The AD Leaf Studio Central FL The AD Leaf Studio Central FL

Is Your Marketing Cutting It? Here’s How To Make The Most Out Of Your Budget.

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Advertising, Email Marketing, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimization

Let’s cut to the chase: without proper marketing, your business is set to struggle. In today’s digital age, having an online presence is more important than ever. Even if you do have a digital presence, are you truly making the most of it?

Whether you’re new to digital marketing or have been in the game for a while, it might be time to reassess your budget. According to BDC, your marketing budget should be between 2 and 5% of your revenue for business to business, B2B, and between 5 and 10% for business to consumer, B2C. The term marketing is broad, so you may be wondering how you can know what you should be putting your investment in. The AD Leaf is here to break down how you can truly make the most of your budget.

Marketing Is An Investment

Something to keep in mind when planning out your budget is that marketing is an investment you are making and not simply an expense. When you pay for marketing, you are hopefully going to see results that will help your company endlessly. While it can be hard to justify spending the cash, especially for small businesses, there are so many reasons why marketing is worth the investment. When you market your business, you are:

  • Building brand awareness
  • Increasing your sales
  • Alerting potential customers and clients to new deals, offerings, and sales
  • Building a customer base
  • Taking advantage of social media and other online spaces
  • Putting your business where your customers are
  • Receiving analytics to help improve your future business strategy

Get The Most Out Of Your Marketing Budget

Marketing budgets can be hard to set for small and big businesses alike. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the right combination of online platforms to get a good ROI, return on investment. We have a few tips and tricks up our sleeve for you to use to get your business off the ground.

  • Start your business off on the right foot: New businesses can have a harder time breaking into an established field. By spending a little extra money upfront, around 15-20% of your revenue depending on your industry, you can get a boost into your target market. Once your business becomes a little better established, you can drop your spending to about 5-10%.
  • Try competition matching: Take a look at what your competitors are doing that’s working for them. Could it also be applied to your marketing strategy? If so, you might be able to get inspiration from other players in the field.
  • Keep your goals in mind: Having a goal-driven marketing strategy is one of the best ways to reach your objectives. Try using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. to set your goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Keeping this acronym in mind will help you set goals you can realistically hope to achieve with specific ways to achieve them.
  • Imagine yourself in the customer’s shoes: While this is a pretty straightforward piece of advice, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that you should always think of what’s happening on the other end of your marketing. Are you solving a problem for a customer, or are you just trying to sell a product? Always keep in mind your customer’s journey all the way from your advertisement to them clicking “complete purchase”. What keeps them clicking through? You should also ask yourself how many leads you are getting, and how many are turning into paying customers. Focusing on the buyer is crucial to your marketing success.
  • Keep your ROI in mind: When you start spending on marketing, make sure you are tracking your ROI. By measuring your ROI, you can determine if your budget needs to be adjusted, or if you should increase your spending.

Who We Are

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm is made of experts well-versed in social media research and content creation. We would love to conquer the world of ever-changing social media and research for your company and help sky-rocket your business’s online presence and social engagement. Contact us today for more information on how we can help you grow by using our online form or call us at 321.255.0900. You can also email us at info@theadleaf.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

How 2020 Shaped The Social Media Landscape For 2021

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Uncategorized

  For many ringing in the new year, the excitement to dispel the old year outweighed the enthusiasm for the new one. Our country experienced tremendous hardship economically, medically, and individually. But where there is suffering, there are survivors who see adversity as an opportunity to innovate. We’ve all become experts at social parkour, jumping from one challenge to the next in the swiftest way possible. In the old advertising landscape, corporations acted in unison, all offering the same press releases in response to social events. In 2020, social media changed all that. Corporate approaches to social commentary were widely-varied, ushering in a new era of unique brand personality. Brand voices are now as distinct as human voices; no two are the same. Social media is the first line of defense to a company’s brand character and the swiftest form of communication that a company has with its audience. Being able to balance expediency with substance is the mark of a great social media guru. Here are three things social media managers learned in 2020. 

 

  1. Trade in customer experience for quick acquisition.

    Traditional methods for building customer loyalty through exceptional customer experience are not possible in the new distanced merchant environment. You can’t try on your clothes, you can’t have a food sample, and you can’t even get into a conversation with an employee at close range. These used to drive our purchases and create a sense of fondness (and eventually loyalty) to our favorite brands. While we can’t replicate these organic experiences digitally, we can shift focus. Acquiring new customers and holding their attention spans will be critical for increasing your return on investment.

 

    In social media, “less is more” thinking will defeat you. Multichannel campaigns have higher returns than single media ones. This is also true for features. Use every feature available to you. This will improve your relationship with algorithms and help to replace the in-store experience. For example, use live streams to show off products. Scrolling through product search results isn’t a good substitute for fun window-shopping with friends. Inspire users to buy things by showcasing them with a charismatic showman. 

 

  1. Slow and steady wins the race.

    Addressing a global pandemic and a rocky political climate while still prioritizing sales was a huge challenge for brands last year. Brands that chose to center themselves in important conversations were the ones that missed the mark. People were seeking to connect with each other rather than companies during times of crisis, and brands who ignored this came across as insensitive and selfish. Brands that stepped back from advertising to listen intently to their audience were the ones that we’re able to connect in a meaningful way once they returned. The lesson to be learned is that saying the right thing should be prioritized rather than saying something first. Even if self-promotion seems critical to your business, there are times when it could backfire. Don’t be afraid to hold back until the correct narrative is clear. Customers admire restraint and integrity. 

 

    When Nathan Apodaca went viral for his skateboarding TikTok video set to the calming ambiance of Fleetwood Mac and while enjoying swigs of Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Ocean Spray took over a week to address the viral moment. After taking the time to conduct “social media listening,” they used the moment to give back to Apodaca rather than soak in the free publicity. Ocean Spray sent him a new truck and a supply of cranberry juice, much to the delight of TikTok users (a notoriously hard audience for corporations to win over). They even got their CEO to recreate the viral video, adding a moment of lightness to an otherwise heavy atmosphere. 

 

  1. Stop underestimating baby boomers once and for all.

Brands initially considered social media the direct link to Millenials and Gen Z, leaving a generation of users (and potential customers) in the dark. According to Hootsuite’s Digital 2020 data report, 70% of internet users between 55 and 64 have bought something online in the past month. So why do marketers keep ignoring them? Ageism is a real issue manifested on social media through a constant lack of representation of older people in images. In 2021, neglecting to appeal to this older audience could mean being surpassed by brands not tied down by stereotypes. 

Merely including this demographic isn’t enough. Monolithic views of an entire generation are not rooted in reality. Not every boomer is a potential customer of your brand. Thoughtful segmentation of this demographic will lead to increased brand favorability. Instead of targeting audiences by age, try clustering them by shared passions. Facebook is the biggest platform for boomers, but Pinterest is the second-largest and offers a more valuable insight into all users’ interests. Assuming that boomers are elderly people incapable of exploring new things is a dated stereotype that is hurtful to a group that is perhaps suffering the most in this current situation. Compassionate creative can help us show a new world that is kinder to those over 50.

 

We do our homework. 

At The Ad Leaf, our social team is paying attention to the trends shaping the new-age media space. We scan the internet and analyze data so that we can pass those insights on to our clients and generate success both in terms of brand favorability and return on investment. 

 

relevance on social media

Business Owners and Social Media: The Struggle for Relevance

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Marketing, Social Media

Since the beginning, social media has been a phenomenon that has taken the world by storm. Having relevance on social media is the key to attracting and maintaining an audience. The world of AIM and Myspace seems like one we lived in so long ago. These platforms have procured a more powerful influence than many of us could have ever imagined. 

Trends are made and then declared “untrendy” seemingly as soon as they begin on social media apps. If caught outside the facet of what’s popular, you can easily be seen as “irrelevant”. This may seem brutal, yet it shows us that our modern society is constantly changing, especially online. The positive of this is the ability to message a company without ever having to speak to them on the phone. This is heaven for many anxious young people, yet foreign to many of those who once relied on phone calls for so many interactions.

 

Maintaining Relevance on Social Media

 

How do businesses maintain successful social media accounts, grow, and yet still stay relevant? Of course, a successful business always takes priority, but these two concepts are intertwined. 

As a business owner, social media needs to become an instrumental part of your success. An outdated social profile could cause people to think your business is closed. Plus, those who do not feel comfortable calling your business, will not be able to message or email you.

The struggle for relevance on social media seems like an uphill battle when it comes to committing large amounts of time to the research needed to maintain a successful social media campaign. A large problem with this commitment is that there isn’t enough time to monitor and research trends and consistently post on social media while running a productive business. 

 

The Necessary Trend Research

Is trend research necessary? Why can’t I simply post business updates on my existing social media when needed? The short answer to both of these questions is yes. The long answer is more involved. Posting on social media is simple, but making it an effective use of a business owner’s time is another issue altogether. This is where research and forethought become essential.

 

Social media trends are a large part of relevancy. The average person spends 144 minutes on social media per day, and they’re looking for what’s trending. The struggle is to become involved in a trend while it’s still relevant. If the news is reporting on a trend, then it is likely it is already dying out. By the time a news company commits to verifying the information within the trend, the social media app as a whole may have already moved on. One example of this is the ALS ice bucket challenge. While obviously one of the most important and beneficial trends to come from social media, if you participated in it today, you wouldn’t be participating in something that is actively trending, and people likely wouldn’t find your post.

 

Social media, for better or for worse, has seemingly lessened the attention span of millions. From 2000 to 2015, the average person’s attention span has decreased from 15 seconds to eight seconds. Among multiple devices and millions of sources for consumption, you must first attract a user, and then manage to grab their eight seconds of attention. If you come into a trend late, the attention held for it will already be exhausted. This is why research has become monumental within the social media space. 

 

The Agency Approach

The job of a social media department in an agency partially rides on the concept of ensuring their clients stay relevant. Constantly monitoring trends and staying up-to-date on industry news are the catalyst for this. Often, this is achieved within a much more affordable price point than developing an internal social media team in your company.

Technology is frequently changing, and for many, once they’re finally comfortable with an app or feature, it is already becoming out-of-date. How do you as a business owner conquer this?

  • Use and understand multiple social medias 
  • Monitor publicly reported changes 
  • Interact daily with your followers and post multiple types of content
  • Create graphics and posts that will engage people from multiple perspectives
  • Analyze your results over time and make changes to your actions based on results
  • Create and monitor advertisements
  • Repeat

Unfortunately, many business owners simply do not have the time for this.

How an Agency Can Keep You Relevant on Social Media

How do ad agencies conquer this effectively? All of these steps are part of their daily routine. Social media is constantly consumed in both a professional and personal aspect by most specialists. Consider an agency as simply hiring an expert. Just as you may hire a professional to paint your house versus buying all of the supplies and learning through trial and error.

Hiring an agency is almost a no-brainer when considering if you should sacrifice the time to dedicate yourself to continuous research into the social media world while simultaneously running and innovating your business. Agencies are an effective use of your money and your tremendously important time. The battle of staying relevant in the essential world of social media is best won by someone constantly engulfed by the ongoing research, leaving business owners to continue to do what they do best — be successful.

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm is made of experts well-versed in social media research and content creation. We would love to conquer the world of ever-changing social media and research for your company, and help sky-rocket your business’s online presence and social engagement. Contact us for more information.

How E-Commerce Can Increase Your Profit

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media

The world has never been as digital as it is now. Companies are flocking to the web to create websites, update blogs, access social media, and set up online stores, especially with this year’s inability to shop in-person. With easy-to-use tools like Shopify, the landscape of the internet is becoming more saturated with ways to purchase goods and services. And there’s good reason, too.

You may have heard of e-commerce, but what is it really? Simply put, e-commerce is defined as the buying and selling of goods and services online. E-commerce has taken off in a way no one could have imagined during the pandemic. From huge sites like Amazon to independent online stores, people have been spending more and more online, making the demand for online shopping skyrocket. 

Think about your own experience online. Chances are, you’ve probably needed a food delivery or a quick shipment of toilet paper. Imagine if you could give your customers the same quick experience. The ease of e-commerce is one of its biggest appeals, and offering that to your customers will likely increase your sales as well as help you build your brand identity, not to mention keep your business alive as technology rushed forward.

 

How to Use E-Commerce to Increase Profits

  • Build an online site.

Obviously, you’re going to need a website in order to sell products and services online. If you already have one, site hosts like WordPress or Wix likely have an option to add a store. If you don’t have a website already, that’s okay! There are lots of options for website development that are user-friendly; The AD Leaf offers affordable and effective web design too.

  • Decide on products.

Almost anything can be sold online, but sometimes it’s easier for some products than others. If you sell ice cream and candy, for example, you might choose to only offer candy for purchase online to avoid difficult and costly shipping methods for special items. Think about what you can offer that you already have, or what you could add to your inventory that might sell well online.

  • Upload products.

Once you’ve decided on which products to sell, you’re going to want to upload them to your shop. You’ll need great photos of your stuff, which means you can either try to take professional quality pictures or seek the help of professional services. Choosing prices, layouts, menu options, and other details to fill out your shop is the next step, followed by writing up product descriptions.

  • Utilize SEO and Content Writing.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of helping your business rank higher in searches on sites like Google or Bing. SEO professionals use strategic keywords and market research to help your webpages rise above the competition. SEO teams work closely with content writers who fill out your website with relevant service pages, blogs, product descriptions, and more, all to make your website the optimal marketing tool. Without proper SEO strategies, your website could suffer from being buried at the bottom of the pile of endless other sites, making it hard for customers to be able to find you.

  • Get on social media.

Your customers are on social media already, so why not reach out to them there, too? Utilizing social media channels is a great way to build your brand image, reach more potential customers, and run campaigns. You can advertise or just be present to raise awareness of your shop. If being on social media seems like too much of a hassle, there are also professionals who are experts in navigating the apps who can help take your store to the next level.

  • Run promotions.

Being active with your customers is also an effective way to drive sales. By running promotions, you are offering your customers a chance to save a bit of money while also attracting more attention to your online store. This can be done directly on your site or through social media channels as well.

 

Just like an interview, you want your business to make its best first impression. In today’s digital age, people are turning more and more to the internet to search for products and services. In 2020 especially, people can’t even go into stores to buy essentials, making e-commerce crucial for businesses to stay afloat. Keeping up with current e-commerce trends and digital interfaces can help put you ahead of the competition. Whether creating your own online shop from an online source or taking advantage of creative services like ours, get your site up to snuff for the new year.

2021 Content Resolutions Your Business Should Make

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Content Writing

With every new year comes new resolutions to make. A new year brings change and optimism for the future, and 2021 is no exception. Perhaps you started a new business in 2020 or were able to persevere during difficult times. Either way, you should view 2021 as full of new opportunities to market and grow your business.

One great way to boost your company’s presence is through content marketing. Anything of the written word, from emails to webpages, falls under the content writing sphere. However, you might not be able to find time to do all of this yourself. 

That is why the content specialists at The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm LLC.  are here to help! We can help create a content marketing strategy that could boost your business in the new year. Here are some of the things your business could add that you should start considering:

Take Notice of Your Web Copy

If you are interested in content marketing services, it is crucial that you know what kind of content your website already has. Check to see if your web pages or product descriptions are accurate to what you are advertising. If you do not like the web copy, do not be afraid to send it to us! Our content marketers are here to turn your current copy into pieces of content you and your customers will love.

Start Your Own Business Blog

Your target audience is specific and in the market for the product or services you are offering. That is why a blog can help drive new traffic onto your website. Writing about your products and how they relate to current events or problems can create interest in your company. You can also write about current industry topics or even answer questions that your customers might have. The possibilities are endless with a business blog, and that is why you should talk to us here at The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm LLC.  about launching one.

Increase Your Social Media Presence

Here is something that you are probably already starting. Social media networks are a great way to connect with your audience and advertise your products. However, they are also great pathways to your website, thus driving up traffic. By linking an exclusive deal or a new blog post to your social media accounts, members of your target audience that are interested in your company will engage with what you have to say. 

Start a Contest

Who doesn’t like free stuff? Chances are, not your customers. To kickstart the new year, try advertising a contest on social media! You can give away a gift card for your services, a product of the winner’s choice, or anything else that fits your company best. As far as advertising this contest goes, we can help! 

Start The New Year Right with The AD Leaf

Are you ready to kick off 2021 with a brand new content marketing strategy? Call The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm LLC.  at 321-255-0900 today for a free consultation!

Building a Community Through Engagement Efforts

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Marketing, Social Media

Social media marketing has become a favorable opportunity for all businesses and continues to with the growing rate of social apps. Social media apps like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have made a significant staple to businesses today. Despite being familiar with these social platforms, there is a deep understanding when using these social media apps for business purposes. 

Are you wondering why your current tactics are not helping your online presence? Perhaps connectivity with your audience is lacking. This compelling factor can ultimately reflect your business as a whole. Digital marketers understand these strategic aspects amplify your business image through a concept known as engagement. This concept builds a connection with your audience that fundamentally keeps current customers and captivates future customers. The online world opens the doors for businesses to target users to formulate a community that becomes advantageous in the long run. 

This online community is advantageous to a business because it brings forth a positive experience to those seeking your products or services. Your image is portrayed through how you respond either verbally or through your actions online. The more involved you are in your community the more your audience will want to be involved. Whatever goals you have in mind for your business on social media, stay creative, and find what works for your brand image. 

Whether your business runs on a more lively or professional tone, engagement is a powerful aspect that entails both in the digital marketing world. Think of the concept engagement as a get-together where you’d expect the event to be inviting between you and the guest. Furthermore, you would most likely want to stick around if your presence is going noticed. If not, then you will refuse to stay. 

Ever Wondered How This is Measured? 

On each platform, you have the opportunity to stay engaged with your current audience or the audience you seek to target at any point. Engagement on any social media platform is measured through likes, comments, and shares. Other forms of interactions employed are within a business page, posts, or direct messaging. Overall, social media engagement grows any time a user socializes with your business’s social media platforms.   

In an effort to increase engagement, a business can do so through the use of their content. A well developed strategic plan of content creation can increase the engagement you’ve been looking for. A business can express its services or products every day, but this can get you nowhere. It is important to express connectivity with posts that are interactive, informative, or relatable. Refraining from marketing posts and incorporating content like videos, polls, questions, or games that pertain to your industry is a neat way to spark engagement. 

The Significance Engagement Has on Your Business 

If you fail to incorporate engagement on your social platforms, much success of your online presence can be deteriorating to your business. People in this generation find it easier to seek information about a business on social platforms because of the easy accessibility to finding your page. Your social media platforms define what your company stands for and enables the reputation it will have. Make sure that your stance is neutral, up to date, and incorporate this significant concept of engagement. 

Here at The Ad Leaf LLC., engagement is one of the many remarkable aspects of our social media marketing efforts. Our social media team works strategically to conduct the best results for you and your business marketing endeavors. If you are looking to increase your brand’s image through social media marketing, leave it to us experts to take care of your needs. We look forward to growing your business. 

let's-talk-marketing-ad-leaf-picture

Let’s Talk Marketing

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Marketing

There’s a lot of jargon thrown around in the world of marketing. As the owner of a plumbing company, hair salon, or landscaping company, you might feel overwhelmed and out of the loop when you’re on the phone with your marketing team and they’re talking about things like CPCs, Bounce Rates, and CTRs. If you’re not sure what these mean, that’s okay. Let’s talk marketing.

 

Commonly Use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Terms

  • Bounce Rate

This is when someone visits your website and immediately clicks the “back” button on their browser or exits out of the page before giving the page a chance to load. This occurs when a user accidentally clicks on your link or your website takes too long to load. It’s normal to have bounces happen as it’s simply a mis-click in most cases but the goal is to keep that number as long as possible. 

  • Title Tag

This is the main thing that appears in a Google search. The headline or main text you see before reading the description. This should be optimized to catch the attention of a quick browser. 

the-ad-leaf-google-marketing

  • Meta Description

This is the quick snippet below your title tag. This should be optimized to fit your target keywords as well as support the users’ readability when they’re browsing search results. 

the-ad-leaf-google-marketing

  • Keywords

Speaking of keywords! Keywords are individual words or phrases that someone might search in order to find your product or service. Your title tags, meta descriptions, and website content should be optimized to support your focus keywords. It’s important to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and imagine what they would be searching for and not what you would search for. You’re knee-deep in your industry so the terms of verbiage you would use to discover your own company might be lost on the typical user. 

  • Domain Authority

This refers to how a whole domain (like www.theadleaf.com) will rank on search engine results. It’s typically calculated by a combination of things like link metrics, root domains, number of other links, and other things on a 100-point scale. This measurement is used internally by Google to see how your website compares to others in regards to your keywords. 

 

Commonly Used Social Media Terms

  • Engagement Rate

This is the rate at which your followers share, like, or comment on your content. This is a great way to determine whether or not your content resonates with your follower base. A quick way to calculate this is to take the average number of engagements you’ve received on a singular piece of content (like a post) and divide it by the number of followers you have. 

let's-talk-marketing-billboard-hot-sauce

  • Pixel

If you’re running Facebook Ads and have a large ad budget, this is necessary to build strong audiences. A Facebook Pixel is a tracking code added to your website that tracks and monitors the users that visit your website as a result of Facebook. You can use the data from this Pixel to build Lookalike Audiences and build Remarketing/Retargeting campaigns. 

  • A/B Split Testing

Another fun one for when you decide to start running paid advertising on social media! A/B Split Testing is the practice of taking two different types of ads that have one variation between them. For example, you may create Ad A with a caption, graphic, and budget. To successfully conduct an A/B Split Test, Ad B should vary one of those items. If you’re stuck between two different graphics/images, run Ad A with Graphic 1 and run Ad B with Graphic 2. This will allow you to test the variables against each other and see which one was more successful. 

  • Boosted Post

You’ve probably heard this term before if you’d ever taken a peek at Ads Center on Facebook. This function allows you to “sponsor” a top-performing post and get it in front of more users. This is done primarily to grow your audience and increase your engagement. It will show it to more of your current follower base and may be shown to users who don’t follow you. Boosting posts is very different from running high-level ads as the targeting options are very limited and the capability to be creative is limited. 

  • Evergreen Content

This type of content is crucial to your organic social media campaigns. Today, most social media algorithms are based on activity and not based on chronological posts. You’ve probably noticed that if you like a post about a movie theater or a pair of sneakers, all of a sudden your whole timeline is filled with other local movie theaters or other sneaker brands. This means that content that’s posted can essentially “live forever” on social media. It’s important that you incorporate content into your campaigns that are applicable to your target audience whenever they see it, any day, any time, any season. This type of content is “evergreen” because it’s always green and is applicable year-round. 

 

Commonly Used Email Marketing Terms

  • Hard Bounce

This is what happens when an email campaign is returned from an email address you sent it to because the email address is either incorrect or no longer active. This does count against your domain’s quality score if you have too many hard bounces. 

  • Soft Bounce

This is slightly different than a hard bounce. This is what happens when an email campaign is returned from an email address due to a technical error like the recipient’s email inbox is full or their server was down and unable to receive emails for a period of time. This doesn’t count against your domain’s quality score because these are unable to be controlled. 

  • CTRs

This stands for Click Through Rate. This is the number of people who click on a link, button, or icon in your email campaign and end up on your desired landing page. An easy way to calculate your CTR is to take the number of users generated from your email campaign and divide it by the number of emails you sent. The final number is your CTR. Generally, you should be aiming for a CTR between 10-15% but this may vary depending on your industry. 

  • Open Rate

This is the number of recipients who open your email. It’s important to keep track of your open rate so you can determine whether or not the campaigns you’re sending are relevant to your audience. The way you calculate this is similar to your CTR. Take the number of emails opened and divide it by the total number of recipients on your email list. 

  • List Segmentation

Segmenting your list is incredibly important. This is the practice of taking similar groups of email recipients based on a variety of factors and creating a new list with just a select number of emails. You may want to create a list based on a recipient’s geographical location (like what State or Town they live in), the company/industry they work for, their age, their gender, or any other qualifying factors. This will allow you to craft campaigns that are unique to each subset of your email list. 

 

Don’t feel overwhelmed if you’re talking with one of our team members and you don’t understand a term we use. If you’re not sure what we’re talking about- ask! We love getting to talk through the terms we use and explain what they mean so you can fully understand the services we’re providing for you. We want you to feel comfortable knowing exactly what we’re doing for you! If you’re ready to get your marketing campaign started, give us a call at 321-255-0900 or email us at info@theadleaf.com and we’d be thrilled to take you on the journey with us! 

the-rise-of-tiktok-and-its-marketing-prowess

The Rise of TikTok and its Marketing Prowess

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Marketing, Social Media

Over the past two decades, social media’s rise has created a drastic shift in how companies market to their consumers. However, every few years, a new platform has popped up and changed the landscape regarding how digital marketers approach their advertising strategies. The latest of these platforms to have caused this change is TikTok. This short-form video platform rise is thanks in part to its unique algorithm, known as the for you page. The for you page provides its users a personalized experience, unlike any other major applications.

This has made TikTok the fastest growing social media platform of the decade, with over 700 million active monthly users across the globe, and in August 2020, it eclipsed over 100 million quarterly users in the United States, according to TikTok. Also, the majority of their userbase is under the age of 30 years old. So, this opens companies up to the younger demographics in a place that they natively frequent.

However, TikTok is still growing and has not matured like the four major platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn), which means that it’s not saturated with advertisers, so it is the best time for companies to take advantage of its marketing aspect.

Developing a Strategy

The development of a TikTok strategy and its implementation can help businesses grow their consumer base in those younger demographics. However, it necessary that they present content in a way the younger demographics prefer. This is because they have learned to tune out traditional advertisements, but that is where TikTok thrives with its organic-centered content. Developing an organic strategy that highlights a company culture and the behind-the-scenes action allows the users to connect with a business at its core.

You Have the Views… Now it’s Time to Engage Your Audience
The content creation and posting portion are now up and running. However, that is only the first part of the battle of not only attracting but, more importantly, retaining the audience’s attention, which keeps them coming back to your page. This rapport-building is essential as it helps establish that ever meaningful relationship that can convert them from fans to actual customers. So, the key to this is being readily available to engage in the comments quickly and then expand your reach by interacting with your followers. This interaction shows you care about them as much as they care about your brand.

Leveraging Goodwill
Once those users have connected with your brand and like what value you are providing them, it is now time to convert them into consumers by slowly introducing your product or service into your feed.

We Have Organic Success… What’s Next?
Your business has built that organic following and has seen some conversion, but now you want to take it to the next level as you have developed an audience that you believe represents your target market. How do you scale this to that overall demographic?

Paid Advertisements
TikTok ads are still relatively new compared to their main competitors, which means less competition and more chances to get your content to that audience you have developed via your organic outreach. So now this pivots some of your attention to that development of your paid strategy that will focus on selling your product or service but remember that you still must interact organically with your primary consumer base. This necessary organic interaction exists because if you stop doing it, they will feel ignored and potentially start engaging in a harmful way with your page, which could turn others away.

How do I Achieve This?
This is a lot of information and ideas on building a winning strategy on the newest social media darling. However, you feel overwhelmed and do not feel like you have the time or knowledge to achieve your growth goals without guidance from the marketing world?

TikTok Strategy
Well, this is where we can help here at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC., as we have begun the process of developing a strategy that will put you at the forefront of the TikTok platform and its business users. We know that knowledge is most of the battle that causes people to take on a new platform. So that is why we are willing and able to provide you the guidance needed for you and your team to execute a unique strategy that takes your TikTok strategy to the next level?

CONTACT US
So, looking to get started on becoming that next company that has a big break on TikTok? Well, then give us a call here at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. at 321-255-0900 and schedule a free consultation with our marketing team and let us and our social media specialists get you where you want to be!

using-social-media-stories-to-your-business-advantage

Using Social Media Stories to Your Business’ Advantage

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Advertising, Marketing, Social Media

Even if they are only on your page for 24 hours, using social media stories to your business’ advantage can be very useful. If you are looking for a way to incorporate Instagram Stories and Twitter Fleets into your marketing, contact our experts at The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm LLC. today! 

  • Around half of Instagram’s total base uses the Stories feature.
  • Keeping on top of trends and new features is appealing to new customers.
  • You can track how engaging your followers find your content. 

In November, Twitter launched its new feature called Fleets. Following in a similar vein to Instagram’s Stories feature, users are able to share short-form content for a limited amount of time. You can customize this content with text, GIFs, or even links that will take whoever clicks on it to a web page. 

Not only that, but Stories is not the only interesting tool that Instagram has to offer. They also recently launched Reels in August, which are fifteen-second videos that are featured on a special part of the Instagram app. Since these are separated from the general post and Stories feeds, you are able to reach people that may not follow you yet. 

If you and your business have a social media presence, you can utilize these features to drive up business. If you are unsure of where to start, let the social media experts at The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm LLC. guide you towards a strategy that works for you.

Give Your Customers an Inside Look into Your Business

Customers are always looking for the human aspect of small businesses like yours. That is why it is a great idea to pull back your curtains sometimes to show the daily operations of you or your employees. Using Fleets and Stories are a great way to do this. As they are only on your page for twenty-four hours, you do not have to worry about bothering your social feeds with individual posts about your company. 

Offer Exclusive Discounts and Offers

As a business owner, you understand that urgency is one of the best feelings you can instill in a customer. You want to convince your audience that they should not miss a sale or opportunity as much as possible. By posting these offers on a platform that erases posts after twenty-four hours, this sense of urgency is effectively conveyed.

Interact with Your Customers

One of the major differences between Instagram Stories and Twitter Fleets is the fact that Stories is more user-friendly. This is because the platform offers “stickers” that allow your audience to vote in polls or ask questions. An idea that you can do with these stickers is to ask your customers to vote for their favorite product or service they’ve invested in this year. Although this is a feature currently not available in Fleets, chances are that something similar will be available in the near future. Using social media stories to your business’ advantage is also a great way to interact with your customers.

Customize Your Social Media Strategy Today

If you are interested in learning more about how Stories and Fleets can be used to market your business, contact The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm LLC. today! We can work with you side-by-side to determine the best course of action for your social media strategy. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 321-255-0900.

Advertising To Your Audience on Facebook

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Studio Central FL
Advertising, Marketing, Social Media
Social media is the most relevant advertising channel for Generation Z, Gen X, and millennials. These younger audiences are open, responsive, and primed to receive advertising messages as they browse their feed. If you want to target this younger demographic, paid social media advertising will help.
 
Social media is the most effective channel to inspire potential buyers to purchase from brands. Especially if you’re ready to invest in video ads. Marketers disclosed that they are increasing their digital video budgets by 25% year-over-year since video is widely preferred by consumers. Depending on your budget, you can get super specific with ad targeting to reach qualified customers and patients.
 
The problem with a lot of typical advertising that isn’t on social media is that they have no specific audience to target to and initial campaigns waste a good chunk of money fishing in an empty pond. While eventually, a target audience may be organically discovered this way, it’s highly unlikely that it will happen overnight.
 
With social media, you’re not necessarily fishing in an empty pond. It’s more like your fishing in a pond with a massive amount of very small fish that will very quickly turn into full-grown fish that you will eventually find yourself reeling in. With over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2020, Facebook is the biggest social network worldwide.
 
Instead of marketing to the masses and getting nowhere, your audience is already on social media and primed to buy. Strategic social media advertisements pop up in front of people at the right time, educating them about your product or service and motivating them to make a purchasing decision.
 
Social media has changed how advertisers find their true target audience. With specific ways to target demographics, location and even a potential consumer’s interests, targeting your audience is now common knowledge when it comes to digital marketing on social networks.
 
The largest demographic on Facebook is men ages 18-34, making up 35% of active users. Simple things like targeting a specific gender can change your ad campaign completely. Additionally, when setting up a new campaign almost all social media advertising platforms will ask you for an objective; be it video views, website clicks, post engagements or sales. Once this has been defined, the platform will use previous user behaviour data to put your ads in front of the people that are most likely to perform your desired action.
 
Many businesses end up boosting posts on Facebook as prompted by the platform. Boosting is an easy and cost effective way to get more exposure of a post and can be very successful for competitions, photos, blog posts and other posts that are not sales orientated.
 
However, when boosting, note that you are only able to use basic targeting functionalities and Facebook will target users more likely to engage (likes, comments, shares) rather than link clicks by default. Therefore, if you are running a campaign that’s designed to generate conversions, consider exploring the Facebook ads manager platform instead.
 
With social media advertising, there is less intent, you are simply targeting someone because they meet the profile of your target audience, they may have no interest in actually using your services or buying your product. The exception to this is when you use the Facebook pixel as when retargeting previous visitors of your website, you can assume higher intent.
 
The effectiveness of a social media platform will depend largely on your target audience, product or service and budget. However, Facebook could be considered to have the most advanced advertising features of all social media platforms and also has the largest user base. A person’s social media account tells you a lot about them, and social media advertising platforms allow you to utilize this data to put your ads in front of the right people. The more interested in a topic a person is, the more likely to click an ad with that interest in mind.