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Christine Layton

Hi, I'm Christine! I've been a copywriter for more than a decade through five interstate moves and two kids. In addition to my awesome career, I love going to concerts and traveling to new countries.

MarketingSalon

Salon Marketing Ideas in 2023

by Christine Layton
written by Christine Layton

Looking for fresh salon marketing ideas to take your business to the next level in 2019? It can be hard to stay ahead of the competition with a salon seemingly on every block. That means you’ll need to get creative because you already have an uphill battle: as a salon owner, you may already be dealing with issues like inadequate cash flow and cash reserves or pricing that’s all wrong for the market. The last mistake you want to make is failing to adapt to changes in technology, automation, and your competition. These salon marketing ideas can help you grow your business and show what makes you different than other salons in your area.

Add a Branded Selfie Station

It may sound a little silly and obvious but something as simple as a selfie station in your salon can help you earn free marketing from happy clients — and voracious social media users. Set up an area at the front of your salon with a mirror and your company logo or even a branded hashtag. Clients will be all too happy to snap a quick picture on their way out and share it to show off their amazing new style.

Reward Returning Clients

It’s more expensive to gain new clients than it is to retain your existing customers. It pays to put effort into keeping your existing customers happy and sometimes this can come with the bonus of referrals. Give your clients a bonus for advertising your salon and sending in their friends and family with a postcard or an email that includes a discount on their next service. You can also set up a digital loyalty program that lets you track customers and set up rewards. LoopyLoyalty is a great choice for setting up digital branded loyalty cards that will go alongside your clients’ credit cards in Google Pay and Apple Wallet.

Make Online Appointment Scheduling Easy

With a service-based business, accepting online appointments is crucial to your success. Whether you own your own salon or rent a booth, online bookings are an effective salon marketing strategy that frees up your time and increases your conversion rate for little to no cost. Solutions like Square Appointments can be integrated with a cloud-based calendar that you can access from anywhere to stay on top of your appointments.

For online scheduling to pay off, remember that potential clients will still need to be able to find your salon’s website. Effective salon marketing requires modern and SEO-friendly web design combined with an SEO strategy to draw in organic search traffic and pay-per-click advertising to get a higher-cost but instant boost of traffic.

Market Unique Holiday Promotions

Going to the salon should be a fun, rewarding experience. Many of your customers will schedule their appointments to look their best for an upcoming holiday but many are just looking for an excuse to indulge themselves a bit. Create fun promotions around upcoming holidays and seasons. You don’t need to stick with the classics like Mother’s Day: what about National Blonde Day in June or National Love Your Red Hair Day in November?

To market your promotions, turn to social media marketing and share exciting, themed hairstyle ideas. You can even send out your promotions to your email list or advertise with direct mail to complement your online marketing strategy.

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Commercial Real EstateMarketing

Commercial Real Estate Marketing Ideas in 2023

by Christine Layton
written by Christine Layton

Commercial real estate is a highly competitive industry that requires a strong marketing approach. Most real estate investors and potential tenants are looking online for information about local commercial properties and to help them make purchase or lease decisions. If your marketing strategy is outdated or ineffective, you’ll be left in the dust.

Here are 6 powerful marketing ideas in 2019 to help you grow your commercial real estate company.

Don’t Neglect Existing Contacts

Real estate is definitely a relationship-driven industry but your drive for new deals and investors can cause you to overlook your existing network. These relationships should be nurtured on a regular basis by staying in touch on social media or email. Let your existing or former clients know about new properties and ideas, sharing photos, videos, and plans to potentially reach a new, profitable arrangement or make new contacts in the industry.

Use Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is revolutionizing real estate marketing, allowing clients, investors, and prospective tenants to step into a property that’s hundreds or thousands of miles away. 3D modeling can be used to mock up the interior of a building for potential investors or show the potential of an existing property. Imagine a business owner outside of the area being able to inspect your property from afar to determine if it meets the needs of the company or see just how the space will look with the modifications they’ll need.

Consider Your Website an Investment

Investors and tenants use the internet to make decisions about leases and purchases. Without a modern and professional website design, you’re unlikely to gain their attention, no matter the quality of your developments. Your website is your greatest asset for building brand visibility, acquiring prospects, and driving your lease-up and sales efforts. Make the best possible first impression with your website and add real quality by publishing write-ups on properties, property locations, and other news that can dominate search results.

Showcase Each Property

It isn’t enough for a single website that encompasses all of your properties; it’s worthwhile to develop single-property websites to give prospective clients everything they need to know in one place. Whether you develop or manage office, industrial, retail, or mixed-use space, a property website can be invaluable for prospective tenants and investors to view CAP rates, floor plans, amenities, and more.

Leverage Social Media

When it’s time to fill your new property with tenants, it pays to put social media marketing to use. Part of the battle is choosing the right social media platform: Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Snapchat can be effective marketing tools depending on your target audience. Snapchat, for example, can be used to attract Gen Xers and Millennials by showing off impressive building amenities and events.

SEO Still Matters

Every industry can benefit from building a stronger online presence. An effective search engine optimization (SEO) plan can help you generate “free” or low-cost traffic to increase your visibility and generate leads. Your SEO strategy should be comprehensive and cover not only social media marketing (or SEM) but paid search ads (search engine marketing or SEM), on-site SEO, and local SEO which helps you rank for searches in the geographical area of your property.

If you need help expanding your commercial real estate business or building a stronger online presence, Insignia SEO can help with custom online marketing plans designed to meet the unique objectives of your business. We don’t use a cookie-cutter approach; we listen to your needs, ideas, and goals to develop a plan that will deliver the highest possible return and then we take care of everything. Contact Insignia SEO at 1-800-998-1392 to get started today!

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EventMarketing

Event Marketing Ideas in 2023

by Christine Layton
written by Christine Layton

Event attendees may view events as an opportunity to enjoy a cocktail with like-minded people, unwind in a new city, or just grow their network. As an event marketer, you see events in a different light. Every event is an opportunity to grow your business, expand your brand recognition, and generate leads but it comes with a range of challenges. These event marketing ideas for 2019 can help you grow your business.

Put Your Attendees to Work for You

As you sell tickets to your event, why not put attendees to work to reach a new audience with the same interests? Set up a campaign that gives ticket buyers the option to share a unique link through email or social media that gives new attendees a promo code. You can even offer ticket holders a percentage refund for every new person who buys a ticket through their promotional post or email.

Partner with Someone Else

Why do all the work yourself? An event partnership offers a lower cost and a way to make connections in the industry. By working with another event organizer, you can reduce costs, attract a new audience, and give your brand authority a boost. To identify the right partner, look for someone with a similar audience. This may be a digital publisher or other media company that may even bring on additional sponsors for your event.

Get Placed in an Events Directory

Getting placed on just a select digital events directories can give you a huge boost to your reach. Some directories allow you to self submit your event but others require a pitch email. Look for directories that specialize in your industry or event and include information about promotions, tiered pricing, and other important details.

Team Up With Community Influencers

When you’re working with a business or organization that has a big event on the horizon, it can help to bring local social media influencers into the mix. You can do this by sending them a message via private message or email that acknowledges their level of influence in the community or industry with an invite and a plus one (with free admission) to your event. Let them know you want them to have a great time at the event and you’d appreciate if they shared their experience. This can help boost attendance for your event and the business.

Use Your Blog to Market Your Event

Your company’s blog can be a great way to create buzz around your event. Feature partners and speakers in your blog and share exclusive content from guests before or after you open ticket sales. Your events partners should create content that relates to the event theme or their presentation that they can share on their social media. Depending on the content you produce, you may even want to promote it on Facebook using paid ads to reach a broader audience.

Give Your Event a Landing Page

As your event generates buzz, potential attendees will want to learn more. Don’t direct them to a corporate website to search through a calendar for information; create a landing page for your event to tell your target audience why they should be coming. Here’s why every event deserves its own landing page and the problems it can solve.

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Photographer with a backpack in a field taking a picture of a sunrise.
MarketingPhotography

Photography Marketing Ideas in 2023

by Christine Layton
written by Christine Layton

As a photographer, you probably spend most of your time just trying to run your business. During your busy season, you’re on the run or hard at work on editing most of the time but what happens when things slow down? The right marketing strategy can help you stay busy throughout the year with the right kind of clients. These photography marketing ideas can help you grow your business to a new level in 2019.

Set Up a Referral Program

A successful photography business thrives on referrals. With an actual referral program in place, your favorite clients, vendors, and friends will be more likely to send new business your way. The key to a great referral program is determining what sort of reward you’re willing to trade and what will offer the most value to your customer or vendor. This may be product photography, displays for their store, photos of their business, or session credits, for example.

When you photograph a client, make sure you let them know you’re grateful you had the opportunity to work together and you’d love to be the photographer they refer friends to. Mention any incentive you decide to offer. Reach out to not only photography customers but also venues you photograph and other vendors.

Invest in a Professional Website

In the beginning, you may have relied on word of mouth but that won’t work for long. Your customers are looking for you online and they will likely check out several photographers in the area. Your website doesn’t just make you easier to find; it’s your chance to make a great first impression. To get your business in front of as many eyes as possible, search engine marketing (SEO) pays off and offers one of the lowest costs per lead (CPL) in marketing. An effective SEO strategy should be comprehensive and include not only an SEO-friendly website and image SEO but paid search engine and social media ads and business listings.

Advertise Value-Added Incentives

Discounts have their place but a better option for a photography business is adding an irresistible value. Value-added incentives are great for getting new clients in your door without discounting your services and they can encourage customers to invest more than they would have otherwise. You may want to include something like wedding save-the-date cards at no cost, a Sticky Album clients can share with friends and family (and earn you more referrals!), or 30 announcements with a minimum order.

Turn to Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms can be your best friend as a photographer. Customers can share your event photos and refer friends and family to your business page and you can show off all of your hard work. With that said, social media marketing isn’t as easy as it seems. You’ll want to decide between a niche strategy and mass appeal for the best engagement. You’ll also need to stay on top of posting relatable content that goes beyond just sharing your photos. You may share tips for budding photographers, show off your photography gear, tell the story behind a great shot, or create a fun contest. Here are 5 things that should be on your social media marketing checklist.

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MarketingReal Estate

Real Estate Marketing Ideas in 2023

by Christine Layton
written by Christine Layton

The real estate industry has gone through dramatic changes in the last decade or so. In addition to the roller coaster of the recession, real estate marketing has changed from yard signs and local newspaper ads to a huge world of opportunity online. With 92% of real estate buyers now starting the property search online, you need to get creative to engage potential buyers and catch their attention among the competition. These XX real estate marketing ideas can help you reach new levels for your business in 2019.

Invest in New Technology

While you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to sell real estate, it’s always a good idea to take advantage of new technology that can make your work easier. 3D tours and virtual staging can pay off big. While they can be a bit costly, these real estate marketing ideas typically deliver a great return on your investment. You can even host virtual open houses to let prospective buyers feel like they’re walking through the property without leaving their home.

Take Advantage of Retargeting Campaigns

A retargeting campaign targets people who already viewed your website and left. This type of marketing campaign can pay off when selling real estate by keeping the property on the potential buyer’s mind and inviting them to take a second look. Pair compelling ad copy with a single-property website or a dedicated landing page for the listing. The ad you create can follow site visitors across the internet and even on social media.

Turn to Direct Mail Marketing

Digital marketing is great but it doesn’t need to be everything. Traditional marketing strategies still work and nothing beats direct mailers which can be affordable and put your listing in front of the right eyes. Research the average income and age of local residents in the area and amenities to get an understanding of the turnover rate, sales prices, and competition in the area. Use direct mailers to market real estate to buyers in a specific area and share information about your real estate company.

Branch Out Into Video Marketing

Video is a great way to sell not only a home but a lifestyle. It’s also a versatile medium that can be used in several areas of your marketing strategy. Videos can be added to individual property websites, your website, social media, and more. You can even run YouTube and Facebook ads with your videos to drive traffic to your listings and reach your target audience.

Don’t Overlook Your Website

Your website is your greatest marketing tool and serves as a storefront for your real estate business. It isn’t just used to display property listings; you can also use it to showcase what sets you apart.

To make the most of your website, it should have a mobile-friendly design with testimonials from former clients, great photos, virtual tours, and intuitive navigation. Investing in search engine optimization can help you boost traffic to your website and support your overall marketing campaign with a lower cost-per-lead (CPL) than other solutions like direct mailers and paid ads.

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Social Media

5 Tasks to Include in Your Social Media Checklist

by Christine Layton
written by Christine Layton

Ten years ago, it wasn’t common to see businesses on social media platforms. Now, customers expect to find you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.

You know you need to put effort into social media marketing, but it isn’t as easy as it may seem. Managing your brand’s social media presence requires not only crafting relevant content and posting regularly but also responding to comments and monitoring your online presence.

Some posts may take off and get hundreds of likes and shares while others fall flat. Sound familiar?

Whether you’re starting from scratch or struggling to point your social media efforts in the right direction, this guide is for you.

This straightforward social media checklist goes over five tasks you can master in no time to avoid missing a beat.

1.) Monitor Brand Mentions

Social media is all about creating conversations and sharing opinions and ideas.

Make sure you have a good system in place to monitor notifications and mentions across your channels.

Check at least daily for customer concerns, major new followers, and fan shout-outs.

Respond to brand mentions as soon as possible to build your reputation for excellent customer service.

People who love your brand will feel appreciated.

People who have a problem with your product or service can give you insight into a problem that needs to be addressed. This is also a chance to change someone’s mind about your brand!

2.) Engage Your Audience

Save the one-sided sales pitch for your website. Social media isn’t about selling your business; it’s about engaging with your audience and the community at large.

Getting attention on social media requires having a conversation or an exchange of ideas. Make it a point to interact with several profiles every day and occasionally engage in widespread forms of engagement.

Even replying to a few comments a day can go a long way toward building your reputation and gaining customer loyalty.

After all, a comment is usually a sign that someone loves your content and it’s important to reciprocate.

  • Here are some ideas for engagement you can try:
  • Conduct a survey or add a poll.
  • Respond to comments.
  • Request user-generated content.
  • Ask a question.
  • Share or retweet content.
  • Play a game or offer a contest.
  • Showcase customers or employees.

3.) Have a Content Strategy

You won’t get far on social media without a good strategy.

Start by identifying your audience. How much do they earn? How old are they? What’s their level of education? Depending on your industry, you may have several target audiences, each in a different stage of life with different needs.

For example, a home builder’s audience may include first-time buyers, move-up buyers, empty nesters, and investors.

Each audience or persona may respond to very different messages.

Your content strategy can include different types of content, social media platforms, and messages to make sure you’re reaching all of your customers.

Developing a content strategy may take a bit of time, but it will make your marketing and engagement efforts easier — and more effective!

After identifying your audience, consider your own goals:

If you’re selling a product online, you’ll want to share plenty of photos of your products in action and pictures of customers showing off the goods.

If you’re more focused on customer service, you’ll probably want to share tips and company updates.

4.) Share Content on a Schedule

It’s easy to get bogged down with social media. How can you share content several times a day across several channels and keep yourself sane?

The secret is scheduling your content.

There are many platforms you can use to organize and schedule your posts across all of your channels. By planning everything ahead of time, you can focus on finding and creating quality content for the week or month ahead.

Scheduling also makes it easier to stay focused and within your strategy. You’ll find it much easier to share a range of content with this approach, including articles, videos, infographics, and excellent photos.

5.) Follow Influencers & Brands

Social media influencers can be a great source of recognition for your brand. If you notice an influencer following your profile, return the favor and start to engage. You can even try to attract the attention of influencers in your industry by promoting their posts that offer value to your followers.

It’s also helpful to follow other brands that complement your niche. Don’t be afraid to share the spotlight!

With this simple 5-item checklist, you can put your social media efforts to better use to enjoy greater brand recognition, higher sales, more affordable lead generation, and much more.

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