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Articles Tagged with: branding

The FAQ 2021 Edit: Your top digital marketing questions answered

There are a few questions that keep popping up with our clients no matter what industry they’re in. The world of marketing and branding can be so big and confusing. So let’s break it down and demystify it together with the answers to the marketing FAQs we get from our clients and followers.

Does email marketing still work?

YES. It’s a direct and effective way to consistently re-engage with your audience — especially with your superfans who are following along your business journey with you. Most EDM platforms allow you to really narrow your messaging and create journeys based on each individual’s interactions with your content.

Email marketing has insane ROI attached. On average, every $1 you invest on email marketing yields a $42 return. Yup, you read that right.

Do I need to hire a marketing team?

You don’t necessarily need to have an internal team to take care of all your marketing. But there is a point in your business growth where it makes sense to hand stuff off to someone else. Maybe it’s an intern to take care of pesky tasks like social media scheduling or writing alt text. Or perhaps a strategist to put together an overarching plan to ensure your marketing is working cohesively. Maybe you’re not exactly sure what you need and opt to hire an agency like Broad World Consulting *wink, wink* to help you nail your business goals. Stay mindful of your workload and know when it’s time to ask for a helping hand.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is just marketing jargon for online categorization. Basically, all of the words you write online (on your social media accounts, website, blog, etc.) tell search engines like Google what your content is about — and who it’s important to. Search engines then take that information and index it. So when someone searches for keywords online, Google can show them relevant information. If you’ve used keywords and alt text strategically, this will help you get your business in front of the right audience.

What is brand voice?

Imagine your business was a person. How would they speak? That’s your brand voice. Just like your company has a personality through visuals like your logo and font, your brand voice tells the world who you are. It’s important to meet your audience with the correct vocabulary, tone, and level of professionalism.

Can my company benefit from digital marketing?

Yes. Every kind of business can benefit from digital marketing. Online platforms help you find your audience in online spaces and draw them in. Whether your audience is searching for a service on Google, scrolling Instagram, or even browsing what’s new to their neighborhood on Maps — having a presence in these online spaces gives your business a better chance to be discovered.

How often should I update my website?

This depends on your business and what you’re selling. If you’re a clothing brand, you’ll definitely want to update your website with every new drop and season. But if your offering stays consistent, you may not need to update as frequently. What’s most important is that your website is up to brand standards, doesn’t look outdated, and shows up as impressively as you do in person.

What pages do I need on my website?

It depends, but let’s go through a few of the basics:

Homepage – An absolute necessity. With a single glance, your homepage should tell your audience exactly who you are, and what value you provide.
Contact – Another crucial piece. Keep it simple and clear to make it easy for people to get in touch and hire you.
About – You may also want an about page to humanize your brand and flaunt your credentials and your why.
Services/Products – This can be helpful to outline your offering and price point within the market.

Do I need a blog?

Probably. A blog can significantly strengthen your website’s SEO and get your content in front of the right people. Putting out strong content positions you as a thought leader in your industry and helps your business build trust with your audience. It’s also an effective way to repurpose that content into social media posts that add real value for your audience.

Does my business need to be on social media?

Yes. Again, it’s really important to build your online presence. But you don’t need to be on ALL platforms — just the ones that are relevant to your audience. So if you’ve got a product that’s fun and flashy, it makes sense to jump on Instagram or TikTok. But if you’ve got a professional and information-based brand, LinkedIn might be more your jam.

Do I need to constantly be creating new content?

Yes and no. Try to strike a balance between evergreen content while also staying ahead of trends with faster-moving thought leadership pieces. That way you can add long-term value for your customers and get SEO on your side.

Is it okay to repurpose your content?

Absolutely! Less than 20% of your following on social media or email will see your content. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Be sure to update things like stats and pricing to stay accurate. This is also a fantastic way to expand your content across multiple channels, simply tweak for the user behaviour on that specific platform. Read our full guide on how to make the most of your content.

How do you create effective content?

This answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Not all platforms are built the same so your goals should be tailored to each one. Really focus on nailing down your goal for each platform so you can determine what success looks like. That way you can match your copywriting and calls to action to support your goal.

What is lead generation?

Lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers and converting them into customers. This process depends on your goals, platforms, and how long a lead needs to be nurtured before they convert. Generating a lead could be collecting someone’s email address, getting them to an event, or delivering a series of emails to push them through your sales funnel.

Remember, on average it takes 11 exposures of a brand for someone to make a purchase.

What is remarketing?

Remarketing is the process of reaching out to people who have already been familiarized with your brand. Whether they’ve made a purchase before or simply looked at some products on your website, remarketing keeps your business top of mind and gets you closer to a sale.

How can Broad World Biz help me achieve my marketing goals?

We offer every kind of marketing service, from digital marketing, to strategy, to PR events, and full website design and construction. We know marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all, which is why we personalize all of our packages. We’d love to help you streamline your marketing plan to make it effective for YOUR business.

Book a free consultation.

Did we miss anything in our marketing FAQs video or in this post that you want and need to know? Pop us a comment below or contact us.

Six creative ways to use carousels for your social media strategy

While Instagram is focused on becoming a video-first platform, carousel posts still see the highest engagement! Carousel posts are one of the best ways to get creative with your Instagram and Facebook content, and engage your audience.

Don’t believe us? The engagement numbers don’t lie:

Videos: 1.45%
Still images: 1.74%
Carousels: 1.92%

That last number actually jumps to over 2% when all 10 carousel slides are used! Not only are they super engaging, but they give businesses and personal brands a chance to get creative.

Here are six of our favourite ways to utilize carousel posts:

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video!*

Consolidate images

Rather than spamming your followers with 10 feed pictures of the same event or product, put it all together in one post. Think of it as a storytelling tool: a swipe-through post can make your audience feel like they’re actually there with you in whatever you’re doing. This is also way more reliable than posting individual pictures — and crossing your fingers that the algorithm pushes them to the right people.

Repurpose blog content

If you’ve got a content marketing strategy, chances are you’re putting a good amount of effort into your blog content. So milk it with carousel posts.

Let’s say your latest blog post has five main points. Break those points into five images or graphics and toss them in a carousel post. It’s quick to read, highly shareable, and enticing to save — all of which boost your place in the algorithm. The best part is, if your audience enjoyed it, they’re likely to go read the original blog post. All of these things build more trust and communication with your audience, which equals more loyalty over time.

Show off your products

If you run an e-commerce shop, carousels are an awesome way to show off your products. Imagine you’re a clothing store with a new line dropping — a carousel can get that message across in a cohesive way.

Be sure to connect your shop to Facebook and Instagram beforehand for best results.

Storytelling

We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. And well, every brand has a story to tell. Imagery is one of the best ways to say a lot without actually saying much.

Use this space to communicate your brand feel. Tell your audience about your values. Share mood boards. Show off the process of creating your new logo. The possibilities are truly endless.

Aesthetic Management

Do you have a photo you want to share but it doesn’t exactly fit in your feed? Carousels help you maintain your aesthetics. Start with a branded post that fits into the overall look of your feed, then follow with the image that doesn’t “fit”.

This is a great tip for industries that aren’t exactly sexy. Let’s say you’re a plumber who wants to show off a bathroom piping job. Start with a related image — like your truck or some staff — that draws your audience in, then move onto the practical stuff.

Before and afters

B&As are used in a ton of industries to show off talent: interior design, home renos, organization services, hair salons, you name it. They’re really effective at showing your audience what their life can look like if they use your service — so use carousels to humbly brag about your fantastic work.

We suggest starting with the after shot to maintain a cleaner feed and show off your talent right off the bat, then move into the before. Or, use Stef’s favourite technique from tip #5: start with a branded post, show us the before, and end strong with the after.

That’s the beauty of carousels — they’re versatile, so use them in a way that works for YOUR brand and YOUR industry.

How are you incorporating carousel posts into your social media strategy? We’d love to hear from you in the comments! For more marketing and branding tips visit the blog.

Tips for content value from Broad World Consulting

Four tips to get better value from your content

We’ve all felt like we’re behind on content, always trying to come up with fresh new ideas. Chances are you’re probably making more original content than you need to and simply not squeezing every last drop out of each piece. Not only will this save you a huge amount of time in the long run, but it also allows you to tailor the messaging for different touchpoints. This is creating content value.

Blog, email, social media, and newsletter all call for different levels of detail. Additionally, users on each platform have different habits and expectations for what they’ll see — and how they’ll engage with it. For example: Someone who bookmarks a detailed blog post to read on their coffee break isn’t the same as the person who’ll do the same with an Instagram post while using the app in line at the bank. You need to capture your audience wherever they are.

Today we’ll show you how to take a well-thought-out hero piece and break it into bite-sized content for all of your channels.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video.*

1. Start with a hero piece of content

Your hero piece is going to be the main piece of content you’ll pull from in the next couple of steps. Usually this is a blog, or maybe even a long-form whitepaper. No matter what you’re pulling from, make sure it’s well-researched and well-written. This will keep your content strong as it gets broken down into smaller pieces. Not sure how to format your hero piece for best results? Keep reading.

2. Wireframe your long-form pieces

This is how our team formats almost all of our long-form content. (Pssst, we used this trick on the blog post you’re reading right now.)

Start with your intro: “Here’s what I’m going to tell you.”
Follow with three or more sections that dive into relevant aspects of your topic. This is the part where you tell them.
Outro and call-to-action: “Here’s what I told you.”

3. Point form each section

When it comes to those sections in the middle of your hero piece, it helps to think of bullet points to expand on. Be sure to talk through the problem, provide solutions, and discuss the different options for each unique scenario.

4. Use the smaller points to create bite-sized content

This is our favourite part. You know those sections you created? Each of those is one piece of content! Yup, that’s a minimum of three pieces of snackable content from one blog post. We did that.

So, where can those content snacks be used?

Build each point into different Instagram posts to give your audience value over time.
Turn them into a Reel.
Add it as a block in your newsletter.
Or… all of the above!

The goal is to get the most out of your content. Remember, even your biggest fans only engage with 20% of your content across all channels — and you have new people who are just learning about you all of the time. Don’t be afraid to place the same messaging in different places or repurpose content you’ve previously used. (Just be sure to freshen it up when necessary!)

You have a ton of knowledge and you know your client’s pain points. Use that knowledge to build out one great piece of hero content — then squeeze out every last drop to get the most value!

For more tips on content and branding, visit our blog page.

Why we love Creator Studio for all things Instagram and Facebook

Instagram and Facebook are always giving you tools to up your content game and get the algorithm on your side. A BW favourite is Creator Studio: a scheduling tool that helps users schedule and manage their content. Today, we dive into why a scheduling tool is essential for running every kind of brand — business or personal. There are a ton of benefits, so let’s get right into it.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video below!*

1. Benefits of a scheduling tool

Content and time management

A scheduling tool will simplify your content management so you can focus on other things — like running your business. Getting your content planned, scheduled, and out of the way in one go will free up a ton of your time. Which in turn will make you feel more on top of things. When it comes to your content, it’s all about being proactive rather than reactive.

Brand management

Scheduling tools also allow you to zoom out and see your content from a bird’s eye view. Remember: content is a direct reflection of your brand. Viewing your content in a calendar helps you get a clear vision of the brand story you’re telling.

2. Benefits of Creator Studio

Algorithm boost

It might not seem fair, but Instagram and Facebook will favour content that was posted by their own tool. That means the algorithm is more likely to boost content posted through Creator Studio over other tools like Later or Hootsuite.

Geo-tagging and Alt Text

Another awesome bonus is that Creator Studio allows you to take care of those nitty gritty details like geo-tagging and alt text. These small but mighty features can go far in expanding your brand’s discoverability.

Schedule different kinds of IG content

Creator Studio gives you the option of scheduling not just still shots and videos to IG, but also IGTV and carousels. It’s a variety that other scheduling tools haven’t caught up to yet. And we can’t wait until we can schedule Reels [link to Reels post]!

Available on Desktop

The best part is, you can do all of this right from your desktop! No more hunching over your small phone screen and the risk of getting sucked into distractions. You can also engage with comments, etc.

How Creator Studio works

We’ve included a walkthrough in the below video, so be sure to watch for all the details. But here are a few tips:

Toggle between Facebook and Instagram

Once your Facebook and Instagram accounts are connected, you can easily toggle between them to check out ALL of your content. You can also take a peek at your engagement on published posts and stories.

Remember to schedule a Facebook time when scheduling IG

Creator studio gives you the option of scheduling a Facebook post at the same time as Instagram — and we love the convenience. But remember to separately schedule the time and date you want as otherwise, your Facebook post will go live immediately.

Go back and engage

Social media is for being SOCIAL. So don’t just set it and forget it — go back to those posts and communicate with your audience by liking comments, responding, and keeping the conversation going.

We always set our clients up for success with Creator Studio. It’s a no-brainer way to free up time, strengthen brand presence, and widen discoverability. Are you using a scheduling tool as part of your marketing strategy? Let us know about your experience!

For more social media and branding tips, head over to our blog.

How to use LinkedIn as a sales tool

LinkedIn is so much more than a job-finder or talent acquisition tool. Like other social platforms, LinkedIn gives people a place to connect, share ideas, and build relationships with likeminded people. Let me repeat that LinkedIn is a social platform — one with a professional lens.

For a salesperson, LinkedIn is an amazing tool to introduce yourself to others, position yourself as a thought-leader, and have clients find you!

Below are the steps to setting up a notable, discoverable profile. One that will turn your expertise into leads.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video.*

Optimize your profile

First thing’s first: your profile. Not only is this the first thing people see when they click your name, but it’s also driven by keywords and other important factors that will get you discovered.

Make sure to have:

A professional profile picture. Ideally headshot style, bright and recent, warm and personable, no cocktails in hand. (Unless you’re a booze rep!)
A personalized header image. This could be a company branded graphic or a photo of the amazing balcony view from your favourite hotel in Cabo.
An up-to-date headline. This is your two seconds to tell someone what you do before they scroll down to read more or decide to exit your profile altogether.

Connect with me on LinkedIn!

Crush that ‘about’ section

Chances are you haven’t updated this since you were looking for a job, in which case it would have been used like a cover letter. But now, it’s about growing your business, building trust, and breaking the digital barrier so people know what it’s like working with you.

This is your opportunity as a sales professional to create a strong sales funnel with a personal touch. Take your headline and expand that. Tell the reader who you are and what you do with a mix of personal and professional detail.

Get recommendations

The ‘recommendations’ feature on LinkedIn is a bit underrated, mostly because it’s often at the very bottom of most profiles. You might not even know it exists! (Pro tip: You can move this section up in your profile page.) You want potential customers to know how amazing you are to work with — so find it, and use it to reach out to three people in each of the following categories:

Current colleagues. Reach out to two or three colleagues, offering to write one in return. Remember to phrase it in a fashion that you want to update your profile to attract more clients to the company. You are not job-hunting.
Personal connections. This can be a bit tricky because you want the recommendations to be more than, “My daughter is amazing!” When reaching out to personal connections, consider those who you’ve worked with in some capacity, like a volunteer project. This is a chance for your biggest cheerleaders to talk about your character and the kind of person you are.
Past clients. Testimonials from past clients are valuable currency. Don’t be afraid to reach out. An example:

“Hi [past client], it was great to work with you on the [project] for your company. If you could take a moment to leave a recommendation of your experience of working with me at [company], I’d appreciate it. I’d be happy to return the favour!”

Curate your connections and who you follow

Follow leaders, influencers, competitors, topics, and key brands in your industry. Why? So you can engage! Engagement is so important. Remember, it’s called social media.

From the connections you make, your newsfeed will populate with posts from industry leaders. Like, make a thoughtful comment, and share to boost your connection so others can see the post.

Get a seat at the table

You have a lot to share, so don’t be shy — share! Dovetailing from your curated connections and engagement, now it’s time to show your expertise. This can lead to opportunities outside of sales, like speaking opportunities that can shine a light on you and your company.

Get involved in industry and other relevant conversation by sharing articles — remember to include a comment on why you think it’s interesting.
Take your marketing departments initiatives like blogs and share them with a lens from your role or territory
Answer the FAQs your customers have
Offer value and tips to grow your notoriety

Remember the rule of thumb:

3-5 shares per week, and two 15-minute sessions/day of engagement.

The point here is to show that you are a leader in the industry and that you’re a real human being. This will make people curious about who you are and get them to click on your profile page. If you’ve optimized your profile with the tips above, you’re sure to pique interest in the right audience and customers.

Think of Linkedin as your digital conference space. It’s free, the resources and leads are plentiful, and it’s an ideal networking space for sales professionals. The key is to be social.

*Head over to our blog for more tips on personal and business branding and marketing.*

Feel confident on camera tutorial with Broad World Consulting

How to feel confident on camera

Watching and hearing yourself on camera can be an awkward experience to say the least. The overanalyzing, picking at small details, cringing at the sound of your own voice… We totally get it. Speaking to a camera can be uncomfortable. But we also know audiences are looking to connect with brands that are real and human. Video is one of the best ways to break down that digital barrier, tell your story in your own words, and ultimately connect with your audience. But feeling confident on video takes practice.

Let’s talk about how to get out of that awkward headspace and step into your on-camera confidence.

1. Arrive prepared with a clear goal in mind

You’re making videos for a reason — so make sure the ‘why’ is clear to you and your audience. Before you hit record, have a clear understanding of the goal of your video. Is it to make an announcement? Communicate a new offer? Just check-in with your followers? It sounds basic, but a clear goal for every video will keep you on track.

2. Write an outline, not a script

While a script might seem like a good idea, it can often work against you. Scripts can feel robotic and shatter your confidence every time you miss a specific word. Save yourself the frustration!

Instead, write down your main ideas in point form. Once you’re in front of the camera, speak to each point, and move onto the next. You know your stuff, and this more natural way of speaking will ensure that’s clear to the audience.

3. Show up feeling put together and confident

What makes you feel your best? Steaming your button-up? Putting on lip gloss? Styling your hair? Whatever it is, do it! How you present while filming is completely in your control. Knowing you look and feel good will be one less thing to worry about when you hit the Record button.

4. Get your nervous energy out

Nervous energy is completely normal in front of the camera. It may sound silly, but you can physically shake those jitters out. Here’s our go-to: plant your feet hip-width apart and shake your whole body until you feel more settled. And don’t forget to breathe! There are a ton of different breathing techniques that instantly calm your body.

5. Physically ground yourself

Speaking of planting your feet, this is another way to ground your body during filming. Plant those feet with your weight equally distributed and sit in your full power. Not only will this avoid awkward shifting, but it’ll portray your confidence in a physical way that’s obvious on camera.

6. Keep eye contact

Think of the camera like a member of your audience. Look directly into the lens and make eye contact in the same way that you would in person. Because after all, there’s always a real person on the other end of the video.

7. Speak slowly, clearly, and with authority

We have a tendency to rush when we’re nervous, so speak slow and clear enough for the audio to pick up your words. This will avoid playing an unwanted game of Telephone with the audience.

8. Start talking with non-scripted dialogue

Another great way to get those jitters out! Speak straight to camera about something you never intend to post. You can talk about anything at all! Like what you had for breakfast that morning, or the plot of that new awesome Netflix show. Do this during the first few moments of filming get into a more natural groove.

9. Mistakes are A-OK

You’re going to make some mistakes along the way. It’s inevitable and more than okay. So don’t beat yourself up for stumbling over your words or saying the wrong thing. Those subtle blips are what humanize you and make you relatable. And the great thing about video is that YOU have control over the final product. If you really messed something up, just cut it out. No sweat.

10. Speak to ONE person

This is a big one for engagement. Use the word YOU in the first 5 seconds: you, your, or yourself. These variations of the word hold a ton of power and can increase your engagement by 68%. Yup, you read that right. Remember, there’s often only one person on the other end of your video — so speak to them as they are, in that live moment.

11. Cut to the chase

We don’t mean you should skip the basics. You should always give a quick intro and let your audience know what they’ll get out of your video. But once you’ve covered those bases, jump right into the bulk of it. No one wants to sit through a long video for just a few minutes of actual value-adding content.

12. Don’t be condescending

The people who watch your videos are probably there trying to learn something from you. Avoid hitting them with these types of sentences:

Do you get it?
Does that make sense?

While it’s definitely not your intention to come across in a condescending way, phrases like that imply your audience isn’t keeping up — even if they are. We want to make them feel like it’s okay that they’re not well-versed on what you’re teaching… because it is. That’s why you’re there to educate on your expertise.

Try these phrases instead:

Do you have any questions?
Do you have any feedback for me?
Did I leave out anything that you’re curious about?

We’re a firm believer in video over here at Broad World. Why? It’s grown our business, engagement, and the connection between us and our audience. We know it’s not easy at first, but getting comfortable on video is like working a muscle — you have to use it to see improvement. And remember, your audience is there for a reason. They want to connect, and they’re on your side.

You can and will feel confident on video. Get started TODAY — right where you are.

For more branding and marketing tips and tricks, visit the BW Biz Blog.

Growth Hacking: Why you SHOULDN’T do it

My clients constantly forward me sales pitch emails from growth hacking companies with the promise of an overnight audience boom. Sound too good to be true? That’s because it is! The truth is, there is no such thing as overnight growth.

Growth hacking can be super detrimental to your brand as companies use bots for engagement — and Instagram knows… Let’s dive into why that is, and what you can do instead to attract the right audience.

*Scroll down to watch the video.*

Instagram wants users to spend as much time as possible in their app

It’s no surprise that Instagram wants users to get on their app and stay there. That’s why the algorithm watches closely for engagement activity like commenting, liking, saving, and sharing.

Think about user behaviour

We want to find our audience wherever they are. How are they using the app? When are they most likely to engage? Now put yourself in their shoes. What would you want to see in those moments? This is the kind of content we want to create for our following.

So, we know Instagram’s goal is to keep us on the app. And we know what keeps our own audience in the app. How can we make this work for brand growth and engagement? Hint: growth hacking isn’t the answer.

When we approach with growth hacking run by bots and algorithms, we completely lose the humanistic touch. What the bots deliver is purchased followers, unengaging comments, and likes from people who don’t fit our target audience. This signals to Instagram that you’re not using social media in a social way, and the app responds by dropping our ratings — doxing future engagement and making it really hard to build a loyal following.

Let’s combat this.

Engage, engage, engage

The real way to ‘growth hack’ is to engage. Interact with your audience in an authentic way! Use all of Instagram’s features and get social. Check out my Instagram 101 video for more tips on boosting your followers and engagement.

Tune into how the app responds to your actions

Think about how you use Instagram. The people always popping up at the top of your page are the people who you naturally engage with comments, back and forth tagging, and DM-ing memes. Take that knowledge and apply it to your audience interactions. When you speak like a real human, Instagram takes note and rewards you for it.

What’s driving you nuts about Instagram these days? I’m curious to know. Drop a comment below and let’s chat about it.