Weekend Favs April 17
Weekend Favs April 17 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing
My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.
I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one that I took out there on the road.
These are my weekend favs, I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape
Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/weekend-favs-april-17/
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Posted on April 18th, 2021
Content Marketing Made Easy With Airtable
Content Marketing Made Easy With Airtable written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing
Marketing Podcast with Margaret Jones
In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Margaret Jones. Margaret is a former journalist and currently head of content at Airtable, an organization that builds itself as a low code work management platform.
Key Takeaway:
Airtable has spread like wildfire through organizations both big and small. The app takes the best aspects of spreadsheets and databases and puts them together. Airtable does something different for everyone. For some people, it’s a CRM. For some people, it’s a content production calendar. For some people, it’s the way that they manage their entire business.
In this episode, Airtable’s first-ever content lead, Margaret Jones, joins me as we discuss what impact Airtable has had on her role as a content producer and how she’s best utilized the tool to solve problems and fill gaps in her leadership role.
Questions I Ask Margaret Jones:
More About Margaret Jones:
More About The Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network
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This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Quality Edge.
Vesta steel siding is one of the fastest-growing siding products on the market. It’s made up of one of the strongest and most recyclable materials on the planet — it can withstand anything mother nature can throw at it. Vesta has won designer awards because of its patent design, rich solid colors, plank-like profile, and natural-looking wood-grain look that doesn’t require any homeowner maintenance. Be the first on your block to style your home with a bold, innovative solution that looks amazing for the life of your home. Check it out at www.qualityedge.com/vesta.
Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/content-marketing-made-easy-with-airtable/
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Posted on April 17th, 2021
Dominating First Page Rankings On Google
Dominating First Page Rankings On Google written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing
Marketing Podcast with Chris Dreyer
In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Chris Dreyer. Chris is the CEO of Rankings.io which is an SEO agency that helps elite personal injury law firms dominate first page rankings.
Key Takeaway:
Search engine optimization is a tough industry especially for a lot of small business owners. And how do you keep up with Google’s constantly changing algorithm? There’s no magic, but there are steps you can take to soar to the top of a search engine results page. In this episode, Chris Dreyer and I dive deep into his experience running an SEO agency and how he’s managed to help small businesses within his industry dominate first page rankings on Google.
Questions I Ask Chris Dreyer:
More About Chris Dreyer:
More About The Certified Marketing Manager Program Powered by Duct Tape Marketing
Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!
This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by .Online.
.Online is one of the world’s most popular new domain extensions with over a million domain names already registered on it. With more and more businesses going online, finding great domain names can be a challenge. .Online allows you to get a brandable and meaningful domain name, and it’s as simple as www.[your brand name].online.
Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/dominating-first-page-rankings-on-google/
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Posted on April 16th, 2021
Why Customers Are Your Greatest Advocates And What To Do About It
Why Customers Are Your Greatest Advocates And What To Do About It written by Sara Nay read more at Duct Tape Marketing
Agency Spark Podcast with With Kirsty Sharman
The Agency Spark Podcast, hosted by Sara Nay, is a collection of interviews from thought leaders in the marketing consultancy and agency space. Each episode is designed to spark ideas you can put into practice for your agency today.
In this episode of the Agency Spark Podcast, Sara interviews Kirsty Sharman. Serial entrepreneur Kirsty Sharman is Founder of Referral Factory, her third company. She boasts a stellar career with over a decade of experience within technology and marketing, having consistently identified the latest consumer trends and built companies to address these needs. Kirsty’s expertise as a trend spotter in the marketing and technology spaces has seen her featured by Adweek, the BBC, The Drum, and The Next Web.
Questions Sara asks Kirsty Sharman:
Learn more about Kirsty Sharman:
Receive 20% off for three months at her company, Referral Factory:
This episode of the Agency Spark Podcast is brought to you by Unstack, a no-code marketing platform and ecosystem. Start building a site today for free by visiting their website.
Stop waiting on developers and leveraging multiple tools to manage your marketing stack. With Unstack, you get a no-code website builder, landing page builder, A/B testing, forms, analytics, contact insights, payments, memberships, blog, and more all in one platform. Start building a site today for free by visiting this link and receive 20% off for six months when you sign up.
Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/why-customers-are-your-greatest-advocates/
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Posted on April 15th, 2021
The Futures of Social Media and Gaming Are Intertwined
n 2020, Epic Games and Travis Scott held a surreal virtual concert in “Fortnite.” It wasn’t the first time the video game developer had turned “Fortnite” into a virtual venue, but this show shattered its previous records by attracting more than 12.3 million people. One journalist called it “the beginning of a totally new type of media experience.”
Epic Games’ virtual concerts might have changed the future of digital events, but the game developer is aiming for more. That’s why it previously debuted Party Royale, a small in-game island where players can socialize and hang out at an outdoor theater, dance club, soccer field, and pirate ship, among others. It’s a stark departure from the rest of “Fortnite,” but Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says it represents the future.
Social Media, Gaming, and the Metaverse
Many of today’s most prominent names in tech believe that the metaverse — an immersive, three-dimensional digital community — is the next evolution of the internet. If you’ve seen the film “Ready Player One,” then you know what they’re talking about. Instead of interacting with the digital world through two-dimensional apps and experiences, you’re able to throw on virtual reality gear and explore just as you would in the real world.
One side effect of the metaverse is that it will deeply intertwine social media and gaming. The future of social media will help you live out digital experiences. You won’t need to scroll through people’s feeds alone because you can be exactly where they are at a moment’s notice. Engagement will shift from likes and comments to shared experiences and human connections.
You’re likely already seeing this shift play out in real time. The pandemic forced people to quarantine and practice physical distancing, which normalized digital experiences like Zoom meetings, Teleparty viewings, virtual concerts, and video games in general. These new social outlets have quickly transformed how people live their lives. Even when it’s safe to socialize in person, you’ll probably see a lot of individuals still enjoying digital experiences with friends and family throughout the world.
Preparing for the Evolution of Social Media
The combined future of social media and gaming presents a valuable opportunity to step up your company’s social media accounts. To capitalize on digital interactions and prepare for the metaverse, follow these three strategies:
1. Encourage people to embrace their digital identities.
The virtual world is a place of imagination, and there are plenty of people who would love to get in on the fun and discover your business via digital adventures. Encourage individuals to embrace their digital identities when interacting with your company on a personal level. For example, you can host competitions on TikTok to see who can create the most unique video with your product — or you could create branded items that avatars can wear (like Ralph Lauren did with Snapchat’s Bitmoji).
2. Create an informal digital community.
Lots of companies completely miss the mark with social media, using their accounts strictly for corporate communication. The problem is that your audience wants to engage on a personal level — not listen to a talking head. No matter what platforms you rely on, use your social media channels to foster friendship and community. For inspiration, check out Netflix’s and Starbucks’ authentic digital communities.
3. Keep the content flowing.
If your company is going to take advantage of opportunities in the digital world, you have to meet fans and followers where they are. Games like “Fortnite” have become an inextricable part of pop culture, so streaming clips of your employees playing similar video games can boost your engagement levels. Participate in virtual events and tap into current conversations and media trends.
The future of social media won’t be a Facebook wall or Instagram feed. Instead, it will be a metaverse that promotes digital communities through rewarding and engaging interactions. This will also be the future of gaming, with virtual reality universes becoming popular and accessible to the average consumer. As these spaces come together, you should prepare for your company’s media presence to evolve.
Austin Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Mission Control, a platform for gathering and growing community using recreational esports. Austin is an economist and entrepreneur who focuses on urban policy, social entrepreneurship, and esports/sports technology.
The post The Futures of Social Media and Gaming Are Intertwined appeared first on Social Media Explorer.
Original source: https://socialmediaexplorer.com/social-media-events/the-futures-of-social-media-and-gaming-are-intertwined/
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Posted on April 15th, 2021
6 Simple Ways to Get Your Customers Talking
6 Simple Ways to Get Your Customers Talking written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing
Word of mouth marketing is considered by many to be the most desired form of marketing. The trust, referrals, and overall brand-building buzz that’s garnered by customers spreading the good word to prospects are worth its weight in gold. Some products, services, and experiences naturally produce chatter, but there are certain things that any company can do to stimulate word of mouth and cash in on the buzz.
Here are six ways to get your customers talking about you and your organization:
1) Ask them – The best word of mouth starts with “word of listen.” Call your customers up and ask them why they buy, why they stick around, and why they tell their friends about you. You might be a bit surprised by their answers. Hint: it’s usually not the stuff you have in your new marketing brochure. You stand a far greater chance of attracting the right customers and the right buzz if you really understand what your current customers value about doing business with you. This goes for online and social media listening as well – what are they saying in Slack channels, blog comments, on LinkedIn, or Twitter?
2) Teach them – Sometimes great word of mouth just happens, but sometimes you’ve got to help it along. One way to do this is to make sure you are teaching your customers how to spot an ideal client, what a prospect in need might say when looking for your products, and how to properly and concisely describe how your company is different. Of course, in today’s hyper-social media world you should also be teaching your happiest customers how to write reviews on Yelp, Google My Business, Facebook Ratings and Reviews, Insider Pages, and CitySearch-type rating sites.
3) Star them – Letting a customer testimonial or success story go uncaptured or untold is downright criminal in WOM circles. Today you can easily record customer testimonials on an iPhone or Android or you can start doing video interviews over Zoom to record their success stories. These “real life” bits of content are gold and turn your featured customers into talking referral billboards for your brand. Want to take this idea up a notch? Hold a customer party and film a dozen or so at one time in a great atmosphere – this alone will get your customers talking.
4) Include them – People like to be asked what they think, it’s just human nature, but it’s also a great way to get some sound advice. Create a round table discussion group made up of select customers and charge them with advising you once a quarter or so on new marketing and business initiatives. (Reward them for this in some way as well.) This can include advising on everything from a product extension to the look and feel of your website redesign. Members of your marketing round table will become natural ambassadors for the brand. (You can do this with simple video chat meetings – Zoom or GoogleMeet)
5) Video them – People are more likely to respond t0 a personalized video over a generic one any day. People’s email inboxes and newsfeeds are flooded with businesses trying to sell to them so much so that it’s hard to stand out in all of the noise today. One-to-one video is a highly effective way to stand out in the crowd. You can use a tool like Loom to send a prospect a quick personalized message about something you saw on their website, invite a lead to sign up for an event you’re having that you think would be valuable to them, or follow up with a potential client with a personalized video instead of an email.
6) Surprise them – I like to think I saved the best for last – few things get people talking faster than surprising them. This can include doing something that was out of the blue and much appreciated to just giving them more than they bargained for. I remember a PR firm that was pitching me some business and the account rep showed up to meet with an apple pie (I’m still talking about it.) I once worked with a financial planner that hired a mobile auto detail firm to detail his customer’s cars during their annual review – that created some buzz.
The bottom line of course is that you’ve got to do good work, do something that somebody appreciates, and create an experience worth talking about, but then, prime the pump and leverage all that greatness.
Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/5-ways-to-get-your-customers-talking/
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Posted on April 14th, 2021
How to Not Let Work Consume You
People need to work to get by in life and they are going to need to make enough money to pay the bills. Working is part of life. Shalom Lamm understands that a person needs to work to get by in life. He also knows that some people work too much and they live to work. This is not enjoyable either. A person needs to have a balance between their life and their work.
Lamm knows that a person needs to get enjoyment in life. He has some tips to help a person live their life and not be consumed by work.
Meeting Free Day
A person should make one day out of their week meeting free. They should not schedule any meetings and any type of gathering. This will help a person focus on their work and the task at hand. This way they do not have to worry about meeting with people and the lack of productivity. One day a week should allow a person to focus on their job so they can actually get things done.
Work from Home
With COVID 19 more people are allowed to be working from home. If a person has the option to work from home they should be given the chance. Even a day or two a week at home will benefit a person. They will be able to get their work done and save time with the commute. This allows them to have more time to spend with their family.
Out of Office
Once the workday has ended a person should make sure they have some time for themselves or their family. They should stop checking the work email account, but the work phone is silent, and if nothing else enjoy a peaceful dinner with their family. This will allow a person the chance to enjoy part of their day away from the office.
Exercise
Exercise is important for both physical and mental well-being. Exercise or even going for a walk will allow a person the chance to talk down and remove stress from their life. It will also help them remove any stress from their life and get into shape.
Family Time
Shalom Lamm believes a person should try to get in some family time each day. They should tell their family they loved and should aim to do an activity with them. This can be something as simple as talking about their day. A person needs to make time for those that matter the most to them. They are working to take care of these people and they need to know how much they are loved. Family needs to be valued and if a person does not do this they are missing out.
These are some ways that a person can balance out their work and their life. They will be able to meet the expectations of their work and get their tasks done while meeting the needs of their family.
The post How to Not Let Work Consume You appeared first on Social Media Explorer.
Original source: https://socialmediaexplorer.com/content-sections/news-and-noise/how-to-not-let-work-consume-you/
The post How to Not Let Work Consume You appeared first on connect social networks.
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Posted on April 14th, 2021
Weekend Favs April 10
Weekend Favs April 10 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing
My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.
I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one that I took out there on the road.
These are my weekend favs, I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape
Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/weekend-favs-april-10/
The post Weekend Favs April 10 appeared first on connect social networks.
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Posted on April 12th, 2021
Must-Have Facebook Marketing Strategies for your E-Commerce Business
How can your brand thrive on Facebook? The social media site is your best shot at marketing your company. According to a recent study, Facebook produces the best ROI.
So you’ve done the research and you know exactly how to use Facebook for eCommerce marketing.
But how do you know what Facebook strategies are right for you? What content should you share? How often should you post? And how do you get people to click “Like” and then buy from your site?
If you’ve been trying to find the ultimate guide to eCommerce marketing, here are five must-use marketing tactics for using Facebook for eCommerce.
Your Facebook page is your face on the social site. It’s the place where potential customers will visit to learn more about your company. It shouldn’t be surprising that having multiple Facebook pages can help boost sales. If you create different ones for groups of customers, you’ll be able to tailor the content to appeal to those groups specifically.
Having a catchy, attractive logo and slogan for your business goes a long way in boosting your branding efforts. Similarly, creativity is one of the most important requirements when it comes to Facebook marketing. Creativity helps you to come up with awesome ideas for your Facebook marketing campaigns. However, the creative content you develop must be relevant to your main product in order to get a lot of engagement. Also, try to create content that is inspirational yet funny to increase the chances of getting your page to go viral.
If you want to get ahead of the competition in your e-commerce business, make sure you always use stunning images in your Facebook ads. There are certain essential guidelines you should follow when selecting images for your ads.
For starters, the images should be eye-catching, bright, and full of color. Try to avoid images that have the same colors as Facebook [white and blue] since they easily blend in and make it difficult for users to notice them. Make a point of including images of happy people, and if possible the images should show them using your products. Generally, images of women tend to perform better than images of men. Lastly, ensure that the images you choose are the right size with respect to the type of ad you’ve selected.
Even if you don’t intend to run Facebook ads right away, it’s important to set up a Facebook Pixel. Facebook Pixel is a code snippet that you install on your e-commerce site to remarket to people who have already visited your website. It helps build targeted custom audiences for future ads. Also, it collects data and triggers cookies when you install it on your site and keeps track of visitors as they interact with your site on your ads. Facebook Pixel enables you to have remarketing and custom audience information available for use if and when you decide to launch an ad campaign.
Besides its commercial appeal, Facebook is essentially a social media platform. That means most people use it to connect and interact rather than to shop. Consequently, it offers you the perfect opportunity to connect and build relationships with prospects and future customers. And you can achieve this using ads to communicate your brand’s story. A recent study by Facebook found that creating a sequence of ads that convey your key brand messages rather than selling improves overall conversion rates by up to 87%.
There you have it. The bottom line in creating a sound Facebook marketing campaign is to go back to the basics – to your target audience and the ideal shopper.
The post Must-Have Facebook Marketing Strategies for your E-Commerce Business appeared first on Social Media Explorer.
Original source: https://socialmediaexplorer.com/content-sections/tools-and-tips/must-have-facebook-marketing-strategies-for-your-e-commerce-business/
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Posted on April 12th, 2021
Nathaniel Mell, Felt and Fat CEO, Gives Entrepreneurial Insight on Why Instagram Advertising and Arts Marketing are a Perfect Brand Building Combination
For many arts
organizations, visual brand building is critical to gain a following and
customer loyalty to help grow the business. Due to its audience accessibility
and budget-friendly platform, Instagram advertising can be an ideal marketing
option within the arts. It is common to see arts organizations on Instagram as
the online social media site embraces and promotes the visual aspects of
performances. Arts organizations can extend their Instagram account’s reach
through Instagram advertising to attract new followers and patrons to exhibits
and fresh art.
Felt and Fat CEO Nathaniel Mell is
a big advocate of Instagram advertising and arts marketing. It has drastically
helped him build his brand and attract loyal customers to his ceramic design
and manufacturing studio. His arts company caters to both professionals and
at-home chefs, which is why Instagram has been so beneficial for him to reach
both types of audiences. Presently, Felt and Fat has worked with over
100 restaurants worldwide and produces more than 30,000 pieces every year. As a
successful artist and entrepreneur, Mell shares why Instagram advertising and
arts marketing are the perfect combination for any arts organization.
Create Ads with Ease
One of the significant
benefits of Instagram advertising is that you can, as the saying goes, kill two
birds with one stone. Instagram ads can be directly connected to a Facebook
account. That way, when you create an ad on Instagram, you can also post on Facebook
without the hassle of going back and forth between the two platforms or doing
the action twice.
Continuously Build Opportunity
There are thousands of
stories of businesses connecting with one another, paid partnerships sparking,
and so many positive consequential circumstances blooming through an Instagram
message. Any organization that displays its work on Instagram will ever-increase opportunity for
its business as the social media platform grows, too. There are over 140 million users on Instagram in
the United States alone, and that number continues to increase.
See Feedback on Ad Engagement
The beautiful thing
about Instagram Ads is that it gives you the option through its Ads Manager to
target the audience that the ad is intended for, so it is guaranteed to get in
front of that specific user. Engagement is already higher on social media
platforms over other advertisement options, so the change of a company’s ad
being displayed for the right person or a future loyal customer is
excellent.
More Than One Way To Display Art
For art organizations,
Instagram is a highly versatile platform for different types of creative
designs. Photo ads are the most standard ad form on
Instagram and have the power to tell the story behind a brand through a
simplified canvas display. Video ads can further engage audience members as
they incorporate sound with sight and motion to additionally display a brand’s
purpose. Carousel ads, slideshow ads, collection ads, as well as stories are
great for showing off or teasing a new art exhibit or any collection line that
a company is selling on its eCommerce website. These ads also come with the
option for a “Learn More” button to directly take the user to an art exhibit
event’s information or a “Shop Now” button to easily lead onlookers to any art
for sale on an eCommerce platform.
About
Nate Mell
Nate Mell is the founder and CEO of Felt+Fat,
a ceramic design, and manufacturing studio based in the Kensington neighborhood
of Philadelphia. In 2013, Mell was asked to design a set of plates for what
would become the award-winning restaurant ‘High Street on Market.’ Since then,
the Felt and Fat studio and team have grown exponentially through Mell’s
leadership to become a go-to manufacturer for design-conscious restaurateurs.
The post Nathaniel Mell, Felt and Fat CEO, Gives Entrepreneurial Insight on Why Instagram Advertising and Arts Marketing are a Perfect Brand Building Combination appeared first on Social Media Explorer.
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Posted on April 11th, 2021