Top 7 Trends in Social Media for Marketing Agencies in 2019

Ten years ago, you could’ve successfully marketed your clients’ products without social media. Today, there’s no chance.

Social media is the first place after Google where customers look for products, and, what’s even more important – brand image. 87% of consumers would purchase a product based on values, and the average revenue increase when a brand is presented consistently is 23%.

Even though we love our PPC campaigns, there’s nothing like social media to help the customers get to know your clients and their products. And because technology and customer priorities change from year to year, today we’re taking a look in the future.

Here’s what we can expect in 2019, and how you can use social media as a marketing agency to ensure your clients succeed.

1. The Rise of Social Shopping

Social shopping has become increasingly popular in 2018 and with Instagram’s new shop-on-the-gram features, it’ll become even bigger in 2019.

Users will now be able to find products in images and videos, save them to their collections, and find new products in the Explore section. Even though there have been talks of Instagram creating a separate app, there’s no reason.

Consumers of 2018 love shopping through social media. It comes pre-packed with referrals and comments from other people, and they can see their favorite influencers advocating the products.

In addition to Instagram (which is a visual platform), Facebook took after WeChat’s social retail example and is now working on features that will make it much easier for customers to shop without leaving the app.

Even though we may have to wait sometime before you can integrate your clients’ stores with Facebook, the social shopping trend can still be incredibly beneficial for your clients’ businesses.

Social shopping is fueled by referrals, and with social shopping on the rise, you should consider using satisfied customer testimonials in advertising. Social proof is very important to consumers of 2018, and it’ll encourage them to buy from your clients even more in 2019.

2. Micro-Influencers Driving Macro Sales

Influencers are no longer people; they’ve become walking, talking billboards in the last five years. Their followers (and your customers) quickly realized who actually provides value, and who sells products they don’t believe in.

Social media marketing in 2019 will be value and thought-driven, no doubt about it. And as far as word-of-mouth goes, micro-influencers are the channel you want to use.

They’re typically social media users who have between 1,000 and 20,000 followers and extremely high (real) engagement rates. Their community is tight-knit, which actually means a narrowed-down niche for your clients.

In their study, Mediahub realized that micro-influencers increased their marketing campaign engagement by 50%. And what’s even more interesting is that influencers with around 1,000 followers actually resulted in more success for the brands they worked with, generating 85% higher engagement than regular influencers (with over 100k followers).

Since the main motto behind marketing and shopping in 2018 and 2019 is: value, honesty, and convenience, micro-influencers fit right into that category.

If you want to optimize your clients’ campaigns (and reduce the spend on that area) in 2019 as a marketing agency, start working with micro-influencers.

3. Relevant, Interactive Content

Content marketing is here to stay, and it’s the number one way to drive sales through social media. After all, content strategies increase your clients’ ROI: they generate 4x more leads per $1000 within 36 months.

It’s also good for branding and customer communication. Consumers today won’t repeatedly buy from your clients’ brands if they don’t understand them.

So in 2019, make it your priority to include content into your marketing strategy – and not any kind of content. Create content that’s relevant instead of outdated, and increase engagement by making it interactive.

[Image-Source:Ion-Interactive,https://image.slidesharecdn.com/marchthoughtleadership-2-150326170354-conversion-gate01/95/balancing-your-interactive-content-priorities-3-638.jpg?cb=1427390261]

With the state of social media features today, it’s not hard to create interactive content.

Interactive content on Twitter:

• Polls
• Hashtags
• Questions
• Conversational video
• Partnerships and sponsorships
• Daily trends (e.g. #MondayMotivation)

Interactive content on Instagram:

• Questions
• Polls

• Shopping features
• Stories

• IGTV

Interactive content on Facebook:

• Polls
• Stories
• Facebook Live
• Messenger chatbots
• Quizzes

Interactive content on LinkedIn:

• Storytelling
• Quick, relevant status updates
• Questions as a driver for white papers
• Advice (how-to posts)

Consumers in 2019 won’t be happy if they can just observe your clients’ social media. They have to actively interact with it in order to find value, and ultimately make the purchasing decision.

It’s incredibly important to establish a content calendar that will help you constantly engage your clients’ customers. You don’t have to do it manually, as DrumUp offers content scheduling features (and much more).

4. Social Media Marketing Personalization

Accurate audience segmenting and targeting has been the number one marketing priority since the dawn of marketing itself. However, when it comes to personalization, it seems like a lot of brands are struggling with it.

The lack of personalization puts off consumers so much that 74% of them feel frustrated when content isn’t personalized. As a counter-point, marketers who use personalized experiences see a 20% increase in sales.

[Image-Source: Accenture, https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20161013005226/en/549456/5/Personalization_Survey_Graph_1.jpg]

What can you do for your clients as a marketing agency?

The first thing is obvious: gather data. For this, use social listening. Social listening will also help you curate content better, and create a content calendar that perfectly fits the customers’ interests.

DrumUp makes this really easy. Without it, you’d have to go through multiple feeds at once – and still risk not getting the right information. DrumUp’s algorithm will do that for you, and show you exactly what kind of content your audience needs.

The second thing you can do to personalize your marketing efforts is to understand the customers’ motivation for buying the product. This may seem simple on paper, which is exactly why a lot of marketing agencies haven’t had the appropriate amount of success in 2018.

Run an audience analysis and cross-reference it with your social media strategy. No matter which social media you’re using, engagement should be your number one priority. Segment audiences according to channels, and tailor your approach to their personal preferences.

Focus on personal interactions. Even though we’re all looking at screens, don’t take the human touch out of the equation. Facebook Messenger offers innovative chatbot features, Twitter has DMs, and nothing has ever been as effective as LinkedIn outreach.

Speaking of LinkedIn, LinkedIn Dynamic Ads were quite a revolution when the platform announced them. Their significance will grow in 2019, as they’re an incredible way to personalize the experience for your clients’ customers.

Personalizing your social media strategy won’t just help you get new customers; it will help you retain the existing ones, and generate more referrals than ever before.

5. Brand Awareness and Values

Marketing success is going to be very hard in 2019 without openly stating your client’s brand values. This will be the ultimate way to reach new heights of brand awareness, and create customer loyalty from the very first purchase (while also increasing the value of each purchase).

The goal of social media marketing in 2019 is to sell to customers who feel like your client’s brand is their friend.

While brands traditionally steered clear of stating opinions or standing up for values, this will become indispensable in 2019. While keeping ethics in mind, your brand should stand for similar values to those of your customers.

[Image-Source:-SproutSocial, https://www.marketingcharts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Sprout-Topics-Demonstrating-Brand-Transparency-on-Social-Aug2018.png]

Sponsorships and donations can go a long way when it comes to brand awareness. So does employee advocacy.

Additionally, you can also use user-generated content to show appreciation for your customers. Big brands frequently do this, on a smaller or bigger scale.

For example, hashtag competitions are a big favorite of brands like Nike. Their customers are encouraged to post their own content related to the brand, and then the brand page re-shares it. This can be especially useful for your clients if they’re in the B2B space as it gives the other side more exposure.

It’s no longer enough to talk about what your brand stands for. Action should be following it closely. Especially where customer prioritization is concerned.

6. AI-Powered Customer Service and Marketing

A huge part of user experience has been shaped by instant customer service which SaaS companies like ZenDesk started providing. It’s easier and more pleasant for customers, and it means a lot for the bottom line of your clients.

However, you can use the AI-powered customer service principles for your marketing efforts, as well.

We’ve previously touched on Facebook Messenger chatbots, but while they can be used to respond to customers’ queries, they can also be used for marketing.

For example, if you want to boost the customer response to your client’s marketing campaign, you can contact them directly with the help of chatbots, and present the idea in a more personable way.

Twitter DMs can go a long way if they’re not robotic, as well. If there’s a particular offer that would interest a segment of your customers, you can divide them with Twitter Lists, and message them.

Same goes for LinkedIn: InMail is still the best way to directly reach customers.

Social media marketing in 2019 is going to be big on doing things directly. And great AI tech is going to help you do it without manual work.

7. Content Marketing Will Be a Major Player in 2019 Marketing

You probably noticed that we’ve emphasized the importance of content. However, it’s still one of the main ways to reach (new) customers on social media.

It’s an excellent way of providing additional value, educating prospects, warming up marketing campaign leads, and ultimately, converting them to customers.

You can experiment with different forms and channels, but the more your content stimulates engagement, the better will your results be.

This can be a lot of work if you’re doing it on your own, so try out DrumUp. It takes care of everything for you – from scheduling to finding content to share.

So automate your marketing, and focus on the most important thing: making your client’s business thrive.

[Image-Source: https://mybigplunge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Infographics-Rise-Of-Social-Media-My-Big-Plunge.gif]

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6 Easy Ways to Grow Website Traffic From Instagram

WITH its stunning visuals and easy-to-use platform, it’s no wonder why Instagram is the fastest growing social media app with over 300 million users. When it comes to generating website traffic, Instagram is the perfect solution.

Want to start using Instagram for your business or blog, but aren’t really sure how to go about it? Check out these 6 easy ways to use Instagram to increase your website traffic:

1. Brand consistently across all social media accounts

Brand consistency is essential when it comes to building your business and its website. Why? Because it adds strength to your brand if people are able to recognize it right away. Use the same photo (such as your logo) as your profile picture on all of your social media accounts.

If you have a personal brand, rather than a company brand, consider using an image that is clear and consistent with the message you wish to convey. Headshots, a picture you have taken, an example of your work, or a behind-the-scenes photo – the possibilities go on and on.

2. Pick a username that matches your business name

It’s great to get creative with your branding, but it’s important to use a username similar to your business name to make it easy for people to find you in search results. You may certainly like “WemakethebestcoffeeEVER”, but that really won’t do much for your business. It would be confusing to some people, and it would not stand out in search results as being YOUR business.

Your username should match the username associated with your other social media profiles and branded website. Use the company name (or your name, if you are your own personal brand) for the name. Make sure to include the URL to your website, along with a 150-character bio. You want to get your message across, but not seem too stiff and serious. If you have branded hashtags, this is a great place to include them.

3. Get creative with captions

The captions for your uploaded content should tell a story that engages your audience, and compels them to find out more by clicking through to your website. Get creative with your captions, since they allow you to really give some insight into your image, make it relevant to your followers, and (hopefully) make your followers smile or become interested in what you have to offer. Plus, it’s the best way to tie things back to your business, since you can always include a URL at the end. Learn how to incorporate emjois for added emphasis and to give your captions a more personal touch.

4. Connect with other users

Just like blogging builds a business’ customer-brand relationships, so does engaging with followers on social media.  Since consumers are far more likely to go with a brand they know and trust, you want to engage with other users as much as possible.

There are numerous ways to interact with other Instagram users. Options include everything from tagging other accounts, to sending private messages. Interacting with others will build your brand, increase your audience reach and, boost your website traffic:

Tag others:

Instagram allows you to add tags before you share your content. You just tap the Tag People option, tap on the photo to add a tag, and then type in the user’s name. Once you have tagged other accounts in your content, other users are then able to tap on that photo or video to see who was tagged. This increases audience reach and builds brand-to-brand relationships with others in your industry and/or niche.

Mention others:

This is similar to mentioning on Twitter, and is a great way to generate website traffic and increase your brand’s reach. Type in the @ symbol, followed by the first letter of the user’s  name. This will bring up a list of people to choose from, but you can also just type in the name on your own. You can do this to give a “shoutout” to another company, customer, or brand, or to reply to someone’s comment.

Like the content of others:

Liking other users’ content is a super simple way to connect with other businesses and consumers. Just double-tap the image, or tap the heart button under the post. The user will get a notification that you have done this, and they are likely to check out your profile and return the favor. If you have listed the URL to your website on your profile, this will generate more traffic to your site.

Leave comments:

Leaving a comment is also a great way to connect with others. Just type in a comment hit Send, and you’re good to go! Leave something thoughtful, helpful, or long, and this will ensure your comment and username stands out among the rest.

Share across social media:

One of the best ways to increase your audience reach, while still connecting with others on Instagram, is to connect your profile to your other social media accounts. For example, if you share an Instagram post on Twitter, you can add tags and hashtags to increase your reach and connect with other brands. Not only does this build relationship, but it makes your brand seem more approachable and “in touch” with the popular technology being used by today’s consumers. This is especially important to do if your demographic is in the 18-year-old to 34-year-old range.

5. Develop a unique aesthetic for your brand

Your Instagram is basically a visual portfolio for your brand. How would you describe your business? Before you post a picture, think about whether or not that photo is consistent with your branding. It’s even better if you are able to upload pictures that contain your brand’s colors on a regular basis.

Take a look at the Instagram profiles for large companies, like Starbucks. The branding is consistent, their logo is prominently displayed, and they keep up with the fun-loving, carefree attitude that really sells their product. Whether you have a day full of paperwork, or one that just revolves around Netflix and relaxation, their brand gives the impression that buying one of their delicious drinks will perk up your mood.

Instagram is a visual-based platform so you will need to plan out a consistent, recognizable brand aesthetic. Choose the best filter (or several filters) to use for the majority of your photos. By going with the same look each time, you will establish a recognizable visual identity that will stand out to your followers. The more your brand stands out, the more traffic will be driven to your website.

You will also need to figure out what type of content you want your photos to focus on. A fashion retailer would obviously want to upload pictures of clothes, a café would upload pictures of their coffee or food, and a tattoo shop would upload pictures of their artists’ work. But, what happens if your content is not so obvious?

Think about what you have to offer your customers and/or clients, and find a way to incorporate that into your branding and visual aesthetic. Come up with consistent posting schedules, but stick to only posting 1 to 3 times per day. Be sure to include the name of your business or URL in all of your photos and captions!

6. Use hashtags

It may seem like hashtags are only used by beauty bloggers or twenty-something-year-olds trying to get more “likes” on their selfie. However, if you’re trying to use your Instagram for your business, then using hashtags is an absolute must.

Hashtags originated on Twitter, and have spread to every other social media channel. The hashtag density on Instagram is actually far greater than that of Twitter, because the success of marketing on Instagram depends heavily on effective use of hashtags.

These hashtags organize and catalog the content that is being shared, which furthers the process of people finding content and contributors. For example, a coffee company may post an image of a fancy latte in San Diego, and then use the hashtags “#latte” and “#SanDiego” when they upload the image to Instagram.

By doing this, that image is then cataloged to allow it to be found by users searching for images of lattes and San Diego. This is how users discover new content, new contributors, and new websites – like yours. Once they find this image, they may decide to share it on their own Instagram or other social media platform, and may add some other tags to it. This would further expand the audience reach of that post and, ultimately, increase your website traffic.

As a rule of thumb, include a caption with every bit of content you upload to Instagram, and include hashtags. While Instagram allows you to include up to 30, it’s best to stick to somewhere between five and twelve. In fact, statistics show Instagram posts with 11 or more hashtags have a higher rate of interaction than those with fewer hashtags.

Putting It All Together

Instagram is an incredibly important social network for business owners and bloggers alike. Not only is this visual app great for retailers, restaurants, and agencies, but it’s also great for individuals building a reputation and personal brand. It fits in well with every type of business, and proves to be a great way to generate more website traffic.

In fact, since Instagram is so popular these days, brands without an Instagram presence risk being ignored, thought of as irrelevant or considered outdated. This is especially true among the younger generation of consumers, a demographic that shouldn’t be ignored.

With so many people using Instagram, it’s important to go through the above list of tips for building an Instagram account that will give you the website traffic generation you’re looking for. Implement these tips, and watch your business boost!
What are YOUR favorite Instagram tips? Have you tried anything in particular that has really stood out as a great way to generate more website traffic? Let us know in the comments below!

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Instagram Dominates Twitter! How to Use Instagram for Business

 If you're tackling the social media arena as a part of your business strategy, you've probably set out on Facebook and Twitter, and possibly either Google+ or Pinterest. Sound familiar? It's just the way it's been done across the board thus far. 

I'm going to cut right to the chase, and make some hefty claims. Instagram has surpassed Twitter, and the way it's growing, it looks to have its eye on global social media domination. It's getting to the point where you almost have to feel foolish if you aren't using it for your business. 

Hashtags are social megaphones, great for extending exposure. But everyone knows that spamming them on Twitter just leads to less engagement, which is what you should really be after. I'm going to show you how Instagram allows for more exposure without having to sacrifice engagement.

This will be important for all marketers, but if your niche values a younger audience in any way, this is especially important for you!

Part One: WHY Should I Use Instagram for Business?

I'm going to run you through some of the top reasons for why you'd want to Instagram for business. Then, in part two of this post, I'll cover the how of tackling this social arena. 

1. Instagram Surpasses Twitter in User Count

Instagram claims 300 million users while Twitter sits on 288 million. The extreme growth rate of Instagram can't be ignored! 

First things first: The basic user numbers. If you look at the stats that the social networks themselves put out, Instagram has reached 300 million users, while Twitter claims 288 million. 

Monthly users is one thing, but social media moves so much faster than that. So what about users who are active daily? Gregory Ferenstein of VentureBeat has shown in a recent study that Instagram has indeed surpassed Twitter with the percentage of American users that are active daily. 

In fact, only Facebook beats out Instagram for daily users:

I know that 10 percent of Americans using Instagram daily might not seem like a high percentage, and Twitter's 7 percent might not seem like much of a difference, but when you consider how many hundreds of millions of people live in America, these are some weighty numbers to consider! And that's just America, think of all the other Instagram users worldwide. 

In a nutshell? There's a lot of people on Instagram, just waiting for you. Every. Single. Day.

2. It's Not Just User Count: Engagement is Higher Too

On Twitter, any more than 1-2 hashtags per tweet means a drop in engagement. On Instagram, more hashtags usually mean more engagement.

Hashtags are more than just a (somewhat silly sounding) trending phrase, "Hashtag OMG!" They're a way of reaching a much larger audience with a topical post. You don't have to be friends with thousands of people in order for them to see your updates. You just have to add a popular hashtag.

Here's the thought process I went through when considering hashtags...

1. Hashtags show all the people interested in that topic what you've posted.
2. What a great way to spread reach for my posts! I'll use ALL THE HASHTAGS ON TWITTER!
3. People on Twitter don't respond to posts that are spammed with hashtags. I can only use 1-2 per Tweet.
4. My reach feels so limited. If only there was a way I could use lots of hashtags AND increase engagement. 
5. Instagram comes along, and is all: "You can do that here, you know..."
6. #MindBlown

Want some proof? A graph in a post on Buffer by Kevan Lee really shows that "the more the merrier" attitude towards hashtags on Instagram will indeed get you further.

1-2 hashtags? Try 30.

Kevan Lee: "His finding is quite interesting: The more hashtags you use, the more likes your photo will get."

3. Instagram is the Best Network for Reaching a Younger Audience

If any part of your target market is within the 18-29 age group, then Instagram is the best social media choice for you. An interesting post by 19-year-old Andrew Watts, "A Teenager’s View on Social Media, Written by an actual teen" really depicts the social climate for a younger audience:

This point is reinforced by a study done by Business Insider. In this chart, you can see the incredible downward slope of Facebook with US teens, the half-hearted rise and fall of Twitter, and the epic popularity growth of Instagram.

Going forward into the future of social media marketing, this is your audience. The up-and-coming generation is set on Instagram. 

I'd just like to say, this doesn't mean that there aren't people older than 29 on Instagram. It's just that you're most likely to find a solid audience in that age group.

Part Two: HOW to Use Instagram for Business

As with any content or social media guide, your audience is the focus at all times. If you can't give them what they're looking for, they won't look for you.

1. Assess Whether Instagram is Best for Your Brand

When you think about the target market for your brand and the general audience of Instagram, is there any crossover?

You need to think about the compatibility between your website and the user base of Instagram. It could be helpful to ask yourself these questions...

• What do I know about my average site visitor?
• Are they generally older than 30? Or do I have at least some success with people in their 20's or even teens?
• What products do I promote? Are there many images on Instagram based on that type of topic?
• Do my competitors use Instagram? (More on this in the next section!)

If your audience is distinctively over 30, then Instagram might not be worth targeting. You can save time and effort with that tidbit alone. Go to another social network instead.

If, however, you have any audience in their 20s or even teens, then this social environment could very well be important to your brand. Age isn't everything, though! As this is a home of visual media (as opposed to text updates) there are certain niches that thrive more than others. 

A good example of this can be seen in the statistics on Brandwatch. It seems that Instagram is great for fitness sites with a male-majority audience, and also for cosmetics with a female-majority audience.

Once again, that's not to say that these are the only niches that it's good for. You'll have to think about your website audience specifically to figure out whether Instagram is the best for you.

2. Study What Your Competitors are Doing

If your competitors are on Instagram, what do their posts look like? This could be a good place to start planning your own social content.

Studying your competitors on Instagram will give you a fairly good indication of the type of content that's trending in your niche. When I asked freelance writer and social media expert Kristi Hines about the most important element for anyone wanting to use Instagram for business, this point was the focus. 

"The best thing to do when starting out on an Instagram marketing campaign is to see what your competitors are doing first.

After visiting a few of your competitors' profiles, you'll get a good sense for the types of images and videos that get the best response from your target audience.

You'll also see if they use branded hashtags, contests, and other strategies to engage their audience.

I'd also highly recommend a tool called Rival IQ.

It will allow you to quickly research the best your competitors have to offer on Instagram (and other social platforms)."

- Kristi Hines, Freelance Writer

So that's definitely worth looking into. See what your competitors are posting, figure out how effective that reach would be for you, and think about how difficult it would be to create similar media. If it seems worth it, why not give it a go?

3. Try Posting. Measure Success. Adjust Tactics. Rinse and Repeat.

Yep, trial and error. Once you've got an idea of what you're competitors are doing, it's the only way to set out with your own content.

Start small, and try one or two things. Build a list of trending hashtags in your niche (ones your competitors commonly use or similar that have a large following), and then create a couple of images or an easy-to-make short video that target those hashtags. Put them out there, see how it goes. 

There are a lot of tools you can use to track the success of your Instagram campaign, such as Iconosquare. 

Try one that appeals to you, and use it to figure out what works well, and what you could ditch without loss.

I'd love to know: Do you use Instagram for business? Have you found it useful in your niche? Comment below if you do, or if you would like to know if anyone else in your niche has found it to be successful.

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For Traffic Generation, Differentiate Your Brand with Awesome Copy

HAVE you ever noticed that you stay on some websites a lot longer than others?

To market your brand and business, you need to elevate your copy so readers love to interact with your website. The most loyal customers will anticipate each blog post you write, excited for new insights and entertainment.

It sounds like a lofty goal, but with the right ingredients, you can bring in new traffic with electrifying content and awesome marketing copy:

Make Your Copy Short and Sweet

Although long-form copy performs well in some industries (particularly in B2B sectors), most marketers need to trim down their work. Ideally, every word on a website shines a light on the value of your service or product. Copy that emphasizes how a company can transform customers’ lives is most likely to strike a chord.

If you’re not sure if your marketing copy is concise enough, take a highlighter to a printed version of your website page. Mark every word that helps your audience understand what you do, why you do it, and how your company stands out from the crowd. Leave out superfluous details, so your message can truly shine.

Be Authentic to Your Brand

In order to create traffic, you need to understand the unique attributes you offer customers. Instead of mimicking the voice and pitch of other brands — especially competitors — write down what appeals to you about their marketing. Maybe it’s their killer Instagram account? Or their confidence in connecting with their audience?

Awesome copy is an extension of a company’s brand, so also identify what makes you different from competitors. Perhaps, it’s your stellar customer service or your big community. These are the characteristics you want to identify in your copy. If you struggle to identify what sets you apart, record your voice in a smartphone describing your original vision for the company. Type it up. Next, go through the copy, and cherry pick the clearest, boldest copy to use on your website.

Incorporate Feedback from Your Ideal Audience

Even if you follow these two steps, you’re still not out of the woods. Amazing copy resonates with an audience — the best way to find out if it hits the mark is to ask. To ensure you’re crafting awesome copy to your website, reach out to a batch of people who represent your target audience. They could include a set of honest friends, or loyal customers who are willing to answer a short survey.

You can also offer an incentive to email subscribers, such as 15% off a future purchase for participation in the survey. For a template, consider the following survey request from the clothing and homeware shop Anthropologie — it’s a pretty stellar way to ask for help.

In your survey, share some simple questions that gauge your audience’s perspective on your current marketing campaign. A simple Google Form or a free tool such as SurveyMaker will due the trick. Creating a survey with anonymous responses increases the likelihood of participation. With accurate feedback, you can gauge the extent to which you need to adjust your marketing copy.
These three guidelines to awesome copy extend to social media, email marketing, and print materials too. By crafting language that resonates with both your brand and your audience, you pave a clear path toward increased traffic generation and higher sales.

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