So, here's what we're thinking...

Have you ever seen a post about a product that convinced you to press “add to cart” only to realize it was a friend who had shared this compelling content to social media? That’s UGC! User-generated content, or UGC for short, is brand related and voluntarily created/shared by said brand’s customers. This content can take the form of images, videos, blogs, podcasts, and more. UGC is incredibly authentic because it is usually created in the exact moment that a customer has been made happy by a product or service. It shows an individual’s genuine appreciation for a brand, meaning any claims made about the product/service are likely to be credible.

It’s no secret that most consumers research products and services before turning from prospect to customer. What they most want to hear about are experiences other people have had with a company. According to Planet Marketing, 90% of people check out what their peers are saying about a business first, then decide if they’d like to interact further. Also, 72% of people said they will only interact with a business that has positive reviews. Why is this? 

If you’re looking for new email marketing software, you’re probably wondering why there are so many options, and most importantly, which one will work best for your company. Well, each service offers a lot of the same basic features, but they also specialize in different tools, capabilities, and integrations. Like anything in marketing, you must consider your goals, strategy, and audience in order to make an informed decision. Choosing the right email marketing software for your company is less about which one is superior and more about which one is the best match for you.

Many businesses have started posting Instagram Stories on a regular basis, as they should! Over 500 million people use the feature every day. Because this content disappears after 24 hours, its style and format are usually more casual than a traditional social media post. This can be off putting if your company is trying Stories out for the first time and you’re used to presenting yourself very professionally online. Take a breath. It’s okay, and actually recommended, to show your company culture and prove your authenticity on social media. Stories are a great place to do this because the content is ephemeral. 

If you’re a financial advisor, wouldn’t it be helpful if you could find out exactly what your prospects are concerned about? If you could, it would allow you to craft your messaging to address those concerns and use targeted digital ads to reach those who have them.  We have good news for you!

The initials ESG refer to the factors used to measure the environmental and ethical impact of investing in a company. The “G” stands for governance, corporate governance to be exact. A trend within the group of investors who care about the systems, structures and policies governing a corporation is investing in more women-owned and women-led businesses.

We don’t say much about Snapchat anymore because for most brands, though certainly not all, this platform holds very little value, especially in comparison with other options. However, it’s worth noting that a feature they introduced in October of 2013 totally changed the game for all social media platforms - Snapchat Stories. Thus began the social experience of sharing content in real time, in the narrative format of a micro-documentary that could be re-watched for a whole day until the snaps disappeared 24 hours after being posted. Users were instantly delighted by this new way of sharing their lives on social media.

You might not think about it this way when going through your junk folder, but email marketing is quite the art form. Although some companies may only be sending hard sales pitches to their contacts, that is a mistake. Marketing emails are meant to be relationship building tools, and they’re definitely tools that you want to use correctly. According to HubSpot, 59% of marketers say email is their biggest source of ROI.

Spring cleaning is not exclusively relevant to 1950s housewives. If you work in an office setting, you probably already have a pretty good idea of how much clutter can affect your productivity. This extends beyond a messy desk. Although many business people are on their computers for nearly 40 hours a week, there are still plenty of digital tasks that get pushed aside time and time again. The turn of the season is a great excuse to finally take a moment to accomplish these things. Trust us, it’s worth taking the time at least once a year. It will not only positively impact your productivity, but you might be ignoring crucial digital marketing to-dos that could bring you more business. Here are this spring’s top 5 digital cleaning tasks you should add to your list…