Andrew Young, CEO of Core and More Technologies and Matt Fraser, Chief Strategy Officer at Digital Web Solutions (DWS) sat down for an Ecoffee conversation about the awesome potential of Google Local Service Ads when it comes to creating powerful and cost-effective digital marketing strategies for local businesses. We at Core and More Technologies are grateful for the leading role that DWS has taken in bringing together top talent from around the industry to discuss key topics relating to the digital world as a whole.

As two experienced digital marketing executives, Andrew and Matt are well-positioned to discuss the merits of Google Local Service Ads. In their recent conversation, the two men detailed how these ads can provide an effective and cost-efficient way for local businesses to reach new customers and how this can be better accomplished in combination with other channels such as traditional cost per click (Google Ads aka SEM aka PPC) and organic optimizations (SEO).

Fraser and Young agreed that Local Service Ads are a powerful tool that every local business should be using to boost their digital marketing efforts. By taking advantage of this cost-effective and highly effective form of advertising, businesses can quickly expand their reach and bring in new leads and customers. For reference, Andrew had also written a very detailed blog post on the subject early in 2021 that remains highly relevant today:

• From February of 2021: The Power of Google Local Service Ads

Before we dive into this article, it should be noted that it is part of an ongoing series of posts that we have been creating along the lines of SEO from both a technical and promotional standpoint -> 

1. From March of 2021: Is SEO As Important Today As It Was In The Past? You May Not Think So, But Not So Fast
2. From June of 2021: Google Page Experience Algorithm Update 

When choosing a digital strategy, companies often need to decide between investing in paid ads or building content and backlinks to naturally generate rankings via search engines (aka organic rankings through SEO (search engine optimization)).  

There are pros and cons to each. Organic is a natural way to put content on the web and as we all know, content is king. Once organic rankings are achieved, great things happen as further defined within this article. Paid ads, on the other hand, can be more expensive at the outset, but you can position your ads almost instantly against highly competitive terms that it would take months to gain visibility on organically. So, while it will take much longer to gain visibility through SEO, you are at the same time building up the relevance of your site domain which means that you’ll be in a solid position to dominate for the long haul. It becomes a toss-up of: which is the best choice?

So, you’re ready to take it up a notch by investing more time, energy, or both in your social media efforts?

Good news: it’s never too late to start!

Many businesses tend to feel daunted by the prospect of social media, especially for older generations who haven’t grown up with social handles.

Whether you’re thinking of tackling this endeavor or looking to hire a social media manager, it’s crucial to know the basics about the primary social media channels and how they can best suit your industry.

We’ll explore the five primary social media channels you should know about and what they’re best used for when it comes to marketing campaigns.

Let’s run through the list!

The demand for video content has skyrocketed in the past few years. When you look at the direction of platforms such as Tik Tok and reels on Instagram, it’s evident that video is the dominating trend for devouring content.

In fact, according to Wyzowl, “explainer videos have seen huge success. An overwhelming majority of people (94%) report watching explainer videos to learn more about a product, with 84% being swayed to make a purchase.”

If 84% of people are swayed to purchase after viewing video content, we know it’s crucial for marketing strategy. 

Aren’t sure where to start? It can be challenging to know what specific video content suits your brand.

Don’t fret! We’re going to dive into a few current video trends and take a peek into what’s expected for 2022. Here we go!