• FAQs

          Search engine optimization (SEO) helps businesses drive visits to their website through organic search traffic. Given that the top organic search results receive a third of the clicks, a decline in ranking could be detrimental for your business. Implementing SEO best practices on your website will help to ensure that your web content is seen by as many potential customers as possible. The more visitors you have, the better your chances are of converting those visits into sales!

          Local search engine optimization (SEO) helps local businesses gain visibility by optimizing their local business listings for local search. A business that leverages local SEO will include its address, phone number, local opening times, and exact location in the form of a local citation. The goal is to rank for local searches which are usually performed by people in a specific geographical region looking for a business near them.

          We typically see results within the first 30 to 60 days, but when it comes to SEO, there are many factors at play. It's important to remember that SEO is a long-term strategy and results may not come as fast at you wish.


        • FAQs

          Digital advertising uses the internet to send advertisements to customers who are online through different websites and social media platforms like Google, Bing, LinkedIn and Facebook.

          The price for Google Ads management depends on the monthly ad spend. For accounts with $1,000 in monthly ad spend, the price is $550/month. Between $1,000 and $5,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $950/month. For $5,000 to $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $2,000/month. For more than $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $4,500/month.

          The price for Social Media Ads management depends on the monthly ad spend. For accounts with $1,000 in monthly ad spend, the price is $550/month. Between $1,000 and $5,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $950/month. For $5,000 to $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $2,000/month. For more than $10,000 a month in ad spend, the price is $4,500/month.


        • FAQs

          This depends on the complexity and size of a redesign and if eCommerce is needed. On average, it takes around 14-18 weeks from the web design intensive stage to launch.

          If your website experiences the following issues: it’s not responsive on all devices, has a slow loading speed, the design appears old and tired, users don’t spend long on the site, sales are stagnant, or your business is going through a rebranding - your website needs a redesign to boost your brand awareness and sales.

          Sometimes there’s no need to rebuild a website. Minor edits, refreshing page content and images, or restructuring page layout for SEO best practices can boost traffic and sales.


        • FAQs

          Semantic search launched in 2013 with the release of Google's Hummingbird update. Since then, Google's search engine has become more complex. The integration of machine learning, with RankBrain, and NLP, with BERT, has enabled the search engine to better understand the context of a query and deliver more personalized and targeted results. Semantic SEO is the process of creating machine-readable content using structured data and linked open data to help search engines better understand your content.

          On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page SEO refers to both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized, as opposed to off-page SEO which refers to links and other external signals. From meta tags to page content, website structure, and HTML, on-page optimization services are focused on making your website more visible to search engines.

          Structured data refers to any organized data that conforms to a certain format, such as information in a relational database. When information is highly structured and predictable, search engines can more easily organize and display it in creative ways. Structured data involves using a piece of code that is laid out in a specific format easily understood by search engines. The search engines read the code and use it to display search results in a more dynamic way.


        • FAQs

          An SEO agency has experts in different areas of search engine optimization that may be out of the realm of your marketing team's abilities. SEO can be very complex and time-consuming. Furthermore, as search engine algorithms change it can be difficult to stay current on the latest ranking factors and strategies for improving online visibility. You will likely see a greater return on investment and better results from using a professional SEO agency than you would from tackling this on your own.

          As a digital marketing agency, SMA Marketing provides products and services in four areas: SEO, Local SEO, Digital Advertising, and Web Design

          We focus on building authentic, long-lasting relationships with our clients. We’re goal oriented and results driven and believe in doing good and making a difference in the world.

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Rock Your B2B Marketing With Video

I recently read that, according to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester, it is estimated that one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I started digging into this topic. Come to find out, video has the potential to make a huge impact on the effectiveness of a company’s marketing strategy. Perhaps that’s why so many social platforms are taking their cue from YouTube and developing more ways to reach audiences through video. Consider the recent growth of live videos on Facebook and Periscope, and video clips on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram and you’ll realize that video is where it’s at in the online marketing world.

If Dr. McQuivey’s estimation is correct, video is not only a powerful medium but an efficient one at that. How long would it take to write 1.8 million words? How many blog posts or website landing pages would those words encompass? How much time would it take to deliver that amount of written content over the course of a few hundred blog posts? Could you even keep your audience’s attention that long? Probably not.

B2B organizations have a unique opportunity to connect with their audience using video. In a survey conducted by ReelSEO “96% of B2B organizations use video in some capacity in their marketing campaigns of which 73% report positive results to their ROI.” Gone are the days of only utilizing a product brochure, sell sheet and static web page to promote products and services.  Now B2B firms can inform, educate and entertain using the power of video. Video is a great way to share content that is timely, relevant, and helpful to customers.

Why Video Works

Video is the next best thing to seeing something in person. It allows the user to virtually experience a product, service or brand. If done right it tells a story that connects on a personal level and draws the viewer in. It has the power to touch viewers on many psychological levels. Great videos don’t explain, they show. They show real users of a product or give a glimpse at how a product is made. They solve problems encountered by customers and demonstrate solutions. I don’t know about you, but for me, a video demonstration is much easier to follow than a written set of instructions and seeing a real person use a product or viewing a customer testimonial is much more impactful than a written review on a website.

Video also works because we process visual images more quickly than written text. Not only that, it’s effective in communicating more than a literal message. It allows viewers to develop a personal connection with the subject of the video or the brand. The viewer can read tone, body language, and attitude from a video. This helps build trust and likeability which helps build relationships with viewers.

Video images have the potential to be more memorable than written content and ultimately more engaging. According to Online Publisher’s Association, 80% of users recalled a video ad they viewed in the past 30 days. When Forbes executives were polled, “59% of executives said they would rather watch video than read text.” Not only that, “50% of executives look for more information after seeing a product/service in a video.”  (Source) Video is helpful in the decision-making process since it has the power to demonstrate the uses and benefits of a product or service and the positive impact they can make on a business.

How to Have the Most Impact With Video

To have the most impact with video, grab the viewer’s attention within the first 10 seconds. Studies show that 20% of viewers will click away from a video within 10 seconds. About a third will leave within 30 seconds and 45% will leave within 1 minute. Short videos are more likely to be shared. Videos that are 15 seconds or shorter get shared 37% more often than videos that are between 30 seconds and a minute long. (Source)

Become great at producing videos, whether they are quick iPhone behind-the-scenes type videos or promotional videos. Video production is a skill. Even videos taken on a mobile device should be shot with good lighting and at the right angle. It’s not enough to create amateur videos and post them on YouTube. Invest in the time and resources to create professional videos. This includes well-crafted and intentional writing, filming and editing. If you want to learn more about video production, check out the Creator Academy on YouTube.

Videos that entertain and make viewers feel good are the most shared and hold viewers’ attention longer. Making an emotional connection with users may not seem easy when you’re selling products in the engineering or high-tech sector. However, take a look at your buyer personas. These are human beings with real emotional needs. There is a connection to be made, whether it be through humor or showing the joy and relief that comes from using the product to solve a problem. Also keep in mind that people love to know the human beings behind a brand. Show that side of your company to make a personal connection.

Research the best places to share your message. Where are your buyers hanging out online on social media? That’s where you want to share your videos in addition to posting them on YouTube and your corporate website. Also, consider adding video to email campaigns. Including video in an email increases the click-through rate by 200-300%, according to a report by Forrester.

If the above isn’t enough to convince you that you need to include video in your B2B marketing strategy, take a look at this infographic by Hyperfine Media.

Hyperfine-Videomarketing-Infographic.jpg

Now you may be wondering how to effectively use video as a B2B company. In next week’s article, I’ll go into detail on specifically how video can be used in your marketing to increase engagement and sales. In the meantime, here are a few ideas:

  • Instructional Videos
  • A Day in the Life Videos
  • How Things Are Made Videos
  • New Product Announcements
  • Employee Spotlights
  • Customer Spotlights
  • In the Community
  • Video Series and Webinars

Is video part of your company’s content marketing strategy? How has it been effective for you? Comment below and let us know what’s working for you.

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