Why your UX journey should shape your marketing strategy

One thing that's often overlooked but crucial for every business is the complete user experience (UX) journey. You know, that magical path users take from the first click to becoming your biggest fan. All too often, companies focus solely on individual touchpoints without considering the broader context of the user's journey. In this blog post, we'll explore why it's crucial to consider the complete UX journey in your marketing strategy and how doing so can elevate your brand and drive meaningful results.

Understanding the Whole UX Experience

Picture this: your potential customer stumbles upon your website, scrolls through your social media, maybe even gives your app a whirl. Every single interaction—big or small—is part of the UX journey. It's not just about making things pretty; it's about creating an experience that users love from start to finish.

Why It Matters More Than You Think

Now, let's talk impact. A seamless UX journey isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a game-changer. Think happy customers who keep coming back for more and glowing reviews that sing your praises. Plus, when your UX is on point, conversions? They soar.

So, How Do You Do It?

Glad you asked! Here are some actionable tips to level up your UX game:

1. Get to Know Your People: Dive deep into who your audience is and what makes them tick. The more you know, the better you can tailor their experience.

2. Map It Out: Grab a whiteboard (or a digital one) and map out the entire user journey. Identify any bumps in the road and smooth them out like a pro.

3. Keep It Consistent: Whether it's your website, social media, or app, keep things consistent. Your brand should feel like a warm hug no matter where users encounter it.

4. Mobile Matters: Newsflash, everyone's glued to their phones these days. Make sure your UX shines just as brightly on mobile as it does on desktop.

5. Test, Test, Test: Don your lab coat and get experimenting! A/B test like there's no tomorrow and soak up all that juicy user feedback.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, a killer UX journey isn't just about pixels and code; it's about creating real connections with your audience. So, don't skimp on the details. Dive into that UX journey headfirst and watch as your marketing efforts reach new heights. Happy navigating!

Marketing Funnels 101: What you need to know

If you're in the business world, you've probably heard about marketing funnels. But do you really know what they are and how they affect your business? Well, let's chat about it!

Imagine a funnel – you know, the kind you use in the kitchen to pour liquid into a bottle without making a mess. Now, apply that concept to marketing. Instead of liquids, we're talking about potential customers flowing through various stages before they make a purchase.

So, how's your marketing funnel looking? Let's break it down:

1. Awareness Stage: Picture this as the big wide opening at the top of the funnel. It's all about getting your brand out there and grabbing people's attention. Social media, ads, blogs – you name it. The goal? Letting the world know you exist!

2. Interest Stage: Alright, now that you've got people's attention, it's time to keep them interested. This is where you dish out the good stuff – valuable content, helpful tips, maybe even a little entertainment. Show them why they should care about what you're offering.

3. Consideration Stage: Here's where things get serious. Your potential customers are weighing their options. Is your product or service the best fit for them? Give them the info they need to make that decision – comparisons, testimonials, maybe even a free trial.

4. Intent Stage: Ah, the moment of truth. Your prospects are showing clear signs they're ready to make a move. They might be filling up their shopping carts or reaching out to your sales team. Make it easy for them to seal the deal.

5. Conversion Stage: Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Your hard work has paid off, and you've got yourself a new customer. Pop the virtual champagne – but don't stop there.

6. Retention Stage: It's not over once the sale is made. Now, it's all about keeping your customers happy and coming back for more. Personalised communication, stellar customer service – make them feel like royalty.

7. Advocacy Stage: The cherry on top. Turn your satisfied customers into brand ambassadors. When they start singing your praises to their friends and family, you know you've hit the jackpot.

So, there you have it – your marketing funnel 101. But remember, a funnel isn't a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. It's more like a living, breathing organism that needs constant attention and nurturing.

So, how's your marketing funnel holding up? If it could use a little TLC, let’s collaborate!

The importance of marketing: Why every business needs it

Marketing is more than just a buzzword—it's a critical part of any successful business strategy. Whether you're running a small start-up or a well-established corporation, having a solid marketing plan can make all the difference. But why is marketing so important, and why does every business need it? Let's dive in and find out.

1. Brand Awareness

Marketing is how you let people know you exist. Without it, you'd be like a needle in a haystack—virtually impossible to find. With a strong marketing strategy, you can create brand awareness, ensuring that when people think of a product or service, they think of you. From social media and content marketing to traditional advertising, getting your name out there is key to attracting customers.

2. Customer Engagement

Marketing isn't just about blasting out your message; it's about creating a conversation with your audience. It allows you to engage with customers, understand their needs, and build relationships. Through email campaigns, social media interactions, and personalised content, marketing helps you connect with your customers and build loyalty. It's a great way to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers. Retention is more cost effective than acquisition!

3. Lead Generation

Marketing generates leads, plain and simple. By creating content that resonates with your target audience and using the right channels to reach them, you can attract potential customers to your business. Whether it's through a sleek website, a catchy social media campaign, or an engaging video, marketing is what drives lead generation.

4. Competitive Advantage

In a crowded marketplace, standing out is a must. Marketing is what lets you differentiate your business from the rest. By showcasing what makes you unique, you can attract customers who get what you're all about. Whether it's a distinct brand voice, innovative products, or outstanding customer service, marketing helps you establish a competitive edge.

5. Sales and Revenue Growth

Marketing leads directly to sales. The more effective your marketing strategy, the more sales you're likely to make. When more people know about your business and what you offer, there's a greater chance they'll buy from you. Consistently engaging with your audience and keeping your brand top of mind helps drive sales and ultimately grow revenue.

6. Adapting to Change

The business world is always evolving, and so are your customers' tastes. Marketing lets you stay flexible and adapt to these changes. By keeping an eye on market trends, customer feedback, and industry developments, you can tweak your marketing strategy to stay relevant. This agility is key to staying ahead of the competition and ensuring long-term success.

In conclusion, marketing is the heart and soul of any business. It's how you connect with your audience, generate leads, and ultimately drive growth. Without marketing, it's tough to survive in today's competitive environment. So, whether you're just starting out or looking to grow, make marketing a priority and watch your business thrive.

Want to improve your marketing game? At Marketing Collab, we're all about helping businesses like yours create and execute effective marketing strategies that deliver results. Drop us a line today to find out how we can help you reach your marketing goals.

Boost your Instagram account

If you want people to notice your brand, you need to be where they are—and these days, that's social media. Instagram, in particular, is a platform where businesses can connect with customers, showcase their products, and build a community. But with so many accounts competing for attention, how do you make sure you're getting noticed? Here are some effective tips to boost your Instagram account and increase engagement.

Instagram Stories: Post 5-7 Times per Week

• Show Your Face: Personalise your content by appearing in your Instagram Stories and posts. It helps build a connection with your audience, making your brand feel more relatable and human.

• Use Captions: Captions add context to your photos and videos, sparking conversation and encouraging engagement. Plus, they’re helpful for accessibility and for viewers who watch without sound.

• Take a 24-Hour Break: Sometimes, taking a short break from posting can create curiosity and anticipation. This can increase engagement when you return with fresh content.

• Use Engagement Stickers: Interactive stickers like polls, questions, and quizzes are a fun way to encourage audience interaction and get feedback. They make your Stories more dynamic and engaging.

• Encourage Story Replies: Invite your audience to reply to your Stories. This fosters a sense of community and opens up direct conversations with your followers.

• Promote Your Stories in Post Captions: Mention your Stories in your regular posts to drive more traffic to them. It’s a simple way to cross-promote within the platform and increase visibility.
  

Instagram Posts: Aim for 1-2 regular posts and 2-3 carousels per week

• Use a Hook at the Start: Start your captions with a compelling hook to grab attention. This could be a question, a bold statement, or a teaser about the content.

• Add a Location Tag: Including a location tag in your posts can increase visibility, especially if you're trying to attract local followers or customers.

• Use Industry-Related Keywords: Including keywords related to your industry in your captions helps with discoverability.

• Use Call to Action: Encourage people to follow you for more content, leave a comment, or share your post with their friends.
  

Instagram Reels: Aim for 3-4 Reels per Week

• Repost Top-Performing Reels: If you have Reels that have performed well in the past, don't hesitate to repost them.

• Use Reel Topics for SEO: Optimise your Reels for discoverability by including relevant topics and keywords.

• Encourage Followers to Read the Caption: This can increase engagement and watch time.

• Use Cuts and Different Angles: Experiment with quick cuts and different shooting angles to keep your Reels dynamic.

• Keep Text Inside Borders: Ensure any text stays within the safe borders to avoid getting cut off when viewed on different devices.

So whether you’re just starting out or looking to breathe new life into your account, these strategies can help you engage with your audience and grow your following. The best part? You can start implementing them today.

In conversations with First & Last Ten founder

In recent conversation with Josiah Bertoli, founder of First & Last Ten, we got to talking about the best piece of marketing advice we had learned along the way. Below I’ve captured Josiah’s take on this below for the value and perspective it could add to your venture.

”Value drives business, data fuels it, and process ignites it.

Business is about creating genuine value and marketing is about communicating that value to the right people. Everything in marketing branches off of this idea – understanding what your value proposition is will help you communicate it better, understanding who the right people are will help you refine your offering, and knowing the habits of your target market will help you pull apart the purchase journey to better understand where the opportunity is to communicate your value.

If your business were a car, the value you offer would be in the driver's seat and data would be the fuel. You might have the best product in the world but without knowing what your customers actually need, your business is going nowhere. Feedback on your product, customer data, campaign performance, usage analytics – data drives good business decisions and success.

Let me stretch this already laboured analogy even further – the engine in your car is your people, systems and processes. You can have a great product, all the data in the world, but without an engine your business is going nowhere.

So don't be afraid to allocate some resources to acquiring business data, giving it a home, making it available to your team, and utilising it. Design processes, systemise those processes and iterate those systems. I promise that the investment will increase the value that your business offers and the effectiveness of how you communicate that value to customers.”

First & Last Ten Bio
First & Last Ten help ambitious businesses build a strong foundation and guarantee smooth execution. We empower teams by digitally transforming systems and processes – the crucial 20%.

Marketing audits explained

Ever wondered what a marketing audit entails and why your business might need one?
Simply put, a marketing audit is a thorough evaluation of a business's marketing strategies, tactics, and practices. It's a comprehensive review that provides insight into what's working well and where there's room for improvement. The ultimate goal? To enhance your return on investment (ROI).

Whether you're a new start-up seeking clarity on where to direct your marketing efforts or an established enterprise questioning the effectiveness of your current strategies, a marketing audit can offer invaluable insights. It's like taking a step back to see the bigger picture and ensure you're heading in the right direction.

Do you know your business's strengths and weaknesses? If not, or if you're unsure, a marketing audit should be your first port of call. It's an opportunity to identify areas of excellence and areas that require attention, allowing you to make informed decisions moving forward.

In today's rapidly evolving marketplace, change is constant. Consumer behaviours shift, new technologies emerge, and competitors enter the scene. Is your business adapting to these changes, or are you stuck in old habits? A marketing audit can shed light on whether your strategies are aligned with current market trends and consumer preferences.

Benefits of a Marketing Audit:

Enhanced Strategy: Gain clarity on which marketing strategies are working and which need improvement.
Improved ROI: Identify areas where resources can be allocated more effectively to maximize return on investment.
Optimised Performance: Fine-tune your marketing efforts for better targeting, engagement, and conversion.
Identifying Untapped Opportunities: Uncover new growth opportunities and capitalise on emerging trends or underserved market segments.
Competitive Edge: Stay ahead of the curve by adapting to changing market conditions and consumer behaviours, ensuring your business maintains a strategic advantage over competitors.

So, what exactly does a marketing audit involve? It's a deep dive into every aspect of your marketing efforts, from your overall strategy and messaging to your branding, online presence, and campaign performance. It's about examining what's working, what's not, and where there's potential for growth or optimisation.

Ready to take the next step and see how a marketing audit can add value to your business? Book a discovery call with us today to discuss your needs and find out if an audit is the right solution for you. Let's unlock the full potential of your marketing strategy together!

Transform your strategy: backward planning

Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels? You've got great goals, but figuring out how to get there feels like navigating a maze blindfolded. Backward planning is the game changing solution you've been looking for.

While traditional planning models might push you to move from idea to execution in a linear fashion, backward planning flips the script entirely. It's like starting with the finish line in sight and working your way backward to figure out how to get there.

At Marketing Collab, we're all about embracing this approach. We get that your ultimate goal is to achieve growth and sales targets, and backward planning is the key to making that happen. It's all about aligning your efforts with your end goals and making sure every step you take gets you closer to achieving them.

One of the best things about backward planning is that it gives you a roadmap for success. By setting your sights on your desired outcome upfront, you can break down your goals into manageable tasks and milestones, making it easier to stay on track and manage your resources effectively. It's not about being locked into a rigid plan – you can pivot and adjust as needed, staying one step ahead of the curve.

And here's the kicker, backward planning isn't just about setting you up for success; it's also about helping you anticipate and navigate any bumps in the road. We're talking about being proactive rather than reactive, staying ahead of the game, and being ready to pivot when necessary. Flexibility is key in today's fast-paced market, and backward planning gives you the edge you need to stay ahead of the curve.

At the end of the day, backward planning is all about empowerment. It's about giving you the tools and strategies you need to tackle your business and marketing challenges head-on to achieve your goals with confidence. And that's where we come in!

Here at Marketing Collab, we're all about helping businesses like yours unlock their full potential and crush their marketing objectives. Whether you're launching a new product, expanding your reach, or just looking to level up your brand visibility, we've got the strategic know-how to make it happen.

Ready to ditch the marketing maze and start making some traction with backward planning? We're here to help you every step of the way. Let's map out your marketing journey together and turn those dreams into reality. Remember: a goal without a plan is just a dream. Let's make sure your dreams become your reality.