3 Things to Know Before You Invest in Radio
Should radio be part of your business’s advertising strategy? What’s the right mix of media for your marketing plan? Today, there are more media options to choose from than ever before and getting a strong return on your marketing investment often depends on getting the media mix right. If you’re not sure how to determine what the right mix is, here are some factors that will help you decide where radio advertising and other marketing mediums best fit into your plan.
1. Radio Offers Mass Reach to Build Awareness
For years, research by The Nielsen Company has shown that radio is the number one reach medium in the country. The 2018 report is no different. Every week, more than 93% of Americans tune into AM/FM radio. That’s more than watch television, use smartphones, tablets or computers. And that’s just over-the-air listening, streaming of radio stations continues to grow online, on mobile apps and over home audio devices, such as Amazon’s Echo and Google Home.
Contrary to some perceptions, radio has been extremely resilient in the digital era. Even with the rise of digital platforms, radio has maintained a strong reach. TV, on the other hand, is eroding in the face of ‘cord-cutting’ among cable customers and increased use of on-demand streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
So, if your business depends on reaching a large percentage of potential customers in your market area to build awareness, radio makes sense. And you’ll find that on a cost-per-reach basis, radio is among the most economical advertising platforms you can choose from.
2. Radio Wins New Customers
In another Nielsen study, radio advertising resulted in a 64% increase in new customers for an auto aftermarket retailer. Why? Radio advertising won new customers for this retailer because it reached a large percentage of potential customers in the market and it delivered the advertiser’s message with high frequency. This resulted in increased brand awareness and an increased likelihood to buy—just the formula for winning new customers.
3. Radio Delivers a Strong Return on Investment (ROI)
Recently the Westwood One network had independent research conducted to analyze the return on investment of radio schedules in the consumer packaged goods category. In partnership with Nielsen Catalina Solutions, they connected radio ads exposure to purchase data from over 90 million households and found that the brand experienced an 8% sales lift and nearly a $12 return on every ad dollar spent. Again, this speaks to the effectiveness of radio advertising in reaching a wide swath of current and potential customers.
4. Combine Radio With Digital Marketing
Have you considered pairing your radio advertising with targeted digital advertising? Studies prove that
radio advertising can increase website traffic as potential customers learn about the brand and want more information. And targeted digital ads can build on this momentum resulting in even better marketing results. Successful campaigns can include targeted digital display ads, Facebook ads and even paid search advertising. When the reach and frequency of a radio campaign is matched with the targeting power of digital, strong results have often followed.
Need Some Help?
DBC radio stations cover all of Delaware, much of Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Eastern Maryland, reaching more than a half million listeners each week. Our formats are designed to reach various age ranges, allowing you to target your prime prospects by both geography and demographics. As a local advertiser, you can take advantage of the strong reach and effective delivery that DBC radio stations can bring to your marketing message. Contact us at the form below to learn more about DBC Media radio stations and reaching our passionate listeners.
4 Reasons Your Email Marketing Campaign Isn’t Working
“It is the leading generator of ROI over any other type of direct marketing and can be used for multiple use cases, including promotions, informational content, social sharing, relationship management and more,” said Seamas Egan, Manager of Revenue Operations for Campaigner, on email marketing.
The power of email marketing is undeniable. It’s one of the best tools on the market today for businesses that want to forge 
deeper connections with their clients and increase online sales. You know the statistics because, after all, that’s why you decided to invest in email marketing to begin with. But after the last few weeks, few months or few years, you might be wondering why you’re not getting the great results seen by everyone else in your industry. If this sounds like you, chances are you’ve made one or more of these common mistakes. Here’s a look at four ways you could be sabotaging your email marketing campaign and some steps you can take turn email marketing into your business’s strongest marketing strategy.
Your emails are going to spam
“To spam or not to spam?”…that is the question an email server asks every time a message enters its digital universe. And it decides on the fate of each message by looking at how other recipients have interacted with emails that originate from the same sender. So, if your business has been sending ineffective e-blasts to outdated email addresses, it’s likely that your emails are bypassing the inbox and landing directly in the spam box. Your business’s messages could also be landing in spam if you’re sending too many emails from the same server at the same time.
If you’ve been making any of these common mistakes, here are some steps you can take to get your emails out of spam and into your prospects’ inboxes:
- Delete all emails that generate error notices
- Only send to users who have given you permission
- Expand your list by adding new email addresses
- Revamp your content—make sure you’re always sending relevant, helpful information
- Use a quality tool schedule and deploy your e-blast campaigns from multiple servers
Your subject lines aren’t clear
While it’s always good practice to keep your copy concise and to the point, research by Return Path shows that there’s actually no correction between subject line length and open rate. So, what’s really preventing your emails from being read? It’s likely that users aren’t getting a clear picture of what’s inside your email. Business owners are sometimes so focused on the length of their subject line that they fail to write a subject that’s informative and compelling enough for consumers to open.
If you want your emails to pique the interest of your potential consumers, get to the point. Email users today don’t have time to read between the lines, they like subject lines that accurately describe what they’ll find inside. Here are some examples of good vs. bad subject lines:
Bad
- We’ve got something you might want to see
- Looking for spring clothing? Check out our sale this week!
- We’re offering a customer appreciation month discount
Good
- Get $25 OFF your purchase of $50 – Today Only!
- Extended for a day! Get 50% OFF all spring accessories through Friday
- Your 50% off offer expires tomorrow, redeem online now!
You’re missing a call-to-action (CTA)
It might seem obvious that your business’s emails should tell consumers what you want their next move to be, but forgetting to include a call to action is more common than you might think. Before you hit send on your next email marketing campaign, always have another person proof your email for clarity, just like you would for grammar. An outsider reading your email should have no problem understanding why you’re contacting them and what you’re directing them to do. For example, if your email contains a coupon, you’ll want to explain what it’s for, if it can be used online and when it expires.
As you compose your next e-blast, look at your work from a consumer’s perspective. Ask yourself questions like:
- Does my email clearly explain its purpose?
- Does my email contain all necessary links?
- Is my email missing my website link, business address, phone number, etc.?
- Is my email confusing because it contains too many messages?
Your timing is off
If you haven’t identified with any of these mistakes, yet your email marketing campaigns are still struggling, your level of 
performance could be the result of poor timing. In recent years, various researchers have studied how consumers interact with emails on different days of the week and at different times throughout each day. As a result, we now have strong evidence to support the theory that timing does impact the success of your business’s email campaigns. One recent study by Propeller shows that consumers are most likely to open emails on Tuesdays at 10:00 am. However, it really does depend on who your clients are. The Propeller study goes on to show that there are three main groups with distinct email habits.
- B2C – consumers
- B2B – entrepreneurs and workaholics
- B2B – normal people
Here are some statistics from the Propeller study that shows how email open times differ between B2B and B2C organizations. As you review the data, determine which category best describes your consumers and consider making adjustments to your email timing if you’re not targeting consumers at peak engagement hours.
Practice makes perfect
Email marketing campaigns can be very profitable for businesses that find the right combination of timing and content for their individual consumer base. If you aren’t seeing results right away, don’t be discouraged. Most businesses go through several rounds of trial and error before they begin to see results. If you need help getting your business’s email marketing campaign back on track, the experts at DBC Interactive can help. We’ve partnered with businesses throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to manage and drive new leads with email marketing campaigns. Here are several case studies that illustrate how our email marketing services have helped businesses large and small.
Interested in learning more about how we can help improve your business’s email marketing campaign? Contact us today to set up a free consultation.
6 Simple Ways to Improve Your Local Search Visibility
If you’re a business with a brick-and-mortar location, taking steps to increase your visibility on local search could easily result in a boost to your bottom line by this time next year. According to Google, 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find information about local businesses, including store hours, addresses, product availability and directions. Google also reports that 18% of local smartphone searches led to a purchase within a day. As more research is done on consumer behavior, we’re continuing to find that people who conduct local searches are ready to make a purchase decision; and if you’re a business owner, these are the consumers you want to reach. So what can you do to increase your visibility on search engines? Here’s a list of 6 steps you can take right now to help increase your local search visibility.
1. Create a Google My Business account
According to a study by Moz, Google My Business is the biggest driver of local SEO success. Having a My Business account will help your company appear in Google search results and Google Maps when people search for your business, or businesses similar to yours. My Business accounts are also 100% free to set up, making it an easy, cost-effective way for you to boost your business’s visibility on local search results.
2. Increase your number of social sites
The larger your business’s online footprint, the more likely your business is to be noticed and recommended by Google to consumers who are conducting a local search. The key here is choosing social sites that make sense for your business type. For example, if your business sells products that are more visual, like home décor, you should consider creating profiles on sites like Facebook and Instagram; rather than professional sites like LinkedIn. If you’re not quite sure what to post on each site, read this article to learn more about social posting for businesses.
3. Correct outdated information
Does your website still say you’re open 7 days-a-week when you’re only open on weekdays? If you’ve made changes to your business hours, address or phone number, it’s crucial that you update all of your online profiles to reflect accurate information, even if it’s just a temporary change. Failing to do so could result in mismatched information across sites and negative customer reviews; both will hinder your likelihood of showing up in local search results.
4. Don’t ignore customer reviews
It’s rare for any business to get all positive reviews online. So if you do happen to get negative reviews from time to time (perhaps, because of misleading business hours), the worst thing you can do is ignore them. Take time to respond to people who gave your business negative reviews with your apologies and any solution you can offer if there is one. You’ll also want to engage with consumers who gave positive reviews of your business. Giving happy customers a little TLC is just as important. Here are some do’s and don’ts to follow when responding to consumer reviews.
5. Optimize your website
If you want to show up in local search results, you’ll want to make sure that your website speaks a language that Google can understand. If you have broken links, make sure they’re updated. If you have images with no meta-tags, add simple descriptions to explain what your images convey. These are all simple updates that you or your web designer can make in one afternoon.
6. Get shout-outs
When other businesses link to your website, it creates a domino effect that leads to increased SEO for your business. Links
help create awareness of your business with locals, which can lead to an increase in searches and visits to your business’s website. Gaining a rise in both these areas will benefit your local search visibility because Google wants to recommend businesses that locals are interested in. For example, if a user searches for “restaurants”, Google is more likely to recommend a site that’s been visited 100,000, over a site that’s only been visited 500 times, with the same search.
Take your visibility to the next level
Your business’s ability to appear in local search results is becoming more important as consumers turn to Google for all of their shopping needs. By making these 6 updates, you’re putting your business in a much better position to be discovered by local users at a time when they’re ready to buy.
If you’re looking for a more robust local SEO marketing plan, the experts at DBC Interactive can help you prepare a marketing plan that targets your unique business needs. Our team works with businesses throughout Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, like McCombs Supply Co., Inc., to boost their local SEO. We can help implement strategies for your business like:
If you have questions about these strategies or want to learn more, contact DBC Interactive today to discuss how we can help your business gain more customers in 2018.
New Year’s Eve Marketing Ideas for Businesses on a Budget
If you’re throwing a New Year’s Eve party at your bar or restaurant, chances are you’ve already invested plenty of time and money into making your event the celebration of the year. You might not feel like putting the extra effort into marketing this late in the game, but if you want your event to be profitable, devoting some time and money towards event marketing will make all the difference. With so many options and so little time, you’ll need to prepare your strategy quickly. Luckily, our experts at DBC Interactive are here to help. Here are 4 tips to help you spread that word about your New Year’s Eve event before it’s too late.
Create awareness with radio
Radio ads are a great way to build brand awareness with locals who are looking for things to do on New Year’s Eve. According to a study by Edison Research, radio reaches 93 percent of the adult population weekly, making it possible for 
your bar or restaurant to quickly reach a large number local consumers in a cost-efficient manner. If you’re a Delaware, Maryland or Pennsylvania business owner, DBC Interactive can help you record and place radio ads that fit into your business’s budget. Try following these guidelines to get the most out of your radio advertising:
- Don’t talk to everyone – The best messages are specific. Narrow your audience by creating radio ads that appeal to a particular group of consumers on a specific occasion. For example, instead of saying “Delaware’s best Piano Bar” try “Ring in the New Year with exclusive musical performances, dancing and door prizes at the Piano Bar.”
- Include a call to action – If you want people to come to your bar or restaurant’s New Year’s Eve party, provide them with the next steps to do so. Do listeners need to purchase tickets online? Should listeners be prepared to pay a cover at the door? Providing some guidance to your listeners increases the likelihood that they’ll attend your event because they know what’s required of them.
- Don’t be shy – Great radio ads paint a picture in the minds of listeners of what they can expect to experience at your bar or restaurant’s event. To help spark the imagination of your radio listeners, don’t forget to provide details about your New Year’s Eve party, including theme, food specials, drink specials, music and anything else that sets your business apart from the competition.
Increase effectiveness with digital ads
Radio advertising is one of the best ways you can share your event with large, diverse groups of people. Some listeners may be interested, some may not, and some may be on the fence. To move these listeners further down your funnel, show them how great your party will be through digital advertising. Digital ads take audience targeting to a new level, helping you visually convey the perks of attending your event to locals who fall into the demographics you choose to target, including age, interests and location. Digital ads can also link to the website, social media site or landing page of your choice. This is your bar or restaurant’s opportunity to tell users everything you want them to know about your event. Don’t forget to include visuals, like photos and videos, that show-off the success of your past events.
Digital ads can be particularly helpful for bar and restaurant owners that sell New Year’s Eve event tickets online because they can be directly linked to e-commerce portals, making purchases easy for users and business owners alike. DBC Interactive can help you choose the right type of digital advertising to fit your needs. Here are a few types of digital ads to consider:
Attract social people with social media marketing
Want to get people excited about your New Year’s Eve party? Using social media to share photos and videos of your bar or 
restaurant’s recent events can help capture the attention of customers looking for a place to party on New Year’s Eve. If you’re struggling to figure out what to share on social media or how often to post, remember that quality beats quantity. It’s important to post consistently, but only if you’re sharing information that’s:
- Relevant to your audience
- Helpful
- Entertaining
Make sure that your posts include photos and videos. Consider sharing images of last year’s event or sneak peek videos of what’s to come this year. DBC Interactive can help your bar or restaurant create and set up social media posts that capture the attention of your target demographic. Our experts have the capability to schedule your posts throughout the month, eliminating the need for daily check-ins.
Stay top of mind with email marketing
Email marketing is a powerful channel for bar and restaurant owners who are looking for ways to promote New Year’s Eve events. Business owners can purchase email lists or build them internally by collecting customer information. Creating your own email list is a little more work, but it does offer several advantages. First, creating your own list won’t cost you anything. Second, you’re reaching people who already know and like your bar or restaurant. Third, you know that the people on your list are interested in receiving updates about what’s happening at your business.
Purchasing an email list also has its advantages. Purchased lists will likely include emails for people who haven’t been to your bar or restaurant, in addition to those that have. Marketing to a mixture of current and new customers is a great way to create awareness and attract new customers to your upcoming event. If you don’t already have an email list, it’s not too late. DBC Interactive can you purchase an email list and create content that garners the attention locals who are looking to have a great time this New Years.
Put Your Event in the Spotlight!
Your bar or restaurant could appeal to thousands of people planning to hit the town on New Year’s Eve. If you need some help with your New Year’s Eve marketing, contact DBC Interactive today to schedule a free consultation. DBC Interactive will work with your budget to help you develop a marketing strategy that creates awareness about your bar or restaurant’s upcoming New Year’s Eve event.
Millennial who? Marketers move on to Generation Z
In the past few years, many businesses have focused their marketing efforts on reaching the millennial generation. Today, the youngest millennials are finally entering the workforce making way for the next generation of influencers, Generation Z (Gen Z). According to Forbes, Generation Z is typically defined as those born between the years of 1996 and 2010. Gen Z’s and millennials might share commonalities, but don’t let that fool you into thinking Gen Z’s will respond to the same type of marketing. If you want to capture the attention of this influential generation, it’s important to understand their lifestyle. Here’s a look at what makes Gen Z’s different and what these differences mean for your marketing strategy.
The digital world is their world
Generation Z is the first generation to grow up completely immersed in a digital environment. Having never lived in a world without internet, connecting and engaging through digital media is not necessarily a conscious decision, but more so a part of this generation’s culture. According to a study by Goldman Sachs, nearly half of Gen Z’s are connected online for 10 hours or more per day through their mobile phones and other devices.
Take advantage of Generation Z’s mobile attachment by incorporating text messages into your marketing strategy. These digital-first thinkers are available to see your ads at any given moment on their mobile devices. With text marketing, you can target mobile users in Delaware, Maryland or Pennsylvania to help drive Gen Z’s into your local business. Text messages are reported to have an open rate of 90 percent within 3 seconds, making text marketing an extremely effective way to reach mobile audiences (Adobe).
They do their research
Generation Z’s digital penchant might lead you to believe that they also prefer a digital shopping experience, but research shows 
that’s not the case. According to a study by NRF, 67 percent of Gen Z’s shop in brick-and-mortar stores most of the time, with another 31 percent shopping in-store sometimes, which indicates 97 percent of this cohort shop in brick-and-mortar stores at least some of the time. Once a Gen Z decides to visit your store, what sets them apart from other generations is how well-informed they are about the items they plan to purchase. According to IBM, 98 percent of Gen Z’s know exactly what they’re looking for when they walk into a store. For Gen Z’s, the decision-making process begins with online research where they look at cost, quality and user reviews. When it’s time to buy, the Gen Z shopper already knows what item they want and where they can find it.
If your goal is to attract Gen Z shoppers to your business, you’ll need to capture their attention while they’re still in the online research phase of the purchase cycle; and the best way to do that is by grabbing their attention with video. Because Gen Z’s spend more time conducting online research, it’s important to provide them with as much information as possible about your business’s products and services online. In addition to written descriptions and images, including informative videos on your business’s website and social media pages will help Gen Z’s discover the features and benefits of using your products.
They’re more fiscally conservative
This is where Generation Z’s and millennials really differ. According to Goldman Sachs, Gen Z’s are acutely focused on the financial consequences of their decisions, which is a far cry from the millennial mentality to “follow your dreams at all costs.” Evidence of these opposing ideologies is also seen in generational definitions of success. According to the Cassandra Report, 66 percent of Gen Z’s believe that having “a lot of money” is evidence of success, while only 44 percent of millennials believe the same (Goldman Sachs). “A survey by Lincoln Financial Group found that Gen Z is saving much earlier than previous http://www.dbcinteractive.com/radio/
generations – 60% of them already have savings accounts. The same survey revealed this generation’s top three priorities: getting a job, finishing college, and safeguarding money for the future (Precision Dialogue).”
The fiscally conservative nature and age of Generation Z’s make them less likely to splurge on non-essentials like satellite radio. If you want to reach the Gen Z market, radio advertising is where you want to be. Targeting Gen Z’s through radio is easy because of their very predictable school schedule. Gen Z’s are also more likely to listen to new music, making it easier for you to determine which local stations will best reach this demographic.
Ready to start marketing to Gen Z?
If you want to reach Gen Z’s with your marketing, understanding their differences is the first step towards developing a well-rounded marketing plan. The experts at DBC Interactive understand how to reach Gen Z’s through text message, video and radio marketing in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. If you’re not sure where to start, contact DBC Interactive for a free marketing consultation today.
4 Mobile Marketing Tips to Attract Holiday Shoppers in 2017
For the first time ever, researchers at Adobe predict that more than half of holiday website visits this season will come from mobile phones and tablets, surpassing desktop computers. Consumers today expect to find answers to their questions at a moment’s notice. They’re using their smartphones to search for things like gift ideas, holiday deals, store locations and phone numbers anytime, anywhere.
But that doesn’t mean shoppers are always interested in seeing your holiday ads. Smart business owners know they need to deliver the right ads at the right time. And if your ads aren’t timely and relevant, your messages will be ignored. While a variety of channels should always be part of your marketing mix, advertising through mobile media is one of the best ways to reach shoppers during moments when they want to see your ads. When shoppers perform searches on mobile, they are:
- 57 percent more likely to visit a store
- 40 percent more likely to call a business
- 51 percent more likely to make a purchase
So how can your business reach consumers at the right moment this holiday season? Here are a few best practices put together by the digital marketing experts at DBC Interactive.
1. Be mobile-friendly
Every day, holiday shoppers are turning to their cell phones to find information about items on their holiday shopping list. As more shoppers migrate to a mobile platform, the expectation of the user experience continues to grow. If your website is slow to load or doesn’t adjust to fit your shopper’s device screen, you could easily lose a potential sale. To keep up with shopper expectations, many businesses are moving to websites that have responsive design.
Responsive design works by adjusting to fit any user’s screen size, platform and phone orientation, seamlessly creating an easy-to-use interface. According to a study by IAQUIRE and SurveyMonkey, 40% of users will leave your site for another result if your website isn’t mobile-friendly. If your business hasn’t made the move to responsive design, making this simple change could help you bring in business you didn’t know you were missing this holiday season.
2. Know when you’re needed
Think about how and when your customers use digital tools and devices during their holiday shopping. Are they wandering the mall scouting out the best Black Friday deals or are they researching holiday travel plans well in advance? If you’re working on your business’s holiday marketing plan, it can be helpful to map out the different paths and decision processes of your customers, then plan how you can use digital marketing to meet their needs in those specific moments.
3. Understand the power of search engines
What if I told you that your business’s holiday ads could appear at the top of the most popular websites in the world and you only had to pay for these ads if users clicked on them? This type of advertising might sound too good to be true, but it’s actually a very effective and affordable way for small businesses to promote their holiday gifts on Google. Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns are designed to market your business to shoppers who are using search engines to find products or services that you sell, especially during the holidays when competition among retailers is fierce. If you aren’t sure whether or not PPC is right for your business, contact our team of experts at DBC Interactive for help. We can provide you with more information about how PPC works and give recommendations that fit into your business’s marketing budget.
4. Explore geo-targeting
Most mobile devices today are location-enabled, providing business owners with a huge opportunity to target holiday shoppers by their location at any given moment. How could this help your business? Consider this: You’re the owner of a retail shop in the mall and you want to attract holiday shoppers with a 50% off sale. Wouldn’t it be nice to send your 50% off ad to every single shopper using their cell phone in the mall? With geo-targeting, you can do exactly that. Whether your goal is to reach holiday shoppers near your business or shoppers anywhere else on the map, geo-targeting makes it possible for you to very specifically target your ads by location. Another geo-targeting strategy that you can employ is targeting your competition’s location. This tactic works especially well for businesses that sell more niche products.
If you haven’t moved into the world of mobile marketing, now is the time to strike. Contact us today for a free consultation and tell us more about your Delaware, Maryland or Southern New Jersey business.
Pandora vs. FM Radio: For Advertising, There’s a Clear Winner
For years, AM/FM radio advertising was the only option for businesses that wanted to market themselves over the air. With the advent of digital media and streaming sites like Pandora, reaching your prospects over the airwaves isn’t as straightforward as it once was. This has led many business owners to question which method of advertising is best for them: digital streaming, or traditional radio? Below we’ve compared radio across several major categories, and have identified a clear winner for those looking to advertise in this space.
Criteria 1: Audience Targeting
Many business’s pride themselves on creating a very loyal following and/or targeting a very specific audience. Let’s take a look at what Pandora and AM/FM radio have to offer. Pandora offers specific advertising options on individual channels, focused on an artist or a narrowly defined style of music. Before choosing Pandora, consider if you’re comfortable limiting your audience to listeners of one specific artist or song title. Also, Pandora’s connection to their listeners is based on the data such as mobile number and location entered when the customer signs up. Changes to the user location (a move, off to college, etc.), can mean delivery of your messages to the wrong geography.
Broadcast radio stations provide formats that attract certain types of people, or specific demographics. Because radio is built to attract demographics, advertisers have the ability to target specific audiences by time of day. For business owners, radio’s variety of narrow and broad targeting options can be used to reach a more reliable target audience, creating a more well-rounded campaign. While both mediums provide advertisers with targeting capabilities, local radio stations possess a deeper understanding of their local market and listener trends, helping business owners reach a more qualified audience.
Criteria 2: Listener Engagement
AM/FM radio’s loyal following gives it a clear advantage over Pandora. Radio stations use information and entertaining on-air personalities to engage and retain listeners, especially morning and evening commuter traffic. Radio stations know that daily commuters are creatures of habit, and they cultivate habitual listening by playing their most popular segments during peak travel times. Local news, weather, traffic and entertainment and even contesting creates a bond between listeners and ‘their station.’ Pandora does not offer local content for listeners, few personalities, and engagement is limited. It may be able to be ‘personalized, but Pandora is not ‘personal.’
Criteria 3: Reach
How many people will your business’s ad reach on AM/FM radio versus Pandora Radio? To answer the question of who has the largest reach, we looked to a study conducted by Edison Research on how Americans consume audio. The research shows that AM/FM radio reaches an audience 10 times the size of ad-supported Pandora. Radio claims 51 percent of audio time spent by persons 18 and older, compared to Pandora’s 5 percent. And country-wide, radio reaches 93% of the adult population weekly.
Pandora vs. FM Radio: Results
While FM radio and Pandora both have their pros and cons, we’re naming FM radio the winner of this contest. FM radio’s audience targeting capabilities range from broad to narrow, allowing advertisers to have more control over who their marketing messages are reaching. When it comes to listener engagement, FM radio has mastered the art of cultivating and retaining listeners through the use of radio shows, on-air personalities and contests. Finally, FM radio’s reach is far beyond that of Pandora claiming 51 percent of audio time spend by adults. If you’re interested in learning more about FM radio advertising, our experienced team of professionals is here to help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
5 Business Management Tools That Boost Productivity
Owning a small business can be one of the most difficult and time-consuming careers to have. You’re the manager, the accountant, the maintenance man, the HR rep, and the face of the company. With so much going on, how can you make time to work on the business while you are being pulled in so many different directions in the business? You might wonder why the competition in town seems to have it all figured out. You ask yourself questions like “What are they doing that I’m not?” “Do they know something that I don’t?” “Maybe they’re just better at this than I am…” If these thoughts are running through your head, you’re not alone. If you want to get a leg up on the competition, you need to start working smarter.
Successful business owners understand that delegation is key to operating a successful enterprise. In today’s world, that means finding appropriate business management tools for your business and using those tools to enhance your office’s productivity and efficiency. If you haven’t been using management tools already, there are thousands of them out there to choose from. Here’s our top five list of tools that will help you take your business to the next level.
1. Dropbox
Dropbox is a safe and easy way for you to store files, docs, photos, and videos in one space that’s easily accessible from any device. Once stored in Dropbox, files can be edited, updated, and shared with others. Dropbox also allows multiple users to edit the same document at the same time, always updating and displaying the latest version to each user.
Cost: Free
Website: Dropbox
Best for: Businesses that share documents and files remotely with employees or clients
2. IFTTT
Don’t worry, you’re not out of touch if you don’t know what the acronym IFTTT means. “If This, Then That” is one of the greatest tools that no one knows about. IFTTT enables you to connect and automate processes that otherwise wouldn’t work together. Here’s an example of a process or “recipe” you can implement: If the motion detector in my business goes off after 10 pm, then I will get an alert on my iPhone. There are many ways you can use IFTTT to increase efficiently in your business and everyday life, especially if you already utilize Smart products.
Cost: Free
Website: IFTTT
Best for: Best for businesses that rely heavily on processes and business owners who can’t live without their Amazon Echo
3. Intuit QuickBooks
In addition to their well-known accounting software, QuickBooks provides solutions that help small business owners streamline invoicing and payment collection. Solutions like this are a dime a dozen, but QuickBooks offers a couple features that set them apart from the rest. First, QuickBooks allows you to customize invoices with your business colors and logo. Their software also enables your clients to make online payments, making the payment process easier for clients and more efficient for you.
Cost: $5 – $30 per month
Website: Intuit QuickBooks
Best for: Businesses-to-business transactions and businesses with eCommerce sites
4. DataConnect
DataConnect sums up what they do perfectly: “How eCommerce integration should be. Quick. Painless. And not your problem.” Need a little more information? Just go to the “No, really. What does it do?” tab on their Q&A page and you will find this explanation: “DataConnect was built to reduce in-house development efforts for eCommerce platform connectors to a minimum and enable you to concentrate on your core business. No more dealing with platform-specific authorizations, authentications, data formatting or de-serializations. Increase your number of available shopping platforms without having to write custom integrations each time. Scale without additional development. It’s how eCommerce integration should be. Quick. Painless. And not your problem.” We love DataConnect, but we really love their sense of humor.
Cost: Free trial / Prices vary
Website: Dataconnect
Best for: Businesses with eCommerce platforms that are seeking superior customer service
5. ClockIt
If you’re still using paper time cards to track your employees’ attendance, upgrading to a digital tracking system will save you time and money. ClockIt is a cloud-based workforce automation tool that works seamlessly for businesses that employ on-site and off-site employees. If your employees are coming and going throughout the day, they can easily access ClockIt via their mobile phone to record their hours, lunch breaks, etc. For businesses in the transportation industry, ClockIt offers GPS tracking services making mileage reimbursement easy for employers to track and calculate.
Cost: Free trial / $8 – $100 per month
Website: ClockIt
Best for: All businesses, especially those with employees who are on the road
HOW TO GET MORE BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE CUSTOMERS
We’ve said it before — the beauty and personal care industry is booming. Millennials’ love of digital media and their strong desire to look their best in their selfies combine to make the beauty and personal care industry stronger than ever. The personal care industry has been growing steadily, according to research from The NPD Group.
Although digital media has certainly increased Millennials’ desire to look great, women of all ages still prefer to buy at brick and mortar locations. Women want to touch products, try samples and interact with people when they buy cosmetics, hair care products, shaving supplies, perfumes and more.
How do you make sure women in Delaware, Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania find your business and buy your products? We’ve got a few ideas for you.
Instagram is a strong way to show off visual products and visual results. Users rely on Instagram for beauty ideas and inspiration, so it’s a natural place to place marketing messages. Feature photos of your products, or announce new arrivals. Take selfies with customers or encourage customers to post their own selfies. Take advantages of your suppliers’ gorgeous photography and put your logo in the corner (with their permission of course!) Get even more reach for your posts with paid advertising campaigns from DBCi. We can help you make a splash on Instagram.
Search Marketing
So many people today start their research online. They look for products, read reviews and look for retailers that carry certain products or brands. If you want to get in front of these people, you’ll need to spend time increasing your search engine ranking. Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) helps your business rank higher on search engines by making sure your website has the best mix of keywords, structure and images. Search Engine Marketing (or SEM) refers to placing paid listing or ads for your business within search engines, to ensure your business pops up sooner. DBCi helps business all over the Delaware Valley get in front of the right customers faster by improving both SEO and SEM.
Radio Advertising
Want to reach women on the go? Nothing drives retail traffic faster than radio. Our team represents a wide range of radio stations, each with special marketing and audience traits that can work to your business’s advantage. Radio is especially effective in promoting sales and limited-time offers. Our DBCi staff can create a radio plan that fits your marketing needs, and your budget.
Are You Ready To Grow Your Business?
Our team of experienced digital professionals offer a broad selection of marketing tools that can help you find and convert more clients and customers. The beauty and personal care industry is growing. Make sure your business grows too. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
3 Digital Tips for Healthcare Marketers
More people are turning to the web to find healthcare information and practices and businesses they need. And why not? Search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing can make it easy for all kinds of people to locate all sorts of healthcare products and services. During these searches, people often form a first impression. They learn things like ”Which insurance carriers does your practice accept?” “What kind of reviews have previous patients left?” and “Does your practice conduct itself with high standards of integrity and ethics?”
Often, they get their first impression of your business before your website is even visited. First impressions may take shape as consumers subconsciously ask themselves:
- Are they ranked high on Google?
- Have I seen advertisements by them?
- Do I keep seeing their name?
- Does it seem like people like them?
Are you unsure of what kind of first impression your potential patients and customers might have of you based on these four questions? If so, it might be a good time to take a few minutes to look at your business from the eyes of a potential patient or customer. Google yourself. Take stock of your community outreach. Complete a self-assessment.
Evaluating oneself can sometimes be difficult, but it’s an essential step to improving your digital brand. Check out the solutions below from marketing experts at DBC Interactive and learn how you can improve your business’s first impression.
DIAGNOSIS: Your website’s search engine ranking is low
TREATMENT: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If your website is easy for search engines to read, search engines are more likely to rank your website higher in subsequent search results. Here are some tips that will help you optimize your website code:
- Make sure your website lists relevant keywords and phrases
- Include Alt tags on your photos
- Edit meta tags to ensure accessibility
Don’t panic if you have no idea what an “Alt tag” is; most people don’t. Optimizing a website is frequently an ongoing effort in an unfamiliar territory, which is why many business owners hire digital marketing consultants like DBC Interactive to manage their SEO efforts.
DIAGNOSIS: No digital ad presence
TREATMENT: Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Your healthcare business is losing leads if you’re not marketing your services online. Search engine marketing, or SEM, is a quick way to drive traffic to your website, especially if your healthcare business appeals to a specific demographic. One of the most effective SEM techniques used to target specific audiences is called Dynamic PPC. Dynamic PPC, commonly referred to as “pay-per-click”, allows your healthcare practice to:
- Place paid ads around relevant searches
- Pay an amount for your ads that is based on the number of clicks to your site
- Have presence on search result pages without relying solely on the search engines to rank your website
DBCi has experts who can help you create a vibrant PPC program that drives the right people to your website.
DIAGNOSIS: You’re having difficulty keeping your healthcare practice top-of-mind with your patients and customers
TREATMENT: Retargeting
Being at the top of the search engine results will certainly help bring consumers to your website, but retargeting will help you even more. Retargeting keeps your ads in front of potential patients and customers, even after they have left your website. A retargeting program can sending ads for days or even weeks after a website visit. Using retargeting, you can:
- Target display ads directly at potential patients or customers that have visited your website
- Send specific messages to potential patients based on their behavior
- Remind past website visitors that they should consult with you
Retargeting is one of the many digital products that fall under DBC Interactive’s menu of services. Whether you want digital, web, mobile or radio advertising, the media experts at DBC Interactive for are ready to help you build a media plan that delivers your best customers.
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