Do you want to feel like the work you do matters? Most people crave a job that they feel pride in doing. At work, people often enjoy interacting face to face with customers who use their products regularly. These meetings are called end-user interactions. They occur in business when the person using a product or service interacts with its provider. Now more then ever with record numbers of people working from home, communication can be important. Connection with end-users can be beneficial to employees. But not all companies can interact with customers directly.

 

What do you do if you have limited end-user communication?

So how do businesses who don’t see their end-users operate? What does a business lose when it has less contact with end-users? How can these setbacks be overcome? Well, with a little bit of planning, a company can maintain an end-user relationship with almost no direct contact. But first, you have to decide if that’s right for your business.

End-User Value

 

So what does having regular contact with end-users bring to the table? Direct customer interaction lets a company know how well it’s performing. If customers are talking about how much they love you, great! But if they have some suggestions you might be wise to listen to them. Interacting with customers can make or break a business. This kind of feedback is valuable. With limited end-user communication, companies often have to resort to costly neuromarketing studies to acquire the same information.

 

Besides information, end-users create a sense of fulfillment in a job. Without some of this feedback, it can be hard for some employees to feel the value their job provides. For example, let’s look at restaurants. A recent trend in dining spaces is open concept kitchens. These kitchens are designed to allow chefs to interact more closely with customers. Some restaurants feel like this improves the dining experience by creating interactions with end-users. So how can you generate more end-user interactions?

Pictures of People

 

A straightforward way to create a link between customers and providers is to see their pictures. People have an easier time relating to folks when they can put a face to a name. Because images can humanize a group, they are useful to business with less face to face interactions. When a company creates a front for communications, the difficulty is harder for people to generalize about the companies. Pictures have a similar effect on customers in reverse.

 

 

A lot of companies have seen success by showing real employees in their advertising. From spotlights ads to letting employees design the entire production, showcasing workers has seen real success. This also enables employees to understand the best examples of their work in action. Another tactic for businesses with limited end-user conversation is to spread these kinds of stories.

Internal End-User Stories

 

So we’ve talked about how customers benefit from workers’ success stories, but can workers benefit too? The short answer is yes—however, it’s important to remember to keep the stories focused on successes, not failures. Promoting success stories creates a positive environment that improves workplace morale. One typical example of this is nightly reports where workers mention highlights of their work shifts. This creates a source of positive stories that higher-ups can distribute. When looking for insider stories, and the end-user story should be inspirational to workers but also show the customer positively. But what if these interactions rarely happen?

External End-User Stories

 

Sometimes a Job requires very little interaction with end-users. One example of this would be forest rangers. A lot of times, forest rangers are isolated and can go weeks without contacting a random person in their park. Sometimes the value of this job can be overlooked, and it can be hard to be motivated to protect people if you don’t see them. By sharing success stories of forest rangers, the sense of duty is upheld.

 

Similarly, in any field where interaction is limited, sharing success stories can help motivate workers. If a person can see their peers succeeding, they will be driven to succeed too! This tactic can also improve employee retention.

 

 

The hiring process can be complicated and costly. So if sharing stories of employees succeeding can increase loyalty its a valuable too. If an employer takes the time to make their company feel like a community, everyone will benefit in the long term. This is the significant benefit of spreading end-user stories externally. Because the sample size grows, the employees can see the value of their work as an industry, not just an individual.

 

Limited End-User Communication

 

End-user communications are valuable for a companies success. These resources help improve the business as well as create loyalty and motivation for employees. So when a business can’t create these interactions, it has the chance to lose some of these benefits. By showing the value end-users receive to employees, a company can address these issues. By replacing this relationship with photos and stories, a company can preserve end-user communication.

 

If you have more questions about fostering the end-user relationship, Kallen media is here to help. To contact us with your end-user questions, please visit our website.

The march of tech is always a changing business, and the technology trends to watch in 2020 are just one indicator of that. It wasn’t that long ago that we did most of our shopping in person. Now, smartphones have made it possible for a retail app developer to create shopping experiences that allow us to find everything we want without having to leave the home. Even Adobe held Summit 2020 online.

Shopping apps will continue to have a growing impact on retail businesses for many years. However, there are new technologies that are going to change the way business is done. To keep your business ahead of the competition, you will need to know what these technology trends in 2020 are and how to take advantage of them.

AI Products and Services are Emerging Among Major Technology Trends in 2020

An increasing number of products are offering some form of Artificial Intelligence. With advances to machine learning and processing power being more available and affordable than ever before, we can expect this 2020 technology trend to pick up steam in the coming decade. We are already seeing smart home products that use AI to make your life more convenient, but there are even more advanced applications like delivery services using AI-powered drones to deliver packages.

Distributed Cloud

Businesses across the world rely on cloud computing. As a result, we are seeing a technology trend in 2020 that is signified by a shift away from the centralized model. Under the distributed model, cloud services are facilitated by servers that are in different locations around the world. This allows the cloud service to provide resources reliably no matter where the user is.

Technology Trends in 2020 Include a Move Towards Automation

Automation can make our lives easier and it can make businesses more efficient. We are already starting to see more automation with developments to things like driverless cars and cashier-less stores. Automation technologies are only getting more advanced, and we can expect to see more autonomous things in our everyday lives.  Automation is even affecting digital marketing through automated sales processes and interactions.

Human Augmentation 

The idea behind human augmentation is to use technology to enhance the abilities of humans. Night vision goggles are one example of human augmentation. The night vision technology makes it so a human can see well at night. However, with technology trends in 2020 like AI and Augmented Reality, human augmentation is going to become a more common part of life. 

Momentary Markets

Using Big Data and advanced analytics, businesses are getting to a point that they can advertise and sell to individuals based on the moment. Complex systems will respond to needs in real-time or anticipate future needs to deliver products, services or offerings right at the time when they are most likely to sell.

Technology Enables Digital Healthcare as a Trend in 2020

Healthcare technology is one area that is going to see a lot of change. We are already seeing telemedicine services that help to diagnose and treat illness no matter where the patient is, but that is just the beginning. Researchers are developing bionic body parts to replace those that have been injured and we are starting to see doctors using robots to assist with surgery.

Data Privacy

Most of us are aware that companies collect at least some of our data when we go online. With that said, most of us would be surprised by how much. It goes beyond the search engines and social media sites. In fact, the devices we use every day collect our data. That not only includes our smartphones, but many of the smart home devices that you may own.

This data is valuable because companies can use it for customer analytics. This can help businesses to advertise more effectively or to develop products that we didn’t even know we wanted. On the other hand, you also have privacy concerns. In the coming years, we should expect some changes to the laws concerning the collection, storage, and use of consumer data in response to this 2020 technology trend.

If you are looking at understanding the future of technology trends in 2020 then please reach out to us at Kallen Media.  We offer free SEO audits, and advice tailored specifically towards small businesses.  Get in touch to learn more about which technology trend in 2020 we think will have the greatest impact.

No-one wants to be humorless, and neither should a business! In the ever-growing landscape of the industry, can build a comedic brand, can help a company stand out? From brand outreach to internal communication, engaging content can improve every facet of a business’s identity. But is it right for you?

 

Too Soon: Is Comedic Branding Right For You?

 

While it may seem risky comedic dialogue can be a highly useful tool for communication. There was a time companies viewed comedic marketing as dangerous. They didn’t want to be unprofessional. In 2019 however, we had seen an eruption of huge brands using a humorous presence online to generate massively successful marketing campaigns.

This explosion of success for comedic brands in recent years has proven the value of comedy in marketing. Is your content feeling a little dry or informative? Humor can help dissolve the tension so information can get through to consumers. Humor can improve branded content, but it should be used selectively.

 

 

While humor is now widely recognized as a useful marketing tool, it should be used with discretion. While a doctor probably shouldn’t joke about your surgery, a joke about hospital food might help calm a patient down. Comedy is a useful marketing tool, but where and why is comedy effective?

 

A Time and a Place: Where Humor Works

 

The best place to inject humor into brands is crucial touchpoints. Just a few laughs can make your content unforgettable. Comedy is a valuable tool for gathering attention and creating lasting impacts on customers. Today companies have mere seconds to gain consumer’s attention, and a competitive edge makes the difference. Building a comedic brand can help bring a grounded presence to a company’s public image.

Because of humor’s ability to create a memorable experience, comedy is also a valuable tool for social media outreach. Relatable jokes can help a social media marketing campaign break the ice with consumers. Beyond awareness, having a reputation as a humorous brand can forge a lasting bond between a brand and its targeted niche. But humor isn’t only useful to companies externally.

A time-honored tradition for a company-wide event is the stand-up comedian host. And some traditions exist because they work. Humor can help dismantle borders between a company and its employees. These kinds of events help create a fun work environment that aides in a culturally impactful workspace. So you know where humor is effective, but how do companies capitalize on it?

 

How to Use Humor Effectively

 

Using comedy to send a message can be a tricky situation, but getting your message noticed is a topic we have covered before. Knowing your audience and what they like is essential. Does the target market respond to sarcasm? Maybe be edgier with your jokes. Are your competitors all making the same topical joke? You might want to change things up! Understanding the dialogue around you is essential to comedy. Once you know your message, it’s important to represent your audience.

In addition to understanding the brand’s message, jokes are more comfortable when made with multiple perspectives. Sometimes a company can be too close to the trees to see the forest and can miss the mark when making humorous content. By acquiring professional social media management or professional web designers with backgrounds in comedy, a brand can learn a robust comedic presence after establishing your identity as a comedic brand its essential to maintain and grow your niche.

 

 

Once you have built a comedic identity, consistency is vital. Maintaining your flow of humorous content is essential. Consistency allows you to build a reputation for humor, which can help attract and grow your target segments. This also provides more feedback, which in turn improves your strategies. Comedy’s reliance on an audience makes it the perfect branding tool. So how do you get started creating your brand a little bit more jovial?

 

Building Your Comedic Brand

 

Building your comedic brand can seem like a daunting task. Where do you start? Well, it’s important to follow your content marketing strategy. No matter what having a clear, consistent, and targeted message is essential. Without clear objectives, it will be impossible to make entertaining content that reflects your message well.

Essentially comedy is a proven tool to gain attention and improve information retention. In a world of high-speed internet, our businesses need to be using every competitive strategy they can find. By utilizing humor strategically throughout their communication, a brand can both expand and strengthen its market segment. But how do you know your jokes are landing?

Luckily for us, telling if your humorous communications are effective is easy! Are your posts being shared and liked? Good! You’re doing great. Measuring the effectiveness of these campaigns is as easy as following the data. For more information on how humor can fit into your online presence, contact Kallen Media LLC.

Adobe held its annual Summit online this year for free. The Summit is composed of experts in various Adobe integrations products and services. Welcome to Adobe’s digital world! One of the most exciting parts of these summits is the new project unveilings. This year Adobe announced seven new projects to the public. We’re going to breakdown these seven releases and their possible uses for our clients to integrate Adobe products.  Get in touch with our team for information on how to utilize Adobe products in your business.

 

Project Dually Noted

 

Project Dually Noted is an application that connects to the Adobe Reader.  The app enables planing within the Adobe studio And then plans can be visualized.  Visualized means while scanning a book, you can go through the book with your phone to see comments and edits.  

 

They are combining elements of digital and physical for a new project experience.  So now users do not have to tie themselves to transferring notes from physical to digital. The application picks apart specific sections of text that it recognizes from the Adobe project file. So users have complete project management through the Adobe Experience Cloud.

 

Project Snippets

 

Promoting dynamic content to your clients is the key to increasing conversion rates.  Creating groups or audiences can be both time consuming and tedious. When you want to promote content through Project Snippets, Adobe recommends both titles and content.  This feature is excellent when developing a specific deal or a fresh piece of content on your website.

 

Segmentation allows Adobe to automatically create audiences.  This combination, done through the Adobe Experience Manager with Sensei. Adobe makes sure that the content is relevant to both your target audience and related to your content.  If you do not like Adobe’s recommendations, there are several alternatives for both the image and headlines.

 

Project Segment Scout

 

Project Segment Scout is also going to focus on dynamic content.  Adobe gave the example of a 3D design studio for an automaker. Within the design studio, there were 3D renderings of the cars with a 360 degree with and customizable colors.  The application lived in the user’s web browser and can target specific segments.  

 

While the studio is excellent, Project Segment Scout also allows users to segment their client bases more easily.  The application focuses on finding data quickly without knowing its precise location within Adobe Experience Manager.  Now users will be able to work with data without being a data expert. The new search term locater is a bleeding-edge with a highly advanced search engine to find exact results for unique queries.

 

Project Clothes Swap

 

Project Clothes Swap is a digital application aimed explicitly at eCommerce clothing stores.  Frequently stores have difficulty properly displaying their products with different sized models.  Thus, this trend has lead to a significant amount of returns for online merchandise. This problem is what Project Clothes Swap aims to fix.

 

 

The digital application product clothes swap is composed of both a product and a model simulator.  This application links clothes with different models so consumers can see how different clothing will fit different body sizes.  The goal is to reduce the amount of poorly providing garments ordered online. All of the visualizations happen in real-time. Additional features are present like “complete the look.”.  This feature displays cross-selling options with other products instantly through Adobe integrations.

 

Project Ace Access

 

People with visual impairments comprise a significant part of the population.  Project Ace Access has a goal of making content more accessible for all subscribers.  This application ranks emails and gives them scores. The app flags potential issues like missing alternative text or poor color combinations.

Project Ace Access to give recommendations for content based on that data.  These recommendations include alternative text, color schemes, and images. To ensure your content is pristine for launch, Adobe has integrated a screen reader tester.

 

Project Bon Voyage

 

Customer journies are unique to companies. So segmenting customer journies and tracking successes is key to a campaign.  Project Bon Voyage creates a flow map breakdown of the customer journey linking with Adobe Sensei for data insights.  

 

Journies start through creating a goal for your campaign.  Once your campaign is running, you can change midway through the campaign.  This feature is critical to identifying key data points to engage in with your audience. An example of this would be finding a segment’s best time to read or send emails.  Changing paths through the campaign will allow you to use insights in real-time to create successful campaigns.

 

Project Gluestick

 

The final teaser of Adobe integrations released during its 2020 Summit was Project Gluestick.  Integrating systems across platforms is essential for companies to keep synced data.  And project Gluestick binds together Adobe project capabilities without writing any code. This platform allows you to create workflows over multiple Adobe products and services.

 

Adobe Integrations

 

Adobe gave the example of uploading a picture to the Creative Cloud and creating a workflow to move it into Adobe Experience Manager.  As many know, this process can be extremely tedious with many steps involved. Gluestick has the goal of creating workflows that bind everything together.  This project means that you could go from uploading an image to having it ready on your website in a matter of minutes.

The preset setting is available for both tags and images.  But this feature uses dynamic content that helps create content for descriptions, images, and tags.  

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about the new Adobe products to come this year.  If you are interested in learning more, be sure to check out the Adobe Summit 2020 page.  Similarly, if you are interested in integrating these products please reach out to Kallen Media.  We are happy to help get Adobe integrations set up, so you can maximize your audience and marketing efforts.

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.