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In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. With the launch of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), website owners and marketers are faced with an urgent deadline. They must migrate their existing Google Analytics properties to GA4 before July 1, 2023. Any website that isn’t converted to GA4 by the end of June will lose all historical traffic data and will not track any new analytics—essentially leaving your business without the information needed for future marketing success. 

In this blog post, we will explore the importance of this transition and why your website should be converted no later than June 29, 2023. We also share how Baseline Creative can help! 

GA4—The Future of Analytics 

GA4 represents a significant leap forward in web analytics, providing a more comprehensive and advanced framework to understand user behavior. With a focus on cross-device tracking, machine learning, and privacy enhancements, GA4 is designed to address the evolving needs of the digital landscape. By migrating to GA4, you position yourself to leverage its advanced capabilities and ensure you’re not left behind as the industry progresses. 

Tracks All Your Data in One Place 

One of the most significant advantages of GA4 is its ability to unify data collection across multiple platforms. It seamlessly integrates data from websites, mobile apps, and other digital touchpoints, giving you a holistic view of user interactions. This enables you to gain deeper insights into the customer journey, identify key conversion points, and optimize your marketing strategies accordingly. 

Learn More About Your Users 

GA4 places a stronger emphasis on individual user behavior rather than relying solely on session-based data. It introduces the concept of user-centric reporting, allowing you to track and analyze the actions of individual users over multiple sessions and devices. This approach provides a more accurate understanding of user engagement, enabling you to tailor your marketing efforts based on personalized insights. 

Privacy and Consent Management 

Privacy concerns are at the forefront of today’s digital landscape. GA4 addresses this by offering enhanced privacy features. It includes built-in consent management tools and gives users greater control over their data. By migrating to GA4, you demonstrate your commitment to privacy and ensure compliance with evolving data protection regulations. 

Future-Proof Your Analytics Setup 

The clock is ticking. Google has set June 30, 2023, as the deadline for migrating to GA4. By making this transition before the deadline, you future-proof your analytics setup. It allows you to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of any new features or updates that Google rolls out exclusively for GA4 users. 

Need Conversion? We Can Help! 

Converting to Google Analytics 4 is not just an option; it is a necessity. Baseline Creative is making this process as easy as possible for business owners. We are offering a one-time low-cost fee of $75 to complete the conversion process. Business owners can fill out this form to have Baseline start the GA4 conversion process on their website. 

With its advanced capabilities, unified data collection, user-centric reporting, privacy enhancements, and future-proofing benefits, GA4 provides an opportunity for website owners and marketers to gain deeper insights into user behavior and optimize their digital strategies accordingly. 

As the July 1 deadline approaches, it is crucial to take action now and migrate to GA4. Doing so will ensure that you will keep your historical data, continue to track your website analytics, and are well-positioned to stay competitive and make data-driven decisions that propel your business forward in this rapidly evolving digital landscape. Don’t miss out on the benefits of GA4—embrace the future of analytics today! 

Ben Voth, Director of Web and Technology at Baseline Creative is being honored by the Wichita Business Journal as a Young Professional in Technology. 

Ben has been at Baseline since 2007 and was the first official employee outside of principal and owner, Nathan Williams. Ben has served as the lead developer for the Baseline team since that time and has built hundreds of websites and mobile applications. In his role, Ben is responsible for leading the development team and ensuring that best practices are applied to every project. 

In addition to overseeing functionality and code on client websites, Ben is the lead developer on PetBridge, an animal shelter software developed by Baseline. Ben is the driving force behind Petbridge projects and helps shelter teams determine the best functionality for their needs. 

One of Ben’s best qualities is his patience. Ben is a great teacher and patient with our team and clients when teaching new skills, or training clients how to use their websites.  

Baseline is proud to have Ben as a part of our leadership team and we’re happy he was chosen as a Young Professional in Technology! 

Bridgette West-Williams, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Baseline Creative is being honored by the Wichita Business Journal with a 2022 Marketing Award. Bridgette and other award recipients are being honored for utilizing marketing strategy and strategic planning for clients as well as their own companies. Award recipients also demonstrate corporate responsibility and involvement in the community. 

At Baseline Creative, Bridgette is responsible for driving the digital marketing team and developing the marketing strategy used for client work. Additionally, Bridgette has tirelessly worked to develop strategic initiatives at Baseline to improve processes and drive success. As a community leader, Bridgette offers her time to various community nonprofit organizations. Bridgette’s current involvement includes the role as an officer on the board of ICT S.O.S., mentorship through Friends University, and a commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which she brings to every organization in which she serves.

Baseline is proud to have Bridgette as part of our leadership team and we celebrate this Marketing Award honor with her!

Word-of-mouth marketing is perhaps the oldest and one of the most effective forms of marketing. When consumers get a recommendation from someone they trust—or even another consumer—it carries more weight than any paid ads. In today’s world of social media, word-of-mouth marketing is still important. A HubSpot report indicated that 71% of people are more likely to purchase based on social media referrals.

Why is Word-of-Mouth Marketing So Effective?

Trust. Consumers trust other consumers. When someone asks for a recommendation, people they trust will respond. Family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances will provide their good (and bad) experiences. People trust feedback from other consumers over paid ads. Is your company using positive reviews in your marketing materials? Are you tracking and responding to all reviews? If not, you’re missing an important piece of your word-of-mouth marketing.

Why Should You Care About Word-of-Mouth Marketing?

Customer loyalty. It is much more cost-effective to keep a current customer than to find a new one. Keep your customers happy and they will help reduce the need for other types of marketing. If you can make your current customers brand ambassadors, you not only retain their business, but they will enthusiastically tell others.

How Can You Generate Great Reviews?

Providing a great customer experience is key. And it really has to be great. Go above and beyond for your customers. An example of this is the online pet retailer, Chewy.com. This brand is known for going above and beyond for customers in all kinds of ways. From sending commissioned paintings of pets to respectfully and compassionately reaching out to people whose pets have recently passed away.

Sometimes you need to ask! It’s well-known that more people are likely to share a negative experience than a positive one. And many times, consumers don’t write positive reviews because they don’t think about it. When you ask your customers for a review or prompt them, you have taken the first step to increase your word-of-mouth marketing.

Referral programs can also help you capture new customers by tapping into your current fans with an incentive for them. One example of this might be a certain percentage off of the price of your products or service with every referral. You can reward your current customers with special offers, loyalty points, etc., and gain new leads and potential customers.

Need Help?

Baseline Creative can help you develop a strategy for word-of-mouth marketing through public relations, digital marketing, and web development. Contact us today to learn more.

It’s officially been one year since Covid-19 caused quarantines and lockdowns and began to change the way we do things in both the short term and the long term. One of the industries most affected by Covid is marketing. In March 2020 marketers and businesses immediately began reassessing marketing strategies and business models to make the changes needed to succeed in a world engulfed in a global pandemic.

Messaging Matters

One of the first major shifts in marketing involved messaging. Covid is scary and turned the world upside down, so any messaging that was too “sales-y” was just wrong. Brands created marketing messages conveying empathy for what their customers were experiencing and messages of solidarity in the face of adversity. This type of branding, however, could turn off consumers if it was too generic or inauthentic. In addition, consumers grew weary of hearing brands talk about “in these unprecedented times” and reading about how important it is to “pivot”.  However, brands that delivered value with their empathetic messaging were more successful. A good example of this is Zoom. Zoom offered free accounts with limited minutes which helped keep families connected virtually. The result? The company’s stock rose 67%from the beginning of February to the end of in March in 2020.

Along with Covid came a tumultuous summer of civil rights protests and a contentious election season. In previous years, brands were often leery of taking a stand on social issues, but the change in the collective mindset, and the ability for people to focus on the issues due to lockdowns, gave brands the encouragement to communicate their corporate stance on issues. This kind of messaging is effective particularly with Gen Z, as long as the support isn’t performative.  One brand that has an authentic and consistent stance on social issues is Ben & Jerry’s. They have stances on climate change, racial justice, and more. Because these values are present in all aspects of their business, Ben & Jerry’s is an example of the best kind of social justice marketing.

Creating Communities

The pandemic isolated many people so the importance of online communities began to grow. Chipotle experimented with Zoom to create a “Chipotle Together” campaign which was a Zoom series that featured daily sessions with celebrities.

Facebook groups have been around since 2016, but the tech giant began promoting groups more heavily during the early days of quarantine. Curating a group of your brand’s fans is a good way to stay connected to them and promote content, especially through video. According to a Facebook study, 86% of people whose most important community group primarily online says they will continue to engage with that group at the same level (48%) or more frequently (39%).

The Power of Video

Livestreaming, video conferencing, and video, in general, are tactics that saw a tremendous increase in 2020, that likely will stay relevant. As people continue to connect digitally due to Covid, it’s more important now to engage with your customers where they’re at on social media. This includes YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, even Snapchat and TikTok. Creating good videos has never been easier with smartphone cameras and simple editing apps. Webinars are another great way to educate consumers and stay relevant.

E-Commerce on Websites

For retailers and restaurants, having e-commerce available on their websites became a matter of survival. While some businesses initially didn’t see value in e-commerce, the ability to sell goods and services online during lockdowns and quarantines caused a boom in e-commerce—up 32.4% from the previous year. The top four categories for online sales in 2020 included:

• Food and beverage – up 100.1%
• Toys/Hobbies – up 63.1%
• Consumer Electronics – up 61.5%
• Hardware/Home – up 52%

Now that consumers have experienced the convenience of e-commerce, this is a trend that is predicted to stay relevant for years to come.

Change is Good

While the reason that these changes in marketing occurred is tragic, the changes themselves are good. The world will never be the same post-Covid and many of the ways in which we now connect with our audiences will remain pertinent. If you’re interested in finding new ways to connect to your customers, we’d love to talk to you. Contact us for a conversation.