It’s exhausting. With so much coming at the average consumer, how do we get the attention of our customers and, better yet, gain new ones?

The answer may be integrated marketing – delivering one message (with the same feel, look, and theme) across many channels, such as social media, TV, print, and email.

Consider the candy conglomerate Mars, Inc., for example. It advertises its Snickers chocolate bar through TV commercials, social media, in print, and even on the packaging of the product itself. If you look closely, you’ll notice every advertisement has the same message: “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry.” One message, many channels.

Integrated marketing has two main advantages for your business:

It drives good results.

Well-executed integrated marketing leads the customer to purchase the product or service. Research shows the more unified your company’s message is across all platforms, the more motivated your audience becomes. Your different channels (social media, email, Google ads, etc.) — using the same content — all work together to convince the consumer that your product or service is a must-buy.

In addition, the more platforms you are on, the more customers see your product or service. For example, younger audiences might be more likely to see your message on social media, while older audiences might notice your product in a magazine/newspaper or a TV commercial. By using multiple channels, you’re able to get in front of both groups of consumers.

It increases brand awareness and loyalty.

Repetition is key when it comes to integrated marketing. When your communication is consistent with headlines, graphics, and key phrases, the more it reinforces your brand in your audience’s head. Your customers get a focused, deliberate experience when interacting with your organization, which helps you build trust. Lastly, you gain loyalty when you appear in multiple places to consumers; the more they can interact with your brand, the more likely they are to purchase from you.

Not sure where to start? RSPR can help your organization with message development, promoting your product/service on different platforms, and forming marketing plans to manage it all. Contact us today to get started.

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We all want our companies to look neat, but designing a logo is about more than that. Logos have a deeper power — they showcase what your business is about, give you credibility, and hopefully have a positive impact on your audience.

Logos affect the subconscious of consumers, who attach emotions and attitudes to company’s images. There are several ways to create an effective logo so you can make the most of your one chance to make an impression:

Your logo should communicate your identity.

It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking a logo should come first, and then you can frame your brand around it. In fact, the opposite is true.

Before you create or redesign your logo, you should consider taking time to look at your core values (often found in your mission statement and history). You should be able to answer who you are, what the organization is about, and how you want your customers to feel when they interact with your company.

Your logo should communicate values, keywords, and other design elements that are personal to you, but will also resonate with your audience.

Your logo should be memorable.

This seems obvious — you want your customers to remember your company the next time they need your product or service. The easiest way to make your logo unique is to make the design distinct. For example, if your business sells outdoor products, don’t put mountains in your logo. REI has already done that.

How do you know your logo will be remembered? Answer this: if you replace your name with a competitor’s, would your audience know the difference? Your customers should see your logo and immediately associate it with your organization.

Your logo should be simplistic.

You can give your logo meaning and individuality without overdoing it. Think about the logo of global phenomenon McDonald’s. Golden arches in the shape of the letter “M.” It’s as simple as that, and when we see it, we recognize it.

Choose one symbol or acronym for your organization and let that be the focus. Less is almost always more!

Your logo should be right.

Take your time with the logo design and approval process. Logos stick, so you want to make sure you get it right the first time.

Sometimes it helps to bring in different people to give their feedback — think about your customers and board members, and especially your employees. Give honest feedback to your marketing team, and don’t sign off on anything until it feels right to all involved in the organization.

Need help redesigning your logo? RSPR has the corporate logo and branding services that can transform your company. Contact us today to get started.

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But the funny thing about trends is they come back. Even though digital platforms have evolved over time, blogs have become an important part of any business’ marketing strategy. If you haven’t discovered the beauty of blogging yet, here’s why your company should now:

• Blogging helps potential customers and Google find your organization. 
  A blog costs nothing; it’s free advertising for your business. Every blog post adds a page to your website, which is one more page Google or other search engines can populate when people use search terms for your industry.

  Blogging on a regular basis also sends a signal to search engines that your website is active, and Google will make a note to come back and see what is new to share with potential audiences.

• Blogging turns website visitors into a loyal consumers. 
  Now that traffic is coming to your website, you want to turn visitors into leads. Every blog post should have a call to action. Whether the ask is to sign up for the newsletter or purchase an item, it should lead interested audiences to provide you with some information so your company can continue to communicate and build relationships with them.
• Blogging prevents you from having to reinvent the wheel.
  Struggling to create fresh content for your social media accounts and other e-communications? A blog solves that. If you take the time to write a blog, you can repurpose it in a social media post or newsletter. Shares and likes on social media might even get you exposure you wouldn’t have had otherwise.
• Blogging establishes your company as an industry leader.
  People most often visit search engines when they need an answer to a question. If your blog can knowledgably speak to solutions to common questions in your industry, customers will start to look at you as the expert.

  A valuable blog post can go a long way—it leads audiences to believe you’re willing to help them (for free), and other websites might link to your content as a source.

• Blogging gives your business a face. 
  Blog posts should not just sell your product. Show others what goes on inside the four walls of your company. Introduce new hires. Take pictures at office parties or other events. This humanizes the organization, which also helps potential leads in trusting your business.
• Blogging is about the long game.
  Once you post new blog content, you’ll (hopefully) see an uptick in traffic and leads. But that’s not the end of the story.

  The work you put in now will reap benefits in the future. Believe it or not, most website visits come from old blog posts, from posts you published weeks or even months ago. The more evergreen (or general) the topic of your post is, the more likely audiences will continue to find it for years to come.

  Ready to create a blog or revitalize your current one? Contact RSPR for expert advice in digital marketing and writing.

The post The Benefits of a Business Blog appeared first on RSPR Marketing + Communications.

As we hit reset in 2024, your organization might want to think about its website and consider a redesign. A website redesign is about more than changing the colors and font. Its main purpose is to allow you to rethink what’s on your website, how it’s organized, and how you want your customers to interact with it.

After all, your website is your first impression to new audience members. While a first impression is important, it’s also important to know that a website redesign is a commitment, and there should be good reason to take that step. The following are some the most common reasons companies undergo a change:

• The organization just went through a rebrand.
  Whether your company adopted a new name or updated its logo, the website needs to reflect that change. A rebrand is a chance for you to make considerable changes to your site as your organization turns a new page, but the design and messaging must be consistent and cohesive with your updated or new vision.
• Visitors are not turning into customers.  
  When a new audience member visits your website, you most likely want them to act, whether it’s signing up for your newsletter, purchasing a product, or calling you to ask about your service.The actions you want your visitors to take should be clear through the design of your website. Your website needs to convince them to interact with you. It should guide your visitors to what they need, so they want to become customers.
• Audience members find it difficult to use your website.  
  Remember that audience attention spans are short. Most customers don’t have the patience to go searching through all the pages on your website to find what they need or read text-heavy pages. Important content should be easy to find— 1-2 clicks at most — and text should be broken up through visuals or subheads so your audience can scan it.
• The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not up to date. 
  SEO is constantly changing, as Google updates its ranking criteria regularly. If your website isn’t showing up on the popular search engine, your SEO might be outdated, or not even present. A redesign could positively affect your visibility.
• The website doesn’t translate onto a mobile phone.   
  By 2025, 72% of people will use just their smartphones to access the internet, according to CNBC. It’s essential for your survival that the design of your website be optimized for mobile devices.If your organization is running into any of these issues, it’s most likely time to talk about a website redesign. RSPR is an expert in website design. Contact us to get started today.

The post New Year, New Website appeared first on RSPR Marketing + Communications.

To save time, we often send emails or prepare messages that are uniform in nature, a one-size-fits-all communication, so to speak. But perhaps there’s a better way to reach your audience.

Audience segmentation is the process of identifying smaller groups within your customers to deliver more specific messaging and make connections with them. For example, let’s consider the fitness conglomerate Nike. Nike’s audience consists of marathon runners and also those who have bought Nike cushioned tennis shoes to wear around the house. The messaging Nike wants to send to the marathon runners, who are most likely on top of the latest fitness trends, is probably different than the message it wants to send to those who are looking for a new pair of shoes. (Buy this newest gadget to help you train vs. here’s a tennis shoe that has great support.)

Audience segmentation allows Nike to divide its audience into groups, identify what each group cares about, and then give a specific group information they want. It allows Nike to build a connection with its audience while it meets a need. When a customer feels like an email was written just for him or her, he or she is more likely to pay attention and maybe even take action.

When thinking about your own business, you can group your audience based on:

• Demographics, like age, income, geographic location, or gender  |  This is the most common and easiest way to segment your customers. For example, if Nike is looking to sell more athletic leggings, it will most likely try to sell them to women.
• Purchasing history or engagement level  |  You have loyal customers and those who you want to be buyers. Your communication with first-time buyers focuses on selling your product/service, but with loyal customers, you don’t have to use your elevator pitch as often.
• Interests  |  Your audience members are bound to have different interests. Let’s say a group of your audience loves to travel, while some of your customers are homebodies. A travel agency would recommend a white-water rafting trip in Colorado to the adventurous segment of its customers, while maybe a trip downtown to those who are homebodies.
• Device usage  |  Do certain customers view your emails on their phones? Do others view them on their desktops? It makes a difference. Your messaging must be short and to the point for your mobile audience, while your desktop users are able to digest longer emails.

If you don’t know how to begin identifying your audience segments, a good place to start is getting to know your customers. Ask those who use your services or buy your product to answer a short survey with demographic and behavior questions. Gather your most loyal customers and talk with them; ask them why they buy from you and what they consider when making purchasing decisions. Scan your social media channels and those of your competitors and see what people are talking about.

RSPR can help you be strategic in your marketing and assist you in producing your messages and segmenting your audience. To get started with audience segmentation, contact us today.

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Working in-person fulfills a basic human need.

As humans, we are social creatures. We crave connection. When we are around people who share a similar mission and purpose, we develop a sense of belonging. And when we can see and hear people’s faces and body language in real time, we start to build a level of understanding and trust that cannot be replicated through a screen.

Working in the office is healthy.

Studies show social interaction has actual health benefits, including improvements in mental health. When we are not with each other in person, we face a reduced lifespan and a decrease in our physical health. We share energy with each other when we are together, and we lose that when we’re in and out of Zoom meetings all day.

In-office work is productive.

Working in the same space as others fosters collaboration and innovation. According to the Harvard Business Review, face-to-face meetings are 34 times more successful that conversations through email, and when people share space, they are three times more collaborative and produce greater solutions.

But that’s not all.

When your work environment is also your home, you may feel the need to be “on” 24/7, which can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction. It has been shown that remote employees often work longer hours. In-person work encourages them to set a routine that helps them manage their time.

Finally, working in the office is beneficial if you’re just starting your career or if you’re looking for recognition and/or a raise. Employers focus on their experiences, as well as what they can see and hear. Being present can help you build your network and be in the minds of your leaders.

Contact RSPR to learn more about our approach.

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If your emails are constantly sent to the dreaded spam folder, it might be:

Your audience | You might feel overwhelmed when your inbox gets crowded. Your customers feel the same way. They might have marked your email as spam to avoid a full inbox, or by accident. And when they mark your content as spam, your mail provider might mark it as spam for other members of your audience.

What you can do: Continue to give your customers your best content and use the other tips below.

Your content | If you use words like “risk-free” or “no cost,” your email is more likely to be marked as spam. Poor punctuation, spelling, grammar, as well as putting words in all caps, can cause trouble too. Spam filters look for this in the subject lines and body of your emails.

What you can do: Proofread your content, make a list of words to avoid, and get creative with your language.

Your mailing list | While your company might want to reach everyone, you only benefit from the right audience. You want to reach those customers who need your product or service.

What you can do: Examine your mailing list and narrow it down to your target audience. Delete any inactive emails.

Your mail service | If you use a third party to send your email newsletters, the “from” field might look like and be marked as spam. When customers don’t see a name they recognize, it’s easy to report the email as spam.

What you can do: Make sure your domain name, business name, or the name of a recognized individual from your business appears in the “from” field.

Email marketing is an essential tool in today’s digital landscape. For your audiences to engage with you, they need to see your email. Seeing it in their inbox means they’re one step closer to opening it.

The post What Causes Email to Go to Spam? appeared first on RSPR Marketing + Communications.

“Why isn’t my ad showing up when I search?”

There are multiple reasons why you may not see your ad when you try to search it.

1. You’ve searched for it previously, and didn’t click on the ad, so Google stops showing the ad because it thinks you’re not interested. This is bad because now you’ve given Google some inaccurate data and affected future ad performance.
2. You may not be in the right location to view the ad.
3. You may not be the right demographic to view the ad.
4. Your budget may be depleted at the time that you searched (which is a separate issue we should discuss further).
5. Google just doesn’t feel like showing your ad right now. Google has its reasons.

We need to talk more about number 1 above. If you do see your ad when you search for it, that means you’re generating ad impressions (views), which are recorded by Google. The more impressions without clicks that there are, the lower your clickthrough rate will be. The lower your clickthrough rate is, the less likely Google will want to show your ad (see number 5 above).

Don’t let this tempt you to mess with the clickthrough rate by searching for and clicking on your own ad. That’s a waste of time that costs you money, and it will only confuse Google’s data even more.

“Then how do I find out if my ads are showing?”

Ask your friendly advertising manager. The Google Ads platform provides extensive data, including:

• What your ads look like (samples of different headline/description/graphic combinations, and which combinations are performing best)
• Where the ads are appearing (Google search results, Google search partner sites, other websites, Gmail, apps, etc.)
• How often the ads are appearing
• The position of the ads on the page
• Demographics of the people who saw and clicked on the ads
• Who you are competing with for ad space, how often you appear above or below them, and if competitors have a higher or lower share of impressions

If you take it a step further and dive into Google Analytics, you can find out what paid visitors did once they got to your website, such as how many Google Ads clicks led to contact page visits and form submissions.

At RSPR, we’re transparent with our clients, providing regular performance reports and answering any questions you have about your advertising. We closely monitor every aspect of the ad campaigns, which means you can expect recommendations from us when we see areas that can be improved for better results. If you really want to be hands-on, we can provide you with your own login and access to the platform, and offer guidance on how to find the information you want.

With all our advertising and marketing efforts, our goal is your success. If you’d like to learn more about Google Ads and the ways that RSPR can help your business, call us at 414-354-0200 or complete our online form at rspr.com and set up a free consultation.

The post Searching for Your Own Google Ads Is Bad, Here’s Why appeared first on RSPR Marketing + Communications.