Instagram Reels Ads

Reels Ads: New Era Of Social Media Advertising

by Digital Marketing

Social media advertising is an important tool for businesses to engage with their customers. Instagram Reels emerged as a result of continual innovation to compete with the success of TikTok. So, what exactly is it, and how is it different from Instagram stories or TikTok?

On August 5, 2020, Instagram launched Reels in 50 countries worldwide as a response to TikTok. Reels are 15 to 30-second videos comprising multiple clips. They appear on a Reels page within an Instagram profile and on the Explore page, offering an immersive and interactive form of content that can boost a company’s following.

 

Reels Ads: All You Need to Know

In June 2021, advertisements on the reels became available.

According to Instagram, Reels is the ideal place to reach out to individuals who don’t follow you and to be noticed globally.

Unlike Organic Reels, you submit a video of up to 60 seconds in length. If the user does not scroll any farther, the movie will loop. The user may also engage with your audience by liking, commenting, saving, and sharing your advertising.

If you opt to advertise on Reels, make sure the creative matches what the user expects to see when they browse Reels. Instagram has its own in-app Music Library in addition to all the ‘trending songs’ – you can use the music as well as the transition effects to make an eye catchy reel.

According to Meta, Instagram Reels advertisements can reach up to 675.3 million people.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Utilizing Instagram Reels Advertising Like a Pro:

1. How do Instagram Reels Advertising Work?

It allows creators and businesses to expand their reach to a wider audience, including users who may not have previously followed them. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses seeking a global audience.

Reels will appear between individual Reels on the Reels tab and the Reels Explore feed, much like how Stories ads are displayed.

It can be full-screen, vertical, or looping, and when users tap on the reel in the Reels tab or Explore feed, they will be taken to a viewer that only displays vertical reels.

The duration cannot exceed 30 seconds. Since users can comment, like, share, and bookmark these ads, engagement will likely to increased. Additionally, if a particular Reel has the opposite effect, users can skip the ad or even choose to hide or report it using the menu if they find it particularly unappealing.

2. How to Make the Most of Instagram Reels Advertising

Given that Reels produce 22% more engagement than ordinary Instagram video posts and that six out of ten Gen Z TikTok users want to spend more time interacting with Reels, you’ll want to employ every technique in your arsenal to maximize the Instagram Reels Advertising feature. Here’s how –

 a. Boost your Reels

In 2022, Instagram introduced a new update that allowed businesses to build Boosted Reels to help them reach more viewers and generate more engagement. A Reel that has been boosted appears in the feed, Stories, Reels page, and Explore tab.

Nevertheless, not all Reels can be boosted. Only reels that are less than 60 seconds long and have an aspect ratio of 9:16 (that is, are filmed vertically in full-screen format) will be considered. Also, no GIFs, copyrighted music, camera filters, or interactive stickers can be included in the Reel. Finally, if it has already been uploaded on Facebook, it will be ineligible for boosting.

If your reel satisfies these requirements and you want to investigate this possibility, all you have to do is locate the reel you want to enhance in your grid and select Boost Post. Next, remember to evaluate your data to see which advertisements elicited the most engagement.

It is projected that Instagram will have 2.5 billion Monthly Active Users in 2023. 

b. Integrate Instagram Reels into Your Ad Manager Campaigns

Another approach to incorporating Instagram Reels into your sponsored marketing efforts is through Ad Manager campaigns.

After creating your ad, navigate to the Ad Manager (you’ll need an Instagram business account to do this) and click “Create”. Then, select the objective you want to achieve by placing the ad on Instagram Reels. You can choose from the following objectives for Reels ads:

    • Reach
    • Brand awareness
    • Traffic
    • Video views
    • App installations
    • Conversions

Once you have set your business goals, complete additional ad campaign elements such as target audience, budget, and timeline. Then, select “Manual Placements” and choose Instagram Reels from the drop-down menu next to Stories.

You can also customize the call-to-action prompt based on the type of ad and its objective. For example, if you’re offering a subscription, it would make more sense to choose “Sign Up” or “Learn More” instead of something like “Shop Now”.

47.84% of the world’s 4.18 billion smartphone users access Instagram every month.

3. Add subtitles, text, and audio

Adding audio to your Reels content is a great way to make it stand out from the rest of the material published on Instagram. However, it’s important to remember that you must use music without any copyright issues.

Additionally, although music can help bring your post alive, many Instagram users have their sound turned off when scrolling through their feed. Therefore, adding subtitles and on-screen text can be an effective way to make sure that your message reaches everyone in your target audience, including those who may be hearing impaired. By taking into account these various elements, you will create an inclusive piece of content that appeals to a wider range of viewers.

4. Keeping it fun and original

Instagram Reels Advertising, as an alternative to TikTok, should be all about having fun. Use your imagination and concentrate on your brand’s lighter side. Avoid seeming excessively promotional, or your viewers will lose interest and move on to the next ad (remember the platform gives them that option).

Although Instagram Reels is similar to TikTok, it’s important not to simply repurpose your old TikToks. Doing so may decrease your chances of appearing in the Reels Explore feed.

5. Use Hashtags

Including relevant hashtags in your Instagram Reels can be beneficial in many ways. It can help increase reach and interaction, as well as create brand recognition. An easy way to do this is by using branded hashtags that reflect your company’s beliefs and values, or other related hashtags that are pertinent to the content of your Reel. This serves to show viewers that you care about issues that matter to them, such as transparency and social justice, which are becoming increasingly popular topics.

If you use more than 11 hashtags on a post, then you are going to have 79% more interactions.

You can also check out what your competitors and influencers are doing for hashtag ideas. You may even look at other social networks like TikTok to gain insight into what trends are currently popular. As there is a strong rivalry between Instagram Reels and TikTok, it can be helpful to stay up-to-date with what’s hot on both platforms. By taking advantage of these strategies, you can ensure that more people see and engage with your content while also building a strong brand presence online.

6. Instagram Reels insight

Analyzing data analytics is crucial for your social media marketing campaigns. You can easily assess the success of your campaigns by using services like Hootsuite, which provides useful metrics such as reach, engagement rate, plays, likes, shares, and ad comments on a user-friendly dashboard.

 

If you have a business account, you can also access Instagram’s own app to gather insights on your Reels content. These insights can help you evaluate your content’s performance and identify areas for improvement.

It’s important to double-check your conclusions to gain a better understanding of what your audience reacts to best. You can use this information to optimize your calls to action, filters, effects, audio, and text for future content.

Whether you choose to promote your Reels or incorporate them into your sponsored campaigns through Ads Manager, both methods can help you expand your reach and achieve your business objectives.

The Evolution of Internet Search and its Future

The Evolution of Internet Search and its Future

by Digital Marketing

One of the only things you can count on with technology is that it will change. No matter how refined or detail-oriented your website will be, there’s always room for improvement. This is especially true when you consider how people search for websites and content related to their interests.

Most of our online experiences begin and end with a search engine. If you open a browser, visit Google, and type in something like the local Chinese restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or what the latest celebrity gossip might be from last night’s award show, the information you receive with be highly relevant.

Google has 84.08% of the search engine market while Bing accounted for almost 9% and Yahoo was 2.55% as of December 2022.

 

Even with all the social media, messaging, and email systems in place, it is ingrained in our society to use a search engine first or follow the latest Google search trends to find the information we want the most. So, how do we leverage this instinctual activity to bring in more visitors to our websites if that is the case? How do you account for the future of internet searching that is happening right now and affecting conversion rates?

The Evolution of a Search Query

Long ago, in a time before smartphones, everyone had to rely on old-fashioned search engines like Altavista or Ask Jeeves. We would connect to our dial tones and hear that robotic melodic stream that most younger users today have never heard of in their lifetimes, all in the hopes that the information we were looking for wouldn’t have too many images or take an hour to download.

Today performing a user search is almost synonymous with the word Google. That search engine has become so ingrained into our everyday usage that it’s like Kleenex to tissues or Band-Aid when you get a cut on your finger. As a result, the brand has become more significant than the activity that you will perform on its website.

That is because Google has become more refined in generating results for online searches. Any website that wants to be ranked high on the search engine results page of Google or any other provider needs to follow some basics to get recognized.

The point is that search engines are putting people first, and constantly evolving, so the services they provide have the highest demand. After all, everybody wants to make money online, and being the best search engine is a great way to do it.

To rank well on Google, you must have some critical factors that include:

    • Quality backlinks
    • Content that is relevant to the user
    • A solid SEO strategy with suitable keywords and phrases
    • A fast-loading website
    • Relevant images, videos, and written content
    • Clean UI/UX for clear navigation

If you contribute to the internet ecosystem, you will rank well on Google. All that is left now is that you are following the latest updates on how Google enforces its internet search requirements.

The Effect of Google Search Trends & Updates

For years, Google has been providing updates to its system. These updates’ overall goal is to ensure the content delivered to users performing an online search meets their expectations.

If you operate a website that relies heavily on organic search, you need to be aligned with any of these updates. That means you need to follow Google’s advice on creating people-first content. Things like prioritizing short-form videos, integrating social media, and having a convenient and intuitive layout ensure that you will rank high regardless of what update has been initiated.

It also means staying abreast of any recent Google search trends. Google is the most visited website in the world, with more than 89 billion hits every month. That gives it massive control over the search engine market, with as much as 90% of its market share. If you want a helpful website that gains traction with your target audience, you need to adhere to Google’s updates and search trends to appear at the top of your niche market.

What Boosts a Website to the Top of a Search Page?

Trying to figure out the precise algorithm Google uses is a full-time job. People with three different doctorates, from computer science to sociology, spend all their waking hours trying to solve this massive equation.

The easier way to figure out why one type of market searching for a website based on different topics has more to do with the basics you need to have on your website. Getting on the front page of Google results in a massive boost in your click-through rate. To do this, you need some critical things in place, including:

1. Fixing On-Page SEO

This means integrating a solid keyword strategy into your landing pages, image alt-tags, descriptions, and anything else without keyword stuffing or violating Google’s updates.

2. Using LSI Keywords

LSI keywords are anything related to your specific lead keyword or phrase. For example, if you have something like “baseball games in North America” as your key phrase, you may also want to have LSI keywords on your webpage like:

    • Baseball mitt
    • The best baseball bat
    • Habits of baseball players
    • Best baseball teams in the USA
    • And similar options

3. Match Content to Your Audience

Get into the mind of someone who would be searching for your content. Are they asking questions? Or is there a general statement related to your keywords? Then, deliver the content that provides them with the resources they need to move forward. Not only is it better for Google search trends, but it will improve your overall user engagement.

4. Develop a Backlink Strategy

One of the best ways to improve your SERP is to have backlinks from reputable websites and sources. People who link to your webpage show that you are in authority on that topic. The more quality backlinks you have, the higher your page will rank with Google because the search engine will recognize you as delivering the best content based on the initial online search.

5. Don’t Forget Internal Linking

Google wants to view your website as a series of interconnected pages. So you need a link from page to page to page on your own website with relevant topics or keywords. This also makes it easier for your visitors to navigate your site.

6. Boost Your Loading Speed

Another critical tip is to improve your user experience by making your site load as quickly as possible. This includes being mobile responsive with images, content, and video that loads fast regardless of platform. Google will see this as you going the extra mile to improve a user experience and will reward you with a higher page rank.

What is Changing for a User Search Right Now?

There are tons of incredible changes happening in the search page world. Probably the most important is the use of artificial intelligence within a search engine ecosystem.

For example, Microsoft is using ChatGPT as part of their Bing search engine, and Google is using a competitor called Bard. Both of these will drastically change how we search for things and the information that will be plugged into search engines in the future.

However, there are a lot of bugs to fix in those two systems. In the meantime, here are some other things to keep in mind when considering the latest Google search trends in the future of Internet searching.

1. Augmented Reality on Mobile Devices

Over 1.7 billion mobile users are already taking advantage of AR, otherwise known as augmented reality. They are systems that enable interactive applications like virtual dressing rooms when you’re online shopping for clothing or Pokémon Go that uses the gaming world to capture different creatures in real-life settings. It is the idea of crafting a reality that combines your personal views with the latest technology. This is going to become even more prominent as the years progress.

2. AI Writing

While AI has been integrated into content creation for years, the release of ChatGPT has exploded across the internet. People suddenly found a way to generate all kinds of articles without the need to hire teams and teams of writers.

ChatGPT crossed the 100 million users milestone in January 2023. In the first month of its launch, ChatGPT had more than 57 million monthly users.

Most businesses operate on the idea of automation. So when you can automate your content creation, you save money and time while boosting the quality of information you’re providing in your user search. The only thing to watch out for here is that AI text generation is imperfect. You still need someone to go over the content to humanize it, add some comedy, and make sure that it is SEO optimized for your website.

3. SEO & Branding (Be a Destination)

SEO is constantly evolving, especially in the online search world. Being ranked well for one keyboard is no longer enough. You need to build a brand related to your target keyphrase so that when a user lands on your website, they spend some time looking around at the other content available.

The best way to stand out from your competition is to expand your SEO strategy so that you become a destination instead of just a one-hit wonder when it comes to a search page result.

4. Long-Tail Strategies 

Niching down is not a bad idea. Finding those rare long-tail keywords that don’t have much competition but have a high interest is still the most reliable way to increase your organic search results. Any time that you can organically drive a massive amount of traffic to your website is going to be a boost in your potential revenue. This is especially true for those in e-commerce or running a blog.

5. Google Analytics 4

GA4 stands to change the entire search website industry again. That is because this new system’s predictive insights will include user behavior. When you better understand your target audience’s behavior, you can adapt your website to their specific needs.

That will give you a massive competitive advantage over those who do not account for this new system. The better you can understand your talking market, the better you can deliver quality content, and the higher you will rank on Google search trends.

6. Quality Over Quantity

Let’s say it again for all the kids in the back of the bus – you cannot win with Google and any search engine unless you have quality content.

The days of keyboard stuffing and generating fly-by-night information for users are gone. Everybody wants personalized information that is highly relevant and easy to verify. The best way to rank high on Google is to be an authority on your target niche market with keywords and phrases to back it up.

The information era is pretty much over. We are now moving into the augmented era, where technologies and integrative tools will become an everyday activity. That includes things related to Google search trends and how we conduct a search query. In addition, wearable technology and augmented reality applications will result in a more inclusive search engine environment.

While you do your best to maintain your branding, SEO strategies, and short-form videos for your target audience, you also need to keep a close eye on how this industry is evolving. Staying on the cutting edge of internet searching is one of the best ways to develop your online brand and become a leading provider of whatever niche service, product, or idea you want to get across to your target market.

Everything You Need to Know About Google Shopping

Everything You Need to Know About Google Shopping

by Digital Marketing

As a business, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technology. And if you haven’t already heard about Google Shopping, you’re missing out! Google Shopping allows consumers to find products and compare prices quickly and easily. It is becoming a popular tool for online shoppers, so it’s important for businesses to understand how to use it successfully. Let’s take a look at what Google Shopping is and why it matters.

Almost 60% of shopping queries on Google Search are upper-funnel, meaning they’re looking to find a specific product from a broad category

What Is Google Shopping?

Google Shopping is an online shopping service offered by Google that enables users to shop for products from various merchants via the search engine. It works by displaying results in a visual format with product images, descriptions, and prices. Consumers can then click on the product they are interested in purchasing and be directed to the merchant’s website or app where they can purchase the item.

Benefits of Using Google Shopping

Google Shopping provides an incredible range of benefits to businesses, including increased visibility, traffic, and revenue. Statistics show that Google Shopping campaigns often have the highest return on investment (ROI) compared to other forms of online marketing, such as display ads, sponsored search ads and organic search.

According to a study by Conductor, Retailers who use Google Shopping are 77% more likely to see a meaningful return on their investments than those who don’t. Additionally, they report that businesses using Google Shopping campaigns tend to have higher click-through rates (CTRs), cost per click (CPCs), and conversions than those who do not.

Moreover, optimized Google Shopping campaigns can help retailers easily target consumers who are searching for relevant products quickly and efficiently. In fact, statistics from the same Conductor study show that 74% of digital marketers agree that managing Google Shopping campaigns is much simpler than optimizing for organic search results — making it easier for businesses to reach the right customers in a timely manner.

How to Set Up Your Business On Google Shopping

Setting up your business on Google Shopping is simple and straightforward; all you need is a Merchant Center account and you’re ready to go! The first step is connecting your existing store or marketplace (such as Shopify or Etsy) with the Merchant Center so that your product information can be pulled into listings on the platform.

Once this connection has been established, you will be able to create campaigns that target specific keywords related to your products and define budgets for each campaign so that you can control how much money you spend on advertising each month. Finally, once everything has been set up properly, all that remains is monitoring performance metrics such as impressions and clicks so that you can adjust campaigns accordingly if needed.

You can view the step by step instruction here.

Organizing Your Products

After your Merchant Center account is created and populated with eligible products, it’s time to organize them into groups called “Ad Groups” so that shoppers can easily filter through them based on their preferences. You can also customize ad group settings like bids and budget limits at this stage as well. Finally, make sure that each product has accurate descriptions and appropriate images—this will ensure that they appear properly when customers search for related products or services on Google Search.

Optimizing Your Campaigns

Once your Ad Groups are set up and ready to go, it’s time to optimize them for maximum visibility. By optimizing the campaigns regularly—including making changes such as adjusting bids, budget limits, keywords used in titles/descriptions—you can ensure that shoppers are finding the right products quickly and efficiently while getting the most out of their budget spend.

Additionally, tracking customer behavior using tools like Conversion Tracking can help identify areas where optimization may be needed in order to drive more conversions from shoppers who click on your ads.

As a Google Partner, we use a comprehensive suite of tools that allow us to track key performance indicators (KPIs), analyze user behavior, and identify opportunities for growth. With our experience in website optimization, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO), we can create an effective strategy tailored to your needs.

Google-Partners

We understand that each business is unique and we customize our services accordingly to meet your individual requirements. Moreover, we keep up with the latest digital trends and innovations so that you remain competitive in your industry.

How To Find the Right Digital Marketing Agency for Your Business

How To Find the Right Digital Marketing Agency for Your Business

by with No Comment Digital Marketing

If you own a business, then you know that digital marketing is integral to your success. After all, without digital marketing, it can be hard to reach new customers and build brand recognition. But with so many digital marketing agencies out there, how do you choose the right one? Don’t worry—we’ve got some tips to help make sure you find the best digital marketing agency for your business.

The global digital advertising and marketing market was estimated at $350 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $786.2 billion by 2026.

Understand Your Needs

Before you even begin looking at different agencies, it’s important to understand what your exact needs are. What kind of services are you looking for? Do you need help managing social media accounts? Are you looking for assistance with SEO strategy or content development? Knowing exactly what services will best benefit your business will make finding an agency much easier.

Scope & Specialty

The next step is to consider what type of digital marketing your business requires and which agency specializes in that particular area. Different agencies may specialize in SEO, PPC campaigns, content creation or social media management. You should also consider whether a full-service digital marketing agency would be better suited for your needs than one which specializes in a single service or tactic. Make sure that whatever agency you choose has experience working with businesses similar to yours so that they can bring their expertise and knowledge to your project.

72% of overall marketing budgets get put towards digital marketing channels.

Evaluate Performance Metrics

When considering which digital marketing agency to use, it is essential to evaluate their performance metrics. Look at their past successes and review how they achieved them so that you can get an idea of how they approach projects similar to yours. It is also useful to ask potential agencies how they measure success and if they are able to provide data that demonstrates their results over time. This helps ensure that you get a clear understanding of their capabilities before committing to them as a partner for your business’s digital marketing efforts.

Budget & Value

Finally, it’s essential that you come up with a budget before selecting an agency and make sure that they are willing to work within it. Don’t forget to factor in any additional costs such as software licenses, hosting fees etc., as this could add significantly to the cost of an agency’s services over time. It’s important to remember that while cost should be taken into account when searching for an agency, value should always be prioritized over price—you want quality results from your chosen partner and those don’t come cheap!

The average local business puts 5-10% of its revenue towards its digital marketing budget, but for larger businesses, that number can climb to about 14%.

Choosing the right digital marketing agency can be overwhelming—but if done right, it can be incredibly beneficial for your business! Making sure that the agency understands your needs and has experience working with similar businesses is key when picking the perfect one for your company. With these steps in mind, we hope this guide helps make navigating the sea of available digital marketing agencies a bit simpler! Good luck!

How to Diversify the Marketing Tactics for Your E-Commerce Business?

How to Diversify the Marketing Tactics for Your E-Commerce Business?

by Digital Marketing

The e-commerce industry is a highly competitive one. It’s not just about providing the best product or service. You need to stand out from the crowd by promoting your brand and engaging with customers in the most effective way possible.

To achieve this, you need to diversify your e-commerce marketing tactics. There are several ways that you can do this:

Redefine Your Target Audience

The first step to diversifying your marketing tactics is to redefine your target audience. A target audience is a group of individuals with similar characteristics and interests and, therefore, would be interested in the same product or service.

For example, if you are selling men’s shoes online, a good strategy would be to segment your audience into different categories:

    • Men aged 25-35 who work as software engineers
    • Men aged 35-45 who work as doctors or lawyers

Develop a Social Media Presence

Social media is a great way to reach your target audience. You can use social media to engage with your customers and fans, as well as build your brand. Social media can help you find new customers, grow your business, and boost SEO.

The trick is finding one or two social media platforms that fit the branding and style of your online business. This e-commerce marketing strategy takes consistency and solving your clients’ problems through visual media.

Use Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to get in touch with your customers and stay in touch with them over time. It’s a great way to promote products, but it can also be used as a way to build relationships by sending customers information that they’ll find useful or interesting.

Many online sellers overlook the high value of this e-commerce marketing option, which has stood the test of time compared to other methods. A vibrant email list will sustain your business.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a great way to reach existing and potential customers. It can be used to generate leads, increase brand awareness, and increase sales. Content marketing can also be used to build trust with your audience. This is especially important because people are more likely to buy from companies that they trust.

Build Brand Partnerships

Another way to diversify your e-commerce marketing tactics is by partnering with other brands in the same niche as you. This can be anything from offering complementary discounts on similar products that enhance your features to building an affiliate program that strengthens your e-commerce marketing efforts.

Lean into Influencer & User Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is any form of content your buyers create that can be used to promote your brand. It includes photos, videos, and reviews.

Influencer marketing is a strategy where you work with an influencer to promote your brand or product on social media by sharing their story with the audience.

In both cases, you are using highly relevant e-commerce marketing by leveraging people who naturally promote trust in your brand without having to be the actual spokesperson.

How can we help?

These are just a few ways to diversify your marketing tactics for your e-commerce business. As you can see, there are many different options to choose from out there, and they all have their own benefits and drawbacks.

It’s up to you as an entrepreneur to decide which one is right for your brand based on what kind of message or product you want to convey.

That is where we can help. Our experienced team at Griffon Webstudios has spent years cultivating powerful e-commerce marketing strategies to boost your potential market penetration and sales. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation.

Why Content Marketing is a Reliable Strategy for Your Business

Why Content Marketing is a Reliable Strategy for Your Business

by Digital Marketing

Content marketing is a reliable strategy for any business, big or small. It has the potential to drastically increase your brand visibility and reputation online, as well as drive more leads into your sales funnel.

The best part? With content marketing, you don’t have to spend lots of money on expensive ads or other forms of advertising. Instead, you can create engaging content that speaks directly to your target audience — all while building trust with them over time, so they want to do business with you. Other benefits include:

1. Lowers Bounce Rate

Your bounce rate is one of the first metrics you’ll want to look at when determining what type of content your audience is consuming. The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors that leave your site without visiting any other pages.

This means that if visitors come to your site and leave without clicking on anything, they are counted as a bounce. A high bounce rate can mean there’s something wrong with the content you’re providing, or it could indicate that someone else has already covered the topic better than you have.

2. Increases Social Media Engagement

Social media is a great way to connect with customers. It can be used to share your content, brand, and products with potential customers. Content marketing helps you build relationships with your audience by providing them with interesting and engaging content they want to read.

This increases social media engagement because if people enjoy what they’re reading, then they may want to share it on their own page or, in some other way, promote it for you.

3. Builds Trust to Generate More Leads

Content marketing builds trust, credibility, authority, and a relationship with customers. Little by little, you are showing your target customers that they can trust you to offer sound advice and content marketing strategies that increase the value they get from engaging with your brand.

This will encourage them to come back more often and convince those leads on the fence to reach out.

4. Original Content Creates Brand Communities

An original and consistent stream of content marketing builds a sense of community around your brand. These communities allow you to connect with consumers on a deeper level, which helps build trust and loyalty for you and your business.

5. Boosts Your SEO Strategies

Content marketing is a great way to boost your SEO strategies. This can help you rank better in search engines, especially when it is combined with other SEO efforts.

Think of it this way: if you’re writing highly relevant content to your target audience, chances are they’ll want to share it on social media. If enough people do that, then Google will notice and start ranking your site as an authoritative source for anything related to what you were talking about.

6. Builds Brand Awareness & Establishes Authority

Brand awareness is the first step toward building a relationship with a customer. With content marketing, you can create content that is directly relevant to your business to build brand awareness.

For example, if you are an accountant and want to build brand awareness for your accounting firm, then publishing articles that help people understand how taxes work would be an excellent way of doing so.

Where to Start

Content marketing is an effective way to promote your business and build relationships with customers. It’s also a powerful way to nurture leads, generate leads, increase sales, improve customer loyalty, and build trust.

Our expert team at Griffon Webstudios has spent years cultivating highly rewarding content marketing strategies for our clients. So contact us today, and let’s discuss how we can offer your brand the same value ROI package.

Essential Ecommerce Website Optimization Tips to Boost Holiday Sales

Essential Ecommerce Website Optimization Tips to Boost Holiday Sales

by Digital Marketing

The holidays are a crucial time for e-commerce sites to enhance conversion rates and spice up their revenue. To make sure your site is optimized to attract holiday shoppers, here are seven essential e-commerce website optimization tips that you need to have in place to boost holiday sales.

Why Holiday Sales Matter

When it comes to e-commerce, the holiday season is a big deal. Sales during this period account for as much as 30% of annual revenue for some companies—and thanks to the shopping habits of our customers, it’s also one of the most predictable times of the year.

But if you’re not seeing those big numbers this year, don’t worry there are plenty of ways you can boost holiday sales without making significant changes or investing in additional inventory. The holiday season is an excellent opportunity to build your brand and attract new customers, so long as you optimize your website for maximum conversion potential first.

1. Offer Free Shipping

If you want to boost sales this holiday season, it’s essential that you offer free shipping. Not only is it a great benefit for customers, but it will also make them more likely to shop with you.

Free shipping can be achieved in multiple ways. Try offering free shipping on all orders or raising the minimum order amount required for free shipping.

If neither of these options works for your business, consider offering discounted rates on shipping instead—this will help offset the cost of providing this service without significantly impacting your bottom line.

2. Use Nostalgic Holiday Marketing

The holidays are a time for celebration, and nostalgia is a wonderful way to make your site stand out. Shoppers want to capture that feeling of when they were kids and unwrapped a much-desired gift next to the tree. Tap into that nostalgic mindset, and you will see your holiday sales skyrocket.

3. Holiday Themed Promotions

Promotions are a terrific way to add value for your customers and increase sales. But, like the rest of your website, you want them to be relevant and personalized.

Make sure it’s seasonal! Promotions should be relevant to the time of year. For example, if it’s December and you’re selling snow shovels and ice melt, then a winter promotion would make sense (like 30% off). Or maybe you sell summer swimsuits—a Memorial Day sale might get more interest. Never lose sight of the seasons when creating promotions, or they won’t work.

Personalize each promotion based on customer behavior. Leverage your ecommerce website analytics to study the behavior of visitors concerning your online promotions.

4. Inform Affiliates of Promotions

If you have an affiliate program, now is the time to get it onto your website. This will allow you to reach out to affiliates who are promoting related products and offer them the opportunity to earn some extra cash by referring customers to your store.

5. Start Early

Starting early gives you more time to evaluate and refine various aspects of your site before they go live. Starting early also allows for unexpected delays that might come up along the way (like traffic spikes in November).

Finally, starting early will help prevent last-minute rush work that could potentially cause mistakes or errors on your website during its busiest time of year: holiday shopping.

6. Leverage Social Media & Email

If you’re not already using social media to promote your holiday sales, now is the time to start. Facebook ads are a wonderful way to reach new customers and increase your reach on the platform, and other platforms like Instagram and TikTok help build a great audience.

Implement email marketing campaigns that include a link to your website so users can purchase products from there directly rather than having them leave your site to place an order. Make sure you personalize these emails based on how customers have engaged with your brand. They’ll be more likely to open messages when they feel like they’re being treated as individuals.

7. Frame Products/Services as Gifts

It’s time to start thinking of your products and services in a different light. Start by using words like “gift” and “gift card.”

Consider adding the option for customers to select gift wrapping and/or a box for their purchase, especially if you sell more expensive items. If you don’t offer these options, you can always suggest it at checkout or include a small card that says “Happy Holidays from us! We hope you enjoy this gift from us to you!” with your package.

We’ve seen that there are a lot of ways you can use e-commerce website optimization to boost your holiday sales. One of the most effective ways is to build a personalized experience with products and services suited to each customer, which will make them feel confident in spending money on your site.

There are so many other methods, and our expert marketing team at Griffon Webstudios is here to help. We know how critical the holiday seasons are to your bottom line. We can help you unify your promotional material across your web presence so that when people land on any of your brand identifiers, they will be sure to make a purchase.

Let’s schedule a time to discuss your upcoming holiday promotion and marketing strategies!

Google Rolled Out a Spam Update Is Your Website Affected?

Google Rolled Out a Spam Update: Is Your Website Affected?

by with No Comment Digital Marketing

It’s been a tumultuous few months for the world of search engine optimization (SEO). Google made significant changes to its algorithm, and many websites were negatively impacted. Most notably, sites that had previously ranked well for specific keywords were now falling in rankings due to these changes.

But there are also other ways this update has affected sites and how you can get your website back on track if it was affected by the latest Google update. In this post, we’ll cover what happened with the October 2022 updates and what it means for your business.

October 2022 Updates

You may have heard a lot about Google’s October updates, which rolled out recently. These updates are relatively common and usually occur every few months or so. They are made to ensure that Google provides the best search results for their users and constantly refine how they rank websites.

This update was more of a spam-reduction update than anything else, though, so if you’re running into issues with your website rankings after this update, then we’d recommend doing a few fixes.

The search engine giant will seek to lower the rank of websites that “trick” users into providing personal information or installing malware. These are phishing scams and support bad actors on the web. When these sites get ranked high on Google, users get made and move to other search engines instead.

To put it simply – spam is bad for Google’s business.

How Will This Affect Your Website?

If your website is affected by this recent Google update, it may be time to take action. The good news is that your site will not be deleted entirely from the search results (unless you are spamming).

Instead, it will likely have a lower rank or may even appear lower in the search results pages than before. Google has said it will continue to work on improving its algorithms in order to detect and penalize websites that violate its rules and guidelines.

You should be fine if you provide quality content directly related to your purpose that doesn’t seek to trick users.

Why Google Wants to Reduce Spam

Google has been working hard to improve the quality of search results and reduce spam over the last few years. It wants to give users the best results, so it’s constantly testing new ways to achieve this.

The company has taken several steps in this direction:

-Improving its algorithm

-Removing low-quality websites from their index

-Removing bad ads from its platform

Google didn’t release specific information as to link baiting or what it defines as spam. However, most SEO pros agree upon two critical areas: thin sites and keyword stuffers.

Thin sites don’t have the unique content users want. They only slightly adhere to SEO practices and generally do not offer insights.

Keyword stuffing is filling a website with tags and meta information that repeats the same keywords or phrases to rank high. This is a flawed strategy, as most search engines will dock your rank if you do this.

What You Should Do

If you have yet to notice the update, that doesn’t mean your website is not affected by it. This update’s roll-out is gradual; not everyone will see it immediately.

You can use a tool like MozBar to check if your website is affected by the Google spam update or not.

If you want to keep your traffic steady and consistent, make sure to run SEO audits regularly (we recommend every 3 months) and fix any issues that may cause problems on search engines, such as:

-Duplicate content

-Broken links (404 error pages)

-Broken image links

The Google update is a big deal, but only some of your website’s traffic will be affected. It’s important to know if your site is being hit by this spam update so you can take steps to correct any issues before they get worse.

Our team at Griffon Webstudios can help you avoid getting hit by the recent Google Spam Update. We have SEO experts on staff who understand the nuance of rebuilding or fixing your site, so it is more compliant with Google. Let’s schedule a time to talk about how our professional team can elevate your web presence.

How to Maximize Your Marketing Strategy for the Holidays

How to Maximize Your Marketing Strategy for the Holidays

by Digital Marketing

If you want to increase your revenue and sales during the holiday season, you need to have a well-planned marketing strategy for the holidays. It’s true that people are more likely to spend money on themselves during the holidays. But it’s also true that you need the right tools and techniques in place if you want to capitalize on this higher spending trend.

This guide will walk you through some tips for maximizing your marketing strategy for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving, Halloween, New Year, or whatever else is happening in December.

In 2022, US holiday retail sales are expected to reach $1.3 trillion, a 3.3% increase over 2021. Holiday ecommerce is expected to grow 15.5% to $236 billion!

 

Using Your Products/Services as Holiday Gifts

As a small business owner, it’s essential to think about ways you can use your products and services as holiday gifts. This is an excellent way to give back to loyal customers while also increasing brand awareness and loyalty among potential customers.

You should frame your ads and marketing strategy for the holidays by showing your customers what value your products and services bring to a holiday event. Whether that is something for a friend at a corporate party or a family member during Christmas, you want to make it seem like your offer is the best choice.

Offering Holiday Discounts

Another common tactic is to offer your customers a limited-time discount. This is easy to do because you can use tools like Google Shopping and Amazon to list your products at discounted prices while still charging full prices on your own website.

The downside of this strategy is that there is no guarantee people will buy during the sale period because they may have already made other plans for their purchases. However, it’s worth giving it a shot if you’ve got the inventory and staffing capacity to support the increased demand.

Design Ads with Holiday Nostalgia

The holidays are a time of nostalgia and tradition, so it’s important to use the familiar elements from past years in your marketing strategy. You can do this with images, colors, and music that remind people of their childhood holiday experiences.

Holiday ads will have an emotional impact on your customers by triggering memories of good times and cherished moments that they enjoyed during their childhood. The use of nostalgic symbols like Santa Claus or reindeer will also help create brand loyalty during the holiday season.

 

Stay on Top of Holiday Trends

It’s crucial to stay on top of seasonal trends for your marketing strategy for the holidays so that your brand stays relevant. You can do this by keeping an eye on the news, following social media, and even looking at what your competitors are doing.

As you probably noticed, Google Trends has become an excellent tool for marketers. It will show you what people are searching for around the world and in specific countries or cities, which is helpful if you want to see what kind of products consumers want this holiday season.

Don’t Forget the Email Campaign

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach customers, and it’s a great resource for marketing strategy for the holidays.

To ensure your emails get noticed and read by customers, start with a good subject line. This is what will entice your customer to open up the email in their inbox. Next, make sure you have an interesting offer that encourages them to click through on links within your email for more information about specific products or services. Finally—this may seem obvious but—don’t forget to customize each email according to each customer’s preferences!

Use Free Shipping

Free shipping is a great way to attract customers, and it’s also a good way to increase sales. It’s an effective marketing strategy for the holidays that will show your confidence in your products or services, which in turn will help you gain trust with potential buyers. This also helps you compete with major retail companies like Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon.

holiday sales

Get an Early Start

You’re a smart business owner, and you know that the best way to succeed at marketing your business is to plan ahead. The holidays are no exception. You don’t want to wait until the last minute because then all your options are gone, and you may not have time for changes or additions. Start planning early so that you can get everything in place before the holiday rush hits.

We hope that you can use these tips to help grow your business this holiday season. It’s important to remember that the holidays are a great time for marketing, but there’s no reason why you can’t use them throughout the year as well. Our team at Griffon Webstudios is here to help you get a foothold with your ad campaign. Set up a consultation, and let’s get to work!

Our Pick of Creative Ad Campaigns

Our Pick of Creative Ad Campaigns

by Digital Marketing

Advertising is a powerful medium. It can make you laugh, cry and make you run to the store. It can grab your attention with just a few words or inspire you to change the world. There are many great creative ad campaigns that have done just that over the years and here are some of our favorites!

1. Dove’s “Real Beauty”

Dove is a personal care brand that produces body washes, hair products, and other skincare items. In 2004, the brand launched its “Real Beauty” campaign to encourage women to feel good about themselves. The campaign has been very successful and has won numerous awards for its positive message. It featured women of all shapes and sizes showing skin in ways that were directly contradictory to the accepted beauty styles of the time.

It may seem odd now with so much more acceptance in today’s world, but in 2004, this was both controversial and empowering.

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a worldwide marketing campaign launched by Unilever in 2004 aiming to build self-confidence in women and young children. Dove’s partners in the campaign included Ogilvy, Edelman Public Relations, and Harbinger Communications along with other consultants. Wikipedia

2. Skittles “Taste the Rainbow”

Skittles is a brand of fruit-flavored, colored sugar-coated candy manufactured by the Wrigley Company. Skittles’ advertising is often colorful and whimsical. The unique part of this campaign is that the slogan is what sticks in people’s minds. No matter the content of each individual commercial, everyone thinks of tasting a rainbow when they share or eat the candy treat.

In 1994, the slogan “Taste the Rainbow” was introduced and became one of the longest running advertising campaigns in history. The entire theme of the Skittles company was created by D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, a New York advertising agency. Today, Skittles are loved in over 65 countries.

 

Budweiser “Wassup”

Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 featured a new commercial from the beer giant where friends were calling one another with a simple question – Wassup? This ridiculous way of talking to one another has been repeated in movies, TV shows, and podcasts ever since, becoming a cultural phenomenon attached to the brand, and growing its market recognition.

Whassup? (also known as Wazzup) was a commercial campaign for Anheuser-Busch Budweiser beer from 1999 to 2002. The first spot aired during Monday Night Football on December 20, 1999. The ad campaign ran in much of the world and became a pop culture catchphrase, comically slurring “what’s up?”.

Always “Like a Girl”

This was an ad campaign meant to change how girls are perceived. It’s a movement that encourages girls to be strong, brave, and confident.

In this particular ad, the narrator asks you to describe what you think of when someone uses the phrase “like a girl.” Most people say something mean like “weak” or “stupid,” but then she shows that it’s actually insulting when you’re in your own mind and body, as well as other women who don’t fit into society’s idea of what an attractive woman should look like. This is another campaign that bucked social norms and forced us to rethink how we talk about each other.

the hashtag #likeagirl became a trending topic and women all over the world wrote about their habits and the things they do like girls! So it does look like “Always” succeeded in making a small change and raising awareness on how wrongly society sometimes treats women.

 

Six Flags “Dancing Man”

From 2004 to 2010, Six Flags theme parks used Mr. Six, an elderly man wearing a tuxedo with thick-framed glasses, as their brand mascot. That may seem an odd choice for a park mostly populated with a younger audience, but you have to remember the advertisements.

When a multicolored bus pulls up in front of a suburban neighborhood, and a bald old man in a tux starts a high-energy dance routine to “We Like to Party” playing in the background – you take notice.

Volvo “The Epic Split”

Van Damme’s commercial is a creative masterpiece. Not only does he use his famous martial arts moves, but also he manages to add humor and some great choreography. The piece was so popular that it went viral on YouTube and was talked about for months later. When you consider this was a B2B ad and not for the general public to promote Volvo trucks, it is pretty impressive.

Creative Ad Campaigns Create Memories

Creative ad campaigns can be fun and memorable. They can also be a great way to build brand equity, help a company stand out from the competition, promote a new product or service, or promote a cause.

No matter what you’re trying to accomplish—and whether or not you have the budget for an expensive campaign—creative thinking will take your advertising efforts to new heights. That is exactly what we promote at Griffon Webstudios. We love to introduce a bit of fun into our ad campaigns and designs to ensure your brands get better recognition and remembrance with your target audience. Set up a consultation today, and let’s start brainstorming!