• Video:
  • Video is one of the most engaging storytelling mediums. Whether through behind-the-scenes clips, customer testimonials, or documentary-style features, video immerses audiences in your brand’s narrative, making it more memorable and impactful. Check out this video we made for Jacksonville Jaguars, showcasing the unique influence the team has had on a local scale.
• Social:
  • Social media allows brands to share their story directly with audiences. From short-form videos to interactive posts, a strong content strategy can build trust, foster community, and turn followers into loyal customers.
• Blogs:
  • Blogs provide a platform for in-depth storytelling while boosting visibility through SEO. Thoughtful, well-written content can position your brand as an industry leader and attract new audiences.

It can be difficult to even know how to identify your brands story. You can be familiar with your company, know the ins and outs of processes and jobs, and know nothing about making it digestible for others. You need a strong brand story to differentiate your company from others and begin laying the building blocks for customer loyalty. To pin point your brand’s story, keep these five questions in mind:

• What problem does your brand solve, and how does it make an impact?
• What are your brand’s core values?
• Where do you see your brand’s values in action?
• How does your brand differentiate itself from competitors?
• What milestones or achievements has defined your journey?

Ready to get your story out there? From identifying the message that defines your brand to crafting compelling content and distributing it across the right channels, we’re here for every step of the journey. Let’s create a story that lasts.

The post 3 Ways to Build Your Brand Story appeared first on 3D Digital.

Hold onto your witches’ hat! Here are some examples of Halloween-themed digital marketing campaigns that organizations have launched in the past.

Seasonal Videos

Video content gets the most organic engagement. If your business utilizes video regularly, creating a spooky themed video may best route to get some scary good conversions.

Geico Insurance is a big player during the holidays with their seasonally themed advertising campaigns. They recently launched the “GEICOween” campaign with a series of commercials. In the most talked about commercial, the Geico gecko and the new homeowners explore the old attic only to find presumably haunted mannequins. How eerie is that!

Themed Targeted Display Ads

Svedka took the prize in 2017 when they launched their Halloween “Banner Ad Curse” campaign. This campaign used a person’s location, vodka preferences and browsing habits to create personalized targeted display ads that followed the users from site to site with creepy messages. Further, the only way to “break the curse” was to click on the ad.

Evil genius? We think so. This data-driven campaign broke the normal mold of targeted ads in a terrifying yet totally creative way.

Social Media Campaigns

Fanta’s 2017 Halloween campaign used distorted reality to create scary Snapchat filters during the spooky season. The Snapchat filters could only be unlocked using the exclusive Snapcode on the back of Fanta beverages, which helped increase sales of these limited-time products. The filters got progressively scarier as Halloween got closer. This digital marketing campaign was a huge success because it boosted product sales while maintaining customer engagement.

Blog Posts

Blog posts (like this one) are a great way to treat your audience while also boosting your SEO. Halloween is a hot time for interesting and trendy searches since millions of people are looking for costume and party ideas, tips and tricks, and so much more. If you’re searching for a spooky blog post idea, checking out the Halloween Google Search trends is a good way to see what people are currently interested in.

Halloween is a perfect time to break out of the usual digital marketing mold. Take the leap this year and start brewing some of your own ideas for your Halloween campaign!

The post 4 Digital Marketing Ideas for Halloween appeared first on 3D Digital.

Limit Options

One of the biggest mistakes a website can make is overwhelming its visitors. Pages that are too cluttered or distracting can reduce the potential conversion rate, especially if there are several calls to action. Each page should have a maximum of one CTA. Also, when a CTA requires filling out a form, make sure the form has as few fields as possible. Overall, you should limit the number of options on a page to persuade people to make the choices you intend. If you need to include more than one CTA on a page, be very clear about the differences between the options. It may be best to experiment with different options on your website and figure out what works best for you.

Study the Past

Understanding your conversion rate and why it works is the key to increasing conversions. Track your conversions and see what kind of campaigns, content and CTAs are leading to the highest response rates. This way you can find out what content works best with your audience and replicate those results.

Use Video

Video can help you better engage with visitors. You can use video content to entice and inspire people to act. It’s also a great way to show some work behind the scenes and help make your brand more relatable.

Add Evidence

Testimonials from clients help to establish credibility and trust. People want to know they can trust a brand. Placing testimonials on your website can inform visitors of what they can expect from you. Clients are much more likely to trust what someone else says about your company than what you say about yourself. Besides reviews, trust seals, awards and statistics are other great ways to build credibility and increase conversions.

Use Appealing CTAs

Strong rates of conversion start with a strong call to action. What makes up a strong call to action? First, use buttons instead of links. Buttons will attract more attention and are more easily clicked on when viewed on a mobile device. Also, use simple and specific language. Instead of just a regular contact button, use something more specific like “Contact a Digital Marketing Specialist.”

Sometimes the simplest tactics are the most effective. Be sure to always think from your audience’s perspective. What kind of information would you expect to see if you were in their shoes? Think about what things your visitors would want to see and then implement them across the board to help boost your conversion rates.

The post Ways to Boost Your Conversions appeared first on 3D Digital.

Have Purpose

To connect with Generation Z, your business needs to have a purpose. Yes, every business has a purpose to make money, but to win over this upcoming generation it must go deeper than that. These young people prefer to get behind brands that serve a greater good and have environmentally or socially conscious roots. Gen Z mentality is all about expressing individuality and being who you are. When they find a brand that expresses public support for people like them or for a cause they’re passionate about, they’re more likely to become a loyal customer.

Use Video

Video is a great way to boost awareness and engagement in general, but is even more significant to Generation Z. More than 70 percent of teens spend at least three hours per day watching videos on their mobile devices. With such a focus on video content, reaching out to this generation through any other medium just isn’t likely to be as effective. Whether it be through videos embedded on your website or short video ads on YouTube, video marketing is a must if you want to increase your conversions among this demographic.

Support Mobile

If your online presence isn’t yet optimized for mobile devices that should be your top priority. Without a properly developed mobile site, you’re not only missing out on the majority of Gen Z, but a lot of people in general. Incredibly, more than half of all teens use their smartphone for shopping. As more people begin the transition to online shopping and brick and mortar stores continue to decline, having an attractive mobile website is more important now than ever before.

Diversify Social Media

Facebook is king… or is it? While Facebook is still the most popular social media platform among the general population, the same can’t be said for Generation Z alone. According to Google, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular social media platforms for this age group. Many businesses are familiar with Facebook and Facebook marketing, but not many have bridged over to Instagram and Snapchat in the same manner. If you want your brand to stay relevant moving forward, diverting more resources to these platforms is a one-way ticket to social media success.

With such a diverse group of individuals and free thinkers, the best way to connect with those in Generation Z isn’t the same across the board. Without a straightforward solution, observing their habits is extremely telling. Having a greater purpose, utilizing video, supporting the mobile experience and broadening your social media presence are some of the best ways your business can connect with Gen Z today.

The post How to Connect with Generation Z appeared first on 3D Digital.

To help you in this process, we’ve selected a few do’s and don’ts of logo design we find important.

Don’t

Update Often

Changing your logo often will diminish any recognizability you have in the public. This is easily one of the biggest branding mistakes a business can make. A slight refresh or modernization of an existing logo is fine, but updating it too frequently can be detrimental to a business of any size.

Choose Wild Styling

Simplicity is key. Your logo design should be legible and easy to interpret. While it does need to be unique, making crazy styling or font choices aren’t recommended. It’s important the public can recognize your logo with even the slightest glance.

Be too Generic

Even though we agree simplicity is key, being generic isn’t good either. A perfect example is the Apple logo. Using a regular apple shape would have been too bland, which is when the idea for having a missing bite was born. It added uniqueness to a once basic image and helped create one of the most recognized logos in the world. You must find a way to perfectly balance simplicity and intricacy.

Do

Audience Research

Before you begin designing, you should know everything about your target audience. All styling should ultimately reflect your audience and what they like to see in a brand. A logo is an identifier consumers look at before they walk through your doors. Think about toy stores. Their logos usually feature more whimsical designs to appeal to children and solidify their presence in their industry.

Get Opinions

Asking for help isn’t a bad thing. You need to make sure your logo appeals to your target audience, so why not ask for their opinion? Whether you’re just starting out or going through a brand refresh, seeking the opinions of your audience and other industry professionals is smart. Present them with options and have them choose their favorite. It’s an easy way to know if you’ve got it right the first time.

Use Color

Clever use of color can help you stand out from the crowd. Certain color tones are proven to exude different feelings and emotions on people. Have you ever wondered why so many logos use the color blue? It’s because blue emits a sense of calmness, likely due to its relativity with the sky and the sea. What colors you use and the way you implement them are additional ways to appeal to your audience.

Design for the Long Term

Your logo should be the brand’s most recognizable part, so design it with longevity in mind. Never use overly trendy design or images that won’t age well. The last thing you want is to be forced to redesign your entire logo just because you made a bad choice. Think to yourself, is this something I’d want representing me in 50 years? If the answer is no, go back to the drawing board and create a design that (with slight refreshes) can carry your brand forever.

A logo deserves careful planning and execution. It can help your brand grow rapidly or equally assist in its failure; your path is up to you. We believe seeking the help of professionals who have experience designing successful logos is important, which is what pushed us to compile this list. Don’t worry, designing a perfect logo can be easier than you think.

If you still need guidance, look below to see some of the logos we’ve created in the past.

The post Fall in Love with your Logo appeared first on 3D Digital.

If you’re not happy with the results you’ve been seeing so far, keep reading for some ideas that are sure to help you boost your social media presence in the new year.

Video

In 2019, videos are projected to make up about 80 percent of internet traffic. That means a crazy amount of video content is being produced and uploaded onto the internet every day. If you’re not already implementing video into your social media strategy, or not a lot of it, 2019 is your time to ramp up its use.

There’s not just one way to introduce video to your pages, there’s quite a few actually. Some of the new and more popular ways people are using it are with live videos and stories. Live videos allow you to talk directly with your audience. You can even receive and answer questions directly from your followers, which is a great advancement for customer service. Stories are similar, except they’re not live. Posting a story allows you to share extra content, or content you normally wouldn’t share on your main feed. This could be behind the scenes looks, quick messages, or even other content not directly relevant to your usual messaging. Both live video and story features can be found on multiple social media platforms, so adding them to your tactics shouldn’t be difficult to do.

Advertising

Social media is a great place to promote your business, but not everyone is taking advantage of it. You’ve likely come across many “sponsored” posts while scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed. If you think this feature is only accessible to larger businesses, think again. This is an extremely common way for small businesses to reach their target audience. Instead of spending frivolous amounts of money on traditional advertising mediums, you could just advertise where people are spending most of their free time anyways. About 47% of millennials are influenced to make purchases based off what they see on social media. The potential gains a business can see from this method of advertising are enormous.

For a more in-depth look, check out our past blog with social media advertising tips here.

Audience Research

If you think you know exactly who your audience is, you may want to think again. An audience can shift at any moment without notice. This means that regular research is necessary to make sure your social media efforts are geared towards the right people. Your posts aren’t going to get much traction if they don’t interest the people that are seeing them. A great audience research tool even lies right within social media itself: polls. Posting a poll to your feed and asking for your follower’s opinions is a direct way to learn how most of your audience thinks.

Contests

A low cost and easy way to advertise your business while gaining new followers is to run a contest. The most popular way to tackle this is to hold a giveaway. Simply choose a product or service you’d like to give away, then create a post with steps a person must follow to enter the contest. We recommend that you require each applicant to follow your page, like and share your post, then tag a set number of friends in the comments so you can maximize your exposure. The goal is to get as many people to share your post in hopes that you receive lots of new followers.

Here’s a tip: make sure the giveaway features one of your products, or something relevant to your business. Yes, giving away a Visa gift card might receive more entries; however, choosing a product tailored to your business should result in followers that are interested in you and not just free stuff.

Social media is a space you should be delegating more resources to in 2019. The potential it brings to businesses of all sizes is huge. If you’re not sure how to increase your social media presence, creating videos, placing advertisements, performing audience research and running contests are solid ways to take a step in the right direction.

The post New Year, New Social Media Tactics appeared first on 3D Digital.

To boost your branding strategy, we’re giving you five tips that will help build your brand in the new year.

Reevaluate Your Audience

No matter how confident you are that you know your customers, change is always a possibility. It’s recommended that you research your audience base annually so that you know exactly who you should be targeting with your marketing materials throughout the year. The billion-dollar brands of the world didn’t get there without making sure they knew exactly who to target and when.

Refresh Your Website

Your website is likely the first thing a potential customer will encounter. That first impression is crucial to entice someone to stay and discover all you have to offer. If you haven’t made any updates to your site in years, now’s the time. A well-executed website can position you as a leader in your industry and as a trustworthy place to do business. It’s also important that your branding materials are consistent between both your physical and digital locations, or your brand will suffer. Designing a fresh website that reinforces who you are and what it is you are trying to accomplish is always necessary, not only at the start of a new year.

Step-up Your Social Media Game

Social media is more than just a place to share cute cat pictures, it’s a proven business tool. If you haven’t delved into the world of social media, that should change immediately! During your audience research you should determine what platforms your customers prefer, then make sure you are present there. Like your website, the goal of your social media accounts should be to reinforce and enhance your brand online. Unlike your website, social media is where you can get a little more fun with your followers. Behind the scene looks, live videos, employee spotlights and direct customer engagements are all things you can offer on your social media accounts that wouldn’t make sense anywhere else.

Invest in Blogs

Blogs are a valuable brand building tool that many overlook. A well-researched and written blog post can position you as a knowledgeable source in your industry. This designation can result in massive gains for your brand as more people connect with your content. Also, a blog is great for search engine optimization (SEO) and adds more substance to your digital real estate, both valuable for a brand.

Seek Help from the Professionals

Regardless of how knowledgeable you are in your field, you may not know how to build a brand that resonates with your audience. This is where professionals step in. Hiring a team of experienced marketers to help you build your brand may just be the best decision you ever make. This team can take a lot of the stress off your shoulders and determine your best plan of action moving forward. From drafting your mission statement to creating a new logo, a marketing team can help you build from the ground up or midway through your journey. People often get lost trying to establish a successful online presence. An effective digital marketing team can design your website and tailor your social media accounts to best suit your needs.

Strong branding is more important now than ever. As 2019 begins, businesses are going to search for the newest and most innovative ways to grow their brands. It’s recommended that you do the same or risk losing your place as a competitor in your field. Reevaluating your audience, refreshing your website, focusing on social media, investing in blogs and bringing on a professional marketing team are all ways that you can continue to build your brand this new year.

The post 5 Tips to Building Your Brand in the New Year appeared first on 3D Digital.

In business, few things are as important for growth as branding. Successfully branding a company can take it from being just another struggling start-up to an industry leader. Branding is never just about you and your company, it’s about the consumer. Find out what your target audience likes and use it to your advantage.

We’ve compiled a list of 10 branding stats that everyone should be aware of when marketing to consumers:

1) 62 percent of millennials believe online content builds brand loyalty. We’re living in a digital world. If you don’t already have a widespread online presence, that should be your top priority. Branding in the 21^st century begins online.

2) Blogs bring in 67 percent more leads each month compared to companies without them. Blogs are a great place for you to tell consumers who you are and what you stand for. They’re also an opportunity to create SEO rich content to bring in new leads.

3) 64 percent of consumers say they trust a brand more if they share values with it. Tell consumers what you stand for. It’s always better to be transparent with the public, so long as you don’t alienate people or turn them away. Supporting a cause is a great way to build trust among consumers with the same mission.

4) A brand with an obvious political stance disappoints a reported 65 percent of the population. It’s good to believe in something, but never to the point where people get upset. Now more than ever, politics can be a great divide between people. Blatantly choosing one side over another could possibly eliminate half of your consumers.

5) 73 percent of people love a brand because of its friendly customer service. Never skimp on providing exceptional customer service. This is a chance for you to speak directly with real consumers and listen to what they have to say. If they feel you truly care about them and their issues, that will pay off in the long run. Positive word of mouth is crucial.

6) 90 percent of consumers expect to have the same experience with a brand across all platforms. It’s no longer acceptable to have a website that can only be viewed on a computer. Optimizing a site for mobile viewing is important because many people today surf the web on the go. Also, having the same presence on social media is a no-brainer. People need to have the same feeling of interacting with your brand everywhere to be able to form a loyalty to it.

7) Half of consumers follow at least one brand on social media. Make sure your social media marketing strategy is top notch. Come up with ideas to bring in new followers and get them involved. This is a chance to reach a large part of your target audience with the push of a button.

8) A signature color can boost brand recognition by 80 percent. Starbucks’ green, Ford’s blue, McDonald’s yellow, Coke’s red; you get the point. Choose a color pattern and stick with it. Consumers crave that consistency and recognizability.

9) One-third of the top 100 brands use blue somewhere in their logo. Blue is said to give off the essence of trust and honesty, two things every brand should strive for. Adding blue to your logo can help to further correlate these qualities with your brand.

10) 77 percent of people refer to a specific brand name when making purchases. How many times have you used the word “Coke” to refer to soda? “Kleenex” to refer to tissues? It’s not like we do it on purpose, it just happens. A great brand name can become as commonplace, if not more so, as the product itself.

These statistics show that a carefully thought out and executed branding strategy can result in exponential growth. Universal recognizability is the goal of every brand and you should be no exception. Take this information and use it to get into the game and beat the competition.

The post 10 Branding Stats That Will Blow Your Mind appeared first on 3D Digital.

First Impressions Count

Did you know that most people form an opinion about a webpage in less than 50 milliseconds? That’s not much time to grab someone’s attention and make them feel something about your brand. And, out of all the design elements on a page, it’s the company logo that draws the most attention from visitors. Get this wrong and you may not get a second chance to win their trust. Good graphic design not only ensures your logo looks professional, but also clearly shows who you are as a company. With such a small window of time to convert a visitor into a loyal customer, don’t leave your logo design to an amateur.

Good Graphic Design Tells Your Story

An image, logo or social media graphic can quickly give a snapshot of your company’s story. That’s because good graphic designers are not simply artists; they are information designers who make the complex easy to understand. That takes talent and experience, something many of us lack when it comes to good graphic design. To ensure your story is heard loud and clear, enlist the help of an experienced graphic designer who understands your mission, vision and values.

Brand Consistency

Nothing is more confusing to potential customers than seeing inconsistent messaging from a brand. You may think it’s cool to have a different look for your company on social media platforms and another one for your print publications, but it’s doing more harm than good. At every touch point, online and offline, your brand needs to be telling the same story and delivering the same messaging. Good graphic design can help keep your branding consistent by creating guidelines that require everyone to use the same fonts, colors, tone and voice. Consistency builds trust and makes your brand feel more dependable. And once consumers feel they know who you are as a company, they are more likely to purchase from you and recommend you to others.

Drive Social Engagement

Social media is one of the best platforms to not only find new customers, but also develop a loyal fan following. And the best way to do that is through good graphic design. Everything from your cover art to your social posts should quickly help consumers identify your brand. Make sure your images are visually interesting, but follow brand guidelines. Create shareable content, such as infographics and memes, that help expand your brand’s reach outside of your established follower base.  Above all else, make sure your story is front and center.

Stand Out for the Crowd

What does a stock image, a website template and a doctor’s waiting room all have in common? They’re boring! Good graphic design is never ordinary or cookie-cutter. It takes a skilled designer to create memorable, unique logos, well-designed webpages, and marketing pieces that can stand out from the crowd. Bad design, however, can make you stand out for all the wrong reasons. The Arlington Pediatric Center, for example, received so much bad press from their original logo that it was promptly redesigned. Notice how the image on the left contained a suggestive image that was sending all the wrong messages to its core audience - parents. The new logo (on right), is creative and clearly represents the services they offer.

Don’t leave your company’s public image to chance. Be sure graphic design is a part of your marketing strategy and that all company employees follow your brand guidelines. When done correctly, good graphic design not only helps your company stand out for the right reasons, but also helps it succeed.

The post 5 Reasons Why Good Graphic Design Matters appeared first on 3D Digital.

Target Market

It’s important for any brand, in any industry, to understand who their target market is. From education to their age, figure out as much as you can about the customer you want your product/service to target. By figuring out your ideal customer, you’ll have a higher chance of targeting those specific people in the future.

Visual Elements

Express your brand with visuals that will make your brand pop against competitors. From the logo to font choices, keep things consistent throughout your marketing and social media materials. Consistency will allow your target market to remember you and will cause an increase in repeat purchases. Once you have your visual elements finalized, it’s important to start sharing your brand message.

Perspective

How do you think others perceive your company and overall brand? That’s a question that you should ask yourself (and the other folks that you work with) often; we suggest quarterly. Doing a full analysis on every aspect of your business operations will help you keep a consistent brand throughout the year.

Online Presence

Jumping from different social platforms can be challenging for a brand. Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or all three, it’s key to keep a consistent flow on all channels. Empower your customers by sharing insights about the business and make that connection seamlessly by always being authentic.

Build Awareness

Build your company’s brand awareness by thinking outside of the box. Run a social media contest and giveaway fun swag that has your branding all over it. Another way to build your brand is by setting up PPC ads. PPC (pay-per-click ads) helps drive traffic to your website and can assist with more people seeing your brand. This is a great tool to use alongside social media platforms.

If you’re unsure of where to begin with your brand or need assistance in rebranding, let our team of experts assist you with the process!

3D Digital is a full-service, digital marketing agency located in Jacksonville, FL. We offer website design and development, video production, social media management and an array of digital marketing solutions, such as display banners and AdWords. To learn more about our services, please visit 3ddigital.com/.

The post 5 Company Branding Tips for 2017 appeared first on 3D Digital.