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Author: Josh Blyth

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Digital Marketing Myths: The 5 Most Misunderstood Facts

If you’re running a business with a major online presence in the Calgary and Edmonton area, partnering with a full-service digital marketing firm can take the hard work of mounting an online marketing campaign off your plate and leave it to the professionals. However, to get the most out of your marketing partnership, it’s important to have reasonable expectations and know what to expect from a full-service firm. There are many misunderstandings and myths surrounding the world of digital marketing, and before entering a partnership it’s key to dispel them.

We’re DMC (Digital Marketing Collective), a Calgary-based full-service digital marketing firm offering a wide range of services including website design, social media marketing, website optimization, and search engine optimization. Our clients enjoy one-on-one meetings, a client-centric approach to designing marketing plans, and a streamlined single-dashboard interface that lets you control your campaign from a central location. We believe every business needs a superhero, so let us be yours and read on to discover the most misunderstood facts about digital marketing.

Digital Marketing Myths – The 5 Most Misunderstood Myths

Online Ads are the Only Important Factor

Establishing your presence on popular sites is key to increasing your visibility, but it’s only one part of an overall marketing plan. A balance of social media marketing, blog content, and positive online reviews are essential to building your online presence. Consumers primarily go online for information on products and businesses, and it’s important to have that information ready for them in key locations – which is why our company focuses on an all-encompassing marketing plan to establish your online presence.

Email Marketing Is Passe

Many digital marketing firms neglect the email marketing strategy because it’s the oldest and least visible path to raising your profile, but this is a critical mistake. Email marketing might not reach as large an audience as social media marketing, but it’s ideal for engaging with your most loyal customers. Those who subscribe to your email list get first access to information about your new initiatives and products, letting them get the word out for you.

One Social Media Site Is Enough

Many companies choose one social media network – Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram – and manage a profile there while neglecting the others. This is common for companies aimed at a specific demographic – Facebook skews older, while Instagram is best for young influencers – but it closes you off to a large potential audience. Only by maintaining a presence on all major social media networks can you cover your business for all potential customers.

SEO Is Easy

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a key part of raising your company’s profile on major search engines like Google. Done by using keywords to drive traffic to your site and ensure that people searching the keyword see your business first, it’s a mix of strategic keyword use and creating content that will keep people on your site once they visit. Many people try to do SEO solo, but an expert knows how to make your content stand out from the many people with similar content.

Negative Reviews Are Always Bad

Too many companies react to negative reviews by trying to remove them – or worse, getting into a public dispute with the reviewer. Handled well, a negative review can be turned into a positive by productive, private engagement with the reviewer. By addressing their complaints, you not only learn valuable information about where your company can improve, but you potentially turn a detractor into a supporter.

The Key to Digital Marketing Success

When you understand the myths surrounding online marketing, you’re better able to avoid them by partnering with a full-service firm. Contact DM Collective for more information on our services or to set up a one-on-one consultation today.

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Update to Facebook Page Comments You Don’t Want to Ignore

Facebook snuck in a Page comments update this month. While it went unannounced by many social media experts we feel it requires commentary, because after all user/follower comments are a very important engagement metric. With interesting content it’s easy enough to get post likes, but when someone takes the time to leave a note it means you actually caught their attention.

Today, we’re going to cover the new update along with corresponding tips to engaging current and prospective customers.

What Your Business Needs to Know About the Recent Update to Facebook Comments and How You Can Make it Work in Your Favor

Facebook Has Improved Comment Ranking on Page Posts

In the past, post comments showed up in chronological order. Over time you will have noticed it morphed so that the “most relevant” comments showed up, which is what this recent update seeks to evolve even further.

Facebook is looking deeper at relevancy and quality of comments, using the following ranking signals:

  • Integrity – Facebook is making sure that comments abide by Community Standards, which will help protect your business from slanderous nonsense and spammers using your Page’s popularity to drop click bait into the comment section of your posts.
  • User feedback – Facebook surveys have asked users what sorts of comments they want to see.
  • Comment interaction – In the same manner that your posts’ successes are measured in-part by how many likes and comments they get, so too are the comments (on your posts) made by users. If others like or reply to a given comment, it is more likely to improve in rank. As a business, you will want to reply to user comments acting as your Page, and even from your personal profile. If your business has employee brand advocates on social media, have them like and reply to preferred user comments too. You want to do all you can to improve the rank for comments that show your posts in a positive light.

Make Sure Comment Ranking is Turned On

As a business you absolutely want comment rank to work its magic. It’s good for other users to see that their peers are connecting to and interacting with your business. Not only does this help them vet the legitimacy of your business, it encourages them to “join the party” and leave comments too. 

Is your comment ranking turned on? By Page default, it should be, but be sure to verify by performing the following actions:

  • Click Settings at the top of your Page > From General, click Comment Ranking and make sure that the box stating See most relevant comments by default is checked. If not, check it, and click/tap Save Changes. 
Update to Facebook Page Comments

Follow “Best Practices” Regarding User Comments

Facebook will continue to take both observed and surveyed user feedback to improve Page post comment ranking, but you can take steps to make sure you’re getting the most out of the feature. These “best practices” include the following:

  • Encourage comments by posting a great content mix, complete with photos, infographics, videos, and links to useful articles.
  • Encourage comments by posing real questions when making a post, but don’t outright ask followers to leave a comment for the sake of it (which goes against Facebook page guidelines).
  • Encourage comments by asking followers to share their own content within the comment section of your post. For example, let’s say you run a restaurant with a beachfront patio and you want to post a photo of the evening’s amazing sunset. When crafting the post, you could state “Our view tonight is amazing! Let’s see what yours looks like!”, which will encourage followers to comment with their own photos, content that will gain traction and may make the comment section just as engaging as your original post!
  • Like and reply to all comments made on your Page’s posts, even if just to say “Thanks” for kinds words about your product, service, or the content itself.
  • If a legitimate criticism was made in the comment section, limit engagement and instead get in touch with the customer (if you can find their contact information in your customer database) to address the concern. If you get into extended back and forth communications in the comment section, it may improve the rank of the initial comment and reflect poorly on your business. 

For a business with a small Facebook following managing comments will be an easy enough task. However, as your following grows, so will your workload. If you don’t have the person power to monitor and respond to all post comments then it’s time to seek help from a social media expert who can manage your Page for you, while protecting the voice of your brand. Contact Digital Marketing Collective today to learn more.

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Living in Fear of a Google Algorithm Update?

Coincidence that Google colors match Chucky’s jumpsuit? We think not!

If your business has had a website for two, five, ten, or some other number of years then you probably know what it’s like to fear Google. Or should we say, a Google algorithm update, even if you didn’t know that was what lay behind a swift change in your rank. There’s nothing quite as stressful as checking up on your first-page position, only to find that your site has dropped down to the bottom, or worse, page-two, which may as well be page-10. From there, the phone stops ringing and your email inbox is littered with nothing but personal notes from friends and family – no customers.

It’s true that as a business owner dependent upon online marketing you are at the mercy of the numerous Google algorithm updates that occur throughout the fiscal year. In fact, a MAJOR one just hit on June 3 2019, so if you’ve experienced something fishy at the start of the summer season, that may be it. 

While it may seem unfair that your online business is so reliant on the tech giant, you’re not as powerless as you think. On the flip side, you (or your marketing personnel) may be as much to blame as the interns writing search code from behind the walls of their cubicle in Mountain View CA. 

It really comes down to whether or not your abiding by the laws, that know it or not, Google has been laying out for well over a decade now. Those that don’t follow the lay of the search land stand to lose a lot, while those that inform themselves and respond accordingly will reap the benefits. Below we take a look at why you may indeed need to live in fear of the next Google search update. In turn, you will also see where you need to make a swift change in the right direction. 

Continue reading “Living in Fear of a Google Algorithm Update?”

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Why Your Local Edmonton Business Needs Digital Marketing? The 6 Standout Facts

Are you looking for a digital marketing expert in the Edmonton area? You’ll be happy to know that Edmonton marketing is among the best in Canada, driven by a combination of superior customer service and a solutions-focused approach that lifts our clients above their competition. We believe every company needs a superhero, and we’re excited to team up with you and conquer the supervillains of your competition.

We’re Digital Marketing Collective, a digital marketing and web design business serving the larger Alberta area and beyond, and we’re offering a variety of digital services. Whether you need SEO services, a centralized dashboard, or a comprehensive ad campaign for your business, we can help. Read on to discover what makes Edmonton marketing special, and how we can transform your business.

Why Your Local Edmonton Business Needs Digital Marketing? The Six Standout Facts

Digital Expertise

Our Edmonton digital experts have expertise across the digital spectrum, matching our users’ knowledge and needs. We have a proven track record in website design, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and mobile optimization. This lets us create comprehensive campaigns for clients, taking care of all your digital needs under one roof without you hiring multiple agencies.

Top-Tier Content

We understand that it’s not just engaging visuals and good design that keep customers coming back to websites – relevant content is also essential to provide a human touch. That’s why we have skilled content writers on staff to illustrate your product or service’s benefits through the eyes of customers just like your readers. Relevant, varied content attracts, converts, and keeps customers – the best way to translate clicks into purchases.

Data-Driven Customer Research

Our statistics team is second to none in Edmonton, using the top software to keep tabs on your purchases and analyze your customer base. The best way to optimize your content for your customers is to know who your customers are and what they want to see. That’s why we prioritize customer research and build our marketing campaigns around our findings, rather than go for broad and untargeted campaigns.

Problem-Solving Skills

Even the most effective company won’t pull off a campaign without a few hitches, which is why it’s important to have a digital marketing agency that can roll with the punches in your corner. The ability to quickly deal with problems as they arise is key to success – you want to minimize downtime and get back up and running before your customers notice. Avoiding a missed deadline when the unexpected happens is key to ensuring a good reputation among your customers.

Global Branding and Reach

The battle for market supremacy isn’t just fought in one country anymore – the internet has taken commerce global, and being able to compete on that platform is key. An effective digital marketing firm will know what sets foreign customers apart from domestic ones and will develop a strategy to connect with them. Having your website available in multiple languages is a good first step.

Flexibility and Transparency

An effective full-service digital marketing agency will be flexible with services and can change up its responsibilities as a client’s needs change. Full-service agencies have people on staff to help with all elements of a company’s digital presence and can take on additional responsibility when needed. Another important factor in gaining clients’ trust is transparency in pricing and deadlines -you’ll never get a nasty surprise in a payment period.

Let Edmonton Marketing Transform Your Business

If you’re looking to get your company’s digital presence up and running faster and more smoothly, a full-service digital marketing agency can help. Contact Digital Marketing Collective for more information on our services and to set up a consultation today.

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6 Amazing Reasons We Love Web Designing (And You Should, Too!)

If you run a business with a significant online presence, you know it’s a dog-eat-dog world on the internet. Every company competing for a slice of the online marketing pie has to contend with a fast-changing digital marketplace and an army of competitors looking to one-up them and hit on the next big innovation first. That’s why the top companies are seeking the help of a professional web designing firm, to ensure they stay ahead of the pack with eye-catching, optimized websites easy for customers to use.

You only get one chance to make a first impression in the digital marketplace, and a professional web design firm can ensure that customers’ first glimpse of your site makes them want to see more. We’re DM Collective, a full-service digital marketing and web designing firm based in the Calgary and Edmonton areas, and we’re taking on new clients looking to win the digital rat race. Read on to discover the top reasons we love web design – and you will too.

6 Amazing Reasons We Love Web Designing (And You Should, Too!)

Built for SEO

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is how you get your company to climb the search engine rankings. Web design plays a role in SEO by making it easy to find your website on any device and by loading your website with quality content that uses the keywords smartly. Understanding search engine algorithms is the key to get your company to show up early on Google, and a professional team knows how to win at the SEO game.

Optimized for Mobile

Having an optimized website for desktop browsers isn’t enough to win in the digital marketplace anymore, because studies show over eighty percent of customers make purchases on mobile. A website that works well on a desktop might be squashed on mobile, and the buttons might be difficult to press. A web design team can design a website that works equally well on either platform.

More Time for Product Development

There’s no one who can develop your product and build your brand like you and your team, so that’s where your efforts should be. Web design is our business, and we’ve built hundreds of websites for clients. By outsourcing your web design work to us, you’re getting the benefit of professional experience and saving your strength for the work only you can do.

A Safety Net

Even the most carefully planned website can hit sudden snags, from a server outage to a broken link. If you designed your own page, it might take a call to an outside IT expert to resolve the problem and get you back up and running. When you have a professional web design firm in your corner, you already have your IT expert just a phone call away and outages can be reduced from days to hours.

Better Conversion Rates

Getting eyes on your website isn’t enough unless you can convert those clicks to sign-ups and purchases. A professional web design team is trained in consumer psychology and knows how to encourage snap decisions. By making it easier to make purchases and giving visual cues to sign up, your website will deliver the conversions your business needs.

A Comprehensive Digital Marketing Plan

Full-service digital marketing agencies take the work of online marketing off your hands. Once we’ve designed your website, we can also handle your social media presence and deliver SEO-optimized content for your website regularly.

How Web Designing Can Transform Your Website and Business

Are you ready to send your business to the top of the Google search rankings? Contact DM Collective today for more information on our services or to set up a consultation today.

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6 Amazing Reasons to Invest in Web Designing

If you’re running a business with an online presence, catching people’s eye with your website and engaging them with your content is half the battle. Many people navigate to and away from a website in only seconds, so the key is to grab customers’ attention and get them to click on the relevant links before they get distracted. That’s why many businesses are turning to professional web designing firms to ensure their websites are optimized for user-friendliness and visual engagement.

With a professionally-designed web page, you’ll get convenient features like a one-stop dashboard for all your features; results-driven design; and one-on-one consulting with an expert in the field. We’re Digital Marketing Collective, a Calgary-based web designing firm taking on new clients looking for help with website design, SEO and our other digital marketing services found here. Read on to discover all the ways a professional web design firm can transform your business and put you on the virtual map.

6 Amazing Reasons to Invest in Web Designing

Your Website is Your First Impression

Online searches are the most common way people find a business, with up to 81% searching for a business online before buying. The first thing they’ll see is your website design, and aesthetics count for a lot. If a potential customer has trouble finding a page or things the site looks outdated, they may go elsewhere – don’t let this happen to you!

Mobile Is the Future

It’s not enough to have a quality website for desktop computers anymore – more people, especially young customers, are relying on mobile to make their purchases. Many websites that work fine on desktop browsers wind up confusing or squashed on a mobile touch-driven browser. A professional web designer knows the tricks of building a website optimized for both desktop and mobile, and many top companies have dedicated apps.

Keeping Up with the Joneses

Unless you’ve created a new product or service you’ve cornered the market on, one of your biggest concerns is going to be competition. That extends to your website too – if your biggest competitor has a flashier or more optimized site, it might not matter that your product is better. A professional web design firm knows what the top companies are doing, and they can give you the edge you need to stay at the top of your field.

The Market Changes Fast

A website that was optimized and state-of-the-art a few years ago may be a relic today. Not only do trends change fast, but the browsers and devices used to navigate them on mobile are updated regularly and many once-effective sites are no longer compatible. When you hire a digital design expert, you’ll have an expert that keeps up on the latest developments and lets you know when you need an update.

Your Personal IT Team

Nothing can derail a hot business faster than a server going out or an important link being broken. Unpredictable things happen on the internet, and if you’re going it alone it could take valuable days before you hire the IT expert you need to get running again. When a digital marketing expert builds your website, you have their number for fast service for any eventuality, getting you back to selling in a fraction of the time.

More Time for Your Priorities

You’re an expert in your product, just like we’re experts in web design. Instead of puzzling out how to build a website, turn it over to us and you can use your time and your staff where they’re most effective – on your brand.

A Professional Web Design Firm – Your Ticket to Success

Every rising business needs an optimized, attractive, and mobile-friendly website. Contact DM Collective today to set up a consultation and see what we can do for you.

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Facebook Relevance Score Removed – What Now?

Relevance Score has reached the end of the road

Earlier in the month we provided insight into four significant Facebook Page updates your business will need to adapt to in 2019. Of course, being the busy bodies they are, Facebook has been making adjustments to their ad platform at a record pace to offer more robust and actionable insights for businesses. But given that “privacy” continues to be the only keyword media cares about after a controversial year for the tech giant, one recent update didn’t get a lot of press – the removal of the Facebook Relevance Score for ads.

For the uninitiated, Relevance Score (scaled 1 to 10) is a reflection of ad performance and helps ensure that users (prospective customers) see ads that matter to them. The intent was to provide a better experience for both businesses and the pubic. The algorithm collected information as people interacted (liked, shared, hid, etc.) and provided feedback (reported) on a given ad, and from there the score would be calculated based on the positive and negative feedback Facebook expected an ad to receive from its target audience thereon in. The intent of the program was to lower the cost of reaching users, help businesses test ad creative before releasing a campaign, and to help optimize campaigns already in progress. 

Sounds good. But now it’s gone, you ask? Yes, and no.

When it comes to Facebook advertising updates, “removal” should always be read as “replacement”, with an intent to provide a better solution for businesses using their ad platform. And that’s what’s happening here. Let’s review.

Facebook’s Three New Relevance Metrics and What Else Your Business Needs to Know After the Removal of Relevance Score

Continue reading “Facebook Relevance Score Removed – What Now?”

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4 New Facebook Page Updates Your Business Must Adapt To in 2019

Reeling off a year ripe with controversy surrounding profile privacy, Facebook had a lot to contend with as it entered the new annum and the wheel is still turning today as they try to appease both shareholders and the most important stakeholders – the end users. And no, we’re not going to rehash the significant changes to business page advertising that occurred in January. You can review those updates here. Instead, there are enough stories taking place here in the late spring season that will ask your business to do things differently for the rest of the fiscal year and beyond. Let’s review.

Four Spring of 2019 Updates Your Facebook Page Manager Needs to Know About

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Ask Us Anything: An Edmonton Marketing Expert Answers Your Questions

If you’re looking to hire a digital marketing expert in the Edmonton or Calgary area, you know there’s no shortage of contenders boasting of their expertise. It’s hard to sift through the pretenders and find the Edmonton marketing expert who can take your business’ digital presence from one of the crowd to top of the heap. That’s why the most important thing you can do when interviewing potential digital marketing firms for your business is to ask the tough questions to separate the best from the rest.

You’re the client, and taking charge of hiring means asking the important questions about how a firm’s business model matches with your plans and needs. We’re Digital Marketing Collective, a full-service digital marketing firm servicing the Edmonton/Calgary area and beyond, and our client-centric model means we’re ready to help you elevate your digital presence to your highest standards. Read on to find out the most important questions to ask an Edmonton marketing expert – and our answers below.

Ask Us Anything: An Edmonton Marketing Expert Answers Your Questions

What Areas of Digital Marketing and Design Do You Cover?

This is an important question to determine if you’re working with a full-service digital marketing agency or a specialized firm. If you only want a specific task done, like designing a website or handling social media marketing, a specialized firm can work. We’re a full-service firm, and we recommend our services because our responsibilities can grow, shrink, and evolve with your plan as your company grows.

Who Will Be Involved in My Project?

It’s not enough to meet with the head of the company – make sure you know who’ll be delegated to handle your company’s website and marketing campaigns. For small one-man companies, a single person can wear many hats. For larger companies, there will be on-site experts in every service we offer and you can expect specialized care to every area of your digital marketing plan.

How Do You Report Results?

Getting the website and marketing campaign up and running is only the first step to a successful digital marketing campaign – you need the follow-through to determine it’s hitting the clickthroughs and demographics you want. That’s why you need to ask for information on the statistical tools used to report results. At Digital Marketing Collective, we use professional-caliber statistical tools that can give you monthly breakdowns of your views, included in the price of your service package.

How Do I Contact You?

One perk of having a full-service digital marketing agency in your pocket is the insurance should a server outage or other technical issue derail your website. Getting back up in hours rather than days can save a business’ momentum. That’s why we’re easily reachable during business hours and can be working on your issue in minutes, and emergency off-hours contacts can be discussed in your contract.

How Do You Work with Your Clients?

Every client prefers a different working style, so we let our clients take the lead. At our first meeting, we invite you to lay out your vision for your business’ digital presence and see how it can work with our services. You can give us freedom to let our experts take the lead, or lay out every step of the process for them to follow.

What Services Do You Offer?

Digital Marketing Collective offers a wide range of digital marketing and web design services, and you can choose from our menu here.

We Answer Your Questions and Set You Up for Success

These are the questions anyone should ask before hiring a digital marketing and web design expert, but they’re far from the only ones we can answer. Contact Digital Marketing Collective with more questions and to set up a consultation today.

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Google Guarantee for Home Services and Your Local Business

For the uninitiated, Google Local Services Ads allow you to advertise your business on on the top of Google search engine results pages (SERPs) and receive leads directly from potential customers/clients. These leads arrive via phone calls and/or messages, delivered through the Local Services Ad application. In addition, the platform allows business owners and account managers the option to reply to messages, track bookings, and manage all leads online, from anywhere at anytime. Better yet, you only pay for leads related to your business and the services you offer – something that PPC (when poorly managed, that is) has struggled with. But the perhaps the most interesting component here, is the Local Services Ads’ Google Guarantee program.

The Google Guarantee badge  will help your local business establish a great online reputation. And what’s enticing for users (prospective customers/clients) is that if they are not satisfied with your business’ quality of work and they can prove (within reason) their case, Google may refund up to the amount paid for work that is booked through Local Services Ads. There is of course a cap for coverage, which for the U.S. and Canada is $2000 USD/CAD respectively. View more of the nitty gritty here.

Top SERP results, badging to prove your qualifications as a local service provider, and a money back guarantee offer to customers from Google (not you)? You probably want to sign up right now, right? While the program has been up and running in the U.S. since 2017, and was just recently released in Toronto ON and Vancouver BC, it is not yet available (at press) in Alberta. But it will be very soon, which is why you’ve found this article at the right time. Keep reading.

5 Things Your Local Business Needs to Know About the Google Guarantee Program and Why You Should Join Today

Continue reading “Google Guarantee for Home Services and Your Local Business”

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