content marketing – Iceberg Web Design https://www.icebergwebdesign.com Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:40:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.3 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-iceberg-favicon-32x32.jpg content marketing – Iceberg Web Design https://www.icebergwebdesign.com 32 32 Why Content is the Foundation To A Website that Converts https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2021/06/content-is-foundation-of-seo/ Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:00:48 +0000 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=16015 At Iceberg Web Design, we always start a website project with content. That content may come from an old website that you are updating. It might come from a writer that the company has hired. But most often, it is created by our SEO Content Writers. We spend time with someone from the company, finding […]

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At Iceberg Web Design, we always start a website project with content. That content may come from an old website that you are updating. It might come from a writer that the company has hired. But most often, it is created by our SEO Content Writers. We spend time with someone from the company, finding out what they need from their website. We talk about what they envision, and we consult with them on best practices and industry standards.

Then the writer assigned to the project will do a deep dive, researching the industry and deciding how to portray the company best to put them on top.

Male Writing With Laptop.

Well Written Content 

Your content will profoundly affect a customer’s perception of your business. If your content is disorganized, visitors will assume that your business is, as well. That organization rests on the shoulders of your content.

It has never been more critical to make a good impression on your website. Because of COVID-19, many customers are vetting businesses by visiting their websites first. This can often save them time and potential health risks by ensuring a company can meet their needs before going into their brick-and-mortar business.

SEO Strategy

Your SEO strategy should include both on-page and off-page SEO. Your content writer needs to be adept at using these concepts. User experience is the number one thing that will affect your SEO. User experience is behind all of the rules that are part of Google’s algorithm. Having a content writer who knows how to maximize the user experience will not only make Google happy and boost your SEO. It will also make your site visitors. It may even improve the chances that they will want to do business with you.

Avoid the Fluff: Display Your Expertise

Offering Free Knowledge is a great way to show your customers that you are an expert in your field. Many people want to understand the problem they are hiring someone to fix. Then, they feel secure in the knowledge that they are getting the right service for their needs.

Your website is the first impression many people will have of your business. Customers can find fluff anywhere. By sharing something of value, you are helping them feel comfortable with your level of expertise. If you can’t articulate your business, customers aren’t going to feel secure working with you.

Yet, some companies are fearful of giving away free knowledge. They hold onto it like it’s Grandma’s secret recipe. But sharing knowledge with your site’s visitors will help to create a bond between them and your business over time. They will see your generosity and good-will.

Iceberg Web Design Can Help

We have SEO Content Writers who care about helping your company make a good first impression. We’ve worked with hundreds of businesses over the years, and we would love to work with you. Contact us today to learn how to make that happen. Read our Reviews if you don’t believe us! 

 

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Penguin Profile: Heather Erickson | Iceberg Web Design https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2021/06/penguin-profile-heather-erickson-content-writer/ Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:00:59 +0000 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=16010 At Iceberg Web Design, you get to have a dedicated partner with an invested team working for your business’s interests. Each month we have been featuring each of our team members in a profile post, so you can get to know the penguins better. This month, we are talking to Heather Erickson, our SEO Content […]

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Iceberg Web Design Team MN

At Iceberg Web Design, you get to have a dedicated partner with an invested team working for your business’s interests. Each month we have been featuring each of our team members in a profile post, so you can get to know the penguins better. This month, we are talking to Heather Erickson, our SEO Content Writer.

Heather Erickson
SEO Content Writer

Heather | SEO Content Writer

I’m an SEO content writer and head of the content department at Iceberg Web Design. I was a freelancer, contracting with Iceberg from November 2019 until July of 2020, when Iceberg hired me to be on staff full-time.

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

I started writing blog posts for customers who subscribe to our SEO writing services. That involves researching the business and the things about which their customers are concerned. Then, I write articles about those topics. I might be writing for a lawyer and an electrician one day, and the next, I could be writing for a roofer and a flooring company. So, I get a lot of variety.

Over time, I started taking on website projects. That’s an entirely different type of writing, but the same SEO principles apply.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers?

Every website project that I write content for starts with a content interview. I prepare for the interview by doing some preliminary research and deciding what I need to prioritize since I will only have an hour with the client. That time can go very fast!

My job is to gather enough information from the content interview to put the business owner’s passion for what they do into words. I need to do it in a way that evokes trust and assurance to customers and gets customers excited about working with the business—all while making the copy search engine-friendly.

The process includes writing a couple of drafts to ensure I get all of the details right. Once I have delivered the final copy to development, I am pretty finished, other than checking the site before it goes live for any potential issues.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

My childhood dream job was to be a detective, so I love the content interviews and the research. I get to pull out important details to get an accurate picture to have on the website. Plus, I love getting to know our customers. It’s the one chance I have to really connect with them.

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

My number one goal is to help create a website that will fulfill their business’s needs. Sometimes that means they want sales. Other times they want to hire new staff because of high turnover. I love finding ways that their website can make their job easier. The truth is, we do much more than build websites. We build business solutions that happen to look like websites.

In what other industries have you worked?

Haha. You name it. I’ve been a nursing assistant, a waitress, a cashier, a trainer in restaurants. I guess I like the service industry. I was also a realtor for about ten years. My favorite job was homeschooling my kids. I got them through to college, which they each started at the age of 16.

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets):

I’m a widow. My husband had lung cancer for seven years before his death in 2019. Our kids are Matt (17), Samantha (19), and Summer (22). Summer just got married, so now I have a son-in-law, too! I have a gerbil. My youngest kids are allergic, or I would get something more interactive.

Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

I hunt wild mushrooms and am involved in the Minnesota Mycological Society. I also carve Wooden Duck Decoys. I don’t hunt, but I love the carving process. I enjoy learning Spanish, as well. I like learning anything.

What is something about you that might surprise your customers and co-workers?

I’m a true crime junkie.

Describe your perfect day:

Perfect weather, 72* with no humidity and a soft breeze rustling through the trees. I get to spend the day in the woods. I can walk, look for mushrooms, read, take a nap, relax. That sounds amazing to me.

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why?

I think history, though it is tough to choose. I love the stories that are attached to history. There are science stories, as well, but they aren’t well known.

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask?

“What should I do?” The key thing is to save that question for the most crucial moment—a pivotal point in time.

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything.

If you can learn from your mistakes, you turn them into life lessons. Then, they are no longer regrets or wasted moments in time.

My second-best piece of advice is to contact us at Iceberg Web Design for all of your website needs! 

Connect With Heather or the Iceberg Team

Learn more about The Iceberg Team. Read Some Of Iceberg’s Reviews!

 

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SEO Is An Essential but Slow Process https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2021/05/seo-is-an-essential-but-slow-process/ Thu, 13 May 2021 14:00:20 +0000 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=15986 SEO, or search engine optimization, is “the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.” (Oxford Languages) SEO is not a Fast Fix A common misconception is that SEO is a fast track to success. […]

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SEO, or search engine optimization, is “the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.” (Oxford Languages)

SEO is not a Fast Fix

A common misconception is that SEO is a fast track to success. You make the necessary changes, and voila—customers will be beating down your doors. In reality, the process is a lot like starting a fitness regimen. How long it takes to get your website into shape and move it to the first page of Google’s search engine results page will depend on several things.

Working Out

Your Starting Point

When you are putting together a fitness plan, the path toward your goal will look very different depending on the point from which you are starting. If you want to drop to 150 pounds, the journey will take longer than someone who wants to drop 20 pounds. If you’re going to increase your strength, it will be harder for someone who has never worked out than someone who has taken a year off from their regular exercise routine.

If your business is brand new and you have just had your website built, it will take some time to gain some credibility. You need to build a foundation, get name recognition, create content with the right keywords for your site, and have backlinks that show Google your business is a healthy one that they can point customers to when they search for your product or service.

Your Plan

It is vital to have a solid plan that you can follow to build your SEO. Much like with your physical health, you want to avoid “fad diets.” These attempts at fast results will burn you in the end. In the SEO world, the equivalent is known as “black hat SEO tactics.” They include things such as:

  •         Keyword Stuffing
  •         Paid Links
  •         Duplicate/Low-Quality Content
  •         SPAM Comments
  •         Cloaking
  •         Invisible Text
  •         Sneaky Redirects
  •         Abusing Structured Data or Schema
  •         Link Farms

They may bring you traffic initially, but you will take a big hit from Google as soon as they figure out what you are doing—and they always find out.

Your Personal Trainer

The way to avoid black hat SEO is to hire a reputable SEO specialist who can help you develop and implement a plan to improve your Google rankings and website traffic. A good online marketer knows that SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all product. They need to look at where you are starting at, your short- and long-term goals, and the best way to get there. Often this involves:

  •         Keyword Research
  •         Adding New Content
  •         Updating and Utilizing Google My Business
  •         Updating and Utilizing Social Media Pages
  •         Gathering and Responding to Reviews

Having an SEO specialist allows you to focus on your business rather than your website.

Consistency

If you go to the gym once every couple of months and work out until you drop, it is unlikely that you will gain anything other than sore muscles. But, if you go a few times a week and do 30 to 45-minute workouts that work your heart and the rest of your body, you will soon begin to see some changes. It is the consistency that makes the difference.

The same is true for your SEO.

  •         Add new content every month—or refreshing old content.
  •         Pay attention to your Google My Business account. Post content there and update your information and business description.
  •         Post to your social media platforms with backlinks pointing to your website.

How long will it take SEO services to increase my traffic?

Many variables will affect the amount of time it takes to move up the rankings of Google’s search engine results page.

  •         How much competition do you have?
  •         Where are you at in your business plan? Do you have the name recognition, or are you just starting?
  •         Are there circumstances affecting the market? For example, most people don’t look up minigolf in Minnesota during the winter.

Remember, slow and steady, just like with fitness. You will eventually see the fruits of your labor.

How Are You Doing?

Could you use more traffic to your website? We would love to help you get traffic that converts! The pros at Iceberg Web Design are your SEO experts. Contact us today to learn how we can help take your business to the next level.

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Penguin Profile: Hattie McCoy| Iceberg Web Design https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2021/05/penguin-profile-hattie-mccoy-iceberg-web-design-2/ Tue, 04 May 2021 14:00:36 +0000 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=15979   When you work with Iceberg Web Design, you get to have a dedicated partner with an invested team in your business’s interests. Each month we have been featuring each of our team members in a profile post, so you can get to know the penguins better. This month, we are talking to Hattie McCoy, […]

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When you work with Iceberg Web Design, you get to have a dedicated partner with an invested team in your business’s interests. Each month we have been featuring each of our team members in a profile post, so you can get to know the penguins better. This month, we are talking to Hattie McCoy, our Marketing & SEO Penguin! 

 

King Penguins Huddle

 

Hattie McCoy
SEO & Marketing

Hattie | Marketing & SEO

How long have you been working for Iceberg?

 Over eight whole months! 

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

 Duties are evolving but absolutely fit under the umbrella of my title.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers?

I am privileged to work with many different types of companies on their SEO and Digital Marketing goals. The job varies by company but can include reputation management, Optimizing web pages to better-fit lead goals, google my business set up and monitoring, Google Ads, Keyword research, email campaigns, and more.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I appreciate that the job looks a little different each day. I learn more about businesses and figure out how to better serve their customers, and I help them meet their milestones, whatever they may be.  We work with a lot of local businesses, and it’s great to be able to see the impact we can make to the small business and the local community.

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

I think paramount of my job is to make sure I am on the same page with our Customers. I need to understand their business well enough to speak to it and find out what they are looking for from their qualified leads/ customers. I think the plan is to be collaborative while making the dial turn for the business.

In what other industries have you worked?

I have worked in many jobs. Including radio, retail, custom perfumes, credit unions, data centers, and more! I have also moved from Iowa to Colorado to Minnesota. I think my varied experiences have made me a good fit in this position to work with very different businesses.

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets):

My husband, Mike, is an electrician who has the biggest heart and always wants to make sure everyone is having a great time. My dog Gimi is a 5-year-old Lab- Mutt that is a large (100 lbs) baby. I am also expecting a tiny human addition to my family in March 2021. I am excited to be a new mom! 

Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

I enjoy reading, playing video games, board games, binge-watching tv shows, hiking, swimming, trying new foods, and the occasional craft time. 

What is something about you that might surprise your customers and co-workers?

That I am an open book, and not much is super surprising. 

Describe your perfect day:

Great food, great company, great weather, and I’m there. 

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why?

It’s a tough choice because I think it’s good for everyone to know and appreciate both at least a little. I think I am probably a better history student, but I could easily get into a few specific science fields. I’ve always been pretty fascinated with psychology, and I think it probably draws a little on both history and science. 

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask?

How can I make the best positive impact?

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything

Some of our biggest disappointments are the expectations that we have that cannot be met. A lot of things are out of anyone’s control. Do the best you can with what you have, and you may find that there are a million ways to yes. 

Connect With Hattie or the Iceberg Team

Learn more about The Iceberg Team, Read Some Of Iceberg’s Reviews or Connect with Hattie on Linkedin!

 

 

 

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Why Keeping Your Blog is Important https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2021/04/why-keeping-your-blog-is-important/ Tue, 13 Apr 2021 14:00:19 +0000 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=15969 Many websites start as just content. Then they grow into an e-commerce site or a site that is used as a platform for a service. At that point, your business begins to pick up, and you forget about that original content, your blog. You will likely want to have your website updated and upgraded to […]

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Many websites start as just content. Then they grow into an e-commerce site or a site that is used as a platform for a service. At that point, your business begins to pick up, and you forget about that original content, your blog. You will likely want to have your website updated and upgraded to keep up with the changing pace of business and technology. At that time, it is common for business owners to consider dropping their blog. Here’s Why You shouldn’t do that! 

Beauty Blogger Influencer

Follow the Advice of Content Marketers

Content marketers know their business. That’s why when 86% of them are doing this as part of their content strategy. It pays to consider that ‘it’ worth doing. What are they doing? Blogging! “Businesses with a consistent content or blog strategy receive twice as much email traffic as those without. Plus, more than 55 percent of marketers say they’ve gained new customers just by blogging.” [1]

How Much Work Goes into a Writing a Blog?

Content can be anywhere from 500 to 1200 words on average, depending on your audience and what kind of marketing you are doing. The average blog post takes nearly four hours to complete. What goes into that time?

  •     Research
  •     Writing
  •     SEO Crafting
  •     Editing
  •     Image Sourcing
  •     Final Draft

It can be time-consuming, but it is worth it. A professionally written blog can bring in business and increase name recognition across the web.

SEO Services 

If you include SEO services with your online content, you are doubling down on a marketing masterpiece. With SEO services, your blog can be posted to social media and Google My Business in front of the right audiences at the correct times to increase traffic to your site even more. 

Will it Hurt to Ditch my Blog? It’s Not That Great. 

YES! If you get rid of your existing blog, Google’s algorithms will see a sudden elimination of content from your site. Your site’s SEO will drop like a rock and won’t recover for a long time. 

If you are unhappy with your blog, the best thing you can do is hire an SEO professional to manage it. They can slowly change each post to a new, improved version, keeping the URL intact. That is important since Google likes changes to content (not URLs), but it wants these to be slow changes.

Getting Help 

Then, you can outsource your blog writing to a professional blogger so you can work on your business while they work on your blog. Companies who blog get 97% more links to their websites.[2] Why give that up? At Iceberg Web Design, we produce professionally written SEO content every day for our customers. Contact us today to find out how we can help you. Read our reviews! 

 

[1] Lin, Ying. “10 Blogging Statistics You Need to Know in 2021 [Infographic].” Oberlo, Oberlo, 26 Feb. 2021, www.oberlo.com/blog/blogging-statistics.

 

[2] Ouellette, Coral, et al. “Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts (Updated for 2021).” OptinMonster, 6 Jan. 2021, optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/.

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How to Use Images on your Website https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2020/11/images-on-your-website/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 18:35:29 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=15436 Early websites were text-heavy, with a few images sprinkled throughout the pages. Today’s websites have large, high-quality photos that dominate every page of your site. Finding the right ones are essential. Unfortunately, many people take shortcuts that are not in line with best practices. Here are some things to keep in mind when gathering and […]

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Early websites were text-heavy, with a few images sprinkled throughout the pages. Today’s websites have large, high-quality photos that dominate every page of your site. Finding the right ones are essential. Unfortunately, many people take shortcuts that are not in line with best practices. Here are some things to keep in mind when gathering and using images for your site.

Designer Working On Images and Computer

Avoid Google Images

It is easy to do a Google search and find pictures that would look great on your site. Unfortunately, most of the images you see will be under copyright. If you use one of them, it can lead to a lawsuit with a hefty fine. There are much better ways to find images for your site, including:

  •         Taking your own pictures
  •         Purchasing images from one of the many sites that sells them
  •         Using open-source images

How to use open source images

There are several great ways to find open-source images on the web. One great source is Unsplash.  While these images are free and don’t require any attribution, giving the photographer and Unsplash credit is the right thing to do. To learn more about attribution, check out Grow’s article, “7 Best Sources for Finding Open Source Images For Your Blog.” This article includes ideas of where to look and some crucial things to keep in mind when using open source images.

Investing in an image warehouse

There are many websites where you can pay a small fee for the right to use their image on your site. You can choose to pay a monthly fee for multiple (and even unlimited) photos or pay per image.

Check out this article by Bluleadz.com for, “The 25 Very Best Stock Image Websites You Need in 2020 to Add Visual Flair.” By buying the right to use images, you can be assured that you are legally safe and ethically sound.

Using Alt Tags, Descriptions, and Image Title Tags

Often people focus on SEO for the words on their website without taking advantage of the benefits that come from optimizing their images. You can bring traffic to your website using proper alt tags, descriptions, and titles on your photos.

Alt Tags

Alternate text is an accessibility tool that tells visually impaired users to know the image by enabling screen readers to read them the alt text for the picture. Have you ever had a broken image on your site? When this happens, you see a little box with a few words next to it. Those words are the alt text. In this situation, they even benefit non-visually impaired users by sharing what they should be seeing. You can find out more about Alternative Text and how to use it in WPBeginner’s “Beginner’s Guide to Image SEO – Optimize Images for Search Engines.”

Image Descriptions and Title Tags

An image description also assists the visually impaired, but it is more detailed than alternative text. When optimizing images, don’t choose one or the other, but include both. An unlikely source for how to do this well comes from the American Anthropological Association. Check out their fascinating guide. And WP Promote shares why optimizing the image title is vital. It would be best if you always changed the image file name. Find out why and how in their guide.

Need Help?

Hopefully, this will expand your understanding of how to use images effectively. If you would like us to make things even easier for you, contact Iceberg Web Design to see how we can optimize your images and more. If you prefer, give us a call at 763-350-8762. We are web developers who answer the phone!

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Which Social Media Platform is Right for Your Business? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2019/11/which-social-media-platform-is-right-for-your-business/ Fri, 08 Nov 2019 14:00:50 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=14488 No matter how great the product or service a business offers is, there is no chance of it selling if no one knows about it. This inescapable reality is the driving force behind all marketing methods as businesses push and compete to be seen by consumers. From taking ads out in newspapers and magazines to […]

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No matter how great the product or service a business offers is, there is no chance of it selling if no one knows about it. This inescapable reality is the driving force behind all marketing methods as businesses push and compete to be seen by consumers. From taking ads out in newspapers and magazines to posters, billboards, car decals, and even T-shirts, businesses have always come up with new and innovative ways to spread the word about what they offer.

In today’s world, where 77% of Americans own a smartphone as well as 76% of people in 18 developed countries, it just makes sense that the race to reach consumers would lead online. For any business serious about expanding their reach, they must have an online presence, which includes being active on social media.

Nonetheless, not all social media platforms work well with every business, and not choosing the right one can even do more harm than good. So, here are a few things to keep in mind for some of the most popular social media platforms to help in determining which one will be the right fit for your business.

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Facebook

Facebook is, by far, is the largest social media outlet with 2.23 billion monthly active users. With that many people, it can easily be the ideal place to grab the interest of customers, spread your branding, and the overall messaging of your company. It also has a large variety of advertising options such as event ads, lead generation forms, video ads, Instagram-specific ads, and more, which allows for a range in budgeting when creating marketing materials.

However, its greatest benefit is also its biggest obstacle. Since there are many people on Facebook, it is easy to get lost in the crowd. Facebook does provide efficient data and the ability to target your ideal customer. But, unless you have a pretty hefty marketing budget behind your content, it’s difficult to gain any real traction with new customers.

For smaller businesses that don’t have a large media budget, it might be better to utilize smaller social media outlets to reach new customers, although Facebook is excellent for keeping up with existing consumers.

YouTube

The next largest social media outlet behind Facebook is YouTube, with 1.9 billion monthly active users. If you are not familiar with YouTube, it is a video sharing platform. Not only is it the largest video sharing site on the web, but it is 2nd behind Google in internet searches.

Of course, the best thing about YouTube is that it revolves around videos. Videos are a more effective delivery system in terms of content because they’re easier for people to digest, remember, and connect with as opposed to reading text. When you include this with YouTube’s sharing-friendly interface, videos can not only more easily reach customers but even go viral.

The downside is that some services, as opposed to products, don’t always lend themselves to videos. For example, if you are a website design company or freelancer, you will have to pull out your creative thinking cap to repeatedly create engaging content that ties back into promoting your business.

Also, any kind of video won’t do. You need to create short, high-quality, interesting videos to capture the easily distracted attention span of viewers. Anything less than high-quality can even reflect negatively on your business. However, if you can overcome these hurdles, investing in a YouTube channel would be beneficial.

Instagram

Another prominent social media outlet behind a few messaging apps like WhatsApp is Instagram. Instagram has a monthly active user count of 1 billion. It is different from Facebook and YouTube in that it is purely a video and photo-sharing site that can only be updated by a mobile device.

As explained with YouTube, visuals are always better when it comes to capturing the attention of viewers. Creating visuals can sometimes be much faster and easier than writing content, although you do need a mixture of both.

The challenge of utilizing Instagram is the demand to create a mixture of high-quality videos and photos, which again is easier for businesses that are selling physical products instead of services. Those businesses that face a bit of a challenge with videos can have an even harder time with photos. Videos allow for movement, explanations, and demonstrations, pictures don’t. And unless you have a highly visual business, Instagram might be more of a challenge than its worth.

Also, Instagram’s demographics are much different from Facebook and YouTube’s. While Facebook and YouTube appeal to a wide range of audiences, Instagram is primarily used by people between the ages of 18-29. So, if that’s not your target audience, Instagram may not be a good fit for your business.

Twitter

Twitter, which is further down the list in terms of popularity, has over 335 monthly active users. It is more similar to Facebook in terms of the platform, except it’s known more as a source for real-time information on a plethora of categories (which helps you narrow down your audience), and there is character cap on posts/tweets.

However, like Facebook, they allow a variety of ad options from pushing a promoted tweet to posting images and videos, which again allows for flexibility with content creation.

The drawback is that because it is real-time, users expect quick responses, which means constant monitoring of your Twitter account. Also, because there is a continuous stream of real-time information, your ad or content can easily be missed.

This faster pace may even prove to be difficult when it comes to growing your customer base even with paid ads, which is one of the highest costs among social media sites. Like Facebook, unless you have a flexible budget for ads, you can struggle to see any real results.

If you’d prefer a slower pace and demand for social media on your time, Twitter is likely not the best option for your business.

Need Help?

There are many other social media platforms not mentioned here that may be worth exploring for your business, such as Tumblr, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and even the WhatsApp business app. All of them allow you to set up an account for free, but maintaining a presence on them requires a commitment of time, a steady stream of fresh ideas, and a media budget.

Many business owners simply don’t have the time to research sites, let alone decide which ones would be the most lucrative for them. If you could use the help of trusted professionals to take this “new age” extra work off your hands, contact us today. We can help you build your social media presence, improve your SEO, and handle your paid digital advertising.

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The Age of Social Media: Reaching New Heights in Advertising https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2019/04/the-age-of-social-media-reaching-new-heights-in-advertising/ Thu, 18 Apr 2019 20:44:10 +0000 http://iceberg2019.wpengine.com/?p=14004 Back in 1997, the first noticeable social media website (Six Degrees) was up and running. Fast forward more than 20 years and 79% of the U.S. population uses social media. For advertisers, the rise of social media has disrupted marketing strategy and uprooted traditional advertising methods. But, believe it or not, the initial setback caused […]

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Digital Marketing Puzzle

Back in 1997, the first noticeable social media website (Six Degrees) was up and running. Fast forward more than 20 years and 79% of the U.S. population uses social media. For advertisers, the rise of social media has disrupted marketing strategy and uprooted traditional advertising methods. But, believe it or not, the initial setback caused by social has given way to brand new heights in advertising.

Social Media’s Impact on Advertising

Americans now spend an average of 23.6 hours online each week. Out of those 23.6 hours, 30% of the time is spent on social media, outweighing any other activity. To make the most of their ad spend, advertisers have had to change their focus, targeting the digital space to reach the greatest number of consumers.

Ad spend isn’t the only thing that’s changed. By becoming accustomed to the personal feel of social media, consumers now crave different methods of engagement with their favorite brands. No longer do they expect the same run of the mill ads. Instead, they’re looking for targeted and specific content that appears to have been created just for them.

How to Use Social Media to Boost Advertising Success

It may sound like bad news, but it isn’t. The consumer’s wish for more targeted advertising on their preferred social media profile is becoming easier with each update. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow advertisers to focus on specific audiences. Others such as Snapchat allow advertisers to create content that speaks to the target demographic.

Whatever and whenever your target customer wants your ad content, you can put it there—and that’s taking advertising to new heights. What else can you do to boost your social media advertising success?

Build Brand Awareness

Social media isn’t just a starting point for a new ad campaign. It’s easier to sell a service or product to a warm lead, than a cold one. Social media engagement and interaction builds brand awareness, helping consumers become more familiar with what you offer. The more connected they feel, the more apt they’ll be to purchase.

Be Specific With Those Ads

Without targeting the right audience, your ad’s design or copy simply won’t matter. Social media allows you to be ultra-specific when creating ads for your brand, targeting only those customers that are the perfect fit. Use the data and advertising tools provided on the social media platform to boost your ad’s performance.

Test, Test, Test

Social media is the perfect place to test your ads for success. On Facebook, most ads are reviewed and published within 24 hours, meaning you could see ad results fast. To get started, perform an A/B test and test one ad against another to see which one performs the best with your target demographic.

Is Your Social Media Advertising Strategy Up to Par?

It’s safe to say that social media and advertising should go hand in hand. Social media is helping us reach new heights in advertising each and every day. To learn more about social media marketing or paid advertising, send us a message.

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Website Content vs. Design: Which One Matters Most? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2019/03/website-content-vs-design-which-one-matters-most/ Thu, 21 Mar 2019 17:13:05 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=12145 What are the most important elements on a website? Chances are, you answered with something that has to do with content or design. And if you’re in the process of creating a website for your business, you might be stuck between the two. After all, there’s a question that looms over the marketing space: what […]

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What are the most important elements on a website?

Chances are, you answered with something that has to do with content or design. And if you’re in the process of creating a website for your business, you might be stuck between the two. After all, there’s a question that looms over the marketing space: what matters more—content or design?

Is Website Content or Design the Most Important Element?

It seems like design and content are the deciding factors when your customer is online.

  • 38% of people will stop engaging with a website altogether if the layout is unattractive.
  • 95% of people trust content above anything else when evaluating a business.

So where should you focus? Is there a hierarchy? Which element, content or design, should be the most important when it comes to your website?

Drumroll, please…

The answer is…

Neither!

Yes, the truth is that neither content nor design is the champion here. In fact, the only way to have a successful website that converts leads into customers is by integrating content and design seamlessly.

Website Content & Design Exist for the Purpose of Telling the Story

The main goals of your website are to communicate what it is you do and who you are and to gather critical leads for your business. The best way to accomplish these goals is by telling the story of your brand. How do you tell this story? Through content and design.

“Every great design begins with an even better story.”
– Lorinda Mamo

Take a moment to think about your favorite book. As you read the words on the page, you begin to see the story in your mind’s eye. Your website is the same way: content tells the story of your business. The words on each page of your website help the reader start to see how your business fits within their own story, driving the necessary connection between you and them.

 “Design is the intermediary between information and understanding.”
– Hans Hoffman

Your website’s design brings that story to life through color, layout, typography, imagery and more. In other words, design works as the mediator between your content and the understanding of it. For example, bold calls to action direct your readers to act and strong colors evoke necessary emotion.

As you can see, content and design hinge on one another. Just like a painting hanging on a gallery wall, you can look and take in the color, but not necessarily understand the piece until you read the title. Or, you can read the title, ignore the painting and completely miss the artist’s message.

Together, content and design tell the story of who you are and why it matters to your customers. If you can get it right, they’ll want to read the sequel—a story with a happy ending for you both.

The Bottom Line: Your Content and Design Should Work Together

Content won’t work on its own and neither will your design. You need both to solidify your message and convert those leads into customers. To learn more about how design and content could work together on your website, send us a message.

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Is a Team Page Important for Your Website? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2018/12/is-a-team-page-important-for-your-website/ Thu, 27 Dec 2018 15:00:09 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=11907 Home page, a great About page and even an easy–to–find Contact page. Your Portfolio or Work page is chock–full of amazing content to showcase what you do. Everything your potential customer needs to find is right at their fingertips. Or is it? What happens when your potential customer wants to know who they might be […]

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Home page, a great About page and even an easytofind Contact page. Your Portfolio or Work page is chockfull of amazing content to showcase what you do. Everything your potential customer needs to find is right at their fingertips. Or is it?

What happens when your potential customer wants to know who they might be working with? They can venture to your About page, sure… But that won’t satisfy their need. Why? Because your potential customers want to see who will be on the other end of the phone before they call. What’s the solution, then? Add a Team page to your website!

 

 

A Team Page Adds Authenticity to Your Website

Showing who you are adds authenticity to your website, making it easier for your customer to invest in a relationship with you. In fact, 80% of consumers have said that the authenticity of content is the most influential factor in their decision to become a follower of a brand.

No one likes to call a business only to be met with a recording, no matter how “human-like” the recording is. It means something to speak to another human just like you. Your customers will feel the same way when they see your face and get to know you via your website.

What to Include on Your Team Page

What should you include on your Team page? Although every website will be different, there are a few key elements you should place on the page:

A photo: Using professional headshots helps your customer put a face to a name.
A name: Your team members’ names should be placed on your page for all to see. Again, this helps your customer understand who they might speak with before they reach out.
A title: What does the team member do? This is important to show your potential customers who’s who in your business.
A short bio: Allow each of your team members to create a short bio, outlining their experience and their personality. Experience helps solidify their know-how and showcasing their personality adds a human touch.

Need Help Creating a Team Page for Your Business?

A team page adds authenticity to your website while building brand trust. It’s a page your website shouldn’t do without. To learn more about creating a team page or for answers to your questions, send us a message!

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