Tag: social media marketing

instagram-local-business

10 Ways to Promote Your Local Business on Instagram in 2023

Posted on | by Agency Partner Interactive

Have you ever used Instagram to promote your local business? Instagram has become an essential platform for local businesses around the world. With over 1 billion active users, Instagram offers a massive audience to promote your products or services. Additionally, the platform’s visual nature makes it ideal for showcasing your business’s unique features and attracting potential customers. 

This blog post will explore ten effective ways to promote your business on Instagram.  

Optimize Your Instagram Profile 

Your Instagram profile is often the first impression potential customers will have of your business, so making it look professional and complete is essential. Here are some suggestions for improving your Instagram profile: 

Profile photo  

Choose a high-quality, recognizable photo that represents your brand. If you have a logo, use it as your profile picture. 

Bio  

Your bio should be concise and informative. Use this space to describe your business and what you offer and include any relevant hashtags or keywords. You can also add a call-to-action (CTA) to encourage users to visit your website or contact you. 

Contact information 

Make sure your contact information is accurate and up to date. Include your business email, phone number, and physical address if applicable. 

Highlight stories  

Use Instagram’s Highlight feature to showcase important information about your business, such as products or services, customer testimonials, or behind-the-scenes content. 

Use Hashtags Strategically 

Hashtags are an effective strategy for raising your Instagram reach and connecting with potential customers. 

To use hashtags effectively for your local business, follow these tips: 

  1. Research popular and relevant hashtags in your industry or location. 
  2. Choose a mix of broad and specific hashtags to increase visibility and target specific audiences. 
  3. Use branded hashtags unique to your business to encourage user-generated content and brand awareness. 
  4. Limit the number of hashtags you use to 10-15 per post to avoid appearing spammy. 
  5. Monitor the performance of your hashtags using Instagram Insights to track which ones are driving the most engagement. 

Create High-Quality Content 

Creating high-quality content is key to standing out on Instagram and attracting potential customers to your local Instagram business. Here are some tips for creating high-quality content for your local business: 

  1. Use high-resolution photos and videos that showcase your products, services, and location. 
  2. Experiment with different formats, such as carousels, videos, and Stories, to keep your content fresh and engaging. 
  3. Use consistent branding and color schemes to maintain a cohesive aesthetic. 
  4. Add text overlays or captions to provide context and encourage engagement. 
  5. Post regularly and optimally to ensure as many users see your content as possible. 

Engage with Your Followers 

Engagement is a critical component of a successful Instagram strategy for local businesses.  

Here are four ways to effectively engage with your followers: 

  1. Respond promptly to comments and direct messages to show appreciation for your followers and build a connection with them. 
  2. Use Instagram’s engagement features, such as liking and commenting on other users’ posts, to increase your visibility and attract new followers. 
  3. Encourage user-generated content by reposting and tagging user-generated content that showcases your business. 
  4. Use Instagram’s poll and question stickers to request feedback from your followers and encourage engagement. 

Run Instagram Ads 

Instagram ads can be an effective way for local businesses to reach new audiences and drive traffic to their website or physical location. To create effective Instagram ads for your local business, follow these tips: 

  1. Use targeting options to reach specific audiences, such as users in a certain geographic location or users interested in a specific industry. 
  2. Use high-quality images or videos and include a clear and compelling CTA. 
  3. Keep your ad copy concise and informative, focusing on your business’s unique features and benefits. 
  4. Use Instagram’s ad formats to create a visually engaging and interactive experience. 
  5. Test and optimize your ads based on performance metrics like click-through and conversion rates. 

Collaborate with Other Local Businesses 

Collaborating with other local businesses on Instagram can be a powerful way to increase your reach and attract new customers. Here are some tips to help you find and partner with complementary businesses: 

  1. Research businesses in your community that offer complementary products or services. 
  2. Reach out to these businesses with a proposal for collaboration, such as a joint marketing campaign or a cross-promotion deal. 
  3. Consider hosting a joint event or offering a package deal to encourage customers to visit both businesses. 
  4. Use Instagram’s tagging and reposting features to promote each other’s content and increase visibility. 

Offer Instagram-Exclusive Promotions 

Offering Instagram-exclusive promotions can be a great way to drive sales and engagement on the platform. Here’s how to offer a special discount or promotion that’s only available to your Instagram followers. 

  1. Use Instagram’s story features, such as polls and countdowns, to create excitement and promote your promotion. 
  2. Encourage user-generated content by asking followers to share photos or videos of themselves using your product or service and tagging your business in the post. 
  3. Use Instagram’s shopping features to create a seamless shopping experience for users who want to take advantage of your promotion. 

Use Instagram Insights 

Instagram Insights is a built-in analytics tool that can help local businesses track and analyze their performance on the platform. To use Insights to improve your Instagram strategy, follow these tips: 

  1. Use audience demographics to tailor your content to your target audience. 
  2. Analyze post and story engagement to identify which types of content perform best with your audience. 
  3. Set goals for your Instagram performance and track your progress using Insights. Use Insights to track your follower growth and adjust your Instagram strategy accordingly. 

Leverage Influencer Marketing 

Influencer marketing is a popular strategy for local businesses to reach new audiences and increase their brand awareness on Instagram.  

  1. Research influencers who have a strong following and engagement with their audience in your local area. 
  2. Look for influencers who have a similar audience to your business.  
  3. Ensure that the content created by the influencer aligns with your brand values and messaging.  

Reach out to potential influencers with a clear proposal for collaboration and be prepared to offer compensation for their services. 

Final Words:  Instagram Marketing 2023 

Instagram is an important platform for local businesses to reach new audiences, increase brand awareness, and drive more sales and revenue. Following these effective Instagram marketing strategies can help optimize your online presence, build a loyal follower base, and drive engagement to new heights. 

By implementing these strategies, local businesses can improve their Instagram presence and drive more sales and revenue. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new things to find what works best for your business. With a little dedication and persistence, Instagram can help your local business thrive. 

Data-Driven Instagram Marketing Services for Your Local Business 

Digital marketing companies offer various services to help businesses promote themselves on Instagram and other social media platforms. Agency Partner Interactive takes it further by helping local businesses, like yours, develop dynamic online presences, reach new audiences, and drive revenue.  

Our Dallas social media marketing agency uses a holistic approach to Instagram marketing. We obsess over data and analytics to inform each of our client’s social media campaigns. Then, we blend creativity, performance marketing, industry trends, and user behavior while leveraging best-in-class tools. The result? Our clients see an average of 6% engagement rate on Instagram, while the industry standard is 1-2%. 

Ready to take your local business to the next level? Schedule your free strategy session to learn more about our digital marketing services and how we can help you grow your brand, expand your reach, and engage with your target audience on this powerful platform. 

online-presence

Why Small Businesses Still Need a Website – Even If They Have a Social Media Presence

Posted on | by devops

In this day and age, it’s more important than ever for small businesses to have a website and develop a robust online presence. While social media is undoubtedly effective for reaching and engaging new audiences, a well-designed website tailored to your brand can help you achieve your long-term goals. In this blog post, we’ll explain the importance of websites for small businesses and where to find the best web development agency to bring your vision to life. 

Why Do I Need a Website and Not Just Social Media? 

Since social media accounts are free to create, easy to manage, and can generate new leads, many business owners may think it’s a one-stop shop for their digital marketing efforts. However, websites are a foundation to enhance the effectiveness of digital strategies like social media marketing, email marketing, and more. 

When people click on your social media, they should be directed to a website that provides opportunities to take action. A website linked to your social media offers the ability to collect valuable customer data and entice them to learn more about your business. Think of social media as the attention grabber and a website as the closer. 

5 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need Websites 

A dynamic online presence in today’s digital world is essential for businesses of all sizes and can make or break your success. A well-designed website is key to unlocking new opportunities and creating a unique experience to serve your customers better. 

Builds trust and credibility 

Establishing trust with your audience is essential regardless of your business’s size or industry. Modern consumers are more skeptical than ever, and not having a website for your business is highly suspicious. 

Anyone can create a social media profile and start posting, but businesses that have taken the necessary steps of buying a domain, adding relevant content and information about their business, and designing a unique website for their brand give users peace of mind that they are dealing with a legitimate company. If people search for your brand only to find your primary source of information is a Facebook or LinkedIn post, they’ll feel like they’ve hit a dead end. 

Ranking and visibility 

A professional website for your small business gives it a chance to rank on search engines. Social media profiles don’t rank nearly as well as a website built with SEO best practices in mind, meaning if you’re only using social media, you’re missing out on organic traffic. 

When searching on Google or other major search engines, every result is typically a page on a website. The right keywords, links, and descriptions on your website give it the SEO it needs to increase visibility. 

As Google is the one source for people to find information, optimizing your website for SEO allows people to find you and can hinge on the success of your business. You can link your social media posts to your website, offering a place for your audience to go if they want to learn more about your company. The links to your social profile boost your website’s rankings as well, complementing each other to attract new visitors and convert them to loyal customers. 

Control and creative freedom 

Your social media efforts are limited by the platform you’re using. You’re subject to ever-changing rules and regulations that limit your ability to market and convey your brand’s message to your audience. Having a website allows you to control the design and content, giving you an advantage over social media platforms that can change their algorithms or policies anytime. 

Building a website enables total creative freedom. You can break free from conventional restrictions and engage users in unique ways. Working with an accredited web development agency like Agency Partner Interactive allows you to collaborate with world-class web designers to create a custom website completely aligned with your brand and tailored to your users’ expectations. 

A website is a reflection of your business 

When people search for your business, your website is typically the first thing they come across. Make the best first impression with a professional, functional, and engaging site that invites them to explore more of what you offer. Small businesses should utilize their website to reach their client base and be able to react and communicate with current and prospective customers. A poorly designed website (or no website at all) conveys to modern consumers that you may not be a reliable or trustworthy company. 

Websites enable business growth 

Growth-focused small businesses wanting to expand their market and attract new customers can benefit from having a website. While social media offers a way to reach new customers, websites can provide: 

  • More information about your brand
  • Give customers access to your business location 
  • Contact forms
  • A platform to sell your products or services online

Getting a website is the first step to enhancing your online presence and putting your brand in an environment where it can thrive. Promote your products, build credibility, and gain a competitive edge. If you’re not on the internet, people won’t be able to find you, and they’ll go somewhere else. 

Website vs Social Media 

Social media is an effective tool for reaching customers and engaging with them more personally. However, you’ll need a website if you’re looking to build and maintain a robust online presence. Websites serve as the foundation for other digital marketing efforts for small businesses and offer benefits that greatly outweigh having just a social media profile. To stay ahead of your competitors and market your brand to new audiences, you’ll need to have both working together to achieve your long-term goals. 

Small Business Web Development Agency 

Agency Partner Interactive is a full-service digital agency that provides award-winning web design solutions and digital marketing services to small businesses. We work to understand your business drivers before leveraging bespoke technology and internet marketing expertise to help brands achieve their full potential. 

Working with a dedicated digital marketing agency is one of the best ways to take your small business to the next level. Starting with a website kickoff meeting, our expert web designers collaborate with you to create a custom web solution aligned with your goals, objectives, and budget. Then, our digital marketing strategists develop interconnected social media marketing, content marketing, and SEO strategies to optimize and maintain your online presence constantly. Get in touch to receive your free personalized proposal today! 

hyperlocal-marketing

Hyperlocal Marketing: 8 Tips to Attract High-Intent Customers Near You

Posted on | by devops

As technology advances and consumers become increasingly reliant on their smartphones and digital devices, it’s more important than ever for businesses to have a robust online presence and target their advertising efforts in a highly focused area. 

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the concept of hyperlocal marketing, why it’s important, and offer tips on effectively reaching high-intent customers nearby. Whether you’re a small business owner or a marketing professional working with local clients, this post will provide valuable insights and strategies for boosting your local marketing efforts! 

What Is Hyperlocal Marketing?

Hyperlocal marketing is a digital strategy that targets prospective customers in a highly specific geographic area interested in purchasing products or services like yours. It aims to reach potential customers who search queries like “coffee shops near me.” If your brick-and-mortar business is optimized for these searches, you’ll show up on the list.  

Hyperlocal vs Local Marketing

The difference between the two is the size and scope of the targeted geographic area. Local marketing can encompass cities and metroplexes, whereas hyperlocal is more focused, typically a few blocks or streets around your business. This type of marketing has become increasingly important in recent years, thanks to the rise of mobile devices and location-based services like Google Maps and Yelp. 

Why Is Hyperlocal Marketing Important? 

Today, users have more access to information than ever before. People who use local searches have high purchase intent, and almost a third of all local searches convert to sales. That’s why having a lot of your business information online is vital for connecting with potential consumers.  

By skipping hyperlocal SEO, you may miss out on the primary source where consumers discover local businesses. According to Google Insights, 76% of people who use local search on their smartphone visit the physical store within 24 hours, with 28% of those searches resulting in a purchase. Implementing local and hyperlocal SEO goes beyond enhancing your online presence to attract qualified, high-converting leads. 

Benefits of Hyperlocal Marketing

When people use location-based or “near me” searches, they already intend to make a purchase. By swooping in during this phase of the customer journey, you can drive traffic to your store and capitalize on the local market. Here are some advantages of hyperlocal marketing for you and your customers: 

For your business

  • Cost-effective – by focusing on a small geographic area and targeting high-converting customers, you can stretch your budget more than trying to attract customers that can’t get to you.
  • High ROI – optimizing your business for local search is less competitive and budget-friendly, with a greater proportion of leads turning into customers.
  • Flexibility – online tools and tactics make it easy to customize local marketing campaigns to meet your goals and budget. Tracking and analytics data allow you to see what works; even if some campaigns fail, you won’t break the bank.

For consumers

Hyperlocal marketing makes it quick and easy to find what people are looking for wherever they are. People who want to explore new locations, businesses, and attractions can gain access to a list of new places to choose from, making for a better user experience. Viewing more local businesses also helps them discover new brands they wouldn’t typically come across in traditional advertising. 

Hyperlocal Marketing Tips and Strategies

Here are the top eight local marketing tips that are easy for businesses of all kinds to use and see a successful ROI: 

Create and optimize your Google My Business Profile 

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that companies can use to establish an online reputation management strategy on Google’s search engine, including Google Maps. 

Google can use your GMB page as a primary ranking factor to improve your local SEO, so it’s crucial that you make regular updates on your account to simplify the search experience for web visitors. 

Once you’ve created a profile, optimize it by filling out all the information that describes your business, including its name, address, hours of operation, accepted payment methods, contact information, and more. Upload high-quality images of your store so people can see what it looks like, and any online reviews about your products or services can be seen directly on the search results. 

Advertise local search ads on Google Maps.

Showing ads on Google Maps is a powerful way to reach nearby customers. If you run a local business, Google Maps ads make it easier for people to discover you and get your location. You should also optimize keywords so they’ll relate to your area and are relevant to what people are searching for. 

Hyperlocal social media marketing

Social media platforms provide immense opportunities for local marketing, specifically Facebook. Hyperlocal marketing gets your ads in front of the right audience at the right time and allows you to customize and track your ads for highly targeted campaigns.

Use your user dashboard to set up your campaign and select your central point and desired radius. Then, you can personalize your strategy to target unique demographics and interests and even choose who sees your ads in a given location.

Geofencing

Another effective hyperlocal marketing tool is geofencing, which dramatically increases the number of mobile users who see your content, ads, and notifications. You can use it to attract nearby prospects with relevant, location-based content and ads on their phones with offers, discounts, and specials to get them to visit your store.

Use hyperlocal SEO on your website.

The way to attract high-intent local consumers is through the corresponding keywords. Once you’ve established the best hyperlocal terms to use, add them to your website’s product descriptions, company profiles, and within the titles and text of your pages.

How we type our search queries differs from how we speak or read, so it can be challenging to incorporate specific keywords naturally. Working with an experienced content marketing agency, like Agency Partner Interactive, can be a valuable resource to ensure your content is optimized with SEO best practices and caters to your audience’s interests, needs, and expectations.

Create localized content 

Leverage landing pages optimized for local search for your business locations and the different products or services you provide to help you rank higher for location-based queries. Incorporating location-based keywords with your city, town, or ZIP code within the content, titles, and meta tags will generate more traffic and increase rankings over time.

Blogs are another great way to start your content marketing efforts and get local links. You can publish posts with local SEO strategies and engage users to interact with your brand when they transition into the intent phase of their customer journey.

Optimize your website for mobile.

Since hyperlocal marketing aims to target consumers searching on smartphones, making sure your website adapts to multiple screen sizes is essential. Mobile-friendly websites are easy to view and accessible with functional links, elements, and navigation. You should also ensure your website loads quickly on mobile and has compelling CTAs to drive engagement.

Get customer reviews

For the B2C industry, customer testimonials are one of the most powerful ways to build your business reputation and attract more leads.

According to a 2023 online review report, 93% of customers said online reviews impact their buying decisions, and 97% of consumers use online reviews when researching a local product or service. Additionally, customer reviews can increase your local rankings. Running promotions or discounts on a future purchase can incentivize customers to write an online review and generate loyalty to your brand.

The Best Marketing Agency for Local Businesses

Agency Partner Interactive offers bespoke, cost-effective solutions for local marketing. As the top Dallas digital marketing agency, we specialize in social media marketing, premier SEO services, content marketing, web design solutions, and more.

Our expert web developers craft responsive designs that adjust to all devices, and our internet marketing strategists can help with everything you need to run a successful, high-converting hyperlocal marketing strategy. From content creation to Facebook ads, GMB account management, and beyond, we’ll maximize your brand’s entire online presence. Get in touch with us today for your free personalized proposal!

marketing-budget

How to Better Manage Your Marketing Budget This Year

Posted on | by devops

The holidays are over, and you’ve had a chance to recover from all the parties and family time. Now that you’re back in the office, it’s time to get serious about how you’re going to manage your marketing budget in 2023. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporation, there’s never been more pressure on budgets than now. The good news is there are strategies we can all use to manage our money better so we can focus on the work that matters most: helping our customers and businesses succeed! 

How to Better Manage Your Marketing Budget 

Marketing budgeting is an ongoing process. 

While you may start with a finite amount to spend on marketing for the year, this figure should be revisited as your business needs change and grow. There are two primary factors to consider when determining how much money you’ll need: 

  • How much money do I have available? (your budget)
  • What are my goals? (how much can I afford to spend)

When it comes down to it, understanding what resources are available and having clarity on your goals will allow you to better manage your marketing budget. 

Determine Your Total Marketing Budget 

Before you begin to plan your marketing strategy and budget, it’s important to determine how much money you must spend. While some companies may be flush with cash, others face tighter budget constraints. Regardless of how much money is available for marketing, there are ways to make the most of what you have. 

To determine how much money you can allocate toward marketing: 

Use existing financial information (if available). If your company has already conducted its annual budgets or has other recent budgets in the office, this information can provide insight into where funding might come from in the future.  

Create a List of Platforms You’ll Use for Marketing 

Keeping a list of the platforms you plan to use for marketing is essential. For instance, if you have a Facebook page, then make sure it is on your list. If you plan to run paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram, be sure those are included. In addition to social media platforms, you can also include email newsletters and other digital marketing strategies. 

You may want to create a spreadsheet or other type of document where all these platforms are listed so that when it comes time for budgeting purposes in the future (as well as when evaluating how well each platform is performing), it will be easy for everyone involved in managing your social media presence—or any other digital strategy—to see what needs attention most urgently at any given time. 

Estimate the Cost and Potential ROI for Each Platform 

Understanding how much money you have to spend on different aspects of your strategy is critical. For example, if you don’t know how much it will cost to buy an ad on Facebook or YouTube, you won’t be able to make informed decisions about where best to allocate your budget across these platforms. 

Understand How Your Competitors Are Spending Their Marketing Budget 

Understanding what other companies are doing is key when deciding how much money you want to spend on each marketing platform as part of your overall strategy. You can use tools like SEMrush and SpyFu to learn about the top keywords that competitors use in their ads and landing pages and which platforms they’re advertising on most frequently. This way, when setting up your campaigns across these platforms based on competitor data, you’ll know what works best and why so that you can make data-driven decisions moving forward. 

Evaluate Your Current Strategy to See What’s Already Working 

The next step to setting a solid budget for marketing this year is to look at the results of your previous spending strategy. What does your data tell you about what worked and what didn’t? 

You can find this information by reviewing your social media analytics, email open rates, and website traffic reports.  

  • Did you have high engagement across all channels at one point in time? Check which posts got the most likes or shares on Facebook or replies on Twitter.
  • Do some of your social media followers seem more engaged than others? Look at the number of comments compared with likes or shares on each post.
  • Are people visiting certain pages more often than others? If so, you should figure out why.

Allocate Your Budget 

The best way to figure out how much you should spend on each platform is by determining their value and then dividing that by their total cost. For example, if Facebook ads drive 90% of your sales and only cost $10 per month, it makes sense to spend most of your budget there. However, if you have some channels that are working well but generating fewer leads than others, it may make sense to focus more on those channels so they can perform better. 

  • Figure out how much money you have available for digital marketing campaigns
  • Prioritize the platforms where you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck

Agency Partner Interactive 

While budgeting expenses for the year can be challenging for small businesses to enterprise corporations, knowing where to put your investment is crucial to realizing a full ROI. Agency Partner Interactive is a full-service digital marketing and web development agency that has worked with budgets of all sizes. Our meticulous, results-driven process ensures you’re kept in the loop every step to get the biggest bang for your buck. Your business success becomes ours. Schedule your free consultation and start the new year right with an award-winning digital marketing agency! 

black-friday

9 Little-Known Black Friday Marketing Strategies That Work

Posted on | by devops

Black Friday is one of the most important days for retailers, and it’s no surprise that many companies use it to drive sales. However, not every business has mastered the art of Black Friday marketing. If you want your Black Friday campaigns to succeed, we’ve got nine little-known strategies that will help you reach your goals: 

  1. Get Your Site Ready for Traffic

To ensure that your site can handle the traffic spike and make sure it’s available for customers to access, follow these tips: 

If you still don’t have a website, make one! Today’s consumers expect brands to be online and accessible 24 hours a day. So, if you don’t already have a functioning eCommerce site set up for Black Friday and beyond, then now’s the time! 

Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. According to research conducted by Adobe in 2012, more people are shopping from their phones than ever before. To ensure a positive customer experience on all devices, use responsive web design techniques that let users view content in the same way regardless of which device they use (smartphone or computer). 

Make sure your website can handle the surge in traffic. This is where load testing tools can come in handy. Use them to simulate different levels of traffic and determine if your site can handle the increased load before Black Friday hits. 

  1. Create Black Friday Social Media Buzz
  • Post images and videos on social media
  • Create a hashtag for your Black Friday campaign to help customers and prospects find you and create a buzz about your brand in real-time.
  • Engage with customers on social media: answer questions, ask them what their favorite holiday deals are, and offer suggestions on how to save money during the shopping season (early bird specials, gift card deals).
  • Use influencers to help promote your Black Friday campaign: reach out to bloggers or local celebrities with large followings in your business or industry to see if they’d be willing to post about any special offers related to Black Friday sales.
  1. Create A Black Friday-Specific Landing Page

A landing page is a web page that acts as an online sales funnel. It’s used to capture leads and drive traffic to conversion points on your website, such as an eCommerce checkout or signup form. 

Landing pages are often used during events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you have a presence on social media, you can also promote unique coupons or promotions for the duration of your event through ads with links that lead back to your landing page. 

Make sure your Black Friday landing page is relevant to your target audience. Also, make sure it includes the following: 

  • A call-to-action (CTA) button—typically “Shop Now” or “Buy Now.”
  • A clear value proposition: why should someone buy from you today?
  1. Preview Live on Instagram

Create a preview video of your product or service. After you’ve created the video, share it on Instagram to see if people like what they see and want to buy. 

If you’re selling an item that requires assembly, show how easy it is to put together. Explain how your team delivers excellent customer care beyond expectations if you’re offering a service. 

You can also create a “story” in Instagram stories (a series of photos and videos) that highlights your product or service in action. 

  1. Give Your Subscribers a Sneak Peek

Giving your subscribers a sneak peek of what you will be offering for Black Friday is a great way to get them excited about the upcoming event. You could also give them a discount code they can use on Black Friday, which will help get them in the buying mindset.  

The most important thing to remember when using this strategy is to ensure the sneak peek entices people to buy from you. If possible, send out an email with some sample products or services and show how awesome they will be on Black Friday when everyone else offers similar products/services at discounted prices. 

  1. Retarget Recent Visitors with a Discount Offer

Retargeting is a powerful tool that can help you increase sales. It’s handy for converting visitors who have abandoned their carts and browsing customers who have yet to make purchases. 

You can use retargeting to target customers who have visited your website in the past. This way, when they visit again, they’ll see an ad reminding them of the benefits of purchasing from you, and this will encourage them to convert into paying customers! This strategy works best if you have clear messaging about why someone should make a purchase, such as “our products come with free shipping” or “we offer 30-day returns.” 

  1. Follow Up with Existing Customers

The best time to reach out to your existing customers is during the holiday season. This is when everyone is looking for gifts and trying to find the right one for the people they care about. Make sure you’re top of mind by sending a timely email marketing campaign that reminds them of your products or services, offers a discount (either in-store or online), provides freebies, and gives them free trial periods on your products. 

  1. Set Up Retargeting Ads for Abandoned Carts

Abandoned cart ads are great for a few reasons: 

  • They’re easy to set up.
  • They don’t take much time or effort (even if you need to create new ad copy).
  • They can bring back customers who may have forgotten about your product or service.

The idea behind abandoned cart retargeting is simple: when a user abandons their shopping cart on your site, you send them a follow-up email or text with a discounted offer to try and bring them back into the fold.  

  1. Retarget Prospects with an Email Campaign

Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal, and it’s a highly effective way to reach your target audience. A retargeting campaign is a great place to start when you want to reach out to people who have shown interest in your products or services but have yet to purchase. 

A retargeting email campaign works like this: when someone visits your website, browser cookies allow you to monitor their web activity and serve ads based on what they do online (and where they do it). If you sell t-shirts, for example, you can track which pages someone has visited on your site and serve ads for related products like socks or hats when they visit other sites. You can also use data from social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram so that if someone liked the shirt of yours that another customer bought last year (which makes them likely), they would see an ad for this year’s version of that same shirt while scrolling through her feed! 

Agency Partner Interactive Can Help You Get Started 

And there you have it! These are some of the most basic, yet effective marketing strategies for Black Friday. Once you’ve decided which approach works best for your brand, it’s time to implement it. Agency Partner Interactive’s team of digital marketing experts can help guide your company through data-driven decisions to increase traffic, build your brand voice, foster a community of loyal followers, and more. Send us your proposal today! 

digital-marketing-trends

8 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2023

Posted on | by devops

Digital marketing is a fast-changing industry, and it’s critical to stay up to date on the latest insights that are shifting the landscape. If your competitors understand better how to implement these trends before you, they’ll be able to outmaneuver you and take away more of the market. So, as we head into 2023, here are eight of the most significant trends in digital marketing you should know about: 

  1. Shoppable content

Shoppable content is a way of integrating eCommerce into your content. 

When done correctly, it allows you to create an experience for your customers that’s more relevant and convenient for them. Shoppable content allows your customers to click on something and purchase it directly from the page they are on. This can also be used as an alternative method of monetizing your content by creating a stronger connection between your brand and your customers to drive more sales. 

You could use it as an opportunity to sell an item directly through a product listing or even create an entire store with products matching your website’s overall theme. 

  1. Voice search

Voice search is the future. It’s growing rapidly as one of the most frequently used methods of searching compared to traditional text-based search. 

Voice search is more accurate to how consumers search online than typing a query into a text field. People often make spelling mistakes when typing, which can lead to poor results in a text-based search engine. However, voice commands are easier for algorithms to understand because they use simple language instead of complex sentences and long words (e.g., “find me hotels in San Francisco that have free breakfast”). 

When you ask someone a question by speaking into your phone, there’s no need to type out the question. Speech is also a more natural way to ask a question, and the convenience makes this interface much more desirable than typing things out. 

  1. Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a technology that can be used for digital marketing. It can help automate tasks like sending emails and updating social media. AI also has predictive capabilities, mimicking customer behavior. 

AI can be used to create custom content for each visitor on your website based on what they have previously viewed or searched for online, now or in the past. You may have heard that Google is using AI to provide search results filled with answers instead of just links.  

  1. Real-time social media marketing

Real-time social media marketing is a way to get your business in front of potential customers who are looking for your products/services. It can be used as part of an ongoing strategy or as a standalone approach, but it’s important to know what makes this tactic so effective. 

When you use real-time social media marketing effectively, you’ll be able to capitalize on opportunities that arise during the day and react quickly to negative feedback from customers (or even competitors). This will help ensure that your company maintains its reputation and builds loyalty among consumers who either already love what you do or are just learning about your company’s value. 

  1. Programmatic advertising

Programmatic advertising is the practice of using software to purchase digital advertising space. It differs from traditional advertising because it gives advertisers more control over their ads’ targeting, placement, and frequency. 

To use programmatic advertising effectively, you need to know how it works and how your audience interacts with your brand online. Here are some questions to ask yourself: 

  • Do you have a website?
  • What kind of content do people use on your site?
  • How often do they visit it?

If you can answer these questions, then you’re well on your way! 

  1. Personalization

Personalization is vital in digital marketing because it helps you to connect with your audience. It can improve customer service, create a more engaging experience for your customers, and increase conversion rates. 

Customer service: Personalization allows businesses to customize their response based on each customer’s needs. This can help companies provide the best service possible while saving time and money. 

Marketing: Personalization allows brands to deliver a more effective message by providing content that speaks directly to customers’ interests and needs, making marketing more relevant and efficient than ever. 

Conversions: Personalizing your web pages also increases engagement with customers. Whether that’s offering discounts or creating interactive experiences like quizzes or customized recommendations based on past behavior, giving your customers what they want when they want it is paramount to increasing your conversion rate. 

  1. Authenticity and transparency

The importance of authenticity and transparency in digital marketing is obvious. Consumers want to feel like they’re getting a fair deal, and marketers are constantly trying to build trust with their audiences. But what does it mean to be authentic? What does it mean to be transparent? And how can you measure your efforts at being both? 

The first step towards building trust with customers is understanding what authenticity means for your brand and business. For example, if you’re selling a product that’s traditionally been seen as high-end or luxury, then a more authentic approach would focus on the craftsmanship that goes into making the product rather than promoting its designer brand name or exclusive price point. The goal should always be creating an experience that feels real—not just saying things because they sound nice or impressive but because they align with who you are as an organization. 

  1. Video marketing for all devices

As the world’s most consumed content on the internet, video content is also the best way to engage your audience. 

Video is so popular because it makes people feel like they are part of something they care about and want to share with others. In fact, YouTube reported that more than 150 million hours of video are watched daily on their platform alone! It’s not just text or images anymore; it’s all about video for all devices. 

Digital marketing constantly evolves, so keeping up with the latest trends can seem daunting. But if you keep these eight trends in mind, you’ll be well on your way toward staying ahead of the curve—and maybe even invent some new trends along the way! 

Agency Partner Interactive can help you get ahead 

As one of the fastest-growing digital marketing agencies in North Texas, Agency Partner provides bespoke web design and development and internet marketing expertise. We specialize in social media marketing, email marketing, content strategy, SEO, and more. Make 2023 your year of explosive growth by sending us your proposal today! 

social-media-halloween

Best Halloween Social Media Marketing Ideas for Brands

Posted on | by devops

Halloween is one of the most popular holidays on social media. People love posting photos and videos of their costumes, but brands can also use this holiday to increase engagement with their followers. Here are some great ideas for Halloween social media marketing campaigns:  

Host a contests

You can generate buzz by running a contest that gives away a prize. The most important thing is to make it easy for people to enter and share with their friends, so you’ll need to use a social media management tool designed for your needs. One example of these tools is Woobox, which offers features such as sweepstakes and giveaways (you can find similar options by searching “contest” in your favorite app store).

Post a quiz

Quizzes are a great way to get your followers involved and engage with your brand. They’re also an excellent way to collect data, which is invaluable when it comes to marketing your business. 

A quiz can be as simple or complex as you want it to be! You can create a basic multiple-choice quiz using Google Forms, or if you’d like something more elaborate, there are many custom tools available, like ActiveCampaign. The most important aspect of having a quiz is to collect customer information. You should link the results to a call-to-action, whether that’s on your website, an email capture, or straight into your lead nurture sequences. 

Once the quiz is created, share it on social media! It’s important to remember that one of the primary purposes of having a quiz is to collect customer information. You should link the results to a call-to-action, whether that’s on your website, an email capture, or straight into your lead nurture sequences.

Share a video

Sharing a video is a great way for your brand to connect with customers on social media this Halloween. Videos are an engaging way to educate, inform, and inspire your audience. You can use the following tips to help you create and share a compelling video: 

  • Share information about your new product or service 
  • Use the holiday to promote an event or sale 
  • Share information about your organization’s mission and values so that people know why they should support you

Share GIFs

The best way to get people’s attention on social media is to share something that will make them laugh. GIFs are an easy way to do just that, as they’re more likely to get a reaction than text or an image. 

Halloween is the perfect occasion for sharing animated GIFs because they’re versatile, fast, and can encompass a range of emotions and memes. You can use them in your posts, replies, and comments—and with so many options available, you can easily find the perfect one that conveys your message.

Use Halloween hashtags 

Hashtags can be great for your brand. They help you create a community, engage with people, and discover content you might not have seen otherwise. 

You may already be aware that hashtags are used on social media to bring together people with common interests—but did you know that hashtags are also a great way to build your brand? As the holidays approach, we’ve rounded up some of our top tips for creating an excellent hashtag campaign for Halloween! 

  • Use a specific hashtag relating to the Halloween campaign you’re running. Seasonal incentives are more likely to appeal to consumers when there is a sense of urgency, whether a sale or giveaway. 
  • If you have a loyal follower base, ask them to share photos using your products or engaging with your services with a specific hashtag. You can run a contest based on the best post and giveaway prizes or deals to turn potential customers into paying ones. 
  • When running a seasonal social media campaign with a festive hashtag, always include your generic brand hashtag as well. This drives traffic to your posts, website, and content, keeping your brand top of mind long after the holidays are over.

Repost user-generated content

Reposting user-generated content is a great way to build trust with your audience. Fostering an online community and engaging with them through reposts shows that your brand cares about your customers and is highly effective in building customer loyalty

User-generated content allows you to tap into the creativity of your community and attract new customers. If someone posts something on Instagram, they can tag your brand so you can share it on your feed. This is a win-win for you and the content creator since they’ll receive broader exposure for their work, and your brand reputation will go through the roof.

Most of tips can be used year-round!

  • With simple adjustments, you can reuse Halloween social media tactics for different holidays and occaisions or to boost promotions and sales. 
  • Regardless of your industry and budget, social media marketing for Halloween is a fun, relatively simple concept to help you boost sales, loyalty, and customer acquisition. 

With that in mind, it’s important to remember that social media marketing is an ongoing process that requires consistency and constant improvements. While Halloween is a great time to get creative on social media, you’ll need to maintain a dynamic online presence year-round to see real results.

Agency Partner Interactive

Whether you’re just starting social media or looking to revamp your strategy, the digital marketing experts at Agency Partner can help. As an award-winning internet marketing agency, we create effective social media campaigns that drive conversions, generate brand awareness, and increase engagement regardless of your budget. Speak with a digital marketing expert today!

social_media_marketing_for_restaurants

How Social Media Marketing for Restaurants Can Grow Your Business

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For How Social Media Marketing for Restaurants Can Grow Your Business

Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your restaurant’s customer base. After all, what better way to let people know about your business or offer them a chance to engage on a personal level than through social media? If you’re not using social media as part of your marketing strategy and have been considering it, stay tuned. In this article, we’ll explain how restaurants can use social platforms and strategies for success. Let’s dive in!

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing is a strategy that uses social networks, blogs, and other forms of social media to promote your restaurant. This helps you build customer relationships and drives more online traffic.

Social media marketing allows people to share information about products or services with others through channels like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest.

While there are many benefits of using social media for restaurants, it’s important not to focus all your attention on just one platform. It’s best practice to have a presence on multiple channels to reach customers on all sides.

How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy for Restaurants

The first step in creating a social media marketing strategy for restaurants is to define your goals. What are you hoping to accomplish? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive sales and get more reviews, or both? Once you’ve defined your goals, the next step is defining your target audience. Who will see this content, and how often will they see it?

Then, it’s time to figure out who your competitors are so that you can outperform them with your strategy. Once those two tasks have been taken care of, create a realistic budget for the project. Depending on your results, you can always adjust it later!

Now, it’s time to execute your social media strategy. This includes putting together an actual product your audience will see and be called to action. If this seems overwhelming, the social media experts at Agency Partner can help guide you every step of the way.

Who Should I Target on Social Media?

Social media is an excellent way for your business to interact directly with customers and potential customers. But it’s also an opportunity for you to engage with other businesses, organizations, and individuals in your community who may spread the word about your restaurant or offer valuable advice and support as you grow your brand.

Here are some of the key audiences that restaurants should be targeting:

Local customers – You can target these folks by creating ads on Facebook specifically targeted at people who live near your location or have visited before.

Potential customers – By identifying what keywords they’re searching for online (and then bidding on those keywords), restaurants can reach out directly through ads before anyone has even thought about coming in person! This helps ensure everyone knows the kind of food or drinks are waiting for them when they come in, so keep things tasty!

Business partners – Word of mouth is crucial to a restaurant’s success. Target local business owners, offer deals or propose working with them. This can incentivize them to write positive reviews while increasing the chances of referrals. Plus, there’s nothing better than getting good recommendations from friends who trust their judgment implicitly.

What Type of Content Should I Create?

The answer is simple: as much as possible! Here are some ideas to help you get started:

Share useful information – If you’re hosting a food truck festival, share the menu and hours. If your restaurant just got reviewed by a local publication, post the link. If you offer delivery or excellent customer service, let the people know! Share information that benefits potential customers and makes them feel like they’re getting something unique out of the experience.

Share your expertise – Asking questions is one way to engage with potential customers without selling yourself too hard; another way is sharing information on topics people care about (like pairing wine with food). This can be anything from recapping an event you’ve participated in (like tasting notes from a wine competition) or educating people about how best to enjoy their meal at home (how should I reheat my pizza for the tastiest results?)

What Is the Best Social Media Platform for Restaurants?

We’ll start by discussing the most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Facebook is the most widely used social media platform, with an average of 1.5 billion active users per month. It’s also a great place to post photos and videos that show your customers what it’s like inside your restaurant—and how much fun they can have there!

Instagram is another great platform for restaurants because of its focus on visual content; images are key here, so make sure you’re uploading plenty (and tagging them correctly).

You should also consider setting up an account for your business on Pinterest, where people often search for reviews or recommendations before deciding where to eat the next time they’re traveling through town (or want something new). It’s not uncommon for restaurants with lots of followers to see a spike in sales after being featured on one of their boards!

When Should I Post and How Often?

If you’re a restaurant owner, you’ve probably heard the advice to “post often.” But how often is often?

That depends on the type of restaurant that you own and your brand image. The most important thing about posting is to do so consistently. Followers will likely drop off if you post several times daily, then switch to posting once weekly.

You also need to consider the time of day people are most likely to check their social feeds; this will impact when it makes sense for you to post. For example, if your audience skews younger and they’re generally active after dinner hours, then perhaps mornings aren’t ideal for your posts—though this could change throughout the year depending on what other events are going on locally or nationally during different seasons.

Take Your Social Media Strategy to the Next Level

If you’re ready to develop an engaging, effective social media marketing strategy, look no further than Agency Partner Interactive. Our digital marketing experts can help guide you through data-driven decisions to increase traffic, build your brand voice, foster a community of loyal followers, and more. Schedule your free consultation today!

Social_media_for_small_business

How Social Media can Positively Impact Your Small Business

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For How Social Media can Positively Impact Your Small Business

Social media is a great way to network, connect and market your small business. It can help you solve issues that you may have with customers before they arise and give you the ability to listen to your customers feedback. All of these things can add up to improving the customer experience.

What is the Impact of Social Media on Businesses?

More than 4.5 billion people use the internet worldwide, which has become a great opportunity for businesses to advertise their products and services globally. From social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat to apps like WhatsApp, Tango and Viber, the concept of digital marketing is trending nowadays. The importance of social media networks can’t be ignored as with the help of these online platforms one can directly interact with customers for business promotions or even for sales purposes. But before you dive too quickly into using them, you first need to understand that how much impact do these amazing channels really have on your business.

Brand loyalty

Brand loyalty is a state where the customers have complete faith in the brand, and they purchase the product or service without any persuasion. Brand loyalty faces a lot of challenges from rivals and substitutes. The level of awareness about a brand among people also plays an important role in brand loyalty. Loyalty means repeat purchases, more spending, stickiness to the product/brand, etc. Brand loyalty can be either emotional or rational based.

Learn more about your customers

You can use social media to get a detailed understanding of your customers and their purchasing habits. This information can help you make smarter business decisions, improve product development, and build more valuable relationships with your customers.

Easy communication

When it comes to consumer brands and customer interaction, things have changed. In the past, you had to wait until the company set up an event showcasing their new products and line. This happened maybe once or twice a year. Nowadays, companies are more proactive in interacting with consumers on a regular basis — through social media channels. Customers can connect with brands directly and ask questions about their products.

Increased customer power

Today, businesses are seeing a shift in their relationships with customers. And no, it has nothing to do with Millennials and the younger generations! Over time, social media has allowed a voice to people who previously didn’t have one. Because of this power shift, businesses now seem to be at the behest of their clients and fans. But rather than fear this change of events, businesses should embrace the influence their clients have. Businesses should capitalize on this connection and work towards bringing in more customers and creating more loyal ones.

Attract bigger audience

Social media marketing is a cost-effective and highly targeted way to build your brand presence. Just like traditional media, social media creates a bigger reach of your company in the digital space. Engaging with your audience through promotional posts on social networking sites, direct messages, and even through comments & replies turns the platform into a source of self-promotion for many businesses.

Creates word of mouth

Word of mouth is powerful. And now with social media, word of mouth is instant. Almost 80% of consumers would trust an online review as much as personal recommendations.

Reducing marketing and promotional costs

Social media marketing (SMM) is a kind of internet marketing which involves use of social media sites, blogs and online videos to promote or market a product or business service. It goes through a promotional campaign which shows your products and services, the benefits they provide and the likes.

Reporting and analytics

With social media tracking and analytics tools, you can see the full impact of your social media activities, from follows to engagements right through to purchases. This provides a clear picture of how your campaigns are working, giving you actionable insights into which ones are going to deliver results for you.

Humanize your brand

One of the greatest benefits for businesses of using social media is the ability to create real human connections. For example, communicating with customers via Twitter allows you to have fun and build relationships with individuals – all while improving customer service, driving sales and increasing brand awareness.

Impact of social media marketing on small business

Social media marketing is a great way for small businesses to reach out to their target audience and generate leads. With the increasing number of social media platforms on the internet, it has become easier for small businesses to market their products in different ways.

The biggest advantage of social media marketing is that it allows small businesses to be more personal with their customers than ever before.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn allow you to interact with your customers directly by replying to comments or asking them questions. Social networks also give you an opportunity to share photos, videos and links related to your business which can help you build trust among potential customers who may not know much about your business yet but would like to learn more about it through these posts.

Are you looking to optimize your business with an award-winning social media management agency that can help drive leads, build brand awareness, and attract valuable customers? Maybe you just have some basic questions about digital marketing! Contact us today to get started.

 

Beijing Tiananmen Square - Chinese Communist Party

What The World Must Know About TikTok and ByteDance

Posted on | by adam
Social Media News: Is TikTok a Trojan Horse for the Chinese Communist Party?

Last month, BuzzFeed reported on leaked audio from 80 internal meetings at TikTok offices revealing that the company routinely allows Beijing-based employees to access private US user data.

This comes after public statements to news outlets and the US Congress, swearing under oath that TikTok user data would not be compromised or shared with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. For years the company promised that US user data would be stored on US-based servers and would not be shared with officials from our largest foreign adversary. 

The trouble is that, as one TikTok employee from the Trust and Safety department said, “everything is seen in China.”

Irrespective of where the servers are physically located, as easily as accessing a song or iMessage from the cloud, Beijing-based ByteDance employees tap into US-based servers with ease. From one headline to the next, US-based TikTok spokespersons continue to contradict themselves, gaslighting the American public and US regulators instead of owning up to their ugly truth.

 

The concerns here are vast and we must dig deeper.

On one hand, TikTok’s 1 billion users (and growing) are sharing vast amounts of in-app usage, device, and biometric data. The social entertainment app can track where you go and when, and then process that data into meaningful patterns of behavior. All of this data goes through a process of machine learning, which optimizes TikTok’s “For You” algorithm.

If you stop right there, this isn’t really a story worth talking about. After all, American social media companies do this kind of stuff everyday for purposes of generating advertising revenue.

But scratch the surface just a bit deeper. TikTok is not like an American social media company. TikTok is an app that’s owned by a Chinese tech company called ByteDance Ltd.

To be clear, ByteDance is an asset that is owned and controlled by the People’s Republic of China. That’s why US regulators and lawmakers such as Senator Ted Cruz warn that TikTok is “a Trojan horse for the Chinese Communist Party [that can be used] to influence what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think.” He’s not wrong.

What You Need to Know About ByteDance’s Power Structure

Founded by Zhang Yiming, ByteDance Ltd. was incorporated in the Cayman Islands in 2012, though Beijing is its global headquarters. As a company ByteDance designs, develops, and operates several applications, including TikTok, other social media apps, news apps, business apps, and more.

In Communist China, there is no real concept of private ownership.

All ownership is collectively held by the government and any sense of private ownership is a temporary allowance that is granted by the socialist market economy. Why do you think counterfeit goods and a black market flourishes in China? Because like in North Korea and other totalitarian states, they need it! The ruling Chinese Communist Party owns the economic output of all companies and no one gets to operate or “own” anything without expressed consent from the CCP. Think about home ownership in the United States. In China, no citizen or business can own the land that their home or office rests on. The closest you can get is an allowance from the government to lease the land for 70 years.

ByteDance HQ Isn’t Staffed with Hipsters and Tech Bros

Looking specifically at ByteDance’s corporate structure, we’re not talking about a company that is run by software engineers with Star Wars shirts and digital marketers that portray themselves as over-manicured hipsters.

The company is a Chinese state-controlled enterprise that has government officials in corner offices. While it happens to have non-Chinese investors including Sequoia Capital, SoftBank Group, and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, these non-Chinese financiers have no actual control over ByteDance.

In fact, the CCP controls the company through a state-owned enterprise called the Cyberspace Administration of China, and a government appointed official, Wu Shugang, sits on ByteDance’s board of directors. That relationship, coupled with Chinese national security laws, gives the CCP sole decision-making authority at ByteDance HQ.

Further to that, within the ByteDance org chat, there is a group that functions as an “internal Chinese Communist Party committee,” managed by ByteDance vice president, Zhang Fuping. This group routinely meets to study speeches and instruction from President Xi Jinping. Their purpose is to ensure that the company works in lockstep with CCP political goals.

As for any business executives that defy or embarrass the CCP, punishments include public humiliation, indefinite detainment, or worse. Like Canadian-Chinese billionaire Xiao Jianhua or Jack Ma, some executives simply disappear, only to reappear months or years later — if at all.

Even ByteDance’s founder and first CEO, Zhang Yiming, has been negatively impacted by the CCP’s thirst for absolute control. In May 2021, he quickly resigned from his position due to a lack of censorship on two of ByteDance’s other apps that were exclusive to mainland China. The company is now run by Zhang’s former roommate, Liang Rubo.

Seriously Think About The Back Office and Its Motivations

Here’s the thing… every concern expressed by Senator Cruz and FCC Commissioner Carr is founded on reality.

TikTok isn’t just an app and ByteDance isn’t just a company. These are direct extensions of a Xi Jinping controlled Chinese Communist Party that seeks to dominate the world and so far, they have managed to build a weapons-grade attention engagement algorithm into TikTok. That’s why it works so well.

Xi is a leader that has big aspirations. He dreams of a world where China is the single dominant world power, both economically and militarily. Xi assumed power in 2012 and under his leadership, political observers have cited an increase of mass surveillance, state-controlled censorship, a deterioration of human rights, and a cult of personality developing around his persona.

In 2018, Xi Jinping removed his 2-term limit, elevating his status to “president for life.” Sounds like Vladimir Putin, right? This makes him the most powerful leader the country has had since Mao Zedong. Under his leadership, his government has been repeatedly exposed for committing some of the worst, most frequent human rights atrocities on Earth. I’m talking about genocide, child slavery, and so much more.

In Xi’s China, apps have already been used to assert power and suppress dissent. Most recently China used a COVID health tracking app to restrict citizens from lawfully leaving their apartments. This COVID app leverages QR codes and a color code system to allow citizens access to buildings and transportation. QR code scans take place after routine COVID screenings (every 48 hours), and if you have a green light in your app, it means you can leave your apartment. The CCP has been using this app and giving a red light to citizens that have been deemed politically unfavorable, restricting their ability to travel for work, to get food, and more. This concept is in essence, an extreme version of vaccine passports.

 

The fact of the matter is that China already uses apps to control and manipulate their own people. WeChat is another popular “super app” that the CCP uses to monitor and control Chinese nationals that travel abroad.

Xi Jinping and the CCP view apps as a tool that strengthens their surveillance capabilities and to assert power. It would be extremely naive for US national security analysts and consumers to view ByteDance or TikTok as anything other than malignant… a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

A Rare Glimpse At How ByteDance Has Already Targeted US App Users

A new report from Emily Baker-White highlights that TikTok’s parent company intentionally used one of its apps to distribute pro-China messages to millions of Americans.

A now defunct news app called TopBuzz was used to secretly share and promote pro-China messages to Americans, while actively suppressing anything that was critical of the CCP. This app, TopBuzz, was basically a news aggregator app that the Communist Party could use to influence the world of news and entertainment. In the US, the concept of “fake news” has been all the rage, and in 2018 TopBuzz took that to the next level for its 80 million users.

ByteDance Beijing Headquarters
CCP members and employees in ByteDance Beijing Office (NetEase Hao photo)

Following interviews with over 15 former ByteDance staffers that were assigned to TopBuzz, it became apparent that a content review system would filter content in such a way that allowed government fueled censorship. The Hong Kong “freedom protests” were suppressed, and oddly, the cartoon Winnie the Pooh was banned as it has become a vehicle in China to mock President Xi Jinping.

Xi Jinping Winnie the Pooh
Image Credit: unknown source

Don’t forget, commies can’t take a joke without trying to take your head.

Thankfully, TopBuzz shuttered in June 2020 but during its time, here are some of the things it was up to:

  • Removing all coverage of Honk Kong Freedom Protests
  • Removing any news and editorial content depicting openly gay people
  • Removing all content critical of Xi Jinping and the CCP
  • Scraping content from 3rd party publishers & running fake bylines to support political objectives
  • Creating fake user accounts to promote and comment on politically relevant stories
  • Running news and editorial content specific to US elections, politicians, & current events

If that isn’t smoke, this headline from the DailyMail is fire:

China Asked TikTok for Stealth Account Where it Could Spread Propaganda in the West

TikTok Election Interference

New information from Bloomberg hit the press after a TikTok whistleblower shared that the Chinese government made a “sensitive request,” asking TikTok leaders to create a stealth propaganda account.

The DailyMail notes that the CCP was facing harsh global scrutiny in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and this request was designed to try and mitigate damage to China’s international reputation.

[Cough, cough, “Wuhan lab leak,” cough, cough..]

The request went to the company’s international management team, including US-based Global Head of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel, Erich Andersen, as well as Elizabeth Kanter who heads TikTok’s government relations for the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Israel.

Since President Trump worked to remove TikTok from the US market in 2020, the company has been under increased scrutiny, prompting its PR teams to try and create a perceivable distance from its direct association with the Chinese government.

Perhaps because of this, and the fact that internal whistleblowers shared the story, this particular request was not implemented. But how far and frequent are requests like this? Will we have to rely on future whistleblowers to expose injustices within the ranks of ByteDance or is there already enough information to give us a clear answer for how we must move forward? It seems there are a lot of sparks here — and tons of smoke. As we know, where there is smoke, there is fire.

As Americans, business leaders, taxpayers, patriots, and freedom-loving people, we have to really come to terms with reality here.

How far are we willing to let this go and, given ByteDance’s power, can it impact future elections and world events? It seems that it’s already happening.

 

Author: S. Adam Rizzieri
Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer // Agency Partner Interactive

Can Agency Partner Interactive Help Me With Social Media?

As Dallas’ top digital marketing agency, we optimize marketing investments in real-time with our digital marketing and social media management services. We help businesses determine how and to what extent they should be leveraging social media marketing. TikTok is a very murky place right now, though there are many businesses that are finding ways to create value with it. The future is uncertain and when it comes to lead generation, our digital marketing team can help diversify risk and create a multitude of online channels that add value to your business. 

If you’re looking to safely navigate online marketing, our digital marketing experts will work to understand your business goals and objectives — thereby working to help you attract valuable customers, drive sales, increase your leads, build brand awareness, and more.

Are you ready to optimize your business with an award-winning social media marketing agency? Maybe you just have some basic questions? Let’s talk — Contact us today!

Meta Tweaks Facebook App to be like TikTok - July 2022 - Adam Rizzieri Agency Partner Fox News

Fox 5 Las Vegas: Meta Tweaks Facebook App

Posted on | by adam
Social Media News: Is Facebook Trying to Copy TikTok’s Feed?

Agency Partner’s co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Adam Rizzieri joins Fox 5 Las Vegas to talk about the latest social media news. If you’ve been paying attention to recent social media news, you may have heard that Meta is updating Facebook to be more like TikTok. Is this really a good idea? Bad idea? What is the goal here…?

Tune in to the conversation below.

For a more in-depth analysis on this major social media update, click here for the whole story.

 

Can Agency Partner Interactive Help With Your Social Media Marketing Challenges?

Of course! As Dallas’ top digital marketing agency, we optimize social media marketing investments in real-time with our digital marketing and social media management services. Agency Partner’s internet marketing experts can adjust and optimize your marketing campaigns up to 48 times over 24 hours. We try to make improvements in real-time to provide you with the fastest, most impactful return on investment.

Our digital marketing experts will help you attract valuable customers, drive sales, increase your leads, build brand awareness, and more. Ready to optimize your business with an award-winning PPC Agency? Maybe you just have some basic questions?  Contact us today to get started!

facebook tiktok ui update

Meta Updates Facebook Feed To Be More Like TikTok

Posted on | by adam
Social Media News: Is Facebook Trying to Copy TikTok’s Feed?

If you’ve been paying attention to recent social media news, you have likely heard that Meta is updating Facebook to be more like TikTok. 

The heart of the app update will be focused on your Facebook feed. This is typically where users find content from friends and family… Well, this week we’re seeing a change to that as Meta is now able to utilize its new “Discovery Engine” to show you more recommended content, with a strong tilt for all video formatted content, above audio and text.

With a new discovery algorithm powering all of this, the Facebook User Interface, which is basically what you see on your app screen, will now be split into a “Home” feed and a “Feeds” tab. The Home Feed will present you with content that is designed to keep you entertained, similar to your typical TikTok experience. Meanwhile, the Feeds tab is where you’ll find the latest posts from Friends, Groups, and your you basic social media favorites.

Facebook feed update like TikTok

This is a Move from Social Network to Online Content Sharing Platform

There is no doubt that this is a big change for Facebook. It is a move away from its roots as a social network among friends and family, and towards a TikTok style “entertainment app” that highlights content creators and online commerce.

Think of the TikTok “For You” feed. This is a feed that shares seemingly endless short form videos from strangers and friends alike. Of TikTok’s 1 billion users, more than 55% of them are creating highly shareable short form videos that are not restricted to an audience of first, second, and third-degree connections.

Facebook feed update

What is Behind this Change to the Facebook Feed? 

If you ask 10 people, you may get three to five different answers. Here is what the Zuck himself has to say about it:

“One of the most requested features for Facebook is to make sure people don’t miss friends’ posts. So today we’re launching a Feeds tab where you can see posts from your friends, groups, Pages and more separately in chronological order. The app will still open to a personalized feed on the Home tab, where our discovery engine will recommend the content we think you’ll care most about. But the Feeds tab will give you a way to customize and control your experience further.”

Does the Zuck stop here?

We don’t think so… We think Meta is anxious that TikTok is now surpassing 1 Billion active users. We know Meta is taking note of the fact that Bytedance’s cash cow, TikTok, is poised to grow from $4 to $12 Billion in 2022.

If you look back to October 2012, back when Facebook hit its first 1 Billion users, that level of active users turned out to be a nuclear reactor of new revenue growth, teeing them up to acquire Instagram (for cheap, just $1 Billion), WhatsApp, and 2 Billion more users.

So here we are…. TikTok is at its first billion users and it is dominating the attention of Gen Z. Consider this: the average TikTok user spends 29 hours per month scrolling through the app. This compares to 16 hours for Facebook users and just 8 hours per month for Instagram users.

That difference in time spent on the app is huge… Meta is feeling left out because no doubt, they are not the cool kid in school anymore.

Is Facebook About to Alienate the Legacy App’s Loyal Users?

This move to appeal to a younger demographic could totally blow up in Meta’s face.

Your typical Facebook app user presents much different demographic data than your daily TikTok user. Meta’s Facebook has mostly Millennials on up to Baby Boomers, and really doesn’t have many Gen Z gamer kids on the platform.

Meta has to ask itself: “Can we have it all and if we cannot, is it worth alienating a loyal legacy user to try and attract the favor of a younger demographic?” 

At best, the younger demographic is spending time reposting TikTok videos to Instagram Reels….

Why, you might ask? Well, social media users tend to prefer the video editing tools that TikTok offers in its app so most often a video will be created and posted to TikTok before eventually being shared on Instagram Reels.

But I digress. Baby boomers and older millennials are likely engaging in none of this content duplication and posting behavior. They’re on Facebook to share updates with the family across the country or keeping up with old friends from school. If they’re keeping their content consumption closer to home, it’s likely that they’re hanging strong in Facebook Groups.

Are Companies Changing Their Social Media Behavior?

Yes and no. In some ways, a good social media marketer is always changing things up. Similarly, the social media engagement algorithms are constantly in flux to cater to a combination of a better user experience and specific business goals. Yes, business goals. These social media companies are NOT non-profit organizations. In some ways, they may even be a little bit evil, emphasizing that small businesses and individuals are largely at the mercy of the big tech.

News organizations, for sure, will have to change how their content is disseminated online.

More than 70% of US adults are accustomed to consuming news content in a digital, in-app social media format and Facebook has been a leading supplier of this type of information. This Facebook-TikTok update will highlight user generated content (think of the TikTok challenges and trendy dance moves) and move away from syndicating real and “fake” news. Given the heat that Zuckerberg and Co. have been facing from US lawmakers and states attorneys general, this may help mitigate the companies annual legal expenses.

As always, in times of change, opportunity presents along with challenge. There will be some companies that find new ways to engage their customers among the 3 billion Meta users worldwide.

How Should I Respond to this Facebook/TikTok Social Media Update?

It depends!

If you’re a social media user, pay close attention to the type of content of you see in the Facebook Home tab, and take note of how it differs from the stuff that is presented to you in that Feeds tab. If this change happens to be a win for Meta, and Facebook starts to measure more app activity between Facebook, Instagram, and Insta Reels in particular, then expect this to stick around. Remember, Facebook is a for-profit business and it really only cares about promoting user growth and selling advertisements to businesses. Meta cares about Meta.

If your business happens to be a news and information publisher that relies on Facebook to syndicate content, you should contact a social media marketing agency today. This will be a difficult time for your company.

If you run a product or service company that gets new product sales, phone calls, appointments, and form submissions from social media marketing, then this could be an interesting new world for you.

In fact, it could be a lot of fun if you’re able to invest in shareable, video content that is designed explicitly for social sharing. Brands have been using TikTok to go viral and put themselves front and center in front of gamer kids, Gen Z’s, and younger Millennials. 

Now, that same style of content can be used to get your brand in front of a more mature social media user. Depending on what you sell and who your customer is, this may or may not work, which is why always recommend that you consult with a digital marketer first. With that said, every new internet marketing campaign is a test and should be conducted using the scientific method.

Can Agency Partner Interactive Help Me With This?

As Dallas’ top digital marketing agency, we optimize marketing investments in real-time with our digital marketing and social media management services. Our internet marketing experts can optimize your marketing campaigns up to 48 times over 24 hours. We try to make improvements in real-time to provide you with the fastest, most impactful return on investment.

Our digital marketing experts will help you attract valuable customers, drive sales, increase your leads, build brand awareness, and more. Ready to optimize your business with an award-winning PPC Agency? Maybe you just have some basic questions? 

Contact us today to get started!

social-media-trends

9 Social Media Trends You Need to Know for 2022

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For 9 Social Media Trends You Need to Know for 2022

If you’re like most small business owners, you’re probably trying to keep up with the latest social media trends. But keeping up with social media changes can be hard – especially if you don’t know what to expect in the future.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the top social media trends that are expected to dominate in 2022. So, whether you’re just starting out on social media or looking to evolve your strategy, read on for some valuable insights! 

  1. Social Retailing

It’s not enough to post and ghost anymore (if it ever was), and users are all about social commerce this year. Brands need to create a full experience around their product or service – livestreams, shoppable buttons, influencer campaigns. It’s not exactly new, but it definitely will be taken up another notch in 2022.

  1. Customer Service Goes Social Again

For many, customer service has taken a back seat to a lot of the fun and flash of social media. Use 2022 to get back to authentically connecting with your customers when they have an issue or when they just need a little communication with a brand. Don’t forget that social servicing is how many brands built their following in the first place back when social media was still a wild, wild west!

  1. 3. Hiring from Social Platforms

It’s a Gen-Z world now, and even recruiting is turning to social platforms. Finding your new team members through avenues like TikTok marketing will depend on you being upfront about your mission, values, company culture, and the human element of your brand. Whether B2B or B2C, take the opportunity to solidify your branding and appeal to the next generation of the workforce.

  1. Brands Showcasing Their Human Side

Consumers today prefer looking at brands holistically to make sure they align with more than just the great products. Offer a human side to your company by showcasing the personality and points of view that your company values.

  1. Accountability

Brands are being taken to task more and more for the promises they’ve made – environmental, social, cultural – and those same brands better be backing them up with their actions. Consumers vote every single day with their dollars. So, make sure you’re listening and responding to the conversations around your brand on social platforms with sincerity when they come at you with those receipts.

  1. Brand Authenticity

If it isn’t clear yet from this roundup, authenticity is the new way of the future. Consumers are far more attuned to when they’re being sold to, and fake connections just won’t cut it anymore. Meet users’ skepticism with transparency about your company and its values. Empathize with their heightened awareness of social issues and use social media to show them you’re aware, too.

  1. User-Generated TikTok Vids

UGC or User Generated Content is still the pinnacle of social content, and TikTok is the place with the most social currency. Use it to build brand awareness and support the sense of authenticity and accountability around your company culture through shortform videos on the platform. Run contests, repost and share, and just generally show appreciation for your customers who participate in creating content around your brand.

  1. LinkedIn has it’s Influencer moment

It seems each platform has its own distinct slice of the social influencer pie, and LinkedIn is the next spot to get the highlight! In 2022, LinkedIn has begun focusing on creators, especially with the rise of Work from Home culture. This will be the spot for developing your personal professional brand through thought leadership and engagement potential.

  1. #NoFilter

“Perfect” can be so boring. Posting social content without first curating filters and effects has been slowly growing over the last few years, and we think it’s time for the shift to go mainstream. In-the-moment authenticity is the key to engaging a modern audience in a way that will prioritize genuine connections over “perfection”. 

That’s it for our roundup of the top social media trends to keep an eye on for 2022. Of course, things are always changing in the world of social media, so don’t be surprised if some of these predictions change by the time next year rolls around. But as of right now, these are the trends we think will be most important to watch.  If you want help staying ahead of the curve and ensuring your company’s social media is on-trend, contact Agency Partner today. We have years of experience helping businesses just like yours make the most out of social media and stay ahead of changes in this ever-evolving industry.

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5 Digital Marketing Myths Debunked

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For 5 Digital Marketing Myths Debunked

Most modern and online businesses have quickly adapted and took advantage of this fast-growing industry regarding digital marketing. Current marketing strategies like digital marketing have given small business owners and marketing teams of established businesses worldwide.

Social Media Marketing is also one of the most effective marketing strategies in the modern day, and businesses not making use of it will be left behind fast. Marketing teams in businesses should have adapted and allowed budgets to generate leads and sales on online platforms. The reach for meager costs will enable businesses to target the correct people while still in the awareness phase.

However, even with evidence and records to prove this, some individuals remain wary. This article will debunk the five most common digital marketing myths.

1 Social Media Marketing Only Works For Specific Industries

This is one of the most common myths because it’s not entirely true. For example, even though social media marketing may be more effective for fashion and retail companies, major brands in every industry have used this strategy to generate leads and sales.

That means as businesses evolve, so does social media marketing; all industries can use it effectively, so there is no need to avoid it! Furthermore, a study conducted by Gartner predicts that by 2020 up to 30% of top-performing companies will abandon their digital campaigns if they don’t start making changes now.

2 SEO Is Dead

No, SEO is not dead! The reverse could be true. This marketing strategy has been around for ages and will continue to exist because it’s still one of the most effective ways to generate leads and sales online. It may not have reached its peak yet either; many other industries can benefit from an increase in search engine rankings, such as healthcare or education—both ranked among the top 20 largest U.S. industry sectors by GDP contribution (Cleveland).

Modern tools like Google Maps also provide hints on where people live, allowing businesses to target neighborhoods they want to reach out to with specific products/services based on location-based searches (Google Trends). As long as these digital marketing myths aren’t true, SEO will remain a powerful way to generate leads and sales. As long as Google considers SEO an essential part of the ranking factors for businesses worldwide, no one can say otherwise.

3 You Don’t Have To Build An Online Presence If Your Competition Isn’t Online.

This myth is not valid. Even though it may seem like the competition might be ahead of you, they’re still vulnerable to being taken over—because your competitors are also running into difficulties with modern marketing strategies.

For example, Facebook’s algorithm changes in late 2016 that led to a decrease in organic content reach meant small businesses and blogs were left behind without enough budget for increased paid ads (Bates). Additionally, since digital marketing requires constant upkeep and care, so does social media; if neglected, there will be consequences!

Of course, established companies can take advantage of this on their own or hire a Top Digital Marketing Agency in Dallas to do all the work for them. Still, no matter what needs to be done, as long as these steps aren’t followed, someone else could come in and take over before you know it.

4 Mobile Website Traffic Doesn’t Drive Conversions

This myth is also not close to being correct. Mobile website traffic has increased steadily over the years, and in fact, mobile-only users have grown to be a top priority market for most businesses. For example, according to Microsoft’s latest report on global internet usage trends (2016), more than 17% of people only use their phones, which means your business must provide easy access via mobile so they can still engage with you effectively.

This also goes for all those competitors out there; if ignored, this could mean lost opportunities when small moments become big deals—such as someone searching nearby restaurants while hungry and finding yours! These digital marketing myths aren’t true, resulting in decreased leads/sales because mobile website traffic is one of the most critical driving conversions.

In more recent years, statistics have shown that mobile users came close to being 50% of all online traffic, making sense. Smartphones have enabled individuals to browse the internet, similar to a PC, conveniently. So make sure your website is optimized for mobile use.

5 Negative Reviews Will Dramatically Decrease Your Sales

This myth is false, especially for high-quality products and services! The truth is that consumers are more likely to buy from a company they know or have heard of before than if they stumble across it randomly, so in this case, negative reviews can be good marketing because people will listen to you through word of mouth. Negative reviews may also lead to increased sales when handled correctly.

By providing customer service with a smile (and sometimes even freebies!), the unhappy customers could become repeat customers who love your business! This goes back to the importance of social media because now these disgruntled customers might spread their happiness on platforms like Facebook. This means all those new potential leads will come knocking at your door, too. Unless, of course, you don’t have the proper digital marketing strategy in place.

As long as these digital marketing myths aren’t true, SEO will remain a powerful way to generate leads and sales. However, it’s essential not to neglect other aspects of modern marketing: social media, for example! Social media platforms like Facebook are just one aspect that businesses need to utilize to get ahead, or they could end up paying the price.

Literally.

This goes back again to those potential customers who might have been interested in your business but decided against it because you didn’t show them any love on their favorite platform. So make sure all bases are covered with Industry-Leading Digital Marketing Services from Dallas Top Digital Marketing Agency today if you want a steady flow of new leads coming in! 

social-media-branding

5 Actionable Strategies For Social Media Branding

Posted on | by Agency Partner
Expert Tips For 5 Actionable Strategies For Social Media Branding

To succeed in business in 2021, you want to get some critical business strategies right for marketing. Two of these are your branding and your social media strategy.  A branding strategy is not just a logo or a color scheme. Successful branding runs much deeper than that. Your branding is essential because it is your identity and your essence. It is what builds a relationship with you and your potential customers.  Good branding signifies recognition and trust. All successful businesses need strong, consistent, and relatable branding.

Social media is how your brand can reach customers. The channels in which they can identify with your brand and where you can harvest those relationships from simple awareness and recognition to loyal and repeat custom. The power of social media marketing for businesses is not to be underestimated, and if you can get your social media branding right, it will pay dividends to your business. So here are 5 actionable strategies for social media branding.

Develop a user persona

Social media is all about people, and the better you understand people, the better you can design your content and campaigns. A user persona is a fictional representation of a social media user. Developing personas is a common marketing strategy and is fast becoming a popular social media strategy. The actionable step you can take is to develop two to five user personas.

These are social media users to whom you are aiming your content at, your potential customers. Develop them in great detail. Go beyond age and gender and utilize metrics such as what social media channels they are likely to use, at what times, what their income is, where they live, their hobbies, the types of media they respond to, audio, video, or text for example. The more detailed you can be, the better.

Why?

Doing this will help you create content that will appeal to them and allow you to publish it when they are most likely to see it. It will also enable you to develop your branding to align with your identified personas and appeal to them directly.

Develop a tone of voice

Your brand’s tone of voice on social media is fundamental. You will want to develop a tone of voice that is consistent and in keeping with your business. You will want to communicate in a way that resonates with your audience. For example, if you are an educational business that needs respect, you will want your social media content to be professional, grammatically correct, formal, and authoritative.

If you are a fashion retailer aimed at younger audiences, you may want to include emojis in your content and use a playful, fun tone of voice. The actionable steps you can take are to use the personas you have already created, identify the tone of voice that would best target your audience, and think about ways to convey your brand’s tone of voice in the content you create.

For example, will light-hearted GIFs with colloquialism speak best to your personas, or will more formal, knowledgeable text pieces be more appropriate?

Why?

A consistent and well-designed tone of voice will help build trust and understanding with your audience and build authenticity. It will also help to reach the audience you most want to reach by communicating in a way that appeals to them.

Create a sociable brand

If you are going to use social media for your business, you must remember that it is exactly that, social. Social media was created and originally used as a means of socializing. For seeing what friends and family have been up to in a shared space. As time has gone on, brands have got savvy to social media and found a place for themselves and their advertising.

That said, if you want to use social media to advance your business, first and foremost, you have to treat it as a social space. It is a place to engage with potential customers, talk with them, like photos, share posts, and interact. It is not a space to plug advert after advert.

To create a sociable brand, the actionable strategy is using social media to engage with its users, not advertise. Socialize with people you have identified in your user personas using the consistent and relevant tone of voice you identified in step two. Don’t just talk about yourself.

You have to talk about the interests of those you want to attract to draw them in and engage with you. Only when you have started to build a relationship can you start to use this space for advertising. If you feel out of your depth in terms of content creation and creating a sociable brand, consider using some of the best social media services available to either advise you or take over this aspect of your social media branding on your behalf.

Why?

Brands that use social media for advertising only will turn off potential customers. Their content will not add any value to the lives of their customers and will be viewed as unengaging spam that is not worth their time.

Uniform approach

While branding is more than just a logo or an aesthetical identifier having a uniform approach to your visual branding across your social media channels. As always, consistency is paramount, and sticking with the same color palette, fonts, and tone of voice is always advised. You may, of course, want to deviate slightly depending upon the platform to fit the user but don’t stray too far from your brand’s visual essence.

Some actionable strategies are to employ the services of a design agency partner to help design the aesthetics of your social media branding consistently and appealingly to your user personas.

Why?

Consistency will help increase brand awareness and recognition and, in turn, build trust and confidence in your brand.

Metrics

Measuring the effects of your efforts on social media can be difficult, particularly given its subjective nature, but there are means to measure your success. Social media channels offer various insight tools, and you can use these to measure your engagements.

When it comes to social media success, engagement is king, and content is queen. You can use these insights to experiment with the tone of voice, types of content you share, and when you share it to see what is best received by your audience. As a general rule, the more engagement you have, the better received your approach has been.

Actionable strategies include experimenting with the times and days you post your content and the type of content. You can then study the data insights to identify the most successful posts. This will give you a better idea of the types of posts and content that your audience enjoys.

Why?

No one wants to waste time lovingly creating content that isn’t seen or enjoyed by those aimed at.

digital-marketing

10 Clear Reasons Why You Need Digital Marketing

Posted on | by Agency Partner
Expert Tips For 10 Clear Reasons Why You Need Digital Marketing 

It doesn’t matter the industry you’re in; the common goal in all organizations is growth. Not all companies have the marketing budget to do print advertising, radio adverts, or TV advertising. But that doesn’t mean that you have to throw in the towel; digital marketing has become the pioneer in brand building. Here are 10 reasons to prove why:

1. Budget Fit

Of all the sorts of advertisements available, digital marketing is the most affordable option. Even if you outsource to a Top digital marketing agency or an Agency Partner, it will come out cheaper than what other options costs would have accumulated to.

2. Access In the Palm Of Your Hand

62.07% of the world’s population owns a smart and feature phone. That is 4.88 billion consumers who visit social media sites daily, check their emails, and use other apps. Utilizing digital marketing tactics like Email Marketing, Facebook ads, google ads, and text marketing, you build brand awareness subconsciously. At the same time, the magnitude of possible customers browses through their social media and other apps.

3. Adjustable

Because you are not stuck in a medium to a long-term contract on a traditional advertising campaign, changing an ad that performs poorly is instant. There is no need to wait out the agreed-upon expiration period because there is none with digital marketing. You need first to establish the best creative way to market your company digitally.

These can include email marketing, social media posts, and banner ads. Suppose you find a particular digital marketing strategy works better than the rest. In that case, you can pump more resources in that avenue while canning the rest.

4. Brand Awareness

Since lockdown, online shopping trends skyrocket due to the sheer convenience and safety. Using google ads and Facebook ads, you appeal to these customers and build your brand awareness in the process. You can also utilize Affiliate Marketing to help boost sales further.  

 5. Mixed Media

Digital marketing thrives on using mixed media to deliver and promote your product or services. Not just using the standard text and picture, it incorporates more visual material like videos and audio. Youtube, Facebook, and other social media apps’ popularity are all due to their capability to connect its consumers through mixed media.

Using mixed media makes it easier for your customers and potential customers to understand what you want to say and your product. Advertisement using mixed media has a higher success rate than more traditional methods. Using social media marketing with mixed media will make your customer experience memorable and help build your brand awareness in the process.

6. Relations

One of the big misconceptions is that you will lose important input from your customers should you use digital marketing. On the contrary, it’s easier for your customers to interact with you and engage with them continuously, thus building and strengthening your relationship and credibility. Various methods can gather the data and messages, like the comments section, blogs, newsletters, and reviews.

Using these tools can quickly alleviate misconceptions and answer frequently asked questions about your product. Showing your customers your willingness to interact with them will establish trust. And using their suggestions or dislikes in the comments, you can alter your product. Marketing the new, improved product will be more accessible and better accepted by your customers because they feel that you respect what they have to say.

7. Monitor To Evolve

Digital marketing allows you to become a Big Brother, but in the best possible way. The use of cookies will enable you to see which blogs, content, review, and other methods your customers read or watched before purchasing your product or service.

Studying this data, you can make a more conscious decision on which marketing method is the most appealing to your customers and which isn’t. Logically, you will then boost these social media marketing methods and instead remove the ones that don’t work to free up more resources to concentrate on better projects.

8. Be The Expert

Because digital marketing makes it easier for you to communicate with your customers about your product, you can start leaving your mark as the expert on your industry and product or services. Answering questions quickly, writing content and blogs to highlight the pros and cons of your product, and even doing podcasts will grow your trustworthiness with your customers. Your customers will then instead come back to you for further knowledge and before buying your product.  

9. Social Media Influencers

Partnering with a social media influencer has become a fast-growing trend in the digital marketing area. These are individuals who are highly active social media users. They have already established their credibility with their thousands or even millions of followers as one of the experts in their particular industry. Social media influencers include actors, actresses, athletes, musicians, highly successful business people.

But not all of these influencers come from the silver screen or Forbes 100; many influencers are ordinary everyday people who are ambitious and work hard to obtain their credibility. Influencer Marketing is well worth investing in, but you need to ensure that the influencer aligns with your industry and has the same target market.

10. Rank Higher Than Your Competitor

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one of the digital marketing strategies. It all revolves around where your company’s website ranks when keywords are being searched. Why is this important? Pretty simple, human nature dictates that we usually gravitate to the first 5 options when presented with multiple choices. So if your company’s website doesn’t rank even on the first page of the search engine, then the chances are that there will not be much traffic directed to it.

Therefore, you need to optimize your Off-page SEO, which is external signals and links, as well as your On-Page SEO, which is all about your website and where it ranks. The better your Off- and On-page SEO ranking is, the more traffic it will divert to your website. The more traffic it gets, the more sales you can make. But most importantly, the more credible you will be.

Digital marketing is all about influence and credibility to boost your company’s sales. It’s the new area in advertising which is faster, better and can reach more customers than you can fathom. Suppose you don’t already have a digital marketing team busy increasing your brand awareness and rankings. In that case, you are already losing money and customers to your competitors. So get in the race fast!

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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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10 Proven Ways To Market Your Website

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Market Your Website

In today’s digital age, almost anyone can create a good website. That’s the easy part; the challenge comes in after the design is done, and you need to make the website work for you. This article will discuss 10 ways to market your website and, hopefully, help you turn your increased web traffic into tangible conversions and a reliable customer base.

  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the art of increasing your website’s visibility in organic search engine results. You do this by using well-thought-out and targeted keywords and phrases that people are likely to search for. SEO is a basic but essential method of bringing traffic to your website; without it, your website can get lost among countless competitor sites grappling for traffic and attention.

  1. Pay Per Click (PPC)

With pay-per-click advertising, you don’t rely solely on optimized keywords to generate traffic. Instead, you would connect with a marketing company like ours at Agency Partner, and together, we develop unique ads to be used on sites like Google and Facebook ads. Every time your ad is clicked on, you pay us a fee.

  1. Use Social Media

Social media isn’t just a way for your friends from high school to show off pictures of their children or snap photos of what they had for lunch. It’s also an effective way to promote a website.

Whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or another platform, social media marketing is important for engaging followers. Consistently posting compelling content increases your audience’s chances of sharing it – which is free promotion for your website.

  1. Blogging

Genuine, original, and relevant content is one of the best ways to generate traffic and help market a website. It’s a great place to seamlessly integrate SEO keywords and create a loyal base of readers (and potential customers).

Encourage your readers to leave comments and to connect. This will help foster a feeling of connectedness and hopefully increase your conversion rate and retention.

  1. Facebook Ads

To be most effective in communication, you have to meet a person where they are at in a given moment. The same thought process applies to website marketing. Fortunately for you, many people speak the same language and can be found and connected with Facebook.

With Facebook Ads, you can create a targeted ad that reaches users based on location, age, gender, interests, and even options like friends of current followers or people who like specific pages.

  1. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a classic method of communicating with your customers. But it can also be used to create and retain new ones as well. It essentially involves collecting the email addresses of any and every potential customer and then sharing content — newsletters, promotions, discounts, and information — as a way of building relationships.

Email marketing is a great way to influence past customers to return to your website using incentives.

  1. Retargeting

Whether brick-and-mortar or online, no business wants to see potential customers or web traffic leave without converting. Retargeting uses cookies to create ads that will encourage previous visitors of your website back to your website. Retargeting is a great tool because you never know why some visitors don’t convert, and this helps you stay in their stream of consciousness – increasing your chances of conversion the second time around.

  1. YouTube

Creating original YouTube videos is a great way to spread your content – and links to your content around YouTube itself. And once your content is spread around YouTube, Google will then index it, making it searchable. You can embed your content into your blog, share it on your social media platforms, and so can everyone else.

It’s cool to go viral, but don’t worry about that. The most important part is to generate traffic to your website. So, focus on creating meaningful and relevant content.

  1. Create Infographics

Infographics are a great source of backlinks to your website because they are clickable, shareable, and easy to create. Remember to keep your audience front of mind when creating your infographic. You want the graphics to be accessible to all users and visitors of your website. And it should also be as universally relatable as possible.

  1. Help A Reporter Out

Your business’s press coverage will help get your name out there and establish you as an expert in your field. Being a reliable contact and source of information to a reporter can be a lasting and mutually beneficial connection – you get press coverage, and the reporter gets a source and potential stories. If you and/or your business is referenced in an article, that can mean more exposure.

All of these tips can be used in a multitude of ways to help market your website, boost website traffic, and increase your conversion rate. Our staff at Agency Partner is well-versed in using all of these tips and so much more to help you attract your ideal customer.

Contact us now and let Agency Partner get to work for you.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “10 Proven Ways To Market Your Website” instead. Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

 

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Did You Make It onto Santa’s Nice List in 2020?

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Did You Make It onto Santa’s Nice List in 2020?

We’re not saying we’re Santa Claus. We don’t know when you’re sleeping or when you’re awake. But we know when you’re bad or good at marketing, and we have some ideas for how you can be good for goodness sake in 2021. Consider this list our Christmas gift to you. Hey, it’s better than a fruitcake.

Email Marketing

When it comes to email marketing, there are a few ways you can be good in 2021. We know you love those email blasts, and we do too, but if you want good results, then you must do it the right way. The first tip for email marketing is to know who you’re emailing and segment your subscribers based on their interests. Your subscribers are unique, so don’t treat them like they’re all the same.

The second strategy to adopt for good email marketing is to give your subscribers value before asking for a sale. The last thing your subscribers want is more junk mail cluttering up their inbox. Give them something they want and can use. Like for example, a nice list of marketing tips. No re-gifting, please.

The last email marketing tip is more of a lesson in ethics and an all-around good habit to adopt: Always honor your subscribers’ privacy rights. No one likes a sneak, and not complying with privacy laws is a sure way to end up on the naughty list. There are laws in the U.S. and internationally for email marketing, and in general, it’s best to always comply with the law because you could end up with more than just a lump of coal. Bad practices are bad for business.

Social Media Marketing

The world of social media marketing can seem overwhelming. The rules, strategies, and platforms are constantly in flux, but some long-standing best practices help you start. Before you open up a TikTok account to keep up with the kids these days, keep in mind that it’s important to first have a strategy in place. Not having a plan can lead to a lot of wasted time and effort – not to mention self-esteem, depending on how good you are at hitting the whoa. If that reference doesn’t mean anything to you, trust us when we say that you should leave TikTok to the kids.

The good news is you don’t have to chase the latest trends. Instead, know your audience and then use the platform to put you directly in front of them. Also, knowing how to turn engagement into sales on social media is marketing gold. Don’t think that just because you post a weekly meme on Facebook means you own your audience. Social media marketing is constantly changing, so stay humble and flexible.

Paid Advertising

Our tips for paid advertising are as useful as they are catchy, and not to toot our own French horn, but they’re very catchy. To be good at paid advertising in 2021, follow the “ABT” method: Always Be Tracking, Always Be Transparent, and Always Be Testing. How do you know if your marketing strategies are effective if you’re not keeping track? You don’t. How do your clients know your business can be trusted if you’re not transparent? They don’t. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

Website Marketing

Marketing through websites is one of the oldest forms of digital marketing. Still, the methods have changed over the years, so those outdated, slow, and non-mobile responsive websites aren’t going to get the results you want anymore. They lose visitors and traffic. Please put it on your list and check it twice to update your company website in 2021.

Modern, quick, and mobile-responsive websites are the websites that win SEO rankings and traffic. Also, please make it easy for people to do business with you for the love of Kris Kringle. Tell them what to do. Don’t expect people to know what to do when they visit your website automatically. Instead, make your call-to-action clear and easy to find. And last but not least, our final tip of the day: A secure website is a trusted website.

Marketing’s beauty is that it largely follows The Golden Rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated. Think about what you would like to see both in marketing and all-around good business practice, and then do it. If it would work for you, chances are it will work for you.

All quips aside, it’s been a tough year for everyone around the globe, but our friends, employees, partners, and clients have been a much-needed silver lining for those of us at API in 2020. This holiday season, we want to thank every one of you from the bottom of our hearts. Let’s kick this crummy year to the curb. Here’s to hoping for a fresh start, tons of business growth, and, of course, good marketing practices in 2021.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “Did You Make It onto Santa’s Nice List in 2020?” instead. Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

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5 Ways Gun Brands Can Advertise Online Without Google Ads or Facebook Ads in 2020

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Online Advertisement

Advertising is an essential business practice. Without it, businesses wouldn’t have a way to promote their products or services. However, many advertising platforms have conditions that prevent many businesses from working with them.

Popular advertisers, like Facebook, Google, and YouTube, all prohibit businesses in the firearm industry from using their services. This can make it difficult for gun brands to promote their products.

Fortunately, there is a way to bypass this restriction. By leveraging other effective forms of marketing, gun brands can successfully reach out to their target audience. Here are five ways that can happen.

1. Thoroughly Invest in Both On-Page and Off-Page SEO

Although advertising is an essential practice, it’s not the only one you should be focusing on. Search engine optimization is a marketing process that entails building your online ranking to the top spot of major search engines.

Since many consumers use the internet to shop, being seen as the first website can help tremendously in improving your conversion rate. Particularly, on-page SEO is how you can optimize your website to rank high online. 

Off-page SEO is the factors that contribute to your website’s ranking away from your website. By focusing on creating excellently written articles, improving your site speed, and leveraging keyword to rank for popular gun keywords, you’ll be putting your brand in a superb position to reach your target audience. 

2. Create Personalized Emails

Email marketing is still, by extension, a marketer’s most powerful resource. By building an email list, you’ll have an audience ready to listen to your correspondences. The problem that many rookie marketers make is sending an email blast to their entire email list.

Such a one-size-fits-all strategy doesn’t work. Instead, personalized emails get the job done. Granted, it takes much less time and effort to compose one email and send it to your entire email list.

Still, personalized emails achieve 6x higher transaction rates according to HubSpot. With that said, strive to segment your email list into specific categories and send emails that will be relevant to each prospective customer.

3. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has been a popular topic in recent years. Mainly, influencer marketing can be used by businesses of all sizes. You don’t need a big budget to hire an influencer to market your brand.

By using Instagram, you can find micro-influencers to introduce your products to a wider audience. Influencer marketing is an effective way to grow your marketing strategy because social media has created a broad atmosphere of individuals focused on building their own audience.

There are several influencers you can reach out you, and many of these people may share the same ideals as your brand. With that said, conduct an experiment where you partner with a prospective influencer.

Make sure you place your influencer on a trial period to monitor the progress of your strategy. If you like your progress, you’re free to move forward with your influencer and make them your brand ambassador. Otherwise, you can cut them loose and start over your search. 

4. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a great way to reach your target audience at an affordable price. Unlike traditional digital advertising models, affiliate marketing is a cost-effective strategy in which you only pay content publishers for their success in selling your products.

Shareasale and Commission Junction are two affiliate marketing platforms you can try to have your products promoted by popular content and video creators online. One of the best things about affiliate marketing is that publishers are only rewarded if they sell a decent percentage of your products.

This means you’ll be partnered with popular content publishers who will have an incentive to take your products seriously. 

5. Social Media Marketing

Even though social media sites like Facebook and Instagram prohibit ads from businesses in the firearms industry, you can still reach your target audience by posting eye-catching social media posts.

With billions of users using social media platforms every day, you should strive to create effective social media content that will achieve engagements. If you want to receive more in-depth information on how to perform any of these tasks, we’ve got the perfect proposition for you.

Promote Your Gun Brand Today!

Do you want more assistance in promoting your brand? If so, give us a call at (214) 295-5845 to speak to a member of our team for more information. We’d be glad to transform your marketing strategy today!

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “5 Ways Gun Brands Can Advertise Online Without Google Ads or Facebook Ads in 2020” instead.

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Digital Marketing For Retailers

Posted on | by devops
Tips From Professional Digital Marketer

Even if you have a successful “bricks and mortar” store, why would you ignore potential customers online? You are in business to make a profit, and you need to reach as many shoppers as possible to accomplish this.

No matter what kind of retail store you have, Digital Marketing should be a component of your business operations. Want to know more? Read on! 

What is Digital Marketing?

Marketing is essential for all kinds of businesses, but now it has moved from the more traditional formats such as advertisements, flyers, and billboards to where most people spend a significant amount of time – online. 

With traditional methods, there is little to no interaction with the actual customer. Digital marketing opens communication between the retailer and the consumer, initiating conversations with a two-way flow of information. 

Methods of Digital Marketing

There are various methods of Digital Marketing, and it may take some trial and error to find what  works best for your business. We look at some of the most common ways below. 

Online Store

Whether you have a full-blown eCommerce Website with online payments and delivery or a catalogue-style page using click and collect in-store, you must keep the lines of communication  open between you and your customer.

Use online forms, texting, or AI Chatbots to answer any questions they may have. 

When an order is placed, an SMS or email alert should be sent to the customer with precise details about their order, where to collect it or when it will be delivered. 

Email Marketing

Using an Email Marketing Service such as MailChimp, is an excellent way of staying in contact with your clients.

Regular newsletters or updates on new products or discounts land directly in your customer’s much-used inbox.

Unfortunately, there is a fine line between spamming and emails of value, so exercise caution to ensure client retention. You do not want to lose clients due to over emailing. 

It is also crucial to obtain consumer consent to send them  emails and offer opt-in/out options to allow control over how much material they receive. 

Mobile Promotions

Using SMS or Push Notifications to inform your client base of new products or discounts is an easy way of using digital marketing. Set up your database of consenting clients and send out messages or coupons with special offers for use in-store or online. 

Social Media 

Nearly every adult on the planet uses Social Media of some sort. Tapping into platforms where  your target audience is active gives you the perfect medium to inform, educate, and sell. 

Again, caution is advised when using Social Media Marketing as a sales tool. No one wants to be bombarded with advertisements while online. A better way to win customers is to engage with them in conversations about your products or related matters; then they will be more likely to purchase from you in the future. 

Digital Marketing is not necessarily a quick way to get sales, but rather it is a method of keeping you in front of current customers and reach more potential customers. It helps you to connect and start a conversation in the hope of leading to a sale. 

Start your Digital Marketing Conversation today, get in touch with Agency Partner Interactive and let us help you hit your sales targets.

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How Do Social Media Influencers Make Money?

Posted on | by devops
Tips From Professional Social Media Marketers

The 21st century has introduced new forms of celebrity, most notably that of the influencer. From the Kardashian-Jenner clan to bloggers covering niche interests like travel, fitness, or fashion – influencers are filling up our Instagram feeds. These influencers have turned their popularity, and social media marketing savvy into full-blown careers. 

Becoming a paid influencer usually requires a significant amount of working for free with little return on investment (ROI) to gain a following and become an attractive partner for brands. How influencers make a living may seem mysterious, but the components are simple once you break it down.

What Does it Mean to be an Influencer?

Influencer is a catch-all term that belies the amount of work required for success. While what you see on Instagram is based in reality, it’s important to remember that the glamour and carefree lifestyle is presented only after taking dozens of photos, selecting the ones conveying the influencer’s image and brand, and editing and filtering them before  posting.

These are not accidental lifestyles. Achieving influencer status requires hard work, planning, plus some talent and luck. Like any unconventional lifestyle, the cost-benefit analysis must be considered. Brittany Kulick left a traditional career in marketing  to start The Sweet Wanderlust. “I’m working harder than I ever did when I worked a traditional job,” she admits, “but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I love sharing travel tips, hidden gems, and itineraries with my readers and getting to work from anywhere in the world.” 

Successful influencers essentially run their lives as a small business. “While my Instagram feed is full of me frolicking on gorgeous beaches and eating amazing desserts,” says Kulick, “many don’t know what goes on behind the scenes to make this lifestyle happen.” It’s crucial to learn and implement best practices for gaining traction online including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Website Design, and so much more. 

Diversifying Revenue Streams

Even successful influencers need more than one way to earn. The most efficient among them join together two or more revenue streams in their social media marketing strategy. Even those who make Hundreds of thousands of Dollars Per Post still need to make plenty of organic content, or risk coming across as a sell-out.

Successful influencers produce a combination of organic content and sponsored content. Influencers must be careful – if they aren’t discerning in accepting partnerships, they could undermine the trust and potentially lose some followers as well as sponsors(more followers = more sponsorship potential).

Selling products, whether digital or physical,  produced by the influencer alone, or in collaboration with brands, is an obvious way to capitalize on your brand, Kayla Itsines is a perfect example of someone who has turned social media clout into a veritable empire, with over 11 million followers on Instagram, and a successful line of digital fitness products such as eBooks and a workout app. Physical products can be anything related to your social media marketing strategy, for example, T-Shirts with Cute Slogans, or Kitchen Products inspired by a love of food and travel. 

Partnering with brands, either as a brand ambassador or with a sponsorship deal, helps influencers leverage their likes. Brand ambassadorships are long-term relationships, often with a monthly paycheck and expectations to feature a product or service a certain number of times per month. Short-term sponsored content may be a single Instagram image of you using their product, a blog post review, or a series of posts. Both brand ambassadorships and sponsored content have specific rules regarding disclosure, and it’s essential to be mindful of that as both a producer and consumer. 

Branching out into other forms of media, such as podcasts or webinars, can help grow your audience and share your knowledge. Podcasts can be monetized through premium subscriptions, and once a webinar is created, it can be sold countless times and transformed into a passive income stream.

Many Influencers use affiliate marketing, which rarely pays the rent, but  provides a supplemental income. Most also work as freelance content creators, utilizing their skills and popularity to find clients. 

While savvy Influencers have perfected the formula of doing what they love and making a living at it, it certainly isn’t as easy as it looks! If you want to influence more people  get in touch with us here at Agency Partner Interactive, and let’s form a successful partnership today.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “How Do Influencers Make Money?” instead.

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Is Your CEO Tweeting Enough? The Rise of Social Media Relations

Is Your CEO Tweeting Enough? The Rise of Social Media Relations

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Social Media Experts

Innovation and transparency are now key features in brand marketing strategies. Consumers are attracted to brands that are open about their intent and vision. Millennials are a mass commercial target market, driving consumer desires and expectations.

This means that brands lacking in those two particular values are going to want to emulate and prioritize them in their next strategic meeting on Social Media Marketing. With the purchasing pendulum swinging strongly to the side of moral and social merits, brands have the incentive to adjust to these millennial interests.

Social Media Strategy

Based on the structure and pace of social media and marketing, brand competition is stronger than ever. Anyone can start, populate, and build up a social media profile and become an active Twitter or Instagram participant in the commerce and advertising sphere. But a strategy is essential. With more visible stats geared to help companies understand what their target market wants, they’re able to maximize and narrow their efforts into profitable outcomes. Developing a marketing strategy is accessible and simplified through platforms such as Sprout Social.

The millennial age, otherwise known as the “avocado toast” generation, is ushering in companies that think about the environment, are self-care supporters, and don’t keep with the status quo. They support pioneering corporations that are affiliated with empowering social movements. To get a tangible idea, think biodegradable packaging, mental health awareness, and giving back to the community.

CEO-Consumer Connection

As millennial lives are strongly interwoven with constant technological access and connectivity, visible values of empathy and honesty go a long way. As found in a recent report from Sprout Social, it shows that CEO transparency has a substantial influence on millennial purchases. Consumer perspective has broadened to include the millennial expectation that companies active on social platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Messenger, shouldn’t be hierarchical in their interactions.

They expect that the 61 percent of the Fortune 500 CEOs and C-suite members, who aren’t currently involved on these social media platforms, have as much a presence as anyone else–no matter their roles. Hence the question, “is your CEO tweeting enough?”

Brand Loyalty

Brands that are open, clear, and connective incite consumers to afford them second chances and 85 percent of consumers would stick with them through thick and thin, should they experience a crisis. The human elements of empathy, compassion, and loyalty are strong driving forces behind this new wave of business-consumer relating.

Millennials hold strong voices on social platforms and, as brands are impacted by lashing tweets, infuriated comments, and negative reviews, customer care combined with social media responsiveness is not only a branding tool but a necessity. However, it’s not only millennials but consumers in general who are now expecting brands to respond to DMs, assist with product or service problems, and be vocal when it comes to social issues.

Summing Things Up

The social media landscape toes the line between facade and reality and will undoubtedly see integrity-driven transformation around its adaptive axis. We can expect to see shifts and evolution in consumer expectations of business regarding personalization, transparency, and interaction.

At Agency Partner Interactive, we can help you navigate the tides of change. In addition to Website Design Service and Content Creation, we offer Social Media Marketing, Brand Strategist, and Business Consulting. Contact us to talk to an experienced professional who can help set your business onto the right trajectory. Contact us Today and let’s talk about how we can help make you successful.

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “Is Your CEO Tweeting Enough? The Rise of Transparent Social Media Relations” instead.

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The Value of Social Media Influencers

Advertising Advocates: The Value of Social Media Influencers

Posted on | by devops
Tips from Digital Marketing Experts

Pop culture, the breeding ground for fleeting fads and lasting trends, is seeing a rise in the contentious digitally-active world of social media influencer marketing. With its controversial tactics, it could foretell both the pitfalls and elevation of marketing in a commercial society.

Instagram and other social media platforms are so commonly used today that it would be remiss for brands not to utilize the space of endless-scrolling and double-taps. Given this vastly popular pastime, it is essential for companies to continually raise their social media presence to keep up with the changes in this virtual, social sphere. Along with brand awareness building and profile curation, companies are increasingly realizing the impact of influencer marketing.

Backing this trend, statistics show that when advertising products, influencers are able to convince 72 percent of their followers to trust an affiliated brand. Companies that promote their products and services with the help of influencers are seeing visible results.

Social Media Influencers Building Consumer Confidence  

As Influencer Marketing is founded on a structure of connection and confidence with their followers, the time and effort already spent building that relationship is something on which brands can capitalize. Armed with a large following and a strong belief in the product or service, influencers are inspired to express their advocacy and form a mutually beneficial connection with brands.

Valued relationships and leader credibility are integral reasons as to why users continue to follow certain influencers.

These Instagram ‘celebs’ have a wide reach and loyal customer base – two very important aspects of advertorial marketing. Through their affiliated influencers, companies are able to target a niche audience who is more likely to be interested in their products or services. With influencer endorsements, businesses are noticing improved conversion rates.

Influencer Integrity

The movement is gaining in popularity, not only because of the freebies and marketing opportunities influencers stand to gain, but because it is a fathomable reality not reserved only for celebrities. From scrolling teens on Instagram to mothers giving advice based on personal experience, anyone with a large enough following qualifies.

That said, authenticity is a significant component in the world of influencer marketing–there is a fine line between integrity and greed. In November 2017, Facebook admitted that 60 million of their accounts are automated, or fake.

These “bot” accounts are built, bought, and sold, then used to augment an individual’s follower base, making them appear to a bonafide influencer. Undetected, these faux influencers have swindled many businesses. Now companies are advised to thoroughly investigate potential influencers before engaging their services.

The Future of Advertising

Children, teens, and adults are immersed in the visual world of Instagram. It’s a source of cultural reference that promotes lifestyles, products, and services through a facade of smiling faces and pretty pictures. However, this is precisely what advertising is – it’s just stepped onto new platforms and is changing a brand’s reach and advertising success.

Summing Things Up

Forging into the digital marketing realm may seem a bit overwhelming for some. And with new features constantly being added to social apps, many believe that there’s no possibility of influencer marketing slowing down any time soon. So, is an influencer the right course for your brand? It’s a tough question. But you don’t have to go it alone.

At Agency Partner Interactive, we can help you navigate the tides of change. In addition to Website Design Service and Content Creation, we offer Social Media Marketing, Brand Strategist, and Business Consulting. Contact us to talk to an experienced professional who can help set your business onto the right trajectory. Contact us today and let’s talk about how we can help make you successful.

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