The goal of effective customer engagement strategies is creating a meaningful connection with your customers, so they want to return. Learning how to engage customers in today’s environment isn’t difficult, but it is a paradigm shift from the marketing strategies that were effective a generation ago. The following tips will help you understand how to engage customers effectively, no matter your industry, niche, or the size of your business.  

How To Engage Customers

In addition to working well for your customers, an effective customer engagement strategy must be scalable and sustainable. Each of the ideas below is both.

1. Build a Community

The opportunity for customers to dialogue with you and each other is a particularly effective user engagement strategy. Assuming your business offers quality products and customer service, a community can usually self-manage once you get the ball rolling. From there, you’ll just need to provide guidelines for communication and offer a bit of interaction here and there. The beauty of an engaged community is that it offers the perfect opportunity to take the pulse of your customers, determine needs related to your current and potential offerings, and test new ideas. 

Passion Planner has done a beautiful job at building a community of customers. They have an engaged Facebook group full of users who connect over their love of Passion Planner products and how they use them in their everyday lives. It’s the perfect win-win. Customers connect with like-minded individuals, and Passion Planner now has a trusted place to turn for feedback about their brand. 

2. Inspire 

Inspire your customers in any way that feels right to you. Some companies share their own vision to connect the public to their “why.” Some encourage community service and social impact. Some swear by customer service above all else. Regardless of your place in your industry, the market or society, inspiration is a great start for a business that is learning how to engage users. 

One of the most well-known examples of inspiration used to increase user engagement is the one-for-one model. For every item purchased, a company donates one to a person in need. Toms and Bombas are both very well known for this. It feels good to do good, and when shopping elicits this feeling, businesses are bound to benefit.

3. Constantly Connect

Working to remain relevant and responsive is a fantastic way to increase engagement with customers. When customers feel connected with your brand, they are much more likely to return again and again. Consistent, genuine communication is one of the simplest ways to accomplish this. 

Online pet supply retailer, Chewy, is known for their sincere communication. They send handwritten birthday cards to each pet in their database, handwritten holiday cards to all customers, and even sympathy cards when they learn about the passing of a family pet. Talk about connection! And as is evident in this twitter exchange, they monitor their social media and provide timely responses to their customers, to boot.

4. Personalize the Experience

If you can only focus on one task as you learn how to engage customers, consider ways to personalize their experience. On a large scale, you might invest in software that makes shopping recommendations based on prior purchase history. But it could also go simple, providing helpful information based on data collected from customers or creating a quiz to help them choose the best product for their personal circumstances. 

Grammarly, an online app that makes suggestions to improve your writing in real time, delivers weekly reports to their users. These reports offer an analysis of their writing technique and an overview of how their writing has improved since they began using the app. It also makes suggestions about steps users can take to see further improvement. Brilliant!

5. Solve Problems

As you work to generate great customer engagement ideas, consider this: customers don’t buy products or services. They buy solutions. Engage users by helping them solve a problem. Often, your products and services do just that, but even if you don’t have a product or service that solves a common customer problem, you can still provide information to help them out. When you seek to advise, inform and offer value, you earn credibility and develop trust with your customers. That, in turn, will naturally generate repeat business and referrals. 

In 2015, Toyota Europe created a quick video for YouTube about how to install roof racks. Sure, the products they used were all manufactured by Toyota, but the problem they addressed is that customers didn’t know how to install these parts. The video explains how and where to measure, how to prepare the roof rack for installation, and how to use it once installed. Anybody, whether using Toyota parts or not, can benefit from this, making it the perfect example of helpful content that builds brand equity and user engagement. 

6. Anticipate Customer Needs

When you want to know how to increase customer engagement, look no further than the feedback your customers provide. Feedback comes in the classic sense –– questions asked and answered. However, you can also gather feedback simply by paying attention. If you’re constantly answering the same question about your product or service, consider creating content that answers it proactively. If customers often push their monthly auto-shipment by two weeks, consider adding a six-week auto-shipment interval. Your customers are always telling you something, even if you’re not asking a question. Pay attention and keep an open mind. 

Zappos takes this to the next level, not just paying attention to consumer trends, but including a Zappos Customer Research Center which actively seeks insights to help them decipher the true needs of their customers. 

7. Remain Relevant

Learning how to get more engagement won’t do much good unless your customer finds you relevant. Effectively sharing relevant information with your customer is engaging, and one of the best ways to do this by finding creative places, and ways, to meet your audience. 

GoPuff – an app similar to UberEats, but for convenience stores instead of restaurants – creatively connected with followers on Twitter, sharing some of the orders they receive. For instance, an order from the customer who prepared for a post super-bowl hangover with a massive order of Gatorades during the game, or the person who ordered roses at 5:00 PM on Valentines Day. This strategy might be a little unorthodox, but it meets their customers where they are both in life, and online. 

8. Offer Perks

Grocery store chains found ways to engage customers well before the internet was a way of life. Loyalty rewards are a fantastic way to encourage repeat business. You can take this idea in a slightly different, more modern, direction. Instead of offering discounts on the products you want customers to purchase, offer them rewards they want. Is that an informational seminar? A credit towards their next purchase? Free samples of new products before they hit the market? The options are endless. Note: be sure to truly understand your audience before deciding how to reward their loyalty, as missing the mark has potential to cause more harm than good.

Sephora’s Beauty Insider loyalty program is very well known for allowing members to accumulate points with each purchase. These points can be redeemed for coupons, free shipping, special in-store discounts, free samples and more. What’s most best about this loyalty program is that it offers customers flexibility without devaluing Sephora’s products.

9. Create a Resource Hub

Take that content you create in response to your most common customer needs, and put it all in one place. This ensures customers have resources to help them make a sound buying decision or use your products and services to their full potential. A resource hub doesn’t take the place of top notch customer service, but it may reduce the burden on your team while anticipating and customer needs. It’s a win-win!

Olive and June, an online manicure product retailer, exploded during the early days of the pandemic, boasting the longest lasting nail polish on the market. But they didn’t stop at simply selling their products. They offer a learning library filled with text, photo, and video tutorials, teaching customers tricks for achieving the long-lasting results they promise.

Engage with Hungry Media

A great customer engagement strategy starts with a great website. Hungry Media’s unique approach uncovers the needs of your business, your customer, and where they intersect. This allows us to create a website unique to you and your brand, leaving you with the perfect foundation upon which to build your engagement efforts. Contact us today and learn how to engage customers with a top-notch website that will help take your business to the next level. 

Instagram is a social media platform that allows users to upload photo and video content, which can then be edited with filters, organized by hashtag, and geotagged. As of February 2022, Instagram reported 2 billion monthly users. It’s one of the most popular social media platforms and the fifth most visited website in the world.

The importance of Instagram as a marketing tool cannot be understated. In fact, an Instagram marking strategy is considered an essential piece of any social media marketing plan. Put simply, Instagram is where consumers are, so it’s where you should be too.  

Why Market on Instagram

Roughly 50% of Instagram users are Millennials or members of Generation Z, which are shaping up to be the wealthiest generations in U.S. history. Nearly 90% of these users follow business accounts, including at least one major brand. Digital marketing has been proven extremely successful, especially on Instagram. Social media marketing today is simply not complete without an Instagram strategy. 

How to Create an Instagram Marketing Strategy

1. Determine Your Target Audience

Before you begin to post on Instagram, determine who you want to reach. Keep Instagram’s user demographics in mind as you pull from other marketing strategies. One of the best ways to narrow your target audience is to research popular events and hashtags related to your business. See who is engaging with these pages and determine whether a similar audience could benefit from your product or service. 

2. Conduct an Analysis 

Next, you need to decide what to promote on Instagram and how to go about creating those promotions. Once you know who you’re targeting, review what others, with a similar target audience, are posting. What hashtags are they using, which Instagram content strategy yields the most engagement, what types of posts perform best, and so on? As you conduct this analysis, be sure to keep an eye out for opportunities your competitors are overlooking and any gaps in their content.  

3. Create an Editorial Calendar

An editorial calendar is your posting schedule. It includes the date, type of post, caption copy, and of course the photos or videos you intend to use. Editorial calendars create structure and encourage posting consistency. Plus, planning your calendar in advance can help prevent missed opportunities and ensure you leverage the best type of content for each social media platform.

Aside from just posting about your products or services, don’t forget to include posts about major business milestones (launches, special offers, etc.), national holidays, current events, and anything else that may be special to your followers. 

4. Be Consistent

As with any form of digital marketing, an Instagram marketing strategy will be most effective when consistent. Post often, always respond to comments in a timely manner, and interact with other accounts on the platform.

Consistency is also one of the most important branding tips for Instagram. This covers everything from the colors of your photos, to the voice used in your captions, to the message you convey. As your followers become familiar with your brand, they’ll look to your Instagram page to serve a specific purpose. This is when you’ll really start to gain traction on the platform. 

5. Grow Your Following

Growing a following is much easier once you have a solid foundation. Which is why we suggest waiting until you’re well established before launching Instagram campaigns to increase followers. In this case, as new users find your page you’ll have credibility due to the number of posts and the way you engage with users. Furthermore, consistency teaches users what to expect from your brand and keeps them coming back for more. 

Instagram Marketing Best Practices

6. Use a Business Account

Want to know how to promote your business on Instagram? Start with the basics and make sure you’re using a business account. Instagram business accounts offer features that aren’t accessible to personal accounts such as insights and analytics, ads, shopping, primary and secondary message inboxes, contact info and calls to action directly in your profile.

7. Optimize Your Profile

Your Instagram profile has to make a great impression in 150 characters or less. This is your first opportunity to convey your personality and convince users to follow your account. That’s a big job for a few words. Also included in your profile, but not in those 150 characters, is your name, username, website, category, contact information, and call to action. Don’t forget to choose the right profile photo. Unlike Facebook, Instagram profile photos can’t be enlarged, so aim for something simple and recognizable.

8. Create Visually Compelling Content

Instagram is a visual platform, so your posts should be aesthetically pleasing. That doesn’t mean you need to hire a professional photographer, but it does mean that you want to put a little bit of thought into your photos or videos. Keep the backgrounds simple, make sure images are clear and well lit, and ensure the focal point fills as much of the frame as possible. And of course, make sure your content is compelling. It doesn’t matter how great the photo if it doesn’t inspire a user to stop scrolling and engage.

9. Create Captivating Captions

Yes, Instagram is more of a visual platform, but captions are always included in Instagram posting tips for business. Just like any other ad medium, captivating copy converts users from followers to customers and advocates. Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, which provides a significant amount of space to tell your story, describe your product, or share your service. Users tend to scan the first few lines of a caption, so make sure you use an engaging opening sentence to grab their attention and get them reading more. 

10. Use a Simple, Searchable Username 

Skip the extra characters in your username on Instagram. Social media tips rarely mention this, but we think it’s worth discussing. Consider how you will promote your Instagram page when speaking about it. 

It may be more visually appealing to separate words in your username with dots, dashes, or underscores. But the more special characters you include, the more difficult it will be for potential users to remember your username. What rolls off the tongue easier: at hungry media (@hungrymedia) or at hungry underscore media (@hungry_media)? Not only is the latter more difficult to say, it’s also more challenging to remember.

11. Use Hashtags

Social media marketing on Instagram is very hashtag driven. Hashtags are an easy way to gain followers and engage users with interests that align with your business. There are several approaches to hashtag usage, and we’d argue that as long as it’s working for you, there’s no “wrong” way to hashtag. Instagram allows a maximum of 30 hashtags per post or comment, so take your time to research hashtags that connect users to other accounts within your niche. These will be the best place to start. 

12. Engage, Engage, Engage

Instagram marketing for beginners: If you want others to engage with you, you’ve got to engage with others. Post quality content, promptly respond to comments, and bring value to others’ posts and pages. This makes you more recognizable and accessible to anyone who may want to connect down the line. Not to mention that most social media algorithms favor accounts which generate and offer engagement throughout the entire platform. 

13. Utilize Instagram Stories

Nearly half of business conducted on Instagram begins via Stories. These are 15 second clips (photo or video) which disappear after 24 hours. Because of their short lifespan, it is acceptable for stories to be a little less polished than photos or videos in your feed. We love incorporating them into an Instagram marketing strategy because they connect you to your followers without the pressure of perfection. If a story isn’t your best work, there’s no harm. It disappears before too long, and you’ve engaged your target audience in the meantime. 

14. Create Reels

These are Instagram’s response to TikTok. Reels are similar to Instagram Stories in that they are short clips to which effects such as filters, stickers and music can be added. The difference between Reels and Stories is that Reels do not disappear. They remain in your feed unless and until you delete them.

15. Encourage Sharing 

Every once in a while, create content that lends itself to sharing. This could be a simple post that makes people smile, something useful users will want to share with others, a cute meme, a funny joke, a link to a helpful product. When users share your content, your brand earns facetime with a new group of potential followers. 

16. Leverage Influencer Marketing

We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t mention influencers in our list of Instagram marketing tips. Working with influencers helps to build credibility, and similar to generating sharable content, ensures your brand gets in front of users you wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. This is in opportunity to build credibility and promote your product or service.

17. Take Advantage of Analytics

Regardless of how great your Instagram marketing strategy, there’s always room for improvement. This is where analytics come into play. Analytics offer the opportunity to learn from what you’ve already done and refine your strategy from there. You’ll learn what types of content perform well, the best time of day to post, demographic information of those who engage with page, and more.

A Great Instagram Marketing Strategy Starts with a Great Website

A digital marketing strategy that leads to an engaged social media following isn’t an end to itself. Rather, it’s a tool to help grow your business over time. And you won’t grow your business without a website to effectively serve your client or customer base. That’s where we come in. Hungry Media’s expert team will design the perfect place for your followers to land when they hop off social media and decide to make a purchase. 

Learn more about our unique approach, browse our list of satisfied customers, and contact us to learn more. We can’t wait to meet you!

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

Designing and developing a website involves plenty of unfamiliar words and terms. While you don’t need to understand the nitty gritty, having a grasp on digital marketing terms is ideal for anyone embarking on a web design project. Here are the 15 most common digital marketing terms to know.

Alt Tag

An alt tag is also known as an alt attribute or alt description. Because search engines cannot interpret images, an alt tag is applied them, providing searchable text. When Google crawls a website, images with appropriately formatted alt tags contribute to the ways in which the site is indexed. Because of this, applying alt tags to images can positively impact search engine rankings. 

Backlink

A backlink connects one website to another. Search engines use these links to help decide how well a particular website will satisfy a query. The thought is that frequent links to a particular webpage indicate that the page is of value. Sites providing greater value achieve higher rankings in search results.   

Bounce Rate

It’s thought that if users visit a website but leave before taking action, they have not deemed that site to be of value. The digital marketing term “bounce rate,” describes this scenario. It’s the number of single-page visits to your website, as a percentage of all visits. It stands to reason that the lower the bounce rate, the more effective your website, making this one of the most common digital marketing terms to learn.

Call to Action

A call to action, or CTA, is part of a marketing campaign. It is a written directive that tells a user to take a specific action. In the context of digital marketing, CTAs almost always encourage users to click a link intended to move them through the sales process. A CTA might say something like “Register Now,” “Request Information,” or “Join our Mailing List.”

Conversion

Website conversion is the term used to describe a user taking an action that moves them through the sales process. Examples of a conversion include visiting a website and signing up for their email list, opening an email and clicking a link to a product, clicking a link to a product and adding it to your cart, and so on. 

CRO

Conversion Rate Optimization, or CRO, encompasses a variety of marketing tools and methods to increase the number of conversions on a website. CRO marketing tends to focus on ways to capture as many users as possible, at any step of the sales process. 

Content

Content is intended to engage users, and comes in many forms including social media posts, blogs, podcasts, and eBooks. It tends to be longer form and more frequently updated than typical marketing copy, as content aims to generate warm leads that could convert down the road. Not only does an effective content strategy play a role in SEO and CRO, but it serves to connect users to the brand. 

Domain Name

Simply put, a domain name is the string of text we use to access a website. For instance, www.HungryMedia.com. However, as we now live so much of our lives online, domain names have come to represent an online identity. It’s often the first impression visitors have of a company or a brand, and like so many of our other terms used in digital marketing, it can also have an impact on SEO. 

Favicon

This little icon is always noticed, but rarely considered. It’s the tiny icon next to the page name on a browser tab. It provides an easy visual representation of the website and brand, making it easy for a user to quickly navigate between browser tabs at a glance.

Landing Page

A landing page is often used in digital marketing. In basic terms it is a web page on which users “land” from another digital space. This space could be an email ad, social media post, list of search engine results, or any other online location. Landing pages are standalone pages created for a specific marketing campaign and encourage users to take a desired action such as clicking to learn more or providing contact information. 

Metadata

Website metadata is attached to every individual page included in a website and provides a page title and description. It offers important information to search engines about the purpose and content of each webpage, helping to determine whether the page is relevant to the searcher’s query. 

Meta Tag

Meta Tags are small snippets of text that describe the content contained within a web page. They don’t appear in the page, but rather in the source code. Search engines take information contained within meta tags into consideration when determining which websites to return in the results listing. 

MVP

The most basic version of a new product, sans any bells and whistles, is called the Minimum Viable Product, or MVP. MVPs are essentially steppingstones that help determine whether a viable idea will translate to a viable product. It allows developers to collect data, gain an understanding of users’ needs, and share important information with potential investors before investing a significant amount of time or money in more detailed development.

Responsive Design

Have you ever noticed that the same website looks different on your laptop than your phone? Responsive design allows a website to adapt to the size of the screen on which it’s displayed. This is a relatively new approach to web design, but it’s very important in today’s digital world. Mobile-first design strategy always includes responsive design, as do most UX design strategies. 

The Fold

The fold is among the digital marketing keywords taken from our pre-digital world. Picture a newspaper before it is unfolded by the reader. Everything visible on the top half of the front is literally located “above the fold.” This is a very desirable location for content and ads, as it provides maximum visibility. In the context of web design, the fold refers to the place at which a user must begin scrolling to see additional content. The location of the fold differs depending on the size of the screen on which the content is viewed, but the bottom line remains the same: the more important the content, the higher on the page it should be displayed.

Digital Marketing Made Easy with Hungry Media

You don’t have to be fluent in digital marketing terms to have a hand in creating an effective, aesthetically pleasing website. Hungry Media’s team of expert project managers, developers, and designers are the perfect partners whether you’re building a brand-new app, revamping a dated website, or anything in between. Contact us today to learn how we can help take your project to the next level. We can’t wait to meet you!

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

Upon its inception nearly 20 years ago, social media was simply a way to connect with friends and family in the digital world. Today, it has become a way of life. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have transformed the way we connect with others, source information, consume news, and engage with brands. This is why effective social media content has become a vital component to the digital marketing strategy of nearly all businesses.

What Makes Social Media Marketing Special?

The ease of interaction on social media sets it apart from traditional marketing platforms. We can comment on a Facebook post, directly message brands on Instagram, even create TikTok duets with business accounts. Needless to say, interactive social media posts tend to be the most popular among users.

Furthermore, with just a few mouse clicks, users can share social media posts with their digital network. This means that on top of the high level of access and interactivity, the reach of social ad campaigns can be pretty darn impressive. And finally, social media provides the opportunity for marketers to easily target specific audiences for their ads. This can make these ads much more cost-efficient than traditional advertising avenues.

Social Media Platforms

Honestly, there are more social media platforms out there than can be counted, but there are a handful which seem to be the most mainstream. 

Facebook features user-generated content in the form of photos, videos, and personal information. Anyone over 12 can sign up for a free Facebook account and use the platform’s features to share with family and friends. 

YouTube is an online video sharing platform. YouTube users create and post content in the form of video, only. YouTube features “likes” and has a basic comments section for each video, but most of the users’ attention is intended to be focused on the video itself.

WhatsApp is a little different than other social media platforms, but it is among the most popular. This cross-platform instant messenger service allows users to send text and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images and other documents.

Instagram is a social networking site for sharing both photos and video. This app allows users to upload content that can be edited with pre-programmed filters and organized by hashtags as well as geo-tagging.

TikTok began as a video platform for creating short lip sync and comedy videos. Since then, the genre of content shared on TikTok has expanded, but the type of content has not – it’s still used to create and share short-form, usually lighthearted, video content.

Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion platform organized into communities (called subreddits) that cover any variety of topics. User-generated content is either voted up or down by members of the community. The more “upvotes” a post receives, the higher that post will appear on the designated page.

Pinterest is an image sharing platform that allows users to save and search for information using online images. Saved images are organized into virtual pinboards, and users can follow others’ boards for ideas and inspiration.

Twitter is a microblogging site. Users posts and interact with messages called “tweets,” which are limited in length to 280 characters. Posts can be liked or retweeted by other users on the platform. 

LinkedIn is an employment oriented social platform intended for professional networking and career development. Users create profiles and connect to each other similar to the ways in which they would connect on Facebook. LinkedIn also allows employers to post job openings and users to search and apply for jobs directly through the platform.

Types of Social Media Content

There are several content types for social media sharing, and several ways to leverage each platform within a content-first strategy. Here are the four most common ways to market to customers (both current and future) on social media: 

Video 

Video is probably the most valuable content on social media because it captures audience attention easily. Plus, you can be concise enough in video to retain that attention. It makes sense then, that video is the most popular way to engage with users, today. There are dozens of methods for integrating video into a social media marketing strategy. (Don’t worry. We’ll give some suggestions in the next section.)

Best platforms for video: TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram

Images

A picture is worth a thousand words, and strong visual content is a must for nearly all social media platforms. Afterall, what is easier to view than an image? While other types of content have grown in popularity recently, images remain one of the most valuable types of social content, today.

Best platforms for images: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook.

Text-Based Posts

Obviously visual content reigns supreme, but never underestimate the power of words. While images and videos grab attention, text-based posts allow businesses to provide detailed information to users. Once you learn which information is most sought by your users and begin providing it, your social media content strategy will be stronger than ever.

Best platforms for text-based content: Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook

Stories

Stories include short-form clips that automatically run in sequence and are usually only visible for 24 hours. Since stories can come in the form of video, image, or text, you may be wondering why they get their own category here. It’s because they are unique, incredibly valuable, and slightly underrated given how much users love to engage with them. 

In addition to the availability of novel backgrounds, music, effects, and animations, social media stories are often more informal than typical social media marketing content. Users tend to enjoy stories so much because they feel like they are hanging out with a good friend rather than the target of a marketing campaign.

Best platforms for stories: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

Social Media Content Creation Categories

Once you understand how to create content for social media, it’s time to have some fun! Here are the most popular types of social media posts used for marketing purposes. Consider integrating a few (or all!) of these content categories for social media into your strategy:

• Behind the scenes posts
• Infographics
• Testimonials or reviews
• Announcements
• Contests 
• Holiday recognition
• Guides
• Tutorials
• Series of any kind
• Memes
• Challenges
• How Tos
• Polls
• Milestone posts
• Trending topics or post types
• Questions

Hungry for Help with Your Social Media Content?

The backbone of any strong social content strategy is always a well-built, user-friendly website that customers will return to again and again. The combination of Hungry Media’s unique approach to website creation and our team of highly skilled designers and developers is what allows us to produce top-notch websites that provide everything businesses need to be successful in the digital world. 

Our content strategists are also available after initial setup to help build your brand through content creation. Whether you want to understand how to create compelling social media content, craft long-form blogs, design infographics or anything in between – we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to learn how we can help you take your business to the next level. We can’t wait to meet you! 

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

The rise of technology has changed the way we do absolutely everything. And, with the exception of the smartphone, it’s possible that the invention and widespread use of social media has influenced the modern landscape more than any other form of tech. Social media marketing, as one might imagine, refers to the use of social media platforms for marketing purposes.

Social media marketing allows companies to engage with customers in ways and using methods that would have been inconceivable just a few short decades ago. However, with new opportunities come new “rules” and new challenges. Read on for an overview of the types of social media marketing and how to establish an effective social media marketing strategy. 

Two Types of Social Media Marketing

Although unique in their purpose and execution, the two different aspects of social media marketing play an equally important role in any digital marketing strategy. In fact, they work together to make the most of that strategy!

Organic Social

Organic social uses free social media tools to build and connect with an online following. This includes posts on all types of social media platforms, responding to comments on your own pages, and engaging with other businesses and individuals online, as well. 

Paid Social

Paid social media marketing refers to anything posted on a social media channel which is influenced by marketing dollars. For the most part these will be advertisements, sponsored posts, or influencer campaigns.

Steps to Creating a Great Social Media Marketing Plan

While it may have been the case fifteen years ago, creating an effective social media marketing plan is no longer as simple as posting on Facebook and watching the likes roll in. In fact, it was probably never that simple. But the digital marketplace was much less saturated back then, so businesses could get away with a less than stellar strategy and still reap the benefits of social media “marketing.” 

Today, however, you’ll want to take some time to determine where you’re going and what you want to accomplish along the way. To do so, it’s best to move through the following steps, in this order.

1. Establish (or adjust) a strategy.
2. Plan and publish content.
3. Engage with users.
4. Report and analyze results.

Establish a Social Media Marketing Strategy

First and foremost, what do you hope to accomplish with your social strategy and how will you make that happen? 

Set Goals

Just like any good marketing plan, your social marketing plan should involve some key targets. While each individual campaign may have its own objective (building brand awareness, connecting with customers, or optimizing conversion rates, for a few examples) it’s important to define one or two main objectives for your overall strategy. This may be anything from growth of your customer base, to increased website traffic, to a more engaged user base. Doesn’t matter the goal, it just matters that you know what it is and how you will measure it.

Determine a Target Audience

You need to know whom you’re marketing to before you can really dig in and create a plan. Be very detailed when getting to know your target audience. This will allow you to create some incredibly effective user personas, which you’ll eventually use to create the best social media marketing campaigns for your brand. 

Define Messaging

The message used to communicate with customers is part of your brand and should align, not just with the mission of your business, but across all campaigns and platforms at all times.

Consider Trends

The list of social media platforms seems to grow every day. And we all know that every platform makes regular updates to features and functionality of their website or app. 

One of the best things about marketing on social is that the ever-evolving landscape keeps the playing field pretty level. But there’s a flip side to that coin. Social media trends come and go so quickly that just as we settle our attention in one direction, the next trend is likely upon us. In this sense there must be a certain amount of flexibility built into in any social media marketing plan, and a certain amount of agility required of any digital marketer.

Plan and Publish Content

Once you know the general direction in which you’re headed and what social media categories you’re targeting, it’s time to dig in! 

Create a Calendar

A content calendar is an effective tool for planning your posts. It helps keep you from getting stuck in a social media rut and lets you see, at a glance, the execution of your strategy organized by the type of social media used.

Consider Your Platform

There are several unique types of social media platforms and each of them function in unique ways. Each attracts different demographics, lends itself to different types of engagement, and develop different user expectations. In short, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and the most common uses of different social media platforms will impact the specifics of each individual post. 

Develop Paid Advertisements

Paid social media advertisements are different from your regular content, and you’ll want to plan these just as meticulously as you plan your everyday posts. After you’ve been posting organic content for a while, you can use information gathered from those insights to inform decisions about paid advertising options and opportunities. 

That said, there are just as many options for paid ads as there are social media types. The benefits and challenges of each advertisement type is derived from the platform. While this may sound discouraging, it doesn’t have to be. Social advertising costs way less than traditional advertising, so many companies can run multiple ads across several social media avenues at once.  

Be Consistent

When it comes to social media communication and posting, consistency is key. Whether consciously or not, users recognize patterns, which lead to expectations. And nothing will turn a customer off faster than a failure to meet their expectations, no matter how small or arbitrary they may seem. 

Engage With Users

Social media marketing doesn’t end with the post. In fact, that’s just the beginning. Engagement plays a major role in an effective social media marketing campaign. 

Respond to Comments

If you are relying on social media as a marketing tool, then you best be replying to comments in a professional and timely manner! Monitoring social media channels for comments can be a ‘round the clock job, so for the sake of your sanity, establish a standard response time in your social marketing plan and stick to it.

Respond to Messages

Similarly, if you allow direct messages through your social media channels, it’s imperative to monitor those inboxes. For better or worse, customers expect a shorter response time after a direct message than they do a comment. Again, it’s all about meeting expectations. 

Connect with the Community

One of the most effective tools in your arsenal doesn’t even involve your own social media. Sharing advice as a subject matter expert (kindly and tastefully, of course) or asking questions on others’ pages is a surefire way to increase your own following. 

Social media sites are a great place to network, build rapport, and establish virtual relationships. If you want to stay relevant in the ever-evolving, ever-changing, ever-growing social media space, put yourself (and your brand) in front of anyone who may be even slightly interested in what you have to offer. Over time this connection will yield results you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Report and Analyze Results

Even if it’s clear that your social marketing strategy is working like a charm, you must still analyze the results and document your findings. Tools such as Google Analytics and the insights provided by each of the social media platforms allow you to objectively evaluate your strategy, determine exactly what is working (and why), and find areas for improvement. Once you’ve collected this information, you can use it to start back at the beginning, buty with more of what works and less of what doesn’t. 

Make the Most of Your Social Media Marketing with Hungry Media

It doesn’t matter what type of social media marketing you plan or how well you execute if you don’t have a kick-butt website to anchor your efforts. Hungry Media’s web design and development team connect with all areas of your business while planning your new or refreshed site. Contact us today to discuss our unique approach and how we can help you make the most of your online presence!

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

Content strategy is relatively new to the marketing space, and website content needs will vary based on circumstance, market, brand, and goals. Regardless of the details, the fact remains that a solid content plan is a pillar of any well-rounded digital marketing strategy. Here are five tips for creating good content as well as a few ideas to help make the most of it.

How to Create Good Content for a Website

1. Establish the Goal

What is good content for a website? The answer, while perhaps unhelpful on the surface, is quite simple. Good website content is anything that achieves its goal. 

Therefore, before going all in on website content creation, it’s important to slow down and identify exactly what you hope to accomplish with it. Web content marketing can serve any number of purposes, and the way in which you execute your strategy may be impacted by your ultimate goal. 

Are you aiming to add content to your site to increase traffic for a particular page? Drive conversions? Expand social media reach? Gain new subscribers? The possibilities are endless, and each piece of content may serve a different purpose. We recommend starting with 2-3 specific goals as you’re building website content. Expand from there as your content begins to serve its intended purposes.  

2. Establish a Target Audience

We mention this one quite often. Whether you’re aiming to define your brand, design with user experience (UI) in mind, or choose the right multimedia elements for your website, you can’t be successful until you know who you’re aiming for. Defining a target audience, and ideally a few user personas, is 100% necessary to any marketing effort – determining how to create content for a website, included.

3. Identify the Unique Value 

Whether you’re creating static text for your homepage, generating blog articles, or crafting social media posts, always keep in mind that which sets you apart from the rest – and leverage it within each component of your website content plan. 

There are plenty of ways to display your unique value. For example, do you save your users time or money? Creatively reference that savings within each blog post. Or is your product beautiful as well as functional? Showcase its aesthetic value in every one of your social media posts.

4. Create a Schedule

After establishing the type of content you plan to generate, it’s time to establish a content schedule. To do this, you’ll want to identify all channels included in your content strategy. Individual social media sites, emails, text messages, and of course your blog are all web-based “locations” where you can place your content. 

While the number of available content sharing options may seem enormous, don’t let it overwhelm you. A single blog post can generate many content writing ideas. Website excerpts, several small social media posts per platform, a YouTube video, an email, and an SMS message can all hatch from one piece of “parent” content.

5. Include Evergreen Content

While it is of upmost importance to be relevant and timely, there are certain topics and types of content within every niche that remain evergreen – meaning they remain relevant as time passes. This is key as you determine what content a website should have. Evergreen content is beneficial because it continues to provide significant value to users without additional work on your end.

How to Optimize Your Content

In terms of web content development, it probably goes without saying that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a must. Here are a few ways to optimize your content and increase the chances that users find it with a basic web search. 

1. Target Keywords

What is website content without target keywords these days, anyway? Make sure to creatively include target keywords in headings, meta data, tags, and of course body copy. 

2. Include a Call to Action

A part of your website content management strategy should be to utilize a call to action (CTA) at the end of each piece of content. This may be as basic as “contact us,” or “click here.” Regardless of how simple your CTA, it’s silly to skip it.

3. Post Consistently

Sometimes the type of content needed for websites isn’t nearly as important as the timing of web page content or social content. Sharing high quality content on a consistent basis is an easy way to establish trust, encourage users to come back for more, improve conversions, and build brand awareness, as well as boost SEO. 

4. Answer Questions

Creating good content can be easily overthought. If you’re contemplating how to create a website content strategy or how to get content for your website, consider answering user questions. Here’s why: your product or service may serve a purpose, but outside of that how do you keep users engaged? Finding ways to answer questions is one of the best ways to ensure your content hits the mark and users keep coming back for more. 

Olive & June, an online retailer for all things manicures, does an excellent job at managing a content-based website. Generally speaking, nail polish and manicure supplies are infrequent purchases. They are commodities that most users will purchase once or twice a year. But because O&J spends time creating quality content that answers customer questions, their users have a reason to keep coming back, even if they don’t intend to buy a thing. 

Bonus Tips

It’s not always about how to create good content for websites. It can also be about how to get your content out there, or how to make sure it’s hitting its mark. Here are a few additional tips to help make the most of your online content.

1. Utilize Email

Maintain an up to date customer email database. This will make it easy to get your content in front of a captive audience on a regular basis.

2. Track Performance

A content strategy for the web is part art and part science. Keep an eye on performance metrics to learn what users love, what they don’t, and where they’re getting stuck. This will help you create more of what works without wasting time and money on what doesn’t.

3. Start with What You’ve Got

Before embarking on a brand-new website content strategy, take inventory of what you’ve already created. Spend a little time making sure your current content is up to par before coming up with new ideas. 

Creating Good Content Just Got Easier

If creating a content strategy for a website seems like a full-time job, that’s because it can be! There’s a ton to consider and more than a few ways to execute an effective content strategy. Hungry Media would love to help you make the most of yours. Contact us today to discuss taking your content and all of your digital marketing needs to the next level. We can’t wait to meet you!

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

Marketing has always been about connecting with the audience in ways that make sense to them. Whether you’re appealing to toddlers or octogenarians, marketing efforts have to meet potential customers where they are in order to be effective. And where are 21^st century consumers spending their time these days? Online.

While many lament the ways in which the internet has changed the world, it’s important to keep in mind that the invention of the newspaper, the highway, the radio, and the television all changed the world, too. And every time consumers’ attention shifted, so did marketing efforts. 

The time to double down on digital has arrived. Here is why you need a digital marketing strategy in 2021. 

What is a Digital Marketing Strategy?

Well, it’s always best to begin at the beginning. So, before we discuss why you need a digital marketing strategy, perhaps we should discuss the term “digital marketing,” huh?

Digital marketing, by definition, is any form of marketing that exists online. A digital marketing strategy is the methodical planning and implementation of any marketing effort which leverages digital channels such as social media, search engines, emails, websites, apps, online ads, and more.

Over the past decade, many more businesses have come to terms with the fact that print and television ads simply aren’t cutting it. To fill the void left by traditional marketing efforts, they have turned to digital marketing. Meaning that yes, digital marketing space comes at a higher premium than it did ten years ago. However, it still costs much less to leverage digital rather than traditional outlets today.

Why Digital Marketing?

The importance of digital marketing is fairly well known in today’s business world. Here’s why.

Easier, More Effective Targeting

Traditional marketing methods – such as television, radio, newspaper, and magazine advertisements – can be generally targeted to the appropriate audience based on demographics of those who watch certain television shows, listen to certain radio stations, and read certain periodicals. But that’s about as good as it gets. 

Digital marketing, on the other hand, can get a lot more specific. Campaign audiences can be based on age, income, buying habits, family status, interests, even internet browsing history. In short, it is much easier to get digital marketing campaigns in front of the right consumers, without also putting them in front of an audience who is unlikely to convert.

Cost Effectiveness

First and foremost, the ability to effectively target certain audiences can save businesses from spending precious ad money on marketing to the “wrong” demographic simply to capture the right one. Much less of a digital campaign spend will be wasted.

Secondly, as we mentioned before, online digital marketing tends to cost less than traditional marketing. Even at today’s higher rates, the cost of a well-placed digital ad is pennies compared to the cost of a commercial spot or even a print ad placed in a high-demand space.

A Level Playing Field

Until recently, the success of marketing campaigns relied heavily on the amount of money put behind them. And then, seemingly overnight, the role of online marketing evolved into something most of us never expected.  

While major brands were stuck doing what worked in the past – spending months and years developing huge ad campaigns and paying out the wazoo to get them in front of consumers – the small to mid-sized companies took advantage of more affordable outlets in the form of digital media. Marketing this way worked! 

These businesses learned the system, they got creative, they became effective, and they knocked it out of the park. For the first time in history, the little guys were in the game, too.

Accurate Analytics

Traditional marketing analytics are only as good as the self-reporting of consumers, perhaps information gleaned from focus groups, and changes in sales or revenue. Digital analytics tools, like Google Analytics, allow marketers to track the effectiveness of every web page, every ad, and every email campaign. Up to the minute reporting is available, which can be used to make micro adjustments in real time. And at the end of the day, it’s much easier to quantify ROI and make sound business decisions when up to date, objective data is available. 

Types of Digital Marketing

So, what do digital marketers do, anyway? The answer is: So. Many. Things. Way too many to cover in a single post. We can say this, though. The best digital marketing strategy is a comprehensive one. Here are some of the most common forms of marketing in digital spaces, just to get you started.

Pay Per Click Ads

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is a form of web marketing that involves pre-created ads served up as web page links in search engine results or photo and video posts in social media feeds. Who sees which ad, or whether a person sees an ad at all, is dependent upon the user’s input, habits, and other trackable details. Each time an ad generates a click through to the desired website, the platform earns a certain amount of money, usually a few cents to a few dollars per click – hence Pay Per Click.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a non-direct sales method, intended to build brand awareness as opposed to attempting to sell a particular product or service. Content can take many forms – from blogs, to social posts, to podcasts, to e-books. Regardless of the type of content created, it’s goal should be to position you or your business as an accessible expert. This way, when a user finds themself in need of that which you offer, you are already on their mind and they’re more likely to turn to you. 

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves taking steps to ensure you remain visible when consumers conduct an online search for your business or terms connected to your business. When Google, or any other search engine, combs the internet for web pages that are relevant to a user’s query, they don’t just look for words matching the search term. 

Think about it. Search engines are in the business of actually helping people find what they want online. The goal isn’t just to spit out a list of websites that might help the user. They hope that their search engine will provide exactly what the user is looking for. In an effort to do just this, search results must include relevant, reputable businesses or websites that will actually meet the user’s needs. 

How do search engines determine which websites are most likely to do so? They consider additional metrics like load times, the relevance of the content contained within the website (ahem, content marketing), whether other visitors have found the site useful, if it’s accessible to those with vision impairments, and many other factors.

Affiliate Marketing

This is word of mouth marketing on a big scale. Affiliate marketing leverages those who already love your products and services by incentivizing them to refer friends, family, and followers. 

You see this in action all the time. When you purchase a product and receive a promotional code to share with a friend in exchange for some sort of incentive paid back to you, you’re part of an affiliate marketing plan. 

Affiliate marketing is also very effective on a larger scale. When celebrities and influencers promote a product, they can generate a significant number of new leads for that business, many of which may have never considered purchasing from them before. 

Email Marketing

Despite the fact that nearly everyone in America feels as though our inboxes are way too cluttered, email marketing is still incredibly successful. Similar to content marketing, if you can stay somewhere in the forefront of users’ minds (even if they delete your emails without opening) you’re much likely to be their go-to when they’re making buying decisions.

In Need of a Digital Marketing Strategy?

Understanding why you need a digital marketing strategy is just the first step in making the most of your online presence. Whether you need additional guidance while developing a strategy for the digital marketing of your business, or you simply don’t have the manpower to execute a full digital marketing plan, we’ve got you covered. Hungry Media’s team of experts can help you both develop your digital marketing strategy and bring it to life, one step at a time. Contact us today for more information. We can’t wait to meet you! 

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

Smart phones, tablets, watches, computers. It’s no secret that technology rules our lives. And increasingly, consumers make purchasing decisions based on information found using that technology – that is, customers use information found online to decide what to buy and when to buy it. So, why does a business need a website? In 2021, it’s assumed that most businesses have one. It’s that simple. 

Why Does a Business Need a Website? 

That said, if you’re still on the fence, here are answers to some common questions about the need for an online presence in today’s market. 

Question: Why do you need a website if you’re not looking to grow your business? 

Answer: Because websites provide 24/7 customer service, allowing you to take some time off to enjoy what you’ve worked so hard for. 

A website designed with user experience in mind creates opportunities to serve your customer on their terms, allowing your business to function effectively even if you’re not tied to your computer or storefront. 

This means you can connect with potential customers while you’re catching some Z’s, answer user questions while on vacation, or make a sale while watching your kid score the winning soccer goal- all because your customers are utilizing your website. 

And the benefits aren’t just about allowing you a little bit of freedom. Customers appreciate easy access to the information for which they are searching. And the more you give them what they want, the more likely they are to return. 

Question: What does a website do for a business that’s undergoing change? 

Answer: Change often comes with a rebrand, and websites make brand building easy. 

The internet makes it very easy for consumers to learn about and connect with brands. We’re not talking about connection on a transactional level. A brand is so much more than a logo and a tagline. Today’s customers want to connect with a company’s mission and values on an emotional level. 
When creating a website, brand image should always be a primary consideration. In-depth About pages, excellent product descriptions, a blog that’s consistently updated with relevant content – all of these allow the customer to connect with a business. Over time, this creates brand loyalty, and leads to repeat customers and word of mouth referrals.

Question: I’m always busy hustling for the next sale. Why should I have a website for my business? 

Answer: Websites are amazing lead generation tools.

Regardless of whether they’re buying a $4 lipstick or $400,000 boat, today’s customer almost always conducts research online before making a buying decision. And of course, that research usually starts with a good ol’ Google search. 

A website that is optimized for search engines and receives a healthy amount of organic traffic is perhaps the most important lead generation tool in your arsenal. When consumers search for a product or service like the ones you offer, you want to show up in their search results, right? And you certainly can’t do that if you don’t have a website.
To learn more about optimizing your website for search engine rankings, check out these SEO basics.

Question: Why do small businesses need a website when they’re just getting started?

Answer: You have to get your name out there in order to be successful, and websites are more affordable than traditional marketing.

Years ago, the only ways to reach customers were referrals or traditional advertisement methods. If you wanted to spread the word about your new product or recently launched business, you probably had to pay an arm and a leg to advertise it. 

Don’t get us wrong, advertising is still a must today, but so much of what was contained in traditional ads can be placed right on your website for potential customers to view at any time. The cost of developing and maintaining a website is minimal compared to the recurring costs of traditional advertising methods.

Question: How will a website help my business evolve? 

Answer: Website analytics can provide unexpected information about the wants and needs of customers. 

Web analytics act as a barometer, providing insight into the needs and wants of customers, often in unexpected ways. The analytics and data collection tools available online are invaluable. They help track trends, eliminate pain points, evaluate the efficacy of specific efforts, and ultimately determine where to focus efforts moving forward.   

Question: I’m already on a tight budget. Why should I have a website for my small business? 

Answer: Websites can be monetized in so many ways!

A website provides additional opportunities for monetization such as selling advertising space, creating a “hire me” page, or offering digital products like an e-book or online course. These aren’t usually huge money makers, but they can help generate a little bit of extra cash to inject right back into your small business. 

Question: Why do I need a website if I’m doing just fine without one? 

Answer: Because customers expect it.

More than anything, your business needs a website because your customers expect you to have one. When a customer decides to make a purchase, there will almost always be multiple options from which they can choose. The first place they’ll look to research those options is online. If you don’t have a website for them to check out, the chance of gaining their business is pretty darn slim. 

We know following trends and working within the status quo aren’t what makes businesses successful, but an online presence isn’t a trend. It’s a non-negotiable. You’ll surely find and retain customers who have never seen your website, but that’s the exception, not the rule.

Elevate Your Business with a Hungry Media Website

Even if you recognize why a business does need a website, it doesn’t mean that building one must fall on your shoulders, alone. From engaging e-commerce sites to state-of-the-art mobile apps, and everything in between, Hungry Media creates from-scratch, user-friendly websites that help our clients make the most of their growing businesses. 
We’ll be your web guru so you can focus on what you do best – running a successful company. Contact us today to learn more about creating a website that elevates your business and sets you apart from the rest.

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

How does a website help your business grow? Whether you’re creating a new online business, bringing your brick and mortar into the digital space, or looking to increase sales on your current website, an online presence is a must! The good news is that learning how to grow your website business doesn’t have to be overwhelming.  There are many small steps you can take that will have a big impact, regardless of your starting point. 

Strategies to Grow Online Businesses

One of the things our clients wonder most is, “How to grow my business online.” Our answer is to start small.

Want to outfit twentysomethings in the hippest new trends, head to toe? Start by selling three versions of the same t-shirt. Dying to establish a major lifestyle blog? Focus your efforts on a single topic like homemade cocktails or living on a budget, first. 

Once you’ve successfully established yourself, expand from there. You’ll use your time and money more efficiently this way. Plus, it’s easier to course-correct when working on a small scale. 

Here are 25 additional strategies to grow an online business that you can start implementing today!

Establish Trust

1. Be honest. If there’s anything that will send customers running, it’s losing their trust. And the fastest way to do that is to embellish the truth or flat out lie. Plus, you may increase website sales in the short term based on inaccurate claims, but you certainly won’t gain loyal, happy customers with them. 
2. Use testimonials and reviews. Request honest feedback from your customers in the form of testimonials and reviews. Don’t be afraid of a less-than-perfect review, either. By allowing negative reviews on your site, you confirm you’re not filtering what is visible to the public, which generates more confidence in the integrity of positive reviews. 
3. Be easily accessible. Provide contact information on your website and closely monitor all communication channels shared with your audience. You’ll build trust by making it easy to get in touch and responding promptly.

Build Rapport

4. Use the voice of the customer. Speak to the customer online the way you would if you were in front of them. Meet them where they are and match the nature of the surrounding circumstances.
5. Engage on social. When users comment or connect with you via social media, quickly comment and connect right back. Accessibility and information-sharing go a long way to build rapport. 

Know your Audience

6. Create detailed buyer personas. Online business growth is dependent upon your ability to resonate with your target audience. Determine a few buyer personas and get super-detailed with them. What time do these people wake up in the morning? What is their favorite meal? What do they do for fun? Once you really know your audience, it will be much easier to connect with them. 
7. Start with a very specific audience. You’ll expand your target market after you’ve really connected with the original gang.
8. Target lookalike audiences. When you know your ideal customer, you can focus marketing efforts on potential customers with similar characteristics. 

Use Branding Techniques

9. Develop a unique brand. Learn about the importance of branding and focus your effort on establishing your unique brand. It might feel like a waste of time at first, but a singular, consistent brand identity will make marketing efforts easier and more effective.  
10. Use consistent messaging across all ad and web copy. This improves online businesses by cutting down on confusion, which makes conversions more likely.

Keep Design in Mind

11. Use quality images. Poor quality images on a website are a red flag. Think about it. If you appear as though you can’t afford (or don’t care) to make your professional website look it’s best, what might customers assume about your product or service?
12. Optimize for mobile. Customers use their phones to research and make purchases, so websites must be optimized for viewing on the smallest of screens. Non-optimized sites will cause frustration for mobile users and lead to increased bounce rates. 
13. Use great UX and UI design. Customers who find your site enjoyable to use will stick around for longer. Employ methods for effective UX and UI to increase conversions.
14. Focus on SEO. Every page and piece of content on your website should be created with SEO in mind. The higher your search rankings, the better your chance of getting in front of your target audience, and the better the chance of making a sale.
15. Write killer copy. Make sure the copy on your website is clear, concise, and enticing. Lackluster copy won’t do anything to grow your business.  

Make the Most of Your Marketing

16. Focus on high-quality content marketing. Among the most important strategies to improve online businesses involves content. Use content to position yourself as an accessible expert in your niche, and watch the sales roll in. 
17. Leverage influencers. Influencer marketing is where it’s at. You can usually get pretty decent bang for your buck when working with mid-level influencers in your niche.  
18. Establish remarketing campaigns. You might not know where to market your business online, but remarketing takes care of that for you. Target those who have visited recently or purchased in the past. Remarketing campaigns serve ads to remind users of your business, product, or service.

Make Decisions Easy

19. Create a sense of urgency. There’s nothing like limited availability or an offer with an expiration date to encourage customers to spring into action and make that purchase.
20. Provide fewer choices. Too many options can be overwhelming and cause users to give up before taking action. Fewer choices make for a simpler decision, which is great for your bottom line.

Make Payment a Piece of Cake

21. Offer multiple payment methods. This is one of the ways to help a small business grow that involves adding options instead of limiting them. Apple Pay, PayPal, Shop Pay, credit card, ACH. By making more options available, you’re increasing the likelihood that you accept your customers’ preferred payment method.
22. Reduce friction at checkout. Take advantage of any and all integrations that simplify the checkout process. The less work users have to do before hitting “pay now,” the greater the chance that they’ll complete their purchase.

Be Smart About Your Dollars and Cents

23. Raise extra money in advance. Build in some padding when fundraising for a new business. Nothing ever goes perfectly, so as you’re working to grow a business online, be prepared for a few extra expenses. This way you won’t have to slow your progress when you run into an unexpected expense. 
24. Get paid faster. You can’t control your customers or clients, but you can control how you choose to work with them. Do what you can to ensure timely payment from clients and customers.  
25. Monetize in other ways. Let your website work for you. Find creative ways to monetize your website and bring in some passive income. Even a little bit of extra cash can be put right back into the business, helping you grow faster.

Invest in Yourself

None of the strategies to grow an online business pays dividends like investing in yourself. We’re not suggesting that you throw money around like candy, but don’t be afraid to spend a little bit on tools that will help you become more efficient. 

Software systems to make budgeting easier, a webinar to help you invigorate your sales pitch, or a new piece of equipment to improve the quality of your product or service. These are investments, not expenses. The return you receive will help your business grow exponentially.

How to Grow Your Business Online with Hungry Media

With so many potential strategies to grow your online business, it can be hard to know where to start. Don’t stress. Hungry Media works with businesses in a wide range of industries and niches. Our web developers are top notch, and our design team knows what it takes to create a website that works for you. Contact us today to discuss your needs and how we can help your business grow. We can’t wait to meet you!

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer

There’s no getting around it – the words on websites matter. Yes, images make a splash, and super-functional UX design is impressive, but without excellent copy and content, a website won’t help your business flourish. 

Hold up! Aren’t writing content and copywriting the same thing? 

As you’ve probably guessed by now, the answer is, “nope.” While similar, web copy and web content serve distinct purposes and are used in different circumstances. 

So, what’s the difference between copywriting and content writing? 

What is Web Copy?

Generally speaking, web copy is part of the buyer’s journey and is intended to entice customers to take a specific action. Copy can also play a major role in your strategies for conversion rate optimization (CRO), search engine optimization (SEO), and User Experience (UX) design.

Examples of Web Copy

Static Web Pages

The text contained within any of the static pages on your website – such as your homepage, about section, or contact page – is considered web copy. These are high value pages that require attention-grabbing, action-enticing, easy-to-read copy. Web page copy plays a huge role in your CRO, as simply changing a single word in simple phrase can have a major impact on conversions. 

Social Media Ads 

These are the posts you see on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter which say “sponsored” or “ad” above them. Consider these like you would a newspaper or magazine print ad. You have a quick moment to capture someone’s attention and get them to act. When it comes to a social post, that action is likely to click the included link, or maybe engage via a like or comment. 

Promotional Emails

Emails that are promotional in nature might be considered web copy as well. These tend to be short and to the point, providing just enough information to entice users to take action such as visit your website, purchase a product, or connect with your community. They may even offer an incentive to do so.

What is Web Content?

Content is anything intended to engage users. When comparing website copy vs. content, you can expect content to be longer-form and more educational in nature. 

“Hot” leads are captured by copy, and content writing plays the long game, instead. Content aims to generate “warm” leads who may convert down the road. Good content provides users with relevant, timely information while positioning you as an accessible expert who provides a ton of value.  

Types of Content

Content does not have to be written. In fact, it can take many additional forms including videos, graphics, podcasts, and photos. Regardless of the type, all content has one thing in common – it is intended to provide some sort of value to those consuming it. But because this post is focused on the differences between website copy vs. content, we are only discussing text-based content at the moment.

Blogs

The difference between copywriting and blogging is all about the intention behind the words. In the early years of digital marketing, bloggers came to be viewed as accessible experts in their own niches, and eventually larger companies caught on. Now companies want to be seen as the experts. Today, blogs are all but a must for any business seeking to improve and leverage their web presence. 

White Papers

Businesses usually use this type of content to address non-expert audience members while advocating for their opinion or solution. White papers are used for the purpose of marketing, but they do so by providing education about a topic, which readers then use to inform their own decision-making process. This differs from traditional sales copy which aims to entice users to make a specific decision or take a specific action.

Social Media Posts

Similar to the way a blog page differs from a homepage, social posts are different than social ads. Regardless of platform, social media posts are created and shared to generate engagement from within the social community.

Importance of Content

Using the appropriate key words within your content will help improve search engine rankings. And if that content is in fact valuable, users will engage, share, and return for more – which also boosts SEO. 

While both content and copywriting create opportunities to improve and maintain SEO and CRO, a well-executed content strategy will also provide significant value. The internet makes thousands of options available to consumers with the push of a button. If you fail to provide value to your users, it’s only too easy for them to move on to someone who does.  

Create Killer Content with Hungry Media

If learning how to write content for websites makes you wish you could go back in time to the Mad Men era, we’re here to help! Our team knows when to employ copy writing vs. content writing and can generate killer content that positions you as an accessible expert within your niche. 
Whether you’re selling tools to contractors, dog walking services to pet owners, or the next It app to the entire country, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to discuss taking your content game to the next level.

contributed by Melissa Lucas, senior staff writer