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lftfield

Deal Out Little Bumps of Blow AKA the Micro-Conversion Path to Online Success

March 4, 2020 by lftfield

Wait. What? “Did this completely depraved brand just just ask me to deal out little bumps of blow to my potential customers and clients in the name of marketing?” 

DAMN RIGHT!

People please. Have you ever known me to shy away from what’s controversial (that answer is a HARD NO)?

And while we’ll pooh-pooh at click-bait, God bless the legitimately effective headline/naming convention.

In fact, today you’re going to start thinking about yourself – in the words of the immortal Steppenwolf – as the pusher-man (or woman).

Un-Clutch Those Pearls! This is a metaphor.

An effective, clutter cutting one, if I may, judging by the fact that you’re still reading. 

(Look, one doesn’t have to have any personal experience with blow to understand the concept I’m getting at here. And it has everything to do with online conversions.)

From a pop-culture perspective, blow has been in thousands of films, and the backdrop of many a hit single. I mean, how can you argue with the incomparable Eric Clapton?!

🎶🎶🎶 If your day is gone,
And you want to ride on,
Cocaine… 🎶🎶🎶

Here’s what blow does (NO I am not extolling the virtues of drug abuse – stick with me here folks as I paint a good metaphor!)

It gives you a quick, clean little high – and then the buzz wears off leaving you wanting more. 

And THAT’S exactly what your digital content should do if you’re out there trying to land more clients and/or customers.

I can’t TELL YOU how many times I’ve heard people bitching about how no one has purchased their $10,000 package that they’re actively promoting on Facebook! How no one clicked on their Facebook ad – or how they’ve clicked and left. Either way – ZERO CONVERSION.

Those same people would be LOUSY drug-dealers!

What in the hell are Micro-Conversions?

You might be wondering where in the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks I’m going with all this? Think about it this way – have you ever been researching a pricey product online, landed on a random website offering random offers, and *snaps fingers* hit PURCHASE?

(If you have, you’re an anomaly; and probably on a different level of blow dealing, so I’ll bow out of your interwebs corner anytime you decide to leave.)

No, chances are you’ll go through any number of micro-conversions during the course of your decision-making process. 

For one reason and one reason alone.

Ain’t nobody handing over the multi-zeros unless you’ve walked them through an experience of what working with you might look like. For example, you might convert to a high-ticket 10K type item if you:

  1. Read a blog post that spoke to you (like this one!! LOL)
  2. Then you decided to sign-up for a monthly newsletter
  3. Opted-in to a discount offer!
  4. You’ve heard a podcast episode or two along the way that you loved
  5. Or a short Tik-Tok or LinkedIn video
  6. You’ve seen a cool image on Facebook or a hilarious brand tweet and shared them
  7. Maybe you’ve gone so far as to downloaded a specific guide
  8. Or leave a review
  9. Or 
  10. Or Or!

And if you online conversion efforts have their wits about them, they are tracking the behaviours of Average Joe Customer. Seeing how all of your micro-conversions are adding up and where the gaps and opportunities are.

Here’s How to Get Someone Hooked (er, metaphorically speaking )

Much like your friendly neighbourhood dealer, the concept of content marketing is giving something away for free – BEFORE asking the consumer to start paying up!

However, unlike blow (or so I’m told!) people need somewhere between eight and 10 “hits” of content before they’ll even consider buying.

And that means you have multiple opportunities to deliver quality bits of content to lure your ideal customer or client to g̶e̶t̶ ̶h̶o̶o̶k̶e̶d̶  convert!

People are being bombarded with advertising these days – believe it or not the average person easily sees somewhere in the vicinity of 5,000 ads PER DAY. The reason? Because the best pushers out there – those Big Boy social platforms – need to make coin! Facebook generates upward of 98% of its revenue from ads. And Twitter? Their share is around 85%.

So, if you’re a marketer trying to cut through that noise and clutter, micro is the way to go.

People are busy, they don’t have time to watch a twenty-minute video or read a 2,500-word long post. (Although those have time and space in your calendar; but more on that later.)

Here at c+p digital, we advise clients to embrace micro-content. And we snort our own blow! That means short podcasts, regular blogging, videos that clock under five minutes in length, and using platforms like Canva to craft highly-shareable (and easily digestible) social content on a couple of platforms that suits our vibe.

Micro-content results in micro-conversions which – in a perfect world – will ultimately result in MACRO conversions. Those mini bumps of blow have served a purpose – and that purpose is building trust, and leaving your consumers wanting more.

No one’s buying going to buy an ounce before trying the *koff* product a few times. And likewise, no one is going to drop 10 or 15 grand on whatever it is your selling if they don’t believe it can deliver the hit they’re looking for.

If creating a bunch of micro-content sounds overwhelming to you – come talk to us! We can help you be the pusher-man you need to be to hit that end game of increased lead generation and macro-conversions.

Filed Under: Blog

It’s 20 years since Y2K. Where are we?

December 26, 2019 by lftfield

Remember when the year 2020 sounded science-fiction’esque?? I mean, for heaven’s sake people – we have now PASSED the “…2019 dystopian Los Angeles…” world that was the setting for Ridley Scott’s classic Blade Runner!

And while “2019” and “dystopian” still work together (good LORD what a year it’s been!) the very concept of rolling into 2020 still has me gobsmacked. 

The Halcyon Days of Yore 

At the start of the new millennium, I was standing on my front porch at the stroke of midnight, holding my four-month old son in my arms, welcoming the year 2000 – and awaiting the hyped-up, potentially world-ending launch of Y2K! Fast forward 20 years and Y2K sounds positively quaint, doesn’t it? Case in point:

  • Creepy AF dog-like robotic creatures are opening doors and climbing fences (ok, can this STOP please!!).
  • Countries all over the world are being attacked and hacked by bad actors, manipulating both election results and our view of the world – deep fakes and misinformation have left us spinning into an uncertain future where “alternative facts” have become the norm.
  • Social media is the driving force behind much of the above, with an estimated 3 BILLION users working together (often unwittingly) to create this shift in the thought universe. A far cry from the days of AOL Instant Messenger and do-it-yourself Geocities webpages.
  • Face-scanning applications are increasingly being adopted by law enforcement, airports, and the military — rightly raising concerns about innocent civilians being erroneously targeted by “friendly fire,” as well as racial profiling and the absolute END of privacy. 
  • Speaking of privacy (insert maniacal laughter) – let’s be honest. The dawn of the internet and Google search driving every action in our lives has stripped away old-fashioned notions of privacy. We ARE the product, and you get nothing in this world for free!

Wait. Yay! Decades Have Names Again!!

Fear not, dear reader. All is not lost, and I’m not simply a harbinger of doom and gloom (though some would argue this fact) – for we’ve survived the aughts!! 

Yes, back in 1999 there was much hand wringing about what to call this new decade – but PHEW – now we can get back to more simpler times *snort* it’s now the ‘20s and us writers couldn’t be happier. 

So, I thought to myself, “Self, what the heck was happening during the last ‘20s? After feverishly Googling (see above re: search has taken over our lives!) – I found some…. (uh oh – here I come with the doom and gloom again)…interesting similarities.  

Buckle Up Folks, it’s Going to Be a Bumpy Ride!

If you haven’t been watching what’s been happening these past four years or so south of the border, socio-politically and otherwise (that which is also, frighteningly, expanding here in Canada as well), OR if you’re not a geeky history buff like myself, you might not be aware that we seem to be in the midst of a 100 year roll-over. 

The soon-to-be Roaring ‘20s of the twenty-first century are looking more and more like the last Roaring ‘20s – minus flappers and prohibition (thank GOD! #daydrinking). 

Have a look at what was happening in the 1920s:

  • In some countries the 1920s saw the rise of radical political movements, especially in regions that were once part of empires. 
  • Communism spread as a consequence of the October Revolution and the Bolsheviks’ victory in the Russian Civil War. 
  • Fear of the spread of Communism led to the emergence of far-right political movements and fascism in Europe. 
  • Economic problems contributed to the emergence of dictators in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
  • The devastating Wall Street Crash in October 1929 is generally viewed as signalling the end of 1920s prosperity in North America and Europe.

Sure sounds familiar to me, except missing today’s “the entire world is burning and we’re all gonna die” climate change part. 

You might be asking yourself right now “Lindsay, listen, what is UP with all this negativity?” 

But I don’t see it as negativity. I see it as awareness. We can’t look forward without looking backward. 

We can’t facilitate real positive change and embrace the rampant rise of technology and the overall evolution of our world – socially and politically — if we can’t recognize the big fails. Where things seem to be teetering closely to the edge of a cliff. 

And the same thing rings true for your personal lives and work lives. Because it all impacts everything, doesn’t it – like a crazy, love-hate symbiosis! 

Now For the GOOD STUFF!!! 

Ok, enough of the “OMG the world is in a MESS!” stuff. Heck, we all know the kids are going to save us all eventually. Bless you Greta Thunberg, you incredible, inspiring person you!! 

There’s SO MUCH GOODNESS in what technology has brought to our world. 

  • Today, technology is helping more sick people, saving more lives, and is on the front lines in our never ending battle with harmful viruses and bacteria. Gene-splicing technology capable of finding and removing mutated sections of DNA has revolutionized modern medicine, and is working toward the elimination of genetically inherited diseases and some forms of cancer
  • For companies, what Gartner refers to as “The Intelligent Digital Mesh” — the entwining of people, devices, content and services — continues to evolve, created by digital models, business platforms and services that support digital business. Exchanges are faster especially with the internet. Sales and purchases are now facilitated and possible worldwide. Hence, businesses can buy raw materials with discounts or at reduced prices. Communication has been enhanced and research has been simplified – helping businesses thrive globally! 
  • Global tourism has grown.
  • Productivity is up up UP! 
  • Small business today drives MOST of the world’s economy. SMBs represent about 90% of companies and more than 50% of employment worldwide. They also contribute to 40% of national income (GDP) in emerging economies. YAY YOU! 
  • Not surprisingly, given the above stats, entrepreneurs are changing what it means to work.
  • The gig economy has opened the global workforce to opportunity that would have been unfathomable as recently as two decades ago.
  • Technology has brought people and communities together and provided hope for the disadvantaged and downtrodden (who can forget the Arab Spring!!??) 
  • It’s opened our minds (well, those whose minds are open to being opened, I guess) to “differences – the other” – whether we’re talking religion, sexuality, lifestyle, or culture. 
  • It has made us smarter! More information is at our fingertips than at any other time in the modern world. 
  • Applications and software have made life busier, sure, but easier as well. “There’s an app for that” was the war cry of the past two decades, and today everything from personal finances, health care, scheduling, and even entertainment has been made more efficient by the birth of tech. 
  • 3D printing is INSANE – helping the homeless, revolutionizing the mass-production of products (hello?? More efficient and less waste! YAY!) and also radically changing healthcare.
  • Augmented and virtual reality, while being super cool and loads of fun, is also being used to help doctors and surgeons do better work and allows the housebound and the elderly to experience the world around them in ways they never would have been able to before.

IS THIS BLOG POST EVER GOING TO END? 

Yes. It’s going to end. Soon, I promise! LOL 

Clearly I could go on and on and ON about how technology has improved our lives and enhanced the world around us. But we all have to keep a watchful eye on how it’s used. It behooves us all to NOT take for granted the gifts we have – whether natural or artificial. 

These past two decades have opened our eyes to some madness and badness in the world. Let’s use our collective knowledge to look forward to 2020, and be mindful of the pace of change, and how we can nurture it along so it’s for GOOD and not bad. 

Now, to give some well-deserved shout-outs as we wrap this decade and this year. And who better to include in these shout-outs than he who represents everything I’ve talked about above: the most internet famous, most meme’ed, most searched puppet that left 2019 absolutely LIT UP with joy – none other than Baby Yoda!  

Here’s to those of you who absolutely KILLED this year, grew your businesses, took command of your lives – or your marketing to another level — or took massive (and terrifying) leaps of faith in the face of change. Wield that light saber, ‘cause you all ROCK!

Shout out to the “generation wars” – look, can’t we all get along. LOL 

From Gen Zed to Millennials, from Generation X to the Boomers – each and every one of us brings something special to the table – and having a team filled with people of all ages makes for an infinitely better workforce, IMHO. That said, Ima make fun of you Boomers because this meme is the BEST!

A picture containing cat, indoor, primate, sitting

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Here’s to everyone who told you that you couldn’t do it this year. Or ANY year for that matter. Who scoffed at your big ideas, assumed you would fail, or made you feel small or not worthy. Give them a haughty eye-roll and sip that tea with your little finger held high. Because eff that attitude, amiright??

And finally, to end, here’s to YOU again, bravely leaping into this new year, nay into this new DECADE, with all the promise that newness brings. 

On a dog. 

Because why the hell not?

Filed Under: Blog

The state of inorganic social with Phil Yetman

August 18, 2019 by lftfield

 

And that’s a wrap on Season 1 of our scrappy little micro podcast, The 4 am Report.

👏👏👏

Two months ago, we thought, let’s give this podcasting thing a try. We had a good idea (a MICRO podcast) and an interesting angle (capitalizing on our work stress sleeplessness). 

So we bought some equipment.  Set up a sort-of recording studio.  And invited some of our colleagues and industry friends to join us.  

Cut to now. 10 episodes later.  And we’re leaning in folks. Season 2 is coming soon. 

To close out Season 1 we have the “Swiss Army Knife of marketing”, Phil Yetman on talking to us about strategy and end-to-end thinking when it comes to doing inorganic social media ad buys.

“One thing I like to tell my clients is an ad buy on its own is like a band going on stage with just the singer. It’ll probably work, but it’s not going to sound as good and not going to be as great if the whole band was on stage playing together.”

 

About Phil

Phil Yetman

Phil brings a design and technical background to digital project strategy and management, creating a valuable asset to the agency and clients we serve. He has planned and executed successful, award-winning campaigns for product based clients on both a local and national level, and has managed accounts with budgets ranging from four to seven figures.

Phil is the “swiss army knife” of marketing with vast knowledge of both consumer and business marketing and technical skill ranging from graphic design to complex online marketing campaigns. His experience includes digital management of websites, developing digital strategies, branding, social media strategy and full scale marketing campaigns.

Currently, Phil is focused on digital strategic design and integrated social marketing and search marketing.

Connect with Phil

Website

Facebook

LinkedIn


Filed Under: Podcasts

Where is the line with intellectual property in a digital world with Cynthia Mason

August 12, 2019 by lftfield


Are you guilty of copyright infringement on your social channels and don’t even know it?

In this episode of The 4 am Report we chat with Cynthia Mason, Lawyer and Trademark Agent. We invited Cynthia on to talk about intellectual property in a digital age, and also give us some much needed advice on where the line is when it comes to copyright infringement on your social channels.  

Cynthia starts by giving us a 101 on intellectual property. What you can and can’t trademark. And why it’s so important for businesses to do this:

“Your intellectual property is what sets you apart from everyone else out there.  At the heart of it the laws enable you to stop your competitors from competing with you.”

Then we get into an area that in Cynthia’s own words is “a bit messy.”

With social media, brands have become a lot more relaxed and realized the need to play in pop culture speak.

Sometimes, that can result in accidentally stepping over the line.

Will gave the example: “What if I’m a plumber, and I tweet ‘We’re the Superman of sink unclogging’. Did Will step over the line?  

Click to listen and see what Cynthia has to say about this. Plus she gives a bunch of tips to ensure you stay in the grey area and don’t cross the line.

About Cynthia

Cynthia Mason

Cynthia Mason is a Canadian lawyer and trademark agent who helps innovative businesses protect their names and logos. Over the last 15+ years, she has helped businesses of all sizes and stages protect their trademarks, and she’s passionate about teaching business owners how to protect all the hard work they’ve invested into growing their brands.

Connect with Cynthia

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook and Instagram: @MasonProfessionalCorporation

Filed Under: Podcasts

Controlling brand narrative in a digital world with Kevin Lennon

August 12, 2019 by lftfield


We’re talking with someone on this week’s episode of The 4 am Report who actually DOES sleep pretty soundly at night.  

What’s his secret?

“I try to discipline myself to work in a world of no surprises.”

Meet Kevin Lennon, a master of key messaging and narrative control. His career has run the communications gamut from a start in journalism, to working for major brands, to leading roles at PR agencies. For the past 20 plus years, he’s been principal at Trillium Corporate Communications. His sweet spot is working with top executives at major companies, preparing them for those big media interviews, working on their crisis comms protocol and getting them ready to meet with regulatory bodies.  

We discuss the power and persuasiveness of positive, future-oriented messaging and language.  Brands need to understand that everything put out there today, from a tweet to an interview with a reporter, is being scrutinized.  

“Make sure that every single word, every single image you put out into that marketplace is deliberate with an end goal in mind. And if you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything.”

One key take-away we got from Kevin — investing in ‘brand safety’ is a must.

About Kevin

Kevin Lennon has more than 30 years of experience in Journalism and Public Relations and is founder and president of Trillium Corporate Communications Inc. He is known for his creativity and clear strategic thinking, his winning strategies for dealing with sensitive issues and as one of Canada’s top communications skills trainers. His experience as a journalist, working for Canadian wire services and daily and weekly newspapers is regularly translated into practical advice about how to get positive media coverage — and minimize the impact of bad news situations. Kevin works with clients in the energy, entertainment, telecommunications, amateur and professional sports, resources, retail and financial sectors. He has also worked with national associations, provincial crown corporations, federal and provincial governments. He has worked internationally, managing projects in China, North Africa and throughout Latin America for major Canadian corporations. Kevin holds a Bachelors degree in Journalism from Ryerson Polytechnic University.

Filed Under: Podcasts

Visibility and Imposter Syndrome with Megan O’Neil

August 12, 2019 by lftfield


TODAY marks the release of episode 7!  🥳Our baby is 7 already. Where does the time go… 

Susan and Will talk to Business Mindset Strategist, Megan O’Neil on imposter syndrome and how that’s hampering marketers in their quest for visibility at a brand and personal level.

This one is good. In fact, it’s so good, we broke our promise to keep every episode micro.   

How very dare we, you ask? Well, whenever we talk to Marketing Mindset Strategist, Megan O’Neil, she gives us so much good stuff to ponder. This time her mindset advice is so good, we just hit record…and edited NOTHING out. (Don’t fret – It’s still a very digestible listen coming in at under 20 minutes).  

Megan chats with us about the complex dynamic of the times. Constant disruption and overwhelm. Fear that holds us back from the creativity that the environment demands. All heavily fuelled by the pseudo-wokeness of the social world. 

The solution: reframing failure. Understanding the process. Getting that ‘the people’ take time to catch up to things. And coming back to what you need to, when you need to, with a strong understanding of yourself, to deliver your masterpiece(s). It’s in us ALL. It sounds woo-woo. But  the brain is a powerful thing! And we all need to learn to master it.

Megan gives us a masterclass for marketers here.

Listen to this milestone episode of The 4 am Report. 

Or catch it on itunes. Hit subscribe! The last thing you need is 4 am FOMO 😱

About Megan:

Megan O’Neill is a Business Mindset Strategist with an international clientele. For over 18 years, she has assisted clients to break-free of limiting core beliefs, fears and patterns. Her work specializes in the area of entrepreneurial mindset—helping clients understand why they’re operating the way they are, and then working to clear it at a deep level so they can transform to who they really are!  

To learn more about Megan and how the method of coaching can help you, visit: www.meganoneill.ca or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Megancorebeliefs/

Filed Under: Podcasts

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