The Daily Carnage

The savvy marketer's hub for industry news, insights, resources, and culture.

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26 Effective Ways for Improving Your Customer Retention Rate

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

It takes a lot of work convincing strangers to visit your store or even your website. In fact, getting new customers cost quite a bit more than retaining existing ones. According to Databox, we’re talking 5x to 25x more. (To all y’all who picked true; nice job!)

The big lesson? Never take existing customers for granted. To make sure we’re keeping happy customers, Databox offered a whopping 26 ways to improve your customer retention rate.

Map out all customer touchpoints. Grab a pencil and paper, or draw it out on a whiteboard, and physically lay it all out. Focus on touchpoints throughout a 90-day period of service. Then tweak and optimize your strategy, apply your changes, and revisit every 6-months.

Build out your onboarding process. This one dances on the line between new acquisitions and retaining existing customers, but the main point is very important: first impressions matter. Providing a seamless experience right off the bat will pay off long term.

Create content to help existing customers. Let your customers know you can help them beyond just providing a product or service. Provide content exploring new and different ways they can use your products or make checklists to assist their own workflow.

Set up a referral program. Referral programs help you gain new customers and ensure existing customers stick around. It’s a win-win. Offer discounts or upgrades to products as referral bonuses. Taking advantage of these bonuses will only work if the redeemer is a customer, so it works out for everybody.
Pick up the phone. We’re all flooded with emails and social media posts, and ignoring the phone is all too easy. Picking up when customers call is such a valuable way you can strengthen a relationship. They’ll know just how committed you are in providing help when needed.

There are 21 more excellent customer retention tips in here, so read them all.

4 Questions To Make Sure You’re Creating Consistent Copy Across All Platforms

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

People have a tendency of behaving differently when they’re at a nightclub versus when they’re out visiting Grandma and Grandpa. It’s not that people aren’t authentic, but different social scenarios require we adapt to them.

Our more relevant example today is how we come across on the various social media channels. Of course, LinkedIn will often sound more professional and TikTok will be fairly laid back for many, but the core of your brand shouldn’t change.

DigitalMarketer has 4 questions you can ask yourself to make sure you’re creating consistent copy across all platforms.

Question #1: Does this copy abide by my brand guidelines? This is probably the most quantitative of the four questions. If you have a set of brand guidelines written out, then it’ll make things a whole lot easier.

Your brand guidelines are the rules you should follow when writing copy. Any exceptions you make can create inconsistencies, so be mindful of when you might be pushing it.

Question #2: Would my customers expect this from me? There are people who love your brand for what it is, and they love interacting with your brand. They’re used to your brand’s voice, so don’t make any sharp pivots on them. Even if you need to deviate a little bit, mix in some of your usual tones as well.

Question #3: Would my customers recognize me if I took away my branding? This one may just be the Holy Grail. If you got rid of your logo, typical fonts, and color palettes, would people still recognize you? Sure, it would definitely be harder, but for some brands, it’s still very possible. If your voice captures and carries your brand without any other clues, then you’re in a great spot.

Read on for #4, and keep your copy consistent!

How to Make an Infographic That Encourages Engagement on Social Media

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Infographics include the perfect balance of informational text and engaging images. In the world of social media, that’s a great combo: eye-catching, engaging, and informative. We can’t help but be drawn to them.

Agorapulse is showing us how to make infographics that encourage engagement. Let’s get to it!

Be Topically Relevant. Think about current events and things happening in your industry. Ask yourself how you can shed light on some of these relevant topics without straying away from what you do.
Maintain a Good Text-to-Image Ratio. Remember, it’s an infographic after all. Information + graphics. Strike a balance. Convey your info with text and drive the point home with your graphic. Great graphics include maps and charts, but go ahead and shake up the standard.
Establish Credibility. This should be a priority outside of infographics as well. Share sources whenever possible so people understand where your info is coming from. Bring in other sources and quotes from leaders in your industry.
Include Visual Flow Elements. Your goal is to lead people down a specific path with your content. So make sure the path is paved and can easily be followed. Lines, arrows, and numbers are helpful when keeping people on track. Too much can be confusing and look like a pile of spaghetti. Too little and readers won’t know where to go.
Test Your Font for Readability Before You Publish. For starters, make sure the font choice itself is easily readable. Seriously, check. Now make sure everything makes sense on its own and in context. Review how the post will look across different social channels.

Read on for the last step, plus some great examples of infographics from various businesses.

Twitter Advanced Search: What It Is and How to Use It for Marketing

AUGUST 31, 2020

Twitter is a never-ending party with over 500 million tweets every single day. But how do you go about zeroing in on tweets and content you’ll actually benefit from? The answer is Twitter Advanced Search, and Wix is telling us just what it is and how to use it for marketing.

It’s all about filters, y’all. And not the kind you use on your Instagram posts. We’re talking about granularity here. You’ll only find Advanced Search on the desktop version of Twitter and you can use it with or without a Twitter account.

First, use the standard search bar and filter by location or people, then click on “Advanced Search.” This is where the magic happens. You can now search for tweets containing certain words, exact phrases, hashtags, and more. Cut out tweets in languages you don’t know as well.
Searching by account allows a view of tweets from or to whichever account you specify. Filter out links and replies and get right to original tweets. Looking for tweets with a certain amount of traction? Specify minimum replies, minimum likes, or minimum retweets and take a look at what it yields.
When it comes to your marketing efforts, Twitter Advanced Search helps get to the heart of whatever concerns you. These granular filters will show results you can use for your evolving social media strategies. You can hone in on your local market with geographical filters or figure out who the biggest influencers are in your niche based on engagement.
Twitter isn’t a dedicated review site, but you can piece together how people view your brand or look for intel on your competition. Get into the fine details. See what folks are saying, what language they’re using, and how the competition is responding to comments.

Tap into Twitter Advanced Search and get the most out of this lively platform.

10 Simple Tips and Tropes for Writing Engaging Social Media Copy

AUGUST 31, 2020

Y’all, who isn’t on social media these days? For real though, with everybody scrolling nonstop all day long, how do you ensure you’re continuously producing engaging content?

MarketingProfs is providing pointers today with 10 simple tips and tropes for writing engaging social media copy.

First off, how can we offer value? Some folks browse Instagram for memes and laughs. Others check LinkedIn for professional development opportunities. Regardless of content type, look for a balance of being helpful, piquing interest, sharing knowledge, and being authentic.

Pull a quote directly from the article you’re sharing. People love previews. Plus, sharing highpoints can increase click-through-rate and encourage discussion. Highlight and share what jumps out at you.

Turn on all-caps and put the outburst tactic to use. Not every post needs a lengthy paragraph. Find something you agree or disagree with and share it with a quick caption like “TRUTH,” “THIS,” or “NO”.

Don’t be afraid to reference your feelings. Tapping into emotion allows your brand or content to become personable or relatable. Use phrases like #tfw aka #thatfeelingwhen, or “sometimes an article hits you square between the eyes.”

Give a general reason the article is helpful to read. Frankly, people have so many things they can do with their time. Tell them upfront about why it will be valuable. For example, “This piece includes insights for paid search specialists looking to expand their reach.”

Ask a question. Sometimes a question is the answer. People will try answering questions when asked, so ask away or create a poll you believe will spark some discussion. You can even use the responses for future content.

We could only hit half of these tips and tropes, so don’t miss the other five.

Which review sites matter to your industry?

AUGUST 26, 2020

People look at more than marketing materials when they buy products and services. Of course, what you say and how you say it is important, but so is what others are saying.

In fact, 9 out of 10 consumers read reviews before purchasing. So you don’t want to ignore review sites, because you can exert plenty of influence in your responses. Today, GoDaddy is sharing with us which review sites matter to your industry.

Why are customer reviews important? People can gauge a consensus from a group of reviews. Instead of reading the individual experience of a professional critic, they can interpret the experiences of people who are more like them.

Get a better understanding of your customers. How nice would it be if every customer looked you in the eye and gave advice on what they feel could be improved with your business? Read between the lines of your reviews and determine what they really want.

Gain credibility. A 4-star rating with 100 reviews can hold much more weight than a 5-star rating with only 5 reviews. Having a high rating with a large number of reviews solidifies your status as a respectable business.

Boost customer loyalty. Simply put, a glowing review signifies a loyal customer. This isn’t about reward programs. The proof is in the pudding, and all those great reviews you have indicate a base of customers you’ll likely see again.

Make Google proud. Google’s algorithm takes business reviews into account when ranking pages. Having lots of good reviews can be a real SEO boost.

Google, Yelp, and Facebook are the most popular review spots, so pay close attention to those. For restaurants specifically, you have Zomato, OpenTable, Restaurant.com, and more. For home services, check out Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, or Porch.

GoDaddy lists more review sites in the auto, real estate, and legal spaces, so start perusing what people are saying about you.

How to Catapult Your Career in the Real World

AUGUST 25, 2020

Happy Women’s Equality Day! Today marks the anniversary of the 19th amendment…aka, women’s right to vote.

To celebrate, first, we’d like to remind our Carnage fam to exercise their right to vote this November. And on a marketing-related note, we’re learning from two brilliant women who are making inspiring strides in the professional world.

MissFits interviewed Salpy Talian, Art Director for CAUSEBOX, and Kiersten Hathcock, Founder of Mod Mom Furniture about their careers. We’re only able to cover brief snippets, so head over to MissFits for the full, 6-question interview.

Q3: What is your advice regarding negotiations? (promotion or salary)

“No one will advocate for you except you. Working hard and being kind absolutely gets you on the right path, but you have to help yourself navigate to the next stop.

I approach this like I approach design—presentation is everything and this goes for yourself, too! Spell it out and speak up because managers aren’t mind-readers. This doesn’t always work out, though, so keep in mind the next biggest promotion is an entirely new job.” – Salpy

Q4: How have you dealt with gender-bias situations in your career?

“Oh boy. Well, this is a particularly loaded question for me. I built a furniture company from our garage without carpentry experience or know-how in a male-dominated industry.

The eye rolls, brushoffs, and “I know better than she does” attitude has been infuriating and strengthening at the same time…and a true test for me to not take things personally. I learned to stand proudly and not take any sh*t from anyone.

Early on, I gave my power away thinking some of these men with oodles of experience knew better. They didn’t. I still find myself in situations where I have to push back and stand up but it’s much easier now that I’ve had so much practice.” – Kiersten

Keep scrolling to the next section to meet the MissFits and get your hands on a free gift!

The Best Way to Write a Creative Brief (With Templates)

AUGUST 25, 2020

What’s the plan, man? Somehow, the planning phase for a marketing project can seem both nonexistent and tediously long-lasting. Lots of ideas get tossed around like a ball of pizza dough. Then as a vision finally forms, it becomes tricky to communicate.

This is where a creative brief comes in. It helps maintain your vision while making it seamless to passing off to whoever is involved in the project. And, CoSchedule is going over the best way to write one.

First and foremost, a creative brief helps define the scope and avoid scope-creep. Tackle only what you decide upon. Don’t fall victim to a “while I’m at it…” thought process. This can take you away from the ultimate goal.

Include a timeline in your brief. Yes, it’ll probably be adjusted somewhere down the line, but it’ll help keep things moving. Be as realistic as possible with your timeline.

The key elements you’ll want in your creative brief are:

Project Summary. Give the gist of your project in 1-2 sentences.

Target Audience. Define a user persona or outline a key demographic.

Problem. This is what prompted the project in the first place. Write it down and let it be known.

Goal. State your vision upon completion of the project.

KPI. Consider how your success will be measured. New subscribers? Purchases?

Process. Write down the steps you’ll need for accomplishing your goal.
Individuals/Teams Involved. State whoever will play a part in the project’s success.

Timeline. Keep a realistic date in sight and work toward it.
Budget. Whether it’s your budget or a client’s budget, reference it in the brief.

Now you have all the pieces for a successful brief. Be specific and thorough and remove any guesswork from all parties involved. The vaguer it is, the more revisions you’ll need.

Don’t miss some real-life creative brief examples provided by CoSchedule.

How to Create a Wikipedia Page (Step by Step)

AUGUST 23, 2020

Do a quick experiment with us. Go to Google and type in Nike or Aldi or any notable company. In the info box on the right, you’ll see details about the company. Take a closer look – is the description sourced from Wikipedia or Wikidata?

Now that we have your attention, today we’re learning that a branded Wikipedia page can improve your brand equity. And Ahrefs offers tips to create one with the highest chance of surviving the review process long-term.

Check your notability. Not every brand is up to Wikipedia’s notability standards, and it seemingly has a bias against the SEO industry. Wikipedia calls an organization notable if it “has been the subject of significant coverage in reliable, independent secondary sources.”

Find sources to establish notability. Dig into your backlinks for some usable sources. If you’ve been mentioned in books and journals, then pull in those references as well. Google Books can be a time saver here.

Create a user page. You’ll become a trusted member of the Wikipedia community once you build up enough valuable edits and contributions. When you’re posting about your brand, you should disclose your affiliation with the brand so any conflicts of interest are clearly visible.

Create an outline. Don’t include anything you cannot cite. The more rock-solid your sources are, the more likely it is your page will stay up. Refer to other companies in your industry and take note of their page structures.

Draft your page. Five things you should keep in mind when you write are simplicity, neutral tone, objectivity, verifiability, and originality.
Monitor your entries. Anyone can collaborate on Wikipedia. Keep an eye on your page in case anyone makes adjustments or revisions. Enable notifications so you don’t miss anything!

You’re ready to dive into the wonderful world of Wikipedia! Read the rest of Ahrefs’ tips so you can craft the best page possible.