Digital Branding

3 Steps To Improving Your Paid Digital Marketing Campaigns

on November 9, 2020

Digital marketing campaigns are always a delicate balancing act. You want to squeeze as much value out of each dollar you spend. Which is why most of us prefer to use strategies that capitalize upon methods that are more organic and produce a greater return on investment. While approaches such as email marketing can be versatile and simple, sometimes you have to go with a more direct method.  

Paid digital marketing has been known to have something of a negative reputation. However, when done correctly it can be a versatile tool. It can be used to produce swift results, support other marketing efforts, and build engagement. That said, it’s not always easy to know strategies to employ. 

Let’s take a look at a handful of good practices for your paid campaign. What tools can you use to keep your goals on track? Where should you be placing your resources? With some additional effort, you can start to see some serious improvements in your paid practices.      

1. Take Care with Your Keywords

One of the main problems companies tend to come up against during their paid marketing campaigns is ineffectual keywords. Not only can choosing the wrong words or phrases result in poor results, but you’re also going to be spending more money than you need to — especially if you’re using a pay per click (PPC) approach. Therefore, it’s important not only to choose your keywords carefully, but to review them throughout your campaign to make changes where necessary. 

Using a keyword planning tool such as Google Adwords is a good start. But you shouldn’t be relying upon it. The problem here is that your competitors are likely to also be using the same tools, so to simply pick from these lists can find you diluting their effectiveness. Such tools are usually best used as a jumping off point. They give you insights into the keywords that are popular in your niche and among your demographic. Use this data as you would any other analysis, and combine it with your own insights and expertise in the subject to find keywords and phrases that other businesses may not have yet stumbled onto.

Don’t forget that the information you gather during this paid campaign can also inform your more organic marketing later on. When you provide data on successful keywords to an expert in SEO they can use this to help formulate a strategy that improves your rankings. Think of your paid campaign not just as a standalone project, but another tool in your expanding arsenal.    

2. Use Your Socials

Your social media can be one of the most effective marketing tools you have at your disposal. This applies to both organic growth and your paid marketing campaign. There is a lot of discussion surrounding whether paid advertising on social media is effective or not. As always, you can’t expect to throw out some marketing copy on your socials and expect the boost you’re paying for to do all the leg work. Its success comes down to how you use it. 

  • Be Relevant. This is the big one. The audience you’re targeting on social media probably aren’t the same people you’re seeking to gain from other methods. Your analysis should have made that clear. Not only that, but there will also be a disparity between who you’re targeting on Facebook as opposed to who you’ll pinpoint on Instagram. These are all likely to be very different people who respond to separate ideas and approaches. Make certain that the content you present — the images, the text, the product — is relevant to the social channel you’re advertising through. 
  • Have Clear Objectives. On both Facebook and Instagram, you have the opportunity to set preferences for your paid campaign goals. This can be to reach a certain demographic, improve engagements, widen your reach, among others. In order to use these correctly, you need to be specific about what you’re hoping to achieve. The tools that these platforms provide are really useful, but you also have to be vigilant about whether you’re using the right tool to suit your overall objectives.
  • Create a Schedule. Like most marketing tools, social media is a scalpel rather than a grenade. Specify your ads to appear on the schedule that matches your demographics’ period of highest engagement. You should already be using a social media management platform for your regular posts, and the best of these also provide insights into user engagement. Use this data for your paid campaign.    

3. Go Multimedia

Paid digital advertising has something of a reputation for being boring. That, or suspicious due to it’s overly commercial approach and intentions. The thing is, everyone you are pitching to with your paid campaign will be made immediately aware that these are marketing posts. Therefore you need to give people a fresh reason to engage with your paid marketing content. 

Be varied in your approach and use a mix of media; videos, blogs, podcasts, images. Yes, you are advertising to your demographic, but you should also be using this as an opportunity to provide them with something they consider to be of value.    

Videos are one of the most versatile ways to approach this. It is most frequently at the top of lists of effective marketing tools. Create something entertaining and informative that features your product or service. Demonstrate how what you do makes a difference to your consumers, and give visual and audio cues to engage with your call to action. There is the added benefit that you can make money from YouTube videos, too. By building up enough engagement you can use this passive income to offset your paid marketing costs.      

Wrapping Up

Paid digital marketing may not have been your first choice of approach, but it can produce valuable results. By taking a few additional steps to optimize your keywords, and use the variety of digital tools at your disposal, you can make a significant impact. 

Digital Branding

When Should Your Startup Expand Into New Verticals

on November 9, 2020

Growing a startup into a successful and viable long-term business is the goal of every entrepreneur. Expanding your idea from a single concept into an expansive business with multiple different revenue streams and geographic distribution is a fun and exciting challenge. Exploring new verticals is an excellent way to grow and protect your business from market fluctuations and changes; diversification is the key to success.

Finding the right time to move into a new vertical can be challenging, though. Move too soon and you risk overextending yourself, but move too late and you risk your business stalling. In the following article, we’ll provide you with some advice on how to find the best time to move your business in exciting new directions.

Expanding Vertically

Vertical expansion is the process of moving your business into a new field, with the goal of diversifying your operations, risk, and revenue streams. When executed at the right time and into the right areas, vertical expansion can take your business to a whole new level, complementing and synergising with your existing business operations.

Aaron Babb, Director of Aevum Health had this to say on the importance of expanding his business, even when he was in a comfortable situation – “New verticals relating to new markets or revenue streams are an incredibly powerful business growth technique that allows for expansion without significant additional costs. In a small to medium-sized business often your biggest issues are cashflow. Seeking out and finding new verticals allows for additional revenue once set overheads have already been established boosting business cash flow.” 

Test the Market

As most startup entrepreneurs will know, not every idea is a golden one. Some things appear great on paper, a sure-fire path to success, but once they are moved into the marketplace they fall apart. Testing your idea for vertical movement is important to not only evaluate whether it is a viable idea that the market will accept, but also if the timing is right. 

Gary Vaynerchuck, prolific social media magnate and business advisor has this to say on testing the market “If you’re worried you won’t be able to communicate your idea to the existing market, maybe your idea needs some rethinking.” 

A small market test may demonstrate that while the move is something your customers are ready for, your business isn’t in a place to make the move with the attention and focus required.

Get the Timing Right

Timing is everything when it comes to expanding your business into a new vertical. If you make the move too soon into your startups’ lifecycle then you risk derailing your core concept by spreading your resources too thin. If you make the move too late, though, you risk being too heavily integrated into the core business platform. Keep vertical expansion constantly in your plans, regularly assessing when the best time is to move forward without diverting mission-critical resources, but while you are still small and agile enough to move and adapt into a new area.

Identify the Motivators

One of the most important questions to ask yourself when considering moving your business into a new vertical is why you are doing so? Identifying the motivations behind the move will help you to thoroughly assess whether now is the best time to be making a change.

Tim Ferris, author of the 4 hour work week “The question you should be asking isn’t, “What do I want?” or “What are my goals?” but “What would excite me?”

If the motivation for exploring new business avenues is the wrong thing, then you risk the idea falling flat. Vertical expansion should be done at a time in the business when you have a solid footing in the core business vertical and have maximised your current potential. If the motivation for expanding into a new vertical is because your competitors are doing so or you are just looking for a new challenge then the timing may not be right.

 

Moving your startup into a new vertical will almost certainly be harder than it was launching the idea initially. When a business is just starting it can afford to be much more dynamic in its movements and decisions. It can also afford to make mistakes and recover from them with relative ease. Once a business has been established, pivoting into a new vertical is much more difficult as you have to carefully balance the existing business operations, staff, and customers while trying to launch something new. The cost of failure is much higher, but the benefits of success are too. Identifying the right time to make the move is critically in boosting the chances for a successful expansion.

Legal BrandingPersonal Branding

Common Mistakes Novice Entrepreneurs Make That Cost Them Big

on October 31, 2020

All too often, hopeful entrepreneurs jump into the world of business, hoping to make it big. Drawn in by the idea of working in a field they’re passionate about, calling the shots, and accumulating wealth, they invest time, energy, and money into a business that fails in just a few short years (or less). Though becoming an entrepreneur comes with risks, you can avoid many pitfalls by learning from others’ mistakes. 

Ignoring Personal Finances

The main objective of starting a business is to generate profits. Be that as it may, it can take months or even years before you’re making enough sales to earn a decent salary. As such, you’ll have to rely on your personal finances to tide you over until you reach your earnings goals. Your personal finances will also be instrumental in helping you to acquire capital from lenders and investors. As such, you will need to take steps to ensure your fiscal health is up to par. This can mean increasing your savings, following the 50 30 20 rule, and/or using a monthly budget template.

Novice entrepreneurs ignore their personal finances and either run out of money or face an uphill battle to get a loan. Preventing this from happening involves several financial management practices. You need to get your debt under control and improve your credit history. From negotiating with creditors and settling accounts to removing inaccuracies from your credit report and utilizing debt consolidation services like those found on MemphisAssociates.com, there are several resources to help you improve your financial status. 

Quitting Their Jobs

You may be dreaming of the day you can march into the office and tell your boss that you quit. If you’re not prepared financially, however, this move could prove detrimental. Novice entrepreneurs leave their full-time jobs behind to make room for their new business without knowing how they’ll cover their expenses. The pressure to turn a profit becomes so overwhelming that it can have physical and emotional consequences. 

Before quitting your job, do thorough research to determine how much it costs to run your business type and cover your household expenses. Once you have this data, you should try to save at least six months’ to a year’s worth of costs to provide protection. This way, if it takes a while for your business to start making sales, you’re not strapped for cash. 

Taking On All Responsibilities

There are many tasks involved in running a successful business, from accounting and marketing to production and customer service. Novice entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to take on all these responsibilities themselves. Though it may seem like a feasible way to lower overhead costs, it ends up costing them more. 

As each business task requires in-depth knowledge, skills, and experience, tackling things you’re not well-versed in leads to poor results. Not to mention, spreading yourself too thin can lead to emotional overwhelm and a poor work-life balance. Though it does cost to hire employees or outsource essential services, it’s the most effective way to streamline processes, improve customer service, manage assets vs debts, balance your personal and professional life, and grow your business. 

Using Free or Cheap Tech

No matter what type of business you own, having reliable technology is imperative to your success. Though purchasing hardware and software for your business can be costly, it’s necessary if you’re going to remain in the competition. 

Novice entrepreneurs looking to save money, however, opt for free and cheap tech solutions with limited features and capabilities that leave them behind in the race. It is best to invest in technologies using equipment, personal and business loans to ensure the most efficient products and services for your target customers. 

The life of an entrepreneur is hard enough. So, why make the journey more challenging by making mistakes that you could easily avoid? If you’re going to invest everything you have into building a brand that aligns with your passions while providing for your family, make sure you’re doing so wisely. If you don’t want to find yourself among the millions of people who started a business that failed in the first five years, take the advice above to avoid making a mistake that could cost you big. 

Digital BrandingLegal BrandingSaaS Branding

Keeping Home Improvement Clients Safe and Happy During The Pandemic

on October 30, 2020

Despite the many changes resulting from the national pandemic, the home improvement industry has seen a significant business spike. As more people remain indoors, the desire to create a safe and decent environment to live in has increased. While this is great news for contractors, acquiring new clients still comes with some challenges. 

COVID-19 Fears

Though homeowners understand the importance of keeping up with maintenance and repairs, fear of contracting or spreading the coronavirus causes some hesitation. As such, local home service providers like an Orange County insulation installation contractor or a San Diego County rodent proofing company must develop strategies to put their clients’ minds at ease. Continue reading for some practical solutions. 

Get Educated

Before you can ensure your home service clients that you have their best interests in mind, you must get educated. Learn about COVID-19 in your service area. What are the rules and regulations set forth by the federal and local governments? What recommendations have been provided by the CDC? What are some health and safety practices that other home service providers are using? 

Develop Workplace Safety Procedures

After you’ve done some research on keeping clients and employees safe amid the pandemic, you should develop workplace safety procedures. Here is a look at some things you might consider adding: 

  • All contractors must wear PPE at worksites.
  • Contractors must get screened and tested regularly for COVID-19.
  • Should an employee become sick, they must go home, and quarantine, and clients notified immediately.
  • When possible, contractors should commute separately. 
  • Staff should properly sanitize work areas throughout the workday.
  • Keep onsite crew to a minimum during projects.

Once you’ve developed new workplace safety procedures, ensure that your crew fully understands what is expected of them. Then, add this information to your company website and social media pages so that potential clients can see what you’re doing to ensure everyone’s well-being. 

Offer Virtual Solutions

While in-person meetings are common during a home improvement project, this practice is risky in the middle of a pandemic. Whether you need to meet with your clients to go over the blueprints and budget or to discuss changes along the way, utilizing digital resources like video conferencing software is highly recommended. You can schedule meetings that provide an in-person vibe without putting anyone in harm’s way.

Project management software is another digital solution that can enhance productivity. Such platforms allow you to communicate with key players from subcontractors to clients, on vital project information. You can delegate tasks, share blueprints, provide a budget, manage teams, and maintain timelines in real-time. It reduces your need for in-person meetings and dramatically reduces everyone’s risk of contracting the coronavirus. 

Ask for Testimonials

Word of mouth remains one of the most effective ways to acquire new clients. The pandemic may have resulted in many people’s social distancing, but they can still spread the word about your home improvement business. Digital branding solutions like positive customer testimonials or reviews go a long way in decreasing your target audience’s fears. 

When you complete a project, ask your clients if they’d be willing to record a video or write a review on your company website. They could talk about their initial fears, how you and your crew accommodated their needs, and their satisfaction with the finished product. As interested parties inquire about your services, the positive testimonials and reviews put their minds at ease. 

If you’re a home service provider who experienced a decline in business during the pandemic, you’re not alone. Though homeowners are interested in keeping their homes safe and comfortable, the fear of the coronavirus causes them to put off much-needed services. If your business will survive these trying times, it is vital to make necessary changes that accommodate your clients’ needs while ensuring their safety. Using strategies such as those provided above, you show your target audience just how committed you are to keeping them safe, which can ultimately grow your business.

Legal Branding

How To Choose An Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer

on October 29, 2020

Have you been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault? You can easily have fallen over and hurt yourself due to an uneven slab on the sidewalk or from the water on a recently mopped floor with no sign outside.

But how do you get compensation at a time when getting to court is increasingly difficult and we’re all dealing with the implications of the pandemic?

You need to start by choosing a great Orange County personal injury lawyer to fight your case in California State. Here’s everything you need to know about how to find the best personal injury lawyer near me.

1. Do Your Research

Doing your research for a great lawyer might seem daunting but actually, it’s never been easier. Be sure to get on Google and research lawyers who specialize in your specific personal injury case.

But remember lawyers now spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on Search Engine Optimized (SEO) blogs designed to get them to the number 1 ranking on Google. They also spend money on other types of marketing as well such as a great website.

While this is great to see it’s not always good for the user as a law firm could have great content marketing skills that don’t always convert into great legal skills. Remember that Google is just one way of choosing a lawyer and that word of mouth and extensive research on reputable websites is another way.

2. Arrange a Free Consultation

A consultation is the next step after you’ve gathered a shortlist of candidates to be your lawyer.

It may seem that choosing a lawyer is a daunting prospect but during the pandemic, it’s vitally important that you are still able to have a conversation with your potential lawyers to make sure you are on the same wavelength.

Set up a video call using Skype, Zoom, or Facetime. Be sure to ask them what they can do for you and how they will approach specific situations.

Trust your gut instinct and don’t go with a lawyer who you think is going to ignore you or discard your wishes. This is how to attract the best personal injury lawyer for you.

3. No Win-No Fee vs Upfront Fee

No-win-no-fee cases sound like a great deal. If you lose you don’t have to pay any money. But beware. No personal injury lawyer worth their salt would take on a case they thought they were going to lose.

If you’re offered a no-win-no-fee it might be better to look at how much it costs to pay a lawyer upfront as this might be a lot less than the percentage the lawyer takes from your fee at the end of the case.

The costs for the court are always high but in the future, we could see them come down thanks to the rise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and online courts which can cut costs.

Hiring an Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer? Know What You Want

If you are considering hiring an orange county personal injury lawyer then be sure to be clear about what you want and to get a lawyer who understands your vision.

Consider a no-win-no-fee scenario but don’t be bound by it as paying upfront might be a better option.

If you are interested in reading more about hiring an orange county personal injury lawyer be sure to check out the rest of our site.

How Webinars Can Benefit Nonprofit Branding? Free Tips & Advice.
Digital Branding

How Webinars Can Benefit Nonprofit Branding? Free Tips & Advice.

on October 26, 2020

If you’re new to the trade, branding is probably the last thing that comes to your mind when you think of organizations that deliver true social impact. However, a well-organized nonprofit branding is crucial to the successful development, functioning, and aim completion of the org.

A strong and reliable brand:

  • Helps your nonprofit stand out amongst other competitive foundations, so your brand message and efforts to spread your cause gain popularity and reach a large audience.
  • Grows your nonprofit’s visibility, generates support, boosts fundraising, and helps obtain other donations.
  • Attracts and engages potential volunteers to join your team and contribute to your work and mission.

According to LiveWebinar.com, online seminars are an excellent approach for a present-day organization with modern visions and ideas to manage successful and efficient branding. These web seminars are a low-cost alternative to in-person and events, that help you describe your nonprofit in a more human way to gain attention and help. They offer you a valuable opportunity to reach many people around the world and raise awareness about your cause.

So how to create an impressive and memorable online seminar to promote and grow a nonprofit organization? Check out the following tips and guidance on how to run a successful webinar to boost the progress of a non-business entity:

Tell the Nonprofit Story

The primary goal of nonprofit branding is to both convince the mind and touch the heart and thus favor an organization traditionally dedicated to furthering a particular social cause or advocating a shared point of view. So, start the webinar with enticing storytelling about the org while keeping in mind the following tips.

  • Mind the difference between the personal brand and the brand promise. This way you can best empower the cause for achievements.
  • Show how you spend funds and donations.
  • Talk about what are the current obstacles and needs of your organization.
  • Convince and intrigue the audience to build trust in your cause.
  • Be sincere and tell authentic statements.

The webinar offers practical methods to justify them with facts and data in the form of diagrams, tables, and graphs. This information, presented professionally, proves to the attendees that your org has a real impact.

Read more from us:

Build Empathy and Emotion via Compelling Content

The webinar serves great for that because it allows you to intertwine the presenter with inspiring multimedia to convey the spirit of altruistic work you and your staff do.

A great way to build empathy is through creating a nonprofit video to explain your mission and to motivate your audience by showing that everyone is valuable and contributes to a cause.

6 Steps On How To Start Your Own Video Production

Increase Your Reach

An aspect of successful branding is to reach as many people as possible, and a webinar is becoming one of the best options for that. There are attendees who already interested in nonprofit activities and willing to register. A great way to further better your funnel is to offer an online course as free training for anybody onboarding the cause.

How to Optimize Your Online Seminar to Attract Even More Participants?

How to Optimize Your Online Seminar to Attract Even More Participants?

Well, consider leaders or virtual leaders of another organization or individuals competent in your field to take part in the webinar as guest speakers, panel participants, or moderators on a specific topic. This is an innovative approach to grow your nonprofit’s reputation amongst a new audience and spark curiosity towards your work.

According to tech professional Antoine Bechara, guest speakers probably have their own audience and if you help him or her to leverage it to the fullest, you can further increase interest in your nonprofit and cause. Always encourage both speakers and viewers to spread the word about your organization. If your message is authentic and right, you’ll be surprised by the extent of the results possible!

Choose High-Quality Leads

No matter how many presenters there are, or whether you or someone else runs the webinar, pick a host who is a professional for a successful event and branding.

A qualified presenter:

  • is aware of the webinar topic and all details related to it;
  • is intelligent, confident, but not arrogant, and has excellent public speaking skills;
  • focuses on the goals of the webinar and chooses the most suitable strategy to run it;
  • carefully lays out the content and doesn’t miss important points within the allotted time frame.

Eager for inspiration? Read “Branding Strategies That Can Propel Small Businesses”

Increase the Traffic to Your Website

As an activist of a nonprofit, you probably own a website about the org and the work you do. It’s important that you promote your site to increase awareness about your mission. Use the webinar to introduce your website to your target audience.

According to volunteer management experts Volunteer Mark, an online seminar offers you an ideal opportunity to share info, organization details, and how to register and volunteer rights. Direct your viewers to the website and encourage them to share it.

Final Thoughts

So, if you struggle to promote your nonprofit and accomplish your aims, focus on an approach to develop strong branding. It builds a reputation, increases awareness, and helps you raise money. Webinars are a sustainable and efficient way for your brand strategy to reach many people and potential contributors.

Stick to our detailed guide and tips on how to run your webinar to make sure that your nonprofit stand out and make the impact you desire.

 

Author: Dimitar Karamarinov

Dimitar is an award-winning digital multi-instrumentalist with authorship in a broad range of digital medium and multimedia starting as early as 2006. With over a decade of experience in audio, graphic and motion design, along with various forms of business and communication, Dimitar Karamarinov gains experience with companies of grade Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Inc 5000, and multi-continent companies, along with various charity initiatives under his belt. Dimitar Karamarinov is proactive in appearance on established media such as Forbes, Metro News, CMSWire, BBN Times and more.

 
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6 Ways Internal Communications Can Impact Your Organization

on October 17, 2020

Are you experiencing problems with employee productivity, engagement, and collaboration in your organization? You have tried everything you could think of, but nothing seems to work. Have you thought about improving your internal communication? Many organizations have been in the same position as you. Rarely anyone think about this aspect’s great importance in the business world. Still, as soon as they enhanced their internal communications, the organizations were back on the right track. Don’t make the same mistake and underestimate the power of effective internal communication. Here is a breakdown of six ways this aspect impacts your organization.

Crisis Management

In a crisis such as the ongoing pandemic, careful and timely communication with employees is essential for keeping things under control. Throughout the crisis, the management and team leaders should communicate regularly with employees and provide updates. Announcing the latest decisions, notifying employees about the newly introduced policies, and sharing relevant information keeps everyone calm in a stressful situation. No matter whether your employees work from an office or home, you can use intranet systems to communicate and manage the crisis. When you communicate with employees, you actually have the power to steer their perception in a positive direction. You keep them informed thus they are prepared for whatever might come. On the other hand, when they are kept in the dark, they easily lose trust, start feeling frustrated, and the whole situation might escalate.

Source: Pexels

Transparency

It’s easy to start a rumor mill in an organization, especially a large one. If employees hear it and start believing in it, their dissatisfaction will grow negatively affecting their productivity and relationship with the management. Nonetheless, you can rely on good internal communication and keep things as transparent as possible. This doesn’t mean you should share every little thing with your employees. Share only matters and information that concern them. Laying your cards on the table right from the start shows integrity, which employees value the most in an employer. It also helps you build a strong and honest relationship with your employees and puts an end to any workplace rumors.

Employee Retention

Employee turnover is a growing problem for organizations all around the US. Employees leave their jobs because they look for flexible working hours, growth opportunities, or better payment, among other things. Every time an employee quits, it leaves serious consequences on the staff and business. Managers have to go through a demanding recruitment process, while employees feel discouraged. To increase employee retention in the company, you should give and receive feedback, assign challenging tasks, offer training, and increase engagement in the workplace. The easiest way to decrease employee turnover rates is through internal communications. Make an effort, get to know your employees, and let them know you and the company. When you know each other well, it is easier for the company not only to retain the existing staff but also to attract new employees.

Source: Pexels

Middle Management

Most organizations follow a top to bottom hierarchy when passing information and communicating. Often, that information gets stuck in the middle among managers. Because of that, there are delays, breakdowns in communication, and problems with feedback. In such a large chain, employees have to depend on themselves and their coworkers for information. Enhancing middle management and using various communication channels allows an ongoing and effective flow of information. It’s also a great opportunity for training and promoting employees into managers. Apart from distributing messages efficiently, employees learn how to manage teams, negotiate, persuade, and solve conflicts. Allowing your employees to learn and develop also helps with their retention.

Arming yourself with important data such as project management statistics can help you supervise this important part of the company.

Remote Staff

Managing a remote staff isn’t an easy task. There are many challenges to overcome. For instance, various time zones, teamwork, team spirit, cultural and language obstacles, etc. Every challenge you face while managing remote staff can easily be overcome through internal communications. If you have to coordinate various time zones, consult your employees and find an overlap that suits everyone. For maintaining team spirit and collaborating, employees simply have to communicate effectively. If your remote team is also a diverse one, then encourage them to get to know each other. This way, cultural and language obstacles will no longer be an issue.

Source: Pexels

Employee Performance

Most employees believe internal communication is crucial for their performance in the workplace. They need to have all the relevant details regarding an assignment or a project, along with superior’s expectations. Such details and upfront expectations help them stay focused and deliver their best work. If some details are missing, such as deadlines, or client’s information, they will have difficulties with their performance at that particular assignment. Similarly, they like to have easy access to information. Therefore, communicate with your employees if you want them to perform well.

marketing-strategy
Digital Branding

Is Your Product Packaging Hurting Your Branding Efforts?

on October 16, 2020

Because consumers have access to so many choices, we typically see how a company presents itself before we ever try one of its products. Branding, as a result, can be just as important as the actual quality of your product — especially when stocked with other products in a supermarket or listed on an online storefront.

Your product packaging could be the first encounter a new customer has with your brand. It needs to quickly communicate what you’re trying to sell, what makes it different and why the customer should buy that product rather than any of the others stocked in the same place. There are also practical concerns — like functionality or stackability — that may make product packaging less effective than it could be.

These are six ways to tell if your product packaging may actually be hurting your branding efforts and what you can do to design packaging that sells a product, rather than hold it back.

1. Your Packaging Doesn’t Tell and Sell

Good packaging should both tell a customer what’s inside and sell that product. With a glance, a customer should have a decent idea of the product inside and why it’s unique.

Simple or subtle design elements can communicate a lot about what makes your offerings unique. Bold color schemes and elegant fonts can suggest high-quality, luxury items. Textures, earth tones and agricultural imagery, on the other hand, can tell a customer that they’re looking at a product that’s organic, all-natural or sustainably made.

Some of the success of your product containers may be dependent on your branding. If your brand doesn’t really tell the story of your company — what you sell and why you sell it — it may be hard to correct brand-aligned packaging that effectively tells and sells. In this case, a rebrand or smaller adjustments to your company’s look may be the best option.

2. Your Packaging Is Wasteful

Wasteful or unnecessary packaging is bad for everyone and the planet. It often costs more, may generate hard-to-recycle waste and could alienate customers who are looking for ways to reduce their consumption.

Simple tweaks can make product packaging much more eco-friendly and efficient. Switching to sustainable packing materials, for example, or opting for biodegradable plastics, can reduce waste. Typically, you won’t need to rebrand to manage wasteful packaging. Tackling inefficient or non-sustainable product containers is a good place to start if you want to make your brand seem greener or cut back on manufacturing costs.

Wasteful products — like those in plastic clamshell containers — can also be hard to open, combining the problem of wrap rage with growing consumer dislike of plastic packaging. While containers pose a very temporary inconvenience for customers, they can still be frustrating, and may even make a customer less likely to buy from the same company.

3. Your Packaging Makes the Product Hard to Use

Hard-to-use packaging can hurt any product, even if the packaging is an effective brand ambassador in every other respect.

For example, a company may manufacture a cleaning spray in a distinctive bottle that is, unfortunately, not ergonomic or makes it hard to use the last of a product. This product may secure the first sale with its look, but turn off a customer from future purchases because it’s hard to use.

Ease-of-use should be one of your key considerations in package design, along with look, durability, stackability and sustainability. Simple usability testing or fielding feedback via email surveys can give you a sense of how well your current package design works and how it could be improved.

4. Your Packaging Is Inconsistent

Consistency in branding is one of the marketer’s best tools. With consistency, it’s more likely that customers will really remember your brand. With awareness, they could develop a preference for your products and may even recommend your business to friends or family.

Products in the same line should look like they’re coming from the same company. This helps build brand awareness, and it may even encourage customers to buy other products you sell if they have good experiences with your company.

5. Your Packaging Is Hard to Ship or Stock

Unusual packaging can help a product stand out. However, it can also make items more expensive to ship or stock. Packaging that’s not durable enough may also sustain damage in transit, potentially making a product unsellable.

Simple changes can help here. Square or rectangular boxes are always going to be easy to ship and stack. Looking to your competitors may also help. If they’re well-established, their packaging may provide hints for how you make your offerings easier to transport or shelve.

These changes may also provide an opportunity for making your packaging or containers more sustainable and more durable or efficient at the same time.

6. Your Packaging Is Hard to Understand

If a container makes any claims, it should be in the language that a customer speaks. Clearly communicating benefits with phrases your target audience will understand can help make sure they don’twalk away confused about what your product offers.

Understandable doesn’t always mean simple. Some businesses — like those manufacturing supplements, high-end skincare products, electronics or niche items — may have a highly informed customer base. These consumers can have different vocabularies and may expect clearer, more direct descriptions of how a product works.

References to specific ingredients, like vitamin C, creatine or rosehip oil, could confuse a general audience, for example — but the benefits they offer may be perfectly clear to certain customer segments.

How to Keep Packaging in Line With Your Branding

Packaging and branding that work together will be essential if you want to attract customers and keep your business growing. When evaluating your products, it’s best to make sure their containers effectively communicate the benefits. They should also be easy to use and open and, whenever possible, generate minimal waste.

Infographic created by Chicago Tag & Label, a custom label manufacturer

Lexie is a branding enthusiast and web designer. She loves checking out local flea markets and taking her Goldendoodle on hikes. Follow her on Twitter @lexieludesigner and check out her design blog, Design Roast.

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How to Improve the Visitor Experience in Your Retail Store

on October 14, 2020

If you run a retail store, your sole goal will be to provide customers with the best experience possible while shopping. Turning potential customers into regular visitors can be a great way to expand your brand and increase revenue. After all, consumers are not going to shop in stores they don’t feel welcome in. 

Whether you’ve recently launched your store, or you’ve noticed a decline in foot traffic, here are some of the best methods to improve the visitor experience in your retail store.

Offer a Unique Experience

No matter what kind of retail store you run, there will be many others who sell similar products to your own. If you operate in a city, your store needs to stand out for all the right reasons over competitors. Researching the typical shopping process customers go through can help you create a unique experience for your store. Whether it’s engaging with your products in an unexpected way, playing different music, or investing in modern lighting, how your retail store looks can say a lot about your brand and whether consumers want to use your services.

Begin with Your Team

For your retail store to thrive, you need to deliver excellent customer service to everyone who walks through your door. If your team isn’t going above and beyond their duties, customers may not feel valued and appreciated. It’s your job to hold regular training for your employees, which can be a great way to keep them in the know of the latest developments in your business, as well as new tactics to bring in new customers. Regular training can be a great way to identify your employee’s strengths and weaknesses, and what changes need to be made.

Create a Child-Friendly Atmosphere

Many shoppers bring along their children for convenience. If you’re a parent, you will know how stressful the experience can be. So, making your retail store child-friendly by adding things for children will mean they stay entertained, as well as not throw a tantrum out of boredom. A television, a train set, or a chalkboard will keep kids occupied, meaning the parents will spend more time in your store and purchase products. Also, having staff who know how to interact well with children can help you build a reputable brand.

Make Your Store COVID-19 Secure

In unprecedented times we find ourselves in, the coronavirus pandemic has transformed the way retail stores operate. If you have stayed open, you need to make sure that you’re following government guidelines to keep customers safe and protected. Whether it’s by having hand sanitizer stations, reducing capacity, or installing glass shields, customers will appreciate the measures you’ve taken to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus. 

Your customers are the people who keep your retail store afloat. When shoppers step through the entrance, you want them to feel relaxed and enjoy the whole experience. So, using the right methods can transform how your retail store operates, helping to build a loyal audience who will stick with your brand.

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