The Found Gen

Marketing That Works.

Search Results for: data

by

Why is Content So Dang Important?

And why you better hop on the train or miss the ride

Hey! Look at me! Look at ME! I’ve got something you neeeeed!”

Cue the pop-up, tacky Instagram ad or creepy targeted banner ad showing you something you were just looking at on Amazon on a different website.

How are those marketing tactics working out for your business? How are they working on you as a consumer?

While we will probably never escape these invasive and just plain gross forms of targeted advertising, consumers are getting fed up and learning how to ignore it. Humans are sick of the sales drivel and getting better at sorting through the muck to find the brands that they value – which are usually the brands that value them. How do you show your customers that you value them? Give them what they want: relevant, informative, authoritative content.

Content is the art of communicating directly with your audience without getting all salesperson schmoozy with them. Rather than saying “Hey, buy my stuff!” you focus on topics and information that will be of use to your customers. If you’re doing it right, you get people to read and view your content, derive some kind of benefit from it, then eventually give you their business.

That’s the idea anyway. In reality, too many businesses treat content marketing as sales and do away with delivering valuable information, focusing instead on some kind of backhanded sales pitch.

We’re here to tell you that the old ways of telling people that 9 out of 10 doctors recommend smoking while pregnant are done. Tacky banner ads are done. Overselling your product or service is done. Telling, instead of asking, is done. Treating your audience like numbers instead of humans is SO DONE!

Content marketing is the only kind of marketing that is going to work with the savvy consumers of our times.

So, what can content do that other forms of marketing can’t? Here’s a list (read it and weep, email spam!)

  • Build your reputation. Build trust
  • Increase conversions
  • A cost-effective way to bring in new leads
  • Demonstrate your expertise and build authority
  • Set yourself apart from competitors
  • Enhance your social media strategy and builds traction
  • Improve your SEO ranking
  • Boost your PR strategy
  • Drive more inbound traffic and leads

And just for your edification, here’s a list of all the different types of content

  • Blogs
  • Videos and micro-videos
  • Social media posts
  • Info graphics
  • Podcasts
  • Case studies
  • eBooks
  • Webinars
  • Photos
  • Checklists
  • Memes
  • Whitepapers
  • How-to-guides

One last note before we let you go get to work on your content. As you are creating content remember that if your voice, your message, your branding is all over the place, people won’t be able to trust you as easily and your credibility goes out the window. Be CONSISTENT!

Be consistent in

  • Quality
  • Voice
  • Design
  • Publishing schedule
  • Your values
  • Your message

All right, we’re going to call it good for today, folks. We think you get the picture. Content is king. Consistency is the queen who actually calls all the shots. You need them both to succeed, especially in the post-pandemic marketing world.

Need help with content, guess who’s got you covered … See how we did that? Lots of useful, valuable information. Hopefully we built some trust by conveying how much we actually care about content and then a small nudge at the end.

We didn’t invent the content marketing game, we just make it look so good! All right, we’re getting carried away now. Signing off. Until our next scheduled content…

by

Good Riddance to 2020: A Year We Don’t Need to Look Back On

Looking forward to a new year of success

2020 was kind of like that roommate you had back in college. It was fun for the first few weeks, then you realized they were a mooching, snoring, untidy, perpetual hot mess. Then you realized you’d be living with them for a whole year unless you did something drastic.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t petition for a 2020 room transfer. We just had to deal with it and make the most of it. Here we are on the other side and we can all collectively breathe a sigh of relief. Life still isn’t perfect, the world still isn’t utopia. But, hey, it never was. We can just focus on being grateful for our health, our loved ones and the fact that the earth is still spinning through space and the sun hasn’t gone supernova yet. Work with what you got, right?

Now is not the time to look back. Like Orpheus in the underworld, we must keep our eyes forward lest Hades take our last remaining treasures away. We are going to look back at some point and count all the lessons learned, the blessings in disguise, laugh it off. But right now we just can’t. We. Just. Can’t. Too close. Too soon. Give it time to heal.

While we’re stepping out of the muck of 2020, there is work to be done. So, let’s focus on the future and trust that 2021 will make up for a year that made us feel like we were trapped in a dystopian time warp. Let’s focus on building our businesses and ushering in a new era of success and prosperity.

Focus on branding in 2021

With the major amount of downtime in 2020, many businesses took the opportunity to address their old look. Quarantine gave us plenty of time to give a good audit to our design assets – our brand, logo, website, social, etc. Maybe you noticed that your website could use a redesign or your logo could be rebranded to better capture the essence of the business you’ve become.

There’s an old saying: when fishermen (fisherpeople) can’t go to sea, they repair their nets. Think of your design and branding assets like nets. Are they capturing the customers and clients your looking for? If not, it’s probably time to update your look to greet 2021 and the years to come with your best face.

Focus on your plan for 2021

How did business change for you in 2020? We’re willing to bet that it transformed much of how you operate, what your clients need and what your business needs to succeed in the post-pandemic world. It’s time for a good hard look at your business strategy. Bust out an ol’ SWOT analysis, set new goals, review analytics, look at your key performance indicators, etc. Look at your business strategy as if you were a stranger to it and be honest. Is it going to cut it in 2021?

We’d be willing to bet (all or nothing!) that you need to revise your strategy. So, freshen it up – create a new strategic plan that speaks to the new market and the new world. It may even be in your best interest to just start from scratch and give your business plan a complete overhaul.

Focus on your content for 2021

Even though you might have relatively the same target market and demographics, in 2021 you’re going to be speaking to new customers. Your new marketing messages and content will be addressed to humans who had their lives upended, saw a country divided, saw a global pandemic and saw loss and trauma. There’s no way to soften the blow – we all got collectively messed up by 2021. But we’re adapting, coping the best we can, and people are still in need of goods and services. Just make sure your content speaks to the transformed minds and emotions of your customers.

We’re not talking about working through our PTSD in your blogs and Instagram content. It’s more of a shift in tone. It’s more of a subtle move to compassionate content that speaks to the psychographics of your audience. Your brand’s voice shouldn’t read the same way it read in 2019. This is a new era and your content should reflect that.

Need help looking away from the garbage fire that was 2020? We recommend a good bottle of scotch. But if you want more than a deep sleep and a hangover, we’ve got everything you need to make sure 2021 is a banner year for your business.

by

Goal Setting for 2021

Key Things to Focus on For Business Growth

2020 throw a wrench in your spokes? Yeah, we know. It’s a sore subject. Moving on…

Basically, if you managed to complete a single business goal, let alone find the time or energy to create any, then you had a great year by apocalyptic standards. Go you! Take your wins where you can.

2020 took a lot out of us as humans and it raked many businesses over the coals. But we also found new opportunities to flex and pivot in directions that were unimaginable before. We survived, and 2020, for all its flaws, has made us more resilient and scrappier than ever.

But 2021 is coming and we need to get back on track. When the going gets tough, we get to planning. The best thing we can do for our businesses right now when the future seems uncertain is to set goals and map out a plan. We wanted to take some time and help you plan for the year ahead.

Here are 6 key areas that you can focus on for business growth in 2021.

Your online presence and e-commerce platform

When COVID struck we saw almost every aspect of business retreat to the safety of the web, apps and other uses of remote technology. So, how’s your website? Is it equipped to handle your customers’ needs if they can’t access you or your product in person? Do you have a solid online store? Are you engaging on social media and using the platforms efficiently? The pandemic changed everything about business operations and many of these changes are here to stay. Get yourself ready to take your business online.

Cost per lead

The total cost of generating one lead – what does it add up to for your business? You can typically make a calculation based on your advertising and marketing costs, but what about your time? Are you factoring that into your CPL? You need to know these numbers. Once you have a solid idea of your CPL, you goal for 2021 should be to increase your qualified leads and decrease your spending per lead.

Figuring out your marketing data

Analyzing website traffic, invoices, client information and communications, leads – every piece of information that you can target and track, you should be collecting. The more you understand your data, the more you know about your ideal clients and the way your business functions. By figuring out your data, you can find ways to save money, increase sales and revenue and hone in your competitive advantage.

If you don’t have a good data collection system, start by creating a process that is repeatable and scale-able. Be consistent with data collection, make it simple to do and constantly evaluate your data, as well as improving your system.

What actual/attainable goals can you identify?

By now the SMART goal acronym should be branded on your brain. But we’re going to hammer it home because it’s so simple yet so powerful. The most direct and manageable way to achieve your goals is the SMART way.

Specific. Clearly define your goal. Quantify your goals with realistic, data-driven numbers. For example, you want to gain 25 more leads per quarter, or see sales climb by 10%.

Measurable. The only way to know if you have reached your goals is if they are quantifiable. To know this, you need to have solid bookkeeping and data tracking already locked down.

Attainable. Sure, we all want to increase website traffic by 1000% and bring on 100 new clients, but if we set goals that are not attainable, we set ourselves up to fail.

Relevant. Your goals need to be relevant to your business growth and your brand. You could go a thousand different directions, but what is most pertinent to your needs this year?

Time-bound. Create a sense of urgency. Give yourself a deadline. Break down your goal into milestones so you know if you’re on track. By giving your goals target dates, you can keep on track with business growth and better plan for the future.

Keeping an eye out for changes and staying flexible

2020, we have you to thank for ensuring that we never take the status quo for granted again. The only constant in marketing (as in life) is change. Never forget this. And though this may be one of the most difficult facets of business to plan for, we have learned so much in the past year about adapting and remaining flexible.

The biggest favor you can do for yourself is to stay on top of industry news and all latest happenings in business. Build LinkedIn connections that are zeroed in on news relevant to your business. Sign up for industry newsletters. Do everything you can to stay informed.

Self and family care

Last but certainly not least, we want to encourage and remind you to take care of yourself. This means eating, exercising and sleeping well. It also means knowing when it’s time to put the business aside and focus on self and family. You won’t do your business any good if you’re a hot mess. You won’t do your family any good if you can’t relax and let go.

2021, our hopes are high, but not unreasonably so. Basically just suck a little less than 2020 and we’ll be happy.

Best of luck setting your 2021 goals. And, as always, let us know how we can help.

by

Why Aren’t You on LinkedIn?

With so many social media platforms begging for your attention and unscrupulously gobbling up your brain cells, it can be easy to write off every platform as a time-waster. But not all social media platforms are created equal. When used properly, each platform offers different ranges of benefits for users that can utilize the system to maximize the platform’s potential.

Of all the social media platforms, LinkedIn can be one of the most beneficial channels for SMB owners. It’s been around longer than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all these whipper-snapper platforms. Whether you’re searching for referrals, building a professional network, or building a brand, LinkedIn is an invaluable asset to anyone attempting to enter the professional realm of any industry.

Ready for some stats? LinkedIn can boast about the following:

  • Over 660 millions user in 200 countries
  • More than 30 million companies on its platform
  • 2nd most popular B2B marketing platform after Facebook
  • 52% of buyers rank LinkedIn as the most influential platform in their buying process

And here are 6 more reasons to get on LinkedIn now.

Peeps are peepin’ at your LinkedIn

By peeps, we mean potential clients, potential referral sources, that guy at the coffee shop that you handed your card to. LinkedIn is the first place most professionals will go to learn about you. LinkedIn is a living digital C.V. that paints a complete (depending on how well you maintain your profile) picture of your professional experience.

It’s all about connecting with people

Building relationships is at the core of a good marketing campaign.

With LinkedIn, it’s not about amassing a huge amount of followers. It’s about creating a network of people that you can interact with in a meaningful way. Some of our clients that have had the best ROI from LinkedIn only have 200-300 connections. It’s the quality, not the quantity.

Get recruited

If you’re looking for a W2, Apple, Google, Disney and thousands of other employers recruit on LinkedIn. Even if you’re not actively job hunting, you could be missing out on potential opportunities by not being on LinkedIn.

Build your brand

As a small business, your brand is vital these days. It helps you stand out in your industry, makes you marketable and tells your story to a massive potential field of professionals.

Find the right referral sources

As LinkedIn has the most comprehensive network of people actually sharing their job title publicly, you can use it to build relationships with your precise target audience. Know you need VP of Operations at small manufacturers in the midwest? A quick LinkedIn search and you’ve found a few thousand options to reach out to with a click of a button.

A source of information and industry news

Even if you’re not about the connections, LinkedIn is still one of the best places to follow the industry giants, connect with experts in your field and keep up industry news. On LinkedIn you’ll get more relevant news on your timeline than just about any other social media platform. It’s a wise thing to stay on top of business-related trends, reports and data.

So, is the moral of the story that you be on LinkedIn no matter what? No, that’s not what we’re pushing for. But if you feel like you could use any of the offerings on LinkedIn to your advantage to boost your professional or personal career, why not join?

It’s certainly not required to have an account, but of all the social media platforms, LinkedIn can boast some of the most direct benefits to its users. Plus, it’s free, so it can’t  hurt to at least try it out.

by

Is Instagram Right for Your Business?

The short answer? It Depends.

What? You were expecting a cut-and-dry, black-and-white answer? Nope. Like all things – marketing is more about the shades of gray.

Instagram can be a valuable tool for many businesses by helping to build brand awareness and create a community around your product or service. Instagram is especially useful for businesses that have a more aesthetic-driven company. What do we mean by that? Those who can rely on imagery as a good tool to demonstrate their business and connect with others. For example, these verticals do well on the ‘gram: real estate, photography, retail, travel, hospitality, community-driven for-profit or non-profits, and others.

For other industries – it’s not to say IG isn’t the place for you – it will just take a different approach to find your right audience and how to shape your message for this platform.

Let’s take a step back though and look at some of the numbers.

1 billion people use Instagram every month. 500 million use the stories feature every day. 200 million users are visiting at least one business profile daily. 75.3% of businesses (25 million) will be using Instagram in 2020. And, finally, Instagram’s total number of users, which is your potential advertising reach, is 849.3 million people.

Those are some big numbers. We could go on with the Instagram statistics (don’t tempt us with a good time!), but we think you get the picture. You have every reason and incentive to use Instagram for your business just looking at the stats, but here are some more specific reasons to consider Instagram.

Put a face to your brand

Customers respond better when they know that they are buying from or working with another human – one they can relate to and engage with easily. The more you empathize and identify with your audience on IG, the deeper a connection you make. This connection can lead to community, and ultimately sales.

Build up your community

One of the most exciting things for business owners is seeing the excitement of their clients when it relates to the products or services, or even just the conversation you’re delivering. Instagram can help you create a community of brand fans that are as into what you do as you are. 

Boost sales

Through Instagram you can create targeted marketing campaigns, flash sales, product or service awareness and so on and so on. And yet, while we all want the end result of all your hard social networking to be an increase in revenue – the real end-game is engagement and brand loyalists. For IG, the data to watch and measure is your engagement rate – not your numbers. Too often we’ve seen people chase the # of followers, while drastically diminishing the number of people who interact with each post. Eyes on the prize: a real community.

Gather data with polls

Instagram lets you interact directly with your followers, gather data and hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Wondering if you should release that new t-shirt in blue or green – go ahead and ask your clients directly! Use these features wisely and you could gain some helpful insight while also allowing your customers to participate in your business – thereby adding more ownership of their own experience and a more willingness to buy.  

All that being said, we do think it’s important to mention some reasons why Instagram might not work for your business. In general, they all revolve around not using Instagram correctly, or not using it at all. The real question to ask yourself before creating an account is will you actually use Instagram? Here are reasons not to use Instagram:

If you’re not going to post or interact regularly

It almost hurts you more to have an inactive account than to have no account at all. Consider someone searching your business on Instagram and all they see is your 10 followers and the 5 pictures you’ve posted in the last 3 years. They will see this as either a business that doesn’t care or doesn’t have any loyal following. Additionally, if you have comments, or even negative feedback that you are not responding to this reflects poorly on your responsiveness and awareness.

If you’re not going to learn the app:

You don’t need to put a hundred hashtags for every post. Not every post needs to have a novel’s worth of content. Instagram is a very user-friendly platform but it does take some time and investment to learn how to use the features and platform effectively. If you’re not going to take the time, you may be better off using another social media platform.

If you’re not going to take the time to focus on aesthetics:

You don’t need to be a professional photographer to use Instagram. You do need to have some awareness of what makes a good picture and how to use the app’s features to create visually appealing images and messages. As we mentioned earlier, it’s a misnomer that Instagram only works for visual brands. You can make Instagram work for any brand, but you have to think about the aesthetics of your posts.

So, does Instagram make sense for your business?

We do want to assure you that we are not being paid off by Instagram to tout its glories. We just want to highlight the tools available to businesses. And Instagram is a fantastic tool when you learn to use it correctly.

Have questions about using Instagram for your business? Have success or horror stories? We’d love to hear from you and we’re here to help if you are looking for ways to utilize this social media platform to your business’s advantage.

The Team

Communication, trust, empathy, partnership.

It’s the basic path most of our campaigns take and it’s what we look for when building our team.

With that in mind, we’re not social media ninjas, growth hackers, disruptors or influencers. We’re just people who are damn good at their job. We love excellent coffee, running marathons, watching soccer matches, and are constantly on the lookout for the best sandwich.

It’s good to meet you.

James Schulman

Managing Partner

James is all about details and data, which makes him an exceptional brand strategy architect and a really good partner on Trivia Night. Our clients value his unwavering sense of direction; when he works the raw numbers and determines your brand’s ultimate evolution, believe him. He hasn’t steered us wrong yet.

Kristin Abele

Creative Partner


It’s probably easier to list all the things Kristin doesn’t do: post TikTok videos, drink decaf, or miss an episode of Ted Lasso. (If you know, you know.)

Merging her deep corporate experience with her intuitive understanding of people, Kristin creates the brand-building initiatives for The Found Gen’s diverse client list. Kristin’s specialty is transforming strategic ideas into brilliant executions.

Robyn Saunders

Director of Operations

Creatives and data-analysts crave structure. Robyn is our structure.

In reality, we wanted to just have her job title as “Robyn” because she’s our Robyn…but we realized that if you aren’t in our Slack channels that won’t make much sense. Robyn is the glue between our agency’s heads-up engagement strategies and innovative marketing plans.

Marcel Balladares

Operations Manager

Angela Janson

Copywriter

Angela rewrites content in her sleep, formulating and articulating your brand’s voice like a dream. She understands that the right combination of words can change our clients’ world.

Angela enjoys hiking, identifying all the trees and birds on said hikes, and changing the world with the right combination of words.

Ana Cuevas

Office Manager

On the surface it may seem like Ana doesn’t fit in with a group of content-obsessed marketers but it’s her ability to be adept at the numbers really makes our hearts swoon on the daily. Ana keeps track of all the behind-the-scene work that goes on here at TFG – she’s our gaffer, our best gal, and is a boom! Operator. Get it?