Every business with a website or app needs to know how well that valuable asset is performing. That means adding tools like Google Analytics, HotJar, Facebook tracking, and so on, to gather information about what visitors are doing.

These tools are added using snippets of code or tags, often for every event that needs to be tracked. This usually requires a developer and some coding work (each and every time).

 

Google Tag Manager to the Rescue

There is an easy way to take back control of these tags, to get past the technical barriers and enable marketing folk to move fast. Google Tag Manager is a ‘tag management system’ that streamlines how data is collected from a website or app all while being fairly intuitive, even to non-technical types.

“Google Tag Manager is a ‘tag management system’ designed to enable marketers to easily gather and organise all the data they need about a website or app.”

Google Tag Manager is designed to enable the marketing team to easily gather all the data they need, like how often a button is clicked, the conversion rate of a page, the performance of a new piece of content that’s promoted on Linkedin, etc. All without requiring development work and expense.

 

How Google Tag Manager Works (in plain English)

This article isn’t intended as a technical guide and won’t cover everything you need to know before getting stuck into Google Tag Manager but we should explain the basic concepts behind this wonderful system in a way normal humans can understand:

Triggers

The basic premise of the system is that a ‘trigger’ detects an event on your website or app. You can tell it to look for a specific event or range of events on a single page, a section of pages or the whole website or app.

Tags

The trigger needs a corresponding ‘tag’. Think of a tag as the action that is performed when a trigger is set off. Typically, a tag is a snippet of code that collects and sends information to another 3rd party tool such as Google Analytics, HotJar, Full Story, etc.

There’s more to the system than this but the core concept is to track visitor behaviour using a trigger and send information about that behaviour to another marketing tool in a structured and controlled way. All without complex development work.

 

How You Might Use Google Tag Manager – Example Use Cases

Google Tag Manager is typically used for all sorts of marketing purposes, from measuring the impact of social media activity to content marketing. Some examples of how you might use it:

• Adding an analytics tool like Google Analytics to your website
• Detecting how people interact with your ‘Free trial’ button
• Measuring downloads for your eBook
• Adding the Facebook tracking pixel to a landing page that you have set up for your social media campaign
• Tracking the conversion rate of a new page
• Enabling AdWords remarketing on your landing pages
• Measuring engagement with a key feature of your iOS app

 

7 Reasons You Should Start Using GTM

 

1) Future-proof your website or app

Using a single tool to manage the installation of every marketing tool you’ll ever need in the future sounds like a smart plan to us! And because installation is so simple, Google Tag Manager can be easily migrated to new versions of a website or new releases of an app.

 

2) Give your website a speed boost

Google Tag Manager not only speeds up the time it takes to add new tools and tracking to a website, it also enhances the performance of a website by allowing the content to load while it loads scripts in the background. A big improvement on the usual alternative of lots of individual tracking codes and scripts all trying to load at the same time.

 

3) Reduce website development spend

Google Tag Manager is added to a website with a single line of code, then everything is controlled from one, simple online console, that becomes second nature after a short time.

 

4) Empower the marketing team

Marketers can add new tracking with ease as they create their marketing campaigns or add new content. If your marketing team produce content in your business, you will surely need clear insights into what impact this has on your target audience and your profits.

 

5) Increase the security of your website

Google, as expected, takes security very seriously and has built-in tools to protect the businesses that rely on its tools, including this one. Access can be tightly controlled so that only certain approved people can add tracking to a website or app. No more open access to your website via FTP or another more vulnerable method.

 

6) Improve reliability

With built-in error checking, a very smart preview mode to check everything is working and pre-built tags to automate the addition of common tags, Google Tag Manager tries very hard to remove any risk involved in the process of adding tracking. It also creates ‘versions’ of how the tags are set up so it’s very easy to ‘roll back’ to a previous version if something does go wrong.

 

7) Enjoy a powerful marketing tool for free!

Google Tag Manager is a free tool yet can give you complete control of measuring and analysing everything that happens on your website or app. It does not require expensive training or subscriptions.

 

How to get started with Google Tag Manager

The initial setup of Google Tag Manager requires some technical know-how to get things working smoothly from the start. But for such a powerful tool, this initial configuration is very straightforward with a bit of technical know-how, with a single snippet of code required for your whole website (in place of maybe dozens of individual snippets).

 

Ready to roll it out?

Simply visit the Google Tag Manager website to create your account, install your code snippet for the tool and then the fun begins as you set up your triggers and tags to collect all that beautiful information!

 

Need to learn a bit more?

Google Tag Manager has a lot of advanced features and hidden benefits that we couldn’t possibly cover here. Check out the documentation for all the details.

You might also be interested in our upcoming guide, “How to get the most out of Google Tag Manager”. Pop your email address in the box below and you’ll be one of the first to get it:

Need a hand?

And, of course, you can get in touch with us to chat about how we can help you get the most out of Google Tag Manager.

 

Thanks for reading. Here’s to many years of triggering and tagging your way to amazing insights into how people are using your website or app!

 

When the time comes to invest in a new website, brochure or other marketing collateral, an important but often dreaded first step is to write marketing content.

Many thousands of words have or will be written about your business and the things it provides to people. Those words are out there, in the wild. In print, online, in marketing tweets and on promotional product videos on YouTube.

Over time, businesses grow and evolve, markets and customer demands change over time. It’s a big challenge to keep these words up-to-date and relevant as your products develop and there is a need for new marketing campaigns.

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Why is this important?

Business growth depends on reaching target audiences and convincing them that you have what they need. Effective content delivers the right message about a business and it’s products or services to the right people in the right places at the right time. It accurately describes what you’re selling and gets people excited about it, enough to make a commitment of some kind – financial or emotional.

“So how can I create great marketing content without the big budget or time investment?”, I hear you ask!

By combining a structured step-by-step process with the passion you have for the products or services you work with every day.

Every business owner or manager can generate great marketing material by following the right process and harnessing the passion and commitment they have within them for that business and what it sells.

Think about the message you want to get through to potential customers about the benefits of your product or service. Why should they buy? What makes you believe in it?

“Okay, I’m ready. But how many weeks will this take?”.

You will certainly need to set aside some time to focus on writing but, depending on how much content you need, we’re talking a few days rather than a few weeks.

Naturally, the more time you can dedicate to this, the greater the impact your marketing material will have!

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1) Who are your customers?

Keeping your target audience in mind when writing content will bring you a lot more success than writing in general terms to a wide, non-specific audience. It reduces the ‘hit and miss’ effect of, for example, simply listing the features of a product or service and providing vague benefits similar to what your competition might also use.

You can quickly create ‘personas’ to help build a picture of your audience. These are an approximation of your typical potential customer which profiles their interests, habits, likes, dislikes and so on, building a picture of a person who isn’t real but certainly is realistic. This really helps when thinking about who you are pitching your product or service to.

Longer personas often include a full list of likes, dislikes, goals, hobbies and so on. Keeping a person in mind when writing rather that ‘the audience’ will keep you focused on clarity and quality.

Also, any feedback from customers is like gold dust, especially if there’s a consistent theme running through what multiple people are saying – good or bad. This helps to build an accurate profile of your main customer base and what they are interested in.

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2) What do your customers need?

You may have heard of ‘pain points’ when talking about how to market to people. These are the main issues that people seem to have that your product or service can potentially help with.

For example, software development teams typically have pain points that include a reliance on multiple, disparate tools for communication, a need to have so many meetings that productivity suffers, work-related stress and so on. That doesn’t sound like much fun! But that’s where a product with the solution could come in.

So think about what your customers commonly have issues with and write everything with these pain points in mind. Your content will instantly be easier to relate to and even more convincing!

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3) Why should they use your product or service

So you can see that by knowing more about the potential customer and their issues, you can write up solutions for each pain point that will help form a personal connection with what you’re offering. When it comes to customers, this will play a key part in turning ‘potential’ into ‘paying’.

Using our software development teams example from earlier, we could pitch an online task management tool that allows teams to break up their projects into smaller tasks that they can easily prioritise and discuss. We would write our benefits as solutions to each pain point, “Feel in control of your work again, reduce stress”, “Spend less time in meetings and more time working on tasks that are critical to meeting your deadline” and so on.

This kind of content should sit above (both in importance and hierarchy on a page) the general information that you will need to write about your product or service, including a list of features that accurately describe what is being offered. You know and believe in what you’re selling so this is the easy part!

However, they won’t just take your word for it! Providing proof that your current customers are satisfied will go a long way to convincing potential customers that they could also benefit from what you sell. Getting some testimonials from your customers, even the form of short tweets or comments, is essential. It’s potentially the most effective bit of marketing content you can utilise (anywhere). This is the core of what’s called ‘social proof’; strong evidence that your current customers are happy.

@zenelements Thanks to Zen Elements for creating a great site for us and our varied audiences. Already thinking about our next project!

— NCS The Challenge (@NCSTheChallenge) September 3, 2015

Other kinds of social proof include the number of customers you currently have, positive statistics about your products or services (“5/5 star rating on Amazon”) and any signs of popularity on social media (“1340 Likes on Facebook”).

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4) Where will they see your message

Putting your message into context and writing for the medium will make it more effective.

For example, an advert in a magazine where someone might be seeing your brand and product for the first time will require a different approach than a re-marketing advert online, where you are reminding them of the benefits your product will bring.

Of course, a brochure or website will need another approach entirely. Instead of a succinct and attention-grabbing headline and message, focused on getting the click or website visit, you’ll need to keep in mind that the audience will want more information (but still have a short attention span).

One good technique for delivering more information is to split up longer areas of content. For example separating a page speaking about your business into two or three paragraphs, divided into sections that are separated by headlines – much like this article!

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5) When will they be best placed to commit to something?

Just like the ‘where’, the ‘when’ is about putting your content marketing into context. When will your audience be viewing the content you have created and will it be at a time when they are in a position to commit?

The time of when you hit ‘send’ on a marketing email campaign has a huge impact on it’s success. Your UK-based audience might be more receptive to your product or service early in the morning on a Friday or an evening on the weekend might prove to be more effective.

For example, when marketing from business to business, Thursdays between 11am and 2pm are renowned to be the optimum time for sending an email. Any other day or time is likely to find the recipient too focused on work!

This will have some influence on what you will write, for example a coffee shop can send out a promotional Tweet or Facebook post for early risers in need of their product!

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6) Write what comes naturally!

When you have answered these questions (Who, What, Why, Where and When), your content will come naturally! Don’t focus on spelling or grammar immediately – just write/type as it comes to you.

Use paper and a pen, use a laptop, use a tablet, use a napkin – it doesn’t matter. The aim is to get the key messages, benefits and selling points out of your brain and into a place where they can be refined.

The final, and most often overlooked step, is to ensure that your draft content marketing material is read by a colleague or professional copywriter. This is important to reduce mistakes and help ensure the effectiveness of your content.

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The end result of all this hard work is that should see your marketing materials make a big, measurable impact on your business. Wishing you good luck and happy writing!

Why mobile is more important to your business than you think (and what to do about it).

A potential customer receives an email from your business. They open it and click a link to your landing page or website. Another visits your website after searching for a term that you rank highly on. A new customer is using your online product or shop for the first time.

All of these scenarios are usually great news for a business. All full of promise. But what if this all happens on their mobile device? Do things still look as promising?

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Mobile is now overtaking desktop for most key consumer activities. How does this impact your business?

It’s highly likely that your customers, as part of their natural research or buying process, are using a mobile device to view and interact with your emails, website and any other online area of your business.

These critical first points of contact are not very often ready for smaller screens. Customers squint, pinch and scroll in all directions, looking for product or contact pages that are hard to find, slow to load or difficult to read on their device. Not a great experience for them. And your brand suffers as a result.

Over 14 million people in the UK used a mobile phone to research a product to buy in the last month. More than 11.5 million made a purchase. ^**

This mobile growth has happened relatively fast in recent years and businesses haven’t been able to adapt as quickly as they would like. Or they simply don’t know where to start.

Do you need expensive apps built for each type of device? Do you need to create and maintain a separate mobile website?

One of these might be the approach for larger companies in some situations but for the average small-to-medium business, another solution is needed.

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Responsive design to the rescue!

Your existing website, landing pages and email templates can all be adapted in the short-term, to suit the smaller screens being used by your customers every day. Part of what responsive design offers is an effective (and cost-effective) way of updating your existing design layout. It enables you to move from a fixed size design (much larger than a mobile screen) to a layout that can adapt to an unlimited range of smaller screen sizes, including portrait and landscape views.

Your content, navigation, images and videos are then presented in a way that makes them easy to digest. No more pinching to zoom, double-tapping the screen, or scrolling sideways for your customer to get what they need. A positive brand experience!

The good news is that this can be done now and doesn’t involve an expensive redesign. And you should see positive and measurable results straight away as people find what they are looking for much faster. However, it won’t be perfect and there may be some compromises. Which leads us on to what to do next, moving beyond the short-term solution for mobile.

The long-term view. The bigger picture. Your competitive edge.

Small screens aren’t going away any time soon. Watches, glasses, fridges. It’s a brave new world! So how can you take full advantage? Competition is fierce in most markets so those who meet their exact customer needs on mobiles will get the edge over those simply adapting somewhat to the situation and leaving it at that.

We know about people’s behaviour when browsing the internet on their mobiles through readily available research – and common sense!

This research indicates that people are reluctant to:

• read long pages on a small screen
• fill out long forms for registering or purchasing
• use complex navigation with text links that are hard to tap

People want your information quickly and easily. They want the price of a product. They want your contact number to call. They want your postcode for their sat nav. All with minimal loading time while on the move on a limited 3G connection!

So how do we move beyond quick fixes and become a mobile marketing marvel?

In most cases, fully meeting these customer needs will require some careful thought, planning and investment in new responsive designs for emails, websites, landing pages and other online areas.

Spending money on mobile might not seem like a priority for your business at the moment. But those who do will reap the rewards of its ever-increasing popularity.

So, what is the cost of not moving to mobile? Start planning your mobile marketing push today!

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Subscribe for more critical thinking and practical advice for strengthening your brand using intelligent digital marketing strategies.

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^* Source: We Are Social, Digital, Social and Mobile in 2015 report.
^** Source: GlobalWebIndex, Q4 2014. Based on a survey of Internet users aged 16-64.

A brand is everything your customers think about your business. It’s why someone will choose your product or service over another selling the same thing. Your brand is how you present yourself and how you are seen.

So why rebrand?

A rebrand can take on many forms. It could be in a new name, a redesign of visual identity, or simply be iteration and refinement on a current identity. Take the following examples:

In 2008 Aviva changed their name from Norwich Union, while maintaining their visual identity.

Introduced in January 2013, ITV re-branded themselves to something very visually different.

While the blogging platform tumblr made some subtle changes, in stark contrast to the above rebrands.

These companies have all been through the rebranding process, producing varying results for different reasons. Here are several reasons why a company will rebrand.

Whether you completely transform your brand or make some minor alterations, rebranding will create change. Make sure it is for the right reasons.

As a designer I often look at the many shops shouting at me for their attention on my walks down the high street. I try to take notice of the extensive variety of logos I see and often wonder what they are trying to say to me.

One that has stumped for a while, for example, is Starbucks. I had very little idea who the figure inside of the circular logo was, or where the name ‘Starbucks’ came from. Let alone what it might mean.

As it turns out Starbucks was named after a fictional character, Cpt. Starbuck, from the story Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Starbucks reason was to ‘capture the seafaring history of coffee and Seattle’s strong seaport roots.’ From this their figure emerged, a synonymous symbol of the sea, a siren.

I like where the name came from, as not only does it link back to their heritage but it makes me think of adventure and distant places; perhaps where the mightiest coffee grows. What this siren represents to others, however, might not be so clear, or positive.

Here are a few interpretations I came across…

Duality

From ‘Naturalis Historia’ (1565)

From European myths and alchemy, her two tails represent dualities, such as earth and water, or body and soul. (source)

This for me creates notions of ‘oneness’ or ‘togetherness’, which are good values to communicate in building customer relationships.

Melusine, Cursed Maiden

Melusine depicted on a coat of arms.

The story goes that a siren agrees to marry a man called Raymond, the Duke of Aquitaine, on one condition – that he never disturb her on a Saturday when she bathes. He agrees, but over time his curiosity rises, he spies on her and her true appearance is revealed. She transforms into a dragon and departs in a shrieking fury. (source)

This might say that on the surface Starbucks embodies beauty but that their true identity is one of evil.

Some might agree with this.

Siren / Mermaid

“The Sirens imploring Ulysses to stay” (1886)

A siren, or mermaid in the most common understanding, is a half-woman half-fish (or half-woman half-bird) creature who’s seductive songs lure fisherman to their deaths by crashing their ships on the huge boulders they sing from. (source)

This again brings negative connotations. Are we being lured in by Starbucks, as a Siren sings to seduce the sailors on the sea? Many of us give in to the temptation of their coffee after all.

I’m only using Starbucks as an example of how the meaning behind a company could be miss-interpreted by its logo. Another could be what Lacoste’s crocodile might say to someone seeing it for the first time, not knowing the nickname of their founder out on the tennis court.

It is important for a company to share its origin and values, and great if the brand identity can help represent them but it is also important to be aware of the other connotations it could have. To some your logo could be alluring but to others it could be negative or offensive.

You can read more about the Starbucks siren here, where there are some rare editions of the logo included from the designer of the first iteration of the brown Starbucks logo.

What’s your interpretation of the Starbucks logo? Do you think of distant lands and adventure, or simply ‘One Mocha to go, please’?

Hello. Allow us to [re]introduce ourselves – we are zenelements a branding and marketing agency based in the West End of Dundee, Scotland.

Today is our 7th birthday and we’re celebrating! Not just because we’re older and wiser, but because it marks the point where we have re-branded ourselves and evolved into something very new and improved.

Almost a year ago, we were talking to our customers and businesses in the area, to find out what they knew about us. We learned that to them, ‘we did websites’. We were the go-to people to get your website professionally designed and developed. And that was all. This came as a bit of a shock, as we always thought we were different – using intelligent design to improve a business and enhance the experience of its customers, whatever the medium. However this wasn’t being communicated.

Our customers didn’t share the same view of who we were and so it was on that day that we knew we needed to re-brand ourselves. It was time for change. We needed to communicate that we were focused on the bigger picture – getting results. Design, on the surface, is an art form but underneath that beauty is a hugely beneficial tool, that if created right, will return great rewards.

During a brainstorming session for new ideas for the company brand, we were in our studio and the inevitable cliché of ‘thinking outside the box’ was spoken. It did raise an interesting point though; in order to ‘think outside the box’ you need to know what the box is. You need to know what your restrictions are – whether they be geographical, technological, language, resource – to inform your ‘thinking outside the box.’

It wasn’t until we properly spoke to people that their view of us came to light, before we reacted to it. So we began thinking ‘in[out]side’ our box.

Through various iterations on this subject, sketches and building paper models of inside-out boxes, we arrived at our final mark, reflecting what’s around us but thinking, sometimes, inside the box.

This is who we are. We are zenelements.