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Author: Chris Talbert

5 Steps to a Great Paid Social Media Campaign

Posted on by Chris Talbert

In our digital world, people are constantly bombarded with content, meaning that marketers must find new ways to make their brand stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of audiences. Though organic content and traditional paid advertising has its place, it is important to to include paid social media campaigns in your marketing strategy. Social media ads have a much higher click-through rate than traditional web ads, making them a key component of any campaign.

Step 1. Develop a SMART Goal

In order for your paid social media campaign to be successful, you need to develop SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. Like any campaign, your social media advertising campaign should be well planned. For example, say your goal is to get more people to an upcoming event. Your SMART goal would be: In order to have a well-attended event, I will increase the number of RSVPs received to a total of 300 in the next two weeks by messaging people who have yet to respond.

Step 2. Define Your Targets

Once you have defined your goal, it’s time to identify your target audience. Beyond the audience that already follows you, how do you determine who else you should target? First, examine your demographic data from your social media and your website, and consider the following:

  • What cities are website visitors coming from?
  • What is the average age of your audience?
  • What gender are they?
  • What interests do they have?

Use this demographic data to craft a creative that will appeal to that audience. Which brings us to step three…

Step 3. Create Your Creative

Keep the text minimal on social ads, as the ads themselves are often fairly small, plus social platforms limit text to 20 percent. Also, make sure you choose a compelling image, as images can help drastically help increase your conversion rate.

It’s also important that you rotate your ads regularly to avoid what’s called ad fatigue. According to Hootsuite, this simply means that when users see your ad too frequently, they get bored and stop clicking it. This, in turn, causes your cost per click (CPC) to go up and engagement to go down. Make sure you create different versions of your ad to rotate during your campaign.

Step 4. Monitor Your Campaign

For the most part, ads can be set up then left alone for the duration of the campaign, but it is still important to check on them occasionally. Just keep a lookout to make sure your ads don’t go over budget, turn off for some reason or inappropriate comments have been left.

Step 5. Track and Report

This ties back into the first point, because if a goal isn’t specific, you probably can’t measure it. Part of creating a specific goal is identifying your KPIs–or key performance indicators. For example, if the goal of your campaign is to drive more traffic to your website from social media, then your KPI is seeing increased referrals and acquisitions from social media on your website. In order to determine if you’ve met your goals, you need to ensure you are using tracking URLs that point to a campaign-specific landing page. Otherwise, you may not be reporting accurate results. Make sure you are reporting on all ads regularly so you can identify which ads work best for your brand.


What We’re Reading in September 2016

Posted on by Chris Talbert

Samantha Smoak, Public Relations Specialist

I don’t usually keep up with pop culture, but Kim Kardashian caught my eye recently during her feud with Taylor Swift. LinkedIn blogger Taylor Loren recently wrote an article in response to Kardashian’s release of exclusive video footage on Snapchat of a call between her husband, Kanye West, and Swift, discussing West’s controversial single, “Famous.”   

For marketers, gaining an audience on Snapchat is hard, as it requires convincing your followers to manually look you up and follow you. Kardashian executed a flawless social campaign by releasing this footage on Snapchat after teasing the release on her other platforms. Swift, on the other hand, opted to type a statement in her Notes App, took a screenshot and posted it on all platforms, instead of taking the opportunity to build a following on Snapchat herself.


Mary Blair, Account Manager

It’s been an incredibly busy time at Designsensory lately. Other than my 30-minute Bible study in the morning, I have not been able to ready anything except emails, text messages and Basecamp posts.

My recent morning reading time has proven to be more applicable to work than I realized. I read Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Juggling multiple tasks, projects and people is very challenging at times, and doing it excellently is even more so. That verse brings me a sense of peace in the midst of the craziness.


Sarah Loebner, Account Manager

I can be a very intense person and that’s proven to be a blessing and a curse. In a world driven by deadlines, stress can rule the day, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve been reading articles online about reducing anxiety and how to prioritize my time so I have the right kind energy to stay focused on the tasks at hand. Being a full-time working parent brings a slew of tasks. Plus, throw in extended family members and my role as president for our local chapter of AAF and my life has a busyness I didn’t know could exist. I have realized I don’t have it in me to not care, but if I can find a way to care just a little bit less, I can get back more joy in my day that I lose in the blur of busyness.


4 Features for Your Health Care Website That Will Attract New Patients

Posted on by Chris Talbert

In the digital age, people turn to online resources for almost every need—including selecting their next doctor. Though traditional advertisements and word-of-mouth marketing still have their place, a good website is key to growing your health care practice. If you want to make sure your website is generating new business, make sure it has these four features.

1: It’s Search Engine Optimized Around Long-Tailed Keywords

We can’t stress enough the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) to help users find you organically. If Google can not properly index your website, then your patients won’t be able to find you. The first step to good SEO is determining your long-tailed keywords. Long-tailed keywords like “pediatric eye care in knoxville, tennessee” are much more specific and easier to find than short-tailed keywords like “eye doctors.” Make sure to use your list of long-tailed keywords throughout your site copy, blogs and metadata.

2: It Has a Regularly-Updated Blog

Now more than ever, are patients empowered to search for and draw conclusions about their health based on information they can access online. Of course, this can lead to a lot of misinformation about their health. There’s nothing you can do to stop patients from researching and drawing their own conclusions about their health based on online information, but you can establish yourself as a thought leader by providing up-to-date and accurate information on your website’s blog. By regularly posting blog content, you will accomplish three things:

  1. Increase your SEO and website ranking
  2. Increase brand recognition by establishing yourself as a thought leader in medicine
  3. Attract new patients

You might think, wait, why would I want users to diagnose themselves online? That takes away from my business! Well, because your patients aren’t doctors. They still have to come to you to confirm their suspicions and access medications. By providing them relevant information, you are establishing yourself as a source they can trust with their health.

3: It Looks Good

When it comes to websites, you can judge a book by its cover. Google might not care what your site looks like, but your users do! If your website looks like didn’t survive the turn of the millennium, your patients might think your medical advice will be too and search for another practitioner that’s keeping up with the times. They might not be web design experts, but your patients can recognize a site that’s looks nice and has an easy-to-follow structure.

4: It’s Mobile Friendly

In 2015, Google announced that in ten countries, including the U.S., there were more mobile searches than desktop searches. This means that if your website isn’t designed to be responsive, you are missing out on a lot of potential web traffic. If you have the budget, consider placing call ads so when users find your practice, they can call your office with one tap.

Interested in redesigning your website? We’d love to help—contact us today!


What Does Instagram Stories Mean for Digital Marketing?

Posted on by Chris Talbert

Earlier this month, Instagram rolled out a stories feature that looks suspiciously like Snapchat Stories. Well, in a nutshell, Instagram Stories is basically the same as Snapchat stories, but with a few differences. Today, we’ll break down what Instagram Stories is, what separates the new feature from Snapchat and what this means for digital marketers going forward.

What is Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories operates just like Snapchat Stories and allows users to share content more frequently without flooding users’ feeds. By adding stills or short videos together in the “story,” brands can use this feature to create a narrative about their brand, an event, a product or a service.

But, wait, how exactly is Instagram getting away with essentially copying Snapchat Stories? Well, copyright laws don’t protect ideas, only the execution of those ideas. Instagram’s CEO and Cofounder Kevin Systrom even went as far as to state that Snapchat deserves all the credit and that social media is all about taking a format and putting your own unique spin on it.

Snapchat Stories vs. Instagram Stories

Fast Co. Design made the case that Instagram Stories is better designed than Snapchat, and we agree. Instagram simplified its stories platform and seamlessly integrated it into users feeds—meaning brands don’t have to convince users to follow them on a new platform to view new content. Snapchat also requires you to manually add users by name or phone number, whereas Instagram users simply have to share a link to their profile.

What differentiates Snapchat Stories is the ability to use geofilters and selfie lenses. These constantly updated features are a ton of fun to use, but they aren’t necessarily self-explanatory and probably require a Google search to learn how to use them.

What’s interesting about Instagram Stories is that it isn’t really conducive to the high-quality, perfectly “designed” images we’re accustomed to seeing. For the average everyday user, perfect photos aren’t feasible and can even deter them from using Instagram altogether. Systrom hopes Instagram Stories will change that. In an interview with The New York Times, Systrom said that the stories feature will remove the pressure people feel to post the absolute best images and bring Instagram’s mission to capture and share the world’s moments—not just the world’s most beautiful moments—back into the spotlight.

What does this mean for digital marketers?

Put simply, Instagram Stories is another avenue marketers have to reach their audiences. The best part is you don’t have to start from scratch and create a new account on a new platform—your audience is already defined! Here are a few ideas on how to implement Instagram Stories into your marketing:

  1. Behind-the-scenes/exclusive content: Professional and college football media teams use stories features to show behind-the-scenes clips from training camps and practices that are closed to the media and general public. Nothing gets football fans more excited than glimpses of their favorite team hard at work during the week.
  2. Partner with influencers: Beauty subscription service Birchbox regularly has members of their social media team “take over” the account for a day and give followers a look at their personal beauty routine, all while promoting products sold on Birchbox.com.
  3. Product unveilings: Socialite, TV personality and businesswoman Kylie Jenner does all her product reveals for her cosmetic line, Kylie Cosmetics, through her Snapchat account. Instagram Stories will allow brands to showcase new products and reach audiences that aren’t on Snapchat. And, again, users won’t have to seek out the content—it’s waiting for them in their Instagram feed.

Will Instagram or Snapchat Stories sit atop the proverbial podium? Only time will tell.


10 Productivity Tips to Keep Your Day on Track

Posted on by Chris Talbert

We may want to go outside and enjoy the last of the summer weather but alas, duty calls. Check out these 10 productivity tips our team uses to stay on track throughout the day.

Where’d all the time go?!

Designsensory uses Harvest to keep track of where we’ve been, and Forecast to see where we’re going. Harvest lets us organize our time and expenses by project, and Forecast gives us a visual representation of our workloads.

Bullet points.

Kristen and I use the Bullet Journal system to stay productive. It’s easy to implement, and your notes and to-dos can be as concise or as detailed as you like, all while keeping things neat and orderly—plus we can channel our creativity with fun, colorful page spreads. There are tons of bullet journalists we follow online to get inspiration.

Block it out.

For Susan, earbuds are the secret to her productivity. We love our open office space—and our coworkers—but it can get pretty noisy sometimes, so earbuds are an essential office supply.

Take a walk.

We’re fortunate enough to be located next to a walking track where you’ll find many DSers making their daily rounds. Likewise, Erin prefers to eat her lunch outside to clear her head. She comes back feeling refreshed and with a new perspective on her work.

Take it digital.

Ian likes to use Trello to keep track of his tasks. The beauty of Trello is it offers desktop and mobile versions, so you can stay on top of it no matter where you are.

Post it.

Post-it® notes are perfect for all those little random reminders for yourself, or for messages you need to leave for your coworkers. I personally take my Post-it noting to the next level—I have a dedicated Post-it note color for each of my clients. My deskmates might call me crazy, but I #ownit.

Stretch it out.

Tuyen and the design team regularly get up and stretch or do yoga at their desks. This helps them combat common “desk job” ailments such as sore backs, stiff necks and even stress. Fun fact: Tuyen demonstrated her desk yoga techniques in this video from our friends at HGTV.

Write it down.

Sarah and Justin always carry a notebook and a pen with them so, if they get stopped on the way to a meeting or when going back to their desks, they won’t forget what someone asked them to do.

Nix the dread.

Sarah also likes to get her most dreaded tasks out of the way as soon as she comes in. This makes her feel accomplished right off the bat and sets a great tone for the rest of the day. 

Fuel up.

Bill Murray Coffee GIF

Team Designsensory combats the morning and mid-afternoon drowsies with a good old cup of joe from the Keurig. And we like to satisfy our afternoon munchies with some fresh popcorn. But, not at the same time, we promise. 


How do you and your team stay productive throughout the day? Drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter and share with us!

Team Designsensory Tours and Tastes Augusta, Georgia

Posted on by Chris Talbert

After a year of overseeing marketing and advertising for the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Designsensory team is working on an exciting new campaign to attract visitors to this charming, laid-back city. With our production partner, PopFizz, we recently spent several days in Augusta to take a closer look (and taste) at the city of Augusta, Georgia.

It’s a tough job, but somebody had to explore recreational opportunities on the boats and trails of the historic Augusta Canal, sample the food and craft cocktails (and those “special” milkshakes) from a group of up-and-coming chefs, and take in the history of this great city, from founder James Oglethorpe to funkmaster James Brown. We were amazed by the beauty of the downtown waterfront, inspired by the contemporary art scene and entertained by the variety of music and shops. And, did we mention the food?

Our team shot still photography and video as we walked the leafy downtown streets, talked with museum curators and business people, and tasted new twists on old favorite cuisines (because we really, really like their food). We’ll be using this firsthand information to help us target the millennial audience and inform planning for a new creative campaign.

And, if we have to go back and visit another restaurant or three, we’re totally okay with that.

Celebrating 15 Years: 15 Business Lessons We’ve Learned

Posted on by Chris Talbert

You might remember from earlier this year that Designsensory is celebrating 15 years! We’ve got some exciting announcements to come but, in the meantime, here are 15 business lessons we’ve learned in our 15 years.

1. Communication is key

It doesn’t matter how big or small the issue is, strong communication is key to success. It’s important not to let issues simmer for months and months, because you don’t want them to turn into crises. Raise a flag and communicate your concerns with someone as soon as you see a potential issue.

2. What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger

We all go through ups and downs in our careers, and how we come out of those down times is when our true colors are revealed to the world. It doesn’t matter how tough times get, if you keep pushing forward you’ll come out stronger and better on the other side.

3. Coffee is No. 1

What’s the to key running a business? Coffee.

4. Doughnuts are a close second

Because you can’t have coffee without doughnuts.

5. Teamwork makes the dreamwork

One of us isn’t as strong as all of us. We all bring different skillsets to the team, and the sum of all our skills allow us to create better results.

6. We’ve got the best clients

Seriously. We wouldn’t be where we are without our clients! Hats off to them! We can’t thank them enough for trusting us with their brands and working with us to create incredible results—and providing us with valuable feedback that’s made us better.

7. You live and die based on your team

You’re only as strong as your weakest link. You might love an employee as a person but, if they’re holding your business back, you’ve got to cut them loose for the greater good of the company.

8. Hard work always wins out over natural talent

Character counts when you’re hiring new employees. An honest employee with a strong work ethic will always beat out an employee with natural talent but no work ethic.

9. Respect

If you want to be treated with respect, you have to treat others with respect. You never know if the person you’re talking to will be your next client, employee or boss, so make sure to always treat others with respect and don’t burn any bridges.

10. Mistakes happen—learn from them

Donna Fenn, Inc. editor and author of “Upstarts” wrote in a blog post that focus on the process of attaining your business goals—not obsession with the goals themselves—is what ultimately leads to success. In other words, we all mess up sometimes, and the key is to learn from your mistakes to improve your business processes in the future.

11. Work-life balance is important

We would be remiss if we didn’t note that sometimes to be successful, work-life balance has to take a (temporary) backseat. At the end of the day, you’ve got to do what it takes to get the job done, but you can’t forget your support system at home. Sometimes stepping away from the office to hug your spouse or play with your kids is just the break you need to gain some fresh perspective.

12. Culture matters

Your workplace culture is what makes the (occasional) overtime hours worth it. It gives employees something to rally around and motivates them to come to work every day. The hardships and pitfalls of the workplace are all worth it when you’ve got a strong bond between team members built on out-of-the-office fraternization.

13. Trust is essential

You can’t run a business by yourself, so you’ve got to delegate and trust your team to get it done. Of course, trust is earned and not given away, but even during those all-important trust-building times, it’s important not to micromanage. Empower your employees to be responsible by letting them call the shots—and trusting them to get it right.

14. Success takes time

Successful people didn’t become successful overnight. Take J.K. Rowling for example: “Harry Potter” was rejected dozens of times before becoming a cultural sensation. Moral of Rowling’s story? Never give up.

15. Taking chances pays off

Starting a business means you are taking a calculated risk, both with your time and money. There’s no guarantee of success, but if you’re smart about the chances you take and you work hard, you’ll eventually find success.


What We’re Reading in August 2016

Posted on by Chris Talbert

Brayan Zavala, Graphic Designer
With the growing popularity of inspiration sites like Pinterest, Behance and Designspiration, designers have the option of using other people’s work as their sole source of inspiration. Stanley Hainsworth’s book, “Idea-ology: The Designer’s Journey: Turning Ideas into Inspired Designs,” explains the difference between inspiration, influence and imitation. His book is a collection of interviews of designers, illustrators and typographers and their design processes. He explains how they look to the world rather than to other designers’ work for inspiration. This book is a great reminder to step away from the computer explore the world around us.

Brandon Storz, Technical Developer
I’m finishing up “Do More Better,” a book on productivity. With the many responsibilities I have, I want to manage my time efficiently. The author, Tim Challies, does not endorse a strict structure, as happens in similar books. Rather, he emphasizes priority management, teaches some broad guidelines and shares what tools work for him. His goal is to encourage you to use something so you can do more, better. I tend to get burned out on strict workflows and stop using any system at all after a while, so I find Challies’ approach to be liberating.

Josh Loebner, Director of Strategy
Lately, I’ve been reading “Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All.” Written by the founders of IDEO, a global design firm that creates impact through design, the book relays principles and strategies to help us tap into our creativity. Sharing its years of experience at IDEO, the Standford d.school and work with the world’s top companies, the authors, brothers David Kelley and Tom Kelley, challenge the notion that creativity and innovation are limited to creative types.


Maury County, Tennessee: A Hub for Economic Development

Posted on by Chris Talbert

We have a new account in Middle Tennessee, and—when it comes to being successful in economic development—this client is hitting it out of the ballpark in attracting new business to the state.

Designsensory is working with the Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance to develop an anthem video and a series of industry-specific videos showcasing and spotlighting the workforce, business and lifestyle advantages. DS will plan, write and produce four videos, and capture stills. This account also signifies the first ongoing client for our new video splicer micro-app through DSxL, which is currently in development and will release later this year.

You may be familiar with some of the cities in Maury County, Tennessee: Columbia, Mount Pleasant, Spring Hill. The county’s location, midway between Nashville and Huntsville, Alabama, is an attractive economic development draw for relocation and expansion. Its capital investment over the past year has been $105 million. This fourth fastest-growing county in Tennessee has four industrial parks, which include certified sites. Target industries for Maury County include automotive, metal fabrication and ceramics.