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Marketing in Q4, Looking to Q1

October is rushing out the door, much like 2022 seems to be. But, the year is far from over. People from all walks of life still have a vast amount of shopping and spending to do this year. The important part is that you are present and accessible to them. We know that sounds easy, but depending on your vertical, it can be challenging.

The basics that any business entity needs to succeed digitally speaking are as follows:

Website
- Built for the mobile experience
- Solve a problem(s)
- Offers help, but is not pushy
- Clean, clear and direct
- Visitors know what you offer in seconds, not minutes
- Up to date (staff, emails, numbers, locations, events, etc)
- It’s your welcome mat to the world, show your best side
Google My Business
- Don’t have one? Set it up – or we can help
- Keep it up to date
- Post updates weekly
- Keep your locations & offerings up to date
- Add to your gallery regularly
Social Media
- Set up accounts that make sense for your vertical, then manage them
  - Facebook
  - Instagram
  - TikTok
  - Snapchat
  - Twitch
  - YouTube

It can be daunting to consider the amount of work that goes into managing any of these, so be sure you choose wisely. That starts with knowing your audiences tendencies, age, sex, interests and beyond. Since your website is typically the first place people will get an impression of who you are and what you do, we recommend you start there. Go page by page and consider the usefulness or staleness of the content you have out there. Make sure everything functions as intended. Your site will often load differently on various mobile devices, so it’s best to test it across the spectrum.

Now that you’ve been reminded of the basics, it’s time to consider what you have left to do this year. As of this post, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year holidays are just around the corner. That may mean a big sale, awareness opportunity, fund raising or other topics that are important for your customers and clients. Being successful at messaging revolves around planning and intent. What do you want to get out of it? How much are you spending? What is your overall goal? For some businesses, things taper off during the end of Q4, while for others business picks up dramatically. We say that is a choice, for the most part. If you become complacent in your daily communications with your clients and customers, someone else will fill that void. So, don’t let the void exist. Create a plan for a strong finish for 2022. You can do it, we can help.

Q1 2023 is staring each of us square in the eyes. Like each year before, and each year to come – there is uncertainty. But, that’s anywhere and in any market – and the best part is that it is really up to us how that turns out. What do we mean by that? Where to start. Seed theory. Say we get the idea that Q1 may be slower, so we adjust. We slow down our spending, we slow down our marketing efforts and then what happens? Things slow down. Why? We have perpetuated the told prophecy from the psychic titans of industry and news. There’s another way to both begin and end this scenario, and that is simple. Don’t slow down. When you see your competitors marketing less, you should market more. Why? Market share and marketing cost. For the same money you’d spend during an average quarter, you can spend the same and reach more people when others are holding back. Less money in digital means less competition and lower costs per impressions and clicks. Make sense? Don’t worry – we can help if you have questions.

In the end, we want each of you to be thinking about 2023 right now. Because, it’s all but here. The main point is to be prepared for it and to have something to show the world. Tell your story, show people what your business is all about. Tell the community you live and thrive in why they are important to you. Educate people as to where you’re going and take them along with you. Anything in this world is possible, but rarely does success happen without a plan. That’s why we’re here.

Our Services:

If you have any questions or are ready to begin, we’re here and ready to help you on your digital journey. Need help? Drop a line to hello@sevenind.com

Aug 16 2022

Facebook Ad Revenue is Down & TikTok is Up; Now What?

08/16/2022 / 5 minutes of reading

The pandemic brought about so many changes in the digital world, most of which urged everyone to clean up their digital presence management. We all became acutely aware of the pitfalls of having a website that had outdated information or just plain didn’t work on mobile and tablets – and even some desktops. To that end, there are still a lot of businesses that have not updated – and it’s costing them big.

Before diving into Facebook & TikTok, let’s pause for a moment and reflect on the past 3 years in bullet point fashion.

Pandemic sets in, work from home begins
Web traffic in every avenue is up; because we’re at home
Ad revenue goes down with Google / Facebook / LinkedIn
Businesses see that their website is now = their store front
Urgency is created, some update their websites realizing this fact, ad spend slow
Some businesses are complacent or move into a holding pattern, slow/no ad spend
Pandemic eases, work from home continues by in large, ad spend starts to increase
Businesses that invested in their digital presence see the payoff
Businesses that did not invest grew in very limited capacity, if at all

So, what this all points to is that society and evolution are charging full speed ahead into digital. The government is investing billions to make sure everyone has access. Internet access has become like having access to water. As this trend continues, new market segments will increase and as always the battle for your attention will increase from platform to platform. It’s not good or bad, it’s just the way of life we’ve come to after all this fuss. 🙂

If you are a business that is seeking growth and you see that ad spend is down on a platform that serves you well, do not pull out. Do not cut spend. Do the opposite. Why? The cost and competition for impressions and connections drops and provides you the opportunity to gain market share. It doesn’t matter what vertical you are in, for the most part. The point is, keep going. Now, you make think, “well sure, I’m reading this on a page of a marketer, I expect this.” You might, but most did not expect it. In fact that’s why ad revenue is down. Facebook isn’t evaporating just yet, nor is Google. So – just like with investing, buy the dips – or when the revenue is down on your platform of choice, kick up the boiler pressure.

So, now that we’ve covered that – let’s talk about Instagram + TikTok + Google. Yes, Google. As it turns out, Gen Z is now turning to TikTok for answers. Is this safe? Who knows. We know who owns TikTok, so you be the judge. And, as we all may know – the kids are the ones that dictate where their parents spend their hard earned money. So, let’s reel this in. A Gen Z person “researches” something on TikTok, then voices their need to obtain it. After which a short dialogue about where said item/service was seen. Then, the parent creates a TikTok account and now you have multiplicative growth, just like Google experienced.

Who knows how the algorithm works at TikTok, and does it matter? Does TikTok? Maybe. Maybe not. Google has decades of data that it’s constantly changing algorithm taps into and gives us results for our searches. TikTok is on the other hand is not that old. So, it lacks the data. It lacks oversight in ways that Google may not. In the US we have rules and regulations to help consumers have a fighting chance against the big dogs of silicon valley and that’s still lacking- and always will be. This is because the very people that we’re asking to be fair are writing the software, so most of what is protested about digital practices still occurs through other channels. So, stay vigilant my friends. Mainly, be aware that every one of these companies is using your data, likes, interactions and so on to essentially sell you goods/services and know your patterns. Some are OK with this, some are not.

After all that, the majority of us will give up our “privacy” to use an application that helps us navigate the digital world a little easier, and it’s ok. Unless you are doing something inherently wrong, who cares if they know when you go to work or come home, or what brands you like? If you are in a category that dislikes “tracking” chances are you are on a flip phone and reading this on a desktop. We all have different views, wants and needs – and that’s how it should be.

If you’re unsure about what to do in terms of your website, digital presence management, ad spend or otherwise, we’re here to help. That’s what we do. If you are building houses, we’ll come to you when it’s time for us to build one. If you are a doctor, we’ll come to you when we need healthcare. If we ever get a speeding ticket, we’ll call a lawyer to help us out. Why? Because that’s what you do. Digital is what we do, so trust us. We know what’s at stake and we’re set on diligence, honesty, transparency and progress.

Our Services:

If you have any questions or are ready to begin, we’re here and ready to help you on your digital journey. Need help? Drop a line to hello@sevenind.com

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Marketing in Q4, Looking to Q1

Facebook Ad Revenue is Down & TikTok is Up; Now What?

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