Every day that I come into work, I put my bag down, get settled, and jump onto my tightrope. The stakes are high because I really don’t want to fall off my rope. If I wobble to the left, I might end up in the land of creative writing, where everything is lovely and artsy but not always practical and helpful. If I topple off the right-hand side, I’ll fall into the dark pit of technical writing where I’ll be doomed to an eternity of boredom.
Marketing methods and how we consume content are ever changing and while we have seen social media use grow over the last few years, there has been an explosion of growth in video content across all social media platforms. According to TubularInsights, views of sponsored video content on Facebook jumped by 258% between 2016 and 2017 and you can bet that number is even higher now. With nearly one third of the world’s population on Facebook, it has the largest audience of any social network and video is what’s getting the greatest reach right now.
Walking into an educational session called “How to Make Your Content More Inclusive” at HubSpot’s INBOUND event earlier this year, I wasn’t convinced that it was going to be the best use of my time. That week was packed with speakers who delivered specific takeaway messages about creating more effective Facebook ads, Instagram posts, email newsletters, and so on. All lessons I really wanted to absorb, bring home with me, and instantly implement for our company and our clients. I confess, my attendance at this session was based on the number of open seats left, not how practical I thought it was going to be.
Trade shows: love them or hate them, if you’re in the manufacturing business you know that these events are still a common way for companies to gain more exposure and sell more product. There is something to be said for traveling to a place where hundreds of leads and customers are brought straight to you. So, what’s to hate? The cost.
As HubSpot partners and an agency who heavily relies on the platform, we’ve come to find out that many HubSpot users aren’t taking full advantage of all that the platform has to offer. Whether it’s that they were set up by another agency and never onboarded or they set themselves up and just haven’t had the time to really learn the platform, we see missed opportunities left and right. Of course, it takes time to get comfortable with any type of new software, but we can assure you that at least in this scenario, it’s time well spent.
With the U.S. unemployment rate hovering at 3.8%, finding the right people for your business can be very challenging. Employers need to cover all bases in order to get the word out about their open positions. It’s not enough to court active searchers on Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and in newspaper ads.
From a customer standpoint, Google My Business profiles are extremely helpful. They show up on the right hand side of your web browser when you search for a local restaurant, for example. The profiles are chock-full of information like phone numbers, locations, hours of operation, various social links, photos, and even customer reviews. Whether someone is looking for recommended restaurants in a new place, or they’ve just forgotten what number to call to make reservations at an old haunt, they’ll often consult a search engine to get this information.
If you’re in digital marketing, then you’re probably pretty comfortable using various forms of social media by now, particularly Facebook. Of course, the platforms are constantly changing so there is often new information to learn. For example, video posts have all but taken over Facebook. So, even if you have the basics of social down, it’s important to pay attention to industry news and take note of any important trends.
If you’re a fee-only fiduciary, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re already a member of The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). If you aren’t already, we seriously recommend considering it! This organization offers many perks, such as the “Find an Advisor” feature on the NAPFA website. If you are a member, we highly recommend spending some time on your profile through the NAPFA website if you haven’t yet.