Carlos Goodman
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More info at https://www.webzool.com
More info at https://www.webzool.com
An email marketing is an essential part of any marketing strategy. Email is the most cost-effective way to communicate with your customers, promote your products and reach your business goals. On average, for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect a return of $43.
In this post, we will present you 6 tactics to use in your email marketing strategy which will help you to achieve extraordinary results through email marketing.
PERSONALIZE YOUR MESSAGES
When we say personalized email marketing, we do not mean that you send an individual email to every single subscriber. Personalization means that you use customer data to create a personalized message.
70% of brands don’t use personalization in their email marketing strategy. This means that personalizing your emails will help you stand out from the competition.
The simplest method of personalization is to address the reader by his/her name. Most ESPs (email service providers) offer this within their functionality, and this tactic alone will improve your marketing campaign performance. For instance, email subject lines that are personalized with a recipient’s first name can increase open rates by 16%. Considering that 47% of all marketing emails are opened because of the subject line alone, that is sure a great method to get more views on your email.
SEGMENT YOUR SUBSCRIBERS
Segmentation is one of the effective tactics that you can use to increase the personalization of your messaging and content. This is the method of dividing your subscriber list into various groups based on their common characteristics. For example, you might put those living in a common geographic region with a similar climate into one group, and separate those who live on the other side of the country. You can also divide the lists based on your subscribers’ interests or demographic information.
By segmenting your lists, you are making sure that the subscribers are getting the types of content and offers that interest them most. This improves relevancy, which can lower unsubscribe rates and increase conversion rates. This kind of personalization is often not possible with other types of marketing like direct mail. Which is why it is highly relevant to the importance of email marketing.
SEND MOBILE-FRIENDLY EMAILS
In 2012, 27%, in 2014 42% and 2018 54% of all marketing emails had been opened on a mobile device. Whenever you send an email to a subscriber who reads their emails on their mobile device, yet the email is not optimized for that device they will mostly unsubscribe or delete it. To make sure your email is mobile friendly, you should implement responsive email design (RED), keep pre-header and the subject line short and make the call to action (CTA) big and visible. Any media that you use within your content should be small so that they can be quickly and easily loaded and viewed on a mobile device.
AUTOMATE EMAIL CAMPAIGNS
Trigger-based email is an email that is sent out automatically based on user behavior.
The most typical forms of trigger emails are ‘thank you’ emails, ‘welcome’ emails, and ‘transactional’ emails, such as order confirmation email and email receipts.
The data behind trigger emails shows us that trigger emails perform much better than traditional email as open rates for trigger emails are as high as 49% which is 95% higher than conventional email open rates.
Also, the average click-through rate (CTR) for trigger emails is more than double the rate compared to regular email click-through rates. And the best converting websites in the world, sites that convert as much as 40% of their traffic, use trigger emails.
SET UP CART ABANDONMENT EMAILS
Optimizing cart and checkout abandonment is one of the highest value areas to focus on when it comes to conversion rate optimization. After all, if someone has added an item to their cart, they are a notably well-qualified potential customer.
If you are using software that enables automation, you can quite easily set up a rule that identifies whether a person visits the cart or checkout page, but not your confirmation or thank you page. When this criterion is met, an email can be sent to them asking them why they did not complete their transaction.
TESTING
Whether you test your email templates, landing pages or home page, testing provides data to make practical decisions which will improve your marketing performance. By sending several variations made to the subject line to a small sample of subscribers, you can calculate the number of leads you can expect to receive based on the results.
You can test not only the subject lines but also the following:
“From” address: The name that appears in the “from” field has a tremendous impact on whether the reader opens your email. In fact, the sender name is the main reason why people open your email. Test your “from” address by sending your campaigns from a person’s name, person + company or your CEO.
Plain text vs. HTML campaigns: Have you ever thought about testing an email campaign that is a plain text only? And when you include an element of personalization, plain text emails look to be written just for the reader.
Short vs. long emails: You can keep your emails sweet and short or, you can create long and detailed emails. Long emails can include more detailed copy while shorter emails will send the reader directly to a targeted landing page.
The best way to learn what works best is to test it!
TAKE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING BEYOND THE INBOX
Over the next couple of years, we are likely to see a lot more e-commerce companies joining their email marketing campaigns with social advertising. In a study, a leading American retailer targeted 925,000 email subscribers with both its coordinated Facebook ads and regular emails. And the results showed that consumers who received both were 22% more likely to make purchases than those who only received emails.
Source: https://www.webzool.com/blog/7-email-marketing-tactics-2018/
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When it comes to the creative aspect of your Facebook ad images, it is important to note that it does not necessarily need to be all about the offer. Make sure your creative reflects the marketing message that is in your copy.
Visuals such as images and videos are what grab our attention while swiping and scrolling through our News Feed. Reaching people on Facebook means being able to communicate visually, and to do so quickly. Facebook favors visual content over written content because time has proven that visuals are what users want to see. Plus, visuals are more easily remembered, and they are far more likely to be shared.
Ads grab your attention with bright, complementary colors and an artfully eye-catching arrangement of your products.
Moreover, your ads and images must be relevant to the audience viewing them. If your ads do not resonate with your audience, there is little chance they will take a 2nd look at your ad, let alone engage with it. Irrelevant ads are a complete waste of money and time. Tell your audience why they must engage with your ad. What value are they going receive and what makes your offer better than the rest? Your value proposition is the “why” behind the action you request.
In addition to that, including a clear and relevant CTA (call to action) in each ad in order to motivate your audience is also necessary. You cannot blame them for not taking action if you do not ask them to do so. Make sure you make it direct, clear and, if possible, include a sense of urgency by using words like, “buy now,” or, “shop today and save 25%.”
There is a lot of thought that goes into this process, and there are a number of important things to think about whenever you are working on your creatives. We have gathered 25 essential characteristics that Facebook ad images should have.
SHOW PEOPLE USING YOUR PRODUCT
Your ad should look like it belongs in someone’s news feed. If your audience is used to seeing updates from friends and family, make sure your ad does not alienate them before they have a chance to see what it is you are offering. Show people using your product rather than merely displaying your product by itself.
CREATE DIFFERENT FACEBOOK AD IMAGES FOR DIFFERENT PERSONAS
If you have not created buyer personas, start there. If you have, make sure to create separate Facebook ad images for each of your different personas. Personas will definitely help you to understand exactly who it is you are trying to reach and how to do so most effectively.
USE TARGETING TO NARROW YOUR AUDIENCE
This can seem out of place when talking about images, but listen up: You have defined a clear target for your audience (or at least you should have). Now it is time to create imagery that is ideally suited to that target. One-size-fits-all does not exist in Facebook advertising. Custom targets call for custom Facebook ad images.
USE IMAGES OF FACES
Facebook will tell you itself that ads with faces in them receive a lot more engagement. That is also true for Instagram, and almost anywhere we post images. We seem to relate more with ads when we can see people’s faces. It is where most of us look when we first meet a person, and it helps us to connect with them straight away. It does the same for Facebook ad images.
URGENCY
As a general trend, people tend to hate missing out. This instinctive loss dislike helps us to take advantage of opportunities in our surrounds, but it also gives us an uncomfortable feeling when we might be missing out. Setting a deadline on your offer and even including the words “limited-time offer” can help those sitting on the fence to make decisions.
KEEP YOUR FACEBOOK AD IMAGE FREE OF EXCESSIVE TEXT
Facebook used to suggest advertisers include less than 20 percent text overlay on their images. Their updated recommendations advise against using any text overlays at all or using as little as possible to get your point across.
While some advertisers do not need text overlays to reach their audience, many find it more useful to include at least a short message. We recommend including a small amount of text and using Facebook’s tool to test whether or not your image will be approved, penalized, or disapproved. Just upload your finished media file, and Facebook will give you a level of approval based on its guidelines.
There should be an especially important part of your image that communicates your message, and you should make sure to crop tightly around that part of the image to ensure your audience sees it.
Ask yourself, “Without reading any copy, would you understand what this image is advertising?”
INCLUDE SOCIAL PROOF
Social proof means using real-life testimonials, and including these in your ads can be very powerful. Use well-crafted customer testimonials—gleaned from blog post comments, tweets, reviews, and Facebook posts—to create compelling and unique ads which show what real people think of your product.
ONLY USE HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES
Nothing looks worse than a low-quality picture in your ads. For this reason, make sure to use the highest quality images possible to help your ads seem their best.
SIMPLER IS BETTER
Think about how fast users are scrolling through their news feeds. Then think about how long time do you have to communicate your message. Therefore, the simpler the image, the faster you can get your point across. Do not miss out on opportunities by making your audience think too hard about your picture.
EFFECTIVE FACEBOOK AD IMAGES DISPLAY BENEFIT
Remember the fundamentals of effective Facebook ad mentioned above? This is a critical point, and it applies to the image as well. As your image is the first thing your audience will see, it must display the benefit quickly and precisely.
KEEP YOUR COPY AND GRAPHICS CONSISTENT
That’s a problem we see all the time. You would be surprised how many Facebook ad images have nothing to do with their copy and vice versa. You are trying to create a cohesive ad that influences your audience to take action, so make sure that there is not any disconnect between what they are seeing and what they are reading.
LIMIT YOUR ADS TO ONE CTA
This can sound confusing, but let’s tie this back to the introduction section above. A call to action is necessary, but using more than one in a single ad can be confusing. Do not offer a free e-book to download and ask your audience to “shop now.” Choose the appropriate call to action when constructing your ads as well.
PEOPLE LOVE FREE STUFF
People quickly take notice of the word “FREE” in any advertising. We love the idea of getting something for nothing, so use it in your ad imagery as much as you can. Do not worry about giving your product away for free though! Something as easy as including a FREE download, a FREE consultation, or FREE shipping could be enough to improve the engagement rates of your ads dramatically.
USE NUMBERS TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS
Most of us are conditioned to pay attention to numbers in ads to help them understand its value more instantly. Make sure to use any number that helps support your ad’s benefit such as: “3 for 1” or “10% off!”
USE A SCROLL TEST
When you are coming up with ad creative, make sure to see what competitors are doing well and what you want to avoid. Try a “scroll test.” Scan your feed to see what ads make you want to stop and look. Note the reasons you stopped on each and try to replicate their success in your images.
TEST A VARIETY OF COPY
The copy in your ads may be letting down otherwise stellar Facebook ad images. Be sure your copy resonates with your audience by testing various versions before you change your images. That is especially true for the text overlays, as it is the copy which people react to first. Try running several variants simultaneously (A/B or split testing) and devote your budget to the most successful one.
TRY USING MULTIPLE IMAGES
In some instances, the use of multiple images can improve the efficiency of your ads. This is especially true of e-commerce ads where various products can be tastefully grouped to create a compelling Facebook ad image.
IMMEDIATELY DISCERNABLE MARKETING MESSAGE
While an outstanding image may capture someone’s attention, a compelling ad image must also get your marketing message across instantly. There should be zero time between catching someone’s eye and their understanding of what your ad is presenting.
USE COMPLEMENTARY/CONTRASTING COLORS
Try using contrasting or complementary colors to get people’s attention when crafting your Facebook ads. Using 2-3 complementary colors will help your ad stand out. You can also want to shock someone into looking at your ad by using deeply contrasting colors. Remember, the whole point is to get attention. That is said, once you have it, you only have a short time to get your marketing message across. Make the most of your attention-grabbing colors by using text overlays, an image, and copy that keep people hooked.
STICK TO 1-2 FONTS
Too many fonts can make an ad image feel confusing, hard to read at a glance and overwhelming. Viewers tend to shy away from things that make them feel uncomfortable, even if they cannot pinpoint exactly what is causing them to feel that way. Stick to a single font or add a complementary secondary font.
APPEAL TO BOTH RATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL JUDGMENT
Most of us use the mix of our rational and emotional judgment to make decisions. That said, your Facebook ad images should appeal to both sides to be most effective. Let’s look at an example.
An ad for an e-commerce shoe store can advertise, “countless winter styles to look your best on any time,” to appeal to their audience’s emotional side while including, “plus quality and prices which will make you a certified Smart Shopper” to appeal to their rational side.
EMPLOY THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR
Most top creatives understand the physiological stimulus generated by each color. Different colors create specific feelings when we see them. Also, particular demographics tend to appreciate specific colors. You can reach your audience more profoundly by using the colors they prefer to look at. While this isn’t a foolproof plan, the concept is backed by plenty of studies and is worth testing in your images.
LOCATION-SPECIFIC GRAPHICS
This tip is extraordinarily powerful for local businesses. When people see places they know in Facebook ad images, they’re far more likely to connect with them. Therefore, showcase your area in your local ads and help viewers to take notice of your local business. Location-specific pictures can also be helpful when porting travel or destination-based products.
CONCLUSION
Designing incredible Facebook ads is not as complicated as you might have thought. While it’ll take months, possibly even years, of tweaking and testing before you have a fully optimized campaign, you will find the effort worth it. By implementing these simple techniques, you will see your Facebook campaigns and, by extension, your business, flourish.
Source http://www.webzool.com/blog/24-key-characteristics-facebook-ad-images/
Email is not going anywhere. There are 3.8 billion global email users, and that number is expected to grow to 4.1 billion by 2021. What is more, this communication channel is supremely popular: People check their emails multiple times a day, and when you are trying to market your company, you can get your name into thousands of inboxes just by launching an email marketing campaign.
Email marketing works 40 times better at getting customers than Facebook and Twitter, and compared to social media it offers 17% higher conversion. The secret to success is making every single email count. Email not only converts better than the most popular social media platforms but also people spend up to 17% more when they make a purchase.
The cost? Email marketing is also super-affordable, which makes it great for small businesses. And this means that, even if a campaign bombs, the marketer is not in trouble. In comparison, given their high spend, failed advertising campaigns using direct mail, print advertising, radio and TV can be disastrous.
But just sending an email message promoting your business is not enough. Consumers are inundated with a ton of promotional emails every day, and most get deleted without ever being read. That is why you need to make sure your emails will stand out through the noise.
So, where do you start and what can you do to be successful with your first email campaign? Let’s jump into it: Here is how to launch your first email marketing campaign and boost engagement for your company and its sales.
BUILD YOUR EMAIL LIST
To have a successful email marketing campaign, you will need people to email. That is why you have to build up your email list to be a money maker for your business. Having an email list enables you to have a lot of qualified leads at your fingertips, and you can email them any time you want to promote your company. But how do you get people signed up?
Using a nonintrusive, exit-intent popup on your site is a great, attention-grabbing tactic to get more email subscribers. Offering an incentive in your pop-up will convince users to hit that subscribe button, so consider offering a discount or another freebie in exchange for a prospective customer’s email address. Building a substantial email list is the backbone of any successful email campaign.
CHOOSE AN EMAIL MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDER
Once you have built up your email list and gotten tons of users ready for you to send a message, it is time to get your email campaign in motion. Using Gmail or Outlook is strongly discouraged for sending bulk emails. That is why you need to choose an email marketing service provider. Some great options are Constant Contact, MailChimp or ConvertKit.
By using an email service provider, you will get many benefits, including the ability to send bulk emails and manage your email database, campaign-management services, and customizable email templates. You will also be able to ensure you are compliant with CAN-SPAM laws.
DEFINE THE GOAL OF YOUR CAMPAIGN
Before you send out any emails, you should figure out why you are sending out the emails in the first place. Not defining a focus for your email marketing campaign will make that campaign appear all over the place, and confuse readers. So what is the goal of your campaign? Typical goals include:
Promoting products or announcing a sale
Educating users about your product/niche
Increasing engagement on your blog/social media
Upselling customers
Pinkberry’s goal with the following email campaign was to target its “inactive” users with a surprise incentive to return:
Remember: Not only you must decide “why?” but also “whom?” Will you be sending this campaign to consumers who have already purchased, users who have never bought or everyone on your email list? How you design your emails depends on what you want from your campaign, so determine your goal and plan your campaign around it.
CRAFT YOUR EMAIL
After you decide what type of email marketing campaign you are gonna launch, start crafting the email. The first tip is to produce a catchy subject line that will grab attention and make people want to open your email. You can use a free tool like CoSchedule’s Email Subject Line Tester to see whether your subject line makes the grade or not.
Other tips which will get your emails opened include personalizing them to each user; people will pay closer attention if you say their name. Designing an eye-catching email with a good mixture of images and text is also essential. Design experts usually recommend that emails employ a 60/40 text-to-image ratio.
Finally, when writing a copy for your email campaign, keep it snappy and short and show some personality because you want to get your point across without boring the readers by making them scroll through a long email to find out what you are talking about. You should focus on content which shows readers how they will benefit, instead of just telling them how great you are.
Now you are ready to launch your first email marketing campaign. Do not forget that once you hit “send,” you can start to measure your results, like your open rate and your number of orders or registrations, for example. When you measure your results, you will be able to see what’s working and what is not; and the next time you send out a campaign, you will get even better results than the first time around.
Source http://www.webzool.com/blog/launch-first-email-marketing-campaign/
The objective of every business is to sell more. In the competitive business environment, many small and large business owners are continually facing a common dilemma – to improve their business sales. Their usual step to this is to spend more for AdWords, or they’re spending more time performing SEO, in their attempt to increase website traffic for their business.
However, there is a new and perfect sales strategy which will allow you to increase your business sales. So then, a well-placed explainer video might be worth considering if increasing conversions and sales is on your to-do list.
Here are 10 ways how explainer videos can increase your sales:
ENGAGES THE VIEWER
There is a philosophy that the audience should be involved in the sales process. Engagement measures the extent to which a viewer has a meaningful brand experience. An explainer video engages the client immediately. Studies show if a customer isn’t interested within eight seconds, they’ll navigate away from the page. While customers may be disinterested in a great deal of dull text, animated explainer videos captivate customers.
EASY TO UNDERSTAND
Text can be interpreted in many ways which means that your audience may miss your main selling points. However, you tell a story there’s no confusion because videos tend to create less clutter than straight copy and stagnant photos. An explainer video will take the guesswork out of explaining what is you are offering.
Explainer video provides its audience with a clear and meaningful idea of your business and website. It is equivalent of a face-to-face business demonstration. In a simple sentence, we can tell ‘Explainer videos are your next sales team.’
Imagine, when a dreaded PowerPoint comes out in a sales meet (Death by PowerPoint) if a 60-second explainer video that gets your message over in a fun and engaging way. It will leave your prospects wanting more and understand what your product or service is all about. So you do not only get the online benefits but also maximize usage by using in sales meetings.
Once viewers finish watching the video, they’re more likely to take the next step. This is why it is essential that your explainer videos offer up what the next step is, such as buying from you, registering for your e-newsletter, or picking up the phone to give you a call.
All else, explainer videos are perfect for creating interest and being shared. They’re evergreen and go on and on being viewed and converting leads into sales consistently.
EXPLAINER VIDEOS ARE SHAREABLE
The great thing about explainer videos is that because they’re often entertaining and engaging people share them too. This means that people start spreading your content via a platform such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. When a viewer shares your explainer video, it increases your chances of making another sale.
RELATES TO YOUR CUSTOMER
Explainer videos answer the viewers main query “Why Should I buy this?“ with a relatable storyline. Displaying your product/service benefits with a real-life situation or a story in a video can be powerful. Because when consumers can relate to the service or product being offered, they can see a real need or want for buying it.
IT IS AN ELEVATOR PITCH
An elevator pitch is a short, 35-60 second introduction to your company that focuses on the value you offer to the viewer. According to a research, if you simulate the auditory and visual senses, you increase your viewers understanding of your pitch by 75%.
You can use your pitch to accomplish three critical tasks such as Raising Money, Building Trust, Acquiring Customers. However, many sales interactions occur in the virtual environment, so making your elevator pitch a video is a key to standing out from the crowd, sharing more information in a shorter period, and snagging those critical initial customers.
The old phrase that ‘People Buy from People’ is still correct. Customers will buy from the company that they like more. Using an explainer video allows customers to see not only products but also personalities.
In online businesses, mainly, demand because of the lack of a face behind the website can put people off. An explainer video can reflect your personality and make web visitors feel they have not come to a virtual equivalent of an empty shop.
Source http://www.webzool.com/blog/10-ways-explainer-videos-can-boost-sales/
Entrepreneurs worry so much over a number of other details as they get started and then leave one of the most critical aspects as an afterthought which is the brand name.
Naming your startup may seem minor, but it is actually one of the most important and undervalued aspects of your company. This name will be attached to your company image for years to come. Therefore, you need to get it right from the beginning.
The sad truth is that the right name can make all the difference when it comes to propelling a company to success, rather than just slogging on.
Names are quite powerful. Each one has a distinct difference. So, get the name right, and you get branding as a by-product of your advertising.
Below are 19 valuable tips to consider when determining a business name:
It is essential to know what your brand stands for before you pick your name. Your brand promise is not what your product or service does. It is the more profound emotional connection it should have with your users. It is the way your brand should make your customers feel.
People should not have to take a breath midway through saying your brand name out loud. Just think about some of the worldwide dominating brands such as Nike, Apple, Walmart.
Your business should not sound like a sentence. Sure, in some instances, two words might be appropriate.
But most importantly, bear in mind that keeping the name short will make it easier for customers to remember it, which will help you a lot with your marketing campaigns.
Let’s says they hear your company name somewhere. Whether it is on TV, the radio, or in a conversation. Next, they search for it online, but cannot find you because they do not know the spelling because it is too complicated.
Stick with names which are spelled exactly the same as how they sound.
Even if they see your oddly spelled company name written somewhere, they may forget how to spell it when they look for it.
Do not do anything weird, like using the number 8 to replace the “ate” sound or use the letter “Z” in a place where you should have an “S.”
BE EVOCATIVE, NOT DESCRIPTIVE
Descriptive names like YouSendIt are fine, especially when you are first starting out. While a descriptive name can help your product get discovered in search marketing, ultimately, such a name will probably limit your business. If you have taken over the world-sized ambitions, follow the Apple model. In a world of Microsoft and IBM, Apple’s more abstract name allowed them to move from computers to phones and music players without consumers balking. It has brand extensibility. But Apple is not just a random name plucked from the dictionary. It evokes important symbols of human development. It is the fruit of the tree of knowledge in the Bible and the object that fell on Isaac Newton’s head, inspiring the theory of gravity. And it had personal significance for Steve Jobs from his days living on an apple orchard commune.
USE A REAL WORD
It will be tempting, when faced with the difficulty of securing URLs and trademarks, to make your life easy by making up or misspelling a word. My advice is, do not do it. You are just making things harder for your potential customers to pronounce it, spell it and remember it.
In general, people prefer the familiar. By taking familiar words and applying them in unconventional ways, a name will stand out.
It is the same with your company name. Even when you are at the stage of presenting options to the other decision-makers, do not just show naked words. Put the name in context. Design a logo and mock it up on business letterhead or a web page. Seeing the name in action makes it easier to envision.
A great example is Square. The word hardly suggests forward thinking on its own. But in the context of a nice, square-shaped gadget that has changed how small businesses accept payment, it is perfect.
Even though you are in the early stages of your startup, you should always be looking towards the future and thinking about potential marketing campaigns.
How will this brand name fit with your campaigns? Will it be easy to come up with a company slogan that flows well with the name?
You cannot pre-determine whether something will be catchy or not, and there is not a tool that can help you with this. Yet you can still figure it out based on your gut feeling and feedback of others.
Next, use an online tool, such as GoDaddy to see if the domain is available:
Businesses often make this mistake. A company settles on a name, but someone already has the .com domain. But instead of trying to purchase it, they decide to use another extension, such as “.biz,” “.net,” or “.org.”
Doing that is not recommended. Consumers have grown accustomed to associating “.com” domains with established and credible businesses.
But that also does not mean you should make your domain different from the name of your startup to secure a .com domain.
I suggest that if your domain name is taken and you cannot purchase it, try to find a different name for your company.
Different color schemes can impact sales. That is because visuals are processed faster than words. Consumers will remember a name if the logo is memorable.
Think about McDonald’s “M” golden arches which are iconic.
How will your company name translate to your logo and will it be recognizable? Ask yourself this when coming up with a name.
Do your best to avoid common names such as “Ben’s Repair.”
How many repairs out there do you think have that name? I can bet that there is more than just a handful.
You want your name to stand on its own, without any confusion or association with other companies.
You want your branding to be consistent across all your marketing channels. See if specific social media handles are taken.
Having different social media handles on each platform will confuse your customers. It will complicate your efforts to build brand awareness for your new business.
If your name is available on all social media platforms except for one, reach out to the user and see whether you can buy it from them, or consider coming up with a new name.
Search USPTO.gov to see whether you can trademark it.
This website provides the information and resources you need to know about existing trademarks and the application process for your trademark.
Use tools such as NameMesh, Namium or Shopify to come up with a unique domain name based on specific themes. These business name generators help you come up with ideas while checking for domain availability at the same time.
You do not have to struggle alone naming your company.
Sure, you can come up with some ideas and ultimately have the final say. But if you have got partners or a team, make it a group discussion and write down your ideas. Then, narrow the list down to 5 or 10 names.
Then reach out to your family and friends. See what they think. If one name by far stands out from the crowd based on that feedback, you should consider it more than the others.
HAVE A THICK SKIN
Some people will hate the name you choose. There will always be a loud minority of haters. You have to accept their right to criticize. Plus, you can still be amused by the inevitable charge of obscenity.
IT IS NOT A DEMOCRACY
Choosing a brand name is not a democratic process. With no harsh rules for success, names will always be subjective. Getting a consensus will be hard, so keep your creative and approval teams as small as possible. But once you have picked your name, get everyone on board.
DO NOT REBRAND UNLESS YOU HAVE TO
If you are choosing your first name, this is one last warning to get it right the first time. If you are thinking of re-naming your company, think hard. Re-naming is a messy and expensive process. Some of your customers will not like it, which is understandable as name changes are for the company’s benefit, not for the customer’s. Even if you are thinking about changing your logo, you should challenge yourself to prove that it is necessary.
DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF CRAZY
Picking a name is essential. But do not let it consume your life.
It should not turn into a 6-month project. If you take time for working things out, you will be just fine.
Will the name be perfect? Maybe not. But what is?
Do not keep second-guessing yourself. Go with it if you are sure about the followings:
all the pieces line up
the domain is available
the feedback is good
nobody has the social media handles
you can trademark it.
19. MAKE SURE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH IT
The name of your business will be something you hear, write, say, and think about all the time.
If you do not like the name, do not use it. This startup is your baby. You would not name your baby something you do not like, right?
The same concept applies here. Otherwise, you will regret it, and that could impact your behavior and the way you run the business moving forward.
CONCLUSION
What is in the brand name? More than you think.
The name of your company will be your new identity. Do not approach this task haphazardly.
Whether you are struggling to come up with a name or you, have a name in mind, but you’re unsure how to proceed, use this guide to help you finalize the decision.
It is better to take the time and be sure of it now as opposed to trying to rename your business in the future.
Creating an app opens an entirely new channel by which you can interact with your customers. A haven in which your dedicated audience always has access to you in one simple click. Your app is a space fully customizable to their needs. The problem in most cases isn’t the app itself. Rather, it is the crucial step so often missed after the app is created, promotion.
A general rule of thumb is to spend as much time promoting your product as you do to create them. For instance, if you spend 2 days writing a blog post, then spend the next 2 days sharing your blog post in as many outlets as possible.
The more you promote your content, the easier and faster the process becomes. We know small businesses don’t have a large budget to dedicate to marketing or promotional events. Even those who do have the money may find themselves only having a few channels to promote their content.
We have gathered 15 steps to guide you in marketing your app effectively. These steps will only cost you time, and we’re confident that if you follow them, you’ll have a notable increase in a number of followers and downloads.
LEVERAGE YOUR MOBILE WEBSITE
If you have an existing website which is fully functional and mobile-friendly, then it can be one of the greatest assets for promoting your app. At one point or another, all of your customers or anyone interested in your company will find their way to your website, and when they do, it’s important they all know you have an app.
Including your app in your site could mean sectioning off a part of your website exclusively for the app. Such as towards the middle of the webpage or the corner of the screen. While this method can bring in more downloads, I recommend taking an alternate approach. Instead of placing it solely on your website, have a pop-up page display whenever someone visits your site.
By this way, the app is the first thing the viewers see. The pop-up page is just a gentle reminder that you have an app and your customers are given either the option to continue to your mobile site or download the app.
FEATURE THE APP IN AN OFFICIAL BLOG
In addition to including your app on your website, including it in your regularly scheduled blog post is another marketing strategy you can leverage. You can do so by creating a comprehensive blog post entirely about your app or including a CTA (call to action) at the end of each blog post to invite your visitors to download the app.
When writing the blog post completely about the app, write a complete story about your app and let your viewers know the purpose behind it. Tell them how this app can help and make things easy for them. Include your app links, videos, and screenshots to help them get a good understanding.
FEATURE THE APP IN YOUR EMAILS
Your app needs to be engraved into every aspect of your marketing, which includes all of your emails. As a business, you’ll send out countless emails and not including your app in each of those is a missed opportunity.
Any email which is sent out, whether it be from your newsletter, your tech support or even the payment confirmation email should include a footer with one line advertising your app. Include details such as what can be achieved through the app and a link redirecting towards the download page.
CREATE A DEMO VIDEO
Demo videos are an easy way to showcase everything that your app has to offer. For the demo video, create a simple half a minute commercial with the principles of Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle: Why, How, and What.
Assign a team to work on this video together. The collective minds of more than one will help you to finish projects faster and with fewer errors. Keep in mind that your demo video isn’t meant to stay the way it is now. Your videos, along with all your content, should be updated weekly or monthly.
APPLY FOR AWARDS
Participating in-app awards is the most recommended channel, and I would highly suggest you take advantage of it. It can give you tons of press, reviews, exposure, and plenty of downloads. Even though the chances of winning very much depend on your pitch and app idea, if you succeed to get things right the first time, you can enjoy a little stardom.
Here are some of the most famous app awards websites:
Appy Awards
Best App Ever Awards
AppCircus competition
Apple Design Awards
Appsters Awards
Ericsson Application Awards
The Webby Awards
Best Mobile App Awards
OZApp
CREATE AN EYE-CATCHING APP ICON
With over 3.3 million apps in the Google Play Store and 2 million in the App Store, there is a lot of noise in any category you choose to have your app in. Due to that noise, many people choose to take an interest in apps, only when the app icon entices them.
To make your app icon stand out, it should:
Have a unique shape that stands out
Have a limited pallet of colors – 2 is enough to create contrast
Avoid using a photo – it blends in too much!
Avoid a lot of text, and it is barely readable anyways
Be creative!
Testing your app icon out on a dozen different wallpapers also doesn’t hurt.
APP STORE OPTIMIZATION
App store optimization (ASO) is, at its core, search engine optimization (SEO) for the Google Play and App Store. Just like SEO, app store optimization focuses on search relevance, keyword relevance, and the keyword density in your description.
With almost half of iPhone users in the US are finding apps through search, your app description is one of the essential things that you can focus on in your app marketing efforts.
BUILD A GREAT APP LANDING PAGE
A great landing page is a must have for any business, even if you do not have a mobile app. Having a great landing page is like having a great business card, just in case you ever need it, it is good to have with you.
Breaking it down, while the page has multiple links out, the two most prominent links are the Google Play Store and App Store buttons. They are several times larger than the social sharing buttons, great to have for helping visitors to the site share the app, and they stand out just as much as the images to the right of them.
As you scroll down, each panel has a single call to action, which leads directly back to the primary call to action – to download the app.
GET FEATURED ON MOBILE APP REVIEW SITES
Getting on an App Review Site means you are going to have to send them a pitch which means you have to convince the website that your app is good enough to be reviewed by them and featured on their site. Most of these app review sites are looking for things such as:
Beautiful graphical designs in high quality
Original and unique content, mechanics, themes, and art
Stable apps with no glitches, crashes, overwhelming loading times or poorly pieced together content
When you reach out, you’ll most likely have to provide supporting material for your app. It is usually done in the form of a document containing the following:
A link to your app in the app store
A summary paragraph describing your app and what makes your app stand out
Screenshots of your title screen, app logo, and in-app content
Links to videos of your app from Vimeo or YouTube
A promo code that are keys giving access to download the app for free if it is a paid app,
PROMOTE YOUR APP THROUGH A PROMO VIDEO
Having a good promo video is a staple of any mobile app. It is a quick and easy way for anyone to understand the most common use case behind the app and how they can use it.
An additional benefit of a promo video is that you can take advantage of video SEO.
For instance, if people search for “the best list-making app” and your YouTube video title matches, then it will show up before the rest of the search results.
USE YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK
Social media, despite the heavy focus of most businesses, is still a very underutilized channel of promotion. Sending the message once is good, but sending it several times over a month or two is even better.
The typical Facebook page post reaches 16% of the page’s fan base. Now if you’re to send the same message, re-write it 4 or 5 times and send it out once a week for five weeks and you are apparently reaching 80% of your Facebook page audience.
REACH OUT TO INFLUENCERS
Marketing your app can also extend beyond your usual field of influence and often, these foreign connections are exactly what your company needs. Developing authentic, honest and mutually beneficial relationships with influencers will go a long way in helping to promote your app.
Influencers are people with the power to influence the buying and engagement decisions of a particular group of people. Business owners reaching out influencers should be careful to only present content that is truly relevant for the influencers and their audience. While some marketers often offer monetary compensation in exchange for influencer promotion, we recommend you instead find influencers that genuinely value your company.
Your viewers and theirs as well will quickly catch on that the influencer is being paid to act on your behalf. The last thing you want is customers’ feeling that you are “faking” how great your business is. Genuine sponsorships will aid your company much more and build a stronger following.
Let influencers know you’re building or have built an app. Ask if you can have some time with them to discuss the development of the app or to gather some feedback. If you want to have them on board, give them their section within the app or work towards building an app that provides to both parts needs. And if you decide to go with either of these choices, make sure your interests, values, and customers align.
JOIN DEVELOPERS & ENTREPRENEURS GROUPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Increase your visibility on social media groups, especially Linkedin, Google+ and Facebook, to become better known among entrepreneurs and app developers go.
Ask for their feedback about your app and give them a free promo code to try it out. Discuss current features, future updates, bug fixes, and value their opinion. You can build a great relationship with them which might present the opportunity to cross-promote each other’s apps without spending a cent.
BLOG COMMENTING
Have a look at blogs in the space which are relevant to your mobile app. Identify the opportunity to add value by commenting on relevant blogs that makes sense. Make sure to provide valuable insight and also link to your mobile app or your mobile app’s landing page. It can be used in mobile app marketing to drive high-quality, relevant links and traffic to your mobile app’s landing page or download link.
ROLL OUT NEW UPDATES CONSTANTLY
Your customers need to know you’re always making the app better for them. Apps that aren’t being cared for will be thrown away. Users will feel betrayed if you aren’t doing all you can to make the experience better for them. This is particularly true if you still have not addressed many of the issues that customers rage about in the review sections. Keep your app content fresh and let your customers know that you are always planning something more for them to enjoy.
Source http://www.webzool.com/blog/15-steps-proper-marketing-mobile-app/
Social media marketing has become one of the most effective ways for businesses to have success in the digital era. In fact, 95% of adults between the ages of 18 and 34 follow brands on social media. Facebook leads the way in this category. According to Statista, Facebook has 2.2 billion active monthly users.
The sheer volume of users alone makes Facebook a digital marketer’s playground.
When it comes to Facebook advertising, I could speak about a list of done-to-death conventional techniques.
And most are still quite useful.
Below are 18 advanced Facebook advertising techniques you probably did not know about but should most definitely try.
It is not something we use for marketing directly, but it can provide some useful insights to assist you in your marketing.
Long story short, you can gather a list of pages you are interested in along with analytics.
Just add pages from brands which are relevant to your industry and have a robust Facebook presence.
This is useful because you can see which posts are the most and least engaging. In turn, you can use this information when deciding what to post on your page.
Instead of posting pictures directly on Facebook, post them via Instagram.
Why?
A study from Buzzsumo found that “pictures posted via Instagram get 23% more engagement.”
And that makes sense, considering the insane level of engagement Instagram receives.
Engagement with brands on Instagram is ten times higher than Facebook, 54 times higher than Pinterest and 84 times higher than Twitter.
In theory, following this simple step can net you nearly a quarter more engagement than merely posting directly on Facebook.
Hashtags are useful in certain situations.
In fact, they are quite beneficial on networks such as Instagram and Twitter.
But not so much on Facebook.
The same study from Buzzsumo found that posts with hashtags received less engagement than posts without.
Not only does this save time, but you will also get more bang for your buck with every piece of content you post.
Think of it as a mini-hack.
Even if you post a masterpiece, it will have only a marginal impact if your audience never actually sees it.
It will get shuffled to the bottom of their feeds.
From my experience, the ideal time to post is between 10 p.m. and midnight local time.
There are 2 main reasons why.
First, there are fewer people posting content, and that means more visibility and less competition.
Second, there are enough people still awake and active on Facebook to make it worth your time.
Stick with this 2-hour window, and you should be great.
And relevancy is essential because it ultimately maximizes your impact and increases your ROI.
You can get information on:
Age
Gender
Lifestyle
Education level
Job title
But this’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The data you generate from this can spill over into other elements of your overall marketing campaign.
The exciting thing is that video accounts for only 3% of all content on Facebook.
I found that number to be astonishingly low.
But it also presents a great opportunity.
Posting plenty of high-quality video content lets you grab the low-hanging fruit many of your competitors appear to be missing out on.
This leads me to my next point.
But that is the wrong move.
That is because directly embedded Facebook videos get a lot more engagement than YouTube embedded videos.
Just look at how much the total quantity of interactions from direct embedding dominates the number of those embedded with YouTube.
Keep it in mind moving forward, and your engagement levels will increase considerably.
You can implement a similar concept to Facebook with “crowdsourcing” key decisions.
Below are some examples:
Ask your audience to choose your brand’s new logo
Ask which new background to use for your Facebook profile
This is cool because:
a) it lets your audience know you are genuinely interested in their opinions, and
b) it is a natural catalyst for engagement.
The easiest way to crowdsource is to create polls in which people can vote.
In fact, I recommend treating it like Twitter—use a max of 150 characters.
Why?
It is simple. Shorter Facebook posts receive far more engagement than longer ones.
Posts with 50 characters or fewer than 50 receive the most interactions, and the number of interactions slowly decreases as more characters are added.
In other words, keep it short and sweet.
The average advertising click-through rate on Facebook is 0.9%.
But adding a CTA(Call to Action) button can increase your click-through rate by 2.85 times.
Just think of the long-term effect this can have on your campaign.
But one resource I think that many marketers are failing to capitalize on is “Facebook Groups.”
It is a lot like LinkedIn Groups where you create a specific group based around a critical topic of interest (usually your niche).
This is beneficial for several different reasons:
It strengthens your relationships
It helps you build new ones
It makes brand equity
It facilitates interaction
You can gain valuable intel
12. PIN YOUR MOST EPIC POST
Another very useful feature that I recommend is the option to “pin” posts at the top of your timeline.
By that way, users see your best content once they land on your page.
It is kind of like putting your best foot forward, which hearkens back to the halo effect.
I suggest looking over your timeline and finding the highest quality post that received the most engagement and “pinning” it to the top.
However, that it is your ticket to maximize conversions and for cleaning up any general inefficiencies.
But how can you perform A/B testing on Facebook?
I advise using Qwaya which is a great Facebook ad manager that will help you take things to the next level.
If you are funneling a considerable amount of money into Facebook ads, this tool is a must for sure.
It is probably because people like to get in on the action and have their voices heard, so I suggest using this quite a bit.
Nevertheless, you do not want to go any further than 3,000, considering the fact there’s a notable decrease in the number of interactions.
According to a study, 90% of all split-second judgments that we make about a product are a result of the product’s color. If you extend this statistic into the realm of advertising, you will quickly realize that the colors you choose for your ads can make or break a campaign. Consider these science-backed observations regarding the consumers’ response to different colors.
Older individuals more heavily favor blue, purple and green. On the other hand, younger people tend to prefer yellow, orange and red.
According to a poll, comparing results from 232 consumers across 22 countries, orange is the most disliked color, with yellow, purple and brown following closely behind.
Red is the most attention-grabbing colors
While you should use this data to improve the visual attraction of your ads, do not forget that these statements are generalizations. “One size fits all,” does not exist and the greatest factor in the success of your chosen color scheme is whether or not it complements what you’re trying to sell.
STAND OUT IN THE NEWSFEED
Although you do not want to use creatives which stand out for the sole intention of standing out, there are a number of methods to stand out in the newsfeed. Try to use contrasting colors. When you create an ad, make sure that whatever colors you use contrast one another because that catches people’s attention. Video ads or gifs can also be used to grab people’s attention because they move. If you convey the marketing message while making it a little flashy, but still on brand, that is great. If you are running an image in the newsfeed and it does not stand out, you are probably going to have trouble because it is going to blend in with everything else.
SPARK EMOTION
The next essential thing to remember when you are creating your Facebook ads is that people are emotional creatures, not logical ones.
Instead of focusing on logistics and data, focus on emotion.
Tell consumers about the benefits they are going to receive.
Tell them about how your service or product will change their lives.
Find the pain point they’re struggling with, and press on it until they’re willing to pay the money to purchase whatever you are selling.
Another point to keep in mind with regards to sparking emotion is that people relate more actively to human faces than they do to any other image.
CONCLUSION
Having an active social media presence is an effective way to promote your brand at little to no cost. But if you want to take your social media marketing strategy to the next level, you should be running Facebook ads like a pro.
These ads are perfect because Facebook offers tools specific for lead generation.
They are easy to set up as well. Just follow this guide as a reference to steer you in the right direction.
I think Facebook gets overlooked these days sometimes because it has become the old man of social media platforms.
By this I mean there are always newer, hipper networks popping up.
But Facebook is not going anywhere anytime soon.
In fact, it is on track to reach three billion users within the next couple of years. That is pretty insane when you think about it.
By going beyond the basics and diving into deep, you can find some true potential for high-quality leads.
And by following the correct formula, you can cash in on a large number of those leads and convert them into customers.
Source http://www.webzool.com/blog/18-strategies-make-facebook-advertising-like-pro/
