Tag: advertising agency

Top 10 Marketing Trends in 2022

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Advertising, Marketing | , , , , ,

As 2022 quickly approaches, we are looking ahead to see which marketing trends you need to keep on your radar. Do you have a plan for your business going into 2022? If not, you still have time to strategize your next moves. 

 

Start by considering your goals for 2022. What do you want to achieve in the next 12 months? What do you want to accomplish in the next three years? Once you have your future goals in mind, you can begin strategizing your next steps into a successful 2022 by following these 10 marketing trends: 

 

#1 Instantaneous Demand 

Leading into 2022, consumers will continue to look for businesses that give quick responses. For example, having a plug-in on your website for instant messaging through messenger with a brand helps to build trustworthiness. Consumers will continue to look for the highest quality and highest response time. If customers do not hear back from a brand quickly, they will move on to the next brand that will be more timely. 

 

#2 Growing of Influencers

Have you ever seen a post on social media and did not even realize it was an ad? These posts are coming from not a brand but their influencers. Influencers will review a product or highlight a product that they enjoy. This growth of influencers is accurate for B2B as well. Consider looking for opportunities to partner with influencers in your industry. 

 

#3 LinkedIn Continues to Grow

If you do not have a LinkedIn Page, you might want one for your company. Not only is LinkedIn on top of updating and improving their app for better results on businesses and pages, but the number of monthly active users is also continuing to grow steadily. 

 

#4 Less is More

With new digital marketing popping up almost daily, be cautious not to spread your budget too thin. Focus on advertising through one social media platform. This tactic will allow you to have more exposure in one area vs. not being seen on multiple platforms. Focus on your primary platform and hit it with your highest quality ads and posts. 

 

#5 Word-of-Mouth

In 2022 you will see that more and more customers will see what others have to say about your company. For example, if someone tweets raving about your brand, future consumers are more likely to trust you will be up to their standards. The same goes for providing quality service to your customers quickly.

 

#6 Invest in Brand Image 

You will build a more trustworthy and legit brand by investing in your brand image. As online advertising continues to get more competitive in 2022, you will need to stand out from your competitors. This includes building up your brand image across your social media platforms because appearance matters. 

 

#7 Custom Content in Newsletters

If you have not begun newsletter marketing, you should consider this as we start 2022. Newsletters are personal since you are in your customer’s inbox vs. their newsfeed. Newsletters are how you appeal to your audience on a deeper level as you get more of their attention. Also, having your customer’s emails will allow you to do email marketing for your ads.

 

#8 Storytelling Balance

We all know consumers do not want to be sold all the time or hear about how excellent your product/service is. Consumers want you to solve their problems through a story. Tell them how your product/service helped others to solve their problem. Storytelling will make your consumers think for themselves, “Hm, maybe I should try this for myself.”

 

#9 Bring Simplicity Back

The marketing noise for consumers is tremendous. You do not need to be louder than your competitors; but instead, you need to be strategic with your posts. You can post a blog post every day, but you will create more impactful articles if you focus on quality over quantity. 

 

#10 Do Not Forget Foundation 

We all love staying on top of the newest technologies and apps, but it is essential to remember to focus on our foundation. This includes making your website easy to maneuver and ensuring your social media has the correct contact information and links. Checking you are reaching your target audience with each post or ad, building a relationship with your customers online or in person, and much more! 

 

Having a stable foundation for your business will allow you to grow organically and branch out into new social media with success while still reaching your target audience. Focusing on building a relationship with your customers will even work to boost your word-of-mouth. 

 

Since 2020, we have seen an enormous shift in the world of technology and average tactics will not get the return on your investment you desire. Get prepared for new ways of operating your business, creating content, and advertising. Have your goals set as you reign in the new year, and let’s all start with a bang! 

 

If you still feel unsure of the proper steps for your business moving into 2022, give our team of marketing professionals a call at The Ad Leaf! We will be able to help you achieve your goals. 

The Importance of Active Social Media

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Social Media | , , , , ,

The use of social media has become a necessity for running a successful business. Whether you are marketing, selling products or services, networking with potential clients, or need to stay in touch with friends and family- it is all there for the taking. However, if your account isn’t active enough, people won’t see what you have to offer, which will lead them not to do further research into your company. 

 

Let’s say a potential customer sees your restaurant on Yelp, and they explore your page. Then, they want to see recent posts, so they click your social media platforms. Your last post is from 2019. Now they are confused if your business is currently open. Why have you not posted any of the delicious plates? Now they scroll onto the next restaurant to hopefully see pictures of their possible food. 

 

In this example scenario, a simple fix would be to begin running your social media regularly. With that being said, here are four benefits and the importance of an active social media presence so that your business can grow!

 

Active Social Media

Having an active social media presence will help you build brand awareness, credibility, brand recall and increase your traffic. Through these benefits, you will be able to boost your brand’s exposure organically. It does not matter how big or small your business is; you are bound to see results through your efforts.

 

Brand Awareness 

Building brand awareness through your social media accounts allows you to reach new customers that might have never heard about your company. Through a consistent social media presence, you are continuously growing your audience reach daily. Keeping your social media presence active will let your potential followers see a consistent and energetic brand. Through keeping your social media platforms active, it will organically improve your reach to more users. These steps will encourage customers to shop from your company more than a company with no social media presence. 

 

Brand Credibility 

Brand credibility is the trust you build with your customers combined with how long your company has been around. Benefits of positive brand credibility include having customers that will continue to choose your brand and advocate your business to others. A few easy ways to build your brand credibility are by sharing customer reviews on your social platforms or website. For new companies that have yet to get many reviews, you can grow brand credibility by simply running active social media or keeping a running blog on your website that posts regularly. Consumers love to see consistent posting, as this gives them something to explore in their spare time. 

 

Brand Recall

Brand recall is what instantly comes to mind when a customer thinks of a product category. Of course, everyone wants to be the first company a customer thinks of, and an active social media presence will improve your chance. As customers scroll on social media, the more often they see your brand’s posting will help them remember your branding and choose your company over another. This is why you want to be sure you are posting content that is always brand-related, and adding your logo onto your postings is another easy way to ensure your customers remember your brand. 

 

Traffic Growth

Through your active social media, you will see positive traffic growth and leads. Targeting your specific target audience through your social media will bring valuable leads. So it is crucial to decide who your target audience is as this will allow you to attract the right audience. You will also be able to interact with local accounts to your business if this is what you please. Naturally, through more exposure to your brand, you will see more interaction. 

 

Now that you know the importance of having active social media channels, having them up to date is crucial. But there is another layer to consider while running your social media! When potential customers view your active social media platforms, they will see your brand as presented to them. 

  • Do your logos match across all of your social media platforms? 
  • Do you post content that will attract your target audience? 
  • Are you engaging with your social media accounts enough to bring in new followers? 
  • Are you using the correct social media to attract your target audience? 

You might find that you need to put in more effort to help grow your social media presence in the way you hope. 

 

It’s time to take action and know the importance of active social media! As you can see, there are many benefits of having an active social media presence for your business. To have a flourishing business, you must have active and brand-matching social media to attract your target audience. If this interests you and you want help getting started, we have a team of experts here at The AD Leaf ready to assist with creating the perfect plan for organic growth through social media channels. We would be more than happy to help your business grow through the world of social media. This is your sign! 

The History of Social Media

3 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the History of Social Media

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Marketing, Social Media | , , , , ,

People seem to have a love/hate relationship with social media. On the one hand, humans are social beings. We crave interactions with others, and relationships play big roles in our everyday lives. Social media allows us to easily connect with friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers. This can be construed in a positive or negative light depending on who you ask and when you ask them. Whatever your thoughts on social media are, it’s pretty clear it’s here to stay in one form or another. So, how did social media even start? Was it when the first cave painting emerged? When the first telegraph was sent? Did it start with the invention of the internet? The answer to this question isn’t clear cut, but there are plenty of interesting facts about the evolution of social media along the way! Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the history of social media on the internet.

 

1. CompuServe was an early online service provider that used a method similar to time-sharing.

CompuServe Information Service, a.k.a. CIS, was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1969 as a subsidiary of Golden United Life Insurance. Initially, CompuServe had two objectives. The first was to provide computer processing support to the company, and the second was to sell excess computer capacity to other corporations through a kind of time-share system. In 1979, it began providing dial-up online information services to the owners of personal computers. CompuServe is known as the original online portal, offering message forums, online chat services, software libraries, and even online games! It grew in popularity in the 80s and 90s and was sold to AOL in 1997 with WorldCom acting as a broker for $1.2 billion in stock.

 

2. One of the first social media services was SixDegrees.com.

This social network site was named after the six degrees of separation concept, which is the idea that people have an average of six degrees of separation from each other. SixDegrees was founded in 1996 by Andrew Weinreich, and the website launched in 1997, making it one of the earliest social media sites on the internet. SixDegrees allowed users to create profiles, list their friends and acquaintances, and interact with other users. At its peak, SixDegrees had about 3.5 million registered users. Just two years after its launch, it was sold to YouthStream Media Networks for $125 million. SixDegrees was short-lived, though, in part because of the limitations of internet connectivity in the late 90s and early 2000s. It shut down in 2001. 

 

3. Users could rate the attractiveness of strangers on AmIHotOrNot.com.

James Hong and Jim Young, both engineers based in Silicon Valley, disagreed one day over whether or not a woman they passed on the street was attractive. Their solution? To create a website, of course! In October 2000, the two friends launched AmIHotOrNot.com. The site allowed users to voluntarily submit photos of themselves to be rated on a scale of 1 to 10 by others based on their attractiveness. It went viral. Within one week of launching, the site had reached nearly 2 million daily page views. The site incorporated dating and matchmaking elements.

Aspects of Hot Or Not impacted later dating apps like Tinder and OkCupid. The site was even said to have influenced Mark Zuckerburg to create FaceMash.com, where Harvard students could rate the looks of fellow students based on their student ID photos. Unlike Hot Or Not, FaceMash did not allow users to submit photos voluntarily. FaceMash received major backlash, both because students felt it violated their privacy and because it was seen as a copycat of Hot Or Not. After being called before the school’s administrative board, Zuckerburg took the site down. Hot Or Not was sold for a rumored $20 million to Avid Life Media in 2008. 

 

There are plenty of interesting stories when it comes to the history of social media. From computer time-sharing processes to rating the looks of strangers, there is a lot to learn about how social media has evolved. If you own a business, you probably know how important it is to be able to connect with your customers, whether it’s through an interactive website or your social media channels. If you’re looking for a marketing company with a stellar reputation to assist with any aspect of your digital marketing, look no further than The AD Leaf. We offer web design, search engine optimization, email marketing, social media management, digital advertising, and more! Give us a call today at (321) 255-0900 to learn how we could help you grow your business.