I’m the type of person that will take a photo of anything and everything. But how do you change your everyday photos into something more professional and refined? With a few adjustments and knowing what your iPhone is capable of, you can achieve something worth putting up, even for your brand’s marketing photography. Here are some tips on how you can upgrade your iPhone photos!
Try different angles in your photos
Shifting on where you take the photo can really change the way it looks. Try crouching or flipping your camera upside-down so your camera is closest to the subject. Another tactic is walking around or going directly on top of the subject. These can make for a professional, unique look!
Play in rule of thirds
The “rule of thirds” is important because it creates a good visual balance between the subjects in the frame. It makes your background or foreground visually appealing. It also helps if you have a lot of empty space to make the result a bit more intentional and artistic. Just work with your subject like it’s in a 3×3 grid in the corners or middle. You might be surprised on the different compositions you can create with just one object.
Get the right lighting
The truth is, lighting can really make or break your photography. Try playing with the direction of the light if you have control over it. Playing with shadows can really add some depth to your photos. You can also have multiple light sources and even throw in a color filter.
Edit, edit, edit your photos
Editing is what is going to make your photos pop. My favorite software/ apps to use are Lightroom or VSCO because they have great free options. Playing with the exposure, contrast, highlights and shadows can change the overall feel of the photos. You can make a photo appear richer and vibrant by pulling in highlights, and adding in contrast to reveal hidden details. Play with the colors if you want to make the overall mood of the photo warmer or a bit on the colder side. Another thing I like to do is add some grain to the photo to give it a vintage film feel.
I hope these tips help you excel when you are taking iPhone photos! Don’t be afraid to try new things with your editing. You may never know what you can capture as you create!
Where Do Marketing Agencies Fit into Your Business?
In today’s competitive business landscape, marketing plays a pivotal role in driving growth and success, and marketing agencies are at the forefront of this work. Good marketing can identify new customers, engage and grow a loyal audience, or launch new products and services. And while some business owners may contemplate handling their marketing efforts in-house, seeking the expertise of an agency can make a significant difference in achieving sustainable results.
Marketing agencies bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and strategic insights that can add substantial value to a client’s business. There are many different ways that agencies can contribute to a client’s success and why opting for professional assistance is essential.
What You Get When You Choose A Marketing Agency Over Doing it Yourself
When you work with a marketing agency instead of trying to do everything yourself, you’ll enjoy many advantages like specialized expertise, a strategic approach, resource optimization, access to cutting-edge tools, and time efficiency.
1. Specialized Expertise
Marketing agencies equip their teams of skilled professionals with specialized knowledge and skills in various marketing disciplines. From SEO and content marketing to social media and paid advertising, agencies can bring a diverse skill set that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.
These marketers focus on their disciplines day in and day out, and adding their knowledge base to building your business pays off. Their expertise ensures that marketing efforts are executed effectively, delivering measurable results that align with business goals. More bang for your buck.
2. Strategic Approach
Agencies work closely with clients to develop data-driven strategies that align with their overall business objectives. By conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis, agencies identify opportunities and then craft well-thought-out campaigns to stay ahead of the competition.
A strategic approach not only maximizes marketing ROI but also enables businesses to make informed decisions for future growth. These agencies objective perspectives on growing clients’ businesses means they can make solid, research-backed decisions to build business. And then they can implement these decisions in a streamlined manner.
3. Resource Optimization
Managing marketing efforts in-house can strain resources, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. Marketing agencies offer cost-effective solutions that allow clients to focus on core business activities while leaving marketing tasks in expert hands. This resource optimization ensures that businesses get the most out of their marketing budget and manpower.
Our small to medium-sized clients benefit from Front Porch Marketing’s ability to supplement their own efforts. We work hand-in-hand with them to build their business as if it were our own, while lending expertise that clients don’t typically have in-house like website design, social media content marketing, email marketing and large design-focused projects like brochures. This leaves small business owners to focus on what they do best.
4. Access to Cutting-Edge Tools
Marketing agencies invest in state-of-the-art marketing tools and technologies to gain a competitive edge. By leveraging these tools, agencies can track and analyze data effectively, allowing for data-driven decision-making and continuous optimization of marketing campaigns. Such insights are crucial in maintaining a strong market presence and adapting to changing consumer behaviors.
It wouldn’t be cost-effective for small businesses to invest in these tools, so marketing agencies can again supplement the efforts of a business with this access to tools and the expertise to optimize their use for the benefit of a client’s business.
5. Time Efficiency
Implementing a successful marketing strategy requires time, effort, and consistent monitoring. By delegating marketing responsibilities to an agency, clients can focus on core competencies and strategic business growth. This time efficiency enables businesses to operate seamlessly while their marketing needs are efficiently addressed by industry experts.
Taking all these tasks off a small business owner’s plate gives them time to see the big picture. Then they can focus on growing their business. And they won’t get buried in the weeds of all the marketing tasks necessary to get there.
6. Reassess What Your Time is Worth, and Let a Marketing Agency Help Make Your Business Better
In conclusion, marketing agencies bring invaluable expertise and depth of knowledge. This can significantly elevate a client’s business to new heights. From specialized skill sets and strategic insights to resource optimization and access to cutting-edge tools, agencies offer an all-encompassing solution to marketing challenges.
While some clients may consider DIY marketing, it’s crucial to recognize the value that marketing agencies bring to the table. By partnering with a reputable agency, businesses can enjoy efficient and effective marketing efforts that lead to long-term success. Remember, marketing is an investment in the future, and entrusting marketing professionals can lead to remarkable returns.
A press release is an official statement (written or recorded) that an organization issues to the news media and beyond. Whether we call it a “press release,” a “press statement,” a “news release,” or a “media release,” we’re always talking about the same basic thing.
Most are a page long — two pages max. The goal is to provide enough information so that news outlets have sufficient material to craft their own stories about whatever the release is detailing.
Press releases are delivered in a myriad of incarnations, from new restaurant openings to executive promotions, you’re feeding an unpredictable news cycle. PR professionals then make the ordinary extraordinary.
Here are a couple of tips to make your next one stand out.
Create a Simple Headline that Gives an Overview of the Content
Press release headlines frame the ensuring content. They should convey the central message of your story that is easy to understand.
Make Your Email Subject Line POP
News makers barrage new outlets with this type of information overload every hour of every day and in order to lift your clients’ news out of a sea of emails, it’s paramount to write a succinct message with an eye-catching subject line.
Less is More with Press Releases
Consider the last time you scrolled through social media or read the news. Your gaze probably gravitated towards the stories that had sensational headlines or graphics. Journalists are skimmers. It’s an art form for them. They are looking for information that interest them and their audience quickly.
Keeping your information concise is a great strategy to boost its impact. Putting the most important points at the top will give interested journalists an immediate entry way to find everything they need while removing anything that isn’t absolutely necessary to the story that they are developing.
Content Marketing/Content Creating: This is where a company will make content and share it on a social media platform. It can be anything from a podcast, videos, emails, etc. These messages are personal and should help the company achieve its objectives and reach a specific audience.
Advertising/Sponsorship: This is a more formal way of using social media. It is a non-personal message that promotes, or sells a product, service, or concept. You are able to create and place the exact message you want.
Influencer Marketing: This is where a company can use a social media influencer to help promote their product. This influencer is trusted and has a loyal audience, so when they share the product, it raises brand visibility.
Which type of Marketing high schoolers respond to the best
Overall, most high schoolers respond best to Influencer Marketing or Content Creating/Content Marketing, specifically on popular social media apps like TikTok or Instagram. Personally, I find traditional ads are easy to scroll past compared to an interesting video that grabs your attention. With influencer marketing, these content creators already have a following, making it a perfect place to promote. However, it is crucial to find a content creator that aligns with the idea for your product. Many beauty companies will pair up with a content creator that has an entire page on that specific topic, making it relevant on that page.
On the other hand, making original content for a company or a brand can be extremely successful. Many popular companies now have accounts on popular social media platforms and are active in many different ways. Some comment on posts that mention them or will repost videos made about them as well as making their own.
How to stand out
There are many ways to stand out as a company and gain traction through social media. I think one of the best ways are brand trips. Brand trips are when a company takes a group of influencers on an all-expense paid vacation. These trips always get a lot of attention and influencers spend the duration of it promoting the brand and what it sells. These have proven time and time again to be an effective way to bring attention to a company and product.
Another great way to bring attention to your brand is make a TikTok account. On average, high schoolers spend 113 minutes a day just on TikTok, significantly more than any other social media site. It can take a while to gain a following, so patience is important. Once an account reaches a point of success, they typically continue to grow.
After a fun and insightful summer with Front Porch Marketing, my internship has come to an end. Front Porch has taught me what it’s like to apply my advertising and marketing skills I acquired in college to real-life scenarios and clients.
Leading up to my first day at FPM, I was very nervous and did not know what to expect. But the team welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to see my full potential. I learned various skills and traits this summer in a low-stress and educational environment that I look forward to using for the rest of my career.
The Best Part of My Internship
My favorite part of my internship was working with one of our clients, Faith Family Academy. Our goal was to increase enrollment for the 2023 school year. We were doing a lot of promoting events and advertising on many different platforms. I got to see what it was like to strategically advertise to a certain target audience in a real life situation.
I learned so much about ad placement and design that I never would have thought to use before. Ultimately, this hands-on experience has taught me things I could never learn in a classroom. Most of all it taught me how to act accordingly in a professional setting.
Internships Are a Valuable Experience
The things I learned this summer I will never take for granted. I was lucky enough to expand my knowledge on marketing. They taught me with hands-on experience and a team that wanted me to succeed. I’ll apply this knowledge to my future. And I will use the experience I have acquired to drive a successful career for myself. So I cannot thank the people I have worked with enough this summer at my internship. Plus I look forward to keeping in touch with them as I start my professional career, after my senior year at Texas Tech University!
Client-Agency partnerships don’t happen instantly. Do you ever wonder what makes a strong working relationship between a client and an advertising agency? I’ve walked in the shoes of both and know first-hand the frustration that can ensue if there isn’t a solid relationship.
A successful partnership begins before the ink is dry on a formal agreement and is nurtured throughout the relationship. While there are many traits of a successful relationship, focusing on the following will help start a genuine connection from day one.
Drive Home That You Are Partners It is critical from day one that both the client and the agency view each other as partners in a client-agency partnership. Both bring unique knowledge and skills to the table. The client knows their customers better than anyone and brings the overall goals, while the strategy and execution come from the agency. Everyone must work together purposefully and respectfully to make the vision come to life.
Open and Honest Communication It’s ok for both sides to push back. Successful client-agency partners don’t always agree. Being open to honest feedback and seeing different perspectives provides a better result. Set boundaries when giving feedback. And remember, it should never be derogatory or condescending.
Set Expectations and Define Success When establishing a new client-agency partnership, the client and agency must understand each other’s processes. Schedule an onboarding meeting to share best practices, processes and procedures, timelines, etc. It is also imperative to define success together. Everyone needs to understand the agreed-upon goals, that objectives are easily measurable, and KPIs are defined.
Team Client-Agency For the Win!
It is important to remember at the end of the day, the client and the agency are working toward the same goal. You’re a team. Yes, there will be disagreements at times. But a solid partnership built on mutual respect, trust, and open and honest communication is a winning recipe for a long-lasting and successful relationship.
Looking For More Than a Beach Read? Try One of These Marketing Books.
Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Messages So Customers Will Listen
Written by Donald Miller, this book is the perfect guide to strengthen your relationships and loyalty to your consumers. This book draws on the seven universal powers of storytelling. It teaches you how to craft a brand story to gain a competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace.
Building a StoryBrand is the marketing book that will transfigure the way you sell your brand. And the value it brings. It is for leaders who are wondering how to create a clear and consistent brand message. This book is the perfect read for helping you reach your audiences.
Contagious, Why Things Catch On
This book written by Jonah Berger explains the science behind how word-of-mouth and social transmission work. Berger reveals six principles of how ideas and products catch on, appealing to business leaders, politicians, health officials, and anyone trying to sell an idea or product. The book was a New York Times bestseller. It was also awarded the best marketing book in 2014 by the American Marketing Association.
For scientific and analytical thinkers, this is the best marketing book to help you understand the science behind the human brain and natural human tendencies when marketing your brand.
Hacking Growth: How Today’s Fastest-Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success
Looking to rapidly grow your brand? Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown is perfect for you. This read touches on the marketing strategy called Growth Hacking. It originated in Silicon Valley and refers to the rapid growth of a company. This book provides you with all the necessities and tools. Your teams can use it to maximize growth, customer base, and market share in a reasoned and deliberate way.
Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind
Are you overwhelming your customers with information? Are they skeptical of the over-consumption of media? Then this marketing book written by Al Ries and Jack Trout is perfect for you. The goal of this book is to keep your brand’s strengths and weaknesses in mind, and use this information to strategically position your company in the customer’s minds.
Whether you are new to the market or seasoned, this book provides you with the information to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Make an educated approach to align your brand with your customer’s needs.
Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers Into Friends and Friends Into Customers
Seth Godin reveals his alternative marketing strategy of advertising goods and services only after getting advance consent. People do not respond positively when their lives are “interrupted” by unwanted advertisements.
This book shows brands how to effectively use permission marketing and the wide success it has had on various companies. If you are looking for a way to passively market your brand in a manner that consumers will find subtle and professional, this is the perfect book to read.
Good question! You’ve heard about “Lead Generation” but aren’t sure what that is, how to do it, or if it can help you build your business, right? As a marketing firm that works on lead generation strategies and programs all the time, we’re here to answer your questions. So ask yourself these questions next:
Interested in investing in the expertise of what a strategic, seasoned marketing partner can provide for your overall brand? Good. Read further.
Ready to invest the resources, time, money, etc. to get there? Better.
Know that the fundamentals of a brand architecture, brand strategy, message map, creative brief are key? Your competition and target customer are defined? Best.
Over the past two weeks, we have had new prospects reach out to us regarding lead generation. So, let’s rap about that specifically.
Let’s Get Started
What is it? Lead generation is the process of attracting and engaging your target audience. And then, converting them to customers. Engage your prospects. Build relationships. Turn leads into loyal customers. And loyal customers translate into sales.
Lead Generation Winning Strategies
There are lots. There is no silver bullet, one size fits all. Once all documents are reviewed and goals and target are considered, we recommend the right strategy for each business we work with at Front Porch Marketing.
Let’s name a few:
Content Marketing. This really should be part of any of the processes below. It hits many buckets: social media, website, SEO and inbound marketing. Providing consistent, relevant content of value and establishing cred and authority with your prospects.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and on page. This has to do with your website. Think forms, widgets and pop-ups to attract website visitors and produce leads by collecting information like email addresses for follow-up, or addition to a monthly newsletter.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Platforms and tools — i.e. LinkedIn Sales Navigator, PipeDrive, Salesforce, ZoomInfo — can help identify and reach the optimal target audience for your business. Once you reach your audience these tools also help you nurture them. Turn them into loyal customers via email, SMS and other one-on-one relationship building communications.
What’s Your Next Step?
Our clients reap success using these strategies and tools. We can share success stories related to any of the bullets above. And, we are here to help you. Let us implement a repeatable process of lead generation and then scale it with strategies and tactics to grow your topline.
Welcome our new intern Ryan Barton. Front Porch Marketing supports Ursuline High School by providing an internship or two for their students every summer. We have had the pleasure of introducing marketing and advertising to these rising seniors for several years now, and have enjoyed their enthusiasm and sparkle every summer.
This summer our Ursuline High School intern is rising senior Ryan Barton. Ryan is excited to utilize her strong communication and writing skills this summer and learn more about what we do at Front Porch. And we are excited to add her to the Front Porch team. Ryan is the captain of the girls’ basketball team, and president of school club Helping Hands, which she founded. We asked Ryan a few questions about herself to get to know her better!
What makes you want to have a career in marketing?
I took a class this year at Ursuline where you have to create a business model and work out the finances, marketing, and product. It made me interested in the marketing aspect of a business and what that entails.
What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned so far in your life?
I have learned that every person is different and has an unique skill set. It taught me that comparing myself to others is not helpful or productive.
If you could describe Ryan Barton in three words what would they be?
In 3 words, I would describe myself as determined, thoughtful, generous.
What are your goals for your time at Front Porch Marketing, Ryan?
My main goals are to get experience in marketing and seeing if it is something that I would be interested in pursuing in the future.
If you could go to dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?
I would go to dinner with my Taylor Swift. I grew up with older sisters so her music was constantly on and she has become a huge inspiration in my life!
What is a fun fact about you, Ryan?
One of my favorite foods is Caesar salad! I had one in New York when I was 10 and have loved them ever since!
We’re So Happy You’re Here, Ryan Barton!
Of course this summer we had to have a #swiftie as an intern. Of course! We are looking forward to seeing how your future develops, Ryan, and hope that your time at Front Porch Marketing is valuable to your career path. Welcome!
AI influencers are virtual personalities managed by brands or agencies. They are created using computer graphics and machine-learning algorithms to appeal to a brand’s audience. These influencers serve the same purpose as other real influencers. But they are designed to reinforce a brand’s particular marketing objectives. AI Influencers can wear a retailer’s clothing or visit their store — all virtually. They can express their thoughts about the benefits of products. They can help elevate a brand’s social media.
AI influencers have already worked for brands from Red Bull to Tinder, since 2016. They interact with consumers using conversation, photos and videos. Often hyper-realistic, they create attention-getting, stylish interactions with the products they represent.
What are some benefits of AI Influencers?
AI influencers work 24/7, whereas real humans cannot keep up this pace. This keeps active engagement rates high, and is beneficial to consumers engaging globally in multiple time zones. With round-the-clock content creation, these spokespeople can quickly build a large global following.
Often, they can create content specifically tailored to answer their audiences’ questions. Further, they can engage with thousands of consumers in a personalized way — without the conventional challenges of doing all of this as a real person. AI influencers, and their accompanying data, can also guide brands to find new or specific audiences. They can introduce new products, create more engaging content, and help optimize campaigns.
How do they help brands specifically?
Everything listed above is incredibly beneficial to growing a brand. But did you know AI influencers can also track consumer engagement so you don’t have to? These influencers can sum up analytical data from a brand’s work with them. That’s influencer and data are rolled into one. This makes it easy to view analytics and make decisions going forward.
From social media engagement to sales reports, an AI influencer can become an important part of helping brands build business. This data is valuable in offering ideas on which demographic to reach. It is valuable to know when to reach them, and how to reach them as well. Brands like Calvin Klein, Samsung, and Prada have all worked with AI influencers. These brands have incorporated influencers on social media platforms with success.
In the future, look for innovative new uses as AI influencers evolve. They’ll continue to talk with consumers and build value for brands in platforms beyond social media.
