Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio, Author at Alpha Key Digital

How to Vlog

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on February 3, 2020

In today’s world of digital marketing and endless content, vlogs — which combines the words “video” and “blog” — are undoubtedly a popular way to engage with followers on social media. If you’re interested in starting a vlog but aren’t sure where to start, read on to learn some tips on how to maximize this great marketing opportunity.

First, it is important to keep your expectations realistic when starting a vlog. Thousands of hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube and beyond every couple of minutes. Only a handful of vloggers have a million or more followers or earn thousands of dollars in revenue. However, while your vlog may not receive a million followers, that does not mean it cannot be successful. Working with a small audience can help you closely engage with your followers and create meaningful content that is beneficial to both you and those watching.

Unlike traditional blogging or podcasting, vlogs allow followers to consume content in a different and more visual way. This can be a draw for many who wish to engage with you or your business even if you use other channels to connect to your followers. Since people like to explore digital content in a variety of ways, a vlog may open the door to new followers.

Now that you know the basics of why you should vlog, it’s time to learn what makes a good vlogger. Paying attention to logistics can be a huge benefit when vlogging. A shaky camera and poor sound quality will turn viewers off. Invest in an inexpensive stand if you plan to film on your phone, or take it one step further and purchase a video camera. It’s also important to edit your videos well, with clean graphics and seamless edits. Changing up your location from time to time can also work wonders. If you usually sit in your office during vlogs, try filming somewhere else every so often. This will keep viewers interested and engaged with your videos.

When it comes to content, keep your vlog short and focused. Viewers prefer to watch a concise, well-edited video over something drawn out. Posing questions so that followers can engage with you is a great way to grow your audience. Also, the more specific you get when it comes to content, the more followers you will have. If you or your business are part of a niche industry, capitalize on that. It is better to vlog about something you knew well and that you may not have a lot of competition in than filming a generic and boring video.

Ultimately the most important thing in creating a vlog is to just start doing it. People will often realize they have much more to say than they initially thought once the vlog has been started. Being vlogging today to boost followers and engagement for you and your business!

Instagram Marketing in 2020

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on December 22, 2019

As you may already know, Instagram features are constantly changing, meaning social media trends are continuously in flux. 2020 looks like it will be no different, with digital and social marketing being more popular than ever. Marketers should be gearing up to keep pace with Instagram in the new year. Read on to learn what you can expect to see on the social media platform in the coming months.

Increase Engagement, Not Just Followers

Promoting generic content for the sake of posting won’t do your Instagram any good in 2020. Not only will your posts get pushed aside by the algorithm, but your followers will also be less inclined to engage with your posts if they do not seem genuine. With so many organizations taking to social media for advertising purposes, Instagram users are becoming astute when it comes to following accounts and liking or commenting on posts. Taking time to produce quality content will be key in maintaining and increasing engagement rates in the new year.

The Rise of the Micro-Influencer

Social media influencers have been around for years now, and the average user is becoming more perceptive of what these accounts are promoting. That said, Instagram users are better responding to people they know — friends and/or family — over big-time influencers with millions of followers. The rise of nano- and micro-influencers (those with 1,000-9,999 and 10,000-100,000 followers, respectively) are beginning to fare better than larger accounts for brand promotion. Investing in these types of influencers can be extremely beneficial for brands since they usually have stronger relationships with and closer ties to their followers.

Using Stories

More and more brands are using the stories feature on Instagram, which allows an account’s followers to see a quick photo or video for 24 hours. These are usually more casual and fun than regular posts that are permanently visible. Organizations are beginning to use stories on a regular basis to share in-the-moment, engaging snapshots of highly-engaging content. Instagram users are projected to increase watching and responding to stories, making them a fantastic digital marketing tool.

Deliver Your Best Work For a Client

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on December 11, 2019

Oftentimes it can be tempting to do “just enough” for the client. Personally, I don’t believe in “just good enough” and always push myself to do better than the rest. Better than my competitors. I am always striving to do my best work in all that I do. Clients come to me with a specific need. It could be that they need a website to be redesigned, or they are unhappy with their search engine rankings. Perhaps they think they need to be on social media to sell their products and have no place to start. In any scenario, they are looking at me to deliver something to them and they may have very little knowledge of what measures need to be taken.

It would be unreasonable for one to expect a business owner or corporation to know the ins and outs of website design and the advanced coding necessary to rank well with search engines. They may know what a digital marketing funnel is but hardly how to make one work for them. They may know that video is the premier content in 2020, but what should they say? How long should it be? Where should we house it among their digital assets? These are questions that I am here to answer. I see this far too much among past and present clients: that there are agencies out there burning their clients with mediocre or downright poor work. I don’t let this happen and I urge you to not let it happen either.

Deliver your best work for your clients. Period. Go above and beyond for them, if they need help. Work from your heart and mind but not from your ego. If you take them for a ride and pocket their money without knowing what the hell you’re doing or blatantly not performing, then you are only screwing yourself in the long-term. No one will look at you as a deliverer, or someone to trust. Your reputation can be and should be dragged through the mud.

So what does it mean to deliver the best work for your clients? Well, it starts with understanding exactly what it is you’re doing. I see so many people calling themselves pro website developers who cannot even code. I’ve seen many social media “gurus” who haven’t even filled out the basic information for their clients on their social pages. Don’t do this to people. If you’re inept then learn how to do your job. And once you know how to do the work, then deliver your best work for your clients.

There are too many people out there that need our help. Small businesses especially. Mom and pops have a hard enough time competing with the big-timers but when a younger digitally smooth competitor comes into town and washes them with their online presence it can effectively close their doors. These are the people that need our help. Deliver the best work you can for a client. You’ll feel better when you do so.

Digital Trends to Watch in 2020

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on October 1, 2019

Artificial Intelligence

The growth of artificial intelligence is still relatively new to the digital landscape, but there is no doubt that it can provide brands with plenty of useful information. AI uses something called “machine learning” to help computers think and reason the way humans do. While this may sound creepy, AI is extremely helpful to the digital world because it can give feedback, monitor activity, and identify customer needs. All of this will ultimately help make our digital world better and give users an improved overall experience. This could be the biggest trend to pay attention to for the next decade or so, not simply one of the digital trends to watch in 2020.

Voice Apps and Voice Search

In the last year, voice search has been one of the fastest growing digital trends. In fact, it has been one of the most quickly adopted technologies since the dawn of the smartphone. This is due, in part, to smart speakers, which are rapidly making their way into the homes of millions of consumers. More and more people are also realizing the usefulness of voice search and taking advantage of how easily it allows them to multitask. The use of voice in new technology is projected to grow even more in the coming years.

Paid Mobile Advertising

Digital media is being driven by mobile usage today. Daily time spent on a mobile device is on the rise, so it makes sense to invest in paid advertising. While it’s true that customers can get annoyed by advertisements online, with some people even opting to pay a fee so that they don’t have to deal with them. However, if they are done subtly and are targeted properly, customers are more likely to engage by clicking on the ad, making it a worthwhile investment.

Ecommerce Growth

Ecommerce has been growing exponentially over the last couple of years. Brick and mortar stores have been working to adapt to this new digital age, taking many of their sales online and even incorporating technology into their stores. In the coming years, the food and beverage industry will become more digitized through ecommerce, as well. More consumers are turning to their mobile devices for shopping because of convenience, so it’s important to streamline the process and make it user-friendly.

Meaningful and Personal Content

Content marketing is the development of digital material that does not explicitly promote a brand, but creates interest in a more organic way that paid advertisements. It’s a great way to appeal to potential customers without seeming like you are forcing yourself into their digital world. Knowing your audience and tuning into what they are looking for is crucial for digital marketing today. If you create engaging content to promote your product or service that sparks the interest of your customer, they are extremely likely to connect with you.

This concludes the digital trends to watch in 2020. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions and please leave a comment below.

Learn more about the services we provide that can help you with any of these five aspects of marketing.

What Is a Digital Marketing Funnel?

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on March 4, 2019

The idea of a “marketing funnel” is not new. The concept has existed for over a century and continues to evolve over time. The biggest disrupter of the traditional marketing funnel is the internet. In the past, most customers went to a store to purchase a product they were looking for. They may have compared the different types of products the store offered, but their search was limited to what was available in the store. Today, consumers are able to compare and contrast hundreds — even thousands — of products from all over the world without even leaving their homes thanks to the internet.

Today, consumers are able to compare and contrast hundreds — even thousands — of products from all over the world without even leaving their homes thanks to the internet.

This, in turn, has caused the traditional marketing funnel to become outdated. The phases of the traditional marketing funnel used to be:

Awareness – Knowing the product exists

Interest – Having an interest in obtaining said product

Desire – Wanting the product enough to buy it

Action – Making the purchase For the most part, consumers passed through these phases in order, without much diversion. When it comes to the digital marketing funnel, consumers may not experience all phases, and the phases that they do go through may not be in order. This is due in part to the rise of accessibility. People want a more customized experience, and since shopping takes place online now more than ever, phases may be omitted or reorganized in order to appeal to the consumer.

Phases of the digital marketing funnel are more like the following:

Awareness – Knowing the product exists.

Consideration – Spending time researching this type of product, discovering what is available.

Purchase – Making the purchase ● Post-purchase – Connecting with customers after the purchase, creating satisfied customers who will return and recommend to others The digital marketing funnel focuses on brand engagement, educating the customer on how to best use the product, and embracing the non-linear way that internet-based customers experience shopping online.

People want a more customized experience, and since shopping takes place online now more than ever, phases may be omitted or reorganized in order to appeal to the consumer.

In order to compete with others, you need to ensure that your digital marketing funnel is in place for online consumers. The old marketing funnel no longer applies now that the internet is such a large resource for customers.

Here are a few tips to increase the reach of your digital content and product satisfied customers:

SEO – “Search Engine Optimization” can help potential customers find your product more easily. By optimizing keywords, search engines like Google will show your content when consumer type in certain words.

Social media – Being active on social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and creating targeted ads on these platforms, can help potential customers see what you have to offer in a quick and easy way.

Website promotion – Having your content featured on different websites is a great way to reach out to potential customers who may otherwise not have been aware of your product. Keeping your own website up-to-date and accurate is also a large part of website promotion.

Content marketing – If you produce engaging and informative digital content, consumers will be drawn to your website or social media channel to learn more. This will help you connect with potential customers in a way that doesn’t seem forced.

Ultimately, changing your marketing strategy to include the digital world is inevitable. In order to stay competitive, switching from a traditional marketing funnel to a digital one will help you capture more customers and create brand loyalty for the future.

Are Our Phones Listening to Us?

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on January 3, 2019

Have you ever talked about traveling somewhere with a friend, only to have flight advertisements pop up as you scroll through Facebook when you haven’t even typed it into your browser yet? Or, have you ever mentioned buying a new television, then seen a multitude of ads for the latest and greatest TVs as you’re on your favorite news website, despite the fact that you haven’t even started shopping for them online yet? Chances are this has been happening to you more and more frequently lately — so much so that you might think that your phone is listening in on you. Many people are starting to suspect that their smartphones are eavesdropping on casual conversations and collecting data to gain insight on what consumers want, then using that data to create targeted advertisements. But is this true?

We all know that the technology for your devices to listen to you already exists. Amazon, Google, and Apple all have virtual assistant devices which use voice command to do everything from schedule appointments to buy more laundry detergent. However, the industry and experts deny that these devices consistently listen in on conversations without being initiated with phrases “Hey Siri” or “Okay Google.” As it turns out, you may be overestimating how much power your phone and other devices actually hold. Recording and analyzing the content of millions of people’s conversations would not only be time-consuming but also very costly. Facebook has made an official statement in which they deny listening in on conversations through phone microphones to gather information. Google has also said that it does not use phone microphones to listen in on users, and has even declared that they have stopped reading emails in order to promote and protect the privacy of users. These sites, however, are still free to use your search history and interests to target ads to you. In addition, they use the data of other individuals who are like you — people with the same age, gender, location and interests as you — to better advertise to you. Sites can also use your purchase history to predict what you might be interested in buying next. Algorithms are getting better and better at understanding what people are thinking and what they are interested in, even if they may not yet have typed it into their phones. So, while it may seem incredibly creepy that your phone seems to know what you’re thinking or saying before you actually type it into your search browser, rest assured that it is most likely not getting this information by listening in on your conversations.

Does A Professional Website Matter?

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on December 24, 2018

When researching a person or business, the first thing you do is usually a quick online search for their website. It is a given that most people and/or businesses have websites of their own. When people enter your website it is just as if they are entering a storefront. This about how important an inviting atmosphere is in person. It is the same online. Don’t leave behind opportunities to make sales because your website looks unprofessional. Many of these sites, however, are not well designed or are very obviously built from a template. These websites will not help you or your business get ahead in today’s highly-competitive digital marketing world. Good web design matters in more ways than one. Read on to learn about why your website should always look great so allow a professional design your website for the most impactful impression on your customers.

When potential customers or followers visit your website, they are taking in your brand. What does your site say about who you are and what you have to offer? First impressions matter when it comes to web pages, and a site with fantastic content can get brushed aside if the presentation is unappealing. If someone’s first impression of you, your business or your brand is your web page, what message are you sending to the world? If it’s not highly organized and streamlined, it may not be a good one. Great visuals, concise verbiage and carefully placed content all show website visitors that you care about your business. Your web page is no different than the packaging of a product. And, if it’s your personal website, you are the product. Studies show that most consumers don’t make a distinction between a product and the packaging — they are one in the same. Therefore, if your website doesn’t showcase what you do or sell in the best possible light, people will be turned off by your product or service.

The mobile design of your website is also important. Most people use their smartphones to visit websites today. If your site is difficult to navigate on a mobile device, what does this say to potential customers and followers? Visitors to the website will likely assume that you’re not up-to-date with modern technology. Even better than a mobile responsive website is an app. Because the majority of people own smartphones today, apps are a great way to get your content across in a way that’s easy to read and user-friendly. Developing a corresponding app shows that you care about your content enough to deliver it directly to people. Are you ready to bring your website to the next level and increase your business? Contact me today to get started and see what a new and improved webpage can do for you. To learn more about web design, click here.

10 Reasons to Start a Podcast

Alpha Key Digital - Marketing agency in Mentor, Ohio on December 22, 2018

Podcasts are a growing medium for many brands to reach out to new audiences. If you’re unsure whether your business would benefit from creating a podcast, read on: Your audience can take you on the go Podcasts are a great way for your audience to connect with you when they can’t necessarily read your content. Whether it’s at the gym or on their commute to work, podcasts allow you to keep your audience engaged while they are on the move. Podcasts are growing in popularity Over the last several years, more and more people are tuning into podcasts. Their following is growing, and brands are taking advantage of this newer medium Podcasts build a relationship with your audience Podcasts are a great way to personally connect with your listeners. They tend to feel intimate, as though the audience is engaged in a conversation with friends. This allows you to speak directly to your audience in a way that engages and builds trust with them.

If you work with other brands or collaborate with companies, podcasts are an excellent way to showcase this.

Podcasts are a way to repurpose your content Once you begin your podcast, it’s easy for you to take the content discussed and turn it into a blog post, infographic or some other readable piece. Similarly, if you have a blog post that you want to expand on, you can use it as content for a podcast. There is less competition that other forms of media Podcasts are a great way to connect with your audience because they are relatively unique. In fact, in comparison to blogs and videos, podcasts are only a fraction of all media that brands use to communicate with audiences. Podcasts are relatively inexpensive Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need fancy equipment to create a podcast. A high quality mic and a laptop will do it for you, making it one of the most efficient ways to share content with your audience. Podcasts are easy to produce There’s very little you need to worry about when it comes to creating a podcast. In fact, they are often times much easier to create than a blog, newsletter or other written content. Once you have a topic, podcasts tend to lead themselves.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need fancy equipment to create a podcast. A high quality mic and a laptop will do it for you, making it one of the most efficient ways to share content with your audience.

You can support your partners If you work with other brands or collaborate with companies, podcasts are an excellent way to showcase this. You can interview other leaders in your industry, get different points of view on a topic, or even just have a discussion with multiple people about your business. The possibilities are endless when it coming to including others in a podcast, and it’s a great way to reach new audiences. It provides a repeat touchpoint for your audience Similar to newsletters and social media, podcasts are another way to create and send consistent content to your audience. Your listeners will hear from you on a regular basis, keeping your brand in the front of their minds. You can build your personal brand If you’re looking to build your own personal brand as well as your company’s, podcasts are a great way to do this. Your personality can shine through when listeners hear your podcast, building your own recognition as well as your business’s.