Three key members of EVR’s digital media services team recently joined representatives from 15 other agencies from across the country at the Agency Management Institute’s annual Digital Summit in Chicago. The anticipation for the conference was high, and over 100 questions were submitted in advance to fuel the discussions.
Mariah Ehrgott (Digital Marketing Director), Kelly Nylander (Social Media and Video Director) and Lauren Gross (Media Coordinator) attended this two-day peer-led conference that brought together top agency strategists.
Over the course of the two-day summit, the group powered through a variety of topics with insightful conversation. Here are some of our top takeaways:
1. Data without action is just trivia.
When analyzing data and performance, don’t just report on the numbers. Ensure you are generating insights that allow you to tell a story and follow up regularly with suggestions for optimization based on your findings. As we say at EVR, “No data without a story, no story without data.”
2. Keep your reporting agile.
Although it is important to not reinvent the wheel every time, continually evaluating your reporting methods might demonstrate that what worked in one month may not work in the next. Determine what is pertinent and important in each report and only report on these data.
3. Continue to have conversations about the importance of first-party data.
While Google’s removal of third-party cookies is a moving target, it is currently slated for late 2023. It’s important to stay ahead of the game so that you are prepared for when this change does happen.
4. When executing a geofence campaign, make sure your target area is as specific as possible.
If you’re using too wide of a geofence, your campaign may not be cost effective. Also, try to pair geofencing with other tactics (QR codes, special event codes, etc.) to reach your specific target audience and build a database of third-party information, which can help to expand your audience to those who buy from similar or competitive brands.
5. Stop creating more work for yourself.
Most social media platforms offer ad creation tools, such as TikTok’s ad manager. Use these tools to develop creative that is authentic to the platform and will therefore perform better.
6. Three recommended tools:
- SEMrush (with new add-ons)—Allows you to identify your competitors and their top content in addition to helping you improve your online visibility.
- Creatopy—An all-in-one design platform that allows you to create social media posts, high-quality print materials and videos efficiently, all through the same platform.
- Verblio—Employs a network of writers across the US that can help your company with blog writing and content creation.
