3 Things For June 3rd, 2023
It’s All Made Up, WordPress Celebrates 20 Years, Creating a Great Awareness Ad
I am not who you think I am.
I am not who you think I am; the map is not the territory; the website is not the business; the social media posts are not lived experiences. These are simply thoughts and images, they are not real in the ultimate sense. However, they are real in the relative sense and for that reason they are useful.
People who know me well, know that I like to say: “It’s all made up.” The only meaning anything has is the meaning we’ve assigned to it…which means (ha) that we should probably laugh a lot more than we do about the human comedy.
Further, if it’s all made up, we might as well make it up the way we want it. I LOVE this and believe it should be embraced. As a teenager, my parents “accused” me of only caring about having fun. Happily, they were right and I feel the exact same way today.
Sure, there are some relative world limitations and cards that we are dealt. Some could be labeled advantages, some could be labeled as disadvantages (or opportunities or challenges that become an advantage because let’s face it being able to overcome a difficulty can be a huge advantage), but the bottom line is we get to decide how we see them. We can accept the standard explanations or we can question them and make up new ones.
All this to say…marketing, like everything else is made up, and it’s fun and we get to make it what we want it to be. What do you want to create? How do you want to be seen? How and what do you want to see? You decide.
Celebrating Two Decades of WordPress: The Force Behind the Web
Last month, we marked a notable digital landmark: the 20th anniversary of WordPress.org. This platform, initiated by co-founders Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little on May 27, 2003, commenced its journey as a basic open-source blogging platform. Over the ensuing twenty years, it has evolved into a driving force in the digital world.
With WordPress powering more than a third of the most frequented websites on the internet, including industry leaders like The New York Times, Salesforce, and Disney. WordPress stands as a testament to the might of open-source technology, democratizing the web and enabling individuals worldwide to share their ideas, products, and services with the global community.
The cornerstone of WordPress.org’s philosophy is freedom, rooted in the conviction that everyone should have unhindered access to the tools necessary for online expression. From its inception, with the first version being freely available under the General Public License (GPL), to the present day Version 6.2, WordPress.org continues to be a free and accessible resource for all.
In my decade-long experience working with WordPress, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of this platform firsthand. At Strategy 3, we’ve assisted numerous businesses in establishing their online presence with WordPress. Our team, adept at creating visually appealing websites and developing platforms to meet your unique needs, stands ready to help you unlock the potential of WordPress.
As we honor these two decades of WordPress, we salute the open-source community whose contributions have shaped the internet landscape as we know it. Your collective efforts have paved the way for the exciting opportunities and innovations that the future holds.
Happy 20th anniversary, WordPress! Here’s to the next 20 years of creativity, growth, and assisting businesses like yours to flourish online!
Looking to start your next website project? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Strategy 3!
Building a Quality Awareness Ad
Last month, I started the conversation about Awareness Advertising vs Direct Advertising…
Awareness Advertising: Is making people aware that you exist — educating them that they may have a need or want, and you can fulfill that. It also begins building trust.
Direct Advertising: Is being where people will find you when a want turns into a need, when they are ready to buy.
Awareness ads are seen by lots of people, but often don’t have measurable, tangible results. This lack of tangible results probably doesn’t feel good, and we ask “why spend the money if I can’t immediately see results.” The answer is: We use awareness advertising to introduce ourselves and begin building a relationship… we want to stick out in people’s minds later when they need us.
You wouldn’t just run up to someone and ask them out on a date, right? Instead, you introduce yourself, find common ground, and build from there… awareness ads are introductory ads.
When choosing Awareness Advertising options, we look at:
Impressions and reach — how many people see us and where are they located
Frequency — how many times the same person will see us… the higher the frequency, the more likely they are to remember us.
Ok — so, get to my point. Focusing here on the actual ads (since that is what I do here at Strategy 3!)
It doesn’t necessarily matter where the ad will appear, they all need the following:
1. Catchy Headline: something that stops them and gets them to look closer — a business owner knows they need to stand out to be picked by customers
2. Sub-headline:Â we want to pull them in further to the ad, introduce them to us/our service
3. Content: We like to talk about benefits to our potential clients/customers. — In this case we want to show respect, honor someone’s knowledge, and identify that we fill a gap — and that it is a team effort to help you reach your goals.
4. Images: This is such a great pic, you want a marketing person that is clever, fun, and smart — and this picture radiates!
5. Contact info & Call-to-Action: I probably missed a point with not having a call today type statement here, but we have a lot of content… but all of our contact info is easy to read.
The main thing with Awareness Advertising is that we are introducing ourselves, catching attention, and helping potential clients identify a want or need, we want them to feel comfortable with us, when that want turns to a need. When they do their google search, we want them to remember our name when looking at their search results.
Till next month! Enjoy the sunshine!
