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In the banking sector, social media has emerged as a pivotal arena for customer engagement, brand building, and service delivery. A recent report by the American Bankers Association highlights the pivotal role of social media within the banking sector, revealing that a staggering nine in ten banks (89%) acknowledge the importance of social media to their operations. Furthermore, 88% report being very or somewhat active on their social media accounts. This data underscores not just the adoption of social media marketing for banks and credit unions, but its critical role in their communication overall strategy.

However, truly mastering this ever-evolving landscape is a different ball game. It’s not just about being present online; it’s about making your presence count. With a blend of expert insights and practical tips, we’re here to help you not just navigate but thrive in the bustling world of social media. Let’s dive in!

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Banks and Credit Unions

Strategy 1: Creating a Personalized Experience on Social Media

The era of one-size-fits-all marketing is long gone. Today, consumers expect content that resonates with their personal preferences, needs, and behaviors. For credit unions and banks, this means moving beyond generic social media content to deliver personalized experiences that captivate and engage their audience. 

Personalization can take many forms, from customized financial tips and product recommendations to personalized customer service interactions. For instance, a bank might use social media analytics to identify a segment of customers interested in home loans and then target them with content related to mortgage rates, home-buying tips, and personalized loan offers. By creating content that speaks directly to the individual’s interests and needs, banks and credit unions can significantly enhance customer engagement and loyalty.

After all, in a world where customers are bombarded with countless marketing messages every day, the brands that stand out are those that speak directly to them, addressing their needs and aspirations with precision and care.

Strategy 2: Utilizing Videos on Social Media

In the scroll-through world of social media, video content has emerged as the king of engagement. With platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook increasingly favoring video formats such as Stories, Reels, and Live Streams, credit unions and banks have a golden opportunity to capture their audience’s attention. From tutorials on using online banking services to behind-the-scenes looks at community events, video content can humanize your brand and build a stronger connection with your audience.

The key to success in social media video marketing lies in creativity and relevance. Financial institutions can create short-form videos that offer quick financial tips, market updates, or explainers on financial products. Live Q&A sessions can also be a great way to engage with your audience in real-time, addressing their queries and building trust. By incorporating video content into your bank or credit union’s social media strategy, you can enhance your brand’s visibility, engage with your audience on a deeper level, and stay ahead in the digital marketing game.

Pro Tip: Don’t restrict yourself to videos of a certain length! The same video can easily be cut into 15-second snippets for Instagram Stories, a 6-second bumper ad on YouTube, and a one-minute video for your social feed.

Strategy 3: Embracing Conversational Banking via Social Media

As we forge deeper into 2024, the emergence of conversational banking is reshaping the way credit unions and banks interact with their customers on social media. This trend revolves around using chatbots, direct messaging, and AI-driven conversational interfaces to provide real-time, personalized customer support and financial advice. 

With more consumers expecting instant responses and 24/7 support, social media platforms are becoming the new frontier for conversational banking, blending the lines between customer service and social interaction.

Pro Tip: Personalize interactions using the customer’s transaction history and preferences to make conversations feel more human and less robotic.

Strategy 4: Influencer Partnerships for Your Bank or Credit Union

Trust is a critical component in the financial industry, and influencer marketing offers a unique way to build and enhance that trust. Collaborating with influencers who resonate with your target audience can lend a human touch to your brand and extend your reach. 

Influencer partnerships can vary from long-term brand ambassadorships to short-term campaigns focused on specific products or initiatives. By leveraging the influencers’ credibility and engaging content style, credit unions and banks can effectively communicate their message, increase brand awareness, and even drive conversions.

Pro tip: Make sure you partner with influencers whose values align with your bank or credit union’s ethos and who genuinely understand the financial products or services being promoted.

Strategy 5: Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Today’s consumers are not just looking for financial services; they’re looking for banks or credit unions that reflect their values and contribute positively to society. Showcasing your commitment to sustainability and social responsibility can significantly enhance your brand’s appeal, especially among younger demographics. Use your social media platforms to highlight your green initiatives, community involvement, and ethical practices.

Whether it’s through supporting local businesses, engaging in environmentally sustainable practices, or contributing to social causes, sharing these stories on social media can foster a deeper connection with your audience. It demonstrates that your institution isn’t just about profits but is also dedicated to making a positive impact in the world.

Pro tip: Offer a glimpse into the initiatives your bank or credit union is involved in with your social media marketing strategy. This could be anything from the day-to-day of running a green office to volunteer work by your staff. 

Partner with Ironistic for Your Bank or Credit Union’s Social Media Marketing Strategy

By staying ahead of these social media marketing strategies, banks and credit unions can not only enhance their online presence but also build stronger, more meaningful relationships with their customers. The digital landscape is always changing, and by embracing these trends, your institution can thrive in the dynamic world of social media marketing.

At Ironistic, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that credit unions and banks face in the digital domain. Our approach is tailored to your financial institution’s specific needs, ensuring that your social media and digital marketing efforts resonate with your audience, reflect your brand values, and drive your business goals forward.

Visit our Impacts page to see what we have done for our business clients in a variety of industries.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Social media is like a bustling theme park, teeming with endless possibilities. It’s a place where businesses of all shapes and sizes can set up their own attractions, dazzle the crowd, and mingle with visitors from all walks of life. With billions of active users roaming these virtual playgrounds, there is almost boundless potential for organizations wanting to perfect their social media strategy and snag a bigger piece of the pie.

So, how do you find your way through the maze of likes, shares, and hashtags? How do you decide which rides to hop on and which shows to catch? That’s where Ironistic comes in. We’ll act as your trusty tour guide through the winding roller coaster of social media platforms so you can better choose the right marketing strategies for your particular brand and goals.

How to Fine-Tune Your Social Media Content Strategy

Know Your Audience

Although you may want to jump in feet first and begin creating captivating, fun content, you can’t build a thriving social media presence without research, data, and planning. You need to know your audience:

  • Who are you engaging?
  • Who do you want to engage?
  • Where does your audience hang out?
  • What are their digital habits?
  • How do they prefer to be engaged?

There are so many options in the big, wide world of social media that understanding your audience’s demographics and preferences is absolutely vital to optimizing your resources and unlocking a treasure trove of user engagement. 

The Power of Personalization in Your Social Media Strategy

social media marketing strategyIn a scrolling sea of faces, how do you stand out from the crowd? By being uniquely you, of course! 

In the cutthroat world of social media, businesses must double down on personalization and authenticity, crafting on-brand content that speaks directly to the hearts and minds of their audience. 

From tailored recommendations to heartfelt messages, building meaningful connections is how organizations become memorable and maintain loyalty. Because in the end, it’s not just about generating likes – it’s about forging genuine bonds that last a lifetime.

Social Media Content in Motion

‘Lights, camera, action’ is the mantra of the social media world! In the land where content is king, video reigns supreme. This form of social engagement has captured the hearts and minds of users everywhere, leaving static posts playing backup. 

To connect with audiences, businesses need to roll up their sleeves and embrace the power of video content to attract attention and stand out from the crowd. So, grab your popcorn and start creating mini blockbusters for your platforms.

You can use video content to promote new products, educate consumers, provide instructional how-tos and customer support, or host live events. The possibilities are nearly endless, but you should also note that over 73% of online consumers watch a video before making a purchase, so there is no doubt you must include videos in your social media marketing and overall digital strategy.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow Social Content

Continuing the video discussion, don’t overlook the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it options. Businesses can use tactics like Instagram Stories, which are brief and only last about a day to capture top-of-funnel customers. You can embed links, polls, and other features to make them fun and interactive. Since they live at the top of the social media app, they’re also easy to find for users.

YouTube shorts are another short-but-sweet option that provides more bite-sized clips of long-form content and can easily engage the short attention span of your typical online audience.

While longer-form videos like Reels have their own unique positives, these seconds-long videos can offer quick, entertaining connections with your audience and help you attract new members to your club.

Social Shopping Sprees

Ready to ring up some sales on social media while barely breaking a sweat? With the rise of social commerce, social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest have transformed into virtual shopping malls. 

Businesses get to flaunt their wares and woo customers with tantalizing, interactive shopping features. People don’t even have to leave the comfort of their social platforms. It’s the ultimate convenience. 

This is even true for companies that aren’t traditional e-commerce businesses. You can use social media to attract new leads, add signups to newsletters, offer free trials or demos, and more. Even better, add social media advertising to your arsenal and take a flying leap ahead in the marketing game.

Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms for Your Marketing Plan 

Now that we’ve covered some stage-setting content strategies, let’s dive into the main event – choosing the right social media platforms for your business! From LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and beyond, each platform offers its own unique flavor, flair, and brand-boosting possibilities. So, grab your social media passport, and let’s embark on a whirlwind tour of the hottest spots in town!*

Getting to Know the New Kid on the Block

TikTokAs one of the freshest faces on the scene, TikTok is all the rage. It has almost two billion users and is the #1 downloaded app in 40 countries.

Here are some more TikTok insights:

  • 30% of TikTok users access the app every day.
  • A little over 18% of users are young women aged 18-24.
  • A little over 18% of users are young men aged 18-24.
  • TikTok users are more likely to buy a tech product in the next six months.

TikTok’s appeal is in its storytelling format, and – contrary to what you might think – its most popular content is not dad jokes or viral challenges – it’s tutorials followed by product or service reviews. That can definitely come in handy for businesses longing to increase consumer confidence and visibility.

Facebook – The Community Social Platform

Facebook social platformWith its sprawling network of users, Facebook is like a bustling town square where everyone gathers to catch up on the latest gossip and news. Most recent data estimates over three billion users – of which a little over two billion use the platform every single day. For businesses, it’s a goldmine of opportunity, offering unparalleled reach and engagement.

You might be interested to know that:

  • Almost 80% of Facebook users also use Instagram. 
  • A little over 70% also use YouTube and WhatsApp. 
  • Facebook is most popular in India with the United States a close second.
  • It draws the most visitors from the 25-34 age demographic. 
  • It also has a slight edge in popularity with men over women.

With its global reach and features that allow organizations to reach and interact with audiences, Facebook is still a major player in social media marketing – even after all these years.

X (AKA Twitter) – The Newsy Social Platform

With its bite-sized snippets of information and lightning-fast pace, X has long been the go-to platform for breaking news and water cooler chatter. While about ⅓ of posts tend towards politics, for businesses, X is a place to show thought leadership and showcase services and expertise in 280 characters or less. 

In fact, X is actually gaining in popularity among Gen Z users (age 12-34), growing almost 36% among this socially active demographic in the space of two years.

On the slightly disappointing side, X’s average organic engagement rate is only .05%, but this percentage jumps significantly for video posts (33% better performance than text) and even more for video ads (up to 95% boost in views).

Instagram – The Creative Platform

instagramWith its visually stunning photos and snappy videos, Instagram is the playground of the creative class. In the popularity contest, users worldwide say it’s their second favorite platform (just behind WhatsApp), and it’s the fourth most visited website). It’s also running neck-and-neck with WhatsApp for the third most users at two billion. 

Here’s a couple more stats to help with your social media strategy decision-making:

  • Instagram is the favorite social platform for users aged 16-64.
  • The overwhelming majority of Instagram users are age 45 or younger.
  • For the biggest ad market reach, India comes in first with the United States coming in second.
  • For ads, Instagram Stories is pretty much a home run with 500 million in reach.
  • Instagram Reels are shared the most and are only slightly less popular than TikTok videos.

For organizations, the platform is an open opportunity to flex your creative muscles and showcase your products or services in all their glory. So, make your brand a superstar with expertly crafted, engaging, and interactive content on Instagram.

LinkedIn – The Professional Platform

Time to put on your best suit and tie – we’re heading to LinkedIn! It’s risen beyond being a mere resume showcase. With its focus on thought leadership and networking, LinkedIn is the perfect social media platform for forging industry connections and demonstrating expertise. In fact, professionals prefer LinkedIn for fresh ideas rather than salesey gimmicks.

For businesses, beyond highlighting your finer points and recruiting new talent, LinkedIn offers  video content, live video, and ad campaigns for social marketing options. So, optimize your profile, connect with industry leaders, boost your visibility with dynamic ads, and watch as your brand becomes a force to be reckoned with!

YouTube – The Action-Packed Platform

YouTubeYouTube has grown exponentially in the diversity of its application and reach. While it’s a hub for artists, gamers, and influencers creating their own content channels, it’s a great tool for organizations too.

Like other platforms, it personalizes recommendations based on user preferences, which helps increase social media engagement and watch time. Beyond simply making videos, YouTube offers ways for creators and users to communicate, which can support a better customer experience and build stronger relationships. 

Here are some more important facts about this social media icon:

  • YouTube gets about 1.7 billion unique visits a month.
  • The usage between males and females is split fairly evenly, but men do edge out women slightly.
  • Visitors spend about 20 minutes a day on YouTube – that’s a lot of engagement time opportunities!
  • Most people access YouTube via mobile where users spend about 24 hours per month.

If you’re not considering YouTube in your social media strategy, it’s time to add it to the list – especially considering the preeminent power of videos for content marketing,

WhatsApp – The Open Communication Platform

For messaging platforms, WhatsApp beats other social media giants by a long, country mile – 700 million more monthly users than Facebook’s Messenger and WeChat. And for the all-important female demographic, women ages 55-64 love WhatsApp more than other social media platforms.

WhatsApp Business has also become a preferred communication tool for organizations. It makes it easy to offer quick customer support (including automated messaging) and analyze data to better understand the customer experience. Businesses can also use WhatsApp to build on-brand templates and create social marketing campaigns.

social media content marketing

The Right Content + The Right Platforms + A Little Ironistic = A Better Social Media Strategy 

When it comes to choosing the perfect social media platform, it all boils down to two things – knowing yourself and knowing your audience. 

Whether you’re an e-commerce company targeting trendsetting millennials, a communications firm agency wooing B2B clients, or a nonprofit focused on volunteer recruitment and donations, there’s a social media stage (or two or three) with your name on it. So, do your research and choose wisely. The social media world is your oyster!

And hey, if you’d rather offload the responsibility to a seasoned pro, look no further than Ironistic. As a longtime digital marketing agency, we offer expert content creation, digital strategies, design, and social media management to complement your brand and marketing goals

We can create a social media strategy that aligns with your brand, boosts your visibility, and remains consistent over time.

Give us a like and see what we can do together!

 

*All social media platform data sourced from Hootsuite.

 

In the vast and varied universe of association management, those savvy enough to leverage the power of digital marketing are poised to reap the benefits of greater visibility and a flourishing, connected membership. As a frequent digital partner of associations and nonprofits, we’ve got the keys that will unlock the mysteries of member engagement, event promotion, educational outreach, advocacy, and beyond. Dive into this guide to digital marketing for associations and get the lowdown on strategies that will work for specific, organizational goals.

Why Associations Need a Digital Marketing Plan

Some associations make the mistake of letting their website exist as an afterthought. But even if you’re keeping up on website management and maintenance (and thus avoiding poor user experience and outdated designs), you may be overlooking all the association marketing strategies that keep your members engaged, your events thriving, and your mission advancing.

For every single one of an association’s common goals, there is a digital marketing tactic (or two or three) that can make sure each goal is calibrated for success. Here are the strategies we’ll take a look at:

  • Social Media
  • Email Campaigns
  • Content Creation
  • Online Communities
  • Digital Advertising

marketing for associations

Association Marketing for Member Engagement

Associations are about the spirit of community. They thrive on the connections forged with their members. For this, three key players step up to the plate: social media marketing, email marketing, and online communities. 

Through these channels, associations can widen the pathways for sustained engagement – even in an age of short attention spans. Using these tools with strategic intention will help associations connect with members, share updates, and create a buzzworthy online community, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose among their members.

Here are a couple of tips for email marketing:

  • Don’t Overlook Email: 

Don’t give email marketing the shaft when coordinating your strategy. Billions of people use it every day and a majority of marketing experts consider it even more important than social media marketing.

  • Segment Your Audience for Email Campaigns: 

If you’re already implementing a robust email strategy, your members are probably receiving event promos, dues notifications, newsletters, invites, new member introductions, policy updates, and more. If you let your members segment what they want to hear from you and specify who gets what and when, the more valuable your emails will be.

Event Promotion: Lights, Camera, Positive Action!

Next up, we have association events – the lifeblood of engagement. Whether it’s a conference, webinar, or an association soirée, digital marketing must take center stage. Through the magic of email marketing, social media advertising, and content marketing, associations can reach a wider audience and watch their events become the talk of the town.

Tips for Social Media Advertising

  • Identify your audience.
  • Identify the top platforms that your audience frequents.
  • Identify your goals.
  • Don’t overlook the importance of a great call-to-action (CTA).
  • Test your ads.

Educational Outreach: The Digital Lecture Hall

In the world of associations, education is a paramount feature. Digital platforms become lecture halls and libraries where associations share educational resources, courses, and industry insights. 

Content marketing, email marketing, webinars, and even integrated continuing education systems are the strategies to spread knowledge and share information 24/7, from anywhere, and on any platform – reaching association members in every corner of the universe.

In fact, we’ve implemented continuing education systems for associations like IIBEC, (International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants), which they use to provide their members with online training on building standards and technology.

marketing for associations with online learning

Here are a few facts about content marketing:

  • Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing
  • 70% of people would rather learn about an organization through a blog than an advertisement
  • 80% of people appreciate learning about an organization through custom content

Advocacy and Awareness: Shaping Public Opinion

Associations are often on a mission to raise awareness about advocacy initiatives. This may be one of their core objectives.

Enter digital marketing to champion causes, increase visibility, amplify their voice, and sway public opinion. Tactics like social media campaigns, PPC ads, content marketing, and email marketing amplify the voices of associations and help shape the narrative in the public square.

Landing pages can also act as a town square for various legislative advocacy campaigns. Set up a dedicated web page for a cause and integrate digital tools that help the public and members reach out to legislators directly and press for change. Then you can use other digital strategies like social media and ads to raise awareness and attract participants. 

We’ve done this a lot for various associations. One great example is ASCE. Through its educational and advocacy website Infrastructure Report Card, they advocate for tangible improvements to America’s infrastructure, sharing knowledge, encouraging action, and influencing the government to fund critical repairs and resilience. 

To this point, ASCE has used landing pages to showcase the impact of gas tax holidays.

online advocacy for associations

We’ve also executed this strategy for Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) to highlight critical issues that are relevant to the industry and people they represent.

association marketing for raising awareness

Membership Recruitment: Target Acquired! 

Membership recruiting requires precision and a targeted approach. Digital marketing for associations can become a superpower, attracting and engaging new members, and showing them the value and benefits of joining. 

Social media advertising, email marketing, and content marketing are the trifecta that make targeted outreach a breeze, improving efficiency and keeping association growth on an upward trajectory. 

Another very effective strategy is creating a landing page. Landing pages can be specifically orchestrated to highlight the benefits of joining an association, tell the story of why a person should join, and easily lead them to registration. You should then implement targeted PPC ad campaigns to spread the word and drive traffic to your newly created landing pages.

Here are four content marketing mistakes to avoid:

  • Don’t ignore SEO when writing content. You need keywords and optimized content that meet audience search intent.
  • Don’t write generic content that isn’t helpful or interesting to your current members or potential members.
  • Don’t design or organize content in a way that isn’t easy for users to look at or read.
  • Don’t forget clear CTAs to get your readers to do what you want them to do.

Digital Marketing for Public Relations and Branding

In the digital realm, perception is reality. Associations need to craft and nurture a positive public image, and branding and public relations are an association’s calling card. 

Enter social media marketing, online reputation management, and content marketing as the artisans shaping an association’s digital persona. It’s vitally important to build and maintain a positive public image and let your brand shine.

content marketing for associationsHere are a few tips for branding:

  • Consistent branding, which drives brand recognition, has been shown to increase revenue by as much as 23%. 
  • Establish a brand style guide and implement it across all your marketing and production efforts to increase the quality and integrity of your organization. 
  • Maintain engagement with your members.

Data Analytics for Mensa-Level Decision-Making

In the world of associations, digital marketing is not just an art; it’s a science. And data is king. 

Data analytics is the oracle that guides associations in making informed, growth-enabling decisions. No matter your digital marketing strategy, make sure data guides it like a golden compass.

You can leverage relevant, readily-available analytics tools to refine digital marketing strategies and create data-driven campaigns that empower your organization and make success the norm.

How Does Data Help Digital Marketing Strategies?

  • Data analytics can tell you about your visitors and members – where are they from, how old are they, what’s their highest level of education, interests, etc.
  • With data analytics you can see who is visiting, clicking, or downloading, how long they’re hanging out on a page, and where users are dropping off fast. Then you can make changes to encourage longer visits and more conversions.
  • Data helps you create content your users want to see.
  • Data gives you a higher return on investment (ROI).
  • Data analytics can also help you leverage retargeting ad strategies, create targeted email campaigns, or offer a special to encourage more membership renewals, event registrations, webinar signups, etcetera.

Google Analytics is the most obvious example of usable online data to guide your online strategies, but other applications you may use for social media or email will usually offer analytics as well. Use every tool you have available.

Marketing for Networking Opportunities

Association marketing isn’t just about promotion; it’s about connection. Thankfully, opportunities are endless. Digital marketing strategies can act as a bridge-builder, creating and promoting online networking opportunities for members. 

Online communities, social media marketing, and webinars help associations span the digital landscape and empower members to connect, network, share ideas, and enjoy a sense of belonging.

Here are a few tips for social media management:

  • Choose 2-4 social media platforms that work best for your association and your members.
  • Create a social media calendar so you can be consistent with posting (applications like Agorapulse, which we use for our digital marketing clients, can streamline the scheduling and posting process for you.)
  • Hang out with relevant online groups so you can see what members might be talking about or interested in – then you can see what social media posts might be of value to them.

You Are Not Alone – Ironistic Takes On Digital Marketing for Associations

Associations navigate a world of unique challenges. By tapping into and tailoring your digital marketing strategies based on goals, target audience, and specific activities, associations can conquer the digital frontier. The key lies in understanding the unique benefits each tactic offers and crafting a plan that invites success one click at a time.

We might have mentioned our long track record with associations and nonprofits, and we’re not just blowing smoke. Besides building websites from the ground up, we’ve implemented digital marketing campaigns and social media strategies for a wide variety of organizations like PAVE, ASCE, SNAC International, Money Management Institute, and Collaborative for Student Success.

Contact us today to get started on a plan tailored to your unique goals, mission, and members.

Digital Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Note: this blog post was originally written as a guest post on Ninja Outreach.

It’s easy to make digital marketing mistakes. Often, all it takes is a little tweaking to your existing campaigns to give them that extra push.

In this blog post, I’ll list the top 6 mistakes that I often see people make when managing digital marketing campaigns in each of the five major categories. Then, I’ll tell you how to avoid them.

Digital Marketing Mistake #1

Not engaging with people on social media

If your company is on social media, that’s a great start! However, you’re making a big mistake and missing some prime opportunities if you’re just scheduling posts in an auto-scheduler like Hootsuite.

Setting up your social media accounts and just posting to them isn’t quite enough – social media has to be monitored consistently. Someone at your company should be responsible for regularly responding to comments and questions on social media.

Consumers have increasingly been turning to social media to voice their customer service concerns, so make sure you have a member of your customer service team ready to address any issues. And let’s face it – there will likely be people who dislike your company or post negative comments for no reason. Don’t ignore them! Respond to their comments, treat them with respect, and if possible, direct them to a private source of communication like email to address their issue.

Digital Marketing Mistake #2

Not doing A/B testing with your emails

So you’re sending out emails to your database, but do you know what causes your audience to open them? What causes them to click through your emails, or even make a purchase? Whenever possible, you should always be testing different variables in your promotional emails.

You can do A/B testing in a variety of ways. Experiment with different subject lines (I recommend 2-3) to see which gets the highest click-through rate. Depending on which email marketing provider you use, this may be a built-in feature.

In Emma, for example, you have the option of entering 3 subject lines. These three subject lines get sent equally to 20% of your audience and whichever subject line produces the biggest open rate is used for the remaining 80% of your audience.

Digital Marketing Mistakes to Avoid #2 - Not doing A/B Testing

Within the email itself, try to play around with different layouts. Maybe your audience prefers emails with one main message; maybe they prefer a newsletter type of email with multiple news articles that they can browse through. Send a few different layouts to the same sample audience and then take a look at the email analytics and see which produces a higher open, click-through, and conversion rate.

You can also play around with sending emails at different times to see which produces the highest open rate. Maybe your audience receives dozens of emails in the morning, but few at night; you may want to consider sending your emails in the evening to give them a better chance of standing out.

Read more tips and tricks in our email marketing post.

Digital Marketing Mistake #3

Not doing keyword research when producing content 

If you have a content/editorial calendar and are regularly producing new content, congratulations – you’re headed in the right direction! But was your editorial calendar put together strategically, or did you just have a big team brainstorming session about content you should put out? If it’s the latter, don’t fret – there are easy ways to optimize your content to make sure it’s being found by search engines and ultimately, users.

As you are putting together or tweaking your editorial calendar, try to do keyword research to see what people are searching for. The bottom line is: you may be producing the most valuable content on the web, but if no one is searching it, no one cares.

I’ll give you an example. Here are three keywords for possible blog content (using the Keyword Planner from Google AdWords). Let’s say you’re writing a blog post on how to protect your skin from the sun. Think about what people would search if they are looking for information on this topic. Then try those keywords in a keyword research tool.

In this example, we would want to optimize the post for “how to prevent sunburn” because it has the lowest competition but the highest average monthly searches. You want to avoid keywords that have low average monthly searches and high competition.

Digital Marketing Mistake to Avoid #3 - Not doing keyword research

Digital Marketing Mistake #4

Not optimizing your online ads

If you’re running Google AdWords or social media ads to promote your business, you’re off to a great start. But do you just set them up and let them run without tweaking them periodically? You could be missing out on valuable leads. Or even potentially wasting your money.

All online advertising platforms offer a plethora of statistics that you should be using to tweak your campaigns. That’s the beauty of online marketing – (almost) everything can be tracked. You want to use these statistics to improve your efforts.

For Google AdWords, there are a few ways I always tweak a campaign. First, let the campaign run for about two to three weeks untouched so that you can start to gather some data. Then, take a look at the keywords people have been searching that have pulled up your ad.

Maybe, there’s a particular keyword that’s generated a high click through rate and you should increase your bid on that keyword. Perhaps your ad is getting clicked on when people are searching for “free” services and you don’t offer free services – you can add “free” as a negative keyword.  This will ensure that your ad does not display when someone includes the word “free” in their search query (saving you money and time!).

Make sure to also take a look at different keyword match types to include or exclude different queries for which you want your ad to show up. I also always look at the ads and keywords themselves and see which ones are not getting many clicks. I might pause those to focus my budget on ads and keywords that are likely to perform well or adjust them based on the analytics.

Finally, take a look at when people are clicking and converting. Maybe it would make more sense for you to run your ads on the weekends only, or at nighttime. All of these stats are available in the Google AdWords dashboard.

Social media ads can be tweaked in a similar way. Take a look at when people have interacted with your ad – it might make more sense for your budget to run the ads during the business day or in the evening closer to bedtime.

With most social media channels, you can create some version of lookalike audiences. When you have a group of people that have interacted with your ad – whether it be clicking, commenting, or making a purchase – you can create a new custom audience that mimics those people that have already converted. That way, you can target even more people who are likely to convert.

More tips and tricks in our rambling on online ads.

Digital Marketing Mistake #5

Not promoting your social media posts

Organic reach on social media is getting lower and lower (while maybe not ethical, this isn’t surprising; social media networks want you to spend your money with them to give your posts more visibility). Specifically, on Facebook, it’s getting a lot harder for businesses to get their posts to show up on their fans’ timelines, so really the only option is to play the game and boost some of your posts.

This is especially important if you’ve just started a Facebook page and don’t have a huge following yet. It might be a good idea to invest $50-$100 to promote your page a little bit to people who might be interested in your content. If you’re a local restaurant, target foodies within a 20-mile radius of your business. If you’re a B2B service provider, you may be better off advertising on LinkedIn where you can target professionals who are likely to be the ones making the decision on your service.

Digital Marketing Mistake #6

Not tracking your efforts

Even if you start to implement numbers 1-5 above, you still have to make sure you track your efforts.  This will allow you better understanding as to which campaigns are bringing your business the most success.

Make sure your website has Google Analytics installed. This should go without saying! Also, make sure you’re using custom URLs whenever you run ads. For example, when running an ad campaign on Twitter and LinkedIn simultaneously you will want to send people to a specific landing page in order to better track responses.

First use the Google URL builder and create two custom URLs. One will be for Twitter users and one for LinkedIn.  Now you can track how many people have gotten to your landing page from each ad type.  This will help you build better demographic models, scale your approach, and maximize your resources.

Avoid These Digital Marketing Mistakes by Working With Ironistic

I hope you found this post useful for avoiding common digital marketing mistakes. If you are ready to work with a marketing team that will help you scale online in our ever-changing digital world, contact Ironistic. Our experts keep up with online trends day in and day out so our clients receive maximum results.

Visit our Impacts page to see what we have done for our business clients in a variety of industries.

digital marketing goals and strategies

The thought of developing ideas, creating goals, and executing plans can be intimidating. Many companies simply do not know where to start. Others may feel that time or resources are rarer than Big Foot sightings. However, with the amount of business that transpires on the World Wide Web every single minute of every single day, digital marketing goals are a critical element of any successful business plan and can’t be overlooked.

But don’t worry. Ironistic is here to make this specific type of planning make a lot more sense. The very first step is understanding what a marketing goal is and how that goal can help href=”https://www.ironistic.com/what-we-do/digital-strategy-services/”> build effective digital marketing strategies.

A digital marketing goal isn’t just a vague wish upon a star. It’s a measurable and specific objective that helps you reach your broader business goals. Whether you’re chasing quality leads,  boosting brand awareness, cultivating customer loyalty, or generating support for a good cause , marketing goals are the targets you hope to hit.

Now we’ve compiled some suggestions and examples to start you off on your journey toward a successful online marketing strategy – so keep reading!

What Does Organizational Success Look Like for You?

What do you want your business to achieve this month – next quarter – in a year? Common objectives include lead generation, increasing sales or donations, getting more email signups or memberships, or booking more events.

These, of course, are all great missions; however, our director of account services, Andrea Macino, says it best to “set measurable online marketing goals that can show the success or failures of marketing efforts through data collected.”

Like peanut butter and jelly, business objectives and marketing goals are better together. Tying them together will show that your company understands what you want to accomplish and how you will do it. So, while increasing sales, signups, and bookings are great success targets, let’s supercharge your efforts by adding more specific and measurable marketing goals into the equation.

Digital Marketing Goals Require Data Research

As you know, data is so crucial in the digital marketing world. 

How are people getting to your website? Directly? Search engines? Social media? Email marketing? Check your site’s analytics to see how your users are arriving and plan accordingly.

Who is your audience? By narrowing in on your target audience’s demographics, you will be able to select the platforms that particular demographic uses the most – and avoid the platforms that will not render any conversions.

Last but not least, what business goals are you aiming to meet?

  • Are you promoting a service or product on Google Ads?
  • Hoping to promote a new brand or upcoming event on Facebook?
  • Showing how fun your company is in a new hiring message by recording a TikTok?

Depending on the digital marketing goals you are trying to achieve, you can narrow down which online advertising platform will best promote your content.

Partner with Ironistic to get a clear digital strategy with defined goals that we will focus on to achieve your online goals by making an IMPACT on your audience through proven digital strategy services!

Keep Big AND Local Digital Marketing Goals in Mind

Where does your target audience “live” on the internet, and where are they making buying decisions? For example, your audience may love to hang out on Facebook, but they might be more focused on the business decision when they are on LinkedIn.

Based on our experience, almost everyone lives on Google, so Google Ads should almost certainly be part of your campaign. In addition, according to industry data, nine out of ten online users run internet searches via Google…enough said.

Through research and testing, we can also find more specific outlets for advertising your products and services, even down to specific sites. We advertise our RUN! GEEK! RUN! 5K on social media, but we also have advertisements in the Alexandria Times because that’s where this local event takes place every year.

Digital Marketing Goals Examples

  • Business Objective: Drive more online sales
    • Digital Marketing Goal: Increase online revenue by __%
  • Business Objective: Rank higher in Google search results
    • Digital Marketing Goal: Increase Google organic visits by __%
  • Business Objective: Book more events
    • Digital Marketing Goal: Increase online event bookings by __%
  • Business Objective: Get more newsletter subscribers
    • Digital Marketing Goal: Reach __ newsletter signups through the website
  • Business Objective: Get more leads
    • Digital Marketing Goal: Increase form submission and/or phone calls by __%.
  • Business Objective: Gain a wider reach on social media
    • Digital Marketing Goals:
      • Reach __ Facebook followers.
      • Reach __ Facebook post impressions.
      • Reach __ post interactions (likes, shares, comments).
      • Reach __ Twitter followers.
      • Reach __ Retweets.
      • Reach __ LinkedIn page followers…You get my point.

Being able to analyze digital marketing metrics and judge the effectiveness of your strategy is key to achieving the results that you want.

smart marketing goals for digital strategiesHow We Like to Measure Digital Marketing Goals

At Ironistic, we typically set measurable digital marketing goals for our clients for a year at a time. The majority are to increase ____ by ____%.

You might say, “But, my business has been tracking data for years.” Comparing year-over-year data is preferred because it allows you to account for seasonal changes and base your goals on trends from years past. However, since there is no easy way to measure year-over-year data, and social media users can follow or unfollow your business page, we typically would set a goal to hit a certain number by a specific date.

For example, your company may currently have 730 Facebook followers, and your goal is to reach 1500 followers. If that’s your goal, then your marketing strategy should focus on efforts to raise brand awareness and attract more users to ‘like’ your page.

You might say, “My business is brand new and has no historical data.” Fret not. Every company has to start somewhere.

We would take any data and information you do have and combine it with a hefty dose of industry insights in order to set digital marketing goals. These goals would be realistic for your specific business and take into consideration your industry and placement.

Based on your digital marketing objectives, Ironistic can then create custom dashboards in Google Analytics and pull data from other relevant software. This helps us track all goals on a monthly and year-to-date basis for our monthly marketing reports

These reports give the client and us a clear picture of the status throughout the year. If we see that some digital marketing goals are not performing as hoped, we can make necessary adjustments within the overall strategy. 

Final Insights Into Setting Goals and Preparing Digital Marketing Strategies

Your company’s value is intrinsically connected to your results. More and more these results depend on your online performance. To make your marketing efforts meaningful, your business objectives must align with your digital marketing goals.

If you haven’t already, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, have a good old brainstorming session, examine your overarching business objectives, and work on setting some measurable goals for your digital marketing strategy. 

And, hey, if all this online marketing mumbo-jumbo feels like you’re trying to decipher hieroglyphics or if you simply lack the time to give your digital plans the attention your business deserves, feel free to reach out to Ironistic. We have a team of digital strategists and specialists just waiting to help.

Oh, and one more thing, check out our Ultimate List of Conversion Rate Optimization Tips as well!

July 2023 marked the beginning of a thrilling journey into the world of Google Analytics 4 (GA4). But like any good thriller, it’s come with a few unexpected twists and turns. Buckle up, because we’re diving headfirst into the ups and downs of this brand-new analytics frontier as we navigate GA4 reporting issues and what we can expect down the road.

GA4: The New Kid on the Block

So, picture this: July 2023, the sun is shining, and GA4 is rolled out globally like the red carpet at a movie premiere. It’s all glitz and glamor, but wait, what’s this? Some not-so-Hollywood challenges are lurking in the shadows. Let’s shine a spotlight on the issues of the GA4 show.

ga4 reporting

Issue #1: Data Delays – The Waiting Game

Remember the good ol’ days of Universal Analytics (UA) when data appeared like magic in your reports? Well, with GA4, the magic comes with a side of patience. 

Events and custom dimensions might take up to 72 hours (or even longer) to grace your standard reports, and even Explore reports are taking up to 24 hours. Imagine waiting for your pizza delivery, but instead of 30 minutes, it takes a day. Not fun, right?

These processing delays may inhibit things like marking events as conversions or creating comparative reports, and they may cause data discrepancies when integrating with other platforms like Google Ads.

Another GA4 issue is that month-on-month or year-on-year data take time to catch up, so comparative reports processed in the first few days of the month will likely see numbers change. In addition, some reports may process faster than others leading to more data discrepancies in different views or summaries until everything catches up. 

Issue #2: Data Gaps – Lost in UTM Space

Missing or inaccurate data is causing a fright too. Ever heard of the “Unassigned” traffic channel? It’s like that mysterious wardrobe in your attic, except it’s not a gateway to Narnia; it’s a data black hole. 

Unassigned traffic happens when in the absence of proper UTM tagging. Think of UTM tagging as the breadcrumbs to track your digital Hansels and Gretels. We’re following UTM best practices, and if you’re curious about what those are, here’s a helpful article all about just that

The other GA4 issues causing data gaps are ‘not set’ data values, due to the aforementioned delays, and the “other” data category. The “other” category rears its ugly head when uncommon values are grouped together – like using secondary dimensions with low numbers.

It also seems that the lack of available annotations in GA4 is throwing a kink in the reporting chain. Even if you can see all the data, this makes it hard to see if increases in conversions or traffic correlate with any site changes like new page publications, an email blast, or other new content.

There are third-party tools and a Chrome extension that can act as a band-aid in the short term, but it’s not an ideal situation by a long shot.

Issues #3: Third-Party Reporting Tool Drama

Now, if you’re a fan of third-party reporting tools, GA4 might throw a few plot twists your way.

Explore reports, while dazzling, can be obstructive when it comes to importing them into third-party tools. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. GA4 lacks a lot of the standard reporting that UA had, so users must use Explore to drill down to data. Explore, however, is view only, so it can’t be imported into third-party platforms.

Making things even more fun – Segments, Audiences, and Comparisons are not available across all GA4 report types.

Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) can be used for reporting,  but it requires custom report creation from scratch and thus, a more intensive time investment.

You can export GA4 data into Google Sheets, but this is really not an ideal format. The only solution in the short term is to brace yourselves for longer report compilation times. 

The Big Picture: The GA4 Saga

GA4 is like a double-edged lightsaber – powerful but with a learning curve as steep as an Olympic ski jump. It’s got customization options galore, but when it comes to reporting, it’s like trying to juggle knives blindfolded. 

Our Promise to You: We’re in This Together

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the GA4 issues, but fear not! We’ll be your trusty ringleader on this analytics adventure. We are already taking measures to improve the process as much as we are able (i.e. transferring data and goals from UA and GA4). 

Together, we’ll make sense of the quirks, harness the power, and turn GA4 into a well-oiled data reporting machine. It will take time – and the kind of patience required while waiting for the next season of your favorite show during a Hollywood strike – but know that eventually the GA4 rollout issues will be resolved and reporting will be smooth sailing.

In the meantime, please, reach out to Ironistic with any questions or concerns. 

At Ironistic, we’re committed to staying at the forefront of web development and design, especially when it comes to WordPress. We firmly believe that the digital landscape is in a constant state of change, marked by continuous improvement and evolution. Ironistic places immense importance on our team’s commitment to staying current with the latest developments, all in the pursuit of delivering the finest results to our clients.

Recently, our team had the privilege of attending the 2023 WordCamp Conference, where we delved deep into the world of WordPress and gained invaluable insights. Check out our insights as we share our team members’ takeaways.

As a company, we recognize the need to continuously enhance our knowledge of WordPress Core technologies and stay updated with the latest trends, including Gutenberg, Full Site Editing, Headless WordPress, and Accessibility. We aim to move beyond our comfort zones and explore new and improved coding methods for tasks we’ve been handling for some time! Here’s what’s on our horizon:

Regular Code Audits: To ensure our solutions are not just efficient but also accessible and high-performing, we’re conducting regular code audits. Your success depends on the quality we deliver! 

Accessibility by Design: We’re taking our accessibility standards to the next level with thorough testing, especially with various screen readers, to ensure true accessibility. We’re committed to improving accessibility on Ironstrap and are actively addressing those concerns. 

Passion-Driven Project: We understand the power of passion. We’re aligning our team members’ interests with their project assignments, fueling job satisfaction and enhancing project outcome. 

– Brandon Vreeman, Front End Developer

 

Our WordCamp takeaways included the continued importance of 508 compliance, with the Accessibility Checker emerging as a valuable tool. We’ve always designed with accessibility in mind, catering to all users, including those with disabilities, and these WordCamp sessions just reinforced this important usability standard.. Multisite in WordPress impressed us as an efficient way to utilize a single code base across multiple domains or subdomains, streamlining development. 

Lastly, our artificial intelligence (AI) journey urged us to exercise patience, discernment, and a clear sense of purpose. We’re training AI to serve us, with practical applications ranging from brainstorming to content planning and identifying core content pillars.

– Tracey Wells, Sr. Digital Strategist

PHP 8.1+ Compatibility Concerns: The web development community is facing issues with PHP 8.1+, primarily related to compatibility problems between themes and plugins. The community is actively working together to find effective solutions for the existing challenges and establish certification standards for future plugins and themes.

Critical Hosting Security: Ensuring hosting security involves a critical step: concealing your server’s IP address. This imperative measure can be achieved by implementing either the free version of CloudFlare or a custom Web Application Firewall (WAF), effectively mitigating potential threats. Notably, user agent bots stand out as a significant threat vector for various malicious activities. Ironistic always keeps security top of mind as part of our hosting services!

Government Website Adoption: NASA and the White House government websites have made noteworthy choices by embracing WordPress, specifically the block editor (Gutenberg), as the core of their CMS platforms. NASA’s implementation goes further, encompassing a comprehensive content posting and delivery system that will soon be open-sourced. Simultaneously, the White House website heavily relies on the block editor to provide a genuine What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) experience, simplifying the processes of page creation and posting. These instances highlight the enduring significance of the Block Editor in WordPress and underscore the importance of providing continued support.

– Josh Hall, Director of Operations

 

During our WordCamp experience, we collectively recognized the paramount importance of staying updated with the latest WordPress Core technologies, particularly Gutenberg and the block editor. 

Forging Powerful Integrations: We learned about fascinating integrations like linking Salesforce to Gutenberg for automatic information feeding. 

Elevating Security: We acknowledge the need to enhance our output of dynamic content to effectively sanitize HTML injections, ensuring robust protection. Your site’s security is our top priority.

WordPress’s official plugin checker emerged as a crucial resource, prompting us to assess not only our custom plugins (like our gForce plugin for Greenhouse-Wordpress integration) but also the core plugins on every site to eliminate vulnerabilities. Additionally, the power of AI for research and idea generation became evident, with the strategy of soliciting a list of 20 names for projects proving useful. Moreover, we uncovered a valuable tool on GitHub for scanning project dependencies, meticulously identifying errors and vulnerabilities. Our WordCamp insights are set to elevate our approach and deliver even greater excellence to our clients.

– David Shayne, Production Services

 

WordCamp provided us with fresh insights and strategies to elevate our WordPress expertise. We’re excited to implement these takeaways in our projects and continue delivering exceptional digital solutions to our clients.

In today’s digital age, it is more important than ever for businesses to have a strong online presence. While communications and marketing agencies may seem like they are competing with each other, they actually make great partners. These two types of businesses have different strengths, but when they work together, that’s where the magic happens. In this article, we share the differences between communications vs. marketing and how communications firms and digital marketing agencies can collaborate together. 

Here at Ironistic, we focus heavily on website development and digital marketing services like SEO, SEM, email marketing, analytics/conversion tracking, social campaigns, and more. This is a small part of the overall communications umbrella that most communications firms offer. 

When digital marketing and communications come together, we offer, well, everything! By teaming up, we can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that reaches our clients’ target audiences on a larger scale within the digital space. We value the partnerships we have with communications firms!

Communications and Marketing Collaboration

Communications vs. Marketing

Let’s begin with a breakdown of communications vs. marketing:

  • Communications firms are experts in building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, including the media, investors, and the general public. They have a deep understanding of how to craft messages that resonate with different audiences.
  • Digital marketing agencies are experts in using digital channels to reach and engage with customers. They have a deep understanding of search engine optimization (SEO), content writing, social media, PPC, web development, and other digital marketing strategies.

How Communications and Marketing Agencies Work Together

Marketing and Communications CollaborationWhen communications firms and digital marketing agencies collaborate they can create a powerful marketing force that helps businesses achieve their goals on a larger scale. Here are a few ways that these two types of businesses can collaborate:

  • SEO: Communications firms can partner with digital marketing agencies for SEO visibility with content that is well-written and informative. This content can help businesses rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to more website traffic.
  • Content writing: Digital marketing agencies can help communications firms by providing fresh and engaging content writing that will appeal to their target audiences. This content can help businesses build relationships with their stakeholders and drive more traffic to their websites.
  • Brand strategy: Communications firms and digital marketing agencies can collaborate on brand strategy and create a cohesive brand identity that is reflected in all of the business’s marketing efforts. This can help businesses build trust and credibility with their customers.
  • Social media: Communications firms and digital marketing agencies can also work together on social media marketing by creating and managing social media accounts that are engaging and informative. This helps businesses connect with their target audiences and build relationships with them.
  • Media relations: Communications firms can support digital marketing agencies with media relations by building relationships with journalists and other media outlets. This can help businesses get their stories in front of a wider audience.
  • Graphic design: Digital marketing agencies can help communications firms with graphic design, delivering eye-catching and effective visuals that can be used in marketing materials. Great design empowers brand identity and helps businesses stand out from the competition.
  • Web development: Digital marketing agencies can also help communications firms with web development and hosting services by creating websites that are user-friendly and effective. This can help businesses raise their profile, attract new customers, and convert leads into sales.
  • Email marketing: Marketing agencies and communications firms rely on email marketing as a key aspect of their digital strategies. Collaborating together on powerful messaging and design can increase open rates and sales conversions. 
  • Paid Ad Management: Communications and marketing work hand-in-hand when it comes to paid ad management, including PPC and social media. Marketing agencies can leverage their copywriting skills, drawing attention of the reader with their compelling content, while communications firms target the defined audience. 

Benefits of a Digital Marketing and Communications Partnership

Communications vs MarketingOk, so we told you how we can work together. Now let’s share why we should work together! Here are the benefits of a communications firm collaborating with a digital marketing agency:

  • Increased reach: By combining communications and marketing services, we can reach a wider audience with our messages.
  • Improved credibility: With two experts in the digital space working together, it increases credibility and trust between our teams and our clients.
  • More creative ideas: With two teams working on marketing strategies, we are more likely to come up with creative and innovative ideas that will help our clients stand out from their competition.
  • Better results: When communications firms and digital marketing agencies team up, we are more likely to get better results with marketing campaigns. This is because each has its own area of expertise and can work together to create a comprehensive strategy that will reach each client’s target audience and achieve their goals.

Ironistic’s Approach to Partnering with Communications Firms

We live in the age of digital information technology, and communications firms are hungry to revolutionize how we interact with clients, brands, and each other. While communications firms deal with various methods to work online and offline through advertising, messaging, collateral materials, websites, and content generation, they can add a la carte side dishes of value to their services by partnering with digital marketing professionals, like Ironistic. 

Communications and Marketing

Website Design, Maintenance, and Hosting

As a communications partner, our motivation is to provide the data science behind the scenes and assemble optimal website design, hosting, database integrations, and website maintenance

When we work with communications firms, we consider not only their immediate business goals but also ideas based on what the client needs and expects. In other words, we aren’t just web geeks but digital experts that understand the business goals behind communication campaigns. That enables us to better succeed in optimizing them for the client.

Analytics and Reporting

As communications firms use a wide range of online channels to connect with clients and prospects, they need digital professionals like Ironistic who understand how to leverage the convergence of technology and messaging to their advantage. Like any proud parent, we pride ourselves on key analytics reporting every month to identify things that work, things that don’t work, and areas for new direction. Basically, it’s our bragging rights!

Strategic Planning

We take strategic planning seriously and use evidence-based data to provide the best and most productive methods to collaborate with communications firms. Our fresh approach combines industry best practices with proprietary resources for research and development as well as analytics to monitor emerging opportunities across industries and sectors. When Murphy’s Law prevails and things don’t go as planned, we work on solutions, not blame, to develop options that keep projects moving forward.

Communications Firms: Let’s Partner!

Communications Firm and Marketing AgencyToday’s digital technology is the backbone of any enterprise. Keeping up with technology is like “keeping up with the Joneses.” It is essential to have a strong social presence in a competitive environment. 

For communications firms, being on top of every aspect of the digital business can be overwhelming, expensive, and potentially detrimental to their success. That’s where Ironistic comes in. 

We enable communications firms to do what they do best: establish successful communications campaigns for their clients. Our commitment to excellence drives our motivation to succeed, and when we succeed, our clients reap the benefits. 

Ready to partner with us? Give Ironistic a call today!

You’re a local or small business. You want to drive business growth, raise your profile, and create a following. Whether your dream is the equivalent of a Starbucks on every corner, your product on every store shelf, or drawing iPhone-release lines outside your door, you need integrated strategies that will support an upward trajectory.

We’re here to tell you about two: One long-standing – branding and brand awareness – and one fresh and modern – geofencing marketing. Read on to see how these can take your enterprise to the next level!

Branding: Essential Strategies

brand awareness, branding, and geofencingDistinctive branding isn’t just for international conglomerates and box store chains.

A strong brand identity is essential for any business that wants to succeed. It sets your brand apart from the competition, makes it memorable, helps build customer loyalty, and drives sales.

Here are 7 tips on how to build a strong brand identity:

  • Define your brand values. 

What are the core values that your brand stands for? What do you want your brand to represent? Once you know your brand values, you can use them to guide all of your marketing and branding decisions.

  • Create a strong visual identity. 

Your visual identity is what people will see first, so it’s important to make sure it’s strong and memorable. This includes your logo, colors, fonts, and overall design aesthetic.

  • Develop a unique voice. 

Your brand voice is how you communicate with your customers. It should be consistent with your brand values and visual identity. Are you fun and quirky or professional and adept? Use language that is clear, concise, and engaging.

  • Define your audience.

Closely related to the above is understanding your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are they like? What are their interests? What are their needs and wants? Knowing your audience should help guide your voice and branding.

  • Be consistent. 

Consistency is key when it comes to branding. Make sure your brand identity is consistent across all of your marketing efforts –  from your website to your social media pages to your advertising.

  • Be authentic. 

People can spot a fake from a mile away. Be authentic in your branding and marketing efforts. Let your personality shine through.

  • Be creative. 

Don’t be afraid to be creative with your branding. The more unique and memorable your brand is, the more likely people are to remember it. One way to do this is to use storytelling in your brand strategy. People love stories, and you can use them to connect with your customers on an emotional level.

5 Branding Mistakes to Avoid

  • Inconsistency:

Basically the opposite of #5 above. Implement brand guidelines and stick to them. Beyond the visuals and voice we mentioned above, this includes font type and size, spacing, grammar, etc. Find out more about brand guidelines in this Ironistic Rambling

  • Neglecting Regular Housekeeping:

Regular audits and updates for your website will help you protect your brand and improve customer loyalty. Making sure that your customers have a great experience in-store and online is vital. SEO, site, and content audits will ensure your branding is consistent, you’re using the best digital marketing tactics, and that your website is optimized and functional.

  • Lack of Team Spirit:

Brand management and protecting your reputation starts with your team. If you don’t have everyone on board with your mission, vision, and goals, things will start to fall apart. Educate your team on what it means to maintain a strong brand identity and give them the tools to support it. Even better, turn them into brand ambassadors. Having your team invested and helping raise brand awareness is a big boost to your overall business goals.

  • Not Investing in Content Marketing:

Content marketing is an incredibly effective way to attract new customers and build relationships with existing ones. It can also help improve your search engine rankings.

More Brand Management Tips

After you invest time and resources into creating unique branding, you want to ensure that you protect it and your reputation – especially online. Brand management on the world wide web is the process of creating and maintaining a positive online reputation for your business. It involves things like:

  • Creating a strong website that is informative and easy to use.
  • Managing your online presence on social media.
  • Responding to customer reviews.
  • Monitoring your online reputation for negative content.
  • Taking action to remove negative content.

Here are some tips on how local and small businesses can protect their brand online:

  • Register your trademarks. This will give you legal protection against anyone who tries to use your brand without your permission.
  • Use strong passwords and security measures. This will help to protect your website and online accounts from hackers.
  • Monitor your online presence. Keep an eye out for any negative reviews or comments about your business. Respond to them promptly and professionally.
  • Be active on social media. Use social media to connect with your customers and promote your brand. (Remember to be consistent with your brand identity!)
  • Be responsive to customer feedback. Listen to what your customers have to say and take their feedback into account when making decisions about your business.

How to Build Brand Awareness

We mentioned a couple of key strategies above that help build brand awareness as well as create a strong brand identity: These are maintaining consistent social activity on platforms that cater to your target audience and empowering your team as brand ambassadors.

Here are some additional brand awareness tips for local and small businesses:

  • Get involved in your community. This is a great way to build relationships with potential customers and show them that you’re invested in the area where you work and live.
  • Partner with other businesses. By cross-promoting, you can reach a wider audience.
  • Attend Chamber of Commerce and industry events. This is an effective way to network with other business owners and learn about new trends.
  • Get involved in online forums and discussion groups. This is a great way to connect with potential customers and answer their questions.

The Latest and Greatest Brand Strategy for Local Business: Geofencing Marketing

geofencing marketing for local and small businessesGeofencing is a location-based marketing technology that allows businesses to send notifications to mobile devices when users enter or leave a designated area. 

This can be a very effective and powerful tool for local businesses to reach new customers who are nearby. There are many ways that geofencing marketing can help. Here are a few examples:

  • Increase brand awareness: 

Geofencing can promote your business to people who are already in your area. You can send notifications with information about products, services, special offers, or upcoming events. This is a great way to get people familiar with your business and what you have to offer.

  • Drive people to your door: 

Geofencing can be used to send targeted messages to people who are close by. This can encourage them to check out what you have to offer. For example, you could send a notification with a coupon code for a discount on their first purchase. 

  • Better customer service: 

Geofencing can help provide better customer service. By sending notifications, you can help customers easily find what they’re looking for. You can also use geofencing to send notifications with business updates, such as new products or services, upcoming events, or changes to hours of operation.

  • Improve customer loyalty: 

Geofencing can be used to send personalized messages to your customers. This can help you build relationships with them and keep them coming back for more. For example, you could send a notification with a birthday greeting or a reminder about their upcoming appointment.

Here are some specific ways to use geofencing marketing for your small business:

  • Send a notification to customers who are nearby with a coupon code for a discount on their purchase.
  • Send a notification to customers who have visited your business in the past with a reminder about an upcoming sale or event.
  • Send a notification to customers who have been following your business on social media with a special offer.
  • Send a notification to customers who have been searching for products or services like yours with a message about your business.

Geofencing is a great and cost-effective way to target your marketing efforts, increase brand awareness, reach new customers, and engage with existing ones. With a little ingenuity and creativity, you can use geofencing to make your small business stand out from the competition.

Ready to move forward with effective integrated marketing strategies? Ironistic has the team and the tools to help you raise your business profile, complement and support your mission and branding, and generate real growth. Connect with us today to explore the possibilities and solutions.

great association websites

What’s the purpose of an association website? Well, as a digital agency that has worked with a lot of associations over the years, we can tell you that there is usually not one, simple answer. Most associations have diversified goals including:

  • A virtual representation of an industry, cause, or profession.
  • A meeting place where members can get involved, network, and find helpful resources.
  • A platform for education, lobbying, sales/donations, and event promotion.  

Association websites can also be incredibly dynamic platforms for the members and the general public alike.  Association websites can include:

  • Industry resource libraries
  • Interactive maps
  • Issues databases
  • Membership management portals
  • Interactive infographics
  • Videos and animations representing their industries
  • Industry job boards
  • Event management portals
  • And so much more

Therefore, an association website’s design and development must focus on fulfilling these primary objectives. So, let’s discuss: What makes a great website for associations?

Common Website Mistakes You Must Avoid

First, let’s talk about the biggest do-nots, hiccups, and slip-ups your association website should avoid at all costs.

  • Poor User Experience

There are a lot of things that can contribute to a bad user experience, but why is focusing on this so important? Because you can have the grandest cause in the world, the coolest events, the best education and information around – but if users cannot easily use your site, none of that will matter.

Many things can contribute to a poor user experience, but the biggest ones are usually:

    1. Obtuse, cluttered, or unconventional navigation
    2. Slow page loading speeds
    3. An unclear or difficult user journey
    4. Unresponsive, mobile-unfriendly design
    5. Broken or incomplete tools, functionality, and integrations (especially with your association management system!)
    6. Broken links and 404 errors

Your website should be simple to follow. Users should be able to find the information they’re looking for quickly and easily. 

Once they locate it, the pages, documents, videos, images, forms, products, etc. should load quickly – in a matter of a very few short seconds – or less. See our Rambling about website optimization tips for more information about best practices for site operability.

  • poor user experience on an association websitePoor Design

Outdated or confusing design will turn off users quicker than almost anything else. When it comes to websites, people really do judge a book by its cover. There are a few design faux pas you want to avoid:

    1. Low-resolution images
    2. Cluttered, disorganized, and/or archaic design
    3. Inconsistent branding
    4. Hard-to-read font (style and/or size)
    5. Poor contrast of colors
    6. Overuse or underuse of white space

Low-Quality Content

Content means more than words. It’s images, videos, infographics, product descriptions – whatever contains copy and conveys your message. And most associations generate an amazing amount of content!  

Associations are all about the dissemination of information: information to their members to better equip them for success; information to the public/media about their industry; information to elected officials about pending policies impacting their industry; educational information to members to advance their industry across the board. (Chris Foss, Founder & President, Ironistic)

Understanding what your users are looking for – not just the what, but the how – is critical. But beyond what we’ve already noted above, what are some content mistakes to avoid?

    1. Generic content
    2. Content that doesn’t meet user intent
    3. Content that doesn’t appease the search engine gods (See our recent Rambling about white hat SEO.)
    4. Content that isn’t easily digestible or readable online
    5. Content that isn’t clearly organized
    6. Content without clear CTAs to guide the user’s journey

In 2023, content is still king. To see why professional content marketing and writing are super important for the health and wealth of your website – check out this Ironistic Rambling: “The Compelling Case for Content Writing Services”.

Tips for Making a Great Website for Associations

So, now you know a bit about what not to do. But, what are the best practices for association websites? Well, Ironistic has crafted a lot of digital platforms for associations of all kinds as well as nonprofits, so we feel we’ve got some pretty good insight into what makes this particular niche of websites successful. Here are some pointers:

  • It’s All About Balance

You need valuable content that meets the needs and expectations of your members. You also need engaging design that compels their interest and encourages them to join, rejoin, and stay involved with your site and your organization.

The strategy for an association website must balance the need for creative design with the need for robust, intentional content. Don’t sell one short for the other. 

Incorporate a compelling and appealing design direction with a clear visual hierarchy and navigation structure, so that users are engaged but also not confused about what’s most important and where to go.

  • Know Who You Are

Part of a great design and marketing strategy is knowing who you are. What is your identity? What is your brand? How do you convey that visually and textually?

Users should clearly understand who you are, what you offer, and what you stand for – through your words and images. You can read more about brand identity in this Rambling that discusses brand style guides and why they’re important.

  • Dynamic Content

Besides branding-related content, what else should you ensure is part of an association website? Dynamic, interactive content is always a smart, elevating move. High-resolution images, videos, and interactive graphics are all great ways to engage your users.

But, your users also need to know what to do and where to go. Integrating plenty of CTAs that stand out will help guide the users through your site and toward your intended conversions (i.e.membership sign-ups, event or webinar registrations, resource downloads).

Members are also looking for education and information related to the particular industry, occupation, or cause you’re representing. Make sure you offer a robust library of resources that meets this need and advertise it on your home page.

Other tips for great content: 

Show off your members and how active your association is. Use photos from events…Share successes from your members, highlight industry news, and offer resources that can help your members succeed in their goals. (Sylvia Foerster, Creative Services Director, Ironistic)

Make sure events are a prominent feature. The successful sites we have worked with generally have relevant event and conference information prominently displayed as a main feature…Depending on the association, a blog or monthly newsletter is also useful when used properly. (Josh Hall, Developer Manager, Ironistic)
Check out these great events websites we built!


IBEC association website

  • Super Functionality

A website for an association typically houses a plethora of content for its members. This content, whether on-demand eLearning modules, eCommerce, white papers, news, or blogs should be neatly and simply organized – and searchable. 

An association website should have simple navigation and easy-to-use search and filter capabilities. No one wants to spend hours sorting through pages and pages of content just to find the one thing they are looking for.

In addition, make sure important features, modules, and widgets like event registrations and membership sign-ups are easy to navigate and use. Think about including other valuable features like community forums, email groups (so you  can focus your outreach efforts), event calendars, and member directories.

Make sure your website is accessible for people with disabilities. 508 compliance is important not just to keep up with standards, but to ensure that members who have visual, hearing, or other disabilities can successfully interact with your website and association.

You should also make sure your website is mobile-responsive. The majority of users use mobile devices to access content, and this percentage will only grow. It is absolutely imperative that your site is fully engaging and accessible on any device.

a highly functional website for associations

 

Finally – and most important of all – your website needs the right association management system (AMS) that provides all the capabilities your organization needs to operate effectively:

 

 

The common features of an [AMS] basically include a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) [system], payment collection and/or processing of dues [and/or] donations, and include goods and services, events, forms, reports, newsletters, and the capability of integrations. (Justin Trevorrow, Technical Manager, Ironistic)

A quality AMS will make your life so much easier. It can: 

    • Save time by automating tasks like renewal reminders
    • Provide secure payment processing
    • Help with planning events
    • Host learning management systems
    • Offer networking communities for your members
    • Enable targeted email campaigns
    • Help with analytics and accounting
    • Support a valuable membership database for all your initiatives
  • SEO & SEM Strategies

A website for associations usually includes a members-only area with resources only available for registered participants. This gives value and encourages membership sign-ups, but there is one significant drawback: Content hidden behind this wall cannot be crawled by search engines.

Search engines need to be able to crawl enough content on your site so that potential members can find your website organically (SEO). Make sure your fully-accessible pages have enough optimized content so that search engines not only ‘see’ them, but find them highly valuable. This will give your website a greater chance of ranking well on the first page of relevant search results.

Associations also need to consider SEM strategies. While SEO focuses on organic rankings, SEM focuses on paid advertising. Pay-per-click (PPC) digital marketing should be part of any organization’s outreach – especially for events and advocacy. This can put you front and center of your intended audience, raise your profile, and cultivate the successes you need.

For other association marketing tips, check out our blog about membership marketing tactics.

When You Need a Website for an Association

As we said before, Ironistic has years of experience strategizing, developing, and designing websites for associations. You can see some of our highlights in Our Impacts.

One example is SNAC International

SNAC association website

You can see from the hero area on the home page that the brand identity, creative design, mission statement, navigation menus, and CTAs are all clear, simple, and visually engaging.

Below the fold, traveling down the page, users are treated to a highlight-reel video, a CTA for future events, simply-organized resources, social media links, a clear call to join, and an easily-fillable contact form. 

Across every page of the SNAC site, the visual identity and message remain clear and consistent, and CTAs for events and membership are incorporated at every phase of the user’s journey.

Want to see more? Connect with Ironistic for more information and to get started on developing a truly impactful website for your association.

 


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