Articles Archives - Page 51 of 57 - Stevens & Tate Marketing

The Important Differences Between Storytelling and Storybranding

December 12, 2015/in Articles, Attraction Marketing, Brand Development, Brand Story Telling, Directors, Storybranding /by Jim Signorelli

People often think of business storytelling and storybranding as the same thing. Both can be found in the same story toolbox, but they are as different as a flat blade and a Phillips screwdriver. Both storytelling and storybranding are part of attraction marketing.

Storytelling is the more commonly used tool.

You may not be aware of it, but anytime you talk about events associated with how you or your company has had to deal with some problem, you are telling a story. If your story is well told, your audience will be able to visualize what happened and identify with the central problem as you describe it. And if you’ve captivated their interest, you might hear a “Wow!,” “Really?,” “Oh No!,” or get some other emotional reaction. Read more

Enhance Your Holiday Digital Marketing Strategy

December 10, 2015/in Articles, Directors, Social Media /by Nicole Wagner

The Holiday season is the busiest shopping time of the year. More and more, shoppers are researching gifts, hunting for the best deals and making purchases online without stepping foot inside of a store.

Get the most out of your holiday digital marketing campaigns by using a combination of Email, Social Media and Retargeting. Read more

The Benefits Of Marketing Automation For Senior Living Communities

September 18, 2015/in Articles, Directors, Inbound Marketing, Senior Living Marketing /by Nicole Wagner

Seniors today are more tech-savvy than ever before. A recent Nielson report shows that the number of adults 65 years old or older actively using the Internet has increased by more than 55 percent in the last five years. Furthermore, adult children continue to play an important role in finding quality elder care for their parents. This means that it is vital for your senior community to maintain a strong web presence, and vital for your company to reap the benefits of marketing automation, as a part of senior living marketing.

When searching for a community online, seniors and their children both expect timely responses to their questions and content that addresses their specific needs. Marketing automation helps enable senior living organizations to engage leads with relevant content, track and score each lead’s behaviour and deliver better quality leads.

What is Marketing Automation?

Marketing Automation is a tool that informs, interacts and nurtures leads as they move through the sales funnel. It is a process that manages a community’s interaction with its prospects by providing them with the right information at the right time in the buying process. By targeting content, marketing automation informs, entertains, socializes and earns the prospect’s business.

Prospects define the path through their modes of interaction, targeted search, website visits, by downloading brochures or requesting a tour of your community.

How does it work?

MA tools start with the premise of managing all levels of leads and then apply business rules, analytics, segmentation and scientific data to manage prospects in your sales funnel.

Here is an example of what a basic automated email workflow could look like:

Step 1: Email Invite

You send an email invitation to download your latest community brochure to a targeted list of contacts

Step 2: Thank You Note

You send a thank you note to all the people that downloaded the brochure.

Step 3: Follow Up Email

A few days later, you send a follow-up email to the list of people who downloaded the brochure, offering them more detailed floor plans, amenity lists and information about your community.

Step 4: Notification

Finally, when someone reads that information, your sales team will get a notification so they can follow up with them (this person is now much more qualified and is likely farther down the buying process)

Learn more about the Benefits Of Inbound Marketing

Now, put yourself in your prospect’s shoes for a moment. If this was you, receiving information from a senior community about their services and amenities, wouldn’t you prefer to get emails like the ones above over blasts you can tell they’re sending to hundreds of other people? It feels personalized like it is tailored to you and addresses your individual medical needs. This makes you much more likely to trust that community and ultimately schedule a tour.

This is the foundation of marketing automation. To provide you, as a marketer, with the ability to target your contacts and send them content that is based on their behaviour. You’re giving them the information they need when they want it. You’re easing their buying decision. And as a result, your conversion rates will increase and vacancies will decrease.

Integrating Social Media & SEO Efforts For Enhanced Search Engine Results

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War May As Well Have Been About Advertising

July 13, 2015/in Advertising Agency, Articles, Directors /by Dan Gartlan

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sun Tzu – The Art of War

Often in business, we feel like we’re on strategy, but as we move further away from when that strategy was defined, we’re really just going through the motions. Activities are being completed, but we lose site of why we are doing them and what they are supposed to accomplish. In addition, there can be changes in the marketplace, competitor’s messaging, consumer concerns and even the methods of communication. Read more

The Next Generation Of Homebuyers Is Here…Are You Reaching Them?

July 6, 2015/in Advertising Agency, Articles, Directors, Homebuilder Marketing /by Debbie Szwast

Move over Baby Boomers, Gen Y has passed you as the largest share of the homebuying population according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Topping out at age 35, this group known as Millennials grew up online, are tech-savvy and don’t remember a time when they weren’t on a smart phone.

Most of these twenty and thirty somethings, nearly 70 percent, are purchasing their first homes and doing so because they want to own their own places. They understand the value of homeownership and more than 80 percent believe it’s a solid financial investment. That doesn’t mean they are looking to make a quick profit, though. Most expect to stay in their home for 10 years. So if you miss out on an opportunity to sell a home today, it might be awhile before you get another chance—unless, of course, a life change occurs that could prompt them to move. Read more

3D Printing Is The Future Of Manufacturing

April 8, 2015/in Articles, Directors /by Mark Beebe

Innovation has driven three quarters of US economic growth over the past six decades. In fact, there have even been 646,000 new US manufacturing jobs created since the recession. The manufacturing industry has continued to move forward by connecting machinery, products, ordering, shipping, and internet databases. The constant innovation is all around us. So it is no surprise that 3D printing is a game-changer in this industry by allowing manufacturers to print layers of material-plastic, paper, metal and ceramics to make literally everything.
Read more

Make An Impact With A Pop Of Color

March 16, 2015/in Articles, Directors, Marketing Strategy /by Debbie Szwast

I’m a sucker for anything pink. I bought my first iMac because Apple offered it in fuchsia. I got a brand-new KitchenAid in pink, even though my old one still worked. I even bought a car in red raspberry, which is as close to pink as cars come.

So imagine my delight when I walked the floor of the International Home and Housewares Show (IHHS) last week at McCormick Place in Chicago. Down every aisle pastel pinks, blues and purples captivated me while bright red, green and yellow items captured my attention. Everything from kitchen utensils to luggage…small appliances to pet supplies colorfully screamed “notice me.”
Read more

Best Billion Campaign Ever

January 14, 2015/in Articles /by Mark Beebe

It’s no surprise H&R Block has a certain open window to advertise. The use of that window this year and last, is so strong and so compelling that any average millennial will dive deeper into this offer. Kansas City, Mo.-based H&R Block is embarking on a “Get Your Billion Back America” effort, which is kicking off across media channels after debuting a few spots during the NFL playoff games on Sunday. The tagline is based on a study H&R Block said it undertook last year, re-checking 1,200 self-prepared tax filings for consumers to see how many missed out on bigger returns thanks to preparation missteps. More than half of them could request more money from the government, collectively adding up to more than $1 billion, per the brand. Read more

For Those Who Do Not Believe In Branding and Marketing

September 11, 2014/in Advertising Agency, Articles, Brand Development, Directors, Marketing Strategy /by Mark Beebe

So… you are one of those people that don’t believe that branding and marketing works…

Well…

Why do so many companies spend millions of dollars for just a few seconds of air-time on the Superbowl each year?

Why do millions of people flock to Starbucks every morning?

Why has Apple taken over the phone industry?

Why has Nike signed more athletes than any other brand?

These answers are way too obvious. Read more

The Future is Here and Paper is Not Included!

July 22, 2014/in Articles, Directors /by Mark Beebe

Whether you are an “extreme couponer” or just like to keep an eye out for good deals, you are probably used to finding these in the Sunday newspaper or in the stack of weekly circulars at the local grocery store. You get home, grab some scissors, and start snipping away. Then, you begin to sort and organize into different piles by month, store, or expiration. Well, put down those scissors and pick up that smart phone; the paper-coupon era is becoming extinct.

It is confirmed that more than 110 million people and about 70% of digital coupon users will use coupons on their mobile device this year. This number has increased dramatically compared to the 92 million people that used digital coupons in 2012 and the 103 million people back in 2011.