After a long or stressful day at work, sometimes you just need something strong to help take the edge off. So take a seat at the Bowe Digital bar, and order a drink. We’ll mix it up; your drink choice will say a lot about your business’s marketing.
Today’s Cocktail List:
Old Fashioned
Wayne’s Hot Tip: Wayne’s tip for the best Old Fashioned, beyond great bourbon, is the cherry and he loves this brand most.
It’s in the name…Old Fashioned. An Old Fashioned is a straightforward and strong drink with no surprises. For many people, it does not go down easy, which is not a good thing when it comes to drinking or marketing. Old-fashioned marketing is as plain as the water that goes into the drink. It does not change with the times and isn’t as popular with younger crowds. If you’re not using social media or incorporating video and eye-catching graphics into your marketing, this might be the drink for you.
However, we recommend you keep browsing the list for a new cocktail.
Whiskey Sour
The Whiskey Sour is loved by some and hated by others. It’s controversial for its sour taste and that optional egg white (because why??). It’s a risk, which in marketing doesn’t always pay off. However, it works better in some industries than others. The fast food restaurant Wendy’s, for example, has seen success from its sassy personality on Twitter, which you can find examples of here. The restaurant bravely roasts its customers and competing companies, which earns them varied responses. If this sounds like your marketing, then we suggest you chug, in case it goes too sour!
Margarita
Heather’s Hot Tip: If you’re like Heather, you want a Marg with less sugar. She suggests you skip the pre-mix stuff. The best marg is tequila, fresh lime juice and a tajin rim.
The Margarita is fun; it has no rules. Like great marketing, it can be customized to the customer likes. We can make them sweet, skinny or spicy. We can salt or sugar the rim, offer different flavors and put them in any glass you’d like. Not a tequila drinker? Try vodka. If your marketing is one-of-a-kind and tailored to reflect the likes and dislikes of your audience, then cheers! This is the drink for you and for us, too!
At Bowe Digital, the margarita is our specialty. We can make it any way you’d like. Our team of experts stays up-to-date on trends and knows what works to make a perfectly balanced marketing strategy that isn’t old-fashioned or too sour. Contact me, Bradley Erb at bradley@bowedigital.com to mix up a custom marketing plan that’s unique to your business! Learn more about our services at bowedigital.com.
People want to feel special, and that’s what custom does. Whether it’s a custom designed cake, custom engraved gift, or custom built home, these one-of-a-kind solutions work to win people over.
Why pay for custom marketing? The same reason you pay for anything custom: you love it and want everyone else (your customers) to love it too! Custom marketing is your chance to stand out from the competition. It shows your customers that you know them and that your posts were made just for them.
Cut Through the Noise
Marketing is everywhere. Most Americans are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day, according to this article from Forbes. However, that doesn’t mean everything we see or hear sticks. Hundreds of companies are offering the same products or services while marketing them in similar ways. It becomes noise, and only the most eye-catching and unique ones are heard. For small businesses, it’s even harder, but custom marketing can help.
Kids are notoriously harsh critics. They’ll tell you that you look fat one minute and that your food tastes awful the next, so we’ll use them as an example. Picture your kid going to the school bake sale. You send them with a pack of those thickly iced store-bought cookies (you know the ones). Other parents send their kids with sheet cakes and plastic-wrapped cupcakes. All but one, that is. Jeremy’s mom sends him with a 2-tiered custom cake designed around 2022’s most trending movie, Encanto. The bake sale ends, and your child comes home…can you guess what happens next? You hear about Jeremy, Jeremy’s mom, Jeremy’s cake and Encanto until your ears bleed! Yep, custom works any way you slice it, whether it’s a cake or marketing. It makes a lasting impact on people, and everything else fades away.
Audience Targeting
With custom marketing, you’ll reach individuals who are actually interested in your service and products without wasting money on those who aren’t. By using custom services like geo-fenced paid ads, you can target the specific geographic areas you want to hit. You can also curate your marketing materials to reflect the likes and dislikes of your customers. If your audience likes being active, you’d show them custom sneakers over a custom cake, creating opportunities for personal connections.
Consistent Branding
Quality marketing translates to quality products and services in the minds of your consumers. Not only does that mean having custom designs and content but also consistency. Your audience will come to expect your posts in the good times and especially in the hard times. It reminds them that you’re available to them and still investing in your business which means you’re still investing in them. Platforms like HeyOrca can help you schedule social media posts months in advance.
Remember, consistency doesn’t mean that there can’t be surprises. You can always find new ways to shake things up and grab people’s attention. At Bowe Digital, we’ve started incorporating trending topics into our marketing. Whether it’s the corn kid letting everyone know Bowe Digital has the juice or looking at the marketing in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, custom allows for creativity, relevance and excitement in your marketing.
Leave it to the Professionals
If you’ve ever watched Netflix’s Nailed It, you know what can happen when you tackle a new task on your own for the first time – disaster. It’s best to leave custom cakes to the bakers and custom marketing to the marketing professionals. Nobody does custom like Bowe Digital. We’ll tell your story for you and get creative when you can’t, all while moving at your pace and according to your brand image. Contact Bradley Erb on our team at bradley@bowedigital.com for marketing that’s uniquely yours! Learn more about our services at bowedigital.com.
We all know the story of Cinderella. Or at least some version of it, whether it’s the 1950 original movie, a live-action remake like the 2015 Cinderella or the 2004 spin-off, A Cinderella story, featuring Hilary Duff.
Bowe Digital has come up with our own modern twist on Cinderella, and you’re the main character. Let’s set the scene. In every Cinderella story, there’s a ball, a dance or a party where everyone wants to be. In our story, that place is TikTok.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform where people come from near and far to share and stream video content. And yes, it’s more than just teenagers dancing. Users on TikTok range from ages 10-50+. With over one billion active users, the application has become more popular than Snapchat, Pinterest and Twitter. You don’t need to know how to waltz to attend this ball. TikTok allows dialogue, music, sound bytes and more on every topic you can imagine, personal or professional. These short videos can be anywhere from 15 seconds to three minutes in length. The application is also being used as a search engine. TikTok now receives more daily searches than Google.
Why should you be on TikTok?
In this story, if you don’t join TikTok before the clock strikes 12, you’ll turn back into a pumpkin. By that we mean, you’ll lose some relevance because pumpkin is a seasonal flavor. As a business or professional, you want to stay relevant all year long. To do that, you may need to meet your customers where they are. Joining platforms like TikTok is a great way to expose your business to new audiences and younger generations and show that you are willing to adapt to changes and trends in social media. By joining now, you can stand out from your evil step competitors and win the affection of your charming customers.
You’ve seen it on Instagram and Facebook; both platforms are incorporating more videos. TikTok is the king of video. Other benefits of joining TikTok include its huge, growing audience, international audience and ease of connection. Users can easily comment, like and share your content. According to this Forbes article, “TikTok is also the social media platform with the most opportunities to ‘go viral.’”
Getting started on TikTok with examples
It only takes one good video to go from zero to hero on TikTok. This video of our team member Joe Pittman got nearly two million views after being posted by his church. Similar to Cinderella’s glass slipper, you need to find the content that fits. The four main types of content you should use to promote your brand are videos of you and your team, user duets, advertisements and influencer related content. It could be as simple as dueting a video and sharing your thoughts, like this example here from a home inspector. You could take a clever route using music clips like this real estate example here. You can showcase your team and office culture in a fun way like this example here. Your content should be relatable, fun and true to your brand. Using popular hashtags can help ensure your content reaches the right audience. Follow this guide from TikTok to create your first video, or lean on our team at Bowe Digital.
TikTok may be the key to you and your business’s happily ever after. Bowe Digital is your marketing fairy godmother, and we can help increase your presence on social media platforms including TikTok. We’ll help you come up with ideas, edit videos and more. Visit bowedigital.com to start.
Ring! Ring! School is back in session and not just for your kids. As a former Kindergarten teacher working for Bowe Digital, I can tell you that marketing and teaching aren’t as different as you may think. What’s the biggest difference? Instead of keeping a classroom of kids engaged and happy, we convince entire online audiences of busy adults to pay attention to us in hopes they’ll give us a gold star for being the best teacher in our industry.
Now that summer break is over, you can teach your customers about your business through marketing. Luckily, I’m here to give you a quick lesson on teaching, and we’ll start with the basics.
Get to Know Your Students
It’s time to break the ice…let’s play two truths and a lie.
TRUTH: Everyone can use a refresh on the basics. However, a person just discovering your business will need different information than someone who’s been working with you for years. Your marketing should target audiences in every step of the buying process.
TRUTH: Uncovering your customers’ questions helps you define your curriculum. Send out surveys, look at reviews and ask your employees. Once you understand what your customers need, you can answer their questions proactively.
LIE: Knowing your buyer persona is vital to your marketing efforts. Understanding the likes and dislikes of your target customer is how you choose topics and make your marketing relatable.
Decorate Your Classroom
No, in this scenario, your classroom isn’t your office; that’s more of a teachers' lounge. Your classroom is online, where your customers go to learn. Your online presence and marketing materials should be inviting and eye-catching. Like any great teacher, we often trick students into learning the material by getting creative. Decorate your marketing with videos, images and sounds to make learning about your business fun.
Define the Terms, and Go Over New Systems
Consumers value being informed. Give them the information they need to choose the right product or service on their own. Try making weekly social posts defining the terms your customers may need to know or highlighting what your products and services do.
If there’s one thing students love, it’s shortcuts. Consider this when it comes to your systems and technologies. Let your customers know what they do and how they’ll make life easier.
Offer Tutoring
Finally, make yourself available, and be open to more questions. Communication is key. After a transaction, complete a personal follow-up over the phone or email. Take it one step further by offering more educational resources to your customers.
Follow these steps to become the coolest teacher in school (or in your industry). Of course, Bowe Digital will be teaching marketing in the classroom next door. My team and I are always happy to provide you with more tips and marketing services at bowedigital.com.
You know when your mom used to make you clean the whole house anytime people were coming over? Well, this is kind of like that…
We’re acting as Mom here and telling you to tidy up your website so that your guests keep coming back. Your website is the home for your story and services; it’s also your chance to make a great first impression. When you want a clean house, you call a maid. When you want a clean website, you call Bowe Digital!
We can help make your website sparkling clean with our 3-step website creation process, but first, let’s talk about what makes a website stand out from the ones next door.
This article lists 7 qualities of a great website. Here are 4 that stand out:
Well-Designed and Functional
Your website should have white space and breaks. It should be uncluttered, Marie Kondo style, with quality photographs and graphics to let your message shine through. See this website we designed for Golden Dog Title & Trust. Your users won’t stick around if it’s hard to navigate or if there are issues with speed and functionality.
Optimized for Mobile
Most users look at your website from their phones, so in our best mom voice, we say, “There are no excuses.” With the growth of digital technology and devices, your website should look great and work well on any platform.
Fresh, Quality Content
It’s time to renovate! Your website should use language that makes sense to your audience and avoid corporate jargon. Visitors have short attention spans so correct spelling, accuracy, relevance and frequent updates with fresh content (videos, blogs, social, etc.) are vital to improving SEO and organic traffic. Take a look at Amerititle’s, blog. As their trusted partner, we keep the information posted here current and fresh.
Optimized for Search and the Social Web
Imagine you get your website prepped and ready for visitors, but no one shows up. To grow your guest list, your content needs to be well tagged, contain searchable words, have a decluttered HTML code and be easily shareable.
If your website isn’t hitting these marks or you’re not sure if it stands out from the website next door…don’t worry! The Bowe Digital team can help clean it up! Visit bowedigital.com/contact-us to learn more about our 3-step website creation process and our website hosting services!
What do Crocs and our founder and chief inspiration officer, Wayne Stanley’s childhood dreams, have in common? They both made a comeback in 2017. While Crocs were trending in fashion and people were jamming out to Ed Sheeran’s hit song, Shape of You, Wayne Stanley was making his entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
This week marks five years since Bowe Digital made its’ debut in 2017. In the five years since, we’ve accomplished a lot and made tons of memories, friends and amazing partners along the way.
Here are 5 things we’re proud of in the 5 years since Bowe Digital began.
1. Being named #12 on the Best Places to Work in Indiana list
Landing the #12 spot on the Best Places to Work in Indiana list this year was HUGE! We’re super fortunate to have a team that brags about our company as much as they do, but this award speaks for itself. Compiled by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Best Places to Work awards are based on anonymous employee surveys with questions about company culture, pay, diversity, and more. We’ve learned first hand that happy employees produce better satisfied partners and productivity.
2. Making a name for ourselves in the title industry
Our company has carved a niche in the land title insurance industry, and we’ve made a name for ourselves through our outreach by attending and speaking at events like NS3, ALTA HOP and ALMA Agency Seminars. Even if most of you think that our name is Bowe Digital (Bow-ie) and not Bowe Digital (Bow)...we forgive you. We are proud to set the standard and serve title and real estate companies across the U.S., and we feel lucky that companies outside of title and real estate have trusted us, too.
3. Offering our customers custom solutions
The Bowe Digital difference is that all of our marketing, communications and advertising strategies are 100% custom. Forget pre-made templates… we recognize what makes you unique and start from scratch to produce original content that’s branded to fit your needs and meet your standards. We pride ourselves on being an extension of your team. Our goal is to deliver on your vision for connecting with your customers and making an impact in your industry.
4. Encouraging our team members to learn and grow
Since getting our start in 2017, we have always encouraged the members of our team to set educational and professional goals and to never stop learning. Pushing our team to further their expertise and career helps them to better serve our partners. It’s a win-win. We’re proud to share that our entire team is Hubspot certified by Hubspot Academy and that almost all the members of our team have been certified as ALTA HOP Leaders with eight earning that certificate this year.
5. Growing the Bowe Digital family
Half of businesses fail in the first five years according to the Small Business Administration, but not Bowe Digital. Despite being tested by the pandemic in 2020, our company grew faster than ever, providing the best service and support to our growing list of partners. What started as five teammates and a dream of helping a few trusting partners, has evolved into a team of almost 20 full-time employees, serving nearly 200 partners. Our team truly is a family - it means everything to us - and we treat our partners like family, too!
Like Crocs, Bowe Digital likes to make a statement. We provide our partners comfort with a bold look that customers can’t miss, and while we’d like to give Crocs all the credit, we can’t. We really owe it all to Wayne and to his grandparents, Shirley and Glen Vernon Bowe who inspired him and inspired more than just the name of this company. We honor them each day by sticking to the promise to work hard, play hard, and respect everyone. We can’t believe it’s been five years, and we’re raising a glass to the next five…and the five after that…and the five after that! Visit bowedigital.com to learn more about our story, and join us in celebrating five years by partnering with us!
All businesses share one common goal, and that’s to achieve steady and continuous growth. I’m sure we could make a laundry list of tactics that could help us get there, but one thing stands out above the rest: COMMUNICATION. If there’s one thing that your team should be focusing on this year, it’s improving their internal and external communication practices.
Whatever efforts you’re making now can be improved with some reflection and a plan. Good communication has no ceiling, and it’s worth putting time and effort into because it builds your reputation, establishes your brand, and ultimately, sells your products and services.
Internal Communication
The members of your team need to be on the same page. There are four types of business communication, and three of those are internal: internal upward, internal downward and internal lateral. All three aid in creating consistent messages and uncovering problems for customers. Additionally, keeping the members of your team informed on internal news will make them feel more involved and invested in your business.
Whether it be at an in-person meeting, virtually or over email, always ask your team what questions they get asked the most by customers. By uncovering recurring problems, you can find a way to solve them. If a customer asks the same question to multiple team members, the goal is that they’ll get the same answer every time. To achieve this kind of consistency, you need to establish a standard for the entire team and determine what you want to say about your business.
Don’t know where to start? Our Bowe Digital team helps businesses establish their brand voice and presents them with the strategies they need to communicate effectively with their audiences through our Story Arc Process. We interview your customers to find out what they really think; then, we combine that information with your values and goals to present a story everyone on your team can follow.
External Communication
Now that you have the ammunition, you need to communicate with your customers proactively with a consistent message. It's time to act as a resource and establish your team as industry experts. Eliminate commonly asked questions by answering them before they’re asked. AmeriTitle’s blog is a great example. As a partner of ours, they use this space to explain the complexities of their industry and provide tips, covering topics that commonly trip up their customers. This kind of proactive communication can be done through blog posts, social media, emails, etc.
All communication to your external audiences should be timely and of substance. The golden rule is to not keep customers waiting and to not waste their time. Never communicate just for the sake of communicating. Instead, make sure you’re always providing content that is relevant or of value to them. Focusing on communication with your internal and external audiences this year is the best way to invest in your business. Who better to help you improve your communication than our team of communication experts at Bowe Digital. We’re here to help you reach your audiences in a way that works for you! Contact us today.
When it comes to family pets, choices previously seemed to be Team Dog or Team Cat. However, we have seen family dogs, cats, chinchillas and rabbits on Social Media. If you scroll through Bowe Digital’s Facebook page, you can find pictures of Pebbles, Samson and Ike..donkey, dog and horse, respectively.
When looking to buy a home, pets also play a huge factor. Families no longer just focus on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Many strongly consider how their dream home can also satisfy their pets’ needs, and for some, it can make or break the deal.
DID YOU KNOW?
In fact, according to an article from Business Insider, many millennials bought their first home based on the amenities available for their dog. Man’s best friend gets to vote on this big, life decision, and Bowe Digital can help you be a winner at the real estate polls.
When marketing and selling homes to pet lovers, Bowe Digital can help you increase your furry friends' customer base through social media, blogging, and marketing emails. Bowe Digital would love to show you how. Please email Bradley Erb at bradley@bowedigital.com, and check out our menu of service here!
Long ago, Dr. Seuss wondered, “What pet should I get?”, and whatever the decision is for you, Bowe Digital can help you market to pet lovers regardless of your business. Whether you are in real estate or another business sector, we will work with you to maximize your brand so you become the cat’s meow.
The whole Bowe Digital team hopes you had a great Thanksgiving. We know for many of you -- and for us -- the holiday was a little bit different this year, but that's OK. We actually had a great holiday blog written by our intern Mackenzie that was full of tips to prevent hosting Thanksgiving from being stressful. However, we held off posting it as the advice rolled in to make gatherings smaller this year. With that in mind, we still wanted to share this cornucopia of knowledge with you for next year.
Here is the blog in its original form.
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As Thanksgiving inches closer, often the stress surrounding hosting Thanksgiving dinner does, too. The cleaning alone is enough to make you regret hosting...let alone all the preparation. Most of the time you’re so worried about having the perfect Thanksgiving that you aren’t able to enjoy it with the people you are thankful for...and that’s what the day is all about! We’re here to give you some tips to make this year’s Thanksgiving the best one yet.
Cleaning? Don’t wait, do it now!
Cleaning the entire house is probably one of the scariest things about Thanksgiving...especially that one room that hasn’t been cleaned in months. Yikes! There’s no need to cram all the cleaning in one day. Every day leading up to Thanksgiving, choose one room to clean. By breaking the cleaning up into chunks, what at first seemed like an unbearable task is now manageable. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, your house will be spotless, and you saved yourself trying to fit a week’s worth of cleaning into one day.
Bring your own dish
When hosting Thanksgiving, many feel obligated to do all the cooking, as well. This creates a lot of pressure to make the perfect dishes and prepare them all in time for dinner. Let’s not forget about the most stressful dish… the turkey. There is no way you can enjoy friends and family if you’re stuck in the kitchen all day running around like a turkey with his head cut off (too soon?). Having everyone who’s attending bring one dish is a great way to reduce stress. It’s also fun to see what everyone brought and try new dishes. Here are some tasty sides to help make it even easier!
Activities
One way to have a memorable Thanksgiving is having some games to play while waiting for the big feast. It’s a great time to unwind and get to spend the day with the people you love. Board games are a classic and definitely spark a little friendly competition among the fam. To make it even more special, have everyone attending write down three things they're thankful for. At the dinner table, everyone shares. This heartwarming activity always puts a smile on everyone’s faces and reminds us we have so much to be thankful for.
While there is a lot of work that goes into Thanksgiving, at the end of the day, we’re surrounded by friends, neighbors, and family; that makes it all worth it. With such a crazy 2020, take this next Thanksgiving to relax and laugh with those you love. As always, Bowe Digital is extremely thankful for all of you, and we are wishing you an amazing (and stress-free) Thanksgiving.
Mackenzie is a Fall 2020 Bowe Digital intern and attends Illinois State University studying communications. She’s majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Sociology. She loves writing, dancing and spending time with friends in her free time.
Let’s face it! 2020 will be remembered for many things, and numerous crises will top the list. If the Bowe Digital team has learned anything at all, it’s that there is no time to plan when a crisis hits. Being proactive with a crisis management plan can help keep your company, employees and you stay calm, cool and collected.
Last month, our leader, Wayne Stanley, and our good Bowe Digital friend, Patrick Harris from Western Title Company in Reno, Nevada, teamed up for a great presentation at ALTA ONE. Their focus? Four particular Do’s and Don’ts titled, “Nobody Panic! Acing Your Next Crisis.” Above anything else, it is important to have a plan...and sticking your head in the sand cannot be the plan. To maintain your company’s reputation, be upfront and honest about what you are experiencing and what comes next.
The four Do’s and Don’ts that can help you ace your next crisis are:
With proper preparation, patience and planning, your company will show your customers that they made the right decision to choose you...even during a crisis. It’s an opportunity to promote your hard work and ability to adapt. In addition, Bowe Digital can help you develop a plan that works for your team. You can contact Bradley Erb at bradley@bowedigital.com with any questions concerning crisis management planning. We look forward to hearing from you!
