Joey Armstrong would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the graduates of 2021. It’s been a terrible year in many ways, but there’s no reason grads shouldn’t look at their futures with optimism. Today is the first day in your marketing career journey. As a trusted marketing advisor with years of experience, Joey Armstrong is often asked how to break into the marketing industry. Today, he will provide some tips that recent graduates can use to jumpstart their careers.

It’s a good idea to be open for an entry level marketing job that covers different areas. This can help start a marketing career on the right path. A lot of students come out of school with a specific type of marketing job in mind. It’s often unrealistic. Allowing yourself to get a foot in the door can eventually lead to the career path of your choosing. The best way to land a job is to be great interviewee. The best way to improve as an interviewee is to feel more confident with your knowledge level. The marketing industry moves quickly, so be sure to follow all of the experts’ blogs and social media feeds. This will keep you current with the latest trends and allow you to form intelligent answers.

Joey Armstrong strongly recommends working with your connections. If you have family members who are in the marketing industry, be sure to pick their brain not only for job opportunities but also for lessons. They may be able to unlock some tips or tricks that open up different opportunities. Another great resource is ex professors. They will have a ton of networking options because they taught many of the leaders of the industry.

If you have an interest in bloggings or social media, be sure to do it for free. Building up a portfolio of content written or social media profiles built out will do wonders for your resume. No hiring professional wants to see that you simply took off while looking for a job. Always taking the time to work on your craft will also keep your skills sharp. There’s no better way to learn than through doing. Joey Armstrong believes those who know they are applying for a particular type of marketing job can even skew their content in that direction. Anything to show passion and drive.

Finally, Joey Armstrong implores marketers to keep a positive attitude. Skills can be taught but enthusiasm and passion are either there or they are not. People in the marketing industry want coworkers who are passionate and creative. These traits will shine through. If you love what you do, you can accomplish anything.

As a leading marketing advisor, Joey Armstrong typically providing marketing tips to larger companies. However, he understands how intimidating marketing can be for smaller outlets looking to grow their business. The truth is that marketing can be done effectively with anyone with a passion and a vision. Joey Armstrong has put together some of the best marketing advice for those new to the marketing game.

Joey Armstrong says the biggest mistakes beginners make is that they don’t know why they are marketing or who they are marketing to. A clear vision is so important. It can be really difficult to dive right into a lead generation campaign if you don’t start with brand awareness. Marketing to educate people about your business and what it has to offer is the foundation of a success story.

Once you know why you’re marketing, it is vital to identify who you’re marketing to and why they should care. There is nothing more important than the user experience. If there is one lesson you take away from today, Joey Armstrong says to consider the experience of the user before producing any piece of marketing content. When you put the needs of the consumer first, your marketing will naturally work that much better. This can be done by offering something of value like an educational video or a funny post that brings a smile to their face.

For those new to the online marketing space, it all starts with keyword research. It can be incredibly impactful for a marketer to realize what the general public is searching for. Optimizing a website for a keyword can help generate traffic and build revenue over time. The best type of keyword is one that will bring in a substantial amount of traffic, but won’t be insanely difficult to root for. A great example is trying to rank for Nike. This is nearly impossible. However, you may be able to rank for Nike shoes in X location.

Joey Armstrong suggests trying different strategies and welcoming failure. One of the best things about marketing is also one of the worst. There are so many different places to reach your target audience. The only way to truly identify the sweet spot is to try different outlets. There are going to be plenty of times where a marketing strategy falls short, but that is a learning opportunity. Countless marketers find that their target audience frequents a social site they did not expect or watches a type of video they didn’t know about previously. Keep your eyes open and be willing to try different things.

Joey Armstrong loves the marketing business because he gets to solve problems for people. Not only does Armstrong do this when he consults marketing teams on improvements, they can make to increase their company’s profits, but also when he introduces businesses who can solve the problem that a potential client is having. A lot of marketers just push a sale on a potential customer. This is not effective. An effective marketer takes the time to learn the pain points of a customer and offer their product as a potential solution.

As the world of digital marketing exploded, the saying “Content is King” became very popular. At first, a lot of marketers took this as a saying that meant how you constructed your content to fit certain keywords would determine your success or your failure. As Google and other search engines began to wise up to keyword stuffing, the phrase started to truly represent the power of quality content. Google began rewarding brands for churning out useful, relevant content that the searcher could benefit from. This same idea can be applied to marketing in all forms. When a brand is offering true value through their content, they are building an opportunity for a relationship with the client that goes far beyond a one-off sale.

One of the best ways to educate potential clients and lock in their loyalty is to turn towards video. YouTube is the second most powerful search engine in the world. A lot of people simply want to watch a video that helps them solve their problem. Every product that fits into the mold of an explainer video should have a well-established YouTube page. The higher the quality of the content and the higher the value of the production, the more likely it is to prove effective.

Not sure how to educate your client? Ask Your Sales Team

Joey Armstrong believes one of the greatest resources a marketing team has is the information their sales team can provide. For businesses that have sales representatives, they have untapped educational material. Sales reps are the people who hear the pain points of the customer. These pain points should be documented, and solutions can be turned into blog posts. Not only does this content become more likely to be sought out, but it can also become a resource for sales teams to point to for those who need their question answered.

As a leading marketing advisor, Joey Armstrong is frequently asked to figure out the problem inside a marketing department. A lot of companies have the best of intentions but find that their marketing work simply is not moving the needle in a positive direction. Today, Joey Armstrong will look at a few common mistakes that when remedied can lead to sustained success. Don’t let a marketing failure determine your future.

The most important aspect of a marketing department is the people who work inside of it. There is no substitute for a positive attitude. Hiring should always be done with culture in mind. If a person has all the skills in the world but a negative attitude, it can poison the well. If a business has a strong training program in place, Joey Armstrong believes they should hire for culture first and skill second. Excitement is contagious. Identify the candidate who motivates everyone in the department to get excited and work harder.

The modern era of marketing is filled with digital marketing certifications. A lot of resumes will be filled with Google Analytics certifications and other online certifications that can be earned after studying different YouTube videos. There is no denying that these certifications serve a purpose. They are often extremely helpful in finding out why a strategy is successful or not. However, there is no replacing real life experience. Marketers who have actually done the job are often much better equipped than those taking the time to acquire as many certifications as possible.

The only way to attract talent that fits the culture is to set a brand standard that is completely transparent. Leadership starts from the very top. Joey Armstrong says companies that have trouble keeping employees for years need to look at themselves in the mirror. Establishing a positive culture is the only way to continue to grow and attract other talented marketers.

A lot of companies look to fill short-term needs with their staff. This is a terrible way to look at the marketing business. The hiring process can be long and grueling. Finding a fit is not always easy. By taking the time to hire someone you envision being with the company for the long-haul, you will spend less time worrying about filling the same position over and over. Hiring someone who can grow with your company and is truly motivated to be a part of that growth plan is always the better decision.

Joey Armstrong explains that chatbots are one of the hottest trends in marketing in 2021. Chatbots are messaging apps that sit on a company’s website and interact with clients providing customer service. Chatbots are a form of artificial intelligence. One of their best features is that they are usually available to provide virtual customer service 24 hours a day when live staffing is not financially feasible or possible.

Chatbot Statistics

According to smallbizgenius.net, 64% of internet users say 24-hour service is the best feature of chatbots. Joey Armstrong notes that a prevailing reason for chatbot’s continued usage by companies is because customers like chatbots. Almost 60% of millennials say they use chatbots regularly to purchase essential goods. E-commerce companies, banks, and real estate companies all use chatbots to interface with potential clients.

IBM says chatbots can handle up to 80% of the calls that customer service departments receive. They can answer common questions so that live-trained customer service representatives can deal with more complicated customer service issues.

According to Chatbots Magazine, companies use chatbots for a wide range of purposes. Chatbots are used for customer service, getting information, or paying bills. Close to 20% of Americans have used chatbots for shopping. How many people have used Amazon Alexa and other speaker devices to make purchases online? Chatbots fulfill many purposes for businesses. That trend will continue to grow by nearly 30% yearly for the next few years as more and more companies integrate chatbots into their services.

Why do people love chatbots?

People love chatbots because they can answer most of our questions 24 hours a day. Customers also love chatbots because they provide quick and prompt service, rather than waiting for a customer service representative online or on being on hold over the phone. As societies move ever towards text communication and away from telephone communication, chatbots continue text communication. 

Why do businesses love chatbots?

Businesses that utilize chatbots love the way they can reduce the operating costs for the company. People interacting with chatbots means less need for live customer service representatives, driving labor and operating costs down. Additionally, chatbots can serve as research bots and help drive brand awareness with customers. Chatbots can also help with lead generation and more revenue by converting more leads.

Joey Armstrong realizes that the last reason businesses love chatbots is because of the 24-hour feature. Clients love it, and businesses love it because they provide a presence for the company online all day and night, no matter where customers live.

What is a Google core update?

Google updates its algorithms several times a year. Joey Armstrong explains that usually Google puts out updates to its algorithms to improve specific categories of search results. These changes seem smaller and are done more frequently than core updates, which involve broader improvements to Google search itself. Google does core algorithm changes less frequently.

What do people normally expect in a Google core algorithm change?

Joey Armstrong recognizes that updates can create big changes to Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and many companies and marketers worry that each change to Google’s algorithm will negatively impact their standings on SERPs. It usually takes a few days to a few weeks for companies to see if their content’s ranking on SERPs is showing either improvement or moving down in the rankings.

Do changes in SERPs mean a company’s content marketing strategy must change?

Changes in a company’s rankings after a core algorithm update are not the result of what each company has or has not done with their marketing, but rather their SERP positions change because of the way Google now evaluates their content. It really just means what searchers considered relevant when doing Google searches has changed. Google changes its search algorithms to reflect what searchers now value in content or what their search intent is.

The effects of June 2021’s core algorithm changes are now beginning to be felt a week after the change. Additionally, more changes will be felt in mid-July because Google was not able to release all of the core algorithm changes in the June 2021 release. More changes are ahead as Google will release another core algorithm change in July 2021. It’s unusual for Google to roll out two core algorithm changes so close to each other, but that is what will happen this summer.

What changes have marketers noticed one-week post core algorithm update?

New York Times best-selling author Neil Patel, whom many consider a top marketing influencer on the web says his company has noticed some changes that will require some rewrites for much of his content.

Patel says he usually creates stories with a hook to draw readers in. Much of his content begins this way, but he has noticed those content pieces have dropped in the SERPs. He believes Google’s users may want more facts and definitions straight at the top of the article and less as he calls it, “fluff.”

He will see how all of the articles continue to rank on the SERPs and wait for the changes in July prior to rewriting them all, but he believes this may be one way searcher intent has influenced June 2021 Google core algorithm change. Joey Armstrong sees value in this idea as well.

Joey Armstrong says video marketing is the hottest marketing trend in 2021 and will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future. Every digital marketing strategy should include video marketing to be successful.

According to singlegrain.com, 52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions. Video is the way most consumers want to learn about products they are thinking about buying. Approximately three-quarters of businesses say that using video has improved their conversion rates.

Why video?

Video is an easy way for a company to explain its product, demonstrate how to use its products, and include customer testimonials. More people today use mobile devices to access the internet, and they prefer watching a video to reading long-form sales pitches on their small devices.

Data from Google shows that searchers find videos much more compelling than just written content, so Google has pushed pages with video in them higher in their search engine results pages (SERPs). Joey Armstrong realizes that marketing content with video wins the top positions on SERPs on Google since that’s what searchers prefer.

Because video is so captivating, sites including video are 50 times more likely to receive organic clicks than text. Video is not just for YouTube anymore. Most companies today utilize video to drive their content marketing efforts.

Use Different Types of Video to Captivate Your Audience

Grabbing your audience’s attention with video is essential. Many companies use live videos for interviews and behind-the-scenes look at the brand. Demonstrations of how a product is made and how to use the product are also great uses of live video. Some businesses use personalized video messages for customers instead of emails or phone calls.

But uploading a video doesn’t guarantee a good SERPs ranking because most companies are now using videos. Joey Armstrong speaks to the fact that videos need to be search engine optimized, too, in video-specific ways. 

Knowing where to place your videos is also essential. Most companies will upload their videos to YouTube, which is excellent to drive awareness of your brand, but it won’t get users to your website. Embedding video on your landing pages will go your conversion rates way up. Adding videos to your company’s social media pages will also help your product gain exposure and improve the potential amount of viewers who will see your product.

Joey Armstrong notes that videos also need to be optimized for keywords, just like content marketing pieces, since users will search specific keywords to find your videos.

There are many tricks to optimizing videos to maximize your exposure and SERPs. Most companies need videos to enhance their marketing and convert more viewers into customers.