At long last, people are slowly returning to offices, venturing to travel, and dining at restaurants again. While not everybody may be ready to take these steps two years into the global pandemic, there are signs that people are returning to on-the-go! This is a perfect time to evaluate the mobile optimization of your various platforms. Let’s talk about what mobile optimization is, why you should be doing it, what platforms you should consider and how you can take advantage!

WHAT IS MOBILE OPTIMIZATION?

Simply put, mobile optimization means that your sites render well on multiple platforms. It’s important to remember that an element that looks good on a laptop or desktop screen may not work or look the same on a cellphone.

WHY SHOULD WE OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE?

Think of how often you search for things on your own phone. If you couldn’t find what you were looking for, or the website looked outdated on your phone, you most likely discredited the site and moved on to another. That’s why it’s so important to ensure your website and landing pages look great on mobile!

WHAT SHOULD BE OPTIMIZED FOR MOBILE?

• Your Website
  Your website is the ideal starting point to ensure your pages look great and function on mobile. And we’re not just talking about your homepage, either! Especially if you’re an e-commerce site or have other ordering capabilities, you’ll want to ensure all pages function on mobile and look great.
   
• Landing Pages
  Landing pages are often used to collect leads or make a purchase for a specific promotion. If these pages don’t work well on mobile, you’re likely to lose out on interest. Make sure the way you collect information can be easily completed on mobile.
   
• Marketing Items
  From email marketing campaigns to social ads, your marketing efforts should also be optimized for mobile. Make sure to test/send and view ads and email marketing on both desktop and mobile to ensure everything functions and looks great on all platforms.

HOW DO I OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE?

It all comes down to how your website is designed and the capability to customize. Make sure the call to action on each page is visible and easy to click. Try to “add to cart” or fill out any forms to ensure the process is simple and not frustrating. Make sure the images and logos render correctly when viewing on your mobile device.

The best part? You don’t have to do it alone! Seek the help of professionals who can help you customize your mobile pages for the best results. Optimize your pages to ensure you’re reaching your audience, no matter where they are or how they access your pages online.

For years, content has been a driving force behind successful marketing strategies everywhere. Why? Because it’s versatile and can be altered to meet the needs of every audience. From engaging videos to step-by-step “how-to” guides, content has the power to captivate potential customers and sell them to your business! Check out these ways you can leverage content to help give your business a boost.

ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND AS THE EXPERT

Great content marketing provides value for both your current and potential customers. We often focus on using our marketing to consistently sell our products and services. However, a solid content marketing strategy should have much more than simply sales content. You should be using your content to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. This has a multitude of benefits for your business:

• Content marketing keeps you top of mind when your potential customer is ready to buy.
• It’s a soft-sell approach to your product—your customer may simply be looking for expert information or advice, but your content leads them to your product or services page.
• It brings life to your products and services—this is a longer-form venue for you to showcase what your business does differently and why that’s a great thing.

THE THREE CS: CREATE ‘COOL’ CONTENT

Content marketing gives your business a space to be creative. Use short, engaging videos, informative infographics, or even animated gifs. Who knows—with the right idea you may just go viral! Content marketing allows you to experiment with the types of content that work best to market your products and services. Try altering tone and voice to see what type of content resonates best with your audience.

USE INFLUENCER MARKETING

There’s a type of marketing that didn’t exist 10 years ago but is valuable to a multitude of brands today. We’re talking about leveraging influencers—people who have a large following on social media. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re famous for being an actor or performer—instead, many influencers have a large following simply because of the content they post.

The best part about influencer marketing is that you can leverage an influencer’s fanbase to sell your product by partnering with an influencer. You’ll want to ensure their followers match the demographics you’re trying to reach, and also that the return on Investment will be worth it. If those aspects line up and you can agree on terms with the influencer, it’s time to create content that works for their platform. Content marketing definitely has a place in the world of influencer marketing.

Content has the power for you to find new customers by creating resources and establishing your business as an expert in your field. From engaging videos to captivating written content, the opportunities are endless. Leverage your audiences and the audiences of others to get your message out into the world. There’s a reason content is the king and queen of our marketing efforts!

If a marketing campaign sails off into the sunset and you don’t track it, did it even make

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March 20 was the first day of spring, meaning warmer days are ahead! Typically, spring symbolizes rejuvenation and regrowth as the flowers start to bloom and nature starts to sing. Spring is also generally a time to say “out with the old, and in with the new.” Use this as a time to conduct a “spring cleaning” for your marketing efforts.

ANALYZE WHAT’S WORKING (AND WHAT’S NOT!)

A marketing campaign can only be considered a success if you measure the results. Oftentimes, marketers get caught up in the day-to-day operations and push out their next great campaign, that they forget to take the time to evaluate what did and didn’t work from their last campaign. Questions to ask yourself and your team about your latest marketing efforts include:

• Which campaign drove the most business?
• Which campaign received the most online reaction?
• Which campaign drove the most website traffic?
• What did our audience like or dislike about our previous marketing campaigns? 

The thing is—unless you’re measuring results and unless you’re asking your audience, you’ll never know the answers to these questions. Take the extra step to measure and talk to your audience.

OFFER A SALE

Spring has sprung, so it’s time for a sale! Sometimes you don’t need a reason other than a changing season to offer a discount. This helps bring in new customers, and it also helps you move inventory that you’re ready to refresh. Host a big sale on some of the items you have too much of to make room for new products. If you’re offering a service, offer a one-time discount to help bring in new customers.

PICK A TIMELY THEME

April showers bring May flowers. Fall back, spring forward. Easter is hopping up soon. Think of timely themes to use in your marketing. This could be an annual holiday, pop culture or current event or anything else that’s timely. Choose a theme that resonates with your team, and use it to brand your next marketing campaign.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

If you always stick with what you’ve been doing, you may never know the height your success could reach. Use this time of rejuvenation to remind yourself that it’s okay to take risks. Ask yourself what you would try if you knew you couldn’t fail. Sometimes the craziest ideas happen during a brainstorming session, and they end up being the best ideas. Involve your team and think up some new ideas together.

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be just for your personal life. Use this new season to spruce up your marketing efforts. It’ll help you reach new customers, as well as reach new heights with your marketing success. It’s easy to feel like your efforts are in a rut, but spring cleaning will help your marketing efforts bloom!