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Are You Tracking Your Marketing Dollars?

Do you know exactly how much return on your investment (ROI) you are getting from your marketing spend? If not, then how do you know what you are paying for is working?

Tracking your marketing dollars is the only way to know exactly what marketing efforts you are implementing are working and bringing revenue back to your business. We have compiled a few tips on how to effectively track your marketing spend below:

Use Call Tracking Numbers (CTN)

Call Tracking Numbers are phone numbers that you can list on your marketing campaigns. Whether it is a paid ad, direct mail, email marketing, or an organic marketing campaign, call tracking numbers can help you know where your leads are coming from. For example: if you are running an ad online that takes your lead to a landing page when they click on it, that landing page should have a call tracking number that they can call. CTNs are different than your actual business phone number but will allow your prospect to call from one phone number while your real phone rings. There are many call tracking number services available (and rather cheap, too) that have multiple capabilities like call recording, SMS, and voicemail.

Use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

Customer Relationship Management Systems are a great tool for any business. Not only will CRMs allow you to track your marketing dollars, but they can provide businesses with a substantial number of other tools and methods to help your business grow. Many CRMs allow you to “tag” the contacts that are entered into the system. One way to ensure your marketing dollars are being tracked properly is to “tag” each contact with a unique campaign tag that shows where they came from. For example: if a lead comes from a Google ad you are running, when they submit their information or call from the landing page, be sure their contact is tagged as “Google ad” or something to distinguish which campaign that lead came from. Just like call tracking numbers, there are many CRMs that are available for every kind of business. There are simple systems like HubSpot and more robust systems like Keap and Salesforce.

Use Analytics Platforms

There is no doubt that using something like Google Analytics will provide insight into your marketing strategies that are currently being utilized. Numerous analytics dashboards will allow you to see how many website visitors and form submissions you have received in any given time period, where your visitors are coming from (known as “referrals”), demographics of users, and engagement rates. Although there are many analytics platforms you can pay a subscription for, Google Analytics is completely free and will provide you with an abundance of information you need to know about your business’ website.

Are You Tracking Your $$$?

If you are not currently tracking where your revenue is coming from, whether it is from a paid campaign or organic (free), you are missing out on many marketing opportunities. The only way to know what dollars you spend on marketing to your prospects and ideal clients is to track how they wound up spending money at your business. If you need help with setting up a tracking system, schedule your introductory call online or call (713) 965-7370 to see how HTX Marketing Group can help you today!

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How to Effectively Market to Millennials

For decades, the baby boomers have been the largest group of people in the U.S. market. Now that they are retiring, the millennials are coming into their own and becoming the largest group. This is good news for marketers because this means more people to buy from, which means more money to be made! Now it is time to explore what the millennials want and how you can use that knowledge to your marketing advantage to help grow your business and bring in more revenue.

If you want to reach this generation of consumers, you need to think differently than you have been. This is the first generation that has been raised with technology, and they have grown up surrounded by an ocean of information at their fingertips. They have learned to use the internet as their primary source of news and entertainment, and many of them are rejecting the traditional advertising methods that have worked so well for previous generations.

What does all this mean for your marketing campaigns? It means you need to create new types of marketing messages that are “wired” for today's consumers. Here are a few tips on how to create these new types of marketing messages:

Use credible information

With any marketing message you are putting out there, you want to offer credible information. It is important that you are transparent about your product or service and can stand behind it. Just as any other form of marketing, you want to be sure that you do not try to be something you are not. Millennials tend to be more skeptical about companies and their products, so it is important to have information about your product that is trustworthy.

Make them easy to understand

Nobody likes a complex marketing message. Your message when marketing your product should not be hard to understand. The purpose of your marketing campaign and any message that goes in it is to provide just enough information to your ideal audience to entice them to purchase your product or service. If you do not know where to start, try asking yourself or your team what your customers want to know about you or your product. How can it help them? How will it improve their lives? We have noticed that a "one line" marketing message is more efficient than having a text-heavy ad.

Use stories

People respond to stories. Tell a story with every marketing campaign you publish. It can be a true story, a fictitious story, or a story about someone else. Stories have a way of getting people's attention and holding it. Telling stories will help your content get noticed and tend to have better engagement rates when consumers can relate to the story you are portraying.

Use vivid, sensory details. The internet is a virtual desert when it comes to providing readers with vivid and sensory details. Give them a story that will allow them to have an experience they can visualize themselves having.

Create Short-Term Goals – Not Long-Term Goals

When people are asked to think about the future, they tend to over-analyze and worry about stuff they can’t control. However, when people are asked to think about the short term (the next 30-days or so), they tend to move quickly from analysis to action. So rather than telling your customers what you want them to buy (i.e., your long-term goal), tell them what they can do (i.e., their short-term goals) and give them the tools to accomplish those goals.

Setting a series of short-term goals will help you work toward achieving your long-term goal. This strategy also applies to the goals you want your consumers to achieve. Think about the long-term goal is that you want your consumer to reach. Is it to schedule an appointment with you? Do you want them to purchase a product from you? Whatever the long-term goal is, setting short-term goals for your consumers will reach will make it easier for them to meet the end goal. Check out some of our examples of short-term goals that will help your consumer reach the end goal you are leading them to:

Offer a Free Download

Offering a free download of some kind will allow you to capture contact information from your consumers while also allowing them to get something for free in return. Of course, you will have to decide what kind of download to offer (our favorite is a free guide that is targeted to the audience you are marketing to). The goal is to create a relationship with the audience so they will want to turn to you in the future for more information on how you can help solve their problem.

Give Away a Free Sample

If you are looking to sell more of a certain product (especially from a new collection), try giving away a small free sample. This will allow your prospect to provide you with their contact information to market to them in the future, but also let them try your product before committing to making a purchase.

A good way to offer a free sample is to give away a coupon to those who sign up for a sample of the product you are advertising. If your product is not able to be shipped or if you are unable to fulfill orders online, offering a coupon will still allow your prospect to try your product while also driving physical traffic to your location. Driving traffic to your location is a great opportunity for up-sells.

Need Help?

The suggestions listed throughout this blog are just a couple of many ways to help get started on marketing to a new generation (that is if your target audience is millennials). HTX Marketing Group has the knowledge and expertise to help you target the audience you want to get in front of - no matter what generation they are a part of. If you are ready to grow your business to the next level, then contact our team by scheduling your introductory strategy call online or by calling us at (713) 965-7370!

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We have a special announcement! For the second year in a row, Expertise has named us as one of Houston's Best Digital Marketing Agencies! Each year, Expertise scores Digital Marketing Agencies in numerous geographical locations (this year they scored 157 in Houston), and we made the list of the Top 32!

We are so honored to be awarded for the upcoming year of 2022, but this would not have been possible without our amazing clients! Thank you for trusting us to assist in your growth! Here's to another great year!

Check us out on Expertise here: https://www.expertise.com/tx/houston/digital-marketing-agencies

#HTXMG #GrowYourBusinessYourWay #Expertise #BestDigitalMarketingAgency #HoustonMarketing #HoustonDigitalMarketingAgency #Award #ThankYou #Announcement #SocialMediaMarketing #ContentMarketing #Marketing #DigitalMarketing #MarketingTips

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5 Simple Rules for Making the Most Out of Your Facebook Ads

Facebook ads can be an amazing tool for selling your products and services if you know what you are doing and how to optimize a Facebook ad campaign. In this blog, we are going to tell you our 5 simple rules you must follow if you are going to maximize your profits from your Facebook ads.

Isn't Spending Money on a Facebook Ad a Waste?

Facebook ads are some of the cheapest forms of advertising in comparison to other paid ad campaigns. Facebook ad campaigns tend to rank very high in a return on your investment (ROI). However, they are also one of the most misunderstood forms of advertising. If you have never run a Facebook ad and do not know how to optimize it for the results you want, you can waste a lot of money. If you follow the following rules that HTX Marketing Group follows and you use them correctly, you will have the potential to make serious profits off your ad spend.

The first thing you need to know is you CAN make money with Facebook ads! If you follow these rules about marketing on Facebook, you will soon have a profitable social media ad campaign!

1. Set A Goal (And Expectations) For Your Ad Campaign

The first thing you should do when establishing any kind of marketing campaign is to set an end goal along with expectations. It is important when setting expectations for your campaign for them to be realistic. If you set unrealistic expectations for your campaign, then you are going to be setting yourself up for disappointment if your ad does not perform as well as you are expecting the first time around. The most effective campaign is when you set your expectations low and then exceed them when you achieve your end goal. Your goal should not only be centered around the results you want, but also how to achieve them, what your budget goal is for a set timeframe, and how to constantly improve your ad going forward.

2. Create A Detailed Description of Each of Your Customers

Once you know what you want your campaign to do, you need to determine who you want your campaign to reach. For your ad to be remotely successful you will need to know exactly who your ideal customer or client is. You should have a detailed description of your ideal prospect before beginning any marketing campaign. Some campaigns may target different people, but all your campaigns should target who you are wanting to get in front of and be seen by. If you have not yet created a detailed description for your ideal prospect, try asking yourself the following questions:

Who is the primary target for this campaign?

What does the prospect for this product or service need?

Why is the person who is purchasing your product or service buying it?

Your description of the ideal person you are advertising to (we like to call this person your avatar or ideal client) should be as descriptive as possible. The description should include things like their demographic, their lifestyle (behaviors), their interests, and their values. Pinpointing your ideal customer is an essential part of your business model and will help you craft the perfect ad for your business.

3. Target the Customers You Want to Reach

Once you have crafted the detailed description of your avatar, you now know exactly who you are going to be advertising your product or service to. You know what they want, how they want it, and exactly where they are on the web (in this case it is Facebook since we are launching a Facebook ad campaign).

When creating an ad campaign on Facebook, it allows you to target your audience based on the details you have determined about your customer. We strongly suggest creating "audiences" that you can reuse on other ad campaigns. It takes a few minutes upfront, but you will save a lot of time in the long run. Ensuring you are targeting the description of your avatar will help your ad perform and produce the results you want.

4. Your Ad Should Speak to Your Avatar

People tend to be attracted to images, so the more vivid and detailed your product description is, the easier it will be for your potential customer to visualize themselves using your product. While selecting an image or video for your ad is very important, so is the message you will convey. The more confident you are about the product, the more confident your potential customer will be in purchasing your product or service. One of the best ways to do this is by writing copy that speaks to your avatar's pain points. For example, if you're selling an app that targets small businesses, your copy should address issues that these businesses face. That might include things like reaching more customers, finding the most qualified leads, and how they can generate more leads.

If your copy is about an individual, then the idea is to paint a picture of that person and allow them to visualize how their life or circumstance may be better after buying your product or engaging in your services.

You should also identify what the result of the customer doing what you are asking them to do will be. This is where you can build a sense of urgency. Creating a sense of urgency is critical when creating an ad that will speak to your prospect. What will happen if they don't engage with your services? What will they be missing out on if they don't buy from you? You will want to give them a reason to purchase from you or schedule with you as soon as they see your ad.

5. Measure the results

Measuring the results of your campaign is the only true way of knowing how successful it is. Facebook provides very similar analytics that Google provides and is going to be essential to review throughout the time your campaign is running. You can find the results of your Facebook ad by navigating to the "Insights" tab on your business page.

The main metrics you will want to focus on are cost per click (how much it costs you on average to get a click on your ad) and the click-through rate (how often people on Facebook click on your ad). Depending on the results you see, you may want to alter your ad. The slightest change in your copy, image, or video that is used could help the performance of the ad and drive more revenue to your business.

Want To Know More?

Have you been curious about advertising on Facebook? Are you looking to improve the performance of an existing ad campaign? HTX Marketing Group is here to help you grow your business with not just Facebook, but any social media platform your business is on! Are you ready to start (or continue) growing your business? If so, schedule online by clicking here or call us at (713) 965-7370 to schedule your free introductory call to learn more secrets today!

Find more Marketing Tips by visiting our website at www.htxmarketing.info!

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In order to draw revenue to your business, you have to know how to effectively communicate to your prospects exactly how your services will solve their problem. Do you know why customers purchase what you sell or the services that you offer? Do you know what keeps your clients up at night? If not, you need to have a discussion with our team at HTX Marketing Group.

Once you know what your prospect's problem is, then you know exactly what kind of message to create that will help them get clarity around how to solve their problem. How? By engaging with the services you offer, or purchasing the products you sell.

Did you know that most people purchase things based on their emotions? Just imagine if you had an emotional message to deliver to your prospects. What would that do for you and your business?

If you know what the most common problem your prospects face, then you need to work on crafting a marketing message that explains how you can solve their problem. For example; if I am experiencing excruciating back pain and I see a commercial for a cream that will take my pain away instantly, then I waste no time getting to the store to buy that exact cream I saw on TV.

Creating a message that appeals to the prospects you want to attract to your business is key. Without knowing the problems your prospects face, you will not know how to help them and keep them coming back to you.

How do you create an appealing message that will keep people coming back?

Think about your ideal prospect. This is the person that you want to keep coming back to you and spending their money. What are they coming to see you for?

Once you know what they are coming to you for, this is when you need to dig deeper. Why are they coming to see you for what they need? Are you a trusted figure of authority in your field? If this is someone that is coming to you for the first time, then they aren't going to know whether you are legit. Your marketing message needs to convey to your prospect that you know exactly how to solve their problem and that once you do they will sleep peacefully knowing it is taken care of.

After you craft a marketing message, you have to be sure you follow through to produce the results you promised. Of course, not everything is going to work for everybody, but you have to show your prospect the success you have seen with the product or service you offer. After all, your success stories will build you authority - which solidifies your message.

If you do not currently know what problem your prospect is faced with, how to help solve their problem, or how to create a marketing message that will draw more leads in, then reach out to our Creative Team by scheduling your introductory call online or by calling (713) 965-7370 today.

Find more Marketing Tips by visiting www.htxmarketing.info!

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6 Rules For Business Success

There are many strategies that you can implement to help your business succeed, but what are they? Here at HTX Marketing Group, we believe the following 6 rules are some of the most important things you should consider when putting your marketing strategies in action:

Rule 1: Always Add Value

It does not matter if you are marketing a product you are selling or a service you provide to a particular kind of consumer; the offer you are marketing should always provide value to the consumer you are targeting. When determining the value you want your offer, product, or service to include, you need to ensure that you are targeting the correct audience that you want to get in front of. Rule 1 is important because you cannot provide value to someone who is not going to benefit from purchasing your product or engaging in your services. For example, if you have published an ad that is offering a free trial to test a product that is directed towards mothers with small children, you are offering a value (free trial or sample) of your product before they purchase. This ad’s audience that is offering a free sample or trial of your product should be targeting mothers who have small children since that is who this product is going to provide value to. It does not make sense to have your ad displayed to parents with adult children if it is a product directed towards young children, right? Always be sure your offer, product, service, and marketing strategies offer value to your intended audience.

Rule 2: Think Carefully Before You Publish

Copywriting does not come naturally to everybody, and that is okay. Have you proofread and examined your blog post, social media content, website content, and any other kind of media you publish for the public to see before it goes out? One typo or grammatical error could be a turn-off for your audience. The copy you utilize in your marketing methods (whether it is email marketing or a paid ad) should always be thought through carefully before it is published for your audience to view.

Rule 3: Be Creative!

We have all seen a company’s advertisements and rolled our eyes at how cliché it is. Being creative when marketing your product or service is important because nobody wants to see an ad that fits so easily in with others they view throughout their day when scrolling on their computer or cell phone. If you curate original posts and graphics to include in your online content or ads, your engagement will skyrocket compared to using stock photos or recycled material you found online. Do not be intimidated by graphic design. Embrace your inner creativity to boost your success

Rule 4: Do Not Hesitate to Go After What You Want

You know what you want when it comes to your business, your life, your family, and your security. Do not be afraid to take the risks that may arise when you are on your journey of going after what it is that you really want for your business and yourself. As a business owner, there may be risks that present themselves more often than assurances. If you allow the risks to control the way you operate, you run the greatest risk of all – slowing down your success.

Rule 5: Be Concise

Rule 5 applies to not only your marketing strategies but also applies to the way you confront the team you work with. Your marketing techniques should always be concise when you are advertising your product or services to your targeted audience. Without a clear and concise message, the consumer you are targeting may scroll past your ad, walk away from your booth, or not call your office to move forward. Always be sure that your marketing message is easily understandable for your consumers so they know what value your services and products will bring to their life. As mentioned earlier, rule 5 also applies to the team you work with. Clear and concise communication regarding expectations, execution, results, and how your team can improve will prevent any misunderstandings between you and your team. Clear and concise = easily understood.

Rule 6: Find Gratitude in Your Challenges

Every endeavor faces obstacles. Challenges that arise when working towards your goals may sometimes test your limits and make you want to pull your hair out but be thankful for those obstacles that do arise. We have all heard the saying “not everything in life comes easy,” and it is especially true for small business owners. The challenges you face will one day be your success stories of how you overcame those hurdles and made your business what it is today (or what it can be tomorrow). It may not always be easy, but it will be worth it.

If you are unsure of how to implement these rules in your business, HTX Marketing Group can help. Our team at HTX Marketing Group has the experience in following these 6 rules and will help you follow them to ensure your business succeeds to the best of its ability. Contact Houston's premier marketing agency to schedule your initial strategy call to see how our team can help yours! If you are ready to start following the rules, schedule your strategy call online or call us at (713) 965-7370 today!

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Do you know exactly what digital marketing is? Our new blog, Marketing Tip #9 will explain what you need to know about digital marketing. Knowing the history of digital marketing, what a digital marketing strategy is, and why your business needs one will help you AND your business grow!

Click the link in our bio or click here to read more!

If you are ready to implement a digital marketing strategy that will work for you and your business, call us today at (713) 965-7370!