Akvile DeFazio

Interview with AKvertise President, Akvile DeFazio about entrepreneurship, social media advertising, and self-publishing her book, "The Small Business Guide to Facebook Ads."

It’s no secret that advertising on social media platforms can be fruitful for businesses of all varieties. Advertising on social media platforms is important as there is more real value beyond what we can get organically these days.

From expanding your reach and visibility to driving the bottom line, this post covers five reasons why brands invest in social media advertising to reach their goals and scale their business—and why you might want to, too. They include:

Reach new… Show more

It’s no secret that advertising on social media platforms can be fruitful for businesses of all varieties. Advertising on social media platforms is important as there is more real value beyond what we can get organically these days.

From expanding your reach and visibility to driving the bottom line, this post covers five reasons why brands invest in social media advertising to reach their goals and scale their business—and why you might want to, too. They include:

Reach new customers
Low entry cost
Gain audience insights
Wide range of formats
Accomplish more of your goals

Now, these benefits can be used to describe a number of marketing and advertising strategies, but in this post we're going to dig into each benefit as it relates to social media advertising and cover exactly how it can set your business up for long-term success. Show less

Americans have settled into a pandemic-induced homebody existence, and advertisers can recalibrate their content to reach consumers in every room of the house

Creating video content may be more time consuming than static imagery, but when it comes to your social media advertising, the benefits are worth it. After all, wouldn’t we all want to boost awareness, engagement, traffic, and conversions as a result?

Video content creates faster and stronger connections between brands and their target audiences as they leave less to the imagination, better tell your story, share your message, and captivate users across various platforms in comparison to… Show more

Creating video content may be more time consuming than static imagery, but when it comes to your social media advertising, the benefits are worth it. After all, wouldn’t we all want to boost awareness, engagement, traffic, and conversions as a result?

Video content creates faster and stronger connections between brands and their target audiences as they leave less to the imagination, better tell your story, share your message, and captivate users across various platforms in comparison to static images—if executed well.

In this guide, we’re going to cover our go-to tips for social media video marketing across seven major platforms. Show less

Measuring customer success is the best way to figure out how well your users understand the full value of your product . Are they using every facet of your product possible, and are they happy with the way it works? Are they underutilizing key areas of your product or unaware of certain functionality? Or are they just straight up unsatisfied with the results they’ve seen from using your product? These insights can give you invaluable information on how successful and satisfied your users are… Show more

Measuring customer success is the best way to figure out how well your users understand the full value of your product . Are they using every facet of your product possible, and are they happy with the way it works? Are they underutilizing key areas of your product or unaware of certain functionality? Or are they just straight up unsatisfied with the results they’ve seen from using your product? These insights can give you invaluable information on how successful and satisfied your users are with your product, which can help guide your roadmap going forward and prevent future churn. Show less

Whether you are a novice advertiser on Instagram or a seasoned veteran, it’s always good to go over the basic best practices—especially in an industry like online advertising, where the platforms and the ad options keep changing. Instagram specifically continues to rapidly grow. The platform saw a 5.4% increase in users over 2019, and eMarketer estimates that Instagram will reach 112.5 million US users by the end of this year. According to HootSuite, Instagram has 1 billion monthly users, and… Show more

Whether you are a novice advertiser on Instagram or a seasoned veteran, it’s always good to go over the basic best practices—especially in an industry like online advertising, where the platforms and the ad options keep changing. Instagram specifically continues to rapidly grow. The platform saw a 5.4% increase in users over 2019, and eMarketer estimates that Instagram will reach 112.5 million US users by the end of this year. According to HootSuite, Instagram has 1 billion monthly users, and 500 million of those use Instagram Stories each day. With more users joining and frequently accessing the platform, there is exponential growth that can come as a result to your company or your clients, as well. Show less

Businesses can now create mobile-first online stores that are accessible on Facebook App and Instagram. A unique feature of Facebook Shops is the ability to do Live Shopping, which enables stores to sell products during a live stream with influencers.

Facebook and Instagram have launched new features to help with coronavirus pandemic relief efforts and reduce the spread of misinformation related to the outbreak.

Posts from high-reach Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts outside of the U.S. will now list the account owner’s primary country location at the top of the post.

At the beginning of March 2020, Facebook instituted new response time rules for businesses using Messenger. The policy changes coincided with record Messenger usage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new messaging-based ad format by LinkedIn, which is similar to Facebook Messenger Ads, allows advertisers to target prospects with personalized messages based on audience segments.

The $100 million earmarked for Facebook’s SMB Grants Program includes cash grants and ad credits for small businesses around the world.

TikTok was the second most downloaded app last year with 738 million installs, giving advertisers more reason to pay attention to the short-form video platform.

To keep ad campaigns running smoothly, political advertisers will need to stay informed on social media ad policy updates and verification processes.

Industry experts forecast digital ad revenues to drop in the wake of the coronavirus, but no one can say the degree to which ad spend will be affected.

Are you interested in gaining audience intel, understanding their pain points, gauging their interest in preferences, and driving more engagement through your Instagram Ads campaigns? As a business or ad account manager, of course you are! You can now accomplish all of these goals by adding an interactive polling sticker onto your Instagram Story ads.

These insights can give you invaluable information on what’s resonating within your product with your users and what isn’t, and help you shape your roadmap going forward.

Whether it’s figuring out which functionality is being used the most or pinpointing exactly when potential users are clicking away from your homepage, user engagement metrics are key to helping you shape your product.

Now that California’s consumer rights act is in effect, Facebook advertisers may need to employ a workaround to make sure their ads reach California users.

It has been two months since the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) went into effect, and Facebook advertisers are already seeing an impact. As early as February 20, both Abdul Nusrat and August Nobel on Twitter, reported massive drops in the share of ad spend going to California for retargeting campaigns. According to Noble… Show more

Now that California’s consumer rights act is in effect, Facebook advertisers may need to employ a workaround to make sure their ads reach California users.

It has been two months since the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) went into effect, and Facebook advertisers are already seeing an impact. As early as February 20, both Abdul Nusrat and August Nobel on Twitter, reported massive drops in the share of ad spend going to California for retargeting campaigns. According to Noble, campaigns with as much as 25% of ad spend going to California last year saw the state get only 0.01% of the budget in February. Show less

Searching for new social media content to share on Facebook and Instagram? Hoping for more engagement? You can accomplish both of those goals with an Instagram campaign of user-generated content, or UGC. UGC is content created by users which can come in a variety of mediums, such as text, images, videos, and audio.

On Instagram, UGC created by your target audience can help other potential customers see themselves in those creative assets and can then enter your sales funnel through a… Show more

Searching for new social media content to share on Facebook and Instagram? Hoping for more engagement? You can accomplish both of those goals with an Instagram campaign of user-generated content, or UGC. UGC is content created by users which can come in a variety of mediums, such as text, images, videos, and audio.

On Instagram, UGC created by your target audience can help other potential customers see themselves in those creative assets and can then enter your sales funnel through a variety of means. In addition, it will help build trust in your brand, drive more engagement, and ultimately, help your bottom line. Regardless of your business size, encourage your customers to share content and if they already are, share it! Show less

Whether you are an already established agency or you are just getting started, there is always room to try new strategies in an effort to grow your business, your team, and your client roster.

As each year comes to an end, many of us reflect on what we’ve accomplished, things we can improve upon, and what we haven’t been able to do yet that we may want to in the new year. This is especially true when it comes to the marketing and advertising work we do.

AKvertise, Inc. is an advertising agency that has recently launched a non-traditional service offering parental coverage for freelance advertisers and small agencies that need temporary coverage while spending time with their newborns.

In this article, you will find our interview with AKvertise founder, Akvile DeFazio, on the details of her company’s new parental leave service.

Everyone talks about video content for advertising, but they don’t always do it. Why is that? Could it be the misconceived notion that it’s always expensive because you need to purchase high-end equipment, hire videographers, or rent a studio? I think so.

Want to learn how to take advantage of this powerful platform? In this guide to Instagram ecommerce, you’ll learn:

-How to get started with Instagram Shopping
-How to generate sales through both organic posts and ads
-How to measure Instagram ecommerce success
-How to begin strategizing for new features

This lucrative ecommerce channel is plentiful in opportunities that can help drive more sales and revenue for your business. Let’s get started!

Women across the country are placing bets on themselves, and maybe it's time for you as well. Before you take that leap, here is an opportunity to learn from some fantastic women — leaders across various industries who are shaking things up and killing it every day as entrepreneurs.

Looking for new ways to drive more conversions for your business? Of course—always! To market effectively, it’s important to ease into relationships and build them over time, and sales funnels can help us do this. In this guide, I’m going to show you how to create a conversion-driven Facebook sales funnel in just five steps so that you can build better relationships with your prospects and start getting better results.

There’s no doubt that retargeting people–whether customers, prospects, or website visitors–via Facebook campaigns is one of the most powerful forms of advertising.

But, there are a lot of ways to retarget people of interest to your brand.

…Where do you start?

We asked over 30 experts who run Facebook campaigns exactly that. From selecting your audience to maximizing results, here’s what they said.

In this complete guide to mobile app advertising using Facebook ads, you’ll learn how to get started by:

- Registering your mobile app with Facebook
- Selecting your campaign objectives
- Targeting your audiences
- Creating exceptional Facebook ads

Let’s get to it!

Are you planning an upcoming event? Online? Offline? Or maybe even a combination of both? If you, your team, or your clients are working on promoting an event, you want your efforts to be worthwhile. You need to drive awareness and attendance, to bring in leads and revenue, and to help you accomplish your overall business goals as they relate to your event.

Whether that’s an upcoming conference, meetup, workshop, concert, open house, grand opening, tour, show, or webinar, you can use… Show more

Are you planning an upcoming event? Online? Offline? Or maybe even a combination of both? If you, your team, or your clients are working on promoting an event, you want your efforts to be worthwhile. You need to drive awareness and attendance, to bring in leads and revenue, and to help you accomplish your overall business goals as they relate to your event.

Whether that’s an upcoming conference, meetup, workshop, concert, open house, grand opening, tour, show, or webinar, you can use Facebook ads to boost your event attendance. In this guide, I’ll show you how to effectively promote your event and to drive registrations (free and paid), using Facebook and Instagram. Show less

Due to their similarity to Facebook ads, Instagram ads are confusing to many marketers.

How is Instagram advertising different from Facebook advertising? What campaign objectives are available on Instagram? Where can businesses place their ads on the platform?

If you’re similar to our digital marketing team, you’re either currently running or have run Facebook ads in the past. It’s likely you’ve experienced some great campaign wins, and some campaigns (and spend) you wish you could have back.

You win some; you lose some. Today’s article focuses on some of the wins from 16 of the best Facebook ads experts from around the world with the following question:

What is your most successful Facebook ads campaign and what ad type(s) did you use?

In our last couple of episodes, we’ve been exploring the world of Facebook marketing and today is no different. Whilst we have already looked at Facebook groups and Messenger marketing, this week we take a look at the main way we as marketers can use the most popular social media platform.

Charles’s guest this week is Akvile DeFazio, a conversion driven marketer and is passionate about helping businesses expand their online visibility and reach their goals via social media. Akvile is… Show more

In our last couple of episodes, we’ve been exploring the world of Facebook marketing and today is no different. Whilst we have already looked at Facebook groups and Messenger marketing, this week we take a look at the main way we as marketers can use the most popular social media platform.

Charles’s guest this week is Akvile DeFazio, a conversion driven marketer and is passionate about helping businesses expand their online visibility and reach their goals via social media. Akvile is the President of AKvertise, a social media marketing and advertising agency based in California. Show less

Looking for ways to boost your sales, online and offline? Of course, you are! If you haven’t tested Facebook offer ads yet, let’s get you started, right here, right now.

Facebook offer ads present a deal to entice prospects to make a purchase. These customizable, mobile-only ads are excellent for both brick-and-mortar locations and ecommerce brands, as they provide options to claim offers in-store and online.

Facebook is still a very solid and highly effective platform. There is so much data in terms of targeting and options to reach your target audience, regardless of what industry you’re in.

People are much more conscious about Facebook and their privacy but they are still using the platform.

Akvile DeFazio is a Social Media Advertising and Marketing specialist, founder of AKvertise, a remote advertising agency. You can find Akvile in twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Let’s get down to business. That is why you’re here after all, isn’t it? You – or your clients –have products to sell. With that goal in mind, where do you go? Which channel offers access to your target audience and at the most cost-effective way to expand your products reach and visibility and to acquire new and even repeat customers?

Facebook, of course!

Akvile DeFazio took the leap from employee to self-employed with her digital marketing agency, Akvertise. The transition wasn’t always easy… but she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything because of what she learned about business, marketing, and herself.

We talk about the strategies Akvile used to build her agency from the ground up… and continues to use for business development and client retention.

Listen in to find out…

How speaking at events can boost your… Show more

Akvile DeFazio took the leap from employee to self-employed with her digital marketing agency, Akvertise. The transition wasn’t always easy… but she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything because of what she learned about business, marketing, and herself.

We talk about the strategies Akvile used to build her agency from the ground up… and continues to use for business development and client retention.

Listen in to find out…

How speaking at events can boost your bottom-line
Where paid social is heading next
Why normal networking doesn’t work
Strategies to be more visible to potential clients
And more Show less

As we plan and move forward with 2019, it’s also a good time to look back and review your favorite reads from the Swydo blog this past year. These guides, case studies and how-to articles fell into two key categories – Digital Marketing Tactics and Agency Management. It’s our hope this summary is a helpful reminder, and you can leverage these insights and tactics to grow your clients’ businesses – as well as yours – for the next twelve months.

David Szetela talks with Akvile DeFazio about getting your feet wet with Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest direct response advertising.
Learn what considerations should be made before diving in (e.g. Facebook can create a catalog from a Google Merchant Center feed)? What kind of results can they expect(in standard KPIs) compared to search engine results?Any tips or hidden landmines and more

Personal journeys and strategies from successful online entrepreneurs. Hosted by Chrys Tan.

Akvile DeFazio was interested in anything except marketing at first. One of her first jobs was actually working as an auto parts specialist at Autozone. But when she went off to college, where she majored in physical therapy, she was introduced to marketing. That’s where her interest was sparked. Today, she runs her own agency, AKvertise, and is the author of her first book that helps guide smaller businesses through the Facebook madness. She has been a featured speaker at SMX, Hero Conf… Show more

Akvile DeFazio was interested in anything except marketing at first. One of her first jobs was actually working as an auto parts specialist at Autozone. But when she went off to college, where she majored in physical therapy, she was introduced to marketing. That’s where her interest was sparked. Today, she runs her own agency, AKvertise, and is the author of her first book that helps guide smaller businesses through the Facebook madness. She has been a featured speaker at SMX, Hero Conf, Swivel Conference, Paid Traffic Conference, Templeton Women In Business, SLC|SEM Digital Marketing Association, Women Who Mean Business Conference, Digital Olympus Online Marketing Conference, and many more.

Join us as we take a closer look at her journey through the digital marketing world.

Read Akvile’s eBook on Facebook advertising, “The Small Business Guide to Facebook Ads.” Show less

Read on for 10 important trends that will matter most to marketers, brands, and businesses in 2019, according to 30 of today’s top experts on social media.

When we discuss creating and utilizing video content in advertising, some clients are a bit hesitant because often times, the misconception about production costs and resources is opposite of reality. These days, you don’t need to hire additional staff or purchase high end equipment. There are many ways brands of all sizes can easily and affordably develop video content and reach their advertising campaign goals with it.

Face this challenge before? Read on as we discuss the benefits of… Show more

When we discuss creating and utilizing video content in advertising, some clients are a bit hesitant because often times, the misconception about production costs and resources is opposite of reality. These days, you don’t need to hire additional staff or purchase high end equipment. There are many ways brands of all sizes can easily and affordably develop video content and reach their advertising campaign goals with it.

Face this challenge before? Read on as we discuss the benefits of using video over static images, some key tactics in improving your rate of success with Facebook video ads, and video editing tools. Show less

You’re likely running ads - and hopefully video ads - on the usual social media suspects: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. But what about those platforms that don’t get as much attention?

We’re partnering with AKvertise to show you why neglected platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, and more, could be your next big social media money-makers when it comes to video advertising

You’re likely running ads - and hopefully video ads - on the usual social media suspects: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. But what about those platforms that don’t get as much attention?

We’re partnering with AKvertise to show you why neglected platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, and more, could be your next big social media money-makers when it comes to video advertising.

Our highly anticipated speaker line up for Hero Conf Philadelphia has arrived, and needless to say we are STOKED. We are bringing to the stage last year’s top-rated presenters (with new content, of course) alongside the newest up-and-comers in the digital marketing landscape.

Last week, I had the chance to speak during a SEMrush webinar all about the social media trends to watch for in 2019. I joined the ranks of a superb group of experts, Ashley Ward, Akvile DeFazio, and Gavin Bell.

As 2018 ramps down, it’s important to begin to look toward the new year and prepare for what’s to come. The social media landscape is constantly evolving, and it’s important to stay on top of trends and prepare for what’s to come.

Using social media ads is not only my favorite way to drive website traffic, but it’s also incredibly effective in doing so. While there are a number of methods, a go-to tactic we often use is a traffic-focused campaign in Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads, then targeting cold audiences, particularly customer, lead, fans, website visitors, or other custom audience lookalikes. Reaching new and relevant audiences and sending them to your website to be tagged with the pixel for remarketing has been… Show more

Using social media ads is not only my favorite way to drive website traffic, but it’s also incredibly effective in doing so. While there are a number of methods, a go-to tactic we often use is a traffic-focused campaign in Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads, then targeting cold audiences, particularly customer, lead, fans, website visitors, or other custom audience lookalikes. Reaching new and relevant audiences and sending them to your website to be tagged with the pixel for remarketing has been successful for our clients and us. Show less

Is hiring an employee, consultant, or an agency at this stage to help set up and manage your Facebook Ads account not an option? Take your business to the next level with The Small Business Guide to Facebook Ads eBook, as it will serve as your essential guide to easily and affordably getting started and doing it yourself.

#PPCChat Twitter discussion that runs on Tuesdays at 5pm GMT - Led by Akvile DeFazio

This week’s PPCChat session was hosted by Akvile DeFazio. PPC experts discussed about facing challenges while using Facebook and Instagram video ads, feedback on Facebook’s Video Creation Kit, using shorter vs longer duration video ads and more.

Are you considering Facebook advertising and do not know where to start?
Are you wondering what Facebook ads work best for small businesses?
If so, please check the opinion of our list of Facebook experts.

When it comes to video marketing, women are also leading the way, promoting their companies and brands in new and exciting ways.

We reached out to female leaders in various industries to get their take on how video marketing is changing the landscape, what challenges they’ve faced, and the benefits they’ve seen after incorporating video marketing into their business.

Here’s what they had to say.

I recently wrote about how advertising rates increase during Q4, and what paid strategies you can implement to scale growth during these three months. Since then, I reached out to some of the best digital marketers I know to get some more balanced advice on growing your company during the holiday season. This is what they had to say…

Facebook has started rolling out a new version of Messenger — called Messenger 4 — that promises a more “simplified” experience. Among the updates, the messaging app is reducing the current number of tabs from nine tabs down to only three: a Chats tab, People tab and Discover tab.

Other new features will include the ability to personalize chats using customized color gradients to reflect the mood or topic of conversation and a “Dark Mode” interface that minimizes phone screen glare.

The power of video ads are undeniable and smart businesses are using them to convince and convert customers at faster rates.

But a common mistake that businesses make is using the same ad on multiple channels, without editing the creative to fit natively within the platform.

Facebook video ads should be different than LinkedIn video ads, which should be different from Twitter video ads, which should be different from YouTube video ads.

Learn how to use Facebook Messenger Ads to drive leads and sales for your clients.

From managing timelines to setting expectations around the results themselves, here’s how the best marketing agencies manage client expectations.

When I polled my tweeps recently about who they would like to see interviewed for the SEMrush blog, Akvile DeFazio’s name was enthusiastically mentioned numerous times. With good reason.

Akvile is the President and powerhouse behind social media advertising company, AKvertise. She has worked with large brands, such as Bing, Search Engine Land, and Meals on Wheels America.

Her areas of expertise include e-commerce, mobile apps, and lead generation, by way of Facebook, Instagram… Show more

When I polled my tweeps recently about who they would like to see interviewed for the SEMrush blog, Akvile DeFazio’s name was enthusiastically mentioned numerous times. With good reason.

Akvile is the President and powerhouse behind social media advertising company, AKvertise. She has worked with large brands, such as Bing, Search Engine Land, and Meals on Wheels America.

Her areas of expertise include e-commerce, mobile apps, and lead generation, by way of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Ads. She is also super nice and friendly and agreed to answer a few questions for us today. Show less

“No one uses Facebook anymore.” “Facebook doesn’t work for B2B.” Do these comments sound familiar? Well, Facebook is still king when it comes to user base. It currently hosts 2.2 billion monthly active users, a 13 percent increase from last year that makes this behemoth too large for advertisers to ignore.

This week my guest is Akvile DeFazio, President of AKvertise, Inc., and an expert in the realm of paid social advertising. Whether it’s Facebook and Instagram ads to Linkedin, Twitter and Pinterest, she has seen what is working in all types of campaigns from brand awareness to conversions.

Facebook recently launched new ad transparency features. As this wealth of data has been made public, learn how as a marketer, to use this to your benefit through a variety of creative ways.

You already know that content creation is a great strategy for promoting your company and increasing sales, but video content specifically has risen to the top of the heap over the last few years. As attention spans get shorter and shorter, consumers are seeking video content above all else, and it receives 10-30% more views than other materials like visual graphics and written text.

Contributor Akvile DeFazio explains how to set up a Pinterest business account, discover the available advertising features and accomplish your goals using effective tactics.

Women entrepreneur stories inspire, influence, and inform people about the glass ceilings broken and those yet to come crashing down. They break the mold, driving trillions of dollars in business Opens in new window and serving as role models today for female empowerment and success.

Seattle Chocolate and AKvertise are two small businesses run by women who lend big voices to the world of entrepreneurship. These women have achieved in ways that surprise even themselves, designing new… Show more

Women entrepreneur stories inspire, influence, and inform people about the glass ceilings broken and those yet to come crashing down. They break the mold, driving trillions of dollars in business Opens in new window and serving as role models today for female empowerment and success.

Seattle Chocolate and AKvertise are two small businesses run by women who lend big voices to the world of entrepreneurship. These women have achieved in ways that surprise even themselves, designing new ideas and flavors from the ground up, all while staying true to themselves. Show less

Search and social advertising agency AKvertise used Bing Ads to help clients increase return on investment and reach their target audience.

If you looking to improve your company Facebook video ads this expert session is must watch. Click here to listen to Akvile DeFazio a digital marketing expert and president of AKvertise. Master your Facebook video ads today.

When it comes to Facebook Ads, there are a lot of tried-and-true practices that work for obvious reasons a vast majority of the time. But then there are those exciting welcoming challenges when you follow all the usual logic for a certain campaign type and it just. won’t. work.

Sound familiar? If not, the universe has been good to you, but don’t get too comfortable because there’s probably a failing campaign with your name on it lurking somewhere in the future.

The good news is… Show more

When it comes to Facebook Ads, there are a lot of tried-and-true practices that work for obvious reasons a vast majority of the time. But then there are those exciting welcoming challenges when you follow all the usual logic for a certain campaign type and it just. won’t. work.

Sound familiar? If not, the universe has been good to you, but don’t get too comfortable because there’s probably a failing campaign with your name on it lurking somewhere in the future.

The good news is, those initially frustrating situations can turn into experiments that produce valuable insight into alternatives for your go-to Facebook Ads strategy. Here’s a recent example of how I took a failing campaign, tried something new, and ended up with great results as well as an option to test in similar scenarios going forward [panic, hair pulling, and expletives omitted]. Show less

Episode 49 of a Day in the Life is live with Akvile DeFazio - founder AKvertise, Inc. She shares her journey building a virtual advertising team, her keys for success and more.

On February 14th, we fell in love with Ads! We’ve discussed Facebook Video Ads Best Practices at #DigitalOlympusChat with Akvile DeFazio, President of AKvertise. She shared her expertise and thoughts on the topic. We are also proud that Akvile took part in the latest edition of Digital Olympus, and the video recording is available here.

We decided to take the matter into our own hands and to invite the brightest minds for a conversation. This post recaps our Twitter Chat about Facebook… Show more

On February 14th, we fell in love with Ads! We’ve discussed Facebook Video Ads Best Practices at #DigitalOlympusChat with Akvile DeFazio, President of AKvertise. She shared her expertise and thoughts on the topic. We are also proud that Akvile took part in the latest edition of Digital Olympus, and the video recording is available here.

We decided to take the matter into our own hands and to invite the brightest minds for a conversation. This post recaps our Twitter Chat about Facebook Ads with different tips on how to improve your skills to target the right audience. Show less

As a means of information delivery, trend analysis, and measuring success, reporting can be a vital resource for client retention. Used strategically, reporting can help create buy-in and trust among clients by educating them about their business and showing the results you’re delivering.

Akvile DeFazio, president of social media advertising agency AKvertise, shares a few situations in which reporting helped them overcome various challenges to keep clients and grow their business.

Welcome to episode #74 of The PPC Show, where we interview the best and brightest in paid marketing. This week we’re joined by Akvile DeFazio, President of AKvertise Inc.

In this episode, Akvile talks about what makes a good video for Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads.

If you are looking to generate B2B leads for your business, give Facebook video ads a try as a creative way to promote your webcasts, ebooks, products, tools, and services.

Akvile DeFazio, 32 years old, lives with her husband Zane DeFazio (who is also known in the industry) in Paso Robles, located on the Central Coast of California. I've personally known Akvile from when she worked at Third Door Media, the parent company of Search Engine Land back from 2011 to 2014. Akvile is known to bright up any conversation she was part of, both in real life or in the online world.

She bravely left Third Door Media to go out on her own and start her own agency. Anyone… Show more

Akvile DeFazio, 32 years old, lives with her husband Zane DeFazio (who is also known in the industry) in Paso Robles, located on the Central Coast of California. I've personally known Akvile from when she worked at Third Door Media, the parent company of Search Engine Land back from 2011 to 2014. Akvile is known to bright up any conversation she was part of, both in real life or in the online world.

She bravely left Third Door Media to go out on her own and start her own agency. Anyone who knows Akvile, knows she is super brave and always out to try new things. Leaving a steady paycheck to start a new company is bold but she is always up for an adventure. Show less

Owning a digital agency is not for the faint of heart. On top of generating positive results and ROI for your current clients, you always need to keep your momentum and grow your customer base. Frequently agencies don’t have the resources to advertise their own services, so where does that leave you? Akvile DeFazio, founder of social media advertising agency AKvertise, shares how networking has been key to her company’s growth, as well as her thoughts on riding out the unpredictability of our… Show more

Owning a digital agency is not for the faint of heart. On top of generating positive results and ROI for your current clients, you always need to keep your momentum and grow your customer base. Frequently agencies don’t have the resources to advertise their own services, so where does that leave you? Akvile DeFazio, founder of social media advertising agency AKvertise, shares how networking has been key to her company’s growth, as well as her thoughts on riding out the unpredictability of our industry and more. Show less

Akvile shared a number of simple methods and low-cost tools you can use to easily create and utilize quality Facebook Video Ads. Sometimes you really have to shell out for a good quality video production. This leaves most marketers puzzled with how to effectively produce video content. Learn how to stand out among the stillness and set your business in motion. Akvile described her tactics on how to easily and affordably create and use video content with Facebook Ads to increase engagement… Show more

Akvile shared a number of simple methods and low-cost tools you can use to easily create and utilize quality Facebook Video Ads. Sometimes you really have to shell out for a good quality video production. This leaves most marketers puzzled with how to effectively produce video content. Learn how to stand out among the stillness and set your business in motion. Akvile described her tactics on how to easily and affordably create and use video content with Facebook Ads to increase engagement, leads, visibility, and sales Show less

Can we agree that we’re spending more time on our phones? We can’t get enough of these pocket-sized computers.

The average American spends more than two hours a day on their mobile device, with 50% of their app time in their most-used app, and almost 80% in their top three apps, according to comScore. And of those 140 minutes spent on our phones, 50 minutes are spent across Facebook apps (Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger).

Moving forward, Facebook will play a bigger role in… Show more

Can we agree that we’re spending more time on our phones? We can’t get enough of these pocket-sized computers.

The average American spends more than two hours a day on their mobile device, with 50% of their app time in their most-used app, and almost 80% in their top three apps, according to comScore. And of those 140 minutes spent on our phones, 50 minutes are spent across Facebook apps (Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger).

Moving forward, Facebook will play a bigger role in marketer’s mobile strategy. That said, what’s in store for Facebook marketers as we head into 2018? Show less

For those who work in event marketing or have clients that do, the latest addition to custom audiences that many advertisers have been patiently waiting for is finally here: Facebook Event Interaction Custom Audiences. With this new option, Facebook now allows advertisers to target people who have previously interacted with an existing or past Facebook event listing and indicated that they were 'interested' or 'going'.

We will go through the steps of setting up these new audiences and… Show more

For those who work in event marketing or have clients that do, the latest addition to custom audiences that many advertisers have been patiently waiting for is finally here: Facebook Event Interaction Custom Audiences. With this new option, Facebook now allows advertisers to target people who have previously interacted with an existing or past Facebook event listing and indicated that they were 'interested' or 'going'.

We will go through the steps of setting up these new audiences and explore 15 ways to maximize your efforts in reaching, converting and even up-selling event attendees. Show less

Listeners definitely ought to prepare for taking notes while tuning in to this week’s episode – it’s chock full of advice for asserting your position on the information superhighway! The team speaks with digital marketing specialist, Akvile DeFazio about how to make the most of your online presence, while at the same time, discovering exactly who your quality clients are. Discussions are tech-heavy, but even if that’s not your strong suit, turns out Facebook Pixels makes it navigable terrain… Show more

Listeners definitely ought to prepare for taking notes while tuning in to this week’s episode – it’s chock full of advice for asserting your position on the information superhighway! The team speaks with digital marketing specialist, Akvile DeFazio about how to make the most of your online presence, while at the same time, discovering exactly who your quality clients are. Discussions are tech-heavy, but even if that’s not your strong suit, turns out Facebook Pixels makes it navigable terrain for all. We’ll explain what this tool is, how to use it, and why it’s an invaluable resource for businesses big and small. Show less

After a recent industry news post about whether or not marketing is an art or a science, we wondered if the trick to a successful B2B marketing campaign is to think of marketing as a blend between the two.

We asked some of our favorite digital marketing experts their thoughts on how creativity has influenced their campaigns and what they have done to make B2B marketing more engaging with their audience.

We asked our expert panel the following questions that cover how to use… Show more

After a recent industry news post about whether or not marketing is an art or a science, we wondered if the trick to a successful B2B marketing campaign is to think of marketing as a blend between the two.

We asked some of our favorite digital marketing experts their thoughts on how creativity has influenced their campaigns and what they have done to make B2B marketing more engaging with their audience.

We asked our expert panel the following questions that cover how to use creativity to make B2B more exciting: Show less

If you have not yet tested remarketing as a part of your B2B lead generation strategy, learn how the following strategies can help drive high quality leads, improve your return on ad spend, and further propel your B2B marketing efforts.

Wondering how to drive awareness and acquire B2B leads and customers with Facebook Ads? Give the audiences below a try.

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it shouldn’t consume us. Constant worrying brings on burnout and breakdowns. Taking a day, or even just a few hours, to decompress can go a long way for your mental health. In the American Psychological Association’s 2015 Stress in America Survey, 42 percent of adults said they aren’t doing enough to manage their stress—or don’t know if they are.

Today’s CredoCast guest is someone that I have known for a long time through the digital marketing industry, but learned a ton about during the podcast – Akvile Harlow. Akvile recently relaunched her consulting practice under the name AKvertise, which really shows off her keen eye for detail and doing things right.

During this conversation, we went through the usual questions I ask guests, but Akvile really went above and beyond to give some amazing tips for starting out as a freelancer,… Show more

Today’s CredoCast guest is someone that I have known for a long time through the digital marketing industry, but learned a ton about during the podcast – Akvile Harlow. Akvile recently relaunched her consulting practice under the name AKvertise, which really shows off her keen eye for detail and doing things right.

During this conversation, we went through the usual questions I ask guests, but Akvile really went above and beyond to give some amazing tips for starting out as a freelancer, especially since she had never worked with an agency before starting her own!

In this episode you will learn a lot about Akvile, such as:

- Why she still has not yet formed an official business entity
- How she used to make money from Craigslist as a child
- What she wishes she had known before going on her own two years Show less

Episode 3 is liiiiive! You might recognize Akvile’s name because our episode 1 guest, Pamela Lund, recommended her as someone to chat PermissionLESS with, and I’m so glad I did! Akvile has worked and played in so many industries, and how she’s managed to seamlessly tie everything into her life to turn into the business owner today is pretty fantastic. No spoilers (though if you listen through the episode you’ll know that I’m pretty good at spoiling basically every show) so enjoy the listen!

On an individual level, there are those among us who still sense room for growth and, to that end, invite the wisdom of those we admire. And so we asked those whom we respect to share their lessons and resolutions with the search and social marketing community.

Have you just taken over a large AdWords or Bing Ads account that was previously in use? Can you already see from the get go that it’s going to need major organizational restructuring? Before diving in, you essentially have two options; build upon the existing foundation and fix it in phases or start from scratch. Not sure which to road to go down? Here are some things to think about and prepare for before you make a decision.

Looking to connect with your audience in a fresh, meaningful, and profitable way? As a marketer, of course you are! Whether you’re a novice (worry not, you’ll get up to speed in no time) when it comes to advertising on Twitter or it has been quite some time since you’ve last had your hands in the dashboard, there are a number of opportunities worth exploring that you may find quite helpful in reaching more people and accomplishing your goals. Keep reading for a breakdown of some ways you can… Show more

Looking to connect with your audience in a fresh, meaningful, and profitable way? As a marketer, of course you are! Whether you’re a novice (worry not, you’ll get up to speed in no time) when it comes to advertising on Twitter or it has been quite some time since you’ve last had your hands in the dashboard, there are a number of opportunities worth exploring that you may find quite helpful in reaching more people and accomplishing your goals. Keep reading for a breakdown of some ways you can utilize Twitter Ads to succeed. Show less

It was most certainly an interesting year in digital marketing. Our paid search industry is anything but stagnant and that’s a great thing in this age of innovation. As we have more advertising platforms and targeting options to exercise our creativity as marketers, we can continue improving our campaign performance to drive brand awareness, traffic, and sales, all while providing a more customized experience for our users. As this year comes to an end, let’s take a look at some trends we… Show more

It was most certainly an interesting year in digital marketing. Our paid search industry is anything but stagnant and that’s a great thing in this age of innovation. As we have more advertising platforms and targeting options to exercise our creativity as marketers, we can continue improving our campaign performance to drive brand awareness, traffic, and sales, all while providing a more customized experience for our users. As this year comes to an end, let’s take a look at some trends we experienced in 2014 that we will see again in 2015, however, they will heavily impact the way we market in new ways. Show less

As the foundation to any PPC campaign, keywords are incredibly important in order to get in front of the right customers. If you are diving into a new account, be it taking over from the previous manager or creating one yourself from the ground up, don’t undermine the power of your negative keyword lists.

Akvile Harlow, The Digital Marketing Manager for SMX was our featured guest tonight as we explored how “To Use Social to Promote and Manage Large Events”. Akvile brought her experience with managing and promoting various SMX conference across the USA as she answered our six questions and interacted with all participants.

SMX East is known for the quality of its speakers and the depth of content in the sessions. During the conference we’ll be taking that a step further and digging into hot industry topics and recent search trends with a few industry leaders. We’re always experimenting with new coverage formats, and this year we’re presenting our look behind the scenes as an interview series.

Whether you are just starting to dip your feet into the mobile marketing pool or have been swimming in it for quite some time, it’s always refreshing to take a look back at the basics to see if you’re heading down the right track. The definition of success varies greatly from marketer to marketer and from goal to goal. However, the key components of successful mobile marketing campaigns are quite simple and common amongst marketers. With so many channels, strategies, and shiny new mobile… Show more

Whether you are just starting to dip your feet into the mobile marketing pool or have been swimming in it for quite some time, it’s always refreshing to take a look back at the basics to see if you’re heading down the right track. The definition of success varies greatly from marketer to marketer and from goal to goal. However, the key components of successful mobile marketing campaigns are quite simple and common amongst marketers. With so many channels, strategies, and shiny new mobile devices, it’s easy to overlook the basics. Let’s take a dive into five things marketers should base their mobile marketing foundation on in order to boost efficiency and conversions. Show less

In this day and age, how do you as a marketer measure Social ROI? What are the key metrics that you need to know? What kind of analytics are important in measuring the success of your social media marketing?

Mobile/Tablet user behavior is quite different from desktop user behavior. In this post you'll learn how to set up, manage and explode your mobile paid search campaigns.

Whether you’re just starting to build out your initial set of keywords or are looking to grow your existing list to expand reach and visibility, keyword research is easier and more effective when you have the right tools. I’ll cover some of the most popular keyword research tools, then show you how to think outside the box for the most comprehensive keyword list.

Interview with Virginia Nussey of Bruce Clay Inc. and I. Live from Search Marketing Expo - SMX West 2012.

My interview with Joshua Titsworth of Click2Rank.

2012 will be a huge year for mobile marketing. With smartphone & tablet usage growing at impeccable speeds, marketers of all varieties will have to adapt to this exciting new space. Create mobile friendly sites & apps!

Regardless of the size of your business, running a blog on your website can provide you with some great opportunities. Successful websites are constantly changing and providing new content to its users so don’t allow yourself to be at a disadvantage by not utilizing such a useful marketing tool. In today’s social media driven world, users expect updates, new information, and innovation from companies. By updating content on your website on a regular basis, consumers will return to engage with… Show more

Regardless of the size of your business, running a blog on your website can provide you with some great opportunities. Successful websites are constantly changing and providing new content to its users so don’t allow yourself to be at a disadvantage by not utilizing such a useful marketing tool. In today’s social media driven world, users expect updates, new information, and innovation from companies. By updating content on your website on a regular basis, consumers will return to engage with you, follow your brand, discuss it with their peers through various outlets, possibly transforming into customers. Show less

With times changing and technology evolving, it’s important to stay up to date on current advancements and trends. With mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets on the rise, it is crucial to adapt to how users search for your business online, especially if ecommerce is your specialty.

Women of Google+is a destination to learn, share and explore what it takes to thrive on social networking platforms both personally and professionally.

Whether you are a fan of only using one or all match types in your PPC campaigns, negative keywords can be beneficial to your marketing efforts. Using negative keywords can help prevent your ads from appearing and receiving clicks in search results in which they may be irrelevant, thus driving up cost and increasing bounce rate. Ads that are more relevant to search query results will improve quality score and click-thru-rate (CTR), which is what we aim for as PPC campaign managers...

Survey shows that may Gmail users don't know of social circle. (I was pictured and quoted in this article).