Tag: marketing

Spinning 3 Websites in 6 Months

Posted on by SGA SGA

Good web design is like a spider web: what appears to be simple, functional, and delicate should also be intricate, elegant, and strong. And like an excited spider who’s just caught an unlucky fly, web design is one of those things that gets our team really fired up.

It requires the perfect mix of left and right brain — from planning the overall architecture of a site, to considerations about user experience and design, to coding and the final, fine-toothed top to bottom review. Over the last 6 months, 3 sites that we designed from the ground-up have gone live. These websites have ranged in complexity, breadth, and purpose. Keep reading to find out why we spun them!

1) RethinkWaste

RethinkWaste represents and manages the waste from 12 member cities in San Mateo County. SGA was brought on to redesign its website to improve usability and meet the communication needs of its service area community. After designing this new website from the ground up, here’s what Rethink had to say about us:

[box] “SGA, specifically the amazing Suzi, helped us not only meet our needs with an aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate website on the front and back end, but they also created a custom section to house our important meeting agendas and staff reports. This has helped us improve our transparency as a public agency. Our new and improved website communicates, educates and engages with our community better than ever before.” — Julia Au, Outreach & Communications Manager, Rethink Waste[/box]

2) Lincoln Stormwater

The City of Lincoln’s Stormwater program used to be hosted on a small subsection of the City’s website. SGA was brought in to create a dynamic hub for stormwater-related information, resources, and content relevant to the city residents. In addition to the new website, which we designed to deliver simple, easy-to-understand messaging about stormwater management, we designed a new logo to cement the program’s credibility and integrity.

3) Bayfront Canal & Atherton Channel Flood Management and Restoration Project

The last site SGA recently worked on is a microsite for a flood management project occurring within several diverse communities that are subjected to annual flooding. The purpose of the site was to establish an official, designated area where the County of San Mateo could post project updates, and where residents could visit for up-to-date and reliable information. The site needed to be designed in a user-friendly way that remained intuitive across diverse audiences, clearly communicated the problem and proposed solution, and reduced the potential for uncertainty. You can view our work here.

Like our sites? Want to know more about their structure, our process, or availability to design your dream site? We’re listening! Email us at info@sga-inc.net.

Tips & Tricks to Launching a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

Posted on by SGA SGA

Lasting relationships. Trust. Loyalty.
These are all elements that a successful email marketing campaign can help you build with your audience. Whether you realize it or not, email marketing is still one of the most used and effective marketing tactics out there according to Smart Insights, a learning platform for digital marketing. Its effectiveness is tied to the fact that it’s an immediate mode of communication, cost-effective and as wide-reaching or targeted as you need it to be.
Who wouldn’t be interested in utilizing such an approach?

If you’re just beginning your email marketing journey or have years of experience under your belt, everyone can do with a few reminders for best practices to implement in their campaign. As trends fluctuate, ideas fall out of style and new concepts replace old, the dos and don’ts of the business change as well. That’s why SGA is here to provide you with our (current) top 7 tips for a successful email marketing campaign.

1. Subject Line
What’s the first thing you notice when you receive an email? The subject line, of course! It can either be the reason your email is read or ignored. That is why it’s crucial to think about your subject line and how it relates to your readers. Is it catchy? Is it short and to the point? Is it easy to understand or does it captivate the audience in a way that makes someone want to learn more? Getting a subscriber to open your email is the first barrier you must overcome to have a successful marketing campaign. Consider A/B testing different subject lines to see which resonates better with your audience. A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a way of working out which of two campaign options is the most effective in terms of encouraging opens or clicks.

In an A/B test you set up two variations of the one campaign and send them to a small percentage of your total recipients. Half of the test group is sent Version A, while the other half gets Version B. The result, measured by the most opens or clicks, determines the winning version. This is then sent to the remaining subscribers. This is a quick and easy way of ensuring your subject line is a winner.

2. Design
If you don’t take your email design seriously, then neither will your subscribers. This may be obvious, but always double-triple-quadruple check for spelling and formatting mistakes. Break up paragraphs and use bullet points/numbering so your reader’s eyes don’t tire. Use legible and larger fonts (14-16pt). Less obvious tips? Images are a great addition to emails to add visual stimulation, but be careful to not go overboard. When using images, use them sparingly and thoughtfully and remember to include descriptive alt tags for email subscribers that disable images in their email browser. Keep your email width to about 600px to make sure it’s seen in its entirety, no matter the device it’s being read on. And while links inside the body of the email to more information are great, avoid including attachments. This will flag spam warnings which increase the likelihood of your email never being seen at all.
The most important point to remember? Your email design should reflect your brand. Consistency with style, color palette, and overall design should follow your brand standard to make sure readers instantly recognize your email before reading any of the content.

3. Personalize
Subscribers don’t want to know (or have to think about the fact) that they are being marketed to. Make your emails as personal as you can to ensure this. Try to understand your subscribers and who they are. Make your emails about them. This could mean addressing the subscriber by name in your email or personalizing the content to their specific interest or location. You want them to feel like you care (and you should care!). The email should be the start of a conversation with your subscribers that potentially leads into a long-lasting relationship. And NEVER send emails from a “no-reply” email address, this sends the exact opposite message.

4. Timing
You don’t want to bombard your subscribers with emails, but you don’t want them to think you’ve forgotten them either! You may want to start with only 1 or 2 emails a month. Keep your email timing as consistent as possible. You will also want to consider the day and time you send out your emails. While studies vary significantly when it comes to the best time to send an email, the tried-and-true strategy is to send out email blasts in the middle of the week and in the middle of the day. Generally, somewhere between 1pm – 3pm is what works best for email marketing (although some also suggest mornings between 9am-11am).

5. Mobile-Friendly
Our lives have become mobile-friendly, so your email marketing campaign should too! With over 55% of people checking their email on their smartphone or tablet devices, your templates need to be mobile-friendly. Buttons should be easy to click on a mobile device, emails should be short enough that subscribers don’t have to scroll for long, and links should easily transition to a mobile-friendly landing page.

6. Call To Action
A call to action (CTA) is an easy way for you to encourage your subscribers to delve further into your brand. It’s how you can get them to interact with your content. It tells them where to look and what to do next and sometimes that’s all anyone really needs. Make sure your call to action is clear and concise and make sure that it is a relatively simple and actionable ask. You don’t want to ask for too much up front, as that can scare subscribers away. Below are examples of some creative and interesting CTAs.
Examples:

  • See What’s Next
  • Join Millions of Others
  • Reserve Your Spot
  • Learn More
  • Don’t Miss Out, We’re Just a Phone Call Away
  • Give Us A Try
  • Talk To Us

7. GDPR Compliant
As a relatively new policy, it is important to make sure that you are aware of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and comply as needed. GDPR took effect in Spring 2018 and means that subscribers will have to explicitly opt-in to receive your emails and explicitly consent to having their personal information made available to you. Although this law is only specifically for European Union (EU) citizens at the moment, we believe being in compliance with this new regulation is incredibly important regardless of location. Not to mention, even if you are not an international organization, there is still a chance that you will have an EU subscriber on your list and you will be held liable. So, for your own safety and to respect your subscribers, we encourage you to take this last tip as seriously as the rest!
As you can see, there are many, many different aspects to an effective email marketing campaign and strategy. These useful suggestions should get you well on your way to a successful campaign. SGA Marketing creates, manages, and executes various email campaigns for our clients. We utilize these tips and more to ensure our messages are getting through to the right audience. As things change with time (and technology), we also make sure to stay up-to-date with trending best practices. If you need help crafting the perfect message and creating a strategic email campaign, or simply have questions regarding the content you’ve read here, please contact us today.

Use of Infographics in Content Marketing

Posted on by SGA SGA

Every person takes in information and learns differently. Thus, you have to have different tactics to reach everyone in your audience.

At SGA, we know that some people remember what they read rather than what they hear; others learn when they see things in writing. Then there’s the 65 percent of us who are visual learners and process information based on what they see. That’s why infographics are so popular and a great addition to your content marketing.

What are they?

Infographics make use of a mix of text and a variety of visual images in order to tell a story and convey statics and other information. Such visuals include charts, diagrams, graphic designs, maps, drawings, and colors. A good infographic is visually engaging, fits into your content marketing strategy, and supports your marketing goals. Bad infographics distract, are confusing, and muddle the message.

Using them

Always keep your target audience in mind. Infographics can be an incredibly valuable tool if used correctly, but it must be compelling and relevant to your audience. If it is not, it becomes just a novelty. Remember, if your customer is not going to care your content, it will not matter what it looks like visually.

Keep it simple. The goal of an infographic is to create quick bites of information that can be quickly digested. As well as visually appealing, it must convey accurate information. If the graphics look great, but the content is correct, this will have negative effects on your brand.

Having too much accurate information all over the design weighs heavily on the overall visual appeal. Too much text makes it just as difficult for someone to digest as a lengthy written article.

Make them shareable

Most infographics are created for online publishing: websites, blogs, social media. When you decide to incorporate infographics into your content marketing strategy, make sure they are engaging and appealing enough that consumers will want to share them. Creating evergreen infographics allows for republishing of materials.

Sign up for SGA’s newsletter to keep up with the latest in community-based social marketing and behavior change.

The 3 I’s of a Successful Facebook Page

Posted on by SGA SGA

Facebook is the platform that gives your organization a voice and an identity in a community of more than a billion active users. Whether you’re a local agency striving to make positive behavior change with residents or a for-profit marketer selling an idea, Facebook provides a concrete space to communicate with your target audience.

SGA helps a large number of local agencies operate Facebook pages and we’ve found a few key trends that have proven successful. We call them the 3-I’s:

  1. Identity. Facebook is hugely visual and this visibility enables you to transform your mission into a brand perception. SGA has successfully integrated the Facebook page of the City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program to support and promote their community events, website, and eNewsletter efforts. By forming a steady image online, your organization forms a stronger presence offline and a community around your brand.
  2. Interaction. Facebook provides an arena for your organization to be a part of a meaningful conversation in a targeted way. You can communicate your organization’s perspective and share your values on trending issues that matter most. Communication can also be narrowly targeted and tailored to provide an authentic voice for your audience.  For example, SGA’s work on the San Bernardino County Stormwater Facebook page interacted with fans at the local level and found that audiences reacted best when content was localized to their specific city or community.
  3. Insight. Facebook is a multi-tool that enhances communication by giving you insight into your fans and their interests. Facebook makes its money by selling ads, therefore, they need to empower the ad buyer. That means giving you data on your target audience. An effectively built Facebook campaign will incorporate data that is every bit as analytical as a countywide survey but at virtually no cost. Every Facebook post becomes a survey question with real-time analysis that can inform the next campaign. Using Facebook Insights gives you an opportunity to further enhance your reach and cultivate a loyal fan base.

The ultimate goal of any strong Facebook profile is to form a tangible identity which your audience can resonate with, interact with, and, ultimately, support. Facebook is not just another tactic in your arsenal. Rather, Facebook provides a platform where you can brand yourself and your vision as an organization to a diverse target audience at a low cost and an abundance of data.

The Poop on Poop

Posted on by SGA SGA

Dog waste isn’t a topic most people talk about on a daily basis, but this “business” should be discussed. Pet owners who don’t have their dog’s droppings top of mind likely aren’t aware of how harmful it is to our environment when the poop isn’t scooped.

So, I’m out to start and share the conversation. You see, it’s been pretty commonplace in my family. My mother-in-law is English. Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, she embodies many English ways of thinking, including a love for dogs I believe can only be topped by Queen Elizabeth’s love for her corgis.

When you’ve got a dog lover like this for a relative, you hear everything about dogs: what goes in and what comes out. Over the years, I’ve heard more than I ever intended to hear about dog waste. I didn’t think it was a topic to share beyond the family. Who speaks of poop in polite company?

Well, when I joined SGA, I discovered that everyone in the office talks about dog waste because we know the problems it causes. And now, I want to get you talking about it with your family and other pet-loving friends, too.

Dog waste isn’t fertilizer. It doesn’t help the environment; it hurts it. Dog poop contains unhealthy bacteria. In fact, the EPA estimates that if there was a spot with just two or three days of dog waste from 100 dogs, that would equate to enough bacteria to close all watersheds within 20 miles of such a location. That’s because dog waste that is not picked up washes into these waterways. That bacteria? It can lead to a variety of harmful viruses that can cause intestinal illnesses and kidney disorders in humans. In the book, “The Truth About Dogs,” author Stephan Budiansky states that there are 65 diseases that can be transmitted to humans from dog feces. Some will give you skin rashes, but others can be more harmful and may turn deadly.

So get the conversation going. Let others know the poop on poop. Picking up after your pooch isn’t simply the right thing to do, scooping the poop and disposing it in the trash or toilet keeps it from washing into waterways. This, in turn, keeps our rivers and ocean cleaner for all of us.

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Education Led to Passion to Motivate Others: Whitney Schmucker

Posted on by SGA SGA

(This biographical piece is part of our series to introduce you to the SGA staff.)

After graduating from UC Berkeley, where I studied Marketing, I jumped into my dream job at Grey Advertising in San Francisco. I spent five years planning advertising campaigns for companies like: Adobe, Sandisk, BMW, and University of Phoenix.

After five years, I realized the work I was doing was just one small piece of the puzzle and I found it a constant source of frustration that I was not able to improve the parts of strategy that I felt were weaknesses. I wanted to be in a position to craft the strategy and problem solve to make a product successful, which would require me to expand my occupation from advertising to marketing.

I knew making this career change would be much easier with more education. So sitting in my office with a view of the Bay Bridge, I applied to business school in Paris, France, where I could not only further my education, but do so in an environment where people live consciously and savor the things (and products) around them.

Like most things in my life, I moved quickly. Six months later I was on a transcontinental plane with a very large suitcase (ok, possibly three).

Around the same time I launched into this adventure, I began to experience some serious health issues that forced me to become aware of the quality of our food sources, environmental chemicals, and other man-made byproducts that harm health and the environment. Having been a lifelong athlete, I had always prided myself on my health, knowledge of diet and self care practices, but what I was learning about the effects of man-made pollutants and their effects on health was truly eye opening.  The most shocking part was the lack of awareness and education that the general population had about what I now view as life-threatening concerns. For example, the amount of chemicals in our food, personal care products, and in our general environment is something the majority of Americans are completely unaware of.

I continued my environmental growth and education when I moved back to America and began to work in the marketing departments of various Fortune 500 companies, fine-tuning my skills, creating marketing strategies and observing consumer behavior.  Happy with my success but unsatisfied with its short lived rewards, my passion for creating true impact became apparent.

It’s one thing to convince someone to make a purchase: buy a t-shirt or computer software. It’s another thing to introduce information to people that inspires them to make a behavior change.

To me, this is the pinnacle of marketing: not selling goods but changing minds.

I made my way to SGA, where I combine my knowledge in environmental issues and social marketing to change minds and change behavior. Now, I strategize ways to eliminate barriers to zero waste, influence recycling behaviors and empower communities to improve water quality. The rewards are not short lived and the impact will incrementally contribute to a better world.

Good Marketing is a Like a Ramen Shop

Posted on by SGA SGA

Every business is good at something. There are some businesses that try to be good at everything. However, sometimes it’s best to focus on what you know best and let others do what they do best. It can be a win-win for everyone.

Let me explain. During a December trip to Pasadena, CA, we waited in line for more than an hour to dine at a ramen restaurant. Ramen restaurants aren’t typically fancy; here, the menu featured only six dishes to choose from.

With Santa Ana winds whipping, the temperature (if you can imagine it now) was in the 40s in the shade. Yet there were more than 70 people who weren’t dressed properly for the weather standing in a line that wrapped around the corner of the building and into the alley.

Most Americans know about ramen. Even supermarkets that don’t specialize in ethnic foods have a number of varieties on the grocery shelves. They are often a staple for college students and people on a budget because, even when they aren’t on sale, you can get ramen for less than 50 cents a serving. Additionally, it’s pretty filling for such an inexpensive dish. Cooking ramen at home isn’t complicated either. Boil some water, let the noodles steep and add the flavorings.

With a dish that is so simple to find and make, why would anyone seek out a restaurant and wait in line for it? For an hour? Especially in the cold and wind.

Ramen Tatsunoya started in 1999 in Kurume City, Fukuoka, Japan, a city with numerous ramen shops that have very loyal followings. Taking a chance there was a huge step. To differentiate themselves from others, founder Ryuta Kajiwara says he and the staff dedicated themselves to “perfecting the ultimate bowl of ramen” and providing kando, a Japanese word that means “a feeling of awe-inspiring.” They dedicated themselves to give more than customers expected.

Like ramen, marketing and social media isn’t necessarily all that complicated and most people probably know at least one 12-year old wunderkind who somehow manages to attract hundreds of fans on Facebook. An organization seeking to gain exposure might have in-house staff develop content and manage its social media presence. Having staff take on one more duty is cost effective and, in all fairness, it’ll get the job done just like whipping up some ramen at home.

But there’s a reason people are willing to stand in the cold for good ramen. It’s because while they may seem the same at first glance, an expert brings a depth to their craft that makes it better and gives that feeling of awe-inspiring. For marketing and social media, that means a broader reach with deeper engagement across your audience. It means that your ad budget goes farther and your messaging improves as you learn what best resonates with your residents.

Just like an expert ramen shop, SGA brings a depth of experience that helps the organizations we support in marketing and social media do more. When SGA works on a program, it isn’t one more duty assigned to an already overworked staff member; it’s a full team that carefully crafts content and researches why something worked (or, often more interesting, why it failed). The result is a marketing and social media presence that, while superficially the same as any organization that “has Facebook,” better reaches residents and inspires awe. We strive to bring kando to all parts of SGA and are grateful when we get to bring it to our clients.

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Getting OC Gneighbors to Think Saving Water is Gnormal

Posted on by SGA SGA

Stormwater is such an abstract concept for people. But when we’re tasked with getting the public to understand pollution-conveying runoff and the need for water conservation during an ongoing drought, we needed something – or someone – to help in the effort. We needed a gnome.

We looked for a mascot for our client, Orange County Stormwater Program. A lovable and personable garden gnome came to be and residents named Gnorman during a social media contest. While in reality Gnorman is a custom-made ceramic piece, he has taken on a life of his own during this campaign and speaks in a voice that residents listen to.

When emails come from Gnorman, the quality of engagement goes up. More people joined the bi-weekly newsletter mailing list. The open rate topped 60 percent. The message was not only getting out there, but was also being well-received.  Website page views increased. We found that the public loved the personal stories that were being shared. People began emailing to share their own stories and photos of their gardens, but not with us, with Gnorman. Emails were actually addressed to Gnorman. So, he replied back. He also showed up at local gardening events to educate OC residents and appeared in a video about a drought-tolerant yard. In all, he was seen across 34 cities, reaching 3.1 million residents.

Getting a social marketing message across always has its challenges. Even when people know how important an effort like water conservation is, getting them to take action isn’t always easy. Gnorman has made it easier. These days, you can find him on more than 1,000 lawn signs all over Orange County. He keeps touting the message: Over Watering is Out. Blue ribbons on those signs indicate that resident has taken action to have drought-tolerant landscaping, reduce sprinkler times, save water and eliminate runoff.

The program’s goal to create a new norm – or gnorm – was achieved. Christy Suppes, an OC environmental resources specialist says, “We believe residents understand their impact and how their actions at home made a difference.” Additionally, the campaign was honored by the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) with the Outstanding Regional Stormwater News, Information, Outreach and Media Award.

For more information on the campaign and Gnorman, check out overwateringisout.org. 

The Question is as Important as the Answer: Thomas Kim

Posted on by SGA SGA


(This biographical piece is part of our series to introduce you to the SGA staff.)

Psychology is fascinating. I dug deep into this during my time at UC Berkeley where I was part of a research team at Haas School of Business and the Department of Cognitive Science. My research focused on cognitive biases and decision making.

Today, I bring this expertise to SGA where I work with a team to conduct market research to gather data on the people we serve. You can’t do marketing in a vacuum; it’s important to understand people so you can effectively reach them.

People have busy minds. We create associations where there are none. We see implications and work to appease a derived social norm. In other words, conducting market research is not just a matter of using the appropriate statistical tools or getting the right answers. It is about seemingly trivial details and asking the right questions.

For example, when you create a survey, some things you have to consider include:

  • Does the order of the questions influence participation?
  • Are the questions independent of each other or does a question change the meaning of the next question?
  • Are you giving a range of answers that are too big or too small?
  • Does the medium of the answer (Likert scale, multiple choice) influence the result?

Likewise, the way you frame or word a question can make a big difference. For example, asking a participant, “Do you believe milk with only 5 percent fat is good for you?” results in very different answers when compared with answers obtained by asking, “Do you believe milk that is 95 percent fat free is good for you?” Although mathematically the same question, one highlights the health concern whereas the other highlights the health benefit.

We gather information in a number of different ways, including:

  • Intercept surveys (going into the field and approaching people)
  • Surveys via mail and email
  • Telephone interviews
  • Focus groups

The method of obtaining the answer is also an important consideration and will depend on what you’re seeking. Conducting a survey of hundreds of people will provide you with a solid data representative of the population. On the other hand, having a focus group with a small group of people in a room allows for a deeper and dynamic dive into the subject.

With the research we do at SGA, we are able to understand our targets and create a more effective message and approach to better tackle our client’s specific needs.

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4 Simple Ideas to Improve Outreach

Posted on by SGA SGA

It’s difficult to imagine a time before randomized trials and data. But as an article in the December 12 issue of the Economist points out, before the 20th century, “The sick were wise to stay away from doctors. Medical treatments were often worthless and sometimes dangerous.”
Then in the 1920s, English statistician Ronald Fisher used randomized controlled experiments to test the effectiveness of fertilizer on farms, and quality and production escalated. The medical field soon picked up the method. More than any single discovery, controlled experimentation contributed to the 20th century’s miraculous increase in lifespan.

In the realm of public policy and outreach, this technique can be tricky. Changing behavior is often hard to observe and quantify. What’s more, local government programs don’t have the budgets for lengthy experimentation and controls.

But things are changing. Online media provides the ability to conduct small and inexpensive controlled experiments that allow us to determine if people are taking the initial steps towards behavior change. For example, we can test degree of awareness, intent to change, influence of social norms and more.

In 2015, SGA began testing out how online experiments can help build better, more reliable outreach programs. Here are four simple, but important, lessons we’ve learned:

  1. Reach beyond likes and unique visitors. The biggest problem using social media likes and website visits as a proxy for success is that you don’t know why people took the action. They could have been searching for your content and found it engaging. Or they might have randomly clicked on your website during a Google search and quickly jumped off, never to return again. You just don’t know. While building a strong foundation of fans is important, it’s just the beginning. To build a community, you need to test how engaged your fans are through controlled messaging experiments.
  1. Embrace A/B testing. If you really want to understand the value of your likes, you need to see if they are repeatable.  The key is to run two sets of posts—an A version and a B version. (You can also run multi-variant tests if you want to move more aggressively.) Then see how each performs with your community over time. You can set these up on social media, websites and e-newsletters. For e-newsletters, send the two variations to a random subset of your subscriber list a few days before you intend to send out the newsletter. Then send the one that does best to the rest of your list.
  1. Turn data into insights. Once you have some data to work with, you can look at the demographics of the people who engaged with your content as well as the content that got the best response. Facebook and Twitter insights and Google Analytics can tell you loads about your followers. Understanding the type of content that resonates with them will help you understand how to inspire them with behavior change messaging. This data allows you to paint a more robust picture of your audience, which you can incorporate into outreach both offline and online.
  1. Create a call to action. Find the route to engagement by asking your fans to do something. When determining your call to action, be sure it is something you can measure and start small. Ask fans to opt in to receive emails or post their own content showing actions they have taken. One of our projects for the Orange County Stormwater Program asked people to post photos of how they were saving water in their yards. By having residents show their actions, it verifies the behaviors taken and starts to build a social norm for the action—and engagement in general.

In 2016, we will see more and more emphasis on data as online marketing’s balance of art and science continues to demand more of the science. Business and commercial marketing has already shown this. With simple experiments, you can better understand your audience, their motivations and whether they’re buying your program’s message or merely window shopping.