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The Benefits of Paid Advertising for a Business

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You’ve probably come across the term “paid advertising” quite a few times in your lifetime, especially if you’re a business person. At very least, you have definitely seen pay-per-click advertisements when searching on a search engine like Google. These paid advertisements help in bringing traffic back to the business website.

Whether you’re planning on starting your first business campaign or are looking for some information about paid search advertisements, it is important to understand what they are. Paid search advertising offers various benefits to businesses, the first one being the ability to stand out from your competitors. This blog will discuss the benefits of paid advertising and PPC management for a business.

Pay-per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) is a cost-effective way that contributes to driving traffic to your website. It is a tool that is extremely helpful if you wish to promote your business in this digital world. It helps a business reach its target audience at the perfect time when they are prepared to convert. The PPC model works easily: you run your advertisements on various search engines, and when someone clicks on the ad, you pay.

When we talk about PPC management and advertisement, there are several platforms for this purpose, such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Businesses hire PPC management companies or PPC agencies that offer services or that manage, optimize, and build social advertising accounts and paid searches on behalf of the business.

Even if you are a small business operating with a low budget, PPC management strategies can help you compete with known names in the market. Some of the best PPC management companies include Hibu, Fiverr, Black Propeller, Adzooma, and Lyfe Marketing.

How Does PPC Management Work?

The initial step would be to hire a PPC management company or a PPC agency and then explain your advertising goals. Typically, you’ll be connected to a PPC specialist or PPC strategist. Firms that use a PPC agency retain ownership of their PPC accounts, such as Facebook Ads or Google Ads. The PPC agency will also request access to your accounts.

PPC management is perfect for those companies that wish to advertise with social and paid search but lack the expertise and time to manage it in-house. PPC management companies or agencies are best suited for those businesses to help increase PPC ROI.

Benefits of Paid Search

Let’s discuss the benefits of paid advertising for a business so that you can decide if it’s something that you should include in your search engine marketing plan.

  1. Quick Results

When you’re a business owner, you want instant results. PPC is one of the fastest methods to run an advertising campaign and get quick results. Keeping it simple, if you’re running a website, you can easily create an AdWords account and run it on the Google network. This is a simple explanation of how PPC can deliver quick results and instantly increase traffic on your website.

  1. Reaching the Right People

Another benefit that PPC offers is that the business selects the location where the ads will run. Factors such as location, website, time, device, keywords, and more, are considered. This flexible procedure will enable you to segment your services and products in front of the right customers.

  1. Results are Measurable 

 Another significant benefit offered by paid search is that it allows the business to set a clear and measurable target. With PPC, anything can be measured, whether it is the cost, clicks, profit, visits, or views. From the moment you start your PPC campaign, you can track how much profit or loss you’ve generated. Various KPIs and reports help you with all the information required by the business to track its progress.

  1. Brand Recognition

PPC can be used to focus on keywords related to the industry in which your business is operating. This will allow your website to become more accessible to people searching for those keywords.

  1. Cost-Effective

PPC is cost-effective because you only need to pay when a customer reaches your website. All in all, this can be a good value for money, and you can decide if you want to spend more or less on the campaign. With PPC, there are no restrictions in terms of the budget. Considering that your campaign is successful, you can choose to spend more money until you’ve reached your maximum ROI.

Google AdWords and Facebook Ads

There has always been a long-standing competition between the two giants – Google and Facebook. Many businesses use Facebook Ads and Google AdWords as a paid advertising platform to achieve maximum visibility and drive traffic. This is how they’ll be able to increase leads and sales and attract new customers.

What distinguishes both?

Google AdWords User Interface

Google is considered to be the leader and the most widely used search engine. It is also very popular for its online advertising. It offers businesses access to potential customers searching for various services and products.

Facebook: Paid Social

Similar to Google, Facebook offers a vast global audience. When it comes to the enormity of its user base, there is no real rival of Facebook in this regard. It also delivers an exceptional ROI as well as a visual platform for users.

Both Facebook and Google are amazing advertising platforms that cater to businesses of various types. All in all, PPC management is a fantastic revolution in this digital era.

Check out our website at SphericalStrategies.com if you want to learn more about PPC management or are interested in optimizing your website. 

About Lisa | Spherical Strategies Content Creator & Copywriter

Lisa works with Spherical Strategies as a content creator and copywriter. She brings a deep understanding of human motivation to her mastery of writing by utilizing her education in market psychology. She has worked over the past several years as a private contractor, providing industry-specific content and editing for companies of all sizes.

Outside of her work as a content creator, Lisa is passionate about caring for her young son and is only slightly obsessed with gardening.
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When to Use Account Based Marketing

SSAdmin ,
We’ve talked a little bit about account-based marketing here on the Spherical Strategies blog before. We discussed the difference between inbound and outbound marketing and talked a little about why account-based marketing is an important part of the marketing world. But you’re running a business and you’ve probably been marketing that business for a while now. How do you know when it’s time to incorporate account-based marketing into your mix?
Well, chances are you already have! Most likely you have been using elements of account-based marketing in your efforts for quite a while, if not all along. Most of us long-time marketers started by developing campaigns that have mass appeal and as we grew to know our audiences better, we narrowed down the type of content that would be most relevant. That is the first step! It’s that narrowed-down content that begins a marketing strategy towards inbound marketing.
As you continue to augment an inbound marketing plan and mix it into your strategy, you tend to notice that groups within your audience respond to distinct pieces of content differently. Often these responses can be categorized based on their buyer persona and where in the decision-making journey they are when they interact with your content.
Developing an account-based marketing plan narrows content even further by targeting a single company (and even a single decision maker within that company). Often called a “market of one,” this very specific method allows you to utilize coordinated and high-touch sales and marketing tactics with specific messaging that (hopefully) resonates with your target.
That sounds great, but how do you know when your company is ready to execute an account-based marketing strategy? Isn’t it expensive to invest so much time and money in reaching a single client?
It’s true that your cost per acquisition will be higher when using account-based marketing, but there’s a few things to note. First of all, while ABM does focus on fewer potential clients, these are accounts that have the best chance of boosting your bottom line. This demonstrates that taking the time to create highly targeted messaging intended for specific targeted accounts is important. The second thing to understand is, account-based marketing can still be automated – you just need to have the right data about the right decision makers. Finally, strong communication between your sales and marketing teams is imperative.
Keep in mind that account-based marketing is not intended to replace your current mass marketing initiatives that are geared toward driving awareness and traffic; these are still an important part of your marketing mix.

When to Use Account-Based Marketing

When You Want To Enhance Tracking

ROI is one of the most important metrics when you are analyzing your bottom line but when it comes to account-based marketing, you will want to take a deeper dive into this data. Whether it’s a webinar, an email campaign, a physical mailer, or an event, it is only through understanding the effectiveness of each of the individual components that you can continuously improve your ABM strategy. As account-based marketing has increased in popularity as a strategy, more and more tracking software has become available. In fact, in some categories, tracking is available in near real-time: this gives you the ability as a marketer to alter the course of your campaigns as you receive new data.
How does this enhanced tracking help your company? Daily metric tracking saves you both time and budget. The goal with marketing is: connect with your audience and influence them to interact with your brand. To do this, you need the right information and this is where enhanced tracking comes in. By tracking metrics during and after the campaign, you can see what is truly effective for your brand. This lets you make smarter decisions in real-time, and plan better for the next campaign.

When You Want a More Defined Return on Investment (ROI)

84% of businesses surveyed reported that account-based marketing delivers a higher return on investment (ROI) than other types of marketing, according to the Information Technology Services Marketing Association. ABM must be measurable, just as all marketing strategies should be, so utilizing automation and software tools to measure the ROI of all account-based marketing initiatives is crucial for its success.
Account-based marketing requires you to record a baseline of your current statistics, retrieved from whatever strategies you are currently utilizing, to determine the metrics in need of improvement. From there, you can use your current numbers to determine whether or not account-based marketing is a more effective strategy than what you have been using.
When you establish realistic goals based on your abilities and current scores, ABM allows for you to see an initiative’s ROI as well as immediate opportunities for optimization based on the interactions, or lack thereof, with your content. Account-based marketing can involve quite a bit of effort to create and execute, and takes a great deal of data for segmentation. Perhaps these are reasons why measuring and reporting ROI is a constant struggle for some marketing teams.
Several tools are important to include in an ABM stack in order to execute and track a campaign, such as a content management system, an analytical reporting program, an email automation tool, and a CRM platform. If you’ve been utilizing an account-based marketing approach and want to better define your ROI, you may want to focus on tools such as account scoring, account validation, account profiling, and tuning your model. Solutions with AI capabilities are helpful in analyzing millions of data points in order to build account lists ranked by predictive scoring.
After you’ve established your baseline and objectives, next you want to implement a budget by assigning a fixed cost to every content piece that will be included in your strategy. This budget should be realistic, clear, and thorough, including costs for content creation, advertising costs, PPC, platform subscriptions, and any other billable hours that will arise during the campaign. Over time, you will notice consumer trends, from which you can create data-sets to follow and better determine the influence your ABM strategy is having.
It’s important to emphasize: be specific, precise, and realistic in your budgeting – for this will directly impact the accuracy of your ROI. It’s also important to monitor your ROI in real-time with some sort of software that allows you to see each content piece you create and links it to a customer account. Watching for patterns and falling-off points in real-time will let you quickly and effectively make any necessary changes to find the methods that work best for you.

When You Want to Align Your Sales and Marketing Efforts

“Marketers doing ABM are about 40% more likely to report alignment with their sales team compared to marketers not doing ABM,” a Bizible’s State of Pipeline Marketing 2016 report found. Account-based marketing unites teams by requiring them to work together rather than independently. ABM strategies require collaboration between sales and marketing teams to identify target accounts, create a communications strategy and outreach tactics, and monitor the progress of the campaign.

When You Want to Use Marketing Resources More Efficiently

Account-based marketing helps you structure your resources and marketing efforts by narrowing your focus on the key accounts that specifically drive more revenue. This enhanced focus optimizes staff time and money, which are your two most valuable resources. You can directly link your marketing team to sales in order to target and create content for the accounts you determine as the most fiscal. This will establish a communication channel between your sales and marketing teams as well as maximize the efficiency of your B2B marketing resources.

When You Want to Personalize Your Marketing

Personalized marketing strategies effectively engage potential and current customers. In email introductions, people prefer to be addressed by name rather than a generic and impersonal, “Dear future customer.” By developing content that key decision-makers want and need to move them through the buyer’s journey, account-based marketing takes personalized marketing to the next level. Key decision makers know the kind of research that hyper-personalized content requires. This kind of finely tuned marketing strategy also requires collaboration between sales and marketing to reach targets efficiently, in a way that resonates with them.

Take Away

Account-based marketing takes a little more work and attention to detail but in the long run, has proven to be more beneficial than not incorporating ABM into your marketing strategies.
Be sure to check back periodically for more helpful marketing information and much more on the Spherical Strategies website and blog at SphericalStrategies.com

About Lisa | Spherical Strategies Content Creator & Copywriter

Lisa works with Spherical Strategies as a content creator and copywriter. She brings a deep understanding of human motivation to her mastery of writing by utilizing her education in market psychology. She has worked over the past several years as a private contractor, providing industry-specific content and editing for companies of all sizes.

Outside of her work as a content creator, Lisa is passionate about caring for her young son and is only slightly obsessed with gardening.
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What Are Ad Extensions?

SSAdmin , , ,
How do you get your advertisement seen when someone does a Google search for something in your industry? How do you get your ad to stand out? What can you do to enhance your ad rank and placement so it doesn’t get lost in the ocean of competition? Google recommends using a component called ad extensions.
This article will review Google’s free, built-in features called ad extensions. It will go over what ad extensions are, the different kinds of ad extensions, and whether or not they are worth spending your time on when it comes to advertising your business with Google.

What Are Ad Extensions?

Ad extensions are features offered by Google that show additional business information to help increase your ad rank and click-through rate (CTR). The CTR is the ratio between the number of people who click on your link and the number of people viewing the page your link is presented on.
Ad extensions are additions to your ad like an address, phone number, rating, or links to your website or app. They improve the ad’s visibility by increasing its physical size and make it easier for users to find what they are searching for. An ad extension’s overall purpose is to increase clicks by attracting users to your ad, which ultimately increases your company’s value, improves your return on investment (ROI), and lowers your cost-per-click (CPC).

What Are the Different Kinds of Ad Extensions?

There are several different kinds of ad extensions offered by Google, some are manual, and some are automated. Google has found that the more information available to the user, the better the ads tend to perform. This means multiple extensions are better than just one.

Manual Ad Extensions

Manual ad extensions take a little more setup than automated extensions but are highly recommended because they are customizable and make reporting easy.

Call Extensions

Call ad extensions allow you to include a phone number with click-to-call capability on mobile devices. Desktop ads display a 10-digit number, while mobile devices display a phone/call icon. Google offers call conversion tracking for businesses to access their call extension data for analysis.
Example of Call Phone Number Ad Extension

Message Extensions

These kinds of extensions will only appear on mobile devices with the capability of sending and receiving text messages. It offers users to send you a text with a single click of a button. Many people prefer text messaging over calling these days, so this ad extension is ideal. Message ad extensions can be applied at the account, campaign, ad group, or ad level.
Example of How to Create a Message Ad Extension

Sitelink Extensions

Sitelink ad extensions are clickable links that connect to specific pages on your website directly related to the text of your ad. For example, free consultations, testimonials, or pricing pages.

Structured Snippet Extensions

Structured snippet ad extensions are distinguished by a colon and are used to highlight a specific aspect of your services or products. For example, a shoe company may have a structured snippet extension that lists the different types of shoes they sell. It would look something like this:
Styles: Athletic, Casual, Work, Boots…

Location Extensions

These extensions are displayed as clickable hyperlinks in the form of an address that is placed on their own separate line. On mobile devices, the link allows for one-click directions to your business. Location ad extensions also allow for a star rating to be attached to your ad.
Example of Location Ad Extension

Affiliate Location Extensions

Affiliate location extensions can be applied to your ad if you sell your products through retail chains. They help users find stores near them that sell your products when they are choosing what and where to buy.
Example of Affiliate Location Ad Extension

Callout Extensions

Callout ad extensions are descriptive text lines that mention the benefits of your company and any special features, services, or products you want to highlight. You can create up to 20 callout extensions, and each one may have up to 25 characters. However, Google will only show the ones relevant to the user’s current search.

App Extensions

App ad extensions only appear on mobile devices and appear as a call-to-action (CTA) button either to the right of or below the ad text. Clicking the app extension will open the App Store or Google Play Store depending on the device and allow the user to download your company mobile app. App extensions will drive more app downloads and, at the very least, let people know that your app exists.

Price Extensions

Price ad extensions show the prices of specific products, services, and/or salaries you are offering. They are displayed as [up to] 8 squares, below your ad and will appear according to the subject of the user’s search.

Promotion Extensions

These ad extensions highlight your promotions, are displayed below your ad, and sometimes show up in bold copy. Promotion ad extensions are identified by a price tag icon and can have up to 2 lines of text pertaining to your special. Clicking the promotion extension will bring the consumer directly to the special offer on your website. Google Ads even offers a list of dates and special occasions to give you some inspiration for these extensions.
Example of Promotion Ad Extension

Automated Ad Extensions

Automated ad extensions are predicted by algorithms and are applied by Google to improve your ad’s performance. There are seven types of extensions that Google will sometimes automatically apply to your ad, and you’ll notice many of them are similar to those listed above. Below are the different types of automated ad extensions and how they differ from manual ad extensions.

Automated Call Extensions

These extensions are basically the same as manual call extensions but do not need any setup when you create your campaign. If one of your website goals is to get people to call you, Google Ads may automatically add an automated call extension so users can easily call your business.

Automated Message Extensions

This is the same concept as the call extensions in that Google Ads may add an automated message extension to your ad when your website’s goals include receiving text messages.

Dynamic Sitelink Extensions

Sitelink extensions can be automatically included with your ad to allow prospects to click on a deep link that will take them directly to the part of your website that is relevant to their Google search. They are called dynamic because they change depending on the subject of the user’s search.

Dynamic Structured Snippet Extensions

When your post-click landing page matches the user’s search, Google may automatically add a structured snippet ad extension to highlight the services or products you offer that are relevant. Again, “dynamic” because it changes.

Automated Location Extensions

Google may add a location extension automatically if your website includes specific location information such as an address or a map. This allows the search user to easily find your business.

Seller Rating Extensions

Seller rating ad extensions appear below text ads and show a 1-5 star scale rating with the total number of reviews that generated the average rating. Using data collected from reputable sources, Google will add this extension to ads to showcase a business’ high rating. Sometimes this extension will be accompanied by a title describing what the rating is pertaining to, for example, 4.7/5.0 stars (16) – fast delivery.
Example of Seller Rating Ad Extension

Dynamic Callout Extensions

When your post-click landing page contains information relevant to the user’s search, Google may automatically display ad text as a callout extension. An example of this could be when someone searches for “experienced auto technicians,” Google may automatically display callouts such as “30 years of experience,” “Book online,” and “Certified technicians.”
Example of Dynamic Callout Ad Extension

Are Ad Extensions Worth Spending Time On?

The answer is a resounding yes! According to Google, correctly implementing a new ad extension could result in a 10-15% CTR uplift. Sitelink ad extensions alone can give advertisers up to 8% CTR uplift.
Ad extensions are available at no additional cost, so they don’t increase your ad budget. Since they enhance your ad for free, you’re saving money elsewhere on other advertising tactics. They require minimal setup, which also saves you money on labor hours. Ad extensions give potential customers more information about your business and allow them to take action directly from the search results.
Usability and convenience raise the value of your company’s website by leaving a good impression on the consumer after a smooth online experience. Extensions provide direct links to your site, location, or phone number and increase your ad’s size to enhance its visibility. It is often an immediate and highly impactful way to improve your CTR and ROI and lower your costs.

About Lisa | Spherical Strategies Content Creator & Copywriter

Lisa works with Spherical Strategies as a content creator and copywriter. She brings a deep understanding of human motivation to her mastery of writing by utilizing her education in market psychology. She has worked over the past several years as a private contractor, providing industry-specific content and editing for companies of all sizes.

Outside of her work as a content creator, Lisa is passionate about caring for her young son and is only slightly obsessed with gardening.
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The Benefits of Hiring an SEO Agency

SSAdmin , ,

Benefits of Hiring an SEO Company Such as Spherical Strategies

This is the era of internet marketing, when a strong online presence is essential for the survival and progression of your business. Pay-per-click (PPC), social media, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and emails are just a few ways to promote your business online.
With so much to do in managing all of your company’s operations, it makes absolute sense why you would want to hire an online marketing agency offering SEO services. Agencies such as Spherical Strategies can improve your internet presence and ranking position, and get you more sales, all while lightening your workload.

Why Do You Need the Services Of an SEO Company?

1.   To Create and/or Increase Awareness of Your Brand

Properly utilizing SEO techniques will elevate your website’s current ranking on leading search engines such as Google. When your website is ranked higher on the first page of Google, your company and product achieve better visibility and promote awareness of your brand to a broader audience.
So how do you land on the first page of Google? How can you ensure your company’s website is among the top few searches when a person searches your industry?
You rely on a professional SEO company such as Spherical Strategies to achieve just that.

2. SEO Companies Have the Experience

You may be familiar with the basics of what SEO is, and despite having tried several different tactics and strategies with your website to see which one will work, you may not necessarily have the experience in effectively optimizing your website.
Most entrepreneurs would agree placing the success of your business on experiments and guesswork is not wise. There is a good chance that not knowing what you’re doing could damage your website (and ultimately, your brand!) rather than optimize it for search engines. For example, link building can significantly aid in optimizing your company’s name. However, the wrong links can end up getting your website penalized.
Professional SEO companies like Spherical Strategies have the knowledge and experience that is necessary to make educated and strategic decisions for your website. SEO companies work with clients from a wide range of industries and are trained to handle unique ranking needs, situations and expectations. Choosing to hire an SEO company such as Spherical Strategies will take your website to the next level and increase your online visibility and ranking.

What Services Are Offered by SEO Companies Such as Spherical Strategies?

The services offered by SEO companies vary from agency to agency, but generally, you can receive the following:

1.   Search Engine Optimization

When hiring the services of an SEO company, the main goal you should have for them to achieve is a higher ranking for your articles and blogs on Google. Although, we aim to build your brand visibility and gain more page views as well, those are not the only purposes of SEO. You want to capture potential customers by motivating them to come to you with their problems because they know you have the solutions. SEO agencies and their services give you access to that market. The market that is perfect for your product or service you offer.

2.   Market Research

Knowing the demographics of your target market before you start tackling the various marketing channels, is imperative for the successful direction of your marketing strategy. You cannot effectively promote yourself without knowing who your target audience is and to help conduct the necessary market research, you can hire the help of an SEO company such as Spherical Strategies. They invest the time to thoroughly research your target market and provide you with the necessary information you need in order to make strategic marketing decisions.

3.   Mobile Marketing

Some SEO agencies offer services other than search engine optimization. Mobile searches are one of the most common ways for customers to conduct their searches today. Interestingly, most mobile searches have been found to result in purchases. SEO companies can help your business with various mobile marketing strategies such as YouTube ads, campaigns, and app advertising in effort to increase the chances that your target audience will download your mobile app.

4.   Email Marketing

Even with the most recent influence of all the social media networks emerging, email still creates the most return on investment (ROI). For every dollar spent on social media platforms, email marketing makes $38 in return. An SEO agency may offer you additional services such as list building, autoresponder sequence, segmentation, and buyer targeting optimization.

5.   Web Design

The design of your website plays a major role in the optimization of your brand and some SEO agencies, like Spherical Strategies, offer web designing services to enhance your digital strategy. Impressive and responsive web design attracts customers to your site, helps you gain their trust, and sets you apart from your competitors. Though thought to be a part of marketing, your website’s development is a significant contributor to the enhancement of your brand’s online presence.

6.   Google Ads

Another great way to attract the attention of potential customers is through Google Ads. When your target audience is faced with a problem, that is when you want your ad to pop up in front of them and offer a solution. An SEO agency such as Spherical Strategies offers you services that aid in effectively and positively targeting your Google Ads campaigns.

7.   Content Marketing

Some companies think that producing marketing content is just writing blogs and articles every week and posting them on their website. However, it’s much more intricate than that. Content marketing involves infographics, blog post creation, social media advertising, content analysis, and SEO writing, and Spherical Strategies has the experience you are looking for!
If you’re interested in discovering more, connect with us to help fulfill your marketing goals. See more at SphericalStrategies.com

About Lisa | Spherical Strategies Content Creator & Copywriter

Lisa works with Spherical Strategies as a content creator and copywriter. She brings a deep understanding of human motivation to her mastery of writing by utilizing her education in market psychology. She has worked over the past several years as a private contractor, providing industry-specific content and editing for companies of all sizes.

Outside of her work as a content creator, Lisa is passionate about caring for her young son and is only slightly obsessed with gardening.
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How to Choose an Online Marketing Agency

SSAdmin , ,
Most entrepreneurs know when it comes to running and managing a business, every choice you make is crucial to its success. One wrong decision can tarnish your company’s brand, one wrong move can jeopardize your company’s position in the market. When it comes to company management and operations, who you choose to work with is one of those especially important decisions. Choosing the right online marketing agency to partner with can be the difference between failure and success. So when you are searching for the right digital marketing agency for your company, take your time and consider the following information when making your decision. After all, this choice could entirely shape the success of your future marketing campaigns.

Why You Should Choose An Online Marketing Agency

Your marketing efforts should completely revolve around your target audience and be strategically crafted depending on their needs and behaviors. If you are aiming at business executives, for example, you may want to focus your marketing strategies towards a platform such as LinkedIn. If your target audience is geared more towards younger generations, you may want to consider aiming your marketing efforts towards platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat.
Since new marketing strategies are popping up every day, entrepreneurs find it difficult to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Already busy managing the many different operations of a company, many owners just don’t have the time to do the necessary research to stay digitally current. This is why hiring an online marketing agency is a wise decision that can help you establish effective marketing strategies for your business. Online agencies are able to guide you towards the best marketing strategies and decisions for your company because they have invested the valuable time it takes to stay ahead of the digital marketing curve. They are continually researching new information and analyzing data to stay current and informed as to which digital platforms and strategies are effective and which are not.

How to Choose An Online Marketing Agency

Once you’ve decided to hire an online marketing agency, the next step is to find the one that can deliver the results you want to achieve. The process should not be stressful or difficult because the right online agency for your company will give their complete focus and effort to find the solutions you seek, from start to finish. A great online marketing agency will help you develop specific, well-designed strategies that will give you full returns on your business investments.

Here are some helpful tips for choosing the right online marketing agency for your company:

1. Assess Your Needs

Before you start the process of finding the correct marketing agency, you should first evaluate the internal requirements of your business. Identify the goals you want to achieve through your digital marketing efforts as well as the role your online marketing agency will play in helping accomplish those goals. Having a clear vision for your company and the agency you intend to hire is necessary for the success of your partnership. There are many reasons for hiring an online marketing agency; whether you’re launching a new product and want it pushed into the market; or you’re redesigning your brand and need the assistance of a professional marketing company; whatever your reasons may be, it is best to define them before starting your search.

2. Make Sure the Agency Has Experience with Projects Similar To Yours

Once you have established what your product and company’s marketing needs are, it is time to start looking for the right marketing agency for your business. But how do you decide which one is best suited for you in a sea of agencies? One of the things you should consider while deciding on an online marketing agency is their knowledge and experience. Not just any experience, but experience that is relevant to your business. It’s a good idea to look at an agency’s past projects to help you determine if that particular marketing agency is capable of taking on your campaign(s). Exploring their portfolio will help you determine the methods they use to achieve their goals. Their past work will show you if they will handle your project(s) in the way you want, and their past successes will be proof that they can produce the results you are hoping for.

3. Find An Agency That Suits Your Style

It is important to remember that agencies don’t just sell their clients’ products. They also sell themselves and their services. When you are researching different agencies, take a look at the way they market themselves. Go to their website to learn more about their stylistic choices, digital capabilities, and their own unique brand and message. Good signs are if you find their website attractive and easy to navigate. Some red flags would be if you find their website underwhelming or difficult to use.
Style is not just about the look of the agency’s website and their work, but also about how they do business and how they fit in with your company’s culture. You want an online marketing agency that will invest in your future which is why it is so important to pick one with whom you can build a long-lasting relationship. Stylistic and cultural compatibility are essential for continual, successful growth.

4. Choose an Agency That Offers Best Value Rather Than Best Price

Cost is obviously a major concern when making all business decisions and will be when you make your final decision about which online marketing agency to choose, however, your choice should not be based on whoever offers the cheapest rate. What’s the saying? “You get what you pay for?” There is the possibility that the least expensive marketing agency will not offer the best value of services.
If a marketing agency is asking a high price for their services, ask them what you will be getting for your money. This will help you get a clear idea of what is to be expected from that agency. Usually a company with higher prices is confident they can produce results that reach and even exceed your expectations. When an agency asks a higher price than others, it shows that they stand behind the value of their services and trust that their results will be worth your investment.

If you’re interested in learning more connect with us to help fulfill your marketing goals.

About Lisa | Spherical Strategies Content Creator & Copywriter

Lisa works with Spherical Strategies as a content creator and copywriter. She brings a deep understanding of human motivation to her mastery of writing by utilizing her education in market psychology. She has worked over the past several years as a private contractor, providing industry-specific content and editing for companies of all sizes.

Outside of her work as a content creator, Lisa is passionate about caring for her young son and is only slightly obsessed with gardening.
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Digital Marketing: What’s New in 2022?

SSAdmin , , , , ,

Digital Marketing: What’s New in 2022?

As always, the digital arena is expanding and evolving, changing so quickly sometimes it may feel challenging to keep up. You also never know when an unexpected global pandemic is going to throw a wrench in your marketing plans for the year. Considering that the wrench was abruptly thrown in 2020 with seemingly lasting effects, there are a few new trends on the rise – some directly stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic – that we are confident will continue to gain momentum through 2022. 

Due to its fast-paced growth, it’s impossible to say for sure what digital marketing will look like in the new year; however, based on professional insights and data-driven analytics, here’s a review of the digital marketing trends we think can be expected in 2022. 

The Rise of AI

AI is already a primarily utilized leveraging tool for digital marketers regarding automatic reporting and predictive analytics, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing. AI simplifies marketing processes for all kinds of companies by predicting the behaviors and needs of their target audiences, while its application allows marketers to focus their efforts on other aspects of their strategies. 

In addition to providing accurate predictive information pertaining to targeted consumers, AI also allows marketers to quickly adjust their strategies in response to any sudden digital marketing trend changes. Putting them back on course for an optimal return on investment (ROI).

Current statistics show that 76% of businesses utilizing AI to automate their marketing efforts see ROI within a single year. After such a huge shift towards digital, where the channels and platforms are growing and changing all the time, it makes sense to allow the machines to do the number-crunching and analyzing.

Progressing into 2022, we expect to see more usage of conversational AI in the forms of voice searches, virtual assistants, and smart speakers, as well as robotic process automation (RPA) in tools like chatbots. These features create a real-time response for consumers while they make inquiries from the privacy of their own homes, cars, and offices rather than in person. 

Voice Search/Virtual Assistants/Smart Speakers

Leaning into AI will surely benefit digital marketers aiming to succeed in 2022 as consumers are doing the same. Approximately 1 in 4 U.S. households has some sort of smart speaker being used regularly for informational searches as well as direct purchases. 

AI is the technology behind the quickly-growing use of voice search, and currently, 27% of the global online population is using it. This percentage amounts to 18% of the total spend, or $40 billion, and is only expected to rise. Studies show that 61% of consumers already using voice search in the way of virtual assistants say they plan to take advantage of it even more in the future.

Considering the ease at which information is being retrieved today, it’s understandable that for a brand to stand out from the rest, its message needs to be clear and precise, its product needs to be easily accessible, and the entire customer journey needs to be cohesive. 

Integrated and Personalized Customer Experience (CX)

The last two years have seen hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores close their doors indefinitely, pushing businesses of all kinds into the online world of consumerism. With any hope to survive, countless brands have had to adjust their methods and overall understanding of what marketing requires today, and that is an integrated digital CX.

New digital marketing strategies for 2022 will aim to provide personal experiences that are customized based on user data. The ability to track consumer behavior across devices allows companies to see what consumers are looking for and how they want to communicate.

Fortunately for stores, consumers report they still prefer a physical location instead of the alternative, but many people have made full transitions to online shopping. Seeking the same services online that they traditionally may have sought out in-person, consumers still expect a consistent experience no matter where they encounter a brand. They want to see the same high-quality products and customer service online that they did when they walked into the actual store. 

The demand for seamless integration of customer relationship management (CRM) and content management systems (CMS) is rocking the marketing world. Businesses are required to exude a brand message that consistently represents their company, all while creating a personalized CX for the individual through multiple channels. This growing need for strategic brand cohesion offline, online, and across more channels than ever is why multi-channel marketing strategies, online events, and social commerce will also be prominent digital marketing trends in 2022. 

Multi-Channel Marketing Strategies

New social media platforms are popping up all over the internet, and many of them already have deep market penetration. We will discuss this in more detail in the social commerce section below, but to start, people are expanding their options of where they shop, making multi-channel marketing strategies crucial for 2022.

As social media platforms and digital purchasing choices increase, marketers are also finding themselves needing to expand their marketing efforts over more channels to reach their markets no matter where they are online. 2022 will see more emphasis on multi-channel marketing strategies because the online options are always growing and because consumers are taking their shopping experience into their own hands. 

Preferring the socially distant options these days, more people are doing all the decision-making research themselves: filtering through companies, brands, and/or products online until they find the one they trust to fulfill their needs. This desire to have complete control over the experiential aspect of online shopping is why multi-channel marketing strategies that include social media will be a necessary component of digital marketing in 2022.

Digital Commerce

According to a study done by eMarketer, over 80% of retail growth from 2015 to 2020 was attributed to online sales, with a significant portion of the market being captured by social commerce. That was before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into isolation, only accelerating the five-year trend and making digital commerce an increasingly crucial part of not only marketing but for businesses as a whole.

Online Events

In light of the recent pandemic, the same heightened demand for effective marketing strategies also persists when it comes to online events. Since so many consumers have settled in behind a screen, digital event management is becoming a necessity for companies hosting live virtual or in-person events. The market for webinars and online conferences is changing, with people expecting more of and from these events; they will need to be held differently.

In 2022, digital event management will shift from a luxury for a select few into an absolute necessity for any business that wants to remain competitive and relevant. Event management software, virtual event applications, live streaming options, and live-video capabilities have already started to become mandatory offerings for businesses successfully navigating this accelerated move towards digital commerce.

Social Commerce

As mentioned previously, social commerce will be a prominent digital marketing trend in 2022. Social media users are using their platforms to communicate with each other, but more importantly, for product research, business-related communication, and their purchasing needs.

A study done by Social Media Examiner revealed that 94% of marketers were utilizing social media to market their products and/or services – an increase from the 82% that responded in 2016. 68% of marketers surveyed also revealed that they “achieved modest or significant success with social commerce.”

This shift in how consumers utilize social media and influencer marketing for product research purposes is a key part of why more businesses will be turning to social commerce strategies this year. As new platforms continue to come onto the market, consumers will continue to incorporate them and their influencers into their regular search and online shopping routines. The following are three platforms that marketers should keep in mind for 2022.

Pinterest

Pinterest is becoming increasingly popular amongst users who enjoy sharing images of the products they like through “boards” curated by time, topic, or theme. Statistics show that Pinterest is the third most popular social media platform, and 33% of online adults use Pinterest. Many businesses have already experienced success using this visual platform to increase brand awareness and sell the products they offer.

In addition, Pinterest allows for users to “repin” items they like, helping spread the word about a trusted company, essentially providing free marketing for that company. According to Marketo: “By encouraging customers and prospects to share your content with their own networks (not just on Pinterest), you’ll be able to extend the reach of your social media campaign and maximize its positive effects.”

Instagram

Instagram is another social media platform that consumers increasingly use to share products with their friends and followers. Instagram currently has 800 million monthly users, giving businesses a large audience to market their products or services toward.

In 2022, Instagram will continue being a vehicle for social discovery as the use of hashtags will be even more important. Since users are already captivated by imagery, marketers can utilize this feature to create opportunities for engagement with consumers who may not otherwise see their postings. Instagram also offers opportunities through paid advertisements – an effective way to gain more followers and potential customers due to its targeted nature.

Snapchat

While Instagram may offer marketers a larger audience, Snapchat provides them with insights into the behaviors of their specific target market. Marketers can learn where their consumers are located, what kinds of stories they share, and how often they use the app. Due to Snapchat’s heavy focus on visuals (including images and videos) and its live-streaming capabilities, it is a platform that many companies in 2022 will find value in utilizing.

In addition to these features, Snapchat users continue to spend more time on the app than on any other social media platform. It is also one of the preferred social networks for millennials and those ages 18-34. The user data that Snapchat offers helps marketers create relevant content and design their future strategies around what consumers engage with and like most.

Influencer Marketing

In 2022, consumers will look for authenticity and proof that a product or service works before making a purchase decision – and not just social proof from celebrities. The traditional definition of influencer marketing is evolving as big names in sports and entertainment don’t carry as much weight as they used to.

As the reliance on influencer marketing continues to change, so will the way in which marketers will need to choose influencers. Businesses should be mindful that consumers are seeking real testimonies from influencers who would actually use a product or service regularly and not just once for the sake of sponsorship.

Marketers should look into how much engagement each influencer gets with their target audience and then consider creating an online community of advocates or influencers that are cohesive with their brand message. Not only does this simplify communication between consumer advocates and your brand, but it also allows you to offer incentives and rewards for sharing content with the goal of building a movement.

With so many platforms offering analytics, it’s now easy to find out what content reaches the largest audience and which influencers are actively engaging their followers. Influencer marketing strategies will evolve as marketers prove the value of their products to consumers through evidence rather than just using a celebrity endorsement. 

The demand for content that has been produced with user engagement in mind will continue to rise as businesses seek more ways to connect with their customers online. A storytelling strategy will be especially effective with social media influencers utilizing videos and images to show how a product works in real life.

Storytelling

93% of communication is visual, and 65% of people are visual learners, making it not surprising that ads with images produce 180% more engagement. Shoppers also like to see unscripted reviews and find value in firsthand accounts from real people and not just advertisements. In a study by Salesforce, researchers found that customers who view user-generated content are 85% more likely to purchase a brand’s product or service.

These are some of the reasons why this year marketers should encourage consumers to share their experiences as they happen. Rather than just advertising a product using its statistics, businesses should be focusing on telling a story about their brand and products. The goal of storytelling in marketing is to create real, visual conversations that will establish trust between businesses and their potential customers.

Consumers want to know about the products, services, and even a company’s corporate social responsibility before making a purchasing decision. In addition, they want to be able to form a connection with the influencers who are endorsing these companies. Storytelling will become a staple strategy for marketers as it helps them establish their brand’s DNA and strengthen the emotional connection between their customers and brands.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR is now expected by 61% of consumers, as they now desire to buy from companies with purpose. Consumers want to know what causes a business is passionate about and how it gives back to the community. This will be important as businesses work to establish trust with their audiences and differentiate themselves from competitors.

Marketers need to consider their overall brand image and what they are currently showing their customers. It’s not just about making a profit but also demonstrating how they use their resources wisely. Businesses should have a purpose that goes beyond making money and focuses on embracing an ethical code of sustainability and equality.

Consumer trust is becoming harder to earn as expectations for transparency rise while businesses try to keep their trade secrets closely guarded. Companies must be willing to discuss how they are using consumers’ data and clearly explain the rationale behind their strategies. Incorporating CSR into their business models in 2022 will help marketers build trust with their customers, give their brand more meaning, and increase the attractiveness and transparency of their company.

Search Engines

Search engines will continue to be where consumers go to seek advice, get product information, and complete purchasing decisions. For a brand to stand out among the competition on search engines platforms like Google, marketers will need to get creative with their advertising. Businesses need to make sure their ads are not only engaging and helpful for consumers but technically sound as well, so the right information can be quickly and accurately retrieved by search engine bots.

Featured Snippets

With the arrival of featured snippets, consumers don’t even have to click on a link anymore to retrieve information about their search. Featured snippets provide direct answers to a search before any website links are listed. Searchers see featured snippets as useful pieces of content rather than advertisements because Google hyper-personalizes the experience by applying user information to decide which ads, companies, and sites are most relevant.

Consumers see these featured snippets as advertisements only when the content is trying to get them to click through. Therefore, marketers who can create helpful guides or present information in a non-salesy way will be at a great advantage in 2022.

Hashtags and Keywords

The idea of using hashtags to connect consumers is not new, but it has the potential to be even more effective in 2022. Hashtags and keywords are commonly used throughout search engines because they help consumers find what they are looking for faster and more easily. Google has already begun utilizing machine learning that allows it to automatically connect hashtags so users can discover related content without having to search for it themselves.

Marketers should consider how their target audience uses hashtags on social media platforms and for what purpose. For example, are they used as a form of commentary or criticism? Are they being used ironically or out of sarcasm? This type of information about an audience is important for business owners to know before deciding which hashtags or keywords they should focus their content on.

First-party Data over Third-party Cookies 

2022 will see the beginning of a change in data tracking as Google announced it would be moving away from the use of third-party cookie tracking and towards first-party data collection. As a result, marketers will need to rely more heavily on more direct forms of communication with customers through content, email, or newsletters for example.

Spherical Strategies’ Approach to Digital Marketing in 2022

The digital marketing trends of 2022 are human-centered and all about relevance. Relevance in content, ads, and social media posts. Relevance in how brands communicate with consumers. And finally, relevance when marketers decide on the platforms and strategies to focus their efforts and budgets. If you want your business to stay relevant in 2022, it’s time to start implementing these trends into your digital marketing strategy today.

If you’re looking for more ideas on how to use digital marketing and advertising for your business in 2022, be sure to check out our website! Not only do we have information about new digital trends, but we also offer free consultations to see how Spherical Strategies can help you achieve your digital marketing goals in 2022!

About Lisa | Spherical Strategies Content Creator & Copywriter

Lisa works with Spherical Strategies as a content creator and copywriter. She brings a deep understanding of human motivation to her mastery of writing by utilizing her education in market psychology. She has worked over the past several years as a private contractor, providing industry-specific content and editing for companies of all sizes.

Outside of her work as a content creator, Lisa is passionate about caring for her young son and is only slightly obsessed with gardening.

 

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