Meghan Jobson, Author at nine10 - Brand, Web & Training Agency in Alberta

March 26, 2025

Social media is one of the most accessible and effective marketing tools available to small business owners today. It gives you the power to reach your audience where they already spend time, build trust and awareness, and grow your brand—without the need for a massive marketing budget.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to use social media intentionally and strategically to support your business goals. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve your existing efforts, you’ll find practical tips you can apply today.

Why Small Businesses have latched on to Social Media Marketing

Easy, Cost-Effective Organic Marketing

Social media levels the playing field. You don’t need a huge advertising budget to get noticed. With consistency and strategy, you can build organic reach by showing up, engaging with your audience, and sharing content that provides value.

Build Brand Awareness

Your business can stay top of mind with your audience simply by being present. Posting consistently and sharing behind-the-scenes moments, client stories, and valuable tips helps people remember who you are and what you offer.

Meet Customers Where They Already Are

Inbound marketing is about meeting people in the places where they already hang out. Whether they’re scrolling Instagram while watching TV or catching up on LinkedIn during their lunch break, social media gives you a direct line to their attention.

Reach Specific, Targeted Audiences

Social media platforms are built on algorithms designed to connect people with content they care about. That makes it easier than ever to reach specific demographics and customer types without needing to cast a wide (and expensive) net.

Understanding the Basics: Rented vs Owned Media

You don’t own your social media accounts—the platforms do. That’s why it’s important to view social media as part of a broader digital ecosystem.

What’s the Difference?

Rented platforms like Facebook and Instagram can change the rules at any time, affecting how and whether your content gets seen. Owned platforms, like your website and email list, give you full control over your message and audience.

Why Your Website Still Matters

Think of your website as your home base. All your social media efforts should lead people back to something you own—a place where they can learn more, book your services, or join your mailing list.

The Hub and Spoke Model

Social media are the “spokes,” helping to drive traffic and attention toward your central “hub” (your website). When used together, this model builds a more stable and sustainable digital presence.

Know Your Audience & Speak Their Language

Knowing your audience is everything. If you try to speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one.

Identify Your Audience Segments

Who are you really trying to reach? A 25-year-old student and a 55-year-old business owner use different platforms, expect different tones, and care about different things.

Craft Messaging That Resonates

Tailor your messaging to the specific needs and pain points of each audience group. Think about what they want from you and how they prefer to be spoken to. Remember, if you’re marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one.

Choosing the Right Platforms for Your Business

Each social media platform has a different “personality” and user base. Understanding that helps you invest your time wisely.

Platform Breakdown:

Facebook & Instagram: Great for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) businesses, storytelling, and relationship building.
LinkedIn: Ideal for Business-to-Business (B2B) marketing, thought leadership, and professional networking.
YouTube: Best for educational content, tutorials, and SEO-rich video.
TikTok: Not just for teens—it’s exploding with all ages and industries. It’s good for B2C and organic, authentic content.
X (formerly Twitter): Real-time updates, conversations, and trending topics.

Be Strategic with Your Time

You don’t need to be everywhere. Focus on where your audience spends their time and where your content style fits best. Consistency on one or two platforms beats burnout on five.

What Kind of Content Works on Each Platform?

Different platforms favour different types of content. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Facebook: Personal, engaging posts; videos; community-based updates.
Instagram: Visual storytelling; Reels; carousels; behind-the-scenes content.
LinkedIn: Professional insights; long-form posts; industry trends.
X (Twitter): Short thoughts; quotes; quick news or tips.
TikTok: Raw, authentic videos; short tutorials; humor.
YouTube: Long-form educational content; video series; product demos.

Knowing what type of content fits best helps you maximize engagement and results.

How to “Play the Game” – Understanding the Algorithms

Each platform rewards users who engage regularly and use the tools they provide.

Use the Platform’s Features – When Instagram releases a new feature (like Reels), using it early and often gives you a temporary algorithm boost. These tools are designed to encourage deeper engagement, and platforms reward that.

Engage With the Community – Algorithms love two-way interaction. Reply to comments, comment on others’ posts, and join relevant conversations. The more authentic activity you show, the more your content is shown.

Ride the Trends (But Stay On-Brand) – Using trending sounds, challenges, or hashtags can expand your reach—but always make sure the trend fits your brand and message.

Keep Your Branding Consistent – Your audience should recognize your brand instantly. Keep your visuals, tone, and messaging cohesive across every platform.

Building a Social Media Strategy That Works

Now that you understand the tools, it’s time to build your plan.

Use Your Brand as a Guide – Let your brand values, voice, and visual style guide your content choices. Stay authentic and true to who you are.
Set Clear Goals – What do you want social media to do for your business? More website visits? More appointment bookings? Knowing this helps you measure success.
Prioritize Your Platforms – Choose the one or two platforms where you can consistently show up and do a great job. Build from there as you grow.
Leverage Tools Like ChatGPT – Don’t be afraid to use AI to help brainstorm, plan content, or even draft posts. It can save you time and keep you consistent.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Social media doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a clear brand, a simple strategy, and the right tools, you can build strong, lasting connections with your ideal customers.

Want more support? Nine10 offers personalized training and marketing services to help small businesses shine online. Let’s build your social media success—together.

Identifying your Target Audience with Nine10 Marketing

Mastering Audience Personas: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses

February 26, 2025

Understanding and connecting with your target audience is at the core of every successful business strategy. For small businesses and entrepreneurs, knowing precisely who your ideal customers are will make all the difference. That’s where audience personas come in.

We look at audience personas as character representations of your ideal customers, built on real data and insights. This can help you craft more effective marketing strategies, enhance customer engagement, and ultimately boost your bottom line.

What Are Audience Personas and Why Do They Matter?

Audience personas are detailed profiles that represent different segments of your customer base. These personas combine key traits to create a well-rounded picture of who your target customers are. By building personas, you are better equipped to:

Craft Tailored Marketing Messages: Speak directly to your audience’s needs and desires.
Choose the Right Channels: Understand where to focus your marketing efforts.
Improve Product Development: Align products or services with what your customers truly want.

When you know who you’re talking to, every marketing dollar stretches further, making your campaigns more efficient and effective.

Laying the Foundation: Start with Your Brand

Before you start defining your audience personas, it’s crucial to understand your own brand identity. Ask yourself:

What are our core values and mission?
What unique value do we bring to the market?
What problems do we solve for our customers?

Your own brand identity will influence the type of personas you create. For example, a playful, community-focused brand will have different personas than a corporate, solutions-driven consultancy.

Remember, you can’t know your audience, until you know yourself! Want to learn more about building your foundations? Check out this blog post about personifying your brand and where to start.

Key Components of a Strong Audience Personas

Demographics

These are things that are more tangible, that you can see and count. Things like age, gender, geographic location, income, education, etc. You may find you don’t need to detail every trait if it doesn’t matter to your business. A cafe may not need to identify age range, or gender for their audiences but a bridal salon might.

Psychographics

These are how you describe your audience’s personality traits. Psychographics are very important to identify in order to build meaningful lasting relationships with your customers. These are things like values, goals, pain points, desires, etc.

Building Your Own Audience Personas: The Best Friend Exercise

A good way to help visualize your target audiences is through the “Best Friend Exercise”

Start by imagining your best friend—consider their personality, likes and dislikes, lifestyle, and how you interact with them. If you were going to describe your best friend to someone who has never met them before, what would you say about them?

Then, apply this to your ideal customer. When the phone rings, or your shop door opens, who walks through the door? Give your persona a name, imagine their pain points, and identify their goals. What are their fears? What are their values? What makes them tick?

By treating your target audience as a “best friend,” you can create more personalized and authentic marketing messages that truly resonate.

How to Use Audience Personas in Your Marketing Strategy

Personalize Your Messaging

Understanding who your target audiences are and what they need from you, helps you speak directly to them even in your digital content.

Choose the Right Marketing Channels

Now you know who your audiences are, you have a better idea of where they might hang out online! You’ll be able to target platforms where your personas are most active.

Create Targeted Content

Develop valuable resources that address the unique challenges of each persona. Remember, each audience group will probably have different needs from you. It’s okay to create content that is specifically for one group, and not another. This is how you help people feel seen and heard in your marketing.

Activating in ChatGPT

Using your audience personas to help train your Ai tools like ChatGPT helps to give you better results. When using these tools, it’s important to remember that they don’t know your brand like you do, giving it information about your audience will help it help you!

Learn more about how to effectively use ChatGPT like an intern!

Common Myths About Audience Personas

Let’s debunk a few misconceptions that often hold businesses back:

Myth: I only have one audience persona

Most businesses serve multiple customer types. Even a simple coffee shop has different personas—morning commuters, weekend loungers, remote workers, etc.

Myth: My product is for everyone

Trying to appeal to everyone often results in weak messaging that resonates with no one.

Myth: I only target businesses, so I don’t need personas

Even in B2B, you’re still selling to people with unique needs and preferences.

Myth: I need to address all personas simultaneously

Focus each marketing effort on a specific persona to keep your messaging clear and impactful.

Key Takeaways

Building and utilizing audience personas is not just a theoretical exercise but a practical strategy that can transform your marketing efforts. By understanding who your customers are, what they need, and how they prefer to engage, you can create more effective marketing campaigns, foster stronger relationships, and drive business growth.

Ready to build your audience personas? Start with these practical steps, and watch your business connect with customers like never before! Check out the full conversation on Youtube!

Harness the Power of Brand Archetypes to Shape your Brand

February 26, 2025

Have you ever wondered why some brands feel instantly relatable while others struggle to make an impression? The secret lies in their personality—or lack thereof. Establishing a strong brand personality helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level, and create memorable interactions. Let’s explore how brand archetypes can help you create a consistent and authentic identity that resonates with your audience.

What Is a Brand? More Than Just a Logo

When most people think about branding, they picture logos and color schemes. But a brand is much more than its visual elements. Think of branding as personification:

The Logo: It’s the “face” of your company—the first impression.
The Visual Identity: This encompasses your company’s “style,” including fonts, colors, and design elements.
The Personality: This is the “soul” of your brand—how it speaks, behaves, and connects with your audience.

In short, a brand is how your customers perceive and experience your business. It’s emotional and relational, not just visual.

Why Your Brand Needs a Strong Personality

In a crowded marketplace, your brand’s personality can be the factor that sets you apart. Here’s why:

Building Relationships: A strong personality makes your brand relatable and trustworthy. Customers connect with brands that reflect their own values and identities.
Strategic Direction: Your personality gives you a roadmap for crafting marketing campaigns, designing visuals, and engaging with customers.
Consistency: Whether it’s social media posts, email newsletters, or customer service interactions, a defined personality ensures that your brand’s voice remains consistent.

To build a strong personality, start with your “why”. Ask yourself: What is the core purpose of your business? This foundational question shapes everything from your messaging to your visual design.

The Power of Archetypes in Branding

Enter brand archetypes—a proven framework for defining brand personality. Rooted in psychology and storytelling, archetypes are universal personality patterns that transcend cultures and industries. They help brands create clear and compelling identities.

What Are Archetypes?

Archetypes are universal “character types” that people instantly recognize and connect with. Unlike stereotypes, which oversimplify, archetypes tap into rich, universal truths. There are hundreds of archetypes, but when we’re talking about branding, there are 12 key character types that consistently show up. These are: Brand Archetypes Wheel

The Outlaw: Rebellious and bold.
The Magician: Visionary and transformative.
The Hero: Courageous and determined
The Lover: Passionate and intimate.
The Jester: Fun and playful.
The Everyman: Relatable and approachable.
The Caregiver: Compassionate and nurturing.
The Ruler: Authoritative and responsible.
The Creator: Imaginative and innovative.
The Innocent: optimistic, mindful, compassionate
The Sage: Wise and knowledgeable.
The Explorer: Adventurous and curious.

For small businesses, understanding your archetype can make it easier to shape how your brand expresses itself—from your tagline to your tone of voice.

Audience Archetypes

Your customers have archetypes, too. By aligning your brand archetype with your audience’s, you can create stronger emotional connections. For instance, a caregiving brand (e.g., a local daycare) may connect deeply with an audience valuing the “Caregiver” archetype.

Applying your Brand Personality

So, how do you use archetypes to strengthen your brand?

Guiding Brand Expression: Archetypes inform your messaging, tone of voice, and visual design. For example, if your brand embodies “The Sage” archetype, you might prioritize informative, thought-leadership content.
Visual Identity Alignment: Your logo, fonts, and colors should reflect your archetype’s traits. A brand with “The Creator” archetype might use bold, artistic visuals.
Audience Engagement: Knowing your audience’s archetype helps tailor your marketing campaigns to their values and motivations.

Let’s say you run a local coffee shop in Alberta that embodies “The Everyman” archetype. Your messaging might focus on inclusivity and community, while your design could feature warm, approachable elements like hand-drawn fonts and rustic textures.

Using Brand Personality to Build Consistency

Consistency is key to building trust with your audience. Here’s where brand personality and archetypes come into play:

Training AI Tools: Whether it’s an automated chatbot or email marketing, programming your tools with your brand’s personality ensures consistent communication.
Unified Voice: Your personality should shine through in every touchpoint—from social media posts to in-person interactions.

By maintaining consistency, you reinforce your brand’s identity and build loyalty over time.

Key Takeaways for Small Businesses

Start with Why: Define your brand’s purpose as the foundation for everything else.
Think Beyond Logos: Your brand is a holistic experience, not just a visual identity.
Leverage Archetypes: Use them to guide your strategy and connect with your audience on a deeper level.

Crafting a brand personality isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about building authentic connections with your audience. By tapping into the power of brand archetypes, Alberta’s small businesses and entrepreneurs can create meaningful, consistent, and compelling brands that stand out in the marketplace.

Curious about which archetype fits your brand? Reach out to explore tools and strategies that can help bring your brand personality to life.

Learn how to Grow your Marketing with Data Driven Decisions

October 2, 2024

Simplifying Marketing Data Analytics for Everyday Decisions

Let’s be honest—when most of us think about data analytics, we think o spreadsheets, charts, and numbers we don’t fully understand. If you’re not a math or stats whiz, the world of data can feel pretty overwhelming. But here’s the thing: Data doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, when you focus on the right metrics, it can be one of the most valuable tools to improve your marketing decisions and grow your business.

We’re talking about numbers you should actually care about—things that can help you make smarter decisions in your marketing without getting overwhelmed by irrelevant data.

Why should you care about Marketing Analytics?

Simply put, reading analytics is about taking all the information you’ve got—whether from your website, social media, or marketing campaigns—and using it to understand what’s working and what’s not. With the right data, you can track your progress, tweak your strategy, and make sure your efforts are really paying off.

The challenge? Many businesses have more data than they know what to do with. So, how do you zero in on the numbers that really matter?

Aligning Data & Goals with Your Brand Strategy

Before diving into data analytics, it’s crucial to understand that your goals should come directly from your brand strategy. Your brand strategy defines who you are, what you stand for, and where you want to go as a business. It’s your roadmap for connecting with your audience and standing out in the market.

Once your brand’s goals are clear—whether it’s increasing sales, growing your audience, or improving customer loyalty—data becomes your tool for measuring success and guiding decisions. Each piece of data you track should tie back to your core objectives.

By incorporating data into your brand strategy, you ensure that every marketing effort helps you achieve your long-term vision, making it easier to track progress and adjust as needed. Learn more about what Brand Strategy means here.

Key Metrics to Track in Your Marketing

To make data work for you, focus on these key metrics that help tell the story of your marketing efforts. Each of these numbers gives you a snapshot of what’s going right (or wrong) and where you can improve.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) – A KPI is just a fancy way of saying “a goal-measuring number.” It’s any quantifiable measure that shows whether you’re achieving your objectives.

Cost per 1000 Impressions (CPM) – CPM tells you how much you’re paying for every 1,000 people who see your ad. It’s often used in advertising, especially for digital campaigns like Facebook or Google Ads.

Click-Through Rate (CTR) – The CTR measures the percentage of people who click on your ad after seeing it. It’s a simple way to understand how well your ad is catching people’s attention. A high CTR means people are interested enough to take the next step, which is always a good sign.

Conversion Rate – The conversion rate is one of the most important numbers in marketing. It shows how many people took the action you wanted them to, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or registering for a webinar.

Bounce Rate – The bounce rate tells you how many people land on your website and leave without exploring any other pages. A high bounce rate means visitors aren’t sticking around.

Sessions – A session is basically a visit to your website. It tracks how many times users come to your site, regardless of what they do there. If a user visits your site twice in one day, that counts as two sessions.

Return on Investment (ROI) – ROI is a straightforward way to measure how much profit you’re making compared to how much you spent. It can be calculated for your entire business or just for a specific campaign. To keep it simple, ROI is basically the “bang for your buck” number.

Cost per Lead (CPL) – This is all about efficiency—CPL tells you how much you’re spending to get each lead. The lower the CPL, the more efficient your campaign is at generating leads, and the better it is for your business.

Digging Deeper: What Metrics Really Matter?

Not every number is equally important. Some metrics—like impressions—are often considered “vanity metrics” because they look impressive but don’t always tell you if your efforts are paying off. Let’s dive a little deeper into which numbers can make a big difference for your marketing.

Impressions and Reach: The Starting Point
Impressions and reach let you know how many people saw your content. While these are good for understanding your potential audience size, they’re not the end-all-be-all. Just because 1,000 people saw your ad doesn’t mean they took any action. The key is moving beyond impressions to focus on more meaningful engagement metrics, like CTR and conversions.

Conversion Rate: Turning Interest into Action
Your conversion rate tells you if your marketing efforts are truly making an impact. Are people buying your product, signing up for your newsletter, or doing whatever action you’ve asked for? If not, it might be time to reconsider your offer or fine-tune your messaging.

Bounce Rate: A Website’s First Impression
If a high percentage of people are bouncing off your website after only viewing one page, it could mean that your landing page isn’t matching their expectations, or it’s not giving them a reason to explore further. The bounce rate can be especially important if you’re running paid ads or campaigns—if people aren’t sticking around, you might be wasting ad dollars.

Sessions: A Healthy Traffic Metric
A steady flow of sessions shows that people are coming to your website, but to truly gauge success, you’ll want to pair this with bounce rates and conversion data. Are visitors just browsing, or are they engaging and converting? This is where the bigger picture starts to come into focus.

Data tells a story – Here’s how to Read it.

Here’s the key takeaway: Data without context is just noise. Sure, you can have a high CTR or a low bounce rate, but if you don’t know why those numbers look the way they do, they won’t help you much. Understanding the story behind your metrics allows you to make smart decisions.

For example, if your bounce rate is high, ask yourself why. Maybe your page loads too slowly, or maybe visitors aren’t finding what they expected. And if your cost per 1000 impressions (CPM) is high, is it because your ad is reaching the wrong audience?

Numbers are just the start. It’s the insights they provide that lead to real changes in your strategy.

PRO TIP: Use tools like ChatGPT to help you analyze data and recommend strategies to improve your performance! Check out how to use Ai tools like an intern here.

Testing for Success: A/B Testing

One of the best ways to optimize your marketing efforts is through A/B testing. This means trying out two different versions of something—whether it’s an email subject line, a landing page design, or an ad—to see which performs better.

For example, if your open rate on emails is low, you could test two different subject lines and see which one gets more attention. A/B testing helps you pinpoint what works and allows you to make small improvements that can add up to significant results over time.

Turning Data into Action

Here’s the thing about data: It’s only useful if you act on it. Numbers alone won’t improve your business, but using them to make informed changes will.

Let’s say you notice that your cost per lead (CPL) is higher than you’d like. You might try targeting a more specific audience or changing your ad creative to appeal to people more likely to convert. Or maybe you’re seeing a lot of impressions but not enough clicks—then you’d focus on improving your click-through rate by making your offer more appealing.

Keep It Simple and Focused

Data and analytics don’t have to be intimidating. Once you understand the key metrics that matter for your business—like cost per 1000 impressions, bounce rate, and conversion rate—you can start making smarter marketing decisions. Remember, you don’t need to track everything—just the numbers that give you actionable insights.

By keeping it simple and focusing on what really matters, you’ll turn those scary numbers into a powerful tool for growth.

Logos & Beyond: Personifying your Brand

October 2, 2024

Think of Your Brand as a Person

We typically recognize other people in three ways: from a face, a style, or a personality. Think of a company’s logo, visual identity, and brand insights in the same terms: a logo like a face, an identity like a style, and brand insights like a personality.

Logo: The Face of the Company

A face helps us recognize the people around us, especially those who we haven’t gotten to know. A logo serves the same purpose — it’s the face of a company that customers will recognize, even if they’ve never interacted with the company. Nike uses the swoosh, McDonald’s has the golden arches, and Starbucks uses a green and white siren. We recognize them by their logos.

What Makes a Logo Great:

Uniqueness – A creative logo will stand out from the rest
Meaningful – A good logo should be dripping in meaning and possibly include implicit or explicit metaphors
Reproducible – A logo should be able to be used on different mediums easily and consistently.

Visual Identity: The Style of the Company

Let’s say a friend of yours walks into a room, and you can tell it’s them even though you didn’t see their face. Their style, the way they dress, their walk, all of that gave them away. A business’s visual identity is like its style, which can be recognized even without a logo. The visual identity can include everything from the fonts, colours, and imagery to the design elements and even photography styles that a business uses all contribute to its identity. Telus Corporation uses a white background and cute animals to advertise its services. When you’re watching commercials and the TV screen goes white with a hippo slowly waddling in, we know it will finish with a Telus logo, even though you haven’t seen it yet.

A company’s identity doesn’t have to be only visual. You may have noticed that certain clothing stores use perfumes to scent their shop. The scent becomes familiar with the business, forming part of the business’s identity. Or, you’ll probably be able to recall a jingle on the radio advertising good pizza. The jingle is an auditory piece of the company’s identity.

What Makes a Great Visual Identity:

Consistency – A company that’s constantly changing fonts, colours, and style throughout its business seems unorganized and will be less memorable.
Builds on the logo – An identity and logo should complement each other.
Originality – A great visual identity that is too similar to your competition will only help to confuse your audience.

A great logo doesn’t necessarily mean a strong visual identity is in tow. Creating a visual identity is a project of its own, requiring its own design, plan, and implementation.

Brand Insights: The Personality of the Company

Every company has human-like characteristics. An athletic wear store might appear bold, energetic, and daring through its social media, employees, and marketing. On the other hand, a maternity clothing store will probably seem a bit calmer, more inspirational, and more caring. Both businesses are clothing stores, yet they have entirely different personalities. They’re able to achieve this through their brand.

Brand insights encompass the values and attitudes at a company’s core. It’s not just the professional front that a business puts on — it’s the attitude of its staff, the tone of voice it uses, the level of energy, and ultimately, the traits you’d consider personality characteristics. Since brand insights really depend on how the world sees the company, it makes it difficult to control. In some cases, brand insights can even affect a business negatively. You’ve probably, at some point in your life, thought of a company as selfish, inauthentic, etc.

Just like a person with a memorable face, an excellent style, and a crabby personality, the ultimate judgment will be informed mainly by the less-than-desirable personality. How the company manages itself can raise a red flag in your mind, resulting in a negative brand. Fortunately, there are ways of preventing this.

What Goes Into Effective Brand Insights:

Authenticity – When shaping brand insights, it’s important to build on the real strengths and passions of your business.
Relatability – Your company personality should be relatable and complementary to your target audience.
Consistency – You may have noticed we like consistency. That’s because consistency can make or break a brand.

At the end of the day, it’s your brand insights that will leave a lasting impression on your customers. Plenty of businesses have an outdated logo and a disorganized identity yet are thriving due to their genuine personality. In these situations, the customers likely feel benefited and valued by the company: a defining emotional connection keeps customers coming back. Though it may be the toughest to tackle, a good brand adds tremendous value to a business.

Organizing Your Brand and Keeping it Consistent

Having a documented brand is the easiest way to visually represent your business across all platforms, but what good is it if you can’t actually use it.

Using a cloud-based brand kit allows you to keep all your assets organized and easily accessible. Currently, the best and most accessible tool is Canva. Canva allows you to organize your brand, create and edit designs, documents, and assets, and even schedule your social media all on one platform.

Canva Brand Kits allow you to upload all your logo variations, save your brand colour hex codes, upload your graphic assets and elements, upload brand photography and icons, and even document your brand voice to inform content written by the built-in generative AI.

This platform is unique in that it brings your brand kit right into your design platform and allows you to streamline your content creation process.

Using All Your Tools

There are a lot of conversations surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence in marketing, and rightfully so. One of the biggest issues we see with effectively and ethically using AI tools like ChatGPT is simply that people don’t know how to use it.

Think of AI like an intern. When you have an intern, they don’t know your company culture; they don’t know your mission, your vision, or your values. They don’t know goals and how you want to present yourself, so you have to teach them. Of course they’re not going to get it quite right all the time, so proofing and quality checking the products from your intern is vital.

If you want an intern with all the knowledge on the internet who will never get tired and give you everything you ask, incorporating AI tools into your content development strategy is the answer.

BUT

Just like an intern, you need to teach, guide, and quality check its work. Having a clear understanding of your brand voice, goals, mission, and vision gives you the tools you need to direct your new intern properly.

Pro Tips:

Give your AI context. Provide a clear description with lots of detail about what you want from it.
Ask your AI what it needs from you! Once you give it direction, ask your AI tool if it understands and if there are any other details or context it needs to deliver.
Use Custom GPTs in ChatGPT 4. Building Custom GPTs allows you to instruct the GPT from the get-go who you are and even upload supporting documents to provide much more context for your GPT to be able to perform for you.
Be specific about the tone, context, goals, and structure that you’re looking for when you ask your AI tool for information.

AI tools to watch:

So What?

Basically, all this boils down to the idea that brand is central not only to your persona as a business, but filters all the way through to how you use the tools available for you.

Our advice? Start with your brand. Think about what makes up you as a business. Think about your goals, vision, values, and brand insights. Then move to your expression. That’s your brand voice, personality, storytelling, and keywords. Finally, you can move to your visual brand – the physical expression of your persona.

Then? You’ll have what you need to set up your Brand Kit in Canva to design professional-level graphics and assets. You’ll have the information to effectively instruct your new AI intern and streamline your content creation process.

Need a little help? Visit nine10.ca/branding to find out where to start.

Search Engine Optimization: Don’t Get Left Out of Google Search

July 16, 2024

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical part of digital marketing that focuses on enhancing a website’s visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. With Google being the primary search engine, SEO strategies are typically designed around its algorithms. This guide will demystify SEO, explaining what it is, why it’s important, and the tools you need to optimize your online content.

What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This ranking helps businesses attract more organic (non-paid) traffic from people searching for relevant keywords. Effective SEO involves both on-site and off-site tactics to ensure your website is seen as valuable and relevant by search engines.

The Basics of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

When you search for something on Google, the results are displayed on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). The SERP typically includes:

Sponsored Listings (PPC Ads): These are paid advertisements that appear at the top of the SERP when certain keywords are used.
Google My Business Listings: These are directory listings that appear when local search terms are used, such as “hair salon near me”.
Organic Search Results: These are the non-paid listings that best match the search terms.

Understanding the structure of SERPs helps you strategize where you want your business to appear.

Understanding Google’s Algorithms, How do they Decide?

The E.E.A.T Framework

Google uses the E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) framework to evaluate the quality of websites:

Experience: Reflects both user experience on the site and the creator’s firsthand experience with the content.
Expertise: Demonstrates the creator’s knowledge and qualifications in the topic area.
Authoritativeness: Indicates the creator’s and site’s authority in the industry, often established through backlinks and mentions from reputable sources.
Trustworthiness: Measures the reliability and honesty of the site and its content.

On-Site vs. Off-Site SEO

On-Site SEO: This includes all the actions you take on your website to improve its search engine rankings. Key on-site SEO practices include:

Ensuring your website is secure and hosted on a modern platform like WordPress.
Using SEO-optimized page titles and meta descriptions.
Incorporating keywords into your content, headings, and images.
Creating a smooth user experience with fast load times and mobile optimization.

Off-Site SEO: This involves activities outside your website that affect your rankings. Important off-site SEO strategies include:

Building high-quality backlinks from reputable sites.
Managing third-party directory listings like Google My Business.
Leveraging social media to drive traffic to your website.
Encouraging brand mentions and positive reviews.

Breaking Down your On-Site SEO

Know your Keywords and Search Terms

Keywords are the words and phrases that people use when searching for information online. They are crucial in determining where your website appears in search results. There are three levels of keywords:

Primary Keywords: These are the main keywords related to your business, such as “digital marketing”.
Secondary Keywords: These are related keywords that support the primary keywords, like “SEO services”.
Tertiary Keywords: These are long-tail keywords that are more specific, such as “best SEO services for small businesses”.

Incorporating a mix of these keywords throughout your website and content helps improve your search engine rankings.

Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing

Google My Business (GMB) is an essential tool for local SEO. It allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. To optimize your GMB listing:

Claim Your Business: Ensure you have ownership of your business listing by searching for your business name on Google and following the steps to claim it.
Complete Your Profile: Fill out all the information fields comprehensively, including business hours, contact details, and services.
Post Regular Updates: Keep your listing active by posting updates about your business, such as special offers or new services.
Use Service Keywords: Include relevant keywords in your service descriptions to improve visibility.

Meta Descriptions and Alt Text

Meta Descriptions: These are brief summaries of your web pages that appear below the title in search results. A well-written meta description includes primary and location keywords and provides a clear summary of the page’s content. It helps improve click-through rates and informs search engines about the page’s topic.

Alt Text: Alternative text is used to describe images on your website. It serves two purposes: improving accessibility for visually impaired users and helping search engines understand the content of the images. Ensure your alt text is descriptive and includes relevant keywords without keyword stuffing.

User Experience and SEO

A positive user experience (UX) is critical for SEO. Google considers factors like page load speed, mobile-friendliness, and site security when ranking websites. To enhance UX:

Optimize Load Times: Compress images and use efficient coding practices to reduce page load times.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is responsive and looks good on all devices.
Smooth Navigation: Create a user-friendly navigation structure with clear headings and subheadings.
Micro Interactions: Use interactive elements like hover effects and clickable buttons to engage users.

Building your Off-Site SEO Activities

Effective off-site SEO involves building a strong presence across the internet. Strategies include:

Backlinks: Earn links from reputable websites to your site to boost authority.
Social Media: Engage with your audience on social platforms to drive traffic to your website.
Guest Blogging: Write articles for other websites to reach new audiences and earn backlinks.
Brand Mentions: Encourage mentions of your brand on other websites to increase visibility and credibility.

What Now?

SEO is a complex and ongoing process that requires continuous effort and adaptation. By understanding the fundamentals of SEO and implementing both on-site and off-site strategies, you can improve your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic. Remember, SEO is not a one-time task but an integral part of your digital marketing strategy that needs regular attention and updates.

By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this guide, you can enhance your website’s SEO, improve its rankings on search engines, and ultimately drive more traffic and conversions for your business.

Email Marketing: How To Leverage Your Existing Client Lists

May 31, 2024

Email marketing has been a central part of digital marketing long before social media held the spotlight. It’s one of the most effective tools for client contact, which is why it is a valuable touchpoint in your digital marketing strategy. So, why is email marketing so important, and how can you use it for your business?

The Value of Email Marketing

Email marketing’s effectiveness is in its direct contact. Unlike other platforms, your email list is yours to control. You don’t have to worry about algorithm changes or whether or not you are reaching the right audience. This direct access to an interested list is priceless. Here are a few reasons why email marketing has been a marketing powerhouse for as long as it has.

Direct Contact: You’re landing directly in someone’s inbox, providing a personal touch.
Lead Nurture: Email marketing is essential for moving leads through the marketing funnel.
Ownership of Data: You control the list, ensuring your messages reach your audience without interference.
Multiple Touch-points: Email adds another crucial touchpoint in your overall marketing strategy.

Where it all begins

Ultimately all your marketing starts with, and will always come back to, your brand. In order for you to know who your target audiences are, how to reach them, what problems they need solved, the language to use, and so much more, you first need to know your brand.

Now brand is much more complex than just your logo and colours. It involves understanding your business as a person. Check out this blog post to learn what all the steps are and how you can approach laying out your own brand.

Understanding the Marketing Funnel

To fully see where email marketing fits in a strategy, let’s break down the marketing funnel. Marketing funnels consist of four main stages: Awareness, Opt-In, Consideration, and Conversion.

Awareness: This is where people discover you. They might find you through your website, social media, ads, or even a business card.This is where your audience meets you for the first time.
Opt-In: At this stage, your audience makes a conscious decision they want to know more. Usually this looks like signing up for a newsletter, entering a draw, or requesting more information. You can offer incentives like a coupon, ebook, or free piece of information in exchange for their email address. This is called a Lead Magnet
Consideration: Here, your leads evaluate whether you are right for them. Email marketing plays a critical role in keeping your brand and services at the top of their inbox and top-of-mind during this phase.
Conversion: This is the goal. For some, this could be a purchase or transaction; for others it might be a different type of engagement. It all depends on your end goal and what you want out of your interactions with your audience.

The Importance of Lead Nurturing

Ever heard the phrase “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”? Without consistent follow-up, your audience might forget about you. Email marketing makes sure you remain relevant and present in your people’s inbox, guiding them smoothly from consideration to conversion.

Choosing the Right Email Marketing Platform

Using a dedicated email marketing platform has a lot of advantages over manual email sends. Your Time is money, and Manually sending emails through a generic inbox will waste your time and will often put you at risk. So why should you invest?

Automation: Build and map out automated sequences and follow ups so your audience feels seen, heard, and cared for.
Analytics: Have something tangible to see whether or not your email marketing is doing its job.
Legislation Compliance: Easy compliance with anti-spam laws like CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation).
Segmentation: Organize your contact lists so you can target your messages to specific audience segments for more personalized messages.

There are lots of email marketing and CRM Management platforms on the market. At the end of the day, It’s only you that can decide if a platform is right for you. Remember, just because you start somewhere doesn’t mean you can’t change what you have if your needs also change.

Designing Engaging Emails

Your email’s design is just as important as its content. When digital marketing and inboxes are so saturated, how are you supposed to stand out? Here are a few tips for creating compelling emails:

Balance Text and Media: Break up text with images and other media to make your emails visually appealing.
Use Buttons for Calls to Action: Big, bold buttons encourage clicks more effectively than text links.
Embed Videos: Videos can engage your audience more effectively and share your message quickly.
Personalization and Emojis: Personalize emails with the recipient’s name and use emojis to make subject lines stand out. Remember, you are talking to an actual person, using their name shows you care.

Looking Forward and Using Ai

Tools like ChatGPT streamlines your email marketing by helping you draft content quickly. While AI can save you time, remember to customize and refine the content to match your brand voice and goals.

Now don’t forget there is a lot that goes into using Ai effectively. Learn all about how you should be using your Ai tools here!

Enhancing Your Email Marketing Strategy

Email marketing is a vital part of any digital strategy because of its direct contact and control of your audience. By understanding the marketing funnel, nurturing leads, maintaining brand consistency, and using the right tools and strategies, you can maximize the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your engagement and conversions grow.

Using Artificial intelligence ChatGPT as an Intern Nine10 Branded Icon

Chat GPT: How we Use Ai as an Intern

May 22, 2024 branding

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a leader in innovation, particularly in how businesses interact and execute marketing strategies. AI platforms, like ChatGPT, are revolutionizing the way we approach problem-solving, brainstorming, and creating. However, much like the role of an intern in a company, AI requires guidance, oversight, and a clear direction to be truly effective.

AI at its Core

AI is about processing incredible amounts of data — from text and images to large databases — and identifying patterns in the data. The thing that truly has allowed modern Ai tools to take over the market is natural language processing tools like ChatGPT. These platforms give us the ability to interact with AI in conversational language. This means advanced data processing is available and accessible to everyone.

How we see ChatGPT as a Digital Intern

Let’s look at an analogy and break down how you should use your AI tools. Like an intern, AI enters the business landscape with a “can-do” attitude — eager, capable, and ready to handle tasks assigned to it. However, also like an intern, AI requires careful supervision and clear instructions to give you the best possible outcome and avoid inefficient back and forth with your tools.

In practice, this means that while AI can perform tasks and generate outputs based on all the data it has access to, the quality and relevance of its work depends on your instructions and prompting. Using AI effectively is less about getting a perfect piece of material every time, and more about taking what your tools give you as a starting point that needs to be finessed.

Why Brand Strategy is So Important in ChatGPT

Using ChatGPT should make your life in marketing easier, not harder. This is where your Brand Strategy comes in. Remember how we treat ChatGPT as an intern? Well interns require a lot of training. The benefit that a human intern has, is the context of being in a business, learning and observing the culture and maybe even has been taught the core foundations of the business from their purpose and mission, to their brand voice framework.

Getting the best work from your Ai Intern requires training as well. This is where Custom GPT’s come into play. On the platform, you have the capability to upload your own brand documents which allow you to pre-train your Ai tool and give it the context it needs to give you accurate and targeted results. Just like your human intern.

ChatGPT In Action

From creating social media content, to helping build marketing strategies, and even helping to break down and understand data, ChatGPT opens up a new world of business development for small businesses. Here are some pro tips you should know before using your AI tools.

ChatGPT can only give you content as good as your prompts. If it’s not giving what you wanted it to, you aren’t asking it the right questions.
Ask your tools how YOU can help THEM. Asking ChatGPT what information it needs to complete a task successfully, or to summarize something you have just shared, allows you to answer the questions and give the best “training” to your tools to get the best results.
It will never be 100% perfect. ALWAYS quality check your work and make sure it is accurate and represents your business well before sharing it with the world
Don’t blindly use images from Ai as you risk Brand Drift.
Remember that these are tools that can help you if you know how to use them properly. Invest in learning these skills and you’ll have a much easier time using Ai.

Feeling a little overwhelmed? That’s totally normal! No one is an expert right off the bat. We’ve learned lots about using ChatGPT in our marketing strategies so we can help YOU learn how to bring it into yours! Head to our Training offers to find out more!

The Future of ChatGPT in Business

As Ai continues to grow, evolve, and advance, the key takeaway is clear: AI should be viewed as a powerful tool that, when correctly, can significantly improve your business processes. However, its success relies on your ability to provide clear information, detailed instructions, and quality control for the human touch.

By understanding AI’s role as a digital intern, businesses can use it responsibly and effectively. The future of AI in business is already here, but it should always be guided by a well-thought-out strategy and a strong brand foundation to truly be effective.

Want More?

Over the years we’ve partnered with Business Link Alberta to share our knowledge and skills with you. Head over to their blog to find out how we use Ai in our Canva designs!

Your Brand Archetype: Who Are You?

January 25, 2023 branding

A Hero is a character, usually coming from a humble beginning, with a unique strength. Their stories usually foreshadow greatness before they get called on a quest where they have to battle obstacles all along the way before finally achieving the goal and saving the day.

Think about Harry potter. A poor orphan living with a neglectful family. He has a unique strength as he is the only one to ever survive Lord Voldemort which also foreshadows his greatness. Throughout every year at school he completes a new quest, fighting new foes, and ultimately defeating them.

Or Luke Skywalker. He was also an orphan living with a poor family. He also realized he had a unique strength that lead him to his guide, Obi Wan Kenobi and then to Yoda. He was called on perilous quests to help defeat the imperial armies which ultimately lead him to saving the galaxy from Darth Vader.

Think about most heroes, Batman, Superman, Hercules, Frodo, and you’ll see this story repeated over and over again.

This is the Hero Archetype.

What is an Archetype?

An Archetype is a symbol, an ideology, a motif. It represents a character type that we as people naturally follow. Archetypes help us visualize and understand people, groups, and organizations. There are many different natural archetypes, but this framework was first studied by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist and later broken into 12 key archetype systems by Carol Pearson in Awakening the Heroes Within.

So what does this have to do with you?

Archetypes don’t just happen in books or movies. They exist in the world around us. Archetypes are a tool that help you tell a story, and helps your audience connect with you. Here are the 12 archetypes and their characteristics. Where do you fit?

Need to make sure your brand reflects your archetype? Let’s Talk!

3 Ways a Brand Will Work for you

November 28, 2022 branding

“Branding is too expensive, I have other things I need to prioritize.”

“Meh, Branding isn’t really that important, I’ll focus on other things first”

“I don’t really need a brand, People know me.”

Before someone really understands what a brand really does for them or how important it really is, these are some of the things they say. Well, we’re here to tell you why branding is so important and why it needs to be a priority.

So let’s talk about it!

Brand Recognition and Trust

When you are able to work with a professional designer, your brand becomes an extension of you. It reflects who you and your business are, and becomes a little window into the heart of the operation.

According to Stackia, 88% of consumers put an emphasis on authenticity when deciding whether or not to trust a brand. So how does this connect? Let’s break it down. When you have a well designed brand that embodies who you are, you audience will recognize this and trust you more easily.

Once your audience recognizes you as authentic and genuine, now it’s time to make sure they’ll remember. Reboot says that using consistent signature colours increases brand recognition by 80%. Colours aren’t just about making things look pretty, they help people find you, see you, and trust you.

Brand consistency

Let’s do a little visualization exercise. Think about a bright red background, a little white polar bear, maybe some white bubbles and swirls. What are you picturing? Is it Coca-Cola? This is the power of consistent branding.

Now keep thinking about Coca-Cola. Can you trust that every time you buy a soda it’s going to taste the same, you’re going to have the same experience drinking it every time. You TRUST them to deliver every time. Lucidpress says that consistent branding can increase revenue by 33%.

Aside from everything a consistent brand does for your business, think about how much easier your marketing could be when half the work is already done! How much time do you spend trying to match colours or fonts or picking little graphic elements for your designs? All that work and all those decisions will be gone.

Let a professional designer do that work for you, open up your time to do the things that you really want to!

Increase Brand Value

What would it mean to you to be an established expert in your field? Brand has a huge part in establishing yourself in the marketplace. Recognition leads to trust leads to more and more people seeing you as the go-to.

Ever heard of the term “brand equity”? Well this is exactly what it means. Your brand, your name, your business holds value and really means something in the market. This is what you are working towards.

Okay, but I still can’t afford it

You don’t need to! Whether it’s purchasing a brand or learning how to use it, there are grants and funding programs available to help cut costs and give you opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have. Let’s connect and talk about which programs are the best fit and get your brand out into the world.

See you soon.

Open Your Vault: Unlock Your Funding Options!

November 21, 2022

As ABBA once said, Money, must be funny in a rich man’s world. Finances can create barriers for you to build your brand, or grow your marketing. It’s overwhelming and frustrating to try and justify different initiatives and projects when there’s just not enough money to go around. As a small business ourselves, we get it!!

We’ve compiled a list of some of the grants and subsidies you can take advantage of to grow your brand and business without stressing yourself out.

Local Marketing Grant

If you’re in the city of Grande Prairie, this one is for you! While there’s still money in the pot, you can get 50% covered up to $2,500 for your next marketing initiative. If you’re working collaboratively (meaning there’s three or more businesses working together) you can get 75% covered up to $7500. Check out the application here!

Canada Digital Adoption Program

The CDAP helps businesses grow their digital platforms and presence! If you’re looking to set up an Ecommerce store, you could qualify for a $2,400 grant. The Canadian government invested $4 Billion into this program to help small and medium businesses build their on-line space. Check it out here!

Grande Prairie Training Grant

Similar to the Local Marketing Grant, if you’re in the city of grande prairie. You could get 50% of the cost up to $2,500 of your educational initiative covered. It could be used for tuition, textbooks, or other materials. The idea is to support local businesses in growing their skills! See the details here!

Canada Alberta Job Grant

When we’re being realistic, most of the students that go through our program have been able to leverage this grant. The CAJG allows employers to offer their employees training opportunities at a 66% subsidy up to $10,000 per year! This grant has given so many small and medium businesses in your community the chance to learn and grow their skills! Learn more here.

Need more info?

We work on making things as easy for you to access these opportunities as we can. See our Funding opportunities page to get more information! Together, let’s grow your brand, and empower you to market with confidence.

Design Basics: ABC Design

August 24, 2022

Creating beautiful graphics that are on brand every time can be daunting if you’re not a professional designer. What if we told you there was a simple 3 part rule to get amazing graphics every time? Well this isn’t a fantasy or a fever dream, it’s real. This rule is called the “A B C design rule” so let’s get into it!

A is for apparent

This means only including the most important things in your graphic. The small details can be included in your content caption. That’s where copywriting comes in! Only the information you need to make apparent, should be included in your Graphic! This can be a headline, maybe a date and time, or the most “thumb” stopping part of the information. For example, If you’re having a sale of all your winter clothing gear, your graphic might include “50%”

B is for Balanced

It is important to keep your graphic balanced between content and space. In order for someone to be able to process, and really see and take in your graphic, there needs to be space. There are a few ways you can do this. You can make sure there is space between your logo and headline, Make sure there is a margin surrounding the edges of your graphic, and don’t use long paragraphs of text!

C is for Consistency

Make sure you keep your graphics consistent with your brand. Use your brand colours, fonts, and graphic elements. If you have brand backgrounds, use them consistently. Keeping your graphics consistent will help your audience recognize you instantly. It’s like seeing someone’s from behind and recognizing them, even before you see their face. Unfortunately if you don’t have the tools to keep your media consistent, things like official colours, graphic elements, icons, etc, it can make consistency that much more difficult. If you need help figuring out what you have and what you need, check out our branding page to see what we can do to help.

Now these are not the only ways to keep your graphics on brand and consistent, but it’s certainly one of the easiest rules to follow if you’re a design beginner. Good luck!