Spyder Trap Digital Marketing Blog

Digital Way Finder: Working In Digital Recap

Taylor Werdel — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 20:31:20 +0000

On April 27^th, devoted Twin Cities professionals flocked into our office space, to escape the typical Minnesota spring freeze, the road construction, and to hear from our expert panelists about all things digital! Since not everyone could be with us to soak up the helpful tips and tricks on working in digital, we thought we’d provide a brief recap of the discussions that took place.

https://twitter.com/SnappingTwerdel/status/857717476016128001

The digital greats – introducing the panel

After our stomachs were reasonably full with delicious food and we’d flexed our networking muscles, our Senior Client Strategist and moderator Jon Lenz, introduced our panelists for the evening. Each of our panelist represents a facet of the vast world of digital, and through an Q&A format, were able to use their expertise to help define what digital means, where it’s going, and how we as professionals can take it by the reins.

The ever-growing dominance of digital

As panelist Chris Prokopanko of Cargill put it, digital is starting to encompass truly everything – especially as digital transformation is sweeping through different industries that previously didn’t rely upon it for growth. But regardless of your role or career in the future, you have to have a digital skill set. It’s not just a ‘nice to have’ anymore, it’s a ‘need to have’.

Chris P @Cargill – "Digitalization and analytics are going to be among the core capabilities of the digital sphere." #DIGITALWAYFINDER

— Spyder Trap (@spyder_trap) April 27, 2017

Panelist Lynne Leaf of Merrill Corporation stated that on a corporate side, they’re still playing catch up, and starting to require digital marketing representation on every team in the company. Educating our coworkers on the importance of digital strategy and skills is the first step in matching progress with digital in the product sphere with that of progress in digital marketing.

Generalist vs. specialist – the ideal skill set

An ongoing debate that never seems to have a clear answer:

@spyder_trap Specialist in narrow swath, generalist in more areas, expert in my unique collection. #DigitalWayFinder
Oh, and I can use MS Word!

— Ted Kusio (@DigitalWheelie) April 27, 2017

Chris put the question into perspective with a great analogy – it’s a matter of I’s & T’s.

I’s are straight and narrow people who are very deep in one area of digital – they’re entrenched in the tiny kinks and details of a specific facet of digital and have the answers to the tough questions.
T’s are people who branch out and have their fingers in all of the pies – they have knowledge of how things work (think SEO, marketing automation, social, etc) and are versatile, but might need to rely upon specialists to really tackle a complex issue.

Perhaps this was just a lead up to a great joke about working in IT (get it? I’s and T’s?), but for people looking to further their careers, it’s important to know what companies are looking for in the talent pool. Erica Hanna of Puke Rainbows pointed out that when there is a large budget for a project, she brings in specialists because there are more resources to devote to digging into new and exciting techniques. When there’s less money for a project, generalists are brought in because they know how to get the job done and hit every benchmark. Panelist John Arnold of Celarity tackled the question from his perspective as a recruiter: if you want to move up in a company, you need to be able to jump around and fulfill different types of roles – this is why being a generalist is ideal. However, if independent or freelancing work is more your speed, being a specialist and having a deep knowledge in area might be the key to success.

“Don’t dismiss people’s experience because they’re not in an a department that has leverage. Don’t kill someone’s ideas because of the barriers that separate your role from the marketing decision makers.” – Chris Prokopanko

On the topic of the ideal digital tool belt, or skill set, John pointed out that analytics skills are the most in demand. Certifications like Google Analytics and Adwords are the most requested by companies- they’re the easiest to get and are becoming a standard in the industry. Don’t have those certifications? Don’t fret – he and a few of the other panelists all agreed one thing: If someone’s smart enough, you can teach them anything. Chris said, “If people have the right personality and the right amount of drive, I will teach them. Those two aspects make them more appealing to me from a hiring perspective. It’s harder to teach someone to have personality than it is to teach someone a new skill.”

Being a partner vs. selecting a partner

Lynne said something during this section that I thought was particularly prevalent:

"Having been on the agency-side early on in my career helped me become a better client," Lynne Leaf @MerrillCorp #DIGITALWAYFINDER

— Spyder Trap (@spyder_trap) April 27, 2017

“When I look for a partner, they need to listen, they need to understand our business, and they need to understand the company dynamics. It’s hard, but we need someone with the bandwidth to take on the projects that we can’t devote internal resources to – we can’t always be on top of SEO. We need someone externally to get digital value. Partners need to scale with us as our company scales. Always under promise and over deliver.” – Lynne Leaf

Panelist Erica Hanna of Puke Rainbows presented thoughts on the opposite side of the partnership. Check out this video on the three things Erica looks for when choosing to partner with a client.

Conclusion

We are so grateful to the attendees and panelists who took the time to connect and share their experiences. If you weren’t able to attend this Digital Way Finder, don’t be too sad; there’s a way to stay up-to-date on all things Spyder Trap! Sign up for our monthly newsletter for updates on events, blog posts, and career information.

https://twitter.com/meeterica/status/857737759750053890

The post Digital Way Finder: Working In Digital Recap appeared first on Spyder Trap Digital Marketing Blog.

Managing Your Online Reputation: Social Media Breakfast Recap

Taylor Werdel — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 19:49:42 +0000

How many of you read reviews on a restaurant before you eat there? Or research a product before you purchase it? Or even browse Glassdoor reviews before interviewing at a certain company? We all know why online reviews are important: they’re one of the first things people look to assess authentic representations of your business. It is where people go ‘to find themselves’ and relate to people with similar wants and needs.

https://twitter.com/SnappingTwerdel/status/855416125521358848

More than any other time in history, customers have more ownership over the content that is associated with the products and services they consume. They have the power to dictate how a company is perceived at every stage of the buyer’s journey. This can be good or bad depending on Google and Yelp’s opinion.

The customer’s role in the review process is clear, but the brand’s is a little murkier. Luckily, Megan and I attended the Social Media Breakfast today on managing your online reputation. With a lot of humor and a great presentation given by a former Spyder Trapper, Aaron Weiche, we were able to synthesize the major takeaways that you should be aware of when creating an online review strategy.

Megan’s highlight – increasing your online rating and reputation

Make it clear that you and your company are passionate about receiving customer feedback regardless if it’s negative or positive. This is the most important part of making sure your company is continuously receiving online reviews. Any organization that cares about customer service or consumer satisfaction will make it clear and easy for you to leave a review on their product or service. Weiche says there are four ways to increase your amount of online reviews:

Personal ask – Direct someone to your Yelp or Facebook page upon point of purchase and state that their feedback is valued.

Handout – Place handouts, brochures, or business cards at an accessible place in your business so visitors can easily access information about where a customer can praise you for their great experience, or give constructive criticism on how you can improve theirs, and others’ experiences.

On the site itself – This unfortunately isn’t seen too often, but has grown a bit over the last year since reviews have become of such importance. Some websites such as have inserted a call to action (CTA) at the TOP of their page for a customer to quickly leave a Yelp, Google, or Facebook review.

Platforms - Be sure be present on the platforms that are offered for your business to be reviewed on. Be available on more than one platform and make sure your reviews are recent and relevant. Nobody wants to read a review that is 7 months old about a menu item you no longer serve.

Customers ask "What have you done for me lately?" 69% of consumers believe that reviews older than 3 months aren't relevant #smbmsp99

— Spyder Trap (@spyder_trap) April 21, 2017

Taylor’s highlight – handling negative reviews and feedback

When I was just starting a career in public relations at my university, we were constantly presented with negative reviews. Sometimes, the reviews held constructive criticism. Other times, we were confident that there were people whose sole joy in life was to sit and hurl angry insults from behind the safety of their computer screens. We constantly weighed out the pros and cons of replying to these types of comments and reviews. And usually, our fear of a digital shouting match erupting in the comment section prevented us from taking action.

I realize now that what that communicated to our audience was that we didn’t care about their customer experience. To prove to your customers that their feedback is valuable, you should (almost) always reply. Too often, we shy away from negativity because it scares us, or it intimidates us. In actuality, negative reviews serve as vehicles for improvement. So don’t loathe negative reviews, embrace them and simply be prepared to handle them in such a way that yields value to your online reputation.

https://twitter.com/SnappingTwerdel/status/855423475980304384

Make it easy for people to reach out provide their genuine experiences – not every customer is going to feel comfortable sifting through a 50 question survey of irrelevant details (yes, companies ACTUALLY do this) to provide two pieces of their real feelings.

Welcome complaints just as much as positive remarks – the customer’s story is now your story. Their perspectives directly represent your brand, product, and services. Own it.

Resolve the complaints by having a structure in place – your customer’s problems are your problems. Personally invest in the issue and express that you want to do something about it. Remember, reviews can be updated and changed.

Respond with empathy, and don’t use excuses about why their experience was less than ideal – keep in mind that you are a consumer too, and ruminate on how you would want a company to respond to your concerns.

Don’t be selective about the reviews you respond to – giving celebratory pats on the back of a rave customer review and ignoring the complaints showcases that you’re selective about which customer experiences matter to you. Activate your customers, and be feedback and complaint friendly.

The 99th Social Media Breakfast was jammed backed with great content, personal flair (via the talented Aaron Weiche), and choice bacon and bagels. Check out the #smbmsp99, @spyder_trap & @snapping_twerdel Twitter accounts for more snippets of the event.

The post Managing Your Online Reputation: Social Media Breakfast Recap appeared first on Spyder Trap Digital Marketing Blog.

The Pets of Spyder Trap: National Pet Day

Taylor Werdel — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 14:56:22 +0000

You’re probably already aware of the humans that work at Spyder Trap, but we’d be nothing without the ‘paw’fessionals that gives us the extra support we need to get the job done. Sometimes, they work from home and other times, they come into the office for Dog Day Fridays. Either way, we’re proud to host a diverse staff of canine, feline, and equine digital experts. So for National Pet Day, we thought we’d shed some light on our furry friends and give them credit for their contributions on the Spyder Trap team.

The pets of Spyder Trap

Auggie & Quigley – Lead ‘Cat’ent Strategists

Augsburg College Graff-Wilsey and Quigley Winston Churchill Junior Graff-Wilsey are the proud owners of their human, Lindsey (Lead Content Strategist). Auggie and Quigley are 3-year-old cat brothers who were rescued as babies. They are best friends and have turned Lindsey into an absolute crazy cat lady. Quigley enjoys spinach salads, ice cream, and butt scratches while Auggie prefers cheek rubs, gnawing on our potted palm tree, and chasing ghosts that only he can see. They love snuggling with each other and any humans they meet.

Belle – Chief Corres’paw’ndent

Belle is a 12 year old miniature dachshund, and lives with her human, Scott (Operations Manager). Somedays she is very picky about her interactions with humans, but she is never picky about eating. She loves other dogs, especially large dogs, but she is kind and patient with dogs and humans of all ages. If she receives regular meals (more meals are always welcomed), lots of affection, and plenty of lap time with warm blankets, then she is a happy dog!

Brody – ‘Dog’rector of Events

Brody is the proud owner of his human Jill (Events Coordinator). Brody always needs to be the center of attention, and will get as close as possible to get scratched. Basically, he is an 80 pound dog who thinks he’s the size of a toy poodle (wannabe lap dog.) He is referred to by friends and family as “the best dog,” and dog sitting responsibilities are usually fought over when mom and dad go out of town. He is incredibly smart, although he still hasn’t learned how to “drop the ball” yet, and probably never will. Usually, he can be found chasing squirrels, enjoying time at the cabin, wrestling with his half brother, Cooper, or sucking on his “blankey,” which was once an expensive Ralph Lauren throw blanket. His humans love him so much!

Curry – Kibble Quality Analyst

Curry has only had his human, Tyler (Quality Analyst), for 6 months now, but Tyler has already earned a spot as a one of his best friends and companions. Curry has an energetic and loyal personality – he is either looking for a play buddy or crashed on the couch from his active day. He loves to be outside, fetch, swim, and go hunting. He also has a knack for stealing table scraps. Tyler couldn’t have asked for a better companion than Curry, they seem to share the same qualities that makes their relationship a perfect match.

Curly & Dora – Dynamic Sales Duo

Curly and Dora belong to their human, Josh (Client Strategy Manager). Curly was born on November 18th and delivered by Santa a couple weeks after Christmas when he was ready to leave his mother. He is a faun colored pug with a very friendly, sweet and feisty personality. Curly loves all people equally and has absolutely zero stranger fear. He spends his Fridays trading laps around the office and soaking up all the snuggles. Dora is a Blue nose Pitbull that was rescued by Secondhand Hounds and brought up from the South. She came to her humans with a fear of men and no interest in being on a leash or walking. Dora had to learn to be a dog and that she deserved a better life. She is now a very social and gentle animal that loves going places, riding in the car, long walks and meeting new friends (both animal and human). She loves her human kids almost as much as her brother Curly loves chewing on her tail.

Doris – Digital ‘Bark’eter

Doris adopted her human, Zach (Digital Marketing Strategist), and has been in love ever since. “What kind of dog is she?!” people often exclaim upon meeting Doris for the first time. The truth of the matter is that we have no idea. Terrier? Dachshund? Sure. Maybe? Doris is equal parts ball of energy and total lazypants. She’s shy at first, but jaunty and friendly once she gets to know new people and dogs. Her favorite food is food. Any food. Do you have some food? Because Doris would like to eat that food. At night Doris sleeps under the covers at her human’s feet. During the day she sleeps wherever she happens to be at the moment, preferably in a sunny spot. She’s not much for tricks, although she can sit and stay for as long as it takes to convince you to share your food with her.

Effie & Ringer – ‘Paw’fessional Snuggler & Lead Rope Developer, respectively

Euphemia Tallulah Hanson (aka Effie) is a 2 year old Pitbull mix, owner to her human, Kate (PHP Developer), and her family. Last summer, she and her litter of 6 pups were rescued from a shelter in Georgia and brought to Minnesota by Secondhand Hounds. All her pups found good homes, but mama Effie stole everyone’s heart. She is very sweet, gentle, and good with kids. She loves to snuggle. She also likes to play, and she’ll get the “spinning zoomies” if you play chase with her. She’s not much of a fetcher, but she loves any kind of chew toy. Ringer (official name: RC Ring My Bell) is an 11 year old Tobiano Paint pony. He stands 12.3 hands tall and is a Hunter type, which means he’s a good jumper. His tricks include jumping and being scared of rakes. Ringer has a sweet disposition, although like most ponies he can be a little stubborn. He loves praise and attention, and he’s willing to work hard once you get him going. He’s got a lot of energy, but he’s also gentle enough for his 4 year old human to ride. He’s a sweet boy with a lot of personality.

Ellie Mae – Official Table Scraps Sampler

Ellie is a two-and-a-half year old rescue from Rescued Pets Are Wonderful, who her human Travis (Senior Developer) believes is part Pitbull and part Black Mouth Cur. Ellie has 2 modes: snuggles, kisses and naps, or playful tornado of destruction. Despite being around 60 pounds, she thinks she is a lapdog, and prefers napping alongside her humans on the couch, or sleeping under the covers beside them at night. She is incredibly smart, and knows to be gentle around our nieces and nephews and cats, but doesn’t pull any punches when she wrestles with Travis. Her humans just got a new house with a nice big yard, and are excited to see her run around in her own space this summer!

Eva – Cuteness Coordinator

Eva has a human named Chris (Lead Mobile Developer). She’s a beautiful doggo who enjoys peanut butter, sleeping by the back door where the cold air comes in, and does tricks only when she feels like it. She loves her naked ball: a small tennis ball with all the felt removed. It’s been rumored that she is a canine Instagram model – but this has yet to be proven.

Mindy – Official Spyder Trap Pet Ambassador

Mindy was born a malti-poo (small, poofy, 4lbs) but is being raised as a bulldog. She frequents local breweries where she seeks out Great Danes, Bernese Mountain dogs and Mastiffs as her companions of choice. Mindy loves anyone she comes across and will freely greet them with kisses and dance. She makes fast friends with humans, cats and herself in the mirror, too. Fridays are her favorite days because of ST Dog Fridays! She hangs out with her crush Barkley and all her favorite Spyder Trappers.

Murphy – C’Ruff’O

Murphy works alongside her human Barb (CFO). She has plenty of medical issues and is allergic to everything but she loves to entertain. If we laugh at something she does, she keeps doing it to get us to laugh at her again. She has a mind of her own but is very well behaved if peanut butter is involved or if it’s something she was going to do anyway. Murphy has a 4 foot vertical jump & sits like a human – she’s a canine of many talents.

Penelope – Nap-Time Advocate

Penelope’s human, Allyson (Lead Developer) says she is timid at first, for everything is so massive and menacing to a fragile 4lb Chihuahua! Once she knows you aren’t going to step on or eat her, she’s is very eager to give and receive affection. She’d prefer to spend her day cuddled up in your lap or arms, where she can keep up with what’s going on while remaining warm and cozy. She does the occasional tricks – sit, lay down, and stay – but only if she feels like it and if you have treats (none of those dry biscuits, the good stuff!). Allyson is also a foster mom for Second Hand Hounds, so if you’re looking for a pet of your very own, why not take a look at all the animals looking for their forever home?

Penny – Web Devel’pup’er

Penny is a terrier mix that found her human, Joe (Web Developer) at Ruff Start Rescue, as a puppy 4 years ago. She’s always been very mild tempered and people think she’s a much older dog than she is because she is just so mellow. Her favorite activities are going for walks at the park, laying in the sun, chasing rabbits in the backyard and lately she’s been training in agility courses. She’s a connoisseur of human food and knows lots of tricks, like “sit pretty”, play dead, pick up her toys in her bucket, high five, shake her head, roll over, and any of her agility jumps, tunnels or A-frames!

Remy – Lead ‘Dog’signer

Remy is a 3.5 year old mini-boxer (boxer, frenchie, boston, pug) and lives with his human, Kim (Senior Interactive Designer). He’s a snuggler to his core. He’ll do anything to sit between his mom and dad to get snuggles and scratchies from both sides. He loves his tennis ball – chuck it and he will run and run until his legs are shaking and he falls to the ground. He doesn’t like puddles or mud, or any type of fresh fruit/vegetable. Stubborn is his middle name and he can throw some mean shade at you if he doesn’t like something. He sucks and kneads (like a cat) on his stuffed animal sheep, Wullie, to fall asleep at night. Remy loves sleeping under blankets and isn’t afraid to give you a big slobbery kiss in the ear to wake you up in the morning.

Sophie – Chief Cuddle Officer

Sophie would be nothing without her human Mike (CEO) and the rest of her family. She’s a dog who enjoys the simple things in life – like eating any food her human sister Evelyn drops, licking said sister after the bath, and sleeping in a furry lump by the fire place.

Tilly – ‘Paw’ject Manager

Tilly is a sweet, mildly timid, snuggly and very soft to the touch 2 year old rescue pup (possible spaniel/terrier mix, not entirely sure). Her favorite hobbies consist of the following: sleeping – a lot; ringing the bells to go outside & smell all the smells; watching & getting pets from her human, Alissa’s (Project Manager) daughter Katherine. She is keeping a detailed food blog for all the table scraps she finds and is always keeping a close eye out for any possible droppings to add to her collection. Tilly was the first (fur) baby in her family and in August 2016, Alissa and her husband gave Tilly a small human to call her sister. They get along wonderfully! Tilly is very gentle with their daughter Katherine and loves to be near her, as Katherine also loves to keep a close eye on Tilly and pet her every chance she gets. Tilly just soaks it all in!

Willow – A’pounce’ Payable

Willow was rescued by her human, Peter (Controller). Originally from Arkansas, Willow was brought up to a shelter in Hudson, WI – she was said to be homeless with her brother and mom down south. They would hang out at a man’s store down there but one day her mom and brother were gone and she had been shot in the leg with an arrow. She was okay but wouldn’t have lasted long out in the cold without her family so someone scooped her up and shipped her north. She’s been with Peter since two weeks before he started working at Spyder Trap! She’s a hand full sometimes but it’s worth it when she snuggles next to you or greets you at the door after a long day at work. She enjoys laying on any human bed she can find and wiling away the days with a DQ puppy cone in paw.

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Working In Digital: Digital Way Finder Panelists Announced

Taylor Werdel — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 19:55:55 +0000

Last year, we hosted some of the best and brightest of Minnesota’s digital and tech culture for our Digital Way Finder: Digitally Made In Minnesota. But this time, we’re digging a little deeper and touching on the subject at the crux of our careers: what does working in digital really look like? In an ever-evolving digital landscape there are many paths to consider and with each one comes a plethora of questions.

Each new question seems to lead to another:

Should I freelance?
Is it better to specialize or become a generalist?
As a company, do I hire an agency, or own it in-house?
How is digital in my industry unique?
What does success look like?

We know that finding the answers to your persisting questions isn’t always easy. So, back by popular demand, Spyder Trap and Celarity will be presenting our next Digital Way Finder event on April 27th, featuring a few of the industry experts who have navigated their respective fields with ease. They’re here to answer the tough questions about working in digital from the perspective of a freelancer, a recruiter, a corporate and agency employee. Their vast experience showcases the innumerable opportunities that come with having dipped their toes into multiple facets of the digital industry, and their career trajectory showcases that everyone has different ways of defining and finding success in their professions.

“A Digital Way Finder event in 2014 is the reason I started working with Spyder Trap,” said Digital Marketing Manager Chris Todd. “These events provide helpful advice, and as importantly, provide a venue to showcase the amazing professionals and work being done across the Twin Cities!”

The Digital Way Finder isn’t just an event; it’s a way for digital professionals to get in touch with one another and build a narrative of collaboration and support. We all have more to learn about different facets of the industry, so why not join us for a scintillating conversation, yummy snacks, and networking? But before you head off to purchase your tickets, why not get a snapshot of what to expect by reading a bit more about our honored panelists?

Tickets For Digital Way Finder

John Arnold – Celarity

John is the Director of Operations and Partner at Celarity, a recruiting and staffing agency that’s placed more than 4,000 marketing and creative professionals at more than 500 local companies in full-time, freelance and contract roles. John has more than 9+years experience in marketing, recruiting, and company operations.

Erica Hanna – Puke Rainbows

Erica is a six time Emmy-award winning Creative “Preditor” (Producer/Shooter/Director/Writer/Editor), speaker, and consultant. After spending 9 years in the creative department at WCCO-TV, she was brought on board at BringMeTheNews.com at the Director of Digital where she helped quadruple website traffic in just 10 months with a re-vamped social strategy. Now her company, Puke Rainbows, specializes in video content, strategy, and also in leading workshops for businesses looking to improve their video game. She’s had the chance to work with folks like Ellen DeGeneres, Lizz Winstead (Creator of the Daily Show) and Prince, loves karaoke, sarcasm, and is an expert at losing her keys. In her spare time she concentrates efforts on raising funds for the non-profit @charitywater through social media. To date, she has raised $30,000 for water wells in Africa. Erica is also the 2014, 2015, 2016 Top Twitter Personality in Minneapolis.

Lynne Leaf – Merrill Corporation

Lynne is the Vice President, Digital Marketing at Merrill Corporation. Lynne joined Merrill in 2014 as the Director of Digital Marketing. Lynne has responsibility Merrill’s digital marketing strategy with a global focus on B2B digital programs including SEO, Paid Search, Display, and Social Media. Her team is also responsible for Merrillcorp.com support, optimization and development. Prior to joining Merrill, Lynne has held digital marketing leadership positions at Land O’Lakes, Inc., and MoneyGram International. Additionally, Lynne dabbled on the agency side at BI Worldwide very early in her career. Lynne holds an MBA in Marketing Management from the University of St. Thomas, and a BA in Political Science from Hamline University.

Chris Prokopanko – Cargill

Chris is the Strategy and Analysis Advisor for Cargill, a corporation that brings food, agricultural, financial and industrial products to people who need them all around the world. Chris has more than 11+ of experience in IT, management, and career development.

The panel will be moderated by Spyder Trap Senior Client Strategist, Jon Lenz. Registration is now open, with tickets available on Eventbrite. A limited number of free tickets are available for students and current job seekers, so act now before they’re gone.

We hope to see you in our space for this one-of-a-kind event! Email if you have any questions about the event, the panelists, or ticket information.

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Why Company Culture Matters: Spirit Week 2017

Taylor Werdel — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 17:41:09 +0000

Spyder Trap Spirit Week 2k17

A few months ago during my initial job search, I came across a blog post that caught my eye – a detailed account of a company-wide ‘spirit week’. This gave me pause; I knew that some companies highly valued their culture and did their utmost to provide resources for their employees, but the concept of a company spirit week was unique to me. I clicked on the link. I was provided with a detailed account of why company culture matters in your work environment.

Fast forward to today, and I am currently working at the company that, at first glance, seemed exactly like the type of working environment I wanted to be a part of. And not only am I now a part of the Spyder Trap team, I now have my first Spirit Week in the books, and it is every bit as enticing and fun as I had thought it would be.

When we break up our day-to-day routines and get a little goofy, we come together as a united force, revitalized and ready to take on the hurdles that come with being a digital agency. Our (unofficial) motto at Spyder Trap is ‘work hard, play hard’, and whether that play be devoted to board games, yoga, or bloody mary bars, we like to think we know how to have a good time. So every year, our internal planning committee puts on their thinking caps and plans a week chalk-full of bonding activities and tasty treats, throwing in a few dress-up days for good measure.

Monday – Breakfast & pajamas

To really get the ball rolling on Spyder Trap spirit week 2k17, several members of the team came to work early to whip up some breakfast for our weekly all-team meeting. We devoured pancakes, waffles, and bacon in short order, all from the comfort of our desks in footie pajamas and slippers.

Spyder Trappers in their Monday morning best after the all-team breakfast meeting

Tuesday – Video games and board games count as real sports….right?

While some of our Spyder Trappers were comparing their company March Madness brackets, others were donning their Pokemon t-shirts (guilty as charged) and settling down for a few rounds of Codenames (a boardgame that is quickly emerging as a Spyder Trap favorite). In addition to wearing our favorite jerseys and gamer tees, several members of the team stayed after hours for games and an adult beverage.

Jerseys and gamer tees, we have a mixture of both

Wednesday – Log out. Shut down. Do yoga.

Yogurt bar in the morning. Salad bar in the afternoon. And yoga in between. Day 3 of spirit week was all about wellness and self-care; the perfect point in the week to unwind, relax, and focus on our health. So, with some downward dogs and warrior poses under the non-existant belts on our yoga pants, we clasped our hands together and breathed a collective “Namaste”.

Healthy snacks and sun salutations

Thursday – Strikes and gutter balls.

Somewhat of a Spyder Trap spirit week tradition, the team took a trip to Uptown’s Bryant Lake Bowl for some strikes and more than a few gutter balls (80% of them thrown by yours truly).

Ben and Justin were kind enough to stand in as my bumpers for a few rounds

Friday – Dress like a Spyder Trapper day & mimosas. All of the mimosas.

To finish off the week, we brought back a crowd favorite – a mimosa and bloody mary bar. They had us seeing double – not in the literal sense, but because it was also ‘Dress Like A Spyder Trapper’ day! They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and what better way to show our fellow co-workers that we appreciate them, than to walk around the office as their look-alike?

Nailed it

As you can imagine, we all had a blast, and got to engage in some excellent team building along the way. If you’d like to see all of the photos from Spyder Trap Spirit Week 2k17, head over to our Facebook page and Instagram account (spyder_trap). And hey, if spending a week hanging out with your co-workers seems like an appealing idea, check out our available careers and consider joining the team! As they say, the more the merrier.

Spyder Trap Careers

The post Why Company Culture Matters: Spirit Week 2017 appeared first on Spyder Trap Digital Marketing Blog.

Building Buyer Personas: Content Strategy Meetup Recap

Zach Coulter — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 15:57:25 +0000

Persona So Great-a

We are very fortunate to have a great event space here at Spyder Trap. We use it for our team, for our clients, and for industry groups in the area. So, when I heard that the Minneapolis chapter of the Content Strategy Meetup needed a venue for their March event I ignored my inner introvert and volunteered to host and present.

In chatting with the event organizer, it became clear that the topic of buyer personas was ripe for further conversation. While there are countless resources available online, it seems that many marketers are still uncertain about how to get buy-in and go about applying, and building buyer personas campaigns. We agreed that exploring these questions further would make for a productive (and hopefully enjoyable!) event.

Digital Marketing Strategist Zach Coulter & UX Designer Kasia Wasko present on buyer personas at the March 21st Content Strategy Meetup.

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Build The Team

Now that I’d talked my way into an opportunity, it was time to do some internal recruiting. So, I reached out to our UX Designer, Kasia Wasko, to help me craft a presentation. Kasia has a deep background in user research and persona development. She’d be the perfect partner to work with on this project.

“Our understanding of users, their needs, and behavior is paramount to creating quality experiences.” – Kasia Wasko

Research and Build Personas

Now that we had our team assembled it was time to give some thought to our personas for this event. What data could we rely on? Here’s what we did:

Created a survey using Google Forms and shared it on the event page
Attended other Meetups to get a sense for the types of questions and concerns that marketers have
Made assumptions based on our own experience learning about and using personas

In the end this was the persona we crafted:

Marketing Marion – age 28-54. Potential job could be Marketing Strategist, Manager, or Consultant. Marion sometimes struggles communicating the importance of buyer personas to external clients and internal executive teams.

Pretty basic, right? Sure, but that’s ok! Marion might not be the most fleshed-out persona ever created, but she’s based on real data. And most importantly she would give us a target to keep in mind as we developed our content.

Create and Publish Content

With our team and our persona in place it was time to build our presentation. Now, as I mentioned earlier, a simple search will turn up tons of great resources on creating personas. And yet, our research made us reasonably confident that there is still great deal of uncertainty around their purpose, creation, and utility.

We wondered, why?

It’s certainly true that creating personas can feel like fumbling around in the dark. The search for meaningful data is like grasping for a light switch, or even a match. Stubbed toes and bruised shins are to be expected. Personas are slippery sometimes (a lot of the time). It’s also true that stakeholders may use personas for widely varied purposes. Crafting a tool that marketing, sales, product development, the C-suite and others can all buy in to is a daunting challenge.

In the end, we determined that the best presentation that we could create for Marion would be one in which the entire group was encouraged to share their perspective. So, we wrote a deck that looked at personas from a who, what, where, why and when perspective. Then we prepared to ask our audience these questions as well.

Analyze Outcomes

The results were outstanding (if I do say so myself). We had a great turnout of engaged and curious content strategists. We fully met our goal of turning our presentation into a conversation. The interaction was boisterous, informative, and, based on audience feedback, helpful and encouraging.

The Takeaways

So, what did we learn? Well, first of all, we were reminded that the Twin Cities are home to a bustling community of UX practitioners and content strategists who are incredibly generous with their knowledge and insight. We were reminded that a meeting (a Meetup?) of the minds often returns results that are superior to a thousand Google searches.

In terms of personas themselves, we learned that user research doesn’t have to be expensive, or terribly difficult. The most important ingredient is the willingness to ask thoughtful questions, and listen carefully to the answers.

We learned that building useful personas often involves a bit of detective work. It’s important to keep our eyes peeled for clues. They might come from Google Analytics or CRM data, or from interviews with users and stakeholders, or from field research.

We were reminded that personas are always a work in progress. If your sparkly new, data-driven and empathetic personas are immediately filed and then forgotten? Stop it! Advocate for them to stay front and center. Then, if new data suggests that they need to evolve, be prepared to challenge assumptions and iterate.

And finally, we learned that it’s not unusual to struggle with these questions. At no point in the process is anybody going to slap a gold star on your persona work and assure you that you’re done. We may have to keep fumbling in the dark forever, but it helps to know what we’re not alone while we do.

Missed the Meetup? Check out our DigitalWayfinder Event

The post Building Buyer Personas: Content Strategy Meetup Recap appeared first on Spyder Trap Digital Marketing Blog.

Content Strategy Minneapolis Meetup: Buyer Personas

Taylor Werdel — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 18:11:48 +0000

The Twin Cities has always been home to creatives and marketers alike, and in typical Minnesota Nice fashion, they aren’t shy about coming together to network and share their ideas. Enter Meetup, a website organized around the concept of bringing together people to pursue, explore, and learn about topics that matter to them. On Tuesday, March 21, Spyder Trap will be the focal point for a conversation about content strategy, and more specifically, the importance of buyer personas.

Two of our Spyder Trappers, Zach Coulter and Kasia Wasko, will be facilitating a conversation that will lead attendees through the deconstruction of buyer personas. Zach and Kasia will unpack the utility of buyer personas, the creation of them, and assess how buyer personas as an essential component for a marketer’s toolbox.

So get to know our Spyder Trappers and sign up to attend the Content Strategy Minneapolis Meetup! We’ve attached links to their blogs so that you can get a better idea of their expertise before the event. We’d be happy to have you in our space!

Zach Coulter – Digital Marketing Strategist

Zach Coulter is a Digital Marketing Strategist with Spyder Trap. Zach has a widely varied background ranging from construction and real estate to dog food and standup comedy. He loves building personas that help our clients create content that is focused and authentic.

Kasia Wasko – UX Designer

Kasia Wasko is a User Experience Designer with Spyder Trap. She has worked professionally for several years and has taught UX at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Kasia focuses on building experiences around best practices, business goals, and user needs. She utilizes personas to build empathy and advocate for her clients as they adapt to an ever-changing environment.

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4 Tips For Adding Humor Into Digital Strategy

Megan Sheley — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 17:32:19 +0000

Who ever said that people don’t like a good laugh? We’ve been told that laughter is the best medicine, the secret to a greater longevity, and the reason for my crow’s feet at 26-years old. Laughter is an immediate icebreaker and a quick way to build rapport and an emotional connection with your audience. Adding humor into digital strategy is an often-overlooked component of success – it makes your company or brand far more memorable and more “human-like” than others.

A lack of humor is what makes an article or commercial white noise, even if the information being presented is useful. I’m not saying you need to make your audience ROFL, but you should strive to make them chuckle. Or at least make them crack that creepy smile while looking at their phone or computer screen and make everyone around them uncomfortable.

Unsure of how to incorporate humor into your writing? Let’s raise up the curtain to the Wizard of Ha’s. Ugh, sorry.

Keep it clean

Don’t write purely to shock. The goal of your post shouldn’t be to start a riot in the street, so steer clear of offensive and controversial topics such as politics, religion, or the fact that you prefer sweet pickles over dill pickles (seriously, that’s gross. Can they at least make it easier for us to tell them apart?). You shouldn’t make your audience feel like they need to rinse your mouth out with soap once they’re done viewing your ad or blog. PSA: You can be funny without being an offensive potty mouth.

Purina does an excellent job of showcasing clean humor in their ad campaign with Buzzfeed called “Puppyhood”, that has been viewed on YouTube over 15 million times. The goal of the campaign was to make new puppy parents trust Purina as their resource for all things puppy, good and bad. Without mentioning their brand once throughout the entire video, users are engaged through the one-way dialogue between the not-so-prepared new owner engaging with his new canine friend. Plus, who doesn’t love puppies? If you don’t, I’m worried about you. Feast your eyes:

Metaphors, similes, and puns are extremely underrated

Use them like your clock collection – all the time. Using comparisons allows your readers to get a visual of what you’re saying and creates an all-around better experience. Would you rather read the sentence, “he laughed loudly” or “he had a deep, roaring, and throaty laugh, like that sound a dog makes before it throws up.”? Maybe you’d rather read neither because what I just said is disgusting, but at least I painted a picture for you – with sound.

Here’s an example of Two Gingers using a visual pun to insert humor into their ads:

See the full ad campaign spread and its unique use of humor here

Be a relatable human

A lot of business development and sales is about being liked. People tend to gather towards others that they can identify with and feel as though they are on the same level of the “social ladder”. There is an immediate sense of empathy added to an interaction when you connect on a mutual understanding. Ever seen two girls in a bar bathroom bond over their mutual dislike towards someone? It’s an immediate and unbreakable bond that ends in exchanging phone numbers and grabbing brunch the next day.

Consumers don’t want to feel like they are being talked down to – they are not peasants. So talk to them like you are one in the same. The more human you sound, the closer they will feel to your product or service. Here is one of my favorite examples of a company that humanizes their objective of connecting bone marrow transplants with donors, specifically the male demographic – ages 18-24.

To see the videos from the Be The Guy ad campaign, click here

Get interactive

Mingle with your audience and other brands. In some cases, this can be a double-edged sword based on the consumers that you are catering to. Some of your followers will want you to have a more direct involvement with their buyer’s journey and some would prefer less. That is a call your company will have to make.

Wendy’s may be named after an innocent little girl, but don’t be fooled by the freckled red head on their sign. Recently, Wendy’s rebranded their voice through witty and sassy comebacks at customer’s questions and remarks – referred to as the “Wendy’s Roast”. Over the course of 1 month, Wendy’s increased their twitter followers by 300,000 just through snarky remarks that made the World Wide Web LOL. This worked for them because it was an unexpected plot twist and it falls in line with their target market’s sense of humor. Again, this approach may not work for all companies, but Wendy’s was able to find the sweet spot.

Going to need ointment for these Twitter burns

It’s important to remember that a lot of the products or services you are being marketed aren’t always things that you want. Humor is one of the driving forces to creating a want or need, because it adds interest and personality to the product. Who likes shopping for dog food or toilet paper? Humor makes the ad all the more valuable to the consumer because it makes them feel good. And at the end of the day, that’s what breeds success.

The post 4 Tips For Adding Humor Into Digital Strategy appeared first on Spyder Trap Digital Marketing Blog.

CEO Mike Rynchek Receives The (Real) Power 50 Award

Taylor Werdel — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 20:02:45 +0000

Recently, our CEO Mike Rynchek was selected to receive Minnesota Business Magazine’s The (Real) Power 50 Award – a tremendous honor that recognizes key players in the Minnesota business community for their ability to allow their company and employees to flourish.

Although I have only been with Spyder Trap for a few months, it is easy to see that Mike cares deeply about volunteering, building our staff, and collecting a host of memories that contribute to a timeline of success. As a leader, he has instilled within his organization the desire to strive for excellence, and has promoted enthusiasm and innovation every step of the way. He takes the time to show clients he is on board with their mission, and showcases Spyder Trap’s commitment to go above and beyond with our projects.

But success is not instantaneous – it is built over time. These milestones are a small part of what makes Mike deserving of his most recent honor.

Spyder Trap was founded in March of 2008

Served on the ADA Leadership Board in January of 2010

Guest appearance on Mashable in June of 2010

First appearance in MN Business Magazine in the year 2011

Volunteered on the Minnesota’s Star Gala Committee in 2011

Spoke at the mHealth Summit in February of 2012

Moved to the current Spyder Trap’s office in November 2012

Awarded the 32 Under 32 Award from AdFed MN in May of 2013

Married his wife, Terryn, in June of 2014

Served as a guest speaker at the University of St. Thomas in June of 2014

Named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-Finalist in February of 2015

Awarded Minnesota Business Magazine Young Entrepreneur in July of 2015

Named the Leaders In Health Care Champion in August of 2015

His daughter, Evelyn, was born in November of 2015

Served as a mentor and advisor from 2008 to present

Awarded Minnesota Business Magazine’s The (Real) Power 50 Award in February of 2017

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3 Lessons For Digital Marketing Leaders

Taylor Werdel — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 22:09:35 +0000

To pursue a career in digital, taking the time to seek out quality leaders is incredibly important. Leadership is defined not by how much power you can assert over others, but how you support and develop the people you manage so that they can thrive.

That said, I always make a point to take notes from leaders who lead exceptionally well, especially as an emerging professional. Through several internships, group projects, and now my first career, I have identified 3 leadership lessons that are universal for great working relationships. As both the managers and the managed, here are a few leadership fundamentals to consider.

Attend our Digital Way Finder event on careers in Digital Marketing.

The importance of critique

Now, when I say critique, I’m not talking about the standard, passive-aggressive feedback we typically receive. I cannot stress how many times I have presented a meticulously laid out project or design, only to get responses like:

“I didn’t like this part.”
- What part? What didn’t you like about it? What can I improve?
“Yeah, I liked it.”
- Ok, cool. That tells me next to nothing. What did you like about it? Did you like it because the idea has merit? Do you have a personal connection to the content I just put forth? Details, details!
“Well, you had some great points, but here’s how I would have done it.”
- Not horrible, but not great either.
“[insert the sounds of crickets].”
- No questions, no feedback whatsoever. If you don’t ask me questions, I’m going to assume you weren’t engaged or don’t care enough to critically examine whatever I’m putting forth.

There is a fine art to a great critique. It seems like such an obvious thing, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t quite get it. Oftentimes, we get caught up in the notion that critique means to find all the flaws in an idea or piece of work and bring them to light. But this is counterproductive. A well-crafted critique outlines areas of improvement while still highlighting areas of success. It should never feel like an attack. Good leaders understand the need for critique that is constructive – when there’s an equal balance of suggestions and pats on the back, your work will thrive.

Additionally, learning to separate the critique of your work from yourself as a person is a key lesson to learn early on. I struggled with this immensely – I tend to pour myself into my creative projects, and the instant someone doesn’t see my intentions or disagrees with my choices, I get defensive. It’s hard not to when you’ve nurtured something from a fledgling idea into reality, and it makes you incredibly vulnerable to feedback. Remember that critique is at the epicenter of keeping your work fresh and striving towards constant improvement of your craft.

Leading from behind

When we think of leaders, we sometimes tend to think of them as the loudest voice in the room, the ones who take charge of a situation when the group isn’t quite sure how to proceed. And while this works for some, it can also have the adverse effect of making that person look like an island of solitude. It becomes about the success of the individual, rather than the group as a whole.

In college, I learned of a management concept called ‘leading from behind’. In my opinion, this means as a leader, your focus is not to lean on authority and dictation as your crutch.

Leading from behind is purposeful and deliberate, but in a subtle way that allows for the members to assert their own personalities and goals towards self improvement. People that lead from behind have the tendency to see the talents and strengths in others, and want to maximize that feeling of success for encouragement. You as the leader are not the center of attention – efforts and emphasis are to be placed on those you manage so that they make strides to follow the subtle example you are setting. You boost people up when they need a vote of confidence, and you step in when asked.

It’s a bit difficult to wrap your head around at first – our first instinct as leaders is to delegate and take action. Leading from behind contradicts this notion, yet somehow still supports it. Our Digital Marketing Manager, Chris Todd, gives a real life example for a little clarity. The art of ‘showing’ not ‘telling’ is key.

“As a manager, when you teach through showing someone a task, it lets them know it’s not just busy work; their work has value. You care about it too. It generates buy-in from those you manage.”

Making your team ‘flourish’

In tandem with leading from behind, flourishing relies on unveiling the full potential of a person to foster an environment of ideation, self-confidence, and exceptional teamwork.

From a theoretical standpoint, flourishing is a state that can only be achieved once you have met Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If you’re not familiar, Maslow’s Hierarchy is a tiered system describing the stages of growth in humans after fulfilling basic needs. There are numerous conversations we could get into about psychology, but I bring up Maslow’s hierarchy to demonstrate a point: within our work, there are stages that we need to fulfil to feel secure in our work and progress as professionals.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

One can only flourish in their assumed roles once they have addressed the basic needs of physiology, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Working towards fulfilling these needs is a matter of being in an environment that allows for the exploration of these needs. Great leaders know how to navigate these environments and assist their teams in fulfilling their needs.

Our Director of Client Services, Tara Rosenberg, is a wonderful example of what it means to create an environment in which her team can flourish. She shares a few tips on how to foster a community amongst her team:

“I try very hard to show by example how I as a project manager would tackle complex issues and everyday process to each member of the team. I have my own projects so I can “walk the talk”, and walk next to them so that I can lead by example.”

“Inject a little fun into the everyday workday. If we spend this much of our lives together we might as well get a ton of work done and have some fun while doing it.”

“Have the tough conversations. Let the team know that they don’t have to have tough conversations alone. This applies to client and internal conversations. People need support – know that I’ve got your back so that we can keep moving forward.”

“Active listening is key. By listening to the concerns of the team and doing the “what can I do today” solution to make a quick impact, I can then also implement new process to ensure there is a longer term solution. I have had many mentors and bosses in my life, and I’ve always kept note of the actions that I responded to positively, and the ones I responded to negatively. I strive to ingrain what I’ve learned as a team member into what I wanted to see in a leader.”

Several of these tips fulfill multiple needs that an member of the team has. Good leaders know that exceptional teamwork is a product of positivity, a sense of purpose, and ensuring that people feel motivated to enact change and excellence.

What are your leadership lessons?

Part of great leadership is learning to spot the practices your team members most respond to, and refine them as move forward in spite of any shortcomings. At some point in your career, you will be a follower, and at others, a leader. Reflect and build upon your skills so that when the time comes, you’ll know how to create a cohesive, collaborative environment that strives towards success.

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