Tag: social media marketing

  • Custom Content for Benefit Agencies | How Paid Parental Leave is Changing the Benefits Landscape

    There’s no doubt that original content boosts your search engine rankings, establishes credibility as an industry expert, and generates interest in your services. Yet many benefit agencies struggle to produce timely, quality content simply because they don’t have the bandwidth to get it done. At eTekhnos we offer customized social media marketing plans to fit your agency. Along with curated relevant content on compliance issues and top HR and benefit trends, we prioritize creating custom pieces on the latest hot topics! Here’s a sample blog article we recently produced for our clients on the rising 2017 benefit trend of paid parental leave:

    How Paid Parental Leave is Changing the Benefits Landscape

    When you hear the term “paid parental leave”, what do you think of? Here in the U.S., paid leave benefits are somewhat of a luxury. Although the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has made it possible for parents working at companies with 50 or more employees to secure 12 weeks of unpaid leave, the U.S. is one of only three countries on a list of 185 that does not mandate a period of paid parental leave. This leaves the country ranked below Iran and Mexico, who both offer 12 weeks of paid parental leave. On the other end of the spectrum, employees in the UK benefit from up to 40 weeks of paid leave.

    As a result of having no mandated paid parental leave policy, approximately a quarter of U.S. women who become pregnant while employed quit their jobs upon giving birth, one third of women are forced to borrow money or withdraw from savings to cover time off from work, and 15% utilize public assistance. The June 2015 Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was the first legislation to make a case for offering equal parental leave to mothers and fathers, setting a new precedent for the evolution of the paid leave benefit.

    Why Should You Offer Paid Parental Leave to Employees?

    The EY & Peterson Institute for International Economics recently released a study revealing that 38% of millennials would move to a new country if they would be afforded better paid parental leave benefits. Millennials now make up the largest demographic in the American workforce, and companies will need to increasingly take statistics like this into account when building benefit plans that will attract and retain top talent.

    Aside from talent acquisition, the study goes on to show the positive impacts a paid parental leave benefit can have on keeping women in the C-Suite, as men who would usually be considered secondary caregivers take advantage of the time off and allow women to get back to work more quickly. In addition, change.org, who has implemented a generous paid parental leave policy, observed that dads who took leave in their company encouraged other new fathers to take advantage of the benefits as well, creating a culture of safety in which to utilize leave and invest more fully in their family life.

    Ultimately, employees are happier and are empowered to do better work when they are allowed to honor their priorities. Whether this means a new mother is allowed to take stress-free, paid time off to bond with her child, or a father takes advantage of leave to be with his family or allow his partner to return to work, the ability to balance work and life is of the utmost importance to younger generations.

    Case Studies – Top Companies Doing it Right

    American Express

    American Express recently announced that they were changing their paid parental leave policy from three months for primary caregivers and two weeks for secondary caregivers to five months of paid parental leave for all full-time and part-time employees.

    All genders are eligible for the benefit, and employees may become parents via birth, adoption or surrogacy. In addition, American Express offers up to $35,000 for adoption or surrogacy fees with a limit of two events.  A lifetime maximum of $35,000 is also allotted for fertility treatments.

    The company also announced a unique supplemental benefit of 24-hour lactation consultants available to nursing mothers, and a breast milk shipment program available to mothers traveling for business who need to send milk home.

    Bank of America

    Bank of America offers 16 weeks of paid leave for biological and adoptive parents. A unique feature of their policy allows parents to take leave any time during the first year of the child’s life, enabling partners to take overlapping or subsequent time off, whichever best fits their family’s needs. The company values providing this option, as they see almost half of parents in today’s society raising their kids together at home while both holding jobs.

    The banking giant also tries to make life after baby easier for working parents by offering a more flexible work-from-home program and providing $240 in monthly childcare reimbursement for employees whose household income comes in under $100,000 annually.

    Netflix

    Netflix took the spotlight when it comes to paid parental leave benefits when they announced that the company would offer unlimited paid leave with no loss of benefits during the first year after a child’s arrival. Leave can be taken at any time during the year, and employees may choose to work part-time, or come back to work and then leave again if desired.

    Netflix chief talent officer, Tawni Cranz, said of the monumental decision, “Experience shows people perform better at work when they’re not worrying about home.”

    Twitter

    While Twitter offers 20 weeks of paid leave for mothers and 10 for fathers and adoptive parents, the most innovative benefits this company offers come through its pre and post-natal programs for parents. Twitter offers quarterly “New Moms and Moms-To-Be” roundtables, a Mommy Mentor Program, Working Mom lunches and most lately, “Dads on Leave” roundtables. In-house support for employees when it comes to family life provides a safe place to embrace new roles as parents while still progressing in their careers.

    How Can You Adopt This Benefit?

    Job participation by women in peak years is declining, and paid parental leave is a way to help remove barriers in the workplace that leave women in only 5% of CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies. Karyn Twaronite, EY global diversity and inclusiveness officer, said, “Companies that view parental leave as something solely for mothers are becoming extinct, as more modern and enlightened companies are realizing that many people, especially millennials, are even more interested in co-parenting given most are part of dual career couples.”

    If your company is unable to keep up with the generous paid leave packages larger businesses can afford, consider taking a page out of Twitter’s book and offering mentoring programs and support groups for new parents. Budget for childcare reimbursement costs like Bank of America. Even smaller changes that are made thoughtfully, with the employee in mind, will increase the appeal of your benefits package.

    As the benefits landscape changes with shifting demographics, consider carefully how offering paid parental leave could positively impact your employees, and ultimately, your bottom line as workers are motivated to work harder and smarter, knowing things are taken care of at home.

     

    By Kate McGaughey – Social Media Director, eTekhnos

  • New Website Launched for The Megro Benefits Company | eTekhnos Web Design

    What’s the latest and greatest trend in web design?

    Mobile responsiveness. Most of us do business through our phones at some point during the day. If you share a link to your website via social media or an email campaign, you want prospects to see a fully functional, visually appealing site that easily converts into leads! Our latest website redesign for The Megro Benefits Company shows off our mobile-friendly sites!

     

    We recently launched a new website for The Megro Benefits Company in long-page format with a stunning Philadelphia skyline photo, creating a modern feel that is easy to navigate with a little local flair.  The site is mobile-responsive, clean and concise, and provides a one-stop resource for potential and current clients.

    Visit the new Megro Benefits website at megrobenefits.com!

    Megro Benefits also utilizes our social media marketing solution which includes posting relevant blogs on industry topics, creating and managing social media company pages on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and publishing personalized content from company outreach initiatives!

    Contact us to learn more about custom website design, SEO optimization, email marketing and social media solutions!

  • How to Develop a Killer Content Marketing Strategy for Benefit Agencies

    content-marketing-2Why You Need Content Marketing

    As social media marketing becomes more popular with companies whose clientele consists of other businesses, it’s important to understand how a quality content strategy can enhance your online brand. Creative content serves your business in two important ways.

    First, content crafted to tell your company’s story in an interesting, innovative way helps your audience connect with your brand and better understand your product. This is vital for turning social media interactions into leads and customer action.

    Second, the more relevant and valuable content you produce and publish, the higher you will be ranked in search engine result lists. If a potential client is Googling “2016 ACA compliance,” and you’ve published a recent blog on deadlines and reporting, your content will show up in search results, prompting the searcher to click through to your website. The more unique and niche content you produce on a topic, the more likely you are to show up high in Google results, and the more prospects you will drive to your website.

    In the age of technology, the average person is bombarded with thousands of advertisements a day. Because of this, it is essential that companies are intentional and innovative with their content marketing. We’ve put together a list of some of the best ways to ensure you develop an effective strategy for your company.

    The Content

    In a study conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, creating engaging content ranked as a top priority at 72% for developing new material to post on your blog and social media. In the benefits industry, it is essential that you clearly convey how your company stands apart from other firms as the best option for crafting unique benefit packages, streamlining compliance and developing HR solutions. Focus on choosing relevant industry topics to present in an innovative way. To optimize your creative approach, try implementing the following best practices:

    Visuals

    Use pictures, infographics, and charts to inform your clients about your process and services visually. These mediums effectively grab clients’ attention and can help you convey information in a simple yet informative manner.

    Long-Form Content

    Be more analytic with lengthy and complex written content. Make sure to research thoroughly and back up your key points with real facts. Not only does long-form content give you room to explain fully to clients what needs your benefit agency meets, but also sets you up as a go-to industry source.

    Specialized Experts

    The benefit industry has a very specific target market, so to consistently create cutting edge content, an industry expert is an essential part of your marketing team. According to Curata, in 2017, 51% of companies will have an executive whose role is solely devoted to content marketing. Your company should employ or contract an industry expert (like eTekhnos!) to produce content and advise on how to best reach your preferred customers. Expert-informed content boosts your brand’s credibility and ensures that clients have somewhere reliable to turn to when they need help with difficult or complex benefit questions.

    Stay Up-To-Date and Be One Step Ahead

    As you create your own company-specific content calendar, it is equally important to stay up-to-date on what your competitors are talking about on their blogs and social media. Reading blogs, posts and articles that discuss how to create optimal content can help foster new ideas and also reveal what’s trending in employee benefits and human resources. Content marketing is always changing and evolving at a fast pace, and staying current on best practices and hot topics gives you a crucial advantage.

    Implement these best practices, and contact us today for help developing a custom content marketing strategy!

     

    By Nicole Federico and Kate McGaughey

  • Employee Spotlight: Kate McGaughey

    Processed with VSCO with c1 presetKate McGaughey joined our team this Spring as our Social Media Director! We’ve asked her a few fun questions to get to know her a little better:

    Q. What is your job at eTekhnos?

    A. I am the Social Media Director. I help clients find their brand’s voice by selecting and producing content on relevant industry topics, scheduling posts for their blogs and social media accounts, and creating special campaigns and email blasts. In addition, I write about social media and technology best practices and how they can be best utilized by employee benefit agencies on our eTekhnos blog, as well as blasting fun and helpful content on our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter!

    Q. What is your favorite aspect of your job?

    A. I love when a client comes to me with a new product or service they want to get people excited about, and I have the opportunity to work with them on both the promotional strategy and the actual implementation of the campaign. It’s fun to work with a client to achieve their vision, and get to be creative in the process!

    Q. Where is the furthest you have traveled?

    A. I previously worked as a flight attendant for a major airline where I had the opportunity to travel all the time! My furthest trip (as well as one of my favorite) was to Moscow, Russia! I was there for two days during their annual Moscow Day Festival and had the chance to take in their unique architecture, delicious food and thought-provoking art!

    Q. What is your favorite book?

    A. I loved The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It takes place in Germany during WWII and follows the life of a young girl who steals books, each that is connected to a person or a significant story. Her German family ends up harboring a young Jewish man from the Nazis, and their friendship causes the reader to think in a broader sense about how even though we are different from many people in our world, at the end of the day we are all human, and are all deserving of love and respect.

    Q. What is an ability you wish you had?

    A. I wish I had the ability to fly! Although I spent a year marveling at the world from above when I was working for the airline, I’ve always wished I was able to fly from place to place and float over beautiful landscapes on my own. I may or may not try to find Neverland 😉

  • New Website Launched for BJA Partners | eTekhnos Web Design

    We’re excited to show off our latest website redesign for BJA Partners, based in San Diego!

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    The new BJA Partners website was recently launched in long-page format with a San Diego skyline graphic creating a local, modern feel that is easy to navigate.  The site is mobile-responsive, clean and concise, and provides a one-stop resource for potential and current clients.

    Visit the new BJA Partners site at http://www.bjapartners.com/

    BJA Partners also utilizes our social media marketing solution which includes posting relevant blogs on industry topics, creating and managing social media company pages on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and publishing personalized content from company outreach initiatives!

    Contact us to learn more about custom website design, SEO optimization, email marketing and social media solutions!

  • How To Turn Your Employees Into Your Top Social Media Advocates

    socialmediaavocacyAlmost every business today is on social media. Whether you’ve opted for a Facebook or LinkedIn company page, are active on Twitter or even post videos on YouTube, you’ve most likely bought into the need to have an online presence.

    But have you considered how a social media strategy that includes online employee advocacy can drastically impact your brand?

    Research shows that employees are the most powerful advocates a company has, and should be invited into the process of raising brand awareness. Let’s look at L’Oreal as a recent case study. Their digital marketing team implemented the use of the hashtag #LifeatLoreal in an effort to familiarize corporate with local level employees by documenting interesting or humorous happenings at the office.

    The benefits went beyond expectation – employees generated interest among their personal networks in employment with the company and along with another similar hashtag campaign, it increased L’Oreal’s unique Instagram impressions to 200,000.

    Other examples of companies doing social media employee advocacy programs well are Starbucks, who brought in $180,000 in direct sales in less than a month with their Tweet-a-Coffee campaign, and Zappos, who offer special social media training to their employees and have a leaderboard to show which employees have the most followers.

    Think about it this way, when your social media manager shares content on your company channels, your reach (how many people see your post) is limited to your followers. When your employees start to actively share, your reach is then increased to their networks as well.  This can quickly add up to more impressions and ultimately – conversions.

    In fact, leads generated through employee advocacy on social media convert seven times more frequently than any other leads.

    Convinced yet? Here’s where to start.

    Create an Engaging Company Culture
    Employees need to believe in what they’re selling.  Social media advocacy programs should be voluntary, and to attract the most possible employee brand ambassadors, you need to create a culture of trust and authenticity. Be real with your employees about why you need them and how their advocacy makes an impact on achieving important sales or marketing objectives. If employees enjoy where they work, feel appreciated and understand their value, they will willingly share your content with their personal following.

    Develop a Social Media Policy and Explain How It Works
    Too often companies resort to the negative when implementing social media policies at work. Instead of focusing so much on what can’t be said on social media, highlight the positive ways sharing appropriate content can have an invaluable impact on growing and engaging new audiences. Help employees who aren’t tech-saavy by outlining liking, sharing and commenting etiquette and if necessary, provide periodic, pre-drafted copy for them to include when sharing.  Of course the best shares are organic as employees get excited about a new service, special campaign or company outreach event. Give them the freedom to share their own content as well as what you make available.

    Start Small With Sharing
    Implementing a social media advocacy program doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start small with your initiatives. If you already post regular content on your blog and to your company social media channels, ask employees to share these on their personal accounts. For special campaigns, consider creating some extra Tweet copy and emailing these to your staff as options for sharing. Make it fun! Send email reminders when new blogs are posted and or create a hashtag specifically for your next company event or retreat that employees can use when they share photos.

    Set Goals and Track Your Results
    As an employer or manager, you need to know what’s working and what isn’t. Set reasonable goals. What do you want to get out of an employee advocacy initiative? Do you want to promote a certain product or service? Are you looking to expand brand awareness and turn leads into new clients from a previously untapped audience? Understand what you want employees to share about first. Then, identify key metrics that you will use to track the results. Examples of top metrics to follow are traffic driven to the website from social media, increased post reach, increase in sales, employee conversions from passive to brand advocate, a change in your customer base’s perception of your brand and any demographic change in customers.

    Share Your Success
    Finally, share your success with the people who made it happen! Did you meet a sales goal because of increased employee advocacy? Did you hit record high website traffic? Tell your employees. It’s important that employees see the impact of their advocacy, understand their role and contribution to the brand and that they also understand what works and what doesn’t. Top influencers should also be rewarded. Always recognize the people who are doing an awesome job at representing your company in front of their peers.  Not only does this inspire further action, it brings you full circle by contributing to an engaging company culture.

    Want to learn more about engaging your employees as social media advocates? Set up a call with our team!

     

    By Kate McGaughey

  • 4 Easy Ways to Get More Out of LinkedIn | Employee Benefits Technology

    As employee benefit agencies, we know it can be hard to figure out the best way to leverage social media for your company, so we’ve made it easy.  Follow these four steps to get more out of LinkedIn today!

    LinkedIn infographic

    Want to learn more? Go in depth with our post 5 Ways to Optimize LinkedIn for Your Benefit Agency.

  • 3 Ways Social Media Helps Employee Benefits Firms

    MH46O0ISCFIn the world of employee benefits, we know that relationships are key. Particularly for independent firms, a new client is more likely to be obtained through a game of golf with a current client who knows local business owners than by a YouTube video explaining an online enrollment process. However, companies that do this type of B2B marketing can highly benefit from a robust social media presence, and we’re here to tell you how with three simple points:

    1. Increase Relational Reach

    Most professionals today have accounts on LinkedIn if not Facebook and Twitter. These three big social media channels offer a unique opportunity to nurture current business relationships and foster new ones. Becoming a part of industry groups on social media helps your business see who else is in your field with whom you could build partnerships or share services and keep up with what your current clients are doing both in business and in the community.  With private messaging, industry groups and platforms for public sharing, it’s easy to make initial and continuing points of contact with both current and prospective clients.  Don’t stop at just a business page – drive engagement by posting, sharing and connecting through your personal account and encourage your employees to do so as well – this adds an extra relational aspect to your brand which shows you personally care about your clients.

    1. Become Industry Experts

    One of the biggest things social media can do for your brand is add credibility as an industry expert through the content you post, thus giving you more opportunity to develop relationships with a larger pool of people. Start by creating a blog post a few times a month that educates about a unique service you offer or explains an aspect of employee benefits that is often confusing to clients. The key is to offer content that is engaging, educational and gives value to the reader – this should not be a sales pitch – quality content will bring a reader back for more. Share this post on your company and personal LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts and encourage employees to do the same. Reply to comments and shares with a personal note of thanks or a follow up question to foster engagement!

    1. Offer Creative Content

    We know it’s important to create original content, but what does that look like? Start with a blog. Write succinct posts about topics relevant to your industry, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box a little bit.  We all know employee benefits topics can get boring, but what about doing a profile on an employee who has benefited from a client’s wellness program that your firm set up?  People want to hear her story. As you get more comfortable, explore other mediums.  Share photos from company workshops or community events where you were participants or make a short video explaining a commonly misunderstood aspect of employee benefits packages. And don’t worry – if you don’t know where to start with creating content, there are companies to which you can outsource that will help you find the perfect way to share your story as an employee benefits broker.

    Social media is increasingly becoming a vital tool in how we do business in today’s economy.  By understanding and implementing these three concepts about how to use social media in the employee benefits field, you can expand your relational reach, establish your business as an industry expert and offer diverse creative content that sets your brand apart and generates client loyalty.

  • 5 Key Benefits of Email Marketing

    Rockstar Technology is your business solution not only for email marketing campaigns but all social media and website needs as well!  Contact us today to discuss optimizing your online presence today!

    With the overwhelming breakthrough of social media, search engine optimization and mobile marketing, it’s safe to say email marketing is on the verge of death, right? Wrong. Email marketing is alive and well, and it’s arguably the most profitable means of marketing. Here’s why:

    Email marketing presents more opportunities for your business and drives a better return on investment. With email marketing, your business can create deeper relationships with a wider audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional media.

    1. Email Marketing is Targeted

    Email marketing solves all the inherent problems of non-targeted marketing. Gone are the days of placing an advertisement on television, on a diner placemat, or in a periodical with no control of who will see it. With email marketing, you have the ability to control exactly who sees an email by segmenting your contacts based on their lead status, demographics, location or any other data. Targeting emails ensures that your audience receives content suited specifically to his/her needs. Email marketing makes it simple to customize your message for each customer, fostering a higher conversion rate.

    2. Email Marketing Increases Brand Awareness

    With each email sent, consumers are exposed to your business and your brand. With strategic planning, smart design and targeted content, your business will consistently build value. In doing so, you stay top-of-mind with your audience. Then, when a customer needs products or services, your business stands a much better chance of turning those leads into clients and clients into loyal customers.

    3. Email Marketing is Easily Shareable.

    There aren’t many forms of marketing as easy to share as email marketing. With the simple click of the forward button, subscribers can share your deals, offers and news with their friends. Subscribers who share your emails are acting as brand advocates. Therefore, when a subscriber shares an email with friends, your brand gains more exposure and credibility.

    4. Email Marketing is Measurable

    Analytics are indispensable to measuring the success of any campaign. Many marketing channels present ambiguous and estimated results. Email marketing, on the other hand, draws precise and valuable metrics, including delivery rates, open rates, click-to-deliver rates and subscriber retention rates. Even better: these metrics are more than just numbers and percentages. They are insights about your customers behaviors and interests. Use your email marketing campaign as a tool to monitor which information your consumers are most responsive to. From there, you can further target your marketing strategy towards more successful campaigns and topics of interest.

    5. Email Marketing is Cost effective.

    Perhaps the most appealing advantage of email marketing is the return on investment. No print costs, no postage fees, no advertising rates. Email marketing is as affordable as marketing gets. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing brings in $40 for every $1 spend, outperforming search, display and social marketing.

    We Can Help!

    In today’s ever-changing digital world, email marketing tends to take a backseat. However, if you haven’t considered email marketing for your business already, now is the time. Email marketing is a targeted, shareable, credible, measurable, and cost-effective tool overlooked by many. Working with a trusted marketing advisor makes the process simple and cost-effective. With a strategic approach, proper guidance and a strong message, your business is sure to benefit from email marketing.

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  • Reasons to Invest in a Well Designed Website

    You may ask yourself the question, “My business is ticking over nicely, why should I pay for a well designed website?”

    Your website is open 24/7

    A website allows your business to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are millions of people, from all over the world, online at any time of the day. Many of them are looking to source products or services. If you run a conventional brick and mortar business, you can only attract the people who walk or drive past your shop, in any one day. Having a website designed for you allows you to attract new customers that would otherwise never find you – and they can do so when your shop is closed! A well designed web site also gives them a reason to revisit the site in the future.

    Websites increase customer confidence

    A professional, well designed website, with the right content, easy navigation and quickly accessible contact details, greatly increases customer confidence in your company. A well designed website shows people that you are forward thinking and customer focused, much in the way a well designed business card did in the past, which is an important factor in any buying decision that they have to make.

    Websites increase customer referrals

    What is easier to remember, mysite.com or 01215501528?
    A website address is much easier to remember than a telephone number, so it stands to reason that having a website increases the likelihood of referrals – and let’s face it, referrals are one of the most important sources of new business.

    A website address increases the ROI when advertising

    Including your website address on all of your adverts, business cards, letterheads, invoices, etc allows people to take action straight away, when they view an advert, or hear about your product or service. Visiting your website is so much easier than driving to your store, telephoning or writing a letter to you. When online, a potential customer can take their time and enjoy finding out about your products or services without the pressure of having a salesman floating about in the background.

    Website sales

    Your website is one of the most impressive sales presentations that you will ever have. Allowing your customers to buy your products or services online is a wonderful and inexpensive way to expand your business. Spending thousands on advertising, for an ad that is featured in one mag, for one month simply doesn’t compare to investing in a long term sales marketing solution – or a well designed website as we like to call them!

    Even if you do not offer a product or service that can easily be purchased over the Internet, a website still acts as an impressive first contact, convincing the potential customer that they need what you are offering and inviting them to contact you, via telephone, email or contact form on your website.

    Websites promote future business

    When a potential customer comes into your shop and leaves without making a purchase and without speaking to anyone, they are basically a dead prospect. When someone views your well designed website and doesn’t make a purchase straight away, they can easily revisit anytime to make the purchase in the future. On top of that, you can use your website to collect the email addresses of visitors and send them periodical promotional emails, newsletters or updates on your product or service. So although they may not buy first time around, you have more than one opportunity to close the sale!

    So there you go, what are you waiting for? Don’t waste time -get a well designed website now!  We are here to help you get your website where it needs to be!

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