Category: Marketing

Graphic Design: The Wordmark

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Graphic Design, Marketing

Within the wordmark there can be a multitude of variations and styles. Fonts variations play a huge part in the ability to individualize logos with a similar font type. Typography is king when it comes to the base of what a Wordmark logo is comprised of. Knowing how and when you use it is crucial. The type of font selected says a lot about a brand presentation. Serif fonts carry a certain feel while san serif fonts tend to present a different look even with the same wording. The same can be said when script fonts are used. There could be a clean-lined handwritten font that will give an elegant look while rough lines will present a grunge like feel.

Color, kerning, case choice, letter spacing, weight and typeface are just a few of the parameters that can be adjusted to change the presentation. Sometimes simplicity is best and less is truly more so in these instance you will see a stylized font set as a logo representation.

There are many instances where the font type is not by selection of an actual font but a custom scripted or designed font or word type. These brands have had Wordmarks custom illustrated for the brand. This helps tremendously in in building brand recognition since the Wordmark “style” is unique to the brand.

Variations of font types can be stylized in many ways. Designers can use simple type and use many different design techniques that play into the presentation of a brand. Great examples will use negative space to make up some of the lettering or maybe incorporate subtle subliminal messages.

A great example of this messaging incorporated into the logo is Amazon. In the case of this corporate giant, the message was to have everything in stock from A to Z. You can cleary see this message on the face of this logo.

 

Another Great example is Fed Ex. Within the negative space of the FedEx logo you can clearly see an arrow between the capital E and the x, emphasizing delivery.

There are tons of examples out there of companies practicing this design strategy. This can be a very powerful delivery of a message of a brand when executed properly.

With Graphic Design in Melbourne FL and by following this information, you can also be on the right track to attracting your customers and becoming memorable. At The AD Leaf ®, we can create any design that any company would be proud of. For more information about our graphic design in Melbourne FL solutions, contact us today at info@fun-ruby-snake.65-181-111-5.cpanel.site or give us a call at 321-255-0900.

Differences In Brand Identity

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Graphic Design, Marketing

In the world of graphic design in Melbourne FL, brand Identity the first identifying factor of any company is the logo. Logo design and design services tend to exercise different development strategies, but the result is always going to be one of 3 styles of brand.

  • An Icon or emblem
  • Wordmark
  • Combination of both

Logo

A logo may consist of just an Emblem / Icon, A wordmark or both. Your logo should encompass every essence of your business. It should evoke a certain “feeling” to an individual at a glance when done correctly. The logo is the face of an organization and it must almost have an unspoken voice and a lot to say with just visual presentation.

Graphic Design in Melbourne FL

Wordmark

A Wordmark is an element of a logo or may be a logo itself. The makeup of a work mark is just that, words. Stylized, but just words. You see wordmarks everywhere and some of the biggest corporations such as Canon and Google use just that, Stylized lettering. However, lacking in aesthetic feel brands such as these they maintain visual identity based on the company size.

Stylizing fonts may include using variations such as bold or script fonts. Some may even be handwritten not using a font set but a custom font such as Sharpie or Disney.

This would still be a Stylized Font to makeup a wordmark.

Graphic Design in Melbourne FLThe Emblem / Icon

An emblem can be an element of a developed logo that signifies an important element and summarizes the essence of the brand. This simple element can quickly be used to designate the presence of the brand without having to display the entire brand or logo.

When you see the Golden Arches you immediately think McDonald’s even if the words are not visibly displayed, the brand itself is recognized by the emblem. In the same fashion when you see the swoosh you jump to Nike, again without having to display the entire logo.

This is not the case with all brand expression. It takes a great feat for a company to reach a level of recognition in which they could drop the wordmark and be recognized.

However, there are marketing strategies that brand just the icon in a mystique an approach in stirring up curiosity. In those cases, the icon is used to promote the campaign and drive the company idea.

Graphic Design in Melbourne FL

 

With Graphic Design in Melbourne FL and by following this information, you can also be on the right track to attracting your customers and becoming memorable. At The AD Leaf ®, we can create any design that any company would be proud of. For more information about our graphic design in Melbourne FL solutions, contact us today at info@fun-ruby-snake.65-181-111-5.cpanel.site or give us a call at 321-255-0900.

Surviving Google Algorithm Updates for SEO Specialists

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Content Writing, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

Google algorithm Updates

 

 

Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of SEO specialist quite like Google algorithm updates. Ever since Google started rolling out huge algorithm updates, marketers have lived in perpetual fear that the next algorithm update will be the one to kill all of their traffic and send their website and all their hard work into the abyss. While it’s easy to fall into this way of thinking, these updates aren’t as scary as most people like to think. Did you know that Google updates or changes its search algorithm 300-500 times each year?  That means that Google’s search algorithm is being updated at least once per day and you don’t even notice! Here are three things you can do to make sure your website doesn’t suffer like most during large updates.

1. Don’t Panic

The number 1 thing people do wrong when it comes to algorithm updates is panic! They rush into making changes to their website including using outdated SEO practices like keyword stuffing, throw a lot of money into advertising, and sometimes they even redesign their entire website. The worst thing you can do is immediately try to dissect how you can “improve” your website based on what you think an algorithm update means. You need to stay calm, intelligently look over the update notes, and proceed to step #2.

2. Listen to Google Algorithm Update Notes

In the world of SEO specialists, it shouldn’t surprise you to know that one of the best ways to survive a Google algorithm update is to do what Google says! I know it sounds pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many companies don’t realize the amount of information Google has available for you. From general website advice to giving SEO suggestions, everything they offer is dedicated to making your website better and outperforming the competition. 

3. Seek Professional Help

Feeling overwhelmed by Google algorithm updates is normal, but those feelings should not take your attention away from your business. Getting help from professional SEO specialists who make it their business to ensure that your website is up to date and ranks well. It is a worthwhile investment that will help you maintain a strong online presence as you continue to focus on growing your company.

Though sometimes it can seem like Google is your mortal enemy, the goals of an SEO specialist and the search engine are actually the same. We strive to serve meaningful content to interested audiences. So, if you are creating content that has your readers in mind, a Google algorithm update won’t affect you as much because you are providing content that users want to read. Google’s main focus is to provide the information users need and want as fast ad reliably as possible. You may see temporary fluctuations in traffic but it isn’t a cause for concern or a reason to panic. If your target continues to be the focus of the content you are creating, traffic will stabilize after a hiccup or two after the Google algorithm update.

 

Don’t follow your first instinct and panic when a new Google algorithm update is released. By staying away from bad habits, you can get through this update mostly unscathed. Now that you know what to do and what not to do when a new Google algorithm update is released, its time to follow step #3 and contact the professional at The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm! We specialize in this field and we have the tools and expertise necessary to help drive your business’s success by improving your search engine ranking. Learn more about what we have to offer your business and contact us to plan out and design a strategy for SEO with one of our professional and highly skilled SEO specialists.

Social Media Marketing

The Dangers of Being Shadow Banned

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Marketing, Social Media

After putting so much work into our social media marketing content, we all want it to be seen, right?

Most businesses that use social media marketing achieve success from exposure. Advertising their goods and services gives them the consumers, and revenue, they need to keep running. So, want to continue having your posts visible on Instagram? Then beware of shadow banning.

Shadow banning is an unfortunate part of Instagram software that prevents certain posts from appearing in hashtag feeds. A hashtag feed is a hub for all content that includes the same hashtag. Instagram users frequent a particular hashtag feed when they want to see specific posts. For example, if a user wished to see photos of cars, they may go to the #car feed.

While it may seem easy to use the same hashtags over and over in your content, that’s exactly how your posts could become shadow banned. When Instagram continues to see the same hashtags, it regards the post as spam. Instagram will then remove the post from public hashtag feeds, only making it visible to users who already follow your company. This eliminates any opportunity of new people seeing your content, thereby greatly reducing your chance of new customers.

Even if you change up your hashtags, they could still put you at risk of shadow banning. Certain hashtags can be associated with inappropriate content, leading to the hashtag being considered “broken.” Even if you are using the hashtag appropriately, other Instagram users may have used the same hashtag in unsuitable posts. Therefore, Instagram may have placed a ban on the entire hashtag, only allowing it to be used in private settings. Be cautious when choosing which hashtags to include on your posts, as some banned hashtags are surprising.

Pro-Tip: These five hashtags are considered “broken,” and “banned,” by Instagram. Using them will most likely result in your post becoming shadow-banned.  #boho #costumes #petite #mustfollow #saltwater

Even if all of your hashtags are perfect, shadow banning could still hurt you. Random large surges of activity, such as following or unfollowing hundreds of people, could get your posts shadow banned. In an attempt to reduce spam messages and other potentially harmful practices, Instagram implemented software to ban users who have sporadic activity. If you go on multiple following sprees, are blocked by a group of Instagram users, or have any other suspicious activity, your posts could disappear from the public.

Avoid this at all costs. As stated earlier, exposure is crucial for social media marketing. At the moment, there is no “set time,” for shadow banning. If you’re lucky, the Instagram help center can try to fix the issue. If you’re not lucky, then you may have to completely change how you make posts and run your account. Just think, potentially thousands of people could view your content. Don’t ruin it. You want the most amount of people possible to view your posts, especially after all that time you put into generating Grade A content!

However, if you suspect that you have been shadow banned, you should know how to check it. As disappointing as shadow banning is, it is better to know that you have been banned so you can take the appropriate steps to fix it.

There are a few ways to see if Instagram has made your post invisible to the public.

  1. Ask one of your followers to, temporarily, unfollow you. Once they are no longer your follower, post content with your normal hashtags. If that previous follower can no longer see your post, then it is fairly likely you have been shadow banned. Keep in mind, this is only if your account was public in the first place.

Pro-Tip: Don’t forget to ask them to follow you again!

  1. Post content, with your normal hashtags, and go to a hashtag feed. Click the “recent,” option at the top of the page and view the posts. If your own post is not visible, then you have been shadow banned. The “recent,” option allows you to see all the recent posts that have included a particular hashtag. If your content is not there, then it has been removed from that public hashtag feed.

The biggest question is does Instagram know about shadow banning? Even though we’re certain it’s in their software, did Instagram create this or is it just a glitch? The answer is Instagram claims not to have created this practice on purpose and released a statement promising to work on the issue. Their recommendation is to focus on branding your company and not rely on the use of hashtags: something that cannot be sustained forever.

Our recommendation: Be careful when creating your content. Take an additional five or ten minutes to proofread both your hashtags and the post itself.

Even with all of these precautions, shadow banning can still easily happen. Lucky for you, we have a staff of trained social media marketing professionals to help you avoid this sneaky practice! Let us teach you all of the tips and tricks to never being shadow banned. Even better, we’ll help your business get the exposure it needs on all social media platforms. Give us a call at 321-255-0900 to schedule an appointment with us. Get your company out there today!

Interactive Experiences with Google Display Ads

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Marketing, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimization

As technology continues to advance, Google is looking to provide more advanced ad tools for Google Display Ads. Google is introducing a new Google display ad format, called Swirl, that allows users to interact with 3D objects embedded in display ads. Digital marketers can utilize their 3D models and assets to produce ads that engage users by letting them rotate the object, zoom in and out, and potentially start an animation.

Google Display AdsSwirl is a new immersive display ad format available on Display & Video 360. Users can explore every angle of a product by rotating the 3D model in all directions and interacting from their device as if the product was in their hands. Google shared an example from a cosmetics company called Guerlain that created a 3D ad for one of its perfume fragrances. They used Swirl to draw people’s attention and let them interact with the perfume bottle directly and learn more about the scent by interacting with an additional link in the display ad. In this example, we can see how every interaction with the bottle creates another opportunity to provide the viewer with more information about the product. Swirl Google display ads were created for mobile devices to utilize their touch control features but these ads can still be displayed on desktop computers.

Many consumers look to YouTube creators for help when deciding on new products to purchase because they tend to give their actual opinion and brands have long been teaming up with creators to connect with their audiences. Now, brands and creators can make that experience even more personalized and useful for viewers with the help of another ad type utilizing augmented reality (AR).

M·A·C Cosmetics is the first brand to partner with the company FameBit to launch an AR Beauty Try-On campaign. Using this new format, brands like M·A·C will be able to tap into YouTube’s creator community, to help sell their products with virtual product testing.

Now that you know more about how Google is improving its ads functionality, its time to put it to use. We specialize in this field and we have the tools and expertise necessary to help drive your business’s success by improving your Google display ads campaign. Learn more about what we have to offer your business and contact us to plan out and design a strategy for PPC in Melbourne FL.

SEO in Melbourne FL

How Firefox Privacy Updates Are Affecting Your SEO In Melbourne FL

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media

New Updates

If you haven’t been up to date with news in the tech world, Mozilla has now updated their latest browser, Firefox, and advertisers aren’t too fond of the changes and severely affecting SEO in Melbourne FL and everywhere else. After more than a year of ratcheting up their privacy protections, Firefox now blocks website cookies that can lead advertisers to track you across the web by default. This comes after a 2018 announcement that they were going to be doing this through their enhanced tracking protection (ETP).

If you aren’t up to speed on what cookies are, they are small text files that websites store in your browser that can then be used to market and advertise to you later down the road, either by first party operators or third parties such as advertising and analytics firms.

Remember that lamp you saw on Amazon that you put in the cart and forgot about that just so happened to pop up on Facebook as you were scrolling through? Well, that’s a product of tracking cookies through web browsers. This is the type of information and experience that will be affected. Now Facebook and it’s advertising platform isn’t the only platform affected here because this change spans even to Bing, Google, and affects Google Analytics.

Privacy  

This update should come as no surprise given the Facebook privacy issues they were facing last year and that have caused them to address privacy with their latest update and plan moving forward. Privacy is becoming the topic of discussion due to the vastness of the internet and how the data that gets collected on a daily basis is being used.

Browser tracking is becoming more of a topic of discussion but even Apple’s Safari and Brave have given users the ability to block third-party cookies by default even before 2017.

Newly installed versions of Firefox will block trackers by default and if you already have it installed, it will become available in the coming months. This is an option you can choose to turn off or even opt for different levels of blocking.

Privacy has become the new browser war and given Facebook and Google are the largest powers in the internet advertising world, they are of course going to be the ones people are looking towards for direction.

What does this mean for consumers?

For consumers, this means that there will be more pressure on your search engines and websites to win you over by engaging in and caring about your privacy. They know that your information is valuable and will have to respect that or face the consequences of not being responsible with your data.

What does this mean for advertisers?

So what does this mean for advertisers? Well, to start, it is going to affect analytic reports and data tracking for websites and social network which will seem to result in less traffic when that might not be the case. Data will be non-personally identifiable which is something businesses will suffer from in the long term. While the data will be harder to decipher, tactics for marketing should progress with the times as it always has and will continue to do.There will need to be more of a respect for consumer information at the base level of it all.

 

If you are having trouble with your SEO in Melbourne FL then we are here to help! We specialize in this field and we have the tools and expertise necessary to help drive your business’s success by improving your search engine ranking. Learn more about what we have to offer your business and contact us to plan out and design a strategy for SEO in Melbourne FL.

Vector VS Raster

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Graphic Design, Marketing

Graphic Design in Melbourne FL

In the world of design, just like any craft, Knowing what you’re working with will help you determine the best path to take when tackling a project. It may also save time and money when making the decision to use the right tool for the right job or in the case of this article, the right format for the right job.

Vector Art

Vector art, which are made of lines and curves known as paths, are composed of data and mathematical theory. Vector art is generally created with a software program. Within this program, start point curves and nodes are created using a variety of tools within the program to assign not only shape by anchor point and lines but you can also assign color to the stroke or fill. Any of the lines and curves in the image can be assigned a color value. Because the artwork is all data, it can be scaled infinitely without losing assigned detail or begin to look pixelated.

You can easily spot a vector art file as the edges are consistently crisp. No matter how large you make it or how close you zoom in, the edges will always appear sharp and smooth.

Another advantage of vector art is file size. Vector art contains no pixel data and does not have to hold the information of the entire workspace. It is due to this that vector art is generally smaller than raster art. Because it is line art the only information that the files hold are “coordinates” of where lines start and stop and what color attributes are contained on the stroke or the fill.

The flexibility of being able to be transposed into other formats is one of the reasons that designers prefer vector art when designing logos and other supporting elements. This will allow ease when transposing and scaling the graphic elements from vector source to final design piece.

Commonly used vector file types include but are not limited to: AI – Adobe Illustrator, EPS – Encapsulated post script and SVG -Scalable Vector Graphic.

There are a number of computer programs that can create and manipulate these files for use, and some have a custom extension for the file relative to the program. i.e. Corel Draw will create a .CDR file and although it is a vector file it is possible that you may need to export it to a different format in order to open or import into a different program. It is critical that you save as or export to a compatible file type when importing it into a different program.

Raster art

Raster images are often recognized as a bitmap image. This file type contains data that is composed on a grid. Within the grid there are squares that are filled with a specified color. The higher the resolution the more “squares” within a grid that are assigned color, hence more detail. This factor is commonly known as DPI (dots per inch) and/or PPI (pixels per inch).

Higher resolution means more detail and more data that has to be stored in order to render the image.

Photography is a good example of when raster art is exclusively used.

When you take a picture with a digital camera, what is rendered is a copy of the image data that is seen through the lens. The file that is created is pixel data on a grid that contains millions of squares assigned a color formula and collectively make up the image.

Conclusion

Starting with the correct file type will prevent you having to possibly rework the file at a later time. Evaluate the project in its full scope to gain an understating on the best way to compose your file.

Logos and illustrations are highly repurposed in a graphic campaign, therefore a vector format is the recommended file type. Photography, highly detailed images and background images are commonly raster format due to the ability maintain color data.

With Graphic Design in Melbourne FL and by following this information, you can also be on the right track to attracting your customers and becoming memorable. At The AD Leaf ®, we can create any design that any company would be proud of. For more information about our graphic design in Melbourne FL solutions, contact us today at info@fun-ruby-snake.65-181-111-5.cpanel.site or give us a call at 321-255-0900.

seo services

How Does Structured Snippets Work and Why It’s Important

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

If you have read our posts on the topic of Search Engine Optimization, there is no question that implementing up-to-date SEO services and strategies for your website one of the most important things you can do to rank high in the search engines. If you’re a business that’s looking to increase sales and revenue in the long term, SEO should be your number #1 source for gaining quality traffic. Although there are many ways to optimize your website, there are certain aspects of SEO that hardly anyone mentions. That aspect is using Structured Snippets for your SEO content. In this post, we want to provide you the amazing benefits that structured snippets can help your website “structure” your content to gain new customers.

Structured Snippets Help To Gain The Attention of Your Potential Customers

The first benefit that structured snippets have to offer is to help gain the attention of your potential customers who are actively searching for keywords that relate to your business. For example, let’s say there’s a business website that publishes content titled “We Help Generate 100 leads in 30 Days through Instagram: Here Are 10 Tips How We Did It”. At the bottom, there’s a summary that gives you a short consensus of the content. According to 2019 reports and surveys, it has been estimated that the CTR (click through rate) can be increased up to 20-30% when a business uses structured snippets for their SEO content. Through reading the stats, it’s a no brainer that you should also use structured snippets for your content.

Structured Snippets Help Potential Customers Find Specific Content They Are Searching For

The second benefit that structured snippets are so important is because they help potential customers find the exact and specific content they are searching for. When users are searching for certain keywords, their number #1 goal is to find specific, high-quality content in the shortest amount of time. When they find your SEO content, it further entices them to become your customer for you have proven you are an expert and authority in your field.

Structured Snippets Help Google Understand Your Content

Lastly, making use of structured snippets for your content ensures Google that it is capable of knowing as well as understand the kind of content you are publishing on your website. Even though Google states that using structured snippets doesn’t assist in ranking your website high in the search engines, we believe using structured snippets in addition to other SEO services and strategies can certainly boost your traffic as well as convert it.

Conclusion

Now that you know how structured snippets work and why it’s important to use for your website, you understand how it can be efficiently put to use with minimal time and investment. We believe there is no point in ignoring the importance of structured snippets help you gain more customers which will then lead to sales, revenue, and above all, profit. At the AD Leaf Marketing Firm, we specialize in this field and we have the tools and expertise necessary to help drive your business’s success by improving your search engine ranking. Learn more about what we have to offer your business and contact us to plan out and design a strategy with our SEO services in Melbourne FL.

SEO in Melbourne FL

Google Moves to Mobile-First Indexing By Default for New Websites

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Website Design

We’ve talked about mobile first indexing for SEO in Melbourne FL in the past and its importance in terms of your search engine rankings. Back in 2016, Google announced they would start work on their mobile-first indexing as a response to the ever increasing mobile usage reports. In the past, Google’s search algorithm has used the desktop versions of websites for indexing and displaying results to both mobile and desktop users. This has caused issues for many users because the desktop site might not be mobile friendly. Mobile-first indexing started to roll out in March of 2018, it is a new procedure in which a website’s search engine indexing is based on its mobile version. If your website isn’t mobile friendly it can really hurt your search engine rankings, which hurts your business.

Making sure your website is mobile friendly has become more important than ever since we posted our last blog on this topic. Starting July 1st, Google is now rolling out another update for mobile first indexing and this time is targeting new websites or in Google own words:

“Websites previously unknown to Google Search”

By default, all new sites indexed on July 1st will be indexed using the mobile first indexing algorithm. Even if the website is not really ready for mobile first indexing. So the common question is if Google would at least notify the webmaster via Search Console if the site has any problems that are hurting it because of mobile first indexing. Webmaster Trends Analyst, John Mueller said there are no plans to send notifications in those situations. This does seem confusing and slightly terrifying but it makes sense. Most new websites should be mobile friendly because of how web designers learn and adapt to current technology. Since mobile friendly websites have been a “thing” for a while, most web developers should be building websites that are responsive and ultimately mobile friendly.

John Mueller also added that after they roll out this update, the next step is working on enforcing this for the rest of the websites that have not moved over yet. The most surprising thing about this next step is about 50% of the websites indexed by Google are not ready for mobile first indexing! You read that correctly, half of the websites that Google knows about are not ready for mobile first indexing which means their search engine rankings are going to be heavily affected once the change fully rolls out. The good thing is that Google will be sending out messages to the site owners letting them know that they are not ready before the changes are fully implemented so the site owners can take appropriate actions.

Since mobile devices have become such a crucial factor in search rankings, creating separate strategies for desktop and mobile SEO in Melbourne FL is a must. Understanding there is a difference will help you grow your business. We specialize in this field and we have the tools and expertise necessary to help drive your business’s success by improving your search engine ranking. Learn more about what we have to offer your business and contact us to plan out and design a strategy for SEO in Melbourne FL.

Social Media Marketing

Three Tips to Help Your Writing Not Suck

Posted on | by TAL Admin
Content Writing, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

So you are about to publish your client’s next post on their social media platforms. You skim it one last time, slide the mouse over the longed-for “publish” button, and…click.

It’s away.

Transmitted.

Flying through the internet.

Public. Seen. Exposed.

 

But what happens if you don’t have a basic understanding of composing well written and compelling copy? Failing to proofread your own work can be detrimental to the success of the client you are representing, and the firm you work with. We are professionals here, so the way in which we conduct our work, including our written conduct, should reflect this! But if you do not have a frame of reference and some basic best practices under your belt, and you publish your work…who knows what could happen.

See, if you are in Social Media Marketing, you most likely have to face this obviously large giant, glaring down at you. It’s up to you and up to me to develop our skill set so we can slay that giant, and prosper everyone around us. While it’s true that people make mistakes, as professionals, it is our goal to prosper others, we need to do everything we can to ensure that our work is the best it can be, and there are plenty of smiles not fading under a metaphorical sun.

So how can we better engage with our audience, produce eye-catching content, and keep the smile alive? Below are 3 tips for writing better, stronger content.

  1. Grammarly – This one is basic but absolutely essential. Grammarly is a free extension that you can download (they also have a Pro version that you can pay for) that is essentially spell-checker. As you are creating copy for your clients and you are typing furiously across the keyboard, it will gently point out when you misspell a word. There is nothing worse than composing an email, an important response, or even worse…a social media post, and finding a glaring typo. The dread! Typos create an unprofessional view of not only yourself but also the clients you are representing. This is one problem that can be easily resolved by downloading the Grammarly extension. It’s free and keeps your content looking that much more professional for your client base.
  2. Open Loops – I remember watching The Office a couple of years back. There was an episode where Jim and Pam finally (and quite scandalously if I might add) kiss. It was the long anticipated moment that we all deep down hoped for because they were so obviously into each other, and well…Roy was not the nicest guy. But then the episode cut and  at that point, I thought to myself, “Wait, what? Do they get together? Will they date? Will Roy punch Jim in his face?” So naturally, I binge-watched the next 10 episodes. Why did I do this? This was not an accident. The producers created a psychological effect called an Open Loop which “pulled” me to want to watch the next episode (or 10). The lack of resolution made me continue. Resolution is something we all crave. We can implement this same psychological principle to generate more leads. We need to create Open Loops within our copy that was to pull the audience to “watch 10 more episodes” of whatever “show” you are playing. Create a question or something that draws the reader in to continue reading by dangling something in front of them without giving everything upfront. This is an Open Loop.
  3. Star, Chain, Hook – The Star is you/your business/what you offer. The Chain is the surrounding, supporting evidence that validates the Star. Lastly, the Hook is the call to action. The key ingredient in this writing formula is the chain. The chain is the supporting facts/statistics/analytics/evidence that validates you and what you are offering (the Star). This is the factual and emotional argument that you are right, and your audience needs to join you. These facts form a chain that envelopes you to your future clients. This is where the call to action comes in. So you’ve presented the Star (you as a company or your services) and you have also laid out the Chain (the facts as to why going with you is more advantageous) and now it’s time for the Call to Action. At this point, you want to gently put pressure to encourage your readers to make a decision. Like Voldemort from Harry Potter. Just kidding. But you get the idea. Present who you are. Lay out the chain links of why you are the winner to go with, and then ask them to join your dark army.

Let’s say you are representing a coffee company’s social media campaign. What does this company’s definition of success look like? This is the motivation behind the star you are presenting to the public. This is the question that you are answering for others. Why should they buy their coffee? Figure this out, and present the star proudly and confidently to the general public. After this shiny beautiful star is presented, it’s time to reinforce why it’s the best coffee. It’s time to describe, link by link, evidence by evidence, why their coffee is the best. You could describe the low carbon footprint the company makes, the exquisite attention to detail they pour over every cup of coffee they make, and the social impact they strive to achieve. Lastly, the hook. A hook grabs people. Now we lay before our audience not only the reasons why this coffee is better than all others, but the reason they need it. This coffee is ethically sourced. This coffee supports these farmers. This coffee is the way coffee is supposed to be made. These hooks are nudging people to make a choice. This choice can be blatant: “Come on by today” or it can be not as obvious “We are open all day Saturday”. The choice is yours as you factor in other elements from your campaign.

With these 3 principals, your copywriting skills will hit the stratosphere! There are an endless plethora of social media marketing resources out there that are available. A lot of this content was inspired from content on Buffer’s website which is another great resource for those wanting to learn.

The marketing game is entirely other-centric. Our job is to help you and your job do well. To win. And because when you win, we win. By being proactive, we close the gap in preventing mistakes, creating better content, crushing the competitors, and making the world a better place. Let’s get writing!