Whether I’m attending a conference on behalf of Sussex or for leisure, live-tweeting is a great way to help raise awareness and to improve engagement.

What is live tweeting?

Live tweeting is when a Twitter user post comments about an event while it is taking place.

9 best practices for live tweeting

Before the event

When the plan is to live tweet during an event, it’s important to prepare your strategy beforehand so you can stay current and post relevant content.

1. Before the event you do your research

• Know the names and proper spelling of the speakers
• Research speaker and attendee Twitter handles
• Research the event hashtag or create your own
• Think about any questions your followers may have and prepare some answers
• Prepare a few tweets in advance for sessions you are hosting or attending

At the event

2. Let your followers know that you will attend the event

Post a tweet to give your followers a heads up that you will be a certain event. This provides them with an opportunity to visit your account for the latest updates.

3. Use the official event hashtag(s) in your posts

You can find the official hashtag(s) on the event website or social media profiles. Don’t use too many hashtags in your posts and use the main one instead.

If you decide to create a hashtag for an event you’re hosting, remember to keep it short, easy to remember, and be sure it’s not already in use.

4. Tag speakers in posts

It’s important to tag the right handle in a post. Use Twitter’s search engine or the event website to find the proper user names.  

5. Capture key messages

You don’t have to post word for word what was said during a session. Only post key points that are valuable to onsite participants as well as your wider following.

6. Tweet quotes from presenters

When you are quoting someone in your tweet, always attribute the quote and make sure you quote the speaker accurately. Try to find and include their Twitter handle, this will give them proper credit, as well as help you start a conversation.

7. Share backstage photos and videos

Content that contains images and video performs better than the ones without. Share high quality images and videos to increase engagement.

8. Engage with others

Engagement is a two-way street. Instead of pushing content:

• Try to respond to tweets from other participants
• Engage in conversation by agreeing or providing your own perspective
• Answer polls
• Retweet/like insightful comments from participants

9. Follow back

By using the event hashtag, your tweets will appear in the live stream and people will start following you. Follow them back so the newly created connections can extend to offline opportunities as well.

Live tweeting might be a short-term goal, but just like any just like your long-term communication objectives, you should have a plan in place.

Sussex can help you identify the right tools to help you plan and stay organize. Contact us to learn how we can help.  

In a previous post we questioned if email is dead. Since it’s not, we want to share a few tips to increase open and click-through rates through personalization.

What is email personalization?

Personalization in email marketing is creating an email campaign that is designed and tailored for a specific subscriber or a group in your distribution list. To personalize these emails, different segments of your audience needs to be created in order to provide them with timely and relevant content.

Segmentation can be by age, gender, location, and interest. But to create these segments you need data. You can collect this data by different means including newsletter subscription, product purchased, log in to a platform, app download, eBook download, etc.

Email personalization can be very basic, using the subscriber’s name, to very complex, changing the content in the body of the email to meet the need of that one reader.

Personalizing email campaigns has been proven to increase engagement rates and return on investment. The one reason we advocate email marketing is because of the possibilities to optimize the content to the need of the reader, which is rather difficult to do with social media, where everyone gets the same message.

Tips to personalized marketing email

1. Subject lines

A personalized subject line will entice subscribers to open the email. Use their name and avoid reusing generic headlines. This way your email stands out from the rest.

Some companies will use emojis to grab attention, but the best way to stand out is by using their name with a unique subject.

2. From field

The name in the from field in an email is the most dominant element that is displayed in your readers’ inbox. They will decide whether to open an email or not depending on the sender.  

In this case, do not use a “do not reply” or “no-reply” in the from field. Instead, it should be your company’s name or the name of an employee who sends the email (i.e., Jane from X Company).

Using the company name creates a sense of trust and your email doesn’t come across as spam.  

3. Email copy

Once the subscriber has opened the email, ensure that the content is relevant to them.

The email can be personalized by gender, location, services, or interest, and you can choose parts of the email to be personalized, including:

• salutation
  • ex. Hello Jane
• types of products
  • ex. books, clothing, service, etc.
• imagery
  • ex. dynamic images, gif, static images, or video
• call to action
  • ex. See my offers
• birthdate
  • ex. Happy birthday, Jane

4. Re-engagement emails

When a customer has engaged with you, but didn’t complete the user journey, use email personalization and automation for re-engagement.

You can use this tactic for when a costumer browed your website and didn’t complete a purchase or to inactive users by soliciting their feedback.

With personalization and automation, you can send your customer product recommendation based on a complete or abandoned purchase or browsing history. This technique is great for retailer and e-commerce sites as these emails can be created in real time.

Summary

Email personalization is great method to deliver audience-specific content. It improves user experience and journeys. The costumer feels valued as you take the time to tailor content that is timely and relevant to their interest.

Contact us for a consultation on how to optimize your communications strategy with email marketing.

What is a brand hashtag?

A brand hashtag works the same as a regular hashtag. The difference is that they are used on social media to signify that a post is associated with a brand, product or company.

They are unique to a business and they are found in the bio section on the user profile of the company social media account. Followers are invited to engage with the company by using the brand hashtag.

Why is a brand hashtag important?

There are many benefits of using a branding hashtag.

1. Brand hashtags make your brand more searchable on social media platforms

The primary function of a hashtag is to have your content appear in the search results of that hashtag. People will use various hashtags on their posts to reach a broader audience. Other times, hashtags will be created for a specific campaign so that all the posts associated with a topic can appear in the hashtag search.

In the case of branding hashtags, they are used in conjunction with thematic hashtags to not only have your posts appear in multiple searches, but also so that all the posts associated with your brand will appear under the search for that hashtag.

2. Brand hashtags are great for analytics

With a branding hashtag, you can track who is engaging with your brand and track its performance. Therefore, it is important to have a unique hashtag, so that the analytics only reflect content related to your brand and not other topics. It is very important that your audience knows the exact spelling of the hashtag so that it can be accurately tracked.

3. Brand hashtags can also be used across platforms

Many organizations are active on several platforms. When your brand hashtag is used across different channels, it becomes more recognizable to your audience because it’s being seen and marketed everywhere.

Tips to create your own brand hashtag

Your brand hashtag can be your company name, slogan, or tag line. That way you can ensure its uniqueness.

If your business name or the hashtag you want to use is common:

1. Conduct a search on all social media platforms to make that it’s not being used.
2. Keep it short to a maximum of three words, that way it’s easy to remember.
3. Avoid complex and long words to ensure correct spelling.  
4. Test it to eliminate any risks or problems. Write it out, say it out loud, ask your team members and a small group of your followers to review it before implementation.
5. When you are satisfied, promote the hashtag on all your social media accounts.   

While having good content, graphics, and appealing design are importing to have, there are structural elements they must have.

There are standard structural elements that visitors look for to be able to navigate the site and complete tasks intuitively.

When building a website, ask yourself:

What are the structural elements my webpages must have?

1. Header

The header is the first element a visitor will see when they come to your site. It’s usually a bar that takes up the width of the site and it contains the site’s identity. That bar never changes and stays in the same place throughout the site.

The header must have:

• a logo that link to the homepage;
• site name and tag line or slogan;
• main navigation menu; and
• a search box that is always visible and in the same place.

2. Navigation bar

This section is found in the website’s header, but it needs to be treated as an element of its own because this is how visitors will be able to navigate your site.

When creating the menu:

• use labels (e.g., Our Service) that convey the information that the user will find when they navigate to that section of the site; and
• test the links to ensure that they are functional and that they send the visitor to the right location.  

The navigation menu must also:

• be easy to locate;
• be consistent (placement and functions are the same across the website); and
• the site map and navigation are intuitive.

3. Main content

This section contains the more robust and unique content that is found on the website.

This is where you add text, images and graphics, and videos.

When creating regular webpages or landing pages ensure that:

• the page title is readable and is in an <h1> tag for accessibility;
• the breadcrumb navigation is visible above or below the page title;
• the navigation to related content is placed at the bottom of the page where the reader can navigate to other pages;
• the publication date is placed at the top of the page; and
• the last updated date is displayed at the bottom of the content area.

4. Footer

The footer is the last section of the site. Like the header, the information it contains never changes and is always in the same place on the website.

The footer is used to provide easy and quick access to popular content.

The information that is found in the footer varies from websites, but they are commonly used for:

1. legal information
   • copyright
   • privacy policylegal information
2. popular information
   • contact us link or form
   • newsletter subscriptionpopular information
   • social media buttons
   • careers
3. repeated navigation menu and search box

Whether you’re new, or an expert in digital marketing and want to create quality content without breaking your bank account, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of free software that you can use to start producing the best graphics, right away.

Free digital marketing tools

If you shoot and edit videos, and animation:

• Davinci Resolve
• OpenToonz
• Blender
• Animaker

If you draw or design:

• GIMP
• PAINT.NET
• Inkscape
• Canva
• Scribus

If you create infographics:

• Venngage
• Pictochart

If you build websites:

• Wix
• Blogger
• Weebly
• WordPress

If you need fonts:

• Goole Fonts
• DaFont

If you need stock photos:

• Pexels
• Unspalsh
• Pixabay
• Burst

If you need logos:

• LogoMakr
• DesignEvo

If you need music:

• HookSounds
• Bensound
• AudioJungle 

Contact us to explore the solutions we have for you!  

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! 

Well, there are many formulas in online advertising that marketers should know.

We have compiled the 5 basic formulas with examples that will help you determine how well your campaigns are performing.

1. Click through Rate (CTR) 

CTR is used to calculate the overall performance of a campaign.

The higher the rate is the more successful the campaign is.          

Formula

CTR = (number of clicks / number of views) x 100 

Example

In a campaign, if your ad was seen 4,000 times and received 100 clicks, the CRT would be 2.5%, since (100/4,000) x 100 = 2.5%.

2. Cost per Click (CPC)         

CPC model is used when an advertiser pays for each click instead of impressions.

If you chose the CPC model for a campaign, to know how much it will cost, you have to think about the amount you would like to pay for each click.

Formula

CPC = cost to an advertiser * number of clicks

CPC = cost to an advertiser / number of clicks     

Example

In a campaign, if you receive 60 clicks and the CPC is $3, the total cost is $180.

If you don’t know how much the CPC is, take the total cost divided by the number of clicks. Let’s say the total cost was $180 and the total click was 60, the CPC will be $3.

3. Return on Investment (ROI)       

The ROI is to understand the success of a campaign. You have to know the monetary benefit against the money invested.            

Formula

ROI = (total revenue – total cost) / total cost       

Example

If you spent $1,000 on an ad and it generated $5,000 in sales, the ROI would be $4, since (5,000-1,000)/1,000 = $4. This means for every dollar spent, the campaign generated $4.

4. Conversion Rate (CR)      

This model is used if the goal of a campaign is to only generate revenue.               

Formula

CR = (number of conversion / number of clicks) x 100      

Example

In a campaign you had 60 conversions from 1,000 clicks, your conversions rate would be 6%, since 60 / 1,000 x 100 = 6.

5. Cost per Mille (CPM)       

The cost per thousand impressions is used by companies who want to create brand awareness. 

Formula

CPM = (cost to an advertiser / impression) x 1000              

Example

If an ad received 5,000 impressions and the advertiser decided to pay $30 for the campaign, the CPM would be $6 since (30/5,000) x 1,000 = 6.

If you found this cheat sheet useful, leave a comment below, save and share.

Simple. An image conveys a thousand words and emotions, and people have an attention span of less than nine seconds.

When it comes to choosing images for your social media platform, you must understand the platform itself, and who your audience is.

Consumers will make a decision based on the aesthetics of a product. Therefore, you must be able to appeal to their interests and needs. You can achieve this with the images you select for your campaigns.

In this post, we’ve got five tips to help you choose the best images for your social media platforms.

1. Different platforms, different image sizes

As mentioned above, you must understand the platform you want to use. This means knowing where images will display and know the different image sizes that will fit these different real estates on the platform.

Cropping or resizing your images to fit the different placements on various platforms, will inform you on the image to use. When you crop an image, some elements can be lost, and you don’t want to use an image that will distort the “story” the image conveys. When images don’t render properly, the emotion evoked by your followers might be that you don’t care about the presentation of your brand.

What are the different image sizes for social media platforms? Read this guide for the different sizes.

2. Use high-quality images

Quality image means selecting high resolution photos. The more pixels an image contains, the more vivid, clear, and detailed the image is. The fewer pixels an image has, the more it looks pixelated, making the image blurry.

When cropping or resizing images, always choose the largest file size possible so you don’t lose resolution and details in the image, and risk having a blurry picture on your social media feed.

3. Select attention grabbing photos

We’re all fighting for attention on social media. That’s why it’s essential to understand the platforms and know your audience. When these two practices are understood, you can now differentiate your brand from the rest, and create content your followers can’t ignore.

Share photos that are of interest of your following and social media posts that contain images perform better and receives more engagements than posts without.

4. Diversify your images

Now that you have attention-grabbing photos, you will need to diversify your images to keep interest and to keep your audience wanting more.

Mix your feed with a variety of stock photos, infographics, memes, and videos/gifs.

When you change the visual information on your feed, you avoid user fatigue, keep your followers engaged, and interest in your content.

5. Have a consistent visual identity

Brands now have multiple social media accounts, it’s crucial to keep your visual identity consistent so your followers recognize your brand.

Your visual identity is as vital as your written message. It’s important to connect your images to your message every chance you get. Using a consistent visual identity tied with your message, will create a stronger brand recognition, whether your followers are on Instagram or on Twitter.

There are some elements that are our digital commandments and know that we can’t create content without them:

• Design for mobile
• Improve user experience (UX) / design with user intent
• Create quality content
• Increase webpage speed

You can read our blog posts for a quick refresher.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is always changing and new trends are popping up. To stay a head of SEO trends, we have listed five trends you will need to optimize for in 2019.

Important SEO trends in 2019

1. Mobile-first indexing

Google launched the mobile-first index in 2018.

What is the mobile-first index?

Websites are now ranked based on the quality of UX on mobile devices. If your website has a mobile version, this version will be indexed, and the desktop version is indexed as per usual.

If ranking is now based on mobile UX, you now must master SEO by having a mobile friendly website to increase traffic to your pages, otherwise you will miss out.

2. Optimize for voice search

Every second, there are about 65,000 search queries entered in Google. Now that more people are using speech to look up information on their smart home and assistant devices like Siri, Google Home, and Alexa, the number of voice search has increased.

As these technologies continue to become more sophisticated, business will have to start thinking about voice search SEO.

How to optimize your website for voice search?  

If you are already implementing SEO best practices, your website is already optimized for voice search.

But there are a few key elements to keep in mind:

• Write your content the way a person would ask a question. You can use Answer the Public to look up how people are asking questions.
• Use longer-tail keywords and conversation words together. For example, write “what are the best restaurants in Canada” instead of “best restaurants in Canada.”
• Write blog post dedicated to answering questions or update your FAQ page.

3. Take advantage of Rich Snippets

Rich Snippets are the information box that display on the top of search results list when you search for information. A summary of the answer to the question asked will appear and will have a link to the webpage where the answer was found.

How do I get content featured in snippets?

Unfortunately, the rich snippet comes from Google. For your information to display in that prime real estate, your page must have good organic ranking. Content that are on the first page of a search results lists have more changes of being featured in the snippets box.

If you want to increase your changes of being features, you must choose the right keywords and create quality content that visitors can use.

Your ranking will also improve if you have structured data. This means fixed fields (e.g., author, date, etc.) from your website have been organized in a database and has a clear definition on how the data stored, retrieved, processed and acceded.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a web developer to add structured data to your site. With Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper you can now add this data yourself. This tool will provide you with the missing fields your page needs to increase your ranking in search engines and subsequently increase the probability of being featured in snippets.

4. Use of SSL Certificate

Since 2014, Google included HTTPS in their ranking algorithm and introduced it as a ranking signal.

What is HTPPS?

The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate makes sure that the data is safe and secure between the browser and the web server. It protects users’ connections and secures their sensitive information, like banking information.

If you don’t have SSL on your website, it’s recommended that you do. Not only can it can boost your ranking in search engines and it also reassures users trust when they visit your site.  

5. Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence

Blockchain was a hot topic in 2018. This technology has drastically changed how data is tracked online.  This is good for consumers as it provides them more control over their data and challenges companies to think of innovative ways on how to use this data. 

Experiments are presently taking place to learn how blockchain can be used on SEO.  We don’t know how this will present itself, we’ll have to stay tune for the results this year. 

SEO trends are always evolving, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter below for the latest SEO trends news. 

Contact us to explore the solutions we have for you!  

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! 

The cost effectiveness, the ability to simply track marketing campaign measurements, and the ability to target ideal consumers are just a few reasons as to why digital marketing has been beneficial for many businesses.

Who is responsible for digital marketing?

Everyone in the organization has a role to play in providing input on digital marketing efforts. It comes from the product owners who want to market a service, to having an intern fact check the information, to having the content edited and approved. It’s important to get feedback from those who are not part of your communications team as they can provide insight and new perspectives.

The main responsibilities come down to these three roles

Digital Marketing Manager: is responsible for all marketing and brand awareness. They provide oversight to ensure consistency and that campaign goals are aligned with the organization’s strategic plan and objectives.

Digital Content Marketer: is responsible for creating content for all digital platforms including blog entries, webpages, landing pages, video, and social media. They also manage the editorial calendar to ensure that content is published on a regular basis.

Social Media Manager: is responsible for the online presence of the organization. They are the online “voice” of the organization and they have a thorough understanding of the company. It’s their role to continuously research best practices, create, and adapt social media strategies to ensure better online engagement. They are also responsible for keeping the social media publication schedule for all platforms and ensures the visual identity of the company is consistent across these channels.

5 best strategies for digital marketing

We have listed five digital marketing best practices that will help you improve your efforts.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Websites and blogs must continuously optimize to have been raking in search engines. Understanding the search habits and the type of traffic that brings visitors to your website is key. This analysis will help optimize your website, social media campaigns, blogs, and ads.

2. Get personal with customers

Advertise products that will allow your consumers to make quick decisions by leveraging marketing analytics to understand their preference. Running campaigns with the right personalized information will allow clients to connect more easily with your product or service and eliminate the competition.

3. Host webinars

One of the best methods to engage with potential consumers is to host free webinars. Potential clients can preview the services offered in a no-commitment environment. When hosting a webinar treat it like you would a formal event by:

• creating a webpage,
• including an invitation in your newsletter,
• creating an event hashtag so participants can engage during the live session, and
• recording the session, it can later be used as promotional material or as a resource. 

4. Social media

This is one of the best platforms to reach consumers, close to half of the world’s populations have a social media account of some sort. These platforms help businesses build their brand and provide clients the opportunity to engage directly with the companies.

5. Mobile marketing

Marketing content should translate and render well across all devices. When creating and designing your campaigns it’s important to keep mobile in mind, as 50% of all searches begin on a mobile device.