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How to be more human in your marketing

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle famously declared that ‘man is by nature a social animal’, and science has long since backed this assertion. 

People thrive on connection, which develops when we interact in a personal and responsive way, building positive emotions and a sense of trust. So, it makes sense that our marketing efforts are more likely to succeed if we can develop this ‘realness’ with our audiences.

There are several ways marketers can achieve this goal. Implement these tips to turn your company from remote to personal:

• Use quotes with images in your social media posts

Recent LinkedIn data shows that quotes can boost click-through rates by 30%. Over time, that could translate to a significant increase in mailing list sign-ups, enquiries and sales.

• Pick people over things. 

Interestingly, the LinkedIn data also revealed that posts containing images of people convert 2–4x more than those without. To paraphrase a well-known expression, ‘the eyes have it’ when it comes to their attention-grabbing ability. 

• Humanise your email campaigns

Addressing your subscribers by first name helps them build a relationship with you. Follow this up with changing the sender name from a company to a specific person. You can even include a picture of yourself when you sign off at the bottom of the email. 

• Tackle your sales pages

Sales copy can have a reputation for being direct and formulaic, which can stop potential customers or clients from following through. 

Think about ways to thread in personality, perhaps by sharing what motivated your company to create this much-needed project or service and how your goals align with the buyer’s. Also swap out stock photos with images of you, your team, and the people providing the testimonials and case studies you’re including.

• Personalise the call-to-action

How can you encourage someone to follow through with an action you want? Placing a picture of a smiling team member next to an action prompt (e.g. ‘Call us today’) can remove psychological blocks, such as fear of the unknown. Once again, the LinkedIn team showed that this simple trick can boost click-through by 40%!

Feeling pressure can also reduce someone’s willingness to take the next step, so consider changing the wording of your CTAs to sound more relaxed. 

• Spruce up the About section

An About Us page is an easy way to educate and inform website visitors about your business. More importantly, your visitors want to know about the people behind the company’s polished façade. So capture their attention with real group team shots, use a direct, conversational tone if appropriate, and explain the why behind the what. 

Although it can feel overwhelming to ‘put yourself out there’ for public scrutiny, the potential gain in business growth and human connection far outweighs the discomfort, whether fuelled by social anxiety, imposter syndrome, or a preference to stay behind the scenes. 

Focusing on what motivates you can reduce feelings of hesitation, and you may even find that forging genuine connections leads to a more fulfilling career, too. After all, you’re only human.

How to tidy up your virtual workspace

With many of us spending at least some portion of our day on a computer for work or leisure, it doesn’t take long for our virtual workspace to become cluttered with folders and documents. 

And with more people working from home than ever, our desktops are increasingly mixing our personal and professional lives, making our screens harder to organise. Luckily, we’ve come up with some nifty tips and tricks to help you regain control.

Master your folder system

Are you overwhelmed by the number of files on your desktop? Move them all to one folder so you can see them in a list and begin working out the categories they fall into. 

Next, make folders based on these categories and drop the relevant files inside. Within the individual folders, you can create sub-folders to niche down further. 

Of course, you can drag the newly created folders back to your desktop, or you can keep everything in one folder for a minimalist feel. Changing the way you view your files inside a folder can also help. 

For example, some people find it easier to view files side by side, while others prefer lists filtered by date. Alternatively, you can view the contents of your sub-folders, along with the main folder, simultaneously to better understand the flow of files. 

Choosing a naming convention that details the topic/project, file type, and name will also allow you to quickly find documents with your computer’s search system. 

Wallpaper that works for you

Did you know you can download wallpaper with graphics that divide your desktop into separate areas, such as folders, apps, music, to-do, current projects, and much more? This approach might work well for you if you struggle to process visual information. There are plenty of wallpapers online, or you could make one yourself on Canva.

Sort your screenshots

You probably know how cluttered your desktop can become if you regularly take screenshots. While you can organise them all into a folder, a simple browser extension, such as Google Chrome’s Awesome Screenshot, could store them for you – or let you choose where to save them.

Move to the Cloud

Cloud-based storage systems, such as iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive, can take the pressure off your desktop while providing you with secure remote access to your important files, apps, and pictures from any computer or device. 

Some services allow you to edit, add and remove files from a folder on your computer for ultimate convenience. And if you run out of space, it only costs a few pounds a month to access a considerable amount of storage.

Organise your apps

Businesses rely on various apps and tools to function, but not all are necessary. Add those to the apps you use in your personal life, and your computer will soon become bogged down. 

To tackle this, use a productivity app to track your usage over a few weeks to see what you actually need to keep and which are superfluous. Then delete the icons of the ones you hardly use from your desktop and your dock/taskbar. 

Change up your icons

We’re all used to folders looking a certain way, but this uniformity can prevent us from quickly finding our target. Luckily, you can colour-code them, change the icon image with your computer’s in-built options, or download a pack of icons online. 

Automate & Schedule

Both Windows and Mac allow users to automate the desktop organisation process by moving certain files to specific folders, changing icons, and deleting old documents. As this step is a little more technical, it might be helpful to search for an online tutorial for detailed instructions, depending on your operating system. 

Alternatively, why not schedule a few minutes weekly or monthly for a quick clean-up? Simply set a recurring notification on a digital calendar or write it in your diary so you don’t forget. 

While sorting your virtual workspace can feel like a chore, it shouldn’t take too long. Like a clean room, a tidy desktop will also improve your focus and reduce your mental load as you tackle important tasks or just have fun online. Why not start right now?

Maximising your email marketing strategy: tips for success

Did you know that email marketing is 40% more effective than social media, according to global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company?

When executed correctly, it can help you reach a broad audience, nurture leads, and drive conversions. In this article, we’ll explore some key tips to help you get the most out of your email marketing efforts.

Step 1: Build a quality email list

A solid email marketing strategy begins with a high-quality subscriber base. Avoid purchasing email lists, as they often contain outdated or irrelevant contacts and can give you a spammy reputation. Instead, focus on building an organic list of subscribers who willingly opt-in to receive your emails. Add compelling sign-up calls-to-action on your website, social media, and other touchpoints to encourage visitors to join your list.

Step 2: Segment your subscribers

Not all subscribers are the same, so don’t treat them as such. Segment your list by what makes them different. Think demographics, purchase history, engagement level, and interests. Studies have shown that segmented email campaigns can lead to significantly higher open and click-through rates.

Step 3: Craft compelling content

Your email content plays a crucial role in the success of your campaigns. Ensure your emails are well-designed, mobile-responsive, and contain engaging and relevant content. Use attention-grabbing subject lines and personalise the email by addressing the recipient by name. Provide value to your subscribers through educational content, promotions, exclusive offers, or helpful tips.

Step 4: Optimise for mobile

With the increasing use of smartphones, optimising your emails for mobile devices is essential. Most people check their emails on mobile, so make sure they are responsive and visually appealing on smaller screens. It’s good practice to test your emails on different devices to ensure a seamless experience for all subscribers.

Step 5: A/B testing

To fine-tune your email campaigns, regularly conduct A/B tests. Experiment with subject lines, sender names, email content, call-to-action buttons, and images. By analysing the results, you can learn what intrigues your audience so you can refine your future campaigns accordingly.

Step 6: Personalisation and automation

Personalisation goes beyond addressing subscribers by their first name. Use behavioural data and segmentation to send personalised product recommendations, abandoned shopping basket reminders, and follow-up emails based on subscriber interactions. Marketing automation tools can help you set up triggered emails, saving time and ensuring timely communication.

Step 7: Optimise send times

The timing of your emails can impact open and click-through rates. Test different send times and days of the week to determine when your audience is most responsive. Consider your subscribers’ time zones and preferences to maximise engagement.

Step 8: Monitor and analyse metrics

Regularly track and analyse key email marketing metrics, including open, click-through, conversion, and unsubscribe rates, for insights into campaign performance. Use this data to identify trends, spot areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.

Step 9: Maintain compliance

Stay compliant with email marketing regulations such as anti-spamming laws and GDPR. Have your subscribers given explicit consent to receive emails from you? Have you provided a clear and easy way for them to unsubscribe? If you don’t follow the rules, it could lead to legal action, not to mention reputation damage. 

Improving your email marketing strategy requires thoughtful planning, continuous tweaking, and adherence to best practices. By regularly monitoring and adapting your approach based on performance metrics, you can achieve greater success with your email marketing campaigns and ultimately drive more conversions for your business.

Either hop on your road bike, mountain bike, or static bike in your lounge.

Clock your mileage and let’s see if between us we can make it around the British Isles.

Agents Giving are proud to be bringing to you the return of The Great British Property Cycle 2023.

This industry cycle ride will take place throughout the month of October and Agents Giving are asking everyone to ‘Get On Your Bike’ this October.

Everyone is welcome to take part int his UK industry wide event to help raise funds for charity and you cycle any distance during the month in your own time.  Ride on your own, with family, friends or colleagues. 

Make this YOUR challenge, open for everyone of all cycling ability to take part – its all about fun and fundraising for some great causes.

Please help make a difference this October and see how many miles we can collectively clock up around the UK.

For more information click here