mobile users are a “moving target.” They want information about your business when they need it and right where they are, and your company has to deliver relevant and personal experiences to attract these consumers.

Targeting by location is one way to customize your message, addressing their interests where they are.  How does it help?

  • You can compete with bigger competitors. Why shop with big-box stores when your local retailer is nearby?
  • Your customer feels like you know them and establishes a deeper connection with your brand. Use Starbucks, for example. They know what you like to drink based on your preferences and can guide you to their closest store to get it.
  • Technology allows you to measure your consumers’ offline behavior.

Again, know your audience and what will be relevant and valuable to them. Coupons or discounts that pop up when the mobile user is in a specific area can be helpful and appreciated.

No one wants to feel their privacy has been invaded, so consider what type of messaging provides value and will be welcomed when delivered. Keep in mind, this tactic is not necessarily valuable to all companies, so don’t feel like you must jump in. Your marketing dollars may be better spent on other mobile tools.

We understand that realistically, this can be a bit overwhelming for any business owner. That’s why it requires a lot of careful consideration and planning. Why do it alone? Hiring an agency like Ligon Marketing can help you navigate the best way to advertise, so you can spend your time on what you built your business to do – thrive!

Text campaigns

Text campaigns (or SMS) may seem like old news, but they still offer some nice benefits to marketers. Primarily, instant delivery, direct to a consumer who wants to receive it. (To avoid the invasion of privacy factor, get the buyer’s permission, or opt-in, before implementing this tactic.) Research indicates that within 15 minutes of being delivered, text messages boast an average read rate of 97% after opting-in. Of course, it’s just as easy to overuse the invitation to text, and advertisers can lose their welcome if the messages fail to offer value and a reason to stay engaged. Consider running a text message campaign where users can participate in polls or contests by sending a text message with their responses. Engage them further by providing instant feedback or entry into a contest.

Create an app and enable notifications

Creating a mobile app for your business can offer a wide range of benefits and opportunities. These include enhanced customer engagement, improved user experience, direct marketing, data collection and analysis, e-commerce and sales, and other creative marketing opportunities. By having consumers download your app, they will be able to interact with your business in an innovative way. It’s important to note that while mobile apps offer many advantages, their development and maintenance require an investment of time and resources. This is why partnering with a trusted marketing agency is key if you plan to go this route.

 

Next steps

Like other forms of marketing, mobile campaigns are built on strategy. Know your audience, make your campaign speak to their needs, and know the goals you want to reach. Then measure your results. It often takes time and tweaking to hit the right note and achieve the desired results.

Developing effective strategies and implementation plans is what we do at Ligon Marketing. Check out our website and give us a call to talk about how mobile marketing can work for you and your business!

Top 8 Tips for an Unforgettable Email Marketing Campaign

Email Marketing

Email marketing is such a valuable tool for businesses and organizations alike. Email marketing campaigns provide you, as a business owner, the opportunity to send direct and personalized communication to targeted audiences with measurable results.

We know – with overflowing inboxes these days, you may think email marketing is just a shot in the dark. However, email campaigns still have a place in the toolbox and are significant in helping return on investment when used correctly.

When creating email marketing campaigns, it’s important to remember to include several items to make sure you are maximizing your potential for building long-term relationships with customers and prospects.

We suggest the following 8 tips to create an unforgettable email marketing campaign:

  1. Send Emails to People Who Want to Hear from You.

    Have customers opt-in to your email list, or at least target those with whom you have a business relationship. Readers are more likely to engage with your business when they’ve given permission for contact. Plus, when you send emails that are merely deleted or left unopened, your domain reputation can suffer.

  2. Have a Clear Goal Outlined in Your Message.

    Define your goal, so you can communicate it to your recipients. Do you want them to fill out a form, follow a hyperlink, or use a promo code? Make it as easy as possible for readers to respond to your call-to-action. No specific goal? Don’t send an email just for the sake of it – people may get a little overwhelmed from multiple messages without a point. Make it worth their while to open your messages, and your consumers will reward you with their engagement.

  3. Personalize Your Messages.

    Emails generate higher response rates when sent to an actual name (rather than “Dear Customer.”) However, everyone is concerned about online privacy, so just stick to recipient name or company name. You may be targeting your audience with specific data, but you don’t want to scare them off with your in-depth knowledge.

  4. Be Personal on Your End, too.

    Engagement is higher when email marketing messages are sent from an actual person or company email address, rather than a “no-reply” account. You want your customers to reply (see #2).

  5. Pay Attention to Unengaged Subscribers.

    Suppress messages to those whose email providers start sending them to spam boxes. Even customers who have opted-in to your list may ignore or send your messages to spam, especially if they feel overwhelmed.

  6. Check Your Analytics.

    If you notice an extremely high rate of unopened emails, you’ll need to take inventory. Are you sending too many emails or failing to meet customer expectations? Perhaps you need more creative material or compelling calls-to-action.

  7. Vary the Days of the Week When Hitting “Send.”

    Depending on your audience, you will need to tailor the time and days of the week you send your messages. For example, if your primary audience is health care workers that don’t spend a lot of time near their computer, you will want to choose an optimal day and time to ensure a higher open rate.

  8. Write Strong Subject Lines & Avoid Clickbait-style Headings.

    When people open your email and find less-than-authentic communications, you risk losing them forever. Consumers appreciate authenticity and typically turn away from cliché marketing messages.

Email marketing can be a great complement with other communication tools and techniques for consumer attention. It’s effective when done correctly, but requires creativity, trial and error, and diligent attention to the analytics of clickthrough rates and response.

If this all sounds overwhelming, don’t worry! Ligon Marketing has experience implementing and measuring effective email marketing campaigns, and we can help you identify appropriate opportunities as part of your overall marketing strategy. Need help with that strategy? Let’s meet for coffee and talk.

 

Building a Website Together: Unveiling the Power of Online Presence

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Building a Website

In today’s world, connecting with customers has become both effortless and intricate. The modern consumer, be it a patient, client, or buyer, expects to discover information about almost anything online. Before making a call or visiting a physical store, most of us turn to the web to search for products and services. Therefore, your company’s website serves as the cornerstone of a successful marketing strategy.

So, have you taken a moment to explore your own website recently?

  • Is it user-friendly, with easy navigation and readily available key information?
  • Do you address the most common questions customers ask in a clear and easily accessible manner on your site?
  • Have you checked how your website performs on mobile devices, ensuring vital information remains readily available?
  • How well does your website rank in comparison to your competitors in search engine results?

Once you have established a strong foundation, you’ll need to add the necessary elements to your online structure, much like constructing a building requires bricks, mortar, and tools. Just like maintaining your home, your website also requires ongoing attention and care. By incorporating new photos, blogs, and updated designs, you can keep your online presence fresh and appealing to your customers. Websites were never meant to be static; they are the dynamic building blocks of effective marketing plans.

While you wouldn’t expect a chef to build your house, it makes sense to turn to professionals for the development of your website and marketing strategy. You excel in your orthodontic practice, using cutting-edge tools, but are you familiar with the tools of marketing and their potential impact on your business? Beyond the website, think about the significance of signage, print ads and collateral, video production, and leveraging social media platforms.

You have a deep understanding of agronomics and golf courses, but do you truly have the time and expertise to write engaging blogs, create compelling scripts, or design proposals that will entice your target audience to visit your site?

Moreover, you may be adept at analyzing complex financial statements, but are you aware of how to use the data available about your online visitors to enhance your online presence and foster business growth?

At Ligon Marketing, we possess the tools and a team of specialists to develop a strong foundation for your website and marketing endeavors. We are dedicated to assisting you in not only establishing your online presence but also fostering its growth and success.

Digital Advertising Part II: Which Type of Advertising Is Best for My Business?

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If you’re reading this, we hope you’ve read part one of our digital advertising blog series: What Is Digital Advertising and Why Do I Want It?

Welcome to the second article in our multi-part series on the ins-and-outs of digital advertising. Now that you know the basics, you’re probably asking: which type of advertising should I use to grow my business? We’re here to help you answer that by exploring the pros and cons of five primary strategies. Social media, display, native, remarketing and Google ads marketing.

Let’s dive right in. 

Social Media Advertising

As of 2020, approximately 3.96 billion people use social media platforms worldwide (that’s roughly half the world’s total population). With so many people spending their time on social sites, advertising on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest or LinkedIn can be very lucrative.  

What makes social media advertising so attractive?

Social Media Ads for Digital AdvertisingReach. Did we mention that half the world’s population is on social media? Facebook alone has 2 billion individual users who span across all age groups and demographics. Advertising on social media is a surefire way to increase your brand’s reach and awareness. 

Targeting. Social media platforms offer a wide selection of targeting options for advertisers – you can target by location, age, gender, income, education, profession, interests, behaviors and other demographics. Segmented targeting ensures that you’re placing ads in front of people most likely to be responsive to them.  

Engagement. Social media platforms are designed to foster connection and communication. Thoughtful and engaging ads can draw the likes, comments, follows, and clicks that help you build a better relationship with your audience.  

Social media platforms are an incredibly popular place for users to be online. That means they’re also an incredibly popular place for other advertisers. With so many brands clamoring for attention – and so many ads dominating users’ feeds – standing out is difficult if you’re new to social media. Making a real impact requires a time-intensive (and costly) effort to craft compelling content, monitor the results in real-time, and adjust as necessary.

And even that may not be enough. Even if you use specific targeting to place ads in front of your core audience, they may not be interested in purchasing at that time. Social media advertising can pay off, but it takes time, patience, and a financial investment to hit your stride and see results.  

Display Advertising

Display ads – also called banner ads – appear on third-party websites or apps affiliated with search engines and ad networks. Banner ads are very versatile and can include a combination of text, images, logos, video and interactive elements. 

Google Display Ad Example

What makes display advertising so attractive?

  • Brand awareness. Display ads are designed to be attractive, engaging and visually appealing to visitors browsing the web. You can build up brand awareness, position your brand top of mind, and create initial interest in your products and services. 
  • Targeting. Display advertising offers targeting options – you can choose the websites and platforms you want your ads to appear on, and you can select specific criteria (location, age, interests, etc.) for your targeted audience. Targeting increases the chances that your ads will be seen by people who are interested in your products and services.

Display advertising has significant drawbacks as well. Display ads typically have lower click-through-rates and lower conversion rates than other forms of advertising. While you’re able to target your core audience, display advertising isn’t effective if viewers aren’t actively seeking your products and services.  

The second major drawback is ad blindness. Consumers are besieged by ads everywhere they go online, causing many browsers to scroll by advertisements without really seeing them. Ad frustration has also led to the rise of ad blockers that allow visitors to scroll in peace but cost you impression opportunities.  

Native Advertising

Native advertisements are designed to blend seamlessly into the platform where they are displayed. They look and feel like other content on a website or social media platform, but native ads are paid for by advertisers and have a “Sponsored” label on them. You may not even notice native ads as you scroll through a website or social feed – they look like regular articles that are “recommended for you,” “articles you might like,” or “promoted content.” 

What makes native advertising so attractive? native ad digital ad

  • Relevancy.

    Native ads mainly appear on websites, blog posts and social media feeds related to your products and services, meaning your audience is already interested in your subject area and more likely to click on your content. 

  • User experience.

    Native ads are less disruptive to the user experience because they integrate seamlessly within content that visitors are already reading. 

  • Engagement.

    Today, many consumers have ad blindness, where they scroll past obvious ad content without stopping to read it. Native ads generate more time, attention, engagement and higher click-through-rates because they don’t look like ads. Instead, they match the type of content readers are already looking for, driving more clicks. 

But native advertising isn’t for everyone. While native ads are more engaging at first click, readers may feel duped or taken advantage of once they realize your content is an advertisement. Native advertising only pays off when you craft well-written, useful and engaging content with the reader in mind. A poorly crafted ad will only increase users’ feelings of deception once they realize the content is an advertisement – and that can lead to a negative brand perception.

Creating native ad campaigns is a time-intensive and costly process. Measuring the effectiveness of your campaigns is another challenge because there are no standard metrics to track ROI, actions taken, or ad impact. And finally, native advertising doesn’t drive traffic to your website and therefore has few SEO benefits.    

Remarketing Advertising

Remarketing is a useful advertising method to display ads to people who have already visited your website. This form of advertising uses digital cookies to follow users around the web and target them with ads for specific products or services they viewed on your site. The purpose of remarketing is to draw visitors back into the conversion cycle. 

What makes remarketing so attractive?

  • Recall value. Many consumers aren’t ready to make a purchasing decision the first time they see a product or service on the web. But repeated exposure through remarketing ads familiarizes consumers with your brand and increases brand recognition. When the time comes to make a purchase, your brand will be top of mind.   
  • Conversions. Studies have shown that remarketing ads have high click-through-rates and increased conversion rates. The term “effective frequency” describes the idea that consumers must be exposed to an ad several times before the ad drives an action – although exactly how many times ad exposure should occur is still up for debate.  

Unfortunately, remarketing can quickly go sour with poor execution. There’s a fine line between showing an ad too many times and not showing it enough and finding that balance is challenging. The major drawback of remarketing is that consumers may find retargeted ads creepy, annoying, invasive, or frustrating.   

Paid Search Advertising

Search engine marketing (SEM) displays paid advertisements at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) on Google, Bing, Yahoo and other platforms. Paid search is arguably one of the most effective ways to find your audience online and drive quality traffic to your website. And among search engines, Google reigns supreme. Google processes more than 3.5 billion searches per day, and many of those queries are from users looking for more information, reviews and recommendations before purchasing a product or service.

What makes paid search advertising so attractive?

Google Ads Search Example

User intent. Keyword targeting is what sets paid search apart from other types of digital advertising. Targeting specific, valuable keywords with high user-intent lands your ads in front of an audience that’s already in the research or consideration phase of the purchasing process. You can also launch targeted campaigns based on audience demographics, location, or even time of day. Precise targeting is a driver of high-quality traffic and high conversion rates. 

Prime placement. Paid ads appear top of page on Google, which is exactly where you want to be when users are searching for your products or services. When you coordinate your paid search and SEO efforts, you have the chance to rank twice for the same keyword – in paid search listings and organic listings, doubling your brand exposure on the page.   

Immediate visibility. Search ads begin generating results immediately, driving targeted, high-quality traffic to your website. Paid search advertising is an excellent technique for gaining short-term brand awareness, especially if you’re still building your organic SEO strategy. 

Paid search advertising is the most expensive method of digital advertising. While you gain immediate web traffic when ads are running, the flipside is a steep drop-off in leads once the ad campaign finishes. Paid search requires an on-going budget to keep driving site visitors, and the costs can add up quickly. While you have complete control over how much or how little you spend, bidding for fiercely competitive ad space is not always cheap.  

Wow, That Was a Lot of Information – How Do I Get Started?

Now that you have a better idea of the pros and cons of each type of digital advertising, let’s have a conversation! There’s a lot that goes into starting, running and fine-tuning successful ad campaigns:

  • Determining what types of ads will help you meet your business goals
  • Choosing a bidding model
  • Setting a budget
  • Performing market research on buyer personas and target audiences
  • Crafting compelling, engaging ad copy, images and video
  • Monitoring and tracking metrics
  • Optimizing ads in real-time to improve performance

Digital advertising is an incredibly complex landscape to navigate if you’re new to the ad game. That’s why we highly recommend seeking help from an experienced digital advertising and PPC marketing services company like Ligon Marketing. From start to finish, our team will help you create and launch an ad strategy to help you achieve your advertising goals. Call us today at 863-838-5475 or drop us a message online. 

Digital Advertising Part 1: What Is Digital Advertising and Why Do I Want It?

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In the digital-first era, if your business doesn’t have a strong presence online, then your brand isn’t being seen. And if your business isn’t advertising online, then your brand isn’t staying competitive. This year, market research company eMarketer predicts that digital’s share of total advertising spend will near 50% globally, and soon digital ad spending will surpass traditional mediums. 

The rapid rise of producing and distributing promotional content via digital channels (like search engines, social media, mobile apps, emails, and third-party websites) isn’t surprising. First and foremost, online is where your consumers are. Second, advertisers have discovered that digital advertising is vastly more data-driven, measurable and precise than many traditional mediums. And third, digital ads are cost-effective, drive new qualified leads, increase brand awareness and deliver an impressive return on investment (ROI).       

“And third, digital ads are cost-effective, drive new qualified leads, increase brand awareness and deliver an impressive return on investment (ROI).” 

To boil it all down: digital advertising is a bandwagon your business needs to be jumping on. At Ligon Marketing, we specialize in digital advertising and paid search marketing services.  We’re here to help businesses navigate the complex ins-and-outs of advertising online. This blog article is the first in a multi-part series covering all the essentials of digital ads and paid search. 

So let’s dive right in – keep reading as we guide you through the basics of what digital ads are and the types of online advertising available.  

 

What Do I Get Out of Digital Advertising?

We’re not saying that traditional advertising isn’t effective – executed correctly, it is. The stages of the buyer’s journey haven’t changed; however, many consumers are completing the entire buyer’s journey through online touchpoints. To meet this new shift, digital advertising offers several unique benefits over traditional mediums. 

  • Brand awareness. For your campaigns to be effective, your marketing efforts need to reach consumers where they are. And in 2021 and moving forward, the vast majority of your audience is online. Having a digital presence is crucial to increasing brand visibility and reach. 

    Digital Advertising

  • Measurable results. Traditional forms of advertising (print, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail) don’t offer you a way to measure the effectiveness or ROI of your ads. Digital ads can be tracked and monitored from start to finish with ad platforms automatically collecting and documenting the data.  

  • Selective targeting. In the same vein as the point listed above, traditional print or TV advertising may not allow you to target the exact audience you’re trying to reach. Digital advertising offers several valuable targeting options for audience demographics, including age, location, interests, behaviors, past purchasing decisions, income, education and more. Selective targeting ensures that your budget is going toward the consumers most likely to take action after seeing your ad.    

  • Testing. Digital advertising provides testing capabilities that allow you to continuously gather information on the types of ads that are effective. With A/B testing, you can run two ads simultaneously while varying one aspect. Such as the audience targeting or the ad image to determine which ad performs better. Once you determine the audience taking the most actions and the ad copy or images generating the most engagement, you can weed out ineffective strategies and optimize future ads for better results.   

  • Real-time optimization. Once your print ad or TV commercial is out in the world, the messaging, ad copy and graphics are locked in until the campaign is complete. And if the messaging doesn’t resonate with consumers, then your business has wasted time and resources on an ineffective campaign. In contrast, the flexibility of digital advertising allows you to optimize ads in real-time as you track the metrics and ad performance. If a Facebook ad is performing poorly after one week of a 4-week ad run, you can alter it. You can easily adjust the ad copy, image or audience targeting to draw more engagement without overextending your budget.

  • Wider reach. Digital advertising allows you to advertise to and engage with consumers at every stage of the buyer’s journey, from awareness through the purchasing decision. Your business can optimize ads for different audience specifications or keyword searches that reach consumers at multiple touchpoints along the buyer’s path.  

  • Instant results. Don’t misunderstand us – organic SEO is an incredibly effective strategy for driving traffic to your website, generating quality leads and growing your business. But SEO takes time to make a positive impact and produce results. Digital advertising immediately puts your brand and offerings in front of potential customers. On the backend, you can track ad performance in real-time to determine the impact your efforts have. 

  • Customized budget. Digital advertising flips the balance of control. For traditional print, TV or radio ads, the publisher sets the budget your business must fulfill to guarantee ad space. In contrast, digital advertising allows you to control how much you spend to produce ads. Also, how much you end up paying based on ad performance (we’ll get into the specifics later in this article). Digital advertising is customizable and scalable for businesses of all sizes.   

Still on board? Then let’s look at the ad options available for your business.  

 

5 Types of Digital Ads

Digital platforms allow for a diverse offering of ad types and layouts. The following are the 5 most popular ad formats.

  1. Search engines. Search engine marketing (SEM) displays advertisements at the top of search engine result pages (SERPs). SEM is a great way to put your brand in front of consumers searching for relevant keywords and phrases surrounding your business offerings. Google dominates in search engine ads – with over 3.5 billion searches being processed per day, Google ads marketing offers the largest and most diverse audiences for businesses to target.    

  2. Social media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest all offer advertising space, and with over 3.6 billion people using social media worldwide, social platforms are the place to be. Social media is also a fantastic place to showcase engaging, eye-catching video or image-based ads. 

  3. Display. Display ads are advertisements that appear on third-party websites or apps affiliated with search engines and ad networks. Many websites also directly sell advertising space to advertisers. Display ads can be an effective component of a remarketing campaign. Advertisers have a bounty of choices for displaying ads through banners, popups, video, text, mobile or images. Like with SEM, Google dominates in the world of display ads. The Google Display Network contains millions of websites and mobile apps that reach 90% of internet users, including user-rich YouTube.    

  4. Native. Native advertising uses ads that match the look and feel of the media platform where they’re displayed. What does that mean? Native ads don’t really look like ads – they might look like advertorials, “recommended articles,” or “promoted content” on social media and websites. They make a soft sell that exposes users to advertising in a non-disruptive way. Native ads can be quite effective for attracting users who are wary of being advertised to and have “ad blindness,” where they scroll past obvious ad content without reading it.  

  5. Remarketing. Remarketing displays your ads to consumers who have already visited your website or taken an action but haven’t taken further steps to convert. The purpose of remarketing is to keep your brand top of mind for consumers and re-engage them into the conversion process.  

Now you may be wondering: what types of ads are right for my business needs? Ad selection is a whole article in itself, so we’re going to cover the topic in more detail in the second part of our blog series – be on the lookout for that in the next few weeks! For now, let’s talk about how payments for ads are determined. 

 

Bidding Models for Digital Ads

Your business has a lot of control over how you pay for digital advertisements. The most popular bidding models for ads include:

  • Pay-per-click (PPC). PPC is exactly what it sounds like: your business pays for every click on your ad. The appeal of PPC is that users who click on an ad are more likely to take an action on your website and convert. The resulting sale would be far more profitable than what you paid for the click. PPC is the most common bidding model in SEM. 

  • Cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM). Again, CPM is precisely what the name implies: your business pays for every thousand times your ad is displayed on someone’s screen. CPM is a good bidding model for expanding brand reach, but it’s not cost-effective if users aren’t taking actions on your ads. Simply put, views doesn’t always translate to conversions.  

  • Cost-per-action (CPA). If you bid with CPA, your business pays for every conversion that results from your ad. An action could be a click, a sale or a form submission. CPA can be extremely beneficial, since users who take an action on your ad are more likely to convert to a sale. 

For more specific ads, your business can also bid by paying for app installs, followers on social media, new connections on LinkedIn, or video views for video ads. 

 

Metrics and Measurables

One of the primary advantages of digital advertising is the ability to track and measure in real-time. Monitoring and analyzing ad metrics helps you improve strategies, optimize ads and decide on next steps to meet your goals. The following metrics can help you gain a high-level understanding of how well your ads are performing.

 

Google Ad GraphsReach is the number of people who saw your ad.

Impressions are the number of times your ad was displayed on someone’s screen. (*keep in mind that this number includes people who saw your ad multiple times*)

Clicks are the number of times someone clicked on your ad.

Conversions are the number of people who completed the action you set on your ad. (like filling out a form or signing up for a newsletter)

For a more in-depth look at how effective your digital ad strategies are, we will help you monitor the following:

  • Click-through-rate (CTR). CTR is determined by calculating the percentage of clicks to impressions. For example, if your ad got 3 clicks out of 100 impressions, your CTR is 3%. A higher CTR indicates that your ad is relevant, compelling, and resonating with your target audience. 

  • Cost-per-click (CPC). CPC is the amount of money your business pays for every click. The CPC is determined by maximum bid for the ad, ad quality and ad competition. Your goal is to have the lowest CPC that’s driving the best traffic and generating quality leads.  

  • Cost-per-conversion. Cost-per-conversion is determined by dividing the total cost of an ad by the total number of conversions. The lower cost-per-conversion, the better.  

  • Return on ad spend (ROAS). ROAS is determined by calculating the amount of revenue generated from an ad campaign versus the costs to run the campaign. ROAS looks specifically at the effectiveness of ad campaigns to help you determine if digital advertising is a good investment. 

OK, I’m Interested – How Do I Get Started?

Hopefully this article got you fired up to start your own digital advertising campaigns or at least piqued your interest. There’s a lot that goes into starting, running and fine-tuning successful ad campaigns:

  • Determining what types of ads will help you meet your business goals

  • Choosing a bidding model

  • Setting a budget

  • Performing market research on buyer personas and target audiences

  • Crafting compelling, engaging ad copy, images and video

  • Monitoring and tracking metrics

  • Optimizing ads in real-time to improve performance

Sound time consuming? It is. That’s why we highly recommend seeking help from an experienced digital advertising and PPC services company like Ligon Marketing. From start to finish, our team will help you create and launch an ad strategy that will help you meet your business goals. Call us today at 863-838-5475 or drop us a message online. 

 

 

What’s In Your Marketing Toolbox For 2020?

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In the digital age, it’s easy to assume that the most effective marketing takes advantage of the newest technology. Digital marketing has exploded since the dot com boom. We see marketing content on websites, email, social networks, and online games. People can access that content with computers, mobile phones, tablets, and sometimes with wearables. The breadth of digital marketing possibilities can sometimes seem overwhelming. Should you focus your efforts on one type of digital medium, or spread your brand to as many as you can? What happens when technology becomes obsolete and forces you to abandon large parts of your marketing strategy?

It’s that final question which has the most interesting answer. Although it might seem counter intuitive, staying on the cutting edge of technology is not always the best idea for marketing, especially in the digital age. People care about tech and convenience, but no one wants to constantly upgrade just to see content they’re interested in. That’s why “old” technology retains a foothold in marketing, even as tech races ahead. Customers like to use what they’re familiar with, and those options sometimes aren’t “high-tech” at all.

Storytelling has been an effective marketing tool for the entirety of human history. People love interesting narratives because they feel authentic. The more someone can connect to a story, the better chance that they’ll be interested in your product. This is the basis for all forms of marketing — all marketing content is telling a story in some form. Whether it’s a video trumpeting how happy someone is with a new cleaning product, a white paper detailing a company’s accomplishments, or a press release for a new technology, an interesting story never fails to pull people in.

Print media means something a bit different than it did before the digital age. However, paper ads, brochures, and direct mailings haven’t become obsolete just yet. Since they’re less common than they used to be, retro style print media may actually be more effective than in years past. Studies have shown that touching something and holding it in your hands makes you more likely to buy something, and a physical advertisement can serve that purpose. Digital print, on the other hand, refers to email marketing, funnel campaigns, and websites. Blogs are indispensable as marketing tools, and making your website easy to use is analogous to graphic design of older print media. The easier it is for people to get your message, the more likely they’ll end up buying your product.

Videos are turning into stories of their own, and they work very much like commercials on syndicated TV stations. The difference is that effective marketing by video on the web tends to be very short. An argument can be made that internet video marketing is its own form of cinema, telling short stories and connecting with people just like movies. Social media marketing uses a similar concept, drawing people in with unique visuals and concepts. It can be challenging to create concise videos or social media posts, but the more you can communicate with fewer words and time spent, the higher chance that people will remain interested in your product.

Radio and audio are also experiencing a resurgence in the marketing world. The days of large radios, and of hardware specifically for radio itself, are mostly behind us. The modern world of radio involves satellite feeds and streaming services. Millions of people listen to satellite radio and customized streamable playlists every day, so creating a quick and affordable radio commercial can reach unprecedented numbers of people. Most people don’t pay for ad-fee music, so there are a lot of opportunities for growth in digital radio. Since streaming services often target specific demographics with different types of music, marketers can piggyback off that concept to target people who would be most interested in their products.

Customer service has not always been considered marketing. However, with people’s ability to express their opinions worldwide through the internet, it’s become critical for a business’s success. When people leave reviews for a business, they’re much more likely to leave negative reviews about things they didn’t like. People don’t tend to leave positive reviews even if something went well, since we tend to remember negatives more strongly. In digital marketing, good customer service is perhaps most important to avoid bad reviews. It’s not about individual customers anymore, but about projecting a positive image to protect your brand.

Ligon Marketing works with you to develop a marketing strategy that encompasses all of today’s marketing options. Whether this means embracing new technologies or using old school storytelling, we give the tools to make your marketing shine. We offer customer service training, and we have years of combined retail and sales experience to help you focus on what matters most for your target audience. Give us a call at 863-838-5475, or check out our complete website at LigonMarketing.com.

How a Sales Funnel Can Transform Your Online Marketing

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Sales funnels are powerful tools used to help businesses attract and convert their customers online. The premise is simple: drive traffic to your website (either through advertising, social media or word of mouth), provide an incentive to visitors to provide their contact information, and continue communication with them in order to promote the actions that are meaningful and profitable to your business.

Even if you are unfamiliar with sales funnels, chances are you have been a part of one before. Have you ever visited a website and were tempted with an additional percentage off your first purchase just by providing your email address? Or has a company offered to provide you with the top secrets or best practices for something relevant to your business, asking for your email address to send the information to you? These are both examples of sales funnels and we’re sure that you’ve seen how effective they can be.

The first step in any lead generation system is the lead magnet, or what will draw customers to your site. This can be something such as an offer, deal or unique product or service that is advertised either through digital advertising, social media posts or email marketing. The most important element is that this magnet should solve a problem that your audience is facing, drawing your prospects into the sales funnel.

Once potential customers are enticed with your lead magnet, they arrive at a landing page which then triggers a series of events to guide customers through the process to drive conversions and profitable actions. The conversions can be defined as anything meaningful for your business goals: online sales, newsletter sign-ups, or booking an appointment. This conversion is the goal of the sales funnel.

After reaching the landing page, customers are presented with an opportunity, typically, to submit their email address. Once a customer enters their email address, one of two paths can be triggered. A completed journey path (including a thank you), or an incomplete journey path (started but not complete). If a customer completes the desired conversion, their information can then be directly imported into a CRM (or customer relationship management) platform or another database. This automation helps to streamline the customer communication and build brand loyalty and repeat business.

If a customer abandons the sales funnel or does not complete the desired conversion, an email marketing campaign is triggered to maintain communication with the consumer and encourage them to complete the action. The most effective way to achieve this is to use the Soap Opera Sequence of email marketing, outlined here:Email Sequence for Sales FunnelFollowing this template of email communications will draw consumers who abandoned the funnel back to the process and increase the likelihood that they will end up completing the desired action due to the implied urgency of the sequence. In order to make the best use out of the sales funnel, we recommend automating these email communications using an email marketing partner such as MailChimp or Constant Contact.

When looking for a lead generating service, there are a few key elements that you should look for. The first is whether the platform is designed for the actions that you want customers, or potential customers, to take. For example, a retail site will have different desired consumer actions than a doctor’s office or law firm. The second is the platform’s ability to integrate with other systems that your company is currently utilizing such as email marketing, CRM platforms, and web systems.

There are many different platforms out there that provide a do-it-yourself approach to creating sales funnels, like ClickFunnels and Leadpages. These platforms make it simple and efficient to develop automated and effective sales funnels. However, there are limitations to what they can achieve. These platforms require a monthly subscription payment and are limited in the level of customization when it comes to system integrations and options for the funnel triggers.

If you have tried these platforms in the past and are looking for a more tailored approach, or if you have specific business goals in mind, we are here to help. Our sales funnel experts are available to discuss custom solutions and to help build a one-of-a-kind platform that will help achieve your business goals and one that you will have ownership of. These are designed with your consumers’ behaviors in mind and based on what will increase the efficacy of your marketing efforts. Contact us today to learn more!

5 Ways to Keep Your Business Afloat During a Crisis

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The coronavirus pandemic is forcing businesses to rethink everything from their structures to their advertising. Most people are staying home to prevent themselves from getting sick with COVID-19. This poses a challenge for businesses, especially those that rely on face-to-face interaction with customers. People are less likely to buy things in turbulent times. Small businesses can have trouble staying afloat as their cash flow gets smaller. With the right strategies, though, small businesses can thrive in hard times. The key to survival is for a small business to engage with its community. There are many creative ways that a small business can accomplish that goal.

Work with Small Business Groups

The Small Business Association (SBA) has many resources available at https://www.sba.gov. A section of its site is devoted to information about COVID-19 and how to handle business without spreading the coronavirus. The SBA also has special debt relief options in place for small businesses who are struggling in these difficult economic times. If you’re just starting out, the SBA also helps entrepreneurs launch, plan, and grow their businesses. Your state Department of Economic Opportunity can also help you find local resources. Some states also provide loans specifically for small businesses, like the Florida Bridge Loan Program. Don’t be afraid to ask these groups for help! With the right resources, you can start a successful business even in an economic downturn. Small businesses are the backbones of many communities, and people rely on them just as much as big businesses. Small business groups understand this, and many people in those groups have experience with businesses of their own.

Collaborate with Other Businesses

Competition is a big part of business. During an uncertain time like the coronavirus outbreak, though, businesses can survive by working together. Unlike the Great Depression, completely remote businesses now exist. Collaboration is easier than ever across state and international borders. It’s possible to have meetings with a hundred people without worrying about any of them getting sick from COVID-19. Try contacting other small businesses who do similar things or make similar products. If one business is having trouble with shipping, perhaps the other business can solve the problem with its products or connections. Combining products or marketing could help both businesses prevent layoffs. Creativity is key to collaboration between businesses. Collaboration doesn’t mean that businesses must merge and lose their individual identity, either. Business can collaborate to strengthen their own brands and to help each other at the same time. They’re used to working against each other, but working together can inspire more stability, more customer confidence, and new innovations.

Innovate

Innovation is all about making your business better. Look at your difficulties with the coronavirus pandemic as areas where you can improve your business. If you’re worried about many of your employees getting sick from COVID-19, invest in a remote work program. Is there a possibility that your servers can’t handle a surge in customers caused by stay at home orders? Research and invest in some new hardware that’s better than your competition. Don’t forget to be creative! Is there something that your customers need that you’re not providing? Has someone had an amazing idea for a new service? Don’t be afraid to take some creative risks during this time. If you tap into a new market or create a product that no one else is offering, your business could quickly reach new levels of success. Many people think of the coronavirus as a temporary problem until we get back to normal. There’s no reason that “normal” must be the same as it was. Small business can innovate to create a new, better normal. Use the uncertainty and stress of this difficult time to make something better!

Advertise

Since people don’t usually buy as much when times are tough, it’s easy to think that small businesses should cut their advertising budgets. Instead, small businesses should increase their advertising as much as they can. This goes double if they’ve created something new and exciting that consumers would be interested in while dealing with the coronavirus. Many people are afraid of COVID-19 right now, and a fun distraction with a product they like could be just what they need. Reach out to potential customers with digital marketing. Use lots of SEO, and try to repeat your message as often as possible. People don’t often buy a product the first time they see it, so you need to convince them. Find creative ways to make your product appealing. Tap into new technology or write an app. Tailor your marketing to the people who need your product most and focus on them. Some companies even sell products at a loss if it helps them get the word out to people who need them.

Give Back

It’s easy for businesses of any size to forget about giving back in a time of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic. That’s just what many small businesses are doing now, though. Some are donating medical supplies to fight COVID-19, others are helping raise awareness, and still more are donating to people in need. From a business perspective, you can think of these actions as positive advertising. It’s a good investment with a high rate of return. Successful businesses know, however, that there’s more to it than money and numbers. Businesses of all sizes rely on customers to keep afloat, so giving back is a way to thank them and make their lives better in return. Helping out is important because running a successful business isn’t just about money. It’s about making the world a better place by providing people with something they need.

Never Stop Marketing

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Marketing during an economic recession or downturn is a necessity that many businesses may squander. 

By nature, the first reaction people have to any major fiscal threat is to hoard and cut many so called “non-essential” services (marketing for instance) that cost them additional money.  While it is true that certain budget cuts might have to be made in dire times, many businesses end up making the wrong type of cuts — including eliminating their marketing department. Instead of helping their cause, this actually sets their business up for failure; dooming their business’ chance at an opportunity that seldom presents itself: to be heard above their competitors. Merely reacting to a negative situation is not a sound business strategy; instead you should carefully consider the future and where you’d like to be, especially when the present crisis has ended. 

“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time”  -Henry Ford

Since ancient times, the market square, where people gathered, was the only place for entrepreneurs to sell their goods and services. If you wanted to be noticed above all the thousand other people in the market square, you had to do something different to stand out.  After all there were probably dozens of businesses just like yours and they all sold the same thing. Having bright colors hanging near your stall, or a sign above your booth would be a good start. But if you wanted even more exposure, you would need to reach directly into your customers heads: through their ears.  You would need to get out there and proclaim your wares or services in a loud voice. And if you were too busy to do it yourself you would hire someone to be that “Loud Voice Guy” for you. That “Loud Voice Guy” would be the birth of your marketing company. 

 

Think about it this way: if less people were buying because of an economic crisis, you wouldn’t want to stop your “Loud Voice Guy” from working, or even worse, fire him. Instead, to get one step above your competitors, you would want to hire another “Loud Voice Guy” or two for that matter, expanding your reach to let more people know about your amazing product. That way even though there may be less people buying, you are the one getting more exposure and all the while the same amount or possibly even more customers.  Yes, it’s true you’d be paying for additional marketing, but if your business is to survive you would need it.  And if you fired all your “Loud Voice Guys” you might have more money in the short run, but you would lose all those potential sales you could have gotten as well as the new customers you might have attained in the future.  

To put it simply, marketing is about getting your name out to the people who want what you are selling. There are people out there just waiting to spend their money but have no idea who you are or where you are located.  Your marketing company is your “Loud Voice Guy.” You need them to keep your customers coming. If you cut your marketing as you make cuts to every other part of your business, then you might as well say, “Goodbye it was nice knowing you,” to your customers. Because two things will happen: your present customers will forget about you, and (should the recession end) you will no longer have a voice that can be heard above your competitors. The latter means you are delegated to the back of the race for customers with all your competitors, (especially those who had a marketing team when you didn’t) erasing years of hard work.  

Marketing is about psychology.  The marketer (“Loud Voice Guy”) knows that people require different ways to be inspired to buy a product or service.  He will do his research and find out what people are thinking. He will then take this research and bring it back to his particular business and present it, after which finding the best way to proceed.  Marketing takes time, just like anything you are building. Arbitrarily cutting your marketing because of a gut reaction of fear due to economic setback is like burning your building down because of a rat infestation. 

Did you know that most of the businesses that survived the Great Depression acted as if there wasn’t a Great Depression at all?

This attitude reflected an idea that a business would create demand even if demand wasn’t there.  In other words, business owners did not play victim to whatever was happening around them. Innovation is key to survival in any situation that occurs, whether positive or negative.  Your marketing company serves as a pioneer for your business and is your best hope for weathering tough times, along with your positive mindset. You need your marketing company — keep this part of your team. In fact, turn them loose and let them innovate and grow your business, especially now. 

 

Ligon Marketing is a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations agency based in Lakeland, FL. Ligon Marketing works with several businesses of all sizes to collaborate with and identify the most effective ways to present unique stories to target audiences. Utilizing digital solutions, practical business strategies, advertising, events, media buying, public relations, social media and more, our end goal is to help businesses grow, thrive, and improve their financial performance through effective and compelling branding and marketing campaigns. 

Ligon Marketing is owned and operated by Cora Ligon, who was born in the United States but spent her childhood in Papua New Guinea with her linguist parents. Her cross-cultural experiences and multilingual background give her deep insight to communication between different groups and types of people. Alongside Cora, Ligon Marketing has a dedicated and experienced team of experts that have a passion for helping companies flourish. For more information about Ligon Marketing and the extensive list of services the agency provides, visit www.LigonMarketing.com, or call 863-838-5475. You can also follow Ligon Marketing on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Working from Home? Get that Canine Co-worker to help

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A lot of us are working from home these days and, as a result, a lot is being written about how to be successful at it.  Dress as if you’re going into the office, find a quiet workspace, create and stick to a routine, eliminate distractions as best you can… the list goes on. All good advice.

What people haven’t been talking about is how to put dogs to work.  Not pulling sleds or fetching a beer from the fridge – those dumb, menial tasks that are far beneath most breeds – but the kind of work that dogs are truly capable of.  A little known truth: A canine co-worker can be a huge help; you just have to understand what they like to do, and what they do best.

Weimaraners, for instance, are great with spreadsheets.  Put a “Gray Ghost” in front of an Excel doc and just watch him go. They are highly intelligent, and wizards with facts and figures; left-brain kind of stuff. Thanks to their German heritage and genetic makeup, Weimaraners are meticulous, detail-oriented and highly focused. An added bonus; keeping him busy will give him less time to devote to other activities he loves. Such as chewing on your favorite shoes or digging up your garden.

Got some research that needs doing?  Bloodhound. The website hillspet.com hits this one right on the snout… the bloodhound is known for his “baying, howling, and (unfortunately) whining.” He will complain a bit about the work, but he’s got a nose for sniffing things out, “a gentle, patient, noble and mild-mannered animal that also exhibits tremendous determination and independence.” In other words, he’s an independent worker… a “self-starter” as HR people like to call them.

Being an agency, we do a lot of work with clients… learning their business, helping them grow it, etc.  Those individuals are called Account Managers. It’s almost like sales. Therefore, it’s perfect work for the Miniature Bull Terrier. Why? Petguide.com describes the terrier thusly: “Miniature Bull Terriers are bright dogs, but their attention spans are rather short. Praise and rewards with yummy little treats work better for Mini Bulls than harsh words, yelling or discipline. Consistency is important with this breed. They can become confused if one day he’s allowed to lie on the couch and the next day he’s not.”

The MBT is ideal for working with clients. He often doesn’t really see how small he is, so he can puff himself up pretty well.  He’s not particularly skilled at listening, but he does respond well to praise and treats. Lastly, he sure doesn’t care for getting yelled at. In short, the ideal salesperson.

Of course, every office environment needs a bit of comic relief now and then. That’s where the Schnauzer comes in. They are extremely intelligent but, like many jokers, put their intelligence and energy into frivolous pursuits, rather than being focused… and helpful.  According to hillspet, because they are so incredibly smart they find themselves easily bored, which is displayed by “running through the house with toys, chasing the kids and being a pest.” Sound like one of your hanging-around-the-water-cooler-annoying-people-co-workers?  We’re sure it does.

Lastly, there will be times no doubt, when you need toner ink, stamps, a flash drive, or a large pizza.  When going on an errand is involved, call on the Golden Retriever.  Goldens are dependable, “trustworthy, serious workers with a joyous and playful approach to life,” according to AKC.org.  Imagine, someone who will run any errand for you with a smile on their face and a song in their heart.  You won’t find anyone like that in a traditional office setting!

So, if you find yourself working from home and you’re fortunate enough to also enjoy the companionship of a furry friend, don’t worry about trying to set aside time to care for him.  Get him to help!

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