digital marketing campaigns

Top 10 Creative Marketing Campaigns during Covid-19

With everyone staying at home and life at a standstill due to Covid-19, spending priorities changed. Companies could have sat back and not spent a cent of their digital marketing budget but a few key players did the exact opposite. These brands kept their customers interested and engaged through creative campaigns while others placed an emphasis on supporting charities or healthcare workers.

Now that restrictions are easing and we prepare for the new ‘normal’, these companies will be remembered for their ingenious digital marketing campaigns that brought some joy into our lives when the whole World was at a standstill.

Here are Evolution Digital’s top 10 creative Digital Marketing campaigns during Covid-19…

 

1.McDonalds

mcdonalds digital marketing

With all McDonald’s across Ireland and the UK closed from March 23rd people were beginning to crave their favourite takeaway. McDonald’s released their sausage and egg McMuffin recipe on April 6th to the delight of fans. Although this seems counterintuitive as it provides a replacement for McDonald’s at home – McDonald’s know that no home recipe will compete with their taste and so it actually creates a greater buzz for when they re-add their breakfast option. Ba Da Ba Ba Ba… I’m craving it!

 

2.Guinness

Even though St. Patrick’s Day was cancelled, it is no surprise that Guinness didn’t stay quiet. Their social media pages put out a video message that was heartfelt and inspirational when the World needed it most! This video focused on the past – Guinness’ legacy, the present – Covid 19 and the future. Looking forward to what is to come and really made us all proud to be Irish!

 

3. Nike

nike digital marketing

Nike masterfully struck a balance between creating a new campaign and highlighting its purpose through inspiring people through the power of sport. Their ‘Play for the World’ campaign highlighted how we must all do our bit and ‘play inside’.

 

4. L’Oreal Paris


With hairdressers closed and roots beginning to show, L’Oreal Paris enlisted the help of their brand ambassador Eva Longoria who made a homemade video using their Excellence Crème hair dye. This campaign was effective as often we can be skeptical if celebrities in ads for home dye kits really use the product or not! This was living-proof that indeed they do, increasing trust in L’Oreal Paris and inspiring others to cover up their greys – if its good enough for Eva then its good enough for us!

 

5. Three


Three Mobile launched its latest campaign to highlight its removal of usage limits on all you can eat data! This message combined with the innocent Facetime dialogue between a grandson and grandfather which is all too real for people during this current time really hit the nail on the head between being informative and striking a chord with customers.

 

6. YouTube


During lockdown, who wasn’t watching some type of ‘how-to’ video or “at-home” workout? Well, YouTube decided to remind us of the importance of staying home to save lives and how this time can be spent on their platform doing things you didn’t have time for before! Using the hashtags #StayHome #WithMe. Smart right?!

 

7. Dove


Dove is well known for its campaigns focused on beauty. Their recent campaign entitled ‘Courage is Beautiful’ featured front-line staff showing the marks PPE equipment was leaving on their faces. A truly poignant digital campaign. Dove also donated to Direct Relief and established themselves as a brand concerned with more than just traditional beauty.

 

8. Tik Tok

With extra time on our hands, many of us turned to Tik Tok in an attempt to pass the time and maybe even become a viral sensation!

Tik Tok released their ‘A little brighter inside’ campaign to signify the power the app has to make you feel better during these difficult times. This idea of escapism was exactly what we needed when things were tough in the real world.

 

9. Tourism Ireland

This stunning campaign entitled ‘I will return’ captures some of Ireland’s treasures and focuses on the future and the day that visitors can ‘return into her arms.’ The perfect inspiration for an Irish holiday.

 

10. Cadbury

Cadbury’s Covid-19 campaign focused on the positive spirit that endured during the pandemic. Entitled ‘This doesn’t need to end’ it focuses on all the positives we can take from our time in lockdown and the kindness we showed one another. Celebrating the many acts of kindness that happened during the pandemic resonates with Cadbury’s revitalised brand message, which focuses on this sentiment. Finishing with ‘There’s a glass and a half in everyone’ beautifully sums up the kindness seen during this pandemic.

 

Digital Marketing with Evolution Digital

If you are looking to kickstart your digital marketing again in the second half of 2020, make sure to contact our team at Evolution Digital. Our team of creative marketers would be happy to discuss where we can take your company using varying digital marketing channels. Get in touch with us now on 01 288 5118 or email info@evolutiondigital.ie.

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ppc vs seo

PPC vs SEO: What Are They & How Can They Work Together?

Are you finding it hard to wrap your head around PPC and SEO? Wondering what the pros and cons of both are? Looking for someone to tell you if you should be focusing on PPC or SEO? Well, look no further, we break it all down for you in our PPC vs SEO showdown!

 

what is ppc

What is PPC?

 

PPC is the advertising which features at the top and sides of SERPs on the likes of Google and Bing. It’s called pay-per-click as you pay each time the ad is clicked on. PPC involves bidding on specific words or phrases known as keywords. For example, if you sell women’s shoes you may bid on the keyword ‘Women’s sandals’ to advertise your range of sandals. The amount you pay for a click on this ad will depend on the competition of the keyword (i.e. how many other companies are bidding on it) as well as other factors including seasonality and page quality score. Some keywords are affordable. Other keywords cost much more due to a larger number of companies bidding on them.

ppc ads

 

seo dublin

What is SEO?

 

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, encapsulates the many practices to increase the visibility of a website in a search engine’s unpaid results. It helps to increase the quality and quantity of traffic that reaches the website organically. SEO includes creating high-quality content that is appealing to prospective customers and using keywords related to your website in content, headings and tags. It also involves receiving external links to your website and improving technical elements including page speed, website architecture and URLs. Search engines have algorithms that determine the quality and relevance of a webpage which leads it to rank accordingly. It is important to uncover what is deemed important by search engines, keep on top of updates in algorithms and to optimise your website according to this.

SEO IRELAND

The Difference Between SEO & PPC

 

There are some clear differences between SEO & PPC.

 

  • PPC ads appear at the top of SERPs above the organic listings. Traffic from these ads have a cost per click.
  • SEO influences the positioning of organic results. Traffic that reaches your website through these organic results is technically* free. *We say technically as we must consider the cost of the work that has gone into SEO to ensure that the web page ranked high organically so that potential customers would click on the result. The traffic is free but SEO itself is not. However, in simple terms, for SEO you do not pay per click received.

 

What are the Similarities between SEO & PPC

 

Although, PPC and SEO have many differences they also share some common elements.

 

  • Both aim to drive traffic to a website, PPC does so through paid means while SEO does so through a series of practices to increase organic ranking.
  • Both PPC and SEO are driven by keywords. Keyword research is vital in a PPC strategy to identify and bid on words and phrases that have the greatest chance of leading to clicks and ultimately conversions. This is carried out by considering the search volume, competition and intent of keywords. For example ‘women’s sandals for sale’ displays a higher purchase intent than ‘reviews of women’s sandals.’ For SEO, keyword research is important to discover which words and phrases to use in titles, alt text and content to increase organic ranking. What keywords are relevant to the website and which keywords will attract a high quality and quantity of visitors. Keywords selected for both PPC and SEO help to get a targeted audience through the search engine to your website. Both PPC and SEO require careful keyword consideration and penalise ‘keyword stuffing.’

 

So, now you know what PPC and SEO are but what are their pros and cons?

 

The Pros & Cons of PPC

 

PPC Benefits:

 

  • Targeted: You can advertise directly to people who are actively seeking out the products and/or services you offer. You can also target specific languages, locations, devices and audiences through Google Ads & PPC
  • Measurable ROI: PPC has a measurable ROI, with metrics such as impressions, reach, clicks and conversions trackable through the ad platform where the PPC ad was created e.g. Google Ads.
  • Payment: You only pay when people click on the ad, hence the term pay-per-click.
  • Ad extensions: Ad extensions can be added to PPC ads including links to other relevant webpages on your site or to the phone number of your company. These increase click-through-rates, pushes competitors further down the SERPs and provides greater visibility and prominence on the SERPs.
  • Position: PPC ads most often feature above the fold so a user can see the ads at the top or to the right of the SERPs.
  • Budget: With PPC, you can decide how much you want to spend daily on your ads, leading to great budget control.

 

Pitfalls of PPC:

 

  • Expense: PPC can be expensive in some cases, for example when targeting high search volume, high competition keywords or targeting large areas.
  • Time investment: PPC will need considerable investment of time. It’s not just as easy as setting up the campaigns and leaving them to run. Bids, keywords and ad copy will require constant optimisation.
  • Skills required: successful PPC advertising requires practice. Therefore, many companies choose to use a specialist agency.

 

seo services

Pros and Cons of SEO

 

Benefits of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO):

 

  • Brand awareness: SEO practices help improve visibility in search engines for relevant, targeted keywords, increasing brand awareness among potential customers.
  • Credibility: Featuring in the organic results on SERPs can increase your credibility among potential customers. Some searchers skip PPC ads and place greater credibility on organic results.
  • No Cost Per Click: SEO is not entirely free as ranking high organically will require time and effort but there is no cost per click on a result when compared to PPC advertising. This can make SEO more cost-effective for attracting relevant traffic.
  • Customer Centric: SEO is an inbound marketing strategy. It focuses on providing relevant content to customers and considers customer’s intent and needs.

 

Pitfalls of SEO:

 

  • Time: SEO takes time and achieving high organic ranking will not happen overnight. 
  • ROI is more difficult to quantify: ROI is more difficult to calculate for SEO than PPC as the time and effort put into SEO is often not quantifiable as a monetary value.
  • Constant changes: Search engines such as Google constantly release new algorithm updates which change the ways in which they rank organic results. One change in ranking guidelines and a website which was ranking highly one day could be demoted the next day!

 

digital marketing

PPC or SEO: Which one should I use?

 

This is a difficult question to answer and depends on the requirements and situation of a specific business. For example, a newly founded ecommerce store which will be competing with larger, more established retailers will likely struggle if it just relies on organic search initially. In this instance, serious consideration would need to be given to PPC advertising to drive immediate traffic. However, a more local based, small business which is specific to one area may gain greater benefit from SEO. Barrell (2019) found 72% of consumers who conducted a local search went on to visit a store within five miles of them. In order to make the decision if choosing between PPC or SEO, clear goals and a long-term strategy is needed.

 

PPC & SEO Working Together – a Match Made in Heaven!

 

Although PPC ads won’t effect a website’s organic ranking and SEO won’t impact on your PPC ads, there are many ways in which PPC and SEO can work together.

Here at Evolution Digital we would ideally recommend implementing both PPC and SEO. It is clear that both have their pros and cons but where one falls short, the other excels. Utilising PPC and SEO alongside each other allows your website to reach its full potential on the SERPs. By running PPC and implementing SEO efforts, your website will appear at the top of the SERPs as a paid ad being the first or one of the first brands seen by the searcher and then again if a searcher skips the ad section and looks at the organic rankings. Having PPC and SEO efforts running in tandem affords a brand the potential to take up a large section of the SERPs, giving you double the exposure and double the chance of clicks.

As mentioned already, keyword research and optimisation are common elements of both PPC and SEO. If PPC was implemented first, then successful keywords from this can be used for SEO purposes. If a company has been optimising their site through SEO prior to implementing PPC then they will have vast keyword data that can help inform their PPC campaign. High performing PPC ad copy can be used to inform organic content on your website. The combined use of PPC and SEO practices helps increase brand awareness. If a person has previously interacted with your PPC advertisement then they will likely remember this experience, if it was a positive one then they will be more likely to click your organic results for similar products/services they are interested in. Even if a searcher doesn’t interact with the PPC ad the ad still helps to create brand awareness. 

 

ppc and seo

 

Google found that even when companies who utilise PPC appear as the first organic result for a keyword, 50% of the clicks they get on their ads were not replaced by clicks on their organic results when the ads were not present. Showing both a PPC ad and an organic result will double the chances of clicks and conversions (Parker, 2012). 

Finally, PPC and SEO can be combined through the practice of remarketing. If a visitor to your site is gained through SEO where they consume top-of-the-funnel content or browse items but do not make a purchase, then SEO can be combined with a form of PPC advertising – remarketing. Remarketing can bring these visitors back to complete their purchase through advertising on Google’s Display network, Facebook or other third-party advertising service with specific information relevant to their previous visit to your website. As you will be specifically targeting warm leads with these ads, there is a greater chance of gaining revenue from your investment.

 

digital strategy

 

Start Your PPC and SEO with Evolution Digital

An integrated strategy using both PPC and SEO has numerous benefits and is an approach we recommend here at Evolution Digital. However, we acknowledge that the use of both strategies will not be ideal for every business. For those who want high-growth and have optimal time and resources then an integrated approach will provide faster growth and greater exposure than just using PPC or SEO in isolation.

PPC brings immediate results while SEO is a longer term strategy requiring website optimisation and content planning. If you require immediate results then start with PPC but as you scale and grow, SEO is an excellent way to grow even more and capture greater market share. At the end of the day, all digital marketing strategies are focused on what works best for you. 

Why not speak to us today so we can help you discover the digital marketing strategy that works best for your business.

 

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Post Covid19 Digital Marketing Tips & Insights

It’s safe to say that the Covid-19 Global Pandemic has certainly thrown us all, Digital Marketers included. Business owners have felt the heat and pressure from this latest societal and economical interruption in a massively significant way. A lot of people have had important decisions to make regarding their Company’s as well as their marketing strategies. 

Most companies are looking for ways to preserve finances, now more than ever, due to the level of uncertainty amidst the market, consumer behaviour as well as the challenges facing both local and world economies. And so, seeing as marketing can cost a significant amount of money, what we have been seeing so far is some people making impulse decisions early on (around the middle of March) eliminating marketing budgets, but for most, then coming back as they’ve seen that cutting budgets was not a sensible business decision (albeit there are some Companies who will sadly never come back now or post Covid-19 (whenever that is).

For some, it may have been necessary to pull marketing spend, for others, who had the means necessary, this crisis was an obstacle to overcome and they decided to adapt and keep the wheels turning. Of course, unfortunately, this is not always an option for all businesses, but those that did manage to keep up and hold tight will certainly be at a strong advantage as we come out of this initial apex of the coronavirus crisis, and will continue to come out stronger for when things eventually return to whatever the new normality will be.

Businesses & Companies that have adapted their marketing strategies to the current climate, are mainly in a strong position and can feel secure knowing that they have not fallen behind their competitors. 

It’s vital to now not drop the ball and to understand that Digital Marketing in the past and present, will not be the same as in the future or for this “post-Covid-19” era that’s ahead of us. 

Marketing is evolving, and certain adaptations need to be made as we re-enter some semblance of “normal” life. Marketers should now be preparing for these adaptations as there will be yet another dominant shift in customer behaviour very soon.

 

Digital Marketing Considerations To Be Mindful of:

 

Bidding & Budget Strategies

We all know that setting up a Google Ads / Adwords / Paid Social Campaign and leaving it be is not going to get the desired results. With such strong and ongoing changes in cultural behaviour it is even more important to roll with the punches. 

It does not make sense to leave everything as is as we start to get out from under covid19. Focus on ROI and prioritise bidding strategies that deliver results. 

Constantly Monitor and adapt your automated and manual bidding strategies because another big shift is coming.

 

Search Trends & Keywords

SEO specialists need to keep up with the ever-changing search trends. It’s vital to know what your target audience is searching for, to recognise changes in search intent, and to regularly strategize based on your findings.

 

Messaging & Device Strategy

Messaging is going to face another major makeover. Ensure to review all messaging and ad copy and make necessary edits.

Ad copy that is no longer relevant will need to be modified and anything insensitive will need to be revoked. It’s important to stay empathetic about what has gone on and understand that many have suffered great losses. 

Keep an eye on competitors and monitor what their messaging includes, what offers they may be promoting, and how they are performing. 

Understand your buyer personas and adapt them to your current cultural and local climate. 

If you’ve not already done so, It’s time to rethink device strategy, many people may possibly be in a few months commuting to and from work again and so we predict a strong resurgence in mobile use. 

 

Content

A lot of digital marketing specialists have been performing content audits and creating a higher level of content during this time. It’s important to note the importance and vitality of strong quality content and keep up the good work.

If you have not done so, review your content quality, and improve on it. This means having the best possible websites, landing pages, evergreen content, and continuing to upload relevant and helpful blogs, videos, webinars, etc.

This is not the time to drop the ball!

 

Remarketing 

If you have been keeping up your Digital Marketing attempts, and engaging with customers as well as working to gain more reach and potential new customers, you’ll find yourself in an ideal situation to benefit from remarketing. We recommend you should have a fresh and targeted audience that will prove effective for remarketing campaigns. Utilise this.

 

Technicalities

Don’t forget to revert any changes you may have made when the time is right. 

Update your Google My Business page, business opening hours, or contact information. 

All of this can’t be ignored or else your business risks looking sloppy.

 

Key Takeaways Going Forward

Agile marketing becomes essential for success

What we’ve noticed as we step away from the initial peak of the Covid19 crisis is that agile marketing is the way forward, as well as something all marketers should have been implementing all along. The rapid leaps that were made in strategising for the situation we had all found ourselves in have only highlighted the importance of responsive marketing. This will be the way forward and marketers will need to prioritise ROI as well as quality content and brand image to be successful. The level of content control and awareness that has been reached must continue, with constant reviewing and analysing of customer behaviour and consumer lifestyle. This will provide a localised & personalised consumer experience in terms of any content or ads that are being published, this is the future. Digital marketers must constantly adapt or risk being left behind and risk tarnishing a brand’s image.

Some form of social distancing, and certain restrictions, will most likely remain for the foreseeable future, and consumer behaviour is not likely to return to “normal” for quite a while, it will only continue to shift. This is not news; people change and situations change. This is where Digital Marketers need to stay on top of their game and keep up the agile marketing tactics that have become so dominant throughout this pandemic. 

 

Thanks for reading this article 🙂

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Google May 2020 Core Update: What You Need To Know

On May 4th, 2020, Google turned out the latest in its chain of Google Search Broad Core Updates. This is the first core update to be announced since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. So much has changed since the outbreak of coronavirus took hold here in Ireland and beyond, including major changes in consumer & search behaviour, which is why this core update may have an even more prevalent effect on rankings than most. Some rankings may have changed already, so now is the time to check in on your analytics, and continue to monitor and note the changes with your keyword positions. Going forward, Google has suggested those with depleted rankings to “fix” & improve their content based on previous guidelines, so when the next Google Core Update is announced, you’ll hopefully find your way back up.

core update

 

What Is A Broad Core Update?

Google is constantly changing, evolving & adapting its algorithms to provide the best possible results for searchers. Minor tweaks are performed daily, but every few months or so Google releases a ‘broad core update’. This is a larger update that may noticeably change where your page ranks on the SERPs. Google ever so kindly informs us when they make these updates so that us content creators can prepare for a ‘Judgement Day’, of sorts. Essentially, Google’s goal is to give credit where credit is due. This means a reassessment of old and new content, every few months, to decide who deserves those top search spots the most. They call these reassessments – ‘Broad Core Updates’.

 

What Does This Mean For My Website? – A Content Reassessment

This means the content that you worked super hard, (or maybe not so hard?) creating, is going to be analysed by Google’s shiny, freshly-updated algorithm, and it could potentially move up or down in search results. In the blog version of the official update, Google has informed us that if you’ve dropped in the rankings, it doesn’t mean there is necessarily anything wrong with your content, you’re still following the guidelines and offering a fine piece of work. What it does mean is that the latest algorithm has assessed all the content for a particular search keyword and decided that certain results are better and deserve those tops spots.

 

Why? What Kind Of Content Should You Be Producing?

Google rewards original, informative & valuable content. Make sure that your content offers more than your competitors’. There needs to be freshness and uniqueness. Google’s core updates favour engaging, shareworthy publications. So make sure anything you release on your website is of the highest quality. Be sure to take your time and perfect your work. SEO experts should now be taking the time to inspect analytics and follow guidelines from Google based on previous outputs around topics such as BERT. Covid-19 has taken search queries and spun them like a top, with a lot of topics that were once highly sought after becoming almost irrelevant, and many others seeing a surge in search relevancy. 

 

search update google

 

 

Content Creation Tips for Core Updates

Whether you have been immediately affected or not, the best way t prepare and recover is to produce or alter old content to adhere to Google’s advice. 

 

  • Keep it quality

 

Make sure your content serves a purpose and informs. Keep it engaging and ask yourself if your content is share-worthy? 

 

  • Keep it original

 

We all know that Google is not fond of duplicate content. Keep it original and fresh. If you’re writing about something that’s already been written about, that’s fine. Ensure you write it in a personalised way and offer something extra to the table. 

 

  • Keep it tidy

 

Grammatical errors will deplete your content quality ranking. Keep headlines and content descriptions to the point and informative.

 

  • Keep it classy

 

Make sure you’re not writing content for the sole purpose of ranking in search results. Don’t keyword-stuff, write with the good intentions of informing/ educating/ assisting your readers. 

 

If you would like a more detailed list of factors that Google’s algorithm is assessing, the full Google blog-style update  includes that and more on their latest core update.

 

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tips for business recovery post covid19 digital marketing

Digital Marketing For Business Recovery Post Covid-19

The current Covid-19 global pandemic has taken everyone by storm, we are all feeling shocked and uneasy about what is going on in the world. We’re here to offer support to anyone who is struggling with their digital marketing at the moment. We understand that following government and health experts’ advice, many businesses have had to close up their physical locations, and are under a lot of pressure and anxiety following a steep downfall in revenue. We’d like to explain to you why now it is more important than ever to keep up online visibility, and if you have the resources for outside expert help then that will of course be highly beneficial at this time. If not, there are things you can work on yourself during this time that will still be of great help for your business in terms of branding and staying relevant. While business may have slowed down at the moment, due to the current uncertainty of the situation, soon e-commerce will begin to thrive and we want to help you make the best of a bad situation. The world is practicing social distancing, this means more digital media consumption than ever and in turn, digital marketing will be your main source of lead generation. Read on to find out how and why your business should be turning to digital platforms and digital marketing during the coronavirus epidemic. 

 

  • Go Digital/ E-Commerce Will Thrive

While some business owners now have to close up their offices and public locations, most of them also have the opportunity to either work from home or find a way to make their product / service available online. Moving your business online can mean live streaming an event you had planned, offering your service (fitness classes, counselling, teaching, etc) online via video platforms, or offering your products online by creating a website and practicing e-commerce. Online leads can be handled remotely. And online consultation can be scheduled via Skype, Zoom, Facetime and so on.  As time goes on social distancing and reduced physical interaction will temporarily become a new way of life, but consumers will begin to buy again. E-commerce will most likely thrive in up-coming times since people will be avoiding public areas, and so this is a time to sit tight and make plans for how you can make your business shift successfully to a digital platform.

 

ecommerce covid19 / coronavirus business tips

 

  • Now Is The Time To Focus On Branding

Now is the time to focus on building your brand, and marketing is essential to this. Once the Covid-19 epidemic is over, and life resumes to the way it was, you want your business to be at the forefront of people’s minds. You may need to make expense cuts to get through the time ahead, and if you cannot afford outside help, there are some ways you can work on your digital marketing yourself. From moving your business online, you will naturally be saving money on bills, perhaps events that needed cancelling and perhaps from the need to lower your staff. Marketing is vital for a successful business, and there are ways to minimise costs such as focusing on organic digital marketing, some of which you can work on yourself if you’re not in a position to get expert help. It’s important to note that competitors will be taking advantage of their digital marketing and it’s important to keep up and follow suit, to not lose your hard earned visibility, and so it’s important to do everything you can to stay on top.

  • Take Advantage Of Digital Marketing 

Digital media consumption is at an all-time high and is only set to increase as more and more people understand the seriousness of the Covid-19 situation. Many are already practicing self-isolation and social distancing, and as the outbreak continues, a lot of people will be confined to their homes. Due to this, the use of social media platforms is only set to increase, with people having to turn to these platforms as their main channel of communication with friends, family, and the world. This means that businesses can benefit highly from social media advertising at this time. The use of online advertising, and organic social media posting is a major opportunity for brand awareness and brand building. Don’t forget that this situation is only temporary, and when the situation is put to rest, if you have kept up your online visibility and presented a strong online presence throughout it all- your business will thrive when this global crisis is over. Now that your audience is solely virtual, The online world is your go-to for lead generation and powering through this time is vital to produce any form of income. 

 

ecommerce covid19 / coronavirus business tips. / digital marketing tips

 

  • Review Your Strategy & Build Your Brand

Now that we all have all this extra time, isolating at home, it is the perfect opportunity to review your online marketing strategy, improve your presence and build your brand. This will give you an edge on competitors, and establish you as a strong business. Take this time to ensure you’re presenting yourself in the best way possible online. 

Below are some factors to focus on in your new strategy. 

– Website & SEO. 

Take this time to upscale your current website, or create a new one if you need to. Fill your site with well-written, optimised content that will rank your site above competitors’. This is the perfect time to focus on content creation and producing strong evergreen content for SEO which can climb the rankings, bringing your business to the top of online search results. SEO takes time to work, and now you have nothing but time to give your site an opportunity to rank.

– Content Marketing.

 Focus on content creation. Create a content calendar to stay on top of your stream of content, and be sure to post regular updates, press releases, and blogs that will be of interest to your audience. Or how about planning for or creating that brand awareness video that you always hoped to create but never got around to. Increase your blogging frequency, fresh content will allow for more organic SEO and help you rank higher. Now is the time!

– Social Media. 

Stay in contact with your customers, engage with them and stay active. We’re living in the digital era, and with the coronavirus outbreak calling for home quarantine- your audience is wider than ever.  Practice organic posting and make the most of paid social media campaigns, seeing as everyone is online. Utilise this! To minimise costs, focus solely on brand awareness campaigns with minimal budgets.

– Email Marketing

Practice email marketing to further reach your audience. Build up an email list by incentivising with a discount code for your product/service, and keep yourself in people’s minds with weekly emails of your latest offers or blog posts. Again, a lot of people will be using email to communicate with work or relatives, and so, emails have a higher chance of being seen.

 

We at Evolution Digital are experts in digital marketing strategy and implementation, and can fully provide all of the above and more for your business.

 

*More Tips To Get Your Business Through Covid-19 

infographic tips to get your business through coronavirus / covid19 business tips

 

1.Offer Incentives To Enjoy Your Business Online

Offer free delivery to make up for the inconvenience of the situation, and encourage your customers and potential customers to buy from you online. Perhaps lower the cost or offer discounts for the lack of choice for a face to face service.

2. Diversify Your Service & Utilise This Time

Offer as much as you can. You now have the time to experiment with other business endeavours, as well as with your current business and how you can improve it and make it even more desirable.

3. Address The Situation

Be aware of what is going on, and inform your audience of the fact! Failing to acknowledge the situation paints you as ignorant. Let your audience know that you are taking precautions and doing your part in the prevention of spreading Covid-19. Closing up store locations, following safety procedures, etc, are necessary actions to take and be announced- so your business will be viewed as smart & safe.

4. Power Through

Don’t give up. As we have already mentioned- this is the time to adapt your business and grow. Make necessary changes, keep up your online visibility and presence, and your business will survive and will come out stronger in the long run.

 

In Conclusion

The coronavirus pandemic has had, and will continue to have, major impacts on the business world and the economy. We understand it is a tough time for many small businesses, and we are all struggling. Hopefully, there is a swift end to this unfortunate situation. In the meantime, we hope you take our advice and utilise digital marketing to keep your business above water, and hopefully keep it profitable. We encourage all to stay indoors as much as possible and follow the government and health professionals’ advice to practice excellent hygiene and social distancing. 

 

To help struggling businesses, we’re offering free 15-minute phone consultations, where we will advise you on how best to proceed with your business and marketing efforts. Get in touch now, we’re here and happy to help.

 

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best copywriting tips

Common Copywriting Mistakes To Avoid

When it comes to copywriting, it can seem simple on the surface. Just state what you’re selling and people will buy, right? Wrong. With the level of competition that your copy faces online, it now takes a curated effort to create quality content and copy that pulls consumers in. People often dive in headfirst and then wonder why it’s not working, well below are some possible mistakes you could be making that could be allowing potential customers to slip right through your fingers. Read on for our best copywriting tips on how to avoid these critical errors.

 

  1. Adjective Overload.

Adjective stuffing is real and must be avoided at all costs. We’ve all seen it before and it comes across like you’re trying way too hard to “write well” and ironically it has the exact opposite effect. You need to communicate with your audience in their language, and not many people would use 4 adjectives to describe anything they may be talking about. Another point to remember is that adjectives are taking up valuable space when it comes to ad copy. You have a limited amount of text to work with so get rid of useless adjectives and adverbs- “basically” “just” “really”- have no place in ad copy. 

 

  1. Too Product-Centric & Lacking Engagement.

Copy is usually selling something- products, services, information, etc. Something to remember is that consumers are self-centred, and as they scroll past ads and articles, they’re subconsciously weighing their options and thinking “what’s in it for me”. Don’t focus your content on product features but rather how your product will be of assistance to them, and how it will relieve their pain point. Give the people what they want and show them how what you’re selling can benefit them. You want to make consumers forget that they’re essentially receiving a sales pitch, and rather paint them an engaging vision of why they could use your product/ service. Make sure to engage with your reader and connect with them, be mindful of using pronouns “I” “us” and “we” and focus more on the customer with the use of “you” & “your”.

 

  1. Overthinking Trying Too Hard To Be “Original”.

A common mistake when it comes to copywriting is overthinking and trying to be “creative” and “unique”. Don’t forget that your goal is to sell, like the legend David Ogilvy brilliantly said: “if it doesn’t sell it isn’t creative”. Seeing as most writers and digital marketers are creative individuals naturally, it can be easy to get carried away and feel like your work isn’t creative or abstract enough. But bear in mind the purpose of what you’re writing, and avoid overdoing the creativity to the point that it doesn’t sell anymore.

 

  1. Too Long.

Keep it short, sweet and to the point. 

 

  1. Weak Headline.

Advertising icon David Ogilvy said:

“On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”

Your headline is what decides whether your content, that you’ve spent valuable time crafting, is even read or seen at all, so it’s obvious information that your heading needs to be as attention-grabbing as possible. People scroll and scroll online and pass over the majority of the things they see but pause for that one article or post that pulls them in. A good tactic is placing yourself in the shoes of the reader and asking yourself what would draw you in to find out more. 

 

  1. Use of Jargon.

For example: “Incomprehensible, convoluted parlance oftentimes corroborates as anticlimactic” – To say that in a less complex way- “fancy words do not work” with ad copy or most content. We get it, you know big words. But when it comes to copywriting- people need to be able to simply and quickly understand what you’re saying, what you’re selling and why they should be buying, with no big strain on the brain. 

 

  1. Wrong Tone.

It’s safe to say that the way you’d address a conservative businessman and a young college student would highly differ. Certain audiences react best to enhanced, humorous copy, others react best to a simple, professional tone. Based on what you’re selling, you have a specific audience- know who they are and how to speak to them, and establish a voice for your brand in the process. 

 

  1. Going With The First Draft.

Any writer should know to never go with the first draft. Any written content should be proofread, revised and edited more than once. Read and reread and reread and you’ll notice things you didn’t before or find a better way of phrasing something than you previously had. Check your engagement levels, grammar and spelling, and cut out unnecessary text. Go back to it with a fresh mind the next morning and always have a fresh set (or a few sets) of eyes to proofread as well to offer feedback.

 

These are just some of the top common copywriting tips & mistakes that we feel should be avoided. Be mindful of them, and remedy your copy if you’ve been making some of these errors, and you should more than likely see better results soon.

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