Trends & Insights to Optimize Your Digital Marketing Strategy

A view of someone's hands at a desk applying post-it notes to a planning board.

Marketing is constantly evolving and changing. Nowhere is that more true than in the world of digital marketing. What worked in the past becomes antiquated just a few years later. Even a tactic that worked last month might not be as effective. That’s why businesses in every industry need to stay informed on the trends and insights to develop an effective digital marketing strategy to reach their target audience. 

We recently asked Digital Marketing Strategist, Amanda Bihun, to highlight a few of the most important trends you should know. Amanda and her team do an incredible job of translating the latest digital marketing trends into strategies for clients in a variety of industries. 

Trends and Insights to Optimize Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Here are a few of the most important trends and insights you should know in order to optimize your digital marketing strategy. 

1. Know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing digital platforms. 

Today, AI is used in almost every area of digital marketing. Reaching your audience through digital channels is all about leveraging the algorithms they use. The challenging part is that every digital platform has its own algorithm and every algorithm is constantly changing. For example, Google is in the middle of the biggest change to the analytics platform the company has ever conducted. In order to reach people in today’s digital world, you must be proactive in keeping up with, or even ahead of, these algorithm changes.

 

2. Effective digital marketing requires a long-term approach.

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about digital marketing is that it will create immediate results. Just like any other form of marketing, digital marketing requires a long-game mindset. It also requires you to test and optimize different strategies. Increasing important metrics such as leads and sales takes time to gain momentum. For example, investing in digital advertising on social media or Google does not guarantee you more leads on day one. It puts your brand in front of new people, but you have to build trust with that new audience over time. Digital marketing requires you to take the entire journey into consideration as you develop your strategy. Ultimately all of your digital marketing efforts work together to build the brand and reach your audience, but none of them will double your profits on day one.

3. Don’t ignore the basic foundation of digital marketing.

A house is only as good as its bones. If you hang curtains or plant pretty flowers out front, it will look good in the short run, but it will not keep your house from falling down if the support beams are cracked. Digital marketing is similar. You need to put in the time to make sure your foundation is solid. The support beams of digital marketing are your website, your social channels, and your email engagement strategy. Investing in these areas will help future-proof your marketing and help you create a strong foundation that works even as things change.

4. Consider your target audience’s perspective in everything you do. 

When it comes to creating your digital marketing strategy, it’s important to look at everything you do from the user’s perspective. Oftentimes, businesses can be so close to their products or services that they forget how to view their brand from a  potential customer’s point of view. If you want to reach new people, it’s important to create a customer-centric culture, figure out your buyer personas and the questions they have, and how you can help them. It is important to reach potential customers where they are to nurture qualified leads into becoming repeat customers and, eventually, brand enthusiasts.

5. Always be testing and analyzing.

Just because something worked last week does not mean it will work this week. Just because your audience is on Instagram this year does not mean they will still be there next year. Brands must constantly test new strategies and watch the analytics to see where and how their audience is engaging. At Green Apple, we analyzing digital marketing trends for our clients every month. We’ve found that constantly analyzing your efforts is also helpful because it allows you to pivot your marketing efforts without abandoning your entire strategy.

Here’s the bottom line: Long-term planning and short-term course corrections are both essential when it comes to developing an effective digital marketing strategy. If you want to stay ahead of the latest trends, sign up for our monthly e-newsletter. It’s one of the primary ways we keep clients informed on the latest trends they should know.

4 Signs Your Email Campaigns Aren’t Working (And How to Fix Them)

computer screen showing emails

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience and turn subscribers into buyers. However, simply having a strategy and sending regular emails to your intended audience doesn’t mean email campaigns are working. The only way to know if your campaign is working is to track it. If you want to elevate your email campaigns, it’s important to evaluate each of the factors that determine your success.

In order to help, we wanted to highlight a few of the common reasons your email campaigns might not be working and provide some quick ideas for how to fix them. Here are four areas to evaluate and improve if you’re looking to generate better results from your email marketing campaigns. 

1. Your Emails Are Ending Up in Spam Folders

Your audience will likely never see your email if it ends up in their spam folder. How do you measure this? Check the deliverability rate of your campaigns. Deliverability measures the rate at which emails reach subscribers’ inboxes. 

If you notice your deliverability rate is low, here are a few things you can do:

  • Make sure you’re using a reliable email service provider and avoid spam triggers.
  • Delete old or inactive email addresses from your list and keep only people who are engaged.
  • Check which email addresses bounced and remove those email addresses from your list.

2. Your Emails Aren’t Being Opened 

As the old “tree falling in the woods” adage teaches us: if an email is never opened, will anyone read the message? The answer is no. The two biggest factors for determining open rates are often the subject line and send time. 

That’s why your subject line is one of the most important aspects of elevating your email marketing campaigns. If you’ve struggled to increase open rates: 

  • Consider tweaking your subject line strategy to find more effective ways to capture attention and inspire your audience to open the email. 
  • You can also test the day and time that you send your email to see what works best.
  • Use A/B testing to try out several versions of an email campaign to determine which is the most effective at increasing engagement. 

3. People Aren’t Clicking Through or Taking Action

Clickthrough rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who click on your calls-to-action (CTAs). This is the ultimate goal of any email campaign. The email is the vehicle you use to inspire your audience to take the next step. Taking the time to create UTM codes that track post-visitor engagement is a great way to determine the effectiveness of every single email you send. 

If you’re experiencing lower clickthrough rates than you used to generate, you might consider:

  • Segmenting your emails to create more personal and targeted campaigns for your various target audiences.
  • Optimizing the format of your content to ensure it’s easy for people to read.
  • Testing different CTA formats to see what generates the greatest response, including buttons, links, images, and questions.

4. People Are Unsubscribing

An unsubscribe rate measures the number of people who opt out of your email list once they receive an email from you. If someone unsubscribes from your list, you’ve lost your chance to engaging with them through email. So how do you avoid people unsubscribing from your email campaigns? Here are a few ideas:

  • Make sure the content you write is actually interesting and engaging. 
  • Give people the chance to manage their email preferences instead of unsubscribing from all your emails. This is especially important if you produce a monthly newsletter, promotions, and targeted email campaigns.

You spend a lot of time and energy crafting emails for your audience. The last thing you want is for the work you do to be ignored. Constantly testing and tweaking your emails is essential for keeping up with customer demand and ensuring the work you put into your campaigns generates the results you want. If you’re looking for ways to stay on top of the latest email trends, subscribe to our newsletter. We’ll provide helpful insights you can use to reach more customers. 

5 Creative PR Tactics Your Business Should Explore this Year

person giving whiteboard presentation to work team

In today’s increasingly digital world, it can be difficult for brands to reach customers through the traditional PR tactics that our industry relied on for decades. Today’s buyers are not easy to reach. Nevertheless, public relations is crucial for enterprise technology companies and B2B brands, regardless of size, vertical, or industry. We’re constantly encouraging our clients to consider creative ways to integrate public relations into their comprehensive marketing plans. While the tactics may have evolved, the end goal of public relations remains the same: increase brand awareness, credibility, and trust with the people you’re trying to reach.

Creative PR Tactics Your Business Should Explore This Year

Here are a few creative PR tactics we’ve used to help our clients gain traction and create tangible results through their PR efforts:

1. Develop a Digital PR Strategy

We encourage every business to create a digital PR toolkit that can be used to enhance their relationship with current and potential customers. One essential element is a survey tool that helps capture feedback from clients. In today’s digital world, the customer has more power than the business when it comes to brand perception. Bad reviews can tank a company’s reputation. If customers aren’t happy with your product or service, customer reviews allow you to proactively address them. If your product or service generates raving fans, you’re able to leverage those reviews to promote your business to other potential customers. 

2. Maximize the Power of Podcasts

If social media has replaced traditional news as the way we keep track of important events, podcasts have replaced industry publications as the way to learn and grow in our professions.  Almost 40% of Americans listen to podcasts every month, and that number has grown steadily every year. Additionally, the on-demand nature of podcasting means that listeners are typically actively listening to the entire podcast. This provides you with the focused attention of your audience through a single medium.

If you don’t have the bandwidth to start your own podcast, consider advertising or pitching an idea or topic to be a guest on a podcast that already reaches your industry. If you’re looking to leverage this tactic, your first step is to take what you know about your audience and start searching for podcasts that hit this niche.

3. Create Specific & Targeted Press Releases for Local Markets 

Today’s media outlets are bombarded with dozens of press releases and requests. The more targeted and personalized you can make your press release, the more likely you are to gain coverage and reach your audience. Think of specific ways you can tailor your PR pitches to local markets. Targeting local media means you’ll have a higher chance of getting your story out there and ensuring your target audience sees it.

4. Give Back by Embracing Corporate Social Responsibility 

Businesses of all sizes have benefitted from proactively giving back to their community in recent years. One tactic that’s growing in popularity is to adopt a corporate social responsibility platform that is tied to your community or a specific cause. Doing so is a great way to earn attention. It also generates goodwill with today’s consumers, who increasingly care about giving back. 

5. Leverage Influencer Marketing to Reach Your Target Audience

As social media has evolved, influencer relationships have become a successful strategy for many brands. However, you don’t need to pitch celebrities or influencers with huge followings in order to generate success. Micro-influencers can be just as powerful, especially if your audience is in a niche industry or market. Finding an influencer in your industry is a powerful way to help build brand awareness because it is authentic and relatable to your audience. 

You don’t have to implement every one of these ideas in 2022 to experience public relations success. But if you’ve struggled to gain momentum through traditional PR tactics, we’d encourage you to collaborate with your marketing agency to try a few. Implementing even one of these approaches could provide the valuable insights you need to transform your PR efforts in the future. Green Apple can help you select and deploy the right strategies to increase your influence and your brand identity. We’re available any time to help you craft a successful PR approach.

7 Ways to Elevate Your Personal LinkedIn Profile

There’s no denying that LinkedIn is one of the most powerful social media platforms for marketers and business development professionals. If you’re a B2B brand, LinkedIn is no longer an optional platform. With more than 310 million monthly active users, it’s becoming harder to cut through the noise. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot of time or energy to elevate your personal LinkedIn profile. 

7 Ways to Elevate Your Personal LinkedIn Profile

Taking the time to encourage employees to optimize their personal LinkedIn profiles can make a tremendous difference for your company. As we’ve helped clients optimize LinkedIn as a marketing tool, here are a few tactics we encourage them to pass along to their employees:   

  1. Create a Compelling Headline

LinkedIn provides an opportunity for people to quickly explain what they do at the top of their profile. While most people use this as another way to highlight their job title, it can be a quick and easy way to boost your profile’s impact. Think about your headline as a way to explain your current role, what it means to you, and how you could help someone who might be visiting your profile. 

  1. Focus on your Impact in your Descriptions

Your description is often the second place people look to learn more about you. This is another opportunity to be intentional about capturing attention. Rather than summarizing your resume, think about what people might want to know. How have you made an impact in your industry? What are some specific ways you help people? Answering these questions in your description is a great way to make your profile stand out from the general descriptions that most people write. 

  1. ​​Regularly Post Engaging Content 

LinkedIn marketing requires consistency, creativity, and originality. Take a look at your LinkedIn home page and evaluate the posts that receive the most engagement. Most likely, it’s an interesting mix of helpful insights, personal updates, and engaging questions. While you don’t need to post on LinkedIn every day, it’s important to share updates if you want to maintain a high engagement rate on LinkedIn.

  1. Add Awards or Accomplishments

Bragging on social media can sometimes get a bad rap. But taking time to highlight your awards or accomplishments can be an effective marketing tactic, especially for sales professionals. You want your prospects to know that you’re capable of getting them the results they’re looking for. LinkedIn provides a natural place for you to highlight your awards and accomplishments without seeming overly boastful. 

  1. Ask for Recommendations 

Recommendations are key to making your LinkedIn profile stand out. Employers and potential business partners want to know that you have a positive reputation and that others have benefited from your work. Think of one or two customers who might validate your work and ask them to write a quick recommendation. Consider writing on their profile to help them out as well. 

  1. Strategically Use Hashtags to Expand Your Reach 

Hashtags are a completely underused feature of Linkedin. These short phrases do more than summarize what your particular post is about. They’re also a way to connect with other people who are interested in that topic. Best practices say to use about three to five hashtags per LinkedIn post and ensure they’re all relevant to the topic.

  1. Interact with Content in Your Industry

Are you following leaders in your industry? Keeping up with individuals who post thought-provoking content is a great way to discover and connect with others in your industry. It also enables you to stay on top of industry trends and share relevant information with other prospects. 

Leverage LinkedIn for Personal and Professional Growth

LinkedIn is a powerful sales and marketing tool that’s easy to use. If you’re looking for a way to optimize your profile or your employee’s profile, consider using LinkedIn’s Profile Level Meter to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your profile. Then, take some time to check out some lessons we learned from doubling Green Apple’s LinkedIn profile presence.

Meet The Team: Allison Gordon

With a passion for people and an interest in marketing, Allison Gordon is the perfect addition to our Green Apple team. In her role as an assistant client relations specialist, Allison supports the needs of our clients by managing many of the day-to-day responsibilities of implementing their marketing strategy. As a 6 on the Enneagram, Allison leverages her innate skills to complete tasks and meet all client requests. Her positive personality and her desire to overcome any obstacle make her an incredible asset at Green Apple.  Allison joined the team in 2022 while pursuing her MS in Marketing from the University of Alabama. After multiple years in the hospitality industry, Allison recognized the impact marketing could make and decided to pursue further education. She found Green Apple through a family friend and quickly realized this was the perfect place to add real-world experience to what she was learning in school. “I love that marketing is universal,” Allison explained when asked about what sparked her interest in the field. “No matter what industry you’re in or what type of message you’re trying to convey, you’re going to need marketing. It provides an opportunity for companies to get creative and be strategic in how they introduce and express themselves to the world in order to grow their business.” As a native of Franklin, TN, Allison enjoys spending time with my friends and family during her free time. Whether she’s trying new restaurants, exploring Nashville, going on walks, attending Titans games, or eating Jeni’s ice cream, Allison is up for just about anything as long as she has good company!

How to Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry

Climbers approaching mountaintop

Becoming a “thought leader” is an elusive goal that many business leaders and executives strive for. While some people may think of it as just another marketing buzzword, the reality of having a positive reputation for helping others with your knowledge and insight is important for every business leader.

We’ve been sharing content on thought leadership for years. The channels might have changed, but the opportunity to become a thought leader in your industry is just as possible today. 

Can Anyone Become a Thought Leader?

Before we dive into how to become a thought leader, let’s address a common misconception we hear from people: “I don’t have the time or connections to become a thought leader in the industry.”

While becoming a thought leader takes time and intentionality, the reality is that anyone can become a thought leader in their specific industry or niche. All you need is a willingness to do the work of codifying what you know and have the patience to build momentum over time.

4 Best Practices to Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry

So how do you become a thought leader? Here are a few simple best practices we encourage our clients to consider:

1. Stick with Your Message

The most effective thought leaders are known because they stick to a specific message. This makes it easier for people to discern what they do and why they’re doing it. Think about the key message you want to share, one that you would want to maintain as a consistent plumbline over the years. If you’re having trouble determining your unique message, you might want to consider the next point.

2. Discern Your Niche 

While you’re thinking about your brand, finish this sentence: The kind of presence I want to have when helping others is ____________________. The thought leaders who make the greatest impact are those who are committed to helping others achieve their goals. Think about what makes you unique and how you can leverage that as you develop your platform.

What’s your unique personality? Are you a generous encourager who wants to champion people in their work? Or are you a disrupter of the status quo who loves to challenge assumptions?

Are you better at providing long, drawn-out explanations? Or are you good at creating quick one-liners that get people thinking? Would you be open to speaking in public, or do you shrink at the idea?

Understanding your unique gifts and strengths will help you determine the way you build your thought leadership platform.

3. Choose the Right Platform  

If you want to get the most out of your thought leadership content, it’s important to consider how your audience consumes what you share.  To create the greatest impact, you need to meet your audience on the channels they use (social, email, etc.) with the type of content they prefer (written, audio, video). Don’t be afraid to use a mix of platforms and content types as you’re discerning this. The level of engagement you see can help you discern where your audience is and how they prefer to interact with your brand.

4. Share Genuine, Authentic Reflections

The thought leaders we celebrate most aren’t the ones who know it all, but the ones who show us they’re human and that they care. As you consider what to share, don’t be afraid to show your humanity by highlighting mistakes you’ve made and lessons you’ve learned.

5. Embrace (Effective) Storytelling 

Storytelling should be at the heart of every piece of thought leadership content you create. Telling a story engages your audience by giving them a specific example with measurable stakes. Stories also help your audience understand how your company’s products and services could help them solve a problem. It’s important to tell stories your customers actually want to hear. If your audience can’t see themselves in your brand’s story, it won’t resonate with them.  

Position Your Brand as An Industry Leader 

When it comes to becoming a thought leader, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. However, these tips will help you develop a strategy you can use to reach more people. Any effort will be worth it as it gives you a chance to help others, build your audience and grow your business. For more help positioning your brand as an industry leader, reach out to us to schedule a strategy session. 

How and Why You Should Upgrade to Google Analytics 4

google analytics results on cell phone

Last year, Google announced the most significant change in the history of Google Analytics: Google Analytics 4 (GA4). In essence, Google has been working to improve its analytics platform to provide a more powerful marketing tool that helps businesses make better decisions. Since the announcement, we’ve been walking our clients through the changes of how and why they should upgrade to Google Analytics 4.  

We recently interviewed Digital Marketing Strategist, Amanda Bihun, to get her take on why businesses should upgrade their analytics to GA4 and how to successfully implement it. Here are a few takeaways from that conversation. 

Why You Should Upgrade to Google Analytics 4

Reason #1:  Google Analytics 4 will become the primary platform soon.

The main reason to move to GA4 is that Google is no longer updating and supporting Universal Analytics. Just a couple of weeks ago, Google announced that Universal Analytics will officially stop processing data on July 1, 2023. At that point, we will all be forced to move to GA4. However, because the two platforms do not talk to each other, waiting to make the switch will keep you from accessing any legacy or historical data. The earlier you adapt to GA4 while still using Universal Analytics, the longer you have to build up that historical data. 

Why is this historical data important? Without it, you cannot show growth or decline. Numbers don’t have as much meaning without proper context. Capturing as much historical data as possible through GA4 will provide greater insights into the way the data changes over time. 

Reason #2: Google Analytics 4 provides advanced event tracking of goals and conversions.

GA4 is much more accurate and reliable in tracking goals because they are done through Google Tag Manager. This allows users to isolate an event specifically so we can determine how successful it was. For example, if you want to know how a specific email newsletter campaign worked to drive business development leads, that will be easier to do using Google Analytics 4. In Universal Analytics, goals were more loosely defined and often counted traffic to a page that wasn’t actually a lead or conversion. 

Reason #3: Google Analytics 4 provides more detailed engagement metrics.

GA4 got rid of bounce rates and other tactics we would use to try and measure engagement. Instead, it provides a standardized way to measure engagement rates and user engagement. This is important because overall success cannot only be measured by the number of people that visit the site. We need a more comprehensive view that connects the dots between how long they stay, how many pages they visit, what type of content they are consuming, what links they’re clicking on, and which forms they’re filling out. GA4’s updated metrics provide a new line of sight into how functional and user-friendly a website is and also how many people are interacting with it.

How to Upgrade to Google Analytics 4 

Before you officially make the switch to GA4, it’s important to understand your current analytics functionality and website capabilities. For example, are you setting up a new site or one that already exists? What type of site is it? That will help you set up and configure your new GA4 properly. Once you’ve determined those questions, here are a few helpful resources: 

  1. How to set up Google Analytics 4 on a new website or app

Already familiar with Google Analytics but want to set up Google Analytics 4 on a new website or app? Then this is the article for you!

  1. How to set up Google Analytics 4 on a CMS-hosted website

If you have a CMS-hosted website (like WordPress, Squarespace, or Shopify) and want to set up GA4, then this article will guide you through the process. 

  1. How to add Google Analytics 4 to a site that already has Analytics

Does your website already have Universal Analytics, and you’re ready to begin transitioning to GA4? This article outlines how to set up Google Analytics 4 alongside Universal Analytics

Taking analytics seriously is essential for developing a data-driven approach to marketing and business. If you have any questions about Google Analytics 4 or how to use it to create a more effective website, feel free to reach out to our team at any time. 

Why is Your LinkedIn Page Underperforming? (and How to Improve It)

A man checking his social media on a tablet

While social media trends have evolved over the past few years, LinkedIn is still the essential platform for marketing and business development growth, especially for B2B brands. Every marketing department and business development professional should take time to consider how to use the platform, especially if you’re concerned that your LinkedIn page is underperforming.

There are a few good reasons why a strong LinkedIn Page is absolutely essential. According to an article from Hubspot:

  • 4 out of 5 people on LinkedIn “drive business decisions”
  • Companies that post weekly on LinkedIn see a 2x higher engagement rate
  • 40% of B2B marketers surveyed indicated LinkedIn as the most effective channel for driving high-quality leads

Improving Your LinkedIn Presence Can Go a Long Way

Investing a little attention and effort into transforming an underperforming LinkedIn profile can make a tremendous difference for your brand. Not only do the statistics prove it, we know it from our own personal experience. Last year, our team at Green Apple decided to collaborate on a strategy that would enhance our LinkedIn company page.  

A year into our strategy, we’ve seen exponential growth:

  • Increasing our number of followers 5x in six months. 
  • Increasing our reactions by 4,872%.
  • Increasing the number of times someone shared our content  by 2,566% 

While we are constantly looking for new ways to improve our strategy, we’ve learned some valuable insights so far. Here are a few takeaways we discovered when it came to transforming an underperforming LinkedIn presence.

Common Reasons Your LinkedIn is Underperforming 

Here are a few common reasons a company might struggle to create results from their LinkedIn activity: 

  1. You haven’t identified your target audience and their daily challenges and obstacles.

One of the most common reasons a business doesn’t get a lot of traction on LinkedIn is because the content they’re creating doesn’t resonate with their audience. It’s important to consider how you want to add value to your audience when determining if you should be on any social platform — including LinkedIn. Without taking time to identify who you’re trying to reach and understand the challenges they face on a daily basis, you’ll likely waste a lot of time creating content no one cares to read. 

  1. You lack a plan that helps you create a consistent presence. 

It’s important to have a consistent presence for your brand on LinkedIn. We’ve all had the experience of stumbling upon a company LinkedIn profile that’s updated once a month or, worse, hasn’t been updated in months. Creating a LinkedIn presence but not maintaining it is often worse than not having one at all.

  1. You are taking a “hard sell” approach that isn’t working.

There are plenty of people who take a hard sell approach on LinkedIn. These are the people who are often pushy with their tactics or are only sharing sales-oriented content on their company page. While these efforts occasionally work, most of the time they do not.  As with most social networks, it’s important to embrace the motto, “always be helpful,” rather than overwhelming your followers with self-promotional content.   

  1. You are posting content, but you aren’t engaging with others.

LinkedIn serves as a platform to help business professionals connect and engage with one another. As such, it works best when you invest time interacting with others. If you’re posting regularly, but you aren’t getting the most out of your LinkedIn presence, it’s likely because you’re missing an opportunity to create more meaningful connections with your audience by engaging with their content as well. 

How to Enhance Your LinkedIn Presence to Achieve Results

If you’re looking to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level, here are a few keys we learned from our experience: 

  1. Optimize your profile

According to Hubspot, companies with an active LinkedIn page see 5x more page views than those with inactive pages. Any given LinkedIn page contains a series of subsections. Businesses should ideally fill all of these sections out completely, with the exception of the “Jobs” section if you aren’t hiring.

  1. Get your team involved in content creation.

Because LinkedIn is primarily a platform for business connections, your employees can play a critical role in broadening your reach and strengthening your network on the platform. Your LinkedIn marketing strategy should include involvement from your employees. For our team, that meant collaborating on content creation and being strategic in how we worked together to promote the posts Green Apple was sharing. Taking the time to develop a strategy for employee advocacy is an easy way for your organization to expand its reach on Linkedin. 

  1. Use a variety of videos and images to create higher visibility.

Adding custom images can get you twice as many comments on your posts. Additionally, sharing a video drives up your engagement rate by five times. Both highlight the fact that varying the type of content you post is a critical part of your LinkedIn marketing strategy.

  1. Constantly test ideas and analyze your efforts 

As with any marketing strategy, it’s important to test and optimize your efforts along the way. The native LinkedIn analytics data gives you an in-depth look at how your posts are performing. Schedule a time to check your performance data regularly and formulate strategies for improvement.

Turning Around Your Underperforming LinkedIn Page is Easier Than You Think

It doesn’t take magic to transform your LinkedIn presence. There are simple techniques you can use to optimize the power of LinkedIn. All it takes is a little attention and effort on the front end and a commitment to evaluate your efforts along the way. If you need guidance on turning LinkedIn into a lead generation tool, Green Apple can help. Let Green Apple Strategy craft an innovative approach to your social media channels so that you can start targeting and attracting new team members. Reach out to us today for a consultation.

Reflections & Celebrations as Green Apple Celebrates 10 Years

rings of a tree stump with one leaf

They say you can learn a lot about the life of a tree by studying the rings produced from each year of growth. We think the same can be said for a marketing agency. This year, Green Apple celebrates ten years as a full-service marketing agency in Nashville.

As in any business, the past decade has been filled with innumerable highs and some difficult lows. There have been pleasant surprises and unexpected challenges. The marketing world has evolved dramatically over the past ten years. COVID-19 drastically changed our world. All of these realities have shaped and impacted the way Green Apple has grown.

Recently, I had a moment to sit down and reflect on some of the most meaningful moments we’ve experienced since starting Green Apple Strategy. Here are ten of the most significant highlights and milestones from the past decade.

1. Creating an agency based on a long-term, strategic partnership approach. 

I worked in multiple marketing and PR agencies throughout my career — all of which had a specific niche for supporting clients. When I started Green Apple in 2012, I wanted to build something different. I wanted our agency to be a strategic partner for clients, not simply helping with their immediate needs. This approach has shaped everything we’ve done – from client onboarding to staffing — and has made a tremendous difference for both Green Apple and our clients.

2. Helping clients find their “story” and tell it effectively in the digital age. 

Storytelling has always been an important part of marketing and advertising. When Green Apple was founded in 2012, businesses were trying to navigate the new digital landscape. It was incredible to walk alongside our clients as they navigated how to tell their stories more effectively — creating dynamic websites, leveraging the power of social media, investing in content marketing as a way to draw potential customers into the brand.

3. Being able to constantly optimize our efforts and prove marketing’s impact on the bottom line. 

As marketing evolved, so did our ability to measure it. We were able to define key performance indicators that would make a tangible difference in our client’s bottom line and then make data-driven decisions. It is still an incredible feeling when we can sit down with a client and see the direct impact we had on their growth or work alongside them to evolve our strategy based on what we’re learning. 

4. Developing and evolving our partnerships with clients. 

The longevity we’ve had with clients is one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of. Because of our partnership approach, we’ve adapted our services for clients as their businesses evolve. Because of this, we have several clients that started with Green Apple when we were a young company.

5. Working alongside a team of good people. 

It’s almost impossible to say what’s made the most difference between our approach and our team. From the beginning, I wanted to create a stable agency for our employees. I wanted to provide and give our team as much as we did to our employees. I’m incredibly grateful for all the team members, past and current, who partnered to help make Green Apple a great place to work for the past ten years. I always believed that hiring good people who want to help will make a tremendous difference. After ten years, I’m more convinced of that than ever before.

6. Starting the Green Apple Orchard. 

From the beginning, I wanted to create “the Orchard” as a team of freelance specialists that could serve our clients by doing what they do best. The Orchard has transformed our ability to work with top talent and provide clients with a team built just for them based on their needs and goals.

7. Partnering, learning, and growing from an incredible network. 

You don’t grow a business by yourself. As I reflect on the past ten years, I’m incredibly grateful for all of the valuable connections and meaningful connections I’ve had. Grabbing lunch with a potential client after being recommended by a mutual friend is still one of my favorite activities. But it’s more than referrals – it’s also milestones like contributing to the national Business Journal network and joining an entrepreneurial coaching group, which have helped me grow and learn.  

8. Evolving our agency into a hybrid office model. 

Staying connected has always been an important value for our team. While we began testing a “hybrid” office model in 2019, COVID completely changed the game when everyone was asked to work remotely. It was a difficult decision at the moment, but shifting to a hybrid office has been one of the biggest game-changers for our agency. This has opened up our ability to hire really great talent from anywhere. Right now, we have full-time employees based in Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina.

9. Joining EO Nashville in 2019 & winning Best in Business in 2020. 

One of my personal goals was to achieve $1 million in revenue before our 10th anniversary. We were able to hit that milestone in 2019 — which has created an incredible opportunity to join EO Nashville. While Nashville has become an “it city” for big businesses, joining the EO has opened up an opportunity to connect and learn from other Nashville-based business owners who care about making a difference in our city. The following year we were honored as one of the best marketing agencies in Nashville. Both of these milestones are markers of many of the highlights from the rest of this list.

10. Navigating all of the challenges and complexities of the past two years. 

The pandemic has changed our lives ­— personally and professionally. Almost every business suffered somehow, and navigating the challenges with our clients was no easy task. While several clients had to pause their marketing efforts because of the pandemic, we’ve started working with them to regain their footing. While most agencies were forced to furlough or lay off staff, our team has actually grown. As I look back over the past two years, I’m incredibly grateful and proud of the way our team has navigated the challenges of the past two years.         

As I “study the rings” from Green Apple’s ten years in business, the overwhelming emotion is gratitude.

I want to thank all of my team members, Orchard contractors, clients, networking connections, and friends who have worked with or simply mentioned Green Apple over the past ten years. You have all carved your initials in our tree.

How to Craft Subject Lines to Boost Email Open Rates

mailbox with green filed in the background

Do you remember the last email you couldn’t resist opening versus one you deleted without a second thought? The difference usually lives in those first few words you read in the subject line. 

With inboxes flooded, privacy protections in full swing, and audience attention scarce, a well-crafted subject line is an essential part of an effective email marketing strategy.

At Green Apple Strategy, we’re always working alongside our clients to stay updated on the latest marketing trends. We sat down with Amanda Monroe, our email marketing specialist in The Orchard, to get her insights on effective email tactics. Here are a few reasons why Amanda says your email subject lines matter more than ever:

Your audience is flooded with emails every day. 

The average office worker receives around 121 emails a day. Your emails have serious competition when it comes to earning the attention of your audience. Your subject line is the primary driver of email openings, so it’s important to give  your audience a compelling  reason to click “open.”

Emails are still a direct line of communication. 

It has become increasingly difficult to stand out in your audience’s email inbox, but email is still the primary way you can stay top-of-mind for potential customers. In fact, 99% of email users check their inbox every day. Your email could be the first thing they see when they wake up, so you want to make sure it stands out.

Weak subject lines can impact deliverability rates. 

Here’s an important stat every marketer should know: 69% of email recipients report emails as spam after reading the subject line. If your subject line is considered spam, your deliverability for all other emails moving forward could suffer. Spam filters can cause your domain or IP address to be denied, affecting your email deliverability and sender reputation.

Mobile is the new desktop. 

Gone are the days when people primarily checked emails on their desktops. Today, over 40% of all emails are opened on mobile devices. This makes brevity especially important, as most phone screens only display a limited number of characters in a subject line.

A Modern Playbook for Standout Email Subject Lines

Now that we’ve outlined the importance of crafting the right subject line for your email, let’s talk about various tactics you can use. Here are a few different strategies we’re building into our approach:

A/B Test Your Way to Success.

Effective marketing is all about experimentation. This includes the subject lines you use in emails. We work with our clients to constantly experiment and analyze their subject line strategy through A/B testing. We compare open rates to understand why some subject lines are more effective than others. An A/B testing process is a good way to catalog insights and use them moving forward.

Personalize More Than Just a Name.

Personalized subject lines can be a great way to stand out. Today, that means going beyond just using the recipient’s first name. You can personalize by locality, interest, or their relation to a specific segment you’re targeting. This type of personalization is key to standing out and showing your audience that you’re speaking directly to them.

Use Human Speak.

In a sea of robotic (ahem, AI) and overly formal business emails, your subject line can stand out by sounding like it’s from a real person. Write in sentence case. Use clear and simple language. When your email reads like a message from a person, not a business or a robot, your audience is more likely to open it. It also helps to keep it at a simple reading level that matches your brand’s voice.

Entice the Open with Mystery, Urgency, or Humor.

Humans are naturally curious. We have a fear of missing out, and we love a good laugh. You can use these emotions to your advantage in your subject lines. Try using a clever question to spark curiosity. Use numbers to create a sense of urgency. Or, if you know your audience well, a witty joke can get your email opened and shared. Just don’t overdo it!

Embrace Exclusivity.

People like feeling like an insider. Find ways to incorporate that in your messaging. Use phrases like “early access,” “exclusive offer,” or “a special invite just for you.” This type of exclusivity messaging can make your audience feel valued. It also provides a compelling reason to open your email and take action.

Keep It Short and Sweet.

The most effective subject lines are typically no more than five or six words. This is a best practice that still holds up. Most people’s attention spans are short, and the majority of people are reading emails on their phones. Brevity is still your best friend.

What to Avoid: Subject Line Sins That Land You in the Spam Folder

Knowing what to do is only half the battle. Just as important is knowing what to avoid. Landing in the spam folder or losing your audience’s trust is a risk every time you hit “send.” Here’s a quick reference guide on what to stay away from:

  • ALL CAPS: It looks like you’re yelling at your audience. This can feel aggressive and is a major red flag for both email filters and human readers.
  • Excessive Punctuation: Using too many exclamation points (!!!) or question marks (???) can make your email look unprofessional and spammy. Stick to one or two for emphasis.
  • Spam Trigger Words: Words like “free,” “act now,” “win,” “cash,” or “limited-time offer” can instantly alert spam filters. Use them with caution.
  • Misleading Subject Lines: This is a surefire way to lose trust. Don’t use a subject line that’s a bait-and-switch. For instance, using a subject line like “Your Invoice Is Ready” for a sales email can harm your reputation and open rates over time.
  • Being Boring: You want to avoid spam, but also steer clear of being so generic that your email gets overlooked. A subject line like “Company Newsletter” or “Weekly Update” won’t encourage anyone to open. Be clear, but don’t be afraid to add a little personality.

The best subject lines are the ones that are both trustworthy and intriguing. By avoiding common mistakes, you’re already one step closer to earning your audience’s attention.

Email Subject Line Tools We Love

Not sure where to start? Our team uses a few different tools to help us brainstorm, test, and optimize our subject lines. Here are two of our favorites:

  • SubjectLine.com: This free tool analyzes your subject line and gives you a score based on various best practices, like length, word choice, and spam risk. It’s a quick way to get a sanity check before you hit send.
  • MailerLite Subject Line Tester: This subject line tester lets you compare different subject lines and get predictions on how they’ll perform, which can help you refine your ideas and A/B tests.

Digital Marketing Strategies That Stick

At the end of the day, subject lines are where audience attention begins, but they don’t guarantee engagement. Use them to open the door. Then your email’s content, relevance, and timing have to win the next rounds.

Ready for a digital marketing strategy that resonates with your audience and drives real results? Learn more about our strategic planning + content strategy services.