How We Increased Leads by 122% Without Increasing Ad-spend

The Client: Avivo Townhomes, a new home development in San Luis Obispo, CA
The Target Audience: homebuyers
The Objective: Capture email subscriptions through web traffic without dumping more dollars into sponsored ad budgets
The Tools: Facebook, Instagram, Google, a MacBook, and our brains. 
The Team: 7twelve Marketing, duh.

A Little Background

When Avivo Townhomes hired us to take handle the digital side of their marketing campaign, we couldn’t be more pumped. At that point, we hadn’t taken on a real estate development yet and we were excited the new challenge. We knew that with the right strategy, we could not only brand the Central Coast new home development, but we could produce dramatic results with the right content.

First Things First: a Landing Page

We knew that if we needed to capture email subscriptions, we’d need a heavy CTA page that still represented the message and brand Avivo wanted to portray.

By replacing their old, unresponsive landing page with an optimized, beautiful design we now had a place to direct traffic to and collect valuable information.

Sorry for the huge image, but seeing is believing.

Now for the Fun Part: Creating Content

We’re not always as lucky as we were with Avivo, who allowed us to have creative autonomy with our approach to content. So, when we were given the reigns to everything digital, we took full advantage.

Our creative team decided to portray the lifestyle of San Luis Obispo through creative blogs, understanding that much of the target audience would be using Facebook, which is a great platform to distribute that style of content.

The goal for our blogging strategy was to drive traffic to the ‘engage page’ of the website, in hopes that painting the picture of Central Coast living would entice the audience to learn more about the new development.

Notice we are still ‘targeting’ our audience with a geo-specific topic.

Now remember, the overall objective was to obtain email leads, and the web traffic from our (super awesome) blogs weren’t directing the landing page, they were directing to the ‘engage page’. The psychology behind this approach is to create a smooth user experience for our audience, and build value before asking for an email address.

When your audience finally clicks for your content, you risk the chance of losing them by shoving a contact form in their face to access it.

So here’s what we did to turn social media traffic into leads.

We used the tools that Facebook gave us.

By creating a custom audience of ‘website visitors’ we were able to to serve CTA ads to people that were already interested in what Avivo had to say. This is the traffic that we knew would convert on our new landing page.

See? There was totally a reason for an optimized landing page.

By hyper-targeting your audience, you have a greater chance to increase your conversion rate.

We didn’t forget about ‘traditional’ digital marketing.

Even though we’re geeks for social media, we still understand that Google AdWords, SEO is still a big player in digital marketing efforts. We understood that an optimized landing page would help increase conversions significantly. In fact, our conversion increased from a steady 4% to 12% once the landing page was optimized.

The results.

In December 2015, the graph below shows a total of 64 e-mail subscriptions (or in this case, leads), with similar patterns prior to executing our strategy. January? 143. February? 117, a slight dip, but we haven’t dipped past since. And no, we didn’t have to increase the budget allocated toward sponsored ads at all.

How can we help?

Well, you’ve probably heard this schtick a hundred times before, so what makes us different? The creative. Plain and simple.

Your results will be in direct correlation with how creative your content is, and how well you create your marketing funnels.

Comfort Zones — A false sense of security

Years and years of being told that if you just do this, it will all work out.

The False Prophecies

If I did well in high school I would get into a good college. Check.

And if I did well in college I would get a great job. Check.

And that if I just sucked it up at my job I would get a promotion. Check.

And when I got that promotion, if I busted my ass that I would get to where I wanted to be. And that would bring me happiness, satisfaction and comfort. False.

Let’s Be Real

The equation above, if you can call it that, works for basically no one. And yes, for the 5 people that might read this, 1 of you is the exception. And to you I admit that some of us are lucky. We know that we want to be. Doctors — Heal the sick. Cure the blind. Save the world. Or Marine Biologist — Heal the sick. Cure the blind. Save the world.

For the majority of us though, I think the equation is just broken. Instead of looking at where we want to be and what we want to do, we get focused on the process and never stop to think about where the hell it is taking us. For those of you that know me, I use to say all the time how it is about the journey not where you end up. At face value it seems like I am contradicting myself. But perhaps using a movie quote for context and then explaining it might help. And yes, I just did what every English teacher I ever had advised me never to do… Explaining my thought process first rather than just writing it. But this isn’t 11th grade English, and I am not a published author so screw it.

When Michael Bolton from Office Space is addressing Peter about the “what would you do if you had a million dollars” guidance counselor question, he responds with:

“that question is bullshit to begin with. If everyone listened to her, there’d be no janitors, because no one would clean shit up if they had a million dollars.”

It’s just a magical scene that truly captures the nuances of the whole movie in my opinion.

So two things:

1. We are told to dream, then we are put in boxes.
2. We convince ourselves that happiness and comfort are predicated on money.

What would you do if you had a million dollars? It IS a bullshit question! The only right answer to that question is INVEST. And I don’t mean invest in the market or invest in a house. I mean invest in yourself. Invest in what you want to do.

Now, I can already hear the people on the other end saying “well what if I want to invest in sitting my ass on the couch?!” Well let’s not sugar coat this… You’re lazy. You’ve given in and given up. Or you have just simply convinced yourself that money is what drives you. Maybe it does. And perhaps a golf-clap is in order. You’re comfortable. Congratulations.

But dare I say, that for the majority of us, money is only relevant when we are talking about fulfilling some higher purpose. It is a tool to get us where we want to go. Too much of it, we get arrogant; just enough, we get complacent; too little of it, we get anxious.

I will speak from direct experience here, having had just enough is the absolute worst place to be. It induces and fosters complacency. Complacency is just the synonym for comfort. All I kept thinking about when I was there was “great… I guess I made it”. But really, what did I accomplish??! A paycheck? A new car? A downpayment?

The point in all of my rambling is this, and I am not the first nor the last person to say this, but we only get one shot at this. No refunds. No exchanges. No do-overs. Finding what drives us relentlessly is what matters. Leaving nothing in the tank when it’s all done. Money might bring you short lived happiness. But does it bring you fulfillment?

The equation should be what fulfills you?! Not what might make you comfortable.

Social Etiquette — It really isn’t that hard.

Social Etiquette — It really isn’t that hard.

We may all be subjects of circumstance, but we are also creatures of our own habits. Too often we just let social etiquette go by the wayside, and although the majority of the time it is of little consequence, our lack of attention can unknowingly alter others impressions of us. Simple adjustments to our less than charming habits can impact the way we are seen and perceived by others.

Although most of us say we do not judge a book by its cover, the internal recesses of our minds typically do not follow that nonjudgemental sentiment.

That being said, technology is a huge culprit toward our justification for being often cavalier in everyday interactions. It, technology that is, is moving incredibly quick, and subsequently it has changed much of the way we interact with each other. Whether good or bad is open to personal interpretation I suppose, but I do come from a midwest town and born of Canadian parents who taught me that manners are extremely important. And let’s be honest, practicing gracious manners doesn’t take much, we are just becoming neglectful.

So in lieu of this, I have put together a list of bad habits I see on a regular basis. Many of these might seem superficial or inane, but I know I am not alone in my despondency toward many of these.

Phones

1. Be in the moment — If you are out with friends, family or at a work event, be present. I know it is tough sometimes not to instantly return that text, email, or respond to some social media emergency, but the attention you might lose from the person on the other end of the phone is nothing compared to what you might sacrifice with the people sitting in front of you.
2. Hang it up — When you get to the front of the line at Starbucks or the grocery store, hang up the phone. If your conversation is truly that important, tell the person you will call them right back or step out of line. You may think it isn’t important to barista, checker or clerk, and they may in turn not want to even talk to you, but, here’s a thought… try saying “Hello”. See what happens. A simple smile and a greeting can go so far and it really doesn’t take much effort if you think about it.
3. Headphones do not make you invisible — You are not Harry Potter and your headphones are not an invisibility cloak. Just because you can’t hear someone, doesn’t mean they aren’t standing right in front of you.
4. You do not have to capture everything — You are not as relevant as your most recent Instagram post. It is okay to put the camera away sometimes. As John Mayer put it so eloquently, stop “tryin’ to fit the world inside a picture frame”. Your photos are only as good as the experience behind them.
5. Public spaces are not your living or a meeting room — Airplanes, buses, trains, coffee shops, etc. are not places to air your personal grievances or conduct long-winded business interactions. The world may be your oyster, but the people in the grocery store don’t need to know about the fight you are in with your significant other or the boss you just cannot stand. Plus you never know who might be listening.

Social Media

1. Keep your politics to yourself — I know you have the right to post whatever you want and I definitely support that. But, just because you can, doesn’t always mean you should. If you are just doing it for a reaction, well than frankly you are just an attention seeking bottom feeder who needs to find other ways to feed your insecurities.
2. Not a place to air your personal laundry — Basically this fits right along with #1. You probably wouldn’t walk into a restaurant with a giant sign saying “My partner cheated on me!” or “Brett is such an asshole. He owes me $500!” So why some people think blasting it on their social feeds is okay is just beyond me.
3. Stop Trolling — Honestly, just stop if you do this. It doesn’t matter if you mean well or you feel that someone is wrong. No matter what the circumstances, you will always end up looking like an insecure asshole. If you don’t like what someone has to say, just ignore, unfollow or defriend them.
4. Be real — Not everything in your life is perfect. Stop pretending it is. It is okay to have a bad hair day, not use a filter or take the same picture 10 times to make sure it is perfect. Heaven forbid we showcase ourselves as we really are and not attempt to portray ourselves as infallible.

Life, Work, Bars and Cars

1. Be on time — Texting that you are going to be late, IS NOT the same as showing up on time. This somehow has become the standard rather than the exception. If you aren’t 5 minutes early you are late.
2. Stick to the scheduled time — If you set a meeting for an hour, wrap it up in an hour. Don’t expect that other people can stay longer and do not have somewhere else to be. If you have to run over, ask (and I mean ask, not casually order) if everyone else can accommodate staying longer.
3. Dress appropriately — You know the saying, “Don’t dress for the job you have. Dress for the job you want”. I think it should be: Don’t dress for the life you have. Dress for the life you want! Seriously though, it’s okay to have edgy style, but don’t go overboard. You may not care what someone else thinks, but going out of your way to be different can often times come across as daft and feckless.
4. Avoid gossip — It doesn’t do anyone any good. Seriously. I speak from both sides of this equation. It may seem harmless and no big deal, but you end up coming across as petty, self conscious and immature. Plus you never know if it might come full circle on you.
5. Hand shakes — Those that know me, know that this is incredibly important to me. It is more than a gesture of salutation. It is a sign of respect. Do not offer yours lightly, and do not accept others nonchalantly.
6. Make eye contact — For the love of God, look at someone when they are speaking to you. I haven’t done any research on this, but when body language is so much of what we actually say, eye contact, or lack there of, can significantly impact the words coming out of your mouth.
7. Listen — This is truly a skill. Listening is the greatest weapon we all possess, but so frequently neglect. Often we don’t even let the other person finish before we try to get our two-cents in. It is even okay to pause before we respond. Let what someone said sink in before responding. The arguments, miscommunication and misunderstandings that could be avoided from really listening is be mind boggling.
8. Don’t show up empty handed — If there is a question of whether you should bring something, you probably should. And it doesn’t have to break the bank. The gesture alone is worth more than whatever you actually brought.
9. Send handwritten Thank You and Birthday cards — I know it takes time, but again, it’s about the gesture. And your handwriting being awful is not a valid excuse. Practice and slow down. And if you can write in cursive, which I know many of us can’t, take the time and embrace the art.
10. Use your turn signal — The car manufacturers did not install the thing as a suggestion. There may be no one there, but just make it a habit. You never know when a motorcycle might sneak up on you.
11. Let someone in — Don’t assume someone will let you in, but never be too proud to make room for someone else. You never know when the shoe could be on the other foot.
12. Hold the door and give up your seat — Chivalry is not dead no matter what the socio-economic milieu might suggest. Courtesy and kindness does not take talent; they simply takes awareness.
13. Tip — Just do it. We all work hard for our money including servers, bartenders, baristas, valets, etc. If you can’t tip, maybe you just shouldn’t go.
14. Wave — We might not always have time to stop and chat, but a wave of acknowledge or thanks is powerful. Next time someone let’s you merge, wave and I’ll bet you will get one back.
15. Say “Hello”— This may be the Canadian in me, but it’s okay, it really is, to say hello to someone on the street or in the grocery store. You never know what a smile and a greeting can do for someone having a bad day. So get your eyes off your floor, your phone or whatever else you are using to avoid eye contact and, maybe, just maybe, make a human connection for a change.

This list is not comprehensive nor is it complete. I guarantee that I have missed many, but these are the ones that struck me right off the bat.

Also, I am not to proud to say that I am at fault for many of these myself. For those of you that know me, I bet you can even guess which ones. By being aware, and making simple changes, we can all do a little better job with our everyday interactions. Who knows, we may even find that our individual graciousness may turn out to be contagious.

Embrace the Struggle. Let it Drive You.

The Beginning.

Have you ever felt incredibly claustrophobic standing outside? As if the sky were closing in on you and the air seemed to just bog you down as if your feet were trapped in concrete? Perhaps a bit melodramatic I will give you that, but after 4 companies and 9 career changes in less than 7 years, that’s exactly how I felt. Suffocated. Insignificant. Void of purpose and passion.

If you asked me the exact moment I realized I had to make a change, I couldn’t pinpoint it. I probably realized numerous times, and then forgot when I woke up in an alcohol-induced haze the next morning.

Honing in on the exact moment is difficult, but I know it was a combination of things that took place over a few weeks that found me sitting in yet another corporate meeting reviewing a process and lessons learned.

Too many of us have been in this situation, needlessly discussing project scopes, management techniques, timelines, stakeholders, etc. Mostly it amounts to numerous people sitting around complaining, wasting time and scheduling more follow up meetings to discuss the results of everything we already discussed. All of this resulting in absolutely nothing getting accomplished, all of us wasting our time, and the company having to pay our thousands of dollars in salaries for glorified water cooler discussions.

During numerous follow-ups to the follow-ups with my boss the phrase “well now you know how NOT to do that” kept coming up. The number of times I have heard those words uttered, or some variation of them, is just insane. Basically, the underlying sentiment alludes to the fact that whoever is in charge or responsible is unqualified or incapable of getting the job done. And yet, no one will address the root of the problem… the person or persons themselves.

It always struck me as odd that this incompetent, moronic person or persons just continued without deterrent, reprimand or any consequences whatsoever. It was like everyone just looked the other way because it was unprofessional to address it, let alone correct it.

It was sometime during all this that I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. It was exacerbated by a complete skid mark of a coworker, telling me not to disturb his “domestic tranquility” when I sent him an email at 630pm one night. I was just done.

Ready. Set… “I quit”.

The Middle of the Beginning.

They say it is always wise to diversify. Hedge your bets. Have a plan B. Right?

So there I was having a beer with my best friend and soon to be business partner and social media genius. Me bitching and moaning about my job, what I was doing, and where the hell I was going, or better yet, where I wasn’t going.

He caught me in the right place, the bar, at the right time, at the end of my rope. “Drew… why can’t we create our own marketing company. We have all of the tools and expertise. Why aren’t we capitalizing on them and bringing real value to clients. Let’s stop talking about it and just fucking do it!” One month later, not even really sure what the hell was happening or what we were doing, we filed, paid our licensing fees, and boom… we were a corporation. Well we were something; corporation was just the technical term. Somehow an EIN number makes you a “real” business. Let me tell you right now, it doesn’t mean shit.

So there we were. Business license in hand. No clients on decks. What next?

The Bottom Drops Out.

It is said that the difference between dreams and reality is called action. And let me be clear. At this point in the journey, there was very little action other than filing our paperwork and paying the government money so that we could call ourselves a business officially.

This is where another phrase took on a whole new meaning: any person can be sued, by anyone, at anytime, for any reason. That ladies and gentlemen is no bullshit.

I had just gotten home from my ordinary day job, and was shifting through the mail when I received three letters from civil defense attorneys referencing a complaint number, my name and 7twelve Marketing.

So as any normal person would do, I turned to Google. You know when you are sick and you look up your list of seemingly harmless symptoms on WebMD and then suddenly you are convinced you are going to die… Well that’s basically the exact feeling you get when you see your name attached to a lawsuit with requested damages ranging in the seven figures.

Oh by the way, have I mentioned that we hadn’t even really started operations of any kind at this point. Let alone having any clients under management. So naturally the response, was “what the hell did we do?”

The End to an Uneventful Prologue.

Did I mention that you can be sued, by anyone, at anytime, for any reason. With that in mind, I have to keep the whole situation relatively vague in nature so as to keep myself out of ridiculous and frivolous situations like the one I have been describing so far.

Basically, when it was all said and done, it took 15 months. Evasive tactics, unclear motives, and heated depositions from the opposition amounted to no evidence, and a completely disjointed and unsubstantiated narrative. Ultimately we walked away with mutual releases of no wrongdoing, and as expected, the attorney’s were the only one’s who came out on top.

Oh and just to clarify, we never did anything wrong to begin with!

The Moral of the Intro.

(1) Get business insurance

Make the call. It’s cheaper than you think. Legal defense is horridly expense and stressful. It’s peace of mind if nothing else.

(2) Vet your business partner(s)

Do your due diligence. You just don’t know what you don’t know. I am still trying to figure this one out, but looking back, it would have been good to know a bit more. It probably wouldn’t have changed anything, but knowledge is power, and it’s all about mitigating risk after all.

(3) Avoid overzealous, illogical, greedy people

This is another matter of due diligence. But always be aware of your surroundings and the people you associate yourself with. You can’t always avoid trouble or crazy people, but you can assess your exposure and take steps to elevate elements of liability.

(4) Get a realistic, even-keeled attorney

How many lawyers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Three. One to climb the ladder. One to shake it. And one to sue the ladder company.

But seriously, jokes aside, a good attorney cannot only help you protect yourself and get you out of a pile of shit, they can also be a confidante and pseudo therapist when things get really stressful.

It might be expensive, but find one now and start the conversation early.

(5) Trust your instincts

I cannot stress this enough. If your gut is telling you something, listen to it. I didn’t in certain situations and it nearly cost me the business, my sanity and my best friend. You might not be able to rationalize why your instincts are telling you something, but they are there for a reason. Take heed and listen.

Full Steam Ahead

Once I thought getting an MBA would help me understand business. How to set one up. How to run one. Do’s and don’ts. Etc. Well I can tell you during the 15 months right after we decided to start our business, I learned more about business and myself than I could ever learn from a textbook or a professor.

Trial by combat ended up being my classroom and experience my professor. Truth be told, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

7twelve Marketing is making headway. We started with a handshake in mind, and we continue with that to this day. Our business is based on authenticity, quality and results.

Now, I wake up every morning with a passion and a drive to succeed for myself, my business partner, my family, and most of all, our clients. There is only the future. No looking back.

Top 6 Reasons Companies Should Hire a Social Media Marketing Agency

The social media ecosystem is dynamic and ever-changing. Media as a whole is taking an entirely new form. More time and attention is being spent on Social Media than any other media platform today. The barrier is to entry is low and relatively free. With a simple email address, companies can secure a profile on virtually every platform out there. Just because it”s free does not mean companies are taking advantage and maximizing their efforts on Social Media. Companies are hiring Social Media Managers daily to take on this responsibility, but why hire 1 person when you can hire an agency? Here are 6 reasons why companies are working with digital and social media marketing agencies.

You’ll Get More Bang for Your Buck

For the same price as it would cost to hire one person to handle your social media and digital marketing needs, your company can hire an agency that like 7twelve Marketing, who has a team of experts in their respective fields. 7twelve has dedicated videographers, video editors, copywriters, account managers, graphic designers, web developers, web designers, and marketing strategist experts on your team. Also, from a financial perspective, your company won’t have to pay employee cost on outsourcing the service and can be written off as an expense to the business.

The Right Agency Will Provide a 1 on 1 Client Experience

Boutique social media companies offer clients one on one treatment. Once a client decides to work with an agency, companies like 7twelve Marketing assign a dedicated account success manager. This person fully embodies the persona of the client. The account manager communicates valuable information to the content creators. They perform hashtag analysis, content strategy, post platform specific content embodying the culture and voice of the client’s organizations.

An Agency Can Create a Customized Marketing Plan

Each client’s needs are different. My clients come from all different industries from Dental Arts to Alcohol Brands. We take a lot of pride in learning everything we can about our clients, then cater a customized strategy and plan. When bringing on a new client we always establish what the key point indicators of measurement, and cater a strategy accordingly. This types of approach gives so much more value to the working relationship, because performance and execution are imperative for the relationship to work. Communication and clearly defined written goals, always make for a smoother execution of the plan. Here are some fun Goal Setting techniques to exercise: KISS goals (Keep It Simple Stupid) and SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic, and Time-Based)

(Some) Social Media Agencies Are Experts in Every Platform

We are social media experts, as in all social media. It can get overwhelming with all the social media outlets from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, Periscope, Music.ly, and LinkedIn. So we take it upon ourselves to constantly educate ourselves on best tips, tricks, and practices. We even share those practices for free to anyone who is looking to educate themselves. Our goal and intention is to share our knowledge with everyone because we sincerely care about the success of our partners and the industry as a whole. We even named our company 7twelve, after the ancient “Golden Rule” principal which states, “Do to others what you want them to do to you”. So we take it upon ourselves to be the best in Social Media.

Agencies Can Create Transparency in Marketing

Technology has made communicating in real time to anyone around the world far more accessible than ever before. Cloud based storing and sharing has made it easier for Marketing companies to work with lots of different brands who fit their style. Clients also can log in and see in real time and see what their Account Success Managers have gotten done, are currently working on, and receive performance metrics via dashboard reports, and can run deeper reports with analytics. This gives a lot of value to the relationship, because for the same or similar cost, again, 1 person can not handle tat load of work. There is value in transparency.

Social Media Agencies Make You Look Cooler

Our job is to help our clients reach their Social Media goals, it is just added bonus that we make them look really cool doing it. The definition of what is cool, hip, and in, is something Gary Vaynerchuk preaches, and I fully buy into, is the Thank You Economy and the humanization of business. So when you hire an agency, you are building more of a community and that is cool. Consumers can detect inauthenticity a lot easier in the age of information.

3 Things Every Business and Brand Should Be Doing in 2017

The social media landscape has evolved incredibly in one short year. We’ve seen the rise of Stories on Instagram, Snapchat Spectacles, and even Facebook putting up…billboards? Everyone is telling their ‘story’, and businesses should be too.

Everyone with a smartphone has the ability to become a modern day rockstar at no more cost than their monthly bill. Marketing with the big boys is possible for small businesses. Your neighbor’s dog is getting social media famous and businesses are adopting the ‘selfie life’ to sell more products or services. It’s hard to keep up, but we’ll help you out.

Here’s what every brand and business should be doing in 2017.

Humanize Your Company

Snapchat and Instagram stories have made celebrities and brands accessible in a way that was never before possible. Facebook Live gives us a chance to chat with the CEO of our favorite company. Give your company the opportunity to differentiate itself from competitors by giving your audience the same ‘behind the scenes’ look of your office or process.

Consumers are looking for a VIP experience before making a purchasing decision. By introducing the human elements to your brand, you’re giving yourself a better chance to gain consumer’s loyalty on a personal level.

Instagram Stories

The video function on Instagram gave brands an easier, and more effective way of reaching their audience. In no way are we saying that you should ignore Snapchat — but stories does give you the same feel without having to migrate an audience to another platform.

Instagram stories is a great way to humanize your brand. Since consumers seem to prefer a less polished look with this feature, it’s more than acceptable to produce raw content on demand. Try giving more points of view behind the scenes of your next photoshoot, or doing an Instagram take over and allow your employees to broadcast their story on your account.

There’s a good chance you could gain more brand loyalty by showing off ‘Bob in accountings’ hidden talents.

1 on 1 Interactions

Have you noticed those comments below your Instagram post? What would it look like if your brand started commenting back in an authentic manner? What if you randomly picked someone engaging your brand for free, personalized product when you @mention them? Do you think they’d talk about your brand to their family and friends? Do you think you’d gain more engagement overtime if you did this regularly? We definitely think so.

The ripple effect that could occur from regularly engaging with your audience a personal level can grow your following and your business overtime. Remember, your consumers are people and they want to be treated like people.