Category: Marketing

Top 10 tips for creating effective website content

Posted on by rockandbloom

As a content strategist I often get asked what it is I actually do. Content strategists, copywriters, or content writers, are tasked with creating compelling and engaging written content that helps educate, inspire and inform readers. In short – we write nice things. 

Content writing is often used to promote a product, service, or brand. It is done in a variety of mediums, including print, radio, television and web. Depending on the medium you’re writing for, the tone of your content will be very different. In this journal, we’re going to focus on writing for a website.

Follow our top tips to create effective, engaging and impactful website content.

Don’t bury the lead

In other words, put the most important information at the top. People judge websites much like they judge books. If they don’t see or read something they like on the first page they aren’t going to go much deeper. Your audience should understand who you are or what you do from the first few lines of text.

Basic isn’t boring 

A good rule of thumb when writing for the web is to write as if your audience has an eighth grade reading level. This is not an insult to your audience – it simply means that using common language is the best way to explain complex ideas or themes. Avoid jargon, steer clear of technical terms, and don’t use abbreviations or acronyms unless you intend to explain their meaning.

Be more findable than Waldo

Web copywriting is unique in that it needs to cater to both humans and robots (aka. search engines). If the robots can’t find you, your audience doesn’t stand a chance. Using common, relevant keywords is a great way to ensure that Google can find you, and that your audience can too. Try using a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tool to find relevant keywords to your topic. Ensure you are using them throughout your content in a way that is organic, natural and easy to read. 

Shorter is sweeter

When you’re writing an article or blog post, you get to be a bit more free with your word count. Writing for the web, however, requires copy to be concise and to-the-point. Choose short paragraphs over long blocks of text and make the most out of your words by using effective taglines and descriptive headings. Speaking of headings…  

Headings are your road map

Headings allow readers to navigate and make sense of content. Headings can be fun and attention-grabbing, but ultimately they should describe the content that is to follow. The strongest headings are able to stand on their own and be understood out of context.

Your audience loves lists

Scrap the long paragraphs for lists or bullet points. Readers tend to scan pages, and keeping content in smaller bite-sized chunks allows for better digestion.

Links have a time and a place

Links are a great way to connect your reader to relevant information. When used moderately they improve the user experience. Try to keep people on your page, rather than sending them to Google for a quick search. With that said, don’t go overboard either. Links work best when used as part of a sentence, so avoid the dreaded “click here.” 

A is for Active

Writing using active voice is far more effective than using passive voice. Active voice is strong and persuasive, and it keeps readers flowing through content. Use calls to action to guide your readers where you want them to go.

Your brand knows best

You know your brand better than anyone; it has its own personality and its own traits. To stand out, use your unique brand voice and tone in your copy. If your tone is playful and fun, don’t be afraid to drop a pun or use witty copy. If your tone is heartfelt, don’t shy away from tugging at the ol’ heartstrings. If your tone is serious, keep it polished and direct.

When in doubt, hire a content strategist

I’m probably a little biased because this is my job, but I cannot stress the importance of paying people fairly to own the roles they are good at. Yes, content writing can be outsourced. Yes, it can be done on the fly by another department. Yes, it can be done by an AI tool like ChatGPT. But I guarantee you that half-assing your content strategy will not get you the same results as if you were to invest in a designated content role. These experts work hard to understand their craft and move the needle to get results. Again, probably a little biased, but also right.  

After 10 years in the branding business – this is what we’ve learned

Posted on by rockandbloom

Rock & Bloom celebrated its 11th birthday this past July and it’s still got us thinking about the early days. We’ve come a long way from the baby business owners, designers, developers, copywriters, and marketers we used to be. After more than a decade in the biz, we’re older and wiser. Or at the very least, we’ve learned what not to do. 

Here are just a few of the lessons we’ve learned over the years.

Canadian brand studio launches Brand-Aid: pro bono marketing services for organizations

Posted on by rockandbloom

Hi. We’re Rock & Bloom. 

We’re a Canadian-based brand studio with a knack for creating beautiful, functional, and results-driven projects. We’ve been fortunate to make a career out of building relationships and creating killer brands for hundreds of clients across North America. We do everything from logo refreshes, to full-blown websites, to crafting game-changing campaigns. 

One of our core values at Rock & Bloom is ‘make a difference’. For us, making a difference can be as big as changing the lives of small business owners or as tiny as supporting local restaurants when we eat out. One of the ways we like to make a difference is through working with non-profit organizations and small businesses.

Non-profit organizations and small businesses do so much for our local community, and yet very often lack the budget to elevate their brand or even properly communicate their services and skills to potential donors, clients or customers. They might lack the resources needed to create a strong brand identity, build a fully-functional, and user-friendly website, or to tell their story in an effective and far-reaching way. And yet, these are the stories that need to be heard the most.

Introducing Rock & Bloom’s Brand Aid

We created Brand Aid with the goal of helping clients elevate their brand and tell their story through in-kind donated work. The brands that we choose align with our values and respect the work that we do.

“At the core of our business is to make an impact. We don’t just want to make things that are pretty – we want to affect change in clients’ businesses.”

– Heather Adams, CEO of Rock & Bloom

Our mission is to be the best brand studio to work with and work for. A part of our process involves continually talking to our employees, rating fulfillment after each project, and really listening to the feedback from our team about what projects we love working on.

Brand Aid is not only meaningful to the client, but also fills the cups of our team members who are passionate about the work they are doing.

Are you interested in becoming Rock & Bloom’s next Brand Aid organization of choice? 

Who you are  

  • You’re a non-profit or small business, looking to achieve a specific goal, but held back by budget constraints
  • You’re located in Vancouver or the Vancouver Area
  • You align with our 5 core values: Make a difference, Take risks, Be open & honest, Share, and Aspire

 How to apply

  • Send us an email to vancouver@rockandbloom.com with details about who you are and what goals you’re looking to achieve
  • Include what draws you to Rock & Bloom and how you align with our core values
  • Keep doing amazing things!

Tips to defining and practicing your company’s core values

Posted on by rockandbloom

“Company values (also called corporate values or core values) are the set of guiding principles and fundamental beliefs that help a group of people function together as a team and work toward a common business goal. These values are often related to business relationships, customer relationships, and company growth” (Hotjar).

Most of us have defined our values, and many of us have them written in a place of prominence — whether that’s a company handbook or stenciled on the walls. But practicing them, that’s a whole ‘nother story. Here are a few tactics on how to live and practice your company values.

Tips to Practicing Your Company’s Core Values

Many companies get fired up about creating core values, only to never look at them again, or pull them out only at staff meetings. Here are some ways you can integrate your core values into your workplace.

  • When hiring new employees, ask them questions that will help you see if they align with your core values
    • For example, if one of your core values is collaboration, you might ask a question like “Describe a time your team failed to complete a project on time. What would you do differently, if you had the chance?”
  • Review values on a regular basis
    • Tie meetings to a particular value, or revisit all values each meeting.
    • This can be as simple as a page of your slideshow presentation listing all your values, or putting one value front and centre at the beginning of a meeting.
  • Put values in the physical workspace
    • Posters get a bad rap, but they are only ineffective when used alone.
    • Hang posters of your values in a prominent place in the office, or even paint your values on a wall. This serves as a constant physical reminder of all that you stand for.
  • Ask employees
    • Interaction helps with memory.
    • A friendly pop quiz on company values, reminders on Slack, and asking employees to share what values mean to them are ways to engage your workforce.
  • Share your values publicly
    • Sharing your values has a way of solidifying them and holding your feet to the fire.
    • Put your values on your website and share them on social media.
  • Let team members have a say in creating the values
    • Depending on how long you’ve been operating and how well-defined your values are, incorporating your employees into the decision making process can create buy-in.
    • If you already have your values defined, ask your team if they resonate. Go through each one and have lots of discussion. If you don’t have them defined, facilitate a workshop with as many employees as possible to define them.
  • Have values influence events
    • When you’re putting on a company event, let your values dictate the kind of events you create.
    • If one of your company values is sharing, then creating a work function where employees can share their work, a talent, or a new resource fits perfectly.
  • Make sure compensation matches
    • Values and culture can’t replace money.
    • If one of your core values is experience, work ethic, skill, etc, make sure you’re ready to put your wallet where your core values are.
  • Create reflective processes
    • Ensure that your processes reflect your values.
    • For example, if your values are transparency and communication, you might consider adopting an agile methodology and working in sprints.

Core values are at the service of your organizational purpose. They define the desired behaviour to accomplish your “why.”’ When done properly, they should affect every aspect of your business, internal and external. That means compensation, workplace dialogue, email writing, processes, strategic decisions, even technology choices.

Stating your company values is important, and living up to them is even more important. Always rescheduling meetings with your direct reports? They’ll get the message that their time isn’t valuable to you, even if you have “respect” in the company handbook. If one of your values is to take risks, but employees get a slap on the wrist when they try something new, that value isn’t going to stick. You’ll seem ambiguous at best, hypocritical at worst.

How to choose the right colours for your brand

Posted on by rockandbloom

Colour has power. Studies have shown It can impact how we learn, think, and behave. Colour can tell us what to pay attention to and even influences our purchasing behaviours. By using the right consistent colours, your brand can establish trust, familiarity, and evoke emotional cues from your customers.

Yes, you can choose a few colours based on what you like, but if you want to build a great brand, choose your colours strategically with your customers and business goals in mind. Try this trusted and true process for choosing brand colours that resonate with your audience and propel you toward your company’s vision.

The 6 Step Process to Choosing the Perfect Colours for Your Marketing, and Your Brand: 

  1. Determine your brand personality
  2. Determine your audience
  3. Know your competitors
  4. Select colors based on psychology
  5. Test it
  6. Keep it consistent

Think about how you want people to talk about your business when you are not in the room. Is your business playful or serious? Young or mature? Elite or for the masses? Colour can help convey how your brand is perceived.

Step 1: Know Your Personality

Mcdonald’s is a brand built on happiness. They want every interaction with them to be a “feel good moment.”. Historically they have been a red brand with a touch of yellow. In their latest brand reveal, McDonald’s has shifted the emphasis to yellow instead. This refocus helps their brand evoke more feelings of warmth, joy, optimism, and excitement. It also helps differentiate their brand from others in the restaurant industry, which has defaulted to red.  “Too much red in the brand felt aggressive and shouty,” says Colin Mitchell, VP Director Global Brand, McDonald’s. “You can’t help but feel happy when you see the sunshine yellow.”

Interior of McDonalds featuring a bold yellow staircase.
Photography: Andrew Meredith

Step 2: Know Your Audience

Who are you trying to reach? Where is your market? What kind of emotions do you want them to feel? Is there a colour that resonates more to them? Think about who your main audiences are, and put yourselves in their shoes. Or better yet, ask them if you can! Keep in mind that colour can mean different things in different cultures. Knowing your audience is key. Beyond their background and demographic info, include things like their goals, challenges, what a day in their life looks like, routines and online behaviours, personality, brand affinities, quotes, and marketing messages. 

Food packaging is a huge factor in our purchasing decisions. Brand colours need to be cohesive and memorable —eye-tracking studies show that consumers read on average only seven words in an entire shopping trip, buying instinctively by colour, shape and familiarity of location. Think of a wander through the cereal aisle. What do the Trix rabbit, Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, and Cap’n Crunch have in common? They’re all bright, cheery cartoon characters. That’s because they all have the same audience — young children. Would a black and white cereal box be picked off the shelf by an eight-year-old? Doubtful.

Children's cereal boxes

Step 3: Know How You Compare

If your main competitor is using the colour red, you likely do not want do the same. Whether you are rebranding or creating something new, test your brand next to your competitors. It’s important to be memorable and catch your target audience’s eye. Standing apart is great, but it’s important that your brand still fits in –- using colours that are too unique can actually have a negative impact on your brand. 

Step 4. Know Colour Psychology

Colour has an impact on how we think, feel, and behave. There are many studies on the psychological effects of colours, but when it comes down to it, we all have our own personal experiences that shape our view perspective and affect purchasing decisions. In different contexts, we do not all react to colours in the same way because of our background, culture, and personal experiences. Generally, though, the majority of people respond to colour in these ways:

Red

Strength, Power, Passion, Energetic, Attention-grabbing

  • Triggers appetite
  • Conveys strength, energy, and confidence 
  • Attention getting and high visibility

Brands: Coca-cola, Target, Netflix, Youtube

Orange

Positivity, Warmth, Cheerful, Enthusiasm, Innovation

  • Attention getting — used in construction settings
  • Association with warmth of the sun and refreshing citrus 
  • Friendly and adventurous feeling

Brands: Home Depot, Amazon, jbl, Fanta, Crush, Harley Davidson

Yellow

Intellect, Joy, Energy, Creativity, Optimism, Warmth

  • Can be attention getting — think highlighter
  • Can be difficult to read 
  • Can often be described as cheery and warm

Brands: Mcdonalds, Nikon, Post It, Sprint, Subway, Shell, Best Buy, Natural Geographic, Cheerios, No Name

Green

Growth, Freshness, Environmental, Relaxing

  • Links us back to nature — can be refreshing and calming
  • Used in Health-based stores
  • Sign of growth — both plants and money 

Brands: Spotify, Starbucks, Wholefoods, BP, Animal Planet, Spotify, Heineken, Tic Tac

Blue

Loyalty, Trust, Intelligence, Stability Calm

  • One of the most liked colours around the world and most preferred by men
  • Seen as calming, stable, and reliable, but can also feel cool or sad
  • Intelligence and trust is used extensively in the tech and medical industry 

Brands: Dell, At&t, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, Kleenex

Purple

Wealth, Royalty, Imagination, Wisdom, Magical

  • Tends to rarely occur in nature, so it is viewed as rare and intriguing
  • Known to be a polarizing colour– people either really love it or hate it.

Brands: Cadbury, Fedex, Hallmark, Yahoo, Wonka

5. Test It

When it comes to choosing colours, test it out! Try colours that are associated with your brand’s personality, change combinations and placement to see what fits best. In the end, always bring it back to your business goals. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Are these colours bringing out my brand’s personality?
  • How will this make my customers feel?
  • How do my colours compare to my competitors?

6. Keep it Consistent

After you decide on a colour palette, keep it consistent. By using the same colours throughout your branding and marketing, your customers will become more familiar with you. Better brand recognition also increases the trust you establish with your customers. 

There is much more that can be learned about colour theory in branding and marketing. From audience to industry to placement to objectives, there is a lot to think about. We love talking colour and brand — If you have more questions, contact us! 

How we elevate client experiences and build lasting relationships

Posted on by rockandbloom
Celebratory card with donuts.

It’s a Tuesday after a long weekend, and you’re back in the office trying to get your brain into work mode. You’ve spent the past hour musing over the changing leaves outside of your window and your coffee sits in front of you, half full and cold. Then, your coworker Jenny comes back into the office and swings by your desk to present you with a warm, perfectly baked chocolate croissant from your favourite local patisserie. In that moment the sun shines a little brighter, your mood lifts, your heart swells and your mouth starts to water at the prospect of indulging in this decadent masterpiece! And that my friends, is what I like to call romancing the ordinary.

Coming up with ideas and ways to surprise and delight our clients here at Rock & Bloom is something I love to do! Whether that be sending a handwritten card, having their favourite beverage prepared and waiting for their arrival to a meeting, or providing some fun brand assets outside of our scope of work, we can elevate the human experience and be reminded that behind all of these wonderful businesses are unique individuals. 

Simply make your client feel special and appreciated

Now, this may sound a little daunting but it doesn’t have to be! The best part about this is that this can be achieved with minimal investment of time and financial resources. The goal here is to simply make your client feel special and appreciated, there are no set rules for budget, frequency, or how you go about doing that.

Woman holding a coffee while looking at a Happy Anniversary post on Instagram.

Here are a few steps we can take to integrate this into our client process:

  1. Observe – Notice what they bring to meetings, which treats they reach for, how they like their coffee, do they talk about their favourite restaurant?
  2. Note – Keep a record somewhere of these details — right in their contact on your phone is a great place, or perhaps a spreadsheet if you’re working with a team to execute.
  3. Plan – Decide on frequency, and note that this can totally change! Perhaps you’d like to send something at the end of a project, or for their birthday, etc. 
  4. Delight – Designate a time throughout the month where you’ll source items (if required) or sit down and put together your delight.

Some fun ideas to get those creative juices flowing:

  • Donut delivery for site launch day
  • A new notebook for the avid notetaker
  • Customized sugar cookies with their new logo on it
  • Shout out on your company’s social media accounts
  • Handwritten note of appreciation
  • Lunch at their favourite restaurant 
  • Reserved parking sign with their name on it
  • Invitation to a client only mixer/event

Whenever possible, I like to be able to see their reaction in person. There is no greater feeling than that of seeing pure joy on someone’s face! Sometimes that’s not feasible, but I still take great joy in knowing that when they receive it it will leave a lasting impression.  

Have fun with this exercise and let us know some of your favourite ways to surprise and delight your clients.