Welcome to Echoes of 22, our interview series where we bring forward the perspectives of our team to spark meaningful conversations about branding, marketing, and growth.

In this first edition, guided by the experience and insights of our President, Marc Hernandez, we reflect on how the marketing industry has evolved since the early days of 22Brands and where it stands today. 

The Beginning: From Necessity to Purpose 

Every strong brand has a clear origin. Ours began with a moment of change. In 2011, the company where Marc Hernandez was working suddenly shut down, leaving him at a crossroads.

“When that door closed, I had two choices… look for the next job, or create something new. I saw how powerful marketing could be in attracting new customers, and I wanted to help smaller companies understand it without the complexity.” – Marc Hernandez

What started as a necessity quickly revealed itself as a deeper purpose. Marc didn’t just want to build a new agency. He wanted to help business owners find clarity in a confusing, fast-changing world. 

2011: The Pre-Digital Challenge

To understand where marketing is today, we must first establish where it was then. In 2011, social media was still a major question mark. Facebook was gaining traction, but businesses questioned whether online engagement would translate into real sales. TV and radio advertising still consumed the majority of budgets. The iPhone had begun to fundamentally reshape daily life, and people were learning to search for services instead of flipping through the Yellow Pages.

For small and midsize businesses, the barrier to entry was high. Many believed websites and branding belonged only to large corporations, and critically, Return on Ad Spend was nearly impossible to measure. This uncertainty created an opening for partners willing to guide, educate, and simplify.

“Business Listings were moving from the Yellow Pages to the online world, and companies needed experts to help them navigate. Most small business owners didn’t know how to track results, so marketing felt like a gamble.” – Marc Hernandez

The End of the Guesswork Era

In the early years, marketers seemed to bevalued for creativity above all. A catchy slogan or a bold billboard defined impact. As digital tools matured, however, the curiousity expanded.

“In 2011, marketers were idea generators. Today, creativity is still essential, but it is no longer sufficient. Marketing is now tightly integrated with business and sales. Full-stack marketing is the expectation. You must connect your discipline directly back to growth.” – Marc Hernandez

The industry has moved from a focus on clever campaigns to a complex ecosystem where data, analytics, design, and strategy intersect. It’s essential to note that success is not measured by superficial engagement, but rather by real, trackable growth.

One of the most defining transformations has been in how results are measured. We bring clarity to complexity by helping businesses transition from hoping something works to proving it does.

“Back then, brands were spending money and hoping it would create revenue. Today, analytics are sophisticated enough to cut through the noise and show what’s really working. If you’re not tracking, clients don’t think you’re a good marketer.” – Marc Hernandez

The Client Evolution: Pressure vs. Focus

Client awareness has grown, but so has the pressure to perform. Brands feel they need to be everywhere, all at once. The temptation to chase quick visibility is strong: go viral, rack up followers, and mimic the success of influencers.

“Every kid thinks they’re going to be the best YouTuber or TikToker online. Every brand believes they have to be everywhere as well. But the illusion of fame doesn’t put money in the bank.” – Marc Hernandez

The role of a marketing partner is not mere execution, but strategic guidance. Our job is to prevent clients from chasing every trend and remind them that real, sustainable growth originates from a purpose. 

The Rise of AI: Opportunity and Responsibility

We now stand at the edge of another significant transformation: the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence. You can’t deny it’s becoming something that affects our lives, inside and outside work environments. 

AI has the capacity to accelerate our work, but the core of the discipline, the human touch, remains irreplaceable.

“AI, if not used well, can become a pitfall for human connection. Our responsibility is to connect brand voices and language in ways that bring real value to audiences,” says Marc Hernandez.

So, what will ultimately define success in this changing landscape? It won’t be complex algorithms or the next wave of fleeting platforms. It will be defined by experience. This is the most exciting frontier for us: designing meaningful experiences that genuinely reflect what brands stand for. 

“Client experience rooted in culture and core values makes the best brands. When customers become fans thanks to the experience, it’s the best. AI can’t replace that,” he concludes.

Where We Choose To Stand

Fourteen years of change have taught us that marketing will never stand still. Platforms will rise and fall, algorithms will evolve, and technology will continue to advance.

Yet, a few truths remain constant:

• People always seek clarity.
• Connection is more valuable than visibility.
• Experience is what ultimately turns customers into ambassadors.

At 22Brands, this is where we choose to stand. We focus on building partnerships rather than chasing trends. We pursue sustainable growth rather than fleeting fame. And we use our tools with purpose.

Because at the end of the day, marketing is both an art and a science of the discipline of people.

The post Where Do We Stand: Marketing Then and Now appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

At the core of every successful business is a vision. Without a clear idea about where you are headed, it’s very hard to achieve a goal. Vision, in many ways, defines leadership. It is often what leaders point to in explaining their success. Not only does vision command the way things are, but it also clarifies the way things ought to be. Forward-thinking vision is what is needed to gain a reputation for innovation. Here are some important points to remember about leadership and vision.

Developing a Leadership Vision

The seed to a vision is deciding what you want to do for your community. Think of it as a big puzzle. You have to put several pieces together to form a cohesive vision, designed to make life better for others.

Vision can be developed in many different ways, from brainstorming to writing down dreams. Letting your mind wander while going on a walk can sometimes trigger many amazing original ideas. Great visions come from people picturing themselves in the future. Sure, a vision may be intended to help a group of people. But it needs to be a leader’s personal view that he or she can defend with passion.

Team Communication

It takes repetition and time to create a comfortable team atmosphere of trust and concern for your organization. For this reason, you should communicate with your team often. There are multiple effective ways to communicate with team members, both in person and electronically. Most importantly, everyone on the team needs to understand what the purpose of your organization is, which helps create a more productive workplace.

Sharing the vision of an organization is a central role of being a leader. Communication skills are the foundation of effective leadership. It’s essential for the leader to get everyone on the same page and moving toward the same goal.

Learn More: Is Your Team Flying Blind?

Problem Solving

One of the cornerstones of a winning vision is that it encompasses solving problems. The vision is what you want to communicate both internally and externally. The more people who understand your vision, the more people you can use for brainstorming or research to find solutions to problems in society.

Spreading the Vision

Once you have a clear vision that communicates your goals quickly, the next step is to tell as many people as you can in your target market. There are now multiple methods for getting your message to the masses, but social media is becoming one of fastest-growing ways to connect with a following. That means that successful leadership is becoming more dependent on attracting a following as a leader through social media networks and other online communication.

Making Your Vision Clear

Over time you want others to be very clear about your vision. But there is a good chance that your vision will evolve over time due to refinements and adjustments that result from studying your results. It helps if the vision is refined through feedback from other people, but it must also remain strong and consistent.

A way to make your vision more powerful is to let other people feel they have a stake in helping shape the vision. People will be more loyal to a cause if they think they can make a difference. This concept does not mean letting go of control, it’s more of a reminder that teamwork with a shared vision is extremely valuable.

The post Leadership: Keeping the Vision appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

Regardless of the size of your business – whether you’re just starting out with a new enterprise or you have established a brand – you have to get found in order to be successful. To get found you need a strong online presence.

Digital Marketing

In order to optimize digital marketing, customers need to be able to get information about your business quickly and easily. Potential customers can be impatient. They don’t want to take much time to get the information they want.

Search engines have become sophisticated to the point that customers don’t use just one or two words to search for what they’re looking for. Besides the usual topical searches using keywords or phrases, your customers want to be able to use natural language to find what they want during an internet search.

Think about how you search for something on your phone. Have you ever wanted to find a restaurant or the nearest gas station while you’re on the road? Your question to Siri would most likely be: “Where is the nearest restaurant?” Internet searches have to be casual enough (so-to-speak) for your product or service to jump out to the consumer. To that end, you need to make the most out of your search results.

Learn More: Marketing Matters

Think About Paid Placement Advertising

If your marketing budget has room for paid placement marketing, you could see a generous return on investment. Paid placement advertising allows your listings to appear in search engine results coinciding with certain keyword searches. In order to have your advertising associated with particular keywords, you need to outbid a competitor for visibility in these online searches. Paid placement advertising is an excellent way to get found by potential customers or clients.

Learn More: Divvying Out Your Marketing Dollars

Blogging for Results

You may have wondered what use a blog is to internet marketing. A blog is an important part of the way your customers will find you online. It’s a page attached to your website that gives your viewers pertinent information that will make them more interested in what you have to offer them. Blogs can be the sharing of information from other sources, or it can represent your products or services.

In order for your blog and website to be effective and found by search engines, be sure to do the following:

• Create accounts on social media. As your blogs are created, make sure you share them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These social media sites help you reach a wide range of demographics.
• Follow blogs and comment on other blogs that are similar to yours. You will increase the number of potential customers able to view your information. Share links to your blog on other blogs when appropriate.
• Keep your customer’s interest piqued by including visual aids such as videos and images related to your products or services on your blog.

Don’t Forget Email Marketing

Email marketing is still alive and well – and important to the success of an online marketing plan. It’s important to have a clear purpose when you ask for email addresses. People are inundated with information and hate to have more junk mail come into their inboxes. They expect to receive something for giving out their addresses. They don’t want spam or emails that come too frequently.

For a successful email campaign, offer your customers updates on activities or specials. Giveaways, discounts and free downloads are always welcome.

Make It Easy for Your Customers

As we’ve mentioned, finding what customers want has to be an easy process. If searching doesn’t bring instant success they will go elsewhere. Relevant keywords are extremely important of course, but you also need to take into consideration the following:

• Are you posting high-quality content?
• Does your page load fast enough?
• Is your content too long? Too short?
• How often do you post? Updating frequently helps keep your information appealing and relevant.

Get Found

Your business can get found by utilizing each method of online marketing. It’s well worth the time and effort to have your company well represented in each aspect of social media. Take a look at super successful companies and look at all of the ways they market their product or service. Follow their lead and we may be seeing your brand within our next internet search.

The post Get Found appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

Creating a brand and consistently communicating that brand are two common challenges in business, no matter what size.  Small business owners often feel overwhelmed because they don’t have the advertising budget for television, radio, and stadium advertising as bigger companies do. Therefore, they think they need to depend on word of mouth and out-of-date print mailers instead of harnessing the power of an online presence with a marketing strategy that will not only draw people in but keep them engaged. Do you just need a blog and a couple of videos? How do you tell your business story? What is a brand story? 

What Is a Brand Story?

A brand story can be defined as a narrative that brings together the facts and feelings that are created by your brand. We believe it’s even more than that – it’s your promise to those you serve. Things that influence your brand might include your mission, vision, and values as well as product, price, history, quality, marketing, location, and of course, what other people say about you.

Where Do You Begin?

While helping local business owners develop a marketing strategy, we often see two common areas of opportunity overlooked. These two areas include online presence and content – often thought of as websites and blogs, but there is so much more to it than that! In this article, we share why these are so important in helping people connect and ultimately convert viewers to customers.

Learn More: Expand Your Brand

How do you create an online presence?

When developing your brand story and building and growing your brand, take a baseline assessment of your digital presence:

1. How visible is your company?
2. When they find you, what are you saying, what impression does that make?
3. Can you measure what happens as a result?

Know what your company stands for and why it matters. Decide how you want your brand to come across and what type of message you want to share. For example, do you want a polished and professional appearance or would you rather come across as more casual and relatable?

What is Content?

Most people hear the word content and think of magazines or newspaper articles. While it is both of those, content encompasses so much more. Content helps you get found, communicate, create value, build engagement, and grow.

Learn More: Creating a Killer Content Strategy

BLOGS

Blogs are often used as a form of educational content marketing where businesses share information important for their customers and other followers. Most local business websites are comprised of pages and posts. Pages usually focus on a product or service the business provides, whereas blogs may be more seasonal and answer specific questions or provide tips for their customers.

Since most business blogs discuss a particular subject or answer a specific question, they tend to support a product or service with the article. They should always, however, share something of value.

VIDEO

A video is one of the most effective ways of communicating your story. At XXIIBrands we often help our clients create a 30 to 120-second video story to help current and potential clients connect more closely with them and ultimately convert them to customers. With video stories, people can quickly digest information and connect with a local business.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, regardless of size and industry. A well-crafted brand strategy will allow you to stay ahead of your competition, even in a competitive marketplace. Your brand story stems from who your company is, what you want your company to be, and what people think about your company. Your brand lets people know what they can expect from your products and services and why you will be different from competing businesses. Social media is a great way to share the message. The concept is simple enough, but there is a lot more that goes into executing an effective social media strategy that is consistent with your brand.

Get creative when making your video story! Have fun and show off your brand. Start simply with your smartphone or hire someone with experience in video production. One way or the other, you want to make sure you present your best first impression of your brand.

How Much Does Small Business Marketing Cost?

There’s no doubt that having a marketing budget is important. After all, everyone wants their business to grow and make money, but that doesn’t happen magically. Marketing is an absolute necessity no matter what size company you are. Unfortunately, some small and medium-sized businesses struggle with creating and implementing a marketing budget. Getting it right can ultimately be the difference between success and failure for your business.

Read More: Divvying Out Your Marketing Dollars

For smaller businesses, especially when you’re just starting out, spending money on marketing can seem more like a luxury than a necessity. At XXIIBrands we look forward to helping you discover your brand story and create a strategy that fits not only your marketing budget but helps you reach your marketing goals.

The post This is My Story appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

Every company has a culture. And let’s be clear – organizations that claim not to have a culture, by default, have a culture. Most successful things in life don’t just happen serendipitously; they’re intentionally planned for and strategized. You wouldn’t be a very fruitful entrepreneur without a business plan. Football teams can’t run routes without a playbook. Teachers don’t effectively guide a class through the semester without curriculum. If you’re hoping a positive, motivating company culture develops organically without any intentional stewardship on the owner’s part, you’re likely headed for disaster.

Learn More: Expand Your Brand

Evaluate What Your Company Represents

If you want your business to reach its fullest potential, first define and promote a culture that reflects the core values of your company’s brand. What common goals are driving shared beliefs and behaviors?

Often, brands are mistaken for logos and colors exclusively, while culture gets mistaken for posters with words like “honesty” on the wall. Most businesses have integrity standards and creative elements. But the great ones attract clients and employees by creating repeatable stories and experiences that lead people to feel something. When clients feel something, they will continually come back for more. When employees feel something, they’ll push the creative limits and chase results. Great success lies in the marrying of your brand and your culture. By intertwining the two, you can create and cultivate connected feelings about your organization.

Once you’ve clarified what your brand represents, you can begin to implement changes that will bring your operations into alignment with the desired company culture. It’s vital that your values easily translate into action, both externally and internally, otherwise you risk looking insincere.

Learn More: How to Be Uniquely You

Put Theory Into Practice

In order for your company’s values to be represented accurately, they must evolve into your personal pattern of behavior. Once you’ve set the example, your team can follow. For instance, if one of your core values is accountability, you might want to adopt the following strategies.

• You are responsible for each decision you make and its subsequent outcome — no “passing the buck.”
• You seek viable solutions to the challenges you encounter.
• Your punctuality demonstrates respect of your team’s time and efforts.

Translating lofty goals into workable standard operating procedures distills and clarifies the message to your employees while offering tangible steps to meet goals – both their own and the company’s. This helps mold your culture into one with clear expectations and an achievable path to success.

Ensure Your Hiring Process Reflects Your Brand …

If your business is going to flourish, you need to be sure that all new hires are a good fit for where you want to take the company’s culture. It’s helpful to identify a framework you’d like employees to align to, and a good way to clarify that vision is to look for defining people inside your organization that you’d want to duplicate. What is it about them that stands out? Identify those features and make them a priority in future hiring practices. If you want to build a solid team, pursue candidates who naturally project the values your company culture represents.

… But Don’t Become an Echo Chamber

In a recent report on Global Human Capital Trends based on an international survey of more than 7,000 respondents, Deloitte acknowledged the impact of globalization on today’s workplaces. With that in mind, your company should be inclusive and value the different perspectives your employees bring to the table. A baby boomer won’t necessarily see the world from the same perspective as a millennial, yet both points of view are valuable for building culture and strengthening your brand.

While you want your employees to share your vision, it’s important to include people on your team who aren’t just “yes-men” or “yes-women.” A respectful challenge of a particular thought or idea stimulates growth. One example of this could be a CEO known for taking outrageous risks tempering those inclinations by hiring an executive with a more conservative perspective to point out any potential pitfalls.

Having a good mix of diverse individuals who bring unique perspectives to the table but who all share the same vision for your business is a good way to develop and promote a healthy company culture.

Recognize and Reward Excellence

If you want to inspire your team to exceed expectations, you need to exceed regular motivations. Verbal compliments are always a good way to showcase excellence in action, but there also needs to be a tangible expression of the company’s gratitude.

One way to do that might be to reward your sales associate with the highest totals with a trip, a spa day or a bonus. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box when it comes to affirmation – compensation doesn’t always have to be financial. Extra time off or a reserved parking spot can also be motivating. Regardless of what you choose, offering a reward for a job well done is usually a great deal more effective than negative reinforcement.

Everyone wants to be recognized for their efforts in achieving an organization’s goals. When your team members are working overtime, offer a long weekend to make up for the personal time lost. Designate days for team outings to celebrate victories and milestones. Showing appreciation for dedication is a good way to retain the best and the brightest members.

Encourage Open Communication

Think about the last meeting you held for your team. Did everyone appear as if they felt they could speak freely? Or did most of them have their heads down and seem like they didn’t want to be noticed? If it’s the latter, you may have unconsciously fallen into a company culture that devalues free expression of ideas.

While structure is important, it’s also vital to allow team members to have a voice in decisions. They’re often on the front lines, and their customer-facing perspectives have extreme value, even if the ultimate decision lies with the CEO. No one should feel too stifled to voice legitimate concerns or express an opinion in team meetings. Leaders should always be conscientious of what they’re communicating –both verbally and through body language – when they receive feedback from employees. Their response sets the trajectory for future dialogue.

Learn More: Improve Company Culture: Ways to Engage Your Team

Move the Needle

Upon reflection, you may realize that your company culture needs to shift in another direction. It can be helpful to choose several examples of the habits you’d like to see change.

After identifying these behaviors, you can plan how to substitute them with those that bring your company closer in line with its goals. Change is intimidating and doesn’t happen organically, so it’s important to have a path of implementation that clearly shows steps your organization needs to take. Don’t expect a transformation overnight – these steps need to be simple, manageable and encouraging.

Be the Example You Wish to Set

If you want to make your company an industry leader for the 21st century, your actions should fully demonstrate the behaviors you want your employees to model. Remember that as the business owner, the ultimate responsibility for establishing a solid corporate culture lies with you.

The post How to Create a Winning Company Culture appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

Optimizing your website for search engines is a valuable marketing investment for your business. These days, it’s nearly impossible to have a business without a web presence. But, in order to make your website valuable, you have to make it visible. That’s where search engine optimization comes in.

Unfortunately, too many people think that successfully optimizing your website for search engines can be measured by the traffic your site gets. Even more unfortunate is the fact that they are impatient for these results to materialize. Optimizing your website is a time and labor-intensive process. It takes time to build the sort of quality links that lead to long-term traffic and success. And, in the end, your measure of success is not the amount of traffic you receive, but in quality leads obtained and sales made. Here are five reasons why SEO takes time.

1. Getting Started Takes Time

SEO takes time because getting started takes time. However big or small, there are several tasks involved in simply setting up a marketing campaign:

• Choosing a domain name and setting up a website
• Setting up social media accounts
• Research
• Content creation

These tasks all take intentional time and effort, not just to do right, but to do well. 

2. It Takes Time to Build Quality Links

To get natural-looking links that are high quality and relevant, you have to build gradually. There are, of course, ways to get links fast, but the temporary spike in traffic could cause search engines like Google to view your website as suspicious and sideline it. It’s better to take your time and put in the effort to build quality links that will bring in sustained levels of traffic over the long haul.

3. The Web Is Always Evolving

It’s no secret – the web is constantly changing. Old competitors fall by the wayside while new ones pop up overnight. New search terms become popular as people find new ways of searching for the goods and services you offer. And search engines periodically change their algorithms, which means you have to be ready and able to adapt as needed.

Keeping up with an evolving web requires an ongoing and sustained effort on your part, which, you guessed it, takes time! 

4. Competition Can Be Fierce

If your competitor has had their website for 10 years and you’ve had your website for six months, they are probably much higher up in ranking. After all, they’ve had a lot more time to build credibility, quality links, and traffic. You can’t immediately compare your ranking to those of your veteran competitors. Not to mention, new guys show up all the time who are also competing for the same traffic you are.

5. The Web Likes Regular Content and Activity

If your website were simply an online brochure that you could create and forget about, it wouldn’t take long to build. However, if you want your site to be visible, it requires regular updates and maintenance. Search engines like a constant and consistent stream of information and activity as proof that your site is valuable and worthwhile.

Search engine optimization is a valuable part of your marketing campaign. And, because you can’t do business in today’s market without a web presence, you really can’t afford to overlook SEO. It can take time to successfully optimize your website, but good things come to those who wait. Understanding why SEO takes time (and some TLC) can make your wait a little easier. 

The post 5 Reasons SEO Takes Time appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

There’s no doubt that marketing budgets are important. After all, everyone wants their business to grow and make money, and that doesn’t magically happen by itself. Marketing is an absolute necessity. Unfortunately, some small and medium sizes businesses struggle creating a marketing budget. Getting it right can ultimately be the difference between success and failure for your business.

Why Your Business Needs a Marketing Budget

For smaller businesses, especially when you’re just starting out, spending money on marketing can seem more like a luxury than a necessity. As you start the process it may be helpful to keep the following in mind.

Nobody Really Spends Zero Dollars on Marketing

Sometimes people will say their company doesn’t spend money on marketing because it is more of an afterthought than a budgeted expense. How much is being spent and on what is less obvious; an exact number may be unknown. However, some of the things you probably regard as standard costs of doing business actually fall into the marketing category. Did you get business cards printed for your sales people? Are you paying for memberships in professional organizations?  Did you pay someone to design and maintain a website or to design your company logo? These are all part of marketing. Even if you think you don’t have a budget for marketing, you probably do.

Your Competitors are Spending Money on Marketing

Sitting by and waiting for your competition’s leftovers isn’t a good strategy. Actively pursuing your share of the market is a far better plan to produce revenue.

Creating a Marketing Budget May be Necessary to Secure Funds

If you need to invest in your business, lenders will want to make sure you can pay them back. Creating a marketing budget will show you’re fiscally responsible and have a plan for the money they are lending.

Hiring Professionals to do the Marketing For You Requires a Budget

For many small and medium size business owners and entrepreneurs, turning over the marketing efforts to someone else makes sense. Successful marketing is a big job. A good marketing plan requires at least a few different techniques, along with the time and expertise for implementation and measuring effectiveness. If you’re hiring someone else to do the job, not having a budget almost guarantees the results won’t meet your expectations.

Creating a Marketing Budget

Creating a marketing budget starts with two pieces of key information you should already have: your company’s revenue growth goals and your ideal customers.

Let’s start with revenue growth goals. Having an end goal in mind makes it easier to figure out how to get there. A specific and attainable revenue growth goal can be broken down into smaller benchmarks to measure progress. The path to achieving your revenue growth will be much clearer. You’ll know how many more customers and sales you need with a goal number in mind, and it will be easier to know when plans need to be adjusted.

The second piece of information is your ideal customer. Spending on strategies that don’t target the right market are outdated, or simply ineffective won’t get the results you want. You have to know who you want to reach and use the marketing strategies that are targeted to them.

How Much Should You Spend?

A general recommendation for small and medium-size businesses when creating a marketing budget is to spend between 5% and 10% of revenue. Keep in mind, the final number should include a few other considerations:

• The industry your company is in.
• What marketing methods you’re currently using and plan to use going forward.
• How long your company has been in business. A start-up business may have to spend more on marketing to build brand recognition. A company with a brand that has a solid reputation may use more of their marketing dollars for customer retention. Those different goals require different marketing strategies that result in different budgets.
• Where your ideal customer is and how you need to reach them.

Other Recommendations

No matter what your budget is, you’ll need at least a few different marketing techniques to reach your ideal customers and the results need to be trackable. There are different metrics that can be measured and tested to help know what works and what doesn’t.

By spending money on marketing, and measuring what’s effective, you will have a better idea of what your customers are really looking for. It won’t be a guess – you’ll have data to back it up. You’ll have a better idea of why customers buy from you and how to market that uniqueness. When customer preferences and marketing techniques start to change, you’ll have a better idea of how to change with them.

The post Divvying Out Your Marketing Dollars appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

In today’s digital marketplace, the easiest and most efficient way to connect with new and established customers is online. But to succeed and develop strong and lasting business relationships with your clients, it’s going to take more than a scattershot approach to content marketing. You need a strategy that reaches your ideal client where they already are: social media.

Keep in mind that you only get one chance to make a good first impression, so your goal should be to wow potential customers from the start. Whether they’re walking into your brick-and-mortar store or discovering your social post in their feed, customers should have an engaging experience that encourages them to continue the relationship.

Create a Content Strategy That Supports Well-Designed Web Pages 

If you walked into a store and the first thing you noticed was cluttered aisles and dirty floors, would you want to open up your wallet, or would you back out the door? The same applies to your web content strategy. You can be social-media savvy, but anything on your site that remotely resembles a web-design project from the ’90s — think blinking graphics, garish colors, and hard-to-access content — is shooting yourself in the foot.

While there’s nothing wrong with designing your own website if you have the chops, investing in professional web design is money well-spent. Remember that your website represents your brand, and your brand should be carefully curated and effectively showcased. When it comes to design, everything matters, from the fonts you use to the content strategy you employ. Just as you wouldn’t show up for a job interview in a stained T-shirt or ripped jeans, neither should you upload less-than-stellar content to your website.

Learn More: Small Web Tweaks That Make a Big Difference

Infuse Creativity Into Your Content Strategy

Content marketing on social media requires a cohesive and coherent creative strategy. You need to identify a goal you want to achieve, then chart a roadmap to get there. Failing to articulate your strategy can lead to muddled communication, both inwardly to your team and externally toward your customers. 

Ask yourself and your team:

• What questions do our customers regularly ask us? 
• How can we best fulfill their needs?
• Which strategies have been effective in driving clients to our website?
• How can we improve?
• Are there new technologies we haven’t tried that could grow our business? 

The answers to these questions should shape your content strategy and ultimately drive traffic to your website. Spend sufficient time on this step now so you aren’t scrambling to come up with something to post later.

The Role of SEO in Content Marketing

In 2016, a research study by Ascend2 revealed that relevant content marketing had a decided impact on companies’ growth patterns. In fact, as many as 57 percent of content marketers listed content creation as one of the most effective uses of SEO.

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the content marketer’s best friend. Your website should contain relevant SEO keywords that drive traffic to your site. But under no circumstances should you ever shoehorn keywords into your content. That’s known as “stuffing” and results in stilted content that’s an obvious hard sell to your clients.

SEO keywords should be inserted naturally and not affect the flow of your message to your customers. Take a look at the answers to the questions from the above bullet points. You’ll likely notice a pattern of particular words and phrases. These are the keywords that should appear organically as part of the story you’re telling and information you’re sharing.

Learn More: How Content Marketing Helps SEO

Create Web Content That Pops

Have you ever visited a website and noticed that the most recent update was during the last presidential administration? What impression did that leave with you? It likely wasn’t positive.

It takes work to create and post content that’s engaging and relevant to your clients’ needs and expectations. But, it also needs to be timely. To do that, first decide how often you’ll post. You want to find that sweet spot where you aren’t bombarding your social media followers with too-frequent, low-value posts or letting your site languish without regular updates.

Some businesses may benefit from daily updates, but if you’re just starting out or are new to content marketing, updates two or three times a week may be more realistic and successful. Remember, whichever route you take, consistency is key.

Make Sure Your Content Strategy is Value-Driven

You don’t have to give away the farm to attract traffic to your website. But offering your customers a small token of appreciation through free informative guides like ebooks or downloadable worksheets, contests, special discount codes and other perks is a good way to capture your audience’s attention.

Some companies decide to start blogs to promote their brand. This is an excellent way to share information and provide value in the marketplace. But, it’s a commitment you must be prepared to honor with regular updates.

Not all your posts need to focus solely on marketing. Customers also respond favorably to inspirational posts, funny memes and beautiful photos. You can also connect with your clients by posting behind-the-scenes videos of your crew hard at work. Just make sure that any content you post captures your business in the best possible light. Get rid of any cluttered backgrounds or unflattering lighting that could detract from your positive message.

Learn More: Using Visual Aids To Up Your Marketing Game

It’s also important that you (or your social media point person) respond promptly to customer comments as well as queries. Ideally, customer questions should be answered within hours, but a one-day turnaround is usually acceptable. Maintaining and giving value to customer relationships could be the difference between success and failure. 

Avoid Controversy

There’s no room for polarizing content on your website. Topics like politics, religion or anything remotely controversial isn’t doing your content strategy any favors. While the tone of your posts should correspond with your business and industry, your online content should remain positive and always be reflective of your brand.

Sometimes visitors to your website or social platforms may post controversial or provocative comments. You definitely don’t want a post to go viral for all the wrong reasons, which is why it’s important you remain engaged with your social platforms daily to delete anything that could detract from your branding.

Target Your Clients

Determine which customer demographic you’re targeting. Is it soccer moms? If so, a business Facebook page is probably the most relevant. If you’re chasing the millennial dime, consider reaching out via Instagram. If your products and services are more relevant for the business community, you may want to create LinkedIn content. Here, it’s all about finding your niche in the competitive marketplace. 

Learn More: Buyer Personas: Give Better Gifts and Get More Clients

With that in mind, there’s nothing wrong with posting content that’s applicable to all potential customers. Don’t be afraid to reach beyond your grasp. A successful content strategy is always fluid to expanding the client base and should dovetail with your business plan. Are your goals and values well-represented by the content that you post online? If not, you’re missing valuable opportunities to communicate your message to potential customers.

At the end of the day, business owners should be comfortable with the messages they convey to their clients, both online and in person. If your message ever gets off-track, a reliable content marketing strategist can help you flip the script and build a strategy for your company’s continued success.

The post Creating a Killer Content Strategy appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

You paid a lot of money for your business’ website. You picked the colors, designed the layout and painstakingly wrote every word of copy. Maybe you even hired the services of a branding and marketing agency. You waited for customers to come clicking in droves and spend their hard-earned money on your products or services, but so far … nothing.  Where’d you go wrong?

Having a website is great, but the fact that it simply exists isn’t enough. There’s a strategy behind why websites look the way they look, use the words they use, and flow in a particular direction. Inactive sites won’t help you meet your sales goals, keep customers or grow your business. If you’re worried your website may be underperforming, it might only require one of these easily doable website design solutions.

Learn More: Is Web Design Dead?

Keep it User Friendly

When someone encounters your website, everything should work cohesively to create an enjoyable user experience. In this day and age, it’s essential to optimize your site for mobile use. Site mapping should be logical to your visitors, allowing them to easily know where to go to get what they need. If it isn’t obvious, most people won’t bother looking around, they’ll just move on.

Want to ensure your website is easy to use? Pay attention to these key user-friendly indicators.

Website Navigation

When it comes to website design, navigation is arguably the most crucial component of your site’s usability. This means that detailed planning up front is essential, but will pay literal dividends with future sales. Menus and buttons should be easy to see and find. What they lead to should be obvious, and extra clicks should be avoided.

You want to be sure not to overwhelm your visitor with too many navigation labels. When people get overloaded with choices, they tend to not make any. This could end up costing you potential leads. The labels you do choose should include keywords or phrases that answer the question your visitor is asking, providing them with a clear pathway through your site.

Colors and Fonts

You want your company’s brand to be easily recognized in your website design. One of the best ways to do this is to keep your colors, typography and content consistent. Inconsistent fonts and colors can overwhelm, drive away potential leads, or cause confusion, leading visitors to think they’ve stumbled onto a different website.

Learn More: On Color Branding: Are You Allowed to Use Trademarked Colors?

Pay attention to your fonts, including copy, headings, navigation menus and buttons. Your website design should be consistent and aligned with your branding. Font sizes should be easy-to-read on both a desktop and mobile device.

White backgrounds are still the top performers when it comes to website design. The contrast is easiest on the viewers’ eyes and provides clarification. And don’t be afraid of strategically placed negative space — it can direct visitors’ focus.

Layout

When a website requires users to click through multiple pages, it can create confusion. Scrolling a single page instead of clicking and loading separate web pages is a faster, simpler way to offer clear information.

Where things are located within your site also matters for search engine optimization. If site crawlers have a harder time locating information, it could hurt your search ranking.

Learn More: How Good Design Positively Impacts Your Business

Create Engaging Content

Visitors engage with online content differently than they do when they read a book or the side of a cereal box. Formatting the way your text is presented on a screen impacts the user’s response. Short paragraphs, strategic spacing, lists and headings all play a role in organizing your message into an easy-to-receive presentation.

The quality of the content is important, too. Blog posts, product descriptions and videos should be engaging and easy to understand. You want your message to stand out, so clear away complicated explanations, wordiness, rambling and unnecessary details.

Meet Customers Where They Are

More and more people are viewing websites on mobile devices. In fact, since late 2016, mobile search has accounted for more than half of organic traffic. And it’s still growing. With the overwhelming popularity of smartphones and tablets, why risk excluding potential customers?

You want to be available to customers no matter how they choose to connect with you, and sites formatted for desktop-view only can be extremely frustrating for visitors. Pages that don’t load or navigate properly drive potential customers away faster than anything else. Make sure you’ve positioned your site to reach users in multiple formats so that they can receive your message and quickly find answers to their questions.

Maintain Your Website

If you can’t remember the last time you made updates to your website, it’s probably time for a thorough audit. An outdated site sends the wrong message to your visitors and unnecessarily drives away business.

Learn More: Website Maintenance + Goals

Make Content Relevant

The messaging used within web copy strategically guides your customers through the sales process and should be updated to reflect their changing needs and your growing expertise. Outdated content gives the impression you aren’t as knowledgeable as you say you are, which damages trust.

Update Your Photos

Ever looked through old photos and had a laugh about the clothing or hairstyles? You may or may not be in the beauty or clothing business, but an outdated photo can communicate a lack of understanding. If you want to demonstrate leadership within your field, outdated pictures won’t help. It also makes customers think you don’t care about your business. Whether it’s stock photography or photos of products, make sure your images are bright, clear and current.

Learn More: Using Visual Aids to Up Your Marketing Game

Keep Information Current

Imagine what you would think if you went to Apple’s website for information about the latest iPhone, but instead found specifications for the original version. Not only would it be completely unhelpful, it wouldn’t encourage sales of the products customers actually want and need.

Be sure to take regular inventory of your site for outdated information. Not only will this improve your visitor’s experience, but also positively impact your SEO ranking.

Interact With Your Audience

Your website design should make it fast and easy for audiences to engage and connect with you. A traditional contact page should definitely be included within your navigation, but don’t be afraid to try new tools and technology to form a connection. From live chat services to pop-up surveys, getting personal with your potential customers makes a difference in their perception.

Website design and maintenance was likely not on your mind when you were dreaming of starting your business. But neglecting it will cost your company. However, you don’t have to take everything on yourself. Hiring a professional to handle day-to-day tasks keeps you focused, allows your business to run efficiently and inspires return visits from your customers.

The post Small Web Tweaks That Make a Big Difference appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.

All good business owners know and understand the value of impressing potential customers and clients. After all, the success of any small business depends on customer relationships, and you invest a lot of time and money to create, build, and maintain them. The right marketing strategies make it easier to reach your target demographic and appeal to their interests. But you can’t turn any of these people into customers if you turn them off first.

Sometimes, the most valuable business advice is the simplest. Whether you’re trying to breathe new life into a long-time business or find your very first customers as a startup, your first task is as simple as it gets: make a good first impression!

Every potential relationship starts with the chance to make a good first impression. And, just like romantic relationships, business opportunities can easily end before they even have a chance to begin. First impressions are priceless opportunities for any business, but how exactly can you make the most of them? As you design your website, prepare to interact with customers, and attend meetings, make sure you avoid the following “first date” fails.

Being Poorly Dressed

When it comes to first impressions, outward appearances play a big role. They tell others what to expect and how to feel in a matter of moments. That’s true for first-date fashion and web design alike. After all, if you show up in a clean, stylish ensemble, your date will be more able to focus on you and notice your best features. Wrinkles, clashing colors, and ill-fitting or inappropriate clothes, however, can be distracting and make the rest of you look unprofessional and unprepared. The same is true for your company’s digital presence.

A “well-dressed” website is intuitive and attractive, both easy to use and easy on the eyes. Instead of getting lost or distracted, users should be able to find what they want right away. This makes it much easier to take actions like scheduling an appointment or purchasing a product. They may not consciously think about it, but your customers will be more likely to associate a well-designed website with a well-run business. They’ll also associate your brand with a positive memory of a convenient and enjoyable user experience.

Of course, if your website is difficult to navigate or cluttered with outdated fonts and graphics, users will have the exact opposite experience. If their senses are offended or they can’t find the information they want, they will most likely move on to someone else.

Learn More: Growing Your Business with Good Web Design

Keeping Them Waiting

Punctuality will never go out of style. Running late is a good way to run a romance – or business – into the ground. Whether you’re late to meetings or it takes you too long to return messages, the effect is the same as showing up late to a first date: the people you most want to impress will assume you don’t care or value their time.

When you keep customers waiting, they may assume you’re irresponsible and unreliable in other areas as well. Do you have poor time management skills during projects? Do you make other business commitments you cannot keep?  

In that same vein, slowing down your customers can also cause frustration. If your website loads too slowly or the lines in your store get too long, your customers may explore and move on to faster, more convenient places to shop.

Sticking Them With the Check

Swooping in for the check at the end of a nice date helps make your date’s evening even more enjoyable. It allows them to focus on the experience rather than worrying about the cost or how to split the expense. But, if you stiff them completely and leave the bill on the table, you create an uncomfortable situation for everyone.

You wouldn’t stick your date with the entire check, and you should treat your professional connections the same way. Your goal is to make every experience they have with you as pleasant and easy as possible, even if you have to invest some time or money into it. Sometimes, that means going above and beyond with a free gift, unexpected discount, or extra service. It could even be as simple as a flexible return policy or slightly lower prices.

Having Sloppy Habits or Manners

No date wants to stare at food in your teeth or stains on your shirt while you try to win them over. Likewise, no client wants to deal with unprofessional slip-ups like typos, poorly timed phone calls, or bad email etiquette while doing business with you. Don’t give your competitors an unnecessary advantage; put your hygiene and manners first.

For example, don’t walk into a restaurant until you pop a mint and check your reflection from head to toe. In the business world, this means not communicating with customers until you’ve proofread every word. If your professional interactions are one-on-one, the same first date “red flags” apply: bad breath, sloppy or stained clothing, and dirty nails are as unprofessional as it gets.

Red Flags on Social Media

If you’ve ever scoured a date’s Facebook or Instagram before meeting them, you know that social media is a digital version of the first impression. When potential customers land on your social media pages, what will they see? Hopefully, they’ll notice your contact info first, followed by plenty of positive interactions with users and relevant, interesting posts. But what if they spot something controversial, vulgar, or negative?

There’s no reason to have polarizing content on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media pages. This includes everything from off-color memes to angry replies, reviews, and posts. Embrace positivity – especially when you have to handle negative feedback – and make sure your social media team sticks to a consistent code of ethics.

Learn More: The Foundational 5 For a Strong Online Presence

Ignoring Their Needs, Wishes or Complaints

You wouldn’t let your date shiver while you stayed cozy in a coat, so don’t be insensitive to your customers’ needs either. If someone has a suggestion, question, or complaint, listen to every detail and do your best to accommodate them. Even if you can’t make the changes they want or find a way to solve their problem, the fact that you listened and tried to help them will matter.

Respecting your customers’ wishes isn’t just polite, it’s good business sense! Their feedback is free market research, and if your business evolves to meet their needs, more customers may find you as a result.

How are you making good impressions on your clients and customers? By avoiding these common missteps and putting their needs first, you just might turn those initial meetings and website visits into repeat business. Don’t lose sight of what matters most to your customers.

The post Colossal Fails of a First Date: Tips for Building Strong Customer Relationships appeared first on Branding Agency | XXIIBrands.