Lead Digital Strategist - Creative

Emily Fournier

## Five Quick Tips for Effective Content Marketing

Here at Fruition, we know that content marketing is key to an effective website, a meaningful email campaign, successful PPC campaigns, an authentic and engaging social media strategy, and so much more. When it comes to your overall marketing strategy, content is the thread that binds everything together. Without an effective content marketing strategy in place, your messaging might end up sounding disjointed, insincere, or just plain confusing, any of which will cost you and your business precious traffic. Plus, there’s no better vehicle for increasing SEO than a good, well-thought out content marketing strategy.  Related: How to Create a Blog Content Calendar But if you’re new to content marketing, it might seem daunting to think through all of the factors that need to go into a smart content strategy. That’s why we’ve pulled together a quick round up of some best practices for content marketing.  Here are Fruition’s top 5 tips for developing an effective content marketing strategy. 

## 1. Understand Your Audience, Then Make Them The Hero
No matter whether you plan to build out a series of blog posts, or if you’re just writing out copy for the different pages on your company’s website, the first thing you’ll need to do to build effective content is understand your audience. In other words, before you start writing, you need to assess the benefits that your company provides to your customers. Why do the people who use your product or service choose you over your competitors? What specific problems does your company solve for your customers? At its core, a content marketing strategy helps you think through how you’re having a conversation with your audience. What do you plan to tell them? What do they need to know about your product or service? These questions get a lot easier to answer effectively when you understand who exactly you’re talking to.  Once you have a firm understanding of your target audience, keep in mind that people tend to interact more positively with content that centers them as the “hero” of their own story. Be sure as you’re writing the blogs you have planned or the site copy you’re working on that what you’re putting down on the page is useful to your customers’ lives. After all, they are the hero, not your brand. 

## 2. Keep Your Content Goal-Oriented with Clear CTAs
Now you know who your customers are. The next step in creating a smart content strategy is to determine your brand’s goals. What do you want your audience to do? Deciding on which user actions equate to “conversions” for your brand is key for developing clear, compelling calls to action, or CTAs. Content marketing uses CTAs to help your brand achieve these goals. Do you want your customers to download an app? To buy a product? To write a referral? To download your whitepaper? Knowing what exactly your brand’s goals are helps focus your content marketing efforts, and will help you plan out your blog content calendar, or decide which pieces of content to prioritize. 

## 3. Harness the Power of SEO Keywords 
It’s no secret that content marketing and SEO go hand-in-hand. SEO, or search engine optimization refers to the way your website ranks for different search terms, or keywords. Using SEO software like Fruition's WTWON software you determine which keywords to “go after,” or try to rank for in searches. Content is your brand’s vehicle for incorporating these SEO keywords in a way that seems real and relevant to your audience’s needs. There is a delicate balance between stuffing a given blog or webpage with specific keywords and providing meaningful content that your brand’s audience will want to spend time reading. One smart way to use SEO keywords to inform your content marketing strategy is to plan your blog content calendar around topics which will both interest your audience and which will help you rank highly for SEO. At Fruition, our content marketing team works closely with our SEO experts to ensure that the blogs we write for our clients are well optimized for search engines while remaining helpful to readers.  Related: What to Expect from an SEO Assessment

## 4. Use Data to Inform Your Content Strategy
As you develop your brand’s content marketing strategy, it’s important to keep an eye on how each blog you write is performing. Using tools like Google Analytics to track key statistics such as pageviews, unique pageviews, bounce rates, time on page, and scroll depth can help inform how well your content is serving your brand. Compare your blogs’ stats with the benchmarks for your industry. If your content is over-performing, great! Keep doing what you’re doing, or build in a few blogs designed to take some risks and try to rank for harder to win SEO keywords.  If, however, your content is under-performing, think about whether you’re addressing your specific audience’s needs. Have you built in enough keywords? If your content is not ranking highly enough for SEO, your audience might be having a hard time finding your content in the first place. When our content team at Fruition works with our clients, we perform a holistic assessment of our clients’ existing content to determine how well their content marketing efforts are performing in 11 key areas, including tone, user path, keyword density, and more. If you find yourself really struggling with understanding how to better tailor your content marketing strategy, it might be time to consult a digital marketing agency like Fruition for assistance. 

## 5. Keep Other Content Channels in Mind
As you build out your brand’s content marketing strategy, we recommend thinking beyond just the blog content and the landing pages on your website. There are plenty of channels that your audience might be using in order to find the information they need. Video, for instance, is emerging as a key channel for marketing efforts. It’s often worthwhile to think about how you can use paid campaigns, email marketing campaigns, or social media to supplement your blog content, or vice versa. Working with a multi-service agency can make this process much easier, but even if you’re handling content marketing for your business on your own, it can be well worth your time to consider a several-channel approach to content marketing.  Related: Benefits of a Multi-Service Agency Need help perfecting your brand’s messaging? Our SEO team will optimize your site and get you ranking again. 

Revamp your marketing approach with Fruitio's comprehensive guide. Dive into 5 result-driven tactics to understand your audience, create impactful CTAs, and harness your data for an effective marketing strategy. Forge stronger connections and witness your traffic skyrocket today.

Unlock Higher Traffic & Engagement with Fruitio's Proven Content Marketing & SEO Tactics

# Clutch Names Fruition As A Top Digital Agency in Colorado

Clutch, the renowned B2B rating and review platform, named Fruition as one of Colorado’s top digital agencies for 2020, 2021, and 2022! Clutch has provided praise for our web design and development. As 2022 has presented continued challenges for companies across industries, Fruition is proud to be recognized as a great investment for our clients’ businesses. Our dedication to building, growing, and protecting is demonstrated by Clutch and their research, which shows that among all B2B providers in Colorado, we’re consistently one of the best.  

![clutch-image-278x300.png](https://s3.us-east-1.wasabisys.com/cdn.fruition.net/clutch_image_278x300_c0a9d2a660.png)

"Our top priority is helping our clients succeed,” says Jim Collins, CEO of Fruition. “We’re  thrilled that our efforts and genuine partnerships have allowed Clutch to name us as one of the leading B2B development and marketing providers in North America."  Clutch is the world’s leading B2B ratings and B2B listing resource. Clutch’s dedicated team of analysts conduct reviews with clients from around the world. Then, their editorial team independently verifies the content and curates it into a case study format, ensuring that viewers receive all the information they need to choose a B2B service.  Clutch is the gold standard for B2B ratings and reviews, and we’re honored to maintain a stellar review average on the platform and to be highlighted on The Manifest, their sister site. In a recent review, the Director of Business Development for CEMCO praised our WordPress development:

![best-reviews-of-digital-agency-denver.png](https://cdn.fruition.net/best_reviews_of_digital_agency_denver_a3242d5978.png)

We’re incredibly grateful to all of our satisfied clients. To join their ranks, please contact us today to learn how we can make digital your advantage.

Fruition is a Denver-based Digital Marketing Agency. Learn more about why Fruition earned the title of “Top Digital Agency in Colorado” from Clutch.

Clutch Names Fruition As A Top Digital Agency in Colorado

# Clutch Names Fruition as a Top Web Design Company in Colorado for 2022

Since Fruition was founded almost two decades ago, our aim has always been to solve problems through technology.  For many years our team has worked to deliver the best possible results through this approach and it’s paying off. We’re happy to share that we’ve been recognized as one of the top web design companies in Colorado for 2022 by Clutch, an online review and rating platform based in Washington DC. They employ a unique verification process that allows them to determine the authenticity of the information sent to them before publishing it in the form of reviews. To be named as one of the top companies in the Clutch criteria, a team first needs to earn as many high-quality reviews from their clients as possible. The fact that we’re on a list of leading firms in Colorado speaks volumes about the work our team completes and the satisfaction of our partners.  “Being recognized by Clutch as a Global Leader means a lot to the Fruition team. We have achieved a lot of big wins for our clients over the last 12 months and it feels good as a team to be recognized.” - Jim Collins, CEO of Fruition. In addition to this most recent award, we’ve also recently been named as one of the best design teams in Denver by Visual Objects, another B2B platform. Discover why so many platforms are giving us awards for our services by exploring our website or contacting us. We’d love to speak with you about our work and how we can positively impact your business.

Find out why Fruition has been recognized as a top UX/UI web design agency in Colorado. Need a website redesign? Contact us today!

Clutch Names Fruition as a Top Web Design Company in Colorado for 2022

# Creating a More Effective Content Calendar

Creating a content calendar is an essential part of any content marketing strategy. It can be used to plan, organize and track content production, as well as track performance. It is an invaluable tool when it comes to content marketing success. The first step in creating an effective content calendar is to identify your goals and objectives. This will help you determine which types of content you will produce, when and how often. It will also help you determine which channels you will use to promote your content and when. Next, you should decide on your content topics. Brainstorm ideas and create a list of topics that are relevant to your target audience and that fit within the overall goals of your content marketing strategy. Once you have identified your topics, it’s time to create a timeline. Decide when you will publish each piece of content and how long it will take you to create it. You should also consider how often you will post and how much time you will dedicate to promoting each piece of content. Finally, you should use a content calendar template to track and organize all of your content. A content calendar template can help you keep track of your content production schedule, track performance, and ensure that you are producing content that is in line with your goals. Creating an effective content calendar can help you ensure that you are producing quality content that is reaching your target audience. By following these steps and using a content calendar template, you can create a successful content marketing strategy that is sure to bring results.

## Becoming a thought leader with relevant content
Blogging is a useful tool for helping you increase traffic to your site, position your company as a thought leader, and connect with your users. With so many valuable benefits, it’s important to take a thoughtful approach to your blog. A blog content calendar is critical to building a successful blog strategy and meeting your larger business goals.

## What Is a Blog Content Calendar?
A blog content calendar is a written schedule outlining what upcoming content you’re creating, when it will be published, and, depending on your needs, where your content will be shared. Creating a blog calendar will help you determine the status of upcoming content, keep your content team organized, and ensure your business is regularly producing or updating site content. 

## Step-By-Step Guide For Creating Your Blog Calendar
### 1. Choose a Format
Before you begin drafting your blog calendar, you’ll need a place to organize your ideas. One of the easiest options is to set up a Microsoft Excel or Google sheet. For a digital marketing agency, Google Sheets are extremely helpful for customizing calendars for each account, collaborating with clients, and sharing the rationale behind each blog. In the example content calendar below, you’ll see we created sections for blog descriptions, notable holidays, and which target audience each blog is targeting.  

![Fru-blog-image-jan-21.png](https://s3.us-east-1.wasabisys.com/cdn.fruition.net/Fru_blog_image_jan_21_662660952a.png)

Depending on the purpose of your business and the size of your content team, you could also choose to use a project management tool like Jira.

### 2. Consider Your Target Audiences 
Before you home in on specific blog topics, consider each segment of your audience and what’s important to them. For example, if you own an eCommerce store that sells dog toys, some segments of your audience may care most about quality, while others want to learn more ways to keep their dog engaged.   
### 3. Consider Your Business Goals 
Determine what business goals you want your content to support this quarter or this year. If you’re focusing on lead generation, more of your blogs should target prospective customers. If you’re focusing on retention, you’ll need to create high-quality content for existing customers. 
### 4. Perform Keyword Research & Identify Keyword Gaps 
Now that you know what your audience cares about and what content will support the greater business, perform keyword research to tap into current search trends. Using tools like Google Trends can help you identify popular keyword searches and what long-term keywords you may be able to focus on. While you’re performing keyword research, be sure to look at what your close competitors are ranking for using a 3rd party tool. Not only can this help you develop new blog ideas, but you may be able to steal traffic away from your competition.
### 5. Plug In Topics 
With all this knowledge, it’s time to start building out your content calendar. Plug in topics to each month, keeping in mind holidays, events, product launches, and other timely events.
### 6. Write Yourself Notes
The “Notes” column in our content calendar example is there for a reason. Most content teams plan content a quarter or more in advance, which means you may not remember all the details you spent so much time researching. The notes column is a great place to add ideas, resources, and potential keywords you’d like to use when writing the piece.
### 7. Leave Room For the Unexpected 
Planning content in advance is a great way to keep your content team on track and ensure you have enough time to put out quality pieces. However, it’s important to leave some time for unexpected events. Add some flexibility and placeholders into your calendar so your team can balance both pre-planned and responsive content. Having a strong content calendar is the cornerstone of great content. If you have questions about how to build or execute your blog content strategy, contact us today. Our talented content team can help you develop, write, and optimize your content to connect with new and existing audiences.

Learn why a blog content calendar is important and discover how to create a content calendar for your business with our step-by-step tips.

Creating a More Effective Content Calendar

# Digital Marketing For Small(ish) Businesses

At Fruition, we love educating our clients on the ins and outs of digital marketing strategy and more, but sometimes we get lucky and our clients are already experts in the field. Case in point, Sydnee Thompson who oversees Digital Media for our client Ontario International Airport. Sydnee is not only a fantastic marketer for @FlyONT – she also owns and operates a content marketing consultancy of her own, Digital319. We asked her to give us her top tips on social, specifically for small businesses.  As a small business owner or entrepreneur, the list of roles you fulfill to keep your passion afloat is endless. And somehow, amid owning, managing, financing, and growing your company, you’re supposed to have a perfectly curated social media presence online…right? HA!  It might seem like a lot of work, but 96% of small businesses use social media in their marketing strategy, and with its strengths in reach and exposure, that’s a no-brainer. Use the tools social platforms provide, like their corporate blogs or in-platform accounts (ex. @instagramforbusiness), to stay up to date on features, analytics and how you can position your company best across that particular network. Related: 5 Tips for Creating a Cohesive Instagram Feed I’ve spent most of my time as a Social & Digital Strategist over the last 9 years crafting, implementing, and executing successful content marketing and digital strategies for brands large and small. Over the last year, as the owner of my own content marketing consultancy, I’ve become well acquainted with the struggles of staying above the social media waters for my brand while managing my business, my clients, and my team. With all the hats we wear as business owners, it’s no easy feat to stay consistent with our brands’ social media. Here are five social media strategies that keep me grounded as I’m planning content, and I know they will work in your favor, too.

## 1. Be Intentional With Your Social Media Feed
Thinking about what you want to post today for today is not strategy. In order to strategically publish content, you must plan content. Whether it’s on a Sunday before your week starts or on a no-meeting day during the week, set 3-5 hours a week to work on ideas & content for your channels. Sharing impactful, engaging, and conversion-focused posts with your audience takes dedicated planning that involves brainstorming, mapping out executions, and then creating the content you plan to deliver.

## 2. Social Media is a Two-Way Street
The first word of this communication type tells us all we need to know, as consumers & business owners, about how we should use this medium… SOCIAL. This space is a two-way street, especially for brands & business owners. TV, newspaper, and radio are all one-way streets. They speak at us, not with us; we can hear from them, but we can’t communicate back to them. Social media is different. It’s an ever-evolving territory. You cannot afford to “post & ghost”—don’t just post and then leave the app without engaging with your audience or your feed.  In short, when it comes to your online audience, do all the things: reply to comments, answer direct messages, engage with their content, share their relevant content in your stories or feed, poll them on key topics surrounding your business or industry, give them a sneak peek into your life wearing another hat (parent, traveler, yoga junkie), etc. Social media is a shared community between your customers/clients and you. Use that to your advantage.

## 3. Find, Build, & Be Your Audience
Before starting your business, how much thought did you put into who your business would serve or benefit? How do they communicate with your brand? Where are they…physically and digitally? Your audience is the glue between why your brand exists and how your brand will continue to thrive. Keeping this community at the core of your product/service decisions, content creation, platform presence, brand voice and tone, and so much more within your social strategy is non-negotiable. Once you’ve identified this audience, where to find them, and how to reach them, don’t think of them as a group you’re not a part of. The best brands, large and small, are successful because they’ve learned how to “be” their audience. Don’t talk at them or make for them,  but truly BE THEM and reflect that throughout all executions. 

## 4. Don’t Believe the Hype—Social Media Is About Your Audience
How many times have you been told, “tHe PeRFeCt fOrmUla” for being successful on social media is posting 5-7 posts, 2-3 reels, 6-12 stories, etc. a week? Or something similar? Don’t join the rat race. Don’t believe the hype. Don’t do it all, just do what works. There is no way you can commit to outrageous post quantities while running your business. Focus instead on posting content that is beneficial for your brand and your audience. Study & apply your insights, and develop a relationship with your audience and how they engage with you. At the crux of these two key steps, you’ll find the post frequency that makes sense for your brand.

## 5. Track Your Progress With Insights
Remember when I said social media is a two-way street? Well, that two-way street also has shoulders on the side. And those shoulders = your analytics. Before and after publishing (on a set frequency…weekly, monthly, per campaign, etc.) it’s a must to check out your insights. To publish and not engage is bad. To publish & engage and not track your performance is all bad. Let's aim for the good. How do you know what resonates with your audience? How do you know when to post for optimal engagement or reach? How do you know the demographic and psychographic makeup of your followers? One word: insights. Map out what key performance indicators (KPIs) matter to you (comments, shares, visits to your website, etc.). Make a habit to frequently check your insights and compare them, weekly, monthly, etc. to find content opportunities and improve your connection with your community.  These same gems can be applied to the management of your website or blog—try them out there as well. Wherever you are in your business journey, I hope these tips replace stress with strategy and confusion with confidence. You got this! —Syd Sydnee is such a brilliant marketer and a wonderful client. If you’re not sure where to start with your own social media marketing, start with Sydnee’s tips, and then give us a call. Here at Fruition, we’re always happy to help your business grow, big or small, no matter what industry you’re in.



Our friend Sydnee Thompson, Director of Digital Media for Ontario International Airport, gives us 5 tips for social media strategy and beyond.

Digital Marketing For Small(ish) Businesses

# Fruition Named A Colorado Companies To Watch Winner

**Denver, Colorado, September 25, 2020** Fruition, a top digital agency in Denver, was named a Colorado Company to Watch. The award recognizes the excellence, drive, and influence of Fruition as the agency continues to grow. Colorado Companies to Watch recognizes second stage companies that develop innovative products and services, create quality jobs, enrich and support their community, and contribute to new industries throughout Colorado.  When Fruition was founded in 2001, the agency focused solely on SEO. 

## 20 Years of Growth
In the past 20 years, Fruition has grown to encompass full-funnel digital marketing, design, and development. In addition to maintaining near-perfect client reviews on Clutch, the company also donates time and services to several local charitable organizations. “From our services to our culture and philanthropic efforts, Fruition is focused on strengthening our team and the greater community,” says Jim Collins, Fruition CEO. “We’re extremely honored to be named a Colorado Company to Watch, and we can’t wait to see where Fruition goes from here.”  Colorado Companies to Watch, brought to you by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, recognizes the driving economic focuses in the state by focusing not only on growth but on the true impact and influence of Colorado businesses. The program seeks to recognize the organizations that drive economic prosperity and positively impact their industries, communities and the state as a whole.   “We are pleased to recognize Fruition as one of Colorado’s 50 most innovative 2nd stage companies,” says Jill Terry, Colorado Companies to Watch Chairman. “These companies contribute significantly to the growth and economic independence of the state by developing new services and products, creating jobs, enriching communities, and generating new industries”  About Fruition  Fruition is a Denver-based, full-service digital agency. 

## Advanced SEO, Paid Media, and Website Development based in Colorado
Specializing in SEO, website design, development, and hosting,  Fruition builds, grows, and protects your business by increasing your online presence while reducing risks. Unlike niche agencies who only offer development, marketing, or hosting support, Fruition has experts in each service area so your company can use digital as your competitive advantage.



Fruition was named a Colorado Company to Watch. Learn more about Fruition and discover why the Denver-based digital agency received this award.

Fruition Named A Colorado Companies To Watch Winner

# Fruition Strengthens Team By Acquiring Wandrblu Digital

**Denver, Colorado, January 9, 2020** Fruition, one of Denver’s top digital marketing agencies, acquired Wandrblu Digital on Wednesday, January 1st. Wandrblu Digital, a social media marketing and creative agency, specializes in planning and implementing effective social media strategies across platforms as well as creating custom photography, videography, and animation for their clients. Given the companies’ shared values, goals, and level of talent, the merge will provide both Fruition and Wandrblu Digital customers an even higher level of service.  

![wandrblulogo-300x138.png](https://s3.us-east-1.wasabisys.com/cdn.fruition.net/wandrblulogo_300x138_4510d407bd.png)

Fruition and Wandrblu Digital are both relentlessly focused on delivering results, and their work is recognized by their stellar reviews on Clutch. As top marketing firms in Denver, Fruition and Wandrblu Digital boast near-perfect client ratings of 4.9 and 4.8, respectively. By merging together under the Fruition name, the agencies will combine their strengths to provide unparalleled solutions and strategies and to their clients.  

## Social Media Company in Denver Acquired
As the companies merge, Mike Mercea, the President and CEO of Wandrblu Digital, will join Fruition’s Business Development team. Fruition will maintain Wandrblu Digital’s current client base and leverage Mike’s experience in creating and executing social media strategy for Fruition’s current partners.  “We’re immensely excited about the opportunity to join forces with Wandrblu Digital and welcome Mike to the Fruition team,” says Fruition CEO, Jim Collins. “We pride ourselves on our technical expertise in all things digital, and this merger gives us the opportunity to deepen our knowledge and ability to deliver custom, industry-leading solutions.”

**Does your business need social media marketing solutions?**
Social Media Services for Businesses
  Fruition Growth, LLC is a Denver-based full service digital marketing agency. Specializing in SEO, website design, development, and hosting,  Fruition builds, grows, and protects your business by increasing your online presence while reducing risks. Unlike niche agencies who only offer development, marketing, or hosting support, Fruition has experts in each service area so your company can use digital as your competitive advantage.     PRESS CONTACT
Emily Wheeler, Content Manager Fruition Growth, LLC 616 Speer Boulevard, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 395-1880

Fruition acquired Wandrblu Digital, a social media and creative agency that specializes in social media strategies, photography, videography, and animation.

Fruition Strengthens Team By Acquiring Wandrblu Digital

# Fruition Team Member Spotlight: Lynne Craig

At Fruition, we strongly believe that it is our amazing, expert team (or FruCrew, as we affectionately call ourselves) that sets us apart from the competition. All of our team members bring years of experience in our work as well as big personality to our interactions with clients, and we couldn’t be more proud. We’re highlighting each member of our team so that you can get to know us a little better. This month, we’re kicking things off with one of our team members at the heart of the FruCrew creative team, our fabulous Vice President of Digital Marketing, Lynne Craig.

## Decades of Broad, Proactive Digital Marketing Expertise
Lynne Craig VP Digital MarketingWhile Lynne has been with Fruition for eight years, she brings to the team over 15 years of marketing experience across multiple industries like healthcare, eCommerce, professional services, hospitality, and nonprofit work. She’s driven by the promise of helping build dependable, trusted partnerships with her many clients, and she’s a master of crafting creative campaigns that deliver key results while staying true to the heart of each client’s business. When it comes to anticipating client needs, Lynne is an absolute pro, and those of us lucky enough to be a part of her team feel that proactive spirit every day, too. In her role at Fruition, Lynne cherishes the opportunity to coach team members and watch them succeed. She also loves getting to learn something new each day in the process of building long-term client relationships. “I can honestly say that each day here has been unique, which is what I love about my job,” Lynne says. But her favorite part of working at Fruition? “The people, hands down.” Lynne feels very excited about Fruition’s future. “The acceleration of everything shifting to digital over the past year is making it an exciting time to be working in digital marketing,” she says. “I’m excited about how we can harness the technology, new platforms, and strategies to further the success of our clients’ businesses online.” Read more: maximizing your digital agencies potential

## Lynne’s Key Value: Give A Sh*t
Growing up as a surprisingly shy kid in Illinois, Lynne has always been influenced by her father, a hard-working foundry worker and entrepreneur who started his own successful company during Lynne’s teenage years. In his office in their family home, Lynne’s dad had hung a felt banner that read “Give s Sh*t.” That statement stuck with Lynne, and influenced everything she did. It’s actually thanks to Lynne (and her father) that one of Fruition’s core values is Give a Sh*t. When Brad Anderson, the founder of Fruition, got to meet Lynne’s father in person, Brad asked him what he believed factored into the success and longevity of the company he’d started. Lynne’s dad answered: “Always hire people who Give a Sh*t.” The concept stuck with Brad, just as it had with Lynne, and a new value was born.  To Lynne, the general idea behind “Give a Sh*t” is simple. “I approach it from a place of genuine care for the work that you deliver or do,” she says. “No matter what I’m doing for work, I want to make sure I’m giving my clients or customers the best possible experience, the best possible solutions. It’s literally giving a sh*t, or caring deeply about, every aspect of the business that I touch. This is the story-line that I’ve been hearing forever. It’s in the fabric of who I am, especially when it comes to work.”

## When She’s Not Hard at Work, You Can Find Lynne…
An avid fan of the outdoors, Lynne spends her free time fly fishing, hiking, or skiing around Colorado. (Lynne’s a big proponent of the annual Fruition company ski day in the winter). She also loves baking anything she can find on Pinterest. She’s a particular fan of chocolate chip cookies, but her proudest baking accomplishment has to be her entirely scratch-made Italian Creme Cake, filled with layers and layers of soft cake and hand-made cream cheese icing. Lynne also cares for the community (she’s a board member for Playworks Colorado), and is a big family person—and has one of the sweetest dogs ever, Stanley (#stanthedogman) When we asked Lynne what she would do if she won the lottery, she said that her first priority would be to make sure that all of her nieces and nephews had enough money for college and to set up her family so that they’d never have to worry about money again. Then she’d use the rest to throw “a hell of a party” with family and close friends, and set up a company of her own focusing on social impact causes and services. Oh, and she’d also be sure to write a nice check to the person who sold her the lotto ticket—Lynne is the type of person who wants to make sure everyone’s needs are taken care of, especially those she partners with. That’s just what happens when you give a sh*t and why Fruition has the best digital marketing team. We are proud of the skills we bring to the table, and we know that we can help your business grow and thrive, no matter what industry you’re in. Book a digital marketing chat with us today.


Learn more about the amazing FruCrew, starting with our wonderful Vice President of Digital Marketing, Lynne Craig.

Fruition Team Member Spotlight: Lynne Craig

# Fruition Team Member Spotlight: Terrence Dobbs

When you partner with Fruition, you have so many resources at your disposal, including our phenomenal team, (or FruCrew, as we affectionately call ourselves). We strongly believe that our people are what truly sets us apart from other agencies. Across all channels, our team members approach the work we do with years of experience in their fields. We take pride in the work we provide for our clients, so we’re highlighting each member of our team so that you can get to know us a little better.  Related: About Our Team This month, we’re getting social with one of our most innovative Social Media Specialists, the inimitable Terrence Dobbs.

## For Terrence, Social Strategy Means Change
Terrence Dobbs Digital Marketing Paid Media StudA KU Jayhawk, Terrence became part of the FruCrew almost a year ago, but he’s already made himself a cornerstone on our social team. This is in part thanks to his expertise in social media content strategy, honed through years of work in several industries, but also because of his infectious personality. Always looking for a challenge, for something new to learn from his work, Terrence says that his favorite part of working in social media is that its constantly changing nature means no one day of work is the same. In his role at Fruition, Terrence likes getting to share his knowledge with the rest of his team as much as he enjoys learning from them as well. “The people I work with are very smart, kind and supportive,” he says. “You can do digital marketing just about anywhere these days, but the people at Fruition make it an ideal place to work.” The rest of the social media team feels much the same about Terrence himself.  While Terrence likes the personal nature of social media, he also is excited about the data side of the channel. There are so many ways that data informs social media strategy, and ever-evolving tools that make social media channels more interesting to work with. For Terrence, these new realms of social media work are exciting.  Read more: The Marketer’s Guide to Social Media Chatbots

## Terrence’s Key Value: Keep Going
Terrence says that his motto is “Keep going.” This tenacity dovetails well with one of Fruition’s key company values—Get Sh*t Done, or GSD. As a team, the FruCrew takes pride in our work, and we all pull together to make what needs to happen happen. Terrence’s hard working spirit and dedication to moving forward through tough tasks make him a perfect example of this value, and his clients benefit from his work ethic every month.  For Terrence, keeping himself moving forward is both an intellectual and physical pursuit. His drive across the board is unmatched. As hard as he works in the Fruition office, Terrence also puts in work in the gym and on the stage. 

## When He’s Not Building Content Calendars, Terrence Likes To…
As much as Terrence is a fitness enthusiast, you’re just as likely to find Terrence pumping iron at the gym as browsing the stacks of comic books at Mutiny Comics on South Broadway. He’s also a fledgling stand-up comedian and a particularly talented singer.  If Terrence suddenly won the lottery, he says he’d schedule a world tour, starting with some pretty fabulous beaches. First on the list? Ibiza and Singapore, followed by London and Paris, maybe even Paraguay. He’d call up all his nearest and dearest, then together they’d hop from place to place, living it up and always embracing the opportunity to try something new. Who knows? Maybe if Terrence hits it big, we’ll be lucky enough to get to follow along with his adventures on social media.  We are proud of the skills we bring to the table, and we know that we can help your business grow and thrive, no matter what industry you’re in.

What sets Fruition apart is our amazing team. Learn more about one of our amazing Social Media Specialists, Terrence Dobbs.

Fruition Team Member Spotlight: Terrence Dobbs

# How to Create Compelling and Cohesive Cross-Channel Marketing Messaging

More and more, customers today are looking for unified brand messaging from companies as proof of their authenticity and overall quality. But cross-channel marketing—marketing efforts which involve more than one channel, such as email or social media, for example—can be difficult to do correctly. If your cross-channel marketing strategy is not consistent, it can defeat the purpose of attempting cross-channel marketing (or omni-channel marketing) at all. Related: How Personalization Improves Your Email Marketing Campaigns

## What is Cross-Channel Marketing?
Cross-channel marketing is the practice of unifying your messaging across multiple channels of communication. For example, in single-channel marketing, you might only reach out to your customer base through one channel, perhaps with marketing emails. In cross-channel marketing, you’re addressing your customer base through multiple channels (email, social media, paid search, organic content, targeted ads, and so on). To effectively use cross-channel marketing, you’ll need to ensure that your team has:

- top-notch communication practices in place,
- a firm idea of the core values of your brand, and
- a good understanding of what your audience is expecting tonally from each different channel of communication you plan to use.

At Fruition, each marketing channel works together to strategize for our clients, even when a client only uses single-channel marketing. Here’s how we nail our cross-channel marketing efforts, and what you can do to keep your messaging consistent across all channels.

## Communication Between Marketing Channels is Key
When we work with clients, we have formal discussions around how they want their brand to sound. It’s important to talk when you first start working together about how the client wants their brand to sound. It's important to ask how they want to be seen across different channels. Then once you have that baseline, it’s a good idea to make an editorial guide that is shared between each party responsible for the different channels (e.g. social media, email, content, paid search, and so on). With the editorial guide, anyone who writes content on any channel can see the plan for representing the client’s brand voice, and how it might or may not change across channels.

## Do A Branding Workshop to Determine Your Core Values
Before you start messaging of any kind, we recommend that you do some kind of branding exercise to determine what your brand values are. Your brand values share the why behind your overall brand voice, so it is important to determine what that is. Generally speaking, your brand’s values should form the core of your messaging to your audience. Once you determine your brand values, you can optimize your messaging for each marketing channel based on what resonates most with your audience. Read more: Want to Measure User Behavior? Try Heat-Mapping

## Think About The Personality of Each Channel Itself
As you develop your cross-channel content marketing strategy, make sure that you consider the different tones that are popular on each channel you’re thinking of using. For instance, Twitter is very in your face—it’s tongue in cheek and silly a lot of the time. Your brand might not necessarily decide to communicate the same way on Twitter as it does on, say, LinkedIn. Email marketing should likely take a more personal, individualized tone than content published on your site’s blog. As you develop your plan for content on each channel, take user behavior into account, but make sure you’re staying true to your brand’s core values, too. No matter what content channel you’ll want to make sure that the core message is still the same. Consistency is key, because in all audience-brand communication, what you say is who you are.  These are just a few of the ways that cross-channel messaging can benefit your brand. By adopting cross-channel messaging, your marketing strategy will be more cohesive, authentic, and compelling. If you need help building an effective cross-channel marketing strategy for your brand, our team here at Fruition is always here to help. 

Cross channel marketing messages are difficult to create. This how to guide helps you jump start your messaging.

How to Create Compelling and Cohesive Cross-Channel Marketing Messaging

# How To Prepare Your Marketing Strategy For The Holidays

The holiday season is here, which means if you haven’t solidified your marketing strategy yet, now’s the time! To help you have the most successful season possible, our team of marketing experts came together to share some of the most important holiday marketing tips. From optimizing your site for SEO to giving your social media feed an extra splash of holiday cheer, read on to discover how to make your company stand out this season.

## Holiday SEO Tips
When it comes to SEO, it can take some time to gain traction. If you’re planning to launch new products, landing pages, or perform on-page and technical optimizations, do them early. It’s best practice to give Google anywhere from 45 days to 2 months to index and rank new content in search results pages. After you plan ahead, be sure to: 

- **Update your website content:** if you have rotational content on your website that’s promoted on the homepage, give it a holiday spin. Change out hero images with holiday-themed images, holiday sale promotions, or gift ideas. 
- **Update your GMB listing:** Update your store hours and the days you will be closed. If you have big sales coming up, create a post from your GMB listing to promote them. 
- **Refresh older holiday-related content:** If you have holiday-themed articles from previous years, give this content a second look. To improve ranking of older pages, update content and add ranking holiday SEO keywords to signal to Google that pages are current and relevant. Also, bringing this content to the front of the website by linking to it from the home page or other newer articles will make it easier for people to find on your site organically. Not sure what to update? Look for landing pages discussing gift ideas, shopping tips, or holiday stress-relieving strategies.
- **Check your mobile page speed & optimization:** About half of online shopping is done from a mobile device - and about 40% of users will go to a competitor after a bad mobile experience. To crush it this quarter, now’s the time to make sure your mobile speed is performing well and your site is optimized for mobile devices!

## How To Stand Out On Social Media This Holiday Season
The holidays are a great time to reconnect with your audience and encourage them to engage more with your brand. To make your company stand out, try these holiday social media strategies: 

- **Incorporate festive imagery:** make your feed, stories, and ads sparkle by incorporating festive imagery and copy. Seasonal content traditionally does well on social because winter and holiday creative is what audiences expect to see on their feeds and timelines this time of year. Make sure to add specific imagery to your social media holiday calendar this season.
- **Offer customers a gift:** Celebrate the season by offering customers something special. Think outside discounts and free shipping - consider offering a free download, a fun video, or something else to make your customers smile! This helps cut through the social media clutter to help your company drive conversions and move customers through the funnel. 
- **Give back:** Find ways to celebrate in ways that highlight your company’s culture. Host a virtual event, donate to charity, or sign up for a community service project as a company. This builds loyalty and a “warm & fuzzy” feeling among your followers. 
- **Add videos:** With Tik Tok, Reels, and the opportunity to go live, it’s no secret that video is all the rage. Algorithms reward video content with more exposure and impressions, so adding video to your social media page is a great way to increase brand awareness this holiday season. 
- **Be authentic:** This time of year, there’s so much merry messaging that it can be difficult to stand out among the crowd. Wondering how you can cut through the noise? Be authentic! Keep it personal and real - your audience knows no one is perfect (especially during the hectic holiday season). Plus taking a break from talking about promotions, products, and special offers will help diversify your content and help your readers feel less like you’re trying to sell something.

## Holiday Tips For Paid Search 
To get the most return on ad spend, follow these paid search tips to have a successful holiday marketing campaign: 
- **Create remarketing campaigns for display and search:** Focusing on existing customers can give you big returns. By remarketing to your current and previous customers, you can boost conversions.
- **Offer a new customer discount:** This time of year, gift-givers are searching for products their loved ones will love. Entice them to choose your company by offering a special discount.
- **Set up ad extensions, especially your promotional extensions:** Extensions give your ad additional information, which can increase your ad’s click-through-rate.
- **Streamline landing pages:** Make sure relevant landing pages clearly state the promotion. To make the checkout process easier, make sure your coupon code can be auto-populated with URL tracking.
Use different phrases: Don’t settle for the general terms you’ve been targeting all year long. Choose new, timely phrases to target to engage your audience and extend your reach.

## Tips For Holiday Email Marketing
Emails are a go-to strategy for many companies this season. Make yours more effective by following these tips: 
- **Practice list hygiene:** Make sure your emails will actually get delivered by cleaning up and segmenting your list. Now’s a great time to segment your list by year-round and seasonal/promotional shoppers and create different offers to entice each audience.
- **Watch your sending cadence:** More emails during the holidays is expected, but if your audience is used to two emails a month, they’re not going to be happy with a huge increase in volume. If you plan on sending out more emails, offer a preference center for them to opt-out of extra promotions so they don’t unsubscribe. 
- **Add some festiveness to your holiday email subject lines:** Think light-hearted, seasonal, and fun! Inboxed are inundated during the holiday season, so it’s even more important to grab the attention of your subscribers this time of year.
- **Copy is key:** Make your copy just as enticing as your subject lines! Sale-end countdowns, holiday gift guides, and shipping deadlines for last-minute shoppers are just a few great ideas. 
- **Have fun with your template:** The holidays are the perfect time to switch things up. Delight your customers by matching your template to the holiday, using fun gifs, or adding some whimsy elements. 

**Need more email inspiration?**  Read our tips for nailing Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails. 
For many businesses, the holiday season is one of the most important sales periods of the year. Using these tips, you’ll be well on your way to gaining new customers and maximizing your conversions. If you want even more support, contact the Fruition team today to learn more about our full-funnel marketing strategies. 

Maximize your holiday marketing strategies across social, SEO, and paid search. Learn how to gain traffic and increase conversions this holiday season.

Emily Fournier

Lead Digital Strategist - Creative

Emily Fournier

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