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00:38:20','2017-06-22 23:38:20','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3133/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3134,0,'2017-06-23 13:42:21','2017-06-23 12:42:21','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3134','','','2017-06-23 13:42:21','2017-06-23 12:42:21','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3134/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3135,0,'2017-06-23 20:32:32','2017-06-23 19:32:32','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3135','','','2017-06-23 20:32:32','2017-06-23 19:32:32','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3135/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3136,0,'2017-06-23 20:32:51','2017-06-23 19:32:51','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3136','','','2017-06-23 20:32:51','2017-06-23 19:32:51','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3136/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3137,0,'2017-06-26 12:19:56','2017-06-26 11:19:56','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3137','','','2017-06-26 12:19:56','2017-06-26 11:19:56','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3137/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3138,0,'2017-06-26 12:20:19','2017-06-26 11:20:19','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3138','','','2017-06-26 12:20:19','2017-06-26 11:20:19','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3138/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3140,2,'2017-06-27 15:26:28','2017-06-27 14:26:28','The headline of a recent article <a href=\"http://uk.businessinsider.com/companies-are-cutting-out-ad-agencies-and-going-in-house-2017-6?r=US&amp;IR=T\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published in Business Insider</a> asserts that “the future of ad agencies has never been more in doubt.”\r\n\r\nIt tells the story of how Booking.com is getting rid of its advertising agency in favour of hiring in-house.\r\n\r\nAuthor Mike Shields connects Booking.com’s decision to the declining growth of the ad agency, suggesting that the traditional agency approach is no longer effective.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UT-rn5Tv1E4\" width=\"660\" height=\"415\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n<small>Video courtesy of <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCde5lyhz54IYdyrbGA5F5rg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Booking.com</a><small></small></small>\r\n\r\nAgency clients can get more value for a lower price by hiring in-house, or by bringing in boutique firms or independent contractors to perform work on a short-term basis.\r\n\r\nTo make matters worse, Shields points to a <a href=\"http://adage.com/article/agency-news/ana-k2-find-evidence-pervasive-agency-rebate-collection/304347/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report from the Association of National Advertisers</a> that caused overall trust in agencies to suffer.\r\n\r\nThe report led many businesses to develop skepticism for agency reports on ad spending and revenue earnings.\r\n\r\nTo overcome these new trends, marketing and advertising agencies must <strong>evolve</strong>.\r\n\r\nThe foundation for that evolution is paved by providing what clients really want from agencies.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By providing clients with the five things they really want (even if they don’t yet know they want them) agencies can definitively prove their value, eliminate trust issues, and overcome declining growth rates</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Expertise: The Agency of the Future Is Focused</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reign of massive, full-service, cross-industry agencies is coming to an end. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, businesses are turning to consulting companies, smaller niche agencies, and independent contractors when specialised expertise is needed.</span>\r\n\r\nIn his final episode for Hubstaff’s Agency Advantage Podcast, Andy Baldacci <a href=\"http://blog.hubstaff.com/andy-baldacci-agency-system/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discussed his overall learnings</a> from the interviews he conducted of 77 agency owners.\r\n\r\nHis number one tip for agencies: develop a narrow position.\r\n\r\nDon’t specialise in digital marketing for small businesses.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/content-marketing/agency-content-marketing-in-2017/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Specialise in content marketing</a> for business-to-business companies in the financial sector, or building <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/how-to-start-a-marketing-agency/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">websites for law firms</a>, or search engine optimisation for hotels in your local area.\r\n\r\nDevelop a distinct and detailed position:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Who you serve.</li>\r\n 	<li>What you do for clients.</li>\r\n 	<li>Why your agency is different.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBaldacci says that agencies resist positioning, because they’re afraid choosing a niche is too limiting, but he argues that you don’t need hundreds of clients to <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/growing-a-seven-figure-agency/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">build a large agency</a>.\r\n\r\nWhat you need is the ability to charge a small number of clients more money for the services you offer.\r\n\r\nPositioning creates expertise, and expertise justifies higher costs.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3146\" style=\"border: 4px solid #eeeeee; padding: 3px; margin: 3px;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-5-Things-Clients-Really-Want-from-Marketing-Agencies-www.ruleranalytics.com_-2.png\" alt=\"The 5 Things Clients Really Want from Marketing Agencies - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"704\" height=\"157\" />\r\n<small>Transcript from <a href=\"https://twitter.com/andybaldacci\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andy Baldacci</a> on 6 Steps to Building the Agency of your Dreams.<small></small></small>\r\n\r\nIf you’re the only agency offering SEO specifically to local hotels, no other agency can compete with your expertise, and clients will be willing to pay more for that expertise.\r\n\r\nBy choosing a niche and becoming an expert, you can have fewer clients who are willing to pay higher amounts because you’re offering a specialised service that no full-service agency can compete with.\r\n\r\nThis also allows you to operate with fewer employees and lower operational costs.\r\n\r\nYou don’t need a variety of employees who are experts at all, potential digital marketing services for all potential industries.\r\n\r\nYou only need experts for the specific service you offer, and by focusing on that service within a specific niche, employees will get to know your focus industry in great detail.\r\n\r\nThe agency of the future is smaller and more specialised.\r\n\r\nChoose a niche, and become an expert.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>2) Value: What Clients Really Want from Agencies</h3>\r\nToo often, agencies operate as order-takers.\r\n\r\nClients submit requests, and agencies fulfIl those requests. A client wants a new website, so the agency builds it.\r\n\r\nA client wants content for their blog, so the agency supplies content.\r\n\r\nThe problem with this model is that you’re delivering a product, but you’re not necessarily delivering value.\r\n\r\nWhen a client comes to you with a request, it’s not enough to simply fulfil the request.\r\n\r\nYou need to dig deeper.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3144\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-5-Things-Clients-Really-Want-from-Marketing-Agencies-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.gif\" alt=\"The 5 Things Clients Really Want from Marketing Agencies - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"386\" />\r\n\r\nFind out why they want. What they’re asking for.\r\n\r\nThe answer will always be that the client is trying to solve a business problem, maybe they want more leads, need to increase revenue, or are trying to attract a different demographic.\r\n\r\nThe prospect or client may have gotten the idea for the solution they’re requesting from something they read online, but it may not be the best solution to their problem.\r\n\r\nThe job of the agency is to take time to understand the underlying problem and provide solutions that are likely to solve it.\r\n\r\nIt’s this exercise that allows agencies to provide real value, not the ongoing completion of randomly requested tasks.\r\n\r\nFor example, a B2B company may ask you to create a Snapchat profile and marketing strategy.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/dojH3qDUkh8\" width=\"660\" height=\"415\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n<small> Video courtesy of <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOEMEjL1GBJ41uCWur5VXWQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#ASKGARYVEE</a></small>\r\n\r\nIf you dig deeper and find out why, it may be because the CEO of the company read that other businesses saw success with social media marketing on Snapchat.\r\n\r\nYou can then provide demographic information for the channel to show why Snapchat won’t provide the desired ROI.\r\n\r\nIt’s primarily used by high schoolers and college-aged students who aren’t making purchasing decisions for businesses, and suggest alternative strategies that will lead to increased ROI.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2015/03/23/annual-effies-survey-clients-want-agencies-help-with-business-strategy-and-agencies-want-in/#7c65a77930bd\">More than half of clients</a> say that what they want from agencies is help with business strategy and consumer insight, but it’s easy for clients to lose track of those goals when executing on day-to-day tasks.\r\n\r\nInstead, the agency of the future must take the lead, seek to understand the problem clients are trying to solve with requests, and use their expertise to offer alternative solutions that will drive real value.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>3) Simplicity: The Key to Client Satisfaction</h3>\r\nOne of the reasons leading to Booking.com’s decision to replace their agency with in-house employees was to overcome the delays of working with an agency.\r\n\r\nWhen they wanted to request a change, they’d have to schedule meetings with multiple agency contacts weeks in advance.\r\n\r\nWhen clients want to make changes or need assistance, complex team structures and long delays in response are detrimental.\r\n\r\nModern life is instantaneous.\r\n\r\nWhen people have questions, they turn to their phones or smart speakers for instant answers.\r\n\r\nThat simplicity and convenience has become commonplace, making delays and complications more frustrating than they were in the past.\r\n\r\nClients seek simplicity.\r\n\r\nThey want a primary point of contact and reasonable response times.\r\n\r\nGoing back to expertise, having fewer clients that pay higher rates makes it simpler to give clients the attention they need in the moment they need it.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3151\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-5-Things-Clients-Really-Want-from-Marketing-Agencies-www.ruleranalytics.com_-4.gif\" alt=\"The 5 Things Clients Really Want from Marketing Agencies - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"702\" height=\"274\" />\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, if you’re trying to manage hundreds of clients, you’ll have an exponentially higher number of questions and requests, as well as more team members that must be involved with changes.\r\n\r\nThis creates complexity and delays, encouraging clients to seek simpler solutions.\r\n\r\nProvide clients with a primary point of contact, and set standards for response times.\r\n\r\nThis will simplify the relationship between clients and your agency and amplify client satisfaction.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>4) Trust: The Best Way to Increase Client Retention</h3>\r\nTrust is the product of accurate, detailed, and verifiable reporting.\r\n\r\nFirst, clients need detailed reports on why certain marketing activities and campaigns were chosen. If you decided to focus on email marketing instead of SEO, explain the reasoning for that decision in a report.\r\n\r\nIf it’s more cost effective, say so.\r\n\r\nIf it’s been proven over time to drive more leads than organic search, provide a report that proves it.\r\n\r\nDon’t say—show.\r\n\r\nThe same holds true for reporting on results.\r\n\r\nClients should receive detailed reports that explain what was done, why it was done, and what the results are, and they should have access to the analytics platform you’re using so they can validate the accuracy of the reports.\r\n\r\nIn all likelihood, your clients won’t bother to validate reports, but providing them with the means to do so gives them confidence that the numbers you’re reporting are accurate.\r\n\r\nIt is only through transparency that trust is earned.\r\n\r\nTake the time to provide detailed reports that highlight the ROI of your efforts in a manner that’s unquestionable.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>5) Data: Proving the Value Your Agency Provides</h3>\r\nEffective marketing follows the <a href=\"http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml\">scientific method</a>:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Ask a question.</li>\r\n 	<li>Do background research.</li>\r\n 	<li>Construct a hypothesis.</li>\r\n 	<li>Test the hypothesis.</li>\r\n 	<li>Analyse data and draw conclusions.</li>\r\n 	<li>Communicate results.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nData is required for the background research (i.e. market research) needed to develop a hypothesis, and data is required to prove or disprove that hypothesis and communicate results.\r\n\r\nThe marketing agency of the future relies on data.\r\n\r\nIt needs technology that enables capturing and reporting on the data used to propose solutions, test them, revise them, and determine effectiveness.\r\n\r\nThe right technology enables <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/closed-loop-marketing/\">closed-loop marketing</a>, the connection of revenue back to the campaigns that generated it.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3148\" style=\"border: 3px solid #eeeeee; padding: 4px; margin: 3px;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-5-Things-Clients-Really-Want-from-Marketing-Agencies-www.ruleranalytics.com_-3.png\" alt=\"The 5 Things Clients Really Want from Marketing Agencies - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"413\" />\r\n\r\nSending clients reports on leads generated and traffic increases isn’t enough.\r\n\r\nThey want to know how your agency is helping grow their business, and increased leads and traffic don’t highlight the impact of marketing on the business’s bottom line.\r\n\r\nSuccessful agencies use tools that enable marketing attribution, and they give their clients access to those tools for transparency.\r\n\r\nThey also teach clients to use those tools to form their own insights and opinions, and they’re there to answer questions when the client is struggling to utilise the tool.\r\n\r\nThe data provides proof of the value your agency delivers, and proof of the success or failure of campaigns.\r\n\r\nThe tools also create long-term demand for your services.\r\n\r\nIf clients consider you an expert with the tools they’ve grown to rely on, they’ll be more likely to continue using your services on an ongoing basis, even if the extent of their needs is tied to help with the tools you’ve recommended.\r\n\r\nData allows you to highlight the benefit of your expertise with detailed and data-driven case studies.\r\n\r\nIt allows you to prove the value you provide and earn trust through detailed and actionable reports.\r\n\r\nIt’s the foundation of client satisfaction and retention in modern business.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Putting These Client Retention Strategies in Place</h3>\r\nWhat clients think they want and what they really want from marketing agencies are often two different things.\r\n\r\nClients might think they want your agency to execute on requested tasks.\r\n\r\nAlthough, what they really want is to benefit from your agency’s expertise, to derive value from your ability to recommend proven solutions to their most complicated business problems.\r\n\r\nTo trust and validate that value and ROI are being delivered.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3150\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-5-Things-Clients-Really-Want-from-Marketing-Agencies-www.ruleranalytics.com_-3.gif\" alt=\"The 5 Things Clients Really Want from Marketing Agencies - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"333\" />\r\n\r\nThey want all of this to be simple and convenient—not another tax on company resources.\r\n\r\nIf you only focus on one thing, start with data.\r\n\r\nData can provide you with the tools to choose a focused niche, to prove value and gain trust with existing clients, and to increase client retention.\r\n\r\nIt’s the foundation of modern business, and the starting point for eradicating doubt about the future of the agency 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17:16:19','2017-07-05 16:16:19','When we started Ruler Analytics, my co-founder Dan and I already had plenty of years of experience selling to businesses behind us.\r\n\r\nWe couldn’t help but feel that with a great product, the sales would be flocking in, and we’d be hitting the ground running in no time.\r\n\r\nWe know what it takes to <a href=\"https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/2016/07/ruler-analytics-to-expand-team-following-second-6-figure-investment/\">find customers and sell to them</a>.\r\n\r\nNetworking, reaching out, and becoming part of our local business community had always been methods we could rely on.\r\n\r\nBut Ruler Analytics was different.\r\n\r\nRuler was our first time building commercial software to scale.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3192\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-we-double-revenue-with-predictable-revenue-www.ruleranalytics.jpg\" alt=\"How we double revenue with predictable revenue - www.ruleranalytics\" width=\"700\" height=\"408\" />\r\n\r\n<small>Previous version of the Ruler Analytics dashboard 2013</small>\r\n\r\nUnlike our previous experience, growing Ruler Analytics didn’t mean getting 10, 20 or 50 customers.\r\n\r\nIt meant getting thousands. And for all our confidence, the idea of having to find and convince thousands of people that our product was the right solution for them was unchartered territory.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Getting Our Initial Customer Base</h3>\r\nLuckily, our previous experience has always been in the marketing sector, so there was some crossover with the audiences we’d previously built and the market we were aiming at with Ruler Analytics.\r\n\r\nReaching out to people we already had relationships with provided us with our initial handful of users.\r\n\r\nThis was straightforward.\r\n\r\nThe idea for the product had been a result of the consistent need for a solution that provides more clarity around the business value of marketing.\r\n\r\nFor a lot of people we worked with, simply reporting on an arbitrary figure like conversions wasn’t enough.\r\n\r\nThey wanted to know <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/visitor-journeys/\">who the person was</a>, how they’d contacted the company, and how much revenue their campaigns were contributing. But this pool of people was quickly saturated, and with the cost of advertising beyond our means.\r\n\r\nWe’d bootstrapped Ruler Analytics out of our own pockets for the majority of it’s life.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3181\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-Ruler-Analytics-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_.gif\" alt=\"How Ruler Analytics Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"315\" />\r\n\r\n<small>Latest version of the Ruler Analytics dashboard </small>\r\n\r\nWe had to turn to ways outside of our usual methods to turn our start-up into the thriving business it is today.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Scaling Our Customer Acquisition</h3>\r\nIn their book, Predictable Revenue: <a href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Predictable-Revenue-Business-Practices-Salesforce-com/dp/0984380213\">Turn Your Business Into a Sales Machine with the $100 Million Best Practices of Salesforce.com</a>, co-authors Aaron Ross and Marylou Tyler wrote:\r\n<blockquote>An important part of enjoying work in a company, whether you’re an executive or an employee, comes from creating predictable income and sales, and freeing yourself and your team from the day-to-day slog of constantly wondering where each new customer will come from.</blockquote>\r\nThis book introduced the concept of predictable revenue: the idea that a company’s sales framework should be based on a process and formula, not sweat and guesswork.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3196\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/predictable-revenue-guide-to-tripling-your-sales-part-1-intro-customer-success-6-638.jpg\" alt=\"How We Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"526\" />\r\n\r\nInstead of marketing and selling to all potential customers, predictable revenue advocates:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Using data to identify promising customer segments.</li>\r\n 	<li>Focusing marketing and sales efforts on those segments.</li>\r\n 	<li>Transitioning from random revenue spikes to ongoing revenue generation.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBy following the principles of predictable revenue, companies can achieve consistent year-over-year revenue growth.\r\n\r\nIn fact, Ross used predictable revenue at <a href=\"http://www.salesforce.com\">Salesforce.com</a> to increase revenue by $100 million, then taught the idea to other companies - Responsys, WPromote, and HyperQuality.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/olH8Yf_aMfI\" width=\"660\" height=\"415\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nResulting in doubled or even tripled new revenue growth.\r\n\r\nAt Ruler Analytics, we’ve recently implemented the <a href=\"http://predictablerevenue.com/\">predictable revenue process</a>, and it’s enabled us to add the same number of customers in the first half of 2017 as we did for the whole of 2016.\r\n\r\nHere’s how we did it.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=13]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Step 1: We Formalised Our Sales Process</h3>\r\nBefore adopting predictable revenue, our sales process mirrored some of the ineffective processes Ross describes in his book.\r\n\r\nOur sales activity was ad hoc and unfocused.\r\n\r\nWe used tools like <a href=\"https://trello.com/\">Trello</a> to record and reach out to leads, but it was chaotic and unproductive.\r\n\r\nThe first thing we did was move to a <a href=\"https://www.pipedrive.com/\">customer relationship management (CRM) platform</a>.\r\n\r\nThe CRM we chose was Pipedrive, because it was both affordable and easy to use.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3182\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_.gif\" alt=\"How We Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"397\" />\r\n\r\nPipedrive allowed us to access detailed reports on sales team interactions with leads and customers.\r\n\r\nWe could identify where leads were falling through the cracks, losing us revenue, and we could also quantify leads to determine our most valuable opportunities.\r\n\r\nWith Pipedrive in place, we could finally get a picture of how successful we were at moving leads through each stage of the sales pipeline.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Step 2: We Modelled Out Our Sales Pipeline</h3>\r\nThe ability to run reports on customer and lead interactions with sales team members allowed us to identify the steps of our funnel that most often led to conversions.\r\n\r\nThe ability to visualise this information allowed us to define our sales pipeline, formalise it, and establish a nurturing process.\r\n\r\nUltimately, we found that the following pipeline stages were the most effective:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3183\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"How We Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"492\" />\r\n\r\nOf course, we didn’t find the ideal process immediately.\r\n\r\nWe iterated a few times, adding stages in and removing stages.\r\n\r\nUsing Pipedrive, see what percentage of deals progressed through each stage and how long it took them to do this.\r\n\r\nFor example:\r\n\r\nFrom, <strong>Lead Discovered</strong> 100% of deals would flow into Contacted.\r\n\r\n80% of the deals in <strong>Contacted</strong> would progress to <strong>Demo Arranged.</strong>\r\n\r\n70% of the deals in <strong>Demo Arranged</strong> would progress to <strong>Demo Complete.</strong>\r\n\r\n90% from Demo Complete to <strong>Pending Payment</strong> and 90% of these would convert into a <strong>closed won deal</strong>.\r\n\r\nIn this example, our <strong>overall win rate would be 45%</strong>.\r\n\r\nMeaning that for every 100 leads we put into our pipeline, we’d get 45 won deals.\r\n\r\nThis allowed us to create a formula for predictable revenue.\r\n\r\nWe finally understood exactly how many new leads we had to get each month to meet our goals.\r\n\r\nHowever, this data didn’t give us the insight that we needed to make real changes to our sales and marketing strategy.\r\n\r\nTo use our new pipeline to grow revenue consistently, we needed more insight.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Step 3: We Segmented Our Leads by Source</h3>\r\nPipedrive allows you to add custom segments, so we connected it with Ruler Analytics to significantly expand the amount of data we were capturing for each lead.\r\n\r\nWe setup a “Source” segment and passed data from Ruler Analytics to <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/marketing-attribution/\">identify the channels leads were coming from</a>: inbound, outbound, partnerships, or business development.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3179\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-Ruler-Analytics-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"How Ruler Analytics Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"699\" height=\"321\" />\r\n\r\nOne benefit of this expanded data was that it allowed us to identify what marketing initiatives were generating not only the most inbound leads, but also the most won deals, that were most likely to deliver us customers.\r\n\r\nWe could also see which initiatives outside of marketing were the most likely to convert.\r\n\r\nWe tracked whether a lead was sourced from business development, partnership and outbound activity as well as our marketing activity.\r\n\r\nSome findings were common sense.\r\n\r\nInbound leads are unsurprisingly more effective than outbound leads, but there were some surprises that lead to tremendous growth which we wouldn’t have uncovered without following this methodology.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Step 4: We Segmented Our Leads by Company Type</h3>\r\nThe connection between Pipedrive and Ruler Analytics also allowed us to identify what industries, segments, and company types were the most likely to convert.\r\n\r\nUsing these reports, we discovered that a certain segment of our customers were 1.4 times more likely to convert than other segments.\r\n\r\nWith this information, we could amend our sales outreach and marketing strategy to make sure we were targeting customers that we know would get value out of the product.\r\n\r\nWe knew this because we’d delivered value to existing customers in that segment.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Step 5: We Narrowed Our Focus</h3>\r\nOur company has been <a href=\"https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2016/07/21/liverpools-ruler-analytics-to-triple-in-size-with-six-figure-equity-boost\">growing at an amazing rate</a>, so we were a little hesitant to act on the information this new data had illuminated.\r\n\r\nWould we jeopardise our growth by narrowing our focus from an entire industry to a single segment within that industry?\r\n\r\nIn the end, we decided to go all in to see what happened.\r\n\r\nWe changed our marketing approach to focus on this new segment 100%.\r\n\r\nWe don’t even entertain the idea of producing content for other segments, for example.\r\n\r\nThe result: our monthly recurring revenue grew 2.5 times faster in the following two months than the two months prior.\r\n\r\nThe data told us a story we wouldn’t have discovered on our own, and the end result was a tremendous success.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3184\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.gif\" alt=\"How We Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"394\" />\r\n\r\nWe’re sure that in the future we will expand our targeting, but we’re also confident that <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/how-to-start-a-marketing-agency/\">focusing on a specific sector </a>will help us achieve our growth targets quicker than spreading ourselves thinly over multiple markets and segments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Achieving Predictable Revenue with a Core Skill-Set Focused on Data and Optimisation</h3>\r\nOne thing we learned from this experience is that, although it’s a sales rep’s instinct to try and land as many deals as possible, there are ways to approach leads smarter and achieve dramatically better results.\r\n\r\nThis is the core of the predictable revenue approach, and for us, it’s been a game changer.\r\n\r\nNow instead of running into things head first, we take the time to ensure that everything can be correctly measured, analysed, and optimised.\r\n\r\nWe make sure that our teams never waste time on systems they aren’t utilising properly.\r\n\r\nThis has increased sales and overall team morale.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3185\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg\" alt=\"How We Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"698\" height=\"462\" />\r\n\r\nSales technology, when used properly, can create huge company-wide efficiencies.\r\n\r\nAlthough, when people aren’t trained or don’t understand the value, it serves as little more than an annoyance.\r\n\r\nEven if our current approach begins to falter, our systems will show a decline in growth.\r\n\r\nThis will allow us to adjust our approach, identify a new viable market quickly, and <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/growing-a-seven-figure-agency/\">take steps to scale new growth</a>.\r\n\r\nIf we had simply continued our original, confusing, and misconstrued approach to sales, that would have been impossible.\r\n\r\nLuckily, the data and technology guided us to a place where we can focus our efforts on the most promising and qualified leads, and use that to grow revenue in a predictable way that should lead to long-term success and consistent growth.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>How Predictable Revenue Has Impacted Our Business</h3>\r\nRuler Analytics is now 18 months old as its own company.\r\n\r\nPrior to adopting the predictable revenue mindset, we’d grown our business through blood, sweat and tears for 12 months.\r\n\r\nWe’ve already surpassed that same number in the first 6 months of 2017, with half the stress.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3186\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_-2.gif\" alt=\"How We Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable Revenue - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"394\" />\r\n\r\nWhat we like about predictable revenue is that it isn’t a hack or tactic that promises to deliver instant growth.\r\n\r\nInstead, it’s a framework that allows us to remove some of the mystery about what’s driving the growth of our business so that we can make better decisions about where to prioritise our efforts. And although there’s still the occasional throw of stress as we try to make targets, our efforts are now focussed on what’s important: the selling of the product.\r\n\r\nPredictable revenue has freed up our cognitive energy to focus on the important aspects, because it’s provided order around our operations - something we lacked.\r\n\r\nWith our business on course to triple in its second year, we can let out a little sigh of relief and keep our fingers crossed that we’ll maintain our course to becoming a truly world-class SaaS product, built in the heart of the UK’s industrious North West, and a true representation of what the city of Liverpool stands for: hard work, strong character, and incredible diversity.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=13]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TBiEpO8X7dmV3xoWMPWkXGDM1xek0IrzTagUZ_3Zxo0/edit#\">Competition T&amp;Cs</a>','How We Doubled Our Revenue in 6 Months with Predictable 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technology.\r\n\r\nThe goal of our software is to make marketing easier by <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/agency-partner/\">helping agencies</a> prove the value of their work and avoid difficult conversations where opinions are prioritised above hard data.\r\n\r\nWe know our technology enables marketing agencies to:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>make data-based decisions that propel revenue growth</li>\r\n 	<li>share their successes with clients using detailed revenue metrics and reports.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAnd because of this, we know one of the ways we can be smarter as a company is to adopt the right technology.\r\n\r\nIn our marketing and general business operations, we use a lot of technology:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Ruler Analytics</li>\r\n 	<li>Pipedrive</li>\r\n 	<li>ActiveCampaign</li>\r\n 	<li>ChartMogul — to name a few.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBut with the adoption of each new technology comes the risk that processes will become siloed and divergent.\r\n\r\nIf our software doesn’t speak to each other, aren’t we just adding layers of complexity without realising compounding results?\r\n\r\nWe’ve found the answer to that conundrum: Zapier.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3257\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Use-Zapier-To-Connect-Sales-Marketing-And-Revenue-Metrics-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.jpg\" alt=\"How We Use Zapier To Connect Sales, Marketing, And Revenue Metrics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" max-width=\"100%\" max-height=\"100%\" />Zapier allows us to get a competitive advantage by connecting the three main layers of our customer acquisition stack, removing all potential technology silos.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Is Zapier?</h3>\r\nZapier is <a href=\"https://zapier.com/blog/best-zaps-automate-apps/\">workflow automation software</a> that executes a series of tasks across multiple apps using established triggers.\r\n\r\nFor example, if your work tasks are assigned over email but managed in Trello, a trigger can be established in Zapier for emails arriving from the people who assign the tasks.\r\n\r\nWhen an email is received from one of those senders, Zapier uses the email to create a Trello card.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3247\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Use-Zapier-to-Connect-Sales-Marketing-and-Revenue-Metrics-www.ruleranalytics.com_.gif\" alt=\"How We Use Zapier to Connect Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Metrics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" max-width=\"100%\" max-height=\"100%\"  />\r\n\r\nThis eliminates the need to manually copy assignments from one app to another.\r\n\r\nIf you have thousands of tasks arriving each week, automating this process can save massive amounts of time.\r\n\r\nIt also reduces the likelihood that tasks will be missed because it removes the human error factor in data transference.\r\n\r\nIt’s thanks to automated Zapier workflows that we’re able to use multiple apps at Ruler Analytics. And not only can we use multiple apps, we can use them in ways that allow us to<a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/ppc/you-probably-arent-measuring-your-ppc-campaigns-properly/\"> track revenue metrics</a> like never before.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Our Customer Acquisition Stack</h3>\r\nAt Ruler Analytics, we have three main layers to our customer acquisition stack: marketing, sales, and revenue.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3249\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Use-Zapier-to-Connect-Sales-Marketing-and-Revenue-Metrics-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"How We Use Zapier to Connect Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Metrics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" max-width=\"100%\" max-height=\"100%\"  />\r\n\r\n<strong>The Marketing Layer</strong> – The first layer is purely concerned with how we generate traffic and leads.\r\n\r\nWe eat our own dog food, so the tool we primarily use to measure our success and gather data is Ruler Analytics. For traffic generation, we use AdWords, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and AdRoll, among others.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Sales Layer</strong> – For sales, our primary tool is Pipedrive CRM. Pipedrive provides us with a visual sales funnel, allowing us to see how many leads turn into opportunities, opportunities into demos, and demos into deals.\r\n\r\n<strong>Between the Marketing and Sales Layers</strong> – ActiveCampaign, our sales and marketing automation solution, sits between sales and marketing layers.\r\n\r\nIt enables us to manage our email and paid social audiences from one interface, adding them to automations, and managing segmentation based on where the deal is in the sales cycle so that they always get the right message.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Revenue Layer</strong> – Our final layer is revenue. For this our tool of choice is ChartMogul. It allows us to create detailed reports on exactly what campaigns, channels, and keywords turn into revenue.\r\n\r\nBut in order for reports in ChartMogul to be useful, all of the data collected in each application used in our pipeline must be passed to subsequent systems and aggregated at the end in ChartMogul.\r\n\r\nThis is where Zapier makes our technology work for us.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>How Zapier Ties These Layers Together</h3>\r\nZapier passes important data captured in each application along to the next app in our process:\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics collects name, email, and phone number.\r\n\r\nIt also enriches <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/marketing-attribution/\">lead information with marketing data</a>: channel, source, campaign, keyword, and device. Once the deal is in Ruler Analytics, we use this Zapier recipe to send it to Pipedrive:\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-24-at-14.04.47.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1458\" height=\"150\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3263\" />\r\n\r\nWhen the deal is being dealt with in Pipedrive, we have a number of Zapier automations that ensure Pipedrive and ActiveCampaign are always synced:\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-24-at-14.05.11.png\" alt=\"\" max-width=\"100%\" max-height=\"100%\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3262\" />\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-24-at-14.05.20.png\" alt=\"\" max-width=\"100%\" max-height=\"100%\"  class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3261\" />\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-24-at-14.05.30.png\" alt=\"\" max-width=\"100%\" max-height=\"100%\"  class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3260\" />\r\n\r\nNote: ActiveCampaign does have its own integrated CRM, but we prefer to use Pipedrive. This step isn’t necessary if the <a href=\"http://www.activecampaign.com/crm/\">ActiveCampaign CRM</a> suites your needs.\r\n\r\nIf the deal is won, the data from Ruler Analytics and data gathered from Pipedrive and ActiveCampaign during the sales phase is sent to ChartMogul.\r\n\r\nThe reports ChartMogul can produce are much more in-depth, insightful, and actionable because of the enriched data we were able to pass between systems using Zapier.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Using Zapier to Establish Revenue Metrics</h3>\r\nBy using Zapier to pass data to the different technologies we use in our customer acquisition stack, we can tie revenue back to the marketing campaigns and sales team members that generated it.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3253\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Use-Zapier-to-Connect-Sales-Marketing-And-Revenue-Metrics-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"How We Use Zapier to Connect Sales, Marketing, And Revenue Metrics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"801\" height=\"469\" />\r\n\r\nThis allowed us to <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/\">double our revenue in six months</a>.\r\n\r\nZapier passes campaign source data from Ruler Analytics to Pipedrive and ChartMogul. This allows us to see:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>exactly which marketing campaigns are driving revenue</li>\r\n 	<li>what campaigns have the highest performance</li>\r\n 	<li>what initiatives are producing low ROI and should be abandoned.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nZapier also passes company type information from Pipedrive to ChartMogul, which allows us to see which industries are the most interested in our software.\r\n\r\nThis allows us to create targeted marketing and advertising campaigns for the industries that are most likely to benefit from our product.\r\n\r\nWithout Zapier, it would have been either impossible or extremely arduous to collect the information we needed to double our revenue.\r\n\r\nWith Zapier, we can automatically transfer important data between our adopted applications, enable those applications to work together instead of in silos, and generate the revenue metrics that really matter—those that help us grow as an organisation.','How We Use Zapier to Connect Sales, Marketing, and 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We Use Zapier To Connect Sales, Marketing, And Revenue Metrics - www.ruleranalytics.com','','inherit','closed','closed','','how-we-use-zapier-to-connect-sales-marketing-and-revenue-metrics-www-ruleranalytics-com-6','','','2017-07-21 14:14:13','2017-07-21 13:14:13','',3245,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Use-Zapier-To-Connect-Sales-Marketing-And-Revenue-Metrics-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3256,3,'2017-07-21 14:36:21','2017-07-21 13:36:21','','How We Use Zapier To Connect Sales, Marketing, And Revenue Metrics - www.ruleranalytics.com','','inherit','closed','closed','','how-we-use-zapier-to-connect-sales-marketing-and-revenue-metrics-www-ruleranalytics-com-7','','','2017-07-21 14:36:31','2017-07-21 13:36:31','',3245,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Use-Zapier-To-Connect-Sales-Marketing-And-Revenue-Metrics-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3257,3,'2017-07-21 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13:40:42','','ruler-analytics-to-activecampaign3','','inherit','closed','closed','','screen-shot-2017-07-24-at-14-05-20','','','2017-07-24 14:45:08','2017-07-24 13:45:08','',3245,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-24-at-14.05.20.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3262,1,'2017-07-24 14:40:46','2017-07-24 13:40:46','','ruler-analytics-to-activecampaign2','','inherit','closed','closed','','screen-shot-2017-07-24-at-14-05-11','','','2017-07-24 14:45:05','2017-07-24 13:45:05','',3245,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-24-at-14.05.11.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3263,1,'2017-07-24 14:40:49','2017-07-24 13:40:49','','ruler-analytics-to-activecampaign','','inherit','closed','closed','','screen-shot-2017-07-24-at-14-04-47','','','2017-07-24 14:45:04','2017-07-24 13:45:04','',3245,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-24-at-14.04.47.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3264,0,'2017-07-25 00:36:36','2017-07-24 23:36:36','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3264','','','2017-07-25 00:36:36','2017-07-24 23:36:36','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3264/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3265,0,'2017-07-25 14:22:04','2017-07-25 13:22:04','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3265','','','2017-07-25 14:22:04','2017-07-25 13:22:04','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3265/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3266,0,'2017-07-25 14:22:42','2017-07-25 13:22:42','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3266','','','2017-07-25 14:22:42','2017-07-25 13:22:42','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3266/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3267,0,'2017-07-25 14:34:23','2017-07-25 13:34:23','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3267','','','2017-07-25 14:34:23','2017-07-25 13:34:23','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3267/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3268,0,'2017-07-25 14:41:33','2017-07-25 13:41:33','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3268','','','2017-07-25 14:41:33','2017-07-25 13:41:33','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3268/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3275,2,'2017-07-26 14:55:22','2017-07-26 13:55:22','A few months ago, I was delighted to be introduced to a marketing agency I’d heard a lot about: <a href=\"https://theeword.co.uk/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">theEword</a>.\r\n\r\nI was a fan of theirs and I’d previously spoken with one of their founders, <a href=\"https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/2014/08/what-ive-learnt-al-mackin-founder-of-theeword-and-formisimo/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Al Mackin</a>, who was one of the few other SaaS aficionados building software in the North West of England.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/agency-partner/\">Marketing agencies</a> are our biggest customer segment at Ruler Analytics, and the pains they’re facing are almost always identical: it’s very difficult, but crucial, for marketing agencies to be able to prove the value of the services they’re providing to their clients.\r\n\r\nIt’s the <a href=\"http://is4profit.com/business-blog/the-business-owner-ian-leadbetter-and-daniel-reilly-ruler-analytics/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">exact reason why</a> we built Ruler Analytics\r\n\r\nBut theEword was a unique challenge.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/N7-OR82vBQA\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nLike most agencies, they were struggling to get one of their clients to realise that inbound phone calls were the result of the <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/5-reasons-marketing-agencies-need-call-tracking/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">agency’s marketing efforts</a>.\r\n\r\nAccording to Aisha Riaz, theEword’s Operations Director, “With digital, we need to show our clients the worth of everything we’re doing. But with content marketing and related services, it’s not always simple to track and report on important metrics.”\r\n\r\nWhere theEword differed from what we were familiar with is that the agency focuses primarily (though not exclusively) on marketing for the property and leisure industries. They offer a variety of services, including SEO, PPC, web development, and <a href=\"https://theeword.co.uk/services/creative/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">content marketing</a>, each with the goal of: increasing the number of in-person visitors to local businesses, increasing footfall to tourist attractions or filling tenancy positions for property groups.\r\n\r\nWith many analytics tools, proving the connection between digital traffic and in-person traffic can be difficult. But for a sophisticated agency like theEword, making that connection is crucial.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ruler Analytics call tracking</a> seemed like a promising solution.\r\n\r\n“One of the reasons we switched to Ruler Analytics was because of the client services side of things. We’ve worked with similar tools before, but our experience wasn’t great. Ruler Analytics allows us to go to the client and show exactly how much business we’ve brought in and where it’s coming from. It’s invaluable to us.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>How Do theEword Delight Clients?</h3>\r\nFor theEword, work is composed of campaigns and initiatives designed to drive in-person visits to local businesses from residents of or visitors to a specific area—tourists, for example.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3280\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-theEword-Uses-Ruler-Analytics-To-Delight-Their-Clients-Case-Study-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg\" alt=\"How theEword Uses Ruler Analytics To Delight Their Clients [Case Study] - www.ruleranalytics.com\" />\r\n\r\nThey focus on using tactics like localised SEO, content marketing, digital advertising, and social media marketing to increase visitors to restaurants, tourist attractions, and events.\r\n\r\nIf reservations, product sales, or ticket purchases can be completed online, it’s simple to track those leads/conversions with general analytics tools.\r\n\r\nHowever, many people choose to perform these tasks by phone—or to make other inquiries that suggest they intend to patronise the business.\r\n\r\nWhen reservations are made, tickets are purchased, or hours of operation are requested by phone, most marketing agencies can struggle to <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/marketing-attribution/\">attribute those leads</a> and sales back to the campaigns that generated them. This leads to inaccurate reporting that can damage agency relationships with clients.\r\n\r\nIf clients are unable to see the full picture of how many inquiries, sales, and reservations are being made, marketing agencies may struggle to prove their value and suffer from low client retention rates.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Enabling Effective Client/Agency Reporting</h3>\r\nWhen transactions occur primarily online, agencies can simply provide their clients with a number of individuals who, for example, entered from a blog post and filled out a lead-capture form, or entered from a search ad and made a purchase.\r\n\r\nThis is more difficult when the goal of digital marketing is to drive in-person visits.\r\n\r\nHow do you <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/measure-your-content-marketing-roi-with-analytics-and-call-tracking/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prove that a piece of online content</a>, a visit from organic search, or a click on an ad drove an individual to ultimately visit an establishment?\r\n\r\nWith Ruler Analytics call tracking, the number of incoming calls can be attributed directly back to the source campaign.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3283\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-theEword-Uses-Ruler-Analytics-To-Delight-Their-Clients-Case-Study-www.ruleranalytics.com_.gif\" alt=\"How theEword Uses Ruler Analytics To Delight Their Clients [Case Study] - www.ruleranalytics.com\" />\r\n\r\nMarketing agencies can see which campaigns are driving the most phone calls, and phone calls can even be recorded to identify the intent of the call.\r\n\r\nIf the intent of the call was to make a reservation or purchase tickets, then the source and campaigns can be attributed directly to generated revenue.\r\n\r\nThis provides detailed reporting on how many leads agency campaigns are generating, and how many of those leads turn into sales.\r\n\r\nFor marketing agencies, showing how agency efforts and services have led to increased in-person traffic is crucial to proving the value of the services your agency provides.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics simplifies the process of attributing calls, ticket purchases, and reservations back to the campaigns that drove them, allowing marketing agencies to highlight the outcome of their efforts.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Additional Benefits of Tracking Online Marketing with Ruler Analytics</h3>\r\nFor theEword, the ability to provide enhanced reporting to clients has been just one benefit of adopting Ruler Analytics. When speaking with Aisha Riaz, she mentioned three other major advantages: price, service, and ease of use.\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Price:</strong> “In terms of price, Ruler Analytics is a lot cheaper than its competitors, which is obviously a good thing. But even if the price was the same or more expensive than other products, we’d go with Ruler Analytics. We’ve learned that you shouldn’t compromise on quality and service.”</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Service:</strong> “For someone who isn’t technical the concept can go way over their head. But I can call the team at Ruler Analytics anytime and they’ll put it in layman’s terms for me—explain it very clearly. I think it’s also brilliant because the directors are open and willing to spend the time needed. You don’t get that with a lot of businesses, so I think just the personable side of the business is perfect.”</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Ease of Use:</strong> “Ruler Analytics is really easy to use. Our client who’s using it has said so readily on the phone—she’s in the dashboard all the time because she loves using it. It’s clear, and if you need any help there are people on hand to help you straightaway and answer any of your questions.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIn the end, though, Aisha Riaz believes that the biggest benefit they’ve seen since implementing Ruler Analytics is the ability to provide detailed reports to clients. “It really shows you the value of what you’re doing in terms of marketing,” she says.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Getting Started with Marketing Agency Analytics</h3>\r\nAs told by theEword, Ruler Analytics can really help build strong relationships between clients and their local marketing agencies.\r\n\r\nBy providing a means of connecting leads and sales—those that happen both online and over the phone—back to the specific campaigns that generated them, marketing agencies can prove their value more clearly than ever before, strengthen client relationships, and improve client service.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How theEword Uses Ruler Analytics To Delight Their Clients [Case 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17:18:44','2017-08-07 16:18:44','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3314','','','2017-08-07 17:18:44','2017-08-07 16:18:44','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3314/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3319,2,'2017-08-11 14:05:31','2017-08-11 13:05:31','We’ve talked a lot about <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/how-theeword-uses-ruler-analytics/\">marketing analytics</a>, the technology and tools that enable them on the Ruler Analytics blog over the last few months.\r\n\r\nWe’ve stuck to this theme for two reasons:\r\n\r\n1. We’ve experienced firsthand how measuring the results of campaigns can <a href=\"http://www.jeffbullas.com/how-to-grow-revenue-130-using-a-7-step-customer-retention-process/\">grow business revenue</a> faster than any other approach.\r\n\r\n2. We know that marketers and <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/agency-partner/\">marketing agencies</a> struggle to prove ROI, and one of our major goals of both our analytics platform and blog content is to provide solutions to that problem.\r\n\r\nIn a recent ChartMogul guest post, we detailed our complete <a href=\"https://blog.chartmogul.com/ruler-analytics-chartmogul-closed-loop-marketing/\">closed-loop marketing process</a>.\r\n\r\nWhile that process is highly effective for attributing revenue back to marketing campaigns, it requires the setup and synchronisation of six separate tools.\r\n\r\nIf you’re looking to take small steps towards accurate marketing ROI reporting, the full process may seem a little daunting.\r\n\r\nSo today, we want to offer a less arduous approach to collecting marketing analytics, using what you learn to improve sales conversations, and analysing reports to improve your campaigns.\r\n\r\nIt’s possible to enjoy many of the benefits of marketing analytics simply by adding marketing data to Pipedrive CRM.\r\n<h3></h3>\r\n<h3>How to Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive</h3>\r\nOur basic process requires three tools: Ruler Analytics, Zapier, and Pipedrive CRM.\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Using our own tool, we collect a lot of detailed marketing interaction data, including channel, source, campaign, keyword, and device.</li>\r\n 	<li>Our sales team uses Pipedrive as their preferred CRM solution to identify qualified leads and record outreach attempts, conversations, notes, and sales.</li>\r\n 	<li>Zapier acts as a handshake between the two systems, enabling the automated transfer of marketing data from Ruler Analytics to Pipedrive.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBefore you get started, you’ll need accounts set up for all three systems.\r\n\r\nWith accounts established on these three platforms, <strong>the process is simple</strong>.\r\n<h3></h3>\r\n<h3>Create Custom Fields in Pipedrive</h3>\r\nBy default, Pipedrive doesn’t have; Source, Channel, Campaign and Keyword fields.\r\n\r\nSo we will need to create them manually.\r\n\r\nNavigate to Settings &gt; Customise Fields &gt; and select which ever profile type you want to add your custom fields to (People, Organisations, Deals, etc.):\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3324\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Step-by-Step-How-to-Add-Marketing-Data-to-Pipedrive-CRM-Deals-www.ruleranalytics.com_.gif\" alt=\"Step-by-Step How to Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive CRM Deals - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"472\" />\r\n\r\nNavigate directly to the profile type you wish to add the field to (Person, Organisation, Deal, etc.), and add the field directly within its detail view:\r\n<h4><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3325\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Step-by-Step-How-to-Add-Marketing-Data-to-Pipedrive-CRM-Deals-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.gif\" alt=\"Step-by-Step How to Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive CRM Deals - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"526\" height=\"739\" /></h4>\r\nDone! The custom field is available for use in your Pipedrive account.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Create a Zap to send form conversions to Pipedrive from Ruler Analytics</h3>\r\nNow we need to create the connection that populates the Pipedrive fields with Ruler Analytics data.\r\n\r\nThis is <strong>easy</strong> with Zapier.\r\n\r\n1. Head over to the Zapier dashboard and press the big, orange ‘Make a Zap!’ button, or click this <a href=\"https://zapier.com/app/editor\">link</a> if you’re already signed in.\r\n\r\n2. For the trigger app, you need to select Ruler Analytics. Simply start typing ‘Ruler Analytics’ in the search field and it should appear quite quickly.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3320\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Step-by-Step-How-to-Add-Marketing-Data-to-Pipedrive-CRM-Deals-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"Step-by-Step How to Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive CRM Deals - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"407\" />\r\n\r\n3. When prompted to Choose a Trigger, select New Conversion then press \'Continue’.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3321\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Step-by-Step-How-to-Add-Marketing-Data-to-Pipedrive-CRM-Deals-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"Step-by-Step How to Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive CRM Deals - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"790\" height=\"397\" />\r\n\r\n4. Connect Zapier to the relevant Ruler Analytics account for the company whose conversions you wish you access in Pipedrive CRM.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3322\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Step-by-Step-How-to-Add-Marketing-Data-to-Pipedrive-CRM-Deals-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"404\" />\r\n\r\n5. Select the website of the company whose conversions you wish you access in Pipedrive CRM. Once this process is complete, all conversion triggers recorded in Ruler Analytics will be automatically transferred to Pipedrive by Zapier, along with any relevant marketing data.\r\n\r\n6. We now need to select Pipedrive as the trigger app, just as we did in Step 1, but this time we’ll start typing ‘Pipedrive’.\r\n\r\n7. The trigger we will choose for Pipedrive is ‘Create a Deal’.\r\n\r\n8. Next, we will need to select the appropriate Pipedrive values that we want to be populated with our Ruler Analytics conversion date. We use the following where values in {curly braces} denotes Ruler Analytics data:\r\n\r\na. Deal Title: {Name of Company} Deal\r\nb. Status: Open\r\nc. Person’s Name: {Contact Name}\r\nd. Person’s Phone: {Contact Phone}\r\ne. Person’s Name: {Contact Phone}\r\nf. Source: Inbound\r\ng. Channel: {Discovery Source}\r\nh. Keyword: {Discovery Keyword}\r\n\r\n9. Once you’ve mapped the values, you’re now ready to go. Press Continue and your Zap should now be ready to go live.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Why Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive?</h3>\r\nThere are several <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/ruler-information/how-we-use-zapier/\">huge benefits</a> to setting up this integration to enable marketing data to be passed along to Pipedrive.\r\n\r\nFirst, it allows you to connect leads back to the marketing campaigns that generated them.\r\n\r\nThis is useful for two reasons.\r\n\r\nKnowing which campaigns generate the most and fewest leads allows you to engage in a process of constant improvement.\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Learn what marketing channels are the most productive</strong>, and use that information to expand efforts on those channels. Conversely, identify underperforming channels and reduce or eliminate efforts on those channels.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Identify your biggest sources of traffic and leads.</strong> Ruler Analytics passes source data, organic search, display ads, social, etc. to Pipedrive. If you find that most new customers are arriving from organic search, it could be an indicator that expanding your content marketing efforts may increase leads and conversions.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Identify high and low-performing campaigns.</strong> Expand on the high performers and learn about the success of those campaigns. Kill underperforming campaigns, and avoid waste by learning which approaches aren’t worth pursuing in the future.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIt also allows for the generation of valuable marketing reports. Marketers and agencies can tie leads and conversions directly back to the campaigns that generated them, using that information to create and deliver marketing-generated ROI reports to clients and executives.\r\n\r\nThe second major reason to add marketing data to Pipedrive is that it allows sales team members to have more targeted and <a href=\"https://www.saleshacker.com/sales-call-research-project/\">personalised conversations with prospects</a>.\r\n\r\nFor example, the Ruler Analytics platform has multiple features: phone call tracking, form tracking, keyword re-provided, and company tracking, among others.\r\n\r\nSay we run multiple campaigns - one for each feature.\r\n\r\nSome customers will be most interested in call tracking, while others may be compelled to interact with campaigns promoting our keyword re-provided feature.\r\n\r\nWithout marketing data in Pipedrive, our sales team wouldn’t know which specific feature generated the form conversion or purchase.\r\n\r\nWhen they contacted the lead, they might spend too much time promoting features that the prospect has no interest in.\r\n\r\nBut with marketing data in Pipedrive, the sales team can see exactly which campaign generated the lead, allowing sales conversations to be targeted to that specific feature.\r\n\r\nBy connecting our marketing data from Ruler to Pipedrive, our sales and marketing teams are both able to engage in constant refinement, improvement, and personalisation, which in turn, leads to more prospects, more conversions, and more revenue.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=4]','Step-by-Step: How to Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive CRM Deals','','publish','closed','open','','step-by-step-how-to-add-marketing-data-to-pipedrive-crm-deals','','','2017-08-11 14:05:31','2017-08-11 13:05:31','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3319',0,'post','',0),(3320,3,'2017-08-09 09:45:39','2017-08-09 08:45:39','','Step-by-Step How to Add Marketing Data to Pipedrive CRM Deals - 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09:26:08','2017-08-18 08:26:08','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3351','','','2017-08-18 09:26:08','2017-08-18 08:26:08','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3351/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3354,2,'2017-08-23 17:21:50','2017-08-23 16:21:50','As an industry, <a href=\"https://econsultancy.com/blog/65087-the-five-step-15-minute-guide-to-marketing-analytics/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marketing analytics</a> is evolving.\r\n\r\nThis evolution has been enabled, and driven, by technological advances and access to connected data.\r\n\r\nWant to <a href=\"https://www.itsupportmarketing.co.uk/hands-guide-target-specific-people-facebook-ads/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">target your ideal customer</a> with advertising?\r\n\r\nSelect a set of location, demographic, career, and interest attributes, and connected data handles serving those ads only to individuals who meet your criteria.\r\n\r\nWant to <a href=\"https://www.mycustomer.com/community/blogs/nick-pugh/who-are-your-customers-and-how-do-you-reach-them\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">learn who your ideal customers are</a>?\r\n\r\nAdopt technology that collects data, and analyse it to discover commonalities.\r\n\r\nThe availability of connected data, and the user-friendly tools that enable marketers to access and understand it, has propelled the industry forward in a way that was previously impossible.\r\n\r\nThanks to data, <a href=\"http://blog.interactiveschools.com/blog/4-cs-the-modern-marketing-replacement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">modern marketing</a> is personalised and targeted.\r\n\r\nIt’s more effective and less expensive.\r\n\r\nBut another result of data is that marketers can no longer just say that modern marketing is more effective and less expensive.\r\n\r\nThey have to prove it.\r\n\r\nThe first stage in the evolution of data-driven marketing was the collection and analysis of data to improve campaigns, increase traffic, and generate leads.\r\n\r\nThe second stage is using available data to <a href=\"https://www.kurve.co.uk/blog/how-marketers-can-use-data-better-in-2017-advice-from-14-data-experts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prove marketing ROI</a>.\r\n\r\nPreviously, marketing data could only extend as far as the point of transaction or lead conversion because software was delivered offline.\r\n\r\nBut now, with software as a service (SaaS) <a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#2872506031e8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">growing to a $46.3B</a> (£33B) market in 2017, we can connect the data all the way through the entire customer lifecycle to revenue.\r\n\r\nMarketers can no longer rely on traffic, leads, and engagement metrics.\r\n\r\nCompany executives and marketing agency clients want to know the exact impact their investment in marketing has on business revenue.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/aHCZzU_f_mg\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nBut <a href=\"https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/03/14/936344/0/en/CMO-Council-Founder-Donovan-Neale-May-on-CMO-Job-Loss-Financial-Impact-Analytics-for-Marketing-and-Why-Proof-Is-So-Important.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to Donovan Neale-May</a>, Executive Director of the <a href=\"https://cmocouncil.org/\">Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"The real problem has been that many marketers and communicators don’t have meaningful data skills, and most data scientists don’t understand marketing and communications.\"</blockquote>\r\nAt Ruler Analytics, we’ve set out to solve this problem.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Ruler Analytics Is Evolving with the Marketing Industry</h3>\r\nRuler Analytics started as a side project, a way for me and Dan to scratch an itch.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3180\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/How-We-Doubled-Our-Revenue-in-6-Months-with-Predictable-Revenue-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpe\" alt=\"How We\'re Evolving Marketing Analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"349\" />\r\n\r\nBefore Ruler, we were both marketers.\r\n\r\nWe were running online marketing campaigns, but we had no way of tracking the inbound phone calls that the campaigns were generating.\r\n\r\nWe had the same problem with forms.\r\n\r\nAlthough we could track that someone had completed a form fill.\r\n\r\nWe couldn\'t see who that person was.\r\n\r\nThis was a big issue.\r\n\r\nNot all conversions are created equally, especially in industries where <a href=\"http://blog.incisive-edge.com/blog/how-to-calculate-and-improve-your-customer-lifetime-value\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">customer lifetime values</a> vary significantly.\r\n\r\nSo we initially built the platform for our own benefit.\r\n\r\nWe wanted to understand how many calls our campaigns were generating, and to get insight into the quality of leads who were filling out our forms. Because we were building it for ourselves, we bootstrapped the costs for the first couple of years.\r\n\r\nBut eventually we realised there was a larger market for this data.\r\n\r\nIf it was useful for us as marketers, there was a good chance it would be useful to other marketers as well.\r\n\r\nIn 2015, we <a href=\"https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/2016/01/liverpool-analytics-startup-lands-six-figure-investment/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">received venture capital</a> to build and grow the platform further.\r\n\r\nAs a result, we transitioned from marketing to technology.\r\n\r\nWe joined the community of <a href=\"http://www.onalytica.com/blog/posts/cloud-top-100-influencers-and-brands-2017/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SaaS providers</a>.\r\n\r\nBut once a marketer, always a marketer.\r\n\r\nThough our focus has shifted from execution to solution, we’re still focused on marketers as our primary audience.\r\n\r\nWe’re still looking for solutions to the industry’s biggest problems.\r\n\r\nAs the product and market developed over time, we noticed that marketers were becoming more involved in different stages of the business.\r\n\r\nFor instance, rather than just focusing on messaging and driving new leads, marketers now want to know which leads turn into revenue.\r\n\r\nThis is much more commonplace than it was five years ago.\r\n\r\nWhile this change may have been driven by marketers in some instances, I suspect it’s more the result of demands from clients and company leaders.\r\n\r\nIn a recent survey, nearly 70% of marketers noted that senior management teams and board members expect marketing to drive business growth.\r\n\r\nTo prove that marketing is driving business growth, marketers must be able to <a href=\"https://trackmaven.com/blog/how-to-calculate-roi-for-marketing-activities/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calculate marketing ROI</a>.\r\n\r\nNot leads generated, not traffic increases, not phone call volume, not social share counts: to thrive in today’s data-driven business environment, marketers must be able to report actual marketing-driven revenue to leaders, board members, clients, and stakeholders.\r\n\r\nBut marketing ROI has always been difficult to measure.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>The Problem of Measuring Marketing ROI</h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.maximus-marketing.co.uk/traditional-modern-marketing-techniques/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Before digital marketing</a>, marketers relied on print advertisements and commercials to build awareness and, hopefully, revenue.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3367\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/how-were-changing-marketing-analytics-www.ruleranalytics.com_.gif\" alt=\"how were changing marketing analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"698\" height=\"393\" />\r\n\r\nAfter running these ads, they could measure increases in call volumes and foot traffic.\r\n\r\nHowever, it was difficult to attach a specific monetary value to those traffic increases, and even proving that the increases were the result of marketing was based more on causality than any hard evidence.\r\n\r\nOnce marketing moved online, marketers could begin collecting and reporting traffic metrics.\r\n\r\nThey could finally say, “This [specific campaign] drove [specific number of visitors] to our website.”\r\n\r\nThen came Google Analytics.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3368\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/google-analytics.png\" alt=\"how were changing marketing analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"358\" />\r\n\r\nNow marketers could see the traffic along with conversions, but conversions were never meant to support long sale cycles or web-based software.\r\n\r\nIt was designed to serve a world where the furthest a user\'s activity would go on the internet is to complete a transaction or become a lead.\r\n\r\nIt wasn’t until later that the entire experience, finding and using a product, would take place online.\r\n\r\nUsing platforms like Ruler Analytics, marketers could provide an exact count for the number of site visitors, phone calls, and leads generated by specific marketing campaigns.\r\n\r\nBut for long-sales cycles and recurring revenue businesses, there still wasn’t a way to accurately measure closed deals and revenue generated.\r\n\r\nTo calculate ROI, marketers must know exactly how much revenue a campaign, or the overall marketing program—generated.\r\n\r\nAnalytics technologies just haven’t provided that capability.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>The Current Analytics Solution</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3356\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/How-Were-Evolving-Marketing-Analytics-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"How We\'re Evolving Marketing Analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"192\" />\r\n\r\nIn the image above, each one of these users would be represented as a goal completion in Google Analytics, even though some a vastly more valuable than the others.\r\n\r\nWithout knowing WHO the lead, and HOW they went on to use the product, it’s impossible to accurately <a href=\"http://blog.profitwell.com/saas-guide-to-calculating-and-reducing-payback-period\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calculate customer acquisition cost</a> (CAC) or assign monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and lifetime value (LTV).\r\n\r\nEach of these values are needed to calculate true marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nMarketing and sales are disconnected, so marketers are unable to connect website traffic and campaigns to CRM leads and the <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">revenue they generate</a>.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3357\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/How-Were-Evolving-Marketing-Analytics-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"How We\'re Evolving Marketing Analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"260\" />\r\n\r\nAs a platform provider, we feel like our mission is to be able to identify pain points, understand what our customers are trying to achieve, and solve for those with a software solution, ideally in a manner that seamlessly fits with current products, workflows, and processes.\r\n\r\nThe <a href=\"http://blog.incisive-edge.com/blog/10-mind-blowing-statistics-from-state-of-inbound-2017\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">inability to calculate marketing ROI</a> is an obvious pain point and need for marketers, so we set out to provide a solution.\r\n\r\nWe wanted to update our platform to provide marketers with the ability to close the loop between marketing and sales, to allow marketers to engage in <a href=\"http://blog.whut.com/2017-trends-driving-sales-and-marketing-alignment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">closed-loop marketing</a> by providing a means of measuring revenue generated across the full customer lifecycle.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Developing a Marketing ROI Software Solution</h3>\r\nRuler Analytics began as an analytics solution that allowed marketers to <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">track phone calls</a> and measure the quality of leads generated through different campaigns.\r\n\r\nThose features have been retained, they still provide important and necessary marketing metrics, but we added some additional features to tie that data into the products marketers are already using, such as Google Analytics and CRMs.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics now closes the loop between marketing-generated leads and actual revenue, allowing marketers to calculate and report on ROI and determine which campaigns/channels are the most effective.\r\n\r\nHere’s how it works:\r\n\r\n1. Potential customers visit your website via various campaigns and channels.\r\n\r\n2. Some of them come back on multiple occasions, via different campaigns and channels, before converting. Each touch point has an effect on the eventual lead or conversion.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3358\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/How-Were-Evolving-Marketing-Analytics-www.ruleranalytics.com_-2.png\" alt=\"How We\'re Evolving Marketing Analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"166\" />\r\n\r\n3. Ruler Analytics tracks each anonymous visitor to the website over each of those sessions, collecting data on traffic sources and keywords used.\r\n\r\n4. Eventually, those visitors convert through forms, phone calls, or in-person visits. Ruler records those conversions, connecting the real user details back to the original marketing touch points.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3359\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/How-Were-Evolving-Marketing-Analytics-www.ruleranalytics.com_-3.png\" alt=\"How We\'re Evolving Marketing Analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"322\" />\r\n\r\n5. The platform then feeds collected marketing data and closed-sale revenue data into Google Analytics, your CRM, and other products you’re already using.\r\n\r\n6. Marketers can then access that data in Google Analytics or AdWords, viewing the direct revenue earned through various campaigns, and measuring and optimising campaigns accordingly.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3361\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/How-Were-Evolving-Marketing-Analytics-www.ruleranalytics.com_-5.png\" alt=\"How We\'re Evolving Marketing Analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"202\" />\r\n\r\nThe entire process is automatic, occurring behind the scenes without the need for marketing intervention. After setup, marketers simply pull their reports when needed for <a href=\"http://www.webatomic.co.uk/using-lifetime-value-for-optimising-ppc-campaigns-part-1/\">campaign optimisation</a> or ROI reporting.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Solving Marketing ROI Metrics Pain Points with Ruler Analytics</h3>\r\nIn order for marketers to make reliable decisions about their campaigns, they need to base those decisions on bottom-line revenue data—not values for traffic, leads, or goal completions.\r\n\r\nThis is particularly true for SaaS platform marketers, because different traffic sources produce different amounts of revenue and different lifetime values.\r\n\r\nRuler provides the means to match marketing sources to individual customers over multiple touch points, and then pass this information to the tools already being used for reporting.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3362\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/How-Were-Evolving-Marketing-Analytics-www.ruleranalytics.com_-6.png\" alt=\"How We\'re Evolving Marketing Analytics - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"702\" height=\"251\" />\r\n\r\nWhile elements of our new features cross over with features of other software solutions, no other available solution enables complete closed-loop marketing.\r\n\r\nThey don’t address the whole loop, and the available features aren’t core to the product.\r\n\r\nOur new features are core to the platform and designed specifically to enable closed-loop marketing and reporting.\r\n\r\nThe result: no more guessing when it comes to planning and optimising marketing spend.\r\n\r\nMarketers are able to make decisions based on real revenue, not leads, and report an accurate marketing ROI to senior leaders and clients.\r\n\r\nAs a bonus, the ability to make informed decisions using revenue metrics will, in turn, decrease customer acquisition costs while 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07:26:22','2017-08-28 06:26:22','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3375/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3376,0,'2017-08-28 07:27:10','2017-08-28 06:27:10','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3376','','','2017-08-28 07:27:10','2017-08-28 06:27:10','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3376/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3377,0,'2017-08-30 11:45:46','2017-08-30 10:45:46','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3377','','','2017-08-30 11:45:46','2017-08-30 10:45:46','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3377/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3378,0,'2017-08-30 11:46:10','2017-08-30 10:46:10','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3378','','','2017-08-30 11:46:10','2017-08-30 10:46:10','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3378/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3379,0,'2017-09-04 12:49:25','2017-09-04 11:49:25','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3379','','','2017-09-04 12:49:25','2017-09-04 11:49:25','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3379/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3380,0,'2017-09-04 12:49:37','2017-09-04 11:49:37','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3380','','','2017-09-04 12:49:37','2017-09-04 11:49:37','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3380/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3381,0,'2017-09-04 12:49:53','2017-09-04 11:49:53','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3381','','','2017-09-04 12:49:53','2017-09-04 11:49:53','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3381/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3382,0,'2017-09-04 12:50:18','2017-09-04 11:50:18','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3382','','','2017-09-04 12:50:18','2017-09-04 11:50:18','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3382/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3384,2,'2017-09-06 15:29:52','2017-09-06 14:29:52','More than <a href=\"http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/27698/2-million-blog-posts-are-written-every-day-heres-how-you-can-stand-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">two million blog posts</a> are published every day.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/27698/2-million-blog-posts-are-written-every-day-heres-how-you-can-stand-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Every minute of that day</a>, Twitter users send 350 thousand Tweets, and YouTube users upload 400 hours of new video.\r\n\r\nThe internet is oversaturated with content.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, the use of ad blockers <a href=\"http://uk.businessinsider.com/pagefair-2017-ad-blocking-report-2017-1?r=US&amp;IR=T\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rose by 30% last year</a>, PPC is increasingly competitive, and organic visibility on social media is in serious decline.\r\n\r\nThese issues have all combined to make digital marketing more complex than ever.\r\n\r\nTo top it all off, tried-and-true marketing strategies are starting to plateau or fail altogether.\r\n\r\nPeter Caputa, CEO of Databox, spent 10 years of his career convincing companies of the power of inbound marketing before declaring last month that the traditional approach <a href=\"https://databox.com/inbound-marketing-not-working\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">doesn’t work anymore</a>.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/zp69ULGaAyg\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n<small> Video courtesy of <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHoXy3tknlnzXwSYWUPeZQQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Databox: Mobile-First Business Analytics Platform</a></small>\r\n\r\nWhy?\r\n\r\nThe traditional approach to inbound marketing is redundant.\r\n\r\nMarketers read articles describing how [business] used [technique] to drive [result], and everyone replicates the strategy.\r\n\r\nThis copy-paste approach to marketing has grown tiresome for consumers. As Caputa says:\r\n<blockquote>“You can’t stand out by copying a methodology that’s used by tens of thousands of other companies. Buyers tune out marketing methods that look like everyone else’s, especially if you’re following the playbook your top five or five hundred competitors are following.”</blockquote>\r\nThe most successful marketers in the future will be those who are willing to innovate, think beyond best practices, and develop their own unique strategies for success.\r\n\r\n2018’s digital marketing trends will be focused on using data to discover ways to stand out.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Trend #1: Innovators Will Succeed, Followers Will Struggle</h3>\r\nIn an article for <a href=\"https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/data-measurement/consumer-attention-economy-marketing-principles/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=thinkwithgoogle&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_content=consumer-attention-economy-marketing-principles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Think with Google</a>, Harvard Business School professor and brand consultant Thales Teixeira makes a bold statement: “The advertising industry is broken.”\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3385\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg\" alt=\"3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"702\" height=\"431\" />\r\n<small> Thales Teixeria speaking at the INMA World Congress May 2017. </small>\r\n\r\nTeixeira argues that most ads are ineffective because advertisers are using a “spray and pray” approach.\r\n\r\nInstead of using technology to target the right audience with the right ads, they’re wasting money delivering ad campaigns to mass audiences, praying the message connects with some small percentage.\r\n\r\nThe result:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>wasted resources</li>\r\n 	<li>consumer ad blindness</li>\r\n 	<li>lackluster results.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThe best practices of marketing often utilise this same spray and pray approach.\r\n\r\nMarketers publish case studies that highlight the benefits of video marketing, and brands <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/pivot-to-video-is-misguided\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lay off their entire editorial staff</a> to “pivot to video.” Marketers publish case studies that say long-form content ranks higher in search, or that you have to publish a new blog post every day to keep readers engaged.\r\n\r\nIn turn, brands fill their blog posts with fluff and publish low-quality content to meet the “<a href=\"https://moz.com/blog/blog-post-length-frequency\">ideal blog post length</a>” and “ideal publishing frequency.”\r\n\r\nThe reality is that no advertising or marketing approach works across the board for every company, every audience, and every campaign. What works are initiatives that meet the needs of your audience.\r\n\r\nTo execute successful campaigns, you must:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>know and understand your audience</li>\r\n 	<li>cater every initiative to that audience and its needs</li>\r\n 	<li>use data to determine what works and what fails.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nData drives innovation.\r\n\r\nIf you read a case study about how one company increased traffic, engagement, and revenue using video marketing, try out video marketing, and use an <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/marketing-analytics/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">analytics platform</a> to measure results - perhaps you could use Ruler Analytics, if you aren\'t already! :)\r\n\r\nIf you want to know the ideal blog post length or publishing frequency, publish blog posts of different lengths and in different frequencies, and use data to identify what resonates with your audience.\r\n\r\nYou might find that your audience isn’t interested in watching videos.\r\n\r\nYou might find your prospects prefer 200 word blog posts over 5,000 word mini-manifestos.\r\n\r\nWith data, you can discover these things before you overhaul your entire marketing strategy to chase a tactic that doesn’t work.\r\n\r\nData-driven insights are incredibly valuable, but they’re impossible to arrive at if you’re blindly following the rules written by other marketers.\r\n\r\nTo succeed with marketing in 2018 and beyond, you must be willing to explore your own ideas, test them, and use data to develop your own unique set of best practices.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Trend #2: Content Marketing Will Borrow from the Best Practices from ABM</h3>\r\nABM marketers conduct thorough research on key decision-makers at target accounts, and they use that research to develop outbound campaigns designed to speak to the specific audience needs.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3386\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"339\" />\r\n\r\n<small>Image Source: <a href=\"http://www.engagio.com/account-based-marketing/\">Account Based Marketing - The Next Evolution of B2B Marketing</a></small>\r\n\r\nThe results of ABM are impressive: 97% of marketers who have tried ABM say it results in a higher ROI, companies who’ve adopted ABM report as much as a 40% increase in contract values, and brands have reported close rates increasing as much as 285% after adopting the model.\r\n\r\nTo survive and succeed as inbound marketing declines in effectiveness, content marketing must target a specific, qualified audience.\r\n\r\nAt Ruler Analytics, <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">we used this approach</a> to close the same number of deals in the first half of 2017 as we did for the whole of 2016.\r\n\r\nBy mining the data from our own system and its integration with Pipedrive, we discovered that a specific segment was 1.4 times more likely to convert than others.\r\n\r\nWe shifted our marketing approach to fully target that segment, and in the two months following the shift, our monthly recurring revenue grew 2.5 times faster than it did in the two months prior.\r\n\r\nDevesh Khanal, co-founder of <a href=\"https://growandconvert.com/\">Grow and Convert</a>, calls this the customer-content fit - taking the time to identify the right customer, and publishing content that is written specifically for that customer.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3387\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"305\" />\r\n<small>Image Source: <a class=\"title ajaxlink\" title=\"Customer-Content Fit: A Framework for Producing Content That Attracts Customers\" href=\"https://growandconvert.com/content-marketing/customer-content-fit/\">Customer-Content Fit: A Framework for Producing Content That Attracts Customers</a></small>\r\n\r\nContent marketing must be more than just finding keywords, creating content, posting links to social media, and hoping something connects with someone who’s in the market to buy what you’re selling.\r\n\r\nThis approach may drive traffic, but it doesn’t drive qualified traffic that generates leads and builds revenue.\r\n\r\nWhat it does, instead, is encompass a lot of budget and effort that produces little ROI.\r\n\r\nTo achieve customer-content fit, content marketers must conduct detailed research on their ideal prospects—just like an ABM marketer would do for key contacts at target accounts.\r\n\r\nThe learnings from that research must then be applied to every sentence of every piece of content published.\r\n\r\nContent marketing in 2018 must be targeted, personalized, and valuable to your audience for it to rise above the noise, drive engagement with the right people, and continue to reign as king.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Trend #3: Voice and IoT Technologies Will Impact Every Aspect of Marketing</h3>\r\nAccording to Google, <a href=\"https://www.iprospect.com/en/us/our-blog/google-home-accelerating-voice-search-growth/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">20% of searches</a> are already conducted using voice search, and that number is <a href=\"http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/just-say-it-future-search-voice-personal-digital-assistants/1392459\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">predicted to reach 50%</a> by 2020.\r\n\r\nVoice will have major impacts on content marketing and SEO.\r\n\r\nPurchases of Google Home and Amazon Alexa devices are predicted to exceed 24 million this year, and Alexa was already <a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2016/12/27/amazon-says-echo-was-the-best-selling-product-this-holiday-sells-millions/&amp;refURL=&amp;referrer=#7e6f84ec161e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon’s best-selling product</a> during the 2016 holiday season.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3388\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpeg\" alt=\"3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"386\" />\r\n<small>Image Source: <a href=\"http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-2017-voice-report-predicts-more-than-24-million-amazon-echo-and-google-home-devices-will-be-sold-this-year-300394431.html\">The 2017 Voice Report Predicts More Than 24 Million Amazon Echo and Google Home Devices Will Be Sold This Year</a></small>\r\n\r\nAdditionally, after a recent Google patent, it was predicted that Google will use personal assistants <a href=\"http://searchengineland.com/patent-2-2-google-learns-guide-purchasing-decisions-273055\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to recommend products</a>. Voice will have major impacts on advertising.\r\n\r\nAnd in recent Internet of Things (IoT) news, Google Assistant is being added to <a href=\"http://searchengineland.com/google-assistant-coming-speakers-home-appliances-lg-281673\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">several new LG home appliances</a>.\r\n\r\nPeople will use voice and personal assistants to control their devices, electronics, and appliances.\r\n\r\nThese new technologies will open the door for innovative marketing and advertising.\r\n\r\nVoice and IoT provide marketers with an ideal opportunity for innovation.\r\n\r\nSimon Penson, founder and Managing Director <a href=\"https://www.zazzlemedia.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zazzle Media</a>, is <a href=\"https://moz.com/blog/voice-strategy-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">already building a voice team</a> to develop and implement best practices for voice search SEO and get ahead of the curve.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRTuKPAa--g\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n<small> Video courtesy of <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/user/zazzlemedia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zazzle Media</a></small>\r\n\r\nHis advice:\r\n<blockquote>“We know from the minds of the most informed experts that voice is developing quickly and that it clearly offers significant benefits to its users. When those two key things combine, alongside a lowering cost to the technology needed to access it, it creates a tipping point that only ends one way: in the birth of a new era for computing. Such a thing has massive connotations for both digital and wider marketing, and it will pay to have first-mover advantage.”</blockquote>\r\nMarketers who are struggling with a languishing ROI and looking for new ways to stand out should take time to research the likely implications of voice and IoT on digital marketing and advertising.\r\n\r\nGetting in early while most are still ignoring the trend will allow marketing teams to develop best practices for the mediums, earn industry credibility by sharing some of those best practices with the wider marketing community, and retain their edge by keeping the most effective approaches confidential.\r\n\r\nThose that don’t will fall into the trap of acting on the best practices published by others, engaging in strategies that consumers have already been trained to ignore.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>The State of Digital Marketing in 2018</h3>\r\nIn 2018 and the years that follow, marketing must adapt to <a href=\"http://searchengineland.com/data-consumers-grow-demanding-impatient-brands-fall-behind-281075\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rapidly shifting consumer preferences</a>.\r\n\r\nThanks to Google and mobile phones, consumers have learned that they can access the information they need the moment they need it with just a few clicks, or audible words.\r\n\r\nThis has led to a culture of impatience for brands that don’t deliver, and failing to deliver has lasting impacts.\r\n\r\nMarketers who take time to innovate and personalise will stand out in the crowded digital marketing industry, earning attention and engagement. That engagement will manifest itself as increased revenue and greater marketing success.\r\n\r\nThe starting point for innovation and personalisation is data. Implement systems that allow you to collect audience data, take time to mine it for valuable insights, and don’t be afraid to shift based on what you learn even, and especially, if it goes against what everyone else says you should do.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=4]','High-Powered Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018','','publish','closed','open','','digital-marketing-in-2018','','https://growandconvert.com/content-marketing/customer-content-fit/\nhttps://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/\nhttps://databox.com/inbound-marketing-not-working\nhttps://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/marketing-analytics/','2017-09-19 14:20:23','2017-09-19 13:20:23','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3384',0,'post','',0),(3385,3,'2017-09-06 14:52:10','2017-09-06 13:52:10','','3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com','','inherit','closed','closed','','3-dynamic-trends-that-will-dominate-digital-marketing-in-2018-www-ruleranalytics-com','','','2017-09-06 14:52:57','2017-09-06 13:52:57','',3384,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3386,3,'2017-09-06 15:02:48','2017-09-06 14:02:48','','3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com','','inherit','closed','closed','','3-dynamic-trends-that-will-dominate-digital-marketing-in-2018-www-ruleranalytics-com-2','','','2017-09-06 15:03:11','2017-09-06 14:03:11','',3384,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3387,3,'2017-09-06 15:08:06','2017-09-06 14:08:06','','3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com','','inherit','closed','closed','','3-dynamic-trends-that-will-dominate-digital-marketing-in-2018-www-ruleranalytics-com-3','','','2017-09-06 15:08:34','2017-09-06 14:08:34','',3384,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3388,3,'2017-09-06 15:10:18','2017-09-06 14:10:18','','3 Dynamic Trends That Will Dominate Digital Marketing in 2018 - www.ruleranalytics.com','','inherit','closed','closed','','3-dynamic-trends-that-will-dominate-digital-marketing-in-2018-www-ruleranalytics-com-4','','','2017-09-06 15:10:36','2017-09-06 14:10:36','',3384,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-Dynamic-Trends-That-Will-Dominate-Digital-Marketing-in-2018-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpeg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3392,0,'2017-09-10 15:07:40','2017-09-10 14:07:40','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3392','','','2017-09-10 15:07:40','2017-09-10 14:07:40','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3392/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3393,0,'2017-09-13 15:00:51','2017-09-13 14:00:51','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3393','','','2017-09-13 15:00:51','2017-09-13 14:00:51','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3393/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3395,2,'2017-09-14 13:50:14','2017-09-14 12:50:14','The math behind your SaaS go-to-market strategy can determine whether your business is going to succeed or fail before you\'ve even launched your product.\r\n\r\nIf you have a low lifetime-value product with a high sales cost, it won\'t work.\r\n\r\nIf your price point is low, but your goals are lofty, you’re going to need to build <a href=\"https://aggregateblog.com/saas-facebook-ads/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook-like engagement</a> to hit those goals.\r\n\r\nBefore launching your SaaS product, it’s crucial to develop a successful approach to marketing and selling.\r\n\r\nKnowing which marketing and sales approaches will <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drive revenue</a> requires defining your goals, identifying the audience that will allow you to hit those goals, and forming a strategy that’s catered to that audience.\r\n\r\nBy using the following go-to-market strategy examples, you can brainstorm the details of your launch, marketing, and <a href=\"http://content.digitalmediastream.co.uk/blog/how-to-build-a-successful-saas-sales-team\">sales strategies</a> to set your SaaS product up for success from day one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Go-To-Market Strategy Example 1: How to Build a £100 Million Business</h3>\r\nWhen building a go-to-market strategy for startups, many SaaS companies turn to Christoph Janz’s framework for <a href=\"http://christophjanz.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/five-ways-to-build-100-million-business.html\">building a $100 million business</a>.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3418\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Partner_christoph_janz-e1497337967794.jpg\" alt=\"You Can’t Succeed In SaaS with the Wrong Go-To-Market Strategy - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" />\r\n<small>Christoph Janz, Managing Partner at <a href=\"http://www.pointninecap.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Point Nine Capital</a>.</small>\r\n\r\nJanz’s framework is based on simple math, highlighting how many customers it takes to get to $100 million dollars, or £100 million for UK businesses, in annual recurring revenue (ARR) at different price points.\r\n\r\nTo <a href=\"http://labs.openviewpartners.com/how-to-get-to-100-million-in-arr/\">get to £100 million ARR</a>, you need one of the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>1,000 customers who have subscribed to a service that costs £100,000+ per year.</li>\r\n 	<li>10,000 customers who have subscribed to a service that costs £10,000+ per year.</li>\r\n 	<li>100,000 customers who have subscribed to a service that costs £1,000+ per year.</li>\r\n 	<li>One million customers who have subscribed to a service that costs £100+ per year.</li>\r\n 	<li>10 million customers who have subscribed to a service that costs £10+ per year.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf that seems confusing - don\'t worry. Christoph produced a nice illustration to make things a little less complicated:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3417\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/You-Cant-Succeed-In-SaaS-with-the-Wrong-Go-To-Market-Strategy-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"You Can\'t Succeed In SaaS with the Wrong Go-To-Market Strategy - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"700\" height=\"550\" />\r\n<small>Image courtesy of <a href=\"https://twitter.com/chrija\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christoph Janz</a>. The y-axis shows the average revenue per account (ARPA) per year. In the x-axis you can see how many customers you need, for a given ARPA, to get to $100 million in annual revenues. Both axes use a logarithmic scale.</small>\r\n\r\nOf course, £100 million in ARR may feel like a lofty goal. But the basic premise is that it’s important to take time to define your ARR goal, and do the math to evaluate the likelihood of meeting that goal long-term.\r\n\r\nThe likelihood of meeting that goal is dependent on your price point and how many customers you can convert and retain.\r\n\r\nLet’s say, for example, that you just want to hit <a href=\"https://www.hotjar.com/blog/the-hotjar-story-part-2-from-beta-to-1-million-arr-in-6-months\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">£1 million in ARR</a>.\r\n\r\nIf your price point is £1,000 per year, you’ll need 1,000 customers to meet your goal.\r\n\r\nFirst, you need to determine if that goal is feasible:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Is there enough market demand to gain 1,000 product subscribers?</li>\r\n 	<li>Will those 1,000 subscribers be willing to pay £1,000 per year for your service?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf the goal seems feasible, then you formulate your go-to-market strategy and <a href=\"https://www.ventureharbour.com/ultimate-startup-marketing-strategy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marketing plan</a> around attracting customers who can afford to pay £1,000 per year for your service.\r\n\r\nIn this scenario, you’re likely targeting small businesses.\r\n\r\nJanz argues that the best marketing for small businesses is inbound marketing, so your go-to-market strategy and marketing plan should be focused on content, social media, email, and influencer marketing, as well as display and <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/ppc/get-more-from-your-ppc-campaigns/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PPC advertising</a>.\r\n\r\nDrive prospects to your website to convert.\r\n\r\nA large sales team doesn’t necessarily have a place in this model because small businesses are less likely to respond to cold calls, and many customers will likely convert on their own without ever needing to speak to a sales representative.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, if you’re targeting enterprise businesses at a price point of £100,000+ per year, a large sales team may be more important than a heavy focus on inbound marketing.\r\n\r\nThe best SaaS go-to-market strategy considers the long-term goals of the business, determines what type of and how many customers will be needed to hit those goals, and uses the math to build a plan for how to target and convert those customers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Go-To-Market Strategy Example 2: The Mission Matrix</h3>\r\nEdward Ford, SaaS Growth Marketer at Advance B2B, recommends that SaaS companies looking to develop a go-to-market strategy adopt <a href=\"https://www.advanceb2b.com/thegrowthhub/the-mission-matrix-saas-go-to-market-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Mission Matrix framework</a>.\r\n\r\nThe Mission Matrix begins—like Janz’s framework—with knowing your ideal customer, though the types of customers you might target are narrowed down to three: small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), mid-market businesses, and enterprise businesses.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3420\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/You-Can’t-Succeed-In-SaaS-with-the-Wrong-Go-To-Market-Strategy-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.jpeg\" alt=\"You Can’t Succeed In SaaS with the Wrong Go-To-Market Strategy - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" />\r\n<small>Image Courtesy of <a href=\"https://twitter.com/NordicEdward\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edward Ford</a>. The Mission Matrix framework is built upon a 3x3 grid, that combines your possible sales strategy with possible target company.</small>\r\n\r\nNext, you determine the <a href=\"https://www.ben-cotton.com/blog/building-a-saas-sales-and-marketing-engine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marketing and sales approach</a> you plan to use to attract customers:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>No/low touch – The business model is primarily self-service.</li>\r\n 	<li>Mid-touch – The business model is focused on inside sales and external partnerships.</li>\r\n 	<li>High-touch – The business model is focused heavily on direct outreach from sales.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDifferent combinations of target customers and approaches can lead to either success or failure.\r\n\r\nNo/low touch works well for SMBs to mid-market customers, mid-touch works well for mid-market to enterprise customers, and high touch works well for a primarily enterprise customer base.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, a high-touch approach fails for SMB to mid-market customers, and a low-touch approach fails for enterprise customers. But the worst approach of all is what Ford calls the “Carpet Bomb Mission”, using all approaches to target businesses of all sizes.\r\n\r\nThe problem with this approach is that the lack of targeting results in a lack of focus.\r\n<blockquote>“Carpet bombing is a military tactic used to inflict damage to a large area without a specific target in mind. This same analogy applies to SaaS companies who have failed to clearly define a specific target; they will try and sell to anyone, which ultimately leads to no one.\"</blockquote>\r\nWith The Mission Matrix, SaaS companies can easily identify if their go-to-market strategy is setting them up for success or failure by plotting their target customers on a graph with the proposed sales approach.\r\n\r\nApproaches that are doomed to fail based on The Mission Matrix need to be revised before your product goes to market.\r\n\r\nOtherwise, you’ll set your business up for failure before your product is even launched.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>How to Build a Go-To-Market Strategy</h3>\r\nDon’t set your SaaS startup up for failure before you’ve ever launched it.\r\n\r\nRemember that different go-to-market and marketing tactics work for different types of customers.\r\n\r\nDefine your goals, define your price point, and define your customers.\r\n\r\nBuild your go-to-market strategy and marketing plan based on those answers, and you’ll be set up for success from the beginning.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=13]','You Can\'t Succeed In SaaS with the Wrong Go-To-Market Strategy','','publish','closed','open','','go-to-market-strategy','','https://www.ventureharbour.com/ultimate-startup-marketing-strategy/\nhttps://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/ppc/get-more-from-your-ppc-campaigns/\nhttp://labs.openviewpartners.com/how-to-get-to-100-million-in-arr/\nhttps://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/','2017-09-26 11:07:11','2017-09-26 10:07:11','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3395',0,'post','',0),(3400,0,'2017-09-14 13:59:15','2017-09-14 12:59:15','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3400','','','2017-09-14 13:59:15','2017-09-14 12:59:15','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3400/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3401,0,'2017-09-14 14:07:19','2017-09-14 13:07:19','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3401','','','2017-09-14 14:07:19','2017-09-14 13:07:19','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3401/',0,'nf_sub','',0);
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But this copy-paste approach is prevalent in <a href=\"https://martechexec.com/article/impact-ai-modern-marketing-scorecard.html\">modern digital marketing</a>.\r\n\r\nMarketers find something that works, publish an article or case study about it, and everyone else adopts the approach.\r\n\r\nThe result: customers get so tired of seeing the same tactics that they become blind to it.\r\n\r\nIt’s the cause of the <a href=\"https://unbounce.com/content-marketing/how-to-craft-headlines-that-get-clicked-without-resorting-to-clickbait/\">clickbait headlines</a> that claim email marketing is dead, content marketing is dead, SEO is dead, or Facebook marketing is dead.\r\n\r\nNone of those things are dead.\r\n\r\nPeople just either learned to ignore duplicative and unoriginal campaigns and techniques, or they found ways, like installing ad-blockers to avoid them completely.\r\n\r\nAn effective <a href=\"https://www.matthewbarby.com/customer-acquisition-strategies/\">customer acquisition marketing strategy</a> isn’t copied and pasted from the approaches, successes, and tactics of other businesses.\r\n\r\nIt’s unique, clever, creative, and personalised to both your business and your target customers.\r\n\r\nTo develop a successful marketing strategy, one that drives customers to your business, builds brand awareness, drives engagement, and produces real results - you must take time to develop your own customer acquisition playbook.\r\n\r\nIf you\'re unsure how to do this, don\'t worry, because I\'m going to show you how.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Think Beyond Buyer Personas, and Work to Truly Understand Your Audience</h3>\r\nBuyer personas that are created as a result of a brainstorm are a good starting place, but at some point, you\'re going to have to dig deep and conduct some research in order to truly understand the unique profile of your customers.\r\n\r\nIn his article “You Don\'t Know Your Customer and It\'s Crippling Your Growth,” Benji Hyam argues that truly knowing your customer means having seven key pieces of information:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3466\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/How-to-Create-Your-Own-Customer-Acquisition-Playbook-www.ruleranalytics.com_-11.png\" alt=\"How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition Playbook - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"452\" />\r\n\r\nThese pieces of information are very specific.\r\n\r\nThey require much more detail than what’s covered in the typical buyer persona.\r\n\r\nThere are a few different ways to get to this level of understanding about your audience:\r\n<h4>Conduct user research</h4>\r\nHave conversations with or survey prospective and existing customers, making sure to <a href=\"https://growandconvert.com/marketing/conducting-user-research/\">ask the right questions</a>.\r\n\r\nTalk to your sales team and customer service reps; these individuals have direct access to customers and often understand prospects’ needs and pain points better than anyone else. Add Qualaroo to your site to survey anonymous website visitors.\r\n<h4>Mine historical data</h4>\r\nAt Ruler Analytics, <a href=\"https://blog.chartmogul.com/ruler-analytics-chartmogul-closed-loop-marketing/\">we used our own platform and ChartMogul</a> to identify the specific sector where our product had performed the best over time.\r\n\r\nWithout the data, we may never have known that this sector was an important audience for us. By focusing our marketing on that sector, we were able to more than double our monthly recurring revenue.\r\n<h4>Focus on a niche</h4>\r\nTake Dave McClure’s “<a href=\"https://500hats.com/niche-to-win-baby-934eba97f28c\">Niche to Win</a>” approach. Focus your initial offerings on a small, niche audience.\r\n\r\nThe more focused you are, the more you’re able to work with customers and prospects in your niche, and the more knowledge you’ll build about the wants and needs of customers in that segment over time.\r\n<h4>Use a product analytics tool</h4>\r\nPlatforms like <a href=\"https://mixpanel.com/\">Mixpanel</a> and <a href=\"https://amplitude.com/\">Amplitude</a> are focused on helping you understand where you earn the most engagement from visitors to your site, what features users are most interested in, and how effective you are in moving prospects through the funnel.\r\n\r\nThis allows you to identify how your customers are using your product and also helps ensure they love it.\r\n\r\nAs Benji Hyam says:\r\n<blockquote>“When you know your customer inside and out, that’s when you’re able to come up with ideas, messaging and tactics that will change the growth trajectory of your business.”</blockquote>\r\nImpactful growth starts with really and truly knowing your audience.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, the starting point for any <a href=\"https://www.ventureharbour.com/ultimate-startup-marketing-strategy/\">customer acquisition marketing strategy</a> is doing the necessary research to go beyond buyer personas to develop a deep understanding of your audience.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Know What Strategies Your Competitors Are Using</h3>\r\nYou <a href=\"https://conversionxl.com/blog/stop-copying-your-competitors-they-dont-know-what-theyre-doing-either/\">shouldn’t copy your competitors’ strategies</a>, but you should know exactly what their strategies are, which are working, which aren’t, and how their strategies could be improved.\r\n\r\nThen, focus on areas and channels they’re neglecting.\r\n\r\nSay, for example, that your biggest competitor is a content marketing master.\r\n\r\nThat competitor dominates the search results for relevant keywords with its massive library of comprehensive, actionable, audience-focused content.\r\n\r\nIts blog has thousands of backlinks from high-authority sites.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, you’ve yet to write your first blog post.\r\n\r\nUntil recently, your website was a “coming soon” page, so you have few backlinks and zero authority with the search engines.\r\n\r\nIt doesn’t make sense to put all of your efforts into content marketing up front.\r\n\r\nIf you do, you’ll likely struggle to drive meaningful results in the short-term.\r\n\r\nWhat you need to do instead is find out what’s working for your competitors, and allocate less effort to those strategies initially.\r\n\r\nThen find out what techniques they’re neglecting, or identify ways to improve on their successful strategies, and use those ideas to develop your own unique strategy.\r\n\r\nThere are many ways to find out what your competitors are doing, what’s working for them, and what they’re neglecting:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Ahrefs</h3>\r\n<a href=\"https://ahrefs.com/dashboard/metrics\">Ahrefs</a> is an SEO analysis tool that allows you to see what keywords competitors are ranking for and from whom they’re getting backlinks.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3458\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/How-to-Create-Your-Own-Customer-Acquisition-Playbook-www.ruleranalytics.com_-5.png\" alt=\"How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition Playbook - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"516\" />\r\n\r\nUse it to find keyword and backlink opportunities, find out how competitors are promoting their content (guest posts, appearances on podcasts, etc.), and determine if there’s an opportunity to do what they’re doing—but better.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>SimilarWeb</h3>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.similarweb.com/\">SimilarWeb</a> allows you to research which channels—search, referral, email, PPC, display ads, and social—perform best for your competitors as well as across your industry.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3455\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/How-to-Create-Your-Own-Customer-Acquisition-Playbook-www.ruleranalytics.com_-2.png\" alt=\"How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition Playbook - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"801\" height=\"327\" />\r\n\r\nUse the information to identify channels competitors are failing to take advantage of, and focus efforts there.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>BuzzSumo</h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://buzzsumo.com/\">Buzzsumo</a> has many features that aid in competitor monitoring. Find out what content has received the most shares for both your competitors and important industry keywords.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3457\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/How-to-Create-Your-Own-Customer-Acquisition-Playbook-www.ruleranalytics.com_-4.png\" alt=\"How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition Playbook - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"368\" />\r\n\r\nUse its monitoring feature to set alerts for your own brand, competitor brands, and important keywords. Identify key influencers in your industry for valuable partnership, sharing, and linking opportunities.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google Alerts</h3>\r\nSet up <a href=\"https://www.google.com/alerts\">Google Alerts</a> for competitor brand/product/author names, and receive a daily digest of newly published content that uses the words in your alert.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3461\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/How-to-Create-Your-Own-Customer-Acquisition-Playbook-www.ruleranalytics.com_-8.png\" alt=\"How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition Playbook - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"436\" />\r\n\r\nThis is a great way to find out when competitors are shifting their tactics and focusing on new strategies.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, competitors will often share information publicly about their successes.\r\n\r\nYou can find out a lot about competitors by reviewing the case studies they’ve published on their sites, subscribing to their email list, following them on social media, and reviewing their new blog posts.\r\n\r\nGoing back to the earlier discussion of your largest competitor who is a content marketing master: using the tools above, you may find that because of its success with content marketing and SEO, your competitor doesn’t run AdWords ads.\r\n\r\nWith the right bids, you could get an ad for your product to appear above your competitor’s organic results.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Conduct Experiments to Learn What Works</h3>\r\nOkDork’s Noah Kagan recommends using a <a href=\"http://okdork.com/quant-based-marketing-for-pre-launch-start-ups/\">quant-based marketing</a> approach:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3462\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/How-to-Create-Your-Own-Customer-Acquisition-Playbook-www.ruleranalytics.com_-9.png\" alt=\"How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition Playbook - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"467\" />\r\n\r\nIf you’ve completed the audience and competitor research exercises, you already know your audience, and you know where competitors are failing to engage that audience.\r\n\r\nUse that knowledge to formulate specific techniques you plan to use in your customer acquisition marketing strategy.\r\n\r\nNext, conduct short experiments to test your theories.\r\n\r\nDon’t make the mistake of continuing to invest in an underperforming strategy.\r\n\r\nIt’s crucial to monitor results and find out what really works for you.\r\n\r\nNot everything will.\r\n\r\nIf something fails, identify the failure early, abandon the approach, and focus on something that is working.\r\n\r\nExperimentation is the final step in creating a customer acquisition strategy that’s unique to your business, not a basic replication of what others are doing.\r\n\r\nFind out what your target customers want and need, form hypotheses on how you can best fulfill those needs, and test those hypotheses to establish proof.\r\n\r\nWith techniques that are proven to work for your business, you’ll have created an original customer acquisition playbook that you can rely on when forming new marketing strategies designed to grow your business.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Follow These Steps to Form a Unique and Effective Customer Acquisition Strategy</h3>\r\nSuccessfully growing a business requires marketers to think beyond “best practices” and clichés like “content is king.”\r\n\r\nBest practices are just recommendations.\r\n\r\nThey’re only best practices for you if you’ve taken the time to hypothesize, test, and establish proof.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3465\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/How-to-Create-Your-Own-Customer-Acquisition-Playbook-www.ruleranalytics.com_-10.png\" alt=\"How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition Playbook - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"802\" height=\"172\" />\r\n\r\nContent may be king, but it’s the <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/online-marketing/digital-marketing-in-2018/\">king of an oversaturated market</a>.\r\n\r\nPublishing content isn’t enough.\r\n\r\nYou must publish quality, actionable, audience-focused content—and promote it on the right channels—to get it in front of the people who are interested in buying what you’re selling.\r\n\r\nWithout a customer acquisition marketing strategy that’s unique to your business, you run the risk of wasting time, budget, and resources on tactics that produce lackluster results.\r\n\r\nDon’t fail before you begin by replicating other brand’s strategies.\r\n\r\nGrow your business, do something unique, and achieve success by taking the time upfront to create your own customer acquisition playbook.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=4]','How to Create Your Own Customer Acquisition 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00:32:49','2017-10-15 23:32:49','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3479/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3480,0,'2017-10-16 08:49:08','2017-10-16 07:49:08','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3480','','','2017-10-16 08:49:08','2017-10-16 07:49:08','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3480/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3482,0,'2017-10-16 11:12:26','2017-10-16 10:12:26','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3482','','','2017-10-16 11:12:26','2017-10-16 10:12:26','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3482/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3483,0,'2017-10-16 12:03:10','2017-10-16 11:03:10','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3483','','','2017-10-16 12:03:10','2017-10-16 11:03:10','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3483/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3484,0,'2017-10-16 12:03:43','2017-10-16 11:03:43','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3484','','','2017-10-16 12:03:43','2017-10-16 11:03:43','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3484/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3487,2,'2017-10-18 12:22:35','2017-10-18 11:22:35','<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A customer journey map is a visual representation of the steps customers go through when considering, making, and utilising a purchase. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It’s a valuable marketing tool because it defines the path to purchase from the perspective of the customer—not the company. </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because journey maps are developed from the customer’s perspective, they can be used to form a plan for engaging prospects and customers, earning their attention and trust, in order to guide prospects deeper into the sales funnel and improve customer retention.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agencies can use customer journey maps to create a timeline of the purchasing lifecycle, for both their own business as well as client businesses, and identify the goals customers have at each stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing where customers are in the journey and what goals they have at each stage allows you to deliver the right information, on the right channel, at the right time.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The end result: increased engagement, revenue, and brand loyalty.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customer Journey Mapping Examples</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To better understand what a customer journey map is, it’s helpful to look at some examples:</span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Basic_Customer_Journey_Maping_Example.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"233\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source: </span><a href=\"http://www.business2community.com/strategy/buyer-journey-content-marketing-versus-sales-enablement-01164181#YpIy6SojuKX83HIy.97\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business 2 Community</span></i></a></small>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A basic customer journey map shows the major stages prospects move through before making a purchase. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The steps in the buying journey will vary based on product, selling model, and industry.</span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IntermediateCustomer_Journey_Maping_Example.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"454\" />\r\n<small>Source: <a href=\"https://accent-technologies.com/blog/resource-lib/mapping-content-buyers-journey/\">Accent</a></small>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A more advanced customer journey map might detail the stages in the journey, along with the types of content that should be delivered to prospects at different stages.</span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Advanced_Customer_Journey_Maping_Example.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"471\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source:</span><a href=\"https://go.forrester.com/blogs/15-05-25-b2b_buyer_journey_mapping_basics/\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forrester</span></i></a></small>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An advanced journey map can be developed over time to include many additional details that can be helpful for companies and marketers. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may contain details on key decision-makers, customer needs and goals, influencers, appropriate content types, and appropriate channels for each stage. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may also extend beyond the purchase to map the entire customer lifecycle.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Create a Customer Journey Map in 6 Steps</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A customer journey map can be an extremely useful tool for hitting, or exceeding, your digital marketing goals. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Map out the stages of the journey for different buyer personas to engage prospects and customers with more targeted and personalised communications.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow these six steps to develop a customer journey map. </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 1: Conduct Research</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The starting point for creating a customer journey map is collecting as much information as possible about your prospects and customers. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many ways to do this:</span>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Interview existing customers.</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Existing customers are a wonderful source of information. Gather their input by </span><a href=\"https://growandconvert.com/marketing/conducting-user-research/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conducting user research</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">—send surveys, schedule interviews, and organise discussion panels.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Interview sales and customer service staff.</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You also need to gather information about prospects who didn’t convert, and former customers who left. Salespeople are great sources of information on why some people don’t become customers, and customer service reps can provide common reasons why customers fail to renew.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>See what your competitors are doing.</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Review the websites of your biggest competitors. Take note of how information is organized on the site, and look at what CTAs are used on different pages. This can provide insight into competitor maps.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Collect user behavior data.</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you have an existing website, you can use an analytics program like </span><a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ruler Analytics</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to create a map of how users interact with your website and its content across multiple sessions.</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ruler_Analytics_Visitor_Journeys.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"701\" height=\"434\" />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\nOnce you’ve collected as much research as possible, review the information to find themes. The behaviors, concerns, goals, and actions that are repeated across multiple sources will become the stages of your customer journey.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 2: Define Your Customer Journey Stages</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you’ve taken time to conduct research, you should have a good idea of the steps your prospects and customers go through when considering, making, and utilising a purchase.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most important thing at this stage is avoiding making things overly complicated. Because you have a lot of data, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in the details that you end up creating complex flow charts with dozens of steps and points of diversion.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep it simple. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember that you’re not trying to account for the detailed experiences of every single customer over every single touch point. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You’re simply creating a high-level version of the journey based on the majority of the research you collected.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start with a basic set of stages that you know prospects and customers go through. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here’s an example: </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Awareness</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> – The prospect becomes aware of a problem or need.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Exploration</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> – The prospect is actively researching solutions.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Comparison</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> – The prospect is researching vendors.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Purchase</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> – The prospect decides to make a purchase.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Validation</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> – The customer uses the purchase to solve the original problem.</span></li>\r\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Renewal</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> – The customer decides whether or not to renew.</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go through your research, sort customer goals and behaviors into these stages. When you’re finished, you may have additional information that doesn’t fit into any of these stages. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In that case, you may need to add a new stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, say you have a lot of research where prospects tried to solve the problem initially with a free service. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn’t until those services failed to solve the problem that customers decided to make a purchase. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this scenario, you may want to add an experimentation stage before the purchase stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may also find that the steps are out of order. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Say for example that most of your customers start with a free trial. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this case, the validation stage may need to be on the timeline before the purchase stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also remove stages if you find they don’t apply. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you only sell one-time purchases, you probably don’t need a renewal stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you’ve finished this exercise, you’ll have a complete timeline showing each of the most important steps your customers take on their journeys.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To keep things simple, create the initial draft in a program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.</span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Customer_Journey_Stages_Excel.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"177\" />\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\nStep 3: Adjust Stages for Different Buyer Personas</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not every buyer will take the same journey, so you may need to go one step further and refine the stages based on specific buyer personas.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Say your company targets both SMBs and corporations. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review those personas and your research to determine if either persona needs a distinct journey.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, your SMB persona is probably more likely to experiment with free solutions before deciding to make a purchase. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your corporate persona probably doesn’t bother trying free services. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the corporate persona journey, remove the experimentation stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the corporation is more likely to have an implementation stage, where the SMB is more likely to self-service the purchase and its onboarding. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The corporate persona journey, then, will have an implementation stage that doesn’t appear in the SMB journey.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">List each persona above its journey on your draft, and edit the stages of the journey as necessary.</span>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Customer_Journey_Stages_and_Personas_Excel.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\nStep 4: Identify Customer Goals for Each Stage</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you have timelines created for each customer journey and have identified the major stages in those timelines, it’s time to take the most crucial step: determine what goals customers are trying to achieve at each stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research you did upfront is very helpful in this step. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, you’ll have information directly from your customers on what goals they were trying to achieve.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your research doesn’t provide answers, you can still move forward. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just imagine that you’re the customer in that stage, and think of exactly what you would be trying to accomplish.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You’ll come up with the right answer from the start, but if you don’t, it’s really not a big deal. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your customer journey map should be a living document that you test, edit, and refine frequently as you gather new data. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the initial version, use your best-educated guess, and take time to validate the information later.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add a “customer goal” row to your draft, and add at least one goal to every stage of the journey.</span>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Customer_Journey_Map_with_Customer_Goals.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 5: Map Stages to Different Digital Touch Points</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you know what customers are trying to achieve, you can determine what sources of information they’re likely to use to achieve those goals.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start by seeking these answers in your research. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If that doesn’t work, educated guesses, that you’ll validate later, are just as effective in an initial customer journey map.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add another row to your draft, this time for “digital touch points.”</span>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Customer_Journey_Map_with_Digital_Touch_Points.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 6: Map Goals and TouchPoints to Content Types</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final step in creating a digital customer journey map is identifying what content types are appropriate for different stages of the journey and different goals.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use your research or make your best guess, and validate the information later. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add a content row to your draft, and add types of content that are appropriate for each stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Customer_Journey_Map_with_Content_Types.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using the Customer Journey Mapping Process for More Effective Marketing</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a draft of your new customer journey map complete, you’re ready to start using the information to boost engagement with anonymous visitors, undecided prospects, and existing customers.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The information you’ve collected can be used to improve the effectiveness of many different digital marketing approaches.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How a Journey Map Helps with Content Marketing and SEO</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, use tools like</span><a href=\"https://moz.com/explorer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moz Keyword Explorer</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,</span><a href=\"https://lsigraph.com/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LSI Graph</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or</span><a href=\"https://adwords.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Keyword Planner</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to build a list of search terms that are relevant to your business, products, and services.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have a list, conduct a search for each keyword. Click each page-one search result, and see what type of content appears.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click each page-one search result, and see what type of content appears.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compare the content types that were in the search results to those that you recorded for the different stages of the customer journey. This should give you a good indication of what stage of the journey users are in when they search for those keywords.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This should give you a good indication of what stage of the journey users are in when they search for those keywords.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if the results are all third-party comparisons, user reviews, and price comparisons, people searching for that keyword are most likely in the comparison stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The content you create for that keyword should be designed to help the user meet their goal of narrowing down her options for potential solutions.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only does this help you cater content to the user’s specific needs in that stage, it also provides you with clarity on potential CTAs or related information to include in the content.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know users in this stage are also interested in case studies, so link to relevant case studies from that content. You also know that they’re considering free options, so you may want to link to a feature comparison chart that compares your product to free services.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, since you know the prospect probably isn’t yet ready to make the purchase, you can avoid wasting your CTA on demo and purchase offers. Instead, consider using a subscribe CTA to encourage users to opt-in to receiving marketing emails. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will provide you with an opportunity to stay at the top of their mind while they’re in the process of testing free solutions.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How a Journey Map Helps with PPC and Display Advertising</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process described above can also be used to point PPC ads to relevant and contextual content. After conducting the research, you know where people are in their journey when searching for the terms you plan to bid on, so you can link to the types of content and promos that are most likely to meet their current goals.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of display advertising, the customer journey map becomes very helpful for</span><a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/retargeting-campaigns-beginner-guide\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">retargeting campaigns</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Setup retargeting ads to trigger when users visit specific pages of your site that indicate what stage of the journey they’re in. Then, use display ads to either re-engage those visitors or guide them further along their journey.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, say someone looked at your pricing page and then left the site. You can assume they’re in the comparison stage. Show them ads across other sites and social media channels that promote case studies or free trial offers.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How a Journey Map Helps with Email Marketing</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best approach to email marketing is to segment your audience so you can deliver personalized content. The journey map allows you to do this easily.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you’re sending introductory-level blog post promotions to your entire email list, you’re missing an opportunity to drive prospects deeper into the sales funnel.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, you should be segmenting your email list by each subscriber’s stage in the buying journey. You can identify stages by reviewing the types of content subscribers engage with. If they’re engaging with introductory blog posts, they’re probably in the awareness stage. If they’re engaging with promotional offers, they’re probably in the experimentation stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you know what stage the user is in, you can follow up with content that’s designed to cater to that stage, as well as to guide buyers into the next stage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep in mind that segmenting your subscribers into the appropriate lists and sending personalized emails to different segments is a lot of work if you’re trying to do it manually.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If this is an approach you’re interested in, you may want to look into a</span><a href=\"https://zapier.com/learn/email-marketing/best-drip-email-marketing-apps/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drip email or marketing automation platform</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that will perform these tasks automatically.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Importance of Digital Customer Journey Mapping</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spray and pray approach to digital marketing no longer works. The most successful marketers and agencies are</span><a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/online-marketing/digital-marketing-in-2018/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">those that cater to their audiences</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take time to build a customer journey map. Abandon your business goals briefly, and learn more about the goals of the people you’re trying to engage. 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coming from?\r\n\r\nIt\'s a problem every marketer has suffered from. You\'re getting leads. But you need more.\r\n\r\nBut you\'re sat at your desk and the ideas aren\'t coming. You feel empty. You simply can\'t think of anything else. \r\n\r\nFrustrating, isn\'t it?\r\n\r\nBut let me tell you a little secret. We can see how your competitors are getting their leads.\r\n\r\nWe\'re blessed that we have access to the conversion and deal flows of tens of thousands of companies, across many different industries. \r\n\r\nThe key here is that most industries tend to share similar lead generation profiles, so you can see if there are opportunities you\'re missing that the rest of your industry prospers from.\r\n\r\nHave you ever wanted to know the answer to:\r\n\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">How does my lead generation performance compare to similar organisations in my industry?</p>\r\n</blockquote>\r\nWell, now you can! \r\n\r\nDownload our free whitepaper to get instant access to the deal profiles of thousands of companies across 5 different industries: Legal, Finance, Manufacturing and Supplies, Business Consultancy and IT & Telecommunications.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=16]\r\n\r\n\r\n','Where And How Different Industries Get Their Deals - The Lead Generation 2017 Benchmark 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08:53:01','2017-11-07 08:53:01','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3564/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3565,0,'2017-11-07 11:56:28','2017-11-07 11:56:28','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3565','','','2017-11-07 11:56:28','2017-11-07 11:56:28','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3565/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3566,0,'2017-11-07 11:57:04','2017-11-07 11:57:04','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3566','','','2017-11-07 11:57:04','2017-11-07 11:57:04','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3566/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3567,2,'2017-11-07 15:36:36','2017-11-07 15:36:36','When it comes to the topic of revenue growth, most agencies will converge on one strategy: new business.\r\n\r\nWhy wouldn’t they? It’s the most obvious solution.\r\n\r\nMore accounts = more revenue.\r\n\r\nIt’s an unarguable fact.\r\n\r\nAlthough, with new business comes fresh responsibilities, and you may need to invest time researching an entirely new market before you can start focusing on your client\'s goals. Usually, new clients need onboarding and guidance, and this can take a significant amount of time.\r\n\r\nTo accommodate for this time your options are clear. You can either, divert your attention from the clients you’re already serving or add new people to your team.\r\n\r\nThe latter serving only to double the same issues you’re already facing by bringing in the new business.\r\n\r\nDon’t get me wrong. New business is the driving force behind many incredible agencies. And scaling new business whilst maintaining the quality of your agency is a skill that must be fulfilled if you want to survive in this saturated market.\r\n\r\nLuckily, there’s an alternative approach you can use to grow your revenues.\r\n\r\nInstead of overlooking those valued clients who you’ve served for so long, it means you pay more attention to them. It means giving them MORE value. It means your revenues can scale far faster than your operational expenses. It means you don’t have to waste your time on pitching and meetings that go nowhere with people who were never going to buy anyway.\r\n\r\nThat strategy?\r\n\r\nAccount expansion.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>The Power of Account Expansion</h2>\r\nIt’s no secret that finding new customers <a href=\"https://hbr.org/2014/10/the-value-of-keeping-the-right-customers\">costs more than keeping existing ones</a>.\r\n\r\nYou’d be surprised at how few agency owners invest in learning how to grow their existing account revenues.\r\n\r\nThey wrongly feel the only way to grow their agency is to take on new clients.\r\n\r\nOne blessing we have at Ruler Analytics is that, due to the nature of our product, it helps people prove the real business value they’re driving.\r\n\r\nWe’re lucky, as we have the ability to speak to incredibly gifted minds in the area of digital marketing on a daily basis. And those minds sing the same song. Account expansions are as important to grow revenues as new business.\r\n\r\nJoshua Ballard, the founder of <a href=\"http://www.paradoxmarketing.com.au/\">Paradox Marketing</a>, believes it’s not only possible to increase agency revenue with account expansion, but it’s also “considerably easier than bringing in new clients.”\r\n\r\nOther agency founders, owners, and leaders agree. We talked to different agency influencers to get their perspectives on how to grow a digital marketing agency by retaining existing clients and growing those accounts.\r\n\r\nHere’s what we learned.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Specialise on What You’re Good at, and Form Partnerships to Expand Services</h2>\r\nOne thing is for sure: don’t expect any shortcuts.\r\n\r\nEd Leake, founder of <a href=\"https://midasmedia.co.uk/\">Midas Media</a>, says that there’s “no clever growth hack” when it comes to retaining clients. His advice is straightforward and important: “It boils down to being great at one thing and really delivering on it.”\r\n\r\n“Being great” is often an accumulation of lots of factors.\r\n\r\nMichael Winniczuk, founder of<a href=\"https://themediaoctopus.com/\"> Media Octopus</a> helps us outline what lessons you need to learn to be great. Retaining accounts isn’t about quick tactics, it’s about following the right lessons.\r\n\r\nThose two lessons are:\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li style=\"text-align: left;\">“surround yourself with brilliant people\"</li>\r\n 	<li style=\"text-align: left;\"> \"find out what you are good at and stick to it.”</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nWinnczuk’s sentiments are echoed in the thoughts of Ed Leake.\r\n\r\nMidas Media is a PPC agency that specialises in AdWords.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/cBCcN5NBXw8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nLeake says it’s sometimes tempting to offer related services like SEO or web development, but he’s found in his seven years of running an agency that it’s better to “stick to what you know and do that supremely well.”\r\n\r\nIf you need to offer services outside of your specialty, Leake says to “find a reliable partner or two who compliment your offerings.”\r\n\r\nBy partnering with other agencies who offer complimentary, but not competitive services, you can focus on your own specialisation but still provide clients with the add-on services they need.\r\n\r\nLeake isn’t alone in his praise of partnerships.\r\n\r\nJoshua Ballard of <a href=\"http://www.paradoxmarketing.com.au\">Paradox Marketing</a> agrees that it’s not only a good solution to expand your service offering, but “it’s also a good way to find new clients passively.”\r\n\r\nParadox Marketing was initially focused on search marketing, and Ballard had no personnel, or interest, in social media marketing. So he partnered with another agency that specialised in social media marketing, but that had no interest in search marketing.\r\n\r\nThe partnership allowed him to make more money by offering his existing clients a new service, and it also helped him avoid having to become an expert in social media marketing.\r\n\r\nIt also came with another big benefit, when the social media agencies he worked with had clients with search marketing needs, they sent those clients to Paradox.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Is Specialisation Always Right?</h2>\r\nIt was amazing to analyse our research and see the same answers again and again, but not everyone agreed that specialisation was a catchall solution for account expansion.\r\n\r\nSome people believe that specialisation is a strategy that works best at both ends of the budget spectrum. For Tom Jacobs, head of advertising at <a href=\"https://distract.co.uk/\">Distract</a>, deciding whether or not to specialise depends on the size of the accounts you’re targeting. “Niche agencies are ideal for very small and very big budgets, but the middle ground requires a more full-service offering.”\r\n\r\nWhen Distract first started, the agency was focused on social media. All of the agency’s content revolved around social media marketing, and when they gave talks and presentations, they spoke about social media. Eventually, they became known as the go-to social media agency.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3581\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/account-expansion.jpeg\" alt=\"account expansion\" width=\"699\" height=\"423\" />\r\n\r\n<small> Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year 2017: Distract for \"Share the Love\" </small>\r\n\r\nAlthough, because they were targeting mid-level accounts, Jacobs knew they eventually needed to expand their service offerings. “After we’d built a pool of social media clients, we started a Google AdWords niche agency and cross-sold those services backwards and forwards. We then started a web design agency and cross-sold those services too.”\r\n\r\nBy including additional services, Distract more than <strong>doubled</strong> their average client value. Interestingly, though, the additional offerings were built as separate, specialised agencies, so the point of specialisation still stands.\r\n\r\nIt seems that most agency owners agree: the best way to retain clients is to excel in a single service. But if you want to grow existing accounts, need to expand and offer additional services, you have two options: either partner with agencies that specialise in the services you need to offer, or start new agencies that specialise in the additional services you’re looking to provide.\r\n\r\nOne final approach is to offer microservices: services that clients need but don’t really require a lot of time or specialised knowledge. That’s what Patrick Coombe, director at <a href=\"https://elite-strategies.com/\">Elite Strategies</a>, did to grow his accounts: “A few years ago we took a crack at website hosting, and now we have 100 clients deep.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Take The Time to Speak To And Understand Your Customers</h2>\r\nEric Murphy, founder of <a href=\"https://www.babelquest.co.uk/\">BabelQuest</a>, says that one of the biggest problems with offering lots of services and trying to upsell clients is that it encourages companies to “take an Amazon approach, because you bought that, you should also buy this.” He says this doesn’t work because “it’s about what you want—not about the client and what they need.”\r\n\r\nChris Martin, head of marketing at <a href=\"https://www.commontime.com/\">CommonTime</a>, agrees: “In terms of expanding existing accounts, the worst thing an agency can do is try to sell to them. Constantly pushing sales and marketing messages to these clients is the quickest way to lose them.”\r\n\r\nInstead of cross-selling or upselling for the benefit of growing agency profits, Murphy advocates for going “back to the start and finding out from the client what their biggest problem is now.” If you’ve done your job well, the biggest problem after working with your agency for a while should be different from what it was in the beginning.\r\n\r\nTo get this type of feedback, Joshua Daniels, founder of <a href=\"https://www.goamplify.co.uk/\">Go Amplify</a>, advocates for using Google Forms or Survey Monkey to survey clients and “ask questions on what they like most about your agency, and what could be improved.”\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3582\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/account-expansion.gif\" alt=\"account expansion\" width=\"701\" height=\"384\" />\r\n\r\nThis can help you identify new problems the client is encountering as Murphy suggests—which will help you identify opportunities to help clients with add-on services. It also helps you refine your processes, have better communications with clients, find the best services to offer, and, ultimately, grow revenue.\r\n\r\n“Never underestimate the power of client feedback,” Daniels says. “It can shed light on areas of weakness within your agency that need strengthening in order to grow and retain clients over long periods of time.”\r\n\r\nOne way to get this feedback is regular monthly review calls. This will allow you to “discuss current project progress, but also explore potential upcoming projects or other areas of the business which could benefit from agency services” a tip shared by Chris Martin.\r\n\r\nIn the end, to get the type of feedback you need to grow existing clients, you must have a great relationship with each client on your roster.\r\n\r\nAs Rob Weatherhead, digital consultant at <a href=\"http://www.agent-wolf.com/\">Agent Wolf</a>, says: “There is no point trying to grow an agency if you don\'t have strong foundations in the first place. You will just lose a client each time you win one.”\r\n\r\nTo build those relationships, Weatherhead says you have to be more than just an advertising provider. You need to “ingrain yourself in their business and ensure you are integral to their future strategy. You have to understand their customers, their business model, and how you can have a tangible impact on their behalf. Once you do this you become a partner, not just a supplier.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Do the Math to Find the Best Approach for Your Agency</h2>\r\nAs a software-as-a-service business, one of the greatest advantages we have is that it’s extremely easy to build a quantitative model for our company. This model allows us to forecast growth and evaluate investments into sales and marketing with ease.\r\n\r\nWhen we first started, terms like customer lifetime value, average contract value, and expansion value were all alien to us, but it didn’t take us long to learn the language of subscription companies and create a spreadsheet to take advantage of this characteristic.\r\n\r\nBut here’s the thing - it’s the same business model as an agency.\r\n\r\nMost agencies sell their services on a retainer with monthly billing - just like a SaaS business. Meaning all of the models we’ve created are just as useful to you as they are to us.\r\n\r\nAs an agency, you don’t have to be dependent on a constant cycle of finding new clients to grow your business and revenue. As Go Amplify’s Joshua Daniels says: “Growing and retaining existing clients is the lifeblood of any digital agency.”\r\n\r\nBefore putting these suggestions into practice, it’s important to make sure you do the math and determine if it’s the right approach. Every agency is different, and what works for one may not work for another.\r\n\r\nParadox Marketing’s Joshua Ballard says the starting point is collecting three key pieces of data: your cost-per-acquisition (CPA), the length of your sales cycle, and the lifetime value (LTV) of each new customer.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3580\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/account-expansion-3.png\" alt=\"account expansion\" width=\"701\" height=\"388\" />\r\n\r\n“If you have these three core pieces of data you will always be able to generate a report and prediction outlining how increased spend will pay for itself.”\r\n\r\nOnce you can understand that revenue generation depends on more than just new business, you can open up a Pandora’s box of ideas to grow your agency that few others will even explore.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Prove Your Value to Grow Your Bottom Line with Existing Accounts</h2>\r\nIf there was one resounding piece of practical advice that the majority of the people questioned in our research suggested, it was that proving your value is the most vital tactic any agency can focus on to help with account expansion.\r\n\r\nRikki Lear, director at <a href=\"https://www.digital22.com/\">Digital 22 Online</a>, says that the best thing an agency can do is a good job:\r\n\r\n“Being able to say, and prove, that you are doing a good job is vital.”\r\n\r\nNot only does that keep your clients happy, it directly impacts your bottom line.“With great work comes retention, growing with your clients, referrals/recommendations, case studies, awards, and reputation for the right reasons. So focus on delivering outstanding results/value first and foremost.” Kevin Gibbons, managing director at <a href=\"https://www.blueglass.co.uk/\">BlueGlass</a> told us.\r\n\r\nChris Hodgson, <a href=\"https://flauntdigital.com/\">Flaunt Digital</a> says, using data to prove the value you’re delivering is “a tried and tested model” that will help you “supercharge strategy and revenue growth over time.”\r\n\r\nBut the thing we liked the most about this piece of advice: it’s practical. It’s actionable. There’s nothing abstract or too-broad-to-grasp about how to achieve this. For Oliver Gaywood, founder of <a href=\"http://www.civicwebmedia.com.au/\">Civic Web Media</a>, there are three things that you should start doing right now:\r\n\r\n“meeting requirements, beating deadlines, and building up relationships with clients.”\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3577\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/account-expansion-1.png\" alt=\"account expansion\" width=\"799\" height=\"209\" />There’s a reason why certain pieces of advice seem to stand the test of time. Go Amplify’s Joshua Daniels agrees: “We under-promise and over-deliver on our campaigns, always act with integrity, and never miss deadlines.”\r\n\r\nBut doing a good job is only the first step. Often, the more important thing is proving to clients that you’re doing a good job. Daniels says, \"proving your value means setting “SMART, tangible goals, measuring them, and reporting on progress regularly.”\r\n\r\nTo prove that you’re doing a good job, you need a <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/marketing-analytics/\">system for measuring ROI</a>. As Agent Wolf’s Rob Weatherhead says: “Very rarely will a client say no to something if it makes them more money!”\r\n\r\nIf you aren’t measuring the right metrics and using those to prove your value, you’re failing to take advantage of one of the greatest benefits of being a digital agency. As Lear says: “The main advantage you have as a digital agency over traditional agencies is your ability to track and prove effectiveness. If you aren\'t tracking EVERYTHING, you are missing out.”\r\n<blockquote><em><strong>Note: Chances are, you aren’t getting the full credit you deserve for the campaigns you’re running. Ruler Analytics helps agencies prove exactly how much business value they’re delivering to their clients.</strong></em>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/book-a-demo\"><em><strong>Get in touch if you’d like us to help you get more revenue from your clients.</strong></em></a></blockquote>\r\nLear says that many agencies miss opportunities by only tracking basic metrics like sessions, contact form submissions, and sales. But clients are becoming more confident as analytics evolve. You need to take it a step further to <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">track calls</a> and measure <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/marketing-attribution/\">assisted conversions</a>, and ultimately, revenue.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/324103929&amp;color=ff5500\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>\r\n<small> In this podcast, Rikki Lear and his team discuss why <a href=\"https://www.digital22.com/insights/inbound-after-hours-podcast-episode-3-4-marketing-sales-alignment\">sales and marketing must be aligned</a> for best results.</small>\r\n\r\nDoing a great job is the first step, tracking the right data to use in proving you’re doing a great job is the second step, and sending the proof to the right people is the third.\r\n\r\nWeatherhead says, that you need to “understand how your data feeds into clients’ internal reporting, who it goes to, who makes the decisions, and what they focus on.”\r\n\r\nOnce you’re tracking the right data and know who needs to see it, Cathal Saunders, operations director at <a href=\"http://converted.co.uk/\">Converted</a>, says to provide clients with regular reports:\r\n\r\n“Don’t expect a client to see opportunities for growth or improvement. Tell them. They’re busy, and you get paid to show them where they can improve their performance/revenue/offering. Regular reporting is an ideal way to highlight opportunities. Start there, as it’s a natural place to discuss options.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How To Grow Your Business With Account Expansion (Advice From The Experts)','','publish','closed','open','','account-expansion','','\nhttps://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/marketing-analytics/','2017-11-07 17:12:42','2017-11-07 17:12:42','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3567',0,'post','',1),(3568,0,'2017-11-07 12:31:37','2017-11-07 12:31:37','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3568','','','2017-11-07 12:31:37','2017-11-07 12:31:37','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3568/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3570,0,'2017-11-07 14:25:11','2017-11-07 14:25:11','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3570','','','2017-11-07 14:25:11','2017-11-07 14:25:11','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3570/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3571,0,'2017-11-07 14:25:32','2017-11-07 14:25:32','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3571','','','2017-11-07 14:25:32','2017-11-07 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19:47:00','2017-11-14 19:47:00','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3617','','','2017-11-14 19:47:00','2017-11-14 19:47:00','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3617/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3619,0,'2017-11-15 11:24:43','2017-11-15 11:24:43','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3619','','','2017-11-15 11:24:43','2017-11-15 11:24:43','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/nf_sub/3619/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3623,3,'2017-11-15 16:07:07','2017-11-15 16:07:07','As 2017 draws to a close, most marketers are spending their time planning strategies and budgets for 2018. This makes now the perfect time to consider what B2B marketing tools can help you track, meet, and exceed your goals next year.\r\n\r\nNot sure where to start? The following nine tools are some of our favorites, helping with SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, ROI tracking, and more.\r\n\r\nAs you plan where to spend your marketing budget, consider the benefits of allocating some funds to purchasing these powerful tools.\r\n\r\nWhen considering a purchase, 71% of B2B researchers start with a generic search.\r\n\r\nSEO is crucial for B2B marketing, but without the right tool, it’s very difficult to master.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Ahrefs</span></h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3624\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ahrefs.jpg\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"699\" height=\"439\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAhrefs is a B2B marketing tool that’s focused on helping marketers improve their SEO.\r\n\r\nIt has all of the general features you’d expect to see in an SEO tool, keyword research, rank tracking, and backlink tracking, but where Ahrefs really shines is with its competitive analysis features.\r\n\r\nMarketers can use Ahrefs to uncover what content performs best for competitors, what keywords competitors rank for, what sites link to competitor content, and what industry content earns the highest search rankings, crucial information for a competitive brand SEO strategy.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>2. Buzzsumo</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3625\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Buzzsumo.png\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"700\" height=\"351\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhile B2B decision-makers certainly use search to conduct research, they don’t stop there. 75% of B2B decision-makers also use social media.\r\n\r\nSocial media is important for B2B brands that want to extend their reach beyond their website.\r\n\r\nBuzzsumo is a tool that helps B2B marketers excel on social media.\r\n\r\nSearch by topic to see which pieces of content have earned the most shares across all social channels, find industry influencers, and discover what types of content those influencers are most interested in. And like Ahrefs, Buzzsumo can be used for competitive analysis.\r\n\r\nSee what competitor content has received the most social shares, what types of content (text, video, podcast, etc.) generate the most social activity, and what social networks perform best for competitors.\r\n\r\nUsing Buzzsumo, you can determine what types of content, created in what formats, should be shared to which social networks.\r\n\r\nBut that’s only the first step.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>3. Buffer</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3626\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Buffer.png\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"700\" height=\"348\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNext, you need a plan for sharing that content to social channels and measuring its performance.\r\n\r\nFor this, you need a social media scheduling and management tool.\r\n\r\nBuffer allows marketers to manage multiple social accounts from a single interface.\r\n\r\nSchedule specific posts for the future, or simply create a posting schedule and add items to the queue anytime. Buffer will pull posts from the queue on the schedule you set, allowing you to always post at the most optimal times of the day/week.\r\n\r\nIf you don’t know what days/times are most optimal, use Buffer’s analytics to find out, as well as to track shares and clicks on updates posted to each connected social network.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>4. Marketo</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3627\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Marketo.png\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"700\" height=\"545\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen conducting research on products and services, a brand’s website is the most common channel that B2B decision-makers use.\r\n\r\nThe second most common channel used: email.\r\n\r\nEmail remains one of the most effective ways to deliver content to a B2B audience, which is probably why 93% of B2B marketers use the channel to distribute content. But effective modern email marketing must be more than just newsletters and email blasts.\r\n\r\nB2B purchasers are looking for personalised and targeted content—not just more noise.\r\n\r\nMarketo solves this problem with an email marketing automation tool that helps B2B marketers nurture prospects with the right content, delivered at the right time.\r\n\r\nWith Marketo, marketers can set up automated drip campaigns that send relevant content based on predefined triggers.\r\n\r\nFor example, if someone clicks on a link in a marketing email, the system automatically sends related follow-up content at a later date. This allows B2B marketers to develop sophisticated series of email nurturing campaigns.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>5. Sumo</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3628\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sumo.png\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"700\" height=\"585\" />\r\n\r\nEmail is a great way for B2B marketers to engage prospects and customers, but before that’s possible, you have to build an email list.\r\n\r\nWith Sumo, marketers can easily add email-capture popups to their sites that appear on clicks, after a certain amount of time, or before visitors leave the site, and no coding or IT help is needed.\r\n\r\nSumo’s features can also be used to make it easier for visitors to share your brand content with others.\r\n\r\nWith social sharing buttons, visitors can share your content on the most popular social networks with just a couple of clicks. This makes the tool perfect for automated email list building and social media marketing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>6. Ruler Analytics</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3629\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ruler_Analytics.jpg\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"701\" height=\"435\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWe’ve looked at several statistics so far that shows how search, social, and email are all important for B2B marketing. But the truth is that what works for one, or 1,000, B2B marketers isn’t necessarily what will work for you.\r\n\r\nTo find out what channels and campaigns work best for your business, you need metrics.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics is an analytics and reporting tool that’s designed specifically for marketing workflows.\r\n\r\nIt captures all of the basic data—visits, traffic sources, keywords, and referring sites, but those metrics just scratch the surface of the deep insights that are available.\r\n\r\nWith Ruler Analytics, B2B marketers can solve one of their biggest challenges: they can finally measure marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nRuler tracks anonymous visitors across all website visits, collecting information on what campaigns and content those visitors interact with at each visit.\r\n\r\nOnce a visitor becomes a lead, that marketing data is passed along to the CRM, allowing conversions to be attributed back to the marketing campaigns that drove the sale.\r\n\r\nWith Ruler Analytics, B2B marketers can finally stop relying on what everyone else says works and start relying on hard data that shows exactly what channels, tactics, and campaigns generate revenue for their businesses.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>7. MarketMuse</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3630\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MarketMuse.png\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"701\" height=\"346\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThere are dozens of tools for SEO, social media marketing, and email marketing, but when it comes to content marketing, there are very few.\r\n\r\nAfter all, it’s difficult for a program, even one guided by artificial intelligence and machine learning, to do the creative work of creating an editorial calendar, brainstorming topics, and writing unique content. And while MarketMuse can’t do those things for you, it can create a blueprint for the content you want to create after you come up with the topics.\r\n\r\nMarketMuse looks at what content has already been published about a topic to provide guidelines for how to create content that’s better than what’s already out there.\r\n\r\nMarketMuse will tell you how long your content should be and what related topics should be included.\r\n\r\nIt also provides a quality score for content you’ve written and content published by others on a topic, allowing you to see when your content isn’t strong enough.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>8. Pipedrive</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3631\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Pipedrive.jpg\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"702\" height=\"243\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMost marketers think of CRMs as sales tools, but a CRM is also necessary for measuring marketing effectiveness.\r\n\r\nIf all of your conversions happen online, a CRM may not be necessary for measuring marketing ROI. But if some, or most, of your conversions happen through sales reps, a CRM that’s connected to your analytics program is crucial.\r\n\r\nAt Ruler Analytics, we use Pipedrive to connect marketing and sales data.\r\n\r\nWhen an anonymous visitor becomes a lead, we use Zapier to send the marketing data captured on our platform to Pipedrive.\r\n\r\nThis allows us to find out which channels, campaigns, and approaches are the most effective in generating revenue.\r\n\r\nPipedrive collects and organises all sales and marketing data.\r\n\r\nSales teams can see all new leads from a central interface so that no one falls through the cracks, and track who has been involved in each deal so salespeople know exactly why they’ll be working with.\r\n\r\nIt has all of the features of other big-name CRMs, but with a simpler interface and friendlier cost.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>9. Amplitude</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3632\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Amplitude.png\" alt=\"b2b marketing tools\" width=\"700\" height=\"580\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMost B2B products have multiple features. Some may be more compelling to your target audience than others.\r\n\r\nWith Amplitude, you can uncover which features are most compelling, and which aren’t generating interest.\r\n\r\nThis allows you to focus sales pages on your most compelling features, as well as focus new development on the features customers want the most.\r\n\r\nAmplitude also tracks how users progress through your sales funnel across multiple visits, providing insight into common drop-off points, and creating a clearer picture of the customer journey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Choosing the B2B Marketing Tools You Need for 2018</h3>\r\nAs you create your marketing plan and goals for 2018, take time to consider what tools can help you meet those goals more quickly and with less effort.\r\n\r\nFor example, if you’re focused on social media, consider how tools like Buzzsumo and Sumo can help you grow your social following and earn exponentially more shares and referrals.\r\n\r\nFinally, keep in mind that you’ll need an analytics to track your progress toward every goal you set.\r\n\r\nIf you only have the budget to invest in one tool, the ability to track the effectiveness of your campaigns across all channels and initiatives will be the most important because it can show you what’s driving revenue and what’s wasting your time.','B2B Marketing Tools You Should Find Budget for in 2018','','publish','closed','open','','b2b-marketing-tools','','','2017-11-16 09:40:12','2017-11-16 09:40:12','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3623',0,'post','',0),(3624,3,'2017-11-15 15:04:05','2017-11-15 15:04:05','','Ahrefs','','inherit','closed','closed','','ahrefs','','','2017-11-15 15:04:14','2017-11-15 15:04:14','',3623,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Ahrefs.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3625,3,'2017-11-15 15:05:02','2017-11-15 15:05:02','','Buzzsumo','','inherit','closed','closed','','buzzsumo','','','2017-11-15 15:05:15','2017-11-15 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04:13:19','',0,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/lead-source-data.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3668,1,'2017-12-15 04:13:26','2017-12-15 04:13:26','','marketing-attribution-insights','','inherit','closed','closed','','marketing-attribution-insights','','','2017-12-15 04:13:26','2017-12-15 04:13:26','',0,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/marketing-attribution-insights.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3669,1,'2017-12-15 04:13:33','2017-12-15 04:13:33','','unified-attribution-platform','','inherit','closed','closed','','unified-attribution-platform','','','2017-12-15 04:13:33','2017-12-15 04:13:33','',0,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/unified-attribution-platform.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3671,1,'2017-12-15 04:14:24','2017-12-15 04:14:24','','customer-journey-mapping','','inherit','closed','closed','','customer-journey-mapping-2','','','2017-12-15 04:14:24','2017-12-15 04:14:24','',0,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/customer-journey-mapping.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3675,3,'2017-11-30 16:13:24','2017-11-30 16:13:24','5 Minute Read.\r\n\r\nThis article explains the problem with measuring online lead generation, why Google Goals are not enough, how to close the loop to get your lead and sales revenue and how to get the revenue back into Google AdWords &amp; Analytics automatically.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Do Any Of The Following Sound Familiar?</h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>You’re driving plenty of leads but want to turn more into business?</li>\r\n 	<li>Your boss or client asks you how real sales you have generated – not how many leads?</li>\r\n 	<li>The number of leads you get doesn’t match with what Google AdWords or Analytics says?</li>\r\n 	<li>Your leads are high value and expensive to get, but you don’t know which campaigns or keywords are driving them?</li>\r\n 	<li>You are struggling to measure the ROI of your campaigns so you have to estimate?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>There Is The Fundamental Problem With Marketing For Lead Generation</h3>\r\nLeads, by their nature, are not sales. At least not yet. Your leads could be high value, or worthless.\r\n\r\nThey could close into a sale tomorrow, next year or not even close at all.\r\n\r\nYour analytics might not even be telling you a true picture of where your leads are originating from as people will visit your site on multiple occasions from different channels.\r\n\r\nThe industry standard for tracking online marketing methods is Google Analytics which does a good job of tracking E-Commerce but can only count the number of form fills as Goals.\r\n\r\nWhilst most people track form fills, other leads can also come through mediums such as phone calls and live chat and go unattributed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Goal Completions Are Not Enough</h3>\r\nGoal completions are not enough – different traffic sources, keywords and ads produce different revenue per lead and different lifetime values.\r\n\r\nWithout this insight it’s impossible to accurately calculate ROI from different marketing sources and optimise your campaigns accordingly.\r\n\r\nIf you’re running a marketing campaign and measuring success based on leads only, you have a gap in the insight that is stopping you improving results.\r\n\r\nWhilst tyre kicker, top of the funnel and research keywords may appear to be creating cost-effective leads and making your campaign look great if there isn’t any revenue coming out at the other end you’re going to run into a problem.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/types.png\" alt=\"Ruler Close The Loop Diagram\" width=\"800\" height=\"492\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>A Common Example – Sales &amp; Marketing Are Disconnected</h3>\r\nTake for example a client who we are working with who relies on lead generation from their website for their business and spends a significant on online marketing to generate them,\r\n\r\nLooking at their AdWords and assume Analytics accounts would leave you to believe that performance was great.\r\n\r\nThey were acquiring leads and they were making (some) money.\r\n\r\nBut that middle bit is what makes the difference.\r\n\r\nLike many others, their sales and marketing were disconnected, they were failing to link their marketing activities directly to revenue, knowingly leaving a chasm in their insight.\r\n\r\nAs an exercise to prove the value of this process we took a sample of 20 calls from various campaigns to track what the outcome of the calls was.\r\n\r\n12 of the calls came from Google AdWords where they make a significant investment.\r\n\r\nOf the 12 calls, 9 were poor quality, not qualified or a salesperson.\r\n\r\nHowever, 3 of the calls turned into sales. 2 of the sales were relatively low value but acceptable but the final call was worth over 10 times the amount of others.\r\n\r\nThis process allowed them to see the real value of their campaigns and keywords and to optimise and report more effectively.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>The Solution: Optimise For Revenue, Not Leads</h3>\r\nThe solution?\r\n\r\nEvaluating your campaigns the same way you evaluate business: by the amount of revenue it generates.\r\n\r\nTo find out if leads are turning into real sales and creating revenue, you need a process to track them and then match them with the marketing campaign or keyword that created them.\r\n\r\nThis added insight is what will drive your campaign to the next level.\r\n\r\nThere are few steps to get this right but once they are in place they should produce the data you need each time.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/large.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"352\" />\r\n<h3>The Process - Tagging, Tracking, Matching &amp; Integration</h3>\r\nNOTE: Manual revenue tracking can be complicated and time-consuming. You can use Ruler Analytics to speed up and automate this process and more.\r\n<h4>Step 1 – Tagging – Identifying the Traffic Source</h4>\r\nThe first step is making sure the traffic coming to your website is tagged correctly so that you can see the exact source and any other variables associated such as campaign, keyword or advert reference. This commonly done using UTM tags which allow you to add specific labels to the landing pages (more info in our guide here.) It is also recommended that you capture fields specific to the products you are using such as GCLID for Google AdWords.\r\n<h4>Step 2 – Tracking – Capture the Lead</h4>\r\nThe next stage is to ensure that the data captured is at visitor level so you are able to match with the marketing source and to a closed sale later. Most leads come in the form of an enquiry form, live chat or phone call so you may need some additional marketing analytics or call tracking software at this stage but you can also pass UTM tag values in your forms.\r\n<h4>Step 3 – Matching – Match the Lead with the Source in CRM</h4>\r\nOnce you have captured the lead with the applicable marketing source there needs to be a feedback loop to see which leads closed into business and just as importantly which leads didn’t.\r\n\r\nThis can be done manually in a spreadsheet, to begin with, to get used to the workflow and prove the business case. However, this could be cumbersome at higher volumes so ideally they should be automatically matched where you handle leads, for instance in CRM.\r\n<h4>Step 4 – Integration – Passing the data to other products</h4>\r\nFinally, now that you have the leads and marketing source matched, once the sale is completed you are able to pass this into your products. Most products have an API or a manual CSV upload.\r\n\r\nFor instance, Google AdWords supports uploading the GCLID along with revenue value.\r\n\r\nOnce you have this process in place it allows you to see where the real conversions and revenue come from, measure ROI definitively and optimise your campaign accordingly.\r\n<h4>Next Steps</h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Request a free assessment of your marketing attribution and see how you can close the loop.</li>\r\n 	<li>You can download a step-by-step breakdown of how to implement revenue tracking, including tracking templates, here...</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[activecampaign form=18]','How to Close the Loop Between Offline Sales from Online Leads','','publish','closed','open','','close-loop-offline-sales-online-leads','','','2018-02-20 17:34:02','2018-02-20 17:34:02','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3675',0,'post','',1),(3684,1,'2017-12-14 14:38:03','2017-12-14 14:38:03','','Marketing 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22:34:04','','salesforce-screenshot','','inherit','closed','closed','','salesforce-screenshot-3','','','2018-02-03 22:34:04','2018-02-03 22:34:04','',3711,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/salesforce-screenshot-1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3828,2,'2018-02-03 22:40:41','2018-02-03 22:40:41','','google-doubleclick-logo-wordmark-1920x1080','','inherit','closed','closed','','google-doubleclick-logo-wordmark-1920x1080','','','2018-02-03 22:40:41','2018-02-03 22:40:41','',3706,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/google-doubleclick-logo-wordmark-1920x1080.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3830,0,'2018-02-05 18:22:27','2018-02-05 18:22:27','','','','publish','closed','closed','','3830','','','2018-02-05 18:22:28','2018-02-05 18:22:28','',0,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/nf_sub/3830/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(3831,1,'2018-02-07 17:59:38','2018-02-07 17:59:38','','Resellers / Affiliates','','publish','closed','closed','','3831','','','2018-02-17 21:24:26','2018-02-17 21:24:26','',0,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/?p=3831',7,'nav_menu_item','',0),(3832,1,'2018-02-07 17:59:38','2018-02-07 17:59:38',' ','','','publish','closed','closed','','3832','','','2018-02-17 21:24:26','2018-02-17 21:24:26','',0,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/?p=3832',8,'nav_menu_item','',0),(3838,2,'2017-11-21 15:21:41','2017-11-21 15:21:41','For many businesses, everything from local stores to SaaS providers, call metrics are crucial for proving the effectiveness of inbound campaigns.\r\n\r\nWithout call metrics, it’s impossible to determine how many inbound calls were the result of a billboard advertisement, Google Maps listing, social promotion, or AdWords ad.\r\n\r\nWith call metrics, marketers can connect conversions made during inbound calls back to the marketing campaigns that generated them.\r\n\r\nThis provides a clearer picture of marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nIf you work in marketing for a business that makes sales through inbound calls, or if your agency does marketing for these types of businesses, it’s important to capture all marketing-generated leads and revenue with <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">call tracking analytics</a>.\r\n\r\nHere are the five call metrics you need to measure.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>1. Call Volume</h3>\r\nTracking call volume is just as important as tracking website visits. While neither really provides a clear picture of marketing-generated revenue, both can highlight when things are working and when they’re not.\r\n\r\nFor example, say you take time to optimise your business’ Google Maps profile. You add enticing images, include as much detail as possible in all available fields, and respond to both positive and negative reviews.\r\n\r\nShortly after completing that project, you notice a significant increase in call volume. If your KPI for updating the Maps profile was to increase inbound calls by X%, you can track call volume metrics to determine whether or not your changes were successful.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>2. Call Source</h3>\r\nIf your business has a sales team that handles inbound calls, it’s likely that your main business phone number is listed in hundreds of places—both online and offline.\r\n\r\nIn order to differentiate between calls that were generated by a local billboard and those coming from your Google Maps listing, you need a call tracking system that provides individual phone numbers for each campaign.\r\n\r\nWith distinct campaign phone numbers, marketers can see exactly what campaigns and ads drove the most, and least, inbound calls, so you know exactly where to focus your efforts in the future.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>3. Previous Interactions</h3>\r\nFor businesses with complex sales cycles, an inbound call to sales is rarely the first interaction between the prospect and the brand. It’s much more likely that the prospect conducted a significant amount of research on your website before making the decision to speak with sales.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, it’s important to track interactions that occurred prior to the inbound call. What keywords brought the prospect to your website originally? What content and sales pages were viewed? With a platform like <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/\">Ruler Analytics</a> that’s built to capture both website and call metrics, you can monitor the digital journey prior to the inbound call.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics collects information about how visitors interact with digital content, and dynamically serves each website visitor a different phone number. This highlights which marketing techniques—SEO, PPC, content, email, etc.—are most effective at driving prospects deeper into the purchasing funnel.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>4. Time of Day</h3>\r\nIf you’re driving inbound calls through AdWords or another PPC provider, time of day is an important call metric to track. Over time, tracking the time of day when calls most commonly come in allows you identify patterns that can help you set better PPC bids.\r\n\r\nFor example, say one of your clients is a theme park. After monitoring call times for three months, you notice that the highest number of inbound calls come in around noon on Friday. The lowest number of calls come in during business hours Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.\r\n\r\nKnowing this, you can adjust your bids to gain more visibility on Friday afternoons when most people are searching for theme parks. To make up for the increased ad budget on Fridays, you can reduce or eliminate ad spend Monday through Wednesday when fewer people are looking for theme parks.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>5. Conversions</h3>\r\nWhile each of the other four metrics are important and helpful for campaign optimisation, conversions is the most important for tracking marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nTo track conversions from inbound calls, you need a call tracking platform that integrates directly with your CRM system. If the CRM and call tracking platform are integrated, they can communicate back and forth about inbound calls and the sales that are made on those calls.\r\n\r\nFor example, say a prospect spends three months researching your brand. They find your website by searching for a specific keyword, views some sales and pricing pages, and subscribes to your email list. Over the next few months, he reads content sent in your email newsletter, and he often follows links in that content to read your other blog posts.\r\n\r\nFinally, after a few months, he calls to talk to a sales representative.\r\n\r\nAfter a few calls, he converts.\r\n\r\nImagine that the prospect was the CTO of a huge corporation and the sale was massive.\r\n\r\nThe sale was obviously generated by marketing—SEO, content, and email marketing all led to the eventual purchase, but without connected website and call metrics, marketing can’t prove that it was responsible for generating that revenue.\r\n\r\nWith a platform like Ruler Analytics that connects call and website metrics, you can <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/marketing-analytics/\">close the loop between marketing and sales</a> by tracking sales conversions back to marketing campaigns.\r\n\r\nAs the conversion is recorded by sales in the CRM, it’s passed back to Ruler Analytics and merged with all of the historical campaign interaction data.\r\n\r\nThis allows marketers to track specific amounts of revenue generated by both online and offline campaigns.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call Metrics Complete the Puzzle of Marketing ROI</h3>\r\nMarketing teams are no longer allowed to lean on metrics like increased foot/web traffic, call volume, and visibility.\r\n\r\nThe C-suite wants to know exactly how their investment in marketing is growing the business, and that’s only possible if marketers are able to prove how much revenue their campaigns are generating.\r\n\r\nCall metrics complete the marketing ROI puzzle.\r\n\r\nWhen combined with website analytics, marketers can track exactly how many conversions their campaigns and initiatives are driving, regardless of whether the conversion was the result of seeing a television commercial or months of research on your website.','Call Metrics That Prove the Effectiveness of Inbound Campaigns','','publish','closed','open','','call-metrics','','','2018-02-08 13:29:05','2018-02-08 13:29:05','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3645',0,'post','',0),(3839,3,'2017-12-07 11:07:49','2017-12-07 11:07:49','As 2017 draws to a close, marketers and agencies are focused on a big question: which channels will generate the most revenue for our clients’ businesses next year?\r\n\r\nAnswering this question almost always leads to a familiar discussion: Google vs. Facebook.\r\n\r\nThis isn’t to say that other channels aren’t also important to consider. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Bing, and Yahoo will, and probably should, also be part of your strategy for generating traffic, leads, and revenue.\r\n\r\nBut as the sites with the largest audiences, Google and Facebook merit the most consideration.\r\n\r\nWhich is more important for 2018? Let’s take a look.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Organic vs. Paid Traffic</h3>\r\nBoth Facebook and Google can send two types of traffic to your site: organic traffic and paid traffic.\r\n\r\nOrganic traffic from Google is most often the result of SEO. Organic traffic from Facebook is most often the result of growing a large and engaged following on the social network.\r\n\r\nPaid traffic, on the other hand, generates site visitors without SEO or preexisting followers.\r\n\r\nIf you’re willing to pay the right price, you can get your Google AdWords ad to appear at the top of the search results, above all of the organic listings, and drive a lot of search traffic to your site and content.\r\n\r\nPaid advertising is a great way to grow your audience on Facebook. Create targeted ads to get your content in front of the people who are most likely to be interested in it, sending traffic to your site and increasing the number of people who like and follow your brand.\r\n\r\nDriving organic traffic from either site is a long-term goal. It can take months, or years, to build enough domain authority to earn top rankings in search, or to build a large and engaged following on Facebook.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, if you’re trying to drive traffic to a new business, or one that’s new to digital marketing, paid is often a good short-term approach for generating traffic, leads, and revenue.\r\n\r\nIt allows you to send traffic to a site while you’re working on longer-term strategies to increase organic traffic, such as building follower counts, securing inbound links, and building a library of high-quality content.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook Advertising</h3>\r\nWhen it comes to advertising, Google and Facebook aren’t really competitors. In fact, one of the most effective ways to drive traffic is by running PPC ads on both sites.\r\n\r\nGoogle AdWords ads are displayed on search result pages and are designed to drive traffic from users who are actively searching for keywords and phrases that are important to a brand.\r\n\r\nSay one of your clients is a theme park in Liverpool. With Google AdWords, you can get a result for your client’s site to display for a query like “Liverpool attractions.” This targets people who are actively looking for things to do in Liverpool.\r\n\r\nFacebook ads display in users’ news feeds, so they’re better for targeting people who may be interested but aren’t actively searching for information.\r\n\r\nWith a targeted Facebook ad, you can get theme park ads in front of people who may simply be thinking about, but not actively looking for, things to do that weekend.\r\n\r\nWith Google AdWords, get content/promotions in front of people who are actively looking for what your clients are offering. With Facebook Ads, get content/promotions in front of people who are passively interested.\r\n\r\nUsed together, the two platforms allow you to attract traffic from all types of users.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook for Organic Traffic</h3>\r\nBeyond advertising, Google and Facebook both offer ways to get brand content and messaging in front of audiences organically.\r\n\r\nWeb pages and content that adhere to the best practices of SEO can rank highly in search results and bring in traffic. Content shared on Facebook that gets lots of likes and shares can display to all followers of that brand, as well as those followers’ personal networks of friends.\r\n\r\nBut both platforms have their own unique algorithms, and neither is wholly forthcoming when it comes to explaining exactly what their algorithms prioritise. Instead, they divulge information in pieces.\r\n\r\nFor example, Google admitted that its <a href=\"https://searchengineland.com/now-know-googles-top-three-search-ranking-factors-245882\">top three ranking factors</a> are quality content, inbound links, and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RankBrain\">RankBrain</a>. Facebook will occasionally announce that certain types of content earn <a href=\"https://blog.bufferapp.com/facebook-news-feed-algorithm\">greater visibility</a> in its news feed, such as pages that load quickly, timely posts, and live videos (while they’re live).\r\n\r\nAdditionally, both platforms have a history of overtaking each other for the number of referrals sent to publishers.\r\n\r\nFor example, in June of 2015, Facebook began <a href=\"https://blog.parse.ly/post/2296/facebook-dominates-referral-traffic-a-coverage-overview/\">sending more traffic</a> to news publisher sites than Google. But this year, those referrals began to dwindle, and Google is now the <a href=\"https://blog.parse.ly/post/6663/facebook-declines-google-grows-news-audiences/\">biggest referrer of traffic</a> to news sites again.\r\n\r\nThese flips are typical in the world of digital marketing, making SEO and social media marketing two approaches that work best when used concurrently. To drive the most organic traffic, agencies should really use both platforms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook: The Wrong Question to Ask</h3>\r\nAsking which is better, Google or Facebook, assumes that your clients’ businesses only need to focus on one of these platforms. The reality is that the best approach to digital marketing is a multi-channel approach, one that helps you build an audience of your own that isn’t dependent on any single channel.\r\n\r\nAlgorithms change, and platforms shut down. <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Panda\">Google’s Panda update</a> in 2011 destroyed the traffic of many thriving websites. <a href=\"https://www.fastcompany.com/3065101/vines-surprise-shutdown-leaves-video-stars-out-in-the-cold\">Twitter shut down Vine</a> in 2016, leaving many video creators without the audiences they’d worked for years to build.\r\n\r\nFocusing all of your efforts on a single platform can be detrimental to your long-term, marketing-led revenue. You never know when major changes will impact referral traffic.\r\n\r\nThe better questions to ask are:\r\n\r\nWhat data can I use to determine which channels are driving the most traffic and revenue today?\r\n\r\nHow can I monitor that data to notice when referrals are decreasing so I can react, shift, and recover?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Getting the Data You Need to Drive Traffic and Revenue</h3>\r\nTo answer the question Google vs. Facebook, or Facebook vs. Twitter, or SEO vs. email marketing, you need an analytics platform, like Ruler Analytics, that allows you to engage in <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/close-loop-offline-sales-online-leads/\">closed-loop marketing</a>.\r\n\r\nWith any analytics provider, you can measure traffic from different marketing approaches and channels. But traffic volume doesn’t tell the whole story. For example: Facebook may send 75% of your overall site traffic, but that traffic may only convert 1% of the time.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, LinkedIn may only send 5% of your site traffic, but that 5% may convert 75% of the time. In that case, prioritising your marketing efforts on LinkedIn may actually drive more revenue than prioritising efforts on Facebook—even if Facebook sends much more traffic.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics allows you to tie revenue directly back to the channels and marketing campaigns that generated the conversion.\r\n\r\nThis allows you to go beyond metrics like traffic and referrals and determine exactly where marketing efforts are paying off for a client’s bottom line.\r\n\r\nBy focusing on the channels and campaigns that drive revenue, you can form strategies for growing profits in 2018, as well as show clients the exact ROI of working with your agency.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook in 2018: Building a Revenue-Driving Marketing Strategy</h3>\r\nAs you target channels and plan campaigns for 2018, consider taking the time to review your metrics from 2017 and see which drove the highest revenue.\r\n\r\nIf you don’t have this data, consider allocating part of your 2018 budget to a platform that enables its collection.\r\n\r\nIn the end, social shares, traffic, and leads are meaningless if they’re not ultimately growing revenue.\r\n\r\nFind the platforms that generate the most revenue, focus your efforts on those channels, and work to build an audience of your own, one that’s not dependent on a marketing channel, for a profitable 2018.','Google vs. Facebook: Which Channel Is Better for Driving Traffic?','','publish','closed','open','','google-vs-facebook','','https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/close-loop-offline-sales-online-leads/\nhttps://blog.parse.ly/post/6663/facebook-declines-google-grows-news-audiences/','2018-02-19 14:24:24','2018-02-19 14:24:24','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3698',0,'post','',0),(3840,3,'2017-12-13 16:13:52','2017-12-13 16:13:52','Managing PPC campaigns for a single business is time-consuming and potentially costly. But for marketing agencies who manage PPC campaigns for multiple clients, those risks increase exponentially.\r\n\r\nPPC software minimises those risks in two ways: it automates many of the more time-consuming tasks of managing PPC campaigns, and it provides insights that help agencies maximise the ROI of their ad campaigns. But not all PPC software is designed to be used by agencies.\r\n\r\nSince you need to manage and report on various client accounts across multiple searches and social networks, you need to invest in PPC software that’s designed specifically for agencies.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>The Benefits of PPC Management Software for Agencies</h2>\r\nWhen investing in the right PPC management software, marketing agencies enjoy many benefits.\r\n\r\nFirst, PPC software saves you time. For example, one of the most time-consuming tasks of managing PPC campaigns is keyword research.\r\n\r\nThe best PPC software does the keyword research for you, providing you with a long list of both high-volume and long-tail keywords to choose from.\r\n\r\nSecond, PPC software allows agencies to manage ads across multiple channels from a single view.\r\n\r\nInstead of having to build and manage ads individually in AdWords, Facebook, Twitter, and Bing Ads systems, manage PPC campaigns on all channels from a central interface.\r\n\r\nFinally, most PPC software applications have many tools designed to boost the ROI of PPC campaigns. Common PPC software features include ad performance grading and high- and under-performing keywords identification—both of which can boost ad campaign ROI.\r\n\r\nBut not all PPC software is designed to support the complex needs of agencies. When shopping for the right tool for your agency, you need to know what to look for.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Agencies Should Look for When Buying PPC Software</h3>\r\nThere are multiple features agencies should look for when choosing a PPC management tool:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Multi-User Support:</strong> Since several people at your agency will likely work on ad campaigns for different clients, make sure to choose a tool that supports multiple users.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Multi-Account Support:</strong> Since you will run the ad campaigns for multiple clients, look for a tool that allows you to segregate accounts so you can manage and report on ad performance by the client.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Cross-Platform Management:</strong> Take advantage of the time-saving benefits of integration by selecting a tool that allows you to build and manage ad campaigns for multiple channels—Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, etc.—from a central source.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>A/B Testing:</strong> Discover what headlines, copy, and/or images perform best by finding a tool that supports A/B ad testing.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Keyword Research and Recommendations:</strong> Get keyword recommendations—including keywords shouldn’t target—in minutes with a PPC tool with keyword research features.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Ad Scheduling:</strong> Choose what days and times to run ads based on historical ad campaign performance for different clients on different channels.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Simple Reporting:</strong> Look for a tool that allows you to build custom, white-labelled reports that you can deliver to clients to communicate campaign statuses and ROI.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Custom Rules:</strong> Automate starting, pausing, reducing bids, and stopping ads with custom rules that allow you to set very granular if/then conditions on ad performance.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Ad Grading:</strong> Find out in a glance how well ads on different networks and for different clients and campaigns are performing with scores that indicate ad performance.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nTo find the right PPC software for your agency, determine which of the above features you need—and which of those needs are the most important. Next, take a look at the recommended software below to find the perfect solution for your agency.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>The Best PPC Software for Agencies</h3>\r\nThe following six PPC tools are each designed specifically for use by agencies and have many of the features listed in the previous section:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>1. AdStage</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.adstage.io/agencies/\">AdStage</a> may be the best choice for agencies who need to create ads for different clients across multiple search and social channels. Agencies can create ads on Google, Bing, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Better yet, create ads in bulk and A/B test them to identify the highest and lowest performers.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3712\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"700\" height=\"343\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>2. Reportgarden</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://reportgarden.com/\">Reportgarden</a> handles all aspects of client PPC management. Use it to manage and automate PPC accounts, create proposals for new clients, invoice existing clients, and manage approvals. The software also has SEO tools for agencies who handle all types of search engine marketing campaigns.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3714\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-1.png\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"699\" height=\"340\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>3. Marin Software</h4>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.marinsoftware.com/industries/agencies\">Marin</a> provides a solution for agencies who need to track more than just PPC ads. The system provides tracking for search, social, and display ads, allowing agencies to track all different ad types for their clients to determine which perform best. Marin also supports PPC advertising on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Baidu.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3715\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-1.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"702\" height=\"343\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>Acquisio</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.acquisio.com/\">Acquisio</a>’s top feature is Acquisio Turing, a bid and budget management tool that helps agencies use 100% of clients’ ad budgets 100% of the time. Acquisio Turing uses fast and advanced optimisation techniques that increase clicks and conversions while keeping you from ever overspending or underspending.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3720\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-3.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"700\" height=\"287\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>WordStream Advisor</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.wordstream.com/agencies\">WordStream Advisor</a> has the basic features agencies need, supporting unlimited users and providing segregation for tracking different client accounts. The tool’s best features are keyword research and ad scoring, which save time and boost ROI. The only downside is that it only supports Google, Bing, and <a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"Facebook\" href=\"http://zero.facebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"homepage noopener\">Facebook ads</a>.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3721\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-4.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"389\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>adCore</h4>\r\nOne of the most interesting features of <a href=\"https://www.adcore.com/\">adCore</a> is that its keyword tool generates suggestions based on a website’s content. This is an excellent feature for new and potential clients. Instead of spending hours determining what keywords to use, simply plug in the client’s web address and get a list of recommendations automatically.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3727\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-2.png\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"438\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Notable Mentions</h3>\r\nInstead of providing a full suite of features like the software above, the following PPC tools provide unique features that can be used in combination with or instead of the above tools:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>1. NinjaCat</h4>\r\nIf what you’re looking for is less of a PPC automation tool and more of a way to combine data from multiple platforms into a central report, <a href=\"https://www.ninjacat.io/\">NinjaCat</a> may be the best solution. NinjaCat connects with more than 750 platforms and tools, using the data from all integrations to create comprehensive, white-labelled reports for clients.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3724\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-6.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"355\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>2. SEMrush</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.semrush.com/features/advertising-research/\">SEMrush</a> is best used in conjunction with another PPC automation tool, but it’s worth considering because it allows you to perform competitive research on ads. Find out what keywords your clients’ competitors are targeting, and how much they’re spending, to create ads that outperform the competition.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3725\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-7.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"700\" height=\"405\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>3. Unbounce</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://unbounce.com/agencies/\">Unbounce</a> helps agencies build personalised and custom landing pages that can be used for PPC campaigns. Instead of sending users to a sales page that may or may not have the information they’re looking for, create individual landing pages for each PPC campaign that are targeted and personalised to boost conversions.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3726\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-8.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"440\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>4. Captivise</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.captivise.com/\"><span class=\"il\">Captivise</span></a> is an easy-to-use PPC management software, developed by an award-winning digital marketing agency, for real-world use on Google AdWords Campaigns. Their aim was to create a simple, yet effective bid management app focused on maximising profitability and ROI, by ensuring the correct CPC is used to achieve this.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3902\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/PPC-Software-for-Agencies-1.png\" alt=\"PPC Software for Agencies\" width=\"899\" height=\"282\" />\r\n<h3>Using PPC Software + Web Analytics to Determine ROI</h3>\r\nIn the end, optimising clicks and bids for PPC ads is a means to an end, and that end should be increased revenue. To measure the ROI of PPC, you need a tool that captures visitor actions after they click on a PPC ad.\r\n\r\nDo customers who click on ads go on to convert? Or do they leave the site, only to come back and convert at a later date?\r\n\r\nThese questions are more important to determine which ads perform best than any bids, clicks, or form completion metrics.\r\n\r\nWith Ruler Analytics, you can track what PPC-driven leads do after arriving on a client’s site.\r\n\r\nFind out what pages they visit, which become leads, which request a demo, and which convert.\r\n\r\nUse anonymous visitor tracking to capture conversions that happen later than the initial visit.\r\n\r\nPPC ads are only effective if they’re driving more revenue than spend, so the final, and most important, consideration for agencies is determining in advance how you’ll attribute revenue back to clients’ PPC campaigns.','PPC Software for Agencies: 9 Tools That Boost Ad Campaign ROI','','publish','closed','open','','ppc-software','','','2018-02-22 11:10:20','2018-02-22 11:10:20','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3706',0,'post','',0),(3841,3,'2018-01-02 14:04:08','2018-01-02 14:04:08','Not all business need to drive leads to their websites.\r\n\r\nWhen someone’s driving home from work and using Google Assistant to find a place to grab dinner, they’re not going to pull over to make a reservation online.\r\n\r\nThey want to call the business.\r\n\r\nWhen someone’s out shopping for the holidays and looking for a specific gift, they’re not interested in searching an e-commerce website to find out if a local store has what they need in stock.\r\n\r\nThey want to call and ask.\r\n\r\nThere are many scenarios where people may prefer calling a business to interacting with its website: to make an appointment (healthcare) or reservation (dining), to confirm availability of an item or store hours (shopping), or to buy or reserve tickets (attractions).\r\n\r\nGoogle calls these “I-want-to-go” and “I-want-to-buy” moments, and they’re exactly what AdWords call-only ads were designed for.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3787\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/take-advantage-of-adWords-call-only-ads-and-call-extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"call only ads adwords\" width=\"698\" height=\"399\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source: </span><a href=\"https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/4-new-moments-every-marketer-should-know/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">think</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Google</span></a></small>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Are AdWords Call-Only Ads?</h3>\r\nCall-only ads are a special type of AdWords ad that only displays to users on mobile devices.\r\n\r\nHere’s an example of how they look:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3788\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/take-advantage-of-adWords-call-only-ads-and-call-extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"call only ads adwords\" width=\"352\" height=\"414\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source: </span><a href=\"https://adwords.googleblog.com/2017/09/supercharge-your-call-only-ads-with-ad.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside AdWords</span></a></small>\r\n\r\nAdWords call-only ads include the following pieces of information:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Business name</li>\r\n 	<li>Phone number</li>\r\n 	<li>Website URL</li>\r\n 	<li>Approx 80-character description field</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nHowever, the URL is for display only. Unlike traditional ads where clicks direct users to a specific webpage, call-only ad clicks initiate a phone call.\r\n\r\nCall-only ads can also be <a href=\"https://adwords.googleblog.com/2017/09/supercharge-your-call-only-ads-with-ad.html\">expanded with certain extensions</a>:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Location extensions display how far a business is from the user’s current location.</li>\r\n 	<li>Structured snippet extensions provide information about products and services.</li>\r\n 	<li>Callout snippets highlight promotions, sales, or unique benefits.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBest of all, the ad extensions are free - there’s no additional charge to include them.\r\n\r\nCall-only ads are set up to display only when a business is open, so there’s no risk of getting charged for calls that are made when no one was on-site to answer the call.\r\n\r\nIf your marketing agency manages accounts for local businesses who could increase sales by getting more phone calls, you may want to consider running some test call-only ad campaigns.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call-Only Ads vs. Call Extensions</h3>\r\nAdWords provides two options for click-to-call ads: call-only ads and <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/phone-call-tracking/9-ways-to-improve-your-inbound-call-conversion-rate/\">call extensions</a>.\r\n\r\nWhere call-only ads only allow users to make a phone call when clicked, call extensions provide users with an option to either visit a webpage or make a phone call.\r\n\r\nCall extensions are available on traditional AdWords ads.\r\n\r\nWhile the bulk of the ad appears the same as any other AdWords ad that links to a webpage, a call extension adds a “Call” button to the ad that initiates a phone call when clicked.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3789 size-full\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/take-advantage-of-adwords-call-only-ads-and-call-extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"call only ads adwords\" width=\"250\" height=\"216\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source:</span><a href=\"https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2453991\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AdWords Help</span></a></small>\r\n\r\nThere are a few big differences between call-only ads and call extensions:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Call-only ads only display on mobile devices. Call extensions can display on any device. When a user is using a device that can’t make phone calls, the call extension displays the phone number instead of a call button.</li>\r\n 	<li>Call-only ads only display a website URL—there’s no way for users to visit that URL from the ad. Call extensions allow users to choose whether they want to visit the website or make a phone call.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nLike call-only ads, call extensions can be set up to display only when the business is open and there’s someone working who can answer calls.\r\n\r\nDetermining which option is best for your client’s business requires experimentation. Try running both types of ads, and use call tracking to measure how many calls are received and how many of those calls lead to sales.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call Tracking for Call-Only Ads and Call Extensions</h3>\r\nIt’s possible to track how many phone calls call-only ads and call extensions are generating directly in AdWords.\r\n\r\nOnce you have one of these two ad types set up and running, <a href=\"https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6095882\">follow these instructions</a> to set up call tracking and reporting.\r\n\r\nAnd while AdWords will tell you how many phone calls these ads generated, its method of reporting conversions is very limited.\r\n\r\nGoogle uses the duration of the call to determine whether the call led to a conversion or not. For example, you can set it up so that only calls longer than 30 seconds are counted as conversions.\r\n\r\nBut there’s no way to prove that all calls over 30 seconds truly resulted in conversions, so there’s no way to show clients the true ROI of their call-only ads and call extensions.\r\n\r\nTo report actual ROI on calls driven by AdWords ads, you need a more <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">advanced call tracking</a> system like Ruler Analytics.\r\n\r\nWith Ruler Analytics, track the exact number of phone calls generated by AdWords ads, and record all inbound calls for download and playback later. This allows you to listen to the calls your ads generated and determine exactly how many led to sales.\r\n\r\nSay someone calls one of your restaurant clients from an AdWords ad and makes a reservation. The call may only last a few seconds, so a 30-second conversion timer wouldn’t register that call as a conversion.\r\n\r\nHowever, if someone could play that call back later, they could hear that the call led to revenue for the business.\r\n\r\nFor clients with sales teams, Ruler Analytics tracking can also integrate directly with your client’s CRM, allowing conversions from a sales team to be connected back to the AdWords ad, or other marketing campaigns, that generated the call and sale.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call-Only Campaign Best Practices</h3>\r\nWhen creating call-only ad campaigns, there are a few best practices you should keep in mind:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Target the right keywords.</strong> Take time to uncover the keywords that are most likely to drive calls. Look for keywords that signal a near-me or open-now intent. One good approach is to search for the keywords you’re interested in on mobile and look for other companies using call-only ads.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Schedule ads to run at prime times.</strong> For restaurants, prime times may be just before lunch or around dinner. For attractions, prime time may be on Friday evening or the weekend. Determine when people are most likely to be looking to call your client businesses, and run ads during those times.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>A/B test your ad copy.</strong> The character count on call-only ads is extremely limited. You get 70 characters in total across two description lines. For this reason, it’s extremely important to use enticing, descriptive text, and the best way to do that is run a few different versions to find the highest performer.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Take advantage of location targeting.</strong> If someone is looking to buy a laptop, they’re probably searching for a place near them at the moment. Target ads to display in the neighbourhoods nearest to your client’s businesses to decrease costs and increase the likelihood of calls.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nFinally, make sure to track calls and conversions, and revise your approach as needed.\r\n\r\nAs with all forms of marketing, the most important outcome is increased revenue. If you’re not using a platform that tracks how many calls lead to conversions, there will be no way to show clients that their investment in call-only ads is valuable.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Using Call-Only Ads in AdWords to Boost Client Revenue</h3>\r\nFor local businesses, phone calls and in-person visits are often much more profitable than visits to a website.\r\n\r\nIf your agency has local business clients, AdWords call-only ads and call extensions can be a valuable means of <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/\">boosting revenue</a> and proving that their investment in your agency’s services is worthwhile.\r\n\r\nIf you’re currently running AdWords ads for clients who want more phone calls, consider running a test where you allocate a portion of the cost of running ads to call-only ads or call extensions.\r\n\r\nTrack the conversions those new ads generate, and you’ll have a good indicator of the value of those ads types at the end of the experiment.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=18]','How to Take Advantage of AdWords Call-Only Ads and Call Extensions','','publish','closed','open','','call-only-ads-adwords','','','2018-02-08 13:42:47','2018-02-08 13:42:47','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3785',0,'post','',1),(3842,2,'2018-01-10 16:57:47','2018-01-10 16:57:47','<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know that getting your work done requires many different web applications. </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, the average business uses between 10 and 16 apps. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have your email app, CRM, note-taking tool, cloud storage tool, team communication app, along with project management tools and various to-do lists. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, it can be a struggle to get them all working in tandem. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ruler Analytics now connects to 1,000 other web tools, thanks to the<a href=\"https://zapier.com/apps/ruler-analytics/integrations\"> Zapier integration</a>. You can choose your favourite applications and easily integrate them with Ruler Analytics.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With workflow automation tool Zapier, you can set up your own codeless integrations called \"Zaps\". </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zaps will automatically send information from one tool to another, so you\'ll spend less time manually transferring data between your business tools and can dedicate more focus to creative, big picture tasks.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boost Your Productivity with Popular Ruler Analytics Integrations</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter what other apps you use, chances are Ruler Analytics integrates with them via Zapier. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the most popular integrations that Ruler Analytics users already use to be more productive.</span>\r\n\r\n<script src=\"https://zapier.com/zapbook/embed/widget.js?services=ruler-analytics&limit=10\"></script>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The New Year is the perfect time to evaluate your processes and find ways to boost productivity. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try out some of the Zaps above or view more ways to integrate Ruler Analytics.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MORE INFO ABOUT ZAPIER</span></h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https://zapier.com/\">Zapier</a> is a workflow automation tool that connects with <a href=\"https://zapier.com/apps\">1,000 web tools.</a></span></li>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Zapier allows professionals to build their own integrations without writing a line of code</span></li>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Create automated workflows, aka \"Zaps,\" that connect two or more web tools together</span></li>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Use Zapier for free or choose the <a href=\"https://zapier.com/pricing/\">plan</a> that\'s right for you</span></li>\r\n</ul>','Ruler Analytics Now Has 1,000 Integrations','','publish','closed','open','','1000-integrations','','','2018-02-08 13:45:33','2018-02-08 13:45:33','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3797',0,'post','',1),(3843,3,'2018-01-11 16:48:58','2018-01-11 16:48:58','“Calls are the new clicks.”\r\n\r\nThat’s the statement used to summarise the findings from a recent <a href=\"http://blog.biakelsey.com/index.php/2016/03/08/analyst-workshop-the-what-and-why-of-call-commerce/\">study conducted by BIA Kelsey</a> on the actions consumers are most likely to take on smartphones.\r\n\r\nThe study found that increased adoption of smartphones is leading to “an explosion of phone calls.”\r\n\r\nBy 2019, calls to businesses from mobile devices are expected to reach 162 billion globally—a 73% increase since 2015.\r\n\r\nAs the importance of digital marketing grows, it’s easy to overlook more traditional inbound channels. But doing so is a mistake. Mobile users are looking for instant answers, and in many cases, the quickest and simplest way to get those answers is to make a phone call.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not tracking inbound phone calls, you have a serious gap in your marketing metrics.\r\n\r\nClicks, form completions, online conversions—these are all crucial metrics to track, but they’re not comprehensive.\r\n\r\nTo paint a complete picture of marketing-driven revenue, you must track inbound phone calls as well as online actions.\r\n\r\nTo do this, you’ll need to invest in the best call tracking software.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Is Call Tracking Software?</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3807\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/call-tracking-software-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg\" alt=\"call tracking software - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"438\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">Call tracking</a> software allows businesses to track phone call metrics.\r\n\r\nMarketers use these metrics to attribute offline phone calls back to the digital channels or campaigns that drove them.\r\n\r\nCall tracking software works by generating dynamic phone numbers that appear on your website, digital ads, social media channels, or local business profiles.\r\n\r\nAll of the calls are routed to your main business number, but having users dial different phone numbers allows the system to identify and record the source of the call.\r\n\r\nThough features vary between call tracking software providers, most include integrations with web analytics and CRM systems.\r\n\r\nThese integrations allow marketers to track the full customer lifecycle, attributing conversions made by sales team members all the way back to the very first marketing touchpoint.\r\n\r\nCall tracking software provides many benefits:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Close the loop between marketing and sales and online and offline interactions.</strong> Call tracking allows marketers to identify the exact amount of revenue their campaigns are generating, regardless of whether conversions happen via a website cart or through a phone call with a sales rep.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Track all leads in a central tool.</strong> Are your customers self-servicing, or are they reaching out most often by email, phone call, click-to-chat, or social media messaging? A call tracking tool that integrates with your web analytics platform provides a centralised view of all of this data.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Know what leads are interested in before asking the first question.</strong> When sales reps can see what website pages and campaigns prospects viewed before calling, they can form a clearer picture of which products/features that prospect is interested in, allowing for more personalised conversations.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>See which profiles, campaigns, and content generate the most leads and revenue.</strong> Adding call tracking to your web analytics paints a complete picture of which marketing initiatives are driving the greatest number of leads and the most revenue for your business or clients.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What to Look for in Call Tracking Software</h3>\r\nBefore shopping for inbound call tracking software, it’s important to understand some of the features that are available.\r\n\r\nDetermine which are most important for your needs, budget, and business model, and make sure the solution you select has all of the features you identify as critical.\r\n\r\nSome common call tracking software features include:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Multi-Channel Call Attribution</strong> – This feature allows you to attribute each phone call back to the marketing campaign or search keyword that generated it.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Unique Phone Numbers</strong> – This feature generates different phone numbers that can be used to track inbound calls from both online and offline campaigns. Place a phone number on a billboard, in a print/digital add, in a television commercial, or on your social media profile, and track how many calls it generates.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Dynamic Number Insertion</strong> – Each visitor to your website is presented with a different phone number to call, allowing you to track not only website-generated leads and revenue overall but also the pre-call actions and views of individual visitors.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Call Recording</strong> – Record inbound phone calls and play them back later. Use the recordings to determine which calls led to conversions, evaluate the quality of leads generated from different campaigns, or find opportunities where your customer service or sales conversations could be improved.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Local or Toll-Free Number Generation</strong> – Provide callers with toll-free numbers for global campaigns, or highlight your business’ nearby location with local phone numbers.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Web Analytics Integration</strong> – <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/new-features/1000-integrations/\">Integrate your call tracking software</a> with your web analytics program to get a centralised view of campaign performance across all channels.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>CRM Integration</strong> – Integrate your call tracking software with your CRM to connect revenue back to the marketing campaigns that generated it.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Getting Started with Call Tracking Software</h3>\r\nOnce you’ve subscribed to your selected call tracking platform, it’s time to set everything up so you can enjoy the benefits of measuring marketing-generated phone calls.\r\n\r\nMake sure to enable integrations with your web analytics and <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/ruler-information/step-by-step-how-to-add-marketing-data-to-pipedrive-crm-deals/\">CRM systems</a>, if available, so that you can track leads, goals, and conversions across all three platforms. Next, set at least one specific goal or KPI to track. Here are some ideas:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Increase incoming calls from Google AdWords call-only ads or call extensions.</li>\r\n 	<li>Use recorded phone calls to improve customer service.</li>\r\n 	<li>Generate more phone calls from Google My Business listings.</li>\r\n 	<li>Calculate marketing-driven revenue from inbound phone calls.</li>\r\n 	<li>Increase your total number of local customers.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOnce you’ve set your goals and KPIs, make sure your system is set up to track your progress.\r\n\r\nCreate local or toll-free numbers as needed, turn on <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/phone-call-tracking/dynamic-number-insertion-work/\">dynamic number insertion</a>, and update your phone numbers across digital profiles.\r\n\r\nIt shouldn’t take too long to get up and running.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Catering to Analog Behaviours in a Digital World</h3>\r\nSure, the telephone was invented nearly 150 years ago.\r\n\r\nCompared to texting, messaging, and click-to-chat, phone calls are an archaic way of communicating. But the real benefit of technology for consumers is its convenience, not its newness or novelty.\r\n\r\nModern consumers have access to all of the information they need, the moment they need it, wherever they are in the world.\r\n\r\nThe availability of access to information has created the expectation that answers should come instantly, and email, text messaging, and click-to-chat are slower forms of communication than a phone call.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, the prevalence of mobile adoption makes call tracking more important for marketers than ever.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not tracking phone call metrics, you’re missing out on a wealth of information about your customers, the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, and the ROI of your company’s or clients’ investments in marketing.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=16]','What Features to Look for in Inbound Call Tracking Software','','publish','closed','open','','best-call-tracking-software','','','2018-02-08 13:47:02','2018-02-08 13:47:02','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3805',0,'post','',1),(3844,3,'2018-01-18 09:39:45','2018-01-18 09:39:45','We’ve written before about the benefits of <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/ppc/call-only-ads-adwords/\">AdWords call-only ads and call extensions</a>. These ad types are perfect for driving calls to local businesses, but only when prospects are actively searching for relevant keywords in Google.\r\n\r\nAlthough, what about potential customers who aren’t actively conducting searches on Google? People who are killing time by scrolling through social media feeds at home or at a coffee shop. These people may be interested in finding somewhere to go, something to do, or something to buy—even if they’re not actively searching for options.\r\n\r\nCome through Facebook click-to-call ads.\r\n\r\nFacebook’s solution for local advertising gets your business and promotions in front of passive audiences, boosting awareness and driving phone calls.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Are Facebook Click-to-Call Ads?</h3>\r\nCatering to businesses with local customers, such as restaurants, attractions, and services. Facebook offers a special type of local awareness ads. These ads display in people’s newsfeeds when they’re near one of your business’ locations.\r\n\r\nUnlike general Facebook ads with a call-to-action that links to a website, local awareness ads have more specific CTAs: “Get Directions,” and “Call Now.”\r\n\r\nFacebook click-to-call ads display the “Call Now” button. When users click it, it opens the dial pad on their phones with your business’ number pre-populated.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Example Use Cases for Click-to-Call Ads</h3>\r\nWhy bother promoting phone calls in an age where all of the information prospects need is at their fingertips? Well, research has shown that increased mobile adoption has led to “an explosion of phone calls.”\r\n\r\nPeople want information instantly. The fastest way to get that information is to call and ask.\r\n\r\nLet’s say one of your clients is a fine dining establishment that requires reservations. A potential customer is scrolling through his Facebook feed while waiting for the workday to end, and he sees an ad for your client’s restaurant.\r\n\r\nSure, he might be willing to go through a long online reservation process, but it’s more likely he’ll want to just call and take care of it quickly.\r\n\r\nOr maybe that same person wants to get their oil changed on the way home from work. He sees a Facebook ad promoting a big discount on oil changes at your client’s auto servicing business, but he wants to call and make sure there’s an opening on the schedule that evening.\r\n\r\nClick-to-call ads also work well for clients with tourist-attraction businesses. Say a woman is sitting in her hotel room, waiting for her husband to finish showering, and filling her time looking on Facebook.\r\n\r\nShe sees an ad for your client’s local attraction and is interested, so she clicks to call and gets all of the information she needs to add that attraction to the day’s itinerary.\r\n\r\nFacebook click-to-call ads can promote general business information, sales, and promotions.\r\n\r\nThey can be targeted to detailed personas and may display to people within a certain distance (ex: within a mile) or your client’s business.\r\n<h3></h3>\r\n<h3>How to Create a Click-to-Call Ad on Facebook</h3>\r\nTo create your first Facebook click-to-call ad, follow the instructions below.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1. Navigate to Facebook’s Ads Manager dashboard.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3823\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_1.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-1\" width=\"701\" height=\"274\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2. Select “Reach” in the “Awareness” column.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3824\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_2.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-2\" width=\"700\" height=\"345\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3. Scroll down, give your campaign a name, and click the “Continue” button.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3825\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_3.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-3\" width=\"539\" height=\"413\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4. Select the page for the business you’re creating the ad for, and set your targeting options as you would for any ad for that business.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3826\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_4.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-4\" width=\"699\" height=\"567\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5. Scroll down to the “Placements” section, and select “Edit Placements.”\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3827\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_5.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-5\" width=\"699\" height=\"261\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n6. Under “Device Types,” select “Mobile Only.” Since you’re building a click-to-call ad, there’s not much value in having the ad display to people using desktop computers.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3828\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_6.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-6\" width=\"300\" height=\"116\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Set your budgeting and scheduling options for the ad, then click “Continue.”</span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3829\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_7.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-7\" width=\"701\" height=\"398\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n8. Create your ad using whatever text, images, etc. are important for the messaging.\r\n\r\n9. When the ad is complete, scroll all of the ways down the page until you see the “Call to Action” drop-down. Select “Call Now,” and enter the business’ phone number in the box that populates below the drop-down.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3830\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_8.jpg\" alt=\"Create-Click-to-Call-Ad-8\" width=\"701\" height=\"385\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReview your ad and make sure everything displays as desired, then click the confirm button to begin running your new click-to-call ad.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call Tracking for Click-to-Call Ads</h3>\r\nNow that your click-to-call ad is up and running, you need a way to measure its effectiveness.\r\n\r\nFacebook provides metrics on ad impressions, total spend, and how many people clicked the “Call Now” CTA.\r\n\r\nAt a glance, that seems sufficient, but these general metrics don’t tell the whole story.\r\n\r\nWhen a user clicks on the “Call Now” button, it doesn’t immediately initiate a call to the business. Instead, it opens the dial pad on the user’s mobile phone with the business’ phone number pre-populated.\r\n\r\nFacebook reports that action as a call, but there’s no guarantee that a call was actually made. The person could just as easily have backed out of the dial pad screen.\r\n\r\nTo truly measure how many calls Facebook click-to-call ads are driving, you need <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/phone-call-tracking/best-call-tracking-software/\">inbound call tracking software</a> like <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/\">Ruler Analytics</a>.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics provides you with a distinct phone number you can use to <strong>track the actual number of calls your Facebook ads generate.</strong>\r\n\r\nIt also records inbound phone calls, allowing you to listen to calls generated from Facebook ad campaigns and determine how many resulted in revenue for the business.\r\n\r\nWithout an inbound call tracking system, it’s impossible to truly measure the number of leads and amount of revenue generated by Facebook click-to-call campaigns.\r\n\r\nWhat you’re left with is guesswork and hopes instead of a true picture of marketing ROI.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Facebook Click-to-Call Ad Campaign Best Practices</h3>\r\nWhen creating click-to-call ad campaigns on Facebook, there are a few best practices you should keep in mind:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Target the right prospects. Take advantage of Facebook’s detailed targeting capabilities to display ads to your ideal customers. Also, make sure to utilize location targeting to get your ads in front of people who are near the business you’re promoting.</li>\r\n 	<li>Schedule ads to run at prime times. To do this, you’ll need to establish an ad lifetime budget rather than a daily budget. However, being able to narrow the window when your ads display, such as displaying a restaurant ad a couple of hours before dinner, will help you reach people in the moment that they’re seeking your services.</li>\r\n 	<li>Test multiple versions of ads. Does including an image encourage or discourage more clicks on your call button? What about including a video instead of an image? The only way to find out which versions of your ads generate the most impressions, clicks and calls is to test multiple versions and discover the top performers</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nHowever, the best practice of all is making sure you’re tracking the outcomes of your click-to-call ads. Use a call tracking platform to determine exactly how many calls and how much revenue the ads are generating.\r\n\r\nMaybe click-to-call ads are much more effective than your other campaigns, and you should funnel more budget to that campaign type. Or maybe they don’t perform well at all and should be discontinued. The only way to find out is to track the calls and measure their performance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Even in This Digital Age, Calls Are Still Crucial</h3>\r\nAs a digital marketer, it’s easy to immerse yourself in mobile apps, digital content, and social media - forgetting the more analogue means of marketing a business. Even old-school methods of communication like phone calls have their merit in an instant-information-seeking society.\r\n\r\nIn truth, making a call is often much simpler than navigating and searching through a website, especially on a mobile device where typing is less convenient and time is often limited. For this reason, local businesses have a lot to gain by encouraging customers to call instead of click. With Facebook click-to-call ads, you can do just that.','Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Facebook Click-to-Call Ads','','publish','closed','open','','facebook-click-to-call-ads','','','2018-03-21 12:21:02','2018-03-21 12:21:02','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3820',0,'post','',0),(3845,3,'2018-01-23 13:58:56','2018-01-23 13:58:56','I must confess.\r\n\r\nInitially, I wanted to create a monster piece that focused on “how to scale an agency”, but when I did a quick search on Google, I found some pretty impressive stuff out there already.\r\n\r\nThere’s so much content on SERPs that provides insight into how agency owners can “increase revenues” or “land new business\".\r\n\r\nI wanted to do something different.\r\n\r\nDuring my research, something that became apparent is that there isn’t much out there that focuses on how agency owners can use practical methods to cope with the pressures of growing their business.\r\n\r\nFrom all of the conversations I have had with our agency partners, it’s clear that growing an agency is an emotional and mental struggle.\r\n\r\nNo matter where you are in the development of your agency, there’s a lot of pressure involved. And I could take a bet that there have been days where you’ve felt like throwing in the towel.\r\n\r\nI spend a lot of time following and interacting with agency owners on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Katieholmes92\">Twitter</a>. Through this, it’s easy to get the impression that owning an agency, in particular, is like a walk in the park.\r\n\r\nA lot of agencies choose to engage with their audience through the power of social and will approach this by “becoming more relatable”.\r\n\r\nYou know...\r\n\r\nThey might post a picture of their recent ping-pong champion, or document how they’ve recently smashed their record of “the number of teas made in one brew round”.\r\n\r\nI mean, who doesn’t love ping-pong and caffeine - right?\r\n\r\nThing is, although this is making your brand seem more approachable, it can also create this illusion that owning an agency is an easy slog.\r\n\r\nWhen in reality, it’s quite the opposite\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Sometimes Taking Deep Breaths Just Isn’t Enough</h2>\r\nI did find some insightful articles on how business owners can keep their stress levels under control.\r\n\r\nHow taking deep breaths can make the feeling of stress disappear, or how keeping a tidy environment can help maintain a clear mind. And although these practices may be scientifically proven to release stress and can have a major impact on your sanity, they count for nothing if you haven’t got an on-hands approach implemented in the workplace to run alongside.\r\n\r\nIn today’s high-pressure industry, you probably feel as though your business is constantly on the line.\r\n\r\nThat’s natural.\r\n\r\nAs an agency owner, you more or less have the final say on every decision, negotiation or pitch. Empowering as this is, it also carries a lot of emotional burdens which can wear you down.\r\n\r\nYou need to remember this: you’re not alone.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>How Others Are Coping With The Pressures Of Scaling An Agency</h2>\r\nMitchel White, Founder &amp; Managing Director of <a href=\"https://leftmedia.co.uk/\">LeftMedia</a> admitted that he’s “one of those people that worry a lot, but running an agency can put a big pressure on you mentally and physically”.\r\n\r\nWith that said, I thought it would be a good idea to approach a variety of agency owners, all from different cultures, and ask them the following question:\r\n\r\n<strong>“What do you consider is your biggest pressure growing your agency, and what methods have you put in place to reduce/avoid it?”</strong>\r\n\r\nBy doing this, I was able to understand the common pressures that agency owners face on a daily basis and get first-hand, actionable insight into how they’re keeping those troubles at bay in the workplace.\r\n\r\nHopefully, by the end of this article, you will of been able to connect with what our agency experts have had to say and take onboard some of their methods.\r\n\r\n<strong>Please note: </strong>\r\n\r\nThis is a monster 8000+ word practical guide on how to cope with the pressures of scaling your agency. I’ve produced this guide for agency owners at all stages. So with that said, you may find the stuff our agency owners have advised is something you’re doing already.\r\n\r\nKnowing this, I’ve included a quick navigation so you can go straight to the sections that you identify with the most:\r\n\r\n1. <a href=\"#1\">Dealing With The Common Pressure Of Financials</a>\r\n2. <a href=\"#2\">The Challenges Of Recruitment And Hiring The Right Talent</a>\r\n3. <a href=\"#3\">Being Able To Trust And Let Go</a>\r\n4. <a href=\"#4\">Maintaining Standards And Achieving Results</a>\r\n\r\nLet\'s dive in!\r\n\r\nBelow you will find a list of pressures identified by the agency owners I emailed. Plus, the strategies they’re using to keep their tensions to a minimum.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Dealing With The Common Pressure of Financials</h2>\r\n<a name=\"1\"></a>Once I started to receive some feedback, I noticed a clear pattern straight away. Most of the agency owners that I questioned all share the mutual pressure of cash-flow uncertainty, as well as ensuring that they have enough revenue to cover operational costs.\r\n\r\nWas I shocked? Not at all.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3846\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com\" />\r\n<small>Image courtesy of <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/19705/the-3-biggest-challenges-facing-marketing-agencies.aspx\">Hubspot</a></small>\r\n\r\nA previous survey by Hubspot revealed that two-thirds of agency owners consider unpredictable cash flow one of their top three challenges, and 19% of them called it their top concern.\r\n\r\nMitchel White and Dan Cullen-Shute, CEO &amp; Founder at <a href=\"https://www.creaturelondon.com/\">Creature of London</a>, both share the same pressure which is ensuring that they “keep the lights on”.\r\n\r\nIn addition to this Dan believes that “there are a million pressures that come from running an agency.”\r\n\r\n“The pressure to make every piece of work something you\'d be as proud of in Effectiveness Week as you would in Cannes; the pressure to ensure we don\'t run out of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes on a Monday morning; and the pressure to make sure you\'re both funny AND insightful when asked to supply a quote for somebody else\'s article. Sitting atop ALL of that, though is the pressure to keep everybody’s mortgages paid”, he says.\r\n\r\nDarren Marble, CEO of <a href=\"https://www.crowdfundx.io/\">CrowdfundX</a>, can relate to Dan\'s statement. He also revealed that his biggest pressure is “ensuring that they generate enough revenue to cover salaries and overheads on a monthly basis”.\r\n\r\nWhatever size your agency is or how fast it’s growing, there’s always going to be that uncertainty of cash-flow. Sadly, we can’t see into the future and predict when we’re going to get hit by unexpected costs or experience one of those ‘bad months”.\r\n\r\nFortunately, the agency experts I questioned shared their methods on how to reduce that pressure of uncertainty and provided me with tips on how to manage your finances in a more efficient and reassuring way.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Put An Estimated LTV (Lifetime Value) On Each Client</h3>\r\nJordan Scheltgen, Founder of <a href=\"http://cavesocial.com/\">Cave Social</a>, believes that a lot of agencies are quick to tell their clients to spend big on SEM, SMM, but then don\'t do any of that stuff themselves.\r\n\r\nHe says that “you need to figure out what it costs you to get a client, then put an estimated LTV (Lifetime Value) on that client.”\r\n\r\nJordan believes that putting an LTV on your client is “key to financial growth”.\r\n\r\nAlso known as, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) or Lifetime Customer Value (LCV) - depending on your preference. LTV is a method used by marketers to project the revenue a customer will generate during their lifetime.\r\n\r\n<strong>Lifetime Value (LTV) = Total Customer Revenue – Total Customer Costs</strong>\r\n\r\nJordan demonstrated his belief by using an example of his own, which he shared on <a href=\"https://inbound.org/discuss/any-tips-for-my-new-digital-marketing-agency\">Inbound.org</a>:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3889\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"731\" height=\"198\" />\r\n\r\nLTV can determine the financial gain of your of business and is a valuable metric for those running an agency or subscription-based model.\r\n\r\nBy calculating the LTV of your customers, you can reveal where stronger marketing efforts are needed, as well as the long-term financial impact of losing current customers.\r\n\r\nMore importantly, LTV can be used as a premature warning sign to detect defection rates. It identifies in which segments “a problem” originates, so procedures can be put in place to correct the cause. In turn, reducing that dreaded pressure of “cash flow uncertainty”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Switch To A Retainer Based Pricing Model - If You Haven’t Already</h3>\r\nWe heard how Mitchel White’s biggest pressure “is keeping the lights on.”\r\n\r\nHe also told me that, “the additional costs of premises and PAYE (for example) add extra pressures with cash flow being notoriously hard in a traditional agency where fees are project based.”\r\n\r\nOne way Mitchel has tackled this is by increasing the number of his recurring revenue clients. By doing this Mitchel has, “guaranteed monthly income when new projects go a little quiet.\"\r\n\r\nAlthough to receive the true benefits of recurring revenue, you will need to ditch your project-based pricing model in favour of a retainer. In fact, Jordan Scheltgen strongly advises anyone billing hourly to “switch to a retainer pricing model as soon as possible - if you haven’t already”.\r\n\r\nIn addition to this, he advises that you should “project your hours (internally), then put forward a price monthly with your deliverables.”\r\n\r\nBy implementing a retainer-based model, you have a predictable source of regular income and clear mechanisms for operational costs.\r\n\r\nMore importantly, you have a clear roadmap for future production and can budget your team\'s time accordingly.\r\n\r\nUsing a retainer model has enabled Ed Leake to factor his average billable working hours and overhead per role, giving him a baseline cost.\r\n\r\nIn a <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/agency/start-agency-actually-matter\">previous article</a>, Ed Leake, Founder of <a href=\"https://midasmedia.co.uk/\">Midas Media</a>, revealed how he used to whimper when looking at his overheads, but since implementing the following process he now cherishes them.\r\n\r\nLeake says, “It’s really simple, anyone with a copy of Excel can do it. I use total working hours – holidays – 3 days sick * 70% efficiency, per person.”\r\n\r\nLeake shares with us a quick example of what this process looks like:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3891\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/pressure-scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"pressure scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"399\" height=\"163\" />\r\n\r\nEd accounts for a person’s wage, the business cost (office, equipment, software tools etc) and any advertising budget.\r\n\r\nNext, he adds in projected hours per service, which gives him a no-nonsense baseline. The spreadsheet then calculates a 20% creep/slack with a 35% profit margin.\r\n\r\nThe end result, an ACCURATE price for the service.\r\n\r\nHere\'s an example:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3892\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/pressure-scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"pressure scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"90\" />\r\n\r\nEd claims this process (in tandem with tight project management) has enabled him to propose retainers to the nearest hour billable.\r\n\r\n“Often our prices look ‘funny’ because of this, we don’t round up or down to get a job – we give exact figures without discount”, he says.\r\n\r\nEd claims this process offers “immediate trust and transparency”.\r\n\r\nRetainers are most efficient when you know a solid, predictable relationship makes sense. They are an effective method for both agencies and clients. Less time is spent on unnecessary paperwork, allowing both parties to focus on what matters the most - achieving results.\r\n\r\nIn addition to this, retainers make scheduling easy and simplify your proposal stage. Instead of generating a custom, project-specific proposal for each of your clients. A retainer can help you draw up a template contract, which can come in handy if you receive a lot of proposal requests.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Watch Every Penny - Even When You’re Making Money</h3>\r\nThis may sound obvious, but you\'d be surprised at how crazy some people get once they start to see the money piling up in the bank.\r\n\r\nGo on a spending spree too early, and you’re going receive a backlash of financial pressure.\r\n\r\nFor most people, running an agency doesn’t equate to instant riches.\r\n\r\nEd Leake, Founder of Midas Media believes the best way to manage your finances is to, “be tight and watch every penny – even when you’re making money. This isn’t just in the first few years; you need to do it forever.”\r\n\r\nHe goes on to say that, “some of the richest people in the world become rich because they keep an eye on their expenses like a hawk.”\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://richhabits.net/\">Tom Corley</a>, an accountant and financial planner, surveyed 233 wealthy individuals. Mostly self-made millionaires, he asked them questions about their daily spending habits.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3851\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.jpg\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com\" />\r\n\r\nThe majority of wealthy people in Corley’s research said that they save a significant amount of their revenue income. In fact, 80% of the individuals in Tom\'s study didn’t become wealthy until the age of 50.\r\n\r\nCorley recommends that you should put 20% of your monthly income into savings.\r\n\r\nFor example, if you generate £100,000 each month in revenue, try and put £20,000 into savings. By doing this, over time you will start to see your savings account grow.\r\n\r\nIf the recession taught us anything, it’s that the most successful businesses can sometimes encounter financial challenges beyond their control.\r\n\r\nSo, by keeping a cash supply on hand, you can ensure that your business will stay afloat in lean times.\r\n\r\nNot only will this enable you to keep providing services, but you take away that pressure of generating enough revenue to cover operational costs and employee wages.\r\n\r\nFor Mike Ramsey, President of <a href=\"https://niftymarketing.com/\">Nifty Marketing</a>, he has opted for Dave Ramsey’s <a href=\"https://www.daveramsey.com/\">personal financial guidelines</a> for his business and finds it very conservative. Dave Ramsey’s personal financial guide is pretty much in tune with Thomas Corley’s advice.\r\n\r\nHowever, whereas Corley recommends that you put away 20% of your revenue each month. Dave Ramsey suggests that you should have 3-6 months of expenses on hand at all times.\r\n\r\nFor example: at £65,000 per month of expenses, you should have between £195,000-£390,000 in reserves.\r\n\r\nDave admits that this can seem like a lot of money. With that said, if clients unexpectedly drop, or major industry changes necessitate a completely new model, you will have the cash on hand to make good decisions - instead of desperate ones.\r\n\r\nBy following Dave’s advice has put Mike’s agency in a unique position, “we’re growing, but not at a crazy rate.\"\r\n\r\nMike says, “if we lose a client, it’s ok. If we have late payments, that is also ok. I can sleep given I know we have months of float with zero income if needed.”\r\n\r\nHe accepts that his biggest pressure is “false pressure” that he puts on himself that he has to scale at a certain rate each month.\r\n\r\nHe believes this type of thinking can lead to seriously bad long terms decisions and can deplete cash flow rapidly.\r\n\r\n“Greed can build things fast, but can also bring everything down just as quickly. I would rather take my time and play the long game\", Mike says.\r\n\r\nThere’s always a cheaper or more efficient way of achieving your results on a budget, it’s just getting into the habit of finding that cheaper alternative and some strategic planning.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Focus On Building A Solid Process For Getting New Business</h3>\r\nSo, we’ve established that cash flow is easier to calculate and maintain by switching to a retainer pricing model. And that calculating the LTV of your customers will allow you to estimate the financial gain of your business.\r\n\r\nAlthough, before getting to these formulas, you will need to ensure that you have a solid process for getting new business.\r\n\r\nI mean, there’s no math without clients - right?\r\n\r\nSeb Dean, Managing Director of <a href=\"https://www.imaginaire.co.uk/\">Imaginare Digital</a>, advises that “you should be focusing on building a solid process for getting new business.”\r\n\r\nHe isn’t alone in saying this.\r\n\r\nPreviously, we heard how Darren Marble’s biggest pressure is generating enough revenue to cover salaries and overheads on a monthly basis.\r\n\r\nA common pressure shared by many business owners - I’m sure you will agree?\r\n\r\nTo address this challenge Darren stays “relentlessly focused on new client acquisition and creating reference accounts” which helps him sell against the competition.\r\n\r\nDarren believes that “sales solves all problems” and recommends that you “make it your core focus.”\r\n\r\nBy plotting out his sales process, it’s allowed Seb Dean to accomplish his goals.\r\n\r\nSeb leaves us with a couple of questions which you can ask yourself when building a solid process for getting new business:\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li>Think about who your customers are?</li>\r\n 	<li>How are you going to reach them?</li>\r\n 	<li>Where are your leads coming from?</li>\r\n 	<li>How many appointments will you need to have each week to make enough money to pay yourself a wage?</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nIf you’ve asked yourself these questions, and feel as though you have come to a dead-end, then there are other alternative methods you can take to generate new business.\r\n\r\nOliver Gaywood, Founder of <a href=\"http://www.civicwebmedia.com.au/\">Civic Web Media</a>, made sure that everyone in his network knew what he was doing. People he had previously worked with and even his friends. It was this process that allowed Oliver to develop some of his most profitable relationships.\r\n\r\n“Some people wanted help with their content, some referred me to those they knew who needed it and others, even though they didn\'t really know what content marketing was, associated the term with us and would mention us in relevant conversations”, says Oliver.\r\n\r\nIf you feel as though you\'ve exhausted all your personal networks, Josh Ballard, Founder of <a href=\"https://www.paradoxmarketing.com.au/\">Paradox Marketing</a>, says that you can accelerate Oliver’s process by “getting out and networking as hard as you can in your own hometown.”\r\n\r\n“As you meet new people in person make sure that you have a follow-up plan for engaging with them online. Always be adding value and never be sold. You will win more work in the long run by sending through meticulously well-curated content to your prospects than you will by pointing out how their digital presence is not working well\", says Josh.\r\n\r\nAs well as this, you should also build a solid process for your existing accounts too.\r\n\r\nIn my previous roundup, I emailed agency experts to get their perspective on how they scale agency revenues by <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/account-expansion/\">expanding existing accounts</a>.\r\n\r\nIf you run both processes alongside each other in the right way, those pressures of generating enough revenue to cover salaries and overheads with soon evaporate.\r\n\r\nDan Shutes says, “we’ve stuck to winning business whenever possible, which has done us alright so far.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>The Challenges of Recruitment and Hiring The Right Talent</h2>\r\n<a name=\"2\"></a>For Brian Whigham, Founder of <a href=\"https://www.venndigital.co.uk/\">Venn</a>, “raising money has become incredibly easy, especially in the North West.”\r\n\r\nBrian believes this is due to the focus on the Northern Powerhouse, “from government funding, private equity through to crowdfunding, the access to investment has never been so good.”\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://player.vimeo.com/video/207780664\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n<small><a href=\"https://vimeo.com/207780664\">NPIF What impact will NPIF have?</a> from <a href=\"https://vimeo.com/britishbusinessbank\">British Business Bank</a> on <a href=\"https://vimeo.com\">Vimeo</a>.</small>\r\n\r\nHe claims that the challenge of growing a digital agency is “simply twofold.”\r\n\r\nThe perception that the web is becoming easier and cheaper when in reality, it’s getting harder and more expensive.\r\n\r\n“As marketers, we are flooded with tools and resources that supposedly make our lives easier. In reality, the speed of evolution is creating a storm that every agency and business is trying to compete in”, he says.\r\n\r\nAs a direct consequence, Brian feels “there is a dearth of talent.”\r\n\r\nAlong with the uncertainty of cash flow and revenue, another common issue shared by agency owners is the challenge of recruiting the right talent for their business.\r\n\r\nOn the launch of <a href=\"https://www.seedpublicity.co.uk/\">Seed</a>, Founder Nick-Stuart Miller felt that his biggest pressure would be maintaining the high standards which they set themselves for achieving results.\r\n\r\nAlthough, because they\'ve structured their message to empower team members with self-development and autonomous decision making. Nick soon realised that the challenge is actually hiring the right kind of people to support their existing values.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3893\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"524\" height=\"319\" />\r\n<small>Image source: The 2017 State of <a href=\"https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33820/5-major-challenges-marketers-face-and-how-to-solve-them.aspx\">Inbound Report</a></small>\r\n\r\nHe isn’t alone feeling like this.\r\n\r\nJane Asscher, Managing Director of <a href=\"https://www.23red.com/\">23red</a> and Kayleigh Toyra, Co-founder of <a href=\"https://seeker.digital/\">Seeker</a> say their biggest challenges revolve around recruiting the right talent, as well as building and maintaining their organisational culture.\r\n\r\nJane believes this is “relatively easy when you’re in startup mode”. Although admits that it gets more difficult as an organisation grows and the owners can no longer be hands on everything.\r\n\r\nAccording to a report by Hubspot, hiring top talent was the eighth biggest challenge marketers faced in 2017.\r\n\r\nSo, why is finding talent such a challenge for agencies?\r\n\r\nIn the past couple of years, there has been a significant shift from outbound to inbound marketing.\r\n\r\nThere seems to be a bigger demand for top talent, but not enough supply out there to cover it.\r\n\r\nIn addition to this, the required skills a modern marketer are very different to what they were a decade ago. Nowadays, roles seem to have overlapped and morphed.\r\n\r\nFor example, marketers are needed to oversee marketing activities as well as assist sales to generate new business and drive growth within existing accounts.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3894\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com-copy-4.png\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com copy 4\" width=\"701\" height=\"455\" />\r\n<small>job description courtesy of <a href=\"https://www.indeed.co.uk/\">Indeed.co.uk</a>.</small>\r\n\r\nTo make matters more complicated. In 2016 it was reported that millennials are actually job-hopping more frequently than previous generations, according to this <a href=\"https://blog.linkedin.com/2016/04/12/will-this-year_s-college-grads-job-hop-more-than-previous-grads\">research</a> conducted by LinkedIn.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3895\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com copy 2\" width=\"700\" height=\"468\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCombining all these factors together, it’s no surprise that agency owners consider finding the right talent a challenge.\r\n\r\nIf you’re lucky enough to find that “talent superstar” who has all the required skills and more. There’s no guarantee that they will actually stick around long enough to have an impact on results.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Retain Your Employees and Reduce That Challenge of \'Talent Shortages\'</h3>\r\nTalent shortages seem to be a common issue throughout many industries. Although, it is a significant challenge for those who work in the digital and tech sector.\r\n\r\nEd Leake says that “talented people are your lifeblood” when it comes to agency growth.\r\n\r\nSo, what can you do to reduce that talent shortage and pressure of finding the perfect candidate for your business?\r\n\r\nIt may sound obvious, but the most effective way of counteracting talent shortages is by focusing on getting more out of your existing employees.\r\n\r\nMore than half of employers globally are developing and training their own people in order to overcome recruitment challenges.\r\n\r\nJane Asscher and the team at Red23 have implemented management practices, staff benefits, training and development plans to support their existing staff and combat any recruitment issues.\r\n\r\n“We are looking for people to grab opportunities to learn, develop and share new concepts”, says Jane.\r\n\r\nJane provides her existing employees with a cultural allowance which they can spend on theatre, museum galleries and other events. The aim of this is to help encourage employees to flourish and expand their cultural know-how.\r\n\r\nThis focus on their culture and values has helped Jane attract and retain talent. Ensuring that they have one of the lowest levels of staff turnover in the industry.\r\n\r\nSo, instead of waiting for that “worldie candidate” to come along, who has all the skills you desire and more. Why not invest time into someone who has worked at your side for a while, and demonstrated their dedication to your business already?\r\n\r\nIn this study, Data Freaks discovered that 89% of millennials said that they would stay with the same company for 10+ years if just two criteria were met:1.\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li>1. Opportunities for upward career mobility</li>\r\n 	<li>2. Regular increase in compensation.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\nIt is this exact method that has allowed Nick Stuart-Miller, Founder of <a href=\"https://www.seedpublicity.co.uk/\">Seed</a>, to alleviate growth challenges.\r\n\r\n“We have made sure every person at Seed feels like they are an important part of our company, and giving them responsibility, accountability and the voice to be heard\", he says.\r\n\r\nIn addition to this, Nick has ensured that their leadership team, himself and business partner Robin, are available to the team at all times.\r\n\r\nWith an intrinsic level of openness, Nick communicates with his team to ensure that individual challenges are supported.\r\n\r\nCommunication is key to success. Make time for your employees, and give them the responsibility they\'ve worked so hard for.\r\n\r\nBryan Alston, Senior Director at Los Angeles’ fastest growing digital agency and now as Head of E-commerce at <a href=\"http://www.bamf.media/\">BAMF Media</a>, says “having more two-way conversations between sales and operations is key.”\r\n\r\nNick and Bryan are prime examples of how communication can help cap staff turnover and reduce the challenge of “talent shortage”.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Could We Be Making A Difference To The Talent Shortage?</h3>\r\nIs there something else we could be doing now which will have an impact on our “talent dilemma” in 5-10 years time?\r\n\r\nBrian Whingham believes the main problem with talent crisis is that there isn’t enough focus at the grassroots level in school.\r\n\r\n“Young boys and girls need to be shown the opportunity that online companies present for their career and personal development”, he says.\r\n\r\nPersonally, as a marketer who has experience in SEO, PPC and Content I do struggle to tell friends and family who don’t work in the industry what I do for a living. In my agency days, I found the easiest thing to do was tell others that “I just help other businesses with their online presence”\r\n\r\nPeople outside our industry literally have no idea that our jobs exist. In fact, I’m going to use an example of how unacknowledged our market is:\r\n\r\nI was watching the apprentice final with a friend.\r\n\r\nFor anyone who hasn’t watched the apprentice before. It’s a reality game show in which a group of aspiring entrepreneurs (plant pots) compete against each other in a series of business-related challenges in order to win a £250,000 business investment from Lord Alan Sugar.\r\n\r\nIn this particular final, one contestant pitched their confectionery business and was then followed by another individual who promoted their IT recruitment idea.\r\n\r\nMy friend turned to me and said, “that IT person does what you do!”\r\n\r\nConsidering that SEO, PPC, content and other online marketing activities have been around for over a decade now, the lack of exposure for our industry is quite concerning.\r\n\r\nBrian Whingham believes “once we solve the talent problem, the role of the agency owner will become much easier.”\r\n\r\nPersonally, as a marketer, I feel as though we need to come up with innovative ways on how we can shed more light on what we do.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.liverpoolgirlgeeks.co.uk/\">Liverpool Geek Girls</a> are a perfect example to follow.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/u8VWBEqFOTc\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nTheir core mission is to tackle the current gender imbalance and skills gap in the technology sector.\r\n\r\nHowever, in my opinion, it’s the fact that they host events, courses and workshops for women and girls of all ages which makes them so important.\r\n\r\nThey’re doing exactly what Brian Whigham says we need to do. They’re targeting youngest and exposing them to the possibilities of the tech sector. Something a lot of us didn’t have access to at an adolescent age.\r\n\r\nA lot of individuals have built a successful career off the back of the marketing and tech industry, but have failed to give back to the community.\r\n\r\nI believe if we take a hint of inspiration from organisations such as Geek Girls, we could break down the barrier on the talent shortage for generations to come.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Take Your Time and Avoid the Cost of a Bad Hire</h3>\r\nAlthough the methods that we’ve just discussed can help decrease staff turnover and “talent shortages”, they won’t completely prevent staff from leaving your business - but that’s okay!\r\n\r\nHiring is hard. Especially when an existing employee leaves your business without any warning.\r\n\r\nA big mistake agency owners do in this circumstance, is get into a panic and advise the job position on a LinkedIn update.\r\n\r\nWe’ve all seen those status updates...\r\n\r\nHiring the wrong person will disrupt the rest of your workforce and can lead to a loss of revenue.\r\n\r\nWhen Kayleigh Toyra started out, she took advice from other agency leaders on how they manage their own recruitment challenges.\r\n\r\n“I\'ve come to realise that taking your time with decisions; and hiring on attitude, not just aptitude, are good strategies\", says Kayleigh.\r\n\r\nWho would you rather choose:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>A candidate with all the desired skills, but a negative attitude towards teamwork?</li>\r\n 	<li>Or a dedicated individual, who has a couple of weakness, but has demonstrated their determination and ability to adapt to your current environment?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nRather than searching for a candidate when a position becomes available, Kayleigh has remained on the lookout for new talent - even when it’s not required.\r\n\r\n“With growing an agency, you need to constantly be on the lookout for new talent - it\'s an ongoing, rather than a \'stop and start\' process”, says Kayleigh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Being Able To Trust and Let Go</h2>\r\n<a name=\"3\"></a>For some agency owners, it’s not searching for talent which they consider challenging. It’s the pressure of being able to trust and let go of the responsibilities which they’ve had for so long.\r\n\r\nKyle Racki, Founder of <a href=\"https://www.proposify.com/?utm_source=ruleranalytics\">Proposify</a>, highlighted this in his email to me.\r\n\r\n“The biggest pressure growing an agency is handing over the reigns to other people. As an agency owner, you started as a freelancer where you managed everything: the clients, the projects, the invoicing, the new business”, he says.\r\n\r\nKyle wasn’t the only person who made me aware of this pressure shared by many agency owners.\r\n\r\nWhilst scaling his agency Jamie Huskisson, Managing Director and Founder of <a href=\"https://wearejh.com/\">JH</a>, witnessed first hand how “most people try to do things themselves, finding it hard to let go.”\r\n\r\nMost agency owners do start out as freelancers. So, in the past, they’ve had complete control over client projects.\r\n\r\nHowever, scaling an agency is a whole different ball game, and on the road to success, agency owners must sacrifice that time they use to spend controlling client projects steering the business.\r\n\r\nUnderstandably, this can be a difficult routine to break.\r\n\r\nWhile no one knows your vision or brand better than you, scaling an agency demands a variety of skills at the top. With that said, our agency owners shed some light on how to ease your fears of letting go.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Hire People Smarter Than You</h3>\r\nPreviously, we heard how Ed Leake used to whimper when he looked at overheads, but now he cherishes them.\r\n\r\nHe knows that beneath his numbers is a solid team of experts who save him from mental overload. Experts he can rely on and who clients enjoy working with.\r\n\r\nEd strongly believes that “if you’re the most skilled person in your business, you’re not hiring the right people.”\r\n\r\nSome agency owners have developed this pressure that they need to be the smartest person in the room, or they will lose the respect of their employees. As they’re a leader, they feel as though they should hold all answers.\r\n\r\nThis isn’t true.\r\n\r\nJess Butcher says, “you need to ensure that you\'re hiring good \'managers\' and not just good doers - people potentially better than you at their areas of expertise who you can empower to hire, manage and develop their teams and really \'own\' their areas of the business. You simply cannot scale if you continue to have to have a direct input in everything that the business is doing.\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/hire-people-better-you-says-macmillan-marketing-director/1432378\">In this article</a>, Richard Taylor, Fundraising and Marketing Director for Macmillan Cancer Support, says “the secret to success is to bring in people who are better than you at any job that you could ever do.”\r\n\r\nHiring someone who is smarter than you doesn’t necessarily mean that you should bring someone who could step into your role tomorrow.\r\n\r\nBeing smart means that an individual isn’t afraid to use their brain or ask questions. They’re curious, and that’s the type of people you want taking over the reins.\r\n\r\nHiring smart people gives your agency a better chance of success, and makes your role as an agency owner easier.\r\n\r\nTaylor believes hiring smart people “makes you look good.”\r\n\r\nTo become a great leader you must surround yourself with talented people. It is your responsibility to build a team that can bring innovation and unique ideas to the table.\r\n\r\nBusinessman R.H Grant <a href=\"https://www.forbes.com/quotes/7677/\">once said</a>, “when you hire people that are smarter than you, you prove you are smarter than they are.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Preventing The One-Man-Band Syndrome</h3>\r\nThis doesn’t just happen to startup owners. One-man band syndrome can strike when you’re years into the business. For anyone who is unaware what this is, it’s when an MD or founder try and run their whole business by themselves.\r\n\r\nIn the beginning, you generally need to have an understanding of sales, marketing and tech if you want to get your business off the ground.\r\n\r\nHowever, if you adopt one-man band syndrome for too long, the growth of your company will eventually flatline.\r\n\r\nKyle Racki says that “many can’t get out of their own way. It’s essential to not be the star when you run an agency.”\r\n\r\nHe admits in his article on <a href=\"https://www.proposify.com/blog/how-to-start-an-agency\">how to start an agency</a>, that one of the hardest things to do as an agency owner is to step out of the spotlight.\r\n\r\nIf you ever get the temptation to set up your own one-man band. You should ask yourself this question.\r\n\r\n“Is this really in the best interest of our clients, or it is in the best interest of my ego?”\r\n\r\nOne-man band syndrome can demonstrate a lack of trust and lowers team morale. More importantly, it can have a backlash on productivity. Increasing churn rates and igniting that pressure of “future unpredictability.”\r\n\r\nIn his book, <em><a href=\"https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AVWmcx2rCtwC&amp;pg=PA73&amp;lpg=PA73&amp;dq=business+one+man+band+syndrome&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=7BMLVz-RNx&amp;sig=xCxC36OIjhTfagMEWefHEI3mGKI&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjantnpg7zYAhWjKMAKHSGACxE4ChDoAQgyMAA#v=onepage&amp;q=business%20one%20man%20band%20syndrome&amp;f=false\">great from the start: how conscious corporations attract success</a></em>, Author John B Montgomery speaks about how CEO of Semiconductor was a victim of one-man band syndrome.\r\n\r\nThe CEO of Semiconductor was unable to delegate and had no executive team to support him.\r\n\r\nHe made every decision - from hiring new employees to buying paper clips.\r\n\r\nHis inability to surround himself with a strong team of employees prevented his company from scaling to its full potential.\r\n\r\nEventually, Lucent Technologies eventually acquired his company.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Avoid The Trap Of Micromanagement</h3>\r\nComparable to having one-man band syndrome, micromanagement is when leaders give responsibilities to others, but closely observe and control the work of his/her subordinates.\r\n\r\nIt’s so easy for agency owners to fall into that trap and get confused between “leadership” and “Micromanagement”.\r\n\r\nLeading your employees and keeping them accountable is a huge part of scaling an agency.\r\n\r\nI’m sure you’re all aware of the management style of Steve Jobs’.\r\n\r\nHe was progressive, intense and very particular. It’s well-known that Job’s had a slight infatuation with dictatorship, which in the beginning, was an issue at Apple.\r\n\r\nHis micromanagement caused confusion and fear amongst employees, which was having a negative effect on the development of Macintosh.\r\n\r\nMoral of the story here is, by micromanaging your employees, you’re potentially decreasing the chances of agency success.\r\n\r\nAs much as you want to be involved in every aspect of the business, which you built from the ground up, you need to learn how to step back and allow your employees to make key decisions without your input.\r\n\r\nScott Berkun has an insightful analogy for owners and leaders who are guilty of this common habit:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3896\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com-copy-5.png\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"650\" height=\"530\" />\r\n\r\nA good way to overcome this habit is by developing awareness of why you’re micromanaging. In most cases, it’s because of an insecurity. Maybe you’re afraid that it will reflect badly on you if your team doesn’t succeed.\r\n\r\nMuriel Maignan Wilkins, the co-author of <a href=\"https://hbr.org/product/own-the-room-discover-your-signature-voice-to-mast/an/10931-HBK-ENG\">Own the Room</a> and Co-founder of <a href=\"http://paravispartners.com/\">Paravis Partners</a>, recommends you ask yourself the following question:\r\n\r\n“what excuses am I using to micromanage?”\r\n\r\nInstead of using excuses such as, “it will save time if I do it myself.” Or “too much much is at stake to allow this to go wrong” Wilkins recommends that you focus on, “the reasons why you should not micromanage?”\r\n\r\nMicromanagement diminishes creativity and innovation. When employees feel like they’re being watched they are less likely to step outside the box.\r\n\r\nBy asking yourself the question of “why you should not micromanage?”\r\n\r\nYou increase the job satisfaction of your employees, ensuring the future of your business.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Integrate Autonomy Into Your Culture</h3>\r\n“Autonomy is the antithesis of micromanagement”, says Joan F Cheverie, Director, Professional Development of <a href=\"https://www.educause.edu/\">EDUCAUSE</a>.\r\n\r\nYour agency needs a leader, not a micromanager, who knows how to give autonomy to employees who can lead the company more effectively in specific areas.\r\n\r\nFor Jamie Huskisson, “one of the most important things when growing an agency, is to give people the power they deserve and provide them with the autonomy, when they can deal with it, to really flourish.”\r\n\r\nJamie recommends that you should “identify your leaders early” and “give them the opportunity to shine as early as you can.”\r\n\r\nAutonomy is crucial for building employee engagement and is believed to decrease the levels of emotional exhaustion felt by employees.\r\n\r\nIn this 2011 study, from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, they found that handing over more autonomy to one “talent superstar” isn’t enough. Other teams members should also have the ability to get involved in important decisions.\r\n\r\nSo, how can you go about giving your employees autonomy they need to succeed?\r\n\r\n<small>Start small.</small>\r\n\r\nIf you’re feeling the pressure of handing over the reins still, start by raising your team’s autonomy slowly. This way, you will be assured that you’re not giving away too much control at once, avoiding any potential backtracking in the future.\r\n\r\nAlso, make sure that you identify the balance between autonomy and structure. Joan Cheverie recommends the following:\r\n\r\n“Stop telling your staff how to do their job and, instead, set the strategic direction deadlines and benchmarks”.\r\n\r\nLet your staff decided how they will accomplish the job, encourage your employees to set their own goals. Cheverie says that this creates a specific kind of motivation called intrinsic motivation - the desire to do something for its own sake.\r\n\r\nBy defining the end result clearly, you can outline any barriers. You\'re giving your employees the autonomy they need but within a specific perimeter.\r\n\r\nJamie sums it for us, as to why it’s so important to provide your employees with the autonomy they need to succeed:\r\n\r\n“By providing autonomy you\'ll grow quicker because you have more people tackling different tasks at once and you ‘move as one’ as a leadership team internally”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>Maintaining Standards and Achieving Results</h2>\r\n<a name=\"4\"></a>Maintaining the standards of your business as you scale is always going to be an uphill challenge. No matter where you are in the development of your agency.\r\n\r\nSome agency owners share the mutual pressure of maintaining their standards as they start to take on more projects and experience sustainable growth.\r\n\r\nBryan Alston considers “the biggest challenge to growing an agency is making sure you have the resources and capabilities to live up to client expectation, and aligning that with the sales team from day 1.”\r\n\r\nOn the one hand, you’re ecstatic with all the business that is coming through the door. On the other hand, you’re worried that when you increase projects, you will dilute the quality that you’ve worked so hard to achieve.\r\n\r\nIn addition to this, agencies are constantly having to adapt and change, as the online industry continues rapidly evolve.\r\n\r\nAndy Golpys, Co-Founder of <a href=\"https://madebyshape.co.uk/\">MadeByShape</a>, says in the early days the main pressure is “getting the work.” However, believes his biggest pressure was/is to “keep the standards high all the time.”\r\n\r\nHe admits “this might not sound like your typical pressure” but says, “the standard of our work is our reputation and if that standard drops, it has a knock on effect. We won\'t get as many enquiries or repeat customers, and that creates the pressure of having to bring money in to pay the wages.”\r\n\r\nIn the book, <em><a href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scaling-up-Excellence-Hayagreeva-Rao/dp/1847940994\">scaling up excellence: getting more without settling for less</a></em>, coauthor Robert I. Sutton says that, “companies grow well and scale badly when they focus on running up the numbers but not the quality. They get bigger and start to look like just any organisation. And there goes the value.”\r\n\r\nIt’s so easy for agency owners to lose sight when it comes to quality control, especially when their business is scaling at a significant pace.\r\n\r\nThe following are just a few practices, recommended by our agency owners, which you can take on board to avoid that dreaded pressure of maintaining standards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Don’t Be Afraid To Say “No”</h3>\r\nFor all of you out there that did start out as freelancers, you will of been inclined to say “YES” to any project or client that came your way.\r\n\r\nWe’ve all got bills to pay - right?\r\n\r\nIt’s this experience that makes it hard for agency owners to say no to jobs which they simply can\'t accommodate. While cash-flow is crucial, you need to ensure that any work you take on is aligned with your business goals.\r\n\r\nAndy Golpys is a great example of this.\r\n\r\nHis vision was to operate a small studio, and for various reasons, never wants to go past 12 members of staff.\r\n\r\nAndy says, “as an agency grows, there become more difficulties such as, increased volume of projects, tighter deadlines, more staff to manage, more people to deal with, and a lot more travelling which takes up time”.\r\n\r\nBy putting in place simple, but effective methods, Andy has been able to tackle the pressure of maintaining standards head-on.\r\n\r\nAs well as tweaking their “client-side process” to elevate production. Andy has taken a back seat in terms of design to solely concentrate on business development, client and project management.\r\n\r\nAndy says, “this involves planning the diary 3 months in advance, and saying no to projects if the diary is already full.”\r\n\r\nBy saying no to projects, Andy has remained loyal to his initial goal of establishing a small studio specialising in search engine optimisation, web design and development.\r\n\r\nHowever, for some, saying no just doesn’t come naturally. We either can’t face letting people down or refuse to be perceived as a “no person”.\r\n\r\nYou need to remember, it’s not unprofessional to turn down work. By saying no to things you don’t want to do, allows you to say yes to more of the things that you want.\r\n\r\nBefore saying yes to a job, ask yourself the following questions first:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Will saying yes to this job divert me from my initial goals?</li>\r\n 	<li>Do I want to be known for this type of work?</li>\r\n 	<li>Is it enough to cover operational costs?</li>\r\n 	<li>Do I have the resources to execute the project?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWork that pays little in terms of revenue and fulfilment will leave you demotivated. Inevitably, this will lead to lousy standards and more low-quality projects.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Understand Your Businesses Strengths and Weaknesses</h3>\r\nIn order to maintain standards and survive in this ever-changing market, agency owners must set their goals based on their strengths and downplay any weaknesses.\r\n\r\nJess Butcher, Co-Founder and CEO at <a href=\"https://web.blippar.com/\">Blippar</a>, believes “one of the most critical things as a business owner is understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as honestly as you can.”\r\n\r\nWhen identifying your strengths and weaknesses, you need to outline competitive advantages and distinctive qualities your agency does and doesn’t carry.\r\n\r\nMost agency owners adopt for a SWOT analysis and consider it the easiest way to determine internal and external factors which could be having an effect on their standards. SWOT is an acronym and stands for:\r\n\r\n<strong>S</strong>trengths, <strong>W</strong>eaknesses, <strong>O</strong>pportunities, <strong>T</strong>hreats.\r\n\r\nA SWOT analysis is an effective way of identifying any issues that could be crippling your agency. By doing this, you’re able to conduct strategies that will allow you to maintain your standards, as you focus on scaling your business.\r\n\r\nTo remain in control of your SWOT analysis, keep in mind these simple rules:\r\n<ol>\r\n 	<li>1. Only list four per category <u>max</u>.</li>\r\n 	<li>2. No opinions. Stick to facts to ensure honest information.</li>\r\n 	<li>3. Make weaknesses and opportunities actionable.</li>\r\n 	<li>4. Try and be exact when listing items in each category.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3897\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scaling-an-agency-www.ruleranalytics.com-copy-3.jpg\" alt=\"scaling an agency - www.ruleranalytics.com copy 3\" width=\"700\" height=\"322\" />\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4>Strengths</h4>\r\nSelf-explanatory, your strengths are what your agency is good at already. Although, the purpose of using a SWOT analysis is to identify these strengths so you can utilise them to meet organisational goals and high-quality standards.\r\n\r\nYou might be a web design and SEO agency that specialises in online marketing for law firms. Straight away you would produce a strategy that would position you as an authority in that specific field.\r\n\r\nAlex Moss, Managing Director of <a href=\"https://firecask.com/\">Firecask</a>, found that his skills in Wordpress helped him and his agency stand out from the crowd.\r\n\r\nMoss says, “because of this skill, I was able to make myself [somewhat] of an authority when it came to WordPress and SEO. Once you have this, work to get yourself as an authority via speaking and through networking.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>Weaknesses</h4>\r\nI’m going to put this lightly. We all have weaknesses. In order to maintain quality and scale, you need to minimise your weaknesses or turn them into strengths. The key here is to identify your weaknesses as honestly as you can.\r\n\r\nYou may feel that you’re advertising a lack of services to your clients. You could consider a partnership with another agency or SaaS product to strengthen and compliment your current offering.\r\n\r\nWith that said, it\'s worth mentioning that we offer our own agency partnership program.  You can click through <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/agency-partner/\">here</a> to find out more about how that works. :)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>Opportunities</h4>\r\nAn opportunity to identify external factors which could have a positive impact on your business. This could be something like a change to the current market or growth in technology.\r\n\r\nFor example, in 2016, we saw a record of <a href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/07/12/record-80-new-companies-being-born-an-hour-in-2016/\">80 new companies</a> being launched in an hour. So the opportunity here is that eventually, these organisations will likely require online marketing in order to grow.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>Threats</h4>\r\nSadly, threats are unpredictable. In most cases, you will need to rely on predictable forecasts and intelligence to gauge the best possible decisions. It’s not feasible to avoid all threats, so what you need to be asking yourself is this: How can I reduce the impact of a threat?\r\n\r\nFor many agencies, they will consider their competitors as one of their biggest threat. To reduce this pressure, you could perform a SWOT on your competitors to identify their strength and weaknesses. By doing this, you know where your agency stands compared to others.\r\n\r\nWith that said, it’s important that you don’t “get too caught up” in what your competitors are doing.\r\n\r\nChris Martin, Head of Marketing at <a href=\"https://www.commontime.com/\">CommonTime</a>, says it’s important that you “don’t get caught up with what your competitors are doing.”\r\n\r\n“It’s very easy to spend a lot of time trying to work out exactly what all of your competitors are doing and how you differentiate yourself\", he says.\r\n\r\nIf you do consider your competitors as a threat, then keep in mind that you’re the unique aspect of your agency.\r\n\r\nChris believes that “your knowledge, experience and insight will be the differentiating factor - that’s something no-one will ever be able to replicate.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Don’t Try And Reinvent The Wheel</h3>\r\nA lot of agency owners put this self-pressure on themselves that they need to come up with innovative ideas otherwise they will fail as a business.\r\n\r\nIt’s time to accept reality.\r\n\r\nCommercial <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising\">advertising</a> and political campaign displays have been found in the ruins of Pompeii and Arabia. It’s likely that any idea you come up with now, it’s already been done.\r\n\r\nCraig Wiltshire, Managing Director of <a href=\"https://www.struto.co.uk/\">Struto</a>, says that it’s OK to “borrow shamelessly from other places.”\r\n\r\nSo with that said, stop putting this unnecessary pressure on yourself to come up with the “next big thing”.\r\n\r\nInstead, find a concept that works, and tailor it to your specific service. It’s this exact process which we’ve adopted here at Ruler.\r\n\r\nFounders Ian and Dan, worked with a lot of agencies previous to Ruler Analytics.\r\n\r\nThey faced the common obstacle of proving the value of their campaigns. The client\'s phones were ringing, but it was difficult to demonstrate <em>where</em> those calls were coming from. Frustrated by some of the limitations of Google Analytics, Ian and Dan went on to develop Ruler Analytics.\r\n\r\nA big focus for Ruler was/still is the <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">call tracking</a> software. Despite it being a popular and affordable product, we found it difficult at first to break through the noise being made by other competitors.\r\n\r\nWith that said, we went ahead and evolved our servicing, sales and marketing approach.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3676\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/large.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"807\" height=\"355\" />\r\n\r\nWith call tracking still at the core of our product, we now focus on connecting the dots between Google Analytics, DoubleClick, CRMs between website visits, phone calls and leads.\r\n\r\nBy integrating data with popular CRM tools, marketing teams can get an end-to-end overview of the success of their lead generation based on closed sales, not just contracts.\r\n\r\nMore about that in this <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X5IwoKsUKA\">video</a>:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/7X5IwoKsUKA\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nBottom line here is that call tracking was already around before we entered the market. However, we took the concept of the idea and produced a service that is more engaging with our target audience.\r\n\r\nFor those of you who are at the start of their journey, Craig Wiltshire leaves you with this, “just because you’re starting out doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Just Focus On Doing Great Work</h3>\r\nI’m not an agency owner, but this is one topic I can relate to on a personal level. It’s so easy to let standards slip when your schedule is bursting with tasks. Although, to avoid that dreaded pressure of slipping standards you must continue to stay focused on doing great work at all times.\r\n\r\nIn their book, Sutton and Rao argue that scaling isn’t just about getting bigger. It is also about getting better. They say the best way to know you’ve succeeded is to ask yourself the following question: If I stopped putting energy into this, would it continue to go well?\r\n\r\nIt’s funny. When I emailed my list of agency owners, I received near-identical feedback from both Cathal Saunders, Operations Director of <a href=\"https://converted.co.uk/\">Converted</a> and Kevin Gibbons, Managing Director of <a href=\"https://www.blueglass.co.uk/\">BlueGlass</a>.\r\n\r\nThey share the same beliefs when it comes to staying focused on doing great work.\r\n\r\nBoth Cathal and Kevin admit that doing great work does “sound obvious”, but it’s an important factor if you want to scale and maintain agency standards.\r\n\r\nAgency owners can spend so much time getting new business trying to prove that they’re good at their profession, they become blind and stop putting energy into existing client campaigns. Inevitably, this can have a negative influence on standards.\r\n\r\nKevin says, “it’s much more important to be doing great work internally than it is to look like you’re doing great work publicly”.\r\n\r\nBy doing great work, it doesn\'t mean you need to work harder and longer. It’s all about working smarter.\r\n\r\nIt just simply boils down to “focusing on delivering outstanding results/value first and foremost”, says Kevin Gibbons.\r\n\r\nI read this article which highlights the chapters in Michael Bungay Steiner book, <a href=\"https://generalassemb.ly/blog/do-more-great-work-book-review/\">do more great work</a>.\r\n\r\nMichael says that you should think back to moments in life where you felt like your best. Where you reached your perception of success, i.e. an award-winning ad campaign or a scenario where you ranked #1 organically for a competitive search term.\r\n\r\nThe aim of this process is to identify commonalities between these moments. It\'s this feeling that will spur you on to do great work.\r\n\r\n“Just remember to keep improving because doing it just once isn\'t enough”, says Alex Moss.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Have We Learnt Here?</span></h2>\r\nWhatever pressures you suffer from, you’re safe in the knowledge that you’re not alone when it comes to scaling an agency.\r\n\r\nMitchel White has been in business for 4 years and has been able to look after himself a little more, physically and mentally.\r\n\r\nDespite going the gym at least 3-4 times a week to relieve tension. The main focus for Mitchel over this time has been to prevent the worries of agency ownership from taking over his life.\r\n\r\nHe admits “that pressure doesn’t ever really go”, but “it what spurs us on to continue doing brilliant and successful things every day.”\r\n\r\nMitchel told me that he recently took a couple of days out for his mental health.\r\n\r\n“I needed to take a couple of days out for my mental health (I posted a <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6328883839607324672/\">LinkedIn post</a> about this) - some people frowned upon it but taking those two days out allowed me to relax, unwind and come back afterwards feeling refreshed and full of energy. The business didn’t fall apart without me in the office either. Win-win.”, he says.\r\n\r\nWhenever you start to get that feeling of pressure, just remember that scaling a successful agency is one of the most rewarding things that you can ever do.\r\n\r\nKyle Racki, leaves us with this simple takeaway:\r\n\r\n“Hire great talent, delegate the work, trust your team to deliver and focus on the big picture - sales and staying profitable.”','How To Deal With The Pressures Of Scaling An Agency (Practical Advice From 23 Experts)','','publish','closed','open','','pressures-of-scaling-an-agency','','https://vimeo.com/207780664\nhttps://generalassemb.ly/blog/do-more-great-work-book-review/\nhttps://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/account-expansion/','2018-02-20 15:38:44','2018-02-20 15:38:44','',0,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/?p=3840',0,'post','',1),(3846,0,'2018-02-08 13:22:25','2018-02-08 13:22:25','','rp_ppc-software-for-agencies.gif','','inherit','closed','closed','','rp_ppc-software-for-agencies-gif','','','2018-02-08 13:22:25','2018-02-08 13:22:25','',3840,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies.gif',0,'attachment','image/gif',0),(3847,0,'2018-02-08 13:22:26','2018-02-08 13:22:26','','rp_call-tracking-software-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg','','inherit','closed','closed','','rp_call-tracking-software-www-ruleranalytics-com_-jpg','','','2018-02-08 13:22:26','2018-02-08 13:22:26','',3843,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/call-tracking-software-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3848,0,'2018-02-08 13:22:29','2018-02-08 13:22:29','','rp_Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_1.jpg','','inherit','closed','closed','','rp_create_click_to_call_ad_1-jpg','','','2018-02-08 13:22:29','2018-02-08 13:22:29','',3844,'https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Create_Click_to_Call_Ad_1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3849,1,'2018-02-08 13:28:47','2018-02-08 13:28:47','','call-metrics','','inherit','closed','closed','','call-metrics-2','','','2018-02-08 13:28:47','2018-02-08 13:28:47','',3838,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/call-metrics.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3850,1,'2018-02-08 13:29:05','2018-02-08 13:29:05','For many businesses, everything from local stores to SaaS providers, call metrics are crucial for proving the effectiveness of inbound campaigns.\r\n\r\nWithout call metrics, it’s impossible to determine how many inbound calls were the result of a billboard advertisement, Google Maps listing, social promotion, or AdWords ad.\r\n\r\nWith call metrics, marketers can connect conversions made during inbound calls back to the marketing campaigns that generated them.\r\n\r\nThis provides a clearer picture of marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nIf you work in marketing for a business that makes sales through inbound calls, or if your agency does marketing for these types of businesses, it’s important to capture all marketing-generated leads and revenue with <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">call tracking analytics</a>.\r\n\r\nHere are the five call metrics you need to measure.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>1. Call Volume</h3>\r\nTracking call volume is just as important as tracking website visits. While neither really provides a clear picture of marketing-generated revenue, both can highlight when things are working and when they’re not.\r\n\r\nFor example, say you take time to optimise your business’ Google Maps profile. You add enticing images, include as much detail as possible in all available fields, and respond to both positive and negative reviews.\r\n\r\nShortly after completing that project, you notice a significant increase in call volume. If your KPI for updating the Maps profile was to increase inbound calls by X%, you can track call volume metrics to determine whether or not your changes were successful.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>2. Call Source</h3>\r\nIf your business has a sales team that handles inbound calls, it’s likely that your main business phone number is listed in hundreds of places—both online and offline.\r\n\r\nIn order to differentiate between calls that were generated by a local billboard and those coming from your Google Maps listing, you need a call tracking system that provides individual phone numbers for each campaign.\r\n\r\nWith distinct campaign phone numbers, marketers can see exactly what campaigns and ads drove the most, and least, inbound calls, so you know exactly where to focus your efforts in the future.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>3. Previous Interactions</h3>\r\nFor businesses with complex sales cycles, an inbound call to sales is rarely the first interaction between the prospect and the brand. It’s much more likely that the prospect conducted a significant amount of research on your website before making the decision to speak with sales.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, it’s important to track interactions that occurred prior to the inbound call. What keywords brought the prospect to your website originally? What content and sales pages were viewed? With a platform like <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/\">Ruler Analytics</a> that’s built to capture both website and call metrics, you can monitor the digital journey prior to the inbound call.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics collects information about how visitors interact with digital content, and dynamically serves each website visitor a different phone number. This highlights which marketing techniques—SEO, PPC, content, email, etc.—are most effective at driving prospects deeper into the purchasing funnel.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>4. Time of Day</h3>\r\nIf you’re driving inbound calls through AdWords or another PPC provider, time of day is an important call metric to track. Over time, tracking the time of day when calls most commonly come in allows you identify patterns that can help you set better PPC bids.\r\n\r\nFor example, say one of your clients is a theme park. After monitoring call times for three months, you notice that the highest number of inbound calls come in around noon on Friday. The lowest number of calls come in during business hours Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.\r\n\r\nKnowing this, you can adjust your bids to gain more visibility on Friday afternoons when most people are searching for theme parks. To make up for the increased ad budget on Fridays, you can reduce or eliminate ad spend Monday through Wednesday when fewer people are looking for theme parks.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>5. Conversions</h3>\r\nWhile each of the other four metrics are important and helpful for campaign optimisation, conversions is the most important for tracking marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nTo track conversions from inbound calls, you need a call tracking platform that integrates directly with your CRM system. If the CRM and call tracking platform are integrated, they can communicate back and forth about inbound calls and the sales that are made on those calls.\r\n\r\nFor example, say a prospect spends three months researching your brand. They find your website by searching for a specific keyword, views some sales and pricing pages, and subscribes to your email list. Over the next few months, he reads content sent in your email newsletter, and he often follows links in that content to read your other blog posts.\r\n\r\nFinally, after a few months, he calls to talk to a sales representative.\r\n\r\nAfter a few calls, he converts.\r\n\r\nImagine that the prospect was the CTO of a huge corporation and the sale was massive.\r\n\r\nThe sale was obviously generated by marketing—SEO, content, and email marketing all led to the eventual purchase, but without connected website and call metrics, marketing can’t prove that it was responsible for generating that revenue.\r\n\r\nWith a platform like Ruler Analytics that connects call and website metrics, you can <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/marketing-analytics/\">close the loop between marketing and sales</a> by tracking sales conversions back to marketing campaigns.\r\n\r\nAs the conversion is recorded by sales in the CRM, it’s passed back to Ruler Analytics and merged with all of the historical campaign interaction data.\r\n\r\nThis allows marketers to track specific amounts of revenue generated by both online and offline campaigns.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call Metrics Complete the Puzzle of Marketing ROI</h3>\r\nMarketing teams are no longer allowed to lean on metrics like increased foot/web traffic, call volume, and visibility.\r\n\r\nThe C-suite wants to know exactly how their investment in marketing is growing the business, and that’s only possible if marketers are able to prove how much revenue their campaigns are generating.\r\n\r\nCall metrics complete the marketing ROI puzzle.\r\n\r\nWhen combined with website analytics, marketers can track exactly how many conversions their campaigns and initiatives are driving, regardless of whether the conversion was the result of seeing a television commercial or months of research on your website.','Call Metrics That Prove the Effectiveness of Inbound Campaigns','','inherit','closed','closed','','3838-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 13:29:05','2018-02-08 13:29:05','',3838,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/uncategorised/3838-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3851,1,'2018-02-08 13:33:41','2018-02-08 13:33:41','','large','','inherit','closed','closed','','large-2','','','2018-02-08 13:33:41','2018-02-08 13:33:41','',3675,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/large.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3852,1,'2018-02-08 13:33:56','2018-02-08 13:33:56','This article explains the problem with measuring online lead generation, why Google Goals are not enough, how to close the loop to get your lead and sales revenue and how to get the revenue back into Google AdWords &amp; Analytics automatically.\r\n\r\n5 Minute Read.\r\n<h2>Do any of the following sound familiar?</h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>You’re driving plenty of leads but want to turn more into business?</li>\r\n 	<li>Your boss or client asks you how real sales you have generated – not how many leads?</li>\r\n 	<li>The number of leads you get doesn’t match with what Google AdWords or Analytics says?</li>\r\n 	<li>Your leads are high value and expensive to get, but you don’t know which campaigns or keywords are driving them?</li>\r\n 	<li>You are struggling to measure the ROI of your campaigns so you have to estimate?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>There is the fundamental problem with marketing for lead generation.</h3>\r\nLeads, by their nature, are not sales. At least not yet.\r\n\r\nYour leads could be high value, or worthless. They could close into a sale tomorrow, next year or not even close at all.\r\n\r\nYour analytics might not even be telling you a true picture about where your leads are originating from as people will visit your site on multiple occasions from different channels.\r\n\r\nThe industry standard for tracking online marketing methods is Google Analytics which does a good job of tracking E-Commerce but can only count the number of form fills as Goals.\r\n\r\nWhilst most people track form fills, other leads can also come through mediums such as phone calls and live chat and go unattributed.\r\n<h2>Goal completions are not enough</h2>\r\nGoal completions are not enough – different traffic sources, keywords and ads produce different revenue per lead and different life time values. Without this insight it’s impossible to accurately calculate ROI from different marketing sources and optimise your campaigns accordingly.\r\n\r\nIf you’re running a marketing campaign and measuring success based on leads only, you have a gap in insight that is stopping you improving results.\r\n\r\nWhilst tyre kicker, top of the funnel and research keywords may appear to be creating cost effective leads and making your campaign look great, if there isn’t any revenue coming out at the other end you’re going to run into a problem.\r\n\r\n<img style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/types.png\" alt=\"Ruler Close The Loop Diagram\" />\r\n<h2>A common example – Sales &amp; Marketing are disconnected</h2>\r\nTake for example a client who we are working with who relies on lead generation from their website for their business and spends a significant on online marketing to generate them,\r\n\r\nLooking at their AdWords and assume Analytics accounts would leave you believe that performance was great. They were acquiring leads and they were making (some) money.\r\n\r\nBut that middle bit is what makes the difference. Like many others, their sales and marketing where disconnected, they were failing to link their marketing activities directly to revenue, knowingly leaving a chasm in their insight.\r\n\r\nAs an exercise to prove the value of this process we took a sample of 20 calls from various campaigns to track what the outcome of the calls was.\r\n\r\n12 of the calls came from Google AdWords were they make a significant investment. Of the 12 calls, 9 were poor quality, not qualified or a sales person. However 3 of the calls turned into sales. 2 of the sales were relatively low value but acceptable but the final call was worth over 10 times the amount of others.\r\n\r\nThis process allowed them to see the real value of their campaigns and keywords and to optimise and report more effectively.\r\n<h2>The Solution – Optimise for Revenue not Leads</h2>\r\nThe solution? Evaluating your campaigns the same way you evaluate business: by the amount of revenue it generates.\r\nTo find out if leads are turning into real sales and creating revenue, you need a process to track them and then match them with the marketing campaign or keyword that created them. This added insight is what will drive your campaign to the next level.\r\n\r\nThere are few steps to get this right but once they are in place they should produce the data you need each time.\r\n\r\n<img style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/large.jpg\" alt=\"\" />\r\n<h3>The Process - Tagging, Tracking, Matching &amp; Integration</h3>\r\nNOTE: Manual revenue tracking can be complicated and time consuming. You can use Ruler Analytics to speed up and automate this process and more.\r\n<h4>Step 1 – Tagging – Identifying the Traffic Source</h4>\r\nThe first step is making sure the traffic coming to your website is tagged correctly so that you can see the exact source and any other variables associated such as campaign, keyword or advert reference. This commonly done using UTM tags which allow you to add specific labels to the landing pages (more info in our guide here.) It is also recommend that you capture fields specific to the products you are using such as GCLID for Google AdWords.\r\n<h4>Step 2 – Tracking – Capture the Lead</h4>\r\nThe next stage is to ensure that the data captured is at visitor level so you are able to match with the marketing source and to a closed sale later. Most leads come in the form of an enquiry form, live chat or phone call so you may need some additional marketing analytics or call tracking software at this stage but you can also pass UTM tag values in your forms.\r\n<h4>Step 3 – Matching – Match the Lead with the Source in CRM</h4>\r\nOnce you have captured the lead with the applicable marketing source there needs to be a feedback loop to see which leads closed into business and just as importantly which leads didn’t.\r\n\r\nThis can be done manually in a spreadsheet to begin with to get used to the workflow and prove the business case however this could be cumbersome at higher volumes so ideally they should be automatically matched where you handle leads, for instance in CRM.\r\n<h4>Step 4 – Integration – Passing the data to other products</h4>\r\nFinally, now that you have the leads and marketing source matched, once the sale is completed you are able to pass this into the products you already. Most products have an API or a manual CSV upload. For instance, Google AdWords supports uploading the GCLID along with revenue value.\r\nConclusion\r\n\r\nOnce you have this process in place it allows you to see where the real conversions and revenue come from, measure ROI definitively and optimise your campaign accordingly.\r\n<h4>Next Steps</h4>\r\n• Request a free assessment of your marketing attribution and see how you can close the loop.\r\n\r\n• You can download a step-by-step breakdown of how to implement revenue tracking, including tracking templates, here...\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=18]','How to Close the Loop Between Offline Sales from Online Leads','','inherit','closed','closed','','3675-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 13:33:56','2018-02-08 13:33:56','',3675,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/uncategorised/3675-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3853,1,'2018-02-08 13:36:46','2018-02-08 13:36:46','','google vs. facebook','','inherit','closed','closed','','untitled-design','','','2018-02-19 14:23:00','2018-02-19 14:23:00','',3839,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Untitled-Design.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3854,1,'2018-02-08 13:36:59','2018-02-08 13:36:59','As 2017 draws to a close, marketers and agencies are focused on a big question: which channels will generate the most revenue for our clients’ businesses next year?\r\n\r\nAnswering this question almost always leads to a familiar discussion: Google vs. Facebook.\r\n\r\nThis isn’t to say that other channels aren’t also important to consider. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Bing, and Yahoo will, and probably should, also be part of your strategy for generating traffic, leads, and revenue.\r\n\r\nBut as the sites with the largest audiences, Google and Facebook merit the most consideration.\r\n\r\nWhich is more important for 2018? Let’s take a look.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Organic vs. Paid Traffic</h3>\r\nBoth Facebook and Google can send two types of traffic to your site: organic traffic and paid traffic.\r\n\r\nOrganic traffic from Google is most often the result of SEO. Organic traffic from Facebook is most often the result of growing a large and engaged following on the social network.\r\n\r\nPaid traffic, on the other hand, generates site visitors without SEO or preexisting followers.\r\n\r\nIf you’re willing to pay the right price, you can get your Google AdWords ad to appear at the top of the search results, above all of the organic listings, and drive a lot of search traffic to your site and content.\r\n\r\nPaid advertising is a great way to grow your audience on Facebook. Create targeted ads to get your content in front of the people who are most likely to be interested in it, sending traffic to your site and increasing the number of people who like and follow your brand.\r\n\r\nDriving organic traffic from either site is a long-term goal. It can take months, or years, to build enough domain authority to earn top rankings in search, or to build a large and engaged following on Facebook.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, if you’re trying to drive traffic to a new business, or one that’s new to digital marketing, paid is often a good short-term approach for generating traffic, leads, and revenue.\r\n\r\nIt allows you to send traffic to a site while you’re working on longer-term strategies to increase organic traffic, such as building follower counts, securing inbound links, and building a library of high-quality content.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook Advertising</h3>\r\nWhen it comes to advertising, Google and Facebook aren’t really competitors. In fact, one of the most effective ways to drive traffic is by running PPC ads on both sites.\r\n\r\nGoogle AdWords ads are displayed on search result pages and are designed to drive traffic from users who are actively searching for keywords and phrases that are important to a brand.\r\n\r\nSay one of your clients is a theme park in Liverpool. With Google AdWords, you can get a result for your client’s site to display for a query like “Liverpool attractions.” This targets people who are actively looking for things to do in Liverpool.\r\n\r\nFacebook ads display in users’ news feeds, so they’re better for targeting people who may be interested but aren’t actively searching for information.\r\n\r\nWith a targeted Facebook ad, you can get theme park ads in front of people who may simply be thinking about, but not actively looking for, things to do that weekend.\r\n\r\nWith Google AdWords, get content/promotions in front of people who are actively looking for what your clients are offering. With Facebook Ads, get content/promotions in front of people who are passively interested.\r\n\r\nUsed together, the two platforms allow you to attract traffic from all types of users.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook for Organic Traffic</h3>\r\nBeyond advertising, Google and Facebook both offer ways to get brand content and messaging in front of audiences organically.\r\n\r\nWeb pages and content that adhere to the best practices of SEO can rank highly in search results and bring in traffic. Content shared on Facebook that gets lots of likes and shares can display to all followers of that brand, as well as those followers’ personal networks of friends.\r\n\r\nBut both platforms have their own unique algorithms, and neither is wholly forthcoming when it comes to explaining exactly what their algorithms prioritise. Instead, they divulge information in pieces.\r\n\r\nFor example, Google admitted that its <a href=\"https://searchengineland.com/now-know-googles-top-three-search-ranking-factors-245882\">top three ranking factors</a> are quality content, inbound links, and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RankBrain\">RankBrain</a>. Facebook will occasionally announce that certain types of content earn <a href=\"https://blog.bufferapp.com/facebook-news-feed-algorithm\">greater visibility</a> in its news feed, such as pages that load quickly, timely posts, and live videos (while they’re live).\r\n\r\nAdditionally, both platforms have a history of overtaking each other for the number of referrals sent to publishers.\r\n\r\nFor example, in June of 2015, Facebook began <a href=\"https://blog.parse.ly/post/2296/facebook-dominates-referral-traffic-a-coverage-overview/\">sending more traffic</a> to news publisher sites than Google. But this year, those referrals began to dwindle, and Google is now the <a href=\"https://blog.parse.ly/post/6663/facebook-declines-google-grows-news-audiences/\">biggest referrer of traffic</a> to news sites again.\r\n\r\nThese flips are typical in the world of digital marketing, making SEO and social media marketing two approaches that work best when used concurrently. To drive the most organic traffic, agencies should really use both platforms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook: The Wrong Question to Ask</h3>\r\nAsking which is better, Google or Facebook, assumes that your clients’ businesses only need to focus on one of these platforms. The reality is that the best approach to digital marketing is a multi-channel approach, one that helps you build an audience of your own that isn’t dependent on any single channel.\r\n\r\nAlgorithms change, and platforms shut down. <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Panda\">Google’s Panda update</a> in 2011 destroyed the traffic of many thriving websites. <a href=\"https://www.fastcompany.com/3065101/vines-surprise-shutdown-leaves-video-stars-out-in-the-cold\">Twitter shut down Vine</a> in 2016, leaving many video creators without the audiences they’d worked for years to build.\r\n\r\nFocusing all of your efforts on a single platform can be detrimental to your long-term, marketing-led revenue. You never know when major changes will impact referral traffic.\r\n\r\nThe better questions to ask are:\r\n\r\nWhat data can I use to determine which channels are driving the most traffic and revenue today?\r\n\r\nHow can I monitor that data to notice when referrals are decreasing so I can react, shift, and recover?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Getting the Data You Need to Drive Traffic and Revenue</h3>\r\nTo answer the question Google vs. Facebook, or Facebook vs. Twitter, or SEO vs. email marketing, you need an analytics platform, like Ruler Analytics, that allows you to engage in <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/analytics/close-loop-offline-sales-online-leads/\">closed-loop marketing</a>.\r\n\r\nWith any analytics provider, you can measure traffic from different marketing approaches and channels. But traffic volume doesn’t tell the whole story. For example: Facebook may send 75% of your overall site traffic, but that traffic may only convert 1% of the time.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, LinkedIn may only send 5% of your site traffic, but that 5% may convert 75% of the time. In that case, prioritising your marketing efforts on LinkedIn may actually drive more revenue than prioritising efforts on Facebook—even if Facebook sends much more traffic.\r\n\r\nRuler Analytics allows you to tie revenue directly back to the channels and marketing campaigns that generated the conversion.\r\n\r\nThis allows you to go beyond metrics like traffic and referrals and determine exactly where marketing efforts are paying off for a client’s bottom line.\r\n\r\nBy focusing on the channels and campaigns that drive revenue, you can form strategies for growing profits in 2018, as well as show clients the exact ROI of working with your agency.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Google vs. Facebook in 2018: Building a Revenue-Driving Marketing Strategy</h3>\r\nAs you target channels and plan campaigns for 2018, consider taking the time to review your metrics from 2017 and see which drove the highest revenue.\r\n\r\nIf you don’t have this data, consider allocating part of your 2018 budget to a platform that enables its collection.\r\n\r\nIn the end, social shares, traffic, and leads are meaningless if they’re not ultimately growing revenue.\r\n\r\nFind the platforms that generate the most revenue, focus your efforts on those channels, and work to build an audience of your own, one that’s not dependent on a marketing channel, for a profitable 2018.','Google vs. Facebook: Which Channel Is Better for Driving Traffic?','','inherit','closed','closed','','3839-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 13:36:59','2018-02-08 13:36:59','',3839,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/uncategorised/3839-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3855,1,'2018-02-08 13:39:18','2018-02-08 13:39:18','','PPC-Software-for-Agencies','','inherit','closed','closed','','ppc-software-for-agencies','','','2018-02-08 13:39:18','2018-02-08 13:39:18','',3840,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/PPC-Software-for-Agencies.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3856,1,'2018-02-08 13:39:36','2018-02-08 13:39:36','Managing PPC campaigns for a single business is time-consuming and potentially costly. But for marketing agencies who manage PPC campaigns for multiple clients, those risks increase exponentially.\r\n\r\nPPC software minimises those risks in two ways: it automates many of the more time-consuming tasks of managing PPC campaigns, and it provides insights that help agencies maximise the ROI of their ad campaigns. But not all PPC software is designed to be used by agencies.\r\n\r\nSince you need to manage and report on various client accounts across multiple searches and social networks, you need to invest in PPC software that’s designed specifically for agencies.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h2>The Benefits of PPC Management Software for Agencies</h2>\r\nWhen investing in the right PPC management software, marketing agencies enjoy many benefits.\r\n\r\nFirst, PPC software saves you time. For example, one of the most time-consuming tasks of managing PPC campaigns is keyword research.\r\n\r\nThe best PPC software does the keyword research for you, providing you with a long list of both high-volume and long-tail keywords to choose from.\r\n\r\nSecond, PPC software allows agencies to manage ads across multiple channels from a single view.\r\n\r\nInstead of having to build and manage ads individually in AdWords, Facebook, Twitter, and Bing Ads systems, manage PPC campaigns on all channels from a central interface.\r\n\r\nFinally, most PPC software applications have many tools designed to boost the ROI of PPC campaigns. Common PPC software features include ad performance grading and high- and under-performing keywords identification—both of which can boost ad campaign ROI.\r\n\r\nBut not all PPC software is designed to support the complex needs of agencies. When shopping for the right tool for your agency, you need to know what to look for.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Agencies Should Look for When Buying PPC Software</h3>\r\nThere are multiple features agencies should look for when choosing a PPC management tool:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Multi-User Support:</strong> Since several people at your agency will likely work on ad campaigns for different clients, make sure to choose a tool that supports multiple users.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Multi-Account Support:</strong> Since you will run the ad campaigns for multiple clients, look for a tool that allows you to segregate accounts so you can manage and report on ad performance by the client.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Cross-Platform Management:</strong> Take advantage of the time-saving benefits of integration by selecting a tool that allows you to build and manage ad campaigns for multiple channels—Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, etc.—from a central source.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>A/B Testing:</strong> Discover what headlines, copy, and/or images perform best by finding a tool that supports A/B ad testing.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Keyword Research and Recommendations:</strong> Get keyword recommendations—including keywords shouldn’t target—in minutes with a PPC tool with keyword research features.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Ad Scheduling:</strong> Choose what days and times to run ads based on historical ad campaign performance for different clients on different channels.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Simple Reporting:</strong> Look for a tool that allows you to build custom, white-labelled reports that you can deliver to clients to communicate campaign statuses and ROI.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Custom Rules:</strong> Automate starting, pausing, reducing bids, and stopping ads with custom rules that allow you to set very granular if/then conditions on ad performance.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Ad Grading:</strong> Find out in a glance how well ads on different networks and for different clients and campaigns are performing with scores that indicate ad performance.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nTo find the right PPC software for your agency, determine which of the above features you need—and which of those needs are the most important. Next, take a look at the recommended software below to find the perfect solution for your agency.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>The Best PPC Software for Agencies</h3>\r\nThe following six PPC tools are each designed specifically for use by agencies and have many of the features listed in the previous section:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>1. AdStage</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.adstage.io/agencies/\">AdStage</a> may be the best choice for agencies who need to create ads for different clients across multiple search and social channels. Agencies can create ads on Google, Bing, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Better yet, create ads in bulk and A/B test them to identify the highest and lowest performers.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3712\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"700\" height=\"343\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>2. Reportgarden</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://reportgarden.com/\">Reportgarden</a> handles all aspects of client PPC management. Use it to manage and automate PPC accounts, create proposals for new clients, invoice existing clients, and manage approvals. The software also has SEO tools for agencies who handle all types of search engine marketing campaigns.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3714\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-1.png\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"699\" height=\"340\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>3. Marin Software</h4>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.marinsoftware.com/industries/agencies\">Marin</a> provides a solution for agencies who need to track more than just PPC ads. The system provides tracking for search, social, and display ads, allowing agencies to track all different ad types for their clients to determine which perform best. Marin also supports PPC advertising on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Baidu.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3715\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-1.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"702\" height=\"343\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>Acquisio</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.acquisio.com/\">Acquisio</a>’s top feature is Acquisio Turing, a bid and budget management tool that helps agencies use 100% of clients’ ad budgets 100% of the time. Acquisio Turing uses fast and advanced optimisation techniques that increase clicks and conversions while keeping you from ever overspending or underspending.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3720\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-3.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"700\" height=\"287\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>WordStream Advisor</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.wordstream.com/agencies\">WordStream Advisor</a> has the basic features agencies need, supporting unlimited users and providing segregation for tracking different client accounts. The tool’s best features are keyword research and ad scoring, which save time and boost ROI. The only downside is that it only supports Google, Bing, and <a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"Facebook\" href=\"http://zero.facebook.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"homepage noopener\">Facebook ads</a>.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3721\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-4.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"389\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>adCore</h4>\r\nOne of the most interesting features of <a href=\"https://www.adcore.com/\">adCore</a> is that its keyword tool generates suggestions based on a website’s content. This is an excellent feature for new and potential clients. Instead of spending hours determining what keywords to use, simply plug in the client’s web address and get a list of recommendations automatically.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3727\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-2.png\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"438\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Notable Mentions</h3>\r\nInstead of providing a full suite of features like the software above, the following PPC tools provide unique features that can be used in combination with or instead of the above tools:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>1. NinjaCat</h4>\r\nIf what you’re looking for is less of a PPC automation tool and more of a way to combine data from multiple platforms into a central report, <a href=\"https://www.ninjacat.io/\">NinjaCat</a> may be the best solution. NinjaCat connects with more than 750 platforms and tools, using the data from all integrations to create comprehensive, white-labelled reports for clients.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3724\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-6.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"355\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>2. SEMrush</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.semrush.com/features/advertising-research/\">SEMrush</a> is best used in conjunction with another PPC automation tool, but it’s worth considering because it allows you to perform competitive research on ads. Find out what keywords your clients’ competitors are targeting, and how much they’re spending, to create ads that outperform the competition.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3725\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-7.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"700\" height=\"405\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4>3. Unbounce</h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://unbounce.com/agencies/\">Unbounce</a> helps agencies build personalised and custom landing pages that can be used for PPC campaigns. Instead of sending users to a sales page that may or may not have the information they’re looking for, create individual landing pages for each PPC campaign that are targeted and personalised to boost conversions.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3726\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ppc-software-for-agencies-8.gif\" alt=\"ppc software for agencies\" width=\"701\" height=\"440\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Using PPC Software + Web Analytics to Determine ROI</h3>\r\nIn the end, optimising clicks and bids for PPC ads is a means to an end, and that end should be increased revenue. To measure the ROI of PPC, you need a tool that captures visitor actions after they click on a PPC ad.\r\n\r\nDo customers who click on ads go on to convert? Or do they leave the site, only to come back and convert at a later date?\r\n\r\nThese questions are more important to determine which ads perform best than any bids, clicks, or form completion metrics.\r\n\r\nWith Ruler Analytics, you can track what PPC-driven leads do after arriving on a client’s site.\r\n\r\nFind out what pages they visit, which become leads, which request a demo, and which convert.\r\n\r\nUse anonymous visitor tracking to capture conversions that happen later than the initial visit.\r\n\r\nPPC ads are only effective if they’re driving more revenue than spend, so the final, and most important, consideration for agencies is determining in advance how you’ll attribute revenue back to clients’ PPC campaigns.','PPC Software for Agencies: 9 Tools That Boost Ad Campaign ROI','','inherit','closed','closed','','3840-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 13:39:36','2018-02-08 13:39:36','',3840,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/uncategorised/3840-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3857,1,'2018-02-08 13:42:26','2018-02-08 13:42:26','','How-to-Take-Advantage-of-AdWords-Call-Only-Ads-and-Call-Extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_','','inherit','closed','closed','','how-to-take-advantage-of-adwords-call-only-ads-and-call-extensions-www-ruleranalytics-com_','','','2018-02-08 13:42:26','2018-02-08 13:42:26','',3841,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/How-to-Take-Advantage-of-AdWords-Call-Only-Ads-and-Call-Extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3858,1,'2018-02-08 13:42:47','2018-02-08 13:42:47','Not all business need to drive leads to their websites.\r\n\r\nWhen someone’s driving home from work and using Google Assistant to find a place to grab dinner, they’re not going to pull over to make a reservation online.\r\n\r\nThey want to call the business.\r\n\r\nWhen someone’s out shopping for the holidays and looking for a specific gift, they’re not interested in searching an e-commerce website to find out if a local store has what they need in stock.\r\n\r\nThey want to call and ask.\r\n\r\nThere are many scenarios where people may prefer calling a business to interacting with its website: to make an appointment (healthcare) or reservation (dining), to confirm availability of an item or store hours (shopping), or to buy or reserve tickets (attractions).\r\n\r\nGoogle calls these “I-want-to-go” and “I-want-to-buy” moments, and they’re exactly what AdWords call-only ads were designed for.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3787\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/take-advantage-of-adWords-call-only-ads-and-call-extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"call only ads adwords\" width=\"698\" height=\"399\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source: </span><a href=\"https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/4-new-moments-every-marketer-should-know/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">think</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Google</span></a></small>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Are AdWords Call-Only Ads?</h3>\r\nCall-only ads are a special type of AdWords ad that only displays to users on mobile devices.\r\n\r\nHere’s an example of how they look:\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3788\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/take-advantage-of-adWords-call-only-ads-and-call-extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_-1.png\" alt=\"call only ads adwords\" width=\"352\" height=\"414\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source: </span><a href=\"https://adwords.googleblog.com/2017/09/supercharge-your-call-only-ads-with-ad.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside AdWords</span></a></small>\r\n\r\nAdWords call-only ads include the following pieces of information:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Business name</li>\r\n 	<li>Phone number</li>\r\n 	<li>Website URL</li>\r\n 	<li>Approx 80-character description field</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nHowever, the URL is for display only. Unlike traditional ads where clicks direct users to a specific webpage, call-only ad clicks initiate a phone call.\r\n\r\nCall-only ads can also be <a href=\"https://adwords.googleblog.com/2017/09/supercharge-your-call-only-ads-with-ad.html\">expanded with certain extensions</a>:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Location extensions display how far a business is from the user’s current location.</li>\r\n 	<li>Structured snippet extensions provide information about products and services.</li>\r\n 	<li>Callout snippets highlight promotions, sales, or unique benefits.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBest of all, the ad extensions are free - there’s no additional charge to include them.\r\n\r\nCall-only ads are set up to display only when a business is open, so there’s no risk of getting charged for calls that are made when no one was on-site to answer the call.\r\n\r\nIf your marketing agency manages accounts for local businesses who could increase sales by getting more phone calls, you may want to consider running some test call-only ad campaigns.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call-Only Ads vs. Call Extensions</h3>\r\nAdWords provides two options for click-to-call ads: call-only ads and <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/phone-call-tracking/9-ways-to-improve-your-inbound-call-conversion-rate/\">call extensions</a>.\r\n\r\nWhere call-only ads only allow users to make a phone call when clicked, call extensions provide users with an option to either visit a webpage or make a phone call.\r\n\r\nCall extensions are available on traditional AdWords ads.\r\n\r\nWhile the bulk of the ad appears the same as any other AdWords ad that links to a webpage, a call extension adds a “Call” button to the ad that initiates a phone call when clicked.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3789 size-full\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/take-advantage-of-adwords-call-only-ads-and-call-extensions-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png\" alt=\"call only ads adwords\" width=\"250\" height=\"216\" />\r\n\r\n<small><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source:</span><a href=\"https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2453991\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AdWords Help</span></a></small>\r\n\r\nThere are a few big differences between call-only ads and call extensions:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Call-only ads only display on mobile devices. Call extensions can display on any device. When a user is using a device that can’t make phone calls, the call extension displays the phone number instead of a call button.</li>\r\n 	<li>Call-only ads only display a website URL—there’s no way for users to visit that URL from the ad. Call extensions allow users to choose whether they want to visit the website or make a phone call.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nLike call-only ads, call extensions can be set up to display only when the business is open and there’s someone working who can answer calls.\r\n\r\nDetermining which option is best for your client’s business requires experimentation. Try running both types of ads, and use call tracking to measure how many calls are received and how many of those calls lead to sales.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call Tracking for Call-Only Ads and Call Extensions</h3>\r\nIt’s possible to track how many phone calls call-only ads and call extensions are generating directly in AdWords.\r\n\r\nOnce you have one of these two ad types set up and running, <a href=\"https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6095882\">follow these instructions</a> to set up call tracking and reporting.\r\n\r\nAnd while AdWords will tell you how many phone calls these ads generated, its method of reporting conversions is very limited.\r\n\r\nGoogle uses the duration of the call to determine whether the call led to a conversion or not. For example, you can set it up so that only calls longer than 30 seconds are counted as conversions.\r\n\r\nBut there’s no way to prove that all calls over 30 seconds truly resulted in conversions, so there’s no way to show clients the true ROI of their call-only ads and call extensions.\r\n\r\nTo report actual ROI on calls driven by AdWords ads, you need a more <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">advanced call tracking</a> system like Ruler Analytics.\r\n\r\nWith Ruler Analytics, track the exact number of phone calls generated by AdWords ads, and record all inbound calls for download and playback later. This allows you to listen to the calls your ads generated and determine exactly how many led to sales.\r\n\r\nSay someone calls one of your restaurant clients from an AdWords ad and makes a reservation. The call may only last a few seconds, so a 30-second conversion timer wouldn’t register that call as a conversion.\r\n\r\nHowever, if someone could play that call back later, they could hear that the call led to revenue for the business.\r\n\r\nFor clients with sales teams, Ruler Analytics tracking can also integrate directly with your client’s CRM, allowing conversions from a sales team to be connected back to the AdWords ad, or other marketing campaigns, that generated the call and sale.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Call-Only Campaign Best Practices</h3>\r\nWhen creating call-only ad campaigns, there are a few best practices you should keep in mind:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Target the right keywords.</strong> Take time to uncover the keywords that are most likely to drive calls. Look for keywords that signal a near-me or open-now intent. One good approach is to search for the keywords you’re interested in on mobile and look for other companies using call-only ads.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Schedule ads to run at prime times.</strong> For restaurants, prime times may be just before lunch or around dinner. For attractions, prime time may be on Friday evening or the weekend. Determine when people are most likely to be looking to call your client businesses, and run ads during those times.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>A/B test your ad copy.</strong> The character count on call-only ads is extremely limited. You get 70 characters in total across two description lines. For this reason, it’s extremely important to use enticing, descriptive text, and the best way to do that is run a few different versions to find the highest performer.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Take advantage of location targeting.</strong> If someone is looking to buy a laptop, they’re probably searching for a place near them at the moment. Target ads to display in the neighbourhoods nearest to your client’s businesses to decrease costs and increase the likelihood of calls.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nFinally, make sure to track calls and conversions, and revise your approach as needed.\r\n\r\nAs with all forms of marketing, the most important outcome is increased revenue. If you’re not using a platform that tracks how many calls lead to conversions, there will be no way to show clients that their investment in call-only ads is valuable.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Using Call-Only Ads in AdWords to Boost Client Revenue</h3>\r\nFor local businesses, phone calls and in-person visits are often much more profitable than visits to a website.\r\n\r\nIf your agency has local business clients, AdWords call-only ads and call extensions can be a valuable means of <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/agency/predictable-revenue/\">boosting revenue</a> and proving that their investment in your agency’s services is worthwhile.\r\n\r\nIf you’re currently running AdWords ads for clients who want more phone calls, consider running a test where you allocate a portion of the cost of running ads to call-only ads or call extensions.\r\n\r\nTrack the conversions those new ads generate, and you’ll have a good indicator of the value of those ads types at the end of the experiment.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=18]','How to Take Advantage of AdWords Call-Only Ads and Call Extensions','','inherit','closed','closed','','3841-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 13:42:47','2018-02-08 13:42:47','',3841,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/uncategorised/3841-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3859,1,'2018-02-08 13:45:16','2018-02-08 13:45:16','','ruler-analytics-banner-orange','','inherit','closed','closed','','ruler-analytics-banner-orange-2','','','2018-02-08 13:45:16','2018-02-08 13:45:16','',3842,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ruler-analytics-banner-orange-1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3860,1,'2018-02-08 13:45:33','2018-02-08 13:45:33','<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know that getting your work done requires many different web applications. </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, the average business uses between 10 and 16 apps. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have your email app, CRM, note-taking tool, cloud storage tool, team communication app, along with project management tools and various to-do lists. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, it can be a struggle to get them all working in tandem. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ruler Analytics now connects to 1,000 other web tools, thanks to the<a href=\"https://zapier.com/apps/ruler-analytics/integrations\"> Zapier integration</a>. You can choose your favourite applications and easily integrate them with Ruler Analytics.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With workflow automation tool Zapier, you can set up your own codeless integrations called \"Zaps\". </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zaps will automatically send information from one tool to another, so you\'ll spend less time manually transferring data between your business tools and can dedicate more focus to creative, big picture tasks.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boost Your Productivity with Popular Ruler Analytics Integrations</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter what other apps you use, chances are Ruler Analytics integrates with them via Zapier. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the most popular integrations that Ruler Analytics users already use to be more productive.</span>\r\n\r\n<script src=\"https://zapier.com/zapbook/embed/widget.js?services=ruler-analytics&limit=10\"></script>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The New Year is the perfect time to evaluate your processes and find ways to boost productivity. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try out some of the Zaps above or view more ways to integrate Ruler Analytics.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MORE INFO ABOUT ZAPIER</span></h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https://zapier.com/\">Zapier</a> is a workflow automation tool that connects with <a href=\"https://zapier.com/apps\">1,000 web tools.</a></span></li>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Zapier allows professionals to build their own integrations without writing a line of code</span></li>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Create automated workflows, aka \"Zaps,\" that connect two or more web tools together</span></li>\r\n 	<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Use Zapier for free or choose the <a href=\"https://zapier.com/pricing/\">plan</a> that\'s right for you</span></li>\r\n</ul>','Ruler Analytics Now Has 1,000 Integrations','','inherit','closed','closed','','3842-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 13:45:33','2018-02-08 13:45:33','',3842,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/uncategorised/3842-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(3861,1,'2018-02-08 13:46:44','2018-02-08 13:46:44','','call-tracking-software-www.ruleranalytics.com_','','inherit','closed','closed','','call-tracking-software-www-ruleranalytics-com_','','','2018-02-08 13:46:44','2018-02-08 13:46:44','',3843,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/call-tracking-software-www.ruleranalytics.com_.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(3862,1,'2018-02-08 13:47:02','2018-02-08 13:47:02','“Calls are the new clicks.”\r\n\r\nThat’s the statement used to summarise the findings from a recent <a href=\"http://blog.biakelsey.com/index.php/2016/03/08/analyst-workshop-the-what-and-why-of-call-commerce/\">study conducted by BIA Kelsey</a> on the actions consumers are most likely to take on smartphones.\r\n\r\nThe study found that increased adoption of smartphones is leading to “an explosion of phone calls.”\r\n\r\nBy 2019, calls to businesses from mobile devices are expected to reach 162 billion globally—a 73% increase since 2015.\r\n\r\nAs the importance of digital marketing grows, it’s easy to overlook more traditional inbound channels. But doing so is a mistake. Mobile users are looking for instant answers, and in many cases, the quickest and simplest way to get those answers is to make a phone call.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not tracking inbound phone calls, you have a serious gap in your marketing metrics.\r\n\r\nClicks, form completions, online conversions—these are all crucial metrics to track, but they’re not comprehensive.\r\n\r\nTo paint a complete picture of marketing-driven revenue, you must track inbound phone calls as well as online actions.\r\n\r\nTo do this, you’ll need to invest in the best call tracking software.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What Is Call Tracking Software?</h3>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3807\" src=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/call-tracking-software-www.ruleranalytics.com_.jpg\" alt=\"call tracking software - www.ruleranalytics.com\" width=\"701\" height=\"438\" />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/call-tracking/\">Call tracking</a> software allows businesses to track phone call metrics.\r\n\r\nMarketers use these metrics to attribute offline phone calls back to the digital channels or campaigns that drove them.\r\n\r\nCall tracking software works by generating dynamic phone numbers that appear on your website, digital ads, social media channels, or local business profiles.\r\n\r\nAll of the calls are routed to your main business number, but having users dial different phone numbers allows the system to identify and record the source of the call.\r\n\r\nThough features vary between call tracking software providers, most include integrations with web analytics and CRM systems.\r\n\r\nThese integrations allow marketers to track the full customer lifecycle, attributing conversions made by sales team members all the way back to the very first marketing touchpoint.\r\n\r\nCall tracking software provides many benefits:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Close the loop between marketing and sales and online and offline interactions.</strong> Call tracking allows marketers to identify the exact amount of revenue their campaigns are generating, regardless of whether conversions happen via a website cart or through a phone call with a sales rep.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Track all leads in a central tool.</strong> Are your customers self-servicing, or are they reaching out most often by email, phone call, click-to-chat, or social media messaging? A call tracking tool that integrates with your web analytics platform provides a centralised view of all of this data.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Know what leads are interested in before asking the first question.</strong> When sales reps can see what website pages and campaigns prospects viewed before calling, they can form a clearer picture of which products/features that prospect is interested in, allowing for more personalised conversations.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>See which profiles, campaigns, and content generate the most leads and revenue.</strong> Adding call tracking to your web analytics paints a complete picture of which marketing initiatives are driving the greatest number of leads and the most revenue for your business or clients.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>What to Look for in Call Tracking Software</h3>\r\nBefore shopping for inbound call tracking software, it’s important to understand some of the features that are available.\r\n\r\nDetermine which are most important for your needs, budget, and business model, and make sure the solution you select has all of the features you identify as critical.\r\n\r\nSome common call tracking software features include:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><strong>Multi-Channel Call Attribution</strong> – This feature allows you to attribute each phone call back to the marketing campaign or search keyword that generated it.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Unique Phone Numbers</strong> – This feature generates different phone numbers that can be used to track inbound calls from both online and offline campaigns. Place a phone number on a billboard, in a print/digital add, in a television commercial, or on your social media profile, and track how many calls it generates.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Dynamic Number Insertion</strong> – Each visitor to your website is presented with a different phone number to call, allowing you to track not only website-generated leads and revenue overall but also the pre-call actions and views of individual visitors.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Call Recording</strong> – Record inbound phone calls and play them back later. Use the recordings to determine which calls led to conversions, evaluate the quality of leads generated from different campaigns, or find opportunities where your customer service or sales conversations could be improved.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Local or Toll-Free Number Generation</strong> – Provide callers with toll-free numbers for global campaigns, or highlight your business’ nearby location with local phone numbers.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>Web Analytics Integration</strong> – <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/new-features/1000-integrations/\">Integrate your call tracking software</a> with your web analytics program to get a centralised view of campaign performance across all channels.</li>\r\n 	<li><strong>CRM Integration</strong> – Integrate your call tracking software with your CRM to connect revenue back to the marketing campaigns that generated it.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Getting Started with Call Tracking Software</h3>\r\nOnce you’ve subscribed to your selected call tracking platform, it’s time to set everything up so you can enjoy the benefits of measuring marketing-generated phone calls.\r\n\r\nMake sure to enable integrations with your web analytics and <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/ruler-information/step-by-step-how-to-add-marketing-data-to-pipedrive-crm-deals/\">CRM systems</a>, if available, so that you can track leads, goals, and conversions across all three platforms. Next, set at least one specific goal or KPI to track. Here are some ideas:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Increase incoming calls from Google AdWords call-only ads or call extensions.</li>\r\n 	<li>Use recorded phone calls to improve customer service.</li>\r\n 	<li>Generate more phone calls from Google My Business listings.</li>\r\n 	<li>Calculate marketing-driven revenue from inbound phone calls.</li>\r\n 	<li>Increase your total number of local customers.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOnce you’ve set your goals and KPIs, make sure your system is set up to track your progress.\r\n\r\nCreate local or toll-free numbers as needed, turn on <a href=\"https://www.ruleranalytics.com/blog/phone-call-tracking/dynamic-number-insertion-work/\">dynamic number insertion</a>, and update your phone numbers across digital profiles.\r\n\r\nIt shouldn’t take too long to get up and running.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3>Catering to Analog Behaviours in a Digital World</h3>\r\nSure, the telephone was invented nearly 150 years ago.\r\n\r\nCompared to texting, messaging, and click-to-chat, phone calls are an archaic way of communicating. But the real benefit of technology for consumers is its convenience, not its newness or novelty.\r\n\r\nModern consumers have access to all of the information they need, the moment they need it, wherever they are in the world.\r\n\r\nThe availability of access to information has created the expectation that answers should come instantly, and email, text messaging, and click-to-chat are slower forms of communication than a phone call.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, the prevalence of mobile adoption makes call tracking more important for marketers than ever.\r\n\r\nIf you’re not tracking phone call metrics, you’re missing out on a wealth of information about your customers, the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, and the ROI of your company’s or clients’ investments in marketing.\r\n\r\n[activecampaign form=16]','What Features to Look for in Inbound Call Tracking Software','','inherit','closed','closed','','3843-revision-v1','','','2018-02-08 13:47:02','2018-02-08 13:47:02','',3843,'http://ruler2018.epicwip.co.uk/blog/uncategorised/3843-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),