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As part of unLOCKEd’s 10th Anniversary series, we wanted to discuss some common things that marketers hear from clients! These phrases become comical when you’ve been in the marketing business for a while. Like any industry, marketers generally know best about marketing – that’s why you hired us! Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t welcome and appreciate client feedback! 1. “We want you to be really creative this time!” This one is a classic… Of course, we see where clients are coming from, but this is not nearly as helpful as you think. Creativity doesn’t always strike us, and even when it does, the idea doesn’t always accomplish the objective or match the company or audience. We always try to think outside the box, but creativity is not always the buzzword you believe it is! 2. “Just follow the layout I did in Word.” Microsoft Word is great… for documents. Many other applications are available that will work better for a marketing project and create a better result, and it’s often difficult to convert anything in Word into them. 3. “It’s not wowing me.” Like I said, we welcome client feedback – but this one isn’t very helpful. Vague, negative feedback makes it very difficult for a marketer to figure out what to change. We want you to like the finished product, but we can’t read your mind! 4. “I’ll know it when I see it.” While this is also very vague, it is also a waste of a marketer’s time. We are happy to create and edit multiple options, but we need some kind of direction. Additionally, your personal preferences may not align with what will resonate with your audience! At least listen to your marketer’s reasoning before writing off a design. 5. “I can’t pay you, but I’ll be happy to introduce you to a bunch of other clients.” Marketers hear this a lot, especially when they’re just starting out. While meeting clients is helpful, if they expect us to work for free, as well, we’ll never make any money. Refusing to pay someone who has done work for you just undervalues them and their work. 6. “My kid has a Mac. She can do that for free.” Your kid may be able to design something on their Mac. Still, it’s very unlikely that they can tailor it to your audience and company objectives, get it seen by your audience, monitor its success, and analyze its metrics to report on and improve. Trust your marketer – you hired them for a reason! 7. “Someone else messed it up, and I really need you to fix this ASAP.” Marketing takes time, and it takes even longer when you have to fix someone else’s mistake. Whether it’s a design going through multiple rounds of approvals, A/B testing to understand your audience, or building up a website with backlinks and content, don’t expect your marketer to be able to get something done overnight! 8. “I can get it done at a cheaper rate somewhere else.” Once again, trying to talk your marketer into lowering their prices undervalues their services. If you’re set on a cheaper rate, you will probably end up sacrificing another aspect, such as quality or speed. 9. “Can you make it pop?” Another vague request. Do you mean the colour? The contrast? Against the background? Make it bigger? Add an outline? Stand out against the competition? Try to be as specific as possible with your feedback. 10. “Can you make it look just like this?” The short answer is probably not. If it’s an image you found online or from another company, there’s the issue of copyright. Even if that isn’t a problem, it may not work well for your audience or campaign goals. Marketers think of all these things when they create a design or strategy – that’s why you hire us. I love my job, and I love my clients, even when they say these phrases! It can be difficult to entrust someone with your marketing; that’s why we use our expertise to work with you. Trust your marketer, trust unLOCKEd, so you can focus on running your business. Author: Sarah Murphy

Whether your business is large or small, your marketing is outsourced or internal, or your preference is Instagram or TikTok, it is valuable to know how to write a good caption. Although there is no one perfect formula, and it often depends on the platform you are posting on, we’ve compiled some tips in general and for specific apps. Hopefully these give you a toolbox of ideas to come back to next time you need to get typing! Instagram and Facebook Instagram and Facebook have similar caption styles and generally similar content for marketers. These captions should be front-loaded with an attention-grabbing first line and minimal details following, including a call to action . TikTok Captions on TikTok need to be kept short and witty. The main focus is on the video content, and the caption is just there to complement it. Captions that evoke emotions or pose questions to viewers can also increase engagement. Twitter Given the limited character count, tweets should also stay reasonably short. Twitter recommends that marketers emphasize urgency in their call-to-actions and pose questions to engage their audience. LinkedIn LinkedIn captions are where professionalism should be emphasized. While other platforms may reward humour and trends, LinkedIn tends to lean toward a more mature and businesslike tone. Meaningful content is extremely important on this platform, and stories or expertise are an excellent way to capture your audience’s attention and prove your credibility. General Tips: Create captions with intention/a goal Include a call-to-action Include popular and meaningful hashtags Encourage conversations/engage with your audience Stick to your brand values and voice Understand your audience Include humour, emotion, or emojis to spice up boring captions Keep it simple but unique; too much information can be confusing Break up walls of text Take note of what content, captions, and hashtags perform well Make sure your caption adds to the content rather than just reiterating it Keep it light-hearted and fun; you got this! We hope these tips and tricks help the next time you’re stuck for a caption on social media. Of course, unLOCKEd is always here to help! Our marketing experts work on your behalf, while you’re busy running your business. Author: Sarah Murphy

Your business location should be all about the brand experience. We’ve discussed how to create a branded environment  by demonstrating brand values and the importance of interior branding  for the customer experience. Most business owners focus on the big elements, such as signage, but the power of branding truly comes into play when every touchpoint in your physical space plays a role. One of our clients, The Boardwalk , really put this idea into action and actually inspired this blog. When you visit The Boardwalk, you see their branding in every little element, from logos on garbage cans and bike racks to subtle design features within the building. This solidifies the brand through consistency and cohesion, staying top-of-mind for customers, and reinforcing brand identity. In this blog, we’ll dive into these three benefits and how you can harness the power of branding. Consistency & Cohesion When you are creating your branding, it is all about keeping everything consistent and cohesive. If your logo doesn’t match your website doesn’t match your social media doesn’t match your signage, your customers won’t be able to recognize your brand or understand your brand identity (more on that later). Further, if your location doesn’t match your branding, it creates the same type of confusion. This is where you can bring in branding on the bike racks or the interior design to create the consistency you would use in any other medium. By carrying your brand into these less-expected spaces, you create a seamless, cohesive experience that leaves a lasting impression. Staying Top-of-Mind So, now your audience can recognize your brand – which is a great start – but creating this branded experience can also help you stay top-of-mind for your customers. You’ve cemented your brand image into their brains, but you’ve also made your brand experience more memorable and enjoyable. Seeing your logo and brand colours in every little detail helps your audience associate these visual cues with your brand, but it is also a unique way to make your business stand out. Customers might not remember one sign with your logo, but they will probably take notice of seeing it over and over throughout your space. This might make them more likely to mention your business to a friend, post your business on social media, or become a returning customer! Brand Identity Now, returning to brand identity, this can be both strengthened through location branding and a method for how to go about it. Your brand is about more than its logo. Your business’s values, mission, and personality are what make it memorable and relatable for your customers. Your location can be a space to reinforce this identity. At the same time, if you’re stuck on ways to incorporate your brand into the little details, you can use its identity as inspiration. Design elements, materials, and even placement can portray your brand values, and if you’re unsure which flooring to choose in your reception area, assume your brand personality to help you pick. This attention to detail demonstrates professionalism and enhances the customer’s overall experience, making them more likely to return. While your signage and other large components are important for your business, incorporating your branding into every little element will allow you to utilize the full power of branding. For more assistance with your branding and marketing, check out our services  today! Author: Sarah Murphy

Here at unLOCKEd, we offer a range of marketing services to help unLOCKE your business’s full potential. We’ve discussed The Value of Outsourcing Your Marketing Over Using AI and answered the question “ Why Hire a Social Media Manager? ” in previous blogs, but today, we are diving into the benefits of using one company/contact to take care of all of your marketing. From signage to social media to website design, we can do it all, and here’s why that’s so important. Communication One difficulty of partnering with any outside party is communication. Through the pandemic and the broader world of social media, we have learned how much can get lost in a text message or social media post. The risk of miscommunication in online formats or even just between two people can scare companies into remaining self-reliant and resisting outside help. Much of this can be avoided by using one marketing contact. You don’t have to be worried about emailing multiple marketing contacts working on numerous marketing projects or how a social media campaign conflicts with a piece of information on your website. Additionally, unLOCKEd is a local company. We work with clients in our area so that we can meet with them in person and understand their business or the space they are working in. This face-to-face connection helps avoid any confusion or misinterpretations in order to properly manage your marketing projects and deliver your vision. Cohesion In line with this communication comes the second C: Cohesion. When displaying your brand, you want to be authentic and recognizable. One way to do this is to ensure all your marketing channels are aligned. Your brand colours, logo, personality, style, etc. should be consistent, from your signage to your social media platforms to your website to your interior design. This allows customers to find you more easily and have a uniform view of your business. Achieving this kind of cohesion is almost impossible with multiple marketing contacts. unLOCKEd offers you a different marketing experience. You work directly with one person with in-depth knowledge of the industry and the region, who is dedicated to managing and taking care of your marketing projects. This same person draws from a network of experienced professionals who specialize in every niche, identifying the talents, backgrounds and ideas best aligned with your business. This allows every marketing endeavour to align with your brand’s values and aesthetics while still getting the best in every field you need. Control The final C is a big fear when many companies consider outsourcing their marketing: loss of control. However, contrary to this, outsourcing your marketing with unLOCKEd actually gives you more control. If you plan on outsourcing your marketing, your company likely does not have the resources to make it what you want it to be. unLOCKEd marketing experts ensure you get the best in the field you need, allowing you to have better control over the impact and influence your marketing has. You work directly with one contact who keeps you in the loop through every project as we understand the core competency of owners and managers and work on your behalf. By working with unLOCKEd, you keep control of all your marketing channels and your vision while attaining better control over the results and metrics they achieve. unLOCKEd works with your company to make your marketing the most effective. You work with one contact and receive the best in every field, allowing your marketing experience to comprise of the 3 C’s: communication, cohesion, and control. Author: Sarah Murphy

Marketers in today’s world are quickly learning that marketing is almost impossible without a social media presence. Unfortunately, running a social media account is not as simple as it looks. Staying up to date on trends, engagement analytics, optimal posting times, and everything else on your feed is no easy feat, especially if you’re managing social media accounts across multiple platforms. So, all that being said, the first step to having a successful social media presence is figuring out which platforms your company should be on to share your ideal content and reach your ideal audience. Every social media platform is set up slightly differently, making each one useful for different purposes. Narrowing them down to which ones will work best for your company will make your job as a marketer that much easier. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of pros and cons for some of the most popular platforms – let’s get into it! Instagram Instagram is becoming one of the most used social media platforms by businesses with over 200 million business accounts globally . Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of the platform: Pros Provides options for many different forms of content (stories, reels, images, live streams, etc.) Allows for collaborations with other brands/accounts Gives extra features for business profiles such as analytics Provides options for ads/sponsored posts and selling products on the app Good for connecting with your audience Cons Many forms of content can be overwhelming to come up with and result in lower quality Many forms of content also affects the app quality, not enough focus on perfecting the user experience of each Has an unpredictable algorithm that can result in not seeing the results/engagement you expect each time, requires frequent and quality posts Influencer-heavy platform, can be hard to stand out as a brand page Facebook Although Instagram is catching up, Facebook currently remains the most used platform by marketers . According to Influencer Marketing Hub , Facebook sits in the same range of over 200 million business accounts. Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of the platform: Pros Most used platform by marketers worldwide Provides accessible, customizable, and budget-friendly advertising options that allow you to reach a broad audience (useful for customer acquisition) Allows for custom call-to-actions in ads and posts Provides the ability for B2C and B2B connection Provides features beyond posting content that can create more daily active users (marketplace, jobs, etc.) Cons Facebook has had many scandals in the past Layout and feed are not as aesthetically pleasing as more image-based platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest Allows for very few organic connections, only ads are pushed to accounts outside your followers Facebook had received criticism for misreporting metrics Facebook is not the majority’s top choice of social platform anymore, many users prefer Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok Twitter As of 2022, Twitter sat at about 118 million business accounts , a bit below the top choices of Instagram and Facebook. Here are some benefits and drawbacks of the platform: Pros Provides a good way to start conversations with your target audience, good for breaking news, information that needs to be quickly circulated, trends, etc. Helps communicate brand voice as it is good for concise, text-based content Allows for tags, reposting, etc. to help reach a wide audience and encourage engagement Content is expected to be quick and frequent Achieving virality and creating successful hashtags is more common and easier than on other apps Cons Multiple posts a day is often expected and can be difficult to keep up with/maintain quality Requires time commitment to stay up to date with news and trends and keep your content relevant Allows for little to no images to draw people in, words have to catch their attention Gives a limited character count that requires concise content, not ideal for every company/type of post Controversies and negative feedback are popular on the platform and spread quickly TikTok As a newer app, there is not as much information on the use of TikTok by businesses and marketers. However, according to Business of Apps , 14% of marketers planned to up their spend on the app in 2021, though only 3% saw it as the most effective media channel. Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of the platform: Pros Still relatively new compared to other platforms but already very popular Allows for anyone to go viral and receive large amounts of engagement due to the algorithm Allows you to show off products or entertain your audience, one of the best platforms for video content Provides lots of content to base yours off of, trends are constantly popping up and evolving Allows you to target audiences near you through localization Cons Marketing and educating do not always do well as it is an app largely for entertaining Ads can be effective on the app but are not very budget-friendly Favours 15 minutes of fame over loyal followers, a good way to get your name out there but not necessarily to build a customer base Trends can be time-consuming and difficult to follow Only allows for video content YouTube Though YouTube is not considered as often as a social media platform, it is used by 55% of marketers and is well-known for high ad revenue. Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of the platform: Pros The go-to platform for long-form video content, also branching into short-form video content (YouTube Shorts) Less algorithm/time-sensitive than many of the other platforms Provides higher visibility on Google than many of the other platforms Allows for wide and varied audience reach Provides low ad costs Cons Content can take a lot of time and resources to create (coming up with ideas, filming, editing, etc.) Requires better equipment/software and a more skilled creator than most other video-sharing platforms (more professional content) Ads on videos are unpredictable and may have nothing to do with/not align with your brand The only platform that puts ads within your content LinkedIn According to Hootsuite , LinkedIn has become an invaluable resource for job seekers, recruiters, and employers alike with over 58 million companies having accounts. Here are some benefits and drawbacks of the platform: Pros Professional platform, good for B2B connections/advertising Allows for job recruitment and viewing/sharing professional achievements that can say more than a slogan in a bio, good for storytelling Good for finding co-marketing partners and keeping up with your competition Allows you to target specific market segments and a professional audience Cons Allows for very few B2C connections, more professional than social Creates difficulty standing out amongst other businesses, need a large network to be effective Provides fewer active users than other platforms Provides fewer effective content options, often posting for professional credibility more than engagement Spam messaging and less effective ads Pinterest Pinterest is often much lower on the list of social media platforms used by marketers. The app’s growth has been slowing and only 57 percent of Pinterest users access the platform once a week . Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of the platform: Pros Provides a good way to show your brand image and values Being an image-based app makes it visually appealing Can help spot emerging trends from popular content Is often used to research purchases and can be a good way to get your products out there Helps increase links back to your website and drive traffic Cons Allows for only image-based content, need to be able to show your brand and voice through this to make it effective, little room for explaining and expanding Can be time-consuming and is constantly changing, it is not the most straight-forward marketing plan and can be ineffective Not as popular as some of the other platforms, reaching a very specific audience Overall, there is no perfect social media platform or type of content, different things will work better for different brands. It is important to understand what works for your brand to make your social media presence effective. Need more help figuring out what’s best for your brand, or running your accounts once you do? That’s where unLOCKEd can help. Let our experts make your social media presence more successful, so you can get back to running your business. Author: Sarah Murphy

Welcome to unLOCKEd’s Marketing Mindfulness Series! In today’s hectic digital world, mindfulness practices can provide relief from the chaos when you can’t just shut it off. Mindfulness can benefit your personal and professional life, which we discussed in more detail in July’s Marketing Mindfulness blog . If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check it out! We are sharing one mindfulness practice a month to help you gradually implement mindfulness into your daily life. Trying to make a big change all at once can be daunting and frustrating, but with one small change each month, you can make a big difference!   September Mindfulness Practice: Schedule Breaks for Mindfulness This month’s mindfulness practice is to schedule breaks for mindfulness. It’s easy to get caught up in your workflow or hectic day and forget to practice mindfulness. By scheduling it into your day, you give yourself a chance to realign with the present moment as well as your goals for the day. If you have gotten sidetracked or stressed about a particular task, this is a great way to take yourself out of it and move forward fully engaged and in a good headspace.   Benefits As mentioned above, this is a great way to incorporate mindfulness into your day if you aren’t used to keeping it at the top of your mind. Additionally, scheduled breaks take you out of a stressful moment and allow you to calm your mind and see the big picture. When we feel stressed, we are more inclined to panic or lash out. Our bodies pump out the ‘fight or flight’ chemicals and we get ready to do battle or flee in retreat . Taking a breather allows those chemicals to dissipate so you can view the situation more clearly. Controlled breathing can actually activate the body’s relaxation response, reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol !   How to Implement This Practice When we say schedule breaks, we actually mean schedule breaks  – write it into your calendar or planner, whatever works for you. Of course, if you have to finish a conversation or typing a sentence before you take the break, you should do that, but try to plan these breaks into your day so that you won’t forget them. Controlled or mindful breathing is excellent during these breaks, but if you don’t like the silence or need a guide, there are lots of options to do so! You can find a meditation or relaxation playlist to listen to or download an app that can ease you into a more mindful state . Some great options are Headspace  or Calm , but many others are out there!   We hope this mindfulness practice helps! Be sure to look out for next month’s blog to continue this series with us!

Welcome to unLOCKEd’s Marketing Mindfulness Series! In today’s hectic digital world, mindfulness practices can provide relief from the chaos when you can’t just shut it off. Mindfulness can benefit your personal and professional life, which we discussed in more detail in July’s Marketing Mindfulness blog . If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check it out! We are sharing one mindfulness practice a month to help you gradually implement mindfulness into your daily life. Trying to make a big change all at once can be daunting and frustrating, but with one small change each month, you can make a big difference! November Mindfulness Practice: Build Mindfulness into Your Daily Routines This month’s mindfulness practice is to build mindfulness into your daily routines . Incorporating mindfulness practices into regular parts of your day can help you create a mindful attitude each day without always having to remind yourself of it consciously. We often go into a sort of autopilot during rituals we partake in daily, such as a morning or nighttime routine. Integrating mindfulness into these routines allows you to become more present and purposeful during them and sets the tone for the rest of your day. Benefits During chaotic days, it can be difficult to remain mindful and present. Sometimes, you may struggle to schedule in breaks for mindfulness or remember to communicate mindfully. That’s okay, and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed – mindfulness is something you have to work at constantly. However, building mindfulness into your daily routines is a great way to combat this on these busy days. A brief meditation session in the morning or taking time away from digital devices before bed can add mindfulness to your day without adding an extra routine or practice. This can make these practices feel more doable in your day-to-day life while setting a focused and composed mindset for the rest of your day. How to Implement This Practice As we mentioned above, incorporating a mindfulness practice into your morning or nighttime routine can be a great place to start! By starting your day right, you can create the mindset to enable you to better deal with  any morning aggravations that might otherwise ruin your day. This could be a meditation session before you start your day, staying off your phone for the first hour of the day, or consciously savouring your coffee or breakfast. Likewise, giving yourself time to unwind at the end of the day, taking time away from digital devices before bed, and even removing your phone from the bedroom are great ways to work mindfulness into your nighttime routine. Don’t forget to prioritize your sleep. A restful night is essential to give your body and mind time to recharge . Simple steps like these that you do with intention, awareness, and consciousness are excellent ways to bring mindfulness into your day. We hope this mindfulness practice helps! Be sure to look out for next month’s blog to continue this series with us! Author: Sarah Murphy

As everyone has likely noticed from talking to someone younger or older than yourself, people from different generations have different values. These values often come from the general circumstances that they were raised in and can be translated into many areas of life. Whether it is valuing certain traits in a significant other or values that a brand displays, these significantly impact how we view the world. As marketers and advertisers, we need to be aware of these generational values to effectively target specific demographics. So, in this blog, we discuss the values that different generations generally apply to form their opinion on marketing campaigns. Gen Alpha (2010-2025) While Generation Z has been a significant focus for marketers until now, Gen Alpha is coming in quickly and tends to show higher brand maturity than previous generations, accelerated by access to the internet. Gen Alpha consumers value authenticity, transparency and brands that stand for a cause. Brands that display care for mental health, the environment, or other similar causes are likely to have more of a pull on this generation. Influencer marketing and gamification are also valuable strategies to engage Gen Alpha. Generation Z (1996-2009) Generation Z tends to show similar values to Gen Alpha. Well-educated and well-versed in the digital world, Generation Z looks for authentic brands that they can relate to. Appealing to this generation relies heavily on speaking their language. Staying on top of Generation Z’s trends, vocabulary, and humour is essential for success. Your brand should have values you put forward and a personality that consumers can connect with. Millennials (1981-1995) As marketing has changed to target Generation Z, some of the Millennials’ values have altered. However, they have known a time without the internet but are still young enough to be quite internet savvy. As the internet originated with user-to-user content rather than business-to-user, Millennials tend to prioritize trust through seeing real product users and are largely inspired by people they know in person or online. Appealing to this generation requires proven quality and aesthetically curated content. Generation X (1965-1980) There are three keys to marketing to Generation X: nostalgia, traditional advertising, and loyalty. This generation is much less adept at the digital world and still fondly remembers a time without it. Appealing to this growing nostalgia can be a very effective technique for this group. In addition, don’t neglect traditional advertising. Generation X is the unique sweet spot where they will respond to both traditional methods, such as direct mail, and digital techniques, such as social media and email. Finally, this generation is big on loyalty – and that includes loyalty programs. Generation X will stick with a brand in the long run, especially if they offer great deals! Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Baby Boomers lean even harder into tradition and loyalty than Generation X. This generation tends to pick their favourite thing and stick to it. This concept also applies to sales techniques. Baby Boomers want to talk to real people and often avoid social media. This makes them some of the only people that actually prefer telephone marketing! Television and newspaper advertisements are also popular with this group. However, if a Baby Boomer walks into your store, showing them quality service is the best way to retain them as a customer. While some marketing values may overlap between generations or differ between individuals, this is a general guide that may help your marketing strategy appeal to your intended audience. Here at unLOCKEd, we understand the marketing values across different demographics and can help you reach your marketing goals. Author: Sarah Murphy

The world of marketing can be large and confusing at times. That’s why unLOCKEd is here to help. From digital media to interior branding to offering tips and advice, we do it all! Today, we’ll be going over some common myths and misconceptions about marketing and setting the record straight to help make it a little less confusing. Let’s get into it! Myth: Marketing is expensive and only for big businesses . Truth: Marketing can be effective and affordable for every business – big or small! Many strategies, such as social media, email marketing, SEO, website design, and more, can be utilized on a scale that is tailored to your business needs. Marketing is essential to grow your business and engage your audience, no matter how small or niche! Myth: You need a large following to see results from social media marketing . Truth: It’s all about quality, not quantity! If your small business is engaging a small following, you can see just as successful results. Large numbers that do not translate to strong, loyal customers will not have effective or sustainable outcomes. Myth: Word-of-mouth marketing is enough . Truth: Although positive word-of-mouth can be valuable, it is not enough by itself. An effective marketing strategy utilizes multiple tactics, such as social media, email marketing, and more, to reach a wider audience. In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Myth: SEO is no longer important for small businesses . Truth: SEO is still an essential part of a small business’s marketing strategy. Ensuring your website is optimized to show up in the search results can help attract more customers. Especially locally, setting up your Google Business Profile can do wonders to get your business in front of people . Myth: Marketing and advertising are the same thing . Truth: Marketing is a much broader set of activities than advertising. Advertising is a company paying for space for promotion in order to reach an audience. This can be part of your marketing activities. However, marketing also includes your owned media, such as your website and branding. It aims to foster connections between a brand and its audience, understand how and why campaigns are successful, and create a meaningful brand identity in the eyes of consumers. Myth: We need to market to everyone because everyone is our customer . Truth: There are a very small number of products and services that appeal to everyone. Whether it is simply because they do not need it or because they connect more with another product or brand, your business cannot attract everyone . It is more effective to identify your target markets, tailor your products and marketing tactics to appeal to them, and focus on creating long-lasting, engaging connections. Myth: Results from marketing campaigns need to happen immediately to be successful . Truth: While the focus of online marketing is increasingly based on the dream of “going viral,” this often does not lead to long-term effects. Quick results can bring you your fifteen minutes of fame, but a company that can create long-term connections and sustainable success will do much better in the long run. Myth: Social media strategies aren’t important. The interns can handle it all! Truth: Running a business social media account is not as simple as scheduling a post and watching the notifications stream in – that’s why we need social media managers! Creating content tailored to your target audience, crafting captions that have intention behind them, analyzing your metrics and results, and implementing your knowledge to continue growing your company and improving your social media strategy is no walk in the park, even for an experienced marketer! It is essential to devote the time and consideration necessary to create an effective social media presence – or hire someone who can! Myth: Having a popular social media account means I won’t need a website . Truth: It is important to diversify your marketing strategy, even if one part of it is doing well! While social media can be a great way to connect with and grow your audience, websites offer many tools that these platforms do not. Different types of information are communicated most effectively in many different ways. Websites provide a stable digital location for information that may be useful to your customers, whereas social media may not. Social media is also better for shorter content; websites are a great place to expand on this and offer more information. Websites provide powerful SEO tools that help your business show up in search results, as well. Myth: Everything is digital, so online marketing is all I need to be successful . Truth: Once again, information must be communicated in the most effective medium to reach your audience. Digital and traditional media can both be used to create creative marketing messages, and can often be used together to create a more successful strategy. Be sure to check out our blog  on why printing is still an effective medium for communication. We hope this clears up a thing or two, but we are always here to help! Contact us  today for marketing expertise and services! Author: Sarah Murphy

A like, a share, a comment, a view – how long did they view it for? Was it more than two seconds? Was it in the tab they were looking at? How long until they clicked Skip ? The era of the internet has made marketing metrics infinitely more complex and unreliable. As marketers, we know that metrics are the currency of advertising  and are essential to measuring campaign success. So, to keep your head in the game, we’re sharing this marketing metrics guide, including the different types, their history, and how to utilize them for your business. Definition Like any useful guide, we’ll start out simply with a definition. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary , a metric is a standard of measurement. A marketing metric, then, is a standard of measurement in marketing – that is, the standardized way marketers measure their success. Types of Marketing Metrics There are two broad categories of marketing metrics: impression and engagement. Within these categories, the number of possible metrics has exploded depending on the type of content, where it is displayed, and what the goal of the ad is. With impression metrics, you can see that people have seen your ad, but you aren’t able to gauge their reaction to it—these metrics measure exposure . Impressions measure how many people your ad has been in front of, but not much else. They can be helpful in certain situations, such as for use as a baseline for views. Some examples of impression metrics are cost-per-mille (CPM) and cost-per-view (CPV). Engagement is the only metric that directly measures the way the user behaves towards the content . Engagement metrics allow you to see audience and consumer behaviour, and help marketers understand what is working and what is not. These metrics also allow you to see consumer journeys, acquisitions, or any number of activities. There are many examples of engagement metrics, but a few common ones are cost-per-action (CPA), click-through-rate (CTR), and cost-per-click (CPC). The History of Marketing Metrics When traditional forms of media were the dominant advertising space, impression metrics were the only possibility. Third-party services conducted surveys and audits of listeners, watchers, readers, and subscribers to track what they were viewing and how often. While this was only basic information, it was reliable. This form of measurement was standardized across platforms and companies – the data was unbiased. With the rise of the digital era, this all changed. Engagement became the dominant measurement in a world oversaturated by advertisements. In addition, the growing concern for privacy has resulted in a movement away from third-party tracking. Companies with first-party data now hold the power. However, they also hold biases. Companies want to make it look like ads have the best results, and thus, they may use a slightly different measurement system than other companies. This has resulted in a confusing, unstandardized world for the average marketer. How to Utilize Marketing Metrics So, with an overwhelming number of metrics and a concerning amount of confusion, how can your business utilize marketing metrics? We have two tips to help you navigate these issues. First, track and make use of any first-party data. Any data your business collects itself can be measured and understood without any uncertainty. While companies may have too much data or insufficient bandwidth to do this in every case, use it to your advantage where possible. Second, focus your metrics on your goals and find the metrics that create conversions. While you may not always know what constitutes a view, you can  track whether they increase or decrease. If you figure out which metrics and strategies create the best results and help you reach your company objectives, you don’t need to worry about all the rest. If metrics are completely out of your wheelhouse, an additional tip, of course, is to contact our unLOCKEd marketing team to help you reach your marketing goals! Our experts are well-versed in the world of marketing metrics and so much more! Let us take care of your marketing so you can focus on running your business. Author: Sarah Murphy

The term “marketing” encompasses a wide range of activities, goals, and strategies. If you are not an expert in the field, it can be a lot to try to understand. In this blog, we are answering some commonly asked questions about marketing to help with some of the confusion out there. Let’s get into it! What is the difference between advertising and marketing? While advertising and marketing are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Advertising is the paid promotion of a company, its products, or its services in order to distribute information and gain potential customers. This can include things such as paid social media posts, billboards, and sponsored content. Advertising is only a part of marketing. Marketing is all the activities a brand engages in to promote itself, its products, or its services. This can include advertisements, but also content marketing, logo creation, interior branding, building a website, organic social media content, blogging, and so much more. Why is marketing important? In today’s fast-paced, oversaturated world, marketing is essential to get your company’s name out there and obtain customers. Even if your product is better, your customer service is faster, or your company has better values, competitors will win every time if consumers don’t know you exist. What is a marketing plan? A marketing plan is a document that defines a marketing strategy for a company in order to reach their targeted audience and to track their marketing strategies over a period of time . This plan includes research, goal-setting, and positioning  oneself in the competitive landscape and consumers’ minds. Marketing plans can be broken down into goals accomplished by campaigns and objectives and specific strategies and metrics to achieve them. What is social media marketing? Social media marketing is the combination of paid and organic social media content that a brand posts to promote itself and its products/services. This content can be focused on one social media platform or across several. It can include a consistent posting schedule, social media campaigns, boosted posts, sponsored content, paid advertisements, and more. Which social media platform works best ? Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer for this one. While social media is essential to many companies’ marketing strategies, different social media platforms work best for different companies. For example, a B2B company may find more success on LinkedIn, whereas a B2C company may have better luck on Instagram. This can also change depending on what a company is selling or who its audience is. The key is to find the platforms that work best for your content while reaching your target audience and focus on those! What is a marketing campaign? A marketing campaign is a set of marketing activities designed to achieve a pre-determined goal over a set period of time. This can include organic content, paid advertising, events, or even a new product launch. These activities are usually related or centred around a theme in order to complete objectives and move a company closer to its goal. This goal may be to spread awareness about the company or a product line, answer a question or solve a pain point, gain leads or potential customers, appeal to a new audience, or so much more. Defining metrics to ensure your goal is measurably met is a crucial component of a successful marketing campaign. What is content marketing? The goal of content marketing is to provide valuable, genuinely helpful information to consumers for free, in order to create a relationship with them based on trust, which eventually leads them to make a purchase . This content might include blogs, organic social media posts, information on your website, how-to videos, or even FAQ pages. All of these content types are focused on providing what the consumer needs rather than making a sales pitch. What is SEO ? Search engine optimization, or SEO, is comprised of the actions your company can take to improve search engines’ ability to read and index your website content and, therefore, your ranking on the search engine results pages (SERPs). This can include technical SEO, keywords, structured data, backlinks, internal links, content quality, and so much more. Ultimately, SEO can make or break your website’s visibility. Do you really need a blog? While not every company needs a blog, it can provide many benefits. Blogs allow companies to integrate keywords into their content, build topical authority in their field, and provide consumers with helpful information. This can help with your website’s SEO and SERP ranking while also building relationships with potential customers and leading them toward making a purchase. What is interior branding ? Interior branding has to do with a company’s integration of its logo, aesthetic, brand colours, brand values, etc., into its location’s interior design. This can help a company’s space feel cohesive with its overall brand identity and create a positive customer experience. Plants or a moss wall could align with environmental brand values, furniture or lighting could contribute to a cozy aesthetic, or a well-placed logo or brand colour could help create consistency and recognition. We hope this blog helped answer some of your questions about marketing. If you have more questions or need assistance with your marketing, our experts are happy to help. Contact unLOCKEd  today or check out our website ! Author: Sarah Murphy

Welcome to the final installment of unLOCKEd’s Marketing Mindfulness Series! In today’s hectic digital world, mindfulness practices can provide relief from the chaos when you can’t just shut it off. Mindfulness can benefit your personal and professional life, which we discussed in more detail in July’s Marketing Mindfulness blog . If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check it out! Over the past eight months, we have shared one mindfulness practice a month to help you gradually implement mindfulness into your daily life. To close out the series, this final blog will discuss the practice of mindful marketing.   Mindful Marketing Mindful marketing  refers to applying principles of mindfulness, like being fully present and aware, to marketing strategies. We’ve discussed these practices over the last eight months in relation to how they can impact marketers. However, by applying them to marketing strategies, your brand and customers can also achieve the benefits!   Benefits Mindfulness practices can benefit employees when introduced in the workplace, and branding when incorporated in marketing strategies and tactics. Let’s get into some of these benefits! Mindfulness in the workplace  provides benefits, such as: Boosting creativity More successful brainstorms Encouraging better teamwork Mindfulness in branding  provides benefits, such as: Enhanced customer engagement Improved brand perception Increased marketing effectiveness Sustainable business growth Competitive advantage For more ideas on how to incorporate mindfulness in the workplace and the benefits it provides, explore the other installments of our marketing mindfulness series!   How to Implement This Practice So, we’ve established that mindful marketing is beneficial for your company, but how do you implement it? Here are three ideas to get you started! The first mindful marketing practice is authentic content creation. Fostering genuine connections with your audience and creating content that is true to your brand and your audience's preferences can help your brand resonate with and engage potential customers. Keep audience interests and brand values in mind when creating content! The second practice is taking a customer-centric approach. Being mindful and present when communicating with your audience allows for more effective and meaningful marketing interactions. Active listening, empathy, understanding, and anticipating needs can enhance brand perception and long-term loyalty. The final practice is strategic decision-making. Mindfulness practices allow for better clarity, awareness, and creativity, leading to more informed and innovative decisions. These improved choices can result in enhanced brand representation, company growth, and overall success.   We hope this blog helps you implement mindfulness in your personal life, workplace, and marketing practices. Be sure to check out the other blogs in our Marketing Mindfulness Series for more!