Test Headline for Adweek Testing

What is Lorem Ipsum? Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but…

Jeep-owner Stellantis hires first-ever AOR for Black audiences

The hiring of TKT & Associates continues a trend of automakers bringing on more diverse agencies.

Why Big Tech Is Embracing Neutral Buy-Side Infrastructure

The clamor for regulatory reforms targeting Big Tech companies stems from a fundamental issue deeply embedded in the advertising industry. Within this complex landscape, tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon reign supreme, wielding control over data, platforms and buy-side ad tech. However, the very nature of their dominance poses a challenge, as they…

Jeep-owner Stellantis hires first-ever AOR for Black audiences

The hiring of TKT & Associates continues a trend of automakers bringing on more diverse agencies.

5 Digital Marketing Tactics Your Business Can Utilize To Improve Its Presence and Brand

pexels-mikael-blomkvist-6483582.jpg

Digital marketing keeps evolving and it can sometimes feel hard to keep up. However, you can’t afford to get left behind or let your brand presence erode. After all, despite the economic uncertainty, new businesses open their doors every day. In 2022, roughly five million new companies came into the market. That’s a lot of competition — and even more reason to kick your digital marketing into high gear.

How can you avoid being outmaneuvered and outshined by your competitors? Try any of these digital marketing tactics. Each one will help you gain a bit more traction so you can stay in the spotlight as long as possible.

1. Double down on SEO.

You may be a little tired by now of search engine optimization (SEO). Or you might assume that your SEO efforts are second to none. Think again, though. Like all digital marketing applications, SEO is an ever-changing process. (Case in point: Remember when keyword stuffing could actually fool algorithms?) If you haven’t dusted off your SEO best practices in the past few years, you’re probably more outdated than you realize.

Today’s SEO trends are toward a more nuanced approach. For instance, Google’s bots have improved in being able to identify valuable content over subpar content. As a reward for publishing quality material, the search engine rewards your company by increasing its online authority. The more of an authority you are, the more organization visibility your organization should receive.

To help you boost the authority of all the thought leaders in your organization, update their bios and add them to any authored content. You should also look for ways to get organic backlinks to your site to build credibility. Be sure to try some of the newest publication options out there, like LinkedIn Collaborative Articles.

As explained by digital marketing agency Hawke Media, LinkedIn’s newest crowdsourced publication vehicle leverages AI in SEO-adjacent ways. Not only will your work get seen but you can boost engagement rates with peers and prospects. Just be sure that you combine any new opportunities like LinkedIn’s with other SEO campaigns. You’ll get the most impact and be able to nudge the needle up in terms of your branding recognition. And, as Hawke Media points out, hopefully that makes the Google Helpful Content crawlers happy.

Top SEO Tips:

> Refresh your SEO plan.
> Update the authority of your contributors and brand.
> Test newer SEO-compatible practices.

2. Align yourself with influencers.

According to a Matter survey reported by Marketing Dive, nearly seven out of 10 consumers put faith in influencers. Your brand should, too. A well-considered influencer marketing strategy can expand your reach quickly and effectively. The only key? You need to be selective.

There are thousands of social media influencers out there on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. Your job is figuring out which ones to approach for potential brand collaborations. Ideally, what you want to look for is an influencer who fits with your brand image, reputation, and vision. Mismatches can end in disaster.

A huge misconception about social media influencing is that you have to work with influencers who have big followings. Not true. It may be best to work with a micro-influencer who has massive engagement than someone else. Again, let “fit over followers” be your mantra. The influencer with 5,000-10,000 fans may be better for your presence-building than the one with 100,000+ followers.

One final recommendation about influencer digital marketing: Do your homework and start small. Work with one influencer for a while to get your feet wet. Also, be sure to set KPIs and measure your success. You’ll feel better about the process because you can track whether it’s producing fruit.

Top Influencer Tips:

> Prioritize alignment with target influencers.
> Look for influencers with high engagement, not just high numbers.
> Track the value of influencer relationships by setting KPIs.

3. Develop a corporate podcast.

Despite the fact that there are already tons of podcasts out there, more pop up all the time. Podcasts are so popular that even brands like yours are setting up shop. Why? Podcasts give you yet another way to connect with audiences and gain serious brand exposure.

As a digital marketing tactic, podcasting offers quite a few advantages. For one, it further shows that your company is an industry go-to leader. That’s why Harvard Business Review, Sephora, and eBay have all launched into the podcasting universe.

True, developing a branded podcast for your business isn’t a cut-and-dry endeavor. You need to take some time to map out everything from who will host it to how you’re going to advertise it. Podcasting requires more energy and investment than other types of content development. However, the numbers make it a lucrative marketing option. Buzzspout reporting suggests that more than half of all adults have listened to a podcast in the past 30 days. Not a bad statistic to remember.

As a final note on podcasts as part of your digital marketing update, be certain to have a point. You want your podcasts to be consistent and meaningful. Without a direction, each episode could easily feel like an isolated experience. That’s not the way to grow listenership. Therefore, pay attention to creating outlines and staying true to one overarching tone or focus.

Top Podcasting Tips:

> Map out your podcast episodes months in advance.
> Be consistent with the branded elements of your corporate broadcast.
> Let your podcast be a part of your wider digital marketing plan.

4. Get serious about email marketing.

Far too many marketers seem to think that the age of email marketing has passed. It hasn’t. Email marketing is alive and well in 2023 and shows no sign of losing strength. Consequently, if you haven’t built up your email marketing campaign, do it this year. Email marketing takes some time to mature, but when it does, you should see an improvement in engagement numbers. You should also see a revenue bump, as email marketing can produce staggering ROI rates of up to 36:1.

Why don’t all email marketing efforts make a splash, then? Often, the problem is that the email marketing is done as an afterthought. In other words, there’s little continuity or purpose to the “Why?” behind each email. This leaves receivers feeling cold rather than feeling like they’re getting personalized attention.

A good way to elevate your email marketing is to create specific journeys. For instance, you might want to set up a series of emails that takes prospects through your sales funnel. You could also arrange for customers to receive individualized emails with limited-time offers after they make purchases. Get creative and experiment. Email marketing is a great place to conduct some A/B tests.

It may seem like email marketing is just too overwhelming for your current team to try. One way to streamline it is through automation. Mailchimp, one of the most recognized automation marketing platforms, even has a 101-level guide. In other words, you can get a jumpstart even if you’re not an expert.

Top Email Marketing Tips:

> Make certain all your email marketing efforts have a flow and purpose.
> Beta-test your email marketing to refine your results.
> Personalize and automate emails to optimize your human resources.

5. Open up a new social media door.

Most companies shouldn’t be on every social media channel. It’s only rare ones that can appeal to nearly all viewing audiences. (Think Wendy’s and Target.) However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t branch out from the one or two social media channels you’re on.

If you’ve been feeling a little tapped out with your Facebook and Twitter, you may want to explore other social media possibilities. YouTube is a great one that many companies have overlooked or underused. YouTube isn’t just a social media site. It’s also one of the largest search engines in the world. And it’s the ideal place for your company to show your expertise.

As you did with podcasts and email marketing, you need to have a reason for your YouTube channel. Far too many businesses upload videos a few times a year — and wonder why they get little love from viewers. The problem, of course, is that there isn’t anything defining structure. Whether you decide to create a series of “How to” videos or product demos doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you keep the content reliably flowing outward.

Interested in tweaking your social media more? Play around with posting times. Ideally, you want your posts to deploy when your followers are ready to receive them. Otherwise, your branded content might disappear amid all the extra online chatter. Be patient as you learn when best to post for your target users. It may be a different time or day than you assumed.

Top Social Media Marketing Tips:

> Try a different social media channel this year to gain more attention.
> Keep up the consistency with your social media content and branding.
> Try publishing social media content at various days and times to get it all right.

Digital marketing isn’t something you can just set and forget. You need to keep updating your plans and experimenting. This begs the question: Which digital marketing tactic we’ve discussed here belongs as a discussion item at your next marketing roundtable meeting?

See AB InBev’s new ad celebrating its workers as it deals with continued Bud Light fallout

“That’s Who We Are” from Anomaly comes as AB InBev tries to leave influencer controversy behind.

5 Digital Marketing Tactics Your Business Can Utilize To Improve Its Presence and Brand

pexels-mikael-blomkvist-6483582.jpg

Digital marketing keeps evolving and it can sometimes feel hard to keep up. However, you can’t afford to get left behind or let your brand presence erode. After all, despite the economic uncertainty, new businesses open their doors every day. In 2022, roughly five million new companies came into the market. That’s a lot of competition — and even more reason to kick your digital marketing into high gear.

How can you avoid being outmaneuvered and outshined by your competitors? Try any of these digital marketing tactics. Each one will help you gain a bit more traction so you can stay in the spotlight as long as possible.

1. Double down on SEO.

You may be a little tired by now of search engine optimization (SEO). Or you might assume that your SEO efforts are second to none. Think again, though. Like all digital marketing applications, SEO is an ever-changing process. (Case in point: Remember when keyword stuffing could actually fool algorithms?) If you haven’t dusted off your SEO best practices in the past few years, you’re probably more outdated than you realize.

Today’s SEO trends are toward a more nuanced approach. For instance, Google’s bots have improved in being able to identify valuable content over subpar content. As a reward for publishing quality material, the search engine rewards your company by increasing its online authority. The more of an authority you are, the more organization visibility your organization should receive.

To help you boost the authority of all the thought leaders in your organization, update their bios and add them to any authored content. You should also look for ways to get organic backlinks to your site to build credibility. Be sure to try some of the newest publication options out there, like LinkedIn Collaborative Articles.

As explained by digital marketing agency Hawke Media, LinkedIn’s newest crowdsourced publication vehicle leverages AI in SEO-adjacent ways. Not only will your work get seen but you can boost engagement rates with peers and prospects. Just be sure that you combine any new opportunities like LinkedIn’s with other SEO campaigns. You’ll get the most impact and be able to nudge the needle up in terms of your branding recognition. And, as Hawke Media points out, hopefully that makes the Google Helpful Content crawlers happy.

Top SEO Tips:

> Refresh your SEO plan.
> Update the authority of your contributors and brand.
> Test newer SEO-compatible practices.

2. Align yourself with influencers.

According to a Matter survey reported by Marketing Dive, nearly seven out of 10 consumers put faith in influencers. Your brand should, too. A well-considered influencer marketing strategy can expand your reach quickly and effectively. The only key? You need to be selective.

There are thousands of social media influencers out there on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. Your job is figuring out which ones to approach for potential brand collaborations. Ideally, what you want to look for is an influencer who fits with your brand image, reputation, and vision. Mismatches can end in disaster.

A huge misconception about social media influencing is that you have to work with influencers who have big followings. Not true. It may be best to work with a micro-influencer who has massive engagement than someone else. Again, let “fit over followers” be your mantra. The influencer with 5,000-10,000 fans may be better for your presence-building than the one with 100,000+ followers.

One final recommendation about influencer digital marketing: Do your homework and start small. Work with one influencer for a while to get your feet wet. Also, be sure to set KPIs and measure your success. You’ll feel better about the process because you can track whether it’s producing fruit.

Top Influencer Tips:

> Prioritize alignment with target influencers.
> Look for influencers with high engagement, not just high numbers.
> Track the value of influencer relationships by setting KPIs.

3. Develop a corporate podcast.

Despite the fact that there are already tons of podcasts out there, more pop up all the time. Podcasts are so popular that even brands like yours are setting up shop. Why? Podcasts give you yet another way to connect with audiences and gain serious brand exposure.

As a digital marketing tactic, podcasting offers quite a few advantages. For one, it further shows that your company is an industry go-to leader. That’s why Harvard Business Review, Sephora, and eBay have all launched into the podcasting universe.

True, developing a branded podcast for your business isn’t a cut-and-dry endeavor. You need to take some time to map out everything from who will host it to how you’re going to advertise it. Podcasting requires more energy and investment than other types of content development. However, the numbers make it a lucrative marketing option. Buzzspout reporting suggests that more than half of all adults have listened to a podcast in the past 30 days. Not a bad statistic to remember.

As a final note on podcasts as part of your digital marketing update, be certain to have a point. You want your podcasts to be consistent and meaningful. Without a direction, each episode could easily feel like an isolated experience. That’s not the way to grow listenership. Therefore, pay attention to creating outlines and staying true to one overarching tone or focus.

Top Podcasting Tips:

> Map out your podcast episodes months in advance.
> Be consistent with the branded elements of your corporate broadcast.
> Let your podcast be a part of your wider digital marketing plan.

4. Get serious about email marketing.

Far too many marketers seem to think that the age of email marketing has passed. It hasn’t. Email marketing is alive and well in 2023 and shows no sign of losing strength. Consequently, if you haven’t built up your email marketing campaign, do it this year. Email marketing takes some time to mature, but when it does, you should see an improvement in engagement numbers. You should also see a revenue bump, as email marketing can produce staggering ROI rates of up to 36:1.

Why don’t all email marketing efforts make a splash, then? Often, the problem is that the email marketing is done as an afterthought. In other words, there’s little continuity or purpose to the “Why?” behind each email. This leaves receivers feeling cold rather than feeling like they’re getting personalized attention.

A good way to elevate your email marketing is to create specific journeys. For instance, you might want to set up a series of emails that takes prospects through your sales funnel. You could also arrange for customers to receive individualized emails with limited-time offers after they make purchases. Get creative and experiment. Email marketing is a great place to conduct some A/B tests.

It may seem like email marketing is just too overwhelming for your current team to try. One way to streamline it is through automation. Mailchimp, one of the most recognized automation marketing platforms, even has a 101-level guide. In other words, you can get a jumpstart even if you’re not an expert.

Top Email Marketing Tips:

> Make certain all your email marketing efforts have a flow and purpose.
> Beta-test your email marketing to refine your results.
> Personalize and automate emails to optimize your human resources.

5. Open up a new social media door.

Most companies shouldn’t be on every social media channel. It’s only rare ones that can appeal to nearly all viewing audiences. (Think Wendy’s and Target.) However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t branch out from the one or two social media channels you’re on.

If you’ve been feeling a little tapped out with your Facebook and Twitter, you may want to explore other social media possibilities. YouTube is a great one that many companies have overlooked or underused. YouTube isn’t just a social media site. It’s also one of the largest search engines in the world. And it’s the ideal place for your company to show your expertise.

As you did with podcasts and email marketing, you need to have a reason for your YouTube channel. Far too many businesses upload videos a few times a year — and wonder why they get little love from viewers. The problem, of course, is that there isn’t anything defining structure. Whether you decide to create a series of “How to” videos or product demos doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you keep the content reliably flowing outward.

Interested in tweaking your social media more? Play around with posting times. Ideally, you want your posts to deploy when your followers are ready to receive them. Otherwise, your branded content might disappear amid all the extra online chatter. Be patient as you learn when best to post for your target users. It may be a different time or day than you assumed.

Top Social Media Marketing Tips:

> Try a different social media channel this year to gain more attention.
> Keep up the consistency with your social media content and branding.
> Try publishing social media content at various days and times to get it all right.

Digital marketing isn’t something you can just set and forget. You need to keep updating your plans and experimenting. This begs the question: Which digital marketing tactic we’ve discussed here belongs as a discussion item at your next marketing roundtable meeting?

NBCUniversal and Blockgraph Partner to Optimize First-Party Data Activation

NBCUniversal and Blockgraph are looking to bring more efficiency and capabilities to the TV advertising landscape. Today, NBCU and the privacy-focused tech and data company announced a new partnership to optimize first-party data activation for the media and entertainment industry. The collaboration looks to enhance the use of first-party data in marketing campaigns across One…

VidCon takeaways for marketers, from AI buzz to the globalization of influencers

At last week’s annual California convention, creators and marketers discussed trends shaping the influencer marketing space

Fox World Cup Marketing Campaign Is at Liberty to Showcase Team USA

With the U.S. Women’s National Team roster (finally) revealed and under a month to go until the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off, Fox Sports unveiled its massive marketing campaign for the tournament. The USWNT is targeting an unprecedented third-consecutive title, and Fox has the exclusive television rights for the July 20-August 20 event–kicking…

How marketers can use live football TV data to reach viewers beyond game day

With access to sophisticated data, brands can take their live TV sports solutions further by better understanding the impact they’re having on their audiences.

SoFi Corrects AI’s Gender Bias in ‘Face of Finance’ Campaign 

When it comes to identifying women as financially capable figures, AI isn’t exactly on the money. SoFi, a digital financial services company, came to that conclusion when it prompted AI for images that reflect a person who is “good with money.” The result? About a thousand pictures … of which less than 2% were women….

Barbie-maker Mattel tries to block Burberry’s ‘BRBY’ trademark application

Mattel filed a notice of opposition over Burberry’s BRBY trademark application.

Cannes Lions 2023: O humor está de volta

ikea

Numa palestra espetacular, Andrew Robinson (CEO Global da BBDO) compartilhou uma série de dados e cases históricos mostrando o poder do humor, como ajuda a construir marcas e a mover os negócios. Ele deixou a seguinte provocação: “Propósito é importante, mas nem sempre precisa ser sério” e desafiou Cannes a criar uma categoria de “Melhor …

Leia Cannes Lions 2023: O humor está de volta na íntegra no B9.

SmartMedia Technologies Brings AR to Web3 Wallets

Combining the worlds of digital wallets and augmented reality, Web3 engagement and loyalty platform SmartMedia Technologies partnered with Niantic’s 8th Wall augmented reality platform to bring AR experiences to owners of Web3 wallets. SmartMedia Technologies debuted its new offering at Cannes Lions. Attendees could onboard into the experience using a smartphone and email address, and…

Watch the newest commercials from Wendy’s, Hulu, Coca-Cola and more

Wendy’s wants you to know that it’s open until “midnight or later.”

Pepsi Brings Super Bowl Halftime Flash to Champions League Kick Off Show

When PepsiCo ended its decade-long sponsorship of the Super Bowl Halftime Show last year, the food and beverage giant leaned into football’s global cousin soccer to make a cultural splash, taking its learnings from the halftime show to other parts of the world. The UEFA Champions League (UCL) final, considered the biggest game in club…

Why brands need to stop ‘purpose’ pandering

Purpose is not a watered-down reflection of whatever happens to be trending on social media.

Adobe’s Hilarious ‘Office Space’ Sendup Starring Hasan Minhaj Is a Tribute to 30 Years of the PDF

Adobe and Hasan Minhaj are here to liberate employees from the spatial and environmental confines of lethal and clunky office supplies. And they are channeling an oft-memed, cult classic film to do it–while simultaneously marking a milestone anniversary for the software giant’s most famous invention: The Acrobat PDF. In “I Love you, Adobe,” the award-winning…

How Starry, PepsiCo’s new lemon-lime soda, is marketing itself

Michael Smith, head of brand marketing, discusses “irreverent optimists,” an NBA partnership and why he admires YouTube TV.