It’s safe to say that 2024 has been another landmark year for the climate crisis, with record-breaking temperatures, persistent natural disasters and other forms of extreme weather all being symptomatic of an environment in decline. As the problem mounts, life on Earth will continue to adapt with it – from how nations obtain resources to how communities are built and, more pertinently, how businesses operate.

Sustainability has been a growing topic of conversation across industries of all kinds, as businesses wise up to the importance of incorporating eco-friendly policies into their operations, and the digital marketing sector is no exception.

Plus, as consumer awareness surrounding environmental issues grows, businesses are also under pressure to adopt sustainable practices not just from a production and logistics standpoint, but also in their marketing efforts. For digital marketers, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges.

In this article, we’ll explore key sustainability trends within the digital marketing world, as well as strategies that your company can adopt to reduce their environmental impact while engaging conscious customers.

Sustainability in Digital Marketing: Why It’s Important

It’s no secret that in recent years, sustainability has emerged as a key driver of consumer behaviour. According to a 2024 PwC study, 46% of consumers say they are buying more sustainable products as a way to reduce their impact on the environment; meanwhile, more than 80% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainably produced or sourced goods, with some willing to pay on average 9.7% more for goods and services that meet specific environmental criteria.

Fortunately, the digital space offers marketers many opportunities to communicate sustainability. However, it’s also essential that digital marketing itself adopts sustainable practices, from reducing carbon emissions associated with data usage to ensuring campaigns align with responsible production standards.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Through Digital Channels

We as digital marketers are heavily reliant on technology, which in turn depends on energy-consuming data centres. As online activity increases, so too does the carbon footprint associated with digital campaigns. For example, the Internet accounts for 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions – shockingly equivalent to that of the aviation industry.

As a result, it’s essential that active steps are taken to reduce the environmental impact of digital marketing activities. Here are just a few strategies to consider:

Optimising Web Performance

Slow, inefficient websites consume more energy because they require more server power and lead to longer user sessions. Making sure that websites are properly optimised – such as minimising file sizes, improving load times and streamlining site navigation – can significantly reduce energy use.

Because Google values web performance in its search ranking volume, think of this as a win for sustainability and SEO.

Choosing Green Hosting Providers

Another effective strategy is to use web hosting providers that are committed to renewable energy, such as GreenGeeks and Kualo. These brands help to offset the environmental impact of running websites and digital applications.

Reducing Data in Email Campaigns

Email marketing, although successful in reaching large audiences, can also contribute to digital pollution through large attachments and high data usage. As a result, marketers should aim to reduce the size of their email campaigns by using lightweight designs and compressing images.

On top of this, targeting smaller, more engaged audiences through segmentation can cut out unnecessary emails and reduce the carbon footprint attached.

Leveraging Sustainable Video Marketing

Video content can also be a powerful marketing tool, but can be similarly energy-intensive – particularly when hosted on platforms like YouTube that rely on vast data centres. Sustainable video marketing can be achieved through compressing video files, reducing video length and encouraging users to download rather than stream content.

Emphasising Ethical Consumerism in Campaigns

Of course, sustainability isn’t just about reducing energy consumption, it also includes promoting responsible consumption and production practices. Thinking back to the stats from the PwC study, it’s clear to see that ethical consumption is on the rise, and brands that incorporate sustainable messaging into their marketing campaigns can tap into this growing market.

Highlighting Eco-Friendly Products

With so many consumers looking for products with a reduced environmental impact, spotlighting these products during campaigns is a great way to align with consumer values and drive engagement.

Transparency & Storytelling

For 70% of UK consumers, greenwashing – superficial sustainability claims made without real substance – is a huge red flag. This means that authenticity is essential when promoting sustainability, so marketers should focus on transparency by providing clear, verifiable information about the sustainability of products, services and practices.

Storytelling can play a key role here, using case studies and real-life examples to showcase sustainable efforts.

Supporting Social & Environmental Causes

Beyond promoting eco-friendly products, brands can build their reputation by supporting broader social and environmental causes. Campaigns that involve partnerships with environmental organisations, carbon offset programs or tree-planting initiatives not only demonstrate a commitment to sustainability but may even establish a positive relationship with the local community.

The Rise of Sustainable Advertising Platforms

In response to the growing demand for sustainability, new advertising platforms and systems are emerging that prioritise eco-friendliness. Platforms like these are designed to reduce digital waste, optimise energy use and provide marketers with tools to lower their environmental impact.

Carbon Neutral Ad Platforms

Adtech companies, such as OpenX and Sniegel, are now starting to offer carbon-neutral advertising solutions. This works through calculating the carbon emissions generated by ad campaigns and offsetting them through investments in renewable energy or reforestation projects. Choosing to work with these platforms can help advertising efforts align with sustainability goals.

Programmatic Advertising Efficiency

Programmatic advertising allows for precise targeting, reducing waste by showing ads only to relevant audiences. Getting rid of irrelevant impressions and optimising ad spend means that businesses can reduce the energy consumption associated with digital campaigns.

Eco-Friendly Ad Creatives

Lighter, more efficient ad formats, such as static images instead of auto-playing videos or reducing high-resolution banners, can also help to reduce the carbon footprint of digital advertising. Interactive and engaging formats that don’t rely on heavy data usage can provide sustainable alternatives without compromising performance.

Measuring the Impact of Sustainable Marketing Efforts

To maintain credibility, sustainable marketing efforts must be measured for success and reported on. Tools such as carbon footprint calculators, energy usage tracking and sustainability audits can help brands understand their environmental impact and identify areas for improvement. Here are just a few tools and strategies for accurate analysis:

Carbon Emissions of Digital Campaigns

Using platforms like Plan A or AdGreen, marketers can estimate the carbon emissions of their campaigns and work towards reducing them over time.

Energy Consumption of Web Traffic

Tools like Website Carbon can measure the energy usage linked with website traffic, allowing brands to optimise their digital presence accordingly.

Customer Engagement with Sustainable Content

You can also track how well sustainability-focused content resonates with audiences. Higher engagement with these campaigns can indicate strong brand alignment with consumer values.

Align Your Marketing Campaign with Sustainable Practices

Is sustainability becoming an increasing concern for your business? Perhaps you want to show off your green credentials in your next online campaign? As an innovative and adaptable digital marketing agency in Bristol, Bigg is committed to helping your brand devise digital marketing strategies that speak to eco-friendly values.

Ready to get started? Get in touch to book a strategy call with a member of our friendly team and find out more about how we can help you implement sustainable practices that drive success.

If you’re in the world of digital marketing, you probably already know how important SEO is for making your website rank higher on search engines. But let’s be honest: link building can get a bit complicated. Do you focus on deep links? Do you aim for authority sites? What’s the magic formula? Well, at Bigg, we’re here to tell you about a lesser-known but highly effective tactic that often flies under the radar: shallow links. Not familiar? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

What are Shallow Links?

If you weren’t already aware, backlinks play a huge role in your search engine rankings. In fact, according to First Page Sage, in 2024 backlinks contribute around 13% of how search results are determined. Because of their high value, striking the right note with your link building strategy is super important, and one element of this is getting onboard with shallow links.

Shallow links are backlinks that direct users to your homepage or main landing pages instead of a specific internal page like a blog post or product page (that’s what deep links are for). Think of shallow links as broad strokes—they cast a wider net and drive more general traffic to your site.

So, why care about shallow links? While deep links are great for targeting niche keywords, shallow links help build your site’s overall authority. They signal to Google that your entire domain is valuable, and they’re often easier to get than super-specific links to internal pages. In other words, they’re a great way to give your site a boost.

Why You Should Care About Shallow Links

So, why should shallow links be part of your strategy? Here are a few reasons why they’re essential:

Boost Your Domain Authority

Shallow links are fantastic for increasing your overall domain authority. Since they point to your homepage or other high-level pages, search engines get the impression that your entire site is authoritative, as opposed to just one or two blog posts.

Easier to Secure:

Let’s face it, getting other sites to link to your specific blog post on, for instance, “the best types of office chairs” isn’t always easy. But asking for a link to your homepage? Way simpler. External sites are much more likely to link to your main pages because they’re more general and easier to fit into a variety of content types.

Build Brand Awareness

When people land on your homepage, they’re much more likely to browse around, check out what you offer and engage with your content. It’s a great way to boost brand recognition and encourage visitors to explore your site.

SEO Benefits of Shallow Links

Shallow links aren’t just easier to obtain, they also bring with them a ton of SEO perks.

Better Crawlability

Since shallow links usually point to your homepage or other key pages, search engine bots find it easier to crawl and index your site. This leads to better overall visibility on search engines.

Stronger Keyword Associations

When external sites link to your homepage, they often use branded anchor text. This helps strengthen the association between your brand name and relevant keywords, which can improve your overall search performance.

Improves Core Pages

Your homepage or other top-level pages are usually the most important when it comes to converting visitors. Shallow links bring more traffic to these pages, improving your engagement metrics and helping your site rank better.

Shallow Links & Deep Links: A Winning Combo

Now we’re not saying you should ditch deep links – far from it! The most effective link-building strategies combine both shallow and deep links. In fact, Moz highlights that a balanced mix of shallow and deep links see a more consistent increase in rankings over time. Here’s why:

Solid Foundation

Shallow links create a strong foundation for your website’s authority. They spread the SEO love across your entire domain and tell search engines that your website is trustworthy and well-rounded.

Targeted Ranking

Deep links are still crucial for ranking specific pages or targeting niche keywords. By combining them with shallow links, you create a balanced, diversified link profile that signals to Google that your site is valuable on multiple fronts.

Diverse Link Profile

Google loves diversity, so a mix of shallow and deep links shows search engines that your website is relevant to a variety of audiences, topics and sources, which leads to better rankings.

How to Get Started with Shallow Links

At Bigg, we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to building shallow links for success. Below are a few tips on how to get started.

Outreach & Guest Posts

When reaching out to blogs or directories in your industry, aim for links to your homepage. Most sites will be happy to oblige since homepage links are easier to insert naturally into their content.

Press Coverage

If your brand gets mentioned in the news, request a link back to your homepage or a key landing page. It’s a low-effort ask, and it can bring in tons of valuable traffic.

Leverage Social Media

Post links to your homepage on your social profiles to direct traffic back to your site. Even though these links are usually no-follow, they still generate traffic and help boost brand awareness.

Partner with Other Brands

Collaborate with complementary brands in your industry to exchange shallow links. It’s a win-win that can boost both of your sites’ domain authority.

Let Bigg Handle Your Link Building

Shallow links might not be the most talked-about SEO strategy, but they’re incredibly effective when done right. At Bigg, we know how to create a link-building strategy that’s custom-tailored to your business, combining the power of both shallow and deep links to help you rank higher and grow your online presence.

So, if you’re ready to take your SEO to the next level, let’s chat! Get in touch with us at Bigg, and let’s build something exceptional together.

You don’t need to manage a seasonal brand to run a seasonal marketing campaign. With 75% of shoppers actively seeking out promotions and offers during holiday shopping periods, there are countless opportunities for your business to engage consumers and boost your revenue through seasonality.

From Valentine’s Day to Christmas and everything in between, read on for our insights on why you should be crafting seasonal marketing campaigns, and how to effectively implement one to grow your business.

What is Seasonal Marketing?

Seasonal marketing is a strategy where businesses tailor their promotions, brand messaging and products to coincide with specific times of the year, such as holidays, festivals or seasonal events. This could include particular days like Christmas and Halloween, or could even be a more general approach to summer or winter trends.

The aim of seasonal marketing is to tap into consumer behavioural patterns connected with these times, at which many people may have particular needs, wants or spending habits.

Be it through themed campaigns, festive promotions or holiday-related content, aligning your marketing efforts with these behavioural patterns means that you can take advantage of the high traffic that special times of year generate and drive sales as a result.

Why is Seasonal Marketing Important?

Seasonal marketing can be effective for many different types of businesses, regardless of size or industry. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should be factoring seasonality into your campaign.

Wider Brand Awareness

Seasonal marketing provides a platform for your brand to stand out and capture consumers’ attention. By devising creative and engaging seasonal marketing initiatives, you can increase awareness around your brand.

Stronger Audience Engagement

As any digital marketer will know, one of the primary goals of marketing is to build meaningful connections with customers. As such, seasonal marketing provides the opportunity to engage with customers by tapping into the emotions, traditions and cultural experiences they associate with specific seasons or holidays.

Seasonality allows you to resonate with your audience on a more personal level and build stronger relationships with customers, which can translate to more brand loyalty over time.

Greater Creative Licence

Seasonal marketing presents a chance for your team to break the mould and come up with fresh, exciting content ideas that capture the spirit of the season. From unique ads to interactive social media posts, seasonal marketing encourages you to think outside of the box and explore new, innovative ways to connect with your audience.

Opportunities for Upselling

During holiday seasons, consumers are often more likely to make impulse purchases. In fact, Coveo’s 2024 Holiday Shopping Trends report found that a staggering 90% of consumers surveyed said that they’re willing to add products to an existing order, should they be persuaded effectively enough.

With this in mind, you can adjust your pricing strategies dynamically and cross-sell or upsell products or services. With a seasonal marketing strategy, businesses can effectively promote complementary items or upgrades, which can increase their average transaction value and boost your revenue during these short periods.

How to Create a Successful Seasonal Marketing Campaign

Much like any new strategy, incorporating seasonality into your marketing campaign requires careful planning. With the right knowledge and infrastructure in place, you can build a campaign that speaks to your target audience and drive meaningful results. Follow our top tips below to get started with seasonal marketing.

Understand Your Audience

Understanding exactly who you’re marketing to and your brand’s position in the industry will help you to create a more focused campaign. Creating a target customer profile is an essential first step in understanding your audience properly.

A thorough understanding of your audience can also deepen your knowledge of your brand’s niche. If you’re working in a saturated industry, think about how your business fulfils a specific customer need, for example, you may supply a speciality product that competitors don’t, or services that hit a particular pain point

When devising a target customer profile, you should research:

• Your target customer’s age, location and interests
• Which competitors your customers purchase from
• Your customer’s pain points
• Your customer’s expectations for your products or services

Consider the Spirit of the Season

It’s important to not homogenise all of your seasonal marketing efforts. Instead, consider the sentiment of the specific season you’re marketing in. For example, the Christmas season carries the spirit of giving, compassion and spending time with loved ones. As a result, you may want to focus on products that make excellent gifts for a specific person in your life, like a family member or partner, or services that help you give back to others.

If you’re launching a seasonal transition promotion, you’ll also need to align with the general sentiment of that season, for instance, going into winter has a different feel than going into summer.

Of course, throughout all of this, make sure that you’re selecting holidays and seasons that align with your brand values and those of your target audience. Don’t unnecessarily spend time and money on marketing during events that don’t really align with your brand identity.

Craft Compelling Content and Offers

Once you have a clear understanding of your audience and which holidays or seasons you’ll be marketing in, craft compelling content and irresistible offers that engage your audience and inspire them to take action.

You should use storytelling techniques to evoke specific emotions in your audience, aligning your branding with the themes and values around certain holidays and seasons that resonate most with them.

Take an Omnichannel Approach

Leverage multiple marketing channels to reach your target audience effectively across the seasons. Identify the most popular and impactful channels that your customers use, be it social media, email marketing, your website or other platforms.

It’s also worth noting that you shouldn’t take a one size fits all approach to this. Instead, you should tailor your brand messaging and content to each channel for consistency and relevance, which will in turn boost your reach and engagement.

Measure and Analyse Results

Use analytics to measure the performance of your seasonal campaign. You should be monitoring key metrics to evaluate their success in achieving your predefined goals, such as increasing sales, driving website traffic or boosting brand awareness. You can then analyse the collected data to learn more about your audience’s behaviour and trends, what’s working well and where you can improve.

Seasonal Marketing Opportunities for Your Brand

To get you inspired for your next seasonal marketing campaign, here are some key holidays and times of year you could utilise:

• New Year: During this time of year, your business could offer products or services related to health, wellness, organisation or self-improvement.

• Valentine’s Day: In the lead up to the holiday of love, you can promote gift ideas, experiences and special offers catering to couples and individuals wanting to express affection to their loved ones.

• Spring: As nature comes back to life, reflect spring’s rejuvenating spirit by offering seasonal products, outdoor activities, home improvement services and gardening supplies.

• Mother’s Day/ Father’s Day: Promote gifts, experiences and activities that celebrate love and appreciation for mothers and fathers.

• Graduation Season: You might want to target graduates and their families with gift ideas, party supplies, travel packages and career services.

• Back to School: As students prepare to return to school, you can offer a wide range of products and services, including school supplies, clothing, electronics, tutoring services and educational resources.

• Halloween: As a beloved festive occasion for dressing up and indulging in spooky fun, you can take advantage of Halloween by promoting costumes, decorations, party supplies and themed events.

• Black Friday/ Cyber Monday: As the biggest shopping weekend of the year, it’s important that you attract customers with exclusive deals, discounts and promotions both in-store and online.

Leverage Seasonal Strategies for Business Growth

Integrating seasonality into your marketing campaign might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right strategies and support on hand, you can transform cyclical trends into big opportunities.

At Bigg, we specialise in creating bespoke digital marketing campaigns that are designed to boost your brand visibility, engage your target audience and drive sustainable growth. Whether you’re looking to expand your social media offerings, optimise your email marketing campaign or revamp your content strategy, our team of professionals can guide you through every step of the process with expert knowledge.

For more information about our service offerings, please get in touch with us today to schedule a strategy call.

Almost all modern consumers research a product or service online, and 4 in 5 UK consumers make online purchases. Just as a well-maintained physical storefront can attract customers, a fresh, engaging website can keep visitors interested and drive conversions. 

Whether your website is just a bit outdated or you have evidence of it harming your business, a refresh can unlock a multitude of benefits in both the short and long term. Let’s explore five key reasons why investing in a website refresh might be the game-changer your business needs.

Enhance User Experience for Better Engagement

First impressions matter. Users form an opinion about a website in 0.05 seconds on average, and your website is often the first impression a potential customer has of your brand. It’s important to make those 0.05 seconds count with a positive user experience from the get-go.

A cluttered, outdated website that doesn’t give visitors what they need makes it more likely for them to bounce and search elsewhere. Research from Forbes Advisor supports this, finding that 61% of users expect to find what they’re looking for within five seconds of landing on a website. If they don’t, they will click off it. This just goes to show how important website usability and clarity is for users.

Boost Your SEO for Increased Visibility

SEO is crucial for driving organic traffic to your website. Search engines continuously update the algorithms, and a website refresh ensures your website adheres to the latest best practices. This includes optimising page loading speeds, improving mobile responsiveness, and incorporating relevant keywords throughout your website content.

If you partner with us, our team of SEO and content specialists will work their magic to ensure your website ranks higher in search results for relevant keywords. This improved visibility translates to more organic traffic, ultimately leading to more leads and sales.

Embrace the Mobile Revolution with Responsive Design

The way we access information has drastically changed in recent years. By the end of 2023, 54% percent of all web traffic came through mobile phones. Mobile browsing has now surpassed desktop usage, making a mobile-friendly website essential for reaching your target audience. A website refresh offers the perfect opportunity to ensure your website looks stunning and functions flawlessly across all devices, from desktop computers to tablets and smartphones.

At Bigg, we do this by utilising responsive design principles. This ensures your website automatically adjusts its layout and content based on the screen size, providing an optimal experience for every visitor, regardless of the device they use.

Showcase Your Brand Identity and Values

Your website is more than just a digital storefront; it’s a platform to showcase your brand identity and values. A website refresh allows you to align your website’s design and messaging with your current brand strategy. This can involve updating your website’s visual elements like your logo, colour scheme, and images, as well as refreshing your website content to reflect your brand voice and mission.

We will work closely with you to understand your brand personality and create a website that truly embodies your unique brand identity. This creates a stronger connection with your target audience and fosters brand loyalty.

Beat the Competition with Freshness and Innovation

The online landscape is competitive, so keeping your website fresh and innovative is key to standing out from the crowd. A dated website can make your business appear uninspired and lagging behind the times. Some users may even assume that you’re no longer trading, with some likening it to the digital equivalent of a “going out of business” sign in your window.

A website refresh shows your commitment to providing a modern and user-friendly experience. This can create a positive first impression and make your business appear much more professional, trustworthy and reliable.

Ready to Refresh Your Website?

If you’re ready to reap the benefits of a website refresh, Bigg is here to help! Our experienced and knowledgeable team will work collaboratively with you to create a website that reflects your brand, engages your audience, and drives results.
Contact Bigg today for a free consultation and discover how we can transform your website into a powerful growth engine for your business.

The digital marketing industry is growing more and more competitive by the year, and as a result it’s likely that your business is consistently looking for ways to give your content marketing strategy that extra edge to stand out from the competition.

With what feels like constant innovation happening around us in the online marketing sphere, it’s not enough to just talk to your audience anymore; it’s about inviting them to join the conversation and be a part of the action. This is where interactive media comes into play, allowing you to grow your audience and engage them in real-time.

Want to find out more? We’re about to explore the different ways you can take static content and turn it into posts and pages that will encourage your audience to stay engaged with your brand. 

What is Interactive Media?  

First things first, let’s learn a bit more about what interactive media is and why it’s important. 

Put simply, interactive content is that which prompts your audience to participate in some way, rather than consuming the information passively. It doesn’t have to be complex; it could even be as simple as clicking a call to action button or answering a poll. Although it still dictates how users interact with the content, it also gives them the power to drive the interaction.

This type of media can make the experience of consuming your content more fun for your audience, making your brand more memorable and, as a result, make them more likely to return to your website or social media accounts because of the positive interaction they’ve had.

Plus, it’s a great way to get to know your audience better and gather important data which can be used to further personalise your digital marketing campaign. 

Types of Interactive Media & Examples

To help you start thinking about how to incorporate it into your content marketing strategy, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite types of interactive media, along with some fun examples, to give you an idea of what’s possible.

Interactive Infographics

Infographics have long been an effective tool for digital marketers to visualise data and also as a way to build links from relevant publications. 

However, the reality is that infographics have a pretty low barrier to entry in many cases. Even if you don’t have an in-house designer, most people could use tools like Canva to mock up something that looks great in a short hour or two. This means that the content market tends to be oversaturated with eye-catching, professional infographics.

So, how do you stand out from the crowd? By going interactive! Interactive infographics take a concept that could work as a static piece of content and turn it into something immersive. Take this example from Information is Beautiful that visualises the world’s biggest data breaches.

Quizzes, Polls & Surveys

We need only refer to the colossal success of Buzzfeed to highlight why you should be featuring quiz-like media in your content. With an impressive 96% click-to-finish completion rate, they are a testament to the high engagement potential of this format.

Quizzes are effective for the simple fact that they’re good fun and often highly shareable. By integrating quizzes, polls or surveys into your website or social media, you can boost user engagement, gather insights about your audience and provide personalised feedback.

Plus, quizzes are relatively straightforward to make with the help of tools like SurveyMonkey and Quiz Maker, and there’s really no limit on ideas. For instance, you could design a quiz to help users determine which product best suits their needs and offer tailored solutions upon completion. 

Calculators and Tools

Calculators and online tools can not only drive engagement but also generate leads or help with link building from the press with digital PR. They can be entertaining as well as highly useful, and are a flexible format that can give you an edge on the competition when you identify a need that a feature like this can fill. 

An excellent example of this is a mortgage calculator, like this one from Money Saving Expert, which provides technical financial information in an accessible format. 

Webinars 

The latest figures showcase a surge in streamed content consumption in recent years, with almost 30% of internet users worldwide watching live streaming content weekly in the last quarter of 2023.

Using platforms like Zoom or GoToWebinar, pretty much anyone can host an interactive session where they take live questions from viewers, creating dynamic and participatory experiences in the process.

In the digital marketing industry, Content Marketing Institute and HubSpot Academy are among some of the biggest brands that frequently host live webinars, drawing in viewers from all over the world. 

Tips for Creating Interactive Content

As you’ve probably already guessed, creating interactive content tends to not be as straightforward as creating static content, so here are our top tips for getting started on producing something that really works.

Consider Your Budget and Resources

In a lot of cases, interactive media requires time and money to get right, which is why it’s essential to know your limits before planning content in this format. You don’t want to find that an amazing idea has to be scrapped because of resource constraints, so have a think about what you can put into this project first.

Know Your Audience

Different types of audience respond to different types of interactive content, so you’ll need to take the time to understand what’s working for competitors in your sector, as well as broader topics that could benefit from the inclusion of interactive content. 

A great way to find out more about your audience is to perform a content gap analysis, which helps you identify any ‘gaps’ in your content strategy and realign it better with what your audience is looking for. If you want to learn about gap analysis, we have a handy article that guides you through the process. 

Don’t Forget Technical Requirements

Adding static content to your website is usually a case of simply uploading an image via your CMS, whereas integrating interactive content can sometimes prove a more complicated journey. Make sure you understand any restrictions or technical requirements that are in place before you develop an interactive asset.

Adapt with Your Audience

Finally, it’s worth noting that much like your new interactive content, your audience is also not static, and their interests and expectations may change over time. This means that what works well today may not be the best option a year from now. 

When you notice this happening, don’t be afraid to adapt and continually test for what works – it’s the best way to learn about what your audience wants from your content. 

Optimise with Bigg

Whether you’re looking for further insights on getting started with interactive media, or you’re considering a content strategy refresh, Bigg can help. Our cohort of digital marketing experts can deliver a comprehensive range of services to help you scale your business. No matter what you’re hoping to achieve, we can design a digital strategy that’s aligned with your campaign goals and hones in on your biggest growth opportunities. 

Keen to know more about what we do? Schedule a strategy call with our friendly team today. 

Standing out online isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore – it’s a necessity. With so many businesses vying for attention, how can yours rise above the noise? One powerful strategy is leveraging both rich and featured snippets. These tools not only enhance your visibility on search engines but also drive more traffic to your site.

Here at Bigg, we’re experts in helping businesses use these advanced SEO tactics to thrive online. In this article, we’ll dive into what rich and featured snippets are, the types you can utilise, how to implement them, and why they’re crucial for your business’ success.

Understanding Rich and Featured Snippets

Before we get stuck into the details, let’s clarify what rich and featured snippets are and how they differ.

Rich Snippets

Rich snippets are enhanced search results that include extra information like star ratings, images, and prices. They make your listings more appealing by adding context right there in the search results, giving users a better idea of what your page offers before they even click on it.

Featured Snippets

Featured snippets, on the other hand, are a bit different. These are selected search results that appear at the very top of Google’s search results in a box, often referred to as “position zero”. They directly answer a user’s query with a summary, list, or table pulled from a webpage – meaning if your content is selected for a featured snippet, it can massively boost your visibility.

Both rich and featured snippets offer a huge opportunity to improve your online presence. By implementing them effectively, you can ensure that your business stands out in the crowded digital landscape.

Rich and featured snippets are vital for SEO because they significantly boost your content’s visibility and click-through rates (CTR) by making it stand out in search results. Featured snippets, which appear at the top of SERPs, and rich snippets, which display additional details like ratings or prices, attract more user attention and clicks. This increased engagement signals to search engines that your content is relevant, potentially improving your rankings over time.

Additionally, snippets enhance the user experience by providing quick, relevant information, which builds trust and authority for your brand. They also play a crucial role in voice search, as voice assistants often pull answers directly from featured snippets.

 Overall, leveraging rich and featured snippets helps you capture more traffic and strengthen your online presence.

Types of Snippets

Understanding the different types of rich and featured snippets is the first step to leveraging them effectively. Below are some of the most common and useful types for businesses.

Rich Snippets

Review Snippets: These include star ratings and review counts. They’re particularly powerful for e-commerce sites or service providers where customer reviews play a big role in decision-making. Seeing those stars in the search results can be the nudge a potential customer needs to choose you over a competitor.

Product Snippets: These snippets showcase specific product details like price, availability, and discounts. For online retailers, this type of snippet is essential – it provides key information that helps users make quick buying decisions.

FAQ Snippets: FAQ snippets are fantastic for addressing common customer questions directly in the search results. This not only saves users time but also establishes a business as a helpful, authoritative source of information. As per Google’s September 2023 update, these are now only displayed for authoritative government and health websites.

Movie Snippets: Movie snippets are specifically designed to provide detailed information directly within the search results. These snippets typically include details such as the movie’s title, release date, genre, cast, director, runtime, and even user ratings.

Event Snippets: Event snippets highlight upcoming events, including details like date, location, and ticket availability. If your business hosts or participates in events, these snippets can increase visibility and drive more attendees.

Recipe Snippets: For businesses in the food industry, recipe snippets can include ingredients, cooking times, and nutritional information. This makes your recipe content stand out, especially for users looking for quick meal ideas.

Featured Snippets

Paragraph Snippets: These provide a brief answer or explanation in response to a search query, displayed in a concise paragraph. If your content is chosen for a paragraph featured snippet, it’s a fantastic way to establish your business as a go-to resource.

List Snippets: Perfect for step-by-step guides or top 10 lists, these snippets break down information into easily digestible bullet points or numbered lists. They’re highly engaging and can drive significant traffic, especially for how-to content.

Table Snippets: When a query involves data or comparisons, Google may choose to display the information in a table format. If you have content that compares products, services, or features, a table featured snippet can help you showcase that data clearly and prominently.

Identifying and Implementing Snippets

Effectively using rich and featured snippets starts with identifying where they can have the most impact and then implementing them strategically.

Once you’ve identified the opportunities, the next step is implementation. This can seem daunting, but with the right approach, it’s entirely manageable – and of course, at Bigg, we’re here to help.

Here’s how to approach it:

Analyse Your Existing Content

Begin by reviewing your current content to identify pages that already perform well in search results but could benefit from enhanced visibility. For instance, product pages, blog posts, or service pages that rank on the first page of Google are ideal candidates for snippets. Adding rich snippets to these pages can make them more appealing and increase click-through rates (CTR).

Consider User Intent

Align your content with the intent behind the keywords your audience uses. If users are searching for product reviews, instructional content, or event details, consider implementing the relevant type of snippet – e.g. review, FAQ, or event snippets. Understanding what your audience is looking for helps you choose the right snippets that meet their needs.

Conduct Competitor Analysis

Look at how your competitors are utilising snippets. If they’re using rich or featured snippets effectively, consider how you can do the same – or even better. If they aren’t using snippets, this presents an opportunity for you to gain an edge by making your search results more attractive.

Optimise Content for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets don’t require structured data, but they do require carefully optimised content. The key is to provide clear, concise answers to common questions. Think about how you can structure your content to directly address the query. For example, using headings and bullet points to make information easy to scan, and make sure your content is well-written and authoritative.

Our team of content experts is well-equipped to ensure your site meets these criteria and positions your site as a viable candidate for appearing in featured snippets.

Structured Data Markup for Rich Snippets

To implement rich snippets, you’ll need to add schema.org markup to your web pages. This code, usually in JSON-LD format as recommended by Google, helps search engines understand and display your content in an enhanced format. At Bigg, we make sure your structured data is set up correctly so that you can start benefiting from rich snippets as soon as possible.

Testing and Validation

Before launching, use tools like Google’s Rich Results Test and Structured Data Testing Tool to ensure your markup is error-free and that your rich snippets will display correctly. This step is essential to avoid issues that could prevent your snippets from appearing as intended.

Continuous Monitoring and Optimisation

Once your snippets are live, monitor their performance using tools like Google Search Console. Track metrics such as CTR and ranking positions to assess their effectiveness. Regularly optimise your content and structured data to maintain and improve performance, adapting to changes in search engine algorithms or shifts in user behaviour.

Leverage Rich and Featured Snippets with Bigg

Rich and featured snippets are powerful tools for boosting your search visibility and driving more traffic to your site. However, implementing them effectively requires a mix of technical know-how and strategic insight. That’s where we come in. At Bigg, we’re experts in digital marketing, and we’re here to help you make the most of these advanced SEO tactics.

Ready to elevate your search presence? Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you implement rich and featured snippets and take your digital marketing to the next level. Together, we can make sure your business stands out and thrives online.

We all love a good social media scroll, but recently, you’ve likely noticed that you can’t get further than a few posts without stumbling across a paid shopping ad or a piece of sponsored content.

This is social commerce, and it’s revolutionising the way brands engage with customers and drive sales. Want a piece of the action? Keep reading to find out about the key trends, platforms and strategies that’ll help you leverage social commerce in your digital marketing strategy.

Social Commerce: The Basics

So, what is social commerce all about? In short, it refers to the integration of social media platforms with e-commerce systems, allowing users to purchase products without having to leave the app. This allows brands to meet consumers where they spend a significant amount of their time without them having to be redirected to a website to complete a transaction, creating a more streamlined customer experience. With 5.17 billion people using social media as of 2024, social commerce offers the perfect opportunity to reach a larger, global audience.

In-app shopping experiences have also proved to be more bespoke than those directly on a website. Personalisation is highly valued by consumers in today’s marketing, so being able to use the power of social media to show your shoppable content to the right people at the right time is a huge plus.  And the numbers don’t lie: the social commerce market hit an estimated revenue of $571 billion worldwide in 2023, and is projected to grow exponentially in the years to come. This is a testament to the fact that if you’re an e-commerce brand, you need to make sure your social shopping experience is as streamlined as your SEO strategy.

Major Platforms

TikTok Shop

Although a little late to the party, it’s safe to say that TikTok has taken the social commerce world by storm. The short-form video content giant has revolutionised how users interact with shopping ads, with 62% of weekly users engaging in e-commerce behaviour on the app.

There are four main ways that brands can market and sell products on TikTok:

• Shoppable videos: In-feed videos like these appear as sponsored content when a user is scrolling.
• Product showcase: Brands can create a showcase of products that users are most likely to engage with in the app.
• Live shopping: ‘Lives’ are a great way for creators and brands to interact with users by demonstrating products in real time, whilst answering relevant questions posed in the comment section.
• Shop tab: Much like a shopfront, this feature allows users to browse products, content and promotions.

Instagram Shopping

According to Hubspot, Instagram is considered the third most trusted social commerce platform, with the second best in-app shopping experience. As one of the pioneering visual-centric social media platforms, users expect sponsored content to be polished and personable. So much so, that 30% of consumers now begin their research and buying journey on Instagram.

Perhaps Instagram Shopping’s most helpful feature is its ability to add product tags to images and videos, allowing customers to be directed to your shop page to find out more information about a product or browse similar items. The Explore tab also features a dedicated shopping section, making product discovery relatively effortless.

Facebook Shops

In keeping with the Metaverse, in 2023 Facebook was crowned the most trusted social shopping platform by Hubspot. Much like Instagram, with a main shopfront and the ability to create collections, the Facebook app features a robust marketing platform for showcasing products to users.

Strategies for Success

So, how do you create a social commerce strategy that actually works? Check out our top tips below.

Research Your Audience

Like with any digital marketing strategy, you need to get to know your audience and their behaviours in order for your social commerce efforts to be successful. This is an important step in defining your demographics, which will help you make better informed choices on the best platforms, ads, content and targeting for your brand.

Create Engaging Content

High-quality, engaging content is the cornerstone of successful social commerce. Invest in visually appealing images and videos that showcase your products in action. You can use short-form content platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok to create interactive and immersive shopping experiences.

Utilise User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) adds authenticity to your brand and builds trust with potential customers. Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products and feature their content on your social media channels. UGC not only establishes brand credibility, but also serves as powerful social proof.

Leverage Influencer Marketing

We live in the golden age of influencer marketing and working alongside online creators who embody your brand’s beliefs, so why not take advantage of this trend? Search for and reach out to influencers who fit the mould of your brand – it could be the much-needed extra push you need to boost your social commerce sales.

Checkout Optimisation

The whole point of creating these social storefronts is so your customers can conveniently checkout without leaving the app, so making sure that they can make purchases without any hiccups is crucial. Make sure you test this step’s user experience quality regularly.

Product Personalisation

Use data-driven insights to understand your customers’ preferences and behaviour, and implement personalised product recommendations, targeted ads and customised shopping experiences to deliver a tailored social shopping experience.

Review with Analytics

Routinely check on your social commerce performance to see if any updates need to be made. Remember: your audience demographics may have changed over time, so it’s worth refreshing your research every now and then and making changes based on the results.

Stay Ahead of the Curve with Bigg

Not seeing the results you want through your social commerce platforms? There’s no better time than now to refresh your marketing strategy in order to stay ahead of the curve and leverage the latest trends to connect with your audience at every stage of the conversion funnel.

As an agency of digital marketing specialists, the team at Bigg can help you realign your social commerce strategy for optimal results. Want to find out more about our innovative, data-driven approach to digital marketing? Get in touch with us.