Advice From a Digital Marketer Working From Home

 

Working from home is something that is becoming more popular among businesses.  Currently, we are amid the coronavirus, which has made more people around the world start working from home.  While this may seem significant, there are often many challenges that workers face when adjusting from the office to home life.  My position as a digital marketer has given me relevant insights on how to work from me successfully.

 

I have experience working both in busy office environments and from home.  My experience gives me a unique perspective on how to transition and balance the two.  As a digital marketer, all my work is entirely done online to begin with. Due to this situation, it makes transitioning between an office and at home very easy.  Other positions aren’t meant for online at all, so that creates the challenge for taking a new job online.

 

Businesses are forced to come up with guidelines and ways to set their workers up without being adequately prepared.  This reasoning is why I decided to create a guide to help make the transition from working in an office to at-home seamless. Here are my top 5 tips from a digital marketer successfully working from home.

 

1. Have a dedicated workspace

 

Create distance between your parts of the home and areas of business.  By creating separation, you allow yourself areas to both work and relax. Mixing the two can often lead to additional stress or poor work ethic due to the availability of everything within one’s home.

 

 

Setting up a spare room as office space is a great way to create distance between personal and business.   Allow space for how you would like an office. Keeping a supply of pens, paper, and sticky notes can help make sure you have all the resources you need.

 

When I am working from home on digital marketing materials, I tend to work in the office.  This area is most free from distractions, and my roommates will know that I am working.  

 

2.  Set boundaries

 

Although you are now working within your home, that doesn’t mean that you need to be working all the time.  Set up a schedule that you can adhere to. Remember to incorporate breaks and time to eat. Being unrealistic is the easiest way to have your work and home life spill into each other.

 

Boundaries should not only stop with yourself.  If you live with other people, try to set ground rules.  Setting firm rules or guidelines helps establish a clear plan for how days should be oriented.  This is especially true in the case of whole households being cooped up together. If there is no respect within the household, it will make being productive much more difficult.

 

3. Be determined

 

Being determined is one of the essential parts of a successful work from the home strategy.  It is easy to get distracted or waste time when you are in your home. However, when offices first start the transition between work environments, its important to show results.  These results can vary drastically by the type of work you do.

 

If you display worse results while you are working at home than you did in an office, this will lead employers to think you are less active.  Oppositely, showing great initiative and diving into a project can reassure your managers that this is the correct decision. Specifically, during the time where the coronavirus has shifted so many businesses online, companies will primarily be looking at employee performance.  

 

4. Limit distractions

 

When you are sitting down to work, do just that. Work!

 

Limiting distractions can be difficult when you are within your home with countless things and people.  Making sure you are focused when you are working is the only way to can assure you are making progress. It is easy to procrastinate and push tasks off until later.  Hold yourself accountable for your actions and set daily goals.

 

 

 

 

These daily goals should be SMART goals.  SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Based.  In short, these are goals that you will easily be able to track. Goals like “write a paper” would not suffice because this is vague.  Setting a goal like a write two pages or 800 words is more attainable and trackable. My common digital marketing goals when working from home include creating x amount of posts or writing a certain amount of words for a blog.

 

5. Take frequent breaks

 

The final tip that I want to give everyone is to take frequent breaks.  Stand up and stretch your legs. Go to the bathroom or refill your water.  Staring at a computer screen for too long can cause you to lose focus and become less productive.

 

I love to do various exercises every hour or two to keep my body energized.  This may come across as strange in an office setting, but it can be perfectly normal within your home!  It is essential to try and keep yourself motivated; otherwise, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.

 

During this hectic time, I hope that this article was able to give you a few tips from a digital marketer to make sure you can be successful while working from home.  If you have any questions about working from home, be sure to comment or reach out to us through a contact form!  We also have solutions to help get your company online if you feel unprepared.

WordPress initially launched in the year 2003. Since then, it has completely revolutionized the way businesses had an online presence. We have fast websites now – more rapid than our mind’s ability to decide what we want to see later.  The Introduction of WordPress allowed for web development to be more accessible than ever. WordPress website design has revolutionized web design, but what sets it apart?

 

Why WordPress?

 

WordPress has millions of in-house as well as independent designers worldwide that contribute to the database of its themes and plugins. But, all of it is done so that you could do the best to maintain your personal and professional profile on this vast – World Wide Web. It’s a tremendous achievement that WordPress powers nearly 35% of the world’s total websites.

 

 

WordPress also takes pride in announcing that it has become one of the most significant sources of income for independent professionals. Hundreds of WordPress web designers in Phoenix are offering services on freelance platforms.  Here they design your website’s theme and help you extend the functionality of your plugins.

It is user-friendly, has an attractive user interface, and doesn’t require technical knowledge of coding, programming and back-end management, etc. Plus, WordPress website designs are highly adaptable. The websites can cater to all your changing demands and requirements. Giant, multinational corporations like Sony use WordPress. Similarly, new bloggers also use WordPress. It is highly-compatible for beginners. More than anything else, the most significant appealing factor for WordPress is its dependable community support.

 

The WordPress Website Design

 

This platform offers great design options. The significant fact here is that a WordPress design doesn’t only comprise what one sees on a limited screen. The fonts, themes, palettes, plugins, etc. all constitute a masterpiece WordPress website design. You can alter combinations, and so, users can enjoy a wide variety of options depending upon their purpose. That’s the reason WordPress can power sales pages, personal blogs, poetry pages, eBooks. Also, it can help you showcase your skills and act as a virtual CV if you want to opt for a technical career. You can display your portfolio, previous work experiences, and whatnot on your very-own, WordPress website.  These websites have become a second home for many world-class professionals now – who prefer their WordPress website over their business premises.

 

Personal Profiles on WordPress

 

 

Personal pages to offer small-scale services. Often, writers who want to share their opinion for pleasure or offer delicious recipes or want to voice their ideas for a more significant social or philanthropic cause use WordPress on a personal level. It is their bridge with which they connect to the global community and become part of the broader perspective.

 

Business and Professional Profiles on WordPress

 

It’s great to learn that the world’s biggest businesses and most influential organizations have powered a chunk of 14% of their websites via WordPress. That’s not only because of the built-in features but because of more than 55000 plugins available on the WordPress directory. There are, however, more significant reasons why people prefer showcasing their professional skills, portfolios, home businesses to giant corporate services on WordPress.

Firstly, the websites on WordPress are SEO-friendly. These pages get a higher ranking on Google, and so, businesses have higher chances of attracting clients and customers on this platform. Plus, people love customizing their websites their way – their brand’s approach. It has a drag and drops menus for simplest to complicated stuff on WordPress. The site gets secured once it’s powered here, and domain, hosting, etc. do not cost an arm or length.

 

How can a WordPress Web Designer help you?

 

Though it’s easy to start a WordPress website – like, it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to sign up and do all the specific tasks. But, hiring a WordPress web designer in Phoenix can wondrously aid any new or established business in getting a fabulous online presence. Also, if you’re in Arizona, especially in Phoenix, then you can get a bunch of commercial services from the best WordPress web designers.

 

 

Because your WordPress website is your ultimate store-front, it deserves the touch by an artist. These service providers have more comprehensive experience, diverse portfolio, year-round discounts, and highly dependable customer service. Most importantly, they don’t give you their time; they dedicate their efforts to see your masterpiece adding value to your new-born or older business.  You can get in touch with us directly at (773)524-1483 or email [email protected] for more information on creating your WordPress website.

International Technology Rentals Overview

 

The International Technology Rental Association is the first client that I have ever had the pleasure of doing digital marketing.  My experience started by writing blog posts and managing social media. Fast forward five years to today, I am still managing social media, but now I also cover the live conference.  This job includes everything from taking videos and pictures to live streaming the event. I would highly recommend the annual ITRA conference for any company within the technology rental industry looking to grow their business.

February 12-14th was this year’s annual ITRA conference.  I had the pleasure of both attending the event, while also running the social media.  Today I wanted to take some time to go over what the ITRA conference covered and my own experience.  This event is the 4th annual conference I have attended, and the second that I have run social media accounts.  Running social media for the event means taking pictures, videos, and updating the channels about each speaker.

The conference started with myself flying into Las Vegas from Phoenix.  The short flight was easy, and within no time, I was at Bally’s hotel, where the conference was.  Wednesday was the setup day for the event, so a few members started trickling in. Once the setup was complete for the conference, it was time for the first happy hour of the conference.  Here there were various crab and shrimp offerings, with an assortment of multiple sliders. To top off a great night, all drinks at the bar were complimentary. A perfect end to a great setup day, now it was time to prepare for the event.

Day 1 Morning of Conference Presentations

 

 

Now it was onto the first official day of meetings!  The morning began with a great selection of breakfast options in our dining room.  Once everyone had their caffeine to kick start their days, it was time for the opening remarks presented by Bruce Johnson.  Bruce welcomed all the different companies from around the world and laid out the conference schedule. There were going to be many opportunities to network and connect while learning about products and services within the technology rental business.

 

IntelliEvent was the first sponsor presentation at the conference.  This software focuses on the event rental management on a cloud-based model.  For technology rental companies, this type of software is essential for adequately managing inventory and business practices.  The presentation ran through how businesses can use and optimize the software to fit their custom needs.

 

After a short break, it was time for Epson to present their projectors.  The presentation began with a brief history of projectors and the primary differences between different types.  This explanation helps breakdown the aspects of the product that affect quality the most. Epson presented a large variety of projectors ranging from low range to extreme high range.

 

Next, it was time for iMag to present their custom screens and software, goPremio.  Brian Gardner showed off iMag’s latest release of customizable screens for trade show booths.  These products are both available to rent and to purchase. You can take a look at what the technology looks like in the picture below!

 

 

Day 1 Afternoon of Conference Presentations

 

Now it was time for the lunch break.  The first half of the day had flown by, with lots of great presentations.  Unfortunately, Viveka Von Rosen had to cancel her presentation, so the second half of the day had to be changed up.  Instead of a presentation on LinkedIn, there were going to be multiple ITRA members presenting.

 

 

I was excited to see my father, Dan Kallen, give a presentation on how the ITRA has helped him and Hartford Technology Rentals grow their business.  Throughout Dan’s time in the association, he has been on the board of directors and been president of the association. Within this period, Dan has been able to generate millions of dollars in revenue from member companies.  This point drove home how impactful the ITRA can be to growing technology rental companies.

 

During these presentations, I was also able to record video segments from our various speakers.  You can find these videos on the ITRA social media channels. The easiest way to access them would be checking out the ITRA Facebook page.

 

Once the presentations had finished from various ITRA members, it was time for Flex Solutions to present its customer relationship management software.  The presentation ran through workflows and typical customizations made by clients. By watching this presentation and IntelliEvent, it gave the industry a good grasp of the top technology rental CRMs.

 

Featured Presenter

 

The last presentation of the day was from Terry Lowe of PLSN Magazine and Timelessjobs.com.  Terry had a history of working in the copywriting business for over 20 years. He has started various magazines and publications.  Currently, Terry focuses on PLSN magazine that showcases the latest and greatest in event technology. The focus is primarily on AV and scenic equipment that is pushing the norms.  Similarly, Terry also launched the job site timelessjobs.com to focus on hiring seasoned professionals in their industry.

 

Cocktail Hour Round 2

 

After the final speaker finished, it was time for a brief break before the cocktail hour started.  This time is one of the most important of the events because it is prime for networking. One of the strongest appeals of joining the ITRA is the ability to get face-to-face time with both clients and competition.  Within the world of rentals, cross-renting is enormous. For some companies like Rentacomputer, it is their core business model. Utilizing the cocktail hours to meet with and create connections is essential for a great convention.

 

Day 2 Morning of Conference Presentations

 

For a conference in Las Vegas, I took it relatively easy.  This reasoning was mainly due to my responsibilities the next day and needed to be on point to capture all the action to post on social media.  I had gotten some great clips and pictures for day 1, so I was excited to wrap the event up today.

 

The day started with the general elections for who would be on the new board of directors.  Our returning board members were Bruce Johnson as President, San Malik as Vice President, and Lisa Fossler as Secretary.  Michael Hollmen of APG Rentals became the new Treasurer. For members at large, Burt Van Engelenburg was re-appointed.  The newly appointed members at large were Joel Martin and Randy Moore. Finally, John Beagle became the honorary chairman of the board.

 

Day 2 Second Half of Conference Presentations

 

Once the board elections were finished, it was time to dive into the presentations for the day.  The first presentation was from Cube i. Cube i is an event software company that creates mobile applications and games specifically for conferences.  This software helps engages audiences and capture their information in a more effective way than most generic methods.

 

Barco was the final sponsor presentation of the day.  Barco is a projector company that is moving towards using laser projectors entirely.  This reasoning is due to the increased strength and overall picture quality. I was able to live-stream the entire presentation directly to the representative Jaz’s Facebook profile.  If you are interested, I would recommend sending us a message, and we will put you in touch!

 

Now it was finally time to conclude the conference.  The finale was the award for the ITRA “Deal of the Year” award.  This award was between Rentacomputer and Mac rentals. Then, as quickly as it started, the ITRA annual conference for 2020 at Bally’s in Las Vegas had concluded.

 

 

Personal Experience

 

I had a wonderful overall experience through different presentations and networking opportunities.  My new contacts extended over several different countries all around the world. I was also able to increase engagement with people within the ITRA.  I hope that by next year more members will be interacting with myself so I can help promote ITRA members to the best of my ability. For any prospective companies interested in the annual ITRA conference, GO!  It is a very affordable event that will end up paying for itself.

Kallen Media’s First WordCamp

At the start of February, I was lucky enough to attend the WordCamp Phoenix 2022 event.  WordCamps are WordPress events that bring together the community to share advice and tips.  And these events have been going on for over ten years and take place around the world. So be sure to lookup WordCamp events near you to see if there is a chance to join in on these great conferences.  The event was in the heart of bustling downtown Phoenix in “Events on Jackson.”  

WordCamp Phoenix 2020 was my first WordCamp event, along with Kallen Media’s first as well.  And I had not done too much research on these events; besides that, they involved the WordPress community and critical members.  Because of the proximity and low price point of $50 for a weekend pass, I decided to register myself as an attendee if you are interested in rewatching any on the previous WordCamps, found on the WordPress TV website.

The event weekend started with a smooth drive to downtown Phoenix from my office in Tempe, right near Arizona State University.  Parking was only $5 each day for special event parking, which is very reasonable for downtown Phoenix. Once I walked in, wonderful volunteers greeted me, and I was quickly able to find my badge.  The lobby had great snacks and hot coffee; So for the day, They were great!

Volunteers orchestrated the entire event. Which made me excited to see the presentations to come because everyone was passionate about WordPress.  Opening remarks gave me an excellent overview of what to expect from this conference. Now it was time to start learning!

WordCamp Sessions – Day 1 morning

The first presentation that I sat in on was from Kori Ashton, the CEO of WebTegrity.  Her presentation focused on improving digital marketing business models, specifically for small businesses and freelancers.  The talk hit a direct cord with me going over both questions and similar experiences of my own. I was able to gain insights on pricing models, workflow structures, and customer interactions, all within her 50-minute presentation. My mind was opened to more possibilities looking ahead with Kallen Media watching a successful digital marketer share their tips and secrets. This session was exactly the content I was looking to learn!

The next session that I decided to go to was “The Art of Networking” with Francesca Marano.  Francesca is the WordPress community manager at SiteGround. She traveled from Germany and has made a career out of networking within the WordPress community.  Hearing Francesca speak about her experiences networking and getting out of her comfort zone encouraged me to engage as many community members as possible throughout the rest of the conference.

WordCamp Sessions – Day 1 Afternoon

My final presentation of the morning was about building a content marketing machine with Colin Shipp. Because of content marketing’s significant part in digital marketing as a whole, I was particularly interested in this presentation.  Colin sheds light on creating content meant for consumers, not search engines. He also broke down the best types of articles to write and effective ways to capture your readers.  A fantastic presentation that gave me valuable insights and reassurance that my content marketing strategies were on the right track.

Lunch both days was a delicious offering of gourmet tacos.  Both days I was pleased with the food.  So glad I went back for seconds both days! Lunchtime was also the prime time where I was able to network and talk to other fellow WordPress fanatics.  I met a variety of travel bloggers and business owners that gave me different perspectives on how WordPress works in a business.

WordCamp Sessions – Day 1 Afternoon

The second half of day 1 of Phoenix WordCamp 2020 started with Troy Dean’s presentation, “Think Again.”  This presentation highlighted getting started in WordPress and utilizing the community to help your business grow.  Become a specialist and either partner with professionals or outsource work when possible. He finished his presentation focusing on five core pieces to being successful: language, thoughts, beliefs, actions, and results.

Complimenting “Think Again” was the next presentation by Chris Klosowski about transitioning from maker to manager.  Within businesses, it is critical to have both happy employees and a manager who is competent. Chris elaborated that only 1 in 10 people have natural managerial talent, and the other 9 need some training.  This fact is essential because it shows how critical exercise is in creating an efficient and happy workforce.

Session 6 of the day was about how to create online courses by Zac Gordon.  Within the short span of 50 minutes, Zac was able to cover over 100 different tips for making useful courses.  Some of the most exciting pieces of information included his setup for recording videos. There is a lot more time and effort going into these kinds of content than I thought!  This content ranges from mic setups to adding proper lighting to your room. I would highly recommend rewatching this video for anyone interested in starting their digital courses.

The final presentation of day 1 was by Julie Archer about how to organically grow your brand utilizing social media.  This topic was another point of interest since Kallen Media has been managing social media accounts for its clients since its creation.  Some great tidbits that I got from this presentation were to connect with your audience authentically. Make sure your content is made for people and is genuinely entertaining.  Failing to do so is the number 1 way brands fall off, and consumers become uninterested.

Day 1 Conclusion

After my first day of WordCamp Phoenix 2020 was over, and I could not have been happier with my day.  I got to network with fellow digital marketers and WordPress fans within my community. The facility and food were both fantastic, with extraordinarily engaging and exciting panels to go throughout the day.

Some of the other fun aspects of the event were all the sponsors and their booths.  Below is a picture of all the different swag sponsors that were handing out.  I personally really enjoyed all the stickers, and have added some to my laptop.  If you are a fan of free stuff, WordCamp is the place for you.

WordCamp Sessions – Day 2 Morning

Today I wanted to explore more of the presenters than I had the previous day. I thought that there were some time slots with multiple exciting topics but i still enjoyed all my presentations.  My morning began with Marco Berrocal digging into WordPress hooks and how they are an essential part of WordPress web development. Next, I went to Kimberly Lipari, who spoke about Valet, a managed WordPress service.  Her presentation was fascinating because I resonated with her story. She started as a marketer and slowly dove deeper into development, which is how I got my start as well.

The morning ended with a group presentation on how to get involved with the WordPress community.  The presenters talked about how WordPress was built open-source from a group. Because of that community, it made connecting with like-minded individuals much more straightforward.  There were events around the US, particularly WordSesh and MeetUp events. These were both free gatherings where people could go and talk with other members of the WordPress Community.  The diversity excited me to try and research some of the groups in my area after the event concluded.

WordCamp Sessions – Day 2 Afternoon

After another delicious lunch, it was time for the keynote speaker of the weekend, Brandy Lawson.  Brandy spoke about coming up with the Phoenix WordPress community. Through the support of partners, they were able to create their businesses by connecting with the right people.  Connections and creating meetup groups allowed Brandy to create a successful digital marketing business. By doing this, it allowed for more time with family and a balanced lifestyle.  

Now it was time to get into my last three sessions of the day.  Allie Nimmons was first up to present about how to supercharge maintenance plans for clients.  For me and my business, a maintenance plan is a difference between a functional client website and a website with problems.  These plans allow for a constant relationship between the client and webmaster to ensure the client’s site is always working at its best capacity.  Some of the best key points that Allie mentioned were utilizing the GoDaddy Pro dashboard, setting up analytics, and examples of statistics to show clients.  I started using GoDaddy Pro after this presentation, and would highly recommend it since it is free!

Session 6 was Pam Aungst presenting the SEO Basics.  My primary reason for going to this breakout was checking Kallen Media’s SEO practices against seasoned veterans. First, we talked about speed software that I utilized, including GTMetrix, Screaming Frog, SEMRush, and Moz.  Additionally, Pam broke down the different Google tools such as page speed insights, mobile-friendly test, and the structured data testing tool.  Some of the best information I gained was online news and blogs revolving around search engine optimization and best practices.

Day 2 Conclusion

The final presentation of WordCamp Phoenix 2020 was about data privacy by Ronnie Burt.  Right off the bat, Ronnie debunked the myth that WordPress plugins can provide privacy, and they can’t.  Personal information consists of a person’s first and last name, plus one additional personal detail.  To create the most effective privacy system, he recommended that people research their state and the field they are practicing in.  This way, it limits the possibility of any legal action or potential breaches.

My Experience

Overall my experience with the WordCamp Phoenix 2020 conference was spectacular.  I would highly recommend WordCamp events to anyone interested in making a career in the digital world.  The speakers had a wide diversity of topics making their sessions for people of every skill level. There are WordCamps around the world, so I would highly encourage my readers to take a look online and find a camp near you to check out!  So if you are interested in learning more about my experience at WordCamp Phoenix 2020, please give me a call at (773) 524-1483 or fill out a contact form.

What strikes your mind when you feel like buying a product or service? What do you do? Where do you go next? The answer for most of us is going to be to search online! A business website surely rings a bell, as that will be your destination. If that’s what you do, it’s probable that hundreds of millions of people out there do the same. In this era of technology, where the internet has revolutionized our experience of shopping goods and services, websites for small businesses has become our go-to place. That’s why it is highly essential to have a website because that’s where your customers are.

Creating a small business website is as easy as ABC. You don’t need anything physical. Just decide a brand name (if your business is new), buy a domain and a hosting service. But your work isn’t done yet. You need to have space on a WORLDWIDE WEB with a user interface that your customers would want to visit again and again. The primary platform is WordPress, which is not only comfortable but economical and user-friendly.  To dive deeper into hosting and domain services would be a topic for another article.  If you are interested in learning more about what host is right for you, I recommend researching your specific niche.  Some great companies to start with would be GoDaddy, WPEngine, or BlueHost.

 

Research different themes

 

 

Before you start making your website, similar research businesses, check which themes they are using.  The theme is the generalized structure of a site; different templates allow for various features.  Then, match your theme according to your logo and your essential brand’s color style. While ‘theme’ sounds as one word, remember that it comprises of overall fonts and color palettes that your webpage will use. Best website designers for small businesses suggest that you buy an economic theme – as it is ready-made and doesn’t require you to do a lot of website coding on the back end. It is a little investment, but it can do wonders for your small business website.  I typically recommend utilizing an Elegant Theme’s “Divi Theme” for easy accessibility and gorgeous design elements.

 

Start from an ‘about me’ Statement

 

Sometimes, it’s not the products that your people want to buy. They want to buy it from you and your brand!  For that, you must make your first classy impression via your ‘about statement.’ It’s the first thing you should craft once you h on a theme. Your statement can quote your interests, your causes, your expertise, favorites, and maybe the name of your favorite pet!

 

It’s a virtual tour of your Office

 

Remember that your website – be it for a small business or a giant, established one, should provide a virtual tour of your business premises. While visiting your website, your customers and your target audience should feel how they would if they had been there in one of your stores or branches. And so, your website is your storefront. It has to be classy and should contain stuff that distinguishes your brand. You have to have a logo, banners with related color shades, slogan, and anything else that relates directly to the products and services you offer.

 

Buy Some Cool Plugins

 

 

The major hype around WordPress is because of the neat plugins it offers. While it has several free plugins, the paid ones are the best because they can add instant life to your website. Also, these plugins can be bought one by one throughout your business era. And believe me, the first time you buy a crazy plugin, you’d love it and instantly wish to buy another. However, it is a bit challenging to use different plugins altogether yourself, and you may need some professional help. For that, there are hundreds of WordPress web designers in Arizona, who offer expert advice and excellent service against a cost you’d love!

 

Offer a freebie

 

Clients love it when they can take something back after visiting your WordPress website. You can offer them a beginner’s guide to doing something, a checklist, a planner page, a sticker, a business plan, a home organizer, or a simple worksheet that would make them come back to your website – which is also your storefront. A lot of times, these customers keep lingering on your website in search of other digital freebies and find something they had wanted to buy for ages.  Something we offer as a freebie is a free SEO audit of your website!

 

A website isn’t enough!

 

If you hire a professional website designer, he/she will walk you through the whole process of setting up an online presence for your brand. But, making a website for small businesses can be a hassle. There will be times when you’d want to focus more on creating new products and services – rather than looking at your webpage and even marketing it. Therefore, to make this process hassle-free, we always suggest our followers hire the best website designer for their small business and let this person do the rest for you! They’ll help you connect your website to different social media platforms, collect email marketing data for you, and so on!

Financial services and their yield are always under a grey area – since they require the audience to consider investing a considerable chunk of their monetary possessions. Most of the time, we, as the audience, witness these financial firms advertising for services where they want us to inject for their company some money. And, also if you have a careful eye for detail, you may notice that their social media marketing strategies for finance fail.

Even when these banks, brokerage houses, and even independent wealth consultants post their other-than-business-stuff, they get criticized publicly for their services. The precise cause behind such a failure is the inefficient way of engaging with their target customers. So, here is this holistic guideline, based on our top 4 tips to market your financial services – the right way.

 

Tip 1 – Choose the right platform

 

While your business may teach you how to manage your funds effectively while playing under the budget, it may not prepare you to face this full social media world. There are hundreds of social media marketing strategies, but it’s not ‘one size fits all’ anymore. In this era, you need to select a platform based on your general niche and your service more precisely. Also, you need to see the channels and media you would want. For example, on a Facebook page with no sponsored posts – you’ll badly fail if you offer a coupon worth $100. For financial services mainly, the best media is LinkedIn.

Remember that social media marketing isn’t only about posting a few updates, or maybe share an infographic or a video on how you can yield a profit of 5500% on an initial investment of $1. It should be a story of how your services can solve your audience’s massive problems. Offer them free financial consultancy – and for that, LinkedIn and Instagram can generate the best leads! Once you know your desired platform, it becomes way more comfortable to start producing content that people would love.

 

Tip 2 – Seek professional help

 

Let’s admit – we are great businessmen. We know how to generate substantial cash flow from a small investment. We know how to solve short-term and long-term liquidity issues faced by commoners or celebrities. But, we are all not what we call as ‘all-rounders. And because of that, our businesses shouldn’t suffer. You know your business; you have spent years studying your products and services, and you have played well with conventional marketing. But because the world is changing, we need to change too. And that’s what these social media marketing agents are working.

The best way towards your significant online media presence is to select a social media marketing agency, after thorough research. These organizations have subject matter experts, teams of SEO bloggers, and social media experts who can skyrocket your financial business on an online platform on a Launchpad. They can provide expert advice on whether you need to go ahead with one platform or two or even a multiple of these platforms.

 

Tip 3 – Engage with people and live your brand

 

If your business is alive, let it live amongst your audience. Your website, your Facebook page cover, your Pinterest, your LinkedIn, and anything else that you use should follow the same colors, styles, and themes as are supported by your brand. There are hundreds of customizable themes available in WordPress, which can transform the complete outlook of your brand’s online presence and would give your business a superior look than its competitors.

 

Tip 4 – Be picky about your content  

 

Don’t just share anything. And don’t share everything. Share stories about your brand – that aren’t directly about your brand. Share behind the scenes, stories of your business dinners, snapshots of a typical day at work, virtual tours of your offices, success stories, philanthropic work, and your work towards corporate social responsibility. Do it in the form of short interviews, memes, jokes from one of the employees, customer of the month, an infographic, a public holiday greeting, or a video. Popular social media marketing companies in Arizona, Tempe suggest to offer a downloadable freebie on your website. It could be a checklist, savings template, a short business plan, or whatsoever. It is a first step towards collecting email ids as well. This way, you are not only telling people how far you go to help them, but it imprints the pictures of your office in the minds of people.

 

 

Remember, your social media marketing platforms for finance and your marketing channels are no less than your business premises or a branch of it. When they look at your website, they should get a feel of standing in your office. Don’t just do business, socialize it!

Gone are the days when people would linger around shops and stores. People no longer spend hours looking for their favorite turquoise hoodie or their plum lip color in physical stores. That’s because businesses are growing, and so are the customers’ expectations – so are the selling strategies, and so are your competitors. This expansion has lead both large and small companies to shift to an online business model.  Still, there can be nothing more thrilling and industrious to launch an eCommerce websites from scratch and watch your sales skyrocket.

Now how do you get started?  Umm, it’s more or less like a recipe you’ve been reading twice or thrice or more than that. And so, it’s a different feeling when you start doing stuff – mixing your research with your existing business plans and then grinding it with the market insights for your desired niches. So, here is an ultimate guide for beginners who plan to start an eCommerce store, the hassle-free way, in 2020.

Step 1 – Research the market

Like any other business, Ecommerce also requires you to dedicate time, energy, and efforts. Before you sign up for stores or something like that, make sure to study the market trends, barriers to entry and exit, and participate in online discussions about this business. Otherwise, once you start without the necessary knowledge, it may get exceedingly tedious later on to understand the technical vocabulary, ratios, and insights of your business.

 

 

During your research phase, you need to decide which niche you’d target – which depends upon your interest. If you know a great deal about the newest cellphone models, and you choose to open an eCommerce store that exclusively sells handmade scarves, art, crafts, and paintings – you’d soon regret your decision to launch this business.  All your ideas, website, and offerings need to flow together to give the customer a consistent message.

Bonus Tip: Your research should include cross-checking the market trends as well as your interests! Knowing this information will help you direct your efforts while choosing product lines and target audience.  The longer you spend on research, the less you will need to do in the later phases.

Step 2 – Establish your brand and store

An eCommerce store is essentially a conventional store where you hand in physical goods or services to your clients. So, deal with it the same way. Establish your brand – logo, store name, products, vendors, delivery channels, payment methods, business licenses, work permits, etc. Also, consider any other business obligations as required by your local government or compliance authorities.  Failing to do so could result in unpaid taxes or fines that nobody wants to deal with.

Then, choose a platform for starting your eCommerce websites. Evaluate carefully before you decide on one. Selecting a cart option may seem more comfortable, but it’s something entirely different from just looking at them.  Our recommendation is to use the WordPress CMS platform with an eCommerce theme or plugin. Popular options include WooCommerce and Shopify. Remember that your eCommerce has a high loading speed, the available templates relate to your business model, there are different payment channels available, and that it has any other necessary features and storage.  Striking a balance between a lean, fast website, and one that is robust with information is critical.

Bonus Tip: It’s better to hire an eCommerce web designing expert from Arizona if you’re new to all of this. You may have to bear a financial cost for these services, but that’s way convenient than doing it on your own for the first time and destroying the first impression of your store.  Plus, Kallen Media has been working with these eCommerce websites for years!

Step 3: Choose relevant marketing channels

Time to market your store! Deciding the right platform advertise your products and your store is equally important as the design. For example, if you are offering some WordPress themes, digital downloads, research reports, or maybe some furniture for offices and business premises – you better work with LinkedIn. Similarly, if you have a girly brand and pink products, makeup items, or some undergarments – then prefer using Facebook Business. In short, your platforms will differ based on your target audience, and it is so vital for your business to engage with the community via the right channel and media.

Bonus Tip: There are some sponsored marketing tools available on different platforms. For example, LinkedIn has a premium account. Similarly, Facebook posts can also be boosted against a nominal cost. Go for that. Or, if you want to avoid taking long routes for these necessary tasks, outsource your worries to a digital marketing agency in Arizona who can manage everything else for you. A number of these digital marketing agencies offer great SEO and blog posting services.

Are you in Phoenix?

Get in touch with the best digital marketing agency that will take care of your eCommerce websites as a professional. These companies in Phoenix offer solutions to all of your problems – from eCommerce web designing to higher ranking campaigns in SEO. They have inhouse teams who provide creative advice, expert consultancy, and excellent customer care with mind-blowing eCommerce store management services that you’d love for ages!  For more information, you can contact [email protected] or call (773)524-1483.

No matter the company, everyone’s goal is to have a stunning image online.  Businesses want potential clients to see their digital presence and compel customers to spend money.  Creating conversions through social media is key to any successful campaign.  In many cases, the first view a customer gets is a company’s social media channels.  However, what the business believes to be their digital image, is not what the possible consumers see. 

Social networks have become interwoven in everyday life. Companies who lack the resources or information on these channels are suffering from the competition.  Today I am going to show you how you can make sure your company has the best online presence to create conversions through social media in 6 steps.

 

1. Consistency Is Key

 

 

With so many different brands to choose from, keeping up with your online image is essential.  Posting every once and a while will not cut it anymore. Potential customers want to see that your business is active and engaging.  This engagement helps increase customer interactions and frequent organic content. Content can be anything from pictures to informational posts about your products or services.

 

If someone comes to your social media page, and they only see a few posts, this will signal your business is not active.  This behavior is due to there being so many options to choose from. More often than not, if your competition is more active online, people will be driven more to interact with those pages.  Your brand becomes one that takes care of its clients and engages its audience.  In turn, this leads to increases in sales and web traffic for businesses that have consistent social media posts.

 

Create a schedule that you will be able to follow.  I recommend posting at least 2-3 times a week. However, I will always advocate for more content as opposed to less.  You can use software like Hootsuite to manage your social media accounts all in one place. This software allows you to create a schedule for consistent posts.

 

2. Keep Your Information Updated

 

Make it easy for potential clients to give you their business.  Ease of access starts by having accurate information on your different social listings.  Having misinformation can cause search engines and people to become confused. To avoid this, double-check over your address information, phone numbers, and services provided.  

 

 

The older your business is, the higher chance there might be some wrong information on your profiles.  Similarly, if you have moved locations, then you may need to do extra verification on platforms like Google My Business.  Often, businesses may not realize they have misinformation until they have already lost a significant amount of business.

 

3. Pick a Brand Image

 

No matter what your company is, decide what you want your brand to represent.  Are you a happy-go-lucky brand? Or is your product and service more serious? Determining how to place yourself will determine the customer market you attract.

 

It is no longer enough to have a brand image.  You have to prove to your clients that your brand image is who you are.  Try to stick to general themes when you create content. Always choosing unrelated topics to post about makes it harder for your audience to understand what your company is all about.

 

4. Utilize Available Features

 

Within each social media platform, there are a variety of available features.  Many networks allow you to create a bare-bones profile while getting started. While this gets you started, this means your profile is a long way from where it needs to be.  One of the first steps is going to be choosing profile and background pictures. Typically a logo or a shot of your company is a great choice. This is going to be your customer’s first impression.

 

 

Next, you are going to create a clear call to action.  Make it visible what you do and what you want your clients to do when they are on your page.  This behavior can vary from calling your store to signing up for a newsletter. Determine this by what your company values or needs most for creating conversions through social media.

 

Many social networks, like Facebook and LinkedIn, offer very in-depth profiles.  I encourage you to take the time to fill out as many details as possible. The easier it is for the customer to understand you and your company, the more likely they are to spend money.  Alternatively, social networks like Instagram and Twitter keep your content and messages much shorter. This strategy means that material is thought of more carefully, and in a broader sense.

 

5. Be Aware of Paid Avenues

 

Organic posts and traffic are great, but it is typically limited.  Social networks are starting to revert to the paid methods of displaying company information.  In summary, Facebook is now showing your content to less of your subscriber base. To reach your full audience, you need to invest in boosts or Facebook advertising campaigns.  Because of this, it is essential to be aware of the paid digital marketing advertising spaces on different platforms.

 

 

Every platform has both a paid and organic way to reach your niche.  Learning how to use the paid avenues will help you understand ads and your competition better.  Investing in these advertising methods can often be an effective way to reach audiences. I would recommend doing customer analysis and additional research before spending your money on social media advertisements.  This way, you are ensuring your ads will be as effective as possible in the network that will get your brand noticed.

 

6. LinkBack To Your Website

 

Social media networks should act as funnels to your website.  The social media pages get your audience interested, while your website allows them to buy.  There should be multiple product and service links from your social media to your site. These links should be accurate about where they are linking to help potential clients and search engines.

 

 

I would recommend making sure you have Google Analytics tracking codes on your website.  These analytics will allow you to monitor traffic. Social media services also allow you to add tracking pixels to your site.  Similar to Google, they track actions taken from specific buttons or pages. Because of this, campaigns can be tweaked and changed to be as effective as possible in creating conversions through social media.

As a small business, it is tough competing against multi-million dollar companies.  What does your potential client find when they search for your product or service? Does there seem to be an endless stream of options to choose from EXCEPT for your company?  Large companies can have marketing budgets expanding to the millions. This hurdle can make getting seen online feel like a huge task.

 

Don’t fret yet!  There are some strategies small businesses can employ to be seen and stand out in their market.  The first part is going to be identifying the difference between organic and paid traffic. Organic traffic is people who find your website without having to pay.  Corporations or more seasoned veterans may have a large part of the organic market. Building your organic search in these conditions can take years of hard work. The long time commitment is why it is a great idea to start investing in your pay per click campaigns for immediate results.

 

How Do I Start Advertising Digitally?

 

 

Within the digital world, there are tons of different outlets to spend your marketing budget.  Pay per click campaigns should be at the top of your list of investments. These advertisements make you stand out above the organic competition.  This placement is the opportunity to be seen and be above the larger organic pages, which may rank higher otherwise.

 

There are a variety of ways to decide where you invest your budget.  Social media networks are vital components to pay per click advertising.  They are the digital representation of your company that interacts with your clients.  Depending on your niche, there are going to be different networks that are more beneficial than others.

 

If you are spending money on ads, and not paying attention to where your traffic is going, you could be losing crucial data.  The most important part should be tracking conversions A conversion is the desired action you want your customer to take after they click your advertisement.  For some companies, this might be a newsletter signup, page views, or even actual purchase.

 

The first step is going to be identifying the specific niche that you want to target.  For more information, you can read my article “Blogging and Your Niche.” Primarily, you determine as specific a target audience as possible.  This targetting will allow your business to have an accurate customer persona you can market and advertise. It is worth taking the time to create the best model possible for the best results.

 

What Social Media Network Will You Target?

 

Now that you know who is in your niche, it is time to decide what ad network is going to be most effective for your audience.  This network means determining what social network you want to invest your capital. It is worth noting that having active social media accounts much helps your cause.  For this article, we will skim over organic posts and focus primarily on paid advertising. Check out our article on how to run great social media accounts if you have additional questions.  Now it is time to look at each social media and how it may impact various markets.

 

The networks we are featuring are all going to be self-service platforms.  “Self-service” means that anyone can create an account and start advertising on these platforms.  The budget, structure, and content are all at the user’s disposal. However, there are some guidelines to follow for all ad platforms.  These guidelines can also change depending on the type of business you run.  Now let’s dive into pay per click advertising through social media channels starting with Facebook.

 

 Facebook Ads

 

 

Facebook is one of the first modern-day social media platforms.  With its age comes a significant footprint in the digital marketing pay per click world.  Facebook offers a variety of options for business owners to target their direct market.  All in all, Facebook is still primarily business to the consumer world. Companies that sell the business to business products may find a harder time converting potential clients to paying customers.

 

The Facebook business dashboard offers a variety of tools used to target various audiences.  My recommendation would be to use Facebook advertisements for their re-targeting purposes. This tactic can help directly target your niche, and people that have expressed interest in your product or services.

 

Facebook offers courses to help beginners get started with their advertising platform.  Kallen Media also provides services for both setting up and managing paid Facebook ad campaigns.  As we look towards the future of Facebook ads, I believe they will become more vital in the coming years.  The reasoning behind this is the lowered rate of natural posts shown to people who like a page. As organic traffic lessens, Facebook encourages businesses to spend more on ads to make sure companies can reach their actual fan bases.  This strategy goes back to how advertising done before free social media platforms.

 

Instagram Ads

 

 

Facebook, Instagram own the next social media giant.  Instagram is the hub for photos and influencers galore. This avenue is going to be great for lifestyle brands and organizations that can easily visualize their concepts.  Business to business brands will want to showcase their products and services cleanly.

 

Advertising on Instagram can start by making your account a business account.  This type of account allows for additional viewing insights about your profile.  These statistics are essential for finding your audience and creating content to appeal to them.  Now it is time for advertising.

 

There are a few different ways to advertise on Instagram.  The first is going to be through featured posts that will pop up on users’ timelines.  These posts tailored towards specific markets depending on how much data you have on your audience.  Another prevalent method is influencer marketing. This marketing channel is paying Instagram users with a broad audience to promote your product or service.  When taking this approach, you will want to make sure it is someone famous in your niche. There is no reason to waste money on posts for influencers with the wrong audience.

 

LinkedIn Ads

 

 

Shifting from the previous platforms, LinkedIn is a fantastic option for a business to business marketing.  LinkedIn’s purpose is to be a professional networking platform. Content’s purpose is to engage and educate business owners while helping to build each other’s networks.

 

LinkedIn holds its ad format in an auction-type form similar to Google Ads.  You bid against competitors on specific audiences. Once this is complete, it is time to decide whether you are paying per click or per number of views.  Since LinkedIn is self-service, budgeting decisions are entirely up to the business. I would recommend using LinkedIn to connect with people within your industry as well.  This tool is a great way to keep an eye on your competition!

 

Twitter Ads

 

 

Next, we are going to take a look at advertising on Twitter.  Twitter is excellent for targeting specific groups. There are large segments within the platform that create their communities.  Integrating content that relates to them and following similar accounts is an excellent way to get noticed.  

 

Overall, conversions through Twitter have seemed very low from the trials that we have done.  I would recommend taking a look through advertising on Twitter if you already know the hyper segmented target you are targetting.  Twitter also works with third-party advertising platforms allowing ads shown from re-targeting programs like Google’s.

 

Pinterest Ads

 

 

The final social media advertising platform I am going to cover is Pinterest.  This platform may be unfamiliar to some, but it can be great for select markets. Think of Pinterest as a collection of ideas for specific topics.  There are boards based on house decorations, projects, and recipes. There is a strong female audience presence making it worthwhile to look at for lifestyle and home good brands.  

I would recommend that business to business companies do not spend their advertising budget here.  However, the exception may be event hosting companies, as this would be a great place to make a board for each completed project.  Pinterest provides a great 8 step guide to getting started with their ads that I would recommend if you are interested in learning more.  We hope this guide gives you the knowledge you’ll need for pay per click advertising through social media channels.

Within the digital world, there are tons of different outlets to spend your marketing budget.  Pay per click campaigns through search engines should be at the top of your list of investments.  These advertisements allow your company to stand out above the organic competition. This strategy is the opportunity to be seen and beat the larger organic pages, which you may not be ahead of otherwise.  That is why I have created a beginner’s guide to google ads.

 

This article is going to cover the pay per click advertising campaigns available for small businesses through search engines.  All these programs are going to be self serve advertising programs as well. The different company’s plans share many similarities.  In many cases, building a campaign on Google Ads can be easily transferred to both Bing and Yahoo. This strategy helps save time, creating multiple of the same campaigns on different platforms.  Because of this, I am going to focus on building your first pay per click campaign using Google Ads.

 

Google Ads

 

The behemoth of digital advertising platforms is Google Ads.  Google Ads allows for a variety of ways of business to get in contact with their desired markets.  Their platform has two different primary forms. The first is smart campaigns, and the second is going to be a manual campaign.  A smart campaign is generalized with topics and allows for minimum editing.  

 

This campaign is for a beginner or someone who has not utilized Google Ads before.  The recommended campaign is going to be manual. This setting allows for complete customization and targeting of audiences.  If you are interested in learning more, Google offers its Google Ad Certification for free online.  Similarly, if you are a nonprofit, you should read our article “How To Setup Google Ad Grants in 7 Steps“ to find out how you could be eligible for a $10,000 ad spend the grant.

 

Introduction to Campaigns

 

For the rest of this section, I will focus on the manual campaigns.  The next step is going to be what kind of goals you want to set for your campaign.  There are a variety of options to choose from for your campaign. Most of the time, I recommend tracking sales as this is typically the goal of most campaigns.  Similarly, there are options to monitor traffic and specific niches depending on your campaign goal.  

Congratulations!  You have completed the first step in the beginner’s guide to google ads.

 

 

The next step is selecting the campaign type.  For Nonprofits using the Google Ad Grant, you will only be able to run a search campaign.  Otherwise, there is also the option of display, video, shopping, and smart campaigns. Display ads integrate themselves across the web, similar to Smart campaigns.  These are ads that “follow” users after they have expressed interest in your product. Shopping campaigns are featured product pages. Finally, video ads run across Youtube, the world’s largest online video platform.

 

 

The next step is determining what action you wish to track.  This section should consider what you will consider a conversion. Website visits can mean visiting a specific page.  Similarly, phone calls are referencing calls directed from the advertisement. Store visits calculate themselves using directions to your business.  Lastly, there are app downloads if you are looking to promote a mobile application.

 

 

General Settings

 

Once this step is complete, it is onto the general settings page.  This section is where you can name your campaign. I recommend choosing something that relates to the ads.  The more specific, the better.

 

Here you can verify what networks you want your campaign to be shown on, including the search and display networks.  Next, you can choose the geographic region your ads are displayed. The more specific you can be, the better.  Make sure you are targeting only the areas relevant to your product or service. There is also the option to choose the language and specific demographic to focus on if you have that information.

 

The next step is setting up a daily budget.  The budget is the maximum amount you are comfortable with Google spending in a day.  To find your monthly budget cost multiply the daily amount by 30. This budget will ensure you do not go over your advertising budget on accident.  Forbidding strategy, I utilize the maximum conversion setting. This tactic lets Google do the advanced bidding for you for keywords.

 

At the bottom of the general settings, you will find the ad extension section.  Here is where you will be able to place Sitelink, Callout, and call extensions. Sitelink extensions take people to specific pages of your website.  A callout is similar where you are featuring a product, service, or feature you offer, without the link aspect. Finally, a call extension allows you to add a phone number to your ads.

 

Set Up Ad Groups

 

 

Setting up the ad groups is how you will determine what searches your company appears.  First, you will want to name your ad group. After that, I recommend entering your website in the related website field.  This research will have Google give you a list of suggested keywords to rank for in your niche. Keyword research and planning is one of the most critical aspects of creating your campaign.  

 

I would highly recommend contacting us for a free consultation on building your first campaign.  Utilizing long-tail keywords is the best way to make the most out of a smaller advertising budget.  This strategy may mean less overall traffic, but more of the traffic has a higher chance of converting. The number of keywords per ad group can help immensely.  In some cases, you may only want a few specific words, while in others, you may have over 100!

 

Create Ads

 

Now it is time to create what your potential clients are going to see!  This process starts by choosing the landing page. You will want people to go to after clicking the ad.  Having a call to action on the page is essential for gaining a high conversion rate. Next, you will want to create headlines that grab the reader’s attention.  Try to imagine what kind of language and wording would excite yourself to click.  Heighten yourself to an expert Google advertiser since you have nearly completed the beginner’s guide to google ads.

 

 

Once the headlines are active, it is time to write descriptions.  These will describe the purpose of the ad, and what users should expect.  Headlines are a great place to write your mission or the goal for your ad. The ads will then be combined with the extensions to create what your searchers will see.

 

Confirmation of Ads

 

Finally, it is time to finish and confirm your campaign.  Look over your campaign to make sure all the information looks correct and good to go.  Once finalized, your ads will be live and ready for potential clients to find.

 

Conversion and Traffic Tracking

 

Your ads should now be up and running.  While your setup is complete, the work is far from over. Currently, your campaigns must be watched and tracked.  Tracking is the only way your business will be able to tell if it is worth investing in Google Ads.  Below you will find the Google Ads dashboard.

 

 

The clicks and impression sections can both be changed to view a variety of statistics.  As your campaigns run, more information will be gathered and presented in the dashboard. Running a successful campaign means there need to be changes and close attention paid.  This strategy is why we offer Google Ads management services to provide both detailed reports and plans on the results of the campaign.

 

Competitor Search Engines

 

After this, you should have a pretty good idea how to get started creating a pay per click campaign on Google.  I would recommend you use Google Ads to create your initial campaigns. The reason is that the top competitors allow for these campaigns to import directly.  Both Bing and Yahoo allow this, which are the two most significant search engines aside from Google. The dashboards are slightly different, but the overall structuring is the same.  Feel free to investigate the other channels to see if you can find success for your business. From Kallen Media’s experience, we have found much less traffic and cost, but also more reduced overall conversion quality.

 

How To Get Started With Pay Per Click

 

If you are a business struggling to get found online, these pay per click services is perfect for you.  By investing money, you can target the specific niche that buys your product and services. There are hours of research done to ensure you are maximizing your campaign.  No matter what, it is crucial to stay informed on how the digital landscape is shaping the future of advertising.  I hope you enjoyed my beginner’s guide to Google Ads if you or your business is interested in starting a pay per click campaign on a search engine or social media outlet, email [email protected] or call 773-524-1483.