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Video Marketing Trends for 2018

May 11, 2018/in Articles, Directors, Video Marketing /by Terry Becker

Over the past few years, video has become essential to any successful content marketing strategy, which is why it’s important to pay attention to video marketing trends in 2018. The reasoning behind video’s importance? Video is easier for people to consume and to share than other types of content. Almost every device has HD video capabilities, including smartphones. In fact, mobile consumption of video content is as high as it’s ever been. Keeping this in mind, the following are a few video marketing trends to pay attention to this year:

Video content will be produced more regularly

It wasn’t that long ago that businesses would have to invest heavily in creating quality video content. Because of how expensive this was, few businesses could afford to create more than a few videos a year. Due to advances in technology, producing video has never been easier — or cheaper. Expect to see more businesses creating video content on a much more regular basis.

Video content will become less promotional

Video content used to be solely promotional. Businesses would only invest in video content if it were a commercial of some sort. However, businesses are now starting to leverage video content as a way to engage their customers and to offer something of value that will build brand trust. As a result, more video content will focus on demonstrations and tutorials rather than product or service promotions. This means that video will play a more important part in nurturing leads through the buyer cycle.

What are 3 videos every B2B website should have?

Small businesses will be producing videos

Because of how affordable it is to produce video content, smaller businesses are likely to begin producing their own videos as well. They are realizing that they have a much better chance of increasing brand awareness via video as a result of the fact that 92 percent of mobile users that watch videos will share video content with others.

Video content is the most viewed type of content on Facebook, and YouTube has consistently been one of the top social media platforms. However, more and more social channels are integrating video into their platforms as well, including Pinterest, Instagram and even Quora. Facebook has even introduced their Facebook Watch feature to capitalize on their users’ interest in video content. These platforms understand that video is the future, which is why they are racing to improve their ability to host and share video content.

Live streaming video will become even more popular

Live streaming is quickly taking off as a great way to provide your audience with unique content that they can engage with. All that’s needed to stream live video content is a smartphone and an Internet connection. With this, you’ll be able to live stream anything via social channels such as Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. Additionally, live streaming offers a sense of exclusivity since once it’s over, it’s over. This makes advertising certain events, whether you’re live streaming a conference or a show, extremely effective since it appeals to audiences’ sense of FOMO (fear of missing out).

Not only has it become easier for consumers to view video content, it’s become easier for businesses to produce it. This is the reason why video marketing is here to stay. These are some of the video marketing trends in 2018 that you may want to consider implementing into your inbound marketing strategy.

What’s Trending in Marketing

May 1, 2018/in Articles, Attraction Marketing, B2B Marketing, Blog, Content Marketing, Directors, Inbound Marketing /by Nicole Wagner

Keeping up with what’s trending in marketing is an important way to ensure that your marketing efforts remain up to date. Not to mention that they can provide insight into how you can adjust your marketing strategies in order to improve your results. The only problem is that keeping up with what’s trending in marketing can be quite a challenge seeing as how the online marketing landscape seems to always be shifting.

The following are a collection of articles that we have curated from some of the most notable marketing blogs on the web highlighting recent marketing trends that we think you should be aware of:

1. Noteworthy Marketing News and Trends

The power of podcasting: How to boost your reputation and search engine rankings

Podcasts have exploded in popularity over the past five years, taking on the position that radio once had in our lives. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of opportunity for marketing using podcasts as a result. A recent article about podcasts published on Search Engine Land recommends establishing yourself as an authority within your field through the creation of webinars, video content, a social media presence and more. This helps build credibility so that you’ll have a better chance at being invited onto a podcast. Once you’ve built a name for yourself, you’ll want to pitch podcast ideas that can benefit your SEO efforts to podcast hosts that are relevant to your business.

YouTube’s new TrueView for Reach option makes bumper assets skippable

According to an article by Ginny Marvin on Marketing Land, YouTube recently introduced a skippable option for short-form ads that are called TrueView for Reach, which can be skipped after five seconds; however, advertisers only pay if the viewers watch 30 seconds, the viewer interacts with the ad or the video ends. YouTube has implemented this new option in response to requests for ways to optimize TruView buys based on the different campaign objectives that customers have. One of the beta testers of the TrueView for Reach option, Samsung, revealed that it reached over 50 percent more people at half the CPM (cost per thousand) using the new feature.

Google Switches to Infinite Scrolling Mobile Search Results

Google has switched from having to click from page to page on their mobile SERP (search engine results page) to being able to scroll down infinitely by clicking on a “more results” button. This could potentially change what it means to rank on the first page of SERP according to a recent write up on the new infinite scrolling feature on Search Engine Journal. However, it’s currently in a test phase, which Google will only make permanent based on user feedback.

What other trends are there? Check out these ten ways to use Google Trends to Increase SEO!

2. Growing Your Inbound Marketing

Do You Need to Redesign Your Website?

Your website plays a huge role in your ability to market effectively. If it’s been a while since you updated your website, it may be in need of a redesign. Our own Nicole Wagner did a write up recently sharing some of the signs that a website needs to be redesigned. These signs include poor web rankings, a change in branding, a lackluster conversion rate, an outdated look and a subpar user experience.

Your Company’s Core Values Play a Role in Developing Your Brand Story

Storytelling is one of the most important aspects of marketing. Without it, you’ll have trouble engaging with your audience and connecting with them. We recently published a blog post on developing your brand story detailing how important it is to employ storytelling in order to share what your company’s core values and beliefs are and how that will evoke stronger emotions and build stronger bonds with your audience.

3. Recent Marketing Reports, Updates, and Trends

Pinterest reports 50% gain YoY in SMB advertisers

The Pinterest Propel ad program has been around for a whole year now and it recently reported a 50 percent jump in small and medium-sized business advertisers since it first went live. Pinterest has made a concerted effort to position their platform as an effective tool for advertisers and also revealed that businesses who are using Pinterest Propel are earning three times as many clicks than those who are not — and are even experiencing an average of 15 percent lower cost-per-clicks within the first 90 days.

Snapchat looks to offer new e-commerce options for Discover Publishers

According to a recent post on Marketing Land, Snapchat is currently testing a new e-commerce option on some of its Discover publisher channels. The new feature will allow users to swipe on products within the Discover platform in order to buy them from the Snap Store. Although they are just testing the waters, the company seems to have great ambition for its store’s future potential. Several publishers have revealed that they have tested the new feature and that currently, Snapchat is not taking a revenue share from any of the products being sold so far during the testing stage.

Facebook & Cambridge Analytica: What we know, what they knew & where that leaves us

Facebook has been all over the news as of late due to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Considering the fact that many businesses leverage the use of Facebook for their marketing efforts, you’ll want to know where the future of Facebook lies. A recent article on Marketing Land goes into detail about the scandal as well as Mark Zuckerberg’s recent testimony in front of Congress addressing the issue of Facebook’s privacy settings and user consent.

The future of retail is Generation Z-dependent — and martech is the way to reach them

A new generation (Generation Z) is coming of age, and like every generation before them, their buying habits are different. Rohit Gupta explains how important it is for businesses to begin adjusting their marketing efforts to better target this upcoming generation by providing numerous tips. These tips include customizing the purchase journey, connecting through social media, preparing for the use of voice recognition technology, and focusing on convenient shipping options.

Using a Website Redesign Checklist

April 30, 2018/in Articles, Blog, Directors, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Nicole Wagner

When it comes to redesigning your website, there are a lot of different elements you’ll need to address, which is why you should use a website redesign checklist. The following website redesign checklist will help you gather all of the data you need as well as address the most important aspects of your website’s design:

Analyze your current website

If you’ve committed to investing in a complete website redesign, then you probably know what you want to improve. However, you should use analytics to diagnose your site’s issues so that you know exactly what’s wrong. For example, if you’re visitor conversion rate is lower than you would like, look at data such as bounce rates, page load times, CTA click-throughs and shopping car abandonment rates to pinpoint where your issues lie. Other metrics you’ll want to pay attention to include:

SEO rankings for important keywords
Total number of sales generated
Number of visitors
Number of unique visitors
Domain authority
Number of new lead form submissions.

Establish your goals

If you don’t know what you want your website to accomplish, then you won’t know what direction to take your website redesign in. Without goals, you won’t know what to focus on, nor will you know whether your website redesign is successful once it’s up and running. Make sure that when you set your goals, you can tie them to measurable results. For example, if increasing your brand authority is your main goal, then track metrics such as:

The number of unique visitors,
Time spent on page
Social signals (shares, likes and comments)

Determine what works

Just because your current website might have a few issues doesn’t mean that there aren’t elements that work really well. For example, maybe you’re redesigning your site because you want to update its look; however, your content is actually very effective at drawing in visitors and capturing leads. More specifically, you’ll want to make sure that high ranking pages are kept in place. When auditing your site, take note of what you think is successful as well as what needs work.

Analyze your competitors

In addition to auditing your own website, you should audit the sites of your main competitors. Take note of everything you like and don’t like about their site. Your aim shouldn’t be to just copy what they do but to get an idea of what they are doing so that you can create a superior website experience.

Identify your UVP

Your unique value proposition (UVP) indicates exactly what your business does and what makes your services or products unique. A UVP helps you stand out from the competition. You need to know what your UVP is because it will inform all of the content that you create for your website.

Keep buyer personas in mind

Your website should appeal to your target audience. Your visitors need to be able to connect to your brand’s messaging, after all. To make sure that this happens, all of your content should cater to your buyer persona. A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer created using the available data you have from current and past customers, such as:

Demographics
Past purchases
Online behavior
Motivations
Needs
Wants
Concerns
Personal histories
Income

Here are the reasons why buyer personas are so important to a business

Map your buyer’s journey

Every visitor that comes to your website is going to be at one of three stages of the buyer’s journey. The first stage is the awareness stage, in which the buyer is seeking information that helps to define their problems or needs. The second stage is the consideration stage in which the buyer defines their problem and is searching for solutions. The final stage is the decision stage, in which the buyer chooses a solution. Your website needs to cater to visitors at every stage of the buyer’s journey in order to attract their attention, keep their attention and, finally, to convert them.

Set benchmark metrics

The goals you set should be general yet measurable. For example, the goal to increase brand authority is a long-term goal that doesn’t end. Because of this, you should set benchmarks so that you can judge your site’s performance. For example, social signals are a good metric for measuring brand authority. You could set benchmarks for how many shares you want to average per blog post by a certain date. If your metrics meet this benchmark by this date, then you know that your redesign is working and you can set the goal posts even further. If you don’t meet this benchmark, then you may need to make more adjustments.

Optimize your site for SEO

Implementing a strong search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is vital to consistently attract new visitors. Google takes into account a variety of factors, including keywords, link juice and social signals. You’ll need to do keyword research to identify unique keywords relevant to each page. These keywords should be used naturally in your titles, headers, body content, anchor text, alt image tags, HTML tags, meta tags and title tags. External links are earned by promoting and linking to your website’s content via social media, submitting your website information to local directories and by writing guest blogs. Social signals are earned by getting visitors to engage with your content, such as by liking, sharing or commenting on it.

Optimize your site for mobile use

Many people use their smartphones and tablets to browse the Internet. This means that your website will need to load and display properly no matter how small the screen size is. The easiest way to ensure that your site is mobile-friendly is by using a responsive design. You can check to see if your current site is mobile-friendly by using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Just type in the address for each webpage and it will determine how mobile-friendly it is.

Find opportunities for conversion

Calls-to-action should be used on every page to encourage visitors to convert. Without calls-to-action, visitors won’t know what you want them to do. Not only should you use relevant CTAs on every page, you need to offer something of value to visitors in return for opting-in. Depending on your what your business offers, this could include downloadable eBooks and white papers, email newsletter subscriptions, product discounts, free trials, free consultations and more. Unique landing pages should be crafted for every call-to-action that focus on the visitor’s needs, your UVP and how what you’re offering can benefit them.

Implement a content strategy

Whatever your goals are for your website, their success will depend on your content strategy. You need to provide high-quality content that is relevant to your buyer persona’s needs and concerns and that is informative, helpful and unique. The best way to do this is through a website blog. Additionally, you’ll need to regularly publish new content to keep your audience engaged and to make sure that they return to your site. While writing good content is important, you’ll need to market it as well. An important part of your content strategy is establishing exactly when you publish your content (it should always be on the same day at the same time) and where and how you promote your new content.

Continually improve

Don’t assume that once you’re done with your website redesign that you’re finished. A good website design is one that is always being improved. You should track your metrics and make adjustments to your design whenever needed. If you meet your goals, you should establish new ones. Move your goal posts further so that your website can continue to grow and improve. Additionally, you should always be uploading new content to keep your website fresh, thereby maintaining or improving your search engine rankings.

Want more resources on how to redesign your website? Click here!

Are Keywords Still Required To Increase SEO Rankings?

April 27, 2018/in Articles, Blog, Directors, SEO /by Nicole Wagner

Although the use of keywords no longer has the power to increase SEO rankings the way they once did, they continue to play an important part in online marketing strategies.

SEO has evolved greatly over the years, to the point where it’s almost unrecognizable to what it was just a decade ago. Google has continuously updated its algorithm to make its search results more accurate and relevant, and they’ve cracked down on the abuse of keywords to artificially boost web rankings. These days, Google uses over 200 factors to determine search rankings; however, keywords still play a vital part. The following are three ways that keywords are still important to your SEO rankings:

Identify Relevancy

The use of high-quality keywords can help Google to identify what your content is about so that they can their SERP (search engine results page) more accurate. It’s important to use good keywords, such as long-tail keywords that are backed up by semantic keywords. This helps prevent Google from mistaking your use of keywords for similar keywords in subjects that are not the same.

For example, if you write a blog post about the best apples (as in the fruit) and your keyword is “how to choose the best apple,” Google might mistake this for the company Apple. Visitors who come to your site looking for information on new Apple computers are going to be annoyed and will leave immediately, thereby increasing your bounce rate, which will affect your rankings. The stronger your keywords are in regards to relevancy, the more accurately Google will rank your content.

Match User Intent

Knowing what your target audience is searching for will be very beneficial, not only in building your own keyword list to match their search queries, but to use those keywords in content created to match the user intent. Basically, the use of keywords and content created to match the user intent of the keywords your audience is using will put you in a greater position to fulfill their needs at whatever stage of the buying journey they are at. If they click on your page and it’s exactly what they’re looking for, they’re more likely to stay on your site for a longer period of time and to engage with your content, resulting in higher rankings.

Learn how to drive website conversions during each stage of the buyer’s journey!

Attract Higher Quality Leads

Overly broad keywords will bring in traffic, but it won’t necessarily be your target audience. Bringing in empty traffic doesn’t do anything for your site if your visitors don’t have interest in your brand. By using stronger keywords that are more specific, you’re more likely to attract visitors that match your buyer persona.

While you might think that doing this could limit your web traffic, this may not be true. More specific keywords are likely going to have less competition than broader keywords, which means you’ll have a much better chance at ranking higher. For example, you’re not going to rank very high for “apple” for obvious reasons, but you’re more likely to increase SEO rankings with a more specific keyword, such as “best tasting apples in Sacramento.”

Keywords aren’t the only thing that you should be focusing on as you attempt to increase SEO rankings, but they still play a very important part in your SEO strategy. In fact, although they may not be as defining a factor in your rankings as they once were, you could argue that they play an even more important part in your inbound marketing campaign as a whole. For more professional advice on how to create an effective SEO campaign, contact us at Stevens & Tate today.

How to Tell Your Brand Story and What It Means To Generation Z | Stevens Tate

March 20, 2018/in Articles, Brand Development, Directors /by Dan Gartlan

When deciding on how to tell your brand story, your intended audiences are a key component in any decisions you make. A great deal of time and effort goes into developing your brand story, especially in relation to making it appealing to your core market segment. While many companies focus their efforts on attracting the buying power of millennials, there is another sector who have money to spend, but who expect very different things from the brands they choose.

This sector is, of course, Generation Z. This generation encompasses all those born from 1995 onwards. Generation Z accounts for 25.9% of the population of the United States; by far the largest percentage of any age group. Currently, analysts believe this generation has in the region of $44 billion in purchasing power, and by 2020 they will account for a third of the U. S. population, so they are undoubtedly worth paying attention to.

Appealing to Generation Z

This generation lives in a world where everyone can have their voice heard, thanks to social media, and particularly channels such as YouTube, with its vloggers, product testers, and social stories. Generation Z is firmly based online, with recent research suggesting that 28% of this generation wants to be reached via online ads, compared to just 16% of millennials.

Their continual connection to the online world also means that they are more likely to be moved to action by real people than they are by celebrities. They are, as most people were at that age, looking for products over experiences. However, the challenge your brand story faces is how to make the products you sell feel current and therefore appealing to this younger age group.

Just a Click Away

As well as changing perspectives to appeal to this generation, you need to change how your story is delivered. Generation Z is very much a one-click generation. If it takes more than that to access or share the story, they are not going to read it or pass it on to others. Your story needs to be shareable through channels such as YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Moreover, it is not just about accessing the content; researchers believe you have an average of 8 seconds to capture the interest of this generation, once the content has been accessed. This is one of the reasons why audio / visual approaches to your story are essential.

Four social media platforms. Four different ways to advertise. Click here to learn more.

Personal Products for Personal Experiences

While Generation Z is about the product rather than the experience that you are offering, they do want the product to provide a personal experience. This is where the more traditional approach to storytelling comes in, but using personas that they recognize – real people, in real situations, which they can imagine themselves in by buying your product.

While one could still use actors and showcase their lifestyles, using the YouTuber who Vlogs from his or her bedroom two streets over, could work even better with this generation because they seem more relatable to this younger audience.

Some Rules Still Apply

The differences between Generation Z and previous generations does not mean that you should throw all the rules out the window. High quality, consistent content is still a must when determining how to tell your brand story. Stories still need to have believable characters and situations. Your values, aims, and mission statement must again shine through; younger members of the Generation Z are also still under parental input, so, you need to bridge two or more generations with your approach.

However, you must tie all this together with a tech-savvy approach. Your brand story needs to encompass the online world in all its various forms. This generation uses different platforms for different activities, and you need to be able to tap into most of those if not all. Content that you provide for this generation needs to be in the form of micro-interactions; short snippets of mainly visual information, provided by someone that this generation recognizes and can relate to. Simple really, isn’t it?

What’s New With Google Analytics – How To Measure Your Audience

February 16, 2018/in Articles, Directors, News & Insights /by Nicole Wagner

Google Analytics is one of the main tools that you should be using to track audience metrics because of the in-depth information it provides as well as the regular updates that Google makes to the continually improve the program. In fact, Google has already implemented several upgrades this year that will help provide you with more data concerning your website’s visitors that allow for more comprehensive user reports. Learn what’s new with Google Analytics by checking out the following updates made in 2018 so far:

1. User-Focused Reporting

User-Focused Reporting is an update to the standard reporting provided by Google Analytics and can also be used in Lifetime Value, Cohort Analysis, and Active Users. The feature allows companies to look more closely at users who visit their websites multiple times instead of only being able to see the total number of sessions.

2. User Explorer

User Explorer is a feature that provides detailed information for the top 10,000 users dating back to 2016 based on the life of their cookies. This data, which includes metrics such as bounce rate, revenue, amount of sessions, the average duration of sessions and transactions, can be incredibly useful.

3. Audience Reporting

Audience Reporting is a feature that allows you to segment or target display campaigns in AdWords. Previously, there was no way to publish an Audiences Report in Google Analytics. This has changed with this update, allowing you to add them as a secondary dimension in custom reports, custom funnels and segments, thereby allowing marketers to view a cross-channel view of them.

4. Conversion Probability

Conversion Probability is one of the most useful new tools that can be used in Google Analytics. Basically, it uses the data a company has on its website visitors as well as on past conversions to make a prediction on how likely a user will be to convert in the future. The Conversion Probability feature designates users with a number between 1 and a 100, with 100 being the most likely to convert. Companies can use these numbers to identify which users are worth remarketing to.

Learn more about what’s new with Google here!

Knowing what’s new with Google makes it easier for companies to track helpful metrics, thereby giving them the opportunity to make more effective adjustments to their marketing strategies over the course of their campaigns. These are four of the updates that Google has made to its Analytics tool so far this year.

5 Package Design Trends for 2018

February 13, 2018/in Advertising Agency, Articles, Brand Development, Directors /by Mark Beebe

Change happens quickly, and if you are caught unawares, you could be left with packaging that is outdated and stale. Recognizing and incorporating the following package design trends into your packaging ensures that your packaging is modern and beneficial to your image.

1. Minimalism

Minimalism, the use of elegant, streamlined, and visually simple packaging, never really goes out of style. There are numerous ways to achieve a minimalistic look, including using bold typography contrasted with stark white backgrounds, splashes of color on clean backgrounds, or a basic arrangement of simple shapes. If you incorporate this year’s top colors, including pink, purple, and color of 2018 PANTONE® 18-3838 Ultra Violet, you can make your minimalistic design modern and timeless, without isolating or overwhelming the viewer.

2. Go Bold

Color has always played an integral part in developing packaging and this year is no different. Use bold colors to evoke emotional responses in potential consumers and, consequently, impact their buying decisions. So, the primary color you use in your package design has a significant psychological effect on those viewing it, and you should choose it carefully. Be bold, but choose colors that represent the personality of your brand.

3. Handwriting and Handmade

Many consumers are looking for environment-friendly and ethical goods, including homemade items. Homemade products also create an emotional connection with the consumer, often evoking warm memories and nostalgia. The handmade package feel can be achieved through careful package design that includes text that looks handwritten. However, it is essential to ensure that your writing is clear and readable. You do not want to confuse or inadvertently mislead consumers.

4. Whimsy

Most consumers love goods that evoke positive childhood memories, or that engage their inner child. Using fun visuals, bright colors, and fantastic illustrations, including hand-drawn logos, is a great way to engage such consumers. Whimsy makes people smile and feel happier, so when your product packaging incorporates whimsy, you are creating this joyful connection between your customer and your product.

5. Eco-friendly

Going green is the best way to gain new customers and keep returning ones. It is not enough for your product to have eco-friendly credentials though; your packaging has to as well. Using packaging materials that are eco-friendly, biodegradable, and locally sourced is a great place to start. However, your design must also shout eco-friendly. Using earth-based colors in your packaging is one step, as are the inks you use in printing and the amount of packaging you use.

Incorporating these package design trends into your packaging will benefit your business in 2018. However, it is also important to employ them in a way that maintains your individuality and ensures that you are instantly recognizable to your audience, so using the same color scheme as you use in the rest of your marketing can be a great start.

Top Graphic Design Trends for 2018

February 7, 2018/in Articles, Brand Development, Directors /by Terry Becker

With a substantial number of companies turning to the internet to market their businesses, it is harder to stand out from the crowd than ever before. However, knowing the graphic design trends that are most likely to occur in 2018 can put you ahead of the game.

1. Color Is Key

The key aspect of all elements of graphic design in 2018 is color – from multiple brand color schemes to the return of color gradients and the use of unusual color combinations. The colors you choose this year could make or break your web presence. The multiple brand color approach is already being piloted by companies like Dropbox. Rather than change their familiar and instantly recognizable logo, they introduced a new range of official brand colors including pink and purple, which are set to be central colors in design this year. It is worth noting that color of 2018 is PANTONE® 18-3838 Ultra Violet.

2. Image Authenticity

There has been a move away from stock images over the past few years, with businesses realizing that visitors and customers wanted and trusted authenticity. This move will increase this year with the winning pictures being carefully chosen, purposefully created, and impactful. Images that include photos of real people, which are really connected to your company are going to be essential, especially when it comes to your social media presence.

3. Think Fonts

In your written content, the focus of your font choice needs to be on providing a quality reading experience. However, the fonts you use in your design have multiple other purposes. One of these is to encourage an individual to stop scrolling and find out what you are all about. Graphic design trends for 2018 include using handwritten and bold fonts to create eye-catching features. Of course, color comes in here as well; fonts can be colorful, as long as the color engages and intrigues your visitor.

4. Getting to Grips with GIFs

GIFs are quite literally everywhere. While they are great fun, it is hard to see how they can be used seriously within your graphic design. However, while the GIFs you regularly share on your personal social media may not be right for the job, it is possible to create them specifically for your needs, website style, and your customer segment.

5. Brutalism Bares All

Although brutalism has been around for a while, it is set to be one of the significant graphic design trends of 2018. Clear lines, bold yet limited colors, and functional typefaces are at the heart of this approach. This striped-back approach does not work for everyone, and it needs to be used carefully, with the question, “Does this fit my brand story?” being repeatedly asked during the design process. Websites that use the brutalist style well include EPIC Ireland, particularly in their headers and menus; Fake Music; and Tennent Brown Architects.

From bright colors and 3D modeling to brutalism and flat graphics, if the trends of 2018 tell you anything, it is that there is no one right way to stand out from the crowd. It is about choosing the typography, color palette, and design approach that best encapsulate your brand, its image, and its story.

Logo Design Trends For 2018

February 2, 2018/in Advertising Agency, Articles, Brand Development, Directors /by Mark Beebe

Your business logo encapsulates your business. In one simple graphic, your potential customers learn everything they need to know about you. Logo design done right embodies your brand, makes you instantly recognizable, and creates a timeless appeal.

One of the critical mistakes that businesses of all sizes make when designing their logo is following the wrong trends. Another is following trends too tightly, and not adding that spark that makes them stand out from the crowd. Do you remember when everyone decided to include pixilated images in their logo? But, can you name any of the individual companies that tried that?

One of the key trends for logo design in 2018, is designing with social media in mind. Logos on social media need to be short, punchy, and fit neatly into a square field. That does not mean that square logos are the way forward; it just means that the finished logo should fit, and be visually balanced, within a square.

Considering Context

Designing your logo is not just about the logo itself, but also how it is presented to your potential audience. One trend that is gaining momentum, and which is likely to continue to do so into 2018, is placing your logo in a real-world context. That includes ideas such as showing the logo on wall signage, business cards, and stationery. Taking this approach creates a visual link with the audience, so when they then see your signage with your logo, they automatically think back to what they have seen, and read about that logo and therefore that brand.

Mindful Monograms

Monograms and single letter logos are ideal for social media. They play on a classic idea that has been placed on everything from letterheads to cufflinks for centuries. However, it can be challenging to make monograms and letter logos unique. If you are going to use your business initials to create your monogram, then be watchful of unintended words, shapes, and puns that can be created.

Making this type of logo stand out, and say something meaningful about your brand, can also be difficult. Colors, shapes, letter styles, and letter combinations need to be well chosen to ensure that you do not create a logo that looks just like everyone else’s.

Going Back to Basics

Logos that include geometric shapes and clean lines are set to be on trend in 2018. These logo designs come back into favor regularly because they are, when done right, elegant and timeless. However, you need to avoid these types of logos becoming over simplistic and boring. You also need to ensure that your logo design stands out; after all, there are only so many shapes and shape combinations that can be used to create a geometric design.

Bringing Back Color

Working in a digital medium gives you unprecedented access to colors in tones and shades that have been near impossible to create or show in a logo before. This is one of the reasons why there has been a surge towards brightly colored logos. However, when using color, it is not enough to just use blocks of bright, intense colors. To stand out, your logo design needs to consider intensity, saturation, shades, fading, and mixing of colors. Moreover, the colors you use must still reflect your business and its brand.

Logo design trends are there to guide you in creating the perfect logo. However, the focus of your logo design must remain on designing a logo that represents your business positively and makes you both visible and memorable.

Why Marketing Automation Is Important In Senior Living Today

January 25, 2018/in Articles, Directors, Senior Living Marketing /by Dan Gartlan

Experienced industry marketers have pointed out that marketing automation is the next generation of senior living marketing strategy. Without automation, senior living sales teams are missing opportunities to reach potential clients and key decision-makers. And that affects your bottom line.

Marketing automation offers insights into the behaviours, interests, and needs of individual leads. That kind of information is critical when your sales team is trying to convert a lead into a move-in. If your sales team knows exactly what the lead wants, converting that person becomes much easier.

Why Automation Helps Increase Conversions:

You Can Personalize Your Communication

By tracking what your website visitors request about your property off your website, you can follow where that lead is at in their buying process. The more touchpoints you offer on your website, the more data you can obtain from your prospect. And that data makes it possible to market back to them on a personal level. This type of personalized communication makes a real difference in senior living marketing.

Why Inbound Marketing Solutions Are Integral To Your Success

Move Your Prospects Through The Sales Process Faster

Helps seniors move through the sales process faster. Seniors, as well as their adult children, love to get timely responses to questions and content. Automation makes this easier by engaging interested seniors with relevant content and gauging their responses. Quick engagement with high-quality information will help the lead reach the decision point faster. And that is critical in senior living marketing these days.

Allows You To Nurture Your Leads To A Close

It is more than likely your prospect is looking at more than one senior living community. A carefully crafted set of emails will help to keep your brand top of mind and educate your prospect on your unique selling points. This helps nurture the lead further down the sales funnel. As they reach the decision-making point, you can provide targeted information and the option of contacting a salesperson to talk further.

Provides Critical Insights into Individual Leads

Marketing automation software can track what web pages a lead has the most interest in and which offers they signed up for. This information offers critical insights into what is of most interest to the lead. One lead might be interested in a small single bedroom apartment and the social programs. Another lead might be interested in a larger unit and what healthcare services are available. The sales team can use these details in making their pitches and converting a lead into a move-in.

The power of marketing automation is the ability to gather information and nurture leads through the sales process. Then, the sales team can leverage and gather information to convert the sales-qualified lead into a paying resident. Making this critical link between marketing and sales is why marketing automation is so critical in the senior living market today.