Category: Blog

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | January 14, 2019

Taking the road not taken: When the crowd wants to zig, you move to zag. Driving in the empty lane. Better yet, driving off-road. You are always swimming upstream. Running into the wind. That’s what taking the road not taken means.

In the advertising world the river is flowing a certain direction in 2019. According to Ad Age, GroupM, one of the major ad forecasters, is predicting slower advertising growth in 2019, and has reduced its projection from 3.9 to 3.6 percent. There are a number of factors involved in the slowing growth; but with the decrease in the growth rate of overall spending money for advertising, there is also a golden opportunity for contrarian companies to seize the initiative. This could be your chance to zig when other advertising companies zag. To stick your foot in new doors. Here are 5 digital marketing ideas for the year 2019.

Online Video Ads

This is a hot trend right now, and will only get hotter. Targeting your consumer base through online video ads can be a slick way to drive home your brand message without a lot of wasted energy or resources. In fact, search engines love videos as much as consumers do, and adding video content to your site can potentially boost your SERP ranking considerably.

Furthermore, videos play on consumer psychology by engaging the viewer’s emotions more effectively than the printed word. And even more awesome: videos are highly shareable.

Personalization

Right now web design is all about UX; and what better way to add value to your consumer’s experience than by personalizing your brand message on a microcosmic level?

The great thing is, it doesn’t have to be big or flashy. For example, some companies have designed their landing pages to ID the user’s location, and then offer a customized greeting with the name of his city or town inserted in. It’s a little flourish that adds unique value, and can positively shape your customer’s perception from the beginning of the interaction.

Pay Per Click

This is the digital marketing equivalent of plucking that low-hanging fruit, and then plucking some more, and more, and more… PPC marketing can be an effective strategy in itself, but as a supplemental initiative it can do wonders for your company’s market presence. After all, why spend all your time guessing which websites are suitable magnets for potential customers, when you can go further down the funnel, and cherry pick your leads from the narrow end? This is a strategy that can, in effect, turn Google into your ally and business partner; and who wouldn’t want that?

Social Media Marketing

This can be the means to engage your consumer base at the most visceral level. People want to hear stories; and they want to be able to put a “face” to the faceless corporation. When your employees share their personal tales, their triumphs and heartaches, and then connect their stories back to the bigger narrative of the brand, then you will be able to drive customer engagement and loyalty like never before.

Social media is, by definition, a shareable commodity; so your stories will germinate and spread across the market. And the topping on the cake is how easily this can be a low-cost solution to some of the tougher advertising challenges out there. You can target specific subgroups, and yet enjoy wide exposure at the same time.

Leveraging Mobile Apps

With so many more users engaging via mobile technology (well over half, and perhaps as much as 2/3 of US-based Internet traffic is coming from mobile devices) it is critical to leverage mobile apps as at least one channel of your advertising campaigns.

Of course, there is a right way and a wrong way to market via mobile devices. Formatting differences are important to consider when designing advertisements for smartphones and tablets. Content should generally be simplified, and calls to action kept to a minimum. However, initiatives such as promoting your company’s app, or targeting apps that are used by your desired demographic for focused advertising campaigns, can open up doors to a consumer base that is growing broader and more diverse by the month.

Sticking to the Road

Back in the day, Google took the road not taken. “Stickiness” was supposed to be the be-all end-all metric of online search engines; users were supposed to stay a while on the page. Google was too fast, too good. Its users found what they needed and left too quickly.

Google stuck with the road not taken… and the rest is history.

If you’d like a boost on your journey through the world of digital marketing, or maybe a tip on that back road that will shave 5 minutes off of your trip, check us out at Bash Foo. We are the Creative Brand Provocateur for our clients; we can push you along that road not taken, and get you to your destination.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | December 28, 2018

Whenever the topic of website system integration (SI) comes up, many CTO’s will reach for the Pepto Bismol. Just the thought of the subject stirs thoughts of their venerable site strewn in pieces on the ground like a plane wreck. Yet, the truth is if your site is not fully integrated, you may be siphoning profits from your bottom line. A truly integrated website lets the left hand know what the right hand is doing. The result is fewer snafus in inter-departmental communications, a more cohesive portal that disseminates information in a user-friendly environment, and fewer lost opportunities.

Integration Complexity is Determined by the Number of Disparate Systems  

An integrated website need not be tantamount to open-heart surgery. It could be as simple as exporting data from one place and importing it somewhere else. Simply put, integration builds a conduit that funnels the disconnected components into a system that will function as one. An example of this kind of re-engineered platform is a system that permits the marketing department to access information located in the sales department. This kind of cross-reference capability reveals opportunities that may otherwise get lost in a non-integrated system. Another example of a malfunctioning system is shipping product on an online web store that cannot communicate with the inventory application. This type of disconnected database creates lost opportunities and unsatisfactory customer experiences.

The level of complexity in web integration is largely determined by the level of flexibility one wishes to convey into the system. The greater the number of disparate subsystems involved determines the complexity of the project. A more complex integration may require customized architecture along with updated hardware and software. Specific chores may involve a myriad number of services including project management, the use of application programming, and web services. One of the biggest challenges is found in the need to establish interoperability between two stand-alone systems. This may require cooperation between separate entities such as the sales office of one company connecting to the product distributor platform of another.

A Happy Customer is a Loyal Customer

A major advantage of integration is a vastly improved customer satisfaction score. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications thrive in an eco-friendly environment. By employing a more user-friendly system. Cross-departmental access to data collected from disparate systems is the gold standard for analyzing customer behavior and anticipating future needs. Information funneled from CRM pipelines provide a road map for ways to attain growth and enrich the company’s coffers.

Integration tools have proliferated throughout the digital landscape as of late as companies realize the benefits of incorporating their platforms into a more unified data system. The phenomenal growth of the cloud has contributed to the popularity of data integration solutions. Automated data integration tools have become a growing resource for companies wishing to update their often fractured platforms. Open source data integration tools are now available for companies that desire to avoid more costly proprietary systems enterprise solutions. Open source also has the advantage of maintaining complete control of data in-house.

The Cloud Proliferates Integrated Systems

The data integration platform market is growing by around 10% per year. Providers that offer integration platforms include Informatica, Information Builders, Microsoft, and Oracle. However, the big dog in this market segment is none other than IBM. The best integration platforms as an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) software includes A variety of data integration platforms are available, but the market is led by IBM, Informatica, Information Builders, Microsoft, and Oracle. Other vendors that dominate market share includes Pentaho, SAP, SAS, and Talend. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) have dramatically dummy downed the build and use of integration platforms.

It’s important to differentiate enterprise application integration which has a focus on supply chain management, logistics, and distribution. Data Integration involves the building of data-sharing among application platforms in a seamless platform that permits data-sharing capabilities. There are methods that can be deployed to detect weakness in your current system. For example, when a timely business opportunity may weigh on an unopened email, the moment may be lost. The ideal integration system is robust enough to avoid such an unforeseen event.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms, on the other hand, functions as a business process management software that provides an integrated approach that automates many back office functions such as technology, services, and human resources. ERP software interconnects diverse applications to one unifying platform that replace dated legacy systems into a single source of enterprise applications.  If your business scales smaller, there are integration solutions that serve small and medium-size businesses as well.

Naturally, digital agencies vary in the scope and complexity of Integration services. When selecting an Integration Specialist, be sure to determine their ability to best serve your integration needs. Bash Foo exemplifies the high standard of expertise required to successfully integrate your disparate digital compartments into a well-oiled, seamless communications powerhouse. Bash Foo takes a holistic approach in all of your digital needs. Services include marketing plans, web design, integration infrastructure, email campaigns, graphic design, social media, and PPC ad placement. Bash Foo’s seasoned staff is ready to increase your footprint in today’s highly competitive digital landscape. For more information on how Bash Foo can revitalize your business, contact us.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | December 17, 2018

How WordPress Gutenberg will Impact Websites and Design Expectations

WordPress’s first-year anniversary of the Gutenberg CMS editor is here and reviews are a mixed bag. The release has been greeted with great fanfare as the first significant addition to WordPress’s quiver in more than a decade. However, it’s reception has been met by many WordPress purists with dismay. After all, in some circles, changes to the venerable open-source platform is tantamount to sacrilege. Many are concerned that if Gutenberg becomes ingrained into its ecosystem, the new editor will be incompatible to existing WordPress websites.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that the editor is still very much in beta and will evolve over time. Never-the-less, Gutenberg’s roll-out will dramatically impact on how the back-end functions. The new editor will be wrapped up in the new WordPress 5.0 version. A number of early adopters have argued for it to remain as a plugin. The Gutenberg editor has thus far logged more than 200,000 downloads and has been installed on about 10,000 sites. That’s enough to garner some feedback as to its popularity and performance.

Although it would be a misnomer to describe Gutenberg as simply a page creator, the new editor has a feel similar to the WordPress-centric DIVI. That popular theme platform by Elegant Themes employs the intuitive front-end editor that has impacted how many websites are created. DIVI has been used by developers and designers who need to build a website fast. I’d estimate that 60% of DIVI is incorporated into the new editor. As is with Gutenberg, DIVI is capable of making changes instantly. There is no waiting to find out how the content looks. It happens instantly right in front of your eyes! The challenge for DIVI users trying out Gutenberg will be that “all the functions aren’t where they are supposed to be”. Many new Gutenberg users have reported it to be non-intuitive.

The moniker “Gutenberg” was not lost on the developers. The famous inventor brought the movable type printing press to fruition more than 500 years ago and the invention is a precursor to the digital landscape we enjoy today. The Gutenberg label acts as a metaphor for the new technology that the editor represents. The first change you’ll notice is the older, recognizable interface is history. In its place is a clean writing environment populated by great typography and plenty of space in which to showcase your content. At first, its unfamiliarity embraces you like a cold shower. Once that phase passes, take a breath and give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed in the absence of custom post types, embeds, widgets, and their weird interfaces.

Using the Gutenberg Press simile, traditional content blocks have no purpose once they are used, much like the movable type blocks employed more than five centuries ago. The Gutenberg blocks have the capacity to revitalize themselves permitting the adjustments and changes to be made with the “movable type” needed for a reprint. Gutenberg’s primary objective is to simplify the website-building process by eliminating the shortcodes and HTML currently required in the open-source web-building universe. The goal is to make the technology available to everyone, regardless of skill levels. The heart of Gutenberg is composed of reusable blocks that allow you to focus on content rather than being weighed down by a myriad number of configuration options. The project is in its first of the three-stage reveal. It begins with the redeveloped editor, followed by page templates development and, the final stage as a fully developed customizer.

Before Gutenberg, the content existed in one massive HTML file. Now Gutenberg allows for content to be created from one source. Detailed instructions are derived from three concise documents: the “Developer and Designer Handbook”, the “Gutenberg Handbook”, and “The Language of Gutenberg”. The new editor imbues the user with each block articulating its own layout and settings. With WordPress 5.0, the user has full control over all individual blocks. Developers are biting at the bit to take advantage of these great features rather than be enslaved by many of the editors currently out on the market. Gutenberg will supplant TinyMCE as the default content editor. WordPress will have succeeded if it makes adding rich content an enjoyable experience.

The new release will move the needle in making WordPress a true visual editor. Additionally, downloading the WordPress editor is not deleterious to your site’s health and well-being. The special HTML comments are stored in the content permitting you to reactivate Gutenberg without sacrificing previously arranged blocks.

About Bash Foo

Bash Foo is a shining example of what an agency needs to be in today’s digital landscape. Bash Foo is committed to the marketing needs of your middle and small-sized company. Our seasoned stakeholders have delivered successful outcomes for Dayton’s businesses for over a decade. Bash Foo functions as a “Distributed Agency” working hand-in-hand with the best WordPress development and inbound agency talent available. Be assured that Bash Foo is home to an experienced team of stakeholders who are committed to providing the best digital marketing acumen in the Dayton business arena. Not just a standard Dayton web design company, we are standard-bearers for those who come after Bash Foo.  For more information on how we can work with you to build your brand, contact us.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | November 5, 2018

In order to enjoy a reputation as an exemplary web design company, you first must be remembered as a great listener. It is this single auditory activity that distinguishes a mediocre web designer from an excellent Dayton web design company. Unfortunately, too many web designers put the cart before the horse by trying to fit a business into a preordained formula.

In fact, every business is unique with its own set of objectives, profile, even its own personality. Very often, your first meeting with a web design company will entail a questionnaire that’s designed to capture as much information about you and your business as possible. This process helps to formulate an outline that best describes your goals, marketing objectives, personality, target audience, and of course your budget.

With these factors grasped firmly in hand, design objectives begin to be flushed out. Regardless of the nature of your business, a well-thought-out website will help delineate any successful digital endeavor.

Responsiveness

Responsive design entails having the right solution for every application. Whether it’s desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile smartphone, the right design elements must adapt to the way it is being displayed. Regardless of the device being employed, over 60% of web searches were being conducted on a mobile device. Responsive Web Design (RWD) provides a system permitting a site to interact with various screen sizes without losing clarity.

As more mobile devices come onto the digital landscape, issues like resolution become more important while still maintaining a single URL. As browsing on mobile devices become more ubiquitous, web responsiveness is no longer a luxury.  An effective mobile presence is becoming more vital in search visibility as well. A good web design company will provide this option to you.

Search Engine Optimization    

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) provides greater visibility on web searches. Simply put, the higher the ranking a website is in a search engine, the more frequently it will appear in search engine results. The greater the ranking a site enjoys, the greater number of conversions will be attained. Therefore, a sound SEO strategy, particularly in organic searches, goes a long way in making your site more visible to the public.

Keywords are the mainstay of SEO. The more keywords are employed, the more responsive Google’s algorithms will be in pointing back to your site. For example, if your business is involved in home aquariums, keywords such as “fish food”, “saline tanks” and “aquarium home maintenance” might be useful to improve visibility for your products and services. Your web design company should prioritize your search engine ranking in this way.

Ask your web designer if they are also Google Partners. Just because you can design websites doesn’t mean you’ve bothered to study, test and become certified by Google. Here at Bash Foo, we have, and we are.

Calls to Action

A call to action (CTA) is a technique employed to entice a visitor to make an actionable response. Typically, scripted as a command,  it is usually articulated as a button on the site that allows the visitor to respond. It might announce a “50% off sale” or “press here for more information”. Essentially, it gives your company an opportunity to capture more information. That can be applied to enhance marketing efforts or to increase conversions. A CTA is important in instructing a visitor what action is required in order to learn more about a product or service. If you’re not sure what to use, your web design company can come up with something compelling.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is key to your overall marketing efforts. It involves the sharing of online material that is particularly relevant to your business. Content marketing comes in the form of blogs, social media content, or other material that is written or produced to create interest in your company.  Web content is crucial in order to increase visibility and to result in positive responses from Google’s algorithms.

Once your web content has been established, blogs are a great place to start to constantly introduce new posts in order to optimize the content. Studies indicate that 73% of visitors have made a purchase after reading the content. While constantly updating quality content can be time-consuming, there are a number of content services that are available to provide quality content specific to your business. This is another service a good web design company like Bash Foo can provide.

Video Content/Rich Media

With the advent of 5G media, videos will become interactive. This allows for an unprecedented opportunity for companies to integrate their ad message directly to the public in ways that were not possible before this disruptive technology came along. Imagine a TV commercial as a two-way conversation and you begin to envision a new wave in interactive advertising.

In time, this technology will employ two-way cameras to  “read” your emotional response and change content in real-time based on your response. Best of all, this” new reality” will be available on next year’s generation of mobile phones. 5G promise of zero latency will mean no lag time. It’s been estimated that 5G will catapult total revenues to $67 billion dollars within in 10 years! Additionally, it is expected to triple the mobile media market globally by 2028. Part of 5G’s secret is in being able to handle huge amounts of data in milliseconds.  Welcome to the media revolution!

“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do”   

Carl Jung

About Bash Foo

Bash Foo is a reliable digital marketing agency that is committed to the digital needs of your middle and small-sized company. Our experienced staff has successfully served the needs of Dayton’s businesses for more than a decade. Bash Foo functions as a “Distributed Agency” which brings together the best WordPress development and inbound agency talent available. Be assured that Bash Foo is home to a seasoned team of stakeholders who are committed to making your business dream your reality. We’re much more than a standard web design company. For more information on how we can work with you to build your brand, contact us.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | October 26, 2018

In today’s business world, the competition is more fierce than ever and the struggle is on the develop top of the line marketing strategies that will speak to the masses. World class businesses are funding advertising campaigns that add an emotional aspect to their products and are more likely to be shared on social media sites. While, as a small business owner, you may not be able to fund huge global campaigns or test numerous styles of advertisements, there are a few online marketing tactics that can accelerate your company’s growth and reinforce your marketing strategy.

Marketing Strategy vs Marketing Tactic

Marketing can be a difficult subject to understand as there are so many different aspects to building a successful marketing strategy. However, to begin, you need to understand the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing tactic. 

• Marketing Strategy
  • A marketing strategy is your destination. It’s an outline or goal that states where you want to take your business over the course of the next year, five years, or even ten years. The goals you decide upon should be specific and quantifiable, like achieving 100% more in gross annual sales. You should be able to use data to determine whether or not your company is on track to achieve your goals or if adjustments need to be made. 
• Marketing Tactic 
  • Just as a marketing strategy is your endpoint, marketing tactics are the steps along the path to reach those goals. When thinking of marketing tactics, they should be tailored for your ‘perfect customer,’ the partially fictional consumer whose needs or wants are perfectly fulfilled by your product. 

Online Marketing Tactics

There are many different types of marketing tactics, but online, the options become even more limitless. From locally owned businesses to world renowned companies, everyone uses at least one type of online marketing tactic. Each one has a list of benefits and draw backs, depending your company’s ‘perfect customer.’ 

E-Mail 

While e-mail may seem like a lost art to some, many people still prefer receiving e-mails over using social media. Plus, e-mail usage is ever growing. In a study from July 2017, e-mail usage for consumers between the age of 13 and 50 years old is expected to increase by almost 48%. If consumers are using e-mail more frequently, then sending promotions, newsletters, and even friendly reminders via e-mail could be the perfect way to get in touch and make a lasting connection. With e-mail, you can really let your creativity soar, but be sure to keep your messages clear, concise, and devised with the consumer in mind.

Facebook

Of all the various forms of social media, Facebook is by far one of the most well known. For those whose business is geared towards the millennial generation, its the perfect platform. According to Statista.com, 25% of consumers who frequent Facebook are between 25 to 34 years old. While the users that fall within this age range may not be your target audience, the versatile posting methods and built in ad service make Facebook a wonderful starting point for any company seeking to leverage marketing tactics. You can connect with potential customers through videos, GIFs, articles, and so much more all in a shareable format.

Social Media

There are new social media outlets being developed almost every day, each one offering something different and catering to a different age group. From Snapchat and Instagram for those whose business focuses on consumers between the ages of 13 and 25, to YouTube, which pulls views from all age ranges. The sharing structure for each varies. However, depending on the ‘perfect customer’ you have in mind for your business, each one offers different benefits and opportunities to make a personal connection with potential clients. 

Blogs

Blogging, much like e-mail, can seem a bit antiquated, but lately this marketing tactic has gotten a revamp. Instead of focusing on what you as a business have done, blogging is now more about creating content that is useful for your ‘perfect customer.’ If your business participated in a fundraising event, blogging is still a great way to showcase what your business has to offer the community. However, your blog should be written with the consumer in mind. For instance, a local florist shop might blog about floral arrangements for weddings or centerpieces for a sweet sixteen celebration. The topics should be relevant to your business while still being intriguing enough to catch potential customers’ attention.

While this isn’t a complete list of all online marketing tactics available, these options are some of the most common. Here at Bash Foo, we pride ourselves in helping small businesses achieve big goals. Our expertise in online marketing combined with outstanding customer service allows us to boost our customers to new heights. Whether you are wanting to increase your sales or just to make your business known, we’re here to help. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you join the ranks of the elite.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | October 12, 2018

Do you remember the way medieval castles protected themselves? All of them had walls, and some had double walls and moats to make them even more impenetrable. There are some castles that were built on a cliff or within a mountain to make them hard to attack, but not everyone has geography going for them. The reason we are discussing castles is that the importance of SSL in search engine marketing is comparable. In medieval times, people would flock to castles that were safe. They wanted to be protected and live out their lives in peace. SSL fills a similar role by protecting websites and users against spam, viruses and malware attacks. This protection is the main reason that all websites need SSL protections these days.

What is SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a standard security protocol for establishing encrypted links between a web server and a browser in an online communication. Using SSL technology keeps all of this transmitted data encrypted between originator and receiver.

Why You Need SSL

Security

Everyone that uses the internet is familiar with at least some of the scams, attacks and malware that occur online. If you haven’t received an email from a Nigerian prince asking for a donation, then you have probably contracted a computer virus from an unfamiliar site. There are numerous ways that people try to steal from us online, and unfortunately, there is no way to stop them completely from creating unfriendly software to do so. The only real way to stop them is to block them from reaching us in the first place, and if they do reach us, then filter them out. That is what email filters do, separate the real emails from spam, but still some come through. And unfortunately, as software in general becomes more sophisticated, malware and other attack software does too.

Keeping your website secure a few years ago was simpler. You would just protect against spam users and some low-level viruses and malware. However, with the new sophistication of attack software, we need to do more to secure our websites. The SSL protocol is that new level of security. It protects you, your website and your users. It protects the transmission of data to and from the internet and your website.

Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization

Search engines have also become a lot more sophisticated over time. They can now understand content from context, tell if your site is mobile-friendly and whether you have an SSL Certificate. The search engines know how secure your website is, and if it has been attacked. In fact, if you are having trouble with malware or a virus and the search engine detects such when it scans your site, it will ding you in the search engine results. And that ding can last for quite some time.

It is important to keep your website as updated and healthy as possible to maintain a good rating on search engines. There are several search engines that you should be concerned with, but for the space of this article we are going to discuss Google, the largest search engine. You should keep in mind that other search engines have their own technology that you should be aware of, search engines such as Bing, YouTube, Pinterest, Yahoo, ASK, DuckDuckGo. However, let’s focus on Google.

The Trust Factor

Google continues to refine its ranking factors and how it determines the health of a website. Part of the algorithm is determined by UX, user experience, or how much users like a site. It makes sense that if a user likes a site, then other users would too. Google will rank sites higher by good UX, including security. And why wouldn’t a user be happier to use a site that is more secure? They would. Because they would feel confident knowing that using a secure site wouldn’t threaten their own security.

This situation is exactly where security comes into play with SEM. Your site with an SSL Certificate will rank higher than without one. You have probably noticed over the last two years that more and more site URLs start with https instead of http. Https is the indicator of an SSL Certificate. It’s easy to redirect traffic from the http URL to the new https URL. Some users never even notice.

Google notices and so do sponsors and vendors. They prefer more security, especially with the massive increase of mobile technology. Mobile technology leaves users even more vulnerable to hackers. SSL combats that vulnerability.

Some Things Never Change

It is sort of like the old adage that “as much as things change, they stay the same.” Remember that we discussed how medieval people flocked to those safe castles? Well, the same can be said for safe websites. People want to keep their private information safe, so if you have an SSL Certificate, Google and ordinary users will rank you higher because they deem your website safe. To learn more about how to install the SSL protocol, contact us.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | October 11, 2018

Targeted marketing can be a powerful tool, gaining new clients and keeping your current ones intrigued. We’ve all heard the age-old advice that says, “If they’ve bought from you before, they’re likely to buy from you again,” so you should keep your current and past clients at the top of your mailing list and keep them interested in your products and services. 

As useful and accurate as that advice may be, it’s only the beginning of your email marketing campaigns. You must acknowledge the possibility that your current and past clients may not continue to purchase from you. Grow your business and prepare for the future by continuously searching for new prospects, gaining new leads, and building up your clientele. One of the best methods of identifying new leads is to enter account-based marketing (ABM) lists. 

What is ABM and Why Should You Use It? 

Rather than marketing to the masses and treating each customer the same, account-based marketing strategically targets clients based on their individual needs. It personalizes marketing messages and techniques to each customer or customer segment to gain more interest and higher ROI. By targeting your efforts to specific accounts, you also have the advantage of choosing the customers that you really want to sell to, meaning that you’re likely to spend more time and effort personalizing your sales techniques for each of these companies. 

Highly-targeted marketing tasks that are required to build an ABM framework include more than sending emails and calling potential clients. It involves an investment of time to take a hard look at your organization and evaluate what your goals are and who you want to purchase from you. It means updating your website to ensure that your message is clear and relevant to those companies that you want to sell to and creating ads that are targeted and specific to the goals of your clients rather than generically applicable to a thousand different companies. It means personalizing marketing emails so they’re specific and relevant to your targeted clients. 

Three Steps to Build an ABM List That Works 

Once you’ve evaluated your organization and have a thorough understanding of who you want to purchase from you, it’s time to begin building your account-based marketing lists. These are lists of companies and clients (accounts) that you are specifically targeting. 

Step 1 

Begin by identifying ten prospects that you would truly love to work with. These should be companies that you honestly believe will benefit from your products or services -that you know you can do an amazing job for. Targeting companies this way helps ensure that you’re working with valuable clients and that you’ll maximize your time and efforts to win them over and keep them interested. 

So, how do you go about finding clients you want to target? You need to develop a strong strategy and analyze each prospect. Search within all the resources at your disposal and analyze the potential client as much as you can. Search social media and LinkedIn, run a competitor analysis, take a look at their core values and compare them to yours. Spend some time to really analyze and get to know them. 

Step 2 

Find the contact information for each prospect that you’ve identified. Check listings, make phone calls, and review their website. Identify the names of key players within the organization and find their phone numbers or emails and their areas of expertise. Research these people and familiarize yourself with them. When you finally begin to make contact, you should know who you’re addressing and what you can say to initiate a response. 

Step 3 

Send highly targeted messages to the prospects from your new account-based marketing list. Think about why you chose these companies. Why did you want to work with them? Who are they? What are their goals and obstacles and exactly what can you do to address their specific needs? Use this information to your advantage by editing your message so it’s applicable to the person who will be reading it. 

Think about the kind of contact that you’ll be making. If you’re sending emails, ensure that you have the right strategy in place to create effective business emails. Spend some time getting the wording right, keeping in mind that they’re busy people without much time to read through their emails. If you are making phone calls, remember to listen, decode their tone of voice, and be ready to edit your message if the situation calls for it.

We are expert strategists with the skills and abilities to perform in-depth industry and competitive analyses, assist in the creation and promotion of brand identity and inbound marketing and marketing automation services. The Bash Foo content marketing team constructs campaigns, develops content, and hosts and design high-quality websites. Our professionals are more than equipped to assist with your ABM implementation, from updating your website to helping you build your ABM list and create a strategy that will benefit both you and your new prospects. Contact us today to find out how we can help you succeed.

Sources:

Smart Insights: How to build an account-based marketing (ABM) target list

American Marketing Association: Ditch the Traditional Funnel: ABM Proves Marketing ROI

American Marketing Association: Best vs. Next Practices: Account-Based Marketing

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | October 1, 2018

If you don’t know what a long-tail keyword is or if they’ve never been a high priority, you may want to consider this fact: long-tail keywords make up about 70 percent of searches online.

However, before you try to implement them into your marketing strategy, it’s helpful to have a precise understanding of what they are, when to target them, and how to target them.

The Definition of a Long-Tail Keyword

A long-tail keyword is a long keyword phrase that is more descriptive and specific than other keywords. It is usually at least three words long (and often times longer than three words — sometimes even full-length sentences).

Example: 1952 gibson les paul guitar

If you look for this keyword in Google’s Keyword Planner, you’ll see this long-tail keyword has a low search volume but also low competition.

By their very nature — because they are detailed search phrases written by individuals looking for something specific — they are used to reach niche audiences who have a clear, specific goal in mind with their search effort.

The Benefits

• You will encounter less competition with long-tail keywords.
• Their specific nature brings in traffic that’s more qualified. This means higher conversion rates.
• It’s easier to rise in rankings for search engines because of the highly specific nature of the keyword and fewer competitors. And just because they are so specific with less competition doesn’t mean they’re not popular within a niche; which means you can still get solid, consistent traffic and conversions.

When to Target a Long-Tail Keyword

The following tips will give you a sense of when to target this kind of keyword:

• When you have a small budget: If you don’t have a big budget (or a budget at all), you can use a long-tail keyword strategy to get quicker, more effective organic results that won’t cost you a penny. On the other hand, if you do have a budget, long-tail keywords tends to be less expensive with their cost per click for paid advertisements, so they will save you money even in paid campaigns.
• When you’re struggling in search engine rankings: If you set up your SEO title and description (your metadata) properly, visitors looking for long-tail keywords will see your result and know right away if your content is relevant. This means you’ll be getting traffic that stays on your page and reads the content instead of immediately clicking back to the search engine results. Search engines notice when visitors stay longer and will reward you with better search rankings. Because long-tail keywords are so specific and relevant to a searcher’s goal, they tend to boost your rankings because you’re getting better quality traffic.
• When you have specialized knowledge of a product or issue: According to Google Data in recent years, the usage of first-person words such as “I,” “my,” and “me” have increased more than 60 percent. Search engine users are making their searches more personalized and treating search engines like personal advisers similar to how users search for answers to specific questions on Quora. If your business has expert knowledge about specific problems related to the product or service you offer, it’s time to target long-tail keywords that are asking detailed, expert answers to problems.

How to Find and Target Long-Tail Keywords

The following tips will give you a sense of how to target this kind of keyword:

• Use the ‘Searches Related To’ Function: When you enter a keyword search (try to use a phrase with a couple or more words) and scroll down to the bottom of the page, you will see the phrase “Searches Related To” when using Google. These other “related to” searches often bring long-tail keywords to your attention that people are searching for but aren’t finding much content. They are usually low competition keywords that need more quality results (which you can happily provide by targeting the keyword).

Note: Other engines such as DuckDuckGo.com have a similar function. When you search on Duck Duck Go, scroll down until the results end. Where it says “no more results, try…” you will see other related searches. Bing is almost identical to Google’s approach. After you enter a search and scroll to bottom you will see “Related searches for…”.

• Take Advantage of Autocomplete Functions in Search Engines: Google made this feature popular, but now every major search engine has it. Say, for example, you type in the basic keyword “gibson guitars,” the search engine will automatically display a drop-down menu with a list of other keywords (many of them long-tail keywords) that use the basic keyword you just entered. These are long-tail keywords that are already getting traffic, and it’s a great way to discover new long-tail keywords.
• Use Google Keyword Planner: Keyword Planner is a fantastic tool for finding long-tail keywords and figuring out which ones are low competition. After you set up an account, go to the Tools section called “find new keywords.” Enter a basic keyword relevant to your desired topic or product, then look for long-tailed keywords in the results that are generated. You can also filter the results to show all of the low competition keywords at top.
• Target the Long-Tail Keywords: Make a list of good long-tail keywords with low competition and launch a campaign targeting all of them at once through a variety of methods: blogs, paid ads, video and social media content, or landing pages built and optimized for each long-tail keyword.

A Search For Hidden Gems

Finding and using long-tail keywords is similar to searching for and mining hidden gems. It can take some work and time, but when you find a good one it’s worth the trouble and wait.

If you’re looking for a partner in your search for hidden gems, Bash Foo knows how to take Search Engine Optimization and keyword targeting to the next level for businesses. Contact us for more helpful tips on long-tail keywords and keyword planning.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | September 27, 2018

Tipp City, OH, September 26^th, 2018 – Bash Foo becomes the first Ohio digital marketing agency to join the Brewers Association as an allied trade/supplier.  The Brewers Association is the national association representing the interests of craft brewers and whose purpose is to promote and protect small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts as well as partnering with companies to provide essential resources and services to craft breweries.

“With the number of craft breweries in Ohio, I was very surprised to find that Bash Foo was the first digital marketing agency in Ohio to join the Brewers Association,” said Mike McDermott, President of Bash Foo.  “I feel that this is the perfect opportunity to engage with our current brewery clients, while also deepening our understanding of the craft beer industry. We have plans to share marketing best practices with members of the Brewers Association and further expand our relationship within the craft beer industry.”

Thanks to the Brewers Association, we know that Ohio ranks at #5 in craft beer production with 1,355,279 barrels of craft beer produced in 2017 out of 255 craft breweries. That’s nearly 5 gallons of beer for every of-age (21+) adult in the state.

“I feel that today’s craft beer consumer is looking for more education about what they are drinking, how it was brewed, and the story that each brewery has to tell,” said McDermott, “our job is to help these small craft brewers tell their story in a way that resonates with these consumers.”

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 4,800-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers.

About Bash Foo

Using digital marketing, Bash Foo builds the online reputations of small business in affordable and inspiring ways. Our teams support your business objectives with creative web design, search engine optimization (SEO), and marketing automation services. Want to provide better marketing for your brewery or brewpub? Visit Bash Foo at https://bashfoo.com

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | September 13, 2018

You put a lot of effort into your business’s WordPress site. You’ve made sure the theme is perfect, written up some great content, and tested and retested your links. But what if there was one major task you were overlooking, one that could make the difference between great search engine results and being banished to the third page? It’s something called the .htaccess file, and if this little configuration tool hasn’t grabbed your attention lately, read on.

What is the .htaccess file?

This file is a distributed server configuration file and acts as a set of rules for your website and all of the pages and posts it contains. What does htaccess stand for? It stands for hypertext access and it can be found by accessing your apache web server site’s files via an ftp server and find the .htaccess file in the root folder of WordPress. On rare occasions, you’ll need apache web server software access to make changes to this file.

Why should you create a new .htaccess file for your WordPress site?

The reason the hidden .htaccess file is important in WordPress is something called permalinks. It is the way your pages are named on the world wide web. Think of the .htaccess file as a search engines road map of your site. You wouldn’t want to send Google or Bing down a wrong turn, would you? Some other important reasons for a strong .htaccess file include:

1. The .htaccess file routes your URLs, or your website’s pages.
2. If posts and pages aren’t named correctly, they will not be indexed correctly by search engines.
3. Some WordPress plugins can alter the .htaccess file without your knowledge.
4. You may not want all your pages to be indexed by Google. Examples of this include custom templates, author tags, tag pages, archives, or old pages.

Manually set your permalinks.

WordPress makes it easy to set permalinks to display the way you want them to without having to alter your .htaccess file’s code. It is one of the first things you should do when setting up your website. First, log in to your site’s dashboard. Navigate to “Settings”, and choose “Permalinks”. From here, you can choose how your permalinks will display. The choices are:

• Plain, which displays your URL like this: https://www.webpage.com/?p=123
• Day and Name, which displays: https://www.webpage.com/2018/08/11/name-of-post/
• Month and Name, which displays: https://www.webpage.com/2018/08/name-of-post/
• Numeric: https://www.webpage.com/archives/123
• Post Name: https://www.webpage.com/name-of-post/
• You can also choose to create a custom structure.

Backup your .htaccess file.

If you’re ready to jump into editing your .htaccess file, always make sure there is a backup of your old .htaccess file. Do this before any alterations of any kind are made. A few very simple ways to backup your file is to download it onto your computers hard drive, or rename the original file by right clicking on it and naming it .htaccess.bk.

After your file is backed up, make a copy of the file. You can then make any changes you like to the copy.

How to access your .htaccess file in WordPress using Control Panel.

Log in to your WordPress control panel and navigate to the file management section. Click “File Manager”. Select “show hidden files” and select the public_html root. Find the .htaccess file and right click on it. Select “edit”. You can also edit the file using an ftp client or by downloading a WordPress plugin made specifically for that purpose. Several popular SEO plugins have a way to edit the .htaccess file in their features section.

What are some popular changes to make in the WordPress .htaccess file?

Here are a few tips and things you can do to optimize your .htaccess:

• Redirect URLs. If the URL has been altered, it’s important to include a 301 redirect. You can use 301 redirects to direct a page, post, or the whole website.
• Block include-only files. This function allows you to block pages that have no purpose.
• Hide directories. A simple piece of WordPress code can block access to main directories and all its sub-directories.
• Ban IP addresses. There is an option to block questionable IP addresses, and you can turn it on with a bit of code added to the .htaccess file.
• Limit image hot-linking. Altering your .htaccess can ensure that no one can hotlink images on your site except you.
• Fix duplicate content. Duplicate content hiding on your site can negatively effect your search engine rankings.

It’s easy to make these changes and others to improve the performance of your web site and optimize your .htaccess file for the best search engine results possible. For instructions on the code required, contact us.

If all this sounds a bit complicated, don’t worry. Our professionals have been helping businesses large and small get the most out of their web sites for years. To get help crafting the perfect .htaccess file for your business, just get in touch. We can make sure everything about your company’s website is optimized for the best search engine results possible. For more great SEO tips, check here.

By Mike McDermott | Categories Blog | Featured | August 24, 2018

The art of effective and satisfactory marketing has changed a lot in the past few decades; most notably from a primarily ‘outbound’ set of tactics to the new and much softer inbound method. Inbound marketing is all about creating a place potential customers will wind up and inviting them to join your services. Ideally, the inbound marketing has done its job when people visit your website, see your call to action on blogs and videos, and at least consider hiring your service if and when they decide they need something. However, this does nothing for your sales metrics and makes minimal use of the potential connections created by inbound marketing. That’s where the email list comes in.

Creating Leads with an Email List

What is the difference between someone who reads your blog and a ‘lead’ in classic marketing terms? The lead is someone who could reasonably be assumed to be interested in your products. They’re (hopefully!) amenable to being sold an item or a service. They are who sales agents focus on and it is through them that marketers measure their success. The best way to count your leads is by collecting contact information and email addresses from online visitors who have admitted genuine interest in your industry, products, or services. Once you have the addresses, you can use email/mobile marketing to keep tabs, offer deals, and work on conversions.

The key, of course, is to actually get people to sign up for your mailing list. While there are many ways to semi-trick email addresses from your visitors, the best and most effective tactic is to actually offer them something of value in return for joining your email list. If played correctly, your growing number of leads and sales team can both get what they want from the deal.

1) Interesting Mailing-List Content

When people give you their email address, they know sales are going to send them junk mail; that they will get company updates, seasonal offers, and other things that are generally regarded as junk mail or spam. So why would leads share their email address with you? Because you have something valuable to offer. The most important thing to remember is to not wear down your leads with ‘spam’. Instead, custom tailor every message to be interesting; have some entertainment or educational value for your official leads and mailing list readers.

Tell industry stories, give useful maintenance tips, or even detail DIY projects that your readers can safely try at home. If you’re a more technically or financially oriented company, give lifestyle, savings, or best practices advice that can be used by your email list readers to improve their lives. These tactics make the emails you send individually valuable and therefore well worth joining the mailing list.

2) Personalized Discount Opportunities

The vast majority of discounts, coupons, and special offers sent to people on business mailing lists are ignored and relegated directly to spam folders without ever being looked at or noticed. Let’s face it: if your plan is to entice subscribers with seasonal sales, very few are going to sign up. Personalized deals, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter.

Most of the time the frustration with coupons is that they’re for things we don’t want or need. But with the power of modern data analysis and AI assistance, your marketing team can examine the buying habits of members on your email list and choose exactly the right discounts to offer them to tempt interest and close a sale. You can drastically increase the popularity, appeal, and success of discount-earning mailing list. You can even quickly customize the service for new customers by asking them to take a quick quiz.

3) Customizable Website Accounts

One pattern that is undeniable online is that there is a big difference between how eagerly a customer shares their email ‘just because’ or to join a email list, and how quickly it’s entered to make an account. If you really want to turn your visitors into long-term customers, make creating accounts quick, easy, and simple. You don’t even need to have a service they can manage online, simply a way for clients to log in, personalize their profiles, and create a continuous customer service record under their own names and contact information.

Once you have a visitor converted into a ‘member’, whether for personalized deals, great email content, or for the member shipping discount, they have absolutely become a ‘lead’ even before the first item is bought and they convert to a full-blown customer.

4) Helpful Downloadable Packets

Finally, let’s talk about downloadable content. A lot of people use the opportunity to download ebooks and information packets as their temptation for leads leaving an email address or joining the mailing list. Unfortunately, companies with little creativity or information to offer have soured a lot of the consumers to this idea as the ebook you sign up for turns out to be a half-page infographic that could have been thrown together in half an hour.

This isn’t to say that downloadable content is out; you just have to make sure it’s valuable and be willing to give first-time subscribers a sneak-peek to prove you’ve got the goods. Remember that it’s not worth downloading if it’s less than 2–3 pages and the content had better be good. You also don’t want to start sending ‘spammy‘ emails after enticing visitors with useful information so your best bet is to create an in-depth series of downloadable content ranging from in-depth industry stories to best practices to scientific studies depending on the interest and technical level of your audience.

Building an email list of leads and keeping them happy is a lot more difficult than it sounds. It’s certainly more complex than it used to be. With the switch from outbound to inbound marketing, leads need to be coaxed and entertained just like your public audience and you can’t assume they’ll stay ‘caught’ just because you have an email address. For more lead gathering tips and tricks, contact us today!