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The Impact of AI on Business

In AI - Artificial Intelligence, Digital marketing by Julio Ahumada

AI is being adopted quickly. It’s still early, but the use of Gen AI is finding its way in all aspects of business. We will experience an epoch level change in how we get things done. Individuals will have the capability of teams. Small companies will have the ability to compete with the large, and new discoveries will be uncovered. McKinsey & Co. just released a paper based on a survey that I took part in (April 2023). Having spent much time working with AI since then, I notice that data from Mid-April seems a bit dusty and antiquated. I am exaggerating, of course, but there is some truth to it, it is moving that fast.

The Survey

The survey shows that Gen AI has captured interest across the business population: Regardless of region, industry, or seniority level, AI adoption is occurring. 79% of all respondents say they’ve had at least some exposure to Gen AI, either in or out of work, and 22% responded that they are regularly using it at work. To be expected, those in the technology sector are the early adopters with the highest usage.

“Organizations, too, are now commonly using Gen AI. One-third of all respondents say their organizations are already regularly using generative AI in at least one function”

That’s a 60% AI adoption rate.  While 40% haven’t adopted AI yet, they plan to do so soon.The future got here quickly. Going back to the 60% who are working with AI right now, almost half of them plan on doubling down with greater levels of investment. 28% of board members polled said it was on their agenda. 

McKinsey & Co. The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI’s breakout year

No other business function has embraced AI with as much gusto as marketing and sales, quickly followed by product development, service development, and service operations. Even customer care and back-office support is on the list. There is still a great deal of room for applying AI. However, the adoption is highest in the companies where the recognized value of AI is understood and can be put to work.

AI in business

The Trouble

Here is what I found a bit troubling. There are many organizations that look like they just see upside and are overlooking the potential risks involved with widespread adoption of AI. You may have heard of the lawyer who used ChatGPT in the brief of a lawsuit citing bogus legal precedents. The lawyer was charged with presenting fictitious legal research in his argument. In Argentina we would say to the lawyer who didn’t check his work, “jodete” (very loosely translated as “too bad”).

Back to the survey, just 21% of the respondents said that their companies had a formal plan or process to govern the usage of AI technology at work. To me that implies separate efforts using AI without company guidelines. When the survey drilled down deeper, they found only a few people mentioned that their companies are actively trying to eliminate the risk of inaccuracy.

The Impact

Now here is what is exciting about all this. Leading companies in the survey are using AI, receiving 20% of their EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) from AI usage. They are the high performers. They are in the adoption vanguard of this new technology, both in terms of Gen AI and conventional AI capabilities. These high performers seem to have a deeper understanding of what is possible when integrating artificial intelligence into a broader range of business functions, especially in product and service development, where the speed to market can mean success or failure. The high performing firms that use AI are less concerned about cost cutting (that will come later, to be sure) but more on leveraging AI in order to speed up the product-development cycle.

Many are just jumping into the AI pool, hoping not to miss this new wave of technology. Thinking they will figure it out as they go. Senior partner at McKinsey & Co. Alexander Sukharevsky, believes that there is a broad awareness about the risks associated with AI. While only 20% of companies have a risk policy in place for AI, those policies tend to focus on protecting IP, proprietary information like data and other company knowledge. He states that it is indeed important to address these risks, but that they can be done so making changes in the business’s tech architecture based on policies that exist already. The point his is making and one I agree with is that the overall view of definition of risk is far too narrow. Social, humanitarian, sustainability along a portfolio of other areas need to be included in the risk assessment of AI use. This is admittedly new ground that came up on us all very quickly.

“Being deliberate, structured, and holistic about understanding the nature of the new risks—and opportunities—emerging is crucial to the responsible and productive growth of generative AI.”

Alexander Sukharevsky

I couldn’t have said it better.

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Integrating Digital Technology into E-commerce: A Comprehensive Guide

In Business Resources, Digital marketing by Dean Burgess

In the rapidly evolving world of e-commerce, businesses must adapt and innovate to stay competitive. One of the most effective ways to do this is by integrating digital technology into all areas of your business. In this article, DNA Digital Marketing explores five key areas where digital technology can be harnessed for growth and efficiency: process optimization through data analysis, workflow efficiency with AI and automation, business empowerment via digital marketing, user experience enhancement with mobile apps, and operations streamlining through cloud computing.

Harnessing Data Analysis for Process Optimization

Talend, a data management firm, notes that data is the lifeblood of any e-commerce business. With every click, purchase, and customer interaction, a wealth of information is created. This data, when harnessed correctly, can serve as a powerful tool to optimize processes and foster informed decision-making. By leveraging the capabilities of data analysis, businesses can identify emerging trends, predict consumer behavior, and make data-driven decisions that propel growth and profitability.

Understanding the preferences and purchasing habits of customers is critical in the competitive landscape of e-commerce. Data analysis plays a pivotal role in this. For instance, it can help businesses decipher which products are popular among distinct demographics. This invaluable insight enables businesses to tailor their marketing campaigns and inventory strategies accordingly, ensuring they meet customer demand while minimizing waste.

Data analysis extends its reach beyond marketing and inventory management, offering a detailed understanding of customer behavior. By scrutinizing this data, businesses can uncover patterns and trends that are not immediately apparent. For example, there may be spikes in purchases during specific hours of the day or heightened demand for certain product categories during particular seasons.

These patterns, once identified, offer valuable insights that allow businesses to anticipate demand. By doing so, they can optimize their supply chain processes, ensuring timely delivery of products. This proactive approach, driven by data analysis, not only meets customer expectations but also contributes significantly to maintaining high satisfaction levels. However, the effective use of data analysis goes beyond merely having access to vast amounts of data; Twilio Segment points out that it’s about making sense of it. For this purpose, businesses need to invest in appropriate tools and technologies. This includes robust data management systems capable of efficiently storing and retrieving large volumes of data.

It also involves analytics software that can process and interpret this data, converting raw numbers into actionable insights. In the era of Big Data, machine learning algorithms have emerged as particularly vital tools. These algorithms can sift through large data sets at an incredible speed, identifying patterns and trends that might go unnoticed otherwise. What sets them apart is their ability to adapt and learn over time, thereby improving their accuracy and providing increasingly relevant insights. This continuous learning makes machine learning an invaluable resource in the data-driven decision-making process.

Leveraging AI and Automation for Workflow Efficiency

Automation and AI platforms are transforming the landscape of business operations, bringing forth a new era of efficiency and productivity. These automation and AI services are designed to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and improve operational efficiency.

For instance, automated systems can manage customer service through chatbots, which not only reduces the need for human intervention but also enhances response times. On the other hand, AI can efficiently analyze large amounts of data to provide valuable insights that can help in decision-making processes. Furthermore, predictive algorithms can forecast future trends and enable businesses to proactively adapt their strategies.

By integrating these services, businesses can free up their human resources to focus on more strategic tasks, thereby increasing overall productivity. The amalgamation of automation and AI doesn’t just offer cost savings; it also provides a competitive edge by enabling businesses to operate at an unprecedented scale and speed, ultimately driving growth and profitability. To find out more about automation and AI, this page deserves a look.

Empowering Business with Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a powerful tool for e-commerce businesses. It allows businesses to reach a global audience, engage with customers in real-time, and measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts in a way that traditional marketing channels cannot.

Search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing are all integral parts of a successful digital marketing strategy. These strategies can help businesses increase their online visibility, drive traffic to their website, and convert visitors into customers.

Moreover, digital marketing also provides businesses with valuable insights into their customers’ behavior and preferences. This information can be used to refine marketing strategies and create personalized experiences that resonate with customers.

Enhancing User Experience with Mobile Apps

With the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets, more and more consumers are shopping on their mobile devices. As such, developing a mobile app is becoming a necessity for e-commerce businesses.

A well-designed mobile app can enhance the user experience by providing a seamless, intuitive, and convenient shopping experience. It can also help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers by offering personalized content, exclusive deals, and loyalty programs.

Furthermore, mobile apps provide businesses with another channel to collect data and insights about their customers. This information can be used to further refine and personalize the shopping experience, leading to increased customer loyalty and sales.

Streamlining Operations Through Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has emerged as a transformative technology for e-commerce businesses, revolutionizing the way they manage data. This technology allows businesses to store and access vast amounts of data remotely, eliminating the need for expensive on-site servers and hardware. With cloud computing, data is no longer tied to a specific location or device, providing unprecedented flexibility.

This shift to remote storage not only reduces operational costs but also enables seamless access to data from anywhere, at any time, promoting business agility.

Cloud-based solutions offer multiple benefits that can help businesses streamline their operations. These solutions can automate repetitive tasks, improving efficiency and productivity. They also foster collaboration by allowing team members to access and work on shared documents simultaneously, regardless of their geographical location. Furthermore, cloud platforms provide real-time access to data, enabling timely and informed decision-making.

One of the most significant advantages of cloud computing is its scalability. As businesses grow, their data management needs increase. Cloud solutions can easily scale to accommodate this growth, making them a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.

In addition to these operational benefits, cloud computing also offers enhanced security features. These include encryption, access controls, and regular backups, which help protect businesses from data breaches and cyber-attacks.

This level of security is particularly crucial for e-commerce businesses, which handle sensitive customer information daily. By adopting cloud computing, businesses can ensure the integrity and confidentiality of their data while reaping the benefits of improved efficiency and scalability.

Integrating digital technology into all areas of an e-commerce business is not just beneficial — it’s essential for survival in today’s competitive marketplace. By harnessing the power of data analysis, leveraging AI and automation, empowering your business with digital marketing, enhancing user experience with mobile apps, and streamlining operations through cloud computing, you can drive growth, improve efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition.

DNA Digital Marketing focuses on growing your sales funnel with qualified leads that are sales ready prospects. Contact us today to learn more! 585.770.3443

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The Future of AI in Marketing: Advancements and Opportunities

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Local SEO, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Social Media by Julio Ahumada

I know another article on AI, there is no escape from it. AI has been with us in one form or another for years, and is here to stay. Look how quickly it has been adopted in its most commonly known form. ChatGPT crossed the 1 million users mark in just 5 days. 100 million within 60 setting the record for the fastest-growing platform in history ( until Meta’s Thread premiered). Even HR has adopted it for recruiting. The power that anyone using AI has now is jaw dropping. Right now AI is just a tool, a tool you should be learning to use.

AI has already made significant strides in the field of marketing, transforming the way businesses engage with their audience. While AI in marketing is not perfect, its potential for growth and impact is undeniable. As a marketer trying to stay ahead of the curve being familiar with AI trends and tools is critical. Let’s explore the future of AI in marketing and the opportunities it presents.

Eight in 10 marketers say they plan to create more content next year than they did this
year, according to Parse.ly’s 2022 Content Matters report. This is both a staggering figure
and one that’s not surprising for content creators — it’s what they’ve grown accustomed
to.
Every year, content demands rise and diversify, but the strategies behind how new
content is built don’t change much. When businesses needed to invest in more videos and
podcasts, content teams adapted. When longer-form LinkedIn thought leadership grew
in popularity, creatives stepped up to the challenge. Content producers can build great
content quickly, but they also feel the strain of creating assets without much time to take
a breath. Advancements in content forms can be great for marketing teams, but rarely are
there advancements that give creators more time to avoid burnout or ideate better.

Continuous Advancements and Refinements

AI technology is rapidly evolving, and we can expect continuous advancements and refinements in the field of marketing. As AI algorithms become more sophisticated, we will be able to leverage these advancements to gain deeper insights into customer behavior, preferences, and trends. This enhanced understanding will enable marketers to deliver highly targeted and personalized campaigns. Campaigns that resonate with their audience on a profound level.

Content is King

The immense strain that content teams are under to keep up has been a driving force behind the adoption of AI by agencies as well as brands. This implementation aims to give companies and their content teams and professionals more time to generate novel ideas by reducing the time it takes to execute them. Generative AI can be used in a wide range of scenarios from generating custom marketing copy and creating images for a website to creating product descriptions and writing blogs posts. It can also be used to repackage existing content into a full campaign or serve other markets by translating an idea into different languages.

Automation and Efficiency

A significant advantages of AI in marketing is its ability to automate tasks that were once time-consuming and resource-intensive. As the technology continues to improve, marketers can expect further automation of routine and repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. Data analysis, campaign optimization, and content creation are what AI-powered tools and algorithms will increase efficiency, and free up valuable time for marketers to innovate and experiment.

Enhanced Customer Experiences

AI has the potential to revolutionize customer experiences by delivering hyper-personalization and real-time engagement. As AI algorithms analyze customer data, behaviors, and preferences, marketers can create highly tailored and targeted experiences across various touchpoints. From personalized recommendations to dynamic content delivery, AI enables marketers to engage customers in meaningful ways, creating stronger connections and driving brand loyalty. The future of AI in marketing lies in the speed in which assets can be created, creating seamless, intuitive, and immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact on customers.

Data-Driven Decision Making

With AI’s ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data, marketers can make more informed and data-driven decisions. AI algorithms can identify patterns, detect trends, and provide actionable insights that guide marketing strategies. From predicting customer behavior to optimizing campaigns in real-time, AI empowers marketers to make accurate decisions backed by data. This data-driven approach allows marketers to allocate resources effectively, identify new opportunities, and stay agile in an ever-changing marketing landscape.

Ethical Considerations and Human Oversight

As AI becomes more prevalent in marketing, ethical considerations and human oversight will become increasingly important. Marketers must ensure that AI is used responsibly, respecting user privacy and adhering to ethical standards. Human intervention and supervision are crucial to maintaining transparency, accountability, and the ethical use of AI in marketing. But AI still needs human input and oversight. Striking the right balance between AI automation and human judgment will be key to leveraging AI’s potential while upholding ethical standards.

Embrace the Future of AI Marketing

As AI continues to advance and shape the future of marketing, staying informed and embracing these advancements will be vital for marketers. By understanding AI trends, tools, and their implications, marketers can adapt their strategies, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and drive meaningful results. The future of AI in marketing holds immense potential for innovation, efficiency, and personalized engagement. Embrace this future, and be ready to leverage AI’s power to transform your marketing efforts and drive success in the dynamic digital landscape.

If you would like to start a conversation on how DNA Digital Marketing can help your business leverage AI schedule a time.

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Bootstrap Beginnings

In Business Resources, News by Dean Burgess

Resources for Launching your Low-Cost Business

Starting a business is never easy, and it’s especially difficult when you don’t have the financial resources to support it. But don’t ever believe that a lack of startup capital means that you can’t make your dreams of entrepreneurship come true. Whether you’re planning to launch an online venture or a traditional brick-and-mortar store, these DNA Digital Marketing insights provide actionable advice to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey and sustain long-term success — without draining your bank account!

Top Priorities

So, how precisely do you get this dream company of yours off the ground? Here are the first steps to take:

Financial Goals

All businesses require smart financial management, from securing capital to spending wisely. Use these tips and resources to get started:

Day-to-Day Management

Managing the daily tasks of starting a business can be overwhelming. Nonetheless, it’s essential to stay organized and focused on your goals.

Launching a company with no money doesn’t have to be impossible! Taking care of the first steps, becoming a solid financial manager, and staying organized and focused will help you start your dream business on a shoestring budget. Don’t let a lack of funds hold you back. Embrace the challenge and take action toward building the business you envision!

Would you like to learn how our digital marketing services can ignite your sales revenue? Contact us today DNADigitalMarketing.com today!

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Inbound Marketing: Unlocking Success or for Small to Medium-Sized Business.

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Local SEO, Marketing Automation, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

In today's highly competitive digital landscape, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are constantly seeking effective strategies to stand out from the crowd and grow their online presence. Inbound marketing has emerged as a powerful approach that offers substantial benefits, including higher return on investment (ROI) compared to traditional outbound methods. In this article, we delve into the world of inbound marketing, exploring its advantages and shedding light on how it can help SMBs achieve remarkable success.
inbound marketing
The Power of Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is a customer-centric methodology that focuses on attracting, engaging, and delighting potential customers through valuable and relevant content. Unlike outbound marketing, which involves intrusive tactics such as cold calling or mass email campaigns, inbound marketing aims to build long-term relationships by providing prospects with information they actively seek. Let's delve into the reasons why inbound marketing is an ideal fit for small to medium-sized businesses.

1. Cost-Effectiveness

One of the primary reasons SMBs gravitate towards inbound marketing is its cost-effectiveness. Traditional outbound methods often come with hefty price tags, making it difficult for smaller businesses to allocate sufficient resources. In contrast, inbound marketing leverages channels like content creation, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO) to attract organic traffic and nurture leads. By investing in compelling content and optimizing it for search engines, SMBs can generate continuous organic traffic at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising methods.

2. Targeted Audience Engagement

Inbound marketing allows SMBs to precisely target their audience and engage with potential customers who are actively seeking information about their products or services. By creating high-quality content that addresses the pain points and challenges faced by their target audience, SMBs can position themselves as thought leaders and industry experts. This targeted approach ensures that businesses are reaching the right people at the right time, resulting in higher conversion rates and increased customer satisfaction.

3. Relationship Building

Building meaningful relationships with customers is crucial for SMBs, as it fosters loyalty and encourages repeat business. Inbound marketing focuses on nurturing prospects throughout their buyer's journey, providing them with valuable information at each stage. By offering informative blog posts, ebooks, webinars, or podcasts, SMBs can establish themselves as trusted advisors, enabling them to build long-lasting connections with their audience. These relationships often lead to positive word-of-mouth recommendations and organic brand advocacy, which are invaluable for SMBs looking to expand their reach.

4. Measurable Results and ROI

One of the standout advantages of inbound marketing is its ability to deliver measurable results. Unlike traditional outbound methods, which are often challenging to track and analyze, inbound marketing leverages digital tools and analytics to provide comprehensive insights into campaign performance. SMBs can monitor key metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, social media engagement, and lead generation, allowing them to refine their strategies and maximize ROI. The ability to measure and optimize campaigns in real-time empowers SMBs to make data-driven decisions, ensuring their marketing efforts are continually refined for optimal results.

5. Sustainable Long-Term Growth

Inbound marketing is not a quick-fix solution; rather, it focuses on building a strong foundation for sustainable long-term growth. By consistently creating high-quality, valuable content, optimizing it for search engines, and promoting it through various channels, SMBs can establish themselves as industry authorities. Over time, this approach leads to increased brand visibility, enhanced credibility, and a growing audience. Unlike outbound methods, which often yield short-term results, inbound marketing sets the stage for continuous growth, enabling SMBs to enjoy a steady stream of organic traffic and qualified leads.

To Conclude

Inbound marketing has emerged as a game-changer for small to medium-sized businesses, offering a cost-effective, targeted, and relationship-oriented approach to marketing. By investing in valuable content, optimizing it for search engines, and engaging with their target audience, SMBs can unlock significant growth opportunities. In today's digital era, where consumers have become increasingly discerning and empowered, inbound marketing serves as a beacon of success, helping SMBs outrank their competitors and achieve sustainable long-term growth. DNA Digital Marketing lives and breathes inbound marketing. We would love to hear from you and your goals. Let's get to work on getting you on your inbound marketing journey. 

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The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on marketing.

In AI - Artificial Intelligence, Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Marketing Automation by Julio Ahumada

The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on marketing teams continues to grow and 2023 could in fact be a watershed year for shaping how AI, marketers, and consumers interact. On the one hand, AI is accelerating long-established marketing efforts to get closer to the consumer and refine audience understanding; on the other hand, AI is a catalyst for rethinking traditional marketing boundaries and data practices. Indeed, thanks to AI’s ability to mine vast amounts of data, the traditional “4 Ps” of Marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) have three new critical additions: marketers using AI must balance between the desire for greater Personalization with the need to protect user Privacy, whilst still showing Profit from marketing dollars spent. Driving both sides of this dichotomy is the ability of AI and machine learning to mine vast amounts of marketing data to develop more comprehensive and nuanced understandings of audience needs, wants, and preferences. In an inverse relationship, as the pool of data available to marketers grows larger, smaller and smaller audience segments can be targeted with enhanced precision. To cite two current examples, the emergence of ChatGPT and new AI-powered graphic design tools could mean greater ability for marketers to create unique, custom content in support of personalized experiences and messaging to drive increased conversions and profit. In short, AI is helping not just enable hyper-personalization but has created the possibility of doing so at scale. However, AI’s impact on marketing isn’t necessarily that straightforward. To borrow from a caricature of advertising, “but wait, there’s more!” The flip side of AI collecting and analyzing incredibly vast amounts of data is a growing concern that the desire for personalization can easily bleed into an intrusion of user privacy. From changes to data collection introduced in iOS 14 to the White House weighing in with a new AI Bill of Rights to a shift to a cookie-less future of advertising, gathering the data needed for hyper-personalization is becoming more difficult for marketers. This push-pull tension between personalization and privacy is likely to continue to be a dominant storyline throughout 2023.

To navigate these two sides of the same coin successfully, marketers will need to prioritize agility. The good news is that here too AI can help by creating responsive marketing mixes that can shift quickly as brand goals, user interests, or regulatory requirements change. AI’S IMPACT ON CREATIVE (AND THE ‘CREATORS’)

We at DNA Digital Marketing have been working with ChatGPT since it was released early in 2023. However, we have been studying the basics of Machine Learning since 2017. So maybe you don’t know what ChatGPT is, or the opportunities it opens for marketing and business in general.

ChatGPT uses machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to mimic human-generated interaction. A user can enter a query using everyday language and ChatGPT provides an answer that sounds like a person rather than a computer’s response.

Third-party companies are now using the ChatGPT API to create applications intended to enable new use cases for marketing departments. The promise and impact for marketing departments is that ChatGPT’s ability to quickly create personalized content is stunning. For instance, a marketer could enter information about a particular audience and ask for ChatGPT to return separate emails for each segment. ChatGPT can also help with SEO by tailoring communications to include relevant keywords.

Have a new product release coming up, ChatGPT can help you almost instantly create streamlined product descriptions. Marketers could potentially enter customer feedback and ask ChatGPT to analyze the response for trends that can inform future work or aid customer care teams. Microsoft thinks so highly of ChatGPT functionality that it integrated the platform into Bing, perhaps finally creating a true rival to Google’s search engine.

As with any technology, however, potential exists for ChatGPT to be put to not just beneficial, but damaging, it is all up to the user. One area of growing concern that marketers should keep in mind is ChatGPT’s impact on cybersecurity. Given its ability to rapidly craft unique messaging, ChatGPT functionality could be used to develop email phishing campaigns or business email compromise (BEC) attacks. Deployed in this way, AI could be used to develop unique or even personalized phishing content that will be much harder to detect and, from a marketing perspective, could put brand reputation at greater risk. The Current Reality Content powered by ChatGPT functionality is not fact-checked and links or references are not provided. Because the learning data was cutoff in 2021, ( except for those employing god mode) it’s also impossible for ChatGPT to answer questions about current top trends or anything that requires real-time data. Moreover, ChatGPT will at times repeat answers in slightly different contexts, leading to potential redundancy. Finally, as with any AI, ChatGPT is only as good as its training material: any biases within the training data can be reflected in the answers it provides. For all these reasons, marketing teams should be ready to provide a close editing pass across any messaging produced by ChatGPT.

The Takeaway is that ChatGPT is a huge advance for marketers and business people everywhere. But there are limitations that marketers should keep in mind. Responses from ChatGPT sound like a human created them, but they often need heavy editing and, as noted above, fact checking. At this point, ChatGPT can likely best help with creating initial drafts that can then either be edited or used as a brainstorming tool. Subscribe to our blog to keep up to date.

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Better Lead Generation

In Digital marketing, Marketing Automation, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

Lead generation is an essential part of any business's sales process. However, not all leads are created equal. Chasing poor leads can be time-consuming and can impact revenue targets and morale. That's why it's important to focus on more accurate targeting of lead generation, which can lead to more profitable outcomes for your business.

Accurate targeting of lead generation means focusing your efforts on attracting leads that are more likely to convert into paying customers. This requires a deep understanding of your target audience, their pain points, and their purchasing behavior. By understanding your audience, you can create targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to their needs, which can increase the chances of converting them into paying customers.

A useful process in understanding who your target audience is the use of creating a Buyer Persona or Avatar. This is a handy profile that describes the individual who you are trying to reach. It is about their life and what they might be like. We give them a proper name. What they might be doing for a living and if they have kids. We drill down to the core of what their values are and what they are looking for in a service or product. 

inbound marketing

At DNA Digital Marketing, we understand the importance of accurate targeting in lead generation. That's why we combine hard-nosed strategies and cutting-edge creativity to create a better B2B lead generation agency. Our approach is designed to help businesses attract high-quality leads that are more likely to convert into paying customers. We believe that when it all comes together like a finely-tuned machine, delivering a predictable flow of sales-ready leads, it can fuel your company's growth.

In addition to improving lead quality, more accurate targeting of lead generation can also help you save time and money. By focusing your efforts on a specific audience, you can avoid wasting resources on leads that are unlikely to convert. This means that you can allocate your time and resources more effectively, which can lead to increased productivity and profitability.

In conclusion, accurate targeting of lead generation is essential for any business that wants to maximize their revenue potential. By focusing on attracting high-quality leads, businesses can save time and resources while increasing their productivity and profitability. At DNA Digital Marketing, we're committed to helping businesses achieve their lead generation goals through accurate targeting and creative marketing strategies. Let us help you ignite your revenue goals.

Contact us today to set up a free consultation. 

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Get a Digital Marketing agency and grow!

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Local SEO, Marketing Automation, Online Reputation, Reviews, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Social Media by Julio Ahumada

As a small business owner, you know how busy it can get for you just running your business. You also might have guessed that if you are to grow your business you will need digital marketing. It is crucial to help your company reach its potential customers and compete in today’s online marketplace. Hiring a digital marketing agency can provide numerous benefits that you may not be able to achieve on your own. Here are a few reasons why working with a digital marketing agency is important for your small business:

  1. Expertise: A digital marketing agency has a team of experts in various areas of digital marketing, such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and more. They stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques in the field, which can help your business achieve its marketing goals.
  2. Cost-effective: In-house marketing efforts can be costly, especially when it comes to recruiting and training staff. A digital marketing agency can provide a cost-effective solution by offering a range of services that fit within your budget.
  3. Time-saving: As a small business owner, you already have a lot on your plate. Outsourcing your digital marketing efforts to an agency frees up your time to focus on other important aspects of your business, such as product development and customer service.
  4. Better ROI: Digital marketing agencies use data-driven strategies to ensure that your marketing efforts are targeted and effective. They can track and analyze your campaigns, making adjustments along the way to maximize your return on investment (ROI).
  5. Access to advanced tools and technologies: A digital marketing agency has access to advanced marketing tools and technologies that may not be available to small businesses. By leveraging these tools, they can optimize your marketing efforts and improve your online presence.

Sure you could hire a marketer, but they stand alone in your organization and they will be asking to invest in tools that if it doesn’t work out, you are stuck with. Plus, to get a highly capable digital marketer you will be looking at at least $65,000 a year plus benefits and it’s just the one person. You are most likely going to hire a digital marketing agency anyway.

Overall, hiring a digital marketing agency can be a wise investment for your small business. With their expertise, cost-effective solutions, time-saving strategies, data-driven approaches, and access to advanced tools, they can help your business grow and thrive in the online world. If you are ready to grow your business online, contact us, we would love to help you succeed.

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What is digital marketing?

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Local SEO, Marketing Automation, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Social Media by Julio Ahumada

I get asked this a great deal, what is digital marketing? If you are online and you are because you are reading this, digital marketing is all around you. Some of it is very obvious and some of it can only be seen by the search engine you used today. It is a topic that involves many activities and tools to create awareness at its minimum and sales at its goal. 

Digital marketing is a series of online marketing activities and strategies that are used to identify, build, and target an audience. The audience you want to turn into paying customers for the products or services that you offer. This type of electronic marketing involves using many digital channels with the goal of connecting with people interested in what you are offering.  

Targeting

One of the first things I like to do when interviewing a prospect or client for digital marketing, is asking them who their ideal customer is. I ask them to describe them as people. You can’t overestimate how important this seemingly offline activity is to a successful digital marketing program. Knowing who your best customer is and how they behave will help you understand how best to engage with them. Hubspot has a great free online tool for creating your own buyer persona https://www.hubspot.com/make-my-persona

Once you understand what might interest your potential buyer, and what you are going to say to them. You need to evaluate how to reach them and what tools and channels you might use. Here are a few channels to consider.

Available Channels

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Email Marketing/Marketing Automation
  • Content Marketing
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Pay Per Click (PPC)
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Native Advertising
  • Online PR
  • Inbound Marketing

So now that you have a better idea about what digital marketing is and you would like to learn more on how DNA Digital Marketing can help your business grow, schedule a free consultation.

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The Importance of SEO to Small Businesses

In Digital marketing, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

The Importance of SEO to Small Businesses

You’ve probably heard the term SEO and you probably know you need it, but you aren’t sure what it is. This article will gently help you along your path to creating greater visibility for your website. But first things first, what is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization or commonly referred to as SEO, is the process of optimizing a website for search. The focus is to increase its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Think of it as a way of helping your website stand out from the crowd on the internet. SEO helps people who are interested in what you offer, find you. For small businesses, SEO is crucial because it can help drive more traffic to their website and attract potential customers at a higher ROI. Here are some of the key reasons why SEO is important for small businesses:

Key Reasons for SEO

  1. Increased visibility, credibility and convenience: By optimizing their website for search engines, small businesses can increase their visibility and credibility among potential customers. When a website appears at the top of the search engine results you have made the searcher’s life easier. It also gives the impression that the business is reputable and trustworthy.
  2. Cost-effective marketing: SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy for small businesses. It can provide a high return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing channels like paid advertising. Once a website is optimized, it can continue to attract traffic and generate leads without incurring additional costs.
  3. World class SEO makes your website less frictional to search engines. The Bots  they send out have time budgets, meaning a very limited time to search and scan your website. So if your website doesn’t have the proper protocols to greet the “Bot” it might run out of that time to capture your whole website. Meaning some of your website will be invisible to search. Ouch. 
  4. Targeted traffic: SEO can help small businesses attract targeted traffic to their website. By optimizing for specific keywords related to their business, they can attract people who are already interested in their products or services. This can result in higher conversion rates and better ROI.
  5. Competitive advantage: SEO can give small businesses a competitive advantage over their competitors. If a business appears at the top of the search engine results, it is more likely to attract potential customers than businesses that appear lower down the page.
  6. Long-term results: Unlike other marketing strategies that may provide short-term results, SEO can provide long-term results for small businesses. Once a website is optimized, it can continue to attract traffic and generate leads for months or even years to come.

Summary

In summary, SEO is important for small businesses because it can help increase their visibility, credibility, and attract targeted traffic. It is a cost-effective marketing strategy that can provide long-term results and a competitive advantage over their competitors. Without it you risk having your website and your business become virtually invisible. If you have questions regarding SEO and how it can benefit your business, reach out to a DNA Digital Marketing expert.

Other articles of interest:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/dna-digital-marketing/

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The end of Tik Tok, ( in the US ).

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Social Media, Video by Julio Ahumada

At the beginning of the year I wrote a story about Tik Tok’s moment, reports from the battle front in Ukraine. How it had just broken out here in the United States and the rest of the world. Tik Tok is this endless stream of video shorts that is very addicting. A window into the lives of so many people, many teaching, pontificating or just doing silly human tricks. For a platform that started with lip synchers and young kids doing dance moves, it has morphed into every niche imaginable. I love it. I put in a patio this summer ( myself ) because I saw someone on Tik Tok do it.

TikTok is available in over 150 countries, has over 1 billion users, & has been downloaded over 210 million times in the United States alone.

Of course it took them much less time to finish.  Even my cooking has improved with watching the many domestic hacks that are everywhere. Laugh, cry, get angry or learn, Tik Tok has got you. It seems that is more a valid statement than I had realized.

Popularity

To truly get a grasp of the viral nature of Tik Tok globally take a look at the numbers. Tik Tok is now available in more than 150 countries and has more than 1 billion users. In the US alone it has been downloaded over 210 million times. It was my full fledged belief that if your needed to market to anyone ages 13 to 60 you had to be on Tik Tok. However, to all this sizzle the lurks something ominous and potentially dangerous.

The Concern

It seems that ByteDance the parent company of Tik Tok has been keeping tabs on all of us using the platform. The immense data streams from each mobile unit that has the app, is fed into ByteDance’s headquarters. Combine what the CCP ( Chinese Communist Party ) has been focused on in regards to AI, and it gets a little scary. The CCP has been allocating enormous resources to become the predominant AI power in the world. AI is what you would use to make sense of large buckets of data in the form of machine learning. What do you think they want to do with the analysis of that data? In July of 2022 scientists in China developed an AI platform that could measure people’s loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. All based on a user’s behavior online. 

Monthly Active Users in the United States – TikTok now has over 138 million active users in the U.S.

The Danger

Why do I bring this up now? Local governments around the USA have started banning the use of Tik Tok on government issued phones. The Federal government is likely to follow suit. Furthermore, Congress may move for an outright ban on the application itself. Even as the parent company ByteDance responded to privacy concerns, and tried to calm fears about American data being funneled back to China for some nefarious use, they were found to be not truthful. 

2/3rds of Americans under the age of 30 are on Tik Tok

Where does this leave marketers and those of us who have started experimenting with running ads for our clients on the platform? Limbo. Sorry to say, DNA Digital Marketing will no longer be actively working on Tik Tok for the foreseeable future. We will be monitoring the Tik Tok question, perhaps it will bring stronger and much needed privacy legislation to the forefront. Regardless, Tik Tok will still be around, it just might not be here.

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What Are the Benefits of Digital Marketing?

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Local SEO, Marketing Automation, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Social Media by Julio Ahumada

Asking yourself why is it important and what are the benefits of digital marketing? Let’s take a peek at some of the benefits for small business owners:

  • Cost Effective — Digital marketing is actually less expensive than traditional marketing. If done right, the return on investment or ROI on your digital marketing budget can be huge. One reason for this is focusing marketing efforts in areas where people already spend their time online results in higher-quality leads.
  • Smart Reach — Operating a business online costs less and expands your reach to even more audiences across the world or just in your little corner.
  • Potential for viral content — Distributing content online comes with the possibility of viral sharing via social networking, bringing in more business to you for generally no added cost.
  • Analytics — Your efforts are much more trackable than traditional marketing, due mostly to the fact that many analytics tools now exist. These tools can help you with specifics like form analytics or Google analytics.
  • Keep up with competition — It’s becoming more and more common for customers to expect all brands, products, services, and small businesses to have an online presence. It isn’t a question of if you should be – it’s a must.
  • Personalization — One of the reasons digital marketing does so well for small businesses is the fact that you can use personalization to automatically alter the user’s experience based on their interests. This way, you can present them with page-level targeted offers for specific customer profiles based on behavior.

Obviously, digital marketing is a fantastic way to grow your business online, but what if you’re not sure where to start? Contact DNA Digital Marketing and schedule your free consultation and learn how DNA Digital Marketing can help grow your business.

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TikTok’s Moment Part 2 the Ukrainian Offensive.

In Digital marketing by Julio Ahumada

Back in February of this year I reported on how TikTok was fast becoming more than just a fun app, but one where news and propaganda can be almost instantaneously fed into our social media streams. Now with the Ukrainians in their masterful offensive in the east, TikTok is really the only place to view first hand what the Ukrainian troops are doing. You see scene after scene of liberated Ukrainians dancing in the streets, hugging Ukrainian soldiers as they march past destroyed Russian military equipment. Reminds me of the newsreel footage of American troops liberating France in WWII. It is emotional to see. The Ukrainian troops are heroic, stoic and full of dark humor. Just the way we Americans like it. Their rapid advance in recapturing the Donbas region is extraordinary. With every new TikTok post there is a deeper human connection with the Ukrainians. From the rough cut from the soldiers themselves or the more polished very propaganda minded pieces that make you want to learn Ukrainian. This is TikTok’s moment and lucky for the west, their moment is on full display.

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Branding a Small Business, and Owners guide.

In Digital marketing, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Social Media by Dean Burgess

Building a Brand

As a small business owner, you are tasked with creating a brand that makes a lasting, positive impression on customers. It's the best way to build customer loyalty and make a name for yourself in your industry. If you're not sure where to start, this brief guide can help you build your brand from the ground up.

What is Branding? 

A brand is the total of all the concepts, products, and impressions that define your company and you, the owner. Research shows that if you intend to be the face of your company, you need a personal brand to define your intentions as a business owner. Some basic concepts of a personal and company brand include your values, tone, promise, mission, and identity. Additionally, you need a visual brand. For example, your logo, including font and imagery, becomes a visual identifier for customers. 

What Does Branding Do for the Customer Experience?

The product or service you provide should match the experience your customers have when working with your company. For example, if you sell personalized art, does your website appear creative? Do you speak directly to each customer to get a better understanding of what they want from the piece they order? Do you offer something special, such as a unique type of material, that makes you stand out in your industry? Your goal is to create an experience that makes customers think of you anytime they need the product or service that you offer. 

How Do You Reach Your Target Demographic?

Finding your target audience and market is a vital step in branding and building a business. It starts with research. First, are you looking for groups with a particular interest or intention? Use Google Analytics to help you collect data, such as the content your audience reacts to online. Once you know your audience, you can target them in a marketing campaign. Work with digital marketing professionals if the process is too complex. 

What Can You Do Yourself?

There are parts of the visual brand you can create for yourself. For example, you can DIY a logo or banner for your website and social media pages that make your brand stand out so that customers remember you. Use an online banner creator and include the text, font, colors, and images that you consistently use across all your visual branding efforts. You can even include a video or some type of animation in the banner to make it stand out online. 

When Do You Need a Professional Marketing Team?

Unless you are a marketing professional, you will struggle with the nuances of concepts such as inbound content marketing, search engine optimization, lead generation, website development and design, and social media management. You can certainly manage your own social media page, but do you know how to engage with people online in a meaningful way? Can you create strong ads and direct them to your target audience? 

Your website is also extremely important. It is your first chance to make a lasting impression. Talk to DNA Digital Marketing about what you want from your webpage

Now you have an idea of what you need to create your brand. Take this information and tweak it to fit your company and the experience you want for your customers. As long as you always prioritize the customer experience, you'll find success.

Need help implementing what you just learned, we are here for you. Just set up a Free appointment with us to discuss your challenge  julio@dnadigitalmarketing.com.

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5 SEO Trends of 2022

In Inbound Content Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Voice Search by Julio Ahumada

What to expect 2022 

If there’s one thing constant about SEO, it’s that SEO is always changing. In order to maintain your digital market share, you need to monitor and adjust your SEO to keep current with digital “best practices.” In 2021, there are had been five trends we have been watching unfold with great interest and we feel they will dominate 2022.
To keep your SRP (search results page) ranking from slipping or to leap ahead of your competitors, you’ll want to take advantage of these trends. Semantic, Voice, Brand, Mobile, and Speed.

1.    Determine what your customer wants when they type a keyword:

Knowing who your customer is and why they would want to buy from you is a critical part of any keyword strategy. By understanding what your prospect or customer wants when they type in their query, you can begin to predict the contextual nature of their search. By knowing the keywords they use, you can be one step ahead of them, strategically inserting your company at every step in the buying process. This persistent presence will keep you in the mind of a potential customer.

2.   Optimize for Voice Search:

Voice is one of the SEO trends that need to be addressed by your marketing team. With the introduction of Amazon Echo and Google Home devices, voice searches are becoming more and more popular. Your business needs to become familiar and relate easily with the more conversational tone of questions that would be asked of these devices. This includes “Hey, Alexa, where is a ___ near me?” Or “Hey, Google, find a ____ in [city name]”. By optimizing your website to voice searches, you can tap into the new market of people “searching” via these voice-controlled devices.

3.   Your Brand Matters:

Your brand’s reputation matters more now than ever. People are looking to see how a company “behaves.” It is necessary to create and maintain a good reputation for your brand in order to be selected ahead of your competition. Bolster your standing by encouraging reviews. Ask your customer to write a review in person after purchase. Then, follow up their purchase with an email – first asking if all went well with their purchase, and, if so, request a review. (If things didn’t go well, find out why and FIX IT!) These reviews can be seen by other potential customers and good reviews will help your brand’s stature. Also, responding to these reviews will show that you care. Not only do reviews boost your reputation but they also increase traffic. Customers see the reviews and trust your business enough to consider it further.

4.   Higher Rankings on Mobile Indexes are More Desirable:

87% of smartphone users use as a search engine at least once a day,  Take a look at these statistics: 18% of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day, and 78% of local-based searches from a mobile devices end in a purchase being made offline. This shows how vital mobile optimization is in the world today. But to take advantage of these stats, your business must rank high in the mobile search engine results. Mobile users are not going to scroll through numerous results looking for you. They choose from the top few results.  Make the font easy to read on a mobile device. Make sure your website loads quickly. And don’t add filler content that crowds the page. Absolutely, optimize your site for mobile devices. Increasing your mobile traffic will help you to increase conversions.

5.   Page Speed Matters: 
The technicalities of your website are important - a fast load speed, solid SEO, and clean design all contribute to your page’s ranking. Search engines crawl around the internet collecting information about all the websites. So, while speed is important for ranking, it is also important because how quickly your site appears can give your customers either a bad or good first impression of your business. When your pages load faster, customers will stay longer on your website and be able to find more information faster. A good first impression can go a long way for a customer. Fast page speed is a necessity to SEO in 2022.
Technology is ever changing. We are only becoming more and more dependent on it and its ability to connect dreams with reality. You can’t afford to neglect your digital presence, so keep up with the trends. If you can’t keep up, get help from an agency or professional who can. Learn more from one of our SEO experts at DNA Digital Marketing
For more on SEO trends we offer further reading at DesignRush a trusted source, https://www.designrush.com/agency/search-engine-optimization/trends/seo-automation.

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The Process of Building a New Website:
What to Expect

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing by Julio Ahumada

To build a strong business, you first need a compelling website. Designing a successful business website is one of the most effective ways to capture and maintain your audience’s interest. Not only does a new website showcase all of your company’s most important features, but it also gives your viewers the chance to form a meaningful connection with your business. However, building a website on your own can be a daunting task. That’s why hiring a web developer is the best way to bring your vision to life without any of the hassle. A professional  in website design in Rochester, NY has the skill and expertise needed to build the perfect site for your company. Here are some important things to consider before you hire one of our developers to create your business website.

Form a Plan

The best way to get the results you want from a web developer is to have a clear plan in mind. Once you know what you want to get out of the process, you’ll be more equipped to achieve your goals. For example, what do you want the general layout of your website to look like? What types of images do you want to feature on your homepage? How do you want to incorporate search engine optimization (SEO)? No matter what you have in mind, it’s helpful to have an idea of the type of site you want to create. This will make it easier for our experts to work closely with you to bring it to life.

Identify the Theme

Before you build a new website, it’s crucial to know what type of theme your website developer is offering. Some developers, especially beginners, rely on templates to create your entire website. Meanwhile, others have the tendency to charge more money for a website design that’s more complicated than it needs to be. It’s important to find a middle ground by identifying the theme that’s best for your needs. Whether you want a completely custom theme or prefer more input from the developer, communicate your preferences with us right from the start.

Optimize for Mobile Devices

In a world where everyone is constantly connected, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile devices. Your customers should be able to view your entire site on a smartphone, tablet or other device without any difficulty. Be sure to confirm ahead of time that the web developer you choose can make your website easily accessible for mobile devices. This will help you reach a wider audience in the long run.

Build a New Website the Right Way

If you’re ready to start attracting clients to your business, it’s time to find an expert in website design in Rochester, NY to create your ideal business website. By utilizing SEO tactics and employing lead generation strategies, our experienced digital marketing professionals can ensure that your customers stay interested in everything your company has to offer.

For more on Web Designing trends we offer further reading at DesignRush a trusted source, https://www.designrush.com/agency/website-design-development/trends/b2b-website-design.

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Even if it is just you: You can still market your business effectively.

In Digital marketing by Dean Burgess

Marketing you can do for your business.

Though it looks very different than it did decades ago, marketing is just as critical for businesses as it has ever been. Without people knowing about your product or service, your growth and long-term success will have limits.

To maximize your potential, you need to build your online and local presence. People need to recognize your brand when they see it, and they need to connect with your offering. DNA Digital Marketing has listed some fundamental marketing tips to help you get started!

Understand the Various Marketing Avenues     

First, it can help to grasp the many different marketing avenues or “channels” available for promoting your business. Essentially, there are digital and traditional channels worth considering. The specific avenues you choose should depend on the type of company you run and your specific marketing goals.

For example, most businesses can benefit from focusing on digital marketing because more and more consumers are using the web to find businesses and purchase products and services. Here are a few of the most common online marketing mediums to look into:

  • Social media
  • Blogging
  • Email
  • Paid ads
  • Video

To get the most from your digital marketing efforts, you will need a top-notch business website to which all of your promotions will lead. If you have minimal experience, you can save time (and, ultimately, money) by hiring a professional web designer and developer.

Then, there is traditional marketing, which is still valuable to businesses today. This includes channels like brochures, flyers, billboard ads, cold calling, letter drops, and word-of-mouth advertising.

One of the most practical ways to promote your company is to create a memorable business card that accurately reflects your company. Not only is a business card more visible than email, but it provides consumers with something they can hold in their hands, and it can keep your business at the forefront of their minds. Try using an online business card design tool that comes with a variety of templates to choose from so you can customize your card to your needs.

Conduct Market Research

Before getting too deep into building your marketing strategy, conduct thorough market research. This means collecting valuable data for insight into potential customers’ thinking, behavior, and location. Researching the market can also help you create financial projections and notify you of important market trends and competitor behaviors.

Find Your USP

Every company needs a unique selling proposition (USP). This is what your company offers that others do not. Try to define what you do differently and figure out a way to convince potential customers why they should choose your business.

Profile Your Target Customers       

If you try to pull an Amazon and market your products and services to everyone in the world, chances are it will prove costly and ineffective. The best approach is to group or segment your potential buyers by specific characteristics.

That way, you can focus your marketing efforts in the right places. Generally speaking, it’s good to start by segmenting your target customers by geography, demographics, behaviors, and lifestyle.

Create Your Brand

Early in your marketing strategy development, try to build the brand you will promote to your target audience. This includes your visual identity, such as your logo, color scheme, typography, and other elements. It also consists of the voice you will use to convey your message.

All of your promotional materials will include messaging, whether or not they involve words. Your messaging refers to the primary directive you wish to convey to your audience. If you use words, be sure to use consistent language across all your marketing channels.

Establish Goals

Finally, you don’t want to strategize your marketing efforts without setting goals. Establish realistic goals that you can measure to keep track of which marketing tactics are yielding the best outcomes. As you establish your goals, research the various costs involved to create a marketing budget that helps you succeed.

You will be hard-pressed to sustain growth and achieve long-term success without an effective marketing strategy. Consider the tips above as you develop a plan for promoting your brand, and keep looking for other ways to position your company to reach more of your target customers. And don’t hesitate to connect with professionals like DNA Digital Marketing for any tasks and projects you need help with! Schedule a free consultation.

For more marketing resources check out this link https://www.internetadvisor.com/important-internet-statistics-every-marketer-should-know-in-2022

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TikTok’s Moment

In Digital marketing, Social Media by Julio Ahumada

The explosion of TikTok

Sometimes it takes surprise events to move the needle on a particular something. In this case I want to talk about a social media app that pretty much started out as a place for people to lipsync to their favorite trending songs. Sure it blossomed into more than that. Short bites of DYI, dancing boobs, comedy skits, historic educational material, but the recent events have shown its real value. TikTok has become a place to get near real time updates from the Ukraine. News straight to the viewer. We have witnesses with game day fascination how a grandmother would stand up to a Russian soldier and gift him sunflower seeds. “Put these in your pocket, so you will have flowers when you die” is heroic badassery of monumental proportions. We have seen how brave soldiers of Ukraine when told to surrender answered back with a “F*@K you before being killed. We have admired and not so secretly envied having a leader who when offered a way out by the US, responded with “I don’t need a ride, I need ammunition”. This Chinese owned platform has become this amazing window in the lives of regular Ukrainians as they struggle to survive an invasion from a bully neighbor. Brothers who are both world champion boxers refused to leave but reported for duty. Grandmothers & grandfathers showing up to volunteer, learning to make molotov cocktails and fire an AK. A farmer who towed away an unattended APC which ran out of petrol. Soldiers having a bar-b-q while Russian jets flying over head. The now famous Ghost of Kyiv, the first European fighter Ace since World War II with 6 kills.  We are witnessing something amazing and TikTok has helped us in our comfortable chairs and warm homes to see what we have been longing for. Heroes, real heroes. 

Even in Russia, heroes can be found on TikTok. Decreeing the invasion while ignoring the risk that comes with speaking against the Putin regime. Images of people in cities all over Europe and the US, gathering in support of the Ukrainian people’s right to be free. Stories come quickly to the TikTok biosphere. Elon Musk may have tweeted his support by directing his company Starlink’s rapid deployment of internet satellite service over the Ukraine, but it was all over TikTok. As of 2.25.22 #russianinvasion had received 32 million views, while #russiaukraine have racked up more than 132 million views. The volume has been so huge that it has also attracted disinformation and misinformation from the usual suspects and those trying to monetize the platform. 

“This is the first time TikTok has really been central in a conflict situation of this scale,” said Sam Gregory, the program director of Witness, a nonprofit focused on the ethical use of video in humanitarian crises. “And the volume of misleading videos does seem new to me. Some people are doing it because they want attention, some people want to monetize it, others are doing it potentially as misinformation and disinformation,” he said.

When this is over and every war does come to an end a few things will have happened: TikTok will have come into its own much like CNN did during Desert Storm. We will look at our leaders in a more comparative light to Volodymyr Zelensky. But I would say we should look at our argumentative, disunified society and compare ourselves to the average Ukrainian. TikTok has turned into this magnificent teacher. I hope we learn. 

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Local SEO is More Important Than Ever If You Are a Small Business

In Digital marketing, Local SEO, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

If you are a small business competing with national brands on a tight budget, local SEO can become your most powerful marketing weapon.

Getting found with local SEO will improve your competitiveness in the battle for business survival among customers in your area. It is also one of the most cost-effective ways of generating new leads. Here are the reasons why you need local SEO in your arsenal.

What Is Local SEO?

Most business owners know how useful general SEO is, but local SEO is crucial right now if you want your small business showing up in Google above your competitors for customers nearby. Local SEO is all about getting found based on a searcher’s current location.

For example, if you have a pizza shop in Boston, one among thousands, you can optimize local SEO to be on the first page when diners type “best pizza near me” on Google if they are nearby. Then your customers' hungry bellies will lead them to your restaurant in no time.  

Why Does Local SEO Help with Getting Found?

As the name suggests, you can target local customers more efficiently with local SEO. It offers a significantly high return on investment by adding authenticity to your business.

When your business shows up in Google Maps or local searches, your customers are more likely to trust your brand. Local SEO is also critical for mobile searches by helping you build local partners and connections.

Google is aggressively indexing to a mobile-first algorithm because most people use their smartphones to look up businesses in their area. Since mobile searches tend to be local, your small business should not miss out on this incredible strategy.

How to Improve Local SEO?

To get listed on Google Maps and Google Search, you need to create a Google My Business listing with the most relevant and updated information. This should include accurate work hours with photos and responses to reviews.

Then you need to embed Google Maps into your website. This will add an interactive map or street view panorama, and you need to ensure that all your pages are optimized for mobile use.

If your small business wants to dominate local search results, you will need to work on your on-page SEO with the relevant title, meta, and header tags. Make sure all your content is clear and accessible on smartphones and tablets with the fastest loading time.

Finally, you need to build local citations to improve your prominence on Google. This will also help spread brand awareness through other sites that people rely on. Build strong backlinks to your site, ask local customers to leave reviews, and convince them to follow your social media pages.

Enhance Your Business Marketing Today!

Local SEO is imperative for a small business, and all your marketing efforts should be targeted towards impressing Google so that you are getting found by clients and customers near you. To be the best local company in your area, contact us today, and we can help your online business stand out from the crowd.

Or just schedule an appointment with me directly - it's free. Just hit that light blue button on the right - "Schedule now" and you are on your way to beating your competition. 

 

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Digital Marketing: What It Is, What It Could Be, and Why It Matters

In Digital marketing by Julio Ahumada

What do you know about digital marketing? Are you fluent in the acronym rich, data analysis world that has replaced traditional advertising? 
If you want to learn what digital marketing is, what it could be for your business, and why it matters, then this article is a must-read! We will give you all the tools you need to decide if digital marketing is the right fit for you and your business!

What is Digital Marketing?

The term digital marketing was first used in 1990 as a way to separate marketing done on the internet from campaigns done through traditional means. Digital marketing covers all advertising done through online channels like social media, mobile apps, email campaigns, search engines, video production services, and more!
As the world wide web continues to expand, online advertisements’ options and opportunities will keep growing to meet new needs. The top categories in digital marketing are:

  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • SEM (Search Engine Marketing
  • Content Marketing
  • SMM (Social Media Marketing)
  • PPC (Pay Per Click Advertising)
  • Affiliate Marketing 
  • Email Marketing

What are Digital Marketing Services?

Marketing has changed more in the past decade than in the previous century! While companies used to market through television and print ads successfully, it’s all about the internet these days. 

Digital marketing services include a comprehensive look at your web design, provide you with expert SEO services, social media marketing campaigns, and more! Each business has its own target audience, which won’t be available on every platform. 

Still, enlisting the help of digital marketing experts can help you better understand where to reach your customers best and how to market to them effectively!

What can a Digital Marketing Strategy Do for You?

Do you want to grow your business, reach new audiences, and increase revenue? The easiest way to quickly and effectively boost your performance is by creating and implementing a digital marketing strategy with your specific goals in mind!

The top three ways a digital marketing strategy will serve you well are:

  1. Increase website traffic
  2. Boost your brand awareness
  3. Improve revenue streams and conversions

Additionally, a digital marketing strategy can drive brick-and-mortar store traffic, if applicable, which means more business for you both instore and online!

Why Does Digital Marketing Matter?

It’s no longer enough to run unfocused digital ad campaigns or skip digital advertising entirely. The internet is becoming more entwined with everything people do, so it’s critical for your business that you let people know you exist!

So, why is digital marketing important to your business’s success and longevity?

  • Reach people where they spend their time and money
  • Level the playing field for big and small business
  • Target the audiences most likely to do business with you
  • Create targeted, personalized advertisements
  • Collect analytical data and learn about your customers
  • Scale your campaigns as needed and adapt to current events
  • Generate better ROI (return on investment)

Where to Start

Do you currently have a digital marketing strategy in place? If you don’t, consider reaching out to industry experts to understand better what services could serve you best and improve your business!

For more insightful articles about digital marketing and to stay up to date with industry trends, check out our blog! To boost your business and learn more about how digital marketing services can help you, contact us!

 

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Local SEO Importance

In Digital marketing, Local SEO, Online Reputation, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

Local SEO is critical for local businesses

Previously, we’ve discussed SEO, and detailed what “Local Search Engine Optimization” is and the important role it plays in a company’s digital marketing presence. (Find that blog here: https://dnadigitalmarketing.com/2019/05/24/local-seo-or-global-seo-you-need-both/) As the pandemic slowly subsides, more an more people will be going out. The pent up pressure of being home bound will see an increase in search for local businesses.  Since the end of 2019 our reliance on online has increased like never before. We rely on our home and mobile digital devices to gain access to what we want. 

You want to rank as close to the top of the page as possible on their search engine results page (SERP). Capture your buyer early in the process (like on their first “search!”) and you are more likely to funnel them directly into your channel or store. It’s clear they are going to search. Use the best local SEO to reach them sooner rather than later. Otherwise, you may be too late.

And speaking of too late. Did you know that there are 6.4 billion smartphone users worldwide in 2021 according to a Oberlo report https://www.oberlo.com/blog/mobile-usage-statistics.

People are searching before they leave or on their way. If they don’t find you, they will go to someone they can find. “Where to buy” + “near me” mobile queries have grown by over 200% in the past two years.  (March 2019 Google Data)

What makes local SEO so special? It’s really just another branch of the SEO tree, but with a focus on actual physical location. If yours is a strictly online business, you won’t need the same type of Local SEO that a brick and mortar store will. Local SEO involves Local Directories, for example, and other specific local SEO links. You will also want to pay attention to Google’s Local SEO algorithms. Start by optimizing your homepage and your meta data. Use local schema and SEO best practices. These help search engines understand you, your business, and your site. 

Yes, there’s a lot to it. And the more you do, the higher you’ll rank. That’s just the way it is. In the weeks to some, we’ll be discussing more about digital marketing and how to make it work for your company. So come back for more knowledge on the how-to’s of digital marketing. 

Want to learn more to to one of our experts – for free.

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Four Reasons to Use DNA Digital for Video Marketing

In Video, Video Production by Julio Ahumada

Tools, Talent, Experience, Expertise – What You Need to Succeed
We’ve spent some time blogging about the importance of video in your digital marketing strategy –  tips, techniques, and trends. 
We haven’t spent much time telling you why we are so passionate about video.  Guess what? Here it comes!

Our founder, Julio Ahumada has a long and storied history in this space. He’s a humble guy, but I got him to give up news on some of the awards he’s won: “several national awards that include C-TAM marketing ad campaigns, Telly Awards Gold and Silver, NPPA Awards 1st place, C-Tam, Beacon Award for documentary, The Froggy Award – Warner Bros. Television  and the Cable Ace Award.” 

He started as a news photographer, then moved to television producer with more than 1,000 TV commercials to his credit. In short, he knows what he’s doing!

Research shows that over 75% of companies hire a marketing/advertising agency to create their videos, but those agencies ‘outsource’ video production more than 60% of the time…

Is that bad?  – It could be…

We’ve all played the ‘telephone game’ as kids –  where the first person comes up with a phrase and then whispers it to the second person in a chain, right? By the time the phrase gets to the end of the chain, it has totally transformed!!  Like the ‘misheard lyrics’ – “‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy” or “There’s a bathroom on the right…” 

It’s funny in that context, but NOT FUNNY if the agency you hired doesn’t understand your business, your personality, your ‘voice’ – and then hires ANOTHER company to make the video! Granted, they may create a great video, but if it doesn’t fit your business, you’ve wasted money and possibly alienated current or future customers.

The “Why should you consider DNA” comes down to this – we’ve won the awards, we’ve been successfully supporting our clients for decades. We’re also wired in to the cutting edge strategy and technology that is vital to your business’s survival in today’s world. But more than that – we’ll make the videos that sound like YOU! 

We never outsource video production.  We encourage your input – in fact, we demand it! When you sign on with DNA Digital Marketing, your contribution is vital.  The success of our clients is dependent on teamwork, and we’re really great at that!

We have the Tools, Talent, Experience, Expertise – Get a free quote

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The Familiar is what we need

In Digital marketing by Julio Ahumada

The Familiar is what we need right now.

OK, by now we all know the drill. We are all under the same challenge, the same pressure, the same lock down, that COVID-19 put is in. People are writing about how they are coping. What they’re doing, what they can’t do, what they want to do. They are all expressions of our humanity. We are looking for reassurance in familiarity. Our routine has been disrupted indefinitely, and we are seeking out the familiar. 

Interestingly enough if you have been watching ads online or on TV, you may not have noticed how similar the ads are to one another. They are virtually the same ad with slight variations. Some marketers have chided the big brands for not being imaginative enough to break out with something unique and meaningful. I beg to differ. They are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. The messages you see and hear in these branding ads are those of reassurance, inspiration, and perseverance. They speak to the emotions that we are experiencing – loss, worry, loneliness, and uncertainty. 

Karen B as a pretty convincing Rosie the Riveter

During World War II, it was a “We can do it” message. Humans, as an animal, like novelty only up to a certain point and that is on a good day. When the tribe is stressed and the horizon looks bleak, it is reassurance from those on high that help us get through it. We seek the familiar. It calms, it is recognizable, and it gets us through one more day. 

I love music and I am always amazed at how many great songs there are that are created with the same three chords (E, A & D). We say we want to hear something new but it is only so true. We want to hear the same, but the same a little differently. 

That is what these big brands have done in their storytelling. They are communicating the needed message for our time. The reassurance that we are inevitably not getting from our elected leaders, but that we need to keep up the flame of our animus glowing. 

We will get through this time together. We need to take a moment and realize that we are not alone in this. That by not being alone, we have a responsibility to each other. We need to subsume some of our own individuality for the greater good. In this case it’s staying home, wearing a mask, and washing your hands. You know what to do. 

It isn’t political as much as it is scientific. Until there is a vaccine, COVID and all the other closely related members of the coronaviruses will be with us. We can only get through this together and keeping some part of the familiar is a powerful tool in getting there, and we will get there.

Let us know what you think. Tell us your story we would love to know.

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The Importance of Video Production for B2B Companies

In Digital marketing by Julio Ahumada

Video is revolutionizing the Business-to-Business digital marketing landscape. It is a major tool for securing your digital presence.

B2C companies were the early adopters of video, but with Cisco predicting that video traffic will make up over 80% of all Internet traffic by the year 2021, B2B companies are coming to embrace the technology, as well.

“I think there’s solid evidence that we’re starting to see a pretty good movement behind video, especially in B2B,” said Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group. “I really think that LinkedIn has actually helped to spur that on with their big push into live video on their own platform. I’m definitely seeing evidence of brands finally listening to the call and the opportunities that video has presented and I think LinkedIn has really led the way.”

A recent Forbes study of more than 300 C-level executives at large US companies (over $500 million in revenues) revealed surprising insights on the growing impact of video content.

  • Video is becoming a critical information source for senior executives. More than 80% are watching more online video today than a year ago.
  • Senior executives are turning to video more frequently. 75% said they watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least weekly.
  • Work-related video can drive executives to take action. Overall, 65% have visited a vendor’s website after watching a video.

Note: 80% of all video consumed on LinkedIn is done so with Audio OFF so make sure you embed subtitles into the video before uploading to the platform.

Traditional B2B marketing collateral – leadership reports, white papers, presentations and customer case studies – can be great tools, but video offers a different way to stand out. A company’s videos can serve as a virtual “handshake”, giving your audience a fuller impression of who you are than flat text or still images would. People like to buy from people that they know, and video is a great way to make an introduction. 

Businesses can humanize their brand, deepen customer loyalty, tell a story, and build a personal connection with their audience through video. Use video to tell a story and make your potential clients feel connected to your brand. Concentrate on the value the product would bring, not just the product itself. (Don’t drive away viewers by throwing a sales script in their faces!)

The importance of video in marketing

You can use video to get your product out in front of decision makers by posting videos on B2B optimized social media sites like LinkedIn (the #1 social media platform for B2B companies) but you’ll also benefit from distributing videos over multiple channels, including YouTube and Facebook.

Embed the video on your website and use tagging, keywords, descriptions, and video transcripts to make it easy for people to find your video and to boost your SEO rank. Video use on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80% and using video in emails can double click-through rates. Create videos for the various stages of your sales cycle:

  • Top of sales funnel videos that raise brand awareness.
  • Bottom of sales funnel videos that drive conversions.
  • Customer retention videos that provide education on how to use the product.

Video Marketing is one of the most effective business communication tools available and the impact of video in digital marketing can’t be dismissed. If you’re just getting started with video, or want to step up your game, DNA Digital Marketing can help. We offer a full range of digital marketing services and have some of the best video talent in the business in-house. We’d love to chat about your goals, challenges and video projects! 

For more on digital marketing and the importance of video content, we offer this trusted source from Design Rush https://www.designrush.com/agency/digital-marketing/trends/outsource-digital-marketing.


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Reputational Vandalism

In News, Online Reputation, Reviews, Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

Reputational Vandalism

If you are a business, especially a small one, you often rest your business fortunes on what people say about you. It’s your reputation after all. What people say about you often influences others to buy from or to avoid you. It can make or break your business. And when you fall victim to reputational vandalism what then? 

It was true in the time before the internet, when we lived in small villages. Let’s say you heard about the baker skimping on the creme for his eclairs or how you needed to watch for the butcher’s thumb on the scale. Often enough, that behavior didn’t last long, because of word of mouth. 

Your Reputation

Your reputation often tends to precede your introduction, and it is especially true in the 21st century. The online digital world has shifted the balance of power to the consumer. The consumer now has more information in order to base their decision on. People have always sought out what others think about a buying decision. Now they seek out what others have experienced online. 

There’s an old saying – it takes 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes, or in my case a one star review, to ruin it. Recently my company DNA Digital Marketing received a one star review on Google Business. It was from an individual who we did not know and had never done business with. One star, a black ink stain on our perfectly clean suit of reviews. Google’s mission is to provide the most relevant search results possible (albeit at a profit). Here DNA, a relatively young company who has been praised in the community and by its clients, has suffered a one star drive-by. It is a case of Reputational Vandalism, a phrase I coined as a result of this situation. 

I reached out to Google to get the review expunged. Several colleagues have done so on my unsolicited behalf (thank you), and yet, there it is, the one star stain on our profile. There for those who do not know us, can not be faulted in thinking, “I’ll pass on engaging with this agency.”

There is no recourse. No court of appeals. Just our own mission at DNA Digital Marketing: To provide the highest level of attention and quality of work that yields the best results for our clients. To work every day – yes, we work every day – to make sure that our client’s interests are being advocated for in the digital arena. 

It is what it is

My colleagues who own businesses tell me that this is the nature of the beast. That people will throw you under the bus for the least infraction, the slightest slight, a misinterpreted glance or tone. I could accept that from a client if they were unhappy, I would at least take responsibility for it and try to make amends. I would bleed in order to make things right. But this, I can’t accept. I don’t tolerate it. Someone who is either a fake profile, or someone who has made a mistake in identity,(the person hails from NYC where there is a company containing DNA in their name. They have a low rating), however it got there, the  one star stain remains. 

So I close with this. In this era of outrage and rush to judgement, take  a moment. Think of the humans – the business owners, the servers, the cashiers, the hard-working people –  on the other end of your cursor. They have families to support, kids in college, and mortgages to pay off. Think before you one star review someone. Make sure your review is fair and balanced. In the digital age it’s easy to stroll through the stars and reviews that are available for everything that is for sale. (Don’t you wish there were review stars for our political leader when election time rolls around?) During the consideration phase of buying, it is a beneficial part of the caveat emptor process that a buyer be aware of what they are buying, but this does not hold true if those stars and reviews are untrue or unbalanced. Look beyond the stars and look to see the company’s response.  

If you would like to learn more about DNA Digital Marketing we would be happy to have a conversation with you.  Click here 

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Websites, Lawsuits & ADA Compliance

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing by Julio Ahumada

You may have heard in the news recently that some law firms and individuals are filing lawsuits against companies who they believe are in violation of the Americans with disabilities act of 1990 – ADA compliance. More specifically against companies whose websites may not be complaint. The ADA in case you don’t know is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the public. Websites are increasingly being considered as public accommodations under Title III of the ADA. Wondering how this affects your company’s website or mobile app? 

So what exactly does your website have to be in order to be in ADA Compliance? It is a long list and you can find the latest best practice at the World Wide Web Consortium’s website at https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ . In a nutshell the document (it is kinda of long) describes the obvious things you would expect from a good web developer. Bake in the meta descriptions of a photo in the Alt text let’s say.  Or provide closed captioning for any video. Simple enough, some places it gets a little trickier, in the case of buttons and their functions. If you have a button that is for submitting a form. The button should say that in it’s alt text, for example: this button is to submit form “XYZ”. You see many visually impaired individuals use text readers and other devices that read the guts of the website to know what’s going on. Since they have difficulty seeing or can’t see at all, the alt text description, is critical for them to interact with your content. Plus, it makes good SEO sense to put in a little more effort. 

Another aspect of Title III of the ADA is something we at DNA have been doing as a natural outcrop of our esthetic, but genuinely didn’t know until recently that it was compliant. It is having the proper contrast in your color palate when designing. I know you’re probably thinking – “how does is that a thing?”. Think of the people who are fully or partially color blind (it’s a spectrum like everything else). Depending on the color palate your designer picks out, to a colorblind person there may not be enough contrast between the two – essentially looking really similar to each other on the greyscale. DNA Digital Marketing tends to be naturally compliant in creating simple high contrast color palettes. We know that psychologically speaking, the web viewer reacts more positively towards them while ADA compliance is top of mind. 

Most website designers do not follow technical SEO best practices let alone creating websites that are ADA compliant. 

One thing we at DNA can not stress enough is the importance of being compliant with the ADA.

It’s not only the law and the right thing to do, but it will actually help your website in its search engine optimization or SEO. Websites that are compliant do better in overall search because of all the searchable information in pictures, audio and video that are baked into the site from scratch.

ADA is a civil rights law. If anyone of us have our civil rights violated, we all suffer that violation. We DNA Digital Marketing pride ourselves of building our client’s websites in just that way. If you are curious or worried that your website is not compliant click the button below. 

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Voice Search – What Every Website Owner Needs To Know

In Digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Voice Search by Julio Ahumada

There is no doubt that the technology and the ways people use and access the Internet is nothing like it used to be even a few short years ago. 

According to recent research conducted by Pew Research, 96% of Americans own a cell phone, with roughly 81% owning a Smartphone. In comparison, a mere 35% of Americans owned a Smartphone in 2011, when Pew first began gathering data on Smartphone ownership.

People have easily adapted to using voice for voice-assisted tasks, including conducting internet searches, once their smartphones were equipped with microphones, speakers, maps, apps, and internet access.

And the introduction of Smart Speakers and other voice-activated technology, including Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod also helped establish the switch to voice search for many consumers.


How Fast Is Voice Search Growing?

The short answer to this question is “quickly.”

According to reports at ComScore, nearly 50% of all searches are conducted by voice already. Smartphones and Smart Speakers serve as people’s faithful virtual assistants, answering questions, and even giving reminders.

Many users place their smart speakers in highly accessible places in their homes. It isn’t uncommon to find smart devices in living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and other areas of the house where having a voice assistant nearby make sense. (In times when a Smart Speaker isn’t available, a Smartphone can pick up the slack to answer questions or uncover information.)

Gartner Group forecasts that by 2020, 30% of all Internet searches won’t be conducted while in front of a screen.


How Is Voice Search Changing Web Search Dynamics?

Voice search up-ends the way search results are returned. There is only one result, which ideally would be the best answer for the question being asked. When there are thousands of possible best results to choose from in every category and niche, it creates a highly competitive environment to win over these vaunted results.


How Does Voice Search Impact Web Design And SEO?

There is a considerable difference in the way people search when using voice and traditional online searches. Searches done by voice tend to be more conversational and include more words. On the contrary, queries that are typed tend to be much shorter, containing only a couple of words.

Nearly 22% of voice search seeks local content.

It’s essential to concentrate on using optimization tactics to achieve higher status and recognition as a trusted provider in whatever product or service you’re providing to the public.

These tactics could include using common phrases and words people would use to describe or find you. Zipcodes, city or neighborhood names all help to pinpoint and direct clients and customers to your door.

Essential search engine optimization approaches – using intelligent title tags, detailed meta descriptions, and smart internal linking with formatted anchor text – remain a best practice. SEO offers the best opportunity for ranking in mobile search, voice-assisted search, and traditional search.


Have More Questions About Optimizing Your Site For Voice Search?

Our team would love to help! Contact us to find out more.

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Local SEO or Global SEO?

In Digital marketing, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

You Need Both

You’ve just started a business so attracting visitors to your website and storefront is vital.  Or your organization is well-established and you’ve always relied on local customers who know who you are, where you are, and what you do.  

Are you missing out if your website stinks?

In order for potential customers to find you online and to attract traffic to your website, you must incorporate SEO or Search Engine Optimization into your website.


What’s that?

Essentially, SEO is a digital marketing strategy that increases your online visibility. SEO is the strategic use of keywords, content and technology to increase a website’s rank in search engine results – preferably into one of the top three-to-five spots. The higher your ranking, the more visitors you’re likely to get.

There are two types of SEO that your business needs to utilize. Local and National/Global SEO.

Local

Asian couple in front of their store
Be sure your business shows up on Google maps by setting up your “Google My Business” page.

If your business has a physical storefront in a specific location, or if you provide services that are ‘consumed’ locally (plumber, daycare, retail)  it is necessary to implement local SEO. This helps put your business on the top of search pages of specific locations and drives local business. According to a Reviewtrackers study, 35% of all search traffic is local and if you aren’t doing local SEO, you are leaving this 35% of traffic for your competition.

  • The first thing to do when trying to attract a local audience is set up your “Google My Business” page. It is free; it establishes your presence in the community; and puts your business on Google maps for everyone to see.
mobile phone showing apps, website optimized for mobile devices
  • The next thing to do is optimize your site for mobile devices. People are on their phones doing research for what they want. They using their phones to search for things near them while out and about. If you make your website quicker, make it easy to read, and don’t crowd the page with extraneous or irrelevant information, you will attract more mobile traffic. This is an audience you want because, according to a study done by Acquisio, 75% of local searches produce offline visits within the day.
  • The last thing you need to do is make sure that you make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are listed, and listed correctly and identically, across multiple local directories. These directories include Yelp, Yellowpages, and Foursquare. This will give your brand more recognition.

Global

While having local SEO is necessary, it is also essential to have brand awareness on a much broader – national or global –  level. Making it easier for search engines to determine what your website is all about can make a huge difference in your rank.

You can do this two different ways, onsite/onpage and offsite/off-page.

Onsite SEO is when you are optimizing your own website’s content and functionality. A good way to do this is to implement keywords into your website. Do research on what keywords what will attract the most traffic for your industry. A way you can do this is by finding what your competition is getting a lot of traffic from and try to beat them at their own game. You can also see what keywords are used for your industry. Be sure to rank high in keywords that have good potential to bring traffic. If you are the number one website for a keyword that doesn’t get any traffic, it will mean nothing.

It is also important to look at the technicalities of the website. Making your website easier to navigate will likely help lengthen visits on your site. A solid site design using best SEO practices will inform search engines what your most relevant information is. With a well-designed website, you can attract more customers and give them a positive experience that they may recommend to others.

Review, increase rating, performance and classification concept. man draws five green stars to increase rating of his company, blank background.
Reviews on sites like Yelp and Google can help improve and enhance the reputation of your business.

Offsite SEO (also known as “off-page” SEO) is the way you can gain recognition for your business off of your website, but still on the internet. This involves driving organic traffic to your site. It could mean increasing inbound links (links from other sites to your site), building social media influence, and increasing site credibility.  It can also include reviews on Yelp and Google. Your aim here is to improve and enhance the reputation of your business. A creative and innovative social promotion (on Facebook or other social media platforms) can also engage many potential customers, as friends and colleagues will want to share it with their friends and colleagues.

Conclusion

mobile phone showing Google search

By following Google’s guidelines to implementing thorough local and national search engine optimization, you can put yourself on the top rankings of search engines. This will help you reach more people and gain more traffic for your business and website. Go ahead and start optimizing!

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Why Digital Marketing is Important

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Marketing Automation by Julio Ahumada

Unless you have been “off the grid” for the past twenty years, you have heard something about digital marketing. Since the late 1990’s the buzz about “digital marketing” has only increased. If you’re a business owner, you may have dabbled in it. Perhaps you email your customers. You most likely have a website. Maybe you have a Facebook page, and some Instagram followers. You might even tweet now and then. But do you have a plan? Does it all come together? Is it a cohesive? If you don’t have a clear vision of the path you should take, the people you want to attract and where you want to end up, you could easily be swallowed up by the digital jungle.

Dave Chaffey says that it’s “achieving marketing objectives through applying digital technologies and media” but I say it’s “attempting to achieve marketing objectives through applying digital technologies and media.”

If you’ve done your due diligence, then yes, it is “achieving marketing objectives… blah, blah, blah.” If you haven’t done the research and haven’t been a digital explorer, you could be throwing your time and money into a digital hole.

If it’s so complicated, why do it? First of all, it doesn’t have to be complicated, but it can get that way – FAST! But that’s a topic for another time. As far as why do it? Well, humans are becoming more and more “digitally attached.” Statista projects that the number of smartphone owners will be at 2.87 billion by 2020. That’s next year! (The number of mobile phone users is expected to pass the 5 billion mark by 2019! That’s THIS year!)

According to Walker Sands’ 2017 Future of Retail survey, which polled over 1,600 consumers, 78% of Americans now own smartphones. And smartphone owners do practically everything on their phones – shop, watch videos and TV and movies, take pictures, play games, listen to music, exercise, research, bills, banking, navigate, and that’s just the beginning. With the “Internet of Things,” we’re even more attached to our devices in order to program appliances and see who’s at the door.
So, depending on who you are and what you’re selling or providing, chances are you’re going to want to connect with at least SOME of the 78%. Their smartphone or other electronic device is a great way to do that, considering the amount of time they spend on those devices! It’s likely one of the ONLY ways to reach them. Print advertising, TV, radio, billboards – none of these are what they once were. Yes, they may have their place but digital is where the people are, or at least 78% of them! According to some studies, over 90% of adults in the US always have their electronic device within reach. Always. Best to figure out how to reach them.

DNA digital marketing knows how to market, digitally! We can help you navigate the digital jungle.

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What is SEO?

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing by Julio Ahumada

SEO, search engine optimization, lead generation, sales

SEO (search engine optimization) is system of organizing and categorizing, coding and presenting your “data” (website, links, metadata, and more) in order to rank higher in search engine results. Good SEO can help visitors find you more quickly and easily, boost your credibility, and put you ahead of the competition. For example, even if two websites appear nearly identical, the SEO optimization that lies underneath can make a huge difference in where they rank.

Although it seems like it should be straight forward – after all it’s a system –  SEO is a bit of a moving target. The complex algorithms on which Google bases its results on are not static or even fully divulged. So you’ll want to follow the suggestions and guidelines, and you’ll want to keep up on changes to those suggestions and guidelines.

“Do I really need to bother with all that? You know, the learning and then more learning?” you may ask. Well, considering that nearly 60% of all traffic on the web starts with a Google search, yes. Yes, you do. The internet is only growing, more every minute. That means more data is out there to be sifted through (or “crawled” as Google calls it). If your data isn’t easy to crawl, and doesn’t adhere to the Almighty Google’s “suggestions,” you can pretty much say goodbye to Page One.

And you want to be on Page One, not just because no one goes any further than that, but for a number of other reasons. Being front and center on Google’s ranking means credibility, increased visibility and branding, and more traffic of a higher quality. Solid SEO means those who make their way to your site are there on purpose.

And while SEO continues to change shape slightly and make modifications, there is absolutely no evidence that it is going anywhere anytime soon. So invest in it. If you’re not on Page One, do what it takes to get there. If you already have the SEO chops that put you on Page One, make sure you’re keeping current with SEO. It’s here to stay.

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The Importance of Video in Marketing

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Video by Julio Ahumada

video shoot, video marketing
Video camera taking live video streaming at people working background

 

Let’s talk about the importance of using video in your overall marketing plan.

It’s IMPORTANT!!

  • 86% of US businesses use video on their websites.
  • 77% use video in Social Media.
  • Experts predict over 80% of web content will be video within the next 5 years.

Google is, of course, the world’s largest search engine: YouTube is the second largest. And we’re not just talking about music videos or funny cats.

  • 90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions.
  • 64% say seeing a video makes them more likely to buy.
  • 54% of consumers want to see videos from brands they support (vs. newsletters or still images).

“Social media platforms such as Facebook prioritize video content. Recent data shows that 100 million hours of video are watched every day on Facebook, and one billion hours of video are consumed on YouTube every day.” – Fujisan Marketing

So, should you use (or increase) video in your marketing plan just because everyone else is doing it?

How about because video helps improve your SEO ranking? According to Comscore, you can up your chances of ‘top of the page’ search results by 53 times when you include video. Search engines use algorithms to measure the quality of messaging on your website. A website that contains diverse content is considered to be high quality, so search engines will boost your ranking if your website includes quality images, text, and video.

Video catches more attention and audiences are 10 times more likely to engage – like, share, comment, etc. – with video than with blogs or other social posts. Evoking your viewers’ emotions through video increases engagement also. You can use tone of voice, facial expression, and music, to capture your audience. Read more about that here. Customers gain trust and educate themselves with video in ways that can’t be accomplished through text alone.

Video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year. The increase in quality comes from the education they were given through video as a medium. Video presents a unique way to stand out on business-oriented social media feeds; executives and decision-makers value this content highly when researching solutions

Video converts more customers. Recent research shows that 71% of marketers say video outperforms other marketing content, and organizations that host video on a combination of their own website and external websites, such as YouTube, are seeing the greatest ROI on their video marketing efforts.

The impact of video in digital marketing can’t be dismissed. If you’re just getting started with video, or want to step up your game, DNA Digital Marketing can help. We offer a full range of digital marketing services and have some of the best video talent in the business in-house. We’d love to chat about your goals, challenges and video projects!

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The Importance of Video for B2B Companies

In Digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Video by Julio Ahumada

Video is revolutionizing the B2B digital marketing landscape.

B2C companies were the early adopters of video, but with Cisco predicting that video traffic will make up over 80% of all Internet traffic by the year 2021, B2B companies are coming to embrace the technology, as well.

“I think there’s solid evidence that we’re starting to see a pretty good movement behind video, especially in B2B,” said Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group. “I really think that LinkedIn has actually helped to spur that on with their big push into live video on their own platform. I’m definitely seeing evidence of brands finally listening to the call and the opportunities that video has presented and I think LinkedIn has really led the way.”

A recent Forbes study of more than 300 C-level executives at large US companies (over $500 million in revenues) revealed surprising insights on the growing impact of video content:

  •         Video is becoming a critical information source for senior executives. More than 80% are watching more online video today than a year ago.
  •         Senior executives are turning to video more frequently. 75% said they watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least weekly.
  •         Work-related video can drive executives to take action. Overall, 65% have visited a vendor’s website after watching a video.

Note: 80% of all video consumed on LinkedIn is done so with Audio OFF so make sure you embed subtitles into the video before uploading to the platform.

Traditional B2B marketing collateral – leadership reports, white papers, presentations and customer case studies – can be great tools, but video offers a different way to stand out. A company’s videos can serve as a virtual “handshake”, giving your audience a fuller impression of who you are than flat text or still images would. People like to buy from people that they know, and video is a great way to make an introduction.

Businesses can humanize their brand, deepen customer loyalty, tell a story, and build a personal connection with their audience through video. Use video to tell a story and make your potential clients feel connected to your brand. Concentrate on the value the product would bring, not just the product itself. (Don’t drive away viewers by throwing a sales script in their faces!)

You can use video to get your product out in front of decision makers by posting videos on B2B optimized social media sites like LinkedIn (the #1 social media platform for B2B companies) but you’ll also benefit from distributing videos over multiple channels, including YouTube and Facebook.

Embed the video on your website and use tagging, keywords, descriptions, and video transcripts to make it easy for people to find your video and to boost your SEO rank. Video use on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80% and using video in emails can double click-through rates. Create videos for the various stages of your sales cycle:

  •         Top of sales funnel videos that raise brand awareness.
  •         Bottom of sales funnel videos that drive conversions.
  •         Customer retention videos that provide education on how to use the product.

Video Marketing is one of the most effective business communication tools available and the impact of video in digital marketing can’t be dismissed. If you’re just getting started with video, or want to step up your game, DNA Digital Marketing can help. We offer a full range of digital marketing services and have some of the best video talent in the business in-house. We’d love to chat about your goals, challenges and video projects!

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Video – Where to start?

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Video by Julio Ahumada

Video – Where to start?

You know that adding video to your digital marketing strategy can help you keep up with the competition, but where should you start? Anywhere!  

Your strategy will differ a bit depending on your audience – do you sell a product or a service? Is your company selling business-to-business or business to consumer? Think about what type of videos your prospects would like to see.*

Here’s what was most popular in 2017:

B2C Video Marketing

By creating, brand-centric, eye-catching videos, B2C marketers can boost awareness of their brand and increase sales.

Video is an important part of today’s shopping experience:

  • Almost 50% of web users look for a video before visiting a store, says Google.
  • Wyzowl says that 79% of consumers prefer watching video to reading about a product.
  • And Hubspot says that 43% of consumers want to see more video content this year.
  • 84% of consumers have bought something after watching a video.
  • 91% of consumers have watched an explainer video.
  • Information about offers and discounts can be included in the video as click to buy a component.

And what your viewers hear (or don’t hear) is important, too:

  • 75% of consumers have not bought a product because the voiceover annoyed them
  • 83% prefer an informal and chatty tone.
  • 85% of Facebook video is watched without the sound turned on.

Experts tell us that 35 -65% of viewers bail out before the end of the video. B2C companies should aim for 30 second – 1 minute videos with a catchy title and attractive thumbnail/cover image. Closed-captioning should be used if the visual content needs narration. The first 10 seconds are critical for grabbing the attention of your audience.

The bottom line is to think about the viewer. Do they truly have an incentive to watch your content? Identify the audience and understand what kind of videos they want to see. Be relevant and on-brand. The most successful (and viral) B2C videos reflect pop culture and humor; however, make sure that your message is consistent with your brand.

We’ll cover B2B video strategies in our next post, so stay tuned!

The impact of video in digital marketing can’t be dismissed. If you’re just getting started with video, or want to step up your game, DNA Digital Marketing can help. We offer a full range of digital marketing services and have some of the best video talent in the business in-house. We’d love to chat about your goals, challenges and video projects!

 

*HubSpot suggests these ideas:

1) Demo Videos Showcase how your product works — whether that’s taking viewers on a tour of your software and its use cases or unboxing and putting a physical product to the test.

2) Brand videos Brand videos are typically distributed as a part of a larger advertising campaign, showcasing the company’s high-level vision, mission, or products and services. The goal of brand videos is to build awareness around your company and attract your target audience.

3) Event Videos Is your business hosting a conference, round table discussion, fundraiser, or another type of event? Produce a highlight reel or release interesting interviews and presentations from the gathering.

4) Expert Interviews Getting internal experts or thought leaders in your industry to do short interviews on camera is a great way to build trust and authority with your target audience. Find the influencers in your industry or those with a different point of view and get these discussions in front of your audience.

5) Educational or How-To Videos How-to videos can be used to teach your audience something new or build the foundational knowledge they’ll need to better understand your business and solutions.

6) Explainer Videos This type of video is used to help your audience better understand why they need your product or service. Many explainer videos focus on a fictional journey of the company’s core buyer persona who is struggling with a problem. This person overcomes the issue by adopting or buying the business’s solution.

7) Animated Videos Animated videos, such as the below one we created to promote a key theme from the 2017 State of Inbound report, can be a great format for hard-to-grasp concepts that need strong visuals or an intangible service or product.

8) Case Study and Customer Testimonial Videos Your prospects want to know that your product will solve their specific problem, and one of the best ways to showcase this and build trust is by creating case study videos that feature your happy and loyal customers. These are your best advocates. Get them on-camera describing their challenges and how your company helped them meet their goals.

9) Live Videos Live video is a great format for giving your viewers a behind-the-scenes look at your company. Stream interviews and live presentations, and encourage people watching to comment with questions.

10) 360-Degree & Virtual Reality Videos With 360-degree videos, viewers can see in every direction by scrolling around to see the content from different perspectives. This spherical video style is suited best for allowing viewers to experience a location or event, such as exploring Antarctica with scientists or meeting a hammerhead shark. Virtual reality allows viewers to navigate and control their experience. These videos are usually viewed through devices such as Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard.

11) Augmented Reality Videos In this style of video, a digital layer is added to what you are currently viewing in the world. For example: You can point your phone’s camera at your living room and see how a couch would look in the space.

12) Personalized Messages Recording a video can be a creative way to continue a conversation or get the attention of someone who has not responded via email or another communication channel. Record yourself recapping an important meeting or giving personalized recommendations using a tool such as Loom or Soapbox. These videos will be a delight moment for your prospects and can drive them further down the purchasing funnel.

 

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What is Digital Marketing?

In Digital marketing, Inbound Content Marketing, Marketing Automation, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

This is the age of digital marketing. The days of relying on Yellow Pages or local PennySaver ads for your business advertising are long gone. Your customers are online and your business needs to be, too.
If you’re new to the idea of digital marketing, (also called online marketing or internet marketing), here’s a basic introduction to this marketing technique.

Digital Marketing: The promotion of products, services or brands through electronic media – the internet, mobile phones, social media, etc.

Your online presence begins with your company’s website. It should be attractive, functional, informative and professional. It should look and perform well on mobile devices, also. In the US, over 40 million internet users access the web only on cell phones or tablets.
Your website should use the right wording (keywords) to help customers find you through search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo. 90% of internet users use Google, which runs over two million searches per minute, so you want your site to show up in search results when people are looking for your products or services.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to the techniques that help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Besides keywords, search engines look for elements including title tags, image tags, internal link structure, and inbound links (also known as backlinks). Search engines also look at site structure and design, visitor behavior, and other external, off-site factors to determine how highly ranked your site should be in their SERP. If that sounds complicated, it is. Search providers also change their algorithms frequently, so SEO is an ongoing effort.

You’ll want a way for potential customers to communicate with you through your site. Using a “Contact Us” form, a Newsletter sign up, or some other method of gathering email addresses will allow you to keep in touch with them as well. Building a list of prospects who want to hear from you is the first step in Email Marketing, a highly effective and low-cost way to promote your business. Getting prospects to return to your website, ‘engage’ with your content and respond to a “Call to Action” generates active leads and shortens your sales cycle. (We’ll talk more about Lead Generation strategies later.)

A presence on Social Media sites is another way to reach potential customers. In the US, there are 214 million Facebook users. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest help spread the word about your business and are great places to advertise and run special promotions or contests. And you can target your ads very specifically. Your online audience can share your content with their social networks to further your reach. (Video and photo posts are most frequently shared.) Your social media activities also play a part in your search engine ranking.

All of your digital channels should work together to promote your digital marketing strategy. DNA Digital Marketing can help you untangle the mysterious web that is internet marketing and give you a clear roadmap for online success. Contact us at julio@dnadigitalmarketing.com

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Why I love Rochester NY, and You Will Too!

In News, Video by Julio Ahumada

Rochester: Why I love it! And why you will, too!

In many ways, Rochester seems like a much bigger city than it is. We’ve got everything that a big city has! There are tons of cultural offerings – a world renowned Jazzfest, Fringefest, the Lilac Festival, Clothesline Arts Festival – to name just few! Museums, art galleries, dance troupes, theaters and theatre companies. We even lay claim to the National Museum of Play. Rochester works hard and we like to play! (So, even if you’re a grown up, Go! Play! It’s amazing!) And how about the George Eastman House? Or the Seneca Park Zoo?

We have world-class universities, the Eastman school of music, RIT, the U of R. There is a plethora of smart folks, researchers, doctors, nurses and staff at Strong Memorial Hospital  (yeah, it’s a teaching hospital!), engineers, professors in all disciplines you can think of, tech people, writers, artists, craftspeople, musicians. We are a renaissance city, truly.

Food and Entertainment

Food? You bet. Even our food trucks get 5-star reviews. We’ve got a bunch of farm-to-table restaurants, community gardens, distilleries, tons of craft beers, and ciders made from local apples. We’re apple country! With the Finger Lakes so close, we have access to lots of great local wines, as well. Oh, and we have a great big Public Market, with all sorts of fresh produce and specialty shops and stalls – seafood, breads, spices, meats and way more than I can list here.

Another cool thing: We are located on the Genesee River – one of only four rivers in the world that flows North!

We’re just minutes away from so much more – Ithaca, Watkins Glen, Belhurst Castle, all sorts of parks, Lake Ontario, and the Erie Canal! Did I mention the scenic Finger Lakes? They’re gorgeous! We’re the gateway to the Finger Lakes. They’re close, offering water sports, boating, hiking, and wineries galore!

Travel a few more minutes and you can be in Niagara Falls or the Thousand Islands. For real!

Winter, yeah, it gets cold – [But it’s not as cold as Antarctica!]

So with all this going on, you might think you’d feel like you were in a big, bustling city, but nope. We are friendly folk! People here really are laid back, friendly, helpful. Life is taken at a reasonable pace, and people always have a minute to help. And your commute is nothing compared to some. Most of us drive half an hour or less. The joke is you can get anywhere in the Rochester area in about 20 minutes.

If you are considering a place where your business and your employees can thrive, consider Rochester. You’ll love it!

DNA Mission Statement

In Quote by Julio Ahumada

What is DNA Digital Marketing?

Our goal is to create a partnership that will provide the highest levels of digital marketing services to our clients. By leveraging our own competencies to solve the riddle of revenue growth for our customers, it is a key component to our self fulfillment. It is the basis of the “Why” we do this. We are passionate about winning through our customer’s successes. 

DNA Digital Marketing is about creating a digital presence for our clients that will leverage their core competencies and attract prospects who value those competencies in a profitable manner. We help companies get discovered by the individuals who are looking for the solutions they offer. At DNA Digital Marketing, we are feverishly dedicated to our clients and their revenue goals. We are constantly testing new methods, learning new tools and implementing processes that are focused on igniting and accelerating our client’s revenue goals.

We value our time as we value the time of our clients.

We will not devalue our offering to make the sale. In fact we look for a good overall fit – partnership/relationship with a potential prospect. Not any company can be our client.

We strive to do business in an ethical manner. We have a code of honor.

We are individuals with integrity. We do what we say we will do and if somehow we fail to do that, we will own up to it. We are accountable.

We are individuals with families. Work is very important to us however our families are at our core as humans, it is what keeps us centered. We believe an ongoing and shifting work/life balance is possible. By being prepared and through honest communication with one another and the stakeholders involved.

How DNA Digital Marketing Leverages LSI

In News, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

Leveraging LSI Keywords

We work at leveraging LSI keywords (latent semantic indexing) that are related to the core keywords related to the topic your page is about. They don’t just include synonyms but other words that often occur when a certain topic is written about that put the focus in context.

A good way of thinking about it is if your website talks about Apple. How does a search engine know if the website is talking about the computer company or the fruit? Search engines have been developed to actively seek these LSI keywords to better determine the context and relevance of the query. To verify a proper match.

Google is maniacally working to get the most relevant content with the highest quality authority. If the site has a higher domain authority because of good backlinks to other sites, it wins in the delivered search results. It is more than just packing keywords into your content but to create it that content with a relevant and natural manor. Google will see most ham fisted attempts to just pouring trending keywords into your content just to show up in a search. Google knows all, almost. 

Keyword matching but more of a topical match to the query. That means Google

Is trying to understand the meaning of the website or webpage instead of just matching the keywords. DNA Digital Marketing enjoys a high level of effectiveness when it comes to this level of SEO. That is our primary consideration when creating content 

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Why SEO Search Engine Optimization is SO IMPORTANT

In Digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Search Engine Optimization by Julio Ahumada

I have actually heard Marketing Professionals – Digital Marketing Professionals, say that SEO is dead. I had to think for a moment, what did I miss? That is just crazy thinking. SEO is not dead. Simple two dimensional analysis of keyword terms should be dead it is just inadequate. But I see it all the time.

What I am saying that among all the marketing malpractice I see out there, part of which is what i cal 2D SEO. “Digital Marketers” are using one tool to try to figure everything out for their client. Half the time (probably more than that) they get a results that they don’t fully understand. So what should you be doing? Assuming you have mapped out the right buyer persona and you are using tools like Keyword XP, SEO SpyGlass, SEMRush, SpyFu. Screaming Frog SEO Spider (long name great tool) you are looking at the overall challenge in a very 2D way. Humans are very complicated, almost unpredictable, understanding what they are looking for, how they are looking and when is the reason we at DNA use so many tools. Just like one camera will not be able to get every angle in an action shot, one tool can’t possibly capture the buyer behavior of your prey. I mean prospect :-).

Without getting the proper keyword mapping down and of course I am talking about the Latent Semantic Indexing LSI of keywords, in order to create valuable content that get’s on your targeted prospects radar.

Keep on thinking SEO is dead, you will lose.

If you would like to discuss this further, just drop me a line. I love talking about this.