Syncing Your Knowledge

A look at all things digital from those that would like to believe they're prophets, posessing magic skills of prediction.

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This Blog is Now Updated Less Regularly

For weekly blogs from SYNC Digital Solutions, please click here.

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10 Things You're Doing Wrong on LinkedIn. #thisisnotfb

When I joined LinkedIn way back when, I loved the concept. Here, I would network with people and businesses, and perhaps land some clients from time-to-time. Every morning I would check my feed for the latest business, tech, and inspirational news, taking in more data than a scientist in the 50's. Yes, those were the good ol' days.

Now, the Facebook for business is starting to turn into, well ... Facebook. The lines are blurring and we must, as a responsible community of business leaders take action. I implore you all to get behind the #thisisnotfb movement on LinkedIn, if you see someone chipping away the Teflon suit known as LinkedIn. This simply means using the hashtag on content that doesn't belong. Together, we can stop the issues I'm about to list, and take back our social media site!

So, what shouldn't you be doing here? Let's examine, shall we?

1. Personal Posts

I'll be the first to say congratulations if you get engaged, get a new puppy, or have a child. However, I shouldn't find out about these events in your life through LinkedIn. Some even take their personal updates a step further, posting their meals, and haircuts. If you're going to post to LinkedIn, treat it like an office. Inform, entertain, and have some laughs, but you're on the clock, so keep it professional.

In the real world: Would you pull out pictures of your food and show the people at the meeting what you ate for lunch? Perhaps in select cases, but not as a rule.

2. Repeated Canned Posts

"I make websites. I make websites. I make websites. I make websites."

Do you think the person posting "I make websites," has something to do with the website development industry? When you constantly post the same content over and over again, people will notice, and your posts will come off like the sentence above. You're just standing there in a room repeating yourself. You can't be on LinkedIn to simply get clients or make money. It is a community of business people. Share your professional thoughts, advice, and on occasion, your services. But, while you do that, please be original. Post the content in your voice, not that of a billboard.

In the real world: Would you repeat yourself a hundreds times to the same people, and provide no personality or benefit?

3. Connecting with Every and Anybody

Quantity of connections doesn't mean much on LinkedIn. This isn't a popularity contest. Sending out connection requests to every person within a general search is just not the way to do it on LinkedIn. Start by connecting with those you know, then connect with people who's services or products you're interested in. Then start connecting with the people whom you think could use your products or services. When that's done, you're done ... although it is unlikely you'll ever run out of people to connect with.

In the real world: Would you walk up to just anyone and start pitching without any basis to do so?

4. Politics

We get it, you love Trump. That's fantastic that you have a candidate and cause you can get behind, but LinkedIn is not the place to constantly shove political conversation down everyone's throats. Now, if a policy or candidate's announcement relates to something that could affect business, that's cool. But, hardcore politics is best left to discuss on other platforms.

In the real world: Would you go into someone's office and start talking about politics?

5. You're Here to Better Your Business

Don't get angry and sass those that reach out to you trying to get you to buy what they're selling. It is a professional networking site after all. Now, if someone tries to sell you on a new website, but it is clear your site is just fine, perhaps you can suggest for those people to target potential clients better, but be polite.

"Hey Don. I hope your business is going well. We don't require your service at this time, but I'll keep you in mind if we do." Then, actually keep that person in mind if they've impressed you. Some of my best business relationships have started on LinkedIn.

In the real world: Would you give someone hell for politely proposing doing business together?

6. Profiles vs Company Pages

I will immediately deny a LinkedIn connection if it comes from a company. Profiles are for people, company pages are from companies. If you can't get the first rule of LinkedIn right, I immediately think you're going to be posting selfies. Next.

In the real world: Would you introduce yourself by name, or strictly by company? People don't buy products and services solely. They also buy into the person representing them.

7. S&G

I want to work with someone that has a fantastic eye for detail. Knowing that a person has this quality means that in all likelihood, they will be great to work with. That said, make sure you have proper spelling and grammar, and that your name is capitalized. These are the first two variables that many will look at when checking out your profile. You're a professional, so present yourself accordingly.

In the real world: Would you hand someone a business card that says, "john smith, attourney-in-the-law"?

8. Profile Photos

This is not a dating site, and your wife or husband may be a specimen but if I have to bring up either with you, then your profile photo is all wrong.  Make it a headshot, or an accomplishment shot. Cleavage will attract all the wrong attention, muscle pictures are reserved for only the personal trainers or professionals that need to display their hard work, and family shots are for Facebook.

In the real world: Would you walk into an office building in that bent in pose, or with your spouse on your arm?

9. Personal Messages

If you're going to send me a message, make sure it at the very least has my name in it. Personalized messages get personalized responses. If you're sending the message to everyone, and not even bothering to look at who you're sending it to, that negligence will show.

In the real world: Would you talk to every person the exact same way, and not personalize the conversation?

10. Details

I should be able to go on your profile, and in a couple of minutes, figure out what you do, what you've done, whether anyone believes in you, and what you can do for me (with personality). If your profile falls short on any of these items, you need to optimize.

In the real world: Would you have a meeting without discussing the details?

Conclusion

I would love to see LinkedIn have some sort of feature that suggests edits, or down-votes content for falling outside of professional parameters. What a glorious digital world that would be. For now, it's up to us to clean up our LinkedIn habits, to ensure a healthy online eco-system we can all get behind.

By the way; I see the irony in using #thisisnotfb, however, it's that irony that gives it power. Cheers to a better LinkedIn experience!

If you need help with your social media,  let’s talk.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Ad Blocking: The Next Digital Marketing Challenge

Currently, in the US, 30% of internet users are using ad blocking technology on their cell phones. By this time in 2017, that number will increase over 60%. Desktop ad blockers are on the rise as well. The big players like YouTube, have announced YouTube Red to combat this trend. For $10/month you can enjoy YouTube without any ads.

So, the questions needs to be asked. Are people more willing to pay for premium services or are they going to accept ads as a part of their digital eco-system?

Will They Ad Block?

I believe that the above question comes down to income levels. Those in a higher income bracket, with a credit card in hand will likely pay for ad blocking on their favourite services like YouTube. However, those in lower income brackets will view ad blocking like buying a car with spinners on it (do they still make spinners?). There’s just no need to put spinners on a car when money is tight.

The case can also be made that if presented properly, everyone’s willing to click on an ad. This is why remarketing works so well. Remarketing ads are simply showing you what you’re already interested in.

General Ad Blockers

Now, where everything gets a little hairy for advertisers is in the use of general ad blockers like AdBlock and AdBlock Plus. An app like this walks into a virtual room and tears down all of the virtual posters. There’s simply little that can be done about these services on websites across the WWW.

That’s why advertisers are being forced to get savvy, and really understand the customer. It’s also why content is king.

The Right Kind of Ad Delivery

People generally don’t like ads because they find them invasive. I can appreciate that. An ad for a product you’ll never use is the virtual equivalent of an obnoxious, uninvited guest to a dinner party.

The right kind of delivery can change that experience though, and your brand must associate itself with being on the right side of user experience (UX). Based on a poll by Marketing Sherpa, we can see what the right kind of delivery means to the 1000 people interviewed.

54% prefer to receive ads by mail (although 32% admitted that is because it’s easy to discard of the ads they don’t like).

49% prefer to receive ads via a eNewsletter they set the frequency for.

38% visit a company’s website when looking for promotions.

28% want to get their dose of ads in-store.

24% wish to receive ads from an eNewsletter with pre-determined frequency.

20% enjoy receiving ads from the brands they follow on social media.

17% are fine with opt-in text messaging.

15% receive ads through a mobile app.

8% prefer not to receive ads at all.

The Details Behind the Numbers

This survey tells us a lot about how we should be advertising to the public. For one, it tells us that mailers are ineffective because they are getting tossed in the garbage by many. Mailers are also generally 5x more expensive than virtual ads.

eNewsletters and websites do well because the person has a choice as to whether they see the ads. The public will always prefer that which they can seek, over that which seeks them. 

That’s why social media is next on the list. People have become more protective over their feeds, and are choosing to only follow brands that interest them. There’s no more adding for the sake of adding.  Only 20% of people said they are okay with social media ads, but over 80% said that is due to the fact that they see ads for services and products that they have no interest in. Target those ads people.

Be aware that the text and mobile app numbers relate only to big brands, and small businesses with a cult following. Do not be fooled by these numbers. If you don’t fall into one of these two categories, stay away from using them. You’ll spend more money and time on them than they’re worth.

The Conclusion

It all comes down to a simple principal. People don’t hate ads, they hate ads for products and services they have no interest in. Well, 92% of people anyway. Serve your potential customer great content that they will show interest in. If you’re a restaurant, display your fantastic meals, and when advertising, pick demographics and interest groups that you know have the highest chance of relating to your customer. Again, this is why remarketing is so successful.

Here’s a great social media example. Let’s say you own a burger joint in Los Angeles. Instead of just blasting out an ad to everyone, serve it up to fans and friends of fans in LA. Then, if you’re looking to bring more people into your network, try this:

Los Angeles

18 - 50

Male

Interests: Burgers, McDonalds, Hamburgers, Fries, Beef

Now, this is a general example, but gives you an idea about what kind of options you have. A fan of burgers is more likely to be interested in burgers than someone who could potentially be a vegan.

As the noose tightens, make sure you are staying ahead of the digital advertising curve, and you’ll be alright, friends.

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Does Your Business Need an App?

In the last 12-months Google has seen a huge surge in a few search terms. The first of which is, “How to build an app for my business?” It’s great that so many business leaders are taking an interest in the final frontier of marketing, but before you jump in with both feet, please ask yourself if your business NEEDS an app.

I stress need because an app can be a great vehicle for some business, but a simple drain on the wallet for others. Accengage recently published a new survey about mobile apps and push notifications. Some of the findings may shock you.

Now, there is a ton of information on the infographic you’re about to see, but the part I’d like to talk about today is at the top of the graphic. There is one glaring stat that you need to explore, and that is, “1/5 users will only launch your mobile app once”. With quality apps starting at $15,000USD, is the production of a company app a good use of your funds?

Apps Facts

The 1/5 stat is actually a bit higher than I was expecting, because most apps produced by businesses highlighting their products or services have sat on my iPhone for years with only one launch. Why?

Well, it comes down to content. The ONLY popular apps are those that constantly push out new and relevant info to an interested audience. The best examples of this would be media, movie theatres, and other rotational businesses.

Having a 20% coupon up for 6-months is not going to keep the people coming back to your app. Weekly deals, new specials, a changing environment; these are the subjects that will keep people launching.

The number one reason any business should want an app is to be able to push notifications out to those that have installed it. Without content to push, there’s no reason to launch. It’s really that simple.

App-etite

So, ask yourself, honestly, “Do I need an app for my business?” Just because someone is out there to present an idea to you, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. It all comes down to this ... do you have the content and ability to push promotions that will keep people engaged weekly? If not, spend more time on your other digital mediums.

And now for the infographic ...

If you need help with your app,  let’s talk.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Okay, Seriously ... Does SEO Actually Work?

I’ve continually had to defend Search Engine Optimization (AKA SEO) as of late. Before I get into exactly what you should expect from SEO, I thought it would be wise to look at what the end game is.

As a whole, the entire practice of SEO is meant to get your brand ranking high on search engines. I say “your brand” because there is misunderstanding amongst many business owners, that SEO is meant to make your website rank higher exclusively. In either low search or highly competitive markets, that singular focus can crush an SEO campaign.

SEO Explained

So, in point form, here’s what you should expect from those providing you with SEO services:

After accepting terms of contract, your SEO should learn as much about your industry as possible, dive into the data about your brand, and be able to make recommendations regarding the next 12 - 18 months worth of work. The person you’re working with should also be well versed in the changes to algorithms taking place at Google, Bing, and other big search.

Your SEO company should work with you to optimize your website. This can be a long process, but is crucial. Now, you’ll likely never hit 100% on-site SEO optimization because various platforms have different rules and languages, but all of the essentials should be covered.

Those essentials include: content optimization, proper tagging, proper headers, ensuring your site has no penalties or error codes, ideal meta descriptions, keyword/phrase consideration, optimized image handling, site speed, no AJAX issues, and connectivity to external services that help track your site.

After your site is optimized, it’s time to pick the low hanging fruit. Your SEO company should be listing you on as many relevant directories and sites as possible. This goes for general directories, such as Yellow Pages to niche industry directories.

If you’re a local business, then local optimization is key. Having a location properly optimized can mean a huge difference on mobile, when someone looks up “XYZ near me”. 

Then, it’s time for back linking power. You should be looking at who currently links to you, and more importantly, who’s hurting your positioning. Spammy ad networks, sites with penalties, and other low quality websites may link to you, bringing you down. At that point you need a cleanse.

Once you’re clean as a whistle, it’s time to build backlinks. Old school guys will tell you this is all about quantity. However, GOOGLE (they kinda know some stuff) has openly said that back links are about quality. Essentially, the link should make practical sense. If it doesn’t, then Google may look at that link as unfavourable. For example: if your run a car dealership, your link should not appear on a magicians resource site.

Social media is important as well. Make sure you have optimized profiles, that are posting, and that your fans/followers are continually engaged. The more people are willing to share your content, the more likely it is to be seen as credible.

Another often overlooked piece to the puzzle is media. You need to expose your brand to media sites such as the local TV station, or credible blogs. In 100% of cases, I’ve seen a properly handled media release boost rankings nearly overnight.

Blogging and guest blogging are aspects of SEO that only stable campaigns with highly engaged staff should be getting involved in. This requires a great deal of time, but will make a difference.

After that, there are certain tricks that SEOs have picked up along the way. Those tricks will be deployed on your behalf, but it’s unlikely that they’ll ever be shared with you. Consider these trade secrets.

Long-Game SEO Strategy

It’s important to remember that this is all ongoing work, and that you won’t rank overnight. You must also be realistic. If there’s giant brands in your industry, without some serious dollars, you’re unlikely to beat them site vs site. That’s where the directories and real world involvement proves valuable.

Your brand should rank, and eventually, so too should your website. That should turn into more clicks, and if you are good at what you do, more sales.

Now, for the frustrating news. This is all long-game, and setting expectations to see results and changes in your rankings in the first year is unrealistic. So, how do you gauge success? The best way, is to get confirmation that work is being done your behalf. If your SEO company can show that the above points are being worked on, then they are worth your time. However, if your SEO company is engaging in black hat SEO techniques it is truly time to move on. 

It all come down to this—you should be able to see the work being done through reporting.

Comparing Google Results

I know long-term marketing work with little, to no, ROI can be frustrating for businesses; especially when you see companies that haven’t had any SEO work done and they’re ranking. You must take a few items into consideration when comparing search engine results:

Have they actually spent any money on SEO? Are you sure you know the answer? There’s apps to determine how much work has been done on a brand’s behalf.

Did they enjoy fantastic critical acclaim?

When were they established? Timeline matters, as SEO has become quite strict in the last couple of years.

Did the media run stories on this business?

How’s their social media campaigning?

Is the owner well known, and has he/she enjoyed media coverage in the past?

Summing up SEO

So there you have it. You know what your SEO company should be doing for you. You also know how to track ROI. You even know how to critically look at your competitors online. That’s a great start.

We hope that clears up some of the ongoing confusion. If you need help with your SEO,  let’s talk.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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What Kind of Website Do I Need?

Thinking about building a website can lead to mental overload. First, you have to decide whether you’re going to build it yourself, or get someone to do it for you. Then, you have to find someone that can take the project on. At that point, you have to decide what kind of website you want built.

There are literally, hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of “website developers” out there in the world today, and they will present you with a plethora of options. 

So, how do you make decisions regarding your new site? Here’s a cheat sheet.

To Build, or To Let Someone Build

If You Build It

You have full control.

You have no middle man to execute changes.

You’re working on your timeline, not competing with other outside projects.

You’ll get to learn a new skill.

You must now take time out from your business to build.

There are endless choices in technology. You won’t be able to keep up.

Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts will surely be negligible. 

If Someone Else Builds It

You can run your business while the site is being built.

You’ll have a wealth of knowledge working for you.

You’re paying for results, which means you’ll get them.

Your site will [should] be optimized for SEO.

An organized workflow, and trackable results.

Now, let’s assume, someone else builds it:

Who Will Build Your Site?

Someone You Know

Examples: Uncle, Friend, Cousin, Nephew, Employee, etc.

They will be fitting your site into their daily lives.

This is likely someone at a small scale operation with limited resources.

You’re probably looking at mixing business and pleasure at this point, which you have to take into consideration.

This is almost always, you’re cheaper option.

Someone You Don’t

Examples: Agency, Firm, Web Designer by-trade, etc.

You’ll be presented with a proposal, and given options.

There will be a structured timeline for completion.

All of the latest trends and tech will be taken into consideration.

This will cost a bit more, but you’re likely to get a greater deal of satisfaction.

What Kind of Site Should I Get?

Your Options

Examples: Custom, Template, Custom Code, Animation, Graphical, etc.

TIP: You probably won’t know what your web dev contact is talking about.

Instead of jargon, think about your commitment to long-term online strategy.

Most analysts say a website should cost around 2% of your gross annual profit, if your business makes less than $5-million, per year. That’s a part of your overall suggested 7 - 8% marketing spend.

You may be scared of the word template. In the 90′s, it suggested that someone was buying a design that would not be reserved exclusively for your site. Essentially, you could end having a site that looks just like your competitors. Today, templates are starting points to get the project launched quickly. If you have a limited budget, ask to start there.

Websites have come a long way. Every quote should contain a CMS system (a way you can make small edits), design, options to add 3rd party video, content drafting, and a responsive site (no matter what screen size someone is on, the site is designed for them to view it).

Don’t Get Caught in the Hype

It’s easy to get lost in the words of a developer, but tell them to stop, and consider your industry, your budget, and your timeline. Even if you’re taking percentages into account, you should never spend less than $1000 on a website, before hosting. You want to motivate developers to do a great job for you.

Now, what does a good job look like? 

http://www.newinc.org/

http://darrenbooth.com/

http://lukeslobster.com/

http://live.wired.com/

http://www.innovationme.com/

These are just some examples of quality websites that incorporate the latest trends, and that you can get done within that budget outlined above. Of course, it’s but 5 examples amongst thousands.

I hope this has helped you make a decision. If you need help with your website,  let’s talk.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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“But I Saw An Article on Facebook ...”

We live in the information age, so naturally there is a ton of data coming at us on a daily basis. Some of that info is interesting, and helpful. Then there’s trolling articles, aimed at getting as many shares and hits as possible to bolster their ad revenue through sensational headlines.

Case in point: This article.

I’ll say this out of the gate. We provide SEO services to clients, so at first glance, this blog could be perceived as me scrambling to keep business. However, dig deeper. The above linked article is dangerous for many reasons.

1) Some of Us “Hang” With Google

Just last week, I was on a call with Google. They outlined that 30,000,000 sites would take a ranking hit in the next few months. They’re cleaning up, and are kicking sites with grossly misleading content to the curb. While it is true that no search marketer has access to Google’s code, we do have access to their people. Through years of communications and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent, we have built relationships with those people. You have a business to run, and don’t have time to build relationships with the right people at Google.

2) His 6 Points are Valid

Jayson talks about 6 important points of SEO, and he’s right. These elements of SEO are important. However, they’re 6 of 205 points identified as an SEO priority by us at Sync. Simply put, there’s steak sandwiches, and then there’s prime rib. Steak sandwiches are fine, but for that top tier experience, you want prime rib. SEO functions the same way. There are shortcuts, but ultimately if you’re taking SEO seriously, you need to cover all of your bases. Eventually, one day SEO might boil down to 6 core principals, but that day is not today. You have a business to run, and don’t have time to figure out what’s happening in SEO on a daily basis.

3) No Technical Expertise Needed

How interesting that Jayson wrote this article, when his company itself, offers technical SEO services. Google has stated in their official SEO guide that technical aspects are important. While content plays a huge role in this, you have a business to run, and don’t have time to deal with sitemaps, canonical data, W3C errors, titles, URL optimization, staying on top of the latest website trends (*cough frames anyone?), and the perfect text to graphics ratio.

4) What’s in a Strategy?

We can’t speak to other companies, but our overall SEO strategy includes on-site optimization, off-site optimization, back linking, content, and directories. We have a full-time department dedicated to these strategies. If, it was at all possible to stay ahead of the SEO game with a more simplistic process, thus saving us time, money, and further streamlining our workflows, we would be all over it. Think from the stand point of a business owner. If something came along to make your life easier, wouldn’t you institute the policy? Of course you would. I’m a business owner and I think the same way. What Jayson is talking about is not an industry killer, but rather an industry optimization shift. His article doesn’t take a client’s industry into consideration, or any other factor. He’s just highlighting what we already know. After all, you have a business to run, and you don’t have time for his core principals (never mind the over 199 points to SEO).

5) What about “The Other Guys”?

Lest we forget, Bing, Yahoo, and the other search engines. While Bing swallowed up Yahoo, there’s still factors for those search engines that don’t resinate across to Google. While Google is the most popular search engine, it’s not the only provider. Concentrating solely on Google is like a social media strategy that ignores Twitter and Instagram. Only in select cases is this not a mis-step. You have a business to run, and don’t have time to worry about all these search engines.

I could go on, but I don’t come off as a bully picking on Jayson. Ultimately, what you want out of SEO will be in direct proportion to the effort. Sound familiar? It should, because that principal is relevant to everything we do in life. Think about it this way; you have a business to run, and barely had time to read this blog.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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How To Be Successful Online

I get asked one question in nearly every meeting, or interaction with people in business, “How can I be successful online?” My answer has always, and will always be the same. Before I give you that answer, I’m going to tell you why I believe in this simple principal.

The 8 Principals of Online Marketing

1. Good Offering What are you offering the world? Is it valuable? Does it work as it should? Is it useful? Can it make an everyday task easier? Your first step to success online is to offer the world a product or service that matters, and functions without much issue. If you offer something to people that truly helps them in some way, you have accomplished the first step of success.

2. Show Off! Have you ever seen online marketing campaigns for a product or service, but then when you get to their place on the web, you find nothing but indirect memes, and viral videos? I’m going to save you some time. Aside from very rare cases, you are wasting your time and your potential customer’s time trying to garner fans of your page’s content, instead of fans of your offering. You need to show off what you do, what you are, and what you produce! There are 1,000,000+ ways to do this, and you need to focus on those. If you own a restaurant, show off food, drink, and ambience. If you own a car dealership, show off your inventory and service record. If you own an electronics store, make people fall in love with your stock. That’s why people online are seeking you out. 

3. Take Time to Craft Your Online Relationships So, you have a slick site, you’re on social media, and you’re ready to show off your amazing product or service; that’s fantastic! But then you get busy. Accounting needs to be taken care of, staff need direction, hiring and firing, inventory needs to be ordered, customers need your attention ... the list is long of daily duties that take priority over marketing. You just don’t have time to deal with notifications, messages, and growing your network. So, your online marketing sits in moth balls, only getting occasional attention. At this point you might as well not have bothered being online at all (as if that’s even an option). 

You need to nurture your online marketing. After all, people are looking to you for your expertise. Would you leave someone waiting at your counter for an answer longer than you should? Of course not.

Accept this simple fact: Online marketing is a full time job. Get realistic about what you have to do. Each and every business NEEDS someone paying attention and continually crafting your online presence. Of course, I would prefer it be my digital advertising agency, Sync, but, no matter what get someone dedicated to this job. It’s the ONLY WAY you’ll see ROI. Whether you employ someone or you work with an agency, if you have a business, you need someone in this role.

4. Don’t Get Hung Up on the Wrong Details Just like in the real world of marketing, we can get hung up on the shiny things in life. What’s more critical to your success? Having the best offerings available for customers, or making sure the display has lights, nobs, and blows minds? In the beginning, it’s all about the product or service. Later, when you grow, maybe then you can worry about the flash, but for now, put your product first and be ready to answer questions.

My peers will kill me for saying this, but don’t go get a fancy, custom website. Don’t go out and pay thousands for graphics. Don’t sign up for every app that can “do something better FOR you”. It’s not worth it in the first few years. Until you don’t have to think about the marketing dollars you’re spending, don’t spend more. Whatever you dedicate to spend in month one is what you should be comfortable spending for the next few years (or until you grow quite a bit).

5. Branding Many feel branding is just a gimmick. They’re wrong. How do I know? We’ve worked with hundreds of companies, and the ones that are successful online care about their branding. I’m shocked by the number of business owners I meet with that don’t have a logo for their company. Colours matter, fonts matter, making sure your advertising across the board is unified matters. Now, we’re not a branding company, so we can’t help a lot here (just the basics) but it is fundamental to your success.

6. Pair With Your Niche Do you go to trade shows? Would you like to? Are you a part of network meetings? Do you know your competition? Have you ever read a trade mag? The principal of knowing your industry and who functions within it is just as important online. Take to the forums, and interact with stories that matter. Your customers are paying attention to this information.

A great example is a restaurant we were working with. When evaluating their online presence we came across a post on a popular industry site. There was but a lone picture of a dish, beautifully prepared, and everyone wanted to know where they could get it. 83 commenters, and no one knew because after all, it was just a random picture on some Winnipeg forum. 83 comments = 83 potential customers. Talk about your wasted opportunities. The post was made in 2013, and it was now 2015. By the time we took over the account and posted on the forum there were only a few members still active. 83 potential customers not nurtured = 4 potential customers.

7. Make it Easy to Buy It’s very clear to me that many business owners are still fighting the digital revolution. Yes, this blog is being written in 2016, and still so many business owners are fighting the future. If that’s you, please stop. It’s time to get on board because it’s happening with or without you. Whatever you sell in your store, you need to sell online too. In business you need to remove barriers for customers, and not having your products online is a barrier. Why don’t you like money?

8. There’s No Timeline The second most common question I get is, “When can I expect to see some results?” This may sound like marketing jargon, but I actually don’t know. Of course, I can make an educated guess, but a guess is exactly what it is. There are far too many variables. How active are your competition? How old is your industry’s digital foot print? How much have you done so far? What kind of traffic does you industry get? The list is long. What any digital marketing professional can promise is that you’ll see ROI in ways traditional marketing can’t duplicate. For more on digital ROI visit this article.

My answer? 

Earlier I said that I’d give you my one line answer whenever I’m asked what makes for a successful business online. Here it is: “You’ll only be successful online if you apply the same principals that made you successful in the first place.”

Nurture your online business, and treat it, not as an extension of your brand, but rather as you would treat the rest of your business. I know that can be a hard pill to swallow. However, what we’re talking about is your livelihood here. 

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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What’s in a “Like”?

Traditional marketers continue to strike against digital marketing in ever more desperate ways. The new argument to hold on to their large accounts is, “A like or a comment means nothing.” I hear it daily. Business owners that are just trying to understand where their marketing dollars should go, repeating some very misguided words.

Many a times we’ve heard the “fact” that a Facebook page like, a website visit, a new connection on LinkedIn, or even interaction with a post doesn’t mean anything. Well, if a like, follow, comment or share don’t mean anything then it’s time for the entire advertising industry to take our ball and go home.

To make the point as to why these types of interactions online mean something, let me pose some critical thinking questions to you.

Why do you advertise on radio?

Why do you advertise on TV?

Why have you taken to print to get your message out there?

How many billboards have you thought about renting?

Have you had some time to think about these questions? Don’t worry, this quiz comes with an answer key. You take to radio for the listeners, TV for the viewers, print for the readers, and other formats for the attention. That’s why you sink your hard earned dollars into any kind of advertising. You’re looking to reach the people.

See, what traditional marketers don’t realize is that when they make the argument against digital, they’re actually setting themselves up to fail as well. If a like doesn’t mean anything then neither does a listener. If a follower is worthless, so to is a viewer. And of course, if a comment is redundant, then I guess all of the online forums these traditional mediums spend thousands of dollars on, are just for show.

The fact of the matter is that likes, comments, fans, connections, followers, shares … all of it … are even more valuable than any listener, viewer, or reader. When a person is done with the radio, TV or paper, they’re done. You have to hope they see your message again. With digital, once someone is a part of your network, they are there to receive your marketing messages for as long as you keep content interesting. There is tremendous value in that. If you nurture those relationships your brand could have a customer for life.

That’s just something that no traditional marketer can offer. So what’s in a like? Reward the potential customer with great content, and a like could mean decades of business with you.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Content Marketing

Content Marketing is a pretty fluid term. It gets bantered about amongst CEOs and marketing professionals on a regular basis. Despite what many might think, Content Marketing is actually pretty difficult. To understand why, we need to take a trip to the past.

When Mad Men (no, not the TV show, the actual professionals) came on the scene it was a very different world. For years, they needed but a few words and a picture to get a message across. At times, that small idea was the only marketing you’d see from a brand for years. In 1988, a marketing agency came up with three little words that changed a brand forever, “JUST DO IT”. Nike has carried those words with them until this very day. The slogan was accompanied by images that built motivation. Rarely, was there anything other than the slogan, the NIKE name and a swoosh in print.

Fast forward to today. Your business has a Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, website, blog; the list goes on and on. That’s all on top of the traditional means of print and radio that the Mad Men had to work with. TV can also be added to top off this list as well. Can you imagine, posting “JUST DO IT” on every digital post? There in lies the rub.

In today’s market, JUST DO IT is presented as #justdoit, and if presented now, it might last a full business quarter [if lucky]. In 2014, Nike has #justdoit #NeverFinished #champ #riskeverything #NikeFree, amongst others. In the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and even 90’s, if you had asked Mad Men to come up with all those slogans in a single calendar year, as well as different visuals on a regular basis, AND content; they would have started building a new office tower. All that work would have cost millions of dollars.

The marketing business has been stripped by young hot shots with big promises, and big dreams of being the next Wieden+Kennedy. W+K was the agency that came up with JUST DO IT. The problem with dreaming such dreams is that the market is completely different now. There’s no more JUST DO IT ideas. Think of the Oreo promotion in 2014; they lasted all of a few weeks, and carried huge price tags. There’s a lot more work involved. It’s not complicated to be sure; there’s a formula. But, creativity is unbelievably important, and creativity is complicated.

If you’ve ever met a writer, or anyone in charge of implementing their creative vision, you know it’s a fickle bunch. Creativity only flows when nothing else is pressing on the mind. That’s why Content Marketing is a tough game, and it’s always best to have people on top of the work that aren’t wrapped up in your sales, your operations, your service department, etc.

Today, there is no JUST DO IT, only #justdoit, and that comes with a lot more weight than it used to. So, before you start pushing out content, think about it for awhile. You need a plan; without, you won’t be able to do much of anything.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Social Media 2016 Stats

Infographics prepared by our friends at We Are Social.

Still think you don’t need to be online with your business?

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PREDICTION: Facebook’s Paid Pages

There’s a lot of buzz around the changes to Facebook Pages. When the service first launched you could invite fans to events, post without boosting, then when boosting came along, you could boost albums. A major feature that has annoyed marketing professionals for the last couple of years is the enforcement of the 20% rule, which effectively allows Facebook to dictate how a company’s branding should appear online.

Our 2015 prediction is that, as Facebook continues to strip away Pages features, they are gearing up for the release of a subscription service. If we’re all being honest, there are far too many under managed, poorly run Pages on Facebook. A subscription service, if priced properly, could allow for a better user experience. Only those serious about advertising on Facebook would be seen.

We envision a service where there is a basic level, free Page. You can boost posts for a premium dollar amount, but for the most part, you’re limited as to what you can do. The subscription pages will offer greater flexibility:

The removal of the 20% rule.

The re-institution of page event invites, boosting for albums, more in-app tabs, better mobile rendering, etc.

Built in reach above that of 0 - 2%. In fact, with a premium subscription, it might be possible to reach “all” fans.

Video covers.

A more expansive top of fold photo library.

This would be great news for the serious Facebook Pages user. Of course, this is just a prediction based on conversations with Facebook, and trends within their business model. If it doesn’t happen in 2015, don’t shoot the messenger.

What do you think?

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Nothing in Life is Free

I have a vivid memory of my childhood, shovelling gravel in the driveway of our country home with my dad. For anyone that’s ever shovelled gravel, you know how arduous a task this can be. After about 45 minutes in the blazing sun, I asked him, “Dad, why don’t we just pay someone to do this?”

His reply was simple, “Nothing in life is free.” After giving him a puzzled look he said, “If I get someone else to do it, then it won’t be done the way I want, and I’ll be out here fixing it anyway. If we do it, it’s done right, and there’s a certain level of pride to doing it yourself. Pride costs. Labour costs. In some way or another, you pay for everything. I’d rather pay this way.”

I share this story with you because anyone getting into social media marketing has to understand this concept that, nothing is free. Many companies assumed social marketing was free for whatever reason. This theory has never been more false than today.

Facebook, the leader in social, has announced yet another move towards making money. How dare they? A company trying to make money. Jerks. We’re looking at a future without much organic reach at all. If you’ve taken a look at your insights over the past 3 months you will undoubtedly see a massive drop in your organic reach. If you haven’t, it is coming.

It’s a pay to play world online now. In 2012, a fan page could reach 50% of their fans organically. In 2013, 16%. Now … well let’s just say you don’t need a “1” in front of the digit. With all of that bad news, you add to this, the announcement that Facebook is going to be showing less fan page text updates. This means that content is king of a larger kingdom [with links, pictures, video, etc.].

However, it’s not all sour grapes, and spilled milk. There is good news. The first of which is that advertising rates online start at $0.08. Second, you only pay for the ads that grab engagement (clicks, likes, etc.). Third, you’re going to reach more people with social than you will with any local campaign on radio, TV or newspaper.

To explore that last point; I’m sure you’ve all heard that teenagers are leaving Facebook in a stampede, and daily usage is down. Well, in the Manitoba market this is true, at times. There’s massive fluctuation. However, even if Facebook lost 2.5% of it’s daily users every month for the next five years, that would still be a considerably larger audience than you will reach with traditional means. The current rate is sitting at under 0.5% once you account for the new users signing up.

So, what’s next for you and social media? Well, there is no question that ad budgets do have to increase some. If you were spending $500 before, you might want to spend $750 now. The exact numbers are calculated between you and your ads manager.

Facebook isn’t the only platform moving in this direction. They’re first, but won’t be last. Conversion must be considered with every post in this brave new world, and it’s probably time to look at just how effective traditional marketing is for your company. A bit of budget restructuring will go a long way in 2014.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Social Media ... “It Doesn’t Work”

I spoke to a potential client today, and he said something to me that I hear all too often around the water cooler, at clubs, while shopping, and just about everywhere I go. This isn’t verbatim, but the line goes something like this;

“I talked to a guy in the newspaper business, and he says social media doesn’t work. More so, he says that it’s a complete waste of time.”

I thought about this statement for a moment, then realized that the stats are on our side. Better yet, rationale lives here too. Rationally speaking, traditional marketing gurus hold social media to a standard to which they would never hold their own services or products. Many of those old school guys say things like, “how is a status supposed to sell a car?” or “putting your money into ads on Google makes zero sense.” Yet, somehow billboards that people fly by in their cars, or ads in magazines are never criticized for their lack of sales. At least with social media, you get ROI and great analytics, plus you can target people by any number of geographical or demographics options.

Social Media (Digital Marketing) Stats

Facebook is the 3rd largest country in the world, so to speak.

More people Tweet than have every purchased a subscription to any magazine.

Coke’s advertising budget has digital dedication to the tune of 40%.

Retail shopping has taken a sharp dip of over 8%, while e-commerce has increased by more than that percentage represents.

Online reservations at Las Vegas nightclubs now account for over 90% of business compared to phone-in.

83% of US shoppers research their purchase online before buying.

The point is that social media and digital properties are a willing part of the buying process, while many traditional marketing practices are simply in the way. 

TV vs Social Media

Think about your daily life. What happens when you’re watching The Bachelor (you don’t have to admit you watch it out loud, but we know you do, and there are no judgments here) and a commercial comes on? Most people do something else. The commercial—in essence—becomes white noise. Now, an ad hits you on Facebook. You have three options:

Scroll past it.

Remove it from ever hitting your timeline again.

Interact with it.

If you scroll past it, no big deal, because that just means the advertiser (if they’re running their account properly) won’t have to pay for you to have seen that ad. If you remove it from your feed, great! Yes, I said great, because this means we’ve now weeded out someone that will never use the product or service, and best of all, we won’t spam them. If you interact with it; even better! Now, there’s a good chance we can keep that customer up-to-date on all new promotions. Better yet, the ad cost you a few bucks to create, a few cents per interaction, and you’ve retained a possible customer into your network.

Other Social Media Highlights

You are the brand, but you’re also the controller of your own media.

Cost per experiment is low.

Consumers are more guarded with their profiles than ever before. If they like you ... they actually like you. This is a great start to the sales funnel.

To-the-minute updating. Advertising that your deals are “The Bomb” and then something unfortunate happens in the world? On TV, your ad could still be running for days (it’s happened). Online, you can show you are sensitive to the plight of others and pause that campaign.

Retention like never before in history!

Customers often become brand ambassadors. 

Still want to take out an ad on TV?

Truth be told, traditional marketing guys should be trying to play nice with social and digital marketing folk. Billboards, radio, Facebook, Google, and ads in both worlds have their place. We may all disagree as to how much should be spent where, but the sandbox is big enough for all of us to play in.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Big Social Changes are Coming

I feel like whenever I write a blog about social media, it’s about change. Today’s change is very important, however. In fact, since brands started to realize the power of social media, this is the change that we’ve been waiting for.

Let’s take a trip down Memory Lane before I get to the actual change though.

Back when brands first started paying attention to social media, the mandate was post quantity. No formula! Then media became an important piece of the puzzle. Still no formula! Quality started to take over one fine sunny afternoon (the weather and time cannot be confirmed or denied). Okay, a little bit of formula! Then ads came into the social media world like a wrecking ball … quite literally. Ads have turned off some to social altogether, but for others, it’s made the experience far more enjoyable, as they get the jump on new information and toys. Companies have been throwing money at ads like they did at TV back in the day. A bit of formula and money, finally!

Now, though, everyone’s wondering what they can do to make social media work for them. 

Social Media in Question

Ask yourselves these questions before you do anything online:

Why would this work?

Why would the customer care?

How could this benefit the business?

What action do I want my target customer to take?

What will I do to make them take that action?

What does the sales funnel look like?

The Formula

If you break social media down to those key questions, you soon realize there is an actual formula for success in digital. The formula won’t last forever though. Currently, Zucks and the team at Facebook are hard at work dictating the next change for 2017. For now though, there’s a formula! 

Want to know what that formula is? Well, for clients of SYNC, we’re deploying the formula as of 12-minutes ago. For those of you that aren’t clients:

Let’s Get Started!

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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The Case for Smart Marketing

Today, I was embroiled in a debate with a friend, co-worker, and guy whom I consider to be a pretty intelligent homo sapien. His stance is that because his business does well without social media, there is no need for it. If you don’t give his position more than a second’s thought, it would seem this friend—whom we shall call Natt—has a point.

Luckily, I gave it more than a second’s thought, and in the end would like to make a case for, not only social marketing, but marketing as a whole. Here we go.

Let’s deal with the idea of marketing. We do this so that the masses may know about whatever it is we’re selling. When a business does well, the marketing guys are left to their own devices. When a business is performing at a less than optimum level, the marketing department is the first to see cutbacks. I guess if your team isn’t doing a good job, the case could be made for cutting back in this area. We’ll discuss more about that in a bit. Playing the devil’s advocate, I’d like to say that if your product or service is under-performing, perhaps you need to look at the actual product or service first. Here’s some questions you should ask yourself:

Am I fulfilling a need in the market place?

Is there anyone asking for what it is I’m selling?

Is there a trend coming that I can get ahead of?

Will my team get behind the cause?

Is my plan realistic?

Now, let’s pretend you’re running a business that sells a device which allows owners to have a conversation with their pets. There is a defined need for your product. Everyone would like a better understanding of their dog’s needs, so there’s people asking for it. You’re ahead of a trend in wearable tech. The last two; the team and the plan—we’ll assume are on point.

Now, you go to market, and you sell a staggering 4 units. Why? What happened? Clearly your marketing team isn’t doing their job. Now, for the cutbacks right? Not so fast. You need to first look at what you’re marketing team is doing. Are all of the bases covered?

A traditional marketing source (newspaper, billboard, radio, etc.)

PR (who’s talking to the media about what you do?)

Social marketing (are you controlling the online conversation?)

Digital solutions (how’s your site, SEO, online PR, etc.?)

Promotions team (is there a face?)

Budgets (where are you spending the money?)

ROI (is there someone looking at your return on investment?)

Each of these points above is a piece to an all encompassing campaign. There are additional pieces of course like R&D, but these are the required 21st century pieces to marketing. When you are devoid of one piece, you are giving your competition the advantage. Think of it like this:

Traditional marketing targets people in between what they love, such as reading articles, or listening to music.

PR is seen as an informed perspective regarding your product or service.

Social marketing is the conversation piece of your campaigning.

Digital solutions ensure that when people search for your industry, they find you.

A promotions team uses human psychology to sell your product and service on the spot.

Budgets ensure that you spend ad dollars wisely.

Measuring your ROI allows you to know which of these practices are working.

Of course, old timers that have no interest in evolving their thinking will stand against social marketing. It’s the nature of not understanding something—you push it away. However, I’m sure at one point printing presses were pretty scary too, but smart business owners still printed flyers. Oh, and what about that talking box in the living room? Infommercials were still produced.

At the end of the day, if you’re selling a good product that people want or need, and you cover your bases in marketing, you should be fine. That’s, of course, if you work hard.

To those whom are skeptical, let it be said; if you could get a billboard at Times Square for your international product or service, or an ad during the Superbowl, you’d do it, wouldn’t you? Of course you would. Why? Because that’s where the people are. Well bucko, at any given time there are plenty of people online looking for you … or your competitor. Who do you want them to do business with?

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall

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Sync Digital Solutions: No Paper, No Meetings

Sync Digital Solutions was formed as a result of a merger between two companies. A goal for the company has been to be as green, and technologically driven as possible. That is why we are proud to announce our new No Paper, No Meetings mission. What does this mean exactly?

No Paper Policy

Over the years, we’ve accumulated storage rooms full of paper. In 2015, we decided that those storage rooms had to go. That’s when our team decided to tackle the issue. We looked to different apps and programs that could help us achieve a paperless office. A year later, we have succeeded. The file rooms are gone and we have digitized our entire workflow.

However, as a green company, this was just a first step. 

No Meetings Policy

This might seem like a strange policy, however when you look at what Sync Digital Solutions is at its core, you better understand why a no meetings policy is important.

First, we’ve been meeting the same way for generations. We drive to a location, chit chat, get down to the subject-at-hand, then drive back to our office, and attempt to get back into a workflow. Not only is this inefficient for all, but it’s not very environmentally friendly.

We look at all subject matter objectively. The vast majority of topics can be handled through email or Slack chat. Others require Google Hangouts or FaceTime. In select cases, a meeting is required. Face-to-face meetings equate to about 5% of our overall meetings. 

Is this a Good Thing?

Being environmentally aware, and cutting down on the time it takes to tackle issues are obvious benefits of our new way of handling projects. However, in a real world sense, it has helped us to be more productive. By cutting down on travel, our staff and clients find it easier to slide back into their workflows. Clients spend up to 5 hours less per month meeting with us, which is valuable time spent on other areas of business. Since beta-testing this policy, we have increased productivity by over 35% on some days! That’s great news for our clients that we’re working on behalf of.

This also allows us to save on expenses related to our global client base. Gone are the days of needing to expense flights around the globe just to have a meeting. All clients, no matter their location, get equal services, and hours of flights, numerous expenses such as hotel, cab, and airfare are all eliminated from the equation. The policy is both more cost-effective for Sync and the client, and a more prudent use of time.

Ultimately, this is a change that is both odd, and exciting. It really does take some getting used to, but the results are undeniable, and after the brief learning curve, this has changed the way we and our clients do business. So much so, that some of our clients have adopted the policy themselves. In the end, it’s just another concept that we hope will go viral.

Written by Managing Partner Jay Hall