Your business website serves as a snapshot of your brand — it is the fastest way for potential clients to see who and what you offer. If your website was created or has been updated in the past three to five years, you may think that everything is running smoothly. Think again. It may be time for a refresh.

Is website neglect responsible for killing your marketing?

The longer a website goes without updates or new content, the further your website drops in search engine rankings. And, when you finally decide to make a change with your website after years of neglect, you’re probably more focused on design aspects rather than content.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google algorithms, and the technologies and software we utilize online are constantly evolving. What may have worked for your website a year or two ago probably isn’t working for your website anymore. Website development is no longer a one-time thing, but an ongoing process requiring constant care and attention.

Here are three things to consider when evaluating your website:

1) Create and implement an updated vision. What do you want your website to say about you and your brand? Who is the target audience you want to visit? What resources does your website provide them?

2) Make sure your website is undergoing constant content development. Updating your website with new and relevant information not only helps your search engine rankings but gives people a reason to come back. In that same vein, your social media channels should drive traffic back to your website. Create a calendar for your content — whether it is social media posts, blog posts, events, etc. — so that your content and message is clear and consistent across all platforms.

3) Monitor your site analytics and the changes that are occurring (from SEO to consumer trends). From there, you can adjust content as needed. This will also help identify when your website looks and feels outdated given the ever changing way people use digital platforms.

Having an updated, engaging website is attainable for everyone — it just takes a little work on the front end. So the next time you find yourself wondering why your marketing strategies aren’t producing the results you want, ask yourself, “Are we neglecting the website?”

Putting the “O” in PESO

In the world of public relations there is a model for everything. When it comes to handling media relations, that model strategy is known as PESO—Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media. The model is structured so each media type plays a role and serves a purpose to an overall well-rounded media strategy.

Those unfamiliar with the PESO model may naturally assume the media types are arranged left to right by level of importance, but in this case, it’s simply a memorable acronym. Paid media technically comes first, but owned media actually comes first in the process. Why? Owned media assets are the foundation of the media strategy and provide a means for the other pieces to work.

Everyone wants media coverage, but what are you doing to prove the value you are able to provide? In order to gain media traction, you have to show before you can tell. Almost all earned media starts with owned media. Owned media is the content your organization creates on its own: blogs, videos, visual content, podcasts, case studies, etc. This content is considered owned because it lives on your own platform, website, or channel.

Creating owned media means you are developing content that showcases your brand’s realm of expertise. It opens the door to which earned media can walk through.

When planning an owned media strategy, there are a few key pieces to keep in mind. Keep it unique. If you’re producing the same podcast, blog or video as everyone else in your industry, how do you expect to stand out? Find your secret sauce and own it! Next, identify the type of media coverage you want. It will serve as a guide and help you build out content that feeds each media outlet’s appetite.

Finally, instead of focusing on quantity, be strategic and put care into quality content that gets your message across in a clear way.

If your goal is increasing earned media, owned media should be one of your top priorities. Just remember: know your topics, stick to your plan, and keep it unique.

By Maddie Barnett

There’s no question about it—social media dominates the digital landscape. The opportunity for businesses to benefit from the myriad of social platforms is stronger than ever and integrating these into a marketing strategy has become vital. The first step is understanding how to best utilize each platform.

Keeping up with relevant and popular platforms is most important. New networks are constantly emerging and garnering attention, others may undergo periods of decreased user engagement, and some simply die out. Figuring out which platforms to use and when to do so will maximize your audience reach and engagement.

Once you identify which platforms are best suited for your brand, it’s time to learn its ins and outs. Each platform has different features and ways to share content. Whether it’s boosting Instagram reels or landing on as many TikTok users’ “For You” pages as possible, understanding algorithm changes, viral trends, and the popular influencers on that platform will help you leverage your brand strategy and increase your social media visibility.

Social media requires consistency. While content calendars and scheduling software help with the daily upkeep of posting, it’s also important to monitor and check social channels multiple times per day. Responding to comments and direct messages, liking and reposting tagged posts are all smart ways to increase engagement, build relationships with your audience and establish brand recognition.

In order to ensure your social media strategy is effective, reviewing the account’s social analytics on a consistent basis will provide valuable insight. While you may be reaching users, how many are actually engaging with your content? Follower count is important, but the number of likes, comments, and shares are vital KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Measuring your social media KPIs will allow you to track progress and make necessary changes going forward.

Social media is an invaluable marketing tool. It provides the opportunity to interact directly with large consumer audiences and build loyal, authentic relationships while boosting your brand’s image.

By: Caroline Wille

Having a crisis management plan is crucial for the success of a business. Without a plan, sudden situations can leave teams and corporations negatively impacted by an event. Crisis management refers to dealing with events as they happen and right after, but companies need to be prepared before the crisis harms an organization, its stakeholders or the general public. When the Pandemic started in 2019, only 23% of U.S. organizations had a crisis response team in place. Taking the following steps can prepare businesses to take precautions before it is too late. Here are five steps to take:

Form a Team

A dedicated team of strong leaders is essential so that trust is built, and they can step up in times of desperate need. The entire team should undergo training and bonding activities to ensure positive results for the business. Balancing certain personalities and skills is critical in this process as they need a team with leadership, strong communication and team-building qualities.

Determine and Evaluate Threats/Risks

This next step allows businesses to see what is at stake and what they can do to prepare for a crisis. Conducting a risk assessment and Business Impact Analysis (BIA) allows them to control possible detrimental impacts before they occur. Addressing threat exposure frames the types of crises that could happen and focuses on its limitations while guiding and preparing for a fitting response.

Designate Responsibility

Determining roles ahead of time can allow the business to give an effective and timely response. The first step is finding a strong leader from the team who can manage vast amounts of responsibility before, during and after the crisis. Next, consider the specific situation and assign other roles within the team depending on their expertise and familiarity. People with good communication skills, time management, and working well under pressure will strongly impact the team and execute an effective plan.

Establish and Build a Plan

Now that a team is formed, the business has determined its threats/risks, and responsibility is designated to specific leaders, it is time to build the plan. In this plan, the team should establish internal and external communication strategies and a clear action plan for the particular crisis.

Update the Plan Frequently

Situations happen when least expected, so it is vital to revisit plans and continually updating the plan in the case of another crisis event.

By Gulie Moore

Some of the best salespeople I have ever met were the Girl Scouts in my college town. With minimal, local, and sometimes hand-drawn advertising, they would set up their cookie stand on weekend evenings and be out of stock by bedtime. They had the total package – a quality product, a salesforce that stood out, and a location that saw nonstop traffic from students who were tired of dining hall food. Pretty clever, right? A few years after this started, a cookie franchise thought the same and set up shop down the street. They, too, had a quality product, a storefront that stood out, and a location that saw the same traffic. But, despite the advertising campaigns and promotions they ran, the buzz around the store died out quickly. What’s the difference? The Girl Scouts prioritized context over content.

This isn’t to say that your content isn’t important. In the digital age, it is easier than ever to collect and utilize data that will put your brand in front of a receptive audience – which can still be effective! The problem is that in the digital age, consumers are also more market-savvy than ever and studies are showing that they resent advertising they perceive as inauthentic or intrusive. So while a traditional approach could pay off in the short term, this resentment can also prevent consumers from connecting with your brand – limiting the growth of your loyal customer base.

Informed, Intuitive Marketing (I2M) is a data-based alternative to traditional marketing geared towards learning how your customers think, act, and respond so that you can align your marketing intent with your client’s expectations and associations. In other words, I2M focuses on building long-term relationships with consumers rather than relying on intrusive advertising or covert persuasion. This is why the Girl Scouts were so successful – they earned attention by connecting with their customer base, advertising in intuitive spaces, and presenting themselves and their product authentically. The franchise, however, demanded attention with intrusive social media ads or by luring customers in with promotions or samples that quickly disappeared.

Organizations of all sizes can benefit immensely from this strategy. Start by doing an honest look at how you perceive and present your service or product, then compare it to how your customers perceive and engage with it. How do these line up? Leaning into areas of your identity that may resonate internally but not with your customers can come across as inauthentic.

Second, consider how you communicate with your clients. You can grow your loyal-customer base even before their first transaction by giving consumers opportunities to connect with you without any expectation of them making a purchase. This can be done through something as simple as offering facility tours, volunteering as an organization, or highlighting your employees and their achievements on social media.

Finally, prioritize advertising spaces where consumers are receptive to your message rather than susceptible to your marketing. Remember, I2M is about earning attention, not demanding it. And when in doubt on how to connect with your customers, trust your intuition. Like Jewel (and Gulie) said, it will lead you in the right direction.