tuna traffic s · 3 trends in search engine optimization (seo) 4 trends in customer experience and...

OF DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS

TUNA TRAFFIC’S

2019

CONTENTS

1 Trends in Social Media

2019 DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS 2

2 Trends in Email Marketing

3 Trends in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

4 Trends in Customer Experience and Reputation

5 Trends in Content Strategy

6 Trends In Digital Marketing

7 Trends In User Experience (UX)

8 Trends in Digital Design

9 Trends in Mobile


Ultimate Marketing Checklist for 2019

0 = If you have little to no experience with this trend/opportunity

1 = If you have some experience

2 = If you have lots of experience

The end of the year is the perfect time to look both back and look forward. Take stock of what you’ve accomplished and look ahead to what is on the horizon. In the spirit of this reflective time, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of not 10, not 20, not even 30, but 50 of the biggest trends and opportunities for digital marketing in 2019.

Not only that, but we’ve also added a checklist tool that you can use to evaluate your current digital presence. Find out your grade and we’ll help you figure out your to-do list for taking your marketing to the next level.

TRENDS INSOCIAL MEDIA

Be there or be square.Let’s start here: If your business doesn’t have a presence on social media (or worse, your business is there but you’re not active), make 2019 the year of developing a social media strategy. If you care about appearing where your consumers may be looking for your product/service, listen up: Social media is gaining on search engines for online product research. In fact, 28% of consumershave said they use social for product research (HootSuite). If that weren’t enough, many consumers look to a company’s social media activity and following (or lack thereof) for social proof, which is anything that may lead them to trust you more (think testimonials, badges, case studies, number of followers, etc.). So, be there or be square!

Grade Yourself

0 - Little or No Experience 1 - Some Experience 2 - Lots of Experience

1

Don’t just “be on Twitter” because you feel you have to.With the world of social media constantly changing and evolving, it can feel overwhelming to keep up. And the recent shutdown of Google Plus is a reminder that not every platform is here to stay. So what’s a business to do? In 2019, we’re here to tell you that it’s not a bad idea keep your ears attuned to social trends, but ultimately, pick the platforms that feel authentic to your brand and focus on building a great presence wherever you are.

Grade Yourself 0 1 2

2

Invest in the growing industries of social and search.These areas are projected to bring about 67% of all ad growth by 2020. If you’re not investing in social and search already, now’s the time. Some important things to include in social advertising moving forward include long- and short-form video. Also, think about the additional marketing options available through social media, like Facebook ads running on connected TVs, marketing toinboxes via Facebook Messenger, and appearing before and after Snapchat and Instagram stories.


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“If your business doesn’t have a presence on social media (or worse, your business is there but you’re not active), make 2019 the year of developing a social media strategy.”

TRENDS IN SOCIAL MEDIA 5

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Explore how chatbots can help your customers.Don’t write off the idea of chatbots, even if the mere idea of a “chatbot” makes you think of the Jetsons. Simply put, “A bot is nothing more than a computer program that automates certain tasks, typically by chatting with a user through a conversational interface” (HubSpot). Some of the more powerful chatbots are programmed to reach out to users when they have been inactive for a while and can even proactively suggest tasks to help users. Chatbots are relatively easy to develop and users tend to like that bots can be used in messenger platforms that they’re already using (versus downloading a standalone app). In 2019, think about how your business can program chatbots to help your customers.


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Make LinkedIn part of your social strategy.According to Foundation, there are 61 million senior-level influencers and 40 million decision makers on LinkedIn. What does this mean? If business professionals are part of your target audience, it means that the people you’re trying to reach are using LinkedIn. Since LinkedIn favors native content, consider using your engaged LinkedIn employees as thought leaders and publishing articles under their names. It could be your best shot at reaching your key audiences.


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Got presentations? Share them on SlideShare.Presentations can be a great way to convey information in a more graphical and engaging way, and LinkedIn SlideShare makes it easy to share this content online. SlideShare has 70 million monthly active users. If you’re a B2B company and you have or create new presentations that are geared toward educating your customers, adding this content to SlideShare is low-hanging fruit. Don’t think your customers are on SlideShare? No problem! The beauty of SlideShare is that presentations can be shared on other social platforms as well.


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“If you’re a B2B company, it means that the people you’re trying to reach are using LinkedIn.”




On Instagram in 2019, (vertical) video will be king.In 2019, expect more exclusive, mobile-friendly content coming out of Instagram. Vertical video used to be seen as a sign someone wasn’t technologically savvy, and now it’s just the opposite. IGTV, a dedicated video platform for Instagram, is seen by some as “The new YouTube,” so it’s definitely something you’ll want to explore.


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Take your social media (mostly) off scheduled posts.There is absolutely a time and a place for scheduling social media posts. We, too, enjoy the efficiencies scheduling can create. However, in 2019, make sure scheduled posts aren’t taking the place of true engagement. Being active, engaged, and responsive on your social media accounts is not only a way to provide helpful information to your followers, but it can also be a cue to customers that your business is legitimate and trustworthy.


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“In 2019, make sure scheduled posts aren’t taking the place of true engagement.”

Variety is the spice of life.If your social media posting has become humdrum, you’re likely not seeing the best engagement and, therefore, it’s probably not doing much for your business. If you’re in a social media rut, resolve to mix things up in 2019 to achieve better engagement, grow your reach, and get a better ROI overall. Use HubSpot’s AEIOU (Ask, Expression, Incentive, Offer, Utility) rule of thumb for different post ideas and add some variety to your posting. We’ve likewise seen successthrough organic and paid Facebook posts by shaking things up and adding photos and videos to our posts versus posting just a link.


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SOCIAL MEDIA Grade Total:

TUNA STORY

“At Tuna, organic Facebook posts featuring photos reached an average of 82% more people, 155% more post clicks, and 193% more reactions, comments, and shares versus posting just a link. In general, photos and videos bring more engagement and link clicks to the page.”

TRENDS INEMAIL

MARKETING

Shorten your sales emails to improve response rates.There are many factors that go into the “perfect formula” for reaching your contacts through email marketing. Here’s a helpful rule of thumb for how long your emails should be to improve your chances of getting through to those on your email list: “Data suggests the ideal length of an email is between 50 and 125 words. Emails this length had a response rate above 50%” (HubSpot). Other things that help: Know your audience and build a content strategy around adding value for them. Also, don’t email too much. Nobody likes to feel spammed.


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But, we still have love for long-form emails.Logically, it probably makes sense that your audience wants you to keep sales emails short and to the point. But what about longer-form emails? There’s still a role for these, but only when the focus is on information versus selling something. If you have an e-newsletter, evolve this in 2019 to ensure that it’s laser-focused on delivering quality content and providing resources for your audiences.


Focus on growing your contact list.As organic reach on social media continues to decline, AdWeek urges marketers to focus on getting social media users to also follow their businesses in other places, including subscribing to email lists. You should serve up your email list to potential subscribers as a valuable resource, packed with great information and special offers. Once they’re hooked, have an engaging content strategy that makes them want to stay subscribed.


“If you have an e-newsletter, evolve this in 2019 to ensure that it’s laser-focused on delivering quality content andproviding resources for your audiences.“

TRENDS IN EMAIL MARKETING 10

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Don’t leave your automation on cruise control.Automating key touchpoints with your audiences through email is a smart and efficient way to nurture leads through the funnel. But as The Content Marketing Institute pointed out, remember not to “set and forget” your automated campaigns and allow them to become stagnant: “Go back and update them with new information, data points, and more. Make sure you’re segmenting your list correctly based on where subscribers sit in the sales funnel.” At Tuna Traffic, testing is second nature to us. Refining and optimizing your messaging, even when it’s automatic, is key to better understanding your audience and what motivates them to convert. Even better, sending targeted, segmented messages increases the likelihood that your subscribers will make that purchase or sign up for that program.


Add video to your email marketing.If you weren’t planning on video in 2019, think again. As if it weren’t enough that 90% of customerssay videos help them make buying decisions, there’s also good reason to weave video marketing into your emails. According to HubSpot, “the mere mention of the word ‘video’ in your email subject line increases open rates by 19%.”


EMAILMARKETING Grade Total:

TRENDS IN EMAIL MARKETING 11

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“Remember not to ‘set and forget’ your automated campaigns and allow them to become stagnant.”

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TRENDS INSEARCH ENGINEOPTIMIZATION

(SEO)

Content is still king.If you only prioritized one SEO initiative in 2019, this would be it. Simply put: “Without amazing content, you’ll never get links. And without link building, you won’t crack the first page” (BackLinkO).Whether it’s blogging, adding web pages, or creating resources, make sure you have a plan to publish and promote fresh, optimized content regularly and consistently. And not just any content - quality content that adds value for your audiences will be the only kind of content creation worth your investment.


Be visible in voice searches.Voice searches are on the rise, but what can marketers do to answer the call? Since many voice searches are for local products or services, local businesses can make sure information in business aggregator websites like Yelp are optimized. But what else? According to HubSpot, there’s a hack: paid search. Here at Tuna, we’ve found a lot of search results in the PPC campaigns we run that say: “OK Google show me X.” The answer? Create a “broad match modifier,” in which an ad is triggered when a certain set of words — dictated by the marketer who creates the ad — appear in a query.


Improve rankings by optimizing structured data.Structured data helps search engines understand your content more easily, leading to better search visibility and engagement (Digital Marketing Depot). Rich results (think featured snippets) is a term for a popular form of structured data. Featured snippets not only display content in the coveted “position zero” on search engine results pages (SERPs), but also stand out because they are much larger than other results. Follow Google’s guidelines for optimizing structured data in 2019 if you want to compete for these coveted spots.


“Quality content that adds value for your audiences will be the only kind of content creation worth your investment.”

TRENDS IN SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) 13

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Optimize for what customers see when they find your business online.Optimizing for organic search doesn’t just mean getting to the top position on Google. Consider this: If your business is highly visible in search results but you also have a bunch of negative reviews, this will impact whether customers will take the next step to learn more. According to BrightLocal, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so in 2019, make sure your optimization efforts don’t overlook what your customers see when you start climbing in the rankings (Tuna Traffic).



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Tuna Traffic client 3Back is not only ranking on page 1 for target phrases like “scrum certification chicago” and “abnormal termination of a sprint,” but their results also appear as featured snippets for even better visibility in the SERPs.

TUNA STORY



“If your business is highly visible in search results but you also have a bunch of negative reviews, this will impact whether customers will take the next step to learn more.”

RIP, subdomains.It used to be the practice to have subdomains (like blog.mysite.com) for things like the mobile version of your website or your blog. Nowadays, best SEO practices indicate that you should put blogs in subfolders instead of subdomains (like mysite.com/blog), and websites should be fully responsive for mobile without a separate subdomain. Subdomains are treated as separate websites from your main domain, so it’s not helpful to your ranking to have them separated. Plus, keeping everything on the same website means you have fewer places to make mistakes, like forgetting to update a link in one menu after you did it to the other.


SEARCH ENGINEOPTIMIZATION

Grade Total:


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“If your business is highly visible in search results but you alsohave a bunch of negative reviews, this will impact whether customers will take the next step to learn more.”

TRENDS INCUSTOMER

EXPERIENCE & REPUTATION

Improve customer experience by making sure your internalcommunication is on the same page.As a marketer, do you find yourself feeling increasingly responsible for the entire customer experience? You’re not alone. With little control over key customer touchpoints like sales and customer support, collaboration is key. Think about it: Launching new marketing campaigns without looping in other departments can result in a fragmented customer experience, at best. At Tuna, we help our clients organize their communications to ensure there’s consistency in messaging, branding, and delivery. Be sure to make this a priority across your organization in 2019.


Be consistent and engaged on the channels where you have a presence.Whether your business is on all of the social media platforms or just a few, make sure you are active, engaged, and consistent, because customers are watching. Have a plan to keep your so-cial media accounts current and to respond to customer feedback. Not only does this provide a good customer experience, but it’s also an important cue for prospects who may be research-ing your brand.


Use talk triggers to boost word-of-mouth recommendations foryour business.According to Social Media Examiner, “Depending on your business and product, word-of-mouth recommendations influenced 20%-90% of every dollar that you have.” In 2019, savvy businesses aren’t just waiting for word-of-mouth to happen, they are coming up with “talk triggers” to make it happen. For example, referral programs can be a great incentive to enhance customer experience and a serve as way to get people talking.


“Whether your business is on all of the social media platforms or just a few, make sure you are active, engaged, and consistent, because customers are watching.”

TRENDS IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & REPUTATION 17

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Defend your brand against negative reviews.Let this sink in: according to a recent word-of-mouth report, 66% of Americans would trust an anonymous online review more than they would trust a product or service recommendation from an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend (Chatter Matters). In 2019, in addition to working on a strategy to boost positive reviews, focus on improving your customer’s experience along their buying or converting journey. A consistent, helpful customer experience can be your best defense against negative reviews.


CUSTOMEREXPERIENCE &REPUTATION

Grade Total:

TRENDS IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & REPUTATION 18

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“66% of Americans would trust an anonymous online review more than they would trust a product or service recommendation from an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend.”


TRENDS INCONTENTSTRATEGY

Find ways to gather user-generated content.Now more than ever, authenticity matters. In fact, 86% of consumers state that authenticity is animportant factor when deciding what brands to support. Consumers are three times more likely to say that user-generated content is more authentic than content created by a brand (Voluum). Whether it’s through a video contest or having users submit photos using your product/service with an established hashtag, in the coming year, empower your customers to help tell your story.


Organize content into pillar pages.Pillar pages are a user-friendly way to organize content by topic, but that’s not all. Pillar pages are also ideal for SEO because they help prioritize what content search engines should give credit to. Plus, pillar pages help you avoid writing competing ranking content. Start gathering your con-tent and planning pillar pages in 2019.


Show, don’t tell.If helping your customers and the SEO benefits of creating quality content aren’t enough, we’ve got yet another important reason to invest in content in 2019: social proof. In other words, don’t just tell your customers why they should buy from you - show them. For example, case studies and testimonials do more than just help educate your customers, they can also foster trust in ways that other types of content can’t.


“Case studies and testimonials do more than just help educate your customers, they can also foster trust in ways that other types of content can’t.”

TRENDS IN CONTENT STRATEGY 20

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But tell your visitors what you want them to do.Stop what you’re doing and go back through all of your existing content. Is there a call-to-action and is it strong enough? Is it noticeable? In 2019, take the guesswork out of connecting with your business, both in content you already have and in content you have yet to create. Resist the urge to merely use hyperlinked text for your CTAs and think BIGGER: Use buttons, call-outs, and on-page forms instead. And always hyperlink phone numbers for those on mobile to enable click-to-call.


We have a fever and the only prescription is more… video?We’ve already touched on amping up your email campaigns using video, but consider other ways to use video in your content marketing. Why? Consumers actually seem to prefer it: 54% of people want to see more video content from marketers. Not reason enough? 90% say videos help them make buying decisions. Video is a great way to educate and engage customers, so be sure to add this to your planning for 2019.


Leverage online content offline, too.Sure, a solid content marketing strategy will enhance your digital experience. But what if we told you that it could also help your sales team offline, too? Content marketing not only boosts your web presence but also equips your sales force with even more powerful resources to help close leads. Don’t forget to share case studies, white papers, videos, and even blogs with your sales-people so that they can share them with prospects.


“Offline content marketing not only boosts your web presence but also equips your sales force with even more powerful resources to help close leads.”


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Did we mention quality content?If only you had a quarter for every time a marketer said “quality content” … but they’re not just saying it for their health. Quality content takes time and effort and, according to Chris Smith, author of The Conversion Code, the more, the better: “The more content I have created, the more cash I have collected. Period.” For 2019, keep in mind that quality coverage of a topic is probably not going to happen in 250 words, or even 500 words. So what’s a good rule of thumb? Smith touts 1,500 words as the content “sweet spot” and says longer-form content actually does better in search and on social media.


CONTENTSTRATEGY Grade Total:


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TRENDS INDIGITAL

MARKETING

Add retargeting to your advertising mix.If you dabble even a little bit in digital advertising, you’ve probably heard of retargeting. This method allows you to keep your brand in front of users who have already visited your website (arguably a more qualified audience segment). According to AdWeek, “research shows that [retargeting] can increase your click-through rate by 76 percent, your brand awareness by 1,046 percent and your sales by 50 percent.” We used retargeting in a recruitment strategy for one of our clients to help redirect them back to an open house RSVP form. This resulted in recapturing people who might have otherwise abandoned the process. If you haven’t tried retargeting yet, put this on your to-do list for 2019.


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Try influencer marketing.Since people tend to trust humans more than brands, influencer marketing has been, and still is, trending up (Voluum). In 2019, think about how influencer marketing might be able to help your business. Who are the appropriate influencers in your industry? First, choose influencers who make sense to your brand and your customers. Then, use them for product reviews, strategic placements, and more. The collaboration can be great for both parties!


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“Since people tend to trust humans more than brands, influencer marketing has been, and still is, trending up.”

Change your Facebook audience strategy.Facebook made some changes to its advertising platform in 2018, mainly in response to the Cambridge Analytics data breach. These changes severely limited previously available Facebook audience targeting options. If you haven’t already, review your saved audiences and note the changes that took place in their reach. You’ve likely seen a drop in engagement and impressions over time as a result. Your best bets for combatting this? According to Hileman Group, start by building new audiences and running video view campaigns to gather a lot of views. Create a new custom audience to retarget viewers, create lookalike audiences, and make use of the Audience Insights tool to figure out your targeting options. If that all sounds too confusing, we’re happy to help you figure it out!


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Tell a story.Customers are always looking for the genuine, and that desire is only set to increase over time. Telling a story with an ad is more powerful than asking for the hard sell off the bat. At Tuna, we recently helped our client ZMac with a recruitment video that highlighted current employees and captured the culture of the company. We will be using the videos to promote upcoming career open houses. Telling ZMac’s story through the voice of their employees not only made the video more authentic, but also more impactful.


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At Tuna, we recently helped our client ZMac with a recruitment video that highlights current employees and captures the culture of the company. Telling ZMac’s story through the voice of their employees not only made the video more authentic, but also more impactful.

TUNA STORY



https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_34story

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_34storyb


Responsive search ads are here.While still in beta, Google Ads’ responsive search ads are certainly going to grow in popularity in 2019. Instead of having the option of 3 headlines and 2 descriptions, you can enter a lot more varieties, which Google will combine in various ways to determine which variation produces the best results for clicks and conversions. It’s like A/B testing on steroids!


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DIGITALMARKETING Grade Total:

TRENDS INUSER

EXPERIENCE(UX)

Avoid the paradox of choice.When you consider where different customers are in the purchasing process, it can be a slippery slope to create multiple calls to action to meet people at their various points of need. We’ve been there, too. In 2019, make it a point to streamline calls to action and your website process overall so there aren’t too many different options. Your users will be less likely to get distracted, plus, it’ll help improve your rate of conversion (this technique and others play into the strategies of conversion rate optimization (CRO)).


Down with friction.Sure, you want to make things easier for your customers to make a purchase. But if you offer a lot of products or services, your website could get weighed down, and fast. To improve user experience and promote purchasing, focus on things that make your website faster, reduce unnecessary form fields, and cut down on steps for checkout or sign-up (Unbounce). Reducing drag increases the likelihood that your visitors will behave the way you want them to.


TRENDS IN USER EXPERIENCE (UX) 28

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Keep GDPR compliance in mind.While some brands have had arguably little to no trouble with GDPR since it went into effect at the end of May 2018, other companies were slapped with lawsuits almost immediately. Even if you have a couple visitors from the EU, the GDPR is something you should read up on. Part of a good user experience can also include EU users having the right to review and remove their data. We wrote about compliance and some steps we’re taking with our clients, but the best person to consult with is a lawyer who specializes in GDPR compliance.


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“Part of a good user experience can also include EU users having the right to review and remove their data.”





Capture your customers at “micro-moments.”Whether a customer is waiting to catch a flight or inspired by an “a-ha moment” in the middle of the night, we want to be able to capture them in “micro-moments,” the term we use for when customers want to know more, or even make a purchase. Identify what these micro-moments could be for your customers. Try to build your website around addressing these so it’s easy for users to take action. This will promote better visibility for your business online and create a more helpful user experience overall.


TRENDS IN USER EXPERIENCE (UX) 29

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USEREXPERIENCE Grade Total:

Don’t be in the dark.Do you sometimes wish you knew exactly how users were engaging with your website? Monitoring user behavior has been something marketers can do easily for years, and it’s far from something that’s going to fall out of style. At Tuna, we use tools to monitor how people are clicking, scrolling, and interacting with client websites. The insights we gather from real user behavior can tell our clients what changes their websites need the most. For example, we noticed that visitors to one of our client’s sites kept getting lost going between menu options. We decided to install a chat platform to capture any traffic they may have otherwise lost from confused visitors, and help us make decisions about developing better navigation in the future.


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TRENDS INDIGITAL DESIGN

Just like fashion, website design trends are not “one size fits all.”What works for your website will depend on your audience, your business, and your brand. But don’t do nothing! Instead, the takeaway here is that, if your website hasn’t been refreshed in a while, choose the design trends that feel true to your business and run with them.


Here’s what’s “in”:Mobile-first design, minimalism, bold typography, and bright colors are all on-trend in web design for 2019. Pair a minimalist look with some amazing textures to set visuals apart, or add video backgrounds and micro-animations to add little touches that can draw the eye in a subtleway. 3D substances, one-color designs, metallic elements, and color transitions, especially gradients, are hot right now. The key is to incorporate bold with simple in a way that doesn’t overload your visitors’ senses.


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Shamrock LabelsClean, minimalist layout with bright green accents

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_42a2

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_42a1


3BackVideo background and micro animations

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QuintessaMobile-first design

“The key is to incoporate bold with simple in a way that doesn’t overload your visitors’ senses.”

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_42c2

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_42c1


DIGITALDESIGN Grade Total:

But some trends never go out of style:There will never be a time when white space isn’t a good thing. Give text and images on your website room to breathe and reduce visual noise. More important than anything else, your site has to be readable. If people can’t read your content because of issues with fonts, line spacing, text width, or font size, they won’t digest your message to begin with! You may feel like the website you have is too simple, but oftentimes, simpler is better. Rid your user’s path of distractions as much as possible. In the same vein, good UX (user experience) practices are always a good place to start when designing a website; be intuitive and anticipate how your visitor will use the website. Regardless of the content on your site, good photography is always a great choice and investment. Personalized photography that provides visual emotional cues is the best to use.


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And what’s “out”:Anything that doesn’t feel personal to your brand should have been out a long time ago, so get rid of obvious stock photos that don’t represent your business. Anything that clutters up your website is likewise out. Break up long-winded content with subheadings and bullets (or simplify altogether), remove any unnecessary sidebars and widgets, and limit the number of fonts you use on your website. In most cases, 2 fonts to choose from are plenty. Parallax scrolling for everything? Maybe a few years ago, but it’s definitely outdated now.


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TRENDS INMOBILE

Get right in front of your customers.How fast do your customers open your messages? If you’re doing SMS marketing (also known as text message marketing) and your target is millennials, the answer could be within 90 seconds. Why not market to your customers in the most immediate way possible, in the preferred communication channel for surveys, promotions, and deliveries? It’s a no-brainer!


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Smartphones go up, desktops & laptops go down.Multiscreen usage has been the norm for a few years now, but in 2018, we saw usage decrease on desktops and laptops, while smartphone and tablet usage increased in front of the TV. What does this mean for business owners? Invest more in ads for your couch-surfing customers on the devices that fit in their hands.


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Don’t “buy” the voice hype (yet).Even if you’ve been using voice for search more recently, have you bought anything through Alexa? If you answered no, you aren’t alone. Voice commerce has been pegged as the “next big thing,” but consumers aren’t there yet. In fact, a report by The Information showed that practically no one is buying via voice. Part of the reason may be that the voice interface doesn’t always recognize requests or that results tend to be skewed, but a bigger issue is privacy. In 2019, we are keeping an eye on voice commerce, but not jumping in with both feet.


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“How fast do your customers open your messages? If you’re doing SMS marketing (also known as text message marketing) and your target is millennials, the answer could be within 90 seconds.”






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MOBILE Grade Total:

Bridge the gap between brick-and-mortar and mobile.Are you a brick-and-mortar store that’s suffering from losing customers who compare prices on their phones? It’s inevitable that consumers will continue to use their phones to make sure they’re getting the best deal, so the best way to combat this issue is to provide a strong mobile experience for these users. Offer coupons and an updated circular in a mobile app, and maybe even a rewards program, to keep them coming back for more.


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A need for speed.We are a society of impatient people who have become accustomed to lightning-speed every-thing. So when it comes to waiting for web pages to load, most would agree -- ain’t nobody got time for that! In fact, about three seconds seems to be the tipping point: 53% of mobile site visits leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load. Website speed is so important that, in an early 2018 update, Google made page speed a ranking factor in mobile search. If you haven’t optimized your website for speed, especially on mobile, add this to your list for 2019.


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Explore proximity marketing.Whether you realize it or not, our devices’ capabilities for hyper-local geo-targeting are evolving, and proximity marketing along with it. The goal? To send helpful, personalized information (discounts, rewards, or even a prompt to place their usual order) to consumers based on their proximity to a particular business. In fact, 88% of marketers in a personalization study have reported a measurable rise in business resulting from their personalization campaigns (beaconstac). In 2019, consider what opportunities your business has to leverage proximity marketing and personalization in ways to reach and delight your customers.


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How’d You Do?

A = If you scored 90-100

B = If you scored 80-89

C = If you scored 70-79

So, how did your business fare? Let’s evaluate it by letter grades:

D = If you scored 60-69

F = If you scored 59 or belowDon’t worry, we won’t send a letter to your parents. Instead, you should send us a message. We’re experts at boosting failing grades, and we’ll help you from keeping major blemishes off your permanent record.

You’re doing great, but there are a few areas where you might need a little help. Go back, review those 0’s and 1’s, and drop us a line so we can help you make those final tweaks.

You’re still doing well, but there might be one or two big areas that are blind spots for your business. Shoot us a message and we can shed some light on that.

There’s no shame in being average, but we bet you want to get ahead of the pack. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be reading this ebook. Send us your score and your weakest areas, and we can talk about a plan that takes you from average to star pupil in no time!

We get it, everyone puts their marketing on the backburner at some point. But now, it’s time to heat things up! Let us help you put the spark back in your marketing strategy today.

https://tunatraffic.com/grow

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_grade


What do all these grades mean in the grand scheme of things?If you’re planning to do some of this in the year ahead or you’re doing some of this already, great! If you’re not doing any of this or very little, that’s okay, too. An important thing to keep in mind is also a pretty obvious one: Do what makes sense for your business. Not only the kind of business you have, but also where you’re at with your current web presence. For example, if you don’t have someone to drive your social media presence right now, prioritize the optimization of your website and have a plan to chip away at the other things as you grow.

Raise your hand!Do you want to get some of these plates spinning for your business in 2019? Have you been considering partnering with an agency to help? Not all agencies are created equal and bigger isn’t necessarily better. In fact, in the “Future of Small Agencies,” AdAge shared the value smaller shops can offer: “Brands just want the best ideas for the best value—and small agencies can get something done quickly, efficiently and creatively.” Smaller agencies with well-formed teams, like Tuna Traffic, are a great option for 2019.

“I have worked with Tuna Traffic for three years now and it has been one of the best business decisions that I have made. Not only are they efficient and do high quality work, but they are proactive and always coming up with great ideas to optimize my online presence!”

- Kate Doubler, Real Food RN

R

eal Food

R N

“Don’t fall for the big agency dog and pony show. Tuna’s team of certified experts are experts in applying agile sprint methodologies to your marketing campaign needs for efficient and incredible results.”

- Nicholas Putz, Quintessa Aesthetic Services

“The Discovery Workshop conducted by Tuna Traffic was a real eye-opener for the team at Shamrock Labels. We were able to get multiple types of sales/marketing staff in the room at one time to have a really productive conversation about who our customers really are, segmenting them properly to determine what products/services should be advertised and to which targets. It’s always hard to find the time to get away for a day but doing so was the beginning of a critical step to developing a robust and relevant marketing strategy.”

- Kevin Gerhard, Shamrock Labels

®

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_p39

ARE YOU LOOKING TO GROW YOUR

BUSINESS IN THE NEW YEAR?

Let the Tuna Team help you bring your marketing

to the front and center!

TUNATRAFFIC.COM/GROW

https://tunatraffic.com/grow

https://tunas.co/tt2019ebook_p40?utm_source=ebook&utm_medium=pdf&utm_campaign=tuna-2019ebook

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