LEVERAGE Partners With Visit Tampa Bay

We are excited to announce our partnership with Visit Tampa Bay. Just about every client we work with in Tampa is positively impacted by tourism in one way or another. People vacation here, they do business here, and then they eventually move here because of everything our region has to offer. Visit Tampa Bay plays a critical role in that process and we’re proud to support them.

We’re based in Tampa, our employees live in Tampa, and we’ve served Tampa businesses for over 15 years. So, we felt partnering with Visit Tampa Bay made a lot of sense, given the direct impact their efforts have on our local economy.

It’s our hope that this partnership allows us to positively impact Tampa’s tourism industry, and to provide even more value to our clients.

LEVERAGE to Embrace Hybrid Work Model

Photo by https://hydeparkvillage.com/

The agency is saying goodbye to the traditional office and hello to Hyde House, an innovative workspace in Hyde Park Village.

Today, LEVERAGE announced that it is fully embracing hybrid work by offering all of its team members the option to work in-office or from home beginning next month. LEVERAGE is no stranger to hybrid work, as management has tested the model successfully over the last year.

With this move, LEVERAGE is saying goodbye to the traditional office and hello to Hyde House, an innovative workspace in Hyde Park Village. The agency will continue to offer face-to-face client meetings at its new location, as well as Zoom meetings, which many clients have become increasingly in favor of following the pandemic. 

“With the recent evolution of communication and collaboration technology, we are able to offer our staff increased flexibility with their work arrangements, while maintaining the same level of productivity,” said Jay Taylor, CEO at LEVERAGE. “This affords our team members better work-life balance and allows us to remain an attractive option for talent in an industry where remote work has become the norm.”

About LEVERAGE

LEVERAGE is an award-winning digital marketing agency that builds brands and enables growth. It has been named one of the top 10 fastest growing companies owned or led by a University of South Florida alumnus, and ranked by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a top 25 advertising agency.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Samantha Moffett

smoffett@leveragedigital.com

813.489.4494

 

LEVERAGE Donates Scholarship To University of South Florida Muma College of Business

The LEVERAGE Scholarship for Future Marketing Professionals will award $5,000 over the next five years.

Tampa-based marketing agency, LEVERAGE, announced today that it has established a scholarship for graduate students at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.

The LEVERAGE Scholarship for Future Marketing Professionals will award $5,000 over the next five years to students who are currently pursuing or planning to pursue a career in marketing and advertising. All awards will be based on merit and financial need, and applications will be open for students pursuing Master of Science in Marketing and Master of Business Administration degrees.

“For many of our students, scholarships often mean the difference between whether or not they choose to continue their academic careers,” said Moez Limayem, Lynn Pippenger Dean at the USF Muma College of Business. “We’re grateful to LEVERAGE for providing the vital financial boost student scholars need to further their studies. This support contributes to the strong foundation needed for student success.”

“We are thrilled to donate this scholarship to the USF Muma College of Business and to help aspiring marketing professionals achieve their academic goals, so they can go on to become the future leaders of this profession,” said Jay Taylor, CEO at LEVERAGE. “The USF Muma College of Business is producing some of the best and the brightest, and we are grateful to be in a position to support them.”

About USF Muma College of Business

The University of South Florida is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. The Muma College of Business leverages analytics and critical thinking as a means to advance student success, produce scholarship with impact, and generate innovation in partnership with stakeholders.

About LEVERAGE

LEVERAGE is an award-winning digital marketing agency that builds brands and enables growth. It has been named one of the top 10 fastest growing companies owned or led by a University of South Florida alumnus, and ranked by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a top 25 advertising agency.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Samantha Moffett

smoffett@leveragedigital.com

813.489.4494

 

A Look Back at 2021


2021 was an incredible year. We had the privilege of helping clients establish brand identities, enter new markets, reach new audiences, grow existing ones, scale, and more.

Seeking an agency partner to help your organization achieve its strategic marketing goals in 2022? We can help.

Request a consultation.

Facebook Advertising Simplified: One of The Most Effective Tactics

Facebook is much more than the most popular social media platform worldwide; it’s also where 86.8 percent of U.S. marketers create and distribute quality content, strengthen their online presence, and generate qualified leads. However, as Facebook’s advertising capabilities have become increasingly robust and versatile in nature, many businesses have said that the platform often feels overwhelming or confusing. Between a wide range of audience parameters, 11 advertising objectives, and five ad formats, it’s easy to see why some brands are struggling to wrap their minds around running a successful ad campaign. To remove some of the guesswork from this process and provide insight into what’s worked for us here at LEVERAGE, this article will explore one of the most effective Facebook advertising tactics you can implement: Retargeting.

Reconnect With Interested Customers Via Retargeting

Retargeting is an online advertising tactic that enables you to keep your brand front and center with prospective customers who have shown an interest in your products or services previously, based on their online activity. This could be visiting your website, adding something to their cart, or simply leaving a like on your Facebook page. This form of advertising is one of the most effective tactics in terms of supercharging your marketing ROI because you’re only showing advertisements to people who have already shown an interest in your business and, thus, are more likely to convert. 

Since only a small percentage of website visitors are likely to make a purchase or inquire about a service on their first visit, retargeting greatly increases the probability that they will return to your website to complete the process. With Facebook’s advertising platform, you can accomplish this by either installing a piece of code that helps track conversions and optimize ads on your website (Facebook Pixel) or by uploading a list of existing contacts from your database.

Attract New Customers Likely to Be Interested in Your Brand with Lookalike Audiences

Once you’ve established an audience of interested customers who have previously interacted with your brand, you can use a Lookalike Audience to reach new people who are likely to be interested because they’re similar to those who have already expressed interest. Essentially, you’re identifying common qualities of the people in your source audience and delivering your advertisement to those consumers to generate a wider, new audience. The better data you provide and the more information you have about your source audience, the better your results will be.

With these two advertising tactics, strong messaging, and a compelling offer, you’re bound to recapture previously lost opportunities and attract new leads likely to convert in the future.

Leads Not Converting? Here’s a Likely Reason Why

Are you driving a lot of qualified leads, but they don’t seem to be converting? One possible reason for this is that you may be using the same sales strategy with top and middle of funnel leads that you use with bottom of funnel leads.

Whereas bottom of funnel leads are typically ready to make a purchase decision, top and middle of funnel leads require more nurturing and more touches before making a purchase. Top of funnel leads are in the research phase. They’re still trying to figure out what exactly they want, and who to buy it from. They’re far from making a purchase decision. Middle of funnel leads are more informed than top of funnel leads, and have likely narrowed down their consideration set, but are still evaluating options before making a decision.

If someone finds you on Google because they searched for your offering specifically, they’re likely a bottom of funnel lead, and there’s a good chance you’ll be able to close them fairly quickly. This is one of the reasons we love SEO and paid search advertising. It’s incredibly effective at driving motivated bottom of funnel leads. However, if someone finds you on Facebook because they stumble across your ad in their newsfeed, it’s likely they are a top or middle of funnel lead. Facebook advertising and social media advertising in general is also very effective, but more so for generating awareness and driving top of funnel traffic.

In the Google example, you may be able to close that lead on the first call, or at least advance them to the proposal stage. However, in the Facebook example, a completely different approach must be taken. Rather than trying to close the lead or advance them to the proposal stage on the first call, the goal should be to get as much information as possible about them, assess their needs, and determine how you can best serve them.

Then, have a follow-up process in place to help nurture the relationship, and ensure that you remain top of mind, while the prospect works their way through the funnel. Depending on your sales cycle, this process might take days, weeks, or even months. Certain marketing tactics, such as retargeting and email marketing, can help increase touch points and nurture the relationship. Combining these tactics with personalized email outreach and follow ups by phone can also be very effective.

Finally, it’s critical to understand that just because a lead isn’t ready to buy today, doesn’t mean they aren’t qualified. They just have to be nurtured. Mislabelling qualified leads as unqualified because they weren’t ready to convert after the first touch is a huge mistake, and can cost your business opportunities. If you have enough of these leads in your pipeline, and they’re nurtured effectively, a percentage of them will convert, adding another source of new business in addition to the bottom of funnel leads you’re accustomed to working with.

How to Adapt and Thrive During Times of Uncertainty

As a business owner, you can adapt and thrive during times of uncertainty. 

One of the things I’ve noticed companies doing is that they’re taking their eye off the ball in terms of generating revenue. This is because they are so focused on cost-cutting and borrowing. 

The Time to Generate Revenue is Now

Both of these things are necessary at this time. Companies have to contract and reduce costs and, where necessary, borrow in order to remain cash flow positive. But that should not be in lieu of generating revenue. Revenue generation should be just as important now as it was prior to the pandemic. 

This is an issue that companies are failing to recognize. Just because times are tough and we are stuck in our home doesn’t mean we can’t still generate revenue. You just have to figure out how and pivot and look for those opportunities within your specific business.

  • One way to continue generating revenue is by taking care of your existing customers. Make sure sure you’re continuing to provide them with value.
  • Another way is to reallocate your short-term marketing budgets you had set aside for tradeshows and conferences and apply that to digital marketing. 

Although demand for services has declined, it’s not like it’s nonexistent. People are still buying; where they were once buying in person, they’re now buying online. You have to be present when they are searching for your product or service offering.

Ramping Up Virtual Consultations

One of the things we’re having a lot of success with and seeing our clients have a lot of success with is consultations. Instead of doing in-person consultations onsite, they are doing virtual consultations using Zoom, UberConference, or GoToMeeting. We are also seeing seminars being conducted virtually. Where a seminar may have been conducted in-person, now they are being done virtually and with great success.

The opportunities are there. You just have to take a step back, assess your current situation, and think about the needs of your customers and how you can meet those needs even though you may not be able to physically be in front of them when you do.

How to Continue Driving Revenue During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a business owner, one of your primary goals right now should be to find ways to continue driving revenue during the pandemic. Your business needs cash flow, and while you can certainly borrow, you’ll have to pay that money back at some point. As we may be headed for a recession or already in the midst of one, finding ways to maintain positive cash flow through revenue instead of debt will put your business in a much better position now and in the future.

Here are a few ways to continue driving revenue during this uncertain time.

Focus on Your Best Customers

Depending on your line of business, your best customers may need you now more than ever. So, pick up the phone and call them to see how they’re doing and what you can do to help them. Our best customers are the reason we’re in business and you better believe we’re working harder than ever to make sure their businesses not only survive this crisis, but are well positioned to come out of it even stronger.

Increase Your Investment in Digital Marketing

If you’ve historically relied on in-person networking, trade shows, or conferences to drive revenue, you need digital marketing now more than ever to replace that lost revenue. We’ll likely see both the volume and duration of online usage achieve record breaking levels during the pandemic as people spend more time on Google, Facebook, Youtube, and other platforms as a result of being at home. This is the perfect opportunity to make sure your brand is front and center, and top of mind with potential customers. People will still need goods and services despite the pandemic.

Utilize Video Conferencing

If you typically meet with customers face-to-face, video conferencing can be a great alternative to canceled appointments. There are plenty of video conferencing options available, such as GoToMeeting, Zoom, and UberConference. Don’t settle for trying to replace in-person meetings with a phone call. Video conferencing is a much more effective alternative, because it mimics an in-person interaction more. With a phone call, you’re unable to see your customer’s facial expressions and body language, which may communicate more to you than what they’re saying verbally.

Serve New Segments

Consider serving new segments that can benefit from your offering. We already have clients pivoting to serve segments that they historically haven’t served to help diversify their clientele. For example, perhaps you typically focus on high ticket items, but may find there are fewer of those now, while there is still demand for lower ticket items. These lower ticket items will help keep the revenue coming in until demand for your more profitable higher ticket offering resumes.

Pivot Your Offering

Restaurants that typically rely on in-store dining are doing an excellent job of pivoting their offering right now by focusing on delivery and takeout. Gyms can pivot by offering virtual personal training sessions and classes. Physicians can pivot to virtual consultations. Attorneys can pivot to different practice areas that are in higher demand during a recession. Home service business can pivot from installs to repairs. These are just a few of many examples of how you can pivot, which ultimately depends on your business and unique circumstances.

Remember, this is a temporary event. So, focus on driving revenue not only to secure your business now, but to set it up for success once the pandemic ends and the economy rebounds.

Leverage Digital Ranks as One of Tampa Bay’s Largest Advertising Agencies

Recently, the Tampa Bay Business Journal (TBBJ) released its highly awaited list of Largest Tampa Bay Advertising Agencies and Leverage Digital ranked at number 16.

Growing Fish in a Big Pond

The list, locally compiled by TBBJ’s Research Director Chris Erickson, is based on companies’ number of full-time local employees. It also provides information regarding each agency’s specialties, founding year, 2017 revenue, and top local executive. To ascertain the area’s largest advertising agencies, a wide net was cast (just under 6,000 square miles) covering Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties.

As a young, vibrant company, the Leverage team was proud to place amongst a list of many long-established companies, some founded as early as 1922.

“This is just the beginning,” said Managing Director Jay Taylor, “Leverage Digital’s rapid growth is a testament to the power of results-based digital marketing, strategic data measurement techniques, and a personal touch. We have an all-star team in place and I look forward to seeing the Leverage family continue to grow.”

A Decade Dedicated to Digital

Mr. Taylor, who founded Leverage Digital in 2008, saw the need for a marketing agency that specialized in digital and valued measurable results as well as creativity. At the time, many agencies were focused on traditional advertising and digital marketing was still in its infancy.

Since then, the agency has grown in both size and acclaim, receiving honors for its work from the International Davey Awards, Hermes Awards, W3 Awards, and Communicator Awards, to name a few. In 2018, Leverage was named the 9th fastest growing company owned or led by a University of South Florida alumnus.

The Leverage team is excited to be the 16th largest agency in beautiful Tampa Bay. However, the agency plans to make an even bigger growth-related announcement soon—stay tuned!