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How Multi-Touch Attribution Can Boost Your Marketing Strategy and ROI

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Let’s imagine someone first discovered your company’s offer on Instagram, then joined your email list, and finally made a purchase on Amazon. It’s tempting to give all the credit to Amazon just because that’s where the sale happened. But that overlooks how Instagram sparked the initial interest and how your emails kept them engaged. If you only focus on that last touchpoint, you miss out on the bigger picture of how each platform contributed. A multi-touch attribution model uncovers the value of each channel. It helps you make smarter decisions about your omnichannel strategy and where to invest your time and budget.

What is Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) Model

Multi-touch attribution is a marketing effectiveness measurement technique that factors in every touchpoint along the customer journey that contributes to a conversion. This includes channels, campaigns, and any interactions, ensuring that each one receives credit for its role.

As mentioned earlier, only focusing on the last touchpoint and ignoring earlier interactions means you risk misjudging which channels truly drive awareness, engagement, and trust. Not to mention, modern customers often have much longer buying journeys. Research shows that over 70% of consumers take a month or more from initial brand engagement to making a purchase. MTA offers a way to see how each channel works together so you can make more accurate, precise decisions about budget allocation, strategy, and communication tactics.

What Are Common Multi-Touch Attribution Models

1. Linear or Even-Weighted Model:

It is assigns equal credit to every touchpoint in the customer journey, ensuring that all marketing efforts are recognized. This is a simple and straightforward model while doesn’t account for the varying levels of impact that different touch points may have on the buyer’s decision-making process.

2. Time Decay Model:

It is gives more credit to touch points that occur closer to the moment of conversion. This approach assumes that interactions nearer to the purchase decision are more influential in driving the sale. While it effectively highlights recent, impactful activities, it may undervalue earlier touch points that are crucial for building awareness and interest.

3. Position-Based (aka U-Shaped or W-Shaped) Model:

It is distributes most of the credit to the first and last touchpoints, with the remaining credit allocated to key interactions in the middle of the journey. In a U-Shaped model, the first and last interactions receive significant credit. The W-Shaped model adds extra weight to important mid-funnel touch points, such as email sign-ups or white paper downloads. This balanced approach provides a comprehensive evaluation of marketing efforts.

4. Data-Driven Model:

Unlike the first three models, which rely on predefined rules, this model uses machine learning to determine the precise impact of each touchpoint on conversions. It assigns credit based on the actual influence each interaction has on driving sales or leads. This method offers the most accurate insights but requires robust data infrastructure and advanced analytical tools, making it more complex and resource-intensive to implement.

How to Get Started with Multi-Touch Attribution Model

team members sit around to discuss the marketing data analytic process

There are ton of benefits to adopting MTA to evaluate your marketing efforts and budgets. Don’t let this new concept intimidate you. Getting started with Multi-Touch Attribution doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following a step-by-step approach, you can start small, implement the model effectively, and gradually gain more accurate and insightful marketing measurements.

Here’s how to get started:

  • Define Your Goals and KPIs:
    Are you measuring lead generation, online sales, or customer retention? Establishing clear goals and KPIs will help guide your attribution efforts and ensure alignment with your business objectives.
  • Map the Customer Journey:
    Identify all the touch points your customers interact with, from awareness to conversion. It is will help you track the right data and ensure no key interaction is overlooked.
    You May Also Want to Read: Core Difference Between Buyer Journey vs. Customer Journey
  • Choose the Right Attribution Model:
    Select an attribution model that fits your current needs and data capabilities. If you’re new to MTA, start with a simpler model like Linear model. For more advanced insights, consider Position-Based or Data-Driven models as your data infrastructure matures.
  • Invest in Your Marketing Performance Tracking Tools:
    Platform like google Analytics 4, HubSpot, Semrush or specialized attribution software are excellent options for you to collect necessary data using for MTA analysis.
    You May Also Want to Read: What’s New With Google Analytics – How To Measure Your Audience
  • Test, Monitor, and Optimize Your Model:
    Implementing an MTA model is just the beginning. Regularly test your attribution model by comparing its insights with actual performance data to ensure it aligns with your business goals. And make sure continually monitor key metrics to identify trends and pinpoint areas for further improvement and optimization.

Multi-Touch Attribution is a game-changer for marketers looking to understand the full value of their marketing and communication efforts across channels. By accounting for every interaction in the customer journey, it provides a more accurate, insightful view of what drives conversions, helping you allocate budgets effectively and optimize strategies. Don’t hesitate to explore this model—it could be the key to transforming your marketing success.

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Creating Advertising Strategies That Work

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Advertising is an integral ingredient in marketing for building a successful business. It’s how you make your business, products, or services known to your target audience. You must devise creative advertising strategies if you want your customers to choose your products or services over the competitors’.

While there are many ways to advertise, your chosen strategy must fit your brand objectives. This post looks at some advertising strategies in marketing and guides you on creating one that works for your business.

Defining an Advertising Strategy

An advertising strategy is an action plan that aims at the following:

Your advertising strategy is part of your comprehensive marketing plan. They must align with your company goals and objectives and can be a mix of digital and traditional marketing channels. These are the two broad categories of advertising strategies. Traditional marketing entails using media like:

  • Television ads
  • Billboards
  • Prints ads
  • Direct mail
  • Street teams

Digital advertising tactics include the following:

  • Social media marketing
  • Email marketing campaigns
  • Content marketing
  • Search engine optimization
  • Pay-per-click advertising
  • Social media marketing
  • Influencer marketing

Steps to Creating Effective Advertising Strategies in Marketing

Having the most effective advertising strategy in marketing takes time to achieve. You must continually fine-tune your approach to determine the advertising methods that best engage your customers.

If you’re starting or want to overhaul your current advertising strategy, here’s a template you can use:

1. Identify Your Target Audience

Your advertising strategy should be about reaching out to the people interested in purchasing your products or services. Consider the specific demographics of this target group, including the following:

  • Their gender
  • Age
  • Attitudes
  • Personal values and attitudes
  • Income levels
  • Occupation.

With this information, you can create a buyer person or a fictional representative of the target customer base that your business wants to reach. The consumer profile of your target audience can give you an abstract idea of what your customers want. You can use this to shape your advertising message.

2. Determine Your Advertising Objectives

Once you identify your target audience, ask yourself why you want to advertise. There could be different goals to achieve through advertising, such as boosting sales, promoting newly launched products, or increasing website traffic. It could also be to create awareness about a product’s benefits.

Having clarity of purpose is a crucial step forward in the direction of creating an effective advertising strategy. Your marketing objectives can also inform your choice of advertising platforms, as different channels have varying outcomes.

3. Create Your Advertising Content

Once you determine what you want to achieve through your advertising strategy, it’s time to create content that helps you achieve this goal. Some factors to help in your content creation strategy are the following:

  • Having an SEO strategy such as voice or video search for local and mobile SEO
  • Keyword research for more insights into what your customers want to see
  • Having a blog or website that you regularly update with relevant, educating, and engaging content
  • Creating attractive landing pages that trigger a sales funnel for your business.

Influencers and content marketing agencies can help you craft relevant content that enables you to put your brand message out there. Forging partnerships with these professionals can help you reach your target audience in ways that automated content advertising strategies cannot.

4. Choose Your Advertising Platforms

In choosing your advertising platforms, consider those most helpful in reaching your target audience. In this digital era, only a tiny percentage of businesses will consider traditional marketing channels as their primary platforms. Digital advertising platforms are more likely to reach a broader audience and have a greater return on investment.

Consider incorporating a mix of advertising channels to test their viability for your business. Online marketing provides an array of advertising strategies, as previously mentioned. However, if you’re new to advertising, you’d rather stick to a few channels first.

Once you accumulate enough analytics and data from the channels, you can determine their effectiveness and consider branching out to other platforms. After testing the results, you can create a vibrant mix of responsive media for an effective advertising strategy.

5. Audit the Results and Keep Improving

Launching an advertising strategy is only the beginning of your business promotion strategy. You must also analyze and refine the various advertising methods you use. A/B testing is one of the approaches you can use. It entails showing different types of ads to similar customers. Then, you can gauge the messages with better click-through rates. Investing more in ad messages with higher click-through rates can yield better returns for your business.

Your marketing team should constantly be on its toes to review marketing campaign metrics. Consequently, it should engage in relevant targeting to reach a broad audience. Assessing and refining advertising strategies is an ongoing process as long as your business operates.

Effective Advertising Strategies in Marketing Are Crucial to Your Business Success

A business without a well-structured advertising strategy in marketing will fail because it lacks a systematic method of reaching its customers. An advertising plan creates brand awareness and tells your customers why they should choose your products or services, not your competitors’.

Creating a strategy that works and withstands the test of time can be complex, but the steps above can help you get started. With time, you can fine-tune the plan to add more steps depending on what works best for your business. You should eventually be able to automate your advertising strategy for marketing and reap from the investment.

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Difference Between B2B and B2C Marketing Automation

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Marketing automation offers a company the chance to centralize most of its marketing activities into a single software platform and to automate it to an extent. This centralization appeals to both B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) companies. However, there is a difference between B2B and B2C marketing automation due to fundamental differences between the two groups.

Why Is Marketing Automation Between B2B and B2C Different?

Effective marketing addresses each customer’s individual goals and needs. This remains true whether the customer is B2B or B2C. Because these groups have differing goals and needs, the way you market to them has to be different. As a result, the following differences remain when you use marketing automation:

  • The marketing focus differs:

    • With B2B, the focus is on generating leads and keeping their subscribers engaged throughout the longer sales cycle.
    • With B2C the focus is on building the brand.

  • The tactics used are different:

    • B2B marketing delivers content that positions the company as an industry leader, while nurturing the lead in the sales process.
    • B2C marketing is about the customer journey and making data-driven recommendations for products or services.

  • The tone of the messages is different:

    • B2B messages are to targeted groups at different stages of the sales cycle.
    • B2C messages are more personal and highly relevant to the individual.

Also Read: Top 5 Benefits Of Marketing Automation

Difference Between B2B vs B2C Marketing Automation

With all the differences between B2B vs B2C Marketing Automation, it’s easy to see why their marketing automation needs differ as well.

  • Communication channels. While both B2B and B2C businesses rely on email for marketing, the B2C use other channels as well. Text messaging, push notifications and retargeting are just a few examples. The B2C marketing automation solution needs to handle these additional channels.
  • Data used. B2B consumers are businesses that have specific needs. Marketing data for this group would include approximate company size, industry, point of contact and specific needs. B2C consumers are individuals with specific tastes. Marketing data for this group includes age, gender, purchase history and frequently visited product categories.
  • Features needed. B2B companies need help with nurturing their leads through the sales cycle. They want features like lead scoring and integration with their CRM system. B2C companies want to retain the customers they get, so they want features like reputation management, retargeting and retention marketing.
  • Marketing focus. B2B marketing focuses building the one-on-one relationship. B2C is more about building the brand and building mass appeal.
  • Pricing. B2B automation is priced based on the number of contacts managed within the system. B2C automation is priced based on the volume of data. It is not uncommon for B2B automation to have only 100 contacts in the system while B2C has thousands.

Also Read: Differences Between B2C and B2B Email Marketing

The differing approaches of B2B and B2C marketing lead to their different marketing automation solutions. Trying to substitute one strategy for the other is difficult, due to different features and pricing structures. If you need help finding the right solution for your business, contact us at Stevens-Tate.

25 Website Must Haves For Driving Traffic, Leads & Sales

call to action phrases

Powerful Call-to-Action Phrases to Increase Clicks

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Are you looking to increase your conversion rate? Call to action phrases are an essential part of the conversion process, but what kinds of CTAs should you put on your website? CTAs should be simple yet effective and catch the attention of your visitors.

The formula for a successful CTA page title consists of combining such sales buzzwords as “free,” “discount,” “offer,” “gift,” and “guarantee,” with action-oriented words like “click,” “download,” “request,” and “send.” Putting together a strand of words to entice clicks sometimes doesn’t get the job done, though. Therefore, as a marketer, think of what strikes you as a buyer: emotion.

Humans are oddly emotional creatures and are the only ones who tie those emotions to money. Hence making many of their purchases subject to the emotions invoked by marketing which is exactly why call to action phrases are so important. This isn’t a secret to marketers either, but leveraging that knowledge and coupling it with your brand’s content can be a little tricky.

 

The Best Call to Action Phrase Building Tips

CTAs can be as simple as “click here” and “download now,” but can have an infinitely more powerful meaning by adding a few simple words and giving the reader the benefit of what they are getting from the offer.

  1. Include a possessive determiner such as “your.” The possessive aspect of the CTA makes the reader feel as though that piece of content or your offer is already theirs to be had and in their back pocket.
  2. Briefly outline the benefit of the content. Add what your website visitor gets from clicking your CTA. This almost acts as a miniature landing page. For example, instead of saying “click here” use a phrase like “click here for your free white paper.”
  3. Use action words and urgency to encourage clicks. “Limited downloads,” “limited time,” and words such as “now” and “quickly” will enhance the sense of urgency for your users to click on your brand’s CTAs.

Integrating Social Media & SEO Efforts For Enhanced Search Engine Results

Actionable CTA Phrases

Actionable CTAs leverage words like “now,” “here,” “click,” etc. Meanwhile, using an action word to draw the reader into the CTA gives them that emotional sense of action and satisfies that human demand for immediate satisfaction. Getting content “now” versus “get it in a week” will drive more clicks onto your good CTA Phrases.

Call to Action Buttons

Keeping in mind some of the tips above, let’s take a look at how using actionable words can make a simple CTA far more powerful. We’ve bolded some of those key terms, but have a little fun. Remove some of the bolded items and see what that does to the phrase. Keep in mind that you can insert any content type or offer in the brackets to fit your brand. Here are a few examples of actionable CTAs:

  • Download Your [Content] Now
  • Click Here for Your Free [Content]
  • Join Now and [Get 30 Days Free]
  • Download Your Free [Content] Here
  • Start Getting Your Free [Content] by Clicking Here Now
  • Click Here for Details About the Best [Service/Product] for Your Company

Also Read: 5 Types of Landing Pages To Increase Your Lead Conversion Rate

Urgent CTA Phrases

For most of us, the essence of time can very well be the thing that either helps us make a decision or turns our “eventually” into never. Your buyers are the same way, and giving them a little nudge into a sense of urgency. This can be just what they need to click your CTA, capitalize on your content, and ultimately buy what you’ve got up for offer. Adding some personal touches (in the right context) can further drive that sense of urgency for your buyer.

Limited-time offers, limited-time discounts, first-time buyer discounts, and limited supply all tend to push buyers a little closer to the buy button in their shopping cart. This can be a great way to improve your CTAs. In the case of content and CTAs where the downloads themselves are free, your prospective buyer has virtually nothing to lose. Here are a few urgent CTA phrases that are sure to light the proverbial fire under your buyer and increase clicks:

  • Download Your [Content] While Supplies Last
  • Act Quickly Limited Downloads Available
  • Hurry, This Free [Content] Offer Expires Soon
  • Secure Your Spot Today! Limited Spots Available
  • Only X Days Remaining to [Sign Up, Download, Attend]
  • Take Advantage of this Limited [Content] Today Only
  • I Urge You to Download this Limited Time Offer

Want to attract more leads? Also Read about Attraction Marketing!

Exclusive CTA Phrases

Adding urgency to a call to action phrase can sometimes seem a little pushy, especially to some C-level managers and business owners. Meanwhile, another equally crafty way to make your CTAs appealing to your target audience is: exclusivity. Exclusive offers give readers the feeling that they are a part of or at least offered a deal that no one else is in on.

We see these sorts of lead-generation tactics across multiple retail platforms. These deals are both confined to time and exclusive to members only. Whether or not your particular brand is a retailer or not we, as consumers, have been trained to jump on those exclusive offers available only to the elite. This can work with your best Call to Action Phrases as well. Here are some useful exclusive CTA phrases:

  • Join Our Mailing List and Get Exclusive Content
  • This Offer is Only For Our Subscribers
  • Sign Up for Exclusive Offers only Available to Subscribers
  • Request an Invitation to [Join, Sign Up, Get Content]
  • This [Content, Offer] is Only Available to [Subscribers, Members]
  • Download Now for Exclusive Access

Responsive CTA Phrases

Naturally, every call to action keyword should aim to generate a response from your target buyer. While practically any of the CTA phrases we’ve outlined could be categorized as either “actionable” or “responsive,” we think it’s best to separate the two. Actionable CTAs lead users towards a specific action, such as clicking, downloading, subscribing, etc. At the same time, responsive CTAs invoke a sense of two-way conversation.

With that said, the CTA phrases below will elicit a response from your potential lead: think feedback, a reply, or a point of contact. These types of CTA phrases should hopefully open up a dialogue between you and your potential buyer and allow them to start the conversation. Here are a few examples of responsive CTAs:

  • Talk to One of Our Experts About…
  • Get a Free Consultation and Talk About Your Business Goals
  • We’d Like to Hear from You: Talk to a Specialist Today
  • Let Us Know What You Think
  • Contact Us Today
  • Contact Me
  • Don’t Hesitate to Get in Touch With Us

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Craft Your Own CTA Phrases

As we’ve mentioned, the sky really is the limit to crafting attractive content-focused best Call To Action phrases. Experimenting with them is one of the great ways inbound marketing can help marketers learn more about their tactics. What’s important to keep in mind is that your buyer is the focus of any CTA or piece of content you craft. Without a doubt, targeting those CTAs is crucial for the success of your content initiatives.

25 Website Must Haves For Driving Traffic, Leads & Sales

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The Importance of Hiring an Integrated Marketing Agency

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There are hundreds of tactics you can use to advertise your business, whether you’re using inbound or outbound marketing. As a result, it can take a long time and a lot of effort to create and execute a successful marketing strategy — especially if you want long-term results. It’s why many companies will work with a marketing agency instead of trying to do it themselves.

However, you’ll find that most marketing agencies focus on specific types of advertising. For example, some agencies focus on direct marketing, while others focus on building websites. If you want to work with a single agency that can handle all of your marketing needs, then you should consider working with an integrated marketing agency.

What is Integrated Marketing?

Integrated Marketing Agency

Integrated marketing is the practice of making sure all of your marketing efforts are aligned to deliver the same core message. It’s an overarching strategy that uses various channels to reach people at every stage of the buyer’s journey. Integrated marketing allows businesses to deliver a consistent message across different mediums, including print and digital media.

For example, a company might use a TV commercial to draw attention to its new website. For this to work, the message conveyed on the TV ad must be consistent with the messaging on the website. If the tagline or logo on the commercial is even slightly different than what’s on your website, it will confuse people.

What is an Integrated Marketing Agency?

Integrated marketing agencies use a holistic approach to marketing. They can address all the advertising needs that a company might have. Basically, it means that they can do everything you need as far as marketing goes so that you don’t have to hire multiple agencies. For example, they can help:

  • Build your brand and design branding elements.
  • Develop a traditional outbound marketing strategy.
  • Develop an inbound marketing strategy.
  • Create your inbound and outbound marketing materials (from print ads to your website)
  • Develop a public relations (PR) strategy to engage with your target audience across many channels.

What are the Benefits of an Integrated Marketing Agency?

Integrated Marketing Agency

There are many benefits to working with an integrated marketing agency instead of an agency that has more specific focuses (such as an agency that only produces commercial videos). The following are a few of the primary benefits of using an integrated marketing agency:

1. A more cost-effective marketing solution

Hiring multiple agencies to address different parts of your marketing strategy can be expensive. An integrated marketing agency can take care of all your marketing needs, making it a more cost-effective option.

2. A more cohesive long-term marketing plan

Because an integrated marketing agency is experienced in every facet of marketing, they can audit your existing strategy. Additionally, they will consider your company’s needs and audience to develop a more unified long-term marketing strategy.

3. More personalized services

Most agencies use a general blueprint to implement their solutions. As such, their marketing efforts follow a guideline or template for every one of their clients. Integrated marketing agencies customize their marketing solutions to the specific needs of the clients they’re working with. Futhermore they will take a unified approach that will result in a comprehensive and unique marketing strategy.

4. Branding consistency across all channels

If you lack branding consistency (for example, if your messaging and tone is different from one channel to the next), it will hurt your brand identity. Consequently, people will get confused about who you are and what you offer.

An integrated marketing agency can help develop a unique branding strategy so that your business will have a consistent message across all channels. By using integrated marketing, you’ll ensure that your brand identity remains consistent.

5. A better understanding of the buyer’s journey

Integrated marketing agencies are experienced with both traditional and digital marketing. As a result, they have a greater understanding of the buyer’s journey and how to reach customers at every stage of their journey.

6. More effective cross-channel marketing campaigns

Marketing campaigns that function separately won’t be nearly as effective as if they were designed to work together. Integrated marketing agencies are more capable of creating cross-channel marketing campaigns designed to achieve a shared goal.

Our Integrated Marketing Solutions

Here at Stevens & Tate, we offer integrated marketing solutions tailor-made to your company’s needs. Not only do we take into account your business and your customers, but we also take into account your budget. With that in mind, the following are some of the integrated marketing solutions that we offer:

  • Storybranding:

We can help develop your brand and brand story by identifying competitive advantages and mission statement. We can also create a slogan and tagline, identify your value propositions, and develop your message and story.

  • Marketing strategy:

We develop a comprehensive marketing strategy by implementing a meticulous process. This process includes a thorough consultation, SWOT analysis, budget evaluation, marketing plan development and execution, communications strategy, and messaging approach.

  • Research:

We perform thorough market research to help build your marketing strategy. This research includes competitive market analysis, brand audits, target audience segmentation, website analytics, customer experience research, and more.

  • SEO and social:

We can develop comprehensive social media and SEO strategies to increase brand awareness and authority. We use various tactics, including blogging, content creation, social media campaigns, PPC ads, engagement strategies, and organic search marketing.

  • Public relations:

We offer a wide variety of reputation management services integrated with your overall marketing strategy. These services include press release writing, product launch advertising, online syndication, and marketing promotions. We can also improve your reputation via thought leadership, content marketing, media relations, and more.

  • Customer experience:

We develop various strategies to help improve your customer experience. We can help with package design, brand development, contests, promotions, pricing structures, and more.

  • Digital marketing tactics:

We can plan and execute digital marketing efforts as part of your ongoing marketing strategy. These efforts may include SEO, video production, PPC advertising, social media advertising, mobile and web app implementation, content creation, and more.

  • Traditional Advertising:

In addition to digital marketing, we can also help develop a traditional advertising campaign integrated with the rest of your marketing efforts. Some of the traditional advertising services we offer include print ad design, radio scripts and audio production, photography, logo development, video production, sales brochures, and more.

Improve Your Long-Term Marketing Using Integrated Marketing Solutions

To create an effective cross-channel marketing campaign, you need integrated marketing solutions. Moreover, integrated marketing is the best way to strengthen your brand, grow your business, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry over the long term.

Find out more about the integrated marketing solutions we offer by contacting us to request a free marketing consultation at Stevens & Tate today.

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The Power of an Influencer Marketing Strategy: How and Why It Works

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We’ve all been through it—you’re scrolling through your social media feed when suddenly you come across an individual passionately endorsing a product or service. What’s more? They have a massive following. You notice this is different from the typical celebrity endorsements. That is because the individual you are seeing is a social media influencer, which makes the premise of an influencer marketing strategy so much more unique.

As a true millennial who’s seen its effects, I can attest to how important it is to be leveraging social media to enhance your marketing efforts. The following is an outline of everything you need to know about Influencer Marketing. This includes how much it costs to hire an influencer, the top social media platforms to run an influencer campaign, how to measure the success of this marketing strategy, and examples of how it’s been done successfully.

What is an Influencer?

An influencer is somebody who has the ability to “influence” potential buyers by endorsing the offerings on social media. There are several factors that indicate whether or not someone is an influencer. However, the most telling one could be that the individual’s followers fit into a particular niche, and there is active engagement between them and the actual influencer.

Rather than just being “marketing tools”, influencers are assets to a company’s social relationships with whom they can collaborate to accomplish their Marketing goals. This is what makes a social media influencer entirely different from a celebrity endorsement, and perhaps, more successful.

In celebrity product endorsements, there is less of an emphasis on engagement and more on capitalizing on the person’s fame and name recognition to benefit a brand. In short, the objective is to capture the attention of a broader audience, unlike the niche audience of the influencer.

The Cost of Influence

As you may assume, influencers can be costly and there is no set rate for incorporating them into your campaign. It’s a common practice for digital marketers to follow the “one cent per follower rule”. Some marketers know this as the $100 per 10,000 followers rule. Factors to consider include engagement rate, client budget, and campaign lengths. However, according to Instagram Influencer, Matt Crump (who has composed his own rates), creative mandates, production costs, timeline, and rights affect the cost of hiring him for your campaign. Crump explained that the price range per sponsored post varies based on the number of followers he has during that time period. The price can be as low as $100-$500 for 5-10k followers, and as high as $10,000 for over 1,000,000 followers.

Top Social Media Platforms

It’s important for marketers to identify which platform will bring the greatest Return on Investment for their influencer marketing campaign. According to Linqia, over 68% of marketers recognize Instagram as the most effective social network for an influencer strategy in 2019. Coming in second was Facebook with 51% with YouTube, Blogs, Pinterest, Twitter, and Snapchat following behind. The takeaway is simple: If you’re considering an Influencer Marketing strategy, Instagram is the place to start!

Similar Article: 5 Ways To Optimize Your Social Media

How to Measure Success

Although over 60% of marketers are primarily focused on driving brand awareness, engagement, and impressions (Linqia), it’s still important to track sales generation from such campaigns as well as conversions, audience sentiment, and clicks. Since influencer marketing is an ever-evolving industry. Marketers need to consistently evaluate their measurement practices to ensure they’re held to the same standards as other media investments.

Similar Article: Effective Inbound Marketing Strategies

3 Examples of Successful Influencer Marketing

Now that you have an understanding of what an influencer is, how much they cost, the top social media platforms to use for your influencer marketing campaign, and how to measure its success, it’s time to take a look at influencer marketing strategies in action. The following are four examples of successful influencer marketing:

Naked Juice –

When seeking to raise their brand awareness, even more, Naked Juice decided to collaborate with Instagram influencers, Beth Norton and Kate La Vie, through sponsored Instagram posts. Kate La Vie features images of her outfits and beauty essentials. This made it easy for the brand to strategically collaborate with her snapshots. The campaign saw much success. According to Social Bond, within 24 hours the Instagram post generated more than 2,000 likes and comments combined. Additionally, this campaign enabled Naked Juice to position itself as more of a “premium juice” brand. Following the success of the campaign, the company made $57.4 million in revenue by the end of 2017.

Sperry Boat Shoes –At the end of 2016, the popular boat shoe brand, “Sperry” collaborated with more than 100 Instagram “micro-influencers”. The key influencers here were “Sperry Enthusiasts”. To create engaging content with its audience, Sperry identified fans on Instagram who were already sharing pictures of their shoes. Subsequently, the brand invited these users to develop content for its Instagram account. The strategy worked. According to Curalate, Sperry’s most engaged photo of 2016 got 8,278 likes. How did they do this? The photo was taken by influencer Slava Daniliuk who had 4,500 Instagram followers at the time. Additionally, Daniliuk posted with the brand’s trademark hashtag, #OdysseysAwait which increased engagement even more.     

Walmart –

As proven by a successful retail company, influencer marketing can also be highly effective when promoting philanthropic incentives as well. Walmart took a “Cause Marketing” approach when embarking on its “Feeding America” mission with several influencers on Instagram. The strategy was simple: For each like, #FightHunger comment, or post share, 0.90 cents would be donated to the organization. Logan Paul’s most-liked post from the campaign generated over one million likes. Due to the success of these influencers in the #FightHunger campaign, Walmart raised close to $1.65 million in addition to boosting positive sentiment for their brand.

Similar Article: Social Media Campaigns for Attracting Prospects and Generating Leads

With the numerous advantages that influencer marketing provides, it’s no secret why so many brands are going with this strategy. As soon as you scroll through your social media feed once again, you’ll come across one of these campaigns. However, you’ll now have a better understanding of what an influencer marketer is and all of the marketing elements involved. 

30 Greatest Lead Generation Tips

Digital Communication Tools to Help Build a Human Brand

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The success of your brand depends on much more than just convincing a potential customer to try your product. In the past, the customer experience has been based solely around the product being offered. These days, you need to look at the big picture. It’s not just about the customer experience in regards to your product. Instead, it’s about the emotional connection that customers are able to form with your brand.

Customers don’t just want a product, they want a relationship with the brand that is selling them that product. You need to focus on fostering an emotional connection with them instead of just trying to build awareness for a certain product. Fortunately, building an emotional connection with your audience is easier than ever before with the number of digital communication tools that are at your disposal.

relationship communication heart shape hands

The Importance Of An Emotional Connection

Customers are more than just transactions or data points. They are human beings with hopes, dreams, and feelings. In a world where their product choices are practically limitless, they will want much more out of a brand. They do not want to engage with a corporation. Customers want to engage with a brand that relates to them on a personal level. Their desire to have a connection with a brand in a world with product options that are virtually limitless is not surprising. A brand that is able to touch their customers emotionally is going to make their customers more engaged.

There are many ways that you can achieve this, like reinforcing the beliefs or perspective of your audience, supporting the goals or perspective of your audience, or challenging your audience to do greater things.

5 Marketing Tactics You Should Be Using in 2019

How Digital Communication Tools Can Help Foster An Emotional Connection

Engaging on an emotional level with your audience is easier than it’s ever been, as long as you make the effort to do so. The following are just a few ways that digital communication tools can help you to connect with your audience emotionally and to build meaningful relationships with them:person looking at digital communication

  • Video content

    When it comes to content, few other forms are able to engage audiences on an emotional level like video content. There are numerous reasons for this. Firstly, people consume visual content much more easily than written content. They also consume visual content much more quickly than written content. Secondly, you can use actors or even real figures that audiences can relate to on a personal level. This will create a sense of empathy and connection. Thirdly, you can emphasize certain emotions much more effectively through video. The color grading, visual style, and cinematography of the video all help set the emotional tone. The sound effects and music used in the video further enhance its emotional impact. They can also be used to create atmospheres that evoke certain feelings. YouTube is the most popular platform for sharing video content.

  • Segmentation

    Segmenting your leads and customers based on the data you’ve collected (via opt-in forms, surveys, and more) will provide you with valuable insight into who your audience is. This will tell you how you can connect with them. Once you have segmented your leads, you can create content that speaks to each group’s needs and interests. Effectively personalizing your content will allow you to catch your audience’s attention. It will also make it easier to drive engagement.

  • Social interaction

    The use of social channels makes it easy to engage with your audience in a personal and direct manner. You can promptly answer their questions, respond to their comments, and address their concerns. Customers appreciate brands that listen and respond to their needs. You’ll have a bigger emotional impact on those who witness the interactions on social media as well. Remember, personal and direct interactions make it easier to build meaningful relationships with your audience.

Building a human brand will help you build long-term relationships with your audience based on real emotional connections. Use digital communication tools available to you, like video content, segmentation, and social interaction, to emphasize emotion in your marketing efforts. Doing so will help your audience relate to you on a more personal level, thereby driving engagement with your brand.

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best times to post on social media

When Are the Best Times to Post On Social Media?

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There are currently more than 5.02 billion people using social media. In 2025, that number is expected to grow to around 6.07 billion. Additionally, those people spend an average of 145 minutes a day using social media. If these numbers tell you anything, it’s that your business has to use social media as a way to reach and expand your target audience. Most businesses have some kind of social media presence at this point; however, to successfully grow and optimize your social media, you need to remain active by regularly posting to your social pages. The thing is, to reach as big of an audience as possible, you need to know the best times to post on social media.

The Importance Of Social Media Engagement and The Best Times To Post

When you post to social media is important because it directly affects the level of engagement you’ll receive. Although you may have numerous social media marketing goals, increasing engagement is arguably the most crucial. Engaging your followers is what’s going to keep them interested in your brand. Engaged followers will be more likely to share your content, visit your website, and, eventually, convert. If the content you’re posting isn’t relevant, it won’t be engaging. Additionally, if your followers simply miss your posts, you miss your chance of engaging them.

Social Media Campaigns for Attracting Prospects and Generating Leads

Knowing When To Post To Social Media

When you post content to your social pages, you’ll want to make sure it’s seen by as many people as possible. If you post content at a time when none of your target audience is online, it won’t do very well. Timing is everything. There are a number of factors to take into consideration when figuring out when to schedule your posts.

First, different social media channels have different user bases. People may be more active at night on one platform than they are on another. Second, you need to know your target audience. Different demographics tend to use social media at different times of the day. With this in mind, the following is a general breakdown of when to post on various social media platforms:

  1. Facebook

    Many people will check Facebook towards the end of their workdays as they wind down and get ready to stop working. As such, posting between 3 PM and 4 PM will often result in a lot of exposure. You’ll likely reach that same audience between 1 PM and 4 PM at the end of the workweek as well, on Thursdays and Fridays. However, typically speaking, users are less active before 2 PM.
    best times to post on social media

  2. Twitter

    Like Facebook, Twitter gets the most engagement during regular work hours. It’s especially active from 12 PM to 1 PM and during commuting times. Basically, people check Twitter when they have some free time available away from home. Twitter posts see less engagement outside of working hours, especially in the evenings and on weekends.

  3. Instagram

    Instagram does have a younger audience than Twitter and Facebook. As such, you’ll get much more engagement in the evenings from 7 PM to 9 PM. Midday (11 AM to 1 PM) is also a good time to post to Twitter. Instagram engagement also tends to spike on Wednesdays. However, like Facebook and Twitter, Instagram posts see less engagement on the weekends.

  4. LinkedIn

    Because LinkedIn is a professional social platform, posts tend to do best during work hours. There tends to be a significant drop-off in activity after 5 PM. Posts due best on LinkedIn when published between Tuesday and Friday. People often stay away from LinkedIn on weekends and are too busy on Mondays to engage on LinkedIn substantially.

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Schedule Your Posts Appropriately To Improve Engagement

Use this general breakdown to get an idea of when the best times are to post to social media. Just keep in mind that your specific audience plays a big part in when you should post. For instance, older audiences are less likely to engage on social media late at night, while younger audiences are.

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marketing automation software

Top Key Benefits of Marketing Automation vs. Email Marketing

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It is a common misconception that marketing automation and email marketing are essentially the same thing. In email marketing, you build an email list and then start sending out emails to market your business. You get statistics back showing how many people opened the email and which ones clicked through to your offer. While the information that email marketing is important, it pales in comparison to the features and benefits of marketing automation.

Marketing Automation vs. Email Marketing

How Marketing Automation Benefits Your Business

Email marketing systems have a very limited scope when compared to marketing automation systems. The email systems allow you to send mass emails out to your marketing list. Then, you get reports on how well the emails worked. But, that’s really all there is to it.

A marketing automation system gives you those same features and so much more.

With an email marketing system, you have to build your landing pages and web forms in a completely different system. In contrast, you can build both within a marketing automation system. This built-in integration makes building your marketing campaign much simpler. Plus, it gives you automatic reporting that is not available with an email marketing system.

Automatic marketing systems allow you to directly integrate your email marketing with other types of marketing for your business such as direct mail and social media. This streamlines your marketing efforts and allows you to do much more without the need to replicate efforts in multiple systems.

Also Read: Interactive Email Marketing Trends

A powerful benefit of marketing automation is the power it gives you over your lead information. The software helps you avoid duplication of leads. It also helps normalize the data, making your marketing even easier. The software allows you to score leads based on any number of criteria. You can also recycle and nurture leads throughout the sales process.

The marketing automation software provides reporting on the impact of each marketing effort on your company’s revenue. It allows you to monitor website activity and even tracks IP addresses from anonymous website traffic. It can integrate various data directories to help fill in contact information.

With the data gathered and synthesized in the marketing automation system, you can provide your sales team with qualified leads who are ready to make the purchase decision. This will drastically reduce the amount of time spent talking to leads who are not at that critical point. It will also simultaneously focus your sales team’s efforts and improve your sales numbers.

Using the information provided by the marketing automation system, you can build multi-stage marketing campaigns across any number of channels with ease, You no longer need multiple tools to get the job done. This means you can get things done faster and make adjustments as needed.

These are not benefits you can get with limited email marketing software.

How Your Business Can Benefit from Marketing Automation

If you are ready to bring your business to the next level of marketing, you need to bring the benefits of marketing automation into your company. Give us a call here at the Stevens-Tate team.

Free Marketing Consultation

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Marketing on TikTok: Strategies to Engage the TikTok Generation

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In the world of marketing today, a new generation has emerged—the Gen Z, or “TikTok Generation.” With the youngest entering their teens and the oldest approaching 30, this digitally native, socially conscious group has become a powerful consumer force. Marketing on TikTok offers an exciting way to reach them, but this generation is notoriously hard to engage. However, with the right strategy, you can cut through the noise and create genuine connections that make your brand stand out to these young consumers.

1. Understanding the TikTok Generation

The TikTok generation grew up fully immersed in technology and is considered the first true digital-native audience. For them, social media is more than a content-sharing tool—it’s a lifestyle and a central hub for news, entertainment, learning, and connection. Thus, to reach them effectively, brands need to be present, engaged, and focused on building real connections on these social platforms. Remember, authenticity is key: the TikTok generation wants content that feels genuine and speaks directly to their lives.

With this in mind, let’s explore some strategies that can help brands engage meaningfully with this audience on TikTok and beyond.

2. Leverage Influencer Marketing

Influencers hold a significant place in the hearts of the TikTok generation. From celebrities like Hailey Bieber sparking trends with a single post to micro-influencers with dedicated, niche followings, influencers offer a direct path to Gen Z’s attention. And if a big-name influencer doesn’t fit your budget, micro-influencers are a fantastic alternative; their audiences are often loyal and highly engaged, ready to act on trusted recommendations. The key is finding influencers who align with your brand’s image and giving them creative freedom. While providing basic guidelines can ensure brand alignment, avoid trying to overly control their process. Letting influencers create content in their authentic style builds trust and gives your brand a more relatable, human touch.

 

 

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                                          Hailey Bieber Instagram

3. Prioritize User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content is the heartbeat of TikTok. For the TikTok generation, peer recommendations and real-life stories carry more weight than traditional ads. Encouraging your audience to create UGC through hashtag challenges, Duets, and other interactive features invites them into your brand’s story. For example, campaigns like Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” and Starbucks’ “White Cup Contest” show how UGC can generate massive engagement, especially on platforms where algorithms often prioritize this type of content. By creating challenges that are fun and easy to participate in, you’re not only inviting your customers to be part of the brand, but also empowering them to share their experiences, expanding your brand’s reach organically!

Coca-Cola – “Share a Coke”

 

White Cup Contest – Starbucks

Starbucks – “White Cup Contest”

4. Master the Art of Short-Form Storytelling

TikTok is built on the power of bite-sized stories. Think about the last time you picked up your phone—maybe even to read this. How many times did a notification, ad, or the urge of checking another app divert your focus?  Given today’s shortened attention spans, particularly among digital natives, it’s vital to catch your audience’s attention immediately—those first three seconds are crucial. Craft videos that quickly convey emotion, humor, or a unique perspective, and stay in tune with trending sounds, memes, and styles. Here’s a bonus tip: repurposing successful TikTok content on Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts can extend your reach without the need for additional production time, letting you engage multiple audiences efficiently.

5.Data-Driven Marketing on TikTok

Behind TikTok’s playful exterior lies a powerful repository of analytics that can be leveraged for precision marketing. Tracking engagement rates, shares, and watch time can reveal which content is resonating and help refine your approach. Testing different ad formats—like In-Feed ads, Hashtag Challenges, and Branded Effects—lets you pinpoint what Gen Z finds most engaging. Marketing on Tiktok is all about creativity, making the platform an ideal testing ground for new ideas while also providing clear, measurable insights to guide future campaigns.

Also Read How Creativity and Data Driven Marketing Help Develop Marketing Campaigns

6. Building Community through Engagement

For the TikTok generation, social media is a space for self-expression and community, not just for following brands. Direct interactions—whether responding to comments, engaging in live videos, or creating Duets—show that there’s a human side to your brand. By fostering community and collaboration, you’re not just marketing a product; you’re building genuine connections. You can also collaborate with other brands that share similar audiences, joining forces for campaigns that amplify your message and broaden your reach. In today’s digital landscape, a loyal, invested community will be your brand’s strongest advocates.

Also Read Brand Marketing Strategy: Community and Advocacy

7. Connected TV and Streaming Ads for the TikTok Generation

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Let’s step away from social platforms for a moment and explore another often-overlooked channel: Connected TV (CTV). CTV refers to any TV that connects to the internet, allowing users to stream content from platforms like Hulu, Peacock, and Roku. As users continue to migrate from traditional TV to streaming, CTV ads and ads on streaming platforms offer new ways to reach Gen Z. With CTV, brands can blend storytelling with precision targeting, capturing attention on a larger screen and at a time when users are more receptive to content. By pairing TikTok’s creativity with CTV’s focused reach, you can build cross-platform strategies that resonate with the TikTok generation wherever they are.

Marketing on TikTok is about more than just catchy videos. It’s a strategy rooted in authenticity, creativity, and a community-focused approach where your brand’s personality can truly shine. Gone are the days when brands could rely on being at the center of the customer journey; today, the people are. Embracing these shifts and connecting with Gen Z on their terms is essential to staying relevant and influential in today’s market. So, what’s stopping you from taking the leap?

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