We are pleased to announce a special exclusively for Univerity CoWork Members and friends! University CoWork offers office space on the southside of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood. The resources and network provided to us have been invaluable.
As the spread of the COVID19 pandemic continues and the hysteria grows, all of our small businesses are without a doubt taking a BIG hit. In Illinois Governor JB Pritzker ordered the closing of both restaurants and bars for the entire month of March. With social distancing increasing, we are trying to look on the bright side. Running a small business is very time consuming and many times we forget to work on the internal workings that help our businesses run. With some “quarantined” free time, here are nine ways to improve your business during the COVID19 pandemic.
Improve Your Website. Have you been putting off that new web design? Do you have features you have wanted to add but don’t want the website downtime? Well, we have some downtime. There may not be a better time with business paused than now, to improve your company website.
Add Automation. Marketing automation is one of the four most popular methods for creating personalized customer experiences. Even if it is something simple, like adding a chatbot to your website, automation will improve your business efficiencies as it continues to grow once the coronavirus is behind us.
Content Creation. Freshen up your brand by redoing some of your marketing collateral. Here at Allevi8 Marketing, we are in the process of doing just that. Get rid of the old flyers, business cards, and brochures and bring in some designs to elevate your company image.
SEO. 70-80% of search engine users are only focusing on the organic results and investing in search has never been more important. Building an SEO strategy and executing it takes time, discipline and strategic execution.
Google My Business Page – A typical business receives 59 actions from their Google My Business listing each month. On average, 56% of actions on Google My Business listings are website visits which present a great opportunity to convert visitors into customers. Take some time and make sure you have a Google My Business Page and that it is fully functional. Google has implemented a lot of additions to the Google My Business platform recently.
Get Reviews. Reviews are imperative in gaining customers in the digital age. There is no excuse now for not reaching out to those customers you have done such a great job with to ask for a review. And better yet, they don’t have an excuse for not leaving you a review! In times like these, we need to help each other out.
Send Thank You Notes to Clients. A simple thank you goes a long way in appreciating your customers or clients. Get out the pen and paper and send a thank you the old fashion way. It’s a great way to maintain high customer retention rates and an even better way to make someone’s day that may be in need of hearing some appreciation during this pandemic.
Start a Business Blog. Have you been wanting to add a blog section to your website? Get to typin’! A blog does wonders for your visitor engagement, visitor acquisition, and your website SEO.
Learn & Grow. I don’t know how many times I find an excuse to not pick up a book or dive into some up and coming marketing tactics. During our quarantine, the LEAST we can do is learn and grow as individuals and as professionals. Take a look at some books on audible or dive down the YouTube rabbit hole for some industry-specific techniques you may need some refreshing on.
As we weather and fight the storm that is the coronavirus, know that we are here to help you and your small business. We hope these nine ways to improve your business during the COVID19 pandemic have helped! If you need any assistance during this trying time. PLEASE, don’t hesitate to reach out. Everyone stay safe and please, quit hoarding the damn toilet paper.
Allevi8 Marketing is a small business marketing agency located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium-sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. At Allevi8 Marketing we provide a wide range of digital and traditional marketing solutions, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
The strongest vehicle you can use in 2018 to push your brand, increase sales and generate the highest return-on-investment (ROI) is video. Did you know that more than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day? If you are failing to utilize video, your small business is missing out on a huge chunk of customers. Allevi8 Marketing provides 10 reasons why your small business needs to use video and how it can improve your bottom line.
Engagement. Vision is our most dominant sense. Most information transmitted to our brain is visual. Having video on your website, on YouTube and other social media channels will keep your visitors and followers much more engaged. Video posted to social media generates 1200% more shares than text and images. While, video attracts two to three times as many monthly visitors to your website.
Boost Revenue. Small businesses who use video grow revenue 49% faster than those that do not. Additionally, studies show that 74% of users who watched an explainer-video about a product subsequently bought it. Having a well put together video strategy that is well-executed will raise revenue undoubtedly.
Increased Credibility. Gaining a potential customer’s trust is a key ingredient to converting them to buying customers. 57% of consumers say that videos gave them more confidence to purchase online. Implementing video may be what you are missing for your small business to take the next step.
Live Video. The introduction and rise of live video on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has created another huge marketing platform for video. The number of people engaging with live videos has increased exponentially year over year. 1 in every 5 Facebook video is live and is watched 3 times longer than normal videos. Strategize a well thought out plan for how your small business can utilize live video in your marketing plan.
E-Mail Marketing. With e-mail marketing losing steam, a great way to boost your e-mail marketing campaign is to add video to it. E-mail that includes a video receives an increase click-through rate by 96%.
Messaging. Whether you’re launching a new product or explaining a difficult concept video offers the perfect platform to get your entire message across. The attentiveness of the prospect is much higher when it comes to video in comparison to text or images.
Mobile Video. We have discussed over and over again the importance of mobile marketing. Video and smartphones go hand in hand. 90% of consumers watch videos on their mobile phone. Produce a high-quality video that will provide strong resolution on all mobile devices.
SEO. As a small business owner, you should always be looking for ways to improve your presence on Google (Search Engine Optimization). You’re 53 times more likely show up first on Google if you have a video embedded on your website. Since Google now owns YouTube, there has been a significant increase on how much videos affect your search engine rank.
Augmented Reality. We have seen the beginning of this already with the latest animated emoji update for Apple’s iPhone X. Augmented Reality (AR/Virtual Reality) is coming to the masses and you should consider how your small business can stay ahead of the curve by implementing it into your video marketing campaign.
The New Google. In 2017, YouTube passed Google in searches with 42 million to Google’s 40 million. If you want to be present on the worlds biggest search engine your going to need to have some video content. Creating a YouTube Channel to push your small business is a must for your marketing campaign.
Allevi8 Marketing is a small business marketing agency located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium-sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
Technology is all around us. When you ask Siri or Alexa a question, you are using technology. Utilizing voice to text? Yes, another example of technology. When Pandora or Netflix recommend a song or TV show to you, technology. What you may fail to realize is that all three of these examples are also examples of Artificial Intelligence (A.I). Artifical Intelligence offers many solutions that can be beneficial to your small business.
Improve Efficiency. By utilizing automated programming to reorder supplies when they get low or taking advantage of voice services, you can improve your company’s efficiency. Making your small business more efficient will allow for higher productivity levels and increased margins.
Better Customer Service. Differentiating yourself from a competitor with superior customer service is one of the greatest powers a small business can use. Companies have been improving their customer support processes and customer experience through the use of chatbots. A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate a conversation with human users over the internet. 48% of consumers would rather connect with a company via live chat than any other means of contact. Chatbots are inexpensive and easy to implement to your website.
Superior Hiring. Has your small business been struggling to find the right candidate? Artifical intelligence will improve your hiring process. Being able to leverage the technology to filter in and out candidates based on your company’s culture profile and requirements is something AI can provide.
Streamline Training. Having employees who can do their job confidently and correctly is essential to a successful small business. You can implement A.I. that assists with the training of your team, and help improve forecasting.
Allevi8 Marketing is a small business marketing agency located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium-sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
As 2017 exits and 2018 enters, it’s a great time to analyze your small business marketing strategy. Marketing is an industry that is constantly evolving and changing. Is your small business keeping up with the latest marketing trends and techniques? Allevi8 marketing provides you with 8 critical marketing techniques to use in 2018.
Be Mobile. The numbers do not lie. You must have an engaging mobile website in 2018. 80% of internet users own a smartphone. Over 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead. Mobile marketing must be a pillar of your 2018 marketing campaign and a mobile website is an absolute must.
Use Video. Did you know that in 2017 YouTube had two million more searches than Google? Video engages prospects much higher than text and images. Not only does it improve the experience on your website but it also improves your social media engagement.
Focus Socially. For the last five years businesses have been told, if you’re not on social media you’re losing customers. So, small business owners rush to create accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Linkedin and all the other platforms. Figure out which networks are most important to your business and spend time growing the followings and creating engaging content. On the flipside, consider dropping accounts that aren’t delivering lead generation and brand awareness.
Local SEO. As a small business, it is important to target local keywords with SEO techniques. A small business can’t afford the huge AdWord campaign like bigger companies can. Invest some money in search engine optimization to get to that first page of Google. With another year in the books, more people are becoming tolerant to the AdWord listings and scrolling right down to the organic search results.
Advertise Digitally. If you’re not yet participating in digital advertising, 2018 is the year to do it. There are a variety of different options for digital advertising that can be executed on the smallest of budgets. Experiment with different platforms like Google AdWords, pay-per-click advertising, or social media advertising to see what works for your business.
Automate. Yes, personalization is a key component of delivering your message. But don’t become so consumed that you push out marketing automation altogether. Automation can make your life easier and help you leverage your time. Did you know that 92% of small businesses lose money every single month because they ignore marketing automation?
Be Emotional. Focus your messaging to really attack the human emotion. Millennials, especially, want to share and participate in feel-good campaigns. The more volatile emotionally your messaging is, the more likely it is to be shared on social media platforms.
A.I. is Here. The age of the robot is upon us, just kidding (sort of). Artificial intelligence is going to really play a huge role in business not only in 2018 but for years to come. 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human by 2020. I know what your thinking. I own a small business, there’s no way I can afford something like that. But you can. We explain more about artificial intelligence for small business
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Allevi8 Marketing is a certified Google AdWords digital marketing agency that is Better Business Bureau accredited located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium-sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From design to social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
Advertising has always been an ever-evolving industry, and Google AdWords took control at the turn of the last decade. Google AdWords is a PPC, pay-per-click, advertising model where you only pay when someone actually engages your advertisement with a click. It allows your advertisements to be posted to the top of each Google Search within the keywords you select for your campaign. Google has become the ultimate resource for prospective buyers. 81% of consumers conduct a Google Search before making a purchase. If you want your product at the top, Google AdWords offers many benefits to small business owners.
Allevi8 Marketing is a certified Google AdWords digital marketing agency that is Better Business Bureau accredited located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium-sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From design to social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
“We are in a retail apocalypse!”
“Amazon!”
“Millennials!”
These are a few of the excuses that you may hear from struggling retail stores that have seen their sales slide year over year. Are these excuses legitimate? Maybe. As of September 2017, there have been over 5,300 major store closing announcements, which is triple the amount during the same period last year. But, maybe not. We have seen major retail brands like TJ-Maxx, Aldi, Ulta, Target and Ross all announce major expansion plans. In June, Warren Buffett announced a 377 million dollar stake in REIT Store Capital Corp, a huge signal that one of the world’s greatest investors believes retail is worth betting on. If your retail business is struggling you may need to analyze your marketing strategies and reevaluate the ways you are trying to generate sales. Today, we provide you with eight marketing tactics to increase your brick and mortar retail sales in the digital age.
Website – Not having a website in 2017 as a business is inexcusable, especially for a retail store. Make sure you have an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) ready website that is mobile friendly and is visually appealing. A website will give your business credibility and provide customers with the information necessary for building their awareness.
E-Commerce – Having a brick and mortar store doesn’t mean you can’t sell products online as well. Look at major retailers like Wal-Mart and Walgreens who have invested millions upon millions in their e-commerce platforms. Offering sales online will not only give you an additional storefront but will allow prospective customers an inside peek of your store’s current inventory.
“Especially as a local retailer, think of the value you can get from a website AND e-commerce site. Help get rid of stale inventory and extend your sales and brand beyond your four walls. Most importantly, you want to be where your customers are – and that is not always where you are,” says Terrand Smith, CEO, and Founder at 37 Oaks Retail Consulting.
Branding – Have you considered a brand makeover? Every business must evolve their brand as time goes on. Redesigning a logo, adding fresh signage or redoing a product’s packaging can go a long way in increasing your revenue.
“Branding is one of the tactics that often gets underestimated. There is so much competition out there that it’s important to not only be clear as to how you are different, but to clearly communicate it. Customers have so many options, you want the buck to stop with you,” continues Ms. Smith.
E-Mail Marketing – Make sure you are capturing e-mails from all customers that shop in your store. Collecting an e-mail database and reaching out to previous customers offers a huge ROI.
Social Media – This is another no-brainer in 2017. Make sure your business is active and creative through social media. Have a Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at the very least. Even on a micro-budget, you should commit an amount to advertising on your social channels. At just $5 a day, you can see a good, consistent return over time.
Local SEO – 81 percent of people conduct a google search before buying something. Your business needs to be visible on Google’s first page for local keywords. For example, if you’re a bakery on Chicago’s South Side, you would want to make sure you are targeting keywords like “best bagels in Chicago” or “Southside Chicago Bakery.” Local SEO campaigns can help big time in driving traffic into your brick and mortar location.
Google Verified Business – By far the easiest to accomplish on the list, have a google verified business. Google will send a postcard to your location to validate the authenticity of your store’s location. This will help with your SEO, reputation, and credibility. It’s completely free and only a few clicks away. Here is how you begin the process.
SMS Marketing – Utilizing an SMS marketing campaign can really help improve your sales. SMS Marketing allows you to send a text message to prospective customers offering them special promotions or informing them of your in-store happenings. Coupons delivered via SMS have redemption rates 10 times higher than those of printed coupons and should only continue to grow.
If you’re not utilizing any of these marketing tactics, it’s not too late! In business, sometimes you must pivot and adapt to survive. Applying these digital strategies will definitely help those declining sales, and we are ready to help. We are experts in each tactic and would love to hear how we could help you grow your business.
Allevi8 Marketing is a digital marketing agency located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980 – now 36-51 years old) represents an estimated population of 66 million people or 25% of the U.S. population. Generation X is smaller in population than our two previous featured generations (millennials and baby boomers). They currently make more money than the average Millennial but have far more long-term financial commitments. 54% plan to work past age 65 or do not plan to retire as they have become accustomed to a certain level of lifestyle. Your business can successfully market to Generation X using a mix of older traditional marketing tactics as well as new age strategies that have proven successful with the younger generations.
Television. With on-demand television programming and streaming services, live television viewership has started to decline. 61% of Gen Xers would choose traditional cable over streaming services if they had to choose just one. While this is almost a direct inverse of the millennials. Using television ad campaigns, particularly during highly anticipated live events, is a great way to drive your message to this generation.
You’ve Got Mail. Whether you’re executing an e-mail marketing campaign or an old fashioned direct mail campaign, Gen Xers respond to each. Generation X still holds an appreciation for standard mail, using it in personal and professional settings. They also are very in-tune with their personal email accounts. Having a good mix of each will benefit your business when targeting this generation.
Back In the Old Days. I always tell my clients, nothing sells better than emotion. A great way to pull on the Generation X’s heart strings is to take them back to the good old days. We’ve seen a ton of successful product and brand relaunches in the past few years (retro video games, clothing styles, TV & Movie remakes, children’s toys). Get creative in your company’s messaging and try to connect with Generation X with a certain level of nostalgia.
Facebook. Like the baby boomers, Generation X’s loves them some Facebook. 81% of Gen-X have a Facebook account while over half of them are active users. Unlike millennials, Generation X is pretty responsive to advertisements and view it as a trusted source for information and promotion. Running an ad campaign on Facebook is definitely recommended when targeting 36-51-year-olds.
Mix It Up. Generation X is stuck between the baby boomers, responsive to traditional marketing tactics, and millennials, extremely unresponsive to traditional marketing tactics. Their buying behaviors show that they have absorbed a little of both generations. For example, 62% of Generation X still reads the newspaper and 48% listen to traditional radio programming. Yet they are very active online and as young adults grew up with the internet. Having a strong marketing mix is extremely important when you are putting together your company’s marketing strategy.
Allevi8 Marketing is a digital marketing agency located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
The baby boomers are a generation that grew up in an era of reform believing that they could change the world. Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, and control almost 70% of the nation’s disposable income. They went from Hippie to Yuppie, understanding that the world doesn’t owe them anything. Unafraid of confrontation, baby boomers will challenge authority and push the norm. In the second of our five-part series (Marketing to a Generation: Millennials), we provide you with marketing strategies to acquire the baby boomers.
Not So Fast. On December 31, 2029, the last of the Boomers will turn 65. The 65+ population segment is projected to double to 71.5 million by 2030 and grow to 86.7 million by 2050. Possibly more than 80 million will be on Medicare and Social Security. Baby boomers are not your typical retirees. 13% of the generation are delaying retirement due to a desire to stay active. When it comes to baby boomer marketing keep in mind that they’re not like prior generations. Baby boomers will travel, be adventurous and live life to the fullest as they enter the final quarter of their lifespan.
Facebook. Whether they are keeping up with family across the country or sharing politically related content, baby boomers love them some Facebook. The average baby boomer has at least 130 Facebook friends with an astounding usage rate of 85%. Digital targeting via Facebook is a must for your business to acquire the baby boomer.
Mobile. We found out how important it was to be mobile friendly for the millennial generation. Baby boomers aren’t too far behind, surprisingly. 89% of boomers have a cell phone, and 13% have completely ditched their landline. Baby boomers are extremely active on tablets. Boomers are 5 times as likely as the general population to own an iPad or another tablet. If your business is failing to market to the mobile customer, then your business is most likely failing. Have a mobile strategy and please make sure that your website is fully responsive to all types of devices.
Promo. Baby boomers grew up on coupons and newspaper inserts. They love a good buy or a special sale. 79% of baby boomers prefer a store valued, generic brand over a brand name product that is a higher price point. Make sure you are driving the value of your products home to baby boomers and continuously being creative in your promotional strategies.
Missing Out. Baby boomers are an under targeted generation. Many brands and strategist feel the messaging that is effective with baby boomers will push away larger buying groups (millennials) and age their brand. But baby boomers still are 25% of the total population, with over three trillion in buying power but less than 5% of total ad dollars are targeted towards this group. If you can get creative, this generation is waiting to be marketed to.
Text Please. As you have read in previous articles, video is the overwhelming marketing trend that is providing high ROIs and crazy engagement rates. But baby boomers actually prefer text over video. While Boomers spend a large portion of their time online, they spend less of this time watching online video than Millennials and Generation X. The length of your ad copy can be much more descriptive and longer than you would typically expect for an effective advertisement.
Allevi8 Marketing is a digital marketing agency located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.
Privileged, narcissistic, entitled, spoiled, job hoppers, are some of the adjectives that you may hear used to describe the millennial generation, those born in 1982 and approximately the 20 years thereafter. Now whether these are true descriptions of the millennial generation remains to be seen. But we do know that millennials surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living generation. Millennials in the US wield about $1.3 trillion in annual buying power, more than any other generation. If your business is failing to charm millennials, then your business is failing. Take a look at how you can reach this trendy, tech-savvy generation and help improve your business.
Think In, Not Out. Millennial consumers are immune to traditional advertisements. Millennials want to feel connected when it comes to their buying decisions, 0utbound marketing methods, like print ads, direct mail campaigns, and television advertisements, do not work with millennials. In the mind of a young consumer, these are cold and unfriendly avenues of interaction, filled with semantics and lacking any real substance. This generation demands more customer-driven, personalized marketing. Inbound marketing techniques will be much more effective in reaching the millennial generation. According to Elite Daily, only 1% of millennials surveyed said that a compelling advertisement would make them trust a brand more.
Be Mobile. When looking at smartphone owners by age, penetration is highest among millennials aged 18-24, 98% of whom own smartphones. Millennials aged 25-34 are right on their heels, with a 97% ownership rate according to Nielsen. If your marketing strategy isn’t targeting the mobile user, then you’re missing out on millennials. Make sure you have a responsive, mobile friendly website. Tailoring your marketing strategy to be in-line with the digital age is important to acquire new customers.
Content is King. Creating awesome, creative content will help lure millennials. Actively creating original content and using white-hat SEO strategies to acquire organic traffic will pay off. Millennials are 44% more likely to trust experts (who happen to be strangers); they are 247% more likely to be influenced by blogs or social networking sites.
Trending Socially. It’s no secret that millennials are constantly on their phone, taking pictures, sharing posts and all other things social. 62% of millennials say that if a brand engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to become a loyal customer. Be active on the proper platforms. Snapchat and Instagram have risen above Facebook as the preferred social network amongst millennials. If your business isn’t active and creative on social media, then chances are you are missing out on a big chunk of business.
Loyal Customers. It may surprise you that millennials are actually very brand loyal customers. More than 60% are often or always loyal to brands that they currently purchase. While it may be difficult to get them as a customer, once you do, your business will see the benefits for years to come.
Customer Service. Customer service is important no matter the age. But millennials understand the value of social media and how to use that to influence buying choices. 70% of millennials feel a responsibility to share feedback with companies after a good or bad experience. Writing a bad review on Facebook or Yelp can go a long ways in the eye of a millennial. Be sure to treat them with high levels of customer service to avoid any negative reviews.
Be Experienced. Millennials are waiting to get married and have kids as well as putting off many other impactful, life-changing decisions in exchange for an experience. Millennials want customized experiences and they are willing to pay a premium for it. Make sure your company is thinking outside the box to make sure you create unique, original buying experiences in order to acquire and retain the millennial customer.
Give. Millennials expect you to give back to the community or be involved in social changing activities. 75% of millennials said that it’s either fairly or very important that a company gives back to society instead of just making a profit. Partnering with a non-profit or getting involved in charitable causes is not only good for the world, but charity is good for business.
Allevi8 Marketing is a digital marketing agency located on Chicago’s Southside. We create awesome websites and digital experiences for small to medium sized businesses. Providing full branding and creative abilities to our clients, we help your business get more customers. From social media management to SEO to public relations, we will help you grow your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and be where the world is going.