My internship at Sonnhalter has been such a big opportunity for me. Not only have I gained experience in my chosen field, but I also got to hold a wrench that was nearly as big as me, so I guess it’s up to you which is more important.
One of the first things I was given to work on here was a press release on something I knew absolutely nothing about. It was definitely a challenge and far from the fake scenarios I used to write press releases for in my Intro to PR class, but I liked knowing that what I wrote was going to reach people and be used.
My favorite part of the internship has been writing blog posts, like this one. I enjoyed researching any given topic and putting it into my own words, as well as inputting my own personality into the blog posts. Writing these blog posts has also given me the opportunity to gain experience more about a variety of topics, such as the connection between toilet plungers and CPR.
I got the chance to experiment with graphics and creating videos, something that I didn’t have much experience with beforehand. I was even able to contribute a donation location to the annual tool drive, something I am particularly proud of.
Even though I am going to miss most of the Tool Drive since I move back to my college house at the beginning of August, I really liked knowing that I was working towards helping people in need. I enjoyed seeing things that I created go towards a greater goal of partnering with Habitat for Humanity.
With the experience and knowledge that I have gained from this internship, I feel confident in my capabilities going forward and I know that I will only learn more with every opportunity I get. I know that wherever I end up, I will have Sonnhalter to thank for starting me on my path.
It’s no secret that blog posts are a vital piece of marketing. In 2022, 90% of businesses used blog posts as a part of their marketing strategy. But how can you make sure your blog posts are reaching their full potential? Here are five ways to leverage your blogs.
Have a strong headline and break up your content (just like this)
The most important thing is to make sure your blog posts are both reader and search friendly. Blog posts that utilize headings and proper spacing are both pleasing to the eye and helpful in boosting your search engine optimization (SEO).
A good, strong headline that draws readers in is also essential. Your headline should tell readers they will gain something from reading your blog post – whether it is informational, educational or for entertainment, your readers must get something out of reading your blog post.
Include strong meta descriptions to also help attract customers to your blog. This also doubles for optimizing your SEO.
Develop your voice through your writing
Show readers a more personal side of your brand that they can relate to. No one wants to read blogs that are bland with zero unique personality. When your blog is friendly and personable, customers feel more comfortable interacting with your brand and purchasing from it.
Traditional marketing methods, like print ads or brochures, certainly have their merits, but blogging allows customers to see the people behind the brand and what the brand is meant to represent. Think of how the fast-food franchise Wendy’s became iconic for the humorous and sarcastic responses across their social media and how their engagement and sales increased.
Find your voice and work it through your blog posts. Don’t shy away from being clever and witty, or sincere and heartfelt if that is what your brand is. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to be yourself!
Build trust with your customers
Blogs are meant to be relatable and relaxed. The informal nature of blogs is meant to encourage customers to engage so that you can understand each other better. Establishing a relationship between business and customer is essential to building trust.
Customers trust blogs that know what they’re talking about. Share your expertise to lend to your credibility. Include topics like industry insights or tutorials that highlight your expertise. Blog posts with success stories add value to the relationship between you and your customers.
Make your website a destination
Other ways to build trust include engaging in conversation by asking and answering questions. Customers want to interact with brands, but only if they value their customers engagement and respond to it. Keep an upbeat, light-hearted tone throughout your interactions to encourage customers to continue interacting.
Repeat traffic is the lifeblood of websites. A HubSpot study reported that companies with a blog receive 97% more links to their website. Your blog will give people a reason to revisit your website. This is why it is important to have a personality in your blog so that it is more appealing and readable.
Really go the extra mile by providing free resources on your blog – reliable industry tips, free downloads and guides will keep customers visiting your sites. It is also a good idea to include links to other places on your website in your new blog posts to keep things such as older blog posts in circulation.
Be Passionate!
Enjoy what you’re writing! Things that you are enthusiastic to write about are exciting to read about and will inspire more action from your readers. Write about things you care about and skip the things that bore you, because customers will be able to tell. Blog posts aren’t meant to be something checked off a to-do list; they should be fun, upbeat and engaging.
Blog posts with clear passion and good energy will exemplify the care you have for your industry, which will influence your readers to have that same energy when they interact with your brand.
As trade show season approaches, your company might be wondering what can you do to drive traffic to your booth. In the past, we’ve seen some creative ideas like puppies, arcade games and more! In this blog post, we will discuss different ideas of how you can draw attention to your booth.
Games
When it comes to attendees you will need to be engaging with your booth design. Having something fun and interactive to attract and retain attention is important. One example of this is to have games set up at your booth – whether it’s cornhole, spin the wheel or plinko. This will allow attendees some entertainment and a chance for you to giveaway some “swag” to those who participate.
Photo Booth
Photo opportunities are an easy way to have people gather at the booth while utilizing branded elements from your company. Having branded filters can help increase your engagement and promote brand awareness for your company. It can also encourage those who take a photo at the booth to post it on social media with a branded hashtag.
Virtual Reality
Having virtual reality (VR) keeps visitors glued to your booth and can keep the attention of the crowd. VR at your booth can be used to showcase your products and show how they work. Also, users can see, hear and interact with their surroundings.
Hosting a Contest
This is one of the most effective ways to get people to stop by your booth, but in order to get a decent crowd you will need to promote it pre-show. Not only should you talk about it on social media, but you can advertise the contest online or media outlet. By hosting a contest and collecting user contact information, you can collect qualified leads that you can use in the future.
Conclusion
These are just some examples of how you can attract guests to your booth at a trade show, and there’s plenty of more ways to entice people. Make the most of your booth by exploring these ideas and feel free to get creative at your next trade show.
Check out our other blog posts that cover trade shows.
In marketing, there’s a lot of different forms of marketing as it keeps evolving. However, traditional marketing is not going away.
Following is a guest post from our friends over at Long & Short of It, masters of ideation, customer insights and market research. They like to say they “dig and find lots of data and then turn it into actionable insights.” Following is their guest post.
Traditional marketing is not dead. Take for instance something a bit old-school such as a plane pulling a banner through the sky. If you are ever in Cleveland over the summer, you will more than likely spot one flying over Progressive Field during a Guardians game. This past summer it was Geico.
Given the shot-gun approach of aerial advertising, we may not have been the target audience, but some definitely were. According to ESPN, the average estimated crowd size during an Indians (at that time) home game in 2019 was about 21,000 (that’s a bit sad in itself). 77% of auto insurance customers were either actively shopping or experienced an adverse event that triggered shopping (e.g., poor service or a rate increase) in 2020 according to . J.D. Power. It’s a good assumption then that Geico is reaching at least 6,300 people that may be their target at each game, plus the much larger number in the city that will also see the sign.
IT’S NOT THE MEDIUM – IT’S THE OBJECTIVE THAT MATTERS
Prior to World War II, aviation pioneer Arnold Sidney Butler, the owner and operator of Daniel Webster Airport in New Hampshire, created banner towing. That was then, and in our digital world today, it almost seems quaint and somehow out of place. However, in this example, the medium is a smart decision for Geico if their objective was to increase brand awareness and potential consideration. Plus, they didn’t have to pay for the naming rights to the stadium like their competitor. In the increasing world of digital marketing, it’s important not to decide on your tactic (your medium) before you first define your objective and understand your target audience.
KNOW HOW YOUR AUDIENCE CONSUMES CONTENT & WHAT’S RELEVANT
As digital continues to grow and in some cases dominates access to certain target audiences, it has also created an equal need to better understand your target audience. It’s more imperative than ever to know how they consume content and to deliver an authentic, on brand message that is relevant. Surprisingly, not many companies do a good enough job at understanding who their target audience is or their purchase decision journey (why they buy from you). It’s not just about demographics (see our other amazing article on this topic, Demographics Are Outdated).
DO YOUR RESEARCH!
If you don’t have the internal resources to conduct your own research, then find a reputable agency that has a clear and solid process to conduct the research first and not just sell you a solution. Don’t let them sway you with just secondary data either. It’s a good start, but those are often generalities of a market or segment. Conduct your own primary research that is tailored to your company. Think of it as an investment that will provide you better returns down the road through improved campaign performance.
So, don’t just settle for a tactic, traditional or digital unless you do your homework first. Remember it’s not the medium or the platform, it’s your objective that comes first. Understand who is buying from you, why, and what matters to them. Who knows, maybe you will be flying a banner behind a plane in addition to that digital banner across the screen.
It’s probably not surprising that 4 of the Top 5 channels are online/digital according to a recent report from Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, but I bet you the #2 channel is: In-store/at a vendor’s warehouse.
However, while US B2B buyers are searching on Amazon Business and the site commands an estimated 15% of their buying budgets, it’s not necessarily where buyers are starting their purchasing journey.
The largest share of US respondents say they most often start their journey in-store or at a vendor’s warehouse (26%), while fewer start on Amazon Business (16%).
The pandemic played a role in people purchasing online more but spending online is likely to decrease post-pandemic.
Here are some additional nuggets from the report:
Nearly all US respondents have switched suppliers for all (55%) or some (41%) business purchases during the pandemic
Almost half (49%) of all B2B purchases are made online
62% of buyers would like to have dedicated smartphone apps through which they can make B2B purchases
89% of B2B buyers in the UK and US find buying online more complicated than offline
Promotions and marketing are the #1 influencing factor in B2B purchasing
With a high percentage of B2B buying happening online, it’s important to have your suppliers get their online portals right. Online portals can change a customer’s shopping experience and leave them with a positive attitude.
