The Great Outdoors Meets Digital: A Guide to Conquering Digital Marketing in the Outdoor Industry!

Welcome, adventurous marketers, to the untamed wilderness of digital marketing in the outdoor industry! As we embark on this thrilling journey, grab your compass, strap on your hiking boots, and let your creative ideas roam free. In this guide, we'll explore the uncharted territories of online marketing. Get ready to conquer the digital landscape and reach new heights of success!

Blazing Trails with an Online Presence

Like finding the perfect campsite, establishing a solid online presence is critical. Your website should be the basecamp of your digital marketing efforts. Make it an oasis of eye-catching design, user-friendly navigation, and compelling content that lures visitors like a s'mores scent on a cool evening breeze. Remember, a website is like a tent - if it's shabby and uninviting, your visitors will flee faster than a squirrel with a backpack full of trail mix!

Engage with outdoor enthusiasts by sharing stunning photos, informative articles, and exciting updates about your products or services. Remember, consistency is vital - just like following trail markers, regular updates keep your audience engaged and eager to explore what your brand offers. Start blazing those online trails to connect with your target audience and leave a lasting impression in the vast wilderness of digital marketing!

Yeti is a brand known for its high-quality coolers and outdoor gear. Their online presence is focused on storytelling and showcasing the durability of their products. Their website features captivating videos and customer testimonials highlighting real-life adventures and how Yeti products play a role in them. This brand effectively uses websites and engaging content to connect with its audience, promote its products, and inspire outdoor enthusiasts.

Mastering Social Media: Where Hikers Become Influencers

Harness the power of social media to spread your message like wildfire (minus the actual fire hazards, of course). Engage with your audience, share stunning visuals of breathtaking landscapes, and inspire wanderlust. Remember, a picture speaks a thousand words, but an awe-inspiring photo of a majestic mountain range will leave your followers speechless, reaching for the "like" button.

Capture the essence of adventure and the spirit of exploration in your social media posts. Share stories of outdoor adventures, highlight customer testimonials, and showcase the unique features of your products or services. Encourage your followers to share their experiences and use relevant hashtags to expand your reach. Remember, just like a well-prepared hiker, you need to be adaptable and responsive to changes in the digital landscape. Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and algorithms to ensure your social media strategy remains effective. With every post, you can inspire, connect, and build a community of outdoor enthusiasts eager to travel on their digital journey with your brand. 

Patagonia is an outdoor brand that has excelled in utilizing social media platforms to engage with its audience. They have a strong presence on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, where they share stunning outdoor photos, videos, and stories that resonate with their target audience. Patagonia also uses social media to promote its sustainability initiatives, environmental activism, and outdoor adventures, which aligns with its brand values and helps build a loyal community of followers.

SEO: Scaling the Summit of Search Rankings

When it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), think of it as climbing a mountain. Conduct thorough keyword research to uncover hidden trails of online traffic. Optimize your content with relevant keywords, meta tags, and descriptions. Build backlinks like you're constructing sturdy ropes, connecting your website to authoritative sites. And voila! Your website will ascend the search rankings, reaching the summit and gaining visibility like a mountain peak bathed in sunrise hues.

As you conquer the SEO world, remember it's about reaching the summit and staying there. Continuously monitor your website's performance, analyze data, and make adjustments to maintain your position in the search rankings. Like a seasoned mountaineer, be patient and persistent in your efforts, knowing that increased visibility and organic traffic rewards are worth the climb.

The North Face is a well-known outdoor brand specializing in clothing, footwear, and equipment for outdoor activities. They have a solid online presence and invest heavily in search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. As a result, they often appear at the top of search rankings for keywords related to outdoor gear, hiking apparel, and camping equipment. The North Face established itself as a leader in the outdoor industry and has successfully optimized its online presence to rank highly in search results.

Gear Up with Captivating Content

In the vast wilderness of the internet, content is king, or should we say, the king of the mountains! Create compelling blogs, videos, and guides that provide value and entertainment, and inspire outdoor enthusiasts to explore the great unknown. Inject a dash of humor, sprinkle in personal anecdotes, and watch as your audience becomes as hooked as a trout on a fishing line.

Use captivating content and provide valuable information that inspires outdoor enthusiasts to explore the unknown. Whether through engaging blogs, informative videos, or comprehensive guides, make sure your content stands out in the vast wilderness of the internet. With each piece of content, you have the power to captivate, educate, and build a loyal community of adventure seekers who can't wait to get on their next digital journey with your brand.

REI is known for its captivating content that showcases outdoor adventures and promotes a love for nature. Their blog features inspiring stories, helpful tips, and stunning photography from various outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and cycling. They also produce engaging videos highlighting the beauty of the outdoors and encouraging people to explore and connect with nature.

Email Marketing: Forging Stronger Connections

Imagine your email list as a hiking party, and you're the seasoned guide leading them through breathtaking landscapes. Craft appealing newsletters, personalized offers, and exclusive discounts to keep your tribe engaged and excited. Remember, your emails should be as refreshing as a cool stream and as enticing as the smell of fresh coffee at sunrise.

Create more robust connections with your audience through the power of email marketing. Craft beautiful newsletters that provide:

  • Valuable content.
  • Personalized offers that make your subscribers feel special.
  • Exclusive discounts that ignite their excitement.

Like a seasoned guide leading a hiking party, your emails should be refreshing and enticing, keeping your tribe engaged and eager for more. So grab your backpack, gather your email list, and forge stronger connections on this digital adventure!

Arc'teryx is a renowned outdoor brand specializing in technical clothing and equipment. They have a strong email marketing strategy that emphasizes storytelling and community building. Arc'teryx's emails often feature inspiring stories of athletes and adventurers and breathtaking imagery from their expeditions. They also send newsletters with updates on new product releases, upcoming events, and exclusive promotions. By focusing on creating a sense of adventure and connection, Arc'teryx effectively engages its audience through email marketing. Arc'teryx demonstrates effective email marketing strategies by providing valuable content, personalization, and fostering community among its subscribers.

Influencer Partnerships: Joining Forces with Nature's Best Ambassadors

Collaborating with outdoor influencers is like having a native pathfinder escorting you in an uncharted forest. Find the outdoor enthusiasts who embody your brand's spirit and values. Partner with them to showcase your products or services, and watch as their followers flock to your campsite. Just make sure they don't get lost on the way!

Seek out those who embody your brand's spirit and values, and collaborate with them to showcase your products or services. As their followers flock to your campsite, provide clear directions and guidance so they stay aware of their location. Together, you can navigate the wilderness of digital marketing and create a powerful alliance that resonates with outdoor enthusiasts and drives success for your brand.

Black Diamond Equipment is an outdoor brand that utilizes influencer partnerships as a marketing strategy. They collaborate with professional climbers, mountaineers, and outdoor photographers who have a significant following on social media platforms. These influencers share stunning visuals and stories of their adventures using Black Diamond's climbing equipment and apparel. This partnership helps Black Diamond reach a wider audience of outdoor enthusiasts and build trust in their products through authentic endorsements from respected individuals in the outdoor community.

Analytics: Navigating the Digital Wilderness

As any skilled outdoors person knows, tracking progress is essential. Utilize analytics tools to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, monitor website traffic, and adjust your strategies accordingly. Think of it as your trusty GPS, guiding you through the digital wilderness and helping you navigate and conquer new marketing summits.

And like any skilled outdoors person tracking their progress, use analytics to guide you through the vast landscape of digital marketing and conquer new summits of success.

Outdoor brands can utilize various analytics tools to navigate through the digital landscape. Here are some popular options:

  1. Google Analytics: This is a widely used web analytics tool that provides detailed insights into website traffic, user behavior, conversion rates, and more. It helps outdoor brands understand their audience, track marketing campaigns, and optimize their online presence.
  2. Social media analytics platforms: Tools like Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, and Instagram Insights provide valuable data on engagement, reach, demographics, and content performance across different social media channels. Outdoor brands can use these insights to measure the effectiveness of their social media strategies and make data-driven decisions.
  3. SEO analytics tools: Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for outdoor brands to improve their visibility in search engine results. Tools like SEMrush, Moz, and Ahrefs offer comprehensive SEO analytics, including keyword research, backlink analysis, competitor analysis, and site audits. These tools help brands optimize their websites and content for better organic search rankings.
  4. E-commerce analytics platforms: For outdoor brands with online stores, e-commerce analytics tools like Shopify Analytics, WooCommerce Analytics, or Magento Analytics provide valuable data on sales, customer behavior, product performance, and conversion rates. These insights help brands identify trends, optimize their product offerings, and enhance their shopping experience.
  5. Heatmap and user behavior analytics tools: Tools like Hotjar, Crazy Egg, and Mouseflow allow outdoor brands to visualize user behavior on their websites through heatmaps, click tracking, and session recordings. This data helps brands understand how users interact with their site, identify areas of improvement, and optimize the user experience.
  6. Email marketing analytics tools: Email marketing remains an effective strategy for outdoor brands. Tools like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor offer analytics features that track email open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and subscriber behavior. These insights help brands refine their email campaigns and improve engagement.

Remember, the choice of analytics tools depends on each outdoor brand's specific needs and goals. It's important to select tools that align with their digital marketing strategies and provide actionable insights for informed decision-making.

Congratulations, fearless digital marketers! Armed with this guide, you're now equipped to venture into the wild world of digital marketing in the outdoor industry.


brand awareness strategy

Brand Growth: How to Develop a Powerful Brand Awareness Strategy

As a small business owner, you might be surprised to learn that more than 600,000 new businesses open each year in the United States. 

This statistic represents a lot of competition for customers seeking the products and services they need.

So what is the best strategy for reaching your target audience and building brand loyalty? First of all, you need to focus on building strong brand awareness. Fortunately, this article can help. Here we look at crucial elements of an effective brand awareness strategy that can help take your company to the next level. Keep reading to learn more.

Define Your Brand

Let's start by discussing the importance of clearly defining and understanding your brand. That is an essential part of reaching your target audience.

What is your brand's personality? The more you understand this, the more you will be able to exploit it. After all, you would use a different strategy to sell snack foods than you would use to sell luxury products like jewelry or yachts. 

Defining your brand will also help you identify the types of events, media platforms, and promotional items that will generate the most value for your marketing campaign.

Tell Your Story

Next, you need to understand the power of telling a story. After all, everyone loves getting hooked by a compelling narrative. Thus it would help if you remembered that every person and company has a story to share. The key is to craft a corporate narrative that will hook your target audience on an emotional level.

Optimize Your Use of SEO

There's no excuse for failing to invest in a professional website in the modern business world. And once you've built a website filled with quality content, SEO is the most effective way to drive traffic to your business blog or e-commerce platform.

A skilled SEO company will understand how to choose the best keywords to help users organically find your website as they search for the products and services they need. The key is to understand search intent so that you can get the most value from SEO.

Hire an Experienced Marketing Consulting Firm

When it comes to developing a solid marketing strategy, building brand awareness, interpreting marketing metrics, and choosing the right branded content for your company, hiring a skilled marketing consulting firm is one of the best investments you'll ever make.

These industry professionals are experts in every aspect of the marketing process. The key is finding a consulting firm that clearly understands your marketing goals and how to reach those goals as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. 

A Guide to Developing Your Brand Awareness Strategy

It's no secret that running a profitable business isn't easy. Fortunately, this guide to developing your brand awareness strategy will help your company stand out from the competition.

Don't hesitate to contact us to discover how we can help boost brand awareness for your small business.


digital marketing trends

Top 3 Digital Marketing Trends

Money spent on digital ads is through the roof, and it doesn't appear it will slow anytime soon. Digital ads are surging thanks to our addiction to digital devices, which creates a big opportunity for advertisers. Tapping into these audiences is best when you know the best digital marketing trends and digital marketing tips.

Some of the top trends in digital marketing are video marketing, market research, and email marketing. Adding these digital marketing techniques to your toolbox will prove to be invaluable.

Read more about these top three digital marketing trends for 2022.

1. Video Marketing

Video marketing is a great way to add to your existing digital marketing efforts, creating more engaging content. People consuming videos online rises 100-percent each year, which means it's a big trend in digital marketing you must capitalize on!

Video allows you to be more entertaining in your presentation. You can also demonstrate how a product or service works.

Digital marketing techniques using video also allow you to humanize an experience. You can present product testimonials using videos where people show emotion.

Moreover, avoid creating video marketing content on your own. Hire a professional! You don't want a sloppy presentation, which doesn't look good for your business and its digital marketing plan.

2. Market Research

B2B digital marketing trends include market research to discover more about your potential clients or customers. Market research gives you insight into how they spend and their needs. Using this information can help you stay on top of other digital marketing trends in 2022, such as social media and video.

Market research also helps you tackle the competition and learn more about their strengths and weaknesses. You also won't waste money with outdated B2B digital marketing trends.

While you may know the best digital marketing trends in 2022, market research helps you plan for the future. Better marketing decisions also help you stick to the budget.

3. Email Marketing

Reaching people through email is a great digital marketing tip because you can repurpose content from your website or social media channels.

You can include just about anything you want in an email newsletter, including upcoming events, staff news, coupons, and links to content. Create a great 'call to action' to motivate readers to your product or service.

Email marketing is also easy on the budget. While it costs employee labor to produce, it costs nothing to send! There's no post office and no postage stamp.

Another benefit of email marketing newsletters is that the reader can forward them to a potential client or customer. The pass-along potential can be exponential.

Top Three Digital Marketing Trends

Consider the top three digital marketing trends in your upcoming marketing strategy, including video marketing, market research, and email marketing. Understanding how to use each of these techniques will help grow your business!

You can't afford to put lackluster into your marketing budget or plan. Contact us today and let us help you stay ahead of the latest digital marketing trends!


How to Create an Effective Small Business Digital Marketing Strategy

SEO Description: Is your small business digital marketing strategy delivering the results you expect? Check out our guide for tips to create a campaign that converts today.

Over 70% of leads aren't sales-ready when they first interact with your brand. In fact, 80% will never convert into sales. You don't have to struggle with a solid small business digital marketing strategy.

Instead, you can use the latest digital marketing tips to set your business up for lasting growth.

Not sure where to get started? Read on for the digital marketing advice you need today!

Understand Your Audience

Before applying the rest of these digital marketing tips, take a moment to research your target audience. Understanding your audience will ensure you appeal to their needs and interests. Otherwise, your content might not align with their goals or concerns.

Define who your customers are based on demographics and psychographics like:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Location
  • Marital status
  • Household income
  • Buying behaviors
  • Online behaviors
  • Education
  • Career
  • Interests
  • Hobbies
  • Pain points

Break your larger audience into smaller buyer personas based on your research.

Then, gather keyword research to determine what they search for while online. 

Optimize Your Website

Optimizing your website is an essential component of your digital marketing strategy.

Make sure your site is mobile-optimized, fast, secure, and user-friendly. Add multiple conversion opportunities across your site, too. 

Create Content

Create high-quality, engaging, informative content based on your audience and keyword research. You can create blog posts, infographics, polls, quizzes, and videos.

Then, share your content through social media, email, and other digital marketing campaigns. 

Use SEM

Nearly 70% of all experiences online start with a search engine like Google. In fact, fewer than 1% of Google users check the second page. Add search engine marketing (SEM) to your digital marketing campaign.

With SEM strategies, you can appear in front of consumers as they search for your products or services.

You can rank higher for organic searches with search engine optimization (SEO). With pay-per-click (PPC), you can appear on search engines, other sites, and social media platforms. Both SEO and PPC can become time-consuming if you lack experience, though.

Consider working with an experienced digital marketing agency. They'll ensure you develop a robust digital marketing strategy. With help, you can use SEM to generate leads, sales, and a higher ROI.

Stay Social

Social media marketing is a great way to engage your audience in real-time.

Consider hosting live Q&A sessions, video content, contests, or influencer marketing to expand your reach. Keep up with the latest digital marketing trends for each platform to remain relevant. 

Hire Professionals

If you need help with your digital marketing campaign, consider hiring a digital marketing agency. You can leverage their digital marketing advice to create more effective campaigns. With help from an experienced team, you can generate leads and sales to boost your ROI.

Better Businesses: Build Your Small Business Digital Marketing Strategy

A strong small business digital marketing strategy can help you generate brand awareness, leads, and sales. Use these simple digital marketing tips to get started. Otherwise, hire an agency to create your digital marketing campaign. 

With help, you can set your business up for long-term growth and success. 

Need help getting started? We're happy to lend a hand.

Schedule an appointment today to learn more!


Top 10 Nonprofit Digital Marketing Tips

Nonprofits no longer need to rely on glossy mailings and expensive, labor-intensive galas to raise funds. Many nonprofits have embraced online marketing to reach audiences effectively and keep fundraising costs low. This way, you can have more resources going to your cause of choice!

Here are ten digital strategy tips to help you target donors, convey your messages, and encourage people to give.

Use Clear Messaging

People have very short attention spans. Marketers estimate that people will spend no more than 20 seconds on a website before moving on. You have very little time to grab them and keep them there. Your messaging needs to be clear and compelling. You need to state upfront what you do and what you want. You need to let people know why they should help immediately.

 

Make Your Website Visually Compelling

With so little time to make an impression, you have to use more than words. Visually arresting images will make someone stop more quickly than even the most beautifully crafted sentence. Use vibrant photos and graphic design to illustrate your mission.

 

Incorporate Video

Video can tell your organization's story in a fast, attention-grabbing manner. It also uses emotion to tug the heartstrings and purse strings. Video can quickly convey where you are looking for support and how people can provide that support. It can also demonstrate results: projects done, lives changed, awareness generated. By showing how effective your nonprofit is, you can solicit more support.

 

Encourage Microdonations

Sometimes people hesitate to donate because they cannot give large amounts. Let your audience know that every bit helps, and encourage small one-time or regularly scheduled microdonations. A brilliant digital strategy will allow donors to click and give easily.

 

Know Your Audience

Your digital presence must appeal to the people you know are following your cause. Web design is never one size fits all. Environmental nonprofits must be attractive to outdoors enthusiasts. Medical research nonprofits may want to emulate the branding of respected healthcare facilities so that audiences find the site familiar and trustworthy.

 

Make it Easy to Donate

If it is hard to figure out how to donate, you can lose followers quickly. Invest in technology that will allow donors to use credit cards, and remember their information when they return next year. Many cost-effective digital tools can help your organization and members solicit and track donations efficiently.

 

Distribute Regular Newsletters

Keep your audience informed of what you are doing with the money they give. Collect your contacts in a database and communicate with them consistently (but not so often that you become a pest).

 

Get Professional Assistance

If you are building or upgrading your website, bring in the experts. It is worth the investment. Marketers can help you use the same tactics big corporations use to raise funds for your cause. Find an agency that can advise on SEO, video, and other online options to increase your reach.

 

Leverage Social Media

Enable your supporters to follow you on social media. Determine which platform they are using (LinkedIn for more corporate types, Facebook for the 30-60 year old demographic) and keep them up to date with posts that drive them back to your website.

 

Draw Them In

Your digital strategy should get your supporters to engage with your site. Invite comments and questions—post polls or questionnaires to better get to know your audience. The more you draw people to your site, the more likely they will begin to care, agree, and ultimately decide to give.

 

Digital Strategy Can Boost your Nonprofit to the Next Level

People order their pizzas and transportation on their phones nowadays. Why shouldn't they expect their favorite nonprofits to keep them informed that way too?

By integrating a digital strategy into your overall outreach efforts, you can expand your nonprofit's reach. Online tactics will help you grow your audience, increase donations, and raise your brand awareness.

Contact us for more information on building the perfect digital strategy, including video, for your nonprofit.


digital marketing funnel

5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit From a Digital Marketing Funnel

As counter-intuitive as it might seem, a direct line to a client might not be the best tactic. When operating a small business, a common mistake that most individuals make is trying to make a sale to a potential client.

By using a digital marketing funnel, you can actually boost your sales and create more points of contact with customers before making the sale. A digital marketing funnel is a development of steps that complete a sale. Creating this sales funnel template takes some work, but don’t fret.

Here are a few ways your business can benefit by using a digital marking funnel.

Devise a Plan of Action

Creating a sales funnel template can benefit any first-time small business owner.

A digital marking funnel will use specific marketing strategies and tools you have in place to attract clients to the website. After this, persuasion comes next. You’ll do this through a simple email sign up or another form of information distribution.

Give them time to test the product. This might entice then to purchase based on the trial run. A happy customer will recommend your product and website to friends. It’s the nature of business.

Four Steps to a Digital Marketing Funnel

There are four things you should center your digital marking funnel around; attract, convert, close and delight. These were sort of browsed over above, but how can you use this to improve your business?

Breaking down your marketing strategy and funnel approach beforehand can help you spot gaps in these four key concepts. Once you’ve done this, enhance what is known as your conversion path on your website.

A conversion path is the steps on a website that are used in your digital marking funnel and lead to a sale.

Know Your Audience

When starting small, you want to know your numbers so you can keep track of the growth of your business. Page views are great, but getting paid at the end of the process is the goal. With the use of a digital marking funnel, you’ll receive information with the exact number of customers paying you.

By calculating these buyers, you’ll be able to predict the sales volume from the top of the funnel down. Once you've gathered this data, your focus can be on manufacturing and improvement across your products.

Adapt to Customers

If questions are being asked about your product, odds are these are things people want to see change.

Changing your direction doesn’t need to happen often, but if you see a trend in a certain direction through market research, a digital marketing funnel can highlight it. Consider posting in a blog to get customers talking about their concerns and similar questions.

This will act as a hub for the answers and you may find that your answers attract new customers.

Keep Them Looking

Once you have a few customers, the goal is to keep them on your website and get them purchasing not once, but often.

As they move down the digital marketing funnel, a customer becomes more and more likely to purchase. By increasing your conversion rate you can actually see who is more likely to pay for your products.

Non-targeting individuals will filter themselves out thanks to your digital marking tunnel and you’ll see more customers interested in your business.

Harness Business Potential

Formed under a creative and data-driven marking goal, HARNESS is working to make companies and the world around them a better place.

With over 10 years of experience in the field, HARNESS is focused on you and your business. We create compelling video marking campaigns that make your vision come to life. People buy from people not from businesses. We’re here to make sure your marking matches your goal through video.

Let’s chat!


successful marketing

5 Tips for Running a Successful Marketing Campaign

"No sales. No company."

That's in the words of one business owner, Mark Cuban, describing the importance of a successful marketing campaign.

Marketing isn't only an essential aspect of a business—it's what drives the business.

Exceptional marketing campaigns cover a slew of various tactics, from advertising and customer outreach to social media and blog content.

No matter what your event, product, or service, you'll need to figure out who you're marketing to and then speak to them. Doing this doesn't have to be complicated, though.

We've covered a few simple steps that should help you develop an excellent plan for your business or organization.

1. Define Your Target Audience

Before you begin marketing, it helps to know who you're marketing to—i.e., know your audience!

This keeps your campaign focused on the people you're selling to, which maximizes your campaign efforts.

Finding your target market is simple when you answer the following questions:

  • Their age and gender
  • Their marital status
  • Whether they have kids
  • Their income level
  • Their location
  • Their lifestyles—i.e., employed or retired, hobbies and shopping habits, etc.

Answer these questions and then understand the competition marketing to your demographic. See how you can stand apart from your competitors.

2. Set Clear Objectives

The only way to stay on course is to have a plan.

Define clear goals and objectives for your campaign.

Is it to garner a specific dollar amount in profits? Is it to get 1,000 people to attend a convention? Are you trying to sell out of a particular product that's on special?

This step piggy-backs off the first in that having more explicit objectives will make sure your efforts stay focused and specific.

3. Know Your Budget

Likewise, having a budget also helps you stay on course.

It's easy to get mystified by all the options. But having a clear budget in mind will keep your campaign attentive to your goals and audience. You need to concentrate on your capabilities without getting sidetracked by lofty goals.

Making a budget is simple:

  • Know your operational costs
  • Know your sales funnel (by observing site visits, lead conversions, etc.)
  • Know your goals (as outlined in step two)
  • Consider scalability
  • Observe the current industry and market trends

And remember, a successful marketing campaign is an investment!

4. Create High-Quality Content

Blog posts are an essential part of any successful marketing campaign.

They establish you as an authority in your industry. They humanize your business, giving readers a "tribe" or person to connect with (especially important in this digital era). They allow you to exceed the local limits and reach audiences worldwide.

Oh yeah, and businesses with blogs acquire 126% more leads than those without one!

5. Track Your Metrics

And last, you need to have a method for seeing if your campaign works.

In the planning stage, define which metrics you'd like to measure for their successes or failures. Then implement the correct tools for doing so.

This way, you can build on your successes or alter what isn't working.

Successful Marketing Made Simple

Using these tactics, you should be on your way to a profitable campaign strategy.

A successful marketing plan could mean the difference between profit and loss. Exposure and obsoleteness. Thriving or closing.

In other words, it's crucial.

We can offer data-driven, creative videos to your marketing plan to solidify its success. Contact us today to see what we can achieve for your company!


Creative Marketing

Creative Marketing Tips for Non-Profit Organizations Big or Small

Are you looking for innovative ways to promote your non-profit organization but don't know where to start? Though online marketing campaigns are great for generating leads, they can be time-consuming and costly.

Luckily, there are creative ways to build awareness about your organization and keep the costs low. You'll stand out from the crowd and people will flock to your website to learn more.

From fun, educational videos, infographics, and social media contests to urban in-person marketing, you can play around and see what works best.

Here are 5 simple, yet creative marketing ideas that'll put your non-profit organization on the map.

Fun and Educational Videos

Video marketing is the future, and companies of all types and sizes use videos to promote their products and services. It's visual, engaging, relatively easy to make, and shareable.

There are many tools and software to create stunning videos, so all you need is a creative idea and a little time. Start by making one creative video and track the response. If people like it, you can easily turn it into a series, and tell the story about your organization.

Caption and Photo Contests

Organizing contests on social media are an effective digital marketing tactic that can help you build engagement and brand awareness. The most popular types are caption and photo contests where people either think of a caption for a photo you post, or they post a photo using your products or brand hashtags.

This creates engagement and brand visibility, which is exactly what you want to promote your non-profit.

Infographics

Infographics are visual marketing tools that outline essential information in a long vertical image. It's one of the most popular creative marketing strategies because it displays clear, concise messages in a fun, colorful way that's easy to consume.

The best places to post infographics are in the body of a blog post and Pinterest. When people click on your infographic, they'll land on your website and learn about your non-profit.

Gamification

Gamification is a creative marketing strategy that uses game elements with the goal to engage the users. It works great in marketing because it provides instant gratification and a sense of connection to the brand.

You can use gamification on your website, on social media channels, fundraising campaigns, and even in-person marketing.

Urban Marketing

One of the best creative marketing techniques is urban marketing, i.e. going outside and interacting with people directly. Aside from handing out flyers, there are many creative ways to spread the word about your non-profit organization.

Some great ideas include:

  • Commissioning a beautiful mural related to your organization
  • Performances related to your organization
  • Decorating street elements like manhole covers, stairs, sidewalks, and benches

Anything that would catch people's attention and make them stop and interact is a perfect opportunity to promote your non-profit.

Use These Creative Marketing Strategies to Promote Your Organization!

There are countless ways to spread the word about your non-profit organization and it doesn't have to be expensive.

The more creative you are, the more people will be interested to check you out, and hear about your story.

Need more creative marketing ideas? Check out the most powerful marketing trends that ruled in 2019.


7 B2B Marketing Strategies That Lead to Sales

Over the past few years, B2B marketing has changed. To succeed and stay ahead of your competition, you need to have a digital presence. 85% of B2B marketers confirm that lead generation is vital to the survival of a business.

B2B marketing strategies are beneficial to the business. How? They improve brand awareness and engagement. Not only that.

They help businesses find new customers and partners online. What is more, businesses are able to enter other markets much easier.

Looking for the best B2B marketing strategies?

Read on and learn the 7 B2B marketing strategies that lead to sales.

1. Be a Specialist and Not a Generalist

Want to drive sales to your business? Start marketing your B2B agency as a specialist and not a generalist. How do you go about this?

Find your niche and specialize in it. By doing so, you become the indisputable leader. As such, whenever customers are looking for products in your niche, you are the first stop.

Moreover, they now have a company to recommend to family and friends.

2. Create Buyer Personas

How do you know what your clients want? To find out what your clients want, we recommend that you create buyer personas. What is a buyer persona?

This is a semi-fictional representation of your target customer based on your research. When creating buyer personas, it is wise to consider the following:

  • Behavior patterns
  • Goals
  • Demographics
  • Motivations

By doing so, you are able to create an accurate representation of your customers.

3. Optimize Your Website for Mobile

Over 51% of smartphone users have been able to discover products or businesses through their phones. To ensure that your customers are able to find you online, optimize your website for mobile. To do so, hire a professional web design company.

By incorporating responsive design, the expert will optimize your business website for mobile. As such, it will be easier to browse from any device despite its resolution.

4. Try Content Syndication

As one of the most popular B2B marketing strategies, content syndication allows you to reach audiences you have yet to reach. Simply put, you will be leveraging audiences of complementary brands. By doing so, you get to increase your business presence and generate more leads.

This translates to increased sales and revenue.

5. Include Social Media as Part of Your B2B Marketing Strategies

The use of social media is on the increase. In fact, 3.2 billion social media users are active daily on various platforms. This translates to 42% of the global population.

The question is which is the right social platform for a B2B company?

LinkedIn has proven to be the most popular social media platform for B2B companies. The reason for this is due to the presence of other B2B companies. Other social media platforms include Instagram and Twitter.

6. Collect More Leads with Gated Videos

One of the most effective B2B strategies is gated videos. With gated videos, you can collect more leads. How?

Simply make your video content to be available for watching after registration. For non-registered users, you can offer a small part as an introduction. To watch the rest of the video, they have to register.

This helps you generate more leads.

7. Avoid Cold Calling

Cold calling is an ineffective sales technique of reaching out to potential customers. The reason why you should ditch cold calling is that it's outdated. There are far better b to b marketing strategies that will help you generate more leads.

They are email marketing, viral advertising, content marketing, and SEO.

Drive Sales and Leads with B2B Marketing Strategies

To take advantage of B2B marketing strategies, make a plan, test your campaigns, and review the results. It is also important to identify success metrics and keep testing. By following these creative strategies, you help your brand to stand out.

Want to create lasting connections with your target audience? We at Harness Consulting can help. Contact us today and take your business to the next level.


digital marketing vs traditional marketing

Digital Marketing vs Traditional Marketing in 2019

Print isn't dead yet!

According to this study, 51 percent of people still exclusively read printed newspapers.

Meanwhile, we can't go online or use a smartphone app without seeing signs of digital marketing.

The digital marketing vs. traditional marketing debate isn't over, either. Between the two, there are billboards, PPC, flyers, SEO, business cards, geofencing, and so much more. When developing a marketing plan, you have to ask: what's best for my business?

Keep reading to discover the details surrounding the traditional vs. digital marketing debate. Once you're able to recognize the core differences between the two, you can decide which strategies are best for your business!

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing encompasses any online strategies that advertise your business. This includes websites, pay-per-click ads such as Google Ads, social media, and videos.

Advantages

Instead of sending your marketing materials out into the world, digital marketing focuses on a narrow target audience. This target audience is made up of the people most likely to need your product or service.

With a focused target audience, you won't burn through your budget on people unlikely to convert into paying customers.

A powerful digital marketing strategy also gives you more control. If you need to make a change to your campaigns, you can go online and make adjustments in an instant.

This allows you to cut down on mistakes and wasted ad spend.

In the digital marketing vs. traditional marketing debate, digital marketing also wins on analytics. With this timely data, you can determine what's working (and not) throughout your campaigns.

This analytics is essential when trying to optimize your campaigns.

Disadvantages

Unfortunately, digital marketing sometimes requires time to provide helpful data. Since it isn't tangible, digital materials can also cause an emotional disconnect with potential customers.

Digital materials also don't linger. That means you need to make the most out of that first impression.

Traditional Marketing

Meanwhile, traditional marketing covers tangible print materials. These include flyers, billboards, business cards, and newspaper ads.

Advantages

Since traditional marketing materials are tangible, potential customers can look at them over and over again. This helps you linger in their minds, giving you more than one opportunity to gain their attention.

Traditional materials are also great for local audiences. You can hand out flyers and make a personal connection with potential customers.

People are also more familiar with newspaper ads and other print materials. You can leverage that familiarity so people feel more comfortable with your company.

Disadvantages

Traditional marketing doesn't offer immediate data. You also can't make changes after these materials are already printed.

These methods are also expensive. Without analytics, you can't determine an ROI that proves the costs were worthwhile.

Digital Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing

For some companies, the digital marketing vs. traditional marketing debate has a clear answer. However, a balance between these two types of marketing strategies can help you optimize opportunities to reach customers.

When deciding on online marketing vs. traditional marketing, consider what your company needs most.

For more information to help you decide traditional marketing vs digital marketing, check out our blog.