Social Media

Smart Digital Marking Methods That Can Make Your Company A Success

/ nancyrubin

Starting an online business can be a very smart venture. But if you really want to make a success of it, you have to work hard. Because setting up a business isn’t enough to make it great. You have to really work at it in order for that to happen. From creating a website with content that your customers are not only going, but also find easy to use, to coming up with effective and creative ways to make money, there’s a lot that you need to work on to ensure that your business is going to do well. And that’s often enough to put even the most determined people off.

So you know that you want your business to do well, and you know that you want to make a lot of money, but are you happy to put the work in? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. Because in order to make some money and ensure that your business can go from strength to strength, you have to focus on your marketing tactics. Whether you’re new to the world of marketing or not, here are some of the most effective digital marketing methods that can take your business to where you need it to be.

Affiliate Marketing

The first thing you’re going to want to think about using is affiliate marketing. Whether you’re a content site or a business, you can use affiliate marketing to make you a great passive income, or generate you more sales. Affiliate marketing is something that a lot of businesses swear by, so if it’s not something that you’ve already looked into, it needs to go straight to the top of your marketing methods list. It may take some work to initially set up, but once you’ve done that and your traffic is flowing, money can make itself.

Display Marketing

From here, you may also want to think about using display marketing. As a brand, you can gain a lot of traffic and sales by using this tried and tested marketing technique. And when you’re a content site, you can earn some great amounts of commission by using it. Display marketing has a lot of depth to it. As long as you’re prepared to tailor your campaigns and work with the best companies, you have the potential to earn well!

PPC

Next, up, you have PPC. Of all the different kinds of digital marketing methods, PPC is a great choice if you want to generate yourself some warm traffic. Because sometimes, traffic isn’t all that you need, you need to ensure that you’re attracting consumers that will genuinely be interested in your product to your site. And with PPC marketing, you can definitely do that, whether you do it yourself or outsource to an agency.

PPV

Then, you’ve also got a similar idea to PPC, but instead of the payment being based on a click, the payment is based on a view. So, if you hadn’t guessed already, PPV marketing is based on things like YouTube adverts. And when you think about it, there are not only millions of YouTube videos out there, but there are also millions of people watching them too. So, capitalizing on the ad space available via PPV is a great way to make money.

SEO

And of course, you’re definitely going to want to include SEO in your marketing plans too. But don’t automatically think that you have to outsource it, because you may be able to take on some of it yourself. This beginners guide to SEO, for example, will be a really worthwhile read for you. You may be able to pick up some of the basic principles yourself to then apply them to your work and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Social Media Marketing

And, of course, what good list of digital marketing methods would be complete without including social media marketing too? Because social media is so popular with both consumers and business, you have to be able to harness some of that power in your promotional strategy. You should definitely think about trial paid social options too, to see if they work for your business.

Sponsorship

And finally, there’s also sponsorship or collaborations to consider too. Whether you’re a brand looking to advertise, or a content site looking for advertisers, sponsorship can work really well if you’re matched with the right company. You may find that you benefit from more traffic as well as sales and extra income too.

 

Top 5 Efficient yet Cheap Promotional Ideas for Your Business

/ nancyrubin

You can have a unique fantastic product that meets the most important needs of the people and rises far above anything your competition has ever made but if nobody knows about it, it is completely worthless. And that is where good marketing comes into play. However, not every business can afford high-end celebrities in TV commercials and expensive online campaigns. Fortunately, with the internet and some smart traditional marketing strategies leveling the playground, it is possible to promote your business even when working on a small budget. Here are five ideas to give you some inspiration.

Publish quality content

In the world of modern marketing, content marketing is the king. Unlike many other promotional strategies, such as those that include billboards or ads, good content never gets old. It constantly gives the readers something to come back to, which means it is a once-written commercial that lasts forever.

Great content isn’t just a marketing strategy. It complements almost every other online marketing tool – from improving your SEO performance and enhancing the value of your landing page to providing source material for social media marketing and helping you build relationships with other industries.

Among the numerous positive effects of successful content marketing, we have to point out the influence it has on driving new traffic, building a reputation, influencing conversion and encouraging trust in your business. Also, when coming up with a good content marketing strategy, you need to have in mind that content is evolving, so you should definitely include quality images and videos into your blog.

Engage your audience through social media

It is no secret that social media marketing plays a vital role in every business’s marketing strategy. However, if you are doing it just to be part of the crowd, then you are not doing it well. The businesses with the most followers on social media and the most feedback aren’t lucky, they simply have a thought out strategy, which includes getting to know the rules of the platform and the audience active on it. Regardless of which platform we are talking about, the most important thing to do is to engage your audience and encourage communication. That way, you can build a connection that leads to loyalty and trust.

Use infographics

We live in the era of information overload, and the last thing the web audience needs is long articles packed with endless data. But what to do when you want to say something meaningful about your line of work or your company? It’s simple: use infographics. Infographics can present information, knowledge and data in visual and interesting manner.

Moreover, using infographics is a great way to build brand awareness and send a message to a wider audience. Besides, infographics have undeniable SEO benefits. Also, a quality infographic needs to be simple and unique. It has to produce high impact with minimal text and it should pack a creative punch. Finally, it has to be easily shareable.

Put it on paper

Traditional marketing might be a bit drowsy, but it is far from being dead. The main reason why businesses should occasionally turn to it is because no one is expecting it, and the competition surely isn’t doing it. It is also the reason why there are many cheap printing solutions available. You can print handouts, flyers or brochures. Also, if you want to prevent your promotional material from ending up in the trash, try to keep it informative and creative.

Here are some basic promotional material design tips to help you stay on the right track:

  • Function before form (information needs to be clear and visible).
  • Keep the text concise.
  • Contact details must be instantly noticeable.
  • The visual aspect accompanies the text (you can’t sell perfumes and put a picture of a cake on the flyer).
  • Be subtle but not dull.
  • Make the image, color and heading the most striking elements.
  • Use different shapes.
  • Transmit the mood with color.
  • Make it a keeper with great pictures and some good tip.

Become a guerillero

If you are looking for an advertising strategy that requires low investments yet yields maximum results, look no further than guerilla marketing. The purpose of this approach is to represent your business in an imaginative way that will surprise the customers, draw attention to your company and create a lasting impression and a social buzz.

Guerilla marketing strategy doesn’t require a lot of money, just a substantial amount of creativity, energy and time. To achieve the best effect, first you should know who you are targeting with your campaign. Capturing attention is your second objective, but it will be worthless unless you can align the creativity with the purpose of the campaign. Some of the small-business-friendly guerilla marketing strategies include graffiti (not on other people’s property), pop up shops, free samples, sidewalk chalk, projecting video on a large outdoor wall, flash mob and gamification.

As you can see, cost-effective marketing is doable, and if you play your cards right, you will surely attract new loyal customers and increase the revenues.

 

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Guest Author is Alex Williams is a journalism graduate, and a rookie blogger trying to find my luck. Blogs are the perfect opportunity for presenting yourself to wider audience, getting the chance to showcase my expertise and receiving recognition. I am a regular contributor at Bizzmark Blog

3 Tips for Better Conversion Rates with Your Videos

/ nancyrubin

Statistics have proven that adding videos to your site can dramatically improve your conversion rates. Not all videos are created equally, so tinkering with your videos to figure out what works best is essential.

Assuming you already track the basics for your sales pages, you’ll be able to quickly determine how your videos are performing, or where there’s a weak link that needs to be fixed.

#1: Split-Test Different Approaches

Making multiple videos will add to the amount of work you have to do, but at the end of the day it will provide you with a lot of insight into which approach works best. You may only need to tweak a few things, like at which point you ask for the sale. Slight changes like these can make a big difference on how well your video converts.

Don’t get into the habit of making just one video and crossing your fingers that it works. Try out a minimum of two videos and see which one returns better numbers. With that new information you’ll be able to make better choices for your videos going forward.

Things you’ll want to look for during your test:

  • Time spent on page.
  • Click-through rate for buy button.
  • Completed sales originating from video page.

Keep in mind that these are only simple metrics, and should only be used as a guide. Generally, if a visitor spends more time on the page it means they’re watching more of your video, but this is not always the case, and isn’t necessary to make a sale, as we’ll see later.

#2: Clearly Describe Your Product or Service

Most people don’t like being sold, but they love to buy. When you come from the angle of explaining something to them rather than making a hard sell, their defenses aren’t up as much and they get lost in the explanation rather than feeling like you’re pushing something onto them.

Use an explainer video to tell visitors what you do or how your product works. These things not only sell products like hotcakes, but they pre-sell your visitors as well. If they don’t buy right away, the message still gets through and after they mull it over a bit they’ll remember it next time and will buy without needing to rewatch the video.

#3: Play Around With Video Placement

Where your video shows up on the page can also factor into whether or not it gets watched. And keep in mind that visitors may not even watch your video and still be more likely to convert just because they have the option to watch it. That’s how powerful video is, and how helpful it can be in your quest for more customers.

If you place your video at the top, are visitors more likely to watch it? Or would they prefer a story first and then the opportunity to watch a video? It’s questions like these that you’ll get answers to when you start moving your video around the page and seeing what changes.

Master your videos and you’ll master your conversion rates. Happy tinkering!

How to Rock Your Business Presentation

/ nancyrubin

Business meetings are often long, and the majority of people dread having them because important decisions need to be made, or they have to speak publicly and give a presentation to potential business partners or clients. There are, however, some simple tricks that you can undertake to make sure your presentation goes smoothly. If you follow these tips, you’ll be sure to boss your presentation.

Dress in the correct attire.

Smart is always best, but depending on what kind of business you’re in, it might be better to wear what your client would typically wear. If you’re a clothing brand, for example, it would be a good idea to showcase your clothes wherever possible.

For some fantastic ideas on what to wear to your presentation, check out these tips on how to dress for the occasion. dress1

Image from Pixabay

Wear lanyards.

Lanyards not only promote your business but show professionalism at the same time. Another thing you could do it give your lanyards to your audience as a gift for coming to your presentation. It’s unlikely they will be discarded of, and the constant reminder of your company will be with them. Visit dynamic gift for info on how you can personalize them for your business.

Practice.

A great way of nailing a presentation is to practice either in front of the mirror, or a family member. That way, you’ll get a good idea on how you look while talking and can make some improvements. This could range from how clearly you’re talking to your posture. Both important things to concentrate on. Coming across as confident will help you win over your audience.

dress2 Image from Pixabay

Props.

Making your presentation visually stimulating will prevent your potential clients from becoming disinterested. You may have chosen to do a slideshow for visual effect. Or, if it’s a particular product you’re selling, bring it along to the presentation for people to look at and touch. It’s much more effective to do this than just having it on a piece of paper.

Bring food.

Even if the meeting is set to have food there already, bring something that will ‘sweeten them up,’ so to speak. A delicious treat like some cream cakes will definitely put you in their favor and again, add likeability to your presentation. Even if your clients don’t eat them, the fact that you made an effort and thought about them beforehand will help no end.

dress3 Image from Pixabay

Wherever possible, add comedy.

As mentioned earlier, people often dread meetings because they’re boring and serious. Wherever you can, add some comedy. This may be a short story about something funny that happened while you were designing what it is you’re trying to sell. It will lighten the mood of the presentation, and you will gain likeability with your clients.

Smile!

Giving a presentation can be nerve racking for the most confident of us, but remember to put on a smile while you’re talking. If you don’t seem interested in what you’re presenting, or even happy to be there, this will put clients off.

Dos and Don’ts of Using Social Media for Customer Service

/ nancyrubin

Using social media for customer service makes sense for businesses and customers alike. J.D. Power published data showing  more than two-thirds of all customers who contacted a company via a social network did so for customer service. It is no surprise that companies have learned the benefits that come with a public display of customer service excellence.

Despite the attractiveness of leveraging social media as a customer service channel,  companies that have tried often deliver disappointing results. As an example, another study reveals that more than one-third of consumers who have tried to use social media to get help were disappointed.

Unlike traditional situations where customers privately interact with companies via either telephone or in-person visits, social media dialog occurs in public for everyone to see. Although this can present valuable opportunities, they may also lead to damaging negative publicity. Read the following dos and don’ts for great social media customer service.

DO

1. Respond quickly

Customers want immediate results. In response, you offer expedited shipping options, same day shipping and similar perks that compress the gap between order placement and fulfillment. Why stop there? Customers also want to receive prompt replies to their inquiries.

Did you know more than 40% of customers want to receive a response within one hour of contacting you? In fact, one third of your customers want to receive a response in 30 minutes. Even if you need more time to achieve a final resolution, a quick response to customer contacts to achieve a high level of satisfaction.

2. Be Polite and Empathetic

While online, people often speak more candidly than they might in face-to-face conversations. When an irate customer rants all over social media about a problem, you understandably might want to fire back in a similar manner. Don’t. Always use a respectful and empathetic tone when using social media for customer service.

When others see you and your team maintain a professional attitude under pressure, they will have confidence in your commitment to them. When an irate customer speaks via social media, accept their concerns as valid and guide them to possible resolutions.

A customer first attitude will make it much easier to find a mutually satisfactory resolutions. When this happens, your brand will shine.

3. Add a Personal Touch

Get personal with your customers, prospects and leads and you will endear them to you, your company and your brand. People want to feel important and valued, and allow that desire to guide their buying choices. Use names and personal details while interacting with customers and you will build long-lasting, profitable relationships.

With its Happiness Heroes initiative, Buffer sets a standard that every firm can follow. The brand’s cheery customer service specialists always sign their messages with their first names, helping to humanize the brand. As a result, the company has built a reputation as being friendly and helpful, leading to loyal customers who freely promote the brand.

Image2-Buffer

Another way to add a personal touch to your social media customer service effort is to write well. When you and your team take the time to properly spell words and construct grammatically correct sentences, you appear professional and communicate that you value your audience.

4. Admit You Made a Mistake

Sometimes your company will make a mistake and do something wrong. Win the hearts of the social media world by admitting the problem and apologizing. When you interact this way, you connect with customers who understand that “stuff happens.”

Rather than ignoring complaints or playing a blame game, take responsibility for mistakes that your company has made, take steps to make sure they never recur, and then take steps to make things right. When you take an open, honest and transparent approach, your customer service effort on social media will earn a solid reputation for your firm that will translate into sales revenue and profits.

DON’T

1. Let the Issue Linger for Too Long

In the hope that problems disappear, some people will either ignore or delete negative social media comments. Never let an uncomfortable situation cause you to run and hide. Doing so sends the wrong message to the public. In spite of the discomfort or embarrassment you feel when something goes wrong, you must promptly and positively respond to inspire confidence of the community of social media users.

Of course, every prompt response might not result in a positive result. In fact, some conversations involving complex issues can seem to drag on forever. In such circumstances, consider inviting customers to an offline channel where you can work together without exposing the extended saga to the world.

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In fact, after two interactions in public, moving to a private message other than social media might help create a positive customer experience and promote the reputation of your brand. By limiting the “dirty laundry” on your social media profiles you do yourself a favor while offering improved opportunities to affected customers.

2. Neglect Customer Feedback

Your exposure to the social media community gives you access to almost unlimited feedback streams that include both suggestions and criticisms. All such information comes to you free, at no cost, so make sure you and your team pays attention to it.

Some companies fail to spend the time or attention necessary to digest all the feedback left for them on social media, but they do so to their detriment. Even more so, businesses that acknowledge feedback and fail to act upon it hurt themselves. Act upon the information you receive via social media, even when it seems negative. Use it to improve your business.

3. Send Them to Another Channel

You’ve already learned about the damaging effect prolonged discussions can have on your brand. Aside from that, you need to accommodate your customers on the same channel that they choose to initiate contact. For example, if someone reaches out to you on Facebook, don’t immediately tell them to call your customer service telephone number.

Customers have a reason for contacting you via social media, so you should accommodate them on their preferred channel as long as possible.

4. Rely on Canned Responses

Automation has snagged many headlines in the marketing and tech world, but sometimes automation can cause major turnoffs. When you use social media for customer service, give your audience the luxury of interacting with a human being. If you lack the time to respond to comments, enlist the help of your staff. When your staff lacks the time, consider employing some remote workers to engage your customers.

Canned responses give your brand an inhuman, austere character and can quickly lead customers to wonder whether they will ever receive the attention they crave. A seemingly countless number of brands have tried to cut corners with automated responses and they have paid the price. Learn the lesson and rely on human, personal interactions instead.

Social media has forever changed the online landscape. Through it people interact with friends and their favorite brands. In contrast with companies that have made mistakes, learn from the above dos and don’ts to give your brand an edge over your competitors, and your firm a promising and profitable future.

Author byline:

Eric Gordon is an independent business development and marketing specialist for SMEs. He loves sharing his insights and experience to assist business owners in growing their revenues. You can find Eric on Twitter @ericdavidgordon

How to Get Started With Digital Marketing

/ nancyrubin

The digital marketing industry is constantly changing and evolving. Nowadays, it is a competitive challenge to impress the viewers and meet their ever growing expectations. However, choosing a career in digital marketing is quite exciting and profitable. The demand for skilled digital marketers is high, due to the competitive market and a need for businesses to stand out in the crowd.

Moreover, becoming a digital marketer is difficult enough and finding a suitable job will require both wit and skill, alongside determination. As same as customers have to be impressed by marketing efforts, so do the employers need to be impressed by marketers that are looking for employment. Here are a few tips on how to get started with digital marketing.

Work on Yourself

As mentioned, digital marketing industry is constantly changing and shifting directions. What was a big hit today may as well be a thing of the past tomorrow. That is why it is important that you work on yourself and improve your knowledge and skills regularly.

Whether you graduated from marketing school or you are self taught, having something more to add to your portfolio may be beneficial in finding good employment. Additional certification or a degree in some marketing course can help you out, but it may not be necessary. Some employers like to read your biography, while some prefer to see what you can do.

Furthermore, you should always make time to update your knowledge and learn about the industry’s news by reading posts from websites that are on top of the marketing industry such as The Moz, HubSpot etc. The key for growing in digital marketing is by staying updated at all times.

Build your Online Presence

The best way to convince employers that you can build their company’s online presence is by building your own first. After all, the best way to get noticed and show your potential before employers start testing you out is by having some successful personal projects.

A good example would be to start your personal website and support it with a blog. You can pick a topic or a niche to write about or simply write about yourself. Your blog will be your pet project, so make sure you develop it well and implement different strategies to drive traffic to it. You may as well test out your SEO skills on your blog.

For instance, make sure you have fast website speed, because it is a well known fact that viewers have zero tolerance for slow loading pages and sluggish blogs. Besides, site speed affects rankings and it is one of the most important aspects of SEO. Use your skills to increase your website visibility and popularity enough to impress anyone, so when employers ask what have you got to show, you will have an ace up sour sleeve.

Learn Different Skills

In the world of digital marketing today, marketers who possess knowledge and skill in several different areas of expertise are highly sought after. However, this does not mean you have to be an expert in all aspects of digital marketing, but it is valuable to know at least the basics for all and have expertise in at least one or two.

For instance, your specialty is content marketing and SEO but you know your way around social media marketing, content writing, e-mail marketing and so on. These types of skills or variety of skills, usually referred to as T-shaped marketer by The Moz, will increase your chances of landing a good job or making a profitable career in digital marketing. You are probably already familiar with different digital marketing strategies, so don’t hesitate to hone your other skills and improve your knowledge. After all, they will be very useful to you in both landing a good job and building a name for yourself.

As digital marketing industry is improving and growing, so should digital marketers. Staying informed and updated on the latest industry news will help you keep up and not miss out on anything important. Remember, if you are looking for a good employment you should have skills to back you up.

Oscar is a writer from Sydney and one of the editors at Bizzmarkblog. He enjoys conducting research in the vast fields of business and marketing and writing about the useful insights he gathers on a daily basis. Follow Oscar on Twitter.to stay updated with his latest posts.

5 Ways to Market Your Business Online

/ nancyrubin / 3 Comments

With technology only improving, businesses and consumers are becoming closer than ever before. Social media is more prevalent in society than in the past, and small businesses everywhere are embracing the new ways to market their services using online tools to help promote further customer reach. Here is a list of 5 ways to help market your business online:

onlinemarketing1

  • Facebook

Facebook is a great way of advertising and raising awareness of your product. By creating a page for a business and adding its location you are opening up the possibility of having customers digitally check themselves into your venue. Customers are then able to engage and review a businesses services and share this with their social network. It is important to remember to reply to comments to continue to build the rapport between business and consumer. Facebook also offers paid advertising and marketing campaigns through their business portal

  • Twitter

Twitter is another way of attracting customers, although it does take longer to build a large network on Twitter. The key to a successful Twitter is to always engage in relevant posts, follow any relevant profiles and be smart while still being funny. Engagements are what build your followers on Twitter. If you’re worried about having the time of running your social networks, organisations out there to provide social media help to develop a content marketing strategy that will help build your online growth.

  • Website

Having a website allows you a stronger online presence, and gives businesses the opportunity to display a list of the services available to customers. A website is also a great way of sharing the products, events, sales and opening times. Services such as WordPress are simple website builders. For a low cost it is possible to buy your own domain from these sites, with the option of an email address attached.

  • Emails

In the modern world email is the best form of contact for most customers. Whether you sign up for a free email service or get one through a website, email is a great way of responding to customers enquiries in a professional manner. Customers respond positively to speedy responses from businesses. Through having a registered email address assigned to your business, you can provide subscription services directly to customers, providing them with the option of being notified of sales or further events.

  • Coupons Vouchers

Everyone loves to think they’re getting a good deal. Sharing coupon vouchers through your social platforms will drive business and grow the customer base. New companies that have provided new customer discounts or free delivery have been successful in entering the market in major cities across the globe. Through having a campaign offering free services or VIP sales to clients, for things such as signing up to your email subscription service, discounts on their birthdays, free delivery or new customer discounts, consumers are urged to try a product for the first time.

It is important to not to put all your eggs within one basket, and be able to see the broader picture. One method of marketing may work better for you than another, however the important thing to remember is that all this does not have to be done alone. Consulting with services that provide provide social media help can alleviate some of the stress that can be added when struggling between traditional face to face services and online services allowing the balance to be achieved within the business.