seo & margaritas HOW SEO IS LIKE A DIGITAL MARGARITA P.14
Marketing
madness
68 MARKETING MISHAPS AND MISTAKES THAT CAN DRIVE YOU, WELL, MAD. P.18
Eighteen A-Players
FOUGHT FOR NEW POSITIONS AND TO PROGRESS IN THEIR CURRENT ROLES P.11
New team mates NOAHS'S BACK! P.9
Burkhart communications FINDING SUCCESS P.8
ANNUAL
Find CandY & money 2 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
CONTENTS issue 3 // march 2018
FEATURING
STOP SMOKING
CLIENT REVIEW
NEW HIRES
According to the CDC, 10 days is the average time it takes toxins to leave your system after quitting smoking.
After working with Abstrakt for only a short time, Burkhart communications has found success in our unique process.
Welcome back Noah! Noah Wegner started as a PSR and worked in multiple departments before finding a stop on the SEAL team.
By UNITED HEALTH CARE
04
08
09
WHO GOT PROMOTED?
SEO: A DIGITAL MARKETING MARGARITA MADNESS By LAURA WILMES
By LAURA WILMES
Eighteen A-Players fought for new positions and to progress in their current roles.
It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? Margaritas and SEO are more similar than you may think. Check out this blog to learn how!
11
14
In honor of the 68 March Madness teams, here's an article on 68 marketing mishaps and mistakes that can drive you, well, mad.
18
3 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
SMOKING READY, SET, GO! By: United Health Care Ready to step away from smoking for good? If that’s a big yes, you can do this! And you’ve got company. Nearly 7 out of 10 smokers say they want to quit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But how do you begin? Start with these tested steps that have helped other smokers kick the habit. Combining them may give you the best chance for success. Step 1: Commit to a quit day Give yourself time to prepare without putting it off too long. Pick a day in the next few weeks that feels right to you. Maybe that’s on a weekend, when there’s less stress — or on a day that others are going smoke-free. See “Join the Smokeout.”
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS WITH THESE SMART STRATEGIES!
In the days leading up to your quit day write down all the reasons you want to quit — what it means to you
Need more REASONS? 4 According to the CDC... ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
personally. For example, maybe that’s feeling better, being healthier and saving money. Keep your list with you or where you’ll see it often. Think about any past attempts — and what you learned from them. What will you do differently this time? Stock up on snacks to keep your mouth busy, such as carrot sticks and sugarless candies. Toss any extra cigarettes, ashtrays, etc. It will be good practice for quit day — when you’ll get rid of the rest. Step 2: Ask for expert advice
Your doctor can tell you about the most effective methods for quitting. For example, nicotine replacement products — such as gums, patches or lozenges — or other medicines can help ease withdrawal.
10 DAYS
IS THE AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES FOR TOXINS TO TO LLEEAV AVEE YOUR SYSTEM AFTER QUITTING SMOKING
A stop-smoking program might also give you an added edge. Ask your doctor about resources such as telephone hotlines and local support groups that meet in person or online. Look to the app store on your smartphone for innovative free apps that support your initiative to quit smoking. Also try using online resources. You can find many websites that are dedicated to helping you kick the habit. Step 3: Rally your supporters It’s true — there’s strength in numbers. So tell your loved ones and friends you need their encouragement now more than ever. You might ask them to not smoke around you — and not give you cigarettes. Have them join you for fun, smoke-free activities, like going to the movies. Ask friends and family to be patient as you deal with withdrawals and to listen when you feel like talking. Step 4: Be ready for cravings and setbacks Anticipating what’s ahead may help you cope with rough patches. Have go-to strategies in mind. For example, take a brisk walk when you’d normally have a smoke break. Stay busy with a new hobby. Practice deep breathing and wait for the urge to pass. Take a slow, deep breath. Hold it for five seconds. Then, slowly exhale. Breathe through your nose and count slowly, focusing on the rhythm of your breathing. As you exhale, feel the stress flow out of your body. Repeat as necessary. Pull out your reasons for quitting. Remember how much they matter to you. Call a buddy who will understand and talk you through it. Look at any setbacks as bumps along the way — not the end of the road. Remind yourself to adjust and get back on the right path. Step 5: How to deal with the stress There's no surprise that quiting smoking will cause some level of stress in your life. Here are several ways to combat that stress.
Let’s face it.
Remove the clutter in your life. Clean out your closet. If you haven't worn it in years, get rid of it. Clean your house, garage and workspace often. Plan ahead. When commuting, allow more time to get where you're going. Factor in time for traffic or other delays. Then, you'll be more relaxed when you get to work or your appointments. Laughter is the best medicine. Find what makes you laugh. It could be as simple as watching "I Love Lucy" reruns or listening to your favorite comedian. When you're laughing, you don't have time to be stressed out. Don't take yourself too seriously – learning to laugh at yourself may change the way stress affects your life. Be good to your body. Regular exercise can help direct your attention away from daily stress. It may contribute to a feeling of mental well-being. Eating a low-fat, low-sugar diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, can boost your physical and mental health as well. Create peaceful mental images. Picture yourself on the top of a scenic mountain; in a green, lush forest; your favorite vacation spot; or any place calming for you. Try a CD with sound effects, and relax to waves lapping on a shore or gently falling rain. Develop a positive attitude. Try to view negative situations in a positive way. Practice self-talk that emphasizes an "I can" attitude and avoid telling yourself "I should" or "I ought to."
Quitting smoking is challenging. But millions have already taken steps toward a healthier life — so why not you too?
YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR
HEART DISEASE RISK WITHIN
1 TO 2 YEARS OF QUITTING
Take a mental health break. Make some time each day to devote to yourself. Sometimes even 10 to 30 minutes really can help. Read a book, write in a journal or soak in a warm bath. Or, participate in a hobby you enjoy, such as gardening, painting or fishing.
SMOKERS
WHO QUIT THE HABIT BY THE AGE OF 30
ADD 10 YEARS TO THEIR LIFE
ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
CLIENTS 2018
CLIENT SUCCESS Check out the successes that Abstrakt has had in the past month. These stories are a combination of Outbound and Inbound Lead Generation.
6 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
Continental Window Cleaning 's new website
CONTINENTAL WINDOW CLEANING, a client of both Outbound and Inbound, came to Inbound with one goal in mind; gaining rank in keywords so we can drive more organic traffic to their company. Since working with Amanda and our Inbound team, we have seen a tremendous increase in keyword ranking since their website went live in November. They started out only ranking for 5 keywords in the top 100 positions in Google. In February, we ranked for 166 keywords in the top 100, a 3,220% Increase! Even better, they are now ranking 2nd in New York for office window cleaning services and 13th for window cleaning Brooklyn. Because of this we are on pace for March to grow our website traffic 114% from February and in return, continue to grow our form submissions!
IFS rescinded their cancellation in January and moved forward with a new agreement this month. Adam has been working the Pipeline since December and Brian told us today that he closed one of the Appointments Adam set in January for a $2500 flooring project that is going to lead to a $84,000 annual janitorial contract. He also gave Adam a 10/10 on Quality of APPTS and our Partnership score went from a 5 last month to a 9 this month.
decision makers instead of IT managers, Hi-Tek Data closed a MSP deal within just a few months! This deal has potential to lead to another MSP opportunity for Charles, who did not even believe in cold calling before. Now he’s upselling and bought in after closing Hospital Receivables Systems for $1,700/ mo recurring with the potential to add their second companyin the future. This is further proof that targeting business people is the right way to go!
CITY WIDE After returning from an annual convention, our client, City Wide of Chicago was thrilled to inform us that they were recognized for top performance in client retention. With almost 96% client retention, City Wide of Chicago was #1 in the country! By partnering with Abstrakt and fully committing to their clients, they’ve been able to find and keep clients without any obligation or long-term contracts.
HOMESTAR Loan officers work with individuals and institutions to authorize loans and assist with major purchases: they help people buy homes, pay for weddings, go to college, and purchase cars, ensuring they can borrow the money they need at an appropriate interest rate. Because of this, they are in high demand, making recruiting a difficult task. Because of its partnership with Abstrakt, Homestar was able bring on 7 loan officers, which was a huge asset for the company!
MARCH MADNESS Over the past few months, we’ve tripled the amount of monthly automotive client videos we produce. Starting with our March automotive spots, we developed a Markdown Madness theme which six separate dealerships bought in to. The following dealers all adopted our monthly theme, and several made a point to mention they “loved it.” HI-TEK After refocusing its program on business
NEW CLIENTS Continuous Networks Constant C LCS Facility Group
SERVICE MASTER CHARLOTTE Robert from ServiceMaster Charlotte just landed his biggest recurring account from an appointment Abstrakt set in October, Ipex. ServiceMaster Charlotte is seeing over $6,000 monthly recurring revenue from just Abstrakt appointments, which is awesome! Robert has 16 other open proposals, so we are expecting this number to grow!
Floridesco Panic Lighting Netready IT RevTel Net SBT Partners FW Warehousing Legacy Mechanical Homestar FC - Greenville Enertech Energy Management Solutions Coldwell Banker Ambassador EMCOR Services NY-NJ
Wilkinson ERA Bank of England - Solana Beach Supreme Lighting Executive Facility Services Divi Energy Adept Networks Finance of America - San Diego Green Lumens Gulf Pointe Properties Digital Agent IDL Experts ClearFuze Networks
7 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
CLIENT R EVIEW TONY BURKHART | PRESIDENT BURKHART COMMUNICATIONS INC.
B
urkhart communications has been working with Abstrakt since May of 2017. The company decided to partner with Abstrakt because of the unique approach we take to lead generation, specifically how we whittle down prospects to a very hot lead. Burkhart found success within the first three months with a single contract that paid for the entire first year of Abstrakt's services - not to mention the other 40 - 50 prospects that are still in the pipeline with lots of sales potential. Tony Burkhart, founder of Burkhart communications, feels like Abstrakt is an internal marketing company and sales staff. None of his prospects have ever said, “Oh, I talked to your marketing company.” Instead, they always say, "I talked to Lee." Tony's prospects didn't see any difference in the whole process, which was crucial to Burkhart communications. Tony sees his business working with Abstrakt indefinitely since we have facilitated growth and provided the opportunity for their company to enter more markets in the future.
8 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
“
Brilliant! Without question, the most well put together marketing service and group of individuals in the industry. You've tried the rest, now try the best! To date, we've had ROI of 600%+ and still have 3 months left on this cycle. We are getting laser targeted leads and they're facilitating unprecedented growth in our company. We've had to add field techs and internal staff to keep up with the curve! I can't articulate enough positive feedback on the Sales Manager and his all star team! Seriously, the best money we've spent to date on building the company. Within weeks of joining, the perpetual growth phase that we're in, started. By all means, please contact me, directly, if you have any questions on their performance or product as they've changed the way we do business.
A-PLAYERS 2018
Left to right: Robert Emig, Kendra Bailey, Seth Procasky and Noah Wegner
NEW HIRES In February, Abstrakt added 6 new A-Players to the family.
ROBERT EMIG went to Southern Illinois University- Carbondale class of ‘90 and graduated with his BS in Music Education. KENDRA BAILEY earned her degree in Business Management from SIUE. SETH PROCASKY studied at Murray State University and recieved his bachelors degree in Occupational Safety & Health. NOAH WEGNER graduated from Saint Leo University in Tampa, FL and recieved his BSW (Bachelors of Social Work).
9 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
Left to right: Zac Peques and Megan Wilborn
ZAC PEQUES graduated form SIUE with his degree in Exercise Science. MEGAN WILBORN is studying criminal justice from SIUE.
BIRTHDAYS Sara Jo Adkins Paige Breuklander Kyle Delane Robert Lang David Dillard LaTease Rikard
Mar 2nd Mar 2nd Mar 7th Mar 7th Mar 8th Mar 10th
Nicholas Wulf Steven Becherer Megan Baska Emily Sutton Amanda Berg Derrick Wood
Mar 12th Mar 12th Mar 14th Mar 14th Mar 15th Mar 16th
Scott McQuality Matt Blaker Keith Hancock Dan Beckmann Michael Sepe
Mar 17th Mar 24th Mar 25th Mar 26th Mar 28th
Maddy Riggio Melissa Spannbauer Isaiah Caldwell Katie Connors
1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year
ANNIVERSARIES Steve Dozier Danny Beene Kim Cluchey Taylor Stevenson Davis Vo
10 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
3 years 3 years 2 years 2 years 2 years
Neil Erker Dustin Roth Alex Lukefahr Leslie Barton Liz Schwartz
1 year 1 year 1year 1 year 1 year
eighteen PROGRESSIONS
PSR III
PSR IV
JORDAN VARNER has been with Abstrakt since September 2016.
PSR I
ANTHONY SOOTS has been with Abstrakt since January 2018.
NICHOLAS FAZZINO has been with Abstrakt since October 2016. PSR IV
RACHAEL LUCAS has been with Abstrakt since January 2018. PSR III
PSR III
DAVID DILLARD has been with Abstrakt since May 2017.
JAMES LEISINGER has been with Abstrakt since February 2017.
”
CALEB VERMILLION
LAUREN HUTCHCRAFT has been with Abstrakt since January 2018. PSR III
“
I’ve went from a Partner Sales Rep to an Assistant Manager to a Corporate Accountant, all in 2 years. I’ve gained an immense amount of knowledge that I’m not too sure I would have gotten anywhere else. I am forever grateful for that.
PSR I
JESSICA POAT has been with Abstrakt since January 2018. PSR II
JORDAN GILBERT has been with Abstrakt since October 2017.
PSR IV
MELISSA CHAPMAN has been with Abstrakt since November 2016.
11 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
PSR IX
Director of Executive Sales
COLE WELCH has been with Abstrakt since June 2012.
GARRETT BIRKENMEIER has been with Abstrakt since September 2015.
PSR IV
KYLE BRYAN has been with Abstrakt since February 2017. PSR IX
Sr. Executive Sales Rep 5
RYAN NEUMANN has been with Abstrakt since July 2014.
“
ERNEST BROOKS IV has been with Abstrakt since February 2016.
PSR IV
TYLER TESSON has been with Abstrakt since October 2016.
PSR V
TERRENCE CONNORS has been with Abstrakt since November 2016.
12 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
I love that I get to see people grow into their positions at Abstrakt – both PSRs and Managers. We are growing so quickly that we constantly have new members joining the Abstrakt family and we also have employees getting promoted to management positions on a frequent basis. It’s awesome to see the company grow because of the amazing amount of talent everyone brings to the table.
”
JESSICA RENTEL
EVENT RECAP
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY – MARCH 9TH
13 ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018
SEO: A Digital Margarita Search Engine Optimization for Inbound Lead Generation. By Laura Wilmes
Margarita
Glass = Web Domain
Much like a margarita, SEO is made up of numerous parts and can have a variety of combinations, depending on the taste of the customer and their flavor preferences. The proportions of each ingredient and SEO tool contributes to the whole, making it essential that you use only the best. While margarita critics may differ on the specific tequila brand or type of garnish, there are fundamental parts of this drink that make it a classic. The same applies to SEO. Make a quality digital margarita for your company with these six parts.
While not the most important part of your SEO margarita, the glass in which you serve your creation will impact not only the presentation but also the taste of your margarita. Just as you wouldn’t serve a margarita in a coffee mug, your site name should be appropriately matched to your industry and brand. The analogy also extends to the cleanliness and quality of your glass. Serving a margarita in an obviously broken or dirty glass is a quick way to acquire a very unhappy customer or even a displeased judge in the great mixology competition that is SEO. In website terms, this could be thought of as the design and amount of security on your site. A lack of professional design can make your site appear to be unsafe to customers, and these conditions can ruin any other good effort you put into your SEO margarita.
The Classic Lime Ingredients
preparation
1 1/2 cups gold tequila 3/4 cup Triple Sec 3/4 cup fresh lime juice 4 tablespoons sugar 8 cups crushed ice 2 tablespoons kosher salt 6 lime wedges
Combine tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons sugar in large pitcher; stir to dissolve sugar. Add crushed ice. Mix salt and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in shallow bowl. Moisten rim of 6 Margarita glasses with lime wedge. Holding each glass upside down, dip rim into sugar-salt mixture. Pour Margarita into glasses. Garnish with lime wedges. garnish.
Liquor = Content
Ice = social media
Bon Appetit says, “Since the principal flavor of the margarita is the tequila, it’s important to make sure you’ve got the best stuff you can get your hands on.” The same applies to your site. Having the best content will ensure your site’s SEO ranks high. There are many types of tequila and types of content out there, making the choice unique to your taste and business. While there are many options available for content, it is important to remember the quality of content is more important than the type. High-quality writing allows you much more flexibility when sprinkling in keywords and other ingredients, and also guarantees you a strong optimization foundation. It’s also important to remember what your customers came for – no matter how fancy the margarita, the content must be relevant to the context of the user’s search.
Some prefer their margaritas frozen, while others like them on the rocks. The same applies to social media. Not every social channel is meant to be used by every type of company. In fact, using too much ice or social media channels can end up watering down your content. However, much like a frozen margarita, a well-blended social media strategy can take a margarita’s taste from tasty to heavenly. It all comes back to your individual digital marketing strategy. Keep your SEO margarita icy with your social media – without watering it down.
When a site links to your blog or a post you’ve written, Google sees it as a recommendation to their readers, like a vote of confidence. Write great content that helps your audience, guest post on other blogs, feature in roundups and you will get lots of backlinks. These will increase your ranking in Google’s searches and your domain authority. –Minuca Elana
"
"
Lime = your site's visual elements
Sugar or Salt = Organic or Paid
A lime will rarely make or break your margarita. However, it can be that extra touch that transforms your SEO mixology from ordinary to extraordinary. In SEO terms, the lime could be considered visuallyappealing elements like video on your site. They add an extra touch to get an inside look at your product, services or just overall business.
While salt is what you’ve always known while blogging, sugar might just give your margarita the extra boost to get noticed. The decision for sugar vs salt or organic vs paid should take into account factors such as budget, target customer and market. If taking a risk from the classic margarita salted rim will benefit your company, try the sugar approach and use pay-per-click!
Inserting links to 404 error pages or sites that no longer exist is like using lime juice that’s gone bad. It can quickly do a lot of damage to your whole margarita and site’s ranking.
Much like a
Margarita, SEO
is made up of numerous parts
and can have a variety of combinations
Mixer = Links A classic margarita usually consists of tequila, triple sec and fresh lime juice. These mixers are the link builders of your digital margarita, and the secret is finding a balance in which all parts combine to create a delicious drink. Much like your content, your link building must be top-notch and not bring down the quality of the drink as a whole. Internal links also help search engines understand how your site’s pages are related, what their level of importance is on your site and their relevance for specific searches. Off-site links are also important. The more inbound links you have pointing to your site from high-authority sources, the better your perceived credibility, and the higher your website will rank. Users want to share and link to great content, so publishing quality content will attract inbound links. Keep your mixers and links fresh, and you’ll reap the benefits.
chips and salsa = marketing strategy Now you know, SEO really is a digital margarita. All you need to make yours is a strong base of quality content tequila, fresh link mixers, social media ice, salt or sugar on the rim and a lime for design served in the clean glass of an appropriate and safe domain makes for the perfect happy hour treat. But what’s a margarita without chips and salsa? SEO should be integrated with your entire marketing strategy for best results. A comprehensive process will help your company accomplish your goals as a team.
THE UPSETS OF
Marketing Madness BY LAURA WILMES
“
Everybody wants to take responsibility when you win, but when you fail, all these fingers are pointing.
“
– Coach K (Duke Head Coach
ABSTRAKT // MARCH 2018 1980-present)
social Media #1 Typos We’ve all done it. Typos aren’t just when Microsoft Word puts a squiggly red or green line under; there is a whole world of grammatical errors out there just waiting to wreak havoc. You can see 20 of them here. To avoid making these mistakes, check out tools like Grammarly, which can be used on your desktop or as a browser plug-in. It is, however, a fan of the Oxford comma. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
AH, MARCH
Madness.
One tournament, 68 teams, hundreds of players, single elimination. We are in the midst of this beautiful event, where any team has a chance to come out on top. As we’ve seen, March Madness is full of buzzer-beaters, and underdogs coming out on top with upsets. Even those who hardly know anything about college basketball become passionate about the tournament, fighting to win their bracket challenge. The multi-faceted nature and contagious energy of March Madness make it hard to stay away. The same applies to digital marketing. (Did you see that coming?) When considering the number of ways to market using digital methods, I’m sure you can think of at least 68. Facebook alone has about 50 ways to market your business. It’s a great spot to be, having so many options. But it can also be tricky, with ‘upsets’ happening as frequently as they do in the March Madness Tournament. There are lots of articles and blogs out there discussing the successes and benefits of marketing and lead generation. But who’s talking about the curveballs, struggles and upsets that come with it? Below you’ll these 68 instances, where marketing will drive you, well, mad. You’ll also find ways to prevent or correct these upsets.
#2 Posting on the Wrong Account I have personal experience with this one. Nothing inappropriate, but still a funny (and cringe-worthy) story. While in college, I replied to a friend who had tweeted my personal account using an organization’s Twitter account that I managed (not Abstrakt) – with my bitmoji. Yikes. Thankfully, I took it down quickly since I realized it within 30 seconds, which is the key to resolving this situation. Learn from me – avoid posting on the wrong account, but if you do, be vigilant. #3 Bad Excuses Social media blunders happen. But when they do, it’s important to come clean about them. Honesty really is the best policy, and blaming the intern is not. #4 Chatbots While chatbots can be a great tool for managing replies and customer issues, it’s also important to monitor them so that they’re actually helping. Be sure to set up several different replies, as your customers will not all have the same concern.
sales department #5 Asking Too Few (or Too Many) Questions As a general rule, the more questions you ask, the better. Average reps ask 6.3 questions and top performers ask 10 to 14. They also dig deeper and listen more. But beware – after 14 questions, sales rates head back down toward average. #6 Head Trash This could also be referred to as negative or pessimistic thoughts, but ‘head trash’ just explains this concept so well. Some examples of this could include the following: “I’m not prepared” “I’m exhausted”
“I don’t feel like selling today” “I’m never going to close this deal”
Develop a routine that squashes head trash, and help other team members when they’re feeling down! #7 Leaving Too Little Time to Discuss Next Steps Winning sales reps devote almost 13% more time at the end of their demos to discussing “next steps.” They use that time to confirm how they’ll move the project forward. That’s critical to confirming buy-in. Without confirming next steps and buy-in, you’re marketing, not selling.
#8 Asking Your Questions “Checklist Style” Don’t grill your buyer with rapid-fire questions. They’ll think you’re going through a checklist without listening to their problems. Spread your questions throughout the conversation in a balanced, natural way. If you ask all your questions at the beginning of the call, you’ll sound scripted and impersonal. #9 Pitching Rather Than Conversing Take turns. It’s going to feel more authentic for everyone and will increase your chances of success. Bounce back and forth between speakers to make sure everyone is engaged in the conversation. In fact, a higher number of “speaker switches” per minute correlates with your odds of a second meeting and a strong connection.
PPC Advertising #10 Using Telephone Numbers Not many people will pick up their phone and dial your number if they see your ad. Including a phone number is just wasting space that can be used for an effective message. Instead, use a click-to-call extension feature. #11 Ad Extensions Using ad extensions in your ads will increase your click-through rate around 10%. The typical CTR on a site link is just 0.1%. Use them! #12 Keywords in Ad Copy Be sure to utilize keywords you have researched in your ad copy and integrate it in a strategic way to make your ad more relevant. Like always, avoid keyword stuffing!
Graphic design #13 Image Quality Check your images, people. And not just on your computer, but other devices, too! Blurry or pixelated graphics can take a page’s credibility down several notches in a small amount of time. #14 Font Choices Please stop using fonts that give readers a headache after 10 words. While it may look cool for a heading, body text should be as readable as possible, without straining any eyeballs. And while we’re on the topic, please stop using Comic Sans and Papyrus. #15 Relevant Images This goes hand-in-hand with the first design point. While a stock photo might look crisp and clean on your webpage, it doesn’t help much if it has nothing to do with the content on your page. Stick to images that are relevant to your business and industry!
These common marketing mess-ups aren’t always easy to predict or prevent, but they can all be fixed! It’s important to learn from them when they do occur to better help your business in the future.
#16 Missing the Overall Point Minimize this huge mistakes by doing some research and seeing what types of design projects have previously worked in your industry. Big, flashy design doesn’t work for all target audiences, so do your homework before embarking on your design journey.
reputation
management #17 Neglecting Positive Reviews It’s common to want to respond to only negative reviews, but be sure to interact with the positive feedback, too! #18 Responding Appropriately Negative reviews are never easy to read, but keeping your cool is important. Replying to these in a respectful and open-minded way will prevent further backlash and harm to your brand’s reputation. Check out these responses to get some ideas.
If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes. – John Wooden (UCLA Head Coach 1948-1975)
#20 Suing Customers that Leave Bad Reviews Yikes. While some businesses would never even consider this option, going to court over a review is definitely something that has happened a time or two. Check out some examples of this ordeal happening, and avoid it at all costs.
“
“
#19 Not Asking for Reviews Few places won’t ask you to fill out a survey or leave a review after you visit. If you aren’t asking your customers to leave feedback, you’re missing a huge marketing opportunity! You probably have more customers out there than you realize that would be more than happy to share their experience.
web development
email marketing
#21 No Website Nearly half of all small businesses in the United States don’t have a website. Shocking, we know. Meanwhile, here is a website dedicated to just telling the visitor that their computer is on. Here’s one where you can watch bacon sizzle. There’s a site out there to tell users browsing on computers to let them know their device is on, yet 49% of small businesses don’t have a presence. Do you see the problem here?! 97% of consumers search online for products & services, and more than half of searches are local. People will (or won’t be able to) find your business online before they ever go to your business. Basically, you need a website. Build your site.
#28 Forgetting to BCC recipients Avoid revealing hundreds or thousands of people’s email addresses and exposing them to all kinds of follow-up spam. It’s not a great look for your company.
#22 Mobile Friendliness Website traffic coming from mobile devices is increasing every day. There are few things more frustrating while browsing on a website than constantly scrolling every direction just to read an article – if they even take the time to do that. Most visitors will simply leave. Make your site mobile friendly! #23 Too Few or Too Many Colors Don’t make it difficult for people to decipher your message, stick to your brand’s color scheme! #24 Treating Your Site as an Online Brochure A website is a sales tool and a lead generation platform that works for your company 24/7, so treat it as such! Using it as an online brochure is not fulfilling the revenue generating potential it has. #25 Lack of CTAs Call to actions are an essential piece to converting your site into a lead-generating tool. To create an effective one, it’s crucial that it clearly tells visitors what they need to do. There should be enough information that visitors know what they’ll receive from taking action and what information they need to provide. #26 Poor Navigation Cluttered menus, elements that are too close to one another and an unclear sense of direction are all navigation problems that beg a viewer to leave a website. Keep it simple and self-explanatory. #27 Hidden Navigation This one goes along with the above point, but some of the most expensive and flashy sites experience this common issue. Have you ever been to a website and you can’t find the menu or the search bar? It’s incredibly frustrating. While a typical navigation bar may not be the edgiest design feature, it does increase usability.
BASI
Yo wo
#29 Failing to Proofread This goes along with typos, but the point really cannot be stressed enough. Keep your company looking professional – proofread! #30 Not Checking the Subject Line Send a test email to yourself to spot this one. #31 Sending the Test Email These all build off each other. Be careful about sending the test email out – sending it to your entire subscriber base may not work out so well. #32 Check Links and Promo Codes If you haven’t figured it out by now, the key to preventing email marketing blunders is checking out the email once, twice and probably even three times. You’ll thank yourself later!
video marketing #33 Forgetting about SEO Utilize SEO in your video titles and descriptions to get your content ranking! Tools like VidIQ can help you with finding the right tags and keywords to improve your score. #34 Going for the Hard Sell 90% of users say that video is helpful in their decision process, but constantly pushing the seller to buy can ruin a great video. Think of infomercials – the product demonstration makes you want to buy, but the constant reminder that the product is $19.95 plus shipping can deter the viewer very quickly. #35 Leaving Out Call to Actions An exceptional, targeted video is almost worthless without an opportunity to collect a viewer’s information and guide their buyer journey. Include CTAs to provide next steps for your viewers! #36 Poor Quality Videos While you may want to produce videos quickly for your business, don’t forget that all content you produce is a representation of your brand. A poorly produced video can connotate poor work. Uphold your brand standards and keep quality over quantity!
ICALLY,
ou need a orking website.
“
Come out on top by preventing or fixing these marketing mishaps.
– Don Draper
“
Make it simple but significant.
“
Marketing is an everchanging industry, so it’s important to have a budget that’s part data-analysis and part fortune-telling.
AS ALWAYS,
be careful with keyword stuffing.
#37 Tracking and Monitoring Analytics Many companies upload video content and forget it, which doesn’t help your strategy. If you want to keep improving, it’s important to assess how your videos are performing and adjust to optimize them. #38 Assuming B2B Marketing Can’t Be As Lively As B2C Don’t feel forced to make stiff, talking-head videos just because you are a B2B company. Have some fun with your message, because you’re marketing to real people too! In this video campaign, Verisign shows the plight of abandoned shopping carts to bring awareness on how their business can help e-commerce websites. With it, the company found a great branding opportunity and earned themselves the reputation of “cart whisperers.”
“
.
public relations #39 Poor choice of language. Press releases are not blogs, and most media gatekeepers aren’t always impressed with jargon and buzzwords. Editors don’t have time to read your release, so it’s crucial to get to the point with plain and simple language. #40 Poor timing. Magazines, newspapers and other media need ample lead time, which means it’s important to get your releases in early. Poor timing will result in a lack of publishing. #41 Lack Of or Too Many Follow-Ups Journalists don’t want to constantly field your calls, but they also don’t want to miss a great story just because it’s been lost in a sea of emails. Send a reminder email or give them a call several days after the pitch, to ensure they received it. If there’s still no response, let it be. #42 Over-Editing Proper grammar is something that should never be overlooked, but it’s also possible to over-edit. By doing this, you can end up putting off a press release for weeks and missing your window of opportunity. Don’t over think it! #43 Not Conducting Research Save yourself and the potential outlet some time, and do your homework. If you don’t understand what the outlet covers or what the specific reporter writes about shows that you either don’t know or don’t care to know. Don’t ruin your PR strategy with bad PR – research before hitting send. #44 SEO Friendly Content It’s 2018, which means you should be including your keywords and website backlinks in your PR content as it’s going to end up online. If you refer to something someone else has written, link to that as well to make your content more search-friendly.
the big picture #45 Securing a Budget Creating a marketing budget is not always a simple task. By only focusing on the previous year’s plan or a marketing budget template, you could be ignoring potential new opportunities. Marketing is an ever-changing industry, so it’s important to have a budget that’s part data-analysis and part fortune-telling.
#46 Keeping Marketing and Sales Separate There once was a time when marketing and sales were siloed departments. However, today there are too many benefits to ignore when implementing a strategy in which sales and marketing work together. Both teams should ensure that lead generation efforts are being focused correctly. #47 Confusing a Marketing Tactic with a Strategy Focusing money, time and effort on one tactic versus an overall strategy typically leads to ineffectiveness. Lead generation shouldn’t be viewed as an a la carte initiative. A comprehensive and cohesive full meal plan is in your company’s best interests. #48 Identifying the Right Technologies for Your Needs With so many tools and resources available, how you do identify which are right for your company’s needs? To narrow down your search, define what your needs are. Then, check out a list like this one to decide which tools are right for you! #49 Focusing on Your Products and Services If you want to get the attention of your prospects, speak to their needs and wants. Your prospects’ primary concern isn’t that you’ve been in business for 25 years; it’s that you have the solution to their problem. Use your marketing to identify at least one common problem and highlight the benefit of using your product or service. #50 Having a Weak Marketing Message Make sure your ad copy includes a 7-10 word description of the problems you solve, so prospects who read or hear it know how you can help them. Bonus points for including your keywords! #51 Using the Wrong Words When you spend money on PPC or other paid marketing, first A/B test two versions of your copy to identify the one that works best. A simple revision in copy can make a huge difference! #52 Focusing on Creation Instead of Promotion A piece of content shared once doesn’t mean that anyone saw it. Share content multiple times and across multiple platforms to make the most of your content marketing. The piece may not have been relevant to them at the time it was created or more likely, they just didn’t see it. Creating a quality piece is useless if it isn’t promoted! #53 Missing Motivation Don’t miss the opportunity to move prospects to your website or a landing page. To effectively do so, include an offer that motivates them to take action like a free infographic or quote.
#54 Lacking in Frequency Most prospects won’t make a spur of the moment buying decision with your business-to-business company. They may need to become familiar with your services and products, which takes time. If you want your advertising to work, you need to ensure that your prospects see or hear it regularly, which should happen through a variety of methods.
#62 One Size Fits All Not all leads are the same, especially at different stages in your pipeline. Each phase of the buyer journey should have its own specific messaging.
#55 Training Your Team As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, training your team will become a greater challenge. Whether it’s training your team on the concepts and tools they’ll be using or ensure they’re achieving their full potential, it’s important that your team is fully equipped to handle anything that may come their way.
#64 Reevaluation Making mistakes in your strategy is inevitable. The real failure, however, is not reevaluating after a campaign or idea flops. By learning from the mistake and adjusting your strategy, you allow your company the opportunity a second chance that will hopefully perform even better than the initial attempt.
#56 Lack of Tracking Do you know the ROI of your marketing efforts? Track each of your marketing campaigns to know where to spend money in the future, what to modify and what to eliminate.
#65 Lack of Follow-Up Process When a user fills out the form on your website, what happens next? Having a process in place as to who will follow-up with that contact, the method of follow-up and how quickly it’s done will ensure that lead is kept warm. A strong lead nurturing process can do wonders, especially against the competition.
#58 Pursuing Everybody Not everyone is a quality lead for your company, and that’s okay. Make sure you aren’t wasting your marketing budget by going after everyone. Rather, define your target audience and the qualifications a lead should have in order to have the best leads filling your sales funnel. #59 Believing in Magic Marketing results don’t just appear overnight. Like most things in business, there are no shortcuts, silver bullets or magic buzzwords to suddenly increase sales overnight. A digital marketing budget should take into account the time it will take to implement your marketing goals, rather than just assuming those results will magically appear. #60 Skipping the Romance Stages Very rarely does a first date lead to an immediate wedding. Avoid skipping the stages in which the decision maker gets to know your company, and be patient with a strong nurturing strategy. #61 Getting Distracted by 80% and Not Focusing on the 20% The 80/20 rule, or the Pareto Principle, says that most of the results in any situation are determined by a small number of causes. One application of this rules involves how money is spent on campaigns versus the results produced. In general, 20% of marketing messages should produce 80% of your campaign results. Read more about Pareto’s 80/20 rule here.
#66 Your Data is Outdated Databases decay by as much as 40% every year. (Wait, what?!) Even worse, some of your contact records may not have been accurate in the first place. If it’s been a while, cleanse and maybe even fresh it up with new data. #67 You Don’t Convey Credibility Digital marketing isn’t kindergarten show and tell. Demonstrate knowledge, rather than just telling prospects that your company is credible. #68 Focusing Only on Digital Methods Incorporating a direct communication element to your lead generation strategy can prove to be one of the most effective methods of converting your prospects into leads. By coming from a consultative approach rather than sales, your team is positioned as a resource ready to assist. There you have it – 68 common marketing mistakes and mishaps that can drive you mad. B2B marketing mistakes are common, yet overall, preventable. If they do occur, there’s always a fix. Take a step, and reassess.
“
Once you have established an adjusted strategy, it’s time to get yourself a piece of that championship net (or maybe just a large quantity of quality leads).
“
#57 Spending Too Much Time Planning and Not Enough Time Doing At some point, you are going to have to jump. Don’t hurt your strategy by waiting to implement.
#63 Believing ‘Content’ Just Means Blogs Quality content shouldn’t be limited to just blogs! Create ebooks, whitepapers, infographics, etc.