Month: July 2021

agency-partner-clutch-rating

Agency Partner Interactive LLC Granted a 5-Star Rating On Clutch for Digital Services.

Posted on | by Agency Partner

 

Nowadays, digital growth is an essential business metric that organizations need to keep track of, and understandably so. As more and more people rely on digital means to discover goods and services, businesses would be missing out on potential clientele if they didn’t incorporate digital marketing trends into their outreach strategy.

A team of experienced digital marketing and development professionals, Agency Partner Interactive LLC helps businesses navigate the age of digital transformation seamlessly. Our mission is to understand our clients’ brands and leverage technology to bolster their revenue generation.

As we get to know your business and apply the best marketing strategies for your brand, we feel honored whenever we receive a new 5-star review on Clutch. clutch-rating-reviews

To give you a clearer picture of why feedback on Clutch is essential for us, Clutch is B2B ratings and reviews platform based in Washington, DC. They evaluate technology service and solutions companies based on the quality of work, thought leadership, and client reviews. A rapidly expanding startup, Clutch has become the go-to resource in the agency space. Their review process is reliable and transparent, and we’re grateful to those of our clients who have taken the time to provide feedback.

Clutch’s sister site, The Manifest, also provides business tips, news, and company lists to market researchers, helping them in their decision-making process.

In our most recent Clutch review, our year-long partnership with Trinity Hardwood Distributors was perfectly explained by their Marketing Manager, Jacqueline Jamie:

“We needed an up-to-date website for our customers, so we hired Agency Partners Interactive. I found Agency Partner Interactive on Google and chose to work with them because they offered the best price among other agencies.”

The project’s scope involved developing and designing their website and breathing life into the site through content creation. 

The results have been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re glad to see Trinity Hardwood Distributors delighted with the project’s results.

“We’ve noticed an increase in our website traffic. The online forums that they implemented on our website have helped us generate leads online. It was nice to work with Agency Partner Interactive because they had a team of diverse cultures. It made them stand out from other agencies.”

We’re always looking forward to helping businesses grow digitally. So talk to us today and get a free quote. 

google-trends

10 Important PPC Trends to Watch in 2021

Posted on | by Agency Partner
Expert Tips For 10 Important PPC Trends to Watch in 2021

 

Pay-per-click advertising is one of the easiest and best ways to promote a product or service. If this is your goal, your strategy for launching your campaign and maintaining conversions for your product or service needs to be a good one. 

You need to know all the new trends that are cropping up that will affect your PPC performance. Many new trends are cropping up, and you need to be aware of them to make your campaigns successful. Here’s a look at some of the major PPC trends of 2021.

Limited Data

Google has put a limit on how much search data you can access. There is also a plan underway that will affect how tracking cookies work. Without data, it can become difficult to know what is working and not working in your campaigns.

Limiting your knowledge will help Google gain more profit, so it is unlikely to change its strategy anytime soon. You will need to learn how to adapt to it.

Buyer Journey Is Important

More than ever, you need to understand the buyer’s journey towards conversion. It would help if you focused on what your target audience wants and needs. This means you need to spend time getting into your buyer’s heads. This will help you to find out how they buy, when they buy, and why they buy. You may have to lean more heavily on social media platforms to find out more about your target audience.

Automation is King

As a PPC marketer, you need to be aware that Ad platforms such as Google are trying to take away a lot of your previous control. As the use of AI becomes more pervasive in the ad industry, you can expect more automation. It would help if you got comfortable with how Google automation systems execute your PPC campaign in 2021 and beyond successfully.

Diversify Your Ad Platforms

You’ve probably heard it said not to put your eggs in one basket. When it comes to PPC, you will need to make sure that you diversify where you spend your money as much as possible.

Other Ad platforms will allow you to collect the necessary data to be properly informed and make wise decisions when paying for your PPC Ads.

Get Data the Right Way

With all the global data privacy laws that have now been put into place, there are greater restrictions on how cookies can be used in browsers. You will need to maintain the privacy of those who browse your website more effectively by informing them how you use cookies and for what purposes you use them.

Since so many marketers have been dependent on cookie-driven targeting, they will need to look in other places to get the information that they need. This means that new solutions that do not rely on cookies will have to be developed. To this end, it will become more important to develop first-party data capturing solutions.

Instagram Will Bring Opportunities

Instagram has recently announced that it will be monetizing videos and reels. They have already rolled it out on some selected accounts. Given the recent announcements by their CEO by the end of 2021 going into 2022, you should see significant opportunities for advertising on Instagram.

Make sure that you are ready for this new advertising opportunity when it lands. 

Know Your Audience Intimately

As discussed previously, you need to know your target market a lot more and understand their preferences and behaviors. You can’t just rely on what you have observed through data. It would help if you focused on getting real human feedback. This will help you to make choices that are in line with your objectives for your PPC campaigns. This will mean you do not just depend on what Google’s recommendations on scores tell you to do.

Ramp Up Your Ad Content

The message you bring across to your audience in your ad campaign needs to be more enticing than ever. You need to ensure that your message connects in an emotional and personal way with your audience. This means that you will have to get more creative when doing your Ad copy.

People buy from people they trust and feel an emotional connection with. The creativity you used to connect with your audience will give them that emotional connection and make them feel as if they can trust you. You need to produce high-quality content that will grab attention.

Do Continuous Testing

Since you will not have as much data as you had in previous years, you will have to do a lot more testing than you ever did before. You may think one way is working great, but you must split test your PPC strategy. You may find that other ways work even better. Always be willing to push the envelope and see if you can do better.

Mobile Is More Important Than Ever

When it comes to your PPC strategy, it is not just about how much you know your audience, how much data you have, or how much money you have to spend. Your users’ mobile experience has with your landing pages, and your content has got to be superior. This is because more than ever, people are browsing on their mobile phones.

Desktops and laptops are not used for browsing websites nearly as often as mobile devices. When you are creating your website landing, you need to ensure that you visit it on mobile. Pages created on desktops and laptops can look great on that device but may not provide the best experience for our users when on mobile. This can severely hurt your PPC campaigns.

Implement the Trends

To ensure you reap all the rewards you can from your PPC campaign, it is best to stay on top of all the latest trends. When you do this and take the time to carefully look at your current strategy and plan how to implement any necessary changes, you will find more success with your campaigns. 

organic-traffic

5 Steps to Building a Successful Organic Traffic Pipeline

Posted on | by Agency Partner
Expert Tips For 5 Steps to Building a Successful Organic Traffic Pipeline

 

When you have a website of your own, it can be hard to get noticed at first, and you might need to employ some methods to help you gain more traffic. It’s not always easy to gain the traction that you’re looking for, but there are several ways you can improve the traffic that comes through your website. Whether you do it through search engine optimization, audience engagement, or other methods, there’s something out there that fits your model and goals! So what can you do to ensure others are reaching you before other sites like yours? 

If you’re going to work on the amount of organic traffic you have coming through your site, it will take a bit of work. That means making changes to your digital strategy and possibly even reaching out for a helping hand. You never know what tools might be useful for you when improving your site’s traffic, so you should consider using what you have available to you. It will take time, but the results will be noticeable once you start to employ these different steps for building your organic traffic pipeline. 

Researching popular searches 

If you want to draw more people to your site, you need to know that people are more commonly searching. If your site commonly has titled pages that don’t often align with what people typically search for, it’s going to be hard for them to come across what you’ve posted. If you want people to stumble across your website, then you need to make sure that there are pages for them readily available for them to find. Because of the way Google works, for example, will display the results based on the keywords that the individual searches. The individual will then be shown the most relevant results for them – so if your posts have those keywords more commonly displayed, you’re going to be higher up in the results. 

If you’re going to find these keywords, you should take some time to look into what people are searching for. There are several sites out there that will show you how often people search for certain things, and you can pick based on their rankings what you want to use. Using this information, you can easily gain more traffic on your site. Just make sure you make appealing pages and posts that use those keywords, and you should notice a difference. 

Make use of long-tail keywords. 

No matter what you’re writing, bringing in organic traffic can be quite difficult, and you’re going to want to use search engine optimization to help with it. This can be done with a question or a phrase that you’re specifically looking to answer. If you don’t know what long-tail keywords are, it’s a phrase made up of multiple keywords and is more specific. While that might not sound like a great idea, adding a more specific keyword format will allow you to target the demographic that you’re aiming to more accurately. For example, if you’re looking to attract people with singular interests, a long-tail keyword might be exactly what you need for your page to show up for them. 

Work on your headlines 

Improving your traffic doesn’t just require great content, but you’ll need to make sure you make it as appealing as possible. It’s important that you’re making the best titles you can, as drawing people in is going to take a little bit of persuasion. Your title should be something that they can’t miss or something that they have to know about. Let them know that your content is important for them to learn about and something that they would be missing out on if they were going to ignore it. 

You can improve your titles by looking at your competition. It can take a little bit of time to develop something at first, but it will be second nature! If you have a post that’s due to come up, you can research what other people have used as the title for similar pieces and come up with something that’s simply more interesting than theirs. 

Create more openings to your site 

Not all customers that visit your site have to come straight from Google, and through the use of off-page SEO, you can make your site much easier to access your audience. Having links to your site hosted on other pages from third-party websites can be a great way for you to gain traffic from those sites. For example, if you have links to your site on a website that gains a lot of traffic on its own, you might find that having a well-placed link can help you significantly. 

Any certified SEO expert will tell you that it’s worth your while to have those external links to your site, as you’re relying on the popularity of another site to help improve yours. The numbers are more or less guaranteed, so your ROI isn’t so much of a gamble. 

Be consistent 

If you’re going to bring in improved organic traffic to your website, then consistency is important. Bringing in returning customers requires working on your audience engagement, and you’re not going to be able to do that if you’re not frequently uploading content that’s worthwhile. If you can consistently upload and share interesting and helpful things for your audience, you can greatly improve your customer relationship.

If you find yourself running out of content, it’s time to spend your time doing your market research. You don’t have to upload everything straight from your mind, and sometimes making something special requires that extra inspiration! Look at what your competitors are sharing, and let it inspire you. 

It might be hard to maintain your organic traffic pipeline, but it’s worth it if you’re trying to improve the number of people visiting your site. Without those viewers, your posts and pages are for nothing.

agency-partner-top-ecommerce-website-developer

Agency Partner Interactive LLC Named Top Ecommerce Website Developer in Dallas by Digital.com

Posted on | by Agency Partner

 

The company was ranked among the most trusted agencies to help businesses create and manage their online stores.

change-on-social-media

With a Grain of Data: The Changing Face of Social Media

Posted on | by devops
Why “Alternative” Media is the New Mainstream

Social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube may be your go-to tools for marketing content today, due to the majority of attention that they command, but that may not remain the case as alternative platforms promise freer, better, and safer spaces. 
Below is a list of major new establishments that are threatening mainstream networks, and, following that, an idea of what consumers can expect going forth.social-image
In a world where data is not only being collected, but alsoside-by-side sold for profit, it’s no surprise that people are opting for providers who treat them as people, not products. It’s not the next thing, but a core value that customers of any industry have always catered to: connection. It’s the “why.”

The purpose, the mission, the values that a brand stands behind has been and will continue being the driving force behind the building of any community, especially as consumers become smarter, more conscious about who they subscribe to and why. 
Right now, Google’s Chrome or Apple’s Safari may be set as the default browser on your computer; Facebook and Twitter may be your go-to apps for outreach and engagement; Youtube could be the video platform you use to host and stream, but social media as we know it is evolving as you read this to offer more, include more– even the voices that are unpopular or banned entirely.
Some would argue that Big Tech has an unwavering monopoly over the market, and that the small business doesn’t have a fair chance at competing unless they’re willing to cooperate, but public opinion has remained ever-evolving and ever-powerful.

“Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.”

― Anna Lappe

A great example of this theory at work is when we vote with our money, or, to be specific, when we’re choosing who to give our data to.

Following the storming of the United States Capitol, for instance, Parler received nationwide  attention as an alternative to Twitter. It was a hit, especially with conservatives as influential voices like the former president himself, Donald J. Trump, continued to be silenced.
While Twitter defends their action as a violation of “the company’s policy against the glorification of violence,” some progressive leaders have expressed discomfort with the suppression of speech:

“…if you’re asking me, do I feel particularly comfortable that the President, the then-President of the United States could not express his views on Twitter? I don’t feel comfortable about that.”

-Bernie Sanders

Parler saw an opportunity in marketing itself as the “Free Speech Platform,” but will those efforts count when small businesses are at the mercy of Big Tech? For example, if an iPhone user is curious about the Twitter alternative today and chooses to download the app via their App Store, they can’t do so.

Why Does This Matter?

The Twitter vs Parler debate makes for a good case study for those interested in conscious consumerism and how choices made by these tech titans trickle down to the individual, and their lifestyle choices.

Since everyone and every business is unique, it’s up to the entities alone to discover and develop a social media toolkit that works for them. 

Questions To Consider:

  • Where is my audience?
  • Where are they most, and least active?
  • Where are we the most, and least active?
  • Am I okay with sharing this data with a third party?

As you go, try auditing the tools that are at your disposal. Do you have a reason for using Twitter, and not Parler— or vice versa? You may choose to use both, but defining those parameters will help provide clarity, and some direction as to how and where you could be optimizing.

Here are some notable up and comers to look out for and how they compare to the mainstream platforms:

MAIN ALT ALT OFFERING
Twitter Parler Pros:
Privacy
Ad-free
Everyone’s verified
Size limit increased (1,000 characters)
Cons:
Limited exposure
No fact-checking
Facebook MeWe Pros: 
Privacy
Ad-free
No Spyware
Cons:
Limited exposure
Costs associated with themes, stickers, page presence, cloud storage, voice and video calls
Youtube Rumble Pros: 
Fastest media player
Free speech protected
Monetization is higher
Simpler policies
Cons: 
Limited exposure
Google DuckDuckGo Pros: 
Data is not traded
Ads are not targeted
Searches are anonymous (like you’ve never been there before)
Cons:
Meta descriptions are small, almost difficult to understand or read
Users may find themselves fact-checking with Google anyway
Search results may turn up limited information
Slack Discord Pros: 
Unlimited messaging across all plans
Unlimited integrations
Free screen-sharing
Cons:
Limited to audio and video

For some, these benefits may not be benefits at all, but an inconvenience. No spyware is great in theory, but doing away with it means doing away with facial-recognition technology, tracking systems such as your GPS, and other personalized services that make our day-to-day tasks efficient. 

Perhaps the real conversation to have here is whether we’re ready to give up comfort and convenience for privacy, or better yet, if it’s possible to have the best of both worlds with alternative media. 

Take Control of Your Feed

Whatever the case is for you, we aim to inform. Algorithms and features are constantly changing, so it’s important that you’re consulting and confirming with the experts to stay true to your potential.
Agency Partner’s award-winning team would be more than happy to sit down and develop an online strategy with you.

frequently-asked-questions-google

FAQ: Google

Posted on | by devops

What is the key value proposition of Google Search campaigns?

This is pretty simple. Google Search Campaigns show your ads when a customer is searching for your product or service.

How can Google Ads help you advance your business goals?

  • By building awareness of your brand.
  • By driving online, in-app, in-person, and over-the-phone sales.
  • By influencing consideration of your products and services.

What is a Universal App campaign?

These ads drive engagement, app installs, and in-app purchases. They appear across the Google Search and Display Networks, as well as on Google Play and YouTube.

What is a Google Ads Video Campaign?

These ads appear on their own or within other streaming video content on YouTube and across the Google Display Network.

What is a Google Shopping Campaign?

These ads promote your products by giving users detailed information about what you’re selling. They appear on Google Shopping and next to search results.

What is a basic Google Ads Search Campaign?

These ads show up next to Google search results and on other Google partner sites, like YouTube, when people search for products or services you offer.

What is a Google Ads Optimization Score?

A Google Ads Optimization score is made up of over 50 recommendations to optimize search campaigns. Some of these factors include shifts in spend mix, changes in tracked conversions, and changes in auction dynamics.

How does Google Ads generate Responsive Search Ads? And what are they?

Responsive search ads let you create an ad that adapts to show more text—and more relevant messages—to your customers.
To create a Responsive Search Ad, you simply enter multiple headlines and descriptions into Google ads, and over time, Google Ads will automatically test different combinations and learn which combinations perform best.
What are Dynamic Search Ads?
Ideal for advertisers with a well-developed website or a large inventory, Dynamic Search Ads use your website content to target your ads and can help fill in the gaps of your keyword-based campaigns. Dynamic Search Ad headlines and landing pages are also generated using content from your website, which keeps your ads relevant and saves you time. All you need to do is add a creative description.
Which part of a Search ad isn’t automatically generated by Dynamic Search Ads?
The Description Line is not automatically generated.
How many ads should be implemented per ad group?
3. Every ad group should have at least 3 quality ads.
That way, the system can optimize your performance, and you can check your performance data to learn what message resonates best with your audience.

Which are the three required parts of a Google Search text ad?

A text ad consists of: Headline, description, and URL.

Which of the following is a core benefit of Google Ads automated bidding?
Automated bidding takes the heavy lifting and guesswork out of setting bids to meet your performance goals. Each type of automated bid strategy is designed to help you achieve a specific goal for your business.

The Maximize Clicks autobidding strategy is best suited to which type of campaign goal?

If the campaign goal is to generate site Traffic, use the Maximize clicks bidding strategy.

The Target Impression Share autobidding strategy is best suited to which type of campaign goal?

If the campaign goal is to generate the most visibility, use the Target Impression Share bidding strategy.

The Target CPA autobidding strategy is best suited to which type of campaign goal?

If the campaign goal is to generate the most conversions, use the Target CPA bidding strategy.

The Target ROAS autobidding strategy is best suited to which type of campaign goal?

If the campaign goal is to generate the most revenue, use the Target Return on Ad Spend bidding strategy.

What marketing goal is the Call Extension ad extension best suited for?

This is best for businesses that are focused on driving more phone calls to their listed phone number.

What marketing goal is the Location Extension ad extension best suited for?

The Location Extension is best for companies that operate retail stores and want potential customers to see the distance from their location to the store. This helps drive more foot traffic to a brick and mortar location.

What marketing goal is the Sitelink Extension ad extension best suited for?

The Sitelink Extension is best suited for companies that want to direct people to specific pages on a website.

What marketing goal is the Structured Snippets ad extension best suited for?

The Structured Snippets ad extension is helpful for companies that want to describe the features of a specific product before customers click on an ad. This is a good opportunity to win a click from a similarly suited product or brand.

Which ad extensions can serve automatically?

Sitelink, callout, and structured snippet ad extensions can be served automatically.
Why do search ad extensions matter?
Ad extensions increase the value of your ads. Think of it this way, more ad “real estate” equates to greater visibility.
By adding more content to your ad, extensions give your ad greater visibility and prominence on the search results page. That means you tend to get more value from your ad. Extensions often increase your total number of clicks, and can give people additional, interactive ways of reaching you—as with maps or calls.
If an advertiser doesn’t want to add remarketing tags to a website, what might be a good fit for them?
Try using Customer Match in cases where a remarketing tag isn’t present. Customer Match relies on your own data instead of a remarketing tag.
What is great about Affinity Audiences?
Affinity Audiences allow advertisers to reach people who are actively researching and intending to buy the products or services they offer.
What can be customized with audience signals to make Search campaigns more efficient?
Keywords can be customized with audience signals to add efficiency to search campaigns.
What are the three main factors that determine ad quality?
The three main factors that determine ad quality are: ad relevance, landing page experience, and the expected clickthrough rate.
ecommerce-on-laptop

Why Your Business Should Consider an eCommerce App

Posted on | by Agency Partner

Ever since the 2020 pandemic, businesses with ecommerce capabilities experienced a surge of revenue from online sales. Consumers recognized the convenience of online shopping and continued with that practice. As digital marketers, we should recognize this cultural shift from in-store shopping to online shopping. The truth is that there is a lot of opportunity in ecommerce, and this is a great time to explore the newest trend of getting an ecommerce app. 

Now your first thought might be that an ecommerce app is an unneeded investment for your business and that you have other priorities that are more worthy of your time and energy, but that idea shouldn’t be shot down so quickly. We will be sharing some important stats that show the growing trends of online shopping via a mobile device and how an ecommerce app can be the one thing that sets you apart from the rest of your competition.  

Everyone is going mobile. 

Smartphones have become a trendy device across the United States, where 81% percent of the population owns one. Many of our digital experiences are being optimized for mobile because our devices are so accessible to us. We have our smartphones wherever we go, which makes it very convenient for us to search for something via the web at any time. A recent study has stated that over half of all website traffic is sourced from a mobile device.

Our generation is heading towards mobile, and websites are being optimized for this transformation. Web developers are now keeping in mind that the mobile layout can be just as important as the desktop version. 

With this shift, sales coming from a mobile devices gained a lot of growth. The feeling of convenience has become the selling point during this transformation. Due to our busy schedules, consumers don’t always have the time to grab their laptops to purchase. Meanwhile, their phone is conveniently right next to them. Now putting two and two together, we now understand that mobile devices have accounted for the increase of sales coming from a mobile device. 

Now we are going to share another statistic that should further your consideration in getting an e-commerce app. 78% of users prefer using an app to a website when online shopping from their mobile device. Given this statistic, businesses that have ecommerce capabilities should reconsider investing in an ecommerce app. 

An ecommerce app can enhance your brand.

Let’s first look at an example of a widely used ecommerce app that has a major impact as an ecommerce industry leader.  

Amazon is the top industry leader when it comes to ecommerce. The app is the most popular shopping app with about 150.6 million users. Amazon is loved by many because of the experience users have when purchasing through the app. Customers are extremely satisfied by the amount of convenience they’re able to experience when making a purchase.

The process is straightforward for customers to purchase, track, and review all within the app. You can even set up and do a return! The process is seamless, with very little room for error. Because of the user experience on the app, Amazon has become a brand that many worldwide love. 

An eCommerce app can also enhance your brand experience. Depending on your industry, an app can be very beneficial to your consumers. If you are in an industry where your buyers frequently come back to make another purchase, you should consider getting an app. It will make the consumer’s shopping experience more convenient. 

Also, consider the competitors in your industry. Do they have an app for their users to make a purchase? If not, is there an underlying issue they are experiencing where a mobile app can be the solution? To get ahead of competitors, you sometimes must be the first to do something. Being the first will easily set you apart from the rest of the industry. 

By having a mobile app, you also can improve and increase communication with your customers. The great thing about an app is that consumers are fully immersed in your brand while using it. Unlike web browsers, you have a lower risk of users exiting out of your site and searching for another competitor.

If they are using your app, the user is more dedicated to shopping with you. There is little competition around when the consumer is in this position. Customers shopping from mobile apps have a 130% higher conversion rate than purchasing from a mobile website. 

Having an app can lead to more marketing opportunities. 

Ecommerce apps can also open new marketing opportunities, which are push notifications. It’s no surprise that push notifications have higher engagement rates than emails and social media ads. Push notifications can grab a lot of customer attention because the notification shows up on their smartphone’s home screen. This marketing tactic is hard for the user to overlook due to its nature.

It also makes it a lot easier for the user to reach your site. Unlike email and social media ads, the customer must be in a different app before getting to your site. They must digest the content in their email or social media timeline, notice your email or ad, digest the content, and click the link to get to your website. It is too many steps, which could lower your customer’s chances of landing on your site.

Unlike emails and ads, push notifications will notify the user’s phone, and once clicked on, it will direct the user directly to the page that is relevant to the notification. Your message will be a lot more direct, and the user is less likely to get distracted. 

Apps are also a great place to centralize any information about your ecommerce shop. In the app, you can promote upcoming sales and personalize account information, and more. The opportunities of what you can provide your customers are endless. An eCommerce app is an excellent opportunity to truly connect with your customers and give them a great shopping experience. 

If you are curious about web app development, learn more about our services at Agency Partner. We live in the digital world, and we know how the digital landscape changes by the minute. To learn more about our mobile application services, contact us here. 

social-media-trends-in-pandemic

Top Social Media Trends the Pandemic Gave Us in 2021

Posted on | by Agency Partner
Expert Tips For Top Social Media Trends the Pandemic Gave Us in 2021

We are now halfway through 2021, and life is just now getting back to normal. Living life remotely for over a year impacted the way we live our lives, and it even changed the way we use social media.

When we started using social media in a new way, new trends emerged. The trends started by the pandemic are still enjoyed by many, and brands are strategically finding ways to leverage them to improve customer relationships and experiences.

When we were all stuck indoors, online shopping skyrocketed, and social media giants like Facebook and Instagram made it possible for users to shop directly from the app.

When we had to hold off on some of our favorite hobbies and past times, we found entertainment in new ways. That’s when TikTok became everybody’s favorite distraction.

To see family and friends, we had to connect virtually. And those who wanted to be in front of a larger audience went on Instagram Live. That’s when live streaming became a hot trend and a new feature for many social media apps.

And finally, the pandemic brought hard times. We weren’t able to comfort each other in the ways we wanted to, so we had to adapt in new ways to show compassion. People saw the value of creating meaningful content online and how we support one another virtually.   

We have become so accustomed to these trends that we began to see the value in them, and we’re not ready for them to go away. These trends are changing the way we use social. And it’s also changing our expectations of brands and how they connect with us. We see the value of growing connections because that is something we had to do this past year.  

Today, we will be diving deeper into how these trends came into fruition and how you can leverage them for your brand. 

How the pandemic birthed Social eCommerce

When we were stuck indoors and unable to visit our favorite stores, we adjusted to new ways of buying the items we needed. Amazon was at its prime – no pun intended.  

Social media giants like Instagram and Facebook saw the growing demand for buying items online, and they wanted to join in on the party. Instagram launched its ecommerce feature in March of last year when the pandemic hit, and it’s been history ever since. Instagram tremendously restructured the mission of their app, bringing more attention to the in-app shopping features. As Adam Moserri stated in his recent video, the pandemic shifted how buyers shop, and they are working on learning towards this trend.

How you can leverage this: If you are a brand with ecommerce capabilities, and your audience is on Instagram. You NEED to consider getting an Instagram shop. Imagine how much revenue you are missing out on without it? Instagram is the perfect opportunity to visually show your product, connect with your audience, and sell all in one app! And the best part is buyers can directly make the transaction from your store on the Instagram app. It shortens the sales process and lessens the risk of lost a lead or abandoned cart. 

The Rise of Video and Creator Content

Lo and behold, the rise of the video came to be. TikTok became the latest social media giant, bringing millions of viewers captivated by the hottest trends and most creative content. With all the extra time we had on our hands and stalls of our favorite hobbies, we found new ways to get entertainment in 2020. With all the extra time we had on our hands and stalls of our favorite hobbies, we found new ways to get entertainment in 2020.   

The video made us feel stuck with us, and it continued to be one of our favorite distractions as we continued with our daily lives. Video is holding record statistics of engagement because audiences stay on the apps longer, continuously absorbing every pleasurable video.

And as for the latest TikTok update – TikTok will be testing 3-minute videos. It will be interesting to see how creators will utilize this new feature and how this could affect other video dominating apps – like, I don’t know Youtube? 

How you can leverage this: Concept different ways you can create video content for your brand. Some topics can be the story behind your brand, tutorials, or any other subject where a video can be fitting. Make sure whatever you are creating tells a story and will be visually captivating. Make sure whatever you are creating tells a story and will be visually captivating.

Livestreaming and How it Can Build Relationships

At one point in 2020, live-streaming was huge. Celebrities were unable to tour and do concerts, so they opted for another way of connecting with audiences through live-streaming.

Brands caught wind of this trend quickly since it allowed them to connect with audiences in real-time through the live chat feature on the live streams. Q&As and live tutorials were a few of the many conversations brands had with their audiences.

How you can leverage this: If you are searching for ways to make meaningful relationships with your audience, consider doing a live stream. Livestreams can bring more authenticity to your brand because you can connect with audiences visually and see their live chats coming in. This also allows you to understand your audience’s wants and needs and possibly their current perception of you.

Ensuring Your Content is Meaningful and Holds Value

And with the hard times the pandemic brought, people began to see the value in the physical connections they previously had with others. Since we transitioned to connecting virtually, people were reading deeper into the messages on their timeline and what it actually meant.   

For example, with the social movements in the last year, many brands knew that to be perceived as the humane and caring brands they claim to be, they had to post content that showed they supported the cause. 

This sparked the social shift that content had to deliver a message and speak to others rather than some unoriginal marketing post to earn more revenue.

How you can leverage this: If you want to grow a deeper connection with your audience, take the time to create a message that is meaningful and will positively impact your audience. People are scrolling through social media for a reason. They are looking for something that will inspire them – try to be that one post that leaves a good impression and makes them act on it.

Agency Partner lives in the digital world, and we know the digital landscape changes by the minute. If you have any questions about influential social media trends and tactics, contact Agency Partner, and we will reach back to you as soon as possible.

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5 Important Digital Marketing Tactics in 2021

Posted on | by Agency Partner
Expert Tips For 5 Important Digital Marketing Tactics in 2021

With the digital world constantly evolving, marketers are continuously challenged to stay updated with the latest marketing trends. A good percentage of our jobs consist of learning the new updates and seeing how it affects our current marketing strategies. 

In this blog post, we will be sharing 5 digital marketing tactics that have emerged in 2021. Although these marketing tactics aren’t necessarily new, marketers are looking at these tactics on a deeper level, learning the science behind them and how they can use these updates to their advantage. Below is a list of tactics that we will be discussing:

  1. Influencer Marketing 
  2. Mobile-First Marketing 
  3. Local SEO 
  4. Personalized Content / Audience Segmentation / AI 
  5. Voice Search 

With the advancement of technology, marketers are becoming more knowledgeable on ways they can reach their consumers and telling them what they want to hear. Even though the constant transformation of the internet can be draining, its development has been beneficial. 

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has always been a traditional marketing tactic. The concept is simple. Someone with strong influence shares your product or service with their audience, and in return, you can gain more awareness from the promotion of your product. With the growth of social media each year, the impact of influencer marketing has become exponential. 

TikTok, for example, is the newest venture when it comes to influencer marketing. TikTok has been very successful in being a video-based app. Audiences are entertained for longer periods of time and stay on the app longer, giving marketers more exposure opportunities. The influencer marketing tactics on the app have been so successful that software marketers now use them to recruit influencers influential to their target audiences.

Instagram is another powerhouse in influencer marketing. Recently, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, shared that there will be changes in the way users use the app. Video and shopping content will be prioritized, minimizing the visibility of photos posted by family and friends on the timeline. As you can imagine, influencer marketing will be used more frequently with these updates.  

Mobile-First Marketing

Mobile-first marketing has been taken into more consideration by marketers in recent years. Many are starting to understand that the majority of online traffic derives from mobile devices, which means your content must be optimized for mobile devices for users to engage with it.  

If your website is not mobile-friendly, you risk the chance of quality leads leaving your site simply due to user experience. Marketers now understand the importance of mobile and how their content strategies must be based around it before executing.  

Local SEO

SEO (Search-Engine Optimization) is becoming a more respectable piece in marketing. With the development of the internet, a website’s quality score plays a big part in measuring its success. Google will not make it easy for websites to gain traffic if it sees no relevance in it. Google’s priority is the user.

They want more people to use Google to solve their day-to-day problems, and the way they are accomplishing that is by updating the algorithm to improve user experience. Google wants to make it easier for users to quickly search for something and find a solution to their problem. If your content is not answering a user’s question, your site will have a lower SERP (Search Engine Results Page), and it may never get found or clicked on. 

Local businesses have recognized the importance of SEO, and without it, they don’t stand a chance against the competition. Local SEO is essential because local audiences have a higher chance of conversion, and as a local business, you want to be present when that user is ready to make a purchase. 

Google My Business has helped many local businesses get listed on Google result pages. Utilizing keywords like your city name and services will make you more relevant, and it will higher your chances of appearing on a higher Google result page. 

Personalized Content / Audience Segmentation / AI

Creating your content based on your target audience has always been a marketing best practice. And thanks to the growth of artificial intelligence, personalizing content has never been easier. Audience segmentation is the process of dividing your general target audience by traits and attributes.

The segmentation helps marketers create and tailor content that will specifically market to that group. And with the help of artificial intelligence, marketers have understood their audience’s wants and needs on a deeper level. 

For example, if you are an ecommerce business, you can tailor your audience’s content by their shopping habits. A frequent buyer can receive a different newsletter from an infrequent one, and each of their newsletters will be customized to what each buyer wants to see.

Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more advanced, and it allows marketers to use it to their advantage that goes beyond just email personalization. The data supplementation from AI software systems is skyrocketing, and it will enhance our marketing strategies as we continue in 2021.  

Voice Search

Search engines and other applications have introduced voice typing features to enhance user experience. It makes searching a lot easier when it is hands-free. Marketers had noticed that when audiences used this feature, the keywords used are different from their regular typing. Due to the difference in vocabulary, SEO specialists consider how this will affect their SEO strategies.

Conclusion

Digital marketing has advanced within just a few years. Marketers must consistently stay on top of the latest trends to ensure their digital marketing tactics are executed successfully. Even though some of the tactics mentioned above aren’t necessarily new, they have evolved with the advancement of technology. 

Agency Partner lives in the digital world, and we know how the digital landscape changes by the minute. If you have any questions about cutting-edge marketing tactics, please get in touch with Agency Partner.

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7 Things to Consider When Choosing a Web Designer

Posted on | by Agency Partner
Expert Tips For 7 Things to Consider When Choosing a Web Designer 

If you don’t have a website for your business, you are missing out on moneymaking opportunities. Having a website is an essential part of any business. It establishes credibility, markets your products, and leads to conversions. Without it, starting a profitable business can be challenging. 

So now that you know a website is an essential business component, you need to figure out where to get one. There are different ways to get a business website. For example, you could look into partnering with a freelance web designer, find a DIY CMS template, or hire a web design agency. Whatever route you choose to go with, several essential things need consideration before making your decision. 

We will be sharing 7 things to consider before choosing a web designer for your business. 

#1 Figure out your website needs and goals 

First, you should know your website needs and goals. Creating goals will help you understand what you want out of a website.  

To guide you on concepting, consider what industry you are in and how your customers will engage with your website. Whether that is through E-commerce, CRM, form fills, or other functions.  

To get your thought process flowing, you can start by thinking about your sales funnel and how your website would play a part in it. Evaluating your sales funnel will help paint a better picture in your mind of how your website will work. 

From there, you can set goals for the timeline and cost of your site. For example, consider the date of when you want to have your website to be done and how much you are willing to pay for it. Setting these goals will make your search a lot more efficient because it will eliminate who can meet your expectations and who cannot. 

#2 Consider Your Web Designer’s Years of Experience 

The second step in considering a web design agency is how much experience they hold. The number of years you are looking for is based entirely on your preference. If you see a designer has potential and can produce the end product you want, including website maintenance, that designer could be a possible fit. 

It’s also good to research who their previous clients are and the industry they are in. If the designer has experience with clients in the same industry as you, the designer will be more knowledgeable about the customer experience. Having an understanding of the same industry will be beneficial when choosing a designer. 

If they do not have any relevant experience in a similar industry, explain the features that you want on your website and see if the designer could still fulfill those needs. However, their sales pitch to you could hold a lot more weight when they don’t have any proven experience. 

#3 View the website designer’s portfolio

Viewing portfolios is an essential step in choosing a web designer. All creative positions in the design industry have portfolios because they present the designer’s aesthetic, style, and tone in their previous work. The portfolio will show you the websites they designed in the past.

However, design is not the only important part of a portfolio. Testing websites functionality is also an essential part of choosing a web designer. A website’s UX design plays a significant role in the customer experience. Although an excellent web design makes the website eye-catching, it will not make the customer convert if it can’t function properly. 

Also, check to see they could do layouts for mobile. 60% of US website traffic comes from a mobile device, so having a website that can do a mobile design is essential.  

Lastly, look to see if the designers have won any rewards for their previous work. Rewards are a good source of credentials when looking for candidates. 

#4 Take into consideration their average customer size 

While you review their portfolio, consider the size of their clients and how this could impact working with them. If they service relatively small businesses, think about how they would handle working with a larger company. Would they manage all the operations that go into making a website for a large business? If the situation is vice-versa, and the agency primarily works with larger clients, would they give enough attention to a smaller company? These are things to consider that could potentially impact your relationship. 

#5 Learn their agency culture 

After you researched who the agency services and their previous work, look into their company culture, you will be working with this team often, and you want to be sure that you can work together nicely.

You can learn a lot about a company’s culture by looking at their team page. If they have an “our history” page, it can help you learn more about how they got established. A company’s social can also be beneficial to look through. The team should be selling you how their values are incorporated into their work to make clients happy.

Also, research other services the agency offers. Other marketing initiatives can supplement your website after it’s complete, making your brand appear more unified. A brand that is consistent in its marketing appears professional to its audience. 

#6 Read Online Testimonials and Reviews 

Learn what others have to say about the agency by reading testimonials and reviews. Reading what customers have to say will show you how the customer experience is.  

And make sure you are not only reading what is on their website. Check third-party review sites as well. Review sites will show the good, bad, and ugly of previous clients and their experience. In addition, look for specific names used within the review. For example, if a customer mentioned how well someone developed their website, it will give you insight into who you want to work with.   

#7 Ask Questions 

Once you have selected your candidates, remember to ask questions. If you misunderstand anything about the services they provide, ask about it so you can learn more. Make sure that the agency you choose can produce the end product you envisioned.

Take your time in choosing a website designer. Your website is a critical player in your marketing strategy, and if it is not serving its purpose, it could severely impact your business goals.  

Agency Partner lives in the digital world, and we know how the digital landscape changes by the minute. If you have any questions about our web design services, please contact Agency Partner.