1. Become a resource and post useful content. - This may seem like an obvious point, but you’d be amazed at how a simple rule like this can sometimes go unnoticed. By posting content that is relevant to others, other pages on the Internet will link to your page, thus allowing you to become a resource of information. As long as people are linking to you because you’re useful, you will be in good shape. You can become a resource by posting regular blog posts, instructional pages about your product or what you do, and resource pages about how your website is useful within your industry.

2. Have a good site structure. - Just as you want your site visitor or customer to be able to find the pages they are looking for without digging around too much, search engines work much the same way. If you have an easy to navigate site, then a search engine is more likely to index it properly. Use page hierarchies to group your pages into categories and sub-categories, and also have relevant links. Avoid having too many links on your homepage, as this will cause clutter. Instead, only link to the pages that you want to show off.

3. Ensure that your website is fast. – While it may seem like a long-term uphill battle, ensure that your website is fast. People will leave a website if it is loading slowly, and Amazon has stated that every tenth of a second of increased load time resulted in a 1% drop in sales. There are many ways to make sure your website is fast, including Image optimization, javascript and CSS consolidation, minification, caching and compression. Talk to your web developer, or brush up on these skills yourself.

4. Use Hyperlinks - Link to your page, and link when it’s relevant. Google looks at the keywords that you are hyperlinking on your page, and will increase your ranking based on these words. For example, instead of saying click here to learn more about SEO ” you should say: Read more about SEO (Search Engine Optimization).” Also, hyperlink internally. Add links to older blog posts within new ones, and you will spread your information further, and increase page results for those older blog posts.

Do a bit or resource, and test out some of these tips. With a little bit of time and effort, rest assured you will see your Google ranking increase. Need help with your marketing strategy? Contact us today, we can help.

The first video in the series released last month, features women describe themselves to a forensic artist as he draws their description without ever looking at them. Strangers are then asked to describe the same woman to the same forensic artist. The results are two very different pictures, revealing just how different we see ourselves than others see us. The series of vidos are titled The Dove Self Esteem Project.

The web-only three minute commercial has been viewed more then 53 million times on YouTube, and has become a certifiable viral video. The videos have received mixed reviews, with AdWeek calling it “one of the most original and touching experiments to come from the Campaign for Real Beauty in ages.” Where others have dismissed the video as playing into gender stereotypes and pointed out the subversiveness of exploiting people’s flaws to sell a beauty product.

Despite the criticism, this ad has all of the qualities of some of the best work out there. There is no point in the commercial that you feel you are being sold something, and instead you are given a feeling of self-empowerment. So what do you think? What are your reactions to the video? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @ladderupvan

1. Custom Audiences – Facebook allows you to input your own data (such as your own  email list) and target these people with ads on Facebook, even if they aren’t your fans on Facebook. These people are already most likely receiving email marketing from you, so this is a great way to showcase your marketing materials to them through a different avenue. This is a great way to create facebook ads that are custom made to those who have already interacted with your brand on the web.

2. Lookalike Audiences - If you are a small business, however, your email list may not be that large, and you may want to expand your audience for the purposes of Facebook advertising. Another thing to consider is that people sometimes use a different email address for Facebook than they do for other things on the web.

Lookalike audiences will look at your Custom Audience, and will come up with a new list of people, based on the interests and demographics of your already inputted custom audience. This will allow you to expand your reach on Facebook, even if you don’t already have a huge email list.

3. Conversion Tracking – One of the biggest features of advertising on Facebook is the ability to measure your ROI, and knowing the analytics of the return on your invest can be a very good thing. Tracking these conversions from a Facebook ad to your website will give you the hard numbers of how many leads or conversions you generated from a Facebook advertising campaign. This is done from the Ads Manager section of Facebook. 

Heres’s how you access these features:

When it comes to web marketing, there are websites out there that allow you to look at your competitors data, in order for you to better understand your own. This data can sometimes give you a few competitive insights.

Here are a few competitive analysis tools that will allow you to see what your competitors (or just other websites’) are up to:

1. Search Engine Performance - Searchmetrics Essentials - Type in the domain name of your competitor, and you can find out what phrases they are ranking for, and how high they are ranking. It will also show you their AdWords advertising budgets, and their top ranked words and phrases for SEO.

2. Link Popularity - Majestic SEO - When someone ranks highly in Google or other search engines, it’s usually a factor of link popularity. This means that a site with more links has “domain authority”, and will outrank you in Google. Type in your competitor’s domain name, and you will find their domain authority. If you find yourself competing with a site that has such authority in Google, then try targeting very specific phrases to become relevant. These specific phrases will target  different traffic, and you will rank higher.

3. Traffic Activity - Alexa.com - Your Alexa ranking can be seen as your overall popularity on the Internet. Enter any website to see traffic estimates, pages per visit, time on site, bounce rate, and percentage of traffic from search engines. This information can be very valuable,  and interesting (google.com is#1 and Facebook.com is #2).

Canada’s Top Brands

Every year Canadian Business releases its survey of the top Canadian and International brands as ranked by Canadians. Based on seven different criteria such as products, innovation, services, leadership, citizenship, performance, governance, and workplace, the survey shows us which brands Canadians feel most strongly about.

This years survey ranked 100 multinational brands, and of those one hundred, the survey showed several canadian brands rising up the ranks. Of all the Canadian businesses in this years survey, however, one well-known brand rose to the top. Tim Horton’s, Canada’s favourite coffee shop, ranked number one as Canada’s most loved brand. But is it more than just coffee and dougnuts that make this company Canada’s favourite?

With so many Canadian brands creating unique and identifiable brands for themselves, the survey points to Tim Hortons community involvement being the key to their success. With the Tim Hortons Foundation creating hockey sponsorships, summer camps, and community projects, they have established themselves in many of the communities around the country. It is this grassroots involvement that has created a personal and emotional connection to the brand around the country.

It is this emotional involvement within the community that Tim Horton’s has created, and as a result, they rank highly on all seven criteria that the survey analyzed.

So what can we take away from this research? The survey tells us that brand identity is much more than the products or services you are offering. It involves a macro approach that encompasses most importantly the emotional connection your customers feel to your brand. Tim Hortons’ brand identity moves far beyond just coffee and doughnuts, and because of that, they are Canada’s most favourite brand – and their drive through lineups speak for themselves.

The Background

The Industrial Plastics Industry is one that is always changing, and forever growing. As one of the leading builder and fabricators of custom parts, Redwood has developed a reputation as a progressive and dynamic brand. Their mission is to support their long-standing relationships through respectful and ethical interaction with their customers and suppliers, and always strive for 100% customer satisfaction. Redwood is committed to bringing new plastics solutions to a variety of industries, as well as their technical expertise and experience to all of the products and industries they work in.

The plastics industry has been around for a long time, but it has always competed with traditional industrial building supplies such as wood, steel and laminates. Because of this, it is the role of a plastics company to educate their customers on the benefits of a “plastic solution” and why choosing plastics is a more reliable and cost effective solution in a variety of building and industrial applications.

First Steps

There are many important reasons for replacing traditional materials with plastics, and it was our goal to highlight this in all of the marketing material that we produced in conjunction with Redwood. We started by creating Case Studies, Brochures, and Infosheets that would be easily accessible through the website and freely available online. We decided to become not only an advocate of Redwood Plastics, but of the plastics industry as a whole. Through thought leadership, we would shift the tide of traditional thinking in terms of building materials.

Casting a wide net

Redwood Plastics is active in many industries, and can make custom parts for a variety of applications. Because of this, we needed to highlight the variety of industries that Redwood works in. We created an easy to navigate website with custom designs that highlighted the different industries that Redwood is active in. From mining, to transport, to agriculture, we created documentation and resources that would benefit someone in any industry. By doing this we positioned Redwood as not only a resource of information within the industry, but a thought leader in terms of the new technologies for these industries.

Design and Execution

Redwood required a unique marketing campaign that was as dynamic as the industry. We began with custom branding and graphic design that was showcased through a website that hosted the large caches of information needed to display. We worked with the existing marketing team to create a series of videos that showcased the different applications of Redwood’s products.

Thought Leadership

It was important that we positioned Redwood Plastics as a thought leader in not only the Plastics Manufacturing space, but also the related industried and ancillary activities that surrounded the brand. To spearhead this, we created a section of the website titled “Tools, Guides, and Data“. This section hosts a series of information from technical data sheets on plastics materials, to plastics comparisons charts, to a blog that would be routinely updated with plastics news and tips (and also SEO purposes). Together, these sections provided a voice for the company to lead discussions and curate a community within the industry. We even added a section for “Do it yourself” plastic projects and ideas that are dedicated to new and neat ways to use plastics materials at home.

In the End 

By working with an existing team in an already established industry, we were able to create a fully integrated marketing strategy that was uniquely catered to this brand. Redwood continues to maintain itself as a resource for information in it’s industry, and continues to be one of the biggest promotors, manufacturers, and suppliers of plastics parts and materials.

Have an idea for your company? We can create custom campaigns as big or as small as you need it. Call or email us today.

Living the life of an Entrepreneur is filled with excitement, challenges, and rewards. It is fast-paced, and offers unique obstacles every day that require quick decision making, and important choices. While the life of an entrepreneur can be stressful, it requires you to keep a keen finger on the pulse at all times.

Like any leader, or those in a leadership role, having a vision is key to lead a team of people, or an idea, to success. Here we outline some ways you can remain a strong leader at every step in your success.

1. Avoid excess and don’t get ahead of yourself - While a growing company or project is an exciting venture, never get ahead of yourself. Set targets and measure your growth. Know how much resources you have based on your current success, and allow for growth based on those results. When you have hit your targets, then allow yourself to hire that new employee.

2. Be  punctual and lead by example - Good leaders manage their time well and are punctual for meetings. Having said that, don’t assume that if someone else is late that this is an indication of disrespect. Assume a reason for one’s lateness, and accept an apology, then, don’t be late.

3. Check your pride – While a healthy ego will help you bang the drum for your company, no one likes a loudmouth. Champion your company’s success, but don’t over do it by bragging. By showing your successes with humility, you will gain the respect of your peers.

4. Control your passion - While passion is critical for every entrepreneur, uncontrolled passion can lead to irrational decision making and lashing out at those around you. Control your emotions but still embrace your passion for your business, and you will remain constructive and a gracious leader.

We’re well into the new year, and while we may have made some ambitious plans for 2013, it’s possible that in the three months since we rang in the new year, we may have veered off the course a bit. Every April I like to take a look at the goals I made for the New Year, and make an assessment of where I stand on those goals.

Here are some steps you can take today to propel your professional career:

1. Do a personal assessment – Take a look at your personal goals for the year, and make an assessment of how far you have progressed. Make an objective report of yourself before you have a review with a senior level official, and you will already have the answers of your own status before someone asks them of you. Make the changes now, and keep moving forward.

2. Get some buy-in – Whether it is your own personal goals, or the goals you have set in your professional life, get some buy-in from senior executives, or even your co-workers. Stay on top of trends and technology, and present your ideas to your seniors (if you work at a company, share your forward-thinking ideas with your manager of senior executives). To have your ideas championed by a senior executive is a powerful thing, and having this approval or buy-in will be a key factor at every stage of your career.

3. Create S.M.A.R.T objectives - Diez-Aguirre stresses the importance of ‘SMART’ objectives – those that are strategic, memorable, achievable, realistic and timescaled. Consider your professional goals often, and adjust them accordingly. Don’t wait until you have a “review”.

4. Know your audience – Consider the top partners or relationships that will help you get ahead in your career, regardless of department of role. Make an assessment of these relationships, and nurture them based on importance. Remember, being a nice person is never a bad thing, and having allies will serve you well in your career.

5. Be visible – Even if you are reaching every target and personal goal you set for yourself, no one will know about it unless you let them know! Be visible in your company or professional life, and your achievements are sure to shine. Ask for feedback from those you would least expect it from. Their honest opinion will show when you’ve done a great job, and will show others how great you’re doing too.

Overall, make an honest assessment of yourself and your goals, and keep up with your personal action plan. Those around you will see the fruits of your labour, and your professional career will propel to new heights.

Need help with your social media, website, or marketing campaign? We can help. Contact ladderup today.

Sugar Cookies and Confections is unique company. As one of Vancouver’s only custom-made sugar cookie companies, Sugar has quickly established established itself as a leader in this niche market. A locally owned and operated company, Sugar Vancouver has a loyal customer base serving weddings, businesses, and parties alike. Quite simply, Sugar has an amazing product, and we saw the potential to showcase their unique voice, and expand their customer base through killer marketing.

It Started With an Idea

Like all great ideas, the best ones come when you least expect it. Starting from a holiday baking tradition with friends, Sugar Vancouver was born out the desire to bake the perfect Sugar Cookie. Simple yet delicious, this small company starts with a great product. Each cookie is perfectly baked, and hand-iced. Combined with the unique artistic flare of each cookie, we saw the many potential applications.

Go to Market

The strategy for the cookies was simple. Make a great product that is thoughtful, custom, and quality. Remain customer-centric, and go above and beyond to create cookies that would wow any sweets skeptic.

The local nature of the business meant that we could keep our voice personable and fun, while at the same time, making custom cookies for everything from weddings, holidays, car-dealerships and more. The marketing strategy would remain completely centred around the product, showcased through professional photos and and a great website.

The Package

As a part of the entire marketing package, we created custom logos, graphics, business cards and rack cards that would complement the well-designed cookies themselves. Cookies can be bought as part of a themed box set, or individually wrapped. The themes and custom logos are present throughout the entire product from the website, to the cookies themselves. We kept a focus on exceptional branding and design that is consistent throughout every product Sugar offers. The result is a personal touch and attention to fine detail that shows in every aspect of the product.

Social Selling

We knew the platform to sell the product was going to be important. We wanted to create an intuitive interface that showcased the many different cookies on offer, but was also easy to use and fun to browse. We used a web format that allowed for integration with a selling platform that was easy to use and secure. We added social buttons so users could share the images of the cookies, and a checkout process that was sleek and efficient. The website is integrated with the company’s Flickr stream, allowing for the hosting of high quality images.

Sweet Success

Combined with an active blog, a great website, a strong facebook and twitter community, and an overall fantastic product, Sugar is a great example of small business success.

Have an idea or product? Need some help marketing your small business? We can help! Call or email us today.

GS Sales Case Study

Just like people, every company has a unique personality. At Ladderup, we understand that your company has different marketing needs, and that you will need a custom made approach to reach your goals. In the first of a series of case studies, we take a look at the website redesign for GS Sales, a plastics manufacturing sales company.

First, a little background. GS Sales sells plastic stock shapes, fabricated parts, and welding equipment from some of the world’s best manufacturers of plastic materials. They are a family business run by George Southard, a plastics sales expert with over 30 years in the business.

George’s company is a local organization with a global approach. He sells and distributes product for some of the world’s leading plastics manufacturing companies, while at the same time handling all of the sales and customer service himself, while his wife Connie takes care of the books.

George came to us needing a new website and social media strategy. Because of his B2B customer base, George needed a website that was clean and informative, while at the same time focusing on the product he’s selling. He needed a website that was lean, effective, and efficient – much like his company.

GS SALES, BEFORE

GS Sales Before

The old website was clunky and confusing, with messy code and a confusing layout. We came up with a plan that would clean up the site, and give George’s customers and distributors something awesome to look at and engage with.

We converted the site from a costly CMS system to a wordpress platform. With this conversion and some sleek graphic design elements, we streamlined the navigation, made changes to content to increase SEO, and added social media platforms to showcase the work and create leads.

The new platform made it easier for clients to find information on the products distributors, and also allowed for increased engagement by providing resources and access to platforms that are plugged into the plastics manufacturing unique community around the world.

GS SALES, AFTER

GS Sales After

After the unveiling of the new site, we began to see the benefits immediately. A higher engagement ratio with a positive bounce rate allowed visitors for a greater experience. Optimized for mobile, the site also allowed potential customers to get in touch quickly.

The new blogging platform allowed for fresh content to be generated on the site on an ongoing basis. This increased the SEO rankings of the site, and allowed for better searchability on the web.

The result? A customized site based on the unique needs of our customer.

Not All Sites Are Created Equal

We understand that each customer is unique based on their market and their needs. Our goal is to understand what your needs are, and develop a strategy to help you create something beautiful that works. Feel free to call or email us to discuss our range of services to help you today.