Marsh Williams

Why Simple Marketing Messages are So Darn Effective

Why Simple Marketing Messages are So Darn Effective https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Simple_Messages_Header.jpg 1920 703 Marsh Williams Marsh Williams https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9865297cfcf33bf2c73786faf080bea8?s=96&d=mm&r=g March 17, 2023 March 17, 2023

Well, well, well. It turns out that all those fancy marketing techniques, buzzwords, and jargon that you learned in your MBA program aren’t so effective. According to some painfully obvious statistics, simple marketing messages are actually the most effective way to reach customers. Who knew? Let’s take a look at some of these stats.

Attention Span

Attention spans can range from 2 seconds to over 20 minutes, but the average human attention span is mere 8.25 seconds. Oh, and it’s getting shorter. The average human attention span decreased by almost 25% between 2000 to 2015. Humans currently have shorter attention spans than goldfish (9 seconds). So, it makes perfect sense to cram as much information as possible into those precious few seconds, right?

Wrong. In fact, a study by Google found that ads with simple messaging performed better than ads with complex messaging, even when the latter had longer viewing times. So, it seems like customers actually prefer a clear, concise message over a convoluted one. Who would have thought?

Clarity is Key

Another study, this time by Nielsen Norman Group, found that users on the Internet tend to scan content rather than read it in full. In fact, they typically only read about 20% of the words on a page. So, if you want to get your message across, you better make it simple and easy to scan.

But why stop at clarity? According to the same study, users also prefer websites with simple, clean designs. So, if you want your marketing message to be compelling, just make sure it’s easy to read, easy to scan, and easy on the eyes. Simple as that.

People Like Brands They Understand

Communications firm, Edelman, found that customers are more likely to trust a brand if they understand what it stands for. In fact, 89% of consumers said they would stay loyal to a brand that shares their values. So, if you want to build a loyal customer base, make it easy for your audience to connect with who you are as an organization.

Let Me Tell You a Story

A guy enters a store to buy a sweater. The shopkeeper starts telling the customer all about the ranch where the wool comes from, how well cared for the sheep are, and the fact that the wool is transported by electric vehicles charged by energy from wind farms. The shopkeeper is thrilled to tell him all about what differentiates his sweater from all the others.

After five minutes, the customer walks out. The shopkeeper follows him and asks why he left. The customer responded, “I don’t care about your sheep. I just want a f*cking sweater.”

The next shopkeeper simply says, “our sweaters are great quality. What size and color would you like?”

Whether by stories or stats, it’s pretty clear that simple marketing messages are more effective. The goal of marketing is to increase awareness of your brand or generate leads; it’s to get the conversation started. The actual conversation is where the marketing handoff to sales takes place. So many companies have so much to say that the tendency is to try to tell a person everything in marketing. So, just stick to the basics, keep your messaging concise, and understand where sales and marketing meet.

Or, you know, don’t. It’s your business, after all.

Soula Spanorigas

5 Easy, Effective Ways to Use Pinterest for Business

5 Easy, Effective Ways to Use Pinterest for Business https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Pinterest-Header.jpg 1920 595 Soula Spanorigas Soula Spanorigas https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0d23b085d1a6380570c4d405bb09a31d?s=96&d=mm&r=g January 30, 2023 February 15, 2023

We all know the Pinterest craze of 2011. We used Pinterest boards to plan out a family trip or maybe DIY nail ideas. Since then, Pinterest has evolved tremendously. Now more than ever, businesses are utilizing Pinterest as not just a way to share cool photos but to drive new business. Here are 5 practical and quick ways that you can help your Pinterest audience grow using Pinterest Business:

1. Keep Up With The Trends

Pinterest has a great new feature called Pinterest Trends. You can find it in your Pinterest business account under the Analytics Tab. Pinterest Trends is a very valuable tool where you can find the top Pinterest trends in the United States. Want to know what others are pinning about and how well they are performing? The Trends Tab is the place to look! Be sure to take advantage of this tool to pin for your business based on what is most popular at the time.

2. Take Advantage of Pin Titles and Descriptions

We all know that Pinterest is a visually dominant platform, but don’t let that fool you! Yes, the photos are essential, but your pin titles and descriptions are almost as important as the actual photo. Just like you would pay attention to your website’s SEO keywords, you need to also pay attention to the keywords you are using in your pin titles and descriptions. Be sure to use words relevant to your business and clear descriptions of your pins.

3. Schedule Your Pins

Pinterest recently released scheduling capabilities within the platform! This makes pinning content much easier because you can do it ahead of time instead of logging into Pinterest every day and pinning on your own time. Maintain a consistent schedule and pin throughout every week.

4. Use Your Audience Insights

Do you ever wonder who exactly is interested in your pins? The Audience Insights drop-down under the Analytics Tab is the place to go. On this page, you can find information about your audience’s interests, age, gender, and location. This information is important when you’re trying to reach a certain demographic with your pins. Make adjustments to your pinning and see how your audience’s interests change.

5. Keep A Close Eye On How Each Pin Is Performing

Pinterest makes it super easy to see how your pins are performing and how many people you are reaching. Head to the Overview drop-down to view your account’s overall performance. Keep track of account impressions, engagements, and total audience month to month and record your top-performing pins. Once you know what is performing well, try pinning about similar topics!

Need help capitalizing on these Pinterest improvements with quality content? Check our article on creating effective social posts.

Shout Out Studio

Considerations for Marketing Your Architecture Firm

Considerations for Marketing Your Architecture Firm https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/architecture-1.jpg 1700 537 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g January 3, 2023 February 22, 2023

You’ve worked hard to build your firm’s reputation in the architecture industry. But now, you may want to enter a new market—or simply grow your business. As competition increases, you may be finding it harder to rise above the noise.

Whether your key challenge is attracting the right types of clients, closing sales, growing a new line of business, entering a new market, or moving into a niche, strategically marketing your architecture firm can help get you to where you need to be. But, like with the spaces you design, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Let’s explore a few areas of opportunity where you can get more from your marketing.

Branding vs. Marketing

If marketing is the what and how, branding is the why—why you exist, why clients should believe in you, why first impressions lead to RFIs and RFPs. Brand is more than a name or logo; it’s the firm’s values, philosophy, positioning, and promise–the foundation upon which effective marketing is built.

For architectural firms, a clearly defined brand that accurately reflects the people and purpose behind the work can fuel marketing communications and attract more of the right kind of client partners. Brand perception may feel abstract, but the results are quite real.

A recent BCG + Google study revealed that “companies with strong brands show a
74% higher return on their marketing investment,and hold a 46% larger market share,
than weaker brands.”

The case for strong branding is clear—it helps connect with your clients emotionally, can create clarity for your internal team, and, most importantly, gets you recognized by potential customers.

Be Where The Search Begins

More than 60 percent of all B2B relationships begin with an online search. Do you know where your firm ranks in Google’s search results? Pull up an incognito tab in Google and search “architecture firm” and “your city.” If you aren’t on the first page, there’s marketing work to be done, and that work begins with the right SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. A marketing partner can create a customized plan that considers all of the factors that influence SEO ranking including content, links, domain authority, and more. Improving your ranking for searches related to your firm’s services can help drive high-quality leads at certain points in the decision-making cycle.

Important Note: Marketing is not a one-time thing you do–it’s a long game. It doesn’t happen overnight or with the click of a mouse. It takes sustained effort to see results. For sustainable growth to occur for your architecture firm, you have to keep your marketing engine running. But the good news is that you don’t have to waste time on tactics that won’t be effective.

Let’s work together to craft a
custom marketing plan!

Build an Audience

So where can you build your audience? The better question is: Where should you build you audience? The answer to that will depend on your brand positioning, target audience, and many other factors. Maybe Architectok needs another star. Then again, LinkedIn tends to work best to engage B2B audiences. Choosing the right social media platforms to engage your unique audience and drive them to your website is essential.

You may be wondering if your firm needs a social media presence. Regardless of how you feel about using it in your personal life, when you look at it through a business lens, it’s valuable, as 40% of B2B buyers use social media to help inform their purchasing decisions, according to a recent Gartner Digital Markets Insights.

While your business won’t be a fit for every social platform out there, the visual nature of your business makes social an ideal place to give your audience the first look at a new design and to show off your completed projects. Building your audience, learning what resonates with them, and doing more of it is how to nurture your audience and move them closer to contract.

Educate Your Prospects

If your architecture firm is like most, at any one moment in time, about 90% of your prospects are in the information-gathering stage. We know that, from years of marketing research, this is the most critical time to engage your prospect—and not with a hard sell.

Most architects don’t long to be salespeople in addition, but one thing we find that many architects love—and are usually really great at—is educating. Audiences love to hear architects discuss their philosophy, their process and share details about the projects they have brought to life. Digital marketing can bring these personal stories to the masses and promote your firm simultaneously. For architects resistant to appearing on social media, it may require a simple mindshift from thinking of marketing as selling to thinking of it as educating. This shift has made the difference for many architects who struggle with the “s” word (selling). Marketing is educating! Say it with us!

Now that you have your educator’s hat on, think about the questions that your prospects have while gathering information online. What can you teach them—that they want to know—that could make your firm stand out? That information can form the basis of your firm’s new content (articles, videos, social media posts, blogs, etc.). If done correctly, all of that educating will drive new traffic to your website, increase your rank in search results and land you more of the right kind of inquiries.

Just by sharing the information prospective clients want to know (and some things they haven’t thought of yet), you will have gotten them to your website, where the right conten

Wow Them with Your Website

Your website should accurately reflect your brand and your work and encourage prospective clients to reach out for a conversation. It’s important to note that the nature of your business carries higher expectations for the website experience. Much like successful architectural design, the website should strike the right balance of form and function, and the quality should align with the quality of the work you produce for your clients. It’s an opportunity to translate your firm’s brand values to digital.

In this industry, proof points are important. Your website is the ideal place to showcase large, quality images of your work, speak to process and approach, as well as highlight the talent behind the output. An experienced marketing agency will ensure your website not only reflects your brand, but is also user friendly, visually appealing, and informational.

Choose The Right Partner

In the end, marketing is just like any other aspect of your business: it takes time, effort, and resources to succeed. That said, the rewards of successful online marketing can be great. The right marketing agency can help you boost your brand, grow your business, and generate leads to change the trajectory of your architecture business.

Whether your marketing team needs support or you are the marketing team, a highly skilled, knowledgeable marketing partner can tailor a custom strategy to your firm that aligns with your business goals.

Let’s discuss how we can create a tailored marketing strategy together. Contact us.

Soteria

Refresh or Rebrand?

Refresh or Rebrand? https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/pexels-tranmautritam-326502-1.jpg 1920 594 Soteria Soteria https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/72b86e163e2f5eed89b5e2a69dfacbbf?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 31, 2022 November 16, 2022

Refresh or Rebrand? When is it time to change, and how much?

In 2012, Proctor & Gamble launched TidePods, a revolutionary dissolvable pod with multiple cleaning solutions that worked to clean and fight stains without pouring or spills. This invention helped P&G reach a new market and gain a competitive advantage.

Who knew that the “Tide Pod Challenge” would emerge in 2018 and spread like a wildfire as adolescents across the country were “dared” to eat them like a tasty snack.

You can’t prepare for the stupidity of future generations, and you must always be ready to problem solve. After the “Tide Pod Challenge,” Tide went into crisis management mode and rethought its messaging and packaging. They used a public relations campaign to validate concerns, show action and control the narrative.

When it comes to your business and brand, adaptation is key

In 1994, when eCommerce was officially introduced, it was revolutionary for the shopping experience and terrifying for the design community. Until this point, most agencies and designers focused their creativity solely on print, and television advertising. The online platform introduced a new advertising spot, a smaller canvas, and a more significant challenge for creative professionals. The design industry was forced to adapt to meet the changing needs of the consumers and businesses they worked for.

That’s how design works.

Values change, needs arise, and design helps us problem-solve. Whether driven by the introduction of new technology, the change in consumer preferences, or the desire to stand out, there’s never a wrong time to evaluate how your company has evolved. And when your company evolves, so should your design.

This begs the question…

The question is ambiguous because it depends wholly on the state of your company.

Many companies are scared to overhaul their brands completely. Whether they’re afraid of the backlash or losing the loyalty of their customers, they’ve spent time and money on the old one, or they just don’t think this is necessary, we’ve learned that there is a proper time to rebrand entirely, and a proper time to simply refresh the design elements.

Even the strongest brands have a shelf life. According to Brand Leader, “Even household names go through a brand overhaul every 7 to 10 years.”

You know it’s time for a complete rebrand when:

Your branding no longer reflects the core values of your company
You’re failing to differentiate yourself from competitors
Your business model/strategy has changed
You’re undergoing a merger/acquisition

When doing a complete rebrand, it’s not just about visuals. By contrast, a rebrand is a complete repositioning of your brand. With a rebrand, you leave everything about your current brand in the past.

This means re-considering your company, Strategy, Positioning, Personality, Voice & Tone, etc.

Clean Slate.

A great example of this, an impressive rebrand is Burger King

Realizing that they were falling behind in their market and struggling to compete, Burger King began making internal changes to improve the quality of their products and eating experience. They changed their recipes to move towards healthier, more desirable food, refreshed their store design to create a more enjoyable eating experience, and improved the accessibility of their restaurant with curbside pickup spots, a walk-up window, and multiple drive-through lanes.

To express these quality and structural improvements, they also completely overhauled their brand and visual identity. In 2020, Jones Knowles Ritchie, Executive Creative Director Lisa Smith, and Burger King’s in-house design team worked together to strategize a rebrand that came out in early 2021.

Inspired by the logo roots, they designed a bold and retro logo that better communicates the “best of Burger King” and the energy behind this rebrand.

In addition to the logo redesign, they introduced more “in your face” photography and an illustrative style that aims to make the brand appear less synthetic and more desirable.

Burger King has re-evaluated its place in the fast-food industry. They have seen where they are falling short and have overhauled their brand to improve their place in the industry. Much needed and well respected by many renowned agencies, the Burger King Rebrand is an excellent example of the right time and way to Rebrand your company.

Learn more about the refresh from the design firm here.

The changes made by Burger King were necessary and vast. But perhaps the need for large-scale change isn’t that evident at your company.

You’re not falling behind, you’re not restructuring, but you simply feel your branding doesn’t quite fit with the world around you.

This is usually a sign that you may not need a complete overhaul but simply a refresh.

Reasons to Refresh:

To correct out of date trends
To showcase core values that arent being appropriately showcased
To reflect the evolution of your business
To help showcase new product lines

A Brand Refresh is more of a cosmetic solution to a problem; rather than starting from scratch, you’re simply giving the brand/design a facelift.

When doing a brand refresh, start with the essential core values and evaluate how they are expressed in the visual identity. From there, we find places to improve, whether in typography, spacing, balance, or contrast. In a similar but less dramatic way, The J.M. Smucker Co completed a brand refresh in late 2020 that got some controversial feedback.

Rather than a complete overhaul, Smucker simply refreshed their identity to reflect the evolution of the company and its products.

The primary purpose of the Smuckers facelift was to accurately accentuate the company’s diverse portfolio of brands. Although the feedback from this update varied widely. Everyone considering a refresh or rebrand must understand going into it that the changes made will not always be liked.

Change requires disruption. People hate change.

Don’t be scared to refresh or rebrand. As your company evolves, so should your design.

See our article, “How to work through a brand refresh,” to learn more about refreshing YOUR logo to match your changing company.

alphagamma Content Marketing World Conference 2020 opportunities

Soteria

Content Marketing Is No Longer A Luxury

Content Marketing Is No Longer A Luxury https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/alphagamma-Content-Marketing-World-Conference-2020-opportunities.jpeg 2048 945 Soteria Soteria https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/72b86e163e2f5eed89b5e2a69dfacbbf?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 5, 2022 November 8, 2022

Recently three of our team members attended the annual Content Marketing World Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. They came back energized and excited to share takeaways from this year’s conference.

What Is Content Marketing?

More than just specific content for your brand, content marketing is a strategic marketing approach that aims to distribute valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and nurture audiences, drive profitable customer action, and ultimately help you meet business goals.

Content marketing, like other industries, is constantly changing as technology develops and consumer preferences shift. As leaders in the field, it’s important for us to stay ahead of critical changes and insights that impact our clients’ content marketing efforts.

Here are some takeaways from Content Marketing World 2022 that any business creating content (and that should be all of you!) can use to develop more effective and engaging content.

Double Down On Empathy

Post-pandemic, many people have a heightened sense of uncertainty, vigilance, and distrust. As marketers, empathy and transparency should be the foundation of all of our work. An honest and unexpected approach gains trust and shares an authentic version of ourselves and our businesses that consumers can connect with.

Strategy Is Significant

Many agencies offer the same services. So what sets them apart? It’s not just the social media or web content they create; it’s the content strategy. Anyone can create content, but a valuable agency partner communicates a consistent stream of meaningful information across all channels. Look for a strategy-first agency to ensure your marketing dollars are used most effectively.

Play The Long Game

Content marketing, done right, takes time. Sure, we can see an immediate impact from campaigns, but for a long-term, sustainable marketing program to be successful, a patient approach is needed. You need time to build an audience that knows, trusts and likes you and to see results that will move the needle.

Audience First

Creating content that your audience connects with is not as simple as it seems. Gain an understanding of your customer rooted in data and insights—not just demographics, but how and why they buy, what they hope for, and even what they fear. Craft content in your sweet spot—the intersection of your expertise and what buyers need and want to know. Test your content with a small audience segment and revise the content strategy as needed based on their response.

Content marketing is just one important piece of the marketing puzzle. If you’re creating content without an integrated marketing strategy, you’re left wondering if your content (and dollars) are making any meaningful impact. Need help connecting the dots and upping your marketing game? We’d love to help. Helping is our favorite. Reach out and let’s chat about how to put our expertise to work for your business.

CONTENT MARKETING IS A LONG GAME THAT REQUIRES EMPATHY TO BUILD TRUST AND AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY.

Shout Out Studio

Announcements, Announcements, A-n-n-o-u-n-c-e-m-e-n-t-s

Announcements, Announcements, A-n-n-o-u-n-c-e-m-e-n-t-s https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Announcement_Header.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g June 9, 2022 June 14, 2022

Shout Out Studio Acquires Good Clover Communications

June 14, 2022, Columbus, OH – Shout Out Studio, a full-service brand marketing agency based in Columbus, Ohio, has announced the acquisition of Good Clover Communications, a marketing and communications agency also based in the Columbus area. The acquisition positions Shout Out Studio for continued growth within the Columbus market and beyond.

“Bringing Good Clover Communications into the Shout Out Studio fold will allow us to offer bolder strategies to help our clients continue to connect to their audiences in meaningful ways,” said Shout Out Studio CEO Marsh Williams.

Melissa Braithwaite, the owner of Good Clover Communications, joined the Shout Out Studio team as Director of Client Marketing in May.

“We are thrilled to welcome Melissa to the Shout Out Studio leadership team,” Williams said. “From the first time we met, there was a foundation for a great relationship. We know she will be an incredible asset to the team, and mostly, to our clients.”

Braithwaite brings nearly 20 years of experience in marketing communications, public relations, and content creation to Shout Out Studio. Her passion lies in creatively approaching marketing problems to engage, connect, and drive business. Two of her associates from Good Clover, Christine Bryant, and Dani Goodman, will join the Shout Out team.

“I am blown away by the amount of talent at Shout Out Studio, and I am humbled and excited to join their ranks. I am thrilled to join this highly creative team as the Director of Client Marketing and look forward to helping to drive the agency forward,” Braithwaite said.

About Shout Out Studio

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Shout Out Studio is a collaborative group of thinkers, creators, learners, doers, and partners to our clients. Though our work connects us with folks across the country, we’re proud to call Columbus, Ohio, our home. We feed off of our city’s creative energy, caring nature, and sense of collaboration.

Collectively, our group has developed brand communications for global, national, and regional brands, executed marketing campaigns for tens of thousands, and increased digital effectiveness for scores of companies, both large and small.

For more information, contact us.

group of people sitting around a conference room table talking about SEO

Shout Out Studio

Understanding SEO, What Senior Executives Need To Know

Understanding SEO, What Senior Executives Need To Know https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SEO_meeting_1b.jpg 1440 773 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g May 28, 2022 September 20, 2022

If they haven’t already, someone is going to tell you, “We need to spend money on SEO to improve our search rankings on Google.” There are a few things you need to consider when that happens.

Understanding SEO; in a nutshell, SEO does two basic things. First, it ensures that your website can be seen by search engines and technically matches what those engines expect to find; the technological crossing of T’s and dotting of I’s.

It’s the second SEO function that people are usually more interested in— : achieving higher placement in search engine results.

What really helps boost Google rankings is not SEO–it’s content marketing!

When businesses want better search rankings, they usually look for a quick fix. There isn’t one. The only way to get the Google placement you want is to consistently create valuable content with which your target market regularly engages.

That means, to achieve better Google rankings, you must commit to regular, ongoing content creation like blog articles, social media posts, and publication outreach. That commitment means you must have—or find– the resources to sustain it all.

This is where SEO really contributes to its own success. It provides answers to the following key questions: What content does my target market want? What relevant Google searches should include my company in the results? What searches are my competitors capturing? And what content will it take to “out-Google” them? SEO research can give you those answers and more. It’s the have-to-have tool to inform your content strategy.

Successful content marketing involves incredibly detailed planning.

Effective research is the key, but it takes the right software, clear goals, and the know-how to analyze the data and make a plan to achieve the results and better rankings you want. The right tool (we use SEMRush) in the experienced hands of the right team can take you where you want to go, delivering both upfront research and follow-on analytics.

Through research you’ll learn:

Phrases/words your potential customers use to search for your product or service.
How many frequently those keywords/phrases are used, in each search engine, in your country, state, and/or city.
The competitive landscape for those keywords. You can bet there are others who are intentionally or inadvertently drawing traffic by using the same words you are targeting. Which words/phrases are less competitive? Let us tell you.
Which keywords are your competitors using and how to best co-opt them for your purposes
Which keywords have the highest probability of leading people to your website?

Like content creation, effective SEO research is an ongoing process of discovery and analysis. Trends will emerge over time, and with the right resources in place, your position in Google’s results will improve. (By the way, if you’re into techno-lingo, they’re called SERPs: Search Engine Results Pages.)

Optimizing the content you create is also a must to improve search engine rankings.

A lot of technical details matter here – where your keywords fall on a page, how many times they are used in an article, more specifics than you could possibly keep track of — and they’re all important. Once again, the right tools allow us to guarantee that all content is optimized for every page, blog article, and image on your website.

A brief message about Organic vs. Paid Traffic, or Content vs. Ads

Ads, particularly promoted posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram ads, or Google ads, should absolutely be included in your content marketing strategy. Just remember that they have little-to-no shelf life. The second you stop spending money on them, they disappear.

Great content, however, can have an incredibly long shelf life and will continue to draw search engine traffic for as long as it is on your website. Knowing this is essential to understanding SEO and how it works.

While Google Ads can be a shortcut to the top-of-the-page it just will not perform as well as organic in terms of CTR (click-through rate). With 80% of all searches on Google leading to a click on pages one, two, or three, that means all those Google ads are fighting for the remaining 20% of traffic.

My final comment on organic versus paid traffic depends on the users’ intent. When people go to Google, they search with specific intent. Conversion rate data show a big difference between ad results (1.5% for B2B) and organic content results (2.6%). That difference translates to a 73% better conversion rate for organic traffic.

The End Game, Understanding SEO

Many executives and their well-meaning advisors misunderstand where and when to fold SEO into the marketing mix. While it plays a valuable role in effective marketing planning and execution, SEO is not some magic silver bullet guaranteed to get you the highest search engine results. SEO is part of the puzzle, a tool, for defining the correct content in your overall marketing strategy.

Interested in a cup of coffee and a conversation?

Every client relationship we have started with a simple conversation, usually over coffee, we love to brainstorm and answer questions. If you have any please let us know…we’ll spring for the coffee.

Shout Out Studio

Local Search & the Link to Online Reviews

Local Search & the Link to Online Reviews https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/4reviews.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g January 11, 2021 October 18, 2021

For most companies, it’s not so much a question of if managing your brand’s online reputation is important; it’s more a question of “where does online reputation management fall on my list of priorities?” It’s a fair question. To which the answer is, while there are many facets to reputation management, the best place to start is the area with the greatest opportunity.

More than 10 billion searches are conducted on Google every month. That’s a monster number, and many of those searches involve someone looking for a particular type of business or service. In fact, 92% of consumers regularly read online reviews to learn about a business,¹ but here’s the catch; 94% of people only look at the first page of Google search results.¹ It’s easy to see just how crucial that first-page ranking can be, and therein lies the opportunity–on the first page of all those local searches.

Consider this scenario. It’s a Friday evening, and you’re craving sushi but want to change it up from your local go-to spot. You search online, “sushi restaurants near me.” Essentially your goal is two things: determine what’s near you and what’s good.

An ad appears and a few initial listings. Instinctively you start scanning the listings to help make your selection. You start at the top browsing ratings and reviews, likely the pictures too. You notice Akai Hana with 1,102 reviews and a 4.7 rating. Good, right? You scan a few reviews and see someone recommends Sukiyaki, and you’re sold at that point. Problem solved, dinner ordered. What you didn’t notice, had you kept scrolling, was restaurant X with only two reviews and a 3.0-star rating. And that’s not uncommon.

There are several reasons for the search results you receive, but research suggests online reviews are now the second most important factor for local rankings.²Much like fresh content is vital for SEO, so are reviews. Search engines factor in your review profile (including quality and quantity) when calculating where your business will show in the search results. Obviously, the higher the rating out of 5 stars, the better. What most folks don’t expect is that your reviews need to be recent and high volume as well, especially in comparison to your competitors. “When you acquire [reviews] regularly, they provide a constant influx of fresh content for the search engine spiders to digest.”²

More than ever, consumers are looking for signals of trust, and what people say about your brand builds credibility. Often, companies fail to cultivate their good reviews and what remains online as a representation of the business are those few negative experiences. Train staff and team members to ask customers in-person. Provide links on your website, email signature, newsletters, thank pages, or on receipts. You can even ask for feedback on social media.

Want to continue the conversation on customer feedback? Reach out to learn more about our review generation process.

Photo Credits: Samson Katt; Andrea Piacquadio; Henry Perks.

Nathaniel Seevers

Why Sales is No Longer About Selling

Why Sales is No Longer About Selling https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Sales_postheader.jpg 1920 703 Nathaniel Seevers Nathaniel Seevers https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/903959c6b29e9bf8b829b9f9749601d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 29, 2020 January 26, 2021

My wife and I leased a new car recently. Pre-COVID. We don’t change cars often, but it was time. We settled on a budget-friendly, Ohio winter-friendly, grown-up, anti-college-car car.

This was the first time at a dealership in a while. For some reason, I guess I expected the approach had changed since so many other consumer interactions have. But nothing seemed that different.

I spent some time in new car sales during college. People who know me know how ridiculous that sounds. Not because there’s anything wrong with car sales. There are absolutely great dealerships out there filled with honest, attentive sales associates. More so, because I’m what you might call a fumbling introvert.

It all got me to thinking about sales today. How it’s not really about selling at all if you’ve grown and evolved along with purchasing habits and consumer expectations.

It’s not hard to find biting stats like these when it comes to sales:

7 out of 10 customers believe that the sales reps are product-focused rather than customer-focused
Only 13% of customers believe a salesperson can understand their needs.

SO IF SALES IS NOT ABOUT SELLING, WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Externally it’s about:

Teaching: not the feature-benefits but teaching what to expect in the process and after.
Clearing the misconceptions: allowing for transparency in who is involved, how the service/product compares, and how there’s a real possibility that it doesn’t fit with the customer’s needs.
Acknowledgment of reservations: hearing the customer and talking with them not talking around them.
Anti-segmentation: less lumping into groups, more individualization. What’s that you say? You can’t “scale” like that? Focus your processes on quality over quantity.
Being a trusted advisor instead of a “consultative salesperson.” Here the conversation starts at a higher level instead of a transaction.

Internally it’s about:

A seamless connection between marketing, brand management, and the “sales” interaction
The right mix of Direct and Indirect (inbound, content-driven) Lead Generation
The beginning of your customer retention efforts. Even before the first sale is complete you are building credit toward return and/or expanded business.

A recent Salesforce Research study shows that “84% of customers say that the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services.”

Sales is not about selling anymore. When organizations consider the sales process part of the experience, everyone wins.

Thoughts or experiences on the subject? Share them with us on social.

photo credit: Unsplash

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Mass Market Emails: Why You’re Doing It Wrong

Mass Market Emails: Why You’re Doing It Wrong https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Emaildonerightheaderfin.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g September 30, 2020 October 1, 2020

E Blasted.

306.4 billion emails are sent and received daily as of this year (2020).⁶ Don’t worry; we’ll give you a minute. Because if you haven’t heard that statistic before, it’s likely to floor you. Three years ago, 74% of consumers were already overwhelmed by “Email Overload,” according to a study released by Edison Software.² In that same year (2017), the number of emails sent and received each day was 269 billion.¹

Thereafter until now, we have seen a nearly 14% increase of emails flood both personal and professional inboxes around the world. And that’s not even getting in the weeds of how Covid-19 has pushed email to become one of the most used forms of communication. As the boundaries between homes and offices continue to overlap, we expect the fatigue of ‘email abundance’ (for both professional and personal inboxes) to become inexorably linked.

Email: Dead Or Dying?

Doubtful. We asked ourselves if people still wanted to receive emails anymore. And on the surface, one would expect that the answer is no. But hold on, 99% of consumers say they check their personal email every single day³. Chances are when you’re conducting an email campaign, you’re going to be sending at least a few emails to personal email accounts. So, given that the open rate is about 15%⁴ for Mass Market Emails, there seems to be a huge disconnect. Should businesses give up on appealing to and communicating with consumers via email if such a small percentage of Mass Market Emails are being opened? We don’t think so. Brands like Rivaltech suggest making a full switch to social media messaging from email, but we think there’s another way.⁵ People do still want emails from the right sender, with the right message.

Empathize, Then Engage.

So how can you increase that open rate as a small business owner or entrepreneur? Essentially it boils down to two points. Point 1. Respect Your Audience: the details matter. Do the little important things like keeping your word count concise: 50 to 125 words boasts a 50% email response rate. Or making sure consumers can read your email on mobile.⁴ “Over 70% of consumers read their emails in a mobile app, and just under 70% delete the email if it displays poorly.” Yikes.

And Point 2. Deliver Value. Make the emails you send, count. Quality over quantity. “69% say they unsubscribed because of a high frequency of email.” If 99% are checking their personal email daily, those consumers are looking for something to catch and keep their attention.⁴ Don’t send out a flurry of emails you would be overwhelmed by as a consumer, which would ultimately lead you to unsubscribe if you were the recipient.

Email will work, but only when done right.

Have questions about email marketing? We’re here to help. No sales pitch just honest answers. Reach out here>

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Getting Beyond Meh…Creating Effective Social Media Posts

Getting Beyond Meh…Creating Effective Social Media Posts https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Beyond-Meh.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g March 30, 2020 May 31, 2022

Creating social media posts is really easy, creating effective social media posts that actually accomplish something isn’t.

What are you doing?

This is the question I have started asking myself with every post created for our company or our clients. This gives fundamental guidance, and it’s helping.

I also think of a post as a type of Mad Lib.

These are my questions:

I want to __________________ with this post?

share something interesting
share knowledge
share a fact
share point of view
teach something
promote our company or services

I’m writing it for people _____________.

who already follow our company on social media
who already know of our company
people who are looking for information related to the services we provide
people who may be looking for knowledge we are sharing
people who are trying to learn about a topic

When a person reads it I hope they will ________________.

be glad they took the time to read it
learn something
laugh
find it interesting enough to share
remember it

If the goal is to get someone to complete an action make it easy for them, tell them what you’d like them to do:

encourage them to respond with a comment
give them a link to the intended destination
give them relevant details for planning
It’s important to remember the context of the platform…
embedded links are always helpful
if you want to provide links on Instagram, use LinkTree or Later as a means of providing multiple links not just a single profile link
each social platform should have its own voice, tone, and purpose in your efforts
know your followers, can you post the same content on each platform or is there so much overlap in followers that each platform has a unique place in your plans

Also, consider that, while most organizations undoubtedly publish more than one piece of content on a topic, a single post may be all one person sees. In creating a post, does it stand alone and provide enough information to be of value; it should. Organizations cannot, and should not, assume that people will see the entire body of work on a topic, nor that people should need to, to gain an understanding of your message.

Finally, we use Agora Pulse for all social media, it has definite advantages, but one of the biggest is that it works with Grammarly and lets us get two sets of eyes on every post. Agora or not, always have someone else look at your post if you can.These are my rules, and while they don’t have to be yours, it’s always good to have some in place to help everyone understand what your organization is trying to achieve with social media messaging.

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN

If you’re a small business or non-profit and you need help, advice, or you just have questions, let us know. We will set up a call or video chat to walk through your questions and provide counsel free of charge. Contact us here or on social.

No sales, just good honest answers to help. We’re all in this together.

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Tips and Tools for Virtual Work

Tips and Tools for Virtual Work https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/VirtualWork_postheader.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g March 25, 2020 May 8, 2020

It’s a brand new world and for the first time many are finding themselves working in a comfortable, but unfamiliar space; at home. While we have been fortunate enough to experience this before we also realize it is new to many so we’ve put together some of our top tips for being productive while operating in this new era.

Marsh:

To us “Social Distancing” means be physically apart but socially connected…our primary ally in that approach is Slack.

Staying in touch is one of the biggest issues for teams, learning to work apart but still needing to feel connected by purpose and personal exchange. We use Slack as our mainstay to address this. Many people are aware of Slack and live by it, yet many are not.

In its simplest form, we use Slack to facilitate day-to-day communication around the needs of our clients and our projects on their behalf. The company describes it as an alternative to a crowded inbox, a description that does not do it justice. It is an incredibly more efficient than email for our purposes it also allows us to aggregate data, files, and conversations into a single “channel,” as they call it.

We’ve also gone as far as using it to replicate office dynamics by creating a channel we call #watercooler, for jokes, office conversations, and miscellany.

If you have the professional version, once a channel is set up you can easily call all of the “members” with audio or video conferencing and screen sharing. It really is a no brainer. If you are unsure they have a great free version which we used for months before we upgraded; it’s about $7.00/month/person.

It integrates with many apps:

Calendar
Project Management
Time Keeping
Google Drive
Box
DropBox

This page probably gives the best overview https://slack.com/why/slack-vs-email

…and yes Micorosft has what they call “teams,” but it’s not as user friendly and after all it is Microsoft.

Hailey:

Working from home has been a learning experience for me from the beginning. A trial and error process where I am continuously finding new things that work and others that don’t. Let’s start with the latter.

When I first took on this role, we began working from home more than I was used to, I had to adapt quickly to the new work pace. I found myself so concerned with productivity that I wouldn’t leave my workspace for hours at a time. I would dive into work and not pick up my head until the late afternoon. While that may sound great, more than a day or two of it left me feeling burnt out. I was sick of looking at the same room and always desperate to get out of my house, but too exhausted to do so. Not the right fit for me.

The solution? A schedule that included valuable (and mandatory) breaks, healthy snacks, room changes, and exercise. I start work before breakfast. By the time 10:30 am rolls around I have gotten two hours of extremely productive work in and I am hungry! I take a break to make a quick breakfast, I change my environment and I start on my next work block of time. This block I let myself tell me when it’s time for a break. Sometimes it’s another two hours, other times it’s three. I use my lunch break to get in a quick workout and a small meal, allowing me to have the energy to finish the day strong. I then change rooms again and work until 4, and spend the rest of the work day taking stock of what I completed that day and plan for the next usually with my dog by my side and ready for a walk.

Dividing my day up into three sections makes me feel energized and accomplished at the end of the day. I am able to close my laptop, and have valuable hours of “me time” before it’s time to wake up and start again.

Durelle:

One constructive thing I’ve learned is that I need to set rules for my virtual workspace. If the strategy is to work productively, two items are more significant than others. Tactics for managing time, and boundaries for anything outside of work. Work needs to be separate from your television, games, and ideally social media for example. I believe the best way to implement these tactics is to set a timer for blocks of time, on your phone or on your computer.

Scheduling specific blocks of time manages focus, and gives a sense of urgency that may otherwise be lacking from your home environment. In a big way, it provides more freedom with structure. When structuring my day, I usually focus on two hour chunks at a time. If I know I’m working on a project, I’ll schedule for 4 hour blocks. No matter what, I’m loosely giving myself a deadline for what I want to accomplish. Once I’ve accomplished what I want, that’s where the boundaries come into play. If I do everything I set out to do within the timeframe I allot, or faster, I’ll allow myself a 20 minute break or so (until my next block of time) to do something I enjoy – taking a walk, reading a bit, video games, or fictional writing.

If using your computer to set a time, just type “timer” into a Google search, or find it here. The Google timer has a pretty unpleasant sound when the time expires, so you may want to go with your phone. Either way, the goal is to set those blocks of time to do a task or project. And be honest with yourself. We’re human, we’re going to get off track. So if you set a two hour block of time until you’re setting yourself a 20 minute break, but end up only working for an hour and a half, skip the break. Whenever possible, avoid deferring any unproductive work time to “after work hours.”

Nathaniel:

As countless memes have highlighted, those of us on the more, let’s say, hermit-like end of the spectrum, are less freaked out by social distancing and an abundance of home time.

I work well from home. I’ve done so for years, in some capacity or another. My home office is comfortable, it’s filled with natural light, my favorite books, my favorite records, and often a snoring dog. So I wasn’t too concerned about working from home full-time. What I didn’t account for was my wife also working from home full-time.

Ours is a small place with old walls. Sound absorption is not its strong suit, to say the least. After a couple of days haphazardly working from the couch, stumbling through the hours of the day, and taking video calls, we realized that getting back to some resemblance of a routine was important.

Now, as if it were a normal day (or world), we wake up, (sometimes) work out, shower, make coffee, have breakfast, and arrive at our laptops prepared to work at a normal work time. We’ve designated two separate workspaces that don’t involve the couch. My wife got the office this week and I set up shop in the dining room for now. To mitigate the noise, we’ve shared our work calendars with one another and we try to stagger video conferences.

We still ask one another about the day ahead over breakfast. We still meet up for lunch, it just happens to be in the kitchen instead of a local restaurant. We take an afternoon break to walk the dog. We make plans for dinner then try to create some separation between work and everything else. We’re doing what we can, and a smart work routine that somewhat resembles our pre-COVID19 daily lives helps.

No sales, just good honest answers to help. We’re all in this together.

Shout Out Studio

Targeting Has Changed – And So Should You!

Targeting Has Changed – And So Should You! https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/PostHeaderForTargetingChanged.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g December 13, 2019 December 24, 2019

The Most Effective Way To Connect:

For marketing to be effective, a business must target. This isn’t a new concept; but why is it important? Consumers don’t want companies to make broad assumptions and treat them like the masses. Consumers want brands to dive deeper, and make an effort to speak to them in unique and meaningful ways. Targeting is a careful, measured approach to finding your preferred client. Ideally, we want consumers to know that we want to understand them, and want to connect authentically.

In many ways, targeting hasn’t changed: we still want to pinpoint an archetype. But there’s another, highly significant layer now: connection. That variable, connection, used to be a cherry on top of a metaphorical ice-cream sundae, but now it’s the expectation. However, the return on investment of consumers who appreciate our significant and genuine connection with them, is invaluable.

Calculating… Targeting Refined

So how should we alter our approach? When consumers are successfully targeted by a company, they feel like that company cares about who they are individually; that they’re more than just a number or email address in the database. This is because, when done right, the way we target should discover more than demographics data. We want to aim to consider all of the pertinent information of the group we wish to pursue.

For example, if you’ve determined that a group of the population has an unmet need for kitchen knives you could immediately begin with an age demographic (independent adults perhaps), combined with location, and possible gender needs; standard targeting. In addition to that, let’s start with questions to understand our consumer better. We might ask something like:

Why do they need or want sharp cutlery?
What do they intend to do with their cutlery once received?
What other household products might they also be buying?

With this, maybe we discover that the consumer doesn’t just want cutlery, they want a faster, easier way to prepare their vegetables. We may come up with a product that can create this effect instantaneously – a knife that steams vegetables as it slices. The important thing is that we’ve humanized our consumer more than the collective demographics could. We care about the what and the why. Now we can garner the additional pieces of information we need. That’s how we connect.

Adjust Your Aim Like Scotts Did

Scotts Miracle Grow
Targeted Segment:

Male
Homeowner
Limited product knowledge *
27 – 35
Earning 50,000 + per year
Sports enthusiast

When the 2016 earnings reports came across the desk of retailers, many were panicked, struggling to determine how to continue reaching their existing target audiences in the ways that matter. A lot of millennial bashing occurred, because frustrated companies could not understand what had changed. Instead of adjustments, judgements were made.

Not Scotts. In fact, since 2006, Scott’s reported yearly earnings have been consistently above 2.6 million in annual revenue. That is, with the exception of the period between 2014-2016 where revenue hovered around 2.5 million or lower. Scotts was not impacted quite the same way some other retailers were, but there was a clear, industry wide consensus that “reaching millennials,” was imperative. Scotts was no different. They effectively had two choices.

They could have chosen to change their formula entirely by choosing a different target. Instead, they chose to keep their existing formula, but tweaked it so that it embraced the parts which were now different. In 2015, they likely asked themselves:

Are all our criteria for our target market still relevant?
- Yes except for age.
How are 27 year old’s different now than they were 10 years ago?
- Many grew up in an environment not prioritizing lawn care and maintenance.

It’s no secret that millennials have presented a uniquely complex set of obstacles for most retailers. After researching the parameters it had once set for itself, Scott’s understood at least one of the very distinct differences – the lack of product knowledge. Thus, they made it a point to incorporate instructional videos for all things lawn-care related, right down to the mulch calculator. As of 2019, Scotts enjoyed its record high revenue of 3.15 million for the year.

Aim True

Your target can be the same, but the variables required to hit the target may change. Any marksperson who participates in trapshooting knows that you can’t ignore the wind. For that matter, any sailor trying to reach land on a sailboat must acknowledge the same variable. Whether the target is a skeet, an island, or a person, variables will shift, and you have to be accepting of that. You still want to strive to hit the target, of course, your business depends on doing just that. It’s fine if it’s the same target every single time. Just don’t expect to be able to hit the same target in the same way when the wind changes.

Your consumers are people after all, and people change.

Marsh Williams

Instagram is Facilitating Theft from Users

Instagram is Facilitating Theft from Users https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/InstagramTheft_postheader.jpg 1920 703 Marsh Williams Marsh Williams https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9865297cfcf33bf2c73786faf080bea8?s=96&d=mm&r=g December 9, 2019 December 10, 2019

The Problem

More and more companies are stealing from Instagram users, and Instagram is driving the getaway car.

Over the last few months, I have noticed, as an Instagram user, many suspicious-looking ads on the platform, and recently these ads have moved from suspect to outright fraudulent. Ads showing one product and shipping a far inferior version are commonplace, and as a target of these ads, all I can do is report them and hope Instagram will review them.

Recently, I’ve noticed a new trend of companies that advertise nonexistent products going as far as creating websites to support their fraud only to disappear a few weeks later. That leaves Instagram purchasers to navigate the complexities of refunds from their credit card companies or, God forbid, PayPal.

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To be completely honest, I fell for a couple of these. One was for a Nano Screen Protector, which would allow your iPhone to crack walnuts and not be scratched. The other was a carbon fiber camera tripod I’ve been coveting from Peak Design. The tripod retails for about $700 (I know I have a problem, I’m in a group for that), but when I saw it advertised on Instagram for hundreds less, I bought it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until later that the synapses fired off.

After some research and communication with Peak Design, it was clear that the ad and the supporting website were utterly false. The thief had simply stolen all of the content from Peak’s site and pretended to be a reseller. I’m still going through an incredibly draconian process with PayPal to get my money back, but the counterfeit seller has really figured out how to game the system and make that almost impossible.

Subsequently, I have gone through a period of about four weeks looking for suspect ads, researching their offerings, and reporting the advertisers to Instagram when warranted. To their credit, I have received several responses from Instagram stating that “The ad you reported violated our Ad Guidelines and has been removed;” however, in most cases, this just initiated a game of “Account Whack-a-Mole.”

The underlying problem is that Instagram has zero incentive to stop this type of activity; in fact, they have an incentive to perpetuate it since they make money on every click.

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Instagram’s Celebrity Solution

For celebrities and brands, Instagram offers a verification process that yields a coveted “verified” checkmark next to the account name indicating its legitimacy. The process is well documented, and all parties take it very seriously.

This verification process has been in existence for an extended time, it keeps unscrupulous people from impersonating others, and helps verified accounts protect their brand from those who might use their name or image for an illicit activity or ill-gotten gains.

So here’s the real question, if Instagram has a process for verifying celebrity accounts, why can’t they have a process for verifying legitimate advertiser accounts?

Why doesn’t Instagram create and apply an advertiser verification process for those who want to become verified and give themselves an advantage in the “click” game?

There is no reason Instagram can’t do this; they just have to “want to,” and there’s the rub. They make money from every click even if the sponsor is stealing from their users.

What Should Happen?

Instagram should take the side of their users and intervene. There should be an opportunity for Advertisers to become verified and display that they have been vetted. As part of this, Instagram should create a standard that requires all verified advertising to adhere to all government regulations regarding claims of product performance or benefit.

The outlines for this process are already set forth by the FTC and the FDA. This brings Instagram into the general realm of compliance, where other publishers and media outlets live. It may not be a perfect step, but is it a step forward.

The real problem for Instagram: we are the product; they are selling access to our eyeballs and bank accounts. I’m by no means the first to float this assertion, but viewing the relationship this way makes it is easy to understand why the platform has little incentive to address this issue.

How about it Instagram…you willing to step up?

Nathaniel Seevers

How to Work Through a Logo Refresh

How to Work Through a Logo Refresh https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/LogoRefresh_postheader.jpg 1920 703 Nathaniel Seevers Nathaniel Seevers https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/903959c6b29e9bf8b829b9f9749601d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g November 26, 2019 November 26, 2019

Trained or untrained eye, sometimes it’s clear that a logo no longer holds up in the marketplace. Maybe it relies too heavily on past design trends and hasn’t aged well. Or frankly, maybe it was poor design from the start. On the flip side, even the most well-designed logos can periodically benefit from a design update that better reflects an evolution of the business (see the Rolling Stone evolution below). But it can be scary to think about scrapping a longstanding logo and wandering out into the design unknown, especially when considering the identity equity that’s been built up over several years of business existence.

It’s not always necessary to start from scratch to show progress. There is a way to maintain some of that familiarity while showing the world your logo belongs in the modern day. It’s called a logo refresh and here are some components to consider.

TYPOGRAPHY

One of the fastest ways to see real improvement in logo design is to evaluate the typeface, whether custom or out of the box, and adjust for current brand personality traits and/or communications goals. Brands evolve and market tastes change, oftentimes the typography utilized in the original logo design can begin to feel outdated or simply no longer represents the brand effectively. We worked through something similar with Timmy Global Health (below).

For example, incorporating a typeface with more uniform lines can add modern appeal, adjusting weight and kerning can tilt the scale of sophistication and drama. Better typeface design is often a prerequisite to helping a logo reach its full potential.

Color & Contrast

Color plays an important part in the visual recall of brand identity. Coca-Cola red, Starbucks green, etc. Incorporating the right color palette can help convey the right brand intentions and creates a more memorable connection. Color psychology isn’t a hard and fast rule for branding but certainly is worth considering. There’s a reason why most financial institutions are represented in greens and blues not red.

The wrong hue can also impact initial perceptions of value. Color can make a logo looks flat, ordinary, cheap even if it is representing a premium product. Shifting the shade of a color can help add needed weight to the design. Adding a complementary or foundational hue can provide contrast and fresh appeal.

Dropbox (below) not only simplified the shape and blue on their icon but also changed the wordmark to black, helping to anchor the design and create contrast.

Space & Balance

Not too long ago, YouTube redesigned its logo, cleaning up the type slightly, but more obviously, incorporating the red tv shape aligned left as a new standalone mark instead of as part of the name. The new alignment gives the logo better balance, an updated look, and a more versatile design.

Improving space and balance doesn’t mean everything has to be symmetrical but it does mean considering all the ways and sizes your logo may be represented.

Having said all of this, each opportunity for logo refresh will require an individual approach. Though he wasn’t a designer, nor was he referencing design in this instance, I’m always reminded of a quote from Albert Einstein that goes, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”

When in doubt, during your logo refresh, simplify.

Marsh Williams

Brand Voice, Story, Audience

Brand Voice, Story, Audience https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Storytelling.jpg 1920 950 Marsh Williams Marsh Williams https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9865297cfcf33bf2c73786faf080bea8?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 15, 2019 October 15, 2019

With apologies to Rod Stewart – “every company tells a story.”

Every company has a story to tell, one worth listening to, but for the most part, one that exists in pieces all around the office. Oh, it’s all there, it just has not been gathered and assembled into a single cohesive message, and frankly, it’s usually easier for someone from the outside to find. Within the company, people have heard something so many times it just becomes part of the company lore and seems to be matter-of-fact when it is the exact opposite. The little gem, the nuggets, which people hold on to, those are the pieces customers look for, those are the pieces upon which a story is built.

Once we get an opportunity to look, all of the pieces are always there, but like the ingredients for a great recipe, unless you can put them together in the right order, they are just elements, each good but not reaching their full potential as part of a greater whole. In fact, most of our clients have multiple stories that should be told, and that’s where the fun begins. Weaving everything into the company’s origin tale, it’s purpose for being, and the message they want to deliver.

Ironically, building and crafting the message is not the whole story (yeah, that was intentional.)

But what really makes a story great is the listener, the audience/consumer. That’s why the story exists, for, without an audience, the story has no purpose. Knowing about an audience, who they are, what they want to hear, and how they want to hear it: brand voice.

Voice is all about connecting with the consumer, what is the tone, what are the words, what is the delivery that will connect with the most impact and best represents the brand. Words, cadence, delivery, tone all are parts of the voice, and understanding it and communicating it internally/externally is critical to consistent brand marketing.

The entire purpose of voice and story is to establish a rapport, a sense of knowing something about both the speaker and listener. That’s how relationships start, and ultimately that’s what storytellers want, a relationship with the audience, which by the way, helps the story evolve. The audience/customer input always impacts the story by definition. Once it has been told, the story becomes the audiences’ to share with their audiences; friends, family, and others. That type of brand loyalty is the gold standard; turning customers into fans.

By diving into all of this, we’re not trying to make this seem complicated, we’re trying to give some sense of the hard and deliberate work that leads to the magic. It’s not easy, but then again, easy never made a great story, did it?

Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster

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The Incredible Power of Online Reviews

The Incredible Power of Online Reviews https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Untitled-design-12.jpg 1920 950 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 2, 2019 May 31, 2022

Everyone has a story about online reviews; some are good and well, some aren’t.

So before we take a deeper dive, let’s go to the board for a few stats.

97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses – Source
94% of consumers read online reviews; they trust reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family
89% purchase within a week of visiting review sites and 29 percent will do so within a day
82% of consumers go to review sites because they want to buy a service or product
80% of consumers will reverse a purchase decision based on negative reviews

Reviews matter…

Negative Reviews

Once a negative review is in place, no matter what anyone tells you it is virtually impossible to get it removed unless you can demonstrably prove it is fraudulent. We actually had this happen and someone we had never done business with, or even heard of, left a negative review on Google. No matter how much we went through Google customer service, they deemed it a legitimate review and would not provide any relief. We wound up having to write a response to the reviewer saying “…we don’t recognize your name and have no record of doing business with you. Please contact us so we can address this for you.” They took it down without discussion.

Negative reviews have a direct impact on the bottom line. Here are some specifics.

Effectively the only way to manage bad reviews is to get in front of them. By this, I mean to identify potentially negative reviews and respond to the customer/reviewer before it is published. It can be done, and we can discuss that later.

In a study conducted by BrightLocal they found that a single negative review can cost a company up to thirty customers, and in a similar study Moz found that three negative reviews can drive away up to fifty-nine percent of customers. Eighty-Six percent of people will hesitate before purchasing form a business that has any bad online reviews.

Positive Reviews

Online reviews drive local traffic. Ninety-Seven percent of consumers use the internet to find local businesses, and three in four people who use their smartphones to search for something nearby end up visiting a local business within a day. While traffic to retail businesses is down fifty-seven percent in the past five years, the value of every visit has tripled.

Grade.US found that happy customers tend to share their experience with up to fifteen individuals, and when you get those good reviews, they actually add to your revenue stream. Companies experience a revenue increase of between nine and twelve percent with a one-star rating increase on Yelp. Sixty-eight percent of customers will leave a review when asked.

And finally, negative reviews are not all bad, seventy-two percent of B2B buyers say negative reviews give depth and insight into a product or service offering, and if handled correctly they provide a great opportunity for a response that demonstrates your company’s values. Over seventy percent of consumers who have a problem resolved satisfactorily will buy from that business again.

The Formula

So there are a few basics you need to achieve.

At least a 4.0 rating on the respective platform with a minimum of 40 reviews per platform
Current/fresh reviews that have been created in the last thirty days
Respond to every single review your organization receives, good or bad.
Embrace customer feedback as a core value for your company, listen, learn, improve, and prevail.

The Way to Get There

There are a lot of ways to engage customers and manage reviews. We prefer a system to do such and bowline that this approach provides a simple and effective manner to engage customers for feedback. The platform we use allows businesses to leverage positive reviews and mitigate potentially negative ones across up to severely review platforms.When integrated into ongoing communications efforts, it can drive significant change to an organization’s online ratings.

…and finally

One final comment to consider, reviews count for 15.44% percent of your Google SEO…and it’s growing. – Source

Marsh Williams

Brand Consistency is Worth 23%

Brand Consistency is Worth 23% https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Low-Hanging-Fruit.jpg 1920 700 Marsh Williams Marsh Williams https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9865297cfcf33bf2c73786faf080bea8?s=96&d=mm&r=g September 4, 2019 May 28, 2022

A survey we recently ran across had a statistic that, frankly, astounded us:

The average increased revenue attributed to brand consistency and presentation, by the organizations that responded, is 23 percent.

Most people would view this as low-hanging fruit and take 23 percent in revenue. At least that’s what we thought.

As we read further into the survey, here is what we found: Almost all organizations responding, 95 percent, considered brand guidelines essential, but only 75 percent stated they have consistently enforced brand guidelines. So companies believe brand presentation is critical and, when adhered to, it increases their revenue. But three out of four either don’t have brand standards or don’t always enforce their use.

How hard is it to consistently present a company’s brand? Actually, it’s pretty hard when you consider all of a company’s touchpoints. Sure, marketing is a slam dunk, but what do customers experience when navigating voice mail or waiting on hold for customer service? All of this is brand, and it has to be consistent across every customer engagement.

In a previous post we wrote about Vian’s Axiom:

“Marketing is what you promise, brand is what you deliver.”

We spent some time thinking about companies that really have very tight alignment on all brand touchpoints and landed on McDonald’s and one of our favorites REI.

McDonald’s is remarkably consistent at every customer touchpoint, particularly with regard to visual elements. Customers know exactly what to expect when interacting with the company. Like it or hate it, there are no surprises. McDonald’s also rules on social media. They have a massive following and regularly use platforms to engage and interact with customers. That’s right, the burger chain that’s been around since 1955 has mastered brand communications on the newest media.

REI’s brand message and personality flow through everything they touch; every communication they initiate. The attitude they purvey online, in all media, and in their stores is one hundred percent aligned. They are membership-based and at times challenge retail industry norms. On Black Friday, 2015, they closed completely. They walked away from what we believe to be the biggest retail sales day of the year and made the following statement, “Black Friday is a perfect time to remind ourselves of the essential truth that life is richer, more connected, and complete when you choose to spend it outside. We’re closing our doors, paying our employees to get out there, and inviting America to Opt Outside with us because we love great gear, but we are even more passionate about the experiences it unlocks.” In a letter to his members, Stritzke quotes outdoor visionary John Muir, who stated in 1901, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.”

A brand is somewhat ethereal, and while this may be hard to agree with, the only place your brand exists is in someone else’s mind. Consistent branding is always built on consistent behavior, consistent voice, tone, styles of engagement, and customer interactions at every level of the organization: this is why formal branding guidelines are critical to overall success.

By “formal guidelines,” we do not mean brand police. We want a clear, concise vision of the brand with examples for everyone to understand and embrace. A brand book should inform, enlighten, and educate. It is something that should be given to every person on their first day with the company. Let them read it and understand the essence of what you want your brand experience to be.

Without this, the customers’ understanding and perception of a brand can change with every experience. Customers will not know what to expect from one interaction to the next, and they will perceive that your brand is inconsistent or, in the worst case, schizophrenic. It becomes too much work to figure it out every time so customers move on to their next choice in the market.

Brand guidelines are important. Brand books help communicate those guidelines effectively and explain how they can enhance customers’ overall experience…besides, who wouldn’t like a 23 percent increase in revenue from something as simple as brand consistency.

If you’re thinking about your brand presentation and consistency, we’d love to discuss it: no sales pitch, just an honest discussion about where you are and where you’d like to be.

go ahead click it

Shout Out Studio

Remarkable Marketing

Remarkable Marketing https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Remarkable_postheader.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g August 1, 2019 August 1, 2019

For the average consumer, basic needs and wants are only a few clicks away or ready for pick-up, maybe even delivery. Brands are constantly wanting to be a part of this transaction and so they storm consumers with marketing noise in an effort to do so. The constant noise blurs together and most consumers have become quite skilled at tuning it out and scrolling past. To succeed in a loud world, cluttered with new ideas a company’s brand and marketing must be, not only unique but truly remarkable.

Lemonade

Lemonade is a company that has taken something boring and turned it into something remarkable. With the growing number of millennials moving into their own apartments and homes, Lemonade developed a brand of homeowner and renter’s insurance that speaks directly to that demographic. Starting with the visual brand, Lemonade communicates to target customers with bright colors, fun graphics, and an easy to navigate website. They seek to educate and engage quickly. Once they have initially engaged their audience they promise a hassle-free, 90-second sign-up, and to top it all off they ensure that any money left over after claims get sent to good causes. They make the benefits easy to understand and they make it fun and easy to buy.

Billie

Billie is a women’s razor subscription service that seeks to empower and ease minds all at the same time. Billie not only sells a product that functions better than others on the shelves, but does so with a lower price point, a convenient subscription option, and a meaningful message. Billie products are made without parabens, sulfates, GMOs all while costing half of what the competition charges. Billie’s bright colors and strong female empowerment message push this product into the remarkable realm and keep customers coming back for more while activating customers to spread the word through Billie’s referral program.

Warby Parker

For years the creators of Warby Parker watched as large companies cornered the eyeglasses industry and up charged their oftentimes aesthetically outdated products because of their control over the marketplace. Warby Parker’s founders knew there must be a better way and by bypassing traditional channels and communicating with customers directly they were able to create high quality, fashionable products at a better price. But how are they remarkable? The message they have built behind each purchase. Warby Parker understands that without glasses people are unable to effectively learn, work, or go about their daily lives, so they set out to do something about it. In addition to stylish, accessible glasses, Warby’s Buy One Give One business model means for every pair of glasses the company sells, another pair is distributed to someone in need through non-profit organizations.

Now let’s recap. What can make a business remarkable? Lemonade does it through their bright-colored young-looking brand, fast-paced enrollment, and charitable donations in a traditionally dull industry. Billie does is through their strong values, extremely low prices, and convenience. Warby Parker sets itself apart with creative logistics, low prices, strong message, and a charitable business model that makes the world a better place every single day. The beauty about being remarkable is that it can (and should) mean something different for every business out there. How can your business make a shift toward being remarkable?

Media sources: Lemonade | Billie | Warby Parker

Shout Out Studio

Should You Set Up a Google My Business Page If You Don’t Have a Physical Address?

Should You Set Up a Google My Business Page If You Don’t Have a Physical Address? https://www.shoutoutstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/GoogleMyBusiness_postheader.jpg 1920 703 Shout Out Studio Shout Out Studio https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3196acec400bff02a5b7fe1a50c91b20?s=96&d=mm&r=g May 11, 2019 June 20, 2019

Navigating your own business can be a difficult endeavor. There are many decisions to make surrounding which business services are right for you. While there are advantages to not having a physical address for your business, it can make registering for certain business services more difficult. Many of these helpful services require you to enter a physical business address. This includes Google My Business, which helps your business to become more visible on the most common search engine. It offers a lot of benefits for both you and your customers which makes it hard to want to ignore this service. Figuring out how to proceed is the question in this scenario.

Should You Use Google My Business?

In short, yes. Google My Business is an important service to set up for a growing business. It is a free service so there are no risks to setting it up for your company. If you want to reach a larger audience, you need to be highly visible on Google. The conveniences of Google My Business legitimize your business in the eyes of many consumers. Google My Business provides an all-in-one way to monitor and reply to customer reviews, add photos, accept bookings, share updates about your business, and gain insights on your target audience. It will also give a direct link to your site, direct call button to contact your business and a simple way to bookmark the site. This will simplify customer interaction and really improve your business if you are able to show consistent good customer service.

Determining Your “Service Area”

You do have to add an address on Google My Business. This can be your physical address or a virtual address if you have one. When setting up your Google My Business, click the box that says, “I deliver goods and services to my customers.” This will make a second box appear. “Hide my address (it’s not a store)” will make it so your address can’t be seen. Now you’re ready to set your service area. You can choose specific regions or set your service area to be within a certain radius of the location you entered. Depending on your location and the nature of your business, one may be more helpful than the other. Know your target audience to make sure they are clearly seeing you. If you’re unsure, start by setting a radius from your location and this will help you to fine tune who is most in need of your business services.

Google Reviews

Setting up Google My Business enables Google reviews on your business. This allows customers to rate and share experiences that they’ve had with your business. The customers can share photos in addition to details on their interactions with your business which really gives those considering your business a clear idea of what to expect. One of the best ways to encourage people to do business with you is for them to hear about the positive experiences that others have had with you and your business. In addition to reviews, customers can ask public questions about your business which will help them and future customers with similar inquiries.

Setting Up Ads

Google My Business helps with your advertising as well. As previously mentioned, this helps to increase your visibility on the Google search engine. However, this is also a useful step in setting up Google Ads if you choose. This improves your algorithms so that the people who are most interested are seeing you. Your business will be one of the first to appear when searching for someone within your industry. It will appear at the top of the search page with the sponsored results. This will increase website traffic and with the insights from Google My Business, you’ll be able to see the direct results you’re getting from these ads.

Now that you are familiar with the benefits and are armed with the knowledge of how to set up your Google My Business page without having a physical business address, it’s time for you to proceed and watch your business grow. Good luck on your entrepreneurial adventures!

If you’re looking for online marketing help, check out our services and see how we can help!

Shout Out Studio - Marketing That Motivates

Why Simple Marketing Messages are So Darn Effective

Attention Span

Clarity is Key

People Like Brands They Understand

Let Me Tell You a Story

5 Easy, Effective Ways to Use Pinterest for Business

1. Keep Up With The Trends

2. Take Advantage of Pin Titles and Descriptions

3. Schedule Your Pins

4. Use Your Audience Insights

5. Keep A Close Eye On How Each Pin Is Performing

Considerations for Marketing Your Architecture Firm

Branding vs. Marketing

Branding vs. Marketing

Be Where The Search Begins

Be Where The Search Begins

Let’s work together to craft a custom marketing plan!

Let’s work together to craft a custom marketing plan!

Build an Audience

Build an Audience

Educate Your Prospects

Educate Your Prospects

Wow Them with Your Website

Wow Them with Your Website

Choose The Right Partner

Choose The Right Partner

Refresh or Rebrand?

Refresh or Rebrand? When is it time to change, and how much?

Content Marketing Is No Longer A Luxury

What Is Content Marketing?

Double Down On Empathy

Double Down On Empathy

Strategy Is Significant

Strategy Is Significant

Play The Long Game

Play The Long Game

Audience First

Audience First

CONTENT MARKETING IS A LONG GAME THAT REQUIRES EMPATHY TO BUILD TRUST AND AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY.

CONTENT MARKETING IS A LONG GAME THAT REQUIRES EMPATHY TO BUILD TRUST AND AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY.

Announcements, Announcements, A-n-n-o-u-n-c-e-m-e-n-t-s

Shout Out Studio Acquires Good Clover Communications

Understanding SEO, What Senior Executives Need To Know

What really helps boost Google rankings is not SEO–it’s content marketing!

Successful content marketing involves incredibly detailed planning.

Optimizing the content you create is also a must to improve search engine rankings.

A brief message about Organic vs. Paid Traffic, or Content vs. Ads

The End Game, Understanding SEO

Interested in a cup of coffee and a conversation?

Local Search & the Link to Online Reviews

Why Sales is No Longer About Selling

SO IF SALES IS NOT ABOUT SELLING, WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

A recent Salesforce Research study shows that “84% of customers say that the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services.”

Mass Market Emails: Why You’re Doing It Wrong

E Blasted.

Email: Dead Or Dying?

Empathize, Then Engage.

Have questions about email marketing? We’re here to help. No sales pitch just honest answers. Reach out here>

Getting Beyond Meh…Creating Effective Social Media Posts

What are you doing?

These are my questions:

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN

Tips and Tools for Virtual Work

Marsh:

Hailey:

Durelle:

Nathaniel:

Targeting Has Changed – And So Should You!

The Most Effective Way To Connect:

Calculating… Targeting Refined

Adjust Your Aim Like Scotts Did

Aim True

Instagram is Facilitating Theft from Users

The Problem

Instagram’s Celebrity Solution

What Should Happen?

How to Work Through a Logo Refresh

TYPOGRAPHY

Color & Contrast

Let’s work together to craft a
custom marketing plan!

Let’s work together to craft a
custom marketing plan!