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Month: January 2021

Social Commerce 2021 Trends: Tactics and Tools to Grow Your E-Commerce Business

Posted on by Alice Momo

Social media has made great gains in connecting businesses with consumers. As technology evolves so do the tools major platforms have created to help retailers strengthen their brands.

Social commerce allows businesses to interact with consumers without leaving the platform where the initial communication begins. You no longer have to reroute people to your website or have them call a toll-free number. It also eliminates the need to send an email that may sit in an inbox for days or weeks.

Interactions take place in real-time which means responses are faster and resolutions are quicker.

Are you a business owner looking to create an e-commerce strategy? Keep reading to learn more about the latest trends for your business.

Use Social Commerce to Sell Directly From Facebook

Social media targeting is a large portion of a business digital marketing strategy. Expect to see new advancements on social media sites like Facebook to give people a one-stop-shop experience.

Facebook currently has options for businesses to sell their products from business pages. The apps are currently limited, but someone can do well enough in sales to make it worth their time to set-up.

Incorporate Chatbots and AI

Incorporating chatbots into your e-commerce strategy allows convenience for customers to contact your business while on social media. Chatbots can answer basic questions. Create a list of commonly asked questions and use artificial intelligence to provide the answers.

The benefit of chatbots is to eliminate the need for a person to be accessible 24 hours a day. You’ll have times when someone will need a human response. When this happens, develop an option for the person to text or use messenger to send more detailed information.

Create Live Stream Experiences

When it comes to the discussion of social commerce vs e-commerce, it isn’t about one being better than the other. Instead, the discussion is more of how can they complement each other.

Live streaming is becoming the premiere function across social media. Businesses can use live streaming to introduce new products and promote existing ones. It also allows customers to engage.

Engagement on live streams includes Q & A’s and people giving testimonials. You can also incorporate a segment where certified buyers can join the call.

Change Your Approach to Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing was big news a few years ago. It has since died down. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s no longer a part of social commerce.

Today is about building partnerships. Instead of seeking people that’ll charge a fortune, partner with other entrepreneurs. Use cross-promotion marketing to gain awareness.

You can also do joint promotions via live streams.

Step Into Your Social Commerce

Social commerce isn’t something to fear. Embrace the possibilities or how far you can take your business by using social media. All tools aren’t a perfect fit for every company. Explore what works for you.

Put our expertise to work for you. Click here to reach out so we can discuss flexible solutions for your marketing strategy.

Which Banner Sizes do You Need in 2021?

Posted on by Alice Momo

It’s 2021 and your business needs to be bigger and better than ever to compete. That applies to your banner sizes, too. We’re not talking about physical banners.

Website banners come in all shapes and sizes. Some will grab your customers’ attention much better than others. Find the perfect banner dimensions and size for your company by reading this article.

Various Banner Sizes

Website banners are new physical banners. They can attract and keep a customer’s attention or repel them.

A good choice for many websites is the leaderboard banner. It’s one of the best website headers. The ad formats use images and text alike.

Mobile ads don’t work here. Advertisers adore the leaderboard because it goes well immediately after or before the website header. Since there are more ads in this size, leaderboard ads tend to be better.

Compare these to the large rectangle ads. As you’d expect, these are bigger and more noticeable. They may be too big to fit in the sidebar on some websites.

Putting it in a sidebar where it doesn’t fit could distort the content and thereby harm the user experience. Place a large rectangle ad vertically between paragraphs or other content. Don’t try to fit it into a sidebar.

Now it’s time to go mobile. Large mobile banners work well when shown at the top of a page, beneath the site header. Reduce its impact on user experience by putting it further down the page, throughout the content.

You’ll get a better ad inventory with this format as advertisers make more mobile ads to keep up with the website traffic from mobile devices.

A Banner Year

The banners don’t stop there.

Allow me to introduce you to the Billboard banner. They’re best shown at the top or bottom of a webpage. The Billboard’s placement and size options lend itself to higher-quality ads.

Sometimes, a smaller banner is the answer. The square banner is diminutive but likelier to fit into your website’s design than larger ads. That said, larger ads are generally more noticeable.

You can fit the square almost anywhere. There’s a reduced ad inventory though.

Next, we have a classy portrait ad. It’s considerably longer than other vertical ads. Advertisers use it for retargeting messages and brand-centered advertising.

Put it in your site’s sidebar, although its length can affect the user experience. It’s an effective ad size but you should pay attention to the general ad experience.

The Digital Advertising Experience

Our world has charted an irreversible course toward even more personalized forms of cyber-advertising. We may see holograms and more closely targeted advertising in the near future.

While traditional, physical marketing still has some value, online banners have become essential for any remotely competitive business. You must choose the right banner sizes.

You can’t do that all by yourself. Gain an edge in banner marketing by contacting Big Bold Thinkers today.

5 Ways to Use Event Branding to Stay Relevant in the Business World

Posted on by Alice Momo

Around 62% of customers expect businesses to anticipate their needs. Using event branding to your advantage helps your business outshine the competition.

Event branding involves using your organization’s brand to create a branded event. The goal of this type of event is to create a brand experience that improves your new and/or pre-existing brand relationships.

Contrary to popular belief, branded events are happening all of the time. Many of these events are digital, but they’re still happening with a significant success rate.

Here’s what you should know about staying relevant with event branding:

1. Show Off Your Products and Services

Brand awareness spreads the word about your brand, which is why brand awareness events are so important. Events promote brand awareness by tying a specific brand to the particular theme or activities associated with the event.

Throwing events that show people how to use your products or services raises brand awareness. It also educates consumers about what your business has to offer them.

For instance, you could host a virtual class that provides information and instructions regarding your products and services. People generally consider consumer events like this to be helpful.

2. Choose the Right Design Elements

Branding through events means knowing how to pick design elements that flaunt your event and brand all at once. This involves designing an event logo that’s partially inspired by your business’s logo, but with its own touch. This ensures the event remains branded while also maintaining an event brand of its own.

Stick to your brand colors, as color drastically improves brand recognition. If you do use different colors, make sure they’re within your brand’s palette.

Keep in mind that your event’s visual elements play a role in how successful you’ll be in promoting it on social media.

3. Associate Your Brand with Notable Speakers

The best event branding services strive to associate your event with a notable speaker or public figure. Featuring a notable figure will create and amplify the hype surrounding your event. It’ll also improve your brand image.

Always choose a speaker who’s relevant to the event’s theme or purpose. The speaker doesn’t have to be famous, but they should have a decent following.

4. Add Value

Successful events provide value to their attendants. That means they add value by contributing something positive to people’s lives. This is why free virtual workshops are becoming more popular among consumers.

Think about handing out goodie bags at your next branded event. It’ll increase brand recall.

5. Customer Appreciation

Let your next Big Brand Event be a customer appreciation event! It sends the message that your brand cares about its customers.

Provide guests with promotional freebies as presents. That way, attendees will always have a physical object that advertises your brand to whoever sees it.

Nothing Compares to Professional Event Branding

72% of small business owners are remaining optimistic about their future. You’ll feel especially optimistic about your event if you trust experienced professionals with your event branding.

Keep in mind that every event requires a working event branding strategy. Plus, event branding professionals know where to find the best event branding inspiration.

Throw an event that benefits your brand — contact us to learn more about our services for events and activations. Your customers will truly appreciate it.

Important Google Search Trends You Need to Pay Attention to

Posted on by Alice Momo

Up to 46% of all Google searches are local. Knowing about the hottest search trends will help your small business a competitive edge.

Around 93% of all online activities begin with a search engine. Minding certain trends will help your business’s website rank higher in SERPs (search engine results pages). In turn, this increases your website’s visibility to consumers.

Your business’s web presence reflects your brand. You deserve an online presence that makes your brand look professional, trustworthy, and of high quality.

Here are some hot Google search trends you should pay attention to.

Emphasis on User Experience

The days of designing a website solely based on how crawlers will read it are over. Now, Google prioritizes user experience over other factors.

Mobile responsive designs are becoming especially important. After all, mobile traffic is increasing, and if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on conversions and sales.

Focus on making your website faster and easier to use. That way, users will be able to intuitively navigate your website without issues, and it’ll boost your SEO ranking. Plus, having a fast website improves your brand image.

Fun fact: One of the biggest Google search term trends is that searches for the term “for me” have significantly increased. This reflects how users are focusing more on their own needs, which means your website must be user responsive.

Think Local SEO

Due to quarantine and social distancing, many trending searches are local. For instance, searches with the phrase “near me” have increased dramatically. This means claiming your Google My Business listing is more important than ever.

Be sure to use relevant keywords in your Google My Business listing. Performing keyword research will give you more insight into which keywords to use. This ensures that your listing will show up more often in local searches.

In fact, your Google listing is becoming more crucial than ever to ranking high in 2021.

Updated Google My Business Listings

Filling out your GMB listing with consistent contact information and keywords is necessary, but it’s not enough on its own. Now, Google factors quality and engagement into the listings that get displayed as results.

Google prioritizes active GMB listings over others. That means Google looks for listings that post consistent updates and photos. Also, Google pays attention to your reviews as well as your responses to them.

Nix stock photos in favour of fun, high-quality photos. They give people a better idea of your products, services, and overall brand.

Get Hip to the Hottest Search Trends

Google accounts for 94% of total organic traffic. Organic traffic is easier to convert into sales, which is why learning about these search trends makes a difference.

In fact, 43% of e-commerce traffic comes from organic Google searches. Minding these trends will help your business stay relevant, but only a professional knows how to finetune your strategy for success.

Boost your business and contact us to ask about our digital marketing services. It’ll drive your revenue through the roof.