Beyond Impressions

You’ve seen it in newsletters, mission statements, annual reports and non-profit appeals.

A message from the President.

Wow, a message from THE PRESIDENT. It sounds like it should be super important, or at the very least, interesting.

Our up to the minute, 24-hour news cycle has disrupted communications and our lives.

News videos that were shot and edited by professionals are being replaced with camera phone videos posted with no editing, filter or thought of what the impact may be.

No, not the app.

Real face time, as in one-on-one interactions with employees, consumers, vendors and business associates. Not via skype, go to meeting, google hang outs or ooVoo…just old-fashioned human connection.

It’s the sort of phrase that begs for an exclamation point. It’s not a question, but an order. If read aloud, Sally Fields would narrate it: LIKE ME!

Facebook is entrenched in the day to day lives of users, with more than 2 billion monthly active users  worldwide, a number so large it is often used as an hyperbole (I love this candy so much I swear I could eat 2 billion pieces), but in this case it’s the real deal. Facebook remains the most-used social media site among all ages, reaching a whopping 64% of Americans over age 12, with more than 1.3 billion messenger users.

Congratulations! The consumer has landed on your homepage, and you have survived the initial 5 second glance. Thanks to your clear, concise copy supported by strong visuals, they have decided to hang around a bit longer to see what you have to offer.

As nice as it is to have a visitor, your ultimate goal is a more meaningful relationship. To get to the next level, you need to entice them with an offer intriguing enough to share their contact information with you.

Make it interesting, make it fun, but more importantly – make it relevant. Your consumer needs to feel that the service, product or information you are offering is helpful, entertaining and/or specific enough to cause them to take the necessary action to receive it.

Regardless of how or why a visitor is drawn to your website, the odds are that most will give you just 5 seconds or less to give them one good reason to stay.

It’s a harsh reality that after months - possibly years - of brainstorming, research, image selections, content analyses and promotion, your best efforts will be judged in about the time it takes to take a deep breath. And who has time for a deep breath anymore?    

As the meeting commenced, the director announced to the team that an informal survey had been conducted, the results of which would be shared with everyone. Not only had they called customers to ask what they thought of their reps, but they also reviewed call recordings and email exchanges to better understand the quality of service they had been providing to their clients.

Some smiled and sat up straighter, while others appeared ashen and faint.

In our prior blog we suggested two basic dashboards that can provide essential feedback with regards to your social media activity and website traffic. These required minimal time to set up, while providing essential information to help maximize your digital effectiveness.

We know that eating vegetables and exercising are good for us, but we don’t always do it.

Analyzing digital metrics is kind of the same thing. It’s an important tool to monitor, understand and strengthen our digital effectiveness, but we don’t always prioritize it and take the time to analyze…regularly.

Setting up a metrics dashboard will provide immediate and accurate analyses of the effectiveness of your digital presence and messaging. And finding out what works and what doesn’t will help you to make the most of this important marketing channel. That’s really the thing about digital marketing – the incredible level of analytics you can perform.

There’s a new project on the table, and the office is abuzz with excitement.

You know the drill. Team members chime in with enthusiasm about the great potential this project holds, from increased customer satisfaction to new revenue streams. Brainstorming results in a list of positive ideas with each suggestion triggering a new, more improved offering.