Marketing to Gen Z: A Quick Guide

by Jack Smith | Jun 21, 2021 | Blog Post, Digital Marketing, Digital Publishing, Marketing

Are you in touch with Gen Z?

The nation’s next big generation of spenders grew up in an era of connectivity and social influence, both in terms of how they relate to each other and how they relate to brands. To get their attention, you’re going to have to know what’s important to them. Here’s a quick explainer to get you started.

What is Gen Z?
Generation Z refers to young adults born in the years 1996 to 2015. And they’re about to surpass Millennials as the most populous generation on the planet.

How Gen Z Feels About…
As the most racially and ethnically diverse generation of Americans to date, it’s difficult to generalize about Gen Z’s opinions. What we do know though: Members of Gen Z have lived their whole lives online, and that’s affected how and where they’re spending their money — and their feelings about the market in general.

Brands: Authenticity is the name of the game when appealing to Gen Z, with 82% saying they trust companies more if they use real people in advertisements.
Capitalism: Only 20% of Gen Z has “very positive” views about capitalism, which is fewer than any preceding generation.
Social Media Marketing: Gen Z isn’t just completely tuned in to social media marketing they’re also redefining it. So while they’re happy to engage with brands, it’s increasingly on their own terms.

What It All Means
Gen Z has high digital expectations for brands. Looking ahead, you’ll need to invest in new platforms and the authenticity of your image.

This generation is spending big, but you have to earn it. If you need more guidance on how to do it, get in touch.

How to Write a Great Email Signature

by Jack Smith | Jun 7, 2021 | Blog Post, Digital Marketing, Digital Publishing, Email, Email Marketing, Marketing

How to Write a Great Email Signature

Is your email signature sending the right message?

While it might seem like a small detail, your email signature reflects on both you and your brand — and it’s important to get it right. Doing so lends more authority to your outreach, and it can also have a major effect on your email response rates.

Here’s what you need to know about acing your sign-off, including some essential do’s and don’ts.

Why Your Email Signature Matters
There are a number of benefits to hitting the sweet spot with your email signature:

It tells recipients exactly who you are.
It further establishes brand identity.
It provides recipients with necessary contact information.
It provides your email with more authority.

From cold prospecting emails to brand newsletters, including a well thought-out signature is key to contact recognition, as well as to creating emails that convert.

Email Signature Do’s and Don’ts
Take the guesswork out of a great signature by following these do’s and don’ts.

Do link to your website. This gives recipients an easy way to connect your name to your brand.
Don’t forget the basics. Even the fanciest of signatures still need to include your name, job title, and a way to get in touch. A headshot can be a great addition too.
Do include links to social. Give your recipients a fast way to follow up — or give you a follow — on your social media pages.
Don’t use emojis (in most cases). An emoji may come off a bit too unprofessional, especially in certain industries.

Design and Topography Ideas
You’ve got lots of options when it comes to design. Here are some great examples to get you inspired:

Why Your Brand Should Publish on Medium

by Jack Smith | May 17, 2021 | Blog Post, Digital Marketing, Digital Publishing

Have you considered using Medium as part of your company’s content strategy?

Medium is a social publishing platform that allows anyone to post original blog content. And there are some big benefits to doing so — including boosting brand awareness among Medium’s large reader base (236.65 million monthly visitors and counting).

Here’s what to know about adding Medium to your content marketing strategy (plus a few best practices):

How Medium Can Help Your Content Marketing Strategy
The more ways that you can connect, the better. While Medium shouldn’t replace your company blog, you can use it as a supplementary tool to reach more people, establish thought leadership and increase brand engagement — all of which make it worth a bit of added effort.

Ways to Use Medium
There are various ways to use Medium for your brand’s benefit, especially when it comes to building more authority in your industry.

Original content: Write and share new content on topics relevant to your niche and audience.
Re-publishing: Repurpose and cross-post existing blog content onto Medium to expand your reach.
Engage: Follow people who like your posts, respond to comments and use your content to drive engagement to your social pages and website.
Network: Partner with other brands or notable writers to tap into a deeper audience pool.

Best Practices
Success on Medium isn’t a guarantee, but there are some things you can do to increase your chances.

Be original. Make sure you’re adding to the conversation instead of just repeating what others are saying.
Keep it clean. Your headline and copy should be typo-free and grammatically correct, and you should take just as much care with your content as you would posting on your own site.
Avoid overt CTAs. Let engagement happen organically instead of trying to force it with a direct CTA.

Set your ideas in motion with Medium – click here to learn more

Need help with your company’s marketing? Get in contact with Smith Marketing today.

The Quick Guide to Google My Business

by Jack Smith | May 5, 2021 | Digital Marketing, Google My Business, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Have you put Google My Business to work for your brand?

Google My Business (GMB) allows companies to control how they show up in Google Maps and Google Search. And if you leverage it properly, it can offer you a ton of advantages — especially in your local market.

To help you do it, we’ve put together a quick overview of GMB, including helpful tips to help you make the most of it.

What Is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a free Google feature that allows businesses to manage how they appear in local searches. In addition to optimizing your listing, you can also manage images, videos, and reviews, as well as publish posts and answer questions that might be relevant to your local audience.

How Do You Use GMB?

Set up a Google account for your business here, and then create your profile. Once it’s approved by Google, it’ll show up when people search for your brand.

Some benefits to doing so:

Increased visibility on Google Search and Maps.
Quick and easy way to share information with customers.
Ability to see and manage Google Reviews.

Making GMB Work for You

To make GMB work as part of your marketing strategy, you’ll want to have a few best practices in place. Aside from claiming your profile in the first place, make sure you fill out every section. It’s a lot of work upfront, but it will increase the utility of your listing.

Second, update your profile regularly. Answer questions, publish posts, add new photos or videos and double-check that everything is accurate and up-to-date.

While you’re at it, set up messaging on the platform — and use it. It’s one more way for your customers to keep in touch, which is always a good thing.

Need more help with your marketing? Reach out today.

Do’s and Don’ts of SMS Marketing

by Jack Smith | Apr 20, 2021 | blog, Digital Marketing, Marketing, SMS Marketing, Text Marketing

Reach Your Customers With Text Messaging

Is your business making good use of SMS marketing?

Text messages can be a great tool for brands. Done right, they’re a fast and direct way to stay connected with your audience, share promotions and collect data on consumer preferences. Done wrong though, they can come off as overly pushy — or worse, even a little bit off-putting.

To help you find the balance, here are the do’s and don’ts of SMS marketing you need to know:

DO require opt-in and consent.
Just because customers give you their phone number doesn’t mean they’re providing consent for marketing texts. Require a direct opt-in so that your customers are more engaged (and happier to hear from you).

DON’T text just to text.
While SMS marketing is ideal for brand awareness, it’s not just for saying “hey” and checking in. There should be a reason behind every text you send, such as announcing a sale or sharing a discount code.

DO allow replies.
If your customer has a question or comment in response to your text, make sure there’s a method for responding. A marketing automation platform will help you do this and will ensure you can easily monitor incoming and outgoing messages.

DON’T overdo it.
Texting too often is pretty much a guaranteed way to get people to unsubscribe. Measure out your frequency and work on finding that sweet spot between texting too often and not enough. (Hint: Look at your engagement rates; if they’re going down, it might be due to your frequency one way or the other.)

Conclusion.
SMS marketing can look spammy and has to be done both carefully and legally. In all, it has come a long way over the past several years. The good news is that people are using their smartphones more than ever before. SMS is an efficient way to directly communicate with customers, once they op-in to your updates and special offers to increase sales. Netflix and Redbox do a great job using SMS marketing. Why not your business?

Need more SMS marketing advice? Get in touch and we can help.

4 Secrets to a Great Landing Page

by Jack Smith | Mar 1, 2021 | blog, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Responsive Website Design

Landing pages have one goal: convert. Done right, they can be a huge driver of lead generation for your brand. But landing pages that are poorly executed don’t have much to offer — for you or your audience.

Whether you’re creating a new landing page from scratch or are looking to improve an existing one, here are four tips to help you knock it out of the park.

1. Ace Your Headline

A great headline sets the tone for what does (or doesn’t) happen next. Keep it concise and on-brand, and make sure that it accurately conveys what the user will find on the page — such as a gated asset, special promotion or webinar access.

2. Use Simple but Attractive Design Elements

There are a lot of places where your brand can show off its graphic design skills, but with landing pages, simpler is usually better. Use your landing page design to reinforce your brand identity but avoid making it overcomplicated.

3. Write Clear Copy

Your landing page copy should be clear and concise, describing the features and benefits behind its purpose. Keep it skimmable, using creative formatting to highlight your key points.

4. Have a Strong CTA

The primary intent of a landing page is to drive action. Instead of leaving visitors to figure out what you want them to do, create a strong CTA that’s easy to spot. This can make or break your conversion rates, so consider A/B testing CTA language and placement to get it right.

Want more landing page advice? Get in touch and we can help.

Click to visit our regular Newsletter.

Marketing to Gen Z: A Quick Guide

Are you in touch with Gen Z?

How to Write a Great Email Signature

How to Write a Great Email Signature

Why Your Brand Should Publish on Medium

Have you considered using Medium as part of your company’s content strategy?

The Quick Guide to Google My Business

Have you put Google My Business to work for your brand?

Do’s and Don’ts of SMS Marketing

Reach Your Customers With Text Messaging

4 Secrets to a Great Landing Page

1. Ace Your Headline

2. Use Simple but Attractive Design Elements

3. Write Clear Copy

4. Have a Strong CTA

Want more landing page advice? Get in touch and we can help.

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