You will hear the terms “web content” and “web copy” being used interchangeably when people discuss web design.

However, it’s important to understand their distinct meanings and purposes, as it is vital for creating a well-rounded and effective online presence.

Web Content: Inform, Engage, Educate

Web content is the foundation that your website will be built on.

It encompasses all the information, media, and resources that you present to your website visitors, aiming to provide value, answer questions, and engage the audience.

Examples of web content:

1. Blog Posts and Articles: In-depth pieces of writing that inform and educate readers about specific topics.
2. Tutorials and How-to Guides: Step-by-step instructions that guide users through a process or task.
3. Product Descriptions: Detailed information about products or services offered by a business.
4. Infographics and Visual Media: Visual representations of data, concepts, or ideas.
5. Videos and Podcasts: Multimedia content that appeals to visual and auditory learners.
6. FAQs and Help Sections: Answers to common user queries and assistance in using the website's features.

Web Copy: Persuade and Convert

Web copy, on the other hand, is strategically crafted text that’s objective is to persuade and prompt users to take a specific action on your website.

This action could range from making a purchase to signing up for a newsletter, any conversion you want.

Effective web copy will include persuasive language, storytelling, and emotional appeal.

Examples of web copy:

1. Headlines and Subheadings: Attention-grabbing text that encourages visitors to continue reading or explore further.
2. Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons: Compelling phrases that prompt users to take action, such as "Buy Now," "Sign Up," or "Learn More."
3. Landing Page Copy: Text on landing pages designed to convince visitors to convert, often accompanied by forms or CTAs.
4. Product Page Descriptions: Persuasive descriptions that highlight the benefits and features of a product or service.
5. Email Subject Lines and Preheaders: Engaging lines that entice recipients to open marketing emails.
6. Ad Copy: Concise, persuasive text in online advertisements that encourage clicks.

The Difference:
Both web content and web copy are essential components of a successful website, but their primary purposes and methods of engagement differ:

• Web Content informs, educates, and entertains visitors, aiming to establish the website's credibility and value to the audience.

• Web Copy persuades, motivates, and converts users into taking specific actions, directly contributing to business goals.

How to Use Both on Your Website:

1. Balance and Integration: A well-rounded website combines informative web content with persuasive web copy. Create a seamless integration between the two to engage visitors and guide them toward desired actions.
2. Know Your Audience: Tailor both content and copy to resonate with your target audience's needs, preferences, and pain points. Address their concerns through informative content and offer solutions through persuasive copy.
3. Strategic Placement: Place persuasive copy where conversions are most crucial, such as landing pages, product pages, and CTAs. Use informative content to build trust and authority on various pages throughout the website.
4. Consistency: Maintain a consistent tone, style, and branding across all web content and web copy. Consistency fosters a cohesive user experience and reinforces your brand identity.

Conclusion
The forms of digital communication are broad and need to work in tandem for success, and understanding the distinction between them is pivotal.

By using both web content and web copy, you can create a website that not only engages visitors but also guides them toward meaningful interactions and desired conversions.

Balance, integration, and a deep understanding of your audience will assist you in mastering the art of utilising both essential elements and making the most out of their potential.

If your business needs help with creating a bespoke and effective website, contact us today.

Anyone born between 1997 and 2012 is classed as Generation Z (Gen Z), and they are the next big consumer generation, currently entering the market with significant purchasing power and influence.

As Gen Z have had access to digital mediums and technology their whole life, they are tech-savvy, socially conscious, and have unique preferences when it comes to brands and marketing.

For any business looking to thrive in the future, understanding how to effectively target Gen Z is crucial.

There are some key strategies your business can take to capture the attention of Gen Z and build meaningful connections with this dynamic and diverse generation.

1. Embrace Authenticity

Gen Z values authenticity more than previous generations.

They can easily spot inauthentic marketing tactics and will ridicule brands when they try to appear as ‘trendy’ (typically months after the trend they're joining is over).

They will quickly reject brands that appear disingenuous, so to connect with this generation, your business must showcase your values, mission, and overall purpose.

Engaging in transparent communication, sharing behind-the-scenes content, and being genuine in your interactions can assist the process of fostering trust and loyalty with Gen Z consumers.

2. Leverage Social Media

Social media is at the heart of Gen Z.

As mentioned, almost all of Gen Z is online and well acquainted with technology, and the amount of time spent on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat is extreme.

To effectively target and connect with this generation, you should maintain a strong and active presence on these platforms.

Your content should be visually appealing, short-form, and sharable, if the content aligns with Gen Z’s interests, values, humour, and trends, your content marketing can be incredibly successful.

Engage in conversations and participate in relevant trends to connect with your audience on a personal level, just make sure you aren’t hopping onto trends too late.

3. Support Social Causes

Gen Z is also known for their strong sense of social responsibility.

They will actively seek out brands that support meaningful causes and contribute positively to society.

If you want to effectively resonate with this generation, you should align your brand with social and environmental causes that genuinely matter to them, but they should also matter to you.

Because, as we mentioned, being genuine is key, fake “wokeness” and performative activism will be spotted and will negatively affect your brand’s perception.

Be open about your efforts, and consider how to prove your dedication, this can be by donations to relevant charities, campaigns featuring social or environmental issues, or publicly backing charities/organisations that align with their cares.

Demonstrating this commitment to better the world will attract Gen Z consumers who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

4. Embrace Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are deeply important to Gen Z.

As society is becoming more visibly diverse and inclusive, representing these developments will allow them to see themselves reflected in the brands they support.

Your marketing efforts should be inclusive and celebrate diversity in a range of forms.

This also means that you need to be more mindful of cultural sensitivity when marketing, avoiding appropriation, negative stereotypes, and tokenising different identities.

When you embrace diversity, you can create a more welcoming and inclusive brand that will appeal to Gen Z values.

Again, this should be done naturally, as performative activism or forcing diversity to try and gain “woke points” will be off-putting.

For example, Pepsi did a campaign during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, featuring influencer Kendall Jenner.

The advert was considered tone-deaf, as it featured a police officer at a protest, who accepted a can of Pepsi from Jenner, making him and all the protesters smile.

What was supposed to show unity, instead caused a backlash, as it minimised the importance of the movement, implying that a can of Pepsi could solve the problem, as well as Pepsi trying to profit from the movement.

5. Utilise Influencer Marketing

On the topic of influencers, they play a very significant role in shaping Gen Z’s preferences and choices when it comes to consumerism.

By partnering with relevant influencers who genuinely connect with your brand, you can deeply reach your audience.

However, once again, authenticity is key.

Gen Z will spot forced endorsements, so always choose influencers who align with your brand's products, services, and values.

Giving the influencer creative freedom to present your products or services will also help with authenticity.

6. Incorporate User-Generated Content (UGC)

Gen Z loves to feel like they are part of the content creation process, as it humanises your brand and marketing.

Encourage UGC, such as customer reviews, testimonials, and creative content featuring your products or services.

A personal favourite example of UGC is the recent Spotify campaign, which featured data from its users and was used as an outdoor campaign with posters and billboards.

The campaign features ranged from humorous playlist names to the songs users were listening to, and more.

We have mentioned this campaign in a previous blog, “Unconventional Marketing Tactics That Worked”, when we talked about UGC.

UGC not only builds trust but also creates a sense of community around your brand.

When you share and celebrate UGC across social media, and all marketing efforts, you are showing appreciation for your customers’ contributions.

Conclusion

As Gen Z emerges as a dominant force in the consumer landscape, you, as a business owner, have to adapt your marketing strategies to connect with this unique generation.

Embracing authenticity, leveraging social media, supporting social causes, embracing diversity and inclusion, utilising influencer marketing, and incorporating user-generated content are essential strategies to capture the attention and loyalty of Gen Z.

Try and understand their values, preferences, and aspirations, so that you can create meaningful connections with this generation, and in the end, position your brand for long-term success in the evolving market.

If you need help figuring out a marketing plan that will appeal to our younger generations, get in touch with our team and see how we can help you!

Running a business is inherently competitive, so you have to try and stand out in the crowd.

There are plenty of traditional marketing tactics that are effective, but sometimes using a bit of creativity and willingness to step outside the box can make a great impact.

Today, we will explore a few unconventional marketing tactics that have stood out and delivered impressive results.

Hopefully, you can think differently about your marketing approach and consider innovative strategies to captivate your audience and achieve your business goals.

Ambush Marketing

Ambush marketing describes the method of leveraging a popular event or campaign without officially being a sponsor.

This unconventional approach means that your brand cleverly associates itself with the event or campaign, which brings attention and brand awareness.

One memorable example of this is Nike’s ambush marketing during the 2012 London Olympics.

Although Nike was not an official sponsor, an extensive “Find Your Greatness” campaign was launched and resonated with audiences, generating buzz around the brand.

Experiential Marketing

Experimental marketing focuses on creating immersive and memorable experiences for consumers.

It ascends traditional advertising by allowing people to interact with your brand directly.

For instance, Red Bull’s Stratos campaign was a great example of experimental marketing.

Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking skydive grabbed attention worldwide, and Red Bull’s association with the event through live streaming and branded content generated plentiful brand visibility and engagement.

User-Generated Content (UGC) Campaigns

User-generated content can be an incredibly powerful and popular marketing tactic.

Your brand can encourage consumers to create and share content related to its products or services, which engages your audience and increases brand advocacy.

A personal favourite of ours which utilised this method was a recent campaign from Spotify, which ran an ad campaign featuring strange and humorous playlist names.

Spotify took advantage of all the data it has about users’ listening habits and showcased some of the interesting finds.

Influencer Partnerships

Influencer marketing has been around for a while and certainly isn’t an unheard-of concept.

But some brand shave taken it to new heights by partnering with unconventional influencers, or celebrities from unexpected industries.

For example, crocs ran an unconventional partnership campaign with rapper Post Malone.

Crocs aren’t exactly known for being cool or stylish, so this partnership campaign with Post Malone generated lots of buzz and even changed some people’s perceptions of the shoe.

Gamification

Gamification involves incorporating fun game elements into marketing campaigns to engage, entertain, and motivate your customers.

A memorable example is Coke’s “Share a Coke” campaign, where buyers were encouraged to collect bottles with different names, which created a sense of excitement and competition.

By turning this marketing campaign into a game, Coke successfully increased consumer participation and brand loyalty.

Viral Marketing

Viral marketing relies on the power of social media and its ability to rapidly spread content, campaigns, and messages.

You can create compelling and sharable content for your brand that resonates with your target audience, so your audience can then spread it further.

The Dollar Shave Club’s launch video used this methodology, with its humorous and engaging approach, the video gained lots of traction.

This led to millions of views, brand visibility, and a great start for the brand.

When trying to thrive in a crowded marketplace, unconventional marketing tactics can help you stand out.

The more attention you capture, the more impressive results you’ll achieve.

By thinking outside the box and taking calculated risks, your brand can go against the norm and connect with your target audience in new and exciting ways.

Embracing tactics like ambush marketing, experimental marketing, user-generated content campaigns, influencer partnerships, gamification, and viral marketing can help your business break through the noise, increase brand visibility, and drive tangible business outcomes.

Allow your business to be different and utilise unconventional marketing to leave a lasting impact.

Do you need help developing a marketing plan for your business?

The PageNorth team can help, get in touch today.

If you have a blog, your focus will typically be on writing high-quality content.

This means that coming up with the title of the blog can be an afterthought, but for a successful blog, this shouldn’t be the case.

Blog titles play a large role in SEO, as an effective title will make your blog show up on search engines when users are looking for specific results.

A vaguely named blog won’t be shown to anybody searching for exactly what you could provide.

It’s also important for your blog title to be attention-grabbing, so users are inclined to click on it when it does show up.

This is why giving your blog a title can be so difficult, it needs to be accurate, descriptive, catchy, and to the point.

Understanding the Importance of Effective Blog Titles

Your click-through rate (CTR) describes how many users click on your website after it shows in the search engine results.

This is why you want the highest CTR you can have, and having a well-titled blog article will help with this, as a catchy title will make them more likely to click.

Once the user is on your website, you can use call-to-actions (CTAs) to get them to look through the products and services you are selling.

A blog’s main goal is to raise awareness and traffic, in the hope of improving sales, so a higher CTR and reader engagement are key.

Effective blog titles also greatly improve your search engine optimization (SEO), as using keywords and phrases will make your articles and website show in search engine results.

Paid traffic, such as Google Ads, can be a great tool, but organic traffic is always something to work on, as it costs nothing!

The more people coming to your website organically, the better your website is ranking, so it will keep showing up to potential customers.

This is why you should carry out keyword research and incorporate your keywords into blog titles when it’s relevant.

Lastly, organic traffic doesn’t just come from search engines, it can also come from social media shares.

A compelling blog title will make engagements and shares on social media much more likely.

The hope is that after seeding the blog online, users will see it, read it, and then share it.

When others share it, more people will see it and be encouraged to click, increasing your organic traffic, reputation, and social media engagements!

Top Tips for Writing Blog Titles

So, what do we recommend doing?

Keep in mind that these aren’t strict rules, just best practices and ideas you could consider.

Best Practices for Writing Blog Titles:

1. Understand your target audience.
2. Research trending topics.
3. Use numbers and statistics.
4. Create a sense of urgency.
5. Keep it clear and concise.
6. Spark curiosity.
7. Avoid clickbait.
8. Test and analyse.
9. Optimise for SEO.
10. Be consistent with your brand.

Technical Tips for Writing Blog Titles:

1. Incorporate relevant keywords.
2. Use powerful words and emotional triggers.
3. Optimise title length for different platforms.
4. Enhance readability through proper capitalisation and punctuation.
5. Address the reader's needs and provide a clear value proposition.

Creative Tips for Writing Blog Titles:

1. Craft intriguing and unique titles that stand out.
2. Utilise humour, storytelling, or suspense to captivate readers.
3. Experiment with different formats, such as lists, questions, or controversial statements.
4. Incorporate strong adjectives and verbs to create a compelling narrative.
5. Make use of wordplay, puns, or metaphors to add creativity and intrigue.

If you use a combination of technical and creative tips, you can begin to create stand-out blog titles to inspire readers to click.

How to improve basic titles

Look through your blog titles so far and look at blogs from competitors in your market/industry.

You’ll start to notice some common themes, and you can also pick up on titles you like, and ones you don’t.

If you analyse your own, and others, you can identify areas which you would like to improve on.

Add more specification and relevancy to any generic titles.

Users are much more likely to click on your blog if the title is specific to their problem.

If you make sure your blog title is descriptive and relevant, it can greatly improve your engagement.

You can also think about adding numbers, statistics, or data to your titles.

We know it seems super common, and we have all seen the “Top 10 Reasons to ______” blogs online, but it does work.

It makes the content seem more official, using numbers, statistics, and data, can help build trust and credibility.

Finally, consider testing your titles.

A/B testing can be great for figuring out which titles work best for you, try using different keywords or formats in the two title variations of the same blog.

Once you have your data, analyse it, and use the results for your next blog article.

Next steps

It’s not an exact science, and there isn’t a perfect formula for creating bog titles that will bring traffic to your website, but there are things you can do to help your chances.

Creating attention-grabbing blog titles will improve your CTR and audience engagement, to drive results and sales.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with blog titles and find what works best for your audience.

If you need extra help running your blog and/or website, the team at PageNorth can help you.

Get in touch and see how we can help you.

A call-to-action (CTA) is a very important part of every marketing asset you have.

It acts as the catalyst, that gives users that final push to take whatever the desired action is.

This could be making a purchase, signing up for your newsletter, or getting in contact.

What are the key principles and strategies for creating an effective CTA that grabs attention, inspires action, and then boosts conversions?

Understand your goal

If you have a CTA, you will have an objective.

Your objective is whatever you are looking for the user to do, and the results you want that action to bring.

This includes generating leads, driving sales, or increasing engagement.

When creating your CTA, it should be aligned with the action you want the user to take.

It should be relevant and focused, leaving no room for misunderstanding on their part.

Use action words

Your language can make a world of difference in a CTA, you should opt for action verbs that inspire immediate action from the user.

Examples of action verbs:

• Join
• Start
• Learn
• Discover
• Try
• Give
• Visit
• Go

You must also consider how persuasive your language is.

Creating a sense of urgency or excitement will push the user to take action quickly.

If they are in the consideration phase of the buyer journey, they are more likely to purchase if it says “Limited Time Offer”, than if it was the same price but not presented as an offer.

Replace “Buy” with “Buy Now”, small changes like this can completely change their perception of the transaction.

Keep it simple

Make your CTA clear and concise to help the user act, if it’s vague they are much more likely to put it off or not even consider it.

Keep it short and to the point, by using straightforward language that is easy to understand.

You want to ensure you leave no room for ambiguity.

Let them know exactly what you want them to do.

CTA’s will be used on a range of marketing assets, the point of the asset in its entirety is to tell them why, the CTA should act as a simplified ‘how’.

Create a sense of value

The user won’t just click on a CTA with no motive.

You have to highlight the benefits they will gain by carrying out the desired action, and convince them that it’s worth their time and money.

The benefits must be clearly articulated to convince them, such as “Save 50%”, “Gain Insider Action”, or “Unlock Exclusive Content”.

This also includes creating that sense of urgency that we mentioned earlier.

Many eCommerce sites will implement countdown timers with their limited-time promotions, which will help convince the user to take action quickly.

Think about the design and placement

A CTA needs to be visually appealing, or nobody will click on it.

One way you can make it attention-grabbing is by using bold typography, contrasting colours, or eye-catching buttons.

The CTA should stand out from the rest of the page content, to ensure its visible and noticed by the user.

This can be done using whitespace or visual elements, to keep it separate.

Once you have designed the CTA, you should strategically place it in a spot where the user’s attention will naturally gravitate.

For example, you should always have a CTA at the end of a compelling blog article, as the reader will end up at the bottom eventually.

Test and optimise

Once you have planned, designed, and implemented your CTA, many will be tempted to simply forget about it.

This is one of the worst things you can do, as the data you collect with a CTA is incredibly valuable.

If you have multiple CTAs on your website, check which ones work the best, and worst.

Note the differences between them, and see if there are any changes you should make.

A/B testing is an efficient way to get this data, you should A/B test different variations of your CTA and see what your best option is.

When you analyse your user’s behaviour and conversion data, you can make smarter choices based on real data that will lead you to success.

Make improvements whenever possible and make data-driven optimisations, to maximise the number of conversions your CTA is receiving.

Crafting an effective CTA is a skill that significantly impacts the success of your marketing efforts, so it’s a skill you should continuously work on.

By understanding your objective, using action words, creating a sense of value, and using persuasive design techniques, you can help push users to take the desired action.

Always ensure you are testing, analysing, and optimising your CTAs to maximise their effectiveness, and ultimately drive higher conversions.

Do you need help with your marketing efforts?

Contact our team to find out how PageNorth can help you.

When creating your website, most understand the importance of it being visually appealing and user-friendly.

But have you thought about the importance of accessibility on your website?

Making your website accessible will benefit those with disabilities, and also improve your website’s SEO and keyword rankings.

What is website accessibility?

Website accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing a website that is usable by those with disabilities.

This includes making sure that the website is compatible with a range of assistive technologies.

Such as screen readers, which are text-to-speech applications for those who are visually impaired, and alternative input devices for people with motor impairments.

Why is website accessibility important?

Website accessibility is important for many reasons.

Firstly, it makes sure that people with disabilities can access your website and content.

This is a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 in the UK, but it is also the right thing to do.

Second, making your website accessible can improve UX (user experience) for all users, not just those with disabilities.

As an example, adding captions to videos featured on your site can benefit people who are browsing in public or a noisy environment, or just work for those who prefer to read.

Larger font sizes can help people who struggle to read small text on a mobile device.

There are plenty of ways that accessibility can improve everyone’s experience on your website.

Lastly, website accessibility can also play a part in your website’s SEO and keyword rankings.
How can it help?

Accessibility and SEO

Google is constantly updating its algorithm for search to make sure it’s delivering the most relevant and useful search results to its users.

One way it does this is by taking website accessibility into account when it comes to ranking.

Google has stated that it rewards websites that are accessible to all users, regardless of disability.

Meaning, if your website is accessible, it’s much more likely to rank high in the SERP (search engine results page).

Google’s algorithm also takes other factors, like page speed, responsiveness, and UX, into account, these are also closely related to accessibility.

Accessibility and Keywords

Alongside improving your SEO, accessibility can also benefit your keyword strategy.

When you are designing an accessible website, you will need to use descriptive alt text on images, captions for videos, and transcripts for audio content.

All these elements improve UX for those with disabilities but also provide more context for search engines to understand your website content.

By using descriptive alt text and captions, you can target specific keywords that are relevant to your content.

As an example, if you are a retailer selling trainers, you could use alt text and captions that include keywords like “running trainers” or “men’s blue trainers”.

This would help your website rank higher in the SERP for those search terms.

Make sense?

Overall, it’s safe to say that website accessibility is a very important consideration when it comes to your website.

By making it accessible, you are making sure that all users can access your content, improving usability, and boosting your website’s SEO and keyword rankings.

When we are building your website, we ensure that accessibility is kept in mind throughout the design and development process and use it as an integral part of your strategy.

Do you need a website for your business, or want to change your website provider?

Contact our team and see how we can help you.

Your website will set the tone and allow prospects to get an idea of who you are and what you do, but your identity will change and evolve with time.

This means that if your website was created to reflect your business years ago, it may not do its job now.

At PageNorth, we offer managed website services, so that you can update your website regularly, but if you don’t have a managed website and opted for a one-time service, then your website may need to be updated.

So, what are the signs to look out for when it comes to needing a website refresh?

Outdated design and content

We always aim to create a website that looks timeless, but small updates are essential to keeping it visually appealing to your users.

Take a look at your competitor’s website, or any businesses in the same industry, you’ll start to see some trends and get inspiration for what you do and don’t like.

An outdated website can cause a sense of distrust among the users, as an older site will often be less safe and secure.

It also seems unprofessional, making it less likely that users will want to convert on your site.

As you can see there, our current home page looks a lot more modern, professional, and attractive, compared to our home page in 2014.

Outdated web design will also struggle to be responsive and compatible with a range of devices.

Your content must also reflect your business’s current truth, and not showcase incorrect information.

If your website content is all obviously dated, old, and incorrect, then users will be wondering if you’re even still in business, not thinking about getting in touch or making a purchase.

Has security risks

Security is so important when it comes to your website, for you and your users.

Even though it is so important, it is often overlooked and can cause you many issues.

A cyber attack on your website can expose customer information, which violates data protection laws and will make them lose trust in you, and it can compromise private business information.

If you haven’t checked, we recommend getting a security audit done on your website to check for vulnerabilities or consider updating your website so it can be fixed in the process.

Slow site speed

Speed is everything when it comes to modern websites.

As 83% of online users expect websites to load in three seconds or less, and nearly 70% of users say that an eCommerce store’s site speed impacts how willing they are to buy from them.

As well as users being more likely to bounce, slow loading times will also decrease your website’s rank on search engines.

Any crawlers will index the load time of your web pages, and the quicker your website is, the more likely it is to show when somebody searches your keywords online.

There is a large range of causes for a slow website, including large images, videos, slow hosting, or excessive plugins.

Sometimes these issues can be fixed, but a full website redesign/build is the only salvation for some websites, that have simply gone too far.

To check your web page speed, you can use Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool.

If your score is below average, then having a chat with your current web provider or considering a redesign may be your best option.

Your SEO is lacking

If your website hasn’t been updated much since launch, it’s safe to assume that your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) practices won’t be up to current standards.

Your page titles, URLs, and content should all have relevant keywords, backed up by keyword research.

One great way to improve this is by having an SEO audit on your site, as this can tell you which areas you are lacking in and can provide valuable insights on how to improve.

When building and managing our websites, we will keep SEO in mind since without it, your website will struggle to rank, so this is something we can help you with.

Another thing that helps with SEO is having a blog on your website, every industry will have topics that can be discussed, so if you have the time creating blog content will help bring new users to the site.

So...

When you think about your website, you’ll know whether you are happy with it or not.

There is a lot of anxiety that comes with redesigning your website or switching your website provider, but a good web agency will make this process simple.

We make switching to PageNorth easy, and when you are working with us, your website will be consistently monitored, managed, and updated with anything you want, at no extra price.

Learn more about our process and get in contact with our team to see how we can bring your website back to life.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining lots of attention at the moment, largely because of its rapid progression.

Chatbots are getting smarter and more human, and people are starting to take advantage of that.

A large bit of marketing is producing streams of content, whether it’s blogs, website content, social media posts, or anything related.

There are downsides to using AI-generated content, as eventually there will be some SEO changes from search engines to try and flag it, plus it uses repetitive language which can be easy to spot by the reader.

So, what would an AI-generated blog look like?

We have asked ‘ChatGPT’ one of the most popular AI applications at the moment, to write a blog on “how AI can be used for marketing purposes”.

We also asked for images, including the cover image for this blog.

According to an AI, this is:

“AI and marketing: Transforming the way brands connect with consumers”

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the marketing industry, offering businesses new ways to understand and engage with their target audience. AI technologies can help companies analyze vast amounts of data, automate repetitive tasks, and personalize interactions with customers at scale. In this article, we’ll explore the ways in which AI is being used in marketing and the benefits it brings to businesses and consumers alike.

Customer Segmentation

One of the key advantages of AI in marketing is the ability to segment customers into meaningful groups based on their behavior and preferences. By analyzing data such as purchase history, online activity, and demographics, AI algorithms can create detailed profiles of customers and group them based on shared characteristics. This enables companies to deliver targeted and relevant messages to specific segments, improving the chances of conversion and customer retention.

Personalized Marketing

Personalization is at the heart of successful marketing campaigns, and AI makes it easier than ever before. By using machine learning algorithms, businesses can personalize their marketing efforts based on a customer’s individual preferences and behaviors. This can include things like product recommendations, customized email campaigns, and personalized website experiences. Personalized marketing has been shown to increase engagement, conversions, and customer loyalty, making it a valuable tool for businesses looking to stand out from the competition.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics is another powerful tool in the AI marketing arsenal. By analyzing customer data, predictive models can forecast future customer behavior, such as the likelihood of a customer making a purchase or churning. This information can be used to make data-driven decisions about which marketing campaigns to run, when to run them, and to whom. Predictive analytics can also help businesses identify potential sales opportunities and anticipate customer needs, allowing them to proactively engage with customers and increase customer satisfaction.

Chatbots

Chatbots are AI-powered tools that allow businesses to interact with customers in real-time through natural language processing and machine learning. Chatbots can be used to answer customer queries, provide product recommendations, and even complete sales transactions. They can also collect data on customer preferences and behaviors, which can be used to improve marketing campaigns and drive customer engagement. Chatbots are particularly useful for companies that want to provide a seamless customer experience, regardless of the time of day or location of the customer.

In conclusion, AI is transforming the marketing industry, offering businesses new ways to understand and engage with their customers. Whether it’s through customer segmentation, personalized marketing, predictive analytics, or chatbots, AI has the potential to improve marketing results and drive customer engagement. With AI, businesses can now reach new levels of customer insights and engagement, leading to increased customer loyalty and profits.

Overall, we would say AI wrote a good article!

It can be read as a little soulless, but it is still human, we would certainly believe that it was written by a real person.

As mentioned before, the language can be pretty repetitive, plus the American spelling would make our readers notice that it isn’t us.

So, the main issues when using ChatGPT for content creation are:

• Repetitive and robotic language
• The application is regularly at capacity, making it hard to get in, and also risks being disconnected mid-conversation
• The capacity issues also mean that old chats are not saved, even when you have an account
• If you aren’t very clear on what you want, the chatbot may misunderstand you
• It can produce incorrect answers and solutions
• The knowledge of the chatbot is limited past 2021

You can't use AI to fully replace your marketing staff and copywriters, but it can be used for small bits of copy, or to assist your writing process.

The role it will play going forward is still unknown, but if you keep informed on the developments then you can prepare a little bit.

For more marketing advice, get in touch with our team and see what we can do for your business.

What is reputational risk?

Your brand will have a reputation, no matter the size.

It may be shared with a small group of people, but anyone aware of you will think of you either positively or negatively.

Your reputation will sway clients and prospects when it comes to decisions, and whether they want to buy from you.

Reputational risk is any risk that may negatively impact their perception of you.

Not just does it affect reputation, but it can make or break your entire business.

These risks often show up unexpectedly, which is why it’s so important to understand them and know how to deal with them.

The importance

All reputational risk will make your clients lose trust in you.

It can impact:

• Trust in employees
• Trust in your brand
• Customer satisfaction
• Customer retention
• Revenue generation
• Investor perception

And more.

Social media has also increased reputational risk, as the internet gives everyone access to a bucketload of information.

It can be a bad review, employees posting inappropriate things, or news sources picking up on issues, there are so many ways for reputational risks to spread quickly, making a bigger impact.

The types of reputational risk

Company actions

These kinds of reputational risks are caused by your company as a whole, it can be company actions or practices.

It doesn’t matter whether the actions are intentional or not, it will still have the same effect on how the public perceives you.

Examples of this can include:

• Now complying with laws or regulations
• Consistently providing poor-quality products/services
• Consistent poor customer service
• Legal issues that become public knowledge
• Internal scandals
• Poor working conditions
• Data breaches/ cyber security issues

Any of these things can bring attention to your business, for the wrong reasons.

The press and social media are unforgiving.

Company representative’s actions

This is when people directly tied to your business behave in ways that reflect negatively on your business.

If a representative’s actions and immoral, unethical, or just deemed unacceptable by most people, it hurts your brand.

Examples of this can include:

• Individual employees poorly representing your business online
• Individual employees providing negative customer service
• Business leaders with negative reputations
• Employees involved in misconduct that becomes public knowledge

Even if it is individual employee actions, not the entire business, the public won’t see it like that.

Those who work for you are part of you, and will always reflect your company’s morals.

This is a reputational risk that can sometimes be out of your business’s control, yet still just as difficult to deal with.

Partner actions

Your business will have partners and suppliers, they are often essential to your success.

It can bring a lot of essential support, but it also comes with risk, as any of their actions will reflect on you.

If a business partner does something that makes them look bad, it may make you look bad due to your association.

Examples of this can include:

• Partners business struggling, meaning they can’t provide essential resources/support to you
• Partners involved in misconduct or legal issues
• Partners speaking negatively about your business
• Any internal scandals in a partner or supplier business

The risk will vary depending on how close you are with these other businesses or suppliers, as well as how public this relationship is.

A recent example of this is the number of brands that stopped collaborating and working with the musician, Kanye West.

Brands like Nike and even his record label had to distance themselves from him, as he would bring down their reputations if they continued working together.

External actions

Customers and past employees can have a huge impact on your reputation, and their actions can influence your business if they had a bad experience with you.

People will put their trust in other people, over you, as other people won’t have money driving their words.

Examples of this can include:

• Negative reviews from customers
• Negative employee reviews or information being spread
• Attacks on your business (data breaches, etc.)
• Negative social media content being made about your business

This risk is one of the most impactful kinds, as it spreads quickly and is all word of mouth.

Word of mouth is one of the most important marketing tools, but it can also destroy a business if it is negative.

How to alleviate reputational risk

Risks are never going to be 100% unavoidable, but the likelihood and impact can be lessened.

The best method is to acknowledge the problem, ignoring it won’t make it disappear and all you can do is take it head on.

Transparency with your customers will help them regain any lost trust in you, even though honesty is scary as you may fear that it will make things worse.

Explain what you are going to do to resolve the issue and keep customers and partners in the loop.

To try and prevent these risks, here are some rules to stick to:

• Honour your businesses core values
• Use social listening tools
• Ensure your staff fully understands your core values
• Implement internal compliance training
• Stay up to date with current affairs
• Really listen to customer feedback
• Maintain a safe environment for employees and customers

There are many more factors to consider, but maybe those few can help you develop your own plan.

Reputational risks are often unavoidable but dealing with them efficiently is all you can do.

If you need more advice on dealing with your brand reputation, our marketing team can help.

Contact us for a chat.

When using TikTok as part of your social media marketing plan, most of your focus will be on the video content.

But, like any image/video-based platform, captions play a huge role in your post’s success.

When deciding on a caption, there are a few variables you should consider to ensure it will be effective and appeal to your target audience.

Think about your audience

Firstly, you must consider the tone in which you’ll deliver your desired message.

If your target audience is young people or any specific demographic, how will your language come across to them?

Young people will be more open to slang, plus there are always phrases that are popular and could be considered “trends”.

Although it may seem stereotypical, gender will also have an effect on your language, as different slang and language are more common with different genders.

If you are making any social or cultural references, will your audience understand them?

Decide on a message

Often a TikTok caption doesn’t aim to convey a particularly meaningful message, but you still want to ensure that your audience is taking the correct meaning from it.

As well as short but sweet captions, sometimes there may be important information you want to include.

Deciding how you go about writing this is key, as the essential information should always go first to avoid any form of truncation.

If you have a sale, let them know!

Any encouragement for interactions, conversions, and even sales should be at the forefront of a caption if that’s the kind of video you are making.

Though, if it’s a funny casual video, don’t make the caption too “salesy”, it can be off-putting and ruin the comedy of the video.

Be smart with your hashtags

Like many social platforms, hashtags help the algorithm decide to whom to show your content.

If you use hashtags relevant to your products or services, then it will be shown to users who have interacted with those hashtags or similar ones.

This means you must consider how specialised your hashtags are, as you want them specific to your target audience, but still general enough to actually show your content to anyone.

The number of hashtags is also important, as too many looks tacky and make the caption look crowded.

You want no more than 5 unless more are essential to the video.

It’s also good to have a mix of more general hashtags and specific ones, to increase reach while still bringing valuable traffic.

More than 5 hashtags can also confuse the algorithm and actually make it harder for your content to be understood.

TikTok SEO?

This may seem confusing, as TikTok is a social media platform, but studies have shown that social media is slowly becoming the go-to for searching with the younger generations.

For example, when trying a new restaurant, many people are likely to search for it on TikTok or a social platform, as any reviews and recommendations are genuine and have come from real people.

With this in mind, you should optimise your TikTok captions for search, especially since TikTok has increased the character limit on captions.

What keywords and specific information should you use in your caption, that users are likely to search for?

The phrasing alone could completely change a searcher’s results, so have a look into TikTok search trends before diving in.

If you need help with your social media marketing and copywriting, contact us and see how we can help!