Posts

5 Inspired Infographic Ideas

/0 Comments/in , /by

Infographics help you tell a story in a visual way. Online, the visual appeal combined with minimal text can attract more attention than text-heavy approaches.

Creating an infographic takes time. You need to research your message and the points you want to share. And, you need a compelling visual way to present that data.

It can be discouraging to spend hours working on an infographic that get’s no engagement. It is important to have a clear message that engages with your target audience.

Here are some ideas to help you to develop infographics that gain attention.

Solve a problem.

Put yourself in the shoes of your target customer or audience. Then, speak to a problem they need solved. Answer a question that you are uniquely qualified to answer for them.

Be sure that the data and the information you include provides value and positions you as a thought leader in your industry.

Provide a unique point of view.

Share your unique insight and perspective to stand out. This is a great way to position you and your company as subject matter experts to listen to.

Creating content that challenges the status quo can feel risky and will often generate controversy and debate. But these types of pieces tend to get the conversation going and truly differentiate you from others.

Offer insight.

Every industry has a knowledge base that is commonly understood. At least we often think so. Often, we toss around words, phrases and references that aren’t as understood as we assume. This makes for great infographic material.

Explain something that is often glossed over. Explain the origin, the data behind it, and anecdote that illustrates. Offer insight that others aren’t providing.

Interpret data with a filtered lens.

When surveys and research are done, the data interpretation is often very general. Provide value to your audience by interpreting the data more narrowly, focusing on the parameters that matter most to them. Your take may vary quite a bit from more global analyses of the data collected.

Bring related content together.

Your industry and your specific client make a unique combination. Creating infographics that bring separate items together to create context and meaning can illustrate that point. Bring data and information together to tell a story that you are best able to tell.

Location and Your Local Business Marketing Plan

/0 Comments/in , /by

Localizing your marketing efforts will build brand recognition within your community and foster brand loyalty from consumers who support local businesses.

Why you need a local marketing strategy

What’s the first thing you do when you need your car repaired, want to find some local entertainment or want to plan a date night?

If you’re like most people, you turn to Google. “Near me” searches have grown consistently since 2013, according to Google. In fact, these searches are so common that Google’s algorithm routinely provides localized results for most searches.

A local marketing strategy increases your visibility in these local searches. Whether users start with a search query, use Google maps, or go directly to their preferred third-party review site, you want your company to be listed among the options.

How to use digital channels to support local marketing

Getting listed takes specific focus on local marketing strategy. Here are a few tactics that are essential.

Claim your business page on third-party review sites

Google Business, Yelp, Angie’s List, and TripAdvisor are just a few of many sites that people turn to when they want to find a local resource. Claim your business page on these sites to make sure the information is accurate and that you can respond or react to comments, questions and reviews.

Create targeted advertising campaigns

Digital ads offer you an excellent opportunity to target your audience using various parameters, including location. You can leverage posts within Google maps, ads on social media, and ads within review and other sites to make sure your business is seen.

Have a SEO strategy

When creating content for your website, it’s important to factor in search engine optimization (SEO). Understand what your customers search to find a business like yours and use those words and phrases on pages and posts. Make sure that your meta description field highlights keywords as well as information that will make someone click on your search result.

Structure your website for local users

Local users often search for the same information, and it is best to highlight those things on your website. Have your name, address and phone in the header and footer of every page. On your contact page, be sure to include those details along with a map and driving directions from central locations.

Also be sure to mention the areas you serve. Most often, you’ll best serve the needs of people and search engine crawlers by naming specific towns and cities.

It’s good to be local

It wasn’t too long ago that local businesses could not compete online with national organizations with large budgets. All that has changed as search engines react to the trend of users looking for and preferring local business results. This creates terrific digital marketing for those businesses that take time to apply a local marketing strategy to their online efforts.

Market Your Business from Home

/2 Comments/in , /by

We’re all figuring out new ways to get our work done, including our business marketing. This is no time to stop getting your brand message out there. Here are some tips for how to pivot and achieve your marketing goals without ever leaving your home!

First, stay on top of the latest guidance and news.

Your efforts need to be in sync with current events. Asking people to “stop by” when there is a stay at home order or marketing group events would fall flat and make you seem out of touch.

Make sure your messaging reflects an understanding of the current circumstances of your target audience. That varies widely now, from people heavily impacted by loss of income to people who need products and services delivered in different ways. No group photo will seem in touch right about now.

As always, you need to know your target audience and what matters to them. Your marketing needs to address their needs as well as factor in the latest information related to the pandemic.

Create creative space and time.

I have worked from home for many years. I have found that is is easier for some people than others. Here are tips I can offer for creating the time and space to market your business from home, as well as you other work.

  • Define work time and space. You can’t focus unless you do.
  • If there are other people in your house, let them in on the plan. Your kids and spouse want you to be happy, so just tell them how they can support you.
  • Set aside time for active work as well as research and planning. Getting tasks done is usually top priority, but you also need time to learn new things. Build that into your work plan.
  • Connect with resources. Use online meeting tools or pick up the phone. Working from home does not need to mean working alone.

Kerry Thomas recently offered more work from home advice here. NPR also offers more tips on how to work from home effectively.

Use new ways to meet your business marketing goals.

Getting people into your store isn’t going to work right now. Neither will visiting their offices in most cases. What can you offer curbside? Do Virtually? Now is the time to think of new ways to offer your products and services.

You need to market in new ways too. The good news is that there are many online tools, many are even free. Find the “right” tools to use based on your target audience. Your established email list may be the ideal or tapping into a community like a focused Facebook group or Quora topic. Figure out where you can reach your target and be there!

Online posts and email may feel instantaneous, but you still need to build in lead time. For example, you can’t announce your takeout sandwich special at 11 and expect orders to pour in. You probably want to announce it the day before to give everyone time to see your message.

This can be a great time to try new ways to market your business. Who knows, your new methods learned as you market your business from home may prove effective even without a pandemic!