The Six C’s of Compelling Content

The Six C’s of Compelling Content

What Makes Content Writing Effective? Short answer: A story that moves you.

For this blog, when we use the term “content,” we’re talking about words—in all their various deliverables and mediums. For a closer look at “content,” read our recent blog “A Handy Guide to Content Marketing.

No matter how well your content is written, it will fall flat unless your company has already determined a brand identity and message. Your brand identity and messaging is what sets your business apart from all the other businesses that offer the same goods or services. Once you’ve firmly established your brand identity and message, all subsequent content should be written in support of that identity, sharing your distinct message with your target audience.

Successful marketing relies on storytelling. And every good story is compelling. “Compelling” content causes the audience to take some sort of action—whether it’s to feel something, buy something, or do something. Sure, you can include a formal Call-to-Action or CTA button, but the content itself should be smoothly building its way toward a culminating action that aligns with your brand and overall messaging.

There’s no official call to action or phone number to call at the end of a Nike commercial, but very few among us can watch elite athletes strive and sweat (or even ordinary folks competing) and not feel the logo on the final screen deep in our bones. What’s more compelling than Just Do It?

How to Write Compelling Content

Compelling content is clear, credible, concise, clean, cohesive, creative. The first five criteria make you sound like a professional. Number six makes you sound like nobody else.

We will now explain what each of these adjectives really means. In other words, we’re gonna be clear.

#1: CLEAR

For writing to be clear, remember your audience and know your grammar. Part of grammar involves diction, syntax, and punctuation. The goal of any writing is to communicate—and for the audience to understand you, and you can’t communicate effectively if the writing isn’t clear.

  • Diction is word choice.
    Example: ” In today’s culture, you want to be mindful of word choices that could offend your audience—or anyone, for that matter. Words are powerful. Use them wisely.
  • Syntax is the sentence structure.
    Example: Shopper to store clerk: “Can you please help me? I’m looking for green men’s shoes.” Unless we’re talking about Martians here, the structure of this sentence is off, which can hinder understanding. It’s the shoes that are green, not the men. Easy fix: “I’m looking for men’s shoes in green.”
  • And don’t forget to give punctuation a second review as well. Punctuation is so important, it can even save lives.

 

punctuation funny meme

#2: CREDIBLE

Say what you mean, and mean what you say. In a world of fake news and deep fakes, our recent blog “Building Trust: The Importance of Establishing a Positive Online Reputation for Your Business” can really help you out with this one.

In short, staying credible includes the following:

  • Do your research and only use reliable sources. We like to use the CRAAP Test to analyze sources. (if it doesn’t pass the “craap test,” flush it!) DO cite your sources. This means give credit where credit is due—by naming the source when paraphrasing, using quotation marks when quoting verbatim, or embedding a hyperlink.
  • Be careful using AI. Tools like ChatGPT can be great resources for research, but if you let the tool write for you, you could run into two big problems: plagiarism (the tool is culling material published on the internet and other public-access sources) and losing your (or the client’s) authentic voice.

 

✉ Subscribe to our Newsletter
Monthly, easy-to-implement marketing tips to improve your website, social media, digital ads, cyber security, and more.

#3: CONCISE

People have short attention spans. After the first impression, you have only a couple moments more to present the brand. We recommend starting with a stellar value proposition, which is marketing-speak for one or two succinct sentences that sets you apart from your competitors by stating (front and center, big and bold, on the homepage):

  • Why you do what you do
  • What you value or believe
  • Who you do it for (AKA target audience)
  • How people benefit by choosing you

Don’t say in 20 words what you can say in 10. And don’t say in 10 words what you can say in 5. If your content is redundant, pick where you’ve said it best, and cut the other instances.

CHALLENGE: Write an email. Then see if you can then reduce the word count by 20% . . . then 50%. It will get easier and easier. We promise, you can do it!

Some examples from OWL at Purdue:

  • Wordy: Working as a pupil under someone who develops photos was an experience that really helped me learn a lot. (20 words)
    Concise: Working as a photo technician’s apprentice was an educational experience. (10 words)
  • Wordy: Our website has made available many of the things you can use for making a decision on the best dentist. (20 words)
    Concise: Our website presents criteria for determining the best dentist. (9 words)
the human attention span

There’s a reason TED Talks are limited to 18 minutes. Just think of the amazing information we can learn from experts in that short time. What do you remember about Gettysburg? President Lincoln’s address, perhaps? Did you know there was another speaker there that day? Edward Everett, the invited featured speaker, talked for two hours. Lincoln’s speech contained 272 words and lasted 2 minutes. Have you ever heard of Edward Everett?

 

#4: CLEAN

Everybody makes mistakes. The key is to catch them before you publish. The best way to do that is to have multiple sets of eyes on the content, in separate review stages, on every deliverable—no matter how brief, no matter how rushed.

The person who writes the words shouldn’t be the same person who reviews them. Fresh eyes and a fresh point of view will see different things and catch errors the original writer might miss given five chances to review their own work. If your staff is small, at least allow the writer a day in between writing and reviewing, so that it’s almost like the content is being seen with fresh eyes.

When you think the content is clean and ready to go, always use a spell checker tool and one last proofread to look it all over. Spell check only catches misspellings, not words you didn’t mean to use (like “changes” instead of “chances”). This final proof isn’t the time to make revisions; it’s your final chance to catch typos.

The easiest way to differentiate between a mistake and a typo is this: Anyone who takes the time and pays attention could read through the content and find a typo. Maybe the word says “god” instead of “dog,” or the year is 1923 instead of 2023. Easy to spot, easy to fix.

Unfortunately, a mistake might not be caught by the original writer, no matter how many times they reread their own work. For example, the product they’re writing about is priced at $149.99, but the information they received from the client said $49.99. Hopefully, the client is part of the review/approval cycle before the work goes live. Typos and mistakes can both cost your company—in sales, and in reputation.

Do you think Shakespeare, arguably one of the greatest and most creative writers of all time, just sat himself down at a computer and typed out perfection on the first go? Even Shakespeare wrote, revised, wrote, edited, wrote, proofed, printed.

In the end, it’s better for your writing to be clean than fancy. All of the C’s so far have been in service of writing content that is easy for the reader to follow and understand. Point #5 has the same goal. The better a reader understands your message, the more likely they are to act on it.

 

#5: COHESIVE

Cohesive doesn’t mean redundant. It’s better to think of “cohesive” as writing where all the ideas are organized in a logical way that “flows,” or makes sense to the reader. Imagine a map. There are many paths to get to the same place, but most people want the most direct route. Nobody wants to follow a map, or a piece of writing, that goes from A to C to F to Z to D to B, when—if the writer had taken time to organize their thoughts—the reader could have quickly traveled from A to B. (Math folks know, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.)

You can also think of “cohesive” as aligned, or as individual messaging/deliverables that make sense as a whole. Studies show that users expect a unified user experience from brands, so give your users a consistent experience across all your platforms.

Since you have very little control over which platform will be a user’s first contact with your brand, make sure you’re following best practices on all of them. Two biggies are cohesive branding and consistent customer support.

Create cohesive branding on multiple platforms, and make sure the content isn’t inadvertently contradictory. Users may quickly switch from your Google Business Profile to your website to your social media channels. Is your company’s messaging the same on all of them? Staying consistent with your logo, tagline, colors, image style, content, and even the tone of your content will help the user trust your business more.

Don’t change up your branding or messaging. Design new campaigns, target new audiences, but don’t mess with your company’s messaging. Simply say it over and over and over again—in new and interesting ways, in all the places.

A word to the wise: Still be careful when designing new campaigns and targeting new audiences. There’s strategic and daring, and then there’s reckless disregard of the consumer base. The latter can cost a company billions of dollars and result in the firing of marketing VPs and mainstream portfolio group VPs.

 

#6: CREATIVE

Remember: The first five C’s make you sound like a professional. Creativity makes you sound like nobody else.

The first five are how you build trust with a client; they know they can depend on your content to accurately promote their brand and be compelling enough to generate leads. The first five are also how you build your own company’s reputation for being professional and good at what you do.

This final C, creativity, is often the most difficult to achieve. There are a lot of good writers out there, and a lot of successful marketing agencies. Plus, there’s not much new under the sun. We just used a really old cliche (dating back thousands of years to an ancient proverb) to prove our point. So if you can’t reinvent the wheel (there, we did it again)—how do you write creative content without ripping off someone else by copying their great idea?

Be you. Find your voice and use it. A tone and writing style (diction and syntax) that is unique to your brand is a huge first step to making your content creative, because it will sound like you and nobody else.

Next, make the content interesting! If it’s not fun for you to read, it’s probably not fun for anyone else to read. If you’re interested in what you’re writing, others will be more interested in what they’re reading.

Calls to Action Can Look Different for Different People

This blog may have inspired you to do some digging into what qualifies as a credible source. Or, maybe this blog will have your in-house writers focusing on cutting copy so their content is less wordy and more concise. You might simply start thinking about ways to improve your value proposition and tell a stronger story about who you are as a company.

But here’s how those look: If you need help generating compelling content for any of your marketing needs, contact Liquid Creative today. Our talented team of writers are here to help grow your business!

We spend time with each individual client, getting to know them, their company, and their product. But we also spend time listening to them, learning their voice, hearing their vision, mission, and values. That way, we can write for different clients in the same industry—even on the same topics—and the content sounds different for each client.

We don’t want to sound like us; we work hard to sound like you.

Collaboration: Why “We” is Better Than “Me”

Teamwork and collaboration are common buzzwords in the business world. These concepts are easy to talk about but hard to truly implement. And in an increasingly remote world, an environment of collaboration requires adaption and an open mind.

In 2020, when our work lives got turned upside down, we had to revisit how our team interacted, finding a new balance in the world of Zoom meetings and Slack messages. Working together effectively is essential for any team’s success, including everything from workplace happiness to final results.

collaboration-why-we-is-better-than-me-1504913

What Does It Mean To Be Collaborative?

Teamwork and collaboration start with the environment of your workplace. Every little action adds up to show your team members what your collective values are. So how can you tell if you’re prioritizing collaboration effectively?

Group discussion is encouraged

When people feel free to speak up and share their perspectives, it reflects an open and welcoming environment. In an online world, you may need to prompt people to speak or send more signals that their ideas are valued. Some signals can get lost when looking at a screen or your employees may be more conscious of speaking over one another.

Individuals are accountable for their contributions and focused on the end result

Most projects include people from multiple disciplines coming together. Great collaboration occurs when each of the contributors is accountable for what they bring to the table, responsive to suggestions, and invested in the final product. When everyone has bought into a project, you’ll have a project that no single person could’ve accomplished on their own.

Feedback goes both ways

Regular check-ins for feedback are ideal for establishing an open, productive environment. Leaders should identify areas of improvement for individuals and the team as a whole. Be sure to take this time to request feedback from team members, both for yourself and for the business as a whole. While it may take a while for an employee to warm up to being able to provide helpful feedback, they can provide insights you won’t discover on your own.

 

Tips On Encouraging More Workplace Collaboration

Hold team brainstorms whenever you can

Brainstorming is something of an art. In the best brainstorms, you can feel the energy in the room, generate tons of ideas worth exploring, and help creative team members recharge. When beginning a new project or struggling for ideas on your own, suggest having a brainstorming session with your team. During the brainstorm, keep the conversation flowing, encourage the shy people to share some thoughts, and take notes!

Create opportunities for collaboration

In an office setting, an open floorplan or a hybrid working environment can foster more conversations between employees. Online, leaders have to be a little more intentional about recreating shared spaces where employees can sound off. Add time to your meetings to talk about inspiration, ideas, or even a highlight of the week. Make sure you have a designated slack channel for inspiration or random thoughts. And most importantly, ask your employees what ideas they have for creating a collaborative atmosphere!

Explain your critiques when appropriate

When giving feedback on creative work, mentioning the end results or why you’re asking for a chance can make the critique more productive. For example, instead of stopping at “increase the font size”, say something like “we want a stronger sense of hierarchy in this graphic, so let’s make the headline larger”. This technique is doubly effective. You’ll get your point across and the creative may even come up with a better way of accomplishing your goals. They’re also likely to take a lesson from the project that they’ll apply to future work.

Collaboration At Liquid

So how do we capture our creativity through collaboration? Here’s a look at what we’re up to on a weekly basis:

Time to share personal and work highlights in our team meetings

We start off our Monday meetings with stories from the weekend. Towards the end of the week, we recap our favorite project we worked on and why we enjoyed it.

Brainstorms to begin projects; online collaboration to keep it going

We love to brainstorm! When we’re beginning to get the feel for a new client, naming a brand, or creating a game plan, we meet online to make it happen. After the meeting ends, we start executing steps to make our ideas a reality. Through Google Drive and Monday, our online workspace, everyone is always able to share their thoughts at any stage.

Partnerships with clients

We don’t just collaborate with our team members – we also take our creative energy to client meetings! When presenting new ideas or work, we make sure to share the reasoning behind everything. We’re lucky to have great relationships with clients that trust us to make their marketing work.

 

Interested in working with a collaborative creative team? Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing partner for businesses of any size. Contact us if you’d like to hear what we can do for you! If this workplace sounds like fun, check out our Careers page and give us a shout, even if you don’t see a current listing that suits your talents.

Platforms Position For The Future

Social Media Updates That Show What’s Next For Facebook, Twitter, & Clubhouse

We’ve talked a lot about how social media platforms have all seemed to meld together in the past year. (Meaning that they all tried to be TikTok.) More recent features are showing us a new picture of some platforms leaning into their strengths while others introduce new features that make sense for them. Sure, there’s still a lot of competition over certain types of content. But this week’s social media updates let us know what to expect from Facebook, Twitter, and Clubhouse.

facebookreels-8793929

Photos by Facebook

More Integrations in the Facebook Universe

When Facebook’s suite of platforms went down for about 6 hours this Monday, we were all reminded of just how often we refresh our Facebook feeds, scroll through Reels, and send messages on WhatsApp. Though we might’ve done a double-take when we realized how much online time is spent on Facebook’s services, the company is happy to give you even more reasons to stay on their platforms. Facebook is continuing to connect its platforms with Reels on Facebook, ads that lead to WhatsApp, and cross-platforming messaging.

With Reels making their Facebook debut in the US, some Instagram creators can choose to have their content suggested to Facebook users. The new feature should enhance discoverability for creators, especially now that Reels can be shared to Facebook groups. Meanwhile, boosted posts on Instagram are now able to be linked to WhatsApp messaging. Your call to action will prompt users to send a message to a connected WhatsApp account, where auto-replies and organizational features will be in full effect. Back on the consumer front, cross-platform messaging, one of a few new Messenger features, makes chatting a breeze no matter what app you’re on. Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger contacts will all be available to chat with no matter which app you prefer.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

With all the platforms merging, where does your business really need to be? Number one is Facebook, which is a key platform for business discovery. Maintain your page in a way that someone who searches your name can learn about your current offerings. Instagram can be a bit more fun, especially with Stories, stickers, polls, and hashtags.

WhatsApp gives users an easy way to message your business and buy from you. Many people use this app for group messaging, so having a presence here can be very convenient for your audience. Establishing a WhatsApp presence should be as simple as doing some setup and monitoring messages, while Facebook and Instagram deserve a little more attention with consistent posting.

twitter-business-8947380

Photo by Twitter

Professional Tweeters: New Business-Friendly Profiles on Twitter

When Facebook’s platforms are down, where do people go for their news feed needs? For many, the answer was Twitter. And with new Professional Profiles in testing, your business presence is about to get a lot more informative. These new Twitter profiles include an About Module that lets you share information about your business beyond your profile description. The About Module has a dedicated space on your main profile page, above where your tweets begin. Add your location for an easy tap-for-directions function for users, show your hours of operations, and include ways people can contact you.

Twitter has been experimenting with a lot of new features lately, introducing new ways to play with content and have a better experience on the app. Professional Profiles seem like one step towards making the platform more business-friendly. With ad options that lead to your profile, having more information than a URL and a pinned tweet makes a lot of sense.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

You can apply to be a part of the Professional Profile test now, but most businesses will need to wait until the feature finishes testing. If you have a Twitter account, adding this information in is a must – it’ll be a lot clearer that the account belongs to a business whenever someone visits your profile. You might also get fewer questions about your hours or location, and users can find their way to a brick-and-mortar location with even fewer taps than before. We’re excited to give Professional Profiles a try when they’re ready for the public!

alexander-shatov-rnbihb5o_ho-unsplash-1940627

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

Is The Clubhouse FOMO Over? New Recording Features

Since Clubhouse has been around, it’s had an air of exclusivity and FOMO (the fear of missing out) surrounding it. Not long ago, you had to be invited by a current user, could only join on an iPhone, and needed to join the conversation as it was happening to take part. The newest updates from Clubhouse show us that the exclusivity is coming to an end with recorded audio rooms and Clips.

Clips are 30-second audio snippets that any user can download and share to other social channels. This, along with a new universal search feature in the app, is meant to enhance discoverability of conversations and creators. Paired with an upcoming feature for hosts to record their audio rooms, listening to conversations you’re interested in has never been easier. These updates are similar to existing features for Twitter’s audio rooms, Spaces. Twitter has beaten Clubhouse to the punch on the rollout to android, universal access, and hosts being able to download a recording of their chat. It seems that now both Twitter and Clubhouse are looking to enhance discoverability and incentivize creators to use their platform.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

With Clubhouse making their content easier to access, we can’t help but wonder: Was the exclusivity part of the draw? Clubhouse specializes in live, authentic audio content that a listener has a chance to take a part in. With recorded sessions, users won’t have the ability to react and will have less FOMO from missing a talk from their favorite creator. Will users still tune in for an hour-long talk when they could just watch a few 30-second highlights? We’ll stay tuned to see how this shakes out – the results might give us a better understanding of whether live content is worth investing in for business owners and entrepreneurs.

Ok, now what?

As we’ve seen, social media works best when you’re providing high-quality content your viewers will enjoy. Liquid Creative is here to help business owners with all their marketing needs, including managing your social media!  We can also help you turn those views into sales with a beautiful website, produce ultra-engaging video content, or brand your business from the ground up.

We’re a full-service marketing agency ready to craft the perfect solution for your business goals. Our talented team can pick up your marketing strategy without missing a beat, help you out with a one-off project, or get your business on the digital map. Call, email, or leave us a message to let us know how we can help you!

7 (Surprising!) Signs That You’re Creative

“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” – Albert Einstein

decblog1-1657308

The team at Liquid Creative includes people with different talents, interests, and personalities. Despite our different job titles and roles in the marketing process, we are all creative to the core.
It’s a common belief that only people with certain jobs or hobbies are truly creative. Lucky for us, that’s not true! In fact, creativity is a skill that many of us practice without knowing it. If you can pinpoint how you’re using creative traits in your daily life, you can develop your creativity!

Creativity comes in all different forms. Many people underestimate their own ability to be creative, just because they aren’t a graphic designer or writer. There’s plenty of creative talent hidden among the less creative roles.
So just how do we practice creativity? Let’s take a look at ways you might be displaying your own creativity without even trying.

Watch Out For These 7 Traits

  1. You Constantly Observe — The world is full of interesting, exciting, fun, and odd things happening all of the time. Sometimes, even the most mundane occurrences can spark the imagination. Creative people consistently find themselves closely observing everything around them and taking note of them to think about later on.How To Use This Trait: Part of what makes us unique is the different things we notice compared to those around us. You might not even realize the perspective that you bring to your team! Talk about your observations with trusted team members whenever you can. Together, you might arrive at a conclusion you wouldn’t have found alone!
  2. You Make Opportunity Happen — If you hate the feeling of being stuck in one place (mentally or physically), then you might just be creative! Truly creative people can’t stand stagnation and will seek out new experiences and opportunities to keep life interesting.How To Use This Trait: This can work the opposite way around too! To develop your creativity, put yourself in new situations to broaden your perspective. Always keep an open mind and pursue continued learning – even if it’s just watching some educational videos every now and then.
  3. You Surround Yourself with Individuality — Creative people often have an affinity for the unique. They can appreciate what each individual brings to the table, so they surround themselves with people who are different from themselves.How To Use This Trait: Learn to appreciate someone’s unique perspective. Instead of counting something out because it doesn’t appeal to you, consider the person who made it. What were they trying to say? What does this accomplish? You can appreciate art and content even when it doesn’t quite speak to you. Doing so helps you keep an open mind and relate to other creatives.
  4. You Take Risks — Being shy is not a trait that creative types are known for. Most creative people understand that taking chances (and sometimes failing) is the best way to improve as an individual and as an artist. Therefore, the risk is its own reward!How To Use This Trait: Failure and trying something new isn’t easy for everyone. If you’re more apprehensive than bold, you should start by reframing your experience as an opportunity to improve. An easy first step is to try treating feedback as a peer review. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, but use your team’s ideas to make your next draft even better.
  5. You Love Working — Whether on the job or on a project at home, creative people take great satisfaction from their work. Even the most basic tasks are rewarding because they are seen as opportunities to bring something unique to the table!How To Use This Trait: You can be happier at work if you incorporate gratitude into your routine. At Liquid Creative, our team celebrates weekly wins together at every Friday meeting! Practicing gratitude and noting your achievements gives you a chance to look back at your work, feel appreciation from your colleagues, and reflect on what you enjoy about your role.
  6. You’re Always Curious — A passion for looking into details and learning new things is a trademark of a creative brain. The famous advertising executive and founder of ad agency Leo Burnett Worldwide, Leo Burnett, put it this way: “Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.”How To Use This Trait: Indulge your curiosity! The next time you think “I wonder how…”, don’t stop at wondering. Take a minute to Google your question or find an explanatory video. You might stumble upon a new hobby or some helpful information!
  7. You Don’t Believe in Stereotypes — Creative people are difficult to summarize or peg down, as they tend to be made up of many conflicting characteristics. As a result, they have no use for stereotypes that seek to oversimplify or classify others. They are aware of the fact that people are extremely different from each other and that they are way too complicated to be considered a part of a generalized category.How To Use This Trait: Don’t box yourself in either. You might be reading this, wondering if you can be more creative. You can! Creativity, like many other traits, isn’t just something you’re born with. When you choose how you invest your time, you’re ultimately building up your own unique personality.

Wanna Rock With a Creative Crew?

Liquid Creative takes creativity seriously. It is in our name, after all. We prioritize creativity and development in our culture so we know we’re making the best possible work for our clients. If you want to see what our team can do for your brand, start by contacting us!

How Your Social Strategy Needs To Change This Month

The social media platforms we’ve come to know and love keep flip-flopping and imitating one another. With new players shaking up the game, the established channels are changing so quickly it’s giving us whiplash. This week, TikTok is looking at boost-like advertising while Facebook commits to vertical video. Meanwhile, Instagram is finally ready to be linkable – in Stories, that is. We’ll give you all the details on how these new social media features should impact your digital strategy.

tiktok-liquidcreative-3086064

Photo by TikTok

Advertising on TikTok Just Got A Whole Lot Easier

After building a huge user base, TikTok is ready to cash in. The platform has focused on revenue by appealing to small businesses, adding new business tools, and making advertising easier and easier. Now, they’re taking a page out of Facebook’s book by incorporating promotions for existing organic posts. Their new ‘Promote’ option feels a lot like Facebook’s ‘Boost’ – with just a few taps, you can turn content into digital advertising.

So what do you need to Promote a post? Most importantly, an existing TikTok video. In fact, you should make sure your profile doesn’t look too bare before sending viewers to your page. Then, just select your goal, set a budget, and choose a time frame. And that’s it! You’ll get to watch the analytics roll in for your new Promoted post.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

TikTok isn’t going away. The platform has proven that it has the original thinking and strategy to turn its audience into revenue. With the platform already favoring content that feels real, the Promote option might be the way to go when you’re ready to start advertising. Start out with your best-performing post – it’s doing well for a reason – and run a promotion to see what results you get!

instagram-liquidcreative-9741069

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Links, Searches, and Trends on Instagram

Instagram is giving businesses a little insight into how to use their platform while continuing to tweak their product. First off, social media consultant Matt Navara reports that swipe-up story links are out and link stickers are in. We’re guessing this change might help links stand out and encourage clicks, so be sure to experiment with the new format if you can! These new story stickers are only available to those business accounts that could already use swipe-up links in stories – those with over 10,000 followers – but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Instagram continues rethinking links.

In other Instagram news, the platform is letting us in on how their search function works. Results that appear during a search are based on (1) the text entered, (2) the user’s activity, and (3) popularity of search results. This means that post and profile engagement boosts your visibility in searches, so be sure to make quality posts that promote clicks, likes, and shares. Instagram also recommends making your profile search-ready with a relevant username, using keywords and locations in your bio, and hashtagging your posts appropriately.

And finally, the latest Instagram Insider shares a few tips on using Reels. Start with content that will inspire or educate your audience, such as tutorials or product videos. Film and design using a vertical 9:16 space. For mobile editing apps to create Reels, check out InShot, Unfold,

or VideoShop. Use relevant hashtags to appear among similar posts. With a little research, you can find emerging hashtags that are less saturated to boost your content. Finally, make sure your content doesn’t carry a TikTok watermark, post it, and share it to Stories and your Feed!

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

Instagram has admitted that it isn’t a photo-sharing app anymore. With new features being successful, it’s worth trying new strategies to increase your discoverability online. Even if it’s as simple as posting more Stories and strategizing how you can use link stickers, take some time to experiment with your Instagram strategy!

facebook-liquidcreative-3130967

Photo by Facebook

Facebook Gets Reeled Into Vertical Video

The reigning king of social media is hoping to keep its crown by adapting to the latest trends. The trend started back when Instagram introduced Reels, a vertical video that felt very similar to up-and-coming social media star, TikTok. Now, Facebook’s latest earning call confirms that they’re doubling down on video within its portfolio of platforms. According to TechCrunch, that begins with Facebook launching a test of Reels on its Facebook app in the U.S.

So you might see a Reels icon pop up in your News Feed sometime soon. The format has been very successful on Instagram already, so much so that Instagram declared it’s no longer focusing on photos. Combined with Facebook Watch increasing screen time and revenue for the company, it sounds like Facebook is ready to throw its weight behind Reels.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

While this is just a test at the moment, it seems likely that this is the next step for Facebook. Vertical video is becoming a must-have for businesses that want to capture attention online. Even if you’re new to shooting videos, this style is meant to be beginner-friendly. Make yourself some Reels and get ready to be discoverable all across Facebook and Instagram!

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

The Discovery Process: 7 Steps to Creating a Brand Identity

lc_juneblog_2019-2167424

Branding isn’t all logo trends and color palettes. A strong brand identity starts with a true understanding of the business – its stakeholders, audience, industry, values, and more. To strategically end up with branding that represents your company, your branding agency needs to put in the work on the front end – a process we call here at Liquid Creative, discovery.

What Is Discovery?

Without a discovery period, a creative team won’t have the necessary insight to represent your brand. We might not have heard of your business before you became our client, so we take time to get up to speed before any creative work begins.

Liquid Creative has clients ranging from specialized athletic trainers to high-end property management companies. Learn how we gather the insight to create distinct brand identities that are a perfect match for our small business clients!

1. Meet with The Business Owner or Marketing Manager

The discovery process begins right as we’re first approached about taking on a new client. Our Account Management team meets with each new potential client to learn about their target audience, marketing and business objectives, and unique selling points. Once we know a little about your business and marketing goals, we’ll be able to let you know whether our branding services are a good match!

If you feel like your branding is going stale or you’ve outgrown your old logo, it may be time to rebrand your business. Check out these 3 signs it’s time to refresh your branding.

2. Conduct Secondary Market Research

After we’ve determined that a new brand identity aligns with your business and organizational goals, our research begins. We’ll dive deep into your industry, competitors, and target audience. Along the way, we’ll be noting your buying process, unique selling point, and value proposition to know what you bring to customers that no one else can.

3. Team Site Visit

At this stage, we want to see your business in action! Liquid Creative has toured construction sites, production facilities, and pizza parlors to get the best understanding of our clients. We’ll get a feel for your space, team, and daily operations to help keep your brand feeling seamless with how your business is run.

4. Personal Interviews with Stakeholders

After determining who your stakeholders are (customers, investors, employees, and more), we’ll create a list of questions to ask different stakeholder groups. We might request to contact your company leadership, customers, employees, or external partner organizations.

Our conversations with these stakeholders provide insights that can’t be found on a website or by talking to an internal marketer. Through these interviews, we are able to uncover what defines your business, as seen through someone else’s eyes. That’s a core piece of building a distinct new brand identity that aligns with your audience.

5. Discovery Download

Now that we’ve researched your market, seen your operation, and spoken to you and your stakeholders, it’s time to get out some ideas. Our team meets up to brainstorm and discuss what we’ve learned throughout our research.

Our discovery download is all about connecting pieces of our research together to get a full picture of your business. What did you identify as strengths that we didn’t see in your competitors? What do your employees love about their jobs that influences the customer experience? We’ll define what we believe it is your company is offering beyond a product or service. What experience does your business provide?

 

img_4038-1-8662175
The whiteboard looks a little crazy after a discovery download session!

6. Creative Team, Go!

Now, we’ve determined an organic brand direction that makes strategic sense in your industry and local market. Your branding identity won’t just be a logo – we know just the deliverables you’ll need to maintain a cohesive new brand.

Our branding services include the following:

  • Logo: a mark used to identify your organization or product
  • Color Palette: the various colors and accents to be used in visual communications
  • Typography: lists which fonts to use in various communication scenarios
  • Graphic Collateral: graphic design elements consistently used to complement your logo
  • Word Cloud: a list of words that best represent and differentiate your brand
  • Brand Rationale: a document establishing the tone of written communications

7. Present the New Brand Identity

After a little bit of magic from our creative team, we’ll present you with your new brand identity. Our process starts by presenting 2 logo concepts, often that show two different directions we can take your brand. You’ll choose the one you believe in the most for us to further develop. With final revisions and some finishing touches, your new brand will be ready to launch!

Most of the time, we present two logo concepts, and the client selects one for us to further develop. After the final revisions are made, the new brand is ready to launch!

Rebrand Example

Check out the branding transformation on the 5 Points of Life marathon!

 

Before

lcs_instagram_sept2018sept21-1-e1560970851786-5302407

Sketch Phase

lc_instagram_5pointssketches-5554652

Final Rebranded Logo

lcs_instagram_sept2018sept21-3-e1560970632479-6980895

Distinct Branding that Embodies Your Organization

A brand shouldn’t be feel mandated—it should feel organic, and complementary to your offerings, employees, and customers. Through the discovery process, our team gathers the background, insight, and inspiration to become the creative force that propels your brand towards new opportunities.

Interested in establishing a distinct new brand for your organization? Learn more about our branding services!

 

 

The State of Social Media: What You Need to Know about Pinterest, Snapchat, & TikTok

With weekly changes to social media, we’re always glad when platforms give us a guide to connecting with their audience. This week, we’re taking a look at just that. Pinterest’s Q2 overview, Snapchats Friendship Day guide, and TikTok’s Creative Solutions are giving us more insight on how to use these platforms effectively.

stephen-phillips-hostreviews-co-uk-ljvsuz7ruic-unsplash1-3022295

Photo by Stephen Phillips on Unsplash

Pinterest Focuses on Shopping From Home and Staying Inspired

In their Q2 Letter to Shareholders, Pinterest recognized that they didn’t grow quite as much as they hoped they would. They chalk up the difference to people going back to in-person shopping. The platform sees themselves as a place for viewers to browse multiple shops in one place and be inspired by the content they see. We can expect to see Pinterest continue to focus on promoting e-commerce and making online shopping easier.

Pinterest also notes that it expects short-form video to fuel engagement in the near future. Idea pins, which functions as click-through video stories, got off to a great start. Adding product tagging to this new feature made them even more inviting, helping both influencers and brands alike. E-commerce businesses should definitely keep their eye on Pinterest in Q4 – we can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

Not sure if Pinterest is right for you? This platform is a great place to host content that holds up to the test of time, inspires your viewers, or advertises your products. Repurpose your blogs, product shots, case studies and more to get started on this platform.

snap_frienshipbloginline-21-6634676

Photo by Snapchat

Snapchat Is For Connection and Friendship

To celebrate National Friendship Day, Snapchat took a poll of its users to see how they use the app to connect with friends.The survey shows that most Snapchatters are using the app to chat with their friends, which has been even more important since the pandemic began. It also reports that 77% of users are using more features within the app than they were a year ago.

The usage of new features is good news for local businesses. After Snapchat’s recent introduction of My Places and business profiles, businesses feel a lot more native on the app. Gen Z has been dubbed ‘The Snapchat Generation’, so maintaining a presence on the platform could be an interesting way to reach that age group.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

Maintaining a Snapchat profile doesn’t make sense for every business, but if you’re targeting Millennials and younger, it’s worth considering. These new features show that Snapchat is looking to encourage advertisers by becoming more business-friendly. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled to see what changes they’ll implement next!

creative-solutions1-1724209

Photo by TikTok

TikTok’s Creative Solutions Guide

Even though TikTok’s relatively new to the scene, it can feel overwhelming when you aren’t familiar with the app. The platform’s newest guide, Creative Solutions, sheds a light on how businesses like yours can make the most out of their app. The solutions you apply to other social media won’t necessarily work on TikTok.

Users are expecting authentic, creative content often. In fact, TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times a day and seeing what sticks! Many TikTok creators film multiple videos in a day, so make sure to write all your ideas down for when you’re ready to shoot. Your content should reflect your brand and what your audience responds to. Make sure you’re thinking about how your brand makes sense on TikTok, instead of just trying to fit in.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

TikTok’s Creative Solutions guide is a great place to start learning about content creation. To get started creating your own content, familiarize yourself with current trends on the app! See what’s being featured, what sounds you hear often, and how other businesses are interacting with their audiences on TikTok. Then get brainstorming! How will your business use those trending sounds? What can you show about your business that no one has seen yet? Once you’ve jotted down your ideas, all that’s left is to find your lighting and film!

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

 

Enhance Your Online Presence: What To Say & Where To Be Online

In 2021, your online presence matters. A lot of your success depends on having information about your business in places where your audience can easily find it. This week, we’ve got updates that will upgrade your business pages on Snapchat and Twitter. Plus, Facebook comes to the rescue when you’re not sure what to say!

twitter-shopping-liquid-creative-studio-1799287

Photo by Twitter

The Shop Module Brings E-Commerce to Twitter

Twitter’s new feature is focused on making the platform more friendly for online shops. The new Shop Module will be an option for businesses to display items for sale on their Twitter profiles. Users can scroll through these products and make purchases within the mobile app. This simple introduction is Twitter’s first step into bringing e-commerce to the platform since 2015.

The Shop Module feature is currently at the beginning of testing, with only a few select brands being invited to participate. Twitter is hinting that this, along with their recent addition of professional profiles, is the beginning of a journey to make the platform more business-friendly.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

Twitter Shopping will be something to try in the future if you offer products that can be shipped to online buyers. This is something that can be used together with a Shopify Store, Instagram Shop, or other e-commerce tools. If you’re a service provider or you operate brick-and-mortar, stay tuned to see what other updates Twitter rolls out for businesses.

snap-chat-my-places-liquid-creative-studio-6439555

Photo by Snapchat

Get on Gen Z’s Radar! Snapchat Launches ‘My Places’

Snapchat’s ‘Snap Map’ lets users know where their friends are in real time – perfect for fueling Gen Z’s FOMO. The platform is now inviting businesses to get themselves on the map – literally – with My Places. This update will let users log where they’ve been, suggest edits, and recommend local spots to friends.

So what does this look like on a business owner’s end? Though Snapchat’s blog is limited on details, it looks like these locations can be linked to business profiles within the app. Your pinned location will bring up information about your business – hours, contact information, reviews from Tripadvisor, directions, and your current Snapchat story.

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

This tool isn’t going to be ideal for every audience, but it’s definitely going to be useful with the younger crowd. It’ll be interesting to see how this useful new feature will compare to non-social platforms like Google Maps. In any case, set up your business profile, snag your location, and start giving Snapchatters an incentive to check in!

facebook-content-ideas-generator-liquid-creative-4072158

Photo by Facebook

Small Business Campaign Ideas, Courtesy of Facebook

Not sure what to talk about online? There’s plenty to say about every small business – Facebook’s new Campaign Ideas Generator is here to jog your memory! This social media update is so fun to play around with – get some ideas for your small business marketing here. When you input your industry and a time of year, you’ll get suggestions for Facebook ads that will work for your business.

The campaign ideas might revolve around a particular theme, a call to action, or an audience you should try to reach. Plus, click to the ‘Data and Insights’ section for some market research about your audience, right from Facebook!

What does this mean for Florida Businesses?

You’ll never be tongue-tied online again! Even if you’re not loving the campaign ideas that Facebook suggests, the data is a gold mine. Learning more about your audience will let you create more compelling campaigns every single time.

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

Learn, Collaborate, and Chat: New Ways To Understand Your Target Audience on Social Media

Ready to go back to school? With Facebook’s new collaboration with Coursera, small business owners everywhere can now learn more about reaching their target audience online. This comes at a time when we see new ways to interact every week! We’ll help you apply your new knowledge with a quick summary of Clubhouse, now open to all, and an overview of Instagram’s new collaboration features.

219223743_221017913229745_1204401268485088941_n-2523886

Photo by Facebook

Facebook 101: Online Marketing Fundamentals

In a response to the changing job market and their own evolving positioning, Facebook has partnered with Coursera to offer new online learning in the digital sphere. Previously, the platform had only one certificate available in Social Media Marketing. The two new additions are in Marketing Analytics and Software Development. These are self-directed courses that are intended to be completed in about 20 weeks.

Though they’re designed to give someone a start in a related field, these courses are a resource to all small business owners and marketers! If you’re not looking for a certification, check out their topics and focus on what interests you most. This is a great resource for understanding how to promote yourself on Facebook and around the internet!

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Facebook’s course topics range from building a community to measuring your ad’s performance. If you’re not sure where to start, start with this question: What are you looking to gain from your Facebook presence? Knowing your goal is step 1. These guides will help direct you once you know where you’re going.

e61wvvouuauf_ys-9516581

Image by Vishal Shah

Group Project! New Collaborations on Instagram

Brands and Instagram influencers go together like PB & J. And now Instagram is giving us new ways to collaborate on their platform. With these new collaboration tools, collaborative posts will appear on the main feed or Reels tab with two profile pictures and usernames together, showing who contributed to the post. 

Though this is just in the test phase, it’s exciting for those brands that work with influencers or encourage interaction with their Instagram profile. These posts will be displayed to both sets of followers, which broadens your reach so much more than a shoutout. This feature might become the elevated form of tagging your business – which will give you some free feed content.  

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

This experiment isn’t available to all Instagram users yet – and we’re totally fine with that. We’ll be interested to see how these look, how people interact with them, and what safeguards will be put in place to keep our feeds looking good. While we’re waiting on the results, perform a collaboration check on your own social media profiles. Should you be engaging more with influencers or everyday customers? Do your followers know what hashtag to use when they post your products? What are your competitors or similar businesses in other locations doing on Instagram?

nathana-reboucas-2zryuy5xzee-unsplash-8666022

Photo by Nathana Rebouças on Unsplash

Free Period: Clubhouse Is Open To All!

If you never got an invite to Clubhouse, you’re not alone. But the good news is, the Clubhouse app is now available to all! We’ve talked about Clubhouse a good bit in the past but it’s time for a quick overview. Clubhouse is a little bit like a house party in an app. Someone hosts a live audio room that everyone can join. Guests can come and go as they please, but the host has to be there, or else the party stops. If the host makes you a speaker, you can contribute your thoughts to the conversation – otherwise, you just get to listen in. 

So what’s the consensus on Clubhouse? This is a medium that’s all about connecting with people and back-and-forth conversations. For a small business, this might be a great tool to talk about your industry, answer audience questions, or just connect with the local community. It feels spontaneous, welcoming, and a lot more authentic than a lot of social media. The downfall is that it’s all live – your conversation isn’t going to be saved, so only those who tune in get to hear what you have to say. In general, treat these like a radio show or a town hall. Bring enough to say but make sure to jot down the best tidbits to make permanent content later.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Not sure how to start the conversation? This is where your other social media presence comes in. Ask your followers what they want to talk about and invite them to connect with you on Clubhouse. Once your first topic is set, you’ll be good to go! In your first conversation, notice what topics you could go on about and save them for next time.

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

 

Good Ideas, Bad Ideas, and Everything In Between on Social Media

Ever regret posting something on social media? We’ve all had those moments of realizing an idea wasn’t as great as we thought it was at first. This week, the team at Twitter is having that awful gut-wrenching feeling as they finally admit defeat on Fleets. Meanwhile, Instagram is trying to save you from accidentally posting something that isn’t ready, adding a drafts functionality to their Story posts. And finally, in an idea that we’ll be looking at closely, Messenger is adding ‘soundmojis’, allowing users to reply to one another with audio clips. Let’s dive into these social media updates, starting at the bottom.

twitter-fleets-5383637

Photo by Twitter

Life Is Fleeting, and So Were Fleets

Last week, we reported that Twitter was still trying to make Fleets happen. They weren’t going to happen. Twitter is finally ready to say goodbye to Fleets. The folks at Twitter took quite a few lessons from their flop and we can too. To start, the purpose of Fleets was to reach those people that weren’t already participating on Twitter. Instead, they continued to be used by active Tweeters, often as a way to compliment Tweets. 

Being such an established, unique platform, new users weren’t downloading Twitter to see if their story feature was worth creating a profile. New social media features won’t necessarily attract a new or different audience – they’re more likely to engage the existing users. Looking ahead, Twitter says it’ll keep searching for ways to appeal to non-participants and open up the conversation. They’re also looking into more ways to add media and variety to Tweets, to keep what active users loved about Fleets. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Starting August 3rd, you won’t be able to Fleet anymore – if you ever did. Twitter isn’t backing down from incorporating media, expanding its user base, and making the platform more visual. For now, use your Twitter account to Tweet and listen in on Spaces. There may be new opportunities and improvements coming to the platform soon!

story-drafts-2597143

Photo by WFBrother

Stories Just Got A Little Sweeter: Drafts Are Here!

A short-and-sweet new update from Instagram might have a big impact on your engagement! With Instagram’s new Story drafts feature, as shared by social media beta tester WFBrother, you’ll be able to create Stories ahead of time. Once you design your story and go to exit out, you’ll be prompted to save your story as a draft. Within the next seven days, you can access your draft to post it for real.

So why is this simple little feature so great? Social media connoisseurs know the importance of posting times on engagement and views. Now, you can put the time into your Stories and still post right on schedule! Posting at a peak time (like 11:00 am on a Wednesday) can increase engagement with your stories or even drive views to your profile. Set a reminder on your phone and then you’re ready to roll!

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

This feature will be good for posting stories you want to be seen. It’ll be even better for stories you want to see interactions with. So anytime you’re adding stickers, posting multiple stories in a row, or even advertising a limited-time event, go ahead and create your draft ahead of time. You can also tell your users when to expect a new story from you – like when you’ll answer their questions or reveal the results of a poll – and design it ahead of time! This makes all the ways you can engage with your audience through Stories all the more practical for the busy business owner.

messenger-8695808

Photo by Messenger

Your Own Personal Sound Board: Soundmojis

Drumroll, please! Facebook has been taking on the world of audio recently, with live audio rooms, podcast hosting, and more. They’re also incorporating small-scale sounds in a new way on Messenger. These ‘soundmojis’ will let Messenger users respond with an audio reaction to their conversations. You can hit them with a laugh track, a cricket chirping in awkwardness, or even a clip of Rebecca Black’s Friday to end the week.

Soundmojis feel like the first of their kind delivered to a broad audience. But this trend started long ago. Think back to the sound effects we hear throughout YouTube videos and the more recent rise of ‘sounds’ on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Using the same sounds for humor is starting to become a part of our culture and Messenger is the first to make the trend as simple as a tap on your phone.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

So sounds are a trend. What do you do with that information? It’s not likely that you’ll rise to stardom enough to be a soundmoji yourself, and that’s okay. However, learning how to work with sounds to talk about your business is a great way to appeal to the internet-savvy audience. Using a TikTok sound they’ve heard before and adding your own spin on it can be a great way to connect and get some laughs. Even the overly specific becomes a little more approachable with sounds we know and love.

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.