digital marketing

8 Proven Benefits of Utilising Online Advertising

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As businesses strive to gain a competitive edge, online advertising has become a crucial tool for marketers. In today’s digital age, it’s easier than ever to advertise products through various platforms, like search engines, social media, and websites. The benefits of advertising cannot be overlooked, and in this blog we will delve into the most significant advantages of using this marketing strategy.

Increases Brand Awareness

One of the most beneficial advantages of online advertising is the ability to increase brand awareness. Advertising campaigns can reach a large audience that has never heard of your brand before. By showcasing your products/services and highlighting their unique features, you can get people to recognise your brand and remember it in the future.

Expands Customer Reach

By strategically placing your advertisement on relevant websites and social media channels with a substantial customer base, you can connect with potential customers that you would never have reached otherwise. This tactic will broaden your target audience and increase the chances of converting prospective buyers into loyal customers.

Boosts Sales

Effective advertising campaigns will translate into sales. By targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time, advertising can prompt customers to explore your business and ultimately make a purchase. It can also encourage repeat purchases from existing customers, enhancing loyalty and boosting revenue.

Builds Positive Reputation

Advertising can help to build and establish a positive reputation for your brand by emphasising your product’s benefits. It can showcase your company’s commitment to providing a quality service, promoting your business image as trustworthy and reliable.

Provides Valuable Insights

Numerous digital platforms offer valuable insights, such as demographic information, regional sales, and customer behaviour, which can help you understand your audience and create better marketing strategies. By monitoring and adjusting your campaigns, you can increase your advertising effectiveness and ensure you’re targeting the right people.

Offers Competitive Advantage

Product advertising can give you a competitive edge by showcasing the attributes that set your business apart from your competitors. By creating a compelling message, you can show potential customers that your product is the ultimate solution and your brand a reliable industry expert.

Enhances Brand Loyalty

Brand loyalty is essential for the long-term success of any business. Successful advertising can promote loyalty by communicating your company’s values and ethos. This will help to create a deeper connection with your customers, leading to repeat sales as well as organic word-of-mouth benefits from satisfied clients.

Improves ROI

Finally, advertising can significantly improve your return on investment (ROI). By effectively targeting, attracting, and converting potential customers, you can earn a return on your advertising investment while boosting sales volume thanks to a wider online audience.

To make the most out of online advertising, be strategic, keep your message engaging, and always measure and adjust your campaigns to optimise results. If you’d like to find out more about other digital marketing strategies or require any other business support, our team would love to help! Get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

The Impact of Mobile Optimisation for SMEs

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With the rise of smartphones and tablets, optimising your website for mobile devices has become essential for any business. In fact, it’s especially crucial for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to have mobile-friendly sites. Why is that, you ask? Simply put, mobile optimisation enhances user experience by improving site speed, reducing bounce rates and increasing user engagement, all of which contribute to higher conversion rates and greater ROI.

Consider this: about 70% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website is not optimised for mobile devices, you’re missing out on a massive number of potential customers. Additionally, Google has announced that mobile optimisation is part of their search algorithm, which means that if your website is not mobile-friendly, you’ll likely have a poor search ranking.

Beyond these benefits, mobile optimisation can also boost brand credibility. A mobile-friendly website shows that a business is current, reliable, and trustworthy. On the other hand, a non-mobile optimised website can make a business seem old-fashioned and out of touch.

So, how do you optimise your website for mobile devices? Here are a few key steps that you can take:

Ensure that your website is responsive: A responsive website changes its layout dynamically to fit the screen size of the device being used, without altering the content.

Make sure your website is easy to navigate: Mobile screens are small, so it’s important to make sure that your site is easy to navigate. Use clear, concise headings and subheadings, and ensure that buttons are large and easy to press.

Reduce load time: A slow-loading website can be frustrating for mobile users. Ensure that your images and videos are optimised for mobile viewing and that your website’s code is streamlined.

Mobile optimisation can be the difference between losing potential customers and converting them into loyal clients. With its potential to improve user experience and boost conversion rates, it’s no wonder that more and more businesses are prioritising mobile-friendly websites. So, if you haven’t already, it’s time to invest in mobile optimisation and ensure your website is mobile-friendly.

If you’d like to find out more about mobile optimisation or require any other business support, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We are always happy to help.

T: 01903 688789 E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com

6 Ways To Elevate Your Business Blog

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Having a business blog for your company is important beyond reasons you might expect. Apart from becoming an informative source for your audience, studies show that websites housing regular blogs get more than twice the amount of traffic than those without. They boost your SEO, provide additional social media exposure, and can be incredibly useful for building an email database on customers which can be used for bulking up mailing lists. Moreover, they present your brand as an authoritative voice – showcasing you as an expert in your field and thus gaining more audience trust and recognition.

While writing blogs undoubtedly brings significant benefits, it can be time consuming and requires a level of consistency and execution. But what is the key to doing it well?

Create a strong heading

Create a heading that will immediately grab the attention and tell the audience that you have something worth saying. Try and capture the essence of your content while making the title snappy and easily readable. Distil the entire idea of your blog into the title. Highlight what new information you’re bringing, and don’t be afraid to add a bit of drama – a cliff-hanger to make the audience curious e.g., “5 Shocking Benefits Of Social Media” or some brackets e.g., “How To Be Productive (The Smart Way)”. Be sure not to be overly generous with the word count, it’s good practice to make the title of your blog less than ten words long.

Cater towards your audience

Always tailor content to your target audience. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the target audience of your whole business, but rather who you are aiming the blog at. This could be a different demographic than your normal audience if you have a new and different product or service being released soon. If your blog has a comment section, then it’s a great idea to interact with any queries or comments your readers may have.

Keep it short and frequent

With short form content dominating the internet, media consumers have shorter attention spans than ever – so keep it brief and easy to digest. Short blogs that are released more frequently have been proven to be more effective than longer blogs released every couple of weeks. Blogging a couple times a week is ideal to increase traction however, if you have fewer resources or personnel available to your company, then a weekly post is generally recommended.

Select the right tone

Remember that business blogs are different than personal or lifestyle blogs as their primary function is to promote your business. Depending on the nature of your company, choose the most appropriate tone. E.g., if you work in the legal sector you might want to opt for a more formal voice, but if you work in a field such as retail or media, you may like to select a more relaxed approach. If you’re usure of what would suit your business best, stick to a semi casual tone but keep it informative and professional.

Attach an appropriate blog image

It’s no surprise that content which contains visuals tends to perform better, but that doesn’t mean that attaching any image will do. Always use high-quality, relevant visuals with your blogs, making sure that the subject of your image is in clear focus. Use pictures or graphics which offer the best representation of your writing and don’t be afraid to edit your visuals for some additional artistic flare. Don’t forget to use alt tags and optimise them for search visibility and be sure to adhere to copyright laws. If you’re on a budget check out some of our favourite sources such as Pexels, Canva, and Pixabay which all contain good selections of free imagery.

Master your SEO keywords

Make the most of your SEO keywords and conduct some research prior to writing your article. If you want to appear at the top of those search results, you’ll need to find out what kind of words are being actively searched for by your audience. Once you have done so, utilise them to your advantage, use them as topics and include them in your blogs. However, it’s best not to go overboard, as “keyword stuffing” can sometimes make your content appear lower in quality. To combat this, make use of long-tail keywords, related keywords and synonyms. Include one main keyword/keyphrase alongside two or three keyword variations per page.

We hope you have found this read insightful. If you’d like to find out more about elevating your blog writing or require any other business support, we have the team to help! Get in touch:

T: 01903 688789 E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com

4 Things To Consider When Doing A Brand Refresh

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Behind every well-established business is strong branding and while a full overhaul isn’t always necessary, a strategic refresh can be the rejuvenation you’re looking for. The world is ever changing and exhibiting the ability to adapt and stay relevant can showcase strength as well as a deeper understanding of your clients’ needs. A current and accurate brand identity helps to portray a better image of your business and so a simple alteration can go a long way in helping it reach its full potential. It’s a great way to create buzz, generate new sales and stay ahead of the curve. But what are the things you should consider before diving in at the deep end? 

How has your business evolved?

At the start of your business, you may have had a basic idea of what you wanted your company to be, but as time has gone on you may have established a more refined image. The appearance of your brand should change accordingly, as you explorer aspects that weren’t initially present or fully developed. It is likely that you have also grown as a person and/ or team, which will reflect in your tastes and skillsets. You may have gained design skills or knowledge which could now allow you to refresh your branding to a standard better suited to your expectations. Finally, you may have also acquired financial resources allowing you to outsource your branding refresh to a professional.

How is your target audience expanding or changing?

Has your target audience expanded or changed from when you last thought about your branding? Do you want to appeal to a new demographic? If so, you can cater your new look to an audience you most want to appeal to, which will naturally draw in more suitable prospects. Just be careful to not forget about your existing audience, as completely changing the branding can alienate long-time customers and damage preestablished relationships when not done right. Subtlety is the best choice and can still benefit from an exciting, rejuvenated look while honouring your branding origins.

Does your branding reflect your current missions and values?

If your company values or ideals have recently changed, it might be time for a brand refresh. For instance, if sustainability has become a major part of your services/ products you might want to consider adding subtle greens to your colour scheme or website. Alternatively, you could also change or create your company slogan to better reflect those values. A great example of using a slogan to showcase your company ethos is Green Toys and their tagline – Good Green Fun™. It’s simple, straightforward, and perfectly echoes their environmentally friendly ideology.

Is your logo optimised and visually up to date?

In the current commercial landscape, simple logos have become a popular choice among newly established businesses, while 3D effects and more intricate patterns are being dropped in favour of more modest designs. Not only are they frequently perceived as more opulent, but they’re also more convenient when it comes to marketing. Simple designs are easier to incorporate into advertisements as well as being the optimal choice for scaling and resizing. Colour is also a great way to strengthen your branding but use it sparingly as too many can sometimes appear inconsistent and dated. Stick to shade variants of your existing palette or 1 or 2 complementary tones.  Fonts can equally go a long way and are often overlooked – cursive can give a handwritten and authentic impression, while serif creates a more formal and traditional look.

It should be noted that the number one mistake when changing up your branding is implementing too much change – too quickly. It’s important to be patient and realistic about the process, making sure to retain easy recognisability and discussing upcoming changes with your audience. Consider holding an official launch for your new/ refreshed branding, celebrating the new chapter alongside your team and clients. Most importantly, take your time and don’t be afraid to hire professional services to help you execute your vision.

If you’d like to find out more or require any additional business support, we have every team you need! Get in touch:

T: 01903 688789 E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com

5 Way’s To Perfect Your CTA Strategy

Open notebook with Call To Action written over the page

In most cases, the best performing campaigns are carefully embellished with eye catching CTA’s (Calls To Action). Serving as compelling invitations and tempting offers, they’re often the final touch on landing pages, newsletters, and adverts. A call to action is a digital marketing strategy designed with the intent to encourage immediate action or sale from an audience. When used right, these tailored words and phrases can evoke desirable responses from your prospects. But what’s the trick to writing the perfect CTA?

Set clear goals

Before creating your call to action, you need to figure out what you are trying to achieve. Would you like readers to subscribe to your newsletter? What about converting leads to customers? Deciding the purpose of the CTA makes it easier to tailor it to a specific audience, which in turn makes it more effective. Have a clear vision and bring it to life!

Spark a feeling of urgency

Using time-sensitive CTAs is a great way to make your offer seem more exclusive. Saying “buy now while stocks last!” is an effective way of encouraging prospects to make a purchase because of the “fear of missing out” (FOMO). Introducing a sense of urgency is a beneficial tool for any customer sitting on the fence about a purchase. When offered unlimited time, prospects may delay, seek other options, and eventually lose interest. Adapting the FOMO strategy is a secure way of encouraging an audience to go through with an action – ultimately boosting sales

Make the most of action verbs

The best CTAs often utilise imperative phrases and direct commands. There’s no point beating around the bush – be clear and concise with your audience, make sure they always know where to go next. With a very limited word count, the most effective approach is providing clear directions. This will help to keep your prospects on track, while avoiding any confusion or wavering interests. Always set apparent intentions. For example, when promoting a newsletter “subscribe”, “sign up” or “join” are all solid choices. Or if you’re hosting a giveaway, “get”, “claim” or “download” may be the verbs you’re looking for.

Keep it short

Don’t waste time over-explaining. Use short and straight to the point phrases to maximise your audience engagement. Avoiding lengthier sentences will ensure that your CTA commands attention and becomes a stronger focal point.  Not only do shorter Phrases look more visually appealing, but they are also more likely to result in direct action from your audience. According to recent findings, the most effective calls to actions are those with fewer than four words (though up to six is still considered efficient). So, make sure to keep it brief when possible!

Emphasise value

Give your audience a reason to follow your directions, emphasising the value your offer brings to the table. While this can be harder to achieve in shorter formats, answering the age-old question of “why” will generate a higher appeal, encouraging prospects to follow through with your CTA. Be smart with your choice of words and be the solution they’re looking for. Adding value to your call to actions is a great way of boosting interest and an effective tool for achieving higher click through rates. A common approach is the combining of your CTA with your USP (unique selling point). For example, “call now for a free trial” or “sign up for a promo code”.

We hope you’ve found our tips insightful! If you’d like to find out more about creating the perfect CTA or require any additional business support, get in touch!

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789