Tag Archive for: Marketing

Why a New Website is a Great Marketing Tactic

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Whether you’re a B2B, or B2C company, or both; giving your website an overhaul every few years is a great move to make for the success of your business. A lot changes industry-wise and market-wise in a single year, let alone in a few years. The needs and wants of your audience are constantly evolving, and to continue seeing the expansion you envision; making the pertinent changes to match current trends will set you apart from your competitors.

Here are just a few reasons remodeling your website every few years makes for a great marketing tactic:

1. Brand Evolution

While the overall mission of your brand may not have and may never change, there’s no doubt that every few years, your brand evolves in more ways than one. Your rates have increased as you now offer more to your services, you have added a new facet or department to your business model, you have expanded from just one location to a handful of locations…The possibilities for how a business can change are endless, and no matter what those changes are, you’ll want to update both the aesthetic and the content of your website to reflect them.

2. Audience Shifts

As you evolve as a company, it is very likely that there will be some shifts in your audience as well, even if those shifts are small. For example: if you, like us, are a Staffing Agency, if you add a new job type, you’ll want to make changes on your website that appeal to the group of people who would be interested in that line of work. Additionally, many things change how your target audience thinks and approaches things. The pandemic, current wages, and how competitive the job market is, are all factors that influence your audience’s habits. In the current world of convenience, it’s important that your website be user-friendly from a smartphone, not just from a desktop. You’ll also want to make sure that the feel of your website is appealing to your current audience.

3. Brand Perception

Every company wants to have a good reputation and that goes beyond just your customer service and how you appear across your social media platforms. When your brand is new to someone, the first place they go to gather more information is your website. If the first thing they see is outdated icons and irrelevant content, they will look no further.

Reconstructing your website to reflect modern times shows that you are a company that is willing to invest where it matters, that you care to speak directly to your target audience, and that you are up-to-date on what’s happening in your field.

If your company is in need of employees, we at Award are here to help. Connect with us here to see how we can help you take your business to the next level.

Why Use Net Promoter Score?

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A tool that we have found to be useful, as a staffing agency that works with hundreds of associates every day, is Net Promoter Score (NPS).

An NPS is a single question survey that typically asks you to rate how likely you are to recommend a business to a friend or colleague, using a scale of 1-10.

As simple as it is, this tool is a great and cost-effective way to measure your areas for improvement and is a good indicator of what the success of your business will be, in the coming months and onward.

At Award Staffing, we survey our associates, as this is a standard practice in the staffing industry. Businesses that work solely with clients and customers will survey their partners to determine the likelihood of working together again.

If your company has yet to integrate an NPS, here are some of the reasons we highly recommend it.

1. Gives you an idea of where you can improve

Although a Net Promoter Score is only one question, it’s important to send follow-up questions depending on the results. If you notice a trend of receiving a less-than-satisfactory score, you’ll want to find out why. This way, you will know what areas you excel at and which processes have room for improvement. In any business, market research is essential to grow; implementing an NPS is a great starting point.

2. It allows you to gauge where you are in regards to your competitors

Everyone wants to be the best and most well-known in their industry. The companies that earn that reputation are the ones who are regularly looking to improve themselves, especially in the eyes of their target market. An NPS is a way to get inside the minds of your clients without asking too much out of them or having to put aside a large budget to do so.

3. It looks at the overall picture

A lot of other marketing tactics have a focus on one campaign, one interaction, or one area of a business. Since an NPS survey determines whether or not a company would recommend you, it tells you what you overall partnership looks like; be it between a company and their contingent workers or a company and their clients. In the case that you are receiving good overall feedback, your sales team can leverage it as a marketing tool to bring in more business.

4. Demonstrates Care

If a person or corporation has been partnering with you for a while, it can be easy to assume that everything between you is going well. However, if you want to ensure you keep your partnerships, you want to make the intentional effort to get feedback. By sending out NPS surveys, it shows your clients and/or associates that you do care about their needs and are open to feedback about where your company can do better. As many companies don’t bother checking in enough (aside from the occasional email), it will make you and your company stand out.

If your company is in need of employees, we at Award are here to support you. Contact us with your staffing needs here.

How to Have a Strong Employer Brand

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If someone were to ask you what it’s like to work at places like Facebook, Google, or Apple, you would likely tell them that it’s a fun and laid-back environment that is trendy and health conscious. And the interesting part is…you don’t even have to work there to know that. This is because all of these companies have a strong employer brand.

An employer brand is a company’s reputation as an employer and how they are viewed from an internal employee’s perspective.

Most companies don’t put much thought into this because there is already so much branding and marketing to be done for their products and services as well as advertising open positions. However, employers that have an amazing work culture and an innovate strategy to promote it have an easier time finding the right talent who stays with the company over the long-term.

Here are our top recommendations for creating a strong employer brand that will attract top talent.

1. Conduct a Culture Audit

A culture audit is an assessment of your organization’s workplace culture that helps you determine how your company culture is perceived by employees as well as clients and vendors. Doing so will give you a good idea of what is currently working, what your employees value, and what areas need improvement. Gather data by asking your employees to complete an anonymous survey. Some good foundational questions to ask are:

  • How would you describe our company’s leadership?
  • What is our office environment like to you?
  • Have you come across any obstacles that have gotten in the way of your work?

It’s also important that you give them the ability to offer feedback and suggestions.

2. Add a Company Culture Section to Your Website

In nearly every job posting, companies claim that they have a “great company culture”, but outside of a brief description, give prospective candidates no way to gage whether or not they see themselves as a culture fit. Since a company’s culture is such a big determining factor for whether or not someone chooses to apply and/or work for a place, having this will set you apart from your competitors. A few things to include are:

  • A video that shows what the office/worksite looks like
  • A list or photos of some of the perks and fun things your company offers
  • A link to some of the causes your company supports with facts and statistics about that social issue

3. Spotlight Your Employees

Your employees are what make your business possible, and they all want to feel recognized for their efforts and contributions. Whether it’s through your blog, social media posts, or bi-weekly newsletter, feature your employees with their picture, some personal fun facts, and a highlight of their accomplishments. This will make your employees feel valued and show anyone who visits your online platforms that you appreciate your team and the work that they do.

4. Showcase Your Company Culture Across Your Social Media Platforms

The lowest hanging fruit is to post all about your products and services and write blog posts about what’s current in your industry. While this is definitely a good use of your social media channels, it doesn’t need to be the only thing you ever post about. In fact, you will have much more traction if you do something outside of the norm. When people browse your online platforms, they want to be engaged and see your brand’s personality. Make your digital spaces a bit more personal by posting photos of company outings, projects, and events; and accompany them with a caption that tells the story behind the photo.

Additionally, it’s essential that what you advertise about your company online, translates to how it actually is to work there.

If your company is in need of employees, we at Award Staffing are here to help. Contact us with your staffing needs here.

How Are You Building Your Brand in 2022?

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In the fast-moving and ever-so-competitive world we are currently living in, it’s the companies with strong, regularly evolving brands that will bring in the most business and continue to grow. It’s common knowledge that the pandemic, among a variety of other factors, have forever changed consumer behavior as well as employee needs and standards. As a result, many new norms have been created. Organizations that want to continue to thrive must adapt to shifts within the market and their industry, and must consider both their target audience and their employees when implementing new and improved processes. This begins with how a company brands themselves.

Branding is the ongoing process of creating a special identity that is associated with your company, products, and/or services. When most people think of branding, they envision logos, colors, and a catchy tagline. While those things are definitely aspects of branding, they account for a small fraction of branding as a whole. In order to create a strong and memorable brand, an organization must think of their brand as the identity and reputation of their business.

Building a powerful brand is how you will generate awareness, positive associations, and loyalty to your company and offerings. They way you get your audience to perceive your company and the value that it brings is by formulating an effective brand strategy. Here are some of the top ways to build your brand in 2022:

1. Emphasize Your Mission, Values, and Culture

Despite current popular belief, there isn’t actually a worker shortage; there is a shortage of companies that meet employee needs. Job seekers are in search of companies that align with their values and are willing to accommodate needs that may not have been there prior to the pandemic. You may very well be keeping up with workplace trends and have the best business model in your industry. However, if you want to attract employees that are a culture fit, you must advertise what you are all about across multiple platforms. People today look for purpose and want to feel valued at their place of employment. Additionally, people are more inclined to partner with and buy from companies that are making a difference. Don’t be afraid to showcase current projects or feature your core values on your website and social media.

Ways to Emphasize Your Mission, Values, and Culture:

  • Have a page dedicated to your mission on your website
  • Create posts about each one of your values and how your company embodies them for social media
  • Make an effort to recognize your employees publicly
  • Showcase your company charity projects on your website and social media

2. Know What Differentiates You

Every organization has something that separates them from their competitors, but it’s not always evident to their target audience. When constructing brand campaigns, it’s crucial to highlight how individuals would benefit from choosing you. Whether it’s your pricing, your fast turnaround time, or your stellar customer service; you must underline your unique selling point to compel your audience to buy from you.

Things that Can Differentiate Your Company:

  • What you look for in employees
  • Events your organization hosts
  • Having specialty departments
  • Having access to certain data

3. Establish Your Brand’s Personality

In order to have consistent messaging, you have to position your brand with a personality. Creative, professional, and luxury are all examples of brand personalities. Once you determine the personality of your brand, you will be able to create consistency in what your audience can expect from you. Everything from the wording you use in your print collateral to the way you facilitate conversations with potential buyers should match your brand’s personality. This gives consumers a way to identify you and decide whether or not your company will meet their needs should they partner with you.

Things that Establish Your Brand’s Personality:

  • The tone in your email campaigns
  • The graphics you use on your social media pages
  • The tactics you use to promote your services
  • The “extras” you offer to your clients

4. Experiment with Your Messaging

Companies that have the most success are the ones that test multiple different tactics to see what their audience responds best to. As the market changes, so will the mentalities and needs of your ideal client/customer. It’s important that you adjust your branding to address their pain points. This is most effective when it is backed by market research. Take the time to gather data and experiment with different platforms and advertisements to see what they engage the most with. You may be surprised at what they are drawn to.

How to Experiment with Messaging: 

  • Try a combination of free and paid marketing strategies
  • Keep track of when and where you get the most responses from your ideal clients
  • Poll your audience regarding what they want to see
  • Test out marketing tactics and platforms that are new and trendy

If your company is in need of employees, we at Award are here to help. Contact us with your staffing needs.

 

Make Social Issues A Part of Your Marketing

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“A little over half of consumers (57 percent) are more likely to buy/use a product if a brand takes a position on a social issue similar to the consumers’ views. That figure was 77 percent for Gen Z and millennial respondents.” – A List Daily

It’s nothing new that in today’s world, there are a multitude of social issues that society is passionate about changing. Everyone wants to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves and depending on their upbringing, often choose to support causes that they have been affected by in one way or another.

With so many different walks of life out there, everyone has a different ability to contribute; some able to offer thousands of dollars on a monthly basis and others solely able to offer patronage in the form of time. However, no matter whom you are or what your fiscal capabilities are, we are all regular consumers of both goods and services. By adding the support of social issues into your business model and marketing game plan, you will give people of all different socioeconomic statuses the ability to give back through buying from or partnering with you.

Over the past few years, online buying has increasingly become the preferred way to purchase since it is convenient, and ever since the pandemic began, fewer people feel comfortable in public spaces with large crowds. To capitalize on this new norm, marketers have pivoted their approach to reach more people in the online space. Currently, the businesses that are thriving the most are the ones that have implemented the support of social issues into their marketing strategy.

As quarter four approaches, both marketers and consumers will increase their spending on account of the upcoming holiday season. As we are still in Quarter 3, this makes it the perfect time to map out a plan that brings your support of social issues to the attention of your audience. Whether you are service or product based, this tactic is sure to bring in more business and publicity as well as contribute to positive change and the common good.

 

Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan:

1. Increase Your Marketing Budget

As the highest consumer quarter is right around the corner, if you want to see an increase in your sales, you must be willing to spend more to get the word out about the cause you are supporting. It may feel like a bit of a stretch in the beginning, but the return on investment will be worth it as new clients and customers discover you.

2. Use Social Media

If your company has a cause that you have been supporting for some time now, remind you audience by discussing it on social media. Reintroduce the cause/organization you support and inform them of how and why you chose this cause. Then make it a weekly practice to talk about this cause on your platforms. It will only be effective if you make it a long-term part of your strategy. If supporting a cause is not something you have done before, choose one and then inform your audience about this new endeavor.

3. Make it Clear the Impact They Will Have

In order to get consumers to partner with or buy from you, you’ll need to be clear about how spending with you will make a social difference. If a percentage of every sale or contract goes to the cause you chose, let them know that. People want to know how their contribution matters, so be sure that they know what will happen as a result of doing business with your company.

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If your company is in need of employees, we at Award are here to help. Contact us here to see how we can support you.

Why Now Is a Good Time to Consider a Rebrand

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It’s no secret that as a result of the pandemic, over a year and a half later we have shifted into a new world in many ways. As we’ve discussed in past blog articles, one of the most important things you can do as a company is keep up with modern times as this is how you become seen as a leader in your industry.

Well similarly, it is also imperative to keep your brand up-to-date. If a rebrand is something your company has been considering for a while, now could definitely be an advantageous time to do so, as many things are newly different as we come out of the pandemic.

What comes to mind when you hear the word brand? Most people associate brands with their logo and colors, but branding goes far beyond a person or company’s visual representation. Rebranding is all about altering how your product/service and company is perceived, which means that doing so will require a good amount of research and strategy. If well thought out, a rebrand has the potential to bring you more clients at higher rates, increase engagement & publicity, and build loyalty with both employees and clients.

Here are some signs that it may be time for a rebrand:
1. You haven’t rebranded in 5-10 years
2. You have changed your business model, services, or products
3. Your brand has expanded significantly
4. You blend in with your competition too much
5. You want to fix your reputation
6. You want to connect to a wider audience/change your audience

When you decide it is officially time for a rebrand, here are some of the most essential things to do:

Upgrade Your Logo

To keep potential clients interested and to stand out, it is important to use fonts and colors that are reflective of modern times. Although you don’t have to necessarily change your colors, opting for different shades that are brighter or trendier can make all the difference.

Determine Your New Messaging 

Chances are, things within your industry have significantly changed since your launch or your last rebrand. Is there anything you want to be known for that you haven’t been associated with in the past or anything that no longer suits your brand/company that you want to let go of. This will be a big determining factor in how you promote your company going forward.

Rewrite Your Copy

This goes for your “About Us” page, your services overview, your marketing materials, and anything in between. Use new vocabulary that is more in-line with modern language and talk about some of the new strategies you have implemented since your launch or last rebrand.

Re-evaluate Your Company Values

If they have remained the same, brainstorm ways that you can deliver them in a new, revamped way that will appeal to your target market. If there is anything that has been added to your list of core values, be sure to include that to keep your audience updated.

Re-design Your Website & Social Media Strategy

The types of images you use and the pillars that are frequently discussed in your new strategy must be reflected online. This is the first place competitors, clients, and job seekers will search for you, therefore, you want to make a good first impression and be sure that everything from your positioning to your graphics are parallel to your new brand identity.

If you company is in need of new employees, Award Staffing is here to help. Contact us with your staffing needs, today.

How Your Company Can Use Experiential Marketing in 2021

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Marketing…what comes to mind when you hear that word? While marketing strategies look different across every industry, it is particularly important right now as we are recovering from a pandemic. As every company is going to implement new and improved methods of operation as well as new ideas for how to bring in business in a post-pandemic market, staying relevant and in the front of your ideal client’s minds by means of marketing is key.

Depending on the business, reasons for marketing will vary. While some companies are looking to build a reputation and gain social proof, others are looking to inform and educate potential clients/customers on their product or service. However, the common denominator is that businesses use marketing as a tool to drive business and bring in sales. Particularly after a year of minimal in-person interaction, experiential marketing is something you will want to maximize.  An effective way to do so is through Experiential Marketing.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to have a physical product to use experiential marketing as part of your strategy. Any campaign where you’re interacting with your potential clients/customers is classified as experiential marketing. This is something that can set the foundation for a long lasting relationship between a brand and their clients as it gives you the opportunity to make a lasting impression. Here are three ways you can use this type of marketing to drive your business.

Brand Partnerships

This can work particularly well if you run a business that does not have a physical product. Free samples of any kind are sure to grab people’s attention. Hosting an experiential event in a public space such as a city park or taking the approach of guerilla marketing. Partner with a product based brand where they can give out free samples of their product while you provide a memorable experience of some sort. It can be a game for a prize, a sensory experience, or an opportunity for passerby’s to create something. Do everything you can to make it memorable, this is what will build omnipresence and keep you at the forefront of your ideal client/customer’s mind. 

Host a Gala/Fundraiser  

Especially if your company has a cause that it regularly contributes to. Philanthropy has become a core value to nearly everyone in the modern world. Knowing that you are an organization that is out doing something for the greater good will make potential clients more likely to work with you. Hosting an event that you invite them to will give the local community and companies that you want to partner with an idea of what your company culture is like and a taste of what they can expect should they do business with you. Hosting an event that will benefit a good cause is sure to bring in a lot of potential partners as they will be happy to attend an event where their ticket cost and donations will contribute to a good cause.

Exchange Event

If you are looking to collect email addresses, take photos for social media, or get more candidates into your company database, an equal exchange can be the way to go. If your office is located in a central location, set up a table outside. If not, find a space you can possibly pay to set up a booth such as a shared workspace, open-air market, or trade show. Invest in a bulk of something that will grab the attention of people passing by such as free smoothies, branded cupcakes, or branded popsockets. Tell people who approach the booth that if they provide their email or take a photo with your product, they are free to take one. Just be sure that it is something they will deem worth it. Branded magnets or pens are outdates and won’t make your company appear as very trendy or prestigious. Make a good first impression by providing them something of value. You could even go the extra mile and have a drawing for a grand prize for everyone who participates.  This is how you will get referrals and build a good reputation.

 

If your company is currently in search of employees, we at Award Staffing are here to help you. Contact us here with any questions or inquiries.