In today’s world, social media marketing is crucial for small businesses looking to grow their brand and connect with their audience. In this blog, we’ll cover the basics of social media marketing, how to get started, and tips on creating a successful social media strategy.

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing is the process of creating and sharing content on social media platforms to achieve business goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to a website, or generating leads. Social media platforms provide businesses with a way to reach and engage with their target audience, build brand loyalty, and create a community around their brand.

Creating a social media marketing strategy

Social media marketing is much more than just posting content to a platform – it requires a well-thought-out social media marketing strategy. 

Here are some steps to get started:

Determine your target audience

Determining your target audience is a crucial step in creating a successful social media marketing strategy. Your target audience is the group of people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service, and who are most likely to engage with your brand on social media. Here are some factors to consider when determining your target audience:

  • Demographics: Consider the age, gender, location, income level, education level, and other relevant demographics of your ideal customer. 
  • Types of products: Consider the type of products or services you offer and how they may appeal to certain demographics. For example, a clothing brand targeting young adults will have a different target audience than a retirement planning service targeting older adults.
  • Psychographics: Psychographics refer to the attitudes, interests, and values of your target audience. Consider the values and beliefs that your target audience holds, and how your brand aligns with those values.

By understanding your target audience, you can create content that resonates with them and speaks to their needs and interests. This can help you build a loyal following on social media and grow your brand over time. Additionally, understanding your target audience can help you choose the right social media platforms to use, as different platforms have different user demographics and preferences.

Pick a social media platform to use

With so many social media platforms out there, it can be overwhelming to choose which one(s) to use. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular platforms in 2023 and their audience data pulled from Smart Insights:

Facebook: The largest social media platform, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users. Facebook is a great platform for businesses targeting a broad audience.

Instagram: A visual platform with over 2 billion monthly active users. Instagram is ideal for businesses targeting a younger audience and those with visually appealing products or services.

Snapchat: A platform popular with younger audiences, with over 630 million daily active users. Snapchat is a great platform for businesses looking to create fun and engaging content.

Twitter: A platform with over 192 million daily active users. Twitter is a great platform for businesses looking to share news and updates quickly.

TikTok: A video-sharing platform with over 1 billion monthly active users. TikTok is ideal for businesses targeting a younger audience and those with visually appealing products or services.

LinkedIn: A professional platform with over 740 million members. LinkedIn is a great platform for B2B businesses and those targeting professionals.

YouTube: A video-sharing platform with over 2 billion monthly active users. YouTube is ideal for businesses with video content and those targeting a broad audience.

Pinterest: A visual platform with over 400 million monthly active users. Pinterest is ideal for businesses with visually appealing products or services.

Create a content strategy 

Once you’ve figured out your target audience and have chosen a platform(s), it’s time to create a content strategy. This is where you will consider the type of content that will resonate with your audience, such as photos, videos, or blog posts. Depending on the platform(s) you choose, be sure you are up to date on its latest trends. 

Next, determine your posting frequency – how often you will post. Scheduling your content and posts is a great way to ensure that you are consistently delivering content to your audience to stay top of mind and increase engagement. This also ensures that you don’t forget to post! 

To stay on top of your posting frequency, it’s best to have a library of content ready to be posted at any time instead of creating new content every time. 

There are various tools available that can help you store and schedule your content in advance, such as Loomly, which we use for many of our clients.

Measure KPIs

Determine which KPIs you will use in your social media marketing strategy.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are measurable values that help you track the success of your social media marketing efforts. This information will provide valuable insights into your audience’s behaviour and help you identify areas for improvement in your strategy.

 Here are some common social media KPIs to consider:

  • Engagement rate: Engagement rate is the percentage of your audience that interacts with your content. This includes likes, comments, shares, and other interactions. A high engagement rate is a good indicator that your content is resonating with your audience.
  • Follower growth rate: Follower growth rate is the rate at which your social media following is growing. This KPI can help you track the effectiveness of your social media strategy in attracting and retaining followers.
  • Impressions: Impressions refer to the number of times your content is displayed on a social media platform. This KPI can help you track the reach of your content and identify opportunities to expand your audience.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): Click-through rate is the percentage of people who click on a link in your social media content. This KPI can help you measure the effectiveness of your calls-to-action and track the traffic generated from your social media accounts to your website.
  • Conversion rate: Conversion rate is the percentage of people who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form, after interacting with your social media content. This KPI can help you track the effectiveness of your social media strategy in driving conversions and generating revenue.
  • Customer acquisition cost (CAC): Customer acquisition cost is the cost of acquiring a new customer through your social media marketing efforts. This KPI can help you measure the ROI of your social media marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement in your customer acquisition strategy.

By tracking KPIs, you will be able to measure your efforts and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Social Media Management with Reputation by Design

Social media marketing can be a powerful tool for small businesses looking to grow their brand and connect with their audience. However, managing your social media accounts can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially for small businesses with limited resources. That’s where social media management services can be beneficial. 

At Reputation By Design, we provide organic social media management services to help businesses grow their brand and connect with their audience on social media. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your brand grow online. 

We’re on a mission to get more women in business on the stage and under the spotlight! 

Why? 

A report by the National Women’s Business Council found that women-owned firms are underrepresented in national and international awards, with women accounting for only 12.9% of all business award winners. 

Again – why, and are we holding ourselves back? A study published in the journal Sex Roles found that women were more likely than men to experience impostor syndrome, which can lead to feelings of shyness or self-doubt in the workplace. The study found that women were more likely than men to believe that their success was due to external factors such as luck, rather than their own abilities. 

Women in the workplace

Research has also shown that women are less likely than men to self-promote or advocate for their own accomplishments in the workplace (Journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology). 

Internal locus of control – let’s take back control and get ourselves on the stage. And remember 99% of awards are self-nominated, so let’s nominate ourselves and our fellow women and knock the boys off, together. Awards are a powerful tool to grow your awareness and credibility and ultimately make lead conversion easier because the potential clients already trust you. Our clients also find they can charge a premium for their services with this additional credibility, and their team and new recruits are excited to be part of an award-winning company. 

Women in business awards 2023

  1. The Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards 2023: – There are almost 60 categories to choose from to ensure your unique superpowers are recognised! Find out more
  2. Women’s Business Small Business Awards 2023:

This is a global award, with an Australian chapter. And from the time you get nominated, you can use the award nominee badge. It offers 20+ categories. Find out more

  1. BEAM Awards 2023:

Again, so many diverse categories are on offer. Find out more

Choose Reputation by Design for your award submissions

If you need help with award submissions, choose Reputation by Design. We are a female-led company and we know what it takes to be successful as a woman in the workplace. Together we can work towards a future where women are at the forefront of business – interneationally. 

Benefits of working with us:

  • Comprehensive understanding of award criteria and requirements
  • Persuasive award submissions that tell your unique story
  • Higher chances of winning 🎉
  • Quick turnaround times to meet submission deadlines
  • A stress-free experience – we handle it all!
  • We can assist in utilizing your nomination, finalist, or win to enhance lead conversion and drive growth.

Our process is:

  • An in-depth interview
  • A first draft and final submission for your review
  • Preparation of all award files and attachments
  • Plus, it’s all submitted online carefree for you.

We’ve won over 500 awards for our clients and are a multi-award-winning agency ourselves. so you’re in good hands. Contact us today. 

Generally, when people refer to digital marketing, they’re referring to online marketing avenues such as content marketing, email marketing, SEO, PPC marketing, etc. This puts digital marketing in juxtaposition with traditional marketing, which includes things like billboard ads, radio, and television (although television is technically digital, it’s still classed as traditional marketing). 

So just what is digital marketing? What are the different types of digital marketing? Why is digital marketing important? Let’s take a closer look at all of these questions and more. 

At Reputation by Design, we help proactively grow your reputation through our range of marketing services, with specialties in award submission writing and organic social media management. Contact us today to find out how we can help you. 

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing refers to the use of digital channels, platforms, and technologies to promote products, services, or brands to a targeted audience. It involves using various online channels such as search engines, social media, email, mobile apps, websites, and other digital mediums to reach potential customers, including texts and push notifications. 

In essence, any marketing campaign that uses digital communication can be classified as digital marketing (except television… sorry television). And with 5.16 Billion internet users as of 2023, you know that digital marketing is something to be valued! 

The types of digital marketing

The Types Of Digital Marketing
Image of top organic search results for ‘flower delivery Sydney’. Note the use of keywords in the titles.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the practice of optimising your website and its content to increase its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). The primary goal of SEO is to generate organic traffic by making it easier for search engines to find, crawl, and index your website, which can result in higher visibility and a greater chance of being clicked on by users. SEO is composed of three primary categories.

On-page optimisation, which involves optimising content and keyword usage to match search intent; 

Off-page optimisation, which involves earning backlinks from other authoritative websites, and; 

Technical SEO, which is focused on optimising the backend of your website for faster load times and improved user experience, which can positively impact your search engine rankings. 

By employing a range of SEO techniques, businesses can drive targeted traffic to their website, increase brand awareness, and boost their online presence. SEO is a slow-burner, it takes time to build up authority and traffic, but if done correctly, it can be one of the most cost-effective types of digital marketing. 

With just under 50% of businesses choosing to perform some form of SEO, it’s important to jump on the wagon now, or risk getting left behind! 

What about Voice search optimisation?

Voice search optimisation (VSO) refers to the practice of optimising a website or other digital content to improve its suitability for queries performed using voice search technology, such as those conducted through virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. 

Good VSO involves the use of conversational language, long-tail keywords, and natural language queries, to ensure that it is more easily discoverable and understandable by voice search algorithms. As voice search continues to become more prevalent, VSO is becoming increasingly important for businesses and individuals looking to stay competitive in the digital landscape.

Search engine marketing (SEM)

What Is Digital Marketing
Image of the sponsored section (SEM section) for the same search query, ‘flower delivery Sydney’. Notice the use of ‘Sponsored’ tags.

Search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of digital marketing that involves promoting a business or product by placing paid advertisements at the very top of search engine results pages. 

When potential leads search for keywords related to the business or product, SEM allows for targeted advertising to appear at the very top of the search results, increasing visibility and potential traffic to the website. SEM typically involves the use of paid search ads on search engines such as Google Ads and Bing Ads, and can also incorporate search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies for organic traffic. The seamless integration of paid ads into search results pages also makes SEM an effective form of native advertising.

One big benefit of SEM over SEO is that you can essentially just turn it on and off. Plus, you can always rank higher with SEM than with SEO due to the sponsored section at the very top of search results! 

Content marketing

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach that involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience, with the ultimate goal of driving profitable customer action. The content can take many forms, including blog posts, ebooks, whitepapers, videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media updates, among others.

By providing useful and educational content that aligns with the interests of the audience, businesses can build brand awareness, establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry, generate traffic to their website, and ultimately drive leads and sales. Successful content marketing requires a deep understanding of the target audience and a commitment to delivering high-quality, relevant content consistently over time. If you want content that converts, then our copywriters can help you get there! 

Social media marketing

Social media marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves promoting a brand and its content on various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest. The main goals of social media marketing are to increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads for a business. Marketers may also employ viral marketing strategies by partnering with popular content creators or participating in trends to create share-worthy content that can organically spread across social media channels.

Email marketing

Email marketing refers to the practice of using email as a means of communicating with a target audience for the purpose of promoting content, discounts, events, or directing people towards a business’s website. This type of marketing involves sending various types of emails such as: 

  • blog subscription/newsletters 
  • follow-up emails to website visitors who downloaded something 
  • customer welcome emails 
  • holiday promotions to loyalty program members 
  • tips for customer nurturing 

Email marketing is a cost-effective way for businesses to engage with their customers and can be used to build relationships, generate leads, and drive sales. Our team of talented copywriters can help you draft up amazing email marketing campaigns that really convert! 

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing refers to a marketing strategy that leverages the influence and reach of social media influencers, who have a significant following and expertise in specific niches. This marketing approach aims to engage and persuade the influencer’s audience to try, purchase, or endorse a product or service. By partnering with influencers, brands can tap into the trust and loyalty that influencers have built with their followers, and benefit from the increased visibility, credibility, and conversions that come with it.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing refers to a marketing strategy that involves promoting someone else’s products or services on your website and earning a commission for each sale or lead generated through your referral. This type of advertising is performance-based and typically involves posting affiliate links on social media or hosting video ads through programs like the YouTube Partner Program. It is a form of influencer marketing that has become increasingly popular in recent years and can be an effective way to expand the reach of a digital campaign by partnering with the right content creators.

Native advertising

Types Of Digital Marketing
Example of native advertising, a sponsored story on Instagram.

Native advertising refers to a type of advertising that blends seamlessly with the non-paid content on a platform, and is primarily content-led. It is typically presented as an article, video, or other format that resembles the editorial or user-generated content on the platform. This type of advertising is often used on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as on websites, and is designed to engage users without disrupting their browsing experience. 

Augmented reality (AR) marketing

Augmented reality (AR) marketing is a type of marketing that uses technology to create a more engaging and interactive experience for consumers. AR involves overlaying digital information or graphics onto the real world using a device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

For example, a brand might create an AR app that allows customers to point their phone at a product and see it in 3D or see additional information about the product overlaid on the real world.

AR marketing can be used in a variety of ways, such as to:

  • Showcase products in a more immersive way
  • Provide interactive product demonstrations
  • Allow customers to “try on” products virtually
  • Create interactive advertisements that capture attention
  • Provide additional information about products or services in a visually engaging way

Digital PR 

Digital PR refers to the process of earning positive media coverage and managing the reputation of a brand or organisation through digital channels, such as digital publications, blogs, and content-based websites. It involves using various online communication strategies, including social media outreach to journalists, engaging with online reviews of your company, and responding to comments on your personal website or blog, to build relationships with your audience and establish a positive image for your brand. 

Inbound marketing

Inbound marketing is a customer-centric marketing approach that focuses on attracting and engaging potential customers by providing them with valuable, relevant, and personalised content throughout their buyer’s journey. 

This methodology aims to create a positive customer experience by using various digital marketing tactics such as blogging, video marketing, social media, and email marketing, among others. 

Unlike traditional marketing, which relies on interruptive tactics like pop-up ads, commercial advertising, and email spam, inbound marketing seeks to establish a relationship of trust and mutual benefit between the customer and the brand, leading to long-term customer loyalty and advocacy.

Sponsored Content

Sponsored content refers to a marketing strategy where a brand or company pays a third-party entity to create and promote content that highlights its products or services. 

This content could take various forms, including blog posts, articles, social media posts, videos, and other types of digital media. The primary goal of sponsored content is to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales by leveraging the audiences of other companies or individuals. 

One common form of sponsored content is influencer marketing, where a brand partners with an influencer in its industry to promote its offerings to their followers.

Choose Reputation by Design for all your digital marketing needs

Looking to boost your business’s reputation and reach? Look no further than Reputation by Design. 

We are an award-winning team of expert copywriters, talented designers, and social media specialists can help you craft compelling messaging, design eye-catching visuals, submit award applications, and optimise your social media presence

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business stand out from the crowd.

This article looks at whether digital marketing still works and if it should have a place in today’s digital environment. 

It’s no secret that the digital landscape has changed drastically over the past several years. New platforms and channels for marketing have emerged, and businesses have had to adapt their strategies to stay ahead of the curve. So, does email marketing still work? 

The answer, quite simply, is yes, email marketing still works. Email marketing is still an effective tool – you just have to know how to use it correctly.  And if you do, the benefits can be huge. Let’s take a closer look.

Whether it’s a blog post, content for a new website landing page, email marketing or a social media caption, copywriting always seems to be one of the biggest barriers for our clients. Contact Reputation by Design today and let us take care of all your email marketing needs.

The Benefits of Email Marketing

It’s Cost-Effective

One of the biggest benefits of email marketing is that it’s relatively inexpensive. Although you will need to invest some time in creating quality content, once you have a database of subscribers, the costs associated with sending emails are very low. Compare this to other marketing channels such as television or print advertising, and email begins to look even more attractive.

It’s Personalised

Another advantage of email marketing is that it allows you to send highly personalised messages. With most other marketing channels, you’re limited to generic messages that are sent out to a large group of people. With email marketing, on the other hand, you can segment your list into different groups and send each group highly targeted messages. For example, if you own a pet store, you could segment your list into groups like “dog owners,” “cat owners,” and “bird owners” and then send each group pet-related offers and information that would be most relevant to them. 

It Drives Results

Perhaps the most important benefit of email marketing is that it drives results. When done correctly, email marketing can be incredibly effective in terms of both generating leads and converting those leads into customers. In fact, studies have shown that for every $1 spent on email marketing, businesses see an average return of $44! 

In order to make email marketing work in today’s environment, you need to be more strategic about who you’re targeting and what kinds of messages you’re sending. Gone are the days when you could blast out a generic message to your entire list and hope for the best. Nowadays, people are bombarded with so much content that they’ve become adept at tuning out anything that isn’t specifically relevant to them.

In order to cut through the noise and reach your target audience, you need to segment your list and personalise your messages. By sending more targeted emails, you can boost your open rates and click-through rates, and ultimately generate more leads and sales. And that’s what it’s all about, after all.

Personalisation, segmentation, and mobile optimization. Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors. 

How to Do Email Marketing

Personalisation

One of the most important things you can do when it comes to email marketing is to personalise your messages as much as possible. Gone are the days when people were happy to receive generic messages from businesses. These days, people want to feel like they are being communicated with as individuals, not as part of a faceless mass. 

The best way to achieve this is by using data you have collected about your subscribers—such as their name, location, and past purchasing behaviour—to create more personalised messages. You can also segment your list into different groups so that you can send more targeted messages that are relevant to each individual group. 

Segmentation

Speaking of segmentation, this is another key element of successful email marketing. By dividing your subscribers up into different groups, you can create more targeted and relevant messages that are more likely to resonate with each individual group. This also allows you to test different message types and strategies to see what works best with each group. 

Mobile Optimisation

Another important factor to keep in mind is that more and more people are reading emails on their mobile devices. This means that it’s essential to optimise your messages for mobile viewing in order to ensure that they are being seen and read by your intended audience. 

So, Does Email Marketing Work?

Yes, email marketing works. Email marketing may look different than it did a few years ago, but make no mistake, it’s still an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. The key is to be more strategic about who you’re targeting and what kinds of messages you’re sending. Personalisation, segmentation, and mobile optimisation are all important factors to keep in mind to create more targeted and relevant messages that will resonate with your audience and help grow your business.

If you can do that, you’ll be able to reach your target audience and achieve your business goals.  If you’re not already using email marketing as part of your overall strategy, now is the time to start! 

Reputation by Design is proud to announce that it has won the prestigious MobileWebAward for Best Marketing Mobile Website. This award recognises the importance of creating a website that is user-friendly, engaging and impactful on mobile devices. The award was judged on criteria including creativity, impact, design, content, interactivity, ease of use and use of the medium. Reputation by Design partnered with Five by Five to design and develop its website.

The MobileWebAward evaluates websites based on their ability to provide an effective user experience across different mobile devices. In particular, the judging panel looks at how well a site engages users and converts them into customers. As part of the competition, each website is evaluated for its creativity in using graphics, interactivity with users, ease of navigation and overall impact on audiences. The judges found that Reputation by Design’s website scored high marks in all categories due to its clear structure and design as well as its effectiveness in delivering information quickly and efficiently to users.

Reputation by Design’s Founder and Director, Karen Hall commented on the win: “As a business specialising in reputation, we know the importance of a strong online presence, including an effective and great-looking website that represents your brand and team well. 80% of prospects will check a company out online before buying from them, including reviewing their website and social media pages, so a website is a crucial investment in your online reputation to build trust and credibility.

“Reputation by Design is honored to have received this award along with Five by Five from the prestigious MobileWebAwards organization for Best Marketing Mobile Website. It reflects our commitment to providing an exceptional user experience for our customers regardless of their device or platform preferences when accessing our services online. We would like to thank Five by Five for helping us create an amazing website that meets the of our clients so well.”

Did you know LinkedIn is an extremely effective marketing tool for generating leads for your small business – if you know how to use it correctly? It’s the world’s largest professional networking site and, according to a recent study by HubSpot, it generates more leads for businesses than any other social media platform. 

In this article we’re going to look at some of the benefits of using LinkedIn for small business marketing, some tips on how to do it well, and finally, we’ll take a look more generally on any updates LinkedIn has planned for 2023. 

5 Benefits of Using LinkedIn as Part of the Marketing Strategy for Your Small Business

1. It Allows You To Grow Your Professional Network

As a small business owner, it’s important to surround yourself with other like-minded individuals who can provide advice, mentorship, and support, and LinkedIn is the perfect place to grow your professional network. By creating a profile and connecting with other professionals in your industry, you’ll be able to expand your network quickly and easily. Furthermore, LinkedIn Groups are a great way to engage with other professionals in a more informal setting. Your connections can also introduce you to other people who can help your business grow. 

2. It Helps You Find New Customers and Clients 

LinkedIn can also be used as a powerful marketing tool to reach new customers and clients. By creating a company page for your business and sharing high-quality content, you’ll be able to reach a larger audience and position your business as an industry thought leader. In addition, LinkedIn Ads is a great way to target potential customers with laser precision. And LinkedIn Newsletters are a powerful tool to grow your subscriber base.

3. It Allows You to Stay Up-To-Date in Your Industry

Another great reason to use LinkedIn as a small business owner is that it allows you to stay up-to-date in your industry. It has a newsfeed feature that will show you articles and posts from people and companies in your industry. This way, you can always be in the know about the latest news and trends in your field. 

4. It Gives You a Place to Share Your Expertise

LinkedIn also provides small business owners with a place to share their expertise with their network. By sharing articles, blog posts, or even just updates about your company, you are able to position yourself as an expert in your industry. This is a great way to attract new customers and clients who are looking for someone with your expertise. 

5. It Allows You To Connect With Potential Customers

LinkedIn groups are another fantastic feature that can be really beneficial for small business owners. Joining groups full of potential customers or collaborators is a great way to grow your business. These groups provide a place for you to start discussions, share content, and answer questions. 

3 Tips to Effectively Generate leads on LinkedIn for Your Business:

1. Optimise your profile 

Your LinkedIn profile is essentially your online resume. That’s why it’s important to take the time to make sure your profile is optimised and is representative of your personal brand. Include a professional headshot, a detailed summary of your work experience, and any relevant skills or endorsements. Additionally, be sure to include links to your website or blog so that potential customers can learn more about you and your business. 

If you’re short of time, or know-how, the specialist team at Reputation by Design can help you with all aspects of social media optimisation!

2. Seek out relevant groups 

Joining relevant LinkedIn groups is a great way to get connected with potential customers and grow your network. When joining a group, be sure to participate in discussions and add value where you can. For example, if you’re a real estate agent looking to connect with potential home buyers, you might join a group for first-time home buyers and offer advice and answer questions related to the home buying process. 

3. Post regular updates 

One of the best ways to generate leads on LinkedIn is by posting regular updates on your activity feed. These updates can be anything from blog articles you’ve written or newsworthy items related to your industry. By sharing valuable content on a regular basis, you’ll not only position yourself as an expert in your field but you’ll also be top-of-mind when someone in your network needs the services you offer. Don’t have the time? Let us help – we are experts in social media management

What’s New on LinkedIn in 2023?

In LinkedIn’s annual preview of new features coming in the year ahead, the company announced a number of features rolling out in 2023.  Here are three that stood out:

  1. Improved Video Accessibility – videos uploaded to the platform will now automatically generate captions. (TIP:  This is great for Q&A, Did you know, etc videos!)
  2. Updates To B2B Product Search – they recently launched Product Pages to help users explore products that meet their needs, connect with community experts, and, if interested, make a purchase. (TIP: Ensure your ‘Services’ page is up to date!)
  3. Content Analytics – they are updating the creator analytics dashboard to include audience data and top-performing content. This enables you to examine the evolution of your following and discover more about your audience’s demographics. (TIP: Reviewing your top-performing content is important to know which posts are working better than others and create more of what’s working!)

Make 2023 the Year You Learn How to Use LinkedIn for Your Business

LinkedIn is a powerful tool that can be used for networking, growing your professional connections, and most importantly, generating leads for your business. If you’re not using it effectively, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers. By following the tips above, you can start generating more leads for your business today.  

Contact Reputation by Design today for a health-check, to optimise your presence, and for more tips to generate leads and grow your brand on LinkedIn.

Winner: 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 – 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮!

We are SO excited to share we’ve just been awarded the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮/𝟮𝟯 Corporate LiveWire 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮!

It’s our first ‘global’ award accreditation, and one I’m incredibly proud of given the breadth of the judging criteria!

The criteria for this award included:

* Service excellence

* Marketing and branding

* Industry recognition

* Ethical practice

* Employee satisfaction

Thank you so, so much to our amazing clients for their continuous support, and to our ever-growing team for helping achieve this milestone 6th award Image1 Image2

Marketing Firm Of The Year

What they had to say about us

Corporate Livewire were kind enough to provide us with a generous press release. Here’s what they had to say:

“Established in 2015, Reputation by Design is a boutique marketing agency offering a bespoke range of services designed to instigate business growth. Based in Balgowlah, New South Wales, the firm has a 14-strong team which blends expertise in marketing, copywriting, graphic design, and journalism to take its client’s revenues and reputation to new heights. 

Reputation by Design has particular specialities in award submission writing and organic social media management, and has the expertise to support clients from a range of different industries, including real estate, finance, IT, education, cybersecurity, and tourism. The modern, agile agency possesses more than 70 years of marketing experience amongst its team, and represents the true value of outsourcing. 

Reputation by Design’s Founder and Director, Karen – who offers more than 25 years of industry experience – began the company as a one-woman operation and has developed it into one of Australia’s premier marketing agencies. One of its key services is social media management and optimisation, where the agency showcases its in-depth knowledge of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and their algorithms, maximising the potential for its clients to be seen, heard, and engaged with online. 

Reputation by Design’s proven 51-point checklist for social media channels helps guide businesses toward being fully discoverable by their target audience. Furthermore, the agency’s talented writers offer errorfree copy for award submissions and marketing materials, capturing the voice of the brand and breaking down barriers between clients and their intended audience. 

The judging panel was particularly impressed by the results-driven process the firm uses. Reputation by Design follow a customised process with each client, all beginning with a free opening consultation to establish their goals and objectives. Its talented team discuss key business metrics too, gaining a comprehensive overview of where the company’s marketing weaknesses lie. From there, a detailed strategy is developed for the client alongside the relevant costings, enabling them to make an informed decision. The agency remains in constant communication throughout the project, keeping its clients updated and even once a successful outcome is achieved – guiding them towards even better results.”

No major brand would forgo professional graphic design so why should you? Here’s why professionally created graphics are important for businesses of all sizes. 

The rise of online DIY tools like photoshop and Canva has led to many business owners trying to tackle graphic design themselves. 

While it’s possible for anyone to click and drag a few squares and circles to create a graphic, there are strong reasons why you should invest in the services of a professional graphic design provider if you want to build a credible brand image that stands out. 

Reputation by Design brings your message to life through compelling graphics, infographics, storytelling and content to raise your credibility, professionalism and trust. Think headings, fonts, colours, hierarchy, graphs, tables, infographics, icons, and charts. Graphic design is more art than science, and best left to experts! If you want the help of a professional graphic designer, contact us today. 

Before you lose time attempting graphic design yourself, consider the following points: 

Professional graphic design involves a great deal of strategy

Think of a pianist sitting down to flawlessly play a tune. The five minutes of beautiful music they produce is a result of hundreds of hours of practice and learning.

The same applies to graphic design. It may take a professional designer a few hours to put together some concepts for a logo but this is thanks to the many years of study and experience. What’s more, the same way a pianist knows exactly when to pause and increase the tempo, a graphic designer understands how elements like colours, fonts and images can represent a brand and appeal to its target audience. 

Quality graphic design applies an information hierarchy and a detailed understanding of the way humans respond to images. Unless you understand the principles, it’s easy to come up with designs that fall flat. 

Consider some of the following questions graphic designers ask themselves when creating a logo: 

  • Is it impressive but easy to remember and recognise?
  • Are there elements that reflect what the brand does or is focused on?
  • Will the colours appeal to the target audience?
  • Does it tell a single ‘story’ rather than trying to share a number of messages?
  • Is it similar to a well-recognised or rival brand?
  • Is it scalable and versatile?  Can it be used at small and large format sizes for different assets (business cards to billboards) 
  • Has the font choice been considered as part of the overall vibe and tone of the brand?
  • Can it easily be resized and adapted for various requirements (e.g. can it be made to fit within a circle, square or rectangle?)

And that’s just a logo. There are so many more elements to consider when it comes to other image-based collateral. 

A professional graphic designer will understand your brand

Your graphic designer will get to know your company vision and your target audience. When you have an ongoing relationship with a designer, they’ll be able to pick up where they left off whenever you need new visual assets for your business. 

If you decide to go the freelancer route and use a different person every time you need some graphics put together, you won’t have consistency across your brand messaging. What’s more, freelancers are often spinning many plates and are unable to provide the attention your business deserves in a timely manner. 

Graphic design isn’t quick (especially if you’re not experienced)

Yes, you can take the DIY approach to graphic design but you are still spending time on the task. This is fine if you don’t have anything else to do but chances are there are other areas of your business that you could be focusing on.

If you want to grow your business, you need to master delegating. Finding someone reliable to help with tasks like copywriting, graphic design and social media management can help you achieve a great deal with minimal investment. When you outsource to a professional, you can focus on building the strategies and relationships that will grow your business.

Professional graphic design stands out

If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. 

Professional graphic design makes a business more credible. Have a look at a few different brands and you will be able to see the ones that have invested in quality because they look so much more professional. 

Your graphic design is your first impression

Words and websites are important but the first thing anyone notices about a business is the look and feel. If yours is done well, you will be a step closer to a brand new customer. 

Work with a professional graphic designer from Reputation By Design

Reputation By Design was recently awarded Top Expert’s Best Graphic Design in Sydney. If you want to find out more about our professional graphic design services contact us today. 

Reputation by Design win 2022 National Australian Achiever Award

Reputation By Design  (formerly 101 Things Marketing), based in Sydney NSW, has won the 2022 Australian  Achiever Award for Australia’s Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services category. 

Now into its twenty-fifth year, the Australian Achiever  Awards are an independent,  unbiased award system based on assessment ratings from a business’s own customers. The awards provide an indication of a well-run business where satisfied customers are a sign that a business is healthy, worthy of praise, and increased custom. 

The award system focuses on eight criteria, namely: Time Related Service, Addressing Client Needs, Care and  Attention,  Value,  Attitude,  Communication,  Perception, and  Referral.  The criteria are rated individually in percentage terms and the final score is an amalgam of these.    Anything above  80%  overall is regarded as exceptional and reflects outstanding customer service. 

Reputation By Design achieved a 99.40% overall score for Customer Service and Relations,  topping all other  Advertising, Marketing &  Public Relations Services business applicants to become the National Winner. The  2022 Australian Achiever Award proves Reputation By Design delivers on the promise of customer satisfaction.  

Established originally as  101  Things Marketing by  Director  Karen  Hall in  2015,  the business was recently re-branded to Reputation By Design to more accurately reflect what they offer.  As a specialist marketing agency,  they provide clients with a  suite of marketing services,  social media management, and award submission assistance. The team of 14 specialists supports clients not only in Australia but also internationally.  They aim to proactively grow their client’s business reputation by increasing trust and social proof in brands, and ultimately growing leads and revenue.  Karen proclaimed “We are thrilled to be named the National Winner of the Australian  Achiever Award for Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services.  The entire team is so passionate about  growing our clients’ businesses and reputation, and to lead by example and win this award means so much!” 

Some of the comments Australian Achiever received from Reputation By Design customers are: 

“I have been dealing with Karen and the team for five years now, which is a reflection of her customer service. I am hugely impressed with her; she is remarkable. They are excellent at managing expectations.  She runs a tight ship; follow-up is on time, and she keeps me well informed about everything. I have ultimate respect for her and her business. She makes us feel like we are the best company she deals with. 

“Reputation by Design takes time to understand our needs. They are clear and concise with all information and are a delight to work with. “

“I love the energy, consistency, and transparency of Reputation by Design. They always come up with new ideas so we can stay ahead of the competition. I appreciate it when they chase me to follow up and update me. They know the industry very well. And they have been much better than previous businesses I dealt with that did not deliver on promises.”

For more information contact:
Karen Hall, Reputation by Design
T 0447 682 635
E marketing@reputationbydesign.com

It’s time to start your marketing plan for 2023!

Instead of struggling to play catch-up when you could have been preparing, start getting your marketing strategy ready for 2023 now. Here’s why it’s important that you don’t wait.

You know what it’s like – it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things that we forget about all of the opportunities we’re missing. And even though there are always going to be busy periods, if we don’t keep an eye on our marketing plan, we’ll find ourselves with no leads and no income during the slower times. So let’s avoid that by being proactive and starting our preparations today!

A great tip is to use quiet times, such as the Christmas and New Year break, to work on an effective marketing strategy. By having key practices and strategies set in place, you can keep up a consistent dialogue with future customers.

Here’s why you need to make time to focus on what’s going on with your marketing strategy at least a couple of times per year:

Time to come up with ideas

If you want to come up with new concepts, do a bit of brainstorming and marketing research. Another great option is to take some time for yourself – go on a walk or have a shower – so your brain can have a break. This will allow moments of brilliant inspiration for your marketing strategy to flow more freely.

Pause for a moment to think about your marketing strategy. 

  • Who is your ideal client? And who isn’t? 
  • What are their pain points? 
  • What are your goals? 
  • What is your product mix and profitability?
  • What is your product innovation strategy? 
  • Who is on your team and have they got the right skills? 

Taking the time to answer these questions will help you create more effective content and use your marketing time more efficiently.

There are a lot of tactics and strategies that you could use to build your business, but it’s important to focus on what will work best for you. Take some time to research and analyse your data – this will help you identify what’s been successful in the past and where you should be focusing your efforts going forward.

It’s also a good idea to plan ahead and be prepared for any potential changes in your industry. For example, are there any new trends that you need to focus on? Or do you need to adapt to what you’re doing in order to keep up with changing consumer preferences? By thinking ahead and including these considerations in your marketing strategy, you can stay ahead of the competition and continue to grow your business successfully.

Time to execute

A well-executed marketing plan is key to the success of any business, large or small. By planning your content calendar in advance and delegating tasks among a team or outsourcing them to specialist agencies, you can ensure that there is always fresh, relevant content to share with your audience. 

Of course, you can’t plan everything in advance – after all, things are always changing and evolving. But by having a strong framework in place to start from, you’ll be able to quickly make any necessary adjustments so that your marketing continues to help drive business growth.

The ability to reach more people

Nowadays, a central component of marketing is being where your consumers are. You need to consider which mediums you’ll use as part of your strategy and plan accordingly. More specifically, you should identify where your target audience spends their time (for example: reading the newspaper, scrolling through social media or driving past your store) so that you can design ads they won’t be able to miss.

For example, you’ll need to be on LinkedIn if your target audience is there. The same rule applies to niche magazines and social media apps like TikTok. You can make sure you’re reaching the maximum number of potential clients and customers by having a definite plan when you know what you’re doing.  And don’t forget the power of Google Business Profile and local business awards if you’re a local business!

Better brand recognition

Have you heard of the ‘Rule of 7’? Research shows people have to be exposed to your brand seven times if you want them to remember you. 

A well-executed marketing campaign will help you get more customers who are looking for what you offer. Your name or label will become synonymous with the services or goods you provide and your ideal clients will be more likely to reach out when they need you.

Improved measurability

‘What gets measured improves’. 

Having an unorganised marketing strategy might snag you a few leads every now and then, but it’ll be hard to tell what works and why. Having specific goals lets you track your progress so you can focus on what’s working well. You can do this by looking at website visits, recording customer enquiries, and monitoring conversion rates. Doing this allows you to ensure that each marketing activity is actually moving towards your expectations.

Room to experiment

Marketing is an inexact science, which doesn’t have to be scary – it can actually be really exciting. Trying new things, even if they are a little left-of-centre can result in big payoffs that you didn’t expect. But you’ll never know until you experiment!

As you’re thinking about your marketing plan, also consider what budget you’ll set aside. And if you can swing it, keep some extra cash on hand for trying out new online or ‘traditional’ marketing ideas.

When will you plan your marketing for 2023?

It’s time to take a look at your calendar and schedule a few hours (or even better, a few days) to focus on your marketing strategy. This way, you can start the new year off strong, with a clear plan for how you will promote your business.

Not sure where to start? I can help you create a marketing strategy that works for you. Get in touch with the team at Reputation by Design today.

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