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AI Innovations That Will Revolutionize Marketing in 2025

Over the last year, artificial intelligence has completely reshaped the marketing world.

Initially, there was a lot of pushback and apprehension about what this would mean for marketers, and rightfully so.

At the time, among many other questions, we were all wondering:

Was this technology going to make us obsolete?

Would we still have a viable business model a year from now?

And how would this end up affecting things like privacy and copyright?

But once we actually started using it, we learned how amazing these artificial intelligence tools are, and how we can use AI to serve clients better.

More importantly, we quickly realized that if we chose not to use these tools, we’d be left in the digital dustbin, along with all the other dinosaur marketers who refused to adopt this technology.

The writing was on the wall: If we didn’t embrace AI, within a matter of years, or even less, we were going to be made obsolete – not by the AI itself, but by our rejection of it.

So, in the end, we took a positive perspective on AI, and ended up being one of its early adopters.

And like so many other businesses out there, we’re incredibly glad we did.

For instance, a Salesforce survey, which polled more than 2,000 sales and service professionals, found that 61% of respondents believe generative AI will help them better serve customers and sell more efficiently.

What’s more, 84% of respondents said generative AI helps to increase sales by enhancing and speeding up customer interactions, and 90% agreed that it helps them serve customers faster.

That being said, while AI didn’t deliver all the doom and gloom that many of us expected it would, at this point, it’s obvious that those who choose not to use it will be doing so at their own peril.

And in an attempt to quell some of the anti-AI sentiment that still exists, I wanted to go over some of the ways we use AI to serve clients better.

So, if you’re looking to learn about improving service quality with AI, and the kind of AI-driven client care strategies that will allow you to do that, then this article is a must-read.

How We Use AI to Serve Clients Better

AI has become an integral part of how we operate, and we use AI to serve clients better in a variety of different ways.

From generating innovative ideas and conducting in-depth research to crafting ideal client profiles and everything in between, AI empowers us to better serve our clients.

With that in mind, let’s explore five specific areas where AI helps us deliver exceptional results.

1) Ideation

If you work in a creative field, I’m sure you’re well aware that generating fresh, innovative ideas is one of the most challenging aspects of working with clients.

Whether you’re crafting a marketing strategy, planning a social media campaign, or brainstorming content ideas, the ideation process can sometimes hit creative roadblocks.

But through the use of a few prompts, artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT can generate an endless supply of unique concepts, no matter what you’re creating.

These tools also adapt to feedback, allowing us to refine our ideas, and tweak the AI’s suggestions until they perfectly align with what we’re trying to accomplish for a given client.

And because we don’t have to spend all day coming up with ideas, we can spend more of that time ensuring we’re doing the best job we can for clients.

What’s more, AI can even simulate audience reactions, offering insights into how an idea might be received before it’s even implemented, and this ensures every suggestion we present to our clients has a strong foundation.

From our perspective, AI doesn’t replace human creativity – it simply enhances it.

And by acting as a catalyst for innovative thinking, AI ensures we consistently deliver fresh, compelling ideas that help our clients stand out in crowded markets.

2) Research

Whether we’re studying clients’ competitors, trying to understand consumer behaviour, or something else entirely, research forms the basis of the strategies and recommendations we provide for clients.

And although traditional research methods can be just as thorough, they’re incredibly time-consuming and often limited in scope.

Luckily for us, AI has dramatically streamlined this process.

For instance, if I’m looking for a report or some survey data to back up what I’m saying in an article, I could easily spend half an hour or more searching for something relevant.

But if I tell ChatGPT what I’m looking for, it will scour the internet for me and provide multiple different options, typically within a matter of seconds.

We also use AI-powered research tools for market research, as they can analyze vast quantities of information, helping us filter out the noise and ensure we focus only on high-quality, relevant data.

AI also excels in predictive analytics, which enables us to forecast trends and identify emerging opportunities, including things like shifts in consumer preferences, which helps our clients stay ahead of the curve.

At any rate, by using AI for research, we not only save time but also ensure our strategies are informed by comprehensive, up-to-date insights, which allows us to provide the best possible results for our clients.

Read: The Biggest AI Marketing Mistakes That Every Business Should Avoid

Understanding how we use AI to serve clients better can help to provide perspective on what these tools are actually capable of.

But if you want to make the most of AI, you also need to know what you shouldn’t do with it, and how to avoid these common mistakes.

With that in mind, this article explores the biggest AI marketing mistakes businesses should avoid, like misinterpreting analytics, failing to define clear goals, and more.

Keep reading here.

3) Ideal Client Profiles

One of the most innovative ways we use AI to serve clients better is by creating what are known as ideal client profiles.

If you’re not sure what that is, an ideal client profile is an analysis of the most ideal kinds of customers for a given client, and it’s based on things like demographics and psychographics, along with people’s wants, needs, pains, fears, and aspirations.

In the past, developing these profiles required extensive data collection and analysis, which was often impossible, so if a client didn’t have the budget for such an in-depth dive into the minds of their customers, out of necessity, we tended to rely more on generalized assumptions.

But AI has revolutionized this process, allowing us to create detailed, data-driven profiles that capture the nuances of each client’s target audience.

And we can do this in a matter of minutes using a series of strategic prompts that contain key points about the client.

These insights are invaluable, as they help us understand not just who these ideal clients are, but also how they think and behave.

This allows us to ensure our clients’ marketing efforts will resonate deeply with their target audiences, empowering them to connect with their ideal clientele on a more meaningful level.

4) Social Media

Social media offers a great way to help our clients build brand awareness and engage with their respective audiences.

But managing social media accounts, and consistently creating fresh content, can be extremely overwhelming, not least due to the constant changes in algorithms and audience preferences.

With that in mind, AI has become an absolutely invaluable tool for streamlining and optimizing our clients’ social media strategies.

For instance, AI-powered scheduling tools like Publer allow us to plan and automate posts across multiple platforms, which saves a massive amount of time over making posts manually.

These kinds of tools can also analyze audience engagement patterns to determine the best times to post, ensuring our clients get the maximum amount of visibility.

What’s more, AI can also suggest content ideas based on trending topics and hashtags, which helps us to remain relevant and timely.

And when it comes to social media, one of the most powerful ways we use AI to serve clients better is through analytics, as AI can identify what’s working and what isn’t.

This allows us to continuously refine our approach and focus on developing creative, engaging content that will provide the absolute best results for clients.

5) Content Marketing & Copywriting

No matter how you slice it, content is the backbone of any successful marketing strategy.

But whether you’re writing blog posts, newsletters, ad copy, or website content, creating high-quality content requires time, skill, and creativity.

And if you’ve ever experienced writer’s block, then you’ll know how difficult it is to consistently pull this off.

Fortunately, AI has revolutionized the content creation process by providing tools that dramatically enhance efficiency without sacrificing quality.

AI-powered tools like ChatGPT assist us in generating content that is polished, engaging, and tailored to specific audiences.

For instance, when crafting a blog post, we can use AI to generate an initial draft, which we’ll then refine and personalize to align with the client’s brand.

And if you’re ever stuck on something, AI can provide endless suggestions for everything from titles to headings to keywords, and more.

AI also plays a crucial role in SEO optimization, as it helps us perform comprehensive keyword research, which helps us create content that will rank higher in search results.

Whether it’s a captivating social media post, a thought-provoking report, or something else altogether, AI helps us create content that not only meets but exceeds our clients’ expectations.

Are you looking for a marketing agency that’s proficient in AI to help you serve your clients better? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how our services can help grow your business.

To your business success, Susan Friesen

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AI Innovations That Will Revolutionize Marketing in 2025

As we step into 2025, the world of marketing is evolving at a lightning pace, and AI innovations are at the heart of that transformation.

AI is no longer just a tool for automating repetitive tasks or analyzing data – it’s becoming a strategic partner, which enables your business to deliver personalized experiences, predict customer behaviour, and achieve levels of efficiency that were once thought to be impossible.

From advanced predictive analytics to AI-driven content creation, several AI innovations emerging this year are poised to revolutionize how all businesses engage with their audiences.

These artificial intelligence breakthroughs are empowering your marketing team to go beyond demographics, allowing them to tap into things like psychographics, real-time intent signals, and emotional triggers, all of which are redefining what it means to truly connect with customers.

Imagine chatbots that not only answer questions but also anticipate needs and provide tailored solutions before customers even articulate a need for them.

Or how about dynamic ad campaigns that adjust themselves in real-time based on user interactions or AI-powered platforms that write ad copy optimized for specific audience segments?

This stuff may sound pretty far-fetched, but these technologies are no longer just futuristic concepts, and the implications of these AI breakthroughs are truly enormous.

That being said, as a forward-moving business owner, understanding these trends is crucial if you want to remain competitive.

So, if you’re wondering what’s next for AI and machine learning in 2025, keep reading to learn about the latest AI innovations, and how they can elevate your marketing strategies to new heights of success.

2025’s Most Groundbreaking AI Innovations

The year 2025 is poised to be a landmark year for marketing, driven by some of the most groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence.

These AI innovations will empower your marketing team to achieve unprecedented levels of insight, efficiency, personalization, and creativity.

With that in mind, let’s explore some of the AI breakthroughs that are set to revolutionize the world of marketing this year.

Hyper-Personalization

In 2025, artificial intelligence will enable your marketing team to achieve hyper-personalization at an unprecedented scale.

This development goes beyond traditional segmentation, which tends to be based on demographics or purchasing habits.

Instead, AI will analyze vast amounts of real-time data to deliver content tailored to customers’ individual preferences, browsing history, and contextual needs.

For example, an eCommerce platform might use AI to dynamically generate unique product catalogs for each visitor.

And by doing so, marketers will be able to create highly engaging customer experiences, driving increased satisfaction and higher conversion rates.

Advanced Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics, powered by AI, will become an integral part of marketing strategies in the coming year and beyond.

By leveraging historical data and advanced algorithms, your business can forecast key outcomes like customer lifetime value, campaign performance, and emerging consumer trends.

These insights will empower your marketing team to make data-driven decisions, allocate resources more effectively, and prioritize high-impact initiatives.

As a result, companies will be better equipped to minimize wasted ad spend and maximize return on investment.

Conversational AI and Intelligent Chatbots

Over the coming year, and into the future, conversational AI and advanced chatbots will redefine how businesses interact with their customers.

These systems will provide round-the-clock support, offering accurate and empathetic responses that closely mimic human interactions

And in addition to resolving customer queries, conversational AI will serve as a proactive marketing tool, suggesting products or services tailored to each individual’s needs.

For example, a chatbot on a travel booking website could assist users in finding personalized vacation packages by analyzing their previous travel history, preferences, and budget.

Voice and Visual Search Optimization

The increasing popularity of smart devices and AI-powered assistants like Alexa and Siri has made voice search increasingly popular.

At the same time, visual search, where users can upload images to find related products or information, is rapidly gaining traction, as well.

With that in mind, marketers in 2025 will have to focus on optimizing their content to ensure it accommodates these search modalities.

Voice search optimization will require a shift toward more conversational and longer-tail keywords, while visual search capabilities will rely on AI to accurately identify and recommend relevant products.

In any case, brands that adapt to these new technologies will gain a significant competitive advantage, as they’ll be more easily discoverable online.

Generative AI for Content Creation

Generative AI technologies, like ChatGPT, have already revolutionized the way marketing content is created, and they’ll continue to do so in 2025.

These tools automate the production of high-quality materials, including blogs, videos, and social media posts, enabling marketers to maintain a consistent output without taxing their available time.

Furthermore, generative AI will personalize content by incorporating real-time data into narratives, which helps to ensure relevance and resonance with target audiences.

For instance, AI-generated personalized video ads tailored to different customer segments will reduce production costs while enhancing the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

Emotional AI for Deeper Customer Insights

In 2025, emotional AI, which can interpret human emotions through voice, facial expressions, and behavioural cues, will continue to gain popularity as a tool for everyone.

This technology provides deep insight into the needs, wants, preferences, and emotional responses of customers, all of which can help your marketing team optimize their campaigns.

For example, retail stores can use emotional AI to adjust in-store digital displays based on the moods of their customers.

What’s more, emotional AI can help to enhance customer service interactions by identifying frustration or dissatisfaction in real time, which allows issues to be addressed more proactively.

AI-Powered Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing will become increasingly data-driven in 2025 and beyond, thanks to AI tools capable of identifying influencers whose audiences align with a brand’s target demographics.

These tools will analyze historical performance data to predict the potential return on investment from influencer campaigns.

Moreover, AI can automate many aspects of influencer collaboration, from content approval to posting schedules, helping to streamline the process for both brands and influencers.

And by detecting fraudulent practices, like fake followers, AI will also help to ensure that influencer partnerships yield genuine engagement and reach.

Read: What ChatGPT Can Do to Benefit Your Business

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are just one of the many technologies that are revolutionizing the world of marketing, but they’re also some of the most useful.

From writing, editing, and refining content, to building ideal client profiles, the utility of these tools is almost unbelievable.

With that in mind, this article explains how ChatGPT can benefit your business by helping with planning, ideation, market research, and more.

Keep reading here.

Enhanced Marketing Automation

AI-powered automation tools will continue to streamline complex marketing processes in 2025, making them more efficient and effective.

Campaign management and lead nurturing across multiple platforms will become much more seamless, as a result of personalized email sequences.

Social media scheduling and optimization will also benefit from AI, allowing your marketing team to focus on strategic planning and creativity rather than repetitive tasks.

And by helping to improve operational efficiency, these tools will enable businesses to achieve more in less time.

Real-Time Ad Optimization

One of the more impressive AI innovations that’s revolutionizing marketing in 2025 is what’s known as real-time ad optimization.

This technology plays an ever more critical role in optimizing digital advertising by enabling real-time adjustments to ad placements, bids, and graphics.

Advanced algorithms will analyze performance metrics and make immediate changes to maximize return on investment.

For instance, AI could dynamically alter ad copy to reflect current events or trending topics, ensuring ads are more relevant and engaging

In addition, it can also identify underperforming campaigns and suggest actionable improvements, helping marketers to fine-tune their advertising strategies.

Data Privacy and Ethical AI

With the growing emphasis on data privacy and the introduction of more and more strict regulations, AI will increasingly assist your marketing team in maintaining the trust of consumers.

This trend will undoubtedly expand in 2025, as AI systems are now able to anonymize and encrypt user data, provide transparent explanations of data usage, and offer customers greater control over their preferences.

And as we move into the future, ethical AI will become a cornerstone of marketing strategies, as it helps businesses to build trust by operating more responsibly.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Marketing

Augmented reality and virtual reality technologies, many of which are powered by AI, are making it easier for your marketing team to create immersive experiences that captivate consumers.

In 2025, these technologies will allow customers to virtually “try on” or “try out” products, such as clothing or furniture, before making a purchase, and they will also enable virtual walkthroughs of real estate properties or travel destinations.

And by using AI to integrate gamification elements into their marketing campaigns, brands will boost engagement and foster deeper connections with their audiences.

For example, a beauty brand could use AR to let customers visualize how makeup products would look on their faces, which enhances their online shopping experience.

AI-Driven Social Listening

By analyzing conversations across social media platforms, forums, and online communities, AI-powered social listening tools can provide marketers with real-time insights into consumer sentiment, emerging trends, and competitor activities.

This technology will be increasingly adopted in 2025, as businesses will be able to identify countless opportunities for engagement and craft more timely responses.

What’s more, these tools will also help your marketing team monitor the performance of their campaigns and adjust strategies based on audience feedback.

AI in Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising, which involves the automated buying and selling of ad space, will become even more popular in 2025, as its AI algorithms become better at optimizing targeting criteria and predicting the best times and platforms for ad placements.

These advancements will significantly reduce wasted ad spend and ensure that campaigns reach the most relevant audiences.

And by analyzing performance data in real time, AI will enable your marketing team to refine their strategies on the fly and maximize the impact of their advertising efforts.

AI for Customer Journey Mapping

In 2025, AI will continue to revolutionize customer journey mapping by providing an even more comprehensive view of how your target audience interacts across multiple touchpoints.

Advanced analytics will identify friction areas, predict drop-off points, and suggest interventions to improve the customer experience.

In addition, offering personalized experiences at each stage of the funnel will become more common, which helps to foster deeper connections and higher retention rates.

AI-Powered Video Marketing

Video content will continue to dominate as a marketing medium in 2025, with AI playing a pivotal role in both its creation and distribution.

Automated video editing tools, which help to streamline production processes, will continue to become more common, real-time subtitles and translations will make content accessible to much wider audiences, and personalized video ads, which adapt to individual viewer preferences, will enhance engagement and effectiveness.

For example, an AI system could create different versions of a product demo video, tailored to the unique needs of various customer segments.

Has your business embraced AI yet? How so?

If leveraging the power of AI feels daunting, why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how our marketing team can help so you can continue to focus on what you love doing the most.

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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11 Strategies for Boosting Sales After the Holidays

Without a doubt, the holiday season is the most lucrative time of year for business.

From Black Friday to the end-of-year shopping frenzy, when people are searching for last-minute gifts, it’s a time when consumers are eager to spend.

But with consumer spending slowing down, and people’s priorities shifting, it can feel like a struggle to keep the momentum going.

And although many business owners agonize over their approach to holiday sales, not nearly as many spend time on strategies for boosting sales after the holidays.

Oftentimes, it’s taken for granted that the first few months of the year will see the fewest sales, and rather than do anything to counteract that, they just accept it as inevitable.

But the truth is, there’s a lot you can do to deal with the post-holiday sales slump, and boosting sales after the holidays isn’t as difficult as you might think.

For one thing, there are actually a lot of people looking to shop in post-holiday sales.

As you can see from the graph below, two-thirds of those who responded to a YouGov survey, which polled more than 1,100 American consumers, said they typically engage in post-holiday sales, with 15% saying they always shop in these kinds of sales.

What’s more, because so many business owners just accept this as the slowest time of year, and don’t do much to combat that, if you do work on driving sales after the holiday season, you may have a competitive advantage.

So, if you want to know how to increase sales after the holiday rush, this article will provide the post-holiday sales strategies you need to do just that.

What You Can Do to Boost Sales After the Holidays

The post-holiday sales slump is a challenge for many businesses, but it also presents an opportunity to refocus your efforts and implement strategies to set the tone for greater success, even during those first few months of the year.

With that in mind, below you’ll find some of the best strategies for boosting sales after the holidays.

1) Evaluate Your Holiday Performance and Set Goals

Before jumping into new strategies, you should take a step back and evaluate how your business performed during the holiday season.

You can do this by looking at sales data to identify which products or services performed best, what promotions were the most effective, and where you might have room for improvement, and then you can use that analysis to inform your post-holiday sales strategies.

For example, if a particular product was a top seller during the holidays, you might want to consider offering another product or service to complement that product, or coming up with another offer related to that top seller, which can help to drive additional sales.

And once you have a clear picture of your holiday performance, then you’ll be much better equipped to set realistic goals for the post-holiday period.

These goals might include things like increasing repeat customers, clearing out excess inventory, or launching a new product or service.

In any case, once you’ve got some specific objectives in mind, you can then create targeted strategies to achieve them.

2) Clear Out Holiday Inventory With Strategic Promotions

One common post-holiday challenge is figuring out how to deal with all your leftover inventory, as excess stock from the holidays can take up valuable storage space and tie up capital.

To address this, you should consider running promotions to clear out your holiday inventory.

Things like limited-time discounts, clearance sales, or “buy one, get one” offers can help move products quickly while attracting budget-conscious customers who are still looking for deals after the holidays.

You can position these promotions as an opportunity for customers to take advantage of post-holiday savings by using phrases like “New Year Clearance” or “Last Chance Holiday Deals” to create a sense of urgency.

3) Reengage Holiday Shoppers

The holiday season often brings in new customers, many of whom may have made a one-time purchase.

With that in mind, the first few months of the year offer a great opportunity to turn those holiday shoppers into returning customers.

One of the ways you can do this is by reaching out with personalized email campaigns that thank them for their holiday purchase and offer them an incentive to return, such as a discount on their next order.

What’s more, you can segment your customers based on their holiday purchases and then send them tailored recommendations for related products or services.

For example, if a customer purchased a gift set, you could suggest complementary items or offer a discount on refills.

This kind of personalization is key, as it shows customers that you value their business and understand their needs, and this may make them more likely to shop with you again.

4) Leverage the Power of Social Media

Hands down, social media is one of the most valuable tools for driving engagement and boosting sales after the holidays, as platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok can be used to showcase products and highlight your post-holiday promotions.

That being said, you should keep in mind that visual content, like photos and videos of the products you’re selling, can be particularly effective in capturing attention and inspiring purchases.

Another great strategy is to encourage user-generated content by asking customers to share photos or videos of how they’re using your products and offering a discount or entry into a giveaway as an incentive for them to do so.

This not only builds a sense of community around your brand, and helps to build trust, but also provides authentic content that can entice potential customers to make a post-holiday purchase.

5) Capitalize on New Year’s Resolutions

The new year is a time when many people are focused on self-improvement, achieving their goals, and working toward New Year’s resolutions.

Having said that, you should try to align your marketing efforts with common New Year’s resolutions, if possible, as this will help to make your products and/or services more relevant.

For example, if you sell fitness equipment, you can promote your offerings as tools to help customers achieve their health and wellness goals.

Similarly, if your business focuses on organization, you should emphasize how your products can help customers start the year off on the right foot.

In any case, you should create campaigns that speak directly to these goals and position your business and its offerings as the solution to achieving them.

Read: 9 Lead-Generation Strategies to Help You Make More Sales

If you want to boost sales during the holidays, the post-holiday period, or any other time, for that matter, you’re going to need to know how to generate a steady stream of leads.

But if you’re not familiar with how to do this, or you’re struggling to bring in leads, then you could definitely use a crash course.

With that in mind, this article explores several lead generation strategies, including content marketing, social media marketing, email automation, and more.

Keep reading here.

6) Introduce a New Product or Service

The start of a new year is the perfect time to introduce something fresh to your customers.

Whether it’s a new product line, a seasonal offering, or an updated version of an existing product or service, launching early in the year can help to generate excitement and drive post-holiday sales.

That being said, you should plan a promotional campaign around the launch, using email marketing, social media, and your website to build anticipation.

In doing so, you should highlight the unique features and benefits of the product or service in question and offer an exclusive discount or bonus for early adopters.

This can help to boost sales after the holidays and will also position your brand as more dynamic and exciting in the eyes of your customers.

7) Optimize Your Online Presence

With more consumers shopping online than ever, your digital presence is a critical factor when it comes to driving post-holiday sales.

Having said that, you should take this opportunity to review your website and make any necessary updates, ensuring that it’s easy to navigate, looks great on any device, and offers a seamless shopping experience.

In addition, you can update your home page with a New Year’s theme and prominently feature any ongoing promotions or new product launches.

What’s more, you should update your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to target keywords that are relevant to the post-holiday period.

These small updates can make a big difference when it comes to attracting and converting customers, not least during this time of year.

8) Collaborate With Other Businesses

Partnerships with complementary businesses can be a powerful way to expand your reach and drive sales after the holidays.

But before you explore opportunities to collaborate, you’ve got to make sure that the businesses you’re thinking of working with are aligned with your brand positioning.

For example, if you own a bakery, you could partner with a coffee shop to offer joint promotions or cross-promote each other’s businesses.

Collaborations can also include things like co-hosting events, creating bundled product offerings, or running joint social media campaigns.

And by working together, you can tap into each other’s customer bases, providing added value to your audiences, all while working to boost post-holiday sales.

9) Host a Customer Appreciation Event

A customer appreciation event is a great way to reengage your audience and encourage repeat business after the holidays.

Whether it’s an in-store celebration or a virtual event, you can use this opportunity to thank your customers for their support and showcase what’s new with your business.

In addition, you can offer exclusive discounts, free samples, or early access to new products as incentives for attending.

Events like this not only help to boost business after the holidays but can also help to build customer loyalty and create a more positive impression of your brand.

10) Focus on Building Long-Term Relationships

While immediate sales are important, the post-holiday period is also a time to focus on building lasting relationships with your customers, so you can help to ensure they’ll still be around at this time next year.

In doing so, you should provide exceptional customer service, follow up on purchases to ensure satisfaction, and encourage feedback.

These efforts show your customers that you value their business and are committed to meeting their needs.

You might also want to consider implementing a loyalty program to reward repeat customers and give them incentive to keep coming back throughout the year.

In any case, offering things like points for purchases, exclusive discounts, or early access to sales can help to incentivize long-term engagement and strengthen your relationship with your audience.

11) Plan Ahead for the Next Holiday Season

As you work to boost post-holiday sales, you should take stock of what you learned during the holiday season and use those insights to start planning for the future.

You should also dig as deep as possible by analyzing trends from the holiday season and gathering as much information as you can on the behaviour of your customers.

This kind of planning and preparation will help you be better equipped to capitalize on opportunities and make the next holiday season – and post-holiday period – even more successful.

Need some help boosting sales after the holidays? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help!

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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The Biggest AI Marketing Mistakes That Every Business Should Avoid

With all the nonsense we’ve been fed about artificial intelligence, it’s no wonder that businesses continue to make the same AI marketing mistakes.

Unfortunately, many business owners have the wrong idea about AI, and typically, this is through no fault of their own.

Since its inception, we’ve been hearing about how amazing generative AI is, and how it’s going to allow you to fire your entire marketing team and write an award-winning novel with just a single prompt, along with about a million other claims, most of which have not come to fruition.

To be fair, artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT are incredible tools, and in the marketing industry, we use them every day.

They’ve been so disruptive, in fact, that they’ve basically reshaped the world of marketing in a matter of months.

As I pointed out in my article on How Your Small Business Can Easily Leverage AI, a survey from Intuit QuickBooks, which targeted small businesses, found that more than 80% of respondents are already using AI, over a third of them use it daily, and 65% of them said they want to use it more than they already are.

But despite how great tools like ChatGPT are, and how widespread their use is, their value has been completely overblown, and they’ve been made out to be something they’re not.

That being said, if you don’t understand what not to do with AI in marketing, then you’re going to be much more susceptible to being bamboozled by all the hype and making the same AI marketing mistakes that companies keep repeating.

So, if you’re looking to learn about using AI for marketing, but you want to make sure you’re aware of all the AI marketing errors to avoid, then I hope you take the time to keep reading.

Avoid These AI Marketing Mistakes at All Costs

It was inevitable that AI would become a transformative force in marketing, as it enables businesses to streamline operations, analyze vast quantities of data, and improve overall productivity, among many other things.

But despite its massive potential, it is not without its challenges, and businesses can end up making many AI marketing mistakes when implementing this technology.

With that in mind, below you’ll find a list of some of the most common AI marketing errors, complete with actionable advice on how to avoid making them yourself.

1) Failing to Define Clear Goals

When it comes to AI, one of the biggest mistakes businesses make is diving into this technology without a clear understanding of what they hope to achieve.

AI tools are often adopted because they seem cutting-edge or because competitors are using them, but without clear objectives, these tools can fail to deliver any meaningful results.

When AI is deployed without specific goals, you can’t measure its success or determine whether it’s worth the investment, and this lack of direction often leads to underwhelming outcomes, frustration, and the perception that AI does not work.

If you want to avoid this, before implementing any AI technology, first you have to define what you hope to achieve.

Moreover, it’s important to ensure that these goals align with your broader marketing strategy and brand positioning, as AI should enhance and complement your existing efforts.

2) Overdependence on Automation

Automation is one of the most attractive features of AI, as it can handle repetitive tasks, analyze data at lightning speed, and even interact with your customers through the use of chatbots.

But if you rely too heavily on automation, then you could be overlooking the human element that makes marketing more relatable and effective.

When automation dominates your marketing efforts, campaigns can become impersonal.

For example, AI-driven email campaigns may send irrelevant messages if customer preferences aren’t updated, and chatbots can frustrate customers if they provide canned responses that fail to address specific queries.

So, if you want to avoid being too dependent on automation, you should use AI as a way to enhance human efforts, not replace them.

For instance, while AI can draft email campaigns, your marketing team should review and personalize them to ensure they make sense and are aligned with the rest of your branding.

Similarly, chatbots should be programmed to escalate complex issues to a human representative when necessary.

3) Ignoring Data Quality

AI systems thrive on data, but their performance depends entirely on the quality of the data they receive.

That being said, you may underestimate how important clean, accurate, and relevant data is to the success of your AI initiatives.

Because when poor-quality data is fed into AI systems, it leads to inaccurate insights, flawed personalization, and misguided decision-making, and these mistakes not only waste resources but can also alienate customers.

For example, outdated customer information can result in irrelevant product recommendations, while incomplete data can skew analytics and lead to incorrect conclusions.

In order to address these issues, you’ve got to prioritize the quality of whatever data you’re using, which involves conducting regular audits to identify and correct inaccuracies and remove duplicate or irrelevant data.

And if need be, before you even get started, you should also ensure that the AI tools you plan on using can handle large and complex datasets.

4) Lack of Understanding

One of the most common AI marketing mistakes for businesses is implementing AI tools without fully understanding how they work.

This lack of understanding can create several problems, including difficulty in optimizing AI tools, issues related to troubleshooting, and marketing campaigns that produce lacklustre results.

Depending on the circumstances, you can even use AI in ways that inadvertently harm you and your business’ reputation.

In any case, having a solid understanding of the AI tools you’re using is critical, both internally and externally.

Internally, you need to make sure your marketing team understands the AI tools you’re using, even if you’re the only one on that team.

This doesn’t mean you need to become a data scientist, but at the very least, you should have a working knowledge of how these tools generate insights and make decisions.

Externally, you should communicate openly and transparently with customers about how AI is being used, especially when it involves data collection or personalization.

For example, if you’re using AI to recommend products to your customers based on their browsing history, you should let them know.

Read: Why Is Everyone so Afraid of ChatGPT?

If you’re a fan of using generative AI for your business, you may not be aware of the problems people have with this technology. But the truth is people do have legitimate concerns about AI.

However, many of these worries are based on erroneous information, like the idea that AI will make marketers obsolete, which is obvious nonsense.

With that in mind, this article explores the recent history of AI apprehension, debunks the myth that it’ll replace your marketing team, and explains what we and our clients love about this technology.

Keep reading here

5) Misinterpreting AI Analytics

AI analytics can provide deep insights into customer behaviour, campaign performance, and market trends.

But if you misinterpret these insights, it’s one of the biggest AI marketing mistakes you can make.

For instance, you may end up coming to incorrect conclusions based on AI-generated data or rely too heavily on correlations that don’t indicate causation.

A common example is assuming that higher engagement on social media will automatically translate to increased sales, in and of itself.

These kinds of assumptions should be avoided at all costs, as they can lead to ineffective marketing strategies and wasted resources.

If you want to avoid this sort of thing, you need to approach your AI analytics with a critical eye, and you and your team should be trained to interpret data correctly and understand its limitations.

It’s also beneficial to cross-reference AI insights with other data sources, like customer feedback or industry benchmarks, to ensure its accuracy.

6) Overlooking Ethical Considerations

Ethics often take a backseat in the rush to implement AI, but neglecting these ethical considerations can lead to significant consequences, including customer backlash, legal issues, and damage to your brand’s reputation.

Common AI marketing mistakes related to ethical considerations include data privacy violations, algorithmic bias, and lack of consent when it comes to data collection.

For example, if your AI system is trained on biased data, it may produce discriminatory advertising or exclude certain groups from marketing campaigns.

Similarly, using customer data without clear consent can violate privacy laws and erode trust.

In order to address these issues, you should prioritize ethical AI practices, like complying with data privacy regulations, auditing algorithms for bias, and being transparent about how you’re collecting and using customer data.

7) Expecting Immediate Results

Artificial intelligence, in all its forms, needs time to learn, adapt, and optimize processes.

However, many business owners tend to expect instant results, and become frustrated when they don’t get them, and this can lead to premature abandonment of AI initiatives.

All things considered, it’s important to view AI as a long-term investment.

Results may take weeks or even months as the AI collects data, identifies patterns, and improves its performance.

In any case, setting realistic timelines and focusing on incremental improvements will help you stay committed and ensure you achieve better outcomes.

8) Not Personalizing Enough

One of AI’s greatest strengths is its ability to personalize your marketing efforts.

But many businesses fail to leverage this potential, instead relying on generic campaigns that often don’t resonate with individual customers, and this lack of personalization can lead to lower engagement and fewer conversions.

At any rate, if you want to maximize AI’s potential, you should use it to analyze customer behaviour, preferences, and past interactions.

This data can then inform highly targeted campaigns, like personalized product recommendations, dynamic website content, and more.

9) Thinking AI Will Replace Your Marketing Team

As much as you may want it to, the reality is AI isn’t going to make your marketing team obsolete.

And even if you’re the only one on that team, ChatGPT isn’t going to be able to do it all for you.

Despite all the claims that have been made about AI, and how amazing a tool it actually is, you can’t just ask AI to write a blog for you, not even bother looking at it, post it on your website, and think it’s going to do anything for your business.

You’re still going to need to know how to train whatever AI you’re using on the specifics of your business and have a good grasp of marketing and branding best practices.

If you don’t have this foundational knowledge, it doesn’t matter what kind of AI you’re using, it’s not going to be of much use.

So, if you do have a marketing team, don’t go firing them tomorrow, and regardless of who’s doing your marketing, you should start brushing up on your AI knowledge right now.

10) Not Editing AI-Generated Text

With so many businesses using AI to generate content, a lot of it is starting to look pretty stale.

Having said that, I think one of the main reasons for this goes back to my previous point, as many businesses think they can just pump out content ad nauseum without even editing it.

But if you’re not editing this kind of content, it’s going to become increasingly obvious to consumers that you’re just pumping out AI-written articles.

You may think that’s okay, but this is never a good look, especially as people are still getting used to the idea of AI-generated content, and many of them can’t stand this kind of content, or even the idea that it was written by AI.

I’m not saying you should hide the fact that you’re using AI for your marketing, but you probably don’t want to be promoting it either.

In any case, you’ve got to edit your content to remove the signs of AI involvement, otherwise, you might as well not even waste your time.

For example, ChatGPT is known for its excessive use of colons and emoticons, especially when it comes to titles, headings, or subject lines, and this is becoming more widely known, as AI’s been around for a while now and people are getting much better at spotting these kinds of things.

So, you should try to avoid using AI-generated content that’s formatted in this way, as it’ll be obvious that it was written by AI.

ChatGPT is also known for its excessive use of certain terms, like the word dynamic, and this can make the content it generates seem unnatural.

But regardless of what kind of content you’re creating with ChatGPT, or any other AI tool, you’ve got to ensure it’s being edited to remove any errors, reflect your brand positioning, and remain consistent with the rest of your marketing.

Nothing should ever be pumped out and then left as is, and careful consideration should always be given to whether or not the content accurately represents your brand.

Overwhelmed by AI and would prefer to leave your marketing to the pros? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help!

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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9 Holiday Branding Tips to Help You Boost Your Brand Positioning for the Holidays

Without a doubt, the holiday season is the busiest time of year for business.

But did you know that it also gives you a golden opportunity to capture the attention of your customers, and solidify your brand’s place in the minds of consumers?

With most people shopping more than usual at this time of year, and all the enthusiasm surrounding the festivities, this season offers a unique chance to connect with your audience.

However, standing out amongst a plethora of holiday promotions, discounts, and advertisements is no easy feat.

At this time of year, consumers are bombarded with marketing messages from every direction, so if you want to be remembered, you’re going to have to offer something distinct, relatable, and memorable.

With that in mind, you could probably use some holiday branding tips to help boost your brand positioning during this crucial time of year.

Because if you want to make a lasting impression over the holidays, the focus should be on doing whatever you can to enhance your brand positioning.

If you’re not quite sure what brand positioning is, this term refers to how your business is positioned in relation to your competitors, and how it’s perceived in the minds of your target audience.

If you need a refresher on this topic, you should check out my video series on Harnessing the Power of Brand Positioning.

At any rate, whether it’s the emotional appeal of your marketing, the values your brand represents, or the unique experiences you provide for customers, every touchpoint counts.

And the better your brand resonates with consumers during this highly competitive period, the more likely they’ll be to choose you over competitors.

So, if you’re looking for holiday branding tips to boost brand visibility during the holiday season, then keep reading to learn more.

Holiday Branding Tips to Boost Your Brand Positioning

Considering how much competition there is around this time of year, you’ve got to do whatever you can to stand out.

But improving your brand positioning during the holiday season is about more than just driving sales – it’s about creating meaningful connections and building lasting loyalty.

With that in mind, here are some holiday branding tips to help you boost your brand positioning this holiday season:

1) Define Your Unique Holiday Narrative

Crafting a compelling holiday story is crucial, as it can help make your brand unforgettable.

Start by identifying what makes your brand special and then try to find ways to align those qualities with the holiday season.

For example, maybe your business prides itself on sustainability or offers products that evoke nostalgia from days past.

In any case, you should focus your marketing efforts on these unique elements of your brand, and then find a way to relate them to the holidays and use that to create a narrative that will resonate with your audience.

For instance, a company specializing in handmade goods might highlight the care and thoughtfulness behind its creations, positioning them as the perfect heartfelt gift.

2) Update Your Visual Branding for the Holidays

Visual branding is a powerful tool, and this is no less true during the holidays.

So, if you want to stay relevant at this time of year, you should consider incorporating some seasonal touches into your visual branding.

This might include subtle updates to your logo, website, or packaging, like adding festive colours or other elements like snowflakes and Christmas lights.

As you can see below, here at eVision Media, we like to update our logo around the holidays.

We haven’t made the change yet, but I know Daniel’s just itching to get it up on the website.

The changes aren’t too drastic, but just adding the Santa hats, changing the logo colours, and including a few snowflakes really spruces it up for the season.

And while it may seem trivial, it lets our clients, and potential clients who may share those same values, know that we also love these holidays.

That allows us to establish an emotional connection with our audience, helping us to capture their attention and reinforcing eVision Media’s presence over the holidays.

3) Leverage Seasonal Content Marketing

Content marketing offers a great way to engage your audience and establish authority, no matter what time of year it is.

But during the holidays, you should focus on creating seasonal content that aligns with your customers’ needs and interests.

Gift guides tailored to specific demographics, blog posts featuring creative ways to use your products over the holidays, or social media campaigns encouraging customers to share their holiday moments with your brand are great examples of this kind of content.

These efforts not only provide value for your audience, and help you build an even deeper emotional connection with them, but they also help position your brand as a go-to resource during the holiday season.

Read: How to Use the Power of Storytelling to Boost Your Brand

If you want to boost your brand positioning over the holidays, coming up with a compelling holiday story is a must.

And while this may sound pretty simple, if you’re not a writer, it can be daunting, to say the least.

With that in mind, this article explains how you can use the power of storytelling to benefit your brand by doing things like understanding your audience, being authentic, and more.

Keep reading here.

4) Highlight Your Values

Consumers tend to gravitate toward brands that align with their personal values, and this is even more true during the holidays.

That being said, you should try to use this time to showcase what your business stands for.

Whether it’s supporting charitable causes, promoting sustainable practices, or highlighting your commitment to your community, you should make your values a central part of your holiday messaging.

For example, if environmental responsibility is important to your brand, you could emphasize eco-friendly packaging or pledge to donate a portion of holiday sales to a related cause.

5) Deliver Exceptional Customer Experiences

Hands down, one of the best holiday branding tips is to offer exceptional customer experiences.

Not only are they the cornerstone of strong brand positioning, but during the holidays, when customers are navigating busy schedules and have even higher expectations, going the extra mile can make all the difference.

Having said that, if you haven’t already done so, you should streamline your website and checkout processes to ensure they’re as user-friendly as possible.

You can also offer personalized recommendations, and you should make a point of providing stellar customer service with quick response times.

What’s more, small gestures like complimentary gift-wrapping or handwritten thank-you notes can leave a lasting impression, ensuring your brand stands out as one that truly cares about its customers.

6) Leverage Social Proof

Social proof, which includes things like positive reviews and testimonials, acts as a powerful motivator, especially during the holiday season when consumers are trying to find the perfect gift and looking for trustworthy recommendations.

It’s always good to draw attention to any praise you’re getting from customers, but it’s even more important during the holidays, when people are being bombarded with so much marketing.

Having said that, if you haven’t already, you should feature positive reviews and testimonials prominently on your website and social media channels over the holidays.

You can even encourage your customers to share their experiences with your brand by creating a holiday-specific hashtag or featuring user-generated content in your campaigns.

Whatever the case, by showcasing real stories from satisfied customers, you can build trust and help reinforce your brand’s credibility in a competitive market.

7) Offer Irresistible Holiday Promotions

Holiday promotions are a staple of seasonal marketing, but they don’t have to be purely about discounts.

There are all kinds of different options when it comes to promotions, like bundling products into themed gift sets, introducing limited-edition holiday items, or rewarding loyal customers with exclusive deals.

These kinds of promotions, which feel more thoughtful and aligned with the holiday spirit, not only help to boost sales, but also strengthen the connection you have with your audience.

8) Build Emotional Connections Through Advertising

The holidays are a time of heightened emotions, and that makes them the perfect backdrop for advertising that fosters emotional connections.

By focusing on themes like family, gratitude, and generosity, you can create ads that position your brand as having positive, wholesome values, which is bound to resonate with your audience.

For instance, if you include music, visuals, and storytelling that evoke joy, nostalgia, or hope, this will help to ensure your message leaves a lasting impact.

At any rate, the best holiday advertisements go beyond selling – they create memorable moments that customers will associate with your brand for years to come.

9) Plan Ahead and Stay Flexible

Preparation is essential for a successful holiday season, but flexibility is often just as important.

In any case, you should start planning early to ensure your marketing campaigns, logistics, and inventory are ready to meet increased demand.

At the same time, you should make sure to monitor market trends and be prepared to adapt as needed.

Whether it’s adjusting to unexpected supply chain challenges or capitalizing on last-minute opportunities, being agile and flexible will help you navigate the season more effectively while maintaining strong brand positioning.

Need some help refining your brand positioning? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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The Dos and Don’ts of How to Build an Email List

Whether you know it or not, learning how to build an email list is one of the best things you can do for your business.

Among many other benefits, email marketing gives you direct access to your past, current and future customers, allows you to segment the various members of your audience, and helps you build better brand awareness.

What’s more, as I pointed out in the first installment of this series, Why Building an Email List Is an Excellent Brand Booster, email marketing is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and it’s a strategy that has the potential to offer some pretty impressive returns.

Truth be told, many marketers consider email marketing to be the most effective marketing tool they have at their disposal.

For instance, as you can see from the graph below, in a survey from Litmus, which polled more than 1,000 marketers, 41% of respondents said email marketing is their most effective marketing channel, ranking it higher than video, organic/paid search, and even social media.

All things considered, these are some pretty impressive statistics.

But before you can start reaping the benefits of this strategy, you’ve got to build an email list, otherwise you’re not going to have anyone to email.

With that in mind, in this second installment of our three-part series on email marketing, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about building an email list and explain some of what not to do, as well.

What You Shouldn’t Do When You Build an Email List

While there are many different strategies you can use to build an email list, there are also many things you should avoid doing when building one, as well.

Believe it or not, when it comes to email marketing, there are some pretty stringent standards.

You can’t just be sending emails out to random people willy-nilly, and if you do, you may end up dealing with some pretty severe consequences, including fines, lawsuits, and even being blacklisted by internet service providers.

That being said, before I explain what you can do to build an email list, let’s explore what you shouldn’t do.

Buying Email Lists

When trying to build an email list for your business, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is purchasing email lists.

While it might seem like a quick way to grow your list, it usually leads to poor engagement because the recipients haven’t shown any interest in your brand or what you’re offering.

Basically, you’re buying a bunch of random people’s email addresses, shooting emails out to everyone, and hoping that something sticks.

But at the end of the day, you want qualified leads on your list, meaning people who are actually interested in what you have to offer.

And when you’re buying email lists, that is not what you’re going to get.

What’s more, buying email lists can also lead to legal troubles, as many data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU, the CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S., and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), require explicit consent from recipients before sending marketing emails, and violations of these regulations can result in hefty fines​.

Failing to Use Double Opt-In

If you want to ensure the leads on your list are actually going to be interested in what you’re offering, you should use a double opt-in process, which requires subscribers to confirm their email address by responding to a verification email.

Admittedly, a single opt-in is easier, but a double opt-in helps to ensure you’ll have a higher-quality list, as subscribers are more likely to be genuinely interested and provide a valid email address.

In any case, skipping this step can lead to an increase in spam complaints and a rise in fake or mistyped email addresses, which ultimately affects deliverability and engagement​.

Not Offering Clear Opt-Out Options

I know the idea is to get people on your list, and keep them there, but if you want to follow the rules, you’ve also got to give your audience an easy way to unsubscribe.

Because most email regulations mandate that businesses provide subscribers with an easy way to unsubscribe from marketing emails.

As a result, failing to offer clear opt-out options can lead to serious legal consequences, including fines and lawsuits.

And subscribers who can’t easily opt out will be more likely to report your emails as spam, which can seriously damage your reputation and deliverability rates.

Not Keeping Your List Clean

In case you’re not aware, keeping your email list clean involves regularly removing inactive or incorrect email addresses.

This may seem counter-productive, but the truth is, it’s incredibly important because if you send emails to unengaged or incorrect addresses, it’s going to skew your email metrics, which makes it much more difficult to interpret them.

This can result in poor deliverability and misleading data, which can cause you to make poor decisions about the effectiveness of your campaigns, or lack thereof.

Ignoring Data Privacy Regulations

Unfortunately, many businesses fail to comply with the data privacy regulations I mentioned above, including the GDPR, CASL, and CAN-SPAM Act.

These laws require businesses to obtain explicit consent from individuals before adding them to an email list, and failing to comply with these regulations can result in severe financial penalties, including fines of up to $10 million under CASL, for example.

Beyond the legal risks, these violations can seriously harm your company’s reputation, especially today, as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their privacy rights.

Read: Why Building an Email List Is an Excellent Brand Booster

Without a doubt, building an email list is one of the best things you can do to boost the success of your business.

But if you’re new to this sort of thing, you might still be wondering what benefits an email list can actually provide.

With that in mind, this article explores several of the ways that building an email list can benefit your business, including giving you direct access to consumers, driving conversions, and more.

Keep reading here.

What You Should Do When You Build an Email List

You may not realize it yet, but as you grow your email list, you’ll be building one of the most powerful marketing assets available – one that allows you to nurture leads, build relationships, and drive sales.

However, building your email list is going to require a significant amount of time, strategy, and consistency.

With that in mind, below I’ve offered several tips on how to build an email list for your business.

Create High-Value Content and Lead Magnets

One of the most effective ways to build your email list is by offering valuable content in exchange for people’s email addresses.

This kind of content, which is often called a lead magnet, is designed to attract potential customers by providing something they want or need. Lead magnets can take on many forms, including:

eBooks: This kind of lead magnet gives you the opportunity to provide in-depth knowledge on topics that are relevant to your industry. For example, we offer a free eBook for new subscribers called the 7-Step Guide to Defining a Compelling Brand Identity.

Checklists: Simple, actionable checklists also make great lead magnets, as they’re easy for subscribers to digest and can be very helpful. For instance, a fitness coach could offer a weekly meal prep checklist to attract health-conscious subscribers.

Webinars: Hosting a free educational webinar or online course is another great idea for a lead magnet, as it allows you to provide valuable knowledge in exchange for an email. Then, after the webinar, you can nurture those leads through follow-up email campaigns.

Templates: Templates also offer a quick and useful resource that’s typically used as a lead magnet. For example, a content writer could offer blog or email marketing templates.

Discounts or Promotions: Retailers can also attract subscribers by offering exclusive discounts or special offers in exchange for an email address.

At any rate, lead magnets must align with the interests and needs of your target audience, and ideally, they should solve a problem, provide valuable insights, or simplify a task for potential customers.

Use a Clear and Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA)

No matter what you’re offering in exchange, a clear and compelling call-to-action is critical for encouraging people to give you their email address.

And regardless of whether it’s a button, form, or link, the CTA should stand out and clearly communicate the benefits of subscribing.

For example, instead of using generic phrases like “Sign Up” you should use action-oriented and benefit-driven CTAs like:

Get Your Free eBook Now!

Subscribe for Exclusive Discounts

Receive Weekly Tips to Improve Your [Skill/Product]

In any case, you should also make the CTA visually prominent by using contrasting colours, large fonts, and strategic placement on high-traffic areas of your website, like your home page, blog pages, and product pages.

Use Social Media to Drive Subscriptions

Social media platforms are a powerful tool for building an email list, as they help drive traffic to your sign-up forms.

That being said, here are some strategies for using social media to grow your email list:

Promote Lead Magnets: One simple thing you can do is to share your lead magnets across your social media channels by including links to your landing page where users can sign up.

Run Contests and Giveaways: Social media contests and giveaways that require people to give you their email address offer another great way to grow your list.

Add a Sign-up Button: Many social media platforms, including Facebook, allow you to add a custom sign-up button that directs followers to your landing page, or wherever you’d like them to sign up.

Use Stories and Live Features: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer Stories and live features that can be used to highlight your offers or promote exclusive content, and using these methods, you can direct your audience to a link in your bio or the comments where they can sign up.

Optimize Your Website With Sign-up Forms

Hands down, your website is one of the most valuable assets for building your email list.

That being said, you should make sure you’ve got multiple sign-up forms placed strategically throughout your website to help you capture leads.

Here are some of the key areas where sign-up forms should be placed:

Home Page: If you really want to put it front and centre, you can feature a prominent sign-up form high up on your home page.

Blog Posts: Readers who find your blog content valuable may want more information, so you may want to include email sign-up forms at the top, middle, or end of blog posts.

Pop-ups: Another way to include sign-up forms on your website is by using pop-ups, either when someone comes to your website, or when they’re about to leave, as you can use these pop-ups to promote your lead magnet or offer a discount in exchange for an email address.

Sidebars and Footers: Many websites use sidebars and/or footers to ensure that email sign-up forms are displayed on every page. This way, no matter where a visitor navigates, they always have the option to subscribe.

In any case, all you really need is a first name and email address, and if you ask for too much information, this can discourage users from completing your forms.

So, whatever you do, make sure that the sign-up process is as simple as possible.

Offer Exclusive Content

Exclusivity is another strong motivator for potential subscribers, as it adds even more value to your emails and makes recipients feel like they’re part of an insider group.

Having said that, if this is something you offer, you should let them know that by signing up for your email list, they’ll gain access to exclusive content that isn’t available anywhere else.

Here are some examples of the kind of content that will entice people to sign up:

VIP Sales and Early Access: Offering early access to sales or special promotions is a great way to encourage users to join your list, particularly if you’re in retail.

Behind-the-Scenes Content: Sharing sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, or insider info that’s only available to subscribers is another great way to encourage people to sign up.

Premium Articles: If you regularly produce valuable written content, you should consider offering premium blog posts or articles that are only accessible to subscribers. This strategy works especially well for businesses in finance, technology, or marketing.

Run Paid Ads

If you’re looking to grow your list more quickly, you should consider running paid advertising campaigns that specifically target email sign-ups.

For example, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google, and LinkedIn allow you to create ads that direct users to a landing page with a sign-up form.

But if you want your ads to be as effective as possible, make sure to take advantage of the targeting options offered by these platforms by using filters like demographics, interests, or job titles, so you can attract subscribers who are interested in what you’re offering and more likely to engage with your brand.

Focus on Quality Over Quantity

While it might be tempting to try to grow your email list as quickly as you can, it’s much more important to build a high-quality list than a large one.

Because a small list of engaged subscribers is far more valuable than a large list of disinterested or unengaged people.

With that in mind, you should focus on nurturing your subscribers by providing valuable, relevant content, and regularly cleaning your list by removing inactive subscribers and email addresses that consistently bounce.

This will help you maintain high engagement rates and avoid any deliverability issues.

Do you need someone to help build an email list? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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Why Building an Email List Is an Excellent Brand Booster

When you consider the plethora of platforms and myriad marketing strategies that are available today, the thought of building an email list might seem a bit antiquated.

To be fair, if that’s what you’re thinking, I can see where you’re coming from, as email marketing has been around for so long.

Believe it or not, the first use of email marketing was way back in 1978 when Gary Thuerk, the marketing manager for Digital Equipment Corporation at the time, sent a mass email to hundreds of potential clients over ARPANET, which was the precursor to today’s internet.

But just because it’s been around for nearly 50 years doesn’t mean it’s some sort of outmoded, old-school strategy.

In fact, email marketing is still one of the most popular ways to market your business, and one of the best ways to position your brand, and there’s good reason for that.

For example, as you can see from the graph below, data from Statista shows that in 2023, the worldwide email marketing market had a value of 8.3 billion U.S. dollars, and that figure is projected to more than triple by 2030.

What’s more, a survey from Litmus, which explored email marketing ROI and polled more than 2,000 marketers from around the world, found that for every dollar marketers spend on email marketing, typically, they’re getting $36 back, which is a pretty impressive return on investment.

As you can tell, there’s a reason why email marketing is still as popular as it is.

But if you want to leverage email marketing to position your brand as a leader in your industry, market your business, and communicate with customers, then building an email list is essential.

After all, if you don’t have an email list, then who are you going to be emailing?

With that in mind, in this first installment of our three-part series on email marketing, I’m going to explain the importance of building an email list and explore how email marketing can benefit your brand positioning.

How Can Building an Email List Benefit Your Brand Positioning?

If you regularly read my articles, then I’m sure you’re already well aware of this.

But if you’re just tuning in now, then you might not know what I mean by the term brand positioning.

So, before I go any further, here’s a very brief explanation of what this term means.

Brand positioning refers to how your business is perceived in the minds of consumers, especially in relation to your competitors.

The brand positioning process involves, among many other things, identifying unique values and/or benefits that distinguish your brand from the competition in a way that will resonate with those whom you want to serve.

Now, let’s explore how building an email list can benefit your brand positioning.

Direct Access to Customers

Building an email list gives you uninterrupted access to your customers, which allows you to bypass potential barriers like the algorithms used by social media sites and search engines.

This kind of direct contact not only ensures that your content reaches your audience, but also opens the door for more personalized marketing.

Having direct access to your customers also allows you to do things like use emails to celebrate customer milestones, update subscribers on your latest products and services, and even refer to them by name in your emails.

Each one of these personalized interactions can have a significant effect on whether or not consumers will want to stay connected with your brand, and if your competitors are failing to do this, or not doing it as well as you, then it helps to position your brand as one that cares more about its customers and makes a point of connecting with them.

Customer Segmentation

Segmenting your customers allows you to take a broad email list and transform it into highly targeted groups that will receive emails tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

There are all kinds of different ways to segment your audience, allowing you to separate them based on things like their purchase history, geographical location, engagement level, and more.

Sending anniversary emails with personalized discounts to customers who made their first purchase a year ago, for instance, helps to re-engage customers and prompt repeat business.

This approach not only increases the relevance of your messages but also boosts engagement rates, and your brand positioning, as recipients are more likely to feel that your brand recognizes and values their unique preferences.

Better Brand Awareness and Consistency

Hands down, email marketing is one of the most powerful tools for building brand awareness.

But if you want your brand to be taken seriously, and properly positioned against your competitors, each email should be designed to reflect your brand’s identity, including everything from the logo and colour scheme to the tone of voice and overall messaging.

In any case, regular, consistent communication helps to keep your brand fresh in the minds of consumers, reinforcing your position in the market as a familiar and reliable brand.

And when you continue to use that consistent branding across all of your emails, it can improve your brand positioning by making you look more professional, and helping you build a more cohesive perception of your brand, all of which is crucial for long-term recognition, trust, and loyalty.

Cost-Effectiveness

As I alluded to above, email marketing offers one of the highest returns on investment of any marketing channel.

This is, in large part, due to the fact that it’s usually much more affordable than other strategies, not to mention its high potential for automation, which can be extremely effective.

Automated email campaigns can be triggered based on specific actions, like signing up for a newsletter or abandoning a shopping cart, ensuring that your emails are as timely and relevant as possible.

And when subscribers see that you’re taking the time to reach out to them in these ways, you’re positioning your brand as one that understands their needs and desires.

Building a Community

Building an email list gives you a great way to connect with your clients, but it also offers a platform for cultivating even deeper relationships with them than you could otherwise.

Through regular updates and exclusive offers, you can make your subscribers feel like you’re thinking about them, and that they’re part of your special community.

For example, offering a sneak peek at a new product or a special sale event just for subscribers can enhance your audience’s feelings of exclusivity and privilege, giving them more reasons to do business with you rather than your competitors.

These kinds of tactics not only work to increase your sales but can also reinforce long-term loyalty by rewarding your subscribers for their continued engagement with your brand.

Driving Conversions

A well-maintained email list can be a potent tool for increasing sales, or any other kind of conversion, for that matter.

For instance, things like tailored promotions, reminders of limited time offers, and personalized product recommendations can encourage your subscribers to take action.

Strategic emails like these are great for driving any kind of conversion, as they provide all the necessary information and motivation right where the decision happens: in your subscriber’s inbox.

And if you can make things this easy for them but your competitors are failing to do so, then your brand will be positioned as the more convenient option.

Read: Why Am I Losing Newsletter Subscribers? 6 Reasons Why People Unsubscribe and What You Can Do About It

If you’re interested in building an email list, chances are you’re thinking about sending out a newsletter, or maybe you already have one.

But whether you’re new to the world of newsletters, or you’ve been doing it for a while, when people start unsubscribing, you’re going to want to know why.

With that in mind, this article explains why you might be losing subscribers, and offers tips on how to stop people from unsubscribing, like segmenting your audience, using compelling subject lines, and more.

Keep reading here.

Leveraging Newsletters for Better Brand Positioning

An article about building an email list just wouldn’t be complete without talking about the importance of newsletters.

Newsletters are one of the most effective email marketing tactics, not least because they can play a critical role in strengthening your brand positioning.

A well-crafted newsletter can serve multiple strategic purposes – from connecting with your current and past clients to sharing your insights and expertise with new subscribers, and more.

With that in mind, here are the benefits of newsletters, as they pertain to your brand positioning:

Educational Content

One of the most significant benefits of newsletters, as they pertain to your brand positioning, is their ability to educate your audience about your products, services, and industry.

By providing valuable and relevant information, your brand can position itself as an authority in your field, which not only builds trust with your audience but also sets you apart from competitors.

For example, a company specializing in eco-friendly products could share things like the latest sustainability research or insights into industry regulations.

This kind of content is great, as it not only informs but also engages your audience by aligning with their values and interests.

Product Updates and Announcements

Newsletters also offer you the chance to introduce new products or services, and provide updates to existing offerings, or special promotions.

And by using your newsletters to introduce innovations or enhancements, this helps you to reinforce your brand’s reputation for staying ahead of the curve and keeping the needs of your readers at the forefront, which definitely can’t hurt your brand positioning.

Regular updates also help to keep your audience engaged, excited about what’s coming next, and remind them of the continuous value your brand offers.

Consistent Engagement

Maintaining regular contact with your audience through newsletters helps keep your brand top-of-mind when your competitors may be failing to do so.

What’s more, the consistent delivery of valuable content ensures that your brand remains relevant to your subscribers, making it less likely that they’ll want to switch to your competitors.

Furthermore, the regularity of newsletters means you can continually optimize your approach based on engagement metrics and feedback, which allows you to refine your content to better meet the needs and preferences of your audience.

Facilitating Customer Feedback

Sending out newsletters also gives you the opportunity to gather feedback from your customers, which can be invaluable when you’re trying to figure out how to position your brand in relation to your competitors.

Simple tools like surveys can make it easy for your subscribers to share their opinions with you, which helps you gather insights into what content works, what doesn’t, and what your customers truly want.

This feedback is also crucial for improving your offerings and adapting to the needs of your customers, and soliciting feedback via email demonstrates that your brand values customers’ input and is committed to continuous improvement.

Looking to start building an email list? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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How a Fall Financial Review Can Help You Boost Your Revenue This Holiday Season

With fall just a couple of days away, and the holidays closing in fast, you’re probably looking forward to some much-needed rest, relaxation, and time with family.

But if you own a business, before you can enjoy any of that, you’ve got to get through what is likely your busiest time of the year.

And whether it’s the pressure to meet increased demand, working longer hours, ensuring sufficient staffing, dealing with inventory issues, or something else entirely, this time of year can overwhelm even the most seasoned business owners.

With that in mind, rather than waiting until it’s too late, and scrambling at the last minute, now’s the perfect time to set your business up for success with a fall financial review.

To be fair, when there’s this much going on, it might seem like there’s no time for this sort of thing, but if you put a solid strategy in place by doing a financial check-in now, you can avoid a ton of stress later on and ensure you and your business are ready to make the most of the holiday rush.

So, if you’re ready to increase your profits over the holidays, gain greater clarity, make more informed decisions, and start the season feeling more confident and organized, you’re going to want to keep reading.

Harvest More Revenue During the Holidays With a Fall Financial Review

If you want to be in a better position to handle the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and have greater peace of mind as it arrives, preparing ahead of time with a fall financial review is one of the best things you can do.

Taking the time to do this will allow you to enter the holidays feeling more organized, less stressed, and ready to capitalize on the holiday rush.

With that in mind, the following tips will help you assess the financial health of your business, identify potential problem areas, and be as prepared for the holidays as you can possibly be.

Review Your Financial Statements

If you want to conduct a thorough financial review, your first step is to take a detailed look at your financial statements, including your balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.

Each of these documents provides crucial insights into the financial health of your business, and here’s how:

Balance Sheet: This document shows your business’ assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time.

Reviewing this is important, as it will help you understand how much capital you have available and what debts need to be settled before the holiday season.

Income Statement: Your business’ revenue and expenses over a specific period of time are reflected on this document, and reviewing it can help you identify trends in revenue and expenses, which is especially important as you prepare for the potentially high expenses and revenues that go along with the holiday season.

Cash Flow Statement: Cash flow is king, particularly during the busy holiday season, and a thorough review of your cash flow will help you determine whether you have enough liquid assets to cover increased operating costs during the holidays for things like extra inventory, seasonal staffing, and marketing campaigns.

Identify Opportunities to Reduce Costs

Once you’ve reviewed your financial statements, it’s now a good time to look for opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs.

With that in mind, here are some areas where you might find savings:

Inventory Management: Over-purchasing inventory for the holidays can lead to excess stock and tied-up capital, but by analyzing your sales trends from previous holiday seasons, you can make more informed purchasing decisions and reduce waste.

Subscriptions and Recurring Expenses: Many business owners pay for recurring services that they may no longer need or can downgrade.

That being said, this is the time to audit those expenses and eliminate or reduce them wherever possible.

Streamlining Operations: In an effort to reduce costs, you may also want to consider automating certain aspects of your business, like accounting or customer service, which can save you a ton of time and money in the long run, especially as demand increases during the holidays.

Finding ways to save in these areas is important for a fall financial review, as it allows you to reinvest that money in things like marketing or extra staff, which will directly contribute to your success this holiday season.

Set Realistic Revenue Goals

The holiday season is a great time to boost your revenue, but it’s important to set realistic revenue goals that are based on your past performance and current market conditions.

Having said that, here’s how to establish clear, actionable targets:

Analyze Past Holiday Sales: Start by looking at your sales data from previous holiday seasons so you can identify which products or services sold the best and which months or weeks saw the highest sales volume.

This will help you predict demand and set sales goals for the upcoming holiday rush.

Consider Market Trends: Next, you should think about whether there are any emerging trends in your industry that could impact holiday sales.

For instance, if you own a retail business, you might want to ask yourself if there are specific products that are predicted to be in high demand.

In any case, considering these aspects will ensure your revenue goals are grounded in reality.

Factor in External Challenges: Things like inflation, supply chain disruptions, and changing consumer behaviours can all impact holiday sales, so make sure to account for these external factors when setting your revenue targets.

Then, once you’ve established your revenue goals, try breaking them down into smaller, more manageable targets.

For instance, you can set weekly or even daily sales targets to help you stay on track.

Read: 10 Tips to Help You Get Back to Business This Fall

While they are extremely important, as a business owner, you’ve got more to worry about than just your finances.

And whether you’re organizing tasks, updating your website, dealing with scheduling, or something else altogether, the fall is a great time to focus on your business.

With that in mind, this article offers advice on how to get back to business this fall, so you can move into the holiday season with the best chance to succeed.

Keep reading here.

Assess Your Cash Flow and Plan for Extra Expenses

The holiday season often requires additional spending on everything from inventory to seasonal employees.

So, after reviewing your cash flow, you should begin to plan for these extra expenses.

That being said, here are some key considerations to make regarding cash flow and extra expenses during the holidays:

Holiday Inventory: If you sell physical products, now is the time to assess whether you’ll need to purchase additional inventory in order to meet holiday demand.

In doing so, make sure to use your past sales data so you can make smart purchasing decisions, avoiding both stockouts and overstocking.

Marketing: The holidays are a competitive time, so investing in marketing is essential.

As such, you should allocate part of your budget for holiday-specific marketing efforts, as running targeted holiday promotions, social media campaigns, or even paid ads during this busy time can significantly boost your revenue over the holidays.

Seasonal Staffing: Depending on the nature of your business, you may need to hire temporary staff to help manage the holiday rush.

If this is the case, make sure to plan for these additional payroll expenses during your financial review, and ensure you have enough capital to cover them.

Emergency Fund: It’s always a good idea to have an emergency fund in place, especially during the holiday season, as unexpected expenses, like shipping delays, vendor issues, or equipment breakdowns can arise.

At any rate, having a financial cushion will ensure that these problems don’t derail your business during the holidays.

Audit Your Payment Processes

During the holiday season, your sales volume will more than likely increase, so now is a great time to audit your payment processing systems and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Here’s what you’re going to need to consider:

Payment Options: Are you offering a variety of payment options to accommodate all types of customers?

Consumers appreciate the flexibility to pay with credit cards, mobile wallets, and other digital payment methods, and if you don’t offer it, they may choose to go elsewhere.

So, if you want to avoid turning customers away, you should make sure you’ve got a seamless, secure payment system that will accept all forms of payment.

Fees and Costs: Payment processing fees can add up, especially during the holiday season when transaction volumes increase.

Having said that, you should look for opportunities to negotiate better rates with your payment processor or explore alternative providers that might offer lower rates.

Security: With increased transactions comes a heightened risk of fraud, so it’s crucial that you make sure your payment systems are up to date with the latest security protocols so you can protect your business and your customers from any data breaches or fraudulent activities.

Revisit Your Pricing

As part of your financial check-in, it’s worth revisiting your pricing strategy ahead of the holidays.

The increased demand during this time offers a great opportunity to adjust prices, but it’s important to do so strategically by doing things like:

Seasonal Promotions: Offering limited-time discounts or bundled deals can entice customers to spend more during the holiday season. But you should make sure that your promotional prices still allow for healthy profit margins.

Price Adjustments for Increased Costs: If you anticipate higher costs for inventory, staffing, or shipping, you might want to consider adjusting your prices accordingly.

However, you should be mindful of not pricing yourself out of the market and conduct competitive research to make sure your prices remain attractive to consumers.

Plan Your Marketing Strategy

If you want to increase your profits during the holidays, a robust marketing strategy is essential.

So, during your fall financial check-in, make sure to allocate some funds for your holiday marketing efforts and ensure your strategy is well-planned. Here are some ideas:

Email Campaigns: Email marketing offers a great way to start building excitement with a series of holiday-themed email campaigns. These emails can offer sneak peeks of upcoming deals, special promotions, or gift guides to entice your audience to spend more.

Social Media Promotions: You can also use social media to engage your audience and boost holiday sales with festive content, giveaways, and limited-time offers.

Moreover, paid ads on platforms like Instagram and Facebook can also help you to drive traffic, increase visibility, and boost your revenue over the holidays.

Website and eCommerce Readiness: This goes without saying, but you should ensure your website and/or eCommerce platform is ready to handle the increased traffic that comes during the holiday rush, as a smooth, user-friendly experience can boost conversion rates and entice customers to keep coming back over the holiday season.

Collaborations and Partnerships: Another great marketing strategy, especially during the holidays, is to partner with complementary businesses for cross-promotions.

For example, if you sell home décor, you might want to consider teaming up with a local florist or furniture store to offer joint discounts.

Referral/Loyalty Programs: One of the best ways to encourage word-of-mouth is by offering incentives to existing customers who refer friends or family, as a discount for both the referrer and the new customer can be a powerful motivator.

What’s more, you can also boost repeat business by offering loyalty points or discounts to customers who make multiple purchases during the holiday season.

Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influencers who are relevant to your industry can help give your brand additional exposure, as they can showcase your offerings in holiday gift reviews, explainer videos, and other festive content.

In any case, by reviewing your financial statements, and doing things like cutting unnecessary costs, setting realistic revenue goals, planning for seasonal expenses, and strategically marketing your business, you can ensure a more successful and profitable holiday season.

And with the right strategies in place, you can avoid the stress that comes with the holiday rush, and instead, turn it into a season of growth and opportunity for your business.

If you’d like to share the results of your fall financial review, go ahead and leave a comment below. I��m interested to know how it goes!

Looking to boost the success of your business? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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Top Tips on Blogging to Keep Your Audience Engaged and Coming Back for More

Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or you’re just starting out, keeping your audience engaged can be incredibly challenging.

Consistently coming up with fresh ideas can be draining, and even with the best of intentions, blogs can sometimes fall flat, leaving your readers disengaged or worse, clicking away from your website without giving it a second glance.

Moreover, with so many voices competing for attention, standing out requires more than just good writing – it demands creativity, strategy, and a deep understanding of your audience.

Still, even with all these challenges, companies continue to invest in content marketing strategies, like blogging, and that’s because they work.

For example, the results of a recent Bynder survey are very telling.

The vast majority of marketers who responded to this survey, which polled more than 1,200 marketing professionals, have a strategic interest in content marketing, with 86% of CMOs saying they plan to either maintain or increase their investments in it.

What’s more, as you can see from the graph below, even with the economic downturn we’re seeing today, most marketers surveyed said that as a result of these economic conditions, their organizations have actually increased their investments in content.

But of course, if you want to see results from your blogging efforts, you’ve got to understand how to write an engaging blog, and what makes a good blog post.

Even if you think of yourself as a writer, blogging is a very different animal, which requires some special know-how.

With that in mind, I want to offer some tips on blogging to help you give your audience what it wants by consistently creating great content.

So, if you’re wondering how to keep your audience engaged, and want to know how to write better blog posts, keep reading to learn more.

Read: How the Benefits of Blogging Can Seriously Help Your Website and Boost Your Business in 2024

If you’re looking for tips on blogging, chances are you’re well aware of how it can benefit your business.

But maybe you haven’t taken the time to explore this, or you need a reminder of why it’s so important.

Whatever the case, this article explores the benefits of blogging, including better SEO, more website traffic and leads, improved relationships with customers, and more.

Keep reading here.

8 Tips on Blogging to Keep Your Audience Engaged

Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, if you have a website for your business, you should be blogging.

But trying to consistently come up with content that will keep your audience engaged can feel like a losing battle.

With that in mind, below I’ve offered several tips on blogging, so you can make your blogs more engaging and entice people to come back to your website and read more.

1) Update Your Blog Frequently

I know it sounds harsh, but if you’re not going to update your blog frequently, you’re probably just wasting your time.

But why is that?

Well, there are two reasons to add new posts to your blog on a frequent and consistent basis.

The first one being that if someone visits your blog and sees that the last article posted was six months ago or more, then their immediate impression might be that you’re no longer in business, or at least no longer maintaining your website, which is always a bad look.

Believe it or not, people’s reaction can be that drastic!

Most people won’t assume that you’re too busy to tend to your blog, but what they will assume is that you’ve abandoned your website, and therefore your business.

In my experience, most people tend to believe that how you do one thing is how you do everything, so if you’re publishing blogs haphazardly, putting out poorly written content, or not even blogging at all, that will reflect on your business whether you want it to or not.

Plus, if you’re not regularly publishing content, and staying top of mind with your audience, eventually, they’re going to forget about your blog and move on to the next thing.

The other reason to frequently update your blog is for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) purposes.

Because the more you write and post successful blog articles, the more Google and other search engines will see that you’re actively updating your website, and they tend to reward fresh content and websites that stay updated with higher search rankings, which makes it easier for people to find your website.

Now, if you want to stay consistent, you should make a posting schedule and stick to it!

But how often should you post?

Let me put it this way: Once a month is better than every six months, once a week is better than once a month, and multiple times per week is better than once a week.

You get the idea.

2) Provide Quality Over Quantity

As important as it is to post frequently, and regularly, if the content you’re posting isn’t any good, it’s not going to matter when you post it.

Having said that, you should post as much as you possibly can, but the content you post has to be excellent.

The key word here is quality. You want your blog posts to be engaging and valuable to the reader. This isn’t a space to wax poetic or list what you had for dinner last night.

This is your space to showcase your expertise and explain what your offerings can do for potential customers.

So, if you want your blogging efforts to be successful, you’ve got to write about topics that your target audience wants to learn about, and that’s why understanding your audience and knowing who your ideal clients are is critical.

You want to write about things that potential and existing customers will find interesting, valuable, informative, entertaining, and/or captivating.

You should write for your target audience, not for yourself, and not for the sake of having something posted, or to create glorified sales pitches for your products.

In doing so, when you’re writing something, you should always ask yourself what you want your readers to get out of it and what you want them to do or know after they’ve read it.

3) Try to Focus on One Topic Per Post

I get it. You’re passionate about your business, and when you sit down to write, you want to share every thought that comes into your head.

That being said, it’s great that you’re so passionate. And it’s great that you have so many ideas.

But you shouldn’t try to squeeze them all into one post.

In fact, it’s much better to stick to one topic or point for each blog you publish.

For one thing, it’ll help Google understand what your post is about, which makes it easier to connect with the right audience, as they’ll be looking for articles on that topic.

But it’s also easier to keep people engaged and hold their attention when you stick to one topic.

Plus, if the title of your article implies that it’s about one thing, but the reader finds out it’s a meandering mess of disparate topics, you’re going to annoy them, and at that point, they’re probably not going to return to your blog.

This might turn out to be harder than you’d think, and if you’re anything like me, that one specific topic will make you want to explain everything related to it and the next thing you know, you’re going down a massive rabbit hole.

But luckily, you can save all those ideas and rabbit holes as ideas for new blogs!

4) Include Relevant Images

If you want your blog posts to be engaging, images are a must.

Not only do images help your readers get a visual idea of what your article is about, but they also help to break up the text, emphasize important points, and create something that looks more interesting than just a massive wall of text.

But make sure the images you’re using are high-quality, in focus, and relevant to what you’re writing about.

Otherwise, you’re going to confuse or annoy the reader, who’s not going to appreciate looking at pixelated, blurry images that have nothing to do with your article.

Ideally, each article should have an appealing display image (or “hero image” as we call them), which will entice people to click on it, and you should also include a couple more images throughout each article to break up the text.

Using images in your blog posts is also one of the simplest things you can do to make your website more popular – both with users and with search engines, as they both appreciate attractive websites with lots of imagery.

5) Don’t Use Third-Party Blogging Services

Whatever you do, make sure to host your blog on your own website, and avoid using third-party services like Tumblr for your business blog.

Unfortunately, because these services are free and usually easy to set up, they can be very tempting to use.

But what you’re doing when you use these services is sending people to their platforms instead of your website – and at the end of the day, bringing traffic to your website is one of the main reasons why you should be blogging!

So, don’t leave the SEO benefits of blogging on the table.

If you have a blog, it should be housed on your website, and nowhere else.

6) Fix the Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

Honestly, this shouldn’t even have to be said. But, oh my goodness, does it ever need to be said!

I remember once reading someone’s blog post and the grammar mistakes made it so hard to read that I gave up. The irony is, she was a copywriter!

Can you guess what impression her readers have on her ability to write? Probably not so great.

Even if you’re not a writer trying to sell your services, publishing blog posts that are riddled with errors is going to reflect negatively on you and your business, because it looks like you either don’t know or don’t care about this sort of thing.

Understandably, not everyone has a degree in English. I don’t either.

And if you look hard enough, you’ll find mistakes in my writing.

But that’s not the point here, nor the expectation. The goal is to write something that is very readable and not full of obvious mistakes.

So, if you’re one of those people who has great ideas and lots of information to share but you’re terrible in the English department, it might be time to hire someone to help you.

We do this a lot for our clients – they’ll send us a rough draft, and then we’ll edit it, SEO-optimize it, make it look pretty, and add it to their blog.

Easy-peasy for the non-writer.

7) Make Your Blogs Easy to Scan

When you take the time to write a great article for your blog, you want to make sure people actually stick around long enough to read the whole thing, right?

Aside from having a compelling title, beautiful imagery, and a well-written article, another way to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more is to make your blog posts easy to scan.

Like it or not, the reality is very few people read anything online word for word, so it’s critical to ensure your main message comes across, or that there’s at least an indication of the various sections of the article when someone scans it.

To do this, it’s best to break up the text with headings, subheadings, bolding, images, and bullet points. But don’t overdo it on the bullet points!

I’ve come across many people who hear that they should use bullet points in their articles and then end up writing practically the entire thing like that.

Don’t be that person!

8) Create Long-Form Content

How do you truly captivate your audience?

Typically, it’s by connecting with a fascinating story, a personal anecdote, or by impressing with your expertise.

And in all of these cases, a few hundred words probably isn’t going to cut it.

No matter what the topic is, you don’t want to drone on and on, but as long as the level of quality remains the same, your articles will be better if they’re longer, as they’re just offering more value to the reader.

Plus, once you’ve done all that fancy formatting, readers will be able to scan your article, reading only the parts that are relevant to them, and they’re going to appreciate that.

What’s more, they’ll probably remember that, and as a result, they might come back to your blog.

And a word to the wise: when it comes to SEO, the longer the article, the better (assuming, of course, that it’s also well written and interesting).

I know. It’s a big puzzle to put together.

You have to post frequently, and you also have to post long articles, but those articles also have to be nicely formatted, well-written, and appealing to your target audience.

Phew!

Do you need help creating content that will keep your audience engaged? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

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9 Lead-Generation Strategies to Help You Make More Sales

No matter what you’re selling, marketing is the cornerstone of your business.

Without it, it’s going to be tough to connect with consumers, and next to impossible to keep your business going.

But if you put some solid lead-generation strategies in place, you can ensure a steady stream of customers that will help you make more sales and keep your business running for years to come.

The term lead generation, also called customer acquisition or list building, refers to the process of attracting interested consumers to your business and nurturing relationships with them, with the end goal being to convert them into paying customers.

But with today’s consumers having more options than ever, you’ve got to get this right, as connecting with the right consumers, or failing to do so, can make or break your business.

However, simply building that list and connecting with potential leads isn’t enough.

You also need a plan in place to actively nurture those leads and convince them to convert, but many fall short of this critical step.

So, if you’re struggling with how to make more sales, and you’re looking for lead-generation strategies to help you bring in more business, you’re going to want to keep reading.

Read: Maximizing Your Website’s Potential: How to Get More Leads and Conversions Using This Simple Strategy

You can spend every waking hour learning how to generate leads, but if your website gives people the wrong impression, it’s not going to matter.

Like it or not, consumers expect your website to offer a great experience, and when they don’t have one, this can erode their trust in your business.

With that in mind, this article explains the importance of having a website that helps build trust and offers several tips to help you create a website that does just that.

Keep reading here.

Lead-Generation Strategies to Help You Sell More

Now that you know why lead generation is so important to the success of your business, you’re probably wondering how you can start generating all those leads and making more sales.

With that in mind, below I’ve explained some of the best lead-generation strategies that you can use to connect with consumers and ensure a steady stream of customers for your business.

1) Content Marketing

When it comes to lead-generation strategies, content marketing is arguably one of the most powerful approaches.

For instance, regularly publishing informative blog posts (like this one), that address your target audience’s pain points can help you attract organic traffic to your website.

And if people like your content, that might entice them to come back to your website for more, sign up for your newsletter, or even consider purchasing your products or services.

But if you want to ensure your content ranks well in search engines, so people can actually find it, make sure to SEO-optimize your blogs by breaking up the text with headings, including relevant keywords, and ensuring paragraphs are no longer than 1-2 sentences.

This will ensure your content is easy to read, simple to skim through, and will look good no matter what device you’re using.

2) Email Marketing

Email marketing is another great lead-generation tactic, not least because it allows you to reach your audience directly, and it pairs particularly well with content marketing.

For example, you can send out a newsletter that links to a blog article you’ve written, which encourages recipients to go to your website, consume your content, and if all goes well, become one of your clients or customers.

And by segmenting your subscribers based on their interests and behaviours, you can send personalized content that resonates with your subscribers on a very deep level.

Automated email campaigns can further enhance this strategy, but we’ll get into that a bit more in a minute.

3) Free Giveaways

One of the dilemmas of email marketing is how to get people to give you their information.

In my experience, very few people will actually do this on their own without any incentive, so what we typically do is offer some sort of free giveaway in exchange for users’ contact info.

Usually, the giveaway is some sort of report, white paper, or guide in the form of a downloadable PDF, access to a webinar or video, or something like that.

But whatever you choose to do, what you’re giving away should be something that’s absolutely irresistible to your audience, otherwise people aren’t going to bother signing up.

What’s more, you’ve got to make sure it’s relevant to what you do, otherwise you’re going to end up with a bunch of unqualified leads who likely have little or no interest in what you’re offering.

4) Email Automation

Once someone has given you their information, you can’t just sit and wait for them to contact you.

Email automation allows you to write a series of prescheduled auto-responder emails that will get sent to your subscribers at predetermined intervals.

These emails can link to additional information that can add even greater value to your giveaway, like related blog articles or videos, an invitation for a free consultation, or a “welcome package” for new subscribers that contains special offers and bonuses.

This can help you save a ton of time when nurturing leads, as you don’t have to reach out personally for each and every email, and you can just sit back and let the automation do its thing.

5) Social Media Marketing

Actively engaging with your audience on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram allows you to establish an emotional connection with your followers, which can help you gain more leads and make more sales.

You can do this by sharing relevant content, responding to comments, and participating in conversations related to your industry, which shows your followers what you’re all about and can help them decide if they’re interested in what you’re offering.

Paid social ads are another effective tool for generating leads, which allows you to target a specific audience and then direct them to a landing page where they can learn more about what you do and sign up for your offerings.

The key is to focus your attention on the platforms where your target audience is spending their time.

6) Social Media Outreach

Another great lead-generation strategy is to reach out directly to your social media followers.

For example, when a follower leaves a comment on your social media, you can send them a private message to tell them that you agree with them or compliment them on how insightful they were.

Then, you can offer them a free consultation, a discount on one of your products or services, or something else of value as a thank you for their engagement.

You can also gather the contact info of those in your audience who have liked and/or commented and email them a personal note thanking them for being a fan and offering a special “insider discount” or something exclusive that they just can’t resist.

But remember, it’s against the law to automatically add people to your email list without their consent, so this can only be done by individually emailing these people.

You should also be careful to use this approach without the intention of trying to sell them something, and make sure to be genuine and authentically interested, so you can avoid turning them off right away.

7) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for improving your website’s visibility and is therefore a key component of any effective lead-generation strategy.

On-page SEO, for example, which includes optimizing your content, meta tags, and URLs, can help your website rank higher in search engine results, and targeting keywords that potential leads are searching for can increase your chances of attracting the right audience.

For businesses that serve specific geographic areas, local SEO is essential, so if this is what you do, make sure to include geographical keywords in your website content that are relevant to the areas you serve.

You should also ensure that your Google My Business profile is optimized, and if you encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, it can significantly improve your local search rankings, which may help you generate more leads, and in turn, make more sales.

8) Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, particularly when it’s done through Google Ads, is another incredibly effective lead-generation strategy.

This tactic allows you to run targeted campaigns for the most relevant keywords, ensuring that your ads appear at the top of the search results when people search for those terms.

Retargeting ads can also be highly effective, as they allow you to reach out to people who have previously visited your website but didn’t convert, keeping your business top of mind and encouraging them to return and make a purchase.

9) Be Consistent

If you want your lead-generation strategies to be successful, you can’t just sit on your email list waiting for something to happen.

You’ve got to engage your audience often and on a regular basis, otherwise they may end up forgetting who you are or losing interest in what you have to offer.

But regardless of which tactics you’re using to generate leads, make sure to interact with your audience regularly.

So, if you’re focusing on content marketing by publishing blogs, or email marketing by sending out newsletters, try to publish on a regular basis, at least once a month.

If you’re focused primarily on social media, you’ll have to publish content more regularly, but the same rule applies. If you’re posting three times per week, do it faithfully and consistently.

Whatever you choose to do, if you want to generate high-quality leads and make more sales, make sure to be consistent when interacting with your audience.

Do you need some help coming up with lead-generation strategies? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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9 of the Best Organizational Tools for Business to Help You Stress Less and Achieve More

No matter how you slice it, running a business is one of the most stressful things you’ll ever do.

Whether it’s dealing with cash flow, finding and retaining customers, scaling your business, or something else entirely, as a business owner, you’ve got a to-do list that never seems to end.

And with all of this on your plate, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, disorganized, and stressed out.

What’s more, if you’re working with a remote team, like I do, then things can quickly get even more difficult to deal with.

But, as I’ve learned over the years, if you make use of the best organizational tools for business, coupled with some solid planning and patience, you can become more productive, get everything organized, and in doing so, relieve much of your business-related stress.

I don’t claim to be immune to this sort of stress, but after more than 20 years of working in this industry, I’ve got a pretty good system in place that allows me to relax and achieve much more than I could in the past.

Since this is what I’m most familiar with, and it’s worked so well for me, I figured I should detail some of the stress-reducing business tools we use here at eVision Media to keep everything organized and accomplish more.

So, if you want to learn about some of the best organizational tools for business, and how they’ve helped me and my team, then keep reading.

Read: How Your Small Business Can Easily Leverage AI

But trying to wrap your head around how to use these tools, and understanding what they’re actually capable of, is often easier said than done.

With that in mind, this article explores six ways you can leverage AI and offers advice on how to implement it into your small business.

Keep reading here.

9 of the Best Organizational Tools for Business

No matter what kind of business you own, it’s impossible to keep track of everything, and trying to keep it all organized can feel practically impossible.

But in my experience, if you make use of the best organizational tools for business, you can streamline your business operations and make everything a lot less stressful.

With that in mind, here are nine of the best time-saving and stress-reducing business tools that I use to keep eVision Media operating smoothly:

1) Microsoft 365

At the top of my list of tools is Microsoft 365, which used to be called Microsoft Office (just in case you’re wondering).

This software suite is an integral part of nearly all my daily operations, and the apps I use most frequently are:

OUTLOOK

My Outlook is pretty much always open, as it’s the hub of my operations for my emails, calendar, and tasks.

Whether it’s through the use of email templates, automation options, or meeting scheduling, this tool allows me to be significantly more organized and productive.

I also use Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) for my email so I can use Outlook on my iPad and iPhone as well, which allows me to keep all three devices synced at the same time.

EXCEL

Say what you will, but I love lists and keeping things organized.

At this point, I’m basically addicted to using Excel to manage many of my day-to-day operations.

Whether I’m using it to track progress on marketing and social media tasks we’re completing for clients, or for tracking our content marketing efforts, I can’t live without Excel!

WORD

If you own a business today and you’re not using this tool, I don’t know what to tell you.

Word offers a ton of useful features, including templates and themes, collaboration options to track comments and changes on documents, and document management capabilities, making this tool a must-have organizational and productivity powerhouse.

2) Evernote

Evernote is a note-taking and task-management software that allows you to create and archive notes, which can include photos, videos, and saved web content.

I started using Evernote several years ago and have never looked back. What a gem it is for keeping me organized!

There’s a free version and a paid version, but so far, I’ve only needed the free one.

In any case, I love this app, as it helps me to keep track of things like:

CURRENT PROJECTS

I use this notebook to track all of our website development projects, content marketing campaigns, and social media management tasks.

I just love how I can create checklists in Evernote to ensure I have all my bases covered as we work through each part of a project.

And because we can have as many as two dozen projects running at the same time, this system is invaluable for keeping me on top of things without me having to always rely on my memory.

LEADS

This is where I can easily take notes as I’m speaking with a potential client, so I make sure to do proper follow-up and don’t forget any details.

RESOURCES

I use this notebook to save website links, tools, and YouTube videos I want to remember and reference at a later date.

NOTES

I’m always coming up with new ideas and need a place to jot them down, so this notebook is an ideal place for me to add things like newsletter ideas, tips I’ve learned from webinars, and the like.

DAILY TASKS

This is basically my to-do list. I find this one the hardest to keep up with, as sometimes my tasks are completed so quickly, they don’t even make it onto the list!

Evernote also has a handy voice recording feature that I haven’t gotten into the habit of using, but probably should.

Another feature I don’t use much is the ability to share notebooks, but since my team and I use a separate project management tool, I haven’t found a need for this yet.

An alternative to Evernote is OneNote, which comes with Microsoft 365, but I’m a creature of habit and haven’t taken the time to explore it enough and see if it would work better for me.

Why try to fix what’s not broken, right?

3) Project Management

There are a ton of great project management platforms out there today, with each offering slightly different features and functions. Here are a few of the most popular options:

Trello, for instance, has a great notification system, and is quite user-friendly.

Asana, on the other hand, has arguably the best collaboration tools of any project management platform.

Monday.com is also great for real-time collaboration, and it’s one of the cheaper options out there, which makes it great for startups.

To manage our projects, our team uses a centralized project management system called EGroupware.

This is a completely secure, privately accessible system, which allows us to manage our entire team’s daily activities at an operational level, including connecting with team members, managing tasks and contacts, and more.

It may not have all the bells and whistles of some of the newer project management apps, but it’s 100% free open-source groupware, which makes it great for businesses that don’t have any budget for this sort of thing.

4) Time Tracking

For time tracking, most of our team uses a free software called Toggl Track.

Although there is a paid version, we use the free version of this app, and it allows us to track how much time we spend on clients’ tasks down to the exact minute.

This is extremely important for us to stay organized since we charge in 10-minute increments!

Another free time tracker we sometimes use as an alternative is called Clockify.

5) Email Marketing

For our email marketing, we’ve been using Constant Contact for several years now.

It’s quite a robust and affordable platform that allows business owners to send out professional emails with great deliverability rates.

Currently, it has a free and paid version, but keep in mind that the free version paywalls many important features, like scheduling emails, personalizing them, and resending them to non-openers.

However, depending on what you need it for, the free version might be just fine.

But luckily, there are many different email marketing services to choose from.

If you don’t want to pay for a mailer, a great option is MailerLite, as it gives you access to most features, even with the free version.

There are also a ton of other options, as well, including AWeber, ActiveCampaign, and Mailchimp, although I wouldn’t recommend that last option, as it’s not very user-friendly and lacks some of the features offered by other mailers.

6) Publer

When it comes to social media, one of the absolute best ways to reduce stress, be more organized, and accomplish more is to use some sort of scheduling software.

To keep organized and sane with our social media efforts, typically we use Publer, which allows us to pre-schedule many of our posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Hands down, every business owner and entrepreneur using social media for their marketing efforts should use some sort of scheduling software (there are lots to choose from), not least because it will save you tons of time.

7) Hightail

We often need to send or receive large files to or from clients, which are too big to send via email, so we have a Hightail account that allows us to do this.

I much prefer using Hightail over Dropbox, as it’s quite a bit easier to use, which is extremely important when you’re dealing with clients who aren’t too tech-savvy, as we often do.

8) Team Communications

When communicating with my team outside of our project management system, typically I use either email or Discord, which is a free instant messaging software that facilitates file sharing, text, voice, and video communications.

It’s reliable, free, and allows us to keep everyone on the same page by providing timely updates to our team members.

A great alternative to Discord is Slack, which is slightly different, but it facilitates nearly all the same features.

9) Pen and Paper

Call me old-fashioned, but there’s just something about putting pen to paper.

Despite the long list of software and systems I use every day, I still like to have a notepad and pen handy so I can jot down quick notes on the fly if need be.

I don’t know about you, but for me, there is nothing more satisfying than striking a red pen through tasks on my list as they’re completed.

Need some help organizing your business? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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How to Use the Power of Storytelling to Boost Your Brand

There are a million and one ways to promote your brand and what it has to offer.

But no matter how you’re promoting your brand, your efforts can and will be improved by the power of storytelling.

According to Stanford professor Jennifer Aaker, “Stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone,” which explains in large part why they’re so effective when it comes to marketing and branding.

At the end of the day, stories are much easier to relate to than facts and figures, and they can also resonate with people on a deeply emotional level, which makes them easier to retain and more memorable in general.

Donald Miller talked about the power of storytelling in his best-seller, Building a StoryBrand, in which he explores this topic from a marketing and branding perspective.

Miller goes into great detail on how to craft a compelling narrative for your brand, who the characters in that story should be, and what it should focus on, among many other aspects.

If you’re new to this sort of thing, and you’re looking for a good starting point, I highly recommend his book.

But even if you’ve done all this research already, you may still be struggling to come up with ideas for how to create an exciting story for your brand.

So, if you’re looking to unleash the power of storytelling, but could use some tips for storytelling in digital marketing, then this article is for you.

Read: The Power of Narrative: How Building a Brand Story Can Help You Create an Emotional Connection With Your Audience

With that in mind, this article summarizes Donald Miller’s brand storytelling framework and offers tips to help you apply this method to your brand.

What’s more, it provides examples of how we’ve done this for our clients, so you can have a better frame of reference for how this works.

Keep reading here.

Using the Power of Storytelling to Boost Your Branding

Whether you’re doing it through visual storytelling, audio storytelling, or something else entirely, there isn’t a single campaign that can’t be improved through the power of storytelling.

But if you don’t know the first thing about writing a story, or how to apply this to your branding, then your efforts may end up falling flat.

With that in mind, below I’ve offered my top tips on how you can use the power of storytelling to boost your branding.

Understand Your Audience

Before you can tell a story that resonates, you’re going to need to understand your audience.

This is incredibly important, as knowing your audience allows you to create stories that not only capture their attention but also address their needs and desires.

You can do this by conducting market research to gather insights about your target demographics, and their interests, pain points, and values.

Once that’s done, you can then use this information to craft stories that speak directly to their experiences and aspirations.

For example, if your audience consists of environmentally-conscious consumers, your stories should highlight your brand’s sustainability efforts and environmental impact.

To do this, you could share behind-the-scenes stories about your eco-friendly manufacturing processes or spotlight the real-life impact of your sustainable practices on the environment as a whole and in the communities where you operate.

Define Your Brand Story

Every brand has a unique origin story that can serve as the foundation for its narrative.

This story should encompass your brand’s mission, vision, and values. It’s about why you started, what you stand for, and what you aim to achieve.

But remember, as Donald Miller points out in Building a StoryBrand, the hero of your brand’s story should be your customers, not your brand.

So, while things like your values are undeniably integral parts of your brand’s story, you should be focusing much more on your customers because they’re the real stars of the show.

In any case, your brand story should be the guiding light for all your marketing and branding efforts, so you can ensure consistency and authenticity.

For instance, TOMS Shoes has built a story around its “One for One” model, which pledges to donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes sold.

This narrative not only explains the brand’s mission but also creates an emotional connection with consumers.

And by continually reinforcing this story through various campaigns, TOMS has built a strong brand identity centred around social impact and generosity.

Be Authentic

Authenticity is a key aspect of the power of storytelling, and this is true, regardless of what kind of story you’re trying to tell.

Consumers can quickly detect inauthentic or exaggerated stories, and this can damage your brand’s credibility.

At the end of the day, if it’s not believable or relatable, it doesn’t even matter if it’s true because nobody’s going to believe it anyway.

That being said, you should ensure that your stories are genuine and reflect your brand’s true character and values.

These kinds of authentic stories resonate more deeply with audiences and build trust over time.

For example, Patagonia’s environmental activism is a core part of the story built around that brand.

They consistently communicate their commitment to sustainability through real stories of their environmental initiatives and activism.

Whether it’s through blog posts, social media updates, or video documentaries, Patagonia’s authenticity shines through, making this brand more relatable and trustworthy than others.

Use Customer Stories

Depending on what you do, your customers could be your best storytellers.

With that in mind, whenever possible, you should share their success stories, testimonials, and experiences with your products or services.

This not only provides social proof but also allows potential customers to relate to those stories.

At any rate, user-generated content can be incredibly powerful, as it adds a layer of credibility and relatability that traditional advertising often lacks.

For instance, Airbnb frequently shares stories of hosts and guests, showcasing unique experiences and diverse backgrounds, which reinforces its brand message of belonging and community.

By highlighting these real-life stories, Airbnb creates a sense of authenticity and trust, encouraging more people to join their platform as hosts or guests.

Create a Narrative Arc

A compelling story has a clear structure: a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Having said that, you can create that story by introducing a relatable character (ideally your customer), presenting a challenge or conflict, and showing how the character overcomes it with the help of your product or service.

This kind of narrative arc keeps your audience engaged and invested in the outcome and encourages them to check out what you have to offer and see if it can help them.

For example, a skincare brand could share a story of a customer struggling with skin issues, discovering the brand, and then experiencing a transformation through the consistent use of its products.

This type of narrative could include the initial frustration, the discovery of the brand, the journey of using the products, and the ultimate resolution of healthier, clearer skin.

Leverage Different Mediums

The power of storytelling isn’t confined to just one medium, and you can use a variety of platforms and formats to tell your story.

Videos, blog posts, newsletters, social media updates, podcasts, and infographics can all be effective storytelling tools, as each medium offers a unique way to engage your audience and bring your story to life.

What’s more, experimenting with different formats can help you reach a broader audience and keep your content fresh and engaging.

For instance, Nike uses video advertisements, Instagram stories, and blog posts to share stories of athletes who embody their “Just Do It” philosophy, which helps to inspire its audience across multiple platforms.

By using this mix of visual storytelling and written content, Nike ensures their story reaches a broad and diverse audience.

Incorporate Visual Elements

Visuals play a crucial role in storytelling, regardless of the medium in which it takes place.

Heck, even a novel will have some sort of imagery on at least its front and back covers.

In any case, these kinds of visuals can evoke emotions, illustrate key points, and make your story more memorable.

Visual storytelling can be particularly effective on social media, where images and videos are more likely to capture attention than text alone.

But make sure to use the most high-quality images, videos, and graphics you can, as this will look more professional, and best complement your narrative and engage your audience’s senses.

For example, Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign used personalized labels and customer-shared photos to create a visual and interactive storytelling experience.

By encouraging customers to share their photos with personalized Coke bottles, Coca-Cola created a visually engaging campaign that also fostered a sense of community and personal connection.

Engage with Emotional Triggers

Emotions drive decisions, so you should craft stories that tap into your audience’s emotions like joy, surprise, sadness, or inspiration.

This kind of emotional storytelling can create a lasting impact and drive deeper connections with your audience.

So, try to consider the emotional journey you want your audience to experience and how your story can facilitate that journey.

For instance, Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign focuses on real women and their stories, challenging societal beauty standards and evoking powerful emotions of self-acceptance and confidence.

By highlighting authentic, emotional stories, Dove connects with their audience on a deep level, reinforcing their brand values of inclusivity and self-love.

Be Consistent

Consistent storytelling reinforces your brand identity and builds trust with your audience, but inconsistent messaging can confuse your audience and dilute your brand’s impact.

That being said, if you’re not being consistent, your audience is going to pick up on that very quickly.

So, make sure that your brand’s story is consistently communicated across all touchpoints, from your website and social media to customer service and advertising.

For example, Apple consistently tells the story of innovation, simplicity, and design excellence across all its products and marketing materials.

Whether it’s through product launches, advertisements, or customer service interactions, Apple’s story remains consistent, reinforcing its brand identity and values.

Measure and Adapt

Finally, it’s essential to measure the impact of your storytelling efforts, otherwise you’re not going to know what’s working and what isn’t.

So, make sure to use analytics tools to track engagement, conversions, and other key metrics, gather feedback from your audience, and be willing to adapt your stories based on what resonates most with them.

This type of continuous improvement and adaptation is key to maintaining the effectiveness of your storytelling, as regularly reviewing and adjusting your storytelling strategy helps to ensure it remains relevant and impactful.

For instance, analyzing your social media engagement and website traffic after a storytelling campaign can provide insights into what aspects of the story were most effective, allowing you to refine future efforts.

Need some help building your brand story? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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11 Tips to Boost Website Traffic for New Business Owners

So, you’re a new business owner, and you’ve finally got your website up and running.

You’ve worked hard and invested a lot of time and money in making that happen, but even after all that effort, nothing much has happened.

You’re not being flooded with new leads, orders aren’t pouring in, and the phone hasn’t rung once.

At this point, you’re probably wondering, “Why am I not getting any business from my website?” and you’re likely looking at ways to boost website traffic.

But why is it that you’re struggling to get that traffic in the first place?

Well, unfortunately, that old adage that says, “If you build it, they will come,” simply does not apply to the World Wide Web.

If you want to boost website traffic, so you can start getting all those leads, sales, and clients, you’re going to need to make a concerted effort to attract it.

But if you’re just starting out in the business world, you may not know all the tips and strategies available to increase website traffic.

So, if you’re not sure what your next steps should be, keep reading to find out what you can do to get more people to visit your website.

Read: How the Benefits of Blogging Can Seriously Help Your Website and Boost Your Business in 2024

With that in mind, blogging offers one of the best ways to ensure a steady stream of traffic to your website for years to come.

So, if you want to learn more about one of the most effective ways to increase website traffic, then check out this article to learn how blogging can benefit your website.

Keep reading here.

Our Top Tips to Help New Business Owners Boost Website Traffic

Figuring out how to get people to come to your website can seem incredibly convoluted, as there are tons of different tactics, and arguably, far too many things to consider.

But if you take some time to learn how to attract more traffic to your website, you’ll realize that there’s actually a lot you can do, and it doesn’t all have to be that difficult.

With that in mind, below you’ll find our top tips on what you can do to boost website traffic.

1) Optimize Your Website for Search Engines (SEO)

KEYWORD RESEARCH

If you want to optimize your website for search engines, you’ve got to start by conducting thorough keyword research to identify what your ideal customers are searching for.

You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to conduct this research and find the most relevant keywords.

ON-PAGE SEO

Once you’ve identified the keywords you want to use, the next step is to ensure your website content includes those keywords in a way that’s grammatically correct and feels natural.

In any case, the keywords you’ve chosen should be used to optimize title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and image alt texts.

TECHNICAL SEO

If you want to boost website traffic, you’ve also got to ensure that your website is technically sound.

Among other aspects, that means it’s got to have a fast loading speed, a mobile-friendly design that looks great on all devices, and a secure (HTTPS) connection.

CONTENT UPDATES

Search engines favour websites that consistently provide new and valuable information.

So, if you regularly update your website with fresh and relevant content, it can help to attract visitors.

2) Create High-Quality Content

BLOGGING

Blogging helps you build authority, credibility, and trust by allowing you to share your expertise, which can help attract visitors to your website who are interested in the topics you write about.

What’s more, as I already mentioned, updating your website with fresh content is another great way to improve your search engine rankings, and in turn, increase website traffic.

GUEST BLOGGING

Not only does guest blogging help to expose you to a wider audience, and position you as an authority in your industry, but it also provides backlinks, which can enhance your SEO and drive more traffic to your website.

So consider writing some guest posts for websites related to your industry.

VISUAL CONTENT

Visual content is much more engaging than its textual counterpart and is therefore more likely to be shared on social media, which helps to drive traffic back to your site.

So, whenever you can, you should make a point of publishing visual content, like infographics, videos, and high-quality images.

But whatever you do, make sure that this content is in alignment with your visual brand!

3) Leverage Social Media

PLATFORM SELECTION

When it comes to social media, the first thing you’ll need to do is choose the right platforms where your target audience is most active.

Otherwise, you’ll end up interacting with people who have no interest in what you have to offer, and that’s not likely to help you boost traffic to your website.

CONSISTENT POSTING

Once you’ve chosen the right social media platforms, you’ve got to make sure that you’re posting regularly if you want to keep your audience engaged.

So, make sure to share anything your audience would be interested in, including blog posts, special offers, behind-the-scenes content, informative facts, humorous anecdotes, inspirational quotes, case studies, and customer testimonials.

ENGAGEMENT

Social media can also be used to engage with your audience and build a community around your brand, which can encourage more people to visit your website.

This can be done by doing things like responding to comments and messages and participating in discussions.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING

You can also invest in social media ads if you want to reach an even broader, yet more specific audience.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer targeted advertising options to ensure you’re only advertising to your ideal customers.

4) Use Email Marketing

LIST BUILDING

If you haven’t done so already, you should start building an email list as soon as you possibly can, as this will help you stay in touch with your audience and drive them back to your website.

And if you’re looking for ways to encourage people to give you their info, you can offer incentives like discounts, exclusive content, or free resources.

NEWSLETTERS

Another great way to keep your audience informed and entice them to return to your website is by sending out newsletters.

So, once you’ve built up your email list, then you can start sending out newsletters and persuade subscribers to visit your site using valuable content, updates, and special offers.

AUTOMATION

You can also use email marketing automation tools to send personalized emails based on user behaviour and give new subscribers even more reasons to visit your website.

For example, you can send a welcome email series to new subscribers or re-engage inactive customers with personalized offers.

5) Engage in Online Communities

FORUMS AND GROUPS

Participating in online forums and social media groups related to your industry can also help you build authority and drive organic traffic to your website.

You can do this by sharing your expertise and providing valuable insights without directly promoting your business.

Q&A PLATFORMS

Another tactic to consider is answering questions on platforms like Quora or Reddit.

These interactions allow you to display your expertise by offering helpful answers and they also give you the opportunity to include a link to your website when it’s relevant.

6) Utilize Paid Advertising

PAY-PER-CLICK (PPC) ADVERTISING

Platforms like Google Ads allow you to run pay-per-click campaigns that place your website near the top of the search results for your chosen keywords and charge you every time someone clicks.

This allows you to use very specific keywords and target demographics, which helps drive highly relevant traffic to your website.

DISPLAY ADS

Display ads are a form of advertising that appears on things like websites, apps, and social media platforms.

Investing in these kinds of ads can help you reach a larger audience, increase awareness of your brand, and by extension, your website traffic.

RETARGETING

Using retargeting ads allows you to re-engage with visitors who have previously visited your website but didn’t convert.

That being said, retargeting can help bring them back to your website and complete their purchase or take whatever action you’d like them to take.

7) Analyze and Optimize

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

If you want to track your website’s performance, including your traffic, you should be using Google Analytics.

This platform allows you to analyze metrics such as traffic sources, engagement, and user behaviour to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.

A/B TESTING

Sometimes, what’s on your website just won’t resonate with your target audience.

With that in mind, A/B testing can help you identify what resonates best with your audience by testing out different versions of the various elements on your website, such as headlines, images, and calls to action.

8) Build Backlinks

QUALITY BACKLINKS

In case you’re not sure, the term backlink is just marketing jargon for a link from another website to your website.

These links can bring traffic to your site from those who click on them, and having backlinks from reputable websites can also help to improve your search engine rankings.

But you’ve got to make sure those links are coming from reputable websites, otherwise, it could have the opposite effect and end up hurting your website rankings.

RESOURCE PAGES AND DIRECTORIES

If you want to boost website traffic, getting your website listed on resource pages and industry directories is another great thing to do.

These pages often link to helpful resources and can drive targeted traffic to your site.

9) Offer Valuable Resources

FREE TOOLS

Creating free tools or resources that are relevant to your audience, like templates, videos, or e-books can also help you get traffic to your site, as they can attract visitors looking for useful tools.

WEBINARS AND WORKSHOPS

Hosting webinars or online workshops on topics of interest to your audience can also give people a reason to visit your website and keep coming back for more.

10) Local SEO

GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

If you’re looking to increase website traffic, you should also make sure to optimize your Google My Business profile.

This profile offers yet another way for people to discover your website, and it can help your SEO, as it makes you more visible to those searching locally, enhances credibility and trust, and maintains consistent NAP (name, address, and phone number) information on your business.

LOCAL CONTENT

Creating localized content tailored to your target audience can also help to bring local traffic to your website.

This can include things like blog posts about local events, news, or collaborations with other local businesses.

LOCAL DIRECTORIES

Getting listed in local directories and online maps can also help to drive traffic to your website, as it helps you attract local customers who are searching for businesses like yours.

11) Enhance the User Experience

WEBSITE DESIGN

A well-designed website builds trust and encourages visitors to stay longer.

Having said that, if you want to give people who visit your website a reason to stay, and a reason to return, you’ve got to ensure your website has a clean, professional design.

NAVIGATION

To avoid annoying or confusing users, and giving them a reason to leave your website, you should make sure it’s easy to navigate.

This involves using clear menus, categories, and search functions to help visitors find what they’re looking for easily.

MOBILE OPTIMIZATION

With the majority of users accessing websites via mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, if you want them to have a great experience on your site, it has to be fully optimized for mobile use.

LOADING SPEED

Slow-loading websites can frustrate users, which may cause them to leave and never come back.

So, if you want to stop this from happening, make sure to optimize your website’s loading speed, which should take no more than 1-2 seconds.

Do you need some help driving traffic to your website? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.

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Why Am I Losing Newsletter Subscribers? 6 Reasons Why People Unsubscribe and What You Can Do About It

As a business owner, your mailing list is one of your most valuable resources.

This list of subscribers is essential to the success of your marketing efforts, as it offers a fast, affordable way to stay connected to your audience.

But when you send a newsletter and see that several people have unsubscribed, it can be incredibly unsettling.

When this happens, you’ll be wondering, “Why am I losing subscribers?” and you may even find yourself asking, “What’s wrong? Don’t they love me anymore?”

But you really shouldn’t take this personally.

Because in the world of email marketing, this is all too common.

For instance, as you can see from the graph below, a survey from Service Direct, which polled hundreds of small business marketers, found that the biggest challenge for email marketers is optimizing metrics, like unsubscribes.

All things considered, if people are unsubscribing from your newsletter, you’re definitely not alone, and it’s not always a bad thing.

For one thing, as much as you may want them to be, everyone is not going to be your customer.

What’s more, when someone unsubscribes, they’re saying “This isn’t for me.”

And that’s a good thing.

Because it’s better to have a small list of loyal subscribers than a long list of unresponsive ones.

Plus, doesn’t it feel good to get rid of all the tire kickers?

After all, your goal should be to create a tight list of raving fans who love, trust, and want to buy from you, not to amass subscribers regardless of whether they’re interested in what you have to offer.

That being said, if you’re losing newsletter subscribers, and you want to learn why this is happening, and what you can do about it, then take a moment and keep reading.

Read: One Big Reason Your Newsletter Open Rate is Low and What to do About it

Understanding why people aren’t opening your newsletters is just as important as understanding newsletter unsubscribes.

Like it or not, the success of your email marketing requires deep insight into these metrics and many others.

With that in mind, this article explains the importance of subject lines, as they relate to email open rates, and explores the reasons why your subscribers may be ignoring your newsletter.

Keep reading here.

Why Am I Losing Subscribers?

There are many reasons why people would choose to unsubscribe from your newsletter.

Sometimes, after people get an email or two from you, they find out that they’re just not aligned with you and your brand.

Or they don’t agree with your point of view on something.

Or maybe your content isn’t providing the type of information they’re looking for.

Moreover, many people will just sign up for your newsletter to get whatever sort of freebie you’re offering, regardless of whether they have an interest in your products or services.

And if they’re just interested in seeing what they can get for free, or they’ve unsubscribed for any of the reasons above, then you can pretty much guarantee they’re not your ideal customer.

But many other things can inspire your audience to remove themselves from your mailing list, aside from what I’ve already discussed.

So, if you’re asking yourself, “Why am I losing subscribers?” these common reasons for unsubscribing should help you figure it out:

1) You’re Emailing Too Often

Most subscribers are expecting one or two emails from you a week at the absolute max.

With that in mind, if you suddenly start sending four emails per week, people will undoubtedly find it annoying and as a result, many of them will unsubscribe, and some may even mark you as spam.

So, if you want to stop this sort of thing from happening, make sure to avoid sending your subscribers more than two emails per week.

2) You’re Emailing Too Infrequently

If you send emails sporadically or very infrequently, people will likely forget who you are, and start asking themselves, “Who is this? And how did I get on this list?”

And when people start asking those questions, it’s not long before they hit the unsubscribe button.

That being said, while emailing too often is definitely a no-no, you should also make sure you’re reaching out often enough that your audience won’t simply forget you exist.

It might take a while to find that sweet spot, but in any case, you should try to send the same number of emails each week or month, and schedule them to go out on the same days of the week and at the same times, if possible.

3) They Don’t Remember Signing Up

If you’re offering a freebie in exchange for newsletter sign-ups, you’ve got to make sure it’s absolutely clear that users are also going to be added to your weekly newsletter.

Again, you don’t want them wondering “Why am I getting this?”

One of the best things you can do to prevent this from happening is to add an opt-in confirmation to your campaign, which is a process where users must verify their email addresses by clicking on a confirmation link in an email they receive after they subscribe.

This not only helps to ensure they don’t forget they signed up but also prevents your emails from being mistaken as spam and ensures you’ve gotten subscribers’ consent to contact them.

4) You’re Too Salesy

When people subscribe to your newsletter, regardless of what they’re getting in return, chances are, they’re not looking for a sales pitch.

More likely, what they’re looking for is answers to their questions, content that addresses their problems and pain points, and other useful information that can enhance their lives.

Having said that, you should make sure to avoid being too salesy, as it’s just going to annoy people.

It’s okay to promote your products or services to your audience every once in a while, or include some calls to action in your newsletter or articles.

But you have to find the right balance between free valuable information and promotional materials.

Because if people feel like all you do is try to sell them stuff, then that’s not what they signed up for, and as a result, they’ll be more likely to unsubscribe.

5) Your Newsletters Aren’t Relevant

Regardless of what industry you’re in, if you want your email marketing efforts to be successful, you’ve got to understand the wants, needs, problems, and pain points of your audience.

This will allow you to understand what your audience is expecting from you, speak to that audience in a way that deeply resonates with them, and ensure your newsletters are directly relevant to the people who are reading them.

For instance, if you send out a newsletter for work-at-home moms, they’re not looking for articles about potty training because that’s not relevant to them.

They signed up for your newsletter to get tips on working from home, growing their business, or boosting their income, not how to raise their children.

So, you should make sure to think long and hard about what you’re including in your newsletters, and whether or not it will be of value to your subscribers.

Because if you’re not giving them what they thought they signed up for, it’s only a matter of time before they unsubscribe.

6) Your Newsletters Don’t Display Properly

In today’s world, the majority of your audience will probably be using smartphones and tablets to check their emails.

And if your newsletter doesn’t display properly on these devices, they may end up unsubscribing.

That being said, you should make sure to send your newsletter out in both its plain text and HTML forms.

This way, even if a subscriber’s email client can’t display all your beautiful imagery, they can still read the textual version of your email.

Furthermore, you should always send a test email and check it on all your devices (preferably phone, tablet, and PC) to see how it displays, so you can make any necessary adjustments before it goes out to your entire list.

Tips for Reducing Email List Unsubscribes

Now that you have a better understanding of why people unsubscribe from email lists, you’re probably just itching to learn what you can do to stop this from happening.

With that in mind, below I’ve provided several tips for reducing email list unsubscribes:

Segment Your Audience

One thing you can do to reduce the number of unsubscribes you’re getting is to segment your subscribers based on their interests, demographics, or behaviour.

This allows you to send targeted content to specific segments, which has been shown to increase relevance and engagement, reducing the likelihood of unsubscribes.

Provide Valuable Content

Quality content is what builds trust and keeps subscribers engaged.

And that means ultimately, the value of your content will be the deciding factor in whether or not your newsletter succeeds.

So, make sure your newsletter contains valuable and relevant content that solves subscribers’ problems and fulfills their needs, while also sharing industry insights, tips, how-to guides, or exclusive offers that you know will resonate with your audience.

Personalize Your Content

You can use data on things like past purchases, browsing history, or survey responses to personalize your newsletter for each of your subscribers.

Personalization fosters a sense of connection and makes subscribers feel valued, as it allows you to address them by name and tailor content based on their preferences, making it less likely that they’ll unsubscribe.

Optimize Email Frequency

If you want to avoid annoying your subscribers, you’ve also got to find the right balance between staying top-of-mind and stuffing their inboxes.

To do that, you should monitor engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates to determine the optimal frequency for sending your newsletters and then test different frequencies to see what works best for your audience.

Use Compelling Subject Lines

If you want people to open your emails, you’ve got to craft attention-grabbing subject lines.

Otherwise, your emails may get buried before anyone even notices them.

You can do this by experimenting with different formats, such as questions, lists, or urgency-based phrases, to pique curiosity and inspire people to open your emails.

But make sure to avoid clickbait tactics, as they may lead to more unsubscribes.

Optimize the Design of Your Emails

No matter what your newsletter is about, your emails should align with your brand while being visually appealing and mobile-responsive, which means they’ll adapt to different screen sizes and look great on any device.

In any case, make sure to use a clean layout, eye-catching images, and clear calls to action to guide subscribers’ attention, so you can make it easy for them to consume your content and take the kind of action you want them to take.

Respect Subscribers’ Preferences

You should allow subscribers to customize their email preferences, including the frequency and content types they prefer.

Offering the option to opt down rather than opt out completely by choosing to receive fewer emails, for instance, respects subscribers’ preferences, reduces frustration, and encourages them to stay subscribed.

Set Clear Expectations

You also want to make sure you’re setting clear expectations during the sign-up process regarding the type and frequency of emails that subscribers will receive.

So, make sure to avoid surprises by only delivering what you promised and maintaining consistency in your communications.

This kind of transparency builds trust and reduces the likelihood of unsubscribes.

Monitor and Analyze Metrics

Regularly monitoring key email metrics, such as unsubscribe rates, open rates, and engagement levels allows you to analyze trends and patterns, so you can identify areas for improvement and adjust your email strategy accordingly.

One good thing you can do is to implement an unsubscribe survey, which asks people why they’re unsubscribing.

Not everyone will answer honestly, or at all, but any feedback you do get will help you to understand the reasons why people are unsubscribing and address any common concerns.

Re-engage Inactive Subscribers

Another thing you can do is to implement re-engagement campaigns targeting inactive subscribers.

You can send them personalized emails with special offers, surveys, or compelling content to rekindle their interest, giving them a reason to re-engage with your brand before they decide to unsubscribe.

Are you still asking, “Why am I losing subscribers?” Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

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The Benefits of Content Marketing for Non-Profits

When you think about how a charity or other non-profit promotes itself, content marketing is probably not the first thing that comes to mind.

But the truth is, content marketing for non-profits shouldn’t be seen as any less important than it is for any other organization.

Blogging and other forms of content should be considered key aspects of any charitable foundation’s marketing strategy, and the vast majority of marketers would agree.

For example, a survey from Salesforce, which polled marketers from non-profit organizations, asked respondents what marketing skills are most important to uplevel and most crucial to their success over the next two years, and not surprisingly, content marketing was at the top of the list.

However, a survey from TechSoup found that almost 70 per cent of non-profits aren’t even blogging.

Given the results of that Salesforce survey, that does seem a bit unexpected, but I suppose it could explain why non-profit marketers feel their content marketing skills are so lacking.

To be fair, this kind of content marketing can be quite tricky, as typically, you’re not targeting the recipients of a charity’s donations, but rather, its sponsors, donors, and volunteers.

That being said, content marketing for non-profits should not be ignored, no matter how tough it may be, as it’s still a critical aspect of any non-profit marketing strategy.

So, if you’re running a non-profit, but you’re still on the fence about the value of non-profit content marketing, or don’t know the first thing about marketing strategies for non-profits, then keep reading to learn more.

Read: 5 Content Marketing Trends That Will Dominate in 2024

Trying to come up with an effective non-profit content marketing strategy is definitely easier said than done.

If you want to ensure you’re not getting left in the digital dust, you’ve got to make use of all the newest tools and techniques, and in order to do that, you’ve got to follow the latest content marketing trends.

With that in mind, this article explores the trends that are set to dominate the world of content marketing in 2024.

Keep reading here.

What Are the Benefits of Content Marketing for Non-Profits?

Whether you’re trying to raise awareness, drive engagement, or increase donations, content marketing for non-profits is a powerful tool for helping your organization achieve its goals.

Through the use of storytelling, education, and community-building, your organization can use content marketing to forge enduring connections and cultivate meaningful change.

But as the survey I referenced above shows, chances are, you may still be on the fence about using content marketing for non-profit organizations.

That being said, below I’ve detailed some of the most beneficial aspects of non-profit content marketing, so you can understand how important it truly is.

Building Brand Awareness and Visibility

Content marketing serves as a beacon, helping to illuminate the mission and impact of non-profits for a wider audience.

Through a consistent stream of compelling content, ranging from blog posts to videos and infographics, you can extend the reach of your organization and captivate the interest of those who are aligned with your cause.

Moreover, if you optimize your content for search engines by doing things like incorporating relevant keywords, your organization can enhance its online visibility, ensuring that those who are interested in what you do will be more likely to be exposed to your message.

Establishing Authority and Credibility

Content marketing can help you build authority and credibility for your non-profit, allowing you to establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.

For instance, by disseminating high-quality, informative content, such as research findings, success stories, and insightful analyses, you can cultivate credibility with your audience.

And when your organization is perceived as authoritative and credible, people will be more inclined to support its mission and champion its cause, helping to fortify your influence and impact.

Engaging Supporters and Volunteers

Content marketing serves as a conduit for deeper engagement between non-profits and their sponsors, donors, and volunteers.

Through the sharing of captivating stories, project updates, and behind-the-scenes glimpses, you can foster a sense of community and belonging among your audience.

This engagement not only strengthens existing relationships but can also motivate new supporters who are inspired by your organization’s endeavours.

Educating the Public

Creating content allows you to explain complex issues and foster greater public understanding and awareness more easily and affordably than with other forms of marketing.

For example, by providing insights into root causes, potential solutions, and actionable steps individuals can take, you can empower the public to become advocates for the kind of social or environmental change your organization espouses.

In addition, the use of this type of content allows you to catalyze informed action, sparking a ripple effect of awareness and advocacy.

Fundraising and Donor Engagement

Within the realm of fundraising, content marketing is a great way to inspire generosity and solicit donations.

By telling the stories of those whom your organization has helped, along with emotional appeals, and strategic calls to action, you can compel individuals to donate to your cause.

What’s more, content also serves as a conduit for donor engagement, which allows you to express your gratitude to donors, share impact reports, and demonstrate how donors’ contributions are helping to create meaningful change.

Amplifying Impact

Content marketing for non-profits allows you to magnify your organization’s impact by extending its reach and inspiring collective action.

In addition, through the use of social media platforms, email marketing, and other digital channels, your organization can disseminate its message to a wider array of audiences.

This expanded reach encourages the mobilization of supporters, the proliferation of awareness, and the cultivation of positive change on an even broader scale.

Cost-Effectiveness

One of the greatest benefits of content marketing lies in its cost-effectiveness, particularly in comparison to other marketing techniques.

This allows your non-profit to create and distribute content to more expansive audiences at a fraction of the cost associated with things like traditional advertising campaigns.

Moreover, the enduring lifespan of your content can help sustain your organization’s engagement and impact, which can yield a high return on investment over time.

Measurable Results and Insights

One of the inherent advantages of content marketing lies in its measurability, which allows you to gauge the success of your efforts through quantitative metrics.

For instance, if you regularly evaluate things like website traffic, social media engagement, and conversion rates, you can gain incredibly valuable insights into the preferences, behaviours, and interests of your audience.

Armed with this data-driven intelligence, you can refine your content strategy, optimize future campaigns, and amplify your organization’s impact.

Long-Term Sustainability

Non-profit content marketing can help to ensure the long-term sustainability of your organization by nurturing relationships with supporters, volunteers, and donors alike.

By demonstrating a steadfast commitment to delivering valuable content and fostering open lines of communication, you can cultivate a devoted community of advocates who are steadfast in their commitment to your cause.

This sustained support can provide your non-profit with the stability and resources necessary to effect enduring change and bring your vision for a brighter future into reality.

Driving Social Change

Content marketing empowers non-profits to drive transformative social change by galvanizing awareness, inspiring action, and mobilizing communities.

So, whether you’re advocating for human rights, environmental conservation, or something else entirely, content marketing can help you amplify the voice of your non-profit, elevating its message to even greater heights and driving tangible progress toward a more compassionate world.

Building Trust and Community

Content marketing for non-profits is a vital tool that you can use to build trust and community.

This can be done through the use of things like authentic storytelling, updates and impact reports, interactive campaigns, social media interactions, online forums, and community events.

These efforts can help you humanize your mission, foster sincerity and transparency, ensure donors feel confident in how their contributions are being spent, and create a sense of belonging and ownership among the members of your audience.

What’s more, by showing appreciation for your supporters and connecting with them in these ways, you’re helping to encourage long-term commitment, advocacy, collaboration, and collective action.

Are you trying to develop a non-profit marketing strategy? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out how we can help?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

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11 Graphic Design Trends to Watch Out for in 2024

Whether you’re making marketing materials, creating content, or something else entirely, building a successful brand requires a lot of design prowess.

And no matter what it is you’re designing, if you want to ensure you’re making use of all the tools at your disposal, you’ve got to stay up to date on the latest graphic design trends.

For this year, I think it’s safe to say that the dominant trend will be the use of AI in graphic design, and that will likely continue to be the leading trend for several years into the future.

That prediction may sound a bit premature, but if you look at what graphic designers are saying, this couldn’t be any more obvious.

For example, a survey from Adobe, which polled 1,000 creative professionals in the U.S., including graphic designers, found that even by this time last year, many of them were already using generative AI in their work, with 48 per cent saying they’d used ChatGPT, and 34 per cent saying they’d used DALL-E.

What’s more, the vast majority of respondents expected to be using some form of AI in their work in the future, including 69 per cent of graphic designers and illustrators.

Moreover, a survey from Canva, which polled more than 4,000 marketing and creative leaders, including graphic designers, found that 97 per cent of them are comfortable with the rise of generative AI, with 70 per cent saying AI is enhancing their team’s productivity, and 69 per cent saying it’s enhancing creativity.

All things considered, it’s clear that the graphic design landscape is rapidly changing, and many of these changes will come as a result of advances in AI.

As someone who helps business owners develop their brands, this trend toward the use of AI in graphic design is incredibly exciting for me, as it offers many unique opportunities to hone your brand positioning.

But while AI will undoubtedly be the most dominant graphic design trend of 2024, it’s by no means the only trend that will be relevant over the coming year.

So, if you want to explore what’s shaping the future of graphic design, and find out which graphic design trends 2024 will be dominated by, then keep reading to learn more.

Read: Looking to Redesign Your Logo? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you’re interested in graphic design trends, then chances are, you might also be thinking about redesigning your logo.

But if you don’t design logos for a living, then it can be difficult to even know where to begin.

With that in mind, this article explains what you need to know to redesign your logo, including both the right reasons to update your logo and the wrong ones.

Keep reading here.

What Are the Latest Graphic Design Trends?

If you want to make sure you’ve got access to all of the best design tools and techniques, you’ve got to follow the latest trends in graphic design.

With that in mind, below I’ve detailed the graphic design trends that I feel will be most important to watch out for in 2024.

1) Artificial Intelligence (AI)

As is the case with most industries today, artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly transforming the world of graphic design.

AI tools are being used to automate routine tasks, such as resizing images and generating colour palettes, allowing designers to focus more on creative aspects.

Furthermore, AI-driven platforms can analyze user engagement data to suggest design adjustments, making designs not only aesthetically pleasing but also more effective.

And as I mentioned above, for me, one of the most exciting aspects of this technology is how it can be used to benefit your brand positioning.

For instance, AI-powered tools can help refine your brand positioning by ensuring your branding remains consistent across all touchpoints.

However, at this point, there is still a stigma attached to anything created by AI, and people are becoming much better at spotting AI images, so you need to be aware of this and act accordingly.

For instance, if you’re trying to create a life-like or photo-realistic image, it’s going to be pretty obvious that it was made by AI, and a lot of people will not like it.

But in my experience, when it comes to creating imagery, where AI truly shines is in its ability to produce unique and creative images that don’t try to emulate reality.

Still, despite its limitations, and people’s negative perceptions, I think using AI art in graphic design will be one of the biggest design trends of 2024 and years to come.

2) Inclusivity and Accessibility

Designing for inclusivity and accessibility remains a priority in 2024.

When it comes to accessibility, the main focus is on creating content that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

This involves using things like high-contrast colour schemes for better visibility, more legible typography, and considering colour blindness when choosing palettes.

Designers are also emphasizing the representation of diverse populations, incorporating images and themes that reflect a variety of cultures, orientations, and backgrounds, which makes designs feel more welcoming and relatable.

3) Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Design

With the growing awareness of environmental issues like plastic pollution, sustainable design is becoming increasingly relevant.

This push for more sustainable and environmentally friendly design applies to both the materials used in physical products and the digital footprints of online designs.

For instance, designers are minimizing waste by optimizing resources and choosing eco-friendly materials, and in digital spaces, there is a move toward more energy-efficient design practices, such as optimized images for faster loading times, which can help reduce energy consumption while you’re browsing.

4) 3D and Immersive Experiences

The adoption of 3D design continues to expand, fueled by advancements in AR, VR, and mixed-reality technologies, and it’s going to be one of the graphic design trends to watch in 2024.

These tools are bringing new dimensions to traditional flat designs, offering users more interactive and immersive experiences.

From web interfaces to advertising, 3D elements are increasingly being used to create a sense of depth and realism that enhances user engagement and retention.

5) Retro and Vintage

Nostalgia is driving the resurgence of retro and vintage design elements, with an emphasis on late 20th-century styles, which will be trending in 2024 and beyond.

This trend includes things like the revival of pixel art from the ‘90s, vibrant neon colours from the ‘80s, and smooth pastel shades from the ‘70s.

That being said, this year, you’ll see designers combining these old-school influences with modern aesthetics to appeal to both nostalgic older generations and the curiosity of younger audiences.

6) Typography Experimentation

In 2024, typography is not just about readability, but also about personality and expression.

Designers are experimenting with mixed fonts, kinetic typography, and custom typefaces that can enhance brand identity and user interaction.

Moreover, animated text and variable fonts are particularly popular, offering dynamic and responsive design options that adjust to various contexts and devices.

7) Dark Mode and Colour Gradients

Dark mode continues to be a favourite for its aesthetic appeal and reduced eye strain, particularly in low-light environments, and this trend is set to accelerate in 2024.

The popularity of these features has been growing exponentially, not least because they pair so beautifully with vibrant colour gradients that add visual interest and depth.

These gradients can be used in backgrounds, buttons, and overlays, providing a rich interplay of colours that draw the user’s eye and guide them through the design.

8) Data Visualization

As data becomes more integral to decision-making, its presentation is becoming more innovative, and this will continue to be the case throughout 2024.

Designers are creating more interactive and intuitive charts and infographics that allow people to explore and understand complex data with ease.

These visualizations can incorporate animations, clickable elements, and even AR components to make data exploration more beautiful and beneficial.

9) Authentic and Handcrafted

In an era dominated by interactions with AI, authenticity is becoming increasingly sought after.

With that in mind, handcrafted designs that include elements like hand-drawn illustrations or watercolour textures provide a more human touch that digital designs often lack.

These elements help brands stand out by offering a unique and artisanal feel to their visuals, which can resonate more deeply with consumers, and as a result, I think this art style will be one of the graphic design trends to watch this year.

10) Motion and Interactivity

The integration of motion design into web and mobile interfaces is transforming user experiences, and this trend will not be slowing down in 2024.

Throughout this year, you’re going to see more and more designers using these dynamic elements, as they’re crucial for guiding users, providing feedback, and adding a layer of depth to the digital experience.

The popularity of things like subtle animations, interactive elements, and smooth transitions will only continue to grow this year, as they can enhance the usability of interfaces, making interactions feel more natural and engaging.

11) Minimalism and Maximalism

Both minimalism and maximalism find their places in 2024’s graphic design landscape.

Minimalism appeals through its clarity and simplicity, making it ideal for conveying clear messages and improving user experiences.

On the other hand, maximalism embraces excess and complexity, offering rich, vibrant, and detailed designs that capture attention and evoke emotional responses.

But regardless of which one you prefer, you can expect to see more use of these art styles in 2024 and far into the future.

Want to create or redesign a logo, but don’t know where to begin? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out what we can do for you?

To your business success, Susan Friesen

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What’s the Difference Between a Tagline and a Slogan?

If you don’t build brands for a living, you may be under the impression that there’s no difference between a tagline and a slogan.

After all, they are somewhat similar, and the terms tagline and slogan tend to be used interchangeably.

If you were to go back several years and ask me this question, even I might not have known how to explain the difference.

But as I’ve found out over more than 20 years of helping business owners build their brands, there is a significant difference between a tagline and a slogan.

What’s more, I’ve learned that to create the best tagline and/or slogan for your business, and ensure you’re using these elements to their fullest potential, it’s important to understand the differences between them.

So, if you’re interested in using taglines and slogans in branding, and want to know the best practices for writing a slogan or tagline, how these elements can benefit your business, and how they differ, then keep reading to learn more.

Read: Crafting a Unique Selling Proposition: Unleashing the Power of Your Brand

Your unique selling proposition (USP) is incredibly important for the creation of slogans and taglines, as it helps you to communicate why consumers should choose to do business with you instead of your competitors.

With that in mind, if you want to come up with an effective tagline or slogan, first you’ve got to define what’s unique about your brand.

This article explains everything you need to know to craft a USP, including what a USP is, the benefits of having one, and how you can create one of your own.

Keep reading here.

How Can Taglines and Slogans Benefit My Business?

If you want to know the difference between a tagline and a slogan, you’re probably already thinking about using them.

But you might be on the fence about how beneficial these elements actually are and wondering if creating them is even worth your time.

That being said, here’s how the use of taglines and slogans can benefit your business:

Brand Identity and Recognition

Taglines and slogans are a key part of developing a memorable brand identity.

A catchy, unique phrase can become synonymous with your brand, embedding it in the minds of consumers.

For instance, Nike’s “Just Do It” encapsulates a spirit of determination and resilience that is instantly recognizable.

This association helps enhance brand recognition, making it easier for customers to remember and choose your brand over competitors.

Cost-Effectiveness

The repeated use of taglines and slogans, across various branding and marketing materials, can provide ongoing benefits without the need for significant further investment.

This makes the use of slogans and taglines a conspicuously cost-effective component of your branding and marketing strategies.

Communicate Your Core Values and Benefits

A well-crafted tagline swiftly and effectively communicates the essence of your company’s unique selling proposition, highlighting what your brand stands for and/or the key benefits it offers.

For example, BMW’s tagline, “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, communicates quality and a superior experience, helping potential customers understand what sets this brand apart from others in just a few words.

Keep Things Consistent

Taglines and slogans can amplify marketing campaigns by ensuring a consistent message across all platforms.

Whether it’s in print, online, or broadcast form, a strong slogan reiterates the same message, reinforcing your brand’s presence and message.

This repetition makes marketing campaigns more effective as the consistency helps solidify consumers’ understanding and recognition of your brand.

Create an Emotional Connection

Slogans can evoke emotions and create a personal connection with your audience, and by appealing to feelings, slogans can make your brand feel more relatable and approachable.

For example, Hallmark’s “When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best” touches on the sentimentality of giving, which resonates deeply with consumers who want to convey affection through cards and gifts.

Differentiate Your Brand From Competitors

Having a distinctive slogan or tagline can set your brand apart from its rivals, and this is especially true in more competitive markets.

The uniqueness of a catchy slogan can be a significant differentiator, highlighting a unique selling proposition or brand philosophy that competitors do not offer.

This differentiation is crucial in crowded markets where unique features and benefits might be similar across products or services.

Make Your Brand More Memorable

Taglines and slogans are typically short, memorable, and easy to share, making them effective for word-of-mouth marketing.

And because they’re simple to remember, customers can easily mention them in conversations, which can help enhance your brand visibility and organic reach, significantly boosting your marketing efforts without additional costs.

Gain Greater Loyalty

A strong slogan or tagline can foster brand loyalty by continually reinforcing your brand’s image and message to existing customers.

This serves as a constant reminder of why they chose your brand in the first place, which can help to encourage repeat business.

For example, Apple’s “Think Different” tagline encourages loyalty among users who see themselves as creative and innovative, as their values align with the brand’s emphasis on creativity in its products.

Stay Flexible

Slogans and taglines are highly adaptable and can be used across various media and advertising platforms, from TV spots and radio to online ads and social media.

This flexibility allows you to maintain a cohesive branding strategy across all marketing channels, maximizing your reach and the impact you have on your audience.

What’s the Difference Between a Tagline and a Slogan?

The difference between a tagline and a slogan may seem like an incredibly granular thing to discuss, but if you own a business, it’s important to understand the distinction.

Having said that, I should start by pointing out that the main difference between the two is how they’re used.

In a nutshell, taglines are used more for brand positioning, and slogans tend to be used for marketing campaigns.

A tagline will help to position your brand by associating it with the value of your offerings and what differentiates you from the competition, whereas a slogan is used to communicate the ideas of a specific marketing campaign.

But it’s not necessarily that cut and dried, and there’s still some overlap.

For instance, Nike’s famous tagline, “Just Do It”, which I mentioned above, was developed as part of the company’s first major TV advertising campaign, but it quickly became so popular that Nike started using it as a tagline, and it’s still their tagline to this day.

So, as you can see, taglines and slogans do have some similarities, but if you want to use them to their fullest potential, it’s important to understand their purpose and the differences between them.

With that in mind, here are the key differences between a tagline and a slogan:

Definition and Purpose

Taglines are permanent phrases associated with your company as a whole, and they’re designed to be timeless and typically do not change very often.

They reflect your brand’s identity, values, and overarching promise to customers, and their primary purpose is to enhance brand recognition and encapsulate the essence of your brand in a way that resonates emotionally with consumers.

Slogans, on the other hand, are more flexible and are typically used for a particular marketing campaign or a specific product or service.

They aim to highlight features, benefits, or the uniqueness of what’s being advertised, and they may change frequently to align with different marketing initiatives.

Duration and Usage

Taglines are long-term and remain consistent across all marketing and branding materials.

And because they’re intended to last, taglines help maintain a consistent brand message over time.

A well-known example is Disneyland’s “The Happiest Place on Earth”, which consistently reinforces the brand’s association with joy and magical experiences.

Slogans are short-term tactical tools used to draw attention to specific aspects of a product or highlight a promotion, and they often vary depending on your current marketing goals or target audience.

For instance, McDonald’s has used various slogans like “I’m Lovin’ It” as a tagline, but also campaign-specific slogans like “The Simpler the Better” for their advertising.

Emotional vs. Rational Appeal

Taglines often aim to create an emotional appeal and are crafted to resonate on a deeper level, building a connection between your brand and consumers that transcends the features of specific products or services.

This emotional resonance helps build brand loyalty and long-term customer relationships.

Slogans, on the other hand, tend to be more rational or directly informative, focusing on the practical benefits or features of a product, service, or promotion.

They are designed to be persuasive and drive immediate consumer actions, such as purchases or inquiries, and they’re often surprisingly straightforward, making them effective for conveying specific sales messages.

Branding vs. Advertising

Taglines are a core component of branding, as they help form the public perception of your brand and are integral to your brand’s voice and personality.

They’re something customers will remember even when they aren’t actively thinking about making a purchase.

Slogans, on the contrary, are primarily used in advertising and are crafted to be catchy and memorable for the duration of a campaign, aiming to maximize impact in a shorter timeframe.

They support specific marketing objectives and are often geared toward generating sales or promoting awareness of a new product.

Strategic Implications

The strategic use of taglines involves embedding them into the fabric of your brand.

That means every interaction with your target audience should reinforce the message conveyed by the tagline, thereby solidifying your brand positioning and emotional appeal.

For slogans, the strategy revolves around flexibility and adaptability, utilizing different messages to highlight specific aspects of a product and/or service, as needed.

This adaptability allows you to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and consumer preferences.

Need help crafting effective taglines or slogans? Why not set up a free 30-minute consultation with me to find out what we can do for you?

To your business success, Susan Friesen