by threshold | Feb 1, 2025 | All, Culture, Digital Marketing, General, Marketing
Ava Page-Arnold
avoid these common content pitfalls & build a strategy that works.
Content marketing is one of the most powerful tools in digital strategy, but simply creating content isn’t enough – it needs to be strategic, consistent, and optimized for results. Many businesses invest in content marketing yet fail to see real returns because they unknowingly fall into common content strategy traps.
If your content isn’t driving traffic, engagement, or conversions, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Here are the top five content strategy mistakes businesses make (and how to fix them in 2025).
inconsistent messaging across platforms.
Your website says one thing, your social media posts say another, and your emails sound completely different. This inconsistency confuses your audience and weakens your brand identity.
the fix
- Develop brand voice guidelines to ensure a consistent tone, style, and messaging across all platforms.
- Align your website, blogs, emails, and social content to tell a cohesive story about your brand.
- Ensure visual consistency by using the same logos, fonts, and color schemes throughout your content.
Example: A brand with a fun and casual tone shouldn’t have dry, corporate-sounding website copy. Keep your brand voice uniform, whether you’re posting on LinkedIn or sending a promotional email.
ignoring keyword research & SEO.
Many businesses write content without considering SEO, which means they’re not targeting the right audience or ranking in search engines. Without keyword research, your content may never reach the people searching for it.
the fix
- Use SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify high-ranking, relevant keywords.
- Focus on long-tail keywords that match user intent (e.g., “best social media strategy for small businesses” instead of just “social media strategy”).
- Naturally incorporate keywords into titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body content to improve search visibility.
Example: If you’re a marketing agency, writing about “content marketing strategies” is too broad. Instead, target “content marketing strategies for real estate” to capture a more specific audience.
creating content without a clear goal.
Many businesses produce blogs, social media posts, and videos just for the sake of posting without a clear goal. Without purpose, your content lacks direction and measurable success.
the fix
- Set a clear objective for every piece of content: Is it meant to educate, generate leads, or convert?
- Use analytics to track key performance indicators (KPIs) like traffic, engagement, and conversions.
- Align your content strategy with the buyer’s journey, ensuring you have content for awareness, consideration, and decision-making stages.
Example: A blog post should be optimized for SEO and drive organic traffic, while an email campaign should nurture leads toward a purchase.
not repurposing & maximizing content.
Many businesses publish content once and forget about it instead of repurposing it across multiple platforms for maximum reach.
the fix
Turn a single blog post into:
- A LinkedIn article
- A Twitter thread
- A short-form video for Instagram Reels or TikTok
- A lead magnet in an email campaign
- Refresh and update older content with new data, keywords, and insights instead of creating everything from scratch.
Example: If you publish a blog about “Top Marketing Trends for 2025,” create an infographic summarizing key takeaways and share it across LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest.
forgetting to optimize for user experience (UX).
A great piece of content won’t perform well if it’s hard to read, poorly structured, or slow to load.
the fix
- Use short paragraphs, headers, bullet points, and bold text to improve readability.
- Optimize images and compress files to improve site speed (Google prioritizes fast-loading pages).
- Ensure content is mobile-friendly, as over 58% of web traffic comes from mobile users.
Example: If your blog is a wall of text, visitors will bounce quickly. Break up content with engaging subheadings, graphics, and clear CTAs (Calls-to-Action).
to wrap things up.
Content marketing isn’t just about producing content – it’s about producing the right content with a clear strategy.
By fixing these five common mistakes, you can create consistent, engaging, and SEO-friendly content that drives real business results.
by threshold | Jan 8, 2025 | All, Culture, Digital Marketing, General, Marketing, Tech/Web
Ava Page-Arnold
start the year strong with a website health check.
Your website is the heart of your digital strategy. It’s your virtual handshake, storefront, and lead generator all rolled into one. But if it’s slow, hard to navigate, or packed with outdated content, it could be costing you conversions, search rankings, and customer trust.
With 2025 in full swing, it’s the perfect time for a website audit. Don’t worry – it’s easier than you think. A little effort now can go a long way in making your website a high-performing powerhouse all year long.
test your page load times.
Studies show that 40% of visitors will abandon a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Slow pages hurt your user experience, search rankings, and bottom line.
Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to measure load times and identify problem areas. Common culprits include:
- Oversized image files
- Too many plugins or widgets
- Outdated hosting
Pro Tip: Compress images and upgrade your hosting plan if needed to handle increased traffic.
check for mobile-friendliness.
With 58.43% of global web traffic coming from mobile devices, a mobile-friendly design is non-negotiable. Google also prioritizes mobile-first indexing, meaning mobile usability affects your search rankings.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see how your site performs on different devices.
Focus on:
- Ensuring buttons and links are easy to tap.
- Optimizing font sizes for smaller screens.
- Avoiding intrusive pop-ups that block content.
update your content.
Content that’s outdated or irrelevant can damage your credibility and hurt SEO rankings. Fresh content keeps visitors engaged and helps you rank for current keywords.
One way to start the healing process is to conduct a content audit. Look for:
- Blog posts or pages with outdated statistics or references.
- Broken links or missing images.
- Opportunities to optimize older content for new keywords.
Pro Tip: Revamped blog posts can increase traffic by up to 30% without creating entirely new content.
test navigation for usability.
Visitors should be able to find what they need in three clicks or fewer. Clunky menus or confusing layouts will have them hitting the back button fast.
Use heatmaps and analytics tools to see how visitors interact with your navigation. Simplify menus, add breadcrumbs, and ensure CTAs are visible and clear.
example: If your navigation includes redundant or overly detailed submenus, consolidate them into broader categories.
secure your site.
Security breaches can cost you more than just trust. They can also lead to fines, downtime, and lost business. Plus, Google flags sites without HTTPS as “not secure,” which can deter visitors.
what you can do:
- Verify your SSL certificate is active.
- Update plugins and CMS software regularly.
- Implement strong password policies for admin accounts.
ready to optimize?
Your website deserves to be your greatest asset, not your biggest stressor. A quick audit now will set you up for success all year long.
Let us do the heavy lifting with a free consultation.
by threshold | Nov 6, 2024 | Digital Marketing, Financial Marketing, General, Marketing
When First Savings Bank wanted to go beyond “good enough” with their marketing efforts, they turned to us. Known for offering stellar personal and business accounts, they needed a boost to differentiate themselves in a crowded market.
Our goal? To help them open 463 new accounts and achieve a 20% lift in customer acquisition. Spoiler alert: we did that – and so much more.
the challenge: standing out in a saturated market.
First Savings Bank had been doing well, but that wasn’t enough for their standards. In a financial world where competition is fierce, they struggled to make their brand stand out. Their existing marketing was solid but lacked the punch needed to reach the next level of growth.
That’s where we stepped in.
We saw an opportunity to elevate their strategy with bold, high-performance ads that would resonate with their target audience. We carefully considered their customers’ geographic locations, buying patterns, and lifecycle stage to craft a strategy that would grab attention and convert leads into customers.
the big dream: building a marketing funnel that crushes it.
First Savings Bank had clear goals: open 463 new accounts and achieve a 20% increase in customer acquisition. But we didn’t just want to meet those goals; we aimed to exceed them.
the strategy: focusing on what makes first savings bank special.
To kick things off, we honed in on First Savings Bank’s unique products, including Kasasa Cash Back, Kasasa Cash, and Kasasa Eats. Keep in mind, these weren’t your run-of-the-mill banking products – they were different, and we knew that was our ticket to success.
We opted for an omni-channel marketing strategy, casting a wide net to capture more leads across multiple platforms, from Google Search to Facebook, Instagram, and programmatic digital display platforms. Our ads were tailored to speak the language of First Savings Bank’s ideal customers and highlight what set the bank apart.
phase one: research, research, research.
Before launching, we dove deep into research. We explored the target audience, analyzed the competition, and fine-tuned the messaging to ensure it hit home. The goal was simple: make sure every word and image spoke directly to the people who’d care the most about First Savings Bank’s offerings.
phase two: launching across multiple channels.
With our research in hand, we rolled out campaigns across Google Search, Instagram, Facebook, and programmatic display ads. The results? They far surpassed the goals.
the results: more than just impressions.
Here’s how things shook out by April 1st, 2024:
- Total Impressions: 10,066,287
- Total Clicks: 54,444
- Paid Search: 69,186 impressions, 11,721 clicks (CTR: 16.94%)
- Facebook & Instagram: 7,858,678 impressions, 39,627 clicks (CTR: 0.50%)
- Programmatic Display: 2,138,423 impressions, 3,096 clicks (CTR: 0.14%)
And those account numbers? We exceeded the original goal of 463 new accounts, closing with 638 new accounts by April 1st, 2024. That’s a 27.5% lift in customer acquisition, well above the projected 20%.
The high click-through rates (CTR) on paid search campaigns showed us that our ads were not only seen but genuinely resonated with the audience. And when you combine that with strong engagement across social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it’s clear the strategy worked.
why it worked.
By zeroing in on First Savings Bank’s strengths, we were able to create ads that didn’t just attract attention but actually convinced people to open accounts. Kasasa Cash Back, Kasasa Cash, and Kasasa Eats are unique products, and by showcasing them in a way that felt personal and relatable, we helped drive real results.
to wrap things up.
At the end of the day, our partnership with First Savings Bank was a major success. Not only did we help them hit their goals, but we also positioned them for continued growth in a tough market. By leveraging their unique product offerings and engaging the right audience at the right time, we helped them exceed expectations and stand out from the competition.
Want results like this? Let’s chat.
by threshold | Aug 12, 2024 | Digital Marketing, Financial Marketing, General, Marketing
the company.
First Savings Bank is a leading financial institution offering personal accounts, business accounts, and top-notch solutions for people who care about their money. While their marketing machine was getting the job done, they wanted to do more than just “okay.” That’s where we came in.
They hired Threshold with the goal of opening 463 new accounts and achieving a 20% lift in customer acquisition. Starting in May 2023, we launched targeted campaigns across Google Search, Facebook, Instagram, and programmatic digital display platforms for First Savings Bank. The campaigns leveraged the unique selling points of First Savings Bank’s products, including Kasasa Cash Back, Kasasa Cash, and Kasasa Eats accounts.
The campaign yielded impressive digital marketing and account growth results that transcended expectations.
the problem to solve.
Their previous marketing campaign was good but not good enough. First Savings Bank struggled to differentiate itself in a market saturated with competition. Our goal was to use punchy, high-performance ads that spoke directly to their target audience. We took geographic location, buying patterns, and the customer lifecycle into account when engineering their ad strategy.
the dream.
To build an unstoppable marketing funnel that would accelerate growth well ahead of schedule. We aimed to hit their goal of 463 accounts and a 20% increase in customer acquisition, then go a little further.
the strategy.
Our goal was to hone in on First Saving Bank’s unique selling propositions, like Kasasa Cash, and effectively communicate them to the target audience. We opted for an omni-channel marketing strategy to cast a wider net and bring home more leads.
phase one.
We focused on emphasizing the brand’s innovative products like Kasasa Cash Back, Kasasa Cash, and Kasasa Eats to differentiate them in the market. We tailored the messaging to align with the target customer and “speak their language.” Phase one was consumed with research, research, and more research before launching the campaign.
phase two.
Next, we implemented our research across multiple channels, including paid search, Instagram, and Facebook. We used our signature ad strategy to produce results that exceeded the campaign’s goals.
the results.
For First Savings Bank, we did what we do best — create results that go above and against the grain. Here’s how it went down…
- Total Impressions: 10,066,287
- Total Clicks: 54,444
- Paid Search: 69,186 impressions, 11,721 clicks (CTR: 16.94%)
- Facebook & Instagram: 7,858,678 impressions, 39,627 clicks (CTR: 0.50%)
- Programmatic Display: 2,138,423 impressions, 3,096 clicks (CTR: 0.14%)
- Projected New Accounts: 463
- Actual New Accounts as of 04/01/24: 638
- Projected Lift: 20%
- Actual Lift as of 04/01/24: 27.5%
The campaign generated significant digital engagement, with high click-through rates, particularly on paid search. This indicates effective targeting and compelling ad content that resonated with the target audience.
First Savings Bank surpassed its account growth goals well ahead of schedule, achieving 638 new accounts by April 1st. The overall lift in performance exceeded projections, demonstrating the effectiveness of the marketing efforts in driving customer interest and conversion.
to wrap things up.
Threshold’s strategic digital marketing campaign effectively drove new account growth and exceeded performance goals, showcasing the bank’s appeal and attracting customers seeking modern banking solutions. By leveraging unique product features and maintaining a focus on customer satisfaction, Threshold helped First Savings Bank be positioned for continued success in the competitive financial market.
