digital marketing Archives - Broad World Business

Articles Tagged with: digital marketing

Why your business needs to start a blog, hosted by Broad World Consulting in Vancouver, BC

Blog content for your business: why it’s a digital marketing must have

Blogs aren’t only for travel influencers, sports fans, and parents — they’re a big part of an effective content marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes. Your digital marketing plan should include blogs to capture and nurture leads. Here are some tangible ways blogs will benefit your business.

It’s good for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engines want to know the sites they’re displaying to searchers are relevant and active. They reward frequently updated websites by pushing them to the top of the search page. A new blog post counts as an update — boosting your SEO and giving you a better chance to be discovered by new audiences.

Blogs offer more real estate for calls to action (CTAs)

When we’re dealing with snackable content like social media posts, we really only get one chance to ask for something with a CTA. Long-form content like blog posts offer significantly more space to add relevant CTAs throughout the entire piece. This makes it easy to speak to different ideas within the blog post with a well-timed CTA for the reader. This makes it easy for your audience to discover the right product or service for them, no matter where they are in your sales funnel.

Some examples:

Talking about your killer pricing? Add a button or hyperlink that says ‘Get a quote’.
Mentioning a checklist you’ve put together to simplify something in their life? You can ask for their email in return for the free download.
Explaining a particular service? Link what’s included in your packages.

Your audience will be thankful they don’t need to scour the internet hunting for the right resources. Want help writing a click-worthy CTA? Read this article from HubSpot.

Value-added content

Blogs give you the opportunity to provide your audience with something they want — bringing them to you. This is why it’s so important to write about what your audience is already looking for. Searchable topics draw people in, and a well-written blog keeps them engaged. The more they get to know you, the more trust builds, and the more likely they are to want to work with you.

A lot of brands out there are constantly asking for something in return — add to cart, book a call, enter your email — which is great for last steps in acquisition. However, it’s refreshing when a brand supports you in your at-home research, makes your life easier, and shares their expertise.

Use long-form to create other content

You probably have more ready-to-go content than you realize! Creating good content takes time, energy, and creativity — which is why you want to milk your content for all it’s worth. If you’ve written a clear blog post, chances are it easily breaks into a few main ideas. Build out smaller pieces of content with those ideas and use them across social media, email marketing, ads, and other touch points.

Remember: most content is only seen by 20-30% of your followers, and of those, many of them won’t engage deeply. Don’t be afraid to break down existing content and reframe it in a fresh way.

When written and set-up correctly, blogs allow search engines to get your content in front of the right people — people who are searching for businesses just like yours.

Questions or need a hand getting your blogs up and running? Leave a comment or shoot us an email: info@broadworld.co

Digital Marketing Strategy: find your content cocktail recipe

Here at BWC, we love a good cocktail. It’s a well-balanced mix of delicious ingredients that do just the trick. We like to think about marketing content strategy in the same way. But the content cocktail recipe one business uses won’t necessarily be right for another’s digital marketing needs. It’s all about finding the right mix — because, no, you don’t need to be on each and every platform that exists.

But if the recent Facebook outage taught anyone anything, it’s that your digital marketing content recipe might need a little tweak. You don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket. Here are some content strategy recipes that we’ve deployed for our clients. (And the why.)

BW client content strategy recipe examples:

Broad world content strategy for JennaMaye Fitness in Vancouver — JennaMaye Fitness focused on building community and converting fitness subscribers.

Broad World content strategy for True Curated Designs — Tori from True Curated Designs wanted to demystify fine jewelry and share her knowledge.

Broad World content strategy for Jasmine and Bethany — These real estate dynamos focused on building community and trust to market the homes in their portfolio.

Broad World content strategy for Merbae — Merbae came to us with the goal of booking more events and setting up an e-commerce site.

To sum up, there’s no one recipe for the ideal content mix to achieve your business goals. (And always, always know your why!) We’d love to help you create your perfect content strategy. Let’s go for a cocktail or coffee — on us! 🍸 DM us or visit biz.broadworld.co

Beyond Facebook: Six ways to diversify your digital marketing strategy

Do you have more than one way to communicate with your customers and team? If the Facebook outage in October taught us anything, it’s that we are very heavily reliant on the FB… oops, we mean Meta… family of social media apps — Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It also likely (re)inspired business owners to diversify their digital marketing efforts. Because… what if it happens again? Or worse, the apps become obsolete? *shudder*

The network was down for a whopping six hours. While this may not seem like a big deal for a casual user, the prolonged gap in services affected businesses big and small around the world.

As a business owner, and after some initial panic, you possibly got productive in other ways. (Your inbox hasn’t been this organized in years, right?) Or you took the outage as a sign to back away from your computer, put your phone down, and get outside. Or you read an actual book. And when the apps were back up, you rejoiced. But again, we ask you: What if it happens again? (It did, a few days later, but for less time.)

So let’s look beyond the blue F at other platforms that can diversify and bolster your content strategy. Be sure you can communicate with your target audience at any point!

1. Email marketing

Your email list is G-O-L-D. It’s yours and yours only. It’s really the best way to communicate to your customer base and get mega ROI for your efforts. Why? To give you one example, for every $1 you invest in email marketing, you can expect to make $42. We’ve shared three top email marketing tips for clicks and conversions here.

2. LinkedIn

In our humble opinion, LinkedIn is underused and underrated. It’s truly a brilliant place for small businesses to share info and connect with potential customers, partners, and collaborators. Don’t be afraid to use it as a sales tool and shine bright with your industry knowledge.

3. Twitter

Facebook has a Twitter account. That’s how they communicated during the outage, keeping people on track with what the heck was going on. Twitter is the place to share quick, concise info. And any time Facebook goes down, we picture Twitter as Mr. Burns tapping his fingers with menacing delight.

4. TikTok

The power of video content is mighty enough for TikTok to have gathered 1 billion users and grown faster than any of its big brother and sister apps. More and more brands are utilizing this platform in creative ways and it’s ultimately about how you can make it work for you. (Don’t feel like you have to keep up with the TT influencers — you do you!). Take a trend and make it your own, or create a new one altogether. The platform rewards creativity. It’s also important to note that while TikTok videos and Reels are similar, they are very different.

5. Internal Comms Tools

For any business owner who uses Messenger or WhatsApp for office group chats and to communicate internally and/or with customers, the FB outage wasn’t great news. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Chat are all great alternatives — with most included in your business software, or free. (As are good old text messages.) As for keeping the channels of communication open with customers, click here to scroll back up to email marketing. but more so an internal comms backup tool.

We stand by our stance that you don’t need to have all social media apps — it doesn’t make sense for every business. But the need to have more than one network to communicate with your customers is clearly there. Diversify your digital marketing so you don’t get caught short (again).

6. YouTube

As mentioned with TikTok, video is a powerful engagement tool. YouTube is a great channel to sprinkle into your marketing efforts but can seem a bit daunting. See our checklist to effectively set up your YouTube channel.

Did the Facebook outage make you amp up another channel or app? We’d love to know your experience — share in the comments below. And if you need support in diversifying your digital marketing, we can help! Pop us a note here.

Marketing Goals 101: Know your ‘why’ for better results

The first question we always ask our clients is: what’s the goal? It might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often businesses pump out content, throw massive events, or take on other marketing initiatives just for the heck of it.

“Everyone else is doing it” isn’t a good enough reason to pour money into a new initiative, and not all initiatives NEED to equal a sale. But they do need to have ROI attached, whether that be brand awareness, loyalty, monetary, or just attracting more eyeballs to your business.

Knowing your ‘why’ will also help you narrow in on the copywriting and call-to-action that will get you there. Let’s talk through different goals for your marketing and how to achieve them.

*TLDR? Watch the video!*

Marketing Goals 101

Traffic: Basically, sending people to a website, landing page, or events page. Getting your audience to land in these places means they’re actually reading what you have to say. Increased traffic also increases your SEO.

Brand awareness: This is how we introduce your brand to the world. It’s difficult to track ROI when it comes to brand awareness but that’s totally okay. The story behind what you do is just as important.

Lead capture: This is the first step in the sales process — the moment where your audience says, “Okay, tell me more.” Remember, you wouldn’t marry someone on a first date — so why expect your audience to buy as soon as they meet you?

Lead nurturing: This is what happens after you capture a lead — the relationship-building with your business and its audience. Keep in mind, it takes an average 11 impressions of a brand for someone to make a purchase. At this point we want to share bits and pieces of our brand with a potential customer, and tweak as needed. Did they click through on that ad you sent them? Great, keep doing what you’re doing. Are you getting no traction at all? Maybe it’s time to pivot.

Education: This is SO important in trust-building. People are more likely to engage with a business that they’re confident knows what it’s talking about. It makes the purchase feel secure and solid. So as a business, it’s your job to equip your audience with the knowledge they need to make that jump.

Engagement: There is so much power behind shares, saves, comments, and direct messages. Not only will you build a loyal audience that will boost your message to other people in their network, but social media platforms will start to favour you in the algorithm. The goal here is ultimately relationship-building.

Re-engagement: This is when we re-open communication with people who have already purchased from you (or have thought about it). Whether it’s asking them for feedback on their experience, a product review, or shooting them an email when they abandon their cart — it’s all about keeping your brand top of mind. This gives you the opportunity to fix any blips your customer experienced along the way and build long-term loyalty.

Purchase or Hire (Conversion): Of course, a customer making a purchase or hiring your business is the ultimate goal, but everything you’ve done until this point matters! When it comes time to ask your customer to buy, we want to make sure the call to action is appropriate to their customer journey.

Marketing goals are never one-size-fits-all. While some businesses entice their audience to make a $3 coffee purchase every day, others try to sell something major like a car or a dream home. This is why your goal is so important. Your marketing strategy will COMPLETELY shift depending on your goal and the customer journey that’s needed to get there.

So start with your goal and work backward. Need help finding your ‘why’? Reach out to us here.

For more marketing and branding tips and tutorials, visit our blog page.

How to use Instagram stories to boost your engagement

Did you know that 79% of the time, people tap through Instagram stories before scrolling through their home feed? If you’ve been following my content, you’ll know why I share so much of my life through Instagram Stories. Because they work, period. They’re an effective way to capture an audience, boost engagement, and convert. So how can you make them work for you and your brand?

Instagram Stories are outlets to show off your brand personality — the side of you that people really connect to. So don’t aim for perfection. Be authentic instead. Use those moments to repeat content, re-engage, and remind your audience without over-saturating your feed with the same posts.

Here are my top eight tips for using Instagram Stories to boost your engagement.

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

Set your goals

Setting goals for your IG Stories will give you a game plan and help you commit to posting consistently. What are your priorities are for each post? Sometimes it’s to drive direct conversion, and others, it might be to tell a brand story or show off your personality.

No matter what kind of content you’re putting out, make sure it’s backed with a crystal clear strategy.

Start now — they don’t have to be perfect

It’s time to show up for those goals and do them! They don’t have to be movie-production quality. They just need to be engaging and speak to your unique audience. It might feel like a slow or awkward start, but the more often you post, the more natural it’ll get.

Make it easy on yourself by setting up a content calendar that outlines which Stories are going live on which days. Then, fill in the blanks with on-the-go Stories that make sense for your brand. Keep an eye out for shareable moments that’ll pop up naturally as you go about your day.

Be conscious of your brand aesthetic and voice

Show up online the same way you would in a meeting, on your website copy, in emails, and in all of your assets. Remember, every piece of your branding is connected. So while it might seem like a small detail, how you speak in your Stories ties into how you present yourself. Communicate with your audience in a way that’s relatable and understandable for them.

The good news is, Instagram has upped their game on customization — so you can make your Stories your own, and make your brand stand out. Play with fonts and colours to find the best fit for your brand. Then, stick with that typography and colour story.

Use the in-app features

Instagram is constantly rolling out new features to help you engage your audience. Try to use as many as possible! Not only will Instagram love you for it and boost your engagement, but it keeps things fresh.

Features like Questions and Polls can be used in a practical way to get feedback from your following. Wondering how your audience feels about your new product? Use Questions and ask them directly!

Add media

Things like GIFs, Stickers, and Music are all there to make your Stories unique and engaging. Play with media and drop in elements that make sense for your brand personality.

Engage with DMs and sticker replies

As you use Stories more often, you’ll start getting replies and direct messages from your audience. This is exactly what we want! More engagement, more conversations, and more chances to have a two-way conversation. As I always say, Instagram is a SOCIAL media platform. So get social and keep that conversation going. Always engage back with people who write to you — and as you do, don’t forget to speak in your brand voice (read tip #3 for a refresher).

Maintain a variety of content

Keep a rotation of different kinds of content to keep things interesting. The last thing we want is for our audience to eye roll after posting the same thing for the millionth time.

Test different forms of content like straight to camera, product shots, or showing off the talented members of your team.

Post your feed posts to Stories in a conversational way

After posting on your feed, go ahead and share it on your Stories. Not only will it spark conversations with your audience, but it also boosts your algorithm. Check out my Instagram 101 blog post for a deeper overview of this.

Are Instagram Stories part of your content calendar? Let me know which of these strategies work best for you!

The Instagram story hack that will change your social media life

The Instagram stories swipe-up feature allows brands with more than 10K followers to direct link viewers. This provides insightful tracking and conversion. But you might wonder how you maximize the views on your stories while still growing your audience. It’s a valid question, and the answer is simple. Watch my video for the Instagram hack I even have clients with OVER 10K followers use.

This method gives you all of the benefits of the swipe-up feature (driving sales, increasing conversions, website and landing page visits, and more). Plus you establish a personal connection with your audience, and you can increase the metrics you track about who engages with your story.

Was this Instagram hack helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! For more digital marketing and social media tips, visit the 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.