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Nathan Williams honored as part of the Wichita Business Journal’s 2021 Marketing Awards

Owner and Principal of Baseline Creative, Nathan Williams, was recognized as an honoree of the Wichita Business Journal’s annual Marketing Awards. You can read Nathan’s full profile feature in the Wichita Business Journal.

The Wichita Business Journal’s Marketing Awards “honor Wichita-area senior marketing professionals who excel in making their company or organization look and perform its best.”

Client-focused service and support

Nathan brings an innovative approach to customer-first marketing at Baseline. He’s not afraid to do the work alongside his team, whether it be everyday fulfillment, high-level strategy, or developing a custom solution. Most importantly, he treats each client as the most important asset to our company, no matter the size of the account.

Nathan’s commitment to finding the best solution—or creating one—is always present in the day-to-day processes at Baseline Creative.

Vice President of Baseline Creative, Bridgette West-Williams says, “Nathan always ensures we provide clients with effective strategy, while being good stewards of their time and resources. His respect for honest and ethical business dealings ensures the success of our clients, and our own business.”

Servant leadership from the heart

Aside from providing exceptional client service, Nathan donates time, in-kind work, and resources to our local community in various ways. He is a longtime supporter of the Kansas Humane Society, Kansas K9 ResQ, Beauties & Beasts, Wichita Animal Action League, among many other regional and national animal rescues and shelters. In addition, Nathan is also a SCORE and SBA volunteer.

Each year, Nathan donates in-kind work to nonprofits and local organizations in need of marketing services, custom websites, and application solutions. For example, ICT SOS, Camp Sunflower, the Kansas Hispanic Education & Development Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association of Central & Western Kansas, the League of Women Voters of Wichita Metro, and the Wichita Grand Opera.

We are proud to be part of the team Nathan has established at Baseline Creative. We congratulate Nathan on his recognition as a 2021 Marketing Awards honoree!

Instagram, the visual social media platform recently announced that they are “no longer a photo-sharing app.” Instead, Instagram is shifting its focus over to compensating creators, video, shopping, and messaging. This doesn’t mean that users won’t be able to share photos anymore, because that functionality will still exist. However, what has changed is what content users see first including content from accounts the user doesn’t currently follow. We break down the Instagram update happening now below.

Four New Areas of Focus

• Instagram’s research showed that users come to the platform to be entertained. Instagram believes that a big part of entertainment will include video. Instagram is experimenting over the next few months by recommending videos to users from accounts the user doesn’t follow yet. This is similar to the way both TikTok and YouTube suggest content to users. Instagram’s video format is called “Reels” and has been criticized for imitating many of the same features as TikTok. Reels are now the preferred format for the Instagram algorithm.

• In addition to pushing out more video content, Instagram is updating monetization features to compensate creators. Creator shops allow Instagram users to set up a shop directly in the app or connect their personal and business profiles more easily. Affiliate commerce allows creators to be compensated by brands for their recommendations based on the number of sales the creator pushes through. The Brand Content Marketplace allows brands to partner with creators that match up with their brand values.

• The pandemic brought online purchasing into the spotlight and Instagram is looking to capitalize on that with expanded shopping options. Instagram hasn’t revealed any specifics on this area, but with 131 million users clicking on shopping posts per month, they are looking to capitalize on this trend.

• Finally, Instagram is focusing on messaging. More users are using messaging features on social platforms and Instagram is updating its messaging to include a visual component in which the user can reply to a DM with a photo. More updates to messaging are planned.

How Does the Instagram Update Affect You?

What does this mean for businesses that advertise on Instagram? For retail businesses, the new shopping platform will make it easier to sell their products. Brands interested in collaborating with influencers will also benefit from these changes. For businesses that have Instagram accounts, the biggest change will be switching over to more video content. Creating more video content will take more time than posting photos. Businesses should budget more time for content strategy, creation, and implementation.

If your business needs help with social media management or paid social media ads, Baseline Creative can help! We have a team of strategists who stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and best practices. Contact us today.

Bridgette West-Williams Recognized as a Woman Who Leads by the Wichita Business Journal

Baseline Creative’s Vice President, Bridgette West-Williams, was honored and recognized by the Wichita Business Journal for her leadership in the professional services sector. The Wichita Business Journal featured Bridgette including her career path and advice for other women in the profession alongside other leaders.

Serving and supporting employees and clients

Bridgette’s commitment to the safety, wellbeing and security of the Baseline Creative team is always present, especially during the pandemic. In her position as Vice President, she developed policies to accommodate every employee’s work style while supporting client needs and expectations.

In addition, her leadership helped employees thrive throughout the pandemic. Among her many responsibilities, she regularly checked in on employees’ mental health and well-being. She also mentored other business owners, providing them with guidance on how to create effective practices, policies, and boundaries.

A passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion

Bridgette’s volunteer work speaks to her core values, passion, and commitment to social justice. Through her leadership, in-kind contributions, and donating her time and resources, she supports a number of organizations. Above all, she demonstrates her commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in her everyday actions.

She serves as a board member and co-chair of the Membership Committee for the League of Women Voters, Wichita Metro. Bridgette was also recently appointed as the DEI Chair for the League of Women Voters Kansas.  In addition to her role as a board member, donor, and volunteer for ICT SOS, she also supports Camp Sunflower through in-kind contributions.

Bridgette also serves as a leader, volunteer, and donor for several community organizations, including Rise Up For Youth, Progeny, Beauties & Beasts, WAAL, Kansas Humane Society, Lawrence Humane Society, KMUW, KPTS, and Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams.

Cultivating a positive company culture

Most importantly, Bridgette has developed and cultivated a positive company culture and work environment at Baseline Creative, Inc. She uses her strengths to serve and support her company and community.

When asked what advice she has for young professionals, Bridgette says, “Find mentors with seniority and experience who hold roles or positions you envision yourself in, as well as peer mentors. Make time for yourself along the way, and don’t be afraid to set boundaries in your professional life and seek a workplace with a culture that best serves you.”

We are incredibly proud to be a part of the team Bridgette has helped create and the work that Baseline does for clients and in the community. Our team congratulates her for being named a Woman Who Leads in our community!

We received a call from a concerned client the other day because they had received an email through their website contact form that claimed that they were using copyrighted images on their website. The emailer claimed that they would sue our client if they didn’t remove the images, and the copyright proof could be accessed via a link. Once I assured the client that we only use images that we create, or that we pull from our stock photo subscription, he was relieved. However, this type of phishing scheme is happening more often. We thought it was a good time to remind our clients about the types of schemes that we frequently see, how they can avoid them, and the importance of website security.

Copyright Infringement Scheme

This is a common type of phishing scheme. After creating panic in the website owner about copyrighted images, and the emailer claiming they were going to sue and involve the website hosting company. The hacker will then demand that the user clicks a link to see evidence of their copyright. Once the user clicks the link, they can one of several things:

• Hold your device hostage and demand a ransom.
• Access your other accounts and compromise your financial information.
• They can upload viruses and worms onto your device.

As a preventative measure, Baseline Creative uses advanced captchas and honeypots to help deter, and track, users who are attempting to access websites. These tools also help limit the amount of spam on website contact forms.

A new version of this scheme has popped up on Instagram. Instagram users may receive a direct message or an email claiming that Instagram has found that they’ve used copyrighted images on their account. They cleverly add, “If you think we’ve made a mistake, please fill out the copyright objection form below,” which of course, will provide the hacker with access they need to take over your Instagram account.

You can avoid these types of phishing schemes by remaining vigilant and suspicious of emails that want you to click on a link, or download an attachment. Some signs that an email is a phishing scam are more obvious, such as, the email has poor grammar or misspelled words, or if the name shows up as someone you know, but the email address itself isn’t correct. However, scammers are becoming more sophisticated every day, so don’t drop your guard.

Domain Slamming Schemes

These types of schemes involve the claim that you must renew your domain. Usually they are marked “URGENT” and can come via email or regular mail. The scheme requires the business owner to fill out a form and pay for the domain renewal, which is quite often much more expensive than it should be.

Unfortunately, when the user completes this, they have unwittingly transferred their domain registration to someone with ill intent. These bad actors can then turn off your website, hold it hostage, or access the private information contained on your website.

If you’re unsure that your domain is about to expire, log into your domain host directly, and not from a link provided in an email. You should be able to log into your GoDaddy, BlueHost or another domain registration provider and see when your domain is set to expire. You can set up autorenewal so that you never have to worry about an expiration. If you are a Baseline Creative client, and we’ve set up your domain, we make sure that renewals occur each year so you don’t have to add that to your already full plate.

Avoiding Phishing Scams & Website Hacking

Baseline Creative is always vigilant when it comes to website security. We use tools to help us detect hacking attempts, as well as preventative firewalls and security measures to keep websites and data safe. If you receive an unsolicited email claiming copyright infringement or the need for a domain renewal, feel free to contact us. We can help you stay safe in the digital space and assist with website security needs.

Accessibility has become increasingly important in website development and companies like Baseline Creative are using WCAG 2.1 standards to build ADA-compliant websites. Social media platforms are also working toward more accessibility, especially for those who are visually impaired and the Deaf and Hard Of Hearing community.

Instagram recently launched a new automated caption feature for Stories. In September 2020, Instagram added captioning capability to IGTV available in 16 languages. Automated captioning for Stories starts with English and English-speaking countries, but Instagram is looking to expand to other languages. In addition to captioning for Stories and IGTV, Instagram is working on bringing the same technology to their “Reels” product, which is a similar format to TikTok. While third-party apps have been helpful to creators to add captions in multiple platforms, the ability to caption natively is ideal.

As a primarily visual platform, Instagram can be difficult for those with visual impairments to navigate. If a user who is visually impaired clicks on a post and there is no alt-text, they won’t know what the image is supposed to be—especially if the caption doesn’t describe the image. However, creators can manually add alt-text to Instagram posts by editing their photos as usual and then click on Advanced and Accessibility. This is an extra step, but it’s critical to connect with your followers who experience vision loss.

Instagram creators can also make posts more accessible by using more descriptive language in IG Stories or with IGTV and in the captions of the posts. Hashtagging is essential on Instagram but be sure to use CamelCase when you post. This means instead of a hashtag like this, #itsgonnabemay the creator capitalizes the first letter of each word, like this, #ItsGonnaBeMay. This allows screen readers to read the hashtag as intended.

Other social media platforms have implemented captioning or are rolling out similar features. TikTok has announced an auto-captions feature that automatically generates subtitles on videos. Creators can then edit the captions as necessary for clarity before uploading a finished video. Twitter also allows users to add alt-text to the images and gifs used in tweets. Facebook has had closed captions on videos for several years and allows users to edit photos in posts to include alt-text.

Social media is meant to create a community for its users. If a group of people such as those with visual impairments or those who are Deaf or Hard Of Hearing is left out, it’s not a true representation of the whole community. Adding captions, being descriptive in captions and posts, creating accessible hashtags, and adding alt-text to visuals used in social media help create a more accessible and inclusive experience for all users.

Baseline Creative is committed to inclusivity and accessibility in the work we do. From creating websites compliant with WCAG 2.1 standards to using accessibility features in social media, Baseline is working toward creating a more accessible experience for all users. If you’re looking for a digital company to help you with accessibility efforts, contact us.

Anytime Google launches a new update to their algorithm, it makes marketers sit up and take notice. Coming up in June, Google is launching an update that will focus on Page Experience. As this rollout happens it’s a great time to make sure that your website is optimized for the new Google focus.

What is Page Experience?

The key to any website is user experience. If your website isn’t user-friendly or doesn’t meet security standards, many potential customers will drop off, and may not return. These are the features that Google is focusing on in this latest update.

Core Web Vitals – Your website needs to load quickly and links need to work. Google will label the pages on your website as Good, Needs Improvement or Poor.

Mobile Usability – Google has made mobile responsiveness a key ranking factor for several years now so it’s no surprise that this is part of the Page Experience update. Most people now access the internet on their mobile devices so it’s vital that your website appear and function well on those smaller screens. Errors for mobile usability can include content that is wider than the screen, or text that is too small to read. Enabling Google Search Console can help determine these issues so they can be fixed.

Security Issues – Google doesn’t want to send users to websites that could have security issues. This includes having Hyper Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) on your website. You may notice when you click on a website if it doesn’t have a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate because, in the address bar, the site may say, “Not Secure”. If you own a website that collects any kind of information—from contact information to e-commerce, having an SSL is vital. If you don’t have it, Google will determine it’s a Poor page experience.

Ad Experience – If your website serves up ads in addition to your content, Google wants to ensure that your users are having a positive experience. If your ads are distracting, interrupting, or creating a poor user experience, Google will fail your website in Page Experience.

Ensuring a Good User Experience

Sometimes it’s easy to think that once a website is built, you’re done. Building a site that is user-friendly and is secure is important. However, maintaining the website with security updates and monitoring the Page Experience reports is also important. If you would like to see how your website stands up, contact us!

Instagram stories made their debut in 2016, giving users a chance to highlight and capture experiences and share everyday moments. Since that time the popularity of Stories has grown, and there is good evidence that creating Instagram stories should be part of your social media strategy.

Why choose stories over posts?

There are several reasons to choose Instagram stories over regular posts. First, 500 million Instagrammers use stories daily, which translates to more than 1 billion stories posted every day. While the number of stories increases each year, the number of posts decreases.

1. Stories relieve pressure from thinking of a carefully-crafted post, and how it fits into your Instagram grid.
2. Stories are a more authentic and organic way of sharing the highlights of your business.
3. Stories are a quick and easy way to share daily content to your profile.

A great marketing tool for your business

Stories provide businesses an opportunity to connect with customers—both new and existing.

Whether you’re using stories to spark engagement with your current audience, or pique the interest of potential customers, there are several tools to use to your advantage. For instance, you can use stickers, music, effects, and GIFs to animate your stories.

Brands like Starbucks use stories to share new products and post interactive content. For example, Starbucks utilizes polls and open-ended questions to gauge its audience’s interest in food and drink preferences. This is a great way to generate engagement and to learn more about their audience.

Brands can use stories to receive feedback from the public on new ideas and product launches, and then pin their favorites to the highlights section on their account.

Benefits of Instagram stories

To really utilize the benefits of Instagram stories, you should be posting stories at least a few times a week—or daily, depending on your industry.

Stories are a great way to create and build trust with your following, generate engagement, and to promote general brand awareness.

Are you ready to utilize Instagram stories for your business?

If you’re looking to tap into the world of Instagram stories but aren’t sure where to start, we can help! Baseline Creative has a solid team of digital marketers that are equipped to develop the best strategy for your business. We’d love to learn more about your goals and how we can help you achieve them. Contact us to get started!

A recent study showed that people watch an average of 16 hours of online videos per week and 84% of consumers say they have been convinced to purchase a product or service as a result of watching a video. As video becomes increasingly more important online and on social media, you should be aware of the best practices for shooting good video particularly for Facebook and Instagram.

Tips for Effective Videos

1. Know your video specifications for each platform. Facebook videos are the most common and can be shot in portrait or landscape and should be saved as .mp4 or .mov files. Instagram’s in-feed videos can be landscape, portrait or square and should also be saved as .mp4 or .mov files. Keep in mind that most videos are shot vertically and it’s often easier to keep this format.

2. Ensure you have the right environment. Are you shooting indoors our outside? What possible interruptions could occur in those locations? For instance, if you shoot outside, will the traffic be too loud? If you are indoors, will a phone ring? Determine if ambient noise or movement will be too distracting.

3. Lighting is key! You can choose natural light, just make sure you don’t have too much light behind you or the person in the video will be too dark to see. Indoor lighting may need the boost of the ring light to remove shadows from faces that is cast from overhead lighting. Ring lights are fairly inexpensive and often include a tripod.

3. Speaking of tripods…your videos will look more professional if you use a tripod. Depending on the feel you are going for in your video, investing in a small tripod is wise. You can also brace your phone against another object if a tripod isn’t available or wouldn’t provide the best angle.

4. Quality audio Is key. Block wind if you are shooting outside. Investing in a microphone is also a good idea. You can find good options on Amazon or at any electronics store. Make sure your microphone is compatible with your phone—you may need to purchase an adapter.

5. Don’t be afraid of shooting your video from different angles. If you have a product you are highlighting, use props to make the background more interesting. Be creative!

6. If you are shooting video for Instagram be sure to take advantage of their filters or GIFs to enhance the look of the video.

Videos, Social Media Management & More

If you need assistance with videography or social media management, contact Baseline Creative! We have experienced videographers and a digital marketing team that can help you reach your business goals.

The internet has “rewired our brains” according to Michael Goldhaber, a former theoretical physicist turned predictor of how the internet has affected our collective attention spans. Goldhaber asserts that attention is transactional, and in paying attention to one thing, we ignore something else and the internet has created even more of a strain on our attention spans. This is the attention economy.

As the world changes, and the internet has evolved, advertising and marketing have evolved as well. In the old days of advertising, with less options, attention was easier to grab. Now, with social media, apps, podcasts, online publications, and streaming services, our attention is much more divided.

In fact, our attention is now as much of a currency as actual money as platforms provide free services with interruptions for ads. Our attention to those ads makes these platforms money. Some companies, like Spotify, have developed a split model of revenue. Users navigating the attention economy can pay for the service with their attention and have ads interspersed throughout their listening experience, or they can pay for an ad-free experience.

So how do we, as marketers, compete for the attention of our target audiences? There are several factors to consider including design, and targeting.

Attention from Design

Banner ads at the top of websites used to be highly effective, until users started simply ignoring these kinds of ads, developing, “banner blindness”. Users are used to seeing ads at the top of and at the right on websites, so they don’t pay attention to the content in those areas. This happens with inline ads on mobile as well.

The types of visuals are also important. Taboola has created a trends platform that shows the kinds of images that people are responding to the most. This tracking system is useful to designers to help them keep a finger on the pulse of the target audience.

Knowing about these kinds of biases, designers need to look for alternative ways to place ads. A study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) showed that ads placed alongside quality, compelling content were more likely to grab attention. In the same vein, ads served on reputable sites were deemed more credible and worthier of attention.

Attracting Your Target Audience

One of the most important keys for success in advertising is making sure you have the medium for the right audience. This has become even more important as media changes and users have even more options when it comes to their attention.

Choose the right platform. Looking to sell a product to Baby Boomers? SnapChat won’t be a good platform because Snap appeals more to Gen Z. Don’t waste your resources trying to reach an audience that just isn’t there.

Target your audience’s interests. The more you can target your audience, the more likely you are to capture the attention of the people who really are interested in your product or services. If you want to sell to auto mechanics, don’t just target people who like cars—go granular.

Choose the right time and place. When is your target audience online? Plan your ads to run during those times. In addition, use geofencing to put your ads in front of your ideal consumer when they are close to your product or storefront.

As the demands on our attention increase, marketers must be more mindful of how we create, place, and schedule ads. If attention is currency we must be sure that we are seeking it efficiently and effectively. If you need assistance with your marketing needs, contact Baseline Creative.