Digital Marketing Orange County Blog
Bouncing Back from ‘Brixit’
Is there any hope of reversing ‘Brixit’, the mass exodus of retailers from the brick-n-mortar space? A quick glance paints a gloomy picture. In 2018, more than 3,800 brick-and-mortar stores closed in the U.S. Among those throwing in...
How to Profit from the Yoga Factor
So, you think your marketing campaign is cruising. OK, where’s the evidence? You better have some, or you’re a ship without a rudder. Maybe you’ll reach your goal. Then again … Basically, every campaign needs a progress report. Many...
Is Branding Dead?
J. Walter Thompson is a legendary American advertising agency famous for many, many firsts. The ad agency idea of the 'Account Executive' and the 'Creative Department' were both born at JWT in the 1880s. But neither achievement is more...
Will Edge Computing Impact the Marketing World?
Recently, cloud computing has impacted countless fields of endeavor. For marketing research teams, the technology has translated into massive data storage and efficient retrieval. But as invariably happens, something new comes along to...
No More Click-Away and Other 5G Perks
It may seem trivial in the everyday word. But in digital space, a few measly seconds can be everything. In fact, this miniscule amount often means the difference between success and failure. A few seconds is the normal load time for...
Shakespeare’s Ultimate Tip for Brand Marketers
“To thine own self be true” advised Polonius in Act I, Scene III of Hamlet. The author, one William Shakespeare, intended this daily tip to convey a simple but important message – understand yourself and face the facts, no matter how...
It’s What’s Outside That Counts
For brand marketers, it’s all about paving the way to success. The paving is done by developing and unleashing precision-crafted marketing strategies. All this, of course, takes place before the product hits the shelf or web page. Once...
Cameo Camera: The New Star of Video Marketing
Consider the elaborate marketing video – the one that pulls out all the stops. Music, lights, dancing, song, etc. Done right, this snappy, mega-production can electrify viewers and kick engagement levels way, way up. Many, if not most,...
Insist on Less for Instagram Videos
With digital marketing expanding its reach, brands are riding the trend with gusto. All avenues are being explored. One such avenue is the online video -- especially those inhabiting the social media space. Instagram is one of those...
Should Bots Get the Boot?
Is it possible to work for a brand and not pay an income tax? It is if you’re a chatbot. Never late for work, the bot is digital software hand-crafted to emulate an unfailingly loyal, personal human assistant. It’s mission: help...
Why Your Brand Needs One More Warehouse
Chances are, your business uses one or more warehouses for product storage. Well, here’s an update — you’re going to need another one (if you don’t already have it). Now, don’t stress. You needn’t raid profits to fund warehouse...
Holiday Shopping II – The Battle for Bargain Buyers
Bargain buyers are on the loose! Thousands of them! Maybe millions! And they’re all after the same prize – deep, deep discounts. It’s those after-Christmas sales. They do it every year. But the sales are doing more than luring...
Last-Minute Holiday Marketing for the Truly Tardy
If you intend to market your brand to last-minute Christmas shoppers, plan for abundant opportunities. The late buyer is amply-represented in the population, creating ideal conditions for a selling bonanza. Yeah, the prospects are out...
B2B Marketing – Rinse the Mud Off Your Feedback
Where do you stand with customers? How do they rate your brand? Thumbs up, thumbs down, somewhere in betwixt? Ho-hum or hey-hey? For answers, marketers often utilize the survey. But how accurate is the feedback therefrom? Much depends...
Digital Marketing – Boosting Conversions is as Easy as A or B
In your estimable opinion, your landing page is pure gold. Your staff concurs – at least, publicly. But will that glorious page hold up against the scrutiny of picky visitors? Fortunately, brand marketers can capture some convincing...
Win Customers with a Losing Proposition
If marketing has an equivalent to ‘location, location, location’, it’s ‘benefits, benefits, benefits.’ Products and services must offer them in abundance. And woe to the advertiser who leaves them out of the picture. Shoppers must...
E-Commerce Busts Another Record
E-commerce marketers, smile big and congratulate yourselves. Your diligence, dedication, and creative genius have paid off. Just glance at the early projections. According to distinguished number crunchers, Thanksgiving Day’s online...
Why Marketers Need Pixel Power
‘Get to know your customers’ — this arguably is the oldest and most often-recited of all marketing maxims. The phrase has been worn to a nub through the ages. Nevertheless, it rings true then and now. Marketers must know the...
Gain an Edge with Amazon Holiday Marketing
Surging e-commerce sales, particularly during the holidays, isn’t exactly headline news. Everyone’s heard the buzz — things are hopping online. During the 2017 holidays, online sales soared by a juicy 14.7%. The trend isn’t...
Snap Grabs for a Second Chance
In 2011, SnapChat launched itself into the world. Just another social media platform? Nope. A Facebook clone? Hardly. Snap was different, radically different. The great differentiator was its messaging mechanism. Ordinary social...
Microsites Never Miss
Endless pages … Endless products. That pretty much sums up the typical overcrowded e-commerce site. Essentially, visitors arrive, plow through a forest, and if they’re lucky, find what they’re looking for. Some willingly carry out the...
Awaken Your Landing Page with these Performance Boosters
It arguably is the high-value web page in your lineup. The crucial destination is, of course, the landing page. Ideally, it’s the most targeted page in the bunch. The place that thrusts web traffic to key points of interest. Like...
Create a Core Curriculum for Curious Customers
Do people fly to your website yearning to learn everything possible about your brand? Cherish their thirst for knowledge. The eager visitors are flashing a major signal – inviting you to seize a golden opportunity. You now have an open...
2 Incredibly Simple Shortcuts to SEO Improvement
SEO and digital marketing – a common blend in the digital world. Well-established would be an understatement. But well-established doesn’t mean well-executed. As with other big-time endeavors, trial-and-error, experience, research, and...
Success Steps for High-End Brand Marketing
It doesn’t matter if the product is a yacht, an exotic perfume, or something in between. High-end brands demand special treatment in the marketplace. Traditionally, they’ve received that treatment in conventional outlets such as print...
A New Piece in the Retail Marketing Puzzle
Should brand marketers overhaul their retail marketing strategies? Well, that might be a bit extreme. Nevertheless, some changes are in order. Changes? Aren’t brand marketers solidly plugged into e-commerce? Why tamper with digital...
Why Email Belongs in Your Starting Lineup
Brand marketers have tons to juggle these days. Social media, SEO, mobile, video, metrics, digital this and digital that … all this and more commands non-stop attention. But with so much hogging the limelight, is something important...
Marketing by the Book: If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It
Blogs, articles, social posts, and videos are acclaimed staples of content marketing. But they’re quick snacks, tantalizing and consumed in a flash. What about deep probes that expand a topic to new dimensions … that demonstrate a...
Digital Ad Spend: Where to Drop the Dollars
A little there, a sprinkle here, and maybe a dash lobbed into that area … this method of distribution might fly in the meal-preparation sector. But for the distribution of dollars in a digital marketing budget, the methodology is...
Marketing Strategies to Supercharge a Startup
Digital or brick n’ mortar, startups must strike like lightning. Ready to pounce with fangs and claws is fierce competition. Marketing strength, therefore, is essential for the newcomer. While the potential strength-boosters are...
Better Keyword Connections in Three Winning Moves
In the realm of SEO, keywords make or break campaigns. Therefore, brand marketers must choose wisely when selecting this all-important verbiage. Knowing what maximizes reach is essential. The first focal point is a brand’s field of...
The Optimization Never Stops
What comes after search engine optimization? More optimization. Not for SEO purposes, mind you. That bridge already has been crossed. No, what brand marketers must now fine-tune into flawless working order is their system of conversion...
Turn Website Visitors into Smooth Navigators
Brand marketers take heed — forget the fluff; ditch the debris. It’s all about easy navigation when it comes to satisfying the contemporary website visitor. In the door and on to their destination is their stated objective. Grab...
Brand Marketing Energized
If there’s one zone ruled by knowledge, it’s the realm of solar energy marketing. Helped by new regulations instituted in regions such as California, the use of solar power is expected to swell in the near-term. Despite this looming...
Churn Prevention for the Profit-Conscious
No matter how spectacular your brand marketing efforts … no matter how revolutionary your product, it will happen. A certain number of customers will leave your brand. See ya! Not a good thing. In fact, customer retention is among the...
B2B SEO: Three Guaranteed Website Spoilers
You say your website traffic isn’t exactly setting records? Well, you could be showing important visitors the exit door. Unless these guests enter, SEO value will sink. And inbound traffic will dwindle. The visitors in question are...
Virtually Impossible to Ignore
If reality sometimes gets too dull for your liking, there’s always the virtual version. Brand marketers already have discovered the virtues of virtual reality (VR). As they view it, the simulated experience is hitting grand slams with...
Give Your Emails the Ultimate Summer Slim-Down
Slim, trim, clean, and snappy – that’s the way to go when crafting email messages. Excess baggage and bulky verbiage just won’t cut it in 2018. Too many drawbacks. Chunky emails drive away readers in droves. Who’s got time to navigate...
What’s a Playlist Worth? … Plenty
As a marketing platform, YouTube clearly is a force to reckon with. Statistically speaking, the video site currently draws the second-highest quantity of web traffic. This inflow of visitors has created a golden opportunity for...
Power of the Thumb
Before devouring a marketing video, most viewers will catch a visual preview. Known as the thumbnail (or thumb), these images often display in search results and newsfeeds. Done right, they provide a snapshot view of the inner video. A...
Your Ultimate Marketing Video Blueprint
They’re everywhere, and their numbers are growing on a global scale. In fact, brands and consumers depend on them for results. What is this all-important element? Answer: The brand marketing video. If you’re anywhere online, you’re...
Don’t Dismiss the Dinosaurs
Of all the marketing myths that freely circulate, the one most pervasive and misleading is the gem concerning brick and mortar establishments. According to industry gossip-flingers, the tried and true, physically-constructed store is...
All Your Funnel Needs is a Little Understanding
It doesn’t matter what your brand is selling. If you operate a website, lavish undivided attention on The Marketing Funnel. Respect what it says and learn its story. Doing so will make all the difference in the world when it comes to...
Lift Your Brand with Facebook Canvas Ads
Upgrading, improving enhancing … call the addition of new Facebook features whatever you want. But the result is relentlessly the same – better engagement between brand and Facebook visitor. Consider, for instance, a feature called the...
Progress Gets a Digital Twist
They’re known as progressive apps … and with good reason. They make web experiences simpler, faster, and more powerful. Not a bad way to get things done. But of all the advantages offered by the progressive app, the most prominent may...
How to Clamp Down on Acquisition Costs
The question hovers before the eyes of marketers and their beloved brands – how can we lower advertising costs? A very reasonable and necessary inquiry. Advertising costs are sailing past the clouds. The pressure to clamp down on...
Countermeasures for the Bounce
First the good news … visitors flocked to your website. The bad news is, they hit just one page and fled. Not exactly a windfall for your brand. You had hoped for action. Perhaps guests were to download information or make a purchase....
Customer Experience in the 21st Century: 2-Minute Online Course
It’s a fact: satisfied customers often return for more. But what is it that sparks this sought-after satisfaction? The answer, in part, depends on the product or service rolling into the marketplace. Different offerings spur different...
Why Contextual Marketing Needs a Bonus Pack
What’s automated, irresistibly relevant, and often entertaining all at the same time? If you guessed contextual marketing, the prize is yours. Contextual marketing is all those and more – a major game-changer in the world of digital...
Fly Higher with Instagram Videos
When it comes to popularity, Instagram is flying somewhere north of the moon. The good news is, your brand can hop on board for the ride. More than ever, products showcased on this social platform are increasing their reach beyond...
Does your Landing Page Unleash the Action Force?
Part 1: Get visitors to the website. Part 2: Get them to do something. Two basic marketing steps. Yet somehow, Part 1 gets disproportionate attention. Brand marketers burn so many calories luring visitors (with SEO and other means)...
Website Repair Kit: Turn Bouncers into Buyers
Was it something you said? Did? Why, inquire many baffled brand marketers, are website visitors coming and going so quickly? All those snappy designs and golden words. Have the metrics gone haywire? Did a cosmic event disrupt the...
Encourage the Content Crawlers
Most people shun that which crawls. And if the mover is sufficiently repugnant, fleeing, shrieking, and other signs of distress may ensue. Not so if the area of motion is the typical website. Here, crawling is vigorously encouraged....
Budgets Beware – Slaying the Ad Boredom Beast!
Can there be too much of a good thing. The answer, in most cases, is a resounding ‘yes’. Generally, the same ol’ same ol’ is a discouraging force, driving people away in droves. Even in popular territory such as Facebook, running the...
Reviews Equal Revenues
Hear that? It’s opportunity banging on your door. The name of this opportunity is customer review. An almost-fool-proof sales booster. Centuries of personal endorsements prove this beyond the shadow of a doubt. But things have changed...
Can’t-Miss Tricks to Boost Email Click-Thru Rates
In a world of wide-open spam folders, emails often get nabbed from cyberspace before reaching the finish line. And even if messages land successfully, many remain unopened. If yours gets a peek, celebrate — you did something...
Banner Ad Boost
Banner ads – love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’ll probably be around for a while. But as with everything else in the digital world, these promotions must stay relevant to remain effective. Here are several ways brand marketers can ensure this...
Get More from Your Traffic Magnet
Each day, wisdom galore pours into the world regarding search engine optimization. Value and prestige belong to those who rank high. A lofty position, of course, commands the highest percentage of clicks – and consequently the lion’s...
Extend the Power of Google Ads
Praise to Google Ads. Nothing is better at spotlighting your brand during an online search for products or services. Advertisers, however, needn’t limit themselves to the basic info –not when there’s more to be had from this powerful...
Boost Your Brand’s Push Power
They typically display on a mobile device without prior notice. Well, they’re not a complete surprise. Every push notification requires some sort of opt-in – a permission duly granted by a user to accept certain digital messages...
New Roads for Social Media in 2018
Social media, the mainstay of the online conversation, has traveled a long way since launching over a decade ago. But the phenomenon is not ready to hit the pause button. Not even close. In fact, the likes of Facebook, Twitter,...
Keep the Party Going Long After the Holidays
The 2017 holiday shopping season has shown remarkable vigor, energized by a mixture of soaring consumer confidence and a new finesse at all levels of brand marketing. While online sales have been expectantly instrumental in ringing the...
Outmaneuvering Ecommerce
Considering the prevalence and power of e-commerce behemoths such as Amazon, brick and mortar businesses are slugging it out against monstrous competition–particularly during the merry holiday shopping season. There’s no question...
Harvey Wallbanger Cake Recipe
The Story of the Harvey Wallbanger Donato “Duke” Antone invented the Harvey Wallbanger drink in 1952 at Duke’s Blackwatch Bar on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Unfortunately, it was not a hit until the 1970s when...
