Blog

Every early stage founder like myself dreams of the day when we have the ability to activate high performing targeted online ads, a dedicated social media team, and other tried-and-true marketing techniques that would put us on the same playing field as long-standing heritage brands. But since I bootstrapped SHAYDE BEAUTY, a skincare line that prioritizes the needs of melanin-rich skin, from the get-go, that hasn’t been my reality (yet). As a woman of color, I’m acutely aware that female founders of color only receive 1.2 percent of the overall venture dollars invested in the US. Instead of focusing my energy fighting for funding to fuel a massive marketing budget, I decided to get scrappy. I asked myself: How can I get the word out there organically, authentically, and without having to spend a lot of money? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Priya Shah (@wellnesswithpriya) After trying a few techniques, I landed on the most old-school approach there is: Meeting customers IRL. There is something about an in-person, hands-on experience that the post-Covid consumer is craving. During my first year in business, I would go to art shows and set up a table filled with product samples and business cards in the hopes of getting people to sign up for our email marketing list. I’d cold call boutiques around NYC to see if they’d let me do a pop-up shop for a few hours. I’d even go to Washington Square Park once a week with a bag full of sample jars and business cards to hand out to strangers. I’d approach people in the park (mostly women who looked like me and may struggle with similar skincare challenges), explain who I was, and ask if they were open to chatting about skincare.What arose out of a necessity turned into my secret weapon. In fact, this “boots on the ground” approach has been instrumental in growing my brand’s reach and gaining me some of the most dedicated customers around. Is it the most efficient way to market? No. But here’s why it’s been so valuable to carve out opportunities to meet potential customers face-to-face.I can better educate my customersMany consumers have had the experience of walking into a Sephora and feeling overwhelmed by the countless options available and then feeling too intimidated to ask for help. Unfortunately for those of us with melanin-rich skin, the market has vastly overlooked our needs, leaving us with the opposite (but equally as frustrating) problem. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve met with a potential customer who shares gripes such as, “I have hyperpigmentation, I’ve tried this product that’s supposed to work for this issue, but it actually made it worse.” By being face to face, I can explain how many products on the market aren’t formulated with skin of color in mind and can actually make some skincare problems worse. I also share how SHAYDE BEAUTY focuses on the percentages of active ingredients to ensure issues are targeted while still keeping the skin looking healthy—and that the product was created by someone who has struggled through the same challenges as them. There are so many myths out there around melanin-rich skincare, and talking to customers gives me some meaningful time to quash them.I also get to educate them on my journey and how the products I’ve created transformed my skin. It’s one thing to write some nice copy that shares this story on my website—it’s another for a customer to see in person how good my skin looks. Once I pull up a picture of where it was five years ago and talk through the changes I’ve made in my routine and why they’ve worked, the customer almost instantly becomes motivated to purchase and support the brand. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SHAYDE BEAUTY (@shaydebeauty) I can respond to the needs of my customersEveryone’s skin has different needs, and by talking with customers regularly, I’ve been better able to learn about and respond to them. Getting to speak to each customer and ask, “What struggles are you dealing with, and how can we help?” guides not only what I recommend for them in the moment but also broader product decisions for the company. For one, I can take the time to understand what’s going on with their skin and make tailored recommendations of which products would work best. Whether it’s over a Zoom call or in a store, I love having a potential customer tell me about their skincare routine and what’s working or not working about it, and then finding tailored solutions for them. It’s been reported that 91 percent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who offer personalized recommendations.These conversations are also an incredible avenue for market research, sparking fresh inspiration and evolving the future of the brand. Anytime I share samples with customers, I also ask what types of products they wish they had, or what’s not working for them about the solutions currently available on the market. This helps guide new products we may develop or tweaks to our existing formulas. I’m constantly shocked by how most skincare companies don’t respond to the needs of customers, but because we’re small, we can move quickly and adapt as needed. I think our willingness to do so sets us apart.I can create lasting relationshipsI’ve seen time and time again how excited potential customers are to be introduced to me, the founder, alongside my products—and how that interaction creates brand loyalty.People who first met me five years ago when I was set up on a folding table at an art show are still my customers today, and I think it’s partly because they experienced that one-on-one connection in the beginning. Sometimes customers who just met me that day will go home, try the product, and do an Instagram story that night, excitedly sharing how they met the founder of an amazing new product. Just that little moment of putting a face to the brand gained us a new customer and made them excited to be an advocate. Over time, these relationships have helped land our first major retail partnerships—companies want to see social proof and positive feedback before they make a decision to work with us. I get it: As a consumer myself, I know I feel more loyal to brands when I have some kind of personal connection. As my company grows, I want to ensure I have the same kind of touch points with my customers on a larger scale, even if I can’t be there in person. For one, I’m tapping heavily into ambassadors for the next wave of marketing. By developing a network of skin coaches and estheticians that focus on skin of color, the ambassadors can build similar one-on-one connections with customers and help educate them about the products. Additionally, I’ve been conceptualizing ways of how I can translate this approach to our social channels. For instance, if customers I talk to are always asking the same questions, can that inform educational posts? Or, if meeting me is the draw, would Live shopping events allow me to connect with a larger audience? No matter what, I still plan to prioritize spending at least one day a week on the floor of one of our retail partners, meeting potential customers face-to-face. These conversations remind me why I started this brand in the first place—and push me to keep going so I can help as many people as possible and bring overall market awareness to the unique needs of melanin-rich skin.

Marketers looking to increase their brand visibility should consider how Google crawls their websites. They have to think beyond the product and consider how prospects search for it — and the solution lies with a proper understanding of SEO and SERP features.
Since 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else, marketers must ensure that prospects can find them conveniently — and Google has features to help you do that. In this post, we’ll discuss how SERP features can help and the most important ones to leverage.

These features appear on search engines like Google and provide a more unique and easy-to-interpret search result than your typical list of website links. And depending on the buyer persona you’re trying to reach, your business can leverage Google’s features to help attract more traffic to your website.

1. Featured Snippets
Best for: Quickly providing the most helpful steps or sentences for a search query.

Featured snippets are boxes that appear as the “first” search result, or as many call it, “position zero” before the actual organic results.
Google will take the most relevant portion of text from a domain and place it above the link, typically with a featured image presented alongside. It provides a more concise answer to a search query without clicking through.
2. Image Packs
Best for: Providing visual search results like images or GIFs without going to Google Images.

Image packs are search results that provide an array of pictures or GIFs for a more comprehensive search query.
Businesses can achieve a spot in an image pack by designing creative graphics or original photos with descriptive alt text to match relevant search inquiries better. Alt text is a major factor determining whether your image or video appears in the SERP and how highly it appears, so be descriptive with your photos or collateral.
3. Knowledge Panels
Best for: Briefly summarizing information on a topic based on Google’s understanding without going too far into details.

Knowledge panels are boxes of information that typically appear to the right of traditional search results in Google. They usually display information about a person, place, business, or other entity with relevant background underneath.
A business can benefit from publishing information on an “About Us” page on its website. For Google to index and display relevant data for better visibility, include details like the CEO, location, and contact information.
4. Local Packs
Best for: Local businesses to target nearby prospects in Google Maps.

Local packs are a SERP feature that usually highlight information about physical locations, combined with Google Maps interactive platform.
Local packs are extremely useful for small or brick-and-mortar businesses. By providing a full, indexable address and possibly good customer reviews, you’re more likely to be highlighted in this section.
5. “People Also Ask” Boxes
Best for: Quickly answering related questions to a user’s original search query.

Unlike other SERP features, “People also ask” (PAA) suggestions come after one or two organic search results to offer additional or adjacent information. They serve as quick FAQ sections and can expand when clicked.
If your website answers a big question that your target audience is looking for, try to include additional information in a frequently asked question section of your own, or throughout any articles or posts you publish.
6. Rich Snippets
Best for: Provide enhanced results in an effort to provide more engaging and useful information.

Rich snippets are self-explanatory — they provide richer information than a typical meta description in the SERPs.
This can efficiently display stock product inventory and product review ratings without a prospect having to scroll through your entire catalog. It can also help them find exactly what they’re looking for at the beginning of their search.
7. Sitelinks
Best for: Find shortcuts to save users time and help them navigate a site domain faster.

Sitelinks are a SERP feature that displays multiple links from the same domain or home page of a business. By clearly defining where users can find categorized information they’re looking for, you’ll better your chance of scoring this snippet and providing a better user experience.
8. Top and Bottom Ads
Best for: Reach target markets based on search queries that align with a service or product.

Top and bottom ads are an inorganic way for businesses to gain visibility through Google Ads.
These ads pop up before the first organic search results and at the bottom of the page results before you go to page two. Businesses pay to run ad campaigns targeting specific demographics and keywords to fit their niche.
9. Top Stories
Best for: Sharing breaking global, local, or niche news topics.

Top stories are a SERP feature highlighting trending or most recent news stories or headlines from various sources. They display linked headlines for users to navigate directly to the news story.
For businesses that strive to be industry thought leaders, posting the latest news or trending topics onto a dedicated blog, podcast, or video network can be a great way to gain attention from an audience invested in that market.
Pro Tip: Make sure to use good judgment and provide information based on facts. It’s better to report on something grounded in data and respect than to release false information and potentially biased statements.
10. Twitter Cards
Best for: Sharing popular or trending quotes, images, videos, or tweets from the Twitter platform.

Twitter cards are just that — a carousel of popular or trending tweets. It can either be centered on a specific topic or by account.
In social media strategy planning, it’s essential to leverage different channels, especially the ones where your target audience spends the most time. Businesses can chime in on what’s going on and even incorporate the buzz into their meme marketing for a chance to gain retweets and followers.
11. Video Carousels
Best for: Showcasing video content that can improve conversions or sales.

Video carousels are an array of relevant Youtube video search results, often optimized with segmented parts.
Businesses can share “how-to” videos about their products or services and provide customers with solutions to issues that might not warrant a call to customer support. This can include instructional guides, showcasing multipurpose features, or providing tips and best practices to make their experience with your business more enjoyable.
Use SERP Features to Your Advantage
Optimizing how your business uses Google can tremendously help get the visibility your brand needs. If you’re trying to leverage any of the SERP features we’ve shared, I’d recommend focusing on knowledge packs, local packs, rich snippets, and top and bottom ads to better position yourself from the competition.

I made a very interesting post about this and I would love every marketer and online seller with very high running costs to check it out. submitted by /u/angelchrist [link] [comments]

https://www.reddit.com/r/gold_dropshippers/comments/11rqp3z/all_in_one_marketing_and_shopify_alternative_that/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button submitted by /u/angelchrist [link] [comments]

Not all marketing changes are here to stay, just as not all fads are trends. What’s shaping the future of digital marketing? Read more: https://www.martechcube.com/digital-marketing-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2023/ submitted by /u/MarTechCube [link] [comments]

Marketers are pushing their brand advertising with more creative video content to make a difference. Are you prepared to catch the video advertising trend? Read more: https://www.martechcube.com/best-video-advertising-trends-for-2023/ submitted by /u/MarTechCube [link] [comments]

Newsletters have become a trendy and cost-effective way for businesses to maintain consistent outreach with their subscribers and alert them of important milestones and rollouts. With an eye-catching design, easy-to-read layout, and a clear purpose, your newsletters can become more engaging for your audiences, leading to higher open rates that turn into conversions. However, the…
The post 5 Newsletter Templates Ideas That Will Help You Increase Conversions appeared first on Benchmark Email.

submitted by /u/Downtown-Repair-805 [link] [comments]