social media strategies

Attract, Convert, and Close Prospects Using Social Media Strategies and Website Conversion Techniques

LOMBARD, ILL., July 12, 2017– This September, Stevens & Tate Marketing will be emphatically represented at the one of the most respected associations of providers serving Illinois older adults, LeadingAge Illinois. Internet Marketing Director Nicole Wagner will be sharing her extensive online marketing expertise. LeadingAge 2017 is being held from September 26th to the 27th at The Hilton Lisle/Naperville in Lisle, Illinois.

At the show, Nicole will carry out a 90-minute presentation on how to attract, convert, and close prospects using social media strategies and website conversion techniques. According to the agency, the Internet has become a cornerstone of our marketing efforts, and although it is now easier to reach our audience, it may be harder to stand out from the crowd. How do we get the most out of our online marketing efforts? How do we make sure our social media platforms are as effective as possible? The session will help attendees determine their top marketing strategies in order to hit their top 2017 business goals.

Wagner will present essential strategies that will teach how to use social media to communicate with an audience on a more personal level, as well as optimizing a website in order to make it easier to find. Her educational sessions continue to be well received by all types of organizations because she emphasizes providing relevant and actionable takeaways that are targeted to each audience.

From Wagner’s presentation, attendees should be able to determine what their key marketing tactics are to achieve overall business goals, be able to create buyer personas of future residents and prospects, and understand the stages of the buyer’s journey and how to communicate to prospects through each stage. In addition, attendees will walk away with defined steps to improve their website and social media platform to meet their objectives. Nicole’s presentation is a great opportunity for LeadingAge members to learn proven techniques to improve their marketing performance.

LeadingAge Illinois is one of the largest and most respected associations of providers serving Illinois older adults, and the state chapter of the significant national organization. LeadingAge Illinois serves more than 500 providers including home and community based services (HCBS), senior housing, continuing care retirement communities (CCRC), assisted living, supportive living and skilled nursing/rehabilitation centers.

Stevens & Tate Marketing is a full service advertising agency specializing in meeting the ever-changing demands of today’s consumer. As experts in all areas of Internet Marketing, we know how to navigate through evolving trends and technologies in the online space today – and have decades of experience delivering results for businesses nationwide. Through our unique combination of strategic thinking, creative execution and targeted communications, we Make Things Happen.™

Nicole Wagner, Internet Marketing Director at Stevens & Tate Marketing (stevens-tate.com), leads an enthusiastic team in strategic planning, web development, social media and search engine marketing as well as Internet and mobile marketing. She can be reached directly by calling (630) 627-5200 or via email at nwagner@stevens-tate.com.

Learn more about Stevens & Tate’s speaking experience.

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SUMMARY: Stevens & Tate Marketing Internet Marketing Director Nicole Wagner has been selected as a featured speaker for the LeadingAge Illinois 2017 Conference in Lisle, Illinois. As a repeat speaker for this prominent national event, Nicole will provide key insight into proven strategies on how to attract, convert, and close prospects using social media strategies and website conversion techniques.

 

Four Things You Can Learn About Real Estate Marketing From Bon Jovi

Being an exec in an advertising agency can sometimes be a curse. When you go home at night you can’t just “shut it off”… you see marketing and branding everywhere. But on the positive side, that means inspiration can come from just about anywhere at any time. I’m an avid music lover and concertgoer and as all my colleagues know, my favorite band is Bon Jovi. So out of professional curiosity and personal interest, I follow the band’s marketing efforts and they’re doing a lot of things right. Here are four things I learned from Bon Jovi that you can apply to your real estate marketing.

Know Your Target Audience

Early on, way back in the ‘80s, Bon Jovi realized it appealed more to women than the typical male dominated rock crowd. Jon’s good looks and power ballads made the ladies swoon. Fast forward to today and of the thousands of fans at a Bon Jovi concert, most are women. A smart marketer, Jon capitalized on his popularity with the female audience almost from the start. He knows his best…assets…and how to use them.

How is this relevant to real estate marketing? You need to know who your target audience is and how to connect with them. Like for Bon Jovi, the target audience for most homebuilders is women age 35 to 54. They tend to be the ones out looking for a new home initially. So ask yourself—are you advertising where they are? For instance, a significant percentage of “soccer moms” are on Facebook, bragging about their kids and sharing family photos. Buying paid advertising on this social medium gives you the opportunity to pinpoint exactly who you want to reach. And make sure your message resonates with your audience, as well. Talk about what is important and enticing to them, not what is important to you.

Embrace Technology

In the ‘80s at the start of Bon Jovi’s mega popularity, music videos were the new thing. The band embraced this visual medium, giving viewers at home a glimpse of their stage presence and highlighting Jon’s charisma. Being a staple on MTV contributed to the group’s early success. Now, you can follow Bon Jovi on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and see their videos on Tidal, YouTube and Vevo. You can even download the Bon Jovi app to stay up-to-date on all things Jovi related.

As a marketer, you have a variety of new technologies and media vehicles available to you that your ‘80s self couldn’t even imagine. Use them. Bring your homes to life with virtual reality. Showcase your models with 360-degree video. Capture the magnitude of your neighborhoods with drone footage. Post and share photos on Instagram. Pin decorating ideas on Pinterest boards. Be creative. Today’s real estate marketing tools go way beyond still shots of model homes and allow you to emotionally connect with home shoppers in ways you never could before.

Stay Relevant

Bon Jovi’s fans have aged along with the group. While the band still plays the classic hits in concert, they churn out new “albums” and songs that reflect the times and attitudes of today’s listeners. They rely what they know works but continue to change to stay current with what’s trending. Lyrics that related to teenagers in the ‘80s won’t resonate with middle-aged housewives now.

For real estate marketing, be open to new ideas and avenues to get your message out. Print media—newspapers, direct mail, inserts—still have a place but mobile and social are where you need to be to be seen. The online world brings creative challenges. You only have a few seconds to make an impact and viewers are bombarded with competing images all over the screen. Don’t try to give all the details in a small space. Entice the viewer to click to learn more. Then grab and keep their attention with an engaging, user-friendly website. Your home designs are different than they were 30 years ago. You’re advertising efforts should be, too.

Your Brand Has Value Beyond The Home

Bon Jovi branding now extends well beyond the music business. Several categories—from a male clothing line to pasta sauce, a football franchise to charity endeavors—have emerged that capitalize on the popularity of the group’s namesake and front man. They are not all directly tied to Bon Jovi the band’s brand, but they are indirectly associated with the Jovi name and therefore are recognizable with consumers in the target audience.

In real estate marketing, this often occurs with mortgage companies that are associated with national homebuilder and carry a similar moniker. It also can occur with sub categories of your company, such as remodeling or commercial arm. What’s most important to remember is that you want all branding associated with your core brand to portray the same level of quality and values.

As a Chicago-area advertising agency, Stevens & Tate consults with not only real estate companies but also businesses in a variety of industries to develop marketing strategies that can propel their growth. If you are considering an agency review, visit www.stevens-tate.com to view recent work or call (630) 627-5200 to see if Stevens & Tate is a fit for your new agency partner.

MAXIMIZING YOUR MARKETING BUDGET

benefits of seo

Benefits of SEO: How Optimizing Your Website Will Lead To Greater Results in 2017

By now, most marketers recognize that SEO is an important part of doing business online. To put it simply, if your website isn’t properly optimized, you are missing out. There are many reasons why you should start an SEO program if you haven’t already. SEO is a part of attraction marketing. Here are six of the top benefits of SEO.

More Website Traffic

Top positions in the search engines result pages lead to a lot more clicks, so ranking near the top can significantly increase the traffic coming to your website. According to research from Advanced Web Ranking, the top search result gets 30.1 percent of the clicks and over 50 percent of the clicks go to the top three results. Read more

Speaking Event

RECAP: FABTECH 2016

WHO: Suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and professionals in the metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing industries—more than 1,500 vendors and 40,000 attendees from around the country.

WHERE: Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada

WHEN: November 16-18th, 2016fabtech 2016

DETAILS: FABTECH is North America’s largest Metal Forming, Fabricating, Welding and Finishing event. Stevens and Tate Marketing has two speakers featured at this year’s show.

The speakers at Stevens & Tate are thrilled to be sharing their collective B2B marketing expertise gained from decades of industry experience, at the Nation’s largest event of its kind. This is the third year in a row that Internet Director Nicole Wagner has been selected to speak at this prominent event, and it will be the second year for President Dan Gartlan.

At the show, the pair will both be presenting educational sessions on Friday, November 18th. The goal is to help business leaders and industry professionals learn new ways to get more out of the initiatives they have in place, to stay ahead of changing trends, and to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Wagner’s “Enhance Your Online Presence and Drive Success Through Your Website and Social Media” will take place from 11:00-11:30am. Gartlan’s “Actionable Strategies Proven to Improve Marketing Results” will follow from 12:00-12:30pm.

Gartlan’s highly informative session is based on his highly requested Attraction Marketing program, designed to help educate attendees on key tactics and initiatives that work together to create positive impact in their marketing programs and on business success. Additionally, it explores effective ways to monitor and adjust initiatives by setting measurable objectives and tracking future indicators and results.

Wagner will be presenting an updated version of her program from last year, with essential strategies that manufacturers can incorporate to maximize the impact of their online efforts. Focus is on how website optimization, search engine marketing and social media work hand-in-hand and how various techniques can create efficiencies and improve performance. A reputable trait of these educational sessions is the emphasis on providing relevant and actionable takeaways that are targeted to each audience—which is one reason they continue to be so well received by organizations of every size and scope around the country.

FABTECH is North America’s Largest Metal Forming, Fabricating, Welding, and Finishing Event—bringing together an anticipated 40,000 professionals and 1,500 exhibiting companies to network, learn and discover new solutions for success. For four days, November 9-12, 2015, attendees can meet with world-class suppliers, participate in over 100 educational sessions and expert-led presentations, and explore the latest innovations in technology, products and industry developments.

To learn more about FABTECH 2016, see a list of exhibitors, register to attend, and get full details about the show, click here.

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Speaking Event

RECAP: PMA Manufacturing Sales Summit


WHO: Sales and marketing professionals from around the world

Manufacturing Sales SummitWHERE: The Conrad Indianapolis Hotel in Indianapolis, IN

WHEN: September 27-28th, 2016

DETAILS: Stevens & Tate will join hundreds of sales and marketing professionals in the manufacturing industry for a featured speaking session. Read more

Speaking Event

RECAP: 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Annual Conference for Senior Living Professionals


WHO: Healthcare and senior living professionals from around the world

WHO: LeadingAge Missouri members and affiliates—part of a national association of 6,000 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging care 

WHERE: Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri LeadingAge Missouri

WHEN: September 12-14, 2016

DETAILS: Stevens & Tate will join thousands of senior living professionals from around the region for a featured speaking session. Read more