Are your Facebook Ads strategy ready for Black Friday? 

This is THE time of the year when shopaholics are hunting for the best offers, so you need to make sure your Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads campaigns are ready to attract hungry buyers. 

So, do you have your Black Friday Facebook Ads strategies all planned out? No? Well, you’d better get on that, because the big day is just around the corner! 

With so many changes to how we advertise on Facebook and Instagram in a post-iOS world, the Meta algorithm is going through some growing pains of its own. So, how can you be sure you’re setting your ads for success? Well, we talked to ACTUAL engineers at Meta and created a checklist with everything you need to have your target audience open their wallets for you!

7 Meta Tips & Updates You Need to Know BEFORE Creating Black Friday

#1. 20 is the New 50

Everyone has heard that an ad set needs at least 50 conversions in a 7-day period. And yes, that was true a while ago, but now things have changed. 

In the past, the Facebook Ads Learning Phase ended when, in a 7-day period, an ad set reached 50 events (whether it is conversions, lead gen, landing page views, etc). However, the Meta Ads Manager has evolved and improved. Now to exit the learning phase for optimization, your campaigns need 20 completed events in a 7-day period.

What does that mean? 

Now, a campaign can leave the Learning Phase after it reaches 20 events, again, depending on the objectives you select. The algorithm will gather data until that time to help you make better decisions in a simplified, quicker way, and make it easier for you to be successful on the platform. 

But what happens if my campaign doesn’t achieve that goal? Then, after the 7-day period *and not a minute before*, you can edit your campaign to optimize it! The algorithm will still learn based on successful events, but to hit true Meta Ad success velocity, you’ll want to consider increasing your budget so that you can achieve the 20 events Meta needs your campaign to hit for optimization in a 7-day period.

#2. Keep Your Cold & Warm Audiences Separated

Let’s think of our cold and warm audiences like a dating process. 

Cold traffic is like when you’re interested in someone you don’t know and want them to swipe right back at you. Your profile pic and information is all they have on you to make a snap judgment decision on whether they’ll engage in a convo and maybe give you their number.  

This is the same for an IG ad. They have 1-3 seconds MAX to decide whether or not your ad is worth ‘swiping right’ via engaging with your content by stopping their scroll. 

Meanwhile, our warm traffic is geared to those that have already engaged with your profile and is either mid-convo or mid-first date. Like a Facebook ad, you’ve already captured their attention, and now you’re ‘courting’ them. Asking them to get to know you more and ideally make some sort of commitment. With dating, you’ll want to ‘make it official’ and with ads you want that lead or purchase! 

They’re totally different, right? 

• Cold Traffic’s primary goal is to get them to swipe right or engage with your content (and maybe purchase!)
• Warm Traffic’s primary goal is to get them converted into being Facebook officials by subscribing to your list and actually purchasing a product

When you blend warm and cold audiences in your campaigns, you’re giving the algorithm the chance to favor warm audiences as they’re more likely to convert to a more cost-effective bidding strategy. This means, using our last example, that it’s more likely for someone that already had a first date with you to say “yes” to a second date because they already know you. Thus slimming down the chance of new swipes showing up on your feed.

Taking this into account, at the top level of your campaign, for cold audiences, you’re teaching the Meta Ads algorithm which cold audiences are yielding conversions. A successful conversion sends a signal to the platform to find more humans like the user who just converted. 

When you’re using cold audiences in a campaign, and excluding warm ones, you’re forcing the platform to find new people *aka people that don’t know anything about your product/service* that will make the desired conversion event.

Should you blend the audiences and include warm audiences in the campaign, Meta will favor the warmer audience time and time again because an abandoned cart purchaser is more likely to convert than someone who doesn’t yet know, like, or trust your offer. 

And Meta is always optimizing for the easier (more cost-effective) win in their algorithm.

That’s why at Mongoose Media we recommend not mixing these audiences in the same campaign. When you throw cold and warm audiences together you’re not teaching the algorithm to specifically find new prospects, you’re asking your algorithm to find the best buyers possible, allowing it to cheat and deliver the ads to people that already know who you are. So, instead, build a campaign for prospecting and another for retargeting warm traffic. 

#3. Know What CPA You’re Willing to Pay for Your Cold & Warm Audiences

The algorithm is listening to you, so you have to tell it exactly what you want. And this applies to anything you set up in Facebook Ads, but it is especially important for the CPA.

Let’s suppose that you are willing to pay $85 per CPA (cost per acquisition) for a skincare customer, but you capped the bid budget at $75. In this case, the algorithm doesn’t have the means to know that you have more money than what you put, so you’ll be forcing it to optimize your ads for a $75 budget. Which can mean you’re limiting your audience reach to forced CPAs that fit within your lower budget. Meaning, you’re missing out on potential customers that you’d be willing to pay for but your bidding strategies say otherwise.

Why is this so crucial? Because there may be better people with potentially higher order value or propensity to purchase available to you, but because you told the algorithm that $75 is your spend limit, your ad may not reach those people. 

Bear this in mind: if your CPA is too high, it will eat into your profits. Conversely, if your CPA is too low, you could be missing out on potential customers. 

Additionally, every day we get closer to Black Friday is a day that the auction experiences additional new competitors to the marketplace and more auction pressure that you’re competing against. So, start thinking about your CPA before the big day approaches. 

{important dates graphic: September 20th, the soft pressure increase in a ‘pre-Black Friday auction’. October 15th – the unofficial kickoff for Black Friday and the D-Day for heavy auction bids. November 15th – consider using different Meta objectives cause everyone and their grandmothers are doing ads.}

And, if you’re not sure what your CPA should be, working with a qualified Meta Ads consultant can help you to set a realistic CPA for your business!

NOTE: Your WARM CPA and COLD CPA should be different.

#4. Your Ads are a Marathon, Not a Place to Bet on Horses

I know that it is very tempting to look at your ad campaigns and ads like they are competing in a horse race. But you’re not betting on a pony, you’re marketing your products or services, so there’s no rush. 

What I mean is that even though you may want to perform a gazillion changes every time you check your ads statics and something seems off, you need to let it rest! As I said above, the Facebook Ads Learning Phase covers a 7-day period; however, if you edit your ad every other day, what will happen is that the time period will restart with every change and your campaign will be stuck in the Learning Phase *sounds like time traveling, right?*. 

Plus, you won’t be giving the algorithm enough time to optimize your campaign! Simply put, let’s suppose you launched your ad on a Monday, but by Wednesday you don’t get any of the results you wanted, so you turn it off. But, what you don’t realize is that, in a 7-day period, the algorithm is working to understand your campaign, so it may take time to reach your target audience and generate conversions. 

And don’t worry! 

Everyone is tempted to edit or stop a campaign when it is not achieving what we want! In fact, at Mongoose Media we used to make that decision after a 4-day period. However, we realized that, by doing this, we were potentially wasting the effort the algorithm is making to optimize a campaign, so now we wait a full 7 days before touching anything. 

So, walk away and go back in a week… But wait, there are a few things you need to be mindful of before you sit back and relax. Here’s a quick ads checklist

• Tracking: 

For Facebook Ads to be effective, it is essential that you have your tracking set up correctly. Without tracking, you will have no way of knowing whether your ads are succeeding or failing during the Holiday season. 

• Creatives: 

During Black Friday, brands compete for consumers’ attention with ads that are often loud, colorful, and eye-catching. As a result, it’s important to make sure that your ads are designed to be thumb-stopping.

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One way to do this is to start working on your ad creatives well in advance of Black Friday. This will give you time to experiment with different designs and ensure that your advertising campaigns are truly eye-catching. 

• Winning offer

Have you already put some thoughts into your Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals? It is important to craft a must-click offer that your specific audience is going to love. 

Remember that Facebook, unlike Amazon, is like walking into the mall during the holiday season. There are a lot of options you can pick and different offers that sound appealing, so, with many competitors out there, it is important to create deals that really persuade your audience!

• Work within a comfortable budget

Have a budget that you’re comfortable spending daily with a long-term goal of success. If you’re coming to Meta ads for a silver bullet, a single solution in your company’s bottom line, you better have a budget to back up the investment for data and the algorithm to find your target audience.

Meta Ads are great to-scale offers that work and as a discovery tool for new audiences. When Meta Ads stand on their own without a cohesive marketing plan for omnichannel remarketing, subscriber engagement, and more, expect to pay high acquisition costs to cover your marketing gaps. 

{Meta Ads on a CVJ image? Meta ads drive awareness, meta ads help subscriber acquisition, Meta Ads can drive excitement and loyalty, but Meta Ads aren’t Atlas, holding the weight of the company alone – that’s my graphic recommendation…. People think Meta Ads are the Atlas holding the world, but instead, it’s the offer that’s atlas and Meta is the muscle on the one bicep only}

#5. The Algorithm Assumes the Data is True

This may sound like a no-brainer, but it is important to understand that the algorithm can’t read your mind, so it learns from the data you give it. 

That’s why it is so important to be mindful about what you tell it. From your target audience to your ad spend, that algorithm will take everything you put as a fact and, if you’re not careful, it can affect your campaign negatively.

#6. Advantage+ Placements & Advantage Campaign Budget & Why They Matter

Placements are also known as the different platforms on which Meta can show your ad. An example of this is running your ads on Instagram, Facebook, or Messenger.

In this case, choosing multiple placements is a great idea if you want your ads to reach your target audience across different platforms. Meta’s platform is going to try and serve your ads on the placement your targeted audience is most likely going to engage and convert.

Taking this into account, by using Advantage+ placements, you’ll be allowing Meta to find the best conversion opportunities for your ad in all the placements.

This not only will help you to get the optimization events at a low cost (because Meta’s delivery system will analyze the data from all available placements and choose placements that are both cost-effective and high-performing) but also will help you make the most out of your campaign budget!

Another way of automating your campaign is by using the Advantage Campaign Budget. This is a feature that allows Meta to distribute your budget depending on the placements where each ad set will get the most optimization events at a low cost. 

With both features, you can make sure that your budget is effectively invested, Advantage+ placements and Advantage Campaign Budget are godsend help during the Black Friday season

#7. Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns

If you were looking for a way to increase your campaign’s performance without having to stick to your computer 24/7, the new Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns, launched on August 15, 2022, is quickly becoming my favorite new roll out from Meta. This new Meta product can automate an entire ad campaign with machine learning, so you can focus more on the general aspects of your online store and less on managing campaigns.

Just imagine being able to automate EVERYTHING from creatives and placements to audiences. With Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns you can maximize your ads’ performance throughout the Black Friday weekend (and beyond) without all the manual work it used to require. 

Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns allow business owners and paid media buyers to use AI to automate a campaign from end to end and make the best out of their ad budget by finding the best placements in which your ad will get the most conversion events at a lower cost.

And, if that wasn’t enough, this new feature can also automate creatives to analyze which ones are more effective in a specific audience! 

Finally, if you have a Facebook or Instagram Shop, Meta is using AI to drive traffic to the most converting destination for your eCommerce store. Either your in-platform store (FB or IG shop) or your website, depending on which one will generate the most optimization events in a certain audience! 

There’s nothing you can’t achieve with this tool and, even though it’s still in its Beta version, acting on it now will give your campaigns a lift as most other brands and advertisers aren’t taking advantage of this new campaign!

What’s the Best Time to Run Facebook Ads for Black Friday?

As soon as possible! Taking into account that you have to wait for the Learning Phase 7-day window, help the algorithm understand and optimize your campaign, and make edits if necessary, at Mongoose Media we recommend our clients to start their Black Friday Facebook Ads campaigns between July and September. 

However, this doesn’t mean that you should have launched your sale months ago! What you should have done is launch campaigns to find your audience and build a warm list.

The idea is to build a list of buyers that want your product/service and are eager to get a good deal, so you can offer them early access or another offer if they signup or register ahead of the big day. 

Why is this so important? Because even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday may seem like a weekend events, more and more people start craving good deals and offers even before November starts, so it is crucial *and cheaper* to start warming up your traffic early

But wait! If you’re reading this in October/November, that doesn’t mean everything is lost. You just need to be mindful that, when you launch your Facebook ad campaign, there’s going to be a lot more auction pressure. 

Ready to Start Preparing for a Successful Black Friday?

Planning your Black Friday campaigns with time is the key to not only crafting profitable ads that catch the attention of your target audience and persuade them to click the “Buy now” button, but it also helps the algorithm understand your brand and put your deal in front of the right people. And now you have a checklist with everything that has changed in Facebook Ads and you need to keep it in mind to set your campaigns up for success. 

Do you feel already overwhelmed with all the preparations pre-Black Friday? Fear not, you’ve come to the right place! At Mongoose Media we have a team of Facebook experts, copywriters, designers, and strategists that will help you with the planning while you worry about running your business!

So, meet with us and start your journey to a successful Black Friday Facebook Ads strategy!

The post 7 Things You Need to Do AHEAD of Your Black Friday Facebook Ads According to Meta appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Want to grow your business faster?…without paying crazy amounts on paid advertising?

Organic marketing is the answer. (Keep reading for my secrets).  

My name is Connor Gillivan. I’ve been an Entrepreneur for 12+ years scaling multiple businesses to 6, 7, and 8 figures w/ an exit in 2019. Today, I run marketing for my portfolio of 4 businesses. 

The majority of my success in business has been through organic marketing. 

In this article, I’ll share my top 7 organic marketing strategies.

1. SEO
2. Partnerships
3. Podcast interviews
4. Social media
5. Content marketing
6. CRO
7. Email marketing

By the end, you’ll have a headful of ideas to execute for growing your business. 

Let’s dive into it! 

My 7 Organic Marketing Strategies

In this section, I’ll define the 7 organic marketing strategies that I mentioned and give examples of each so that you can fully understand how they can help grow your business. 

1. SEO

SEO is the act of creating content on your website (pages & blog articles) that rank for specific keywords your ideal customer is searching for on Google and other search engines. 

For example, let’s say that you run an eCommerce business selling baby clothes. Your baby clothes are organic, custom-made, sourced from the US, and fashionable. 

With SEO, you’d want to rank for keywords like: 

• “Organic baby clothing”
• “Baby clothes made in the US”
• “Fashionable baby clothing” 

By investing in SEO, you can optimize your website, pages, and content with the goal of ranking on the 1st page of search results. 

This will drive traffic to your website where you can convert users into email subscribers and customers. 

2. Partnerships

Partnerships is a marketing strategy where you team up with other companies in your industry where you’re not competing with one another, but you’re targeting the same ideal customer profile (ICP). 

For example, one of my companies is AccountsBalance, a monthly bookkeeping service for agencies, service providers, & SAAS companies. 

We have a Partner Program where we partner with 100s of other digital service providers, softwares, tools, and influencers. 

To start, we add each other to our Partner pages (exchanging backlinks), we feature each other in our newsletters (brand awareness & lead generation), then we find other ways to send leads both ways on a quarterly basis.  

Relationship building turns into brand awareness, visitors to your website, referrals, leads, & customers. 

3. Podcast Interviews

Most people know podcasts for listening to them, but there’s another side to it that is extremely beneficial for organic marketing. 

When I say “podcast interviews”, I’m referring to the marketing practice of getting interviewed on podcasts within your industry where you can share your expertise, establish yourself as a thought leader, and attract new customers to your business. 

For example, my business partner, Nathan Hirsch, has been interviewed on 500+ podcasts in the past 5 years. We have a system where we research top podcasts in our niches where our ideal customers are reading then we reach out and pitch them to interview Nathan. He goes on the podcast & drives leads to our businesses. 

When you do this consistently for months, you create a lot of “buzz” around you and your business. 

That “buzz” turns into new website traffic, leads, and customers. 

4. Social Media

Yes, we all know what social media is, but there’s a specific way to do it for organic marketing that can drive lots of interested customers to your business. 

I encourage you to look at social media as a platform where you can establish yourself as a subject matter expert (SME), build a following, and turn followers into paying customers. 

Here’s an example. I own and run marketing for 4 businesses and I use LinkedIn as a social media channel to establish myself as an SEO expert & entrepreneur, which drives customers to our companies. 

My ideal customer spends time on LinkedIn. I build trust with them through my daily posts & teaching them the SEO & marketing methods that are working best for me. 

It takes time, consistency, a good process, and dedication, but social media is an amazing place to reach your ideal customer.

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing is the organic marketing practice of creating high value content that speaks directly to your ideal customer and pulls them into your email list so that you can continue “talking” to them. 

Here’s some examples of content marketing: 

• Infographics
• Ebooks
• Checklists
• White papers
• Webinars
• Free trainings

Content marketing helps to “pull” your ideal customer into your business so they know you’re an option as they look to solve different problems they have. 

6. CRO

CRO stands for conversion rate optimization.

CRO is the act of optimizing your website and all of its pages for converting as many website visitors as possible into email subscribers or paying customers. 

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Let’s look at an example. You figure out the first 5 organic marketing channels and you start driving 1,000s of visitors to your website every month. Congrats on that first of all! But does it really matter if none of those people convert into email subscribers or customers? 

That’s where CRO comes in. You dive into the design, content, and performance of each page on your website to see how you can convert more visitors into subscribers and customers. 

7. Email Marketing

Last, but certainly not least is email marketing. Email marketing is building an owned email list of people that are interested in your business, you, and the products/services that you offer. Then regularly communicating with those people through a newsletter and automated email campaigns to convert them into paying customers. 

It’s great to get people to sign up for your email list or newsletter, but if you’re not communicating with them, it’s worthless. You need an email marketing strategy where you’re communicating with them, getting to know them better, answering their questions, and building trust with them. 

For example, one of my companies, Outsource School, is focused on teaching business owners how to hire and scale their business with virtual assistants and freelancers from the Philippines. We run a weekly newsletter that provides free advice and strategies on outsourcing to 5,000+ potential customers. We build additional trust with them each week and over time many of them become members. 

How to Get Started (w/ Each) 

Now that you know the 7 organic marketing strategies that you can use to grow your business faster, let’s talk about some simple, actionable steps you can take to get them started. 

1. SEO

Ideas to get started: 

• Build a Blog page on your website. 
• Commit to writing & publishing 1 new blog each week. 
• Target 1 keyword with each blog. 
• Make your keywords what your ideal customer would search to find you. 
• Make all of your content high quality & value for your customer. 

2. Partnerships

Ideas to get started: 

• Open a new Google Sheet or Trello board.
• Make a Partner 100. Your top 100 ideal partners. 
• Find contact information for all 100. (Or have a VA do it) 
• Reach out to them on social media & email. 
• Work to build a relationship with them.
• Run content exchanges together. 

3. Podcast Interviews

Ideas to get started: 

• Similar to the Partner 100, make a Podcast 100. 
• Research 100 top podcasts where your ideal customer is listening. 
• List out your areas of expertise & value you could add to the podcast. 
• Reach out and pitch hosts to interview you. 
• Record the interview with the host. 
• Improve your interviewing skills as you practice. 

4. Social Media

Ideas to get started: 

• Choose 1 channel to start with. 
• If looking for B2B customers, use Twitter or LinkedIn. 
• If for B2C customers, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. 
• Post 1x per day
• Reply to comments that people leave. 
• Build a personal brand around your expertise. 

5. Content Marketing

Ideas to get started: 

• Brainstorm a list of 5 lead magnets your ideal customer would like. 
• Over 6-12 months, make the 5 lead magnets.
• Feature them on your site. 
• Post about them on your social media. 
• Ask your partners to share them.

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6. CRO

Ideas to get started: 

• Once you have website traffic, set up tracking with Google Analytics. 
• Measure how many visitors you’re converting to email subscribers. 
• Once you have a baseline, make a list of improvements you could make. 
• Implement them and repeat this every quarter. 

7. Email Marketing

Ideas to get started: 

• Choose an email marketing software to use: Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, etc. 
• Start a weekly newsletter that you send out. Same day, same time each week. 
• Build a content calendar and get ahead of the schedule. 
• Schedule newsletters and get feedback from your subscribers. 

Take Action

Organic marketing is a valid and proven way to drive potential customers to your website that you can then work to convert into paying customers. 

I’ve been using organic marketing strategies for scaling my businesses for the past 10 years and I continue to be a huge proponent of them today. 

You don’t need huge marketing budgets to grow your business. All you need is proven processes, consistency, and the drive to keep at it for months on end. 

TL;DR:

1. SEO

2. Partnerships

3. Podcast Interviews

4. Social Media

5. Content Marketing

6. CRO

7. Email Marketing

Sit down and plan out how you’ll get these started for your business.

Take 1 at a time, perfect a process for it, delegate, and then move onto adding another. 

By the end of 1-2 years, you’ll have a fully running organic marketing machine that is driving 1,000s of leads to your business every single month. 
Have question? Follow me on LinkedIn and DM me with questions!

The post 7 Organic Marketing Strategies to Scale Faster in 2023 appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

There is no topic in business and marketing bigger than the topic of branding. 

When you Google the term “why is branding important,” you’ll find an abundance of resources that stress the importance of understanding and investing in branding for your success. In the majority of these resources, there are also vague references to terms like brand value, brand equity, and consumers’ minds and hearts.

You’ll find the topic seems to somehow encompass everything from mission, vision, and values, to colors, fonts, and messaging. The topic somehow does everything, doesn’t it?

As you continue to investigate, you’ll discover that Investing in branding really matters. In today’s digital, post-covid marketplace, brand leaders all seem to know that harnessing the power of world-class branding is critical for success. But how?

Every day you can read stories about the missteps of recent brands like Twitter, who under the leadership of an unguided leader, unhinge years of brand equity, meaning, and value, completely missing the customers they exist to serve. Twitter’s brand was so engrained into culture that even the word “tweet” was added to the dictionary. We immediately know the missteps of bad branding when we see it, don’t we?

I’ve seen firsthand and can attest to branding’s power, personally and professionally, for both good and bad. Working as a Brand Scientist, I’ve had the opportunity to work with over 150 major brands in 65+ categories, putting 500+ SKUS into the marketplace, and collaborating with small startups from $30K to $30B bluechip companies. It’s one of the things I’m most passionate about, love discussing, and love sharing knowledge on. 

While most marketers will tell you that branding is important, only a few know why.

For the customer, branding is a tool that helps them navigate choices in the category, create perceptions, and influence behavior.

As a company, there’s nothing more important than influencing behavior to drive sales, and branding does exactly that.

Branding ultimately makes it easier to sell, easier to buy, and easier to build brand equity in your category.

Yet, who is branding for, and when do you do it? 

Branding is for Everyone

It doesn’t matter what age and stage your business is either. Whether you’re a—

• a founder with an idea, trying to get a proof-of-concept and raise capital
• a nascent and budding brand launching into the marketplace
• a pubescent growing brand launching new products and trying to get category growth
• a middle-aged, established brand constantly working to scale and become an authority or
• a declining legacy brand trying to stay relevant, redefine its mission, and stay in the game and need to pivot quickly,

There’s nothing more critical to the success of your business than strong branding that connects with your consumer, helps deliver the product/service experience, and creates a relationship.

Wow. This topic somehow does everything, doesn’t it?

The Dark Side of Branding

But guess what—there’s a dark side to branding too. Maybe you’re familiar.

While the topics of branding and everything it contains feels shiny, beautiful, and lucrative, there’s nothing quite as subjective, nebulous, and frustrating as branding.

To quote the kids at the end of each episode of Reading Rainbow, ” –”Don’t take my word for it.” bah dum bum

Here are a few people we could ask more about this.

Here are a Few People We Could Ask

If you’re curious about the dark side of branding, just ask CMOs, agency leaders, and business owners about their experiences with the process and why it’s lost its lackluster.

Ask the CEOs and CMOs about their experience and the daunting task of rebranding. They would tell us about the difficulty in trying to communicate with senior-level stakeholders, internal teams, and customers while managing everyone’s voices being heard. They’d share about the incredible efforts it takes, the pressure it creates, and the expectations of getting it right. How long is that supposed to take? One month? One year? How do you get it right?

Ask the Agency Leaders

We could ask agency leaders when they’re faced with the task of educating and selling branding packages to their clients. They would tell us about the challenges of trying to communicate the need for effective branding to their clients. They also share how they struggle to get clients to pay a premium price for the service and how much the customer struggles to even understand.

They’d tell us about how they cringe and never want to put the clients’ ugly brandmark on the slick, new, beautifully-responsive, cutting-edge website. They could share with us how the client wants the old branding with the new website and doesn’t see any disparity between the two. What do you do?

Ask the Business Owners

We could also ask small business owners who are trying to navigate their marketing when faced with the task of brand/rebrand. Ask them about the three wildly different quotes with three extreme price points from three completely different perspectives from three completely different agencies.

They’d tell us that when talking to marketing agencies, they get several proposals ranging anywhere from $2500 to $25,000 and beyond, feeling unjustified and dishonest. They would share with us how It feels unsettling, frustrating, and slightly deceptive, but they’d also tell you they often pick the middle package.

Aren’t they supposed to be comparing apples to apples? If so, then why such a price difference? And why such a difference in approach? Why don’t branding proposals ever feel remotely similar? What’s that all about?

Ask the Rest of the Us

Lastly, ask those of us who have hired agencies to create a marketing plan for us. We’d tell you about how the agencies return to create a brand style guide and provide services that weren’t what you signed up for.

We could discuss the horrible taste left in our mouths by the majority of professional fellow marketers and their branding process in general.

What’s Happening Here?

It seems like there’s a breakdown happening.

Our professional definitions aren’t the same, and it shows.

We would all agree there tends to be an incredible disagreement among professionals on the definitions, the quality, and the execution of branding. Not only are our definitions of branding vastly different, but our levels of understanding, meaning, and expertise are all at different levels. This certainly doesn’t help.

We would all agree there tends to be an incredible disagreement among professionals on the definitions, the quality, and the execution of branding.

Not only are our definitions of branding vastly different, but our levels of understanding, meaning, and expertise are all at different levels. This certainly doesn’t help.

Although marketing professionals out there are trying to do a good job, these definitions are simply not good enough. Just look at the results. Maybe you identify with one of these people above? What frustrations have you had?

Branding. What is it Then?

Branding is kind of like love.

Just track with me for a minute…

We know it’s important, and we want to see it flourish everywhere, but when it comes down to it, no one ever has offered a set definitive standard on what “it” (love) actually is.

To quote bell hooks, “ Everywhere we learn that love is important, and yet we [get] bombarded by its failure.” Similarly, I’d modify the quote to say that “everywhere we learn that [branding] is important, but we get bombarded by its failure.”

The examples about the dark side of branding summarize a snapshot of the hundreds of stories I’ve heard over the years. Every day I hear hurt business owners, frustrated marketing practitioners, and disheveled agency leaders who are furious with their experience with branding, where it’s gone wrong, and where it’s missed its proverbial mark.

Furious at the experiences with those who are performing it. Furious with the results later that don’t measure up nor create the intended results.

You better believe it puts a lot of pressure on the next guy to come along. That’s usually me.

Even if that’s not been you, we both can agree we’ve seen some pretty bad branding out there. Stuff that completely misses the assignment. We KNOW it’s supposed to be good, but it doesn’t measure up.

Yet, when it’s good branding, do we notice it? How do you know? How can you break down the formula to emulate?

We’d like to think we do. Perhaps that’s the secret? Is good branding truly invisible?

Bad Branding is Everywhere.

Like the adage, ” Bad design is everywhere, good design is invisible.”

“While we know good branding is important, no one can seem to agree why. If we could all agree on what good branding is, we’d all have it, right?”

While we know good branding is important, no one can seem to agree why. If we could all agree on what good branding is, we’d all have it, right? If this was true, we wouldn’t be taking the latest workshops, reading the latest books, and fervently trying to apply frameworks to our marketing ecosystem again and again, would we?

Modern Snake Oil

I’m not alone in this either.

Please say you know what I’m talking about.

The latest New York Times best-selling author gone marketing guru comes along, you get on their list, you attend a webinar, you get their book, buy their course, and maybe even go to their workshop. 

You think “This is the one.”

You spend countless hours and dollars are spent overhauling your marketing. 

You simplify and re-teaching your teams the mantras, and the new philosophies: 

“The way of the purple cow, the immutable laws, the hero framework, the simplified message, the passion conversation, the 6 keys, the decoded message…” They go on and on.

Then what happens? It seems to be working.

Or it seems to.

Everyone gets excited. We have forward momentum. The team gets excited, our marketing has clarity, and it seems like everything is moving forward. This is what we needed, surely.

What are We Getting?

It works OK for a while. But then technology, the economy, the customer, or the market changes, and it all falls apart. Then back to square one.

But, like the weight-loss programs or Sex Panther cologne, the results aren’t typical. 20% of the time, it works every time.

Akin to the Emperor’s New Clothes, you wind up with a solution that’s not based on your business. You wind up with one of a few things:

1. Something based on trends—what is hot right now, someone’s opinion of clever, sharp, and “now.” Everyone else is doing it?
2. Something based on their “experience”—how could they be wrong? They’ve been doing this for a long time? They must be right!
3. Something based on personal choice. Whether it’s your choice, the designers, or the client’s (e.g. “I like blue, I hate circles”), the preferences are subjective. They’re also not based on your business. What could go wrong?
4. Something that’s a combination of the three. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Most professionals walk away from this experience, wondering, “Maybe it was just me.”

“Maybe I didn’t try hard enough.”

Maybe we didn’t “implement the hero’s journey framework into the archetype correctly,” and “simplify the avatar enough based on the messaging model.” The cow needed to be more violet.

Let’s Ask One More Person to Ask About the Dark Side of Branding

There’s one last person we need to ask about the Dark Side of Branding.

Maybe this is you. Let’s ask all those left behind in its wake.

Let’s ask the workshop-attending, course-purchasing, guru-following students of the modern, digital age

I would ask these marketers about the workshops they’ve attended, the conference tickets they’ve purchased, the masterminds they’ve joined, and how many different frameworks they’ve learned over the years. I’d ask about the tools they’ve had to implement into their marketing system. The constant up and down of the team morale, and the constant pressure of asking internally “Am I doing this right?”

Then, like the ADHD squirrel-loving, marketing addicts we all are, we move on to the new, the newer, the newest, marketing framework. The shiny, Shinier, SHINIEST, thinking, “This must work, it’s new—it’s cutting edge, right?”Man, belief sure does outweigh truth sometimes. Why is that?

Stop Learning from the Back of the Bus

As a kid in middle school, the back of the bus was where the cool kids sat. They had a palpable authority that drew you towards them. You coveted them. These kids were cool and we wanted to know what they had to say. More importantly, we wanted to belong and  be PART OF THE CONVERSATION, part of the club. We simply wanted to be around them, learn from them or even become cool, if only via proxy.

The back of the bus is one of life’s first media platforms, the original social network. This is where you learned about the birds and the bees, cuss words, and other things that adults didn’t tell you (or so we believed). All the things you probably got in trouble for as a kid could be traced back to the influence of the back of the bus. 

For some reason, no one taught us about these topics directly in an age-appropriate, authoritative way. If they did, it was tossing you the Children’s Encyclopedia Brittanica—which was not very approachable either.

“When it comes to learning about branding, it seems like we’ve all been learning from the “back of the bus.”

When it comes to learning about branding, it seems like we’ve all been learning from the “back of the bus.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the infomercial-style marketing gurus out there making a buck and not having any skin in the game on my behalf. They’re the cool kids on the bus for sure, but not there when we get in trouble either.

When your business is on the line, where are those experts?

Nowhere. Not in your dugout.

They’re not in the trenches of your business, that’s for sure. Instead, they’re teaching everyone else their framework—which THEY made up. Of course, they’re doing the best they know how, but still aren’t very authoritative. It only was because you thought it was, putting all your eggs in someone else’s basket.So we know good branding is important, but no one can seem to agree. Which brings us to a really big question. What is good branding?

So What is Good Branding?

Don’t you wish there was a science to the madness?

Don’t you wish there was something authoritative, true, and foolproof?

Something that you can count on, can measure, analyze, and know for certain?

I’d like to offer you a hopeful reprieve from the constant madness.

THERE IS.

As a Brand Scientist at Quantum—an evidence-based Branding Agency based in Nashville, Tennessee, I spend my days working on the science of what makes effective branding as effective as possible. Similar to a coffee master or sommelier, I’m a resident expert for brands on their branding using science as the lens for growth.

I do this by breaking apart, analyzing, critiquing, and helping build better brands through a proven process based on science.

It’s my job to help brands diagnose, assess, and create the most effective branding possible. I use the evidence-based metrics of scientific areas of study. I call this BrandScience — the proven science of how brands grow and sell.

When I recently appeared on the DigitalMarketer podcast with Mark deGrasse, he asked me to come back and record a follow-up episode. He also asked if I’d be willing to share my empirical view of what branding is with the DigitalMarketer community. In doing so, start a dialogue of how we each can make our areas of marketing most effective.

Why Does BrandScience Matter?

There are so many types of marketing out there. Digital, social media, content, e-commerce, email, paid traffic, paid search, analytics and data, optimization and testing, copywriting, or community just to name a few.

“Regardless of the marketing you do, one constant thread binds all these forms of marketing. These marketing activities are only as successful as their implementation of branding within them.”

Regardless of the marketing you do, one constant thread binds all these forms of marketing. These marketing activities are only as successful as their implementation of branding within them.

This means, if your branding isn’t of superior quality, no amount of marketing efforts can help It.

Most of us know that we must deploy effective branding, but how? We think we know the why: To make our companies grow, drive profits, and help make sales, right?

What if that’s the wrong answer? What if—by not knowing what you don’t know— you’re missing incredible, low-risk opportunities to help your brand grow?

What if you could get where you want faster than you are now?

I’m excited to share my knowledge of the science of branding in a series of articles with you. It’s my goal to help you understand the impact effective branding can have. Most importantly, I want you to get further, faster.

• What if you could get to where you dreamed about sooner?
• What if you launched that new product and it sold like hotcakes?
• What if you could grow and scale your business into being the leading authority in your product/service category?

This is all possible with effective, evidence-based branding.

No matter if you’re a Founder, C-Suite leader, agency leader, marketing practitioner, small business owner, entrepreneur, solopreneur, or agency leader—there’s something about branding that will help you right now.You’ll be amazed by how real, practical, concrete, and succinct we get in our exploration of branding. We’ll look at what it is, why it’s important, how it works, and how to ensure you’re doing it correctly—scientifically speaking.

Get Ready for a 5-Part Series on Branding

In this series, we’ll be looking at what exactly branding truly is, from a definitive approach based on science. The stuff we’re talking about is REAL, not made up.

“In this series, we’ll be looking at what exactly branding truly is, from a definitive approach based on science. The stuff we’re talking about is REAL, not made up.”

My friend Nathan—who is a librarian and university news collection curator asked me specifically “Are you using the word evidence-based in your article?” (Yes, Nathan, five times and counting).

There are currently 13 different areas of evidence-based metrics I use in the deployment of BrandScience. I’m always searching the depths of neuroscience, marketing science, cognitive psychology, and the worlds in between to help ensure YOUR BRANDING is more effective.

These are evidence-based proven metrics and evaluative tools that ensure that we’re talking about the real thing— not mythological padawan frameworks and violet bovine principles from the latest workshops or people from the back of the bus.

What Can I Expect?

There are a few topics that you can expect to read about (e.g. colors, fonts, etc) and some other ones that may surprise you. Like “Sequence of Cognition” and “Semiotics.” We’ll even discuss insights relating to the human mind, as well as  reimagine some classic terms like “customer avatar” and “content strategy.”

Together we’ll look at things like:

1. What is Branding?: How it Scientifically Works
2. The Biggest Branding Myths You May Be Making
3. What Is Branding Truly Supposed to Do?
4. When Do You Build Your Brand?
5. How Do I Bring My Brand’s A-Game?

These are just a few questions that scratch the surface of the world of BrandScience.

What’s In It for Me?

Once, a professor told me that adult pedagogy (learning) isn’t the same as children, and instead, that adults only listen to WIFM Radio.

I’d never heard of this.

“Please tell me, what is WIFM? I’ve not heard of this station.”

He said ” “What’s In It For Me?” Meaning, most of us only learn when we want to, have to, or need to.

Since you’re part of the DigitalMarketer community, I hope this is an opportunity to learn because you WANT TO. If you need to or have to, that’s ok too—so we’ll make sure no one is left behind.

Regardless of why you’re tuning in, I’m glad you’re here. Here’s why.

As a result of reading this series, you’ll learn some incredible BrandScience Foundations that will allow you to:

• Make it easier for your marketing to be effective, helping you become top of mind in customers’ minds.
• Make it easier for your team to deploy your marketing
• Understand the laws that govern brand growth so you can deploy them every day
• Learn effective brand strategies that drive sales and marketing together.

Are You Ready to Find Out How Branding Scientifically Works?

Are you ready to find out how branding works scientifically so you can implement it in your brand? I hope so!

If so, buckle up, and prepare for a wild ride. I can’t wait, can you?

Yes, this is wild.If you don’t believe me, check out the DigitalMarketer podcast episode #338.

This episode is an incredible primer for everything we’re going to dive into in this series. It’ll give you a taste of the excitement I have. Not to mention, a glimpse of the results that it can create for you and your brand.

I can’t wait to share with you truly what effective, authoritative branding is that you can implement in your business immediately.You can even get a head start on your journey, by watching this video here.

P.S. What questions do you have?

What are your biggest branding challenges?

I hope to answer them and many more in each of these articles. And I hope to spark a lot more questions too.

Send me your biggest challenges, questions, and thoughts by hopping on over to my Link Tree

There you can email me directly with your biggest challenges as we address them together in this series.

The post Do You Know Your Branding Basics? Think Again appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Building a powerful and talented team is the most essential step to creating a successful business.

Hiring the right people is the most important part of that process.

But there’s one huge dilemma in finding the right new employees: All the great ones are already hired, and more often than not valued in their companies, simply because they are awesome.

How to find them and lure them to join your brand?

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about a successful hiring strategy, it’s that they tend to be super organized. Disciplined too.

Here are a few new tactics and trends to help you attract the right talent:

Using Social to Proactively Recruit

However, something else has been happening for ages too. Over a period of decades, headhunters have carefully nurtured their networks and positioned themselves to proactively approach candidates when the mandate is right. 

This allowed them to reach out to a hand-picked shortlist of candidates – and so put forward for consideration candidates that companies missed when relying on recruitment advertising alone.

One of the less talked-about aspects of social recruiting is the degree to which social media and social networking sites have made it possible for ANY recruiter to now source candidates this way. So in this article, I want to share with you 3 things you ought to investigate if you have any aspirations of attracting the right people to your company:

• Using Twitter lists to create targeted candidate pools
• Making use of LinkedIn contacts as your comprehensive recruiting database

Using Twitter Lists To Create Targeted Candidate Pools

Twitter lists have always been a powerful way of organizing the people you want to engage with. But for the purposes of recruiting, they’ve always been limited by the restriction of only being allowed 20 lists and a maximum of 500 Twitter accounts on each list.

The good news is, Twitter increased these limits, enabling you to create 1,000 lists and add up to 5,000 Twitter accounts to each list. That’s a massive change – and one that empowers you to really use Twitter as a proactive recruiting tool.

In all likelihood, there are specific companies that your company would ideally like to poach staff from. Imagine now that you can create lists of potential candidates for each and every specific skill/location/ company combination you might want to target in the future. By using a tool that searches Twitter users’ bios, you can quickly find and add candidates to relevant candidate lists. 

There are many out there, Followerwonk is one that I’ve been having a lot of joy using. By searching to find who’s been tweeting niche content in your sector, you’ll be able to add many more who don’t have this information in their bios but who you then come to learn about (and can populate the missing data by researching elsewhere). 

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You could also have lists of people who have expressed an interest in working at your company with particular skills/locations/company profiles.

Twitter lists also allow you to better target your daily engagements. You can create lists for niche experts that you really need in your team, and engage with them daily.

Just like with general branding, employer branding can take a lot of touchpoints before your dream candidate remembers your brand and starts considering it as a possible future workplace. You can also slowly but surely make them aware of your company culture and milestones.

You can also share your Twitter list with your current employees and let them interact with those experts as well. Not only will it help them to better understand your niche, but it will also demonstrate to your dream candidates that your whole company works as a team.

There are quite a few business phone apps and productivity apps that make this type of cross-team collaboration possible.

In your day-to-day Twitter activities, you now have a means of filtering who you’re engaging with and prioritizing those you can see your business is most likely to be targeting in the coming months. But now imagine that each time you start a new assignment, you can dig into your Twitter lists to identify candidates you’d like to approach.

Some you may see also appear on your lists of people who want to work at your company. Bingo! Others you can approach knowing already that they’re in your prime target market.

With 1,000 lists to play with, the possibilities here are huge. So if you’ve made Twitter part of your social recruiting activities, start getting organized with Twitter lists and position yourself to be ready to pounce as new requirements land on your desk.

Making Use of LinkedIn Contacts As Your Comprehensive Recruiting Database

Have you ever wished that you’d been organized enough that every candidate and client you’ve ever come into email contact with you’d added as a LinkedIn connection? Just think how powerful a database of headhunting contacts (and client prospects) that would be! Well with the new LinkedIn Contacts, this dream is in part fulfilled.

Alongside your existing LinkedIn connections, you can now import anyone whose email address you have. They’ll then appear as searchable contacts on LinkedIn, with their name and current occupational details populated from their LinkedIn profile. 

This is immensely powerful (and free!). Whereas your candidate database and Outlook address book are full of out-of-date candidate information, by importing those contacts into LinkedIn Contacts you now have a database – searchable by Company, Job Title, and Location – which references their very latest details. If their LinkedIn profiles are up to date, so too is your candidate database. It’s therefore more comprehensive than anything you could maintain in-house.

From within LinkedIn Contacts, you can track your activity with those candidates (or clients), plus set yourself reminders for when you should next contact them. So it’s also great as a candidate relationship management tool. The potential is immense for any recruiter wanting to more proactively source candidates in the future.

Another tool that consolidates several social media networks to help you participate in relevant discussions and find the right people is called Ddevi which is a browser extension that scans your Linkedin feed, Facebook Groups, Reddit, and Twitter discussions for your keywords to generate one consolidated feed for you to engage with.

You can then use the built-in AI writer to post replies to relevant discussions. This is a great way to build stronger relationships with niche experts who you hope will join your team.

Concluding Remarks

A lot of the current media focus has understandably been on the visible side of what can be achieved with social media. How to engage, how to interact, whose messages are being best received, and so on. Hopefully, with this article, I’ve awoken you to the fact that there’s a whole other side to social networking. 

A side that – through preparation and organization now – can position you to proactively source candidates in the coming months. Good luck!

The post How to Use Social Media to Find and Hire the Right Talent appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

If you’re a store or website owner, one of your biggest goals is likely to increase customer conversions. After all, successful conversion rate optimization can make a world of difference when it comes to growing your business.

What if we say you can take your struggling to store to a successful one by just making some small tweaks?

Yes. There are plenty of proven tactics that can help you increase conversion rate of your store while also boosting profits. And no, you don’t need much technical experience for that.

In this comprehensive guide, we will outline everything from understanding Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) to implementing easy-to-understand strategies that will take your store’s results up another level.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

What Is Conversion Rate?

Simply put, the conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to your website or store who take a desired action. It can be anything from signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, sharing content, or downloading an app.

Most often, though, it’s used to measure how many people are actually buying something on your site.

Conversion rate is a good way to measure the success of your store. The higher the rate, the better it is for you in terms of sales and customer acquisition.

What Is A Good Conversion Rate?

The answer to this question depends on the industry you’re in, as well as factors such as:

• Traffic source
• Your Goals
• Audience profile
• Your Offer
• and a couple of other things

Generally speaking, though, a good conversion rate is anything above 2%.

However, remember that improving your conversion rate is always an ongoing process. If you have a decent conversion rate today, there might be room for improvement tomorrow. That’s why you should continuously track and analyze your data to fine-tune performance.

What Is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

Conversion rate optimization (also often called CRO Optimization) is the process of improving the performance of a website or store through measures that increase conversions.

In other words, it’s about identifying which elements on your site work best and which need to be improved. CRO can involve testing different design elements, making changes to the user experience, or even running campaigns with special offers and discounts.

The primary goal of CRO is to increase your store’s overall performance by improving customer satisfaction, increasing sales, and driving more traffic to the site. Doing so can make more money and improve your bottom line.

But how do you calculate the conversion rate?

How To Calculate Conversion Rate?

Calculating your conversion rate is fairly simple. All you have to do is take the total number of visitors to your website or store, divide it by the total number of conversions, and multiply by 100. The resulting figure will give you an idea of how effectively your store converts visitors into customers.

For example, if you had 1000 visitors to your site and 24 converted, your conversion rate would be 2.4%.

But remember that you need to define a conversion first. This could be a purchase, sign-up, or download — all of which can be tracked inside your Google Analytics dashboard.

Also, remember to associate your goal with the relevant page. For example, if your goal is to get newsletter sign-ups and the form is on the contact page or a product page, you will only count the website visitors on that specific page, not the home page or others.

That’s how you accurately calculate the conversion rate.

But why do businesses get crazy about conversion optimization? Why are conversion rates important?

What Are The Benefits Of Conversion Rate Optimization?

CRO optimization allows you to maximize the potential of every visitor who comes to your store. This means more sales, leads, and customers – all without spending a dime on advertising.

Besides the numbers, the conversion rate optimization process also helps you understand customers’ psychology. You get to know what motivates people on your site and which channels are the most effective at driving high-quality traffic.

This information can be invaluable when crafting your brand’s digital marketing strategy.

In addition, CRO also helps you identify opportunities to improve user experience, making visitors more likely to trust your brand and add to your website’s conversion rate.

Finally, conversion optimization allows you to maximize your profits, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction –what every brand desires!

Now that you understand what is conversion rate and how to calculate it, let’s walk you through the core elements of an effective CRO process.

The Science Of Ecommerce Conversion Optimization: 6 Critical Elements

The six elements of a successful CRO process can be grouped into two categories:

Here’s how each one of them affects your site’s conversion rate:

Website Speed

Let’s admit it. Slow websites are annoying. This is true to the point that website visitors almost immediately bounce off a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

This not only impacts your conversion rate but also hurts your website’s SEO.

So, make sure your website loads in under 3 seconds, or be prepared to lose more and more prospects.

Design

Looks matter. A Lot!

If you have a professionally designed, eye-pleasing website and landing page, users will automatically feel welcomed and comfortable to navigate.

So, naturally, a good design will drive actions and add to the conversion rate.

Copywriting

The next thing site visitors notice on your product pages or landing pages are the “words.”

Users are more likely to spend time or take a desired action on your website if the copy speaks to their needs and desires.

So, hire an experienced and highly-skilled copywriter who knows how to research your target audience and write compelling copy.

Website Structure

This should be easy to understand.

When shopping online, people don’t stay on a single web page. They often like to check out different items and browse product pages.

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This is where a decent website structure can aid in conversion.

If your website is easy-to-navigate, users are likely to stay on your website and move closer to a conversion.

On the other hand, if the structure is complex, they will most likely bounce off.

CTAs

Next up are your call-to-action buttons. Although they’re part of the website copy, they play a different role. While website copy influences decision-making, CTAs are often the key drivers behind conversion.

Words and phrases like “Order Now For Free Shipping,” “Access Now,” or “Contact Today For A Free Quote” have the power to influence people’s decisions and drive actions.

So, choose your CTAs wisely.

Forms

Finally, your website forms and their optimization are critical to the conversion rate.

If your web form is long (with unnecessary fields) or too complicated (requiring extra steps), it will negatively impact the conversion rate.

The idea is to keep them short, sweet, and simple.

These are some of the core elements of a successful CRO strategy that can help brands get more out of their digital marketing efforts.

Now that you know what makes a successful conversion funnel, here are a few tips to increase the conversion rate of your ecommerce site or store.

Conversion Rate Optimization Tips & Tricks

Tip 1 – Do Some Split testing or A/B testing

Split testing or A/B testing is often used to optimize the website and make it more conversion friendly.

It basically involves creating two versions of a web page with slight variations and testing them out on live audiences to see which one performs better.

Though you can test several things, it’s a nice idea to test variations of:

• Headlines
• Color themes
• Design elements (buttons, banners, etc.)
• Button placement
• Layout
• Website copy
• CTA
• Images
• Videos

However, make sure you don’t change several things together. Why?

Because it will make it almost impossible to figure out which change actually had an impact on the conversion rate.

So, don’t overdo the variations.

Tip 2 – Add A Site Search Feature

A search bar is a must-have for any website or store with plenty of products.

It helps users quickly find what they’re looking for and improves the on-site experience.

This was even confirmed by Forrester Research (a research and consulting company). It found that almost 43% of web users head straight to the search bar. Plus, it increases their chances of conversion by 2-3 times and helps prospects take action.

That’s one way how the search bar helps. But there’s another way.

You can analyze search queries to understand user behavior and tailor your website according to their preferences.

Tip 3 – Set Up Easy Forms

Remember the core elements of CRO optimization?

As already mentioned, forms play an important role when it comes to optimizing the conversion rate.

That’s why it’s important to create simple forms with minimum fields and help users get through the process effortlessly. Also, make sure you add helpful prompts or auto-fill features to reduce friction and expedite the process. These simple tweaks can make a world of difference.

You also need to apply the same logic when creating forms for lead generation or any other purpose. Keep them short and sweet.

Fact: “Using a quiz-like form to capture information has the potential to triple conversions.” (WPForms)

So, get creative with your forms to get more conversions. Use a quiz format, add a lead magnet, or incorporate a chatbot. They will help you get more prospects and conversions.

The idea is to make the process simple and engaging for users.

Tip 4 – Use Better CTAs

The CTAs you use on your website can be a game changer.

Good CTAs are clear and concise and should help users take the desired action without any confusion. How?

Well, you need to come up with CTAs that are:

• persuasive
• descriptive
• benefit-focused

Besides the above, effective CTAs usually invoke a sense of urgency or achievement. For instance, words like “Unlock” or “Get Exclusive Access” play with users’ psychology and make them feel rewarded. It creates a sense of exclusivity and often leads to higher conversions.

Similarly, phrases like “Order Now Before Stock Runs Out” or “Free Shipping For Next 10 Hours” trigger emotions of urgency and encourage prospects to take action quickly.

This is how you can leverage compelling copy to make your CTAs more effective and boost your conversion rates.

Plus, you can also try changing the following CTA elements:

• CTA type (Forms, text, button)
• Placement
• Button Shape
• Button Size
• Colors

Refer back to tip number 1 and do split testing to see what works better.

Tip 5 – Better User Experience

User experience plays a key role when it comes to CRO optimization. That’s why you must ensure your website or store provides a pleasant user experience.

How?

Think from a customer’s perspective – what would make your site more enjoyable for them?

Here are a couple of aspects to focus on:

Navigation: Make sure your website or store has an intuitive navigation system that makes it easy for users to find what they’re looking for.

Content: Create well-structured, organized, and informative content that is both easy to grasp and adds value. Make sure your content is tailored to the readers and resonates with them.

Layout: Design a website or store with clean lines and an organized layout that makes it easy to read and navigate.

Optimization: Optimize your website or store for speed, performance, and mobile devices.

By addressing all the above, you can enhance the user experience and increase conversions.

So, focus on enhancing the user experience to get more sales and leads from your website or store.

Tip 6 – Use Heat Maps For User Testing

A heat map is a powerful tool that helps you determine where users click on your web pages.

For instance, heat maps show which sections or elements of your website or store are getting the most attention and which ones are being neglected.

Yes. You can actually find out if users are paying attention to the navigation bar, CTA buttons, or links that you have carefully placed on your website. Some tools even have an eye-tracking integration to tell you where users look first when they land on your ecommerce website.

This can give you greater insights into user behavior and help you identify:

• effective website sections,
• improvement opportunities,
• and, potential issues and problems.

Overall, heat maps are excellent for ecommerce conversion optimization as they help you understand what elements of your store need more focus and attention.

Tip 7 – Add Pop-ups

Pop-ups are great for boosting conversions. They help you capture customer information such as email address, name, phone number, and more.

You can use pop-ups for a variety of purposes, such as:

• Offering discounts or coupons,
• Inviting people to join a newsletter,
• Introducing new products or services,
• Collecting feedback and ratings,
• Showing important notifications.

Pop-ups are also extremely effective in retargeting customers. You can use them to show special offers or discounts to customers who have already visited your website or store.

However, despite having an excellent conversion rate of 11.09%, you need to be careful when using pop-ups, as too many can annoy customers and drive them away. Also, they must have fast loading speeds and easy-to-spot exit options, otherwise, it could turn off the existing traffic and drive them away.

So, be cautious with pop-ups and use them right!

Tip 8 – Leverage Live Chat or Chatbots

Live chat is a great way to boost conversions. It enables potential customers to chat with you directly and get their queries answered in real time. This helps build trust and customer loyalty, which leads to more conversions.

But if you don’t have the resources for a live chat team, you can use chatbots instead. Chatbots are automated conversational AI systems that can answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) and help customers with their queries.

However, make sure you choose a chatbot that fits your budget, integrates well with your system, and aligns with your business goals.

So, these were some of the most effective conversion rate optimization strategies you can use to increase conversion rate of your store.

Besides the above, you can try:

• adding some social proof
• using targeted lead magnets
• enhancing the checkout experience
• focusing on abandoned carts
• using retargeting

These are all proven techniques that boost website conversion rates by turning website visitors into paying customers!

However, instead of relying only on tricks of the trade, developing strong ecommerce marketing concepts is highly recommended to get ahead in the commerce world.

Master The Fundamentals For Successful Ecommerce Conversion Optimization

While this guide will surely help you get started with your store’s CRO optimization, there’s much more to CRO than just tips and tricks.

Ecommerce success depends on understanding your target audience and developing a suitable marketing strategy for your store.

So, before starting your optimization efforts, you need to focus on the basics, like understanding the core pillars of ecommerce, creating customer avatars, and developing a sales-worthy offer. How can you learn this all?

Our Ecommerce Marketing Mastery Certificate offers advanced ecommerce marketing knowledge so that you start strong and optimize your store from the ground up.

Don’t have time on your hands? Consider hiring a specialized ecommerce agency to take care of ecommerce conversion optimization and marketing for you.

With the right knowledge, tools, and team, you’d be well on your way to building a profitable ecommerce business.

The post Easy Conversion Rate Optimization Strategies: A Practical Guide On How To Optimize Your Store appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

In 2023, the renowned toy company Mattel, famous for creating the iconic Barbie doll, faced challenging times amidst a competitive market. However, a recent development has the potential to reshape the company’s trajectory and revitalize its brand presence: the release of the much-anticipated Barbie movie. This article explores how this cinematic venture has impacted Mattel’s stock performance and discusses the potential implications it may have for the company’s survival.

Overview of Mattel & the Barbie Brand 

Mattel is a globally recognized toy company that has been a pioneer in the industry for decades. Established in 1945, the company quickly rose to prominence with its innovative and beloved toys. However, its most iconic creation, the Barbie doll, was introduced in 1959.

Barbie became an instant cultural phenomenon, capturing the imagination of millions of children worldwide and setting a standard for fashion dolls. Over the years, Barbie has undergone various transformations, adapting to changing times and promoting diversity and inclusivity. 

Despite these efforts, Mattel faced challenges in recent years, struggling to keep up with digital entertainment and other competitors.

Mattel’s Struggles & Stock Performance

In the early 2020s, Mattel experienced various setbacks that impacted its financial performance and stock value. 

With the rise of digital toys and entertainment options, traditional toy manufacturers faced stiff competition. Mattel’s revenues were affected as children’s play patterns shifted toward online gaming and virtual experiences. 

The company also faced difficulties with supply chain disruptions and rising production costs. These challenges culminated in a decline in Mattel’s stock performance, raising concerns about the company’s ability to stay relevant in an evolving market.

Mattel Reports First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Mattel’s Second Quarter 2023 financial results will publish on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.

The Barbie Movie: A Cinematic Triumph 

To rejuvenate the Barbie brand, Mattel embarked on an ambitious cinematic venture – the release of a Barbie movie on July 21, 2023. The movie promised a fresh take on the iconic doll, featuring a compelling storyline and modern themes to resonate with today’s audiences.

Leading up to the premiere, even Google got all dolled up for this star studded movie of the summer, turning shades of pink for the brand’s famous color scheme. As the film hit theaters, it garnered widespread praise from both critics and viewers alike. 

The film exceeded all projections, grossing an impressive $155 million during its opening weekend in domestic markets and an additional $182 million internationally. The movie’s tremendous start was fueled by $22.3 million in previews on Thursday, making it one of the top 25 all-time preview performances and securing the highest opening of the year.

Comparing Barbie’s performance to other recent releases, it outshined the Super Mario Bros. Movie, which had a $146.3 million weekend but also benefited from a $58.2 million gross on Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in a $204.6 million five-day start.

Barbie’s remarkable Friday, combined with Wednesday and Thursday figures, totaled $70.5 million, setting a new record for the highest Friday (including previews) opening of the year.

What makes Barbie’s triumph even more noteworthy is that it boasts the best opening ever for a film co-directed or directed solely by a woman. Notably, both Captain Marvel ($153.4 million) and Frozen II ($130.2 million) had male co-directors, whereas Barbie stands as a pioneering example with a female solo or co-director.

This marks only the second time in cinematic history that a solo female director has achieved an opening weekend gross of over $100 million, with the other instance being Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman ($103.2 million).

The Barbie movie’s success was attributed to its captivating storytelling, stunning visuals, relevant play on nostalgia and positive messages promoting empowerment and self-expression. Not to mention all the city wide press this movie has created. 

Market Reaction and Stock Surge

Following the movie’s release, Mattel experienced a significant surge in its stock value. Investors responded positively to the success of the Barbie movie, recognizing it as a game-changer for the company’s prospects. The rise in stock value was not only indicative of renewed investor confidence but also a testament to the movie’s ability to revive the brand’s allure and profitability.

Barbie’s Appeal to Adult Audiences

The Barbie movie unexpectedly found a substantial audience among adults. Beyond its traditional target demographic of children, the film resonated with older viewers, including nostalgic adults who grew up with Barbie.

The movie’s ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and connect with adult audiences created an unexpected marketing advantage for Mattel. This newfound appeal among adults potentially translated into increased interest in Barbie-related products and memorabilia.

Expanding Merchandising Opportunities

The success of the Barbie movie opened up new avenues for Mattel to capitalize on merchandising and licensing opportunities. With the movie’s characters and storyline capturing the hearts of audiences, Mattel had an opportunity to introduce a wide range of spin-off products and tie-ins. 

Collaborations with other companies for limited-edition Barbie merchandise, such as clothing, accessories, and collectibles, provided an additional revenue stream and reinforced the Barbie brand’s relevance.

Impact on Mattel’s Future Strategy

The triumph of the Barbie movie significantly influenced Mattel’s future strategic decisions. The success of the entertainment-driven approach demonstrated that storytelling and engaging narratives were vital components for the company’s product development. Consequently, Mattel might prioritize partnerships with filmmakers, screenwriters, and animators to create compelling content that goes beyond just physical toys.

Marketing Lessons from Mattel’s Barbie Movie Campaign

The release of the Barbie movie in 2023 marked a turning point for Mattel, reviving the company’s brand image and stock performance. The success of the film not only brought renewed interest from children but also unexpectedly resonated with adult audiences, further bolstering the Barbie brand’s status. 

With this newfound momentum, Mattel now has a unique opportunity to leverage the success of the Barbie movie to explore new horizons and ensure its survival and success in the ever-evolving toy industry.

Take Action

• Understanding the Power of Brand Nostalgia: Mattel tapped into the nostalgia associated with the iconic Barbie brand, resonating not only with children but also with adults who grew up with the doll. Marketers can leverage nostalgia by revisiting and reimagining their brand’s heritage to evoke emotional connections with their target audience.
• Effective Audience Segmentation: The marketing campaign demonstrated a deep understanding of its target audience, recognizing both children and adults as potential consumers. Businesses should segment their target audience effectively to craft tailored messages that address specific needs and preferences.
• Leveraging Cross-Platform Promotion: Mattel maximized the impact of its marketing efforts by employing cross-platform promotion. Businesses can learn to integrate their campaigns across various channels, such as social media, television, print, and online advertising, to reach a wider audience and reinforce their brand message.
• Inclusivity and Diversity in Storytelling: The Barbie movie emphasized themes of empowerment and inclusivity, promoting diverse representations of characters. Marketers can learn from this approach and incorporate diverse and authentic storytelling that reflects the varied experiences and backgrounds of their audience.
• Building Anticipation with Previews: The use of previews to create buzz around the Barbie movie generated excitement and anticipation. Marketers can apply this tactic by offering sneak peeks, teasers, or exclusive content to build anticipation for their product launches or events.
• Collaborating with Influencers and Partners: Mattel collaborated with influencers, celebrities, and other partners to amplify the movie’s reach and create additional hype. Businesses can explore partnerships with influencers and other brands to extend their brand visibility and tap into new audiences.
• Emphasizing Female Leadership: The success of Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, highlighted the impact of female-led projects. Businesses can embrace gender diversity and empower female leaders within their organizations, signaling their commitment to inclusivity and equality.
• Storytelling as a Central Element: The Barbie movie’s success was driven by compelling storytelling that resonated with the audience. Marketers can prioritize storytelling in their campaigns, creating narratives that connect emotionally with consumers and elevate their brand message.
• Measuring and Analyzing Results: Mattel’s campaign likely involved thorough monitoring and analysis of marketing efforts, allowing them to optimize their strategies. Marketers should invest in data analysis and performance tracking to measure the success of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
• Building a Comprehensive Merchandising Strategy: The success of the Barbie movie extended beyond the film itself, with a robust merchandising strategy. Businesses can learn to capitalize on their campaigns by offering related products and tie-ins to enhance brand exposure and generate additional revenue streams.

By drawing inspiration from Mattel’s successful marketing campaign for the Barbie movie, businesses can apply these valuable lessons to enhance their own marketing strategies and ultimately achieve greater brand impact and success.

The post Barbie Movie Boosts: How the Barbie Movie Redefined Brand Marketing appeared first on DigitalMarketer.