We’re excited to share that we will be supporting Caring in Bristol, as part of Studio Every‘s pledge of two weeks to two charities this year.

Caring in Bristol work in imaginative and creative ways with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with the public and community partners to bring about lasting change in Bristol and beyond.

We will be working with Caring in Bristol to explore ways that they can expand their corporate partnerships to create even more sustainable income for the future.

We look forward to contributing to the future strategy of this incredible charity, to help prevent homelessness.

When it comes to optimising websites for organic search traffic, each industry has its own specific needs, challenges and conventions to consider. In healthcare and medicine, for example, SEO strategies need to bear in mind relevant regulations across different markets, the specific language-use and search intent of HCP audiences, and how to ensure research papers, infographics and other kinds of content abide by Google’s best-practice guidelines.

At Varn, we have many years of experience working with pharmaceutical companies on organic search projects. We have learnt that there are some key areas that particularly impact the SEO landscape around healthcare and medical websites. Here are six things to think about when optimising pharma websites for organic search, in addition to general SEO best-practices, which every website should follow.

1. Geographic Regulations for Pharmaceutical Companies

Because different countries have different laws about how pharmaceutical companies can promote their products, anyone who works on healthcare websites will be familiar with the need to abide by these regulations. This often means creating new content or even whole websites for each geographical market. But did you know that it is possible to let search engines know which version of a page is intended for which location before the visitor even lands on the website? This can be achieved through a piece of coding called hreflang, and can help to ensure that the right pages are found by searchers in the right countries. Ideal for instances when you have multiple versions of a healthcare website targeting different locations, each slightly different in order to abide by the specific regulations in each region.

2. Duplicated Content

We often see duplicate content on the websites of our pharmaceutical, medical and healthcare clients – generally when scientific papers have been published within a journal as well as elsewhere on the internet. In this instance, you might find yourself competing with your own content elsewhere on the web. SEO strategists looking after pharma websites may need to strategically determine which version of a piece of content they want to display in Search Engine Results Pages, and then help to demonstrate this intent to Google using consistent canonical tags supported by an offsite backlink strategy.

3. Keyword Research for Highly-Specialised Healthcare Language

As search engines have become more sophisticated, they have evolved an impressive understanding of how language is used, and the intent behind individual search terms. However, when it comes to niche topics with highly-specialised language, search engines may not be able to keep up. HealthCare Professionals (HCPs) may use language differently to the general public, which means that keyword strategies for pharmaceutical websites have to dive deep into user intent and understand the precise ways in which search terms are audience-specific.

Here’s a simple example: If a pharma website refers to a drug, disease, medicine or molecule by an abbreviation, this abbreviation may have one or more alternative meanings beyond the medical industry. This could lead to your pages getting lost amongst content related to entirely different topics. A clever keyword strategy would therefore need to use contextual on-page information, as well as alternative longtail versions of the relevant keyword(s), to make clear to Google which term your page actually refers to, helping you to rank for the most relevant searches.

4. YMYL Healthcare Content

When Google and other search engines decide which websites and web pages to place at the top of their listings, they are trying to determine which piece of content will be most useful for the searcher. Helpfully, Google has a set of content guidelines detailing the kinds of things that they are looking for. All web content should endeavour to follow the search engine’s E-E-A-T guidelines (demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) but pharmaceutical websites need to go one step further and follow Google’s YMYL guidelines as well.

YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life” and refers to any content which has the potential to impact people’s happiness, health, finances or safety. Google has much stricter standards for content which relates to these topics, which is why websites relating to healthcare and medicine must understand and carefully abide by their best practices, including clearly demonstrating expertise and professional accreditation. Most pharma websites will need a YMYL content strategy which incorporates everything from expert content creation to targeting backlinks from reputable professional bodies.

5. Log-In Walls for HCPs

Sometimes a pharmaceutical website may place content behind a registration wall. In order to read the content, HealthCare Professionals will need to register and log in to the website. This can be a useful way to ensure the traffic reaching your content is reflective of the most relevant audiences. However, pages which live behind a wall of this sort – sometimes called gated content – can be hard for search engines to find, read and understand. In turn, this could mean that they choose not to index and rank your pages. Luckily, there are ways of coding your website to make sure that search engines can read all hidden content, even if human visitors to your site need to log in to be able to do so. This is a key item to check when considering the SEO strategy for your healthcare website.

6. Data-heavy Medical Content

Pharmaceutical websites host a range of content, from papers detailing the results of clinical trials to easy-to-digest, condensed summaries of diseases and treatments. The way these different types of information are presented is important for Search Engine Optimisation.

Imagine you have a graph which demonstrates the seasonality of a specific disease. This could be added to your website as a simple image – but will search engines be able to understand this content? Only if you give the image a suitable name, describe it within the alt text, and add useful contextual information elsewhere on the page.

Perhaps elsewhere you are considering hosting a medical paper in pdf form. Whilst pdf pages can rank in search engines, they will likely not perform as well as html website pages. This is because they are less mobile-friendly, unlikely to use proper heading formatting, and cannot be enhanced with Schema markup or structured data.

The list goes on – there are specific considerations to bear in mind when hosting videos, detailed scientific papers, or infographics on websites. The nature of medical and healthcare websites is that they will likely contain lots of data-heavy content in many different formats, all of which need to be considered and optimised from an SEO stand-point.

Need help with a Pharma SEO Strategy?

Need help creating and/or implementing an SEO strategy for your pharmaceutical, medical or healthcare website? The experts at Varn can offer support with everything from keyword research and content planning to coding optimisations and paid media advertising, as well as developing offsite backlink strategies. We have many years experience working with healthcare and medical publishing clients including Roche, Wiley, Pfizer and more, so you can be sure we understand the nuanced intersections between the pharmaceutical industry and search marketing. Get in touch to find out more.

For a business or a brand, newsletters can be a highly effective tool to connect with audiences.

A timely, well-considered and engaging newsletter can foster engagement, build brand loyalty, drive growth and even drive revenues.

This isn’t to say that newsletters are just relevant for businesses with e-commerce models. In fact, all kinds of businesses can benefit from creating their own newsletters as part of a wider marcomms strategy.

But what does a successful newsletter strategy look like?

 

Content, content, content

The most important part of any newsletter is the content you put in it.

Firstly, the stories in your newsletter must be relevant and timely to your specific audience. Secondly, there should neither be too many, nor too few. Around three pieces of content is generally a good rule of thumb to follow.

Sticking with three pieces of content. One of those pieces should be hero content. This means it takes pride of place at the top of the newsletter itself. Followed by two supplementary content pieces underneath.

Layout and structure

How you lay out your newsletter content will greatly affect how your audience consumes your content. A simpler approach will benefit you here.

Try to avoid having your content displayed in long lists. Instead, try to lay out your content so that it can be viewed either in one glance or with minimal scrolling.

Great images with strong captions and CTA links to your website or landing pages are a must. Try not to overload the design with images that are too large or videos and animations. Avoid anything that could potentially be slow to load.

It is highly likely that people will be consuming newsletter content on the move, so you will need to consider the actual size of your mailer. If you’re using mailing software such as Mailchimp or HubSpot, templates will do much of this heavy lifting for you. As well as scaling your output for mobile compatibility.

The personal touch

The old adage that people buy from people still rings true. When you’re sending out mass-email marketing ensure that the sender is a real person and not just a generic marketing or hello@ email address.

Whether or not you include the name of your recipient within that email is a decision based on the quality and organisation of your database. Newsletter software can use macros to populate information. But only if that information exists at source.

If you want to say Hello Sharon, welcome to our latest newsletter, you need to be sure that the naming records within your database are 100% perfect. Otherwise, people will receive emails starting a macro fault code, which really detracts from the personal touch.

When something like this happens, you can be sure that the email isn’t getting read and you may lose a subscriber.

Check, check, triple check

One of the most frustrating marketing experiences for a consumer is to receive an interesting piece of content that you want to know more about. Then find that the outbound links are faulty.

You should include directional links to your website. Get into a habit of multiple test-sending to ensure every link is working and directing the audience to where you want them to go.

Frequency

With mail marketing, consistency is key. Try to establish a regular frequency and cadence of your comms output without overloading the inboxes of your audience.

Try to establish one regular touchpoint with your audience, be it a weekly or bi-weekly update on the latest news and issues in your industry. Establish that as a must-read and then look to build out other mailers around this.

If you haven’t yet implemented email marketing, and if you’re trying to push a product or a service, avoid doing so with your initial newsletters. Don’t go right in with the hard sell, build rapport through engaging content, then introduce the sales elements.

Once you’ve started, keep up the pace. It can be easy to start with enthusiasm and a flurry of newsletters, only to let the frequency drop and your audience engagement dwindle.

Growing your contacts

If you’re only starting with a small list of marketing contacts, don’t worry, you can put in place strategies and tactics to help grow this.

Contact forms: if you have a lot of potential client and customer communication coming through your website via contact forms, include a marketing opt-in selection. This is an easy way to build your marketing databases over time.

Social platforms: link up your social media channels to your mailing efforts. If you’re posting thought leader content on LinkedIn, try ending those pieces by calling on readers to subscribe for more insight. On channels such as Instagram include a Linktree within your bio description. Then you can call on your follower base to subscribe via a link in the bio.

Other content: if you’re posting regular thought leadership content to your own website, then include calls to action and messaging within his content. This will help lure readers into subscribing based on your existing and ongoing content output.

Customers and clients: consider how you can build your mailing list from current customers and clients. This can range from having a subscribe button built into your email footers, to proactively canvassing and requesting customers and clients to subscribe.

Offers

Use your newsletters to give offers to your audience.

While this won’t directly build your follower base, it can help grow your bottom line with your existing customer base. This could be anything from discounts on a product, a flash sale, early bird discount for an event, or even a new service you might be offering.

Try to keep your offers limited and sparing. Otherwise, you may devalue your overall service in the long term.

Test and learn

Quite possibly the most important thing when it comes to building email marketing, is to test and learn.

You don’t have to, and nor should you, stick to the same formula. If something is working, then maintain whatever it is that is making it work. But don’t blindly stick to things that aren’t. You can afford to be a little adventurous and try new things, but make sure that you’re using your mailing software’s analytics to study your audience’s patterns, and are tailoring your content to this.

 

Loom Digital will be hosting weekly digital marketing surgeries throughout September, providing free advice to businesses in Bristol. 

“We know it’s not an easy environment for businesses at the moment, and we’d like to do our bit to give back to the Bristol business community.” Karen Pearce, Director

Every Friday morning in September, Loom will be opening their doors at Temple Studios to marketing managers and business owners in Bristol and surrounding areas who would like advice on anything related to digital marketing strategy, PPC, SEO and content. The surgeries are delivered on a 1-2-1 basis and will last one hour. All information shared in the surgery will be kept confidential and participants will leave with tangible takeaways to supercharge their digital marketing. 

The surgeries are ideal for marketing managers or business owners looking for forward-thinking digital marketing advice. Each surgery will be tailored to your business, below are a few examples of topics businesses might like to discuss::

There are a limited number of slots and appointments are first come first served. To find out more and to request a slot please visit https://www.loomdigital.co.uk/bristol-digital-surgery/ 

This year Loom Digital celebrated 14 years as a Bristol digital marketing agency. Starting off as a niche search agency, over the years Loom has grown their remit to cover SEO, content marketing, Google Ads, Meta advertising, LinkedIn advertising, digital strategy, data and analytics.

AI in the entertainment industry:

Why brand strategy is more important than ever

There’s no escaping artificial intelligence (AI) right now. Whether it’s facial recognition, your smart speaker or the latest Instagram filter, everyone is using AI – even without realising it. It’s in your social media feed, powering your digital payments, and even helping your phone or laptop to autocorrect.

Whilst some of it may seem like the stuff of science fiction, this is just the beginning. AI is no longer a technology of the future, so what can we expect, what does it all mean and should we be excited or concerned about its potential?

In this paper, we’ll take a look at the impact of AI on the entertainment industry, including what we’ve seen so far. We’ll then explore the potential, the implications, and how businesses and professionals can respond to industry change.

We’ll also discuss the importance of brand identity and how a solid foundation of brand strategy can help you to stay authentic, create cut-through and capitalise on the trend to avoid being left behind.

The growing power of AI

In a recent global artificial intelligence study, PwC estimated that the total economic impact of artificial intelligence will be $15.7 trillion in the period to 2030, making it “the biggest commercial opportunity in today’s fast changing economy”. And when we consider how many areas of our lives it’s already permeated, you can see why.

AI is essential in many of our day-to-day tasks, enabling automation, personalisation and even fraud detection. Most people are familiar with Virtual Assistants or Chatbots online, and are using apps to monitor traffic or weather conditions almost daily.

But AI and its machine learning (ML) subset are nothing new. The concept has been around since the early twentieth century, with science fiction depicting artificially-intelligent robots and dystopian futures, from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis in 1927 to franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek and The Matrix.

By the 1950s, the idea of artificial intelligence was cemented in the minds of scientists, mathematicians and philosophers the world over and, thanks to the development of computers and machine learning algorithms, AI flourished in the 60s and 70s. This continued into the 21st century, with more funding and computer storage bringing us to the age of “big data”.

The human capacity to collect data is now far outperformed by artificial intelligence, which can process huge amounts. Applying AI in this way has been successful in a number of industries including banking, marketing and social media, and of course, entertainment.

Current trends and popular tools

2022 was the year when AI became truly accessible, with the democratisation of Generative AI tools enabling the general public to use these algorithms to create pretty much anything, from the pope in a puffer jacket to Donald Trump’s arrest.

The big hitters in the space right now include OpenAI’s Generative AI model, ChatGPT, and image generators such as Midjourney. These algorithms take existing data and use them to create entirely new content.

Other examples include ‘deepfake’ technology, which uses AI to make it appear as though someone did or said something that they actually didn’t, by replacing the likeness of one person for another in audio or video.

Whilst there are legitimate concerns about the current trajectory of AI, it’s not showing any signs of slowing down, with the potential to improve efficiency, reduce the risk of human error and drive profitability.

From fiction to reality

Since artificial intelligence first graced our screens, television and film have continued to portray the future, with each reimagining of AI more elaborate and fantastical than the next. But now, the things we once imagined are becoming our reality.

In 2023, AI is having a huge impact on everything from imagery and video to set design and theatre robotics. It’s being used in sport to support officiating and by streaming platforms to recommend shows, films or music. It’s even written a play which premiered online in February 2021.

So, what does AI in the entertainment industry look like right now?

AI in the entertainment industry

Like many other sectors, AI has been making its mark in the entertainment space for a while, be it film, television, music, theatre or sport. The technology has already been applied in ways similar to other industries – such as content personalisation on streaming services like Netflix or Spotify – and it’s evolving all the time.

Both platforms use AI and machine learning to provide recommendations based on users’ preferences. Netflix even goes so far as to personalise thumbnails to entice users, by ranking hundreds of frames from movies and shows to decide which are most likely to encourage a click.

Spotify also took personalisation to a whole new level earlier this year, with the launch of its AI DJ feature. DJ is “a personalised AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you”, delivering a curated lineup alongside a hyper-realistic commentary.

Let’s take a look at how artificial intelligence is being used in other areas of the industry.

Film and television

We’ve already touched on film and TV’s long relationship with artificial intelligence, so what’s changed in the last near century? The short answer: a lot. In addition to personalised viewing recommendations and AI-powered distribution from streaming services, the technology is also being used in a myriad of other ways.

AI-powered platforms and machine learning algorithms are being trained and applied to casting, improving the accuracy and efficiency of decision making. They can also be used to enhance visual effects and even analyse
data of existing scripts to generate new, original stories.

It’s not uncommon for shows and films to be using machine learning or AI in some way or another, but its application in VFX is probably the most recognisable. Recent examples include Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian where actor Mark Hamill was de-aged to depict a younger version of his original Star Wars character, Luke Skywalker.

Another interesting development comes from Texas-based company StoryFit, who are leveraging AI technology to compile data on storytelling elements in scripts. The platform helps writers and studios understand and better connect with their audiences, providing insights on character relatability, plot inconsistencies or even which books should be adapted for film.

Perhaps one of the most incredible applications of AI in film is the use of Neural Radiance Fields or NeRFs. This new powerful and low-budget VFX tool can learn how light is reflected in a scene and produce a 3D model that looks like it was shot on the same set. Using just a few input images, AI can fill in any gaps not covered by the camera and estimate how that section might look, creating light and manipulating images in ways previously unimaginable.

Theatre

As a traditionally human-centric art, theatre is perhaps an unexpected place to find the presence of artificial intelligence. But it is seeing development of AI technologies, from lighting robotics to set design and even playwriting.

Examples include the use of tools such as Midjourney for theatrical design, to create set designs in collaboration with AI, and plays written entirely by AI such as THEaiTRE: When a Robot Writes a Play or the Young Vic’s production of AI which featured the GPT-3 system on stage.

Theatre and the metaverse

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the world of live theatre into the virtual and digital space, with creators streaming live or pre-recorded performances to audiences at home. It also saw live theatre enter the metaverse, where AI has been integral to development.

Virtual reality and online spaces allow theatre to maintain its live identity, whilst providing new and more interactive ways for audiences to experience the narrative. One example is YouTuber Rustic Mascara’s appropriation of the video game space for live performance back in July 2022.

In an attempt to fill the live-theatre void during the pandemic, actor Sam Crane live streamed the first ever full production of Hamlet inside the online world of Grand Theft Auto. You can learn more about this and the future of theatre in the metaverse in ‘The Future of Theatre’ Conference from The Stage.

Sport

Emerging technologies such as AI, big data, and IoT (Internet of Things) are becoming essential components of sport in recent years – and there are already a plethora of applications. One of the most prolific is the introduction of technologies such as VAR (video assistant referee), goal line technology and Hawkeye, designed to help support officiating and decision-making.

Other examples include the use of computer vision for tracking and analysing human motion. Machine learning algorithms can use data to evaluate skills and player potential, ranking them to help with scouting or recruitment.

AI can also be used to predict results or ball possession, and provide game analysis, spotting trends, tactics and flaws.

Music

The music industry has already had its fair share of run-ins with AI, with mixed responses. We’ve highlighted the use of AI in streaming to personalise listening and improve user experience, but what about AI-generated music?

2023 has already seen AI make headlines in the music world, including a music generator that can turn any subject into a Drake-inspired record, or a new Oasis album that imagines how the band might have sounded if they’d stayed together.

But this new era of music making is not without controversy. When French DJ David Guetta used AI technology to add Eminem’s ‘voice’ to one of his songs, it sparked a debate about copyright and creators’ rights. Calls to ensure that artificial intelligence is used to support culture and artistry rather than replace it have been heard across the industry, something we’ll explore in the next section.

It’s clear that the industry is taking note and exploiting AI technology where the opportunity presents itself. But what’s the impact so far, is everyone excited about the potential of AI or are there concerns about its future?

The impact of AI on entertainment

The evolution and increasing popularity of artificial intelligence is controversial across all industries, with many recognising its benefits and potential, whilst simultaneously raising concerns about risk.

In April 2023, Avengers’ Director Joe Russo predicted that AI could be making movies within two years. This, coupled with reports that the first AI-generated feature film will begin production in May 2023 is enough to send filmmakers into a flat spin – our worst fears about robots taking over could be realised in an imminent dystopian reality.

The benefits

For the film industry, one of the biggest advantages of using AI is its ability to save time and resources. It’s also being used to improve accuracy and efficiency, analysing huge amounts of data – such as actors’ past performances or social media activity – to predict who is likely to be successful in a particular role.

This data analysis can also be used to analyse scripts and create new, original stories, saving time for screenwriters and providing opportunities for creativity and storytelling. AI can also save time and money on VFX, making it easier and faster to add visual effects, using NeRF and other technologies.

Theatre has already reaped some of the benefits of artificial intelligence in its ability to connect with larger audiences onlines. But there are also positives to be drawn from the use of AI in other areas.

Set designers Jason Jamerson and Michael Schweikardt discussed how tools such as Midjourney can be used to improve the design process, arguing that if used in the right way, it might help the process of materialising an idea for production. They explain that they don’t want AI to design the set, but it can give them new, interesting concept overlays whilst allowing them to remain the designers.

In sport, as well as helping to improve the accuracy of officiating – making sports fairer and less subjective – AI can also produce personalised training or nutrition plans for professional athletes. Thanks to the development of wearable technology which provides information about the wear and tear on an athlete’s body, AI can even help improve health and fitness or prevent injury.

Computer analysis is also used to influence line-up decisions before and during games. By comprehending metrics such as motion, speed, serve placement, and even player posture, AI helps managers and coaches make better decisions for their players and teams.

But having already seen how AI can be leveraged to support and improve traditionally-human tasks, what other positives might come from implementing this technology across the industry?

The risks

Despite these wide-ranging positive impacts, there are understandably concerns about the risks associated with the increased use of artificial intelligence. The most obvious is of course, the potential for AI to replace human jobs.

As algorithms and AI tools become increasingly advanced, there is a risk that they could replace some roles that humans would have historically carried out. Ultimately, this could lead to job losses in the industry along with a fall in creativity, uniqueness and emotional depth that only humans can provide.

The Guardian reported earlier this year that creatives across the industry are taking action against AI, in a bid to protect their jobs and original work from automation. Photographers and designers are among the first to face a “genuine threat”, and Hollywood filmmakers are worried that advances in the technology will mean fewer jobs across the industry and pose “a real threat to writers down the road”.

Another challenge to AI technology came in the wake of deep-fake technology being used for so-called ‘revenge porn’, with devastating consequences. Understandably, this led to wide-spread criticism and calls for further regulation in future developments.

There are calls for more regulation in other areas too. Apple’s development of synthetic voices for audiobooks has caused controversy and concern among the voice actor community. Some are worried about damage to the livelihoods of lesser-known actors and have pushed for the technology to advance more ethically.

Thoughts from the industry

So, will we see homogenisation or a decline in the quality of entertainment or art? Author and screenwriter Marthese Fenech thinks the technology needs regulation and a cautious approach. She explains, “I do very much understand and empathise with the concerns of my fellow creatives and artists. I still harbour some reservations about the technology; none of us wants to be replaced by a machine, something without a soul or the ability to emote.

“Admittedly, I am often reluctant to adopt burgeoning technology – it took me years to transition from an analog camera to a digital one. As an author, screenwriter, editor, and teacher, I’ve met the growing pervasiveness of AI with resistance and hesitation.”

However, having seen some of Mark’s work, Marthese has shifted her perspective: “Mark’s ability to completely transform a project from something passable to something transcendent has altered my perspective. To see something that has lived in my imagination for two decades come to life so vividly defies description.”

Don’t just compete – capitalise

There’s no denying the huge potential of artificial intelligence. Now, the entertainment industry has the chance to capitalise on the trend and do incredible things.

It’s time to start viewing AI as an opportunity, rather than a threat. So, how can creatives not only stay competitive but make the most of new technologies?

BIFA founders Raindance, explain that “by highlighting the value of human creativity, filmmakers can differentiate themselves from AI and justify their continued employment”. They also stress the importance of staying “competitive by continuous learning and adapting to new technologies”.

The combination of both AI and human ability has huge potential. By collaborating with AI experts or learning how to use the tools effectively, creatives can learn new skills and stay ahead of the curve. This is something Mark is very interested in, with plans to help businesses and brands use AI to their advantage.

Whilst AI is great at solving problems or processing large amounts of data, there are nuances and concepts that only humans can offer. Some tasks are difficult or even impossible for AI to complete, such as those requiring empathy, social skills or physical dexterity.

So how best to maintain humanity and protect originality? One way is to have a strong foundation – to know who you are and what you stand for. In other words, a brand strategy that really stands up.

The importance of brand strategy

As the entertainment industry becomes more saturated and AI tools are used to create content or marketing materials, it’s more important than ever to maintain originality and authenticity that can’t be replicated by machine learning. If you want to create cut-through in a competitive space, having a strong brand personality and a plan for how you’ll deliver your key messages are both vital.

Whatever your role and niche within the industry, every brand or business needs a unique and authentic voice, even if what you’re saying or selling is the same or similar to your competitors. As AI technology continues to develop, creating human connections with messages that really resonate will help give you the edge.

There are ample opportunities to use AI tools to help you learn more about your audience or find new ways to connect with them. But at some point, you’re going to need that human touch to make whatever you create uniquely yours.

The future of AI in the entertainment industry

When it comes to creativity, there’s always a need to protect what is sacred. But if leveraged in the right way, artificial intelligence could be – and indeed already is – hugely exciting and potentially beneficial for the entertainment industry and business owners that don’t have blockbuster budgets but need to reach their ideal clients.

By having a clear brand identity and a strategy to help you bring your message to your audience, you can remain authentic, stay relevant and make the most of any opportunities AI might throw your way.

I believe in bringing the joy of entertainment to as many people as possible and helping business’s both large and small achieve their dreams. With over 20 years’ experience in the creative space and a finger on the pulse of the latest technologies, I’m here to help.

 

Mark Horton

Brand Strategist / Creative Human  / Intrigued by all the latest Technological Toys.

(Note this article was researched and written by humans!)

McCann Bristol has strengthened its strategy operation with a senior promotion and the appointment of two new team members, including a new Strategist and a Strategy Director.

 

The strategy team are integral to the creative services offering at McCann Bristol, uncovering the truths that allow everyone to work together potently so we can create impact for our clients.

 

Sarah Warewinter, who joined the team as Associate Director in October 2022, has been promoted to Managing Partner, having made a significant impact with current clients as well as supporting agency growth.

Additionally, Matthieu Mondin joins the team as Strategy Director, bringing his CRM and digital strategy experience with him. Before joining McCann, he worked in Paris as a strategy specialist for Publicis and Dentsu before moving to Tessi as a shopper and retail strategist and, most recently, as a CRM and digital strategist. Matthieu will be working alongside Sarah to develop the strategy department with an approach that champions creativity and effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Beth Evans joins as Strategist, bringing her experience working in brand positioning, marketing strategy and consumer behaviour.

 

Managing Director at McCann Bristol, Andy Reid, said: “Our strategy team is integral to our success, ensuring that the work we create is truly effective for our clients. The growth we’re seeing within the business is a testament to our hardworking team and their commitment to help our clients deliver work with impact and potency.”

 

Sarah Warewinter, Managing Partner – Strategy, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Matthieu and Beth to the team. Between them, they bring a wealth of knowledge and a different point of view that is already proving invaluable to our clients.  I’m looking forward to seeing both of them grow and thrive here at McCann Bristol.”

Social media can have a direct impact on your website’s visibility on traditional search engines like Google or Bing.

While it doesn’t have the same effect on SEO as with content marketing, social signals such as gaining more followers, likes, shares and retweets can increase your visibility to potential customers by increasing traffic to your site and helping you to rank higher.

In other words, while social media efforts don’t influence SEO directly, they do influence SEO indirectly.

What do we mean by social signals?

Social media signals are activities that contribute to your page or website’s search engine rankings. Some examples of social signals include likes, shares, retweets and pinning.

Do social signals affect ranking?

Google has never explicitly stated that social signals affect rankings. But there’s no denying that the more traffic you receive through social media networks, the more your material will be shared. This may significantly affect how you rank in Google search results.

The best social media networks for social SEO

The social media platform you choose should be directly related to the type of business you run and your marketing objectives. It should also be determined by where your target audience prefers to spend their time. However, in terms of SEO functionality, the following social media and digital marketing networks offer several advantages:

  1. YouTube
  2. Twitter
  3. Facebook
  4. Instagram
  5. LinkedIn
  6. Pinterest

Four ways to improve your social SEO boost your social media SEO efforts

We’ve established how social media impacts SEO. Now, we can look at ways to boost SEO through social media marketing. Here are four social media algorithms and SEO tips to help boost SEO on social media.

Social Profiles… optimised to the max

Did you know that social media profiles are frequently shown among the top search results?

Up 75% of customers use social media to evaluate brands before making a purchase. They look for reviews, genuine recommendations, inspiration, high-quality images and brand information. As a result, social media profiles should be optimised as part of your SEO strategy.

Optimised social media profiles can drive your target audience to your account and convert them into customers. Your goal is to make all your content accessible. Here are some easy ways of optimising your social profiles to get results:

  1. Use a high-quality profile picture
  2. Include a link to your website
  3. Update your bio with clear information
  4. Add keywords to your bio
  5. Use hashtags
  6. Use engaging visual content

Good social media profiles increase trust by giving your brand authenticity. They should be able to teach your target audience everything they need to know about your company in a matter of seconds. Your profile should sound natural, honest and carefully written, and it should showcase your own personality.

Create High-Quality Content

Creating and releasing high-quality content is crucial for social SEO.

It can enhance organic web traffic back to your website, improve search visibility and assist you in obtaining quality backlinks.

By distributing long-form content such as a high-quality blog post, written with specific keywords via your social platforms, you can encourage your social media followers to share your content further. This will boost your content marketing strategy and strengthen your social signals by amplifying reach through social SEO.

Be wary though, using too many keywords, otherwise known as keyword stuffing, can be frowned upon by traditional search engines and may have a negative impact on your online visibility.

Traditional SEO stands you in good stead when you aim to create valuable content based on a customer’s needs, so be sure to stick to the most relevant and important keyword clusters.

Search engines and shareable content go together like bread and butter. The more people that engage with and share your content, the wider reach you’ll have on keyword search pages and the better your social media visibility. You’ll also generate more backlinks, or inbound links, and enhance brand recognition.

When you publish content that your audience will want to share, it can help Google with the indexation of relevant searches for your posts. This can lead to more organic search traffic and better Google rankings.

Don’t forget to optimise your images

Did you know that the images you upload to your social media accounts can actually make a difference to your social SEO? The act of making the images you publish with your social media posts as SEO-friendly as possible is referred to as image optimisation.

Optimising the images across your social media platforms can improve user experience. Search algorithms also tend to prioritise the images that follow best practices, meaning you could appear higher up in search results, improve website traffic and reach more potential customers.

Here’s how you do it:

Image optimisation across all your social networks is a simple technique that may make a major difference in your social media marketing efforts.

A high-quality image will also boost your overall social media performance. It can improve the appearance of your brand by making it more appealing, intelligible, relatable, and memorable.

Listen to your audience

One strong tactic for improving your social SEO and social media strategy is to use social listening. This is the process of monitoring online conversations on major social platforms and media networks to learn what your audience is saying about you. It’s also a great way to keep track of your competitors.

Social listening can help you find opportunities for link-building. You may discover that your brand has been referenced on blogs, forums, Facebook pages or news sites. You can find these mentions using a social media monitoring tool and contact the writers to ask them to include a link to your site.

Social listening is an effective method for conducting audience research and learning what people are talking about in your sector. This will help you in discovering new ways to contact your target audience and increase your social media presence.

Social media helps SEO in several different ways. The best method is always the successful combination of social media and search engine optimization efforts.

Global leaders in procurement and supply chain management, Efficio are the largest independent consultancy in the world. With this sole focus for more than 20 years, their specialist consultants are equipped with the expertise and technology to dig deeper, innovate faster, and deliver greater efficiencies for clients.

Talisman Sparro has played a critical role in Efficio Consulting’s repositioning and rebrand programme, delivering an impact that has helped the company stand out as the only remaining independent, specialist consultancy in the procurement and supply chain consultancy marketplace. With Efficio’s unique approach to delivering sustained client success at the core, Talisman Sparro has helped to shape a comprehensive strategy that has driven internal engagement and reflected Efficio’s ambitious growth plans.

 The “Partners in Progress” brand platform developed has resonated with both clients and employees, driving engagement and building a strong internal culture. The rebranding programme delivered has overhauled Efficio’s branding, messaging, and positioning to be more contemporary, modern, and appealing to a broader audience.

Our support included:

 

At JMP, are delighted to welcome Matt Joy to our growing team, joining as Managing Partner.

Matt has a wealth of industry experience, having spent more than 10 years in the sports industry, and most recently four years at a strategic brand agency.

His previous roles have included five years as Marketing Manager at Stoke City during their Premier League golden years, before moving south and helping create the Marketing team at Bristol Sport during the rebuild of Ashton Gate. Following that, he spent four years at Mr B & Friends in Bristol.

In regards to his responsibility at JMP, Matt will be a crucial cog in our ability to excel as an agency, offering additional strategic insights and creative campaigns to our clients.

Managing Director Joe Meredith expanded on this. 

“It’s a significant role, the biggest addition we’ve ever made to the business,” he said.

“It’s something that I feel we’ve both wanted to happen for a long time. Everything just needed to align. Matt is in a position to elevate the offerings of JMP and I’m really excited to work with him to take JMP to the next level ”

Matt expressed his excitement about what lies ahead, for both himself and JMP.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I’ve known Joe since I initially moved to Bristol and how he has grown the agency in that time has been great to see. It’s an exciting time to now get involved and add to the recent successes.

“My role is going to be quite broad but ultimately I will have a real focus on the growth of the agency. First of all to define who we are, our offerings and identify where we can add real value to our clients, both current and new.” 

Matt joins our newly-formed Senior Leadership Team, alongside MD Joe and Operations Director Vicki Theobald.


Why reactivation works

It’s easy to forget that existing customers are the ones positioned deeper in the sales funnel. These are the contacts who have already experienced your brand in some capacity; they know the role that you can play in their life. Which begs the question: why have my contacts lapsed? Often, customer apathy is the primary reason for inactivity.

An overworked cliché, but a true one nonetheless, is that your database is a flowerbed, and you’re holding the garden hose. So, for dramatic purposes, let’s imagine we’re in the second week of drought. Your flowers are wilted, and the soil? Bone dry. In your absence, your contacts have become idle and unenthused. Any avid gardener knows that chucking buckets of water on a flowerbed in this state will cause the soil to repel it, instead you should sprinkle the surface lightly to encourage gradual absorption. The same applies for your marketing, if you relentlessly continue to push hard sales-led messaging upon your lapsed eCRM contacts, they will only reject it.

Take a more considered approach. Whether it’s a virtual gift card, an email to a live event, or a simple message to say we haven’t heard from you in a while, a softer approach is the most likely to warm inactive customers to your brand, ahead of overt promotion.


Create your own data

If you’re in a position where you have a chunky list of email addresses, and not a lot else, then it’s time to start building. Whether it’s a poll or survey with a gift or promo code for their next order, this is a great opportunity for you to understand how users are interacting with your brand. But first, you need to be sure of your objectives. Do you want to understand how satisfied customers are with your product? Are you trying to establish the customer pain points to optimise your service offering? Knowing the purpose of your research is fundamental and will help you to structure your questions and analytics accordingly.

Once you have constructed and sent your re-engagement email, the next step is analysing the results. Pay attention to any clear patterns and use them to tag specific customers with common themes. In case you’re not convinced, MailChimp research shows that segmented email campaigns have an open rate that is 14.31% higher than unsegmented campaigns.


Behavioural targeting

Using historic data, it becomes possible for brands to track browsing behaviour, purchase history, and previous engagement to tailor communications from specific customer actions. And doing so holds impact. Over 59% of customers claim that personalised content impacts purchase decisions. In the long run, this can help brands to grow stronger relationships with their customers, increase loyalty, and ultimately drive revenue growth. By identifying and segmenting different groups within your database, it becomes possible for brands to fine tune the content within email sends to resonate more clearly with the audience at hand.

Take Nike, for example, a global conglomerate operating in more than 30 major markets: from sports to lifestyle. A track runner from Osaka and a fashion enthusiast from New Mexico will engage with the same brand in two very different ways. While the runner will be most invested in the performance-related benefits of the garments, the influencer will likely be drawn in by aesthetics, limited edition colourways, and exclusive brand collaborations. This can be reflected in granular segment-specific sends, with tweaked products, ranges, visuals, and tone.


It’s not one or the other…

This isn’t to say that marketers should forget about scaling mailing lists. Growing your current book of eCRM contacts and delivering content to your existing audience should happen in tandem, in fact, it’s beneficial. When you are making efforts to re-engage existing contacts, and growing a database simultaneously, you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re doing everything in your power to increase acquisition and retention.

When it comes to customer acquisition, engagement, and retention, we’re experts in the field. Drop us a line today to see how we can leverage email to maximise the value from your contacts, no strings attached.

Discover more industry insights and opinions at saintnicks.uk.com/insights