Category: Blog

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Small Business Marketing

Laptop computer placed next to a computer and cup of coffee

For small businesses, marketing your brand can seem like a daunting challenge in the face of a competitive market. While new companies often don’t have the advertising budget of larger competitors, there are tools available that can help brands maximize their exposure. Here are just a few ways to help improve your small business marketing strategy.

Publish, Publish, Publish

As a small business, it is important to be the owner of your own content. As we’ve discussed previously, content drives revenue. Publishing your own content is a basic necessity for any marketing strategy. In fact, 18% of marketers say that content marketing has the greatest commercial impact on their business of any channel according to Buildfire. So, whether you’re posting to social or your weekly blog, make sure you take the necessary steps to be the owner of the creative content.

Live Online

In 2019, everything is digital. Online channels provide small businesses with a cost-effective strategy to elevate brand awareness. Tools like Google My Business and social media profiles help connect with consumers when, where and how it matters most to them. In addition, optimizing your site for search engines is crucial to driving traffic to your site and ultimately sales to your business.

Leveraging Local Events

Look to the community for inspiration and leverage to elevate your marketing message. Local events are a great way to build brand recognition with little cost. For example, we recently explored how San Antonio’s Tech Trek Fiesta event was a great opportunity for brands to interject their brand into the heart of the community. Not only can this generate leads, but it also builds a positive brand perception that positions your brand in place for potential earning in the long-term.

 

Keeping a small brand in the spotlight of a competitive market can be a tough task. Our duty as marketers is to provide our clients with every resource available. Let our expertise keep your business at the forefront of trends. Contact or stay social with us! We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet, and DM away.

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Blog Social Media

Diversity in Thought

Noisy Trumpet gained some valuable insights at the Texas Marketing Summit in Dallas last week! In case you weren’t able to attend, we’ve compiled some of the big takeaways we’ll be sharing in a three-part series. Our first takeaway: Diversity in thought is paramount.

If you don’t go forward, others will zoom right past you. The marketing world and our country’s cultural makeup has changed significantly over the last 20 years. The way we once segmented audiences has been reshaped and our customers no longer fit into perfect boxes. Successful marketers can’t allow personal biases to conceal potential audiences. Diversity is now more than skin deep: it reflects how one was raised, how one thinks, and how one identifies. This no longer follows a standard “Age, Gender, Income, Geography” checklist.

If you are looking to diversify your brand, here are a few things to consider:

• Targeting “minorities” is no longer considered niche marketing. The minority is now the majority and your brand’s marketing strategy must address inclusivity.

• Multi-cultural has morphed into cross-cultural and makes up the general population. When you think about cross-cultural marketing, you also need to think about how these groups can overlap; consumers can fit into LGBTQIA, Latin X, and Baby Boomer groups all at once.

• Companies disrupting the market are “future proofing” their brand by growing from diverse audiences. Successful corporations like Nike make inclusivity a priority across their brand and foster diverse representation in the workplace.

Photo provided by Nike.com

• You don’t need Ivy League minds for million-dollar ideas. Gain valuable insights from the community as opposed to just from the elite and educated. Diversity within your team’s knowledge, expertise and background encourages a mixing pot of ideas. For example, a Frito-Lay janitor turned his experimental Cheeto preference into one of the most popular snacks in America. Without this insight from him and his community, we would not have Hot Cheetos!

Photo provided by CNBC.com

Not sure the best way to reach those diverse audiences with your brand voice? Noisy Trumpet can help you identify the appropriate messaging and activate the proper channels to make sure your brand is truly heard. We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away.

 

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Advertising Blog Social Media

Psychology in Marketing: Inciting Emotional Appeal

gears

Whether you realize it or not, psychology plays a massive role in marketing today. In order to understand and effectively market to your audience, you need to be aware of the influence your brand has on consumers. Marketers use psychology to their advantage in a number of ways, most of which involve understanding how consumers think. Psychology impacts the decision-making process — potentially leading to conversions like contact form submission or purchases on your website. We have highlighted a few ways brands can tap into human psychology to enhance their marketing strategy.   

 

Value in Frequency

 

Have you ever seen a product in one place and then began to see it everywhere? That effect is known as the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, where you learn something new so now your brain knows to look for it and register every occurrence you see or hear about it. To incorporate the effects of the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon into your marketing strategy, you need to put your brand messaging out there as much as possible. Remarketing ads are a great way to leverage this effect and drive users back to your website after they have seen your Facebook ad or visited your website for the first time.

 

Sending a Message

 

The Verbatim Effect is another psychology principle which can influence your marketing strategy. This is the idea that people are more likely to remember vague details rather than the entirety of the message that was supposed to be communicated to them. Make sure that your message is clear and certain keywords stand out so that what a consumer does remember is easily searchable and will still lead them to your brand’s website. Ensure you have a strong keyword strategy to help guide your content and copywriting.  

It is also important to be concise with messaging because the average consumer has an attention span averaging about eight seconds. When formulating marketing messages remember that consumers want to know what your product will do for them rather than focusing on mundane lists of features.

 

Building Trust

 

Studies show that consumers are more likely to trust a brand if the product or service was recommended by someone they know. 85% of people trust online reviews just as much as they trust personal recommendations according to BrightLocal. In order to build trust with your brand, it is important to be honest. Address your flaws rather than just brush past them. Taking the high road when it comes to diversifying yourself from competitors can truly impact consumers perception of your brand. Respond to reviews quickly and authentically. Influencer marketing is another way to build trust with your audience. According to a research study by Olapic, 31% of participants purchased a product or service after seeing it being promoted by a social media influencer. Working with influencers will also help consumers differentiate your brand from your competitors, in turn, setting yourself apart.

 

Psychology in Color

 

Color plays an important role in how your brand is perceived and should guide your branding and design decisions. The image below illustrates the emotions typically associated with different colors. In a study done at Performable, their website’s call to action button was tested to measure the effectiveness of a red button vs. a green button. Normally people would associate green with “go” and red with “stop”, so the prediction was that the green button would cause more conversions. The results of this test concluded the opposite: the red button achieved 21% more conversions than the green. Red produces a sense of urgency in marketing whereas green is viewed as a color to evoke calm and relaxed feelings. Testing out colors and creating your own experiments on your website could be beneficial to enticing consumers to take action.

(Image Credit: The Logo Company)

This is only a small piece of the bigger picture in understanding how psychology plays a role in consumer behavior. Attracting and engaging with consumers requires a combination of both marketing and psychological tactics, something Noisy Trumpet achieves by staying up to date with the latest trends. Contact us for help in identifying business opportunities to connect and engage with your target audience. We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away.

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Blog

What It Takes To Create An Agency: Interview with Noisy Trumpet Founder and CEO

While serving as the President and COO of San Antonio’s largest advertising agency, The PM Group, Fran Yanity noticed a void in the market: there was not a full-service digital and PR agency that could handle media relations, content creation, web design, SEO and social media coordination all under one roof. With much expertise to share and over 27 years of experience, Fran founded Noisy Trumpet Digital and Public Relations in 2017. As a leading businesswoman and owner, we wanted to give the public an opportunity to ask her questions and learn about the industry. To do so, we reached out to our followers on social media and asked them to submit one question they had for the CEO of a digital and public relations agency.

Here are five questions we selected to give you some insight into our CEO and Founder:

Question: What’s the most effective daily habit you possess?

Answer: “Discipline. In order to be successful in my different roles, both personally and professionally, focus and discipline are key to keeping me productive, on track and in the moment to accomplish everything I need to do.”

Question: What steps did you take to get to where you are today?

Answer: “I took chances and got outside my comfort zone. For example, I moved to a new city as a single mother to take on an expanded career role and then asked for difficult assignments to grow my experience. I did not have a ‘set’ career path. I was my own champion in that I looked for opportunities to better myself and to improve my skill set, all the while asking for more responsibility in order to prove my value.”

Question: Why did you pursue a career in public relations?

Answer: “My formal education included an undergraduate degree in Art History and a Master’s degree in Business. I was looking for ways to combine the creative and business aspects I liked about both into a career. Almost 30 years later, my career has touched almost every aspect of marketing and now includes PR.”

Question: Digital marketing investments are forecasted to escalate in the next two years. What do you foresee as the most challenging aspects of managing ROI on these investments?

Answer: “I see the biggest challenge as hiring, retaining and growing talent who are experts in digital marketing. So many changes are happening so quickly. To hire and retain those specialists is critical.”

Question: Having a leadership role in multiple companies, what steps do you take to manage a balance for them?

Answer: “I try to make myself as accessible as possible to all team members, so they know they can get the answers and support they need at any time for their role.”  

 

From taking risks to managing multiple teams, Fran Yanity’s success is the product of perseverance and discipline. Providing support and fostering innovation as a business leader has transformed Noisy Trumpet into the agency it is today.

Have more questions about agency life? Our experienced PR and digital team members each bring unique skills to the table and are experienced in services such as content creation, web design, SEO, media relations and message development. Stay tuned for more highlights with the Noisy Trumpet team in the upcoming months! We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away!  

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Blog Web

Transform Your Website with Noisy Trumpet

evolving image

Noisy Trumpet provides full-service website building and maintenance to help your company make an impact and reach the appropriate audiences. Our team will work with you to identify necessary changes to your website or start from the ground up to develop a brand new look for your brand. From establishing your style to building a reputable and trusted website, we are experienced in all developmental aspects of website building.

Services we provide:

  • E-Commerce and Fundraising Solutions

    • Here at Noisy Trumpet, we have extensive experience working with nonprofits and e-commerce companies. Whether you are a nonprofit or small start-up business, we can provide services that will push forward your online business, from accepting online donations, selling products and raising funds for your mission.

  • Web Design

    • Our web design strategies aim to reflect your brand image and effectively communicate all necessary information to ensure your customers stay informed about your company. By staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends, your website will encompass the latest technology compatibility and design features that will provide a superior user experience and page navigation.
    • Since the majority of online users use their mobile phones and tablets for website searches, our design tools and planning are tailored to each device. With this, you have the peace of mind knowing your website looks its best on all browsers and devices.
    • Our design team will align your website with your marketing goals to deliver key messaging and connect leads through strong call to actions (CTA) and landing pages.   
    • Our expertise also covers extensive knowledge in HTML5, CSS and Javascript implementation for your website.

  • Website Maintenance

    • The work doesn’t stop once the website is developed. It needs continual maintenance to ensure it is running properly, efficiently and contains up to date content. Our web team will diagnose any issues of concern such as broken links, search engine optimization rankings, responsive fixes and page load speed, while also providing appropriate content development and updates.

  • Crisis Management

    • Although not common, the web is subject to hacking and errors. With daily monitoring, we ensure quick solutions and crisis control in the case your website is ever hacked or experiences glitches. Even large websites such as Facebook and Squarespace have had their share of website crashes; don’t let your website be unprepared for such circumstances.

Is your company in need of web updates or a complete site revamp? We are happy to work with you to create a beautiful website to captivate and inform your audience. Contact us today. We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away! 

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Working with Nonprofits

At Noisy Trumpet, we’ve been fortunate to work with several nonprofits who are making a huge impact across Texas. As a result, we were inspired to launch Robin Hood 210, an online shopping portal with a charitable twist. The inaugural 2018 campaign benefitted Brighton Center and raised a total of $51,082! Based on our commitment to the community as well as our experience in the space, we have compiled a list of recommended strategies for nonprofits wanting to establish a presence for their cause.

 

Website

First, we recommend having a credible website to help generate awareness of your mission and provide a platform on which users can donate directly to your cause. Websites host important information such as the mission statement, previous work, contact information, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, donation information and more. We offer website building services and will work with you to ensure we create the best website for your cause and nonprofit needs.

 

Social Platform Building

Social media is vital in today’s age if you want to reach the masses. Let us help you engage with your audience, deliver strong messaging and increase donations through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Our team has extensive experience in optimizing social platforms and keeping up with industry trends to ensure your organization is best represented online.

 

Google Ads

When developing a new nonprofit, it is immensely beneficial to raise brand awareness and site traffic through Google ads. If your nonprofit does not currently have the funds for advertising, Google offers a solution with Google Grants. This platform allows nonprofits to apply for funding for online ads. Whether you are looking to run small or large ad campaigns, our team will make sure your needs are met and your campaign is reaching the right audience to increase site traffic, awareness and funding.  

 

Local Partners  

Partnering with local businesses is a great way to increase brand awareness! For example, our client SA YES, a nonprofit organization that distributes school supply kits to Title 1 students in San Antonio, recently teamed up with Tiff’s Treats and Kendra Scott to raise funds for their mission. Our PR and digital teams will identify and coordinate with the right brands to connect you with the community. This outreach can include events, awards and partnership opportunities.

Don’t have time or the bandwidth to manage all of these projects on your own? We have the experience and expertise to help your nonprofit reach new heights! To expand your mission, contact us today. We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away!

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Blog Social Media

Social Media Updates

With so many social media channels, it can be difficult to keep up with every update. To save you time and help you stay up to date with current trends, we have compiled a list of the latest and greatest changes to your favorite platforms.

Instagram:

(Image provided by Jane Manchun Wong)

Instagram is currently testing a feature that would allow users to rearrange the order of their following/followers lists based on the date you began to follow each other. With an organized list of recent connections, keeping track of who you should reach out to will be much easier. In addition, Instagram is developing a new karaoke tool. This feature would display the lyrics to a selected song directly on your screen. We look forward to seeing how different brands utilize this feature for their own marketing purposes.

Twitter:

(Image provided by Twitter)

Twitter is adding a more accessible camera option that allows users to simply swipe left to open the camera, take a quick photo and post. Since Twitter is fueled by urgent and frequent news updates, this will surely come in handy for those constantly on the go. Still no word on that edit button, but we hope to add that update to a blog soon!

SnapChat:

(Image provided by Social Media Today)

Snapchat is keeping their users up to date on current news by adding latest trend features such as “Global: Trending Topics,” “US: Trending Topics,” “US: Trending Entertainment,” “US: Trending Celebrities” and “US: Trending Slang,” as reported by SocialMediaToday. This tool can be utilized to quickly see what is being discussed online and to monitor which topics you should keep top of mind.

Google AI:

(Image provided by Google AI Blog)

Your Youtube stories are about to get a face-lift! Google AI has introduced new face masks and illustrations to YouTube stories. Social media users are no strangers to filters but recent animations created by Google AI will be a step-up in the tech. These augmented faces trace facial features, then seamlessly merge illustrated creations with real-life people and movements.

Now that you’re all caught up, which update are you looking forward to the most? Stay social with us if you want to stay up to date with industry trends and up your social media game. We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away.

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Noisy Trumpet Celebrates National Be Heard Day

There is a reason Noisy Trumpet’s motto is “Be Heard.” We believe that every business has a unique voice with the potential to make a difference. Our mission is to provide our clients with opportunities to reach those who matter most and break through the clutter without adding to the noise. Anyone can release information out to the world, but our team takes the time to identify the right messaging and channels to make your voice truly resonate with your audience.

 

In celebration of National Be Heard Day, we are taking a look back at the work we have done for our clients such as the Devils River Conservancy, San Antonio Sports, Celebrity Fan Fest, SA YES and many more. When working with a diverse group of voices, we recognize the importance and power of owning your personal brand. From preserving wild Texas to uniting comic and film fans from across the country — we have had a blast working to ensure our clients’ brands are heard and remembered.

 

If you want to “Be Heard” and make the right kind of noise in your industry, we are here to help. Contact or stay social with us! We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away.

 

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Advertising Blog Public Relations

PR and SEO: Match Made in Digital Heaven

PR and SEO are the marketing power couple taking the communications world by storm. The marriage between public relations and search engine optimization has provided effective results for clients and proven that the integration of two is better than one.

 

Hand-in-Hand

Whether your goal is to increase brand awareness, raise your search rankings or simply make your message heard on a larger scale, there are many benefits to PR and SEO teaming up to work together. Here is a list of the top benefits your company will gain from utilizing PR and SEO:

 

  • Be Heard
    • When PR and SEO teams are aligned, it creates a mutually beneficial push-and-pull effect. PR pushes the message out and SEO optimizes your presence by pulling consumers in when they search keywords or phrases used by your company. In turn, each team needs the other if they want to maximize results. PR needs SEO to ensure their message is reaching the appropriate audience, and SEO needs the quality content that PR provides. Take advantage of this opportunity to allow your brand to reach new heights and deliver your message further than it has ever gone before.

 

  • Reach the Masses
    • Having a recognizable brand is becoming more and more important for landing on the search engine results page; getting featured on powerful third-party sites goes a long way to cementing you as a trusted brand.
    • If your brand name is getting mentioned in lots of different places, be that social media, news websites or elsewhere on the web, there is no doubt that Google will go a step closer to trusting you and ranking you higher.
    • How do you get people talking about you? Media outreach efforts help place your content in targeted outlets, consequently broadening your reach and awareness while increasing your content’s ranking on search engine result pages.

 

  • Build Search Engine Rankings
    • Content and Keywords
      • Search engine ranking improves when your website is filled with strong content and keywords. For example, if your website has more visual content, you will have limited keywords for Google to pull and use in your ranking. However, if you take the time to research appropriate keywords that would benefit and represent your brand category, SEO teams can collaborate with PR to write copy that includes the best words and phrases to amplify your website.
    • Link Building
      • Link building is an important SEO tactic because it is a major search engine ranking factor. PR is key in this process because the team can provide links to reputable web pages in their content. For example, when you write a press release for your client, you can add a link to their website in the copy. Then, if that press release is picked up by a news source, the client will receive inbound site traffic from the reputable news source, increasing SEO and page authority.
  • Reputation Mangement
    • Positive reviews not only help build your brand’s reputation but also your search engine rankings.

 

On Again, Off Again

This information will probably raise the question of, “Why don’t all companies merge their PR and SEO teams?” To answer simply, time and resources. In order for this partnership to work, both PR and SEO teams have to coordinate and plan together on a daily basis. This includes content planning, writing, research, information presentation and so forth. Although it will take time for this transition to fit smoothly into your daily tasks, both teams will benefit immensely from each other.  

If you are in need of PR and digital services that will help your company grow, we are here to help. Contact or stay social with us! We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away.

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Advertising Blog Social Media

Brand Activations: Connecting With Consumers

Two yellow and blue and pressing a button in front of black and white crowd for Brand Activation blog

As brands continue to spend top dollar on advertising, it’s crucial to be creative in your marketing and public relations strategies to stand out from the pack. Through brand activation, brands can build more awareness through novel experiences, create buzz and stimulate consumer interest that leads to sales.

What are Brand Activations?

Brand activations are a specific type of event or experience created by a company and characterized by their interactivity. They provide the opportunity for brands to directly engage consumers, face-to-face, product in hand. This method often takes many different forms:

Creating Memories that Last

Building and maintaining brand awareness is a crucial, primary goal in a marketing campaign. With brand activations, the increase in consumer touch points and engaging experience greatly improve awareness and recall. For example, in an in-store or sampling activation giving out promotional merchandise, Expandabrand noted that two-thirds of people are able to remember the brand up to a year later.

Not only do activations provide more engaging touch points with customers, but their interactive nature also makes it easier to remember your brand. Moreover, the more favorable their experience, the more likely they are to have a positive association with the brand and its products or services.

Stronger Connection with Consumers

Activations provide more opportunities for consumers to interact with your product or service which can stimulate a stronger emotional connection to the brand. This gets people talking about your brand and sharing the experience through social media, which can rack up an enormous amount of organic impressions. This growth in consumer interest can directly influence purchasing decisions in your favor.

Being face-to-face with your target consumer also gives you the opportunity to better understand them. What do they think about your product or service? Is it easy to use? Do they like the way it looks? This type of two-way communication builds a personal connection with your consumer and provides a better understanding of how your brand is meeting their needs.

When executed properly, brand activations are an incredibly useful tool to connect with consumers. But proper execution is no easy feat. Let our expertise help your brand be heard in the ever-evolving world of marketing. Contact or stay social with us! We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet and DM away.