Thursday, November 17, 2016

Business blogging tips

Blogging on your business website is a great way to show that you are a leader in your industry by providing free advice and tips pertaining to your customers’ interests. It also keeps your website fresh with new content which will help to boost rankings on search engines.

So how do you get started? How often should you blog? How long should blog posts be?

Here are some tips from the experts:
• First find a blogging platform. There are countless to choose from, including WordPress, Medium, Blogger and Wix. Check out the article “How to Choose theBest Blogging Platform in 2016 (Compared)” by webbeginner.com to help chose a platform. Your current website service may already have a blogging interface built in also.
• Update it at least a couple times a month, once a week if you can. Google “bots” constantly skim the Internet for fresh content to update search engine results. If your website content is stale, the bots have no reason to check it out and your site will fall in search rankings.
• Stay on topic. Remember what your audience is interested in and focus on that. Don’t lose their interest.


Wondering how long your posts and titles should be? Check out the article “The MostShared Brand Blog Posts: Length, Language, and Title Trends” by MarketingProfs for additional tips.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Make sure digital is in your holiday marketing plan

ISJ Media logo.png

Newsletter
November 9, 2016

We’re barely recovering from the Halloween chocolate hangover and we haven’t even carved the Thanksgiving turkey, but if you’re a small business owner or marketer you’ve already started thinking about holiday shopping.

For years Black Friday has been the most well known shopping day of the year, but with the ever increasing popularity of mobile shopping we now also have Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year.

Data collected from Signal.com, holiday retail sales on smartphones jumped 96% in 2015, and are forecast to grow 50% in 2016. Here are some additional statistics generated by signal.com:

  • 43% of people say that digital ads on a website or mobile app influence their holiday gift buying.
  • 47% of consumers started thinking about gift ideas before November.
  • One-third of consumers say ads help them get discounts or deals.
  • 52% of holiday shoppers are likely to take advantage of tailored product recommendations received through email, and 42% through a mobile ad.

Not surprisingly Amazon.com is king when it comes to online shopping and buying. No small business is going to compete with them, however, you can take notes on and implement some of the things people love about Amazon into your own marketing.

Why do people love Amazon? Consumers report that ease of use, product reviews and easy returns as some perks.

Site retargeting is another thing in which Amazon excels. When a consumer views a product on Amazon.com and then leaves the site to continue surfing the Internet, an ad for that product shows up on the sites the consumer is currently viewing. It seems like magic, or maybe legalized stalking, but either way you look at it this tactic has been proven to increase conversions.

But more people shopping online does not necessarily equate to more purchases online. Most online shoppers are looking for deals and doing product research before they go to the physical brick and mortar store to make the purchase. Added conveniences such as buy online and pick up in store increases a consumer’s likelihood to buy. Stores are crowded, being able to order online, go in, pick up the goods and get out is a huge selling-point.

Some takeaways from this research:

  • Start planning for the holiday shopping now if you have not already.
  • Consider adding digital into your marketing strategy. You can bet your competitors are, don’t miss out!
  • Make sure now more than ever that your website is easy to navigate and is mobile optimized.
  • Your physical business location is just as important as it’s ever been. People will most likely come to your store to make the purchase, but first they have to have a good reason for picking you over competition. Special deals advertised online will bring them in.

Do you want to implement some of these tools but you aren’t sure where to start?  Call or email us here at ISJ Media and we can help put together a customized digital marketing plan based on your business needs and goals.

At ISJ Media we offer:
Site retargeting
Contextual retargeting
Audience retargeting
Hyperlocal targeting
Mobile and app advertising
Website advertising
Web design
Email marketing
Text marketing
And much more . . . .


Friday, November 4, 2016

Wedding planning starts now — so should wedding marketing

By ISJ Media

Couples who are getting hitched should start planning their wedding six to nine months before the date, according to realsimple.com


Since most weddings take place June through September, couples — and wedding planners, photographers, etc. should start planning, well, now.

This is great news for business involved in the wedding industry. Businesses like photographers, florists, bakeries; vacation and travel services and wedding venues should take advantage of this early opportunity to get the attention of both the bride and groom.

So how can you make your service or business stand out during the early stages of wedding planning? Here are some tips:

1. You must have a digital presence.  There is no bend here. If your wedding planning related business or service is not online, and more importantly available on mobile devices, you’re not going to be successful in this market, period.

Think about your target audience.  According to mentalfloss.com the average age people in Idaho get married is 26.5 for men and 25 for women.  Do you think these people are scanning billboards for photographers and wedding dresses? Nope, they are on their mobile devices — a lot.

Is your website mobile-friendly? Does it need an overhaul? Now is the time to check.

Considering advertising on mobile apps and for mobile devices. Ad campaigns can be designed just for the purpose of reaching mobile customers, and mobile campaigns have proven to be highly effective in east Idaho.

2. Sell the solution, not the product. This applies to any business or service, not just the wedding industry. Identify your target customer.  You need to go beyond the simple “I’m targeting brides.”  Create a customer profile, for example, Julie is a 25 year-old getting married in June. She wants a modest dress with a removable train that won’t break the bank. Does your shop sell modest dresses? Don’t just advertise that you sell dresses, offer a solution by offering modest dresses, free adjustments etc. Solve a problem.

3.  Provide information too. Consider providing a blog with weekly wedding planning advice or a wedding planning checklist on your website. By showing that you are an expert in your industry you’ll build brand loyalty and increase your Google search ranking.


Do you need help planning a mobile campaign? Contact www.isjmedia.com at 239-3532 for a free consultation.