Marketing Archives | Illuminate - Media and Communications

Home » Category "Marketing"

Online Marketing Strategies that Require No Money

This article highlights more organic Online Marketing Strategies that Require No Money. There are so many things that you can do yourself, before shelling out money, if you are willing to put in the required time and then stay on top of the various avenues for marketing. Once you get in the groove, things fall into place and become a way of life as you train yourself to recognize a useful resource when you see it and build up your marketing tools and strategies to suit your needs. There might still be some things for which you may have to call a professional, but you will be impressed with all that you can do before that day.

Many of the tried-and-true free methods and platforms are still vital tools and can contribute to a well-rounded marketing campaign, however, keeping up with trends has proven to be a valuable step in the ever-evolving world of online marketing. For instance, world situations, supply chain issues, and inflation have affected online marketing and so many industries and fields, requiring companies of all sizes to up their online presence and interaction. Online marketing has become more important than ever in the last couple of years, as shopping and work patterns shifted from in-person to remote access via computers. The field of online marketing and communication reflected the shift with new levels of activity sophistication and interactivity.

Setting up a system to manage your resources can be invaluable on many levels. As mentioned in earlier articles, Excel spreadsheets for links, quotes, resources, admin stuff, notes, contacts, etc. come in handy. A Word document would work as well and either one will be useful when keeping track and monitoring the various social media, as far as scheduling, dates, URLs, passwords, etc. You can get much accomplished using the free resources out there before upgrading to paid services on various social media platforms if you just keep building. The thing to do seems to be to diversify your use of the many free platforms available and cover a wide swash. If you can get your platforms to talk to each other, all the better.

Keep those vital meta descriptions up to date and full of key search words to encompass multiple facets of that which you are presenting. Remember if you are not creating specific meta descriptions through the use of Yoast SEO or the like, make the first 150 characters of each page super effective with the use of key search words and identifiers of who you are, your service, what is going on, etc. as the first line tends to be the focus of search engines more than others.

Employ carefully selected Key Search Words, as they remain at the core of good online marketing strategies and it is worth the effort to discern the best words to attract your target audience and employ the words as an ongoing, evolving resource that reflects changes in technology, projects, trends, jargon, and more. It is always advantageous to keep abreast of industry updates for word and phrase searches, images, and content worth sharing. Just because you are not prepared to buy certain search words for the search engines to find, doesn’t mean you can’t use them.

Give credit where credit is due, plain and simple. Not only does providing citations, images, and author credits keep you out of trouble, but it could also lead to some helpful reciprocal linking and networking and somehow attract search engines. Displaying proper online etiquette also lends credence to you and your media.

Using Contact Forms to capture information is still an old and reliable standby for online marketing. Just don’t abuse the right to privacy, and follow all rules, lest you alienate your potential or standing customer base instead of expanding both. It is recommended to provide an email address as an alternative to the contact form because some don’t care to use it.

Stay on top of the quality, efficiency, and hygiene of your website and other social media platforms by continually monitoring, analyzing, double-checking, editing, updating news and calendars, removing broken links and irrelevant content about past events, etc. Keeping it clean and relevant makes you look more professional as well as ensuring a smooth and interesting experience for users through content monitoring and regular manual upkeep and installing a myriad of performance-driven software to up your game on many levels. You can learn to use the analytical components of online platforms to keep you abreast of what is and is not working through online tutorials. A second monitor will make any tutorial go more smoothly.

Many marketers are using both free and paid platforms to create a more interactive experience for the interested, students, and/or potential clients and clients. As so many are using their mobile phones, take steps to ensure a responsive them is providing optimized performance.

Revisit old blog content by linking to it for one and using it as source material and updating with news on developments, decisions, etc. on more popular offerings. As blogging is still an effective way to attract and engage, always be on the lookout for source material, ideas, and visuals. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to grow so give them something good to talk about or share.

A system of rewards for joining or sharing information is always an effective way to attract and engage an audience or customer base and create loyalty. Rewards can encompass anything a free sample or product, a download of a PDF full of useful information, an invitation to free tickets for a podcast, tutorial, or demonstration, and so on. People are almost expecting something if they refer you, so be creative and offer something of value and use that has the advantage for you of continuing the marketing stream while portraying you as a credible and interesting source. Partnering with other companies to provide rewards while reciprocally promoting them is a great idea. Partnerships in marketing are standard for many and can prove to be advantageous and only cost the time to set them up and deliver an online product if handled creatively and frugally.

Content marketing platforms are still a viable stream amongst online marketing strategies, as long as they are done well and right. Newsletters often get opened, so don’t disappoint. They are a golden opportunity to share words, images, videos, and links in an aesthetically pleasing, contained format. This continues to be a great vehicle to create a nice strong brand identity and again that precious credibility. The best part is unless you upgrade, many platforms such as Mailchimp and Constant Contact are free to use for the basics levels, before upgrading.

Create great podcasts or short video clips with care. Your audience will most likely choose to not engage with hard-sell content and images, so make it worth their while to give you their time. Take it seriously and put some time, research, and effort into your presentations, whatever they are. It will pay off in the end, with respect and deeper engagements. Don’t be afraid to link outside your platforms. If you are linking to something very useful and important, people will appreciate that and view you as a resource to a greater degree, especially with content marketing. Objective comparisons and recommendations can go a long way in that vein. Credibility is a sought-after commodity in online communications. Create it and own it.

Take great care in providing an intriguing description for all videos and online channels, once again, full of search words. Online Video Channels should be near the top of your list of free online marketing strategies whether you have your own videos to share or not. If you have no content, you can still upload relevant and interesting videos made by others, to take advantage of the search engines finding the intriguing description of your online channel by loading it with key search words and enticing phrases.

Often just having an event pays off by being able to talk about it online, promote it in print, show pictures after the event, etc. Work it! Don’t be shy about self-promotion and be creative about announcing deals, activities, events, etc., just do it with integrity and ingenuity.

Maybe rethink the cookie thing, if you are involved in any way regarding asking people to accept cookies. Many people view them as an invasion of privacy and a risk to their security and choose to immediately opt out of the website or other platforms, frankly thinking less of the company for denying them the privilege of viewing their site unless they succumb and accept the cookies and wondering what they are up to beyond the obvious. Some just keep the box or bar asking one to accept cookies there and you can at least use the site while scrolling past it. Either way, online businesses have to realize that although they have advantages, cookies are also quite off-putting and can cost them much attention and business.

Online tutorials for online marketing are an excellent investment of your time and energy and could pay off handsomely, so arm yourself with practical knowledge before relying on a paid professional or program, or do what you can before turning to professional help. Once again, monitor trends that appear to be working for others and keep employing them under different circumstances. It would be great if your online training could also include research and analysis to know and understand your audience and demographic, ad words, etc. to determine the best steps for marketing.

So if you can do any of the above creative and grunt work to make the most of free Online Marketing Strategies before you spend money on hiring someone for next-level skills, or purchasing programs, services, ad words, etc., you will not only save a bundle, but when you do decide to invest in paid online marketing strategies, you will be better informed as to what you need and want.

Geomedia for Real Estate Marketing

By Janice Marketing

Geomedia for Real Estate Marketing is proving to be a perfect marketing tool for realtors to share comprehensive details with property buyers and renters. Geographic Information System maps represent a new and exciting format in which to display details about properties for sale or lease, in an industry that is based on ‘location, location, location’! Prospective buyers or renters can simply click on a pin located on a map of the area that they’re interested in residing or operating a business, to open up a page chock full of as many details as the marketer wants to upload. This makes the process of locating and comparing specs of properties fast and easy.

Real estate agents and brokers can list every property they represent all over a city and beyond. The map can pin properties belonging to their clients or link to other properties that potential clients might be interested in, based on the location. It is so easy to discover properties based on location using a GIS map and lead your clients to the neighbourhood in which they are interested in residing.

The map manager can upload detailed contact information for agents and brokers involved with marketing a property or just provide the minimum details in the window plus a link to a full page on a website. Have videos, logos, interior and exterior photos of the property, along with floor plans, and aerial and 3D views, embedded directly on the pinned page. Links to a variety of resources can also be uploaded, including an MLS database, tax records, additional videos, and points of interest in the neighbourhood, such as schools, shopping malls, grocery and retail stores, restaurants, transportation routes and hubs, parks, sport, recreation and recycling facilities, and more attributes that people want to know about when they select their new neighbourhood. The buyer or renter can quickly get an idea of property values with a click, allowing them to quickly compare prices, lot size, and other real property data, rather than typing in addresses or combing through MLS listings found in a specific area. Maps can be customized to only have properties listed in a specific price range, lot size, business requirements, or whatever criteria are desired.

The beauty of using Geomedia for Real Estate Marketing is that it is both a visual medium to locate a property as well as a platform to share a wide range of reports and other data for both professionals and prospective home purchasers or renters. Once people get a taste of the ease with which properties can be viewed using the perspective of Geographic Information System maps, there will be no going back!

Managing Social Media

By Janice Marketing

Managing Social Media well can make the difference between running a smooth and effective marketing campaign or struggling with a stressful one that is more work than it should be. Staying on top of the game with a clear plan for content and event promotion will surely pay off in many ways. Obviously, certain topics for blogs are better posted at different times of the year so you want to plan them accordingly first. With Blogging, you don’t want to say too much in one blog, so it is good to have an overview for dispensing content over the year, relating posts to other posts and other social media, announcing calendar events well in advance, and creating a somewhat regular flow of communications.

The first thing I do with any new client is to set up an Excel Spreadsheet with several ‘sheets’ or pages containing pertinent information to help market my client and help with managing Social Media. I add information such as logins, passwords, links to log in with, links to reference material such as quotes, other blogs, and websites, a list of Search Engine Optimization Words, along with several lines of descriptive copy for online posting.

If you are a person who creates a lot of online ads, etc., try copying the blurbs into a spreadsheet or Word document so you can easily access them, alter them quickly as needed, then copy and paste instead of wasting time to fuss with the new copy from scratch all the time. I find this is a great time saver and a wonderful way to fine-tune my copy, as I keep revisiting it with fresh eyes, and usually tweaking it before posting. I can keep the blurbs in order and run down the list, rotating the blurbs so the public doesn’t see the same copy repeatedly without breaks for online ads.

Since I keep making the file of pertinent information more valuable all the time, every once in a while I back it up somewhere off my computer for safekeeping. It is a pain when you can’t find a password to log in, so take care to set yourself up with a hard or soft copy list of pertinent details that are easily accessed. One of the things I like to do for my clients right away is make logging into their various social media a ‘favourite’ on the menu of their computer browser. Make it easier on yourself and just go to the drop-down menu and log in without even having to remember a password, if you have set up your ‘favourites’ properly.

I can’t say enough about identifying and building your list of key search words and good adjectives and phrases in a spreadsheet or Word doc., etc. This keeps them in one place so you can read them and or copy them into various meta descriptions, tags, copy, etc. Also, just seeing the list of words and other info written out in front of you tends to trigger other keywords or different ways to go forward in your marketing campaign. This, in fact, is the advantage of creating lists of your pertinent data in all areas of life. Not only is it at your fingertips, but just scanning the list of titles and contacts is invaluable if it is able to remind you of things to do. When looking for something to do, just look at your list and be inspired to create or update something, make contacts or follow up on something.

When I am surfing the net looking for one thing, I always have my radar up for other interesting facts, key search words, images, thoughts, etc. for clients. However, since I usually don’t have time to pursue everything I come across while looking for something specific, I keep titled ‘Sheets’ within in my main Excel Spreadsheet for various links that I can copy and place and pursue later as a resource, idea, etc. If the title is not self-evident from the link itself, I simply take the time to name the link and move on. This practice makes coming up with content so much easier later on, especially if you group the links and copy.

Years ago I would have advised those interested in marketing to have lots of Social Media buttons for users and potential and existing clients to click. Now, that my attitude has changed regarding social media and the sources that control it, I say it is totally your call, and think it through, whether it is on a website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or any of the many social media platforms. Discernment is key.

I find keeping a number of blogs in progress at a time is a helpful way to save your thoughts, links, images, video, and other resources as they present themselves. I often just type out the name of a title, contact, phrase, or search word, for a related blog so I don’t lose thoughts.

Try and always develop a square simple, easy-to-read version of your logo, no matter what the other format in which your logo appears. Facebook and other social media sites often require a square that may be cut down to a circle, so keep your critical design or type within the round shape. Much care should be taken with this image. You may also wish to have to design a Favicon that is recognized beside your website online, keeping in mind that it is too small for more than an emblem, initials, or simple image to be read properly.

In your day-to-day business activities, try to think like a marketer and grab pictures that you can use on your various social media. Start files with these pictures and rename them with well-chosen words to attract your audience through the search engines. Photos are gold when it comes to dressing up a blog so keep your resources built up with shots to describe the who, what, where, when, why, and how of your endeavours.

Also, don’t forget that managing Social Media is made so much easier by the fact that most sites allow you to schedule when posts go out to the public. This means you can create a month’s worth of posts prior to that month even beginning and time them for regular release. Posting in a well-paced and more regular manner makes you look more professional. Also, by preparing posts in advance, you allow time to mull them over and double-check them once more with fresh eyes before they are released.

For help managing social media, visit the Virtual Copywriting, Editing, Design, and Marketing Facebook page.

Managing Releasing Blogs

By Janice Marketing

Managing releasing blogs can make the difference between running a smooth and effective marketing campaign, or struggling with it in a stressful state while making it all more work than it should be. Staying on top of the game, with a clear plan for content, scheduling, and event promotion will surely pay off in many ways in the end. Here are a few tips, and reasons, to develop a solid overview and marketing schedule surrounding your blogs:

One of the most important reasons to honour a schedule when posting content pertains to a time-sensitive topic is simply because deadlines creep up so easily, and can catch you unprepared. A good marketer will start sharing details about an event early, endeavouring to dispense a variety of details, links, and ‘call to action’ professionally and pleasingly, in each post. Also, since certain topics for blogs are better posted at different times of the year, especially if they relate to holidays and special events, populating your calendar helps with your long-term overview and marketing plan, as you take into consideration posts related to holidays as well, seasons, and events.
Having your overview, and notes, scheduled using calendars in Google, Outlook, Thunderbird, or a more sophisticated project management system such as Asana, or even accounting software packages, not only keeps you on track, but it also serves as a place to store pertinent information related to posts.
Creating a regular flow of posts, rather than releasing several in a row and then having huge gaps in between is more professional and more likely to keep your audience coming back for more.
The ability to create blogs ahead of time, and schedule their release, at a later date, is a convenience many bloggers use. Often companies hire people to write several blogs, days or weeks before posting them, and simply continue Managing and Releasing Blogs according to their needs, and scheduling their release, to maintain a regular flow of communication.
If you are re-posting a time-sensitive issue, give precedence to posts that relate to recent events in the news, so you can share the latest news, rather than commenting on stories days or weeks old. You can always re-schedule blogs that are already scheduled to be posted.
When it comes to blogging, you don’t want to say too much in each publication. It takes discipline and control to avoid droning on too much, but your restraint will usually benefit you in the long run. If you plot the course of relating information, this often helps in not blowing all your content in 1 or 2 posts. Although all blogs are different, and your target audience can play a role in determining the length of your blogs, 600 words are considered the maximum number of words for a blog by many. A minimum of 300 words will get you a good rating by ‘Yoast SEO’.
With that said, it is good to remember the phrase: “a picture is worth a thousand words”, and if you choose the right image, it can not only raise your level of communication, but will increase the entertainment value, and provide a source to link.

In marketing, you might find, that just viewing a blog schedule is often inspiring. If it is ‘in your face’, you are more likely to be triggered to think of a new idea, or at least embellish your notes. So, develop whatever system helps you when it comes to managing to release blogs the best, to lessen any stress around releasing your details, thoughts, photos, etc. to the world while making your efforts more effective, enjoyable and, easier tasks to complete.

Essential Content Marketing

By Janice Marketing

“It’s everywhere, it’s everywhere!” ~ Content Marketing that is. The images, images, videos, quotes, quick tips, stories, and facts should be presented in such a way that the user is so engrossed they forget that it is also content marketing or educational material.

The world of Content Marketing has penetrated advertising on multiple levels and continues to broaden the market on a global scale, with its informative approach and has taken advertising to a new and interesting level, and made it so anyone who can write, and source material can turn out a ‘soft sell’ marketing tool.

It has also made the customer or user more sophisticated and expecting material and links on that which they are about to spend their money or join, etc. Your competition will mostly have a detailed package, possibly with photos, videos, customer reviews, specs, and history, and customers may want to access this fast, so if it is worked into your content marketing, they are set.

Resources and material for Content Marketing are something that every business owner can, and should, work on all the time, so you have media and material on hand when ready to use them. Even if you are not the one producing the media, you can help with saving interesting links, or good and clever samples of information relating to an event, contact, article, organization, photo, video, etc. Content marketing can easily be a group effort if the general directive is to keep an eye out and ears open for source material of all kinds since this kind of communication seems to be here to stay, and embracing it on every level is so worthwhile. Be ready to whip out your phone to snap a picture if you stumble upon an image or news worth noting.

Whether you are utilizing websites, blogs, video channels, online newsletters, or various social media platforms, keep building up your pictures, quotes, data, statistics, videos, or whatever you can to have a wealth of resources to flesh out your content. If you have staff, with nothing to do, set them up building resources under your tutelage. They could come in very handy and impress your clients with your library of downloaded, licensed, or license-free images, that have been cropped, sized, and titled to SEO advantage ready for uploading to multiple platforms.

You can start building your content by establishing social media accounts and sharing posts from related topics that others have created demonstrating that you are interested in a certain topic, field, organization, etc. Choose such posts wisely, especially if you want to demonstrate that you are discerning and knowledgeable about your field for one, once again be careful who you endorse and share. I have several FB pages and use them to share information, images, videos, music, links, etc., but I also use one of those pages to keep track of vegetarian recipes that I might want to try someday. So those posts are there for me to access for meal prep as well as blog prep in case I ever want to write something regarding food. The same thing goes for helpful articles and videos on health and healing.

Although content marketing has made advertising much more interesting, at the same time, it is frankly a little scary, in that we now have to constantly be on our toes regarding trusting what we are taking in. As consumers, we must our discernment as to the validity and integrity of messages on practically a daily basis, as Content Marketing is Everywhere! As marketers, who may share content, we must be completely aware of what we are sharing, which entails a review of the written words, links, sources, etc. Why promote your competition or something you would not normally stand behind by not reviewing a post carefully to discover the links to their product or service?

It sort of takes away from the experience of reading copy, when you have to apply extra discretion and seek the clues to see if the article is genuinely full of great tips, or are they supplying the minimum hook to promote a company, event, or service? I find my first approach in clicking on buttons and exploring links is to determine the angle from which it comes ASAP before reading on. For instance, many reviews are from those who are paid by the manufacturer to review their product, so I look for objective sources at all times by digging deeper. We all understand that the bottom line for most online efforts is to sell or promote something, but be wary of overkill on the selling. Of course, there have always been angles to printed, magazines, newspapers, etc., but many miss the days of more innocent perusing, without having to have a watchful eye for the sales pitch buried in the content, subliminal or not or blatantly plastered throughout the article.

This is especially true with causes. Hundreds of times while sharing posts on my various Facebook pages I found something worth sharing but refused to share it because it would mean sharing the hard-sell advertising that accompanied it or representing something that I was not prepared to support. Again, discernment is a big part of content marketing, so keep that aspect in mind if you truly want your posts to be shared. If you are promoting a cause – keep it noble and tasteful for better promotion of the message and don’t cross the line that turns people off all your fine efforts.

For all essential content marketing, the following adjectives should be embraced: intriguing, factual, eye-opening, historically correct, fair, relevant, attention-holding, useful, tasteful, legally published, and politically correct so as not to offend anyone.

Don’t forget the advantages of linking to outside sources. It makes your message less focused on you and may just pay off in a reciprocal link and a good rapport with the source to which you are linking. ‘Facebook likes’ often pay off.

I can’t say enough about the video component of content marketing. Many times I have tried to get on the first page of results for a search engine only to be usurped by sites that are more established and paying for ad words. However, when I established a YouTube site and gave my channel and video well-crafted descriptions, boom, there I was on the first page. If you can make any sort of video to promote your business or cause, I highly recommend spending time on this media.

Here’s hoping that the content marketing industry keeps developing into a positive force with some sort of watchdog system to keep everyone honest in their published works and properly researching subjects before posting online and sending out newsletters to subscribers. If you find a good source with integrity, it is good to reward them with loyalty where possible and share their message with potentially interested parties.

If advertising is the engine that drives most of the business world and we must have, content marketing is certainly making it more interesting, educational, and fun. It is a bit of an intimidating moment yet still thrilling when you have thoroughly researched your subject, carefully determined key search words, perfected your phrasing to convey the most information with the least amount of words, yet with your approach, and then press that ‘Publish’ button. To think you can reach the world from your little computer is empowering, whether you are reposting and commenting or creating brand-new content.

Just find the right media stream and platform on which to express yourself and let your creativity fly, using integrity in all that you do!

Common Sense Marketing

By Janice Marketing

Common Sense Marketing employs research, the knowledge of current media, and the ability to use it with flair.

Headspace. When I start thinking about promoting a business or cause, I tend to create a thought pattern while pulling together all the different marketing elements that I have come to rely on over the years. Taking on a project means that one often immerses oneself in the subject matter and before you know it, ideas just get triggered. If you keep your eyes and ears open once you have learned what to look for, even just handing a writer or SEO Specialist a list of great key search words is a huge start so keep that pad and pen handy.

Focus. It’s always challenging to find a new angle, but it is so important to have an original idea regarding promotion. Focusing on the simple truth about something or its very best qualities often inspires more interesting ways to share the message. Coming up with great ideas for boosting sales, phrases for copy, images to be used, etc. is one of the ways to constantly save on advertising costs. Bounce ideas off family and friends for feedback and be ready to grab great ideas from their reactions. Ask them if your copy is easy to understand.

Common sense. This is often as simple as: ‘What would move you to buy something or use a product, or service?’ If it works for you, it most likely will work for others. You can add whatever you want to the package but what I want to know first from advertising is: Does it insult my intelligence or meet me on a level of truth and tell you what you need to know so in the end, I get the best value for my dollar. Then you can make it clever, funny, arty, or use whatever themes you are using to dress up the message.

Resources. One of the basic things I encourage clients to do is create several folders for various groups of photos. The images should be renamed with titles that include key search words or the name of the company in some form. What good does it do to put up a frame online named #C00870079? If the photograph is large, keep the original, copy it, and resize and crop the copy to save upload time for your website pages. Having a wealth of photos to choose from when marketing is gold when it comes to populating most media. Try to obtain photos that tell the story of your business in action, social events, staff, etc. This is a resource that goes a long way!

Market Research is key to success with anything and helps to arrive at the truth so much faster. To link the consumer, customer, and public to the marketing campaign, it is well worth the effort to gather resources in whatever way you can, read about demographic studies, compare and learn from other’s mistakes and successes, etc. See what’s working and not working in the industry to help establish long-term and short-term goals to work toward with carefully plotted steps. This is where being realistic pays off.

Step inside the shoes of your audience. If you’re building a branding and marketing campaign, think like the critical customer out for the best they can get, and judge each element from that point of view. Applying a good filter will end up cutting down on a lot of ineffectual effort.

Key search words and phrasing are everything for Common Sense Marketing. In the time of SEO. Adjectives, nouns, and verbs are selected with great care for Search Engine Optimization, and whole sentences are constructed to accommodate key search phrases. Programs are built to access how your web page scores by effective use of the number of characters, key search words, meta description, etc. As soon as I meet a client, I start jotting down pertinent words, phrases, descriptions, and definitions that can help me do my job as a writer and marketer.

Free Resources make marketing anyone’s game. You don’t have to have a lot of money for print or online ads anymore if you are inventive. It is all there at the touch of our fingertips. Take advantage of the many free tools available to boost your presence. Social Marketing is a must these days. If you don’t have social pages and content, you are considered behind the times on many levels. It can be a fine line to walk as far as deciding on the best and most appropriate material to share on Facebook, Google+, etc., especially for a business. You don’t want to divulge too much, yet still, want beneficial images imparted. Personal Facebook accounts must be treated as a part of a scrutineer’s material to judge as well. This business of online profiles can be a blessing and can also be a way to undo good efforts if not practiced with care and foresight. This applies heavily to re-posting content as there is often a commercial aspect linked to many good posts you want to share. Understand what you are saying to everyone and exactly what you are sending people to when you share content.

Common Sense Marketing can be fun, especially once you start to see the fruits of your efforts. Get attuned to the many opportunities to self-promote or prepare marketing tools for professionals to use on your behalf. Nobody knows your business quite the way you do, so apply your best common sense and see just how much you can contribute to your marketing campaign before you even hire a professional marketer to round out your projects.