June 2018

Transparency: it has been a buzzword in most industries for several years now, especially when it comes to public relations strategies. It describes the openness of a brand and their ability to share certain company information as well as take on opinions related to things such as environmental and social issues. In practicing transparency, businesses are seen as being more honest and trustworthy.

Some businesses are so determined to be transparent that they share where they get all of their raw materials, the production costs of their offerings, and even employee salaries. This trend is especially important to millennials and studies show that generation Z is growing up to be no different.

Here are a few points that outline the importance of brand transparency:

Why be Transparent

Releasing information to the public shows that your business is honest and trustworthy which is an important part of managing public relations. It is also an effective way to build likeability and even more importantly, loyalty with your brand. In fact, consumers are 94% more likely to be loyal to a brand that incorporates transparency into its business model.

Much of the transparency movement is fueled by millennials. With millennials ranging from ages 21-37 roughly, they are at prime spending age. This is why any business that markets to millennials, either exclusively or in part, may want to consider incorporating elements of transparency into their public relations strategies.

How to be Transparent

There are a variety of ways that brands can be transparent without going to extremes. Simply by advertising some elements of your production or services, you can show consumers that you are committed to providing them with quality offerings that have their best interests in mind. For example, if your operation includes elements of food production, an overview of ingredients is an effective way to be transparent. If your business is in manufacturing, perhaps create an informative video that displays some elements of the production process that show why your product is one of quality.

Admitting to mistakes is also a large part of being transparent. Many businesses have become infamous for trying to sweep things under the rug, blame someone else, or just plain deny any knowledge of misdoings. Taking responsibility for your operation shows integrity and also shows your brand’s commitment to providing consumers with the best possible products or services.

In a particularly drastic example, the company Chipotle experienced a food contamination issue in 2015 that devastated sales and fueled public mistrust. As a result, Chipotle CEO Steve Ells wrote a letter in which he apologized, took full responsibility, and highlighted the actionable changes that were made to fix the issue and ensure it would never happen again. It worked like a charm. Consumers trusted the brand even more and the business was able to make a full recovery form what could’ve been a crippling blow.

Consumers nowadays expect much more from brands than they did in the past. With the access to vast amounts of information offered by the internet, consumers are much savvier than they used to be. If your business is ready for the advantages of transparency and other public relations strategies, contact Jessica Chabot, Vice President, Client Services of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, top woman led B2B branding, positioning, and digital marketing firm who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customer’s buying decision, giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the branding and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, and a worldwide presence, the professionals at Millennium Agency would like to learn more about your business.  Visit www.mill.agency or book time here.

Building brand awareness is paramount when it comes to creating sales opportunities. Just like the old saying goes “out of sight, out of mind,” consumers can’t buy your products if they don’t know who you are and what you can do for them. This is where marketing strategies that are designed to build brand awareness come into the picture.

Here are three main strategies that can be used to promote your business and ensure that consumers will not only hear about you but become loyal customers as well.

Content Production

A content strategy is a key factor in spreading brand awareness. Content can come in the form of blogs, articles, emails, and any other form of writing or advertising with informational substance. This blog that you are reading now for instance, is an example of content.

Here are three ways in which content builds brand awareness:

Brand Image: A consistent creation of content will increase the flow of traffic to your website and build your brand image as an industry thought leader, thus demonstrating your prowess in your field.

Search Engine Optimization: Creation of content on a regular basis with commonly searched keywords will enhance your SEO. This heightens the chances that consumers will discover your business through their online searches and thus increases lead generation.

Sharing: If your business creates informational or entertaining content, there is a good chance that readers/viewers will share your content with their peers. In this way, your brand will become more well-known and there will be a higher probability that consumers will return for more content.

Social Media Strategy

In the past, a social media presence used to be optional for businesses. This has changed over time and social media is not only necessary for building brand awareness, but it is also an effective platform for generating leads. A social media strategy can include a variety of different tactics for promoting your brand. The following include just a few proven methods for increasing brand awareness and sales opportunities:

Native advertising: These ads can be used to link to content on your website. By posting short, engaging advertisements, visuals, or links to content, that flow well with social media feeds, brands can spread awareness and increase their web traffic.

Industry News: Just as users share exciting news about their personal lives, brands can share important updates about the on-goings of the company or their field. This is important for spreading awareness and showing that you are committed to being a thought leader in your industry.

Local/Charitable Events: Using social media to discuss events that your business will be attending or sponsoring is a great way to capture the interest of social media users. Posting about your brand’s charitable donations is also an effective way to show that you care about the community.

Public Relations

Public relations is a valuable skill for both managing public opinion and promoting your brand through a variety of different mediums. These are just a few areas in which PR builds brand awareness:

Media Lists: Creating media lists that frequently publish articles and content that align with the values of your target audience is helpful for reaching new customers. Your media lists can be as widespread as you like and based entirely off the budget that you want to contribute.

Featured Articles: Audiences crave new information. Publishing articles on your field and releasing them to the press is an excellent way to be seen as a thought leader and reach new audiences. These are especially effective because readers who enjoy the content will see the author/contributor section and associate your brand with industry expertise.

Messaging and Positioning: While your logo and mission statement are important, press releases provide a strong platform for telling your audience exactly what your brand is all about. Publishing through established news sources allows you to take on a more authoritative role in informing your target market about your brand and business values.

Being a successful brand is all about being well-known by consumers. If your business is the best at what you do and would like to let consumers know through awareness-oriented marketing strategies, contact Linda Fanaras, President/Strategist of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is often considered the basis of most digital marketing strategies. Many digital marketing tactics today revolve around enhancing a website’s “searchability” through SEO. This means that their goal is to boost a brand’s ranking on a search engine’s results page and, as a result, increase their flow of web traffic and lead generation.

Here is a basic guide to understanding what SEO is, as well as why and how it should be done:

What is SEO?

As mentioned earlier, SEO is the process of enhancing a website’s standing on a search engine’s results page. Google and other search engines use algorithms to ensure that users obtain the most relevant answers to their inquiries.

In Google’s case, these algorithms are complex, regularly updated, and have many “rules” that websites must follow to ensure that they offer the best possible information. This means that search engine algorithms “reward” sites with superior SEO by giving them a higher spot on a results page and “punish” sites with poor SEO by giving them a lower placement. By knowing and adhering to the rules of SEO, a business’s website can gain a higher rank on a search results page.

Why You Need SEO

Enhanced SEO is beneficial for a variety of reasons. From a consumer perspective, it is much easier for them to click on one of the first links they see, rather than scroll through a vast list of possible answers to their question. This is especially true for mobile searches. A small screen and an on-the-go environment will often lead to a consumer clicking on one of the first options they see on their mobile device.

If your company’s website has a higher rank on a search engine’s results page than your competitor’s, it is much more likely that consumers will click on your link and come to you with their business. This also works in reverse, if your competitor has an advanced marketing strategy, with enhanced SEO, then it is likely that you are losing business to them, even if you provide a superior product or service. This is why it is crucial to ensure your brand’s SEO is at peak efficiency.

How to Enhance SEO

There are many factors that go into improving a site’s SEO, as well as many “rules” surrounding these factors. Considering Google search queries account for more than 65% of all searches, it is advantageous to align your SEO efforts with the rules created by Google’s algorithms.

Here are some of the most prevalent areas for SEO enhancement:

Content: consistent production of content is something that Google and other search engines reward. A regular stream of articles, blogs, and other information shows that your website is up to date with the most current information. Search engines will increase your rank if they think that your website is both current and relevant.

Keywords: One of the most important factors in enhancing searchability is the inclusion of specific keywords that are frequently searched and are relevant to your articles subject. A few things to keep in mind for keyword use include:

Finding the right number of keywords for your page is an important factor, too many or too little may cause your page to fall in rank.
Ensuring keyword relevancy is also crucial. For example, if you include the right number of keywords in your content but they are not related to the subject matter, algorithms will recognize this and reduce your rank as a result.

Links: The inclusion of links in your content to other webpages is also an important part of SEO. A solid division between links that are inbound (going to pages on your website) and outbound (going to other webpages) is preferable for the best placement on a search results page.

The internet and advances in search engine programming, have revolutionized the way consumers find products and services. If your business is ready for a new marketing strategy with the goal of enhancing your website’s SEO, contact Jessica Chabot, Vice President, Client Services of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.

About Millennium Agency

You have streamlined your production, optimized your services, and mastered your specific trade. Now it is time to conduct in-depth market research. Why, you ask?

The answer is this: market research strengthens your brand in a variety of impactful ways. Knowing your target audience allows your business to reach the right people with specialized advertising strategies that speak directly to their values and purchasing trends. Market research also plays a crucial part in knowing which of your new business ideas or brands will succeed.

Read on to learn why market research is one of the best tools you can use to strengthen your brand:

It Enhances Your Outreach

One of the largest benefits of thorough market research is the widened reach of your marketing efforts. A solid understanding of your target audience allows you to reach consumers that you may not have been aware of and vice versa.

The gathering and analysis of consumer data often reveals hidden trends, untapped markets, and unfulfilled needs, all of which can be utilized to provide consumers with tailored services and advertising.

A pre-branding process of thoughtfully prepared and analyzed market research ensures that your brand connects and garners top-of-mind awareness across target markets.

It Reveals Your Audience’s Values

Many businesses make the mistake of becoming so entrenched with their existing products or focus so much on the creative process surrounding their brand elements–logo designs, taglines, and color schemes–that they lose sight of what customers actually want. Oftentimes, this leads to an aesthetically pleasing brand, but one that doesn’t necessarily resonate with target audiences.

In the past, consumers would often buy products based entirely on their function and features. While this is still an important part of the buying process, it has now become necessary for brands to take on personas that emulate certain values. In other words, consumers nowadays want to purchase products and services from businesses whose values align with their own.

Market research allows businesses to have a firm grasp of their target audience’s values. This is important for creating an effective brand, as well as reaching consumers with relevant, personalized content and advertisements.

It Helps You Influence the Buying Process

Not all consumers are created equal. Some are avid buyers of your specific offerings, some are not experienced, and others are somewhere in the middle. In the marketing and sales worlds, this is what is referred to as the sales funnel.

Inexperienced buyers are located at the top of the funnel and require advertising that can assist with their beginner understanding of your products and services. Experienced customers, on the other hand, are located at the bottom of the funnel. They know exactly what they are looking for and require advertising that is much more in depth.

A firm understanding of where members of your target audience are in their buying processes will allow you to diversify your advertisements based on optimizing your unique sales funnel.

It Makes Adapting to Changing Markets Easier

Most markets are not static environments due to the fact that, over time, consumers change their purchasing habits. This is why successful brands are always keeping their ear to the ground by regularly gathering consumer data.

Understanding and reacting to changing market climates allows for businesses to release cutting edge advertising strategies as well as effectively manage consumer opinions through public relations.

Knowing the latest consumer trends through market research and adapting to them makes this area of market research a key factor when building a strong brand.

How to Conduct Market Research

Begin with a Brand Audit

If you have an existing brand that needs a revamp, the first step is to analyze it objectively. Where does your brand stand today and how it changed since it started?

A brand audit typically consists of evaluating the following:

External Branding: advertising, creative, website, social media, public relations, videos, and print collateral.
Internal Branding: messaging, brand values, culture, voice, Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and positioning.
Corporate/Infrastructure: corporate identity and policies, internal systems and sales processes.

Depending on your budget, focus groups, and online surveys of employees, customers, and partners can be helpful tools to identify an existing brand’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. The results of this analysis will provide the necessary direction for your rebrand.

Combine Primary and Secondary Research

For a new brand–be it an original or a rebrand–it is critical to combine both primary and secondary market research methods to produce one that will connect with your target markets. Use qualitative, or exploratory market research methods to ask customers for feedback about your brand or business (or industry-at-large if you are just starting up) via online chats, interviews, and social media.

Conduct secondary market research—information and data gathered by others— by collecting industry-focused information from publications, databases, and associations to assist you in better understanding target market perceptions and any market barriers. This method is also effective in reviewing the current strategies of your competitors; helping you to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.

Along with driving the logo design, this integral research fuels the creation of a unique selling proposition (USP), which serves as a uniform message that articulates why your product or service is the perfect solution for its target markets.

Summarize Your Data

Once the market research phase of your branding initiative is complete, you will have created a comprehensive outline of the characteristics and messaging of a unique and successful brand.

When you feel satisfied with your finished product and you still have the ambition and budget for some extra market research, it is a tried-and-true best practice to test your brand among potential customers and prospects via survey or focus group. Your result will be a brand that prospective and existing customers will embrace, remember, and reward with loyalty.

A successful business is so much more than its products and services. It is a brand that consumers know and love because it speaks directly to them. If your business is ready to experience the advantages of widespread outreach, an in-depth understanding of your target market, an optimized sales funnel, and knowledge of the latest consumer trends, contact Linda Fanaras, President/Strategist of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.