Banter's undergoing a range of changes that are relatable to marketing.
We're restructuring how we work as we've grown so quickly and our roles and responsibilities, as well as processes and procedures (and tools), are needing to catch up with us! With each change, we're testing out a new way of working, learning what works and what doesn't, deploying what does and then repeating 🔁 the whole process again. It's agile. It's fast 💨. And it takes a bit of getting used to. I'd normally profess agile processes for web development and I can truly understand why it's a hard concept to grasp, particularly when there is no official end date and not a tick-box exercise. Sound familiar with your marketing?
If we don't keep learning, we just become stale and redundant.
Not this Banter beast! Onwards we go.
Valentina xxx
Micro-influencers: Yay or Nay?
There are pros and cons for everything, including the use of influencers in marketing. We're not talking about the big daddy celebrities, we're talking about micro-influencers, those with between 10,000 to 100,000 followers on social media.
Did you know that more than half of marketers who invest in influencer marketing are reportedly working with micro-influencers? ⭐️ Traditionally, influencers have an engagement rate between 1-3%; anything over 3% would be considered above average. For micro-influencers, that figure starts at 5%. In a nutshell: smaller influencers are said to be more authentic than big influencers. Before you jump into bed with your next influencer, make sure you consider all the pros and cons in this great article from DigiDay.
Post testing in Meta Business Suite
This is fantastic. Post testing in Meta Business Suite lets you test up to 4 variants of a post against each other to see which one your audience likes most. During the test, the posts are circulated to a subset of your audience, but not posted to your Page. When the test ends, the winning post is automatically published on your Page and distributed to your full audience. 👏
✅ You choose the duration of the test.
✅ You choose the metric that will determine the winner.
Eg: you might choose to run your test for 30 minutes and select 1-minute views as the key metric if it’s a video post. After 30 minutes, Facebook will post the variant with the most 1-minute views to your Page’s timeline.
Page followers and potentially non-followers will see the post variants that you set. For example, if you’re testing thumbnail A and thumbnail B, some people will see A 🍎, and some will see B 🍐 while the test is running. At the end of your test, the winning post is distributed to your wider audience.
Check it out and remember to read all the rules on how it works.
Exam Desk Hire
Students sit exams 📚, at desks. Education facilities need desks and chairs.
Exam Desk Hire is a Melbourne-based business that supplies desks and chairs to professional and educational institutions. They approached us for a fresh new brand and a contemporary website that would help them be found online, attract new clients and increase the number of qualified leads they were receiving. With best-practice SEO and a streamlined presentation of their offering, Exam Desk Hire is already seeing results leading to business growth. 👀
Spotlight on Surreal Productions
Introducing Surreal Productions, where creativity meets technology! 💡
Banter had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with the incredibly talented Michael Stosic, who understands the magic of creative audio visual technology 🎤 in transforming events into unforgettable experiences.
From crafting a logo and branding that captures the essence of Surreal Productions to designing sleek business cards, a professional letterhead and a showcase of expertise through their website, we’ve ensured that every touchpoint reflects Michael’s unique style and professionalism.
Take a look for yourself and explore the endless possibilities that Michael can create for your corporate event, wedding, or special celebration ✨.
Less than 5 min reads for you
This section: Short reads, 👀 not just about marketing.
_____________________
On the blog: What's your marketing problem?
Don't tell us what you *think* you need. Fran discusses the top 5 questions you can ask yourself that will help solve your marketing problem. (And why we ❤️ it when business owners come to us with a question rather than their proposed solution!) 🙏_____________________
Gmail branded email templates
Did you know that you can create branded and styled emails via Gmail? Just look for "select layout" next to the insert signature pen icon ✍🏿.
_____________________
AI shows potential in treating brain cancer
An artificial intelligence tool called Cryosection Histopathology Assessment and Review Machine (CHARM) has demonstrated potential in assisting doctors with aggressive brain tumors by identifying critical characteristics to guide surgery.🩻
_____________________
Text to Speech Reader App
Thanks to Chelsea Pottenger for finding this one - an app called Speechify where you can choose a professional voice to read out your educational materials. 🎧
I love Chelsea's suggestions: "listening to a clinical paper 📖 read out by Gwyneth Paltrow; listening to prep notes while riding my 🚲 and Snoop Dog was reading them to me. Also really valuable for children who are studying for exams, preparing for interviews etc."
Saltwater renewable energy storage
Experts expect there to be a shortfall in storage capacity of renewably produced energy in ways that provide reliable and affordable power. EU nations are needing around 600 gigawatts of storage by 2050 and likely to only have 140 to 290 gigawatts of long-duration energy storage (LDES) in place by 2040.
Enter Aquabattery from the clever Dutch. Focused on improving storage design with reduced carbon emissions and a more circular economy, Aquabattery provides LDES in the form of chemical energy generated by running power through a saltwater mix 🌊 and a stack of electrodes. Having run several successful pilot sites, the company plans to install its first large-scale storage unit by 2025 🔋.
It's quite an incredible story and worth keeping this company name top of mind.
Catch you next time 😃
