How Podcasting Can Revolutionize Your Marketing

How Podcasting Can Revolutionize Your Marketing

Posted on | by Alex Engelbert
Marketing, Podcasting

How Podcasting Can Revolutionize Your Marketing? Podcasting is becoming increasingly popular among marketers, and for good reason. As a medium, podcasting can be incredibly powerful in helping you reach your target audience and build relationships with them. Through podcasts, you can create engaging content that drives meaningful conversations and encourages listeners to take action.

In today’s world, there seems to be an unlimited number of platforms that provide entertainment and news.  Some people still rely on print media, and others prefer to watch cable news.  Most people enjoy news and entertainment through a streaming service.  An incredibly popular form of entertainment is podcasting, an industry that continues to see growth year after year.  More than 50% of the United States population listens to at least one podcast weekly. In the modern era of digital storytelling, podcasting has topped the charts as one of the most popular streaming tools on the market.

There are over 3 million podcasts currently available for streaming, and that number continues to increase daily.  Podcasting is a relatively simple method of telling a story or providing entertainment.  With the decline of talk radio, podcasts have served as a replacement for people to listen to on their daily commutes.

While the entertainment value of podcasts are widely known, podcasting is still an underutilized and overlooked marketing tool.  Businesses can utilize podcasts to better promote their brands and create awareness.  Here are several ways to use podcasting as a marketing tool to help your business expand.

1. Podcast Listeners Feel More Productive

Podcasts require far less attention from users to interact with because the idea of a podcast is to be heard. While many people have cut down on their “screen time” such as watching a streaming service or cable TV, they have increased their podcast listening because they view it as passive background noise.  Listeners often tune into a podcast while doing daily life chores and activities. Listener productivity makes podcasts ideal for busy individuals or someone who wants their eyes off the screen.  By utilizing podcasts as a marketing tool, you will increase your brands reach beyond the scope of social media or streaming platform advertising options.

2. Podcasts Build a Loyal Audience

What makes podcasts stand out drastically from other forms of marketing and content creation is that they allows brands to communicate directly to a captive audience. A podcast with a specific niche for their audience can immediately tackle their target audience with their content while creating bonds all in one. Typically, an audience of a podcast is a loyal one; creating that audience for a brand can be seamless if you know your niche and audience, and it is much easier to reach users than other forms of marketing and branding.

3. Originality

Compared to other forms of social media marketing, the competition is far lower in the podcast realm. Facebook has billions of business pages to push out content and drive-up engagement. Instagram is often inundated with content pieces that are hard to discern from one another.  In contrast, Podcasts are much slimmer in terms of quantity, even with over 3 million of them. Apple Podcasts is a highly ranked application on the Apple Store regarding users and content. With the millions of users who stream Spotify, getting a podcast to the public may be easier than creating an Instagram post!  Podcasts excel in finding a targeted niche audience compared to a Facebook Business Page for a brand.

4. Provide Value

Brands are always searching for their USP and what they provide to their customers and followers in marketing. It is the core of a business and what drives high engagement on social media pages. What does a service provide? How do customers benefit from being a part of this service? Podcasting makes this step easy as it always provides value to its audience.

Listeners are constantly engaged with their preferred podcast network, and it creates a sense of community, thus establishing an entire network of individuals for said brand.

Listeners of a podcast are constantly gaining new information and knowledge on topics based on discussion when tuning in to the latest episode of their favorite Podcast. It is a constant source of value to the audience.

5. Shareable

Several podcasting platforms allow for shows to be produced and pushed across streaming media. This makes the content easily sharable among communities and friends. Among other social media platforms where brands and businesses establish a following, podcast communities found within Apple Podcasts and Spotify are the most loyal to their favorite show compared to a business page.

6. SEO-Optimized   

If a business has an established Facebook or Instagram page and then decides to create a podcast to drive traffic to their pages or website, it is both possible and efficient!

Podcasts are community-driven, so creating a loyal following would then, in turn, boost website and page traffic. Podcasts typically have an internal transcript to describe an episode in notes or provide external links to platform pages. If utilized correctly, podcasting can provide remarkable SEO benefits.

Keyword management is often used with titles of the episodes or in the episode notes, typically in the episode’s transcript to have your episode and podcast show be searchable.

Get Started Today With The AD Leaf Marketing Firm!

Overall, podcasts are a much more creative and effective way of marketing. Podcasting creates a loyal community, produces valuable content for followers, and can drive traffic to a brand’s website or social pages. All while creating one-of-a-kind content that can target a particular niche.

Need help creating and running a successful Podcast while implementing a successful marketing strategy? The AD Leaf Marketing Firm is here to take your business to the next level. Talk to one of our experts to schedule a free consultation with our marketing teams, call us today at 321-255-0900.

Differences Between an iPhone and DSLR Camera

Differences Between an iPhone and DSLR Camera

Posted on | by Antonia Parris
Videography

Smartphones are getting better and better, which means their cameras are too. For some, the iPhone is capable of taking quality photos that don’t require any other type of camera. But for others, there’s no comparison between what a smartphone can do versus what a professional camera can do. So let’s dive into the differences between an iPhone camera and a DSLR camera so you can decide which one is right for you.

The Basics

At its core, an iPhone (or any smartphone) is trying to fit as much tech as possible into a device that can fit in your pocket—which means its limitations are pretty well set by design. A DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex)camera has no such limits—it’s designed to be used with interchangeable lenses and accessories that allow it to take photos or videos far beyond the scope of any phone ever made. That being said, let’s look at some of the main differences between these two types of cameras.

Lens Quality

The main difference between an iPhone and a DSLR camera is its lens quality—simply put, the lenses on DSLRs are much higher quality than those found on smartphones. That being said, iPhones have several different lenses available depending on the model you purchase, but even then, they don’t come close to matching up to what a high-end DSLR lens offers in terms of clarity and sharpness.

In addition to higher-quality lenses, most DSLRs also offer interchangeable lenses that allow you more versatility when shooting different types of photos or videos. This feature alone gives you almost limitless options when it comes to capturing whatever scene you want.

Lighting & Color Accuracy

Another major difference between iPhones and DSLRs is their ability to capture accurate colors and handle low-light situations differently. iPhones tend to struggle with color accuracy due to their limited sensors; whereas a good DSLR will be able to reproduce colors accurately regardless of lighting conditions or time of day. Furthermore, iPhones tend to struggle to capture detail in low light conditions; however, this isn’t an issue with most modern DSLRs because they have larger sensors that allow them to capture more light than smartphones.

Conclusion

No matter which type of camera you choose—iPhone or DSLR—you will still be able to get great images out of either one if used correctly. The primary difference lies in your level of control over each shot; while an iPhone may give you some level of control over certain aspects like exposure compensation or white balance settings, ultimately, it still relies heavily on its automatic mode for most shots taken with it. On the other hand, a good DSLR allows for full manual control over every aspect, from shutter speed all the way down to ISO settings; giving users complete control over how their images turn out each time they press the shutter button. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference as both cameras have their pros and cons —but understanding these differences can help make your decision easier so you can get exactly what fits your needs best!

How can The AD Leaf Help you with your Videography needs?

We have a team of professionals dedicated to developing the best video content to represent your business in the digital world.  Our experienced videographers are here to ensure that your content is as visually stunning, engaging, and informative as possible. From concept development to filming, editing, and post-production, we strive for excellence every step of the way. Start your video strategy today! Contact us today at info@theadleaf.com or call 321-255-0900. 

Blogging in 2023 - Yes You Still Need To!

Blogging in 2023

Posted on | by Chad Rogalla
Content Writing, Search Engine Optimization

Blogging in 2023? Do you still need to be doing it? The answer is a resounding YES! Blogging in 2023 will remain an important part of content marketing and digital strategy. It’s still one of the most effective ways to reach customers, create relationships, boost SEO, and build your brand.

Blogging is not dead. It has evolved. It is true that the days of personal blogging are over. Blogs started around 10 years ago to sell opinions on a subject matter. This made many blog writers money and opened the floodgates for people to write on just about anything without a second thought on quality and a value-added approach.

Blog Relevancy in 2023

Most audiences engage with things they can personally relate to. A study found that 80% of all online traffic reads a blog at some point, and 68% of marketers find that blogging is more effective than it was 2 years ago.

The internet is still full of people looking for your unique solutions to their unique problems. That is the reciprocating cycle of value-added content. Today, the term blogging is being transformed into a more inclusive term, “content writing.” Here, blogs try to answer a question in a unique way, then drive that audience to the website where the writer engages with more relevant and to-the-point content that finally sells the solution to their problem.

 

What is Blogging Today?

Blogs are niched down and specialized information among a network of shared knowledge. An information-hungry world needs thought leaders who will create content with their own personal experience, creating a more personalized creative to capture the most relevant audience.

Blogging is about building relationships with people who have questions and need answers. The days of blogging to make money are over. Here are some things to consider when creating a blog today.

  • Ditch the sales pitch. You would not want someone to ask you to buy their coffee every day at 9 am.
  • Your content needs to be value-added. Don’t just talk about things for the sake of talking. Bring new ideas or viewpoints to the table.
  • Blogs need to give advice. Adding value includes giving direction to an identified problem. Maybe it’s not important to be selling but to be an authority on a pain point so that your audience can build trust with you. It’s trust that can lead to a sale later on.
  • Answering questions is key. Showing that you are informed on your subject matter makes you trustworthy. People would rather buy from those who not only have the answers but also are experts in their field.

 

Social Media Is Replacing Blogs – Myth

The only thing social media has going for it is that it is easy to fire off a short post in minutes and share it. Here are three problems with social media:

  1. Social Media has restrictions
  2. Account Being Disabled
  3. Social Media Platforms come and go

Social media is not a sustainable channel for a business. It is just a flashy distraction to your main home, your website. If you are relying on social media alone, you are at risk of losing an audience in a heartbeat. What is to stop Facebook from banning you for an obscure policy violation? What if a brigade of users flood negative comments on your profile? With blogs, you have full control, flexibility, and freedom. 

Blogs provide a more personal connection between the author and the reader. The audience can relate and engage with the author by liking the content, sharing, and commenting. Blogs allow writers to build a following and establish themselves as thought leaders and experts in the niche they represent. 

Should I Still Blog in 2023?

Blogging in 2023 with a strategy will be the standard. Personal blogs and writing based on opinions are no longer going to work, so it is important to write consistently. Write based on a well-thought-out structure, such as using the proper headers, keeping paragraphs short, and using pictures. 

Today’s content writers should have no fear as long as they can follow the above guidelines and keep their content fresh and relevant. 

If you are running a small business and simply do not have the time to stay up to date with your website’s content or to write about new and exciting topics, let our amazing content writers at The AD Leaf get your brand back on track and visible to everyone who meets a need and fills a void. 


Sources:

https://contenthacker.com/is-blogging-dead/#:~:text=Blogging%20Isn't%20Dead%20%E2%80%94%20It's%20Just%20Getting%20Started&text=Starting%20a%20blog%20in%20today's,lots%20of%20room%20for%20growth.
Why Mobile SEO Matters?

Why Mobile SEO Matter?

Posted on | by Holly Burke
Search Engine Optimization
Why Mobile SEO Matters?
Why Mobile SEO Matters?

 

Mobile SEO is even more prevalent than ever. Organic searches have increased immensely on mobile devices. People literally do everything on their phones. In fact, to prove our point, you are probably reading this article on your phone! Simply making your site responsive is not optimized for mobile; it is not just about fitting on the smaller screen. 

Since Google announced they would start mobile-first indexing businesses, you should have an SEO strategy for mobile and desktop because most sites rank differently in searches depending on the search’s device. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly by now, it will hurt your search ranking. Many aspects make sites optimized for mobile, and now that you know how important it is for your site, brand, and business, we are ready to share these best practices up our sleeves.

Speed It Up

This is a very crucial aspect for both mobile and desktop SEO. People can be extremely impatient, so if your site does not load in a blink of an eye, the searcher will most likely go back and try your competitor’s site. In fact, 40% of consumers will wait no more than 3 seconds before abandoning the site. People want answers now. Site speed is important for SEO efforts because if speed is low, it will cause an increase in bounce rates. Also, Google users come first, and if they constantly get impatient with your site and leave before it loads, Google will drop you in the rankings. 

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover Does Not Apply to Websites

We live in a society where most people have a smartphone in their pocket, and because of this, your website needs to be easily viewable on their device. Responsive web design stats show that it’s wise to appeal to desktop and mobile viewers.

However, being responsive isn’t enough these days; you need to go a bit further than this. There is more to it than just making everything fit onto a smaller screen. Mobile optimization reformats and redesigns elements so that way they more appropriately fit. For example, your website’s navigation menu plays a vital role in how users find and access pages on your website. If your navigation is too difficult to use or too difficult to find what they are looking for, users will get frustrated and leave your site. Hamburger menus are popular to use on mobile screens.

Another design aspect to consider is the amount of content you have on the mobile site. Scrolling endlessly is not appealing. Something even worse is having to zoom in to read anything on the site; that takes up more time, and more than likely, your mobile viewer is on the move.

Avoid Pop-Ups like the Plague

We live in an ad-blocker world. Even if your cute pop-up message does show, the user will probably get frustrated and not even pay attention to what you are offering. This frustration with pop-ups is the effect of other businesses needing to design them and over-using them properly. If you want to use a pop-up, ensure the “x” is easily visible and clickable because people hate zooming in to click on an icon.

Local SEO is HUGE on Mobile

People these days don’t seem to slow down. Everyone is always on the move. Not to mention, people can be very impatient when trying to run a bunch of errands around town. Therefore, local SEO becomes a huge factor because those people use “near me” like it’s going out of style. They want the quickest answer that is closest to them. People want things to cater to their needs, and location qualifiers will help your business and them at the moment.

Since mobile devices have become such a crucial factor in search rankings, creating different desktop and mobile SEO strategies is necessary. We specialize in this field and have the tools and expertise necessary to help drive your business’s success by improving your search engine ranking. Contact The AD Leaf for our mobile and desktop SEO strategy services.

How can The AD Leaf help you?

You are busy running your business as it is, so working on your website’s SEO Mobile friendly version might be too time-consuming, especially if you don’t have much experience! That’s why it’s important to have on your side a marketing firm that can improve your SEO mobile user experience targeted to your goals, audience, and industry! Our team works together seamlessly to achieve your business goals, so give us a call today at 321-255-0900 or fill out our contact form! We are just a click or call away.

Is TikTok Beneficial For My Business?

Is TikTok Beneficial For My Business?

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Social Media
Is TikTok Beneficial For My Business?
Is TikTok Beneficial For My Business?

 

It’s hard to ignore the popularity and influence of TikTok, especially for marketers. Brands on TikTok can reach younger audiences, which allows them to increase brand awareness and ultimately go viral. How do they do this? They leverage the power that is short-form videos.

Why You Should Market Yourself On TikTok

Why should I market myself on TikTok? This is a great question that a lot of companies may ask themselves. TikTok has been named the fastest-growing social media platform, making it a powerful place to market your company when done correctly. A common misconception is that only millennial businesses should promote themselves there, but I want to show you that no matter your business, TikTok advertising could be for you!

How Popular Is Tiktok?

Tiktok began rapidly growing during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many users suddenly had more time to explore the platform and build a connection with their audience. Tiktok has surpassed one billion users worldwide, quickly becoming the most-used Social Media platform of all time!

How Can It Benefit My Business?TikTok VID 3

Most people hear TikTok, and they may think of a cool new dance trend they saw (and have been secretly practicing in their bathroom) or a cute video of a dog doing something simple yet equally adorable. However, TikTok is also a fantastic place to get your products. After scrolling through the For You page for just a few minutes, you will likely see 1-3 small to large businesses promoting their products. From brands as small as young adults making jewelry in their parents’ garage to multimillion-dollar companies like Scrub Daddy, these brands are taking to TikTok to market their products.

How Should I Market Myself On TikTok?

TikTok VID 1

You can market your brand on social media in a few different ways. The first way is through product promotion on your page. This could look like filming a short video of how your lipgloss looks when worn, coloring the new coloring sheet you just created, and more. Users love to see packing videos where they are just packing an order, the process of their product being made, and more. This allows the merchants to display the work that is put into what they are creating. The point of marketing on TikTok is that you get to show your product in action or even the process of making it. This is great for small businesses that have yet to afford a marketing budget or even a website. These can be filmed in a casual setting. Spontaneous content produced in ordinary surroundings has just as much a chance of cutting through. Many viral TikTok videos are created in garages, bedrooms, and even cars.

 

Once your business has grown, you might find yourself with a marketing budget. This opens up more doors of possibilities for you.

TikTok VID 2

Sponsoring popular creators to promote your product is a great way to drive up business. People are more willing and open to buying something used and reviewed by a peer. If viewers can relate to whoever is showcasing an item, they are more likely to purchase it.

 If you cannot afford to pay the creators to use your products, you can even send them PR packages, and often the creator will talk about your products anyways, but it isn’t guaranteed. However, it is a good alternative to getting your products talked about by popular creators without paying for sponsorship.

All in all, TikTok is a great platform to market your business, no matter what you are selling! With no budget or a large one, TikTok marketing can work for you.

How can The AD Leaf help you?

You are busy running your business as it is! So if you need help with your TikTok profile, content creation, or video production, our team can help. The AD Leaf Marketing Firm develops a strategy targeted to your goals, audience, and industry! Our team works together seamlessly to achieve your business goals, so give us a call today at 321-255-0900 or fill out our contact form! We are just a click or call away.

 

It’s Time to Rebuild Your Website!

It’s Time to Rebuild Your Website!

Posted on | by Yeammy Torres
Graphic Design, IT Services, Website Design

 

It’s Time to Rebuild Your Website!
When was the last time you updated your business’s website?

 

When was the last time you updated your website? 5 or 3 years ago? With the current speed of changes in the digital world, going months without updating or adding new content to your website is way too much! It’s time to rebuild your website!

Also, it’s important to highlight that in today’s digital and aesthetic day, good design is everything. People laugh at websites from 5 years ago! It’s time to elevate your online presence and make a website that stands out. Whether you’re building a new site from the ground up or updating an old one, keeping your image sharp online can help put you at the top of your game for business.

Think about your own experience online. Do you prefer looking at images or long bodies of text? What colors stand out? Do you like those clunky buttons? Having a sleek website doesn’t have to be hard. With many easy site-building tools on the market today, it’s easier than ever to get an up-to-date look for your online hub. And if you can’t put in the time or don’t quite understand how newer tech works, The AD Leaf Marketing Firm can help with web design too!

 

Why It’s Time to Update That Old Site

  • First impressions are EVERYTHING.

When a customer searches for your product, the first thing they will see is likely your website. Taking advantage of this is crucial in today’s digital world; even word of mouth will lead to potential customers searching for your site for hours of operation, products, and more. Creating a website that answers these questions in a good-looking package means that consumers will have a more enjoyable experience browsing your site. Happy customers = good business. 

  • Your SEO Will Benefit.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is one of the most important factors in making a website. Everything down to the code used to build your site needs to be SEO-friendly to get the best online visibility. Marketing teams like The AD Leaf can help your website rank higher in Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other searches by utilizing key phrases and words. Making sure your website can be found is a great way to reach new and existing customers with good web copy, new blog updates, and more. 

  • You’ll Come Across Better to Customers.

If you put in the time to create a good-looking website, your audience will know that you will put in the time for them too. The best websites are created with the reader in mind; everything from button placement to how the content is written is crafted to make the browsing experience more enjoyable. With a bright, welcoming website, your customers will feel welcomed as if greeted by a friendly customer service representative. On the other hand, an old, forgotten page can come across as untrustworthy.

  • It’s Important to Keep Up With Competition.

Think about this: your competitors probably already have updated websites. With the push for more and more online services, the demand for website development has skyrocketed, meaning you might need to catch up. Don’t be left in the dust. Update your site as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

  • It Creates a Consistent Image.

Having a website accessible from a laptop, phone, tablet, or any other internet-using device is part of being up-to-date. Being visible on all platforms will help your brand stay consistent, creating a better image for you and your product. Combining a fresh new site with high-quality graphic design can be the best way to elevate your brand.

  • Your Audience Will Trust You More.

Let’s be honest. People don’t trust sketchy websites. Just like a house, customers who don’t feel comfortable on your website will leave it. A cluttered, dusty shop isn’t going to sell as much as a shiny new one, no matter the product’s quality.

 

Like an interview, you want your business to make its best first impression. In today’s digital age, people increasingly turn to the internet to search for products and services. Keeping up with current design trends and digital interfaces can help put you ahead of the competition. Whether creating your own site from an easy online source or taking advantage of creative services like ours, get your site up to snuff for the new year.

What is Backlinking?

What Is Backlinking?

Posted on | by Yeammy Torres
Search Engine Optimization
What is Backlinking?
What is Backlinking?

Chances are, if you’ve been talking about SEO, you’ve heard the term “backlinking” more than once. Backlinks can also be referred to as “inbound links,” “incoming links,” or “one-way links,” and they are links that go from one website page to a different website’s page. Search Engine sees a backlink and considers it a “vote” in favor of the web page. Pages with high backlinks tend to have higher organic search engine rankings.

Why Is Backlinking Important?

For every high-quality backlink, you have to point at your site that is essentially telling Google, “this website is trustworthy and has good content” the more of these high-quality links you have, the higher search engines will want you on their search results. 

While backlinking is not a new thing, it is still a vital part of SEO and a good way to improve your rankings. Google has confirmed that backlinks continue to be of the leading SEO components if you want to rank well!

Are All Backlinks The same?

No, they are not! 

A lot of backlinks can be detrimental to your SEO. To increase your search engine optimization, you need to focus on high-quality backlinks, but how do you dictate what high-quality websites? 

The first thing to look at is if the incoming link is from a trusted source; let’s be honest, we are sure you’d prefer to have a backlink from Yale instead of a random spam page. The concept itself of getting high-quality links is referred to as “Domain Authority” if you have a link coming from a website with high domain authority, google puts a massive emphasis on it because it is prioritized as a source of links.

What Is Anchor Text, and is it important?

An anchor text is the visible part of a text that is linked. But how do you use anchor text to your advantage? Well, a best practice for SEO is to have an anchor text that includes your target keyword. In fact, a study found a direct correlation between keyword-rich anchor text and higher search rankings. But you also have to be careful with your keyword-rich anchor text and try not to go overboard with it; Google has a filter in their algorithm that’s called “google penguin,” and what this update does is filter out a lot of backlink building strategies and has a focus on sites that build backlinks with an exact match anchor text. But a good habit of having when backlinking is ensuring that the website and page you are linking to your website and page are related to the content you have on your website. Google will heavily prioritize these websites because the links come from reliable sources and are within the same niche.

Do you want to improve your ranking on Google? Contact The AD Leaf Marketing Firm!

You are busy running your business, and backlinking your website might be too time-consuming, especially if you don’t have much experience! That’s why it’s important to have on your side a marketing firm with a team of experts ready to go and help with all your marketing needs, including website maintenance! Our SEO and Website team works together seamlessly to achieve your business goals, so give us a call today at 321-255-0900 or fill out our contact form! We are just a click or call away.

The State of Social Media in 2023

State of Social Media in 2023

Posted on | by Kyle Interdonato
Advertising, Marketing, Social Media
The State of Social Media in 2023
The State of Social Media in 2023

Fun fact about the state of social media in 2023: Facebook is about to be old enough to vote! It’s no longer a question of should your business be on social media but a question of how effectively you are using this powerful tool for marketing your business. If you don’t have an answer to this question, you’ll likely struggle to maintain relevancy in today’s fast-moving digital marketplace.  

Don’t just take our word for it; look at this latest Google Trend graph showing the rise of social media and the decline of the ever-popular excuse for the lack of marketing: “Word of Mouth.”

Social Media Marketing vs. Word Of Mouth

Social Media Marketing Melbourne FLSocial Media Marketing Melbourne FL

 

So, what do you do with this information?

As a business owner, it’s time to come to the incredibly important realization that social media is not only a viable part of marketing your business, it’s actually one of the most effective ways for many business models in today’s ever-evolving digital landscape.

It’s not enough to casually post pictures on your social media channels once in a while, either. Not only do platforms like Facebook and Instagram understand that your page is a business, but they expect you to pay them in order for our content to be shown to your intended audiences.  

Did you know that less than 5% of the content you post is shown to your audience organically (without paying to promote it)? This is known as Pay-to-Play, and it is becoming more common with services like Twitter’s new Gold Verification for businesses. This is a big change from just a few short years ago; each time you posted an update, it was shown to all of your page audience (those users who like and follow your page). Now, not only do you have to pay the platforms to grow your page audience, you have to pay the platforms to show those people who have already chosen to be a part of your audience your content. This makes the market fiercely competitive and requires your business to take a serious look into advertising budgets if you want to be heard above the noise.

So, what’s new then?

If you’re savvy with social media marketing, you’re probably thinking to yourself that this is nothing new for 2023. These changes were rolled out in phases in 2017 and 2018.  That’s true! However, the Meta Business Manager interface, the Ads Manager interface, and Meta’s Advertising Policies (in the wake of failures like Cambridge Analytica) are changing regularly; Meta has become increasingly strict with advertising policies, more advanced with ad targeting options and introducing more highly developed interfaces to improve your performance.  

Social Media Marketing has a lot of weight to carry as a small business’s only marketing program. For most small businesses, running things yourself is not the best answer. A mix of services, such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Email Marketing, Web Services, and Social Media, are needed to help boost your business above the competition. Unless you’re able to keep up with weekly advances and policy changes, manually invest money in paid posts to grow your audience quickly, and develop strategies to reach and retarget your audience, social media marketing will prove to be a very slow-growth marketing service line and will not yield lead procurement results with the speed you would expect. 

Your social media pages start off as a branding tool.

Social Media Marketing Melbourne FL

 Understanding the best and latest strategies for using that tool is why you should be working with a trusted advisor. As your platforms begin to grow and develop, you’re raising your hand to let your audience know you’re here, and you are sharing content that helps them get to know your brand and your products or services.  

When you have 50 followers on Instagram, don’t expect the public to jump for joy and immediately start buying into your brand and what you’re selling. 21st-century consumers are educated, and they will vet you. One of the first places modern-day consumers look for you is on social media, so having a professional presence is critical for landing those first impressions.

Once your platforms start to grow legs and build an audience, they will move from only serving as a branding tool into a customer service vessel for your company. You will notice customers asking about products or services they are interested in or have paid for.  

Finally, when you have reached an acceptable audience size (whatever size your audience find acceptable), once they see a regular stream of content sharing (so they realize you’re not a bot/spam account) and you have positively interacted with your customers on your pages as proof of your customer service, your platforms will begin to procure leads or sales more organically.  

This trajectory is slow growth, and you must be committed to its success for the long haul. Commitment in this context means you must work to regularly cultivate impressive and relevant content, you must not try to oversell to people, and you should offer content that users actually care about, not what you want them to see.  

How does your product or service solve the problem for the consumer?  

How can The AD Leaf help you?

You are busy running your business as it is, so this information about the state of social media in 2023 might be too time-consuming -and sometimes overwhelming- especially if you don’t have much experience! That’s why it’s important to have on your side a marketing firm that develops content targeted to your goals, audience, and industry! Our social media team works together seamlessly to achieve your business goals, so give us a call today at 321-255-0900 or fill out our contact form! We are just a click or call away.

4 Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses

4 Benefits of Social Media for Small Businesses

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Social Media
4 Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses
4 Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses

 

4 Benefits of Social Media for Small Businesses

The early days of social media are long gone. The days when Facebook was used to tell your friends and family what you did that day, and instagram meant posting what you ate for dinner that night. As social media gained in popularity, its purpose began to grow. Social media has become an ever-present part of our day-to-day life and, thus, has become a dynamic marketing tool in 2022. To stay relevant in the digital age, social media is nothing short of essential for every digital marketing strategy. Here are 4 Benefits of Social Media Marketing that EVERY business, large or small, should know:

#1 Advertising and Brand Recognition: (Shout Your Brand’s Name From The Rooftops!)

Social media is heavily integrated into our society. Everyone is active in at least some form, whether you are actively posting or just a viewer. The beauty of social media is being able to quickly and effectively reach all those people simultaneously. Let’s compare a social media post to a newspaper ad. Print advertising has been around longer than any other form of advertising we see today, but how does it compare to social media marketing? Let’s say we are trying to get the word out about a sale. To put an ad in the paper, you will have to make some choices: How big can my ad be? Will my ad have color? Who will my ad reach? How much will it cost me? Today’s average rate for a newspaper ad is $12 per inch, meaning a 4×10 inch ad will run your business at $480.00! Now let’s talk about social media; not only is it more efficient, but it’s also free! Rather than a one-off ad in the paper, social media allows you to talk to your entire community 24/7. It’s just a matter of time before everybody knows your name. Any money you spend on an ad on social media is icing on the cake to reach more of your target audience. That $480 could get your Facebook ad in front of thousands of users in just a few days’ time!

#2 Show Your Brand’s Personality: (You Know You’re Awesome, So Tell Them!)

Stuff that 4×10 newspaper ad with as much personality as you want will never tell your brand’s story like social media. With social media, you are able to show your business’s personality like never before.

Have a fun day at work? Snap a picture and share it! Exciting new update or product? Snap a picture and post it! Before you know it, your followers will have connected with you and your brand before even stepping foot in your small business.

#3 Easy Way to Provide Updates: (Never Miss A Beat)

If you are a small business, you want to connect with your local audience. Social media provides a direct line to that audience. This allows the customer to interact with your brand in real-time. Everybody loves to support local small businesses in their town, and social media is the bridge you need to connect with them daily. Get the word out about your latest sale, and show off that new product or recipe the day you put it on the shelves or the menu. Even better than that, social media works both ways by informing you about what’s going on in your community. Connecting with local events like big sports team wins, weekend markets, town block parties, etc., gives your business a chance to connect to your audience on a more personal level. Help build some excitement around these events, have a sale, or run a promotion to take advantage of the extra foot traffic; by keeping the conversation going, your customers will feel connected to your brand, increasing levels of customer connection.

#4 They’ll Never Forget Your Brand: (Leave a Lasting Impression)

Did we mention that social media is everywhere, all the time? Social media marketing is what is considered a “live campaign.” This means that 24/7, your content is out there working for you and can be seen by anyone. Our newspaper ad from before is only effective to the subscribers of that publication and is gone as soon as the last one is thrown away. Not to mention, by the time our newspaper ad reaches the right person about your sale, your sale is over, and your potential lead is lost. In addition, how many times a day does a potential customer look at a newspaper? Once! Throughout the day, the world is checking their phones, jumping over to Facebook in-between emails, and scrolling Instagram to wind down at night; they’re constantly interacting on social media! If you don’t have a social media marketing strategy, you’re missing out on all these opportunities for your brand to be at the forefront of everybody’s mind. You want these people to be reading reviews, seeing your products, and asking you questions. In many ways, social media marketing has become the word of mouth of 2022.

How can The AD Leaf Help you after reading these 4 Benefits of Social Media for YOUR Small Business?

You’re losing money if you are a small business and you’re not marketing on social media. Social media has become essential to tell your brand’s story, connect with your community in real time, and leaving a lasting impression. If your small business’ social media has been neglected, The AD Leaf ® can help. Our strategy includes creating dynamic and engaging social media platforms tailored to your business’s specific needs and managing them to ensure your business has the tools to succeed in the modern world. For more information about the benefits of social media marketing, contact us today at info@theadleaf.com or call 321-255-0900. 

3 Problems that Graphic Design and Good Branding can help solve for your Business

Problems that Graphic Design and Good Branding Can Help Solve

Posted on | by Allison Wetterau
Graphic Design

“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW!

Wow, is the one to aim for.”

Milton Glaser

Problems that Graphic Design and Good Branding Can Help Solve: Time

The old wives’ tale that time is money has never been so true when talking about running or owning a small business. You find yourself constantly looking for ways you can save time. Graphic Design and Good Branding can help save you this time. Although Graphic Design, Logo Design, and Branding can seem daunting at the beginning of your business venture, doing this leg work can save you time in the future when you are getting prospective clients or customers to buy or sign up for your services.

If prospective clients or customers are reaching out and asking what your services are, this could indicate that they might have a problem with your presentation or your brand. Your presentation always leads back to your branding. For example, you might be taken aback when you first look at the Portland Trailblazers logo. Their name implies “trailblazer” (a type of horse), but their logo doesn’t look like a horse. Although the actual meaning behind the logo is significant, it implies five players on one side, playing or interacting with five players on the other side. It, unfortunately, doesn’t read easily and can be quite confusing.

Having a logo with the meaning behind it is always great, but it also lets consumers know who you are and what you do. When you combine both aspects (who you are and what you do) into your branding, you are on the right path to saving time and getting right down to the fun part, business. 

Problems that Graphic Design and Good Branding Can Help Solve: Standing Out From your Competitors

Starting or running your own small business can be very exciting and scary at the same time. Whether you are selling goods or providing services, the most important thing you will need, no matter what you do, is customers or clients. Do you own a plumbing company but are also in competition with fifteen other plumbing companies in your local area? What about your business will make the prospective client or customer call you instead of someone else?

Standing out from your competitors in a saturated market can be very difficult. If we dive deeper into plumbing companies, most consumers never think twice about plumbing services until they need a plumber. If you have a pipe burst in your bathroom or your toilet starts to overflow. For most, panic will start to set in. After the need for a plumber comes into play, recognition is the next step. Do you have a memorable logo, a trendy song in your commercials, or a brand consistently showing its customers that you can solve their plumbing problems? Recognition is the first step in standing out. Does your overall “look” and brand go across all of your marketing platforms? Are you consistent with your brand? During a time of panic, the prospective client or customer will always go with the plumbing company that presents itself professionally and consistently shows prospective customers and clients that they can solve their plumbing problems. 

Problems that Graphic Design and Good Branding Can Help Solve: Becoming and/or Being Memorable

You are now at the point in your business “life” where you have clients, but you are now looking for those clients or customers to come back. Is your business memorable? Is your logo memorable? Some might say that your great customer service will continue to bring customers back, but can you solely rely on this? When you think of a great coffee shop, most consumers think of Starbucks. They have great customer service and amazing coffee, are recognizable across the United States and the world and are consistent and memorable. You can start working on consistency now that you have the “recognition” part of your business.

Road trips are one of my favorite pastimes. I love to travel. While traveling, I am normally looking to stay awake. I correlate staying awake with coffee. While traveling, the only symbol that I look for on the interstate is the Starbucks logo. I don’t even need the “Starbucks” typography written below it. I know the logo because they are consistent. When I see it, I recognize it right away. I know who they are, what they sell, that they have great coffee, and who doesn’t like it. With Graphic Design and Good Branding, you can also be on the right track to attracting your customers and becoming memorable.

Why The AD Leaf? – 3 Problems that Graphic Design and Branding Can Help Solve

With these three problems solved for your business, you can now focus on the task at hand, running your business. At The AD Leaf ®, we can create any design that any company would be proud of and continue to use in the future to save you time, stand out from your competitors and become memorable with their clients or customers. For more information about our graphic design Melbourne, FL solutions, contact us at info@theadleaf.com or call 321-255-0900.